Abstract: A flame-retardant composition includes a crystalline propylene homopolymer or copolymer, a copolymer of ethylene with at least one alpha-olefin having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, and optionally with a diene, the copolymer of ethylene being characterized by a composition distribution index greater than 45%, the index being defined as a weight percentage of copolymer molecules having an alpha-olefin content within 50% of an average total molar content of alpha-olefin, and natural magnesium hydroxide in amounts such as to impart flame-retardant properties. A related cable with self-extinguishing properties includes a conductor and a flame-retardant coating. The flame-retardant coating includes the flame-retardant composition.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber (100) having low PMD, comprises the steps of: a) heating at least one end portion (3a) of a preform (3); b) drawing an optical fiber (100) from a free end of said heated end portion (3a) along a fiber drawing axis (I—I); c) coating said optical fiber (100) with a suitable coating material; d) applying to said coated optical fiber (100) a torque about said fiber drawing axis (I—I), e) winding said coated optical fiber (100) onto a collecting spool (9). According to the invention, step d) is carried out by means of a pulley (16) supported upstream of said collecting spool (9) and rotated about the fiber drawing axis (I—I), said optical fiber (100) being wound up onto said pulley (16) for an angle of at least about 360°. Advantageously, such method also allows to notably increase the amount of optical fiber produced per unit of time with respect to the prior art.

Abstract: Liquid compositions containing particles of highly fluorinated ion-exchange polymer having sulfonate functional groups with an ion exchange ratio of less than about 33. The compositions contain at least about 25% by weight of polymer particles having a particle size of about 2 nm to about 30 nm.

Abstract: An electroluminescent system in which neighboring layers are suspended, prior to application, in advantageously a unitary carrier compound, so that after curing, the layers form active strata within a monolithic mass. The carrier compound in a preferred embodiment is a vinyl resin in gel form. The invention enables several manufacturing advantages, including the ability to screen print the entire electroluminescent system on a variety of porous or fibrous substrates.

Abstract: A curable coating composition comprising functionalized oligomer components i and ii which cross-link at cure to form a three-dimensional network having chains of substantially uniform, controllable molecular weight between cross-links; oligomers i and ii having weight average molecular weights not exceeding about 3,000, a polydispersity for (i) not exceeding about 1.5, and functionalities that react with one another to cross-link i and ii at cure to yield coatings with an excellent balance of hardness and mar resistance.

Abstract: A passenger seat meal tray latch assembly having a pair of laterally spaced-apart latch plates for being secured to a surface of a seat back of a passenger seat directly above a meal tray stowage position, a cross-member for being positioned laterally across the surface of the seat back and locked to the seat back by releasable connection to the pair of latch plates, a latch mounted on the cross-member and movable between a retracted position for permitting the meal tray to be moved into and out of its stowage position and an extended position for latching the meal tray to the seat back.

Abstract: Stable compositions containing biotinylated molecules, such as enzymes, are provided. The compositions include a biotinylated biomolecule, a biomolecule protectant, a buffer, a bulking agent selected from one or more water soluble, nonionic polymers and preferably a terminal sterilization protectant. The compositions can be utilized either as aqueous solutions or preferably in dried form, e.g., as a lyophilized, powder cake. They have applicability in any case where avidin/biotin technology is used and are particularly important as compositions containing a thrombin-like enzyme, e.g., for preparation of a fibrin monomer and fibrin monomer-based fibrin sealants.

Abstract: An extension device adapted for speedy connection of various types of hand free devices for cellular phones to service centers is mainly made up of a control unit, a power supply processing unit, a press button unit, a data storage unit and a dialing unit. Alternatively, an infrared receiving unit in cooperation with an infrared transmitter can be added thereto. Thereby such an extension device enables all types of hand-free devices for cellular phones to be quickly connected to service centers in request for required services.

Abstract: A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels includes a VCR (80) with an RF tuner. The RF signal carrying the over the air channels is connected to the RF input (64) of the DBS receiver (50), combined with an RF modulation on channel 3 (or 4) of the DBS channel tuned by the DBS receiver. The combined RF signal is sent to the RF tuner in the VCR, which tunes either channel 3 (or 4) for the DBS channel or the appropriate RF channel for a local over the air channel. The output of the RF tuner is output on the VCR's baseband video output (84) which is connected to a baseband video input (66) on the DBS receiver. This system provides a baseband video signal for both over the air and DBS channels.

