Abstract: Provided are compounds, methods, and pharmaceutical compositions for reducing the amount or activity of APP RNA in a cell or animal, and in certain instances reducing the amount of APP protein in a cell or animal. Such compounds, methods, and pharmaceutical compositions are useful to ameliorate at least one symptom or hallmark of a neurodegenerative disease or disorder. Such symptoms and hallmarks include cognitive impairment, including a decline in memory and language skills, behavioral and psychological symptoms such as apathy and lack of motivation, gait disturbances and seizures, progressive dementia, and abnormal amyloid deposits.

Abstract: Provided herein are epigenetic-modifying DNA-targeting systems, such as CRISPR-Cas/guide RNA (gRNA) systems, for the transcriptional repression of Hepatitis B viral (HBV) genes to promote a cellular phenotype that leads to the reduction of HBV infection. In some embodiments, the epigenetic-modifying DNA-targeting systems bind to or target a target site of at least one gene or regulatory element thereof in a Hepatitis B viral DNA sequence in cell. In some aspects, the provided systems relate to the transcriptional repression of one or more Hepatitis B viral gene and/or regulatory element thereof. In some aspects, also provided herein are methods and uses related to the provided compositions, for example in repressing Hepatitis B viral replication and expression in connection with Hepatitis B infections.

Abstract: A computer-based method for determining a sunscreen composition comprising a plurality of UV filter substances, comprises the steps of selecting at least one constraint for at least one characteristic of the composition to be determined (step 30), the at least one constraint comprising a sunscreen performance target; selecting an optimization objective from a plurality of optimization objectives (step 50); and automatically determining the sunscreen composition as a composition of filter substances from a set of filter substances (step 100), the composition meeting the at least one constraint and being optimized with respect to the selected optimization objective. The automatic determination comprises the steps of generating a plurality of candidate compositions, determining a sunscreen performance of the candidate compositions using a performance simulation tool and comparing the determined sunscreen performance of the candidate compositions with the sunscreen performance target.

Abstract: Methods to improve the selection of breeding individuals as part of a breeding program are provided in which optimized estimation data sets are constructed by selecting candidates for phenotyping, for which genotypic information is also available, from a candidate set and inputting them into the estimation data set and then evaluating accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values for each candidate (i.e. genomic prediction accuracy). The optimized estimation data set is then used as a model to determine genomic estimated breeding values of breeding individuals based purely on genotypic information.

Abstract: Chimeric and other variant ?-glucuronidase enzymes with enhanced properties as compared to unmodified enzyme are provided. The enzymes of the invention advantageously exhibit enhanced enzymatic activity, enhanced substrate range, enhanced pH range, enhanced temperature range and/or enhanced enzyme stability. Methods of using the variant enzymes for hydrolysis of glucuronide substrates, including opiates and benzodiazepines, are also provided.

Abstract: Genomic data is written to disk in a compact format by dividing the data into segments and encoding each segment with the smallest number of bits per character necessary for whatever alphabet of characters appears in that segment. A computer system dynamically chooses the segment boundaries for maximum space savings. A first one of the segments may use a different number of bits per character than a second one of the segments. In one embodiment, dividing the data into segments comprises scanning the data and keeping track of a number of unique characters, noting positions in the sequence where the number increases to a power of two, calculating a compression that would be obtained by dividing the genomic data into one of the plurality of segments at ones of the noted positions, and dividing the genomic data into the plurality of segments at the positions that yield the best compression.

Abstract: Provided is an enzyme useful for prenylation and recombinant pathways for the production of cannabinoids, cannabinoid precursors and other prenylated chemicals in a cell free system as well and recombinant microorganisms that catalyze the reactions.

Abstract: Provided is a ketoreductase mutant and a method for producing chiral alcohol using the same. The ketoreductase mutant has a sequence with amino acid mutations in the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1. The mutation sites include at least one of the following positions: 6th position, 21st position, 42nd position, 58th position, 61st position, 76th position, 87th position, 94th position, 96th position, 108th position, 113th position, 117th position, 144th position, 146th position, 147th position, 149th position, 151st position, 152nd, 156th position, 165th position, 177th position, and 198th position.

Abstract: A method may include obtaining, by a computer processor, first data from a first entity regarding a polymerization process. The method may further include obtaining, by the computer processor, second data from a second entity regarding a production process. The method may further include generating, by the computer processor, a decision tree model using the first data, the second data, and an artificial intelligence algorithm.

Abstract: Described herein are glucose sensors. The sensors are composed of host cells incorporating DNA devices specifically designed to produce fluorescence when the cells come into contact with glucose from a patient sample. Once the fluorescence has been quantified, it can be correlated with the amount of glucose present in the sample. Also described herein are extracts from the host cells that can sense and measure glucose levels in a patient. The devices and extracts disclosed herein are inexpensive but sensitive and accurate enough for use in both home and clinical testing situations. The devices and extracts disclosed herein are also useful for diagnosis of diabetes, pre-diabetes, or other diseases associated with elevated glucose levels.

