University of Cincinnati's Technologies Available for Licensing

109001 - A Safer Way to Treat Obesity

Kellen.Sensor@uc.edu (Kellen Sensor) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bariatric surgery (also known as weight loss surgery) is performed on obese patients who are unable to reduce weight by dietary modifications or exercise regimens. Current bariatric surgical procedures predominantly involve removing a significant part of the stomach (such as Sleeve Gastrectomy), or partitioning the stomach with incisions and stapling. This may be achieved with or without the re-routing of the food pathway. Some of these techniques are irreversible, a fact which is troublesome in view of the increasingly younger population of potential patients. When reversible, these procedures involve a significant amount of dissection with risks of bleeding and delayed complications. There is also a possibility of gastric erosion, as in the case of gastric banding procedures.

Invention
A surgeon at the University of Cincinnati has designed a device that can overcome many of the shortcomings of current bariatric surgical procedures. The device is flexible and can be used to replace either of the currently used procedures.
The invention has the following advantages over current procedures:

Reversibility

Preservation of gastric integrity

Minimal surgical dissection and reduced operating time

Compatibility with a laparoscopic approach

Further information regarding this invention can be obtained under a Confidential Disclosure Agreement.

106035 - Novel Mercury (and other metal) Vapor Sorbents

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Neville Pinto and his laboratory have developed a material to remove metal vapors from gas streams, particularly mercury.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest single man-made source of mercury pollution in the U.S. (approximately 48 tons of mercury annually, or about one-third of the total US anthropogenic mercury emissions). Mercury from coal-fired power plants is released into the air through the exhaust system when coal is burned. The primary exposure occurs when this mercury falls to the earth and runs into lakes, rivers, and streams and contaminates the fish, which subsequently contaminates humans when they eat these fish and shellfish. Coal-fired power plants also produce fly ash; the EPA has in recent decades required that fly ash be captured prior to release. This fly ash is also contaminated with mercury. Currently coal-fired power plants have taken to use activated carbon to trap mercury emissions. Activated carbon, often impregnated with iodine or sulfur, is widely used to trap mercury emissions from coal fired power stations, medical incinerators, and from natural gas at the wellhead.

UC has developed a sorbent that captures mercury for use in a coal-fired power plant. The UC sorbent can be produced from commercially available raw materials without the need for any exotic chemistry. This sorbent consists of a base of silica which has been functionalized and coated. The coating is a chemically active environment for reaction with mercury vapor. UC has observed Hg(II) capacity of up to 58 mg/g adsorbent at 160°C and thermal stability up to 200°C in lab testing (miligram quantities). UC is currently testing the sorbent (hundred gram quantities) in an EPA test facility in Research Park Triangle, NC. Based on UC's research the sorbent will cost less than activated charcoal (approximately 70-90% less). In addition the technology is greener because it minimizes secondary wastes and secondary emissions as well as reducing the amount of contamination in fly-ash. The sorbent also has the capability to be adapted to being used for other metal vapors, such as lead, zinc and cadmium.

In conclusion, UC investigators have developed a novel sorbent to remove mercury from flu gas which has high selectivity for mercury (both Hg(II) and Hg0), is capable of extended operation, minimizes secondary wastes and secondary emissions, costs less than $1000/lb Hg.

106026 - Molecular Profiling of Thyroid Cancer

Kellen.Sensor@uc.edu (Kellen Sensor) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This invention provides methods for characterizing thyroid tissue by detecting the gene expression levels for certain genes, such as kallikrein 10 and claudin 1, among others. This provides a novel approach for detecting thyroid carcinomas by detecting altered gene expressions in thyroid tissue samples (relative to expression levels in normal thyroid tissues). Furthermore, the level of specific gene expression can be used to discriminate between the different types of thyroid cancer e.g., papillary versus follicular.

108095 - Optical Sensor For Water Contaminants

ellen.banks@uc.edu (Ellen Banks) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An optical sensor for detecting anions in water has been developed at the University of Cincinnati and is available for licensing.

Critical attention will be paid to clean water technologies given water’s importance in everyday life. In 2007, Advanced Water Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to coordinating efforts of companies within the water industry, predicted the total world water and processing market to be $400 billion with an expected growth to exceed $544 billion by 2015. Unfortunately, the water tests currently available to meet the growing need for contaminant detection are expensive and time-consuming because of the necessity for laboratory analysis.

Professor Connick and his students at the University of Cincinnati have created a solid state anion sensor which provides a colorimetric and luminescence response and/or undergoes fundamental changes in other physical properties upon exposure to specific anions. This technology is ideally suited for on-site, in-situ, real-time monitoring of anionic contaminants. One formulation of this innovative material possesses extraordinary chemical selectivity toward perchlorate, which is exceptionally difficult to detect. More specifically, the technology has been utilized to detect the presence of perchlorate within a wide range of solutions, including: river water, milk, and other aqueous solutions containing common interferents (e.g., phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, carbonate, chloride, bromide, iodide, and fluoride).

The proposed technology offers several benefits. The sensor material is inexpensive, and the technology provides rapid on-site detection without cumbersome electronics or additional lab analysis. Easily incorporated into existing sensor devices, the technology can be used to complement devices that make use of conventional analytical technologies, such as visible absorption and luminescence spectroscopy, photodiodes, light-emitting devices (LEDs), and/or quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) methods. Moreover, because the sensor provides a colormetric response, the technology could be utilized in a manner similar to pH paper test strips, which change color in response to varying levels of pH.

090003 - Item Number 148 - Analysis Of Whole Blood

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The existence of infectious diseases, and particularly AIDS, presents a hazardous situation for the laboratory and clinical personnel whose responsibility it is to analyze contaminated blood samples for analytes unrelated to these diseases.
This has given rise to the creation of "Universal Precautions" which have further increased the difficulties of handling and the complexity of the processing procedures. This is a major problem, for hundred of millions of clinical tests are run annually in the USA alone using blood as the sample source, and it has been estimated that as much as 7% of all such specimens contain HIV, the causative agent for AIDS. It is clear that advances which reduce the number of procedural steps offer both increased safety and decreased assay time.
The development at hand provides a straightforward and inexpensive method for the quantitative assay of analytes contained in whole blood. No pretreatment of the blood, converting it to serum or plasma, is necessary. Any analyte that can be coupled to the co-factor NADH can, in principle, be quantitated. Scores of such coupled assays have been described. Proof of principle has been established initially with the therapeutic drug, phenytoin.
The nature of this new development is such that the following advantages are enjoyed:

The sampled volume of blood is small, lessening trauma and disposal problems.
The technology requires minimal sample handling, thereby lessening personnel exposure.
Procedural simplicity also results in time savings, making this development appropriate for stat and patient bedside testing.

108060 - Arlitt Instructional Media

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati's Arlitt Center has collaborated with Tom Purdy to create educational videos for the best practices in early childhood care and education.

The current titles in the series are:

Mathematics in Early Childhood Education
Science in Early Childhood Education
Social Studies in Early Childhood Education
Language Arts in Early Childhood Education

104010 - Compounds to Treat Cardiovascular Ischemia and promote Wound Healing

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Cardiovascular ischemia is a leading cause of illness and death in the United States. A number strategies including prevention through diet, exercise and lipid-lowering drugs, and medical intervention via angioplasty, stent placement and surgery are being used to alleviate the ischemic conditions. In addition, pro-angiogenesis compounds have also been used to enhance blood flow through collateral vessel formation. However, these treatments remain inadequate because of the complications associated with these strategies. Moreover, pro-angiogenesis factors, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (BFGF), used to enhance blood flow in ischemic tissues have also been associated with pathological angiogenesis and/or the proliferation of tumor cells. The latter observation warrants the development of novel compounds that would specifically promote angiogenesis in ischemic tissues.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-residue peptide amide originally isolated from porcine brain. It is abundantly present in the sympathetic nervous system surrounding the heart and blood vessels, and also present in endothelial cells and platelets. Recent investigations using rat hind limb ischemic model, mouse corneal micro-pocket assay and chicken embryonic chorioallantoic membrane assay have unequivocally shown that NPY exhibits a powerful angiogenisis effect. Moreover, NPY has also been shown to promote wound healing, a process dependent on angiogenesis. These actions of NPY are mediated by Y2 receptor subtypes because: 1) NPY did not exhibit angiogenic activities in Y2 receptor deficient mice; 2) [Leu31, Pro34]NPY, which does not bind to Y2 receptor, had no angiogenesis effect.
It is therefore clear that NPY Y2 receptor selective agonists will ultimately be used to treat cardiovascular ischemia and promote wound healing. In this regard, we have developed highly selective and potent (Ki = 1 nM) lower molecular weight Y2-receptor agonists based on PYY(22-36) and PYY(25-36) (US Patents: 5604203 & 6046167), and shown that they exhibit to potent and prolong in vivo activities (J Med Chem 49:3420-3427; 2000; Dig Dis Sci. 44:643-648; 1999). We are now looking for partners to develop these compounds as drugs to treat cardiovascular ischemia, Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and to promote wound healing.
Advantages

Lower molecular weight compounds- will be economical to develop into drugs.
Highly potent and selective- will be active at lower doses & little or no side effect expected.
Relatively stable- long acting.

103020 - A Family of Therapeutic Delivery Systems

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The present invention is in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry and pharmaceuticals. In general, the invention provides compositions for the cellular delivery of nucleic acids, polypeptides and/or molecular complexes comprising nucleic acids and polypeptides, and methods of making and using such compositions. The present invention provides a new class of non-viral transduction vectors that can be used for both in vivo and in vitro applications. This includes unique polycationic polymers that can associate with many suitable bioactive molecules, including proteins and other compounds that posses multiple cationic sites. The polymer can act as a delivery vehicle for the associated bioactive molecule, in vivo or in vitro, to the cells of interest for the bioactive molecule. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for a new series of polyamides for use as gene delivery agents. Also disclosed are methods of using the polymers to bind products, e.g., oligonucliotides, and facilitate cellular uptake. In one embodiment, the invention provides for the in vitro delivery of plasmid DNA into cells. The present also provides for the use of these polymers for the delivery of a nucleic acid is biologically active into a cell.
Advantages
The polymers are nontoxic and suitable for (highly efficacious ) drug delivery, efficient intracellular gene delivery, as well as delivery of DNA, RNA, SiRNA and oligonucleotides. One family of polymers is completely biodegradable, yielding glucose and an oligoamine monomer that is similar in chemical structure to that found in the body. The polymers are suitable for noncovalent attachment of targeting agents for cell-type specific delivery.
Areas of Application
Both the polymers and the oligonucleotide decoys have clinical applications, either separately or in combination (i.e., with the polymer delivering the decoys into cells). The polymers also have applications as reagents for in vivo and in vitro delivery of bioactive molecules. Favorable in vitro test results have been achieved in a variety of primary cell lines. The oligonucleotides, both separately and with the polymers as a delivery vehicle, are being studied for treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

106082 - Structure of human platelet glycoprotein VI: A novel target for anti-thrombotic agents

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a recently published paper, Dr. Andrew Herr and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati developed a protocol for the expression, purification, and refolding of the collagen-binding domain of human GPVI. The crystal structure of this refolded GPVI domain was solved to 2.4 Å resolution. GPVI formed a back-to-back dimer in the crystal, consistent with several studies suggesting GPVI was dimeric on the platelet surface. These data also revealed an unusual groove on the surface of GPVI that computational docking programs and published mutagenesis studies strongly suggest is the collagen binding site.
This technology – a refolding protocol capable of generating milligram quantities of pure GPVI and the coordinates of the atomic structure of GPVI – provides critical information for the design and development of GPVI inhibitors as new therapies for human disease.A patent application has been filed. The University of Cincinnati is seeking industry partners for the development of GPVI inhibitors as novel therapeutics.

101082 - Potent, Freely Diffusible Oligomeric Form of Sonic Hedgehog Protein

monsonek@uc.edu (Reid Smith) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers at UC have developed novel improved forms of Sonic Hedgehog protein, and particularly forms which are freely diffusible and biologically active. The hedgehog family (Hh) of secreted proteins play an important role in the patterning of a diverse array of animals. Hh was first identified as a Drosophila Melanogaster segment polarity gene required for embryonic patterning. Hh also plays an essential role in the development of various Drosophila adult organs, regulating the patterning of the various imaginal discs that eventually form adult structures. Hh family members have also been implicated in the patterning of numerous vertebrate structures, an observation underscored by the dramatic phenotypes of animals mutant for the various Hh family members. Hedgehog is expressed in specific regions of the animal termed organizing centers, which influence patterning of surrounding tissues through both short- and long-range signaling activity.
Hedgehog has three homologues in humans; Desert, India and Sonic hedgehog (Shh). It has been proposed that Hh family members can act as morphogens, inducing discrete cell fates in a concentration-dependent manner. Previous research has indicated that Hh proteins can induce various concentration-dependent cell fates in vitro; this role however has been controversial in vivo. This controversy arose because these early studies used a form of Shh not found in native tissues, which lacked the lipid modifications found on wild-type Shh. The lipid modifications on wild-type Shh facilitate its association with the plasma membrane, raising the question of how Shh is capable of moving far away from its site of synthesis to act as a morphogen. Additionally, previous research has used carboxy-cleaved Sonic hedgehog to support the simple diffusion model of long-range Sonic hedgehog signaling.

094035 - Item Number 246 - Forming Crystalline Silicone Carbide Semiconductors on a Semiconductor-On-Insulator Structure

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeringhave developed an invention that allows for the cost-effective formation of large size, high quality silicon carbide semiconductor-on-insulator substrates. Silicon carbide (SiC) is useful for applications requiring high operating conditions of temperature, speed, power or radiation. For these purposes, SiC has several material properties superior to silicon including:

wider bandgap
higher breakdown electric filed
higher thermal conductivity

However, the cost of bulk SiC crystals is extremely high and thus the size of SiC wafers is still limited to approximately 25-50 nm diameter. This new technology can reduce the effective SiC material cost drastically and provide great flexibility for exploring the potential offered by SiC in many application areas, such as:

high frequency
radiation hard devices
visible optical waveguides
planar displays

We believe that this technology which provides an economical basis for the manufacture of large area SiC semiconductor-on-insulator wafers, will have outstanding commercial significance. We are seeking a company to commercialize this technology.

109009 - Test for Determination of Therapy for Heart Failure Patients in the ER

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Patients with cardiomyopathy, a term which pertains to the diseases of the heart muscle, are often at risk of arrythmia, sudden cardiac death, or both. There may be different cardiomyopathic conditions including acute heart failure and chronic cardiomyopathies. One of the components of the heart muscle is the protein known as tropomyosin (TM) which is encoded by four genes (TPM1-4). The differential expression of the various forms of this protein have been shown to be important in cardiomyopathies.

Invention

Dr. Wieczorek and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have discovered that one of the isoforms of tropomyosin 1,TPM1 kappa (TPM1k), which is expressed in heart muscle fibers, is differentially regulated in cardiomyopathic conditions. Specifically, they have shown that TPM1k levels are differentially expressed in acute versus chronic cardiomyopathies. The inventors have discovered that patients with acute heart failure have decreased levels of TPM1k while patients with chronic cardiomyopathy show increased TPM1k levels (1). The use of this information can be potentially used to test patients that are rushed into emergency room with heart failure in determing the appropriate therapy for their condition. Currently, ER physicians have to rely on patient histories to make such a determination.

Advantages:

- allows physicians to rapidly make more informed decisions regarding patient therapy, leading to better disease management

More information can be obtained under a confidentialilty disclosure agreement.

108070 - A Method of Improving the Efficacy of Currently Available Asthma Drugs

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Asthma is a chronic disease which affects over 100 million people globally. Approximately 5-10 million adults and 10-15 million children worldwide suffer from asthma; and its incidence continues to grow at around 5%-6% per annum. Over 18 million Americans have asthma, but only around 60% of US sufferers are treated. US asthma prevalence rates have risen by almost 50% in the ten years ending 1994 and are expected to increase by 20%-50% every ten years.

Asthma involves the contraction of the bronchial smooth muscle and the narrowing of the airway. This together with airway mucus accumulation and edema, results in breathing difficulties in the patient. A standard component of asthma therapy includes the inhalation of beta-adrenergic agonists, such as salbutamol and related compounds. These compounds activate ß2-adrenergic receptors on bronchial smooth muscle cells, triggering an increase in cyclic AMP that leads to smooth muscle relaxation, ultimately making it easier for the patient to breathe. However, while generally beneficial for most patients, ß-agonists may sometimes fail to fully relieve bronchospasm in asthmatics with severe disease or during severe asthma exacerbations.

Invention
Drs. Reszka , McGraw and Britigan at the University of Cincinnati have uncovered a mechanism that may decrease ß2-agonist efficacy during severe asthma exacerbations. Furthermore, they have exploited this mechanism to invent novel methods for potentially maintaining the potency of these drugs. The invention offers the following advantages:

the invention can render current inhalation therapies more effective in the alleviation of asthma symptoms
the invention can potentially provide a more reliable way of controlling asthma by this class of compounds.

More information is available under a confidentiality disclosure agreement.

104022 - Liquid Core Capsules via Interfacial Free Radical Polymerization

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This method creates liquid core capsules using interfacial free radical polymerization.

109100 - Method of Detection of Heparin Adulteration

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Stalcup and her laboratory have developed a specific, rapid, and cost-effective assay of heparin based on the induction of a unique spectroscopic signal into a chemical probe.

Background:Recent episodes of heparin adulteration resulted in numerous reports of severe adverse reactions and more than 80 deaths. The molecular weight range of heparin and the natural variation in both degree and sites of sulfation make a specific assay by conventional means difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and not easily interpreted. Some markers of adulteration may be detected by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Originally, the most definitive assay was clotting time. However, unscrupulous suppliers exploited the non-specific nature of clotting-based assays by adding semi-synthetic analogues with heparanoid activity. Indeed, the FDA recently identified oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) as a likely adulterant. The proposed work addresses the urgent need for improved technologies for rapid screening of heparin samples.

The UC discovery is that complexation between heparin and a judiciously selected probe analyte will perturb the spectroscopic signal of the probe, and that the extent of this perturbation is related to heparin concentration expressed as equivalent disaccharide. Unlike most polysaccharides, heparin is not only sulfated, but has a unique helical structure. We exploit this unique feature. Chondroitin sulfate and other sulfated polysaccharides do not respond to our chemistry and can’t be used to generate false positive heparin activity in our assay.

Advantages:
The advantages of our rapid assay is that it:

is robust
is inexpensive
is easy to use
can rapidly identifies likely compromised lots
can drastically reduce the number of samples requiring MS or NMR analysis.

109055 - Col2 Transgenic Rabbit

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. David Butler of the University of Cincinnati and Dr. Jeffrey Robbins Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center have collaborated to create a new research tool – a transgenic rabbit in which cells fluoresce when the collagen 2 (Col2) gene is being expressed. Animal models are utilized for a variety of applications in the fields of engineering, orthopedic and medical research. They have allowed scientists to better understand the natural history of disease, to develop new and improved surgical techniques, to predict the effect of a given treatment or surgical procedure and to critically develop and evaluate implants, a basic element of modern orthopedics. In every aspect of biomedical research, the use of animal models constitutes an essential step that leads to the eventual application of newly acquired information to the human patient.

Patients in the US sustain more than 32 million injuries to tendons and ligaments at a cost of $30 billion each year. Many of these injuries occur where type I collagen fibers insert into fibrocartilage (including type II collagen synthesized by Col2) and bone (type I collagen; Col1). Type II collagen, which adds structure and strength to connective tissues, is found primarily in cartilage. Cartilage includes the articulating tissue lining the ends of bones within joints, the shock absorbing pads within the knee known as the menisci, and the center portion of the discs between the vertebrae in the spine. By exploring when the Col2 gene is expressed, we can better understand how the body reacts to certain injuries and how it heals. There currently exists a mouse model which expresses fluorescent proteins based on changes in Col1 and Col2 gene expression. Although an excellent genetic tool, the mouse is too small to perform reproducible surgeries to study the repair of many orthopedic tissues.

To better understand the growth and development and healing mechanisms of orthopedic tissues, Dr. Butler and Dr. Robbins have developed a transgenic rabbit which expresses fluorescent proteins based on changes in Col2 gene expression. Rabbits are larger animals than mice, making it possible to more easily perform reproducible surgeries. The fluorescent expression lasts 24 hours, so there is ample time to see the results. The Col2 transgenic rabbit will provide a straightforward tool to study the spatial and temporal patterns of Col2 expression during normal development and repair of collagenous tissues.

100058 - A stable cell line expressing Human L-type cardiac calcium channel alpha 1C clone

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A number of Ca2+ channel genes have been cloned in the past decade. Expression of these genes for the purpose of studying function has been achieved in Xenopus oocytes and later, in various mammalian cells.
We have introduced the human Ca2+ channel alpha 1C subunit cDNA into human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) via DNA-mediated gene transfer procedure. Stability of transformants is maintained by two selectable marker genes that confer neomycin and hygromycin resistance.
This cell line can be maintained and propagated indefinitely and the functional expression of the Ca2+ channel gene allows the utilization of the cell line for drug screening.

109030 - Test to Determine Susceptibility to Aggressive Forms of Colon Cancer

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US and is also amongst the most diagnosed cancers nationwide. In 2008, the number of cases of colorectal cancer was estimated to be approximately 149,000 cases in the US. Risk factors for colorectal cancers include age (50+ increases risk), presence of polyps, consumption of high fat diets, family history (genetic composition), and the presence of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Of these, genetics may be the contributing factor in approximately 30% of the patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Approximately 45,000 patients estimated to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2008 may have the disease which may be attributable to genetic variations. Expression levels of specific genes may predispose individuals to certain forms of cancer, and the determination of expression profiles may be useful in the management of the disease.

One such gene is the AMACR gene which regulates the breakdown of branched-chain fatty acids, which are found in herbivorous animals. Previously, it has been shown that these fatty acids, present mainly in red meats and dairy products, can accelerate tumor progression.

Invention

Dr. Shuk-mei Ho and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have discovered deletions at specific regions in the promoter of the AMACR gene results in abnormal gene expression, and such gene expression in individuals may predispose them to a more aggressive type of colon carcinoma. Hence individuals can be tested for the presence of these deletions resulting in the abnormal expression of the AMACR gene.

