Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunogenic agent comprising a low dose of an antigenic component from one or more pathogens and an agent capable of increasing an amount of IL-12 in animal, and use thereof for reducing infection or improving recovery from an infection from the pathogen. The immunogenic agent preferably comprises CpG nucleic acid, IL-12 protein and/or IL-12 nucleic acid. The pathogen is preferably an intracellular pathogen comprising one or more species and strains, such as Plasmodium spp. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunogenic agent. The pharmaceutical composition is preferably an immunotherapeutic composition. The immunotherapeutic composition, is preferably a vaccine capable of providing protection against or treating Plasmodium spp infection, the causative agent of malaria in humans.

Abstract: The invention provides a green fluorescent substance being higher in luminance of green than a conventional rare-earth activated sialon fluorescent substance and more excellent in durability than a conventional oxide fluorescent substance. The inventors have succeeded in acquiring a fluorescent substance which is obtained by solid-dissolving Eu into a nitride or oxy-nitride crystal having a ?-type Si3N4 crystal structure and emits a fluorescent light having a peak within a range of 500 nm to 600 nm in wavelength by being irradiated with an excitation source.

Abstract: A fuel cell voltage measurement device includes a main beam provided at two sides with a transverse slot each for slidably receiving a plurality of slides therein, and a plurality of retractable probe assemblies separately mounted on the slides to move along with the slides. Therefore, the retractable probe assemblies are applicable to contact with fuel cell bipolar plates having different heights and/or thicknesses, making the voltage measurement device highly practical for use. A voltage signal collecting unit is provided on a top of the main beam for directly collecting the measured voltage signals to obtain a voltage state of the fuel cell.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing ozone. The apparatus includes a reaction tank containing a ferrous (Fe2+) solution to be oxidized to ferric ions (Fe3+) by ozone and a reduction device for reducing the ferric ions (Fe3+) to ferrous ions (Fe2+) supplied for continuous use in the reaction tank. The invention also provides a method for removing ozone.

Abstract: An optical sensor is characterized by comprising a photoconductive material (1) which generates a carrier (4) inside when irradiated with a light or an electromagnetic wave (3), and carbon nanotube (2), and by sensing the carrier (4), which is generated within the photoconductive material (1) by irradiation of the light or electromagnetic wave (3), through change of electrical conduction of the carbon nanotube (2).

Abstract: To make it possible to fix various organic molecules in an arbitrary configuration or arrangement on a micro/nano scale as a cheap and simple process by irradiating a photocurable resin containing an organic molecule on a substrate with light, thereby curing the photocurable resin in a given pattern and removing an uncured portion, thereby fixing the organic molecule in the given pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: Provided are a multi-wavelength optical transceiver module and a multiplexer/demultiplexer using a thin film filter. The multi-wavelength optical transceiver module includes: a PLC platform, on which a predetermined optical waveguide unit is formed and an optical transmitter is mounted; an optical fiber coupled to one side of the PLC platform to transmit a predetermined light; a plurality of thin film filters coupled to another side of the PLC platform to separate input optical wavelengths; and an optical receiver coupled to one side of the thin film filters to receive light that is input from the optical fiber and transmits the thin film filters, thereby enabling mass production of the optical transceiver module with low cost.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mass measurement system and method capable of precisely measuring the mass of a sample in a gravity-free environment.

Abstract: The invention features substantially pure nucleic acid sequences encoding wild-type or mutant serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) polypeptides, as well as the polypeptides themselves. The invention also features methods for identifying modulators of the biological activity of a SERT and for identifying if such a modulator has a secondary target. In addition, the invention features methods for treating a condition in a subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fast and efficient means for identifying kinetically stable proteins. As used herein the term “kinetically stable protein” means a protein that is trapped in a specific conformation due to an unusually high unfolding barrier that results in very slow unfolding rates. The present inventors are the first to discover the existence of a correlation between kinetic stability and SDS-induced denaturation. Thus, the invention provides methods for identifying kinetically stable proteins comprising the step of testing the proteins for resistance to denaturation by SDS. In one embodiment, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) is one simple method for quickly identifying and selecting kinetically stable proteins. In another embodiment a two-dimensional SDS-PAGE provides a high throughput method for quickly identifying kinetically stable proteins in a sample.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin film magnetic sensor comprising: forming a projection on a surface of an insulating substrate formed of an insulating nonmagnetic material by removing an unnecessary portion of the insulating substrate from a surface region thereof or by depositing a thin film formed of an insulating nonmagnetic material on the surface of the insulating substrate; forming a pair of thin film yokes positioned to face each other with the projection interposed therebetween and completely electrically separated from each other, the thin film yokes being formed by depositing a thin film formed of a soft magnetic material on the surface of the insulating substrate having the projection formed thereon, followed by partially removing the thin film formed of the soft magnetic material until at least a tip surface of the projection is exposed to the outside; and depositing a GMR film having an electrical resistivity higher than that of the soft magnetic material on the tip surface of the projection and

