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The invention relates to compositions and methods for the administration of therapeutic and / or diagnostic agents such as polypeptides to a mammal, and in particular, compositions suitable for oral administration. The invention provides polymeric particles, and in particular, nano / microparticles such as, but not limited to, microspheres and nanospheres, as well as methods of synthesizing them. The invention also provides methods of increasing the serum concentration of a therapeutic agent such as a polypeptide by orally administering polymeric particles comprising the therapeutic agent. The compositions of the invention allow the absorption of polypeptides through intestinal mucosa and intestinal cells and into the bloodstream of a mammal. The invention further provides a method of treating type II diabetes through the oral administration of compositions comprising insulin and also provides a related glucose-responsive insulin delivery system.

This invention comprises a novel approach to the assessment of antigen-specific T cells that quantitates and characterizes these cells with unprecedented clarity, and importantly, because it is performed in whole blood, is amenable to routine use in the clinical immunology laboratory. The methodology offers an improved flow cytometric intracellular cytokine assay in whole blood that can simultaneously measure multiple T cell subsets expressing multiple cytokines from a single whole blood culture. Evaluation of whole blood antigen specific cytokine responses has the important advantage of assessing T cell activation in the presence of ALL types of MHC autologous antigen presenting cells present in the native sample. It also has the advantage of enabling a culture system (whole blood) which can reflect effects of systemic environments (i.e. drug augmentation or suppression) on T cell responses to specific stimuli including antigen, by either culturing in the presence of such drug or analyzing the blood of a human or animal receiving such drug.

A medical tube has one or more permanent passive integrated transponders associated therewith that are capable of being located by a detection apparatus which senses the electromagnetic field strength gradient generated by each passive integrated transponder associated with the medical tube and indicates the value of the gradient to the user. In one embodiment, the passive integrated transponder is associated with the distal end of an endotracheal medical tube in a fixed orientation with an electromagnetic field pointing at a preferred angle of no more than 15 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the medical tube. The passive integrated transponder's static electromagnetic field is sensed by the detection apparatus and indicates the location of the distal end of the medical tube within a body.

The present invention provides an on-chip thin film phase plate for a releasing charging, comprising a chip substrate having one or more apertures; and a thin film layer attached to the top surface of the chip substrate. The present invention also provides a method for observing organic material by TEM, which uses the above-mentioned on-chip thin film phase plate in a TEM system.

Transmission of messages composed on one or more input devices to a single or multiple recipients by means of one or plural communication modes is facilitated. Such communication modes may include conventional or wireless telephone, facsimile transmission, pager, e-mail, postal mail or courier. An application program interface (API) mediates between remote applications requesting messaging functions and a message server that actually implements these functions. The API is capable of processing high-volume requests for message routing, status information, and various other functions on an automated basis, enabling businesses to make routine use of these functions.

A low resistivity light attenuation anti-reflection coating with a transparent surface conductive layer is disclosed. The multi-layered structure of the low resistivity light attenuation anti-reflection coating is HL (HL)6HL (H: a material scoring high on the refractive index, L: a material scoring low on the refractive index). There are 8 oxide layers, and the material of the surface layer is a transparent conductive coating and scores between 1.9 and 2.0 on the refractive index.

Apparatus and methods are provided for applying anesthetic or other medication to a desired location within a patient's uterus and for collecting cells, wherein an inner tube is configured to reciprocate through the lumen of an outer tube. The outer tube includes a foam applicator that facilitates delivery of anesthetic to the uterus prior to the cell collection procedure.

A bicycle seat design that comprises appropriately spaced and configured depressions that conform to the body of variously-sized male riders, thereby reducing pressure normally present on the lumbar back region, the ischial buttocks regions, and groin. Superior safety features provide comfort and support to vulnerable parts of the body. The preferred embodiment contains a round seating platform with raised rear and lateral edges and a left and right depression shaped to accommodate and support the buttocks. It also contains a depression in the central front area of the seating platform suitably shaped to accommodate and support the scrotal region, for preventing damage commonly associated with jarring or snagging the scrotum. Optionally, turning-signals, brake lights, and reflective lights positioned on the rear portion of the seating platform are included for enhancing visibility of the bicycle and for promoting safe operation thereof.

