Biomarkers of lung function
Patent No. 9,945,872
Cigarette smoking is a primary determinant of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is the fourth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Unique proteins associated with COPD capable of differentiating subjects likely to experience rapid (RPD) or slow (SLW) decline in lung function have been identified using comprehensive high-throughput proteomic approaches. Thirty peptides, which mapped to 21 unique proteins, were linearly associated with annualized rates of lung function decline among smokers with COPD characterized as having rapid or slow decline and smokers without COPD. Using three different statistical approaches to assess the data, the RPD and SLW groups are differentiated by 55 peptides, which mapped to 33 unique proteins. A number of the identified peptides are proteolytic fragments of proteins that are involved in the complement and/or coagulation systems, have anti-protease activity, or metabolic functions.
Inventors: Jason Flora (Richmond), Barbara K. Zedler (Richmond), Edward Lenn Murrelle (Midlothian, Va.), Mark Leppert (Salt Lake City, Utah), Edwin J.C. G. van den Oord (Richmond), Bradley Todd Webb (Richmond), Timothy York (Richmond), Gaurav S. J. B. Rana (Richmond), Jeffrey S. Edmiston (Mechanicsville, Va.), Willie J. McKinney (Richmond)
Assignee: Lineagen Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah)
April 17, 2018
OmpA in vaccine compositions and as diagnostic targets
Patent No. 9,945,851
Anaplasma Marginale surface protein OmpA and homologous genes from Anaplasmatacaea family members are used in compositions suitable for vaccines to treat or prevent infections caused by tick-born bacteria of the Anaplasmatacaea family. OmpA proteins or peptide fragments may be used in combination with other Anaplasmatacaea surface proteins to elicit an immune response. Furthermore, antibodies to OmpA proteins can be used in diagnostic methods to determine whether an individual has contracted an Anaplasmatacaea infection.
Inventors: Jason A. Carlyon (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Phosphorous-containing compounds and uses thereof
Patent No. 9,944,879
The present invention provides phosphorous-containing compounds useful as antiwear additive components, lubricant additive compositions and lubricant compositions each comprising such compounds, and methods for making and using the same.
Inventors: Davis Edwards (Richmond), Bevin Parks (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Polysubstituted pyrroles having microtubule-disrupting, cytotoxic and antitumor activities and methods of use thereof
Patent No. 9,944,597
The present invention provides polysubstituted pyrrole compounds, pharmaceutically effective salts, prodrugs, solvates and hydrates thereof, having antimitotic, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, activity against cells expressing the drug efflux protein, P-glycoprotein, or cells expressing the .beta.-III isotype of tubulin and antitumor activity. Also provided are methods of utilizing these compounds for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells as well as their medical use, in particular for treating cancer, including drug resistant cancer.
Inventors: Glen E. Kellogg (Ashland, Va.), Chenxiao Da (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Ashutosh Tripathi (Bryan, Texas), John T. Gupton (Midlothian, Va.), Nakul Telang (Richmond), James A. Sikorski (Chesterfield, Mo.), Susan L. Mooberry (San Antonio, Texas), Cristina Rohena (San Antonio, Texas)
Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (Austin, Texas) & Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) & University of Richmond (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Medial column (MECO) fixation device, method, and system
Patent No. 9,943,347
An orthopedic implant device and system support the fusion of bones in the medial column of the human foot. An exemplary implant uses an improved lag screw and supplemental components, including a washer plate and transverse screws which penetrate transverse through holes in the shaft of the lag screw. Additionally, a surgical procedure is described which may employ such an implant. The improved lag screw may be inserted at the plantar surface of the first metatarsal and support the fusion of, for example, the transverse tarsal joint, the cuneonavicular joint, and the tarsometatarsal joint.
Inventors: Jennifer S. Wayne (Richmond), Robert S. Adelaar (Richmond), Jacob E. Park (Richmond), Brian A. Smith (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Manway lid gasket
Patent No. 9,944,459
A manway lid gasket is an annular gasket that has top and bottom surfaces between the inside diameter and outside diameter of the gasket. Each of the top and bottom surfaces includes a concave, circumferential groove therein. Additionally, the gasket has a radial cut out that extends from the outside diameter face partway through the radial width of the gasket and has an annular corrugated metal insert positioned therein.
