Abstract: A liquid chromatography (LC) column includes a wall having a length along a central axis from the inlet end to the outlet end, the wall enclosing a column interior and having a column radius relative to the central axis, the wall comprising a structured portion configured such that the column radius varies along the length; and a plurality of particles packed in the column interior, wherein at least some of the particles are in contact with the structured portion.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods for double coupling a nucleoside phosphoramidite during synthesis of an oligonucleotide. The method can include coupling a free hydroxyl group of a nucleoside residue with a first sample of a protected nucleoside phosphoramidite via an internucleoside P(III) linkage, followed by exposure to an oxidizing agent prior to a second coupling step with a second sample of the protected nucleoside phosphoramidite, and further exposure to an oxidizing agent. The method finds use in synthesizing an oligonucleotide on a solid phase support, such as a planar surface. The double coupling method can be utilized at one or more nucleotide positions during oligonucleotide synthesis thereby reducing single base deletion rates. Oligonucleotide containing compositions synthesized according to the disclosed methods are also provided.

Abstract: Provided herein are various methods for enriching a target fragment that is present in randomly sheared genomic DNA. In some embodiments, the method may involve hybridizing randomly sheared genomic DNA to a halo probe to produce a first circular complex, and then enzymatically digesting the overhanging ends of the genomic fragment. Other embodiments may include hybridizing randomly sheared genomic DNA to an RNA oligonucleotide that comprises a region that hybridizes to a fragment of the randomly sheared genomic DNA to produce an RNA/DNA duplex. The overhanging ends of the genomic fragment in the RNA/DNA duplex can then be enzymatically digested.

Abstract: A filter for filtering debris out of a fluid flowing along a fluid flow direction in a fluidic member of a sample separation device, the filter comprising a plurality of filter structures stacked along the fluid flow direction and each having pores with defined pore size, wherein the defined pore size of the stacked filter structures decreases along the fluid flow direction.

Abstract: A gas chromatography (GC) column heating apparatus is described. The GC column heating apparatus includes a first substrate; a heating element disposed over the first substrate; and a second substrate. A gas chromatography (GC) column heating and cooling apparatus is also described. The GC column cooling and heating apparatus includes a housing configured to receive a heating apparatus, the heating apparatus comprising a first side and a second side; a first thermal insulation layer disposed over the first side; a second thermal insulation layer disposed over the second side; and an actuator connected to the housing and configured to move the first and second thermal insulation layers in contact with the first and second sides, respectively, during a heating sequence, and to move the first and second layers of insulation out of contact with the first and second sides, respectively, during a cooling sequence.

Abstract: Multiplexed ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), mass spectrometry (MS) such as time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), or hybrid IM-MS is carried out on a sample, and the resulting measurement data are deconvoluted. A pulse sequence controlling ion pulsing is utilized in conjunction with the multiplexing. The pulse sequence may be modified based on the raw measurement data acquired. A demultiplexing matrix based on the modified pulse sequence is utilized to improve deconvolution.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method of sample analysis. In some embodiments, the method comprises hybridizing fragmented genomic DNA from a test genome with a population of first oligonucleotides of the formula V1-B-V2 in the presence of one or more second oligonucleotides; contacting the product with ligase to join the ends of the fragmented genomic DNA that are hybridized to V1 and V2 to the one or more second oligonucleotides; and subjecting the product to polymerase chain reaction conditions using amplification primers that hybridize to sites that are provided by the one or more second oligonucleotides, wherein production of a product indicates that the test genome contains a chromosomal rearrangement relative to the reference genome.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for generating mixtures of product molecules from an initial chemical array are provided. In the subject methods, a chemical array of surface immobilized first moieties is subjected to cleavage conditions such that a composition of solution phase first moieties is produced. The resultant composition of solution phase first moieties is then contacted with one or more reactants to produce a mixture of product molecules that are different from the first moieties. Also provided are the arrays employed in the subject methods and kits for practicing the subject methods.

Abstract: A sealed fluidic component for use in a fluidic flow path is made by providing a composite material comprising a first material and a second material, wherein the first material and the second material are different PAEK materials with the first material having a lower melting point than the second material. The composite material is heated to provide a sealing by the first material.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method comprising one or more of the following steps: (a) lysing cells of a biological sample and contacting the biological sample with an amount of ionic liquid sufficient to denature intracellular metabolic enzymes in the biological sample to produce a contacted cellular sample; (b) mixing the contacted cellular sample with an organic solvent to produce an ionic liquid-organic solvent composition; (c) mixing the contacted cellular sample with the organic solvent to produce a dispersed microdroplet ionic liquid-organic solvent composition; (d) contacting the ionic liquid-organic solvent composition with an ion exchange composition to produce a second ionic liquid-organic solvent composition; (d) separating the ionic liquid from the organic solvent; and (e) extracting metabolites from the ionic liquid. Kits and systems for practicing the subject methods are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for deriving an operation mode from a first fluidic device to a second fluidic device, wherein the first fluidic device has a first target operation mode representing a desired behavior of the first fluidic device and has a first real operation mode representing the actual behavior of the first fluidic device, wherein the second fluidic device has a second target operation mode representing a desired behavior of the second fluidic device and has a second real operation mode representing the actual behavior of the second fluidic device, the apparatus comprising a first determining unit configured for determining the first real operation mode based on the first target operation mode and based on a preknown parameterization of the first fluidic device, and a second determining unit configured for determining the second target operation mode based on the determined first real operation mode and based on a preknown parameterization of the second fluidic device.

