Abstract: Articles produced according to the present disclosure include a first film having a structured surface and a second film having a structured surface. The structured surface of the first film is releaseably mated with the structured surface of the second film. In some exemplary embodiments, such articles may be optical bodies including first and second optical films having structured surfaces. Methods of making such articles, which may be optical bodies, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A material suitable for sealing plastic containers and used as a lid on a container for food is disclosed. The material comprises a substrate joined to a film comprising a mixture of a butene-1 polymer, polypropylene, an organic filler, and, optionally, high density polyethylene. The material is heat sealable, peelable and retains high burst strength both during and after retorting at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: This invention relates to a class of heterocycles and their metal complexes, and is particularly concerned with the use of these compounds in the preparation of prodrugs or as prodrugs that may be activated under hypoxic conditions by enzymes or by therapeutic ionising radiation, in the treatment of cancer. The invention also relates to the use of these heterocycles and the corresponding metal complexes in the preparation of medicaments and to compositions including the heterocycles or their metal complexes and to methods for preparing these compounds.

Abstract: In a directly-illuminated liquid crystal display (LCD), for example an LCD monitor or an LCD-TV, a number of light management layers lie between the light source and the LCD panel to provide bright, uniform illumination. The light management layers, including, for example, a diffuser, a reflective polarizer and a brightness enhancing layer, are contained in a light management unit that is formed from two subassemblies. The two subassemblies each contain a substrate and are attached together so as to leave a gap between the two subassemblies. The diffuser is located in one of the subassemblies, and the other light management layers may be in either of the subassemblies, or may be disposed in the gap between the subassemblies.

Abstract: A method is provided for repairing a defect in a noise suppression panel. The method may be used to repair defects in a panel that may occur during the manufacture of or normal use of the panel. The method includes the steps of removing the defect from the noise suppression panel to create a cavity therein, forming material comprised of a material having acoustic damping properties into an insert configured to mate with the cavity, and placing the insert into the cavity.

Abstract: Injection molding systems and methods useful for making microcellular foamed materials are provided as well as microcellular articles. Pressure drop rate and shear rate are important features in some embodiments, and the invention provides systems for controlling these parameters in an injection molding system. Another aspect involves an injection molding system including a nucleator that is upstream of a pressurized mold. Another aspect involves an extrusion system with the reciprocating screw for forming a single phase solution of non-nucleated blowing agent and polymeric material. Another aspect involves very thin walled microcellular material and very thin walled polymeric material. Another aspect provides a method for producing high weight reductions in very thin-walled parts with surfaces that have no noticeable differences from non-foamed parts.

Abstract: A network management apparatus and method for identifying an event which is indicative of the underlying cause of more than one of a plurality of events detected by a network management station on a network is described in which the management station has knowledge of the topology of the network. Using the topology of the network, the apparatus and method considers the location of the network device causing each event in the plurality of events, and determines as the causal event, the event which has occurred at a location closest to the network management station. The method is preferably implemented in the form of a computer program.

Abstract: A material that can be used as a lid (12) on a container (14, 40), the lid containing a solid substrate (30) and a peelable and heat sealable film (32) which contains a mixture of at least aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, inorganic filler, butene-1 polymer and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, where the substrate (30) is preferably made of aluminum.

Abstract: An open cell foam bulk absorber is formed by pressurizing a foaming agent and a foamable material, and then decompressing the foaming agent and the foamable material. During decompression, the foamable material and foaming agent expand, and a plurality of open cells are formed in the foamable material, thereby producing an open cell foam bulk absorber. The open cells in the bulk absorber have a distribution of sizes about a mean size, and a density gradient.

Abstract: Continuous polymeric extrusion nucleation systems and methods useful for making polymeric microcellular foamed materials, including crystalline and semi-crystalline polymeric microcellular materials, are provided. Pressure drop rate is an important feature in some embodiments, and the invention provides systems for controlling these and other parameters. One aspect involves a multiple-pathway nucleator that is separated from a shaping die by a residence chamber. Another aspect involves a die for making advantageously thick articles, including a multiple-pathway nucleation section. Microcellular material can be continuously extruded onto wire, resulting in a very thin, essentially closed-cell microcellular insulating coating secured to a wire. Other very thin microcellular products can be fabricated as well.

