Abstract: Presented herein are methods for the detection of the presence or absence of one or more microorganisms in a sample. The method deploys a plurality of probe sets to detect a plurality of microorganisms. The probes in the probe set are detectably labeled. At least one probe set has probes labeled with a combination of detectable labels. The number of detectable labels used in the plurality of probe sets numbers less than the number of microorganisms being detected by the probe set.

Abstract: Presented herein are methods for the detection of the presence or absence of one or more microorganisms in a sample. The method deploys a plurality of probe sets to detect a plurality of microorganisms. The probes in the probe set are detectably labeled. At least one probe set has probes labeled with a combination of detectable labels. The number of detectable labels used in the plurality of probe sets numbers less than the number of microorganisms being detected by the probe set.

Abstract: A robotic controller or similar machine represents the shape of an object as a hierarchy of bubbles. The position and radius of each of the bubbles is determined by first calculating the coordinates of the medial axis of the object and then creating a hierarchy of bubbles all of which are disposed on the medial axis. The bubbles may be generated using a top-down algorithm which sequentially places bubbles around portions of the object represented by sub-divisions of branches of the medial axis. Alternatively the bubbles may be placed by using a bottom-up algorithm which combines the smallest of a large number of bubbles centered on the medial axis with its smallest neighbor to generate successively higher level bubbles in the hierarchy.