The present invention relates generally to a home therapy system for aiding spinal cord decompression and for treating related health issues. More specifically, the present invention teaches a garment system combining an upper portion and lower portion. According to a preferred embodiment, the upper portion includes a head band and yoke for cervical vertebra disc decompression and for aiding in treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea by repositioning and opening up breathing airways. Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the lower portion includes vertical decompression straps attached to leg bands and extending over the shoulders for thoracic and lumbar disc decompression by arching the spinal column back and opening the vertebra.

A therapeutic compression apparatus having a primary wrap, a foot wrap and a stirrup is provided. The primary wrap encircles a first portion of a leg and applies compression thereto. The foot wrap encircles at least a portion of the foot and applies compression thereto. The foot wrap may be integrated with the stirrup, detachably connected or provided separately. The compression apparatus may be configured such that one or more bladders are provided therein. The compression apparatus may include a pressure gauge and pump for controlling an amount of pressure applied to the treatment site. A bladder assembly with a number of fluid bladder configurations is also provided for use within a compression apparatus. The bladder may be configured to provide a gradient pressure profile to the treatment site when filled.

The invention relates to a dental firing or press furnace (10) that enables the production of at least one dental restoration part (62). The dental firing or press furnace is provided with a firing space (12) that is heatable with the aid of a heating device (22), preferably, a resistance heating device. A heat-conducting element (50) having a specific thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK is arranged on the floor of the firing space (12).

In a scroll compressor of the present invention, a fixed scroll 11 and an orbiting scroll 12 are meshed with each other such that spiral laps of the fixed scroll 11 and the orbiting scroll 12 inwardly face each other, an Oldham ring 26 is provided between the main bearing member 19 and the orbiting scroll 12, and a key portion of the Oldham ring 26 is inserted into a key groove 19a of the main bearing member 19. Grooves 19b are formed in Oldham ring 26 sliding surfaces on both sides of the key groove 19a. According to this configuration, the Oldham ring 26 and the main bearing member 19 can be restrained from coming into contact with each other in the vicinity of the bearing key groove 19a, and restrained from vibrating, and it is possible to provide an inexpensive scroll compressor of low noise.

A coupling for connecting a rotating tube cleaning shaft to a tube cleaning machine where high pressure fluid is pumped through the coupling, where the coupling is sealed to contain the high pressure fluid, and where a machine driven rotary flexible shaft passes through the coupling.

Described herein is a composition useful for inducing expression of genes whose expression is under control of an inducible promoter sequence and methods for the compositions preparation and use.

Provided is an adhesive composition for a protective film including an acrylic emulsion resin capable of providing contamination resistance on the film and low peel strength and minimizing generation of static electricity during peeling of the protective film. The acrylic emulsion resin includes a mixture including 80 to 99.9% by weight of a polymer of a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer including a C1-C14 alkyl group and a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer including an alkylene oxide unit, and 0.1 to 20% by weight of a monomer including a carboxyl group and/or a hydroxyl group or a combination thereof, and 5 to 30 parts by weight of a reactive emulsifier having a double bond structure radical-polymerizable with the polymer and including an alkylene oxide unit based on 100 parts by weight of the mixture.

A hot-pressed member includes a steel sheet, a Ni-diffusion region present in a surface layer of the steel sheet, and an intermetallic compound layer and a ZnO layer which are provided in order on the Ni-diffusion region, the intermetallic compound layer corresponding to a γ phase present in a phase equilibrium diagram of a Zn—Ni alloy, wherein a spontaneous immersion potential indicated in a 0.5 M NaCl aqueous air-saturated solution at 25° C.±5° C. is −600 to −360 mV based on a standard hydrogen electrode.

Provided is a zinc-plated steel sheet for hot pressing having outstanding surface characteristics, comprising: a steel foundation plate comprising a metal surface diffusion layer of which the Gibbs free energy reduction per mole of oxygen during oxidation is less than that of Cr; an aluminum-rich layer containing at least 30 wt. % of aluminum formed on the surface diffusion layer, and a zinc plating layer formed on the aluminum-rich layer. In this way, a metal having a low affinity for oxygen is coated to an effective thickness prior to annealing and thus the creation of annealing oxides at the surface of the steel sheet is suppressed and a uniform zinc plating layer is formed, and alloying of the zinc plating layer is promoted during press-processing heat treatment. Cracking in the steel foundation plate during hot press molding is prevented.

