Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, agents and compound screening assays for inducing differentiation of undifferentiated mammalian cells into osteoblasts. The invention thus provides a method, comprising contacting a compound with a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No: 194-309; and measuring a compound-polypeptide property related to the differentiation of said cells. The invention further relates to a bone formation enhancing pharmaceutical composition, and the use thereof in treating and/or preventing a disease involving a systemic or local decrease in mean bone density in a subject. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for the in vitro production of bone tissue.

Abstract: A tomographic apparatus (10) includes at least two x-ray sources (16) that are concurrently driven with different switching patterns to generate uniquely encoded radiation. The tomographic apparatus (10) further includes at least two detectors (20) that each detect primary radiation emitted by its corresponding one of the at least two x-ray sources (16) and cross scatter radiation from at least one of the other at least two x-ray sources (16). Each of the at least two detectors (20) produces an aggregate signal representative of the detected primary and cross scatter radiation. The tomographic apparatus (10) further includes a decoupler (30) which, based on the different switching patterns, identifies at least one signal corresponding to at least one of the at least two x-ray sources (16) within the aggregate signal and associates the identified signal with its corresponding x-ray source (16).

Abstract: A suitable database, including a temporal series of images is acquired (3) and subjected to a suitable binary segmentation (4) to create temporally sequenced binary coded images large portions corresponding to blood are labeled as unity, the rest is set to zero. A preceding binary coded image (8a) corresponding to a phase (t) from the temporal sequence is subtracted from a subsequent binary coded image (8b) corresponding to a phase (t+1) yielding a multi-dimensional temporal feature map (8c). A pre-defined deformable shape model is deformed (14) to fit the temporal feature map. The segmentation results are displayed (18) using suitable display (47). The segmented surface is overlaid on the original data using a two-, three- or four-dimensional visualization technique and can be presented as a color-code in a suitable transparency mode.

Abstract: A multi-channel display system comprises a plurality of display devices, each display device having a non-pixel addressable light output part, e.g. a backlight, and a pixel addressable light output part, e.g. an LCD panel, in an optical path. The non-pixel addressable light output part and the pixel addressable light output part are arranged to both have a temporal modulation, so that a perceivable optical output of the display device is a combination of the outputs of the temporal modulation of the pixel addressable light output part and the temporal modulation of the non pixel addressable light output part. At least two of the display devices are arranged for displaying adjacent image parts. The display system furthermore comprises a linking means for linking the driving of the non pixel addressable light output part of at least the two display devices being arranged for displaying adjacent image parts.

Abstract: An information carrier for holding user information includes access information for accessing the user information, the access information being stored in a pre-determined first region on the information carrier. The information carrier further includes at least one further region different from the first region, the further region comprising dummy information.

Abstract: The invention relates to aqueous formulations comprising alkoxylated castor oils with 15-25 ethyleneoxy units and a vitamin, preferably a fat-soluble vitamin, as well as to the use of such formulations in the process to administer the vitamin to an animal, or to make personal care formulations comprising the vitamin.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for generating evaluation data with a data base for storing original data, a memory for storing an evaluation program for the evaluation of original data stored in the data base and a control. In order to achieve rapid and reliable provision of evaluation data, an evaluation order for evaluating original data is generated upon the occurrence of a pre-specified event. It is checked by the control whether an evaluation order has been generated. In the event of an evaluation order being present, the evaluation program stored in the memory is started dependently upon the evaluation order, the evaluation program accessing original data stored in the data base dependently upon the evaluation order and the evaluation data being generated from this.

Abstract: An organic polyurethane shape memory material includes a C10 chain or C18 chain and consists of hard segment and soft segment. The material is produced by reacting the single-chain type dendrimer with diethylenetriamine to produce dendrimer. Then dendrimer reacts with N-(3-aminopropyl)diethanolamine to produce dendritic diols. Next, polymer HO(C6H10O2)xC2H4OC2H4(C6H10O2)yOH, where x+y=25˜26, reacts with methylenedi-p-phenyl diisocyanate, and at least one type of dendritic diols is added to produce the organic polyurethane shape memory material.

