Abstract: Disclosed is a process of screening clones having DNA from an uncultivated microorganism for a specified protein, e.g. enzyme, activity by screening for a specified protein, e.g. enzyme, activity in a library of clones prepared by (i) recovering DNA from a DNA population derived from at least one uncultivated microorganism; and (ii) transforming a host with recovered DNA to produce a library of clones which is screened for the specified protein, e.g. enzyme, activity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a quantum channel for the transmission of information.

Abstract: Disclosed are TGF-60 mimetics that PEGylated TGF-&agr; polypeptides and PEGylated TGF-60 related polypetides or fragments thereof.

Abstract: Antigenic rare outer membrane proteins of Spirochaetaceae are obtained from organisms extracted from infected tissue by a novel process of isolation utilizing a discontinuous Ficoll gradient separation, release of outer membrane in a low isotonic and low pH buffer and identification of outer membrane by use of a lipid soluble dye. Four antigenic rare outer membrane proteins of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum useful in diagnosis and prophylaxis of syphilis are provided. Also provided is the amino acid sequence of a rare outer membrane protein of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum and the nucleotide sequence encoding it.

Abstract: A method for solving space-time problems involving three-dimensional space wherein an unstructured four-dimensional finite element model is generated and solved to produce a four-dimensional solution. The four-dimensional mesh is generated from a three-dimensional mesh by extruding each of the simplices of the three-dimensional mesh in a time dimension. The four-dimensional prisms formed by extrusion of the three-dimensional simplices are divided into a plurality of four-dimensional simplices which form a four-dimensional finite element model. The elements of the four-dimensional model can be selectively refined to obtain a finer mesh in areas of greater interest, and a coarser mesh in areas which are of less interest. The mesh can be refined in the spatial dimensions and also in the temporal dimension.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for decoding a bit stream of variable-length and fixed-length codewords representing encoded digital content. A decoder includes a memory for storing microinstructions that control the decoder. The decoder further includes a first barrel shifter for extracting a first bit field from the bit stream, a position of the first bit field being specified by the microinstruction, and a second barrel shifter for extracting a second bit field from the bit stream, a position of the second bit field being specified by the microinstructions. A microprogram counter keeps an address of a currently-executing microinstruction of the microinstructions, where a next state of the microprogram counter is determined by the microinstructions and the first bit field. A data converter modifies a value of the second bit field according to the microinstructions. A data storage stores either data in the microinstructions or an output of the data converter as decoded data values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for using a memory adapter may allow a system to access the memory adapter. The memory adapter may comprise a list of entries for data within the memory adapter. Each entry may include an adapter memory segment offset, a segment length, a segment status, and a corresponding system memory address. The adapter memory segment offset may be the location of the offset within the memory adapter. A processor may access the adapter memory segment offsets through the system address space. The method and apparatus may be used to perform functions, such as read adapter memory, write adapter memory, insert adapter memory segment, remove an adapter memory segment, scan for an adapter memory segment, scan for a removable adapter memory segment, and potentially other functions.

Abstract: Methods for detecting allelic variants of the myostatin (growth and differentiation factor-8) gene are provided. Specifically provided are methods of identifying subjects having or having a predisposition for increased muscle mass as compared to subjects having wild-type myostatin. Increased muscle mass is particularly desirable for identification of animals used to produce food products, including bovine, porcine, ovine, avian and piscine species.

Abstract: The present invention may be embodied in a technique for elimination of vulnerable plaque in a vessel. Vulnerable plaque is detected in the vessel based on a temperature increase of the vessel's wall and treated using cryoablation.

Abstract: A high DC voltage to low DC voltage circuit has a first NMOS transistor with the first terminal connected to the source of the high DC voltage and the second terminal connected to supply the low DC voltage. The gate is connected to a middle node of a resistor divider circuit having one end connected to the source of the high DC voltage and the other end to a common node. A plurality of serially connected NMOS transistors has a first end connected to the common node and a second end connected to ground. Each of the NMOS transistors in the plurality of serially connected NMOS transistors has its gate connected to its first terminal and to the second terminal of the immediate adjacent NMOS transistor.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a system and method for further enhancing the transfer efficiency of the disk is provided. In an aspect of the invention, a hierarchical data structure for storing a portion of data in a data file is provided. The data structure includes a granule storage unit that is configured to store individual bits of data, a randomly sized component data unit that is configured to group a sequence of granules as a related data unit, and an extent transfer unit that is configured to group at least one component data unit as a data file. The granule storage unit may include at least one header granule and at least one data granule. The header granule includes metadata information relating to the component data unit.

Abstract: A hull form which operates in the speed ranges where both planing and wave making affect hull resistance is presented with a configuration which reduces wave drag and improves performance in very fast and ultra-faste speed ranges. The specific distribution of immersed cross-sectional area minimizes bow wave making and optimizes the closing wake. Bow wave impedes forward motion of a hull form. Stern closing wake pushes the hull forward and enhances the forward motion. The bow sections are designed so that they have a “hollow” entrance configuration which decreases the effort to spread the water and in turn diminishes the wave making as the hull pushes through the water. The stern sections are designed to be of such a configuration that as the water spread by the bow (34) now must close in around the stern (35) of the hull, the wave height is increased so that the closing wake exerts a forward thrust on the hull.

