Abstract: Multicomponent vaccines are provided which aid in the prevention and treatment of staphylococcal infections and which include certain selected combinations of bacterial binding proteins or fragments thereof, or antibodies to those proteins or fragments. By careful selection of the proteins, fragments, or antibodies, a vaccine is provided that imparts protection against a broad spectrum of Staphylococcus and other bacterial strains and against proteins that are expressed at different stages of the logarithmic growth curve. In one embodiment of the invention, a composition is provided that includes a fibrinogen binding domain of a fibrinogen binding protein and a bacterial component such as ca capsular polysaccharide, and both active and passive vaccines based on these components are also provided, along with methods of treating infection using these compositions and vaccines.

Abstract: Compositions for stimulating the immune system and for treating malignancies associated with overexpression of the HER-2 protein are provided. Such compositions include immunogenic epitopes of the HER-2 proteins and chimeric and multivalent peptides which comprise such epitopes. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides which encode the chimeric peptides. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising such immunogenic compositions. Methods for stimulating an immune response to HER-2 protein are provided. Methods for treating breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides deleted adenovirus vectors. The inventive adenovirus vectors carry one or more deletions in the IVa2, 100K, polymerase and/or preterminal protein sequences of the adenovirus genome. The adenoviruses may additionally contain other deletions, mutations or other modifications as well. In particular preferred embodiments, the adenovirus genome is multiply deleted, i.e., carries two or more deletions therein. The deleted adenoviruses of the invention are “propagation-defective” in that the virus cannot replicate and produce new virions in the absence of complementing function(s). Preferred adenovirus vectors of the invention carry a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding a protein or peptide associated with a metabolic disorder, more preferably a protein or peptide associated with a lysosomal or glycogen storage disease, most preferably, a lysosomal acid ?-glucosidase. Further provided are methods for producing the inventive deleted adenovirus vectors.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is concerned with cannabimimetic heteroindane analogs having affinities and/or selectivities for a cannabinoid receptor. A further aspect of the invention is concerned with pharmaceutical preparations employing the inventive analogs and methods of administering therapeutically effective amounts of the inventive analogs to provide a physiological effect.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying refractive-index fluctuations of a target are described in this application. One embodiment includes identifying one or more properties of emergent light, the emergent light to be emergent from a target, and determining refractive-index fluctuations of the target based on the one or more properties of the emergent light. The determining refractive-index fluctuations further comprises determining one or more of the variance of the refractive-index fluctuations and the spatial correlation length of the refractive-index fluctuations. The determining refractive-index fluctuations further comprises determining one or more of the variance of the refractive-index fluctuations and the spatial correlation length of the refractive-index fluctuations.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are introduced for determining proportional cardiac output (CO), absolute left atrial pressure (LAP), and/or other important hemodynamic variables from a contour of a circulatory pressure waveform or related signal. Certain embodiments of the invention provided herein include the mathematical analysis of a pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) waveform or a right ventricular pressure (RVP) waveform in order to determine beat-to-beat or time-averaged proportional CO, proportional pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and/or LAP. The invention permits continuous and automatic monitoring of critical hemodynamic variables with a level of invasiveness suitable for routine clinical application. The invention may be utilized, for example, to continuously monitor critically ill patients with pulmonary artery catheters installed and chronically monitor heart failure patients instrumented with implanted devices for measuring RVP.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of screening a compound for potential effectiveness in treating or preventing a mammalian disease mediated by plasma cells or a mammalian disease caused by virus infection of mammalian cells. Compounds are tested for their ability to inhibit IRE1-mediated processing of untranslatable XBP-1 mRNA into translatable XBP-1 mRNA. Drugs that are useful in treating or preventing a mammalian disease mediated by plasma cells and a method for detecting XBP-1 activity in living cells are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for improving the detection of signals obscured by noise using stochastic resonance noise. The method determines the stochastic resonance noise probability density function in non-linear processing applications that is added to the observed data for optimal detection with no increase in probability of false alarm. The present invention has radar, sonar, signal processing (audio, image and video), communications, geophysical, environmental, and biomedical applications.

Abstract: A method of making alkali-metal vapor cells by first forming microscale-wax micropackets with alkali metals inside allows fabrication of vapor cells at low cost and in a batch fabricated manner. Alkali metals are enclosed in a chemically inert wax to preform alkali metal-wax micropackets, keeping the alkali metals from reacting with the ambient surroundings during the vapor cell fabrication. This enables the deposition of precise amounts of pure alkali metal inside the vapor cells. Laser ablation of the alkali metal-wax micropackets provides a simple and effective way of releasing the enclosed metal. The method reduces the cost of making chip-scale atomic clocks and allows shipping of alkali vapor packets without contamination issues, thereby creating a technology for alkali-metal vendors to provide small packets of alkali metals.

