Abstract: A technique for isolating faults in a communication network is described. The techniques can be utilized in high speed communications networks such as all-optical networks (AONs). The technique is distributed, requires only local network node information and can localize attacks for a variety of network applications. The technique is particularly well suited to the problem of attack propagation which arises in AONs. The technique finds application in a variety of network restoration paradigms, including but not limited to automatic protection switching and loopback protection and provides proper network operation reduced, or in some cases no data loss and bounded delay time regardless of the location of the attack or the physical span of the network. Since the technique is distributed, and its associated delays do not depend on the number of nodes in the network. Hence the technique avoids the computational complexity inherent to centralized approaches. It is thus scalable and relatively rapid.

Abstract: Transgenic animals that do not express functional SR-BI and ApoE develop severe atherosclerosis, by age four weeks in transgenic mice. Moreover, these animals exhibit progressive heart block by age four weeks, and die by age nine weeks. Pathology shows extensive fibrosis of the heart and occlusion of coronary arteries. The occlusion appears to be due to clotting, since fat deposition is in the walls. These animals are good models for the following diseases, and for screening of drugs useful in the treatment and/or prevention of these disorders: cardiac fibrosis, myocardial infarction, defects in electrical conductance, atherosclerosis, unstable plaque, and stroke. In contrast to other known models for atherosclerosis, these animals do not have to be fed extreme diets for long periods before developing atherosclerosis. No other known model for heart attacks and stroke is known.

Abstract: A shifting mechanism for a bicycle or other wheeled cycle has at least two gear wheels, of which at least one is segmented. The segments are movable into and out of a driving position. Motion of the segments occurs at a circumferential location out of the driving zone, at a location where the driving band, typically a chain, is not contacting the segment. The shifting mechanism can be provided at the front chain ring, or at the rear, gear sprocket. For a front chain wheel, the free zone is generally the rearward half of the chain ring, while for the rear gear sprocket, the free zone is generally the forward half. The moving segments can be toothed gates which flip perpendicularly to the plane in which the chain resides. The gates may be actuated by a moving mechanism powered by an actuator, such as a D.C. motor, under control of a signal processor, such as a microprocessor.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed which provide increased sensitivity, selectivity and dynamic range for non-contact measurement of actual physical and/or kinematic properties of conducting and magnetic materials. The apparatus and methods are based upon various methods for increasing sensitivity, selectivity and dynamic range through proper construction of a magnetometer sensor and for proper selection of operating point parameters for the application. A measurement apparatus for measuring one or more MUT properties includes an electromagnetic winding structure which, when driven by an electric signal, imposes a magnetic field in the MUT and senses an electromagnetic response. An analyzer is provided for applying the electric signal to the winding structure. A property estimator is coupled to the winding structure and translates sensed electromagnetic responses into estimates of one or more preselected properties of the material.

Abstract: A micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) modulator based on the phenomenon of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR). The modulator effects amplitude and phase modulation at the boundary of a waveguide. Wavelength-specific switching is achieved by spatially separating the wavelength channels by dispersing a broadband input signal into its wavelength components through a grating. In exemplary embodiments, an array of micro-fabricated actuators is used to switch or modulate wavelengths individually. Applications include wavelength and space-resolved phase and amplitude modulation of optical beams, and re-configurable add/drop switching of dense wavelength-division multiplexed (DWDM) optical communication signals.

Abstract: A method of generating an anti-reflection optical coating on a laser diode includes determining a preliminary design for the coating, fabricating the coating on a first laser diode using an in-situ optical monitoring technique and measuring the performance of the laser diode. The steps of modifying the anti-reflection coating on the laser diode and measuring the performance of the laser diode are repeated until a performance maximum is determined. Another anti-reflection coating is fabricated a second laser diode and the performance of the laser diode is measured. Again, the steps of modifying the anti-reflection coating on the laser diode and measuring the performance of the laser diode are repeated until another performance maximum is determined. The above steps are repeated with additional laser diodes, as necessary, until a global performance maximum is determined.

Abstract: A polymeric photonic band gap structure can be defined by a block copolymeric species, a mixture of homopolymers, or a combination optionally with appropriate dielectric contrast enhancing additives. The structure includes periodic, phase-separated microdomains alternating in refractive index, the domains sized to provide a photonic band gap in the UV-visible spectrum. A method of the invention involves creating a defect in a polymeric article including a periodic structure of a plurality occuring separate domains. The defect can be created by inserting into the material a plane of a material different from materials defining the polymeric article. According to another method of the invention, a defect is created in a polymeric article, including a periodic structure of a plurality of periodically occuring separate domains, by altering polymeric material in the article.

Abstract: Two distinct scavenger receptor type proteins having high affinity for modified lipoproteins and other ligands have been isolated, characterized and cloned. HaSR-BI, an AcLDL and LDL binding scavenger receptor, which is distinct from the type I and type II macrophage scavenger receptors, has been isolated and characterized and DNA encoding the receptor cloned from a variant of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, designated Var-261. dSR-CI, a non-mammalian AcLDL binding scavenger receptor having high ligand affinity and broad specificity, was isolated from Drosophila melanogaster. The isolated receptors are useful in screening for drugs that inhibit uptake of cholesterol in endothelial or adipose cells or macrophages, respectively. They are also useful as probes for the isolation of other lipoprotein receptors and in research the roles of these receptors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources. A request is mapped to a location in mathematical mapping space. Each of the plurality of resources is mapped to a respective location or locations in the mathematical mapping space. The request is allocated to one of the resources based on a mathematical relationship between the request location and the resource location in the mathematical mapping space. An apparatus for distributing a request to one of a plurality of resources includes the plurality of resources and an input receiving a resource request. A mapper in communication with the input maps the request to a request location in a mathematical mapping space and maps each of the plurality of resources to at least one resource locations in the mathematical mapping space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods of field-based light scattering spectroscopy. These systems and methods provide for the diagnosis of tissue by measuring the size and distribution of cellular characteristics. Field based measurements provide phase information resulting from the interaction of scatterers within the material and the incident wavefront. These measurements can be used to provide three dimensional images of tissue.

