Abstract: The present invention provides microfluidic devices and methods for measuring blood. The microfluidic devices of the present invention include an inlet port adapted and configured to receive a fluid sample, a microfluidic flow path in fluidic communication with the inlet port, an outlet in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flow path, the outlet: having a smaller cross-sectional area than the microfluidic flow path; and adapted for communication with a pressure sink. The microfluidic devices further include a priming circuit in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flow path such that when a priming fluid is applied under pressure to the priming circuit, the priming fluid will flow through the microfluidic flow path to the inlet port due to low resistance to laminar flow in the microfluidic flow path relative to the outlet.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions, methods of making antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of using antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions and methods for a one-step synthetic technique for making cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions for use in treating inflammation and other diseases and disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions, methods of making antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of using antimicrobial cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Methods are provided for increasing utrophin promoter activity, utrophin expression or utrophin activity, and treating or reducing the symptoms of muscular dystrophy by administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising a utrophin promoter or activity upregulator. Muscular dystrophy includes but is not limited to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker's muscular dystrophy, limb girdle muscular dystrophy, or a disease characterized by mutation or dysregulation of the dystrophin gene or an aberrant or dysfunctional dystrophin.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel protease inhibitors that are specific for cathepsin L, cathepsin B, and cathepsin S. Accordingly, the present invention encompasses compositions and methods for treating and preventing diseases and disorders associated with cathepsin L, cathepsin B, or cathepsin S function or activity.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of using compositions with a nuclear targeting peptide containing a nonclassical nuclear localization signal to deliver selected molecules to the nucleus of eukaryotic cells are provided. The compositions are particularly useful in gene transfer methods.

Abstract: A peptide or protein microassay method and apparatus in which a wide variety of chromogenic or fluorogenic peptide or protein substrates of interest are individually suspended or dissolved in a hydrophilic carrier, with aliquots of each substrate being deposited in an array or microarray of reaction loci, or “dots.” Each dot, therefore, provides an individual reaction vessel containing the peptide or protein of interest, to which a biological sample may be applied for assay purposes. The sample is applied to the array or microarray of dots by one of a variety of focused sample application techniques, including aerosolizing or misting of the sample, or target application of the sample, onto each dot without creating fluid channels between the dots which would cause cross-contamination. In additional aspects, the present invention provides methods of transferring samples from an electrophoretic gel to a target plate for subsequent MALDI MS analysis.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions and methods for a one-step synthetic technique for making cationic steroid pharmaceutical compositions for use in treating inflammation and other diseases and disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions and methods for a one-step synthetic technique for making cationic steroid or cationic drug molecules for use as delivery vehicles. The invention further relates to methods for using cationic steroid molecules in lipofection or transfection, delivery of drugs, and for treatment of inflammation and other diseases and disorders. The invention also relates to cationic steroid prodrugs and cationic prodrugs and to methods of modifying drugs.

Abstract: A peptide or protein microassay method and apparatus in which a wide variety of chromogenic or fluorogenic peptide or protein substrates of interest are individually suspended or dissolved in a hydrophilic carrier, with aliquots of each substrate being deposited in an array or microarray of reaction loci, or “dots.” Each dot, therefore, provides an individual reaction vessel containing the peptide or protein of interest, to which a biological sample may be applied for assay purposes. The sample is applied to the array or microarray of dots by one of a variety of focused sample application techniques, including aerosolizing or misting of the sample, or target application of the sample, onto each dot without creating fluid channels between the dots which would cause cross-contamination.

Abstract: A peptide or protein microassay method and apparatus in which a wide variety of chromogenic or fluorogenic peptide or protein substrates of interest are individually suspended or dissolved in a hydrophilic carrier, with aliquots of each substrate being deposited in an array or microarray of reaction loci, or “dots.” Each dot, therefore, provides an individual reaction vessel containing the peptide or protein of interest, to which a biological sample may be applied for assay purposes. The sample is applied to the array or microarray of dots by one of a variety of focused sample application techniques, including aerosolizing or misting of the sample, or target application of the sample, onto each dot without creating fluid channels between the dots which would cause cross-contamination. In additional aspects, the present invention provides methods of transferring samples from an electrophoretic gel to a target plate for subsequent MALDI MS analysis.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of using compositions with a nuclear targeting peptide containing a nonclassical nuclear localization signal to deliver selected molecules to the nucleus of eukaryotic cells are provided. The compositions are particularly useful in gene transfer methods.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of using compositions with a nuclear targeting peptide containing a nonclassical nuclear localization signal to deliver selected molecules to the nucleus of eukaryotic cells are provided. The compositions are useful for gene transfer.

Abstract: A tool (a method, and a microarray apparatus) to enable evaluation of drug-drug interactions, by providing large numbers of pharmaceutical compounds on solid substrates in numerous replicate sets suitable for long-term storage. Ordinarily, the various compounds are present in extremely high densities. The libraries of pharmaceutical compounds, when used as a bioreaction assay chip, can be combined with a detection system that includes cells, cellular fractions, enzymes, organic molecules, and fluorescence or chromogenic reporter molecules along with a test drug agent. This method allows the detection of biochemical or biological interaction of the test drug agent with known pharmaceutical compounds in a defined biochemical or biological context of the assay.

Abstract: A method is defined wherein a Master Library of individual compounds, mixtures of compounds, or reaction pre-mixtures in solvent are prepared for storage and subsequent utilization in a Distribution-Ready Library by delivery of the master stock constituents into a distribution formulation liquid (DFL). The individual compounds within the Master Library can include peptides, proteins, organic chemicals, pharmaceutical compounds, RNA, DNA, or cell fractions. The Distribution-Ready Library can be maintained indefinitely in storage. At the time of manufacture or time of need, the Distribution-Ready Library is microarrayed onto substrates at high density, thereby creating numerous Library Microarrays that are identical replicates of the Master Library compound(s) in DFL at fixed and known positions on the substrate.

Abstract: A peptide or protein microassay method and apparatus in which a wide variety of chromogenic or fluorogenic peptide or protein substrates of interest are individually suspended or dissolved in a hydrophilic carrier, with aliquots of each substrate being deposited in an array or microarray of reaction loci, or “dots.” Each dot, therefore, provides an individual reaction vessel containing the peptide or protein of interest, to which a biological sample may be applied for assay purposes. The sample is applied to the array or microarray of dots by one of a variety of focused sample application techniques, including aerosolizing or misting of the sample, or target application of the sample, onto each dot without creating fluid channels between the dots which would cause cross-contamination.

Abstract: Assays and reagents are provided for the measurement of components that are involved in either an enzyme-catalyzed degradation of a protein substrate, or an enzyme-catalyzed polymerization of a substrate. The method involves using a fluorescent-labeled protein substrate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, and measurement of the component's effects on the fluorescence emission of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction such as quenching or dequenching, as a measure of the component's activity.

Abstract: Assays and reagents are provided for the measurement of components that are involved in either enzyme-catalyzed degradation of a substrate, such as in fibrinogenolysis or fibrinolysis; or enzyme-catalyzed polymerization of a substrate, such as in fibrinogen polymerization into fibrin. The method involves using a fluorescent-labeled substrate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction, and measurement of the component's effects on the fluorescence emission of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction such as quenching or dequenching, as a measure of the component's activity.