|Publication number||US4627849 A|
|Application number||US 06/754,669|
|Publication date||9 Dec 1986|
|Filing date||11 Jul 1985|
|Priority date||30 Jun 1982|
|Also published as||EP0292484A1, EP0292484A4, WO1988004164A1|
|Publication number||06754669, 754669, US 4627849 A, US 4627849A, US-A-4627849, US4627849 A, US4627849A|
|Inventors||Richard R. Walton, Richard C. Walton, George E. Munchbach, Robert W. Young|
|Original Assignee||Kimberly-Clark Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (35), Referenced by (63), Classifications (10), Legal Events (12)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 393,543, filed June 30, 1982, now abandoned.
This invention relates to catamenial tampons and the like.
The menstrual discharge (comprising endometrial cells, secretions and blood), is intermittent and takes place over hours and days. The blood and other matter exude following the line of gravity. Sometimes the flow is light, sometimes heavy. The purpose of a tampon is not necessarily to plug up this discharge, but rather it is to prevent leakage of this discharge by absorption of the liquid into the body of the removable tampon. Because blood and other matter tend to coagulate, clog and mat up the fibers in present tampons, damming can occur that prevents access of the fluid into the tampon, encouraging vertical by-pass leakage before the normal useful life of the tampon has been used. Such early leaking may occur down the sides or string and especially next to a damming area. Bypass leakage can also occur due to slow response of the tampon to expand upon first contact with moisture after insertion of the tampon.
Improved tampon constructions are desirable for decreasing the risk of early leakage, for increasing the efficiency of use of tampon fibers, and for decreasing the cost of production and increasing the facility with which tampons are made.
The present invention employs a longitudinal compressive pretreatment (facially confined) of the constituent fiber bat in the dry state to produce microundulations with ridges of the undulations tightly pressed together. This treatment animates and energizes in unison the outer fibers of the tampon in response to fluid contacting the tampon surface to maintain open passageways for the menstrual discharge to seek its way to full saturation of the tampon fiber mass. The activated fiber movement assists absorption of the liquid until the total fiber mass has been saturated. The dangers of clogging, damming and unused white areas of the tampon are reduced considerably which should reduce leakage problems.
Furthermore, a concerted movement of the fibers of the bat in a predetermined direction, though the fibers are not bonded to one another, is produced by the compressed microundulations. This concerted movement can expand the surface of the tampon in an action somewhat similar to the expansion of an accordion, with force attributable to the mechanical energy that was stored in the individual fibers by the pretreatment. The effect is concentrated in the direction of pretreatment and therefore can provide substantial growth, as may be desired, in a desired direction of the formed tampon, e.g. for radial expansion to prevent early leakage, or to enable axial growth in a tampon normally not having this capability.
The invention also enables avoidance of the hard-end problem that often confronts tampon designs of the type that employ compression in the axial direction during the making of the tampon. This is a result of the uniform pretreatment of the bat, and the ability of the treated material to retain its capability to expand (e.g. resists fusing) even after having been subjected to molding temperature and pressure.
Furthermore, the invention enables novel two-part tampon construction in which originally exposed cut-edges of the inner part are essentially protected by rapid enveloping motion of the expanding microcreped outer layer.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a compressed tampon for absorbing menstrual discharge is provided comprising, at its exterior at least, a bat of absorbent fibers in a preshortened state as a result of longitudinal compressive treatment, this bat being preshortened in a predetermined direction at least about 20% of original length, to a degree permitting substantial recovery of original dimension, there being at least 10 microundulations of the bat per inch prior to incorporation in the tampon, the microundulations being shape-retentive when dry and prior to incorporation in the tampon being compressed together so that the sides of adjacent microundulations are close together, the absorbent fibers of the bat, because of the pretreated state, having stored mechanical energy in a predetermined selected direction, the pretreated bat as it resides in the tampon, being moisture-sensitive, responsive to small amounts of liquid to cause release of the mechanical energy and to expand in the given direction to cause rapid expansion of the exterior of the tampon.
In preferred embodiments the tampon is comprised of carded or uncarded fibers; the tampon comprises the pretreated bat disposed about an absorptive core of different material.
FIG. 1 is a magnified diagrammatic view in longitudinal cross section of bat of unbonded fibers in the flat, having a series of closely adjacent microundulations as a result of longitudinal compressive pretreatment. The bat is shown as it comes from the longitudinal compacting device before being fed to the tampon making mold;
FIG. 1a is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing the initial dynamic response of the microundulations of the longitudinally compressed bat when the treated bat is exposed to a small quantity of liquid in vitro;
FIG. 1b is a view similar to FIG. 1a showing a further stage in the progressive expansive movement of the microundulations and progressive exposure of fresh absorptive area as expansion occurs;
FIG. 1c is a view similar to FIGS. 1a and 1b, showing the bat when expansion of the microundulations is complete;
FIG. 1d for comparison is a diagrammatic view of the bat prior to longitudinal compaction in accordance with FIG. 1;
FIG. 1e is a diagrammatic plan view of a square area of longitudinally compressed bat prior to exposure to liquid with the density of microundulations suggested by a concentration of parallel lines;
FIG. 1f is a view similar to FIG. 1e, illustrating the square area of bat of FIG. 1e after exposure to liquid, representing the extent of expansion of the bat in the lengthwise direction, by the increased spacing of the parallel lines, no expansion in the widthwise direction having occurred;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of apparatus for pretreating the bat and subsequently forming a tampon according to one preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2a is a diagrammatic side view in enlarged scale of the longitudinal compressive action of the 2-roll microcreper upon the bat of fibers;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIGS. 4, 4a and 4b are large-scale diagrammatic views of the tampon-making mold of FIGS. 2 and 3 in the progressive act of forming a tampon;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tampon blank prior to insertion into the mold of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 depicts a finished tampon after it has been subjected to the tampon-making steps of FIGS. 4a and 4b;
FIG. 6a illustrates the tampon of FIG. 6 after having its head end exposed in vitro to a small amount of liquid;
FIG. 6b depicts the full in vitro expansion of the head end of the tampon after exposure to more liquid;
FIG. 7, for another embodiment, depicts a microundulated tampon blank for use in making a tampon by a rolling method,
FIG. 8 shows the rolled tampon blank inserted in the tampon-making die and
FIG. 9 shows the finished tampon in accordance with this embodiment; and
FIGS. 10, 10a and 10b show still other alternate methods of forming a blank for a tampon,
FIG. 11 depicts the various molding stages and
FIG. 11a depicts the final formation of the tampon;
FIG. 12 is a graphic illustration of photographs of microundulated specimens taken during and after administration of dyed drops of water;
FIG. 13 is a diagram of the camera setup employed to take the photographs upon which the drawings of FIG. 12 are based;
FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 are microphotographs taken of tampon materials, namely bleached blend cotton, super-inflated rayon known as S. I. Rayon, and Rayon Tow, respectively; and
FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic graph showing relative expansion rate of a tampon according to the present invention compared with a tampon of conventional construction.
According to the invention the exterior at least of a tampon is formed from a bat of substantially aligned loose, unbonded fibers which, in bat form, prior to tampon making, is subjected to longitudinal compressive pretreatment to provide a bat which has microundulations essentially as shown in the highly magnified diagrammatic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1d illustrates the bat of loose fibers before compressive action. Such a bat may be obtained, e.g., by carding cotton fibers or rayon fibers of staple length or employing other bat forming thickness such as air layering or employing tow. The bat may have a thickness t which will vary with the weight of bat being employed. For instance, in the first preferred embodiment to be described, the bat has a weight of 10 grams per linear meter and has an uncompressed thickness t of 0.025 inch. In other embodiments the bat may, for instance, be of 20 grams per linear meter density in the untreated state with a thickness t of 0.050 inch, or 30 grams per linear meter with an untreated thickness t of 0.075 inch.
The microundulated bat of FIG. 1 has a number of undulating ridges 2, 4 characterized by sides 6 and 8 of adjacent ridges 2 and 4 being closely adjacent to one another as a result of the application of longitudinal compressive forces. During the pretreatment the individual fibers of the bat undergo slippage and rearrangement as the result of the longitudinal compressive action, as well as bending through the tortuous cross section as depicted in FIG. 1. The longitudinal compressive action or microcreping, used to produce the microundulations is achieved by compressing the web in its own plane, in the direction of its length (direction of orientation of the fibers) by compressive forces exerted substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the material, while the material is confined in a small dimension treatment cavity. Presently preferred for accomplishing this action is the two-roll microcreper invented by Messrs. Richard R. Walton and George E. Munchbach, inventors herein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,278, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
It is realized that the longitudinally compacted bat as shown in FIG. 1, if compacted to the appropriate degree, will retain its longitudinally compressed, microundulated condition so long as it is kept dry. This web may be so pretreated beforehand and rolled up and stored in a roll, or it may be produced in line with the tampon-making machine.
FIGS. 1a, b and c and the graphic representation of photographs of an actual experimental demonstration, FIG. 12, (described in detail further below) illustrate the reaction of such a microundulated bat in vitro to exposure to liquid, as an indication of the behavior of this web when incorporated in a tampon. FIG. 1a and Series I of FIG. 12 show the effect upon the microundulated bat of exposure of the bat to only a small amount of liquid. The microundulated structure swiftly responds in two ways. As demonstrated in FIG. 12, stage C of Series I, (5 seconds after application of the liquid) the immediately adjacent fibers rapidly conduct liquid to adjoining fibers so that there is an immediate and uniform liquid distribution throughout a large area of the treated bat, much more so than if the bat were untreated, due to the closeness and unique interengagement of the rearranged fibers as the result of their microundulated condition. Secondly, as demonstrated by comparison of Series II with Series III of FIG. 12, the contacting liquid initiates the release of the substantial stored, directional mechanical energy that has been set into the mass by the microcreping process. It will be seen that the web expands in one predefined direction as the small microundulations or ridges begin to relax and move. The individual fibers in exposed region, A, move in a dynamic way, adjusting the relationship between individual fibers and providing, though slight, a disturbance to the fluid that seeks to enter. This is of particular importance because the menstrual fluid includes cells, blood and secretions that tend to mat and coagulate and to some extent block the flow of liquid into the absorbing structure. The dynamic fiber action aids in the movement of this fluid into the interior. Furthermore, by comparison of FIGS. 1 and 1a, it is seen that during the absorptive process, additional fresh absorptive area, B, has been exposed. This action continues as illustrated in FIG. 1b in which, after application of still more fluid, still further fresh absorptive area, C, is exposed. This uncovering of fresh fiber surface reduces the blocking effect of secretions by presenting a greater surface area for liquid transfer.
