Abstract: To overcome obstacles faced by current remediation technologies for contaminated sediments, the present invention provides a new strategy based on in situ control of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOC) bioavailability. The strategy employs the addition of activated carbon sorbents to sediments. These activated carbon materials sorb HOC contaminants strongly, reduce release of HOCs into water, and reduce HOC uptake by benthic biota, thereby reducing environmental exposure and human health risk to such contaminants. By in situ sorbing the contaminants, the inventive approach reduces environmental exposure and avoids massive material removal while controlling food web transfer of HOCs including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Abstract: A compact carbon dioxide separation module for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is provided. The module is a set of plates, typically two plates, sandwiched together and enclosing a membrane permeable to carbon dioxide. The anode output stream of the DMFC stack feeds into one of the plates. The other plate has an exit hole to vent carbon dioxide permeated through the membrane. As such the module does not draw any power; hence the module will improve the overall efficiency of a DMFC system. In addition, the module is small in size and can easily be stacked and integrated with a DMFC stack. From a DMFC system perspective the module could also be nicely integrated and stacked with a mixing device/module, a water management device/module and a methanol source.

Abstract: A cantilever probe has an elbow for bonding to a dual plane fixture plate for a highly stiff and precise angled fixture of the bonded cantilever probe with minimal real estate consumption. The cantilever probe may feature a tip positioning pin and an elbow positioning pin fitting into corresponding holes of the fixture plate and a sacrificial assembly plate. Separate fan-out beams may be attached to the fixture plate and conductively connected to respective elbows once the cantilever probes are fixed. The fan-out beams in turn may be conductively connected with their respective peripheral ends to large pitch apparatus terminals of a circuit board. A probe apparatus may be easily customized by providing varying drill patterns of the positioning holes for fan-out beams and cantilever probes to match pitch requirements of the tested circuit chips.

Abstract: A portable, collapsible hammock for outdoor use has a body support surface being suspended on a position above and not touching the ground. The hammock also has a support frame comprising a pair of inclined upright arms, between which there is at least one X-scissor linkage connecting the arms. There are two connecting means disposed over the upright arms providing connections to the scissor linkage and a pair of legs. One means is a slidable connector disposed over the upright arms and the other means is fixed at the bottom end of the inclined upright arms. There is a leg/upright arm interface provides a three direction hinged joint for the connectors.

Abstract: A new design and fabrication process of an elastomer spatial light modulator (eSLM). The present invention resolves many known challenges and enables the eSLM to operate as programmable masks for the EUV lithography systems. Bottom electrodes are deposited and patterned on an insulation layer. A sacrificial layer is then deposited, patterned and polished on top of the bottom electrodes. A nitride shell forms a protection layer that prevents out-gassing and degradations of elastomer during operations. The sacrificial layer is removed, forming a cavity. An elastomer is injected at one end of the cavity and pulled into it by capillary forces. In an embodiment, the eSLM comprises a 2-D array of elastomer pillars, each containing a capacitive actuator with an elastomer as the supporting and dielectric structure. A stack of Mo/Si multilayer mirror is deposited on the surface to achieve a high reflectivity about 70% or more in EUV.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a pose of an elongate object and an absolute position of its tip while the tip is in contact with a plane surface having invariant features. The surface and features are illuminated with a probe radiation and a scattered portion, e.g., the back-scattered portion, of the probe radiation returning from the plane surface and the feature to the elongate object at an angle ? with respect to an axis of the object is detected. The pose is derived from a response of the scattered portion to the surface and the features and the absolute position of the tip on the surface is obtained from the pose and knowledge about the feature. The probe radiation can be directed from the object to the surface at an angle ? to the axis of the object in the form of a scan beam. The scan beam can be made to follow a scan pattern with the aid of a scanning arrangement with one or more arms and one or more uniaxial or biaxial scanners. Angle ? can also be varied, e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for spatially shifting a light using a multilayer thin-film stack of at least two materials having unequal optical properties, such as indices of refraction and absorption coefficients. The apparatus has an input face for admitting the light into the apparatus and an impedance matching mechanism for maximizing the in-coupling of the light into the multilayer thin-film stack at a non-normal incidence. The non-normal incidence is sufficient to generate a spatial shift of the light in the multilayer thin-film stack as a function of at least one light parameter, such as wavelength and/or polarization of the light, thereby separating the light into light components. The spatial shift is achieved by any one or any combination of effects including superprism, turning point and energy confinement. These effects are achieved in the multilayer thin-film stack by appropriately engineering its layer sequence.

Abstract: Compounds and polymers of such compounds are prepared based on the reaction product of a polysulfide containing diol and a dibasic acid, conveniently using an acid catalyst for the reaction. By appropriate choice of mole ratios, the resulting compound may have a hydroxyl and carboxyl, two hydroxyls or two carboxyls as terminal groups. The compounds can be modified by adding augmenting groups to change the terminal groups or properties of the monomer. The polymers find advantageous use as adhesives, sealants, coatings, paints, elastomers, plastic formulations, fibers, films and molded objects.

Abstract: A method for batch manufacturing of slabs for zig-zag lasers including steps of bonding two non-active media to either side of an active medium to form a sandwich, dicing the sandwich to provide slices, rendering two surfaces of each slice into total-internal-reflection (TIR) surfaces, and then dicing the slices perpendicular to the TIR surfaces to provide a plurality of zig-zag slabs.

Abstract: High speed data transmission schemes often use differential lines to reduce the effect of noise on the data signal. Unfortunately, the signal propagation on the positive and negative lines may be different, which leads to a signal skew problem. This document describes a novel way of compensating for differential line skew in data transmission lines.

