Abstract: The disclosure provides a human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell sheet comprising one or more layers of confluent human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs). The disclosure also provides method for producing hUC-MSC sheets comprising culturing hUC-MSCs in culture solution on a temperature-responsive polymer which has been coated onto a substrate surface of a cell culture support, wherein the temperature-responsive polymer has a lower critical solution temperature in water of 0-80° C.; adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to below the lower critical solution temperature, whereby the substrate surface is made hydrophilic and adhesion of the cell sheet to the surface is weakened; and detaching the cell sheet from the culture support.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of disconnection agents before, or together with, toxic agents for the treatment of solid tumours.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a chondrocyte cell sheet comprising one or more layers of confluent cells comprising chondrocytes and chondroprogenitor cells. Methods of generating cartilage tissue in a subject are also provided. The disclosure also provides a method for producing chondrocyte cell sheets comprising culturing chondrocytes and chondroprogenitor cells in culture solution on a temperature-responsive polymer which has been coated onto a substrate surface of a cell culture support, wherein the temperature-responsive polymer has a lower critical solution temperature in water of 0-80° C.; adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to below the lower critical solution temperature, whereby the substrate surface is made hydrophilic and adhesion of the cell sheet to the surface is weakened; and detaching the cell sheet from the culture support.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method of reducing formation of fibrotic tissue in a uterus of a subject in need thereof, comprising applying a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) sheet to the uterus of the subject, wherein the MSC sheet comprises one or more layers of aggregated confluent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and wherein applying the MSC sheet to the uterus reduces the formation of fibrotic tissue in the uterus relative to a uterus in which the MSC sheet is not applied. The disclosure also provides a method of increasing myometrial regeneration in a uterus of a subject in need thereof, comprising applying a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) sheet to the uterus of the subject, wherein the MSC sheet comprises one or more layers of aggregated confluent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and wherein applying the MSC sheet to the uterus increases myometrial regeneration relative to a uterus in which the MSC sheet is not applied.

Abstract: A pillow including a percussion assembly, a padding material, and a pillow cover configured to enclose the percussion assembly and the padding. The percussion assembly is configured to articulate causing the pillow padding and pillow cover to expand and contract.

Abstract: A pillow including a percussion assembly, a padding material, and a pillow cover configured to enclose the percussion assembly and the padding. The percussion assembly is configured to articulate causing the pillow padding and pillow cover to expand and contract.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides an implantable device comprising a uniform mixture of components including degradable polymer, inorganic bone particulate either natural or synthetic, a drug, and a soluble microporagen. In some embodiments, the uniform mixture further includes a soluble polymer macroporagen. In some embodiments, the uniform mixture is coated with an immobilized outer porous layer comprising or consisting of synthetic or natural inorganic bone granules. In further aspects, the invention provides an implantable device comprising a composite core of degradable polymer, bone, and a drug, and a coating comprising or consisting of microporous bone overlayer covering the degradable composite core.

Abstract: A healthcare workflow manager may include processing circuitry configured to receive health data relating to a plurality of patients currently admitted or expected to be currently admitted to a healthcare facility and generate a plurality of patient profiles based on the health data, the plurality of patient profiles enabling management of a labor and delivery process of each of the plurality of patients, where each patient profile of the plurality of patient profiles includes a plurality of data categories relating to the labor and delivery process of each of the plurality of patients. The processing circuitry may be even further configured to transmit and cause display of the plurality of patient profiles on a user interface.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention provides an implantable device comprising a uniform mixture of components including degradable polymer, inorganic bone particulate either natural or synthetic, a drug, and a soluble microporagen. In some embodiments, the uniform mixture further includes a soluble polymer macroporagen. In some embodiments, the uniform mixture is coated with an immobilized outer porous layer comprising or consisting of synthetic or natural inorganic bone granules. In further aspects, the invention provides an implantable device comprising a composite core of degradable polymer, bone, and a drug, and a coating comprising or consisting of microporous bone overlayer covering the degradable composite core.