Abstract: A water soluble semiconductor nanocrystal capable of light emission is provided, including a quantum dot having a selected band gap energy, a layer overcoating the quantum dot, the overcoating layer comprised of a material having a band gap energy greater than that of the quantum dot, and an organic outer layer, the organic layer comprising a compound having the formula, SH(CH2)nX, where X is carboxylate or sulfonate. The particle size of the nanocrystal core is in the range of about 12 Å to about 150 Å, with a deviation of less than 10% in the core. The coated nanocrystal exhibits photoluminescence having quantum yields of greater than 10% in wate.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to optionally substituted halogenated benzyl halides and the like. These compounds are useful as halogenated benzyl ether-based protecting groups for a variety of functional groups. Another aspect of the present invention relates to use of said protecting groups in an orthogonal protecting group strategy for the synthesis of complex molecules that comprise a number of suitable functional groups. Another aspect of the present invention relates to saccharides bearing various arrays of protecting groups of the present invention. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of synthesizing an oligosaccharide or glycoconjugate, comprising the steps of: using a saccharide bearing at least one protecting group of the present invention to glycosylate a second molecule to give a product comprising said saccharide; and removing a protecting group of the present invention from said product.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical communication system includes an EIT based wavelength converter/switch. EIT, i.e., electromagnetically induced transparency, refers to the elimination of resonant absorption on an otherwise optically allowed transition by the application of a coherent coupling light field. In one embodiment, the EIT converter provides a 1×1 converter for converting a data stream from a first wavelength to a second wavelength. A constant wave probe field and a coherent coupling field, which has a state corresponding to data stream, are applied to the EIT medium. The converter can convert the data stream from a wavelength corresponding to the coupling field to the wavelength of the probe field. In a further embodiment, additional pairs of probe and coupling fields are applied to the EIT medium to provide an N×N converter.

Abstract: A method produces a wavelength shift into an optical signal. The method includes producing a coherent temporal array of optical signals (CTAS) from an incoming optical signal and broadening the signals of the CTAS to produce a interference pattern. The broadening results from transmitting the CTAS or the incoming optical signal through a dispersive medium. The method also includes selectively transmitting a peak of the interference pattern. The transmitted peak has a selected wavelength shift with respect to the incoming optical signal.

Abstract: A tunable electromagnetic field frequency filter having an input waveguide which carries a signal including at least one desired frequency, and an output waveguide. A resonator-system is coupled to the input and output waveguides and is operable for the selective transfer of the at least one desired frequency to the output waveguide. The resonator-system supports at least two system modes, and includes at least three reflectors with at least two different reflectivity spectra. At least one of the reflectivity spectra is tuned such that at least two of the system-modes have substantially the same frequency when the transfer occurs substantially.

Abstract: A multilevel optical phase element is illuminated with a light source having a plurality of wavelengths of interest. The multilevel phase element disperses light from the light source by diffraction and focuses the dispersed light onto an imaging plane. A light modulating display in the imaging plane having a plurality of pixel elements is actuated. Each pixel element is assigned to transmit a predetermined spectral region within the near field region of the multilevel display element so as to receive the dispersed and focused light from the multilevel optical phase element. A system for displaying a color image includes a light source emitting a plurality of wavelengths of interest, a multilevel optical phase element, and a light modulating electronic display.

Abstract: A trainable object detection system and technique for detecting objects such as people in static or video images of cluttered scenes is described. The described system and technique can be used to detect highly non-rigid objects with a high degree of variability in size, shape, color, and texture. The system learns from examples and does not rely on any a priori (hand-crafted) models or on motion. The technique utilizes a wavelet template that defines the shape of an object in terms of a subset of the wavelet coefficients of the image. It is invariant to changes in color and texture and can be used to robustly define a rich and complex class of objects such as people. The invariant properties and computational efficiency of the wavelet template make it an effective tool for object detection.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing high speed scanning of an optical delay and its application for performing optical interferometry, ranging, and imaging, including cross sectional imaging using optical coherence tomography, is disclosed. The apparatus achieves optical delay scanning by using diffractive optical elements in conjunction with imaging optics. In one embodiment a diffraction grating disperses an optical beam into different spectral frequency or wavelength components which are collimated by a lens. A mirror is placed one focal length away from the lens and the alteration of the grating groove density, the grating input angle, the grating output angle, and/or the mirror tilt produce a change in optical group and phase delay. This apparatus permits the optical group and phase delay to be scanned by scanning the angle of the mirror. In other embodiments, this device permits optical delay scanning without the use of moving parts.

Abstract: Methods of identifying compounds that disrupt aggregation of aggregation-disposed polypeptides, such as huntingtin or beta-amyloid protein, are disclosed. Furthermore, an artificial polypeptide that contains an extended polyglutamine region and DNA that encodes the polypeptide are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring electrical partial discharge signals in electrical power apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of openings in the housing through which electrical power may pass via electrical power contact units. The system includes a plurality of sensor units, each being in communication with, and associated with, an electrical power contact unit at each opening in the housing. The sensor units are for sensing partial discharge signals at each opening in the housing and for producing sensor output signals. The system also includes a control unit for simultaneously and synchronously receiving the sensor output signals over an interval of time, and produces simultaneous synchronous output signals. The system also includes a processing unit for processing the simultaneous synchronous output signals.