Abstract: The instant invention provides methods and compositions for the treatment of. atherosclerotic disease. Specifically, the invention provides methods and compositions for modulating the activity of Arginase II, the production of Arginase II or the amount of free Arginase II for the treatment of atherosclerotic disease.

Abstract: Alternative cellular energy pigments (ACE-pigments) provide a source of cellular energy other than that provided through the oxidative metabolism of foods, or in the case of plants and certain bacteria, through the process of photosynthesis. In some patients, ACE pigments exist in a form that can be further energized or activated using ultraviolet (UV) light, especially if the reaction is initially triggered by the presence of suitable dyes, such as neutral red. A method is described to assess the energy status of the ACE pathway in an individual or animal and also a method that involves the use of UV light in conjunction with a suitable dye, for activating the pathway in those individuals or animals in which the pathway is not fully charged. Kits for these purposes are also described.

Abstract: A method of fabricating micro/nano optical wires is disclosed, which comprises: providing a micro/nano optical wire drawing device comprising a feeding wheel, a drawing wheel, and a heating unit; fastening one end of a micrometer-sized preform at the feeding wheel; making the other end of the preform pass through the heating unit and be fastened at the drawing wheel; and switching on the heating unit to heat the perform to a softening temperature of the preform and drawing the preform by the drawing wheel to form a micro/nano optical wire. A device of fabricating micro/nano optical wires is also disclosed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for storing heat in industrial systems where large sources of stored energy are called upon to meet a work load, storing the heat content of a hot working fluid by using the hot working fluid as a heat transfer fluid in vapor form and depositing its heat content on a heat storage medium and then removing the cooled and condensed liquid phase of that heat transfer fluid, and when hot working fluid again is needed, the liquid heat transfer fluid is returned to the heated storage medium and is reheated as it passes through the hot storage medium and then is returned to the working system to be used as a hot working fluid.

Abstract: The invention involves polychromatic particles of various sizes for assessing blood flow, blood barrier leakage and blood vessel leakage.

Abstract: A multi-capsule composition includes a first capsule, which includes a first capsule wall defining a first interior volume and a first fluid in the first interior volume, and a plurality of second capsules, at least partially embedded in the first capsule wall. The second capsules include a second capsule wall defining a second interior volume and a second fluid in the second interior volume. The multi-capsule composition may include at least one active agent, such as pharmaceutical agents, food additives, cleaning agents, complexing agents, personal care substances, lubricants, adhesives, heating/cooling agents, colorants, indicators, superabsorbents, agricultural additives, and healing agents.

Abstract: A method and system for determining a feature of a particular pattern are provided. In particular, data records are received, and predetermined patterns that are associated with at least some of the data records are obtained. Using the system and method, particular information is extracted from at least a subset of the received data records, the particular information being indicative of the particular pattern in at least some of the data records. Then, it is determined whether the particular pattern is an unexpected pattern based on the obtained predetermined patterns. In addition, it is possible to classify and reduce data and/or parameters provided in the data records. First, the data records are received. Then, the data records which have at least one particular pattern are classified using a Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines technique. Thereafter, the data and/or parameters of the classified data records are shrunk using a Stein's Estimator Rule technique.

Abstract: Methods and materials for studying the effects of a newly identified human gene, APOAV, and the corresponding mouse gene apoAV. The sequences of the genes are given, and transgenic animals which either contain the gene or have the endogenous gene knocked out are described. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene are described and characterized. It is demonstrated that certain SNPs are associated with diseases involving lipids and triglycerides and other metabolic diseases. These SNPs may be used alone or with SNPs from other genes to study individual risk factors. Methods for intervention in lipid diseases, including the screening of drugs to treat lipid-related or diabetic diseases are also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermoelectric material and a method of fabricating a thermoelectric material are provided. The thermoelectric material includes a doped compound of at least one Group IV element and at least one Group VI element. The compound is doped with at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of: at least one Group Ia element, at least one Group IIb element, at least one Group IIIa element, at least one Group IIIb element, at least one lanthanide element, and chromium. The at least one Group IV element is on a first sublattice of sites and the at least one Group VI element is on a second sublattice of sites, and the at least one Group IV element includes at least 95% of the first sublattice sites. The compound has a peak thermoelectric figure of merit ZT value greater than 0.7 at temperatures greater than 500 K.

Abstract: A method for producing a mixture of short chain carboxylic acids from biomass includes adding biomass to a reactor vessel, heating the biomass to crack it, removing undesired and unreacted materials and light ends from the cracked biomass, and removing a mixture containing carboxylic acids having carbon chain lengths between C2 and C16. A composition includes a carboxyl group-containing compound derived by cracking biomass and having a carboxyl carbon chain length between C2 and C16.

