Abstract: A device is provided for receiving projectiles and creating a pattern. The device includes a plurality of hoops arranged in parallel and configured to receive the projectiles. A two-dimensional grid could be provided—across a plurality of channels of the device, or on a display of the device—in order to display the projectiles received by the plurality of hoops. In some examples, projectiles may be received by a plurality of channels, and the pattern is created within the channels and is viewable through apertures across the channels. In other examples, sensors may be used to determine when a projectile has passed through one of the hoops, and indicators may be displayed in corresponding vertical columns of a two-dimensional grid on a display.

Abstract: A device is provided for receiving projectiles and creating a pattern. The device includes a plurality of hoops arranged in parallel and configured to receive the projectiles. A two-dimensional grid could be provided—across a plurality of channels of the device, or on a display of the device—in order to display the projectiles received by the plurality of hoops. In some examples, projectiles may be received by a plurality of channels, and the pattern is created within the channels and is viewable through apertures across the channels. In other examples, sensors may be used to determine when a projectile has passed through one of the hoops, and indicators may be displayed in corresponding vertical columns of a two-dimensional grid on a display.

Abstract: A system and method for enhanced frequency measurement. Embodiments provide an effective mechanism for reducing error associated with frequency measurements by amplifying the frequency of the signal fed to the frequency counter, thereby increasing the number of counts and reducing the error associated with each frequency measurement. Reductions in error enable the gate time for the frequency counter to be reduced, thereby increasing efficiency and cost-savings. After accessing the counts provided for the amplified frequency, the original frequency before amplification may be determined by reducing the amplified frequency (e.g., represented by the accessed counts) by the amount by which the original frequency was amplified. Embodiments provide an effective and efficient mechanism for automatically determining the amount of amplification for a given signal based upon its frequency and a maximum frequency of at least one of the frequency amplification component and the frequency counter.

Abstract: Shipping containers are networked for transferring data between the shipping containers. The shipping containers include sensors for detecting hazardous conditions associated with the shipping containers. The hazardous condition sensed by any shipping container on a ship is transmitted through the network to a satellite transmitter and/or a radio transmitter for reporting to a central database.

Abstract: In accordance with the principles of the present invention utilizing a first radiation monitoring module, radiation information associated with the first radiation monitoring module within a tunnel is wirelessly transmitted to a second radiation monitoring module. The second radiation monitoring module is able to receive radiation information from the first radiation monitoring module for relay of the received radiation information to a central monitoring system. The radiation monitoring modules of the present invention allow long term monitoring of a tunnel's radiation levels with maintenance simply requiring replacement of a non-operational tunnel monitoring module by a robot.

Abstract: A bacteriocin is obtained by culturing cells of a strain of Micrococcus varians which, upon culturing in a culture medium, produces a bacteriocin which has agar well incubation inhibition test activity against at least one of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Listeria, Bacillus, Clostridia and Straphylococcus bacteria. The strain is cultured to obtain cultured cells in a concentration of from 107 to 1011 organisms per ml of the medium, and the culture medium supernatant is separated from the cultured cells to obtain the supernatant which contains the bacteriocin, which is also identified by having an amino acid sequence from SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence differing from SEQ ID NO: 1 by from 1 to 4 amino acids.

Abstract: A bacteriocin having activity against bacteria including Listeria monocytogenes is obtained by culturing cells of a strain of Micrococcus varians, particularly cells of deposited strains CNCM I-1586 and CNCM I-1587, to obtain cultured cells and a supernatant and by separating the supernatant from the cultured cells to obtain the supernatant which contains the bacteriocin which, in turn, may be isolated from the supernatant.

Abstract: Micrococcus varians strains which produce a composition having bactericidal activity, including deposited strains CNCM I-1586 and CNCM I-1587 and biologically pure cultures thereof and including also strains having nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:2 or including nucleotides 154 to 228 of sequence SEQ ID NO:2 and which may further include amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:1 or amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:3.

Abstract: Nucleotide fragments which encode a bacteriocin composition derived from Micrococcus varians and for preparing compositions to obtain the bacteriocin and for obtaining recombinant microorganisms. The nucleotide fragments include, in particular, nucleotides 154 to 228 and nucleotides 88 to 153 and their combination, nucleotides 88 to 228, identified in the sequence lists herein.

Abstract: An isolated peptide which in a microorganism, and particularly in Micrococcus varians, is a signal peptide which initiates expression of a bactericide composition.