A compact disc (CD) player, which comprises playback substrates, a conveying roller, CD sensors, a CD stopper, a first trigger member, frame members, cam members and moving members, wherein the CD stopper has a major axis and abutting portions disposed at both ends of the axis; the first trigger member rotates when a minor-diameter CD stops at a mounting position on a turntable; the frame members receive the movement of the first trigger member; the cam members are coupled to the frame members; the moving members receive the rotation of the CD sensor and move along the outside diameter of a CD; the moving members are provided with clamping portions and abutted portions configured to be clamped with the abutting portions; and the cam members are provided with clamped portions configured to abut against the clamping portions.

An apparatus for recording foot, hoof and paw impressions is disclosed. An impression member is atop a foundation member, both of which are concealed by a removable protective cover. The impression member records the shape of a foot, hoof or paw which steps upon the apparatus, while the cover resists water and camouflages the apparatus.

An impression system is provided for capturing an anatomical impression of an animal. The impression system comprises a foam that substantially retains an impression after application of pressure and subsequent removal of pressure and a case having a recessed area for receiving the foam and a case for retaining the foam therein. The system further comprises a cover having a viewing pane attachable to the case for providing viewing of the foam when closed.

In a friction drive transmission apparatus arranged to transmit power by a frictional transmission force between two roller units pressed against each other, there is provided a pressing force imparting means to increase and decrease a pressing force imparted to a roller pair to vary the frictional transmission force between both roller units smoothly at the time of a shift.

A ball-screw assembly isolator is provided, and includes a housing; a ball-screw, a bearing assembly, a retaining member, a first compressible member and a second compressible member. The bearing assembly is located between the housing and the ball-screw. The bearing assembly includes an outer race. The retaining member is secured by the housing. The first compressible member is positioned between the housing and the outer race. The second compressible member is positioned between the outer race and the retaining member. The retaining member is configured to be preloaded to exert an axial force upon the first compressible member and the second compressible member.

It is an object to ease discomfort feeling caused by ear fullness for passengers of an elevator. An air pressure control device 104 controls an air pressure in an elevator car 102 using an air pressure adjusting device 105 such as a blower, an air compressor, etc. In the air pressure control device 104, a departure/arrival control unit 121 largely changes the air pressure in the elevator car 102 in the first period which is a time zone at the time of departing from a departure floor (or at the time of arriving at an arrival floor), and an except departure/arrival control unit 122 slightly changes the air pressure in the elevator car 102 in the subsequent second period (or in a time period until arrival). By this 2-step air pressure control, the passenger is prompted to clear the ear in a short time T1, the ear fullness is resolved by the ear clearing, and thereafter, the passenger can ascend/descend with the elevator car 102 comfortably until arriving at the arrival floor.

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a UE is equipped to generate an expression associated with a wireless device for use in a peer discovery signal, generate an expression set from the expression, a first temporal frequency, and a first time duration, and transmit the generated expression set to a base station to allow the base station to broadcast each of the expressions included in the expression set at the first temporal frequency over the first time duration. Another method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a base station is equipped to receive an expression set from a wireless device, process the received expression set to determine each of one or more instances of an expression, and transmit each of the one or more instances of the expression.

A cutting tool holder has a holder body and upper and base jaws. An insert receiving pocket is defined between the upper and base jaw, for receiving a cutting insert therein. A resilience recess allows the upper jaw to deflect toward the base jaw. An upper jaw coolant channel has an upper jaw inlet, opening out to the resilience recess, and an upper jaw outlet, opening out to a front end of the upper jaw. A holder body coolant channel has a holder body outlet, opening out to the resilience recess, spaced apart from the upper jaw inlet. A compressible tool coolant plug, made of compressible material, is inserted into the resilience recess. The plug has a plug coolant channel opening out toward the upper jaw inlet and the holder body outlet, forming a fluid path from the holder body coolant channel to the upper jaw coolant channel.

A piezoresistive sensor device and a method for making a piezoresistive device are disclosed. The sensor device comprises a silicon wafer having piezoresistive elements and contacts in electrical communication with the elements. The sensor device further comprises a contact glass coupled to the silicon wafer and having apertures aligned with the contacts. The sensor device also comprises a non-conductive frit for mounting the contact glass to a header glass, and a conductive non-lead glass frit disposed in the apertures and in electrical communication with the contacts. The method for making a piezoresistive sensor device, comprises bonding a contact glass to a silicon wafer such that apertures in the glass line up with contacts on the wafer, and filling the apertures with a non-lead glass frit such that the frit is in electrical communication with the contacts. The use of a lead free glass frit prevents catastrophic failure of the piezoresistive sensor and associated transducer in ultra high temperature applications.

