1. A method comprising:
receiving XML data over a network from a server;
after receiving the XML data from the server, receiving input that indicates one or more changes to a portion of an in-memory representation of the XML data that corresponds to a plurality of elements of an XML document;
wherein the one or more changes include at least one of an addition, a deletion, or an update;
determining the portion affected by the one or more changes; and
sending, to the server to be stored in persistent storage, data that indicates the one or more changes and the portion affected by the one or more changes without sending, to the server to be stored in the persistent storage, data that represents elements that are outside of the portion;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending is performed in response to a user’s command to save the XML document.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the portion includes one or more nodes in the in-memory representation of the XML data; and
the data includes a node identifier for each node of the one or more nodes.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a plug-in to a document processor that generated the in-memory representation of the XML data.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the method further comprising, before receiving the one or more changes, reading, from
the server, all the elements within the XML document.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
determining comprises comparing (a) a version of the XML document that lacks the one or more changes with (b) a version of the XML document that contains the one or more changes.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the server is a database server;
the method further comprising generating a SQL statement which, when executed by the database server, causes the database server to update, in a database, elements that correspond to the portion of the in-memory representation of the XML document; and
sending comprises sending the SQL statement to the database server.
8. A machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:
receiving XML data over a network from a server;
after receiving the XML data from the server, receiving one or more changes to a portion of an an in-memory representation of the XML data that corresponds to a plurality of elements of an XML document;
wherein the one or more changes include at least one of an addition, a deletion, or an update;
determining the portion affected by the one or more changes; and
sending, to the server to be stored in persistent storage, data that indicates the one or more changes and the portion affected by the one or more changes without sending, to the server to be stored in the persistent storage, data that represents elements that are outside of the portion.
9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the storing sending is performed in response to receiving a user’s command to save the XML document.
10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:
the portion includes one or more nodes in the in-memory representation of the XML data; and
the data includes a node identifier for each node of the one or more nodes.
11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the steps of receiving, determining, and sending are performed by a plug-in to a document processor that generated the in-memory representation of the XML data.
12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:
the instructions include instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause: before receiving the one or more changes, reading, from the server, all the elements within the XML document.
13. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:
determining comprises comparing (a) a version of the XML document that lacks the one or more changes with (b) a version of the XML document that contains the one or more changes.
14. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:
the server is a database server;
the instructions include instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause generating a SQL statement which, when executed by the database server, causes the database server to update, in a database, elements that correspond to the portion of the in-memory representation of the XML document; and
sending comprises sending the SQL statement to the database server.
15. A method comprising:
receiving, from a client, a request for a document;
in response to receiving the request, retrieving at least a portion of the document from persistent storage and sending the portion to the client;
after sending the portion to the client, receiving, from the client, one or more changes to be made to the document;
wherein the one or more changes include at least one of an addition, a deletion, or an update;
determining a particular portion of the document that is affected by the one or more changes; and
causing, to be stored in the persistent storage, data that indicates the one or more changes and the particular portion of the document affected by the one or more changes without causing, to be stored in the persistent storage, any portion of the document that is outside of the particular portion;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein:
sending comprises translating the one or more changes into one or more change instructions that are in a format that is different than the format of the one or more changes.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining a set of devices on which a different copy of the portion of the in-memory representation is being edited; and
sending, to each device in the set of devices, the data that represents the portion.
18. A machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
receiving, from a client, a request for a document;
in response to receiving the request, retrieving at least a portion of the document from persistent storage and sending the portion to the client;
after sending the portion to the client, receiving, from the client, one or more changes to be made to the document;
wherein the one or more changes include at least one of an addition, a deletion, or an update;
determining a particular portion of the document that is affected by the one or more changes; and
causing, to be stored in the persistent storage, data that indicates the one or more changes and the particular portion of the document affected by the one or more changes without causing, to be stored in the persistent storage, any portion of the document that is outside of the particular portion.
19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein:
sending comprises translating the one or more changes into one or more change instructions that are in a format that is different than the format of the one or more changes.
