Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter relates to using a haploid inducing line (whether existing or created) and transforming the haploid line so that it encodes cellular machinery capable of editing genes. The transformed haploid inducing line is used as a parent in a cross between two plants. During pollination, the parental gametes fuse to form an embryo; and the gene editing machinery is also delivered to the embryo at this time. During embryonic development, one set of parental chromosomes are lost, and the gene editing machinery operates on the remaining set of chromosomes. Thus, at least one haploid progeny with edited genes is produced from the cross.

Abstract: Provided here are methods of using a mutated patatin-like phospholipase II? (“pPLAII?,” renamed here MATRILINEAL) to induce haploid induction in plants, cloning a pPLAII? to induce haploid induction in plants, and genetically engineering a plant to contain a mutated pPLAII?. Also provided are methods of applying topical and spray chemicals, lipids, and RNAi molecules to plants during pollination in order to induce haploid production. Further provided are methods of chemically treating plants during pollination to induce haploids while also reducing embryo abortion and increasing seed set.

Abstract: Provided are isolated cDNAs comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 33, SEQ ID NO: 37, SEQ ID NO: 52 or SEQ ID NO: 53. Also provided are expression cassettes; vectors; transgenic plant cells; plants, plant parts, and seeds; isolated polypeptides; amplicons and informative fragments of the presently disclosed nucleic acids; compositions that include amplification primer pairs; methods for producing plants that exhibit HI; methods for identifying the presence or absence of an allele associated with HI in a plant; methods for introgressing Haploid-inducing nucleotide sequences into plants; and methods for selecting parental plants predicted to produce progeny generations with plants that exhibit Haploid Induction trait.

Abstract: Provided are expression cassettes; vectors; transgenic plant cells; plants, plant parts, and seeds; isolated polypeptides; amplicons and informative fragments of the presently disclosed nucleic acids; compositions that include amplification primer pairs; methods for producing plants that exhibit haploid induction (HI); methods for identifying the presence or absence of an allele associated with HI in a plant; methods for introgressing Haploid-inducing nucleotide sequences into plants; and methods for selecting parental plants predicted to produce progeny generations with plants that exhibit Haploid Induction trait.

Abstract: Provided are isolated cDNAs. In some embodiments, the isolated cDNA are selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 33, SEQ ID NO: 37, SEQ ID NO: 52 or SEQ ID NO: 53, optionally wherein the percent identity is calculated over the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 33, SEQ ID NO: 37, SEQ ID NO: 52 or SEQ ID NO: 53; (b) a nucleic acid having at least 95% identity over nucleotides 91-1452 of SEQ ID NO: 33; (c) a nucleic acid that is the reverse complement of either of (a) or (b); and (d) a nucleic acid that encodes a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 54, or SEQ ID NO: 55, or SEQ ID NO: 56, or SEQ ID NO: 57 optionally wherein the percent identity is calculated over the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 54, or SEQ ID NO: 55, or SEQ ID NO: 56, or SEQ ID NO: 57.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a method of altering the number of archesporial cells in a developing anther of a plant in certain embodiments, the method comprises exposing the anther to redox-modulatory conditions prior to differentiation of germline cells in the anther, thereby changing the redox potential of cells in the anther and altering the number of archesporial cells in the anther. This method may be employed to increase or decrease the number of archesporial cells in a developing anther, and may be employed to produce male sterile plants.

Abstract: A gyroscopic exercise ball (10) includes a housing (10a, 10b) surrounding a rotor (12) centrally disposed on a shaft (14) having two ends (28) mounted in notches (26) of a freely rotatable gimbal ring (24). The ring and the ends of said shaft are disposed in a groove having a height larger than a diameter of the ends of the shaft. The diameter is larger than a thickness of the gimbal ring, and a rotation rate sensor (60) measures the rotor speed. A processor (110) is in communication with the rotation rate sensor to calculate an exercise evaluation. A pitch axis and a roll axis gyroscopic sensor (80, 70) are in communication with the processor. The exercise evaluation determines energy expenditure, force, power, angles or angular velocity of motion, range of motion, position, speed or trajectory of motion, and an evaluation of form for an individual exercise.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a method of altering the number of archesporial cells in a developing anther of a plant in certain embodiments, the method comprises exposing the anther to redox-modulatory conditions prior to differentiation of germline cells in the anther, thereby changing the redox potential of cells in the anther and altering the number of archesporial cells in the anther. This method may be employed to increase or decrease the number of archesporial cells in a developing anther, and may be employed to produce male sterile plants.

Abstract: A gyroscopic exercise ball (10) includes a housing (10a, 10b) surrounding a rotor (12) centrally disposed on a shaft (14) having two ends (28) mounted in notches (26) of a freely rotatable gimbal ring (24). The ring and the ends of said shaft are disposed in a groove having a height larger than a diameter of the ends of the shaft. The diameter is larger than a thickness of the gimbal ring, and a rotation rate sensor (60) measures the rotor speed. A processor (110) is in communication with the rotation rate sensor to calculate an exercise evaluation. A pitch axis and a roll axis gyroscopic sensor (80, 70) are in communication with the processor. The exercise evaluation determines energy expenditure, force, power, angles or angular velocity of motion, range of motion, position, speed or trajectory of motion, and an evaluation of form for an individual exercise.

