Abstract: Shoes having a lighted toe portion are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a lighted shoe includes a toe cap having plurality of molded toes and corresponding toenail portions. A plurality of lights can be positioned adjacent to corresponding toenail portions and emit light through the toenail portions.

Abstract: In a process for producing para-xylene, at least one feed comprising C6+ aromatic hydrocarbons is supplied to a dividing wall distillation column to separate the feed into a C7? aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream, a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and a C9+ aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream. At least part of the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream is then supplied to a para-xylene recovery unit to recover para-xylene from the C8 aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and produce a para-xylene depleted stream. The para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst in a xylene isomerization zone under conditions effective to isomerize xylenes in the para-xylene depleted stream and produce an isomerized stream, which is then at least partially recycled to the para-xylene recovery unit.

Abstract: In a process for producing para-xylene, a toluene-containing stream is contacted with a methylating agent under conditions effective to convert toluene to xylenes and produce a methylated effluent stream. Para-xylene is recovered from the methylated effluent stream to produce a para-xylene depleted stream and part of the para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under liquid phase isomerization conditions effective to produce a first isomerized stream, while part of the para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under vapor phase isomerization conditions effective to produce a second isomerized stream. The first and second isomerized streams are then recycled to the para-xylene recovery step.

Abstract: A process for recovering ethylene is disclosed, the process including: recovering a ethylene-containing stream comprising methane, ethylene, and nitrogen oxides from at least one of an ethylene production process and an ethylene recovery process; separating the ethylene-containing stream via extractive distillation using at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent to produce an overheads fraction comprising methane and nitrogen oxides and a bottoms fraction comprising the at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent and ethylene; wherein the separating comprises operating the extractive distillation at temperatures and pressures sufficient to prevent any substantial conversion of nitrogen oxides to N2O3.

Abstract: A printed circuit board, and a method of fabricating the printed circuit board is disclosed. The printed circuit board includes at least one coaxial via. A hollow via is disposed in the printed circuit board. A metal sleeve is formed around the circumference of said hollow via. An inner conductive path is disposed in the hollow via. Additionally, an insulating material is disposed in the hollow via, between the conducting path and the metal sleeve. The conductive path is used to connect signal traces disposed on two different layers of the printed circuit board. In some embodiments, these signal traces carry signals having a frequency above 1 GHz, although the disclosure is not limited to this embodiment.

Abstract: A process for producing propylene is disclosed, including: fractionating a mixed C4 hydrocarbon stream to recover a first fraction comprising isobutene and a second fraction comprising 2-butene; contacting the first fraction with a first metathesis catalyst in a first metathesis reaction zone; recovering an effluent from the first metathesis reaction zone comprising at least one of ethylene, propylene, unreacted isobutene, C5 olefins, and C6 olefins; contacting the second fraction and the ethylene in the effluent with a second metathesis catalyst in a second metathesis reaction zone; recovering an effluent from the second reaction zone comprising at least one of unreacted ethylene, propylene, unreacted 2-butene, fractionating the effluent from the first metathesis reaction zone and the effluent from the second metathesis reaction zone to recover an ethylene fraction, a propylene fraction, one or more C4 fractions, and a fraction comprising at least one of C5 and C6 olefins.

Abstract: Aggregating proteins such as IgG, are bound selectively in the presence of the non-aggregated protein using a polyionic binding agent such as dextran sulphate or pentosan (anionic), or polyamine compounds such as pDADMAC (cationic) under selective binding conditions including the use of n-lauroylsarcosine at mildly alkaline pH, and may then be assayed.

Abstract: A process for the selective binding of an aggregating abnormal form of a protein in the presence of the nonaggregating normal form of the protein, including contacting under selective binding conditions a material containing both the abnormal and normal forms with a binding agent which is a polyionic material having a binding avidity for the aggregating form of the protein as present in the sample.

