Abstract: The present disclosure provides efficient and precise programmable gene delivery technology based on a composition comprising (i) a first protein comprising or consisting of a site-specific DNA binding protein capable of binding and cleaving a target nucleic acid sequence; or a nucleic acid construct encoding said first protein; and (ii) a second protein comprising or consisting of a transposase; or a nucleic acid construct encoding said second protein; wherein said transposase is a modified hyperactive PiggyBac.

Abstract: A nucleic acid constructs are used in improving site-specific insertion of an exogenous nucleic acid into a genome. In some aspects the nucleic acid construct having a first polynucleotide sequence encoding a DNA binding protein engineered to bind to a specific genomic DNA sequence, a second polynucleotide having a modified integrase or a modified transposase that enables insertion of exogenous nucleic acid into the genome, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding a linker between the two nucleotides. In some aspects, the nucleic acid construct encodes a fusion protein, for example, a fusion protein for delivery to a cell by a lentiviral particle.

Abstract: A method and computer programs for identifying time-frequency features of physiological events are disclosed. A computer system comprises filtering a set of physiological signals within each one of a plurality of time-frequency windows, obtaining a filtered set for each time-frequency window; calculating, for each time-frequency window, a given feature for the filtered set, each one of the signals of the filtered set having a given feature value, providing for each time-frequency window a set of feature values; and calculating, for each time-frequency window a first quantifier defined as a function of said set of features values and/or a second quantifier defined as a function of an empirical distribution of said set of feature values. The first quantifier can be compared with a first threshold and the second quantifier can be compared with a second threshold. The computing system can further select the time-frequency windows satisfying the first threshold and/or the second threshold.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to variable power modular electronic systems for generating unipolar and bipolar electrical pulses and associated uses thereof. In an embodiment, such a system includes one or more pulse generators for generating electrical pulses that can be connected in series; a charging circuit for charging the pulse generators; and a controller communicatively coupled to the pulse generators and the charging circuit. Advantageously, each pulse generator may include an AC/DC rectifier and a DC/AC inverter connected to said AC/DC rectifier in a bridge configuration to generate bipolar output electrical pulses or pulse trains. In addition, the charging circuit may include a DC/DC step-up converter connected to an indirect DC/AC inverter. The system provided in various embodiments of the disclosure also provides a great versatility for adaptation to various applications and high output voltage and current values.

Abstract: A method, system and computer programs for computing simultaneous rectilinear paths using medical images are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a 3D medical image comprising voxels representing a volume of an anatomical region of a patient and a preliminary path determined by two points traversing said 3D medical image, wherein said 3D medical image has segmented therein at least one area of interest, the preliminary path comprising a security zone with a given distance; computing a distance map of said area of interest and mapping its voxels to a first value or to a second value depending on a distance threshold, the latter being equal to said given distance of the security zone; selecting the voxels having said second value and projecting them using a frustum that projects the preliminary path onto a single point, to obtain a 2D projected image that includes a plurality of rectilinear paths.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to variable power modular electronic systems for generating unipolar and bipolar electrical pulses and associated uses thereof. In an embodiment, such a system includes one or more pulse generators for generating electrical pulses that can be connected in series; a charging circuit for charging the pulse generators; and a controller communicatively coupled to the pulse generators and the charging circuit. Advantageously, each pulse generator may include an AC/DC rectifier and a DC/AC inverter connected to said AC/DC rectifier in a bridge configuration to generate bipolar output electrical pulses or pulse trains. In addition, the charging circuit may include a DC/DC step-up converter connected to an indirect DC/AC inverter. The system provided in various embodiments of the disclosure also provides a great versatility for adaptation to various applications and high output voltage and current values.

Abstract: A novel antimicrobial peptide is provided having an inhibitory effect on biofilms produced by biofilm-forming bacteria. The peptide is effective against wide range bacterial targets; generates no antimicrobial resistance; agglutinates bacteria cells enhancing the pathogen removal at the infectious focus; promotes biofilm eradication and prevents biofilm development. Compositions comprising the peptide are provided to treat and prevent infectious diseases, and for other uses such as the disinfection of medical and surgical materials.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for preventing bacterial infections in needle trajectories, comprising: a percutaneous surgical instrument (1) percutaneously introducible into a tissue (3) of a patient, such as a biopsy needle, and having an outer surface made of an electrically conductive material; a contact electrode (4) applicable to the skin (3a) of a patient; a silver coating or element (P) arranged on or forming part of the instrument (1), and configured, sized and provided so as to break down by means of electrochemical release when a current is applied thereto, releasing silver ions into its surroundings; and an electric current generator (2) arranged and configured for generating a current and inducing the temporary circulation thereof between the instrument (1) acting as an anode, the tissue (3) and the contact electrode (4) acting as a cathode, respectively, with a specific magnitude and duration for producing a massive and sudden release of silver ions for the purpose of preventing pos

Abstract: System for preventing bacterial infections in needle trajectories. The system includes a percutaneous surgical instrument (1) percutaneously introducible into a patient's tissue (3) such as a biopsy needle, and having an outer surface made of an electrically conductive material; a contact electrode (4) applicable to the patient's skin (3a); a silver coating or element (P) arranged on or forming part of the instrument (1) to break down by electrochemical release when a current is applied thereto, releasing silver ions into its surroundings; and an electric current generator (2) arranged and configured for generating a current and inducing the temporary circulation thereof between the instrument (1) acting as an anode, the tissue (3) and the contact electrode (4) acting as a cathode, respectively, with a specific magnitude and duration for producing a massive and sudden release of silver ions for the purpose of preventing post-treatment bacterial infections.

