Abstract: A process for producing surface modified carbon black is disclosed. The process comprises the step of treating carbon black with a sulfur compound in an amount in the range of 0.005%-1% of the carbon black to effect in situ formation of surface groups to produce the surface modified carbon black which when combined with a polymer composition alters the carbon black-polymer interaction to decrease the hysteresis of the polymer composition. The curing time required for polymer composition comprising the surface modified carbon black is also decreased. The preferred sulfur compounds are sulfite or sulfate salts.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a reactor (100) for manufacturing carbon black, said reactor (100) comprising flow guide means (110) provided between a fuel burner (106) and an air inlet (108) for altering the flow path of combustion air entering at the air inlet (108) to result in a better mixing between the fuel and the combustion air, thereby, producing higher temperature hot combustion gases which are subsequently received in a reaction chamber (104) where they react with a carbonaceous feedstock to produce carbon black. The reactor (100) of the present invention increases the carbon black production by 5-20%. Further, the positioning of the flow guise means (110) stabilizes the flame from the fuel burner (106) to maintain it along the reactor axis, thus, increasing the life of the refractory lining (114).

Abstract: In one aspect, a computerized method for assessing and managing information security risks in a computer system includes the step of receiving a customer security assessment. The method includes the step of obtaining a set of already-answered security assessment questions. The method includes the step of applying one or more machine learning methods to generate a strength of one or more similarities scores. The method includes the step of automatically populating one or more direct mappings between the set of already-answered security assessment questions with the other set of questions in a customer security assessment. The method includes the step of setting a baseline score for the one or more direct mappings to already-answered security assessment questions to a set of answered questions in the customer security assessment by using the strength of one or more similarities scores.

Abstract: A method of preparing a polyetherimide and an improved polyetherimide are disclosed. Low color polyetherimides are disclosed along with process improvements which produce the reduced color of the final product polymers.

Abstract: A process for treating carbon black with a sulfur-containing compound to obtain a surface modified carbon black that can decrease the hysteresis of a polymer composition by at least 1%.

Abstract: The present invention enhances a golf tournament using novel tournament rules that include allowing proficient players to interact with other players, more particularly, professional players to affect the outcome of the tournament. After teams are created the game a best ball is played at the first day, a low and aggregate ball is played on the second day and a worse ball is played on the last day. At the end of the tournament the team with the lowest score wins.

Abstract: A vehicle hook assembly may include a housing having an internal cavity receiving a slidable portion having a hook at a distal end thereof and a rail extending along a side of the slidable portion and at least one depressible knob configured to maintain the slidable portion at a fixed lateral positon relative to the housing in a relaxed state and to allow lateral movement of the slidable portion relative to the housing in a depressed state.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a reactor (100) for manufacturing carbon black, said reactor (100) comprising flow guide means (110) provided between a fuel burner (106) and an air inlet (108) for altering the flow path of combustion air entering at the air inlet (108) to result in a better mixing between the fuel and the combustion air, thereby, producing higher temperature hot combustion gases which are subsequently received in a reaction chamber (104) where they react with a carbonaceous feedstock to produce carbon black. The reactor (100) of the present invention increases the carbon black production by 5-20%. Further, the positioning of the flow guide means (110) stabilizes the flame from the fuel burner (106) to maintain it along the reactor axis, thus, increasing the life of the refractory lining (114).

Abstract: A training bat has a central rod extending through the longitudinal length of the bat. A knob may be located at a proximal end of the bat. A handle located immediately distal to the knob may slide along the length of the rod. A cone section may be located distal to the handle. The knob and cone section may limit the longitudinal sliding of the handle. A barrel section may be located distal to the cone section. If the barrel section includes an interior chamber, the distal end of the barrel section may include a removable cap. Weights, springs, pins and other objects may be located inside the barrel section. Electrical components or other devices may also be included in the cone section, barrel section or cap. The handle may include an acoustic chamber and an amplifying chamber to provide for emission of a sound when the bat is swung. The acoustic chamber and amplifying chamber may also incorporate safety features.

Abstract: A system implementing a method for determining QoS degradations comprises: receiving alarms (a) from application layer or from network nodes of a MPLS network, including Passive Traffic Analyzer, Physical Layer Monitoring and MPLS OAM nodes, depending on the alarm, the system requests testing (d) for location and the network nodes answer back with location (e), once the fault is located, the system starts traffic restoration (h) via MPLS Signaling and receives the result (i), the system may need to consult the System Database, optionally query (b)—reply (c) step before requesting location, while query (f)—response (g) step is mandatory before restoration (h), once traffic restored, further testing by the network nodes and/or the application layer are triggered (j) by the system to ensure the correct overall QoS within the new network situation, a loop (i) of further restoration can be triggered by the system until a global stable non-degraded behavior is declared.

