Abstract: Poly(propylene carbonates) are prepared from propylene oxide and CO2 with less than 10% cyclic propylene carbonate by product using cobalt based catalysts of structure preferably in combination with salt cocatalyst, very preferably cocatalyst where the cation is PPN+ and the anion is Cl? or OBzF5?. Novel products include poly(propylene carbonates) having a stereoregularity greater than 90% and/or a regioregularity of greater than 90%.

Abstract: An improved self-adjusting automatic slack adjuster for reducing slack in the brake of a vehicle, in which a one-way clutch assembly is arranged in the housing of the automatic slack adjuster housing such that a thin-wall region of the housing associated with the gear drive of the one-way clutch assembly is located outside of a load path through which brake applications forces are conveyed from a brake actuator to a brake cam shaft upon which the automatic slack adjuster is located. The new positioning of the one-way clutch assembly drive results in unexpectedly lower stress levels in the automatic slack adjuster, resulting a more durable slack adjuster and permitting surprisingly large increases in slack adjuster capacity rating.

Abstract: The presently-disclosed subject matter provides methods for diagnosing a cardiovascular disease in a subject by determining an amount of one or more peptide biomarkers disclosed herein in a biological sample from the subject. The presently-disclosed subject matter further provides methods for determining treatment efficacy and/or progression of a cardiovascular disease in a subject by measuring amounts of one or more of the biomarkers in a biological sample from the subject. The presently-disclosed subject matter also provides antibodies and kits for measuring the biomarkers.

Abstract: A method of a frequency-domain equalization to jointly suppress inter-symbol interference (ISI) and data-like co-channel interference (CCI) includes receiving a transmit signal over a channel, generating a vector by sampling and converting the transmit signal to a frequency domain signal; generating an equalized vector by multiplying an equalization matrix to the vector generated by converting; generating an estimate of data vector by inverse converting the equalized vector; and recovering data included in the transmit signal based on the estimate of data vector, wherein the equalization matrix is generated by approximating a frequency domain correlation matrix. Significant computational complexity is reduced than the LMMSE equalization while resulting in almost no performance degradation compared to the LMMSE equalization.

Abstract: An improved self-adjusting automatic slack adjuster for reducing slack in the brake of a vehicle is provided, in which an easily accessible external operating feature permits the automatic slack adjuster's one-way clutch assembly to be readily disengaged to allow smooth release and retraction of the brake shoes of a vehicle brake without damage to the one-way teeth of the clutch assembly. When the external feature is operated in a brake release direction, the motion of the feature is translated into a motion which axially displaces an output part of the one-way clutch away from an input part of the clutch a distance sufficient to disengage the parts' one-way teeth, thereby disengaging the one-way clutch to permit brake shoe retraction without resistance from the one-way clutch.

Abstract: An electrochemical-codeposition method for forming a carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced metal nanocomposite includes providing a reaction vessel having an anode and a cathode and a plating solution therein, where the plating solution includes at least one acid, at least one surfactant, a plurality of CNTs, and a plurality of metal cations that include at least one metal. The plating solution has a pH between 2 and 4.5 and at least a portion of the plurality of CNTs are positively charged CNTs in the plating solution. A power supply is connected between the anode and cathode. The positively charged CNTs and metal cations are both electrochemically-codeposited onto the cathode to form the nanocomposite, wherein the metal provides a continuous metal phase for the nanocomposite.

Abstract: Provided is an integrated telematics service system that may operate as an essential network interoperating gateway in a smart vehicle appropriate for a ubiquitous environment, and that includes: a network interface unit that receives a user input to process the user input based on an ontology modeling for the integrated telematics service, and interoperates with an external network of the smart vehicle; a knowledge based management unit that interoperates with the network interface unit to manage a policy and a schedule for a telematics service, an event occurring in the smart vehicle, and a schedule of a user; and a service unit that converts information associated with a navigation service or a multimedia service to a form suitable for an internal device of the smart vehicle, to perform a one-source-multi-use function.

Abstract: An adjustable neonatal airway stent for use in the airways of a neonate is provided. The stent may include a flexible mesh member having a generally cylindrical shape and size that is capable of being delivered to a neonatal airway. The mesh member may include overlapping inner and outer portions, where the inner portion is adjacent to an inner edge of the flexible mesh. Further, the stent may include a plurality of locking projections that extend outwardly from the inner portion and are capable of engaging the mesh of the overlapping outer portion to prevent contraction of the stent, while allowing expansion of the stent to at least one diameter when implanted in a neonatal airway. The projections may include angularly extending tips, and the stent may be expandable to a second diameter greater than the first diameter in situ.

Abstract: Provided is a user oriented information system that may retrieve user oriented information or may provide the user oriented information to a mobile device, and a method of controlling the user oriented information system. The user oriented information system may detect the mobile device, detect an information request of the mobile device, and provide a content corresponding to the information request to the mobile device based on a profile of the mobile device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a microfluidic biochip based on an agglutination reaction that is frequently used in qualitative typing in the diagnostic medicine field by realizing a specimen inlet, a reagent inlet, a split microchannel, transfer microchannels, a chaos micromixer, a reaction microchamber, a microfilter, a passive microvalve, and an outlet on a plastic microchip. Particularly, the biochip of the present invention is characterized in that portability thereof is superior and a small amount (about 1 ?l) of each of a specimen and a reagent is used. In addition, the biochip of the present invention can be cheaply made through conventional photolithography, electroplating, injection molding, and bonding. Therefore, by utilizing the microfluidic biochip for blood typing according to the present invention, a point-of-care diagnosis for performing blood typing based on an agglutination reaction at any place becomes possible.