Abstract: A SONET network interface for interconnecting a high speed unit (HSU) with low speed interface units (LSUs) to enable transmission of signals therebetween. The interface including: a bus for interfacing the HSU with each of the LSU units to enable transmission of signals from each of LSUs to the HSU, and reception of the signals from the HSU to each of the LSUs; and a backplane connected to the bus and having at least two time slots for performing full time slot interchange between the at least two LSUs, wherein any of the at least two LSUs can read received data directly from one of the at least two time slots and can place its transmit data into any other of the at least two time slots for communication with another of the at least two LSUs without exchanging the received and/or transmit data with the at least one HSU.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reading a stream of high-speed data without interrupting the data or reading beyond the end of a desired frame. In one embodiment, a method comprises: receiving a plurality of frames, wherein each frame includes a plurality of words, wherein each frame includes an end-of-frame (EOF) delimiter in the last word in the frame; storing the plurality of frames in a buffer, wherein each word in each frame is stored with an early-end-of-frame (early_EOF) flag and wherein the early-end-of-frame flag is set if and only if the word immediately precedes the last word of the corresponding frame; and when a frame is to be read out of the buffer, sequentially reading words out of the buffer until a word in which the early_EOF flag is set is detected, then reading the word following the word in which the early_EOF flag is set and terminating the read.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for multiple block sequential memory management. A method includes: partitioning a block of memory into a plurality of shared memory segments; and providing a processor with accessibility to each of the plurality of shared memory segments. An apparatus includes: a computer system; a block of memory including a plurality of shared memory segments; and a processor.

Abstract: A system and method for providing non-blocking routing of optical data through a telecommunications router that allows full utilization of available capacity. The router includes a number of data links that carry optical data packets to and from an optical router. The optical router includes a number of ingress edge units coupled to an optical switch core coupled further to a number of egress edge units. The ingress edge units receive the optical data packets from the data links and aggregate the optical data packets into “super packets” where each super packet is to be routed to a particular destination egress edge unit. The super packets are sent from the ingress edge units to an optical switch fabric within the optical switch core that routes each super packet through the optical switch fabric to the super packet's particular destination egress edge unit in a non-blocking manner (i.e., without contention or data loss through the optical switch fabric).

Abstract: A chimeric protein sensor including an optically active polypeptide linked to a responsive polypeptide, or responsive fragment thereof, which undergoes a change in response to a cell signaling event, wherein an optical property of the sensor is altered in response to the change in the responsive polypeptide, or responsive fragment thereof is provided, as well as nucleic acid sequences encoding the chimeric protein sensor. The chimeric protein sensor includes an optically active polypeptide or fragment thereof, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), for measuring cellular events in vivo.

Abstract: In a head loading/unloading type disk apparatus, accurate velocity feedback control is implemented by correcting any error in a VCM velocity detection value, which is caused by a temperature change or the like. At the start of loading control for loading a head from a ramp onto a disk, a carriage is pushed against an outer-periphery stopper to set the actual velocity of a VCM to zero. In this state, a VCM velocity detection value detected by a VCM velocity detection circuit is read out. On the basis of this velocity detection value, calibration for correcting the relationship between the VCM current value and the VCM velocity detection value is performed. In the period of head positioning control after the loading, an operation using a timer is periodically performed in which the carriage is pushed against an inner-periphery stopper, the calibration is reexecuted, and the head is returned to the original head position.

Abstract: A system and method for integrating gas components that combines together, either in an in-line or modular fashion, at least two gas components used in a gas stick for flowing a gas from a first point to an end point. In one embodiment, the present invention can be used to combine a pressure transducer, a filter, and a display into a single unit that will reduce the gas stick size along the gas flow axis of the gas stick. The gas components can be integrated using VCR connections for an in-line use of the present invention. In the modular form, the present invention can use a number of different connections to connect the gas components vertically on a modular base block (i.e., stacked approximately perpendicular to the modular base block). Thus, the gas components will stack vertically with respect to the traditional horizontal gas flow path axis.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel wavelength-separating-routing (WSR) apparatus that uses a diffraction grating to separate a multi-wavelength optical signal by wavelength into multiple spectral channels, which are then focused onto an array of corresponding channel micromirrors. The channel micromirrors are individually controllable and continuously pivotable to reflect the spectral channels into selected output ports. As such, the inventive WSR apparatus is capable of routing the spectral channels on a channel-by-channel basis and coupling any spectral channel into any one of the output ports, thereby constituting a dynamic optical drop module (RODM). By operating an RODM in reverse, a dynamic optical add module (ROAM) is also provided. The RODM (or ROAM) of the present invention may be further equipped with servo-control and power-management capabilities.