This invention may afford the following advantages:

Can potentially form the basis of a test for deletions which will allow physicians to determine the prognosis of some forms of the disease and manage the disease accordingly
Technology may potentially lead to the avoidance of unnecessary aggressive therapy and its attendant side effects in some patients.

More information is available under a confidential disclosure agreement.

109003 - A Test for Prostate Cancer with Better Sensitivity and Specificity

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the US, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men. Prostate cancer is aggressive in some men while it is more slow-growing and less problematic in others. Most men nowadays are diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier than before, when the disease is diagnosed in a non-metastasized form. This is due to the wide-spread use of tests such as the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at earlier stages. However, as elevated serum PSA levels may be due to non-cancerous conditions such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), acute urinary retention, perineal trauma, and prostatitis, this test is not very specific for the detection of prostate cancer. Furthermore, increased levels due to these conditions may mask PSA originating from any small cancer foci.

Taken together, these reasons may be responsible for low levels of sensitivity and specificity of PSA tests. Hence, the risk for prostate cancer can be present at a wide range of serum PSA levels. As a consequence, men with elevated serum PSA must undergo biopsies to further confirm or rule out the presence of prostate cancer. Given that 1 million men with elevated serum PSA tests undergo biopsies annually, but only 25% of these are diagnosed with cancer, a more sensitive and specific test would be significantly beneficial.

Invention

Dr. Shuk-mei Ho and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have designed an assay which provides greater diagnostic accuracy than the PSA test. It also has better sensitivity and specificity than that of many other commercially available tests involving other biomarkers. This assay has been tested in a study comprising of 92 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of this test was 81% and 84% respectively.

The test affords the following advantages:

Is potentially simple to perform
Is non-invasive and does not require blood draw
Has higher sensitivity and specificity compared to many tests currently available
Can potentially be used to rule out unnecessary, painful follow-up biopsies especially in older patients (70+ yrs)

More information can be obtained under a confidential disclosure agreement.

107093 - Novel Molecules for Shiga Toxin Detection

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, are emerging pathogens of major importance. E. coli O157:H7 alone causes an estimated 70,000 cases of disease per year in the United States. Disease caused by E. coli O157:H7 is characterized by diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and the potentially fatal complication, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin (Stx) is a major virulence factor of E. coli O157:H7 and has been included as a Select Agent of Biothreat agent list.

The pathogenic potential of an E. coli isolate is dependent on the type of Shiga toxin it produces. There is an urgent need for diagnostic agents that can discriminate between Stx1 and the deadlier form, Stx2, for effective intervention and the prevention of future outbreaks. Furthermore, closely related variants of Stx2 also differ in pathogenic potential. Commercially available diagnostic tests for Shiga toxin distinguish between Shiga toxin variants based on antigenic differences, not pathogenic potential. Thus, a test that distinguishes between Shiga toxin variants based on pathogenic potential represents significant advancement in diagnostic and therapeutic value for affected patients.

Invention

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed novel, glycoconjugate ligands which mimic the natural receptors and exhibit specific and differential binding toward Shiga toxin variants based on biological activity. These glycoconjugates can be used as robust, specific, high affinity ligands for the detection and possibly treatment of Shiga toxin mediated disease. Additionally, the methods used to make and screen these glycoconjugates represent a platform technology that can be applied to many other toxins, viruses and bacteria. A patent application has been filed that includes novel compositions, methods for making and methods for screening glycoconjugates.

Advantages

Glycoconjugates distinguish Shiga toxin variants based on biological activity, not antigenicity and unlike antibodies, glycoconjugates are insensitive to genetic drift.
Glycoconjugates can be used in several assay platforms including ELISA and sensor arrays.
Glycoconjugates have superior thermal and chemical stability compared to antibodies.
No cross reactivity or false positives are expected with this class of compounds.

103009 - Energy Aware Multi-path Routing for Uniform Power Consumption in Sensor networks

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a sensor network where every node has a limited energy supply, one of the primary concerns is to maximize the network lifetime through energy-efficient routing. The method of the present invention includes a deterministic traffic scheduling algorithm that balances the load over multiple paths between source and destination, in proportion to their residual energy. This protocol focuses on uniformly utilizing the resources of the network, rather than on optimality of routes.
Most existing sensor network routing protocols optimize for single or shortest path routing. This accelerates the failure of nodes lying along the often used optimal paths, thus adversely affecting the connectivity and hence life of the network.

103007 - Compositions and Methods for Targeted Drug Delivery

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The present invention relates to synthetic host-rotaxanes, and in particular to novel synthetic host-rotaxanes that engage in molecular recognition events with a guest molecule to yield a host-guest complex. The present invention includes methods and compositions for transporting agents and macromolecues across biological membranes.
Although recent advances in drug delivery methods have produced active peptide and protein-based drugs, the technology suffers from a lack of suitable delivery systems. Among the problems of existing delivery systems is poor absorption of peptides through cellular membranes. The host-rotaxane of the present inventions shows almost DMSO-like ability to penetrate a cell membrane and deliver desired constituents to a cell.

102080 - The Magnetic Hip Joint For Reduction of Friction

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When pain due to severe osteoarthritis as well as conditions such as inflammatory arthropathies, post traumatic arthritis, vascular necrosis, and childhood diseases of the hip becomes intractable and, recalcitrant to conservative non-surgical management including medication and activity modifications, total hip replacement (THR) is an extremely effective option. It relieves debilitating pain and restores function to hips. Over 120,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States alone. .
However, the longevity of THR is limited by periprosthetic osteolysis. Periprosthetic osteolysis is defined as bone resorption about a prosthetic joint, which occurs as the biological response to particular wear debris from the prosthetic joint. It is the most common and most important long-term complication of THR. The failure of THR necessitates difficult revision THR.
We, at the University of Cincinnati, have developed the technology, which will make Periprosthetic osleolysis a thing of the past. The new approach developed here will prevent/reduce contact at the femoral head /acetabulum and thus significantly reduce generation of particular wear debris and its resultant periprosthetic osteolysis.

Advantages:
1. Commercialization of this technology offers great opportunity to address the needs of a vast population of patients suffering from various joint problems, which are beyond non surgical management; waiting for a solution like this one, which offers effective, long-term cure to the pain.
2. The use of magnetic levitation significantly decreases the generation of particular wear debris. Thus by elimination of particular wear debris from the femoral head/acetabulum in THR and the potential to significantly extend the clinical lifespan of THR.
3. Use of magnetic levitation eliminates/reduces the need for a revision THR. The revised THR is not just more complex, difficult and problematic than the primary THR due in great part to the loss of bone stock caused by osteolysis; its results are generally less satisfactory than primary THR.

102076 - Controlled Mixing and Penetration in a Swirling Jet Injector

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Swirl is used in combustion systems to enhance mixing and provide flame stabilization in both subsonic and supersonic flows. In high-speed flow, compressibility effects reduce amplification rates of the span wise vortices and increase 3 dimensional instabilities, thereby producing preferential stream wise vortices. These vortices are less effective in entraining ambient flow into the mixing layers; therefore energy extraction from the mean flow is reduced and less energy is being transferred to small-scale vortical structures through vortex stretching. As a result, the turbulent energy is reduced universally.
The technology developed at University of Cincinnati is a novel fuel ejection technique, which will increase the initial penetration of the swirling fuel jet and increase mixing.

Advantages

Efficient combustion and other mixing applications require a combination of high penetration that requires concentrated momentum and intense mixing that necessitates distributed momentum. These are contradictory requirements. The swirl-controlled jet enables this performance with high penetration and precisely controlled mixing.
It will result in increased efficiency of combustion system and other chemical reactions.
The actuator is simple, cost effective, and requires low power.
VBD is versatile and can be used for a variety of flow control applications.

102064 - Novel Adsorbents and Membranes for Separation and Purification of Proteins and Related Biomolecules

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mesoporous and macroporous molecular sieves are a class of chemicals which are used as adsorbents in chemical separations and purification operations involving a broad class of biologically important molecules, including but not limited to proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, enzymes and vitamins. Functionalized versions of these materials are particularly useful in carrying out separations of high efficiency and specificity.
Use of these molecular sieve materials in association with solid supports offers great promise for high-throughput industrial and commercial applications. Although several reports have demonstrated the feasibility of utilization of microporous molecular sieves (e.g., zeolite) in association with inorganic membranes, these zeolites materials are not useful for separations involving biomolecules beyond the size range of 10 Å. Previous research has not produced a method for simply and reliably producing such membranes in association with mesoporous and macroporous materials, owing to the need to assure correct orientation of the material?s pores with the underlying support.
We have developed a technique for the synthesis and characterization of novel, functionalized mesoporous and macroporous molecular sieves and their incorporation into membranes exhibiting preferential orientation of the pores with the substrate. These new materials can be functionalized in numerous ways to enhance selectivity.

Advantages

The technique permits the preparation of highly selective mesoporous and macroporous molecular sieves suitable for use in but not limited to either conventional chromatographic (e.g. column) applications or in association with inorganic membranes, with high mechanical durability, poison resistance, and hydrothermal stability. These systems can operate effectively in a wide range of processing conditions and demonstrate long lifetime and regenerability.
Materials produced by the proprietary technique display high capacity, high absorption rates and excellent regeneration characteristics.
The technique is applicable to a wide variety of porous materials covering a pore size range from 20 to 10,000 Å.

102035 - Novel MAC Layer Protocol for Space Division Multiple Accesss in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mobile wireless ad hoc networks (MANETs) offer communication capabilities across the nodes of the network without extensive construction of an underlying infrastructure. Networks of this type can be set up easily and offer the ability to transfer voice, data, and video messages without the constraints on mobility imposed by traditional networks dependent upon wired connections. Larger networks are multi-hop in nature since a message must be transmitted across several nodes in order to reach its final destination. Currently, these networks suffer from very low overall throughput due to transmission bottlenecks that occur when one central node receives multiple signals from outward lying nodes. Unable to process these multiple signals simultaneously, transmission rates become bogged down diminishing the network?s efficiency and utility.
Simultaneous transmission (or reception) by a node requires smart antennas equipped with spatial multiplexing and demultiplexing capability. Although the use of smart directional antennas in an ad hoc network would remedy the problem of low throughput, there is no existing method for integrating them into this type of network.
UC has invented a method that allows a large number of nodes that transmit asynchronously, to organize their receptions and transmissions, so that the overall network throughput increases. Using the medium access control (MAC) layer of the networking protocol stack, nodes of the ad-hoc network coordinate to harness the improved processing power of smart directional antennas. Thus, this approach takes a necessary step for smart-antenna technology to actually achieve improved results in a network of nodes.

Advantages

This invention serves the function of integrating smart directional antenna technology into an ad hoc network. In this manner, the potential of these hardware improvements can finally be realized.
Maximum data transfer is possible by carefully coordinating transmission of spatially separated messages. Therefore, the overall speed of applications using wireless LANs can be greatly enhanced.

102026 - Plasma Treatment of Carbon Nanotubes to Assist Solubilization and Dispersion

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Since their discovery, the potential of carbon nanotubes as reinforcing agents in composites has been widely recognized. Nanotubes possess exceptional mechanical properties along with interesting electrical properties. An additional benefit of nanotubes is that they can be processed by methods used for conventional polymers. When sufficiently dispersed, low volume fractions of nanotubes will “percolate” to produce conductive composites.
Currently, the potential advantages offered by carbon nanotubes have been unrealized. In order to utilize nanotubes successfully for reinforcement or addition of conductive ability to composites, the nanotubes need to be fully dispersed. However, a strong attractive interaction between nanotubes causes them to aggregate into ropes that are very difficult to disrupt. While in this bundled state, dispersion of the nanotubes into the matrix is difficult to accomplish. So far, no safe and quick technology exists to solubilize nanotubes for reinforcement of composites.
UC has invented a method that offers the ability to functionalize and solubilize nanotubes safely and effectively. The surface of the nanotubes is coated after brief plasma treatment such that their compatibility with solvents is dramatically improved. In this state, nanotubes can be individually dispersed to remain in suspension. Subsequently, the dispersed treated nanotubes can be incorporated into polymer matrices.
Advantages
This invention creates a quick and effective means to solubilize individual nanotubes into solvents. Thus, a major hindrance toward realizing the potential of nanotubes for reinforcement of composites is removed.
Plasma treatment of the nanotubes applies uniform coatings of monomers to their surface. The coatings promote a more effective method of dispersing single nanotubes uniformly within a composite material.
Plasma polymerization may assure low contact resistance to maintain conductivity. In this manner, the beneficial electrical properties of nanotubes will be passed on to the composites that incorporate them.

102010 - Novel Route to Manufacturing Filled Metals, Ceramics, or Polymers

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Manufacturing techniques for composite “filled” materials (metal, pure or alloy; ceramic or polymer, single or co-polymer, formulated or pure) are useful. Techniques have been sought by which these materials may be produced in such a fashion as to include significant volumes of two fine, uniformly dispersed phase in a composite material, as, for example, ceramics toughened (i.e. made less brittle) by the incorporation of carbon; metals strengthened by the incorporation of ceramic fillers; and polymers filled in situ with pigments.
We have discovered a technique for controlled synthesis of filled materials from nanoparticle starting materials with enormous versatility.
The new technique permits the manufacturing of filled materials based on a wide variety of combinations of ceramic (aluminum oxide, silica, zinc oxide, clay, magnesium oxide), metal (aluminum, steel, zinc, tin, nickel) or polymer (rubber, PMMA, polystyrene, or polyethylene) materials, utilizing nanoparticles as a starting material. The proprietary technique results in final composite materials with a wide variety of morphology and chemical and physical characteristics.
The new process is capable of producing a wide variety of filled composite materials which cannot be obtained (or cannot easily be obtained) by other known fabrication methods.
The manufacturing method is environmentally benign.
The process is flexible and allows for finely-detailed control over product size, elemental and chemical composition, and morphology.

101070 - Synthesis of Silica Nano and Microstructures Under Economical Conditions

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The synthesis and characterization of nanometer and micrometer-scale silicon structures is currently of great interest. Such materials have tremendous potential application in the fields of optroelectronics, nano-composites, ceramics, rubber technology, and biomedical materials, in addition to displaying great promise in applications involving catalysis and chemical separations.
Traditional techniques for the synthesis of these structures involve extremes of pH and high temperature, along with associated long preparation and reaction times, thereby rendering the process impracticable for continuous, versus batch, manufacturing.
We have discovered a technique for controlled synthesis of silicon nano and microstructures at neutral pH and ambient conditions.
The new technique promises significant cost savings in the industrial setting through the employment of process equipment at neutral pH and ambient temperature. The silica can be produced as discrete particles ranging from ~ 100 nm – 10 ìm with fair control over size.
The new process exhibits dramatic reduction in the time required for synthesis (5 to 20 minutes), thus promising additional economy in the large-scale preparation of these materials. This method also gives morphologies previously not reported for silica based materials.
Compared to conventional techniques, the manufacturing method is environmentally benign and qualifies as a “green technology.”
The process is flexible and allows for control over product size and morphology.

101068 - Integrated Compressor Motor, Fan-Motor, Propeller-Motor, Pump Motor and Turbine Generator

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The conventional arrangement in the case of a compressor or pump is to have a shaft connecting it to a motor. Steam and power turbines are generally connected to a generator via a shaft.
We have developed a new technology which allows the turbine and generator to be integrated; motors and fans integrated. This allows for smaller, more compact, and less expensive machines.
Without a shaft and motor, machines may be smaller and lighter, making hydroelectric projects more affordable and less intrusive on the environment. In the field of aircraft propulsion, this invention saves weight and airflow.
The need for a common shaft is eliminated: the dynamics of the long shaft can be eliminated and components no longer must be aligned with it, thus creating the possibility of true “multi-cycle” machines.

101052 - New Catalysts for the Selective Oxidation of Propane to Acrylic Acid

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the major objectives of the refining and petrochemical industry is the ability to upgrade cheaper raw materials from lower to higher molecular weight in order to produce highly desirable oxygenated compounds. Specialized multicomponent vanadium molybdate mixed oxide catalysts are commonly used for this purpose. Thus far, however, catalytic oxidation of propane using such materials has produced only acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and carbon oxides.
A new group of catalysts for the selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid has been developed in our laboratories.
The new catalysts display high selectivity for the production of acrylic acid from propane in a single step and with high yield.
The catalysts can be prepared using conventional methods.

101046 - Method for obtaining an Organic-Solvent-Free Stable Silane Solution

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Organofunctional and non-organofunctional silanes have been demonstrated by UC researchers to be powerful agents to prevent corrosion of metals. Many different metals can be effectively protected against a range of different types of corrosion, such as stress corrosion cracking, pitting, corrosion fatigue cracking, uniform corrosion, etc.
Although silanes are easy to handle and apply, they often have the limitation that they come in the form of alkoxy esters which have to be hydrolyzed first before they can be applied to the metal. The ester is often insoluble in water so that a large amount of an organic solvent has to be added to solubilize them. Even after dilution of the hydrolyzed silane with water to the working strength, which can now often be done with water, the organic solvent content is still high, typically of the order of 50 vol.-%. Any application where large volumes of silane solutions are to be used, such as in coil coating operations, for instance, the alcohol-containing mixtures cannot be used for environmental and safety reasons. Another limitation of the silanes is that the hydrolysis process is rather slow. It may take many hours for hydrolysis to be complete.
All of these problems are solved if the silanes of interest in corrosion engineering are first converted to a different type of ester which hydrolyzes in pure water instantaneously. Such a process is the topic of this invention. It has been demonstrated to work and can be carried out on a large scale.
The silane is ready for use immediately, is 100% hydrolyzed and non-condensed, and the solution contains no alcohol. Special additives to the aqueous solution are used which increase the stability of the silane solution considerably. The converted silane is stable if it is kept in closed containers. Many silanes that are commercially available from vendors can be converted by the process.
It can be carried out on a continuous basis, so that it can be done in the background in a plant where the converted silane is used in a metal-finishing operation. The byproducts of the process are ethanol or methanol, which can be sold separately.
The availability of this process will increase the environmental compliance of silane treatments which will stimulate their acceptance in metal-finishing industries.

101044 - Pulsed Electrodeposition of Silane Films on Metals

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This process improves the quality of silane films deposited on metals for the purpose of providing corrosion protection and paint adhesion. Quality refers to uniformity, homogeneity and organization of the molecules.
In silane technology thus far practiced, a metal is dipped into, or sprayed with, a silane solution. The treated metal can be rinsed with water, or can be dried without rinsing. Alternatively, a silane film can be applied by wet rolling, wiping or brushing. Films formed in any of these procedures may be porous and there is not much control over the thickness and the orientation of the silane molecules. Also, the degree of metal cleaning is critical. Patches that are not perfectly clean may not be coated by the silane and thus the performance is degraded.
All of these potential problems can be overcome if the silane is applied by the process of electrodeposition, particularly if the electrodeposition is done in a pulsed mode. Electrodeposition takes place if the metal is positive, in view of the negative silanol groups in a silane solution. The positive pulse will also assist the cleaning process as the metal will dissolve anodically. A negative pulse will lead to a high pH at the surface and the silane will condense (crosslink). This process can be applied to any silane dissolved in water or water/alcohol mixtures.
The advantages of this process are: a more uniform film, the metal alkaline cleaning step becomes less critical and the silane becomes more highly crosslinked.

101036 - New Technique for Deposition of Textured YBCO Thin Films for Conductor Development

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To improve the transport properties of high-temperature superconductors, extensive experimental investigations have been carried out in developing highly-textured thin films on a variety of superconducting substrates. Yba2Cu3Ox (“YBCO”) films are useful in this context, and have been extensively studied in recent years. One promising technique for the fabrication of these materials for large-scale operations is the technique of epitaxial deposition on rolling assisted biaxially textured substrates (RABiTS). Recent work has reported techniques for deposition of these YBCO films via RABiTS using fluorine-based sol-gel synthesis; however, such techniques have the drawback of evolution of hydrofluoric acid (HF) during the fabrication process.
We have developed a new technique for the production of YBCO films by a sol-gel method which is fluorine-free.
The new technique produces films using RABiTS which are industrially scaleable and impart a high degree of grain texture without the evolution of HF. The technique has been successfully demonstrated on a variety of conductive substrates, including yttrium-stabilized zirconia, LaAlO3, and single-domain YBCO. In certain applications, production of YBCO films using the technique can result in elimination of as much as 90% of the volume of materials required, while realizing increased efficiency.

101026 - Nanoporous Vandium Phosphorus-Oxide Catalysts

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Vanadium-phosphorus oxide catalysts are useful in the selective oxidation of lower alkanes (C2-C5). However, conventional synthesis methods for mixed metal oxides such as vanadium-phosphorus oxides, both wet chemistry and solid-state, offer very limited control over desirable structural and compositional properties, such as the phase, bulk and surface compositions, preferential exposure of active and selective surface planes, surface areas and pore architecture, all of which affect the catalytic properties of these materials.
A new method of preparation of nanoporous vanadium phosphorous oxide catalysts has been developed which results in the production of nanoporous catalysts with desirable structural, morphological, and composition properties for lower alkane oxidation.
The method as used in our laboratories produces materials with unique and promising properties for the selective oxidation of lower alkanes, e.g.: ordered 3 – 30 nm ordered and tunable straight, one-dimensional cylindrical pores or three-dimensional pores of cubic symmetry; high surfaces areas (20 – 800 square meters per gram); and optimal surface composition for specific applications (e.g. P/V molar ration of 1.05 – 1.10 for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride and other oxidation and acid-base catalyzed reactions).
The catalysts have improved thermal stability compared to catalysts prepared according to conventional techniques.

