Abstract: A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or more processors, in which the processor(s) are programmed so that: a player can see its game level position on a virtual path, or other virtual world, shown on the player's computing device display, the virtual path including a node for each level of the game; and when the player moves a cursor, pointer or other selection tool over a node, then a thumbnail image of the gameboard for that level is automatically displayed.

Abstract: A television includes a display, a first network interface to a packet-based network, and a decoder operable to process a multimedia data stream received via the first network interface. The television is operable to display content of the multimedia data stream on the display promptly upon receipt of a user request to power up the television. A method includes receiving a multimedia data stream at a network interface of a television, processing the multimedia data stream to generate content, and providing the video content to a display of the television.

Abstract: A method for sending a notification message using a modified form of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) multicast notification system in a client-server architecture. The method includes: determining that the server wants to send a notification message, wherein the server is a Download and Configuration Management (DCM) engine; querying, via a UDP broadcast processor, a database for a list of clients that have registered for one or more types of notification; receiving a reply with the list of clients that have registered for the one or more types of notification; and sending a notification to the clients on the list.

Abstract: Game client, game server, Web application server, and database server including database with data representative of a virtual world. Game client or server, or both, includes motifs, motif manager, character manager, scenes-a-faire manager, and display manager coupled to display, all in communication with game manager, and pseudorandomizer, which can instigate changing of a motif. Motifs are representative of a game character or environment. A user interface has mass sensor, accelerometer, haptic device, first device for visual input, output, or both, second device for audio input, output, or both, and tactile sensor, effector or both. Included may be automatic translator, or TTS/STT module. The online game can be virtual world representative of at least two of a northern continent, a western continent, a southern continent, a central continent, and an eastern continent. Methods provide game client, game server, and a database that manipulate character or environment motifs and scenes-a-faire.

Abstract: The invention provides scoring a performance of a guitar part in a rhythm-action game. It operates in the context of a video game platform in communication with a display and a controller and involves receiving an input performance from the controller including at least one input chord note, each input chord note including an input string value corresponding to a struck string and an input fret value associated with the input string value. Then, a reference performance is provided, which includes at least two reference chord notes to be input at a target time, each reference chord note including a reference string value and a reference fret value associated with the reference string value. Then, a degree of matching is determined between the input performance and the reference performance, and a score is assigned to the input performance based on the degree of matching.

Abstract: A video game system (or other data processing system) can visually identify a person entering a field of view of the system and determine whether the person has been previously interacting with the system. In one embodiment, the system establishes thresholds, enrolls players, performs the video game (or other application) including interacting with a subset of the players based on the enrolling, determines that a person has become detectable in the field of view of the system, automatically determines whether the person is one of the enrolled players, maps the person to an enrolled player and interacts with the person based on the mapping if it is determined that the person is one of the enrolled players, and assigns a new identification to the person and interacts with the person based on the new identification if it is determined that the person is not one of the enrolled players.

Abstract: A video clip may be automatically generated from a gameplay recording based on an interest metric. The interest metric may be determined from a variety of sources, such as developer provided signals, platform-based signals, and reception signal. A machine learning technique may be applied to each of the signals individually and/or in aggregate (e.g., the interest metric) to ascertain a weighting scheme, for example, for each individual signal or the interest metric to improve the selection of portions of video from a gameplay recording.

Abstract: Various embodiments relating to validating a user's entitlement to play a game are provided. In one embodiment, a request for a user to play a game is received at a validation service. The request may include an obfuscate-encoded bundle including a signed user ID identifying the user, a signed hardware ID of a computing machine on which the game is requested to be played, and a signed receipt. The obfuscate-encoded bundle may be decoded and the request may be validated according to a plurality of security checks including determining that one or both of the signed hardware ID or the signed user ID respectively match a hardware ID and/or a user ID included in the signed receipt. If the request to play the game is valid, an authentication token may be sent to the computing machine that allows the user to play the game on the computing machine.

Abstract: One object is to provide a video game system that can technically restrain real money trade. In accordance with one aspect, a server device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a determination unit 58 configured to determine whether an exchange of exhibited game contents and bid game contents is concluded based on a game content parameter value characterizing the exhibited game contents and the game content parameter value characterizing the bid game contents; and an updating unit 61 configured to update an owned game content storage unit 52 such that, only when the determination unit 58 determines that the exchange is concluded, the exhibited game contents are stored in association with player identification information of a bidder player and the bid game contents are stored in association with player identification information of an exhibitor player.

