Abstract: A snap-off blade knife having a handle including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a handle axis extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion is disclosed. The knife also includes a blade slidingly disposed within the handle along the handle axis. The blade comprises a plurality of scored segments. A blade stop fixedly extends from the distal portion of the handle. The blade stop includes a stop arm disposed to engage blade to limit extension of the blade from the handle. A kit comprising the snap-off knife and a blade segment snap-off tool is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process to coat a shear thickening fluid onto a material which comprises emulsifying dispersions of a shear thickening fluid (STF) dissolved in a miscible carrier fluid or a partially miscible carrier fluid to form an emulsion and applying said emulsion to the material. The invention also relates to a suspoemulsion containing a shear thickening fluid which has been emulsified in a volatile solvent. The invention further relates to a method coating a material. The invention further relates to a method of a coating a material with the suspoemulsion.

Abstract: A vacuum-induced injection molding apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a tool surface having an injection port extending therethrough. A flexible film extends over and is sealingly coupled to the tool surface. The flexible film comprises an outer surface and an inner surface such that the flexible film inner surface and the tool surface define a volume. A vacuum chamber is sealingly coupled to the outer surface of the flexible film. A vacuum port is in fluid communication with the volume. A method of injection molding a polymer matrix composite is also disclosed.

Abstract: New uses of proteoglycans to bind and present growth factors, methods of accelerating wound, tissue or bone repair using such proteoglycans, pharmaceutical compositions of such proteoglycans, and scaffolds coated with such proteoglycans are disclosed. The proteoglycan of the invention is derived from domain I or perlecan.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of screening chickens to determine those more likely to have a lean or fat phenotype. The invention also provides methods of screening chickens to identify a polymorphism associated with a fat or lean phenotype.

Abstract: A hydrogel for delayed release of an anionic macromolecule, wherein the hydrogel comprises the anionic macromolecule, 150 mM NaCl, and a peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 through SEQ ID NO:33 in an aqueous medium at a pH of 7.4; wherein the anionic macromolecule has an isoelectric point of at most 6.8; and wherein the hydrogel is capable of retaining at least 25% of the anionic macromolecule after 28-day extraction at 37° C. with a pH=7.4 BTP buffer containing 150 mM NaCl.

Abstract: A method for the detection in a body fluid of perlecan polypeptide fragments that are biomarkers of tumor metastasis, and antibodies for detecting these fragments are described. An immunoassay kit for detecting the presence of these biomarkers in a body fluid, such as serum or urine, is also described.

Abstract: A vehicle with wings and a mechanism for causing a flapping motion in wings. Each wing structure comprises a wing and a wing spar coupled to a follower via a resilient member. Each wing carrier is pivotally connected to the body and is configured to restrain lateral movement and permit rotation of the wing spar about a feathering axis. A biasing member provides torsional bias to each wing spar. A linkage, driven by an actuator, transmits cyclic motion that rotates the wing carrier about a flapping axis, which moves the follower along a follower path. A guide attached to the vehicle body lies in the path of each follower, and the follower and guide are shaped such that each wing spar has a first rotational position about its axis along a first portion of the follower path and a second rotational position along a second portion of the follower path.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices and methods of making photovoltaic devices are provided. The photovoltaic device comprises a plurality of solar cells electrically coupled to each other. The plurality of solar cells are formed of respective semiconductor material having different band gaps. Each solar cell includes a plurality of sub-junctions having a respective plurality of p-n junctions and at least one tunnel junction located between juxtaposed sub-junctions of the plurality of sub-junctions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for obtaining an alpha matte for an image are disclosed. First and second known portions of an image are determined. The alpha matte for the image is estimated based on an initial fuzzy connectedness (FC) determination between the entire image and the first and second known portions. A third known portion is obtained. The estimated alpha matte for the image is refined based on a subsequent FC determination between a subset of the image and the first, second, and third known portions for the subset of the image and the initial FC determination for a remainder of the image.

Abstract: Methods and products for processing a software kernel of instructions are disclosed. The software kernel has stages representing a loop nest. The software kernel is processed by partitioning iterations of an outermost loop into groups with each group representing iterations of the outermost loop, running the software kernel and rotating a register file for each stage of the software kernel preceding an innermost loop to generate code to prepare for filling and executing instructions in software pipelines for a current group, running the software kernel for each stage of the software kernel in the innermost loop to generate code to fill the software pipelines for the current group with the register file being rotated after at least one run of the software kernel for the innermost loop, and repeatedly running the software kernel to unroll inner loops to generate code to further fill the software pipelines for the current group.

