Abstract: A method of preparing a sulfur-containing composite fuel is provided to utilize some high-sulfur content solid and semi-solid fuels such as tar sand coke and refinery tank sludges by reducing their sulfur emission on combustion. The method comprises the steps of making an aqueous slurry including a finely divided carbonaceous material, a comminuted sulfur capture agent and an oily agglomeration aid obtained from the refinery or tailing sludges and coagglomerating these components and an optional conditioning agent. The resulting agglomerated composite fuel has a reduced content of inorganic impurities and is suitable for fluidized-bed combustion.

Abstract: All optical modulators are disclosed which include a channel waveguide made of an optically nonlinear material and transmitting an infrared beam. A control light whose wavelength is shorter than the bandgap energy of the channel of the guide is directed to the guide to bring it to cutoff. Near 100% modulation was obtained for a silicon waveguide with less than 150 pJ with a subnanosecond initiation and recovery time in a three port, fiber optics, geometry suitable for use as a logic gate. The operation is largely wavelength independent and stable.

Abstract: Novel FM receivers are disclosed, which are very compact and simple yet possess high sensitivity. The receivers use novel three-terminal and two-terminal negative admittance networks. In one embodiment, one three-terminal negative admittance network forms a complete FM homodyne receiver. In another embodiment, two three-terminal negative admittance networks are used as the frequency converter and the demodulator and other functions of a super-heterodyne receiver. In still another embodiment, a two-terminal negative admittance network is employed together with a three-terminal negative admittance network to form a complete super-heterodyne FM receiver.

Abstract: An adaptive welding control vision head with a metal enclosure for attachment to a welding head. The side of the enclosure facing the workpiece is angled away from the welding head, has two apertures and its external surface is coated with oil. Mounted inside the enclosure is a means of projecting a structural light pattern onto a workpiece and a means of monitoring the resulting scattered light. The inside of the enclosure is maintained at a positive air pressure to prevent welding fumes from entering and is cooled to prevent heat accumulation.

Abstract: An anhydride-cured epoxy resin (epoxy resin+anhydride curing agent+catalyst) may be fortified (i.e. increased in strength and modulus without being made brittle) by the addition of a carboxylic acid and the reaction product of a carboxylic acid anhydride and a substituted aromatic amine. Strengths as high as 125 MPa and moduli as high as 3500 MPa have been attained, as well as elongations up to 6% and an increase in the ability of the plastic to yield before fracture (ductility), compared to 80 MPa strength, 3000 MPa modulus and 2.4% elongation for the unfortified system (strengths and moduli are tensile).

Abstract: Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (L ib.) de Bary, is a major disease of rapeseed (canola) in western Canada and many other parts of the world. Significant yield losses result from severe crop infestatons. A method of stem rot disease forecasting is disclosed. The method is based on the relationship discovered between infestation of top plant parts with spores of the fungus at early bloom and subsequent disease incidence. Also disclosed are media compositions, which facilitate rapid growth of S. sclerotiorum from plant parts under non-sterile conditions and thereby permit detection of the fungus. This forecasting system allows improved disease risk assessement in advance of the need for spraying against sclerotinia stem rot.

Abstract: A current-comparator technique for obtaining an instrument for accurate high voltage power measurements at very low power factors is described. The quadrature component of the load current is automatically balanced in the current comparator against a quadrature current obtained from a slave supply, thereby reducing the stringent high accuracy requirement of the instrument when used for measuring power at a very low power factors. The current-comparator-based instrument according to the present invention has an estimated accuracy with respect to its readings of better than 3 percent at 0.001 power factor, 1 percent at 0.005 power factor and 0.5 percent at 0.01 power factor and higher. It features an internal high-voltage active-divider and displays to indicate source voltage, current, power factor and reactance of the load, in addition to the power.

Abstract: The antigenic O-chain polysaccharides from Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 0:9 have similar structure, i.e. 1-2 linked 4,6-dideoxy-4-formamido-.alpha.-D-mannopyranosyl units. The antigen is more readily isolated from the Yersinia and may be chemically modified to have a hydrophobic moiety attached thereto. The antigen can be adsorbed or coupled to carriers suitable for immunoassay use such as ELISA and RIA. A monoclonal antibody capable of specifically binding to B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica, has been produced. Assay procedures and kits therefor, are described.

Abstract: Transposable linkers are DNA sequences recognized and employed by transposition proteins, including transposases, in the insertion of genetic information into the genetic architecture of an organism and in the movement of genetic information from one location to another in the genetic architecture of an organism. Such linkers, comprising the extreme ends of transposons, often referred to as left and right attachment sites, have been isolated from the intervening material in transposons to produce a basic building block comprising simply the extreme ends of the transposons fused together. Using restriction endonuclease recognition sites outside and between the left and right attachment sites it is possible to introduce desired genes directly or via cloning vehicles, into the genetic material of an organism.

