Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: Vaccine design, polycistronic vaccine constructs, compositions, and methods comprising nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), peptides, proteins and derivatives thereof, including cells and cell-lines, for enhanced antigen-specific vaccination.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: A vehicle system and method are disclosed for the acquisition and transformation of data from vehicle mounted sensors oriented to monitor the environment proximate the vehicle for relevant objects. Data transformations are accomplished using polar to Cartesian debiased corrections, recursive filters, and measurement-to-track update techniques.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for providing an integrated software development environment for the design, verification, and validation of advanced automotive safety systems. The system allows automotive software to be developed on a host computer using a collection of computer programs running simultaneously as processes and synchronized by a central process. The software disclosed uses separate synchronized processes, permitting signals from disparate sources to be generated by a simulation running on the host computer or from actual sensors and data bus signals coming from and going to actual vehicle hardware which is connected to their bus counterparts in the host computer on a real-time basis. The methods provide a data model that first extends the capabilities of the physical data model and then translates, gates, optimizes, fuses, filters, and manages the physical representation of the logical model into a state estimation of the situation around the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for providing integrated software development environment for the design, verification and validation of advanced automotive safety systems. The system allows automotive software to be developed on a host computer using a collection of computer programs running simultaneously as processes and synchronized by a central process. The software disclosed uses separate synchronized processes, permitting signals from disparate sources to be generated by a simulation running on the host computer or from actual sensors and data bus signals coming from and going to actual vehicle hardware which is connected to their bus counterparts in the host computer on a real-time basis. The methods provide a data model that first extends the capabilities of the physical data model and then translates, gates, optimizes, fuses, filters and manages the physical representation of the logical model into a state estimation of the situation around the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for wirelessly coupling a radio device (111) via a radio link has a support surface (119) for placing radio device (111) thereon; an antenna in order to produce and maintain wireless coupling of the radio device, or a plurality of antennas (217a, 217b) positioned adjacently which can be selectively operated to produce and maintain wireless coupling of radio device (111). Support surface (119) has a rotationally symmetrical recess (117) extending around an axis of rotation (18) perpendicular to support surface (119), wherein, at different rotational positions relative to the axis of rotation (18), a radio device (111) having a projection (204) which engages in recess (117) can operate a radio link to the antenna, or to one of the antennas (217). Alternatively a radio device rests against support surface (119) and is located in any orientation and any position within a space defined by support surface (7).

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: A system for wirelessly coupling a radio device (111) via a radio link has a support surface (119) for placing radio device (111) thereon; an antenna in order to produce and maintain wireless coupling of the radio device, or a plurality of antennas (217a, 217b) positioned adjacently which can be selectively operated to produce and maintain wireless coupling of radio device (111). Support surface (119) has a rotationally symmetrical recess (117) extending around an axis of rotation (18) perpendicular to support surface (119), wherein, at different rotational positions relative to the axis of rotation (18), a radio device (111) having a projection (204) which engages in recess (117) can operate a radio link to the antenna, or to one of the antennas (217). Alternatively a radio device rests against support surface (119) and is located in any orientation and any position within a space defined by support surface (7).

Abstract: We identified regions of the HIV-1 proteome with high conservation, and low variant incidence. Such highly conserved sequences have direct relevance to the development of new-generation vaccines and diagnostic applications. The immune relevance of these sequences was assessed by their correlation to previously reported human T-cell epitopes and to recently identified human HIV-1 T-cell epitopes (identified using HLA transgenic mice). We identified (a) sequences specific to HIV-1 with no shared identity to other viruses and organisms, and (b) sequences that are specific to primate lentivirus group, with multiclade HIV-1 conservation.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for providing integrated software development environment for the design, verification and validation of advanced automotive safety systems. The system allows automotive software to be developed on a host computer using a collection of computer programs running simultaneously as processes and synchronized by a central process. The software disclosed uses separate synchronized processes, permitting signals from disparate sources to be generated by a simulation running on the host computer or from actual sensors and data bus signals coming from and going to actual vehicle hardware which is connected to their bus counterparts in the host computer on a real-time basis. The methods disclosed are for providing an Algorithm Prototyping, Analysis and Test through an integrated framework for dynamic data modeling and application development.

Abstract: Flaviviruses represent an increasing global public health issue, with no prophylactic and therapeutic formulations currently available for many of them. The combination of factors such as evolutionary change, global warming and wide range of animal hosts suggest the possible occurrence of Flavivirus strains with greater distribution and human pathogenicity. There is, thus, a need for greater understanding of viral protein sequences that function in the human immune responses. The evolutionary diversity of the reported sequences of major flaviviruses, such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and West Nile virus were analyzed with a combination of experimental and bioinformatics methodologies. The analysis of all reported sequences revealed that these species-specific peptide tags are highly conserved and are potential T-cell epitopes due to correspondence to known or predicted epitopes.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: Pandemic A(H1N1) continues its global spread, and vaccine production is a serious problem. Protection by current vaccines is limited by the mutational differences that rapidly accumulate in the circulating strains, especially in the virus surface proteins. New vaccine strategies are focusing at conserved regions of the viral internal proteins to produce T cell epitope-based vaccines. T cell responses have been shown to reduce morbidity and promote recovery in mouse models of influenza challenge. We previously reported 54 highly conserved sequences of NP, M1 and the polymerases of all human H1N1, H3N2, H1N2, and H5N1, and avian subtypes over the past 30 years. Sixty-three T cell epitopes elicited responses in HLA transgenic mice (A2, A24, B7, DR2, DR3 and DR4). These epitopes were compared to the 2007-2009 human H1N1 sequences to identify conserved and variant residues.

Abstract: The invention provides chimeric proteins and nucleic acids encoding these which can be used to generate vaccines against selected antigens. In one aspect, a chimeric protein comprises an antigen sequence and a domain for trafficking the protein to an endosomal compartment, irrespective of whether the antigen is derived from a membrane or non-membrane protein. In one preferred aspect, the trafficking domain comprises a lumenal domain of a LAMP polypeptide. Alternatively, or additionally, the chimeric protein comprises a trafficking domain of an endocytic receptor (e.g., such as DEC-205 or gp200-MR6). The vaccines (DNA, RNA or protein) can be used to modulate or enhance an immune response against any kind of antigen. In one preferred aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a patient with cancer by providing a chimeric protein comprising a cancer-specific antigen or a nucleic acid encoding the protein to the patient.

Abstract: An expandable locker shelf is disclosed that can be placed between two substantially vertical members, such as in a locker. The expandable shelf includes a first section having a rack, a second section, and a lever arm having a pinion. The first and second sections are aligned to engage the pinion with the rack. The lever arm enables the user to provide sufficient torque on the pinion to bias the first and second sections between the two substantially vertical members. The expandable locker shelf is locked between the two substantially vertical walls by engaging the lever arm with a retaining post.