Abstract: In some aspects, the disclosure relates to activin and/or GDF antagonists and methods of using activin and/or GDF antagonists to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate and/or severity of kidney disease, particularly treating, preventing or reducing the progression rate and/or severity of one or more kidney disease-associated complications.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an optical fiber includes: drawing an optical fiber through a draw furnace, conveying the optical fiber through a flame reheating device downstream from the draw furnace, wherein the flame reheating device comprises one or more burners each comprising: a body having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, an opening within the body extending from the top surface through the body to the bottom surface, wherein the optical fiber passes through the opening, and one or more gas outlets within the body; and igniting a flammable gas provided by the one or more gas outlets to form a flame encircling the optical fiber passing through the opening, wherein the flame heats the optical fiber by at least 100 degrees Celsius at a heating rate exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius/second.

Abstract: In some aspects, the invention teaches pharmaceutical compositions that include a TGF-? ligand trap, and methods of using a TGF-? ligand trap to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The invention also provides methods of using a TGF-? ligand trap to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate of a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, pulmonary vascular remodeling, pulmonary fibrosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, diseases associated with excessive TGF-? signaling, diseases associated with excessive GDF15 signaling, and diseases associated with excessive PAI-1 signaling. The invention further provides methods of using a TGF-? ligand trap to reduce right ventricular systolic pressure in a subject.

Abstract: In certain aspects, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating spinal muscular atrophy. For example, in some embodiments, the disclosure provides ALK4:ActRIIB antagonists that may be used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, particularly treating one or more complications of spinal muscular atrophy including, for example, increasing muscle mass muscle strength, and bone mineral density.

Abstract: This disclosure provides ALK7-binding proteins such as anti-ALK7 antibodies, and compositions and methods for making the ALK7-binding proteins. In certain embodiments the ALK7-binding proteins inhibit, or antagonize ALK7 activity. In addition, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating overweight, obesity, diabetes, overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and their associated conditions; metabolic disorders, and other diseases or conditions that can be treated, prevented or ameliorated by targeting ALK7.

Abstract: Laminated glass-based articles are provided. The glass-based articles include at least a first glass-based layer, a second glass-based layer, and a polymer layer disposed between the first and second glass-based layers. The first glass-based layer includes a compressive stress. A difference between the coefficient of thermal of expansion of the first glass-based layer and the coefficient of thermal of expansion of the second glass-based layer is greater than or equal to 0.4 ppm/° C. Methods of producing the laminated glass-based articles are also provided.

Abstract: In certain aspects, the disclosure provides soluble heteromeric polypeptide complexes comprising an extracellular domain of an ALK7 receptor and an extracellular domain of ActRIIB In certain aspects, these ALK7:ActRIIB heteromultimers are can be used to improve metabolic parameters in a patient in need thereof. In certain aspects, these ALK7:ActRIIB heteromultimers are can be used to treat or prevent one or more kidney-associated disease or condition in a patient in need thereof.

Abstract: Solutions for enabling lower privilege users (e.g., applications, virtualized computing environment applications such as virtual machines or containers) to perform requests for service (e.g., remote procedure calls) that require higher privilege include: receiving, by a relay service executing at a first privilege level, from an application executing at a lower privilege level, a received request for service. The first privilege level is sufficient for the request, however, the application's privilege level is insufficient. The relay service determines whether the application is authorized to perform the request by comparing the application identity and the request with privilege exception information (e.g., a list of application identities and corresponding requests that are subject to privilege exception). If the application's request is authorized, the relay service relays the request (e.g.

Abstract: In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for increasing red blood cell and/or hemoglobin levels in vertebrates, including rodents and primates, and particularly in humans.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter movable among ON, OFF, and TRIP positions includes a housing, a latch situated on the housing, a number of mechanisms situated on the housing, each mechanism of the number of mechanisms including a contact arm that is movable with respect to the housing, a set of separable contacts including a stationary contact and further including a movable contact situated on the contact arm, a handle, a pin, a first spring that extends between the contact arm and the handle in at least one of the OFF position and the ON position, a second spring that extends between the handle and the pin, and the pin being movable among a position engaged with the latch in at least one of the ON position and the OFF position and another position engaged with the handle in the TRIP position.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for producing levulinic acid from the technical lignin. The technical lignin is rich in lignin and ash and do not have any other use and usually incinerated as a waste management strategy. During the incineration process, the cellulose also gets burnt and wasted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method based on proton NMR technique to differentiate genuine and spurious Hand-rub formulations. This method identifies and estimates all four components present in WHO-recommended Hand-rub formulations. Further, this method also identifies the presence of non-recommended/additional components present in WHO-recommended Hand-rub formulations. The method described in this invention utilizes experimental parameters and derived equations to quantify all four components in just fifteen minutes without using any organic solvents.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for providing content to virtual machines. A request for content can be received, wherein the request originates from a virtual machine hosted by the computing device, comprises a unique identifier for the content, and is received from the virtual machine through an inter-process communication mechanism. The unique identifier can be validated. Content can then be retrieved using the unique identifier. A copy of the content can then be provided to the virtual machine in response to validation of the unique identifier, the content being provided to the virtual machine through the inter-process communication mechanism.

