Author: claimsbot

1. A membrane supported biofilm apparatus comprising a module having a plurality of gas permeable hollow fiber membranes collected at a lower end in a header and having upper ends adapted to be held or floated near a water surface when the module is immersed in a tank of water with the header on or near the bottom of the tank.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the membranes impermeable to bulk or advective water flow and have an outside diameter of about 200 microns or less and a length within the range of about 3-10 metres.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a tank, wherein the membranes are placed in the tank at a dry fiber packing density in the range of about 0.5% to 4%.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a tank, wherein the membranes are located in the tank and support a biofilm occupying about 40% or more of the volume of the tank.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a spreader near the header to horizontally space some of the plurality of membranes from others of the plurality of membranes.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the header is attached to an air supply manifold on or near the bottom of a tank containing the membranes.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first module located in a first tank has a lower dry fiber packing density than a second module located in a second tank downstream of the first tank.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the module is located in a tank and further comprising a mixer and a solids removal port on or near the bottom of the tank.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a tank, wherein the membranes are located in the tank and support a biofilm occupying about 80% or less of the volume of the tank.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the membranes are located in a tank comprising channels at a feed end of the tank for feed dispersal.
11. A method of handing a module of hollow fiber membranes comprising the step of wrapping the membranes in a water soluble film or wrap, installing the wrapped membranes into a tank of water, and allowing the film or wrap dissolve into the water.
12. A process for treating water comprising the steps of introducing hydrogen into the inner volume of a gas permeable membrane immersed in water and introducing a carbon source to the water to grow a biofilm on the membrane having autotrophic organisms near the membrane and heterotrophic organism near the water.
13. The process of claim 12 further comprising introducing carbon dioxide into the inner volume.
14. The process of claim 12 further comprising recirculating the water.
15. The process of claim 12 wherein the carbon source is added at a CODN ratio in the range of about 2:1 to 4:1.
16. The process of claim 12 wherein the ORP of the water is maintained in the range of about 0 to \u2212100 mV.
17. The process of claim 12 comprising maintaining a biomass concentration of about 20 gL or more and a biofilm surface area of about 1000 square meters per cubic meter of reactor volume or more.
18. The process of claim 12 further comprising removing accumulated solids from the tank.
19. A process for treating water comprising the steps of providing hollow fiber gas permeable membranes in a tank of water to be treated, growing a biomass on the membranes and removing accumulated solids from the tank.
20. The process of claim 19 wherein the biofilm has a concentration of at least 20 gL and a surface area of about 1000 square meters per cubic meter of water in the reactor or more on the surface of the membranes.
21. The process of claim 19 wherein the feed water contains over 2000 mgL of CODt and the biofilm supported on the membranes is grown to occupy between about 50% and 80% of the volume of a tank containing the membranes.
22. The process of claim 19 further comprising operating at a FM ratio of between about 0.1 and 0.2 g CODtg Total Biofilm Solidsd.
23. The process of claim 19 further comprising recirculating the water.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein the water is recirculated to provide an inlet concentration in the range of about 500-5000 mgL of CODt.
25. The process of claim 12 comprising a step of providing an apparatus according to claim 1.
26. A bioreactor having a tank for holding water to be treated containing both a suspended biomass and a membrane supported biofilm.
27. The bioreactor of claim 26 having a downstream solids separation device and a recycle of separated solids to the tank.
