Abstract: A laser-based atomic magnetometer (LBAM) apparatus measures magnetic fields, comprising: a plurality of polarization detector cells to detect magnetic fields; a laser source optically coupled to the polarization detector cells; and a signal detector that measures the laser source after being coupled to the polarization detector cells, which may be alkali cells. A single polarization cell may be used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) by prepolarizing the nuclear spins of an analyte, encoding spectroscopic and/or spatial information, and detecting NMR signals from the analyte with a laser-based atomic magnetometer to form NMR spectra and/or magnetic resonance images (MRI). There is no need of a magnetic field or cryogenics in the detection step, as it is detected through the LBAM.

Abstract: A radiofrequency (RF) resonator for magnetic resonance analysis, the RF resonator comprising: (a) at least two conductive elements, each having a first curvature along a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis, the at least two conductive elements being spaced along the longitudinal axis, so that when an RF current flows within the at least two conductive elements in a direction of the longitudinal axis, a substantially homogenous RF magnetic field, directed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, is produced in a volume defined between the at least two conductive elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring electric characteristics of a semiconductor includes a light irradiating means for irradiating light to a characteristic measured semiconductor, an alternating-current voltage source, an electric potential measuring means and an impedance regulator wherein impedance is regulated by an impedance regulator in such a manner that electric potential at an electric potential measuring point of the characteristic measured semiconductor may become zero electric potential in the state in which light is not irradiated on the characteristic measured semiconductor by the light irradiating means. Electric characteristics of the characteristic measured semiconductor are measured based on measurement of electric potential obtained with or without irradiation of light onto the characteristic measured semiconductor. With this arrangement, semiconductor electric characteristics can be measured with high accuracy by a simple arrangement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to maskless photolithography using a patterned light generator for creating 2-D and 3-D patterns on objects using etching and deposition techniques. In an embodiment, the patterned light generator uses a micromirror array to direct pattern light on a target object. In an alternate embodiment, the patterned light generator uses a plasma display device to generate and direct patterned light onto a target object. Specifically, the invention provides a maskless photolithography system and method for photo stimulated etching of objects in a liquid solution, patterning glass, and photoselective metal deposition. For photo stimulated etching of objects in a liquid solution, the invention provides a system and method for immersing a substrate in an etchant solution, exposing the immersed substrate to patterned light, and etching the substrate according to the pattern of incident light.

Abstract: An active layer having a p-type quantum dot structure is disposed over a lower cladding layer made of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type. An upper cladding layer is disposed over the active layer. The upper cladding layer is made of semiconductor material, and includes a ridge portion and a cover portion. The ridge portion extends in one direction, and the cover portion covers the surface on both sides of the ridge portion. A capacitance reducing region is disposed on both sides of the ridge portion and reaching at least the lower surface of the cover portion. The capacitance reducing region has the first conductivity type or a higher resistivity than that of the ridge portion, and the ridge portion has a second conductivity type. If the lower cladding layer is an n-type, the capacitance reducing region reaches at least the upper surface of the lower cladding layer.

Abstract: A method of segmenting chromatin particles in a nucleus of a cell by locating regional minima in an image, computing a zone of influence (ZOI) around each regional minimum, and segmenting a single chromatin blob within each ZOI using a region growing procedure. The method can be used as the basis of a method of qualitatively characterizing the distribution of nuclear chromatin by computing features for individual chromatin particles. Chromatin features can be synthesized from the features of individual particles and particle features can be synthesized into nucleus features and slide features. The method is useful for detecting malignancy associated changes and changes during neoplasia. The method may also be used more generally to assess chromatin patterns in living cells during the cell life cycle. This makes it possible to measure alternations in the evolving patterns that result from pathological or environmental influences.

