Abstract: Devices and methods for dental abutments. Particular embodiments include a dental abutment comprising a base portion, and a generally cylindrical neck portion extending from the base portion, where the generally cylindrical neck portion comprises a first end proximal to the base portion, a second end distal from the base portion, an outer surface, and an inner surface forming a central lumen. Certain embodiments include a plurality of vent holes extending from the outer surface of the generally cylindrical neck portion to the central lumen, where the plurality of vent holes are located proximal to the base portion of the abutment.

Abstract: A power converter comprising one or more switch blocks. Each switch block has: a plurality of switch-pairs each having two switches connected in series to each other; a plurality of primary nodes each interconnecting the switches in a respective switch-pair; and a plurality of secondary nodes, each switch-pair being connected in series to an adjacent switch-pair through a said secondary node to form a serial chain of switch-pairs, the secondary nodes including a secondary node at one end of said serial chain and a secondary node at another end of said serial chain. Each adjacent pair of said primary nodes is connectable to a flying capacitor. Each pair of said secondary nodes is connectable to one or more of the following: one or more bypass capacitors, and one or more other said switch blocks.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a beta zeolite, which is a seed crystal addition method that is capable of reducing the environmental load as much as possible. A method for producing a beta zeolite according to the present invention comprises a step wherein a reaction mixture that contains a silica source, an alumina source, an alkali source and water and a seed crystal that is composed of a beta zeolite are mixed with each other and heated. A beta zeolite which comprises particles having a particle size of 10 ?m or less in an amount of 90% or more on a volume basis in the particle size distribution as determined by a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution measuring method, and which is synthesized without using an organic structure-directing agent is used as the seed crystal.

Abstract: An oil-in-water emulsion comprises an emulsifier which is a non-gelled branched polymer (e.g. a branched vinyl polymer), wherein the ends of at least some of the chains of said polymer terminate in an alkyl chain of 5 carbon atoms or more, and wherein the oil-in-water emulsion takes the form of particles having a z-average diameter of no greater than about 1000 nm. This is useful in, for example, facilitating the carrying of hydrophobic materials within aqueous systems, to enhance oral drug delivery. The oil-in-water emulsion may be prepared by mixing an oil phase with an aqueous phase in the presence of an emulsifier, wherein said emulsifier is a non-gelled branched polymer, wherein the ends of at least some of the chains of said polymer terminate in an alkyl chain of 5 carbon atoms or more, and wherein the oil-in-water emulsion takes the form of particles having a z-average diameter of no greater than about 1000 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a terahertz wave modulator. The wave modulator can include one or more layers of piezoelectric/ferroelectric single crystal or polycrystalline material. The crystalline material can be configured to resonate when a low-energy external excitation is applied. An incident terahertz waveform can be dynamically controlled when the incident terahertz waveform interacts with the at least one layer of piezoelectric crystalline material while the at least one layer of piezoelectric crystalline material is resonating. The dynamic control of the incident terahertz waveform can be with respect to at least one of a phase shift and an amplitude modulation of the waveform.

Abstract: Provided are multi-phase systems that may be used to prepare a three-dimension aggregate of cells referred to as a cellular spheroid. The multi-phase system includes a droplet of an aqueous polymer phase within an immersion aqueous polymer phase. The droplet of the droplet aqueous polymer phase contains a three-dimensional aggregate of cells (cellular spheroid). Types of cells that may be used in the multi-phases system include stem cells and cancer cells. The cellular spheroids with the multi-phase system may be used to monitor cell growth in three-dimensional systems, or screen drugs in a three-dimension aggregate of cells.

Abstract: Methods and kits for the diagnosis of illnesses related to protocadherin 19 (PCDH 19) protein deficiency or altered PCDH 19 protein function, in particular EFMR (Epilepsy and Mental Retardation limited to Females) are provided, as well as methods and kits for the identification of a predisposition to such illnesses and methods of screening subjects to identify carriers of such illnesses and methods and kits for the therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of PCDH 19 deficiency or altered PCDH 19 protein function. Further, nucleotide and amino acid sequences corresponding to a complete PCDH19 open reading frame (ORF), mutant sequences encoding non-functional PCDH19 mRNA or altered PCDH19 mRN A are described along with transformed cells and non-human transgenic animals comprising wild-type or mutant PCDH19 ORF nucleotide sequences.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions that include a nanoparticle and a compound that increases the biological activity of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) (e.g., a VDR agonist), and methods of using such compounds to increase retention or storage of vitamin A, vitamin D, and/or lipids by a cell, such as an epithelial or stellate cell. Such methods can be used to treat or prevent fibrosis.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of promoting polyploidization of megakaryocytes and thereby producing highly polyploidized megakaryocytes, a method of efficiently producing platelets from polyploidized megakaryocytes, and the like. The present invention provides a method of producing polyploidized megakaryocytes comprising a step of forcing expression of an apoptosis suppressor gene in megakaryocytes before polyploidization and culturing the resulting cells.

