Abstract: A method for detecting minimal residual disease in a subject following a cancer surgery is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a sample from the subject. The sample includes a surgical drainage. The method also includes isolating an amount of tumor-associated genetic material from the sample, sequencing the amount of tumor-associated genetic material to detect and quantify at least one tumor-associated mutation or variant in the amount of tumor-associated genetic material, and providing the at least one quantity of the at least one tumor-associated mutation or variant to a practitioner.

Abstract: Various embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods relating to protective packaging for shipping items. In some embodiments, a protective packaging system may include a shipping container and a foam insert assembly. The shipping container may encase an interior portion. The foam insert assembly may be configured to conformally encapsulate one or more shipping items within the interior portion of the shipping container, e.g., so as to protect the one or more shipping items from mechanical impact damage (e.g., bending) and/or environmental damage (e.g., exposure to moisture) during shipping.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an industrial scale method to obtain 1-kestose by the use of a recombinant fructosyltransferase (FTF), isolated from Festuca arundinacea, expressed constitutively in a non-saccharolytic yeast. In this invention, the recombinant FTF type sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SSTrec) is produced constitutively, stable and at high yield, both in the culture supernatant and in intact cells of the host Pichia pastoris. Hence, the invention additionally provides a method for 1-SST production at industrial scale. The recombinant enzyme is then used for mass production of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), specifically 1-kestose, from sucrose. The method of the present invention establishes conditions that allow conversion rates where the synthesized FOS constitute above 55% (w/w) of the total sugars in the reaction mixture and the 1-kestose content reaches values higher than 90% (w/w) of the total FOS fraction.

Abstract: Techniques related to improving performance of an automated control system for drilling with a drilling system, comprising directing drilling tools on a drilling rig to drill, a borehole using the automated control system, obtaining, from one or more surface sensors disposed at a surface of the drilling site, surface sensor data relating to surface drilling activity of the drilling system, determining, based on a comparison between the surface sensor data and a set of historical data, a set of drilling parameters associated with a drilling state, applying the set of drilling parameters to a physics model of the drilling site to determine a set of downhole parameters for the drilling site, wherein the physics model comprises a simulation of current conditions of the borehole and a drill string of the drilling rig, and adjusting operation of at least one of the drilling tools based on the set of downhole parameters.

Abstract: A microemulsion is formulated with a surfactant, a co-surfactant and brine, for recovery of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils by reducing the viscosity of such crude oils and improving their rheological properties for production and pipeline transportation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an industrial scale method to obtain 1-kestose by the use of a recombinant fructosyltransferase (FTF), isolated from Festuca arundinacea, expressed constitutively in a non-saccharolytic yeast. In this invention, the recombinant FTF type sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SSTrec) is produced constitutively, stable and at high yield, both in the culture supernatant and in intact cells of the host Pichia pastoris. Hence, the invention additionally provides a method for 1-SST production at industrial scale. The recombinant enzyme is then used for mass production of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), specifically 1-kestose, from sucrose. The method of the present invention establishes conditions that allow conversion rates where the synthesized FOS constitute above 55% (w/w) of the total sugars in the reaction mixture and the 1-kestose content reaches values higher than 90% (w/w) of the total FOS fraction.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an industrial scale method to obtain 1-kestose by the use of a recombinant fructosyltransferase (FTF), isolated from Festuca arundinacea, expressed constitutively in a non-saccharolytic yeast. In this invention, the recombinant FTF type sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SSTrec) is produced constitutively, stable and at high yield, both in the culture supernatant and in intact cells of the host Pichia pastoris. Hence, the invention additionally provides a method for 1-SST production at industrial scale. The recombinant enzyme is then used for mass production of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), specifically 1-kestose, from sucrose. The method of the present invention establishes conditions that allow conversion rates where the synthesized FOS constitute above 55% (w/w) of the total sugars in the reaction mixture and the 1-kestose content reaches values higher than 90% (w/w) of the total FOS fraction.

Abstract: An insertion tool for installation of a retainer ring within a groove is provided. The insertion tool includes a generally horizontal frame member. The insertion tool also includes a handle portion extending upwards from the horizontal frame member. The insertion tool further includes an installation element extending downwards from the horizontal frame member and pivotally attached thereto. The installation element is configured to engage within the retainer ring. Further, the installation element is configured to apply an insertion force on the retainer ring upon rotation of the handle portion about a central axis of the groove to force the retainer ring into the groove. The insertion force acts in a direction generally parallel to the central axis of the groove.

Abstract: The physical and chemical properties of heavy and extra-heavy crudes are improved by a procedure that uses a homogeneous type catalyst and involves the stages: 1. separation and removal of the water fraction that is contained in the hydrocarbons, 2. catalyst injection and activation of the reaction system, 3. elimination of gaseous hydrocarbons and recovery of the partial pressure of hydrogen at different times, 4. reaction and 5. recovery of distillated products.

