The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for producing nanoparticles to provide relatively more rapid delivery of such particles across the blood-brain barrier. The nanoparticles may be formed from bis-quaternary pyridinium-aldoxime salts that may also be of a specific polymorphic structure and which may be formed in either hydrophobic or hydrophilic type liquid media. In addition, the nanoparticle for transport across the blood-brain barrier may comprise a polymeric resin encapsulating a bis-quaternary pyridinium-2-aldoxime salt.

Materials and Methods are disclosed for producing nanoparticles linked to antibacterial ligands, including antibiotics and/or molecules which bind to bacterial markers, and for the use of the nanoparticles for the treatment of conditions treatable by the antibiotic ligands.

Disclosed are various embodiments of methods and systems related to stimulus responsive nanoparticles. In one embodiment includes a stimulus responsive nanoparticle system, the system includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of elongated electro-responsive nanoparticles dispersed between the first and second electrodes, the plurality of electro-responsive nanorods configured to respond to an electric field established between the first and second electrodes.

In certain embodiments novel nanoparticles (nanowontons) are provided that are suitable for multimodal imaging and/or therapy. In one embodiment, the nanoparticles include a first biocompatible (e.g., gold) layer, an inner core layer (e.g., a non-biocompatible material), and a biocompatible (e.g., gold) layer. The first gold layer includes a concave surface that forms a first outer surface of the layered nanoparticle. The second gold layer includes a convex surface that forms a second outer surface of the layered nanoparticle. The first and second gold layers encapsulate the inner core material layer. Methods of fabricating such nanoparticles are also provided.

A process for the production of nanocrystals or amorphous nanoparticles of actives (nanomaterials), especially from the peels of grapes. A dispersion of a micrometer-sized material in a solution of surfactant or a steric stabilizer is first provided. The macrosuspension is then stirred for at least 1 minute at a rotational speed above 500 rpm using a rotor-stator mixer. The stirred mixture is passed through a jet stream or piston-gas type high pressure homogenizer. The nanomaterials produced can be incorporated into formulations for use as nutraceutical, nutritional supplement, or as supportive treatment in medical therapy. The active can be derived from the peels of grapes.

An artificial silica marble comprises a matrix and a line pattern portion. The line pattern portion comprises fine lines having a width of about 50 to about 500 μm and forms a web- or net-like pattern. The line pattern portion divides or partitions the artificial silica marble into a plurality of irregularly shaped pattern portions to form an amorphous pattern in the cross section of the artificial silica marble.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for creating plasma particles and applying the plasma particles to a liquid. Liquid feedstock (e.g., water and/or hydrocarbons mixed with biomass) is pumped through a pipeline; the single-phase stream is then transformed into a biphasic liquid-and-gas stream inside a chamber. The transformation is achieved by transitioning the stream from a high pressure zone to a lower-pressure zone. The pressure drop may occur when the stream further passes through a device for atomizing liquid. Inside the chamber, an electric field is generated with an intensity level that exceeds the threshold of breakdown voltage of the biphasic medium leading to a generation of a plasma state. Furthermore, the invention provides an energy-efficient highly adaptable and versatile method and apparatus for sanitizing water using plasma particles to inactivate biological agents contaminating water.

A treatment process of persistent organic pollutants contained in particles is provided. Said process includes reacting persistent organic pollutant in particles under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of Fe2+ and Fe3+. Several beneficial effects can be achieved, including 1) no other additive is needed during the reaction process; 2) Fe2+ and Fe3+ are safe, cheap and extensive sources; 3) because Fe2+ and Fe3+ are dissolved, they can fully disperse into particles, and fully contact can be achieved, thus obtaining a decomposition rate no less than 70% of the persistent organic pollutants is under subcritical conditions.

A process for the preparation of polymer lattices comprising polymer nanoparticles by a photo-initiated heterophase polymerization includes preparing a heterophase medium comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous phase and at least one of at least one surfactant, at least one photoinitiator, and at least one polymerizable monomer. The at least one polymerizable monomer is polymerized by irradiating the heterophase medium with electromagnetic radiation so as to induce a generation of radicals. The at least one photoinitiator is selected from compounds comprising at least one phosphorous oxide group (P═O) or at least one phosphorous sulfide (P═S) group. The irradiating of the heterophase medium is effected so that a ratio of an irradiated surface of the heterophase medium to a volume of the heterophase medium is at least 200 m−1.

