Abstract: Methods for assaying ?-L-iduronidase enzymatic activity and methods for screening newborns for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type-I.

Abstract: The invention relates to transgenic plants with improved growth and nitrogen use efficiency expressing nitrate transporter gene, methods of making such plants and methods for improving growth and nitrogen use efficiency.

Abstract: Example systems and methods enhance contrast in MRI images. To facilitate imaging of atherosclerotic plaques, arterial and venous, cardiac, and even tumor tissues and fibrosis, a fibrin-fibronectin complex or disease-related fibronectin specific MRI contrast agent (CLPD) has a specific binding affinity for fibronectin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for controlling pauses in printing. The method includes: transmitting imaging data to an imaging unit, and transmitting one printing signal while transmitting the imaging data of each page which are printed when the imaging unit receives the printing signal; generating a command of pausing printing when receiving a cause of pausing; stopping transmitting the printing signal to the imaging unit according to the command of pausing printing, printing the imaging data is stopped when the imaging unit cannot receive the printing signal.

Abstract: A management system includes a plurality of components within a computer system. A plurality of component resource managers is provided, and each of the components is controlled by at least one of the plurality of component resource managers. A plurality of component management interfaces is also provided. Each of the components communicates with at least one of the controlling component resource managers via one of the component management interfaces. At least one runtime manager autonomously controls operation of the components and the component resource managers.

Abstract: A chemical vapour deposition system, including: a process tube for receiving at least one sample, the process tube being constructed of silicon carbide, impregnated with silicon, and coated with silicon carbide; a pumping system to evacuate the process tube to high vacuum; one or more gas inlets for introducing one or more process gases into the evacuated process tube; and a heater to heat the process tube and thereby heat the one or more process gases and the at least one sample within the process tube to cause a material to be deposited onto the at least one sample within the process tube by chemical vapour deposition.

Abstract: A processor and a memory management method are provided. The processor includes a processor core, a cache which transceives data to/from the processor core via a single port, and stores the data accessed by the processor core, and a Scratch Pad Memory (SPM) which transceives the data to/from the processor core via at least one of a plurality of multi ports.

Abstract: The SSD performs to encode input data from the host device into BCH code having data length and code length sequentially and controls RRAM to stores the encoded data when the write requesting signal is input from the host device. When the number of BCH code that becomes data of one page of the flash memory after being decoded is stored to RRAM, the SSD controls RRAM to read out data stored in RRAM, performs error correction and decoding to the read data as BCH code having the data length and the code length, and controls the flash memory to store the encoded data.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for treating urinary system disorders includes a carbon material carried by a water-containing carrier and having a carbon content over 60 percentage by weight (wt %), such that both of the carbon material and the water-containing carrier constitute a pharmaceutically acceptable water-containing carrier carrying the carbon material, and the carbon material falls within a range of 0.1 mg/ml to 500 mg/ml per unit dose and has a diameter from 2 nm to 2 mm, such that the pharmaceutical composition is capable of reducing symptoms of cystitis by contacting the carbon material with a bladder or related tissues of the bladder in an animal body.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for determining efficacy of a cyclodextrin therapy in a subject afflicted with a disorder involving oxysterol accumulation. These methods comprise: obtaining a first body fluid sample from the subject prior to cyclodextrin administration; administering cyclodextrin; obtaining at least one second body fluid sample after the cyclodextrin administration; subjecting the body fluid samples to chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis to determine concentration of 24-hydroxycholesterol and/or cholestane-3?,5?,6?-triol; and determining magnitude of difference between the 24-hydroxycholesterol and/or cholestane-3?,5?,6?-triol concentration of the body fluid samples, whereby an increase or stabilization of 24-hydroxycholesterol concentration, or a reduction of cholestane-3?,5?,6?-triol concentration in the at least one second sample compared to the first sample, indicates efficacy of the cyclodextrin therapy.

Abstract: Microscopy is performed by imaging individual quantum dots (QD) using two-photon (2P) microscopy of in an aqueous environment with widefield and point-scan excitations at nanometer accuracy.

