Abstract: A new method for the preparation and sterilization of skin allografts is presented. Human skin allografts are radiated in the present invention and applied as a temporary wound dressing on a graft dome. The invention is particularly useful for wound and burn therapies and presents a low cost, safe, and effective treatment that can be widely used with extensive storage capability.

Abstract: A method for providing a P buffer fertilizer to plants growing in soilless media has been developed. Plants are provided with phosphorus (P) fixed to alumina (Al) in a concentration ranging from 0.25-16% by volume as a solid-phase P buffer for sustained release of P. The resulting plants show increased root growth and resistance to transplant stress. The invention has the further benefit that it virtually eliminate P leaching from the growing media. The fertilizer can be applied to containerized plants, crops, grass or other plants requiring P for growth. The invention is particular useful for greenhouse plants, vegetable and bedding transplants, stadium fields and golf courses where P leaching from the growing media is undesirable. The invention is particularly useful for transplants because it affords increased root growth which increases the probability of transplant success.

Abstract: Dominant negative or trans-dominant mutants of viral proteins represent a new and exciting means of antiviral therapy. However, the extreme specificity of a given dominant negative mutant limits its general utility in treating a broad spectrum of viral diseases, since it can typically interfere with the activity of only a single viral polypeptide encoded by a single virus. A dominant negative mutant of a gene encoding promiscuous viral transactivator protein was isolated in an attempt to generate a polypeptide which could inhibit gene expression and, therefore, virus replication nonspecifically. This mutant, a truncated derivative of the gene encoding herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein ICP0, was found to behave as a powerful repressor of gene expression from an assortment of HSV-1 and non-HSV-1 promoters in transient expression assays.

Abstract: Provided is a method for the use of 10-oxo-trans-8-decenoic acid (ODA) as a fungal growth hormone to stimulate mycelial growth of cultivated mushrooms. A species of cultivated mushroom is selected and grown in a solid or liquid growth medium which has been supplemented with ODA to a concentration of 10.sup.-7 M to about 10.sup.-4 M. After culturing the mushroom the mycelium of cultivated mushroom is harvested. In addition to a method of using ODA, a method for the hormonal stimulation of fruiting in cultivated mushrooms is also disclosed. The ODA in this method is added to the casing layer of the compost which is mixed with mushroom spawn. Further, the ODA is added to the casing layer in aqueous solution after casing the compost.

Abstract: An MHD apparatus includes a solenoid coil that is symmetrically positioned about a central axis aperture. Upon energization, the coil produces an intense magnetic field along the central axis and within the aperture. A first cylinder having a first diameter is positioned in the aperture and a second cylinder which exhibits a second diameter that is less than the first diameter is positioned within the first cylinder. A helical web insulator is positioned between the first cylinder and the second cylinder and provides a helical fluid flow channel between first and second ends of the cylinders. A DC power supply is connected between the first and second cylinders, which produces a current flow that interacts with the magnetic field to exert an MHD propulsive force on seawater within the fluid flow channel. In this mode of operation, the apparatus pumps the saltwater or provides a thrust.

Abstract: In spectroscopic mode, the energy levels of an atom, molecule or surface feature are determined by scanning laser frequencies and/or microwave frequencies. Enhanced radiation in the microwave or optical frequency range is detected and the detected spectra characterize the energy levels. In the analytical mode, the laser and/or microwave frequencies are optimized to detect the presence of an atom, molecule or surface feature.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for performing thermomechanical processing of gears in which precise control of the thermal, metallurgical and mechanical action during the forming process is maintained. The apparatus comprises an induction heating system which reaustenitizes the surface of the gear with minimum decarburization, a material transfer system which provides timely operations on the work piece, tooling and fixture adjustments which provide accurate initial conditions for forming, and a process control architecture that provides the precise sequence and timing necessary to achieve metallurgically sound and dimensionally accurate gears. The induction heating cycle can be controlled from the peak, average or minimum gear surface temperature detected with a high response optical pyrometer. An inert environment is maintained around the workpiece during the induction heating and transfer to quenching above the M.sub.s temperature.

Abstract: New methods and compositions suitable for the vaccination of poultry against pathogenic Escherichia coli are presented. The invention uses the clonal structure of bacterial populations in order to successfully vaccinate aginst such poultry pathogens by selecting out closely related non-pathogenic organisms. Live E. coli strain 364 is used to effect immunization.

Abstract: A controller for directing the actions of an autonomous device in response to the existence or actions of objects in the physical world comprises program means for fusing physical world data and inferred property confidence factors into a plurality of representational instances, at least one representational instance having an inferred behavior interface property for soliciting a response of the autonomous device, program means stored in a random access memory for implementing a plurality of independent behavior instances for carrying out response tasks, program means stored in the random access memory for implementing a mission control task by generating a task list of behavior instances to be performed and program means stored in the random access memory for implementing an execution engine for executing the behavior instance at the head of the task list.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for generating hydrogen gas from a charge of fuel selected from the group consisting of lithium and alloys of lithium and aluminum. The charge of fuel is placed into an enclosed vessel, then heated until it is molten. A reactant consisting of water is introduced into the vessel, as by spraying from a nozzle, for reaction with the charge of fuel resulting in the production of hydrogen gas and heat which are withdrawn from the vessel. Prior to initiation of the process, an inert gas atmosphere, such as argon, may be imparted to the interior of the vessel. A sufficiently large mass flow of the reactant through the nozzle is maintained to assure that there be no diminution of flow resulting from the formation on the nozzle of fuel and chemical compounds of the fuel. Optimum charges of the fuel are application specific and the ranges of the constituents are dependent upon the particular use of the system.

