The present invention relates to novel compositions comprising: a fungicide that inhibits mitochondrial respiration at the QoI site (QoI inhibitor), a contact fungicide, a demethylation inhibitor, and pigments, which are highly suitable for controlling unwanted phytopathogenic fungi. Moreover, the fungicidal compositions are able to control mold and fungus infection in grasses and in particular turf grasses.

A method is disclosed for generating a mass spectrum, e.g. for Fourier transform mass spectrometry, having improved resolving power. The method includes steps of acquiring a plurality of mass spectra from a mass spectrometer using image current detection determining the centroids of at least some of the peaks which have a sufficient signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio so that the variation of the centroid of each such peak from the plurality of mass spectra is significantly lower than the full-width at half-maximum, dM, of the peak in the m/z domain; and generating a histogram of the centroids determined from the plurality of acquired mass spectra thereby forming a composite mass spectrum. The resultant composite mass spectrum comprises peaks having full-width at half-maximum, dMC, significantly narrower than the peak width, dM, of the corresponding peaks in the plurality of acquired mass spectra.

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a signal indicative of one or more types of individual measurable device characteristic/s that are unique to a given electronic device by providing a signal indicative of the measurable and unique device characteristic/s in a passive manner from the electronic device. The signal indicative of one or more types of individual measurable device characteristic/s may be so provided without requiring operational power to be applied to any active electronic circuitry of the device, and without requiring any power to be generated by the device.

A method of performance monitoring in a data processing environment is provided. The data processing environment includes multiple systems, each of which has resources. Each resource relates to a resource type, wherein at least one performance parameter is defined for each resource type. The method includes determining a value of the at least one performance parameter for at least one resource, aggregating performance parameter values and related resources of a resource type, creating for at least a part of the resources a next predefined aggregation level which includes all resources relating to the resource type and associating all performance parameter values to this aggregation level, and repeating the creating for at least a part of the resources a next predefined aggregation level until a predefined target aggregation level of the data processing environment has been reached.

Provided herein are methods, processes and apparatuses for non-invasive assessment of genetic variations.

Process for manufacturing a polymer by polycondensation of a hydroxy acid, said polymer comprising at least 80% by weight of units that correspond to the hydroxy acid, according to which at least one polyfunctional reactant capable of giving rise to the formation of a three-dimensional polymer network is mixed with the hydroxy acid, and according to which the mixture is subjected to temperature and pressure conditions and for a duration which are all suitable for giving rise to the formation of the network. Poly(hydroxy acid) (PHA) obtainable by such a process.

A method of producing a polymeric compound containing a structural unit that decomposes upon exposure to generate an acid, the method including: synthesizing a precursor polymer by polymerizing a water-soluble monomer having an anionic group, washing the precursor polymer with water, and subsequently subjecting the precursor polymer to a salt exchange with an organic cation. Also, a polymeric compound produced using the method of producing a polymeric compound, and a method of forming a resist pattern using the resist composition.

Provided is a pressure-sensitive adhesive for polarizing plates which can adhere a polarizing plate on a liquid crystal cell with good adhesion durability and has the characteristic that a liquid crystal display device obtained therefrom is less liable to cause light leakage even under the environment of high temperature and high humidity and which makes it possible remove the polarizing plate. The pressure-sensitive adhesive for polarizing plates is prepared by irradiating a pressure-sensitive adhesive material comprising (A) an acrylic base polymer having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more comprising a monomer having a hydroxyl group in a monomer composition ratio of 10 mass % or less, (B) an acrylic base polymer having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more comprising a monomer having a carboxyl group in a monomer composition ratio of 10 mass % or less and (C) an active energy beam-curable compound with an active energy beam, wherein a mass ratio of the component (A) to the component (B) is 100:1 to 100:50, and a storage elastic modulus (G') at 23° C. is 0.3 MPa or more.

