Abstract: An apparatus for separating a fluidic sample includes a fluid drive arrangement including fluid drive units for driving a mobile phase along a flow path to a sample separation unit, a sample accommodation volume for accommodating the fluidic sample and selectively fluidically coupleable with or decoupleable from the flow path, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control pressure decoupling of at least part of at least one of the fluid drive units from the flow path, and enable the partially pressure-decoupled fluid drive unit(s) to pressurize the sample accommodation volume before fluidically coupling the sample accommodation volume with the flow path and/or to de-pressurize the sample accommodation volume after fluidically coupling the sample accommodation volume with the flow path for preparing a subsequent intake of fluidic sample in the sample accommodation volume.

Abstract: In an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) system, ions are transmitted into a collision/reaction cell. A DC potential is applied at an exit of the cell at a first magnitude to generate a DC potential barrier effective to prevent the ions from exiting the cell. The DC potential barrier is maintained during a confinement period to perform an interaction. After the confinement period, analyte ions or product ions are transmitted to a mass spectrometer by switching the exit DC potential to a second magnitude effective to allow the analyte ions or product ions to pass through the cell exit as a pulse. The analyte ions or product ions are then counted during a measurement period. The interaction may be ion-molecule reactions or ion-molecule collisions.

Abstract: A sample dispatcher for a fluid separation apparatus includes a sampling path including a sampling volume, a sampling unit, and a retaining unit. The sampling unit receives a fluidic sample, and the sampling volume temporarily stores an amount of the received sample. The retaining unit receives and retains from the sampling volume at least a portion of the stored sample, and has different retention characteristics for different components of the sample. A switching unit is coupled to the sampling path, a sampling fluid drive, a mobile phase drive, and a separating device. In a feed injection configuration of the switching unit, the mobile phase drive, the separating device, and the sampling path are coupled together in a coupling point for combining a flow from the sampling fluid drive containing the fluidic sample retained by the retaining unit with a flow of the mobile phase from the mobile phase drive.

Abstract: In some examples, a filter assembly may include a filter including a first gasket having a first channel adjacent to a first side of the filter and a second gasket having a second channel adjacent to a second side of the filter. The first gasket and the second gasket may include a beveled surface adjacent to the filter. The first channel and the second channel may include a diameter of from about 0.01 mm to about 0.5 mm. A finger tightening system may securely hold the filter without any leaks.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: An ion guide includes electrodes elongated along an axis from an entrance end to an exit end and spaced around the axis to surround an interior. The electrodes have polygonal shapes with inside surfaces disposed at a radius from the axis and having an electrode width tangential to a circle inscribed by the electrodes. An aspect ratio of the electrode width to the radius varies along the axis. The electrodes are configured to generate a two-dimensional RF electrical field in the interior having a multipole composition comprising one or more lower-order multipole components and one or more higher-order multipole components and varying along the axis in accordance with the varying aspect ratio, and having an RF voltage amplitude that varies along the axis.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include compositions that make use of phosphorus and/or nucleobase protecting groups which find use in the synthesis of long polynucleotides. Phosphorus protecting groups are provided that help increase the stepwise coupling yield and/or phosphorous protecting groups that can be removed during the oxidation step. Amidine nucleobase protecting groups are provided that find use in the subject compositions and methods which provides for e.g., increased resistance to depurination during polynucleotide synthesis. In some instances, the methods and compositions disclosed herein utilize a combination of the phosphorus and amidine nucleobase protecting groups in the synthesis of polynucleotides having a sequence of 200 or more monomeric units in length. Also provided are methods for synthesizing a polynucleotide (e.g., a DNA) using one or more compounds disclosed herein.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for determining the eligibility of a subject having a malignancy for treatment with an anti-PD therapeutic agent based on a Combined Positive Score (CPS) for a tumor tissue sample from the subject. Compositions and kits or performing the disclosed methods are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for making substantially monodisperse populations of substantially spherical particles of polyarylketone polymers or of thio-analogues of such polymers, of selected sizes. Populations of such particles can be used, for example, to form porous devices with greater control of porosity than previously available. In some embodiments, the porous devices are frits, filters, membranes or monoliths.

