Abstract: A thermophilic endo-beta-1,4-xylanase derived from Acidothermus cellulolyticus is disclosed. The xylanase exhibits xylanase activity at an optimal temperature of 90° C. and an optimal pH range of about 4.5-6.0. The isolated xylanase is useful in the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to retroviral vectors, particularly lentiviral vectors, pseudotyped with Sindbis envelope and targeted to specific cell types via a targeting moiety linked to the envelope.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for treating and/or preventing inflammation associated with viral infection and solid organ transplant rejection. In particular, the present invention provides therapeutics for impairing the expansion and function of autoreactive T cells, NK cells and/or NKT cells, by modulating NKG2D.

Abstract: Devices and methods for the encapsulation of cells on microfluidic platforms are disclosed. The microfluidic device generally includes a plurality of functional regions to shear, focus, and encapsulate a desired cell or group of cells into a droplet. The microfluidic device can further comprise a polymerization zone to form a polymer bead around the droplet.

Abstract: A plate manufactured to enable samples of cells, micro-organisms, proteins, DNA, biomolecules and other biological media to be positioned at specific locations or sites on the plate for the purpose of performing addressable analyses on the samples. Preferably, some or all of the sites are built from a removable material or as pallets so that a subset of the samples of interest can be readily isolated from the plate for further processing or analysis. The plate can contain structures or chemical treatments that enhance or promote the attachment and/or function of the samples, and that promote or assist in their analyses. Use of the plate advantageously enables the selection and sorting of cells based on dynamic phenomena and the rapid establishment of stable tranfectants.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical sensor for detecting chemical reaction activity, including, e.g., enzyme activity and catalytic or reactive molecule activity. An optical sensor of the invention includes a porous photonic film that produces a predetermined spectral reflectance response. In preferred embodiments, the film has a chemical coating (such as a hydrophobic layer) within its pores with an affinity for the reaction product(s) of the catalytic or otherwise reactive analyte A coating can also act as a protective layer in preferred embodiment. A thin substrate susceptible to reaction by at least one analyte of interest is on the surface of the thin film to block pores of the thin film. A method of detecting chemical reaction activity of the invention exposes the optical sensor to an analyte of interest, such as an enzyme or otherwise catalytic or reactive molecule.

Abstract: In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data between a plurality of terminals via a network through a session relay for relaying communication between the terminals, each of the terminals or the session relay measures a one-way or a round-trip delay time in the network, determines a threshold delay time at which network congestion is judged. With reference to a delay time upon detection of packet loss and the threshold delay time, estimation is made about the possibility that the packet loss results from congestion. A congestion window is changed with reference to the possibility upon detection of the packet loss.

Abstract: A transistor-like electronic device operates somewhat as a triode vacuum tube. Two electrodes (source and drain) sandwich an intermediate layer of organic semiconductor material in which fine metallic particles are dispersed. Due to the fineness and number of the particles, they are close enough to each other that electrons can tunnel from one to the nest, so that a voltage impressed at the edge of the intermediate layer causes current to flow through the dispersed particles, and causes the entire layer to reach the impressed voltage. By varying the impressed voltage, the voltage of the intermediate layer is caused to vary, which controls conduction between the source and drain. By making the particles small, the proportion of open area between the particles remains large so the electrons have room to move around the particles and through the organic material in intermediate layer, allowing high currents to flow through the device.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is an organic thin film transistor chemical sensor. The sensor includes a substrate. A gate electrode is isolated from drain and source electrodes by gate dielectric. An organic ultra-thin semiconductor thin film is arranged with respect to the gate, source and drain electrodes to act as a conduction channel in response to appropriate gate, source and drain potentials. The organic ultra-thin film is permeable to a chemical analyte of interest and consists of one or a few atomic or molecular monolayers of material. An example sensor array system includes a plurality of sensors of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, a sensor chip having a plurality of sensors is mounted in a socket, for example by wire bonding. The socket provides thermal and electrical interference isolation for the sensor chip from associated sensing circuitry that is mounted on a common substrate, such as a PCB (printed circuit board).

Abstract: A new radioconjugate NP has been developed using recombinant antibody fragments, di-scFv-c (111 In-DOTA-di-scFv-NP) for imaging and therapy of anti MUC-1 10 expressing cancers since aberrant MUC-1 Is abundantly expressed on the majority of human epithelial cancers. Selection and engineering of anti-MUC-1 di-scFv-c (50 kDa) was generated to link NP-M (maleimide). DOTA chelate was conjugated with di-scFv-c for the radiometal chelation to trace the RINP at in vivo. This RINP preparation can provide uniquely high tumor cell binding NP for AMF driven tumor hyperthermia.

