Abstract: The present invention relates to polypeptides to be administered especially to humans and in particular for therapeutic use. The polypeptides are modified polypeptides whereby the modification results in a reduced propensity for the polypeptide to elicit an immune response upon administration to the human subject. The invention in particular relates to the modification of human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to result in GM-CSF proteins that are substantially non-immunogenic or less immunogenic than any non-modified counterpart when used in vivo.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus is provided that has sufficiently high efficiency irrespective of a size of a light source. The illumination apparatus projecting light forward includes an LED chip, a small-diameter reflecting mirror positioned in front of the LED chip for receiving light from the LED chip to project the light forward, and a reflecting mirror enclosing the LED chip and the small-diameter reflecting mirror for directing and reflecting forward the light from the LED chip.

Abstract: A handle for sports equipment such as a lacrosse or hockey stick including cushioning and grip ribs. In one embodiment, the shaft of the handle defines one or more regions of reduced diameter or thickness such as, in one embodiment, a plurality of elongate longitudinal grooves extending around the periphery thereof in spaced-apart relationship. Interior cushioning ribs are defined in the region of the grooves by a layer of cover or coating material which is applied to the surface of the shaft and fills the grooves. In another embodiment, the shaft includes tapered regions in the shaft and the layer of cover or coating material fills the tapered regions to define cushioning ribs.

Abstract: The invention relates to artificial modified proteins, preferably fusion proteins, having a reduced immunogenicity compared to the parent non-modified molecule when exposed to a species in vivo. The invention relates, above all, to novel immunoglobulin fusion proteins which essentially consist of an immunoglobulin molecule or a fragment thereof covalently fused via its C-terminus to the N-terminus of a biologically active non-immunoglobulin molecule, preferably a polypeptide or protein or a biologically active fragment thereof. In a specific embodiment, the invention relates to fusion proteins consisting of an Fc portion of an antibody which is fused as mentioned to the non-immunological target molecule which elicits biological or pharmacological efficacy. The molecules of the invention have amino acid sequences which are altered in one or more amino acid residue positions but have in principal the same biological activity as compared with the non-altered molecules.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed container having a nozzle that defines a dispensing orifice closed by a unitary but removable cap. Accumulation of container contents in the cap is minimized by a constriction in the nozzle situated at least 0.1 inches from the dispensing orifice.

Abstract: Present invention relates to an electric double-layer capacitor having positive and negative electrodes containing nonporous carbon as an electrode active material. In the nonporous carbon, multiple layers of graphene having an average interplanar spacing d002 of 0.350 to 0.380 nm have been grown well. The positive and negative electrodes are impregnated with an electrolyte solution. The nonporous carbon is obtained by activating easily graphitizable carbon, which in turn is obtained by calcining needle coke or pitch made infusible. The elctrolyte solution is either a liquid electrolyte having a planar molecular structure or an electrolyte solution consisting of a liquid electrolyte dissolved in an organic solvent.

Abstract: A filter assembly has a housing open at one end, with an annular filter media/core assembly disposed in the housing. An end plate having at least two inlet openings and an outlet opening is disposed in the open end of the housing. The end plate is affixed to a lid which is secured to the end of the housing. A combination valve is retained between the filter media/core assembly and the end plate. The combination valve has a first portion that cooperates with the first inlet opening in the end plate and a second portion cooperating with the second inlet opening. In use fluid will pass through the first inlet opening, the filter media/core assembly and be discharged from the housing through the outlet opening.

Abstract: Isolated, mammalian, bone marrow-derived, lineage negative hematopoietic stem cell populations (Lin? HSC) contain endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) capable of forming retinal blood vessels. At least about 50% of the cells in the isolated Lin? HSC population include cell surface markers for CD31 and c-kit. Up to about 8% of the cells can include the Sca-1 cell marker, and up to about 4% of the cells can include the Flk-1/KDR marker. The isolated Lin? HSC populations of the present invention are useful for treatment of ocular vascular diseases. The isolated Lin? HSC populations that have been transfected with therapeutically useful genes are also provided, which are useful for delivering genes to the eye for cell-based gene therapy.

Abstract: A document filtering scheme capable of reducing the number of erroneously selected non-relevant documents without reducing the number of correctly selected relevant documents is disclosed. a non-relevant profile expressing non-relevant documents that are judged as having high similarities with respect to a relevant profile expressing a user's request but not matching with the user's request is utilized in addition to the relevant profile, such that each search target document for which the similarity with respect to the relevant profile is higher than a prescribed threshold for the relevant profile and the similarity with respect to the non-relevant profile is higher than a prescribed threshold for the non-relevant profile is removed as a non-relevant document.

Abstract: The cooling of the material is mainly achieved through the convective thermal exchange between the loose hot material and the cooling air flow blown in from the outside, and through the conductive thermal exchange between the same material (3) and the conveyor belt (2). In order to improve the efficiency of the cooling process appropriate slots (16) are made into the plates of the conveyor belt, through which the cooling air can be made to flow so as to reach the base of the travelling continuous bed consisting of hot material. Furthermore the abovementioned plates can be equipped with appropriate extensions which operate while immersed into the conveyed material, thus increasing the surface suitable for the conductive thermal exchange.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acids that encodes a human dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP8), which shares structural and functional characteristics with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV; CD26) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Vectors and cells comprising the nucleic acids are also disclosed.