Abstract: The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include a polymer having (i) at least one first group that interacts with the untreated filler and (ii) at least one second group that interacts with a rubber matrix into which the treated filler is incorporated. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler.

Abstract: The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include an amino acid or polypeptide. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler.

Abstract: The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include at least one of an anhydride, a cyclic imide, and a derivative thereof. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler.

Abstract: The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include an unsaturated fatty acid, derivative of an unsaturated fatty acid, or salt thereof. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disinfecting formulation useful, for example, for cleaning and disinfecting human or animal body parts, and in particular for disinfecting human hands. The disinfecting formulation comprises alcohol including ethanol; an essential oil comprising cineole, in particular eucalyptus oil; an emollient including glycerin; and other ingredients comprising piroctone olamine, acrylic acid based polymer and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol. The invention also provides methods of disinfection of human and animal body parts and methods for preparing the formulation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for providing a customer engagement platform to increase residential water-user efficiency with one or more servers programmed to execute the method. The method comprising estimating, with the one or more servers, outdoor irrigable area of a household, wherein the estimating includes calculating outdoor irrigable land of the household for estimating outdoor water usage of the household.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disinfecting formulation useful, for example, for cleaning and disinfecting human or animal body parts, and in particular for disinfecting human hands. Typically, the formulation comprises alcohol, one or more essential oils comprising cineole, gelling agent and water. The invention also provides methods of disinfection of human and animal body parts and methods for preparing the formulation.

Abstract: Conditioning composition comprising a quaternary conditioning surfactant, an acid neutralized amidoamine surfactant of general formula: R1-C(O)-NH-R2-N(R3)(R4) wherein R1 is a fatty acid chain with from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkylene group containing from one to 4 carbon atoms and R3 and R4 are, independently, an alkyl group having from one to four carbon atoms and from 0.45 to 4% wt. of the composition lactic acid.

Abstract: Device for measuring hair damage comprising a handle (2) and a shaft (3) and a mandrel, a clip (4) and a feedback indicator, wherein the mandrel and clip are attachable to the shaft and the mandrel is drivable along the length of the shaft to measure the friction of a lock of hair which is wound around the mandrel and back onto itself and held in place by the clip such that fibres in the lock of hair are rubbed against themselves along the general direction of the hair fibres and use of such a device.

Abstract: An energy transduction and conservation system has a rotatable primary driving arrangement and a rotatable driven arrangement, the driving and driven arrangements cooperating through an energy storage arrangement. The driving arrangement supplies energy to the energy storage arrangement through a one-way driving system which blocks energy release from the energy storage arrangement back to the driving arrangement. Relative rotation of the driving arrangement is transferred to the energy storage arrangement through a first releasable clutch acting on a one-way rotatable hub whereby energy stored is released only through the driven arrangement. A further one-way clutch is actuated by a differential angular rotational speed to disconnect the first releasable clutch and drive the hub at the same time the energy storage arrangement drives the driven arrangement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for comparatively displaying values using non-verbal means. The system is recorded on a non-transitory medium. Included in the system is an identification component that identifies a first metric that has a first value and a second metric that has a second value. A processor selects a respective first and second non-verbal symbol to represent each of the first metric and the second metric and calculates a size of each non-verbal symbol based on the values of the first and second metrics. A high definition output means displays the non-verbal symbols. Each of the non-verbal symbols has a single dimension that is divisible by a single denominator. The processor also creates and displays on the high definition output means, a non-verbal reference symbol and a reference value associated with the reference symbol that represents the relationship of the first and second values to the size of the non-verbal symbols.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of voice and speech recognition, in one form, the invention relates to a teaching aid adapted to teach reading and spelling via a voice and/or speech recognition system adapted to assist persons having dyslexia. The invention also provides a mechanism to train a speech recognition system without the need for the used to read verbose passages of text.

Abstract: An apparatus, and an associated method, facilitates enterprise control of enterprise data at a personal-liable wireless device. A network-generated command, generated by a network command generator is sent to the wireless device. The command is detected at the wireless device, and the contents of the detected command are ascertained. The affected data is accessed, and disposition is made of the affected, enterprise data.

Abstract: A novel communication device (e.g., router or switch) facilitates interoperation between a plurality of middleware. The communication device has in-ports, out-ports, and a configurator. In-ports, IP0, . . . , IPm, are associated with a middleware from a plurality of middleware and out-ports, OP0, . . . , OPn, are associated with a middleware from the plurality of middleware. The configurator configures in-ports and out-ports based on a binding and transport of associated middleware and the novel communication device facilitates interoperation between middleware via a communication path between at least one configured in-port and at least one configured out-port, with the communication path allowing an incoming message to pass from said at least one configured in-port to said at least one configured out-port. Parameters ‘m’ and ‘n’ are chosen such that any of the following conditions are true: m=0 and n?1, m?1 and n=0, m=n, m=1 and n>1, m>1 and n=1, and m?n.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to composite materials. In one embodiment, a composite material comprises an inorganic ceramic matrix comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first outer surface and generally parallel to the first outer surface. At least one open weave fiber glass fabric is disposed in the inorganic ceramic matrix between the first surface and the second surface. In another embodiment, a composite material comprises a first inorganic ceramic matrix comprising pieces of stone, a second inorganic ceramic matrix attached adjacent to the first inorganic ceramic matrix, and at least one open weave fiber glass fabric disposed in the second inorganic ceramic matrix.

Abstract: A communication system is introduced to integrate middleware having in-ports, out-ports, a configurator, and intermediary elements. The configurable in-ports and out-ports are used to facilitate communication with specific middleware among a set of middleware. A configurator configures in-ports and out-ports corresponding to specific middleware, wherein each in-port and each out-port is configured based on a binding and a transport. The configured in-ports, the configured out-ports, and the intermediary elements form one or more paths over which data is moved, with each of the intermediary elements performing any of, or a combination of, the following: propagation of transaction information, transformation of data, load balancing, fault tolerance, session management, orchestration, security, or control of transaction boundaries.