Abstract: In some aspects, the disclosure relates to BMP antagonists, such as BMP 10 propeptides, and methods of using BMP antagonists to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate and/or severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH), particularly treating, preventing or reducing the progression rate and/or severity of one or more PH-associated complications. The disclosure also provides methods of using a BMP antagonist to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate and/or severity of a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, pulmonary vascular remodeling, pulmonary fibrosis, and right ventricular hypertrophy. The disclosure further provides methods of using a BMP antagonist to reduce right ventricular systolic pressure in a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: A thin-walled honeycomb body (100) having a plurality of repeating cell structures (110) formed of intersecting porous thick walls (112V, 112H) and thin walls (114V, 114H). Each repeating cell structure (110) is bounded on its periphery by the thick walls (112V, 122H) of a first transverse thickness (Tk) and the thin walls (114V, 114H) have a second transverse thickness (Tt) that subdivides each repeating cell structure (110) into between 7 and 36 individual cells (108). In the thin-walled honeycomb body (100), the first transverse thickness (Tk) of the thick walls (112V, 112H) is less than or equal to 0.127 mm (0.005 inch) and the second transverse thickness (Tt) of the thin walls (114V, 114H) is less than or equal to 0.0635 mm (0.0025 inch), and Tk>Tt. Honeycomb extrusion dies and methods of manufacturing the thin-walled honeycomb body (100) having thick walls (112V, 112H) and thin walls (114V, 114H) are provided.

Abstract: In certain aspects, the disclosure provides soluble heteromeric polypeptide complexes comprising an extracellular domain of a type I serine/threonine kinase receptor of the TGF-beta family and an extracellular domain of a type II serine/threonine kinase receptor of the TGF-beta family. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides soluble polypeptide complexes comprising an extracellular domain of a type II receptor selected from: ActRIIA, ActRIIB, TGFBRII, BMPRII, and MISRII. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides soluble polypeptide complexes comprising an extracellular domain of a type I receptor selected from: ALK1, ALK2, ALK3, ALK4, ALK5, ALK6, and ALK7. Optionally the soluble complex is a heterodimer. In certain aspects, such soluble polypeptide complexes may be used to regulate (promote or inhibit) growth of tissues or cells including, for example, muscle, bone, cartilage, fat, neural tissue, tumors, cancerous cells, and/or cells of hematopoietic lineages, including red blood cells.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a plurality of defined life cycle stages and a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory comprising a plurality of life cycle bits, wherein respective bit patterns of the life cycle bits may correspond with respective life cycle stages of the defined life cycle stages. The electronic device may also have a boot code stored in read only memory and executable by a processor to receive a request to transition from a current life cycle stage to a next life cycle stage and, in response to the received request, automatically generate a bit pattern corresponding to the next life cycle stage of the plurality of defined life cycle stages and program the bit pattern corresponding to the next life cycle stage of the plurality of defined life cycle stages in the OTP memory during a time when the OTP memory is not user-accessible.

Abstract: In some aspects, the disclosure relates to GDF/BMP antagonists and methods of using GDF/BMP antagonists to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate and/or severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH), particularly treating, preventing or reducing the progression rate and/or severity of one or more PH-associated complications. The disclosure also provides methods of using a GDF/BMP antagonist to treat, prevent, or reduce the progression rate and/or severity of a variety of conditions including, but not limited to, pulmonary vascular remodeling, pulmonary fibrosis, and right ventricular hypertrophy. The disclosure further provides methods of using a GDF/BMP antagonist to reduce right ventricular systolic pressure in a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a transaction host, first and second peripherals, memory, an access control register, and first and second access controllers. The memory stores access control identifier management instructions, a first task related to the first peripheral, and a first bitmask indicating respective access settings for the first and second peripherals for performing the first task. The access control register includes a first access control identifier for the first peripheral and a second access control identifier for the second peripheral. The transaction host executes the access control identifier management instructions to program the first and second access control identifiers based on the first bitmask, and subsequently executes the first task. The first and second access controllers control access to the first and second peripherals, respectively, based on the respective first and second access control identifiers programmed based on the first bitmask.

Abstract: This disclosure provides ALK7-binding proteins such as anti-ALK7 antibodies, and compositions and methods for making the ALK7-binding proteins. In certain embodiments the ALK7-binding proteins inhibit, or antagonize ALK7 activity. In addition, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating overweight, obesity, diabetes, overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and their associated conditions; metabolic disorders, and other diseases or conditions that can be treated, prevented or ameliorated by targeting ALK7.