Abstract: Inhibitors of matrix metalloproteases such as collagenase are capable of inhibiting the release of human soluble CD23 and are therefore useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of conditions in which an excess of s-CD23 is implicated, such as allergy and autoimmune disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates in particular to an autonomous container ship of the type having a hull, propulsion means, and loading and unloading means, characterized by having ballasting means and means (11, 12, 5) for varying the air draft without changing the draft.

Abstract: A data center for a postage meter resetting system includes a computer that receives a postage refill request to electronically add a postage refill amount to a postage meter; structure for determining at the computer a rebate value associated with the postage refill request; and apparatus for sending the rebate value to a designated location.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I): 1

Abstract: A loudspeaker has a digital input signal port connected to a digital interpolator to increase the effective sampling rate whose output is fed to a signal delay and magnitude detector after which the short-term dynamic range of the input signal is possibly reduced before application of a unary encoder which encodes the digital input signal into a plurality of unary signals which are then differentially delayed and pulse shaped before application to a plurality of substantially identical acoustic transducers via transducer drivers whose average power drive levels may be controlled by signals derived from the magnitude detector and from a human operator to alter the sound volume produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an exfoliated graphite/phenol resin composite foam of a porosity of 50-95%, a density of 0.1-0.8 g/cm3, by forming under contact pressure or reduced pressure at a temperature of 140-200° C. a mixture comprising 100 parts by weight of powdered and/or crushed exfoliated graphite and 40-240 parts by weight of phenol resin; an exfoliated graphite/phenol resin composite foam obtained by the method; and a method of obtaining an exfoliated graphite/glassy carbon composite foam of a porosity of 50-95%, a density 0.1-0.8 g/cm3 with volumetric baking shrinkage of 10% or less by baking the exfoliated graphite/phenol resin composite foam.

Abstract: Tie2 receptor agonist antibodies, their use in enhancing angiogenesis and other uses are disclosed.

Abstract: A spin electronic material exhibiting a spin-dependent electronic effect includes zincblende TE-VE, where TE stands for V, Cr or Mn and VE stands for As or Sb.

Abstract: A method of treating amyloid diseases by administering a compound of Formula I: wherein: R7-R13 are independently —H or —OH; and A is H, —OH, or a moiety of Formula II:  wherein: R1 is hydrogen, lower alkanoyl of up to 6 carbon atoms or aroyl selected from benzoyl and naphthoyl; R2 is hydrogen, lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms or arylalkyl selected from benzyl, phenylethyl and phenylpropyl; R3 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms; R4 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, or when X is oxygen, R4 together with R5 can represent —CH2—O—; X is a valency bond, —CH2, oxygen or sulfur; Ar is selected from phenyl, naphthyl, indanyl and tetrahydronaphthyl; R5 and R6 are individually selected from hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, hydroxyl, lower alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, a —CONH2— group, lower alkoxy of up to 6 carbon atoms, benzyloxy, lower alkylthio of up to 6 carbon atoms,

Abstract: A method of inducing an immune response by applying an immune response inducing effective amount of a lipopeptide to a mucosal membrane of a subject.

Abstract: Aluminum powder, neutron absorber, and third particle composed of oxide, nitride, carbide or boride are mixed, and preformed by cold isostatic pressing (CIP). Successively, by canning the preformed material, this preformed material is sintered by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). After sintering, the can outside and end face are machined by grinding, and the billet is taken out. Square pipes are formed by extruding this billet.

Abstract: A lens design form is used for a viewing optical system or magnifier that includes a cemented doublet and a weak aspheric element, for example, made of acrylic, and having a diffractive kinoform surface superimposed on the surface profile of the aspheric element. The design significantly reduces both chromatic aberrations and minimizes most of the monochromatic aberrations of the optical system or magnifier. By allowing the lens design form to produce an image on a curved surface, optical performance is improved further over the prior art systems because this allows the elements in the system to control the image blurring aberrations rather than having to also control field curvature. The human eye can accommodate for the curved field, and thus the curved field does not reduce image quality, but instead allows image quality to be enhanced. The viewing optical system also can be used for image projection.

Abstract: The present invention provides an arc-melting apparatus, which attains extremely high efficiency by preheating scraps using exhaust gas from the melting chamber. The arc-melting apparatus needs for no device to carry and supply an iron source to a melting chamber, which makes it possible to preheat the next charge. The arc-melting apparatus has a melting furnace which melts scraps, a preheating shaft connected directly to an upper part of one side of the melting furnace, an arc electrode for melting scraps in the melting furnace, a bucket for supplying scraps to the preheat shaft so as to continuously maintain scraps in the melting furnace and in the preheating shaft, a tapping portion having a tapping hole, being projected outward from the melting furnace and a tilting device for tilting the melting furnace on a side of the tapping portion. The tapping portion is arranged at an orthogonal direction to the direction of the supplied cold iron source.

Abstract: A bur block adapted for identifying and training dental personnel employs a block and a cover. The block has a surface having a number of holes sized to retain a number of dental burs. Each hole has indicia representing characteristics of the bur situated in the hole. The characteristics include sizes and shapes of the bur, colors, grits, part numbers, and the like. By putting the characteristics of each bur in proximity to the bur itself, persons can readily learn and/or become accustomed to the bur characteristics so that bur identification in the future is made easier.

Abstract: A linear motor comprising a linearly-extensive stator (1) supporting a translator (2), the stator providing in operation a squeezing force across the translator in a direction approximately orthogonal to the line of the stator, and the translator either having along its movement direction a slightly tapered profile or being mounted on the stator by force-transmitting bearings (3) that when so squeezed deform to become slightly tapered, the effect being to produce a resultant force on the translator that is along the line of the stator. The utilisation of a resilient toroidal bearing member (103) fitted inside and co-axially with a tubular passageway (108) in an outer, sleeve-like bearing body (101) through which an inner bearing body (102) is free to slide. The inner body is then fitted through the toroid, all three components thus being co-axially aligned.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding data streams representing sounds in digital form inside a synthesizer, comprising the steps of:

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a portable sunshade comprising a mast structure extending in a generally vertically direction, means for attaching the mast structure at its lower end to a support structure, a boom extending outwardly from the mast structure, having first and second ends, the first end being movably attached to the mast structure, a hub assembly attached to the second end of the boom, a plurality of elongated support ribs extending radially from the hub assembly, each of said support ribs, having one end rotatably attached to the hub assembly, a canopy positioned over the elongated support ribs and fastened thereto, the canopy having an opening in it corresponding to a predetermined position along the boom, and a boom support strut pivotably attached at one end to the upper end of the mast structure, and at the other end pivotably secured to boom at a predetermined position along the length of it, the boom support strut extending through the opening in the canopy at the point where it is connected to the

Abstract: A profiled body having a curved surface on which images are reproduced, the body being obtained by initially bonding a sheet of textile material onto a surface of a flat panel of thermodeformable material, then printing the images onto the flat free surface of the sheet of textile material and finally hot-deforming the panel with the printed sheet bonded to it, the images reproduced on the curved surface preserving an appearance analogous to that which they had after their printing on the flat sheet.