Abstract: A process for recovering ethylene is disclosed, the process including: recovering a ethylene-containing stream comprising methane, ethylene, and nitrogen oxides from at least one of an ethylene production process and an ethylene recovery process; separating the ethylene-containing stream via extractive distillation using at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent to produce an overheads fraction comprising methane and nitrogen oxides and a bottoms fraction comprising the at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent and ethylene; wherein the separating comprises operating the extractive distillation at temperatures and pressures sufficient to prevent any substantial conversion of nitrogen oxides to N2O3.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a storage device encloses the laces of footwear. The storage device comprises a lower member, an upper member, and a joint that permits articulated motion between the lower member and the upper member in a first direction along the longitudinal axis of the storage device. The upper member comprises an enclosure with an inner cavity that receives the laces therein. In one example, the outer member comprises a pair of closure members that articulate in a second direction toward the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: Aggregating proteins such as IgG, are bound selectively in the presence of the non-aggregated protein using a polyionic binding agent such as dextran sulphate or pentosan (anionic), or polyamine compounds such as pDADMAC (cationic) under selective binding conditions including the use of n-lauroylsarcosine at mildly alkaline pH, and may then be assayed.

Abstract: A system that schedules requests and receives scheduling requests from multiple users. The system receives a given scheduling request from a portable device associated with a given user, such that the given scheduling request is associated with a question to be asked by the given user. Next, the system queues the scheduling requests and selectively couples the given user to a communication channel, which allows the given user to ask the question.

Abstract: A process for recovering ethylene is disclosed, the process including: recovering a ethylene-containing stream comprising methane, ethylene, and nitrogen oxides from at least one of an ethylene production process and an ethylene recovery process; separating the ethylene-containing stream via extractive distillation using at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent to produce an overheads fraction comprising methane and nitrogen oxides and a bottoms fraction comprising the at least one C2+ hydrocarbon absorbent and ethylene; wherein the separating comprises operating the extractive distillation at temperatures and pressures sufficient to prevent any substantial conversion of nitrogen oxides to N2O3.

Abstract: A process for the selective binding of an aggregating abnormal form of a protein in the presence of the nonaggregating normal form of the protein, including contacting under selective binding conditions a material containing both the abnormal and normal forms with a binding agent which is a polyionic material having a binding avidity for the aggregating form of the protein as present in the sample.

Abstract: A towing assembly is provided including a hitch ball receiver having a hitch ball mounting aperture and a recess around the aperture, a hitch ball including a base and a mounting shank where the base is sized and shaped to be received in the recess and a fastener engaging the shank and securing the hitch ball to the hitch ball receiver.

Abstract: Infective aggregating forms of proteins such as PrP, amyloid, and tau are bound selectively in the presence of the normal form protein using a polyionic binding agent such as dextran sulphate or pentosan (anionic), or polyamine compounds such as pDADMAC (cationic) under selective binding conditions including the use of n-lauroylsarcosine at mildly alkaline pH, and may then be assayed.

Abstract: A cargo restraint apparatus comprising, multiple radially extending flexible straps each slidably attached at its proximal end to a common central flexible loop. The distal end of each strap is provided with a connector for attachment of the distal strap end to a cleat or loop on a pallet or other surface on which the cargo is to be secured. An adjustable buckle or similar cinching device is disposed on each strap to adjust its length to create a tension force in the strap which will be opposed by tension forces in one or more straps on the opposing sides of the central loop.

Abstract: A shelter system comprising a flexible canopy supported by a plurality of cylindrical tubular poles where the poles comprise a novel assembly for attaching the canopy, ground straps and auxiliary cables to the top of the poles, including an expansion plug disposed in the top end of each tubular pole for anchoring a shaft disposed coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the tube which shaft carries at least one bracket plate and a portion of the canopy.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that communicates through a cell phone to facilitate authentication of a user of a computer system. During operation, the system receives an identifier for a user which is entered into a computer system. The system uses this identifier to lookup a cell phone number for the user, and also generates a challenge-code to for the user. The system then uses the cell phone number to communicate the challenge-code to the user through the cell phone, thereby enabling the user to enter the challenge-code into the computer system. Next, the system receives the challenge-code entered into the computer system. The system compares the entered challenge-code with the challenge-code communicated to the user. If they match, the system authenticates the user.

Abstract: A nucleic acid primer is bound to a soluble carrier macromolecule, a multitude of primer molecules thus being carried by each carrier macromolecule, and hybridisation of the primer to a template followed by extension of the primer to replicate the template in complementary form is carried out as part of a PCR procedure or other amplification, or to form an extended primer of greater hybridisation affinity. A second primer used in the amplification may also be bound to a carrier macromolecule.