A multi-layer coating structure with anti-reflection, anti-static and anti-smudge functions includes a substrate and a coating module. The coating module is formed on a front surface of the substrate and composed of a plurality of indium tin oxide compound coating layers and a plurality of silicon dioxide compound coating layers that are alternately stacked upon each other. The coating module further includes a fluorocarbon compound coating layer that is the uppermost layer of the coating module. Because the surface layer has good electrical conductive properties, the surface layer reduces much of the work in the grounding process and also increases the total yield and reliability in high volume production. The present invention provides a surface conductive layer structure with an anti-reflection coating that can be applied to the LCD and PDP display industries for glass and plastic film substrates.

This invention comprises a novel approach to the assessment of antigen-specific T cells that quantitates and characterizes these cells with unprecedented clarity, and importantly, because it is performed in whole blood, is amenable to routine use in the clinical immunology laboratory. The methodology offers an improved flow cytometric intracellular cytokine assay in whole blood that can simultaneously measure multiple T cell subsets expressing multiple cytokines from a single whole blood culture. Evaluation of whole blood antigen specific cytokine responses has the important advantage of assessing T cell activation in the presence of ALL types of MHC autologous antigen presenting cells present in the native sample. It also has the advantage of enabling a culture system (whole blood) which can reflect effects of systemic environments (i.e. drug augmentation or suppression) on T cell responses to specific stimuli including antigen, by either culturing in the presence of such drug or analyzing the blood of a human or animal receiving such drug.

The directional-ionizing energy emitting implant is for attachment either to natural tissue or a prosthetic device, and delivers a prescribed dosage of energy to targeted tissue. The insert device includes an energy-source material within the insert device that delivers the prescribed dosage of energy to the targeted tissue, while minimizing exposure of nontargeted tissue. The targeted tissue has a known energy-response profile and is adjacent to the targeted tissue. The energy-source material in combination with the prosthetic device defines an actual energy-delivery distribution field. The energy-delivery distribution field has a configuration similar to the known energy-responsive profile of the targeted tissue. The prescribed dosage of energy is applied from energy-source material within the insert device and directed to the targeted tissue. The prescribed energy dosage is determined by using known characteristics of the energy-source material, and by the placement of the energy-source material relative to the targeted tissue. The implant system reduces any occurrence of heterotopic ossification caused by the implant, inhibits growth or migration of benign or malignant living cells, and minimizes or even eliminates infectious processes or delayed keloid or scar formation induced from surgical placement of a functional prosthesis or fixation device, in tissue within or about the device due to its targeted therapeutic energy emission effects.

An anti-reflection coating anti-reflection coating with low resistivity function and transparent conductive coating as outermost layer is disclosed. The anti-reflection coating contains a transparent conductive oxide as a surface layer and has a photo reflectance below 0.5%. The resistivity of the anti-reflection coating is between 0.5Ω and 0.7Ω per square, and its transparency is between 55% and 70%.

A bicycle seat design that comprises appropriately spaced and configured depressions that conform to the body of variously-sized male riders, thereby reducing pressure normally present on the lumbar back region, the ischial buttocks regions, and groin. Superior safety features provide comfort and support to vulnerable parts of the body. The preferred embodiment contains a round seating platform with raised rear and lateral edges and a left and right depression shaped to accommodate and support the buttocks. It also contains a depression in the central front area of the seating platform suitably shaped to accommodate and support the scrotal region, for preventing damage commonly associated with jarring or snagging the scrotum. Optionally, turning-signals, brake lights, and reflective lights positioned on the rear portion of the seating platform are included for enhancing visibility of the bicycle and for promoting safe operation thereof.

The present invention relates to a device to cut hair, fibers, or thin, flexible materials, comprising at least one retaining element (2) with a cylindrically formed interior that is suitable for immobilizing and potentially bundling in lengthwise direction a sample (1) to be cut, composed of a multiplicity of hairs, fibers, or thin, flexible materials, and a cutting device (3) that is suitable for cutting the sample that is immobilized and possibly bundled in lengthwise direction, in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the interior of the retaining element (2). The present invention relates furthermore to a method making use of the device, as well as a hair section that can be produced with the device or the method.

