Abstract: Methods and compositions of erythroid cells that produce adult ?-hemoglobin, generated by culturing CD31+, CD31+/CD34+ or CD34+ cells from embryonic stem cells under serum-free culture conditions.

Abstract: Apparatus and method to verify the integrity of a digital image (i.e., deciding whether or not the entire image or just a portion has been tampered with, and/or finding the doctored area in the image). One first determines the imaging sensor's reference pattern noise, which serves as a unique fingerprint that identifies the imaging sensor that captured the image. To verify the integrity of the content in a region of the image, a correlation detector determines the presence or absence of the imaging sensor's reference pattern noise in that region, thereby verifying whether or not the image has integrity. The correlation detector can also find automatically one or more regions in the image that were tampered with. In another embodiment, one determines the pattern noise of only the image in question and tests that noise to determine whether or not the image has integrity.

Abstract: A driving device for a display device includes a gray voltage generator generating a plurality of gray voltages, a voltage selector selecting an output voltage from the plurality of gray voltages, a voltage level converter converting a level of the output voltage selected by the voltage selector and applying the output voltage with a converted level to data lines, a first switching unit connecting the voltage level converter to the voltage selector and the data lines, and a second switching unit directly connecting the voltage selector and the data lines. Operating times of the first and second switching units are different. Accordingly, when a data voltage is charged in or discharged from a data line, since a separate discharging transistor or a separate discharging amplifier is not used, power consumption and an area of a data driver are reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds of the formula I: wherein R1, R2, V, W, X, Y and Z can be as defined herein. The compounds can be used in the treatment of disorders mediated by the cannabinoid receptors.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for reducing the sulfur content in hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. The invention provides a method and materials for producing ultra low sulfur content transportation fuels for motor vehicles as well as for applications such as fuel cells. The materials and method of the invention may be used at ambient or elevated temperatures and at ambient or elevated pressures without the need for hydrogen.

Abstract: Provided are chalcogenoxanthylium compounds which can effectively be used as sensitizers in photodynamic therapy, virucides in photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy and reversal agents of Pgp function in cancer cells. Further provided is a general method for the preparation of chalcogenoxanthylium compounds.

Abstract: A method of detecting an immune response to a paratuberculosis-specific antigen, comprising incubating a sample from a subject with the paratuberculosis-specific antigen and detecting the presence of an antibody in the sample as an indication of an immune response to the paratuberculosis-specific antigen. The antigen may be obtained from a novel M. paratuberculosis strain JTC303. The antigen may be obtained from the JTC303 culture filtrate. Also provided are antibodies to the paratuberculosis-specific antigen, and a diagnostic kit for the detection of an immune response to a paratuberculosis-specific antigen in a mammal.

Abstract: Nucleic acids containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides and therapeutic utilities based on their ability to stimulate an immune response and to redirect a Th2 response to a Th1 response in a subject are disclosed. Methods for treating atopic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, are disclosed.

Abstract: Particular aspects provide a method for recovering phosphate, comprising: obtaining an effluent or wastewater, etc. having calcium-sequestered phosphate; adding to the effluent or wastewater a calcium chelating or sequestration agent suitable to chelate or sequester Ca++ ions from the calcium-sequestered phosphate to facilitate release of phosphate from the calcium-sequestered phosphate; transferring, facilitated by said Ca++ ion capture and in the presence of sufficient concentrations of NH4+ and Mg2 ions, of the phosphate into struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate or MgNH4PO4.6H2O), or hydrated magnesium ammonium complex of phosphate; and recovering the struvite, or the formed hydrated magnesium ammonium complex. Preferably, the method further comprises acidification of the effluent or wastewater to facilitate release of Ca++ ions from the calcium-sequestered phosphate and chelation of sequestration of the Ca++ ions by the calcium chelating or sequestration agent.

