Abstract: Non-naturally occurring mycobacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex are provided. These mycobacteria have a deletion of an RD1 region or a region controlling production of a vitamin, and exhibit attenuated virulence in a mammal when compared to the mycobacteria without the deletion. Also provided are non-naturally occurring mycobacteria that have a deletion of a region controlling production of lysine, and mycobacteria comprising two attenuating deletions. Vaccines comprising these mycobacteria are also provided, as are methods of protecting mammals from virulent mycobacteria using the vaccines. Also provided are methods of preparing these vaccines which include the step of deleting an RD1 region or a region controlling production of a vitamin or the amino acids leucine and lysine from a mycobacterium in the M. tuberculosis complex. Embodiments of these mycobacteria, vaccines and methods, encompassing mycobacteria comprising a leucine auxotrophy and a pantothenate auxotrophy, are also provided.

Abstract: An air-coupled transducer includes a ultrasonic transducer body having a radiation end with a backing fixture at the radiation end. There is a flexible backplate conformingly fit to the backing fixture and a thin membrane (preferably a metallized polymer) conformingly fit to the flexible backplate. In one embodiment, the backing fixture is spherically curved and the flexible backplate is spherically curved. The flexible backplate is preferably patterned with pits or depressions.

Abstract: An arrangement, process and mask for implementing single-scan continuous motion sequential lateral solidification of a thin film provided on a sample such that artifacts formed at the edges of the beamlets irradiating the thin film are significantly reduced. According to this invention, the edge areas of the previously irradiated and resolidified areas which likely have artifacts provided therein are overlapped by the subsequent beamlets. In this manner, the edge areas of the previously resolidified irradiated areas and artifacts therein are completely melted throughout their thickness. At least the subsequent beamlets are shaped such that the grains of the previously irradiated and resolidified areas which border the edge areas melted by the subsequent beamlets grow into these resolidifying edges areas so as to substantially reduce or eliminate the artifacts.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of dispersing discrete fillers in a polymer matrix to form a composite. Also disclosed are composites having discrete fillers dispersed in a polymer matrix.

Abstract: A prosthetic device and method to restore extraocular muscle function. The device includes a housing; a biasing component disposed in the housing; a proximal connector operatively connected to a proximal end of the biasing component; and a distal connector operatively connected to a distal end of the biasing component, wherein the proximal connector is configured for being secured with respect to an orbital bone and the distal connector adapted to be secured to the paralyzed or absent muscle stump, e.g. on the globe, or to the eyelid.

Abstract: A focused droplet nebulizer of the invention produces substantially uniform droplets of a predetermined size. Droplets are pushed out through a small outlet orifice by the contraction of a chamber. The droplets can be carried on a substantially non-divergent path in a drift tube. A piezo membrane micro pump acts in response to an electrical control signal to force a droplet out of the outlet orifice. The nebulizer can operate at frequencies permitting a stream of individual droplets of the predetermined size to be sent along the substantially non-divergent path in the drift tube in a preferred embodiment ELSD device.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a transformation system for Labyrinthulomycota that allows the elucidation of biosynthetic mechanisms of lipids such as PUFA and carotenoids as well as for the construction of a high production system and the design and development of novel functional lipid molecules by the control of the mechanisms. The present invention provides a vector for the transformation of Labyrinthulomycota with a transgene, which comprises at least (1) a nucleotide sequence which is homologous to a part of chromosomal DNA of Labyrinthulomycota and is capable of homologous recombination with the chromosomal DNA, (2) a selection marker gene having a promoter sequence located upstream and a terminator sequence located downstream, and (3) a cloning site for transgene insertion having a promoter sequence located upstream and a terminator sequence located downstream.

Abstract: A method and system for providing multi-color holographic optical traps and patterns. The method and system employs a laser beam which interacts with a diffractive optical element with a hologram and for optics which acts to selectively pass or attenuate different light color wavelengths and to position the particular color light at selected different locations to form the different color holographic optical trap patterns and to use these patterns for various commercial purposes.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of detecting the onset of pregnancy toxemia whereby the onset risk of pregnancy toxemia can be adequately evaluated. Namely, a method of detecting the onset of pregnancy toxemia in a pregnant mammal which comprises the measurement step of measuring the concentration of angiopoietin-2 in a body fluid, the comparison step of comparing the angiopoietin-2 concentration obtained in the above measurement step with a normal level, and the judgment step of judging the presence or absence of the onset risk of pregnancy toxemia based on the results of the above comparison step. In the judgment step, it may be considered that the patient has a risk of the onset of pregnancy toxemia in the case where the angiopoietin-2 concentration obtained in the measurement step is lower than the normal level.

Abstract: A laser diode having nano patterns is disposed on a substrate. A first conductive-type clad layer is disposed on the substrate, and a second conductive-type clad layer is disposed on the first conductive-type clad layer. An active layer is interposed between the first conductive-type clad layer and the second conductive-type clad layer. Column-shaped nano patterns are arranged at a surface of the second conductive-type clad layer to form a laser diode such as a distributed feedback laser diode.

Abstract: The present invention provides aminoglycosides and pharmaceutical compositions that include the aminoglycosides. The aminoglycosides are useful to treat or prevent infectious diseases (e.g., bacterial infections) in a mammal (e.g., human).

