Abstract: Platinum particles have been formed as porous, hollow tubular dendrites by using silver dendrite particles in a galvanic replacement reaction conducted in an aqueous solution of a platinum compound. The dendritic platinum particles have been found useful as catalysts and particularly useful as a hydrogen-oxidation electrocatalyst and/or an oxygen-reduction catalyst in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell.

Abstract: Tin powder is heated in a flowing stream of an inert gas, such as argon, containing a small concentration of carbon-containing gas, at a temperature to produce metal vapor. The tin deposits as liquid on a substrate, and reacts with the carbon-containing gas to form carbon nanotubes in the liquid tin. Upon cooling and solidification, a composite of tin nanowires bearing coatings of carbon nanotubes is formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for preparing radiopharmaceutical compounds in high chemical-purity and isotopic-purity. The present invention provides polymer-bound precursors to radiopharmaceutical compounds that can be converted to radiopharmaceutical compounds in one step. In a preferred embodiment, a radiopharmaceutical precursor is bound to a polymeric support via a prosthetic group comprising an alkenyl-tin bond. The radiopharmaceutical precursor is converted to a radiopharmaceutical compound in one step involving cleavage of the alkenyl-tin bond and incorporation of a radioisotope to form the radiopharmaceutical compound. Importantly, the polymeric support containing the toxic tin by-product can be easily removed from the radiopharmaceutical compound by filtration. The present invention can be used to install a large number of different radioisotopes. In a preferred embodiment, the radioisotope is 211At, 123I, or 131I.

Abstract: A curling broom includes an elongate shaft having opposed first and second ends, the first end being graspable by a sweeper and being attached to a broom head attachment plate located at the second end. A curling broom head is attached to the broom head receptacle for sweeping an ice surface. The broom head includes a base section, a reflective constituent selected to reflect infrared radiation which can be a layer secured to a bottom surface of the base section, or the top of the woven fabric or both or a reflective powder incorporated into a foam pad attached to the base section, (or the foam pad being metalized), or an outer surface of an outer fabric layer being metalized and secured to the base section. Infrared radiation generated by sweeping the ice is reflected by the reflective layer back towards the ice surface for further heating the ice surface.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for treating wounds are provided. The compositions include cyclic analogues of histatin (5).

Abstract: A method of processing a plurality of time separated images comprises selecting; a plurality of imaging units in each image; measuring a temporal difference in each imaging unit; and selecting temporal differences above a threshold limit.

Abstract: Method for growing multilayer polymer based hetexjunction devices which uses selective breaking of C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds leading to fast curing for the production of layered polymer devices having polymer heterojunctions deposited by the common solution-based deposition methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to immunoglobulin (Ig)-binding proteins with alkali-resistance properties. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for a variant of an Ig-binding protein, the variant comprising the Ig-binding protein having at least one asparagine residue substituted with a histidine, a serine, an aspartic acid or a threonine residue. The at least one substitution may confer to the variant Ig-binding protein an increased stability in alkaline solutions when compared to the wild-type Ig-binding. The present invention relates also to matrices for affinity separation of immunoglobulins comprising the Ig-binding proteins of the present invention, and to methods of using the Ig-binding proteins of the present invention to separate immunoglobulins from mixture compositions.

Abstract: There is provided a composition for controlling formation and/or stabilization of a blood vessel comprising a first isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes a FGF-9 polypeptide and optionally one or more isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes another angiogenic polypeptide. There is provided a composition for controlling formation and/or stabilization of a blood vessel comprising administering an effective amount of a composition comprising an isolated FGF-9 polypeptide and one or more other angiogenic polypeptides. The compositions provided herein may be useful for controlling angiogenesis and/or vasculogenesis.

Abstract: Ghrelin analogues having high affinity for a target receptor in diseased cells are provided, as well as methods of diagnosis and treatment utilizing such analogues.

Abstract: Functionalized copolymers of isoolefins and conjugated diolefins, methods of preparing said copolymers, and their use as compatibilizers are disclosed. The diolefin monomer units of the co-polymer are modified at the C—C double bond along the backbone of the copolymer to include an oxygen containing functional group such as epoxide, ester or alcohol. The functionalized copolymers improve the wettabilty of a non-hydrophilic surface towards hydrophilic polymer and allows for the formation of homogenous layers of the hydrophilic polymers. In particular, the spreading of a hydrophilic polymer on a non-hydrophilic substrate is facilitated by applying the co-polymers as an interfacial layer between the two incompatible materials. The resulting coated substrates exhibit resistance to protein adsorption and cell growth after grafting. The co-polymers are especially suited in the coating of biomedical devices where a high degree of uniformity of the coated surface is required.

