Abstract: Coil/helix shaped stands and methods of using and installing the stands that can be wrapped about elongated supports. The stands can have looped holders for supporting objects such as planters and pots, off ground level. The looped holders can be adjustable so as to remain level with different size diameter elongated supports. The stands can be aesthetically pleasing and attractive and be easy to assembly and mount. The stands are easily removable. Additionally, the coil stands can support other objects such as tables, flagpoles and umbrellas.

Abstract: Devices, apparatus, systems and methods for supporting and holding items including surfboards, fishing rods, beach items and tabletops in horizontal positions raised above ground surfaces such as at the beach, and be easily transported, assembled, and disassembled when not being used. The racks can include a pair of horizontal beams. Each of the beams can have legs pivotally attached to ends of each beam. The legs can have storage positions with the legs folded up and parallel to the beams, and extended positions with the legs perpendicular to the beams and having lower ends staked into the grounds. The rack can support tabletops and surfboards in horizontal flat positions on top of the assembled horizontal beams. Fishing rods can be stored in horizontal positions in cradle shaped concave recesses so that the fishing rods can be between the surfboards/table tops and the horizontal beams. A storage bag can be used to carry and transport a folded tabletop and folded legs and beams.

Abstract: Methods, processes and compositions are provided for a visual or chemochromic hydrogen-detector with variable or tunable reversible color change. The working temperature range for the hydrogen detector is from minus 100° C. to plus 500° C. A hydrogen-sensitive pigment, including, but not limited to, oxides, hydroxides and polyoxo-compounds of tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, chromium and combinations thereof, is combined with nano-sized metal activator particles and preferably, coated on a porous or woven substrate. In the presence of hydrogen, the composition rapidly changes its color from white or light-gray or light-tan to dark gray, navy-blue or black depending on the exposure time and hydrogen concentration in the medium. After hydrogen exposure ceases, the original color of the hydrogen-sensitive pigment is restored, and the visual hydrogen detector can be used repeatedly.

Abstract: Materials, compositions, substances and methods and systems for stormwater treatment in wet ponds, dry ponds and a green roof system. A first embodiment provides in-situ treatment unit within the retention pond by withdrawing the stored stormwater to circulate the stored stormwater into the in-situ treatment unit to sorb nitrogen from the stored stormwater. A second embodiment provides uses a riprap apron, a perforated riser located at the bottom of the riprap apron and a goetextile media encased in a sorption media jacket around the perforated riser. A third embodiment provides a green roof stormwater treatment system that includes protection for waterproofing and insulating the roof, a pollution control media layer for filtration and sorption of solids and dissolved materials found in stormwater, a growing media for growing vegetation, and a cistern to store the runoff stormwater between irrigation events.

Abstract: Media compositions for use in wastewater treatment, stormwater treatment, CSO treatment and greenroof stormwater management systems as filtration media, plant growth media or pollutant retention media. Media composition includes at least one of a recycled material selected from a group consisting of tire crumb, wood sawdust and paper and a naturally occurring material selected from a group consisting of sand, limestone, sandy clay, expanded clay, organics used for processing geothermal water, organics used for agricultural drainage basins and filtration, and organics for aquaculture drainage and organics used for silviculture and forest drainage, and organics used as growing media.

Abstract: Devices, apparatus, systems and methods of installing one-piece sleeve assemblies corrugated decks in floors that are used for plumbing, mechanical, electrical and miscellaneous pipe applications, against water, fire and smoke. A one-piece sleeve assembly combines a resilient sealing member with perimeter extending side walls extending from a central opening that gets poured in place during the concrete pour on the corrugated deck that forms a water, fire and smoke sealed opening about the resilient sealing member and also allows for expansion and contraction of the concrete that surrounds the resilient member, a deck base having outwardly extending wings about a central opening that is aligned with the central opening of the resilient member, and clipped fire stop material that encircles a portion of the central opening of the deck base. The one piece sleeve assembly is installed in a cut out opening the corrugated deck floor so that concrete can then be poured onto the deck about the one-piece assembly.

Abstract: A novel process and apparatus are disclosed for sustainable CO2-free production of hydrogen and carbon by thermocatalytic decomposition (dissociation, pyrolysis, cracking) of hydrocarbon fuels over carbon-based catalysts in the absence of air and/or water. The apparatus and thermocatalytic process improve the activity and stability of carbon catalysts during the thermocatalytic process and produce both high purity hydrogen (at least, 99.0 volume %) and carbon, from any hydrocarbon fuel, including sulfurous fuels. In a preferred embodiment, production of hydrogen and carbon is achieved by both internal and external activation of carbon catalysts. Internal activation of carbon catalyst is accomplished by recycling of hydrogen-depleted gas containing unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons back to the reactor. External activation of the catalyst can be achieved via surface gasification with hot combustion gases during catalyst heating.

Abstract: Novel structural configurations of a TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) which results in both fast response to input data and provides wide-viewing-angles. The structure of the device is comprised of one pixel electrode layer and two common electrode layers. The structure of the invention can be used with liquid crystal display television (LCD-TV) monitors that require both fast-response as well as wide-viewing-angle. In addition, other liquid crystal technologies which require high speed response would benefit from the TFT-LCD of the present invention.

