Abstract: The invention provides a method for diagnosis of, and determining a prognosis for, cancer causatively associated with derangements of chromosome 9p21. Underlying the invention is the discovery that such derangements have their genesis in deletions occurring centromeric to STS 3.21, most often including breakpoints in exon 8 and/or between exons 4 and 5 of the gene which codes for methylthioadenosine phosphorylase. As the cancer and tumor development advance, deletions in 9p21 progress centromerically from the genesis point toward the gene encoding p16. Thus, the method of the invention is performed by determining whether (a) portions of the 9p21 region including and telomeric to STS 3.21 are deleted; and (b) portions of the 9p21 region centromeric to STS 3.

Abstract: Charged compounds are provided that comprise one or more regions of localized positive charge, compositions comprising such compounds, methods of synthesizing such compounds, methods of screening such compounds to identify those having anti-infective activity, and methods of using such compounds to prevent or inhibit infections. These compounds, and compositions containing them, have multiple applications, including use in human and animal medicine and in agriculture.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprising: a first charge-carrier injecting layer for injecting positive charge carriers and a second charge-carrier injecting layer for injecting negative charge carriers, at least one of the charge-carrier injecting layers being patterned so as to comprise spaced-apart charge-injecting regions; an organic light-emitting layer located between the first and second charge-carrier injecting layers; and an unpatterned conductive polymer layer located between the organic light-emitting layer and the patterned charge-carrier injecting layer, the resistivity of the conductive polymer layer being sufficiently low to allow charge carriers to flow through it from the charge-injecting regions to generate light in the organic light-emitting layer but sufficiently high to resist lateral spreading of charge carriers beyond the charge-injecting regions.

Abstract: Luminescent compounds, reactive intermediates used to synthesize luminescent compounds, and methods of synthesizing and using luminescent compounds. These compounds may be based on squaric, croconic, and rhodizonic acid, and their analogs, among others, and relate generally to the structure: where Z is a four, five, or six-member aromatic ring, and A, B, C, D, E, and F are substituents of Z, in any order, that may include O, S, Se, Te, C(Ra)(Rb), N—Rc, N(Rd)(Re), W1, and W2. Generally, each compound includes at least one of W1 or W2, where W1 and W2 have the structures: respectively. The compounds may include a reactive group and/or a carrier. The luminescent compounds may be useful in both free and conjugated forms as probes, labels, and/or indicators.

Abstract: A labeling reagent for use in oligonucleotide (“oligo”) synthesis, as well as a method of preparing such a labeling reagent, a method of using such a reagent for synthesizing a labeled oligonucleotide, and an oligonucleotide prepared using such a reagent. The reagent can be used to label either the 3′ or 5′ termini of a synthesized oligo, and/or for one or more positions along the oligo. The labeling reagent can be prepared by a reaction scheme that involves the initial preparation of hydroxyacids, tritylated hydroxyacids and coupling of such derivatives to diamine, wherein the amine function serves at an attachment point for labels and the hydroxyl groups can either be used to immoblize the molecules to support or can be converted to provide a phosphorylating reagent.

Abstract: L-nucleosides are conformationally constrained by at least one additional ring formed by a bridge connecting at least two atoms within a sugar moiety of the nucleoside. While a single additional ring is formed by bridging C1-C4 atoms, two additional rings are formed by bridging both C1-C2, and C3-C4 atoms, or C1-C3 and C2-C4 atoms by bridges having the general structure A—B—Z. The conformationally constrained nucleosides may be incorporated into oligonucleotides and dinucleotides, and it is contemplated that compositions including the conformationally constrained nucleosides may have superior viral inhibitory or antineoplastic properties.

Abstract: Nucleic acid analogs provide a particularly useful tool for the preparation of complex polymeric structures of defined geometry because they are relatively stable to reaction conditions for the preparation of such structures and provide the opportunity to induce reactive groups which would not be possible with usual nucleic acids.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound, useful as an optical probe or sensor of the activity of at least one cytochrome P450 enzyme, and methods of using the compound to screen candidate drugs, and candidate drugs identified by these methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides reversibly blocked primers for use in the amplification of a nucleic acid sequence. Amplifications carried out using the blocked primers result in less non-specific amplification product, in particular, primer dimer, and a concomitant greater yield of the intended amplification product compared to amplifications carried out using unblocked primers.

Abstract: New active agents (ustilipides) formed by the microorganism Ustilago maydis, FH 2634, DSM 11494 during fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for the production of said ustilipides and to their use as medicaments in the treatment of schizophrenia or diseases caused by dopamine metabolic dysfunction. The invention further relates to medicaments containing ustilipides and to the microorganism Ustilago maydis, FH 2634, DSM 11494.

Abstract: The subject invention concerns eryloside F, a novel disaccharide of the steroidal carboxylic acid penasterol. This compound can be isolated from an extract of the marine sponge Erylus formosus. The compound is a potent thrombin receptor antagonist and, furthermore, inhibits human platelet aggregation. Longer chain penasterol oligosaccharides were also isolated and characterized but these had weaker activity than eryloside F. The subject invention also concerns methods for inhibiting thrombin receptor activity and methods for inhibiting platelet aggregation through the administration of eryloside F, or a salt, derivative or analog thereof.