Abstract: The polynucleotide construct of (1) or (2) below is used to perform ribosome display, CIS display and/or mRNA display in order to screen a Fab against an antigen of interest: (1) a polynucleotide construct which monocistronically comprises a ribosome-binding sequence, Fab first chain-coding sequence, linker peptide-coding sequence, Fab second chain-coding sequence and scaffold-coding sequence in this order, and further comprises at its 3?-end a structure necessary for maintaining a complex with the Fab encoded by itself; and (2) a polynucleotide construct which comprises a Fab first chain-expressing cistron and a Fab second chain-expressing cistron each containing a ribosome-binding sequence, a Fab first chain-coding sequence or Fab second chain-coding sequence, and a scaffold-coding sequence in this order, the first Fab-expressing cistron further comprising at its 3?-end a ribosome stall sequence, said Fab second chain-expressing cistron further comprising at its 3?-end a structure necessary for maintaining

Abstract: The present invention provides novel compounds of the Formula (I), pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and methods for using such compounds as tools for biological studies or as agents or drugs for therapies such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, type II diabetes, fibrosis and cardiovascular diseases, whether they are used alone or in combination with other treatment modalities.

Abstract: Isatoic anhydride derivatives having an N-substituent which includes a quaternary ammonium group are useful for labeling and/or functionalizing a target material and/or for coupling materials together. The isatoic anhydride derivatives of the present disclosure can be advantageously water soluble, easily prepared and purified. Isatoic anhydride derivatives useful in the present disclosure preferably have at least one chemically reactive group or at least one binding group or at least one detectable label. Anthranilate derivatives made from the isatoic anhydrides derivatives or otherwise and kits including the isatoic anhydride derivatives are also disclosed.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system that adaptively compensates for subject motion in real-time in an imaging system. An object orientation marker (30), preferably a retro-grate reflector (RGR), is placed on the head or other body organ of interest of a patient (P) during a scan, such as an MRI scan. The marker (30) makes it possible to measure the six degrees of freedom (x, y, and z-translations, and pitch, yaw, and roll), or “pose”, required to track motion of the organ of interest. A detector, preferably a camera (40), observes the marker (30) and continuously extracts its pose. The pose from the camera (40) is sent to the scanner (120) via an RGR processing computer (50) and a scanner control and processing computer (100), allowing for continuous correction of scan planes and position (in real-time) for motion of the patient (P).

Abstract: The present invention provides ?V?3 integrin cysteine loop domain agonists and antagonists (including peptide agonists and antagonists and analogs thereof), along with methods of using the same.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating and using a web page classification model are disclosed. The method may include identifying a plurality of web pages for generating a web page classification model, assigning a label to each of the plurality of web pages, accessing Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) traffic traces associated with downloading content from each of the plurality of web pages, processing TCP/IP headers from the TCP/IP traffic traces to identify and extract features that discriminate between the labels, that are uncorrelated and whose discriminatory accuracy remains stable across time and/or browser platform. The method may further include generating a web page classification model by training a trainer to learn a combination of the features that accurately discriminates between the labels. The model is usable to classify unlabeled web pages by applying the model to TCP/IP traffic traces used to access the unlabeled web pages.

Abstract: Methods and composition for cell-based therapy as well as somatostatin receptor-based therapy are described. For example, in certain aspects methods for administering an anti-tumor therapy using a signaling defective somatostatin receptor mutant are described. Furthermore, the invention provides compositions and methods involve a somatostatin constitutively active somatostatin receptor mutant.

Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) compounds, and methods of using the same for treating bone fractures, treating osteoporosis and/or metabolic bone diseases, and inducing osteogenesis and/or chondrogenesis, are disclosed.

Abstract: Described herein are analogues of 2-methyl-3-(2-ethynylthiazol-4-yl)cyclopent-2-enol and the corresponding ketone 3-(2-ethynylthiazol-4-yl)-2-methylcyclopent-2-enone, the analogues having terminal alkyne groups at the 2-position of the thiazole ring. These drug-like molecules, referred to as CETZOLE compounds, are useful to treat non-small cell lung cancer and other forms of cancer. Methods of making and using the compounds, methods of treating various diseases, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides fully IgG bi-specific antibodies comprising designed residues in the interface of the heavy chain-heavy chain (CH3/CH3) domains, processes for preparing said fully IgG bi-specific antibodies, and nucleic acids, vectors and host cells encoding the same.