Control apparatus for hybrid vehicles are described which reduce the heat generated by a clutch and improve the response of the hybrid vehicle when an operator requests a high degree of acceleration while starting the engine and the transmission is required to perform a shift-down. In one embodiment, when the engine is required to start while the transmission is required to perform a shift-down action, the control apparatus holds a hydraulic pressure of a releasing side clutch of the transmission at a predetermined lowest stand-by value preventing a slipping action of the releasing side clutch, while a clutch K0 between the motor and engine is placed in a slipping state, and reduces the hydraulic pressure of the releasing side clutch from the lowest stand-by value in the slipping state of the clutch K0 after the clutch K0 is placed in the fully engaged state.

A control device continuously variable transmission for vehicle according to the present invention includes a continuously variable transmission mechanism capable of continuously changing a speed ratio, a sub-transmission mechanism provided in series with the continuously variable transmission mechanism, including a first gear position and a second gear position having a smaller speed ratio than the first gear position as forward gear positions and adapted to switch between the first gear position and the second gear position by selectively engaging or releasing a plurality of frictional engagement elements, and a transmission control unit wherein a vehicle is stopped with the gear position of the sub-transmission mechanism kept in the second gear position when being stopped in a state where the gear position of the sub-transmission mechanism is in the second gear position.

A coast stop vehicle which stops an engine during the travel of the vehicle is provided with a variator including a pair of pulleys and a belt mounted between the pulleys and capable of continuously changing a speed ratio. A controller judges whether or not coast stop conditions to stop the engine during the travel of the vehicle hold, stops the engine when the coast stop conditions hold, and prevents the speed ratio from being upshifted to a higher side than a speed ratio at the time of starting the coast stop control during the coast stop control.

A battery charging method for a hybrid vehicle and the hybrid vehicle using the same are disclosed. The hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a motor as power source and includes the battery in which electrical energy for driving the motor is stored. The method and system may include: determining whether the battery needs to be charged while the vehicle is stopped; transitioning a transmission to a neutral position (N position) when the battery needs to be charged; starting the engine and engaging an engine clutch to connect the engine with the motor so that the motor generates electrical energy via power from the engine. The electrical energy generated by the motor is then stored in the battery accordingly.

A control method for idling anti-rollback of a pure electric vehicle is provided, where the pure electric vehicle has a vehicle controller, a motor controller, a motor, a brake pedal, a handbrake device, an accelerator pedal, and a power battery. The method makes use of the differences between a pure electric vehicle from conventional cars, and collects the states of individual parts of the vehicle through the vehicle controller, and controls the output of the torque of the motor based on the state information of various control components, to prevent the vehicle located on a slope from rolling back, and makes the vehicle move forward at idle.

A transmission controller increases an indicated hydraulic pressure to a starting frictional engagement element to a normal hydraulic pressure, causes a hydraulic piston to stroke and executes a learning control of the indicated hydraulic pressure so that a time until the starting frictional engagement element starts generating a transmission capacity after the range is switched from the neutral range to the drive range becomes a target time when a range is switched from a neutral range to a drive range. The transmission controller further detects a driver's starting intention and increases the indicated hydraulic pressure to the starting frictional engagement element to a starting time hydraulic pressure higher than the normal hydraulic pressure and prohibits the learning control if the starting intention is detected before the starting frictional engagement element starts generating the transmission capacity.

A control apparatus for an automatic transmission including three frictional engagement elements is configured to set engagement pressures of first and second frictional engagement elements at the time when a predetermined shift speed is established such that a torque capacity of a third frictional engagement element becomes smaller than torque capacities of the first and second frictional engagement elements in the case where an engagement pressure is generated in the third frictional engagement element at the time when the predetermined shift speed is established.

A kinetic hybrid device and method for a vehicle may include a planetary gear system configured as a continuously variable transmission comprised of three or four ports. The kinetic hybrid device and method may include a flywheel connected to a first port of the system, a final drive connected to a second port of the system, and the variator for the flywheel connected to a third or fourth port of the system. The prime mover and/or other power sources may share a port with the flywheel, but do not share a port with the final drive.

