Abstract: A method and device for wire termination on stators (1) wherein the wire (15) is wound about poles (6) distributed by a flyer (10), guided by shrouds (16) that move radially with respect to the stator (1) overlapping the respective pole (6). Wire termination operations are provided on the wire ends (15) into the terminals (4) with the aid of the flyer (10), carried out by an apparatus equipped with a termination device (20), comprising a first deflector (21), a second deflector (22), a blade (23), and a clamp formed by a movable gripper (24) and a fixed gripper (25). The movable gripper is suitable for closing onto the fixed gripper for gripping the wire (15). The device (20) can carry out the steps of catching, moving, introducing and cutting the wire (15) with movements parallel to its own axis (27), or to the axis (7) of the stator (1).

Abstract: Novel chimeric fusion proteins comprising immunodominant epitopes of GAD and insulin are provided. Also provided are immunomodulatory methods for the use of such proteins for both the prevention and treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus. The chimeric fusion proteins of the invention are useful in predicting risk of onset of Type I diabetes, determining prognosis of Type 1 diabetes patients early in disease progression, and in evaluating patients for suitability as recipients of transplants of pancreatic cells or tissues. The administration of the proteins of the invention in accordance with the immunomodulatory methods of the invention results in beneficial effects on disease development and severity in patients suffering from or predicted to be at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, as well as on the outcome of transplants of pancreatic cells or tissues in Type I diabetes patients.

Abstract: Microneedle devices are provided for controlled sampling of biological fluids in a minimally-invasive, painless, and convenient manner. The microneedle devices permit in vivo sensing or withdrawal of biological fluids from the body, particularly from or through the skin or other tissue barriers, with minimal or no damage, pain, or irritation to the tissue. The microneedle device includes one or more microneedles, preferably in a three-dimensional array, a substrate to which the microneedles are connected, and at least one collection chamber and/or sensor in communication with the microneedles. Preferred embodiments further include a means for inducing biological fluid to be drawn through the microneedles and into the collection chamber for analysis. In a preferred embodiment, this induction is accomplished by use of a pressure gradient, which can be created for example by selectively increasing the interior volume of the collection chamber, which includes an elastic or movable portion engaged to a rigid base.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing source separation are provided. Source separation is performed using a composite signal and a signal dictionary. The composite signal is a mixture of sources received by a sensor. The signal dictionary is a database of filtered basis functions that are formed by the application of directional filters. The directional filters approximate how a particular source will be received by the sensor when the source originates from a particular location. Each source can be characterized by a coefficient and a filtered basis function. The coefficients are unknown when the sources are received by the sensor, but can be estimated using the composite signal and the signal dictionary. Various ones of the sources may be selectively reconstructed or separated using the estimated value of the coefficients.

Abstract: Methods for appending oligonucleotides directly to nucleic acid templates, particularly to defined sites internal to single-stranded templates, are described. Appending first and second common priming sites to each of a plurality of templates of distinct sequence allows the subsequent stoichiometric amplification of a plurality of templates of distinct sequence.