Abstract: A fluid mixer and a method of mixing a fluid are provided. The fluid mixer comprises a chamber having an inlet and an outlet to receive and to output a fluid, respectively. A partition with a plurality of perforations is provided in the chamber to separate the fluid into fluid segments. The separation lowers a diffusion distance of the fluid to enhance mixing. Thereafter, the fluid is outputted from the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides combinatorial methods for rapidly generating a diverse library of glycorandomized structures, comprising incubating one or more aglycons and a pool of NDP-sugars in the presence of a glycosyltransferase. The glycosyltransferase may be one that is associated with or involved in production of natural secondary metabolites, or one which is putatively associated with or involved in production of natural secondary metabolites. The glycosyltransferase may show significant flexibility with respect to its NDP-sugar donors and/or its aglycons. NDP-sugar donors may be commercially available, or may be produced by utilizing mutant or wild type nucleotidyltransferases significant flexibility with respect to their substrates.

Abstract: Novel fiducial designs that are based on a plane circle are Disclosed. These fiducial designs can provide five or six degree of freedom poses with a single fiducial using efficient closed form solutions. A novel pose estimation method is used to select the appropriate solution from the multiple solutions obtained, given certain application assumptions, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for an automatic conversion of web pages to shared structured web pages. An input web page is augmented with syntactic elements of a server-based software tool to create and customize group-writeable web pages. Sub-regions of the web page that are to be individually-editable items are identified, and syntactic elements are added to show where these editable regions begin and end, and where clickable buttons will appear that trigger the editing of an individual item, the addition of a new item, or other editing features. Also, syntactic elements are added that act as templates for the layout of any item to be added or modified. The conversion process includes parsing the Web page into an intermediate structure, adding information to individual tokens about the structures in which the tokens play a part, and them generating the new page while making one or more final passes through the intermediate structure from beginning to end.

Abstract: This invention provides prokaryotic glycosyltransferases, including a bifunctional sialyltransferase that has both an &agr;2,3- and an &agr;2,8-activity. A &bgr;1,4-GalNAc transferase and a &bgr;1,3-galactosyltransferase are also provided by the invention, as are other glycosyltransferases and enzymes involved in synthesis of lipooligosaccharide (LOS). The glycosyltransferases can be obtained from, for example, Campylobacter species, including C. jejuni. In additional embodiments, the invention provides nucleic acids that encode the glycosyltransferases, as well as expression vectors and host cells for expressing the glycosyltransferases.

Abstract: A biphasic formulation of lipid soluble thiamine and lipoic acid for oral administration is disclosed. The lipoic acid and lipid soluble thiamine are combined with excipient materials in such a way that those materials provide for an immediate release of a first portion of the active ingredients from the formulation following by a gradual release of any remaining active ingredients in a manner which makes it possible to (1) quickly obtain a therapeutic level of the active ingredients; and (2) substantially increase the period of time over which therapeutic levels of the active ingredients are maintained relative to a quick release formulation. These features make it possible to use the formulation to reduce serum glucose levels and maintain those reduced glucose levels over time to treat diabetic polyneuropathy and thereby obtaining a range of desired therapeutic results.

Abstract: A method for automatically setting a rendering parameter for a virtual endoscope for rendering images for virtual endoscopy, comprises deriving a data set corresponding to an inside view of a viewing frustum of the endoscope; calculating a histogram from the data set; correlating features of the histogram with known physical regions wherein the endoscope is situated; and selecting a transfer function positioned relative to the features of the histogram for providing image differentiation between respective rendered images of the physical regions in the images.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the new &mgr;O-conopeptides, their coding sequences and their propeptides and to the use of &mgr;O-conopeptides as a local anesthetic for treating pain. The &mgr;O-conopeptides have long lasting anesthetic activity and are particularly useful for spinal anesthesia, either administered acutely for post-operative pain or via an intrathecal pump for severe chronic pain situations or for treatment of pain in epithelial tissue.

Abstract: A method of determining the rate of flow of a flowable material, particulate or liquid, through a flowable material passageway, comprising causing the material passing through the passageway to move downwardly by gravity slowing the downward movement of material as compared to free falling gravitational movement measuring the weight of material passing slowly downwardly with respect to the passageway; causing an electronic signal to be generated in response to the magnitude of the weight measuring; and connecting the electronic signal to a read out display to reflect the flow rate of material with respect to units of weight with respect to units of time.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical shutter assembly includes an elongate actuator that is anchored at one end to the wafer substrate to be in electrical contact with the drive circuitry layers. A closure member is mounted on an opposite end of the elongate actuator. The actuator is configured to receive an electrical signal from the drive circuitry layer to displace the closure member between a closed position in which the closure member covers the fluid supply opening and ink is inhibited from flowing through the fluid supply channel and an open position. The elongate actuator is shaped so that, in a rest condition, the actuator encloses an arc. The actuator includes a heating portion that is capable of being heated on receipt of the electrical signal to expand.