Provided is a curable composition for imprints having good patternability and dry etching resistance. Disclosed is a curable composition for imprints comprising at least one kind of polymerizable monomer selected from the following compounds and a photopolymerization initiator;

The present invention relates to a polymerization-curable composition for the preparation of biodegradable, biocompatible, cross-linked polymers on the basis of polyvinyl alcohol comprising: 5 to 100% by weight of (a) vinyl ester monomer(s) of one of the general formulas (I) to (III): wherein X is oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, or phosphorus; n is 1 to 1000, at least 20% of the n being ≧2; the R1 are selected from hydrogen; straight, branched or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated, n-valent hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, which optionally have heteroatoms and are optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from —OH, —COON, —CN, —CHO, and ═O, and n-valent radicals of biodegradable, biocompatible oligomers and polymers; m is an integer from 1 to 5; the R2 are selected from hydrogen, —OH, ═O, and the options listed for R1; and the R3 are selected from hydrogen, —OH, and the options listed for R1; 0 to 50% by weight of ethylenically unsaturated co-monomers; 0 to 10% by weight of (a) polymerization initiator(s); and 0 to 95% by weight of solvent(s).

Medical devices having a wettable, biocompatible surface are described herein. Processes for producing such devices are also described.

A composition for forming a pattern includes: about 1% to about 10% by weight of a liquid prepolymer, about 40% to about 60% by weight of an acrylate having a hydrophilic group, about 10% to about 20% by weight of a viscosity modifier, about 1% to about 5% by weight of a photoinitiator, and an additive.

The present invention relates to processes for making synthetic polyisoprene latex and synthetic polyisoprene condoms. A process for making a compounded synthetic polyisoprene latex suitable for making a latex film comprises (a) compounding a synthetic polyisoprene latex with suitable compounding ingredients, (b) maturing the latex and optionally (c) storing the latex; characterized in that steps (a), (b) and (c) if included are carried out at a low temperature so as to minimize prevulcanization of the latex. Condoms can be made from latexes produced according to the process of the invention.

The present invention relates to a polarizing plate, a method for producing the same, and an image display device comprising the same, and more specifically to a polarizing plate which is characterized by comprising: a) a polarizer, b) a hardening resin layer which is provided on at least one side of the polarizer and formed from a photocurable composition comprising: 4 to 95 parts by weight of (A) a photocurable acrylic polymer, 4 to 95 parts by weight of (B) a poly-functional acrylic monomer, and 1 to 20 parts by weight of (C) a photo-polymerization initiator, based on 100 parts by weight of the photocurable composition, a method for manufacturing the same, and an image display device using the same. According to the present invention, a polarizing plate, which exhibits excellent polarizing properties and durability, has high surface hardness, and may be formed as a thin plate, may be provided.

Methods are disclosed for synthesizing nanocomposite materials including ferromagnetic nanoparticles with polymer shells formed by controlled surface polymerization. The polymer shells prevent the nanoparticles from forming agglomerates and preserve the size dispersion of the nanoparticles. The nanocomposite particles can be further networked in suitable polymer hosts to tune mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of the final composite polymer system. An exemplary method includes forming a polymer shell on a nanoparticle surface by adding molecules of at least one monomer and optionally of at least one tethering agent to the nanoparticles, and then exposing to electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength selected to induce bonding between the nanoparticle and the molecules, to form a polymer shell bonded to the particle and optionally to a polymer host matrix. The nanocomposite materials can be used in various magneto-optic applications.

Curable, phase-change compositions and inks used for printing three-dimensional objects including a curable monomer, a photoinitiator, a wax and a gellant, where the composition of the cured formulation has a room temperature modulus of from about 0.01 to about 5 Gpa. The curable monomer includes acrylic monomer, polybutadiene adducted with maleic anhydride, aliphatic urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, or acryloxypropyl t-structured siloxane.

A procedure for improved temperature control in controlled radical polymerization processes is disclosed. The procedure is directed at controlling the concentration of the persistent radical in ATRP and NMP polymerizations procedures and the concentration of radicals in a RAFT polymerization process by feeding a reducing agent or radical precursor continuously or intermittently to the reaction medium through one of more ports.