Abstract: A method of making an imprint lithography template includes applying a curable material to a patterned surface of a master imprint template, allowing the curable material to cure and thereby forming a second imprint template having a patterned surface which is the inverse of the patterned surface of the master imprint template; removing the second imprint template from the master imprint template; applying inorganic sol-gel to a substrate; imprinting the inorganic sol-gel with the second imprint template; allowing the inorganic sol-gel to cure; and removing the second imprint template from the cured inorganic sol-gel, such that the inorganic sol-gel forms a third imprint template having a patterned surface which corresponds with the patterned surface of the master imprint template.

Abstract: The invention relates to a crustacean androgenic gland hormone. More specifically, described are an androgenic gland hormone and associated peptides derived from Penaeus monodon, and their use to influence the sex ratio in prawn and shrimp cultures, and to set up monosex cultures. It is also related to the use of the hormone and associated peptides, associated gene or fragments thereof in sex determination.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an image with an extended focal range and reduced speckle by transmitting a plurality of beams spaced along an array for multiline reception. The receive multilines of a plurality of transmit beams are spatially aligned with phase adjustment between the respective receive multilines to effect signal alignment, detected and combined. The combined multilines produce the effect of an extended transmit focus so that an image produced using the combined multilines exhibits an extended focal range. Speckle is reduced by nonlinearly combining received multilines produced by different transmit apertures.

Abstract: A computerized method of detecting a target word in a speech signal. A speech recognition engine and a previously constructed phoneme model is provided. The speech signal is input into the speech recognition engine. Based on the phoneme model, the input speech signal is indexed. A time-ordered list is stored representing n-best phoneme candidates of the input speech signal and phonemes of the input speech signal in multiple phoneme frames. The target word is transcribed into a transcription of target phonemes. The time-ordered list of n-best phoneme candidates is searched for a locus of said target phonemes. While searching, scoring is based on the ranking of the phoneme candidates among the n-best phoneme candidates and based on the number of the target phonemes found. A composite score of the probability of an occurrence of the target word is produced. When the composite score is higher than a threshold, start and finish times are output which bound the locus.

Abstract: A memory circuit includes a first memory cell node capacitor, a first memory cell node transistor, a second memory cell node having a second memory cell node capacitor and a second memory cell node transistor, and a pre-charging circuit for pre-charging the first and second memory cell nodes to first and second voltage levels, respectively. The circuit includes a reference memory cell having first and second reference cell transistors with an equalizing transistor between, and a sense amplifier that detects a potential difference between reference bit lines from the reference memory cell and the first or second memory cell node, respectively. The reference cell transistors and equalizing transistor perform a first voltage equalization of the memory cell nodes at a predetermined voltage and a second voltage equalization of the memory cell nodes based on first or second reference signals respectively input to the first or second reference cell transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device is mounted on a support substrate. The support substrate is disposed in an opening in a carrier. In some embodiments, the support substrate is a ceramic tile and the carrier is a low cost material with a lateral extent large enough to support a lens molded over or attached to the carrier.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-implemented interactive account management system operated in cooperation with a financial institution on behalf of multiple account holders. The interactive account management system may include a financial networking engine implemented by a processor for defining a financial network for each account holder and for identifying each member of an account holder financial network based on stored account information and account holder input. The system may additionally include interactive processing components for processing information to provide collaborative interaction between the members of the account holder financial network defined by the financial networking engine and user interface presentation tools for displaying financial guidance and collaborative interaction interfaces and inviting active participation from the financial network members.

Abstract: Systems and methods place a first magnetically interactive material in or on a tongue in an airway. The systems and methods place a second magnetically interactive material in or on tissue in a desired relationship with the tongue. The first and second materials magnetically interact to stabilize a preferred orientation of the tongue.

Abstract: A method of automatically generating metadata for association with a collection of content items accessible to a system (1) for processing data included in the content items, includes obtaining sets of metadata associated with the content items individually, each set of metadata including at least one attribute value associated with the content item. At least one distribution of values of an attribute over the sets of metadata associated with the respective content items is analyzed. At least one attribute value is selected in dependence on the analysis. The selected attribute value(s) are processed to generate the metadata for association with the collection, and the generated metadata are made available to the system (1) for processing data included in the content items in connection with an identification of the collection of content items.