Abstract: A fiber guide plate useful in the manufacture of fiber optic cables comprising a plate having an edge, a central circular hole and at least two fiber guide channels arranged at a distance from and at a periphery around said hole, where said channels are connected to said edge with a bore, and where said bore is connected to a gas source.

Abstract: A laminate comprises an ionomeric interlayer sheet which, in turn, comprises or is prepared from a sodium/zinc mixed ionomer that comprises carboxylate groups and a combination of counterions that consists essentially of sodium cations and zinc cations. The sodium/zinc mixed ionomer is the neutralization product of a precursor acid copolymer. The precursor acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of an ?-olefin and an ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and it has a melt flow rate of about 70 to about 1000 g/10 min. In addition, the precursor acid copolymer, when neutralized to a level of about 40% to about 90%, and when comprising counterions that consist essentially of sodium ions, produces a sodium ionomer that has a freeze enthalpy that is not detectable or that is less than about 3.0 j/g, when determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of butenes and derivatives thereof from aqueous ethanol, optionally obtained from a fermentation broth. The butenes thus produced find use as intermediates for the production of polyethylenes and for the production of other known, useful materials.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a coating composition that can be cured by radiation, chemical crosslink or both radiation and chemical crosslink. The coating composition comprises one or more radiation curable unsaturated double bonds and one or more crosslinkable functional groups, wherein a layer of said coating composition applied over a substrate cures into a dry coating when exposed to actinic radiation and said dry coating has a glass transition temperature between 15° C. to 120° C. The coating composition can be used in either 1K or 2K coating systems. This invention is also directed to a method of using said coating composition to coat a substrate including a vehicle, a vehicle body or parts thereof.

Abstract: Primers have been isolated that are diagnostic for the detection of Vibrio harveyi. The primers are based on a portion of the Vibrio harveyi LuxR gene and may be used in primer directed amplification or nucleic acid hybridization assay methods.

Abstract: A reflecting sheet of the invention includes at least a surface layer portion and an inner layer portion, where the surface layer portion contains at least 0.3 g/m2 to 20 g/m2 of an inorganic powder and a polyolefin resin (C), the inner layer portion contains a polyolefin resin (A) and at least one kind of resins (B) incompatible with the polyolefin resin (A) at temperatures enabling stretching of the polyolefin resin(A), the surface layer portion meets (n1?n2)/n2?0.20 (n1: refractive index of the inorganic powder, n2: refractive index of the polyolefin resin (C)), and the inner layer portion has voids.

Abstract: A sodium/zinc mixed ionomer comprises carboxylate groups and a combination of counterions that consists essentially of sodium cations and zinc cations. The sodium/zinc mixed ionomer is the neutralization product of a precursor acid copolymer. The precursor acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of an ?-olefin and an ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and it has a melt flow rate of about 10 to about 4000 g/10 min. In addition, the precursor acid copolymer, when neutralized to a level of about 40% to about 90%, and when comprising counterions that consist essentially of sodium ions, produces a sodium ionomer that has a freeze enthalpy that is not detectable or that is less than about 3.0 j/g, when determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Further provided are articles comprising or prepared from the sodium/zinc mixed ionomer.

Abstract: Films comprising a liquid-absorbant layer and an impermeable layer are provided. Processes for manufacturing these films is also provided. The films are suitable for preparation of tubular casings and shrinkbags, in particular, casings for smoked foodstuffs. Also described are foodstuffs processed in the tubular casings.

Abstract: A solar cell module comprising a solar cell layer and an ionomer sheet comprising a sodium/zinc mixed ionomer that is the neutralization product of a precursor acid copolymer; wherein the precursor acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of an ?-olefin having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and about 20 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of an ?,?-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms based on the total weight of the precursor acid copolymer; wherein the precursor acid copolymer has a melt flow rate of about 70 to about 1000 g/10 min, as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16 kg; and wherein when about 40% to about 90% of the total content of the carboxylic acid groups present in the precursor acid copolymer are neutralized to carboxylate groups to comprise carboxylate groups and counterions that consist essentially of sodium ions, the resulting sodium ionomer has a freeze enthalpy that is not detectable or that is less than about 3.