Abstract: Provided are a support for affinity chromatography which has excellent alkali resistance, and a method for isolating immunoglobulin. A support for affinity chromatography, containing an immobilized protein ligand represented by the following formula (1): R—R2??(1) wherein R represents a polypeptide consisting of 4 to 30 amino acid residues that contains an amino acid sequence represented by ATK or ASK; and R2 represents a polypeptide consisting of 50 to 500 amino acid residues containing an immunoglobulin-binding domain consisting of an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2, the partial sequence thereof, or an amino acid sequence having 70% or more identity to these sequences; with the proviso that a terminus at which R2 binds to R is C-terminus or N-terminus of the immunoglobulin-binding domain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel graft copolymers of functionalized poly(isoolefin-co-conjugated diolefin, and a process of preparing such graft copolymers. The present invention also relates to a method of preparing functionalized copolymers of isoolefins and conjugated diolefins.

Abstract: An arrangement of elongated nanowires that include titanium silicide or tungsten silicide may be grown on the exterior surfaces of many individual electrically conductive microfibers of much larger diameter. Each of the nanowires is structurally defined by an elongated, centralized titanium silicide or tungsten silicide nanocore that terminates in a distally spaced gold particle and which is co-axially surrounded by a removable amorphous nanoshell. A gold-directed catalytic growth mechanism initiated during a low pressure chemical vapor deposition process is used to grow the nanowires uniformly along the entire length and circumference of the electrically conductive microfibers where growth is intended. The titanium silicide- or tungsten silicide-based nanowires can be used in a variety electrical, electrochemical, and semiconductor applications.

Abstract: An oral device for use with a person in which at least one non-toxic gas pulse is delivered to a predetermined location in the mouth via a device conduit. The oral device may be provided as a kit with at least one device for measuring the subject's responses and representing them as feedback to the subject/clinician. A method of creating a gas bolus pulse train, delivering it to a predetermined mouth area, and monitoring the subject's responses to it, is also shown. The oral device and method may be used as a diagnostic tool, or a therapeutic tool, in swallowing or speech rehabilitation of children and adults who have swallowing, speech, salivary, and/or oral sensorimotor impairments.

Abstract: An oral appliance for administering a stimulus, such as a substance, to the mouth of a user includes a flexible tube having an inlet portion, a first curved portion forming an ear loop connected to the inlet portion, a second curved portion forming a lip bend connected to the first curved portion, and an outlet portion extending from the second curved portion. Alternatively, a mouthpiece for delivering a substance to the mouth of a user includes a housing having an inlet portion, a riser portion extending upwardly from the inlet portion and a curved outlet portion. A flexible tube is coupled to the housing. A method of delivering a substance to a predetermined location in a user's mouth includes disposing a flexible tube between a row of teeth and an interior surface of a cheek. The flexible tube has an exit port positioned in a rear portion of the user's mouth.

Abstract: Segmenting the prostate boundary is essential in determining the dose plan needed for a successful bracytherapy procedure—an effective and commonly used treatment for prostate cancer. However, manual segmentation is time consuming and can introduce inter and intra-operator variability. This present invention describes an algorithm for segmenting the prostate from two dimensional ultrasound (2D US) images, which can be full-automatic, with some assumptions of image acquisition. Segmentation begins with the user assuming the center of the prostate to be at the center of the image for the fully-automatic version. The image is then filtered to identify prostate edge candidates. The next step removes most of the false edges and keeps as many true edges as possible. Then, domain knowledge is used to remove any prostate boundary candidates that are probably false edge pixels.

Abstract: Biopsy of the prostate using 2D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guidance is the current gold standard for diagnosis of prostate cancer; however, the current procedure is limited by using 2D biopsy tools to target 3D biopsy locations. We have discovered a technique for patient-specific 3D prostate model reconstruction from a sparse collection of non-parallel 2D TRUS biopsy images. Our method can be easily integrated with current TRUS biopsy equipment and could be incorporated into current clinical biopsy procedures for needle guidance without the need for expensive hardware additions. We have demonstrated the model reconstruction technique using simulated biopsy images from 3D TRUS prostate images of 10 biopsy patients. This technique of model reconstruction is not limited to the prostate, but can be applied to the reconstruction of any tissue acquired with non-parallel 2-dimensional ultrasound images.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to an oral device, or mouthpiece, for delivering a fluid to the mouth or oropharynx of a user. In one embodiment, the oral device includes an intraoral portion, an extraoral portion, and an auxiliary support device that serves to stabilize the oral device. In various embodiments, the auxiliary support device may be configured with ear loops, a support band, a support frame and/or a support member. The intraoral portion generally includes at least one outlet port through which the fluid is delivered to the oral cavity or oropharynx. A method of dispensing a fluid using the oral device is also provided.

Abstract: A method for controlling an ultrasonic motor coupled to a motor driver circuit, comprises obtaining a position of a first encoder coupled to the ultrasonic motor, calculating an error between the position of the first encoder and a target position, and sending a control signal to the motor driver circuit to control the ultrasonic motor to adjust the position of the first encoder based the calculated error.