Inventors: Stephen E. Benet (Friendswood, Texas), James E. B. Frew (Kingsport, Tenn.), Thomas P. Lokey (Elkton, Md.), Daniel F. Reid (Kingwood, Texas), Alfred Fitzgerald Waterland III (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Sealing Products Inc. (Prince George, Va.)
April 17, 2018
Nicotine lozenge
Patent No. 9,943,511
A nicotine lozenge provided herein includes a body that is partially or wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a soluble-fiber matrix and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the soluble-fiber matrix. In some cases, a nicotine lozenge provided herein includes at least 40 weight percent of soluble fiber. In some cases, soluble fiber in a nicotine lozenge provided herein can include maltodextrin. The nicotine lozenge is adapted to release the nicotine or a derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity of an adult consumer and exposed to saliva.
Inventors: Feng Gao (Midlothian, Va.), Diane L. Gee (Chesterfield, Va.), Phillip M. Hulan (Midlothian, Va.), Shuzhong Zhuang (Glen Allen, Va.), William J. Burke (Nashville, Tenn.)
Assignee: Virginia Sealing Products Inc. (Prince George, Va.)
April 17, 2018
Removable seat attachment for a stroller
Patent No. 9,944,305
A stroller is provided with the ability to removably couple and decouple a seat from the stroller as needed. The stroller can include a stroller frame. The stroller can also include one or more front wheels attached to the stroller frame and one or more rear wheels attached to the stroller frame. The stroller can also include a first seat couple to the stroller frame. The stroller can include first and second seat attachment housings. Each of the seat attachment housings can include a cavity for receiving a corresponding one of the first and second seat attachment adapters. Each of the seat attachment housings can also include a door or cover to prevent access to the respective cavity when not in use. The seat attachment adapters can be coupled to the respective seat attachment housings and a second seat can be coupled to the seat attachment adapters.
Inventors: Jon Hee Lee (Highwood, Ill.), Megan Roe (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Stacy Noel Simpson (Portage, Mich.), Mark Zehfuss (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Baby Jagger (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Variable weight training bat for increasing the bat speed of a batter
Patent No. 9,943,740
A training bat for increasing the speed of the swing of a baseball batter. The training bat includes a tubular body with a first end including a grip and a sealing knob. A second end of the body includes a cavity therein with a detachable pin. The cavity within the tubular body includes a plurality of core members of various weights. A batter can vary the weight of the training bat by securing a selected core member within the cavity using the detachable pin. The pin may include a flexible clip member or a strap including hook and loop layers thereon for connecting a core member within the training bat. A knob boot extends from the knob and around the first end of the tubular body. A selected core member secured by the pin is held in a non-rotatable relationship with respect to the tubular body.
Inventors: Fred T. Mayers III (Mechanicsville, Va.), Jake Mayers (Mechanicsville, Va.), Matthew A. Tyner (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Assignee: N/A
April 17, 2018
Electronic coupon issuance and redemption apparatuses, methods and systems
Patent No. 9,953,334
The Electronic Coupon Issuance And Redemption Apparatuses, Methods and Systems (“ECIR”) transforms user coupon purchase and redemption request inputs via ECIR components into coupon issuance, transaction, and analytics outputs. In some embodiments, the ECIR may receive an inventory request from a coupon program manager, including at least a virtual coupon issue criteria. The ECIR may generate one or more account identifiers, and transmit the account identifiers to the coupon program manager. The ECIR may receive, from the coupon program manager, an issue request along with the purchase information, which may include one or more purchase identifiers corresponding to one or more buyers. The ECIR may determine when the received purchase information satisfies the virtual coupon issue criteria. when it satisfies the criteria, the ECIR may issue one or more virtual coupons having the one or more account identifiers, and transmit the issued virtual cards to the coupon program manager.