Solid-state deformation processing of crosslinked high molecular weight polymers such as UHMWPE, for example by extrusion below the melt transition, produces materials with a combination of high tensile strength and high oxidative stability. The materials are especially suitable for use as bearing components in artificial hip and other implants. Treated bulk materials are anisotropic, with enhanced strength oriented along the axial direction. The material is oxidatively stable even after four weeks of accelerated aging in a pressure vessel containing five atmospheres of oxygen (ASTM F2003). Because of its oxidative stability, the deformation processed material is a suitable candidate for air-permeable packaging and gas sterilization, which has thus far been reserved for remelted crosslinked UHMWPE.

Embodiments of the invention provide a frame sealant and a process for preparing the same, as well as use thereof. The frame sealant comprises, by weight, 25%-30% acrylic resins, 25%-30% oligomers as shown in Structure Formula I, 10%-15% organic powders, 10%-15% inorganic powders, 0%-10% epoxy resins, 10%-15% heat curing agents, 0.1%-1% photoinitiators, and 0.1%-1% coupling agents, wherein, in Structure Formula I, n indicates an integer of 10-20.

The present invention is: a curable resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin (A), a curable monomer (B), and a photoinitiator (C), the thermoplastic resin (A) including an aromatic ring in its molecule, and having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 140° C. or more, and the photoinitiator (C) having an absorbance at 380 nm of 0.4 or more when measured in a 0.1 mass % acetonitrile solution; a curable resin formed article obtained by forming the curable resin composition; a cured resin formed article obtained by curing the curable resin formed article; a laminate comprising at least one layer that is formed of a cured resin obtained by curing the curable resin composition. The present invention provides: a cured resin formed article that exhibits excellent heat resistance, includes only a small amount of residual low-boiling-point substance (e.g., solvent and curable monomer), and has small in-plane retardation, a method for producing the same, a curable resin composition and a curable resin formed article that are useful as a raw material for producing the cured resin formed article, and a laminate that includes a layer formed of a cured resin.

A new process is provided for preparing nitrile rubbers by free-radical polymerization in an organic solvent and in the presence of specific modifier substances. This polymerization may be followed by hydrogenation to give likewise new hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, the hydrogenation advantageously taking place likewise in organic solvent. The optionally hydrogenated nitrile rubbers obtained are notable for having fragments of the employed modifier substances in the main polymer chain and/or as end groups. They can be prepared with a wide diversity of molecular weights and polydispersity indices, especially with very low polydispersity indices.

The present invention relates to a primer ink comprising a polymerizable compound and a polymerization initiator, wherein the polymerizable compound comprises a monofunctional monomer having an aromatic hydrocarbon-based ring structure in a molecule and an aliphatic hydrocarbon-based monofunctional monomer, wherein a total mass of the monofunctional monomer having an aromatic hydrocarbon-based ring structure in a molecule and an aliphatic hydrocarbon-based monofunctional monomer is 80% by mass or more based on the total mass of all polymerizable compounds which the primer ink comprises, and wherein a surface tension of is 25 mN/m to 31 mN/m and a viscosity is 50 mPa·s or less.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one propylene-based polymer comprising less than 0.1 wt. % diene-derived units based on the weight of the propylene-based polymer, an antioxidant, and a co-agent. The composition can be at least partially crosslinked by electron beam irradiation in a dose of less than 200 kGy, and may be further formed into articles including fibers, yarns, films, and nonwovens, among others. The propylene-based polymer of the present invention may be a polymer blend formed by forming a reactor blend from of two or more polymers produced in two or more reactors.

