Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may provide an online automobile purchasing experience for a customer. The experience may be provided by, or associated with, a financial institution. The automobile buying experience may be accessible to both customers of the financial institution as well as non-customers. Customers of the financial institution may receive added benefits during and after the experience. Non-customers may have the opportunity to become a customer of the financial institution as part of the experience.

Abstract: Conjugates (I), useful for pig feeds, include saccharidic chains X(Fuc?2)Gal?k(Y)TV (II) covalently grafted on a linear protein W, wherein: X is absent, or is Gal?3 or GalNAc?3 and when X is absent, then Y is absent; Y is absent or is Fuc?2 or Fuc?4; T is absent or is ZNAc?3; wherein Z is Glc or Gal; and ? is ? or ?; V is absent or is a mono, or an oligosaccharide; n is an integer equal to 8 or more, k is 3 or 4, and wherein the covalent grafting occurs either between V and the linear protein W, when V is present, or between T and the linear protein W, when T is present and V is absent, or between Gal?k and the linear protein W, when both T and V are absent; and wherein the saccharidic unit covalently bonded to the linear protein may be open and acyclic.

Abstract: The present invention relates to single-domain antibodies that specifically bind aminopeptidase N (APN), and more in particular to polypeptides, and nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides; to methods for preparing such polypeptides; to compositions and in particular to pharmaceutical compositions that comprise such polypeptides, for prophylactic, therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. In particular, the single-domain antibodies of the present invention are capable of targeting a moiety to a mucosal surface.

Abstract: In some implementations, events measured at various points in time may be organized in a data structure that defines an event represented by a document. In particular, events can be organized in columns of documents referred to as buckets. These buckets may be indexed using B-trees by addressing metadata values or value ranges. Buckets may be defined by periods of time. Documents may also be geoindexed and stored in one or more locations in a distributed computer network. One or more secondary indexes may be created based on time and/or metadata values within documents.

Abstract: In some implementations, events measured at various points in time may be organized in a data structure that defines an event represented by a document. In particular, events can be organized in columns of documents referred to as buckets. These buckets may be indexed using B-trees by addressing metadata values or value ranges. Buckets may be defined by periods of time. Documents may also be geoindexed and stored in one or more locations in a distributed computer network. One or more secondary indexes may be created based on time and/or metadata values within documents.

Abstract: In some implementations, events measured at various points in time may be organized in a data structure that defines an event represented by a document. In particular, events can be organized in columns of documents referred to as buckets. These buckets may be indexed using B-trees by addressing metadata values or value ranges. Buckets may be defined by periods of time. Documents may also be geoindexed and stored in one or more locations in a distributed computer network. One or more secondary indexes may be created based on time and/or metadata values within documents.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of a decorative hard flooring system for an aircraft are disclosed herein. The hard flooring system includes a plurality of decorative hard floor assemblies at least some of which include a decorative hard flooring layer and a metallic substrate layer having at least one aperture formed therein to receive a warming element. The flooring system further includes, a power supply coupled to the warming element and a controller coupled to the power supply to control the power supplied to the warming element. An ambient temperature sensor coupled to the controller to provide an indication of ambient temperature so that the controller controls the power supply to power the warming elements to warm the decorative hard floor assemblies to be substantially at the ambient temperature.

Abstract: The invention is based on the identification of aminopeptidase N (APN) as the receptor for F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Based on the observation that oral administration of F4 fimbriae induces a protective intestinal mucosal immune response against a subsequent challenge with F4 ETEC, and the observation that the internalization of said F4fimbriae is clathrin-mediated, the present invention provides the characterization of APN as a target useful in: in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to mimic the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis; in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to modulate the binding of F4 fimbriae with APN; in the development of a carrier for the delivery of antigens/therapeutics, i.e. immunomodulators to the intestinal submucosa or the intestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, wherein said carrier comprises an APN specific target molecule that mimics the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis.

Abstract: An adjustable positioning roll including a support portion having a support side and a substantially flat base surface, and one or more separately formed base portions, or elevating portions, configured to have a substantially same length and width as the flat base surface, the one or more base portions being detachably coupled to the flat base surface of the support portion.

Abstract: The invention is based on the identification of aminopeptidase N (APN) as the receptor for F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Based on the observation that oral administration of F4 fimbriae induces a protective intestinal mucosal immune response against a subsequent challenge with F4 ETEC, and the observation that the internalization of said F4fimbriae is clathrin-mediated, the present invention provides the characterization of APN as a target useful in: in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to mimic the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis; in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to modulate the binding of F4 fimbriae with APN; in the development of a carrier for the delivery of antigens/therapeutics, i.e. immunomodulators to the intestinal submucosa or the intestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, wherein said carrier comprises an APN specific target molecule that mimics the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis.

