Abstract: The present invention provides for identification of agents that induce growth arrest and survival of cancer cells, which remain dormant in bone marrow, thus preventing their eradication through use of standard chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), a mammary differentiation factor abundant in the bone marrow stroma, induces growth arrest of relatively differentiated breast cancer cells and restricts their survival to fibronectin by upregulating integrin ?5? 1. Most of the FGF-2-arrested cells fail to establish optimal ligation to fibronectin and undergo cell death. Cells that do attach to fibronectin, another major constituent of the bone marrow microenvironment, stay alive and growth-arrested for many weeks. Using function-blocking antibodies and peptides, a specific contribution of ?5?1-fibronectin interaction in maintaining survival of growth-arrested cells was demonstrated.

Abstract: An anesthetic gas scavenging system is provided. The system includes a housing having one or more apertures placed proximate to a patient's mouth and a vacuum source interconnected with the housing for excavating anesthesia exhaled by the patient. The housing can take the form of a circular tube and can be positioned to rest about a patient's neck. The housing can have closed ends attachable together about a patient's neck. Alternatively, the housing can take on other desired shapes, and can be suspended on a strap about a patient's neck to rest on the patient's chest.

Abstract: An anesthetic gas scavenging system is provided. The system includes a housing having one or more apertures placed proximate to a patient's mouth and a vacuum source interconnected with the housing for excavating anesthesia exhaled by the patient. The housing can take the form of a circular tube and can be positioned to rest about a patient's neck. The housing can have closed ends attachable together about a patient's neck. Alternatively, the housing can take on other desired shapes, and can be suspended on a strap about a patient's neck to rest on the patient's chest.

Abstract: The present invention provides the multifunctional biological and biochemical sensor technology based on ZnO nanostructures. The ZnO nanotips serve as strong DNA or protein molecule binding sites to enhance the immobilization. Patterned ZnO nanotips are used to provide conductivity-based biosensors. Patterned ZnO nanotips are also used as the gate for field-effect transistor (FET) type sensors. Patterned ZnO nanotips are integrated with SAW or BAW based biosensors. These ZnO nanotip based devices operate in multimodal operation combining electrical, acoustic and optical sensing mechanisms. The multifunctional biosensors can be arrayed and combined into one biochip, which will enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of biological and biochemical detection due to strong immobilization and multimodal operation capability. Such biological and biochemical sensor technology are useful in detection of RNA-DNA, DNA-DNA, protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-small molecules interaction.

Abstract: An in-vitro system in which mammalian messenger RNA decapping occurs is provided, for use in identifying modulators, deficiencies, and other aspects of the regulation of RNA turnover.

Abstract: The present invention relates to site-specific 13C-enriched reagents for diagnostic medicine for magnetic resonance imaging. The site-specific 13C-enriched reagents may be represented by the formula: T-L-R. T is a site-specific targeting group which selectively binds to a disease-related target in an animal or human, R is an inert polymer containing repeating 13C reporting groups which provide a magnetic resonance imaging signal, and L is a linker group which connects the site-specific targeting group to the inert polymer. The site-specific 13C-enriched reagents are targeted to and capable of identifying, quantifying, and localizing disease-specific loci, such as blood clots, &bgr;-amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease, and tumors through the use of magnetic resonance imaging. The present invention also pertains to a method for employing the site-specific 13C-enriched reagents in a living mammal.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for healing a wound in a mammal which comprises the steps of (A) providing a therapeutic wound healing composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of mono-adenosine diphosphate-ribosyl transferase to inhibit adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation of vascular endothelial growth factor; and (B) contacting the therapeutic wound healing composition with a wound in a mammal. This invention also pertains to wound healing compositions and to methods for preparing and using the wound healing compositions and the pharmaceutical products in which the therapeutic compositions may be used. This invention further pertains to therapeutic dermatological-wound healing compositions useful to minimize and treat diaper dermatitis and to methods for preparing and using the therapeutic dermatological-wound healing compositions.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an in vitro method for assaying for an inhibitor of the catalytic Group I self-splicing intron reaction in the nuclear rRNA genes of Pheumocystis carinii which comprises the steps of (a) providing a DNA template containing the intron (I) from the 26S rRNA gene in Pneumocystis carinii and a portion of the 5' and 3' flanking exons (E1 and E2, respectively) between nucleotides 1963 and 2267 of 26S rRNA (660 nucleotides of amplified rRNA gene including the group I intron); (b) preparing an RNA precursor by transcription of the DNA template in the presence of labeled nucleoside triphosphates to produce a labeled RNA precursor (E1-I-E2); (c) purifying the RNA precursor; (d) incubating the RNA precursor and the inhibitor in the presence of guanosine triphosphate and magnesium ions; and (e) determining the degree of inhibition by the inhibitor on the intron splicing reaction in the RNA precursor by measuring the amount of labeled splicing intermediates and splicing products.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a genetically altered human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) which replicates only in human CD4+ cells that express the Tax protein of Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I), wherein the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter and enhancer sequences (NF-kappa-B and Sp1 binding sites) of the genetically altered human immunodeficiency virus type 1 have been replaced by two copies of the HTLV-I LTR 21 base pair repeat Tax-responsive element (TRE). The present invention also pertains to methods for killing HTLV-1 infected cells in humans with HTLV-1 disease (HTLV-1 tumors and HAM/TSP) with the novel genetically altered human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).

