Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing spacers that can be packaged into viral particles and methods of producing them. In a first aspect, the invention features a nucleic acid molecule including a first spacer (SSI); a first inverted terminal repeat (ITR1); a cloning site (CS); a second inverted terminal repeat (ITR2); and a second spacer (SS2), such as a eukaryotic spacer; operably linked to each other in a 5?-to-3? direction as: SS1-ITR1-CS-ITR2-SS2. In an embodiment, the invention features a vector comprising any of the above-described nucleic acid molecules. In another aspect, the invention features a plurality of viral particles including the nucleic acid molecule. The invention further includes a host cell including any of the above-described vectors.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with the spectral analysis of T2 spectral data are described. One example magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method includes accessing a data set comprising T2 spectral data associated with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal received from an object. The method also includes decomposing the T2 spectral data with multi-exponential functions to determine T2 spectra corresponding to the T2 spectral data. The T2 spectra are portioned into a plurality of intervals defined by the T2 spectral data acquired in a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections. Compositions provided herein comprise a variety of immunogenic fusion proteins, wherein at least one polypeptide component of a given fusion protein comprises a CbpA polypeptide and/or a cytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof. Methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections by employing the various immunogenic fusion proteins having at least one polypeptide component comprising a CbpA polypeptide and/or a cytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof.

Abstract: The compounds of the invention are antagonists of CAR, with specificity for CAR over other proteins including PXR. The disclosed compounds are useful in treating or controlling cell proliferative disorders, in particular oncological disorders, such as cancer. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: Methods are provided for the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of various pathological states, including cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. The methods provided herein are based on the discovery that various proteins with a high level of sialylation are shown herein to be associated with disease states, such as, cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Such methods provide a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile comprising one or more values representing lysosomal exocytosis activity. Also provided herein, is the discovery that low lysosomal sialidase activity is associated with various pathological states. Thus, the methods also provide a lysosomal sialidase activity profile, comprising one or more values representing lysosomal sialidase activity. A lysosomal sialidase activity profile is one example of a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for improving learning and/or memory (e.g., auditory, visual, somatosensory or motor) in adults and children of an age which is beyond the early critical period for learning, said method comprising inhibiting (i) ecto-5?-nucleotidase (Nt5e, aka CD73) or (ii) A1 adenosine receptor (A1R, aka Adora1) expression or function in the brain. The invention is also directed to a method for treating learning and memory defects and neurological diseases associated with an abnormal auditory, visual, or somatosensory perception by inhibiting Nt5e or A1R expression or function in the brain.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to substituted urea depsipeptide analogs, derivatives thereof, and related compounds, which are useful as activators the ClpP endopeptidease; synthesis methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating infectious disease using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a chimeric receptor capable of signaling both a primary and a co-stimulatory pathway, thus allowing activation of the co-stimulatory pathway without binding to the natural ligand. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor contains a portion of the 4-1BB signaling domain. Embodiments of the invention relate to polynucleotides that encode the receptor, vectors and host cells encoding a chimeric receptor, particularly including T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and methods of use.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections. Compositions provided herein comprise a variety of immunogenic fusion proteins, wherein at least one polypeptide component of a given fusion protein comprises a CbpA polypeptide and/or a cytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof. Methods are provided for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, including pneumococcal infections by employing the various immunogenic fusion proteins having at least one polypeptide component comprising a CbpA polypeptide and/or a cytolysoid polypeptide, or an active variant or fragment thereof.

Abstract: Methods are provided for the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of various pathological states, including cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. The methods provided herein are based on the discovery that various proteins with a high level of sialylation are shown herein to be associated with disease states, such as, cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Such methods provide a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile comprising one or more values representing lysosomal exocytosis activity. Also provided herein, is the discovery that low lysosomal sialidase activity is associated with various pathological states. Thus, the methods also provide a lysosomal sialidase activity profile, comprising one or more values representing lysosomal sialidase activity. A lysosomal sialidase activity profile is one example of a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a chimeric receptor capable of signaling both a primary and a co-stimulatory pathway, thus allowing activation of the co-stimulatory pathway without binding to the natural ligand. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor contains a portion of the 4-1BB signaling domain. Embodiments of the invention relate to polynucleotides that encode the receptor, vectors and host cells encoding a chimeric receptor, particularly including T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and methods of use.

Abstract: The compounds of the invention are antagonists of MDM2 and MDMX, with excellent specificity for MDM2 and MDMX over other proteins, and with selective binding affinity to MDMX over MDM2. The compounds can therefore regulate p53 activity and treat a variety of cancers. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to compositions comprising BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors and artemisinin analogs, derivatives thereof, or related compounds, which are useful as in treating Philadelphia chromosome positive leukemias; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating disorders of uncontrolled cellular proliferation associated with BCR-ABL dysfunction using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to methods of treating viral infections using known drugs and pharmaceutical compositions comprising same. More specifically, the disclosed methods are useful for the treatment of viral infections that are enveloped viruses. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: A method of verifying therapeutic proton beam delivery accuracy by ultrasound tomographic imaging to map three dimensional (3D) proton dose through the detection of ionizing radiation induced thermo-acoustic signal from the proton beam.

Abstract: This invention provides methods and kits for diagnosing, ascertaining the clinical course of minimal residual disease associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Specifically the invention provides methods and kits useful in the diagnosis and determination of clinical parameters associated with diseases associated with ALL based on patterns of surface marker expression unique to ALL.

Abstract: An optimized coding sequence of human blood clotting factor eight (VIII) and a promoter may be used in vectors, such as rAAV, for introduction of factor VIII, and/or other blood clotting factors and transgenes. Exemplary of these factors and transgenes are alpha-1-antitrypsin, as well as those involved in the coagulation cascade, hepatocye biology, lysosomal storage, urea cycle disorders, and lipid storage diseases. Cells, vectors, proteins, and glycoproteins produced by cells transformed by the vectors and sequence, may be used in treatment.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to compounds having anticancer activity; synthetic methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating disorders associated with uncontrolled cellular proliferation using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended to be used as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates, in general, to attenuated swine influenza viruses having an impaired ability to antagonize the cellular interferon (IFN) response, and the use of such attenuated viruses in vaccine and pharmaceutical formulations. In particular, the invention relates to attenuated swine influenza viruses having modifications to a swine NS1 gene that diminish or eliminate the ability of the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular IFN response. These viruses replicate in vivo, but demonstrate decreased replication, virulence and increased attenuation, and therefore are well suited for use in live virus vaccines, and pharmaceutical formulations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a Sendai virus or recombinant Sendai virus vector. In particular the present invention provides methods, vectors, formulations, compositions, and kits for a modified Enders strain Sendai viral vector. An immunogenic vector can be used in any in vitro or in vivo system. Moreover, some embodiments include vectors for imaging virus growth, location and transmission.