Abstract: Systems and methods for use by a person lying in a generally prone or generally lateral position on a resting surface are disclosed. A system may include a head-mountable image display device that when used by the person at least partially occludes the person's view of a surrounding environment. The system may further include a support assembly configured to support at least a portion of the person's head in a raised position above or level with at least one of the resting surface and the head-mountable image display device. An opening may be formed in the support assembly that is sized to permit the person, while lying in the generally prone or generally lateral position, to view at least a portion of the head-mountable image display device through a portion of the support assembly. Methods of using such a system in a medical or other procedure are also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to analogs of peptidase substrates in which the amide group containing the scissile amide bond of the substrate peptide has been replaced by an activated electrophilic ketone moiety. These analogs of the peptidase substrates provide specific enzyme inhibitors for a variety of proteases, the inhibition of which will have useful physiological consequences in a variety of disease states.