Abstract:
This disclosure describes pharmaceutical compositions and methods that involve the use of a polyhydroxyanthraquinone to inhibit quorum sensing in a microbe. In some embodiments, the polyhydroxyanthraquinone may be effective to antagonize AgrA function in a microbe. In other embodiments, the polyhydroxyanthraquinone may be effective for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment of a skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) of a subject by a microbe. In still other embodiments, the polyhydroxyanthraquinone may be effective to reduce, limit progression, ameliorate, or resolve, to any extent, a symptom or clinical sign of infection by a microbe
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for long read, label-free, optical nanopore long chain molecule sequencing. In general, the present disclosure describes a novel sequencing technology based on the integration of nanochannels to deliver single long-chain molecules with widely spaced (> wavelength), ~ 1-nm aperture "tortuous" nanopores that slow translocation sufficiently to provide massively parallel, single base resolution using optical techniques. A novel, directed self-assembly nanofabrication scheme using simple colloidal nanoparticles is used to form the nanopore arrays atop nanochannels that unfold the long chain molecules. At the surface of the nanoparticle array, strongly localized electromagnetic fields in engineered plasmonic/polaritonic structures allow for single base resolution using optical techniques.
Abstract:
The invention provides methods of treating autophagy mediated diseases and disorders and related pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostics, screening techniques and kits. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of determining whether a subject suffers from, or is at risk of developing, and autophagy mediated disease state and/or condition by evaluating LC3 levels.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides biological fuel cells comprising a paper-based fuel delivery layer which delivery fuel to the biological anode and cathode via capillary action and/or evaporation. In some embodiments the paper-based fuel delivery layer incorporates an outwardly extending fan-shaped region which enables a constant volumetric flow rate through the cell.
Abstract:
The invention produces a higher quality image from a rendering system based on a relationship between the output of a rendering system and the parameters used to compute them. Specifically, noise is removed in rendering by estimating the functional dependency between sample features and the random inputs to the system. Mutual information is applied to a local neighborhood of samples in each part of the image. This dependency is then used to reduce the importance of certain scene features in a cross-bilateral filter, which preserves scene detail. The results produced by the invention are computed in a few minutes thereby making it reasonably robust for use in production environments.
Abstract:
A novel peptide sequence that is a modified derivative of a neuron-specific tyrosine phosphatase is shown and described. Specifically, the novel peptide sequence is a modified derivative of striatal-enriched tyrosine phosphatase (STEP). The peptide sequence has been modified so as to be able to ameliorate and treat brain injury resulting from excessive glutamate release and / or oxidative stress. Examples of the types of brain injury which the presently disclosed peptide sequence is useful for treating includes acute brain injury resulting from stroke or traumatic brain injury and chronic disorders such as Huntington's chorea and schizophrenia. Furthermore, the presently described peptide sequence may further be useful in the treatment and amelioration of disorders associated with fear memory such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Abstract:
A method for producing hemicellulase and cellulase for use in processing cellulosic materials for biofuel production. The method involves transforming algal feedstock to express hemicellulase and cellulase and then collecting hemicellulase and cellulase that has been secreted into a culture medium by the algae. The method may further involve transforming the algal feedstock to express other recombinant products and/or processing the alga feedstock to produce biofuels.
Abstract:
A plasmonic detector is described which can resonantly enhance the performance of infrared detectors. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to enhancing the quantum efficiency of semiconductor infrared detectors by increasing coupling to the incident radiation field as a result of resonant coupling to surface plasma waves supported by the metal/semiconductor interface, without impacting the dark current of the device, resulting in an improved detectivity over the surface plasma wave spectral bandwidth.
Abstract:
Photon-based radiosurgery is widely used for treating local and regional tumors. The key to improving the quality of radiosurgery is to increase the dose falloff rate from high dose regions inside the tumor to low dose regions of nearby healthy tissues and structures. Dynamic photon painting (DPP) further increases dose falloff rate by treating a target by moving a beam source along a dynamic trajectory, where the speed, direction and even dose rate of the beam source change constantly during irradiation. DPP creates dose gradient that rivals proton Bragg Peak and outperforms Gamma Knife® radiosurgery.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to novel non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic tools/compounds comprising a hybride cyclic peptide which utilizes a cyclic peptide chelating group wherein the compound binds to a MSH receptor to image and treat cancers, especially, melanoma, including metastatic melanoma in vivo. The present invention represents a clear advance in the art which presently relies on tissue biopsy for diagnoses of these cancers. The novel imaging probes are capable of detecting cancerous melanoma cells, as well as their metastatic spread in tissues. This represents a quantum step forward in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma, including metastatic melanoma using non-invasive molecular imaging techniques. The novel probes of the present invention will also be useful to initiate therapy for melanoma as well as monitor patients response to chemotherapy treatments and other interventions or therapies used in the treatment of melanoma/metastatic melanoma. Compound according to the present invention may be used as diagnostic tools for a number of conditions and diseases states as well as therapeutic agents for treating such conditions and disease states.