Method and apparatus for centrifugal blood component separation including temperature sensing in each of a plurality of separation cells. The temperature of unit of bloods over time is recorded. If the temperature of any of the units exceeds a pre-determined maximum, portions of the blood separation device may be cooled. A controller may determine which of the units to process first, generally proceeding from the warmest unit to the coolest. The order of unit processing may be changed during processing. The detected temperature may be used to calibrate a pressure sensor used to predict the volume of a component separated from a composite fluid by predicting the volume of the composite fluid from sensed pressure and predicting the volume of other separated components from sensed movement of the other components to collection bags.

A separator includes a centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and a feed line for material to be centrifuged. A drive spindle for the centrifugal drum is rotatably mounted on a housing via a bearing, the housing being supported elastically on a machine frame. A drive device includes a motor housing and an electric motor having a stator and an armature which is aligned with the drive spindle. The drive device and the motor housing move with the drive spindle as co-vibrating units during an operation of the separator. The drive device is connected to the machine frame below the bearing at a lower axial end of the bearing via one or more joint elements.

A blood processing centrifuge comprising: a rotor having an axis of rotation and being controllably spun around the axis, a mechanism for processing whole blood within the rotor while spinning, a computer controlling blood processing operations, the computer being mounted to the rotor and spinning therewith.

A gripper unit for handling a vessel for receiving biological material is proposed, inter alia. The vessel has a lid which can assume an open position and a closed position. The gripper unit comprises a gripper for gripping and releasing the vessel, and a lid holder, for holding a lid in a defined position in relation to the vessel. The defined position is an open position of the lid.

An apparatus for separating at least two discrete volumes of a composite liquid into components, comprising a valve design that facilitates loading and unloading of sets of blood bags. The valves comprise a jaw mounted on a shaft, the jaw being adapted to apply radio frequency energy to seal a tube, a stepper motor section, and at least two position sensors. The valve sections are mounted on an upper plate, and the stepper motor sections are mounted on a lower plate. A main radio frequency coil is selectively electrically coupled to each of the valves through a multiplexing switch.

The present invention relates to a centrifuge and a method for cooling a centrifuge. The centrifuge according to the invention includes a cooling device which is improved in that its required installation space is reduced such that the centrifuge can be of a more compact design with the centrifugation capacity remaining unchanged, or the centrifugation capacity can be increased with the installation space remaining unchanged. Further, the number of components can be reduced and thus cost and assembly time can be saved.

Method and Apparatus for predicting the volume of a component separated from a composite fluid by predicting the volume of the composite fluid from sensed pressure and predicting the volume of other separated components from sensed movement of the other components to collection bags.

A label has a water dissolvable or water dispersible paper with a coating of a type which can be printed with direct thermal printing. The label is produced by passing a length of such paper with a freshly applied coating of the above type through an oven for drying before the coating has an opportunity to deteriorate the surface of the paper.

The present invention relates to a resin composition for protective layer transfer sheets which includes a polyester resin produced by polycondensing a polyhydric alcohol component containing a hydrogenated bisphenol A in an amount of 30 mol % or more and a polycarboxylic acid component containing a benzenedicarboxylic acid in an amount of 50 mol % or more.

There is disclosed an indicator composition, the application thereof to substrates, and related products. The indicator composition comprises an organic solvent soluble polymer and a redox sensitive material which displays different visible properties in the oxidized and reduced forms. The organic solvent soluble polymer can be at least partially sulfonated polystyrene. The indicator composition can be dissolved in organic solvents such as acetone, ethanol and ethyl acetate to form inks which can be used in a variety of printing processes. The indicator composition can be used to detect oxidizing agents, oxygen, water, reducing agents, UV light, temperature and the passage of time.

To provide an image processing method including at least one of recording an image onto a thermoreversible recording medium in which transparency or color tone reversibly changes depending upon temperature, by applying a laser beam with the use of a CO2 laser device so as to heat the thermoreversible recording medium, and erasing an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium, by heating the thermoreversible recording medium, wherein an intensity distribution of the laser beam applied in the image recording step satisfies the relationship represented by Expression 1 shown below, 1.59

A decoration piece has: a design piece made of thermoplastic synthetic resin formed with a design and having an outer profile line; a lower layer; and a dye migration preventing layer arranged between the design piece and the lower layer, said dye migration preventing layer having an outer profile same as that of said design piece, said dye migration preventing layer capable of being adhered to both said design piece and the lower layer, said dye migration preventing layer capable of preventing any migrating of dye. The dye migration preventing layer includes a dye migration preventing film made of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or polyamide MXD6, or a dye migration preventing film made of polyvinylidene chloride.

