Abstract: The invention provides a method for diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a subject, a method for assessing the effectiveness of a drug in treating ALS, and a method for determining the site of onset of ALS in a subject. Each method comprises (a) obtaining a sample from the subject, (b) analyzing the proteins in the sample by mass spectroscopy, and (c) determining a mass spectral profile for the sample. In some embodiments, the method comprises comparing the mass spectral profile of the sample to the mass spectral profile of a positive or a negative standard.

Abstract: Policies that govern the rights of system assets with respect to other system assets are enforced through dynamic generation of a license at a policy engine in response to a request by an asset to exercise a right with respect to another asset. The system assets are objects within the system to which behavior-regulating policies are applied. Typical types of system assets include users, devices, information files, and processes, and many other types of assets may also be defined. Upon receiving a request to exercise a right, the policy engine obtains predefined policies that are relevant to the request, and obtains factual information for evaluating the current state of transient conditions upon which rights are contingent as expressed in the policies. Through evaluation of the policies, the policy engine generates a license that expresses rights or prohibitions of the requesting asset with respect to another specified asset.

Abstract: A brake rotor has double annular vents with cooling vanes connecting inboard and outboard cheeks of a rotor to a central support ring. Each of the annular vents provides separate passages for cooling the adjacent cheek of the brake rotor and separate inlets are provided for the dual vents from opposite sides of the central support ring. Aligned and staggered vane embodiments and parallel and angled passage embodiments are disclosed. The dual vents increase both the flow rate and the surface area for heat transmission and flow the air closer to the heated cheek surfaces. The staggered vanes improve stiffness and the slanted passages have potential stiffness and heat sink advantages.