Abstract: Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol related products. One process comprises introducing a biomass and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment, hydrolyzing at a temperature at or above 200° C. one or more lipid glycerides in the biomass, methylating one or more fatty acids in the biomass with methyl groups from the alkylation reagent, wherein the hydrolyzing and methylating occur contemporaneously and separating resulting biodiesel and methylated glycerol-related products from a residue of the biomass by condensation.

Abstract: Methods of fractionating proteins and lipids in algae are provided. The methods can extract peptides and amino acids from algae, can produce components used in food or fertilizer, and can improve algal biomass feed for biofuel production, as non-limiting examples. One embodiment of a method as disclosed herein comprises providing a feed material of algae saturated with water to a reactor, bringing the water saturating the algae to a subcritical temperature within the reactor and separating a reactor effluent into solids and liquid.

Abstract: A system for measuring normal load and deflection of a material that includes a portable load deflection device and a method of using the same is disclosed. The system includes a support arm having a first end and a second end opposite said first end. The first end can be attached to a base surface. The support arm can provides at least three degrees of freedom of movement and includes at least one sensor for determining a position of the second end. A uniaxial load cell can be operably attached to the second end. The system can also include a processing system operable to receive position data and corresponding force data when the support arm is used to apply a non-normal compression force to the test surface. The data can be used to calculate normal force versus deflection data for the test surface.

Abstract: A variety of article and systems including wound care systems, methods for making the wound care systems, bactericidal, and methods for treating wounds using these systems are disclosed. The wound care systems may include a first material comprising one or more fibers or porous media. The one or more fibers or porous media may be coated with a second material that is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacteria to render the wound care system sterile, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both upon exposure to light. The first material may be cotton, or any suitable fibrous material, the second material may be TiO2, and the light may be UV or visible light. A variety of methods including ALD may be used to coat the first material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a distortion invariant system, method and computer readable medium for detecting the presence of one or more predefined targets in an input image. The input image and a synthetic discriminant function (SDF) reference image are correlated in a shift phase-encoded fringe-adjusted joint transform correlation (SPFJTC) correlator yielding a correlation output. A peak-to-clutter ratio (PCR) is determined for the correlation output and compared to a threshold value. A predefined target is present in the input image when the PCR is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol-related products. One process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing glycerol and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment. Another process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing a glycerol and tetramethylammonium hydroxide to a substantially oxygen free environment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is the use of terrestrial plant materials (e.g., leaves and bark) that contain biopolymer materials to produce hydrocarbon-rich crude oils that can be refined further into hydrocarbon-based biofuels, via the hydrous pyrolysis method, which involves heating to subcritical temperatures and pressures in an aqueous medium. One can also isolate the aliphatic biopolymers and utilize them as feedstocks for production of the hydrocarbon-rich crude via hydrous pyrolysis.

Abstract: A device construct for lighting and display applications is fabricated from a substrate, a deposited phosphor layer over the substrate, and a layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material over the deposited layer. The layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material is a thin film that conforms to the morphology of the phosphor layer. The device is fabricated by providing a substrate, depositing a thin layer of phosphor powder on the substrate by any technique, and coating the phosphor layer with a layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material by atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: A method for generating and refining meshes for a three-dimensional domain. The method includes generating a initial Delaunay mesh; identifying selection balls whose radius-edge ratio is greater than an upper bound value; and refining the generated Delaunay mesh by inserting points within the selection balls to reduce the radius-edge ratios of all tetrahedral in the mesh below a given upper bound value. Selection balls include one-dimensional selection balls, two-dimensional selection balls, and three-dimensional selection balls. The selection balls of a lower dimension are refined before the selection balls of a higher dimension are refined.

Abstract: A projection system having a set of projectors that cast images: (i) outwards onto the concave surface of a hemispherical dome, as is usual in planetariums and (ii) inward onto the convex surface of a centrally located sphere. The images thus cast may be coordinated by a controlling computer program, so that changes in the content or orientation of the images on the sphere result in corresponding changes in the images on the dome and vice versa.

