Abstract: The invention provides an in vitro avascular human corneal equivalent that comprises immortalized human cell lines. As these corneal equivalents are in vitro models, they are maintained in an incubator throughout the testing period, thereby eliminating the problems and expense associated with animal care. The corneal equivalent is preferably surrounded by a matrix in which angiogenesis (formation of capillary-like structures) can occur in vitro. This surrounding matrix has the potential to play the role of a pseudo-sclera, allowing the in vitro assessment of the cornea's angiogenic reaction to any substance or injury. Furthermore, the model is capable of being produced easily, is physiologically functional and can give predictable and quantifiable results when submitted to various drugs, chemicals and/or physical trauma.

Abstract: This invention relates to fabrication techniques for the creation of new optical elements, an asymmetric (non-reciprocal) diffraction grating and a passive nonlinear optical (visible, microwave, etc.) isolator (diode). It may have potential applications in the field of optical detection (spectrometers) and communications (circulators, wavelength division multiplexing circuits, etc.), etc. One of applications of this proposal is the significant reduction of the noise level in optical communication systems or any other optical systems using laser sources. Another potential interest of these diodes is the fabrication of integrated laser gyroscopes for applications in aviation, etc.

Abstract: A solid-state optical device supports a Helicoidal Standing Wave along an optical axis of the device. A holographic recording technique utilizes the Weigert effect to generate a spatially rotating axis of optical anisotropy in a longitudinal direction of the optical axis. As a result, a Helicoidal Standing Wave propagating in a direction of the optical axis, and having a wavelength substantially corresponding to a period of the helix, is supported by the optical device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixture of soluble hydrophobic peptides of an enzymatic hydrolysate of milk having skin hydrating properties and percutaneous absorption levels of 4 to 5%. The mixture also exhibits wound healing properties but does not have the allergenicity of the milk protein. One fraction of the mixture is capable of increasing in vitro the growth rate of cell-cultured keratinocytes by at least 50%. The soluble hydrophobic peptides of the fraction have a molecular weight of about 2000 daltons ranging from 1400 to 2600 daltons The soluble peptides are constituted of 66% hydrophobic amino acids and 17% aromatic amino acids, and have aromatic amino acids and other hydrophobic amino acids located at the C- and N-terminal ending in proportion over 85%. Another fraction is capable of increasing the growth rate of cell-cultured fibroblasts by 37% and the production of collagen by 73%..

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface for prolonged use as a liquid mirror. The method of the invention comprises the steps of (a) contacting the surface of liquid gallium or gallium alloy with an aqueous solution of a halogenic acid to cause dissolution of any gallium oxide present on the surface, thereby obtaining an oxide-free liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface covered with a layer of the acid solution; (b) adding to the acid solution an aqueous solution of a surfactant present in an amount to form a single bimolecular layer of surfactant at an interface between the liquid gallium or gallium alloy and water; and (c) allowing a uniform passivating oxide layer to gradually form on the oxide-free liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface, the passivating oxide layer having surface irregularities smaller than 40 nm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous process for denaturation of proteins, which comprises the steps of: a) subjecting a protein solution to a high pressure homogenizer at a pressure of about 500 to about 5000 bar, at a recirculation ranging from 0 to about 50 and at a temperature ranging from about 20° C. to about 80° C. for a period of time on the order of milliseconds, wherein the protein solution consisting of a protein fraction dispersed in water, buffer or salt solution at a concentration ranging from about 2% to about 35% w/w and at a pH adjusted between about 2.0 to about 12.0; b) concentrating the protein solution by i) evaporation, ii) ultrafiltration and sprayed dried or iii) ultrafiltration and freeze dried.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixture of soluble hydrophobic peptides of an enzymatic hydrolysate of milk having skin hydrating properties and percutaneous absorption levels of 4 to 5%. The mixture also exhibits wound healing properties but does not have the allergenicity of the milk-protein. One fraction of the mixture is capable of increasing in vitro the growth rate of cell-cultured keratinocytes by at least 50%. The soluble peptides of the fraction have a molecular weight of about 900 daltons ranging from 200 to 1400 daltons, and an average hydrophobicity of 11 Kcal/mole. The soluble peptides are constituted of 66% hydrophobic amino acids and 17% aromatic amino acids, and have aromatic amino acids and other hydrophobic amino acids located at the C- and N-terminal ending in proportion over 85%. Another fraction is capable of increasing the growth rate of cell-cultured fibroblasts by 37% and the production of collagen by 73%.

Abstract: A method of pretreating healthy donor's myoblast cultures with growth or trophic factors like basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and with concanavalin A on transplantation to subjects suffering of myopathy like muscular dystrophy is disclosed and claimed. Recipient muscles show a higher percentage of functional cells, a four-fold increase, demonstrated by the higher incidence of dystrophin-positive fibers, and does not require previous preconditioning of recipient muscles by irradiation or toxin administration. The recipient subjects were immunosuppressed with FK 506. When growing myoblasts with 20 &mgr;g/ml concanavalin A or 100 ng/ml TPA for two to four days, migration of donor cells in recipient tissue was increased by 3-4 fold.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of treating an inherited disease due to a point mutation producing a stop codon by administering an effective dose of an aminoglycoside antibiotic or a derivative thereof. Mdx mouse, which is an animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, has been successfully treated with intramuscularly administered 1 and 5 mg gentamicin, which had for effect to suppress the premature stop mutation by inserting an amino acid at the stop codon. Dystrophin positive muscle fibers not different in number from those of normal mouse were detected at the dose of 5 mg gentamicin.

