Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe comprises a superconducting material formed in a spiral having a plurality of fingerlets separated by a plurality of slits, and a normal-metal overlayer formed on the spiral over the plurality of fingerlets and the plurality of slits.

Abstract: Tracer gas leak detection is provided by a calibration system with a gas leak detector having a test port for receiving a sample containing a tracer gas and coupled to a vacuum pump; a calibrated leak for a calibration sample containing the tracer gas; a mass filter coupled to the test port for receiving the test sample in an operating mode, coupled to the calibrated leak through a calibrated leak valve for receiving the calibration sample in a calibration mode, having controllable transmission of the tracer gas and providing a filtered sample; detector detecting the tracer gas in the filtered sample; a programmable gain element providing a measured value of leak rate in response to the detector signal; and a controller configured, in response to a mode control signal, to operate the leak detector in the calibration mode over two or more working ranges using the calibrated leak.

Abstract: Methods of deprotecting polynucleotides are disclosed. One aspect of the method of deprotecting polynucleotides, among others, includes: providing a polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide includes at least one nucleotide monomer that has at least one protecting group selected from the following: a base having a protecting group, a 2?-hydroxyl protecting group, and a combination thereof, and deprotecting at least one of the protecting groups of the polynucleotide by introducing the polynucleotide to a solution including an ?-effect nucleophile.

Abstract: An optical spectroscopy method and apparatus increases signal to noise ratio of detected signals. Sample light passed through a sample includes attenuated light pulses and characteristic light located between the attenuated light pulses, the characteristic light formed by interaction between light pulses incident the sample and sample molecules. The attenuated light pulses are substantially removed from the sample light emerging from the sample prior to detection, to increase signal to noise ratio of the detected signal.

Abstract: An amplifier device having an extended bandwidth includes a DC coupled amplifier and multiple low noise amplifiers connected in series with one another and connected in parallel with at least a portion of the DC coupled amplifier. The DC coupled amplifier has a broad bandwidth, and each of the low noise amplifiers has a narrow bandwidth and a center frequency higher than a high end frequency of the broad bandwidth of the DC coupled amplifier. The extended bandwidth of the amplifier device is a combination of the broad bandwidth and the first narrow bandwidth.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the mobility of molecules in a sample are disclosed. Molecules in a sample are tagged with a dye having active and inactive states that are generated by exposing dye to light of an activation wavelength and an inactivation wavelength, respectively, the activation wavelength being different from the inactivation wavelength. The sample is illuminated in a microscope with a light pattern that includes a first region in which the dye is activated and a second adjacent region in which the first dye is inactivated. After the sample is so illuminated, an image of the activated first molecules is recorded when the first molecules are illuminated with light of an excitation wavelength. Molecules having the first dye in the inactive state are distinguishable from molecules having the first dye in the active state in the microscope when illuminated with light of the excitation wavelength.

Abstract: A clock recovery circuit includes a phase detector, a loop filter, a phase rotator, a predictor and a delay line. The phase detector receives an input data signal and generates a phase error signal for estimating phase error in the input data signal when referred to a recovered clock. The loop filter receives the phase error signal and determines a phase control signal based on the phase error signal. The phase rotator receives the phase control signal, and provides a phase adjusted clock based on a reference clock and the phase control signal. The predictor receives the phase error signal, and determines a delay control signal based on the phase error signal. The delay line outputs the recovered clock by delaying the phase adjusted clock from the phase rotator using the delay control signal from the predictor, and provides the recovered clock to the phase detector.

Abstract: A method of determining a coefficient for converting an analog current value into a pulse count value in an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy apparatus (ICP-MS) is described. The ICP-MS is configured to generate the pulse count value and the analog current value as a signal intensity indicating a density of an element in a sample to be measured.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for generating a nonlinear simulation model of a device under test (DUT). The method and system include receiving large-signal nonlinear waveform data based on responses of the DUT to input signals, determining a set of first dynamical variables and a set of second dynamical variables from the nonlinear waveform data, calculating values of second dynamical variables, providing nonlinear constitutive relations as functions of the first dynamical variables and the calculated values of the second dynamical variables, and compiling the nonlinear simulation model of the DUT using the identified nonlinear constitutive relations.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring specular reflectance of a sample is provided including a light source for transmitting a beam of light at an angle of incidence onto a surface of a sample; a polarizing filter comprising a wire grid that avoids a need for collimation of the incident beam of light; a sample holder for mounting the sample; and a detector assembly for detecting a beam of light which is specularly reflected from a surface of the sample; wherein the sample holder and detector assembly are mounted for relative movement, such that the light source, the detector assembly and the sample holder are relatively positionable for a specularly reflected component of a transmitted light beam to be detected for different angles of incidence of the light beam.

Abstract: Improved apparatuses and methods are provided for ionizing samples and analyzing the samples with mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described in this disclosure relate to a method of sample analysis. In certain cases, the method comprises: a) contacting a genomic sample comprising double-stranded genomic DNA with a first restriction endonuclease that recognizes a nucleotide sequence that comprises a SNP site in the double stranded genomic DNA, wherein: i. the restriction endonuclease cleaves the genomic DNA at the sequence regardless of the allele of the SNP present at the SNP site; and ii. cleavage of the sequence by the restriction enzyme creates a 5? overhang that comprises the SNP site; b) contacting the digested genomic sample with a extension enzyme and a first labeled nucleotide that is used by the extension enzyme to fill in the overhang only if the overhang comprises a first allele of the SNP.

Abstract: A variable capacitor device includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes first and second stator plates separated by electrically insulating material. The rotor includes first and second rotor plates connected by a rod, the rotor being configured to move axially for adjusting alignment of the first rotor plate relative to the first stator plate and the second rotor plate relative to the second stator plate, respectively. The first stator plate and the first rotor plate form a first variable capacitor, and the second stator plate and the second rotor plate form a second variable capacitor connected in series with the first variable capacitor. A first capacitance of the first variable capacitor and a second capacitance of the second variable capacitor are simultaneously adjustable upon the axial movement of the rotor to provide an adjustable total capacitance of the variable capacitor device.

Abstract: A method for positioning a tip of an atomic force microscope relative to a intracellular target site in a cell is provided. In general terms, the method comprises: a) positioning a fluorescent tip of an atomic force microscope over a cell comprising a fluorescent intracellular target site so that said tip is above target site; b) moving the tip toward said target site while obtaining images of the distal end of said tip and/or the target site using a fluorescence microscope; and c) arresting the movement of the tip when the target site and the distal end of the tip are both in focus in the fluorescence microscope. A microscope system for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A method provides modeling of surface roughness effect of an electrical conductor. The method includes identifying first protrusions of a first level using an original flat surface of the conductor as a first base surface and determining a first correction factor of the first level using parameters of the first protrusions. The method further includes identifying second protrusions of a second level using the first protrusions and the first base surface as a second base surface, and determining a second correction factor of the second level using parameters of the second protrusions and regarding the second base surface as being a smooth surface, the smooth surface being a surface of the conductor without surface roughness effect. A final correction factor of the conductor is determined by combining the first correction factor and the second correction factor.

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 downconverter mixes a first comb spectrum with a local oscillator signal to generate a second comb spectrum in a lower frequency range. The first comb spectrum comprises frequency components separated from each other according to a frequency spacing interval, and the LO signal has a frequency offset relative to the first comb spectrum, where the frequency offset is a rational fraction of the frequency spacing interval. The second comb spectrum comprises lower and upper sideband responses corresponding to respective lower and upper sideband signals of the first comb spectrum. The lower and upper sideband responses in the second comb spectrum can be distinguished from each other based on the frequency offset.

Abstract: A vessel includes a cylindrical section, a bottom section, a lower ring, and an upper ring. The cylindrical section includes an inside and, an outside vessel surfaces, an upper end region terminating at a rim circumscribing a vessel opening, a vessel groove formed at the outside vessel surface in the upper end region, and a lower end region axially spaced from the upper end region. The bottom section is disposed at the lower end region. The lower ring includes annular lateral and an annular flange portions. The lateral portion is disposed in the vessel groove and includes an outer lateral surface concentric with the inside vessel surface. The flange portion includes an upper and a lower flange surfaces perpendicular to the inside vessel surface. The upper ring includes an inner section extending over at least a portion of the rim, and an outer section securely engaging the upper flange surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining an operation mode of a device, wherein the device is capable of adjusting a physical condition at a source position to correspondingly influence a physical condition at a destination position, the apparatus comprising a determining unit adapted for determining the operation mode by defining a time dependency of the physical condition at the source position so that a target time-dependency of the physical condition is obtained for the destination position, the target time-dependency representing a resultant variation of the physical condition over time.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer or gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer system, a conditioning gas such as, for example, hydrogen is added to condition or clean one or more components or regions of the mass spectrometer such as the ion source. The conditioning gas may be added upstream of the mass spectrometer such as, for example, into a sample inlet or a chromatographic column, or may be added directly into the mass spectrometer. The conditioning gas may be added off-line, when the mass spectrometer is not analyzing a sample, or on-line during sample analysis. When added on-line, the conditioning gas may be mixed with a carrier gas such as, for example, helium. In another embodiment, the conditioning gas also serves as the carrier gas through the column; another gas such as, for example, helium may be added to the carrier gas stream.