In FIG. 1c is shown the ultimate full extension of the microundulated bat almost to its full original length, as a result of the ultimate release of the stored unidirectional mechanical energy. (To similar effect is stage D in Series II of FIG. 12.)
For illustrative purposes in FIG. 1c, varying thicknesses of accumulated material D are shown in the areas corresponding to areas A, B and C to symbolize the variation in matting that may occur in actual use due to the progressive exposure of fresh surface. Also, a certain kinkiness is shown remaining in the individual fibers, F, in FIG. 1c as a result of the longitudinal compressive treatment in gross of the bat of fibers. This contributes interstitial volume to the mass that can add to the absorptive effects of the tampon.
Various bat materials respond somewhat differently to the longitudinal compressive treatment process, so that while preserving the ability of substantial dimensional recovery, different amounts of longitudinal compaction are appropriate. A preferred material is a bat of staple rayon with the fibers aligned essentially in the longitudinal direction of the bat, (though the fibers may be somewhat mechanically interengaged, e.g. if carded). It is presently preferred to compact this bat 50%, that is, to shorten the bat by one half and increase its density twofold by the microcreping process. In the case of bleached cotton, which has a somewhat more resilient nature, and as well a greater portion of fibers which are not entirely aligned with the longitudinal direction of the bat, the degree of preferred compaction is less, e.g. in the 25 to 30% range.
In general, it is found that a useful degree of the longitudinal precompaction in bat form can be applied to most common tampon-forming fibers, the range of useful preshortening being between about 20% to 60% of the original length of the fibers in the case of carded fibers.
The number of microundulations to be formed to take advantage of the invention will vary with the nature and thickness of the material circumstances, but in all cases the bat must have microundulations, i.e. there must be at least 10 or more undulations per inch, and these must be compacted together, with sides of the microundulations being closely adjacent to one another, in order to generate a useful force of expansion as described herein. In the preferred case of using a thin, 10 gram per linear meter untreated density bat for forming the exterior of a tampon about an insert, preferably as many as 40 microundulations per inch are employed and the preferred minimum number of microundulations is about 25. For a 20 gram per linear meter bat, the most preferred number is about 30 and the preferred minimum is about 20 microundulations per inch. In the case of a bat of 30 grams per linear meter untreated density (which might be the only absorptive constituent of the tampon) the most preferred number is 25 microundulations per inch and the preferred minimum is about 15 microundulations per inch. These numbers refer to the number of ridges to be produced prior to introduction into the tampon mold. Further compaction in the tampon mold increases the density of the ridges of microcreping substantially.
FIGS. 2-4 illustrate the manufacture of a preferred tampon. At station, I, a two-roll microcreper receives an untreated bat 20 of carded tampon-forming fibers, which are essentially unbonded to each other and generally aligned with the machine direction. This bat 20 lies upon a nonwoven hydrophyllic tampon outer layer 21, typically a bonded cellulosic fabric of about 0.003 inch thickness as used in the trade. As more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,278, the microcreper employs a drive nip for driving the bat along a path formed by stable surfaces of a pair of oppositely rotating drive rolls, 10 and 12 in FIGS. 2 and 2a. A PG,12 retarding device on the exit side of the nip is formed by at least one and preferably two relatively stationary retarding members 16 and 18.
The initial parts of these retarding members define a means for providing damming forces that act essentially in the longitudinal direction of the bat, i.e. in FIG. 2a in the direction of arrow, R. The assemblage of the fresh bat of fibers 20 and the thin outer layer 21 is driven by the rotating rolls 10 and 12 past the center line, C-L, FIG. 2a, and is propelled forward by the forces, M and M-1, applied by the two rotating rolls. At position, X, the material begins to slip on the rolls and compresses longitudinally in the treatment cavity formed by the continuing surfaces of the rolls. This compression is suggested by the blocks of narrower width in FIG. 2a. The resistance that leads to this compression is provided by the two retarding members 16 and 18. In the case of the bat of fibers of the present invention, the fibers in the region between line, X, and the ends of the retarding members are formed into microundulations in the form shown in FIG. 1 in which adjacent ridges of the microundulated structure tightly abut one another in the treatment cavity as a result of the longitudinal compressive forces applied. In general, as mentioned above, there will be at least 10 microundulations per inch for even the thickest material that might be employed in a tampon and typically more depending upon the thickness of the bat being treated and the nature of the material selected.
From this treatment the web is led either to a temporary storage roll or to the further tampon-making equipment with care being observed to avoid substantial tension to avoid stretching thus to preserve the close adjacency of the ridges of the microundulations.
In the preferred embodiment, as mentioned before, the bat 20 of fibers is comprised of carded rayon staple fibers, 10 grams per meter and it, together with the thin outer layer 21, is compressed 50% by the microcreper, i.e. it is shortened by half and its weight after treatment is 20 grams per meter. At station II in the machine of FIG. 2 an unmicrocreped insert layer 24 of hydrophyllic material, preferably an insert of carded bleached blend or of highly absorbent carded staple rayon fibers, having a weight of 40 grams per meter, is introduced. This insert layer is only about one third as wide as the microcreped layer 20. In the most preferred embodiment this material is so called S. I. Rayon, staple fiber obtainable from Courtaulds, Ltd., of Manchester, England. This insert layer 24 is applied to the middle of the pretreated bat 20' as depicted in FIG. 2. At station III, as shown, edge 26 of the microundulated sheet is folded over the insert and then opposite edge 28 is folded over the insert to provide a folded assembly. At stage IV, the tampon-end of the withdrawal string is secured across the width of the assembly by stitching 32. A free length 34 of the string extends beyond the assembly. At stage, V, a tampon blank of 13/4 inch length in the axial direction of the bat is cut from this continuous assembly, the width WA of the bat and insert assembly being in the folded condition about 4 inches. This tampon blank 36 is moved sideways relative to the machine direction into the tampon mold 38.
Referring to the diagrams of FIGS. 4-4b, the tampon blank 36 is advanced sideways in direction by a concave mold surface 40 until the blank 36 reaches an opposing concave mold surface 42 which forces the blank into a cylindrical configuration. The microcreped ridges are denoted in FIG. 4 by parallel lines that extend transversely to the axis XM of the foregoing microcreping machine, or parallel to axis Yt, the axis of the tampon mold. The effect of this compression is to reduce the size and increase the density of the microundulations formed by the previous microcreping action. After the sideways compression, forming the blank 36 into the confines of a cylinder, axial compression rams 44 and 46, aligned with the cylinder, parallel to axis YT, act to compress the tampon blank lengthwise to produce the tampon in final form, as depicted in FIG. 6, with typical dimensions (depending to some extent on the absorbent grade of tampon desired) length Lt of 13/4 inch and diameter D equal to 1/2 inch. For side-by-side comparison in FIG. 5, the blank (4" long, 13/4" wide) from which the tampon was formed is depicted, with the lines of the microundulations denoted in both instances.
In the perspective view of the tampon blank, FIG. 5, it is seen that the edge of the insert material 24 lies at the same cutting plane as the cut edge of the outer microundulated bat and cover assemblage.
A unique function of the invention is that this insert, though present at this cutting plane because in this embodiment of the method of manufacture, can be immediately enveloped by the microundulated material as soon as moisture contacts the finished tampon. When the tampon of FIG. 6 has its head exposed to even a slight amount of liquid, the liquid is seen to almost race through the substance of the microundulated bat, and the bat expands significantly in almost a flowering mode, as depicted in FIG. 6a. Thus, the insert 24, the position of which is suggested by the dotted lines in FIGS. 6a, becomes protected by the outlying wings 48 of the expanding bat. This enveloping action can be important if the insert has such strong absorbing capability or other feature that makes it undesirable that it contact the mucosal surfaces of the vagina. As seen in vivo, the expansion of the outer bat continues, as liquid contacts the tampon. It is believed that in vivo the tampon surface behaves in a way suggested by that which is observed in vitro, see FIGS. 1-1e. Thus, the microundulated surface of the tampon remains active even after receiving the final compressional forces of the final tampon-molding procedure. The expansion of the microundulated surface in controlled direction uniformly exposes fresh area, and distributes the liquid effectively through its mass, and thence by intimate contact, into the absorptive insert 24. The expanded shape of the tampon as shown, by normal movements of the wearer, is believed to align in an effective way, for optimum position to intercept fluid discharge very efficiently. The overall effect of this tampon is to prevent early leakage and, in a simple-to-construct form, enables extremely efficient utilization of the absorptive capacity of the materials present.
The maximum degree of compaction to be employed depends, e.g. upon the nature of the fibers, the form in which the fibers are treated and the temperature of treatment, as well as upon the conditions of actual molding of the final tampon. In the case of carded fibers the preferable range generally is 20% to 60%. Experiments have suggested that other materials, e.g. tow may be compressed as much as 85%. The maximum amount for any particular situation can be determined on the basis of simple trials, observing the degree to which the treated material (microundulated) can recover its length in response to contact with liquid.
While in the foregoing embodiment a core or insert of uncompressed material has been employed, it should be understood that a number of advantages, for instance, greater power of expansion and greater fiber movement, can be obtained by also pretreating the core to a longitudinal compressive treatment as described a above. Indeed, tampons made entirely of a single thick bat of fibers pretreated by longitudinal compression are possible. In this case, due to the thickness, the individual ridges are larger, producing fewer per lineal measure, for instance, this approach may be effective down to about 10 closely adjacent undulations per inch.
It will be understood that if the wave length of the undulations, that is the length of material constituting each ridge, is too long, there is a sudden loss of directional mechanical power available because of inability of a long straight column of material to transmit effectively the expansional force (much as a column which is too long suffers buckling instead of resisting a compressional force which is placed upon it). This has particular application to the radial expansive forces which are employed according to the invention for preventing early leakage and explains the importance that the undulations be microundulations for the purpose of this invention.
In FIG. 7 is shown a tampon blank comprising an elongated strip of fiber bat, and, as suggested by the diagonal lines, the pretreatment under longitudinal compaction has occurred on the diagonal axis X1. This may be accomplished by cutting the specimen on the bias from normal transversely microundulated bat as produced by the machine shown in FIGS. 2 and 2a, or this or a one blade microcreping machine may be adapted by use of helically shaped blades and associated surfaces to effect its compressive action at an acute angle to the direction of feed through the machine. The tampon blank in FIG. 7 is initially rolled into a cylinder as shown in FIG. 8 and inserted within a radially acting die which compresses the roll to the final tampon form as shown in FIG. 9. The slanted lines on the surface of FIG. 9 suggest the diagonal direction of the microcreped ridges of the microundulations that exist in the resultant tampon.
