Abstract: Bioavailability of lead and other heavy metals in the environment may be reduced by addition of microorganisms which sequester lead from the environment in the presence of phosphate. The microorganisms are highly mobile and are, therefore, capable of scavenging a material for lead, which they then sequester. The method basically consists of reducing bioavailability of lead in the environment by addition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain CHL004 (ATCC 55937) to said environment in the presence of phosphate which contains at least stoichiometric equivalent amounts of phosphate to lead.

Abstract: A compact, modular limited-scan phased array is disclosed. The entire array, combining the feed and the radiating elements, is fabricated as a multilayer, planar substrate structure, with vias incorporated as layer interconnects. Furthermore, the desired degree of control over the array pattern can be exercised by inclusion of additional feed circuit layers. The feed can be used in systems requiring limited scan in one of the principal scan planes and wide-angle scan in the other plane, as well as in phased arrays with limited field-of-view in both principal scan planes. The planar circuit implementation of the array makes in inherently amenable to integration with state-of-the-art solid-state active components.

Abstract: A method, and a system responsive thereto, is disclosed for determining the height and range of targets, particularly low altitude targets. The method depends upon the occurrence of a sub-refractive atmosphere causing an inferior mirage image which is utilized along with the real image in a ray tracing technique with the cross-over points yielded therefrom being indicative of the height and range of the target being detected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flextensional transducer device comprising a multi-resonant shell and push-pull driving system for driving the shell so as to provide at least two tunable resonant modes, thereby increasing the operational bandwidth of the device. The push-pull driving system is formed by four rings of active drive material grouped to operate as two opposing push-pull pairs. The shell has a dog-bone configuration with two arcuately shaped interior web portions joined to the pairs of rings, end sections joined to the interior web portions, and a central concave section which functions as the primary radiating surface. Upon application of a desired current to the push-pull ring pairs, the interior web portions are caused to vibrate, which vibrations are transmitted to the end sections and the central concave section.

Abstract: This invention pertains to an article that emits infrared radiation for a period of about 15 minutes or more, depending on the size and shape, and to a process for preparing the article. The article includes, in a preferred embodiment, a combustible aerogel or other nanocellular substrate with iron metal impregnant formed by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl deposited on and in the substrate in an amount of at least about 5% or at least about 20% of the weight of the substrate, depending on the substrate. The impregnant reacts exothermically on contact with air or an oxygen-containing gas and imparts sufficient energy to the substrate to cause it to burn for about 30 seconds to about 30 minutes depending on size and shape, thereby emitting infrared radiation. The process pertains to deposition of the impregnant on and in the substrate by flowing a carrier gas saturated with the impregnant precursor over and through the substrate.

Abstract: A passive optical limiter for protecting a light-sensitive object from damage due to an incident light beam above a first predetermined value of light intensity is disclosed.

Abstract: A spin injected diode suitable for nonvolatile memory applications is made of a semiconducting channel capable of carrying current, a single ferromagnetic layer, and a barrier layer between the semiconducting channel and the ferromagnetic layer to protect the integrity of the semiconducting layer and to inhibit interdiffusion of the ferromagnetic material and the semiconductor. During diode readout the output modulation of the diode can be sensed either as the interface resistance between the semiconducting channel and the ferromagnetic layer, or as the output voltage between the semiconducting channel and the ferromagnetic layer when flowing current through the channel and not through the interface. Two of these spin injected diodes can be combined to form a spin injected field effect transistor. This transistor has a first ferromagnetic layer having a first coercivity and a second ferromagnetic layer having a second coercivity smaller than the first coercivity which are spaced apart.

Abstract: A device is provided for capturing ionic metal species (e.g., Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) dissolved in water. The device includes a nonporous polymeric tube for capturing the dissolved ionic metal species. The tube is formed from a membrane having transient cavities therein having an average pore size greater than 10 Å. A sequestration medium, contained within the tube, transforms the ionic metal species captured by the tube into a complexed, non-mobile metal species. The sequestration medium is capable of diffusing through the nonporous polymeric membrane at a controlled rate to form the complexed, non-mobile species and can comprise a mixture and metal complexing agent (e.g., a quinoline) and a long chain organic acid (e.g., oleic acid).

Abstract: An automatic-shutter system functions as a counter-measure to the in-band frequency agile laser threat posed to the eyes of pilot(s)/operator(s). Ideally it is desirable to protect the operator from every laser pulse including the first. However, the lack of fast shutters or optical gates (faster than a micro-second) suitable for visible usage has prevented the protection from a first pulse threat. The automatic-shutter system detects the first pulse and provides protection against any subsequent pulses. This is achieved by a multi-directional detector system for actuating shutters on the aircraft/vehicle. The detector, after detecting a pulse of laser light, further comprises processing means in electrical communication with the multi-directional detector for processing a detected pulse of laser light and to generate a signal responsive thereto. A plurality of shutters can be individually or group dropped in response to shutter actuating means to provide protection against subsequent pulses of laser light.