101025 - Macroporous Vandium Phosphorus-Oxide Catalysts

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Vanadium-phosphorus oxide catalysts are useful in the selective oxidation of lower alkanes (C2-C5). However, conventional synthesis methods for mixed metal oxides such as vanadium-phosphorus oxides, both wet chemistry and solid-state, offered very limited control over desirable structural and compositional properties, such as the phase, bulk and surface compositions, preferential exposure of active and selective surface planes, surface areas and pore architecture, all of which affect the catalytic activity of these materials.
A new method of preparation of macroporous vanadium phosphorous oxide catalysts has been developed which results in the production of macroporous catalysts with desirable structural, morphological, and composition properties for lower alkane oxidation.
The method as used in our laboratories produces material with unique and promising properties for the selective oxidation of lower alkanes, e.g.: ordered .2 - .4 micrometer pore architectures; unprecedentedly high surfaces areas (44 – 75 square meters per gram); and optimal surface composition for specific applications (e.g. P/V molar ration of 1.05 – 1.10 for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride)
The method affords the possibility to control and fine-tune structural, compositional, and morphological properties of vanadium phosphorus oxide catalysts for a variety of applications.
Cost savings should arise from use of catalysts prepared by this method by two mechanisms; first, enhanced activity should result in lower reaction temperatures, and hence reduced utility costs. Secondly, lower temperatures are expected to benefit the selective alkane oxidation over its combustion, resulting in higher product recovery and lower cost over conventional techniques.
The synthesis procedure for the novel catalysts is compatible with current commercial preparation methods.

101008 - Novel MEMS Pressure Sensor Fabricated on an Optical Fiber

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MEMS (microelectromechanical structures) technology involves micro-engineered components capable of carrying out a variety of functions previously limited to larger and more expensive components. This technology is now used for many purposes including a variety of physical, chemical, and biological measurements capable of being carried out with minimal space, energy, and production cost.
A new MEMS device has been developed which is capable of both the measurement of pressure and the transmission of such measurement via optical fiber. The device consists of a detector and optical fiber combined in such a way that the total device diameter is no larger than the optical fiber itself.
The novel MEMS technology may be inexpensively fabricated and used in harsh environments where electronic equivalents cannot operate (such as high temperature, vibration, dust, and electromagnetic interference).
The small and precise size of the sensing elements offers considerable flexibility in choosing pressure response ranges, bandwidth, and sensitivity.
Compared to prior MEMS pressure sensor application, the present invention eliminates the need for adhesives in device packaging and allows the device to operate at approximately the same temperature as the optical fiber.
Due to the small terminal diameter, the device may be combined in arrays to provide pressure maps with high spatial resolution.

101004 - Bi-Directional Micro Ball Valves Using Polymeric Tubing

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The field of microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) involves the development of miniaturization technology to control processes at orders of magnitude smaller than what is currently available. An integral component of MEMS is microfluidics: technologies that control the flow of fluids (liquids and gases) on a microscale. With precise fluid flow regulation, processes such as drug delivery and implantable medical devices can execute functions on a platform the size of a semiconductor chip.
A new bi-directional, normally closed micro ball valve has been developed which permits the control of flow of fluids on a micro scale. This invention features innovative design features which represent improvements over conventional designs.
Advantages
The invention utilizes a unique valve design, which permits insertion of the device into microfluidics tubing as an in-line valve; the devices can be easily connected with two fluidic ports of typical fluidic systems.
The invention utilizes novel design and control features, which should reduce leakage relative to current designs.
The devices are easy to fabricate.

100057 - Water Decontamination through the use of Photocatalysts

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Peter Smirniotis and collaborators with his lab have a way to photocatalytically degrade organic compounds by zeolite and/or mesoporous material hosted photocatalysts, which is particularly useful in treating water contaminated with a number of organics.

Contaminated water is a growing problem in many areas of the world. Others have used ultraviolet light radiation to eliminate organic compounds in water, but none have been commercially viable. For high rates of reactions, a broad surface area is necessary, so slurries have been used, this method does not allow for the cost efficient recovery of the photocatalyst. To combat this problem other solutions have included immobilizing the photocatalyst on a support structure. This however has a number of problems, including not being efficient because of lack of uniformity. Finally with either of the current methods, the rate of chemical destruction is reduced because of mass transfer problems.

The UC research has lead to a process for the treatment of water by using a semiconductor photocatalyst and visible light, which overcomes these problems. The invention also has the following advantages:

It can be used for very broad spectrum of organic compounds (dozens of different families).
It can be applied for both aqueous and gaseous phases.
The photocatalysts work with the visible part of the spectrum so they can operate with solar radiation creating a high energy savings.
The photocatalysts are non-selective so they will completely mineralize the reactants to inocous products.

099047 - Item Number 281 - Detection of Nucleic Acid Target Sequences by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This invention is a method for detecting the presence or absence of a target DNA sequence, within an identified region of a selected DNA molecule. The invention uses certain aspects of the polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") and ligase chain reaction ("LCR") techniques for the detection of genetic mutations in genes, particularly point mutations. The PCR reaction is carried out in the presence of nitroxide-labeled oligomers that are degraded only if hybridized to a complementary target sequence. The degradation of the nitroxide-labeled oligomers into nitroxide-labeled cleavage products results in a characteristic increase of the h-/ho ratio of the EPR signal; in the absence of a complementary target sequence the EPR signal of nitroxide-labeled oligomer remains unchanged.

In contrast to approaches based on fluorescence spectroscopy developed by others the proposed magnetic resonance detection (EPR) with nitroxide labeled oligomers offers the advantage of no interference by turbidity of the solution, no interference by the hydrophobic properties of the fluorochromes, no tedious and expensive labeled oligomer synthesis, but most importantly, no interference by potential fluorescent background signals. While the fluorescent based technology relies on some complex mechanism responsible for the increase of fluorescence in the presence of two labels (one with fluorescent and one with quenching properties) in the PCR mixture, the nitroxide-labeled oligomer based assay relies on a theoretically more readily understood EPR lineshape change (h-/ho ratio change) due to one label only, namely the nitroxide label, whereas fluorescent based assays usually require two labels. Also the EPR probes have a longer shelf-life than probes designed for fluorescence spectroscopy.

The nitroxide label methods of the invention can be used in assays to detect specific genes, gene segments and other nucleic acids. These assays can have clinical potential in a wide variety of areas such as medicine, environmental studies, biological research etc.

098038 - Method and System for Local Refractive Index Measurement in Optical Materials

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the field of microscopy, there is a growing need for higher spatial resolution. In the past, spatial resolution in optical microscopy and spectroscopy has been limited by diffraction. This diffraction limit depends on the wavelength of light used. Conventional systems cannot measure a sample's local indices of refraction, and therefore fail to provide this important information.
Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), sometimes referred to as scanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM) avoids the diffraction limit by operating in the near field (i.e. a range much less than the wavelength of the radiation source).
Using NSOM, University of Cincinnati researchers have achieved a novel, inexpensive method for measuring the local index of refraction in optical materials, along with an optical microscope which uses this groundbreaking technique.

Advantages

Researchers, quality assurance engineers, and others can now perform high-resolution optical microscopy while simultaneously gaining accurate refractive index information at the surface of optical materials.
The method is simple, and adaptable to existing technologies such as planar or channel-type optical waveguides and may be mounted on a silicon substrate.
The instrumentation is inexpensive, adding an estimated $1000 or less to the cost of a typical scanning instrument.

097032 - Item Number 274 - Self-Destructing, Controlled Release Peroral Drug Delivery System

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If a delivery system is provided for administering a drug at a constant rate throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract, the different absorptive rates of the various sections of the tract will result in a change in the blood levels of the delivered compound. The present invention relates to tablets that are time-controlled to release active agent at different rates in different regions of the digestive tract in order to maintain a substantially constant concentration in the blood.
The advantage of the present system is its adaptability to manufacturing on a compression coating machine, in one single step. Once the delivery system of the present invention reaches the large intestine, where absorption of drug is slower because of mucosal viscosity of the intestinal contents, the shell of the device self-destructs thus releasing the drug at an accelerated rate. The device delivers a compound in a sustained manner to the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract and then provides a burst of release at the lower small intestine, more particularly the colon.

096044 - Item Number 244 - Modified Electrostatic Precipitator for Flue Gas

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati Department of Chemical Engineering in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Engineering has developed a novel improvement for flue gas electrostatic precipitators. The resulting modification removes particulate material while recovering heat and maintaining conditions to prevent corrosion in the system. Up to 98% removal of acidic gas components is anticipated. The new technology offers the following advantages over existing flue gas cleaning systems:

low gas phase pressure drop

low liquid pumping cost

notable heat recovery

immense decrease in water usage
We believe that all of these unique improvements will greatly reduce operational costs while increasing removal efficiency of particulate matter and sulfur and nitric oxides. We have submitted a patent application and strongly believe this invention has significant commercial potential. We are seeking a company to help develop and commercialize this technology.

096020 - Item Number 227 - Capture of Toxic Metals in Combustions Systems

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Eleven metals and their species are being considered for regulation under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, arousing significant interest in metal capture technologies. We have developed a process that greatly reduces toxic metal emissions from combustors. Our process provides lower mass transfer resistance and better mixing than existing methods. It also allows a choice of kinetic conditions, making it possible to favor faster reactions. Our process converts toxic metals to benign materials and produces particles in a size distribution that allows them to be readily captured. This should result in cheaper and safer handling, and lower usage of sorbents. We have built and tested a prototype system, with temperatures and other conditions replicating those in typical waste incinerators and coal combustors. We observed better mixing and reaction than seen in standard systems, with very high capture efficiencies for the various toxic metals. We are interested in licensing this technology to a company for commercialization.

095021 - Heat-Exchanger/Wet-Film Electrostatic Precipitator for Flue Gas Cleaning

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This process involves two sections of electrostatic precipitator (ESP): the collection plates of the first section act as heat exchanger plates where simultaneous cooling and particle collection are taking place, and the collection plates of the second section are covered with wet film of water flowing downward where simultaneous condensation and collection of acid neutralization products are taking place.

The purpose of the first section is to simultaneously remove particles (mostly flyash) and recover heat, and yet to maintain a dry condition preventing corrosion in the system. The temperature of the first section is maintained at between 5 and 300F above saturation. To prevent collection of sulfur trioxide and other acidic compounds on the collection plate, a small amount of calcium hydroxide or equivalent caustic material(s) (e.g., ammonia gas) up to a 10% of acid molar amount is injected upstream of the first section. It is expected to achieve almost a complete removal of flyash and solid particles at this section.

An equimolar amount of gaseous ammonia and/or fine powders of other alkaline materials is injected between the first and second sections. The alkaline compounds quickly react with sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide and various forms of nitric oxides, and the reaction products in the form of fine particles are electrostatically charged by high voltage wires and effectively collected by the wet collection plates of the second section. The collected reaction products on the collection plates are carried down and dissolved by the water flowing down from the top of the plates. Up to a 98% removal of acidic gas components is expected. The bottom pool of product solution is pumped out for further treatment and water recycling. The advantages of this invention over the established art are as follows:

Low gas-phase pressure drop.
Low liquid pumping cost.
High removal efficiency of sulfur oxides and nitric oxides.
High removal efficiency of particles.
Heat recovery.
Water recovery from flue gas.

093038 - Microbial removal of lead from soil

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The presence of lead kills most bacteria making it impossible to bioremediate soil contaminated with lead. This bacterium is able t o survive and bioconcentrate lead on or in its membrane, which probably allows it to survive, as well as to remove lead from contaminated soils
The use of a bacteria for on-site remediation of soils by accessing the soil to a bioreactor with encapsulated bacterium that can be separated later to the soils, or using a membrane to immobilize the bacterium.
This is a soil organism which will survive in the soil at pHs of soils (around 4). It is also very motile, which will make it easier to come in contact with the lead in soils.

091045 - Item Number 277 - Superabsorbent Microporous Foams

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Microporous, open-celled foams may be used as filtration media, controlled release systems, artificial skin and blood vessels, medical implants, and packing for chromatography columns. They may also be employed in such consumer items as diapers, feminine napkins, tampons and other personal care products that benefit from high absorbency, rapid absorption, strength and resistance to pressure.
Our foams are made up of crosslinked polymers having interconnected fluid cells distributed throughout their mass. They can quickly absorb at least twice their dry weight, and they retain a significant amount of liquid even under pressure.
The porosity, pore size and other properties of our foams can be regulated by the choice of polymers, crosslinkers and synthesis conditions. A wide range of polymers and crosslinkers can be used, and it is possible to design foams that are highly biodegradable. Drying of the microporous materials to produce the desired foams may be accomplished by air-drying, freeze-drying or a solvent-exchange method using volatile solvents.
Conventional foams have generally been made from hydrophobic polymers, but our foams can be synthesized from a variety of hydrophilic polymers as well. The properties of our foams are superior, in part because they absorb and retain liquid not only by capillary action (as ordinary microporous foams do) but also by swelling of the pore walls. Our foams retain their superior structural properties even after air drying, under conditions that degrade conventional foams.
We are seeking a licensee to develop and commercialize our foams. We are willing to consider an exclusive licensing arrangement.

098021 - hBub1, Cell Cycle Checkpoint Gene

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The present invention provides therapies of human cancers which have a mutation in the hBub1 gene, including gene therapy, protein replacement therapy and protein mimetics. The invention further provides methods for the screening of drugs for cancer therapy . Finally, the invention provides methods of screening of the hBub1 gene for mutations, which are useful for diagnosing the predisposition to cancer. This invention also provides an isolated polynucleotide comprising all, or a portion of the hBub1 locus or of a mutated hBub1 locus.
Genetic analyses have identified six distinct genes (BUB1, 2, and 3 and MAD1, 2, and 3) that are important in regulating the spindle checkpoint. BUB1 encodes a protein serine/threonine kinase and is itself phosphorylated when the cell enters mitosis. A recent study shows that Bub1p activates the spindle checkpoint in the budding yeast. BUB2 is structurally related to the fission yeast cdc16 gene product, which plays an essential part in cytokinesis. BUB3, unrelated to any other known proteins, appears to be a substrate of BUB1.
This technology is patented, and we are seeking a licensee to pursue development of products based on this technology.

109034 - Innovative Method to Improve Membrane Transfer of Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Colloidal nanocarriers such as nanoparticles and liposomes have revolutionized drug delivery of potent pharmacological agents. Encapsulation of proteins, DNA, and siRNA into nanocarriers protects those therapeutic agents from rapid degradation and effectively limits toxic side effects. Despite being significantly smaller than conventional dosage forms, permeation of colloidal nanocarriers across biological membranes is negligible. Consequently, administration of these nanocarriers requires the use of a needle that may result in various complications, including life-threatening infections.

Invention:

Drs. Pauletti and Menon at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a novel technology to augment transport of pharmaceutical nanocarriers across biological membranes. This invention has the following advantages:

facilitates transcellular transport of intact, drug-loaded nanocarriers across epithelial cell barriers.
allows non-invasive, oral vaccination.
limits need for fetal injection during therapeutic intervention of the unborn child in utero.

More information is available under a confidentiality disclosure agreement.

098028 - Item Number 267 - Antisense Oligonucleotides For Fertility And Menstrual Cycle Regulation And For Chemopreventive And Chemotherapeutic Use

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The specific hybridization of an oligomeric compound with its target nucleic acid interferes with the normal function of the nucleic acid. This modulation of function of a target nucleic acid by compounds that specifically hybridize to it is generally referred to as “antisense.”
The present invention relates to antisense oligonucleotides, in particular to antisense oligonucleotides to receptor genes, and the use of such oligonucleotides for regulating reproductive function, for regulate estrogen synthesis, for use as a therapeutic, e.g., as chemopreventive or as a chemotherapeutic for various cancers, especially ovarian cancers, for menstrual cycle regulation, and for the management of clinical states of menstrual irregularity, menstrual dysfunction, and menopausal dysfunction. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing antisense oligonucleotides (ODNs) that act by binding to intracellular molecular targets. Optionally, for efficient delivery to a target DNA, RNA or protein, the ODNs may be covalently linked to a carrier moiety, which facilitates delivery of the ODN to the cytosol.

106109 - G-Protein Coupled Receptor Kinase-5 Polymorphism

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods relating to a G-protein coupled receptor kinase-5 polymorphism. The methods include, for example: detecting enhanced desensitization of the beta adrenergic receptor signaling pathway in an individual, assessing partial protection against heart failure progression in an individual, and assessing an individual's response to beta-blocker therapy. The compositions include polynucleotides or fragments thereof of a nucleotide sequence encoding for a G-protein receptor kinase-5 molecule with a thymine at amino acid position 122 and oligonucleotide primers that hybridize thereto.

109036 - Methods for the Prevention of Mastitis and the Improvement of Milk Production Efficiency

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bovine mastitis, a term that refers to the inflammation of the udder as a result of bacterial infection, is a problem of special concern for the dairy industry. Mastitis infections result not only in reduced milk yields but also in altered milk quality and composition. The costs related to reduced milk yields are estimated to be $102 per cow per year. Adding to these costs are the costs of discarded milk ( $24/cow/yr), the costs of premature culling and replacement of the animal ($33/cow/yr), and the costs related to treatment ($13/cow/yr) and management of the disease. It is estimated that mastitis costs the U.S. industry a total of $1.7 -2 billion per year, a figure which translates to 11% of total annual milk production. One estimate suggests that controlling mastitis to reduce its incidence to 3% of the herd can increase net income by $57 per cow per year.

The incidence of new mastitic infections is highest during the early dry period in the lactation cycle; and can be decreased by rapidly shutting down milk production during these drying-off/involution periods. Dr. Horseman and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have discovered methods (different from those in #109004) to rapidly abrogate the production of milk during this dry-off period.

Advantages:

the approach is a preventive measure rather than treatment and management after the onset of disease
there is a potential for associated cost savings and increase in net income
reduction of mastitis in the herd results in a consequent improvement in overall milk production

For related technologies, please see 109004 and 101033. A patent for 101033 has been issued.

Current Concepts in Bovine Mastitis, 4th ed. National Mastitis Council.

108023 - Method of Preconditioning Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Use in the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of heart failure and death. Conventional therapeutic approaches for the treatment of myocardial infarction are limited to preventing the progression of ventricular remodeling and congestive heart failure. Recently, different approaches in cell therapies have gained enthusiasm as alternative treatments for repair of infarcted myocardium. Stem cell transplantation may represent a realistic strategy for reversing the deleterious effects of what has been considered irreversible damage to the heart.

Invention:
Investigators at the University of Cincinnati have developed a novel method for preconditioning mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that enhances their proliferation, migration, engraftment, differentiation into endothelial cells, and blood vessel formation.

In vivo, in a rat model of myocardial infarction, the method of preconditioning MSCs resulted in angiogenesis, reduced fibrosis and infarction size. Preconditioned MSCs also enhanced their angiomyogenic potential. Importantly, reconditioned MSCs induced cardiomyocyte cell- cycle reentry, which associated with improved ventricular remodeling and myocardial function.

In vitro, this preconditioning method led to increased cell migration and proliferation and promoted capillary tube formation. Additionally, preconditioned MSCs release some cytokine, chemokine and adhesion molecule, such as SDF-1a, FGF, VEGF cyclin D1, etc, which are extremely important for cell growth and repair of myocardial infarction.

Advantages:

Novel method and compounds to promote stem cell growth and differentiation.

Novel approach in promoting MSCs based repair of myocardial infarction.

The medium from preconditioned MSCs may be useful for stimulating cell growth or proliferation.

108017 - Personalized Medicine - A Test for Individualized Cardiovascular Disease Treatment Protocols Based on Beta-1 Adrenergic Receptor Haplotype

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

ß-adrenergic receptors (ß-AR's) a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are targets of the catecholamines, especially noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and adrenaline (epinephrine). ß receptors have the subtypes ß1, ß2 and ß3. All three are linked to Gs proteins, which in turn are linked to adenylate cyclase. Agonist binding to these receptors therefore causes a rise in the intracellular concentration of the second messenger cAMP.

ß subtype1-adrenergic receptors (ß1-AR's) are expressed on a number of cell types, including cardiomyocytes, vascular smooth muscle, epithelium, renal juxtaglomerular, and adipocytes. These receptors are targets for agonists in the acute treatment of decompensated heart failure, while ß1-AR antagonists are utilized in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension. However, the response to ß1-AR agonists or antagonists appears to be highly variable between individuals, which is not readily explained by clinical status or demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the inventor has previously shown that the expression of ß1-AR, and the responsiveness to stimulation, can differ substantially between healthy individuals. Such variability between individuals suggests that the receptor may be polymorphic in the population, giving rise to altered expression as well as altered physiologic or pharmacologic responsiveness.

Invention
Dr. Stephen Liggett at the University of Cincinnati has invented a method for determining whether a treatment protocol for a human patient who is suffering from heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, or hypertension would include the administration of a beta blocker. The method also involves identifying locations of any polymorphisms in the ß1-AR sequence from the patient's biological sample, assigning a haplotype to the ß1-AR sequence based on the locations identified, and determining whether the treatment protocol includes administration of a beta blocker to the patient based on the haplotype assigned.

The invention offers the following advantages:

the invention forms the basis of a test to determine the best treatment protocol for cardiovascular disease
treatment protocols can be potentially tailored around the patient's individual genotype. This could lead to savings in terms of both costs and time.
potentially lead to the avoidance of unnecessary side effects

093008 - Synthetic Restriction Enzymes Reagents For Rapid DNA Cleavage & Analysis

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have developed a family of reagents that complex with DNA, fluoresce strongly, and rapidly cleave DNA upon irradiation with long wavelength UV light. Derivatives can be attached to DNA sequence-specific proteins, nucleotides and carbohydrates, thus having the potential for creating synthetic restriction enzymes.
The less photochemically reactive but strongly fluorescing analogs are useful in DNA sequencing and analysis work. The more photochemically reactive analogs can be used for the cleavage of DNA at specific sites as determined by the attached sequence recognition units. In addition to their use as DNA complexing and cleaving reagents, members of this versatile class should be useful as drugs for the treatment of various DNA-related diseases: e.g., in the targeting of cancers arising from the activation of oncogenes, or in the treatment of virus and retrovirus disorders such as Rous Sarcoma or AIDS. Some potential advantages of this class of molecules are:

Analogs can be prepared easily, often in only one or two steps. Many synthetic variations are possible, including chiral analogs designed to fit into the grooves of DNA. Even the chiral analogs require only about five steps - a significant improvement over existing DNA cleaving agents, which either have to be isolated from natural sources or require involved syntheses.
They bind strongly to DNA even without the attachment of water solubilizing units.
Their intense fluorescence should greatly aid in analytical work.
A few seconds of irradiation are sufficient to achieve DNA cleavage with the more photo- chemically reactive analogs.
Reaction conditions can be adjusted to achieve site-specific cleavage.
The cleavage process can also be amplified to achieve massive DNA destruction, as required for the treatment of cancer.
These compounds are not associated with heavy metals, and therefore should be less toxic than cisplatin and related anticancer drugs.

