Abstract: A method and system for performing high precision and high recall relevancy searching is provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, a relevance rule is generated based on a user model and language from within one or more relevant and non-relevant documents. A query is created based on the relevance rule wherein the query may be applied to a corpus to identify relevant and non-relevant documents. The relevance rule may be iteratively refined in order to increase the accuracy of the query. The resulting query may be used by a litigator during the discovery phase of a litigation to respond to a request for production.

Abstract: A pressure safety system is provided for use with electrosurgical instruments providing pressurized ionized gas to a surgical site. The pressure safety system includes a series of three cascaded pressure change members to control the pressure of gas delivered to a patient. Pressure safety apparatus for use with electrosurgical instruments providing pressurized ionized gas to a surgical site are also provided. Electrosurgical instruments utilizing the pressure safety system and apparatus are also provided. The instruments include a hand-held applicator, a portable actuator assembly and the pressure safety system to control the pressure of gas delivered to a patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions useful for biomolecule storage comprising a water soluble inorganic compound, a stabilizer, or a combination thereof. The present invention also provides methods of using the compositions of the invention to store biomolecules in the dry state and in solution, as well as sample carriers and kits comprising compositions of the invention.

Abstract: A sample carrier generally comprises a sample node and an identifier co-located with the sample node. A sample node may be operative to carry a discrete sample, while an identifier may be operative to provide information associated with the sample carried by the sample node. Embodiments of a sample carrier may comprise a plurality of sample nodes supported in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to a respective sample container such as a respective well of a multi-well plate. A system and method of transferring specimens to a sample carrier include contacting a sample node to the specimen and encoding information associated with the specimen on the identifier. Various alternatives are disclosed wherein the specimen is solid, gaseous, and liquid in form.

Abstract: The present invention provides sample collection, shipping, and storage devices and methods of using the same. These devices and methods are useful, for example, for collecting, shipping, and storing biological samples, such as blood, serum, buccal samples, tissue homogenates, or cell lysates in a dry state. The devices and methods facilitate the rapid drying of biological samples collected on the devices, thereby improving the quality of the stored sample, particularly the protein and small molecule components of the stored sample. The present invention further provides methods of recovering biological samples from such devices.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for storage of biomolecules. The biomolecules are stored via absorption to a substrate. Absorbed biomolecules can be eluted or recovered from the substrate at a future time, and optionally be subjected to a subsequent analysis or application. Biomolecules absorbed to a substrate for storage may also optionally be preserved, i.e., the absorbed biomolecule is resistant to or resists degradation.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for efficient recovery of nucleic acids, in particular DNA, from storage media. The present invention provides a method for using an alkaline elution buffer and mechanical agitation to elute nucleic acids from dried samples on storage media at room temperature. In particular, the present invention provides a method for room temperature recovery of DNA, including double stranded DNA (dsDNA) and single stranded (ssDNA), from storage media.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods useful for making lysates from cell wall-containing cellular samples, including plant tissue samples and cultures of yeast or bacteria. The invention further provides compositions (e.g., solutions) that can be used in the methods of the invention, and kits comprising solutions and/or other reagents useful for carrying out the methods of the invention.

Abstract: A system and method for batch process control with diverse distributed control system (DCS) protocols is disclosed. A run-time extension acts as an adaptation layer that allows a single batch manager to supervise controllers utilizing diverse DCS protocols. The run-time extension receives commands transmitted from the batch supervisor in a first DCS protocol, translates the commands to a second DCS protocol utilized by a controller, and transmits the translated command to the controller to control various equipment associated with the controller. A database automation object (DBA) inputs configuration information from controllers utilizing diverse DCS protocols, extracts equipment information from the configuration information, generates protocol translation logic based on the configuration information, and translates recipe and formula information included in the configuration information into a common format.

Abstract: The invention provides coding compositions comprising mixtures of coding oligonucleotides and methods of using such compositions to code samples. The compositions and methods are useful for identifying, verifying, or authenticating any type of sample, whether the sample is biological or non-biological.

