Abstract: A system for generating loudspeaker-ready binaural signals comprises a tracking system for detecting the position and, preferably, the angle of rotation of a listener's head; and means, responsive to the head-tracking means, for generating the binaural signal. The system may also include a crosstalk canceller responsive to the tracking system, and which adds to the binaural signal a crosstalk cancellation signal based on the position (and/or the rotation angle) of the listener's head. The invention may also address the high-frequency components not generally affected by the crosstalk canceller by considering these frequencies in terms of power (rather than phase). By implementing the compensation in terms of power levels rather than phase adjustments, the invention avoids the shortcomings heretofore encountered in attempting to cancel high-frequency crosstalk.

Abstract: Optically heterogeneous display elements utilize fused pigment particles, which may be manufactured with polymer shells having desired charge, photoresponse, or density characteristics. The particles may be microencapsulated prior to formation of the display element, so that the element is formed internally within the container in which it is permanently housed. The element may function as a bichromal display, a light valve, or a programmable magnetic element.

Abstract: Methods and products are provided for the oligonucleotide-mediated polymerase-dependent mutation of template nucleic acid sequences in a programmed sequence over multiple rounds of nucleic acid synthesis. The methods employ series of mutagenic primers, all of which may be present in the initial reaction system, in which at least some of the mutagenic primers do not bind to or promote polymerization from the original template nucleic acids, but do bind to and promote polymerization from the mutagenized products of earlier rounds of the program of sequential mutagenesis. The products of the invention include mixtures of such mutagenic primers. The products and methods have applications in the biological and computational sciences.

Abstract: A very-high-density memory device which utilizes a scintillating medium for data storage. In one mode, the device operates as a read-only-memory (ROM) unit. In another mode, the device functions as a one-time-write (OTW) and then read-only-memory unit. In an exemplary embodiment, information is read at high data rates from a rotating data-storage disk or cylinder with an electron beam and sensitive photodetector. Two methods of following the data tracks on the storage medium are provided. Masks are provided for use in patterning the data or data tracks. These masks may also be used to pattern very-high-density media for other applications such as magnetic memory and optical near-field memory. A method of patterning radially-periodic structures using interferometric lithography is also provided.

Abstract: A dual output alternator system includes an alternating current (ac) voltage source controllable by controlling a field current, a rectifier coupled to the ac voltage source and having first and second outputs coupled to respective ones of first and second outputs of the dual output alternator system, a sensor coupled to at least one of the ac voltage source, an engine and a back emf signal source and a control system having a first input coupled to an output of the sensor, a second input coupled to at least one of the first and second outputs of the dual output alternator system and a first output coupled to the rectifier.

Abstract: A method for the removal of copper from waste waters includes providing a solution to be treated, the solution comprising copper; introducing a source of ferric ions and a source of ferrous ions into the solution; and adjusting the pH of the solution to promote formation of a copper-containing ferrite precipitate, whereby the solution is depleted in copper. In instances where the solution contains ferric ions, the method includes introducing a source of ferrous ions into the solution to obtain a solution comprising ferric ions and ferrous ions; and adjusting the pH of the solution to promote formation of a copper-containing ferrite precipitate, whereby the solution is depleted in copper.

Abstract: A precision high speed turning machine apparatus is provided which performs a selected operation, such as shaping, polishing or probing/measuring on a workpiece and in particular on a rotationally non-symmetric workpiece. The workpiece is mounted to a workpiece mount which rotates the workpiece at a controlled rate, and a tool is provided which is adapted to perform the selected operation. The tool is supported on a tool mount which positions the tool adjacent a portion of a workpiece surface to be operated on. The tool mount is designed to have very low inertia which permits relatively large movements, of the tool generally perpendicular to the workpiece, at high enough accelerations so as to permit high speed rotation of the workpiece. For some embodiments, more than one tool is mounted to the arm so as to permit a plurality of different operations to be performed.

Abstract: Ion mobility spectrometer systems and methods of using such systems are disclosed. The systems and methods can combine two different ionization techniques (e.g., proton affinity ionization and electron transfer ionization) to provide enhanced detection sensitivity and/or detection selectivity of certain target compounds.

Abstract: A soil specimen rests on a porous support. The support may be a porous ceramic plate or other body, for instance rated at 15 bar (1,500 kPa) or greater. The plate overlies a reservoir full of water that hydraulically contacts either an elastic membrane, that is fitted with a strain gauge, or a pressure transducer. As the soil specimen dries out, water is drawn from the pore space, which decreases the amount of water surrounding the soil particles, causing an increase in the pore water tension. The tension draws water from the saturated plate and reservoir, causing a change in the output of the strain gauge or pressure transducer. The tension is transduced by the strain gauge or pressure transducer, and is continuously recorded. The entire apparatus described above may rest on a balance. As the soil dries out, and its mass is reduced, the change in mass can be measured, and from the change, the mass of the remaining soil and water can be determined.

Abstract: Documents stored in a database are searched for relevance to contextual information, instead of (or in addition to) similar text. Each stored document is indexed in term of meta-information specifying contextual information about the document. Current contextual information is acquired, either from the user or the current computational or physical environment, and this “meta-information” is used as the basis for identifying stored documents of possible relevance.