Provided is a direct thermal media containing a regular repeating pattern of color-forming thermally-imageable stripes printed parallel to the print head element line and a system for using such direct thermal media in color direct thermal printers including an optical registration system optimized for use with this media and an image processing unit that monitors the position of the stripe pattern relative to the print head and synchronizes the start of the printing process. This direct thermal media together with the optical registration system and image processing unit comprise an operative system in that the design of the thermal media, the optical registration system and image processing unit used to control printing are optimized for use with each other. This system may be utilized, for example, in color thermal printers for documents, receipts, tags, tickets or labels.

A heat-sensitive color-developing composition containing a hydroxyquinoline compound having a methyl group and an acid anhydride compound represented by general formula (1): wherein ring A represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring, and n represents an integer of 1 to 3, and a heat-sensitive recording material containing the composition in a recording layer.

A thermal image receiver element dry image receiving layer has a Tg of at least 25° C. as the outermost layer. The dry image receiving layer has a dry thickness of at least 0.5 μm and up to and including 5 μm. It comprises a polymer binder matrix that consists essentially of: (1) a water-dispersible acrylic polymer comprising chemically reacted or chemically non-reacted hydroxyl, phospho, phosphonate, sulfo, sulfonate, carboxy, or carboxylate groups, and (2) a water-dispersible polyester that has a Tg of 30° C. or less. The water-dispersible acrylic polymer is present in an amount of at least 55 weight % of the total dry image receiving layer weight and at a dry ratio to the water-dispersible polyester of at least 1:1 to and including 20:1. The thermal image receiver element can be used to prepare thermal dye images after thermal transfer from a thermal donor element.

A method of color laser marking an article having a polymeric foil with at least one colorless layer containing an infrared absorber, a polymeric binder and a color forming compound; including the steps of:—laser marking the colorless layer with an infrared laser using a first laser operation mode to generate a blue or cyan color; and—laser marking the same colorless layer with an infrared laser using a second laser operation mode to generate a black color, wherein the first laser operation mode applies less energy to the colorless layer than the second laser operation mode. Also disclosed is an article, such as a security document, including a polymeric foil and a colorless layer containing laser marked graphical data having a blue or cyan color and laser marked information having a black color.

Masking tapes that changes color when the tape is rubbed down or dispensed onto an adherend and methods of making such tapes are disclosed herein. The tape includes a backing, a layer of adhesive on the bottom surface of the backing, and a release structure on the top surface of the backing that includes a pressure-chromic indicator and a release layer. The pressure-chromic indicator is characterized in that it is not activated by the pressure applied during the manufacturing process, but is activated by the pressure applied when the tape is rubbed or dispensed onto an adherend.

A vinyl chloride-based resin latex which froths little when unreacted monomer remaining in the latex are recovered under heat and reduced-pressure conditions, and a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet which has satisfactory water resistance, does not yellow during storage, and gives images having excellent durability and light resistance. The invention provides a vinyl chloride-based resin latex contains a copolymer containing a vinyl chloride and an epoxy-group-containing vinyl or contains vinyl chloride, an epoxy-group-containing vinyl, and a carboxylic acid vinyl ester, wherein a content of the epoxy-group-containing vinyl is 0.1% by weight or more but less than 3% by weight, and wherein the latex contains no surfactant, and has a solid concentration of 25% by weight or more; a process for producing the latex; and a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet obtained using the latex.