When exposed to liquid the diagonal nature of the compacted ridges produces an expansion at right angles to the lines of compression. This effects a component of longitudinal as well as radial growth in the tampon as part of the expansion. In tampons previously formed using the general procedure illustrated in FIG. 8, there has been difficulty because, when exposed to menstrual fluid, the tampons at times become too large in diameter and are uncomfortable to remove. The process as described herein enables some of the growth to be expressed axially, thus reducing the total radial growth of the mass. This improves the removability of the tampon. Furthermore, by precompressive longitudinal treatment of the web, the roll size required to be introduced into the die of FIG. 8 is of reduced dimension and enables use of a much more convenient machine and operation in forming the tampon, because the smaller roll is easier to handle.
In the embodiment of FIG. 10, two elongated segments of bat material that in crossed configuration form a tampon blank have the ridges of the pretreatment of longitudinal compression aligned with the long dimension of the segments. Thus, when these segments are bent upwards to parallel the axis of the tampon by action of the plunger 80 (FIG. 11), these lines of compression will be parallel to the axis of the tampon and will enable radial growth of the tampon upon exposure of liquid in manner similar to that of the first embodiment.
Other embodiments are shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b. In FIG. 10a, the ridges of the pretreatment of longitudinal compression are at 90° to the long dimension of the segments. When the segments are bent upwards to parallel the axis of the tampon these lines will be transverse to the axis and will enable longitudinal expansion of the tampon upon exposure to liquid. In FIG. 10b, the ridges are at 45° to the long dimension of the tampon, and are also at 45° to the tampon axis when the segments are bent upwards. This configuration will enable both radial and longitudinal expansion upon exposure of liquid in manner similar to the above embodiments. This dynamic movement of the fibers during absorption, as a result of relaxation of the mechanical, directional energy is also a reliable attribute of these embodiments.
Numerous other constructions can take advantage of the invention in other ways. Thus, if a tampon blank is made by cutting a rearranged stack of webs, the cut edges of all layers in the final tampon may be exposed to the vaginal walls. Such contact of some materials may be detrimental. This contact can be substantially prevented by the shielding effect provided by a microundulated cover layer. Though cut to the same dimension in the blank, when it is contacted with liquid it will immediately expand over and shield the layer that requires shielding.
A further advantage of the invention will be apparent from consideration of the action that occurs in tampons that are formed with a degree of compression in the direction of the axis of the tampon. This mold action is desirable in that it stabilizes the compressed final form of the tampon and enables some lengthwise growth of the tampon, which is observed to make the tampon susceptible of elongation during withdrawal, thus to tend to decrease the circumference of the tampon, making the withdrawal action less uncomfortable to the wearer.
The problem observed with this axial compression in the tampon mold is similar to what is known as the "rope and tube" effect. The tampon, before it receives the axial force, is confined in a cylinder, just as one might confine a segment of rope in a tube of similar diameter. As is well known, if one seeks to advance the rope by pushing on the end of it, a phenomenon occurs that makes it difficult for the pushing forces to advance the rope. As the pressure is applied on the end of the rope, there is a tendency for the rope, as it is compressed, to swell. As this swelling occurs, the exterior surface of the rope near its end bears with greater pressure against the cylindrical wall of the tube. This introduces frictional drag. And, therefore, as the pressure on the end of the rope increases and as the swelling of the ends occurs, greater and greater frictional drag occurs, and a very great force is required, or indeed the rope cannot be moved. This same phenomenon impedes the compression of the interior midsection of a tampon. The result is that the tampon is not uniformly compacted and hence does not have uniform absorptive qualities. Indeed, there are occasions when the ends of the tampon will be so compressed as to be very hard, and will neither readily accept fluid nor readily expand, to the detriment of the performance of the tampon.
In the case of forming the tampon blank from pre-longitudinally compacted bat as herein disclosed, a significant amount of the total compaction that is desired has already taken place. Therefore, for compressing the ends of the tampon, less radial swelling will occur in the mold, and furthermore, less compressive force needs to be delivered ultimately to the center of the tampon because of significant amount of precompaction that has already taken place as a prior step to molding. The overall effect, therefore, of using the pretreated material according to the invention, is to reduce the hard end problem and to achieve a tampon of greater uniformity of compaction, and therefore of greater uniformity in absorption.
While carded bats of cotton or rayon fibers can readily be employed according to the invention, the invention is not so limited. For instance, a bat or array of monofilaments, e.g. so-called "tow", can be treated as a bat by being passed through the microcreper to produce microundulations in an ordered manner to the assembly. This can avoid the step of carding, and as well, in some cases, can avoid the need to crimp the fibers in the fiber-making process, e.g. wavy gear crimp or forcing the fibers through a stuffing box, from which the crimped fiber is then pulled and stretched.
The effects of liquid are illustrated on sample segments of a bat of normal tampon material (bleached blend cotton) which has been treated to have the microundulations that have been described. This bat, composed of a number of superposed carded layers, was processed as a unit through the two roll microcreper, referred to above, to achieve the microundulated condition. The drawings of FIG. 12 are representative of actual photographs taken according to the following procedure, using the apparatus as shown in FIG. 13. The specimen, approximately one-half inch long, was gripped by a spring card holder 102 and held vertically as shown by means of a cork base 104 resting on surface 106. The upper edge of the specimen 100 was illuminated by ring lamp 108. A camera 110 was disposed above the specimen 100, as shown. In each series of tests water containing dye (fast green FCF histological dye, National Aniline Division, Cenco Central Scientific Co.) was employed.
In series I of the tests, at stage A the machine direction edge of the specimen is shown prior to introduction of liquid. The microundulated structure is visible and the make-up of the web by a number of carded layers is suggested. A one microlitre drop was then applied to the specimen and simultaneously the photograph of stage B was taken. It is seen that the small drop, immediately upon application, is mostly concentrated in central carded layers of the microundulated sheet, corresponding to the point of application, but as suggested by the stippled area bounding the dark area, some liquid has entered adjacent layers. As seen at stage C, within only 5 seconds of application, very uniform spreading of the liquid has occurred, close to the final degree of stage D taken at 120 seconds after application of the liquid.
Series II and III of FIG. 12 show respectively the effect of a larger drop of the dyed liquid on identical specimens, except that series II views the profile of the specimen in the machine direction, the same as FIG. 1, in which the microundulations are seen, direction X, while series III shows the specimen in the cross-direction, Y, taken along the length of one of the microundulations of the specimen. The large drop was formed by the dipping of a glass rod into the liquid and allowing the first drop to enter the specimen. Stage A is the specimen prior to administration of the drop, stage B represents the specimen immediately upon application of the drop, stage C represents the state of the specimen five seconds after the application of the drop, and stage D represents the state of the specimen 60 seconds after application of the drop. Both specimens were approximately 8 mm square prior to application of the liquid. As suggested by the drawing, the specimen of series II grew in the X direction to the stage D size of 10.4 mm, largely obtained within the first 5 seconds of application of the liquid, whereas as shown in series III, no growth in the Y dimension was observed. In both cases the web was seen to grow significantly in thickness, as illustrated.
The photographs shown in FIGS. 14 through 16 were taken at the magnifications indicated, employing a scanning electron microscope (J.O.E.L.-J.S.M.15). Each specimen was cut from a sheet and sputter-coated with gold palladium alloy under approximately 160 microns vacuum using a sputter coater. The coating thickness of about 300-400 angstroms was achieved by a number of successive coatings. The FIG. 14 photographs are of bleached blend cotton, all taken at 30 times magnification, of the edge of respective specimens. The photograph of the uncompacted material shows the fibers mainly aligned in the vertical direction, i.e. the machine direction, with no regularity to the bends that occur in the individual fibers. The other two photographs, of coarse and fine microundulated materials, show a regularity to the configuration of the fibers in the microundulated form described above.
FIGS. 15 and 16 similarly show the microundulated change in the fibers in the respective materials, S.I. Rayon and Rayon Tow.
One of the most important desired properties of a tampon is that it not permit early leakage. If a tampon allows early leakage, it is discarded by the wearer immediately and judged to be a failure. It is believed by the inventors that there is a close correlation between the expansion capability of a tampon in its early stages of absorption and the tendency of the tampon to permit early leakage. The tampon formed according to the preferred embodiment, FIGS. 3-6, has been tested in a conventional syngina against tampons made with the same material and in the same forming mold, but using no pretreatment of the outer portion of the fibers. The results are graphed qualitatively in FIG. 17. As the graph shows, in the early stages, the tampon of the invention has greater expansion rate, and therefore achieves an expanded size more quickly than the conventional tampon. The alignment of the X direction of the microundulated sheet (Series II, FIG. 12) in the direction in which expansion is desired, is believed to be the key to this improved expansion rate.
______________________________________Improved Total Expansion and Absorption3 Gram Tampon According ConventionalTampon Specimens to the Invention Tampon______________________________________Total 13.37 grams 11.0 gramsAbsorbencyTotal 7.27 cc 3.8 ccDisplacementPer gram 4.34 grams 3.70 gramsAbsorbency(Material)______________________________________
The greater displacement of the tampon according to the invention in the above results is interpreted to confirm that improved prevention of early leakage can be achieved as a result of the invention.
The better absorbency of the above results is also a highly desirable attribute which can lead to better performance and lower cost. The improved absorption is attributed both to the improved expansion and to the superior ability of the microundulated layer (owing to the ordered closeness of the fibers) to distribute the liquid about the absorptive core, even to points remote from the point of wetting.
The improved ability to distribute liquid is very important in other respect as well. It is believed that early leakage sometimes occurs because of pooling of liquid at a local region of a tampon which effectively saturates that local region, and through movements of the wearer, enables early leakage. The microundulated exterior according to the invention causes a rapid and useful wicking action and transfer of the fluid so that undesirable pooling can be avoided.
Another desirable aspect of this transfer capability is that it enables use of core materials which, though having superior local absorption properties, lack the ability themselves to transfer fluids. By surrounding such a core with the microundulated media, the transfer to all regions of the core can be achieved without dependence upon transfer capability of the core itself.
In those tampons where the absorption capability of the microundulated material is important to the total absorption of the product, care should be taken to provide the microundulated media with the least permanance possible consistent with retaining the microundulated form while dry. This generally dictates selection of coarser undulations within the operable range and treatments in the lower part of the temperature scale. Where the absorptive capability of the microundulated material is incidental, as where the core has extreme absorption capability, a more tightly compacted microundulated media may be employed, with closer association of the microundulation fibers to maximize transfer capabilities and potential stored energy for expansion effects.
