Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to plasma dissociation of fluidic hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen and sulfur. A reactor is configured to have a plasma discharge and a vortex flow pattern. The plasma discharge provides energy to the hydrogen sulfide disassociation reaction and the vortex flow pattern helps to cause the condensation of sulfur molecules. The condensation of sulfur molecules helps to reduce the amount of energy input required to disassociate a certain amount of hydrogen sulfide. Additionally, the reactor may be configured to have a vortex flow pattern that provides for a recirculation zone in which relatively warm reaction products may exchange their heat energy with relatively cool input fluids.

Abstract: A tiered communications architecture for managing network traffic in a distributed system. Communication between client or control computers and a plurality of hardware devices is administered by agent and monitor devices whose activities are coordinated to reduce the number of open channels or sockets. The communications architecture also improves the transparency and scalability of the distributed system by reducing network mapping dependence. The architecture is desirably implemented in a proton beam therapy system to provide flexible security policies which improve patent safety and facilitate system maintenance and development.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for the preparation of gas-filled microbubbles, and methods of using for therapeutic and/or diagnostic applications. In particular, the methods of the invention allow for the preparation of gas-filled microbubbles having narrow size distributions and defined ultrasonic properties.

Abstract: A microprobe, measurement system and method are disclosed. The microprobe includes a probe tip mounted at a meeting point of a plurality of flexures. The probe tip is moveable upon flexing of one or more of the flexures, each flexure further comprising one or more actuators controllable to flex the flexure and one or more sensors arranged to sense flexin of the flexure.

Abstract: A cell culture system related to extended in vitro culture of mature neuronal cells and methods for preparing the cell culture system are provided. In a preferred embodiment the invention provides a cell culture system comprising a mixture of mature neuronal retinal cells and cells isolated from a ciliary body. Methods for identifying bioactive agents that alter neurodegeneration of neuronal retinal cells are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to therapeutic combinations and methods of inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells, the abnormal growth of cells, and tumor cell growth using the combination of a hedgehog inhibitor with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The present invention also relates to methods of enhancing the antiproliferative effect of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in a mammalian cancer patient undergoing either chemotherapy or radiation or a combination of radiation and chemotherapy by co-administering a therapeutically amount of a hedgehog inhibitor, concurrently or sequentially, with the chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for implanting a device in a mammalian eye to raise intraocular pressure. In some embodiments, the device (54) includes an arcuate body that, when implanted, obstructs aqueous humor outflow from the anterior chamber (38) of the eye.

Abstract: The invention pertains generally to novel compositions and methods for constructing chemically sensitive ion channels. The compositions and methods include, for example, novel gramicidin A derivatives and their use in constructing novel ion channels for use as biosensors.

Abstract: An apparatus for compressing low-complexity 3D mesh, includes: a data analyzing unit for decomposing data of an input 3D mesh model into vertices information, property information representing property of the 3D mesh model, and connectivity information between vertices constituting the 3D mesh model; a mesh model quantizing unit for producing quantized vertices, property and connectivity information of the 3D mesh model by using the vertices, property and connectivity information; and a sharable vertex analysis unit for analyzing sharing information between shared vertices of the 3D mesh model. Further, the apparatus includes a data modulation unit for performing a circular DPCM prediction by using quantized values of the consecutive connectivity information of the 3D mesh model; and an entropy encoding unit for outputting coded data of the quantized vertices and property information, and differential pulse-code modulated connectivity information as a bitstream.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for effectuating the localized expression of anti-CTLA-4 antibody proximal to a target tissue in a patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for producing isoprene hydrocarbons from Ascomycota such as yeast and filamentous fungi.

Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) capable of performing as a CO2 or O2 sensor is disclosed, hi one implementation, a polymer solar cell can be connected to the HEMT for use in an infrared detection system. In a second implementation, a selective recognition layer can be provided on a gate region of the HEMT. For carbon dioxide sensing, the selective recognition layer can be, in one example, PEI/starch. For oxygen sensing, the selective recognition layer can be, in one example, indium zinc oxide (IZO). In one application, the HEMTs can be used for the detection of carbon dioxide and oxygen in exhaled breath or blood.