Abstract: A apparatus for pipeline integrity monitoring comprising a magnetically permeable backing bar and at least three magnets comprising a relatively medium-strength magnet positioned at one end of the backing bar, a relatively low-strength magnet positioned at the other end of the backing bar, and a relative high-strength magnet positioned between the medium-strength and the low-strength magnet. The at least three magnets are adapted and positioned to induce a plurality of resultant fields within the pipeline wall comprising a first resultant field suitable for detecting a reduced metal-related anomaly and a second resultant field suitable for detecting a mechanically worked-related anomaly. Preferably, the first resultant field has a strength greater than 120 Oersted and the second resultant field has a strength between 40 and 80 Oersted.

Abstract: Methods are provided for enhancing the image of brachytherapy seeds implanted in tissue using a transrectal ultrasound apparatus. In a first arrangement the resonance of the seeds is determined and the seeds are insonified using acoustic signals having a resonance frequency of the seeds to cause the seeds to vibrate. The vibrating seeds have enhanced detection using a Doppler ultrasound device. In a second arrangement the acoustic signature of the seeds is determined and used to enhance the imaging of the seeds using a correlation function. In a third arrangement images are taken of the tissue and implanted seeds prior to and during the application of mechanical stress to the tissue. A correlation between the unstressed and stressed tissue can cause enhanced imaging of the seeds.

Abstract: In a method for a variable-length communications system including encoding a message and decoding a data bit stream, the message includes a plurality of message blocks. A message block of the message is encoded by generating a parity check bit stream, flipping the parity check bit stream, appending the flipped parity check bit stream and a number of 0's to the end of the message block, and convolutionally encoding the resultant bit stream. When a data bit stream is received, a guessed message block and a guessed flipped parity check bit stream are extracted based on a guessed message block length. A parity check bit stream is generated for the guessed message block and then flipped. If the flipped parity check bit stream is the same as the guessed flipped parity check bit stream, the message block has been identified. Otherwise, the guessed message block length is increased by 1 and the above step is repeated.

Abstract: The present invention comprises crystalline polyketide synthases, isolated non-native polyketide synthases having the structural coordinates of said crystalline polyketide synthases, and nucleic acids encoding such non-native polyketide synthases. Also disclosed are methods of predicting the activity and/or substrate specificity of putative polyketide synthase, methods of identifying potential polyketide synthase substrates, and methods of identifying potential polyketide synthase inhibitors.

Abstract: A method and system for injecting charge includes providing a first material on a second material and injecting charge into the first material to trap charge at an interface between the first and second materials. The thickness of the first material is greater than a penetration depth of the injected charge in the first material.

Abstract: An organotypic culture comprises an artificial stroma overlayed with epithelial cells isolated from a human colon or intestine. The stroma comprises a mixture of collagen and human fibroblasts isolated from a human colon or intestine. The culture contains a factor that binds the IGF-1 receptor, a factor that binds the EGF receptor, and a factor that binds the LIF receptor. These factors may be added exogenously to the culture via medium or may be expressed by various recombinantly engineered cell types in the culture. The organotypic culture can result in growth that is in situ-like or emphasizes other physiological or morphological states, depending on the balance of factors in the growth media. The organotypic culture may be used in methods for screening of therapeutic, carcinogenic, or growth enhancement factors, or for treating intestinal injuries by applying to the site of an injury the intact culture or the components thereof.

Abstract: A polymer-chain-grafted carbon nanocapsule. The polymer-chain-grafted carbon nanocapsule includes a carbon nanocapsule and at least one kind of polymer chain grafted thereon, forming a polymer-chain-grafted carbon nanocapsule in which the carbon nanocapsule is the core thereof. The polymer-chain-grafted carbon nanocapsules have the following formula: F(-P)m, in which F is the carbon nanocapsule, P is the polymer chain, and m is the number of the polymer chain. By grafting high-purity carbon nanocapsules with polymer chains, the application thereof is expanded.

Abstract: A channel encoding/decoding method and a multiple-antenna wireless communication transmitting/receiving system performing the same are disclosed. A transmitter of the multiple-antenna wireless communication system comprises a space-time encoder, interleavers, a P/S converter, a RSC encoder, a S/P converter, and a modulator. A receiver of the multiple-antenna wireless communication system comprises a RSC decoder, deinterleavers, a space-time decoder, and interleavers. The frame error rates from the information transmission and reception by the present invention are found to be significantly lower than those by the multiple encoding/separated decoding method. Compared with the multiple encoding/joint decoding method, the present invention maintains comparable or better performance, while simplifying the decoding procedure considerably thereby it reduces the complexity in the hardware implementation.

Abstract: Purified BMP-2 and BMP-4 proteins and processes for producing them are disclosed. The proteins may be used in the treatment of bone and cartilage defects and in wound healing and related tissue repair.