Abstract: Methods of conducting ureolysis-induced calcium carbonate precipitation with a heat-treated cell preparation, methods for preparing the heat-treated cell preparation, and related materials. The methods of conducting ureolysis-induced calcium carbonate precipitation include precipitating calcium carbonate at a location by introducing urea, calcium, and a heat-treated cell preparation comprising active urease enzyme to the location. The urease enzyme hydrolyzes the urea to ammonium carbonate, and the calcium reacts with the carbonate to form a calcium carbonate precipitate at the location.

Abstract: Processes for manufacturing continuous laterally graded porous membranes are disclosed. Such processes utilize freeze casting techniques with a continuous varying solids loading method to make laterally graded porous membranes. Also disclosed are laterally graded porous membranes.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking moving objects in a scene is described. One embodiment acquires a digital video signal corresponding to the scene; identifies in the digital video signal one or more candidate moving objects; locates at least one candidate moving object in the digital video signal subsequent to identification of the at least one candidate moving object; tracks candidate moving objects that, for at least a predetermined period after they have been identified, continue to be located in the digital video signal; assigns a score to each tracked candidate moving object in accordance with how long after passage of the predetermined period the tracked candidate moving object has continued to be located in the digital video signal; combines the respective scores of the tracked candidate moving objects to obtain an overall score for the scene; and indicates to a user whether the overall score satisfies a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods using a temporal-frequency sensitive receiver to detect laser light that is scattered by an oscillating object, thereby allowing remote monitoring of the object's position and movement.