Abstract: Methods for isolating a highly purified QSOX enzyme from milk or whey are described. The enzyme may be used to generate intermolecular and intramolecular disulfide bridges and to facilitate oxidative protein folding.

Abstract: This invention relates to polynucleotide sequences encoding a gene that can confer resistance to the plant pathogen Colletotrichum, which causes anthracnose stalk rot, leaf blight and top dieback in corn and other cereals. It further relates to plants and seeds of plants carrying chimeric genes comprising said polynucleotide sequences, which enhance or confer resistance to the plant pathogen Colletotrichum, and processes of making said plants and seeds. The invention further presents sequences that can be used as molecular markers that in turn can be used to identify the region of interest in corn lines resulting from new crosses and to quickly and efficiently introgress the gene from corn lines carrying said gene into other corn lines that do not carry said gene, in order to make them resistant to Colletotrichum and resistant to stalk rot.

Abstract: A high-lift mower is disclosed. The mower includes a frame, at least two wheels disposed along opposite sides of the frame and having a space between them, and a blade rotation mechanism, mounted to the frame, for providing a rotational force relative to the frame. A blade assembly is coupled to the blade rotation means. The blade assembly comprises a plurality of cutting blades. Each of the plurality of blades includes a front face having a cutting blade and a rear face disposed away from the front face. The rear face has a lift portion. A roller assembly is adjustably coupled to the frame for, upon engagement with a surface located in the space between the pair of wheels, maintaining the blade assembly a predetermined distance above the surface. A blade assembly and a roller assembly for use with the high-lift mower are also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel approach is described for reversing aggregation and increasing refolding by application of hydrostatic pressure. A protein of interest in an aggregated, or inclusion body, or other non-native or inactive state is subjected to high hydrostatic pressure. This treatment denatures the protein to states (or conformations) competant for refolding and results in increased formation of native protein once pressure is released. The technique can facilitate conversion non-native proteins, including inclusion bodies and aggregates to native proteins without addition of chaotropic agents, changes in buffer, or large-scale dilution of reagents required for traditional refolding methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition and method for enhancing fertilization. Fertilization enhancement is achieved by effectively delivering bioactive molecules with a lipid anchor (GPI-linked proteins) to the surface of epididymal or ejaculated sperm. The process may be facilitated or promoted in the presence of Clusterin/APOJ, a well-known lipid carrier. The rate of delivery, or removal, of bioactive molecules is regulated by the concentration of lipid carrier present. The acquisition of these molecules, such as Sperm Adhesion Molecule 1 (SPAM1) can significantly impact sperm maturation and function.

Abstract: A genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction for Clostridium acetobutylicum (ATCC 824) was created using a new semi-automated reverse engineering algorithm. This invention includes algorithms and software that can reconstruct genome-scale metabolic networks for cell-types available through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. This method can also be used to complete partial metabolic networks and cell signaling networks where adequate starting information base is available. The software may use a semi-automated approach which uses a priori knowledge of the cell-type from the user. Upon completion, the program output is a genome-scale stoichiometric matrix capable of cell growth in silico. The invention also includes methods for developing flux constraints and reducing the number of possible solutions to an under-determined system by applying specific proton flux states and identifying numerically-determined sub-systems.

Abstract: A passive gravity balancing assist device for human sit-to-stand motion is provided. The design combines the use of auxiliary parallelograms with springs to produce an orthotic device wherein the total potential energy of the system is constant during standing and sitting motion.

Abstract: The present invention identifies genetic markers for lean and fat phenotypes in chickens and provides methods of screening chickens to determine those more likely to have a lean or fat phenotype. The invention also provides methods of screening chickens to identify a polymorphism in THRSP? associated with a fat or lean phenotype.

Abstract: Isolated tellurite-resistant or selenite-resistant marine organisms capable of precipitating tellurium or selenium when grown aerobically are described. A method for using these isolated organisms to produce an aqueous suspension of purified nanoparticles comprising tellurium or selenium and the nanoparticles comprising tellurium or selenium produced by this method are also described. The nanoparticles may further comprise cadmium or zinc. A method of remediation utilizing the described organisms is also presented.