Abstract: Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Certain solar cells may be from a different manufacturing process and further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device. A multi-junction cell may include a back surface field layer, a tunneling junction layer, a first active cell, and a second active cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dual-media approach for culturing isolated corneal endothelial cells. Isolated corneal endothelial cells are first contacted with a proliferative medium to propagate and/or expand the endothelial cells followed by a maintenance medium to preserve the morphology and/or characteristics of the corneal endothelial cells. The invention includes the proliferative medium and the maintenance medium and also a combination of the two medium.

Abstract: Manufacture of multi junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Certain solar cells may be from a different manufacturing processes and further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Abstract: Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Certain solar cells may be from a different manufacturing process and further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for executing an application are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a request is received. One or more of a plurality of module types are instantiated such that a plurality of module objects are generated. A query plan linking the plurality of module objects is executed such that a response to the request is generated. The response is then returned.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dual-media approach for culturing isolated corneal endothelial cells. Isolated corneal endothelial cells are first contacted with a proliferative medium to propagate and/or expand the endothelial cells followed by a maintenance medium to preserve the morphology and/or characteristics of the corneal endothelial cells. The invention includes the proliferative medium and the maintenance medium and also a combination of the two medium.

Abstract: Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields and lower costs. Certain solar cells may further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing waste from a soiled container that houses laboratory animals and has an opening is disclosed. The apparatus includes a conveyor having a receiving end for receiving containers from a stack of containers. The stack is disposed such that the openings are upwardly oriented. The apparatus also includes a manipulator that aligns with and engages an uppermost container of the stack and causes the uppermost container to be separated from the stack and to be flipped over onto the receiving end of the conveyor such that the opening is downwardly disposed. Waste discarded from the container falls through openings in the conveyor, and a waste receptacle disposed below the conveyor collects the discarded waste. The conveyor advances to transport the container away from the receiving end toward a discharge end of the conveyor.

Abstract: Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields and lower costs. Certain solar cells may further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Abstract: Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields and lower costs. Certain solar cells may further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing waste from a soiled container that houses laboratory animals and has an opening is disclosed. The apparatus includes a conveyor having a receiving end for receiving containers from a stack of containers. The stack is disposed such that the openings are upwardly oriented. The apparatus also includes a manipulator that aligns with and engages an uppermost container of the stack and causes the uppermost container to be separated from the stack and to be flipped over onto the receiving end of the conveyor such that the opening is downwardly disposed. Waste discarded from the container falls through openings in the conveyor, and a waste receptacle disposed below the conveyor collects the discarded waste. The conveyor advances to transport the container away from the receiving end toward a discharge end of the conveyor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for executing an application are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a request is received. One or more of a plurality of module types are instantiated such that a plurality of module objects are generated. A query plan linking the plurality of module objects is executed such that a response to the request is generated. The response is then returned.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing orientation of a container to facilitate subsequent processing of the container is disclosed. The apparatus includes a ramp having a first end and a second end. The ramp is disposed to receive the container from the feed path in a first orientation and to cause the container to slide down the ramp toward the second end of the ramp. The apparatus also includes an obstruction located at the second end of the ramp. The obstruction is configured to contact a leading edge of the container to arrest a sliding motion of the container down the ramp. The ramp is configured to pivot to impart an angular acceleration to the container to provide sufficient angular momentum to cause a center of gravity of the container to move past the leading edge causing the container to change orientation such that the container is received on the discharge path in a second orientation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for changing orientation of a container to facilitate subsequent processing of the container is disclosed. The apparatus includes a ramp having a first end and a second end. The ramp is disposed to receive the container from the feed path in a first orientation and to cause the container to slide down the ramp toward the second end of the ramp. The apparatus also includes an obstruction located at the second end of the ramp. The obstruction is configured to contact a leading edge of the container to arrest a sliding motion of the container down the ramp. The ramp is configured to pivot to impart an angular acceleration to the container to provide sufficient angular momentum to cause a center of gravity of the container to move past the leading edge causing the container to change orientation such that the container is received on the discharge path in a second orientation.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided that may be used to selectively decode results in messages received from child nodes for a particular search query.

Abstract: A tunnel dryer apparatus and method is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a drying chamber having an infeed end for receiving articles to be dried, and a conveyor for conveying the articles through the drying chamber along a drying path to a discharge end of the drying chamber. The drying path includes at least one portion having a gradient for causing the articles to be tilted to distribute accumulated liquid on surfaces of the articles thereby facilitating drying of the article. In another aspect the apparatus includes a nozzle, operably configured to direct a pulsating jet of air toward passing articles thereby causing accumulated liquid on surfaces of the articles to be dispersed to facilitate drying of the article.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses relate to hosting an inverted index for term-based document searching. According to disclosed aspects, each bank of a plurality of banks receives a plurality of Document IDentifiers (DocIDs) in the inverted index, and within each bank, posting lists for each term are determined large or small. DocIDs for large posting lists are distributed among computers in a bank while responsibility for producing DocIDs identifiers in a small posting list are distributed by term to one or fewer computers in the bank. During operation, each term of a query is distributed to each bank, and then for small terms, only those computers assigned responsibility for a given term need to search for responsive DocIDs. DocIDs can be redistributed among computers in a bank such that results are presented from the computers that would have produced those results in a cluster having a pure DocIDs distribution scheme.

Abstract: A quality of service policy for one or more documents for transmission from the local storage to one or more end points for said documents through a communication system is retrieved from a remote registry associated with an offering, and said documents are enqueued according to said quality of service policy. In some cases, the registry may be co-hosted with at least one of the document end points. The quality of service policy may be derived from a transport policy for said one or more documents, and may even be such as to not specify a quality of service for delivery of some or all of the documents. In some cases, XML documents may be used to set forth the quality of service policies.

Abstract: In a computer communication network, affinity between a client and server is established dynamically. The client desiring affinity sends a request to establish affinity to an available server. The server can then respond by sending the client a redirect to an elected server, with which the client already has affinity. If there is no such elected server, the server establishes affinity between itself and the client.

Abstract: Documents are restored at a remote data storage location from a local data storage location, the one or more documents having been previously transmitted from the local data storage location to the remote data storage location through a communication system accessible by a number of offerings and according to document delivery customizations for the communication system associated with one of the offerings. Parameters defining those customizations are obtained from a registry associated with the one of the offerings, such registry as may be hosted at the remote data storage location. Prior to so restoring the one or more documents, those documents may be designated as not having previously been transmitted to the remote data storage location. In this way the same transmission policies/procedures as specified by the offering-specific customizations may be likewise used for the restoration procedures.