The present invention provides a method for enhancing an immune response in a mammal to facilitate the elimination of a chronic pathology. The method involves the removal of immune system inhibitors such as soluble TNF receptor from the circulation of the mammal, thus, enabling a more vigorous immune response to the pathogenic agent. The removal of immune system inhibitors is accomplished by contacting biological fluids of a mammal with one or more binding partner(s) such as TNFα muteins capable of binding to and, thus, depleting the targeted immune system inhibitor(s) from the biological fluids. Particularly useful in the invention is an absorbent matrix composed of an inert, biocompatible substrate joined covalently to a binding partner, such as a TNFα mutein, capable of specifically binding to a targeted immune system inhibitor such as soluble TNF receptor.

Mono-pegylated arginase conjugate and method producing thereof. The mono-pegylated arginase is homogeneous in molecular weight and shows therapeutic effect for treating cancers and viral infections. The method of producing such arginase conjugate has a main step of genetically modifying the gene encoding an arginase so that the PEG moiety can attach to the enzyme at a predetermined, specific intended site. This is achieved by removing the PEG attaching amino acid residues at undesirable sites while keeping (or adding, if necessary) the one at the desirable site of the enzyme. Two exemplary mono-pegylated arginase conjugates so produced are human arginase I (HAI) where a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is site-specific covalently bonded to Cys45 of the enzyme and Bacillus caldovelox arginase (BCA) where a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is site-specific covalently bonded to Cys161 of the enzyme.

A method for reducing or substantially preventing formation of a trisulfide derivative of a polypeptide in a liquid medium containing the polypeptide ijn question comprises stripping the liquid medium with a gas, suitably a chemically unreactive gas such as nitrogen or argon.

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

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

The present invention relates to novel compounds having a function of a peptide in the amylin family, related nucleic acids, expression constructs, host cells, and processes production of the compounds. The compounds of the invention include one or more amino acid sequence modifications. In addition, methods and compositions are disclosed to treat and prevent metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and increased cardiovascular risk.

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.

An insect-resistant protein exhibiting a sufficient resistance to insects; an insect-resistance gene encoding the insect-resistant protein; a recombinant vector containing the insect-resistance gene; a host cell and a plant cell having the recombinant vector transfected thereinto; a transformant transformed by the insect-resistance gene and a method for producing the same; a protein recovered thereby; and an insect-resistant agent comprising them as active ingredients. In accordance with the present invention, the insect-resistant protein is derived from a plant.

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 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.

A method of treating a disease or condition in which up-regulating GAGs is therapeutically beneficial is disclosed, in particular osteoarthritis and skin diseases. The method comprises locally administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of down-regulating activity or expression of a component of the renin-angiotensin system.

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.

A rotary element assembly structure in which a rotary element 53 is assembled to a tip side of a hollow shaft B1 provided upright on a pedestal 60. A cylindrical portion 53c for fitting with the hollow shaft is provided to a rotation center portion of the rotary element. In the cylindrical portion, a hook strut portion 53s that has a hook portion 53f overhanging in the radial direction at its tip side and that extends substantially in the fitting direction is arranged. A base end portion of the hook strut portion and a base end portion of the cylindrical portion are coupled with each other by a resin-made thin plate portion 53p. A small diameter portion B1s which is smaller in diameter than a hollow portion B1d of the hollow shaft is provided on the tip side of the hollow shaft. The radius of the overhang tip portion of the hook portion is set to be greater than the radius of the small diameter portion of the hollow shaft, and to be smaller than the radius of the hollow portion. By fitting the hollow shaft with the cylindrical portion of the rotary element, the hook portion on the tip side of the hook strut portion is pushed into the hollow portion via the small diameter portion on the tip side of the hollow shaft. Thereby, the hook portion engages with a stepped portion formed by the hollow portion and the small diameter portion.

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 one embodiment an enclosure for a high-density storage system, comprises a backplane to which a plurality of data storage devices may be coupled, a front panel opposite the backplane and defining a first airflow channel adjacent a front side of the data storage devices, a back panel opposite the front panel and comprising a second airflow channel adjacent the backplane, a floor panel and a top panel, a first side panel comprising an array of air flow inlets, a second side panel comprising at least one air flow outlet, and a fan assembly to expel air from the at least one air outlet.

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.

Provided is an object lens driving device that includes a wire holder coupled to a support portion and on which an end of a plurality of suspension wires are fixed. The wire holder includes a first area supported on the support portion and a second area extending from the first area and on which the end of each of the plurality of suspension wires is fixed. In this example, a thickness of the second area is thinner than a thickness of the first area.