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|US2058275 *||5 Oct 1934||20 Oct 1936||Voss Joseph A||Machine for compressing cotton wads|
|US2112021 *||25 Jun 1937||22 Mar 1938||James J Cullen||Sanitary device|
|US2286817 *||4 Jan 1940||16 Jun 1942||Personal Products Corp||Tampon|
|US2437265 *||10 Dec 1943||9 Mar 1948||Fred W Manning||Tampon, sanitary napkin, surgical dressing, insulating material, filter cartridge, upholstery, and the like|
|US2444528 *||11 Jul 1944||6 Jul 1948||Popper||Intravaginal pack and its manufacture|
|US2499414 *||15 Apr 1947||7 Mar 1950||Miriam E Rabell||Tampon|
|US2761449 *||17 Dec 1954||4 Sep 1956||Kimberly Clark Co||Cellulosic product|
|US2761490 *||9 Nov 1953||4 Sep 1956||Theodore N Danforth||Condensing of sheet materials|
|US2765513 *||9 Dec 1954||9 Oct 1956||Richard R Walton||Method of treating textile materials|
|US2765514 *||28 Jul 1955||9 Oct 1956||Richard R Walton||Apparatus for treating textile materials|
|US2815756 *||12 Oct 1955||10 Dec 1957||Personal Products Corp||Flexible product|
|US2915109 *||7 May 1957||1 Dec 1959||Walton Richard R||Condensing traveling sheet materials|
|US3063453 *||6 Apr 1960||13 Nov 1962||Personal Products Corp||Absorbent product|
|US3220056 *||27 Nov 1959||30 Nov 1965||Walton Richard R||Treatment of sheet materials|
|US3220057 *||27 Oct 1961||30 Nov 1965||Walton Richard R||Treatment of sheet materials|
|US3260778 *||23 Jan 1964||12 Jul 1966||Walton Richard R||Treatment of materials|
|US3359981 *||19 Jan 1965||26 Dec 1967||Hahn Carl Kg||Cotton and cellulosic fiber vaginal tampon|
|US3426405 *||11 Jul 1966||11 Feb 1969||Walton Richard Rhodes||Confining device for compressive treatment of materials|
|US3593715 *||5 Nov 1968||20 Jul 1971||Tampax Inc||Tampon|
|US3710793 *||17 May 1971||16 Jan 1973||J Glassman||Catamenial tampon|
|US3810280 *||16 Feb 1971||14 May 1974||Munchbach G||Method and apparatus for longitudinal compressive treatment of flexible material|
|US3811445 *||29 Sep 1972||21 May 1974||Int Playtex Corp||Absorbent material and methods of making the same|
|US3869768 *||7 Feb 1973||11 Mar 1975||Said Walton By Said Munchbach||Methods of compressively treating flexible sheet materials|
|US3975806 *||14 Aug 1974||24 Aug 1976||Richard Rhodes Walton||Apparatus for compressively treating flexible sheet materials|
|US4142278 *||29 Oct 1976||6 Mar 1979||Richard R. Walton||Compressive treatment of web materials|
|US4200101 *||11 Apr 1977||29 Apr 1980||Glassman Jacob A||Catamenial tampon|
|US4217900 *||3 Oct 1978||19 Aug 1980||Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien (Henkel Kgaa)||Menstruation tampon|
|US4274412 *||22 Oct 1979||23 Jun 1981||Kimberly-Clark Corporation||Tampon containing blended superabsorbent material|
|US4296234 *||23 Apr 1980||20 Oct 1981||Lever Brothers Company||Absorbent materials|
|US4335720 *||9 Apr 1980||22 Jun 1982||Glassman Jacob A||Catamenial tampon with hollow core|
|US4335721 *||17 Feb 1981||22 Jun 1982||Kimberly-Clark Corporation||Tampon containing fusible portions|
|US4340556 *||5 Dec 1980||20 Jul 1982||Personal Products Company||Production of fibrous sliver having particulate matter distributed therethrough|
|US4341214 *||1 Jul 1977||27 Jul 1982||Kimberly-Clark Corporation||Sleeve-enclosed hydrophilic foam tampon with improved after-use withdrawal characteristics|
|GB537113A *||Title not available|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US4995150 *||5 Mar 1990||26 Feb 1991||Xtramedics, Inc.||Method and apparatus for making feminine hygienic interlabia pads|
|US5047024 *||2 Jan 1990||10 Sep 1991||Glassman Jacob A||Tampon construction|
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|US5171235 *||1 Apr 1991||15 Dec 1992||Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft||Tampon and manufacture thereof|
|US5458835 *||22 Jul 1994||17 Oct 1995||Courtaulds Plc||Process of making viscose staple fibers|
|US5634914 *||25 Apr 1995||3 Jun 1997||Courtaulds Plc||Cellulosic fibre|
|US5641555 *||26 May 1995||24 Jun 1997||Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company||Cup-shaped filtration mask having an undulated surface|
|US5643507 *||26 May 1995||1 Jul 1997||Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company||Filter media having an undulated surface|
|US5658640 *||26 May 1995||19 Aug 1997||Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company||Electret filter media having an undulated surface|
|US5725481 *||17 May 1996||10 Mar 1998||A. Fem Medical Corporation||Method and apparatus for collecting vaginal fluid and exfoliated vaginal cells for diagnostic purposes|
|US5813102 *||9 May 1997||29 Sep 1998||Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.||Process for producing a tampon having densified, solid, fibrous core|
|US5911712 *||9 May 1997||15 Jun 1999||Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.||Tampon, especially for feminine hygiene, and process and apparatus for producing it|
|US6007498 *||9 Mar 1998||28 Dec 1999||A.Fem Medical Corporation||Method and apparatus for collecting vaginal fluid and exfoliated vaginal cells for diagnostic purposes|
|US6174293||27 Dec 1999||16 Jan 2001||A-Fem Medical Corporation||Method and apparatus for collecting vaginal fluid and exfoliated vaginal cells for diagnostic purposes|
|US6183455||25 Jun 1996||6 Feb 2001||A-Fem Medical Corporation||Biodegradable absorbent pads|
|US6206867 *||8 Apr 1999||27 Mar 2001||The Procter & Gamble Company||Tampon with flexible panels|
|US6310269 *||24 Apr 1995||30 Oct 2001||Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.||Tampon especially for feminine hygiene and a process and apparatus for producing this|
|US6333108||9 May 1995||25 Dec 2001||Acordis Kelheim Gmbh||Cellulose fibre compositions|
|US6433246||22 Dec 1995||13 Aug 2002||Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.||Tampon having improved early expansion characteristics|
|US6595974||2 Oct 2000||22 Jul 2003||Playtex Products, Inc.||Rapid expansion tampon pledget|
|US6716203||18 Dec 2001||6 Apr 2004||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Individual absorbent articles wrapped in a quiet and soft package|
|US6748634 *||4 Jun 2002||15 Jun 2004||Mcneil-Ppc, Inc.||Tampon having improved early expansion characteristics|
|US6755937||18 Apr 2000||29 Jun 2004||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Paper sheet having improved rate of absorbency|
|US6814722||3 Dec 2001||9 Nov 2004||Playtex Products, Inc.||Pre-expanded tampon pledget|
|US6889409||1 Oct 2001||10 May 2005||Johnson & Johnson Gmbh||Tampon, especially for feminine hygiene, and a process and apparatus for producing this|
|US7059026 *||10 Mar 2005||13 Jun 2006||Axel Friese||Tampon especially for feminine hygiene and a process and apparatus for producing this|
|US7112257||7 Jan 2004||26 Sep 2006||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Method of mechanical softening of sheet material|
|US7214218 *||21 Nov 2003||8 May 2007||The Procter & Gamble Company||Tampon with raised portions having multiple widths|
|US7472463||1 Jun 2007||6 Jan 2009||The Procter & Gamble Company||Process for producing a stabilized compressed tampon|
|US7735203||16 Aug 2006||15 Jun 2010||The Procter & Gamble Company||Process for producing folded and compressed tampons|
|US7867209 *||8 Nov 2007||11 Jan 2011||Playtex Products, Inc.||Tampon pledget for increased bypass leakage protection|
|US8137290 *||28 Mar 2003||20 Mar 2012||The Procter & Gamble Company||Device and method for providing information based on body fluids related matter|
|US8585668||8 Jan 2007||19 Nov 2013||Playtex Products, Llc||Rapid expansion tampon pledget|
|US8735647 *||22 May 2012||27 May 2014||Eveready Battery Company, Inc.||Tampon having spirally shaped grooves|
|US9107775||15 Apr 2009||18 Aug 2015||Eveready Battery Company, Inc.||Tampon pledget with improved by-pass leakage protection|
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|US9173778 *||22 Mar 2002||3 Nov 2015||Eveready Battery Company, Inc||Tampon having spirally shaped grooves|
|US9259360||2 Dec 2010||16 Feb 2016||Edgewell Personal Care Brands, Llc.||Tampon pledget for increased bypass leakage protection|
|US9622919||13 Nov 2014||18 Apr 2017||Johnson & Johnson Gmbh||Method of shaping a tampon for feminine hygiene|
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|US9795518||8 Mar 2017||24 Oct 2017||Johnson & Johnson Gmbh||Method of shaping a tampon for feminine hygiene|
|US20020151859 *||22 Mar 2002||17 Oct 2002||Schoelling Hans Werner||Tampon having spirally shaped grooves|
|US20030055391 *||4 Jun 2002||20 Mar 2003||Hien Nguyen||Tampon having improved early expansion characteristics|
|US20030116462 *||20 Dec 2001||26 Jun 2003||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Pouch configuration for wrapped absorbent articles|
|US20040122399 *||18 Dec 2002||24 Jun 2004||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Package for discretely carrying interlabial and other feminine care products|
|US20040128153 *||28 Mar 2003||1 Jul 2004||The Procter & Gamble Company||Device and method for providing information based on body fluids related matter|
|US20040229067 *||7 Jan 2004||18 Nov 2004||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Method of mechanical softening of sheet material|
|US20050027275 *||9 Jul 2004||3 Feb 2005||The Procter & Gamble Company||Compressed, gas-stabilized tampon having multiple folds|
|US20050113782 *||21 Nov 2003||26 May 2005||The Procter & Gamble Company||Tampon with raised portions having multiple widths|
|US20050131370 *||10 Dec 2003||16 Jun 2005||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Individually wrapped personal care absorbent articles|
|US20050251979 *||10 Mar 2005||17 Nov 2005||Axel Friese||Tampon especially for feminine hygiene and a process and apparatus for producing this|
|US20070112320 *||8 Jan 2007||17 May 2007||Playtex Products, Inc.||Rapid expansion tampon pledget|
|US20070234532 *||1 Jun 2007||11 Oct 2007||Gilbert Steven R||Process for producing a stabilized compressed tampon|
|US20080065041 *||16 Aug 2006||13 Mar 2008||Mihai Alin Stan||Process for producing folded and compressed tampons|
|US20080132868 *||8 Nov 2007||5 Jun 2008||Playtex Products, Inc.||Tampon pledget for increased bypass leakage protection|
|US20080287902 *||19 May 2008||20 Nov 2008||Playtex Products, Inc.||Tampon pledget for increased by-pass leakage protection|
|US20100160886 *||19 Jan 2010||24 Jun 2010||Playtex Products, Inc.||Pre-expanded tampon pledget|
|US20100205792 *||29 Apr 2010||19 Aug 2010||Hans Werner Schoelling||Tampon Having Spirally Shaped Grooves|
|US20110077612 *||2 Dec 2010||31 Mar 2011||Playtex Products, Inc.||Tampon pledget for increased bypass leakage protection|
|US20120046607 *||22 Jan 2010||23 Feb 2012||Svante Syk||Plug to be introduced into a passage such as a nasal passage or ear canal|
|US20120227228 *||22 May 2012||13 Sep 2012||Hans Werner Schoelling||Tampon Having Spirally Shaped Grooves|
|WO1997014386A1||16 Oct 1995||24 Apr 1997||Comin Dumong Shella||Withdrawal strings for tampons|
|U.S. Classification||604/379, 604/904, 604/380|
|International Classification||A61F13/15, A61F13/20, A61F13/53, A61F13/472|
|Cooperative Classification||Y10S604/904, A61F13/2065|
|8 Aug 1986||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION, 401 NORTH LAKE STREET,
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:WALTON, RICHARD R.;WALTON, RICHARD C.;MUNCHBACH, GEORGEE.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:004588/0625;SIGNING DATES FROM 19860802 TO 19860805
|10 Jul 1990||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|29 Nov 1990||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|30 Nov 1990||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|
|9 May 1991||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: WALTON, RICHARD R.
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005695/0603
Effective date: 19910320
Owner name: YOUNG, ROBERT W.
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005695/0603
Effective date: 19910320
|19 Jul 1994||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|11 Aug 1994||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|11 Aug 1994||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|
|2 Oct 1995||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: WALTON, RICHARD C., MASSACHUSETTS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WALTON, RICHARD C. (EXECUTOR);WALTON, RICHARD R. (DECEASED);REEL/FRAME:007656/0535
Effective date: 19950925
|30 Jun 1998||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|17 Jul 1998||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|
|17 Jul 1998||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
Are you looking to watch 2 Broke Girls Season 4 Episode 1 online? We've made the premiere available right here and now. It actually features Kim Kardashian as a guest star.
|YouTube Purchase||Watch Now|
|Google Play||Watch Now|
|Verizon On Demand||Watch Now|
Are you hoping to watch 2 Broke Girls Season 4 Episode 1 online? Good. You've come to the right place! You can watch 2 Broke Girls Season 4 Episode 1 online right here and now and see how Kim Kardashian fared as a guest star.
On the 2 Broke Girls season 4 premiere, Kim Kardashian guest stars as herself when Max and Caroline are approached about the cupcake shop appearing on her show.

