Abstract: Systems and methods for the treatment of a gas are provided. A method includes providing multiple discharge chambers defined by dielectric sections, where each of the discharge chambers comprises sets of electrodes for producing electric fields in the discharge chambers, where the dielectric sections and the sets of electrodes are arranged to define a volume that inhibits the formation of volume-streamers and the discharge chambers are configured to either prevent pulsed electric fields generated in adjacent discharge chambers from substantially interacting or to allow interaction in constructive way. The method also includes directing the gas into the discharge chambers and treating the gas using a corona discharge in the discharge chambers produced by a pulsed electric field generated by each of the sets of the first and second electrodes in the discharge chambers, where the pulsed electric field is configured to produce the corona discharge to have surface-streamers and volume-streamers.

Abstract: Methods of enhancing membrane permeabilization in a cell are provided. A method includes disposing the cell between a first electrode and a second electrode and applying a plurality of electrical pulses between the first electrode and the second electrode. In the method, the plurality of electrical pulses include at least two trains of pulses separated by an interval greater than about 10 s. Further, the amplitude of the electrical pulses is selected to be greater than about 0.2 kV/cm.

Abstract: A nanoparticle translocation device includes a first reservoir having a first reservoir electrode, a second reservoir having a second reservoir electrode, and at least one nanopore providing fluid communication between the first and second reservoirs. The device also includes one or more inner electrode portions on an inner wall of the nanopore and one or more outer electrode portions disposed on an outer wall of the nanopore. The device further includes at least one DC voltage supply for selectively applying a DC voltage to each of the first reservoir electrode, the second reservoir electrode, and the outer electrode layer, where the inner electrode portions, the outer electrode portions, and the nanopore are in a substantially coaxial arrangement.

Abstract: A microhollow cathode discharge assembly capable of generating a low temperature, atmospheric pressure plasma micro jet is disclosed. The microhollow assembly has two electrodes: an anode and a cathode separated by a dielectric. A microhollow gas passage is disposed through the three layers. In some embodiments, the passage is tapered such that the area at the first electrode is larger than the area at the second electrode. When a potential is placed across the electrodes and a gas is directed through the gas passage, then a low temperature micro plasma jet can be created at atmospheric pressure or above.

Abstract: A variety of article and systems including wound care systems, methods for making the wound care systems, bactericidal, and methods for treating wounds using these systems are disclosed. The wound care systems may include a first material comprising one or more fibers or porous media. The one or more fibers or porous media may be coated with a second material that is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacteria to render the wound care system sterile, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both upon exposure to light. The first material may be cotton, or any suitable fibrous material, the second material may be TiO2, and the light may be UV or visible light. A variety of methods including ALD may be used to coat the first material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for treating or manipulating biological tissues are provided. In the systems and methods, a biological tissue is placed in contact with an array of electrodes. Electrical pulses are then applied between a bias voltage bus and a reference voltage bus of a distributor having switching elements associated with each of the electrodes. The switching elements provide a first contact position for coupling electrodes to bias voltage bus, a second contact position for coupling electrodes to the reference voltage bus, and a third contact position for isolating electrodes from the high and reference voltage buses. The switching elements are operated over various time intervals to provide the first contact position for first electrodes, a second contact position for second electrodes adjacent to the first electrodes, and a third contact position for a remainder of the electrodes adjacent to the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: A plasma generator having a dielectric body; a first end wall and a second end wall attached or coupled to each end of the dielectric body to define a cavity within the dielectric body, and wherein the second end wall includes at least one discharge aperture formed therein; at least one gas inlet formed proximate the first end of the dielectric body; at least one anode located within the cavity of the dielectric body, wherein the at least one anode includes at least one anode aperture; at least one hollow discharge nozzle associated with each discharge aperture, and extending from the second end wall to a nozzle aperture, such that when a generated plasma is produced, the generated plasma flows through each discharge aperture, each associated discharge nozzles, and each associated nozzle aperture; and at least one cathode formed at least substantially around a portion of each discharge nozzle.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol-related products. One process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing glycerol and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment. Another process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing a glycerol and tetramethylammonium hydroxide to a substantially oxygen free environment.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol related products. One process comprises introducing a biomass and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment, hydrolyzing at a temperature at or above 200° C. one or more lipid glycerides in the biomass, methylating one or more fatty acids in the biomass with methyl groups from the alkylation reagent, wherein the hydrolyzing and methylating occur contemporaneously and separating resulting biodiesel and methylated glycerol-related products from a residue of the biomass by condensation.