A process for the preparation of modified polymers by a photo-initiated polymerization includes preparing a polymerization medium comprising at least one photoinitiator comprising at least one phosphorous oxide (P═O) group or at least one phosphorous sulfide (P═S) group, and at least one polymerizable monomer. The at least one polymerizable monomer is polymerized by irradiating the polymerization medium with electromagnetic radiation so as to induce a generation of radicals so as to obtain a polymer. The polymer is modified by irradiating the polymer with electromagnetic radiation so as to induce a generation of radicals from the polymer in a presence of at least one modifying agent.

The present invention provides a process for producing electret fine particles or coarse powder that can be uniformly electrified and exhibits excellent electrophoretic properties. Specifically, the present invention relates to the production processes (1) and (2) below:(1) A process for producing electret fine particles, comprising emulsifying a fluorine-containing material that contains a vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer in a liquid that is incompatible with the fluorine-containing material to obtain emulsified particles; and subjecting the emulsified particles to electron ray irradiation, radial ray irradiation, or corona discharge treatment.(2) A process for producing electret coarse powder, comprising subjecting a resin sheet containing a vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer to electron ray irradiation, radial ray irradiation, or corona discharge treatment to process the resin sheet into an electret resin sheet; and pulverizing the electret resin sheet.

A UV curable silicone rubber composition is provided. The composition does not undergo curing failure, foaming, and other undesirable conditions even if a water-containing inorganic filler such as zeolite were added. A UV curable silicone rubber composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of an organopolysiloxane having at least 2 alkenyl groups per molecule represented by the average compositional formula (I): R1aSiO(4-a)/2 (I) (wherein R1 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group, and a is a positive number of 1.95 to 2.05); (B) 1 to 300 parts by weight of an inorganic filler having a water content of at least 0.5% by weight; (C) 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least 2 silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule; and (D) a catalytic amount of a photoactive platinum complex curing catalyst.

A method, apparatus, and system for switching from an existing target end device to a next target end device in a multi-expander storage topology by using Fast Context Switching. The method enhances Fast Context Switching by allowing Fast Context Switching to reuse or extend part of an existing connection path to an end device directly attached to a remote expander. The method can include reusing or extending at least a partial path of an established connection between an initiator and the existing target end device for a connection between the initiator and the next target end device, whereby the existing target end device and the next target end device are locally attached to different expanders.

A method for producing polymer particles includes a preparation step for preparing a first oily liquid containing an oily olefin monomer, a radical polymerization initiator, and an iodine molecule, a synthesis step for obtaining a second oily liquid containing at least an iodine compound produced by a reaction between a radical generated by cleavage of the radical polymerization initiator and the iodine molecule in the first oily liquid, a suspension step for obtaining an oil droplet of the second oily liquid by suspending the second oily liquid in water, and a polymerization step for polymerizing the oily olefin monomer in the oil droplet.

The present invention relates to a method for producing particles of a compound of interest. In a method according to the invention a solution is provided of the compound of interest in a solvent. This solution is thickened or gelled and particles are formed. The invention further relates to a particle that is obtainable by the invention.

Described is a method to prepare wet foams exhibiting long-term stability wherein colloidal particles are used to stabilize the gas-liquid interface, said particles being initially inherently partially lyophobic particles or partially lyophobized particles having mean particle sizes from 1 nm to 20 μm. In one aspect, the partially lyophobized particles are prepared in-situ by treating initially hydrophilic particles with amphiphilic molecules of specific solubility in the liquid phase of the suspension.

The disclosure relates to methods of making polymer particles, said methods including the steps of: making an aqueous gel reaction mixture; forming an emulsion having dispersed aqueous phase micelles of gel reaction mixture in a continuous phase; adding an initiator oil comprising at least one polymerization initiator to the continuous phase; and performing a polymerization reaction in the micelles. Further, the initiator oil is present in a volume % relative to a volume of the aqueous gel reaction mixture of between about 1 vol % to about 20 vol %. The disclosure also relates to methods of making nucleic acid polymer particles having the same method steps and wherein the aqueous gel reaction mixture includes a nucleic acid fragment, such as a primer.

