Abstract: Provided herein are connectors for use in assembling reinforced concrete structures, as well as methods of assembly using the connectors. In one embodiment, the connectors and methods provide for secure and easy connection to the butt end of any rebar rod, as well as attachment of an opposite end to another metal structure. For example, a butt portion of a connector slides over the butt portion of a rebar rod, and can include one or more sidewall openings to allow welding onto rebar that is enclosed within the butt portion of the connector. The opposite second end can include a faceplate for attaching a weld plate, thus permitting a series of connections using connectors and weld plates, among other things. The connectors provide selected properties that differ from the rebar, welds, and weld plates, such as stretch, yield strength, ultimate strength, and transfer of stress and vibration, among other things.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of performing force spectroscopy, the methods comprising the steps of providing dielectrophoretic tweezers having at least one set of macroscopic electrodes, at least one of the electrodes having a microfabricated dielectric structure comprising a microwell; depositing force probes on a surface; binding the force probes to molecules on the surface; and applying voltage across set of macroscopic electrodes to thereby manipulate the molecules. Also provided are novel apparatus for performing force spectroscopy, the apparatus comprising dielectrophoretic tweezers having at least one set of macroscopic electrodes, at least one of the electrodes having a microfabricated dielectric structure comprising a microwell.

Abstract: Provided herein are apparatus, systems and methods for use in ground construction. New ground improvement methods have been developed using pervious concrete piles, the piles having material properties of the pervious concrete, as well as positive response to different vertical loads. The methods produce piles that are superior to aggregate piles in most aspects, and that can be utilized in construction in a wider variety of soils and applications, including in geothermal heat exchange (energy pile) systems.

Abstract: A space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography apparatus and system is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a light source, a reference arm, and a sample arm. The sample arm splits the sampling light into a plurality of sampling beams which may be scanned simultaneously onto a surface of a sample. An optical delay may be introduced into the sampling beams before scanning. A plurality of reflected light signals returned from the sample is collected. In one arrangement, the signals may be combined to produce a single reflected light signal. The reflected light signal(s) and a reference signal are combined to produce an interference signal comprising data representative of digitized images captured of the actual object. In one embodiment, a single sample arm may be used for scanning and collecting image data. A related method is also provided.

Abstract: A double-metallic deposition process is used whereby adjacent layers of different metals are deposited on a substrate. The surface plasmon frequency of a base layer of a first metal is tuned by the surface plasmon frequency of a second layer of a second metal formed thereon. The amount of tuning is dependent upon the thickness of the metallic layers, and thus tuning can be achieved by varying the thicknesses of one or both of the metallic layers. In a preferred embodiment directed to enhanced LED technology in the green spectrum regime, a double-metallic Au/Ag layer comprising a base layer of gold (Au) followed by a second layer of silver (Ag) formed thereon is deposited on top of InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) on a sapphire/GaN substrate.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of synthesizing large-pore periodic mesoporous quartz. Using the methods herein, large-pore periodic mesoporous quartz has been synthesized at a lower pressure and a temperature than in any previous mesoporous crystalline method, yielding a unique mesoporous article having crystalline pore walls. For example, the methods involve modified nanocasting methods using a mesoporous starting material comprising silica, carbon as a an infiltrating pore filler, followed by application of pressure and heat sufficient to crystallize silica in the infiltrated starting material to form a mesoporous crystalline article having crystalline pore walls therein, and useful in many applications, including as a catalyst.

Abstract: Provided herein are synthetic porous electron-rich covalent organonitridic frameworks (PECONFs). The PECONFs are useful as an adsorbent class of materials. In the PECONFs, inorganic nitridic building units are interconnected via electron-rich aromatic units to form porous covalent frameworks. The frameworks include tunable porous, electron-rich organonitridic frameworks, which are determined based upon synthetic methods as exemplified herein.

