Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods of treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and especially to treatment of this condition with cyclic peptidic and peptidomimetic compounds which have the ability to modulate the activity of G protein-coupled receptors. The compounds preferably act as antagonists of the C5a receptor, and are active against C5a receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages. Particularly preferred compounds for use in the methods of the invention are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention discloses proteinaceous compounds that comprise at least a biologically active portion of a taipan natriuretic peptide (TNP) or a variant or derivative thereof. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds in methods for stimulating vasodilation, natriuresis, diuresis, renin-suppression, bactericidal activity, weight-loss or bone growth in a mammalian host. In specific embodiments, the compounds are useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

Abstract: Blood pressure measurements are represented aurally. An audio synthesizer (15) receives a signal representative of blood pressure information, and synthesizes an audio output from the signal. Both the duration and pitch of the synthesized audio output are dependent on the value of the blood pressure information, according to a linear scale or a non-linear scale such as stepped scale. The blood pressure information includes at least one of arterial or pulmonary arterial systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure measurements, and the audio output includes an earcon comprising a tone or sequence of tones, the tone(s) being representative of a respective type of blood pressure measurement. The earcon may also include one or more static or dynamic beacons.

Abstract: Antibodies raised against recombinant or synthetic cpn10 are disclosed. The cpn10 has the sequence GSMAGQAFRKFLPLFDRVLVERSAAETVTKGGIMLPEKSQGKVLQ ATVEAVGSGSKGKGGEIQPVSVKEGDKVLLPEYGGTKVVLDDKDYFLFRDGDIL GKYVD (SEQ ID NO:21). Antibodies are raised against either the entire sequence of cpn 10, or a shorter peptide sequence derived from cpn10, such as Ac-AGQAFRKFLPL (SEQ ID NO:2), ACQAFRKFLPL (SEQ ID NO 1), or EKSQGKVLQAT (SEQ ID NO:3), in which the peptides may have a single amino acid deletion, addition or substitution. The antibodies can be used to terminate pregnancy, suppress tumor cell growth or enhance the immune system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing schizophrenia, schizophrenia disorder subgroup, or predisposition thereto in a test subject is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining an interhemispheric switch rate of the test subject. In one embodiment, the interhemispheric switch rate of the test subject is under conditions of increasing rate of dichoptic reversal, and comparing the switch rate with a corresponding reference switch rate to diagnose presence or absence of schizophrenia, a schizophrenic disorder subgroup, or predisposition thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the interhemispheric switch rate is determined by measuring the rate of binocular rivalry in the test subject. Also disclosed is use of a diagnostic method in genetic linkage studies for the identification of the molecular defect(s) underlying schizophrenia, and for the identification of compounds which may alleviate the disorder.

Abstract: A three-dimensional grid (10) is used as a phantom for mapping geometric distortion in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus. This phantom provides an array of densely distributed control points in three-dimensional space. These points are each defined by three orthogonal planes. In the phantom image, the planes are determined by detecting boundary surfaces between portions of the phantom and its surrounding medium, enabling the positions of the control points to be measured to sub-voxel accuracy. The mapped distortion can then be used to automatically correct images produced by the MRI apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to cyclised conotoxin peptides, processes for their preparation and their pharmaceutical use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods for generating plants having altered phenotypes, and to plants so generated and parts of these plants. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for modifying a plant so as to produce a plant exhibiting an altered phenotype. Particularly useful altered phenotypes contemplated by the present invention include plants having altered tissue architecture. The present invention further contemplates genetic sequences capable of facilitating the modification of a phenotype of a plant and to sequences complementary thereto and to derivatives of the sequences. Plants and parts of plants, such as flowering and reproductive parts including seeds, also form part of the present invention. The ability to modify the phenotype of a plant may be useful for, inter alia, producing plants with more highly desired characteristics, such as delayed flowering, increased lateral branching, delayed senescence and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to amino acid derivatives and to methods of making the same. In particular, the invention relates to compounds bearing a stereochemical identity, that is, the same stereochemistry, with the chiral ?-carbon of D-?-amino acids and their use in methods of therapy, including the treatment of inflammatory diseases, and to compositions and enantiomeric mixtures containing them.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.

Abstract: A method of producing a silica coating by forming a silica precursor formulation that is coated on a substrate as a continuous liquid phase. The silica precursor formulation is then cured in an ammoniacal atmosphere to produce a continuous, interconnected, nano-porous silica network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resolving individual signals in detector output data, the method comprising determining a signal form of signals present in the data, making parameter estimates of one or more parameters of the signals, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least signal temporal position, and determining the energy of the signals from at least the form and the parameter estimates.

Abstract: A method of constructing a synthetic polynucleotide, the method including selecting a first codon of a parent polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide for replacement with a synonymous codon, wherein the synonymous codon is selected on the basis that it exhibits a higher translational efficiency in an epithelial cell of a mammal than the first codon in a comparison of translational efficiencies of codons in test cells of the same type as the epithelial cell; and replacing the first codon with the synonymous codon to construct the synthetic polynucleotide.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for producing commercial quantities of Baculovirus using a combination of methods involving producing occlusion bodies with infectious baculovirus in caterpillar larvae and large numbers of viral particles with serial passages in cell culture. A two step method was developed by initially producing infectious virus in caterpillar larvae and then using the resultant infectious virus as an inoculum for a limited number of serial passages in cell culture so to produce large amounts of infectious baculovirus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.

Abstract: Bi-planar coil assemblies are disclosed which have DSV's whose centers are offset by distances D from the origins of x,y,z-coordinate systems, where said origins of x,y,z-coordinate systems are coincident with the geometric centers of the coils. The distances D can be of the order of 10-20 centimeters or more. The bi-planar coil assemblies can be used in MRI applications to reduce the feeling of claustrophobia experienced by some subjects. The assemblies also can facilitate the imaging of various joints, including the wrist, elbow, ankle, or knee.