Abstract: Methods for producing hybrids between domestic and wild soybean that are fertile and can be further bred with other soybean plants are provided, thus allowing transfer of desirable traits and genes from the wild soybean into the domestic soybean. This invention also provides novel media for producing callus and multiple somatic embryos, as well as novel media for producing multiple shoots from the embryos. The hybrid plants are made fertile by colchicine treatment to double their chromosome number so that they can be backcrossed into domestic soybean. These methods and media allow the production of elite soybean lines containing traits or genes from wild soybean as well as a minimum amount of additional wild soybean DNA. Backcrosses containing only one wild soybean chromosome can be produced, as well as sets of such backcrossed lines that each contain one chromosome from the wild ancestor, but collectively all the wild chromosomes from the hybrid ancestor.

Abstract: Methods for determining the amount of vitamin D compounds in a sample are provided. The methods can employ LC-MS/MS techniques and optionally the use of deuterated internal standards. Methods for diagnosing vitamin D deficiencies are also provided.

Abstract: Methods for determining the amount of vitamin D compounds in a sample are provided. The methods can employ LC-MS/MS techniques and optionally the use of deuterated internal standards. Methods for diagnosing vitamin D deficiencies are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for the synthesis of arrays of oligomers that have tight illumination intensity requirement. The apparatus and the method contain a mechanism to correct for illumination non-uniformity during the oligomer array synthesis process. To correct for illumination non-uniformity, the illumination intensity of different oligomer synthesis positions across an area in which oligomers are synthesized are determined first. Then, the differences in illumination intensity among the positions are evaluated mathematically. Next, any non-uniformity in illumination intensity is corrected by either reducing the intensity of the light for the brighter positions before the light reaches the illumination area or reducing the illumination time of the brighter positions during one protection group deprotection period.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for the synthesis of arrays of oligomers that have tight illumination intensity requirement. The apparatus and the method contains a mechanism to correct for illumination nonuniformity during the oligomer array synthesis process. To correct for illumination nonuniformity, the illumination intensity of different oligomer synthesis positions across an area in which oligomers are synthesized are determined first. Then, the difference in illumination intensity among the positions are evaluated mathematically. Next, any nonuniformity in illumination intensity is corrected by either reducing the intensity of the light for the brighter positions before the light reaches the illumination area or reducing the illumination time of the brighter positions during one protection group deprotection period.

Abstract: Improved process for the preparation of amorphous atorvastatin calcium salt (2:1) comprises hydrolyzing the lactone form of atorvastatin of formula of FIG. 1 with aqueous alkali or alkaline earth metal base, extracting with organic solvent the reaction mixture and adding the same to an anti-solvent to precipitate the product and finally filtering the product to afford amorphous atorvastatin calcium (2:1). The process also comprises the preparation of amorphous atorvastatin calcium salt (2:1) from its crystalline form.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for the synthesis of arrays of oligomers that have tight illumination intensity requirement. The apparatus and the method contains a mechanism to correct for illumination nonuniformity during the oligomer array synthesis process. To correct for illumination nonuniformity, the illumination intensity of different oligomer synthesis positions across an area in which oligomers are synthesized are determined first. Then, the difference in illumination intensity among the positions are evaluated mathematically. Next, any nonuniformity in illumination intensity is corrected by either reducing the intensity of the light for the brighter positions before the light reaches the illumination area or reducing the illumination time of the brighter positions during one protection group deprotection period.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the navigation of surface based vehicle uses a route that is obtained by manually driving the vehicle over the route to collect data defining the absolute position of the vehicle at various positions along the route. The collected data is smoothed to provide a consistent route to be followed. The smoothed data is subsequently used to automatically guide the vehicle over the route.

Abstract: A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).

Abstract: A system and method for enabling an autonomous vehicle to track a desired path plans a continuous path to return to the desired path when the vehicle deviates from the desired path. The continuous path is determined based on the vehicle's position, the desired path, and a lookahead distance. The lookahead distance is the distance on the desired path within which the continuous path and the desired path converge. The lookahead distance may vary as a function of vehicle speed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the continuous path is determined as a quintic polynomial.

Abstract: A system and method detects obstacles in a road being traveled by a vehicle. Edge points of the road are calculated from known road data. A series of scan lines are made of the road ahead of the vehicle to obtain an image plane of the road ahead of the vehicle. The calculated edge points are projected into the image plane to determine the left and right edge points of each scan line in the image plane. Each scan line is processed to locate any discontinuities between the left and right edge points, where the discontinuities correspond to objects in the road.

Abstract: A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).

Abstract: A method for generating a simplified model of a complex binary transistor circuit. A set of Boolean functions are derived for the circuit and these functions are tested to determine if the circuit is stable and binary. All intermediate transient circuit configurations are eliminated so that only direct transitions between stable circuit configurations remain. If the circuit is also combinational, a logic circuit is generated. If the circuit is not combinational but if there is a clock input to the circuit that controls the values of the node (the circuit exhibits synchronous behavior) and all nodes in the circuit are well-defined (either combinational or level-sensitive), a logic circuit is generated. The logic circuit is processed to generate a further simplified logic circuit by merging different types of latches and other logic elements and removing duplicative logic elements.

Abstract: A system and method for causing an autonomous vehicle to track a desired path uses reference postures to define the desired path. Actual vehicle postures are determined using sensors aboard the autonomous vehicle. An expected vehicle posture at the end of a next time interval is determined on the actual vehicle posture. A desired vehicle posture at the end of the next time interval is determined based on the reference postures. A steering angle for the next time interval for the autonomous vehicle is determined based on the difference between the reference posture and the desired vehicle posture at the end of the next time interval.

Abstract: A system for generating a path allows a vehicle to traverse a predetermined route. The system stores route data for the predetermined route. The route data identifies a series of contiguous path segments that form the predetermined route. The route data also identifies a series of nodes located at the beginning and the end of the predetermined route and between adjacent path segments. Each path segment represents a series of postures along the predetermined route. Each posture identifies a position, a heading, and a curvature for the vehicle at a particular point along the predetermined route. The system stores the path segments and nodes as compressed path data. In one embodiment, the compressed path data is a function that is continuous in posture, i.e., continuous in position, heading and curvature. The system retrieves the compressed path data and generates a series of postures from the retrieved compressed path data to allow the vehicle to traverse the predetermined route.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for navigating a vehicle along a predetermined route use route data and path data to define the predetermined route. The route data represents one or more contiguous path segments between adjacent nodes along the predetermined route. The path data includes postures of the vehicle along each of the path segments. The postures define the desired position, heading, curvature and speed of vehicle at various locations along the path segments. The apparatus and method use the posture information to generate and track a path thereby allowing the vehicle to navigate along the predetermined route.

Abstract: A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).

Abstract: A passive nuclear power plant includes a reactor vessel enclosed by a containment shell. An in-containment cooling system piped with an out-of-containment heat sink, includes an in-containment heat exchanger vertically extending adjacent the sidewall of the containment shell for inducing natural circulation of the air in the containment shell. The heat exchanger has substantially parallel water-conducting pipes with cooling fins vertically extending therefrom for transferring heat from the naturally circulating air and for condensing steam from the atmosphere.

Abstract: A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).

Abstract: A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).