Abstract: Modulators of the CRTH2 receptor and their use in the treatment of various disorders, including asthma are described.

Abstract: Methods for preparing indoles that are useful COX-2 inhibitors and intermediates useful in such methods are described.

Abstract: Certain substituted indoles that are modulators of one or more or of CRTH2, COX-2 AND FAAH are described. The compounds are useful for treatment of pain and/or inflammation as well as other disorders.

Abstract: The invention provides variant regulator proteins of secondary metabolite production and nucleic acids encoding said variant regulator proteins. In particular, the invention provides variant regulator molecules of the lovE protein.

Abstract: The invention relates to regulators of fungal gene expression and their use in commercial and medical applications. More particularly, the invention relates to regulators of fungal genes involved in production of enzymes, secondary metabolites and other useful products, as well as to regulators of genes involved in fungal invasion. The invention provides novel regulators of fungal gene expression, and methods for using regulator genes in commercial and medical applications.

Abstract: The invention features compounds that inhibit COX-2 and/or FAAH. The COX-2 inhibitors are selective COX-2 inhibitors in that they are selective for COX-2 compared to COX-1. Certain of the FAAH inhibitors are selective for FAAH relative to COX-2. Certain of the COX-2 inhibitors, in addition for being selective for COX-2 relative to COX-1, are selective for COX-2 relative to FAAH.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the method for the production of liposomal microencapsulated boron-containing products to be used for agricultural formulations. More specifically, a new method of production of liposomal microencapsulated is disclosed for active agents such as pesticides. A lecithin is mixed with an organic solvent in a certain proportion so as to provide solutions with varied levels of solubilized lecithin. The particular solvent being used will depend on the amount of active agent (AA) desired in the final solution. The formulation of the lecithin/organic solvent mixture is then allowed to settle. After settling, the top layer is separated and saved, while the bottom layer is discarded. An AA is then added to form a concentrate that is added to water for vesicle formation. Boron-containing materials formulated according to the invention may now be applied to agricultural field crops and fruits.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for mapping information from a dynamic frame-based semantic network to a static working memory by utilizing a topological sorting algorithm which processes at least one queue of frames. Preferably, the algorithm is utilized with filtering to avoid unnecessary updates. The algorithm makes a marking pass and an updating pass across the queued frames. The marking pass orders a queue of class frames. The updating pass updates working memory elements of the working memory corresponding to the ordered class frames and working memory elements which correspond to instances of the class. After the updating pass, the working memory elements reflect local and inheritable slots and values from the semantic network. Such mapping allows the working memory elements to be further processed such as by matching against rules.

Abstract: A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) assembly comprises a radiant energy source for directing a beam of radiant energy toward a target microbase. The target microbase includes a substrate, a roughened surface layer contiguously disposed on the substrate, and a sample-adsorption surface layer contiguously disposed on the first roughened layer. The sample-adsorption surface layer is effective to enhance a scattered Raman signal intensity for adsorbates adjacent the sample-adsorption surface layer by a factor of greater than 10.sup.6 times. The sample-adsorption surface includes a plurality of submicron needles having a length of at least 3500 angstroms and a width of at least 500 angstroms. A method for manufacturing the target microbase comprises the steps of contiguously depositing on a substrate the first roughened layer having a deposited thickness of at least 1700 angstroms.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a card which entitles the holder to a number of units of parking time represented by discrete capacitances carried by the card. The parking time is metered by a card reader which accepts the card senses the capacitance carried thereby and measures out a unit of parking time for each unused capacitance. The reader responds to a predetermined capacitance and renders inoperative each capacitance as it is used up. The elements of each capacitance are formed so that the value of the capacitance can be greatly reduced by a mechanical or other type of punching operation. Two types of reader are disclosed, one which accepts the card in increments corresponding to a single capacitance and the other which accepts the entire card and automatically scans the capacitances carried thereby. Several forms of cards are disclosed.