domain: entertainment


text:
Connecticut DIY hardcore mainstays They and the Children offer up a six-song attack of crushing vocals, dense and searing guitar work, and bombastic drumming. Tackling a variety of styles, they seemlessly incorporate thrashing fast parts, huge riffs and melodic interludes, taking cues from bands such as Majority Rule, Isis, and From Ashes Rise. After honing their sound for over two years playing with everybody from Melt Banana to Mono, Ampere to Dead Meadow, these five dudes can rip some seriously devasting and epic hardcore.
A Measure Of Worth
Second Thoughts A Second Too Late
'Active Vs. Passive' Carries On
Darkness Swam Over
Pressing Information: 1000 CDs

domain: artistic


On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it was time for the Republicans to give up on health care and move on to tax reform.
On Wednesday, Republicans presented the first version of their tax reform proposal. Critics argue it will increase deficits and is too generous to the wealthiest Americans.
According to the Washington Post, the nine-page plan includes tax cuts while also protecting the home mortgage interest deduction and charitable deductions. Previous conversations around tax reform had suggested eliminating those deductions, but they are very popular with voters and ultimately Republicans decided it would be politically unwise.
The biggest unanswered question raised by the document is: if the deductions for mortgage interest and charity will remain in the code, then what deductions will be eliminated to make up for the lost revenue that comes from the tax cuts themselves?
Those proposed tax cuts include a reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The seven individual income tax brackets would be reduced to three. The proposal would also keep certain deductions that encourage business investment and research. The standard deduction would also be doubled.
Political observers believe the Republicans are hesitant to name the specific deductions they would eliminate because doing so would anger key business constituencies.
According to The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the plan would result in a $2.2 trillion net loss in revenue over the next decade, if Republicans are able to successfully eliminate some tax deductions. The proposal would also add $1.5 trillion to the national debt.
The Post’s sources said there was still a chance that Republicans would consider a higher tax rate for wealthy Americans to protect the middle class. However, many of the proposed changes are designed to benefit the richest Americans.
The tax reform bill would be brought up using the same reconciliation process Republicans attempted to use with health care reform. This means the bill would only require 51 votes to pass the Senate.
The challenge would come after the bill was passed. Legislators would then have to propose specific deductions for elimination.
While some business groups expressed support for general tax reform efforts, the National Association of Realtors condemned the proposal, saying it would make home ownership less appealing.
Democrats have rejected the proposal. They argue it provides unjustified benefits to the wealthiest Americans.


text:
Kinahan crime cartel using fake news to mask activities, police chief says
The Kinahan crime cartel is actively engaged in the creation and circulation of disinformation designed to draw attention away from its involvement in organised crime, an assistant garda commissioner has said.
John O’Driscoll said that a short film about an attack which took place at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016 was designed to mislead the public. It was a recreation of the shooting but pointed the finger away from the Kinahans.
O’Driscoll, who is leading the investigation into the cartel’s activities, said he was unaware of the identities of those who produced and made the film.
He said the Regency film showed the capacity of organised crime to fund disinformation campaigns which were not open to question.

