Abstract: M-CSF antagonists are used to prepare compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions, for preventing or treating cancer metastasis and/or bone loss associated with cancer metastasis in a mammal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a therapy device configured to mimic the passenger seat of various types of automobiles. The therapy device includes an adjustable ground clearance, an adjustable seat, an adjustable roofline, and a floor plate. The therapy device is portable, lightweight, and compact. Patients may use the therapy device in a physical therapy setting in order to practice getting into and out of a passenger seat that resembles the passenger seat of their own vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, models of bone metastasis, methods for identifying agents that modulate skeletal related events and metastasis, methods for modulating skeletal related events and metastases, and methods for detecting skeletal related events and metastases. The methods and models generally comprise co-culturing cancer cells and host cells and comparing biological markers from such co-cultured cells to control cells.

Abstract: A convertible garment with legs (4,5) that can be shortened. The legs (4,5) extend to below knee length and each have a bottom hem end (6,7). Releasable seams (9,10) extend from each hem (6,7) along an inner leg side of the legs (4,5). Leg attachment devices (30) are provided on a lower portion (F) of each leg (4,5). Respective upper garment attachment devices (31) are provided above an upper end of the releasable seams (9,10). The garment is converted from a long leg configuration to a short leg configuration by opening the releasable seams (9,10) and folding a lower portion (F) of each leg (4,5) to extend beside an upper portion (G) of the garment. The leg attachment devices (30) are releasably engaged with corresponding ones of the upper garment attachment devices (31) to secure the lower portion (F) to the respective upper portion (G).

Abstract: M-CSF-specific antibody RX1 is provided, along with pharmaceutical compositions containing antibody RX1, kits containing a pharmaceutical composition, and methods of preventing and treating bone loss in a subject afflicted with an osteolytic disease.

Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, models of bone metastasis, methods for identifying agents that modulate skeletal related events and metastasis, methods for modulating skeletal related events and metastases, and methods for detecting skeletal related events and metastases. The methods and models generally comprise co-culturing cancer cells and host cells and comparing biological markers from such co-cultured cells to control cells.

Abstract: A combined modality imaging system includes a first imaging device of a first modality and a second imaging device of a second modality that is different from the first modality is provided. The first and the second imaging devices are both adapted to interact with a contrast agent. The contrast agent includes a deformable particle that has a geometry that varies in response to an emission from the first imaging device. The deformable particle also includes a fluorescent component and a quenching component separated from the fluorescent component at a characteristic distance.

Abstract: An optoelectronic transducer comprises a unipolar, intraband active region and a micro-cavity resonator. The resonator includes a 2D array of essentially equally spaced regions that exhibits resonant modes. Each of the spaced regions has a depth that extends through the active region and has an average refractive index that is different from that of the active region. The refractive index contrast, the spacing of the spaced regions, and the dimensions of the spaced regions are mutually adapted so that the array acts as a micro-cavity resonator and so that at least one frequency of the resonant modes of the array falls within the spectrum of an optoelectronic parameter of the active region (i.e., the gain spectrum where the transducer is a laser; the absorption spectrum where the transducer is a photodetector). In a first embodiment, the transducer is an ISB laser, whereas in a second embodiment it is a unipolar, intraband photodetector.

Abstract: A broadband CLE capable of operation simultaneously at multiple wavelengths comprises: a core region including a multiplicity or cascade of stages, each stage including a radiative transition region. A first group of stages emits radiation at a first wavelength and at a first aggregate intensity per group, and a second group of stages emits radiation at a second wavelength and at a second aggregate intensity per group lower than the first intensity. The invention is characterized in that the second group has more stages than said first group, and the per-stage intensity of the first group is greater than that of the second group. This design reduces the difference between said first and second aggregate intensities. In one embodiment, groups that are located at or near to the ends of the cascade have more stages than groups that are centrally located within the cascade regardless of their wavelength.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a cavity resonator and an intracavity ridge waveguide. The ridge waveguide includes a monolithically integrated intersubband core region and a nonlinear mixing region (NMR). In response to external pumping energy the core region generates laser light at a first frequency and in a first transverse mode. In response to the laser light the NMR generates parametric light at a second frequency and in a second transverse mode. For phase matching the effective-refractive-index-versus-ridge-width characteristics of the modes of the laser and the parametric light intersect one another at a phase matching width and so that, at greater widths, the effective refractive index of the mode of the higher frequency light is less than that of the lower frequency light. For true phase matching the width of the ridge is made to be essentially equal to the phase matching width.

