Abstract: A method of synthesizing and reacting compounds in a cyclone reactor (10) is disclosed and described. A liquid carrier can be provided which can include solid catalyst particles, liquid catalysts, and/or liquid reactants. The liquid carrier can be formed into a swirl layer (38) within the cyclone reactor (10). A reactant composition including at least one reactant can also be injected through at least a portion of the swirl layer (38) such that at least a portion of the reactant is converted to a reaction product.

Abstract: This invention relates to detection of specific extracellular nucleic acid in plasma or serum fractions of human or animal blood associated with neoplastic or proliferative disease. Specifically, the invention relates to detection of nucleic acid derived from mutant oncogenes or other tumor-associated DNA, and to those methods of detecting and monitoring extracellular mutant oncogenes or tumor-associated DNA found in the plasma or serum fraction of blood by using rapid DNA extraction followed by nucleic acid amplification with or without enrichment for mutant DNA. In particular, the invention relates to the detection, identification, or monitoring of the existence, progression or clinical status of benign, premalignant, or malignant neoplasms in humans or other animals that contain a mutation that is associated with the neoplasm through detection of the mutated nucleic acid of the neoplasm in plasma or serum fractions.

Abstract: A transflective display includes pixels each including a first electrode, a second electrode, a liquid crystal layer associated with the first and second electrodes, and a conductive reflective layer between the liquid crystal layer and the second electrode to reflect ambient light. The conductive reflective layer is insulated from the second electrode and covers less than all of the second electrode to allow backlight to be transmitted through a portion of the pixel not covered by the conductive reflective layer.

Abstract: A structural health monitoring circuit apparatus and method are based on electrical impedance variations of a piezoelectric patch, which is attached to a structure to be monitored. The circuit compares a known good sweep of frequency-impedance pairs with a contemporaneous sweep to generate an alarm when an error bound is exceeded. The impedance of the piezoelectric patch is determined though adjustment of a variable reactance in a bridge configuration. By suitable design of the bridge elements, the electrical impedance of the piezoelectric patch may be directly measured. A microprocessor controlled version of this device consumes less than 2 W of power, which may be further reduced by further large scale integration or reduction to a state machine on a programmable gate array. Ultimately, this device may give personnel warnings to aircraft, automobiles, bridges, elevated roads, buildings, or home structural failures.

Abstract: This invention relates to detection of specific extracellular nucleic acid in plasma or serum fractions of human or animal blood associated with neoplastic or proliferative disease. Specifically, the invention relates to detection of nucleic acid derived from mutant oncogenes or other tumor-associated DNA, and to those methods of detecting and monitoring extracellular mutant oncogenes or tumor-associated DNA found in the plasma or serum fraction of blood by using rapid DNA extraction followed by nucleic acid amplification with or without enrichment for mutant DNA. In particular, the invention relates to the detection, identification, or monitoring of the existence, progression or clinical status of benign, premalignant, or malignant neoplasms in humans or other animals that contain a mutation that is associated with the neoplasm through detection of the mutated nucleic acid of the neoplasm in plasma or serum fractions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for calcifying dental tissue, e.g., preventing or treating dental hypersensitivity. An oral composition of arginine bicarbonate and calcium carbonate promotes the formation of dentinal tubule plugs aided by combining calcium and phosphate in the fluid. In a specific example, an arginine bicarbonate/calcium carbonate mixture blocked dentinal tubules in a model system. In addition to treating dentinal sensitivity, the compositions and methods of the invention provide for calcifying exposed tooth pulp, calcifying the base or all of a pit or fissure in a tooth, and treating a carious lesion.

Abstract: Time-temperature integrators (TTIs) are useful for providing a means to monitor safety of fresh foods, particularly foods packaged in reduced-oxygen environments. TTIs of the present invention utilize Arrhenius-type curves to offer safety margins that satisfy regulator and shelf-life requirements. One method of using TTIs of the present invention involves using duel TTIs, one as a reference and one as a safety.

Abstract: A method of measuring cytopathic effect in cells includes providing cells in culture, using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) to measure the resistance of current associated with the cells, and quantifying the cytopathic effect (CPE) associated with the cells based on the measured resistance. The cells may be identified as being infected with a virus if the CPE associated with the cells is above a predetermined level. Alternatively, the cells may be provided in a healthy monolayer and infected with a virus in order to measure the effect of the virus on CPE associated with the cells. Cells may also be treated with candidate antiviral agents and the effects of the agents on the virus-infected cells may be measured to screen for and identify actual antiviral agents.

Abstract: Methods for altering levels in plants of one or more phenolic compounds that are intermediates or final products of the plant phenylpropanoid pathway are provided. One method comprises transforming a plant cell with an expression construct comprising a nucleic acid which encodes a transactivator protein comprising the myb domain of the maize “ZmMyb-IF35” protein and an activation domain. Another method comprises transforming a plant cell with an expression construct comprising a transgene which encodes an antisense ZmMyb-IF35 RNA. The present invention also relates to expression constructs and vectors used in the present methods, transformed plant cells and transgenic plants prepared according to the present methods, and the seeds of such transgenic plants.

