Abstract: A wet method for forming a nanocellulose or microcellulose reinforced polymer composite, comprising: providing an aqueous nanocellulose or microcellulose comprising a water content from 70 to 99.5 weight % water; adding 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol to the aqueous nanocellulose or microcellulose, forming a first combination; removing at least some water from the first combination, forming a second combination comprising 5-20 weight % water or 8-12 weight % water; adding the second combination to a nylon, wherein the nylon has a melting point above 200° C.; mixing the second combination and the thermoplastic resin while evaporating water from the second combination; and forming a nanocellulose or microcellulose-reinforced polymer composite. The produced composite has improved mechanical and environmental properties such as modulus, yield strength, and elongation at break. The method does not comprise any milling or pulverizing of the nanocellulose or microcellulose.

Abstract: The present invention provides a humidity tolerant CO2 generator that operates in combination with an arthropod trap. The CO2 generator comprises a means for controllably adding solid pellets to an aqueous acid solution, and optionally includes a sound-based counting system for counting the number of pellets dispensed from a feeder reservoir and into a reaction chamber. The invention also provides a method of using the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a humidity tolerant CO2 generator that operates in combination with an arthropod trap. The CO2 generator comprises a means for controllably adding solid pellets to an aqueous acid solution, and optionally includes a sound-based counting system for counting the number of pellets dispensed from a feeder reservoir and into a reaction chamber. The invention also provides a method of using the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining the functionality remaining in a functional fabric, the method comprising the steps of: providing a used functional fabric having a known original functionality, a current wear, and a current unknown functionality, providing a light source, providing a detector, optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector, and evaluating the current unknown functionality using a correlation that expresses the current unknown functionality as a function of the current wear, optionally the detector further comprises a digital camera, and wherein the method further comprises the step of: obtaining a magnified image of the functional fabric and quantifying the fractal dimension using a box-method fractal analysis on the image. The method may be applied the insecticide treated fabrics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining the functionality remaining in a functional fabric, the method comprising the steps of: providing a functional fabric having a known original functionality, a current wear, and a current unknown functionality, providing a light source, providing a detector, optically measuring the current wear using the light source and the detector, and evaluating the current unknown functionality using a correlation that expresses the current unknown functionality as a function of the current wear, optionally the detector further comprises a digital camera, and wherein the method further comprises the step of: obtaining an image of the functional fabric and quantifying the fractal dimension using a box-method fractal analysis on the image. The method may be applied the insecticide treated fabrics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for detecting a presence of an analyte in a fluid medium. Specifically, the present invention provides a detection probe comprising an analyte affinity compound which has a higher affinity for the analyte in a fluid medium than the fluid medium itself. In this manner, the analyte in the fluid medium is concentrated onto the detection probe. The present invention also provides a method for using the same in qualitative or quantitative analysis of the analyte in a fluid medium.