Abstract: A radio signal relay for extending effective transmission distance of radio signals consists of a receiver and transmitter, a signal processing unit, an input output bus unit, a processing unit, a memory unit, a signal amplification unit and an antenna. The radio signal relay is adaptable for use in transmission modules of telephones, information peripherals, modem transmission and the like to extend the effective radio transmission distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating a receiver of radio communication is introduced particularly to indicate the location of the receiver by a simple symbol so as to navigate a sender thereof to the location of the receiver without using a map. The apparatus, as a simple and practical position-locating device, mainly includes a system control unit, a direction detection unit, a longitude-and-latitude detection unit, an operation unit, a display unit, a data transmission unit, a radio communication interface unit, a voice transmission unit, a voice procession unit, a human-machine interface, a microphone and a speaker.

Abstract: A sound-activated song selection broadcasting apparatus allows users to retrieve and broadcast desired music or songs quickly without repeatedly trial-hearing or wasting time. The apparatus consists of a processing unit, an audio recognition search unit, a sample learning unit, a music processing unit, a human machine interface, a music storing unit, an audio input unit and an audio output unit. Users can find out and retrieve the desired song quickly without trial-hearing every song individually.

Abstract: An improved corn wet milling process is disclosed in which a first stream comprising water, starch, and protein (e.g., gluten) is generated by separating fiber from wet milled de-germed corn particles (e.g. fiber separation step). Membrane filtration (e.g. starch-protein stream thickening) is performed on the first stream, producing a first retentate and a first aqueous permeate. The first retentate (e.g. thickened starch-protein stream) is separated into a second stream and a third stream (e.g. primary starch separation step). The second stream comprises water and a majority of the starch present in the first retentate, and the third stream comprises water and a majority of the protein (e.g., gluten) present in the first retentate. This process provides an economical means of recovering a higher percentage of the available cornstarch for inclusion in high value products.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to the oxidative carbonylation of toluene, catalyzed by rhodium or iridium complexes in the presence of an oxidant and under mild conditions, whereby toluic acid is produced with para-selectivity up to 98%.

Abstract: A bacterial plasmid has been isolated from Pseudomonas CT14 comprising genes encoding enzymes implicated in aromatic ring cleavage. Additionally, the novel genes encoding proteins involved in mercury tolerance and plasmid stability and replication have been identified. The strain from which the plasmid was isolated is useful in a variety of methods including methods for the degradation of aromatic compounds, particularly catechols.

Abstract: A polymeric film composition, which can readily be applied to a sheet-configured substrate and which resists creep at room temperature, even when the sheet/film combination is stored as a roll, is disclosed. The polymeric film composition has a viscosity of at least 3×106 Pa-s at a predetermined first lower temperature and at a shear stress of 10,000 Pa and a viscosity no greater than 1×104 Pa-s at a predetermined second higher temperature and at a shear stress of 50,000 Pa.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing the pentfluropropenes of the formula CF3CX═CF2, where X is H or Cl. The process involves hydrodehalogenating CF3CCl2CF3 with hydrogen at an elevated temperature in the vapor phase over a catalyst comprising an elemental metal, metal oxide, metal halide and/or metal oxyhalide (the metal being copper, nickel, chromium and the halogen of said halides and said oxyhalides being fluorine and/or chlorine. Processes for producing the hydrofluorocarbons CF3CH2CHF2, CF3CHFCF3 and CF3CH2CF3 are also disclosed which involve (a) hydrodehalogenating CF3CCl2CF3 with the hydrogen as indicated above to produce a product comprising CF3CCl═CF2, CF3CH═CF2, HCl and HF; and (b) either reacting the CF3CCl═CF2 and/or CF3CH═CF2 produced in (a) in the vapor phase with hydrogen to produce CF3CH2CHF2, reacting CF3CCl═CF2 produced in (a) with HF to produce CF3CHFCF3, or reacting the CF3CH═CF2produced in (a) with HF to produce CF3CH2CF3.

Abstract: An external rearview mirror of an automotive vehicle has a mirror plate set including a mirror plate and a rear cover, a moving mechanism for the mirror plate set and including a bearing/electric motor set, a housing in which the mirror plate set and the bearing/motor set are accommodated, a base with which the housing is connected in an articulated manner, the base being fixable to a side of a vehicle, the mirror plate set and the bearing/motor set being directly fixed with one another with the use of parts including one part provided in the mirror plate set and another part provided in the bearing/engine set and connectable with the one part.

Abstract: A synthetic polymer yarn comprising a bicomponent yarn and a second yarn combined to form a single yarn is disclosed. The bicomponent yarn is made up from a first component and a second component each comprised of a fiber-forming polymer and each having different shrinkages from the other to effectuate a bulking effect. This differential shrinkage may be obtained, for example, by using different polymers or similar polymers having different relative viscosities. The synthetic polymer yarn of the present invention has advantageously exhibited an improved visual effect, including a stratified effect, which improves the visual composition of products produced using the yarn. Moreover, the fabrics produced from the yarn have improved hand and stretch and recovery.