Abstract: A system of separating a membrane from underlying tissue. The system includes a separation member operable to separate the membrane from the tissue and a cutting element in communication with the separation member. The cutting element is also operable to dissect the membrane without harming the underlying tissue.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for male or female contraception are provided. The compositions include an effective amount of netrin-1 to reduce or inhibit sperm concentration in semen of males or to inhibit or reduce fusion of male gametes with female gametes in a female subject Still another embodiment provides a method for diagnosing male infertility by determining the amount of netrin-1 in a sample of epididymal fluid or semen from a male subject, comparing the amount of netting-1 in the sample to levels of netrin-1 in samples of epididymal fluid or semen from fertile males, wherein levels of netrin-1 in the sample from the male subject that are higher or lower than levels of netrin-1 in samples from fertile males are indicative of male infertility in the male subject.

Abstract: Modulating the interaction between ErbB2 and Erbin is an effective method for treating one or more symptoms of ErbB2-mediated disorders. It has been discovered that Erbin stabilizes ErbB2 in vivo and inhibiting the formation of heterodimers between Erbin and ErbB2 reduces or inhibits the biological activity of ErbB2 relative to control levels. Reducing the biological activity of ErbB2 is useful in the treatment of conditions characterized by the overexpression or misregulation of ErbB2. These conditions include, but are not limited to breast cancer and prostate cancer. Alternatively, agonist of Erbin that promote or enhance the interaction of Erbin with ErbB2 can be useful in the treatment of certain neurological disorders. It has also been discovered that Erbin plays a role in the myelination of neurons of the peripheral nervous system.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for inhibiting the interaction between eNOS and ?-actin are provided for use in inhibiting or reducing lung injury from oxygen toxicity. One embodiment provides a synthetic or recombinant polypeptide having the ?-actin binding domain of eNOS, wherein the polypeptide inhibits or reduces eNOS activity in lung endothelial cells.

Abstract: Regulatory elements for controlling expression of transgenes in angiogenic tissue are provided. One embodiment provides an isolated nucleic acid having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 99% or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1, or a fragment thereof that causes expression of a transgene in angiogenic tissue. Vectors containing SEQ ID NO:1 and one or more transgenes are also provided. A preferred vector is an adenovirus vector. The transgene can encode a cytotoxin, pro-apoptotic polypeptide, or a therapeutic polypeptide. SEQ ID NO:1 regulates the expression of the transgene such that the transgene is only expressed in angiogenic tissue including, but not limited to arteries feeding ischemic tissues. Methods of using vectors containing SEQ ID NO:1 are also provided.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical compositions containing an effective amount of a ligand for GPR109 to decrease intracellular cAMP levels of a subject in combination with an effective amount of a DNA methyl transferase inhibito to reduce or inhibit downregulation of GPR109 in the intestinal epithelial cells of the subject relative to a control are provided. It has been discovered that ligands for GPR109 can be used to treat one or more symptoms of cancer, inflammatory disorders, and diarrhea. Representative CPR109 ligands include, but are not limited to butyrate, ?-hydroxybutyrate, nicotinic acid, acifran, and octanoate. Suitable DNA methyl transferase inhibitors include 5-azacytidine, 5-aza-2?-deoxytidine, 1-?-D-arabinfarnosyl-5-azacytosine and dihydro-5-azacytidine. Typically, the compositions are formulated to achieve a GPR109 ligand serum blood level of about 1 to about 1000 ?M. The compositions are useful for the treatment of one or more symptoms of cancer.

Abstract: Green tea polyphenol compositions and methods of their use are provided. Certain aspects provide methods for modulating expression of one or more autoantigens using the disclosed green tea polyphenol compositions. Representative green tea polyphenols include, but are not limited to (?)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Other aspects provide methods for treating autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Disclosed are compositions and methods for treating Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in a subject that involves neutralizing specific pathogenic anti-glycolipid antibodies in the circulation of the subject. This can involve administering to the subject a molecular mimic of a ganglioside that serves as a specific competitive inhibitor for anti-ganglioside antibodies in the circulation. Also disclosed is an animal model of GBS having anti-ganglioside antibodies in the circulation.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for determining whether a subject will age without developing cognitive decline are provided. An exemplary method includes detecting one or more allelic variants in a gene encoding low density lipoprotein-related protein 1B. In a preferred embodiment, the detecting step is accomplished by contacting a sample obtained from the subject with a probe that forms a detectable complex with a nucleic acid in the sample containing an allelic variant indicative of aging without developing cognitive decline, wherein detection of the allelic variant in the sample indicates that the subject will age without developing cognitive decline.

