Abstract: The variable valve timing mechanism includes a housing, a rotor rotatably supported within the housing, and a lock pin. The housing includes a plurality of fluid chambers one of which includes a lock bore. The rotor includes a central portion and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the central portion. Each of the vanes extends into the fluid chambers of the housing to define an advanced fluid chamber and a retarded fluid chamber. One of the plurality of vanes includes a pin bore. The lock pin includes a shank section and an insertion section. The insertion section includes a nonlinear outer side profile. The lock pin is slidably received within the pin bore between an unlocked position and a locked position in which the insertion section of the lock pin is received within the lock bore of the housing thereby prohibiting relative rotation between the housing and the rotor.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a non-quarter wave multilayer structure having a plurality of alternating low index of refraction material stacks and high index of refraction material stacks. The plurality of alternating stacks can reflect electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet region and a narrow band of electromagnetic radiation in the visible region. The non-quarter wave multilayer structure, i.e. nLdL?nHdH??0/4, can be expressed as [A 0.5 qH pL(qH pL)N 0.5 qH G], where q and p are multipliers to the quarter-wave thicknesses of high and low refractive index material, respectively, H is the quarter-wave thickness of the high refracting index material; L is the quarter-wave thickness of the low refracting index material; N represents the total number of layers between bounding half layers of high index of refraction material (0.5 qH); G represents a substrate and A represents air.

Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a first side member having first lower and upper darts. The motor vehicle also includes a second side member parallel with and spaced apart from the first side member, the second side member having second lower and upper darts. The upper darts are positioned between the lower darts and end portions of the respective first or second side members. The motor vehicle further includes first and second bumper brackets coupled to the end portion of the respective first or second side members, a bumper reinforcement member coupled to the first and second bumper brackets, and a counter rotation bracket coupled to the bumper reinforcement member and extending upwards from the bumper reinforcement member. The lower darts and the upper darts form a preferential buckling zone of the first and the second side members.

Abstract: Bioactive coatings that are stabilized against inactivation by weathering are provided including a base associated with a chemically modified enzyme, and, optionally a first polyoxyethylene present in the base and independent of the enzyme. The coatings are optionally overlayered onto a substrate to form an active coating facilitating the removal of organic stains or organic material from food, insects, or the environment.

Abstract: A powder-containing oil-based lubricant for die contains 60 to 99% by mass of an oil-based lubricant consisting of oil, 0.3 to 30% by mass of a solubilizing agent, 0.3 to 15% by mass of an inorganic powder and 7.5% by mass or less of water, the lubricant being electrostatically applied to a die. The powder-containing oil-based lubricant may be applied to a die by electrostatic spraying. The electrostatic spray apparatus includes a device that imparts static electricity to the powder-containing oil-based lubricant and an electrostatic spray gun installed on a multi-axis robot.

Abstract: A substrate or coating is provided that includes a lipase with enzymatic activity toward a component of a fingerprint. Also provided is a process for facilitating the removal of fingerprints is provided wherein an inventive substrate or coating including a lipase is capable of enzymatically degrading of one or more components of the fingerprint to facilitate fingerprint removal from the substrate or said coating. Applying heat to the substrate or coating increases the rate of fingerprint removal.

Abstract: A synthetic grinding stone used for the polishing of a silicon wafer is composed of a structure containing cerium oxide fine particles as abrasive grains, a resin as a binder, a salt as a filler and a nano diamond as an additive. This synthetic grinding stone is characterized in that the purity of the cerium oxide is not less than 60% by weight, the content of the salt as a filler is not less than 1% but not more than 20%, the volume content of the nano diamond as an additive is not less than 0.1% but less than 20% relative to the total volume of the structure, and the porosity as the volume fraction relative to the total volume of the structure is less than 30%.

Abstract: A process for stabilizing a bioactive composition includes forming hydrogel matrix pores around protein molecules and reducing a water content within the hydrogel matrix pores while keeping the protein molecules biologically active.

Abstract: A process for designing and manufacturing an omnidirectional structural color (OSC) multilayer stack. The process can include providing a digital processor operable to execute at least one module and a table of index of refraction values corresponding to different materials that are usable for manufacturing an OSC multilayer stack. An initial design for the OSC multilayer stack can be provided and at least one additional layer is added to the initial design OSC multilayer stack to create a modified OSC multilayer stack. In addition, the thickness of each layer of the modified OSC multilayer stack is calculated using a merit function module until an optimized OSC multilayer stack has been calculated.

