Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition containing (1) a therapeutically effective amount of hepatocyte-derived exosomes; and (2) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier is provided. Also provided herein is a method of inducing liver regeneration in a patient in need thereof, the method including administering to the patient a therapeutic amount of hepatocyte-derived exosomes, wherein liver regeneration is induced. Methods for up-regulating synthesis of synthesis of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in a hepatocyte by contacting the hepatocyte with at least one vesicle containing sphingosine kinase 2, and, optionally, ceramide and neutral ceramidase, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of preventing or treating bacterial infections, including but not limited to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, by administering sphingoid long chain bases (LCB) are provided. The invention further relates to the use of sphingoid long chain bases, or pharmaceutical composition comprising same, for the treatment of lung diseases or disorders such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treating or preventing pathogenic infections in a subject having Cystic Fibrosis, COPD, and/or an open wound. This method involves selecting a subject having Cystic Fibrosis, COPD, and/or an open wound and administering to the selected subject a ceramidase under conditions effective to reduce ceramide and to treat or prevent the pathogenic infection. The method also involves the use of a ceramidase in combination with other drugs to reduce infection, reduce ceramide, or improve lung function in Cystic Fibrosis, COPD, and/or open wound patients.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinase and/or of inhibitors of products of the reaction catalyzed by this enzyme, for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of infectious diseases and/or diseases which are influenced by infections during the course thereof. The cited products especially include ceramide. Preferrably neutralizing antibodies and/or antidepressants, especially tricyclic and/or tetracyclic antidepressants, are used as inhibitors.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for prophylaxis and/or treatment of infections and/or infectious diseases occurring in cystic fibrosis includes at least one antidepressant; at least one dispersant; and at least one pharmaceutically tolerable carrier material.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinase and/or of inhibitors of products of the reaction catalyzed by this enzyme, for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of infectious diseases and/or diseases which are influenced by infections during the course thereof. The cited products especially include ceramide. Preferrably neutralizing antibodies and/or antidepressants, especially tricyclic and/or tetracyclic antidepressants, are used as inhibitors.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinase and/or inhibitors of products of the reaction catalysed by said enzyme, for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of infectious diseases and/or diseases which are influenced by infections during the course thereof. The cited products especially include ceramide. Preferably neutralising antibodies and/or anti-depressants, especially tricyclic and/or tetracyclic and depressants, are used as inhibitors.

Abstract: A multi-stage emulsion polymer containing at least one first domain having a glass transition temperature Tg of from −10 to +40° C. and at least one second domain having a Tg of from +50 to 120° C., the weight ratio of the first domain to the second domain being within the range from 90:10 to 50:50. The first and/or the second domain containing from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a nitrogen-coutaining adhesion monomer and the first domain containing at least 10% by weight of vinyl aromatic compounds and/or the second domain containing at least 15% by weight of vinyl aromatic compounds and/or C4 to C12 alkylmethacrylates.

Abstract: A process for reducing the pH of anionic polyurethane dispersions which are stabilized by carboxylate or sulfonate groups, which comprises adding a compound which has from one to four ester groups but no acid group or acid halide or anhydride group to the dispersions.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions containA) from 20 to 90% by weight of a dispersed polymer having a glass transition temperature above 30.degree. C. andB) from 10 to 80% by weight of a tri-, tetra-, penta-or hexa(meth)acrylate of an alkoxylated, trivalent to hexavalent alcohol having a mean degree of alkoxylation of the hydroxyl groups of the alcohol, defined as the quotient of the number of alkoxy groups to the number of hydroxyl groups, ie. the functionality of the alcohol prior to the alkoxylation, of at least 0.5,the stated weights being based on the sum of A) and B).

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions contain a polyurethane which consists essentially ofa) organic polyisocyanates and, if required, minor amounts of monoisocyanates,b) dihydroxy compounds having a molecular weight of from more than 500 to 10,000 g/mol and at least 2 carboxyl or carboxylate groups in the molecule and which are obtainable by reacting dihydroxy compounds with tetracarboxylic dianhydrides in a molar ratio of from 2:1 to 1.05:1,c) if required, polyhydroxy compounds which differ from (b) and have a molecular weight of from more than 500 to 5,000 g/mol,d) if required, compounds having at least one group which is reactive toward isocyanate and at least one anionic group or group convertible into an anionic group and having a molecular weight of from 60 to 500 g/mol ande) if required, compounds which differ from d) and e) and have at least 2 groups which are reactive toward isocyanate and a molecular weight of from 60 to 500 g/mol.

Abstract: A multilayer coating is produced on a substrate by a process in which an aqueous dispersion containing(A) a carbonyl-containing copolymer of monoolefinically unsaturated compounds, not less than 10% by weight of which have carbonyl groups which react with hydrazide groups, and(B) polyhydrazides,is applied as a base coat to the substrate, the water is flashed off and one or more further conventional coats are applied to this base coat as a dispersion or solution, the solvent is flashed off and, if required, the resulting multilayer coating is baked for from 10 to 60 minutes at from 70.degree. to 180.degree. C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aqueous binder dispersions for the preparation of, inter alia, paints and finishes, substantially containing(A) from 0.5 to 50% by weight of a phenolic resin precondensate,(B) from 20 to 70% by weight of a copolymer of predominant proportions of alkyl acrylates and/or methacrylates, minor proportions of comonomers with groups capable of crosslinking and other comonomers, the copolymer being in the form of a dispersion and being crosslinkable by a condensation reaction, and(C) from 10 to 70% by weight of a graft elastomer comprising a diene polymer as the base polymer and a copolymer of, substantially, styrene, acrylonitrile and C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl acrylates and/or methacrylates, as the graft polymer, the graft elastomer being in the form of a dispersion, the percentages being based on the solids content of the total amount of (A), (B) and (C).

