Abstract: Described here is a method for performing phase contrast imaging using an array of independently controllable x-ray sources. The array of x-ray sources can be controlled to produce a distinct spatial pattern of x-ray radiation and thus can be used to encode phase contrast signals without the need for a coded aperture. The lack of coded aperture increases the flexibility of the imaging method. For instance, because a fixed, coded aperture is not required, the angular resolution of the imaging technique can be increased as compared to coded-aperture imaging. Moreover, the lack of a radioopaque coded aperture increases the photon flux that reaches the subject, thereby increasing the attainable signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: A cartridge for holding and dispensing streaking applicators for an automated streaking apparatus having a cartridge holder, the cartridge including: a case with a dispensing end, a longitudinal axis and an elongate slot generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the dispensing end including an applicator dispensing position where one applicator can be at least partially accessible from outside the case; and an applicator support member constrained within the case for longitudinal movement therein and being able to carry a stack of applicators; the elongate slot being capable of operatively receiving a biasing member when the cartridge is in the cartridge holder to urge the support member towards the dispensing end and an applicator into the dispensing position.

Abstract: An x-ray source for use in Phase Contrast Imaging is disclosed. In particular, the x-ray source includes a cathode array of individually controlled field-emission electron guns. The field emission guns include very small diameter tips capable of producing a narrow beam of electrons. Beams emitted from the cathode array are accelerated through an acceleration cavity and are directed to a transmission type anode, impinging on the anode to create a small spot size, typically less than five micrometers. The individually controllable electron guns can be selectively activated in patterns, which can be advantageously used in Phase Contrast Imaging.

Abstract: An apparatus for inoculating and streaking a solid growth culture medium in a plate, the streaking using a streaking applicator having a line of resiliently and flexibly supported spaced apart contact surfaces, the apparatus including: (a) an inoculating and streaking station including: a plate work position having a notional action line fixed in two dimensions (x,y) in a predetermined position; and a plate rotation device for rotating a positioned plate to cause streaking; (b) a sensor capable of locating the surface of the medium in a positioned plate to thereby determine for that plate, prior to inoculation and streaking of that plate, the third dimension (z) of the action line; (c) an inoculating device capable of dispensing inoculum, along the action line, on the surface of the medium in the positioned plate; and (d) a streaking device capable of moving the streaking applicator such that its line of spaced apart contact surfaces contacts, along the action line, the surface of the medium in the positi

Abstract: An apparatus for orientating a solid growth culture medium plate from an original orientation to a worked orientation, the plate having a lid and a bottom, the apparatus including an orientation mechanism that includes opposed jaws able to receive and hold a plate therebetween in a held position that defines a notional tube above and below the plate, the orientation mechanism being mounted on a jaw support member such that the jaw support member is rotatable such that at least the plate bottom rotates about a generally horizontal axis that intersects the notional tube to orientate at least the plate bottom from the original orientation to the worked orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for inoculating and streaking a solid growth culture medium in a plate, the streaking using a streaking applicator having a line of resiliently and flexibly supported spaced apart contact surfaces, the apparatus including: (a) an inoculating and streaking station including: a plate work position having a notional action line fixed in two dimensions (x,y) in a predetermined position; and a plate rotation device for rotating a positioned plate to cause streaking; (b) a sensor capable of locating the surface of the medium in a positioned plate to thereby determine for that plate, prior to inoculation and streaking of that plate, the third dimension (z) of the action line; (c) an inoculating device capable of dispensing inoculum, along the action line, on the surface of the medium in the positioned plate; and (d) a streaking device capable of moving the streaking applicator such that its line of spaced apart contact surfaces contacts, along the action line, the surface of the medium in the positioned

Abstract: A bundle of drawn fibers that have X-ray scintillating unagglommerated nanocrystallite particles in plastic or glass cores of down to 0.1 micron spacing and claddings of X-ray absorbing compounds in the cladding composition. Optional is a cover to the bundle that blocks light from leaving the bundle at the X-ray side while allowing X-rays to pass into the cores. To image the light exiting the fiber bundle at the sub-micron level, light expansion is preferable using either a lens system or a fiber bundle expander.

Abstract: An apparatus for orientating a solid growth culture medium plate from an original orientation to a worked orientation, the plate having a lid and a bottom, the apparatus including an orientation mechanism that includes opposed jaws able to receive and hold a plate therebetween in a held position that defines a notional tube above and below the plate, the orientation mechanism being mounted on a jaw support member such that the jaw support member is rotatable such that at least the plate bottom rotates about a generally horizontal axis that intersects the notional tube to orientate at least the plate bottom from the original orientation to the worked orientation.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for managing recruitment interactions provides a recruitment interaction management platform (RIMP) that acquires profile information associated with multiple roles from multiple users and recruitment advisory information from one or more of the users and/or first external sources via a network, for creating one or more candidate profiles for candidates. The RIMP matches the candidate profiles with a recruiting requirement acquired from one or more of the users or second external sources via the network, based on matching criteria to generate a candidate list that matches the recruiting requirement; dynamically assigns a rating to each of the users based on their roles, the profile information, an outcome of a transaction performed between recruiters and the candidates, and predetermined rating criteria associated with the roles; and allocates incentives to each of the users based on the roles, the assigned rating, and predetermined incentive allocation criteria.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods for enabling a group of people to share the cost of an event, such as a meal, the purchase of a gift, or the rental of a car. Embodiments of the invention provide the tools needed to enable a group to participate in a shared event or activity, where one of the participants pays for the event or activity using their payment device and the other members of the group pay their portion of the cost to the participant who made the payment. Embodiments of the invention provide an ecosystem where a person can pay for an event, goods, or services using a single payment device (such as a credit or debit card) and then settle the amounts owed to them by other members of a group using the tools provided by the invention.

