Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: In the past, adoptive immunotherapy often failed because the transferred immune cells were inactive in vivo. This disclosure provides a method of producing immune cells that are highly active in vivo. The immune cells may be expanded in vitro in the presence of an adenosine receptor agonist or an antisense nucleic acid that downregulates expression of an adenosine receptor, for example. The immune cells may be tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), natural killer (NK) cells, or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, for example. The methods described herein may be used to treat a number of diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, and immunodeficiencies.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for enhancing an immune response, for example to a vaccine, by combining the administration of oxygen (O2 gas), an adenosine pathway antagonist and/or an HIF-1? antagonist, and/or inhibitors of enzymes that produce or generate adenosine with the administration of the vaccine to the patient. The present invention also relates to methods of inducing or enhancing immune responses, methods of treating subjects having a tumor, methods of ablating or killing tumor cells and methods of disrupting the blood supply to a tumor, comprising administering oxygen alone or in combination with therapeutic agents that prevent inhibition of anti-tumor T cells. Tumor defense-resistant immune cells, anti-viral immune cells, and methods of their production are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a heterocyclic aldehyde by oxidizing a heterocyclic alcohol with high selectivity and high yield. Specifically, the heterocyclic aldehyde is prepared by reacting a heterocyclic compound having at least one hydroxymethyl group bonded to a carbon atom of a heterocyclic ring with a hypohalogenous acid salt in the presence of a base to oxidize the hydroxymethyl group, wherein reaction is conducted in the co-presence of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl derivative having at least two 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-yl groups.

Abstract: The nonwoven fabric production process of the invention comprises a laminating step in which composite yarn, obtained by bundling a plurality of resin single filaments each having a core-sheath structure with a filamentous core resin surrounded by a sheath resin with a melting point of at least 20° C. lower than the core resin and fusing the sheath resin together, is laminated in at least the three directions of warp direction, slant direction and reverse slant direction, and a bonding step of heating the laminated filament bundles at a temperature lower than the melting point of the core resin and higher than the melting point of the sheath resin for bonding. According to the invention, it is possible to provide a nonwoven fabric production process and nonwoven fabrics with excellent plasticity and shape following property, as well as adjustable strength for adaptation to different purposes and required properties.

Abstract: In a crawler frame in which legs in a center frame are formed from cast steel, a simple structure is achieved by reducing the number of components. To this end, the crawler frame, which has a center frame composed of a central frame section for supporting a swing bearing and legs located on the right and left sides of the central frame section; and track frames disposed on the sides of the distal ends of the legs, respectively, of the center frame, is designed such that each of the legs is bifurcated into front and rear leg sections and the front and rear leg sections are respectively formed from cast steel.

Abstract: A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing a heterocyclic aldehyde by oxidizing a heterocyclic alcohol with high selectivity and high yield. Specifically, the heterocyclic aldehyde is prepared by reacting a heterocyclic compound having at least one hydroxymethyl group bonded to a carbon atom of a heterocyclic ring with a hypohalogenous acid salt in the presence of a base to oxidize the hydroxymethyl group, wherein reaction is conducted in the co-presence of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl derivative having at least two 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-4-yl groups.

Abstract: In a crawler frame in which legs in a center frame are formed from cast steel, a simple structure is achieved by reducing the number of components. To this end, the crawler frame, which has a center frame composed of a central frame section for supporting a swing bearing and legs located on the right and left sides of the central frame section; and track frames disposed on the sides of the distal ends of the legs, respectively, of the center frame, is designed such that each of the legs is bifurcated into front and rear leg sections and the front and rear leg sections are respectively formed from cast steel.

Abstract: An apparatus for superimposing an image represented in a predetermined dot arrangement on a video signal. The apparatus includes an inputting device, a memory, a storage block selecting device and a signal switching circuit. The memory has an arrangement of a plurality of storage blocks, each of which includes an arrangement of a plurality of unit storage cells each for storing one bit. The inputting device inputs externally prepared binary signals. The storage block selecting device selects a predetermined storage block for every inputted bit information. All the unit storage cells in the selected storage block store the inputted bit information. The signal switching device sequentially reads the contents stored in each unit storage cell in synchronization with a video signal, switches the video signal and a predetermined superimposing video signal to each other in accordance with the contents and outputs the same.

Abstract: An optical fiber characteristic measuring method and apparatus are disclosed whereby measurements of a plurality of different parameters of an optical fiber can be carried out automatically and successively with a minimum of operator time required. A stage is provided which is movable along a straight line, and a setting station is arranged in the direction of movement of the stage. A plurality of measurement stations are provided having first holders for holding fibers provided on the side of the measuring devices and arranged along a straight line extending parallel to the direction of movement of the stage with a predetermined distance therebetween. The stage is provided with a plurality of second holders for holding the optical fibers to be measured, with the second holders being arranged along a straight line extending parallel to the direction of arrangement of the first holders with the same distance as the predetermined distance therebetween.

Abstract: A composite metal sintered article combining a metal shell which has been electroformed and/or electroless plated and/or vapor deposited, positioned inside or outside of a metal sintered compact. A method of making the composite metal sintered article using both a powder metallurgy process and a surface treating process. This composite metal sintered article has excellent surface properties and high dimensional accuracy and is favorably used for many kinds of forming molds, dies and structural members, especially for press molds in making glassware.

Abstract: A composite metal sintered article combining a metal shell which has been electroformed and/or electroless plated and/or vapor deposited, positioned inside or outside of a metal sintered compact. A method of making the composite metal sintered article using both a powder metallurgy process and a surface treating process. This composite metal sintered article has excellent surface properties and high dimensional accuracy and is favorably used for many kinds of forming molds, dies and structural members, especially for press molds in making glassware.

Abstract: A method for removing As, or As and Sb and/or Bi wherein acidic solution of sulfuric acid such as a copper electrolyte of having a free sulfuric acid concentration of less than 700g./l. and containing at least arsenic among arsenic, antimony and bismuth as impurities is warmed to be above 50.degree. C. or preferably above 60.degree. C. with the addition of H.sub.3 AsO.sub.4 in advance as required, one or a mixture of both of Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 preferably kneaded with water or the added solution is added to and mixed with the solution and the produced precipitate is separated to discharge the impurities out of the solution.