Abstract: An insertion tool for installation of a retainer ring within a groove is provided. The insertion tool includes a generally horizontal frame member. The insertion tool also includes a handle portion extending upwards from the horizontal frame member. The insertion tool further includes an installation element extending downwards from the horizontal frame member and pivotally attached thereto. The installation element is configured to engage within the retainer ring. Further, the installation element is configured to apply an insertion force on the retainer ring upon rotation of the handle portion about a central axis of the groove to force the retainer ring into the groove. The insertion force acts in a direction generally parallel to the central axis of the groove.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an industrial scale method to obtain 1-kestose by the use of a recombinant fructosyltransferase (FTF), isolated from Festuca arundinacea, expressed constitutively in a non-saccharolytic yeast. In this invention, the recombinant FTF type sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SSTrec) is produced constitutively, stable and at high yield, both in the culture supernatant and in intact cells of the host Pichia pastoris. Hence, the invention additionally provides a method for 1-SST production at industrial scale. The recombinant enzyme is then used for mass production of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), specifically 1-kestose, from sucrose. The method of the present invention establishes conditions that allow conversion rates where the synthesized FOS constitute above 55% (w/w) of the total sugars in the reaction mixture and the 1-kestose content reaches values higher than 90% (w/w) of the total FOS fraction.

Abstract: A network content service apparatus includes a set of compute elements adapted to perform a set of network services; and a switching fabric coupling compute elements in said set of compute elements. The set of network services includes firewall protection, Network Address Translation, Internet Protocol forwarding, bandwidth management, Secure Sockets Layer operations, Web caching, Web switching, and virtual private networking. Code operable on the compute elements enables the network services, and the compute elements are provided on blades which further include at least one input/output port.

Abstract: The physical and chemical properties of heavy and extra-heavy crudes are improved by a procedure that uses a homogeneous type catalyst and involves the stages: 1. separation and removal of the water fraction that is contained in the hydrocarbons, 2. catalyst injection and activation of the reaction system, 3. elimination of gaseous hydrocarbons and recovery of the partial pressure of hydrogen at different times, 4. reaction and 5. recovery of distillated products.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for speculatively elevating a privilege level at which instructions are executed. In embodiment, this is accomplished b identification of a privilege elevation instruction (e.g., SYSCALL) at an early pipeline stage and speculatively executing subsequent instructions with elevated privileges.

Abstract: A microemulsion is formulated with a surfactant, a co-surfactant and brine, for recovery of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils by reducing the viscosity of such crude oils and improving their rheological properties for production and pipeline transportation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lighting system and a method to change the internal light source of the lighting system, wherein maintenance and aesthetic considerations make it necessary to access the internal light source solely from the front of the lighting system without moving or removing a sign face. Access, in part, is provided by a light baffle track system inside the light system that turns a flexible light baffle (i.e., the light source) within the service box from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation as the flexible light baffle is removed and reinstalled through the service box and front access door. The flexible light baffle and light baffle track system work in concert to efficiently turn the flexible light baffle solely within the service box such that the height and depth of the service box is minimized.

Abstract: An architecture is described for performing memory management in a virtualization environment. Multiple levels of caches are provided to perform address translations, where at least one of the caches contains a mapping between a guest virtual address and a host physical address. This type of caching implementation serves to minimize the need to perform costly multi-stage translations in a virtualization environment.

Abstract: An extended translation look-aside buffers (eTLB) for converting virtual addresses into physical addresses is described, which includes both a set associative memory structure (SAM) and a content addressable memory (CAM) structure. An improved approach for operating an eTLB is described in which the same instruction is issued to perform the same task regardless of the exact underlying memory structure within the eTLB being accessed. For flush operations, the same instruction to perform a TLB flush can be provided to the eTLB that operates upon both the CAM and the SAM, which is then handled differently by the underlying implementation system of the eTLB depending upon whether the CAM and/or SAM is being accessed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lighting system and a method to change the internal light source of the lighting system, wherein maintenance and aesthetic considerations make it necessary to access the internal light source solely from the front of the lighting system without moving or removing a sign face. Access, in part, is provided by a light baffle track system inside the light system that turns a flexible light baffle (i.e., the light source) within the service box from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation as the flexible light baffle is removed and reinstalled through the service box and front access door. The flexible light baffle and light baffle track system work in concert to efficiently turn the flexible light baffle solely within the service box such that the height and depth of the service box is minimized.

Abstract: A network content service apparatus includes a set of compute elements adapted to perform a set of network services; and a switching fabric coupling compute elements in said set of compute elements. The set of network services includes firewall protection, Network Address Translation, Internet Protocol forwarding, bandwidth management, Secure Sockets Layer operations, Web caching, Web switching, and virtual private networking. Code operable on the compute elements enables the network services, and the compute elements are provided on blades which further include at least one input/output port.