A method of making cerium-containing metal oxide nanoparticles in non-polar solvent eliminates the need for solvent shifting steps. The direct synthesis method involves: (a) forming a reaction mixture of a source of cerous ion and a carboxylic acid, and optionally, a hydrocarbon solvent; and optionally further comprises a non-cerous metal ion; (b) heating the reaction mixture to oxidize cerous ion to ceric ion; and (c) recovering a nanoparticle of either cerium oxide or a mixed metal oxide comprising cerium. The cerium-containing oxide nanoparticles thus obtained have cubic fluorite crystal structure and a geometric diameter in the range of about 1 nanometer to about 20 nanometers. Dispersions of cerium-containing oxide nanoparticles prepared by this method can be used as a component of a fuel or lubricant additive.

Process for preparing a dispersion comprising silicon dioxide particles and cationizing agents, by dispersing 50 to 75 parts by weight of water, 25 to 50 parts by weight of silicon dioxide particles having a BET surface area of 30 to 500 m2/g and 100 to 300 μg of cationizing agent per square meter of the BET surface area of the silicon dioxide particles, wherein the cationizing agent is obtainable by reacting at least one haloalkyl-functional alkoxysilane, hydrolysis products, condensation products and/or mixtures thereof with at least one aminoalcohol and water; and optionally removing the resulting hydrolysis alcohol from the reaction mixture. Also the process for preparing the dispersion, wherein the cationizing agent comprises one or more quaternary, aminoalcohol-functional, organosilicon compounds of formula III and/or condensation products thereof, wherein Ru and Rv are independently C2-4 alkyl group, m is 2-5 and n is 2-5.

According to the present invention, a metal nanoparticle dispersion suitable to multiple layered coating by jetting in the form of fine droplets is prepared by dispersing metal nanoparticles having an average particle size of 1 to 100 nm in a dispersion solvent having a boiling point of 80° C. or higher in such a manner that the volume percentage of the dispersion solvent is selected in the range of 55 to 80% by volume and the fluid viscosity (20° C.) of the dispersion is chosen in the range of 2 mPa·s to 30 mPa·s, and then when the dispersion is discharged in the form of fine droplets by inkjet method or the like, the dispersion is concentrated by evaporation of the dispersion solvent in the droplets in the course of flight, coming to be a viscous dispersion which can be applicable to multi-layered coating.

A system and method for controlling restarting of instruction fetching using speculative address computations in a processor are provided. The system includes a predicted target queue to hold branch prediction logic (BPL) generated target address values. The system also includes target selection logic including a recycle queue. The target selection logic selects a saved branch target value between a previously speculatively calculated branch target value from the recycle queue and an address value from the predicted target queue. The system further includes a compare block to identify a wrong target in response to a mismatch between the saved branch target value and a current calculated branch target, where instruction fetching is restarted in response to the wrong target.

Systems, Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are provided for converting an existing artifact to one or more new artifacts. For example, in one embodiment, a computing device can receive input identifying an existing artifact for conversion to one or more new artifacts. One or more items from the existing artifact and their respective types can be identified for conversion. Then, the one or more items of the existing artifact can be converted to one or more new artifacts.

A method for recommending at least one artifact to an artifact user is described. The method includes obtaining user characteristic information reflecting preferences, particular to the artifact user, as to a desired artifact. The method also includes obtaining first metadata about each of one or more candidate artifacts, and scoring, as one or more scored artifacts, each of the one or more candidate artifacts by evaluating one or more criteria, not particular to the artifact user, applied to the first metadata. The method further includes scaling, as one or more scaled artifacts, a score of each of the one or more scored artifacts, by evaluating the suitability of each of the one or more scored artifacts in view of the user characteristic information. The method lastly includes recommending to the artifact user at least one artifact from among the one or more scaled artifacts based on its scaled score.