Disclosed are a polysiloxane-modified polyhydroxy polyurethane resin characterized by being derived from a reaction between a 5-membered cyclic carbonate polysiloxane compound represented by the below-described formula (1) and an amine compound, and its production process; and a resin composition, thermal recording medium, imitation leather, thermoplastic polyolefin resin skin material, weather strip material, and weather strip, all of which make use of the resin. wherein A means

Disclosed is a humidity indicator which contains no heavy metal and has good visibility of a color change that occurs when the humidity is increased. The humidity indicator can be produced by applying an aqueous coating comprising a leuco dye, an acidic compound which is in a solid state at ambient temperature, a deliquescent substance and an aqueous resin emulsion onto a substrate such as a resin film, a nonwoven fabric or a paper, and heating and drying the resulting product.

Hybrid topcoat formulations comprising a water soluble polymer and a water dispersible polymer provide improved adhesion to underlying surfaces. Paper products coated with these formulations, such as thermal paper, achieve high stain resistance and improved adhesion of UV cured silicone release layers.

A method for enabling D2T2 printing onto non-D2T2 printable substrates uses a diffusible primer material provided on a dye-sheet or ribbon. The primer comprises a polymer, a release agent and a plasticizer. The release agent and the plasticizer are diffused into the substrate, while the polymer remains on the dye-sheet or ribbon. Printing of the primer onto the PC substrate is controlled via a computer image program corresponding to a colored image. This computer image program also controls the printing of the colored image at the primed locations. Accordingly, image-wise treatment of a plastic material via the primer selectively renders the PC substrate surface D2T2 printable at the point of personalization, providing for a 100% PC full card body having the colored image.

The present invention provides a thermosensitive multiple recording sheet characterized in that a second base material having light transmission properties is attached to the side of a first thermosensitive recording layer of a first thermosensitive recording sheet comprising a first base material and the first thermosensitive recording layer formed on one surface of the first base material, through a temporary adhesive layer, the second base material is composed of an information disclosing portion and an information non-disclosing portion, a shielding layer is formed at the position corresponding to the information non-disclosing portion on the second base material, and an ultraviolet curable resin layer are formed as an outermost layer of the sheet.

Provided is a thermal recording material that is excellent in water resistance and prevention of print head wear, less prone to discoloration in the non-printing area, and stably producible. The thermal recording material comprises a protective layer formed by applying a coating liquid for forming the protective layer, the coating liquid being prepared by mixing an acetoacetyl-modified polyvinyl alcohol and calcium glyoxylate particles with a maximum diameter less than 500 μm and an average diameter of 125 μm or less.

Methods and systems for producing a synthetic fuel are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods and systems include the following: thermally reforming methane and carbon dioxide to generate a syngas including a first quantity of carbon monoxide and a first quantity of hydrogen; oxidizing the quantity of first carbon monoxide with a metal to produce metal oxide and carbon thereby separating oxygen from the carbon monoxide; gasifying the carbon using steam to produce a second quantity of carbon monoxide and a second quantity of hydrogen; reacting the metal oxide with methane to produce metal oxide, carbon dioxide, and a third quantity of hydrogen; and synthesizing the first quantity of carbon monoxide, the first quantity of hydrogen, the second quantity of hydrogen, and the third quantity of hydrogen to form the synthetic fuel.

A process for the production of methane comprising reacting at least part of a feed gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an internally cooled methanation reactor containing a nickel comprising methanation catalyst to produce a product gas containing methane, cooling the internally cooled methanation reactor with water, wherein the water enters the internally cooled methanation reactor at a temperature in the range from 20-120° C. below its boiling temperature.

A method for producing ethanol by which ethanol can be synthesized from less fermentable biomass materials such as plant-derived materials and rice straws and industrial waste biomass materials such as wooden building materials and pulp and which can therefore broaden the range of raw materials for the production of ethanol. Specifically, a method for producing ethanol including reacting a raw material gas obtained by a thermochemical gasification reaction of biomass in the presence of a catalyst containing rhodium, at least one transition metal, and at least one element selected from lithium, magnesium and zinc.