Abstract: A novel antimicrobial peptide is provided having an inhibitory effect on biofilms produced by biofilm-forming bacteria. The peptide is effective against wide range bacterial targets; generates no antimicrobial resistance; agglutinates bacteria cells enhancing the pathogen removal at the infectious focus; promotes biofilm eradication and prevents biofilm development. Compositions comprising the peptide are provided to treat and prevent infectious diseases, and for other uses such as the disinfection of medical and surgical materials.

Abstract: The methods comprise: a) obtaining a 3D volume of the object containing two different sub-volumes identified as: well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) sub-volumes; b) generating well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) patches from the two sub-volumes; c) automatically identifying the possible channels by means of automatically obtaining candidate channels regions (CCR), dilating the perimeters of the well-defined zone (S) patches. The method includes embodiments for a layered approach, an EAM polygonal mesh approach and a volume approach. The computer program product is adapted to implement part or all of the steps of the method of the invention. The EAM system comprises computing navigation means implementing the method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to antagonists of the cannabinoid receptor CBI for use in the treatment and prevention of diseases associated with neural dendritic abnormalities, such as Down's syndrome, Angelman's syndrome, Rett syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. More specifically, the invention provides a method of treatment or prevention of such diseases by the administration of the compound rimonabant.

Abstract: The methods comprise: a) obtaining a 3D volume of the object containing two different sub-volumes identified as: well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) sub-volumes; b) generating well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) patches from the two sub-volumes; c) automatically identifying the possible channels by means of automatically obtaining candidate channels regions (CCR), dilating the perimeters of the well-defined zone (S) patches. The method includes embodiments for a layered approach, an EAM polygonal mesh approach and a volume approach. The computer program product is adapted to implement part or all of the steps of the method of the invention. The EAM system comprises computing navigation means implementing the method of the invention.

Abstract: System for preventing bacterial infections in needle trajectories. The system includes a percutaneous surgical instrument (1) percutaneously introducible into a patient's tissue (3) such as a biopsy needle, and having an outer surface made of an electrically conductive material; a contact electrode (4) applicable to the patient's skin (3a); a silver coating or element (P) arranged on or forming part of the instrument (1) to break down by electrochemical release when a current is applied thereto, releasing silver ions into its surroundings; and an electric current generator (2) arranged and configured for generating a current and inducing the temporary circulation thereof between the instrument (1) acting as an anode, the tissue (3) and the contact electrode (4) acting as a cathode, respectively, with a specific magnitude and duration for producing a massive and sudden release of silver ions for the purpose of preventing post-treatment bacterial infections.

Abstract: A method for calculating measures of similarity between time signals, which includes: acquiring and comparing data (xi, yj) of time signals (X, Y); assigning a one or a zero to every two compared data (xi, yj), depending on the result of said comparison, creating a data set; determining time sequences with said ones and zeros of the data set, each one being formed by consecutive sub-sequences of ones, separated by discontinuities of zeros; selecting the highest result of accumulated results obtained for each sub-sequence, adding for each determined point i, j of value one said one to the accumulated result of maximum value, from among the accumulated results at a point i?1, j?1 of said sub-sequence, a point i?2, j?1 of a sub-sequence of a second time sequence, and a point i?1, j?2 of a sub-sequence of a third sequence.

Abstract: miRNA-21 inhibitors and pharmaceutical compositions including an miRNA-21 inhibitor together with pharmaceutical excipients and carriers for use in the treatment of a muscular dystrophy and/or a muscular dystrophy-like myopathy. Particularly, the miRNA-21 inhibitors and pharmaceutical compositions including the same are for use in the regeneration of skeletal muscle in muscular dystrophy and/or a muscular dystrophy-like myopathy patients.

Abstract: A sequence is received of time domain digital audio samples representing sound (e.g., a sound generated by a human voice or a musical instrument). The time domain digital audio samples are processed to derive a corresponding sequence of audio pulses in the time domain. Each of the audio pulses is associated with a characteristic frequency. Frequency domain information is derived about each of at least some of the audio pulses. The sound represented by the time domain digital audio samples is transformed by processing the audio pulses using the frequency domain information. The sound transformation utilizes overlapping windows and a computational cost function which depends on a product of the number of the pitch periods and the inverse of the minimum fundamental frequency within the window is determined.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a new spatial audio enhancing system including a novel Adaptive Sound Upmixing System (ASUS). In some specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a two-channel recording into an audio signal including four channels that can be played over four different loudspeakers. In other specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a two-channel recording into an audio signal including five channels that can be played over five different loudspeakersn even other specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a five-channel recording (such as those for DVD's) into an audio signal including eight channels that can be played over eight different loudspeakers. More generally, in view of this disclosure those skilled in the art will be able to adapt the ASUS to process and provide an arbitrary number of audio channels both at the input and the output.

Abstract: An audio recording is processed and evaluated. A sequence of identified notes corresponding to the audio recording is determined by iteratively identifying potential notes within the audio recording. A rating for the audio recording is determined using a tuning rating and an expression rating. The audio recording includes a recording of at least a portion of a musical composition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to encode audio with spatial information in a manner that does not depend on the exhibition setup, and to decode and play out optimally for any given exhibition setup, maximizing the sweet-spot area, and including setups with loudspeakers at different heights, and headphones. The part of the audio that requires very precise localization is encoded into a set of mono tracks with associated directional parameters, whereas the remaining audio is encoded into a set of Ambisonics tracks of a chosen order and mixture. Upon specification of a given exhibition system, the exhibition-independent format is decoded adapting to the specified system, by using different decoding methods for each assigned group.