Abstract: Compounds having utility as antinflammatory agents in general and, more specifically, for the prevention and/or treatment of immunoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases are disclosed. The compounds are pyrimidine- or pyrazine-containing compounds and, in one embodiment, are carboxyamides of the same. Methods are also disclosed for preventing and/or treating inflammatory conditions by administering to an animal in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of this invention, preferably in the form of a pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: CRF receptor antagonists are disclosed. Such receptor antagonists are thiadiazole-, pyrimidine-, triazine-, and triazole-containing compounds substituted with both a C3-C14 monocyclic or fused, homoaryl or heteroaryl group and a substituted amine group. The CFR receptor antagonists have utility in the treatment of a variety of disorders, including disorders associated with the hypersecretion of CRF.

Abstract: The is disclosed a two-phase oil and water tanning composition which, when agitated, forms a single-phase, but readily converts back to two-phases upon settling. The oil and water phase of the tanning composition may be separately colored to create a visually pleasing and distinctive product. Formation of a single-phase upon agitation permits equal application of both the oil and water phases, regardless of the mode of application. Reversion to the two-phase oil and water composition upon settling imparts the desired product appearance after application.

Abstract: A composition for preventing or treating inflammation and/or pain by topical administration are disclosed. The composition contains an omega fatty acid in combination with spirulina. Preferably, the omega fatty acid is a mixture of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexanoic acid, and omega-6 fatty acids include gamma-linolenic acid and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid. The composition may further include pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or diluents, vitamins A and E, and a cyclooxygenase inhibitor such as methyl salicylate.

Abstract: There are disclosed alpha-helix mimetics and methods relating to the same for imparting or stabilizing alpha-helicity to a peptide or protein. In one aspect, the alpha-helix mimetics contain six- or seven-membered rings covalently attached at the end or within the length of the peptide or protein. The alpha-helix mimetics render the resulting peptide or protein more stable with regard to thermal stability, as well as making the peptide or protein more resistant to proteolytic degredation. In addition, the alpha-helix mimetics may be used in standard peptide synthesis protocols.

Abstract: A method and system for resizing edit controls of a graphical user interface that in previous systems were of a fixed size. The preferred steps of the resize operation entail moving a mouse cursor over a designated portion of the edit control, activating a mouse button, and dragging a border of the edit control to a new location on the user interface. Upon recognition of these steps, an operating system generates messages indicating that a resize operation is requested. An application retrieves the message from the operating system and sends the message to an application edit control code. Before the message reaches the application edit control code, it is hooked by resize edit control code, which resizes the edit control in response to the messages.In this way, edit controls that in previous systems were fixed in size can, under the preferred embodiment, be resized. Subsequent use of the edit control after resizing allows data to be received and displayed in an improved manner.

Abstract: An ATM switch is used to combine blocks of data from multiple data servers into a single continuous data stream. The ATM switch is especially well adapted for use in a video-on-demand environment. Blocks of data may be striped across the data servers so that they are output from respective data servers in sequence. Transmission of data from the data servers to the ATM switch is scheduled so that the blocks of data are output in sequence without undue delay between the transmission of blocks of data from the servers. Synchronizing tokens are provided to the data servers to specify that they are to output data of a given sequence and to direct the sequence to a given virtual channel. As a result, the system of this invention appears to output single continuous data streams from the output ports of the ATM switch.

Abstract: An operating system provides a common name space for both long filenames and short filenames. In this common namespace, a long filename and a short filename are provided for each file. Each file has a short filename directory entry and may have at least one long filename directory entry associated with it. The number of long filename directory entries that are associated with a file depends on the number of characters in the long filename of the file. The long filename directory entries are configured to minimize compatibility problems with existing installed program bases.

Abstract: A method and system for caching data that improve the efficiency of a cache are provided. Generally, three types of data are stored in a cache constructed according to the principles of the present invention. These types of data include: (1) path tables, (2) directories, and (3) files. Path tables include data regarding all of the directories on a storage medium, directories include data regarding all of the subdirectories and files in each directory, and files include the actual file data. The preferred embodiment of the cache logically includes eight regions. These regions include (in order of preferred descending priority): (1) path table, (2) directory, (3) two-access, (4) zero-access or prefetch, (5) sequential-locked, (6) one-access, (7) discarded, and (8) invalid.

Abstract: A simulation system to simulate the execution of a computer program. The computer program is developed for invoking operating system functions of a first operating system. Each operating system function performs a behavior in accordance with passed parameters. The simulation system generates a log during the execution of the computer program under control of the first operating system. The log includes an indication of each invocation of an operating system function by the computer program and an indication of each parameter passed to the operating system function by the computer program and the current time. The logged execution is then simulated by the simulation system on a second operating system. The simulation system invokes an operating system function of the second operating system to perform a behavior similar to the behavior performed by each logged invocation of the operating system function of the first operating system in accordance with the passed parameters.

Abstract: An improved power-up circuit formed in an integrated circuit for generating a power-up pulse for integrated circuit devices. The present invention includes an input stage, an output stage, and a pulse control circuit. The input stage receives a supply voltage rising from a reference ground to a steady supply voltage upon power-up. The input stage generates a logic low state for a selected period of time, and a logic high state thereafter. An output stage is connected to the input stage, and generates a logic high state when the input stage is generating the logic low state. The output stage switches to the logic low state when the input stage switches to the logic high state after the selected time period. The logic high and low states sequentially generated by the output stage define the power-up pulse. The pulse control circuit is connected between the input and output of the output stage for controlling the width of the power-up pulse.

