Abstract: Method for the preparation of carbon fiber, which comprises: (i) immersing functionalized polyvinyl precursor fiber into a liquid solution having a boiling point of at least 60° C.; (ii) heating the liquid solution to a first temperature of at least 25° C. at which the functionalized precursor fiber engages in an elimination-addition equilibrium while a tension of at least 0.1 MPa is applied to the fiber; (iii) gradually raising the first temperature to a final temperature that is at least 20° C. above the first temperature and up to the boiling point of the liquid solution for sufficient time to convert the functionalized precursor fiber to a pre-carbonized fiber; and (iv) subjecting the pre-carbonized fiber produced according to step (iii) to high temperature carbonization conditions to produce the final carbon fiber. Articles and devices containing the fibers, including woven and non-woven mats or paper forms of the fibers, are also described.

Abstract: A method of making a single crystal comprises heating a material comprising magnetic anisotropy to a temperature T sufficient to form a melt of the material. A magnetic field of at least about 1 Tesla is applied to the melt at the temperature T, where a magnetic free energy difference ?Gm between different crystallographic axes is greater than a thermal energy kT. While applying the magnetic field, the melt is cooled at a rate of about 30° C./min or higher, and the melt solidifies to form a single crystal of the material.

Abstract: A method of drying casted slurries that includes calculating drying conditions from an experimental model for a cast slurry and forming a cast film. An infrared heating probe is positioned on one side of the casted slurry and a thermal probe is positioned on an opposing side of the casted slurry. The infrared heating probe may control the temperature of the casted slurry during drying. The casted slurry may be observed with an optical microscope, while applying the drying conditions from the experimental model. Observing the casted slurry includes detecting the incidence of micro-structural changes in the casted slurry during drying to determine if the drying conditions from the experimental model are optimal.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery includes a positive electrode comprising carbon fibers, a binder composition with conductive carbon, and a lithium rich composition. The lithium rich composition comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Li1+x(My MzII MwIII)O2 where x+y+z=1, and xLi2MnO3(1?x)LiMO2, where x=0.2-0.7, and where M, MII and MIII are interchangeably manganese, nickel and cobalt, and LiM2?xMxIIO4 , where M and MII are manganese and nickel, respectively, with x=0.5. A negative electrode comprises carbon fibers having bound thereto silicon nanoparticles, and a mesophase pitch derived carbon binder between the silicon nanoparticles and the carbon fibers. An electrolyte is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Methods of making positive and negative electrodes are also disclosed.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes a lithium, manganese, nickel, and oxygen containing compound. An electrolyte is disposed between the anode and the cathode. A protective layer is deposited between the cathode and the electrolyte. The protective layer includes pure lithium phosphorus oxynitride and variations that include metal dopants such as Fe, Ti, Ni, V, Cr, Cu, and Co. A method for making a cathode and a method for operating a battery are also disclosed.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of making are provided for treated mesoporous metal oxide microspheres electrodes. The compositions comprise (a) microspheres with an average diameter between 200 nanometers (nm) and 10 micrometers (?m); (b) mesopores on the surface and interior of the microspheres, wherein the mesopores have an average diameter between 1 nm and 50 nm and the microspheres have a surface area between 50 m2/g and 500 m2/g, and wherein the composition has an electrical conductivity of at least 1×10?7 S/cm at 25° C. and 60 MPa. The methods of making comprise forming a mesoporous metal oxide microsphere composition and treating the mesoporous metal oxide microspheres by at least one method selected from the group consisting of: (i) annealing in a reducing atmosphere, (ii) doping with an aliovalent element, and (iii) coating with a coating composition.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of making are provided for coated electrodes and batteries comprising the same. The compositions may comprise a base composition having an active material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, Li2MnO3, LiNiO2, LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4, LiFePO4, Li2FePO4F, Li3CoNiMnO6, Li(LiaNixMnyCoz)O2, and mixtures thereof. The compositions may also comprise a coating composition that covers at least a portion of the base composition, wherein the coating composition comprises a non-metal or metalloid element. The methods of making comprise providing the base composition and a doped carbon coating composition, and mixing the coating composition with the base electrode composition at an elevated temperature in a flowing inert gas atmosphere.

