Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method of diagnosing or predicting the development of lung damage and more particularly, to a method of diagnosing or predicting the development of alveolo-capillary membrane damage. The method of the present invention is useful inter alia for detecting lung damage or predicting the development of lung damage such as that caused by noxious agents or as an undesirable side effect resulting from exposure to a therapeutic agent and for monitoring the progress of lung damage.

Abstract: A reusable greeting card is provided. The reusable greeting card comprises a reusable greeting card body and a holding structure disposed on the greeting card body. The holding structure removable holds a greeting insert at a predetermined location with respect to the reusable greeting card body. The reusable greeting card comprises a unique tracking identifier associated therewith disposed on the reusable greeting card body for being provided to a tracking database. A tracking method enables users of the reusable greeting card to track its reuse.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing additional information related to a sender of a communication is presented. A communication intended for a recipient is received, the communication including information related to the sender of the communication. A Personal Virtual Assistant (PVA) acquires in real time additional information related to the sender of the communication. The additional information related to the sender of the communication is then presented to the recipient attached to the communication where possible. The PVA is capable of acting on the recipient's real time instructions relating to the additional information.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to tissue-engineering scaffolds containing both a microporous scaffold made from a biocompatible material suitable for use in tissue-engineering scaffolds and a nanofiberous, nanoporous hydrogel formed from a self-assembling peptide, where at least a portion of the hydrogel is disposed within the pores of the microporous scaffold, thus providing tissue-engineering scaffolds having average pore diameters in the nanometer range and that provide both mechanical properties suitable for implantation into a body of a mammal and excellent tissue response once implanted in the body.

Abstract: An intramedullary bone device comprises a distal outer member, a proximal outer member for positioning in substantial axial alignment with the distal outer member, the distal and proximal outer members each having at least one opening in a wall thereof. The distal outer member and the proximal outer member each have a passage therein. The device also has a distal inner member sized to be slideably received within the passage of the distal outer member and a proximal inner member sized to be slideably received within the passage of the proximal outer member. An extender/retractor is able to selectively extend or retract to selectively lengthen or shorten, respectively, the device. The device has pins movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the pins extend through the at least one opening in the distal and proximal outer members to fix the device to a bone during use.

Abstract: A tool for driving a fastener pin into a substrate to secure a fastener body to the substrate for fixing insulation or other cladding, the tool being of the type comprising a fastener guide and a driving piston driven along the fastener guide by gas pressure to engage and drive the pin, the fastener guide being displaceable axially inwardly relative to the body of the tool in order to cock the tool for firing of the driving piston, wherein the tool comprises means for enabling the tool to push the fastener body through insulation or other cladding into engagement with the underlying substrate without putting the tool into a condition in which firing can occur, the tool being thereafter able to be put into a condition to permit firing to take place.

Abstract: An active suspension seat is mounted to a floor of a vehicle with a floor plate having a lower portion through which is formed a first plurality of apertures positioned about the lower portion to correspond to the manner in which mounting features are positioned about the floor of the vehicle, and having an upper portion through which is formed a second plurality of apertures positioned about the upper portion to correspond to the manner in which apertures are positioned about a lower frame of the active suspension seat, and to enable the active suspension seat to be coupled to the floor plate by inserting fasteners through the second plurality of apertures from locations external to the lower frame.

Abstract: A system collects a plurality of communications including at least two different types of communications. The system links the plurality of communications with an identifier that can be used to identify the plurality of communications, and stores the plurality of communications. The system allows a user to perform an action on at least one of the plurality of communications.