Abstract: A droplet-based microfluidic device having a first confining plate, a second confining plate, and an actuator. Each confining plate includes a respective substrate and hydrophobic layer having a planar major surface. The first confining plate additionally includes a common electrode between its hydrophobic layer and substrate. The second confining plate includes an electrode array between its hydrophobic layer and substrate. The confining plates are disposed opposite one another with their major surfaces separated from one another by a gap. The actuator is to impart oscillatory sliding motion between the confining plates in a direction principally parallel to the major surfaces. The oscillatory sliding motion effectively allows voltages applied between the common electrode and the electrodes of the electrode array to move a microfluidic droplet located in the gap across the major surfaces without sticking.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating images of specimens is disclosed. The apparatus includes an imaging system, controller, and user interface. The imaging system generates a plurality of component images of a specimen, each component image corresponding to a different viewing condition. Each image is represented by an intensity as a function of location on the specimen. The controller stores the component images and generates a compound image from a plurality of the component images. The compound image includes a weighted sum of first and second ones of the component images, the controller displaying the compound image on a display controlled by the controller. The user interface is adapted to control a weighting factor used in generating the weighted sum in response to user input. The controller redisplays the compound image after the weighting factor is changed in response to user input.

Abstract: In a vibration damper of a turbomolecular vacuum pump, a vacuum tightness function and a vibration damping function are both performed by one ore more toroidal rings made of an elastic material. The elastic rings assume a resting configuration while the vacuum pump is not operating and the damper is at atmospheric pressure, and they assume a compressed configuration while the vacuum pump is operating and the damper is under vacuum conditions. In the compressed configuration, the elastic rings are deformed due to a compression force. This deformation of the elastic rings prevents metal-to-metal contact between the vacuum pump and a vacuum chamber to which the pump is connected through the damper.

Abstract: An optical measurement method in which a series of light pulses are generated using a pulsed laser having a set of different mode hop sequences (e.g., an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL)), the light pulses are detected with the detector to generate a respective pulse data set for each of the light pulses, and the pulse data sets are sorted into classes based on correlation coefficients. Sorting the pulse data sets into classes allows the pulse data sets originating from each of the mode hop sequences of the pulsed laser to be treated independently of the pulse data sets originating from others of the mode hop sequences in subsequent processing.

Abstract: A method of operating a data processing system to automatically process a color digital image of a specimen that has been stained with a first dye and a second different dye is disclosed. The method includes receiving a color image that includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel being characterized by a pixel vector having components determined by the intensity of light in each of a corresponding number of wavelength bands. A plurality of pixel vectors of the image are transformed to a hue space divided into a plurality of bins, each bin being characterized by a number of pixels that have been transformed into that bin. The data processing system automatically finds first and second color vectors characterizing the first and second dyes, respectively based on the number of pixels that were transformed into each of the bins.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method comprising: producing a first complex by annealing: a first nucleic acid comprising, in order, a first unique sequence, a first central sequence and a second unique sequence; and a second nucleic acid comprising, in order, said second unique sequence, a second central sequence and a third unique sequence; wherein the first, second and third unique sequences do not hybridize with each other; subjecting said first complex to multiple rounds of primer extension to extend the first and second nucleic acids using each other as a template, thereby producing a first product molecule that contains, in order, the first unique sequence, the first central sequence, the second unique sequence, the second central sequence and the third unique sequence; and circularizing said first product molecule by intramolecularly ligating the ends of said product molecule together. Kits and compositions relating to the method are also provided.

Abstract: An ion guide generates a radio frequency (RF) field to radially confine ions to an ion beam along a guide axis as the ions are transmitted through the ion guide. The effective potential of the RF field includes an alternating series of barriers and wells. Ions may be trapped in individual wells in mass-dependent order, with larger masses trapped closer to a guide exit than smaller masses. The RF field may be scanned so as to release the ions from the ion guide in mass-dependent order, with larger masses released before smaller masses. The operating conditions may be set such that ions over the entire mass range arrive at a desired downstream focal point simultaneously, for example at an accelerator of a time-of-flight analyzer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sealing fluidic component based on a capillary enclosing a fluid conduit and having an exterior surface being at least partially coated with a coating of a meltable material, wherein the method comprises melting the meltable material of the coating at least at an end portion of the capillary, and resolidifying the melted material to thereby form, at the end portion, a sealing integral with the coating and constituted at least partially by the meltable material.