Abstract: The present invention provides microspheres intended to be administered by injection comprising a protein active ingredient and an agent coating the active ingredient intended to prolong its release, wherein they are free of any trace of organic solvent and they can be obtained according to a coating method involving bringing the active ingredient and the coating agent into contact, with stirring, in a supercritical fluid, said coating agent being soluble in this supercritical fluid.

Abstract: The subject of the present invention is microspheres intended to be administered by injection, comprising a protein active ingredient and an agent coating the active ingredient intended to prolong its release, free of any trace of organic solvent and obtainable according to a coating method involving bringing the active ingredient and the coating agent into contact, with stirring, in a supercritical fluid, the said coating agent being soluble in the supercritical fluid. The protein active ingredient is not denatured.

Abstract: The invention relate to the use of biodegradable microspheres that release a radiosensitizing anticancer agent for producing a medicament to be used simultaneously with, separately from, or spread over time with a radiotherapy, for treating glioblastoma. The use of said biodegradable microspheres according to the invention results in a patient survival time of least 90 weeks, a therapeutically effective concentration being maintained in the parenchymatous area throughout this time. The microspheres use preferably contain 5-fluorouracile coated with poly(d-l-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid). The microspheres are implanted in the walls of the operation site following the exeresis of the tumor, by intratissular injection. The radiotherapy targeting the tumorous mass is dosed at 60 Gy over approximately 6 weeks. The invention also relates to a method for producing the biodegradable microspheres by emulsion-extraction, and to a suspension containing the biodegradable microspheres obtained using this method.

Abstract: The invention concerns nanocapsules, in particular with an average size less than 50 nm, consisting of an essentially lipid core liquid or semiliquid at room temperature, coated with an essentially lipid film solid at room temperature having a thickness of 2-10 nm. The invention also concerns a method for preparing same which consists in producing a reverse phase of an aqueous emulsion brought about by several temperature raising and lowering cycles. Said lipid nanocapsules are particularly designed for producing a medicine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filament comprising thermoluminescent particles that are evenly distributed in a polymer matrix, characterized in that the polymer matrix is a thermoplastic polymer having sufficient adhesion with respect to said thermoluminescent particles in order to ensure the cohesion of said filament and being such that the thermoluminescent response (signal) of the filament corresponds substantially to the dose of radiation absorbed and obtained after the filament is placed in contact with a physiological medium. The invention also relates to a method for thermoluminescence-based measurement of doses of beta radiation delivered by a transmitter on a target organ of a mammal, characterized in that a group of inventive filaments is introduced to the desired spot, whereby part of the length of said filaments remains outside the irradiated area, and in that the filaments are removed after irradiation and thermoluminescence is determined.

Abstract: The invention concerns a hair and/or body care product for humans or animals, in the form of a powder having a granulometry of 30 to 500 microns, applicable directly to the wet hair and/or the body and comprising, percentages being expressed as percentages by weight relative to the total weight of the powder, less than 40% of at least one surfactant, and from 1 to 12% of at least one perfume, the percentage being made up to 100% by one or more products selected from the group consisting of sugars, starches, celluloses, polyols, proteins, amino acids, perfumes, colourings, antioxidants, plant substances, seaweed, vitamins, essential oils and mineral fillers.

Abstract: Electric arc monitoring is effected by exploiting the discovery that electric arcs are fractal phenomena in that all essential information that signifies an “arc” is contained in each fractal subset. The fractal subsets are logarithmically distributed over the arc spectrum. Monitoring of arcs is most advantageously effected on a fractal subset of low logarithmic order where the amplitude is higher pursuant to the l/f characteristic of electric arcs, where cross-induction among neighboring circuits is lower, and where travel between the arc and the arc signature pickup is longer that at the high frequency customary for electric arc detection. Fractal subset information reduces the danger of false alarms. Arc signature portions may be processed in out of phase paths or treated as modulated carriers for monitoring.

Abstract: A battery powered portable electric light source has multiple sets of spare batteries contained in its battery compartment, whereby mixups between exhausted and fresh batteries are effectively avoided. A flashlight having a light output stronger than the mentioned electric light source is provided for use of batteries from the battery compartment of the mentioned portable container, and batteries are exchanged between that portable container and that flashlight. Apparatus for providing electric light have an electric light source requiring for energization a pair of batteries in series and a portable container for several pairs of these batteries connected each in series at a bottom of that container. Each of these several pairs of batteries includes a first battery having a first positive terminal and an opposite first negative terminal, and a second battery having a second positive terminal connected to that first negative terminal and an opposite second negative terminal.

Abstract: Methods of treatment in humans of inoperable tumors are disclosed. In particular, the disclosed method is useful for treatment of brains tumors, for example, glioblastomas, tumors of the otorhinolaryngologic sphere, rectal tumors, osseous, hepatic or brain metastasis and non-malignant cystic tumors such as craniopharyngiomas. In the method of treatment, biodegradabale microspheres which release an anticancer agent are administered by stereotactic injection directly into the tumor, into the peritumoral area or at the same time into the tumor and the peritumoral area.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of biodegradable microspheres that release a radiosensitizing anticancer agent for producing a medicament to be used simultaneously with, separately from or spread over time with a radiotherapy, for treating glioblastoma. The use of said biodegradable microspheres according to the invention results in a patient survival time of least 90 weeks, a thereapeutically effective concentration being maintained in the parenchymatous area throughout this time. The microspheres used prefereably contain 5-fluorouracile of the tumor, by intratissular injection. The radiothereapy targeting the tumorous mass is dosed at 60 Gy over approximately 6 weeks. The invention also relates to a method for producing the biodegradable microspheres by emulsion-extraction, and to a suspension containing the biodegradable microspheres obtained using this method.

