Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions that include a compound which inhibits ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to liposomal vitamin A and method of its preparing. The liposome containing vitamin A as active agent, carriers (supporter) and lipids as adjuvents and liposome-forming materials. The process comprises: adding vitamin A and lipids to carriers, forming a liposomal vitamin A in the form of solid, then rehydrating to give a liposomal dispersion. The process can improve the stability of vitamin A and liposomal vitamin A. The present liposome is useful for the manufacture of pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulation.

Abstract: A method codes an output bitstream of an input video so the decoded output bitstream has a constant perceived quality. A base layer bitstream having a constant bit-rate is generated from the input video, and an input enhancement layer bitstream is generated from a difference between the input video and the base layer bitstream. Rate and distortion characteristics are extracted from the base layer bitstream and the input enhancement layer bitstream, and an output enhancement layer bitstream having a variable bit-rate is generated from the input enhancement layer bitstream according to the rate and distortion characteristics. The base layer bitstream and the output enhancement layer bitstream, in combination, form an output bitstream having a variable bit-rate and a constant distortion.

Abstract: A method including identifying at least two subsets of pixels within a block of an image; forming a plurality of pixel groups from the at least two subsets of pixels, each pixel group having at least one pixel from a first of the at least two subsets and at least one pixel from a second of the at least two subsets; producing a plurality of difference values, each pixel group providing one of said difference values, each difference value being based on differences between pixel values of pixels within one of the pixel groups; and modifying pixel values of pixels in less than all of the at least two subsets, thereby embedding a bit value into the block.

Abstract: A method is provided which comprises providing a block of IWT (integer wavelet transform) coefficients for preferably one high frequency sub-band of an image; determining a mean value of said coefficients within said block; and establishing an encoded mean value to embed one of a logical-0 bit value and a logical-1 bit into said first block.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions that include a compound which inhibits ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits ?-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for encoding a pixel domain image with hidden data by modifying the histogram of the pixel domain image to make space for such hidden data.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions that include a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to melanocortin receptor agonists of formula (I), which is useful in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and male and/or female sexual dysfunction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to melanocortin receptor agonists of formula I, which is useful in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and male and/or female sexual dysfunction.

Abstract: A method for rapid and precise detecting of an omnidirectional postnet bar code on an object by digital signal processing is provided. In order to rapidly and accurately detect omnidirectional postnet bar codes, a two-dimensional digital image containing the postnet bar code is acquired, filtered and dilated to form a block dominated by a plurality of black-colored pixels. Then a down sampled image is provided and match filtered with a two-dimensional matched filtering output to indicate a best-matched filter, thus determining a postnet bar code location and orientation by associating matched filters with an orientation angle of the omnidirectional postnet bar code.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions that include a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for coding an output bitstream of an input video so the decoded output bitstream has a constant perceived quality. A base layer bitstream having a constant bit-rate is generated from the input video, and an input enhancement layer bitstream is generated from a difference between the input video and the base layer bitstream. Alternatively, the base and input enhancements layer bitstreams are pre-stored.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds which inhibit &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis, and, accordingly, have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound which inhibits &bgr;-amyloid peptide release and/or its synthesis as well as methods for treating Alzheimer's disease both prophylactically and therapeutically with such pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a SHAM-sensitive terminal oxidase (STO) gene from the xylose-fermenting yeast Pichia stipitis. Also disclosed is a mutant of Pichia stipitis in which the STO gene natively present in the wild-type yeast was disrupted. Mutants of Pichia stipitis having reduced expression of PsSTO were found to exhibit enhanced fermentation of xylose to ethanol.