An elastomeric particle (1, 1, 1″) comprises a non-conducting elastomeric body (2) having an electrically conducting surface (4a, 4b, 6). Pressure sensor elements (20, 20', 20″; 30, 30', 30″, 30'″) comprising such elastomeric particles are disclosed, as well as sensor clusters (50″, 50'″, 50IV, 50V, 50VI, 50VII, 70) comprising such sensor elements. There is also disclosed a pressure sensor element (40, 40', 40″, 40'″, 40IV, 40V, 40VI, 40VII), comprising a resistive element (44, 44', 44″) providing a conduction path, a first electrode (42a, 42a-1, 42a-2, 42a-3, 42a-4, 42a-5, 42a-6), connected to the resistive element, a second electrode (42b, 42b'), which in a quiescent state is spaced from said first electrode, wherein the second electrode, when the pressure sensor element is subjected to a pressure, is arranged to contact said first electrode or said resistive element. Systems comprising such sensor elements and sensor clusters are disclosed, as well as methods of their fabrication.

A method for processing return radar waveforms in response to transmitted radar waveforms. The method includes receiving, with a processor, a return radar waveform having a Doppler shift larger than Doppler tolerance. The method also includes separating, with the processor, the return radar waveform into a plurality of shortened waveforms. The method also includes compressing, with the processor, each of the plurality of shortened waveforms with a shortened form of the return radar waveform. The method also includes summing, with the processor, the plurality of compressed, shortened waveforms by computing a Doppler Fourier transform for each radar range bin of the return radar waveform using the plurality of compressed, shortened waveforms.

In some aspects, a master cylinder assembly for vertical lift aircraft is configured to move pressurized fluid through a conduit in response to applied movement of an input lever. A low pressure relief valve can be connected to a first conduit to limit pressure to a low level. An isolation valve can be connected to the first conduit and configured to isolate the low pressure relief valve from the conduit when engaged. A high pressure relief valve can be connected to a second fluid conduit to limit pressure to a high level. In some aspects, a rotor brake actuator is fluidly connected to the first conduit and the second conduit and configured to engage a rotor brake in response to hydraulic fluid pressure.

A pressure control reservoir includes a valve ball and a shaft which is movable to move the valve ball to open or close a fluid path leading to a fluid reservoir chamber. The shaft has a tip with a slant surface which has a peripheral edge of a polygonal shape with even numbers of vertices and is inclined to the longitudinal center line of the shaft. Such a polygonal geometry increases an entire or inclined length of the slant surface, which results in an increased range where an angle which the slant surface makes with a plane extending perpendicular to an axial direction of the tip is permitted to be increased without causing the point of contact between the valve ball and the slant surface to be shifted close to the tip of the slant surface when the tip of the shaft moves the valve ball.

A pressure control valve arrangement for controlling a fluid pressure in an ABS brake system of a vehicle so that, while there is a tendency of individual wheels of the vehicle to lock, the brake pressure in at least one associated brake cylinder can be adaptively adjusted, including: a housing; and at least one diaphragm valve is accommodated in the housing, the diaphragm valve having a diaphragm as the valve body, which diaphragm can be acted upon by introducing pressure medium into a control chamber that is covered on the outside of the housing by a cover so that the control chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the cover, wherein at least one pressure medium channel carrying pressure medium is formed in the housing in the region of the cover, wherein at least one cover has at least one projection projecting into the pressure medium channel in the housing, a pressure medium guiding surface for directing the flow of the pressure medium carried in the pressure medium channel being formed on the projection.

Assemblies for HVAC systems and methods of operating HVAC systems are disclosed, including a method of operating an HVAC system having a compressor assembly and a condenser assembly. The compressor assembly includes a compressor having a compressor motor that is susceptible to backspinning and capable of generating electric power when backspinning. The condenser assembly includes a condenser motor operatively coupled to a fan. The condenser assembly is electrically coupled to the compressor assembly. The method includes using the condenser motor as an electric load to dissipate electric power generated by the compressor motor when the compressor motor backspins.

