Abstract: The invention provides novel methods of detoxifying highly toxic chemicals, and treating surfaces contaminated, or potentially contaminated, with toxic chemical agents such as chemical warfare agents and/or industrial toxins. The methods employ silver-exchanged zeolites and sodium zeolites as reactive sorbents to degrade such agents or toxins on contact, in solution or vapor form.

Abstract: A rifle muzzle launched projectile having a launch tube defining an interior cavity, and having an opening at one end with an inner diameter sized to fit over the end of a rifle muzzle; a bullet trap located in the launch tube cavity; and a payload assembly mounted on the launch tube. The payload assembly is further configured for safely releasing a payload in a controlled manner. The payload assembly also includes a casing for retaining an aerosol composition; a propellant located in the casing; a primer for igniting the propellant; and a frangible portion of the casing in contact with the aerosol composition.

Abstract: Pyrotechnic burster composition combines high explosive energy when confined, with reduced ignition hazard when unconfined. The composition includes pyrotechnic mixtures of KClO4, metal powders, and pentaerythritol or terephthalic acid.

Abstract: Materials display innate resistance, capacitance, and inductance (RCL) properties and can therefore be distinguished in accordance with these properties. A high voltage is applied across a material, and a waveform is obtained whose rise time, frequency content, duration, and fall time represent the RCL properties of the material. The high voltage can be applied by passing air containing the material through a pair of screens held at a potential difference or by gluing a sample of the material to two rods held at a potential difference. The voltage may or may not be enough to cause the material to arc.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting the presence of submicron sized particles in a sample taken from the environment includes a collecting a sample from the environment and purifying and concentrating the submicron particles in a sample based on the size of the particles. The purified and concentrated particles are detected with an apparatus which includes an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary, a differential mobility analyzer which receives the output from the capillary, and a condensation particle device for counting the number of particles that pass through the differential mobility analyzer. The system is intended to collect a sample containing submicron size particles having a size from about 10 to about 350 nanometers and include submicron size particles selected from the group consisting of viruses, prions, macromolecules, proteins, satellites, and virus fragments. Automated controls can be utilized to control the flow of the sample through the system.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of different size groups of submicron size particles in a fluid sample collected from the environment includes apparatus for collecting the environment. The collected a liquid sample containing submicron size particles selected from the group of viruses, prions, macromolecules, proteins and satellites, is directed to an electrospray assembly having an electrospray capillary for ejecting droplets of the fluid sample under the influence of an electric field. The ejected droplets from the electrospray assembly are directed to a differential mobility analyzer which passes the ejected droplets through an electric field, and the particles are then directed to a condensation particle device for counting the number of particles that pass through the electric field.

Abstract: Novel and improved processes for isolating organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme from an aqueous solution and obtaining substantially purified enzyme at high yield are provided, as well as compositions, including storage stable lyophilyzed organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme compositions, that are prepared by the provided methods. The organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme is purified by contacting an aqueous solution of cell free bacterial proteins with a strong cation exchange resin, the aqueous solution comprising soluble organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme, washing the strong cation exchange resin with a washing buffer to remove unbound proteins from the strong cation exchange resin, eluting proteins that remain bound to the strong cation exchange resin by washing the resin with an eluting buffer comprising salt in a concentration that starts at about zero and is raised during the eluting process to about 0.5M, and detecting and collecting eluate comprising a protein having organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme activity.

Abstract: Chemical agent warfare materials and their simulant liquids are identified on terrestrial surfaces at a distance by recognizing the contaminant's infrared fingerprint spectrum brought out in thermal luminescence (TL). Suspect surfaces are irradiated with microwave light that is absorbed into the surface and, subsequently, TL is released by the surface. An optics receiver collects the released TL radiant light, and a data acquisition system searches this TL radiant flux for the contaminant's fingerprint infrared spectrum. A decision on the presence or absence of any-of-N contaminants is done by a neural network system that acts as a filter through real-time pattern recognition of the contaminant's unique infrared absorption or emission spectra.

Abstract: The invention provides purified and isolated DNA fragments from Bacillus anthracis chromosomal DNA, primer sets and probes derived therefrom, as well as kits and detection methods for B. anthracis. The methods of the invention provide for specific detection of anthrax over closely related strains of Bacillus, as well as accurate detection of low numbers of B. anthracis in an environmental sample containing large amounts of non-specific DNA. The invention is applicable to food, health care, and military applications.

Abstract: An aerosol triggering device with an integrating sphere and direct air flow provides a simple and efficient biological aerosol trigger. A method for detecting biological aerosols using the aerosol triggering device also is disclosed.

