Abstract:
Compounds having anti-fibrotic effects are provided. Also provided is a method for treating disorders, diseases or conditions associated with pathological fibrotic states. The compounds useful in the present invention are homocysteine thiolactone and selected derivatives thereof.
Abstract:
A compound having formula (1) for use as a medicament wherein n is 2 or 3; Y is O, S or NH; X is O, S or NH; and R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 alkyl or acyl which may be substituted. ##STR1##
Abstract:
A detector of a measuring system sensitive to light energy receives light from a process being measured and also from a separate light source which is modulated such that it can be detected in signals generated by the detector. The separate light source is turned on and off to modulate its output such that output signals from the detector can be separated into on-times and off-times of the separate light source. The difference in on and off signal levels generated by the detector, or elements of the detector if the detector has a plurality of elements, are used to calibrate the detector. The light energy is conveyed to the detector by an energy conduit which may be a "leaky" optical fiber which receives light at one end and leaks the light out one sidewall along a portion of the fiber which is positioned adjacent to and preferably secured to the detector. The leaky optical fiber can be made by removing cladding from at least a portion of the sidewall along the portion of the fiber which is to leak light to the detector. Alternately, a bundle of fiber optics can be utilized with one end of the bundle receiving light and the other end being broken out to direct one or more of the fibers toward elements of the detector.
Abstract:
The velocity or speed of ultrasonic energy in moving webs of material is measured on-line as the webs are manufactured by engaging and preferably scanning a measuring head over the web of material. Improved ultrasonic energy transducers are employed wherein a material contacting member is secured to an interface region between oppositely operated first and second regions which intensify and amplify the movement of the interface region and hence the material contacting member by operating in a push-pull mode relative to the interface region. The transducers are calibrated by means of reference paths having known ultrasonic transmission characteristics which reference paths are separate and apart from the web of material which is being measured. The transducers can be selectively contacted with the web of material or not under the influence of vacuum which is applied to a measuring head into which the transducers are installed. A large plurality of ultrasonic energy signals are received by one or more receiving transducers and digitally integrated or summed and averaged to eliminate substantial noise which is present on the received ultrasonic energy signals due to the relative motion of the transducers and the web of material being measured. The travel time between the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer or transducers is then combined with the distance or distances therebetween to arrive at the velocity or speed of the ultrasonic energy in a web being measured.
Abstract:
A transdermal drug delivery system which is manufactured in a pre-activated state for at least one of storage stability, manufacture safety, user safety, or control of release characteristic considerations and which is activated by a patient (or other person applying the system to the patient) just prior to or immediately after applying the system to the patient's skin is disclosed.
Abstract:
Some embodiments related to account based wagering across multiple gaming operators. Users may pre-permission funding transfers from one account to another account. Each account may be usable for a specific purpose, such as wagering at a particular location and/or with a particular gaming operator. Some embodiments may include various sign on options that allow information and/or funding sharing across accounts. Various apparatus and methods are described.
Abstract:
The invention relates to heating units mounted on a window of an existing building. Flue gases are expelled outside of the building without the need for wall modifications or an extra chimney. The actual burn chamber is mounted on a window mounting unit with an interior support which extends into the building thereby heating the air inside the building.
Abstract:
A method of non-invasively measuring the presence, absence or concentration of one or more analytes in an ocular element of a subject, the subject including an eye with an ocular surface and a tear layer, includes exposing at least a portion of the tear layer and/or other ocular elements of the subject to electromagnetic radiation without contact with the ocular surface; detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected from the tear layer and/or other ocular elements without contact with the ocular surface; and determining a radiation signature of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to determine the presence, absence or concentration of the one or more analytes in the tear layer and/or other ocular elements of the subject.
Abstract:
A vane-type throttle valve assembly including a body having a passage therethrough and a pivotable shaft transverse of the passage and supporting a vane for variably restricting the flow of material through the passage. The shaft is disposed in opposing bores in the valve body. Each bore includes an access slot. The valve is assembled by inserting an integrated shaft and vane into the passage, engaging the ends of the shaft into the access slots, and translating the shaft ends in the access slots until the ends of the shaft are positioned in the bores. The shaft is retained in the bores by bushings inserted from outside the valve body. In a currently preferred embodiment, the access slots are formed over an angle from an axis of the bores, and the shaft ends are entered into the bores by rotating the shaft and vane about the passage axis.
Abstract:
DNA involved in the bacterial gene expression of carbapenem antibiotics comprising: a) at least one of the genes carA, carB, carC, carD, carE, carF, carG, carH, b) DNA capable of hybridizing to any of the genes defined in a) and capable of functioning as such genes in the biosynthetic pathway of a carbapenem, c) DNA which is a) or b) above by virtue of the degeneracy of the genetic code. Polypeptides encoded by such DNA.