Abstract: Ultrabright fluorescent silica particles that can take stable temperature measurements, and methods of their manufacture. The particles have encapsulated fluorescent substances, some of which can exhibit altering fluorescent characteristics depending on temperature. The particles function as a thermometer allowing one to measure the temperature of the environment. A ratio of the fluorescent peaks in the fluorescent spectrum of each particle depends on temperature, but is dependent on neither the amount of exciting light nor the size of the particles. Further, the particle size can be confined to the range of 8 nm to 100 ?m.

Abstract: A method for polishing tooth surface which eases removal of a bacterial film later grown on the polished surface. The method includes the steps of providing a providing a toothpaste or slurry comprising a plurality of inorganic abrasive particles smaller than 100 nm in size, the inorganic abrasive particles comprising one or more of silica, ceria, titania, zirconia, silicon nitrite, and silica carbide, wherein the inorganic abrasive particles are sufficiently hard to be abrasive; and polishing a tooth surface with the toothpaste or slurry to attain an ultra-smooth tooth surface which can be easily cleaned.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to fluorescent particles and more specifically to silica-based fluorescent nanoporous particles with physically encapsulated organic dyes. In one aspect of the invention, the nanoporous architecture provides a significant enhancement in fluorescence of the particles brightness compared to free dye. A particular chemical control of the silica matrix prevents the dye molecules from leaking the particles.

Abstract: A wind energy extraction apparatus utilizing a separate surface enclosing the turbine rotor is disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention includes a slotted and un-slotted duct of specified geometry enclosing a wind turbine rotor in such a manner as to provide acceleration of the ambient air though the rotor at a velocity above that which an open rotor exposed to the freestream would experience, thereby resulting in an increased amount of energy extraction relative to a comparable open rotor. In one aspect, the wind turbine rotor is positioned in the duct at a location downstream of the smallest cross-sectional area of the duct as this will provide the maximum power output. According to another aspect, the rotor geometry is such as to incorporate the effect of the duct on the incoming wind velocity profile.

Abstract: An electrode of an energy storage device and methods of fabrication are provided which include: pyrolyzing a carbon-containing precursor to form a stabilized-carbonized material; and annealing the stabilized-carbonized material to form a structurally-modified activated carbon material. The structurally-modified activated carbon material includes a tunable pore size distribution and an electrochemically-active surface area. The electrochemically-active surface area of the structurally-modified activated carbon material is greater than a surface area of graphene having at least one layer, the surface area of the graphene having at least one layer being about 2630 m2 g?1.

Abstract: A miniature electrical-mobility aerosol spectrometer comprising a 3D-printed body comprising: (i) a single inlet section configured to receive particles to be evaluated by the spectrometer; (ii) an electrostatic precipitator section coupled to the electrostatic precipitator section; (iii) a classifier section, wherein the electrostatic precipitator section is coupled to the classifier section; and (iv) an outlet, wherein the classifier section is coupled to the outlet; a high voltage classifier plate positioned within the classifier section; and a classifier component positioned within the classifier section opposite the high voltage classifier plate, wherein the classifier component comprises sensing circuitry configured to detect particles in the classifier section, and wherein the classifier section comprises a two-sided printed circuit board, wherein the two-sided printed circuit board comprises the sensing circuitry, and wherein a first side of the two-sided printed circuit board comprises a plurality of

Abstract: A device for additive manufacturing of an object. The device includes: a first probe configured to form the object; and a work-hardening second probe, where the work-hardening second probe is an ultrasonic probe, and further where the second probe is configured to emit ultrasonic energy to modify a substructure of the object during manufacture; wherein the first probe is configured to increase a temperature of at least a portion of a first layer of the object facing the first probe, to a first depth; and wherein the second probe is configured to work-harden the at least a portion of the first layer of the object facing the first probe, to a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

Abstract: Specific elements of the Urb&GO ecosystem include a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that is convertible between a driveable mode and a stowable mode where the height of the roof area of the vehicle is lowered when the vehicle is stowed. The stowable mode reduces the volume of the BEV allowing for the storage of more vehicles per cubic feet of storage or parking space. The infrastructure for the BEV includes various configurations for charging and storage facilities. The charging facilities may include wind turbines; solar polar of other renewable power. The proposed Urb&GO concept reduces traffic and congestion and eliminates exhaust fumes reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The “Park & Ride” idea can be used to allow people to use Urb&GO Vehicles to commute to the city. Customer and public ownership and leasing study options are possible with this concept.

