Abstract: Disclosed herein are a system and method for determining a liquid level in a container based on data extracted from a digital image of the container. An image capture apparatus captures an image of a container used to store liquid reagents used by analytical instruments to test patient samples. A controller receives the captured image and extracts an analysis region based on a container type and applies a gradient filter to the analysis region. A location of a minimum gradient value (i.e., a row index) is determined based on the air-to-liquid boundary of the liquid in the extracted analysis region. A volume module calculates the liquid level in the analysis region by dividing the row index by a length of a gradient column vector and compares the determined liquid level to a threshold analysis region fraction for the container type to determine whether to output an alert.

Abstract: A diagnostic mechanism monitors execution of a user interface (UI) thread to detect execution of a long running task that may have caused the UI thread to become unresponsive. The execution time of the UI thread is monitored and when it exceeds a threshold, the UI thread's call stack is preserved to a mini-dump file. The completion time of the UI thread is also tracked and stored in a delay file. The mini-dump and delay files are then uploaded to a server where the collected data is aggregated overall execution runs by multiple users to identify the cause of the unresponsiveness.

Abstract: An immediate delay tracker tool listens for the occurrence of user-specified events that exceed a delay threshold. In an embodiment, the events are associated with immediate user actions processed by a user interface (UI) thread where the response time of the immediate user action requires an instantaneous response. When the event exceeds the delay threshold, the control flow of all the processes and/or threads in the system is recorded, filtered and then analyzed for the source of the delay.

Abstract: A diagnostic mechanism monitors execution of a user interface (UI) thread to detect execution of a long running task that may have caused the UI thread to become unresponsive. The execution time of the UI thread is monitored and when it exceeds a threshold, the UI thread's call stack is preserved to a mini-dump file. The completion time of the UI thread is also tracked and stored in a delay file. The mini-dump and delay files are then uploaded to a server where the collected data is aggregated overall execution runs by multiple users to identify the cause of the unresponsiveness.

Abstract: A fully insulated timber frame building panel system incorporating wall, ceiling and floor panels of varying dimensions which are made up of vertical timbers 20 and horizontal timbers 34 & 36 sheathed both sides 21 & 22 to create a cavity which is filled with expanding polyurethane insulation 27. Breather membrane 24 is then attached to the external face of the panel and heat reflecting membrane 25 to the internal face. Battens 23 & 38 are applied to the internal face of the panel, which is then sheathed in gypsum based boards 32 to form an air gap 29. Extruded polyurethane insulation 26 is fixed to the panel through the breather membrane 24. External cladding 31 is always fixed to the timber frame to create a cavity 30. This external cladding can be of a variety of materials.

Abstract: Various schemes for performing inter-system handoff, e.g., from a UTRAN to a cdma2000 radio access network (RAN) are described. For a MAHHO scheme, the UTRAN uses measurements obtained by a multi-RAT device to determine suitable cdma2000 cell(s) for handover. The measurements are obtained by a candidate frequency search procedure, and the handover is accomplished by a handoff execution procedure. For a MDHHO scheme, the UTRAN relies on location information for the multi-RAT device to select suitable cdma2000 cell(s) for handover. For a CRHHO scheme, a new call is established on the cdma2000 RAN and the pending call on the UTRAN is released in a manner such that the handover appears seamless to the multi-RAT device. The multi-RAT device includes two modem processors that perform processing for the UTRAN and cdma2000 RAN and an application processor that controls the modem processors.

Abstract: A method for ex situ cleaning of contaminated soil using a closed system of heat-conductive solid-walled pipes embedded in the contaminated soil, the pipes being in communication with the heat source that heats and circulates air throughout the system of pipes, the method having the following steps of placing the contaminated soil in a heap on the pipes, substantially enclosing the soil heap with a vapor barrier, circulating heated air throughout the pipes to elevate the temperature of the surrounding soil to a temperature sufficient to cause vaporization of soil contaminants, extracting the vapor containing soil contaminants from the enclosed soil heap, and treating the vapor to remove contaminants and recycling the vapor.

Abstract: A method for producing in culture phenylalanine dehydrogenase at yields of 50+ units of enzyme per litre of culture, one unit measured as the amount required to convert one micro-mole of phenylalanine to phenyl pyrovic acid at 25.degree. C. and pH 10.8, in a growth medium comprising a nitrogen source, a buffer, phenylalanine or phenylpyruvic acid or a salt thereof at 20 mM and optionally a vitamin solution. Using phenylalanine at about 100 mM gives yields of phenylalanine dehydrogenase enzyme of 350+ units per liter of culture.