Abstract: A metallic photonic crystal (MPC) structure used as a filter with incandescent lighting is presented that significantly improves efficiency, while retaining the desirable color rendering index of incandescent lighting. The resulting efficiency is higher than many existing lighting types. The MPC filter is implemented with only a single layer of square lattice or two layers of woodpile-like lattice has high reflection from the photonic band edge to infinitely long wavelength. The MPC filter can be used in a spherical, cylindrical or flat form depending on the illumination scheme.

Abstract: The invention provides mozzarella cheese of uniform composition that is readily and inexpensively made by acidifying milk prior to beginning the cheese making process. The cheese has excellent melting properties and can be used on a variety of food products (e.g. pizza). No cooking, stretching and aging of the cheese is needed during production to improve the taste or melting properties of the cheese.

Abstract: This invention uses large surface to volume ratio materials for separation, release layer, and sacrificial material applications. The invention outlines the material concept, application designs, and fabrication methodologies. The invention is demonstrated using deposited column/void network materials as examples of large surface to volume ratio materials. In a number of the specific applications discussed, it is shown that it is advantageous to create structures on a laminate on a mother substrate and then, using the separation layer material approach, to separate this laminate from the mother substrate using the present separation scheme. It is also shown that the present materials have excellent release layer utility. In a number of applications it is also shown how the approach can be used to uniquely form cavities, channels, air-gaps, and related structures in or on various substrates.

Abstract: Nanofluidic entropic traps, comprising alternating thin and thick regions, sieve small molecules such as DNA or protein polymers and other molecules. The thick region is comparable or substantially larger than the molecule to be separated, while the thin region is substantially smaller than the size of the molecules to be separated. Due to the molecular size dependence of the entropic trapping effect, separation of molecules may be achieved. In addition, entropic traps are used to collect, trap and control many molecules in the nanofluidic channel. A fabrication method is disclosed to provide an efficient way to make nanofluidic constrictions in any fluidic devices.

Abstract: The invention is directed to compositions and methods for wound healing and controlling inflammation that involve proepithelin, with or without secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI).

Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides and nucleic acids which identify and encode LaeA, a regulator of fungal secondary metabolite production which exhibits global control over secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. The invention further provides expression vectors, host cells, methods of increasing the production of secondary metabolites in an organism naturally producing a secondary metabolite or engineered to produce a secondary metabolite, and methods of identifying novel secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for protecting against or treating hearing loss in a subject. This method involves administering an effective amount of a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor to the subject to protect against or to treat hearing loss.

Abstract: Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The system includes a computer control system and an environmental light source that is controlled by the computer control system such that an amount of light provided by the environmental light source is adjusted by the computer control so that ocular parameters of an examinee are within a targeted range. Further, the system includes an irradiation system that provides multiple angle and axial eccentricity illuminations and selective wavelength irradiation based upon instructions received from the computer control system, wherein the computer control system instructs the irradiation system to provide different irradiation characteristics for different screening procedures. Also, the system includes an image detection system that captures ocular images of the examinee, wherein the computer control system analyzes captured images and provides results of in-situ analysis. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Abstract: A magnetic shimming configuration for a high-field magnet having optimized turn geometry and electrical circuitry. The present invention accomplishes this by combining the corrective functionalities of the standard X and ZX shims into two single, simplified electrical circuits and conductors, optimized for field strength as a function of turn location. The standard Y and ZY shims were also replaced with two single, simplified circuits and conductor that is corrective of the Y and ZY fields. The new configuration also eliminates the need of additional “second, outboard turns” of the traditional X, ZX, Y, and ZY shims, located further away from the mid-plane.

Abstract: A network includes a transmitter for transmitting a stream of known symbols and unknown symbols in an optimal distribution through a transmission channel to a receiver that receives the transmitted stream of known symbols and unknown symbols distorted by intersymbol interference (ISI). The receiver uses a known symbol generator and a precursor cancellation decision feedback equalizer (PC-DFE) to cancel precursor ISI from symbols that have not yet been decided. The transmitter comprises a known symbol distribution controller for inserting a plurality of known symbols into an outgoing stream of unknown symbols in an optimum distribution in order to improve the performance of the PC-DFE in the receiver.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of treating a disease or pathological condition resulting in apoptotic cell death. The method includes increasing the activity of Bcl-2 in cells affected by the disease or pathological condition. Diseases or pathological conditions can include, for example, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and viral infections. Also provided is a method of prolonging the in vivo survival of transplanted cells for the treatment of a disease or pathological condition. The method includes increasing the activity of Bcl-2 in a population of cells and transplanting the population of cells having increased Bcl-2 activity into a subject. Diseases or pathological conditions can include, for example, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and viral infections. A method to enhance the sensitivity of malignant cells to therapy is provided that includes decreasing the activity of Bcl-2 in the malignant cells.