Abstract: An automatic chain tensioner for a tubular drag conveyor tensions the conveyor chain hydraulically utilizing an air-over-oil hydraulic system. A hydraulic cylinder acts on chain idler sprocket to tension the chain.

Abstract: Skin cooling apparatus is provided for use with a medical treatment device such as a hypodermic syringe or a skin ablation laser or other electromagnetic source. The skin cooling apparatus provides selective, localized cooling of the target area that is acted upon by the medical treatment device. Included is a support body engaging at least a portion of the medical treatment device, for supporting and orienting the medical treatment device to the target area. A solid state cooling device such as a thermoelectric or Peltier device is carried by the support body and includes a cooling surface facing the target area of a patient's skin surface. The support body may be flexible so as to allow the medical treatment device to be inclined relative to the skin surface. The support body may also include aiming structure for directing the medical treatment device to a particular point within the target area.

Abstract: A sprayable wash-and-wax composition which includes biodegradable surfactants and water repelling sealants. The sprayable composition preferably is packaged in an aerosol can and is dispensed as a foamed composition onto the car surface to be clean. The foamed composition is thereafter wiped from the car surface to produce a cleaned surface which is then buffed to a high gloss.

Abstract: A suspension system for a window covering that eliminates the use of pull cords is provided. The suspension system includes a control module having a winding drum and a spring disposed about an axle. A friction member or reaction member is also provided to offset difference in the force exerted by the spring on a suspension cord versus the weight of the window covering member.

Abstract: A composite strip 10 windable to form a helical pipe for transporting fluid is disclosed. The composite strip comprises: an elongate plastic strip 11 having a base portion 12, the base portion 12 having an upper side defining an outer face 15; and at least one lengthwise extending composite rib portion 20 upstanding from the outer face 15 of the base portion 12. The rib portion 20 has a distal end 23 remote from the base portion 12. The composite rib portion comprises: an elongate inboard reinforcing member 30 disposed within or adjacent to the base portion 12; an elongate outboard reinforcing 40 member disposed within the distal end 20 of the rib portion 20 parallel to the inboard reinforcing member 30; and an elongate intermediate plastic web 23 portion extending between the inboard and outboard reinforcing members 30, 40. When wound into a helical pipe, the composite rib portion 20 reinforces the pipe against radial crushing loads.

Abstract: An electrically and ionically conductive porous material including a thermoplastic binder and one or more of anion exchange moieties or cation exchange moieties or mixtures thereof and/or one or more of a protein capture resin and an electrically conductive material. The thermoplastic binder immobilizes the moieties with respect to each other but does not substantially coat the moieties and forms the electrically conductive porous material. A wafer of the material and a method of making the material and wafer are disclosed.

Abstract: A hydrogen permeable membrane is disclosed. The membrane is prepared by forming a mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and a pore former into an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.

Abstract: A container seal having a releasable, integral promotional token attached thereto comprises a sealing sheet bound to a promotional token by a releasable adhesive. The sealant sheet has a tacking surface and a sealing surface. The promotional token has a tacking surface and an obverse surface. At least one surface of the promotional token has promotional indicia visible thereon. The tacking surface of the promotional token is bound to the tacking surface of the sealant sheet by a releasable adhesive, so that the promotional token is peelably removable from the sealant sheet when the sealant sheet is bound to the finish of a container.

Abstract: A conveyor belt (1) includes a metallic net belt (8) functionally driven by at least a traction drum (5), tensioned by at least a return drum (12) and supported by a plurality of independent transversal rollers (13). Belt (1) supports individually a plurality of plates (2) partially overlapping one another, so as to form a flat continuous transport surface as a mobile reliable plane that is resistant to extreme mechanical stress. Each of said plates (2) is suitably shaped so that an upper portion of one plate overlaps a lower portion of the following plate.

Abstract: Gurmarin containing compositions are useful for modulation of glucose metabolism and the treatment of diabetes. Glucose metabolism in a human patient is regulated by isolated gurmarin-containing dosage forms that optionally contain a non-metabolizable polysaccharide such as the exudate of Sterculia urens.

Abstract: This invention relates to the fields of immunology and protein therapeutics. The therapeutic proteins are polypeptides to be administered especially to humans. The polypeptides are modified whereby the modification results in a reduced propensity for the polypeptide to elicit an immune response upon administration to the human subject. The invention therefor provides methods for the development of therapeutic polypeptides that are less immunogenic than any non-modified counterpart when used in vivo. The modifications used according to this invention relate, for example, to the introduction of protease cleavage sites, attachment of different molecules or insertion of non-natural amino acids.

Abstract: A film copy system includes a camera supported by a cradle which is removably attached to a cradle mount. A light shaft carried by the cradle is provided for releasably engaging a film holder and spacing the film holder a predetermined distance from the camera.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated myeloid-like cell population comprising a majority of cells that are lineage negative, and which express both CD44 antigen, CD11b antigen, and hypoxia inducible factor 1 ? (HIF-1 ?). These cells have beneficial vasculotrophic and neurotrophic activity when intraocularly administered to the eye of a mammal, particularly a mammal suffering from an ocular degenerative disease. The myeloid-like cells are isolated by treating bone marrow cells, peripheral blood cells or umbilical cord cells with an antibody against CD44 (hyaluronic acid receptor), against CD11b, CD14, CD33, or against a combination thereof and using flow cytometry to positively select CD44 and/or CD11b expressing cells therefrom. The isolated myeloid-like bone marrow cells of the invention can be transfected with a gene encoding a therapeutically useful protein, for delivering the gene to the retina.

Abstract: A fuel cell of the present invention comprises a cathode and an anode, one or both of the anode and the cathode including a catalyst comprising a bundle of longitudinally aligned graphitic carbon nanotubes including a catalytically active transition metal incorporated longitudinally and atomically distributed throughout the graphitic carbon walls of said nanotubes. The nanotubes also include nitrogen atoms and/or ions chemically bonded to the graphitic carbon and to the transition metal. Preferably, the transition metal comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr.