Abstract: A razor blade unit having a frame and blades movably mounted in the frame, each blade being elastically biased toward a rest position where the upper face of each blade bears against upper stop portions of the frame, the upper face of each blade being parallel to the corresponding upper stop portions.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for promoting organ development in warm blooded animals, and in particular in certain aspects a premature infant or foetus. Compositions and methods are also provided for the administration of at least one colony stimulating factor-1 protein (CSF-1), precursor, variant, analogue, derivative thereof, or combinations thereof, or otherwise, at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding colony stimulating factor-1 protein (CSF-1), precursor, variant, analogue, derivative thereof, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A plasma-generating device comprising an anode, a plurality of intermediate electrodes, an insulator sleeve, and a cathode is disclosed. The plurality of the intermediate electrodes and the anode form a plasma channel. One of the intermediate electrodes forms a plasma chamber. The cathode has a tapering portion that projects downstream the distal end of the insulator sleeve only partially. Also, the distal-most point of the cathode is located some distance away from the plasma channel inlet. Methods of surgical use of the plasma-generating device are also disclosed.

Abstract: An insurance program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the insurance program that includes an employer or employee owned trust account and at least one life insurance contract obtained directly or indirectly from a captive insurance company. The life insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the captive insurance company is a least partially owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer.

Abstract: Method and system for efficient power control with multiple modes. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a power system with selectable power modes. The power system includes a first terminal for outputting energy, and the first terminal is electrically coupled to a load. The system also includes a pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) component that is configured to adjust a pulse frequency based on the load. The system additionally includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) component that is configured to adjust a pulse width based on the load. The system further includes a switch that is electrically coupled to the first terminal. Also, the system includes a control component, the control component being configured to provide a control signal that is capable of causing the switch to be turned on or off. The control signal is associated with an output of the PWM component and the pulse width if an output is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An insurance program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the insurance program that includes an employer or employee owned trust account and at least one life insurance contract or non-cancelable accident and health insurance contract obtained directly or indirectly from a captive insurance company. The life insurance contract or non-cancelable accident and health insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the captive insurance company is at least partially owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer.

Abstract: This invention encompasses asphalt cement emulsions, as well as methods for preparing a pre-treated rubber-modified asphalt cement emulsions and methods for coating industrial surfaces using asphalt cement emulsions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit the activity of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, compositions containing the compounds and methods of treating diseases during which is expressed anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein.

Abstract: This invention provides compounds of formula I where Ar1 is a 5- to 10-member mono- or bicyclic aromatic group, optionally substituted; where the —NR3R4 group is situated ortho to the NHC(?X) group; n=1 or 2; X=O or S; Y is O or S; and q=1 or 0. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula I and/or salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof. These compounds modulate the activation and inactivation of potassium channels. The compounds are useful for the treatment and prevention of diseases and disorders—such as seizure disorders—which are affected by modulation of potassium ion channels.

Abstract: A blower assembly including a motor (4), an impeller (6) and a volute (8) that is configured such that an inlet chamber (112) of the volute and an outlet chamber (114) of the volute are divided from one another by an airtight membrane (128a-b) and the membrane is configured to allow the transmission of pressure waves between the inlet and outlet chambers.

Abstract: An antenna and a wireless mobile communication device incorporating the antenna are provided. The antenna includes a first conductor section electrically coupled to a first feeding point, a second conductor section electrically coupled to a second feeding point, and a near-field radiation control structure adapted to control characteristics of near-field radiation generated by the antenna. Near-field radiation control structures include a parasitic element positioned adjacent the first conductor section and configured to control characteristics of near-field radiation generated by the first conductor section, and a diffuser in the second conductor section configured to diffuse near-field radiation generated by the second conductor section into a plurality of directions.

Abstract: A cut-point in the quantitative measurement of PTEN protein expression that accurately identifies tumors with two inactivated alleles of the PTEN gene. Patients with a normalized PTEN score of PTEN null will be treated with a pan-ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitor. A normalized PTEN protein expression score is obtained by comparing the tumor PTEN OD expression value with the non-malignant PTEN OD expression value.

Abstract: The present invention provides an obligately anaerobic lactic acid bacterium having no risk of causing side effects in normal tissue and promising as a safe therapeutic agent and a gene transporter for a disease that is in an anaerobic environment such as a solid tumor, a preparation method therefor, and an expression vector useful in the preparation method. The obligately anaerobic lactic acid bacterium of the present invention has been artificially mutated from being facultatively anaerobic to being obligately anaerobic and, furthermore, is capable of being transformed by an expression vector having introduced thereinto a gene for expressing an active protein useful for the treatment of a disease that is in an anaerobic environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for protecting a wound and managing exudate released from the wound comprising a dressing having a support cushion for surrounding the wound and periwound region; a wicking strip for application in the periwound region between the support cushion and the wound; and a reservoir for application over the wicking strip, the wicking strip configured to transfer exudate from the wound to the reservoir, where the exudate is sequestered. Various alternative embodiments are described in which the wicking strip may be custom-fit to approximate an irregular wound margin, to apply a preferred pressure gradient to the periwound regions, to periodically apply fluids to the wound bed or to apply negative pressure wound therapy. Methods of applying the dressing also are provided.

Abstract: Provided herein are hydroxypyridone derivatives, for example, a compound of Formula I, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Also provided herein are methods of their use for treating, preventing, or ameliorating one or more symptoms of a proliferative disease.

Abstract: The invention encompasses ureido substituted benzoic acid compounds, compositions comprising the compounds and methods for treating or preventing diseases associated with nonsense mutations of mRNA by administering these compounds or compositions.

Abstract: Certain pins of an XFP connector are re-purposed to enable the connector to receive, for example, four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a receiver), or output four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a transmitter). The four data streams are wavelength division multiplexed inside the XFP module for transmission over a single optical fiber, providing a total interface capacity of 47.52 Gb/s. An XFP receiver module is defined to convert the WDM signal back to four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams.

Abstract: Methods and systems for advancing to another service from a plurality of services in a digital radio broadcast receiver are described. The methods and systems include the steps of receiving an instruction to advance to another service from a man-machine interface of the digital radio broadcast receiver, selecting an entry from a set of entries stored in a memory of the digital radio broadcast receiver responsive to the instruction, wherein each entry identifies a service, and wherein at least some of said services correspond to services identified as receivable, tuning to a first service identified by the selected entry, rendering content received on the first service at the digital radio broadcast receiver, and updating the set of entries stored in the memory of the digital radio broadcast receiver based on at least one criteria.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing micropayment transactions over communication networks is provided. These methods and systems enable ubiquitous micropayments by providing a seamless payment solution in which micropayment is one of a plurality of payments facilitated. In an embodiment, the transaction value may be compared to a predefined threshold, and processed as a micropayment if said value is less than said threshold, and otherwise processed using a second processing system. In another embodiment, the transaction may be processed as a micropayment if the payee has previously been verified by the micropayment processing system. In a third embodiment, the transaction takes place using the payee's website.

Abstract: The present application provides a system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising a client application on an electronic communication device communicating across a wireless network, and an awareness server that includes a plurality of server objects that monitor multiple devices on a wireless communication network. In addition, the client application on the electronic communication device comprises a plurality of software objects. The client application periodically broadcasts the current wireless tower that the device is communicating on to the awareness server. The awareness server tracks the location of other Tower IDs of other users in the individual's contact list. If there is a match in Tower IDs, an alert is sent to both users that they are in proximity to each other.