Abstract: Methods of fractionating proteins and lipids in algae are provided. The methods can extract peptides and amino acids from algae, can produce components used in food or fertilizer, and can improve algal biomass feed for biofuel production, as non-limiting examples. One embodiment of a method as disclosed herein comprises providing a feed material of algae saturated with water to a reactor, bringing the water saturating the algae to a subcritical temperature within the reactor and separating a reactor effluent into solids and liquid.

Abstract: A system for measuring normal load and deflection of a material that includes a portable load deflection device and a method of using the same is disclosed. The system includes a support arm having a first end and a second end opposite said first end. The first end can be attached to a base surface. The support arm can provides at least three degrees of freedom of movement and includes at least one sensor for determining a position of the second end. A uniaxial load cell can be operably attached to the second end. The system can also include a processing system operable to receive position data and corresponding force data when the support arm is used to apply a non-normal compression force to the test surface. The data can be used to calculate normal force versus deflection data for the test surface.

Abstract: A variety of article and systems including wound care systems, methods for making the wound care systems, bactericidal, and methods for treating wounds using these systems are disclosed. The wound care systems may include a first material comprising one or more fibers or porous media. The one or more fibers or porous media may be coated with a second material that is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacteria to render the wound care system sterile, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both upon exposure to light. The first material may be cotton, or any suitable fibrous material, the second material may be TiO2, and the light may be UV or visible light. A variety of methods including ALD may be used to coat the first material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a distortion invariant system, method and computer readable medium for detecting the presence of one or more predefined targets in an input image. The input image and a synthetic discriminant function (SDF) reference image are correlated in a shift phase-encoded fringe-adjusted joint transform correlation (SPFJTC) correlator yielding a correlation output. A peak-to-clutter ratio (PCR) is determined for the correlation output and compared to a threshold value. A predefined target is present in the input image when the PCR is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes for producing glycerol-related products. One process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing glycerol and an alkylation reagent to a substantially oxygen free environment. Another process for producing glycerol-related products comprises introducing a glycerol and tetramethylammonium hydroxide to a substantially oxygen free environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for delivering an agent into a cell through the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields (“nsPEF's”). The method includes circuitry for delivery of an agent into a cell via known methods followed by the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields to said cell in order to facilitate entry of the agent into the nucleus of the cell. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of enhancing gene expression in a cell comprising the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields to said cell. An apparatus for generating long and short pulses according to the present invention is also provided. The apparatus includes a pulse generator capable of producing a first pulse having a long duration and low voltage amplitude and a second pulse having a short duration and high voltage amplitude.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is the use of terrestrial plant materials (e.g., leaves and bark) that contain biopolymer materials to produce hydrocarbon-rich crude oils that can be refined further into hydrocarbon-based biofuels, via the hydrous pyrolysis method, which involves heating to subcritical temperatures and pressures in an aqueous medium. One can also isolate the aliphatic biopolymers and utilize them as feedstocks for production of the hydrocarbon-rich crude via hydrous pyrolysis.

Abstract: A plasma generator for delivering a generated plasma to an area that is a distance from the area where the plasma is initially generated, including a dielectric tube portion extending from a gas inlet to a discharge aperture; an anode formed at least substantially around a portion of the discharge tube, wherein the anode is electrically coupled, via an electrical connection, to a power supply; a cathode formed at least substantially around a portion of the discharge tube, wherein the cathode is electrically coupled, via an electrical connection, to the power supply; and an elongate discharge tube attached or coupled to the discharge aperture such that when a generated plasma is produced, the generated plasma flows through the discharge tube.

Abstract: A device construct for lighting and display applications is fabricated from a substrate, a deposited phosphor layer over the substrate, and a layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material over the deposited layer. The layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material is a thin film that conforms to the morphology of the phosphor layer. The device is fabricated by providing a substrate, depositing a thin layer of phosphor powder on the substrate by any technique, and coating the phosphor layer with a layer of thermal and electrically-conductive luminescent material by atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: A method for generating and refining meshes for a three-dimensional domain. The method includes generating a initial Delaunay mesh; identifying selection balls whose radius-edge ratio is greater than an upper bound value; and refining the generated Delaunay mesh by inserting points within the selection balls to reduce the radius-edge ratios of all tetrahedral in the mesh below a given upper bound value. Selection balls include one-dimensional selection balls, two-dimensional selection balls, and three-dimensional selection balls. The selection balls of a lower dimension are refined before the selection balls of a higher dimension are refined.

Abstract: A projection system having a set of projectors that cast images: (i) outwards onto the concave surface of a hemispherical dome, as is usual in planetariums and (ii) inward onto the convex surface of a centrally located sphere. The images thus cast may be coordinated by a controlling computer program, so that changes in the content or orientation of the images on the sphere result in corresponding changes in the images on the dome and vice versa.