Absorbent articles provided with an odor control system. The odor control system includes at least two classes of odor control materials, wherein one class acts on malodors or a malodorous substance in the absorbent article and a second class acts on nose receptors. The classes of odor control materials may be selected to provide a synergistic effect in terms of malodor reduction.

A process for making particles comprising a hydrophobic dopant for subsequent release therefrom is disclosed. The process comprises providing an emulsion comprising a hydrophilic phase and a hydrophobic phase dispersed in the hydrophilic phase, and reacting the precursor material to form the particles comprising the dopant therein. The hydrophobic phase comprises a precursor material and the dopant.

A method for isolating 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (TMCD) solids from an isolated feed slurry formed in a TMCD process comprising TMCD, a liquid phase, and impurities by (a) treating the isolated feed slurry in a product isolation zone to produce an isolated TMCD product wet cake, a mother liquor, and impurities; wherein the product isolation zone can comprise at least one rotary pressure drum filter.

There is provided an engine restart control device. A controller is configured to stop an engine which is adapted to generate a driving force for running a vehicle when a predetermined stop condition is met and configured to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is met after stopping the engine. A steering torque detector is configured to detect a steering torque of a steering wheel which is adapted to be operated by a driver. The controller includes an origin torque setting unit configured to set the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector when the predetermined stop condition is met and the engine is stopped as an origin torque. The controller restarts the engine when the steering torque detected by the steering torque detector exceeds a predetermined threshold with reference to the origin torque set by the origin torque setting unit.

In a method for fracturing or mask data preparation or mask process correction for charged particle beam lithography, a plurality of shots are determined that will form a pattern on a surface, where shots are determined so as to reduce sensitivity of the resulting pattern to changes in beam blur (βf). In some embodiments, the sensitivity to changes in βf is reduced by varying the charged particle surface dosage for a portion of the pattern. Methods for forming patterns on a surface, and for manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed, in which pattern sensitivity to changes in βf is reduced.

A method for mask data preparation or mask process correction is disclosed in which a set of charged particle beam shots is determined which is capable of forming a pattern on a surface, wherein critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the pattern is optimized. In some embodiments the CDU is optimized by varying at least two factors. In other embodiments, model-based techniques are used. In yet other embodiments, the surface is a reticle to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, and CDU on the wafer is optimized.

A method and system for optical proximity correction (OPC) is disclosed in which a set of shaped beam shots is determined which, when used in a shaped beam charged particle beam writer, will form a pattern on a reticle, where some of the shots overlap, where the pattern on the reticle is an OPC-corrected version of an input pattern, and where the sensitivity of the pattern on the reticle to manufacturing variation is reduced. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufactures for implementing physical designs by using multiple force models to iteratively morph a layout decomposition. In addition to attractive force model(s) or repulsive force model(s), the physical implementation also uses a containment force model for grouping multiple design blocks or for confining a node of a cell within the boundary of a container. Another aspect is directed at deriving a first force model at the first hierarchical level from a second force model at the second hierarchical level by directly modifying the second model based at least in part on characteristic(s) of the first hierarchical level and of the second hierarchical level. In a design with multiple hierarchies, a cell-based force model is also used to ensure child nodes of a parent cell stay within a close proximity of the parent node of the parent cell.

A method for softening laundry employs a softening composition, which includes at least one thickener containing a cationic polymer obtained by polymerization: of a cationic monomer;of a monomer with a hydrophobic nature, of formula (I): wherein R1=H or CH3 R2=alkyl chain having at least 16 carbon atomsX═O, m≧5, y=z=0, orX═NH, m≧z≧5, y=0, orX═NH, m≧y≧5, z=0, of a nonionic monomer.

A process for preparing a particle defoamer. The particle defoamer of 55%-75% of a carrier, 15%-35% of a silicone emulsion, 3%-10% of a texturing agent and 2%-10% of a solvent, based on the total weight of the particle defoamer; the process for preparing the particle defoamer is: (1)first adding a carrier A1 into a mixer, and then adding thereto a silicone emulsion B1, and stirring uniformly; (2)adding a carrier component A2 to the mixture obtained in (1), and stirring uniformly; (3)adding a silicone emulsion B2 to the mixture obtained in (2), and, after uniformly stirring, adding the solvent thereto and stirring uniformly; and (4)pelleting and drying by baking the mixture obtained in(3), so as to produce the product.