Newly identified mammalian taste-cell-specific G protein-coupled receptors, and the genes and cDNA encoding said receptors are described. Specifically, T1R G protein-coupled receptors active in taste signaling, and the genes and cDNA encoding the same, are described, along with methods for isolating such genes and for isolating and expressing such receptors. Methods for representing taste perception of a particular tastant in a mammal are also described, as are methods for generating novel molecules or combinations of molecules that elicit a predetermined taste perception in a mammal, and methods for simulating one or more tastes. Further, methods for stimulating or blocking taste perception in a mammal are also disclosed.

A method and device for controlling the compression of tissue include clamping tissue between a first clamping member and a second clamping member by driving at least one of the clamping members with an electric motor toward a predetermined tissue gap between the clamping members and, during the clamping, monitoring a parameter of the electric motor indicative of a clamping force exerted to the tissue by the clamping members. The method and device include, during the clamping, controlling the electric motor, based on the monitored parameter, to limit the clamping force to a predetermined maximum limit.

The present disclosure relates to surgical fastener applying apparatus and the application of variable compression to tissue. More specifically, the presently disclosed surgical fastener applying apparatus act to limit the flow of blood through tissue immediately adjacent a cut-line formed therein to effectuate hemostasis, while maximizing the flow of blood through tissue more removed from the cut-line to limit unnecessary necrosis. In one embodiment, a surgical fastener applying apparatus is disclosed having a tool assembly coupled to a distal end thereof with first and second jaws respectively including an anvil and a surgical fastener cartridge. The surgical fastener cartridge includes, among other things, angled pushers that engage surgical fasteners of varying lengths.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

Disclosed is a method for producing Alkyllithium compounds by reacting metallic lithium with an Alkyl halide in a solvent. The reaction is performed at a reduced pressure at the boiling point of the solvent.

A sequential punch press includes an upper die (10), a lower die (90), and an adjusting device (60) in the upper die. The upper die sequentially includes a punch set (20), a punch pad (30), a punch holder (40), and a stripper (50). A punch (70) is vertically and movably secured in the punch holder and received in the stripper. The adjusting device includes first and second sliding plates (64, 66) respectively having protrusions (65b, 67b), a piston cylinder (68) having a piston rod (682) fixedly connected with the first sliding plate, and a programmable controller for causing the piston rod to slidingly move the first sliding plate. When the first protrusions opposingly abut the second protrusions, the punch can extend beyond the stripper to punch a workpiece. When the first protrusions do not opposingly abut the second protrusions, the punch cannot extend beyond the stripper to punch the workpiece.

A pressing structure for a hole-punching unit includes an axle, two wrenching pieces, a pole and two pressing pieces, wherein the axle is axially attached to a case of the hole-punching unit, with one end of the axle axially connecting to a control knob, each wrenching piece connecting to the axle near its end, the pressing piece having a spring coil disposed at its middle and pivotally connected to the pole, and the pressing piece having a pair of lapping portions extending from a first side of the spring coil, and a pair of suppressing portions extending from a second side of the spring coil, the lapping portions leaning against an upper edge of the wrenching piece for the control knob to drive the wrenching piece to move synchronously, so as to let the suppressing portions to press the hole-punching assembly and to fasten the hole-punching assembly.

The present disclosure is related to illustrative embodiments of an apparatus and method for maintaining carbonation of sparkling beverages, such as sparkling wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages such as sodas and coffee. A transparent, shatter-resistant, height-adjustable carbonation enclosure is used to contain an opened bottle of a sparkling beverage. An air-tight carbonation cap with a built-in one-way valve is used to re-carbonate the beverage inside the bottle using a pressurized gas source. The base of the carbonation enclosure includes a platform that may be used to adjust the effective height of the enclosure to fit the height of the bottle and provide an air-tight interface between an opening of the bottle and the carbonation cap. The carbonation enclosure further includes a number of openings to open air to prevent pressurization of the carbonation enclosure. Another illustrative embodiment includes a safety enclosure for multiple bottles pressurized directly by conical nozzles.

A compressor for compressing refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit includes a housing defining a compression chamber. A screw rotor is mounted within the housing and configured to form a pocket of high pressure refrigerant and a pocket of low pressure refrigerant within the compression chamber. The screw rotor has a rotor shaft rotating about an axis. A bearing cavity includes at least one bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft. A partition through which the rotor shaft extends separates the bearing cavity from the compression chamber. A contacting seal is sealingly engaged with the rotor shaft and disposed in the bearing cavity proximate the partition. A passage has an opening adjacent the rotor shaft between the contacting seal and the compression chamber and in fluid communication with the pocket of low pressure refrigerant.