Abstract: A device and method for determining bottom sediment is provided. The method includes transmitting a pulse of a pulse width corresponding to a water-bottom depth, extracting a series of amplitude data of water-bottom echo signals from predetermined signals among the water-bottom echo signals received by the transducer at a predetermined time interval, normalizing the extracted series of amplitude data after TVG-processed, calculating two or more feature quantities based on the normalized series of amplitude data in each of segments of the normalized series of amplitude data, and a value corresponding to the water-bottom depth, and generating bottom-sediment classification information indicating the bottom sediment based on the two or more feature quantities.

Abstract: This disclosure outlines a new method of modifying the properties of existing liquid crystals by doping them with ferroelectric micro- and nanoparticles. We show that this approach, in contrast to the traditional time consuming and expensive chemical synthetic methods, enriches and enhances the electro-optical performance of many liquid crystal materials. We demonstrate that by changing the concentration and type of ferroelectric particles the physical properties of the nematic, smectic, and cholesteric liquid crystal materials can be changed, including the dielectric constants, the birefringence, the phase transition temperatures, and even the order parameter. We also demonstrate the performance of these new materials in various devices, including displays, light modulators, and beam steering devices.

Abstract: An X-CT scan system includes a base, an object rotary support, an X-ray generation device and a data acquisition system, wherein one side of the detector is leveled to or beyond the prolong line of the connecting line between the X-ray source of the X-ray generation device and the center of the object rotary support, the length of the beyond portion is less than the radius of the imaging field. The advantage of the invention is in that the invention can reconstruct the entire image of the object by means of X-ray projection data which only covers half of the area of the object. Compared with the traditional CT scan system, half of the detector size can be saved at most. The X-CT scan system is simplified and the projection data amount for scan and computation amount for image reconstruction are also reduced with the reconstructed image quality guaranteed.

Abstract: A multidimensional spectrometer for the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and a method for making multidimensional spectroscopic measurements in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The multidimensional spectrometer facilitates measurements of inter- and intra-molecular interactions.

Abstract: Light from a small laser diode is inserted in a distal end of a catheter and passed through an optical fiber that is either included in the lumen or incorporated into the wall of an invasive catheter tube during manufacture. The light is selected to be of a wavelength that is minimally absorbed by tissue, preferably in the range from about 620 nm to 1100 nm. 780 nm is preferably used as this is where the tissue absorption is near a minimum. The light passes out the end of the fiber (at the proximal end of the catheter) and through the tissue to the outside of the patient's skin where it is measured. The light pattern is observed by night vision goggles that filter out other frequencies of light. The detected light permits location of the end of the fiber, the positional accuracy depending on the thickness of tissue between the fiber tip and the exterior of the body. The method is highly accurate for small children and for catheters within a few centimeters of the skin surface of adults.

Abstract: This invention relates to a green phosphor and a process for producing the same, wherein the phosphor is represented by a chemical formula: M(Tb1-xLax)4Si3O13, where M includes at least one of Ca and Sr, and 0<x<1, and is obtained by mixing at proper ratios and calcining at a high temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. When the produced phosphor is excited by a near ultra-violet light of 378 nm, a green light having its main peak at 541 nm is emitted, and the x and y values of its CIE coordinate are in respective ranges of (0.34-0.37) and (0.52-0.55). The method for producing the phosphor includes steps of weighing and mixing the ingredient powder, and calcining in the oxygen-containing atmosphere at high temperature to form the phospher.

Abstract: This invention describes methods of synthesis and applications of a composite material of a colloidal crystal and a substrate. The method includes steps of (a) providing a substrate having a surface with a surface relief pattern; and (b) applying a liquid dispersion containing colloidal particles onto the surface and spinning the substrate whereby colloidal particles are swept across the surface and self-assemble in void spaces on the surface defined by the relief pattern. The resulting composite material (substrate with colloidal crystal) may be used in various applications such as chromatography, for use in lab-on-chip based devices, micro-reactors and the like. The material may be infiltrated by a material and the composite inverted to remove the colloidal particles to produce an inverted colloidal crystal pattern on the substrate. The material may be selected such that the inverted colloidal crystal pattern is a photonic crystal.

Abstract: A method for processing multiple continuous Top-K queries, which is performed between a master server and multiple of slave servers, including steps of: a first step, for arbitrarily selecting the multiple of slave servers and querying and counting up K of accumulated values of which are recorded at most; a second step, for calculating every two adjacent values which have been sent from the same servers to obtain an average value as a threshold; and a third step, for measuring variations of an upper bound and a lower bound for each of the values by using the threshold, and reporting to the master server at a time of the value being in excess of the upper bound or lower than the lower bound for each of the values.

Abstract: A polypeptide, called Tir (for translocated intimin receptor, which is secreted by attaching and effacing pathogens, such as the enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) E. coli. These bacterial pathogens inserts their own receptors into mammalian cell surfaces, to which the bacterial pathogen then adheres to trigger additional host signaling events and actin nucleation. Diagnosis of disease caused by pathogenic E. coli can be performed by the use of antibodies which bind to Tir to detect the protein or the use of nucleic acid probes for detection of nucleic acids encoding Tir polypeptide. Isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding Tir polypeptide, Tir peptides, a recombinant method for producing recombinant Tir, antibodies which bind to Tir, and a kit for the detection of Tir-producing E. coli are provided. A method of immunizing a host with Tir to induce a protective immune response to Tir or a second polypeptide of interst is also provided.