Abstract: Described are techniques and mechanisms that implement an automated process for content acquisition using a Web portal. The process allows a content provider to visit a location on a wide area network and interact with one or more resources to upload a document. Within the process, several tasks are automated that would otherwise be performed by humans. For example, the document is automatically coupled with any legal terms corresponding to the submission and archived at the time of the submission. In this way, the uncertainty of which terms apply to the submission is avoided. In addition, the content is automatically connected to an editorially managed content review and publishing system.

Abstract: A tool that can screen bacteria for ?-lactamases against a panel of various antibiotics is desirable. A biosensor incorporating an indicator molecule into ?-lactamases may achieve this purpose, but it requires that the attached indicator molecule must not impair the binding affinity of the protein to a great extent to provide a higher sensitivity. A modified ?-lactamases with a residue on the ?-loop or outside the ?-loop but close to the active site of ?-lactamase being replaced by a reactive residue is developed in this invention.

Abstract: Methods and an apparatuses for automatically recognizing and/or verifying objects in a digital image are presented. In one example, a method automatically recognizes objects in digital image data by detecting an object of interest in input digital image data, obtaining a normalized object of interest, assigning texton representations of the normalized object of interest to produce a first a texton array, and determining a similarity between the texton representations and previously determined texton representations of at least one other object. In another example, an apparatus for automatically recognizing objects in digital image data is presented, which includes an image processing control-operably coupled to memory and functional processing units for controlling recognition processing, where the functional processing units further include an object detection unit, a normalizing unit, a texton generation unit, and a similarity unit.

Abstract: A shear wall panel for a building has a rectangular frame of vertical and horizontal members. Inside of the rectangular frame, at least four diagonal members are joined at their ends to create a multi-segmented assembly having at least three vertices and first and second ends and possibly forming a polygon, one of the at least three vertices secured to each of the vertical and an upper horizontal members, the first and second ends secured to a lower horizontal member. The members are preferably of wood and connected together with toothed plates. The panel is shear connected to a foundation or laterally stabilized wall or floor below the shear wall panel, possibly by a bolt between the foundation or laterally stabilized wall or floor below the shear wall panel and the intersections between the vertical members and the diagonal members. Upper strap connectors attach the upper horizontal member to a roof, floor or wall of the building.

Abstract: A shear wall panel for a building has a rectangular frame of vertical and horizontal members. Inside of the rectangular frame, at least four diagonal members are joined at their ends to create a multi-segmented assembly having at least three vertices and first and second ends and preferably forming a polygon, one of the at least three vertices secured to each of the vertical and an upper horizontal members, the first and second ends secured to a lower horizontal member. The members are preferably of wood and connected together with toothed plates. A lower horizontal member is shear connected to a foundation or laterally stabilized wall or floor below the shear wall panel. Upper strap connectors attach the upper horizontal member to a roof, floor or wall of the building. The upper strap connectors comprises metal straps, a first portion of which have teeth bent out of the metal strap, a second portion of which have holes for nailing through the metal strap into the roof, floor or wall of the building.