Abstract: Provided herein are biocompatible scaffolds and methods of preparing such bioscaffolds. The methods provide a superior high surface area, interconnected nanomacroporous bioactive glass scaffold, by combining a sol-gel process and polymer sponge replication methods. The formation of a uniformly nanoporous and interconnected macroporous bioscaffold is demonstrated using a starting material comprising a 70 mol % SiO2—30 mol % CaO glass composition as an example. The bioscaffold includes a series of open, interconnected macropores with size from 300 to 600 ?m, as desired for tissue ingrowth and vascularization. At the same time, coexisting nanopores provide high-specific surface area (>150 m2/g), which is needed for enhancing the structure's degradation rate. These bioscaffolds hold promise for applications in hard tissue engineering.

Abstract: A light emitting device comprising a staggered composition quantum well (QW) has a step-function-like profile in the QW, which provides higher radiative efficiency and optical gain by providing improved electron-hole wavefunction overlap. The staggered QW includes adjacent layers having distinctly different compositions. The staggered QW has adjacent layers Xn wherein X is a quantum well component and in one quantum well layer n is a material composition selected for emission at a first target light regime, and in at least one other quantum well layer n is a distinctly different composition for emission at a different target light regime. X may be an In-content layer and the multiple Xn-containing a step function In-content profile.

Abstract: A conventional semiconductor LED is modified to include a microlens layer over its light-emitting surface. The LED may have an active layer including at least one quantum well layer of InGaN and GaN. The microlens layer includes a plurality of concave microstructures that cause light rays emanating from the LED to diffuse outwardly, leading to an increase in the light extraction efficiency of the LED. The concave microstructures may be arranged in a substantially uniform array, such as a close-packed hexagonal array. The microlens layer is preferably constructed of curable material, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and is formed by soft-lithography imprinting by contacting fluid material of the microlens layer with a template bearing a monolayer of homogeneous microsphere crystals, to cause concave impressions, and then curing the material to fix the concave microstructures in the microlens layer and provide relatively uniform surface roughness.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell with internal microlens array includes an anodic electrode, a cathodic counter-electrode, and an electrolyte. The anodic electrode includes a porous nano-structured active metal oxide layer having a sensitizer dye adsorbed thereon. In one embodiment, a microlens array comprising a plurality of microlens elements is disposed between the electrodes, and preferably between a transparent substrate of the anodic electrode and active metal oxide layer for dispersing light incident on the substrate to the active oxide layer. In some embodiments, the microlens elements may be convex or concave in configuration. The microlens array improves solar conversion efficiency of the solar cell. A method for forming a microlens array is further provided.

Abstract: A III-Nitride semiconductor LED provides broadband light emission, across all or most of the visible light wavelength spectrum, and a method for producing same. The LED includes a polarization field management template that has a three-dimensional patterned surface. The surface may be patterned with an array of hemispherical cavities, which may be formed by growing the template around a temporary template layer of spherical or other crystals. The method involves growing a quantum well layer on the patterned surface. The topographical variations in the patterned surface of the template cause corresponding topographical variations in the quantum well layer. These variations in spatial orientation of portions of the quantum well layer cause the polarization field of the quantum well layer to vary across the surface of the LED, which leads to energy transition shifting that provides “white” light emission across a broad wavelength spectrum.

Abstract: Polymeric anion exchanger are used as host materials in which sub-micron sized hydrated Zr(IV) oxides (HZrO) particles are irreversibly dispersed within the ion exchange medium, such as beads or fibers. The HZrO can be impregnated into the pore structure of resin by mixing the parent anion exchange resin with zirconium solution prepared by pre-calcined zirconium oxide dissolved in concentrated mixture of alcohol and acid, and then followed by precipitation of HZrO particles within the resin by using alkaline solution. Since the anion exchangers have positively charged such as quaternary ammonium functional groups, anionic ligands such as arsenate, fluoride can transport in and out of the gel phase without subjected to the Donnan exclusion effect. Consequently, anion exchanger-supported HZrO submicron particles exhibit significantly greater capacity to remove arsenic and fluoride in comparison with parent anon exchange resins.

