1. An adjustable earphone, comprising:
a housing having a first side and a second side;
a resilient cushion attached to the first side of the housing, the resilient cushion having a compact shape and an opening;
at least one cantilever arm protruding from the first side of the housing, wherein at least part of the cantilever arm is located within the opening of the resilient cushion;
a dial rotatably mounted in the housing, wherein at least part of the dial extends from the second side of the housing, wherein the dial includes threads; and
an actuator comprising a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having threads, wherein the actuator is slidably mounted in the housing, wherein the actuator threads operably engage the dial threads such that rotation of the dial in a first direction translates the first portion of the rigid actuator into contact with the cantilever arm;
wherein the first portion of the actuator is configured to bend the cantilever arm into the resilient cushion as the actuator contacts the arm, wherein the cantilever arm is configured to force the resilient cushion to have an expanded shape as the cantilever arm bends into the cushion.
2. An adjustable earphone, comprising:
a housing having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the housing is configured to attach to a cushion;
at least one cantilever arm protruding from the first side of the housing, wherein at least part of the cantilever arm is configured to be located within an opening of the cushion when the cushion is attached to the housing;
a dial rotatably mounted in the housing, wherein at least part of the dial extends from the second side of the housing, wherein the dial includes threads; and
an actuator comprising a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having threads, wherein the actuator is slidably mounted in the housing, wherein the actuator threads operably engage the dial threads such that rotation of the dial in a first direction translates the first portion of the rigid actuator into contact with the cantilever arm;
wherein the first portion of the actuator is configured to bend the cantilever arm as the actuator contacts the arm.
3-8. (canceled)
9. An adjustable earphone, comprising:
a housing;
an ear canal portion adjacent to the housing, the ear canal portion having a first shape; and
an adjustment assembly operably coupled to the housing such that actuation of the adjustment assembly causes the ear canal portion to have at least a second shape without external force being applied to or removed from the ear canal portion, wherein at least part of the adjustment assembly is accessible to and operable by a user when the ear canal portion is inserted in the user’s ear canal;
wherein the adjustment assembly comprises a control member accessible to a user and an expansion assembly operably coupled to the control member, wherein the control member is configured to actuate the expansion assembly such that the ear canal portion has at least a second shape when the expansion assembly is actuated; and
wherein the expansion assembly comprises a rotatable actuator having lobes.
10-15. (canceled)
16. The adjustable earphone of claim 9, further comprising a cord having a first end, a second end, and an electrical connector located at the first end, wherein the housing is located at the second end of the cord, wherein the cord is at least partially covered with a soft material.
17. The adjustable earphone of claim 16, wherein the soft material comprises a cloth.
18. The adjustable earphone of claim 16, further comprising a cord clip, wherein the cord further comprises a first portion adjacent to the first end of the cord and a second portion adjacent to the second end of the cord, wherein the first portion comprises a single strand and the second portion comprises two strands, wherein the cord clip is slidably coupled to the two strands of the second portion.
19. The adjustable earphone of claim 18, wherein the cord clip further comprises two apertures, wherein each aperture is configured to insertably receive one of the two strands of the second portion of the cord.
20. The adjustable earphone of claim 18, wherein the cord clip further comprises a spring clip that is configured to clip to the cord.
21-30. (canceled)
31. The adjustable earphone of claim 1, further comprising a cord having a first end, a second end, and an electrical connector located at the first end, wherein the housing is located at the second end of the cord, wherein the cord is at least partially covered with a soft material.
32. The adjustable earphone of claim 31, wherein the soft material comprises a cloth.
33. The adjustable earphone of claim 31, further comprising a cord clip, wherein the cord further comprises a first portion adjacent to the first end of the cord and a second portion adjacent to the second end of the cord, wherein the first portion comprises a single strand and the second portion comprises two strands, wherein the cord clip is slidably coupled to the two strands of the second portion.
34. The adjustable earphone of claim 33, wherein the cord clip further comprises two apertures, wherein each aperture is configured to insertably receive one of the two strands of the second portion of the cord.
35. The adjustable earphone of claim 33, wherein the cord clip further comprises a spring clip that is configured to clip to the cord.
36. The adjustable earphone of claim 2, further comprising a cord having a first end, a second end, and an electrical connector located at the first end, wherein the housing is located at the second end of the cord, wherein the cord is at least partially covered with a soft material.
37. The adjustable earphone of claim 36, wherein the soft material comprises a cloth.
38. The adjustable earphone of claim 36, further comprising a cord clip, wherein the cord further comprises a first portion adjacent to the first end of the cord and a second portion adjacent to the second end of the cord, wherein the first portion comprises a single strand and the second portion comprises two strands, wherein the cord clip is slidably coupled to the two strands of the second portion.