Abstract: A binder which is suitable for coating agents and is based on a combination which is essentially free of protective colloids and consists of an aqueous primary dispersion of a synthetic polymer and a water-insoluble polycondensate of phenols and aldehydes, some of which may be replaced by ketones, is prepared by a process in which the phenolic components for the polycondensate are first mixed with an aqueous primary dispersion of a synthetic polymer which contains glycidyl, carbonyl, N-methylol, N-alkoxymethyl, ether, amino and/or hydrazo groups and may furthermore contain carboxyl or hydroxyl groups, and the polycondensation with the aldehydes (and ketones) is then carried out in this mixture, under conventional conditions.The binders prepared according to the invention are useful as binders for dispersion paints and coatings, in particular as heat-curable binders for metal finishes.

Abstract: Surface coating binders which contain tertiary amino groups, blocked isocyanate groups, hydroxyl groups and ether groups and are water-soluble or water-dispersible as a result of partial or complete salt formation with an acid are prepared by copolymerization of a mixture comprising(A) an olefinically unsaturated compound which contains a tertiary amino group,(B) an N-(1-alkenyl)-isocyanate which is blocked with a CH-, OH- or NH-acidic blocking agent and(C) an adduct of an epoxy resin based on bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin, and an olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a secondary amine and, if required, a saturated monocarboxylic acid of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, with or without one or more copolymerizable, olefinically unsaturated compounds not mentioned under (A), (B) and (C).These surface coating binders are particularly useful as self-crosslinking or externally crosslinking binders for the cathodic electrocoating of metal articles.

Abstract: An aqueous cationic surface-coating system contains an olefinically unsaturated surface-coating binder having basic nitrogen groups, some or all of which are converted into salts with acid, a Co, Mn, Pb, Ce, Zr, Ca, Zn, Fe, Al, Cu, Ni or Cd complex, if appropriate in combination with an inhibitor and/or an initiator which supplies free radicals.This surface-coating system can be used for cathodic electrocoating or for conventional methods of surface-coating.

Abstract: Surface-coating binders based on a copolymer which contains tertiary amino groups, blocked isocyanate groups, hydroxyl groups and ether groups and which, due to partial or complete salification with an acid, is water-soluble or water-dispersible.The copolymer contains, as copolymerized units, an olefinically unsaturated compound possessing a tertiary amino group, an N-(alk-1-enyl) isocyanate blocked with a CH-, OH- or NH-acidic blocking agent, and an adduct of an epoxy resin based on bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin, andhaving a molecular weight of from 380 to 3,500, with an olefinically unsaturated alcohol of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and with an olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, with or without one or more other copolymerizable olefinically unsaturated compounds, and has a mean molecular weight of from 1,000 to 20,000.

Abstract: Polyadducts, free from epoxide groups, are obtained from ammonia and epoxide compounds by reacting 1 mole of ammonia with from 1.2 to 2.0 equivalents of epoxide, so that if diepoxide compounds are used products of the general formula (I) ##STR1## are obtained, while if triepoxides and/or tetraepoxide compounds are used, by themselves, or together with diepoxide compounds, products of the general formula II ##STR2## are produced; in these formulae, the E.sup.1 's are identical or different hydroxyl-containing divalent radicals and the E.sup.2 's are identical or different hydroxyl-containing trivalent or tetravalent radicals, resulting from the opening of the oxirane rings of epoxide compounds containing two, three or four epoxide groups in the molecule, n.sup.1, n.sup.3 and n.sup.5 are from 0 to 3, n.sup.2 and n.sup.4 are from 1 to 3 and X is 0 or 1, and one or more of the divalent radicals E.sup.1 in the general formlula (II) may or may not be replaced by polyvalent radicals E.sup.2.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of curable polyadducts, possessing basic nitrogen groups, wherein (A) monophenols and/or polyphenols, which contain groups of the general formula (I): ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and each is hydrogen or methyl are reacted with (B) amines having one or more primary and/or secondary amino groups, and the adduct formed is reacted with (C) epoxide compounds having from 1 to 4 epoxide groups per molecule and having a molecular weight of at most 2,500, the ratio of the phenolic hydroxyl groups of (A) to epoxide groups of (C) being from 1:0.5 to 1:2 and the amine (B) being employed in such amount that the resulting polyadduct of (A), (B) and (C) contains from 0.1 to 5% by weight of basic nitrogen, and the use of the products, after protonation with an acid, as binders for the production of coatings, especially for the cathodic electrocoating of metal articles.

Abstract: The invention concerns polyadducts and their use.The polyadducts, possessing nitrogen-basic groups, have a mean molecular weight of from 500 to 10,000 and contain groups, attached to aromatic rings, of the general formula (I) ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and each is hydrogen or methyl.In particular, these polyadducts are used, after protonizing with an acid, as binders for the cathodic electrocoating of metal articles.