Abstract: A mass spectrometer system an ion source configured to produce ions and a non-metallic capillary configured to receive at least a portion of the ions from the ion source. The capillary includes an elongated body and multiple bores traversing the elongated body in a longitudinal direction. The bores transport the received ions through the capillary toward a mass analyzer of the mass spectrometer system for detection.

Abstract: An ion guide includes a plurality of curved electrodes and an ion deflecting device. The electrodes are arranged in parallel with each other and with a central curved axis, the curved central axis being co-extensive with an arc of a circular section having a radius of curvature, each electrode being radially spaced from the curved central axis, wherein the plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region arranged about the curved central axis and between opposing pairs of the electrodes. The ion deflecting device may include a device for applying a DC electric field to two or more of the electrodes in a radial direction. The ion deflecting device may include a pair of curved, parallel ion deflecting electrodes, which are in addition to curved electrodes utilized for applying an RF ion guiding field.

Abstract: A switchable valve for a sample injector includes a first valve member and a second valve member that can moved with respect to the other. The first valve member includes a plurality of ports, the second valve member includes a plurality of fluid paths. The plurality of ports include eight circumferential ports distributed along a circumference and one central port arranged at a central position of the first valve member. The plurality of fluid paths include three arcuate fluid paths so as to be couplable with at least two of the circumferential ports and one straight fluid path extending between the central position and a circumferential position so as to be couplable with the central port and one of the circumferential ports.

Abstract: A flow cell device includes a body having a hollow bore in which a liquid sample may reside. An electromagnetic beam may be directed through the body and into the bore to irradiate the liquid sample. The beam may be directed orthogonal to an axis of the bore. A light ray produced as a result of the irradiation may likewise be directed orthogonal to the bore axis along the same plane as the beam, and received by a detector. The body may be secured between a liquid inlet structure and a liquid outlet structure.

Abstract: An apparatus that can be configured for various functions such as a digital oscilloscope, logic analyzer or frequency analyzer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a symbol generator, a multi-symbol FSM, and a controller. The symbol generator generates an ordered sequence of symbols from an ordered sequence of digital values. The symbol generator generates one symbol corresponding to each of the digital values. The digital values have a greater number of possible values than the symbols. The controller causes the multi-symbol FSM to search for a pattern in the sequence of symbols that identifies a corresponding pattern in the sequence of digital values. A portion of the digital sequence is then displayed based on the location of the pattern in the sequence of symbols.

Abstract: A sealing configuration is configured for sealingly coupling a first fluid flow path of a first device to a second fluid flow path of a second device. The sealing configuration comprises a contact surface comprising a structure configured for increasing a surface pressure when coupling the first device to the second device. The contact surface comprises a metal coating configured for increasing sealing.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the motion of a particle and a method for using the same are disclosed. The apparatus includes a channel containing liquid between first and second electrodes. The apparatus also includes an array of variable impedance elements, each variable impedance element connecting the first electrode to a corresponding location in the channel by a path having an average impedance that is continuously variable between first and second impedances when averaged over an update time interval. A controller sets the average impedance of each of the variable impedance elements such that a particle in the channel moves in a predetermined direction when voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes. At least one of the variable impedance elements has an average impedance that is intermediate between the first and second impedances.

Abstract: An interferometer includes a first assembly having a base, a beam splitter assembly to split light into first and second portions, and a fixed mirror for reflecting the first portion of light; and a second assembly movable with respect to the first assembly, and having first and second scan carriages, and a movable mirror connected to the second scan carriage for reflecting the second portion of light. The beam splitter assembly combines the reflected first and second portions of light into a recombined radiation beam. Inner bearing flexures enable movement of the first scan carriage relative to the base, and outer bearing flexures enable movement of the second scan carriage relative to the first scan carriage, such that a plane containing the movable mirror is maintained parallel to multiple planes containing the movable mirror at respective distances between the second and first assemblies during scan movement of the movable mirror.

Abstract: A method for determining the ploidy of a test genome is provided. In some embodiments, the method may comprises: a) obtaining a plurality of ratios for polymorphisms that are distributed throughout a test genome, wherein each of the ratios is a ratio of the measured copy number of uncut allele in a polymorphic site relative to the measured copy number of the uncut allele in the reference sample; b) taking the log of the ratios and plotting a distribution of the reference corrected log ratios of the SNP probes; and c) determining the ploidy of said the genome based on the number of peaks in that distribution.

