Abstract: A brick comprises a thermoplastic material, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), and a cement-containing material. The brick may be made by mixing thermoplastic material and dry, uncured cement-containing material. This mixture is placed in a mold. The mold is heated while the mixture is compressed to melt or soften the thermoplastic material and to bind the particulate material in the mold into the shape of a brick. After the hardened brick is removed from the mold, the surface of the brick may be sprayed with water to cure cement-containing material on the surface of the brick.

Abstract: A method, a system and an apparatus of semi-permeable terrain geophysical data acquisition is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a front extension with a set of front stability margins. In addition, the apparatus also includes a rear extension with a set of rear stability margins. The method also includes a set of data measuring instruments that automatically adjust and calibrate geophysical data related to a characteristic of a semi-permeable terrain such that a measurement captured through the set of data measuring instruments accurately reflects a magnitude of a measurement related to a motion of the apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coating composition comprising a polyurethane polyol composition comprising the reaction product of a polyisocyanate and a polyol, and modified nanoparticles of silica and/or alumina, and to a process for preparing such coating composition.

Abstract: Ruthenium/activated charcoal (Ru/AC) treated with synthesized nano-ZnO (n-ZnO) is used for the first time as a novel composite catalyst in one-step self-condensation of acetone (DMK) to methyl isobutyl ketone in the gas phase. The DMK self-condensation was performed under atmospheric pressure, in a tubular glass fixed-bed microreactor, under DMK and H2 continuous flow at temperature in the range of 523 to 648 K. Addition of n-ZnO to Ru/AC resulted in a pronounced increase in the degree of dispersion of Ru and in the acidic/basic sites concentration ratio. For the one-step synthesis of MIBK at 623 K, the composite catalyst with 2.5 wt % Ru loading was an active and selective bi-functional composite catalyst with balanced acid/base and hydrogenation properties. At 523 K, isopropyl alcohol, product of DMK-direct hydrogenation, was produced in high selectivity for instantly investigated composite catalyst.

Abstract: A method for automatically recognizing Arabic text includes digitizing a line of Arabic characters to form a two-dimensional array of pixels each associated with a pixel value, wherein the pixel value is expressed in a binary number, dividing the line of the Arabic characters into a plurality of line images, defining a plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images, wherein each of the plurality of cells comprises a group of adjacent pixels, serializing pixel values of pixels in each of the plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images to form a binary cell number, forming a text feature vector according to binary cell numbers obtained from the plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images, and feeding the text feature vector into a Hidden Markov Model to recognize the line of Arabic characters.

Abstract: The present invention disclosed a process for the preparation of thermal insulation sheets fashioned from certain unseparated mixtures of post-consumer plastic articles. The mixtures of such articles used are those which contain articles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) and optionally also articles made of high density polyethylene (HDPE). An unseparated mixture of such articles is provided in Step A of the process. This mixture is then crushed and shredded in Step B to form plastic flakes, and these plastic flakes are then homogenized In Step C to form a uniform blend of the several plastic types. Homogenization of the flakes can be carried out either by melt-blending them or by further comminution to produce very fine particles of the mixed plastics. The resulting homogenized mixture of plastic types is then compression molded in Step D into sheets ranging in thickness from about 3 to 10 mm.

Abstract: Disclosed is the preparation of sintered cordierite-based glass-ceramic bodies via a procedure which uses three all natural starting materials which are white sand, kaolin clay and magnesite. These three raw materials, which are preferably sourced from the same geographic area such as Saudi Arabia, are combined in relative amounts which form, upon subsequent mixing and heating, a specific mixture of oxides of silicon, aluminum and magnesium. Upon melting at 1500-1550° C., this combination of raw materials forms transparent brown glass which after solidification by quenching is then crushed and reduced to grains having a median particle size less than 65 microns. These brown glass grains are consolidated, for example by compaction, to form a green body for sintering. Sintering of the green body at temperatures between about 1000° C. and 1375° C. for from 2 to 5 hours produces glass-ceramic bodies containing a polycrystalline material which comprises mostly material of the cordierite crystal structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for removal of pesticide residues from aqueous solutions and food products by ionizing radiation. Standard pesticides concentrations recognized by international organizations as maximum residues limit (MRLs) were used as the targeted concentrations in both aqueous solutions and food products. Commercially known pesticides and recommended irradiation doses by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were selected for this investigation. Aqueous solutions and food products fortified with pesticide residues were subjected to selected doses of ionizing radiation. Radiation-induced removal of pesticide residues is generally greater in aqueous solutions than in food products. Ionizing radiation can reduce the residues of pirimiphos-methyl in potatoes, grapes and dates; malathion and cypermethrin in grapes to below MRLs at the recommended irradiation doses.