Abstract: The configurations of an electronic ballast are provided in the present invention. The proposed electronic ballast includes a filter circuit having a first and a second output terminals, a rectifier circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal coupled to the second output terminal of the filter circuit, and a first output terminal, and a continuous-conduction-mode charge pump PFC circuit including a first inductor having a first terminal coupled to the first input terminal and a second terminal coupled to the first output terminal of the filter circuit, a second inductor having a first terminal and a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal coupled to the first terminal of the second inductor.

Abstract: Isolated peptides comprising no more than ten amino acids and having anti-bacterial properties are disclosed. In one embodiment the peptides have a consensus amino acid sequence X1X2X3X4X5, wherein X1 and X5 comprise polar amino acids. In another embodiment, the peptides have a consensus amino acid sequence X1X2X3X4X5, wherein X2 and X4 are asparagine (N) residues and X3 is tryptophan (W). Compositions comprising same are also disclosed and uses thereof.

Abstract: A ride control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles on a path includes a path processor and a bi-directional voting circuit in circuit with the path processor. Each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles may include a vehicle processor supported by the at least one vehicle and shunt relays in circuit with the at least one vehicle processor. Each vehicle processor may be configured to close a respective shunt relay upon a predetermined condition of the vehicle whereby the bi-directional voting circuit is activated to notify all other vehicles.

Abstract: A method for rapid OCT image acquisition includes acquiring by OCT a plurality of compressive measurements (y) representing a set of under-sampled OCT data in a Dirac domain below a Nyquist rate by sampling an object of interest at randomly spaced vertical and horizontal lines in a Cartesian geometry using a raster scan, and recovering a 3D volumetric OCT image (f) from the compressive measurements (y) using compressive sampling. The method may also include recovering the 3D volumetric OCT image (f) from the compressive measurements (y) based at least in part on a sparsifying matrix (S) capable of transforming the 3D volumetric OCT image (f) into a sparse representation, such as a matrix representation of the 3D volumetric OCT image (f) in a shift-invariant wavelet transform domain. The method may also be applied to radial OCT scan patterns.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to electrochemical cells utilizing magnesium anodes, new solutions and intercalation cathodes. The present invention is a new rechargeable magnesium battery based on magnesium metal as an anode material, a modified Chevrel phase as an intercalation cathode for magnesium ions and new electrolyte solution from which magnesium can be deposited reversibly, which have a very wide electrochemical window. The Chevrel phase compound is represented by the formula Mo6S8-YSeY in which y is higher than 0 and lower than 2 or by the formula MXMo6S8 in which M is selected from the group comprising of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag) and/or any other transition metal; further wherein x is higher than 0 and lower than 2.

Abstract: A gene chip is provided for detection. When used on clinical detection, the gene chip directly detects blood without magnification. Gene expressions are examined with high sensitivity and convenience simultaneously.

Abstract: The inventors have proposed a novel panel of human serum protein biomarkers for diagnosing hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Presently there is no reliable non-invasive way of assessing liver fibrosis. A 2D-PAGE based proteomics study was used to identify potential fibrosis biomarkers. Serum from patients with varying degrees of hepatic scarring induced by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was analyzed. Several proteins associated with liver scarring and/or viral infection were identified. These proteins include the inter-?-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragments, complement factor H-related protein 1, CD5L, Apo L1, and ?2GPI. Increased and decreased thiolester cleavage of a2M and Complement C3, respectively, was also detected. The concentrations of these novel biomarkers can be determined using an immunoassay where the concentrations would reflect the extent of fibrosis. A fibrosis scoring scale for each of the novel biomarkers is proposed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for characterizing the antibiotic resistance of a microorganism, said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a reference mass spectrum of an antimicrobial compound, its enzymatic modification product, its molecular target, or of a substrate compound of a its modifying enzyme; (b) exposing a microorganism, a cell lysate thereof, or a growth medium supernatant thereof, to said antimicrobial compound or said substrate compound in aqueous liquid to thereby provide an exposed sample; (c) acquiring a mass spectrum of the exposed sample; (d) comparing the mass spectrum acquired in step c) with the reference mass spectrum of step (a), and (e) determining from said comparison whether modification of said antimicrobial compound, its modification product or its molecular target or of said substrate has occurred following said exposure, and establishing that said microorganism is potentially resistant to said antimicrobial compound when said modification is observed.