Abstract:
The invention provides gene-targeted non-human animals comprising a genetically modified 11βHSD1 gene encodes a mutant 11βHSD1 polypeptide which is modulated by human 11βHSD1 modulating compounds. The invention further provides cells expressing mutant 11βHSD1 and cells isolated from gene-targeted animals, which cells produce a mutant 11βHSD1. The invention further provides methods of identifying agents that modulate 11βHSD1 activity, and are useful to treat 11βHSD1-related metabolic disorders.
Abstract:
A computer program product being embodied on a computer readable medium for extracting semantic information about a plurality of documents being accessible via a computer network, the computer program product including computer-executable instructions for: generating a plurality of tokens from at least one of the documents, each token being indicative of a displayed item and a corresponding position; and, constructing at least one parse tree indicative of a semantic structure of the at least one document from the tokens dependently upon a grammar being indicative of presentation conventions.
Abstract:
In embodiments of the present invention, a biodegradable/biodegradable polymer film may be used as a scaffold for tissue engineering scaffolds for engineering organized organs, such as vascular grafts, for example. In one embodiment, an ultraviolet (UV) resin made from a diacrylated biodegradable oligomer is molded into a flexible scaffold having cavities and/or channels. Channel/cavity size may be on the order of micrometers and/or nanometers, and thus the walls may have high aspect ratios. Smooth muscle cells may be deposited in the channels and because of the high aspect ratios, the cells may align along the channels/cavities as confluence is reached.
Abstract:
A system is provided for estimating an operational parameter of a first engine, the first engine including a rotatable crankshaft. The system includes a model for estimating the operational parameter of the first engine as a function of instantaneous crankshaft speed at a plurality of angular positions of the crankshaft of the first engine. The model is developed, at least partially, based upon operational data from a second engine having a rotatable crankshaft. A sensor is operable to determine values representative of the instantaneous crankshaft speed of the first engine, at a plurality of angular positions of the crankshaft of the first engine. A modifier is operable to modify at least some of the representative values to, at least partially, calibrate out differences between the first and second engines that may cause variations in instantaneous crankshaft speed. The modified values are input to the model.
Abstract:
Methods for identifying inducers and inhibitors of programmed cell death in a cell-free system are described. The methods exploit the finding that programmed cell death is accompanied by shutdown of cellular protein synthesis and by phosphorylation of eIF-2.alpha. and that the dephosphorylation of eIF-2.alpha. prevents the shutdown of protein synthesis.