Abstract: The present invention provides a volumetric computed tomography (VCT) system capable of producing data for reconstructing an entire three-dimensional (3D) image of a subject during a single rotation without suffering from cone beam artifacts. The VCT system comprises an array of source positions distributed along a line parallel to an axis of rotation, a plurality of collimators, and an array of x-ray detectors. In a preferred embodiment, a reversed imaging geometry is used. A 2D array of source positions provides x-rays emanating from each focal spot toward an array of detectors. The x-rays are restricted by a collimator array and measured by a detector array separately per each source position. The axial extent of the source array and the detector array are comparable to or larger than the axial extent of the portion of the object being imaged.

Abstract: A novel electrokinetic instability (EKI) micromixer and method takes advantage of the EKI to effect active rapid stirring of confluent microstreams of biomolecules without moving parts or complex microfabrication processes. The EKI is induced using an alternating current (A/C) electric field. Within seconds, the randomly fluctuating, three-dimensional velocity field created by the EKI rapidly and effectively stirs an initially heterogeneous solution and generates a homogeneous solution that is useful in a variety of biochemical and bioanalytical systems. Microfabricated on a glass substrate, the inventive EKI micromixer can be easily and advantageously integrated in molecular diagnostics apparatuses and systems, such as a chip-based “Lab-on-a-Chip” microfluidic device.

Abstract: A single component sag-free liquid ebonite composition having silane coupling agents selected to chemically bond and convert liquid unsaturated rubber to alkoxy functionality, to consume and scavenge moisture originally present in the mixture, and to react with sulfur during vulcanization. The single component liquid ebonite composition is moisture activated and is particularly useful for coating applications in protecting metal from corrosion and chemical attack. In some embodiments, the liquid ebonite composition having a total mass percentage of 100 is mainly composed of liquid unsaturated rubber, sulfur, a vulcanization activator, a vulcanization accelerator, a first silane, a second silane, and a third silane. With the right reactive functional group, the third silane can replace the first or second silane. In some embodiments, the liquid ebonite composition includes a catalyst, carbon black, fillers, additives, and a diluent or solvent.

Abstract: A controllable single-photon source having a single illuminated molecule in a condensed phase host is provided. The single molecule is illuminated with a pulse of radiation having a wavelength such that the molecule is excited to a vibrational state higher in energy than an associated excited electronic state. The molecule rapidly, incoherently and irreversibly decays, with a lifetime Tvib, from the vibrational state to the excited electronic state by transferring the corresponding vibrational energy to the host. The excited electronic state has a lifetime T, and with high probability the single molecule makes a radiative transition from this state to emit a single photon. The pump pulse duration Tp satisfies the condition Tvib<Tp<T. Room temperature operation and spectral separation of pump and single-photon radiation are thereby provided. A semiconductor nanocrystal can be used instead of a molecule.

Abstract: This invention discloses a leisure time use easy chair, especially for use in the garden or camping. The chair includes a back, a seat, and a leg rest, with a piece of fabric stretched over the surfaces being formed by these elements, a pair of armrests, and a base with front and rear legs. The chair further includes a transverse link between the front and rear legs. This link has a sliding locking mechanism to maintain a certain incline angle of the back and the leg rest. The position of the sliding mechanism decreases the risk of harm to the user's fingers. In addition, the chair is fully collapsible. The object of the present invention is firstly to solve the problem of safety, and secondly to provide an esthetic and more comfortable easy chair.

Abstract: In a heterogeneous data network including both wired and wireless/lossy links, a transport protocol method implemented at the wireless host is fully compatible with existing wired networks and wireless gateways, and requires no modification to transport protocols at existing wired hosts. The wireless host calculates a temperament parameter [100] characterizing the error-proneness of the data connection and uses this parameter to determine whether error-induced losses or congestion-losses dominate the data connection [110]. If congestion-losses dominate the data connection, then the host uses a standard technique for acknowledging data packets [130]. If, on the other hand, error-induced losses dominate the connection, the host uses a modified technique for acknowledging data packets [120]. According to this modified technique, the wireless host sends a plurality of non-duplicate acknowledgements of a single packet whenever a packet is received after an out-of-order packet is received.

Abstract: A volumetric computed tomography system with a large field of view has, in a forward geometry implementation, multiple x-ray point sources emitting corresponding fan beams at a single detector array. The central ray of at least one of the fan beams is radially offset from the axis of rotation of the system by an offset distance D. Consequently, the diameter of the in-plane field of view provided by the fan beams may be larger than in a conventional CT scanner. Any number of point sources may be used. Analogous systems may be implemented with an inverse geometry so that a single source array emits multiple fan beams that converge upon corresponding detectors.

Abstract: Motion/Saturation detection system and method for synthesizing high dynamic range motion blur free images from multiple captures, the system and method utilizing photocurrent estimation to reduce read noise and enhance dynamic range at the low illumination end, saturation detection to enhance dynamic range at the high illumination end, and motion blur detection to ensure the photocurrent estimation is not corrupted by motion. Motion blur detection also makes it possible to extend exposure time and to capture more images, which can be used to further enhance dynamic range at the low illumination end. The present invention operates completely locally, making it well suited for single chip digital camera implementations.

Abstract: An interface for selective excitation or sensing of neural cells in a biological neural network is provided. The interface includes a membrane with a number of channels passing through the membrane. Each channel has at least one electrode within it. Neural cells in the biological neural network grow or migrate into the channels, thereby coming into close proximity to the electrodes. Once one or more neural cells have grown or migrated into a channel, a voltage applied to the electrode within the channel selectively excites the neural cell (or cells) in that channel. The excitation of these neural cell(s) will then transmit throughout the neural network (i.e. cells and axons) that is associated with the neural cell(s) stimulated in the channel.