Abstract: A method for labelling a tissue section is provided. In certain embodiments, the method may comprise: (a) labeling a formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue section using a first set of labeling reagents that comprises a first primary antibody and a first labeled secondary antibody; (b) treating the labeled tissue with a protease, thereby digesting the first primary antibody and/or the first labeled secondary antibody and separating the label from the FFPE tissue section; (c) washing the tissue section to remove the separated label and the protease; and (c) labeling the FFPE tissue section using a second set of labeling reagents that comprises a second primary antibody and a second labeled secondary antibody. A kit for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing relative concentrations of first and second analyte substances in an analyte sample comprises a sample cell defining a sample chamber therewithin, and a semipermeable boundary member disposed in the sample chamber to define first and second sides of the sample chamber. Sample flow input and sample flow output ducts direct an analyte sample containing respective initial concentrations of the first and second analyte substances into the first side of the sample chamber. The semipermeable boundary member permits diffusion therethrough of the first and second analyte substances to the second side of the sample chamber at different rates. An analyte sample in the second side of the sample chamber, and an analyte sample exiting the first side via the sample flow output duct, have respective concentrations of the first and second analyte substances that are different from the initial concentrations.

Abstract: The subject invention relates to compositions comprising an enzyme mixture which comprises a first enzyme and a second enzyme, where the first enzyme comprises a DNA polymerization activity and the second enzyme comprises an 5?-3? exonuclease activity and a reduced DNA polymerization activity. The invention also relates to the above compositions in kit format and methods for high fidelity DNA synthesis using the subject compositions of the invention.

Abstract: A method for measuring a property of a binding interaction between a capture agent and a binding partner for the capture agent is provided. In certain embodiments, this method comprises: a) contacting a population of particles that are linked to a capture agent with a substrate comprising a binding partner to produce capture agent/binding partner complexes, wherein the population of particles comprises first particles that are bound to a single molecule of the capture agent and second particles that are bound to two molecules of the capture agent; b) applying a force to the bound support, wherein the force is in a direction that separates the particles from the support; and c) separately measuring the forces required to disassociate the first particles and the second particles from their respective complexes.

Abstract: A method and compositions for sulfurizing at least one phosphite or thiophosphite linkage in an oligonucleotide. The addition of N-alkyl imidazole to the acetyldisulfide sulfurization solution enables the use of industrially preferred solvents or solvents that are derived from renewable resources.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and process of converting a standard, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) flow path to a flow path suitable for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) are described. This reversible technique is applied to a variety of flow configurations including binary, high pressure solvent mixing systems and quaternary, low pressure solvent mixing systems than can be conventionally operated or automated. The technique is generally applied to the fields of supercritical fluid chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography, but users skilled in the art will find utility for any flow system where pressurization components must be periodically applied to and removed from both ends of a flow stream in an automated manner.

Abstract: A method of sample analysis is provided. In certain embodiments, the method involves: a) obtaining a fragmented RNA sample comprising fragments of long RNA molecules and short RNA molecules; b) ligating an adaptor to an end of the RNA of the fragmented RNA sample to produce an adaptor-ligated sample; c) hybridizing said adaptor-ligated sample to an array of nucleic acid probes; and d) reading said array to obtain an estimate of the abundance of a long RNA in the RNA sample and an estimate of the abundance a small RNA in the RNA sample.

Abstract: An aerosol is produced by flowing a liquid sample through a gas-assisted nebulizer. The liquid exits from an outlet into a coaxial flow of gas. The outlet includes a sharp edge that inhibits or prevents accumulation of precipitates from the liquid, thereby reducing or eliminating clogging, which is particularly useful for a samples containing high concentrations of dissolved particles. The aerosol may be introduced into a plasma such that molecules are broken into atoms. The atomization may be followed by an analysis such as by optical emission spectrometry or mass spectrometry.

Abstract: A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon source includes a body, a VUV window, electrodes disposed on the body outside an interior thereof, and a dielectric barrier between the electrodes. A method for generating VUV photons includes generating a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in an interior of a photon source by applying a periodic voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric barrier, wherein the DBD produces excimers from a gas in a gap between the electrodes, and transmitting VUV photons through a window of the photon source.

Abstract: An optical absorption spectrometry system includes first and second light sources, a dichroic beam combiner and a wavelength selective module. The first light source emits first light having first wavelengths within a first wavelength range, and the second light source emits second light having second wavelengths within a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range. The dichroic beam combiner includes a predetermined first reflectance/transmission transition region, the dichroic beam combiner being configured to transmit a first portion of the first light and to reflect a second portion of the second light to provide combined light. The wavelength selective module is configured to disperse the combined light received at an entrance aperture, to select a sample wavelength range of the dispersed light as sample light, and to output the sample light having the selected sample wavelength range from an exit aperture for illuminating a sample.

Abstract: Solvent extraction to quantify contamination of a sample by a hydrocarbon contaminant is performed by providing a defined quantity of the sample, providing a defined quantity of a siloxane solvent, mixing the defined quantity of the siloxane solvent and the defined quantity of the sample to extract the hydrocarbon contaminant from the sample to form a contaminant solution with the siloxane solvent, and separating the contaminant solution from the sample. A concentration of the hydrocarbon contaminant in the contaminant solution can be measured by vibrational spectroscopy. Siloxane solvents are CFC free, VOC exempt, odorless, colorless, low to moderately flammable, non-toxic, and safe for incidental skin contact. Some are even used in cosmetic products.