Abstract: A 3D surface wound, injury, and personal protective equipment (PPE) data entry system provides an easily usable graphical user interface through which an examiner can objectively record data relating to surface wounds and injuries sustained by a subject human, as well as PPE used when the wounds/injuries were sustained. The system includes a 3D human model onto which the examiner draws the surface wound(s) and/or damage to the PPE. The subject human's record is stored in a database of similar records. The database records comprise quantifiable, objective data that is easily compared and analyzed. An analysis tool can aggregate a selected population of human subjects within the database to create wound density information that can be statistically analyzed and/or displayed on a standard 3D human model. Such objective wound density information may facilitate improved medical and/or tactical training, and improved PPE design.

Abstract: A 3D surface wound, injury, and personal protective equipment (PPE) data entry system provides an easily usable graphical user interface through which an examiner can objectively record data relating to surface wounds and injuries sustained by a subject human, as well as PPE used when the wounds/injuries were sustained. The system includes a 3D human model onto which the examiner draws the surface wound(s) and/or damage to the PPE. The subject human's record is stored in a database of similar records. The database records comprise quantifiable, objective data that is easily compared and analyzed. An analysis tool can aggregate a selected population of human subjects within the database to create wound density information that can be statistically analyzed and/or displayed on a standard 3D human model. Such objective wound density information may facilitate improved medical and/or tactical training, and improved PPE design.

Abstract: An authentication system incorporates pluralilty of fused biometric modalities which are combined with quality indicia of the biometric samples. Fusion processing maps individual modality data along with one or more quality measurements to a fused score for purposes of making an authentication decision.

Abstract: A system and method of face recognition is provided. The method includes capturing an image including a face and registering features of the image to fit with a model face to generate a registered model face. The registered model face is then transformed to a desired orientation to generate a transformed model face. The transformed model face is then compared against a plurality of stored images to identify a number of likely candidates for the face. In addition, the face recognition process may be performed passively.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for performing a facial approximation is described. The system includes an acquisition subsystem and a facial approximation algorithm. The method includes the steps of acquiring models of known skulls and a model of a questioned skull, comparing the models of the known skulls with the model of the questioned skull, and removing variation in the facial structure of the questioned skull due to skeletal variation between the known skulls and the questioned skull. The apparatus includes a bony structure software component, a bony structure warping software component, and a soft tissue software component.

Abstract: A system for automating cross connections in an access network. The automated cross connect system comprises of a plurality of upstream line interface circuits adapted for connection to upstream communication links, and a plurality of downstream line interface circuits adapted for connection to downstream communication links. The upstream and downstream line interface circuits are interconnected by an automated cross connect switch that selectively couples particular upstream line interface circuits to particular downstream line interface circuits, in response to routing commands sent from a command center. Thus, the automated cross connect system selectively establishes a bi-directional communication path between the upstream line interface circuits and the downstream line interface circuits, thereby providing a communication path between a selected upstream communication link and downstream communication link.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking the movements of persons. The system includes at least two video devices and a computing device. The computing device is coupled to the at least two video devices and it includes a computing section capable of performing calculations to support mode stratified particle filtering. The method includes visually capturing a scene encompassing one or more strata, re-sampling each of the stratum, and redefining each of the stratum. The method further includes adding new or subtracting old strata based upon the arrival or departure of isolated targets within the scene and normalizing each of the stratum.

Abstract: A crowd segmentation system and method is described. The system includes a digital video capturing subsystem and a computing subsystem. The computing subsystem utilizes an emergent labeling technique to segment a crowd into individuals. The emergent labeling technique employs algorithms which can be used iteratively to place vertices associated with feature points in a captured digital video image into multiple cliques and, ultimately, in a single clique.

Abstract: A system and a method for detecting an object, such as an explosive device or material, located within a closed article, such as a piece of luggage or a parcel. The system includes an acquisition subsystem for acquiring information pertaining to a specific object, a reconstruction subsystem for reconstructing acquired information pertaining to the specific object into image data, and a computer-aided detection subsystem adapted for identifying the specific object through the use of differential operators. The method includes obtaining image data of the one object, computing a differential operator for each voxel of the image data, computing eigenvalues and eigenvectors for each of the voxels, and computing a scalar function of the eigenvalues to ascertain whether each of the voxels represents a portion of the one object.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method based on information about a shopper's location and behavior prior to approaching the check-out counter improves detection of fraud. A tracking mechanism tracks a shopper and merchandise as the shopper is shopping and generates a list of currently acquired items. At the point of sale, the list of currently acquired items is compared to the list of purchased items and any discrepancies are provided.

Abstract: Surveillance systems and methods having both a radio frequency component and a video image are provided. The radio frequency component can determine the orientation and position of an RFID tag within a surveillance area. The orientation of the RFID tag is can be determined with respect to two or more orthogonal planes using inductance and a predetermined number of mutually orthogonal antenna loops.