Abstract: Semiconductor micro- and nanotubes allow the incorporation of ordered structures such as quantum wells and quantum dots into them providing the potential for ultralow threshold micro- and nanoscale lasers for use in applications such as future ultrahigh-speed photonic systems as well as quantum information processing. According to the invention a means of manufacturing these with high reproducibility, low processing complexity, and at high densities is provided. Also provided is a means of releasing these micro- and nanotubes with low stress and a method of “pick-and-place” allowing micro- and nanotubes to be exploited in devices integrated on substrates that are either incompatible with the manufacturing technique or where the area of substrate required to manufacture them is detrimental to the cost or performance of the circuit.

Abstract: A method and a circuit are provided for providing phase or frequency synthesis using sigma-delta modulation bit-stream techniques in which data is encoded utilizing sigma-delta modulation and then digital-to-time conversion (DTC) or digital-to-frequency conversion (DFC). In some embodiments this encoded data stream is further subjected to phase or frequency domain filtering, which in some embodiments is carried out by a higher-order phase-locked loop (PLL).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method to promote regeneration or repair of the central or peripheral nervous system following injury The present invention concerns the use of a leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated protein (LGIn), or an analog or derivative thereof, to promote the regeneration or remyelination of neurons after injury to the central nervous system LGIns are endogenous proteins secreted by central neurons that promote regeneration of neurons after injury to the central nervous system The present invention includes an assay to measure the interaction of LGIn with LINGOn and p75NTRn as well as to identify factors that enhance or disrupt these interactions The invention further includes cell lines capable of expressing LGIn, LINGOn and p75NTRn molecules, as well as the proteins purified from these cells.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for providing a tunable substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) for which a parameter of at least some element or portion thereof may be altered or varied to alter the propagation of a signal propagating through the SIW thereby achieving a tunable SIW. In some embodiments a plurality of capacitively variably loaded transverse slots achieve the tunability for the SIW.

Abstract: A bone screw is described which includes a one-piece threaded screw body composed at least partially of a rigid foam. The screw body is headless and includes a bore extending therethrough to define a cannula and thereby providing the screw body with an annular shape defining a radial wall thickness. At least a central portion of the screw body is formed of the rigid foam which defines a matrix having a plurality of inter-connected pores therein. The inter-connected pores are disposed throughout the complete radial wall thickness of the screw body from an outer surface of the screw body to an inner surface thereof within the cannula, such as to permit bone in-growth through the complete radial wall thickness of the annular screw body. The inter-connected pores and the cannula thereby respectively allow bone in-growth through the complete radial wall thickness and the full axial length of the screw body.

Abstract: The invention relates to oligonucleosides having alternating segments of sugar-modified nucleosides and 2?-deoxynucleosides, and uses thereof. The invention further relates to oligonucleotides having alternating segments of sugar-modified nucleotides and 2?-deoxynucleotides, and uses thereof. Such uses include the preparation of antisense oligonucleotides and their use for the prevention or depletion of function of a target nucleic acid of interest, such as an RNA, in a system. Accordingly, an oligonucleotide of the invention is useful for therapeutic, analytical and diagnostic methods and uses, as well as a component of compositions and commercial packages corresponding to such methods and uses.

Abstract: A method of reducing tumor cell growth, the method including administering an effective amount of a compound having the formula:

Abstract: There is described a hand-held dental instrument for detection of carious lesions which includes a handle portion defining a longitudinal axis therethrough and at least a first working end, mounted on the handle portion, which includes a probe body extending from the handle portion and a probe tip disposed at a remote end. The probe tip is configured for exploring teeth and/or periodontal pockets. The probe body is curved and has a curette portion disposed on the probe body between the handle portion and the probe tip, the curette portion having at least two scraping fins each defining a curved blade for removing at least one of biofilm, plaque and tartar from a curved tooth surface.

Abstract: Quantitative understanding of neural and biological activity at a sub-millimeter scale requires an integrated probe platform that combines biomarker sensors together with electrical stimulus/recording sites. Optically addressed biomarker sensors within such an integrated probe platform allows remote interrogation from the activity being measured. Monolithic or hybrid integrated silicon probe platforms would beneficially allow for accurate control of neural prosthetics, brain machine interfaces, etc as well as helping with complex brain diseases and disorders. According to the invention a silicon probe platform is provided employing ultra-thin silicon in conjunction with optical waveguides, optoelectronic interfaces, porous filter elements, and integrated CMOS circuitry. Such probes allowing simultaneously analysis of both neural electrical activities along with chemical activity derived from multiple biomolecular sensors with porous membrane filters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for high-speed bandpass serial data communication. A driver receives at least one data signal and generates a bandpass data signal for transmission through a bandpass waveguide interconnect. The bandpass data signal is launched into the bandpass waveguide interconnect using a first adaptor and extracted therefrom after transmission using a second adaptor. A receiver connected to the second adaptor recovers the at least one data signal from the extracted bandpass data signal. A dispersion compensation circuit receives one of the at least one data signal and the bandpass data signal and information indicative of a phase response of the bandpass waveguide interconnect and dispersion compensates the one of the at least one data signal and the bandpass data signal by compensating the phase response of the bandpass waveguide interconnect.

