Abstract: A curtain airbag the top edge of which includes a plurality of fixing areas cooperating with a fixing element with clipping means for fixing the airbag to the vehicle body in openings provided for that purpose, and a U-shaped clipping lock plate for each fixing element, the fixing element and the clipping lock plate configured such that the clipping lock plate can be shifted in relation to the fixing element, its arms surpassing openings provided for that purpose on the vehicle body and assuring that the clipping means of the fixing element have also surpassed the openings.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of treating or preventing a disease in an animal associated with one or more self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s), or -peptide(s) that is present or involved in a non-physiologic process in the animal comprising administering to the animal a self-vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) associated with the disease. Administration of the self-vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) modulates an immune response to the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) expressed from administration of the self-vector.

Abstract: A hold-down device is provided for securing graphic arts die plates or die to flat bed or rotary chases having a series of generally cylindrical, hold-down device-receiving cavities. The chase cavities have an innermost portion of greater diameter than the outermost portion of the cavity, presenting a downwardly-facing shoulder therebetween. The device, which is adapted to be inserted in one of the cavities, has a pair of opposed, generally semi-circular anchor members. A fulcrum component positioned between the anchor members has a generally circular fulcrum section received in respective, opposed internal grooves in the anchor members. A lock ring that interconnects the ends of the members remote from the fulcrum section, biases those ends toward one another. When the device is installed in a cavity, the ends of the anchor members are forced toward one another to an extent that the device will fit within the outermost portion of the cavity.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the treatment of demyelinating autoimmune disease. Therapeutic doses are administered of an ordered peptide comprising a repeated motif {SEQ ID NO: 1} [1E2Y3Y4K]n, where n is from 2 to 6. Some specific peptides of interest include those having the sequence {SEQ ID NO:4} EYYKEYYKEYYK. The peptide may consist only of the ordered repeats, or may be extended at either termini by the addition of other amino acid residues. For therapy, the peptides may be administered topically or parenterally, e.g. by injection at a particular site, including subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intravascularly, or the like or transdermally, as by electrotransport. In a preferred embodiment, subcutaneous injection is used to deliver the peptide. The subject methods are used for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes. The compositions of the invention may also contain other therapeutically active agents, e.g. immunosuppressants, ?-interferon, steroids, etc.

Abstract: The design, internal data representation and query model of the invention, a hierarchical distributed caching system for semi-structured documents based on LDAP technology is presented that brings both, the semi-structured data model and the LDAP data model together into a system that provides the ideal characteristics for the efficient processing of XPath queries over XML documents. Transformation algorithms and experimental results have also been shown that prove the feasibility of the invention as a distributed caching system especially tailored for semi-structured data.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for identifying individuals predisposed to essential hypertension and related conditions such as salt sensitivity by detecting the presence of polymorphic or mutant forms of the GRK4 gene, or its expression product. Also disclosed are methods for identifying polymorphic or mutant GRK4s in individuals known to be suffering from such conditions, as well as methods and compositions for conducting drug discovery and therapeutic intervention.

Abstract: An oscillator circuit is specified, having an LC resonator, to which two or more current paths are connected, which are connected in parallel with one another and can be connected and disconnected individually by switches. The attenuation compensation amplifiers are in this case coupled to the resonant circuit in order to compensate for its attenuation. The oscillator circuit allows the gradient of the compensation for the attenuation of the resonant circuit to be adjusted, without moving the operating point of the amplifiers. This makes it possible to compensate for manufacturing-dependent component tolerances and any amplitude discrepancy caused by them, in a simple way. The oscillator circuit is suitable, for example, for use in voltage-controlled oscillators in order to form phase-locked loops when using mass production technologies.

Abstract: An oscillator circuit is specified, having an LC resonator, to which two or more current paths are connected, which are connected in parallel with one another and can be connected and disconnected individually by switches. The attenuation compensation amplifiers are in this case coupled to the resonant circuit in order to compensate for its attenuation. The oscillator circuit allows the gradient of the compensation for the attenuation of the resonant circuit to be adjusted, without moving the operating point of the amplifiers. This makes it possible to compensate for manufacturing-dependent component tolerances and any amplitude discrepancy caused by them, in a simple way. The oscillator circuit is suitable, for example, for use in voltage-controlled oscillators in order to form phase-locked loops when using mass production technologies.