Eyewear which is suitable for routine wear and within masks which are sealed against noxious environmental gases or penetration by water is provided by a frame made up of resilient metal parts including wires to provide the frame with a shape, which facilitates the placement of the eyewear on the head of the user while limiting the movement of the eyewear when in use so as to avoid breaking the seal of a mask inside of which the eyewear is disposed when the mask is donned by the user. The eyewear has a lens holding frame for holding lenses adjacent the eyes of the user's head and connected by a bridge across the user's nose. Flexible members bent arcuately around and in conformance with the sides of the head of the user have a kink whereby to facilitate acceptance between the sides of the head and the seal of the mask with sufficient tightness against the side of the head to limit movement of the frame and the space between the seal and the head thereby avoiding breaking of the seal when the mask is in operation.

Each platform mounted mold assembly for plastic tubing includes a circuit board containing parameters defining elements of the forming, molding, tipping or welding operation to be undertaken on the tubing. A control unit includes an RF generator for providing the RF energy to effect the forming, molding, tipping or welding process, a source of air under pressure to operate the mechanical elements attendant each mold assembly, various sensors and a multiplex unit. In operation, the control unit serially addresses each of the mold assemblies, senses the parameters attendant the mold and applies the appropriate power level of RF energy for a specific duration and temperature while activating the mechanical aspects of the mold assembly. The mold assemblies may be serially activated through a multiplex unit or in a particular sequence that may be operator controlled.

A sleep stage determination apparatus is provided with: a first normalization unit that performs a first normalization processing on the intensity of a user's heartbeat signal calculated using a gain value of gain control that is performed on the heartbeat signal so that the peak value is controlled to be constant; a second normalization unit that performs a second normalization processing on the intensity of the heartbeat signal; a third normalization unit that performs a third normalization processing on a first normalized heartbeat intensity; and a sleep stage determination unit that determines the stage of sleep on the basis of the second normalized heartbeat intensity obtained by the second normalization unit and variances indicating data variations in a predetermined period calculated for the normalized heartbeat intensity data obtained by the first normalization unit and the third normalization unit.

A method for non-invasively classifying a tumorous modification of a tissue according to different stages of the tumorous modification comprises the steps of: a) receiving raw magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data that has been recorded by applying at least one diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence using three to nine different b-values to a tissue being suspicious to a tumorous modification without application of a contrast agent; b) extracting at least two quantification scheme parameters from the raw MRI data by using at least one quantification scheme, wherein each of the quantification scheme parameters is related to a microstructural property of the tissue; c) applying a weight to each quantification scheme parameter, wherein the weight is dependent on a kind of the tissue and on the quantification scheme, whereby a set of weighted quantification scheme parameters is obtained; d) determining a scoring value by combining the weighted quantification scheme parameters within the set, wherein each of the weighted quantification scheme parameters is used only once for determining the scoring value; and e) classifying the tumorous modification of the tissue into one of at least two classes according to the scoring value. The method and a corresponding classification device are capable of performing non-invasive tissue characterization without contrast agent administration in a highly accurate manner while supplementary information related to conventional imaging properties and clinical information can further increase the high diagnostic accuracy. They are used in their entirety for classifying the tumorous modification of the tissue.

Each platform mounted mold assembly for plastic tubing includes a circuit board containing parameters defining elements of the forming, molding, tipping or welding operation to be undertaken on the tubing. A control unit includes an RF generator for providing the RF energy to effect the forming, molding, tipping or welding process, a source of air under pressure to operate the mechanical elements attendant each mold assembly, various sensors and a multiplex unit. In operation, the control unit serially addresses each of the mold assemblies, senses the parameters attendant the mold and applies the appropriate power level of RF energy for a specific duration and temperature while activating the mechanical aspects of the mold assembly. The mold assemblies may be serially activated through a multiplex unit or in a particular sequence that may be operator controlled.

