Abstract: Bioplastics may be produced from starch having an amylopectin content by enzymatically cleaving substantially only ?-1,6 bonds of the amylopectin in the starch, leaving the ?-1,4 bonds substantially intact. The plastic may be biodegradable, and may be edible if a non-toxic plasticizer is used. Methods for producing the plastic are also disclosed.

Abstract: Light is introduced into a tissue sample. The resulting light that passes through the tissue sample may be spectrally analyzed to determine its intensity at a number of frequencies. From these intensities, a chemical nature of the tissue sample may be determined. By performing this process one or more times, a three-dimensional representation of the morphology of the tissue sample can be developed, and this representation may be used to determine whether the tissue sample is healthy or abnormal.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for methods and devices for filtering undesired particles from a medium by bonding the undesired particles to attachment particles. In some embodiments, the methods include receiving a plurality of attachment particles into a volume, where the volume contains a plurality of undesired particles and the medium. The method may also include contacting the plurality of attachment particles and the plurality of undesired particles contained in the medium, resulting in formation of bonded particles in the medium. Contacting may result in collisions, causing bonding between some undesired particles and some attachment particles. Some embodiments of the method also include removing at least a portion of the medium and bonded particles from the volume through a filter coupled to the volume with an exhaust, the filter configured to capture the bonded particles while allowing the medium to pass through.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for methods and devices for filtering undesired particles from a medium by bonding the undesired particles to attachment particles. In some embodiments, the methods include receiving a plurality of attachment particles into a volume, where the volume contains a plurality of undesired particles and the medium. The method may also include contacting the plurality of attachment particles and the plurality of undesired particles contained in the medium, resulting in formation of bonded particles in the medium. Contacting may result in collisions, causing bonding between some undesired particles and some attachment particles. Some embodiments of the method also include removing at least a portion of the medium and bonded particles from the volume through a filter coupled to the volume with an exhaust, the filter configured to capture the bonded particles while allowing the medium to pass through.

Abstract: Light is introduced into a tissue sample. The resulting light that passes through the tissue sample may be spectrally analyzed to determine its intensity at a number of frequencies. From these intensities, a chemical nature of the tissue sample may be determined. By performing this process one or more times, a three-dimensional representation of the morphology of the tissue sample can be developed, and this representation may be used to determine whether the tissue sample is healthy or abnormal.

Abstract: A doping gun may be used to dope the coating layer of a bonded material with magnetically-sensitive particles. During a recycling process, pieces of the coating layer may be magnetically separated from non-doped pieces of the bonded material. In this way, the non-doped pieces are of a relatively high purity level. Then, these non-doped pieces can be recycled with an improved yield.