Abstract: A unit selection module for Chinese Text-to-Speech (TTS) synthesis includes a probabilistic context free grammar (PCFG) parser, a latent semantic indexing (LSI) module, and a modified variable-length unit selection scheme; any Chinese sentence is firstly input and then parsed into a context-free grammar (CFG) by the PCFG parser; wherein there are several possible CFGs for every Chinese sentence, and the CFG (or the syntactic structure) with the highest probability is then taken as the best CFG (or the syntactic structure) of the Chinese sentence; the LSI module is then used to calculate the structural distance between all the candidate synthesis units and the target unit in a corpus; through the modified variable-length unit selection scheme, tagged with the dynamic programming algorithm, the units are searched to find the best synthesis unit concatenation sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conditionally replicating viral vector, methods of making, modifying, propagating and selectively packaging, and using such a vector, isolated molecules of specified nucleotide and amino acid sequences relevant to such vectors, a pharmaceutical composition and a host cell comprising such a vector, the use of such a host cell to screen drugs. The methods include the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of viral infection, in particular HIV infection, and, thus, are also directed to viral vaccines and the treatment of cancer, in particular cancer of viral etiology. Other methods include the use of such conditionally replicating viral vectors in gene therapy and other applications.

Abstract: The use of dewatered small particle tailings material derived from the industrial washing of coal, metal ores, rocks and extracted minerals as a component of casing material for the cultivation of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus and other Agaricus spp.) is described.

Abstract: An optical glass consisting essentially of B2O3 in an amount of 10-40 wt %, SiO2 in an amount less than or equal to 5 wt %, ZnO in an amount less than or equal to 15 wt %, SrO in an amount less than or equal to 9 wt %, ZrO2 in an amount less than or equal to 9 wt %, La2O3 in an amount of 15 to 45 wt %, BaF2 in an amount of 1 to 10 wt %, BaO in an amount less than or equal to 5 wt %, HfO2 in an amount of 0.1 to 7.5 wt %, Gd2O3 in an amount less than or equal to 16 wt %, CaO in an amount less than or equal to 7 wt %, ZrF4 in an amount less than or equal to 5 wt %, Na2O in an amount less than or equal to 2 wt % and Y2O3 in an amount less than or equal to 16 wt %. The optical glass has a glass transition temperature in a range of 500-670° C. and a refractive index (nd) in a range of 1.60 to 2.00.

Abstract: According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are provided of thermopneumatic capillary micropumps and manufacturing methods thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, a thermopneumatic capillary micropump generally includes a lower substrate having a pump-entrance for injecting fluids and a pump-exit for exhausting the fluids. The micropump also includes one or more micro-heaters for generating heat and electrodes for applying voltage to the micro-heaters. One or more air chambers substantially cover the micro-heaters. A pump chamber unit, which is capable of being filled up with the fluids, is coupled to the air chambers, the pump-entrance, and the pump-exit. An airing channel is coupled to the air chambers for helping maintain the pressure of the air in the air chambers at about the same level. An oxide layer is deposited on an upper substrate of the micropump. The upper and lower substrates are thermopneumatically coupled to each other.

Abstract: This invention provides an anti-cancer immunogenic agent(s) (e.g. vaccines) that elicit an immune response specifically directed against renal cell cancers expressing a G250 antigenic marker. Preferred immunogenic agents comprise a chimeric molecule comprising a kidney cancer specific antigen (G250) attached to a granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The agents are useful in a wide variety of treatment modalities including, but not limited to protein vaccination, DNA vaccination, and adoptive immunotherapy.

Abstract: A compound capable of specifically binding to pathogen EF-1? but not host EF-1?, wherein the compound binds to any part of an amino acid sequence having at least 70% sequence identity to amino acids 240-230 of SEQ ID NO:22.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a subject. The method comprises administering to the nervous system of the subject a composition comprising a thyroxine protein or a therapeutic fragment or pharmacologic mimic thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The invention also provides a method for treating ALS in a subject that comprises administering to the subject a transthyretin protein, 7B2 protein, a cystatin C protein, a neuroendocrine protein, a cysteine protease inhibitor, or an inhibitor of an enzyme that processes a 7B2 protein. In addition, the invention provides methods for determining the susceptibility of a subject to developing ALS and for determining the progression of ALS in a subject.