A motor-driven compressor includes a connector to which a first and second conductors are connected, and a connector case receiving the connector. The connector case includes a first case member and a second case member. A seal member is provided between the first and second case members. The first case member has a first sealing surface extending along the periphery of the first case member. The second case member has a second sealing surface extending along the periphery of the second case member and facing the first sealing surface. The seal member includes a main seal portion for sealing between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface. The main seal portion has a first peripheral seal portion for sealing the periphery of the first conductor inserted therethrough and has a second peripheral seal portion for sealing the periphery of the second conductor inserted therethrough.

The invention relates to a wet gas compression system comprising a compact flow conditioner (21), intended to be placed below sea level in close vicinity to a well head or on a dry installation, said flow conditioner (21) being intended to receive a multi-phase flow through a supply pipe (11) from a sub sea well for further transport of such hydrocarbons to a multi-phase receiving plant, and where preferably avoid sand accumulation or remove as much sand as possible from the multi-phase flow, the gas (G) and the liquid (L) being separated in the flow conditioner (21) whereupon the separated gas (G) and liquid (L) are re-assembled and enters a multi-phase meter (46) prior to boosting by means of a compressor (22). In the combined multi-phase pump and compressor unit (22), as an integrated unit, comprises a combined multi-phase pump and compressor unit (22) functioning on the centrifugal principle, used for trans-porting liquid and gas from a flow conditioner (21) to a remote multi-phase receiving plant.

A rotary vane compressor includes a cylinder chamber having an ellipsoidal inner wall shape, a rotor rotatably provided in the cylinder chamber, a vane held in the rotor so as to contact with an inner wall surface of the cylinder chamber along with a rotation of the rotor, a vane slot provided on the rotor and offset on a reverse rotational side of the rotor from a radial line passing over a rotational center of the rotor, and a controller for controlling a rotation of the rotor. The controller reversely rotates the rotor for a predetermined time upon activating the compressor. According to the compressor, chattering can be prevented by surely protruding the vane from the vane slot without providing extra parts. In addition, the vane can be produced with easy working processes at low cost.

A displacement control system (A) of a variable displacement compressor sets a target for pressure in an intake chamber or a crank chamber, on the basis of a detected evaporator-outlet air temperature and a target for evaporator-outlet air temperature. The pressure of a refrigerant in a high-pressure section is detected, and a regulating current is supplied to a solenoid (316) of a displacement control valve, on the basis of the pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure section and the target for pressure.

The scroll refrigeration compressor includes a sealed casing, stationary and moving volutes including spiral wraps engaged in one another and defining the variable-volume compression chambers, a delivery chamber defined by the plate of the stationary volute and the sealed casing, a heat shield disposed in the delivery chamber and dividing the delivery chamber into a first volume defined by the plate of the stationary volute and the heat shield and a second volume defined by the heat shield and the sealed casing, and at least one flow passage arranged to communicate the first and second volumes. The compressor further includes at least one bypass passage arranged to communicate the first volume with an intermediate compression chamber, and at least one bypass valve disposed in the first volume and movable between closing and opening positions for closing and opening the corresponding bypass passage.

A supercharged compressor and method of operating the compressor supplies a commercial vehicle with compressed air. The compressor includes a piston chamber, a dead space or clearance volume and a valve unit for switching the clearance volume. The valve element is configured such that the air volume supplied by the supercharged compressor can be reduced to a value that is different from zero by activating the clearance volume.

A compressor has a rotational driver in a hermetic container, a rotational shaft coupled to the rotation driver, and a compression mechanism coupled to the rotational shaft to inhale and compress refrigerant. In addition, a first bearing fixed to the compression mechanism supports the rotational shaft, and a second bearing is separated from the first bearing on the rotational shaft. The gap between the shaft and the first bearing is set to control a gap between the shaft and the second bearing.

A compressor is provided in which a rotary member suspended on a stationary member is rotated to compress a refrigerant. The rotary member is suspended on a first stationary member and rotatably supported on a second stationary member spaced apart from the first stationary member, to thereby achieve structural stability, improve operation reliability, and reduce vibration. The components can be easily centered and assembled with an excellent assembly property. In addition, a mounting structure of an elastically-supported vane is improved to ensure lubrication performance and operation reliability. Moreover, a mounting structure of a roller-incorporated vane is improved to reduce vibration and prevent refrigerant leakage, which leads to high compression efficiency.