Abstract: Methods, systems and machine readable media are disclosed for performing dynamic information flow tracking. One method includes executing operations of a program with a main thread, and tracking the main thread's execution of the operations of the program with a tracking thread. The method further includes updating, with the tracking thread, a taint value associated with the value of the main thread to reflect whether the value is tainted, and determining, with the tracking thread based upon the taint value, whether use of the value by the main thread violates a specific security policy.

Abstract: A method for look-ahead load pre-fetching that reduces the effects of instruction stalls caused by high latency instructions. Look-ahead load pre-fetching is accomplished by searching an instruction stream for load memory instructions while the instruction stream is stalled waiting for completion of a previous instruction in the instruction stream. A pre-fetch operation is issued for each load memory instruction found. The pre-fetch operations cause data for the corresponding load memory instructions to be copied to a cache, thereby avoiding long latencies in the subsequent execution of the load memory instructions.

Abstract: An externalized entitlement management system comprises a policy administration point that is configured to receive one or more definitions or updates of entitlement policies specifying subjects, actions, and resources, and to update a first entitlement repository coupled to the policy administration point with the definitions or updates in response to receiving the definitions or updates; one or more policy decision points that are coupled to the policy administration point over a network; one or more policy enforcement points that are integrated into one or more respective first application programs, wherein each of the policy enforcement points is coupled to one of the policy decision points; and one or more action handlers in the policy administration point, wherein each of the action handlers is configured to intercept a particular action represented in an update to an entitlement policy, to transform the action into an entitlement update in a form compatible with a native entitlement mechanism of a seco

Abstract: Methods, systems and business models are provided for an effective personal advisor service. According to one embodiment, a personal advisor service performs a method of identifying and notifying a subscriber of the personal advice service of information regarding potential transactions, potential transaction providers, or transactable information determined to address or alleviate a need of the subscriber. First, a computer system of a personal advice service receives information indicative of one or more needs of the subscriber of the advice service. The personal advice service then generates information regarding one or more offers for the subscriber by identifying and selecting among potential transactions, potential transaction providers, or transactable information that are determined to address or alleviate a need of the one or more needs.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the temporal resolution of a tomographic imaging device uses an apparatus to drive one or more dynamic phantoms composed of multiple materials. The apparatus is placed at or near the isocenter of the imaging device and the one or more phantoms are moved to produce a plurality of dynamic features, each having a specified frequency. The dynamic features are imaged with the device and the acquired image data corresponding to the dynamic features is analyzed to determine a temporal modulation transfer value at each of the known specified frequencies. The temporal resolution of the imaging device is determined using these temporal modulation transfer values.

Abstract: A bundle of drawn fibers that have X-ray scintillating unagglommerated nanocrystallite particles in plastic or glass cores of down to 0.1 micron spacing and claddings of X-ray absorbing compounds in the cladding composition. Optional is a cover to the bundle that blocks light from leaving the bundle at the X-ray side while allowing X-rays to pass into the cores. To image the light exiting the fiber bundle at the sub-micron level, light expansion is preferable using either a lens system or a fiber bundle expander.

Abstract: An integrated development environment (IDE) includes a runtime environment and user interface. A user of the IDE specifies an application component to be monitored, and metrics for the specified application component are transmitted by the IDE runtime environment to a data collector belonging to the IDE user interface for display to the user. In addition, support is offered for the separation of operational concerns from business logic, allowing developers to control the operational aspects from a policy manager of the IDE user interface. Using the policy manager, developers invoke policy agents to add predefined code segments to applications, saving the developer from having to recode the same operational logic each time an application is updated to contain a new policy related to business logic.

Abstract: A system and a method for policy management in a web services environment includes a policy design tool, a policy storage and a policy manager controller. The policy design tool creates (or updates) a policy for association with a web service. The policy storage stores the policy. The policy manager controller provides an interface for transmission of the policy to a policy enforcement tool and also receives messages relating to the policy from the policy enforcement tool. In addition, a system and method for policy enforcement in a web services environment includes a policy enforcement controller, a policy enforcement repository, an enforcer, a policy enforcement framework, and a policy container. The policy enforcement controller receives and commits a policy and the policy enforcement repository stores the committed policy.

Abstract: An apparatus for orientating a solid growth culture medium plate from an original orientation to a worked orientation, the plate having a lid and a bottom, the apparatus including an orientation mechanism that includes opposed jaws able to receive and hold a plate therebetween in a held position that defines a notional tube above and below the plate, the orientation mechanism being mounted on a jaw support member such that the jaw support member is rotatable such that at least the plate bottom rotates about a generally horizontal axis that intersects the notional tube to orientate at least the plate bottom from the original orientation to the worked orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for inoculating and streaking a solid growth culture medium in a plate, the streaking using a streaking applicator having a line of resiliently and flexibly supported spaced apart contact surfaces, the apparatus including: (a) an inoculating and streaking station including: a plate work position having a notional action line fixed in two dimensions (x,y) in a predetermined position; and a plate rotation device for rotating a positioned plate to cause streaking; (b) a sensor capable of locating the surface of the medium in a positioned plate to thereby determine for that plate, prior to inoculation and streaking of that plate, the third dimension (z) of the action line; (c) an inoculating device capable of dispensing inoculum, along the action line, on the surface of the medium in the positioned plate; and (d) a streaking device capable of moving the streaking applicator such that its line of spaced apart contact surfaces contacts, along the action line, the surface of the medium in the positioned