A disc drive that includes: a housing configured to receive a tray, a pickup mounted on the tray; a connector installed on the housing for outputting signals obtained from the optical pickup; a ribbon cable that includes a first end which is connected to the connector, including a plurality of wire layers, and a part installed adjacent to a side of a body of the housing; and at least one penetration hole formed in a side of the body of the housing so as to reduce a capacitive coupling between the ribbon cable and the body of the housing.

An electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorber includes an EMI conductive sheet having first and second portions, the first portion absorbing EMI from an EMI absorption target and the second portion for conducting EMI to an EMI discharge target, and an elastic member covered by the first portion.

Provided is an objective lens driving unit that prevents an electrical short circuit between very closely spaced second terminals in the objective lens driving unit. The objective lens driving unit is capable of being used in a slim-type optical disc drive.

The airflow through a harvesting machine is adjusted by calculating a G-factor at a first point on an upper chaffer to determine if it is greater than 1+n, where n represents a desired factor. A blower is adjusted to reduce an airstream if the G-factor is greater than 1+n. A MOG factor is calculated if the G-factor is less than 1+n. The blower is adjusted to increase the airstream if the MOG-factor is less than 1+x, where x represents a desired factor. A MOG-factor is calculated at a second point if the MOG-factor at the point is greater than 1+x and the blower is adjusted to reduce the airstream if the MOG-factor at the second point is greater than 1+y, where y represents a desired factor or adjusted to increase the airstream if the MOG-factor at the second point is less than 1+y.

A spreader assembly for a combine harvester, the assembly including a pair of disks configured to be rotated such that chaff material dropped onto the disks is spread about the combine harvester, wherein each disk is operably connected to its own motor and a spreader frame assembly. The spreader frame assembly includes a first side support pivotably connected to a frame of the combine harvester, a second side support pivotably connected to the frame of the combine harvester, and at least one disk support configured to support at least one of the pair of disks. The spreader frame assembly further defines an opening configured such that when the combine harvester is windrowing material, no portion of the spreader frame assembly interferes with the flow of windrowing material.

The invention concerns a harvested crop residue chopper and distribution arrangement for a combine (10) with a straw chopper (60) with a rotor (74) that can be brought into rotation about a horizontal axis (98) with chopper blades (76) fastened thereto that define an outer envelope (96), and with at least one impeller blower (82) arranged downstream of the straw chopper (60) with impeller blades (84) that can rotate about an axis of rotation (88) that extends vertically, in which the impeller blades (84) are provided with outer edges (94) that conform to the envelope (96) of the chopper knives (76) and follow it very closely and are not in contact with it.

A radiator screen arrangement (10) for a combine harvester is provided. A screen (12) through which air, which is to pass through a radiator, is drawn by a fan. Rotating means (16) are provided for rotating the screen. Blanking means (18), past which the screen is rotated, provides a blanked off area of the screen which is not subject to the induction pressure of the fan and from which particles can therefore be more easily removed. The arrangement is characterised in that the blanking means has a leading edge (18a) which is of generally spiral shape so that the particles on the outer surface of the screen which enter the blanked-off area can reach the outer periphery (12d) of the rotating screen without being exposed to the induction pressure of the fan and hence have an improved chance of being detached from the screen.

A forage harvester has an engine which is drivingly connected to a chopper cylinder via first drive belt, and to a first end of a drive shaft of a discharge accelerator. A second end of the drive shaft of the discharge accelerator is drivingly connected to a kernel processor via a second drive belt, is arranged, in the direction of harvested material flow, between the chopper cylinder and the discharge accelerator. The discharge accelerator comprises support disks which extend radially, and paddles. The support disks are attached to a hollow shaft enclosing the drive shaft, and, a sensor is arranged between the drive shaft and the discharge accelerator for the determination of the force transmitted by the drive shaft to the discharge accelerator.

A sensor for monitoring a plant population in front of a harvester and a transfer process of the crop from the harvester to a transport vehicle is arranged on an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft moves in the vicinity of the harvester in the harvesting mode and communicates in a wireless fashion with a control unit that controls an actuator for influencing an operating parameter of the harvester and/or the transport vehicle (in real time based on signals of the sensor in the harvesting mode.

Example embodiments relate to a combine harvester including a straw chopper having an inlet for unchopped straw, an outlet for chopped straw in an essentially horizontal direction, and a spreader fan, connected downstream of the outlet of the straw chopper and having an essentially horizontal plane of rotation, for spreading the chopped straw over a ground surface. The combine harvester further includes a guide member, which is arranged to deflect at least a part of the stream of chopped straw material to an axial intake of the spreader fan such that a part of chopped straw material meets the blades of the spreader fan in the direction of transport of the chopped straw material through the spreader fan at an acute angle (α) relative to the plane of rotation of the spreader fan.