Abstract: The transition metal-catalyzed amination of aryl halides, in conjunction with an orthogonal protective group scheme, forms the basis of two routes to oligoaniline precursors. The oligoaniline precursors are soluble in a variety of common organic solvents, and are easily converted to the deprotected oligoanilines. The method allows the preparation of oligoanilines of even or odd chain lengths, and the incorporation of a variety of functional groups into the oligomers. Polyanilines of low polydispersity can also be prepared by this method.

Abstract: A method is provided for the transition metal-catalyzed arylation, or vinylation, of hydrazines, hydrazones, and the like. Additionally, the invention provides a conceptually novel strategy, the cornerstone of which is the transition metal-catalyzed arylation or vinylation method, for the synthesis of indoles, carbazoles, and the like. The methods and strategies of the invention may be utilized in standard, parallel, and combinatorial synthetic protocols.

Abstract: A highly porous three-dimensional biodegradable poly(organophosphazene) matrix with hydrolytically unstable side chains is prepared and used as a scaffold for the growth of osteoblast cells. In a preferred embodiment, the poly(organophosphazene) includes between 10 and 90% hydrolytically unstable side chains including glucosyl, glyceryl, glyceryl, imidazolyl or ethoxy units, for example, poly[(methylphenoxy)(ethyl glycinato) phosphazene]. The addition of the glucosyl, glycinyl or glyceryl side chains to the polymer can also be used generally to enhance growth rates of cells adhered to the polymer, presumably through uptake and metabolism of the simple sugar or alcohol units.

Abstract: Nucleic acid sequences and corresponding translated products of novel mutant forms of the Drosophila hid gene are described. Such sequences and products are useful in screening methods for identifying and testing antagonists of Hid phosphorylation, in particular, compositions modifying MAPK phosphorylation of Hid.

Abstract: The invention provides a scheme for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel to generate and extract enhanced translational energy. In the scheme, hydrocarbon fuel is nanopartitioned into nanometric fuel regions each having a diameter less than about 1000 angstroms; and either before or after the nanopartitioning, the fuel is introduced into a combustion chamber. In the combustion chamber, a shock wave excitation of at least about 50,000 psi and with an excitation rise time of less than about 100 nanoseconds is applied to the fuel. A fuel partitioned into such nanometric quantum confinement regions enables a quantum mechanical condition in which translational energy modes of the fuel are amplified, whereby the average energy of the translational energy mode levels is higher than it would be for a macro-sized, unpartitioned fuel. Combustion of such a nanopartitioned fuel provides enhanced translational energy extraction by way of, e.g.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new biopolymer resistant coatings for materials that come in contact with such molecules in solution. Additionally, the present invention discloses a process for the fabrication of these coatings, under mild and scaleable reaction conditions, from simple, low molecular weight molecular components. Furthermore, the present invention teaches a general conceptual strategy for the design of additional protein resistant coatings.

Abstract: A device for detecting contact pressure applied to a finger, the finger having a fingernail illuminated by light, comprises at least one photodetector for measuring a change in light reflected by an area of the finger beneath the fingernail in response to the contact pressure applied to the finger. The photodetector provides a signal corresponding to the change in light reflected. The device also includes a processor for receiving the signal and determining whether the change corresponds to a specified condition. The photodetector may be enclosed in a housing and coupled to the fingernail.

Abstract: Replacement solvents for use in chemical synthesis include polymer-immobilized solvents having a flexible polymer backbone and a plurality of pendant groups attached onto the polymer backbone, the pendant groups comprising a flexible linking unit bound to the polymer backbone and to a terminal solvating moiety. The polymer-immobilized solvent may be dissolved in a benign medium. Replacement solvents for chemical reactions for which tetrahydrofuran or diethyl may be a solvent include substituted tetrahydrofurfuryl ethers and substituted tetrahydro-3-furan ethers. The replacement solvents may be readily recovered from the reaction train using conventional methods.

Abstract: A system, method, and product are provided to (1) pre-process one or more primary signals to generate a transformed host-signal and/or a transformed watermark-signal; (2) embed one or more watermarked signals and/or transformed watermark signals into a host signal and/or the transformed host signal, thereby generating a composite signal, (2) optionally enable the composite signal to be transmitted over a communication channel, and (3) optionally extract the watermark signal from the transmitted composite signal. An embedding value may be the closest of all embedding values generated by an embedding generator to a host-signal value that is to be quantized. Embedding values may be based on a trellis-coded pre-determined relationship between embedding values, or on predetermined relationships based on lattice quantization. The method may also include a fourth step of extracting the first watermark-signal value from a composite-signal value to form a reconstructed watermark-signal value.

Abstract: InxGa1−xAs structures with compositionally graded buffers grown with organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMPVE) on GaAs substrates. A semiconductor structure and a method of processing such a structure including providing a substrate of GaAs; and epitaxially growing a relaxed graded layer of InxGa1−xAs at a temperature ranging upwards from about 600° C.