Abstract: The invention provides an improved method of propagating Cryptosporidium in cell culture. The methods supports the complete life cycle or Cryptosporidium and produces all known forms of the parasite in addition to two novel forms. Cryptosporidium parasites propagated in vitro can be used to produce a vaccine composition for immunizing animals against Cryptosporidium infection.

Abstract: This invention provides compositions and methods for treating or preventing footrot, in particular bovine footrot, by administering Porphyromonas and/or Prevotella and/or subunits and/or toxins thereof or neutralizing agents such as antibodies thereto. A model useful for evaluating the effectiveness of footrot treatments or preventatives is also provided.

Abstract: Non steroidal mimetics or analogues of brassinosteroids such as brassinolide include two bicyclic subunits each having a vicinal diol group and a polar unit and linked by a linking moiety such that the vicinal diol groups and polar unit are closely superimposable on corresponding functional groups in the brassinosteroid.

Abstract: New utilities for epidermal growth factor (EGF) are described. In particular, EGF is useful in preventing gastrointestinal colonization by pathogens.

Abstract: A method of determining the composition of a sample including heavy oil or bitumen and water using low-field NMR. The NMR spectrum of the sample is taken at relatively low and high temperatures and the oil or water content is determined from the spectra and differential spectrum.

Abstract: Novel transferrin binding proteins from Pasteurella haemolytica, and nucleic acid molecules encoding the novel proteins are disclosed. Antibodies against the novel proteins are disclosed. The invention also relates to vaccines containing the novel proteins of the invention. The invention also provides methods for identifying substances which affect the binding of transferrin to the proteins and methods for screening for agonists or antagonists of the binding of the proteins and transferrin.

Abstract: This invention relates to treating or preventing pathogenic infections with an epidermal growth factor (EGF). EGF is capable of inhibiting pathogenic colonization of pathogens in a variety of tissue or cell types. Since pathogenic colonization is essential for pathogenic infection, EGF can be used as an effective preventive and therapeutic agent for pathogenic infections, particularly in the urogenital tract.

Abstract: A method for testing the performance of surface coatings on the formation of biofilm and encrustation on materials. The method includes, providing a plurality of material retaining sites, providing the material retaining sites with a material, wherein the material models a surface likely to be involved in biofilm formation and encrustation deposit. The method further includes the steps of providing a liquid growth medium, wherein the liquid growth medium includes at least one microorganism, the liquid growth medium arranged to cover at least a portion of the material, and incubating microorganism and encrustation on the material retaining sites in the presence of the liquid growth medium.

Abstract: Bacteria are incubated to form a biofilm on projections by providing a flow of liquid growth medium across projections, the direction of the flow of liquid being repeatedly changed, and an assay made of the resulting biofilm. Bacteria are incubated to form a biofilm on projections arranged in rows, with several projections in each row, while providing a flow of liquid growth medium across each row of projections, and an assay made of the resulting biofilm. Sensitivity of the biofilm to antibacterial reagent may be determined by treating the projections with antibacterial reagent before carrying out the assay, by treating each row of projections with a different antibacterial reagent, and each of the projections in a row with a different concentration of antibacterial reagent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for testing the formation of biofilms on various materials. The apparatus includes a lid and a vessel, wherein the lid may be configured to accept various materials for the testing of biofilm formation. For example, the lid may contain a plurality of projections onto which materials may be coated or disposed. The vessel is adapted to receive the lid in a fluid tight communication and to retain a liquid growth medium therein. After a material has been disposed upon the projections, the material is suspended within the vessel containing the liquid growth medium. The material is allowed to incubate for a period of time in which a biofilm forms upon the material. The material is then removed from the liquid growth medium and the biofilms formed thereupon are used to test the efficiency of various biocides.

