Abstract: A birdcage coil for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. The birdcage coil includes: (a) a pair of conductive end rings, each having a generally domed shape in axial cross section; (b) a plurality of conductive, elongated rungs extending between the pair of conductive end rings in an axial direction; and (c) an LC delay circuit incorporated into the pair of rings and the plurality of elongated rungs, where the LC delay circuit includes a plurality of capacitive elements and a plurality of inductive elements. In the present invention circumferential spacing between adjacent elongated rungs is varied to improve homogeneity of the volume excitation. Alternatively, or in addition, LC circuit capacitance and/or inductance values are varied to improve homogeneity of the volume excitation.

Abstract: The invention provides methods, kits and systems related to personalized pain management.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for applying tensile force to one or more tissue regions within a body. Illustratively, an implant ball including a spherical side wall is received within a tubular organ, and tensile sutures extend through the implant ball for applying a tensile force to facilitate elongation of the tubular organ.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method to diminish and/or eliminate atherosclerotic plaques, in mammals, through direct and indirect treatment of these plaques, in situ, using suitable substances which are capable of lipid removal, primarily through hydrolysis, either by a catalytic or stoichiometric process, wherein the substance targets receptors in and/or on the cell which lead to uptake into the lysosome. Such substances used to diminish and/or eliminate atherosclerotic plaques are generally comprised of lipid hydrolyzing proteins and/or polypeptides.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods related to use of oligosaccharides, such as 2?-fucosyllactose, for increasing weight gain in a subject. In some aspects the compositions and methods are for use in infants, such as premature infants or infants having intestinal failure.

Abstract: Markers for genomic instability in Fanconi Anemia (FA) and other pathologies for therapeutic and diagnostic uses. In one embodiment, glycosphingolipid metabolism is altered in the FA deficient squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells, based on analysis of a metabolomics/lipidomics platform. The data indicated ganglioside metabolism was important in FA patients' susceptibility to SCC progression.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of treating an allergic inflammatory condition characterized by inflammation of a squamous epithelium in a target tissue using alpha-1 proteinase inhibitors to replenish SPINK7 protein and/or SPINK7 anti-proteinase activity in the target tissue, and related methods and compositions.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) signal detector grid assembly adapted for detection of signals in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is disclosed. The MR signal detector grid assembly may include a non-resonant grid of a plurality of wire elements and a plurality of detector elements. At least one end of a selected wire element may be electrically attached to an end of at least one other selected wire element. At least one of the detector elements may be configured to detect an MR signal induced on a wire element in the non-resonant grid. The plurality of wire elements may be substantially in the same plane, and the plane may be warped into an arbitrary three-dimensional surface. The three-dimensional surface may have a shape that is cylindrical, partially cylindrical, and/or saddle-shaped. The plurality of wire elements may form a rectilinear grid, a hexagonal grid, a triangular grid, and/or a pseudo-random grid.

Abstract: Disclosed are drugs capable of inhibiting the complement pathway for use for treating hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) associated thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA, also called TA-TMA) in a subject that has undergone an HSCT. Also disclosed are methods of using drugs capable of inhibiting the complement pathway for use for treating hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) associated thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA) in a subject that has undergone an HSCT.

Abstract: Methods and compositions disclosed herein generally relate to methods of identifying, validating, and measuring clinically relevant, quantifiable biomarkers of diagnostic and therapeutic responses for blood, vascular, cardiac, and respiratory tract dysfunction, particularly as those responses relate to septic shock in pediatric patients. In particular, the invention relates to identifying one or more biomarkers associated with septic shock in pediatric patients, obtaining a sample from a pediatric patient having at least one indication of septic shock, then quantifying from the sample an amount of one or more of said biomarkers, wherein the level of said biomarker correlates with a predicted outcome.

Abstract: Diagnostic methods for assessing risk of or presence of inflammatory bowel disease in a patient based on glycosyltransferase or histo-blood group antigen signatures or a combination thereof. Also disclosed herein are prognostic methods for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease progression in a patient.

Abstract: The generation of complex organ tissues from human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) remains a major challenge for translational studies. It is shown that PSCs can be directed to differentiate into intestinal tissue in vitro by modulating the combinatorial activities of several signaling pathways in a step-wise fashion, effectively recapitulating in vivo fetal intestinal development. The resulting intestinal “organoids” were three-dimensional structures consisting of a polarized, columnar epithelium surrounded by mesenchyme that included a smooth muscle-like layer. The epithelium was patterned into crypt-like SOX9-positive proliferative zones and villus-like structures with all of the major functional cell types of the intestine. The culture system is used to demonstrate that expression of NEUROG3, a pro-endocrine transcription factor mutated in enteric anendocrinosis is sufficient to promote differentiation towards the enteroendocrine cell lineage.

Abstract: A current system allows data-driven hypothesis generation to identify therapeutic candidates for a disease phenotype treatment by identifying drugs and clinical indications associated with lower occurrences of disease-associated phenotype(s) by a drug/drug class. A current system may include a pharmaceutical hierarchical ontology; a phenotype hierarchical ontology; a record database comprising clinical event records; a database mining engine; and a mapping engine. The database mining engine may iteratively progress through a portion of the pharmacological hierarchical ontology and phenotype hierarchical ontology to iteratively select pairs of cohort entries from each ontology; and for each pair of cohort entries, query the clinical record database for matching records.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of treating pain in a mammal, which may include the step of administering human growth hormone to a mammal in need thereof. The pain treated by the disclosed methods may be of a type caused by inflammation induced mechanical and/or thermal hypersensitivity, and may include, for example, a pain type resulting from one or more conditions selected from peripheral injury pain, post-operative pain, cutaneous inflammation, cutaneous incision, muscle incision, or chronic pain. Disease states in which the disclosed methods may be used include fibromyalgia, sickle cell anemia, epidermolysis bullosa, erythromelalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, or generalized muscle pain.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for detecting protein expression in an individual diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The methods, in certain aspects, include the steps of obtaining a sample from said individual and detecting expression in said sample of each protein of a protein set. The method may further include the step of determining expression level of one or more proteins of the protein set. The disclosed methods may be used to predict one or more clinical parameters in an individual having cystic fibrosis.

Abstract: The instant disclosure relates to methods and compositions for the treatment of Gaucher disease, particularly type II and III neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD). The methods include the step of administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of a ryanodine receptor inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: A strong insulator fragment from foamy virus, which can be used to insulate expression of a transgene and reduce genotoxicity of integrating vectors comprising such. The insulator fragment can also be used in gene targeting constructs in gene editing.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include methods for treating an animal for disease or nerve damage, comprising administration of a composition comprising a myelination enhancing inhibitor to the animal. Other embodiments of the invention include methods for treating an animal for disease or nerve damage, comprising administration of a composition comprising an HDAC3 inhibitor to the animal. Still other embodiments of the invention include methods for treating an animal for MS or nerve damage, comprising administration of a composition comprising an HDAC3 inhibitor to the animal. Additional embodiments of the invention are also discussed herein.

Abstract: A method for performing natural language processing of free text using domain-specific spreading activation. Embodiments of the present invention ontologize free text using an algorithm based on neurocognitive theory by simulating human recognition, semantic, and episodic memory approaches. Embodiments of the invention may be used to process clinical text for assignment of billing codes, analyze suicide notes or legal discovery materials, and for processing other collections of text. Further, embodiments of the invention may be used to more effectively search large databases, such as a database containing a large number of medical publications.