Abstract: A lawn care device may include a cutting deck housing at least one blade, an engine configured to selectively provide for rotation of the at least one blade responsive to selective coupling of the rotary power of the engine to the at least one blade via a power takeoff (PTO) clutch, and a PTO switch that is operable in two directions to engage or disengage the PTO clutch based on which one of the two directions the PTO switch is moved by a user. The PTO switch may be biased to return to a neutral position after each operation thereof. The PTO switch may be configured to perform at least one additional operational function responsive to sequential operation of the PTO switch in at least one of the two directions.

Abstract: A training bat has a central rod extending through the longitudinal length of the bat. A knob may be located at a proximal end of the bat. A handle located immediately distal to the knob may slide along the length of the rod. A cone section may be located distal to the handle. The knob and cone section may limit the longitudinal sliding of the handle. A barrel section may be located distal to the cone section. If the barrel section includes an interior chamber, the distal end of the barrel section may include a removable cap. Weights, springs, pins and other objects may be located inside the barrel section. Electrical components or other devices may also be included in the cone section, barrel section or cap. The handle may include an acoustic chamber and an amplifying chamber to provide for emission of a sound when the bat is swung. The acoustic chamber and amplifying chamber may also incorporate safety features.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to separate grease and solids from wastewater before reaching the sewers using a grease trap, wherein said grease trap comprises a turbulence buffer and a plurality of chambers which efficiently trap solid particles from the water waste in other to make easier the compliance with regulating agencies.

Abstract: An audio signal distortion detection device for simplifying the detection of harmonic distortion to aid in setting an amplifier's gain control to match an audio source unit's output voltage. The audio signal distortion detection device generally includes a housing having a plurality of status indicators thereon for indicating the status of an audio signal being fed into the housing's audio input. By utilizing a scaling circuit and processing unit, the present invention may be configured to detect four audio frequencies and compare DC levels of the frequencies to each other to determine if harmonic distortion is present. A distortion illuminator will illuminate when such distortion is detected and thus significantly reduce the effort required to setting an amplifier's gain control.

Abstract: A system including a live streaming optimizer server for optimal distribution of live media content, and a method for implementing the system. The system including at least one user provided with a computing device requesting a live media content; and a controller located in the distribution network of a content delivery network being adapted to receive said requesting and to transmit said requested live media content to said at least one user, and a live streaming optimizer (LISTO) server located in the transport network of said content delivery network and adapted to request said live media content to an identified content delivery network end point in a certain domain and adapted to transmit said live media content to said at least one user.

Abstract: A lawn care device may include a cutting deck housing at least one blade, an engine configured to selectively provide for rotation of the at least one blade responsive to selective coupling of the rotary power of the engine to the at least one blade via a power takeoff (PTO) clutch, and a PTO switch that is operable in two directions to engage or disengage the PTO clutch based on which one of the two directions the PTO switch is moved by a user. The PTO switch may be biased to return to a neutral position after each operation thereof. The PTO switch may be configured to perform at least one additional operational function responsive to sequential operation of the PTO switch in at least one of the two directions.

Abstract: A training bat has a central rod extending through the longitudinal length of the bat. A knob may be located at a proximal end of the bat. A handle located immediately distal to the knob may slide along the length of the rod. A cone section may be located distal to the handle. The knob and cone section may limit the longitudinal sliding of the handle. A barrel section may be located distal to the cone section. If the barrel section includes an interior chamber, the distal end of the barrel section may include a removable cap. Weights, springs, pins and other objects may be located inside the barrel section. Electrical components or other devices may also be included in the cone section, barrel section or cap. The handle may include an acoustic chamber and an amplifying chamber to provide for emission of a sound when the bat is swung. The acoustic chamber and amplifying chamber may also incorporate safety features.

Abstract: A process for producing surface modified carbon black is disclosed. The process comprises the step of treating carbon black with a sulfur compound in an amount in the range of 0.005%-1% of the carbon black to effect in situ formation of surface groups to produce the surface modified carbon black which when combined with a polymer composition alters the carbon black-polymer interaction to decrease the hysteresis of the polymer composition. The curing time required for polymer composition comprising the surface modified carbon black is also decreased. The preferred sulfur compounds are sulfite or sulfate salts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to separate grease and solids from wastewater before reaching the sewers using a grease trap, wherein said grease trap comprises a turbulence buffer and a plurality of chambers which efficiently trap solid particles from the water waste in other to make easier the compliance with regulating agencies.

Abstract: A riding lawn care vehicle may include a frame and a steering assembly. Wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle may be attachable to the frame. The steering assembly may be operably coupled to the frame and configured for steering at least one wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle. The steering assembly may include a vertical adjustment assembly and a folding assembly. The vertical adjustment assembly may be configured to enable telescopic adjustment a height of handles associated with the steering assembly. The folding assembly may be configured to enable folding of at least a portion of the steering assembly.