Abstract: Provided are a kit including a first component that is a compound of formula (1) below bound to a first material and a second component that is a ligand bound to a second material, wherein each of the first and second materials is independently selected from the group consisting of a solid phase, a biomolecule, an antioxidant, a chemical therapeutic agent, an anti-histaminic agent, a cucurbituril dendrimer, a cyclodextrin derivative, a crown ether derivative, a calixarene derivative, a cyclophane derivative, a cyclic peptide derivative, a metallic ion, a chromophore, a fluorescent material, a phosphor, a radioactive material, and a catalyst; and the ligand can non-covalently bind to the compound of formula (1); a method of separating and purifying a material bound to a ligand using the compound of formula (1) bound to a solid phase; a method of separating and purifying the compound of formula (1) or a material bound to the compound using a ligand bound to a solid phase; a sensor chip including a compound of f

Abstract: The present invention has demonstrated for the first time that orally administered type I collagen (CI) induced tolerance to CI in patients suffering from systemic sclerosis (SSc) and ameliorated clinical manifestations of the disease. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods of treating a fibrosing disease by oral administration of a tissue protein, for example, collagen, derived from the tissue undergoing fibrosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazole compound inducing differentiation of myoblasts or muscle fibers into neuron cells and a pharmaceutical composition including said compound. More specifically, it relates to 2-(2-fluorenyl)-4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)imidazole that induces differentiation of myoblasts or muscle fibers, all pharmaceutically acceptable isomers, salts, hydrates, solvates and prodrug thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition including said compound.

Abstract: Techniques for generating tissue support structure are presented. A curved minimal surface shape is determined as a template for generating a tissue support structure. The determined curved minimal surface shape is numerically or functionally defined to create data representing the shape. The data is exported to a rapid prototyping system to generate a plurality of tissue support structures having a curved minimal surface. The tissue support structure can have a pore sub-section and a non-pore sub-section divided by a non-intersecting two-sided surface. A number of characteristics of the tissue support structure can be modulated including porosity and mechanical strength.

Abstract: This invention discloses (20S)-23,23-difluoro-2-methylene-19-nor-bishomopregnacalciferol-vitamin D analogs, and specifically (20S)-23,23-difluoro-1?-hydroxy-2-methylene-19-nor-bishomopregnacalciferol, and pharmaceutical uses therefor. This compound exhibits pronounced activity in arresting the proliferation of undifferentiated cells and inducing their differentiation to the monocyte thus evidencing use as an anti-cancer agent and for the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis as well as skin conditions such as wrinkles, slack skin, dry skin and insufficient sebum secretion. This compound also has little, if any, calcemic activity and therefore may be used to treat autoimmune disorders or inflammatory diseases in humans as well as renal osteodystrophy. This compound may also be used for the treatment or prevention of obesity.

Abstract: A fluid control valve capable of rapidly opening and closing. The valve includes a housing with an annular-shaped spool cavity that contains an annular-shaped spool capable of axial movement within the spool cavity between first and second spool positions. The spool has axially-spaced circumferential spool sealing features and optionally radial passages therethrough. The housing has axially-spaced circumferential housing sealing features configured and disposed within the spool cavity so that, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is enabled through the spool cavity axially between the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features, which provide axial force balancing of the spool. With the spool in the second spool position, the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features cooperate to substantially prevent fluid flow through the spool cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed are novel substituted tetrahydroisoquinoline compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, methods of making the compounds, and methods of using the compounds to destroy a target cell, such as a cancer cell, and to treat or prevent a cancerous condition.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, devices for tracking, controlling and providing feedback on droplets used in EUV source technology. The method and system track and correct positions of droplet targets and generated plasma including generating the droplet target or plasma, optically imaging the generated target, determining position coordinates, comparing the position coordinates to a set optimal position to determine if a deviation has occurred and moving the generated target back to the optimal position if the deviation has occurred. The optical imaging step includes activating a light source to image the generated target, the light source is strobed at approximately the same rate as the droplet production to provide illumination of the droplet for stroboscopic imaging. The step of moving is accomplished mechanically by moving the generated target back to the predefined position or electronically under computer control.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting exposure of an OCSP responder's session private key in a D-OCSP-KIS to verify the status of a user's certificate online are provided. The system includes: a client for requesting certificate status information from the OCSP responder; the OCSP responder for receiving the certificate status information request from the client, sending a response, producing a hash value, and delivering the hash value to a certificate authority (CA) to get a certificate issued; and the CA for receiving the hash value from the OCSP responder and issuing the certificate to the OCSP responder in response to a certificate issue request; wherein the client verifies a digital signature using a hash value contained in the OCSP responder's certificate and the hash value contained in the response, and each client stores a counter value for a hash operation in each verification and recognizes the response as valid when a current counter value is greater than a previous counter value.

Abstract: Integrated photoluminescence (PL)-based chemical and biological sensors are provided comprising a photodetector (PD), a long-pass filter, an excitation source, and a sensing element, all based on thin films or structures. In one embodiment the light source is an organic light emitting device (OLED) and the sensing element is based on thin films or solutions in microfluidic channels or wells. The PD and optical filters are based on thin film amorphous or nanocrystalline silicon and related materials. In another embodiment, sensor components are fabricated on transparent substrates, which are attached back-to-back to generate a compact, integrated structure.