Abstract: An adjustable positioning roll including a support portion having a support side and a substantially flat base surface, and one or more separately formed base portions, or elevating portions, configured to have a substantially same length and width as the flat base surface, the one or more base portions being detachably coupled to the flat base surface of the support portion.

Abstract: A universal pillow to accommodate a head of a patient in a prone and in a supine position, including a support surface having a frontal/parietal support portion, a mental/occipital support portion, and two side portions extending between respective ends of the frontal/parietal and mental/occipital support portions, a recessed head receiving portion, provided in the support surface, configured to be lower than the frontal/parietal support portions, mental/occipital support portions, and side portions, and having an opening configured to receive at least a portion of a face of the patient, and a bottom surface disposed opposite to the support surface.

Abstract: A universal pillow to accommodate a head of a patient in a prone and in a supine position, including a support surface having a frontal/parietal support portion, a mental/occipital support portion, and two side portions extending between respective ends of the frontal/parietal and mental/occipital support portions, a recessed head receiving portion, provided in the support surface, configured to be lower than the frontal/parietal support portions, mental/occipital support portions, and side portions, and having an opening configured to receive at least a portion of a face of the patient, and a bottom surface disposed opposite to the support surface

Abstract: The invention is based on the identification of aminopeptidase N (APN) as the receptor for F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Based on the observation that oral administration of F4 fimbriae induces a protective intestinal mucosal immune response against a subsequent challenge with F4 ETEC, and the observation that the internalization of said F4 fimbriae is clathrin-mediated, the present invention provides the characterization of APN as a target useful in: in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to mimic the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis; in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to modulate the binding of F4 fimbriae with APN; in the development of a carrier for the delivery of antigens/therapeutics, i.e. immunomodulators to the intestinal submucosa or the intestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, wherein said carrier comprises an APN specific target molecule that mimics the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis.

Abstract: An adjustable positioning roll including a support portion having a support side and a substantially flat base surface, and one or more separately formed base portions, or elevating portions, configured to have a substantially same length and width as the flat base surface, the one or more base portions being detachably coupled to the flat base surface of the support portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to blood group A/B/H determinant on Type 1 Core glycosphingolipids chains as recognition point for the FedF protein of F18-fimbriated Enterotoxigenic and verotoxinogenic Escherichia coli and the use of compounds comprising such determinants for the treatment of F18+ E. coli infections in pigs and in screening methods.

Abstract: A surgical support system including a positioning pillow to support a patient in a lateral position on an operating table. The positioning pillow includes a head supporting surface having an opening to accommodate an ear of the laterally positioned patient and a channel intersecting the opening to accommodate an eye of the laterally positioned patient, a shoulder supporting surface disposed adjacent to the head supporting surface and oriented substantially perpendicular to the head supporting surface to accommodate a shoulder of the laterally positioned patient, and a bottom surface disposed opposite to the head supporting surface and adjacent to the shoulder supporting surface, the head supporting surface being angled relative to the bottom surface to align the patient's thoracic and cervical spine at a predetermined angle with respect to the operating table when the patient's head is positioned on the head supporting surface in the lateral position.

Abstract: A surgical support system including a positioning pillow to support a patient in a lateral position on an operating table. The positioning pillow includes a head supporting surface having an opening to accommodate an ear of the laterally positioned patient and a channel intersecting the opening to accommodate an eye of the laterally positioned patient, a shoulder supporting surface disposed adjacent to the head supporting surface and oriented substantially perpendicular to the head supporting surface to accommodate a shoulder of the laterally positioned patient, and a bottom surface disposed opposite to the head supporting surface and adjacent to the shoulder supporting surface, the head supporting surface being angled relative to the bottom surface to align the patient's thoracic and cervical spine at a predetermined angle with respect to the operating table when the patient's head is positioned on the head supporting surface in the lateral position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to blood group A/B/H determinant on Type 1 Core glycosphingolipids chains as recognition point for the FedF protein of F18-fimbriated Enterotoxigenic and verotoxinogenic Escherichia coli and the use of compounds comprising such determinants for the treatment of F18? E. coli infections in pigs and in screening methods.

Abstract: The invention is based on the identification of aminopeptidase N (APN) as the receptor for F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Based on the observation that oral administration of F4 fimbriae induces a protective intestinal mucosal immune response against a subsequent challenge with F4 ETEC, and the observation that the internalization of said F4 fimbriae is clathrin-mediated, the present invention provides the characterization of APN as a target useful in: in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to mimic the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis; in an in vitro assay to screen for molecules that are capable to modulate the binding of F4 fimbriae with APN; in the development of a carrier for the delivery of antigens/therapeutics, i.e. immunomodulators to the intestinal submucosa or the intestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, wherein said carrier comprises an APN specific target molecule that mimics the clathrin-mediated F4 endocytosis.