Abstract: A display assembly comprises a backplane assembly comprising a plurality of spaced backplane areas, each backplane area comprising a plurality of electrodes, the backplane areas being separated by gutter areas free from electrodes; an adhesive layer overlying the plurality of spaced backplane areas; and a layer of a solid electro-optic medium overlying the adhesive layer in the plurality of spaced backplane areas. The display sub-assembly can be produced via a single lamination and severed to form a plurality of separate electro-optic displays. Processes for producing the display assembly are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the electromagnetic stirring of electrically conductive fluids by using a magnetic field RMF rotating in the horizontal plane, and a magnetic field WMF traveling in a vertical direction thereto. The object consists in avoiding asymmetric flow structures in containers filled with melts, in particular at the beginning and during the course of the solidification. Moreover, the aim is to achieve an effective mixing of the fluid and/or a controlled solidification of metallic alloys by avoiding the formation of separation zones in the solidification structure. The solution consists in the fact that both the rotating magnetic field RMF and the traveling magnetic field WMF are switched on discontinuously in the form of temporally restricted and adjustable periods and alternately in time one after another via associated induction coils.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism useful for biologically producing 1,3-propanediol from a fermentable carbon source at higher yield than was previously known. The complexity of the cofactor requirements necessitates the use of a whole cell catalyst for an industrial process that utilizes this reaction sequence to produce 1,3-propanediol. The invention provides a microorganism with disruptions in specified genes and alterations in the expression levels of specified genes that is useful in a higher yielding process to produce 1,3-propanediol.

Abstract: Provided are multilayer laminates having one or more layers comprising twisted nematic liquid crystals and one or more layers of a polymeric sheet comprising a polymer with a modulus of 20,000 psi (138 MPa) or less. The twisted nematic liquid crystal layers reflect infrared radiation. Thus, the multilayer laminates are useful to reduce the transmission of infrared energy. For example, in some embodiments the multilayer laminates are useful as windows to reduce energy consumption necessary to cool the interior of a structure such as an automobile or building. Preferably, the multilayer laminates retain the beneficial properties of safety glass. The multilayer laminates may include additional layers such as infrared absorbing layers, half wave plates, and the like, to minimize the transmission of infrared energy. The multilayer laminates may also include further additional layers such as polymeric films, polymeric sheets, rigid sheets, and the like.

Abstract: An energy storage system for powering electric user devices of a vehicle, the energy storage system having a battery; a capacitive element connected parallel to the terminals of the battery; and an inductive element connected in series to the battery, between the battery and the capacitive element; to effectively regulate power/energy flow between the battery and the capacitive element during transients, the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the capacitance of the capacitive element measured in (F) is less than 1, and the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the inductance of the inductive element measured in (?H) is less than 1.

Abstract: A yarn, fabric, and garment suitable for use in arc and flame protection and having improved flash fire protection contains a majority, by weight, of meta-aramid fibers having a degree of crystallinity of at least 20%, and a minority of modacrylic fibers, para-aramid fibers, and antistatic fibers. Garments made from the yarns provide thermal protection such that a wearer would experience less than a 65 percent predicted body burn when exposed to a flash fire exposure of 4 seconds per ASTM F1930, while maintaining a Category 2 arc rating per ASTM F1959 and NFPA 70E.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with flash-spinning a surface-modified structure such as a plexifilimentary yarn or a microcellular foam.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel electrophoretic displays and materials useful in fabricating such displays. In particular, novel encapsulated displays are disclosed. Particles encapsulated therein are dispersed within a suspending, or electrophoretic, fluid. This fluid may be a mixture of two or more fluids or may be a single fluid. The displays may further comprise particles dispersed in a suspending fluid, wherein the particles contain a liquid. In either case, the suspending fluid may have a density or refractive index substantially matched to that of the particles dispersed therein. Finally, also disclosed herein are electro-osmotic displays. These displays comprise at least one capsule containing either a cellulosic or gel-like internal phase and a liquid phase, or containing two or more immiscible fluids. Application of electric fields to any of the electrophoretic displays described herein affects an optical property of the display.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for digital displaying images of various colors and appearances of an article and the use thereof. The invention is particularly directed to a system for displaying images for selecting one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of an article. The invention is even further directed to a system for displaying images for selecting one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of a vehicle.

Abstract: An electro-active spectacle lens is disclosed. The disclosed lens includes a first lens optic. The disclosed lens also includes a first electro-active zone positioned in a cooperative relationship with the first lens optic. In certain embodiments, the electro-active lens includes a range finder positioned in a cooperative relationship with the electro-active lens.