Abstract: A flow cell is disclosed for collecting and concentrating a sample dispersed in a flowing medium. The collected sample can be selectively manipulated within the cell by the use of one or more traveling wave grids. The cells are particularly useful as bio-enrichment devices and can be utilized upstream of conventional analytical or detection instruments.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for garbage collection of shared data entities. A computer program identifies a set of virtual machines (VMs), each operable to generate references to shared entities stored in shared memory. Each shared entity can include references to one or more of the other shared entities. The program waits for the VMs to independently identify the shared entities that they reference directly, and then initiates a shared garbage collection procedure to identify the shared entities that are not directly or indirectly referenced by any of the VMs and to reclaim the shared memory being used to store those shared entities. The VMs are prevented from generating new references to the shared entities solely during a portion of the shared garbage collection procedure. By minimizing the time during which access to the shared entities is restricted, performance and scalability can be increased.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a heterostructure including a first layer of semiconductor oxide material. A second layer of semiconductor oxide material is formed on the first layer of semiconductor oxide material such that a two dimensional electron gas builds up at an interface between the first and second materials. A passivation layer on the outer surface stabilizes the structure. The device also has a source contact and a drain contact.

Abstract: A technique for creating high quality Schottky barrier devices in doped (e.g., Li+) crystalline metal oxide (e.g., ZnO) comprises field-controlled diffusion of mobile dopant atoms within the metal oxide crystal lattice. When heated (e.g., above 550 K) in the presence of an electric field (e.g., bias to ground of +/?50 V) the dopant atoms are caused to collect to form an ohmic contact, leaving a depletion region. The size of the depletion region controls the thickness of the Schottky barrier. Metal-semiconductor junction devices such as diodes, photo-diodes, photo-detectors, MESFETs, etc. may thereby be fabricated.

Abstract: To monitor light pulses from a light source, such as a laser, sense signals are provided to a photosensing component or array, causing photosensing during a series of one or more sense periods for the light pulse. Each light pulse can be provided through a transmission structure, such as a layered structure, that provides output light with an energy-dependent position on the photosensing component. A pulse's sensing results can be used to obtain a set of one or more differential quantities; for example, with a photosensing array, two cells of the array can be read out and compared. For a narrow band light pulse, a transmission structure can provide a spot on the photosensing component, and the light spot position can be sensed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for sharing objects in runtime systems and for providing isolation between user sessions in a scalable manner. A user context corresponding to a user session is stored in a shared memory area. Upon receiving a request corresponding to the user session, a process is selected from a set of operating system processes, and a runtime system is selected from a set of runtime systems. The runtime system is bound to the process, and the user context is associated with the runtime system to process the request. In some implementations, sharing user contexts enables virtual machines to be used in a shared but isolated manner: Each user context can be exclusively associated with an available virtual machine from a fixed set of virtual machines, and each virtual machine can be exclusively executed in an available process from a fixed set of processes.

Abstract: Response to light with laterally varying photon energy distribution is based on position, such as position on a detector of a respective light spot or intensity maximum for a wavelength or photon energy subrange. A layered structure such as a coating over the detector can produce the laterally varying distribution, such as due to a laterally varying transmission property. A differential output or quantity can be obtained using sensing results from the detector and can then be used to monitor a light source's wavelength. The light source can, for example, be a pulsed or continuous laser, in which case an optical component between the light source and the detector can be structured to prevent inhomogeneities such as speckle and also reflection back to the laser that could cause feedback. A tunable light source can be tuned in response to positions at which its light is detected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing cellulose ether products which is characterized in that superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are dried and milled, or mill-dried, conjointly with moist cellulose ether and also to the cellulose ether products resulting from this process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing polymers with a neutral color tone in one or more reaction stages through independent adjustment of a and b color values in the Hunter l,a,b color space of the polymer, which comprises the steps of: (a) determining the a and b color values of the Hunter l,a,b color space of the polymer prior to any addition of a dye; (b) establishing a total dye concentration not exceeding 3 ppm for the polymer depending on the b color value to be achieved following a b value shift; (c) establishing a required dye mixture ratio of red and blue dyes for the polymer depending on the a color value to be achieved following an a value shift, where the proportion of the blue dye in the dye mixture is at least 50% by weight; and (d) following steps (b) and (c) metering into a reaction mixture for forming the polymer at a point before entry into the last polyreaction stage, the dye mixture having the total dye concentration as defined in step (b) and the required dye mixture ratio of the red and

Abstract: A tunable optical cavity can be tuned by relative movement between two reflection surfaces, such as by deforming elastomer spacers connected between mirrors or other light-reflective components that include the reflection surfaces. The optical cavity structure includes an analyte region in its light-transmissive region, and presence of analyte in the analyte region affects output light when the optical cavity is tuned to a set of positions. Electrodes that cause deformation of the spacers can also be used to capacitively sense the distance between them. Control circuitry that provides tuning signals can cause continuous movement across a range of positions, allowing continuous photosensing of analyte-affected output light by a detector.

