Abstract: A pedestrian navigation and spatial relation device including a position finder, a spatial relationship sensor, an input mechanism, and an output mechanism. The position finder can be configured to determine a geographic position of the device based upon received wireless signals. The spatial relationship sensor can provide data used to detect a position of at least one obstacle relative to the device. The input mechanism can specify a destination location. The output mechanism can present device output to a user. The device output can include sensory indicators for at least one of guiding a pedestrian to the destination location and warning a pedestrian about the detected obstacles.

Abstract: A system for communication between a mobile node and a communications network is provided for use with a communications network having one or more communications network nodes that define a foreign agents and that communicate with the mobile node in a predefined region. The system includes a ghost-foreign agent that advertises a foreign agent so that the mobile node is aware of the foreign agent when the mobile node is located outside the predefined region. The system further includes a ghost-mobile node that signals the foreign agent in response to the foreign agent advertising and based upon a predicted future state of the mobile node.

Abstract: Spray dried particles having specified aerodynamic characteristics are produced by atomizing a liquid feed and contacting the liquid feed with a drying gas, such as, for example, air or nitrogen. The humidity of the drying gas is controlled to a value, expressed, for instance, as dew point, which is known to produce particles having a specified tap density or aerodynamic diameter. Particles having a volume median geometric diameter greater than about 5 microns and a tap density less than about 0.4 g/cm3 are preferred.

Abstract: Improvement on delivery of continuous media programs, such as video, divides the programs into prefixes and suffixes of data. One of these groups, or other groups associated with alternate on-demand data streaming, may be stored at a remote location, while the other of the groups may be stored at a plurality of regional locations. Accordingly, when the media program is ordered by a plurality of clients, a portion of the program will be broadcast from the regional server, while the other portion of the program will be transmitted from the remote server. The prefixes and suffixes are chosen so as to maximize the efficiency of data transfer taking into account the cost of storing the data as well as bandwidth costs.

Abstract: A high power diode laser system utilizes an external cavity to narrow the spectral width of a high power multimode diode laser to change the output power normally produced by the diode from a broad spectrum to a very narrow spectrum. The power output of the laser system is concentrated over a narrow spectral range which falls within the useable range for particular applications, such as optical pumping of noble gas samples for magnetic resonance imaging. The output of the diode is received by a collimating element which directs the light on a beam path to a diffraction grating which is oriented at an angle to the incident beam. A portion of the beam may be directed from the diffraction grating to provide useable output light, and a portion of the light incident on the grating is directed back to be focused on the diode to provide feedback to cause the diode to preferentially lase at the wavelength of the light that is fed back.

Abstract: Asymmetric derivatives of furamidines with one of the phenyl rings of furamidine replaced with a benzimidazole have been found by quantitative footprinting analyses to bind GC containing sites on DNA more strongly than to pure AT sequences. These compounds have been shown to bind in the minor groove at specific GC containing sequences of DNA in a highly cooperative manner as a stacked dimer. Compounds of the present invention find use in selectively binding mixed sequence DNA, and may also be used in methods of regulating gene expression, methods of treating opportunistic infections and cancer, as well as in methods of detecting certain sequences of DNA.

Abstract: A slurry includes a plurality of particles and at least one selective adsorption additive. The particles are preferably composite particles including a core surrounded by a shell provided by the selective adsorption additive. The slurry can be used to polish a structure including silicon dioxide or a low K dielectric film and a silicon nitride containing film, such as to form a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure or a metal-dielectric structure. The silicon nitride containing film surface substantially adsorbs the selective adsorption additive, whereas the silicon dioxide or low K dielectric film shows non-substantial adsorption characteristics to the adsorption additive.

Abstract: The subject invention concerns materials and methods for enhancing starch production in plants. Starch production is enhanced, relative to levels observed in wildtype or control plants, by reduction of the plant 14-3-3 protein(s) which subsequently results in increased accumulation of starch in the plant. In one embodiment, the 14-3-3 protein expression is reduced using polynucleotides that are antisense to the 14-3-3 gene sequences expressed in the plant. In another embodiment, the 14-3-3 protein expression is reduced by “knockout” of a 14-3-3 gene or gene sequences. The subject invention also pertains to transformed and transgenic plants that have polynucleotides that are antisense to the 14-3-3 gene sequences expressed in the plant, wherein the transformed and transgenic plants exhibit enhanced starch production. The subject invention also pertains to “knockout” plants in which the normal functional 14-3-3 gene in the plant is deleted or replaced with a non-functional form of the gene.

Abstract: A system for emulating mobile network communications can include one or more wireless nodes configured to variably adjust signal reception sensitivity and signal transmission strength; at least one mobile node configured to wirelessly communicate with selected ones of the wireless nodes; and a network emulator communicatively linked to each wireless node. The network emulator can replicate attributes of a wired communications network. The system also can include a controller communicatively linked with the wireless nodes and configured to control signal reception sensitivity and signal transmission strength of each said wireless node, as well as a home agent configured to interact with at least one mobile node via selected ones of the wireless nodes.

