Abstract: The present disclosure provides stable elastocaloric cooling materials and methods for producing and using the same. Elastocaloric cooling materials of the present disclosure are capable of withstanding 106 cycles. In some embodiments, elastocaloric cooling materials of the present disclosure comprise a mixture of a transforming alloy and a non-transforming intermetallic phase at a ratio of from about 30-70% transforming alloy to about 70%-30% of non-transforming intermetallic phase.

Abstract: A graft containing a scaffold that includes a matrix in which are positioned mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) has the capacity to substantially improve wound healing, including wounds resulting from injury to nerve, bone and vascular tissue. MPCs can be harvested from debrided muscle tissue following orthopaedic trauma. The traumatized muscle-derived progenitor cells are a readily available autologous cell source that can be utilized to effect or improve wound healing in a variety of therapeutic settings and vehicles.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing, predicting, or prognosticating about a disease that includes obtaining experimental data, wherein the experimental data is high dimensional data, filtering the data, reducing the dimensionality of the data through use of one or more methods, training a supervised pattern recognition method, ranking individual data points from the data, wherein the ranking is dependent on the outcome of the supervised pattern recognition method, choosing multiple data points from the data, wherein the choice is based on the relative ranking of the individual data points, and using the multiple data points to determine if an unknown set of experimental data indicates a diseased condition, a predilection for a diseased condition, or a prognosis about a diseased condition.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds that inhibit epoxide hydrolase in therapeutic applications for treating hypertension. A preferred class of compounds for practicing the invention have the structure shown by Formula 1 wherein Z is oxygen or sulfur, W is carbon phosphorous or sulfur, X and Y is each independently nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, and X can further be carbon, at least one of R1-R4 is hydrogen, R2 is hydrogen when X is nitrogen but is not present when X is sulfur or oxygen, R4 is hydrogen when Y is nitrogen but is not present when Y is sulfur or oxygen, R1 and R3 is each independently C1-C20 substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, acyl, or heterocyclic.

Abstract: This invention provides DNA vaccines for the treatment of patients undergoing anti-retroviral therapy. The vaccines are surprisingly effective at controlling viremia.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds represented by the formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or isomer thereof, wherein R1-R6 are as defined in the specification. These compounds are targeted for use as inhibitors of SH2 domain binding with a phosphoprotein, and are contemplated for use in a number of diseases including cancer. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: This invention pertains to methods for imaging the activity of extracellular proteases in cells using the anthrax binary toxin-system to target cells expressing extracellular proteases with mutant anthrax toxin protective antigens (?PrAg) that bind to receptors on the cells and are cleaved by a specific extracellular protease expressed by the cells, and ligands that specifically bind to the cleaved ?PrAg and are linked to a moiety that is detectable by an imaging procedure. The ?PrAg proteins used in the methods comprise a protease cleavage site that is cleaved by a specific extracellular protease and is in place of the furin cleavage site of the native PrAg. The methods are useful for diagnosing and treating diseases and undesirable physiological conditions correlated with the activity of extracellular proteases, and for optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs used to treat such diseases and conditions.

Abstract: This invention provides a Togavirus-amplified retrovirus vector and a novel method for packaging a retrovirus cassette that contains a heterologous nucleic acid, which is amplified in a packaging cell cytoplasm by a Togavirus vector. The retroviral cassette is packaged into infectious retrovirus particles by retroviral packaging cells. These retroviral particles carrying the retroviral packaging cassette are then used to infect host cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the anthrax protective antigen (PA) binding domain of the native anthrax lethal factor (LF) protein and a nucleotide sequence encoding an activity inducing domain of a second protein. Also provided is a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the translocation domain and LF binding domain of the native anthrax PA protein and a nucleotide sequence encoding a ligand domain which specifically binds a cellular target. Proteins encoded by the nucleic acid of the invention, vectors comprising the nucleic acids and hosts capable of expressing the protein encoded by the nucleic acids are also provided. A composition comprising the PA binding domain of the native LF protein chemically attached to a non-LF activity inducing moiety is further provided. A method for delivering an activity to a cell is provided.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method for the purification of a human lung tumor-associated antigen (hLTAA) specific to human lung tumors of diverse histological characteristics; serum levels of hLTAA correlate with lung tumor incidence, and appear to usefully discriminate between various stages of the malignancies. The invention further comprises an immunoassay predicated on purified hLTAA for the detection and quantitative determination of hLTAA in biological fluids, particularly blood serum, and diagnostic systems for clinical immunoassay procedures.

Abstract: An anesthesia mask for laboratory animals comprising a supply tube having a generally conical mask at one end into which the animal's snout is inserted. Pressurized anesthesia gas is delivered through the tube and is prevented from leaking into the ambient environment by means of a second tube which concentrically surrounds the supply tube and is annularly spaced therefrom so that the space can be evacuated by a vacuum source. A holding bar is slidable transversely into the mask to hook onto the animal's incisors.