A control device of a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, an electric motor outputting power for running and power necessary for starting the engine, a connecting/disconnecting clutch connecting/disconnecting a power transmission path between the engine and the electric motor, and an automatic transmission making up a portion of a power transmission path between the electric motor and drive wheels, the automatic transmission having a plurality of gear stages alternatively formed including a gear stage using a one-way clutch as an engaged engagement element, the control device of a hybrid vehicle engages the connecting/disconnecting clutch to start the engine during motor running for running by using only the electric motor with the connecting/disconnecting clutch released.

A control device of an automatic transmission comprises a torque converter and a lock-up clutch which are arranged between an engine and an automatic transmission; and an up-shift control means that, when an up-shift is required with an accelerator pedal kept depressed by a driver, lowers an engaging capacity of releasing side engaging elements engaged at a speed stage before a gear shifting and then increases an engaging capacity of engaging side engaging elements engaged at a speed stage after the gear shifting thereby to establish a power-on up-shift, wherein the up-shift control means is configured in that when the acceleration pedal is released from the driver during the time when the power-on up-shift is being carried out, the power-on up-shift is continued while lowering the engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch.

A hybrid vehicle in which at least two shift ranges can be selected for a single running direction includes an engine, a motor generator, an EHC raising the temperature of a catalyst for cleaning up an exhaust gas from the engine, and an ECU. While the vehicle is running, if the engine is stopped and, of the two shift ranges, a shift range where larger decelerating force is produced by regenerative braking of the motor generator has been selected, the ECU causes the EHC to raise the temperature of the catalyst using electric power generated by the motor generator.

A method for optimized launch of a vehicle is provided wherein a driveline of the vehicle at least includes an engine, an automatic transmission, a system for exhaust gas recirculation, which are controlled by a driveline management system, wherein the management system is able to determine the mass of the vehicle, and whereby a launching gear of the transmission is calculated dependent at least on the determined mass of the vehicle, whereby a launching gear is chosen dependent of the power loss caused by the EGR and wherein the power loss caused by the EGR is determined, the available power to launch the vehicle is determined, and the launching gear is recalculated dependent of the available power, and selecting said recalculated launching gear before launch of the vehicle, launch the vehicle with the recalculated launching gear.

A vehicle travel control apparatus that controls state of travel of a vehicle by adjusting force that acts on the vehicle includes: an acting force adjustment portion that adjusts the force that acts on the vehicle, according to the state of travel of the vehicle; an operating state detection portion that detects an operating state of an operation member that is operated to control the state of travel of the vehicle; and an adjustment degree alteration portion that alters degree of adjustment made by the acting force adjustment portion, according to the operating state of the operation member.

A device for controlling an automatic transmission including a lock-up clutch control portion and a zero slip control portion for bringing a lock-up clutch into a zero slip state immediately before slippage occurs in accordance with a zero slip request outputted during a non-gear shift, wherein in a case where a target slip amount is equal to or smaller than a slip amount threshold value upon transition to the zero slip state, the zero slip control portion fixes the target slip amount to the slip amount threshold value and retains the fixed target slip amount for a predetermined period of time, and after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, gradually decreases the target slip amount from the slip amount threshold value to a zero slip amount with a predetermined gradient with time.

A method of operating a drive-train of a vehicle that comprises a combustion engine whose torque for driving the vehicle can be transmitted to a drive output via a transmission, with a hydraulically actuated clutch when the clutch is engaged. An electric machine provides torque which can act upon the drive-train. The clutch is closed by filling the clutch with hydraulic fluid through a circuit by way of a pump which can be driven by the engine and the electric machine. The method is to engage the clutch when the combustion engine is initially off and/or when the electric machine is initially switched off, determining a driving dynamic based on the behavior of the driver and adjusting the speed of the electric machine based on the determined driving dynamic such that the greater the determined driving dynamic is, the more rapidly the clutch is filled by the pump.