This is a research-stage project, with the potential to generate a wide range of products in a number of areas. We believe our reagents are patentable, and we are seeking a corporate partner/licensee to develop them under license from the University of Cincinnati.

109024 - A Novel Approach to Target and Control Stomach Acid

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hydrogen and chloride ions are secreted in the parietal cells of the stomach and combine to form hydrochloric acid (gastric acid). While in some cases the acid can result in diseases such as peptic ulcer disease, excess acid production can result in hyperacidity and reflux disease. Peptic ulcer disease is a major cause of morbidity and can have serious complications such as bleeding and perforations. This disease is managed in most patients by the use of antisecretory therapy to inhibit the secretion of hydrochloric acid. As the acid secreted by the stomach is potentiated by histamine secreted by enterochromaffin-like cells, current antisecretory therapies suppress the production of the hydrogen ion by the blockade of the histamine-2 receptor. For example, histamine-2 receptor antagonists such as Pepcid ® and Tagment ® block the parietal cell histamine-2 receptor. Another method by which acid production is regulated is by the use of proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec® and Protonix ® irreversibly block the H+K+ ATPase which is one of the stages of H+ secretion. The third therapy available on the market for acid control is the use of antacids which directly neutralize the stomach acid.

However, many patients may suffer side-effects from these therapies, or the use of these therapies is contraindicated. Hence another target for the control of stomach acid may have breakthrough commercial potential. Furthermore, long term use of this drug may result in damage to the lining of the stomach.

Invention

Dr. Soleimani and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a novel pathway to reduce stomach acid by targeting the chloride pathway. The newly discovered molecule, Slc26a9, is a membrane transport protein that functions as a chloride channel. The inventors knocked-out the gene encoding this protein in mice and found that the production of HCl in these mice was completely halted. Development of therapies along these lines may potentially reduce stomach acid with some of the undesirable side effects and may serve as an alternative choice for the management of disease related to the production of the stomach acid.

Advantages:

a potential alternative pathway that targets chloride production rather than the production of hydrogen ions in the regulation of stomach acid.

More information can be obtained under a confidentiality disclosure agreement.

101023 - Soluble Human Apyrase

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Blood coagulation is an essential and intricate process, which quickly leads to hemostasis (closure of an injured site with prevention of further blood loss). Undesirable blood clot formation leading to thrombosis and cardiovascular disease follows very much the same mechanism. Unfortunately, over 59 million Americans suffer from one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. In the United States, more than 2,600 Americans die each day of cardiovascular disease, making this a primary source of mortality. Although there are many factors leading to cardiovascular disease, excessive platelet activation, recruitment, and aggregation at sites of vascular injury in coronary, carotid, and peripheral arteries represents one of the major contributors to myocardial infarction and stroke. Nucleotides, such as adenosine diphosphate (ADP), are released by injured tissues and aggregating platelets and are one of the most important physiological agonists of platelet aggregation and clot formation.

A key regulator of this process is an extracellular nucleotidase (CD39 apyrase) found on the endothelial cells of the circulatory system. Well described in the cardiovasculature and nervous system, apyrases (EC 3.6.1.5) are nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes with active sites located on the exterior of the cell surface. The endothelial cell plasma membrane apyrase CD39 (recently renamed E-NTPDase-1) has been implicated in the maintenance of normal blood fluidity through its hydrolysis of extracellular ADP. In addition, alterations in the expression levels and activity of the vascular CD39 apyrase has recently been observed after oxidative stress and endothelial cell activation, and in patients suffering from atherosclerosis. Apyrases are thus proposed to be critical for termination of purinergic receptor-mediated responses, including those of platelet activation and aggregation.

Interestingly, the saliva of blood-feeding (hematophagous) arthropods also contains potent soluble extracellular apyrases, designed to counteract a host’s normal blood-clotting mechanisms. Secreted by the arthropod into the host’s wound during blood-feeding, these soluble apyrases hydrolyze extracellular ADP into AMP, and thus inhibit hemostasis. In fact, research has shown that the saliva of most blood-feeding organisms such as fleas, ticks, biting midges, sand flies, and mosquitoes, contain large amounts of soluble apyrase. One of these recently cloned salivary apyrases from the bed bug Cimex lectularius appears to have related homologs in human, mouse, and several other invertebrates. The fact that a secreted apyrase from a blood-feeding insect has a counterpart in humans and other animals is of interest. The discovery of a soluble human apyrase distinctly different from the endothelial cell membrane E-NTPDase-1 apyrase may have very important implications in cardiovascular nucleotide signaling. This enzyme may represent a novel regulator of hemostasis in humans and may represent a fruitful area of research into clinically relevant areas of platelet aggregation.

108112 - Mouse Strain B6.FVB-Tg(GNAT2-Dta)98Wwk/J

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mice hemizygous for this "Trc-Tox176" transgene (also called "h-GNAT2pro-DTA") are viable and fertile. Expression of diphtheria toxin (DTA) from the transgene is similar to that of endogenous GNAT2, leading to ablation of both rod and cone photoreceptor development in the ventral retina (the abnormality is a result of abnormal cellular development rather than a consequence of retinal degeneration). The dorsal retina has nearly normal development of rods, but the development of cones is limited to about 10%. These transgenic mice exhibit an absence of cone photoreceptors in the retina, as well as the concomitant absence of rod photoreceptors in the ventral retina. The mice may be useful in studies of photoreceptor development, photoreceptor-related retinal diseases, and to profile photoreceptor genes in adult and in developmental stages.

108075 - Mammary Gland estrogen receptor knock-out mouse

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Sohaib Khan, a Professor in the Department of Cancer and Cell Biology at the University of Cincinnati, has developed a conditional knockout mouse that keeps the estrogen receptor in all tissues except the mammary tissue, which allows scientists to study the role the receptor plays in breast development and abnormalities such as breast cancer or problems with milk production when nursing.
The potential applications of this mouse model are tremendous, in that it can be an invaluable tool toward developing a better understanding of the relationship between estrogen-signaling and oncogene-mediated breast cancer development. This can lead to a better understanding of the origins of breast cancer, to find new ways for earlier detection and potential for new therapies to treat breast cancer. The “floxed ER” mice can also be used to delete ER in other estrogen-target tissues.

106087 - RU360

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A cell-permeable oxygen-bridged dinuclear ruthenium amine complex that has been shown to bind to mitochondria with high affinity (Kd = 340 pM). Specifically blocks Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria in vitro (IC50 = 184 pM) and in situ in intact myocytes (complete block after incubation with ~10 µM of Ru360 for 30 min). Does not affect other cellular Ca2+ transport processes involved in cardiac muscle contraction, even at micromolar levels.

106025 - LS14: A Human Adipocyte Cell Line

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have cloned a novel cell line, named LS14, from a human liposarcoma tumor which expresses preadipocyte properties and proliferates robustly. This cell line is derived from spontaneously transformed cells and is not a result of transfection. The cells can be maintained and propagated indefinitely in a defined culture medium with a cell generation time of 72-96 hr. The cells are considered partially-differentiated preadipocytes and can be induce to terminally differentiate and accumulate lipid droplets following incubation in serum-free medium which contains a combination of adipogenic-inducing compounds. Within 8-10 days after induction of adipogenesis, 50-60% of the cells have undergone differentiation. These cells express many genes that are typical of primary human adipocytes, including leptin, adiponectin, lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, fatty acid synthase, angiotensinogen, Glut4, AP2, TNF?, IL-6 and PPAR?. They respond to isoproterenol by increased lipolysis.

104030 - Monoclonal Anti-Auxin antibody produced in mouse

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An antibody which recognizes indoleacetic acid but not free unmethylated IAA.

104011 - Pancreatic Cancer Transgenic Mouse Model

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The mouse model titled Pdx-Cre transgenic mouse, is part of the first accurate pancreatic cancer mouse model ever developed. The mouse, when mated with a KrasGD12 mouse, produces offspring that reliably exhibit pancreatic cancer and pancreatic cancer precursors.
The potential applications of this mouse model are tremendous. This model is invaluable in developing new drugs to treat pancreatic cancer, as well as methods for early diagnosis of this disease because presently pancreatic cancer is very hard to detect before it is irreversibly terminal. A reliable detection method is much needed for this deadly disease because it has one of the highest mortality rates of all cancers. A mouse model that can help develop new treatment and detection methods fills an important void in the cancer research arsenal. In addition there are currently very few FDA approved drugs to treat pancreatic cancer underscoring the need for this type of research tool.

103032 - Rabbit Anti-human Merlin Polyclonal Antibody

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene was cloned in 1993. It encodes a protein product, merlin. Mutation of merlin is associated with development of tumors known as schwannomas, which arise from the 8th cranial nerve. Patients of NF2 are also predisposed to other nervous system tumors such as ependymomas, meningiomas and mesotheliomas. Merlin is related to the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family of proteins, which are known to link the plasma membrane of cells to their cytoskeleton. Current evidence points to merlin as part of several signal transduction pathways that regulate cell growth. As the functional inactivation or loss of merlin leads to tumor formation, merlin is a classic tumor suppressor molecule.
The study of the tumor suppressing mechanism of merlin is currently hampered by a paucity of specific antibody reagents. Although many commercial antibodies exist for the ERM proteins, none to our knowledge are available that are highly specific for merlin.
We generated purified recombinant merlin protein using a combination of standard laboratory techniques. The resultant protein appeared as a single band on SDS-PAGE gels and was used as immunogen to elicit antibody production in New Zealand white rabbits.
Advantages
By western blotting, our merlin antibody, designated Montibody, revealed a single band at approximately 69 kDa, the predicted molecular mass of human merlin. This degree of specificity surpasses that of all known commercially available products.
The antibody recognizes human, mouse and rat merlin, and is effective in in western blot analysis at 1000x dilution and in immunoprecipitation studies. Since the antibody recognizes endogenous merlin, it obviates the need for epitope- or green fluorescent protein-tagged merlin in such studies.

103023 - Osteoblast Targeted Reporter Mice

briggsln@ucmail.uc.edu (Lynn Briggs) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Thomas Clemens, while a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, developed a new mouse model - the Osteocalcin Cre transgenic mouse. The noninvasive monitoring of gene expression in vivo represents a novel methodology to examine individual genes in different tissue environments. The recent development of the cooled charged coupled device (CCCD) camera has enabled visualization of low quantities of photons emitted by internal mammalian tissue both in vitro and in vivo. To take advantage of this technique, Dr. Clemens created mice expressing the luciferase gene under the control of a segment of the human osteocalcin promoter. These mice express the luciferase gene only in mature osteoblasts and osteocytes. This mouse model has enabled the examination of bone regeneration to track bone specific gene expression following fracture and regeneration.

Dr. Clemens’ mouse was the first transgenic mouse model developed that expresses the human osteocalcin promoter driving luciferase.

104014 - MDA: Novel MAC Protocol for Directional Antennas over Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A new MAC protocol was developed for use with directional antennas in wireless ad hoc networks. This protocol improves network throughput, power consumption, end to end packet delay and special reuse.

102065 - Economical Process for the Preparation of Germania Crystals

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Germania crystals are useful adjuncts in a variety of industrial processes, including the strengthening of rubber, preparation of personal care products such as toothpastes, and opto-electronic applications such as the preparation of waveguides.

Traditional techniques for preparation of these materials has involved the employment of extremes of pH and various non-aqueous solvents, as well as careful alteration of process parameters such as pressure and temperature.

We have developed a technique for the synthesis of germania particles which employs modest process requirements of atmospheric pressure, avoidance of solvents other than water, and neutral pH. Our technologies key advantages are:

Advantages
The technique permits economical preparation of germania particles through easily accomplished process parameters of atmospheric pressure and neutral pH.
The technique is versatile and permits the synthesis of novel hybrids of germania with silica, titania, alumina, and zirconia.
The technique permits the preparation of spherical germania particles with a wide size range of 400 nm to 5 µm.

098026 - Visible light emitting device formed from wide band gap semiconductor doped with a rare earth element

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A visible light emitting device includes a wide band gap semiconductor layer doped with one or more elements which emit light at various wavelengths based upon atomic transitions. The semiconductor preferably is GaN, InN, AIN, BN or alloys thereof doped with a lanthanide element such as Er, Pr or Tm. The light emission can be enhanced by annealing the WBGS. Wide band gap semiconductors (WBGS) doped with light emitting elements such as rare earth elements (RE) and other elements with partially filled inner shells are particularly attractive for LEDs because the emission efficiency appears to increase with band gap value, thus allowing room temperature operation without the need to introduce impurities. The present invention is premised on the realization that wide band gap semiconductor substrates doped with elements with partially filled inner shells such as rare earth elements and transition metals can be formed and will emit in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum at a wide range of temperatures. The wide band gap semiconductor material are group III-V and IV materials including diamond, GaN, AIN, InN, BN and alloys thereof. These are doped with elements such as cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, turbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, or lutetium or other elements with partially filled inner shells. By proper formation of the wide band gap semiconductor material and proper introduction of the rare earth element, a light emitting diode can be formed which emits in the visible spectrum. By selection of the appropriate dopant material, one can select the appropriate color. For example, in GaN, erbium will produce green whereas thulium will produce blue and praseodymium will produce red.

092046 - Non-Ozone Depleting Vapocoolants

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This patented technology provides novel chemical compositions for use as topical anesthetics or skin refrigerants. These compositions do not cause the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. They are non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and less flammable than ethyl chloride. These chemical compositions match the skin temperature versus time profile needed in the management of myofascial pain syndromes, for effectively freezing skin prior to minor skin surgery and for effectively freezing skin prior to giving painless injections.

107014 - Novel Wound Healing Device

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between organs or vessels that normally do not connect. The Enterocutaneous (EC) fistula arises between the intestine and the skin surface and occurs most often as a complication after bowel surgery. Stool or other enteric substances pass through the fistula and pool up in a wound bed (such as may be present following surgery), thereby preventing wound healing. Such fistulas may also develop in the setting of malnutrition, cancer, and inflammatory disease. Closure of such fistulas requires intensive in-patient wound management and can take up to several months.
Physicians at the University of Cincinnati developed a novel wound separator coupled to an ostomy appliancethat physically separates the fistula from the wound bed, such that any stool, or other enteric substances, that pass through the fistula are prevented from communicating with the wound bed. As a result, healing is promoted because enteric substances are diverted from the wound bed, reducing the breakdown of soft tissue, skin, etc., and lowering the incidence of infection. The wound separator was utilized on several patients as part of a patient care customization plan. While no data was collected as part of a research study, the opinion of the treating physicians was that the device dramatically reduced healing time and no adverse effects were noted.
Advantages: Faster wound healing, decreased hospitalization times, adaptable for use with commonly used wound healing devices.

107044 - Long Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati's NanoWorld grows the world’s longest array of aligned multiwall carbon-nanotubes. Using a novel catalyst and a novel but straightforward chemical vapor deposition (CVD ) process, these nanotubes have reached 1.8 cm in length.

The key advantages of this technology stem from its ability to grow nanotubes long AND uniform. The longer the nanotubes, the easier they are to manipulate into an appropriate application. Since this technology produces nanotubes in an array, millions of long nanotubes can be quickly harvested without any entanglement. While the investigators have been using Si/SiO2/Al2O3 as a base substrate, their ongoing research includes growth on other materials.

This technology is being investigated in a number of different applications including:

Sensors
Biological
Structural Monitoring
Actuators
Power Distribution
Heatsink/Heat disposition
Flat panel displays
Reinforcement of composite materials
Thread-like materials
Solar cells
Fuel cells
Hydrogen storage

106010 - Advanced Textiles and Smart Cleaning Devices

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Jason Heikenfeld and his Novel Devices Laboratory have created a new way of cleaning up your messes. UC has modified standard textiles and utilized them to create a new cleaning device. The textile takes advantage of a surface phenomenon commonly referred to as electrowetting. Electrowetting is the modification of the wetting properties of a hydrophobic surface with an applied electric field.

Current cleaning devices on the market (e.g., the P&G(r) Swiffer(r) WetJet(r) and the Clorox(r) ReadyMop(r)) use an absorbent material and a wicking material to remove liquid; with the wicking material drawing the liquid to be stored in the absorbent material. The wicking material is always capable of removing liquid and therefore is always wet to the touch. In addition the amount of liquid that the absorbent material is capable of holding is limited.

Our invention on the other hand is not wet to the touch and can have a large reservoir. Because the surface of the textile is hydrophobic in its inactive state, water is repelled from the surface. It’s only when an electric field is applied does the surface attract water (i.e. becomes hydrophilic). Provided there is no electric field being applied the surface will remain dry. And the applied electric field necessary can be supplied by a watch battery. Since our system is active and unlike the competing devices the only limitation to the amount of liquid removed is the reservoir where the liquid is stored. in theory we can pump approximately 10 liters of liquid from the power of a single AA battery.

Other possible implementations of this invention include being used as a liquid dispersal agent and for removing liquid from the skin. By using a series of reservoirs and electrowetting textiles coupled in parallel liquid can be sprayed utilizing our textiles. Since the textiles will draw liquid from any surface, this could easily include human skin.

106002 - Nitric Oxide Sensor

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A portable amperometric sensor is configured to sense concentrations of nitric oxide.

104016 - Electronics Based On Liquid Components (a/k/a “LiquiFET”)

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Current microfluidic devices are hampered by the relative crudeness of methods used to turn information conveyed by the movement of a fluid into an electronic signal so that it can be processed by a computer. Signals have traditionally been converted through optical sensing – using a video camera or by exciting fluorescent dyes already present in the fluid. These methods are often cumbersome, expensive and can only confer limited data.
The first ever liquid transistor has been created. The new device is very similar to an ordinary semiconductor FET (field-effect transistor), but operates completely in the liquid state (a “LiquiFET”). It can therefore directly convert charge-related information from the liquid state into conventional electronic signals. The LiquiFET transistors ‘have great potential for bioapplications – they can directly detect, manipulate and analyze liquids, and they can be immersed in liquids.

103034 - An Active Fiber Continuous Sensor

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The artificial neural system (ANS) uses a large array of continuous sensors with a minimum number of data acquisition channels. The artificial neural system detects the damage and locates it within the grid of the array. Each continuous sensor will form a neuron and the array will act as a biological neural system. The neurons will measure the dynamic strains and these signals will be interpreted to indicate if the structure is operating within the limits of its design specifications, and if there is any damage occurring to the structure.
Advantages
The Artificial Neural System (ANS) provides highly distributed sensing and massively parallel signal processing and significantly improves the sensing of acoustic waves or other anomalous events while tremendously simplifying the signal processing instrumentation as compared to conventional sensors. The primary use of the ANS is to detect and quantify cracks and damage in a structure. The ANS can detect the high frequency acoustic emissions and resulting waves associated with damage propagation. The major advantages are as follows: The sensitivity of acoustic emission sensing is improved The instrumentation required for acoustic emission sensing is simplified The ANS provides parallel monitoring and processing of signals from tens to hundreds of neurons The ANS provides highly distributed sensor coverage on a structure Individual continuous sensors can be formed into an artificial neural system of different configurations by using the continuous sensor approach

103027 - Efficient Network Intrusion Detection Scheme Using Dimensionality Reduction Technique for Wired and Wireless Systems

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Intrusion detection is an important aspect of network security. Many current detection systems have trouble providing real-time network intrusion detection, particularly where very high dimensional data is involved. The intrusion detection system of the present invention provides real-time network intrusion detection by projecting the high dimensional dataset to a lower dimensional space using the random projection technique, then performing intrusion detection in the lower dimensional space using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier.
Detecting intrusions in the projected lower dimension reduces the complexity of the underlying algorithms, which makes it more suitable for real time detection. Moreover, lower dimensional data can be stored and transmitted more efficiently than its higher dimensional data, thereby saving system resources.

101039 - Novel Antibiotics

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers in the Department of Chemistry have demonstrated that certain structures through in vitro experiments have potent beta-lactamase targeting and anti-bacterial activity.

Beta-lactamases are enzymes which are responsible for certain bacteria's resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillins, cephalosporins, cephamycins, and carbapenems (ertapenem). The lactamase enzyme breaks the beta-lactam ring open, deactivating the molecule's antibacterial properties.

The UC invention discloses candidate derivative structures of 5-isoxazolidinone that have been demonstrated in vitro to have potent beta-lactamase targeting and anti-bacterial activity. Previous attempts by researchers to prepare biologically active gamma- or delta-lactam mimics have been unsuccessful, primarily due to inadequate information about the structural moiety that is responsible for activity against penicillin binding proteins in the bacterial cell wall. Research at the University of Cincinnatgi has led to the development of novel beta-lactam mimics that overcome these deficiencies. Substituted 5-isoxazolidinone compounds have been identified that show strong in vitro antibiotic activity via activity against beta-lactamases of all classes, especially Class B metallo-beta-lactamases, and via binding to PBPs in the bacterial cell wall.

101013 - Energy Efficient Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Wireless Sensor Networks are a new class of Ad Hoc networks that will find increasing deployment in coming years, as they enable reliable monitoring and analysis of the unknown and untested environment. Ease of deployment, extended range, fault-tolerance and mobility are some of the advantages of using wireless sensor nodes. These wireless sensors are expected to be extremely small and battery operated. Protocols for these networks must be designed in such a way that the limited power in the sensor nodes is used in the most efficient manner. Currently available wired sensors are made large (and expensive) to cover as much area as possible. Each of these has a constant power supply and communicate their data to the end-user using a wired network. The organization of such a network has to be pre-planned to find strategic positions to place these nodes and then has to be installed appropriately. The failure of a single node might bring down the whole network or leave that region completely uncovered. Current invention proposes protocols to efficiently use the limited energy of sensors thus making it feasible to use wireless sensor nodes.
Advantages
These protocols offer versatility to the users while consuming sensor energy very efficiently in an application specific manner, thus increasing the life of the network by at least 3 times. Our information retrieval protocol is also shown to be quite generic as it allows users to request any type of information in the form of historical, one-time and persistent queries. The invention also provides the user with the flexibility to query any node in the sensor network directly.