Abstract: The present invention relates to d a direct digital frequency synthesizer using a hybrid digital to analog converter, which is capable of synthesizing an analog signal with high quality without base decoding, thereby providing improved size and efficiency, and a synthesizing method thereof. The direct digital frequency synthesizer using a hybrid digital to analog converter, and a synthesizing method thereof are capable of simplifying a configuration of a PAM which matches output data of a phase accumulator to sine wave amplitude with an application of a hybrid DAC including a non-linear DAC and a linear DAC, without increase of complexity of a DAC, by causing the non-linear DAC to output a direct base point current using some bits of output data of a phase accumulator, causing the linear DAC to output a gradient current based on gradient information generated using other bits of the output data of the phase accumulator, and summing these currents for analog output.

Abstract: Computer input apparatus comprising: an image capture device; and a marker member comprising at least two reference indicia, at least a first reference indicium being arranged to emit or reflect light having a first spectral characteristic, and at least a second reference indicium being arranged to emit or reflect light having a second spectral characteristic different from the first spectral characteristic, the image capture device being arranged to distinguish light of said first spectral characteristic from light of said second spectral characteristic thereby to distinguish the at least a first reference indicium from the at least a second reference indicium, the apparatus being configured to capture an image of the at least two reference indicia and to determine by means of said image a position and orientation of the marker member with respect to a reference frame.

Abstract: A safe, purely dissipative, robotic device and method for rehabilitation of large whole body movements, for example, in stroke victims. Shifting to passive actuation fundamentally changes common control strategies that work well for active devices. The novel approach distorts visual feedback to the subjects as a first step to achieve the desired controllability hereto limited by passivity constraints. With visual distortion, a subject's arm trajectory can be altered in a way that passive actuation alone cannot. Results show that subjects involuntarily changed their path motion up to 30% with distortion applied. This ability to steer user's movements can be harnessed to offset controllability issues.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal lens with a variable focal length. The gradient profile of the liquid crystals molecules that causes the gradient profile of the refractive index is achieved by inducing non-uniformly distributed anchoring energy and an external electric or magnetic field applied to the liquid crystal layer. Unlike existing electrically controlled liquid crystal lens, the external electric or magnetic field has a uniform spatial distribution within the liquid crystal layer. The focal length of the liquid crystal lens is controlled via the non-uniformly distributed anchoring energy and by varying the uniformly distributed electric or magnetic field.

Abstract: To avoid packet out-of-sequence problems, while providing good load balancing, each input port of a switch monitors the outstanding number of packets for each flow group. If there is an outstanding packet in the switch fabric, the following packets of the same flow group should follow the same path. If there is no outstanding packet of the same flow group in the switch fabric, the (first, and therefore subsequent) packets of the flow can choose a less congested path to improve load balancing performance without causing an out-of-sequence problem. To avoid HOL blocking without requiring too many queues, an input module may include two stages of buffers. The first buffer stage may be a virtual output queue (VOQ) and second buffer stage may be a virtual path queue (VPQ). At the first stage, the packets may be stored at the VOQs, and the HOL packet of each VOQ may be sent to the VPQ. By allowing each VOQ to send at most one packet to VPQ, HOL blocking can be mitigated dramatically.

Abstract: Methods are provided for ascertaining and measuring RPTP-? activity in response to insults such as UV irradiation and with respect to administration of a treatment and/or composition. Attenuation of EGFR activity by RPTP-? affects aspects of photoaging, including damage to the skin, suppression of the immune system, DNA damage, and connective tissue degradation. Intervention with respect to the effects of photoaging can include protection of RPTP-? from oxidation. The methods can be used for discovery of anti-aging treatments, adjuncts, or other preventative treatments, such as sunscreens.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparing polymethylene-polyphenyl-polyamine (briefly referred to as polyamine, DAM), in which a high gravity rotating bed is used as the mixing reactor of formaldehyde and aniline hydrochloride, the mixing solution of aniline hydrochloride and circulation solution and the formaldehyde are fed into the high gravity rotating bed reactor proportionally to carry out mixing and condensation reaction under a condition of a very high gravity; the materials leaving the high gravity rotating bed reactor is introduced into a stirred vessel to proceed with the pre-condensation reaction and obtain a condensation solution; and the process steps of heating, molecular rearrangement, neutralization, water washing and purification, etc. are completed to obtain the refined DAM.

Abstract: The present invention provides a crystallized N-terminal domain of an NS5A protein of hepatitis C virus, methods of producing the same and methods of use thereof. The present invention also relates to structural elements of the N-terminal domain of hepatitis C virus NS5A protein, and methods of inhibiting hepatitis C virus infection, replication and/or pathogenesis, by interacting with the same.