Abstract: A composite magnetic matrix comprising a porous metal-organic framework (MOF) and a plurality of molecular magnets, where a plurality of pores of the MOF each comprise one of the plurality of molecular magnets, and where the each of the plurality of molecular magnets retains its magnetic properties in the matrix. The molecular magnet may be, for example, a single-molecule magnet or a single-chain magnet. For example, the composite magnetic matrix Mn12Ac@MOF comprises Mn12O12(O2CCH3)16(OH2)4 (Mn12Ac) as the single-molecule magnet and [Al(OH)(SDC)]n (H2SDC=4,4?-stilbenedicarboxylic acid) (CYCU-3) as the porous metal-organic framework.

Abstract: Solid, or highly viscous, organic electrolytes consisting of alkylimidazolium cation with alkyl, PEGylated and fluorinated side chains of different molecular weights were synthesized and characterized (cf. chemical structures in Schemes 1 and 2). The PEGylated/fluorinated imidazolium iodide is a solid organic electrolyte that has a conductivity of about 2×10?5 S/cm at 30° C. The ionic conductivity could be significantly increased (1.11×10?4 S/cm at 30° C. and S/cm at 2.88×10?3 at 90° C.) by blending the PEGylated/fluorinated imidazolium iodide with another solid electrolyte, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (EtMlml). The PEGylated imidazolium iodides synthesized in the present work have conductivities in the range 1.6×10?4 S/cm to 2×10?4 S/cm at 30° C. and viscosities in the range 620 cP to 720 cP at 30° C. The iodide counter ion in the present electrolytes supplies the anion for the I?/I3? redox mediators for DSSCs.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for the selective derivatization of a oligohistidine-tagged recombinant protein. A modifying compound comprised of an imidazole reactive group, a linker, and a ligating group is contacted with the recombinant protein, and a cooperative bond forms between the ligating group and the oligohistidine tag in the presence of a metal cation, and a covalent bond forms between the imidazole reactive group and an imidazole ring of the oligohistidine tag followed by the concomitant separation of the imidazole reactive group from the linker. Addition of a metal chelator results in the dissociation of the ligating group and the oligohistidine tag.

Abstract: A device and system for coupling light into and out of a photonic integrated circuit. The forked grating coupler device applies a forked grating structure to the design of the diffracting lines in an integrated optics grating coupler to make the device compatible with vortex light beams to or from free space, bulk optics, or special optical fiber that can propagate vortex modes. These diffracting lines, which can be grooves, or ridges, or a photonic metamaterial discontinuity arranged in a continuous or intermittent curve, follow the forked diffraction pattern lobes over a two-dimensional surface. The resulting device can therefore absorb or radiate a vortex beam mode at near-normal incidence to a PIC and transform that vortex mode to a transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) waveguide mode traveling along a slab or strip optical waveguide parallel to the surface of the IC.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method including hardware and software, which allows collecting and analyzing of data to obtain information about mechanical properties of soft materials. This allows surface mapping of viscoelastic properties in a high-resolution and fast manner. It also allows finding the degree of nonlinearity of the material response of the sample during the measurements. The apparatus can be used as a stand-alone device, or an add-on to either the existing atomic force microscope or nanoindenter device.

Abstract: An electrical discharge plasma reactor system for treating a liquid, a gas, and/or a suspension. The reactor system includes a reactor chamber configured to hold the liquid and a gas, a discharge electrode disposed within the gas of the reactor chamber, a non-discharge electrode disposed within the liquid, a gas diffuser disposed within the liquid and configured to induce the generation of a layer of foam on the surface of the liquid in a plasma-contact region, and a power supply connected to the discharge electrode and configured to induce the discharge electrode to generate plasma in the plasma-contact region.

