Medicine & Biotechnology

Novel and improved processes for isolating organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme from an aqueous solution and obtaining substantially purified enzyme at high yield are provided, as well as compositions, including storage stable lyophilyzed organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme compositions, that are prepared by the provided methods.

A pacifier pulse oximeter sensor includes pulse oximeter sensor elements located within the nipple of a pacifier. The pulse oximeter sensor elements may be completely within the nipple material, embedded within the nipple material, nested within the nipple material, or adjacent to the nipple material while not being exposed to the outside environment. The pulse oximeter sensor elements include a light source and a light detector. The pulse oximeter sensor elements communicate with an oximeter through wiring, an electrical connector, and/or wirelessly.

System and method for actively canceling the acoustic noise generated by changes in the electric current within the gradient coils of a magnetic resonance imager based on the finding that the acoustic noise in the magnetic resonance imager is highly periodic but that the period of the magnetic resonance imager noise changes substantially during a scan. The acoustic noise signal is measured at the ears of a patient undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging, delayed by a variable number of samples and the resulting signal is subtracted from the acoustic noise signal.

A catalytic heater supplies heated water that circulates to heat a diver's suit. An insulating housing closed at opposite ends by cap members defines a chamber containing a catalyst inside of a multi-tube heat exchanger. Fittings in the cap members pass water through the multi-tube heat exchanger to and from the suit, and a gas circuit flows mixed hydrogen and oxygen to the catalyst that reacts with the mixed hydrogen and oxygen to produce heat that heats the water in the multi-tube heat exchanger for the diving suit.

An air breathing power source is mounted in a water impervious housing with a hydrophobic membrane across an opening in its top surface. The housing is secured by flexible straps over a users shoulders so that it is normally carried across the users back, but floats up with the air breathing top surface above the water when the user enters water up to and above shoulder level.

A magnetic sensing element detects the presence of magnetic particles in a binding assay. The magnetic sensing element has at least one planar layer of electrically conductive ferromagnetic material that has an initial state in which the material has a circular magnetic moment within the plane of the layer. The magnetic sensing element has molecules of a first specific binding member attached to it. The device also includes a fluid test medium to which the magnetic sensing element is exposed during the course of a binding assay.

A portable system for sampling the ambient air of a selected environment for the presence of unwanted chemical warfare vapors, such as nerve or blister gases, is disclosed. The excitation for the electrical elements of the system can be originated from a battery or from an ac excitation.

The present invention provides a method utilizing a wavelet transform for improving and optimizing the visual display of image data at the time of viewing to provide enhanced information analysis capability for image analysis such as breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Through the use of an interactive software tool, the user displays both unprocessed and processed images simultaneously. The method also allows additional enhancement iterations resulting in better image reading and interpretation.

In this application are described vaccinia monoclonal antibodies. Also provided are mixtures of antibodies of the present invention, as well as methods of using individual antibodies or mixtures thereof for the detection, prevention, and/or therapeutical treatment of vaccinia virus infections in vitro and in vivo.

Protease enzyme from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus sp. Catalyzes the acylation of organic solvent-insoluble macromolecules in isooctane solution containing vinyl esters of fatty acids, lactones or lactides as acyl donors. The reaction occurs only when the enzyme is solubilized via ion-pairing with the anionic surfactant dioctylsulfosuccinate, sodium salt (AOT). Enzyme based acylation was demonstrated in macromolecules such as silk proteins. These macromolecules are reactive either as cryogenically milled powder suspended in the organic solvent or as a thin film deposited onto ZnSe slides.