A grain bin located atop a harvester includes upstanding walls having a substantially continuous upper edge defining an opening. A grain bin extension is deployable between extended and retracted positions to expand the capacity of the grain bin. The extension includes extension panels and a cap overlaying the opening. The cap is supported by a cap frame that is also deployable between extended and retracted positions. An extension deployment apparatus raises and lowers the extension panels. Extension deployment mechanisms located at opposing corners of the grain bin control the deployment of adjacent extension panels. Each extension deployment mechanism has a first rack and a trunnion to drive extension panels in a vertical direction and pivot the panels in an outward direction and a second rack mounted to the trunnion to drive the cap frame in a vertical direction, and a drive gear between the first and second racks.

A harvester grain bin monitoring system is disclosed. The system includes a sensor that monitors the perimeter of the bin proximate to the top rim to provide a warning to an operator when the grain level reaches approaches the bin rim. The sensor may be optical or mechanical.

Methods and systems for extending or stretching muscles on an animal carcass by separating a hip joint of the carcass. Hip joint separation may be carried out while the carcass is suspended from a conveyor system as part of a commercial meat processing operation.

A double function, hand operated meat tenderizer includes a handle with a blade segment clamped inside said handle; a generally flat plate attached to said handle by at least one slidably moving cylinder attached to a compressed spring, comprising at least one seat including a releasably attached spigot of the cylinder, wherein an end face of said plate is provided with a plurality of projections and flow-through slots aligned in evenly spaced relation, parallel to the spring axis, and wherein in a position of rest, ends of said blades are retracted in said flow-through slots.

A stuffing tube centering device for concentric alignment of the stuffing tube to a casing stick and a corresponding method, and where two oppositely disposed centering members movable towards each other between which the stuffing tube can be held and centered.

Method and apparatus are provided for mechanically processing an organ or organs taken out from slaughtered poultry in a processing device or processing line, which organ or organs form part of an organ package and wherein the organ or organs are separated from the organ package. The organ package is spatially oriented by the processing device without notably breaking tissue connections in the package, and in a preselected order so as to cause the harvesting of organs from the package to occur in a preselected sequence that depends on the location of the organ package in the processing device or processing line.

A method is disclosed for cutting tendons within the drumstick of a poultry leg while leaving the fibula of the drumstick intact. The drumstick has first and second opposing sides where no fibula extends and opposing third and fourth sides along one of which the fibula extends. The method includes suspending the drumstick from its ankle joint, moving the suspended drumstick in a downstream processing direction, cutting the meat and tendons extending along the first side of the drumstick, cutting the meat and tendons extending along the second side of the drumstick, pushing and stretching the meat and tendons of the drumstick to form a bulge projecting in the direction of the third side of the drumstick, cutting through the meat and tendons within the bulge while insuring that the cut is not made completely to the tibia, orienting the suspended drumstick so that its fourth side faces in the direction of a knife blade, pushing and stretching the meat and tendons of the drumstick to form a bulge projecting in the direction of the fourth side of the drumstick, and cutting through the meat and tendons within the bulge while insuring that the cut is not made completely to the tibia. An apparatus for carrying out the method also is disclosed.

A work hanging apparatus includes a hanger line continuously conveying hangers each having a hook, a robot that has a hand with which a work having a hole is held and transfers the held work to a hanging location set in the hanger line, a controller controlling a movement of the hand to catch the hook of one of the hangers with the hole of the held work at the hanging location, a hole deviation detector that detects a positional deviation of the hole of the work, an attitude deviation detector that detects an attitudinal deviation of the hanger, and a corrector that corrects the movement of the hand according to the positional and attitudinal deviations.

A method for processing poultry suspended by the feet from a conveyor hook is provided. The method and apparatus allow the quality of the poultry to be classified and graded in a simpler and more effective manner to realize higher yields or an extra added value. In one exemplary embodiment, a processing apparatus for a foot of the poultry is provided that includes a foot pad inspection apparatus.

Method and apparatus are provided for mechanically processing an organ or organs taken out from slaughtered poultry in a processing device or processing line, which organ or organs form part of an organ package and wherein said organ or organs are separated from the organ package. The organ package is spatially oriented by the processing device without notably breaking tissue connections in the package, and in a preselected order so as to cause harvesting of organs from the package to occur in a preselected sequence that depends on the location of the organ package in the processing device or processing line.