Abstract: A swimming aid is provided that includes an expandable element and a securing element for securing the swimming aid to a user. The expandable element moves between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The swimming aid is constructed and arranged such that movement through water in a first direction causes the expandable element to move to the expanded configuration and movement in a second direction, substantially opposite to the first direction, causes the expandable element to move to the collapsed configuration.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds, compositions, and uses of compounds of general formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for the preparation of a medicament intended to treat an inflammatory disorder wherein y is any integer from 1 to 8; z is any integer from 1 to 8; with the proviso that y and z cannot both equal 1; X is —C —(Y)k—(R1)n or SO2—(Y)k (R1)n; k is 0 or 1; Y is a cycloalkyl or polycyloalkyl group (such as an adamantyl, adamantanemethyl, bicyclooctyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopropyl group); or Y is a cycloalkenyl or polycycloalkenyl group.

Abstract: Isolated and purified chemokine peptides, variants, and derivatives thereof, as well as chemokine peptide analogs, are provided.

Abstract: A method for treating or preventing cardiovascular pathologies by administering a compound of the formula (I): wherein Z is C?O or a covalent bond; Y is H or O(C1-C4)alkyl, R1 and R2 are individually (C1-C4)alkyl or together with N are a saturated heterocyclic group, R3 is ethyl or chloroethyl, R4 is H, R5 is I, O(C1-C4)alkyl or H and R6 is I, O(C1-C4)alkyl or H with the proviso that when R4, R5, and R6 are H, R3 is not ethyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, effective to elevate the level of TGF-beta to treat and/or prevent conditions such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke is provided. Useful compounds include idoxifene, toremifene or salts thereof. Further provided is a method for identifying an agent that elevates the level of TGF-beta. Another embodiment of the invention is an assay or kit to determine TGF-beta in vitro.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of treating a mammal having, or at risk of, an indication associated with a TGF-beta deficiency comprising administering one or more agents that is effective to elevate the level of TGF-beta. The invention also provides novel compounds that elevate TGF-beta levels, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds that elevate TGF-beta levels, and methods for detecting diseases associated with endothelial cell activation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of assaying the levels of proteins or antibodies in a test sample. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of determining the relative abundance of a plurality of proteins in a test sample compared to a reference sample, the method comprising: (a) providing a reference sample comprising a plurality of labelled proteins; (b) incubating a plurality of tagged antibodies capable of binding components of the reference sample with (i) a mixture of the labelled reference sample and the test sample and (ii) the reference sample alone, under conditions suitable for the binding of said antibodies to their targets; (c) comparing the amount of labelled protein bound to individual antibody tags in the presence and absence of the test sample.

Abstract: Isolated and purified chemokine peptides, variants, and derivatives thereof, as well as chemokine peptide analogs, are provided.

Abstract: A method for treating or preventing cardiovascular pathologies by administering a compound of the formula (I): wherein Z is C?O or a covalent bond; Y is H or O(C1-C4)alkyl, R1 and R2 are individually (C1-C4)alkyl or together with N are a saturated heterocyclic group, R3 is ethyl or chloroethyl, R4 is H or together with R3 is —CH2—CH2— or —S—, R5 is I, O(C1-C4)alkyl or H and R6 is 1, O(C1-C4)alkyl or H with the proviso that when R4, R5, and R6 are H, R3 is not ethyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, effective to activate or stimulate production of TGF-beta to treat and/or prevent conditions such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke is provided. Useful compounds include idoxifene and salts thereof. Further provided is a method for identifying a compound that is a TGF-beta activator or production stimulator is provided. Another embodiment of the invention is an assay or kit to determine TGF-beta in vitro.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of preparing functional thin films or surface coatings with low non-specific binding are described. The thin films contain specified functional groups and non-specific binding repellant components. The thin films are either covalently bound to or passively adsorbed to various solid substrates. The specified functional group provides specified activity for the thin film modified solid surfaces and non-specific binding repellant components significantly reduce the non-specific binding to the thin film modified solid surfaces. Non-specific binding repellant components do not affect specified functional group's activity in the thin films. In these methods, specified functional groups are anchored to the solid substrates through a spacer.

Abstract: This invention pertains to chemometric methods for the analysis of chemical, biochemical, and biological data, for example, spectral data, for example, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and their applications, including, e.g., classification, diagnosis, prognosis, etc., especially in the context of bone disorders, e.g., conditions associated with low bone mineral density, e.g., osteoporosis.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of treating a mammal having, or at risk of, an indication associated with a TGF-beta deficiency comprising administering one or more agents that is effective to elevate the level of TGF-beta. The invention also provides novel compounds that elevate TGF-beta levels, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds that elevate TGF-beta levels, and methods for detecting diseases associated with endothelial cell activation.