Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a nanochannel. The method comprises providing a microchannel and controlling collapse of the microchannel so that it collapses to form a nanochannel of desired dimensions. The method employs a collapsible, flexible material such as the elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form the nanochannel. A master is provided that is configured to have geometric conditions that promote a desired frequency of microchannel collapse. A collapsible material having a stiffness that also promotes a desired frequency of microchannel collapse is molded on the master. The molded collapsible material is removed from the master and bonded to a base, thereby forming the microchannel, which then collapses (or is collapsed) to form the nanochannel of desired dimensions. Nanofluidic and microfluidic devices comprising complex nanochannel structures and micro to nanochannel transitions are also provided.

Abstract: A server may be used to handle at least some of processing of content retrieved via and/or derived from Internet access operations of a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs). Resource allocation and/or utilization, and/or tasks or applications performed in the server during the processing may be configured based on control data, which may be determined by the server and which may comprise capabilities of links between the server and each of the plurality of STBs, requirements of the tasks, characteristics of the content and/or the Internet access operations, user preferences and/or interactions, and/or content provider preferences. The server may dynamically reconfigure the tasks and/or resources based on monitoring of its operations and/or changes of the control data. Configuring tasks and/or resources may comprise time slicing access to resources that are commonly used during concurrent servicing of at least some of the plurality of STBs by the support server.

Abstract: A re-amping management and file distribution (RMFD) system remotely re-amps a digitized sound track recorded by a user on a user computing device having a data communication port for communicating the digitized sound track to the RMFD server. The system receives the digitized sound track, presents re-amping options to the user, receives at least one re-amping selection command from the user computing device, and transmits the digitized sound track to a studio server for re-amping of the digitized sound track.

Abstract: A consumable supply item for an imaging device holds an initial or refillable volume of pigmented ink. Its housing defines an interior and a fluid exit port. Users orient the housing to deplete the ink in a downward direction. A float on a surface of the ink suspends an inlet opening of a fluid conduit tube underneath the surface. A height of the opening falls downward as the fluid depletes and the float drops. The tube draws a desired concentration of ink and supplies it to the exit port. The concentration is predetermined relative to an overall height of the fluid. The tube height remains proportional to the height of the fluid, increases/decreases proportionally, or other. The design overcomes settling. The design also avoids mechanical stirring and other complex sediment mixing techniques. Embodiments include float/tube arrangements and testing observations, to name a few.

Abstract: An optofluidic photobioreactor including an optical waveguide having an input, characterized by an evanescent optical field confined along an outer surface of the optical waveguide produced by radiation propagating in the optical waveguide, means for inputting light to the input of the optical waveguide, and a selected photosynthetic microorganism disposed substantially within the evanescent field. A method for optically exciting a photosynthetic microorganism for generating a biofuel, a biofuel precursor, or a biomass from the optically-excited photosynthetic microorganism involves irradiating the photosynthetic microorganism attached to the surface of the waveguide with an evanescent optical field from optical radiation propagating in the optical waveguide, and driving photosynthesis in the microorganism by the evanescent optical field.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel 1,2-pyridazines, 1,6-pyridazines or pyrimidines of the formula wherein B1 to B3 and R1 to R7 are as defined in the description and in the claims, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. These compounds are GPBAR1 agonists and may therefore be useful as medicaments for the treatment of diseases such as type II diabetes.

Abstract: An optical chromatography system employs fluid filled hollow core fibers, such as photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), which confine an incident optical beam from a laser, for example, in the core and cause separation of particles in the fluid along the length of the PCF. The incident optical beam is confined in the fluid filled core of the PCF by a periodic lattice of air capillaries surrounding the core. The lattice either creates a lower refractive index in the cladding than in the fluid filled core or creates a 1D photonic bandgap structure where the guiding is accomplished by surrounding the fluid filled core with a periodically changing array of dielectric constant which prohibits radial dilution of the optical energy over a range of wavelengths through photonic bandgap effects.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing complete Internet anywhere with partial server processing in which a request is sent from a set-top-box (STB) to a server communicatively coupled with the STB to process a portion of a web page that is unsupported by a web browser running on the STB. In one such method, the STB sends to the server an unsupported content request associated with a portion of a web page that is unsupported by a web browser executing on the STB. The STB receives a data stream from the server in response to the unsupported content request. The data stream was generated at the server by processing the unsupported portion of the web page. The STB composites the received data stream with another portion of the web page, that is supported by the web browser, to produce the web page.

Abstract: A plurality of photonic crystal resonator optical trapping apparatuses and a plurality optical trapping methods using the plurality of photonic crystal resonator optical trapping apparatuses include located and formed over a substrate a photonic waveguide that is coupled (i.e., either separately coupled or integrally coupled) with a photonic crystal resonator. In a particular embodiment, the photonic waveguide and the photonic crystal resonator comprise a monocrystalline silicon (or other) photonic material absent any chemical functionalization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for a secure interconnect between data modules, including a security apparatus within a secured data interconnect apparatus installed with a security chip. The interconnect apparatus may be authenticated prior to enabling a stacking feature. Authentication of a interconnect apparatus may be used to ensure the quality and performance of the interconnect apparatus and the data modules.

