Abstract:
A method of analysing the binding of cell membrane bound molecules to specific binding molecules by using a liquid-phase acoustic sensor device to monitor the change in a signal whilst cell membrane bound molecules form specific bonds with binding molecules immobilised on the sensing surface of the liquid-phase acoustic sensor device.
Abstract:
A method and an apparatus for microfabricating precision patterns of biopolymers onto solid substrates by means of laser transfer are disclosed. The method involves the use of ultrafast laser pulses for transferring target biopolymer material, dimensioned according to the focal spot of the laser, from one surface of a transparent support onto the opposite positioned surface of receiving substrate. Repeating the transfer process at different target and substrate positions results in the production of extended patterns such as arrays of features or localized coatings. The apparatus is designed to produce the patters of biopolymers on solid substrates in an automated fashion. The method and the apparatus are of particular utility in producing devices for biological and biochemical assay systems such as biosensors and microarrays.
Abstract:
A processor-implemented method for regulating the flow rate of data packets in a network, including defining a global constant representing a regularly repeating time period common among flow sources in the network; transmitting current flow rate information from each of the flow sources, and for each flow, to the links traversed by each flow, exactly once during a current period; categorizing each of the flows passing through the links on the network into a category for the current period for each link by comparing the current flow rate information to a previously determined fair-share flow rate for the link; counting, in each link, the flows per category for the current period; determining a current fair-share flow rate for the current period in each link using the results of the categorizing and counting; and providing control instructions to each of the flow sources to regulate the rate of each flow.
Abstract:
The Gesture Recognition Apparatuses, Methods And Systems For Human-machine Interaction ("GRA") discloses vision-based gesture recognition. GRA can be implemented in any application involving tracking, detection and/or recognition of gestures or motion in general. Disclosed methods and systems consider a gestural vocabulary of a predefined number of user specified static and/or dynamic hand gestures that are mapped with a database to convey messages. In one implementation, the disclosed systems and methods support gesture recognition by detecting and tracking body parts, such as arms, hands and fingers, and by performing spatio-temporal segmentation and recognition of the set of predefined gestures, based on data acquired by an RGBD sensor. In one implementation, a model of the hand is employed to detect hand and finger candidates. At a higher level, hand posture models are defined and serve as building blocks to recognize gestures based on the temporal evolution of the detected postures.
Abstract:
A method for caching a data block stored on a first storage device and onto a second storage device including determining whether a data block being requested contains a first type of data, upon a condition in which the data block contains the first type of data, writing the data block to the second storage device and upon a condition in which the data block does not contain the first type of data, determining whether a correspondingly mapped block on the second storage device contains the first type of data, and only writing the data block to the second storage device upon a condition in which the correspondingly mapped block does not contain the first type of data.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method of production of photocatalytic material to be used under UV and visible light. The invention addresses also photocatalytic redox reactions produced by UV and visible light. The photocatalyst is obtained by precipitating titanium dioxide on a sol of manganese dioxide. The method of the invention comprises the steps of providing a mixture of a) hydrated manganese dioxide sol, b) titanium solution and c) NH 3 solution, and, the processing of the above. The photocatalyst produced with the method of the invention includes titanium and manganese with the atomic ratio Mn:Ti varying between 0.01 :100 and 33:100. The manganese acts both as a dopant and as a photosensitizer. The photocatalyst is active under both UV and visible light and is able to decompose organic and inorganic pollutants. For example the photocatalyst may be used for degradation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as acetaldehyde (CH 3 CHO), formaldehyde (CH 2 O), benzene, toluene etc and Inorganic Compounds such as NO x , CO 2 under both, UV and visible light. In general the photocatalyst can be used as obtained or embedded in a matrix (e.g. concrete, cement, mortar, stucco, paint etc) or immobilized on or in a solid surface/ body. The photocatalyst can be further used for air or water de-pollution.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of investigating the conformation of biomolecules or changes in the conformation of biomolecules as a result of an interaction, in which biomolecules from a sample of biomolecules are adhered discretely to the sensing surface of an acoustic wave sensor operating in a liquid, and a conformation parameter which is related to the conformation of the biomolecules from the said sample which are adhered discretely to the sensing surface, but substantially independent of the resulting change in mass loading of the sensing surface, is calculated from the resulting change in the output signals of the acoustic wave sensor. The conformation parameter may the acoustic ratio or a parameter which is directly related to the acoustic ratio. There is also disclosed a method of investigating changes in the conformation of biomolecules which are adhered discretely to the sensing surface of an acoustic wave sensor operating in a liquid, in response to an interaction with an agent, by calculating a conformation parameter which is related to the change in conformation of biomolecules adhered discretely to the sensing surface as a result of an interaction with the agent, but which is substantially independent of any resulting change in mass loading of the sensing surface.
Abstract:
A method for the fabrication of high quality inter-metallic ferromagnetic thin films on a proper substrate, using laser irradiation is presented. The ferromagnetic material is ablated by absorbing irradiation from a pulsed UV laser and forming a thin film on the surface of a substrate that is located near the target and is heated at a temperature lower 250 °C. This method allows the deposition of crystalline thin films of inter-metallic ferromagnetic materials, with improved magnetic properties and reduced coercive field. The advantages of this method over the other conventional methods are the preservation of the stoichiometry of the target, the preservation of the properties of the substrate and the good adhesion, which are obtained even though the substrate is heated at relatively low temperatures.
Abstract:
Nucleotide sequences are described which can be used for target RNA-specific construction of asymmetric hammerhead ribozymes having high catalytic activity. Further, methods for the production of these asymmetric ribozymes and DNA sequences encoding them as well as compositions containing such ribozymes or DNA sequences are described.