Abstract: Disclosed is a method and linear DNA fragments for use in the deletion of a gene from a bacteria with a single step procedure that is applicable to any essential or nonessential gene which has been cloned. Chromosomal deletions are constructed by transformation of a cell strain with linear DNA fragments containing a locus for resistance to an antibiotic, or any other gene allowing for rapid phenotypic selection, flanked by sequences homologous to closely spaced regions on the cell chromosome on either side of the gene to be deleted, in combination with the immediate subsequent deletion or inactivation of the recA gene. By selecting for a double-crossover event between the homologous sequences, shown by the antibiotic resistance or other detectable phenotype, a chromosome disruption can be selected for which has effectively deleted an entire gene.

Abstract: A system for automatically determining the outline of a selected anatomical feature or region (e.g., in a slice of magnetic resonance data) and then making a quantitative determination of a morphometric parameter (such as area or volume) associated with the feature. A volumetric measurement of the feature is made by determining for each slice the areas within the outline for the feature and summing the areas for all the slices; the outlines are based on intensity contours, where the intensity of the contour is intermediate that within and outside of the feature; the intermediate intensity is chosen objectively based on a histogram of intensity levels; interpolation is used to assign contour locations in areas where the intensity of the contour is not present exactly; the accuracy of the outline is improved using an edge-optimization procedure in which the outline is shifted transversely to the location at which an estimate of the derivative (e.g.

Abstract: The continuous manufacture of a composite in which dispersates are mixed within a matrix material is set forth. Molten metal alloy and concentrated dispersion containing a particulate ceramic dispersate in a precurser dispersion material are continuously fed into a chamber where the mixture is first blended, then agitated to shear both the particulate and matrix. Well dispersed slurry is then fed into a crucible for solidification processing, or is continuously cast into a billet.

Abstract: A multi-function probe for use in hyperthermia therapy employs at least one pair of temperature sensors, which may be thermocouples or thermistors. One sensor of the pair includes an exposed electrode which directly measures tissue temperature. The other sensor includes an electrode covered by a material having a known ultrasound absorption coefficient, for measuring the local intensity of ultrasonic energy. By comparing these two measurements, an ultrasound or other hyperthermia energy absorption coefficient of the tissue in the target region can be determined. A plurality of these paired sensors can be utilized to yield a measurement of thermal diffusion. The probe can also include one or more piezoelectric receiver elements, for providing accurate source-to-target registration.

Abstract: An adaptive sidelobe blanker uses the covariance matrix used to form an adaptively nulled main channel to generate an adaptively nulled version of an omnidirectional antenna pattern. Individual antenna control includes sampling, digitizing, and storage of an antenna signal. Complex antenna weights manipulate the antenna signals in both the main channel and the blanker channel to provide desired steering of the antenna nulls. The adaptively nulled blanker channel is compared to the adaptively mulled main channel to determine if a received target return is a main beam target or a sidelobe target.

Abstract: A process for rapidly enumerating viable biological entities is disclosed, wherein viability is determined by the critierion of growth of biological entities contained in microdroplets. Alternatively, in some cases, viability is determined by use of vital staining of biological entities contained in microdroplets. The process involves formation of microdroplets, which are very small volume liquid or gel particles, such that some of the microdroplets contain biololgical entities, followed by measurements of biological entities and of microdroplet volumes, such that use of statistical analysis can be used self-consistently to determine the number of viable entities per volume of a sample.

Abstract: A truss member includes a piezoelectric stack and a cylindrical shell formed of composite material surrounding the stack and bonded thereto, such that the axial load is distributed between the shell and the stack. The truss is fitted to a structural assembly via end pieces, and electrodes are attached to the stack, which may be selectively actuated to achieve different effects. In one aspect, a shunt or resonant feedback circuit damps a truss resonance mode; in another aspect an electrode bus attached to partial electrode surfaces on the stack allows the selective excitation of bending moments. The composite shell shields the stack from the environment, resulting in a robust control structure of low effective mass.

Abstract: The selective or blanket deposition of titanium silicide using a Very Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition process is described. Silane and titanium tetrachloride are used as the silicon and titanium sources, respectively. A thin polysilicon layer is deposited prior to the silicide deposition to promote the nucleation of titanium silicide. It is shown that selective deposition is possible by controlling the polysilicon and the titanium silicide deposition times. The resulting titanium silicide films have resistivities in the range of 15-25 micro-ohms-cm.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for using quasielastic light scattering to determine the degree of cataractogenesis of a lens in vivo. By collecting and analyzing light scattered from the lens, it is possible, using the autocorrelation function or the power spectrum, to separate the fluctuations into two components: one caused by fast diffusing proteins and one caused by slow diffusing protein aggregates. This data may be applied to an experimentally determined and theoretically deduced universal curve in order to determine quantitatively the degree of cataractogenesis at that particular location in the lens.

Abstract: A laser induced direct writing pyrolysis of a refractory metal or metal silicide on substrates is described. Typical reactants comprise flowing WF.sub.6, MoF.sub.6 or TiCl.sub.4 with SiH.sub.4 and an inert gas, such as Argon. A preferable substrate surface is a polyimide film. The refractory metal film may comprise low resistivity W, M, or Ti, or silicides thereof, having a predetermined resistance depending on the relative ratio of reactants. The invention is useful, inter alia, for repair of defective circuit interconnects, and formation of interconnects or resistors on substrates.

