Abstract: A functional PET imaging method is disclosed for differentiation between bilateral hyperplasia and unilateral adenoma comprising (1) introducing a radioactively labelled CYP11 B2 (aldosterone synthase) inhibitor which binds selectively to CYP11 B2 (aldosterone synthase) relative to CYP11 B1 (11?-hydroxylase) into a mammal with adrenal glands and (2) conducting positron emission tomography (PET) in the region of the adrenal glands to obtain a functional PET image of the adrenal glands. Also disclosed are radioactive tracer compounds suitable for use in this method, precursors for making the same, and a process for making the radioactive tracer compounds capable of being conducted as a rapid one-pot reaction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the fabrication of structures from an ion gel. In particular, the invention relates to a method, wherein the structures are fabricated by way of ink jet printing technology, which comprises the following steps of mixing at least one monomer with at least one ionic liquid to a printable liquid; generating the structure by printing the printable liquid using ink jet printing technique; and forming the polymer by means of polymerization, polyaddition or polycondensation of the structure; wherein common solvents are omitted.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical security mark that can be applied to an object, said mark comprising a structure made of a metamaterial that generates a magnetic response to incident radiation having a wavelength (?) corresponding to a specific code of formula ?r(?) where ?r is the relative magnetic permeability of the metamaterial and ? is a wavelength of the incident radiation having a value of between 15 nm and 1100 nm, or a specific code of formula ?(?r) or combinations of said codes. Said mark has a first tranverse dimension bx in a first transverse extension of the metamaterial and a second transverse dimension by in a second transverse extension of the metamaterial, different from the first transversal dimension, the first transverse dimension and the second transverse dimension each being at least equal to the wavelength (?) of the incident radiation.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and compositions for reducing Interleukin-4 or Interleukin-13 signaling, in particular to treat asthma and atopic dermatitis. The inventors have found that Rac/PAK mediated endocytosis of the ligand bound type I (IL-4R with the chains IL-4Ra and IL-2-Rg) and/or type II receptor (IL-13R with the chains IL-4Ra and IL-13Ra1) is needed for the IL-4 and/or IL-13 mediated activation of downstream signalling events including phosphorylation of Stat family transcrition factors. These discoveries enable new methods of screening compounds that modulate Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-13 signalling, as well as new methods for treating conditions characterized by increased Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-13 levels. These conditions include inflammatory conditions, asthma bronchiale, atopic dermatitis, allergies, atopic syndromes, allergic rhinitis, and th2-induced conditions.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed, in part, to a curable composition, a method for augmenting a structure in a patient with a resorbable biocompatible polymer, and a biodegradable, resorbable implant comprising a biocompatible copolymer. An exemplary embodiment of the curable composition comprises (a) 60 wt. % to 95 wt. % of one or more vinyl ester monomers and/or vinylcarbonate monomers, wherein said one or more vinyl ester monomers and/or vinylcarbonate monomers are respectively selected from compounds of the general formulas (I) and (II) below: wherein n, m R1 and R2 have the meaning defined herein; (b) 0.1 to 40 wt. % of one or more multifunctional thiols; and (c) 0 to 10 wt. % of a biocompatible polymerization initiator.

Abstract: Novel amino acids derivatives, in particular some amino acid amides derivatives, their process of preparation and their use for inhibiting Met-triggered disorders, in particular cancer.

Abstract: Described are compounds having a thiazolhydrazide scaffold, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one of these compounds together with pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluents. Said thiazolhydrazide compounds can be used for prophylaxis and/or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and conditions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an emergency release system for one or more pieces of winter sports equipment, such as skis, ski poles, snowboards, bindings and/or boots for skis or snowboards. It is equipped with a connection mechanism for detachably connecting at least two elements of one or more pieces of winter sports equipment, wherein the connection mechanism is supported substantially radially in or on one of the two elements, and a drive mechanism, which can be activated from outside and is suited for cancelling the radial support of the connection mechanism, accordingly causing the two elements to separate. The invention also relates to a release method and a manufacturing process for such an emergency release system.

Abstract: An implantable system for determining the accommodation requirement in an artificial accommodation system by optical measurement of the pupil diameter and the surrounding luminance, including at least one optical system, at least one data acquisition system that does not contact the ciliary muscle and measures a diameter of the pupil and luminance around at least one eye as a physical control signal for the accommodation requirement, at least one data processing system for generating an actuating signal for the optical system from the detected physical control signals or for the purpose of switching to the standby mode, at least one energy supply system, and at least one fixing system. The system has one sensor or a plurality of sensors with sensor elements for measuring the pupil diameter and the surrounding luminance.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of determining a test compound's ability to modify the biological activity of a GPR17. Said method comprises, among others, the step of contacting the test compound with a GPR17, or a functional GPR17 fragment in the presence of a suitable amount of a GPR17 agonist of formula I.

Abstract: The present invention refers to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the soluble CD5 ectodomain and its use for the prevention and/or treatment of fungal infections and/or fungal sepsis, as well as inflammatory disorders of fungal origin.