Abstract: The invention provides separation media of substantially monodisperse populations of substantially spherical particles of polyarylketone polymers or of thio-analogues of such polymers, of selected sizes, and further provides containers, such as chromatographic columns and cartridges, containing substantially monodisperse populations of such particles.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for making porous devices from substantially monodisperse populations of substantially spherical particles of polyarylketone polymers or of thio-analogues of such polymers, of selected sizes. The porous devices allow greater control of porosity than previously available porous devices. In some embodiments, the porous devices are frits, filters, membranes or monoliths.

Abstract: A polychromator system comprising: an optical element defining an aperture; a collimation mirror for receiving light via the aperture and reflecting substantially collimated light; at least a first dispersive optical component and a second dispersive optical component, each configured to disperse the substantially collimated light received from the collimation mirror by different amounts for different wavelengths and to provide cross-dispersed light having different wavelengths of light spaced along a first and second axis; and a focus mirror positioned to focus the cross-dispersed light onto a 2-D array detector to provide a plurality of aperture images of the aperture at a respective plurality of regions of the detector, each of the plurality of aperture images associated with a respective wavelength of the cross-dispersed light.

Abstract: The invention relates to reagents and methods for improving the efficiency of multiplex nucleic acid amplification, in particular where overlapping amplicons are to be generated. The invention also relates to reagents and methods for improving the efficiency of multistep nucleic acid amplification, in particular the performance of two separate amplification reactions designed to occur in sequence in the same reaction mixture or vessel. The invention further relates to reagents and methods for improving multistep nucleic acid amplification reactions by controlling the output of the first amplification reaction. In particular, primers are provided that minimise the formation of aberrant amplification products. Such primers are particularly useful where first and second amplification reactions take place in a single reaction mixture or vessel.

Abstract: Injector (40) for injecting a fluidic sample into a mobile phase in a sample separation apparatus (10), the injector (40) comprising a main flow path (100) between a fluid drive (20) and a sample separation device (30), wherein the fluid drive (20) is adapted to drive the mobile phase and the sample separation device (30) is adapted to separate the fluidic sample that is injected into the mobile phase, a discharge device (104) for discharging an, in particular predetermined, amount of the mobile phase from the main flow path (100), and a supply device (102) for supplying an, in particular predetermined, amount of the fluidic sample and/or of a solvent into the main flow path (100), wherein the discharged amount and the supplied amount compensate each other at least partially.

Abstract: In some examples, a multi-device removal and installation tool may include a device removal tool including a first side having a first receiver with a first dimension that removably receives a first device, and a second side having a second receiver with a second dimension that removably receives a second device. The first dimension may be different from the second dimension. A torque limit tool may apply, in a first rotation direction of the torque limit tool and the device removal tool, a tightening torque to the first device. Further, the torque limit tool may apply, in a second rotation direction of the torque limit tool and the device removal tool, a loosening torque to the first device. The second rotation direction may be generally opposite to the first rotation direction.

Abstract: A tip including an alloy of platinum and an alloying element chosen from gold, palladium, ruthenium, osmium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, chromium, manganese, titanium, niobium, scandium, vanadium, yttrium, zirconium, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, technetium, cadmium, hafnium, rhenium, less than 5 wt. % of iridium, less than 5 wt. % of rhodium, greater than 20 wt. % iridium, greater than 20 wt. % rhodium, and a combination thereof, relative to the total weight of the alloy is disclosed. An interface cone can include a base and the tip.

Abstract: A high-voltage (HV) power supply outputs an output voltage based on a control signal produced by a dual analog/digital feedback loop. The control signal is determined at least in part by an error amplifier that receives a measurement signal, proportionally attenuated from the output voltage, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) output signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) also receives the measurement signal and transmits it in digitized form to a digital processor. The digital processor calculates a digital DAC data signal based on the measurement signal, and on a digital set-point input signal corresponding to a set-point voltage value of the output voltage desired to be outputted from the high-voltage source. A DAC receives the DAC data signal and converts it to the DAC output signal transmitted to the error amplifier.

Abstract: In some examples, an organizer may include a plurality of inserts. At least one insert of the plurality of inserts may include at least a front panel and an opposite back panel that form the at least one insert, and at least one instrument component disposed hi the at least one insert. The organizer may further include a binding mechanism that attaches the plurality of inserts.