20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions include instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
determining a set of devices on which a different copy of the portion of the in-memory representation is being edited; and
sending, to each device in the set of devices, the data that represents the portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for collecting, storing and transporting a dried biological specimen comprising:
(a) collecting on an absorbent three-dimensional matrix that is at least 20% porous a volume of at least 0.1 ml of a liquid suspension comprising a liquid and a biological specimen;
(b) drying the liquid from the matrix so as to prohibit enzymatic and cellular biological activity in the biological specimen;
(c) sealing the matrix in a container defining an interior surface having side walls, a bottom and an openable and sealable lid, and having a desiccant and colorimetric indicator of moisture inside the container, wherein the desiccant is present in an excess amount to maintain dry conditions for the volume of biological specimen present in the matrix so as to prohibit enzymatic and cellular biological activity in the biological specimen;
(d) storing the dried biological specimen on the matrix in the container; and
(e) transporting the dried biological specimen on the matrix in the container.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the liquid suspension is at least 0.5 ml.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the liquid suspension is at least 1.0 ml.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix is at least 50% porous.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix is at least 75% porous.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix is at least 90% porous.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional matrix is in a shape selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, cube, sphere, pyramid, and cone.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix is in the shape of a cylinder about 20 mm in length and 8 mm in diameter.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior of the container lid has an internal surface lid extension with the absorbent three-dimensional matrix removably mounted thereon.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix comprises an absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate fibers, cellulose, nitrocellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydrophilic polymers, polypropylene, polyester, polyamide, carbohydrate polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene, cotton, fiberglass and combinations thereof.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological specimen contains an analyte of interest selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, whole cells, cellular fragments, whole virus and viral fragments.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological specimen contains an analyte of interest selected from the group consisting of DNA and RNA.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological specimen is selected from the group consisting of whole blood, plasma, serum, lymph, synovial fluid, urine, saliva, sputum, semen, vaginal lavage, bone marrow, cerebrospinal cord fluid, physiological body liquids, pathological body liquids, and combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said liquid suspension comprising said biological specimen further comprises cell suspensions, liquid extracts, tissue homogenates, media from DNA or RNA synthesis, saline and combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said desiccant is selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite clay, lithium chloride, activated alumina, alkali alumino-silicate, silica gel, molecular sieve, calcium sulfate, and calcium oxide.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises recovering the biological specimen comprising the later steps of:
a) applying a controlled amount of a reconstitution buffer to the matrix containing the dried biological specimen; and
(b) removing the biological specimen from the matrix.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said reconstitution buffer comprises phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or nuclease-free water.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein said reconstitution buffer comprises sodium azide or another antimicrobial agent.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the removing step is achieved by compressing the matrix.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein compression is achieved removing the matrix from the container and placing the matrix in a syringe barrel and applying force to a reciprocating plunger therein.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein the removing step is achieved by centrifuging the matrix.
23. A method for recovering a dried biological specimen comprising:
(a) providing a container defining an interior space having side walls, a bottom and an openable and sealable lid, with a desiccant, a colorimetric indicator of moisture and a removable absorbent three-dimensional matrix inside the container, wherein the absorbent matrix is at least 20% porous and has had previously absorbed thereon a volume of at least 0.1 ml of a liquid suspension comprising a liquid and the biological specimen, and has subsequently been dried to store the biological specimen thereon in a state of enzymatic and cellular inactivity inside the container;
(b) reconstituting the biological specimen on the matrix with a controlled volume of a reconstitution buffer; and
(c) removing the biological specimen from the matrix.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the controlled volume of reconstitution buffer is approximately the same as the volume of at least 0.1 ml of a liquid suspension previously absorbed thereon.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the volume of the liquid suspension is at least 0.5 ml.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the volume of the liquid suspension is at least 1.0 ml.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein said reconstitution buffer comprises phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or nuclease-free water.
28. The method of claim 23, wherein said reconstitution buffer comprises sodium azide or another antimicrobial agent.
29. The method of claim 23, wherein the removing step is achieved by compressing the matrix.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein compression is achieved by removing the matrix from the container and placing the matrix in a syringe barrel and applying force to a reciprocating plunger therein.
31. The method of claim 23, wherein the removing step is achieved by centrifuging the matrix.
32. The method of claim 23, wherein the biological specimen contains an analyte of interest selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, whole cells, cellular fragments, whole virus and viral fragments.
33. The method of claim 23, wherein the biological specimen contains an analyte of interest selected from the group consisting of DNA and RNA.