Abstract: An activated carbon cloth-supported bimetallic Pd—Cu nanocatalyst is disclosed comprising about 1 wt % Pd and about 0.35-0.45 wt % Cu and having a surface Cu/Pd metal ratio of about 8-10 m2/m2. The nanocatalyst is capable of removing nitrate and/or nitrite from wastewater with a high selectivity to nitrogen.

Abstract: Method for parallel approximation of distance maps on a discrete representation of a manifold, the method comprising: for at least one Euclidean grid applied on the discrete representation of a manifold, iterating over rows of the Euclidean grid in a first direction, and for each row currently visited during the iterating in the first direction, calculating a distance value for each single cell of the currently visited row in parallel, wherein the calculating is carried out according to a predefined approximation rule, using a distance value calculated for each one of respective cells of a row visited immediately before the currently visited row, wherein the cells of the row visited before the currently visited row are adjacent to the single cell in the Euclidean grid.

Abstract: A receiver that includes a carrier recovery module that includes a reference signal generator that is arranged to generate a reference signal that estimates a carrier signal; a decision module that is arranged to demodulate a receiver input signal by the reference signal to provide a demodulated signal and to evaluate the demodulated signal to provide an decision module output signal that estimates the carrier signal; the reference signal generator includes a delay and rotation module that is arranged to delay receiver input signals to provide delayed receiver input signals and to align the delayed receiver input signals by a rotation that is responsive to the decision module output signal thereby providing aligned signals; and a multiplication and summation module that is arranged to generate the reference signal by calculating a weighted sum of the aligned signals.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel family of macrocyclic compounds, coined calixurenes, which comprises linear and cyclic oligomers composed of alternating moieties of an aromatic unit and a ureatic unit, linked to one another via a bridging moiety. The disclosed calixurenes feature multiple heteroatom-containing groups, and can be designed so as to feature other functionalities, and can thus be used in a variety of applications. Further disclosed are processes of preparing the calixurenes, articles containing same and uses thereof.

Abstract: Decellularized tissue-derived extracellular matrices (ECM) and methods of generating and using same are provided. The method of generating a decellularized matrix includes the steps of: (a) subjecting the tissue to washes and a hypertonic buffer; (b) subjecting the tissue to an enzymatic proteolytic digestion with an enzyme such as trypsin; and (c) removing all cellular components from the tissue using a detergent solution which includes Triton-X-100 and ammonium hydroxide. Specifically, there is provided a decellularized myocardium-derived matrix which is completely devoid of all cellular components and hence non-immunogenic in a subject, exhibits suitable structural and mechanical properties for cardiac tissue engineering or replacement therapy of damaged cardiac tissue, and is capable of remodeling upon seeding of cells.

Abstract: A ultra high speed photonic Analog to Digital Converted (ADC) for sampling and quantizing an electrical voltage signal, internally enabled by photonics uses coherent optical detection architectures for photonic quantization. Coherent light is phase modulated by the test signal. Using an interferometer, or an array of interferometers the phase of modulated light is compared with a reference light. Flash ADC, successive approximation ADC and delta-sigma ADC configurations are presented.

Abstract: Disclosed are compositions-of-matter comprising polymer-mediated cochleates, which are formed from a calcium-free mixture of a wide variety of phospholipids that are atypical for forming cochleates. Further disclosed are compositions-of-matter comprising these cochleates which co-encapsulate another bioactive agent. The polymer mediating the formation of these cochleates exhibits a plurality of positively charged amino acid residues and omega-amino-fatty acid moieties, and may further exhibit antimicrobial, anticancerous and drug-potentiating activity. Further disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and methods using the compositions-of-matter disclosed herein, and processes of preparing same.

Abstract: Methods and compositions involving polypeptides having an aglycosylated antibody Fc domain. In certain embodiments, polypeptides have an aglycosylated Fc domain that contains one or more substitutions compared to a native Fc domain. Additionally, some embodiments involve an Fc domain that is binds some Fc receptors but not others. For example, polypeptides are provided with an aglycosylated Fc domain that selectively binds Fc?RIIa, but that is significantly reduced for binding to the highly homologous Fc?RIIb receptors. Furthermore, methods and compositions are provided for promoting antibody-dependent cell-mediated toxicity (ADCC) using a polypeptide having a modified aglycosylated Fc domain and a second non-Fc binding domain, which can be an antigen binding region of an antibody or a non-antigen binding region. Some embodiments concern antibodies with such polypeptides, which may have the same or different non-Fc binding domain.