Abstract: Machine-readable coded data disposed on or in a substrate. The coded data includes a plurality of layouts, each of which has order n rotational symmetry. The layout encodes a first codeword formed from a sequence of n first symbols distributed at n locations about the center of rotational symmetry of the layout. In use, decoding the first symbols at each of the n orientations of the layout produces n representations of the first codeword, with each representation being a different cyclic shift of the first codeword so as to indicate the degree of rotation of the layout. The layout also encodes a second codeword formed from a number of second symbols, the second codeword being indicative of information regarding the respective layout.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments to screen an animal for the presence or absence of polymorphisms in the following gene: CKM, SCN4&agr;, and LDH&agr;.

Abstract: A multiple-element antenna for a wireless communication device is provided. The multiple-element antenna includes a first antenna element having a first operating frequency band, a second antenna element having a second operating frequency band comprising a plurality of operating frequency sub-bands, and a bandwidth enhancing parasitic element positioned adjacent the second antenna element to electromagnetically couple to the second antenna element and thereby enhance the bandwidth of the second antenna element. In one embodiment, the multiple-element antenna is fabricated on a single dielectric substrate and implemented in a wireless mobile communication device having a first transceiver and a second transceiver, with the first antenna element connected to the first transceiver and the second antenna element connected to the second transceiver.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining constant force engagement between a finishing tool and a workpiece. The apparatus includes a biasing device that can be coupled to a robotic manipulator, and a support arm having a tool holder disposed at one end. The biasing device is actuated by a pressure source to cause the support arm to rotate a finishing tool into engagement with a workpiece. A counterweight disposed on a second end of the support arm offsets the mass of the finishing tool, whereby constant force engagement between the finishing tool and workpiece may be maintained as the finishing tool is articulated to move relative to the workpiece.

Abstract: An organism cell auto-handling apparatus includes a platform, an organelle observation microscope unit, a piping device and a system controller. An organism cell auto-handling method using the aforesaid apparatus includes the steps of putting an organism cell sample on the platform, then using the organelle observation microscope unit to position a specific organelle of said organism cell sample and produce a corresponding coordinate data to the system controller, and then processing an organelle draw/injection action to the specific organelle by a micro needle of the piping device that is controlled by the system controller.

Abstract: Provided is a poly(amino ester) having a polymer backbone comprising at least one secondary amine linkage and at least one tertiary amine linkage in the polymer backbone. Poly(amino ester)s are prepared via the Michael addition of a bis(acrylate ester)monomer to a diamine monomer, wherein the diamine monomer has one primary amino group and one secondary amino group, and can be end-capped by reaction with a suitable reagent. The inventive poly(amino ester)s may be used as vectors for delivery of a bioactive agent, such as DNA, to a cell.

Abstract: The RecQ4 helicase gene, belonging to the RecQ helicase gene family, is revealed herein to be the causative gene of Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. The present inventors found out that it is possible to diagnose Rothmund-Thomson syndrome by detecting mutation of this gene. Further, they uncovered that it is possible to treat patients of Rothmund-Thomson syndrome by utilizing normal RecQ4 helicase gene or proteins thereof.

Abstract: We describe an rSPD(n/CRD) polypeptide, fragment, homologue, variant or derivative thereof for use in a method of treatment or prophylaxis of a disease. A method of treating an individual suffering from a disease or preventing the occurrence of a disease in an individual is also described, in which the method comprises administering to the individual a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of an rSPD (n/CRD) polypeptide, fragment, homologue, variant or derivative thereof. Preferably, the rSPD (n/CRD) polypeptide and nucleic acid comprise SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 2, respectively.

Abstract: The properties of a water-lain sedimentary deposit may be predicted at any location from a contour of constant deposit thickness. One embodiment of the method comprises (a) determining an outline of constant deposit thickness in a measured deposit, (b) determining the fluid flow properties at the inlet of the measured deposit, (c) determining a property of the deposit at any point inside the deposit from modeling the fluid flow. The properties of the deposit at any point may include the thickness of the sediment body, the size of the body, the shape of the body, and the grain size distribution at each point within the body, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparing a phosphonium salt of the formula [R1R2R3P—CR4R5R6]X, comprising ball-milling a phosphine of the formula R1R2R3P with a compound of the formula XCR4R5R6; a method of preparing a phosphorus ylide of the formula R1R2R3P═CR4R5, comprising ball-milling a phosphonium salt of the formula [R1R2R3P—HCR4R5]X in the presence of a base; and a method of preparing an olefin of the formula R4R5C═CR7H or R4R5C═CR7R8, comprising ball-milling a phosphorus ylide of the formula R1R2R3P═CR4R5 with a compound of the formula R7C(O)H or R7C(O)R8. The inventive method produces phosphonium salts and phosphorus ylides by mechanical processing solid reagents under solvent-free conditions.