28. The bioreactor of claim 27 wherein the recycle passes through an anoxic stage before returning to the tank.
29. The bioreactor of claim 26 having a mixer to kept the suspended biomass in suspension.
30. The bioreactor of claim 26 comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for the preparation of a reinforced polyvinyl chloride comprising the steps:
a) preparing a pre-reinforced polymer by mixing polyvinyl chloride polymer with a quantity A of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the polyvinyl chloride polymer; and
b) mixing the pre-reinforced polymer obtained under a) with a quantity B of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature higher than 180\xb0 C. to obtain a reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer,
wherein the ratio of quantity A over quantity B is at least 0.1, and wherein the total quantity of naturally occurring mineral filler (A+B) to the quantity of polyvinyl chloride polymer is between 0.6 to 2.4 by weight.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler is selected from a group including wollastonite, vermiculite, talc, mica, andor combinations thereof.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler is talc.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler is mica.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the naturally occurring wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler comprises talc and mica.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the total quantity of naturally occurring mineral filler (A+B) to the quantity of polyvinyl chloride polymer is between 0.8 and 1.2, and wherein the ratio of quantity A over quantity B is at least 0.25.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer comprises at least 35 weight % of polyvinylchloride polymer and at least 40 weight % of said naturally occurring mineral filler, wherein said naturally occurring mineral filler is talc, mica, or both.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer comprises at least 35 weight % of polyvinylchloride polymer and at least 45 weight % of said naturally occurring mineral filler, wherein said naturally occurring mineral filler is talc, mica, or both.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of quantity A over quantity B is at least 0.2.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step a) the temperature lower than the melting temperature of a polyvinylchloride polymer is a temperature lower than 130\xb0 C., and wherein the quantity A of a naturally occurring mineral filler is between between 2-25 phr.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer obtained in step b) is processed into a reinforced polyvinyl chloride device by profile extrusion, and wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer has a ratio of flexural stress over flexural strain of at least 10.8.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyvinylchloride polymer has a K-value between 50 and 68.
13. A method for the preparation of a reinforced polyvinyl chloride comprising the steps:
a) providing a pre-reinforced polymer, said pre-reinforced polymer being prepared by mixing polyvinyl chloride polymer with a quantity A of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the polyvinyl chloride polymer; and
b) mixing the pre-reinforced polymer obtained under a) with a quantity B of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature higher than 180\xb0 C. to obtain a reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer,
wherein the ratio of quantity A over quantity B is at least 0.1, and wherein the total quantity of naturally occurring mineral filler (A+B) to the quantity of polyvinyl chloride polymer is between 0.6 to 2.4 by weight.
14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler is talc.
15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler is mica.
16. The method according to claim 13 wherein the naturally occurring wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler comprises talc and mica.
17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the total quantity of naturally occurring mineral filler (A+B) to the quantity of polyvinyl chloride polymer is between 0.8 and 1.2, and wherein the ratio of quantity A over quantity B is at least 0.25.
18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer comprises at least 35 weight % of polyvinylchloride polymer and at least 40 weight % of said naturally occurring mineral filler, wherein said naturally occurring mineral filler is talc, mica, or both.
19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer comprises at least 35 weight % of polyvinylchloride polymer and at least 45 weight % of said naturally occurring mineral filler, wherein said naturally occurring mineral filler is talc, mica, or both.
20. The method according to claim 13, wherein in step a) the temperature lower than the melting temperature of a polyvinylchloride polymer is a temperature lower than 130\xb0 C., and wherein the quantity A of a naturally occurring mineral filler is between between 2-25 phr.
21. The method of claim 13 wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer obtained in step b) is processed into a reinforced polyvinyl chloride device by profile extrusion, and wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer has a ratio of flexural stress over flexural strain of at least 10.8.
22. The method of claim 13 wherein the polyvinylchloride polymer has a K-value between 50 and 68.
23. A method for the preparation of a reinforced polyvinyl chloride comprising the steps:
a) mixing polyvinyl chloride polymer with a quantity A of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the polyvinyl chloride polymer; and
b) mixing the pre-reinforced polymer obtained under a) with a quantity B of a naturally occurring mineral filler at a temperature higher than 180\xb0 C. to obtain a reinforced polyvinyl chloride polymer,
wherein the quantity A is between 2 and 40 phr and wherein the quantity A plus B is at least 60 phr.
24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler comprises talc, mica, or both, and wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride contains said naturally occurring mineral filler in a quantity between 35 and 70 weight percent.
25. The method according to claim 23 wherein the naturally occurring mineral filler comprises talc, and wherein the reinforced polyvinyl chloride contains between 35 and 70 weight percent talc.