A compressor is provided and may include a shell, a motor assembly, a drive shaft, a first compression mechanism, and a second compression mechanism. The motor assembly may be disposed within the shell. The drive shaft may be powered by the motor assembly. The first compression mechanism may be disposed within the shell and may be driven by the motor assembly. The second compression mechanism may be driven by the motor assembly.

Disclosed is a compressive album manufacturing apparatus in that independent areas for performing an aligning process, a heat providing process, a compressing process, and a cooling process respectively are formed in the multistage compressive album manufacturing apparatus, so that each process, which is done by hand, is merged into one, thereby rapidly manufacturing the bulk of compressive albums.

A method and a device for pressing a book block over the rounded back of a book block having a longitudinal axis extending in the center and along the back. The book block is clamped between two clamping jaws of a clamping device, in a region adjacent to the back of the book block, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the back. A pressing device presses a pressing member against the back, wherein the pressing member is placed approximately in the center of the back onto the book block back. At least a section of the pressing member is then moved across the back. Once the pressing member, which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the back, is placed onto the back it then moves along at least one continuously preselected movement path over the back.

An adjustable cargo storage press for organizing and securing cargo items stored in a cargo storage area of an automobile. The adjustable cargo storage press is disposed within or integrated with a cargo area of an automotive vehicle such as a trunk, bed or bed liner of a car, truck, or sport utility vehicle. The press prevents movement of cargo items and potential damage to the cargo items during transport. The press also maintains the position of the cargo items for easy removal from the cargo storage area. The press includes one or more hinged walls that lock in a vertical position and move towards each other along guide tracks. The one or more hinged walls compress the cargo items between the hinged walls, and fold flat when not in use so as not to limit cargo storage capacity of the cargo storage area.

Pressure relief/drainage valve for a concrete pumper having a valve body with an axially extending passageway through which concrete flowing in a pumping line passes, an outlet port in a side wall of the passageway, and a valve member which prevents concrete from passing through the port when the valve is a closed position and permits concrete to discharge through the outlet port when the valve is in an open position.

This invention provides recombinant DNA constructs and methods for manipulating expression of a target gene that is regulated by a small RNA, by interfering with the binding of the small RNA to its target gene. More specifically, this invention discloses recombinant DNA constructs encoding cleavage blockers, 5-modified cleavage blockers, and translational inhibitors useful for modulating expression of a target gene and methods for their use. Further disclosed are miRNA targets useful for designing recombinant DNA constructs including miRNA-unresponsive transgenes, miRNA decoys, cleavage blockers, 5-modified cleavage blockers, and translational inhibitors, as well as methods for their use, and transgenic eukaryotic cells and organisms containing such constructs.

The present invention relates to a composition useful for the diagnosis of diseases associated with aberrant expression of the genes encoding the secreted proteins Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4(=R-Spondin 2, 3, 1 and 4, respectively), e.g. in connection with tumors or diseases of the muscle, kidneys or bones. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound which is capable of modifying (a) the expression of the gene encoding Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 or (b) the activity of the Futrin 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 protein.

The invention relates to compounds that specifically bind a T1R1/T1R3 or T1R2/T1R3 receptor or fragments or sub-units thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of hetero-oligomeric and chimeric taste receptors comprising T1R1/T1R3 and T1R2/T1R3 in assays to identify compounds that respectively respond to umami taste stimuli and sweet taste stimuli. Further, the invention relates to the constitutive of cell lines that stably or transiently co-express a combination of T1R1 and T1R3; or T1R2 and T1R3; under constitutive or inducible conditions. The use of these cells lines in cell-based assays to identify umami and sweet taste modulatory compounds is also provided, particularly high throughput screening assays that detect receptor activity by use of fluorometric imaging.

This invention relates to the field of biotechnology or genetic engineering. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of gene expression. More specifically, this invention relates to novel substitution mutant receptors and their use in a nuclear receptor-based inducible gene expression system and methods of modulating the expression of a gene in a host cell for applications such as gene therapy, large scale production of proteins and antibodies, cell-based high throughput screening assays, functional genomics and regulation of traits in transgenic organisms.