Abstract: A class of compounds that suppress human T-lymphocyte proliferation is disclosed.

Abstract: Hydrolyzed gelatin has been found to provide an improvement in taste and mouthfeel when incorporated in small amounts into chewable tablets containing ingredients requiring taste masking. Medicinals and nutritional supplements may now be prepared as chewables for those who find tablets difficult to swallow, for example children and older adults, or for those who prefer the convenience. There is a particularly large improvement in the taste and mouthfeel of chewables incorporating magaldrate and/or calcium carbonate.

Abstract: This invention concerns methods of treating mast-cell mediated conditions in mammals, the methods comprising administering to the mammals pharmacologically active fragments or muteins of SLPI; methods of treating asthma or allergic rhinitis in mammals, the methods comprising administering to the mammals SLPI or pharmacologically active fragments or muteins thereof; methods for inhibiting tryptase; methods for identifying inhibitors of tryptase; and certain fragments and muteins of SLPI.

Abstract: Compounds which suppress human T-lymphocyte proliferation are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensation for misregistration of printing plates in printing of polychromatic document pages or images, in which a trapping map image is superiraposed upon a structured graphic image representing the layout of a document page or image from which it is derived, so as to prevent light leaks and other errors at the boundaries between color regions within the image. The trapping map image is itself a structured graphic object to be included as the last object imaged in the data representing the original image. The geometrical description of this trapping map image is independent of specific trapping decisions applicable to the associated image. Instead, such decisions are controlled by means of a user interface providing options ranging from fully automatic to completely manual interactive operation.

Abstract: A linear motion drive apparatus uses a friction drive wheel to drive a carriage along two rails. The drive shaft of the friction wheel is supported by the carriage, and has a rotor of a pancake motor and an inertia wheel non-rotatably attached thereto. The stator is fixed to a wall of the carriage. The carriage is supported by recirculating ball bearings which are arranged with permanent magnets to urge the friction wheel into engagement with the flat rail. A slip detection and correction system has first encoder mounted on the drive shaft to produce a signal representing the rotational position of the shaft, and a second encoder mounted on the carriage to produce a signal representing the position of the carriage with respect to the rails. The motor is responsive to the signals to compensate for detected slippage.

Abstract: A take-up roller for winding a continuous recording medium has an outer hollow cylindrical tube with a longitudinal slot and an inner hollow cylindrical tube with a longitudinal slot. The inner hollow cylindrical tube is mounted concentrically within the outer hollow cylindrical tube. Two eccentrically mounted weights are fastened on opposite sides of the inner tube slot, keeping the inner tube oriented with its slot facing downward. The outer tube is driven by a drive motor to rotate the outer tube relative to the inner tube until a sensor signals the drive motor to stop upon the alignment of the tube slots. A leading edge of the recording medium is inserted into the center of the inner tube though an opening formed by the alignment of the slots. Then, the outer tube is rotated relative to the inner tube, thereby closing the opening and wrapping the recording medium around the edge of the outer tube slot.

Abstract: Test devices are disclosed which are useful for determining glucose or occult blood comprising a carrier matrix, glucose oxidase, an indicator system and a glucose derivative that upon addition of water hydrolizes to produce glucose.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding and subsequently releasing a solid compact medicament, such as a caplet. The apparatus has a first and a second member each having an upper and a lower surface. The first and second members each have at least one notch opposed to each other and correspondingly aligned and extending beyond the respective upper and lower surfaces of each member. The first and second members have chambers adjacent to each of the notches, and each of the notches is moveable in the respective chamber of the opposing member so that the opposing notches form a gripping jaw that can move between a first and a second position. When the gripping jaw is in an open first position, it can receive a solid compact medicament, and in a closed second position, the gripping jaw can grip the medicament.