Abstract: This invention relates to a double transgenic animal that simultaneously expresses the gene or the cDNA (complementary DNA) of insulin and the gene or the cDNA (complementary DNA) of glucokinase directed by a promoter or fusion of promoters which permit insulin and glucokinase to be expressed in muscle and its use in the development of therapeutic approximations for diabetes mellitus.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for identifying individuals predisposed to essential hypertension and related conditions such as salt sensitivity by detecting the presence of polymorphic or mutant forms of the GRK4 gene, or its expression product. Also disclosed are methods for identifying polymorphic or mutant GRK4s in individuals known to be suffering from such conditions, as well as methods and compositions for conducting drug discovery and therapeutic intervention.

Abstract: The invention relates to bifunctional tryptase inhibitors of formula (I) wherein H1 and H2 comprise a Q group and L is a linker of formula and the conformation of the H1, H2 and L groups is such that the groups are separated by a distance of from 20 to 45 Å. Pharmaceutical compositions and crystal forms of the compounds are described in addition to methods for producing and identifying such compounds, as well as the use of such compounds in methods of treating allergic and inflammatory diseases.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of treating or preventing a disease in an animal associated with one or more self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s), or -peptide(s) that is present or involved in a non-physiologic process in the animal comprising administering to the animal a self-vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) associated with the disease. Administration of the self-vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) modulates an immune response to the self-protein(s), -polypeptide(s) or -peptide(s) expressed from administration of the self-vector.

Abstract: The design, internal data representation and query model of the invention, a hierarchical distributed caching system for semi-structured documents based on LDAP technology is presented that brings both, the semi-structured data model and the LDAP data model together into a system that provides the ideal characteristics for the efficient processing of XPath queries over XML documents. Transformation algorithms and experimental results have also been shown that prove the feasibility of the invention as a distributed caching system especially tailored for semi-structured data.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the treatment of demyelinating autoimmune disease. Therapeutic doses are administered of an ordered peptide comprising a repeated motif {SEQ ID NO: 1} [1E2Y3Y4K]n, where n is from 2 to 6. Some specific peptides of interest include those having the sequence {SEQ ID NO: 4} EYYKEYYKEYYK. The peptide may consist only of the ordered repeats, or may be extended at either termini by the addition of other amino acid residues. For therapy, the peptides may be administered topically or parenterally, e.g. by injection at a particular site, including subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intravascularly, or the like or transdermally, as by electrotransport. In a preferred embodiment, subcutaneous injection is used to deliver the peptide. The subject methods are used for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes. The compositions of the invention may also contain other therapeutically active agents, e.g. immunosuppressants, &bgr;-interferon, steroids, etc.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for determining the antibody specificity profile in an individual. This specificity profile reveals the individual's immune response to multiple antigens and/or epitopes of autoantigens, allergens, graft antigens, etc. The antibody specificity profile is determined through the binding of patient samples comprising antibodies to the arrays. The array can comprises antigens and epitopes. The invention also provides the means and methods for determining antigen or epitope specificity profiles that can be used in the development of either generic and individualized diagnosis and treatment for immune related diseases, including autoimmune disease, allergy and graft rejection.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel inhibitors of human tryptase which are used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of medicaments.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the treatment of demyelinating autoimmune disease. Therapeutic doses are administered of an ordered peptide comprising a repeated motif {SEQ ID NO: 1} [1E2Y3Y4K]n, where n is from 2 to 6. Some specific peptides of interest include those having the sequence {SEQ ID NO:4} EYYKEYYKEYYK. The peptide may consist only of the ordered repeats, or may be extended at either termini by the addition of other amino acid residues. For therapy, the peptides may be administered topically or parenterally, e.g. by injection at a particular site, including subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intravascularly, or the like or transdermally, as by electrotransport. In a preferred embodiment, subcutaneous injection is used to deliver the peptide. The subject methods are used for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes. The compositions of the invention may also contain other therapeutically active agents, e.g. immunosuppressants, &bgr;-interferon, steroids, etc.

Abstract: In a brake jaw consisting of a lining support member (2) and a friction lining (4), an intermediate layer (6, 8) arranged between the friction lining (4) and the lining support member (2) and acting as a damping layer to avoid squealing caused by friction, it is provided that the intermediate layer (6, 8) consists of a material mixture that is adapted to damp friction squealing during braking and to generate an acoustic alarm signal when reaching the wear limit.