Abstract: The present invention pertains to guide catheter exchange devices for exchanging a guide catheter advanced over a balloon catheter and a coronary guide wire without removing the coronary guide wire in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. In one embodiment, the invention pertains to a guide catheter exchange device for exchanging a guide catheter employed by a over-the-wire balloon catheter. In this embodiment, the exchange device comprises Section 1, Section 2, and a connecting device for connecting Section 1 and Section 2. Section 1 is a hollow wire having a soft tip, an inner diameter from about 0.012 inches to about 0.020 inches, an outer diameter from about 0.030 inches to about 0.040 inches, and a length from about 120 centimeters to about 160 centimeters. Section 2 is a hollow coiled wire having an inner diameter from about 0.012 inches to about 0.020 inches, an outer diameter from about 0.030 inches to about 0.040 inches, and a length from about 120 centimeters to about 160 centimeters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for inhibition of the vasoactive and signal transduction agent nitric oxide (NO), and to therapeutic treatment of diseases or disorders that involve inappropriate or detrimental NO activity. The invention particularly relates to modulation of kidney function. In specific embodiments, osteopontin and a 20-amino acid fragment of osteopontin that contains an Arg-Gly-Asp sequence suppress expression of inducible NO synthase mRNA, and osteopontin suppresses the activity of constitutive NO synthase.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for the prenatal detection of trisomy 21 in the second trimester by adjusting the risk of trisomy 21 based on fetal long bone biometry which comprises the steps of (a) measuring ultrasonically the biparietal diameter and the length of the femur, humerus, tibia, and fibula bones in fetuses of a patient population in the second trimester; (b) performing amniocentesis on the patient population in step (a) to determine which fetuses are normal and which fetuses have trisomy 21; (c) from the normal fetuses, deriving equations describing the predicted lengths of the lemur, humerus, tibia, and fibula based on the biparietal diameter measurements; (d) calculating a ratio of observed lengths to predicted lengths of the femur, humerus, tibia, and fibula for all fetuses; (e) comparing the ratios calculated in step (d) for normal fetuses against the ratios calculated for fetuses having trisomy 21 and determining a threshold, as a percentile of these ratios, for abnormally short

Abstract: The construction and manufacturing technique for a functional biocompatible intervertebral disc spacer is described. This device is useful for a replacement for a degenerated disc in certain treatments of back pain and spinal disease. The disc spacer possesses mechanical properties akin to those of the normal disc and will preserve normal functions of the spinal motion segment. The device achieves the desired properties by varying the hardness of the elastomeric material in its nucleus and annulus.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for preparing anti-NMB-1 from Mallory bodies wherein Mallory bodies are removed and isolated from a liver and Mallory antibodies are produced by hybridoma techniques followed by isolation of the anti-NMB-1 having two polypeptide components of 45 and 66 kd by Western blotting.