Abstract: Scanning probe microscopy may include a method for generating a band excitation (BE) signal and simultaneously exciting a probe at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal. A response of the probe is measured across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band and the excitation signal is adjusted based on the measured response.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of removing scar tissue from an eye that includes inserting a device including an array of micro-rods into an eye, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of glass micro-rods includes a sharp feature; contacting a scar tissue with the array of micro-rods; and removing the array of micro-rods and the scar tissue from the eye. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a medical device for engaging a tissue including and an array of glass micro-rods, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of glass micro-rods includes a sharp feature opposite a base of the array of glass micro-rods that is connected to the cannula, wherein the sharp feature of the at least one micro-rod is angled from a plane that is normal to a face of the base of the array of glass micro-rods.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for performing combined neutron and gamma ray radiography. For example, one exemplary system comprises: a neutron source; a set of alpha particle detectors configured to detect alpha particles associated with neutrons generated by the neutron source; neutron detectors positioned to detect at least some of the neutrons generated by the neutron source; a gamma ray source; a set of verification gamma ray detectors configured to detect verification gamma rays associated with gamma rays generated by the gamma ray source; a set of gamma ray detectors configured to detect gamma rays generated by the gamma ray source; and an interrogation region located between the neutron source, the gamma ray source, the neutron detectors, and the gamma ray detectors.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of converting biomass to biofuel, and particularly to a consolidated bioproces sing method using a co-culture of thermophilic and extremely thermophilic microorganisms which collectively can ferment the hexose and pentose sugars produced by degradation of cellulose and hemicelluloses at high substrate conversion rates. A culture medium therefor is also provided as well as use of the methods to produce and recover cellulosic ethanol.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of making are provided for mesoporous metal oxide microspheres electrodes. The mesoporous metal oxide microsphere compositions comprise (a) microspheres with an average diameter between 200 nanometers (nm) and 10 micrometers (?m); (b) mesopores on the surface and interior of the microspheres, wherein the mesopores have an average diameter between 1 nm and 50 nm and the microspheres have a surface area between 50 m2/g and 500 m2/g. The methods of making comprise forming composite powders. The methods may also comprise refluxing the composite powders in a basic solution to form an etched powder, washing the etched powder with an acid to form a hydrated metal oxide, and heat-treating the hydrated metal oxide to form mesoporous metal oxide microspheres.

Abstract: A measuring system includes an input that emulates a bandpass filter with no signal reflections. A directional coupler connected to the input passes the filtered input to electrically isolated measuring circuits. Each of the measuring circuits includes an amplifier that amplifies the signal through logarithmic functions. The output of the measuring system is an accurate high dynamic range measurement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for synthesizing continuous graphene sheets are provided. The systems and methods include passing a catalyst substrate through a heated chemical vapor deposition chamber and exposing the substrate to a reaction gas mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon at a preselected location within the chamber. The reaction gas mixture can include hydrogen having a partial pressure of between about 0 Torr and 20 Torr, hydrocarbon having a partial pressure of between about 20 mTorr and about 10 Torr, and one or more buffer gases. The buffer gases can include argon or other noble gases to maintain atmospheric pressure within the chemical deposition chamber. The resulting graphene can be made with continuous mono and multilayers (up to six layers) and have single crystalline hexagonal grains with a preselected nucleation density and domain size for a range of applications.

Abstract: Collective buffering and data pattern solutions are provided for storage, retrieval, and/or analysis of data in a collective parallel processing environment. For example, a method can be provided for data storage in a collective parallel processing environment. The method comprises receiving data to be written for a plurality of collective processes within a collective parallel processing environment, extracting a data pattern for the data to be written for the plurality of collective processes, generating a representation describing the data pattern, and saving the data and the representation.

Abstract: An orthogonally referenced integrated ensemble for navigation and timing includes a dual-polyhedral oscillator array, including an outer sensing array of oscillators and an inner clock array of oscillators situated inside the outer sensing array. The outer sensing array includes a first pair of sensing oscillators situated along a first axis of the outer sensing array, a second pair of sensing oscillators situated along a second axis of the outer sensing array, and a third pair of sensing oscillators situated along a third axis of the outer sensing array. The inner clock array of oscillators includes a first pair of clock oscillators situated along a first axis of the inner clock array, a second pair of clock oscillators situated along a second axis of the inner clock array, and a third pair of clock oscillators situated along a third axis of the inner clock array.

Abstract: A carbon monolith includes a robust carbon monolith characterized by a skeleton size of at least 100 nm, and a hierarchical pore structure having macropores and mesopores.

Abstract: A system and method of integrating diverse sources of data and data streams is presented. The method can include selecting a scenario based on a topic, creating a multi-relational directed graph based on the scenario, identifying and converting resources in accordance with the scenario and updating the multi-directed graph based on the resources, identifying data feeds in accordance with the scenario and updating the multi-directed graph based on the data feeds, identifying analytical routines in accordance with the scenario and updating the multi-directed graph using the analytical routines and identifying data outputs in accordance with the scenario and defining queries to produce the data outputs from the multi-directed graph.

Abstract: A nanostructure including a pair of pointed metallic tips in proximity to each other. The pair of pointed metallic tips protrudes from a planar top surface of a substrate by a pair of pillar structures. The pair of pointed metallic tips can enhance optical scattering of materials placed therebetween through plasmonic electromagnetic field effects induced by the proximity of the pair of pointed metallic tips. Perturbation or interference from the substrate can be minimized through the increased distance from the substrate. The pair of pointed metallic tips can be formed by patterning a pair of adhesion material portions on a substrate, by vertically and laterally recessing regions that are not covered by the adhesion material portions, and by depositing a metal on the pair of adhesion material portions.

Abstract: A method of making a battery electrode includes the steps of dispersing an active electrode material and a conductive additive in water with at least one dispersant to create a mixed dispersion; treating a surface of a current collector to raise the surface energy of the surface to at least the surface tension of the mixed dispersion; depositing the dispersed active electrode material and conductive additive on a current collector; and heating the coated surface to remove water from the coating.