Abstract: A bi- or multi-layer coating is deposited upon a substrate using a low temperature process. The bi-layer is a lower layer of a SAM coating, which is overlaid with a hard coating. The hard coating can be made of materials such as: polymer, Si3N4, BN, TiN, Si02, Al203, Zr02, YSZ, and other ceramic materials, and the underlying, compliant, SAM coating can comprise substances containing long chain molecules that chemically bond to the substrate. This bi-layer provides both environmental and hermetical protection to electronic hardware and MEMS systems, without employing expensive packaging materials and processes. Multiple bi-layers may be combined to form multi-layer coatings. A protective polymer or other material may optionally be formed as an outside layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for localizing a sound source in a robot are provided. The apparatus includes a microphone unit implemented by one or more microphones, which picks up a sound from a three-dimensional space. The apparatus also includes a sound source localizer for determining a position of the sound source in accordance with Time-Difference of Arrivals (TDOAs) and a highest power of the sound picked up by the microphone unit. Thus, the robot can rapidly and accurately localize the sound source in the three-dimensional space with minimum dead space, using a minimum number of microphones.

Abstract: Provided is a pharmaceutical or food or drink composition for preventing or treating alcohol-induced fatty liver or steatohepatitis comprising metadoxine (pyridoxol 1-2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate) and garlic oil as active ingredients. The concurrent administration of metadoxine and garlic oil according to the present invention exhibits outstandingly superior effects of inhibiting the accumulation of triglyceride and increase of blood AST (aspartate aminotransferase) level in liver el tissue, inhibiting the expression of FAS (fatty acid synthase), CYP2E1 and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and inhibiting the deactivation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), as compared to the administration of metadoxine or garlic oil only.

Abstract: A method for treatment of cervical or vaginal cancer and their associated dysplasia, including the steps of identifying a human cervical or vaginal cancer and/or dysplasia patient, administering an effective amount of an estrogen antagonist therapy to the patient, wherein the amount is effective to reduce cancer and dysplasia symptoms, and observing a reduction of cancer and dysplasia symptoms in the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel way of operating sensing elements or bolometers in the resistive hysteresis region of a phase-transitioning VO2 (or doped VO2) films. The invention is based on a novel principle that minor hysteresis loops inside the major loop become single-valued or non-hysteretic for sufficiently small temperature excursions. This single valued R(T) branches being characterized by essentially the same temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) as the semiconducting phase at room temperature. These non-hysteretic branches (NHB) can be located close to the metallic-phase end of the major loop, thus providing for tunable resistivity orders of magnitude lower than that of a pure semiconducting phase. Operating the Focal Plan Array in one of these NHBs allows for having high TCR and low resistivity simultaneously.

Abstract: Provided is a microstrip transmission line for reducing far-end crosstalk. In a conventional microstrip transmission line on a printed circuit board, a capacitive coupling between adjacent signal lines is smaller than an inductive coupling therebetween, so that far-end crosstalk occurs. According to the present invention, the capacitive coupling between the adjacent signal lines is increased to reduce the far-end crosstalk. A vertical-stub type microstrip transmission line is provided.

Abstract: Previous methods for culturing primate pluripotent stem cells have required either fibroblast feeder cells or a medium which was exposed to fibroblast feeder cells to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state. It has now been found that high levels of fibroblast growth factor in a medium together with at least one of gamma aminobutyric acid, pipecolic acid, and lithium, enables pluripotent stem cells to remain undifferentiated indefinitely through multiple passages, even without feeder cells or conditioned medium. Without beta-mercaptoethanol, the medium improves cloning efficiency. Also, a matrix of human proteins can be used to culture the undifferentiated cells without exposing the cells to animal products. Further disclosed are new primate pluripotent cell lines made using the defined culture conditions, including the medium and the matrix. Such new cell lines will have never been exposed to animal cells, animal products, feeder cells or conditioned medium.

Abstract: Provided is a resource management method in a communication system, and more particularly, a resource management method based on priority in a wireless communication system. The resource management method in a wireless management network includes: setting a priority factor value with regard to a link flow for which link establishment is requested; and if a capacity required by the flow for which link establishment is requested exceeds a remaining capacity of a base station, increasing the remaining capacity of the base station by sequentially reducing a minimum reserved rate (MRR) value of flows that receive a service at a lower priority than the flow for which link establishment is requested to a maximum sustained rate (MSR) value, until the remaining capacity required by the flow for which link establishment is requested is generated.