Abstract: An integrated circuit chip has one or more electrically conductive nano-fibers formed on one or more contact pads of the integrated circuit chip. The one or more electrically conductive nano-fibers are configured to provide an adhesive force by intermolecular forces and establish an electrical connection with one or more contact pads disposed on the surface of a chip package.

Abstract: The present application demonstrates that Salinosporamide A can be used to sensitize cancer cells to cancer therapy. Furthermore, the present application demonstrates that Salinosporamide A acts as a therapeutic agent to kill or inhibit cancer cells after sensitization of the cells by an antibody or other chemosensitizing reagents. The cancer cells can be either therapy-sensitive or therapy resistant. The present application further demonstrates that Salinosporamide A induces the expression of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) and PTEN, tumor suppressor proteins, and inhibits the expression of YY1, a transcriptional regulator protein overexpressed in cancer cells and also inhibits the growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN).

Abstract: A contour mode micromechanical piezoelectric resonator. The resonator has a bottom electrode; a top electrode; and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode. The piezoelectric resonator has a planar surface with a cantilevered periphery, dimensioned to undergo in-plane lateral displacement at the periphery. The resonator also includes means for applying an alternating electric field across the thickness of the piezoelectric resonator. The electric field is configured to cause the resonator to have a contour mode in-plane lateral displacement that is substantially in the plane of the planar surface of the resonator, wherein the fundamental frequency for the displacement of the piezoelectric resonator is set in part lithographically by the planar dimension of the bottom electrode, the top electrode or the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a semiconducting region including polyaromatic molecules on a surface of a substrate. The method also includes forming over the region a substantially oxygen impermeable dielectric layer. The act of forming a semiconducting region includes exposing the molecules to oxygen while exposing the molecules to visible or ultraviolet light.

Abstract: The invention provides a high affinity heme-binding agent, which can be provided in the form of a pharmaceutical composition that includes, optionally, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The heme-binding agent can be used in a method of facilitating heme-iron export from a cell. The method comprises contacting a cell with a high affinity heme-binding agent. Also provided is a method of treating a disorder associated with excess iron in cells in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of the composition of the invention. The subject is typically a mammal, most typically a human or veterinary subject.

Abstract: Described is a method of identifying an immunologically active antigen of a virus that attacks skin, as well as a method of enriching a population of lymphocytes for T lymphocytes that are specific to a virus that attacks skin. Also provided are HSV antigens and epitopes that are useful for the prevention and treatment of HSV infection that have been identified via the methods of the invention. T-cells having specificity for antigens of the invention have demonstrated cytotoxic activity against cells loaded with virally-encoded peptide epitopes, and in many cases, against cells infected with HSV. The identification of immunogenic antigens responsible for T-cell specificity provides improved anti-viral therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. Compositions containing antigens or polynucleotides encoding antigens of the invention provide effectively targeted vaccines for prevention and treatment of HSV infection.

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: Methods and compositions are provided for treating dermatological diseases, disorders, and pathologies, including seborrheic dermatitis, in a subject in need thereof. In some embodiments, methods are provided for the treatment of a dermatological disease, disorder, or pathology comprising, topically administering to a subject in need of dermatological treatment a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of bupropion, lithium or lithium salicylate, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus and method to aid in the reproducible and reversible tensioning of flexible substrates, such as polyimide or other file, to ensure planarity before, during, and after processing while mounted in tensioning apparatus.

Abstract: A method for providing multi-wavelength switching. The method comprising receiving a plurality of signals through at least one input port, and separating the plurality of said signals into at least one wavelength signal set based on wavelengths, wherein a first wavelength signal set of said at least one wavelength signal sets corresponds to a first wavelength. The method further comprises providing a plurality of output lanes to at least one output port, and determining if two signals from said first wavelength signal set traveling on said first wavelength are scheduled output from an output port during an overlapping time period through said plurality of output lanes.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a polymeric polyamine which can be produced by polymerizing polyoxyalkylene-amine and a linker. The linker can be anhydride, carboxylic acid, epoxy, isocyanate or poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) copolymers (SMA). The present invention also discloses a method for stabilizing the Ag nanoparticles with polymeric polyamine. The polymeric polyamine serving as a stabilizer or dispersant is mixed with a water solution of silver salt and then a reducer is provided to reduce the silver ions and form an organic or a water solution of Ag nanoparticles. Water or solvent of this solution can be further removed through a heating, freezing or decompression process, and thus solid content of the solution can be increased. The concentrated solution also can be diluted to obtain a stable dispersion without aggregation.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser drive system and a semiconductor laser driving method where both internal noise and optical feedback noise can be simultaneously reduced are provided at low cost and low power consumption.