Abstract: A membrane, especially for application in a sensor, which membrane includes a biocidal effect. The membrane comprises one or more components of the group consisting of: silver nano particles encapsulated in amphiphilic, core, shell structures, antimicrobial silanes, polymers with an antimicrobial end group, polyquads with modified end groups, and biocidally acting block copolymers. The membrane is resistant against aggressive agents, for example, corrosive or oxidizing cleaning agents, in the case of sterilizing, in the case of autoclaving, in the case of thermal loading and/or in the case of mechanical loading.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a animal feed for calves comprising calf-specific bacteria, optionally lipids, proteins, vitamins and/or mineral materials for conditioning of the intestinal flora in calves, and thus, for prophylaxis and/or treatment of diarrhea in calves.

Abstract: A Fabry-Pérot tuneable filter device is described with reflecting elements separated by an optical path length to form an optical resonator cavity. A first actuator means is directly or indirectly coupled with a first reflecting element. And the first actuator means is configured to modulate the optical path length between first and second reflecting elements by a modulation amplitude to thereby sweep the optical resonator cavity through a band of optical resonance frequencies with a sweep frequency of 70 kHz or more. And the mechanical coupling between selected elements of the arrangement is sufficiently low such that when operated at the sweep frequency, the selected elements act as a system of coupled oscillating elements. In addition or alternatively, the first actuator means is directly or indirectly coupled with the first reflecting element so as to substantially drive the first reflecting element only.

Abstract: There is provided a method of maintaining a hybrid OLTP and OLAP database, the method comprising: executing one or more OLTP transactions; creating a virtual memory snapshot; and executing one or more OLAP queries using the virtual memory snapshot. Preferably, the method further comprises replicating a virtual memory page on which a data object is stored in response to an update to the data object, whereby the updated data object is accessible for OLTP transactions, while the non-updated data object remains accessible for OLAP queries. Accordingly, the present invention provides a hybrid system that can handle both OLTP and OLAP simultaneously by using hardware-assisted replication mechanisms to maintain consistent snapshots of the transactional data.

Abstract: According to the invention, autoantibodies, the appearance of which is characteristic of neurological autoimmune diseases, especially multiple sclerosis, are detected and the respective autoantigens identified. It can further be shown that many of these autoantigens are expressed specifically in the brain. The identification of the autoantigens and autoantibodies is useful for diagnosis and treatment. A brain-specific expression of the autoantigens further emphasizes an important role of the antigens and antibodies in the origin and development of neurological autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: The invention concerns the production of poly(arylene-vinylenes) and related polymers whose polymerization is triggered photochemically. For that purpose, the low molecular starting materials are firstly cooled to temperatures which are so low that in fact their activation into mostly chinoid intermediate stages (the “active” monomer) occurs; the thermally induced polymerization, however, either does not occur or barely takes place at all. The polymerization is instead triggered in a separate step by means of electromagnetic radiation of a suitable wavelength—either using the absorption behavior of the low-molecular starting compounds/the monomers, or mediated by means of photoinitiators and/or sensitizers. By way of example, with this method a display is suitable to be coated with poly(arylene-vinylenes). The monomer is hereby deposited. The polymer is subsequently produced in a photo-induced manner. The remaining monomer is washed out. The process takes place at low temperatures.

Abstract: An optical assembly for use in coherent two- or more-dimensional optical spectroscopy includes a beam splitter that splits a base light pulse into first, second, third and fourth light pulse and a delay element that varies the arrival times of the first to fourth light pulses at a sample location with respect to each other. The beam splitter includes a cross-grating a first reflector arranged to receive the first to fourth light pulses emerging from the cross-grating and to reflect the same in parallel to each other, a second reflector arranged to receive the first to fourth light pulses from the delay element and to focus the same at the sample location, wherein the delay element is arranged between first and second reflectors. Also shown is an apparatus including such optical assembly and a method for carrying out two- or more-dimensional optical spectroscopy using the assembly.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and kits for diagnosing a renal disease in a patient or for predicting the risk of a patient for developing a renal disease. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for diagnosing a renal disease in a patient, comprising determining the level of a ubiquitin fragment having a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of 6188 (ubiquitin m/z 6188), or the level of a nucleic acid encoding ubiquitin m/z 6188, in a sample derived from said patient, wherein the substantial absence or a reduced level of less than 25% of ubiquitin m/z 6188 or the nucleic acid encoding ubiquitin m/z 6188 compared to a control is indicative of the renal disease in said patient.

Abstract: A method for enabling bidirectional data communication using a single optical carrier and a single laser source with the aid of an integrated, colorless demodulator and detector for frequency modulated signals, and a reflective modulator. A receiving optical system holds a technique for demodulation and detection of optical frequency modulated signals, enabling remodulation of the incoming signal to establish bidirectional communication with the transmitting optical system, without introducing a high penalty. A colorless demodulator and detector, which provides the functionality of a periodic filtering device for demodulation of the downstream, and also detection capability. The principle of operation of the CDD relies on the introduction of a comb transfer function with the help of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier, by providing a reflected feedback signal to the CDD's active element.