Abstract: There remains an unmet need for methods to efficiently concentrate and isolate small particles, such as nano-sized and micron-sized particles. The methods herein provide means to fulfill this need through the combination of two independent particle-concentrating mechanisms, yielding unprecedented control, confinement, and concentration enhancement ability. The method is carried out in a reversible and spatially controllable manner. Useful applications include diagnostics and bioparticle separation, material science and research uses, among other uses.

Abstract: A method of bonding a capillary tube made of a thermally deformable material to a passage in a glass wafer comprising the steps of treating the surface of the capillary tube to render the surface bondable and wettable by a conventional epoxy resin; inserting a support inside the capillary to prevent inward deformation of the capillary during subsequent fabricating steps; inserting the supported capillary inside the port on the wafer; heating an end of the capillary proximate a bottom portion of the port to effect melting of a portion of the heated end of the capillaries; moving the melted end of the capillary into contact with a wall of the port at a desired location for the capillary in the port, thus forming a temporary seal between the capillary and the wall of the port; and introducing an epoxy around the capillary to bind the capillary to the wafer.

Abstract: A symmetrical quantum well active layer provides enhanced internal quantum efficiency. The quantum well active layer includes an inner (central) layer and a pair of outer layers sandwiching the inner layer. The inner and outer layers have different thicknesses and bandgap characteristics. The outer layers are relatively thick and include a relatively low bandgap material, such as InGaN. The inner layer has a relatively lower bandgap material and is sufficiently thin to act as a quantum well delta layer, e.g., comprising approximately 6 ? or less of InN. Such a quantum well structure advantageously extends the emission wavelength into the yellow/red spectral regime, and enhances spontaneous emission. The multi-layer quantum well active layer is sandwiched by barrier layers of high bandgap materials, such as GaN.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes a LDMOS transistor having a source, a drain, a control gate and a shielding electrode positioned between the control gate and the drain, and means for adaptively biasing the drain and shielding electrode power information for a RF signal.

Abstract: A conventional semiconductor LED is modified to include a microlenslayer 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: 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: A III-nitride based device provides improved current injection efficiency by reducing thermionic carrier escape at high current density. The device includes a quantum well active layer and a pair of multi-layer barrier layers arranged symmetrically about the active layer. Each multi-layer barrier layer includes an inner layer abutting the active layer; and an outer layer abutting the inner layer. The inner barrier layer has a bandgap greater than that of the outer barrier layer. Both the inner and the outer barrier layer have bandgaps greater than that of the active layer. InGaN may be employed in the active layer, AlInN, AlInGaN or AlGaN may be employed in the inner barrier layer, and GaN may be employed in the outer barrier layer. Preferably, the inner layer is thin relative to the other layers. In one embodiment the inner barrier and active layers are 15 ? and 24 ? thick, respectively.

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: Nano-size particles of calcium dioxide and magnesium dioxide for remediation of contaminated water or soil and processes for preparing and using nano-size particles of calcium dioxide and magnesium dioxide.

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: An optical device includes first and second optical branches. The first optical branch is formed at an interface between a first substrate and a second substrate, and the second optical branch is formed at an interface between the second substrate and an ambient medium. The second substrate defines first and second spaced apart slits that are each coupled to the first and second optical branches. The first slit is configured to receive at least partially coherent light from a light source and in response excite at least one surface plasmon polariton mode in each of the first and second optical branches. The second slit is configured to combine the surface plasmon polariton modes received from the first and second optical branches and emit scattered light into at least one of the first substrate and the ambient medium.

Abstract: Provided herein is a hydrothermal process for the rapid synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials (e.g., nanofibers) containing sodium, bismuth, titanium, and oxygen, as well as new compositions made thereby. The process involves heating an aqueous solution or suspension of suitable salts of aforementioned elements at elevated temperature and pressure under constant stirring in a hermetically sealed vessel for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., less than two hours). The powder thus obtained contains nanofibers of rectangular cross-section, with the smallest fibers typically have a cross section of 16 nm×40 nm. Example fibers made by such processes have an aspect ratio exceeding 200.

Abstract: The present invention concerns conjugate compounds comprising a bisphosphonate covalently bonded to a prostatic acid phosphatase inhibitor and compositions comprising such conjugates. Methods for treating and inhibiting prostate cancer bone metastases, and determining whether a conjugate is useful for such treatment are also provided. In some instances, the bisphosphonate is alendronate, and it is covalently bonded to either tartaric acid or glyceric acid.

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 hardware efficient bilinear algorithms and methods to compute MDCT/IMDCT of 2?n and 4.3?n points. The algorithms and methods for composite lengths have practical applications in MP3 audio encoding and decoding. The MDT/IMDCT can be converted to type-IV discrete cosine transforms (DCT-IV). Using group theory, the methods decomposes DCT-IV transform kernel matrix into groups of cyclic and Hankel product matrices. Bilinear algorithms are then applied to efficiently evaluate these groups. When implemented in VLSI, bilinear algorithms have improved the critical path delays over existing solutions. For MPEG-1/2 layer III (MP3) audio, proposed herein are several different versions of unified hardware architectures for both the short and long blocks and the forward and inverse transforms.

Abstract: Provided herein are conductive glass-metal compositions, as well as methods of making and using such compositions. In one example, the compositions include gold (Au) doped lithium-borate glasses shown to exhibit a transition from ionic to electronic conduction within the same sample. This is achieved via appropriate heat treatment, and particularly by heat treatment after annealing, wherein the post-annealing heat treatment is performed at temperatures below the glass transition temperature (Tg). The methods described herein are believed to introducing polarons formed from the trapping of electrons at partially ionized gold atoms. This unique electrical response provides new functionality to this class of nanocomposites. Additionally, increased thermal conductivity can be provided to an otherwise low conductive glass composition using the inventive methods and other subject matter provided herein.

Abstract: The invention relates to stretch measurements of nucleic acids and correlating those measurements to the extent of double- and single-stranded content of a nucleic acid of interest, and to compositions, systems, and devices related thereto. In preferred embodiments, one performs the stretch or elasticity measurements under conditions such that one can determine a nucleic acid sequence or the presence of an oligonucleotide in a sample.

Abstract: A circuit includes a first transistor in a common-collector configuration and a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) in a common-emitter configuration. The first transistor has a base coupled to an input node for receiving a pulsed signal. A collector of the first transistor is coupled to a first voltage source node. A base of the HBT is coupled to an emitter of the first transistor. A collector of the HBT is coupled to a second voltage source node configured to bias the HBT normally off. The HBT operating isothermally when the pulsed signal has a short-pulse width and a low duty cycle. The first transistor drives the HBT when the pulsed signal is received at the base of the first transistor to output an amplified pulsed signal at the collector of the HBT.

Abstract: A light emitting device comprising a staggered composition quantum well.

Abstract: Provided herein are new compact and miniature oxygen concentrator apparatus, as well as methods incorporating use of the apparatus. The apparatus and methods utilize selected cycle times, adsorbent specifications and novel conditions to produce a fast Pressure Swing Adsorption (“PSA”) system. The oxygen concentrator apparatus and methods herein have significant utility in the fields of biotechnology, engineering, and medicine. A particularly advantageous use of this invention is as a “snap on” portable oxygen concentrator, where piped compressed air is already available such as in civil and military hospitals, ambulances, air craft cabins, mobile fish tanks, etc. Those embodiments eliminate the need for dedicated moving machinery (blower, compressor, vacuum pump) normally associated with a conventional PSA oxygen concentrator.