Inventors: Kathy Heitmueller (Midland, Ga.), Douglas R. Frantz (San Francisco, Calif.), Chris J. Truelson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Mary T. Taylor (San Francisco, Calif.), Walter J. Granville (Richmond)
Assignee: Visa International Service Association (San Francisco, Calif.)
April 24, 2018
Recombinant cancer therapeutic cytokine
Patent No. 9,951,114
Recombinant therapeutic cytokines (“therakines”) for the treatment of cancer are provided. The recombinant therakines include a truncated region of MDA-7/TL-24 (“M4”) not normally found in nature that has anti-cancer activity and a secretory signal which causes secretion of the therakine from plasmid/virus transduced normal and cancer cells and interaction of the therakine to MDA-7/IL-24 receptors on adjacent, neighboring and distant cancer cells. Therakine interaction results in bystander killing of the target cancer cell as well as adjacent, neighboring and distant cancer cells.
Inventors: Paul B. Fisher (Richmond), Praveen Bhoopathi (Richmond), Swadesh K. Das (Richmond), Luni Emdad (Richmond), Devanand Sarkar (Richmond), Upneet Sokhi (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 24, 2018
Authentication and authorization without the use of supplicants
Patent No. 9,954,869
Provided is authentication and authorization without the use of supplicants. Authentication and authorization includes generating a profile for a device based on at least one characteristic observed during a successful attempt by the device to access an 802.1X network infrastructure. Expected characteristics for a next attempt to access the infrastructure by the device are determined. A characteristic of the next access attempt is matched to the expected characteristic and access to the network is selectively controlled as a result of the matching. This is achieved without a supplicant being installed on the device.
Inventors: Ryan B. Benskin (Charlotte, N.C.), Lawrence T. Belton Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.), Christopher Houser (Mt. Holly, N.C.), Peter A. Makohon (Huntersville, N.C.), Timothy Morris (Lexington, N.C.), Omar Bracey (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco, Calif.)
April 24, 2018
Biomarkers of lung function
Patent No. 9,945,872
Cigarette smoking is a primary determinant of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is the fourth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Unique proteins associated with COPD capable of differentiating subjects likely to experience rapid (RPD) or slow (SLW) decline in lung function have been identified using comprehensive high-throughput proteomic approaches. Thirty peptides, which mapped to 21 unique proteins, were linearly associated with annualized rates of lung function decline among smokers with COPD characterized as having rapid or slow decline and smokers without COPD. Using three different statistical approaches to assess the data, the RPD and SLW groups are differentiated by 55 peptides, which mapped to 33 unique proteins. A number of the identified peptides are proteolytic fragments of proteins that are involved in the complement and/or coagulation systems, have anti-protease activity, or metabolic functions.
Inventors: Jason Flora (Richmond), Barbara K. Zedler (Richmond), Edward Lenn Murrelle (Midlothian, Va.), Mark Leppert (Salt Lake City, Utah), Edwin J.C. G. van den Oord (Richmond), Bradley Todd Webb (Richmond), Timothy York (Richmond), Gaurav S. J. B. Rana (Richmond), Jeffrey S. Edmiston (Mechanicsville, Va.), Willie J. McKinney (Richmond)
Assignee: Lineagen Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah)
April 17, 2018
OmpA in vaccine compositions and as diagnostic targets
Patent No. 9,945,851
Anaplasma Marginale surface protein OmpA and homologous genes from Anaplasmatacaea family members are used in compositions suitable for vaccines to treat or prevent infections caused by tick-born bacteria of the Anaplasmatacaea family. OmpA proteins or peptide fragments may be used in combination with other Anaplasmatacaea surface proteins to elicit an immune response. Furthermore, antibodies to OmpA proteins can be used in diagnostic methods to determine whether an individual has contracted an Anaplasmatacaea infection.
Inventors: Jason A. Carlyon (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Phosphorous-containing compounds and uses thereof
Patent No. 9,944,879
The present invention provides phosphorous-containing compounds useful as antiwear additive components, lubricant additive compositions and lubricant compositions each comprising such compounds, and methods for making and using the same.