Abstract: Amongst the candidates for very high efficiency solid state light sources and full solar spectrum solar cells are devices based upon InGaN nanowires. Additionally these nanowires typically require heterostructures, quantum dots, etc which all place requirements for these structures to be grown with relatively few defects and in a controllable reproducible manner. Additionally flexibility according to the device design requires that the nanowire at the substrate may be either InN or GaN. According to the invention a method of growing relatively defect free nanowires and associated structures for group IIIA-nitrides is presented without the requirement for foreign metal catalysts and overcoming the non-uniform growth of prior art non-catalyst growth techniques. According to other embodiments of the invention self-organizing dot-within-a-dot nanowire and dot-within-a-dot-within-a-well nanowire structures are presented.

Abstract: An instrumented ball for collecting data in an industrial mill comprising a durable sphere defining an enclosed cavity and having a substantial thickness, the sphere manufactured from a resilient material able to withstand pressures exerted by a working industrial mill, electronics disposed in the cavity comprising: a plurality of devices for sensing physical conditions inside the mill, wherein each of the sensing devices outputs a series of sensed values, the devices comprising at least an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a thermocouple, a microphone and a wear sensor, a memory for storing the sensed values, and a communication port for transmitting the sensed values to an external device located outside of the mill, and a power source disposed in the cavity for powering the electronics.

Abstract: This invention relates to multipotent stem cells, purified from the peripheral tissue of mammals, and capable of differentiating into neural and non-neural cell types. These stem cells provide an accessible source for autologous transplantation into CNS, PNS, and other damaged tissues.

Abstract: Netrin proteins and their receptors regulate cell and axon migration, and are implicated in tissue morphogenesis, tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. Deregulation of mechanisms that control cell motility plays a key role in tumor progression by promoting tumor cell dissemination. Unwanted neovascularization also contributes to tumor progression and metastasis and to ocular diseases which are a leading cause of blindness. Here, we describe novel netrin-derived polypeptides and fragments or derivatives thereof that selectively inhibit cell growth, migration or branching. Methods and compositions for the treatment and prevention of conditions involving cell migration or neovascularization, such as cancer and ocular disease, are also provided.

Abstract: Stabilizing the visual system for any sighted mobile system increases immunity of the mobile system's gaze and reduces information processing task complexity. Two human reflexes are the optokinetic reflex and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). The VOR stabilizes retinal images during head movement by producing eye movements in the opposite direction. Improved analysis of the VOR in humans would improve the diagnosis/treatment of patients, provide improvements in visual prosthesis performance for patients, and also vision systems performance for mobile robotic systems. However, an important issue for prior art mathematical analysis techniques is the requirement to classify the nystagmus segments before applying any analysis techniques, wherein this classification should be preferably performed non-subjectively. Accordingly the inventors overcome these limitations by performing classification, i.e.

Abstract: For measuring an oxidative stress component in a patient, an optical analyzer having a light source and a light detector is used for measuring an optical property of a medium and generating optical measurement data. A processor analyzes the optical measurement data and generates a value for one or more oxidative stress component in the form of a redox signature for the patient. Probability data of the presence of an oxidative stress dependent disease can be calculated. By observing at least one additional clinical condition of the disease, a diagnosis using said at least one additional condition and said redox signature can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides protein-based biomarkers and biomarker combinations that are useful in qualifying Chagas disease status in a patient. In particular, the biomarkers of this invention are useful to classify a subject sample as infected with Chagas disease or non-infected. The biomarkers can be detected by SELDI mass spectrometry.

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: According to an aspect of the invention a method is provided comprising: providing a model for a predetermined location within an electrical power system having therein distributed resources (DR), the model based on known system conditions, the model indicative of first sensed characteristics of the electrical power system at the predetermined location; sensing at the predetermined location characteristics of the electrical power system corresponding to at least some of the first sensed characteristics; determining a status of the electrical power system network indicative of an islanding event in dependence upon sensing and other than in dependence upon other sensed data sensed remotely from the predetermined location; and, controlling a distributed resource in dependence upon the status.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for treatment, prevention or management of obesity, obesity related disorders, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome in a subject by administering a ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) inhibitor and/or a ghrelin receptor antagonist to the subject. The invention also provides ghrelin receptor antagonists of formula (VII): A11-A12-A13-Gly-Ser-A14-Phe-Leu-A15-A16-A17-A18, wherein each of A11, A12, and A13 is independently absent, an amino acid, or an amino protecting group; each of A15-A16-A17, and A18 is independently absent or an amino acid; and A14 is a serine conjugated with a —C(O)C1-C20alky or a di-aminopropionic acid conjugated with a —C(O)C1-C20alkyl group, provided that at least one of A11, A12, or A13 is present.