Abstract: An inflatable device designed to provide safety information to a plurality of people. The inflatable device includes at least one meeting venue and at least one at least one physical activity feature. The meeting includes an inflatable structure.

Abstract: A ride attraction system utilizes a robotic actuation system to move a curved door of a curved enclosure wall between a first position and a second position via a compound trajectory. In the first position, the door is mated with the wall, and in the second position, the door leaves an opening in the wall. The door and the wall may both include display surfaces that enable images to be displayed to occupants of a ride moving toward the wall and through the opening.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods are described for assembling items made of fabric and other sheet materials such as plastics, fur, artificial fur, canvas, etc. In particular, the invention relates to forming plush replicas of plants, artificial plants, animals, mythical creatures, mascots and the like. For example, squares or other shapes are assembled into square pillows; pillows are assembled into triplets or other groupings; and the groupings are assembled into a larger item. A Grouping or assembly of pockets can be installed or mounted onto a stem or post. Replicas may include forms of Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, Christmas trees, wreaths, poinsettias, foxes, owls, whales, and the like.

Abstract: A band is mountable on tires of a child's toy vehicle to provide additional traction for the vehicle. The band has an outer panel with radially outwardly depending treads to engage with the land surface and raised traction supports on an inner panel to engage with the surface of the wheels of the toy vehicle. The band has grasping tabs integrally formed on a peripheral edge to pull the band onto the tires.

Abstract: A distillation apparatus includes a rectifying column, a stripping column, a first pipe that communicates a column top of the stripping column with a column bottom of the rectifying column, and a compressor configured to compress vapor from the stripping column and then to feed the compressed vapor to the rectifying column. The distillation apparatus further includes a heat exchanger located at a predetermined stage of the rectifying column, a liquid withdrawal unit located at a predetermined stage of the stripping column and configured to withdraw a part of liquid from the predetermined stage to an outside of the column, a second pipe that introduces the liquid from the liquid withdrawal unit to the heat exchanger, and a third pipe that introduces fluids introduced through the second pipe to the heat exchanger and then discharged out of the heat exchanger to a stage directly below the liquid withdrawal unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for securing a distributor plate to a backing plate of a chromatography column without the need for releasable fixing means as screws or bolts. The invention also relates to chromatographic columns utilizing such methods. The method employs a negative pressure or vacuum that is generated internally within the column to affix the distributor to the backing plate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for running ion exchange chromatography on a media comprising shell beads having an inner porous core and an outer shell, wherein the inner core is provided with ligands whose charge changes with pH and the shell is provided with charged ion exchange ligands, the method comprising the following steps: a) adsorbing sample molecules on the shell ligands at a first pH; b) causing a discharge of the inner core ligands at a second pH by addition of a buffer substance that is able to increase its charge having the same sign/type as that of the core ligands, which at the same time causes release of ions from the inner core ligands and thereby an increase in ionic strength that displaces the sample molecules from the shell ligands i.e. causes an elution.

Abstract: An oil compound used for defoaming includes (A) a substantially hydrophobic organopolysiloxane having a viscosity of 10 to 100,000 mm2/second at 25° C., and (B) finely divided silica that has undergone surface hydrophobization treatment, wherein when an insoluble matter is collected from the oil compound by using hexane and the spectra of the insoluble matter are measured by 29Si-CP/MAS-NMR, the peaks of the silica due to the SiO4/2 (Q) units on the silica surface are such that a ratio [(Q2+Q3)/Q4] between a total area (Q2+Q3) wherein Q2 is a peak area of a silicon atom having two unreacted silanol groups and Q3 is a peak area of a silicon atom having one unreacted silanol group and an area Q4 wherein Q4 is a peak area of a silicon atom having no unreacted silanol group is at 70/30 to 20/80.

Abstract: A filter element with a filter medium and at least one retainer, to which the filter medium is fixed. The retainer comprises a retainer base body and a retainer attachment. The filter medium is arranged between the retainer base body and the retainer attachment at least in sections, and at least one profile element is formed on the retainer base body and/or on the retainer attachment to allow form-fitting and/or force-fitting retention of the filter medium there between.

