Other

Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-ucla Medical Center

Harbor-ucla Research and Education Institute

Boston University

Terry J Smith

William W Cruikshank

Mark A Kaufman

Ruth Smith

Raymond S Douglas

Kris Neilson

The foot-operated, portable faucet includes a faucet spout that extends vertically from a housing. The housing includes at least one mounting bracket thereon such that said housing is adapted to be secured to a ground surface. The housing includes a female garden hose connection that is in fluid communication with a water valve. The water valve is also in fluid communication with the faucet spout. The water valve is controlled via a foot pedal that is pivotably engaged with respect to a side surface of the housing. When in use, the foot pedal is depressed in order for the water valve to open fluid communication from the female garden hose connection to the water spout. An alternative embodiment may include an auxiliary male garden hose connection. Other embodiments may utilize a faucet spout of varying heights that extend upwardly from the housing.

Foot-operated, portable faucet

The invention provides methods of diagnosing Graves' disease (GD), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases in an individual by detecting a disproportionately large fraction of peripheral blood T cells express IGF-1R (CD3IGF-R) compared to normal control samples. In a further embodiment, the invention provides methods of diagnosing, prognosing, staging, and/or monitoring GD, RA and other autoimmune diseases. Or a predisposition thereto in an individual by detecting a disproportionately large fraction of CD3IGF-1RT cells that express CD45ROcompared to normal control samples. In a further embodiment, the invention provides a method of diagnosing, prognosing, staging, and/or monitoring GD, RA and other autoimmune diseases or a predisposition thereto in an individual by detecting an increased CD45RO/RAratio in peripheral blood T cells compared to normal control samples. In addition to peripheral blood T cells, the methods of the invention also can be practiced with test samples comprising T cells harvested from affected orbital tissues. Embodiments directed to the prognosis, staging, and/or monitoring of GD, RA and other autoimmune diseases or a predisposition thereto also are provided, along with diagnostic kits for practicing the various embodiments of the invention.

Diagnostic methods relating to Graves' disease and other autoimmune disorders

A technique enables intelligent retrieval of digital assets. The technique involves gathering metadata based on a scan of the digital assets. The gathered metadata includes metadata entries, each metadata entry identifying a particular digital asset and a particular set of digital asset properties of that particular digital asset. The technique further involves storing the digital assets in encrypted form within a digital asset repository of the electronic system after gathering the metadata, and updating a metadata database of the electronic system based on the metadata entries, the metadata database being distinct from the digital asset repository. Accordingly, while the digital assets are stored in the digital asset repository in encrypted form, specific digital assets within the digital asset repository are identifiable in response to a database search of the metadata database since the database search is able to use digital asset properties as searching criteria.

Intelligent retrieval of digital assets

The invention provides a method of reducing the severity of an autoimmune condition associated with T-lymphocyte infiltration. The invention also provides a method of diagnosing or predicting the susceptibility to an autoimmune disease associated with fibroblast mediated T-lymphocyte infiltration. Methods of identifying a substance capable of modulating T-lymphocyte recruitment associated with an autoimmune condition also are provided.

Diagnosis and therapy of antibody-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disorders

The present invention describes diagnosis and treatment of antibody-mediated inflammatory auto-immune diseases. The biochemical mechanisms underlying such disorders are described as characteristic molecular markers and antibody-mediated ligand-receptor interactions. Specifically, the activation of T-cells by disease specific IgG binding to the IGF-1 receptor is shown to underlie thyroid associated ophthalmopathy associated with Graves' disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Diagnostics for detection of disease are provided, as are therapeutics based on the determination of the mechanisms underlying a particular pathology.

Diagnosis and therapy of antibody-mediated inflammatory auto-immune disorders

The present invention describes a method to detect connective tissue pathologies associated with Graves' disease ophthalmopathy and other antibody mediated inflammatory autoimmune diseases. The detection method comprises obtaining a sample from a patient suffering from an antibody-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disorder and measuring Interleukin 16 (IL-16) or RANTES produced by thyroid associated ophthalmopathy fibroblasts to indicate the presence or severity.

Detection of antibody mediated inflammatory auto-immune disorders

A sound-making device for attachment to bicycle wheels is presented which includes a flared, horn-shaped tube, a flexible contact member and a universal mounting device for connecting the invention to a bicycle. The horn-shaped tube is specifically designed to eliminate destructive interference of sound waves generated by the flexible contact. The flexible contact is designed to be easily replaceable, even by a child.

Bicycle mounted noise-making device

Disclosed is a spiral spring hair barrette assembly, useful for holding ponytails and other decorative hair configurations. The barrette consists of the combination of a comb and a flat spiral spring to which the comb is attached. The spiral spring has an inside and outside surface such that when the barrette spring is coiled, the inside surface coils around the ponytail being held. Projecting from the inside surface are combed teeth which also fix the barrette in place relative to the hair. The barrette is decoratively covered with fabric of various designs and materials.

Growing community of inventors

Manhattan Beach, CA, United States of America

Terry J Smith