Abstract: A low-pressure one-step gas-phase process for the production and recovery of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) is disclosed. One-step gas-phase synthesis of MIBK from acetone and hydrogen over nano-Pd/nano-ZnCr2O4 catalyst at atmospheric pressure is used as an example. The said process is designed to recover the additional heat associated with the reactor effluent via heating acetone feed and recycle (mixed acetone) before entering the reactor. A compressor is introduced to the gas-phase process to increase slightly the reactor effluent pressure before this effluent is cooled and fed to a flash drum. The compressed reactor effluent is used to preheat hydrogen feed and recycle (mixed hydrogen) before entering the reactor. The separation scheme of low-pressure one-step gas-phase process comprises of several distillation columns used for MIBK separation and purification.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for converting a digital number to text and for pronouncing the digital number. The system includes a filtration system for determining whether the digital number has nonnumeric symbols and for generating a filtrated number, an analyzing system for analyzing the filtrated number, a composition system configured to collect words associated with ternary units of the filtrated number, a linking system configured to link the words, and a pronouncing system for pronouncing the linked words.

Abstract: A method and adsorbent composition for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, comprising including mixing a water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals with an adsorbent including granules of a mixture of 3.33 wt % bentonite clay and a siwak stick powder; and collecting water having a reduced concentration of the heavy metal(s).

Abstract: A Braille Copy Machine includes a processor configured to detect at least one Braille cell from a scanned image of an original Braille document. The detecting includes determining a coordinate and a code for the at least one Braille cell. The Braille Copy Machine also includes an embosser configured to create an embossed copy of the original Braille document based on the determined coordinate and code for the at least one Braille cell.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to IT, and more particularly, to a method and system to achieve project-based diffusion of IT innovations. In accordance with aspects of the invention, the system comprises three integrated components. The first component is directed to the project management stages taken by an organization to deploy new technology innovations. This in turn consists of four stages: visioning, matching vision, deployment, and evaluation and improvement. The second component is directed to knowledge barriers to IT innovation diffusion. The third component is directed to critical success factors (CSF) of IT innovation implementations. In one embodiment the system includes of a Program Management Module (PMM) to implement corporate strategy for project management and to transform the organization into a learning one. In further embodiments, system is explained in detail using an example of ERP implementation.

Abstract: NBT-PVA film dosimeters performance is affected due to high humidity levels. NBT-PVB film dosimeters with a relatively small effect of high humidity levels on its performance are invented. NBT-PVB film dosimeters are made by using alcoholic solution to dissolve both of NBT and PVB. The films are very useful for routine dosimeter in industrial radiation processing. A very high sensitivity NBT-PVB Radio-chromic film dosimeter is achieved due to high solubility of NBT dye in 2-methoxyethanol enabling the addition of very high concentrations of NBT dye in the film dosimeters. The dose response of conventional NBT-PVA dosimeter films are normally saturated after 50 kGy, while the invented composites of NBT-PVB dosimeter films demonstrated high dose range up to 100 kGy for high dose industrial use.

Abstract: An aquaponic method and apparatus used to raise fish in fish rearing tanks is combined with hydroponic channels for growing crops, in which fertilizer nutrients from the aquaculture effluent are utilized as fertilizer. The aquaponic method and apparatus produce a first water circulation system during the day in which water is repeatedly cycled from a sump, bypassing fish rearing tanks, to a clarifier for removing solids, a degasifier for removing volatile compound, then to the hydroponic channels, and then, back from the hydroponic channels to the sump. The aquaponic method and apparatus also produce a second circulation system during the night in which water is repeatedly cycled from the sump to the fish rearing tanks, from the fish rearing tanks to the clarifier, then from the clarifier to the hydroponic channels and then back from the hydroponic channels to the sump.

Abstract: A water distillation system includes a membrane distillation unit which produces desalinated water from feed water comprising salt water. The system also includes a primary water heater which raises a temperature of the feed water upstream of the feed water entering the membrane distillation unit. The system additionally includes an evaporative cooler which lowers a temperature of a coolant upstream of the coolant entering the membrane distillation unit.

Abstract: A method for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, comprising collecting metal salt precipitates from a water softening process, drying said precipitates, contacting water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals with said precipitates, and collecting water having a reduced concentration of said heavy metal(s).

Abstract: An eco friendly radiation cross-linked composition is described that demonstrates excellent resistance to fire and high temperature along with good mechanical properties. The composition which is based on a blend of EVA with a LLDPE, is free of monomer such as vinyl co-agent for radiation cross-linking. The halogen free flame retardant composition is a mixture of 20 to 90% by weight of magnesium hydroxide (powder A) and 90% to 20% of powder B. Preferably the powder B is a double salt of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate and the magnesium hydroxide has a specific surface treatment. In addition, 0.5 to 5 parts of flame retardancy auxiliary agents are selected from talc, zinc borate or molybdate derivative. The chemicals used here reduce toxicity in the environment and do not release toxic chemicals to air and soil during fire. The flame retardant cross-linked polyolefin composition is particularly useful for insulating wires and cables.

Abstract: Both a system and method are provided for transliterating a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language. The system includes a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media; and first, second and third program instructions. The first program instructions determine whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same. If so, the second program instructions transliterate the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet.

Abstract: A method and adsorbent composition for removing heavy metals from contaminated water, comprising passing a stream of water having a concentration of one or more heavy metals through an adsorbent comprising granules of a mixture of from about 1 wt % to about 15 wt % clay and a thermoplastic polymer matrix; and collecting water having a reduced concentration of said heavy metal(s) downstream of said adsorbent.