Abstract: An energy storage device includes a nanostructured network and an electrolyte in contact with the nanostructured network. The nanostructured network is an electrically conducting nanostructured network that provides combined functions of an electrode and a charge collector of the energy storage device. An electrical device includes an energy storage device that includes a nanostructured network and an electrolyte in contact with the nanostructured network, and a load-bearing electrical circuit electrically connected to the electrical energy storage device. The energy storage device is suitable to power the electrical device while in operation.

Abstract: An approach for determining motions of a body using distributed sensors is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus can include: a plurality of sensors coupled to a body, where each sensor is positioned at about a designated location on the body, and where each sensor is configured to acquire motion data related to movement of the designated location on the body and at which the sensor is positioned, and to reduce the motion data into compressed and transmittable motion data; and a base station configured to receive the compressed motion data via wireless communication from at least one of the plurality of sensors, the base station being further configured to remove outlier information from the received motion data, and to match the received motion data to a predetermined action, where the predetermined action indicates a movement of the body.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for prevention or treatment of physiological shock by administering a specific therapeutic agent or combination of therapeutic agents, which is/are able to use smaller volumes of reagent to achieve complete inhibition, than other previously described techniques.

Abstract: A method for identifying peptides using tandem mass spectrometry takes the spectrum for a peptide to be analyzed and uses a scoring function to score a match between the spectrum and each candidate peptide in a peptide database. The scoring function has a value corresponding to a number of fragment peaks in the spectrum that match fragment peaks in a spectrum of the candidate peptide. Using the match scores, a generating function of the spectrum is computed to determine the number of peptide reconstructions at each value of the scoring function. The generating function is then used to determine the number of candidate peptides for each match score and the probability of a peptide having a given match score to the spectrum. A spectral probability can be determined by calculating the total probability of all peptides with scores equal to or larger than the given match score.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices are driven by intense photoemission of “hot” electrons from a suitable nanostructured metal. The metal should be an electron source with surface plasmon resonance within the visible and near-visible spectrum range (near IR to near UV (about 300 to 1000 nm)). Suitable metals include silver, gold, copper and alloys of silver, gold and copper with each other. Silver is particularly preferred for its advantageous opto-electronic properties in the near UV and visible spectrum range, relatively low cost, and simplicity of processing.

Abstract: The invention is in general directed to compounds and methods for diagnosing, preventing or alleviating the symptoms of amyloid-associated diseases, for example, neuronal diseases, such as, for example, Alzheimer's disease, methods of screening for compounds useful in preventing or alleviating the symptoms of amyloid-associated diseases, methods of diagnostic imaging of A-beta fibrils, and compounds and methods useful for studying normal or disease-associated cellular mechanisms relating to amyloid proteins.

Abstract: The invention provides for a biodegradable synthetic bone composition comprising a biodegradable hydrogel polymer scaffold comprising a plurality of hydrolytically unstable linkages, and an inorganic component; such as a biodegradable poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate)/hydroxyapatite (pHEMA/HA) hydrogel composite possessing mineral content approximately that of human bone.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for enhancing operator independent image cytometry. Aspects of the invention include enhanced tissue surface tracking which can detect both tissue surfaces. The surface detection can aid cytometry, such as by reducing the amount of image data to be stored. Segmentation is described for 3D images in which 3D least squares filtering is applied to increase contrast for simplifying the delineation of objects from backgrounds. A method of creating 3D FIR image filters based on ideal objects is also described. A data structure is defined by which 3D object data may be organized for image representations if samples. Methods of performing remote segmentation processing are also described toward centralizing the necessary processor power and applications and reducing the burden on researchers and clinicians.

Abstract: A single or multi-color light emitting diode (LED) with high extraction efficiency is comprised of a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the substrate, one or more patterned layers deposited on top of the buffer layer, and one or more active layers formed on or between the patterned layers, for example by Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth (LEO), and including one or more light emitting species, such as quantum wells. The patterned layers include a patterned, perforated or pierced mask made of insulating, semiconducting or metallic material, and materials filling holes in the mask. The patterned layer acts as an optical confining layer due to a contrast of a refractive index with the active layer and/or as a buried diffraction grating due to variation of a refractive index between the mask and the material filling the holes in the mask.

Abstract: A method for growing III-V nitride films having an N-face or M-plane using an ammonothermal growth technique. The method comprises using an autoclave, heating the autoclave, and introducing ammonia into the autoclave to produce smooth N-face or M-plane Gallium Nitride films and bulk GaN.