domain: sociology


text:
In Communist Romania, Jews were traded for pigs, calves or cows. This is how Sonia Devillers’ grandparents – as she recounts in Les Exportés (Flammarion, September 2022, not yet translated into English) – were able to pass to the West. A picture of blood and guts emerges from Romania: after being slaughtered by hand, the surviving Jews were worth just about the price of the animals for which they were exchanged.
At the Jewish Museum in Hohenems, Austria, an exhibition with the strange title “‘Taxidermied Jews?” History, present and future of Jewish museums”. “Taxidermied Jews?” The phrase refers to the ancient words of a president of the Jewish community in Vienna who did not want a museum in which Jews could be admired as “Taxidermied Indians”. In the context of the debate opened by the exhibition at the Hohenems Museum, Cilly Kugelmann, the former program director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, questions the very notion of a “Jewish museum.”
“My novels are a kind of Litvak saga, a monument to the memory of the Lithuanian Jews who have passed away. This is how Grigory Kanovich likes to describe his work. Born in June 1929 in Janova to a Yiddish-speaking Jewish family, he has published many short stories and ten novels, translated into many languages. Last August, in the form of a four-part serial, K. published the first French translation — by Elena Guritanu — of “Poor Rothschild”. At the beginning of this year, we continue the Jewish saga of this prolific 94-year-old Lithuanian writer with the story “I dreamed of Vilnius, the lost Jerusalem”, written as a tribute to Wilno, the Jerusalem of Lithuania. In the preface to this reading, Elie Petit and Elena Guritanu retrace his journey for K.
We know the Christmas movie genre and its more or less serious sub-genres invented by Hollywood. Danny Trom, after having seen ‘Gremlins’ (1984), the horror film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, analyzes what could be a specific sub-genre to be identified, the Jewish Christmas movie…
Do today’s music lovers and discophiles feel embarrassed when they listen to recordings of the great performers who played, between 1933 and 1945, without any qualms, for the Nazi leaders? This is the case of Philippe Olivier, a music historian and opera specialist – particularly Wagner – for whom this question is not insignificant and who wonders about his own relationship with this musical heritage.
The history of relations between Jews and Ukrainians came back with insistence from the beginning of the war initiated by Putin. It is an essentially tragic history, which Boris Czerny revisits, but reminding us that it is not limited to acts of violence. Through the evocation of Dovbush, a popular hero of the Carpathians, and of Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer, known as the “Baal Shem Tov”, he focuses on the web of linguistic and cultural exchanges that demonstrate the richness of the links between Ukrainians and Jews and that constitute the complex material of a common past.
The story is well known: Kafka asked his friend Max Brod to destroy his manuscripts. Not only did Max Brod not do so, but he became the guardian of the writer’s memory, his biographer and publisher, the owner of most of his manuscripts – which he took to Israel. Who owns all these archives today? In his book-investigation, Benjamin Balint followed the events surrounding Kafka’s manuscripts, from the political and literary quarrels to the judicial outcome. Philippe Zard returns for K. to the story of a misheritage.
The impromptu arrival of the Netanyahu family one day in the winter of 1959 under the roof of Ruben Blum’s family causes the life of the young history professor at a provincial university in New York State to falter. But how can we understand this explosive event that American novelist Joshua Cohen stages without giving us the key?
In 1926, Samuel Schwarzbard assassinated Symon Petloura, the general-in-chief of the Ukrainian nationalist revolution, whose men were responsible for about 40% of the exactions committed during the pogroms that struck the Ukraine during the civil war (1918-1926). Paul Celan was born in Czernowitz, where Schwarzbard lived for a time and is now in Ukraine. Part of his poetry evokes “the widest of rivers”, the long history of anti-Semitic crime that links the history of pogroms to that of the Shoah. Yvan Segré dives into Celan’s poetry and questions, from it, a memory of the Ukraine like the gesture of Samuel Schwarzbard.
With the support of:
Thanks to the Paris office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation for their cooperation in the design of the magazine’s website.

domain: library


text:
Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley had a short but legendary career, recording three studio albums with the revered Seattle grunge band, as well as their 1996 MTV Unplugged live album, before his untimely death of a drug overdose in 2002. After the release of the band's 1995 self-titled album, Staley contributed vocals to two more tracks with Alice In Chains, "Get Born Again" and "Died," which both appeared on the 1999 Music Bank box set.
Staley's final studio recording was with a one-off supergroup called Class of '99, which formed to record a song for the soundtrack of the 1999 Robert Rodriguez horror film The Faculty: a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2)". The group also included Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins, Porno for Pyros' Martyn LeNoble and Matchbox 20's Matt Serletic.
The group released the cover as a single along with a music video that first aired in January 1999, depicting the members of Class of '99 performing cut with scenes from the movie itself. Though the cover isn't a radical reinvention of Pink Floyd's 1979 anthem, the group adds a grungy heft to it, Staley's distinctive vocals in particular standing out. Watch it above via YouTube.


text:
Two journalists working for the Dihaber news website, Erdoğan Alayumat and Nuri Akman, were detained on Thursday evening in the southeastern province of Gaziantep based on “reasonable suspicion,” the Artigerçek news website reported on Friday.
According to the report, Alayumat and Akman, who were following news on the southern Turkish border between Hatay and Gaziantep provinces, were detained in the central Islahiye district based on a complaint against them and on “reasonable suspicion.”
In 2014, the Turkish government facilitated detentions and pretrial arrests through an amendment to a law that removed the criteria of “strong suspicion” and “substantial evidence” and replaced them with “reasonable suspicion.” The amendment led to thousands of detentions and pretrial arrests in a short period of time.
The journalists were taken to the Islahiye Police Station where their cameras were seized.
İsa Nuri Demir, who was taken to the police station together with the journalists, was released.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently said on a BBC program that no one was jailed in Turkey because of journalism, upon being reminded by a reporter that 160 media outlets were closed down and 2,500 journalists or media workers were sacked from their jobs in Turkey in the aftermath of a failed coup on July 15, 2016.
Erdoğan claimed that jailed journalists were affiliated with terrorist organizations and that some were arrested because they were involved in robbery.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey is the biggest jailer of journalists in the world.

domain: law


text:
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Driving Forward > Digital Marketing Blog
It’s that time of year again…the Boston Marathon is over, the Red Sox are back, and Bruins fans across New England are grooming their Playoff Beards. But this year the Bruins have gone digital and the Bear has been unleashed….
Read the full article
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domain: news


My new Ashford 60cm weaver's loom, ah, it was worth the wait! After getting over my initial fear of setting up for warping (which wasn't all that hard after all!) I've started on a stash busting scarf. Basically, I'm using up all my bits and pieces of yarn in order to practice.
Here is the first section. I've used a purple 8ply wool for the warp.
And for the weft I'm using up all sorts of bits and pieces from my stash, mostly that have been left over from other projects. I'm finding that handspun is perfect with its gradual colour changes.
I have my loom set up next to my sewing table at a large sunny window and am really enjoying the weaving process. After the warping, the actual weaving is calm, straight forward and repetitive. I don't find the repetition boring, as there is constant progress and it is a quiet and thoughtful activity. I particularly love watching the colours merge.
I can't wait to finish the scarf and start on my next project, I have lots of ideas and also some requests (apparently the girls need a pretty rug for their cubby house).


text:
U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit coalition of more than 50 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over one million concerned professionals and the families they serve, the USBC and its member organizations share a common mission "to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States."
The USBC is committed to promoting diversity among its staff, understanding the importance of attracting and retaining talented professionals from different backgrounds. A more diverse workforce provides many benefits to the USBC by enabling the organization to draw upon a greater richness of knowledge, experiences, ideas, perspectives, and talents. By valuing and capitalizing on diversity, the USBC can be more effective in carrying out its mission.
In this effort, the USBC has launched an initiative to promote equity and inclusion throughout the organization. A special committee and "transformation teams" are working closely with volunteer and staff leadership to "create and model a culture of inclusion, diversity, and equity." The initiative benefits employees through continued recruitment, training, and staff development activities focused on developing a diverse, highly-talented workforce. The staff team works together to foster a workplace environment where diversity is not only valued, but celebrated and utilized to optimize the performance of the organization.


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When it comes to location, the highest average paycheck ($79K annually) can be spotted in Washington, DC; Quantico, Va. ($60K), Oceanside, Calif. (about $59K), and San Diego, Calif. (around $52K) are the next top-paying cities. At approximately $20K, Camp Lejeune, N.C. is home to some of the lowest pay in the country. By state, the highest pay levels are found in District of Columbia, where the average U.S. Marine Corps employee makes $85K per year.
Years of Experience
Workers who have been with the company for more than one year but less than five can make approximately $37K annually on average. Overall, the greater share of U.S. Marine Corps folks have five to nine years of experience and earn an average $51K per year.
Network Administrators are the best paid with the average salary hovering at around $68K annually; Marine Corp Staff Sergeant, Ground Combats, Electronics Technicians, and Avionics Technicians also rank near the top of the list, pulling in $46K, $42K, and about $40K, respectively. Earning only $24K on average, Marine Corp Lance Corporal, Ground Combats make less than most people in the company.
Certifications and Degrees
Those lacking certification bring in much lower salaries than Project Management Professionals, who make approximately $89K per year. CompTIA Security+ Experts also rank high on the pay scale, with expected average earnings of $72K annually. It pays to have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at U.S. Marine Corps — these employees make the most at around $79K per year.
The highest-paying skill in this position seems to be Operations Management; individuals who report it as part of the repertoire have a median income of $61K annually. A common skill in U.S. Marine Corps' work force is Microsoft Office; close to one-seventh of survey participants report using it on the job. Some other standard skills here are Electronic Troubleshooting, Systems Troubleshooting, and Inventory Management.
Employees who completed the survey skew strongly male, with a male-to-female ratio of more than 3 to 1.
Benefits and Perks
Though slightly more than half of workers get paid time off for vacation, only about 29 percent receive paid sick leave. U.S. Marine Corps sponsors a 401(k) program, and around two in five workers use this option to save for their retirement. For almost all respondents, benefits include health insurance, and almost all survey participants get dental coverage, too. Perks also include gym membership, life insurance, tuition reimbursement, and relocation expenses.

domain: finance


S725X and Cordless Flightdeck compatability???? Anybody that uses the above combination?????. Any problems, loss of signal etc. I also intend getting the Cadence sensor extra. I need the Flightdeck as I use it on our tandem to determine what gears I am in. If any problems and I will still use the FD without the transmitter.
Thanx in advance


Mumbai, Dec 16 (UNI) Union Minister of Power Sushilkumar Shinde assured that stringent measures will be adopted to provide electric power supply to the poorer sections of society and farmers.
Mr Shinde gave the assurance while he was speaking at a function to lay the foundation stone for 400/220 kv Navi Mumbai Gas Insulated Substation and associated transmission line of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd at village Tembode, near Panvel, Navi Mumbai, yesterday.
The Regulatory Commission has increased its panal rate of unauthorised electricity used by some states, from Rs 7 per unit to Rs 12 per unit as strict measure to assure the power grid discipline, he said.
Mr Shinde also dedicated a similar capacity substation of Power grid Corporation at Boisar near Thane district. The substation directly connects Tarapur Atomic Power Project Units III and IV and the grid at Padaghe. The substation at Tembode will be interconnected with the grid at Lonikand and Kalwa. The substation is expected to be completed by 2010-11 at a cost of Rs 430 crores.
The Union Government has chalked out policies regarding the national grid and asked the states to fulfil their mandate of providing people with necessary electricity through meticulous planning so that in next four to five years electricity will be available on demand anywhere in India, Mr Shinde said.
During the last three five-year plans India has added 54,000 MW power to its total generation of power but the present government has planned for 80 thousand MW during the present five year plan.
Of this 6000 MW has already been added during the very first year of the plan he informed.
The Minister also said that 50 thousand villages have been provided with electricity under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme so far. An additional of 14 thousand villages having population of more than 100 more than 100 each have been identified for the benefit of electricity, he said. The entire target of 1,34,000 villages will be met before 2009-10, he added.
Speaking about the shortages of electricity the Minister clarified that the direct responsibility in this regard lies with respective state. Speaking specifically about Maharashtra he said that the State was selling electricity to neighbouring states up to 1990-91 but during the preceding 10 years the state did not add much to its power generation. ''We need to introspect deeply on this'' he said. The Power Ministry has now decided that power substations and grid connectivity will be established well in advance of the upcoming power stations, he informed.


