Abstract: A system for beaming power to a high altitude platform is based upon a high power millimeter gyrotron source, optical transmission components, and a high-power receiving antenna (i.e., a rectenna) capable of rectifying received millimeter energy and converting such energy into useable electrical power.

Abstract: An apparatus for traversing obstacles having an elongated, round, flexible body that includes a plurality of drive track assemblies. The plurality of drive track assemblies cooperate to provide forward propulsion wherever a propulsion member is in contact with any feature of the environment, regardless of how many or which ones of the plurality of drive track assemblies make contact with such environmental feature.

Abstract: The present invention is a substantially purified sortase-transamidase enzyme from Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract: A method of processing a composite material to tailor white light emission of the resulting composite during excitation. The composite material is irradiated with a predetermined power and for a predetermined time period to reduce the size of a plurality of nanocrystals and the number of a plurality of traps in the composite material. By this irradiation process, blue light contribution from the nanocrystals to the white light emission is intensified and red and green light contributions from the traps are decreased.

Abstract: A high-gain preamplifier based on optical parametric amplification. A first nonlinear crystal is operatively connected to a second nonlinear crystal. A first beam relay telescope is operatively connected to a second beam relay telescope, to the first nonlinear crystal, and to the second nonlinear crystal. A first harmonic beamsplitter is operatively connected to a second harmonic beamsplitter, to the first nonlinear crystal, to the second nonlinear crystal, to the first beam relay telescope, and to the second beam relay telescope.

Abstract: Detection of phenols using engineered bacteria. A biosensor can be created by placing a reporter gene under control of an inducible promoter. The reporter gene produces a signal when a cognate transcriptional activator senses the inducing chemical. Creation of bacterial biosensors is currently restricted by limited knowledge of the genetic systems of bacteria that catabolize xenobiotics. By using mutagenic PCR to change the chemical specificity of the Pseudomonas species CF600 DmpR protein, the potential for engineering novel biosensors for detection of phenols has been demonstrated. DmpR, a well-characterized transcriptional activator of the P. CF600's dmp operon mediates growth on simple phenols. Transcription from Po, the promoter heading the dmp operon, is activated when the sensor domain of DmpR interacts with phenol and mono-substituted phenols.

Abstract: Disclosed are novel nucleic acid and peptide compositions comprising latent TGF&bgr; binding proteins (LTBPs). Also disclosed are methods of using LTBP-2 and LTBP-3 peptides and the DNA segments which encode them.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for selectively removing organic compound from a nano-composite material which comprises the organic compound that is dispersed within a solid inorganic compound structure. In particular, methods of the present invention comprise irradiating the nano-composite material with electromagnetic radiation wavelength that is shorter than the wavelength of visible light.

Abstract: Peptide-based compounds containing four invariant cysteine residues which have been optionally oxidized to contain two intramolecular disulfide bonds, or modified forms where the cysteines are replaced are useful as preservatives and in preventing, treating, or ameliorating viral or microbial infection in animals and plants, and in inactivating endotoxin.

Abstract: To measure a convex mirror, a reference beam and a measurement beam are both provided through a single optical fiber. A positive auxiliary lens is placed in the system to give a converging wavefront onto the convex mirror under test. A measurement is taken that includes the aberrations of the convex mirror as well as the errors due to two transmissions through the positive auxiliary lens. A second measurement provides the information to eliminate this error. A negative lens can also be measured in a similar way. Again, there are two measurement set-ups. A reference beam is provided from a first optical fiber and a measurement beam is provided from a second optical fiber. A positive auxiliary lens is placed in the system to provide a converging wavefront from the reference beam onto the negative lens under test. The measurement beam is combined with the reference wavefront and is analyzed by standard methods.

Abstract: A network of radiation detection instruments, each having a small solid state radiation sensor module integrated into a cellular phone for providing radiation detection data and analysis directly to a user. The sensor module includes a solid-state crystal bonded to an ASIC readout providing a low cost, low power, light weight compact instrument to detect and measure radiation energies in the local ambient radiation field. In particular, the photon energy, time of event, and location of the detection instrument at the time of detection is recorded for real time transmission to a central data collection/analysis system. The collected data from the entire network of radiation detection instruments are combined by intelligent correlation/analysis algorithms which map the background radiation and detect, identify and track radiation anomalies in the region.

Abstract: A method and resulting formed device are disclosed wherein the method combines polysilicon surface-micromachining with metal electroplating technology to achieve a capacitively-driven, lateral micromechanical resonator with submicron electrode-to-resonator capacitor gaps. Briefly, surface-micromachining is used to achieve the structural material for a resonator, while conformal metal-plating is used to implement capacitive transducer electrodes. This technology makes possible a variety of new resonator configurations, including disk resonators and lateral clamped-clamped and free-free flexural resonators, all with significant frequency and Q advantages over vertical resonators. In addition, this technology introduces metal electrodes, which greatly reduces the series resistance in electrode interconnects, thus, minimizing Q-loading effects while increasing the power handling ability of micromechanical resonators.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for biomechanical analysis are described. Multiple sensors are used to detect different molecules and/or to analyze multiple samples. A property of the sensors changes in response to a target molecule. The change in the property is detected, which may provide a measure of the concentration of the target molecule.

Abstract: Anthraquinones are described which are antihelminthic and in particular, are useful in compositions for inhibiting Schistosoma sp. in vitro or in vivo.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aggregating amyloid A&bgr; peptides which are covalently bonded (for example, at a cysteine amino acid residue) to a fluorescent label, and methods for their use.

Abstract: Heart failure following myocardial infarction is treated by administration of an angiotensin II inhibitor for 8-12 weeks, followed by administration of a growth hormone for 1-3 weeks.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to sense both discrete and continuous magnetic reference systems installed in the roadway, and provide information to support lateral and, to some extent, longitudinal and vertical vehicle control and/or driver assistance. The position of an object, such as a vehicle, relative to a magnetic reference infrastructure, such as that representing a dividing line on a roadway, is determined by sensing, with a sensor associated with the object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from the magnetic reference, computing a ratio of the sensed axial field strength components, and then determining the positional offset of the object as a function of the ratio. The lateral offset is independent of the magnetic field strength due to the use of the ratio which cancels out the magnetic field strength. The invention is also capable of providing three-dimensional positioning relative to a magnetic reference.

Abstract: A process for producing crystalline III-V compound films, preferably thin films of gallium nitride and other III-V nitrides, on various single crystal substrates. The process enables the preparation of III-V compound films by the simple, direct deposition of an amorphous layer of a III-V compound precursor on a single crystal substrate (as a template). A chemical reaction followed by a single heat treatment leads to the crystallization and formation of films by pyrolysis. According to specific examples of the invention, the chemical precursors gallium dimethyl amide (Ga2[N(CH3)2]6), gallium nitrate (Ga(NO3)3, and gallium isopropoxide [Ga(OC3H7)3 are used to produce gallium nitride thin films.

Abstract: Methods for the detection of chitinous contaminants of non-chitinous biological materials are described. The methods are accurate, highly reproducible, rapid and relatively inexpensive. The methods are well suited to commercial applications, particular in the food and agriculture industry where biological materials (e.g., food products) are regularly screened for contaminants (e.g., insect, mold, fungus, etc.). In some cases, the methods involve contacting a biological sample with a probe that is a lectin that binds chitin, contacting the sample with a pectinase; and detecting binding of said lectin to a chitin where the binding indicates the presence of chitin in the biological sample.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel composition and methods for altering the proliferation of a cell. Included are wild-type and mutant hKIS polypeptides along with cyclin kinase inhibitors containing mutations that prevent their inhibition with serine/threonine kinases.