The invention concerns a fish transporting apparatus for automatically feeding fish to a fish processing machine. The fish transporting apparatus can include a transport device with a bottom element for receiving the fish and lateral boundary elements for guiding the fish as well as a vibrating member for vibratory driving of the transport device, which is distinguished in that the bottom element is constructed as a grid plate with rectangular apertures. Furthermore, the invention concerns a device for aligning fish in a head/tail orientation with such a fish transporting apparatus.

A method for producing frozen oysters on the half shell, which comprises the steps of freezing live oysters in their shells, so that the oysters hinges will break open; subjecting the frozen oysters to a water treatment to promote disengagement of the oysters' flesh from one thin shell; and percussing the water treated oysters, so that at least one shell will be knocked off.

Provided is fuel cell system capable of eliminating any failure caused by freezing of a discharge valve during a low temperature while preventing an increase in size of the system. A fuel cell system is provided, the system including: a fuel cell; a diluter that dilutes a fuel-off gas discharged from the fuel cell with an oxidant-off gas discharged from the fuel cell to discharge the resulting gas to the outside; a fuel-off gas flow path that connects the fuel cell and the diluter; and a discharge valve that is provided to the fuel-off gas flow path to discharge a fuel-off gas flowing through the fuel-off gas flow path to the outside during a valve opening operation. In the fuel cell system, the discharge valve is integrally attached to the diluter.

The disclosed embodiments provide a battery pack for use with a portable electronic device. The battery pack includes a first set of cells with different capacities electrically coupled in a parallel configuration. Cells within the first set of cells may also have different thicknesses and/or dimensions. The first set of cells is arranged within the battery pack to facilitate efficient use of space within a portable electronic device. For example, the first set of cells may be arranged to accommodate components in the portable electronic device.

An energy storage composite particle is provided, which includes a carbon film, a conductive carbon component, an energy storage grain, and a conductive carbon fiber. The carbon film surrounds a space. The conductive carbon component and the energy storage grain are disposed in the space. The conductive carbon fiber is electrically connected to the conductive carbon component, the energy storage grain, and the carbon film, and the conductive carbon fiber extends from the inside of the space to the outside of the space. The energy storage composite particle has a high gravimetric capacity, a high coulomb efficiency, and a long cycle life. Furthermore, a battery negative electrode material and a battery using the energy storage composite particle are also provided.

A method for forming a nanocomposite material, the nanocomposite material formed thereby, and a battery made using the nanocomposite material. Metal oxide and graphene are placed in a solvent to form a suspension. The suspension is then applied to a current collector. The solvent is then evaporated to form a nanocomposite material. The nanocomposite material is then electrochemically cycled to form a nanocomposite material of at least one metal oxide in electrical communication with at least one graphene layer.

Disclosed are sets of ink components, and ink compositions, useful for printing markings, on security documents, that are relatively resistant to counterfeiting. Also disclosed are the security documents formed, a method of printing and a method of authenticating the printed material. The markings, formed of the ink compositions have a spectral response that deviates from a predicted spectral response when linearly additively combining spectral responses of components of the ink composition, so that it becomes difficult to reverse-engineer the ink composition from the markings. Use of plural different markings, with each marking being a microdot, increases difficulty in counterfeiting. By forming a template of spectral responses of the original pattern, spectral responses of a pattern on an unknown document can be compared to the spectral responses on the template for determining whether the unknown document is authentic. Formation of the markings is facilitated using an inkjet printer.

For a memo pad, many sheets 1 are bound at a back face as bound sheets using gum. The memo pad is provided with a cover paper on the top and a mounting paper on the bottom. The sheets 1 are printed from a central area of the sheet surface to over an outer peripheral area, with a decorative pattern. Outer peripheral non glued edges of the memo pad have a rugged shape modeled after the decorative pattern in a direction of the sheet surface and in a direction of the bound sheet thickness, such that even if the sheets 1 are turned up one by one or removed, a three dimensional decorative pattern reappears from the surface of the remaining sheets 1 to over the outer peripheral edge.

A gaming device having a bonus game with an adjacent selection feature. In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming device provides a plurality of adjacent player selectable selections. An award is associated with each player selectable selection. The award associated with each selectable selection is not initially displayed or revealed to the player. The player selectable selections are arranged or grouped into a plurality of associated or related selection sets. In one embodiment, each selection set has a different number of player selectable selections. In one embodiment, the related plurality of selection sets are arranged adjacent to each other to enable each player selectable selection in one set to be adjacent to at least one player selectable selection from another selection set. The player's pick in each selection set limits the available selections in the subsequent selection sets.