Abstract: There is provided a method of treating obesity and/or hypertension in a subject in need thereof by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a low molecular weight levan or a pharmaceutical composition comprising the low molecular weight levan and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

Abstract: A vehicle part formed at least in part of a blended material is provided. The blended material is formed by mixing an improved aluminum alloy and a recycled aluminum alloy. The recycled aluminum alloy can be obtained from road wheels. The blended alloy preferable meets the Aural series alloy specifications. The blended material can be cast under high pressure and a vacuum to form a part designed for use in a chassis or structural body of a vehicle, for example a front subframe, a front shock tower, a rear rail, a front kick-down rail, a front body hinge pillar, a tunnel, a front body hinge pillar, or a rear shock mount.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and apparatuses for identifying a location of a position encoding magnet. Embodiments can include detecting, by a set of sensing elements, different field components of a magnetic field of the position encoding magnet. The embodiments can also include generating, with data processing circuitry, signals associated with the set of sensing elements. The generated signals can include the different field components. The embodiments can also include determining with the data processing circuitry a location of the position encoding magnet according to the generated signals, using a calculation to generate a multicomponent-based signal representative of the different field components.

Abstract: A hydraulic apparatus includes a cylinder having an end wall and a piston. An ultrasonic assembly has components configured to operate as an ultrasonic transmitter and two ultrasonic receivers. At least each of the components configured to operate as the receivers is disposed in separate bores separated by a known distance in a direction toward the piston. A control circuit is configured to initiate generation of an ultrasonic wave and receive input signals indicative of reflection of the ultrasonic wave off of the piston. The control circuit is configured to provide an output signal indicative of a distance of the piston from the end wall accounting for acoustic characteristics of the hydraulic fluid as ascertained from changes in the time difference between receipt of the input signals from the components configured to operate as receivers.