Abstract: Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Although many advances have been made in the treatment and management of the disease, the existence of chemotherapy-resistance means there is still a great need to develop new strategies and drugs for its treatment. Provided herein are synthetic derivatives of combretastatin A-4, in particular those in which the aromatic rings are locked into a non-isomerisable active conformation, thus resulting in improved, stable compounds. The novel compounds are structurally related to combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) and lock the rings into the known active conformation by means of a four membered nitrogen containing heterocyclic ring, such as a beta-lactam ring, incorporated into the standard CA-4 structure. The compounds exhibit potent anti-cancer activity.

Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acid therapeutics and methods for using these nucleic acid therapeutics in the treatment of complement-related disorders.

Abstract: Materials and methods are provided for producing and using aptamers useful as oncology therapeutics capable of binding to PDGF, PDGF isoforms, PDGF receptor, VEGF, and VEGF receptor or any combination thereof with great affinity and specificity. The compositions of the present invention are particularly useful in solid tumor therapy and can be used alone or in combination with known cytotoxic agents for the treatment of solid tumors. Also disclosed are aptamers having one or more CpG motifs embedded therein or appended thereto.

Abstract: Materials and methods are provided for producing and using aptamers useful as oncology therapeutics capable of binding to PDGF, PDGF isoforms, PDGF receptor, VEGF, and VEGF receptor or any combination thereof with great affinity and specificity. The compositions of the present invention are particularly useful in solid tumor therapy and can be used alone or in combination with known cytotoxic agents for the treatment of solid tumors. Also disclosed are aptamers having one or more CpG motifs embedded therein or appended thereto.

Abstract: A computerized switching system for coupling a workstation to a remotely located computer. A signal conditioning unit receives keyboard and mouse signals generated by a workstation and generates a data packet which is transmitted to a central crosspoint switch. The packet is routed through a crosspoint switch to another signal conditioning unit located at a remotely located computer. The second signal conditioning unit applies the keyboard and mouse commands to the keyboard and mouse connectors of the computer as if the keyboard and mouse were directly coupled to the remote computer. Video signals produced by the remote computer are transmitted through the crosspoint switch to the workstation. Horizontal and vertical sync signals are encoded on to the video signals to reduce the number of cables that extend between the workstation and the remote computer.

Abstract: A computerized switching system for coupling a workstation to a remotely located computer. A signal conditioning unit receives keyboard and mouse signals generated by a workstation and generates a data packet which is transmitted to a central crosspoint switch. The packet is routed through a crosspoint switch to another signal conditioning unit located at a remotely located computer. The second signal conditioning unit applies the keyboard and mouse commands to the keyboard and mouse connectors of the computer as if the keyboard and mouse were directly coupled to the remote computer. Video signals produced by the remote computer are transmitted through the crosspoint switch to the workstation. Horizontal and vertical sync signals are encoded on to the video signals to reduce the number of cables that extend between the workstation and the remote computer.

Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acid therapeutics and methods for using these nucleic acid therapeutics in the treatment of complement-related disorders.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically partitioning data across a cluster in a tree-based structure is disclosed. In one embodiment, cache nodes in the cluster are detected. A partition group is formed with members including one or more cache nodes of the cluster. An instance of a cache node in the partition group is copied to each cache node in the partition group. The membership of the partition group is adjusted based on a participation of data in the partition group.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining data from a cluster of cache nodes in a tree-based structure is disclosed. A querying cache node outside a partition group queries data of a cache node of the partition group. The partition group is made of one or more cache nodes of the cluster, where an instance of a cache node in the partition group is copied to each cache node in the partition group. The instance of the data of the cache nodes of the partition group is copied to the querying cache node. The partition group is adjusted to include the querying cache node as a member of the partition group.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing concurrent access to a cache node of a tree-based data structure. Readers concurrently read access the cache node. A copy of the cache node is created for a write access of a writer. Only one copy of the cache node is allowed at any one time. The writer operates on the copy of the cache node while concurrent read access of the cache node are provided to the readers.

Abstract: A system for processing a prioritizing protocol for a database, the system including an interface for nominating a first prioritizing protocol that maps a plurality of user accounts to one or more performance groups and to one or more periods; a processor that is responsive to the interface for defining a second prioritizing protocol; and an output in communication with the processor for exporting the second prioritizing protocol. The processor defines the second prioritizing protocol by defining a plurality of workload classes; associating each user account to a particular workload class; and mapping each workload class to a workload weight. The system provides a mechanism for DBMS administrators to migrate their systems from user-centric management to workload-centric management, wherein many DBMS components require updating, replacement or modification.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating a degree of participation of a server in a group of servers is disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory stores timestamps for each access to the server. A processor weights the timestamps to treat more recent accesses as more important than older accesses, wherein older accesses decay in importance exponentially using a half-life constant.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for Java array interception using bytecode manipulation and data flow analysis. In one embodiment, a user-provided object class is identified. An array access operation of the user-provided object class is intercepted. The intercepted array access operation is translated with an emulator class of a native Java array. The translated array access operation is sent to an emulator class to determine whether to dispatch to the native Java array or an alternate data source.

Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acid therapeutics and methods for using these nucleic acid therapeutics in the treatment of complement-related disorders.

Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acid therapeutics and methods for using these nucleic acid therapeutics in the treatment of complement-related disorders.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing concurrent access to a cache node of a tree-based data structure. Readers concurrently read access the cache node. A copy of the cache node is created for a write access of a writer. Only one copy of the cache node is allowed at any one time. The writer operates on the copy of the cache node while concurrent read access of the cache node are provided to the readers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining data from a cluster of cache nodes in a tree-based structure is disclosed. A querying cache node outside a partition group queries data of a cache node of the partition group. The partition group is made of one or more cache nodes of the cluster, where an instance of a cache node in the partition group is copied to each cache node in the partition group. The instance of the data of the cache nodes of the partition group is copied to the querying cache node. The partition group is adjusted to include the querying cache node as a member of the partition group.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating a degree of participation of a server in a group of servers is disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory stores timestamps for each access to the server. A processor weights the timestamps to treat more recent accesses as more important than older accesses, wherein older accesses decay in importance exponentially using a half-life constant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically partitioning data across a cluster in a tree-based structure is disclosed. In one embodiment, cache nodes in the cluster are detected. A partition group is formed with members including one or more cache nodes of the cluster. An instance of a cache node in the partition group is copied to each cache node in the partition group. The membership of the partition group is adjusted based on a participation of data in the partition group.

Abstract: An insect trap and method of use. The insect trap has a roof, side walls, rear wall, front wall, and floor. The front wall has a front wall aperture, and the rear wall has at least one rear wall aperture. A plurality of dividers are disposed within the insect trap, with a divider aperture associated with each divider. The divider apertures alternate between being adjacent the floor and adjacent the roof in successive dividers. The method includes the steps of mounting an insect trap in a structure opening, allowing insect-enticing chemicals to waft from inside the structure opening to outside the structure opening through the insect trap, enticing the insect through a front wall aperture, divider apertures, and into an inner chamber adjacent the rear wall, and entrapping the insect within the inner chamber because the rear wall apertures are too small to admit passage to the insect.