Abstract: A method for identifying virulent strains of L. monocytogenes that includes the use of primers or probes in a PCR assay or hybridization technique that employs primers or probes, which are specific for virulence-specific genes of L. monocytogenes. Also provided is a method of control of L. monocytogenes strains that have been identified using the method of the present invention.

Abstract: A method of delivering a particulate therapeutic agent is disclosed. Such a method may include providing a carbon dioxide scrubber in pneumatic communication with the respiratory system of a patient. Gas and particulate therapeutic agent expired by the patient are passed through the scrubber to provide treated gas, and the treated gas and particulate therapeutic agent are provided back to the respiratory system.

Abstract: Compounds exhibiting angiogenic properties incorporating the structure of Formula I: R3—NH—NH—C(?O)—R2—P—R1 ??(I) wherein P is a water-soluble, biodegradable polymer, R1 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or —R2—C(?O)—NH—NH—R3; each R2 is independently —CH2—, —NH— or O; and each R3 is independently hydrogen or a residue of a naturally occurring alpha-L-amino acid or dipeptide thereof. Polymer networks crosslinked with hydrazide compounds are also disclosed, together with implantable medical devices incorporating the compounds and crosslinked polymers, and angiogenesis-promoting treatment methods, including wound-treatment methods.

Abstract: A signal processing system for detecting purposive signals includes an input receiving a signal having a signal characteristic subject to user manipulation. An activation detector compares a property of the signal characteristic to one or more signal characteristic property thresholds over time. A filter module determines whether the signal characteristic is purposively manipulated based on an amount of time preceding or following an occurrence of the property exceeding or falling below one or more signal characteristic property thresholds.

Abstract: A method for network intrusion detection on a network comprising a plurality of state machines for passing a plurality of network packets comprises determining frequency distributions for each transition within each state machine, determining the distributions of values of each state machine on each transition, and comparing the distributions to observed statistics in the network, and upon determining that the observed statistics are outside defined limits, detecting an anomaly.

Abstract: Fuel oxygenates comprised of fatty acid or fatty acid ester derivatives which have been reacted with ozone; a base; and a lower alkanol (1 to 8 carbon atoms) are described. The oxygenates comprise ester groups at a point of cleavage by the ozone which provide oxygen in the oxygenate.

Abstract: A miniature microphone comprising a diaphragm compliantly suspended over an enclosed air volume having a vent port is provided, wherein an effective stiffness of the diaphragm with respect to displacement by acoustic vibrations is controlled principally by the enclosed air volume and the port. The microphone may be formed using silicon microfabrication techniques and has sensitivity to sound pressure substantially unrelated to the size of the diaphragm over a broad range of realistic sizes. The diaphragm is rotatively suspend for movement through an arc in response to acoustic vibrations, for example by beams or tabs, and has a surrounding perimeter slit separating the diaphragm from its support structure. The air volume behind the diaphragm provides a restoring spring force for the diaphragm. The microphone's sensitivity is related to the air volume, perimeter slit, and stiffness of the diaphragm and its mechanical supports, and not the area of the diaphragm.

Abstract: The present invention provides transgenic plants which after harvest degrade the lignin and cellulose therein to fermentable sugars which can further be fermented to ethanol or other products. In particular, the transgenic plants comprise ligninase and cellulase genes from microbes operably linked to a DNA encoding a signal peptide which targets the fusion polypeptide produced therefrom to an organelle of the plant, in particular the chloroplasts. When the transgenic plants are harvested, the plants are ground to release the ligninase and cellulase which then degrade the lignin and cellulose of the transgenic plants to produce the fermentable sugars.

Abstract: A method for forming three-dimensional polymeric particulate microstructures through self-folding of thin-film microparticles. Self-folding of two-dimensional polymeric precursors produces various three-dimensional particulate microstructures. Dumpling-like microstructures with oil cores and polymer coats are prepared by an interfacial-tension driven self-folding method. Roll-like and bowl-shaped hydrogel microstructures are fabricated by self-folding induced by differential volume shrinkage. Curled microstructures are produced by self-folding that is the result of a two-polymer or bilayer method wherein one of the polymers is a volume changeable polymer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying a target nucleotide sequence. This method involves forming a ligation product on a target nucleotide sequence in a ligase detection reaction mixture, amplifying the ligation product to form an amplified ligation product in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mixture, detecting the amplified ligation product, and identifying the target nucleotide sequence. Such coupling of the ligase detection reaction and the polymerase chain reaction permits multiplex detection of nucleic acid sequence differences.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to enantioselective polyelectrolyte complex films. Further, said films may be free or isolated membranes, or coatings on substrates such a porous substrates, capillary tubes, chromatographic packing material, and monolithic stationary phases and used to separate chiral compounds. The present invention is also directed to a method for forming such enantioselective polyelectrolyte complex films.

