Agilent Technologies

About: Agilent Technologies is a company organization based out in Santa Clara, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Mass spectrometry. The organization has 7398 authors who have published 11518 publications receiving 262410 citations. The organization is also known as: Agilent Technologies, Inc..

Digitally controlled output driver and method for impedance matching

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a PVT compensated variable impedance output driver for driving a signal through a signal pad on a semiconductor device. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the output driver includes a plurality of p-channel field effect transistors (PFETs) electrically connected in parallel. A source node of each of the plurality of PFETs are electrically connected together, and a drain node of each of the plurality of PFETs are electrically connected together. The driver further includes a plurality of n-channel field effect transistors (NFETs) electrically connected in parallel. A source node of each of the plurality of NFETs are electrically connected together and a drain node of each of the plurality of NFETs are electrically connected together. Further, the drain nodes of the plurality of PFETs are electrically connected with the source nodes of each of the plurality of NFETs, and are further electrically coupled (preferably through an ESD resistor) to the signal pad. A first PFET of the plurality of PFETs has a gate node that is driven by an output of a pull-up predriver circuit and a first NFET of the plurality of NFETs has a gate node that is driven by an output of a pull-down predriver circuit. The remaining PFETs and NFETs, however, have gate nodes that are driven by signals from the pull-up and pull-down predeiver circuits, as controlled by calibration words generated by a control circuit. In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for controllably varying the output impedance of an output driver circuit that is configured to drive a signal through a signal pad on a semiconductor device.

System and method for digital image tone mapping using an adaptive sigmoidal function based on perceptual preference guidelines

Abstract: An adaptive image tone mapping curve based on perceptual preference guidelines is generated as a sigmoidal function, in which the sigmoidal function parameters (slope and shift) are determined by original image statistics. Tone curves generated for different images each have a smooth sigmoidal shape, so that the tone mapping process does not change the image histogram shape drastically. The sigmoidal function has the form: t ⁢ ( x ) = 100 1 + exp ⁢ ( - α ⁢ ( x / 100 - β ) ) , where α is the slope parameter and β is the shift parameter. The input value x in the sigmoidal function varies in the range [0, 100], because the tone curve is generated on an L* scale, which has values from 0 to 100. The sigmoidal tone curve calculation can be implemented efficiently using simple arithmetic operations by pre-calculating and storing various factors used in the calculation of α and β and by pre-generating a pair of fixed tone curves with two extreme slopes and interpolating between the curves.

The application of collision/reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to multi-element analysis in variable sample matrices, using He as a non-reactive cell gas

Abstract: The development of collision and reaction cells for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has extended the capability of the technique by allowing the selective attenuation or removal of previously problematic spectral interferences. However, many of the reported applications of collision and reaction cell ICP-MS have required the adoption of operating conditions that are so specific to the selected analyte and/or target interference that the multi-element capability of the instrument has been compromised, or the conditions have been applicable only to a well-defined and consistent sample type. This work demonstrates the application of an ICP-MS, fitted with a collision/reaction cell, to perform multi-element analysis at the single ng ml−1 level in multiple sample types. A single set of operating conditions was used for all selected analytes across a diverse range of sample matrices. The capability of an octopole-based collision/reaction cell ICP-MS, operated using He as the inert collision gas, was demonstrated for the removal of unidentified polyatomic species arising from variable Cl−, S− and C-based synthetic matrices and round-robin samples comprising a range of clinical matrices. Compared to the standard (no cell gas) mode, the He cell gas mode improved the accuracy of spike recoveries at the 5 ng ml−1 level for all the measured isotopes of all the transition metals investigated (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) in the synthetic matrix samples, using the same cell gas and voltage conditions for all analytes in all matrices. Where reference values were available for the clinical samples, analyte recoveries were typically within the range of the expected concentrations, when calibrated using simple (not matched for sample matrix) calibration standards and using operating conditions that were constant for all analytes and all matrices. Additional benefits of using an inert cell gas such as He were the complete absence of newly formed interfering product ion species and freedom from analyte signal reduction through loss by reaction. This is in contrast to the reported generation of new, cell-formed polyatomic ions and the loss of some analytes by reaction, which can occur when highly reactive cell gases are used, and suggests that the use of an inert collision gas may be suitable for the analysis of complex and variable sample matrices, where the identity of any potential interfering species is not known in advance.

Novel mutations in Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase increase thermostability through tighter binding to template-primer

Abstract: In an effort to increase the thermostability of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase (MMLV RT), we screened random and site-saturation libraries for variants that show increased resistance to thermal inactivation. We discovered five mutations E69K, E302R, W313F, L435G and N454K that collectively increase the half-life of MMLV RT at 55 degrees C from less than 5 min to approximately 30 min in the presence of template-primer. In addition, these mutations alter the thermal profile by increasing specific activity of the pentuple mutant (M5) over a broad range of cDNA synthesis temperatures (25-70 degrees C). We further show that M5 generates higher cDNA yields and exhibits better RT-PCR performance compared to wild-type RT when used at high temperature to amplify RNA targets containing secondary structure. Finally, we demonstrate that M5 exhibits tighter binding (lower K(m)) to template-primer, which likely protects against heat inactivation.

Chemical Characterization of the Lipid Fraction of Mexican Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.)

Abstract: The lipid fraction of Jalisco and Sinaloa chia seeds was analyzed for oil content, fatty acids, squalene and phytosterols. The mean oil content of seeds from these two regions was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different, but with a similar composition of α-linolenic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids. Total phytosterols in the oil ranged from 7 to 17 g/kg. β-sitosterol accounted for up to 74% of the total unsaponified fraction. The seeds contained less than 0.5 g/kg of squalene. The oil is an attractive source of ω-3 linolenic acid and phytosterols but a poor source of squalene.