Inventors: Davis Edwards (Richmond), Bevin Parks (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Polysubstituted pyrroles having microtubule-disrupting, cytotoxic and antitumor activities and methods of use thereof
Patent No. 9,944,597
The present invention provides polysubstituted pyrrole compounds, pharmaceutically effective salts, prodrugs, solvates and hydrates thereof, having antimitotic, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, activity against cells expressing the drug efflux protein, P-glycoprotein, or cells expressing the .beta.-III isotype of tubulin and antitumor activity. Also provided are methods of utilizing these compounds for inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells as well as their medical use, in particular for treating cancer, including drug resistant cancer.
Inventors: Glen E. Kellogg (Ashland, Va.), Chenxiao Da (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Ashutosh Tripathi (Bryan, Texas), John T. Gupton (Midlothian, Va.), Nakul Telang (Richmond), James A. Sikorski (Chesterfield, Mo.), Susan L. Mooberry (San Antonio, Texas), Cristina Rohena (San Antonio, Texas)
Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (Austin, Texas) & Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) & University of Richmond (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Medial column (MECO) fixation device, method, and system
Patent No. 9,943,347
An orthopedic implant device and system support the fusion of bones in the medial column of the human foot. An exemplary implant uses an improved lag screw and supplemental components, including a washer plate and transverse screws which penetrate transverse through holes in the shaft of the lag screw. Additionally, a surgical procedure is described which may employ such an implant. The improved lag screw may be inserted at the plantar surface of the first metatarsal and support the fusion of, for example, the transverse tarsal joint, the cuneonavicular joint, and the tarsometatarsal joint.
Inventors: Jennifer S. Wayne (Richmond), Robert S. Adelaar (Richmond), Jacob E. Park (Richmond), Brian A. Smith (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Manway lid gasket
Patent No. 9,944,459
A manway lid gasket is an annular gasket that has top and bottom surfaces between the inside diameter and outside diameter of the gasket. Each of the top and bottom surfaces includes a concave, circumferential groove therein. Additionally, the gasket has a radial cut out that extends from the outside diameter face partway through the radial width of the gasket and has an annular corrugated metal insert positioned therein.
Inventors: Stephen E. Benet (Friendswood, Texas), James E. B. Frew (Kingsport, Tenn.), Thomas P. Lokey (Elkton, Md.), Daniel F. Reid (Kingwood, Texas), Alfred Fitzgerald Waterland III (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Virginia Sealing Products Inc. (Prince George, Va.)
April 17, 2018
Nicotine lozenge
Patent No. 9,943,511
A nicotine lozenge provided herein includes a body that is partially or wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a soluble-fiber matrix and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the soluble-fiber matrix. In some cases, a nicotine lozenge provided herein includes at least 40 weight percent of soluble fiber. In some cases, soluble fiber in a nicotine lozenge provided herein can include maltodextrin. The nicotine lozenge is adapted to release the nicotine or a derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity of an adult consumer and exposed to saliva.
Inventors: Feng Gao (Midlothian, Va.), Diane L. Gee (Chesterfield, Va.), Phillip M. Hulan (Midlothian, Va.), Shuzhong Zhuang (Glen Allen, Va.), William J. Burke (Nashville, Tenn.)
Assignee: Virginia Sealing Products Inc. (Prince George, Va.)
April 17, 2018
Removable seat attachment for a stroller
Patent No. 9,944,305
A stroller is provided with the ability to removably couple and decouple a seat from the stroller as needed. The stroller can include a stroller frame. The stroller can also include one or more front wheels attached to the stroller frame and one or more rear wheels attached to the stroller frame. The stroller can also include a first seat couple to the stroller frame. The stroller can include first and second seat attachment housings. Each of the seat attachment housings can include a cavity for receiving a corresponding one of the first and second seat attachment adapters. Each of the seat attachment housings can also include a door or cover to prevent access to the respective cavity when not in use. The seat attachment adapters can be coupled to the respective seat attachment housings and a second seat can be coupled to the seat attachment adapters.