Abstract: A front wheel steering control device improves the handling and stability of a vehicle with respect to the steering wheel angles. The front wheel steering control device includes an input device for obtaining the steering wheel angle and the vehicle velocity, a first computing device for computing a yaw-rate for the vehicle which maintains the vehicle gravity center point sideslip angle at zero based on the steering wheel angle and the vehicle velocity that are obtained by the input device, a second computing device for computing a target front wheel actual steering angle for realizing the yaw-rate calculated by the first computing device, a control device for performing a steering control of the vehicle based on the target front wheel actual steering angle calculated by the second computing device. The ideal determination of the vehicle steering gear ratio and the derivative steering gain are relatively easy.

Abstract: A control system for an electromagnetic rotary drive for bearingless motor-generators comprises a winding configuration comprising a plurality of individual pole pairs through which phase current flows, each phase current producing both a lateral force and a torque. A motor-generator comprises a stator, a rotor supported for movement relative to the stator, and a control system. The motor-generator comprises a winding configuration supported by the stator. The winding configuration comprises at least three pole pairs through which phase current flows resulting in three three-phase systems. Each phase system has a first rotor reference frame axis current that produces a levitating force with no average torque and a second rotor reference frame axis current that produces torque.

Abstract: The present invention provides processes for the production of polycyclic fused ring compounds. The polycyclic fused ring compounds are produced by protecting a polycyclic fused ring polyol with a bridging silicon-based protecting group and attaching a suitable side chain. Polycyclic fused ring compounds and intermediate compounds are also described.

Abstract: Polyanhydrides which link low molecular weight drugs containing a carboxylic acid group and an amine, thiol, alcohol or phenol group within their structure into polymeric drug delivery systems are provided. Also provided are methods of producing polymeric drug delivery systems via these polyanhydride linkers as well as methods of administering low molecular weight drugs to a host via the polymeric drug delivery systems.

Abstract: A composition comprising bacteria and an inert carrier is disclosed. The carrier can be porous, ceramic particles. The composition can also include a growth medium. Bacteria in such a composition can comprise a novel strain designated APM-1. APM-1 is a Gram-positive, aerobic, motile rod, and appears to be most closely related to Bacillus spp. Also disclosed are methods for controlling mammalian fungal diseases and of using the disclosed compositions for controlling plant fungal diseases or for bioremediation.

Abstract: A P4 variant protein that has reduced enzymatic activity and that induces antibody to wild-type P4 protein and/or has good bactericidal activity against non-typable H. influenzae (NTHi) is useful as an active component in an immunogenic composition for humans. Methods of using these proteins, and compositions containing them in combination with additional antigens, are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to genetic reporters. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a modified gene encoding a luciferase for high level expression in an organism with a bias for cytosine (C) or guanine (G) in the third position of the codon.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a composition comprising a Gd3+-Eu3+ white phosphor composition, methods of making the composition, and the like.

Abstract: Computed axial tomography images of different respiratory phases of lungs are obtained, where the intensity of the image measures lung density. One image is deformed to the coordinate space of the other image, and the differences between the intensity values of the other image as compared to the mapped image are evaluated as measures of ventilation.

Abstract: The present invention teaches methods and systems for transmitting signals in a building utilizing the reinforced steel bar structure in the building. The methods and systems allow the transmission and receipt of signals in residences and offices in older buildings while avoiding system reconfiguration, high cost cabling, and over-invasive installation.

Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for a waveguide pumping gain guided index antiguided fiber laser having a fiber selected for a refractive index crossover at a wavelength between a pump wavelength and a laser emission wavelength. A waveguide pumping system pumps a light having a pump wavelength into the fiber allowing a laser light to be captured by a gain guided process in the core while the pump light, propagating in the cladding is coupled to the core. The fiber selection includes selecting a fiber with a cladding material having a refractive index less than a core material refractive index for a pump wavelength and a core refractive index at the laser emission wavelength is less than the cladding refractive index at the same laser emission wavelength to allow the pump light to propagate through the cladding as a conventional wave guided fiber laser, white the laser emission is captured within the core as an index antiguided, gain guided wave.