The present invention relates to an enzyme composition comprising enzyme containing polymer particles, which is useful for detergent compositions, in particular for liquid detergent compositions. In these enzyme containing particles, the particles comprise i) at least one enzyme, and ii) at least one polymer P, which is selected from homo- and copolymers having a C—C-backbone, wherein the C—C-backbone carries carboxylgroups, which may be present in the acidic form or in the neutralized form, and wherein the C—C-backbone comprises hydrophobic repeating units.

Disclosed is a splicing method of two second-generation ReBCO high temperature superconductor coated conductors (2G ReBCO HTS CCs), in which, with stabilizing layers removed from the two strands of 2G ReBCO HTS CCs through chemical wet etching or plasma dry etching, surfaces of the two high temperature superconducting layers are brought into direct contact with each other and heated in a splicing furnace in a vacuum for micro-melting portions of the surfaces of the high temperature superconducting layers to permit inter-diffusion of ReBCO atoms such that the surfaces of the two superconducting layers can be spliced to each other and oxygenation annealing for recovery of superconductivity which was lost during splicing.

A superconducting structure (1) has a plurality of coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o), each with a substrate (3) which is one-sided coated with a superconducting film (4), in particular an YBCO film, wherein the superconducting structure (1) provides a superconducting current path along an extension direction (z) of the superconducting structure (1), wherein the coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o) provide electrically parallel partial superconducting current paths in the extension direction (z) of the superconducting structure (1), is characterized in that the coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o) are superconductively connected among themselves along the extension direction (z) continuously or intermittently. A more stable superconducting structure with which high electric current strengths may be transported is thereby provided.

Provided is an efficient technology for synthesizing diamino acids (diamino acid derivatives). Disclosed is a manufacturing method for diamino acid derivatives wherein the fluorenyl groups of the diamino acid derivative starting materials represented by General Formula [II] or [IV] are removed.

In an apparatus for recording and quickly retrieving video signal parts on a magnetic tape, during recording information about the local position of each video signal part is automatically stored in a memory associated with the apparatus, which is designed for storing identifying information for a large number of magnetic tape cassettes. The retrieval of each video signal part on each of the cassettes can be effected substantially without delay in the quick rewind mode of operation.

A method for detecting and conveying an alarm signal, when an absorbent article is unfastened or, completely removed from the body of the wearer. The method is intended to be used in parallel with a method for detecting wetness in the absorbent article and further relates to an integrated detection-and-alarm method for detecting unfastening and/or wetness in an absorbent article. A system for detecting and conveying an alarm signal when an absorbent article is unfastened or removed from the body of the wearer and/or when the article is wet. The system includes (a) and absorbent article having at least one absorbent layer, the object to be displaced, such as a fastening system, one or more sensoring devices, one or more transmitting devices, and (b) a remote receiver. Furthermore, the system relates to the use of the system in the care of children and adults suffering from incontinence and/or psychological illnesses.

In a computer system that includes multiple nodes and multiple logical partitions, a dynamic partition manager computes current memory affinity and potential memory affinity to help determine whether a reallocation of resources between nodes may improve memory affinity for a logical partition or for the computer system. If so, the reallocation of resources is performed so memory affinity for the logical partition or computer system is improved. Memory affinity is computed relative to the physical layout of the resources according to a hardware domain hierarchy that includes a plurality of primary domains and a plurality of secondary domains.

A partition manager relocates a logical partition from a primary shared processor pool to a secondary shared processor pool in response to a predetermined condition, such as a hardware failure. The relocated logical partition is allocated a smaller quantity of processing units from the secondary pool than it was allocated from the primary pool. A quantity of processing units reserved for a second logical partition is identified in the secondary shared processor pool, and a portion of those reserved processing units are allocated to the relocated logical partition. The reserved processing units may be redistributed among multiple relocated logical partitions.