Abstract: A method and/or system are described for providing complete Internet anywhere with partial server processing in which a request may be sent from a set-top-box (STB) to a server communicatively coupled with the STB to process a portion of a web page that is unsupported by a web browser running on the STB. The STB may receive a data stream from the server, wherein the server generates the data stream by processing the unsupported portion of the web page. The web page may be composited in the web browser based on the received data stream. The server may be located in a server computing cloud or may be a local server. The unsupported portion of the web page may comprise a binary plug-in. A supported portion of the web page may be rendered before or concurrently with the overlaying of the data stream during compositing.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel phenyl amide or pyridyl amide derivatives of the formula wherein A1, A2, B1, B2 and R1 to R11 are as defined in the description and in the claims, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. These compounds are GPBAR1 agonists and can be used as medicaments for the treatment of diseases such as type II diabetes.

Abstract: Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates may be fabricated using a shadow mask assisted evaporation (SMAE) method to provide for enhanced detection sensitivity with respect to target molecules that are located upon, and sensitized by, the SERS enhanced substrates. Such SERS substrates provide a two dimensional array of repeating nanostructures that may include, but are not limited to nano-pillar, nano-nib, nano-elliptical cylinder and nano-triangular tip nanostructures, any of which may be augmented with gold nanospheres. The particular SERS enhanced substrates in accordance with the embodiments, in particular when augmented with gold nanospheres, provide desirably enhanced sensitivity.

Abstract: A consumable supply item for an imaging device holds an initial or refillable volume of pigmented ink. Its housing defines an interior and a fluid exit port. Users orient the housing to deplete the ink in a downward direction. A float on a surface of the ink suspends an inlet opening of a fluid conduit tube underneath the surface. A height of the opening falls downward as the fluid depletes and the float drops. The tube draws a desired concentration of ink and supplies it to the exit port. The concentration is predetermined relative to an overall height of the fluid. The tube height remains proportional to the height of the fluid, increases/decreases proportionally, or other. The design overcomes settling. The design also avoids mechanical stirring and other complex sediment mixing techniques. Embodiments include float/tube arrangements and testing observations, to name a few.

Abstract: A reconfigurable optofluidic apparatus includes a microfluidic chip including a microfluidic channel further including an inlet for a liquid core waveguide fluid; a channel pathway for the liquid core waveguide fluid; a plurality of non-core waveguide fluid inlets; a switching chamber having a larger cross sectional area than the channel pathway; and an outlet for the liquid core waveguide fluid and non-core waveguide fluid, further including a plurality of non-liquid core waveguides disposed in the switching chamber. Light input to the apparatus propagates in the liquid core/liquid cladding (liquid) waveguide. The path of the liquid waveguide can be steered in a region of the apparatus over one of the non-liquid core waveguides such that the light is end-fire- or evanescently-coupled into the non-liquid core waveguide and output therefrom or between two of the non-liquid core waveguides and not coupled or output. Associated optofluidic switching methods are disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel 3-aminopyridines of the formula wherein B1, B2 and R1 to R6 are as defined in the description and in the claims, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. These compounds are GPBAR1 agonists and can be used as medicaments for the treatment of diseases such as type II diabetes.

Abstract: A braided flange branch graft formed of a braided super elastic memory material includes a neck between an inner flange and an outer flange. The neck is positioned in a side opening in a sidewall of a main stent graft and the inner flange and outer flange are deployed on opposite sides of the sidewall. The inner flange and the outer flange have a diameter greater than a diameter of the side opening in the sidewall of the main stent graft. Thus, the sidewall of the main stent graft is sandwiched between the inner flange and the outer flange securely and simply mounting the braided flange branch graft to the main stent graft. The braided flange has a substantially unobstructed fluid communication passage therethrough. Further, when stretched into a substantially cylindrical shape for delivery, the braided flange branch graft has a small delivery profile and is extremely flexible.

Abstract: A gateway having at least one communications interface and processing circuitry establishes communications with at least one service provider device and at least one serviced client device. The gateway then determines that a serviced client device is to establish an Internet browsing session. Based upon characteristics of the serviced client device, the gateway determines where to instantiate a web browser to service the Internet browsing session. Based upon the determination, in a first operation, instantiates the web browser to service the Internet browsing session at the gateway or client device. In a second operation, the gateway instantiates the web browser to service the Internet browsing session at a service provider server. In other operations, the gateway may determine to instantiate a browser for a first client device at a cloud server and to instantiate a browser for a second client device either locally or at the second client device.

Abstract: A gateway includes a communications interface and processing circuitry and establishes communications with at least one service provider device and with a serviced client device. The gateway receives video on demand instructions from the serviced client device and transmits the video on demand instructions to the cloud server. The gateway then receives streamed video content from the cloud server, the streamed video content video processed based upon the video on demand instructions and, during some operations the streamed video content having video on demand icons formed therein. The gateway then transmits the streamed video content to the serviced client device. The advanced video processing instructions may be three-dimensional processing instruction, texturing, or another type of advanced video processing. The cloud server may also service a Video on Demand session for the serviced client device.

Abstract: A gateway includes a communications interface and processing circuitry and establishes communications with at least one service provider device and with a serviced client device. The gateway receives serviced client device display structure instructions from a cloud server. The gateway then receives first streamed content from the cloud server, the first streamed content comprising images of an Internet session hosted by the cloud server and having a video program hole formed therein. The gateway receives second streamed content from the cloud server, the second streamed content comprising a video program corresponding to the video program hole of the first streamed content. Based upon the serviced client device display structure instructions, the gateway combines the first streamed content with the second streamed content to form merged streamed content and transmits the merged streamed content to the serviced client device. The client device may alternately receive and merge the video streams.