Abstract: A method for lubricating a joint of a mammal by administering into a cavity of the joint a composition of liposomes that are multilamellar vesicles (MLV) dispersed in a fluid medium, the liposomes having a mean diameter of between about 0.8 ?m to about 10 ?m and including membranes of at least one glycerophospholipid (GPL) having two C12-C16 hydrocarbon chains which are the same or different. These membranes have a phase transition temperature in which solid ordered (SO) to liquid disordered (LD) phase transition occurs, the phase transition temperature being at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 39° C. and being lower than the temperature of the joint.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for diagnosing, monitoring or prognosing Multiple Sclerosis at different stages as well as affording the prediction of disease activity and response to a treatment regimen, using at least one sensor comprising carbon nanotubes or metal nanoparticles, each coated with various organic coatings in conjunction with a pattern recognition algorithm.

Abstract: The invention provides modified polysulfones substituted in one or more of the phenyl rings by functional groups and membranes composed of the modified polysulfones. Also provided are methods for the preparation of monodispersed nanoporous polymeric membranes. The membranes are useful for reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration, particularly for purification of water.

Abstract: The present invention is of methods of establishing and propagating human embryonic stem cell lines using feeder cells-free, xeno-free culture systems and stem cells which are capable of being maintained in an undifferentiated, pluripotent and proliferative state in culture which is free of xeno contaminants and feeder cells.

Abstract: A method for managing distributed computing. The method comprises estimating, for each of a plurality of local computing nodes, a distribution of multidimensional values in a space. Each multidimensional value is calculated according to a plurality of locally monitored parameters. The method further includes calculating safe zones in the space where each safe zone is defined according to a respective estimated distribution under a global geometric constraint in the space and setting local geometric constraints for the local computing nodes according to the respective safe zones. Each local geometric constraint is defined such that a detection of at least one monitored multidimensional value violating it by a respective local computing node induces a communication event between the respective local computing node and one or more central computing nodes.

Abstract: Provided are methods for protein engineering, such as engineering proteases or kinases. The methods may utilize yeast display and/or ER sequestration of proteins or substrates. In some aspects, TEV proteases with altered substrate specificity, potency, and/or efficiency are provided.

Abstract: A method for locating a vessel, the method comprising illuminating at least a portion of the vessel with a background light having a substantially high susceptibility to absorption by particles in said portion of the vessel; detecting backscattered light from said illuminated portion of the vessel; reproducing an image from said backscattered light; and identifying dark regions within said reproduced image.

Abstract: Cell-targeted serine protease constructs are provided. Such constructs can be used in methods for targeted cell killing such as for treatment cell of proliferative diseases (e.g., cancer). In some aspects, recombinant serine proteases, such as Granzyme B polypeptides, are provided that exhibit improved stability and cell toxicity. Methods and compositions for treating lapatinib or trastuzumab-resistant cancers are also provided.

Abstract: A method for image processing in video conferencing, for correcting the gaze of an interlocutor in an image or a sequence of images captured by at least one real camera, comprises the steps of the at least one real camera acquiring an original image of the interlocutor; synthesizing a corrected view of the interlocutor's face as seen by a virtual camera, the virtual camera being located on the interlocutor's line of sight and oriented towards the interlocutor; transferring the corrected view of the interlocutor's face from the synthesized view into the original image, thereby generating a final image; at least one of displaying the final image and transmitting the final image.

Abstract: A method for estimating the location and orientation of a mobile robot with respect to landmarks whose positions are given using a sensor for measuring bearings of the landmarks with respect to the robot, where bias errors are present. The method comprises using the sensor to obtain bearings the landmarks. The location and orientation of the robot with respect to the landmarks is estimated, based on the measured bearings, and bias errors associated with the measured bearings are corrected to obtain corrected bearings. A correction function is used to finds the minimal sum of squared errors between measured bearings and the corrected bearings. The location and the orientation of the robot is determined to be where the sum of squared errors between measured bearings and the corrected bearings is minimal.

Abstract: In a data storage and retrieval system wherein data is stored and retrieved in pages, said data comprising connected nodes arranged such that each page stores only complete nodes, said connected nodes being connected via a plurality of overlapping tree structures, a method of minimizing page retrieval in the face of changing relationships between nodes comprising: selecting at least two of said overlapping tree structures; incrementally adjusting a page node structure dynamically based on real time workload, separately according to each selected tree structure, to form modified partitions for each tree structure, each modified partition being so as to minimize page faults; for each modified partition calculating a modification gain to indicate which partition has provided a greater minimization of page faults; and selecting the tree structure and modified partition corresponding to the best modification gain.

Abstract: A method of generating pancreatic progenitor cells is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) differentiating stem cells under conditions such that at least a portion of the cells express glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) so as to generate GLUT2-expressing cells; and (b) enriching for the GLUT2-expressing cells so as to generate a population of GLUT2 enriched cells, wherein at least 80% of the population of GLUT2 enriched cells express GLUT2, thereby generating pancreatic progenitor cells. Isolated populations of cells generated according to the method, pharmaceutical compositions comprising same and uses thereof are also disclosed.