100064 - Dielectric Thin-Film Color Optical Memory Device and Fabrication Process

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The next generation of optical memory technology will be required to provide significant advances in capacity, data density, and data security. Current technology such as multi-layer CD-ROM structures have disadvantages: due to the higher numerical aperture, smaller laser spot size, and associated smaller depth-of-focus, overall capacity is limited. Similarly, structures comprised of metal thin films are limited by the strong optically reflective characteristics of the films and the difficulty of controlling metal thin-film deposition. Devices using color as memory, while known in the art, are limited by aging of the memory colorant, by the small practical number of colorants usable, and by difficulties in fabrication.
We have developed a dielectric thin-film (DTF) color optical memory device that overcomes these limitations. The invention introduces a new structure for optical memory devices utilizing reflection of a broad-band light source from the DTF structure and a process for creating such structure.
We have invented a technique for ?writing? the data with great precision using micromachining of fine structures with a focused ion beam (FIB) technique. FIB micromachining for the fabrication of optical/photonic devices is an area of expertise at the UC Nanoelectronics Laboratory (NanoLab). For related technology see UC Item # 102-004 and the NanoLab

Advantages

The invention promises the creation of structures with a storage density in excess of 5 gigabytes per square inch, more than double the density of present digital versatile disc (DVD) devices. With the addition of near-field detection technology, the invention provides a potential data density of 5 terabytes per square inch.
The DTF optical memory devices of this invention are generally capable of operation in extreme environmental conditions, including temperatures as high as 1000 degrees C.
In combination with non-contact optical read techniques, the DTF memory ensures that the data can be preserved over an extremely long time ? perhaps up to centuries.
The FIB fabrication technique is simple and clean, without the problem of photoresist residues experienced in memory structures utilizing multiple metal film stacks fabricated using deposition and lift-off processes.

100060 - A Novel Authentication Scheme for Ad hoc and Sensor Wireless Networks

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An ad hoc (or "spontaneous") network is a local area network that exists only for the duration of the communication. Such a wireless network is usually employed in an emergency situation or in an unknown territory so that efficient and quick monitoring ofa nearby environment can be provided. Wireless ad hoc networks transmit packets of information and forward them from one node to another in peer to peer mode, without a base station that normally coordinates activities of mobile hosts. This allows for unrestricted mobility while still operating within a network. The current technology, however, is limited. As wireless ad hoc and sensor networks are more susceptible to attacks, security is critical, requiring authentication and encryption of data. Unfortunately, traditional means of data protection cannot be effectively used due to the power and computational constraints of wireless ad hoc systems. The present invention describes a novel method and apparatus for providing authentication of digital communication in an ad hoc network, protecting transmitted information from eavesdropping, replay and spoofing. This method minimizes power and computational overhead, allowing practical use in wireless ad hoc networks. This invention can be incorporated into existing software and is compatible with all systems.

Advantages

Authentication scheme provides security not currently available in wireless ad hoc and sensor networks
Utilizes hierarchical architecture to reduce computational overhead and delays inherent in current methods ofauthentication
Minimizes power consumption, allowing for more practical use

098032 - Liquid Chromatograph on a Chip

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The field of microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) involves the development of miniaturization technology to control and characterize processes with instrumentation which is orders of magnitude smaller than what is currently available. The traditional approach to on-line chemical detection has been to develop highly selective sensors. This approach has been plagued with a variety of difficulties, primarily developing suitably selective sensors for the enormous variety of problems faced. Chromatographic separation prior to detection reduces these difficulties.
A miniaturized liquid chromatograph with multiple open channels on a silicon wafer has been successfully micro-fabricated. The high aspect of the channel configuration has been shown to be feasible for a micro separator, providing high surface area to enhance performance without an excessive pressure drop.
Advantages

The miniaturized chromatograph employs bonded-phase chemistry, which provides a convenient method of activating the channels for ion-exchange selectivity. Chromatographic experiments with bromide, chloride, nitrate and sulfate have been shown to give reproducible chromatograms; the device?s configuration and components can be adapted for a variety of liquid chromatographic separation techniques on a micro-scale.
The chromatograph employs a novel open slit configuration, which enhances separation efficiency without an excessive pressure drop.
The device offers the advantages of small size and portability, improved speed and accuracy of analysis, small sample size requirements, minimization of effluents, potential for remote sensing, and low cost.

097023 - Electromagnetically Driven Microvalve and Micropump on a Silicon/Glass Chip

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There has been a large demand for a micropump with a high flow rate and low driving voltage. Most micropumps which have been realized to date suffer from high driving voltages to attain high flow rates depending on their application targets. Specifically, if a micro-fluid regulation system is sharing a power supply other application which require less than 3-5 volts, low driving voltage of micropumps is critically essential in practical applications. Furthermore, micro fluid regulation systems for biomedical or biological applications such as portable or implantable drug delivery systems require low driving voltages, since electrical breakdown hazard from the high voltages is seriously concerned due to its safety issues.
A new electromagnetically driven microvalve and micropump on a silicon/glass wafer has been designed, fabricated, and tested. This microvalve and micropump are composed of two components: a semi-encapsulated planar inductor for electromagnets on a Pyrex glass wafer and an actuator for valves and pumps on a silicon wafer.
In this invention, a new proto-type magnetic microactuator has been proposed and realized using both bulk micromachining and wafer bonding techniques, where magnetic forces can be produced between the electromagnets and the permalloy films plated on the silicon diaphragm. When a voltage is applied to the inductor mounted on a glass wafer, the pmerally/silicon diaphragm is attracted to the upper electromagnet, lifting the valve bosses and thus opening the valve. A series of these activators can be used to provide peristaltic pumping action.

Advantages:

Low driving voltage can be used in applications for implantable drug delivery systems.
Flow directions can be changed by control of the exciting sequence of the valves and the pump chamber.
Stronger and ore precise sensory outputs for microactuated sensors and lower driving voltage make exceptional performance possible.
Unique fabrication technique allows flexibility in realizing various MEMS devices. Components may be separately fabricated using conventional technology.

096025 - Item Number 242 - Effective Pinning of 2D Vortices in High Temperature Superconductor by Needle - Like Nanophases

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

High Temperature superconductors have great potential for large-scale applications. The Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O compounds have been processed into long tapes and wires for construction of high field magnets and power transmission lines. However, the transport current carrying capabilities of these compounds are limited at liquid nitrogen temperature (77K) due to weak flux pinning.
The invention uses a textured needle-like nanophase in the matrix of the superconductors, which can cause an effective flux pinning. At high magnetic fields, the flux line will remain strongly pinned by these nanophases leading to a high critical current density which can satisfy the requirements of various large-scale applications.
This invention has the advantage of easily scale-up the for mass production. High critical current density will be achieved on short samples for demonstration of the invention.

095024 - High-Performance Biodegradable Films

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have developed a process for transforming starch into biodegradable films. The starch is chemically modified and crosslinked. Under ordinary conditions, the resulting films would be weak and brittle. However, with further processing we have obtained tough films that are hydrophobic and resistant to breakdown during fabrication and normal use, yet susceptible to biodegradation after disposal. We have obtained films with tensile strengths of 15 - 47 MPa, tensile moduli from 320 - 670 MPa, and elongations at break from 5-120%, depending on processing conditions. These values fall within the ranges reported for polyethylene films.
Advantages
Current technology for plastic films involves materials produced from petroleum-based, non-biodegradable plastics. (Even the so-called biodegradable plastics presently on the market, which are mixtures of starch with conventional polymers, are only partially susceptible to microbial breakdown.) Our films, being fully biodegradable and entirely based on starch -- a plentiful, inexpensive and renewable resource -- offer significant environmental advantages over existing films at comparable cost.
Areas of Application
Possible uses for our films include disposable trash bags, food-service items, beverage cups, diaper backings, packaging films and agricultural mulches.

085018 - Item Number 62 - Aqueous Calcium/Phosphate For Nutritional Solutions

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The human diet requires sources of both calcium and phosphate ions, particularly for proper bone development. It would be desirable to have a means of providing high concentrations of both ions together in liquid form. However, these nutrients generally must be obtained from separate sources, as they are not compatible in an aqueous environment. (When water solutions containing appreciable concentrations of these ions are mixed together, the ions combine chemically to form an insoluble precipitate of calcium phosphate.)
We have now developed biologically compatible chelating ligands which will prevent calcium from precipitating in the presence of phosphate ions, but after ingestion or injection will allow the calcium to be available for biological processes. The ligands themselves are metabolizable and can serve as an added source of phosphate.
The ligands are suitable for use in nutritional beverages and other dietary supplements. They also are compatible with other components of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions, useful for treating burn patients, low birth weight infants, or other patients who have difficulty ingesting food.
We are seeking a company to work with us in developing and commercializing this technology.

098015 - Item Number 262 - Block Co-Polymer Surfactant Films Which Resist Fouling

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have discovered means by which to modify Pluronic polyols so as to render films of those surfactants totally resistant to the adsorption of proteins. The resulting surfactants should facilitate all manner of processes in which fouling due to protein build-up on a surface operating in an aqueous environment is process-limiting. Products that might benefit from this technology include hair care materials, toothpastes, household and industrial cleaning solutions, floor waxes, contact lens solutions, paints, drug-delivery media, vaccines, etc. In vivo and ex vivo blood-contacting circuitry, e.g., dialysis circuitry, heart lung bypass circuitry, circulatory prosthetics, stents, catheters, etc., should also benefit from this technology. Another potential application of these surfactants -unrelated to their ability to prevent the adsorption of proteins - is use in the formulation of the nanocircuitry of computer microchips.

109017 - Mobilap: The Mobile Academic Platform

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This software consists of a database backend system that catalogs and manages sessions for a conference. It includes interfaces for managing conference schedules, attendees and sessions. Sessions can have additional information including presentors, links, response questions and discussion. The frontend piece is written in the PHP and includes code to connect to a MySQL database system (not included).
System Requirements:

A HTTP web server. (only tested with Apache)
PHP 5.x
Access to a MySQL 5.x Database

094045 - UC SDRL Research Software

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

UC-SDRL Research Software currently includes the X-Modal II modal parameter estimation package, the MRIT-VXI and MIMO-VXI data acquisition package and the X-Utilities Library.

X-Modal II
X-Modal II is an experimental modal analysis software package developed at the University of Cincinnati, Structural Dynamics Research Lab (UC-SDRL) in conjunction with The Boeing Company. The primary function of this software package is to provide a flexible environment for analyzing data acquired for the purpose of experimentally determining the modal parameters of a structure. The flexible environment involves a unique data management structure as well as a user programming capability based upon MATLAB®. X-Modal II does not acquire frequency response function (FRF) data (see a related software project, X-ACQuisition, under the UC-SDRL Consortium) but utilizes FRF data acquired from any data acquisition system as long as the data can be provided in Universal File format (UFF). X-Modal II provides a graphical user interface (GUI) in parallel with a command driven interface to provide users with any type of programmatic interaction desired. X-Modal utilizes MATLAB® to provide user programmability as well as to implement all the major modal parameter estimation algorithms documented in the literature.

109004 - Methods to increase in Milk Yield in Declining Phase and Prevention of Mastitis

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Problems of particular concern facing the dairy industry include a decline in milk production and the inflammation of the bovine udder (also known as mastitis). Both these problems can be costly for the dairy industry:

A prolonged declining phase in milk production generally follows a period of peak yield in the lactation cycle. The declining phase may typically last for most of the year (about 40 weeks). At the end of this phase, milk yield is reduced by more than 50% of peak yield.

Mastitis costs the U.S. dairy industry about $1.7 - 2 billion annually, a figure which is 11% of total annual milk production.

Dr. Horseman and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati have discovered novel methods to address both these problems. The invention consists of (1) a method of increasing milk yield during the declining phase of lactation to enhance lactation persistency and (2) a method of accelerating dry-off/involution of the mammary gland with the goal of preventing mastitic infections common during the dry-off/involution period.

Advantages:

increased milk production
reduction in the incidence of mastitis in the herd
potential reduction in time and costs related to treatment of mastitis

More information regarding this technology is available under a confidentiality disclosure agreement. Please see below for contact information.

For related technologies please see 101033 and 109036. A patent for 101033 has been issued.

104015 - Threshold and Identity-based Distributed Key Management for Wireless MANETs

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As various applications of wireless ad hoc network have been proposed, security has become one of the big research challenges and is receiving increasing attention. We have developed a distributed key management and authentication approach by deploying the recently developed concepts of identity-based cryptography and threshold secret sharing. Without any assumption of pre-fixed trust relationship between nodes, the ad hoc network works in a self-organizing way to provide the key generation and key management service, which effectively solves the problem of single point of failure in the traditional public key infrastructure (PKI)-supported system. This approach is comprised of two components: distributed key generation and identity-based authentication. The key generation component provides the network master key pair and the public/private key pair to each node in a distribute way. The generated private keys are used for authentication. Identity-based authentication mechanism provides end-to-end authentication and confidentiality between the communication nodes. If the authentication process succeeds, the communication nodes exchange a session key, which can be used for future communication.

106042 - Methods for Diagnosing and Treating Cancers via manipulations of a non-degradative pVHL-Rpb1 ubiquitylation pathway

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The novel pathway controlling RCCC tumorogenesis involves pVHL-dependent modulation of the large subunit of RNA Polymerase II, Rpb1. Low grade oxidative stress, a common pathophysiological factor in cancer, induces multiple pVHL-dependent Rpb1 modifications including P1465 hydroxylation, phosphorylation of Serine 5 within the C-terminal domain (CTD), and polyubiquitylation which does not lead to protein degradation.
RCCC cells carrying a non-hydroxylatable Rpb1 mutant (P1465) showed significantly enhanced proliferation in culture and enhanced tumoroginesis when injected into nude mice. Human RCCC tumors show alterations in Rpb1 P1465 hydroxylation, serine 5 phosphorylation and ubiquitylation. Thus, these modifications may be very useful biomarkers for detecting cancer and assessing tumor grade. In addition, the specific hydroxylases and kinases that modify Rpb1 may be effective targets for therapeutic intervention. Work is underway to identify the Rpb1 specific modulators.

106099 - An antiandrogenic compound

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common form of cancer death among men in the US. Improvements in detection have led to an increasing population of patients with localized disease, but in many cases metastatic disease is present prior to diagnosis, limiting the effectiveness of surgery and radiation as treatments. There remains a significant need for additional therapeutic approaches to treatment of prostate cancer.
Advantages The compound under investigation has a chemical structure unlike any anti-androgenic therapeutics currently in clinical use. In vitro studies have demonstrated inhibition of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in an androgen-dependent LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line. PSA expression in androgen-independent LNCaP-AI cells was also attenuated by the compound in a dose-dependent fashion. The inhibitory effects of the compound were much more potent than those of flutamide and milutamide. The compound also blocked the stimulatory effects of milutamide on PSA expression in LNCaP cells, but does not appear to have intrinsic androgen receptor (AR) agonist activity. Nuclear run-on and PSA promoter-driver luciferase assays revealed that the compound blocked DHT-induced PSA gene transcription. Consistent with these effects, the compound significantly inhibited DHT-stimulated growth of LNCaP cells. Furthermore, LNCaP cells resistant to flutamide or milutamide were as susceptible as their parental cells to the inhibitory effects of the compound on cell growth. Collectively, these data suggest that the compound is a potent inhibitor of the AR signaling axis and that potential exists for the compound as a therapy for advanced prostate cancer.

105008 - Method of Killing Cancer Cells by Neurotransmitter Inhibition

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Breast cancer is a major contributor to cancer-related mortality. Standard of Care treatments for breast cancer are fraught with inadequacies related to chemotoxicity and many patients are left with few treatment options beyond radical tissue resection and traditional or experimental therapies.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a novel mechanism of triggering cell death in several human breast cancer cell lines. An apoptotic mechanism has been identified for one particular line, and additional experimental avenues are being pursued to further characterize the mechanisms involved in producing cytotoxicity.

104079 - Endovascular Aneurysm Neck Closure Device

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Endovascular therapy of cerebral aneurysms by coil embolization is well accepted by the surgical community as a safe and efficiacious alternative to open surgical repair of aneurysms by traditional clip ligation methods. Coil embolization benefits the patient with reduced mortality and better short term morbidity in instances of vascular rupture and shorter hospital stays and recovery times for instances of unruptured aneurysms. Standard of Care methods involve occlusion of the anyeurysmal lumen with platinum microcoil devices. New liquid embolics are also being developed by researchers, but both suffer from high aneurysm recurrence rates due to compaction and recanalization of the defect. Open surgical repair has a much lower frequency of failure, but carries the burden of tradition surgical method risk. A new method of aneurismal occlusion that offered the durability of traditional methods, coupled with the more favorable risk profile of less invasive techniques would benefit the patient. A research physician at the University of Cincinnati has designed an intravascular device to address the need for a occlusive mechanism that achieves similar fusion and closure end points from tissue apposition and compression at the neck of the aneuryism compared with traditional open surgical approaches.

104041 - Management of the Newborn Experience

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati, lead by Ms. Barbara Gilman RN, MSN, Ms. Shirley J. Adams, RN, MSN, Ms. Elizabeth E. Weiner RN, PhD, and Jeffery Q. Adams, MSCE, has developed a two hour interactive comprehensive program for educating nurses about the newborn experience.

The program is divided into four different modules, with a number of different sections:

Immediate Care of the Newborn
1. APGAR
2. Check for Anomalies
General Assessment: Appearance, Vital Signs & Measurements
1. Determine Heart Rate
2. Cord Care
Complete Assessment: Skin, Head, Chest & Abdomen
1. Identification of Fontanels
2. Abdominal Palpation
Complete Assessment: Genitalia, Extemities, Reflexes and Gestational Age
1. A circumcision
2. Ballard chart

103036 - Novel Drug Candidates

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii (PcP) remains a major opportunistic infection associated with AIDS patients, even in the era of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART). In the previous 2 decades, patients with AIDS have been a primary target of PcP, the population in which it remains a leading opportunistic infection. Limited therapeutic choices and adverse reactions to the two standard treatments, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and pentamidine (Mei, Gurunathan et al., 1998), cause the clinical management of this infection to remain problematic. Moreover, side effects in almost half of AIDs patients required switching to a less effective therapy.
Despite the efforts of several in vitro and in vivo screening projects, no better treatment than TMP-SMX for PcP has been identified. Strategies to exploit the effective combination of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor and DHPS inhibitor of the TMP-SMX combination, by substitution of each component (e.g. TMP-dapsone) have not resulted in any therapies with increased efficacy. More recently, mutations in Pneumocystis genes which are the targets of TMP-SMX, atovaquone and dapsone were similar to those conferring resistance in other organisms such as Plasmodium falciparum. Previous therapy with these agents had a strong correlation to presence of the mutation, suggesting a selective mechanism was operational. Moreover, a Pc genotype with double mutations in the DHPS gene replaced the wild type genotype (no mutations) as the predominant type in certain regions of the country (e.g. San Francisco) implying that again, a dominant selection was occurring and these organisms were being transmitted throughout the human population in these regions.
The limited repertoire, problems in tolerance, and potential emerging resistance make it necessary to identify new efficacious treatments for PcP. Drug screening and development for anti-PcP agents has taken advantage of available rodent models of PcP and short term in vitro systems. Recombinant proteins have been used in some biochemical assays when the Pc gene was cloned as in the case of dihydrofolate reductase, but this application has been rarely used due to the paucity of Pc gene sequences previously available. Researchers at UC and Xavier University of Louisiana have developed a series of novel compounds which may be useful for the treatment of viral infections, such as pneumonia and for instance, pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii. In vitro evaluation of these compounds using a P. carinii ATP detection assay indicated that the bisbenzamidines of the present invention functioned as anti-P. carinii agents.

102051 - Receptor Antagonists for Affective Disorders and Addiction

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

1. Stress is necessary for animals including humans to adapt their behaviors and physiology to changes in both the internal and external environment. However, such stress responses that are adaptive in the short-term often come at the price of long-term mental and physical health in the form of affective disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, systemic diseases such as colitis, hypertension, and asthma as well as neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer?s disease. Thus, controlling stress and the responses that it produces could be effective primary therapies for anxiety and affective disorders and adjunctive therapies for a number of other serious disorders.
2. Two important aspects of the stress response are increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) resulting in increased levels of circulating glucocorticoids and a variety of anxiety-related behaviors. Considerable research effort has been expended to understand the neural circuits that mediate both activation of the HPA axis and anxiety-related behaviors in the hopes of finding ways to reduce inappropriate stress that contributes to disease.
3. Using a rodent model, we have found a novel role for an identified neurochemical system and its receptor to control both ACTH and corticosterone secretion and to modulate levels of anxiety in response to diverse stressful stimuli. These results provide a viable drug target with identified chemistry for the manipulation of both levels of glucocorticoids and anxiety.

Advantages:
1. The discovery of this mechanism may lead to a more appropriate therapeutic approach for stress modulation than current treatment methods. Additionally, current treatments could be used in conjunction with this technology for a more effective remedy.
2. In addition to alleviating general anxiety, utilization of this method can effectively prevent affective disorders derived from sustained exposure to high levels of stress.

102042 - Potential Tumor Suppressor Gene

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and in spite of the progress that has been made in understanding the molecular biology of the disease mortality rates have not decreased significantly. To a large extent this is due to the fact that lung tumors form metastases early when the primary tumor is small and less likely to be detected. What is needed are effective systemic therapies, and diagnostic tools to detect tumors at early, pre-metastatic stages. Chromosomal deletions in tumors are usually taken to indicate the location of one or several tumor suppressor genes in the same region. We have identified a gene with several splice variants close to a chromosomal region that has been shown to be homozygously deleted in lung tumors. The first exon of the gene contains an evolutionary conserved predicted phosphorylation site for PKB/Akt, a key mediator of signal transduction processes involved in cell proliferation and survival. Using a synthetic 13-aa peptide as a substrate for recombinant PKB/Akt we have confirmed that the predicted threonine is a putative phosphorylation site for PKB/Akt. PKB/Akt can both promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis through phosphorylation of key proteins like p21, the forkhead transcription factor, BAD, and others. Often this leads to inhibition or sequestration of the phosphorylated protein. Several other proteins known to be involved in proliferation or apoptosis, such as DAP kinase, Huntington protein, and several caspases, although not yet shown to be PKB substrates contain putative PKB phosphorylation sites. The first six exons of the gene are ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and cell lines that we have screened. Alternative splicing of the first exon creates a transcript with shorter reading frame and a different protein product. In many cell lines and tissues the last internal exon is alternatively spliced onto exons downstream of the sixth exon to generate low expression levels of numerous alternative transcripts of which many are very long and some span the minimal region of homozygous deletion mentioned above. Preliminary results indicate that these variants are differentially expressed in tumors versus normal tissue.