Abstract: Techniques for using gaze actions to interact with interactive displays. A pointing device includes an eye movement tracker that tracks eye movements and an eye movement analyzer. The eye movement analyzer analyzes the eye movements for a sequence of gaze movements that indicate a gaze action which specifies an operation on the display. A gaze movement may have a location, a direction, a length, and a velocity. A processor receives an indication of the gaze action and performs the operation specified by the gaze action on the display. The interactive display may be digital or may involve real objects. Gaze actions may correspond to mouse events and may be used with standard graphical user interfaces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely monitoring properties of gases and plasmas is disclosed. A laser beam is focused at a desired region within a gas or plasma to be analyzed, generating an ionized sample region in the gas or plasma. A beam of microwave radiation is directed toward the ionized sample region, and a portion of the microwave radiation is scattered by the ionized sample region and Doppler-shifted in frequency. The scattered, frequency-shifted microwave radiation is received by a microwave receiver, and is processed by a microwave detection system to determine properties of the gas or plasma, including velocities, temperatures, concentrations of molecular species, and other properties of the gas or plasma.

Abstract: Here is presented a versatile technique for machining of nanometer-scale features using tightly-focused ultrashort laser pulses. By the invention, the size of features can be reduced far below the wavelength of light, thus enabling nanomachining of a wide range of materials. The features may be extremely small (<20 nm) and are highly reproducible.

Abstract: There is provided a system and methods for segmenting datapath resources such as reorder buffers, physical registers, instruction queues and load-store queues, etc. in a microprocessor so that their size may be dynamically expanded and contracted. This is accomplished by allocating and deallocating individual resource units to each resource based on sampled estimates of the instantaneous resource needs of the program running on the microprocessor. By keeping unused datapath resources to a minimum, power and energy savings are achieved by shutting off resource units that are not needed for sustaining the performance requirements of the running program. Leakage energy and switching energy and power are reduced using the described methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions relating a nucleic acid encoding an interleukin 18-inducible cytokine termed tumor necrosis factor-alpha inducing factor (TAIF) or interleukin-32 (IL-32). In particular, the present invention provides vectors for expressing proteins useful for treating autoimmune diseases and cancer, in part by regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression.

Abstract: The present invention relates to S1P analogs that have activity as S1P receptor modulating agents and the use of such compounds to treat diseases associated with inappropriate S1P receptor activity. The compounds have the general structure: structure: wherein R11 is C5-C18 alkyl or C5-C18 alkenyl; Q is C3-C6 optionally substituted cycloalkyl, C3-C6 optionally substituted heterocyclic, C3-C6 optionally substituted aryl C3-C6 optionally substituted heteroaryl or —NH(CO)—; R3 is H, C1-C4 alkyl, (C1-C4 alkyl)OH or (C1-C4 alkyl)NH2; R23 is H or C1-C4 alkyl, and R15 is hydroxy, phosphonate, or wherein X and R12 is O or S; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or tautomer thereof.

Abstract: Engineered fluorescent proteins, nucleic acids encoding them and methods of use are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides screening methods for identifying agents that modulate the activity of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (AldDH2), as well as agents identified by the screening methods. The present invention further provides methods of reducing ischemic tissue damage or free-radical induced damage in an organ, the methods generally involving contacting the organ with an agent that increases AldDH2 levels and/or activity. The present invention further provides methods of treating solid tumors, the methods generally involving administering an agent that decreases AldDH2 levels and/or activity.

Abstract: The present invention provides porcine isogloboside 3 (iGb3) synthase protein, cDNA, and genomic DNA regulatory sequence. The present also invention includes porcine animals, tissue and organs as well as cells and cell lines derived from such animals, tissue and organs, which lack expression of functional iGb3 synthase. Such animals, tissues, organs and cells can be used in research and in medical therapy, including xenotransplantation. In addition, methods are provided to prepare organs, tissues, and cells lacking the porcine iGb3 synthase gene for use in xenotransplantation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the self-administration of a plurality of doses of an intranasal liquid pharmaceutical composition, including opioid analgesics, that includes a drug delivery device containing a plurality of sealed vials, each vial containing a predetermined volume of the pharmaceutical composition, a pump assembly for conveying the liquid pharmaceutical composition from the interior of the vial and discharging it as a nasal spray in response to manual activation by the patient, and programmable means for sequentially advancing a vial to the ready position after passage of a prescribed time interval following the last activation of the delivery device.