Abstract: An electrophoretic separation apparatus includes a capillary tube having a length, a cross section, an inlet and an outlet. A first reservoir containing a solvent and, upon injection, a solute is in fluid-flow communication with the inlet and a second reservoir containing at least a solvent is also in fluid flow communication with the outlet, the capillary thereby being filled at least with the solvent. A first power supply applies a direct voltage separation potential between the first and second reservoirs and along the length of the capillary to thereby establish an electrophoretic flow of the solute therethrough. A second power supply applies an alternating voltage upon the direct voltage, and the DC impedance and AC impedance values are determined and subtracted to provide a direct measurement of the electroosmotic flow.

Abstract: A fabrication process for rendering, for example, amorphous silicon (a-Si) films into polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films initially commences with the deposition of the a-Si film on a substrate such as glass. The a-Si film is then exposed to a particle flux (e.g. a plasma or a neutral beam). The resulting treatment apparently causes an action that enhances a subsequent crystallization process. The treatment occurs at a temperature well below any level which causes a change in the substrate. The particle flux treatment is followed by an anneal step that enables a rapid crystallization. By appropriate masking prior to the treatment, crystallization in non-treated areas is prevented while crystallization in treated areas occurs during the anneal procedure.

Abstract: An article having a slip-resistant surface and method of producing the same includes metallurgically bonding raised bead-like configurations of a compatible material at select locations on the article surface. The method includes injecting, substantially simultaneously with projecting a high power radiant energy beam, powder particles into a portion of the beam lying a distance away from the point of impingement on the surface portion of the article. The particles interact with the beam for a time period sufficient to cause at least partial melting of a substantial number of particles which are then transported to a selected point on the surface portion. The partially melted particles, along with completely and/or any substantially unmelted particles, are allowed to bond with the surface material thereby forming a raised configuration thereon. The process is repeated for forming another raised configuration at another selected location on the surface portion for thereby forming a slip-resistant article.

Abstract: What follows is a description of an invention for the preparation of macroscopic metal surfaces by self assembly of colloidal metal particles. Metal surfaces play a critical role in technology, and in many cases, the surface morphology dictates function. The strategy delineated herein, the use of nanometer scale colloidal particles to form two-dimensional arrays, allows control of surface morphology to a degree previously unattainable and perhaps even unimaginable.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an improved method for compacting powdered materials, including ferrous alloys, non-ferrous metals or non-metal powders, wherein the improved method includes the use of an improved lubricant during the compaction process. The improved lubricant includes vinyl halides, generally, and polytetrafluroethylene, specifically. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 0.2 to 0.6 wt. % of the vinyl halide is added to the powdered form of the compactable material before the compaction and sintering of the compactable material.

Abstract: New intramolecular charge-transfer organic dyes are described. The design of these molecules is based on the phenomenon of spiroconjugation, and it provides a modular approach to the preparation of unique materials with interesting optical properties. In the dyes of the invention, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the acceptor part (based on indandione) is spiroconjugated with the highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the donor part (amines, alcohols and thiols). The interaction between the donor and acceptor is controlled by the energy and symmetry of the frontier orbitals. The novel dyes described herein, with predictable and tunable optical properties, can be used in many optical applications including nonlinear optics (NLO).

Abstract: A protective liquid crystal fiber array includes a body having a plurality of capillary passages extending between incident and transmitting faces. A liquid phase, liquid crystal material is positioned in each of the capillaries and optically transparent closures are positioned on the incident and transmitting faces to retain the liquid phase liquid crystal material within the capillaries. The liquid crystal material is substantially transparent at low levels of optical energy, which at high levels of incident optical energy, exhibits an optical limiting effect as a result of a negative change in its refractive index. The change in refractive index is enhanced as a result of thermal density effects due to the restriction of the incident optical energy within the diameter of one or more capillaries.

Abstract: A method for altering self-compatibility/self-incompatibility in flowering plants is presented. The method comprises manipulation of the plant genome and production of the transonic plants. Abolishment of self-incompatibility was achieved by inserting into plant genome as DNA segment comprising anti-sense message of the allelic form of the S-gene responsible for self-incompatibility. This insert prove to be satisfactory to block expression of said allelic form of S-gene. Introduction of self-incompatibility was achieved by inserting into plant genome DNA construct comprising message coding for the S-protein responsible for self-incompatibility.

Abstract: Tibial growth potentiating peptides which are unreactive in an enzyme immunoassay for human growth hormone have been isolated from human pituitary glands and human plasma. The peptides have a molecular weight of less than 10,000 daltons.

Abstract: Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of seminal plasma samples indicate that two proteins (26 kDa, pI 6.2; 55 kDa, pI 4.5) predominated in higher fertility bulls and two proteins (16 kDa, pI 4.1; 16 kDa, pI 6.7) predominated in lower fertility bulls. A regression model was developed to predict bull fertility using the four fertility-associated protein densities. A plot of actual bull fertility versus that calculated by this model was linear and positively correlated (r=0.89). These findings indicate that bull seminal plasma contains fertility-associated proteins which are predictive of bull fertility. Additionally, the ability of seminal plasma to alter the in vitro fertility of ejaculated bull sperm was examined using a sperm penetration assay for zona-free bovine oocytes. Washed, ejaculated sperm from bulls of below (low) or above average (high) fertility were mixed with seminal plasma from the same bull, or with seminal plasma from a bull of contrasting fertility.