Abstract: A method for preventing or treating opioid induced side effects including dysphoria, pruritus and urinary retention and non-opioid induced changes in gastrointestinal motility. The method comprises administering methylnaltrexone or another quaternary derivative of noroxymorphone to a patient prior to the administration of an opioid or after the onset of side effects induced by the administration of an opioid, wherein the methylnaltrexone or quaternary derivative is administered by the route selected from the group consisting of intravenous, intramuscular, transmucosal, transdermal, and oral administration, preferably administered orally in an enterically coated form.

Abstract: A nonimaging concentrator (or illuminator) of light. The concentrator (or illuminator) has a shape defined by dR/d.phi.=Rtan.alpha. where R is a radius vetor from an origin to a point of reflection of a light edge ray from a reflector surface and .phi. is an angle between the R vector and an exit aperture external point of the concentrator (illuminator) and coordinates (R, .phi.) represent a point on a reflector curve and .alpha. is an angle the light edge ray from an origin point makes with a normal to the reflector curve. The reflector surface allows the light edge ray on the reflector curve to vary as a function of position. In the concentrator an absorber has a shape variable which varies with position along the absorber surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a variety of compositions and methods for use in specifically targeting the L-selectin or preferably, the E-selectin marker following its cell surface induction, e.g., using ionizing radiation, in tumor vasculature endothelial cells. The compositions and methods described are suitable for use in the delivery of selected agents to tumor vasculature, as may be used in the diagnosis aid therapy of solid tumors.

Abstract: The present invention provides AGT inactivating compounds such as substituted O.sup.6 -benzylguanines of the formula ##STR1## wherein, for example, R.sub.1 is amino, hydroxy, or alkylamino, R.sub.2 is aminoalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, or alkylaminoalkyl, and R.sub.3 is halo, hydroxyalkyl, thiol or alkylthio, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention further provides a method of enhancing the chemotherapeutic treatment of tumor cells in a mammal with an antineoplastic alkylating agent which causes cytotoxic lesions at the O.sup.6 -position of guanine comprising administering to a mammal an effective amount of one of the aforesaid compounds and administering to the mammal an effective amount of an antineoplastic alkylating agent which causes cytotoxic lesions at the O.sup.6 -position of guanine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for casting sheets of metal from molten metal. The apparatus includes a containment structure having an open side, a horizontal alternating magnetic field generating structure and rollers including low reluctance rim structures. The magnetic field and the rollers help contain the molten metal from leaking out of the containment structure.

Abstract: A computerized method and system for the radiographic analysis of bone structure and risk of future fracture with or without the measurement of bone mass. Techniques including texture analysis for use in quantitating the bone structure and risk of future fracture. The texture analysis of the bone structure incorporates directionality information, for example in terms of the angular dependence of the RMS variation and first moment of the power spectrum of a ROI in the bony region of interest. The system also includes using dual energy imaging in order to obtain measures of both bone mass and bone structure with one exam. Specific applications are given for the analysis of regions within the vertebral bodies on conventional spine radiographs. Techniques include novel features that characterize the power spectrum of the bone structure and allow extraction of directionality features with which to characterize the spatial distribution and thickness of the bone trabeculae.

Abstract: Disclosed are various methods, compositions and screening assays connected with telomerase, including genes encoding the template RNA of S. cerevisiae telomerase and various telomerase-associated polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention provides 8-substituted O.sup.6 -benzylguanine derivatives which have been found to be effective AGT inactivators, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such derivatives along with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Thus, for example, the present invention provides a compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is a substituent selected from the group consisting of amino, hydroxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylamino, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 dialkylamino, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 acylamino, R.sub.2 is a substituent selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 aminoalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 dialkylamino alkyl, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 pivaloylalkyl, and R.sub.3 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl. The present invention further provides a method of enhancing the chemotherapeutic treatment of tumor cells in a mammal with an antineoplastic alkylating agent which causes cytotoxic lessons at the O.sup.

Abstract: The present invention provides isolated and purified polynucleotides that encode plant and cyanobacterial polypeptides that participate in the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA. Isolated cyanobacterial and plant polypeptides that catalyze acetyl-CoA carboxylation are also provided. Processes for altering acetyl-CoA carboxylation, increasing herbicide resistance of plants and identifying herbicide resistant variants of acetyl-CoA carboxylase are also provided.

Abstract: A method and pharmaceutical for protecting against mutational damage in mammalian cells, irrespective of the nature of the mutagenic event or source of radiational or chemical insult or the like.

Abstract: The binding specificity of the murine OKT3 has been transferred into a human antibody framework in order to reduce its immunogenicity. This "humanized" anti-CD3 mAb (gOKT3-5) was previously shown to retain, in vitro, all the properties of native OKT3, including T cell activation which has been correlated, in vivo, with the severe side-effects observed in transplant recipients after the first administration of the mAb. Disclosed is a single amino acid mutation from a leucine to a glutamic acid at position 235 in the Fc receptor (FcR) binding segment of the gOKT3-5 mAb to produce Glu-235 mAb. Also disclosed is an amino acid mutation from the contiguous phenylalanine at position 234 to a leucine (Leu-234).

