Abstract: Hybrid optical integration places very strict manufacturing tolerances and performance requirements upon the multiple elements to exploit passive alignment techniques as well as having additional processing requirements. Alternatively, active alignment and soldering/fixing where feasible is also complex and time consuming with 3, 4, or 6-axis control of each element. However, microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems can sense, control, and activate mechanical processes on the micro scale. Beneficially, therefore the inventors combine silicon MEMS based micro-actuators with silicon CMOS control and drive circuits in order to provide alignment of elements within a silicon optical circuit either with respect to each other or with other optical elements hybridly integrated such as compound semiconductor elements. Such inventive MEMS based circuits may be either maintained as active during deployment or powered off once the alignment has been “locked” through an attachment/retention/latching process.

Abstract: A process to induce polymerization of an organic electronically conductive polymer in the presence of a partially delithiated alkali metal phosphate which acts as the polymerization initiator.

Abstract: A neuroprotective composition for protecting neuronal cells against oxidative stress and methods for using and preparing the same. More particularly, the neuroprotective composition of the invention comprises a mixture of pyruvate, antioxidant, and lipid(s) such as fatty acids. The neuroprotective composition could be used for the treatment of brain trauma, brain or cerebrovascular ischemia, neurodegenerative diseases, poisoning of neuronal cells, the diminution of drugs side effects and for preservation of neuronal grafts.

Abstract: Testing process and apparatus for determining absorption properties of a porous specimen. The porous specimen is brought in a predetermined state of contact with the body of water held by a reservoir, for inducing water absorption in the porous specimen. A weight of the porous specimen is monitored for a predetermined time period once the contact is established to produce weight data over time. The predetermined state of contact is maintained substantially constant during the time period by permanent circulation of water in the reservoir. The absorption properties of the porous specimen are determined as a function of the weight data over time.

Abstract: The Wcs120 gene encodes a highly abundant protein which appears to play an important role during cold acclimation of wheat. To understand the regulatory mechanism controlling its expression at low temperature (LT-responsiveness), the promoter region has been characterized. The data indicate the involvement of putative enhancer elements, negative and positive regulatory regions in the transcriptional regulation of this gene. Further, the promoter was found to be cold-inducible in different freezing tolerant and sensitive monocot and dicot species, suggesting that universal transcription factors responsive to LT may be present in all plants. Therefore this promoter could be used to drive the genes needed for LT tolerance in sensitive species.

Abstract: The Wcs120 gene encodes a highly abundant protein which appears to play an important role during cold acclimation of wheat. To understand the regulatory mechanism controlling its expression at low temperature (LT-responsiveness), the promoter region has been characterized. To identify the regulatory elements involved in LT-responsiveness, transient expression activity of different promoter regions was determined using the luciferase reporter gene. The data indicate the involvement of putative enhancer elements, negative and positive regulatory regions in the transcriptional regulation of this gene. The role of nuclear factors on the promoter region was analysed. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using short promoter fragments revealed the presence of multiple DNA-binding proteins in nuclear extracts from non-acclimated (NA) plants which interact with several elements. In contrast, no DNA-binding activity was observed in the nuclear extracts from cold-acclimated (CA) plants.

Abstract: Novel bioartificial hydrogels consisting of a three-dimensional crosslinked mixture of: (a) a bifunctionalized polyethylene oxide, activated with an activating agent, dissolved in an aqueous solution; and (b) albumin type protein. The novel hydrogels are based on the crosslinking of albumin type protein of various sources including, for example, bovine serum albumin, lactalbumin or ovalbumin, with a bifunctionalyzed polyethylene oxide, most preferably polyethylene glycol, or a mixture of bifunctionalyzed polyethylene oxides preferably polyethylene glycol, of various molecular masses (Mr 2,000 to 35,000), dissolved in aqueous solution in adequate proportions. Also provided is a method and conditions for preparing the novel hydrogels. Also divulged are a variety of biomedical applications for the novel hydrogels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to three novel genes which have been isolated from cold-tolerant wheat species and which are induced by low temperature. The first gene, Wcs19, is preferentially expressed in green leaf tissues of tolerant gramineae species and requires both light and low temperature for maximal induction. The second gene, Wcs120, is induced only by low temperature. Different from the protein encoded by Wcs19, the protein encoded by Wcs120 contains two repeated domains that are highly conserved among RAB (rice abscisic acid-induced) and dehydrin families and appears to be light-independent. The Wcs120 protein does not however contain a serine-rich sequence present in RAB and dehydrin families. Finally, the present invention also relates to a third gene, Wcor410, also induced by low temperature as well as water stress and, to a lesser extend, by ABA. Its expression is light-independent. The protein encoded by this gene contains a serine-rich stretch as found in several drought induced proteins.

Abstract: The method is for correcting and decoding a sequence of branches representing encoded data bits into estimated information bits. The encoded data bits were previously encoded in a convolutional manner with v encoded symbols forming a branch where v is a predetermined value.

Abstract: Two osmotic stress- and ABA-responsive members of the endochitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) gene family has been isolated and identified from leaves of drought-stressed Lycopersicon chilense plants. The 966-base-pair insert of pcht28 encodes an acidic chitinase precursor with an amino-terminal signal peptide. The mature protein is predicted to have 229 amino acid residues with a relative molecular weight of 24,943 and pI value of 6.2. The same number in amino acids, molecular and PI value are predicted for the protein encoded by pchtI, despite of a slight variation in the DNA and amino acid sequences. Sequence analysis revealed that pcht28 and pchtI have a high degree of homology with class II chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) from tobacco. Northern blot analysis indicated that these genes have evolved a completely different pattern of expression from others reported thus far. They are highly induced by both osmotic stress and the plant hormone abscisic acid.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a ternary alloy electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in fuel cell electrodes or other catalytic structure. The electrocatalyst of the present invention is made of a noble metal chromium-copper alloy supported on an electrically conductive material, and has a mass activity for oxygen reduction at least four times higher than that of unalloyed noble metal.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for determining the concentration of a first reactant in a medium. A disc is saturated with a solution containing the first reactant and immersed into a second reactant fluid. A chemical reaction occurs between the first and second reactants to produce a gas which is trapped by the disc. The disc is buoyed to the surface of the second reactant fluid by the gas produced. The process is electronically timed using photocells to start and stop an electronic clock and a digital display displays the time elapsed in tenths of seconds.