Abstract: An evaporator assembly unit, especially for a vehicle heater or a reformer arrangement of a fuel cell system, includes a wall arrangement (12) enclosing an evaporation chamber (20) with a circumferential wall (14) and with a bottom wall (16). An air introduction shoulder (18) extending in the direction of a wall longitudinal axis (L) is provided with a plurality of first air introduction openings (22). Evaporator medium (26), that is porous at least in some areas, is provided on the side of the wall arrangement (12) facing the evaporation chamber (20). An auxiliary air opening arrangement (34) with at least one second air introduction opening (36) is provided in the wall arrangement (12).

Abstract: Active optics apparatus and method for aligning active optics are provided for a high-resolution, active optic fluorescence analyzer combining a large acceptance solid angle with wide energy tunability. A plurality of rows of correctors selectively controlled to bend an elongated strip of single crystal material like Si (400) into substantially any precisely defined shape. A pair of pushers engages opposite ends of the silicon crystal strip exert only a force along the long axis of the crystal strip, and does not induce additional bending moments which would result in a torsion of the crystal.

Abstract: A device and method for drawing off and recirculating cooling streams, specifically for drawing off and recirculating a cooling stream of fuel for cooling at least one aircraft engine accessory, is disclosed. The device having a tubular jacket part defining a flow cross-section through which a primary stream, specifically a fuel stream, flows by way of an extraction pipe which is positioned approximately in the center of the flow cross-section, or jacket part, in order to draw off a cooling stream from the primary stream, by way of a hollow strut extending in the radial direction to divert this cooling stream from the device with the aid of the extraction pipe and to supply it to at least one accessory to be cooled, and by way of a return opening to recirculate the cooling stream directed through the accessory for cooling purposes to the primary stream.

Abstract: A tunable optical cavity can be tuned by relative movement between two reflection surfaces, such as by deforming elastomer spacers connected between mirrors or other light-reflective components that include the reflection surfaces. The optical cavity structure includes an analyte region in its light-transmissive region, and presence of analyte in the analyte region affects output light when the optical cavity is tuned to a set of positions. Electrodes that cause deformation of the spacers can also be used to capacitively sense the distance between them. Control circuitry that provides tuning signals can cause continuous movement across a range of positions, allowing continuous photosensing of analyte-affected output light by a detector.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer systems and program products, for sharing classes and class loaders. One implementation provides a technique for performing a shared load procedure for a class, performing a post load procedure for the class, performing a shared link procedure for the class, performing a post link procedure for the class, and performing an initialization procedure for the class to reduce memory consumption and class loading time. Through performance of these procedures, a first portion of the class (which may include a class block and object) is loaded into a shared memory accessible by multiple runtime systems, and a second portion of the class (which may include a class static variable) as is stored in a local memory associated with a selected runtime system. A shared master copy of the second portion of the class is also stored in the shared memory.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and system for data sharing in runtime systems are described. A set of data objects is identified, where each data object in the set of data objects comprises a reference to runtime metadata about the data object in a first runtime system. For each data object in the set of data objects, the reference to the runtime metadata in the data object is replaced with a proxy. The set of data objects is transmitted to a second runtime system. The transmitting of the set of data objects includes replacing the proxy with the reference to the runtime metadata for each of the set of data objects transmitted to the second runtime system. Further, a shared memory is associated with the first runtime system and the second runtime system such that the first and second runtime systems share us information at the shared memory.

Abstract: Input light, such as from an optical sensor or stimulus-wavelength converter, includes one or more light or dark sub-bands. The input light is transmitted, such as through a transmissive layer or transmission component, to obtain effects due to transmission with lateral variation. A detector can, for example, obtain spectral information or other photon energy information about the sub-bands due to lateral variation. For each light or dark sub-band, a transmission component can, for example, provide a respective light or dark spot, and spot position can be used to obtain spectral information such as absolute wavelength or wavelength change. A photosensing component can sense or detect transmitted light or output photons, such as with a photosensor array or a position-sensitive detector. Circuitry can use photosensed quantities to obtain, e.g. a differential signal or information about time of wavelength change.

Abstract: While two or more analytes within an optical cavity move relative to an array of photosensing elements, the cavity provides output light that has a position/time varying intensity function that depends on optical characteristics of the analytes and on the relative movement. The output light is photosensed to obtain sensing results that depend on the position/time varying intensity function. The sensing results are used to obtain information about at least one of the analytes. The relative movement can, for example, be caused by moving analytes within channels within the cavity, such as by causing flow of a medium that carries the analytes through the channels. Or the analytes can be in wells of a biochip, with the cavity defined by reflective slides on opposite surfaces of the biochip, and the slides and biochip can be caused to move together relative to the array.

Abstract: Photons emanating from a channel in a fluidic structure or from moving objects are sensed using a photosensor array in an integrated circuit. The array includes subrange cells that photosense within respective subranges of a photon energy range. For example, the subrange cells can receive photons in their respective subranges from a transmission structure that has laterally varying properties. The photons can be emitted in response to excitation or can be scattered in response to illumination.

Abstract: Output light from an optical cavity includes, for each of a set of modes, an intensity function. Analyte can be positioned in the cavity, and a mode's intensity function can be encoded to include information about an optical characteristic of an analyte. For example, the intensity function can include a peak, and its central energy, maximum intensity, contrast, or intermediate intensity width (e.g. FWHM) can indicate the optical characteristic. For example, the information can be about both refractive index and absorption of an analyte.