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The invention is a panel of five tests of patient sera for immune responses that may attack the brain and lead to the characteristic symptoms of pediatric acute neurologic syndrome (PANS). PANS is a condition defined by a sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating restrictions, and other cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms. Currently, the diagnosis of PANS is made when other possible symptoms are ruled out, a diagnosis of exclusion.

This invention relates to the stable and high-yield production of a high-potency toxin protein called DT390-EGF. This toxin was developed for the treatment of EGF-receptor-positive cancers, including bladder cancer. Initial methods for synthesizing DT390-EGF relied on the use of E. coli. However, the production in E. coli was difficult to prepare and had limited stability. Repeated efforts to standardize the process in E. coli gave poor yields, purity, and high variation.

The invention relates to rabbit antisera raised against purified human chymotrypsin and amylase. Both chymotrypsin and amylase are produced by the pancreas and play important roles in digestion. Abnormal levels of chymotrypsin and amylase have been known to occur with multiple pancreas-related disorders, including pancreatitis. Measuring levels of these two enzymes using these polyclonal antibodies can help determine if a pancreas is functioning correctly.

This invention includes the design and synthesis of ligands that bind selectively and specifically to the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor. The NMDA receptor is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including depression, stroke, drug addiction, and neuropathic pain. Existing ligands to the NMDA receptor are widely used to treat these conditions.

This technology relates to a software package called NIMH DAO Toolbox that uses multithreading and a unique buffer structure to shorten gaps in sample readouts. Data acquisition devices running in continuous sampling mode collect data samples at a given sampling rate. The samples are typically stored in a memory buffer and read out at a regular interval. If the sampling rate is short enough, there can be a gap between the time the first sample is acquired and the time that sample is available to the user. This gap is typically on the order of tens of milliseconds.

This technology relates to a closed-loop controller that is being developed as a phone app for emotional self-regulation in real-time. There is a significant association between emotion dysregulation and symptoms of depression, anxiety, eating pathology, and substance abuse, affecting millions worldwide. Consisting of a closed-loop controller that adjusts reward values in real-time according to individual mood response, the Mood Machine Interface technology compensates for adaptation to stimuli over time allowing it to generate substantial mood changes in the user.

The technology relates to the first radioligands that can be used to image and quantify the enzyme phosphodiesterase subtype D (PDE4D). The PDE4D proteins have a role in carrying out signal transduction pathways in several cell types and is thought to be the key target of various antidepressants. Current work with imaging the radioligands in monkey brains using positron emission tomography (PET) has been successful, and further work with humans is needed.

This technology includes the design and use of several nanobodies that bind to the SARS-CoV2 spike protein receptor binding domain and block spike protein interaction with the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Nanobodies are 12-15 kDa single-domain antibody fragments that are more stable and easier to produce in large quantities compared to conventional antibodies. SARS-CoV2 is the virus responsible for the COVID19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV2 spike protein is responsible for viral entry into human cells via interaction with ACE2 on the cell surface.

The invention is a novel longer-lived mouse model for Gaucher disease. Gaucher disease is a genetic disorder that results from deficiencies in the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA). The use of animal models to study how the disease progresses has been invaluable in research of this disorder. However, existing mouse models have been limited due to early mortality because the GBA enzyme plays an important role in lysosomal storage.

Available for licensing is a technique for improving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that employs steady state free precession (SSFP). One such technique, fast imaging with steady-state free precession (FISP), is a well established and is a fast MR imaging method commonly used to evaluate cardiovascular anatomy and function. FISP provides high signal to noise ratio (SNR) images with excellent contrast between blood and the myocardium. However, these images are often contaminated with high signal from fatty tissue resulting in image artifacts.