Abstract:
The present invention involves the measurement of nitric oxide in interstitial fluid extracted by a thin needle from a body tissue, and particularly a human breast. The diffuse nature of nitric oxide means that the sample of body fluid does not need to be taken directly from the lesion to indicate that cancerous cells are present in the vicinity. Therefore, the presence of nitric oxide in the extracted body fluid is a direct indicator of the presence of a cancerous lesion in the vicinity.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises methods and apparatus for cancer detection involving the measurement of temporal periodic changes in blood perfusion associated with immune response, occurring in neoplastic lesions and their surrounding tissues. Particularly, the method for cancer detection involves the detection of non-neuronal thermoregulation of blood perfusion, aberrant modulation of blood perfusion, aberrant temperature oscillations associated with blood perfusion, aberrant thermoregulatory frequencies associated with blood perfusion, and periodic changes in the spatial homogeneity of skin temperature.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for determining actual temperature, reflectivity and fluorescence of a surface and comprises in the preferred embodiment a two-dimensional focal plane array of rapidly tunable infrared detectors, 11, adapted to detect the emitted infrared flux from a surface of interest, 10, across pre-selected spectral segments in the 4-15 .mu.m range. The invention further comprises a computer having deconvolution algorithms, 13, for isolating the effects of reflectivity, fluorescence and environmental factors affecting infrared emission for each pixel of the generated image at various spectral segments in the 4-15 .mu.m range. The device further includes means for generating images of temperature, emissivity and fluorescence for diagnostic use. The preferred embodiment of the invention also contemplates the use of thermostated black body reference emitters, 12, at the edges of the field of view for enhancing and speeding deconvolution of the detected data across the 4-15 .mu.m spectrum.
Abstract:
A method and means of making an immunological assay is provided whereby stable isotopes of certain elements, or long-lived radioisotopes of these elements are used to tag antigens or antibodies. A known amount of the tagged antibodies or antigens are then mixed with the unknown number of antigens or antibodies forming an antigen-antibody complex, (bound) and free tagged antigens, or antibodies, (unbound). The bound antigens or antibodies are separated from the unbound, and their quantity is determined by negative ion mass spectrometry. An aliquot of the unbound or bound antigens or antibodies is taken and dried in a metal crucible, for example, which is then inserted into a negative ion mass spectrometer where the sample is vaporized, ionized and the number of tagging atoms is then counted. From the information provided by the count, an immunoassay can be established.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to modified family-8 cellulases that exhibit enhanced thermostability compared to the corresponding wild-type enzyme, polynucleotides encoding the modified cellulases, compositions comprising same and uses thereof. The variant family-8 cellulases are advantageous for the bioconversion process of cellulosic substrates.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises methods for cancer detection involving the measurement of temporal periodic changes in blood perfusion, associated with immune response, occurring in neoplastic lesions and their surrounding tissues. Particularly, the method for cancer detection involves the detection of non-neuronal thermoregulation of blood perfusion, periodic changes in the spatial homogeneity of skin temperature, aberrant oscillations of spatial homogeneity of skin temperature and aberrant thermoregulatory frequencies associated with periodic changes in the spatial homogeneity of skin temperature.
Abstract:
A method for measuring the periodicity of changes in blood perfusion over large regions of skin so as to identify a locally impaired neuronal control, thereby providing a quick and inexpensive screening test for relatively shallow neoplastic lesions, such as breast cancer, is described. The present method is predicated on infrared imaging of the skin to detect changes in the spectral structure and spatial distribution of thermoregulatory frequencies (TRFs) over different areas of the skin.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for the pollution-free generation of electrical power from carbonaceous fuels in which molten lead is electrochemically oxidized to produce lead oxide and electricity in a single integrated cell in which the resulting lead oxide is simultaneously converted back to lead metal by carbothermic reduction with a carbonaceous fuel, the entire process being carried out in a single cell using a molten carbonate as electrolyte in a temperature range of 500.degree. to 900.degree. C. The entire cycle thus consumes only carbon and oxygen and produces electricity. It is found that by thus coupling the electrochemical cell and the thermochemical regeneration system, the resulting integrated carbon-lead-air cell will maintain a voltage well above that provided by a simple lead-air cell approaching that of a hypothetical carbon-air cell.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises methods and apparatus for assessment of the effects mental stress involving the measurement of periodic changes in skin perfusion. Using a remotely mounted infrared camera, dynamic area telethermometry (DAT) measures the autonomic nervous activity by monitoring and quantitatively analyzing the modulation of cutaneous perfusion. When people gets "nervous" their sympathetics "act up" and they blush (vasodilates) or becomes pale (vasoconstricts). A DAT test of the face proves to be a superior "lie detector" test since emotional stress is reflected in an autonomic nervous response that can be measured remotely. DAT is much more sensitive than any visual assessment of skin color or than instrumental measurement of diaphoresis. Not only is it more reliable than currently used polygraph tests, but its non-contact administration is so simple and innocuous that it could be done without the subject's awareness. Furthermore, the same device can be used to meet the needs of a variety of psychiatric and psychological evaluation problems, including depression, drug addiction and dementia, as well as psychological learning disabilities.
Abstract:
A method for detecting and quantifying a carbon isotope at quantities of less than 1.times.10.sup.-12 gram at a statistical precision of better than 5% in a time period of less than 5 minutes by producing a carbon compound, selected from CO,CS.sub.2,CO.sub.2 and elemental carbon, from the carbon containing composition to be analyzed; and producing and detecting sufficient C.sup.- ions from the carbon compound at a known efficiency to provide at least 80 counts of carbon isotope ions per minute by mass spectrometry.