Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing therapeutic treatment for symptoms associated with GERD and/or other digestive disorders and/or other medical conditions are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a support element that has a first end portion and a second end portion and a top surface disposed at an angle relative to a bottom surface of the support element. The second end portion has a height greater than the first end portion. A riser element is configured to be coupled proximate to the second end portion of the support element. A body element is configured to be disposed on at least one of the support element or the riser element. The body element has a first arm and a second arm connected together by an arc portion.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing therapeutic treatment for symptoms associated with GERD and/or other digestive disorders and/or other medical conditions are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a support element and a conformable riser element adjacent the support element. The riser element and the support element collectively form a body support member configured to support a user and define a receiving portion configured to receive a portion of the user's arm. The riser element and the support element are each disposed within a casing formed at least in part with a stretch material. In some embodiments, the riser element includes a polyester filler material and the stretch material includes a four-way stretch material. The four-way stretch material in combination with the polyester filler material enables the riser element to be conformable.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease. In some cases, stem-loop aptamers are provided for the inhibition of Factor D.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for inhibiting functions associated with vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). The methods and compositions may involve the use of pan-variant specific aptamers for binding to VEGF-A, and preventing or reducing association of VEGF-A with Flt-1, KDR, or Nrp-1. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to receptor binding face of VEGF-A. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to a receptor binding domain of VEGF-A. The application further provides anti-VEGF-A aptamers for the treatment of ocular diseases or disorders. In some cases, the anti-VEGF-A aptamers may have a stem-loop secondary structure.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease.

Abstract: A method for operating and diagnosing faults in a laboratory instrument comprising a plurality of subsystems may comprise performing an analytic sequence and a set of diagnostic steps. Such a method may be performed using a diagnostic reagent comprising paramagnetic particles and lacking an antibody component. Such a method may also include evaluating a set of the instrument's subsystems in the opposite of the order in which those subsystems are used during analysis.

Abstract: A processor core receives a request to execute application code including a trigger instruction and an instruction block that reads a row of data values from a data structure and outputs a data value from a function using the row as input. The data structure is divided into multiple portions and the trigger instruction indicates that multiple instances of the instruction block are to be executed concurrently. In response to the request and to identification of the instruction block and trigger instruction, the processor core generates multiple instances of a support block that causes independent repetitive execution of each instance of the instruction block until all rows of the corresponding portion of the data structure are used as input. The processor core assigns instances of the instruction and support blocks to multiple processor cores, and provides each instance of the instruction block with the corresponding portion of the data structure.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for inhibiting functions associated with Interleukin-8 (IL8). The methods and compositions may involve the use of aptamers for binding to IL8 and preventing or reducing association of IL8 with CXCR1, CXCR2, or both. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to an N-terminal domain of IL8. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to a hydrophobic pocket of IL8. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to an N-loop of IL8. The methods and compositions may include one or more aptamers that bind to a GAG binding site of IL8. The application further provides anti-IL8 aptamers for the treatment of ocular diseases or disorders. In some cases, the anti-IL8 aptamers may have a stem-loop secondary structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a linear actuator comprised of a tube and method of deploying 3 spools of strips into a tube by consolidating the strips in an overlapping condition with each other each in a helical form of a constant diameter.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a processor core to: receive a request to execute application code including a trigger instruction and an instruction block that reads a row of data values from a data structure and outputs a data value from a function using the row as input, wherein the data structure is divided into multiple portions and the trigger instruction indicates that multiple instances of the instruction block are to be executed concurrently; and in response to the request, and to identification of the instruction block and trigger instruction: generate multiple instances of a support block that causes independent repetitive execution of each instance of the instruction block until all rows of the corresponding portion of the data structure are used as input; assign instances of the instruction and support blocks to multiple processor cores; and provide each instance of the instruction block with the corresponding portion of the data structure.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease. In some cases, stem-loop aptamers are provided for the inhibition of Factor D.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease. In some cases, stem-loop aptamers are provided for the inhibition of Factor D.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of retinal diseases. The compositions and methods include a therapeutic agent conjugated to a vitreous component binding moiety. The vitreous component binding moiety may be an aptamer or a small molecule that binds to a structural component of the vitreous humor (e.g., hyaluronic acid, collagen or vitronectin).

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease. In some cases, stem-loop aptamers are provided for the inhibition of Factor D.

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for generating and selecting aptamers. The aptamers can be suitable as therapeutic aptamers for the treatment of a disease or disorder. The methods provided may improve the efficiency and/or effectiveness of generating a therapeutic aptamer over traditional methods. The methods may generally involve selective pressure including competitive elution to generate aptamers that specifically bind to therapeutically-relevant epitopes and have a desired mechanism of action.

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of retinal diseases. The compositions and methods include a therapeutic agent conjugated to a vitreous component binding moiety. The vitreous component binding moiety may be an aptamer or a small molecule that binds to a structural component of the vitreous humor (e.g., hyaluronic acid, collagen or vitronectin).

Abstract: The application discloses methods and compositions for the inhibition of the alternative complement pathway. The methods and compositions involve the use of aptamers for inhibiting complement Factor D. The application further provides anti-Factor D aptamers for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy, wet age-related macular degeneration or Stargardt disease.