In hydraulic control, an electronic control unit controls controlled hydraulic pressure of a control valve in order to control a hydraulic oil amount in a torque converter and a hydraulic oil pressure of a forward-reverse travel switching mechanism, and the electronic control unit increases the controlled hydraulic pressure when the hydraulic oil amount in the torque converter is insufficient at an engine start or immediately after the engine start in comparison with a case where the hydraulic oil amount in the torque converter is sufficient. The hydraulic control device includes: the torque converter; the forward-reverse travel switching mechanism; the control valve configured to change the hydraulic oil amount in the torque converter and the hydraulic oil pressure of the forward-reverse travel switching mechanism by changing the single controlled hydraulic pressure; and electronic control unit.

A two-wheeled inverted pendulum vehicle includes: single-winding first and second motors respectively rotating one of two wheels; first and second control systems respectively supplying drive currents to the first and second motors; a sensor detecting a physical quantity that varies with a turn of the vehicle; a dynamic brake unit being able to switch between active and inactive states of dynamic brake being applied to the first motor; and a control unit, when the control unit has determined that the vehicle is turning about the second motor side on the basis of the physical quantity while supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor is inhibited, activating dynamic brake in the dynamic brake unit. The first control system, when an abnormality has been detected in the first control system, inhibits supply of drive current from the first control system to the first motor.

A system and method of controlling a fail-safe for a vehicle is provided. The method includes determining, by a controller, that remaining hydraulic pressure exists in the clutch when the clutch is not opened and a target value of oil pressure for opening the clutch is maintained for a predetermined time period. In addition, whether a vehicle is stopped is confirmed in response to determining that remaining hydraulic pressure exists in the engine clutch. The controller is further configured to transmit a signal to shift to the vehicle to a neutral (N) stage to a transmission controller and shift to the vehicle to the N-stage in response to determining that the vehicle is stopped. Then, the engine is driven by the controller in response to determining that the vehicle is shifted to the N-stage.

A vehicle includes a braking force application device that executes braking force holding control which holds braking force irrespective of braking operation by a driver during a stop on a slope; and a control limiting device that limits execution of the braking force holding control when a shift position is set in a neutral position.

When a vehicle speed of a wheel loader (1) is determined to be not higher than a reference value (Yes) in step S4 and a forward/reverse command switch (40) is determined to have been switchingly operated (Yes) in step S5, the routine advances to step S6 where an increment ΔN of engine speed according to an engine load factor is determined. In step S7, the increment ΔN of engine speed is then added to a target engine speed Na corresponding to a depression stroke of an accelerator pedal (38), the thus-determined Na=Na+ΔN is set as a new target engine speed Na, and a target engine speed command i1 is sent to an engine controller (37).

The present invention provides for a transmission shift assembly for a vehicle and methods of monitoring and controlling the same. The transmission shift assembly includes a transmission having a shift position member movable between a plurality of gear positions, an actuator configured to move the shift position between the gear positions, and a linkage coupled to the actuator and movable between a plurality of positions in response to movement of the actuator. The assembly further includes a controller to control the actuator, an ignition to receive a key, and at least one key sensor positioned within the ignition and configured to transmit a signal to the controller upon sensing removal of the key, the controller controlling the actuator to move the shift position member to a predetermined gear position upon receiving the signal from the key sensor that the key has been removed from the ignition.

A battery charge/discharge control device which performs battery charge/discharge control in a working machine with a battery capable of storing electric energy generated by a generator motor coupled to an engine and driving the generator motor or at least one of other electric actuators by the stored electric energy and a controller which controls a distribution of the electric energy among the battery, the generator motor, and the electric actuator, wherein the controller performs the charge/discharge control in which the electric energy of the battery is discharged when the engine is driven and recharging to the battery is permitted on a condition that a state in which an engine speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined engine speed is maintained for a predetermined time after the battery is completely discharged.