Abstract: The use of an abbreviated GaN growth mode on nano-patterned AGOG sapphire substrates, which utilizes a process of using 15 nm low temperature GaN buffer and bypassing etch-back and recovery processes during epitaxy, enables the growth of high-quality GaN template on nano-patterned AGOG sapphire. The GaN template grown on nano-patterned AGOG sapphire by employing abbreviated growth mode has two orders of magnitude lower threading dislocation density than that of conventional GaN template grown on planar sapphire. The use of abbreviated growth mode also leads to significant reduction in cost of the epitaxy. The growths and characteristics of InGaN quantum wells (QWs) light emitting diodes (LEDs) on both templates were compared. The InGaN QWs LEDs grown on the nano-patterned AGOG sapphire demonstrated at least a 24% enhancement of output power enhancement over that of LEDs grown on conventional GaN templates.

Abstract: Provided herein are new methods and apparatus for quantitative measurement and analysis of particles, including new apparatus systems to process and detect nanoparticles in suspension. By focusing a laser beam at the center of a reservoir, nanoparticles are concentrated by optical energy, and fluorescent intensity at the focal point of the laser is measured to quantify particle concentration in the reservoir. The techniques may be applied to the analysis of suspensions of nanoparticles, including natural particles (e.g., microorganisms including whole viruses, bacteria, animal cells, and proteins) and synthetic particles (e.g., colloidal latexes, paints, pigments, and metallic or semiconductor nanoparticles) for medical and industrial applications, among others.

Abstract: A new type of solid acid catalyst, which promises better catalytic performance than conventionally prepared supported metal oxides due to its precisely synthesized nanostructure has been described. The catalyst is nanoparticulate in form and is comprised of monolayers of tungstated zirconia of the formula, WOxZryO4-2y made by impregnating a support with zirconium and tungsten. The support catalyst is further characterized in having a tugsten monolayer between greater than 0001 W/nm2 to about 30 W/nm2.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatus to remove unwanted elements in commercial powders, and particularly in commercial powders that include one or more of a crystalline ceramic oxide. The methods involve treating powders in reduced pressure atmosphere, such as a vacuum, with or without heating, for a period of time sufficient to remove impurities. Impurities and contaminants, including anionic species, are removed from the powders without any undesirable changes in the physical characteristics of the starting material, such as particle size and particle size distribution, surface area, and volume, for example. The resulting purified powder starting material can be consolidated without the need for any sintering aids such as LiF to produce nearly colorless, extremely transparent polycrystalline articles that approach identical properties and performance of single crystal spinels.

Abstract: This application relates to pharmacologically-active vanilloid compounds which are useful for the treatment of various anti-inflammatory states characterized by inhibition of FAAH, such as, Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, depression, pain, rheumatoid arthritis, pathophysiology of mood disorders, multiple sclerosis, and inflammation, or antagonism of TRPV1, such as, for example, Huntington's disease, hypertension, arthritis, allergic airway inflammation, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and neuropathic pain.

Abstract: Three unique subtypes of N-hydroxyamides and N-hydroxycarbamates containing both the vanilloid moiety (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl) and a lipophilic aliphatic moiety. Also disclosed are direct syntheses of these vanilloid fatty hydroxamates. The compounds possess inhibitory activity against the enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and matrix metallo-proteinase 9 (MMP-9). In addition, these substances bind to the calcium channel protein TRPV1 and inhibit vesicant-induced inflammation in skin and cornea. The compounds have utility in treating topical or systemic inflammatory processes in the skin and/or eye.

Abstract: A biocompatible inorganic porous material having a three-dimensional coexistent network of interconnected macro-pores and nanopores produced by the steps of mixing an organic water-soluble polymer (e.g., polyethylene oxide or a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide), an alkoxysilane, and an inorganic water-soluble calcium salt in an aqueous acid solution, such that a sol-gel process of hydrolysis and polycondensation is initiated and thereby producing a gel; drying the gel to remove solvent by evaporation; and heating the gel to remove the polymer by thermal decomposition, thereby forming an inorganic porous material, which may be suitable for use as a bone tissue scaffold.