Abstract: In a radio receiver, a method of reducing second order distortion components, involves at a first mixer, mixing an input signal with an oscillator signal to generate an I component of a received radio signal; at a second mixer, mixing the input signal with a phase shifted oscillator signal to generate a Q component of the received radio signal; where the I and Q components of the received signal have a receive bandwidth; computing an estimate of second order distortion components as a power output of the I and Q components between approximately the receive bandwidth and twice the receive bandwidth of the received radio signals; and adjusting an operational parameter of the radio receiver to reduce the estimated value of second order distortion components. This abstract is not to be considered limiting.

Abstract: An apparatus, and an associated method, for synthesizing a discrete-valued oscillating signal. Input parameters are provided that are determinative of the frequency, gain, and phase characteristics of the resultant, oscillating signal. The discrete-valued, oscillating signal is combinable with another signal to form a mixed signal of a desired frequency, gain, and phase characteristic using a single complex multiplication operation.

Abstract: Methods using light force to fabricate WGM sensors including microresonators having target receptors selectively and substantially provided at only ribbon area of the microresonators.

Abstract: Function approximation circuitry approximates an arbitrary function F over discrete inputs. Discrete values of the function F are stored in a lookup table (LUT) component for various inputs. An addressing module generates an address from an input. An interpolation factor module generates an interpolation factor from the input. An interpolation module generates an output, which is an approximate value of the function F for the input, from the interpolation factor, and from outputs of the LUT component when the LUT component is addressed by the address.

Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a processor configured to generate a baseband signal, a modulator coupled downstream from the processor, a power amplifier coupled downstream from the modulator, an antenna, and a tunable antenna matching network coupled between the power amplifier and the antenna and configured to match an impedance of the antenna and thereby causing a phase change in an output from the antenna. The processor may be configured to provide upstream phase change compensation in the baseband signal for the phase change in the output from the antenna.

Abstract: A sensor for determining the presence or concentration of a target entity in a medium is described, and includes (a) an optical waveguide; (b) a microresonator optically coupled with the optical waveguide such that light within the optical waveguide induces a resonant mode within the microresonator at an equator region (or a mode volume); and (c) at least one plasmonic nanoparticle adsorbed onto a surface area of the microresonator within the equator region (or the mode volume) such that light inducing a resonant mode within the microresonator also causes a plasmonic resonance in the at least one plasmonic nanoparticle. Detection methods for using such sensors are also described. Finally, methods, involving the use of carousel forces, for fabricating such sensors are also described.

Abstract: Peripheral components of a wireless radio system can be controlled by a wireless transceiver. The transceiver stores parallel or serial bit patterns in memory, each bit pattern corresponding to a particular control configuration for one or more peripheral components. A further control device, such as baseband controller, issues an address corresponding to the desired functional operation of the peripheral components to the transceiver. A memory sub-system of the transceiver uses the address to output the appropriate bit pattern. The bit pattern can be provided in parallel to statically control individual control lines, or can be converted into a serial bitstream decodable by a command decoder. The command decoder can then decode the bitstream and locally issue the appropriate control signals for the peripheral components.

Abstract: An apparatus, and an associated method, for synthesizing a discrete-valued oscillating signal. Input parameters are provided that are determinative of the frequency, gain, and phase characteristics of the resultant, oscillating signal. The discrete-valued, oscillating signal is combinable with another signal to form a mixed signal of a desired frequency, gain, and phase characteristic using a single complex multiplication operation.

Abstract: A sensor for determining the presence or concentration of a target entity in a medium is described, and includes (a) an optical waveguide; (b) a microresonator optically coupled with the optical waveguide such that light within the optical waveguide induces a resonant mode within the microresonator at an equator region (or a mode volume); and (c) at least one plasmonic nanoparticle adsorbed onto a surface area of the microresonator within the equator region (or the mode volume) such that light inducing a resonant mode within the microresonator also causes a plasmonic resonance in the at least one plasmonic nanoparticle. Detection methods for using such sensors are also described. Finally, methods, involving the use of carousel forces, for fabricating such sensors are also described.

Abstract: A syringe-based whispering gallery mode sensor includes a syringe including an assembly provided its needle, the assembly including (1) an optical carrier having a reflective distal end, and (2) at least one resonator coupled with the optical carrier. This sensor may be provided in a system including a light source, a light detector, and a data analysis component. A method for determining the presence or concentration of a target substance in body fluid may be performed using such a system.