Abstract: Epoxy resins have been found to be fortified (increased strength and modulus yet not brittle) by compounding(a) a resin-forming polyepoxide,(b) an amine curing agent for (a),(c) a fortifier for (a)+(b) comprising the reaction product of(i) an aromatic amine having an amine group attached to an aromatic ring; and(ii) non-symmetrical diepoxide;the reaction product optionally being further reacted with isocyanates or nitriles, in which case (ii) may be at least partly, a monoepoxide;and heat curing the mixture. Strengths as high as 130-150 MPa and modulus increases to as high as 5000 MPa have been attained along with a ductile mode of fracture.

Abstract: A new probe for measuring electric power flow from a source of supply to a load at high voltage and current, but at extremely low power factor is disclosed. The probe enables the direct measurement of electric power, in accordance with the Poynting theorem, by sensing the electric and magnetic fields associated with the high voltage and high current.

Abstract: Glyphosate herbicides are used for weed control in crops. It has been found that the desired crop plants can be protected from the herbicidal effect by providing a pretreatment so that the crop plants have assimilated a phenolic compound found to give a safening effect.

Abstract: A galvanometric optical scanning system is disclosed. In order to compensate errors in phase, zero drift etc., at least two synchronization photodetector means are provided in an optical path of scanning beam of light. The pulses produced by the photodetector means are processed to generate correction signals for various commpensations.

Abstract: A galvanometric optical scanning system is disclosed. In order to compensate errors in phase, zero drift etc., beam position detection means is provided in an optical path of scanning beam of light and comprises a pair of closely located photodetectors. The pulses produced by the beam position detection means are processed to generate correction signals for various compensations.

Abstract: A true RMS instrument using a multijunction thermal converter with two beaters automatically determines and displays the RMS value of an unknown voltage using two steps or modes. In an AC mode, the unknown voltage is attenuated and balanced in the thermal converter with a DC voltage. DC voltage is stored in digital form in a first latch. In the DC mode, the unknown attenuated voltage is replaced by a chopped DC voltage which is then balanced with the DC voltage obtained in the AC mode. The unknown voltage is determined by decoding the contents of a second lath which controls the chopped DC voltage.

Abstract: Cholesterol in liquids such as blood plasma can be reduced by passing such liquids over an insoluble matrix such as agarose or treated glass beads to which is attached a C-reactive protein capable of binding cholesterol. An eluent such as sodium chloride or phosphorylcholine can be used to remove bound cholesterol and regenerate the insoluble matrix-C-reactive protein combination for re-use.

Abstract: This invention describes a pulsed plasma pinch x-ray source. In the device the initial plasma annulus is derived from an electrical gas discharge in a chamber having constricted openings arranged on a circle. This low mass plasma annulus is imploded and pinched by passing high current axially through said annulus. The hot and dense pinched plasma copiously emits x-rays and has the capability of being fired at high repetition rates. The device is simple for commercial applications, such as x-ray lithography.

Abstract: With the intent of satisfying the requirement of x-ray lithography a plasma pinch x-ray source has been developed in which the initial plasma annulus is derived from a plurality of electrical arcs in vacuum. This gives a low mass liner for the standard imploding plasma liner configuration to emit suitable x-rays and has the capability of being fired at repetition rates of 10 pps or more. The simplicity of this source design is especially attractive for a commercial use environment.

Abstract: An optical system is described for monitoring the thickness of a translucent film either free-standing or coated on a reflective substrate. A polychromatic light beam is projected onto the surface of the sheet, and the transmitted light is detected at, at least, three wavelengths of which only one corresponds to an absorption band of the film material. By properly processing the three or more detected signals, an accurate evaluation of the film thickness is obtained irrespective of the presence of colored pigments in the material or of wavelength-dependent attenuation due to scattering at the film interfaces. Optical configurations are also described which avoid errors produced by interference fringes or front-surface reflections while simplifying the scanning of the sheet surface.

Abstract: A cellulose acetate membrane is provided, capable of separating gaseous hydrogen from a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon, by casting a 0.02 to 0.05 cm cellulose acetate film into an atmosphere at 20.degree. to 40.degree. C. and a relative humidity of 30 to 70%, from a casting solution at 0.degree. to 20.degree. C. and comprising 10 to 20 wt % cellulose acetate, 60 to 80 wt % acetone, 0.5 to 0.2 wt % magnesium perchlorate, balance water, then evaporating the solvent to form a membrane from the film, then gelling the membrane in ice cold water, then shrinking the membrane at 60.degree. to 90.degree. C. to produce a water wet membrane having an average pore radius less than 7 .ANG., then replacing the water in the membrane sequentially at the laboratory temperature (about 20.degree. to 25.degree. C.