39. The adjustable earphone of claim 38, wherein the cord clip further comprises two apertures, wherein each aperture is configured to insertably receive one of the two strands of the second portion of the cord.
40. The adjustable earphone of claim 38, wherein the cord clip further comprises a spring clip that is configured to clip to the cord.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Peptide consisting of up to 30 amino acid residues, characterized in that the peptide has the following general structural formula (1):
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X1-His-Gly-X2-His-Gly-Val-X3
(1)
wherein:
X1 is absent or represents at least one amino acid residue,
X2 is a peptide bond or represents at least one amino acid residue, and
X3 is absent or represents at least one amino acid residue;
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ether thereof; the peptide exhibiting immunomodulatory activity.
2. Peptide of claim 1 consisting of up to 20 and preferably of 5-13 amino acid residues.
3. Peptide of any of the preceding claims wherein X2 represents 0-3 amino acid residues, preferably one amino acid residue.
4. Peptide of any of the preceding claims wherein X1 is selected from the group consisting of nothing, His-Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-, Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-, Val-Ser-Gly-, Ser-Gly-, Pro-Ser-Leu-Thr-Gly-, Phe-Ile-Val-Ser-Ala-, Thr-, Leu-Ala-Ser-Leu-, Cys-Val-Val-Thr-Gly-, Ile-Ser-Gly-, Cys-Gly-, Ile-Val-Ala-Arg-lie-, Phe-Gly-, His-Gly-Asp-Ser-Gly-, Ser-Gly- and Tyr-Ala-Met-Ser-Gly-.
5. Peptide of any of the preceding claims wherein X2 is selected from the group consisting of a peptide bond, -Gln-, -Phe-, -Asp-, -Ser-, -Asn-, -Ala-, -Gln-Asn-, -Ala-Val- and -Ser-Asp-Gly-.
6. Peptide of any of the preceding claims wherein X3 is selected from the group consisting of nothing -His-Gly, -His, -Tyr-Asp, -Phe-Val, -Pro, -Gln-His-Gly, -Leu-Ala, -Asp, -Pro-Leu, -Met and -Phe-Ile.
7. Peptide of claim 1 which is selected from the group consisting of
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His-Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val-His-
Gly,
Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val-His-Gly,
Val-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val-His,
Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val,
Pro-Ser-Leu-Thr-Gly-His-Gly-Phe-His-Gly-Val-
Tyr-Asp,
Phe-Ile-Val-Ser-Ala-His-Gly-Asp-His-Gly-Val,
Thr-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val,
His-Gly-His-Gly-Val-His-Gly,
Leu-Ala-Ser-Leu-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val,
Cys-Val-Val-Thr-Gly-His-Gly-Ser-His-Gly-Val-
Phe-Val,
Ile-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val-Pro,
Cys-Gly-His-Gly-Asn-His-Gly-Val-His,
Ile-Vat-Ala-Arg-Ile-His-Gly-Gln-Asn-His-Gly-Val,
His-Gly-Ser-Asp-Gly-His-Gly-Val-Gln-His-Gly,
Phe-Gly-His-Gly-His-Gly-Val,
His-Gly-Asn-His-Gly-Val-Leu-Ala,
His-Gly-Asp-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Gln-His-Gly-Val-Asp,
His-Gly-His-Gly-Val-Pro-Leu,
Ser-Gly-His-Gly-Ala-Val-His-Gly-Val-Met and
Tyr-Ala-Met-Ser-Gly-His-Gly-His-Gly-Val-Phe-Ile.
8. Chemical compound exhibiting immunomodulatory activity comprising an amino acid sequence as defined in any of claims 1-7 or a pharmaceutically active salt or ether thereof, provided that the chemical compound is not a naturally occurring peptide or protein.
9. Pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide of any of claims 1-7 or a compound of claim 8 or a pharmaceutically active salt or ether of the peptide or compound.
10. Use of a peptide of any of claims 1-7 or a compound of claim 8 or a pharmaceutically active salt or ether of the peptide or compound for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition having immunomodulatory activity.
11. Use of claim 10 wherein the pharmaceutical composition exhibits interferon inducing activity, antiviral activity, antitumor activity or stimulates the cytotoxic activity of human or animal lymphocytes.
12. Use of claim 10 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is useful for the treatment or prophylaxis of immune deficient conditions, infections, such as viral infections or fungal systemic infections, or oncological diseases.
13. Nucleotide sequence coding for a peptide of any of claims 1-7.
14. Vector, suitable for the expression of a peptide according to any of claims 1-7 in a host cell, which expresses the peptide after transformation, comprising a DNA fragment coding for a peptide of any of claims 1-7.
15. Host cell, characterized in that it is transformed by a vector according to claim 14.
16. Host cell according to claim 15 characterized in that it is a bacterial cell.