Abstract: A portable containment system includes a glovebox apparatus, a self-contained filter unit, and removable conduits extending therebetween. The glovebox apparatus includes a first module for releasably covering a first sidewall opening. The first module, which has body and flange portions, has a storage position where the body portion is positioned through the first sidewall opening into the glovebox interior and an operative position where the body portion is positioned exterior of the glovebox. The glovebox apparatus includes second modules for releasably covering a second sidewall opening where the second modules are smaller than the first sidewall opening for inserting the second modules into the interior of the glovebox for storage. The filter unit includes a plurality of gas filters, an air pump, and detectors for monitoring the air flow through the system.

Abstract: A method, system and kit for detecting the presence of an analyte includes placing a solution containing the analyte in a microcapillary tube and placing the microcapillary tube in contact with a layer of sorbent material so that the solution is withdrawn from the microcapillary tube by capillary action. The sorbent material and solvent for the solution are selected so that the solvent is absorbed into the sorbent material and the analyte is adsorbed by the sorbent material and concentrated at the spot where the microcapillary tube contacts the sorbent material. A detector reagent is applied to the sorbent material to indicate the presence of the analyte.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aerosol generating device comprising a cartridge containing a propellant. When ignited, propellant gases expand through a diffuser, then through and into a clearing pad and then through and into a filler area, thereby de-agglomerating and fluidizing the filler and increasing pressure until a frangible end seal on the retainer end of the cartridge ruptures and releases the filler as an aerosol cloud. Methods for disseminating an aerosol and for using the device are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device and method for a non-uniform lens which incorporates geometry for external and internal eye relief which meets requirements of optical corrections and optical sighting systems is provided. The geometry of the front and back surfaces of a lens are approximated by curve-fitting polynomials so that the optical correction is included. The non-uniform mask lens can be made of any optical material and can be cast or injection molded.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for screening chemical samples to detect the presence of chemical warfare agents, chemical warfare agent precursors and degradation products formed therefrom. Particular applications include detection of the presence of a cholinesterase inhibitor derived from alkyloxy methylphosphonic acids, methylphosphonic acid, and methylphosphonofluoridic acid.

Abstract: A neural network pattern recognition system for remotely sensing and identifying chemical and biological materials having a software component having an adaptive gradient descent training algorithm capable of performing backward-error-propagation and an input layer that is formatted to accept differential absorption Mueller matrix spectroscopic data, a filtering weight matrix component capable of filtering pattern recognition from Mueller data for specific predetermined materials and a processing component capable of receiving the pattern recognition from the filtering weight matrix component and determining the presence of specific predetermined materials. A method for sensing and identifying chemical and biological materials also is disclosed.

Abstract: Particles in a fluid cause an arc at a certain electric field whose value depends on the nature of the particles (size, composition, and the like). By applying an electric field across the fluid and determining the value of the electric field at which the arc occurs, the nature of the particles can be determined. For example, if their composition is known, their size can be determined, and vice versa. The device for carrying out such testing has a first electrode with an interior opening and a second electrode having a pin through the interior opening to define a passageway for the fluid. The electric field is varied, either by varying a voltage applied between the electrodes or by forming the passageway to be tapered. Multiple such passageways can be provided, as by forming the first electrode from honeycomb-expanded metal, thus reducing pressure drop, energy consumption without decreasing sensitivity to low concentrations.

Abstract: A first &Dgr;2L differential spectral signature spectrum is taken in the field of view at a low spectral resolution. A first linear discriminant optimized for the low spectral resolution is applied to the first spectrum to obtain a first response, and a hazardous cloud is detected automatically in accordance with the first response. A second &Dgr;2L differential spectral signature spectrum is taken in the field of view at a higher spectral resolution. A second linear discriminant optimized for the higher spectral resolution is applied to the second spectrum to obtain a second response, which is formed into a false-color image and displayed to an operator. The operator discriminates the hazardous cloud in accordance with the image. The first and second linear discriminants can be formed by linear programming.

Abstract: A chemical warfare agent decontaminating composition of a mixture of a carbonate component, peroxide component, and alcohol component effective to degrade a chemical warfare agent. A method for neutralizing chemical warfare agents also is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for detecting or characterizing a nucleic acid analyte without requiring electrophoresis or the direct sequencing of analyte samples or analyte fragments. The device includes a panel or array of double stranded oligonucleotide probes immobilized on a solid support. each probe comprising a nucleotide sequence having a hypervariable number of tandem repeat sequences. Desirably, the specificity of the probes is varied with the location on the panel or array. One strand of each probe is preferably anchored at one terminus to a solid support and the opposite terminus of a second strand is not so anchored. The probes and/or the analyte are labeled by one or more reporter moieties, designed, for example, to allow for visual or instrument based detection of hybridization events.