Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel compounds that are able to inhibit the interaction of paxillin or its paralogues, including leupaxin or Hic-5, with alpha.4 integrin or its binding partners that regulate signaling events downstream of the paxillin-alpha.4 interaction. The present invention further relates to methods for therapeutic use of such compounds and pharmaceutical compositions of such compounds for the treatment of a disease or condition.

Abstract: The invention provides systems and methods for manipulating, e.g., optimizing and controlling, biological systems, e.g., for eliciting a more desired biological response of biological sample, such as a tissue, organ, and/or a cell. In one aspect, systems and methods of the invention operate by efficiently searching through a large parametric space of stimuli and system parameters to manipulate, control, and optimize the response of biological samples sustained in the system, e.g., a bioreactor. In alternative aspects, systems include a device for sustaining cells or tissue samples, one or more actuators for stimulating the samples via biochemical, electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, and/or optical stimulation, one or more sensors for measuring a biological response signal of the samples resulting from the stimulation of the sample.

Abstract: A device is provided for inspecting an installed electrical system including a power panel and branch circuits with respective circuit breakers. The device includes a power interface unit with a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) for connection with the power panel. Further, the device includes a power source for temporarily powering the electrical system through the GFCI. For safety purposes, the device allows the energized GFCI to be closed only when the device and the power panel are connected. Moreover, the device provides for selective closing of the circuit breaker of an individual branch circuit to test a power response thereof to indicate whether the individual branch circuit has a fault therein.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device and method utilizing nanometer-scale particles arranged along a preselected path, each particle being capable of polarization. The particles are spaced apart such that polarization of one of the particles acts to induce polarization in adjacent particles, enabling electromagnetic energy to be transferred, modulated, filtered or otherwise processed by the device. In a specific embodiment, a chain of such particles may be arranged in a configuration having a variety of different angles, sharp corners and junctions, without adversely affecting device efficiency.