Diversity in Innovation Best Practices Guide

In 2020, the USPTO collaborated with the HTLI to propose a study designed to increase diversity in the patenting process, specifically targeted to in-house legal / IP department and their practices. The goal of the study was simple - harvesting the collective knowledge of nationwide IP professionals and producing an “insanely practical” guide to expand inventorship to a more diverse inventor population. By “diverse” we mean underrepresented or historically marginalized groups in the United States patent system. The term diversity can be interpreted differently in different countries. The HTLI research team collected this extensive list of over 90 best practice suggestions through 6 roundtable sessions held in cooperation with the USPTO, followed by a survey designed to collect information similar to what was discussed in the roundtables. It consolidates the collective wisdom of 73 Intellectual Property professionals and attorneys from the United States’ leading companies at the time of first publication of this manual

Sox9 Transcriptionally Represses Spp1 to Prevent Matrix Mineralization in Maturing Heart Valves and Chondrocytes

Sox9 is an SRY-related transcription factor required for expression of cartilaginous genes in the developing skeletal system and heart valve structures. In contrast to positively regulating cartilaginous matrix, Sox9 also negatively regulates matrix mineralization associated with bone formation. While the transcriptional activation of Sox9 target genes during chondrogenesis has been characterized, the mechanisms by which Sox9 represses osteogenic processes are not so clear. Using ChIP-on-chip and luciferase assays we show that Sox9 binds and represses transactivation of the osteogenic glycoprotein Spp1. In addition, Sox9 knockdown in post natal mouse heart valve explants and rib chondrocyte cultures promotes Spp1 expression and matrix mineralization, while attenuating expression of cartilage genes Type II Collagen and Cartilage Link Protein. Further, we show that Spp1 is required for matrix mineralization induced by Sox9 knockdown. These studies provide insights into the molecular mechanisms by which Sox9 prevents pathologic matrix mineralization in tissues that must remain cartilaginous

N-Terminal Pro–B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in the Emergency Department: The ICON-RELOADED Study

Background Contemporary reconsideration of diagnostic N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) cutoffs for diagnosis of heart failure (HF) is needed. Objectives This study sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP for acute HF in patients with dyspnea in the emergency department (ED) setting. Methods Dyspneic patients presenting to 19 EDs in North America were enrolled and had blood drawn for subsequent NT-proBNP measurement. Primary endpoints were positive predictive values of age-stratified cutoffs (450, 900, and 1,800 pg/ml) for diagnosis of acute HF and negative predictive value of the rule-out cutoff to exclude acute HF. Secondary endpoints included sensitivity, specificity, and positive (+) and negative (−) likelihood ratios (LRs) for acute HF. Results Of 1,461 subjects, 277 (19%) were adjudicated as having acute HF. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for diagnosis of acute HF was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 0.93; p < 0.001). Sensitivity for age stratified cutoffs of 450, 900, and 1,800 pg/ml was 85.7%, 79.3%, and 75.9%, respectively; specificity was 93.9%, 84.0%, and 75.0%, respectively. Positive predictive values were 53.6%, 58.4%, and 62.0%, respectively. Overall LR+ across age-dependent cutoffs was 5.99 (95% CI: 5.05 to 6.93); individual LR+ for age-dependent cutoffs was 14.08, 4.95, and 3.03, respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value for the rule-out cutoff of 300 pg/ml were 93.9% and 98.0%, respectively; LR− was 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.13). Conclusions In acutely dyspneic patients seen in the ED setting, age-stratified NT-proBNP cutpoints may aid in the diagnosis of acute HF. An NT-proBNP <300 pg/ml strongly excludes the presence of acute HF

Comparison of Standard Ruler and Standard Candle constraints on Dark Energy Models