Abstract: An integrated noise suppression acoustic panel includes a back plate, a face plate, and a bulk foam absorber disposed between the back plate and the face plate. The bulk foam absorber is formed of a thermoset material, such as bismaleimide or phenolic, and is manufactured using a low pressure process. In particular, a foamable material is melted, and a blowing agent is mixed with the foamable material to obtain a mixture. The foam is formed and the mixture is cured by heating it to a temperature, and maintaining the mixture at the temperature for a time sufficient to cure the mixture.

Abstract: Injection molding systems and methods useful for making microcellular foamed materials are provided as well as microcellular articles. Pressure drop rate and shear rate are important features in some embodiments, and the invention provides systems for controlling these parameters in an injection molding system. Another aspect involves an injection molding system including a nucleator that is upstream of a pressurized mold. Another aspect involves an extrusion system with the reciprocating screw for forming a single phase solution of non-nucleated blowing agent and polymeric material. Another aspect involves very thin walled microcellular material and very thin walled polymeric material. Another aspect provides a method for producing high weight reductions in very thin-walled parts with surfaces that have no noticeable differences from non-foamed parts.

Abstract: A display includes an optical film that has a surface structure, such as a prismatically structured surface for increasing the brightness of the display. The structured surface is bonded to an opposing surface of a second film using a layer of adhesive, by penetrating the structured surface into the adhesive layer to a depth less than a feature height of the structured surface. The bonded film structure provides additional strength to the films and reduces the possibility of film damage during display assembly.

Abstract: A process for adjusting the level of water or water soluble additives in aqueous-based powder injection molding compounds for the purpose of recycling scrap material, controlling shrinkage or rehydrating dry feedstock. Depending on the objective, the process may require material granulation equipment, equipment for the addition or removal of water and mixing equipment. The molding compounds may be comprised of either recycled scrap material before being heat-treated or dry, virgin feedstock material.

Abstract: A method for fetching sparsely indexed MIB tables for a managed network device using an approximation operation, such as a GetNext SNMP operation, comprises sending a plurality of operations in a first data packet at least one of the plurality of approximation operations specifying a speculative approximation. By using speculative approximations of index values of data to be fetched, it is possible to retrieve MIB table data more quickly and efficiently.

Abstract: This invention relates to a class of heterocycles and their metal complexes, and is particularly concerned with the use of these compounds in the preparation of prodrugs or as prodrugs that may be activated under hypoxic conditions by enzymes or by therapeutic ionising radiation, in the treatment of cancer. The invention also relates to the use of these heterocycles and the corresponding metal complexes in the preparation of medicaments and to compositions including the heterocycles or their metal complexes and to methods for preparing these compounds.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a stress value representing the performance of a network comprising network devices is described. A raw data value for a monitored characteristic of a network device or link is obtained by the management system and compared with a predetermined threshold value for the monitored characteristic. If the raw data value is greater than or equal to said threshold value, the management system provides a stress value equal to a default value, said default value being a maximum or minimum value of a predefined bounded range; and if the raw value is less than said threshold value, the management system calculates a stress value within said predefined bounded range using an appropriate algorithm for said monitored characteristic.

Abstract: A network management apparatus and method for determining an optimum threshold value for a monitored characteristic of a network is described. The optimum threshold value is determined by counting a number of previously received events generated from values for a monitored characteristic which were above or below an existing threshold value for the monitored characteristic, and determining the optimum threshold value in dependence on the counted number. An optimum threshold value is provided, which is tailored to suit the network concerned.

Abstract: The sequential signal selection system and method is generally related to communication systems and more particularly to a system and method for sequentially selecting signals from a set of signal(s). The sequential signal selection comprises a processor, a memory device that is coupled to the processor, at least one radio/transceiver that is coupled to the processor, and an analog pre-selection network that is coupled to the at least one radio/transceiver. Moreover, the sequential signal selection method comprises the steps of pre-selecting at least two signals from a set of signals based on a pre-selection method, and selecting at least one signal from the at least two signals based on a selection method.

Abstract: A network management apparatus and method processes network management data received during the monitoring of a network and generates events for presentation in an event list to a user when certain event conditions are detected. Network management data received in relation to an event condition is processed to determine whether it represents a recurring event condition. A recurring event condition is determined if a predetermined number of equivalent events have been generated, and appear in the event list, in an immediately preceding time period. In the described embodiment, if a recurring event condition occurs, a recurring event is generated, and subsequent occurrences of the event condition are not included in the event list presented to the user.