Abstract: An electrical resistance device which comprises a resistance element and a superconducting gate element electrically connected in series therewith. The normal state resistance of the superconducting gate element is substantially greater than the resistance of the resistance element. A plurality of such devices can be used with the windings of a superconducting magnet, for example, to protect the windings thereof if the temperature of a particular winding region rises rapidly (the winding region quenches) due to operational instabilities, for example. At a quench the voltage at the winding region being quenched is applied to all the other devices at the other windings to generate heat at such devices in response to a relatively small voltage increase at the initially quenched region. Each of the other winding regions is thereby quenched and the gate elements thereof are triggered into their normal resistive states so that the current in the devices is reduced to a safe level.

Abstract: The invention provides an adaptive noise cancelling apparatus which operates to overcome a problem encountered in conventional noise cancelling circuitry when the signal-to-noise ratio at the sensor array is high--to wit, that the target signal is degraded, leading to poorer intelligibility. An apparatus constructed in accord with the invention selectively inhibits the adaptive filter from changing its filter values in these instances and, thereby, prevents it from generating a noise-approximating signal that will degrade the target component of the output signal.

Abstract: Flexible measurement probes are described for the determination of oxygen partial pressure; temperature and perfusion; and combined measurement of oxygen partial pressure, temperature, and perfusion. The probes are fabricated by patterning a metal coated substrate to form a conductive pattern of ribbon leads, insulating the conductive ribbon leads except for contact openings, and then attaching sensors to the conductive ribbon leads through noble metal plated open contacts. The plated contacts may be used directly to measure oxygen partial pressure.

Abstract: An improved two-dimensional semiconductor surface-emitting laser array is described in which two intra-cavity internal reflecting surfaces are formed at a 45.degree. angle to the plane of the active layer of the semiconductor laser so as to internally reflect light from each end of the active layer in a direction normal to the plane of the active layer with a buried reflective mirror provided in the path of one of said reflections, so as to transmit reflected light back through the laser and out the top surface of the array.

Abstract: A new III-IV buffer material is described which is produced by low temperature growth of III-V compounds by MBE that has unique and desirable properties, particularly for closely spaced, submicron gate length active III-V semiconductor devices, such as HEMT's, MESFET's and MISFET's. In the case of the III-V material, GaAs, the buffer is grown under arsenic stable growth conditions, at a growth rate of 1 micron/hour, and at a substrate temperature preferably in the range of 150 to about 300.degree. C. The new material is crystalline, highly resistive, optically inactive, and can be overgrown with high quality III-V active layers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for identifying and isolating gene sequences coding for polypeptide sequences which result in specific functional activities or phenotypes, which may then be synthesized and assembled to form new proteins. The assembled protein may contain only amino acid sequences essential for specific functions, have a new quaternary structure resulting from addition of an amino acid sequence with oligomeric activity, or exhibit multiple activities. Also disclosed is a method for identifying, analyzing and synthesizing amino acid sequences with oligomeric activity which may be used to enhance or add a new activity to a protein.In one embodiment, the piece with oligomeric activity is fused onto a polypeptide with one or more additional activities. In another embodiment, this polypeptide sequence is hybridized with a second polypeptide consisting only of the sequence with oligomeric activity.

Abstract: A gain medium is disposed between two mirrors to form a resonant cavity. The cavity length is selected so that the gain bandwidth of the gain medium is less than or substantially equal to the frequency separation of the cavity modes and such that a cavity mode frequency falls within the gain bandwidth. A nonlinear optical material is disposed either inside or outside the cavity to generate new laser wavelengths. The nonlinear optical material may be contained in a cavity which is resonant at the microchip laser frequency. Alternatively, the microchip laser may be tuned, for example thermally or by the application of a longitudinal or transverse stress, to the frequency of the resonant cavity. The laser is optically pumped by any appropriate source such as a semiconductor injection laser or laser array. Suitable gain media include Nd:YAG, Nd:GSGG and Nd pentaphosphate, and suitable non-linear optical material include MgO:LiNbO.sub.3 and KTP.

Abstract: Methods of information discrimination based on extremization of local, energy related functionals defined on macroscopic states of random code information processors are disclosed. In one embodiment, an assembly of processors exchanging information through the exchange of random codes serves an an information discriminator cell between the digitally encoded, analog, quasi-periodic input function and the digitally encoded, analog, quasi-periodic memory function stored within the cell.

Abstract: The resistor includes a cooper oxide ceramic with perovskite related structures exhibiting positive temperature coefficient of resistance characteristics in the temperature range of 300.degree.-900.degree. C. Suitable materials are YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x, La.sub.2 CuO.sub.4 and related compounds with other rare earth elements substituted for Y and La and other alkaline earth elements substituted for Ba.

Abstract: This invention relates to porous, biodegradable materials in which the pore size, biodegradation rate, and pore volume fraction are controlled and within values at which skin contraction rates around an implant-containing wound are delayed or slowed.