The significance of the various splice variants of this gene is not clear yet, but preliminary experiments indicate that they are differentially expressed in normal tissue versus tumors. If changes in expression occur early in cancer development, this could facilitate early detection of cancer, and a diagnostic procedure or kit could be developed. The fact that there is a putative PKB/Akt phosphorylation site in the first exon of our gene raises the possibility that its various splice variants function in the PKB/Akt cell survival pathway, which is up-regulated in many types of cancer. It appears to be the major pathway for survival of cancer cells. Thus our gene could become targets for new therapeutic strategies for chemotherapy and chemoprevention. We have unpublished data showing that the PKB/Akt pathway is activated in many early lesions (hyperplasia and dysplasia).

102037 - Method for Determining Dietary Fat Absorption

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The current invention is a composition used as a test meal comprising a predetermined amount of dietary fat and a predetermined amount of a non-absorbable fat marker, such as a sucrose polyester in the form of sucrose behenate. The method for measuring total dietary fat absorption by the digestive tract of a subject comprises the steps of administering ingestion of the test meal by the subject, collecting a sample of fecal matter at an interval following ingestion of the test meal, measuring the amount of the of non-absorbable fat marker recovered in the fecal sample and calculating the amount of dietary fat recovered from the test meal to determine the amount of dietary fat that was absorbed by the digestive tract of the subject. The methods of the invention can be used to diagnose malabsorption of dietary fat by the digestive tract of a subject or impairment of dietary fat digestion. The advantage of this current invention over existing tests is that patients may take only one test and only a single “marked” stool sample is required for analysis to determine the ratio of fat to marker in the stool and by comparison to the same ratio in the test meal, calculate the fraction of fat absorbed from the test meal. Sucrose behenate is an excellent marker for this purpose because it is currently consumed in food, is completely excreted, is handled by the G.I. tract as are normal dietary fats and is readily measurable by gas chromatography. Thus, this method provides a rapid and easy assessment of dietary fat absorption and avoids the cumbersome and laborious process currently in use. Investigators are currently nearing the completion of a study to compare the method with the quantitative fecal fat measurement in cystic fibrosis and have completed studies evaluating the sucrose behenate method against the quantitative fecal fat method in overweight adults taking Orlistat.

102007 - Histocytometer: Counting Histo-or Immunohistochemical Marked Cells in Tissue

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A current problem in examination of histologic
preparation is the lack of easily quantifiable tissue-cell recognition systems like the flow cytometry analysis of disaggregated cell suspension of fresh live tissue. Subjectivity is a problem in quantifying immunohistochemically stained or histochemically stained cells in biologic tissue. This problem is recognized by pathologists in clinical practice as well as those engaged in research and is brought about not by lack of skills but by the lack of a tool to perform objective microscopy. Patient samples given a subjective analysis can potentially lead to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. In addition, an objective standard is required for the pharmaceutical industry and research. The subject matter of the proposed patent is a methodology of detecting cells or intracellular molecules in fixed or archival tissue or in the microscopic cytology slide samples.
A method of quantifying immunohistochemically stained cells in tisssue has been developed, and a working prototype is currently available. This prototype is highly automated and uses a novel achromatic- decoherent technology developed by the inventor. The analysis is performed using any slide-embedded tissue previously immunostained or histochemically stained with any relevant marker. The marker signature is accurately identified and the target cells run through a cell recognition algorithm.
The method uses readily available microscope-based imaging equipment and independent of the computer operating system. The digitized images can be obtained directly or via the internet medium. The methodology is transferred into computer software that can be utilized in diagnostic equipment to efficiently identify cells or molecules detected immunohistochemically or histochemically. This technology is not available in the market. Similar commercial systems only identifies cells in a “needle in a haystack” paradigm while this system identifies relevant cells or molecules, counts the positive (marked) ones, and also counts relevant but unmarked cells, quantifies the relative density of epitopes or reagents present and displays the result in a statistical table or images on the monitor.
The key benefit of the discovery is to provide a quantifiable result for diagnosis of histochemically or immunohistochemically stained tissue; identify presence and density of relevant molecules (prognostic or diagnostic, or genetic marker) for the said purposes; and minimizing the inherent subjectivity in microcopic examination. Ancillary benefits may be larger in scope since the technique could be applicable to any recognition problems involving the macroscopic or microscopic images.

101033 - Method to Increase Milk Production

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mammalian milk production is regulated by a feedback system in the mammary glands that results in reduced lactation when the frequency of milking is reduced. The baseline level of bovine milk production can be increased with a more frequent milking regimen, or with the administration of rBST (a recombinant bovine growth hormone) that counteracts this feedback response resulting in a boost in milk production by approximately 10 percent.

Dr. Nelson Horseman and colleagues have discovered a new method of regulating milk production exploiting a different mechanism which does not involve the use of hormones. The researchers have identified a key component of the feedback loop that regulates milk production in the mammary gland. They have found that this intrinsic feedback mechanism can be manipulated by the use of well-characterized pharmaceuticals either alone or in combination with certain biologically active substances.

Specifically, the researchers have found that the administration of various serotonin antagonists is effective in increasing milk production. This offers several advantages such as those listed below.

Advantages:

Potential lower manufacturing costs

Absence of any compounds in milk

Reduced consumer resistance due to lack of use of hormones

Can be developed for oral administration, suggesting ease of use

Compounds by themselves have very safe and well understood pharmacological profiles

100037 - Enhanced tPA Activity and Therapy

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers at UC have developed methods for inhibiting lysis of coagulated blood and reducing risk of excessive lysis comprising administration of lysis-inhibiting amounts of apolipoprotein E4, and methods for inhibiting lysis of coagulated blood and reducing risk of excessive lysis comprising administration of a specific level of a lysis-inhibiting agent wherein the specific level is based on the apolipoprotein phenotype of an individual, are provided. Methods for enhancing lysis of coagulated blood by administration of an Apo E peptide fragment to blood containing a clot lysis agent are also provided.

100021 - Peptides with Antioxidant and Antimocrobial Properties

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Research at UC has led to the development of methods of treating conditions associated with lipid oxidation or microbial proliferation which include the step of administering a composition comprising a pharmacologically effective amount of an antioxidant or antimicrobial lung surfactant protein compound. These peptides derived from lung surfactant protein compounds possess lipid oxidation inhibiting and/or antimicrobial properties.

099039 - Polymorphisms Related to Beta2 Adrenergic Receptor

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Research at the University of Cincinnati has identified genetic alterations in the beta-2 adrenergic receptor that support a method for predicting an individual's response to the .beta.-agonists salmeterol, albuterol, metaproterenol, terbutaline and formoterol. Individuals expressing the Ile164 .beta..sub.2 AR variant are likely to exhibit a reduced response as compared to individuals expressing the Thr164 .beta..sub.2 AR variant. The method is useful for making treatment decisions for patients suffering from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

099002 - Tramadol for Treatment Refractory Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers at UC have found that tramadol, which is primarily used as an analgesic, provides therapeutic benefits for individuals with obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. Tramadol has been found to be particularly useful in treating individuals which are refractory to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). Applicants have also found a surprisingly rapid onset of response in tramadol-treated individuals as compared to SRI-treated individuals, and have also found that it is possible to treat OC spectrum disorder symptoms on an as-needed basis with tramadol.

097005 - Item Number 272 - Replication-Competent Herpes Simplex Viruses

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The present invention relates to recombinant virus strains capable of killing tumor cells. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mutated, replication-competent virus which contains mutations in two genes, is hypersensitive to antiviral agents such as ganciclovir, is not neurovirulent and does not replicate in non-dividing cells, yet can kill nervous system tumor cells.
Malignant tumors of the nervous system are generally fatal, despite many recent advances in neurosurgical techniques, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In particular, there is no standard therapeutic modality that has substantially changed the prognosis for patients diagnosed with malignant brain tumors. For example, high mortality rates persist in malignant medulloblastomas, malignant meningiomas and neurofibrosarcomas, as well as in malignant gliomas.
The present invention provides mutant, replication-competent HSV-1 viruses that can enter a tumor cell in situ, make multiple copies, lyse the tumor cell and spread to additional tumor cells with relatively minor effects on the surrounding normal cells.
The mutant herpes simplex virus of the present invention has each of the following characteristics: (1) efficacy in killing human brain tumor cells, (2) marked attenuation of generalized neurovirulence to protect the normal brain, (3) multiple deletions so that a single mutation cannot cause reversion to the wild-type viral phenotype, and (4) hypersensitivity to an antiviral agent so that undesired spread of the virus can be prevented. The mutant virus of the present invention is capable of replicating in neoplastic cells, and lysing the neoplastic cells, but spares surrounding non-neoplastic tissue.
The present invention provides a novel, alternative approach to eliminating the activity of a virally encoded, DNA metabolism enzyme, by direct mutations to those viral functions involved in the editing of the viral DNA. Because the HSV-1 genome is composed of 75% guanosine and cytosine nucleotides, the uracil DNA glycosylase function is especially important for efficient viral progeny production. The UNG activity corrects misincorporated uracil events and, potentially more importantly for HSV-1, the UNG activity removes uracils that arise by the spontaneous deamination of cytosine residues. Because non-dividing cells like neurons have insufficient levels of UNG activity, HSV-1 strains that replicate efficiently in neurons must encode their own. HSV-1 UNG- mutants are therefore reduced in their ability to cause neurovirulence.

097001 - Design of a calibration phantom for in vivo measurement of stable lead or radioactivity in bone

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

UC researchers have developed methods for the evaluation of exposure to certain toxic elements. The hazards of exposure to heavy metal contamination, examples of which arsenic, beryllium, lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, zinc, mercury and barium, and the radioactive substances which deposit in human bone, examples of which are uranium, plutonium, and americium, are very serious and are well known to scientific and medical professionals. Since lead is a prevalent metal contaminant which deposits in human bone, and its effects are quite hazardous, especially to young children, the focus of this disclosure will be on methods of detecting lead exposure. While it is possible to detect the level of lead in the body through the use of a blood test, the relevancy of such tests is limited, since the risk to humans from lead exposure is related to the amount of lead deposited in the bones of the exposed person and not, necessarily, the amount in the blood. Moreover, drawing blood causes some discomfort on the part of the person being tested, which is especially difficult with small children, who are particularly at risk to lead exposure due to various environmental factors. Accordingly, an alternative method, the indirect measure of the level of cumulative lead exposure in the bones of a person by sue of x-ray fluorescence, is often employed. This invention relates generally to surrogate structures, or phantoms, that exhibit radiological properties of bone, muscle, and other soft tissue. Specifically, this invention relates to phantoms which have been designed to accurately exhibit anthropometric and radiological properties of human bone and soft tissue for use in calibrating the response of spectroscopic instruments that enable in vivo measurement of the levels of contamination from stable metals and radioactive material.

096050 - Laboratory Test to Aid in the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Patients having several neurological diseases have been shown to have elevated levels of axonally-derived proteins (i.e. tau and neurofilament proteins) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in brain tissue. Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) recognizing CSF tau proteins were developed. The Mabs were found to label a ladder of 30 kD to 50 kD tau proteins in CSF from patients with disease states producing axonal damage such as head trauma or CNS tumor but not in CSF from controls. High levels of tau protein in CSF were shown to be diagnostic of axonal degeneration in head trauma. An ELISA assay was developed with these MAbs to aid in the diagnosis of patients with axonal damage.

096014 - Co-cultured Splenocyte Preparation

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

UC researchers have developed methods of producing distinct populations of cells capable of immune suppressor and stimulatory action. Specifically, the methods relate to a combination of splenocyte and bone marrow cells, co-cultured with LPS and GM-CSF, which induce two cell subpopulations. One cell subpopulation has an immune system suppressory function capable of prolonging allograft survival when infused as a donor specific blood transfusions ("DST") with a low dose, eight day course of cyclosporine ("CSA"). Another cell subpopulation has an immune system stimulatory function capable of stimulating the immune system when infused as a DST.

086047 - Item Number 92 - Improved Immunogenic Protein Antigens

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This discovery Is based on a new method for increasing the immonogenicity of protein antigens.
The importance of the use of antigens in the prevention of infectious disease through immunization and in the treatment of allergies through desensitization is well known.
The basis of immunization is the exposure of the organism to be immunized to dead or weakened infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, toxins, etc.) or extracts thereof which contain a foreign, generally macromolecular substance which is capable of evoking an immune response. These substances are generally referred to as antigens. Likewise, allergic reactions can be lessened by desensitization, wherein such a substance is used to suppress the normal allergic response caused by foreign substances, referred to as allergens. Most antigens and allergens are either wholly or partially composed of protein.
NEW DEVELOPMENT
Because antigens are foreign substances they can have adverse side effects on an organism sought to be immunized. Accordingly, it is important to be able to achieve an effective immunogenic response utilizing as low levels as possible of the antigen, One way to increase the antigenicity of a substance is by using adjuvants such as alum salts in conjunction with the antigen. However, the use of adjuvants in vivo sometimes causes problems of toxicity and other side effects. Accordingly, adjuvants are generally not favored for use in humans or in any other organism where toxicity and/or side effects are a concern.
The technology of the present invention avoids these prior problems and provides a novel method to obtain treated protein molecule with enhanced immunogenic properties which can be administered peritoneally or orally without the prior requirement for use of adjuvants to achieve a proper response.

108104 - Drug/Food Self-Administration v.2.23

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This software and accompanying bioassay measure the pharmacodynamic (“PD”) and pharmacokinetics (“PK”) properties of a psychotropic compounds. Three properties of the compound can be measured: bioavailability, potency, and half-life. The compound’s potential for abuse/addiction can also be quantified.

Conventional analytical methods for measuring PD and PK properties are time-consuming and cumbersome. In order to measure these properties by conventional means, blood must be sampled numerous times and then later analyzed by chemists using expensive machines and complex techniques. Using conventional methods screening large numbers of compounds is expensive—approximately $100k-$500k per compound.

Conversely the bioassay and accompanying software drug compounds can be quickly, more precisely and cost-effectively analyzed. Using this system, researchers can identify compounds with the longest half-life, the greatest bioavailabilty, those that cross the blood-brain barrier, and those that are the least likely to be habit-forming. The cost of testing a single compound using this bioassay is estimated at $10k-$50k per compound.

This system relies on the pharmacological theory that competitive antagonists increase the concentration of agonist required to produce a response. The response used in this method is the satiety threshold. Increases in the satiety threshold reflect the PD potency of the antagonist in vivo. The time course of the effect reflects the antagonist PK. And the area under the time-concentration curve (AUC) following different routes of administration (e.g., i.v., subcutaneous, or intraperitoneal) measures the bioavailability of antagonists.

For the bioassay, rats are trained to self-administer indirect or direct agonists such as cocaine apomorphine. Once a baseline satiety threshold is established the rats are given doses of the compound to be evaluated. Changes in the frequency of the rats’ self-administration and satiety threshold are measured and from the changes the PK and PD of the compound are be calculated.

The sensitivity of this system is approximately 50-100 fold greater than conventional methods. Conventional methods have a typical limit of detection (LOD) of GC/MS is 1,540 nmol/kg i.v. dose, assuming a volume of distribution of 10 L/kg. This system works optimally at 20 nmol/kg i.v. dose.

Software Requirements:
MS Windows XP
MS Access
MED-PC (Software for testing and collecting data from medical devices)
MPC2XL (For transferring the contents of MED-PC® data files to Excel spreadsheets, Access databases, etc.
Sigma plot (Graphing software)

101002 - State Based Propositional Satisfiability Solver

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In many computer related fields, such as the design of Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits, computer programs are used to solve crucial problems such as determining whether a given circuit design meets precise specifications. Since the magnitude of such problems is increasing at an enormous rate, current software is rapidly becoming incapable of meeting industrial needs. More alarming, future software will be inadequate without breakthroughs in the design of algorithms for certain computationally intensive problems.
One of those problems, called CSP, is to determine whether some set of input values to a collection of Boolean functions will cause those functions to evaluate to a particular given set of output values. Current methods for solving such problems are either based on Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) or search-based Solvers (SAT). Both methods have advantages and drawbacks. BDDs can be combined easily and eliminate duplicate and redundant substructures but must be completely constructed before results can be obtained and their ultimate size may be impractical to achieve. SAT search structures may be much smaller than BDD structures and only need to be partially built in many cases but the building process is much slower, typically, than for BDDs.
The subject matter of the proposed patent is a methodology for solving CSP problems using a combination of BDD and SAT techniques. The methodology constructs a state-based structure, obtained by considering every BDD for every Boolean function, assigns values to the states of the structure during an extensive precomputation phase, and uses this information to guide a SAT search.
The key benefit of the discovery is to retain the advantages of SAT search techniques but drastically speed up and make more effective the building process.
Advantages
1. Some problems, currently requiring days or weeks to solve using conventional methods, will be solved in a reasonable amount of time using the discovery. This will allow faster turn-around in the design and verification of integrated circuits. The result is a reduction in design costs.
2. An emerging class of problems which admits amortization of pre-processing costs over many runs with different input will be effectively solved by the new methodology.

089003 - Process for containment of hazardous wastes

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati's Nuclear Engineering Program has developed a non-toxic, water based polymeric barrier system for use in the interim prevention of migration of hazardous and radioactive materials.
The polymeric barrier system is a non-toxic single component (non-catalyzed), which can be spray-applied in the field to form a strong impermeable barrier between waste materials and the external environment.
The feasibility of this technology was established during successful field testing, in which the system was used as a temporary cover for contaminated soil, fly ash and construction debris at a uranium processing facility. Other applications have also been tested successfully. Examples are as follows:

Renewability/repairability test of a demonstration site after one year of environmental exposure.
Containment of equipment contaminated on rusted, corroded, greased and "clean" substrates.
Particulate run-off control for soils (uranium and total solids).
Interim stability coating for burial trench walls.

Results of the field tests indicate that for many application, the polymeric barrier system is a better alternative than conventional treatments for contamination and erosion control. It is easy to apply, relatively inexpensive and avoids the generation of large amounts of additional waste.
This barrier system also has been laboratory tested for building D&D (specifically transit structures) to reduce airborne particulate emission, and as a stripable coating for non-porous substrates.
This technology has been available commercially, but we are now able to offer it for licensing on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis to a company or companies capable of aggressively marketing it.

098030 - Preparative Chiral Separations

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Separation of enantiomers is an important topic to the pharmaceutical industry. Many of the drugs and pharmaceuticals marketed in the US and overseas have at least one chiral center (e.g. ibuprofen and propanolol). In many cases, one enantiomer has the desired pharmacological activity whereas the other enantiomer may be responsible for unwanted side effects. Thus, the development of economical methods for preparative and semi-preparative scale chiral separation is highly desirable, particularly for an R&D setting, where only small amounts of material may be required to initiate screening prior to development of a potentially more costly, less efficient stereospecific synthetic strategy.
Chiral separations are commonly performed using chiral stationary phases by liquid chromatography ("HPLC"). However, there are several disadvantages to these techniques. A large number of chiral compounds are not resolvable using any of the existing chiral stationary phases. Chiral HPLC columns are more expensive and require more careful handling than conventional columns. Column deterioration is often observed, and lot-to-lot variability in HPLC media further hampers methods development.
We have developed preparative chiral separation methods based on continuous electrophoresis using a chiral additive in the buffer.
Advantages

The method is particularly useful for water-soluble (or organic-insoluble) species, which are particularly difficult to separate by traditional methods of chiral preparative chromatography.
The application of continuous free flow electrophoresis to bulk scale chiral separations is novel and has the potential for obtaining milligram- to gram-per-hour quantities of both pure enantiomers of chiral drugs in aqueous solutions, with wide applicability for a broad range of chiral drugs from many different categories, as well as chiral intermediaries or metabolites.
The method allows for the potential recovery and re-use of the chiral selector (typically expensive and/or rare).

092037 - Item Number 198 - Natural Agents Lowering Cellular Cholesterol

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A seasonal plant from the rain forest region of South India is believed by local tribes to possess healing properties. Extracts of the leaves are consumed for a variety of diseases. Little has been known up to now about the pharmacology or biochemistry of the plant, but our studies reveal that its reputation as a medicinal agent may be well deserved.
Ethanolic extracts of the leaves were screened for antiplatelet aggregatory, antioxidant, and cholesterol metabolic effects in cell cultures. The extracts decreased cholesterol and cholesterol ester concentrations and inhibited cholesterol esterification in cultured human skin fibroblasts and murine macrophages. We did not observe any antioxidant or antiplatelet aggregatory activity.
Although one potential mode of action appears to be inhibition of cholesterol esterification, inhibition of cholesterol synthesis or stimulation of cholesterol efflux also seem likely since the free cholesterol content of cells is markedly reduced by the extract.
A combination of cholesterol esterification inhibition with cholesterol synthesis inhibition should lower blood cholesterol levels and have therapeutic value in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Further studies will permit us to isolate, purify and characterize the active agents and determine their mode of action in vivo.

107055 - RB Functional Status as a Determinant for Breast Cancer Therapy

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in US women, after lung cancer. It is estimated that about 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2006 and that about 40,000 women will die from the disease.
In a recently published article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Erik Knudsen and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati discovered a link between inactivation of the retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor and the response of cancer cells to anti-tumor therapies, including anti-estrogens and DNA damaging agents.
A gene expression signature of 59 genes that are deregulated with RB loss and repressed upon RB activation was used to group breast cancer patients. Patients showing high expression of RB regulated genes, indicating loss of RB function, had increased incidence of cancer recurrence relative to patients in the medium or low level expression groups. Thus, the loss of RB function in breast cancer tumors, as assessed by the expression of 59 signature genes, correlated with decreased effectiveness of tamoxifen monotherapy.