Abstract: In an appliance for filtering liquids, in particular waste water, with filter discs lying on top of one another and forming a flow path for a liquid to be filtered, wherein the appliance has at least one device for generating a movement of the filter discs, provision is made that the filter discs have means by which mutually adjacent filter discs are connected to one another with a form fit, these means being assigned to at least one circumferential portion of the filter disc. In particular, the means for form-fit connection are assigned to two mutually opposite circumferential portions of the filter disc.

Abstract: A nestable framed pleated air filter, including a non-self-supporting, compressible, pleated air filter media with a plurality of oppositely-facing pleats and with a plurality of upstream pleat tips and downstream pleat tips and downstream pleat valleys, the pleated air filter media further including a plurality of bridging filaments that are bonded to at least some of the upstream pleat tips. The filter includes a frame with sidewalls that are angled so that the framed pleated air filter is nestable.

Abstract: A filter includes a filter cloth having a corrugated form, a retainer disposed inside the filter cloth, a support groove formed at each corrugated inside bent portion abutting on the retainer in a longitudinal direction of a filter film, and a reinforcement member inserted into the support groove.

Abstract: Techniques for treating an outside airflow with a direct evaporative economizer include circulating an airflow from an ambient environment into a direct evaporative economizer; circulating a cooling fluid into the direct evaporative economizer at a first rate so that a temperature condition of a supply airflow meets a predetermined range of setpoint temperatures; evaporating at least a portion of the cooling fluid circulated at the first rate into the airflow; determining that a measured air contaminant level of the airflow is greater than a setpoint contaminant level; and based on the determination, circulating the cooling fluid into the direct evaporative economizer at a second rate to precipitate a plurality of contaminants from the airflow into the cooling fluid, the second flow rate of the cooling fluid operable to adjust the temperature condition of the supply airflow outside of the predetermined range of setpoint temperatures of the supply airflow.

Abstract: This invention is about an activated charcoal-wooden composites or charcoal-wooden composites and its manufacturing method, which is composed of fancy natural veneered wooden material as a surface layer, activated charcoal board or charcoal board as a central layer and wooden material with round boring holes as a back layer, and especially, which contains both the lined grooves of the surface layer and the round boring holes perforated through the back layer, and also in the function, the activated charcoal-wooden composites or charcoal-wooden composites takes the hidden gas adsorbing room in one or above of each layer, through which many gases can be adsorbed into either one or both sides of the central layer, that is, the above hidden gas adsorbing room can not only adsorb radon gas which comes from the ground or wall of building itself, but also can simultaneously adsorb various harmful gases indoors.

Abstract: A Temperature Swing Adsorption method for separating a first component, comprising a more adsorbable component, from a feed stream comprising more than 50 mol % of a second component, comprising a less adsorbable component, is provided. The method includes providing an adsorbent structure suitable for adsorbing the first component, the structure being of the parallel passage contactor type, and cyclically implementing the following steps. Passing the feed stream through the adsorbent structure thus adsorbing the first component and producing a stream depleted in the first component and enriched in the second component. Heating the adsorbent structure to desorb the adsorbed first component by means of circulating a heating stream enriched in the first component at a temperature suitable for regeneration. And cooling the structure by means of passing through it more than 50% of the stream enriched in the second component produced in the step a).

Abstract: A method for bringing into contact two phases which are not completely miscible with one another, and whose contact is accompanied by heat development owing to mass transfer and/or chemical reaction, in which a first phase is introduced into the lower region of a contactor and a second phase is introduced into the upper region of the contactor and passed in countercurrent flow to the first phase in the contactor, a treated first phase and an exhausted second phase being obtained, which comprises recirculating a part of the exhausted second phase to the contactor at least one point situated between the upper region and the lower region. In the preferred embodiment, the first phase is a fluid stream comprising acid gases such as CO2, H2S, SO2, CS2, HCN, COS or mercaptans, and the second phase is an absorption medium which comprises an aqueous solution of at least one organic and/or inorganic base.