Abstract: A mechanism of macrophage-induced T cell suppression is the selective elimination of tryptophan and/or increase in one or more tryptophan metabolites within the local macrophage microenvironment. Studies demonstrate that expression of IDO can serve as a marker of suppression of T cell activation, and may play a significant role in allogeneic pregnancy and therefore other types of transplantation, and that inhibitors of IDO can be used to activate T cells and therefore enhance T cell activation when the T cells are suppressed by pregnancy, malignancy or a virus such as HIV. Inhibiting tryptophan degradation (and thereby increasing tryptophan concentration while decreasing tryptophan metabolite concentration), or supplementing tryptophan concentration, can therefore be used in addition to, or in place of, inhibitors of IDO.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing crossing ADC distributions via reassembly of multiple k-spaces is disclosed. The method includes the steps of scanning a test object having a plurality of anisotropic structures to acquire a first set of DTI data using gradient directions; rotating the gradient directions by an angle ?; repeating the step of scanning the test object to acquire a second set of DTI data; creating a composite data set from the first and second sets of data; and applying an inverse Fourier transform to the composite data set.

Abstract: A test object for use with diffusion MRI and a system and methods of synthesizing complex diffusive geometries. The test object, which includes anisotropic structures, can be used to monitor DTI measures by providing a baseline measurement. Using measurements of the phantom, data characteristic of more complicated diffusive behavior can be “synthesized”, or composed of actual measurements re-arranged into a desired spatial distribution function describing diffusion. Unlike a typical DTI scan, the ADC measurements of the present invention are treated in a “reconstruction” phase as if the gradients were applied in different directions. Given a set of reconstruction directions, a judicious choice of acquisition directions for each reconstruction direction allows for the synthesis of any distribution.

Abstract: A system and method for minimizing, if not completely eliminating, the systematic bias present in an MR system used for DTI is disclosed. A test object or “phantom” of the present invention is scanned with a desired DTI protocol. The eigenvalues measured with the phantom are compared to the actual values that should have been measured, and a parametric map that links measured eigenvalues to actual eigenvalues is calculated, which is applicable to the desired protocol. Future eigenvalue measurements using this protocol can be recalibrated to actual eigenvalues using this map.

Abstract: The immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is expressed by a subset of murine plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) in tumor-draining LNs, where it can potently activate Foxp3 regulatory T cells (Tregs). We now show that IDO functions as a molecular switch in tumor-draining LNs, maintaining Tregs in their normal suppressive phenotype when IDO was active, but allowing inflammation-induced conversion of Tregs to a polyfunctional T-helper phenotype similar to proinflammatory TH17 cells when IDO was blocked. In vitro, conversion of Tregs to the TH17-like phenotype was driven by antigen-activated effector T cells, and required IL-6 produced by activated pDCs. IDO regulated this conversion by dominantly suppressing production of IL-6 in pDCs, in a GCN2-kinase dependent fashion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are oral care compositions for promoting salivary flow. Thus, also disclosed are methods of treating and preventing xerostomia. The oral care compositions can contain all-natural ingredients, including, for example, green tea polyphenols and jaborandi extract.

Abstract: Prodrugs made up of biologically-active short-chain fatty acids or derivatives thereof conjugated to neutral or cationic amino acids capable of intracellular transport by ATB0,+ are provided. The short-chain fatty acid or derivative thereof can be attached to the amino acid through a hydroxyl group of the amino acid to form a fatty acid ester of the amino acid, or it can be attached through the amino group of the amino acid to form a fatty-acid amide of the amino acid. Serine butyrate (O-butyryl serine) is a preferred prodrug. These prodrugs are useful for treatment of colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and cancers resulting from metastases from primary colon cancer sites. Methods of delivering biologically-active short-chain fatty acids or derivatives thereof to cells in need of these molecules and methods of treating diseases using the prodrugs of this invention are also provided.

Abstract: A method for scaling MR signal intensity after noise has been removed is disclosed. Because the signal in a DTI series varies with the apparent diffusivity in the direction of an applied gradient, one can multiply image data collected under actual clinical conditions with a spatially-dependent scaling function to synthesize different spatial diffusion distributions, after removal of noise. Recombination of the data with the removed noise preserves the bias in the system.

Abstract: An illumination device including an integrating sphere and at least one light source. The integrating sphere is hollow and houses the at least one light source in it. The light source can be manipulated between a first configuration and a second configuration. The illumination device emits a first spectrum of light when the light source is in the first configuration, and a second spectrum of light when the light source is in the second configuration.

Abstract: Introduction of double stranded RNA into cells, cell culture, organs and tissues, and whole organisms, particularly vertebrates, specifically attenuates gene expression.

Abstract: A mechanism of macrophage-induced T cell suppression is the selective elimination of tryptophan and/or increase in one or more tryptophan metabolites within the local macrophage microenvironment. Studies demonstrate that expression of IDO can serve as a marker of suppression of T cell activation, and may play a significant role in allogeneic pregnancy and therefore other types of transplantation, and that inhibitors of IDO can be used to activate T cells and therefore enhance T cell activation when the T cells are suppressed by pregnancy, malignancy or a virus such as HIV. Inhibiting tryptophan degradation (and thereby increasing tryptophan concentration while decreasing tryptophan metabolite concentration), or supplementing tryptophan concentration, can therefore be used in addition to, or in place of, inhibitors of IDO.