Abstract: A process for production of the two or more molecules of interest. The present process may be advantageously used to produce two, three, four or more molecules of interest (the same or different from one another) on a single support material. A preferred embodiment comprises use of the present process to produce two or more oligonucleotides of interest. The process can be readily extended to other applications such combinatorial chemistry, peptide synthesis and the like. Various novel intermediates in the process are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for determining displacement of an osseous target underlaying soft tissue assists in the diagnosis of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The system includes an ultrasonic transducer/indenter which is used to compress the target tissue while concurrently obtaining ultrasound data. The displacement of the osseous target is determined by subtracting soft tissue compression from the overall displacement of the transducer/indenter. The transducer/indenter may be mechanically actuated or manually actuated.

Abstract: The invention provides autoinducer-2 analogs that regulate the activity of autoinducer-2 and methods of using such analogs for regulating bacterial growth and pathogenesis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for automatically and continuously regulating the level of nasal pressure to an optimal value during OSA treatment. OSA therapy is implemented by a device which automatically re-evaluates an applied pressure and continually searches for a minimum pressure required to adequately distend a patient's pharyngeal airway. For example, this optimal level varies with body position and stage of sleep throughout the night. In addition, this level varies depending upon the patient's body weight and whether or not alcohol or sleeping medicine has been ingested.

Abstract: Computer-assisted auscultation of knee joints by auditory display of vibroarthrographic signals emitted during active movement of the leg include audification and sonification. In audification, the vibroarthrographic signals are scaled in time and frequency using a time-frequency distribution to facilitate aural analysis. In sonification, the instantaneous mean frequency and envelope of the vibroarthrographic signals are derived and used to synthesize sounds that may facilitate more accurate diagnosis than the original signals by improving their aural quality.

Abstract: A novel approach for combining the ease of cleavage of carboxylic acid linker arms with the single phosphoramidite coupling chemistry of the universal supports useful in oligonucleotide synthesis. There is disclosed a new class of phosphoramidite reagents, linker phosphoramidites, which contain a bifunctional linker arm with a protected nucleoside linked through a 3′-ester bond on one end and a reactive phosphoramidite group or other phosphate precursor group on the other end—see FIGS. 2 and 3. The phosphoramidite group on the linker phosphoramidite may be activated under the same conditions and has similar reactivity as conventional nucleoside-3′-phosphoramidite reagents lacking the intermediate linker arm. The 3′-ester linkage contained within the linker phosphoramidite has similar properties to the linkages on prederivatized supports.

Abstract: An expression cassette is disclosed which is useful for the secretion of a heterologous protein from mammalian and insect cells. The expression cassette comprises a polynucleotide sequence encoding a secretion competent polypeptide which is linked in frame to a heterologous gene sequence. Also disclosed is a method of secreting heterologous proteins in mammalian and insect cells using the expression cassette.

Abstract: A polymeric material including a microporous matrix disposed in a multi-block polymer having a backbone of the general formula: [(A)n−(B)m−(X)l]p wherein: A is a first copolymerized monomer; B is a second copolymerized monomer; X is a third copolymerized monomer the same as or different from A; n and m are the same or different and are each an integer in the range of from 30 to 3000; is 0 or an integer in the range of from 30 to 3000; p is an integer in the range of from 1 to 100; wherein the microporous matrix is defined by reactive cleavage of at least a portion of a pendant moiety on B. The polymeric material is produced by a process which comprises cleavage of at least a portion of pendant moiety on B while leaving the backbone of the copolymer intact. This approach facilities production of a substantially uniform distribution of very small pores of substantially uniform dimension.

Abstract: A device and method for electrical stimulation of a portion of the gastro-intestinal tract, defining a longitudinal axis. A proximal and at least one distal electrode set are arranged circumferentially about the portion of the gastro-intestinal tract in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and in axially spaced relationship relative to each other. At least one power source provides a variable electrical stimulus to the electrode sets sufficient to stimulate the smooth muscle to produce a local circumferential contraction at each electrode set, wherein the electrical stimulus is variable between each of the proximal and distal electrode sets. A timing mechanism phase locks the electrical stimulus such that it is applied to the electrode sets successively, preferably in an overlapping manner, and repetitively.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for modulating the activity of the protein p53 in cells by the addition of a peptide or protein having p33ING1 biological activity or a nucleic acid coding for such a peptide or protein.