Abstract: Glycosaminoglycans, particularly hyaluronic acid, are extracted from alligator carcasses, feet, backstraps, and eyeballs. The alligator-derived glycosaminoglycans can be used in treatments for cystic fibrosis (CF), in treating other inflammatory conditions, and for other purposes.

Abstract: Amphipathic lytic peptides are ideally suited to use in a ligand/cytotoxin combination to specifically inhibit cells that are driven by or are dependent upon a specific ligand interaction; for example, to induce sterility or long-term contraception, or to attack tumor cells, or to selectively lyse virally-infected cells, or to attack lymphocytes responsible for autoimmune diseases. The peptides act directly on cell membranes, and need not be internalized. Administering a combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (or a GnRH agonist) and a membrane-active lytic peptide produces long-term contraception or sterilization in animals in vivo. Administering in vivo a combination of a ligand and a membrane-active lytic peptide kills cells with a receptor for the ligand. The compounds are relatively small, and are not antigenic. Lysis of gonadotropes has been observed to be very rapid (on the order of ten minutes.) Lysis of tumor cells is rapid.

Abstract: An all fiber-optic in-line photopolarimeter is disclosed. This photopolarimeter replaces the conventional 1.times.2 coupler, bulk beamsplitter and accompanying optics with a single 1.times.5 star coupler. This system can measure state of polarization of light in a fiber in situ.