Abstract: A new class of enzymes that catalyze the conversion of a nitrile containing compound to the corresponding amine (such as a primary amine) are disclosed. Such enzymes are referred to herein as nitrile oxido-reductases. Methods of using the enzymes to reduce a nitrile to a amine, for example in vitro or in vivo, are provided. Such methods provide the first biocatalysis method for reducing nitrites to amines, and provides an alternative to currently used methods, which generally utilize harsh reaction conditions and the production of hazardous waste. While the hydrolysis of nitrites to amides and carboxylic acids via biocatalysis has found extensive use in industry, the lack of a known nitrile oxido-reductase has precluded the application of biocatalysis to nitrile reduction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to plant genes involved in regulating flowering, and especially to genes involved in the induction of flowering in response to cold, or vernalization. In particular, the present invention provides the identification, cloning, and characterization of genes involved in vernalization, and specifically of VIP genes, as well as to the proteins encoded by these genes, and to methods of using the VIP genes and proteins. Mutants of VIP genes, where the mutation is a knock-out mutation, confer a vernalization independence, or constitutively vernalized, phenotype in a plant which in the non-mutant form requires vernalization to flower.

Abstract: A system and method to detect angular rotation, linear displacement and/or surface deformations is presented. The method is based on the ability of a linear polarized light to interact with magnetic materials and to change its polarization angle due to Faraday effect. A basic structure of the system consists of a magneto-optic (MO) film with a two-domain structure and a single domain wall which are generated by gradient magnetic field produced by opposite polarity permanent magnets placed near the film. An AC magnetic field applied perpendicular to the MO film surface causes the magnetic domain wall in the MO film to oscillate at the same frequency. This leads to a detected output AC modulated signal. By measuring the temporal changes in this signal, information on angular rotation, linear displacement and/or surface deformation can be obtained.

Abstract: There is provided a hierarchical shadow detection system for color aerial images. The system performs well with highly complex images as well as images having different brightness and illumination conditions. The system consists of two hierarchical levels of processing. The first level involves, pixel level classification, through modeling the image as a reliable lattice and then maximizing the lattice reliability using the EM algorithm. Next, region level verification, through further exploiting the domain knowledge is performed. Further analysis show that the MRF model based segmentation is a special case of the pixel level classification model. A quantitative comparison of the system and a state-of-the-art shadow detection algorithm clearly indicates that the new system is highly effective in detecting shadow regions in an image under different illumination and brightness conditions.

Abstract: The present invention presents a new approach to rapidly obtaining precise high-dimensional NMR spectral information, named “GFT NMR spectroscopy”, which is based on the phase sensitive joint sampling of the indirect dimensions spanning a subspace of a conventional NMR experiment. The phase-sensitive joint sampling of several indirect dimensions of a high-dimensional NMR experiment leads to largely reduced minimum measurement times when compared to FT NMR. This allows one to avoid the “sampling limited” data collection regime. Concomitantly, the analysis of the resulting checmical shift multiplets, which are edited by the G-matrix transformation, yields increased precision for the measurement of the chemical shifts. Additionally, methods of conducting specific GFT NMR experiments as well as methods of conducting a combination of GFT NMR experiments for rapidly obtaining precise chemical shift assignment and determining the structure of proteins or other molecules are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for photodynamic therapy. The composition comprises ceramic nanoparticles in which a photosensitive drug/dye is entrapped. The ceramic nanoparticles are made by formation of a micellar composition of the dye. The ceramic material is added to the micellar composition and the ceramic nanoparticles are precipitated by alkaline hydrolysis. The precipitated nanoparticles in which the photosensitive dye/drug is entrapped can be isolated by dialysis. The resulting drug doped nanoparticles are spherical, highly monodispersed, and stable in aqueous system. Irradiation with light of suitable wavelength of the photosensitizing drug entrapped inside nanoparticles resulted in generation of singlet oxygen, which was able to diffuse out through the pores of the ceramic matrix. The drug loaded ceramic nanoparticles of the present invention can be used as drug carriers for photodynamic therapy.

Abstract: An environmentally-friendly method is disclosed for transforming preserved wood, for example creosote-treated or CCA-treated wood with supercritical water. The product of treating weathered creosote-treated wood is a mixture that is similar to fresh creosote. The novel system is akin to a closed-loop system for recovering and rejuvenating creosote. In another aspect of the invention, acidic supercritical water is used to extract copper, chromium, and arsenic from CCA-treated wood, or more generally, to extract metals from an organic matrix.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of optical electrophysiological probing, including: providing a fluorescing chemical probe; contacting a thick portion of tissue with the fluorescing chemical probe to create a thick portion of treated tissue; applying a first range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to the treated portion of tissue; and detecting a plurality of depth-specific emission wavelengths emitted from the thick portion of treated tissue.

Abstract: A skin incision device has a casing having a bottom surface with a slot formed therein, a cover positioned on the casing and slidable in a direction toward the bottom surface, a blade positioned in the casing adjacent the slot, an actuator cooperatively positioned between the cover and an interior of the casing, and a carriage element. The actuator engages the blade by its horizontal displacement triggered by the slidable movement of the cover toward the bottom surface of the casing. The carriage element guides the movement of the blade between a pre-actuated position and a post-actuated position. The blade moves outwardly through the slot, cuts with a horizontal movement, and returns inwardly through the slot.