Abstract: A method for generating mesh from an image. The method includes inputting an image; setting a quality bound and a fidelity bound for a mesh to be generated; generating an initial mesh for the image with a maximum fidelity and a very high quality; generating a refined mesh by coarsening the initial mesh while maintaining the quality bound and the fidelity bound. The refined mesh includes a smaller number of elements than that of the initial mesh.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting the quality factor of a mechanical resonant (MR) device. The system and method simulates uncoupled elastic vibration of the MR device to produce simulated dilatation and collects data relating to the dilatation and maximum stored elastic vibration energy. It determines the internal heat source data of the MR device caused by dilatation based on the thermal expansion effect of the MR device material, conveying the internal heat source data along with transient heat conduction data to a simulation engine, which simulates and determines the temperature variation. Thermoelastic damping over one cycle of vibration is determined, enabling the prediction of the quality factor relating to thermoelastic damping over one cycle of vibration of the MR device, and the maximum elastic vibration energy stored over one cycle of vibration.

Abstract: An instrument 10 for delivering a high voltage pulse to tissue is disclosed. The instrument 10 can include an outer support member 12 with a liquid reservoir 14 that has a liquid-contacting interior surface 16, an opening 18 at a distal end 20 of the outer support member 12, and a ground electrode 22 extending in a longitudinal direction and having a lower surface 23 proximate the opening 18. The instrument 10 can also include a working electrode 26 extending longitudinally from the liquid-contacting interior surface 16 with a needle-shaped distal portion 28 proximate the distal end 20; and an inlet port 31 and an outlet port 34 in liquid communication with the liquid reservoir 14. The working electrode 26 can be electrically isolated from the ground electrode 22 by an insulating portion 30 of the outer support member 12, and a direct path can exist through the liquid reservoir 14 between the ground electrode 22 and the working electrode 26.

Abstract: A nanoparticle translocation device includes a first reservoir having a first reservoir electrode, a second reservoir having a second reservoir electrode, and at least one nanopore providing fluid communication between the first and second reservoirs. The device also includes one or more inner electrode portions on an inner wall of the nanopore and one or more outer electrode portions disposed on an outer wall of the nanopore. The device further includes at least one DC voltage supply for selectively applying a DC voltage to each of the first reservoir electrode, the second reservoir electrode, and the outer electrode layer, where the inner electrode portions, the outer electrode portions, and the nanopore are in a substantially coaxial arrangement.

Abstract: A method of treating a patient is described herein. The method can include the steps of identifying a target that contains biological tissue and directing one or more pulses of electromagnetic radiation at the target. The pulses of electromagnetic radiation can cause a temperature increase per unit of time in the biological tissue. Additionally, the temperature increase per unit of time can cause the change in the cell function in the biological tissue and can be within a range of approximately one degree Celsius per second to approximately one degree Celsius per microsecond.

Abstract: Electroosmotic (EO) devices are provided which are not subject to mechanical wear and tear and with no moving parts, and having improved flow rates and electrical properties. Atomic layer deposition can be used to prepare three electrical terminal active zeta potential modulated EO devices from porous membranes. First, second, and further thin layers of materials can be formed with the pores. Thus, embedded electrodes can be formed along the length of the pores. The zeta potential in the pores can be modified by use of a voltage potential applied the embedded electrode, thereby achieving active control of surface zeta potential within the pores and active control of flow through the pores.

Abstract: A system for producing maximal, but reversible bioeffects, for neuromuscular disruption. Methods for facilitation of neuromuscular functions in diseases and conditions of decreased excitability are provided.

Abstract: A method of inducing local cell death in patient tissue is provided. The method includes generating first and second radiation, conveying the radiation to a focusing element, and focusing the radiation on a target with the focusing element. A system for inducing local cell death in patient tissue is also provided. The system includes a power source for generating narrow-band and/or ultra-wideband radiation, and a focusing element for focusing the radiation on a target.

Abstract: Multiple walled nested coaxial nanostructures, methods for making multiple walled nested coaxial nanostructures, and devices incorporating the coaxial nanostructures are disclosed. The coaxial nanostructures include an inner nanostructure, a first outer nanotube disposed around the inner nanostructure, and a first annular channel between the inner nanostructure and the first outer nanotube. The coaxial nanostructures have extremely high aspect ratios, ranging from about 5 to about 1,200, or about 300 to about 1200.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is the production of hydrocarbon based fuel from micro-organisms and algae that comprise algaenan without requiring prior removal of water, as well as the production of hydrocarbon based fuel directly from the algaenan itself. Also disclosed herein are feed material for the processes disclosed herein comprising modified algae and algaenan that selectively produce hydrocarbon of desired chain lengths, along with the process of modifying the algae and algaenan. Also disclosed herein is the production of both hydrocarbon and organic fertilizer from algae without the need to remove the water from the algae prior to processing.