1. A method, implemented in a data processing system, of routing an electronic message, the method comprising:
receiving the electronic message intended for a first recipient in the data processing system from a sender;
responsive to receiving the electronic message, determining, by a processing unit of the data processing system, a rank, within an organization, of the sender of the electronic message to form an identified rank;
responsive to a determination that the identified rank of the sender comprises a particular value, assigning, by the processing unit, a shadow answer mode to the electronic message, wherein the shadow answer mode causes electronic messages from a message sender to be routed from an intended message recipient to an alternate message recipient such that the message sender, in communication with the alternate recipient, appears to be in communication with the intended recipient; and
routing the electronic message to an alternate recipient at a destination data processing system through a network adapter based on the identified rank of the sender and the shadow answer mode.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a subject matter of the electronic message; and
wherein the routing further comprises routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system further based upon the subject matter.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the destination data processing system is associated with a subject matter expert of the subject matter.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
finding a keyword in the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message further comprises routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system based upon the keyword.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a subject matter of the electronic message; and
finding a keyword in the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message further comprises routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system based upon the subject matter and the keyword.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein routing further comprises routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system responsive to a determination that the electronic message is a reply to a second electronic message.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the electronic message is the reply to the second electronic message and wherein routing further comprises routing the electronic message based upon a time elapsed after the electronic message was sent.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
routing the electronic message as an instant electronic message when the identified rank has at least one of a predetermined value or a user selectable value.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
routing the electronic message to a second data processing system.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
causing the electronic message to be displayed only on a display associated with the destination data processing system.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message in an instant messaging session and wherein the method further comprises:
routing the electronic message to a second data processing system;
receiving a second electronic message from the second data processing system; and
responsive to receiving the second electronic message, changing a state of the instant messaging session, wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session comprising:
performing at least one of: closing the instant messaging session, routing all further electronic messages to the second data processing system, routing all further electronic messages to the destination data processing system, routing at least one further electronic message to a third data processing system, routing a copy of an instant messaging session to the second data processing system.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining a list of senders, wherein routing further comprises routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system responsive to a determination that the sender is in the list of senders.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the list of senders is an exclusive list.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the list of senders is an inclusive list.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining a user-defined rule set, wherein routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system is further responsive to using the user-defined rule set.
17. A method of routing an electronic message, the method comprising:
receiving the electronic message intended for a first recipient at a first data processing system, wherein the first data processing system accesses a list of passwords comprising a first password, in a storage on the data processing system;
responsive to a determination that the identified rank of the sender comprises a particular value, assigning, by a processing unit of the first data processing system, a shadow answer mode to the electronic message, wherein the shadow answer mode causes electronic messages from a message sender to be routed from an intended message recipient to an alternate message recipient such that the message sender, in communication with the alternate recipient, appears to be in communication with the intended recipient;
comparing, by the processing unit, the first password with a second password contained in the electronic message; and
responsive to the second password contained in the electronic message matching the first password and to the shadow answer mode, routing the electronic message through a network adapter to an alternate recipient at a second data processing system.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
determining a subject matter of the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message to the second data processing system is further based upon the subject matter.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
finding a key word in the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message to the second data processing system is further based upon the keyword.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message in an instant messaging session and the method further comprising:
routing the electronic message to a third data processing system;
receiving a second electronic message from the third data processing system; and
responsive to receiving the second electronic message, changing a state of the instant messaging session.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message in an instant messaging session, wherein the method further comprises:
routing the electronic message to a third data processing system;
receiving a second electronic message from the third data processing system; and
responsive to receiving the second electronic message, changing a state of the instant messaging session, wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein changing the state of the instant messaging session comprises one of closing the instant messaging session, routing all further electronic messages to the third data processing system, routing all further electronic messages to the second data processing system, routing at least one further electronic message to a fourth data processing system, routing a copy of an instant messaging session to the third data processing system, or routing the copy of the instant messaging session to the fourth data processing system.
23. A computer program product for routing an electronic message, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;
first program instructions to receive the electronic message intended for a first recipient on the data processing system from a sender;
second program instructions to determine a rank by a processing unit of the data processing system, within an organization, of the sender of the electronic message;
third program instructions to assign a shadow answer mode by the processing unit to the electronic message in response to a determination that the identified rank of the sender comprises a particular value, wherein the shadow answer mode causes electronic messages from a message sender to be routed from an intended message recipient to an alternate message recipient such that the message sender, in communication with the alternate recipient, appears to be in communication with the intended recipient; and
fourth program instructions to route the electronic message through a network adapter to an alternate recipient at a destination data processing system using the rank of the sender and the shadow mode,
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:
fifth program instructions to determine a subject matter of the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system is further based upon the subject matter.
25. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:
fifth program instructions to find a keyword in the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message to the destination data processing system is further based upon the keyword.
26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:
fifth program instructions to determine a subject matter of the electronic message; and
sixth program instructions to find a keyword in the electronic message, wherein routing the electronic message to the second data processing system is further based upon the subject matter and the keyword.
27. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message in an instant messaging session and wherein the computer program product further comprises:
fifth program instructions to route the electronic message to a second data processing system;
sixth program instructions to receive a second electronic message from the second data processing system; and
seventh program instructions to change, responsive to receiving the second electronic message, a state of the instant messaging session, wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session.
28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein changing the state of the instant messaging session comprises one of closing the instant messaging session, routing all further electronic messages to the second data processing system, routing all further electronic messages to the destination data processing system, routing at least one further electronic message to a third data processing system, routing a copy of an instant messaging session to the second data processing system, or routing the copy of the instant messaging session to the third data processing system.
29. A computer system for routing an electronic message comprising:
a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;
first program instructions to receive the electronic message intended for a first recipient on the data processing system from a sender;
second program instructions to determine a rank, within an organization, of the sender of the electronic message;
third program instructions to assign a shadow answer mode by the processing unit to the electronic message in response to a determination that the identified rank of the sender comprises a particular value, wherein the shadow answer mode causes electronic messages from a message sender to be routed from an intended message recipient to an alternate message recipient such that the message sender, in communication with the alternate recipient, appears to be in communication with the intended recipient; and
fourth program instructions to route the electronic message to an alternate recipient at a destination data processing system through a network adapter based on the rank of the sender and the shadow mode;
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.
30. The data processing system of claim 29, further comprising:
fifth program instructions to determine a subject matter of the electronic message, wherein the processing unit carries out the set of computer executable instructions to route the electronic message to the second data processing system further based upon the subject matter.
31. The data processing system of claim 29, further comprising:
fifth program instructions to find a keyword in the electronic message, wherein the processing unit carries out the set of computer executable instructions to route the electronic message to the destination data processing system further based upon the keyword.
32. The data processing system of claim 29, further comprising:
fifth program instructions to determine a subject matter of the electronic message; and
sixth program instructions to find a keyword in the electronic message, wherein the processing unit carries out the set of computer executable instructions to route the electronic message to the second data processing system further based upon the subject matter and the keyword.
33. The data processing system of claim 29 wherein the electronic message is an instant electronic message in an instant messaging session and further comprising:
fifth program instructions to route the electronic message to a second data processing system;
sixth program instructions to receive a second electronic message through the network adapter from the second data processing system; and
seventh program instructions to responsive to receiving the second electronic message, change a state of the instant messaging session, wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session.
34. The data processing system of claim 33 wherein changing the state of the instant messaging session, wherein changing the state further comprises changing properties of the instant messaging session comprises one of closing the instant messaging session, routing all further electronic messages to the second data processing system, routing all further electronic messages to the destination data processing system, routing at least one further electronic message to a third data processing system, routing a copy of an instant messaging session to the second data processing system, or routing the copy of the instant messaging session to the third data processing system.
35. The data processing system of claim 29, further comprising:
fifth program instructions to route the electronic message as an instant electronic message when the rank has at least one of a predetermined value or a user selectable value.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for producing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol, the method comprising:
producing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol by hydrolyzing a carboxylic acid ester in water in the presence of an ammonium pyrosulfate catalyst represented by the following general formula (1):
wherein, R1 and R4 each independently represent an aryl group, and R2, R3, R5, and R6 each independently represent an aryl group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a cycloalkyl group, or a hydrogen atom.
2. The method for producing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol according to claim 1,
wherein the ammonium pyrosulfate catalyst is an ammonium pyrosulfate catalyst represented by the following general formula (2):
which, R7, R8, R9, and R10 each independently represent an aryl group.
3. The method for producing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol according to claim 1,
wherein the carboxylic acid ester is an optically active carboxylic acid ester, and the carboxylic acid andor the alcohol is an optically active carboxylic acid andor an optically active alcohol.
4. The method for producing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol according to claim 1,
wherein one of the alcohol and the carboxylic acid is water soluble.