Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a membrane apparatus for selectively retaining and releasing target cations, such as lithium. The membrane apparatus comprises a cation exchange layer and an anion exchange layer that are coupled and configured for hydraulic communication with sufficient permselectivity to facilitate water splitting under an applied voltage. The cation exchange layer comprises a sorbing agent that has a target cation binding coefficient that is less than its hydrogen ion binding coefficient such that it may be efficiently regenerated by in situ produced hydrogen ions. Electrically regenerated ion exchange devices and methods are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recovering metal from a solution comprising a metal-selective sorbent disposed in a column. Additional embodiments provide for using a metal-selective membrane configured for selective transport, isolation, retention, and recovery of metal ions and compounds; electrodialysis and forward osmosis apparatuses to recover metal from a solution. A modular system to process a solution at a remote field site is disclosed. The process is a green process and produces limited to no industrial waste.

Abstract: A system and method for using a high-performance photoionization subsystem are disclosed. Embodiments of the present disclosure employ narrow bandwidth laser radiation to selectively excite ionizing resonant states of gaseous atoms in electric fields. This subsystem and method may be incorporated in an ion source producing ions by photoionizing gaseous atoms; the resultant ions may be employed to efficiently produce an ion beam of high brightness.

Abstract: The apparatus for filtering and dispensing drinking water is disclosed which includes a container having an interior space with a dividing wall defining a first chamber for receiving unfiltered water and a second chamber for storing filtered drinking water, wherein a passage is formed through the interior wall adjacent a bottom surface of the container to provide fluid communication between the first and second chambers, and wherein at least one multi-layered filter pack is disposed across the passage to filter water flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber under force of gravity.

Abstract: An improved erasable tattoo ink and a method and apparatus for removing tattoos using an energy transfer photodisruptive mechanism whereby efficiency of the transfer of energy from a low energy light source to a higher energy donor and then to a tattoo pigment molecule for photodecomposition of the ink color pigmentation is optimized.

Abstract: A method and a precursor for the large-scale production of upconverting nanocrystals derived from a NaYF4 host are provided. A rare earth based precursor is combined with a hydrophobic fluoride precursor, which is based upon a long-chain n-alkyl amine to form a reaction solution. The reaction solution is heated under an inert gas to temperatures above 300° C., whereby upconverting NaYF4-based nanocrystals are nucleated and grown.

Abstract: An improved system for energy transfer photopolymerization which optimizes the transfer efficiency of energy from a low energy light source to a higher energy donor and then to a polymerization initiator for the polymerization of a monomer material. The energy transfer efficiency is optimized by introducing stably miscible surface treated upconverting nanocrystal donors into a monomer matrix for near infrared to blue and ultraviolet upconversion and resonantly coupling the energy stored in the donor to the initiator via Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET).

Abstract: A relatively small amount of programmable or reprogrammable logic (pro-Logic) is included in a mostly-ASIC device so that such re/programmable logic can be used as a substitute for, or for bypassing a fault-infected ASIC block (if any) either permanently or at times when the fault-infected ASIC block is about to perform a fault-infected operation (bug-infected operation). The substitution or bypass does not have to be a permanent one that is in effect at all times for the entirety of the fault-infected ASIC block. Instead affected outputs of the faulty ASIC block can be disabled from working just at the time they would otherwise initiate or propagate an error. Such fault-infected operations of the temporarily deactivated ASIC block(s) may be substituted for by appropriately programmed pro-Logic at the appropriate times.

Abstract: More ASIC functionality is crammed into a chip (or chip set) than can probably or definitely be operative at one time when the chip is packaged and inserted into a broader circuit. The excessive ASIC functionality is chosen to cope with different market development probabilities in a host of different market spaces and a subset of the excessive ASIC functionality is programmably activated in each market space after manufacture. In one embodiment, a mega-ASIC with excessive ASIC functionality crammed into it, has a universal core as well as plurality of programmably selectable ASIC function blocks. The ASIC function blocks are programmably activatable and de-activatable so that a mass produced can quickly respond to shifting market demands.

Abstract: An electromagnetic coil is formed by spiraling a plate-like wire cluster. The plate-like wire cluster includes a plurality of conductive lines, and a normal direction of a plane of the long sides of the plate-like wire cluster in the cross-sectional view is approximately parallel to the spirally forward direction of the plate-like wire cluster. In other words, a normal direction of a wider side of the plate-like wire cluster in the cross-sectional view is approximately parallel to the spirally forward direction of the plate-like wire cluster. The plurality of conductive lines can be disposed and connected in a row to form the plate-like wire cluster. If the cross-sections of the conductive lines are rectangular, every pair of adjoining conductive lines is contacted by the long sides of the cross-sections of the conductive lines to form the plate-like wire cluster.