Inventors: Jon Hee Lee (Highwood, Ill.), Megan Roe (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Stacy Noel Simpson (Portage, Mich.), Mark Zehfuss (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Baby Jagger (Richmond)
April 17, 2018
Variable weight training bat for increasing the bat speed of a batter
Patent No. 9,943,740
A training bat for increasing the speed of the swing of a baseball batter. The training bat includes a tubular body with a first end including a grip and a sealing knob. A second end of the body includes a cavity therein with a detachable pin. The cavity within the tubular body includes a plurality of core members of various weights. A batter can vary the weight of the training bat by securing a selected core member within the cavity using the detachable pin. The pin may include a flexible clip member or a strap including hook and loop layers thereon for connecting a core member within the training bat. A knob boot extends from the knob and around the first end of the tubular body. A selected core member secured by the pin is held in a non-rotatable relationship with respect to the tubular body.
Inventors: Fred T. Mayers III (Mechanicsville, Va.), Jake Mayers (Mechanicsville, Va.), Matthew A. Tyner (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Assignee: N/A
April 17, 2018
Electronic coupon issuance and redemption apparatuses, methods and systems
Patent No. 9,953,334
The Electronic Coupon Issuance And Redemption Apparatuses, Methods and Systems (“ECIR”) transforms user coupon purchase and redemption request inputs via ECIR components into coupon issuance, transaction, and analytics outputs. In some embodiments, the ECIR may receive an inventory request from a coupon program manager, including at least a virtual coupon issue criteria. The ECIR may generate one or more account identifiers, and transmit the account identifiers to the coupon program manager. The ECIR may receive, from the coupon program manager, an issue request along with the purchase information, which may include one or more purchase identifiers corresponding to one or more buyers. The ECIR may determine when the received purchase information satisfies the virtual coupon issue criteria. when it satisfies the criteria, the ECIR may issue one or more virtual coupons having the one or more account identifiers, and transmit the issued virtual cards to the coupon program manager.
Inventors: Kathy Heitmueller (Midland, Ga.), Douglas R. Frantz (San Francisco, Calif.), Chris J. Truelson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Mary T. Taylor (San Francisco, Calif.), Walter J. Granville (Richmond)
Assignee: Visa International Service Association (San Francisco, Calif.)
April 24, 2018
Recombinant cancer therapeutic cytokine
Patent No. 9,951,114
Recombinant therapeutic cytokines (“therakines”) for the treatment of cancer are provided. The recombinant therakines include a truncated region of MDA-7/TL-24 (“M4”) not normally found in nature that has anti-cancer activity and a secretory signal which causes secretion of the therakine from plasmid/virus transduced normal and cancer cells and interaction of the therakine to MDA-7/IL-24 receptors on adjacent, neighboring and distant cancer cells. Therakine interaction results in bystander killing of the target cancer cell as well as adjacent, neighboring and distant cancer cells.
Inventors: Paul B. Fisher (Richmond), Praveen Bhoopathi (Richmond), Swadesh K. Das (Richmond), Luni Emdad (Richmond), Devanand Sarkar (Richmond), Upneet Sokhi (Richmond)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
April 24, 2018
Authentication and authorization without the use of supplicants
Patent No. 9,954,869
Provided is authentication and authorization without the use of supplicants. Authentication and authorization includes generating a profile for a device based on at least one characteristic observed during a successful attempt by the device to access an 802.1X network infrastructure. Expected characteristics for a next attempt to access the infrastructure by the device are determined. A characteristic of the next access attempt is matched to the expected characteristic and access to the network is selectively controlled as a result of the matching. This is achieved without a supplicant being installed on the device.
Inventors: Ryan B. Benskin (Charlotte, N.C.), Lawrence T. Belton Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.), Christopher Houser (Mt. Holly, N.C.), Peter A. Makohon (Huntersville, N.C.), Timothy Morris (Lexington, N.C.), Omar Bracey (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco, Calif.)
April 24, 2018