Abstract: Templates-fixed ?-hairpin peptidomimetics of the general formulae (I), wherein Z is a chain of 11?-amino acid residues which, depending on their positions in the chain (counted starting from the N-terminal amino acid) are Gly, or Pro, or Pro(4NHCOPhe), or of certain types which, as the remaining symbols in the above formula, are defined in the description and the claims, and salts thereof, have the property to inhibit proteases, in particular serine proteases, especially Cathepsin G or Elastase or Tryptase. These ?-hairpin peptidomimetics can be manufactured by processes which are based on a mixed solid- and solution phase synthetic strategy.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and a method for noninvasively and continuously monitoring blood pressure. Also disclosed is a method for making such a device. The system includes a semiconductor chip comprising a transducer array of individual pressure or force sensors and associated circuitry providing control signals to and/or processing signals from these sensors, all of the above integrated in the chip. Also disclosed is a specific sensor structure provided on said chip. The invention further encompasses a system for measuring and/or tracking the blood pressure waveform and for combining the latter with related blood values like the heartbeat, derived from the above or other measuring devices.

Abstract: Template-fixed ?-hairpin peptidomimetics of the general formulae (I), wherein Z is a template-fixed chain of 7 to 11 ?-amino acid residues which, depending on their positions in the chain (counted starting from the N-terminal amino acid) are Gly, or Pro, or of certain types which, as the remaining symbols in the above formulae, are defined in the description and the claims, and salts thereof, have the property to inhibit proteases, in particular serine proteases. These ?-hairpin peptidomimetics can be manufactured by a process which is based on a mixed solid- and solution phase synthetic strategy.

Abstract: The invention features polymeric biomaterials formed by nucleophilic addition reactions to conjugated unsaturated groups. These biomaterials may be used for medical treatments.

Abstract: Method for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in fecal, body tissue or milk samples, in which a DNA extract is obtained from the samples, the DNA extract is processed by means of PCR in the presence of MAP-specific primers (MAP primers), and it is tested whether or not MAP-specific gene sequences were amplified in the PCR, as well as a kit for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A photoarray includes a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array of cells, each having a photosensor generating a sensor signal dependent on a light intensity at the cell, a first capacitor charged by a time-derivative of a current, at least one threshold detector detecting if a voltage over the first capacitor exceeds a threshold value and generating an output signal if it does, and a discharge device for discharging the first capacitor after occurrence of the output signal. Such a cell generates an event only when the incoming light intensity changes, which reduces the amount of data to be processed from the photoarray.

Abstract: An isolated polypeptide comprising a peptide which consists of a legless homology domain (HD); wherein the peptide inhibits Lgs function in colon cancer cells; and a composition comprising the same, are disclosed.

Abstract: A novel magnetic resonance imaging method is described, wherein undersampled magnetic resonance signals are acquired by a receiver antenna system having spatial sensitivity profiles and the image being reconstructed from the undersampled magnetic resonance signals and the spatial sensitivity profiles. The reconstruction of the image is provided by an optimization of a cost function which accounts for any of noise statistics, signal statistics, and the spatial response function, the latter of which is defined by the spatial signal response from the object to be imaged, separately for each individual pixel.

Abstract: This invention describes the combination of SSFP, a method for accelerating data acquisition, and an eddy current compensation method. This synergistic combination allows acquisition of images with high signal-to-noise ratio, high image contrast, high spatial and temporal resolutions, and good immunity against system instabilities. k-t BLAST and k-t SENSE are the preferred method for accelerating data acquisition, since they allow high acceleration factors, but other methods such as parallel imaging and reduced field-of-view imaging are also applicable. Typical applications of this invention include cine 3D cardiac imaging, and 2D real-time cardiac imaging.

Abstract: The invention features polymeric biomaterials formed by nucleophilic addition reactions to conjugated unsaturated groups. These biomaterials may be used for medical treatments.

Abstract: The presented invention relates to monoclonal antibodies useful in sensitive and specific immunological assays for the identification of prions in various tissues and body fluids, the production of such monoclonal antibodies by means of immunization of PrP0/0 mice by means of a new recombinant fragment of PrP and the use of the antibodies, e.g. for therapeutic and preventive treatments of humans and animals suffering from prion diseases.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new essential downstream component of the Wnt/Wingless (Wnt/Wg) signaling pathway and therapeutic and diagnostic applications based thereon. The invention relates to nucleotide sequences of the Drosophila melanogaster legless (lgs) gene, of its encoded proteins, as well as derivatives (e.g., fragments) and analogues thereof. The invention further includes vertebrate and invertebrate homologues of the Lgs protein, comprising proteins that contain a contiguous stretch of amino acids with similarity to the Drosophila lgs gene. The invention further relates to the function of the Drosophila and the human Lgs proteins. Methods for producing the Lgs proteins, derivatives and analogs, e.g., by recombinant means and antibodies to Lgs are provided by the present invention. In addition, the invention also relates to the therapeutic and diagnostic methods and compositions based on Lgs proteins and nucleic acids or fragments thereof.

