Abstract: A power distribution unit for a vehicle including an enclosure and power distributing means for distributing electrical power between a battery and a load application, the enclosure including an external casing and an internal casing having a faceplate and a mounting plate, the mounting plate having upper dielectric partitions protruding upward from a top face of the mounting plate, and the power distributing means being mounted on the mounting plate, wherein the upper dielectric partitions are configured to both maintain a separation between different voltage groups and define an insulating barrier between components of the power distributing means, the internal cartridge is configured to be inserted into the external casing, and the enclosure is configured to be sealed from an external environment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are chimeric herpesviruses as well as methods of making and using such chimeric herpesviruses. The chimeric viruses comprise two nucleic acid sequences, one from a herpesvirus and one from a different virus. The herpesvirus nucleic acid sequence is a modified protein kinase R (PKR) evasion gene. The second viral nucleic acid sequence inhibits PKR-mediate protein shutoff in tumor cells, but is not neurovirulent. Thus, the chimeric virus has reduced neurovirulence as compared to the wild-type herpesvirus but remains replication competent.

Abstract: A conditionally replicating, aneurovirulent recombinant herpes simplex virus is provided that includes a nucleic acid encoding an expressible chemokine. An expression control element is operably linked to the nucleic acid. A therapeutic composition includes a first conditionally replicating, aneurovirulent recombinant herpes simplex virus having a first nucleic acid encoding a first expressible cytokine operatively linked to an expression control element. A second such herpes simplex virus encoding a second expressible cytokine is also provided with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably, the second cytokine is a chemokine. In a particular embodiment, the first expressible cytokine increases availability of an immunoresponsive cell for activation. The activatable cell is CD4+, CD8+, NK, a dendritic cell, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The instant invention has developed viral vectors encoding a mutant bacterial cytosine deaminase (bCD) gene, which have a higher affinity for cytosine than wild type bCD (bCDwt). The purpose of the present invention was to evaluate cytotoxicity in vitro and therapeutic efficacy in vivo of these vectors in combination with the prodrug 5-FC and ionizing radiation against human glioma. The present study demonstrates that infection with the viral vector expressing the mutant cytosine deaminase gene resulted in increased 5-FC-mediated cell killing, compared with vectors expressing the wild-type gene. Furthermore, a significant increase in cytotoxicity following infection with viral vector expressing the mutant cytosine deaminase gene and radiation treatment of glioma cells in vitro was demonstrated as compared to infection with viral vector expressing the wild-type gene.