Abstract: An irradiation method, in particular for imaging a region of investigation (2) of an object (1), comprises generating at least one energy input beam (3) with at least one energy input beam source (210), wherein the at least one energy input beam (3) comprises a plurality of individual energy input beam components (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, . . . ), and irradiating the region of investigation (2) with the at least one energy input beam (3) along a plurality of projection directions, wherein the energy input beam components (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, . . . ) are formed with at least one beam mask (211) made of an energy input shielding material with through holes. Furthermore, imaging methods and devices for irradiating or imaging the object are described.

Abstract: The direct deposit of photoelectric materials onto low-cost prefabricated patterned flexible electrodes provided by the present invention introduces a new design approach that permits the development of innovative lightweight, durable and non-planar sensing systems. By extending single and multi-spectral bioelectronic sensing technology to flexible plastic substrates, the invention offers a number of potential advantages over structurally rigid silicon-based microelectronics (e.g. CMOS) including a reduction in spatial requirements, weight, electrical power consumption, heat loss, system complexity, and fabrication cost.

Abstract: An organic extract of Geum japonicum thunb var. (EGJ), and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same. The organic EGJ has been identified to show potent dual effects on stimulating early growth (less than 48 hours) of new vessels both in ischemic heart muscles and in infracted heart muscles, and on triggering myocardial regeneration in myocardial infarction, and therefore, may be used in the treatment of ischemic diseases in human being or animals including ischemic heart disease and ischemic limbs, and damaged myocardium associated diseases.

Abstract: An imaging polarimeter includes a polarization dispersing element, a spatial light modulator, a complementary polarization dispersing element, a polarization analyzer, an electronic detection plane, and a processor. The polarization dispersing element polarimetrically disperses an image of an object. The spatial light modulator spatially modulates the polarimetrically dispersed image. The complementary polarization dispersing element polarimetrically combines the spatially modulated and polarimetrically dispersed image. The polarization analyzer mixes orthogonal input polarizations with the polarization states of the polarimetrically combined spatially modulated image. The electronic detection plane measures the polarimetrically combined spatially modulated image that includes mixed polarization states.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a mechanism by which steroidal quinol compounds confer beneficial ophthalmic effects. The subject compounds possess a lipophilic-hydrophilic balance for transcorneal penetration and are readily reduced into parent phenolic A-ring steroid compounds to provide protection or treatment against various ocular symptoms and disorders. The compounds according to the subject invention appear to be highly advantageous as prodrugs to provide protection and/or treatment against ocular disorders. These prodrugs confer lipid solubility optimal for transocorneal penetration and are readily converted to endogenous reducing agents into active phenolic A-ring steroid compounds. To the extent that these prodrugs have reduced feminizing effects and systemic toxicity, they would be expected to be quite advantageous for protecting or treating the eye against ocular disorders such as cataract or glaucoma without undesired (systemic) side effects).

Abstract: Disclosed is are gene sequences encoding ?-tocopherol methyltransferases from photosynthetic organisms. The enzyme ?-tocopherol methyltransferase catalyzes the methylation of ?-tocopherol to yield ?-tocopherol, the most bioactive species of tocopherol. ?-tocopherol methyltransferase is believed to be involved in regulating the relative amounts of the various tocopherols present in photosynthetic organisms. By introducing a genetic construct having a ?-tocopherol methyltransferase coding sequence placed under the control of a plant promoter into a plant, transgenic plants can be made having altered ?-tocopherol methyltransferase expression, to effect dramatic changes in the tocopherol profile of the plant. Transgenic plants can be made that have ?-tocopherol as the predominant tocopherol in their seeds and oils.