Abstract: The use of a composition that includes a metal salt and an oil soluble amine formaldehyde reaction product scavenges H2S that is present in aqueous fluids (e.g. produced water liquid streams), natural gas and in oil and mixtures thereof (e.g. mixed production streams that contain all three phases) better than either component when used alone. The resulting scavenger combination significantly increases the reaction rate and the overall scavenging efficiency, i.e. capacity over each component when used alone, in the same total amount. Non-limiting examples of the metal salt include zinc or iron carboxylates, and a non-limiting example of an oil soluble amine formaldehyde reaction product is the reaction product of dibutylamine with formaldehyde.

Abstract: A construction element for a plant for capture of an acidic gas using an aqueous amine absorbent, wherein at least a part of a surface of said element comprises a polyolefin, and a hydrolytically stable antioxidant, is described. Additionally, a liner comprising said polyolefin and the hydrolytically stable antioxidant, is described. The construction element may be a column, a pipe, an insert, like a column packing element or a tray. An apparatus for capturing CO2 using the construction elements, is also described.

Abstract: A dehumidifier is disclosed comprising a base, a fast coupler disposed on the base, a water receiving tray, a water collection tank disposed below the water receiving tray, a water discharging tank connected to the water receiving tray, and a pump having an outlet connected to the fast coupler and an inlet connected to the water discharging tank, wherein a water level switch is provided in the water discharging tank and comprises a floater and a closed hollow rod, wherein the floater has a hole for passing through of the rod and a magnet, and the rod has a magnetic field response switch electrically connected with the pump.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reducing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas of a coke oven, which has a plurality of coking chambers and heating walls, arranged between the coking chambers, with heating flues (12, 12?) for the indirect heating of the coking chambers. A combustible gas (16), which consists entirely or partially of coke oven gas, is burned in the heating flues (12, 12?), thereby producing an exhaust gas which contains nitrogen oxides. A reducing agent is fed to the exhaust gas at a temperature between 700° C. and 1100° C. and the proportion of nitrogen oxide in the exhaust gas is reduced by a homogeneous gas reaction between the reducing agent and the nitrogen oxides. The exhaust gas is subsequently passed through a regenerator (4) for heat recovery.

Abstract: A process for capturing undesirable combustion products produced in a high temperature combustion system in which a carbonaceous fuel is utilized. Very finely sized particles of alkaline earth carbonates or hydroxides, with or without added ground ash, are provided in slurry form, are dried and milled to provide unagglomerated, sub-micron-sized particles that are injected along with pulverized coal into the high temperature combustion zone of a furnace. The particles capture and neutralize the gases that result in condensable acids, including SOx, NOx, HCL, and HF, as well as capturing toxic metals that are present in the combustion products, they mitigate ash fouling and slagging, and they facilitate economic heat exchange that permits fuel savings and recovery of water for use in other processes.

Abstract: A method and system for recovering CO2 from gasification gas, prevents the recovered CO2 from being contaminated with COS, without repeating cooling and heating operations and without increasing the steam consumption. Gasification gas being produced in a gasifier 10 and containing CO, CO2, COS and H2S is subjected to dust removal in a scrubber 20. Then, a part of the gas is subjected to a CO shift reaction, in which CO is converted into CO2, in a CO shift reactor 30. Another part of the gasification gas is not subjected to the CO shift reaction by means of a bypass 34, and is mixed with the gas after the CO shift reaction. Thereby, the temperature of the mixture gas is set at 180° C. to 300° C., and COS in the mixture gas is converted into H2S in a COS converter 40.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system which feeds hydrocarbon by a post-injection under preset conditions to an upstream side of an exhaust gas purification device positioned on the exhaust path of an internal combustion engine, restoring the purifying capacity of the device or purifying the exhaust gas of the device. Under hydrocarbon feed conditions, if a combination of the exhaust gas temperature and exhaust gas flowrate or intake flowrate during control is deemed to be in a misfire region in which hydrocarbon which is fed to the exhaust path no longer combusts in the exhaust gas purification unit, the feed of hydrocarbon is stopped. As a result, it is possible to prevent deposit of hydrocarbon on catalysts or other exhaust gas purification units of the device, making it possible to constantly maintain the temperature of the unit in a controllable state.