Abstract: A process for producing particles from a thin film is provided. The process includes grinding the thin film using granules that afford for the particles to maintain a structure and/or one or more properties of the thin film. In addition, the process provides for a high recovery percentage of the source material.

Abstract: Protein-polymer compositions and processes for their production are provided where the compositions have improved resistance to ultraviolet light induced weathering and associated loss of enzyme activity. The incorporation of both a sterically hindered amine and an ultraviolet light absorber at a concentration of at least 5% by weight produces a curable or cured composition with UV stabilized enzyme activity that can be used as a bioactive coating with improved stain removal properties.

Abstract: A substrate or coating is provided that includes a protease with enzymatic activity toward a component of a biological stain. Also provided is a process for facilitating the removal of a biological stain is provided wherein an inventive substrate or coating including a protease is capable of enzymatically degrading of one or more components of the biological stain to facilitate biological stain removal from the substrate or said coating.

Abstract: A system for measuring physical parameters of a tire, according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensor layer and a circuit layer. The sensor layer is communicatively coupled to the circuit layer. The sensor layer is configured as a first thin film and embedded in the tire. The sensor layer provides a signal related to a physical parameter of the tire. The circuit layer is configured as a second thin film and embedded in the tire. The circuit layer processes the signal provided by the sensor layer.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for assisting a requestor to identify and reserve a resource that meets the need of the requestor's request. For example, a request can be augmented using augmentation data, such as current position and requestor preferences, and resources are located and ranked according to their match against the augmented request. A person who is the requestor may engage in another attention demanding task, such as driving a car, while resources well matched to preferences are located. Preference data may be determined from social network data, a preference file, and/or other sources.

Abstract: Temporary active coatings that are stabilized against inactivation by weathering are provided including a base associated with a chemically modified enzyme, and, optionally a first polyoxyethylene present in the base and independent of the enzyme. The coatings are optionally overlayered onto a substrate to form an active coating facilitating the removal of organic stains or organic material from food, insects, or the environment.

Abstract: A process for producing encapsulated metal colloids useful as inorganic coloured pigments, including, reacting one or more glass-forming components according to the sol-gel process to obtain a sol dispersing a metal salt in the resulting sol in the presence of an additional reducing agent to form metal colloids, converting the resulting dispersion into xerogel-encapsulated metal colloids by spray drying, heating the resulting xerogel-encapsulated metal colloids to density them. The present invention relates, furthermore, to inorganic coloured pigments, in particular producible by the process of the invention, including metal colloids produced from metal salts and encapsulated in an encapsulation, the encapsulation being produced from glass-forming components according to the sol-gel process and being densified to a xerogel or glass, the proportion of metal colloid in the capsules being at least 80%.

Abstract: A battery that includes a cathode, anode and an electrolytic solution containing an organic electrolyte solvent including a compound of the formula: R1—CO—NR2—OR3 wherein R1 is selected from alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls and their substituted derivatives and perfluorinated analogues; R2 is selected from alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls and their substituted derivatives; R3 is selected from alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls and their substituted derivatives wherein the electrolyte is stable at voltages of greater than 4.0 volts.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing stand-alone multilayer thin films is provided. The process includes providing a substrate, depositing a sacrificial layer onto the substrate and the depositing multilayer thin film onto the sacrificial layer. Thereafter, the substrate, sacrificial layer and thin film structure are exposed to chemical solutions. The chemical solution selectively reacts with the sacrificial layer to remove the sacrificial layer, thereby affording for an intact multilayer stand-alone thin film to separate from the substrate. The color and optical properties of the multilayer thin film are not affected by the removal of the sacrificial layer.

Abstract: A process for stabilizing a bioactive composition includes forming hydrogel matrix pores around protein molecules and reducing a water content within the hydrogel matrix pores while keeping the protein molecules biologically active.

Abstract: Processes for preparation of a protein-polymer composite material are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include providing an admixture of a polymer resin, a surfactant and a non-aqueous organic solvent. An aqueous solution containing bioactive proteins and substantially free of surfactant is mixed with the admixture. The emulsion is mixed with a crosslinker to produce a curable composition. The curable composition is cured, thereby producing the protein-polymer composite material.