Abstract: A break line launch energy damper and recoil limiting system for line charges absorbs and dissipates launch energy over time during deployment of line charges. This system limits the amount of recoil energy that can act upon the line charge and allows for linear deployment without recoil that might hinder the effectiveness of the rear lengths of the line charge. An elongate strength member connects the line charge to an inertial drag, such as a parachute and/or container for the line charge. A plurality of lines having different tensile strengths are appropriately connected to sequentially part when their tensile strengths are exceeded to thereby absorb and dissipate energy during deployment of the line charge.

Abstract: Ultrasonic techniques are applied to the measurement of wooden members to detect splitting during sawing operations and thereby allow modification of sawing technique or change in saw cut placement.

Abstract: A device for and method of detecting motion between a reference image and a test image by acquiring the images; aligning the images; dividing the images into blocks; masking certain blocks; differencing corresponding blocks; median filtering the differences; low-pass filtering the outputs of the median filter; generating a normalized histogram for each output of the low-pass filter; generating a model of gaussian noise; calculating the distance between the noise model and each normalized histogram; comparing each distance calculated to a user-definable threshold; and determining if motion has occurred between the images if a certain number of distance calculations are at or above the user-definable threshold. If a scene is to be continuously monitored and no motion occurred between the previous reference image and the previous test image then a new test image is acquired and compared against the previous reference image as described above.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor system and method of use for measuring transit time though a liquid sample, using one ultrasonic transducer coupled to a precision time interval counter. The timing circuit captures changes in transit time, representing small changes in the velocity of sound transmitted, over necessarily small time intervals (nanoseconds) and uses the transit time changes to identify the presence of non-conforming constituents in the sample.

Abstract: A live attenuated Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) is described which comprises a viral gene rearrangement. This rearranged attenuated virus is useful as vaccine for protection against infection with VEE. Methods of preparing the virus and methods of using the virus are described.

Abstract: A polymerizable composition suitable for storage prior to polymerization is made by mixing a phthalonitrile monomer and a curing agent under non-reactive conditions below the melting temperatures of the phthalonitrile monomer and the curing agent and in the absence of a solvent to create a homogeneous, unreacted mixture.

Abstract: A method to improve the health and growth of suckling dairy calves on dairy farms includes supplementing calves' diets with a ruminal fluid preparation obtained from the rumen of a cow. This supplement provides the calves with the protection needed to develop faster and healthier. It also leads to a decreased incidence of scours in the treated calves.

Abstract: An aircraft weapons bay acoustic suppression apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus reduces or eliminates acoustic resonance within an open cavity of an aircraft such as a weapons bay of an aircraft in flight. The apparatus includes an oscillatable spoiler plate which is extended into the airstream. At least one shaker is placed in operative engagement with the spoiler plate in order to oscillate the spoiler plate at high frequencies and high amplitudes to seed the shear layer with frequencies which directly complete with the natural frequency of the shear layer vortices. In this way, the damage arising from natural shear layer vortices can reduced or canceled within the weapons bay.

Abstract: A system for instrumenting time sampled predicting interference suppression, particularly in a side-lobe canceller system. Main and auxiliary channel signals are supplied to a canceller loop where correlating weights are sampled just prior to a radar pulse transmission on command of a radar pretrigger pulse. A sampling circuit stores both current and past weights and combines the current weight with the integral of the difference between the current and past weight to form predicting weights over each pulse repetition period. The predicting weights are used to form a translating signal for operating on the auxiliary channel interference signal so that it will cancel the interference in the main channel. By sampling just prior to radar pulse transmission and forming the predicting weights, cross modulation of clutter and antenna scan error can be reduced in order that a side-lobe canceller may be used compatibly with Moving Target Indicators.

Abstract: A composition including a solid substrate, a metal chelant, and a saturated hydrocarbon linker attached between the substrate and the chelant, wherein the chelant is an organic wherein the chelant is an organic macrocycle or polyol.

Abstract: A system for concomitant scenario topography with the aid of a digital computer such that a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map is produced and displayed which illustrates the combined effects, particularly geo-environmental, of multiple, diverse criteria and factors relative to uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas of a plane surface or the surface of a solid. The topography system employs plural interrelated tables, worksheets and mapping systems to receive, contain and apply various political, economic, scientific, and technical criteria and factors as attributes of a particular small area, and subsequently map the processed data. Each table includes at least one join field which links that table to at least one other table or worksheet. At least one worksheet includes capability for rapid, dynamic user-interaction to facilitate generation of a myriad of actual or imagined scenarios.