Abstract: The objective of this invention is to develop a method to reclaim functional sites on a CO2 sorbent that have reacted with an acid gas (other than CO2) to form heat stable salts (HSS). HSS are a significant concern for dry sorbent based CO2 capture because over time the buildup of HSS will reduce the overall functionality of the CO2 sorbent. A chemical treatment can remove the non-CO2 acid gas and reclaim functional sites that can then be used for further CO2 adsorption.

Abstract: A photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) system and a method of cooling photovoltaic (PV) cells in the system is described herein. Energy from an excitation source such as the sun hits the PV cells in the PV-T system causing heating that reduces PV efficiency. The PV cells are cooled by fluid in an intact heat-transfer system making a heated water byproduct while the PV cells release a form of energy. In addition, the PV-T system can be implemented in a desalination plant to harvest energy and heat for desalination processes. The present invention also includes methods for transferring heat from PV cells to the earth to improve PV performance and reduce thermal shock to the PV cells.

Abstract: A liquid membrane matrix is disclosed in the form of an aquaporin containing bulk liquid membrane matrix (BLM), wherein said liquid membrane matrix is formed from a solution of an amphiphilic copolymer detergent wherein transmembrane proteins have been functionally incorporated and wherein said matrix further contains a stabilizing oil phase. The uses of the membrane matrix include water extraction from liquid aqueous media by forward osmosis, e.g. for desalination of salt water.

Abstract: A module of hollow fiber membranes is re-configured to break up and rearrange a skein into multiple miniskeins each having no more than 250 fibers, all lower miniheaders of the miniskeins being slidably held for vertical movement in vertical slots in an aerator box. Upon shrinkage of the fibers, the lower miniheaders rise in the box. Each miniskein has from 2-12 planar ordered arrays in which the fibers are adhesively secured, preferably without potting the lower miniheaders. The lower ends of the fibers are dead-ended and lower miniheaders are positioned sequentially, transverse to the longitudinal axes of the upper header and the aerator box; its upper miniheader is potted in a choice of configurations.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for a gas filtration device including an array of parallel carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes may extend between first and second substrates, and the ends of the carbon nanotubes may be embedded in the substrates and cut to expose openings at each end of the carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes may be composed from a graphene membrane which may be perforated with a plurality of discrete pores of a selected size for enabling one or more molecules to pass through the pores. A fluid mixture including two or more molecules for filtering may be directed through the first openings of the array of nanotubes, and the fluid mixture may be filtered by enabling smaller molecules to pass through the discrete pores of the graphene membrane walls of the carbon nanotubes to produce in a filtrate fraction including the smaller molecules and a retentate fraction including larger molecules.

Abstract: By modifying existing methods for synthesizing polyaniline, a polyaniline polymer having a new constellation of material properties has been produced. The material properties of the polymeric compositions disclosed herein enhance the use of polyanilines in a wide variety of processes that use such materials, for example processes used in the formation of filtration membranes.

Abstract: In order to dissolve cleaning tablets in a constant stream of media, a rinsing out chamber is suggested, in which the tablet is dissolved in an upward rotary stream of the medium, that keeps it afloat against a filter mesh.

Abstract: An assembly for performing micro-fluidic assays includes a micro-fluidic chip with access ports and micro-channels in communication with the access ports and a fluid cartridge having internal, fluid-containable chambers and a nozzle associated with each internal chamber that is configured to be coupled with an access port. Reaction fluids, such as sample material, buffer, and/or reagent, contained within the cartridge are dispensed from the cartridge into the access ports and micro-channels of the micro-fluidic chip. Embodiments of the invention include a cartridge which includes a waste compartment for receiving used DNA and other reaction fluids from the micro-channel at the conclusion of the assay.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a comprehensive mixer performance estimation method that can be applied to the mixers of the rotor-stator type having various configurations and circulation systems. Specifically, the performance estimation method for the mixers of the rotor-stator type includes the steps of: obtaining the homogenization index: H.I. for each of the mixers, measuring the size of each of the mixers, the power requirements and flow rates during the running time of each of the mixers, estimating the magnitude (smallness or greatness) of the configuration dependent term value of each of the mixer as a whole which is specific to each of the mixers, and estimating the performance of each of the mixers accordingly.