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The LightWave 3D® Group, a division of NewTek, Inc., just recently announced that current Autodesk Softimage software users can move to a full seat of LightWave 11.6 software for the special cross-grade price of 495.USD. The Softimage crossgrade offer is available and valid through 31 March 2014.
Users are welcome to evaluate the software by downloading a full-feature 30-day trial version of LightWave 11.6
“The news of Softimage’s retirement displaces an entire community of artists who are passionate about their creativity and the software they use. We invite all Softimage artists to join the rebels, the independents, the artists and studios that push their creativity to the limits each and every day with LightWave 3D software.” said Rob Powers, president, LightWave 3D Group.
LightWave 3D is award-winning software, “Created by artists for artists.” It offers an end-to-end production pipeline for artists and designers to model, animate, capture, retarget, render, and input and output to 3D. Some features of LightWave 3D include:
- Modeling – Robust polygonal sub-d modeler with real world units
- Surfacing – Stunning photoreal layer-based and nodal surfacing tools
- Rigging – Instant rigging presets with or without weight maps
- Object Referencing – Flexible object referencing architecture or ASCII scenes
- Animation – Procedural, nodal, flocking and keyframe animation tools
- Rendering – Integrated state-of-the-art renderer with unlimited nodes
- Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR) – Interactive shading, raytracing, DOF, motion blur, lighting and GI
- Bullet Dynamics – Fast and simple rigid and soft body Dynamics Engine
- Industry Standards – Supports Alembic, FBX, Autodesk Geo Cache, Python, DPX, ZBrush Goz, After Effects, MDD, and OBJ
For more information go here.


GOT7's Jay B gets surprise video message from Jay Park after solo online fan meet
All seven members of GOT7 are doing what they do best and providing fan with more and more content over the past few months. All seven of them have also released solo music projects. Late in August, Jay B, the leader of GOT7 released his first solo album under his new label, 'Somo:Fume' on August 26. Soon after it's release the album topped many domestic charts and charted in many countries. Jay B Went all out in his promotions, packing in music show performances as well as the "BTWChallenge" to popularize the title track for his album.
After completing most of the activities for his album, Jay B has now successfully also completed his first global online fan meeting since he went solo. The global fan meet was live streamed on the platform, 'Bbangya TV' from South Korea. Fans of Jay B from America, Europe, and many countries in Asia joined in and 1,800 global participants were tallied, coming in from 150 countries.
Jay B's online fan meeting
As many fans participated in Jay B's first solo online meeting held globally, they reported to have enjoyed many of the events that Jay B had prepared for them. The events from Jay B at the fanmeet included a talk from Jay B himself while he spoke about his album. Fans were also able to converse with Jay B where they asked him a few questions during a Q&A session while fans also presented their concerns to Jay B who answered them as fans played fun Korean children's games with Jay B.
The event continued on for two hours as global fans were able to build a precious memory with their favorite idol. Jay B interacted with fans by watching the videos they made for him and took virtual selfies together. After the event came to an end, Jay B was surprised with a congratulatory message from Jay Park who is the CEO of H1ghr Music.
Earlier, Jay Park was featured in Jay B's 'B.T.W' which served as the title track on his album. Jay B and Jay Park's intercations while they promoted the song together was loved and appreciated by a lot of fans worldwide.
Jay B performs his new album live
The fanmeet marks the first live performance of songs from his new album. Fans were able to see him perform songs like, 'Fame' which features artist Junny produced by GroovyRoom. There also saw a performance on the song, 'In To You' featuring g1nger which was produced by WOOGIE. as well as the song, 'Count On Me' which was produced by GroovyRoom.
Jay B's album can be termed as a hit since it topped iTunes album charts in 49 countries, including the US, UK, France, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam. The title song 'B.T.W' which also ranked first on the iTunes Song Chart in 30 countries as well as the Genie Music real-time sound source chart at Number 1 proving Jay B's global dominance.


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Our signature curvy wedge is back this season! Meet our Amora Ankle Boot. Made in Brazil, this fitted boot is crafted from black suede and our signature red crystal heart toe! With an inside zip closure and curved wedge silhouette this ankle boot is sure to be a timeless statement!
"I’d been doing heart toes since my first season and started crystallising them for bridal. But I loved the look so much I added it to mainline. This is my favourite boot of all time…it combines the heart toe with the curvy wedge." – Sophia x

