Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a CO2 emitting at 10.6 ?m is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the CO2 radiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for the treatment of a human subject who has had a stroke by administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition including an antagonist of the P2X4 receptor. The antagonist of the P2X4 receptor can be administered in the acute phase of stroke, optionally in combination with a thrombolytic therapeutic or a procedure on the subject involving a clot-removal device.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for the treatment of a human subject who has had a stroke by administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition including an antagonist of the P2X4 receptor. The antagonist of the P2X4 receptor can be administered in the acute phase of stroke, optionally in combination with a thrombolytic therapeutic or a procedure on the subject involving a clot-removal device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of detecting vascular inflammation associated with acute myocardial infarction and/or prognosticating acute myocardial infarction by detecting a proteolytic fragment of caspase-1 such as the p20 fragment.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba (bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogues of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogues significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogues for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba (bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogues of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogues significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogues for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba(bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogues of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogues significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogues for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba(bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogues of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogues significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogues for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba (bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogs of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogs significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogs for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Phosphonate and phosphinate N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP including their prodrug analogs are described. MRS2339, a 2-chloro-AMP derivative containing a (N)-methanocarba (bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane) ring system in place of ribose, activates P2X receptors, ligand-gated ion channels. Phosphonate analogues of MRS2339 were synthesized using Michaelis-Arbuzov and Wittig reactions, based on the expectation of increased half-life in vivo due to the stability of the C—P bond. When administered to calsequestrin-overexpressing mice (a genetic model of heart failure) via a mini-osmotic pump (Alzet), some analogues significantly increased intact heart contractile function in vivo, as assessed by echocardiography-derived fractional shortening (FS) as compared to vehicle-infused mice. The range of carbocyclic nucleotide analogues for treatment of heart failure has been expanded.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are N-methanocarba derivatives of AMP and their use in the treatment of cardiac and vascular diseases and conditions responsive to activation of the cardiac P2X receptor. In one embodiment, the N-methanocarba derivative of AMP is the N-methanocarba derivative of 2-chloro-AMP. Diseases and conditions responsive to activation of the cardiac P2X receptor include, for example, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac failure resulting from any cause of abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis or from myocardial injuries, vascular insufficiency leading to myocardial infarction, post-myocardial infarction conditions, post-myocardial infarction conditions within the short-term post-infarction period, and diastolic heart failure.

Abstract: A training enterprise (100) comprises a basic training services portion (120), an enhanced training-user services portion (125), and an enhanced training-provider services portion (130) which are coupled to a common training service request processor (105) and a training services delivery module (135). The basic training services portion (120), the training service request processor (105) and the training services delivery module (135) form a learning exchange (102). The training service request processor (105) receives training service requirements, and dependent on those requirements, either the learning exchange (102) or the enhanced training-user services portion (125), or both, provides the training-user with the required training-user services.