Disclosed are a method, a composition, a microarray, an antibody and a kit for diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, based on detection of deletion of the exon 3 region of G-CSF gene or levels of a mutated G-CSF protein having a deletion of an amino acid sequence corresponding to the exon 3 region, wherein the deletion of the exon 3 region of the G-CSF gene is used as a cancer biomarker.

The present invention is directed to the use of the peptide compound Ac-Arg-Phe-Met-Trp-Met-Arg-NH2 as a therapeutic agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, fibrotic diseases, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, lung diseases, heart and vascular diseases and metabolic diseases. Moreover the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions preferably in form of a lyophilisate or liquid buffer solution or artificial mother milk formulation or mother milk substitute containing the peptide Ac-Arg-Phe-Met-Trp-Met-Arg-NH2 optionally together with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, cryoprotectant, lyoprotectant, excipient and/or diluent.

The present invention is directed to the use of the peptide compound Pyr-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2 as a therapeutic agent for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, fibrotic diseases, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, lung diseases, heart and vascular diseases and metabolic diseases. Moreover the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions preferably in form of a lyophilizate or liquid buffer solution or artificial mother milk formulation or mother milk substitute containing the peptide Pyr-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2 optionally together with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, cryoprotectant, lyoprotectant, excipient and/or diluent.

A chimeric protein containing neutrophil inhibitory factor and hirugen, the chimeric protein having an amino acid sequence that includes FPRPGSGG (SEQ ID NO:21) Also provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising the chimeric protein, which can be used for treating or preventing cerebral injury and cerebral edema, or for inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Provided herein are novel compounds and novel protected compounds that can be derived from polymyxin, including, e.g., polymyxin A. The novel compounds have antibacterial properties against a diverse range of Gram negative bacteria and reduced toxicity compared to polymyxins such as polymyxin A. Also provided are antibacterial pharmaceutical compositions containing the novel compounds and novel protected compounds, as well as methods for preparing the antibacterial compounds and protected compounds.

Peptides having a structure characterized by the presence of two loops constrained in cyclic structure by the presence of covalent bonds between amino acid side chains, the amino acid sequences of the first and the second loop being substantially homologues to that of loop 1 (residues 29-38) and of loop 4 (residues 92-97) of NGF, respectively, displaying nerve growth factor (NGF) agonist or partial agonist activity.

Plant viral vectors have great potential in rapid production of proteins, but no simple. Here a geminivirus-based system for high-yield and rapid production of oligomeric protein complexes, including virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is described. In particular, a single vector that contains two non-competing replicons for transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves is described. The correct assembly of these subunit proteins into functional oligomeric structures (VLPs or full-size mAb) is also described. This system advances plant transient expression technology by eliminating the need for non-competing viruses, and thus, enhances the realistic commercial application of this technology for producing multiple-subunit protein complexes.

The present invention provides methods and pharmaceutical formulations for treating diabetic foot ulcers.

Disclosed are compositions and methods related to the isolation and identification of the primate T-lymphotropic viruses, HTLV-3 and HTLV-4. The diversity of HTLVs was investigated among central Africans reporting contact with NHP blood and body fluids through hunting, butchering, and keeping primate pets. Herein it is shown that this population is infected with a variety of HTLVs, including two retroviruses; HTLV-4 is the first member of a novel phylogenetic lineage that is distinct from all known HTLVs and STLVs; HTLV-3 falls within the genetic diversity of STLV-3, a group that has not previously been seen in humans. The present disclosure also relates to vectors and vaccines for use in humans against infection and disease. The disclosure further relates to a variety of bioassays and kits for the detection and diagnosis of infection with and diseases caused by HTLV-3 and HTLV-4 and related viruses.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of asthma and inflammatory ocular disorders are disclosed.

The present invention relates to methods for producing a polypeptide having biological activity, comprising: (a) cultivating a fungal host cell in a medium conducive for the production of the polypeptide, wherein the fungal host cell comprises a first polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide operably linked to a second polynucleotide encoding a variant signal peptide or a variant prepropeptide; and (b) isolating the secreted polypeptide having biological activity from the cultivation medium.