Eyewear which is suitable for routine wear and within masks which are sealed against noxious environmental gases or penetration by water is provided by a frame made up of resilient metal parts including wires to provide the frame with a shape, which facilitates the placement of the eyewear on the head of the user while limiting the movement of the eyewear when in use so as to avoid breaking the seal of a mask inside of which the eyewear is disposed when the mask is donned by the user. The eyewear has a lens holding frame for holding lenses adjacent the eyes of the user's head and connected by a bridge across the user's nose. Flexible members bent arcuately around and in conformance with the sides of the head of the user have a kink whereby to facilitate acceptance between the sides of the head and the seal of the mask with sufficient tightness against the side of the head to limit movement of the frame and the space between the seal and the head thereby avoiding breaking of the seal when the mask is in operation.

The present invention relates to a device to cut hair, fibers, or thin, flexible materials, comprising at least one retaining element (2) with a cylindrically formed interior that is suitable for immobilizing and potentially bundling in lengthwise direction a sample (1) to be cut, composed of a multiplicity of hairs, fibers, or thin, flexible materials, and a cutting device (3) that is suitable for cutting the sample that is immobilized and possibly bundled in lengthwise direction, in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the interior of the retaining element (2). The present invention relates furthermore to a method making use of the device, as well as a hair section that can be produced with the device or the method.

Method for the identification and quantification of oncogenic HPV nucleic acids comprising: a) first line screening by means of 5 independent SYBR Green I Real-time PCR assays to determine the total viral load and to identify the presence of one or more of 13 high risk HPV genotypes in the sample; b) second line assays to be applied to samples positives for: 5 independent TaqMan Real-time PCR assays to determine the presence and the viral load of the most common oncogenic HPV types: HPV types: 16, 18, 31, 45, 33 group (including 33, 52, 58, 67 genotypes).6 independent SYBR Green I RT Real-time PCR assays to determine the presence in the sample of the oncogenic transcripts E6 / E7 of HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 58.

A multilayer film structure for increasing transmittance includes a transparent substrate and a multifunctional film module. The multifunctional film module is formed on a front surface of the transparent substrate and composed of a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of metal layers. The dielectric layers and the metal layers are alternately stacked onto each other, and each metal layer is formed by mixing at least two metals. Each dielectric layer is a silicon carbide compound layer that is SiC, and each metal layer is formed by mixing Ag and Cu.

The present invention relates to a method and kit for quantitative and qualitative determination of human papillomavirus, HPV, in a sample. More precisely, for quantitative and qualitative determination of oncogenic HPV to predict the risk of HPV infection resulting in cervical carcinoma. The method and kit enable simultaneous measurement of several oncogenic HPV types.

An imaging method for radiologically guiding an instrument during medical interventions on an object is disclosed. First, a prior volumetric image of the object is provided, followed by periodically providing a current volumetric image on-the-fly during the intervention to an operator by measuring an undersampled set of projections of the object and reconstructing the current image based on changes between the prior volumetric image or an updated prior image and the undersampled set of projections. The method and corresponding system are used for radiologically guiding medical interventions on an object. The system includes a first image provider, an imaging apparatus for measuring undersampled sets of projections, and a processor. The processor communicates with the imaging apparatus for providing updated images on-the-fly during the intervention by reconstructing the updated image based on changes between the first image or an update of the first image and the undersampled sets of projections.

An anti-reflection coating anti-reflection coating with low resistivity function and transparent conductive coating as outermost layer is disclosed. The anti-reflection coating contains a transparent conductive oxide as a surface layer and has a photo reflectance below 0.5%. The resistivity of the anti-reflection coating is between 0.5Ω and 0.7Ω per square, and its transparency is between 55% and 70%.

Eyewear which is suitable for routine wear and within masks which are sealed against noxious environmental gases or penetration by water is provided by a frame made up of resilient metal parts including wires to provide the frame with a shape, which facilitates the placement of the eyewear on the head of the user while limiting the movement of the eyewear when in use so as to avoid breaking the seal of a mask inside of which the eyewear is disposed when the mask is donned by the user. The eyewear has a lens holding frame for holding lenses adjacent the eyes of the user's head and connected by a bridge across the user's nose. Flexible members bent arcuately around and in conformance with the sides of the head of the user have a kink whereby to facilitate acceptance between the sides of the head and the seal of the mask with sufficient tightness against the side of the head to limit movement of the frame and the space between the seal and the head thereby avoiding breaking of the seal when the mask is in operation.