Abstract: A device may include a cutting instrument configured to cut a bone of a patient with one or more cutting features. A device may include a guide configured to mount to the bone, the guide defining an aperture having a guide hole portion and a pilot hole portion, wherein the pilot hole portion is configured to initially receive a portion of the bone cutting instrument, and wherein an axis of the pilot hole portion is oriented at an acute angle relative to an axis of the guide hole portion.

Abstract: A method of inducing immune tolerance against a protein of interest comprising the steps of (a) transducing hematopoietic stem cells with a gene for the protein of interest wherein the gene is operably connected to a platelet specific promoter, and (b) transplanting the transfected cells of step (a) into to a subject, wherein the protein is expressed, and wherein the subject develops immune tolerance against the protein.

Abstract: A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

Abstract: A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

Abstract: A method for maintaining intact, non-degraded von Willebrand factor by preventing the action of calcium activated protease(s) responsible for degradation of the factor. The action of the calcium activated protease(s) may be avoided by removing the blood platelet source of the protease(s), by filtering or centrifugal separation, or by inactivating the protease with a chelating agent removing the calcium, by a protease inhibitor, or an alkylating agent.

Abstract: A method for maintaining intact, non-degraded von Willebrand factor by preventing the action of calcium activated protease(s) responsible for degradation of the factor. The action of the calcium activated protease(s) may be avoided by removing the blood platelet source of the protease(s), by filtering or centrifugal separation, or by inactivating the protease with a chelating agent removing the calcium, by a protease inhibitor, or an alkylating agent.