Abstract: An electrosurgical apparatus for coagulating tissue includes an elongated housing and an electrode located adjacent the distal end of the housing. The electrode can be connected to a source of electrosurgical energy. At least one actuator is included which electrosurgically energizes the electrode. The apparatus also includes a relatively small gas cylinder which contains a pressurized gas consisting of inert gas and which is selectively seated in the housing. Upon actuation of the actuator, gas is dispersed under pressure from the gas cylinder to the electrode and is ionized prior to the distribution of the gas into the operating field.

Abstract: An electrosurgical apparatus for coagulating tissue includes an elongated housing and an electrode located adjacent the distal end of the housing. The electrode can be connected to a source of electrosurgical energy. At least one actuator is included which electrosurgically energizes the electrode. The apparatus also includes a relatively small gas cylinder which contains a pressurized gas consisting of inert gas and which is selectively seated in the housing. Upon actuation of the actuator, gas is dispersed under pressure from the gas cylinder to the electrode and is ionized prior to the distribution of the gas into the operating field.

Abstract: A gas-enhanced electrosurgical instrument includes a hand-held applicator and a portable actuator assembly. The hand-held applicator has a gas delivery member adapted to deliver pressurized ionizable gas to the proximity of an electrode located adjacent a distal end of the applicator. The portable actuator assembly is capable of holding a source of pressurized ionizable gas, such as a cylinder or cartridge, and includes at least one controller to control the delivery of the gas from the source to the hand-held applicator and to control the delivery of electrosurgical energy to the hand-held applicator.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a computer-based translation method that translates source information into target information using knowledge that arises from relationships between elements of the source information.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for storage of biomolecules. The biomolecules are stored via absorption to a substrate. Absorbed biomolecules can be eluted or recovered from the substrate at a future time, and optionally be subjected to a subsequent analysis or application. Biomolecules absorbed to a substrate for storage may also optionally be preserved, i.e., the absorbed biomolecule is resistant to or resists degradation.

Abstract: A gas-enhanced electrosurgical instrument includes a hand-held applicator and a portable actuator assembly. The hand-held applicator has a gas delivery member adapted to deliver pressurized ionizable gas to the proximity of an electrode located adjacent a distal end of the applicator. The portable actuator assembly is capable of holding a source of pressurized ionizable gas, such as a cylinder or cartridge, and includes at least one controller to control the delivery of the gas from the source to the hand-held applicator and to control the delivery of electrosurgical energy to the hand-held applicator.

Abstract: A system and method for creating abstract descriptions of general applications includes creating a library of code primitives and expressing skeletal code structures in terms of parametric regular tree types including parameterized declarations of the code primitives. Parametric values are generated using set comprehensions. The set comprehensions are applied to the skeletal code structures to generate a working application such that a parametric, regular object type system is combined with a comprehension syntax for creating abstract descriptions of a general application.

Abstract: A pressure safety system is provided for use with electrosurgical instruments providing pressurized ionized gas to a surgical site. The pressure safety system includes a series of three cascaded pressure change members to control the pressure of gas delivered to a patient. Pressure safety apparatus for use with electrosurgical instruments providing pressurized ionized gas to a surgical site are also provided. Electrosurgical instruments utilizing the pressure safety system and apparatus are also provided. The instruments include a hand-held applicator, a portable actuator assembly and the pressure safety system to control the pressure of gas delivered to a patient.

Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument for providing pressurized ionized gas to a surgical site includes a hand-held applicator having proximal and distal ends, a gas delivery member adapted to deliver pressurized ionizable gas to the proximity of an electrode located adjacent the distal end of the hand-held applicator. A portable actuator assembly is included that is capable of receiving a source of pressurized ionizable gas therein. The actuator controls the delivery of the gas and energy to the hand-held applicator. A pressure safety connects to the portable actuator and to the hand-held applicator. A pressure safety system having two or more cascaded pressure change members connects between the input port and the output port, the pressure change members are configured to regulate pressurized gas into the environment until the portable actuator assembly exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Power management for a computing device is described based on idle thread code execution and other conditions. In one example, a controller is operated at a first power state. Then the controller is transitioned from the first power state to a second lower power state after it starts executing idle thread code. As an additional optional feature it may be determined whether any one or more of a plurality of conditions is true and the controller may be transitioned from the first power state to the second power state if one or more of the plurality of conditions is true.