Abstract: The systems and methods described herein include a sensor for suitable for sensing chemical and biological substances. The sensor comprises a semiconductor layer formed in or on a substrate and a channel having nano-scale dimensions formed in the semiconductor layer, where the structure creates an electrically conducting pathway between a first contact and a second contact on the semiconductor layer. In certain preferred embodiments, the nano-scale channel has a trapezoidal cross-section with an effective width and exposed lateral faces, where the effective width is selected to have same order of magnitude as a Debye length (LD) of the semiconductor material of which the semiconductor layer is formed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation for multicarrier communication systems. More particularly, but not limited to, the invention relates to CFO and timing estimation in communication systems that utilise multiple carriers to transmit signals. The multicarrier communication system has a large number of possible integer CFOs. First the received signal is auto-correlated (50) in the frequency domain to identify a set of most likely integer CFO values for further processing. Then the integer CFO is estimated (52) by using the channel impulse response on the set of most likely integer CFO values in the time domain to identify the value having the most energy concentrated within the first few temporal taps. The invention provides a two stage integer CFO estimation method that makes a trade off between performance and complexity. Aspects of the invention include a method, receiver, system and software.

Abstract: An electroosmotic (EO) pump is provided that includes a housing having a pump cavity, a porous core medium and electrodes. The porous core medium is positioned within the pump cavity to form an exterior reservoir that extends at least partially about an exterior surface of the porous core medium. The porous core medium has an open inner chamber provided therein. The inner chamber represents an interior reservoir. The electrodes are positioned in the inner chamber and are positioned proximate the exterior surface. The electrodes induce flow of a fluid through the porous core medium between the interior and exterior reservoirs, wherein a gas is generated when the electrodes induce flow of the fluid. The housing has a fluid inlet to convey the fluid to one of the interior reservoir and the exterior reservoir. The housing has a fluid outlet to discharge the fluid from another of the interior reservoir and the exterior reservoir. The housing has a gas removal device to remove the gas from the pump cavity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for determining the presence of a specific compound in solution. The device includes a nanosensor having an electrically conducting pathway between at least a first and second contact. The device also includes a first receptor, suitable for binding a specific compound in the solution, attached to the nanosensor, and a second receptor also suitable for binding the specific compound while the specific compound is bound to the first receptor. The second receptor is attached to an enzyme added to the solution. When the solution having the second receptor is added to the device, and a second compound that is a substrate for the enzyme is subsequently added to the solution, a measured difference in an electrical property in the device before and after the application of the second compound is indicative of the presence of the specific compound in the solution.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for the detection of targets in a sample.

Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and devices for sequencing of nucleic acid, such as short DNA sequences from clonally amplified single-molecule arrays.

Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and devices for isothermal amplification of polynucleotide sequences to produce DNA cluster arrays.

Abstract: The invention concerns the reduction of interference in a communication signal sent through a communication channel, where this interference is a performance limiting factor. The communication channel is any channel that can be described with memory elements. A Soft Input Soft Output receiver of a communication signal receives the communication signal and a priori information about the communication signal. Next creating candidate vectors having 1 to K samples by iteratively drawing samples using Gibbs sampling and using the a priori information. If a drawn kth sample of a candidate vector has not changed value for a predetermined number of created candidate vectors, then the value of the drawn kth sample is changed.

Abstract: This invention addresses the problem of channel estimation in fast fading communications channels, particularly for OFDM systems. It finds wide application in existing and future systems such as WLAN and WiMax. In particular, the invention involves a method of channel estimation and data detection for rapid dispersive fading channels due to high mobility. The invention involves decoding a symbol of the received transmission by retrieving pilot tones from it and using these to estimate variations in the channel frequency response using an iterative maximum likelihood channel estimation process, in which the estimation process comprises the following steps: In a first iteration, deriving soft decoded data information, that is information having a confidence value or reliability associated with it, from the estimates of the channel frequency response for the symbol obtained from pilot tones.

Abstract: It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a computer implemented method of performing ad-hoc analysis including the steps of: generating a text index of the textual information items, generating a metadata lookup structure based, at least in part, on the text index, searching the text index using a search query, compiling results of the text index search into aggregate information related to characteristics of the search results from the metadata items associated with the textual information items in the search results from the metadata lookup structure, and reporting the aggregate information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for carrying out of chemical or biological reactions with a reaction vessel receiving element for receiving a microtiter plate with several reaction vessels, wherein the reaction vessel receiving element has several recesses arranged in a regular pattern to receive the respective reaction vessels, a heating device for heating the reaction vessel receiving element, and a cooling device for cooling the reaction vessel. The invention is characterized by the fact that the reaction vessel receiving element is divided into several segments. The individual segments are thermally decoupled from one another, and each segment is assigned a heating device which may be actuated independently of the others. By means of the segmentation of the reaction vessel receiving element, it is possible for zones to be set and held at different temperatures.