Abstract: This invention provides nucleic acid molecules encoding mutant human interleukin 13 molecules showing varying specificity for the restricted (IL4 independent) IL13 receptor. The mutant hIL13 molecules include those made by substituting the amino acid residues that occur in the alpha-helix regions of native hIL13 with various other amino acid residues. Some of the mutants retain the ability to bind and cause signaling through IL13 receptors, while other mutants do not.

Abstract: Nucleic acids containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides and therapeutic utilities based on their ability to stimulate an immune response and to redirect a Th2 response to a Th1 response in a subject are disclosed. Methods for treating atopic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, are disclosed.

Abstract: A novel rice cultivar, designated M-206, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar M-206, to the plants of rice M-206 and to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar M-206 with itself or another rice variety. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar M-206 with another rice cultivar.

Abstract: This invention involves the introduction of “benign” strains of X. fastidiosa into desirable plants that are normally susceptible to Pierce's disease (PD). In certain embodiments, plants are injected with the benign biocontrol strain prior to transplanting into the vineyard, or immediately after transplanting. Such inoculated plants are, typically, resistant to PD for at least about 3-4 years. Various embodiments of the subject invention also provide for “booster injections” every 3-4 years. The subject invention also provides “benign” bacterial strains suitable for control of PD and compositions comprising the aforementioned “benign” bacterial strains.

Abstract: A method for protein identification in complex mixtures that utilizes affinity selection of constituent proteolytic peptide fragments unique to a protein analyte. These “signature peptides” function as analytical surrogates. Mass spectrometric analysis of the proteolyzed mixture permits identification of a protein in a complex sample without purifying the protein or obtaining its composite peptide signature.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to genes and gene products related to Min-K which form ion channels and to a process for diagnosis of ion channel disorders, including long QT syndrome (LQT). For example, KCNE2 forms IKr potassium channels and is associated with LQT. LQT is diagnosed in accordance with the present invention by analyzing the DNA sequence of KCNE2 of an individual to be tested and comparing the respective DNA sequence to the known DNA sequence of a normal KCNE2 gene. Alternatively, these MinK-related genes of an individual to be tested can be screened for mutations which cause ion channel disorders, including LQT. Prediction of ion channel disorders, including LQT, will enable practitioners to prevent the disorders using existing medical therapy. This invention is further directed to the discovery that the HERG and KCNE2 (also known as MiRP1) proteins coassemble to form a cardiac IKr potassium channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method for monitoring the reaction kinetics of the biodegradable polymers, and the surface concentration of a drug in a polymer blend matrix. Detailed information on surface concentration, degradation rates, degradation kinetics and mechanism, is provided by using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF SIMS) measurements. Also provided is a method for determining oligomers in hydrolyzed biodegradable polymers.

Abstract: Composition, article of manufacture for and method of treating malaria in a human having an infestation of Plasmodium protozoans are described. The method comprises administering a therapeutically-effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or (IV), i.e. sufficient quantity to reduce the population of Plasmodium. The composition of the invention is a compound of formula (I) or (IV) with a pharmaceutical excipient. The article of manufacture is the composition in combination with labeling for treating malaria. The substituents are detailed in the specification.

Abstract: An EUV radiation source that creates a stable solid target filament. The source includes a nozzle assembly having a condenser chamber for cryogenically cooling a gaseous target material into a liquid state. The liquid target material is forced through an orifice of a target filament generator into an evaporation chamber as a liquid target stream. The evaporation chamber has a higher pressure than a vacuum process chamber of the source to allow the liquid target material to freeze into a target filament in a stable manner. The frozen target filament is emitted from the evaporation chamber into the process chamber as a stable target filament towards a target area. The higher pressure in the evaporation chamber can be the result of the evaporative cooling of the target material alone or in combination with a supplemental gas.

Abstract: A single-copy BAC vector (containing or lacking an insert) is converted in a host cell into a conditional high-copy BAC vector by introducing a conditional origin of replication into the single-copy BAC vector. The conditional ori is introduced by site-specific recombination between the SC BAC vector and a vector that contains the conditional ori. The host cell comprises a recombinase that recognizes a site-specific recombination site on both the BAC vector and the conditional ori vector. In the presence of the recombinase, the conditional ori-containing vector recombines into the BAC vector to produce a high-copy BAC vector that can be conditionally amplified by activating the conditional origin of replication on command.

Abstract: A digital data communication overlay system is disclosed which is overlaid on a predefined frequency band of an existing analog data communication system. The digital data communication overlay system comprises a digital mobile unit and a digital ground station. The digital mobile unit and the digital ground station are configured to transmit and receive spread spectrum digital data communication signals between each other over the same spread spectrum digital channel. This is done by spreading the spread spectrum digital data communication signals over the predefined frequency spectrum of the existing analog data communication system.