107025 - Interactive Slide Show-Text Wiki

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Software includes a text wiki. The wiki allows students to simultaneously edit documents in group activities. It includes:

on and offline editing using shared objects

password system that can be set by the instructor using an excel spreadsheet

text-chat communication

people list

optional audio communication package
Runs using the Flash communications server
Runs on Windows, Mac or Linux
Text wiki can also work in a lobby-multiroom programming environment

109010 - Professional Assessment and Learning Database

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati Division of Professional Practice has developed a computer program and associated database to track and evaluate students’ experience during their cooperative education. The University of Cincinnati introduced the first program of cooperative education in 1906. Initiated by Dean Herman Schneider in UC’s College of Engineering, cooperative education was a new teaching methodology, which has withstood the test of time.

UC’s evaluation system relies on: a) the faculty evaluating the students; b) the employers evaluating the students; and c) the students evaluating employers and the employment opportunity The computer program is web-enabled so that the students, employers and faculty can access it from anywhere. The computer program has three separate interfaces which allow for easy access to the students, faculty and employers, while also limiting what information each user can review – the student interface, the employer interface, and the faculty interface.

The Student Interface
Here the students enter registration, placement and job evaluation data. This interface allows students to view both their personal evaluations of employers and positions as well as their complete evaluation history of employer assessment data on performance.

The Employer Interface
The Employer Interface has two sections, one for the student's supervisor and one for the human resources officer responsible for the cooperative education program at the company. The faculty advisor and the co-op student both have access to the evaluation submitted by the company supervisor. The human resources officer has access to the placement history of all students working in their company and can review individual reports submitted by their supervisors and add additional comments.

The Faculty Interface
The Faculty Interface allows faculty advisors to both review individual student evaluations. At present development is underway to improve the interface to achieve aggregated reports of student performance. This feature will enable co-op faculty and/or other faculty to review aggregated student learning reports. Many of these reports are currently being customized by hand to provide faculty members answers to questions posed regarding student learning outcomes.

107094 - MedOneStop

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine has developed a computer system to centralize the needs of a modern college of medicine. The package has different modules including Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Support and Administrative Support.

108028 - Sulfur Tolerant High Durability CO2 Sorbents

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Smirniotis and his students at UC have designed and developed a novel CaO-based sorbents that have demonstrated the highest ever recorded CO₂ uptake capacity. In order to control the greenhouse effect the most viable solution is to find cost effective ways to capture and sequestrate CO₂ before it is released into the atmosphere. The most common commercial technology to capture CO₂ is an amine-based absorption process. This process is limited to small scale (10² ton/day) and low temperatures between 323 K and 413 K. Alternatively these drawbacks can be overcome by utilizing calcium oxide-based inorganic sorbents to capture CO₂ selectively from hot gas streams. These CaO-based sorbents have been shown to be promising candidates for CO₂ capture and cost effective. However, the conventional sorbents’ performance decays with each passing carbonation/decarbonation cycle. Currently, a significant amount of research is being carried out to improve the performance of CaO-based sorbents. The focus is on increasing its porosity and stability.

Fossil fuels inevitably contain sulfur (primarily in the form of SO₂ and SO₃ at much lower concentrations) and sulfation reactions can occur depending on the temperature. However, most studies have not considered the effect of SO₂ and other poisons found during the production of energy from fossil fuels.

Dr. Smirniotis and his students at UC have designed and developed a novel CaO-based sorbent. These sorbents retain their structural stability and durability over extended carbonation/decarbonation cycles in a very wide temperature window ranging from 373 to up to 1000 K. Moreover, these sorbents demonstrated excellent stability for operating under severe conditions and other environmental factors which normally reduce effectiveness. These characteristics are achieved through the functionalization of the sorbent’s surface which will repel SO₂ and other poisons. The sorbents have also demonstrated very good regenerability, they are inexpensive to make in large quantities, and the synthesis procedure is very reproducible. The CaO-based sorbents developed can be used both for post- and pre-combustion processes.

UC has developed an effective, economic and versatile industrial sorbent process to mitigate CO₂, which operates under some of the severest conditions, and has a longer lifetime than current sorbents.

104006 - Cross-Layer Directional Antenna MAC and Routing Protocols for Wireless Ad Hoc Network

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A new MAC and routing protocols were developed for use with cross-layer directional antennas. This technology drastically increases network throughput is and spatial reuse is considerably optimized

087018 - Item Number 96 - Body Balance Tester

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Body Balance Software (BBS) is written in ASYST language to allow collection of electrical signals from the force platform and storage in a Zenith AT hard-disk, mass storage computer during a postural sway test. The BBS is a menu-driven, user-friendly and interactive software which also facilitates quick and accurate force platform computer calibration once a manual and lengthy calibration has been performed by the operator. After the data are collected and stored in the computer, the BBS allows the operator to choose any segment of the data for future processing. The remaining segments of the software utilizes special mathematical equations derived in Dr. Bhattacharya's latest paper for the quantification and graphical representation of center of pressure movement pattern of the test subject during a postural sway test (Bhattacharya, et al., 1987).

097007 - Item Number 247 - Low Temperature Oxygen for the Enhancement of Levitation Force

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

High temperature superconductors such as YBa₂Cu₃Ox have great potential in industrial applications including magnetic levitation, power transmission lines, efficient generators, and microwave components in telecommunications.
In general, the properties of YBa₂Cu₃Ox are enhanced if the materials are fully oxygenated (x~7). For instance, the transition temperature Tc will decrease sharply if x is reduced to 6.7.
The oxygenation content is temperature dependent and increases as temperature decreases. For example, in air, x~6.4 at 700°C and -6.95 at 200°C. However, the oxygenation process is often carried out in the range of 400 - 450°C, because it has been thought that lower temperatures do not produce adequate oxygen diffusion.
We have carried out oxygenation at temperatures much below the commonly used temperatures and found that the oxygenation is much more complete, and in turn the properties optimized.
As an example of the improved engineering properties of the more highly oxygenated materials produced by our process, levitation force in flywheel energy storage will be increased by a factor of three. The milestone will be the production of a levitator with a levitation force of 30 Newton.

104004 - Turbine Rotor Cooled by Upstream Oscillating Wake Generator

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A novel approach for cooling turbine rotor blades has been devised that utilizes an oscillating wake generator. This cooling approach allows for hotter turbine temperatures or higher speed with less stress on the turbine blades. A further advantage is lower engine part count and increased engine cycle efficiency.

103046 - Artificial Neural System

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is an Active Fiber Continuous Sensor (AFCS) that has high sensitivity for measuring Acoustic Emissions (AE) and strains in structures. Previous designs use electrodes that are above the piezoceramic substrate and a strong electric field is needed to couple the charge on the fibers to the external wiring circuit. The AFCS design uses rectangular fibers cast in an epoxy matrix in a configuration in which the top and bottom surfaces of the fibers are directly in contact with conductive epoxy which also bonds directly to a structural substrate, or to a kapton covering if the sensor must be electrically insulated from the structure. The conductive epoxy performs two functions, bonding the sensor to the structure, and forming the electrode of the sensor. The full electrode coverage and transverse poling is the simplest method of fabrication and this sensor design has been tested and shown to be very sensitive for measuring AE in composite materials and aircraft structures.
This approach reduces stresses in the fibers due to nonuniformity in the electric field where it enters the fibers, and interdigitated electroding allows the higher axial poling coefficient to be used, but this design also reduces the electrical and mechanical coupling efficiencies. The efficiency is not critical for structural actuation and control applications because large power amplifiers are used to drive the AFC. However, for sensing of AE this reduces the sensitivity of the sensor. This approach increases strain transfer between the structure and the sensing fibers and improves the detection of faint acoustic emissions in structures.

102024 - Stress Protectors for Selenium Enriched Yeast

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In 1996, Clark and co-workers[1] made a statistically representative study of the relationship between selenium supplementation and cancer incidence. Supplementation to the individuals was accomplished with the ingestion of selenium enriched yeast, showing a direct correlation between selenium supplementation and incidence of tumorogenic type cancers, especially prostate, colon and lung cancer. A second, narrower study[2] proved the benefits of supplementation with selenium enriched yeast for the reduction of the incidence of prostate cancer.
The selenium enriched yeast has been commercialized into tablets that can be bought in health food stores, drug stores, discount stores and supermarkets. A study by Sutton and co-workers[3] showed that the commercial selenium supplements varied in selenium species composition. Our group experimented in the preparation of selenium enriched yeast[4]. We could see in these experiments that while enriching the yeast, the selenium is toxic to the yeast resulting in a decreased yield of yeast cells. This was also found by Suhajda and co-workers[5].
The subject matter of the technology is the preparation of selenium enriched yeast with calcium or magnesium that increases the yield of the yeast up to 11% while also increasing the selenium incorporation by up to 36%.
The key benefit of the discovery is that better yields of selenium enriched yeast with a higher selenium content would be obtained with minimal investment to the current selenium enriched yeast producers.

Advantages
1. This methodology has the double advantage of increasing the yield of selenium enriched yeast and at the same time more selenium is incorporated to the yeast. This translates, at industrial level, to more product for the same amount of starting materials.
2. The protecting agents are inexpensive materials (therefore not contributing significantly to the cost of the yeast) and since these are also of nutritional importance too, they add another health attribute to the yeast.

106013 - Software for the Resolution of Sequence Information from Affymetrix Gene Chip

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What the invention does is to confer the ability to read sequence data from Affymetrix custom or standard re-sequencing chips. It increases the efficiency from about 95% efficiency up to above 99% efficiency, so this software and this algorithm represents a method to have much higher confidence and more useful data than could be generated from these single chip assays to be used for individual patient analysis. The algorithm represents a very valuable advancement to the use of the sequencing chips, and therefore, constitutes an important invention for improved use of this technology. The ability to use these chips in a clinical situation is thus greatly improved by the use of this new algorithm that we have developed in the Division of Biomedical Informatics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The new algorithm and program can work itself or it can be incorporated into the existing Affymetrix software.

104070 - Miniature Multisensor Catheter

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The novel design and miniature size of the catheter provide an adaptable platform that allows

the inclusion of other biosensors in the array, such as pH, osmolarity and temperature sensors,
use in adults and neonatal and pediatric patients,
monitoring of various regions of the body
use of a double lumen system that allows for using one catheter for sensing a physiologic parameter and the other for sampling fluids or delivering locally active drugs.

103038 - Spatial Reuse Enabling Power Control MAC Protocol for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As background, power control is a determinant technique for energy conservation and thus is of fundamental importance to wireless ad hoc stations which primarily rely on limited battery power. Besides energy savings, power control can also increase the capacity of the network by enhancing spatial reuse of the wireless channel. This is a novel Spatial Reuse MAC (SRM) protocol based on the IEEE standard 802.11. This protocol accomplishes spatial reuse without a separate control channel, by employing a combination of power control and a fully distributed scheme of transmission sneaking.
Other IEEE 802.11 based power control MAC protocols using omni-directional antennas concentrate their efforts in implementing efficient transmit power management schemes for the sake of energy efficiency. In general, this is achieved by selecting different power levels for the RTS-CTS and DATA-ACK exchange, where RTS-CTS are usually transmitted at the maximum possible power level whereas DATA-ACK are transmitted either at the minimum required power to reach the destination or at periodically changing power levels. However, these protocols do not include any spatial reuse mechanism to efficiently reuse the extra capacity resulting from the low power level employed by the DATA-ACK exchange.

102072 - Elongated Angle Nozzle For Oil Drilling

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The paramount objective of drilling is to reach the target safely in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost current nozzle designs suffer from inefficiency and rapid wear, resulting in increased cost of replacement and retrieval.
An improved, elongated and angled nozzle for oil drilling has been developed at the University of Cincinnati. This nozzle shifts the stagnation lines, which occur underneath the cones. It works all along the cone and sweeps the bottom more efficiently. This effect is achieved by creating a swirl in the annulus to reduce the unsteadiness. It also has better discharge coefficient because of the very smooth profile and improved slot shape.

Advantages

The new design reduces unsteadiness through a revolutionary style and improved shape producing an improved discharge coefficient.
Compared to conventional nozzle designs, this nozzle promises reduced drilling time, reduced wear and tear and improved overall economy.

101016 - Hybrid Priority Handoff Scheme for Integrated Wireless Networks

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The field of wireless communication continues to expand. The introduction of additional demands imposed by increased volume of wireless communication of voice, data, and video data will impose increasing requirements for reliability and quality in wireless communication. One critical area in which reliability will be required is that of “handoffs:” i.e. the technological means by which data transmissions are reliability maintained as wireless communications devices move from “cell” to “cell” within a typical wireless service area. Existing “handoff” technology includes “guard channel” technology and “queuing” technology. However, these proposals take into account only voice transmissions, and do not take the probability of multiple types of traffic (including both real-time and non-real-time) into consideration. A new model for “handoff” management has been developed which combines various methods for the prediction and management of transmission resources in order to optimize quality of service in voice, data, and video integrated wireless mobile networks.
Advantages
The method is adaptable to future wireless service techniques, which may have frequent handoffs; e.g. those systems using small-cell structures (micro-cell and pico-cell) methods.
Simulations using the proposed method demonstrate a drastic improvement over competing technologies, measured as blocking probability, transmission delay, and forced termination probability.
Implementation of the proposed method is no more expensive than competing technologies.

100054 - Travel Time Prediction System (TIPS)

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Travel Time Prediction System consisting of several hardware components and the TIPS software, is a portable automated system for predicting and displaying travel time for motorists in advance of and through freeway work zones, on a real-time basis. Several vehicle sensors are placed at selected locations along the freeway for monitoring real-time traffic flow conditions. Each sensor is interfaced with a radio for transmitting the traffic data at 30-sec intervals to a remote personal computer. The TIPS software processes the data, estimates travel times between different points on the freeway, and transmits the information to changeable message signs (CMSs) that are placed at selected locations along the freeway. TIPS also allows the user to display specific messages such as "Accident Ahead" so that motorists can be quickly informed of any unexpected or abnormal conditions on the freeway.

102031 - OS and User Environments

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

An operating system for user-created environments enables computer users to easily manage all available content and information resources. In addition, the system provides users with the ability to create intuitive interfaces which integrate with the same resources. The new system provides users the means to effectively address the common problems of information overload due to universal information content resources such as the Web and other large and loosely-structured databases. A major advantage of the system is the incorporation and application of relevancy- ranking algorithms in visualizations and data views. Another advantage is the incorporation and application of user profiles, including semantics and user access patterns. Sophisticated logic is applied to such user profiles to enhance user environment-workspaces for information retrieval, including, for example, guided or focused search processes, user enabled, hierarchical content storage and caching, and facilitated uncovering of new and useful information resources. Automatic machine learning and personally selected strategies are used to improve and scale the system over time. Another advantage is the facilitation of integrated collaborative tools, sharing among environments, and the development of distributed operating systems for larger-scale information systems.

101038 - Point of Care Testing Training Program

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Point of Care Testing programs require a substantial amount of record keeping in order to comply with regulatory agency requirements. Practitioners need to demonstrate familiarity with the program, competency and proficiency. They must also have access to related information for Continuing Education. A key feature of our program is a custom web-based educational and delivery methodology designed to facilitate program use and compliance adherence by health care providers. The program is useful to other healthcare organizations needing to institute similar programs. Each user can access his/her respective requirements on line, receive instruction or education and document participatory activity.
Specifically, our software application provides a real time access to the following:

Program Orientation
Training/Retraining Certification
Testing For Competency
Proficiency Testing
Protocol Description
Quality Control Forms
Records Maintenance

A compelling argument to use this software program is to enable the user to achieve greater efficiency and reduce crosstraining cost.
The on-line program addresses a simple mechanism of information distribution and availability. Additionally, the program is flexible enough to expand and incorporate new developments including up-to-date methodologies for interactive learning.

099033 - Transcranial Ultrasound Thrombolysis System and Methods of Treating Stroke

monsonek@ucmail.uc.edu (Sandip Patil) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Background

Approximately 700, 000 cases of stroke occur every year in the US, many of which result in death. Successful treatment of ischemic stroke, which accounts for 83% of all cases, depends on early recognition as well as treatment of the stroke within 2-4 hours of its onset. The primary approved method of treating ischemic strokes involves the use of a specific thrombolytic agent known as recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) by intravascular injection. However, this treatment is not commonly administered due to various factors such as delays in the recognition and diagnosis of stroke symptoms, delays in the transportation of patients to the appropriate medical facility, and the lack of availability of a specialized stroke neurologist on site. Furthermore, r-tPA administration is restricted to patients who do not have certain risk factors for bleeding. Moreover, physicians are reluctant to administer this drug due to an increased risk of an intracerebral hemorrhage.

Invention

Faculty at the University of Cincinnati have invented a system and method of treatment of ischemic stroke that overcomes the shortfalls of current treatment protocols for stroke. This consists of the use of a predetermined level of ultrasonic energy throughout the primary treatment zone covering most of the M1 and M2 branches of the middle cerebral artery in one hemisphere of the brain. A transducer is used to provide the ultrasonic energy. This system may be used in conjunction with the administration of r-tPA, which may or may not be encapsulated in microbubbles. This invention offers several advantages.

Advantages

Provides a quicker treatment of stroke as compared to current protocols

Does not require radiologic or imaging data to determine the specific location of the clot prior to treatment

Can be administered by front-line medical personnel without the presence of a specialized stroke neurologist

097020 - Kinelysis for Windows

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Kinelysis for Windows is a cross platform program for analyzing Kinetic force platform data to calculate the center of pressure and related parameters. The software can accept the forces and moments data from a number of commercial and noncommercial systems' files to process the data. These include (i) Peak Performance System's Analysis Sampling Module (copyright Peak Performance, Inc., Englewood, CO.), Sway Win Program (copyright AMTI, Watertown, MA), and Posture (copyright University of Cincinnati).
The program offers a broad variety of options including the choice of force plates, type of experiments (gait or static balance), and many other related options. The variables to be calculated and the output format can be interactively determined. The program also offers plotting and printing of the parameters. Sway area and sway length, critical to determination of postural stability, are calculated based on the publications by Dr. A. Bhattacharya, Director, Biomechanics-Ergonomics Research Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati.

090044 - CUFS - Computerized Term Contract Buying

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The best buying tool available for any large comprehensive institution is the Annual Term Contract. In return for the pooled buying power for a commodity or service, the bidding vendors promise a fixed price and discount to the institution, most often for the entire year. Purchase discounts average thirty percent. As important as fixed prices are in an inflationary economy, and volume discounts are in any economy, convenience is the value added with these computerized programs of term contract buying .

They limit contact with Central Purchasing Buyers to those non-repetitive needs that cannot be predicted.
They require vendors to carry stock for all users - thereby reducing internal inventories.
They assist in standardization of products.
They abolish about half the purchase orders that would otherwise be necessary.
They assist user department with budgeting supply funds for the year.
They abolish individual bidding requisitions and purchase lead-time delays.
They permit an authorized user (operating department) to issue their own release order in a matter of seconds.

103026 - Vapochromic Material for Sensing Volatile Organic Compounds

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One class of sensors relies on vapochromic materials that exhibit color change when exposed to the vapors of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The present invention is a new vapochromic salt that includes a platinum complex. At room temperature the compound undergoes a color change from orange to red when exposed to vapors of methanol, ethanol, chloroform and acetonitrile.
While other vapochromic materials exist, the compound of the present invention has potentially greater sensitivity and lower cost.

104024 - Magnetic Alignment of Nano-Fibers in Polymer Composite

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For fundamental study of novel engineering applications, carbon nano fibers and nano tubes need to be aligned along certain specified directions. For single wall carbon nanotube, due to small amount of catalyst elements (such as Ni and Co), they can be well aligned in a magnetic field. However, for carbon nano fibers, their extremely small magnetic susceptibility is not sufficient to be magnetically induced and aligned. The present invention coats a solution of Ni nd Co on the surface of the carbon nano fibers, allowing the fibers to be well aligned in a polymer composite.

104026 - Coating Nanoparticles using Plasma Polymerization for Medical Applications

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For bio-probe applications, a bio-film has to be attached to the nanoparticle surfaces to react with the virus or DNA material. However, the surfaces of many nanoparticles are not ideal for these particular bio-films. To provide an adhesive interface between the bio-film and the nanoparticle substrate, an ultrathin polymer film, such as polystryrene and acrylic acid, is deposited on the nanoparticles or nanotubes using a plasma polymerization treatment.

108011 - Marrow Manager

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Definitive and palliative radiation therapy affects normal bone marrow and can have implications regarding the safety of administering chemotherapy. Whether a patient has received radiotherapy prior to, following, or concurrently with chemotherapy, the amount of bone marrow irradiated can have implications relative to a patient's blood counts and risk of infection, bleeding and/or anemia. The radiation bone marrow quotient computer program allows the radiation fields to be drawn on a diagram of a human skeleton and the percentage of bone marrow irradiated is quickly ascertained.
The effect of the radiation on the bone marrow and the blood counts will be the function of the volume of bone marrow irradiated, the dose of the radiation delivered, the health of the bone marrow radiated, and the baseline blood counts at the the time of treatment.

107089 - SingleCompoundCmax.xls+4C3L

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our program is computer software designed to compute estimated values for transport of chemicals through the skin. The program consists of an Excel workbook (i.e.. multiple spreadsheets) combiried with a Visual Basic add-in that runs under Microsoft Excel on Windows XP. Some of the calculations are done in the add-in and other calculations are done in the workbook, so that different workbooks can work with the same add-in. The user is required to enter parameters related to the physical properties of the permeant as well as the physical conditions he/she wants to simulate. The program returns multiple outputs including absorption and evaporation rates. cumulative absorption and evaporation and concentrations in the various skin layers. throughout the simulation. A key output related to contact allergy risk assessment is C(max) the maximum concentration of permeant achieved at the level of the mid epidermis during the absorption process. A new concept embodied in Version 1.4 is that of calculating and separately identifying C(max) and C(free) where C(max) is the maximum concentration of the concentration of freely diffusing permeant in the mid epidermis. The calculations are based on a mathematical model which is subject to change as the model becomes more sophisticated. The accuracy of the calculations will be improved and the scope of allowable simulation conditions broadened as the development work proceeds.

107054 - Novel End-Point Assay for Autophagy

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dr. Patrick Dennis at the University of Cincinnati developed a novel end-point assay for autophagy based on the observation that the BHMT (betaine homocysteine methyl transferase) enzyme is degraded via autophagy with the generation of a discrete proteolytic fragment in the lysosomal compartment (1). Dr. Dennis engineered a novel Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST)-BHMT reporter with targeted mutations that result in degradation of the fusion protein via the autophagocytic pathway. Autophagocytic degradation of the reporter leads to the generation of discrete proteolytic fragments in the lysosomal compartment, similar to native BHMT. The advantages of this autophagy assay over existing assays are 1) end-point assay rather than mid-point assay, 2) increased sensitivity and 3) less subjective and more quantifiable.

