Abstract: The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of diseases associated with synucleinopathic diseases, including Lewy bodies of alpha-synuclein in the brain of a patient. Such methods entail administering agents that induce a beneficial immunogenic response against the Lewy body. The methods are particularly useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing a functional assessment of a network is disclosed. The network includes a plurality of interacting network elements. The method includes measuring a state of each of the elements at a plurality of time instances, thereby determining a plurality of state values associated with each of the elements, and calculating for each element an associated median value representing a median of the state values associated with that element. The method further includes identifying for each time instance a first total number of elements with an associated state value at that time instance that is above its median value, and a second total number of elements with an associated state value at that time instance that is below its median value, and determining whether the network has departed from an equilibrium state based on the first total number and the second total number for each time instance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mammary prosthetic implant with an expandable mammary prosthesis that expands to an enlarged state after implantation. A prosthetic device supports, and conforms to the shape of, the mammary prosthesis before, during, and after the mammary prosthesis is expanding within the implantation site. The prosthetic device has an absorbable main body formed of other than biological tissue, and is penetrable for the in-growth of dermal or subcutaneous tissue. The main body has an anterior end portion, an opposite posterior end portion, and a size relative to the mammary prosthesis upon implantation so that the anterior end portion engages an incised portion of a pectoralis major extending anteriorly of the mammary prosthesis while the opposite posterior end portion engages tissue inferiorly spaced from the incised portion of the pectoralis major and near the inframammary fold. Methods of preparing and using a prosthetic device as described herein also are disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device that is secure from invasion and related methods are disclosed herein. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a cladding, a first core, and a second core. At least one of the first core and the second core is hollow and is substantially surrounded by the cladding. At least a portion of the first core is generally parallel to and spaced from at least a portion of the second core. The optical fiber includes a defect substantially surrounded by the cladding, the defect increasing a coupling coefficient between the first core and the second core.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for treating autoimmune diseases and disorders. For example, the disclosure demonstrates that hypergammaglobulinemia and subsequent accelerated kidney disease can be suppressed by Ig minigene-induced CD8+ T cells that make CD4+ T cells hyporesponsive to antigenic stimulation, thus causing inhibition of renal disease and subsequent increased survival.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an endothelin receptor antagonist for use in the prevention or treatment of brain metastases in combination with a cytotoxic chemotherapy agent, radiotherapy or both. The endothelin receptor antagonist may for example be bosentan, macitentan or a mixture of bosentan and macitentan.

Abstract: An EGR system control method of an engine may include calculating a target mass flux ({dot over (m)}egrd) of EGR gas flowing an EGR line, calculating an effective flowing area (EFA) of an EGR valve disposed on the EGR line, calculating an EGR flow sensitivity by dividing the target mass flux with the effective flowing area, and controlling a real opening rate of the EGR valve by applying the EGR flow sensitivity to a target opening rate of the EGR valve. Accordingly, a gain value is varied on a real time according to an effective flowing area of the EGR valve and a target mass flux of EGR gas such that real opening rate of an EGR valve is accurately and precisely controlled.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to compounds, compositions and methods for treating or preventing cancer and viral infections, in particular, HIV and HBV, in human patients or other animal hosts. The compounds are certain 6-substituted-2-amino-purine dioxolane monophosphates or phosphonates, and pharmaceutically acceptable, salts, prodrugs, and other derivatives thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for computationally designing enzymes. These techniques can be used to design variations of naturally occurring enzymes, as well as new enzymes having no natural counterparts. The techniques are based on first identifying functional reactive sites required to promote the desired reaction. Then, hashing algorithms are used to identify potential protein backbone structures (i.e., scaffolds) capable of supporting the required functional sites. These techniques were used to design 32 different protein sequences that exhibited aldol reaction catalytic function, 31 of which are defined in the Sequence Listing. Details of these 31 different synthetic aldolases are provided, including descriptions of how such synthetic aldolases can be differentiated from naturally occurring aldolases.

Abstract: The enzymes of the ACC synthase family are used in producing ethylene. Nucleotide and polypeptide sequences of ACC synthases are provided along with knockout plant cells having inhibition in expression and/or activity in an ACC synthase and knockout plants displaying a staygreen phenotype, a male sterility phenotype, or an inhibition in ethylene production. Methods for modulating staygreen potential in plants, methods for modulating sterility in plants, and methods for inhibiting ethylene production in plants are also provided.