We compare the dark energy model constraints obtained by using recent standard ruler data (Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) at z=0.2 and z=0.35 and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) shift parameters R and l_a) with the corresponding constraints obtained by using recent Type Ia Supernovae (SnIa) standard candle data (ESSENCE+SNLS+HST from Davis et. al.). We find that, even though both classes of data are consistent with LCDM at the 2\sigma level, there is a systematic difference between the two classes of data. In particular, we find that for practically all values of the parameters (\Omega_0m,\Omega_b) in the 2\sigma range of the the 3-year WMAP data (WMAP3) best fit, LCDM is significantly more consistent with the SnIa data than with the CMB+BAO data. For example for (\Omega_0m,\Omega_b)=(0.24,0.042) corresponding to the best fit values of WMAP3, the dark energy equation of state parametrization w(z)=w_0 + w_1 (z/(1+z)) best fit is at a 0.5\sigma distance from LCDM (w_0=-1,w_1=0) using the SnIa data and 1.7\sigma away from LCDM using the CMB+BAO data. There is a similar trend in the earlier data (SNLS vs CMB+BAO at z=0.35). This trend is such that the standard ruler CMB+BAO data show a mild preference for crossing of the phantom divide line w=-1, while the recent SnIa data favor LCDM. Despite of this mild difference in trends, we find no statistically significant evidence for violation of the cosmic distance duality relation \eta \equiv d_L(z)/(d_A(z) (1+z)^2)=1. For example, using a prior of \Omega_0m=0.24, we find \eta=0.95 \pm 0.025 in the redshift range 0<z<2, which is consistent with distance duality at the 2\sigma level.Comment: References added. 9 pages, 7 figures. The Mathematica files with the numerical analysis of the paper can be found at http://leandros.physics.uoi.gr/rulcand/rulcand.ht

Enhanced Determination of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Associated with Invasive Disease in Laos by Using a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Serotyping Assay with Cerebrospinal Fluid

A prospective hospital-based study was undertaken to define the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and circulating serotypes in Laos. Of 10,799 patients with hemocultures and 353 patients with cerebrospinal fluid samples, 0.21% and 5.4%, respectively, were positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae, giving a total of 35 IPD patients. We developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect serotypes represented in the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine. A blinded evaluation comparing serotype as defined by the Quellung reaction versus the polymerase chain reaction demonstrated 100% concordance. The most frequent serotype (n = 33 patients) was 1 (n = 6), followed by serotypes 5, 6A/B/C, 14, and 23F. Serotypes represented in the 7-valent polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) infected 39% of patients, with 73% coverage for the PCV-10 and PCV-13 vaccines. Although the sample size is small, these data suggest that the PCV-7 vaccine may have relatively low efficacy in Laos. Further studies are urgently needed to guide pneumococcal vaccine policy in Laos

Deep near-IR variability survey of pre-main-sequence stars in Rho Ophiuchi

Variability is a common characteristic of pre-main-sequence stars (PMS). Near-IR variability surveys of young stellar objects (YSOs) can probe stellar and circumstellar environments and provide information about the dynamics of the on going magnetic and accretion processes. Furthermore, variability can be used as a tool to uncover new cluster members in star formation regions. We hope to achieve the deepest near-IR variability study of YSOs targeting the Rho Ophiuchi cluster. Fourteen epochs of observations were obtained with the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM) at the UKIRT telescope scheduled in a manner that allowed the study of variability on timescales of days, months, and years. Statistical tools, such as the multi-band cross correlation index and the reduced chi-square, were used to disentangle signals of variability from noise. Variability characteristics are compared to existing models of YSOs in order to relate them to physical processes, and then used to select new candidate members of this star-forming region. Variability in the near-IR is found to be present in 41% of the known population of Rho Ophiuchi recovered in our sample. The behaviours shown are several and can be associated with the existence of spots on the stellar surface, variations in circumstellar extinction, or changes in the geometry of an accretion disc. Using variability, a new population of objects has been uncovered that is believed to be part of the Rho Ophiuchi cluster.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Biological heterogeneity in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension identified through unsupervised transcriptomic profiling of whole blood

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a rare but fatal disease diagnosed by right heart catheterisation and the exclusion of other forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension, producing a heterogeneous population with varied treatment response. Here we show unsupervised machine learning identification of three major patient subgroups that account for 92% of the cohort, each with unique whole blood transcriptomic and clinical feature signatures. These subgroups are associated with poor, moderate, and good prognosis. The poor prognosis subgroup is associated with upregulation of the ALAS2 and downregulation of several immunoglobulin genes, while the good prognosis subgroup is defined by upregulation of the bone morphogenetic protein signalling regulator NOG, and the C/C variant of HLA-DPA1/DPB1 (independently associated with survival). These findings independently validated provide evidence for the existence of 3 major subgroups (endophenotypes) within the IPAH classification, could improve risk stratification and provide molecular insights into the pathogenesis of IPAH

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201