Described is a microfluidic process for manufacturing partially cross-linked alginate solution, wherein the alginate solution is a homogenous liquid which exhibits an elastic response (G') which is equal to or greater than its viscous response (G″). In particular, the process may comprise microfluidic mixing of sodium alginate and calcium gluconate solutions to provide an injectable partially cross-linked alginate solution.

A device for detecting a cardiac event is disclosed. Detection of an event is based on a test applied to a parameter whose value varies according to heart rate. Both the parameter value and heart rate (RR interval) are filtered with an exponential average filter. From these filtered values, the average change in the parameter and the RR interval are also computed with an exponential average filter. Before computing the average change in the parameter, large changes in the parameter over short times, which may be caused by body position shifts, are attenuated are removed, so that the average change represents an average of small/smooth changes in the parameter's value that are characteristic of acute ischemia, one of the cardiac events that may be detected. The test to detect the cardiac event depends on the heart rate, the difference between the parameter's value and its upper and lower normal values, and its average change over time, adjusted for heart rate changes. The upper and lower normal parameter values as a function of heart rate are determined from long term stored data of the filtered RR values and parameter values. Hysteeresis related data and transitory deviations from normal (e.g. vasospasm related data) are excluded from the computation of normal upper and lower parameter bounds.

A biometric monitoring device measuring various biometric information is provided that allows the person to take and/or display a heart rate reading by a simple user interaction with the device, e.g., by simply touching a heart rate sensor surface area or moving the device in a defined motion pattern. Some embodiments of this disclosure provide biometric monitoring devices that allow a person to get a quick heart rate reading without removing the device or interrupting their other activities. Some embodiments provide heart rate monitoring with other desirable features such as feedback on data acquisition status.

The present invention relates to an arthroscopy apparatus, comprising at least three elements selected from: a conventional arthroscopic lens (12), to which there is coupled a power supply device or capsule, in the inside of which is the power source (1), and a miniature camera (8), characterized by not comprising connecting cables.

A method for inhibiting the crystal growth rate of an amide compound present in a molten polyolefin-based resin and a method for producing a polyolefin-based resin molded article are provided. A phenol compound is incorporated into an amide compound-containing polyolefin-based resin such that a weight ratio, amide compound:phenol compound, is 60:40 to 10:90.

The present invention relates to a method for producing inorganic oxide particles, comprising at least the following steps of: coagulating a dispersion obtained by carrying out the hydrolysis reaction and the polycodensation reaction of a metal alkoxide in the presence of a basic catalyst; filtering the dispersion to obtain particles; anddrying the particles, whereinthe step of coagulating the dispersion is carried out by adding a coagulant comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate and ammonium carbamate to the dispersion. The inorganic oxide particles obtained by the method of the present invention have high purity and are excellent in flowability.

The present invention relates to a stable mixture comprising surface-modified particles which are obtained by reacting metal oxide or semimetal oxide particles with at least one compound selected from among silicon-comprising compounds bearing at least one metaloxy radical and optionally further alkoxy and/or hydroxy radical(s) and at least one solvent, at least one surface-active substance or a mixture thereof, a process for producing the mixture, the use of these particles in systems in which they are brought into contact with at least one solvent, where the mass ratio of solvent to modified particle is greater than 500, and also the use of these particles in agglomeration-deagglomeration cycles.

The invention provides a silane compound that includes a hydrophobic group and a silane ester group linked by a hydrophilic group for use as a surface treatment to an inorganic material, such as a pigment, the silane including a hydrophobic group and a silane ester group linked by a hydrophilic group. The invention includes a coated particle including an inorganic material coated with the silane compound(s) and methods of improving the wettability and/or dispersibility of an inorganic material such as a pigment, wherein the method comprises depositing the silane compounds on the surface of a pigment.

The invention provide a silica nanoparticle comprising a non-porous matrix of silicon-oxygen bonds, wherein the matrix comprises organic agents conjugated to silicon or oxygen atoms in the matrix, the organic agents are conjugated to the matrix through linker L groups, wherein the linker L comprises, for example, an ester, urea, thiourea, or thio ether group, and wherein the diameter of the nanoparticle is about 15 nm to about 200 nm. The invention also provides novel methods of making and using the silica nanoparticles described herein.