Abstract: Attenuated strains of Leishmania are provided in which at least one gene contributing to virulence of the strain and expressed in both the promastigote and amastigote forms of the strain is functionally disabled, such as, by deleting at least a portion of the gene or by mutagenesis of the gene. The attenuated strain may be used for administration to a host to confer protection against disease caused by a virulent Leishmania strain or as a diagnostic reagent.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with photopolymer materials sensitive to infrared, near infrared, red and green light radiation for initiating polymerization and to applications of such photopolymer, like holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) or reversible dye doped photopolymer (RDDP) materials, for making optical devices. The invention relates to holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal and reversible dye materials having improved electrical and optical switching properties.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for optical and radio frequency implementation of a fast frequency hopping spread spectrum communication for code division multiple access systems is disclosed. The method avoids the frequency hopping synthesizer requirements in the transmitter as well as in the receiver. In a system where a pool of CDMA users share a channel characterized by a number of F available frequencies (or frequency bands), each user is assigned a subset of M (M less than or equal to F) frequencies from the F available frequencies, selected and ordered in time as prescribed by his own code (or address). In the transmitter, the information bit sequence modulates a broadband source so that the energy assigned to a data bit is concentrated on just a short interval of the bit period which is less than or equal to the so-called chip interval.

Abstract: The method of estimating systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures of a patient, comprising the steps of (a) producing an electric signal xs(t) representative of heart sounds of the patient; (b) extracting second heart sound S2(t) from the signal produced in step (a); (c) extracting pulmonary and aortic components P2(t) and A2(t) from S2(t); (d) extracting a signal representative of mean cardiac interval; (e) correlating the pulmonary and aortic components P2(t) and A2(t) to obtain a cross correlation function; (f) measuring a splitting interval of the cross correlation function obtained in step (e); (g) producing a normalized splitting interval; and (h) estimating the systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures by means of predetermined regressive functions. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for estimating systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures of a patient.

Abstract: A paving composition comprises a mixture of about 90 to 99.5 wt. % of an asphaltic material and about 0.5 to 10 wt. % of solid particles each encapsulated with a cross-linked polymer, the encapsulated particles being uniformly dispersed in the asphaltic material. The encapsulated particles have a particle-to-polymer weight ratio so as to provide a density match between the encapsulated particles and the asphaltic material. The paving composition according to the invention has a higher complex viscosity at high temperatures (60° C.) and is more ductile at low temperatures (−15° C.) in comparison with the base asphaltic material. Moreover, the composition is completely stable at elevated temperatures (160° C.) or during long periods of storage.

Abstract: Strains of Leishmanda and other macrophage-infecting parasites are provided which express the GM-CSF gene which are useful in treating hosts infected by the parasite and in protecting hosts against disease caused by infection of hosts by parasites. The parasites are reduced in their ability to infect or survive in macrophages and hence are attenuated. At least one gene of the parasite contributing to the virulence thereto may be functionally disabled. The attenuated strains may be used for administration to a host (a) to treat a host infected by Leishmania or (b) to confer protection against disease caused by a virulent Leishmania strain, or as a diagnostic reagent.

Abstract: An apparatus (A, A″) for spraying treatment product on plants, trees, bushes, etc., and for recovering excess treatment product comprises a fan (30) which conveys pressurized air through a duct (37) located over the plant (9) and vertically distally thereof at a manifold section (38) of the duct (37). The treatment product is supplied with a pump (21) from a reservoir (40) to nozzles (43) of a wet boom (42) extending within or along the manifold duct section (38) and is atomized and incorporated into the air stream exiting from the outlets (39) of the manifold duct section (38) which are oriented towards the plant (9) and an air-liquid separator panel (50) supported proximally of the plant (9) on the frame (13) of the apparatus (A, A″). The manifold duct section (38) can be rotated by a device (15) to compensate air stream deviations due to travel velocity.

Abstract: A custom CMOS imager with integrated motion computation is described. The architecture is centered around a compact mixed-mode pixel with digital asynchronous self-signaling capabilities. An address-event communication channel with an external time-stamp protocol is used to compute image features velocities. The motion sensor could be used in applications such as self-guided vehicles, mobile robotics and smart surveillance systems.

Abstract: Mutacin are bactericidal substances of proteinaceous natures produced by Streptococcus mutans. Lantibiotics are antibacterial substances containing posttranslationnally modified amino acids such as lanthionine. The present invention teaches a simple method of purifying mutacin B-Ny266 from Streptococcus mutans strain Ny266 to homogeneity. The present invention further teaches the primary amino acid sequence of mutacin B-Ny266 as well as its proposed modified structure. Further, the present invention teaches compositions comprising mutacin B-Ny266 as well as methods for the treatment and/or prophylaxy of bacterial infections comprising an administration of a suitable dose of composition comprising mutacin B-Ny266.

Abstract: An enriched fetal cell sample is prepared from maternal blood by first separating a maternal blood sample on a three layer density gradient, and collection of the layer containing the lymphocytes and a layer immediately beneath the lymphocytes which presumably contains the nucleated fetal red blood cells and low density maternal red blood cells. The top layer in the gradient would contain the plasma and lighter components and the bottom layer would contain high density maternal red blood cells. The collected cells are then placed in a hypotonic solution and centrifuged to separate a fetal cell pellet, which contains enriched levels of fetal cells of varying types. The recovered pellet is fixed twice with Carnoy fixative and the fixed cells are then spread on a slide for FISH analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production and secretion into animal's semen of an exogenous recombinant protein comprising the steps of: a) producing a non-human transgenic animal characterized by an expression system comprising a promoter specific for the genital tract or accessory glands operatively linked to an exogenous DNA sequence coding for the recombinant protein through a DNA sequence coding for a signal peptide effective in secreting and maturing the recombinant protein in genital tract tissue; b) collecting semen produced by the non-human transgenic animal; and c) isolating the exogenous recombinant protein from the semen.