Abstract: A method and apparatus automatically switches from one web media type to another, using a single drive roller to access and drive one of two web media supply cassettes mounted within an imaging system. A gear motor and eccentric shaft position and load the drive roller against either of two driven rollers. The media is nipped between the drive roller and one of the driven rollers and is advanced by the drive roller into the imaging system as needed. To switch media supply cassettes, the media is cut beyond the drive roller. The media is then drawn back into the supply cassette to free the media path for the alternate media to advance from the other of the two media supply cassettes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving a semiconductor laser device to produce a substantially constant optical power output over a range of temperature while preserving a high optical switching frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for image scaling of continuous tone images to be rasterized and output to a recording or imaging device using incremental interpolation. The method employs multiple parallel interpolators, each of which contains an accumulation sum to which an accumulation constant is added. When each accumulation sum exceeds a reference value, a transition event is signaled, to be used for selection of contone image data value for processing. By initially loading the accumulation sums with shifted data and employing interpolation logic, multiple transition events can be calculated within one output resolution processing cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing the operation of multiple elements of a system to the motion of a movable element using a programmable element as the control element.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting a liquid/gas interface flowing in a transparent tube comprises directing light radially through the transparent tube orthogonal to its longitudinal axis such that the radially directed light passing through the tube when filled with liquid thereat will extend substantially within a predetermined zone and when filled with gas thereat will extend beyond the predetermined zone. Light is received at a position diametrically opposite to a position from which light is directed by receiving only light passing through the tube and extending beyond the predetermined zone. An output signal representative of liquid or gas in the tube is produced in response to the amount of light received. A second light receiver disposed outside the zone is used to determine the direction of flow.

Abstract: A method for the determination of protein and creatinine in urine. An organic acid, in the form of its lithium salt, is dried onto a suitable substrate in the second reaction zone of a reaction vessel having a first reaction zone for the immunometric determination of the protein and a second reaction zone for the colorimetric determination of creatinine. After completion of the immunometric determination of the protein the dried organic salt is contacted with the urine containing creatinine resulting in solubilization of the organic acid salt as creatinine reactive reagent thereby facilitating the colorimetric determination of the creatinine.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a modular bottle dispenser apparatus used for dispensing bottles. Each dispenser includes a receiver opening, a dispenser opening, a continuous guide channel which restricts the side to side and up and down motion of a bottle as it moves from the receiver opening to the dispenser opening, a friction reducing member and a door that covers the receiver opening. Several dispensers can be interlocked to each other through interlocking members provided by the dispenser. The interlocking of several dispenser allows the display of various products in one contiguous setting.

Abstract: An improved device and method of a) separating the cellular components of whole blood from plasma or serum, b) separating the low density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction and the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction from the plasma or serum, then c) assaying the plasma or serum for cholesterol present in the high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction are disclosed. The device includes a separation area that separates the cellular components of whole blood from the serum or plasma and separates the LDL and VLDL fractions from the serum or plasma, and a test area that assays the serum or plasma for the concentration of the HDL cholesterol. The method includes introducing a whole blood sample to a test device including a separation area comprising a first zone that separates the cellular components of the whole blood from the plasma or serum; and a second zone that separates the LDL and the VLDL fractions from the plasma or serum.

Abstract: A method for making a hydropneumatic accumulator with a replaceable bladder for an active vehicle suspension comprising the steps chemically treating a resilient single layer bladder with a gas to provide imperviousness of a compressible gas through the bladder, bonding a spherical bumper to a closed end of the bladder, engaging an inward facing seal portion extending around an "open mouth" portion of the bladder with an external groove extending around a cylindrical cap to close off the "open mouth" portion, slideably mounting the cap and said bladder in the interior of an accumulator housing to divide the housing into a first sealed chamber for a hydraulic liquid and a second sealed chamber for a compressible gas; and engaging a detachable ring with a groove in the interior of the accumulator housing to retain the cover and the bladder in the housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a serum free control reagent formulation useful for the determination of a pre-selected analyte. The formulation involves an aqueous solution of a predetermined amount of the analyte together with a polymerized quaternary salt of di- or mono- allyl, di- or tri- alkyl ammonium characterized by the formulae: ##STR1## where R is straight or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is a number of at least 9 and .theta. represents a counteranion. The formulation typically contains a buffer to maintain its pH at a level of about 7.5 and a preservative.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus is disclosed in an imagesetter with an internal drum recording surface, having an improved carriage system which is self-propelled and carries scanning optics for recording an image including a spin motor/mirror, a laser diode, and a focusing lens. The drive system is mounted to the carriage to allow the carriage to move linearly inside the drum as a self-propelled direct drive. An electronic control device mounted on the carriage provides precision motion control of the carriage.