Abstract: A pneumatic radial ply truck tire for use on medium truck trailers includes a tread, a casing with two sidewalls, one or more radial plies extending from, and wrapped about, two annular beads, and a belt reinforcement structure located radially between the tread and the one or more radial plies. The tread includes a plurality of circumferentially extending tread grooves, a pair of circumferentially extending shoulder ribs, a pair of radially recessed ribs being radially recessed and non-road contacting under static load disposed at a lateral edge of the shoulder ribs, and a pair of circumferentially extending decoupling grooves. Each decoupling groove defines a transition between a corresponding shoulder rib and a corresponding recessed rib. A lateral edge of one of the shoulder ribs has a first radius of curvature forming a transition from a radially outer surface of the shoulder rib to a first side surface of the corresponding decoupling groove.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bi-functional compound containing a linking material, and a particle comprising a linking material, and a linking material comprising a polyethylene glycol macromonomer backbone with a radical polymerizable group at one end of the macromonomer backbone and a different reactive chemical functionality at the other end of the macromonomer backbone, according to Formula I: wherein X is CH3, CN or H; Y is O, NR1, or S; L is a linking group or spacer; FG is a functional group; n is greater than 4 and less than 1000; and wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl, or heteroyl.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nanogel comprising a polymer network of repetitive, crosslinked, ethylenically unsaturated monomers of Formula I: (X)m-(Y)n-(Z)o??Formula I wherein X is a water-soluble monomer containing ionic or hydrogen bonding moieties; Y is a water-soluble macromonomer containing repetitive hydrophilic units bound to a polymerizeable ethylenically unsaturated group; Z is a multifunctional crosslinking monomer; m ranges from 50-90 mol %; n ranges from 2-30 mol %; and o range from 1-15 mol % and a method for preparing a nanogel comprising preparing a header composition of a mixture of monomers X, Y, and Z, and a first portion of initiators in water; preparing a reactor composition of a second portion initiators, surfactant, and water; bringing the reactor composition to the polymerization temperature; holding the reactor composition at the polymerization temperature, and adding the header composition to the reactor composition to form a nanogel of Formula I.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting the propensity for a RMT steer tire to have irregular tire tread wear. The method comprises the steps of: providing a RMT steer tire to be tested; placing measurement points upon a ground engaging surface of selected circumferential tread ribs of the tread of the RMT tire; progressively rolling the RMT steer tire across a first planar side of a transparent plate whereby the progressive movement of a footprint image of the RMT steer tire is imposed upon the first planar side of the transparent plate; recording the progressive movement of the marked measurement points in the footprint image of the RMT steer tire imposed upon the first planar side of the transparent plate; determining the amount of lateral movement of each of the marked measurement points in the footprint image; and if any measurement points exhibit lateral movement beyond 0.060 inches, predicting that the RMT steer tire will have irregular tire tread wear.

Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. The predominant film-forming component is a positively-charged latex polymer that has cationic groups. The charged latex polymer is present as latex particles that have prepared in the presence of a non-ionic or cationic stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The nonionic or cationic stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.

Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. Between the outermost protective layer and the underlying thermally developable imaging layers is an interlayer containing a film-forming ionic latex polymer other than a carboxy-containing latex polymer. This ionic polymer can be negatively-charged or positively-charged. The ionic latex polymer is present as latex particles that have been prepared in the presence of a stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.

Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. The predominant film-forming component is a negatively-charged latex polymer that has negatively-charged ionic groups other than carboxy groups. The latex polymer is present as latex particles that have been prepared in the presence of a nonionic stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The nonionic stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable member having an imageable layer including a heat-sensitive ionomer characterized by a net positive or negative charge, and a photothermal conversion material. The photothermal conversion material includes carbonaceous particles having thereon both an organic moiety including an ionic substituent having like charge as the ionomer, and a group represented by the formula —X—[NIon]p-Rterminal; wherein X represents an aromatic group or an alkyl group, NIon represents a non-ionic, non-ionizable group, Rterminal represents hydrogen, an aromatic group, an alkoxy group, or an alkyl group, and p is an integer from 1 to about 500. The heat-sensitive ionomer and modified carbonaceous particles can be formulated in water or water-miscible solvents without agglomeration.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a water dispersible polymer particle stabilized by a hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide dispersant. The present invention also discloses a heterogeneous method for forming polymer particles comprising providing a water immiscible organic phase comprising at least one monomer dispersed in a continuous water phase and a hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide, and polymerizing said organic phase to yield polymer particles stabilized with hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide. Also disclosed in the present invention is a heterogeneous method for forming polymer particles comprising providing a water immiscible organic dispersed in a continuous water phase, polymerizing said organic phase, and adding bydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide to yield polymer particles stabilized with hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a biological microarray element comprising a support having disposed thereon at least one layer comprising filler and gelatin, and at least one functional compound, wherein the functional compound comprises a first functional group capable of interacting with gelatin and a second functional group capable of interacting with a biological capture agent, wherein the first functional group is the same as or different from the second functional group. Also provided is a method of making a biological microarray element comprising providing a support; and coating a layer comprising filler and gelatin and at least one functional compound, wherein the functional compound comprises a first functional group capable of interacting with the gelatin and a second functional group capable of interacting with a biological capture agent, wherein the first functional group is the same as or different from the second functional group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microarray comprising a support having attached to a surface thereof at least one porous layer, wherein the porous layer comprises a hydrophilic binder and polymer particles. The present invention also relates to a method of using a microarray comprising providing a microarray comprising a support having attached to a surface thereof at least one porous layer, wherein the porous layer comprises a hydrophilic binder and polymer particles; contacting the microarray with biological targets labeled with optical emission tag; and measuring the signals from the optical emission tag.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymer particles comprising a polymer bead stabilized by vinylsulfonyl-functionalized polymers grafted to the surface of the bead, as well as a particle composition comprising monodisperse polymer beads stabilized by vinylsulfonyl-functionalized polymers, wherein the vinylsulfonyl-functionalized polymers are grafted to the surfaces of the beads. The invention also includes a method of preparing monodisperse polymer particles comprising preparing a homogeneous solution of an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomer, an initiator, and a polymeric stabilizer, wherein the polymeric stabilizer consists of repetitive units, wherein the repetitive units comprise latent vinylsulfonyl moiety, polymerizing the homogeneous solution, and converting the latent vinylsulfonyl moiety to vinylsulfonyl moieties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymer microsphere comprising at least one polymer and at least one bound latent colorant, wherein the microsphere is stabilized by at least one stabilizing polymer. The invention also includes a method of preparing polymer microspheres comprising combining latent colorant, ethylenically unsaturated monomer, stabilizing polymer, and an initiator in solvent and initiating polymerization to form a polymeric microsphere stabilized by a stabilizing polymer bound to the surface of the polymeric microsphere.

Abstract: A microarray comprising: a support, on which is disposed a layer of microspheres bearing biological probes; wherein said microspheres comprise at least one material with a latent color that can be developed and used to identify said microsphere. A method of identifying biological analytes using the microarray is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymer microsphere comprising at least one polymer and at least one bound latent colorant, wherein the microsphere is stabilized by at least one stabilizing polymer. The invention also includes a method of preparing polymer microspheres comprising combining latent colorant, ethylenically unsaturated monomer, stabilizing polymer, and an initiator in solvent and initiating polymerization to form a polymeric microsphere stabilized by a stabilizing polymer bound to the surface of the polymeric microsphere.

Abstract: A truck steer tire 10 has a side groove 24, 240 that extends laterally inwardly from the treadwall 29 in a circumferentially continuous fashion. The side groove 24, 240 lies between the tread surface 26 and the belt reinforcing structure 15. The side groove 24, 240 has a minimum groove (w) of 5 mm or greater and a groove depth to width ratio of 1.0 to 2.4. The groove 24, 240 preferably has a groove base having a radiused profile R, the radially inner portion of R being at least equal to one-half the minimum groove width (w).