Abstract: A unidirectional active microphone that includes a diaphragm, coil, and piezoelectric component. An electrical circuit provides amplification to the coil. The piezoelectric component produces unidirectional coupling between coil and diaphragm. The microphone is unidirectional in that the amplification is provided solely to the coil and is not transferred to the diaphragm.

Abstract: The present invention discloses novel agents and methods for diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. Also disclosed are related arrays, kits, and screening methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, compositions and articles of manufacture useful for the prophylactic and therapeutic amelioration and treatment of gram-positive bacteria, including Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, and related conditions. The invention provides compositions and methods incorporating and utilizing Streptococcus suis derived bacteriophage lysins, particularly PlySs2 and/or PlySs1 lytic enzymes and variants thereof, including truncations thereof. Methods for treatment of humans are provided.

Abstract: Polypeptides that bind to DC-SIGN and/or its homologues and methods for using such peptides for the treatment of various disorders are described. DC-SIGN and its homologues are receptors that bind IgG antibodies or Fc fragments and mediate intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-related reversal of inflammation associated with various immune disorders.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for fixing a short nucleic acid in a biological sample. In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for detecting a target short nucleic acid in a biological sample. The method includes contacting the biological sample with an aldehyde-containing fixative, and subsequently contacting the sample with a water-soluble carbodiimide. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a kit for fixing a short nucleic acid in a biological sample. The kit includes a support substrate for holding the sample; an aldehyde-containing fixative; and a water-soluble carbodiimide.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and software for operating such apparatuses, for neuromodulation in a live mammalian subject, such as a human patient, provide for applying electrical energy to a target site in the nervous system of the subject using a signal comprising a series of pulses, wherein the inter-pulse intervals are varied using the output of a deterministic, non-linear, dynamical system comprising one or more system control parameters. In certain embodiments, the target site may be a site in the brain involved in generalized CNS (central nervous system) arousal. The dynamical system may be capable of exhibiting chaotic behavior.

Abstract: Methods for rapidly obtaining a nanoscale apolipoprotein bound phospholipid bilayer (NABB) associated with at least one membrane protein are provided. Also disclosed are methods for rapidly obtaining a NABB not associated with membrane proteins. Immunogenic compositions comprising NABBs with native conformational epitopes are also provided along with their methods of use.

Abstract: This invention concerns pathological angiogenesis and cancer, related treatment methods, and related compositions. Also disclosed are related diagnosis kits and methods.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions useful in target sequence suppression, target sequence validation and target sequence down regulation. The invention provides polynucleotide constructs useful for gene silencing or RNA down regulation, as well as cells, plants and seeds comprising the polynucleotides. The invention also provides a method for using microRNA to silence a target sequence or to down regulate RNA.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds and compositions useful for inhibiting and/or reducing platelet deposition, adhesion and/or aggregation. The present invention further relates to a drug-eluting stent comprising said compounds and methods for the treatment or prophylaxis of thrombotic disorders, including stroke, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, peripheral vascular disease, abrupt closure following angioplasty or stent placement and thrombosis as a result of vascular surgery.

Abstract: The human Occludin protein is identified as an essential Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) cell entry factor. Occludin is shown to render murine and other non-human cells infectable with HCV and to be required for HCV-susceptibility of human cells. Associated methods for inhibiting HCV infection, transgenic animal models for HCV pathogenesis, methods of identifying compounds or agents that prevent or mitigate interaction of HCV with Occludin, and HCV inhibitory agents are also disclosed. Kits and cell culture compositions useful for identifying compounds or agents that prevent or mitigate interaction of HCV with Occludin are also provided.

Abstract: An optical system for the detection of skin disease, such as melanoma, acquires images of a lesion on a subject's skin at different wavelengths and utilizes a sweeping arm rotating about the lesion in a clock-like sweep to produce diagnostically relevant metrics and classifiers from the image data so as to enhance detection of the skin disease.

Abstract: The invention relates to isolated anti-microRNA molecules. In another embodiment, the invention relates to an isolated microRNA molecule. In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method for inhibiting microRNP activity in a cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for purifying RNA molecules interacting with an RNA binding protein (RBP), and the use of such methods to analyze a gene expression profile of a cell. The invention also provides sequences of RNA molecules that mediate binding to an RBP, proteins encoded by the sequences, a method of identifying the sequences, and the use of the sequences in a screen to identify bioactive molecules. The invention also provides RNA motifs found among the sequences and compounds that bind the RNA motifs. In addition, the invention provides methods of treating diseases associated with a function of an RNA binding protein.

Abstract: The invention provides a polypeptide containing at least one IgG Fc region region, said polypeptide having a higher anti-inflammatory activity and a lower cytotoxic activity as compared to an unpurified antibody and methods of production of such polypeptide.

Abstract: The instant invention provides antibodies which recognize new epitope tags. Related kits for detecting these epitope tags or fusion proteins having these epitope tags are also provided.

Abstract: An ion trap includes a containment region for containing ions, and a plurality of electrodes positioned on a regular polyhedral structure encompassing the containment region. An electrode is positioned on each vertex of the encompassing structure and at least one of the polygonal surfaces includes additional electrodes configured to form a plurality of quadrupoles on the surface. Alternating RF voltage is applied to the plurality of electrodes, so that directly neighboring electrodes are of equal amplitude and opposite polarity at any point in time. This configuration on the polyhedral structure forms a potential barrier for repelling the ions from each of the regular polygonal surfaces and containing them in the trap. Mass selective filters can be formed from the quadrupoles for parallel mass analysis in different m/z windows. Application of a small DC potential to a plate electrode outside the quadrupoles preferentially depletes single charged ions for enhanced signal-to-noise analysis.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides a DNA molecule. The DNA molecule includes a nucleotide sequence that encodes the receptor-binding domain of Clostridium difficile toxin A or toxin B in which at least about 10% of the in-frame codons for each amino acid residue has a higher percentage use in the human genome than the corresponding in-frame codons of C. difficile toxin A or toxin B having a known sequence. Methods for generating antibodies to Clostridium difficile toxin A or toxin B, methods for reducing the risk of a C. difficile infection, and methods for treating a C. difficile are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying a binding site on an RNA transcript, wherein the binding site binds to one or more binding moieties. The method includes, among other things, introducing a photoreactive nucleoside into living cells wherein the living cells incorporate the photoreactive nucleoside into RNA transcripts during transcription thereby producing modified RNA transcripts; reverse transcribing the RNA of isolated cross-linked segments thereby generating cDNA transcripts with one mutation wherein the photoreactive nucleoside is transcribed to a mismatched deoxynucleoside; amplifying the cDNA transcripts thereby generating amplicons; and analyzing the sequences of the amplicons aligned against the reference sequence so as to identify the binding site, wherein the sequences of each amplicon having a mutation resulting from the introduction of the photoreactive nucleoside is considered to be a valid amplicon comprising at least a portion of a binding site on the RNA transcript.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to chimeric bacteriophage lysins useful for the identification and/or reduction of staphylococcal populations. For example, a chimeric bacteriophage lysin was engineered and shown to effectively kill all strains of staphylococci tested including antibiotic resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA).