Abstract: Polynucleotides and polypeptides which participate in influenza virus infection of cells and nucleic acid molecules, which include a polynucleotide sequence capable of specifically binding the polypeptides of the present invention. Also provided are methods of using such nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides and antibodies directed thereagainst for diagnosing, treating and preventing influenza virus infection.

Abstract: Improvements in the selective extraction of relatively low molecular weight oils from coal, coal liquids, oil shales, shale oils, oil sands, heavy and semi-heavy oils, bitumens, and the like are provided by a continuous process involving contacting the material to be treated with supercritical water in a continuous operation at pressures of from 500 psi to 3000 psi, temperatures of 250° C. to 450° C., and in-reactor dwell times generally in excess of 25 seconds and up to 10 minutes.

Abstract: Post-translational O-sulfonation of a serine or threonine residue of proteins is detected, optionally comparatively, wherein the detected O-sulfonation is detected under a first physiological condition, and is compared with a control O-sulfonation detected under a second physiological condition, and a difference between the detected and control O-sulfonations indicates a difference between the first and second physiological conditions. Predetermined changes in physiological conditions are used to infer specific changes in O-sulfonation. Proteins are modified by introducing a predetermined change in O-sulfonation at a serine or threonine residue of the protein, and optionally, detecting a resultant change in O-sulfonation. These methods include introducing or increasing O-sulfonation, eliminating or reducing O-sulfonation; and derivatizing or substituting O-sulfonation.

Abstract: A peptide corresponding to positions 62-71 of the sequence of human C-reactive protein (CRP) of the formula: Glu62-Ile-Leu-Ile-Phe-Trp-Ser-Lys-Asp-Ile71 and modifications thereof obtained by substitution, deletion, or addition of amino acids, amidation of the C-terminal or acylation of the N-terminal, are capable of inhibiting in vitro the enzymatic activity of human Leukocyte Elastase (hLE) and/or of human Cathepsin G (hCG) and can be used for the treatment of chronic inflammation conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary emphysema, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, asthma and some acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Abstract: The present invention provides molecular weight markers for accurate determination of the molecular weight of glatiramer acetate and other copolymers. The present invention further provides a plurality of molecular weight markers for determining the molecular weight of glatiramer acetate and other copolymers which display linear relationships between molar ellipticity and molecular weight, and between retention time and the log of the molecular weight. The molecular weight markers also optimally demonstrate biological activity similar to glatiramer acetate or corresponding copolymers and can be used for treating or preventing various immune diseases. In addition, the subject invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of immune diseases comprising a polypeptide having an identified molecular weight and an amino acid composition corresponding to glatiramer acetate or a terpolymer.

Abstract: Methods and kits for (i) determining a risk of a subject to develop cancer; (ii) evaluating an effectiveness and dosage of cancer therapy administered to a cancer patient; and (iii) determining a presence of correlation or non-correlation between an activity of at least one DNA repair enzyme and at least one cancer, are disclosed.

Abstract: The osmoprotectants proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine (“THP(B)”, and 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6,-tetrahydropyrimidine (“THP(A)”) are capable of increasing the thermal stability of DNA polymerases at elevated temperatures. THP(B) is further effective in lowering the melting temperature of double-stranded DNA. Proline, THP(A) and THP(B) are thus useful in procedures involving melting of double-stranded DNA and/or polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis, such as in primer extension, in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and in DNA sequencing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the production of hybrid wheat based on the ability to stably maintaining a genic male-sterile female parental line of common and durum wheat It also provides a male-sterile female line homozygous for a recessive male-sterility allele and for a dominant pollen-killing allele, and a maintainer line which is readily and stably propagated. The maintainer line is isogenic to the female line but has an alien engineered chromosome carrying a dominant male-fertility allele that restores fertility to the maintainer line, a recessive pollen-killing allele that is susceptible to the killing effect of the native pollen killer thus preventing transmission of this chromosome to the female line, and one or more selectable markers that facilitate the maintenance of the maintainer itself. The invention also provides procedures for converting any desired cultivar into male-sterile female line and into a maintainer line.

Abstract: A method for treating cancer comprising administering a 1,3,4,6-tetrahydroxy-helianthrone derivative. The compounds can be used in the absence of light irradiation or for photodynamic therapy of solid tumors wherein the tumor site is subjected to light irradiation after administration of the active ingredient. A preferred compound is 10,13-dimethyl-1,3,4,6-tetrahydroxy-helianthrone.

Abstract: A transparent radiation delivery waveguide and a guided radiation receiver assembly using the same, which assembly comprises a first transparent medium with a first refractive index n1, a receiver chamber having an aperture and holding a second transparent medium having a second refractive index n2, and the transparent radiation delivery waveguide having a third refractive index n3 substantially equal or greater than n1. The radiation delivery waveguide n3 consists of a transparent vessel holding a transparent liquid medium and has a first radiation intake portion in optical contact with the first transparent medium and held tightly within the aperture of the receiver chamber, and a second, tapered radiation delivery portion of non-circular cross-sectional shape, projecting into the receiver chamber.

Abstract: A planar optical crossbar switch comprising two thin planar substrates, on each of which are recorded or attached two holographic lenses between which light propagates by means of total internal reflection. The first lens is a negative cylindrical lens, used to input the incident light signal to the substrate, and the second lens is a positive cylindrical lens. The two substrates are disposed at right angles to each other in such a way that the positive lenses are positioned one on top of the other with a spatial light modulator sandwiched between them or beneath them. A linear array of detectors collects the output signal from the negative lens on the second substrate.

Abstract: A well-known technique to discourage piracy of digital objects is to fingerprint the version each customer receives. The invention provides a novel way of fingerprinting the decryption functions given by broadcasters to their customers (usually in the form of smart cards). The main difficulty is to ensure that all the algorithms provided by the broadcaster implement the same decryption function, and yet to make it computationally difficult for a pirate who obtains a large number of such implementations to find even one fundamentally different implementation which is not traceable to a particular customer.

Abstract: Improved methods and apparatus are provided for protecting public key schemes based on modular exponentiation (including RSA and Diffie-Hellman) from indirect cryptanalytic techniques such as timing and fault attacks. Known methods for making the implementation of number-theoretic schemes resistant to such attacks typically double their running time, whereas the novel methods and apparatus described in this patent add only negligible overhead. This improvement is particularly significant in smart card and software-based implementations, in which the modular exponentiation operation is quite slow, and doubling its time may be an unacceptable solution.

Abstract: An anti-tumor pharmaceutical composition includes cells into which a gene encoding human IL-6 has been inserted. A method of treatment of a patient suffering from cancer to prevent and/or inhibit the development of metastases by administering to the patient the anti-tumor pharmaceutical composition including the above mentioned cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to analogs of thymic humoral factor .gamma.2 (THF-.gamma.2) having at least 4 amino acid residues and corresponding to the sequence of THF-.gamma.2 of the formula I:Leu-Glu-Asp-Gly-Pro-Lys-Phe-Leu Ibut differing therefrom by addition, deletion or substitution of one or more amino acid residues, or by cyclization, or by linkage of two or more sequences (I) or modified sequences (I) either directly or through a peptidic or non-peptidic chain.The THF-.gamma.2 analogs of the invention and the functional derivatives and salts thereof are for use as immunomodulatory in pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: Gelled material compositions for use as adsorbents and ion exchangers. The composition including a specific extractant, an organic solvent and a halopolymer modified by substitution with a radical of a substance compatible with the specific extractant. Optionally the composition may be in form of beads.

Abstract: A laser apparatus of the end pumping kind in which an elongated transparent laser element is mounted in spaced relationship within a tubular waveguide which has a highly reflective inner surface. The arrangement is such that, at least along part of the laser element, the optical distances between different points on the surface of the laser element and the inner contour of the waveguide vary.

Abstract: Memory efficient variants of public key encryption and identification schemes for smart card applications with severely limited RAM without using dedicated coprocessors. The variants replace the memory-intensive modular multiplication operation z=x*y (mod n) by a new randomized multiplication operation z'=x*y+r*n, where r is a randomly chosen integer in a suitable range 0,b!, and a double convolution process to compute z' is used. Method and apparatus are described.

Abstract: A method of making a photochromic polysiloxane includes the steps of forming a photochromic spironaphthooxazine monomer including an alkene terminated side and, by addition reaction, covalently bonding the alkene carbon to [SiH] moieties of a siloxane polymer. Novel spironaphthooxazine monomers and photochromic polysiloxanes are disclosed.