Methods and systems for detecting azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze) in food consumable by humans and animals are provided. Also provided are methods and systems for inactivating Aze in food and byproducts, as well as other methods for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disorders associated with Aze.

The invention relates to human medicine and to the use of epidermal growth factor (EGF) for preparing a pharmaceutical composition which is administered by infiltration into the periphery of nerve ganglia and/or trunks for the morphofunctional restoration of peripheral nerves in painful sensory-motor neuropathy as well as manifestations of ischemic neuritis. The invention also includes a composition containing EGF which can be formulated together with anesthetics or analgesics or encapsulated in microspheres and to the use thereof for the morphofunctional restoration of peripheral nerves in painful sensitive-motor-type diabetic neuropathy and the manifestations of ischemic neuritis.

Disclosed is a general methodology to create nano fibers of therapeutic molecules that have a dual role, as both the delivery vehicle and the drug itself. It is shown that with proper molecular design, the integration of enzymatic reaction and self-assembly provides a powerful method to create molecular hydrogels of clinically-used therapeutics without compromising their bioactivities. In addition, the results disclosed herein demonstrate enzyme-instructed self-assembly as a facile strategy for generating the supramolecular hydrogels of molecules that inherently have poor solubility in water. For example, by covalently connecting paclitaxel with a motif that is prone to self-assemble, a hydrogel of paclitaxel can be formed without compromising the activity of the paclitaxel.

The present invention is related to the use of secretagogue peptides repeatedly administered as part of a pharmaceutical composition that prevent and eradicate the deposition of pathological fibrotic material in parenchymal tissues of internal organs like the liver, lungs, esophagus, small intestine, kidneys, blood vessels, joints, and other systemic forms of cutaneous fibrosis of any etiopathogenesis. Additionally, these peptides prevent and eradicate deposition of amiloid and hyaline materials in any of their correspondent chemical forms and tissue manifestations in the brain, cerebellum, blood vessels, liver, intestines, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, joints and the skin, among others. By this way, cellular, tissular and organ dysfunctions generated by these depositions are corrected. The peptides of the present invention are infiltrated or topically applied, contributing to prevent and eradicate keloids and hypertrophic scars in the skin, derived as sequelae of burns and other cutaneous trauma.

The invention relates to compositions comprising vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or fragments thereof, and the use of such compositions in the treatment of aortic fibrosis and other associated conditions.

Disclosed is a drug effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Basically, the disclosed therapeutic agent was created on the basis of experiments showing improvement in symptoms when etanercept was administered to patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Etanercept is known as a therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis, and the JFIQ score of patients not suffering from fibromyalgia improved considerably in the preferred embodiment. In other words, a therapeutic agent for fibromyalgia is disclosed that contains etanercept as an active ingredient in an effective amount.

A method of treating cancer through use of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP). Cyclic GMP decreases the number of human breast cancer and prostate adenocarcinoma as well as small-cell and squamous lung cells in culture by 30% (1 μM), 84% (1 mM), 31% (1 μM), and 30% (1 μM), respectively. Cyclic GMP decreases DNA synthesis in human pancreatic, breast, and prostate adenocarcinomas as well as small-cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the lung at its 1 μM concentration by 51%, 54%, 56%, 50% and 52%, respectively. Cyclic GMP when infused for one week decreases the tumor volume of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas in athymic mice 95% compared to untreated animals with human pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

Provided herein are novel compounds and novel protected compounds that can be derived from polymyxin, including, e.g., polymyxin A. The novel compounds have antibacterial properties against a diverse range of Gram negative bacteria and reduced toxicity compared to polymyxins such as polymyxin A. Also provided are antibacterial pharmaceutical compositions containing the novel compounds and novel protected compounds, as well as methods for preparing the antibacterial compounds and protected compounds.

The present invention provides variable mass labeling reagents, a set of the variable mass labeling reagents, and a multiplexed set of variable mass labeling reagents.

