Abstract: A card reader with a protective mechanism includes an upper shell, a lower shell, a protective mechanism and a circuit board assembly. An upper portion of a front end of the upper shell slantwise extends downward and rearward, and then is bent rearward to form an upper extending portion. A lower portion of the front end of the upper shell extends rearward to form a lower extending portion. The upper extending portion is spaced from the lower extending portion to form an inserting passageway between the upper extending portion and the lower extending portion. The lower shell is mounted to a bottom surface of the upper shell. The protective mechanism is disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell. The circuit board assembly is disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell.

Abstract: A card reader with a protective mechanism includes an upper shell, a lower shell disposed to a bottom surface of the upper shell, a protective mechanism and a circuit board assembly disposed between the upper shell and the lower shell. The protective mechanism includes a front cover, a rear cover covered to a rear of the front cover, two rollers disposed along an up-down direction, two springs, two supporting structures and a plurality of sealing structures. The two springs elastically abut between an inner surface of a top wall of the front cover and one roller along a vertical direction. The two supporting structures are mounted around two opposite sides of the one roller, and two opposite sides of the other roller. The plurality of the sealing structures are disposed at two outer surfaces of the two supporting structures.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector is spliced to an optical fiber provided by a sheathed optical fiber and an optical fiber pigtail. The connector houses a protective sleeve that secures the splice area from damage due to movement of optical fibers during connecter use. The protective sleeve retains the sheathed optical fiber at a first end and secures the protective sleeve to a distal end of a ferrule flange assembly at a second end.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector is spliced to an optical fiber provided by a sheathed optical fiber and an optical fiber pigtail. The connector houses a protective sleeve that secures the splice area from damage due to movement of optical fibers during connecter use. The protective sleeve retains the sheathed optical fiber at a first end and secures the protective sleeve to a distal end of a ferrule flange assembly at a second end.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an extended spectroscopic wafer characterization metrology that provides highly sensitive chemical bonding transformation information in the extended mid-IR region (e.g., 1 ?m-25 ?m). The extended spectroscopic metrology described herein utilizes both total internal reflection and transmission infrared spectroscopy with angle dependent spectroscopic acquisition to optimize high detection sensitivity for the measurement of fundamental chemical bonding vibrations and associated rotational-vibrational structure for fabricated film stacks and nanostructures on a wafer substrate that has been polished on the both sides.

Abstract: A portable apparatus for analyzing a plant specimen. A housing assembly defines a sensing volume and controls entry of ambient light into the sensing volume when the housing is closed. A specimen support positions a plant specimen within the sensing volume whereby light emitted from at least one light emitter is incident upon the plant specimen. An image sensor senses light from the at least one light emitter that has been incident on the plant specimen. A processor analyzes data obtained from the light sensor to assess one or more properties of the plant specimen. There may be more than one light emitter, e.g., a halogen lamp and LED array, and the apparatus may acquire images under more than one lighting condition. The apparatus may include a mechanism for moving the plant specimen relative to the optical path to take images at multiple regions of interest on the specimen.

Abstract: An outdoor rated assembly is configured to blind mate opposing fiber optic connectors. An outdoor rated adapter has a first non-outdoor rated fiber optic connector and an outdoor rated connector has a second non-outdoor rated fiber optic connector. The opposing connector and adapter are mated to form an outdoor rated assembly to protect the two internal fiber optic connectors from moisture and debris. The outdoor rated assembly has a safety spring assembly to prevent the outdoor connector components from separating and to support a push/pull attachment and release of the outdoor connector from the outdoor adapter.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector is spliced to an optical fiber provided by a sheathed optical fiber and an optical fiber pigtail. The connector houses a protective sleeve that secures the splice area from damage due to movement of optical fibers during connecter use. The protective sleeve retains the sheathed optical fiber at a first end and secures the protective sleeve to a distal end of a ferrule flange assembly at a second end.

Abstract: An outdoor rated assembly is configured to blind mate opposing fiber optic connectors. An outdoor rated adapter has a first non-outdoor rated fiber optic connector and an outdoor rated connector has a second non-outdoor rated fiber optic connector. The opposing connector and adapter are mated to form an outdoor rated assembly to protect the two internal fiber optic connectors from moisture and debris. The outdoor rated assembly has a safety spring assembly to prevent the outdoor connector components from separating and to support a push/pull attachment and release of the outdoor connector from the outdoor adapter.

Abstract: A wafer fabrication monitoring/control system and method is disclosed. The invention utilizes Multiple Internal Reflection Infrared Detection (MIR-IR) to provide a highly sensitive (sub-10 nm, in-situ, ex-situ) on-wafer monitoring and characterization apparatus and method. The disclosed system and method has many practical applications to the development of advanced microfabrication technologies for sub-32 nm node CMOS semiconductor devices and provides support for formulation design, photolithographic patterning, etching/ashing of photoresists, plasma reactive ion etching (RIE) for trench/via patterning of low k dielectric, bottom anti-reflective coatings (BARCs), etch stop layers, and minimization/removal of plasma-etch polymers, development/confirmation of wet cleaning formulations and effectiveness for post CMP and post-etch cleaning.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a multi-analyte column comprising two or more layers with a first solid support having specific binding affinity for kinases and a second solid support having non-specific binding affinity for kinases. Methods are also provided, including methods of detecting low abundance kinases, predicting resistance to chemotherapy, determining cancer prognosis, and improving the effectiveness of a treatment regimen.