Abstract: A system records a session on a medium, and differentiates the content of the session into a plurality of sub content sessions. The system indexes the plurality of sub content sessions associated with the session, and allows retrieval of at least one of the plurality of sub content session based on the indexing. The system provides a review of the session.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a multi-touch surface. The method includes segmenting the GUI into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and second portion do not overlap, causing an activation area to be displayed that overlaps at least a portion of the GUI, determining that a user input is selecting the activation area based on a first user input and, in response, causing a first GUI menu strip to be displayed that overlaps the second portion of the GUI.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to track endocardial motion are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes segmenting a plurality of cardiac images of a left ventricle to form respective ones of a plurality of segmented images, updating a plurality of models based on the plurality of segmented images to form respective ones of a plurality of motion estimates for the left ventricle, computing a plurality of probabilities for respective ones of the plurality of models, and computing a weighted sum of the plurality of motion estimates based on the plurality of probabilities, the weighted sum representing a predicted motion of the left ventricle.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to process cardiac images to detect heart motion abnormalities are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes adapting a state of a state-space model based on a plurality of cardiac images to characterize motion of a heart, computing an information-theoretic metric from the state of the state-space model, and comparing the information-theoretic metric to a threshold to determine whether the motion of the heart is abnormal.

Abstract: An explosively actuated fastener driving tool of the type having a driving piston for driving a fastener at the forward end of a barrel upon firing of the tool has a retractor pawl assembly with a pawl for resetting the piston into a rear end of the barrel by forward movement of the barrel relative to the receiver following firing. The pawl assembly is so constructed that the pawl can be withdrawn from the barrel to permit removal of the barrel for routine cleaning and maintenance but in this condition the assembly still remains attached to the tool to prevent components from being misplaced.

Abstract: A system receives a complete audio message from an originator, and transmits the complete audio message to a destination. The system buffers the complete audio message at the destination. The complete audio message is capable of being played at the destination during the buffering. The system provides an ability to replay the complete audio message at the destination after the buffering of the complete audio message. The system provides an ability to respond to the complete audio message.

Abstract: Cells derived from postpartum umbilicus and placenta are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions, devices and methods for the regeneration or repair of neural tissue using the postpartum-derived cells are also disclosed.

Abstract: Cells derived from human umbilical cords are disclosed along with methods for their therapeutic use. Isolation techniques, culture methods and detailed characterization of the cells with respect to their cell surface markers, gene expression, and their secretion of trophic factors are described.

Abstract: A premix for hog feed and a method of feeding a hog that produces DHA and EPA enriched pork while avoiding or reducing negative effects to the taste, colour, texture, aroma, pH and shelf life which are significant enough to make the pork unacceptable to consumers. One embodiment of the method of feeding a hog involves feeding a hog over several days with a hog feed supplemented with the premix. The premix includes marine-sourced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and plant-sourced alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The hogs are fed until their total DHA, EPA and ALA intakes are in a certain range per kilogram of the hog's weight. The hogs are then slaughtered and processed into pork products. This results in pork with an enrichment of omega-3 EFAs in the range of about 2.5% to about 4.5% of fat.

Abstract: Image tracking as described herein can include: segmenting a first image into regions; determining an overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image, and segmenting a second image into regions such that an overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the second image is substantially similar to the overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image. In certain embodiments, images can depict a heart at different points in time and the tracked regions can be the left ventricle cavity and the myocardium. In such embodiments, segmenting the second image can include generating first and second curves that track the endocardium and epicardium boundaries, and the curves can be generated by minimizing functions containing a coefficient based on the determined overlap of intensity distributions in the regions of the first image.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to process left-ventricle cardiac images are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes identifying a first landmark point in a first cardiac image, identifying a first centroid of a left ventricle depicted in the first cardiac image, and performing a Cartesian-to-polar transformation to form a first rectangular representation of the left ventricle depicted in the first cardiac image based on the first landmark point and the first centroid.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide systems, methods and computer instructions for computer aided analysis of images. In certain embodiments, for example, such a method includes: isolating a motion area in an image; segmenting the image; utilizing a support vector machine to identify a region of interest in the image; utilizing a graph-cut algorithm to refine the region of interest; and verifying the region of interest. In certain embodiments, for example, such a method further includes: aligning a set of images and/or outputting a set of aligned images sequentially. In certain embodiments, the systems, methods and computer instructions disclosed herein can be used to aid analysis of cardiac images, for example. In certain embodiments, the systems, methods and computer instructions disclosed herein can be used to aid analysis of four dimensional images, for example.