The present invention provides processes for the manufacturing of polypeptide conjugates. In particular, the invention provides methods for the purification of polypeptide conjugates, which include at least one polymeric modifying groups, such as a poly(alkylene oxide) moiety. Exemplary poly(alkylene oxide) moieties include poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(propylene glycol). In an exemplary process, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is used to resolve different glycoforms of glycoPEGylated polypeptides.

The present invention is relevant to human medicine, and, in particular, to the use of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in a pharmaceutical composition, said composition is administered through infiltration at the periphery of nerve trunks and/or ganglia, for the morphofunctional restoration of peripheral nerves in painful, sensory-motor neuropathy, as well as ischemic neuritis. It is also relevant to an EGF containing composition, where this molecule can be formulated together with anesthetic or analgesic drugs, or encapsulated in microspheres, and their use for the morphofunctional restoration of peripheral nerves in painful, sensory-motor neuropathy, as well as in ischemic neuritis.

A disc device which takes out a disc stored in a magazine and conveys the disc to any disc drive, in which the magazine comprises a tray which stores a plurality of discs, and a case which has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and which stores the tray. The case has an opening at front face into which the tray can be inserted into or taken out therefrom. The tray has an outer shape being substantially rectangular in planar view. The tray is provided with cut portions formed at corner portions positioned on the back side of the case being cut off. The disc device further comprises a picker which holds the tray and draws out the tray from the case. The picker rotates the tray when the cut portion passes through the opening.

An optical disc device of the present invention comprises an insertion detection optical sensor which detects insertion of an optical disc based on light emitted from a first light emitting element to a first light receiving element being blocked, and an ejection detection optical sensor provided on the downstream side in the carry-in direction to the insertion detection optical sensor to detect ejection of the optical disc based on light emitted from a second light emitting element to a second light receiving element being blocked. The optical disc device is structured such that, in a state that the optical disc is attached onto the turntable, when the light of the first light emitting element is blocked and the light of the second light emitting element is not blocked, the optical disc device recognizes that a lens cleaner is attached onto the turntable as the optical disc, and the optical disc device performs a cleaning operation.

In an optical disc drive, a degradation of traveling performance of an optical pickup under hard acceleration or hard deceleration in a random access operation or the like results in a degradation of recording/reproducing performance. Groove structure is provided between two gears of a guide feed provided in an optical pickup, and the groove forms bending structure. Thus, the engagement state between a screw gear and the gears of the guide feed is stabilized. This makes it possible to prevent tooth jumping and step-out from occurring in the gears during the traveling of the optical pickup, achieving stable traveling. In consequence, the recoding/reproducing performance of the optical disc drive can be improved.

A data storage and retrieval system includes a head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion and having multiple heads disposed at a working surface. The system also includes a tape drive unit configured to move a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a width approximately equal to a width of the working surface. As the head carriage unit rotates and the tape moves past the working surface, a first head is configured to write a data track to the tape and a second head is configured to thereafter read the data track, where data read by the second head is for use in verifying data integrity and performing error correction.

An optical disc device according to the present invention performs, in parallel, a first control to convey a first tray in the first optical disc drive group from the disc replacing position to the recording and reproducing position, and a second control to convey a second tray in the second optical disc drive group 40R from the recording and reproducing position to the disc replacing position. The second tray is opposed to the first tray.

A fixing structure of an optical component is composed of a device chassis; a holder holding an optical component; first and second plate parts for joint to the device chassis and a connecting part of both the plate parts are formed in the holder; a plurality of joint holes are formed in the second plate part; a U-groove into which the connecting part of the holder is fitted and a plurality of through-holes are formed in the device chassis; and an adhesive that is extended in a circular columnar shape and is made by inserting the holder into the U-groove of the device chassis, and applying a UV-curing adhesive in such a manner that the UV-curing adhesive is bonded to the first plate part of the holder and is continuous to the inside of the joint hole via the inside of the through-hole, and radiating UV light along the through-hole.