Abstract: An optical element for causing a visible spotter beam emitted by a hand-held scanning bar code reader provides visible indications of the area of a surface which is being scanned by an invisible scanning beam. The optical element transforms the visible spotter beam, at its extreme of travel, into two pairs of cursor beams which are directed along predetermined trajectories relative to the trajectory followed by the scanning beam. The predetermined trajectories can be above and below, or to the left and right of the center of travel of the invisible scanning beam. In one embodiment, a method of identifying the proper focusing distance of the scanning reader is presented. The method identifies the focusing distance by making the pairs of cursor beams formed from the visible beam at its two angular extreme of travel to form a predetermined pattern indicating the proper focusing distance.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot having a keel formed by a flexible sole plate connected to the lower end of an ankle portion that is attachable to a user's leg or leg prosthesis. A plurality of resilient bending ribs extend from the angle portion to spaced apart locations on the upper surface of the sole plate to resiliently bias the sole plate to a neutral configuration. As the forward portion of the sole plate is progressively loaded, the sole plate flexes causing the bending ribs to deflect until they successively stack up against each other, thereby progressively stiffening the keel.

Abstract: A method and system for training a handwriting recognizer at the time of misrecognition is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a trainer program traps and stores the output from a recognizer. The output includes the recognized symbols mapped to the handwritten data. When training is requested by a user, the trainer displays the handwritten data that was input by the user and the recognized symbols. The user then selects the symbols to train on. In response to the selection, the trainer displays the portion of the handwritten data corresponding to the selected symbols. The user then enters the symbols that the displayed portion of the handwritten data should be recognized as. The trainer then requests the recognizer to train based on the displayed portion of the data and the entered symbols. When training is complete, the trainer requests re-recognition of the handwritten data and displays the newly recognized symbols.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling an area of a computer display with a preselected color is provided. Typical computer systems software provides the capability to represent 256 different intensities of a color. However, many color displays cannot support the displaying of 256 intensity levels. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for mapping the higher number of intensity levels supported by the systems software to the lower number of intensity levels actually supported by the display. In a preferred embodiment, four picture elements (pels) of a display are logically grouped together to create a super-pel. By varying the intensity level in each pel of a super-pel, the effective number of intensity levels for a given color can be increased.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for integrating a plurality of discrete subprograms with a main program. The method enables the main program to integrate any discrete subprogram stored in its directory with the main program. The method includes the step of identifying each discrete subprogram stored in the directory of the main program and creating a cross reference array to enable the main program to access the plurality of subprograms. In addition to creating the cross reference array, an event reference list of the main program is updated, enabling commands of the subprogram to be given key and menu assignments, thereby further integrating the subprogram with the main program. Similarly, the subprogram can be removed from the main program simply by deleting the subprogram from the directory of the main program.

Abstract: Novel proteins possessing substantially the same biological activity as human GM-CSF, as well as proteins having a higher specific activity than native human GM-CSF, are disclosed. The proteins may (a) be unglycosylated; (b) lack N-linked glycosylation but have O-linked glycosylation; or (c) lack one of the two N-linked carbohydrate chains characteristic of native human GM-CSF. The proteins are produced using recombinant DNA techniques in eucaryotic host cells, such as mammalian, yeast, and filamentous fungal host cells. Pharmaceutical compositions including an effective amount of one of the proteins of the invention and a physiologically acceptable carrier or diluent are also disclosed.

Abstract: A technique for compressing digital video data provides improved compression over conventional block compression techniques. In this technique, image data is broken down into cells and iteratively compressed. The cells are compressed using compression formats that are most appropriate for the contents of the cells. A determination is first made whether a cell is substantially identical to a succeeding cell in a previous frame. If the cell is substantially identical to the cell in the previous frame, the cell is encoded in compressed form as a duplicate of the previous cell. Moreover, solid-color compression approaches, two-color compression approaches and eight-color compression approaches may be integrated into the compression technique.

Abstract: A method, and DNA constructs useful therein, is provided for producing plasminogen activator in bacteria. Particular constructs are provided comprising a coding sequence for tissue plasminogen activator and the leader peptide thereof, which is used to transform E. coli to produce protein having activity of tissue plasminogen activator.

Abstract: A tetrazoleacetic acid derivative represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## .[.[in Formula (I),.]. .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; R.sub.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxyalkyl group, an amino group, an aryl group, an alkyl or aryl thio group, an alkyl or aryl carbonylamino group, an alkyl or aryl sulfonylamino group, an alkyl or aryl aminosulfonyl group, an alkyl or aryl sulfonyl group or an alkyl or aryl sulfinyl group; and X represents --O-- or --S--.[.].]. except for [5-(2-thienyl)tetrazol-1-yl] acetic acid, [5-(2-furyl)tetrazol-1-yl) acetic acid.Iadd., (5-(5-bromo-2-furyl)tetrazol-1-yl)acetic acid, (5-(5-phenylthio-2-furyl)tetrazol-1-yl)acetic acid, (5-(5-phenylsulfonyl-2-furyl)tetrazol-1-yl)acetic acid .Iaddend.