Abstract: A method for controlling a transmitter power control system in communication networks that include a modulation scheme having a non-constant amplitude envelope. The method includes generating a transmission signal and transitioning the transmission signal from a first specified power level to a second specified power level and having a transition period therebetween, and generating a constant amplitude envelope modulation of the transmission signal during the transition period. The method may further include generating a non-constant amplitude envelope modulation of the transmission signal at the first specified power level, switching to the constant amplitude envelope modulation of the transmission signal during the transition period and generating the non-constant amplitude envelope modulation of the transmission signal at the second specified power level. A mobile communication device may be used to perform the method.

Abstract: Applying a strong static DC electric field to supersaturated aqueous glycine solutions resulted in the nucleation of the ? polymorph attributed to the electric-field induced orientation of the highly polar glycine molecules in large preexisting solute clusters, helping them organize into a crystalline structure. A method to induce crystallization and to prepare polymorphs and/or morphologies of materials by using a static electric field to cause nucleation and crystal growth to occur in a supersaturated solution in such a way as to obtain a crystal structure that would not normally appear without the use of the static electric field. Aqueous glycine solutions were prepared by combining solid glycine and water. Supersaturated solutions were generated by heating the tubes to 62-64° C. and holding them at that temperature in an ultrasonicator overnight. Once the glycine was completely dissolved, the solutions were slowly cooled to room temperature.

Abstract: Methods using light force to fabricate WGM sensors including microresonators having target receptors selectively and substantially provided at only ribbon area of the microresonators.

Abstract: Peripheral components of a wireless radio system can be controlled by a wireless transceiver. The transceiver stores parallel or serial bit patterns in memory, each bit pattern corresponding to a particular control configuration for one or more peripheral components. A further control device, such as baseband controller, issues an address corresponding to the desired functional operation of the peripheral components to the transceiver. A memory sub-system of the transceiver uses the address to output the appropriate bit pattern. The bit pattern can be provided in parallel to statically control individual control lines, or can be converted into a serial bitstream decodable by a command decoder. The command decoder can then decode the bitstream and locally issue the appropriate control signals for the peripheral components.

Abstract: A power ramping circuit for use in the transmit path of a radio frequency (RF) circuit. The power ramping circuit includes parallel connected transistors used as logarithmic resistor attenuators for adjusting current to a mixer circuit in the transmit path. The parallel connected transistors can be sized differently, and are sequentially turned off to gradually increase the current provided to the mixer circuit. A ramp control circuit controls the parallel connected transistors in response to either an analog signal or a digital signal.

Abstract: A spectroscopic technique for high-sensitivity, label free DNA quantification uses a shift in an optical resonance (whispering gallery mode, WGM) excited in a micron-sized optical cavity (e.g., a silica sphere) to detect and measure nucleic acids. The surface of the silica sphere is chemically modified with oligonucleotides. Hybridization to the target DNA leads to a red-shift of the optical resonance wavelength. The sensitivity of this resonance technique is higher than most optical single-pass devices such as surface plasmon resonance biosensors. Each microsphere can be identified by its unique resonance wavelength. Specific, multiplexed DNA detection may be provided by using two or more microspheres. The multiplexed signal from two or more microspheres illustrates that a single nucleotide mismatch in an 11-mer oligonucleotide can be discriminated with a high signal-to-noise of 54.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive sensor head and a method of manufacturing the magneto-resistive sensor head. The magneto-resistive sensor head includes a first lead and a second lead. A magneto-resistive layer and a biasing layer are disposed between the first lead and the second lead. A grating is disposed in the magneto-resistive layer. The topography of the biasing layer is unaffected by the presence of the grating.

Abstract: Lactam polymers has been modified with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to yield lactam polymers bearing hydroxyl functional groups. These functional groups are useful for the covalent attachment of reactive groups, fluorescent probes, antimicrobial agents, bioactive factors, and drugs. The resulting as components for medical devices, specifically ophthalmic devices and more specifically contact lenses. Hydrogels based on these polymers are also useful for biomedical applications in the areas of drug delivery, tissue engineering, and implantable devices.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for implementing discrete step stabilization of AMR read sensors in tape or disk drives. In one implementation, a plurality of discrete step stabilizers and AMR read sensor elements are arranged with a rotational symmetry coupled with a plane inversion for an odd number of steps, and no inversion for an even number of steps. Preferably, the steps are oriented at 45 degrees, or approximately parallel to the desired bias direction. For relatively narrow track widths (e.g., approximately 5 microns), the edges of the sensor element nearest the permanent magnets are especially important to stabilize. Therefore, in one implementation, an edge of a stabilizer preferably intersects the edge of the sensor element at one half of the stripe height. Also, the rising and falling edges of the stabilizers do not always have the same slope.