Abstract: Provided herein are peptides and variant peptides that exhibit enhanced activity at the GLP-1 receptor, as compared to native glucagon.

Abstract: In a drift tube partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments each followed by an ion elimination region, a method of separating ions as a function of ion mobility includes repeatedly, and alternating between at least two different time durations, establishing electric drift fields in the drift tube segments and in some of the ion elimination regions while establishing electric repulsive fields in others of the ion elimination regions such that ions having a predefined mobility or range of mobilities are transmitted through the drift tube at one or more frequencies which include one or more overtones of a fundamental frequency at which ions having the predefined mobility or range of mobilities are transmitted through the drift tube with the electric drift fields and electric repulsive fields repeatedly established with uniform time durations.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for assisting flow of a fluid in a conduit. In some embodiments, a viscous impeller rotating within a protective cage provides a boost and total pressure to blood within the circulatory system of an animal.

Abstract: A method segments iris images from eye image data captured from non-cooperative subjects. The method includes receiving a frame of eye image data, and determining whether a pupil exists in the image by detecting glare areas in the image. Upon finding a pupil, subsequent images are processed with reference to the pupil location and a radius is calculated for the pupil. A k means clustering method and principal component analysis are used to locate pupil boundary points, which are fitted to a conic. Using the pupil boundary, an angular derivative is computed for each frame having a pupil and iris boundary points are fitted to a conic to identify an iris region between the iris boundary and the pupil boundary. Noise data are then removed from the iris region to generate an iris segment. A method for evaluating iris frame quality and iris image segmentation quality is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Abstract: A detector includes a voltage source for providing a bias voltage and first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart such that the bias voltage can be applied therebetween and form an antenna for receiving electromagnetic radiation and directing it to a specific location within the detector. The detector also includes an arrangement serving as a transport of electrons, including tunneling, between and to the first and second non-insulating layers when electromagnetic radiation is received at the antenna. The arrangement includes a first insulating layer and a second layer configured such that using only the first insulating in the arrangement would result in a given value of nonlinearity in the transport of electrons while the inclusion of the second layer increases the nonlinearity above the given value. A portion of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the antenna is converted to an electrical signal at an output.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel telomerase nucleic acids and amino acids. In particular, the present invention is directed to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences encoding various telomerase protein subunits and motifs, including the 123 kDa and 43 kDa telomerase protein subunits of Euplotes aediculatus, and related sequences from Schizosaccharomyces, Saccharomyces sequences, and human telomerase. The present invention is also directed to polypeptides comprising these telomerase protein subunits, as well as functional polypeptides and ribonucleoproteins that contain these subunits.

Abstract: A novel method of treating and preventing viral infection is provided. In particular a method of blocking viral infection facilitated by a serine proteolytic (SP) activity is disclosed, which consists of administering to a subject suffering or about to suffer from viral infection a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having a serine protease inhibitory or serpin activity. Among compounds are ?1-antitrypsin (AAT), peptide derivatives from the carboxyterminal end of AAT, and man-made, synthetic compounds mimicking the action of such compounds. The preferred viral infections include retroviral infection such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Abstract: Described is a method for modulating the phenotype of a cell, and particularly, of a target cell in a patient who has or is at risk of developing a disease or condition in which is associated with dysregulation of cellular phenotype. The method includes administration of a recombinant nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having CREB biological activity or dominant negative CREB biological activity to a patient, in such a manner that the protein is expressed in a target cell of a patient and is sufficient to modulate the phenotype of the target cell. Such a method is particularly useful in patients who have, or at risk of developing, diabetes, obesity, macrovascular disease, heart failure, osteoarthritis, and neural diseases and conditions.

Abstract: Monomeric and dimeric anti-cancer drug aldehyde conjugate compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Specifically, monomeric and dimeric aldehyde conjugates of 1-2, dihetero-substituted anti-cancer drugs, including monomeric and dimeric aldehyde conjugates of anthracyclines, are provided. Also provided are pro-drugs which, after administration, release monomeric aldehyde conjugates. Further provided are pharmaceutical and therapeutic compositions containing anti-cancer drug aldehyde conjugates and methods of treating cancer using the aldehyde conjugates.

Abstract: The present invention provides TRT antisense oligonucleotides, methods of detecting TRT, methods of diagnosing telomerase-related conditions, methods of diagnosing and providing a prognosis for cancer, and methods of treating telomerase-related conditions, including cancer.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of diagnosing myocardial failure in a human. The methods comprise obtaining a sample of myocardial tissue from a ventricle of the heart of the human. In one method, the expression of &agr;-myosin heavy chain ((&agr;-MHC), &bgr;-myosin heavy chain (&bgr;-MHC), or both in the sample is quantitated, and it is determined by statistical analysis if the expression of &agr;-MHC, &bgr;-MHC, or both in the sample is significantly different than their expression in normal human ventricular myocardial tissue. A second method comprises quantitating the expression of &agr;1-thyroid hormone receptor (&agr;1-THR), &agr;2-THR, &agr;1-THR+&bgr;1-THR, or combinations thereof in the sample, and determining by statistical analysis if the expression of &agr;1-THR, &agr;2-THR, or &agr;1-THR+&bgr;1-THR in the sample is significantly different than their expression in normal human ventricular myocardial tissue.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions capable of specifically inducing cell death in the proliferating angiogenic endothelial cells associated with solid tumors and other angiogenesis associated diseases. More specifically, the present invention relates to nucleotide constructs that are selectively active in angiogenic endothelial cells and that encode highly toxic agents, such as diphtheria toxin, for expression in such cells.

Abstract: Formulations for pulmonary delivery that include a protein and a non-physiological surfactant at or above the CMC of the surfactant, and methods for preparing and using the same.

Abstract: Molten salt reactions are performed by supporting the molten salt on a particulate support and forming a fluidized bed of the supported salt particles. The method is particularly suitable for combusting hydrocarbon fuels at reduced temperatures, so that the formation NOx species is reduced. When certain preferred salts are used, such as alkali metal carbonates, sulfur and halide species can be captured by the molten salt, thereby reducing SOx and HCl emissions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an effective method for the refolding of denatured proteins in solution so that properly folded, biologically active protein in solution is recovered in high yield. The refolding takes place at pressures between about 0.25 kbar to about 3.5 kbar, advantageously at about 1.5 kbar to about 3 kbar. Typically a chaotropic agent is present at a concentration which is not effective for denaturing protein at atmospheric pressure, and optionally, oxidation-reduction reagents can be incorporated in the refolding solution so that native intramolecular disulfide bonds can be formed where that is desired. The method is applicable to substantially all proteins, especially after solubilization and/or denaturation of insoluble protein aggregates, inclusion bodies, or abnormal oligomeric (soluble) aggregates.