Abstract: Electric arc monitoring is effected by exploiting the discovery that electric arcs are fractal phenomena in that all essential information that signifies an “arc” is contained in each fractal subset. The fractal subsets are logarithmically distributed over the arc spectrum. Monitoring of arcs is most advantageously effected on a fractal subset of low logarithmic order where the amplitude is higher pursuant to the 1/f characteristic of electric arcs, where cross-induction among neighboring circuits is lower, and where travel between the arc and the arc signature pickup is longer that at the high frequency customary for electric arc detection. Fractal subset information reduces the danger of false alarms. Arc signature portions may be processed in out of phase paths or treated as modulated carriers for monitoring.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for preparing microcapsules containing an active substance coated with a substantially polar polymer film, characterized in that it consists in the following steps: suspending an active substance insoluble in a substantially polar polymer solution in an organic solvent, said substantially polar polymer being insoluble in liquid or supercritical CO2, said organic solvent being soluble in liquid or supercritical CO2; contacting the suspension with liquid or supercritical CO2 so as to extract the solvent from the polymer in a controlled manner and ensure the coacervation of the polymer; substantially extracting the solvent by means of supercritical CO2 and draining off the CO2/solvent mixture; recuperating the microcapsules in the form of dry powder.

Abstract: A microparticle comprising an active substance which is a central core made of liquid, gaseous or solid particle of regular or irregular shape, and the method for entrapping said active substance in a coating material which is conformationally distributed on said active substance and has a thickness ranging from the thickness of a monomolecular layer to about 100 .mu.m. These compositions are useful for applications that require protection, prolonged release, taste masking, improved stability, altered handling behavior, altered surface properties including particle wettability, and other desirably altered properties.

Abstract: A set of interlocking elements capable of being joined together to form a corner piece of a puzzle game that constitutes a three-dimensional pictorial representation of a structure. In one embodiment, the set of interlocking elements comprises a first element that can be folded into a corner configuration. A second generally planar element interlocks through a dovetail-type joint with the first element to maintain the first element in a folded, corner-like configuration. The first and the second elements are provided with image-bearing surfaces that constitute individual pictorial entities contributing to a complete representation of the structure. When the first and the second elements are interlocked, the image-bearing surfaces unite visually to provide image continuity over the exposed surface of the corner piece. In a second embodiment, the set of interlocking element includes three discrete planar elements that unite through male/female joints into a T-shaped configuration.

Abstract: A single-dose solid composition useful for cleaning or treating human or animal hair and having a high disintegration rate in water is disclosed. The composition includes at least one surface active agent selected from the group consisting of an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent, an amphoteric product and at least one disintegrating agent. The composition has a disintegration time in an aqueous medium selected from the group consisting of water and aqueous solutions of less than about 5 minutes. The disintegrating agent consists essentially of polyvinylpyrrolidone. A method for making said composition is also disclosed.

Abstract: The apparatus described basically includes a vessel (10) which has a horizontal transparent window (11) and contains an index liquid (12). An optical fiber (13) is mounted in this vessel perpendicular to the window (11). Light (14) is launched and focused by a condenser (15) onto fiber (13). The light cone of aperture angle (2.beta.) due to the guided and leaky modes is eliminated using an annular mirror (16) that reflects the remaining portion of the aperture light cone (2.alpha.) escaping laterally from the fiber. This light reflected by the mirror (16) is focused by an annular condenser (18) and reflected onto a detector (20) by a flat mirror (19) with a hole in the center. Measuring the amount of light received by the detector (20) allows the refractive index of the fiber to be determined.

Abstract: A mixture of steam and a concentrated solution of an alkali carbonate are continuously injected under pressure into a cocoa mass in a tube, whereby the carbonate reacts with the cocoa mass under pressure in the tube at at least 120.degree. C. to form a reacted mass mixture, which mixture is subjected to sudden expansion and then dried with stirring until a dried solubilized liquid is ultimately obtained.

Abstract: An optical coupling device wherein at least two light conductors are coupled through the intermediary of a transparent block in the shape of a half-ellipsoid on whose foci converge the end sections of the two light conductors. A light beam emerging from one conductor is reflected and transforms itself into a beam converging on the end of the second conductor. A slot permits the introduction of a liquid-crystal attenuating device connected to an alternating voltage source.

Abstract: A mixture of steam and a concentrated solution of an alkali carbonate are continuously injected under pressure into a cocoa mass in a tube, whereby the carbonate reacts with the cocoa mass under pressure in the tube at at least 120.degree. C. to form a reacted mass mixture, which mixture is subjected to sudden expansion and then dried with stirring until a dried solubilized liquor is ultimately obtained.