Abstract: Featured is a magnetic ring structure including at least a vortex magnetic state such as symmetrically and asymmetrically shaped nanorings, having small diameters (e.g., on the order of 100 nm). In particular embodiments, the width and thickness of the asymmetrical nanorings varies as a function of the locations on the circumference so that maxima and minima thereof are located on opposite sides of the nanoring. Also featured are methods for fabricating such symmetrically and asymmetrically shaped nanorings. Also featured are methods for controlling the reversal process so as to thereby create vortex states in such asymmetric nanorings by controlling the field angle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing a psychiatric disorder or, a predisposition thereto, in a test subject is provided, wherein perceptual rivalry is measured in the test subject during exposure to a moving plaid stimulus. The method may include the step of determining an interhemispheric switch rate of the test subject, and comparing the switch rate with a corresponding reference switch rate to diagnose presence or absence of the psychiatric disorder. Particular psychiatric disorder s include mood disorders and schizophrenia. Also provided is use of the diagnostic method in genetic linkage studies for the identification of the molecular defect(s) underlying a psychiatric disorder, and for the identification of compounds which may alleviate the disorder.

Abstract: A method for the production of an oxide layer, involving oxidizing a metal surface, wherein the metal surface is electrically connected to an electronic control unit (ECU); wherein the metal oxide layer produced has an amount of metal present in said metal oxide layer that is higher than that present in a metal oxide layer produced by oxidizing the metal surface in the absence of the ECU; or oxidizing an oxidizable non-metallic conductive surface, wherein the oxidizable non-metallic conductive surface is electrically connected to an electronic control unit (ECU); wherein the oxide layer produced is denser than that produced by oxidizing the oxidizable non-metallic conductive surface in the absence of the ECU; and the metal oxide or oxide layers produced thereby.

Abstract: Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are characterized by impaired colour rendering, due to their low illumination capability near the blood-red edge of the visible spectrum. Red light output by a light emitting diode (LED) has a relatively narrow spectral distribution, and LEDs are able to produce red light with reasonable efficiency. Blending the light output of a CFL with a small amount of blood-red light emitted by one or more inexpensive LEDs improves colour rendering, while reducing the overall energy cost of operating the CFL-LED hybrid lamp.

Abstract: A polycarbodiimide polymer that is reversibly switchable between two distinct optical orientations is described. The polymer is useful in forming devices such as filters, storage media, actuators, and displays. Methods of making and using such polymers are also described.

Abstract: Ternary content-addressable memories (TCAMs) may be used to obtain a simple and very fast implementation of a router's forwarding engine. The applicability of TCAMs is, however, limited by their size and high power requirement. The present invention provides an improved method and associated algorithms to reduce the power needed to search a forwarding table using a TCAM. Additionally, the present invention teaches how to couple TCAMs and high bandwidth SRAMs so as to overcome both the power and size limitations of a pure TCAM forwarding engine. By using one of the novel TCAM-SRAM coupling schemes (M-12Wb), TCAM memory is reduced by a factor of about 5 on IPv4 data sets and by a factor of about 2.5 on IPv6 data sets; TCAM power requirement is reduced by a factor of about 10 on IPv4 data sets and by a factor of about 6 on IPv6 data sets.

Abstract: The present invention includes compositions and methods for the treatment of inflammatory disease (e.g. asthma, COPD, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, scleroderma, and the like), relating to inhibiting a chitinase-like molecule. The invention further includes methods to identify new compounds for the treatment of inflammatory disease, including, but not limited to, asthma, COPD and the like. This is because the present invention demonstrates, for the first time, that expression of IL-13, and of a chitinase-like molecule, mediates and/or is associated with inflammatory disease and that inhibiting the chitinase-like molecule treats and even prevents, the disease. Thus, the invention relates to the novel discovery that inhibiting a chitinase-like molecule treats and prevents an inflammatory disease.

Abstract: The air cells are attached detachably to the base members. By this, it is possible to set up the size or the arrangement of the air cells. For example, in a hospital, it is possible to change easily and inexpensively the air cells on a bed according to the patient's height, the body shape, the state, or the condition of affected part. Thus, it is exceedingly advantageous for dispersing the pressure added to the body.