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.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle having an apparatus mounted thereon for reducing aerodynamic drag and, more particularly, to a guide vane apparatus with an airfoil cross-section mounted to the aft portion of a tractor trailer.

Abstract: A process for abrasive-free chemical mechanical planarization of silicon thin film coated EUV mask substrates is disclosed. The process removes bumps and pits on the substrate thereby mitigating reflective errors in the mask. The process employs a two-step polishing procedure, in which the second step is abrasive-free and uses an amine or amine salt as the polishing agent.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a physiological parameter of a person using radar. The radar can be configured to obtain a radar return signal, the radar return signal received through a receive antenna and including a first physiological signal from the person. The system can also include a physiological signal sensor device, such as an ECG, comprising a sensor configured to obtain a second physiological signal from the person. A computer receives the first and second physiological signals and uses them to produce a time-locked average radar signal, the time-locked average radar signal including a physiological parameter of the person with reduced noise.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for condition monitoring of and/or fault diagnostics in solid dosage compaction presses and, more particularly, to methods and systems for real-time vibroacoustic condition monitoring of and/or fault diagnostics in solid dosage compaction presses.

Abstract: An electrical discharge plasma reactor system for inactivating one or more pathogens in a liquid. The reactor system includes a reactor chamber configured to hold the liquid, a silver discharge electrode and a non-discharge electrode disposed within the reactor chamber such that the two electrodes are in spaced, conductive communication when the liquid is inside the reactor chamber, and a power supply connected to at least one of the discharge and non-discharge electrodes and configured to induce the discharge electrode to generate plasma to at least partially inactivate one or more pathogens in the liquid.

Abstract: Methods and assay for the portable colorimetric detection of an antioxidant in a food sample. The method includes the steps of providing a colorimetric reagent, the reagent including a plurality of ceria nanoparticles immobilized to a support, contacting the colorimetric reagent with the food sample, and detecting an optical property of the colorimetric reagent, where a change in the optical property of the colorimetric reagent is associated with the presence of antioxidant in the food sample. The change in the optical property of the colorimetric reagent is dependent upon the concentration of the antioxidant in the food sample.

Abstract: A new instrument for electrical-mobility based size segregation of particles at high resolution is described. The instrument called the high-flow dual-channel differential mobility analyzer (HD-DMA) comprises of five flows: a polydisperse aerosol flow, a clean sheath flow, two monodisperse sample flows and a residual excess flow. High resolution measurements are possible because of the large sheath flowrates that are permissible in this instrument.

Abstract: A method is described for distinguishing between cancerous and normal human cells. The method includes collecting cells; preparing cells for scanning; scanning of the prepared cells by means of atomic force microscopy; processing of the obtained images through specific algorithms; wherein the algorithms allowing one to identify whether the cell is cancerous or normal.

Abstract: This invention provides a double jet process to produce silver nanoparticles, the process comprising providing a double-jet system to form a reaction mixture in a reactor containing the reactor solution by adding a basic aqueous silver ammonia complex solution and a basic reducing solution to the reactor solution at the same controlled rate with a targeted pH profile for the reactor solution from acidic to basic determined by the addition rate and the initial pH of the reactor solution. Use of this process results in a dispersion comprised of silver nanoparticles that have a specific size and de-agglomeration level that is determined by the process conditions.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to producing ultras bright fluorescent silica particles by synthesizing large nanopore silica particles with self sealed channels/pores and then stopping the synthesizing before large nanopore silica particles have been formed, wherein said sintering solution has produced nanoparticles. The large nanopore silica particles are micron size. The synthesizing is stopped by diluting said synthesizing solution with a neutralizing medium such as an aqueous solution of definite acidity of pH7 and higher an exemplary value of pH11 (sodium hydroxide). The time range for stopping the synthesizing ranges from tens of seconds to ten of minutes.

Abstract: A system for tunable removal rates and selectivity of materials during chemical-mechanical polishing using a chemical slurry or solution with increased dissolved oxygen content. The slurry can optionally include additives to improve removal rate and/or selectivity. Further selectivity can be obtained by varying the concentration and type of abrasives in the slurry, using lower operating pressure, using different pads, or using other additives in the dispersion at specific pH values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle having an apparatus mounted thereon for reducing aerodynamic drag and, more particularly, to a guide vane apparatus with an airfoil cross-section mounted to the aft portion of a tractor trailer.

Abstract: Various examples of systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for fingerprint liveness detection. Fingerprint liveness may be determined by evaluating pixels of a fingerprint image to identify pores along a ridge segment of the fingerprint image. A circular derivative operator can be used to identify the pores. Liveness of the fingerprint can be determined based upon features of the identified pores.