Abstract: A method for polishing tooth surface which eases removal of a bacterial film later grown on the polished surface. The method includes the steps of providing a providing a toothpaste or slurry comprising a plurality of inorganic abrasive particles smaller than 100 nm in size, the inorganic abrasive particles comprising one or more of silica, ceria, titania, zirconia, silicon nitrite, and silica carbide, wherein the inorganic abrasive particles are sufficiently hard to be abrasive; and polishing a tooth surface with the toothpaste or slurry to attain an ultra-smooth tooth surface which can be easily cleaned.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for performing uncertainty calculations. For example, a first numeric value and an error range associated with the first numeric value is converted by a processor into a dual number, which is then converted into an input chordal, where the input chordal is both a numeric and a geometric form of the dual number. A chordal calculation is performed using the input chordal to create an output chordal, and the processor then converts the output chordal to an output numeric value that comprises both a number and an error range associated with that number.

Abstract: Solid, or highly viscous, organic electrolytes consisting of alkylimidazolium cation with alkyl, PEGylated and fluorinated side chains of different molecular weights were synthesized and characterized (cf. chemical structures in Schemes 1 and 2). The PEGylated/fluorinated imidazolium iodide is a solid organic electrolyte that has a conductivity of about 2×10?5 S/cm at 30° C. The ionic conductivity could be significantly increased (1.11×10?4 S/cm at 30° C. and S/cm at 2.88×10?3 at 90° C.) by blending the PEGylated/fluorinated imidazolium iodide with another solid electrolyte, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (EtMImI). The PEGylated imidazolium iodides synthesized in the present work have conductivities in the range 1.6×10?4 S/cm to 2×10?4 S/cm at 30° C. and viscosities in the range 620 cP to 720 cP at 30° C. The iodide counter ion in the present electrolytes supplies the anion for the I?/I3? redox mediators for DSSCs.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus that satisfies the need for a bioelectronic tongue for food allergy detection. The method of detecting concentration of food allergen incorporates antibodies into an electronic tongue to create a bioelectronic tongue. Additionally the method uses impedance, capacitance, and/or other related electrochemical methods for detecting analyte in complex media. Furthermore the method additionally includes methods to subtract out non-specific interactions. The method also subtracts non-specific interactions. The device/apparatus is a Bioelectronic Tongue for detecting allergen in diluted food samples. The device includes: a sensor array; an impedance or capacitance analyzer; a preprocessor; a feature extractor; a pattern recognizer; and an output device indicating an allergen concentration.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing ultrabright fluorescent silica particles with hydrophilic functional groups, comprising the steps of: (i) forming a first mixture comprising a plurality of nano-sized silica particles and a gelation agent; (ii) forming a second mixture by combining the first mixture with a surfactant, a plurality of fluorescent dye molecules, and water, wherein fluorescent dye molecules are encapsulated within a plurality of pores of the nano-sized silica particles; (iii) forming a third mixture by adding a co-source of silica to the second mixture, wherein the co-source of silica prevents leakage of the encapsulated fluorescent dye molecules from the pores of the nano-sized silica particles and provides hydrophilic functional groups to the silica particles while preserving the fluorescence of the silica particles; (iv) optional further functionalization of the obtained nanoparticles with functional molecules, exemplified by carboxylic groups and folic acid, and (v) removing excess fluorescent dye fr

Abstract: An adjustable length orthopedic device and system. According to one embodiment, the adjustable length orthopedic device or system comprises an elongated shaft with a longitudinal axis, and an adjustable portion extending from a proximal end of the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis. The adjustable length orthopedic device further comprises at least one hole in a distal end portion of the device, where the hole is adapted for insertion of a pin through the device and into the bone in order to anchor the device to the bone. According to another embodiment is a lag screw extending from a proximal end of the elongated shaft at an angle oblique to the longitudinal axis, the lag screw comprising a lag screw shaft segment, and an adjustable segment that extends from the proximal end of the shaft segment. According to another embodiment is an adjustable length locking screw.