107043 - Penetrating Microelectrode Sensor Array for In Situ Multi-analyte Measurements in Biological Applications

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A novel sensor contains an array of analyte-specific microelectrode sensors that can penetrate samples to simultaneously perform multiple measurements. The microelectrodes are robust, yet small enough to be fabricated in close proximity to signal processing ICs. A dissolved oxygen (DO) version of the sensor array has been shown to exhibit better linearity, sensitivity and response time than similarly sized DO sensors formed from pulled glass pipettes.

107004 - Novel Estrogen Receptor Beta (ER-ß) Isoforms as Targets for Cancer Therapeutics and other ER-ß related diseases.

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Most published data on human ER-ß function/signaling have been derived from studies on ER-ß1, the originally cloned sequence. However, there are five splice-variants of ER-ß that have until recently been poorly characterized. Dr. Shuk-Mei Ho and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati isolated and expressed the full length cDNA’s for ER-ß2, ER-ß4 and ER-ß5 and examined ligand binding, dimerization, transactivation and coactivator binding. In addition, in silico modeling was performed to examine structural characteristics.
Dr. Ho’s work demonstrated that ER-ß1 is the only fully functional isoform and that ER-ß2, ER-ß4 and ER-ß5 do not have innate activities in their homodimeric forms. However, ER-ß2, ER-ß4 and ER-ß5 can heterodimerize with ER-ß1 and enhance ER-ß1- induced transactivation in a ligand dependent manner.Dr. Ho’s work provides the first evidence that ER-ß1 prefers to form heterodimers with its isoforms and the process is likely dependent on ligand type. Her work also revealed pronounced differences in expression of ER-ß isoforms in normal human cell lines/tissues and that prostate, ovarian and breast cancer cell lines have distinct expression profiles relative to the corresponding normal cell lines/tissues. This data suggests that tissue responsiveness is determined by isoform expression and that ER-ß heterodimers may provide specific, and as yet, unexplored, targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of ER-ß related diseases.The University of Cincinnati is seeking industry partners for the development therapeutics/diagnostics related to ER-ß isoforms. A patent application has been filed.

106078 - Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) as a Rational Target for Anti-Cancer Therapy

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A strategy for developing anti-cancer therapies is to inactivate proteins that are required for the integrity of DNA repair signaling pathways. Inactivation of such proteins may lead to greater therapeutic effectiveness of the many current cancer treatments that act by causing DNA damage, such as radiation therapy and many chemotherapeutic agents. When cells incur damage in the form of DNA double strand breaks, normal cells will arrest at various checkpoints throughout the cycle to allow for DNA repair. Several pathways are involved in a DNA damage checkpoint at the G1/S phase cell cycle boundary. One pathway is mediated by the p53 tumor suppressor. P53 induces the kinase inhibitor p21, resulting in the arrest of cells at G1/S. This pathway is compromised due to mutation or loss of p53 in about 80% of human tumors.
The regulation of a second pathway has recently been discovered in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Stambrook at the University of Cincinnati. For cells to activate the G1/S checkpoint, CDC25A phosphatase must be degraded. Using cultured mammalian cells and mouse knockout models, Dr. Stambrook’s work has demonstrated that Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3), a member of a conserved family of serine/threonine protein kinases, is likely the principle kinase required to facilitate the degradation of CDC25A at the G1/S checkpoint.
Therefore, Plk3 is proposed as a novel target for the discovery of inhibitory molecules that would be useful as cancer therapeutics. The rationale is that most human tumors are p53 deficient and therefore one of the pathways leading to G1 checkpoint arrest is compromised. If the alternate pathway is also compromised by inhibition of Plk3 by a small molecule inhibitor, the tumors would be selectively killed or sensitized to low levels of standard chemotherapies.

105034 - AMPGEN

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A parcel of windows-based routines, which is able to import DNA profiles directly from laboratory data to provide the statistical interpretation of a match (with user-prescribed stringency) in missing persons database, and will conduct kinship analysis, with the aid of DNA profiles of relatives. The report generated from this routine charts pedigrees, and provides confidence bounds for frequency estimates, and likelihood ratios. The routines are linked to disclosable summaries of validated DNA forensic population databases, with option of linking additional user-specified databases. The software is designed for a personal computer, so that it can be used in courts and in field offices. Help files, attached with the software, provide technical details of computations, which will also aid in training analysts for using the software.
The current version is able to evaluate the statistical strength of: (i) coincidental match probability in typical DNA forensic investigations, (ii) interpret DNA mixture evidence, (iii) assign missing persons in respective families in mass disaster scenarios, and (iv) conduct parentage and kinship analyses with DNA typing. Linked with worldwide and curated DNA typing databases, this software, with its graphic interphases, is user-friendly, in which the input data can be transported from laboratory analyzers without data re-entry, and hence avoids human transcriptional errors. The high throughput feature of the software will allow users to apply this tool in high volume laboratories conducting: (i) forensic, (ii) parentage, and (iii) pedigree-based studies. In a modular setting, AMPGEN will perform three groups of tasks. Once the program is initiated, the screen displays these three tasks:

Transfer evidence (i.e., computation of coincidental match probability for a single donor DNA profile);
Mixture Analysis (i.e., exclusion probability and likelihood ratios for various mixture hypotheses); and
Kinship Analysis (i.e., attribution of question profile as a family member of a specified set of relatives; standard or deficient parentage analysis being special case of such a kinship analysis).

Once a user specifies one or more of these tasks, relevant profiles can be imported (avoiding transcriptional error, or data re-entry), and a series of parameters can be selected, based on the standard operating procedures that generated the profile data. The user can click on the specific task to be performed during the session, so that the routine will proceed to gather input parameters and data for the relevant sets of computations.

104062 - Glucocorticoid Induced Receptor: A novel Neuropeptide Y “Y2-like” GPCR as a target for obesity

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The glucocorticoid-induced receptor (GIR) is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor. GIR was originally identified as a stress-responsive element from the murine T-cell line WEHI-7TG and normal thymocytes treated with glucocorticoids and forskolin. The mouse and rat GIR genes show high levels of expression in the brain. GIR mRNA distribution in the rat indicates a potential role of this receptor in the control of feeding and ingestive behavior, regulation of stress and emotional behavior, learning and memory. The human GIR gene (87% identical to rodent) also shows high levels of expression in the brain.
Rat GIR exhibits highest sequence similarity to the Neuropeptide Y (NPY)-Y2 receptor (38% identity). In experiments to characterize the pharmacology of rGIR, Dr. Randy Sallee and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati, showed that NPY-Y2 selective antagonists and agonists bind to and activate rGIR in a manner similar to NPY-Y2. However, the binding profiles of NPY and Y2 selective ligands to rGIR are distinct from NPY-Y2 receptor suggesting that GIR may represent a novel neuropeptide receptor that interacts with NPY analogs. Indeed, a novel amino acid peptide, the structure of which was modeled on the Neuropeptide Y (NPY) C-terminus, binds with nM affinity to the rGIR receptor but does not bind to any known NPY receptors.Administration of this novel peptide i.c.v. to rats results in feeding inhibition.
Based on a) its distribution in feeding regulatory areas in the forebrain and brain stem, b) its interaction with compounds such as PYY3-36 and other anorectic peptides that regulate feeding, and c) its regulation by leptin, it is likely that GIR represents a novel target for the identification of potential obesity therapeutics.Dr. Sallee’s group has identified small molecule antagonists and agonists of GIR that are currently being tested in animals. These molecules can serve as the basis for the further development of novel GIR antagonists as potential appetite suppressants for the treatment of obesity.

104013 - Micropatterning Two Different Cell types on Biomaterials

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This methodology allows direct patterning of two different cell types on biocompatible and biodegradable substrates, such as chitosan.
In this approach, an anionic cell-resistant polyelectrolyte, poly(methacry1ic acidco-oligoethyleneglycolmethacrylate) is microcontact printed as a series of 60 µm lines on a chitosan film. Monolayers of the first cell type (human vascular endothelial cells) naturally attach and proliferate only within the 20 µm lines of bare chitosan separating the 60 µm wide lines of cell resistant polyelectrolyte. The substrate is subsequently immersed into a solution of chitosan that electrostatically binds onto the 60 µm wide lines of cell-resistant polyelectrolyte, rendering these regions adhesive to a second type of cells (3T3 fibroblast cells). Optical phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy show that endothelial and fibroblast cells can be simultaneously patterned with micrometer accuracy. Cross-sectional imaging with a confocal microscope further reveals that the fibroblast cells are offset vertically by ~0.25 µm, which can be adjusted by varying the concentration of the polyelectrolyte.
This procedure is a significant advance from current micropatterning techniques that print cell-adhesive and cell-resistant patterns on non-biocompatible substrates. In comparison to other proven techniques for patterning two different cell types the polyelectrolyte assembly approach reported here is non-cytotoxic, straightforward, and allows arbitrary geometric patterns to be formed on biodegradable substrates without the need for electroactive substrates or external fields.
The organization of multiple cell types with sub-cellular resolution on biomaterials is an important first step towards the bottom-up assembly of cells to replicate tissue complexity and function that may not be possible using traditional co-culture technologies, wherein multiple cell types are randomly seeded amongst themselves. Broader and immediate applications of the approach presented here include the study of short-range surface receptor mediated heterotypic cell interactions, development of cell-based sensors, and high-throughput screening systems.

104001 - eGrants

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Overabundance of largely unorganized and unfiltered information is the greatest information problem facing the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Cincinnati (UC). The goal of UC's IAIMS operations grant is to provide individuals with information that is organized, filtered, context -appropriate, and presented in personalized formats. This presentation will focus on one module, eGrants, of UC's IAIMS research administration system,which will fully digitize the pre-award, post-award, and compliance phases of the grant lifecycle . eGrants will streamline and reduce errors in the grant preparation, routing, and submittal process thus raising the overall quality of and consistency of grant submittals and greatly reducing the time and the cost of grant preparation.

102079 - Biomarker for Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

P. aeruginosa is a widely distributed, opportunistic pathogen that is notorious for anti-bacterial resistance and robust metabolic adaptability. It often targets immuno-compromised individuals, as well as cystic fibrosis sufferers. In CF lung disease, P. aeruginosa takes up residence in the thickened, dehydrated, hypoxic mucus that lines the airway epithelia. Chronic lung infection of CF patients by the bacteria is the primary source of morbidity associated with the disease. In the progressive stages of the infection, the local environment that P. aeruginosa inhabits is markedly hypoxic. The bacterium adapts to this oxygen and nutrient poor milieu by shifting to an anaerobic biofilm mode. Researchers at the University have explored this mode of growth, and in the process identified a highly over-expressed marker for this state. OprF is an outer membrane protein of P. aeruginosa that is reported to play a role in cell shape and is required for growth in low salt environments. Experiments on the anaerobic planktonic and biofilm growth modes in vitro identified this protein, OprF, as being significantly over-expressed in those states. Researchers also demonstrated that Class IV CF patients have serum anti-bodies to OprF. Additional data suggests that expression of OprF in vivo is consistent with the levels found in anaerobic in vitro growth.
A reliable diagnostic marker for the transition of P. aeruginosa infection from aerobic to anaerobic biofilm phase would provide a sound clinical decision tool for the use of alternative therapeutic strategies against the infection.

101020 - Novel Sorbents for Separation of CO2 at a Wide Temperature Range

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

1. Gases that occur in nature or that are produced in industrial processes often contain carbon dioxide (CO2). Because of process requirements, or because of the end result desired, it is sometimes desirable to remove carbon dioxide from a mixture of CO2 and other gases.
2. Traditional techniques for separation of CO2 in gas mixtures through absorption rely on high-aluminum zeolites, which have the disadvantage of significant mass transfer resistances, with consequent slower pressurization/depressurization steps; and competitive absorption of water and CO2, with corresponding reduced efficiency. More recent approaches involve the use of lithium salts and lithium-containing preparations which are unacceptable for use at high temperatures due to the sublimation of Lithium.
Advantages
1. This invention presents a new class of sorbent preparations for the absorption of CO2 in gaseous mixtures. The materials developed are able to remove CO2 from mixtures of gases which are both more polar and less polar than CO2 over a wide range of temperatures. The strength of the sorbent action of these materials may also be chemically adjusted, allowing a user a tailor-design a particular sorbent for a particular application.
2. The sorbent action of these materials is highly reproducible and the materials can be produced at a low cost. The new sorbents are poison-tolerant and mechanically strong. They have been tested and found to be effective in applications from 50 degrees to 650 degrees Celsius; and they have excellent reversibility.
3. These sorbents exhibit high selectivity/capability in rejecting water.
Areas of Application
The new materials may have application in many processes in which CO2 is to be removed from mixtures of other gases, such as coal combustion and gasification; removal of CO2 (and enrichment of hydrogen) in water gas shift reactions; and fuel-cell-related applications.

100055 - Item Number 289 - Process for Soil Remediation using Catalytic Carbon

geoffrey.pinski@uc.edu (Dan O’Neill) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Despite wide application of cement based solidification/stabilization (S/S) technology to inorganic wastes, including metallic wastes, its applicability to organic wastes has been controversial. One of the main concerns of treating organic wastes with currently available S/S technologies is that the organics may readily leach. Another concern is that organic contaminants may have interfering effects on setting and chemical stability of cement.
To improve the efficiency for immobilization of the organic wastes, selected-additives including have been evaluated for the immobilization of certain organics in S/S waste, sometimes the overall immobilization process itself may not be sufficient to meet requirements. The most desirable process, therefore, is to decompose the organic wastes to less hazardous hydrocarbons.
A novel destructive process using additives for soil remediation has been invented. It is believed that this is the first demonstration of a practical, destructive S/S remediation process for organic contaminants in soil.
Advantages

It is the first to demonstrate the capability for destructive adsorption of organic contaminants in soil, with the consequence of a significant reduction in the long-term leachability potential of these contaminants.
The process does not adversely affect the mechanical integrity of the S/S matrix.
Because the process is based on relatively cheap materials, it has the potential as a low-cost treatment process.
The adsorption and catalytic destruction steps are rapid and complete. Thus, the process, in its future versions, is amenable to the complete elimination of the S/S matrix, further lowering remediation costs.

099056 - Psychoeducational Group Demonstration

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Conyne and Robert Wilson demonstrate a psychoeducation group whose subject addresses career development for international students. It shows coleaders engaged in the “Three P’s” of group leadership: Planning, Performing, and Processing

099023 - Task Group Demonstration

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This video demonstrates Robert Conyne leading a task group, following W. F. Hill's Learning Through Discussion method.

089045 - Donor Resources and Development Network

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A computerized system to schedule donor appointments at multiple locations using a Novell Network. The application network program was developed using the Clipper compiler. Downloads and uploads data from the main frame each week. Enables each tele-recruiter to access donors from a PC and add to schedules as necessary. Also allows managers to monitor progress.

102009 - Calcium Activated Cl- Channel in HEK 293 Cells

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ion Channels play a crucial role in many diseases, most notably in cystic fibrosis. A calcium-activated pathway for Cl- may play an important role in disease severity. However, little is known of the physiological and pharmacological properties of this ion channel.
To study this protein, Dr. Cuppoletti has transfected HEK 293 cell line with a human plasmid containing a calcium activated Cl- channel. The end result is a human airway calcium activated chloride channel stably expressed in a HEK293 cell line. The advantages of this research tool are low background currents from endogenous chloride channels; lack of cation channel under prescribed conditions; large signal with calcium activation, fully inhibited by appropriate inhibitor.
HEK293 cells were transfected with human cDNA (hCLCA2 clone 4) in expression vector pcDNA3.1 using Lipofectamine to produce a stably transfected cell line.

098004 - Item Number 254 - Microcentrifuge Tube Spinner

pinskig@uc.edu (Geoffrey Pinski) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers in many fields routinely work with very small volumes of liquids, which they store in 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tubes (commonly called "Eppendorf tubes"). Upon standing, much of the liquid in these tubes can evaporate and collect around the top and sides of the tubes. This distribution of the contents also occurs when the tubes are mixed. To avoid losing sample, the researcher will briefly spin the tubes in a microcentrifuge prior to opening, collecting the contents at the bottom.
This device is designed as an inexpensive alternative to microcentrifuges. It can hold a number of Eppendorf-style tubes of various sizes (1.0 - 2.0 ml), and will spin these fast enough to settle their contents to the bottom. This device has several advantages over the current practice of using a microcentrifuge, primarily its ease of use, convenience, speed and low cost. The design makes it faster to load and unload, and by operating at lower rpms then a microcentrifuge it will have shorter breaking times. Because of its low cost, each researcher or student can have one readily available, saving the time of waiting for a microcentrifuge to become free.

097027 - Item Number 264 - Activation Of Chloride Channels For Correction Of Defective Chloride Transport

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Cystic fibrosis is characterized by defects in salt and water transport in a variety of epithelial tissues. The basis of the defect is the gene product termed the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein (CFTR). The CFTR has been shown to be a chloride channel. The present invention relates to a method of increasing the permeability of epithelial cells to chloride ions in a subject, for example, in treating cystic fibrosis. Specifically, the invention relates to methodology for the correction of defective chloride transport by increasing the salt and water flux in diseased tissues to levels closer to those found in normal tissues. This treatment will reduce life-threatening complications frequently found in diseases such as cystic fibrosis. The present invention satisfies this need by providing methods and compounds that can therapeutically relieve both the cause of the manifestations of cystic fibrosis, as well as the manifestations themselves. When appropriately applied, these compounds can correct defective chloride transport, increasing the salt and water flux in diseased tissues to levels closer to those of normal tissues thus reducing life-threatening complications. There are pathological conditions and disease states other than cystic fibrosis that might also benefit from treatment with compounds that increase salt and water permeability. These include brain swelling, renal disease, and heart disease.

096012 - Item Number 239 - Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis & Other Conditions

Ellen.Monson@uc.edu (Ellen Monson) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Defective chloride transport causes cystic fibrosis (CF), which manifests as mucoviscidosis and pancreatic insufficiency in afflicted patients. Abnormally deficient chloride transport results leads to blockage of the bronchioles in the lung, leading to emphysema and localized atelectasis. Transport duct blockage by mucous in the pancreas results in digestive enzyme insufficiency in the small intestine, leaving patients with poor nutritional status. A number of research approaches have been undertaken toward the development of a treatment for CF. Palliation or amelioration of the disease condition could be accomplished through reconstitution of normal chloride channel function or activation of chloride transport through alternate channel activation.
The present invention describes a pharmacological activator of non-CFTR chloride channels such as members of the ClC channel family. These channels are widely distributed in the body, and serve functions in secretion and absorption of fluid and maintenance of normal nerve, muscle, and kidney function. The pharmaceutical agent activates ClC chloride channels when applied directly to the surface of the tissue, such as lung, resulting in activation of the channels and increased chloride transport. This approach represents a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of CF.
The subject matter of the patent is a method of treating a pathology having symptoms caused by inadequate chloride transport by defective ClC-2G chloride channels, comprising administering to an individual in need of such treatment 1) a condensation agent and 2) an amine in amounts effective to activate chloride transport by inactivating charged groups on amino acid residues of said channels, thereby counteracting said symptoms.
This patented method has several key potential benefits. The compound can be delivered using standard treatment techniques for the delivery of therapeutics to the lung. Unlike many traditional systemic therapies, the pharmacological agent is delivered and acts exogenously, and is expected to be relatively non-toxic.
Advantages
This approach to the treatment of CF employs a traditional pharmaceutical application that has much higher likelihood of success than more complicated gene therapy based approaches. Most current research focuses on treatments for infection and inflammation, as well as gene replacement. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation reports that many physicians and researchers believe that a successful chloride-releasing therapy would be of tremendous benefit to CF patients. This technology's straight-forward approach, coupled with the expected favorable safety and toxicity profile, present a licensing opportunity with substantial potential to improve the lives of CF patients.

094030 - Item Number 229 - Transgenic Mouse Model for Congestive Heart Failure

monsonek@uc.edu (Reid Smith) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our researchers have developed five transgenic mouse strains that overexpress human annexin VI protein in heart tissue. This protein is a potent regulator of calcium release and other membrane processes essential to healthy cardiac function. Mice overexpressing annexin VI die from congestive heart failure. Pathological examination indicates that the mice have enlarged hearts, acute diffuse myocarditis, lymphocytic infiltration and moderate to severe fibrosis throughout the heart and around the pulmonary veins. Our findings suggest that the mice would be useful as animal models for investigating physiological processes associated with congestive heart failure and for screening prospective therapeutic agents.
Background
The annexins are a family of calcium-dependent phospholipid binding proteins containing repeated domains of approximately 70 amino acids in length. All of the annexins contain four repeat domains except for annexin VI, which contains eight. Annexin VI is expressed in many tissues including heart, and has been shown to be a potent regulator of the skeletal muscle ryanodine-sensitive calcium release channel, the sodium-calcium exchanger and other membrane processes.
Our transgenic mice were developed by targeting expression of full-length human annexin VI cDNA to heart using the alpha myosin heavy chain gene (àMHC) promoter. At least 10-fold overexpression is exhibited in both atria and ventricles, as determined by Western blot analysis. By immunolocaliza- tion, we have confirmed àMHC promoter-specific overexpression of annexin VI in cardiomyocytes and pulmonary veins. Contractile mechanics of cardiomyocytes isolated from hearts of transgenic mice showed reduced shortening, decreased rates of contraction and increased rates of relaxation compared to controls. Free calcium dynamics monitored during the contraction and relaxation cycle using fura-2 indicated that cardiomyocytes from transgenic animals have lower basal levels of intracellular free calcium, and the same rise in free calcium following depolarization. After stimulation, calcium returns to relative basal levels faster in cell from the transgenic mice than in cells from control mice. These results from completed studies suggest that overexpressing annexin VI in heart disrupts normal calcium homeostasis and suggests that this dysfunction may be due to annexin VI regulation of pumps, channels and/or exchanger in the membranes of cardiomyocytes.