Abstract: Techniques for amplifying light produced by a quantum cascade laser are described. An assembly according to the present invention includes an optical amplifier having an optical input and an optical output. The optical output has an area significantly greater than that of the optical output and the geometry of the amplifier is such that the amplifier widens from the optical input to the optical output. The optical amplifier is formed of a layered waveguide structure which achieves quantum confinement of electrons and photons within the active region. A distributed feedback laser is suitably coupled to the optical amplifier at the optical input of the amplifier. The widening of the amplifier makes available a large number of electrons, so that the amplifier is able to produce many photons resulting from stimulated transitions caused by introduction of light to the optical input of the amplifier, even if the great majority of the transitions occur nonradiatively.

Abstract: A monolithic apparatus has a laser optical cavity. The laser optical cavity has a multi-layer structure that includes a first active semiconductor multi-layer and a second semiconductor multi-layer. The second semiconductor multi-layer is located laterally adjacent to the first active semiconductor multi-layer. The first active semiconductor multi-layer includes a sequence of quantum well structures that produce light of a lasing frequency in response to being electrically pumped. The second semiconductor multi-layer includes a sequence of quantum well structures and is configured to both absorb light of the lasing frequency and produce one of parametric light and harmonic light in response to absorbing light of the lasing frequency.

Abstract: A pet pouch or bag having a cover flap for carrying empty plastic or other type of bags in a first compartment therein, and then selectively using said bags to pick up pet detritus from the ground and storing the filled bags in a second compartment until they can be deposited in a suitable waste container for collection by a commercial trash hauler.

Abstract: The measurement of intersubband electroluminescence (ISB-EL) in unipolar quantum cascade lasers is achieved by forming a longitudinal cleave through the active region and waveguide of the QC laser device, exposing a complete side face of the device, including the active region. The conventional laser facets at the entrance and exit of the active region are coated with a highly reflective material and the emission from the exposed side face is measured. In theory, the sideface emission would comprise only the ISB-EL spontaneous emission, but some additional laser emission (due to scattering in the imperfect waveguide structure) also exits along this sideface. Spatial filtering and/or polarization monitoring can be used to differentiate the laser emission from the ISB-EL spontaneous emission.

Abstract: In an intersubband light emitter, at least two injection/relaxation (I/R) regions contiguous with the same RT region have different doping levels. Preferably, one I/R region has a doping level that is at least 100 times lower than that of the other I/R region. In one embodiment, one I/R region is undoped, whereas the other I/R region is doped.

Abstract: An optical device includes a stack of at least two different intersubband (ISB) optical sub-devices in which the gain/loss profiles of the individual ISB sub-devices are mutually adapted, or engineered, so as to generate a predetermined overall function for the combination. We define this combination device as being heterogeneous since not all of the individual ISB sub-devices are identical to one another. Illustratively, the parameters of each individual ISB sub-device that might be subject to this engineering process include: the peak energy of the ISB optical transitions (emission or absorption) associated with each RT region, the position of each sub-device in the stack; the oscillator strengths of these ISB transitions; the energy bandwidth of each transition; and the total length of the RT and I/R regions of each ISB sub-device.

Abstract: A monolithic apparatus has a laser optical cavity. The laser optical cavity has a multi-layer structure that includes a first active semiconductor multi-layer and a second semiconductor multi-layer. The second semiconductor multi-layer is located laterally adjacent to the first active semiconductor multi-layer. The first active semiconductor multi-layer includes a sequence of quantum well structures that produce light of a lasing frequency in response to being electrically pumped. The second semiconductor multi-layer includes a sequence of quantum well structures and is configured to both absorb light of the lasing frequency and produce one of parametric light and harmonic light in response to absorbing light of the lasing frequency.

Abstract: An optical gain medium has first and second active layers and an injector layer interposed between the first and second active layers. The active layers have upper minibands and lower minibands. The injector layer has a miniband that transports charge carriers from the lower miniband of the first active layer to an excited state in the upper miniband of the second active layer in response to application of a voltage across the optical gain medium.

Abstract: Techniques for amplifying light produced by a quantum cascade laser are described. An assembly according to the present invention includes an optical amplifier having an optical input and an optical output. The optical output has an area significantly greater than that of the optical output and the geometry of the amplifier is such that the amplifier widens from the optical input to the optical output. The optical amplifier is formed of a layered waveguide structure which achieves quantum confinement of electrons and photons within the active region. A distributed feedback laser is suitably coupled to the optical amplifier at the optical input of the amplifier. The widening of the amplifier makes available a large number of electrons, so that the amplifier is able to produce many photons resulting from stimulated transitions caused by introduction of light to the optical input of the amplifier, even if the great majority of the transitions occur nonradiatively.

Abstract: In an intersubband light emitter, at least two injection/relaxation (I/R) regions contiguous with the same RT region have different doping levels. Preferably, one I/R region has a doping level that is at least 100 times lower than that of the other I/R region. In one embodiment, one I/R region is undoped, whereas the other I/R region is doped.