Abstract: A one-piece, microfluidic package with standardized multiple ports allows devices to be connected in series without resorting to extra tubing connections or bonding processes. The one-piece construction consists of microfluidic channels that can be connected to fluid reservoirs and other fluidic components fabricated with interconnecting and interlocking ports. The size of the friction-fit interlocking ports is designed such that the smaller male port fits snugly into the larger female port in a manner that is leak-free and adhesive-free. The friction-fit ports can also be reconfigured. Thus, the interconnection of microfluidic packages can be in an extended series including connections to sensors and devices such as a bio/biochemical/chemical sensor chip, a dielectrophoretic manipulator chip, and a microfluidic reactor chip.

Abstract: Adapter devices, apparatus, systems and methods of allowing a firearm to be supported by a foldable fore grip/gun handle. The fore grip gun handle can have bipod type legs that can be extendable from the handle. The fore grip handle can be just a vertical extension. The adapter can allow for the fore grip/gun handle to move from a fold back position along the bottom of the firearm so that the firearm can be easily carried, and the adapter to can allow for the handle to move down to a vertical support position beneath the firearm when the firearm is to be used. The adapter can also support a light in both a folded position and in a downwardly extended position, where light can be aimed forward, rearward to the side and/or pointed down from the firearm. The adapter can allow for a dual functioning component that can be either or both a fore grip and/or a light source.

Abstract: Devices, and methods of extending legs from vertical fore grip handles on firearms, such as rifles, to different height positions. The vertical fore grip can include expandable bipod legs. The legs can be individually extended to different lengths by moving telescoping rod members in leg housings from retracted positions to extended positions. A lever switch can allow for the legs to be locked into the different extended positions, and depressing the switch can allow for the legs to go back to the retracted positions. Anti-rotation pins and slots can prevent the telescoping members from rotating relative to the legs.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, systems and devices for identifying and tracking a human hand in a video. The steps for identifying the hand includes detecting parallel lines (bars), detecting curved fingertips (curves), grouping the detected parallel lines and curved fingertips according to a parallel line decision tree and a curved fingertip decision tree, respectively, and merging the parallel line group and the curved fingertip group to identify candidate hands.

Abstract: A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.

Abstract: Efficient apparatus, methods, systems and devices to generate, transmit and detect optical differential polarization-phase-shift keying signals are disclosed for high spectral efficiency optical communication systems. It includes an electrical encoder and an optical encoder for generation of differentially encoded polarization-phase modulated optical signals and optical demodulators and balanced detectors for detection of the optical signals. The optical signals are transmitted through optical fiber links or free space. The electrical encoder maps independent data channels into differentially-encoded data sequences. In the optical encoder, the encoded data sequences from the electrical encoder drive optical modulators to generate differentially-encoded polarization-phase modulated optical signals at a symbol rate equal to the bit rate of each input data channel.

Abstract: Methods and systems for realizing high resolution three-dimensional (3-D) optical imaging using diffraction limited low resolution optical signals. Using axial shift-based signal processing via computer based computation algorithm, three sets of high resolution optical data are determined along the axial (or light beam propagation) direction using low resolution axial data. The three sets of low resolution data are generated by illuminating the 3-D object under observation along its three independent and orthogonal look directions (i.e., x, y, and z) or by physically rotating the object by 90 degrees and also flipping the object by 90 degrees. The three sets of high resolution axial data is combined using a unique mathematical function to interpolate a 3-D image of the test object that is of much higher resolution than the diffraction limited direct measurement 3-D resolution. Confocal microscopy or optical coherence tomography (OCT) are example methods to obtain the axial scan data sets.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods of generating both a precision electrical timing signal as well as a precision optical timing signal. A novel, modified opto-electronic loop oscillator is used to drive a harmonic mode-locked laser. A novel opto-electronic loop has a larger “Q” factor by increasing the electrical loop oscillating frequency ?0 by using a beat note created by the selection of two optical longitudinal modes from the mode-locked laser. The beat note is detected and divided down to drive a modulator that mode-locks the laser. The frequency division stage also reduces the noise.

Abstract: Methods, matrix compositions and kits for increasing the mortality of termites (R. flavipes) and interfering with termite development using RNA interference techniques to target cellulase, lignocellulase, hexamerin, broad, farnesoic acid methyl transferase, cytochrome P450 and vitellogenin activity are provided.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display with uniform cell gap configuration throughout the transmissive and the reflective display region is invented. Mutually complementary common electrode pattern and reflector pattern or mutually complementary ITO pixel electrode pattern and reflector pattern produce an electric field in the transmissive display region that has a uniform longitudinal field and an electric field in the reflective display region that is a fringing field. An initially vertically aligned negative dielectric anisotropic nematic liquid crystal material between the electrodes forms a smaller tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the reflective display region while a larger tilt angle with respect to the substrate normal in the transmissive display region. Consequently, the ambient incident light experiences smaller phase retardation in the reflective display region while the light from the backlight source experiences larger phase retardation.