Abstract: A card-operated parking system utilizes cards having a succession of discrete filtered light transmitting areas thereon. The cards operate a card reader which includes a light source and light sensing means, between which the card is inserted, and a punch which punches out a filter area after it has triggered the time-dispensing mechanism. The filters transmit light having a photon energy below a level characteristic of the filter material but absorb light having a photon energy above that level. Two light sensors are positioned in the light path, one receptive to light of the first mentioned photon energy and the other to light of the second photon energy. Only the outputs corresponding to filtered light trigger the parking time dispensing mechanism. The light source may be a tungsten filament bulb or a pair of light emitting diodes of different photon energies. The light sensing means may be a pair of photodiodes or a pair of phototransistors.

Abstract: A gravity operated emergency system for a multi-story building is disclosed including an elongate track having a central rack which is disposed along an outside wall of the building. A traveller is provided which moves along the track and has a pinion which rotatably engages the rack. A pair of bearing members engage opposite sides of the track and these bearing members are pivotally attached to the traveller so that as the pinion is brought into contact with the rack the bearing members clear the respective sides of the track and when the pinion is fully engaged in the rack the bearing members are resiliently urged into contact with an inside face of the track. A velocity control mechanism is provided to control the rotational speed of the pinion in the rack, and hence the speed of the traveller relative to the track. During an emergency, the user is received in a harness which is connected to the traveller and the traveller slowly lowers the user to safety along the track.

Abstract: A thin cadmium-telluride semiconductor film for use in solar cells is grown epitaxially on a second semiconductor film, typically tellurium, which may be epitaxial on a substrate semiconductor, typically single-crystal cadmium-telluride. The second semiconductor has a lower resistance to layered cleaving than the desired semiconductor. Application of a strain to the sandwich causes the desired thin CdTe layer to peel off by fracture along the plane of the second semiconductor.

Abstract: Thin semiconductor films of compounds from groups III-V of the periodic table suitable for solar cells are formed on low cost substrates by forming on the substrate an intermediate film that is chemically related to but has a lower melting point than the desired semiconductor. The desired semiconductor film is then grown on this intermediate film while it is in a molten condition. The molten intermediate layer isolates the substrate from the desired semiconductor layer so that as that layer grows, large area crystals result. The intermediate film may be a semiconductor III-V compound or may be a group III metal alloy.

Abstract: A high output solar cell comprises a three-layer semiconductor compound article, the layers being doped in pn.sub.1 n.sub.2 order in the direction of light travel, the pn.sub.1 junction being a homojunction and the n.sub.1 n.sub.2 junction being a heterojunction. The doping of the layers is such that "valley-tranferred" or "hot" electrons, so-called, are created in th p and n region secondary electron conduction bands and are transferred to the normal conduction band edge of the n.sub.2 heterojunction material and ultimately to an ohmic contact.

Abstract: Composite solar cells of improved efficiency comprise two cells of different characteristics arranged in optical series but electrically insulated from each other. Preferably, each cell is of larger crystal grain size than its substrate, which grain size is achieved by growing the cell semi-conductor on a molten intermediate rheotaxy layer of a suitable semi-conductor which solidifies at a temperature below the melting temperature of the solar cell semi-conductor. The substrate and the intermediate rheotaxy layer of the overlying cell are transparent to that fraction of sunlight which is utilized by the underlying cell. Various configurations of overlying and underlying cells are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a desired thin semiconductor film for use in solar cells. The desired semiconductor is grown epitaxially on a second semiconductor film which may be epitaxial on a third semiconductor. The second semiconductor has a lower melting point than the desired semiconductor. The temperature of the second semiconductor is increased. This creates a molten state in the second semiconductor and the desired semiconductor is stripped away from the second semiconductor. The desired film may be detached by dissolving the second semiconductor with a chemical agent that dissolves the second semiconductor.

Abstract: The invention is new construction of a dirigible for use in transporting natural gas. The aircraft has a rigid outer shell forming an elongated body. The aircraft has a plurality of collapsible chambers for holding cargo gas serially disposed along the longitudinal axis of the rigid outer shell. The collapsible chambers are inter-connected by a common manifold disposed within the rigid outer shell that penetrates the outer shell for the purpose of loading and unloading the cargo gas.

Abstract: A docking device for a dirigible. A supporting and securing structure is rotatably mounted on a circular track, the structure rotating about a centrally located member which may include a gas conduit for conveying gas into or out of a dirigible docked on the device. The docking device will allow the dirigible to dock and freely weathervane in the wind, even when unloading or loading a gas.