Abstract: A method and system for the automated detection of lesions in computed tomographic images, including generating image data from at least one selected portion of an object, for example, from CT images of the thorax. The image data are then analyzed in order to produce the boundary of the thorax. The image data within the thoracic boundary is then further analyzed to produce boundaries of the lung regions using predetermined criteria. Features within the lung regions are then extracted using multi-gray-level thresholding and correlation between resulting multi-level threshold images and between at least adjacent sections. Classification of the features as abnormal lesions or normal anatomic features is then performed using geometric features yielding a likelihood of being an abnormal lesion along with its location in either the 2-D image section or in the 3-D space of the object.

Abstract: The ICP4 protein of herpes simplex virus plays an important role in the transactivation of viral genes. The present invention discloses that ICP4 also has the ability to inhibit apoptosis. This function appears to reside in functional domain distinct from the transactivating function, as indicated by studies using temperature sensitive mutants of ICP4 that transactivating function at elevated temperatures. Also disclosed are methods for inhibition of apoptosis using ICP4 or an ICP4 encoding gene, such as an .alpha.4 gene, methods of inhibiting ICP4's apoptosis-inhibiting function, and methods for the production of recombinant proteins and treatment of HSV infections.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope for quantitative imaging and identification, at the molecular or submolecular level, biomolecules or subunits of biomolecules in a physiologic environment, through use of a cantilever tip incorporating a biomolecular identifier.

Abstract: An automated computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) method and system using artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the quantitative analysis of image data. Three separate ANNs were applied for detection of interstitial disease on digitized two-dimensional chest images. The first ANN was trained with horizontal profiles in regions of interest (ROIs) selected from normal and abnormal chest radiographs. The second ANN was trained using vertical output patterns obtained from the 1.sup.st ANN for each ROI. The output value of the 2.sup.nd ANN was used to distinguish between normal and abnormal ROIS with interstitial infiltrates. If the ratio of the number of abnormal ROIs to the total number of all ROIs in a chest image was greater than a certain threshold level, the chest image was considered abnormal. In addition, the third ANN was applied to distinguish between normal and abnormal chest images where the chest image was not clearly normal or abnormal.

Abstract: A method and pharmaceutical for protecting against mutational damage in mammalian cells, irrespective of the nature of the mutagenic event or source of radiational or chemical insult or the like.

Abstract: Disclosed are DNA sequences encoding novel DNA binding proteins implicated in regulation of early stages of cell growth. Illustratively provided are human and mouse origin DNA sequences encoding early growth regulatory ("Egr") proteins which include "zinc finger" regions of the type involved in DNA binding. Also disclosed is a detailed analysis of the structure and function of the early growth regulatory protein, Egr-1, delineating independent and modular activation, repression, DNA-binding, and nuclear localization activities. Also disclosed are immunological methods and materials for detection of Egr proteins and hybridization methods and materials for detection and quantification of Egr protein related nucleic acids.

Abstract: A process for preconcentrating and separating radium from a contaminated solution containing at least water and radium includes the steps of adding a quantity of a water-soluble macrocyclic polyether to the contaminated solution to form a combined solution. An acid is added to the combined solution to form an acidic combined solution having an ?H.sup.+ ! concentration of about 0.5M. The acidic combined solution is contacted with a sulfonic acid-based strong acid cation exchange medium or a organophilic sulfonic acid medium having a plurality of binding sites thereon to bind the radium thereto and to form a radium-depleted solution. The radium-depleted solution is separated from the strong acid cation exchange medium or organophilic sulfonic acid medium. The radium remaining bound to the exchange medium or organophilic reagent is then stripped from the exchange medium or organophilic medium and the activity of the radium is measured.

Abstract: A process for producing substantially impurity-free Bi-213 cations is disclosed. An aqueous acid feed solution containing Ac-225 cations is contacted with an ion exchange medium to bind the Ac-225 cations and form an Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium. The bound Ac-225 incubates on the ion exchange medium to form Bi-213 cations by radioactive decay. The Bi-213 cations are then recovered from the Ac-225-laden ion exchange medium to form a substantially impurity-free aqueous Bi-213 cation acid solution. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and compositions relating to the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections and the screening of compounds for activity that inhibit or promoter viral latency. The previously identified ORF P gene product now has been shown to interact with certain eukaryotic splicing factors and, in a cell infected with a herpesvirus containing a derepressed ORF P gene, ORF P can limit the splicing of at least two viral products. Given this function, it now is possible to screen for inhibitors and inducers of ORF P and, further, provide methods for maintaining and preventing viral latency.