Abstract: A bacterial strain suitable for expressing recombinant proteins contains an open reading frame which codes for a recombinant protein, under control of a functional promoter. The bacterial strain contains an open reading frame which codes for a muted peptidologycan-associated lipoprotein (PAL protein), under control of a functional promoter, wherein the PAL protein is muted such that it contains no membrane anchor for the outer cell membrane of the bacterial strain. A plasmid codes for a recombinant protein. Fermentative production of recombinant protein is facilitated by using the bacterial strain, with increased product yields in the culture residue without leading to a substantial die-off of the bacterial cells.

Abstract: The present application relates to a variant of ornithine decarboxylase or protein, a polynucleotide encoding the same, a microorganism containing the same, and a method for producing putrescine using the same. The present invention achieves effects of increasing putrescine productivity, production efficiency or production selectivity, suppressing side reactions, and saving the cost involved in purifying putrescine.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for quantitative data normalisation, and/or ascertaining levels of transcription in cells, organisms, viruses, and the like. The methods can be used in numerous applications including, but not limited to, determining transcriptional upregulation and downregulation, identifying transcriptional perturbation, determining viability/death, and assessing responses to treatment with agents (e.g. resistance or sensitivity to drugs).

Abstract: The present invention provides materials and methods for determining optimal dosage regimens for therapeutic agents. In particular, the invention relates to dosage regimens for therapeutic agents capable of targeting IL-2 receptor, preferably interleukin 2 (IL2)-based therapeutic agents. The methods of the invention allow general dosage regimens to be determined for new IL-2R targeted therapeutic agents but also specifically tailored dosage regimens to be achieved for individuals being treated with IL-2R targeted therapeutic agents.

Abstract: Methods for analyzing omics data and using the omics data to determine genetic distances and/or difference scores among a plurality of biological uncles to so further determine the homogeneity of a group having a plurality of biological samples and/or exclude as individual biological sample from a group of biological samples a an outlier we presented. In preferred methods, a plurality of local differential string sea among do plurality of sequence strings is generated wing a plurality of local alignments. The local different suing is as indicative of genetic difference between one sequence string and one of do rests of do sequence strings among the plurality of sequence strings. From the plurality of local differential string sets, a plurality of difference scores among do plurality of sequence strings can be determined.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for preparing acoustically-sensitive microbubbles. The method includes the steps of: i) preparing a first surfactant solution comprising a first micelle-forming surfactant at a concentration above the critical micelle concentration (CMC); ii) adding one or more pharmaceutical compounds in a solvent to the first surfactant solution, thereby loading the micelles with the one or more pharmaceutical compounds; iii) preparing a second surfactant solution comprising a second surfactant, wherein the second surfactant comprises one or more matrix forming surfactants; iv) adding heat to the second surfactant solution to melt the surfactant and allowing the mixture to cool under rapid stirring; v) combining the second surfactant solution with the loaded micelles; vi) purging the surfactant mixture with a purging gas; vii) agitating the purged mixture under a constant stream of the purging gas; and, viii) separating the formed microbubbles by size.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the reclassification of a subject to a more appropriate risk assessment to that obtained using the algorithms for such risk estimation such us but not limited to Framingham, Regicor, Score, Procam or Qrisk based on the presence of different polymorphisms. The invention also relates to a method for determining the risk of suffering a cardiovascular disease by combining the absence or presence of one or more polymorphic markers in a sample from the subject with conventional risk factors for CVD as well as computer-implemented methods for carrying out the risk determination.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses construction and application of an engineered strain of E. coli for producing malic acid by fixing CO2, and belongs to the field of fermentation. The engineered strain is obtained by performing genetic engineering transformation on Escherichia coli MG1655; the genetic engineering transformation includes knocking out a fumarate reductase gene, a fumarase gene, a lactate dehydrogenase gene and an alcohol dehydrogenase gene and freely overexpressing a formate dehydrogenase, an acetyl coenzyme A synthetase, an acylated acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, a formaldehyde lyase, a dihydroxyacetone kinase, a malic enzyme and a phosphite oxidoreductase to obtain a strain GH0407. The strain is used for producing malic acid by fermentation, anaerobic fermentation is performed for 72 hours with CO2 and glucose as a co-substrate, the production of malic acid reaches 39 g/L, the yield is 1.53 mol/mol, and accumulation of malic acid in the original strain is not achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods of determining a treatment protocol for and/or a prognosis for a subject suspected of or at risk of suffering from a neurologic disease or disorder, including such diseases and disorders that involve motor neuron function such as ALS. The methods comprise detecting the presence of a chitinase protein in a biological sample.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for analyzing nucleic acids in a sample. Compositions include simple barcode sets having reduced DNA sequencing instrument-specific error rates. Methods include methods to deconvolute sequence reads from different samples.