Abstract: Proteins are incorporated into protein or polysaccharide matrices for use in tissue repair, regeneration and/or remodeling and/or drug delivery. The proteins can be incorporated so that they are released by degradation of the matrix, by enzymatic action and/or diffusion. As demonstrated by the examples, one method is to bind heparin to the matrix by either covalent or non-covalent methods, to form a heparin-matrix. The heparin then non-covalently binds heparin-binding growth factors to the protein matrix. Alternatively, a fusion protein can be constructed which contains a crosslinking region such as a factor XIIIa substrate and the native protein sequence. Incorporation of degradable linkages between the matrix and the bioactive factors can be particularly useful when long-term drug delivery is desired, for example in the case of nerve regeneration, where it is desirable to vary the rate of drug release spatially as a function of regeneration, e.g.

Abstract: Heparin-binding regions of several proteins, such as neural cell adhesion molecule, fibronectin, laminin, midkine, and anti-thrombin III have been shown to promote neurite extension on two-dimensional surfaces. The effect of heparin-binding peptides on neurite extension through three-dimensional matrices was investigated by culturing embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia (DRG) within fibrin gels containing chemically attached heparin-binding peptide (HBP). The length of neurites within fibrin gels containing cross-linked HBP was increased by more than 70% over extension through fibrin gels containing no peptide. The HBP sequence of antithrombin III was incorporated into the fibrin gel as the C-terminal domain of a bidomian, chimeric peptide; the N-terminal second domain of this peptide contained the ?2-plasmin inhibitor substrate for Factor XIIIa. Factor XIIIa, a transglutaminase, was used to chemically attach the HBP-containing chimeric peptide to the fibrin gels during polymerization.

Abstract: A novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy method is presented, in which a main magnetic field is generated in an object by a main magnet and superimposed magnetic fields and adiofrequency fields are generated according to an MR sequence for forming images or spectra. Object signals are acquired from the object with at least one object detector during execution of the MR sequence. Further, additional data are acquired from at least one monitoring field probe positioned in the vicinity of and surrounding the object, during execution of the MR sequence. The additional data from the monitoring field probes are used for adjusting the MR sequence such as to correct for imperfections in the field response of the object detectors, and the additional data from the monitoring field probes are used in conjunction with the object signals for reconstruction of the images or spectra.

Abstract: Template-fixed ?-hairpin peptidomimetics of the general formula (I) wherein Z is a template-fixed chain of 12, 14 or 18 ?-amino acid residues which, depending on their positions in the chain (counted starting from the N-terminal amino acid), are Gly, NMeGly, Pro or Pip, or of certain types which, as the remaining symbols in the above formula, are defined in the description and the claims, and salts thereof, have CXCR4 antagonizing properties and can be used for preventing HIV infections in healthy individuals or for slowing and halting viral progression in infected patients; or where cancer is mediated or resulting from CXCR4 receptor activity; or where immunological diseases are mediated or resulting from CXCR4 receptor activity; or for treating immuno suppression; or during apheresis collections of peripheral blood stem cells. These ?-hairpin peptidomimetics can be manufactured by a process which is based on a mixed solid and solution phase synthetic strategy.

Abstract: The application discloses a new family of proteins, namely the epsin like proteins (ELP). Said proteins comprise an ENTH domain (Epsin NH2 Terminal Homology domain) and have growth inhibiting activity. The disclosed proteins can be used for the diagnosis of hyperproliferative diseases as well as for gene therapy purposes.

Abstract: The present invention describes a magnetic resonance imaging method wherein spatially resolved frequency sensitive image data are collected by means of free precession sequences employing very small radio frequency (RF) excitation pulses per unit time which result in highly frequency selective steady-state signals dominated by linear properties of the system, for which the superposition principle holds. By appropriate linear combination of steady state signals of N different frequencies, N resonance lines can be acquired simultaneously. This method allows spectroscopic recordings with very low RF power deposition which renders the method suitable for applications at high static magnetic field strengths.

Abstract: Described is the use of a nucleic acid molecule encoding an IL-12 polypeptide for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a tumor, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is for intra-tumoral administration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of monitoring an immunotherapy against amyloidosis and other diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal protein aggregates. More specifically, it relates to a method of evaluating an immunotherapy against Alzheimer's disease, based on a novel assay that is characterized by scoring immunoreactivity levels of patient sera in amyloid plaque containing samples. The assay possesses highly predictive properties in relation to the clinical outcome of such an immunotherapy, in contrast to previously used, conventional ELISA assays. Therefore, the novel assay is useful for the evaluation of the efficacy of an immunotherapy in a patient suffering from amyloidosis, particularly Alzheimer's disease.