Abstract: A communication system between two wireless phones in which data is stored automatically on the location of the phones, whether the phones are activated or not. This data is used by the system for load leveling by adjusting the loads of receiving towers based upon the location of the wireless phones.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an assay input layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The assay input layer can comprise an assay input port extending from the first surface to the second surface and at least one pressure nodule extending from the second surface. An output layer can comprise a plurality of staging capillaries each having an inlet and an outlet. A intermediate layer can be disposed between the assay input layer and the output layer. The intermediate layer can be flexible and comprise a plurality of microfluidic channels and a flow aperture being in fluid communication with the assay input port and the plurality of microfluidic channels.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an output layer having a plurality of capillaries. Each of the plurality of capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet. A funnel member can comprise a first assay chamber and a first outlet in fluid communication with the first assay chamber. A first porous member can be disposed at an the first outlet to deliver a first fluid bead of the assay along a top surface of the output layer and in fluid communication with at least some of the plurality of capillaries such that a portion of the fluid bead is drawn within at least some of the plurality of capillaries in response to capillary force. The funnel member and the output layer can be moveable relative to each other between a first position and a second position to draw the first fluid bead across the top surface.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an output layer having a plurality of capillaries, wherein a first grouping of the capillaries is separated from a second grouping by a hydrophobic feature. Each of the plurality of capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet. A funnel assembly can comprise a funnel member sized to receive the assay. The funnel member can comprise an outlet for delivering a fluid bead of the assay along a top surface of the output layer and in fluid communication with each of the plurality of capillaries such that a portion of the fluid bead can be drawn within at least some of the plurality of capillaries in response to capillary force. The funnel assembly and the output layer can be moveable relative to each other between a first position and a second position to draw the fluid bead across the top surface.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate can comprise a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. A substrate can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first assay input port for receiving the assay disposed on the first surface, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, a fluid interconnect system fluidly coupling the first assay input port with at least one of the plurality of staging capillaries, and an overflow retention system receiving and retaining excess assay from said fluid interconnect system. Each of the plurality of staging capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet and be sized to receive the assay.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an assay input layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The assay input layer can comprise an assay input port extending from the first surface to the second surface and at least one pressure nodule extending from the second surface. An output layer can comprise a plurality of staging capillaries each having an inlet and an outlet. The output layer can further comprise a capillary plane disposed above the plurality of staging capillaries in fluid communication with the assay input port. The capillary plane can be sized to draw the assay from the assay input port to generally flood fill the plurality of staging capillaries.

Abstract: A foldable element support made from planar sheet of material that can be formed by folding into a support for positioning and securing a refractor lens to a luminaire housing. The foldable element support is a planar sheet that has a central base having a central opening, a plurality of foldable securing arms formed into the central base for attaching the support to a luminaire housing, and a plurality of peripherally-arranged support flanges for supporting and positioning the upper rim of the refractor lens in proximity to the luminaire housing. The folded support can be manipulated into the folded configuration by hand, with hand tools, or by a machine.

Abstract: Methods for detection of nucleic acids such as a cDNA copy of an mRNA are disclosed. The methods comprise using a PCR to form a preamplification product which comprises cDNA sequence as well as primer target sequences and a detection probe sequence, which are introduced by the forward and reverse primers. In a second PCR, preamplification product is amplified using universal primers which hybridize to the primer target sequences or their complements. Amplification can be detected using a detection probe that hybridizes to the detection probe sequence or its complement.

Abstract: A spear gun sight assembly includes a rear sight with a first plate having a generally perpendicular bend therein such that a vertically orientated lower portion and a horizontally orientated upper portion are defined. A peep sight is attached to and extends upwardly from a top side of the upper portion. The peep sight has a peephole extending therethrough. A first coupler is adapted for releasably securing the rear sight to a spear gun. A front sight includes a second plate that has an inner side and an outer side. A loop is attached to the second plate so that the loop extends away from the inner side. A sight pin is attached to the second plate and extends into the loop. A second coupler is adapted for releasably securing the front sight to the spear gun so that the peephole is aligned with the sight pin.