Abstract: The present invention relates to a reduced particle size form of the compound (S)-2-ethoxy-3-[4-(2-{4-methanesulfonyloxyphenyl}ethoxy)phenyl]propanoic acid, as shown in formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a solvate of either thereof. The invention also concerns methods of treating one or more conditions associated with Insulin Resistance Syndrome using the reduced particle size form of the compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the manufacture of a medicament for use in one or more of said conditions. The invention further concerns pharmaceutical compositions containing the reduced particle size form of the compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate thereof, as an active ingredient, as well as processes for the manufacture of the reduced particle size form of the compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: A portable memory device is provided that is capable of easy connection to a personal computer via a universal serial bus (USB) port, IEEE 1394 (i.e., firewire) or similar port. Included in the portable memory device is a compression/decompression engine capable of compressing and decompressing data. Data residing on a personal computer or other host platform is compressed by the engine and saved to the memory of the portable memory device. Compressed data is retrieved and decompressed by the engine and transmitted to the personal computer for use by the user. Embodiments of the present invention thus provide a highly convenient system and apparatus for users to access and save larger quantities of data to a relatively small device.

Abstract: An aqueous solution for prophylactic treatment of teats of lactating mammals, comprising as a first component at least partially deacetylated chitosan, or an acid addition salt thereof, in a concentration of up to about 2% by weight of chitosan, the solution having a pH of from about 4 to about 6.8, and said first component having a molecular weight such that the viscosity of the solution is less than about 50 mPas; and a method of prophylactic treatment of teats of lactating mammals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates thereof, or solvates of such salts, which compounds inhibit carboxypeptidase U and thus can be used in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with carboxypeptidase U. In further aspects, the invention relates to compounds of the invention for use in therapy; to processes for preparation of such new compounds: to pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one compound of the invention, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, as active ingredient; and to the use of the active compounds in the manufacture of medicaments for the medical use indicated above.

Abstract: A method and a multijunction solar device having a high band gap heterojunction middle solar cell are disclosed. In one embodiment, a triple-junction solar device includes bottom, middle, and top cells. The bottom cell has a germanium (Ge) substrate and a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer is disposed over the Ge substrate. The middle cell contains a heterojunction structure, which further includes an emitter layer and a base layer that are disposed over the bottom cell. The top cell contains an emitter layer and a base layer disposed over the middle cell.

Abstract: In general, the present invention is directed to systems and methods for finding the position and shape of an object using video. The invention includes a system with a video camera coupled to a computer in which the computer is configured to automatically provide object segmentation and identification, object motion tracking (for moving objects), object position classification, and behavior identification. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention may use background subtraction for object identification and tracking, probabilistic approach with expectation-maximization for tracking the motion detection and object classification, and decision tree classification for behavior identification. Thus, the present invention is capable of automatically monitoring a video image to identify, track and classify the actions of various objects and the object's movements within the image. The image may be provided in real time or from storage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new new piperidyl- or piperazinyl-substituted dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran derivatives compound having the formula (I) wherein X is N or CH; Y is NR2CH2, CH2NR2, NR2CO, CONR2, NR2SO2 or NR2CONR2 wherein R2 is H or C1–C6 alkyl; R1 is H, C1–C6 alkyl or C3–C6 cycloalkyl; R3 is C1–C6 alkyl, C3–C6 cycloalkyl or (CH2)n-aryl, wherein aryl is phenyl or a heteroaromatic ring containing one or two heteroatoms selected from N, O and S and which may be mono- or di-substituted with R4 and/or R5; and n is 0–4; as (R)-enantiomers, (S)-enantiomers or a racemate in the form of a free base or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof, a process for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing said therapeutically active compounds and to the use of said active compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new compound of formula I as a free base or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a process for the preparation, pharmaceutical formulations containing said therapeutically active compound and to the use of said compound in therapy.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula (I) for use as an estrogen receptor-?-selective ligand are described wherein: X is O or S; and R1, R3 R6 are as described in the specification. The use of these compounds in treating Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and prostate cancer is described; as are processes for making them.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a production planning system using a process of adaptive learning is disclosed. A production planning system receives production objects wherein each production object has at least one attribute. In one embodiment, the production objects include information relating to product to be manufactured. After receipt of production objects, multiple preference scores according to the attributes of the production objects are calculated. In one embodiment, each preference score represents desirability of transition from manufacturing a first object to a second object. The system subsequently identifies a suggested production plan which includes a sequence order of two or more objects in response to the preference scores. In one embodiment, the planning preferences are updated or modified by an adaptive learning system in response to adjustments of the suggested production plant by a planner.