Abstract: Methods, media, and systems for detecting an anomalous sequence of function calls are provided. The methods can include compressing a sequence of function calls made by the execution of a program using a compression model; and determining the presence of an anomalous sequence of function calls in the sequence of function calls based on the extent to which the sequence of function calls is compressed. The methods can further include executing at least one known program; observing at least one sequence of function calls made by the execution of the at least one known program; assigning each type of function call in the at least one sequence of function calls made by the at least one known program a unique identifier; and creating at least part of the compression model by recording at least one sequence of unique identifiers.

Abstract: An electrical device includes a current transport layer formed using a layer of a topological material selected from the group of a topological insulator, a quantum anomalous hall (QAH) insulator, a topological insulator variant, and a topological magnetic insulator. In one embodiment, the current transport layer forms a conductive wire on an integrated circuit where the conductive wire includes two spatially separated edge channels, each edge channel carrying charge carriers propagating in one direction only. In other embodiments, an optical device includes an optical layer formed using a layer of the topological material. The optical layer can be a light absorbing layer, a light emitting layer, a light transport layer, or a light modulation layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a polymer film includes dispensing a substrate and coating the substrate with a composition that is curable using actinic radiation. In an example, the method further includes exposing the composition to actinic radiation in presence of an atmosphere including 1 vol % to 37 vol % oxygen, whereby the surface of the composition forms an undulating morphology. In another example, the method further includes applying an oxygen-containing overlay over the composition, exposing the composition to actinic radiation through the oxygen-containing overlay, and removing the oxygen-containing overlay, whereby the surface of the composition forms an undulating morphology.

Abstract: Human umbilical cord blood (UCB) contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have higher multipotentiality than adult marrow-derived MSCs. However, it has been difficult to obtain these cells because the frequency of MSCs in UCB is extremely rare (0.4-30 out of 1×108 mononuclear cells). To date, the isolation of MSCs has depended upon their plastic-adhesion capacity. Some “true” MSCs could be missed because their ability to adhere to plastic may be poor. Previous studies demonstrated extracellular matrix (ECM) made by bone marrow cells enhanced MSC attachment and proliferation, and retained their stem cell properties. The present invention provides methods for isolating MSCs from umbilical cord blood by adherence to an ECM and uses for the isolated stem cells.

Abstract: An exhaust gas control method of an engine may include calculating a target mass flux of EGR gas by using air mass entering into a cylinder and target air mass supplied into the engine, calculating a target effective flow area (EFAd) of the EGR valve by using a target mass flux of the EGR gas and front/rear condition of the EGR valve, and calculating a valve opening rate of the EGR valve by using a predetermined curve fitting formula and the target effective flow area (EFAd). Accordingly, a target mass flux of EGR gas flowing an EGR line is calculated to be applied an opening rate of the EGR valve thereby such that a flux of the EGR gas precisely and quickly is control.

Abstract: Described herein is a computerised method for identifying and classifying edges in a dataset representative of an open-pit mine terrain. The method includes the step of identifying one or more surfaces of the terrain having common topological attributes (306). Then, for each surface identified, edges of the identified surface are detected (308) and each of the detected edges are classified (316) as one of a toe, crest, or other than a crest or a toe. The method also includes the step of updating the dataset (208) with the edges classified as toes or crests.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing metal oxide particles, in which metal oxide particles with high photocatalytic activity is produced, and a production apparatus therefor. The above object can be achieved by using a method for producing metal oxide particles, which includes subjecting a reaction gas containing metal chloride and an oxidizing gas containing no metal chloride in a reaction tube (11) to preheating, and then subjecting a combined gas composed of the reaction gas and the oxidizing gas to main heating in a main heating region (A) apart from the downstream side of the junction (5b), wherein the time until the combined gas from the junction (5b) arrives at the upstream end (A1) of the main heating region (A) is adjusted to be less than 25 milliseconds.

Abstract: Provided are a flexible organic memory device and a method of manufacturing the same. The flexible organic memory device comprises a flexible substrate. A control gate electrode is disposed on the flexible substrate. A blocking organic insulating layer is disposed on the control gate electrode. A charge trapping layer is disposed on the blocking organic insulating layer, and includes a plurality of nanoparticles. A tunneling organic insulating layer is disposed on the charge trapping layer. An organic semiconductor layer is disposed on the tunneling organic insulating layer.

Abstract: A proton-conducting solid oxide electrolyte membrane includes a nanoporous layer including a plurality of nanopores that penetrate from one surface to the other, and at least one proton conducting layer that fills the plurality of nanopores to have an interface in a direction perpendicular to either surface of the nanoporous layer.