Abstract: A process for preparing an emulsion or a dispersion comprising crystalline particles of at least one active principal that comprises contacting a solution of at least one solute in a solvent or mixture of solvents in a first flowing stream with a non-solvent in a second flowing stream wherein the non-solvent and solvent are not miscible with each other, so as to form an emulsion or a dispersion. Super saturation is brought about by suitable means, and the emulsion or dispersion is subjected to ultrasonic irradiation to mediate crystal nucleation.

Abstract: A reactor and a reactor system for carrying out high temperature and high pressure reactions is disclosed herein. The reactor has an isolatable inner vessel for allowing for heat energy efficient cooling and heating of the reactor.

Abstract: Methods for removing, or leaching, cobalt or other diamond-diamond bonding catalysts from polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) or other structures formed from polycrystalline diamond include leaching under conditions that simulate use of PDCs in a hot hole drilling environment. A leaching agent may be formulated, when used under appropriate conditions, to remove or substantially remove cobalt or another catalyst from polycrystalline diamond without dissolving, degrading or otherwise attacking a substrate that supports or carries the polycrystalline diamond. The leaching agent may include one or more components that mimick the chemicals or conditions to which a PDC would be exposed in a hot hole drilling environment. Polycrystalline diamond structures from which cobalt or another diamond-diamond bonding catalyst has been removed or substantially removed are also disclosed, as are systems for leaching cobalt or other diamond-diamond bonding catalysts from polycrystalline diamond.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a feed injector system includes an inner channel configured to convey at least one of a solid fuel feed or a liquid reactant or moderator to a reaction zone. A first oxidizer channel extends around the inner channel, wherein the first oxidizer channel is configured to convey a first oxidizer stream to the reaction zone. A second oxidizer channel extends around the first oxidizer channel, wherein the second oxidizer channel is configured to convey a second oxidizer stream to the reaction zone. Additionally, a third channel extends around the inner channel and the first and second oxidizer channels, wherein the third channel is configured to convey at least one of the solid fuel feed or the liquid reactant or moderator to the reaction zone.

Abstract: Techniques, systems, apparatus and material are described for generating renewable energy from biomass waste while sequestering carbon. In one aspect, a method performed by a reactor to dissociate raw biomass waste into a renewable source energy or a carbon byproduct or both includes receiving the raw biomass waste that includes carbon, hydrogen and oxygen to be dissociated under an anaerobic reaction. Waste heat is recovered from an external heat source to heat the received raw biomass waste. The heated raw biomass waste is dissociated to produce the renewable fuel, carbon byproduct or both. The dissociating includes compacting the heated raw biomass waste, generating heat from an internal heat source, and applying the generated heat to the compacted biomass waste under pressure.

Abstract: A reformer tube for producing synthesis gas by steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feed gases, preferably natural gas, includes one or more helically coiled heat exchanger tubes which are arranged within a catalyst bed of a reforming catalyst and are helically coiled over part of their length located within the catalyst bed and are otherwise straight are present, where the straight proportion of the heat exchanger tubes and/or the helix pitch of the helically coiled part alters within the catalyst bed and matching to requirements of the pressure drop, the heat exchange properties, and the corrosion resistance.

Abstract: A hydrogen generator includes: a desulfurizer including a desulfurization catalyst that removes a sulfur compound in a raw material by a desulfurization reaction, the desulfurization catalyst being arranged so as to be heated by a first heat source; a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas using the raw material having flowed through the desulfurizer; a first temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of a predetermined portion of the desulfurization catalyst; a second temperature detector configured to detect the temperature of a portion of the desulfurization catalyst, the portion being located such that a distance between the portion and the first heat source is longer than a distance between the predetermined portion and the first heat source; and a controller configured to control an operation of heating the desulfurization catalyst by the first heat source, based on detection results of the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector.

Abstract: Methods for controlling series or series-parallel reactions are described. Novel microchannel apparatus having mesoporous structures adjacent to bulk flow paths are described. Methods of synthesizing formaldehyde from methanol are also described.

Abstract: A method and a system for producing a change in a medium. The method places in a vicinity of the medium at least one energy modulation agent. The method applies an initiation energy to the medium. The initiation energy interacts with the energy modulation agent to directly or indirectly produce the change in the medium. The system includes an initiation energy source configured to apply an initiation energy to the medium to activate the energy modulation agent.