[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 233 (Monday, December 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68110-68111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31467]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.
    The inventions named in this notice are owned by agencies of the 
United States Government and are available for licensing in the United 
States (U.S.) in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious 
commercialization of results of federally funded research and 
development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected 
inventions to extend market coverage for U.S. companies and may also be 
available for licensing.

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ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to Thomas E. 
O'Toole, M.P.H., Acting Director, Technology Transfer Office, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mailstop E-67, 1600 Clifton 
Rd., NE. Atlanta, GA 30333, telephone (404) 639-6270, email 
[email protected]. Please note that a signed Confidential Disclosure 
Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent application.

System and Method for Distributed Data Storage and Update in a 
Computer Network

    The invention discloses a system for distributed storage and 
maintenance of records in a network of computer nodes. A computer user 
creates a record at a node of the network; this becomes the control 
node, or home system. This user specifies a list of recipients 
containing the nodes that maintain a current copy of the record. The 
user also specifies a mesh, which includes a subset of the

[[Page 68111]]

nodes on the recipient list that the control node authorizes to modify 
the record and to distribute the modified record to the nodes on the 
recipient list. The user can instruct the control node to exercise 
various control powers that the other nodes do not have over the 
record.

Inventor: H. Larry Blumen
Application # 09/373,343
Tech I.D. # I-036-98/0

Synthetic Peptides Immunoreactive with Hepatitis A Virus Antibodies

    The invention discloses synthetic peptides immunoreactive with 
hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies. The peptides are useful as 
laboratory reagents to detect or quantify HAV antibodies in biological 
samples and clinical or research-based assays. They are also useful for 
inducing an immune response to HAV when administered to a human or 
animal. The peptides contain antigenic epitopes, the major structural 
capsid polypeptides, or non-structural polypeptides of HAV. They also 
contain one or more molecules of the amino acid glutamine at the 
carboxyl end of the peptide, which enhances immunoreactivity and 
immunogenicity.

Inventor: Fields et al.
Application # 60/144,412
Tech I.D. # I-015-98/0

Methods and Compositions for Detecting Larval Taenia solium

    The invention relates to compositions and methods for diagnosing 
cysticercosis. More specifically the invention discloses compositions 
and methods for the detection, the diagnosis and treatment of T. solium 
infection, commonly referred to as the pork tapeworm. It provides the 
nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the antigenic polypeptides TS-
14, TS-18 and TSRS-1. The compositions contain antigenic polypeptides 
of larval origin. These polypeptides are useful as research tools for 
studying T. solium and as reagents in assays for the detection of T. 
solium antibodies in a biological sample.

Inventor: Tsang, et al.
Application # 60/147,318
Tech I.D. # I-035-98/0

Method for Characterization of Rock Strata in Underground Mining 
Operations

    The invention discloses a method and system for determining the 
relative strength and classification of rock strata during drilling 
operations for use in underground mines. Neural network technology is 
used to classify mine roof strata in specified terms. For example, the 
relative strength or strength index of rock strata may be determined as 
a roof bolthole is being drilled. Measurements are used to compute the 
specific energy input and convert the data to suitably scaled features. 
A neural network is then used to classify the strength of the layer. 
The neural network can be trained using data of known rock strata 
classifications prior to using it to classify new measurements. The 
system allows for detection of unsafe conditions and for appropriate 
warnings to be issued.

Inventor: Walter Utt
Application # 60/143,777
Tech I.D. # I-017-98/0

Methods and Compositions for Diagnosing Rochalimaea henselae and 
Rochalimaea quintana Infection

    The invention discloses a method of diagnosing cat scratch disease 
and a method of diagnosing bacillary angiomatosis in a subject by 
detecting the presence of Rochalimaea henselae in the subject. Also 
provided is a vaccine comprising an immunogenic amount of a 
nonpathogenic Rochalimaea henselae. The invention allows the diagnosing 
Rochalimaea quintana infection in a subject by detecting the presence 
of a nucleic acid specific to Rochlimaea quintana in a sample from the 
subject. A purified heat shock protein of Rochalimaea is also provided.

Inventor: Anderson, et al.
Application # 08/472,904
Tech I.D. # E-048-92/6

Ore Pass Level and Blockage Locator Device

    The invention discloses a method of, and apparatus for, detecting 
level and blockages in an ore pass or other near-vertical shaft. The 
level and blockage detector includes a flexible metal strip in which a 
plurality of strain gages have been located and spaced apart from one 
another. A plurality of anchors secure the metal strip to the interior 
surface of the shaft such that the metal strip is displaced a fixed 
distance from the interior surface. When the ore pass fills up with 
bulk material, the bulk material causes the metal strip to deflect 
toward the interior surface of the shaft. This causes the resistance of 
the strain gage in the region of the deflection to change. A 
microcontroller cycles through each strain gage to detect the location 
of the blockage. When a change in the output voltage across the bridge 
circuit is detected, the location of the strain gage causing the change 
in output voltage is an indication of the presence of bulk material 
(ore).

Inventor: Todd Ruff
Application # 09/361,828
Tech I.D. # I-006-98/1

Method and Apparatuses for Detecting a Temperature Increase in an 
Electrical Insulator

    The present invention provides a heat-sensitive warning device and 
a related method for visually detecting an increase in the temperature 
of the outer surface of an electrical insulator. When the temperature 
of the outer surface of the electrical insulator increases to a 
preselected temperature, a visual indication of this rise in 
temperature will be provided by the ejection of a spool from a heat-
sensitive warning device which has been attached to the outside of the 
electrical insulator. The temperature at which this visual indication 
of electrical insulator temperature increase occurs is preferably well 
below an unsafe temperature for the particular electrical insulator 
being used so that the electrical insulator may be replaced prior to 
reaching this unsafe temperature.

Inventor: Arthur Hudson
Application # 09/361,008
Tech I.D. # I-016-97/1

    Dated: November 29, 1999.
Joseph R. Carter,
Associate Director for Management and Operations, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-31467 Filed 12-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P