domain: design


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Vermont News Updates For Tuesday, June 30
Vermont reporters provide a roundup of ongoing local coverage of the coronavirus, a Vermont-built electric aircraft prototype, and more for Tuesday, June 30.
Want VPR's daily news in podcast form? Get up to speed in under 20 minutes with The Frequency every weekday morning. How about an email newsletter? Add our daily email briefing to your morning routine.
The latest coronavirus data:
Vermont Department of Health reports no new cases
The Vermont Department of Health on Tuesday reported finding no new cases of COVID-19. So far, 1,208 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Vermont.
Just two people are currently hospitalized with confirmed cases, and 14 people remain hospitalized with symptoms under investigation. To date, 953 people are known to have recovered from the disease.
The state has now tested 65,764 for active cases.
The health department is now reporting distinct figures for people being monitored through the state's Sara Alert system because they are travelers who must quarantine upon arrival in Vermont, and those who are enrolled in the system because they were identified as a close contact of a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19.
Currently, 53 people are being monitored as close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19, and 1,629 people are being monitored for their travel history.
- Abagael Giles
Advocates say child care system contributes to economic disparities between men and women
Advocates hope to see a big increase in child care spending to help reduce economic disparities between men and women in Vermont.
A new report from the Vermont Commission on Women concluded that women in the labor force have been disproportionately affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic because many work in the service industry - a sector that suffered many job losses.
Brattleboro Rep. Emilie Kornheiser said raising wages for child care workers could have a ripple effect through the state economy.
"Now more than ever is when we actually need to invest in our communities with state dollars, and especially for investments like child care that we know actually save money within five years," Kornheiser said.
Kornheiser hopes lawmakers will consider this plan when they return in August.
- Bob Kinzel
Rutland nonprofits team up to deliver kid-friendly summer activities in a box
COVID-19 has closed playgrounds, limited sports and camp activities and made summer a lot less exciting for kids.
The situation got several nonprofit groups in Rutland to brainstorm how to create kid-friendly hands-on activities to help.
Danielle Monroe, director of Wonderfeed Kids Museum, said they've designed a series of free activity boxes to show kids how to make butter and cheese, carve soap, grow plants and create things like a solar oven.
"It's kind of making lemonade out of lemons," Monroe said. "Kids are home and they have fewer things to do this summer, but maybe we'll be introducing them to things they've never thought to do before and they could find a new passion."
The group distributed the first 1,500 boxes last week to kids in Addison and Rutland counties. New ones will come out every other week during the summer.
- Nina Keck
New report suggests COVID-19 has disproportionately affected women's health, financial security in Vt.
A new report says that women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cary Brown is the executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women.
She said that many women work in the service and tourism industries, two sectors of the economy that have sustained large job losses.
Brown said the situation has exacerbated the existing economic disparities between men and women.
"So before this even started of course, we saw a wage gap between men and women in Vermont of 16% and that had a lot to do with the kinds of jobs that women were doing," Brown said. "They tend to be lower paid, are more likely to be part-time, and so they were much more impacted when those jobs close down."
Brown said the report also shows that, for the first time, more women have filed for unemployment benefits than men.
- Bob Kinzel
Sen. Leahy urges Senate Republicans to support $75 billion contact tracing, testing program
Sen. Patrick Leahy is urging Senate Republicans to support a $75 billion plan for a rigorous COVID-19 testing and contact tracing program before the Senate adjourns this week.
Leahy said it's a recommendation that's backed by many leading public health officials.
"Create a comprehensive testing and contact tracing program and provide the resources needed to implement it for all 50 of our states," he said. " This is how other countries have succeeded in flattening the curve and containing the spread."
Republican Senate leaders said they want to wait until after the July recess to consider the plan, so that they'll have a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of other federal COVID-19 legislation.
- Bob Kinzel
Sen. Leahy wants Senate to vote soon on $3 trillion coronavirus package
Sen. Patrick Leahy said he's disappointed that Republican leaders won't consider voting on a second major coronavirus stimulus bill before the Senate's July recess.
The bill would provide billions of dollars to help states deal with a loss of revenue.
The $3 trillion package passed the House six weeks ago, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he wants to "take a pause" so he can evaluate the effectiveness of an initial stimulus package.
"Well, while we wait, cases continue to climb, the death toll mounts, and people continue to struggle," Leahy said. "The people who have COVID-19 - you aren't able to tell them 'to pause' and it will go away. You can't tell the doctors and nurses who are working almost around the clock, working to exhaustion, 'just pause.'"
The bill would also provide new funds for food assistance programs.
- Bob Kinzel
Public Utility Commission orders installation of Bennington solar project to halt
State utility regulators took the unusual step last week of ordering a solar developer to stop work on a large project that doesn't have a permit.
In May, the Public Utility Commission rejected developer Thomas Melone's request to build a two-megawatt, large solar array in a wooded area in Bennington. The commission ruled the project did not comply with the town plan.
Fast-forward to mid-June, when neighbors saw that trees were being clearcut at the site. The PUC held a hearing Friday and a state botanist testified that rare plants were destroyed in the operation. Late Friday night, the PUC ordered Melone and his contractors to halt.
Brooke Dingledine represents a local homeowners association that is challenging the project. She said the integrity of the state's environmental review process is at stake when developers proceed without the required permits.
"That's a problem because the permitting process is designed to ensure that there is a balance struck between the desire for economic development and the protection of the Vermont environment and the Vermont way of life," Dingledine said.
Melone did not respond to a request for comment. He told the PUC he's clearing the land for a sheep and hemp farm, but the commission rejected that argument.
- John Dillon
Vermont to monitor out-of-state travelers using Sara Alert system
Vermont will begin monitoring travelers to the state who are under self-quarantine using the Sara Alert system.
Veronica Fialkowski, a spokesperson for the health department, said people who sign up for the voluntary system receive daily reminders to check their temperature and be aware of the early signs of COVID-19.
"You know, places are opening back up and so I think we should expect to see this number grow," Fialkowski said. "But, you know, knoing that people are taking it seriously, and participating in the symptom monitoring is a good thing."
The department reports that about 1,570 travelers are being monitored.
Fialkowski said the monitoring system also allows the state to quickly test and identify people who end up catching the virus.
- Howard Weiss-Tisman
Quebec to require masks on all mass transit
Riders on the Montreal subway system and other mass transit services in Quebec will be required to wear masks, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced today.
The rule will apply to anyone over the age of 12. Legault stopped short of implementing a mask rule at indoor public spaces like stores, but said it was possible such a measure would be implemented in the future.
COVID-19 cases have declined in Quebec in recent weeks, even as some businesses have been allowed to reopen.
- Mark Davis
Vermont Law School elaborates on decision to move to remote learning
After checking in with students, faculty and state officials, the Vermont Law School has decided not to hold classes on campus this fall.
That's a change from the school's stated goal just a month ago.
VLS President and Dean Thomas McHenry said it comes down to equity between students with differing abilities to travel to the South Royalton campus during the pandemic.
"We ultimately concluded that we'd do best by our students, and offer them the most consistent educational experience, if we simply provided all of the classes virtually," McHenry said. "Which means our students - whether they're in South Royalton or in El Paso, Texas, or Redlands, Calif., which some of them are right now, or St. Louis, Mo. - they would be able to be offered the same educational experience."
McHenry said the law school is planning for in-person classes in the spring, and is offering some first-year students the opportunity to start in January.
"We are still going to try to make portions of our campus open, including our library, if we can do so with the right protocol," McHenry said. "So those students who come to South Royalton will have the ability to come use the library - maybe even have study spaces. We're going to maybe retrofit some of our classrooms for study spaces."
Several other Vermont colleges have announced they will be holding in-person classes in the fall. But McHenry said the law school has more flexibility to move its programming online because VLS does not have dormitories or organized sports programs.
- Amy Kolb Noyes
New Hampshire Legislature passes bill to streamline remote voting
It's still summer, but fall was the focus on Monday for lawmakers, college administrators and others responding to the coronavirus in New Hampshire.
The state Senate passed a bill to streamline the absentee voting process by allowing voters to use one application to receive absentee ballots for both the Sept. 8 state primary and Nov. 3 general election.
Meanwhile, an education taskforce fine-tuned its recommendations for reopening schools, and Dartmouth College released its plan to bring students back to campus in the fall.
- The Associated Press
Vermont Attorney General's Office charges former St. Albans cop with assault
The Vermont Attorney General's Office charged a former St. Albans police officer with assault Monday for pepper-spraying a handcuffed man in a holding cell in 2017.
Seven Days reports that Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan initially declined to prosecute former corporal Joel Daugreilh in 2018, but reopened the case in January of this year, when VPR requested video of the incident.
Daugreilh resigned from the St. Albans force during an internal investigation into the pepper-spraying incident.
- Sam Gale Rosen
New Hampshire Legislature passes 'Red Flag' bill
A bill allowing guns to be taken from people who present a danger to themselves or others is on its way to Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who is likely to veto it.
The Democratically-controlled Senate voted 14-10 on Monday for the bill, which would allow relatives or police to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms.
Supporters argue the so-called "red flag" measure is needed in a state where the suicide rate is rising faster than elsewhere and would be used only in cases of extreme risk.
Opponents say the bill violates not only the right to own firearms, but also other constitutional guarantees.
- The Associated Press
Health Commissioner says asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 appears rare in Vt., outside of outbreaks
It's possible for people to spread COVID-19 without experiencing any symptoms, but health officials say asymptomatic spread is rare in Vermont, except in cases linked to specific outbreaks.
Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said that recent outbreaks in Winooski and Burlington included many people who tested positive without symptoms. In the general population of those tested in Vermont, however, positive cases without symptoms are rare.
"We are not finding asymptomatic people who test positive," Levine said. "Our positivity rate, as you know, for our virus, is well below two- or 3%. And some days, often in the less-than-1% range. So we are doing a lot of testing of people who have no symptoms, and we are not finding disease."
Levine said weekend testing in Fair Haven saw 200-plus tests all come back negative.
- Matthew Smith
Burlington-built electric aircraft prototype undergoes flight tests
A prototype electric aircraft developed by a Burlington company is undergoing flight tests, and is designed to initially focus on transporting time-sensitive medical supplies between hospitals.
The aircraft is codenamed Alia. It's fully powered by electricity, and takes off like a helicopter but flies like an airplane. Kyle Clark, founder of Beta Technologies, which produced the craft, said its mission will continue to develop over time.
"Right now, we're at the mission range of 150 to 200 nautical miles, which initially supports things like organ, tissue and blood product delivery, which are time sensitive and high-value, moving between hospitals," Clark said.
Earlier this month, the prototype was transported via a transport helicopter to Plattsburgh, where it is now undergoing flight testing.
- Sam Gale Rosen


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Before the bashing begins, who In This City can come close to Ms. Rice in terms of governmental affairs, foreign or domestic? It is my wish that the "Good Old Boy" Republican "Klan" that's still alive and well in Washington (look at the areas these guys represent who are always throwing rocks at President Obama). McConnell will never ever support anything, anything that President Obama offers up that has to be voted on. Let's see what happens going forward. (THE)
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A Herefordshire charity has donated £250,000 to create a specialist anatomy suite for use by health students at the University of Worcester.
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity has made the generous donation in recognition of the University’s work to educate the next generation of health professionals.
The anatomy suite will provide specialist facilities and equipment for training student Nurses, Midwives, Paramedics and Medical students, once approval for a new Medical School to be based at the University is achieved. The new state-of-the-art anatomy suite will be located in the former Worcester News building which is currently being fully renovated and repurposed to create a new Health and Medicine building for the University’s fast-growing numbers of top calibre health students.
Clive Richards CBE KSG DL, who is also a Vice President of the University’s College of Fellows, said: “We are delighted to be able to make this award to the University and to help with the education of all its health students going forwards. This anatomy suite will give those students access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.”
The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity is committed to supporting charitable causes where its financial support will 'make a difference' in Education, Healthcare, Heritage and the Arts. The Charity has previously made donations to the development of the University of Worcester Arena and towards more than 100 student scholarships at Worcester.
The University of Worcester, which was shortlisted for the second year running as University of the Year in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards, is one of the UK’s largest, high-quality educators of health professionals. Every year hundreds of paramedics, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, as well as nurses and midwives, graduate from Worcester, many of whom opted to join the NHS early this year in order to assist with the national emergency and help to save lives.
Earlier this year, the University was awarded 473 extra places annually for health professional students. This was the biggest increase in places for health professional students for any UK university. By 2023 over 1,400 health professional students will be studying at the University making the creation of new clinical simulation and specialist anatomy facilities an urgent necessity, Students taking these vital degree courses require intensive face-to-face practical teaching in dedicated clinical simulation suites in order to gain the high-quality skills needed to complete their course and go on to serve patients and support and protect the NHS going forward.
Professor David Green CBE, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, said: “We are very grateful to the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity for this most generous gift which will do so much for the education of the health professionals on whose skill and dedication the health of the people of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and the wider region depend. The medical and health professionals who will use the anatomy suite will make a transformative contribution for the better to our City and region. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown everyone how we need dedicated health professionals more than ever.”
The University’s plans for the Three Counties Medical School are currently progressing through the General Medical Council’s approvals and assessment procedures. The University is currently at Stage 4 and is hoping to be able to open for Medical students in 2022-23.
Steven Thrush, MBBS, FRCS, consultant surgeon at the Royal Worcestershire Hospital, who is one of the country’s top breast surgeons and who was also named in the top five NHS Doctors in the country in the ‘NHS at 70’ awards, said: “The development of the Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester will be wonderful news for the whole community and for everyone who is passionate for health and medical education. This generous gift to create a much-needed anatomy suite is a marvellous, thoughtful investment in the future by the Clive and Sylvia Richards charity which is doing so much good in society.”
The University of Worcester, currently ranked in the top three for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, was shortlisted for several awards in this year’s Student Nursing Times Awards, including Nurse Education Provider of the Year (Pre-registration), Best Student Experience, and Teaching Innovation of the Year . The University was also shortlisted for the second year running as University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards and in the recent THE Awards won the inaugural award for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In the most recent National Student Survey, Worcester was ranked number one in the UK for Midwifery out of the 75 universities who educate midwives.
Watch Clive Richards CBE KSG DL talk about the donation and the need for more health students in the future.

domain: medical