Abstract: A pre-filled syringe comprising a glass barrel (1), a sealing member (5) fitted in a medical liquid discharge port (11) of the barrel (1), a tip member (2) mounted around the sealing member (5) on the medical liquid discharge port (11) of the barrel (1), a closing member (4), a cap member (3), and a holding member (6); the sealing member (5) having a through-hole (51) formed in the axial direction; the tip member (2) including a skirt (24) provided with an engagement pawl (25) on the inner wall of a lower end thereof, a top wall (23), a needle mounting portion (21), and a medical liquid deriving portion (22), and being provided with a medical liquid passage (28); the closing member (4) being inserted into the medical liquid passage (28) and the through-hole (51) to close the through-hole (51) and so prevent oxygen contamination and deterioration of the medical liquid.

Abstract: A medical device coated with one or more antibodies and one or more layers of a matrix is disclosed. The antibodies or fragments thereof react with an endothelial cell surface antigen. Also disclosed are compositions and methods for producing the medical device. The matrix coating the medical device may be composed of a synthetic material, such as a fullerene, or a naturally occurring material. The fullerenes range from about C60 to about C100. The medical device may be a stent or a synthetic graft. The antibodies promote the adherence of cells captured in vivo on the medical device. The antibodies may be mixed with the matrix or covalently tethered through a linker molecule to the matrix. Following adherence to the medical device, the cells differentiate and proliferate on the medical device. The antibodies may be different types of monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract: A portable data storage device (10) includes a universal serial bus (USB) coupling device (1) and an interface device (2) is coupled to the USB coupling device (1). The portable data storage device (10) also includes a memory control device (3) and a non-volatile solid-state memory device (4). The memory control device (3) is coupled between the interface device (2) and the memory device (4) to control the flow of data from the memory device (4) to the USB coupling device (1).

Abstract: Intermediates used in the preparation of compounds of formula I, or a stereoisomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable form of either selected from the group consisting of a salt, a solvate and a combination thereof, with the exception of i) the racemate of (3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)phosphinic acid; and ii) (2R/S,3R)-(3-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)phosphinic acid.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of attenuating and/or conditioning optical energy for an optical transmitter, receiver or transceiver module is disclosed. An apparatus for attenuating the optical output of an optoelectronic connector including: a mounting surface; an array of optoelectronic devices having at least a first end; an array of optical elements having at least a first end; the first end of the array of optical elements optically aligned with the first end of the array of optoelectronic devices; an optical path extending from the first end of the array of optoelectronic devices and ending at a second end of the array of optical elements; and an attenuator in the optical path for attenuating the optical energy emitted from the array of optoelectronic devices. Alternatively, a conditioner may be adapted in the optical path for conditioning the optical energy emitted from the array of optoelectronic devices.

Abstract: The invention uses a distributed network of specialized nodes of different types dispersed around the Internet. In operation, web client's requests are directed to a node of a first type chosen to be close to the client, and the client communicates with this node using a standard protocol such as HTTP. This first node receives the request, and locates a node of a second type, chosen to be an optimal initial relay on a path to the web server. The first node may communicates the request to the second node using a different, specialized, protocol that has been designed for improved performance and specifically to reduce traffic volume and to reduce latency. The second node receives communication from the first node using this specialized protocol, and relays it to an optimally chosen third node using the same, or possibly different internode communication protocol.

Abstract: Active resource control of added functionality in a numerical control process having at least one resource is provided. It can occur during run-time of the numerical control process, that an added functionality that uses at least a portion of the resource. On-line checking of the added functionality detects during run time whether the added functionality causes the numerical control process to reach a resource limit. Error handling handles errors upon reaching a resource limit. Off-line checking detects off-line, before the run time of the numerical control process, whether the added functionality causes the numerical control process to reach a resource limit of the resource. Multiple layers are provided that check at multiple layers of the numerical control process whether the added functionality causes the numerical control process to reach a resource limit of the resource. A flexible response to resource limit errors based on a degree of importance of the added functionality is provided.

Abstract: A method for use in a system for diagnosing the causes of manufacturing defects involves process characterization. A set of forms is identified for a workpiece and for a piece of manufacturing equipment that acts upon the workpiece. The forms for the workpiece are preferably a hierarchic set of geometric forms. Each such geometric form corresponds to an aspect of the action of the manufacturing equipment upon the workpiece. A plurality of measurements is made on a defective workpiece following the hierarchical order of forms. The measurements are compared to a reference datum, and a deviation from the datum is computed. If the deviation exceeds a preselected threshold, an alert condition results, attributable to the action of the manufacturing equipment. Targeted adjustment corresponding to the action that caused the defect can then be made to the equipment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel resolution methods, which are useful in the preparation of enantiomerically enriched intermediates which in their turn are useful in the prepartion of compounds with a pharmacological effect on the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS). It is such a process that the present inventions sets out to define, and more particularly for the preparation of the (S)-enantioner of certain 2-ethoxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acids and derivatives thereof.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an improved desalination process to produce potable water. The process represents an improvement of hybrid of membrane and desalination technologies. The improvement of the invention comprises the operation of an ion selective membrane at a variable pressure as a function of the cost of electricity to form a softened salt water that is blended in variable proportions, to increase the top operating temperature of the desalination system and increase recovery of potable water, with untreated salt water.