Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.
| Application Number | Title | Filing Date | Disposal Date | Disposition | Time (months) | Office Actions | Restrictions | Interview | Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19046296 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS PROCESSING | February 2025 | April 2025 | Allow | 3 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18985644 | GLASS SUPPORTED SEPARATION MEMBRANE | December 2024 | February 2025 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18910689 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORTED GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE | October 2024 | December 2024 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18799030 | GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE | August 2024 | September 2024 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18754576 | FILTER MEDIA WITH IRREGULAR STRUCTURE AND/OR REVERSIBLY STRETCHABLE LAYERS | June 2024 | July 2025 | Abandon | 13 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18739856 | GRAPHENE OXIDE COMPOSITE MEMBRANES | June 2024 | August 2025 | Allow | 14 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 18663367 | FILTER MEDIA COMPRISING A PRE-FILTER LAYER | May 2024 | December 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18657831 | MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISELENIDE-BASED POLYIMIDE MEMBRANE FOR GAS SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION | May 2024 | July 2024 | Allow | 2 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18611463 | Direct Removal of Carbon Dioxide from Oceanwater based on a Composite Membrane | March 2024 | November 2024 | Allow | 8 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 18427550 | VACUUM CLEANER FILTER CARTRIDGE | January 2024 | September 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18413548 | PROCESS WATER GAS MANAGEMENT OF ELECTROLYZER SYSTEM WITH MEMBRANE | January 2024 | September 2025 | Abandon | 20 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 18528250 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERIODIC NODAL SURFACE BASED REACTORS, DISTRIBUTORS, CONTRACTORS AND HEAT EXCHANGERS | December 2023 | December 2024 | Allow | 12 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18481877 | VENTING SYSTEM FOR A MIXING APPARATUS | October 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 18467399 | FILTER AND AIR-CONDITIONING DEVICE | September 2023 | May 2025 | Abandon | 20 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 18463214 | HIGH SELECTIVITY POLYIMIDE/PES BLEND HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE FOR GAS SEPARATIONS | September 2023 | August 2024 | Allow | 11 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18450711 | GARAGE DOOR VENTILATION SYSTEMS | August 2023 | October 2024 | Allow | 14 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18347001 | ELECTROCHEMICAL MEMBRANE DEGASSING APPARATUS | July 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18259993 | PREPARATION METHOD FOR CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AGENT, AND APPLICATION THEREOF | June 2023 | January 2024 | Allow | 7 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18269385 | COMPOSITE SEMIPERMEABLE MEMBRANE | June 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18337452 | POLYETHER BLOCK POLYAMIDE/POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE COMPOSITE MEMBRANE FOR GAS SEPARATION, AND PREPARATION METHOD AND USE THEREOF | June 2023 | November 2023 | Allow | 5 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18334639 | Gas Separation Membrane Comprising Metal-Organic Framework and Method of Manufacturing Same | June 2023 | February 2024 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18334144 | CO2-PHILIC CROSSLINKED POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL-BASED MEMBRANES FOR ACID AND SOUR GAS SEPARATIONS | June 2023 | May 2024 | Allow | 11 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18333528 | ACRYLOYLOXY-TERMINATED POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE (AC-PDMS)-BASED THIN-FILM COMPOSITE (TFC) MEMBRANE, AND PREPARATION METHOD AND USE THEREOF | June 2023 | December 2023 | Allow | 6 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18328850 | CARBON DIOXIDE RECOVERY DEVICE | June 2023 | July 2025 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18202164 | MEMBER LINKING MECHANISM | May 2023 | October 2025 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18321887 | DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRODIALYSIS | May 2023 | January 2024 | Allow | 8 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18317652 | HIGH FREE VOLUME MEMBRANE FOR GAS SEPARATION | May 2023 | June 2024 | Allow | 13 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18316721 | FILTER MEDIA COMPRISING A PRE-FILTER LAYER | May 2023 | March 2024 | Allow | 11 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18315663 | FILTRATION MEMBRANE | May 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 18315368 | ENGINE DESICCANT RACKS, METHODS OF INSTALLING THE SAME, SYSTEMS FOR PREVENTING CORROSION, AND ARTICULATING CONTACT STRUCTURES | May 2023 | July 2025 | Allow | 26 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 18251433 | SYSTEM FOR RECOVERING METHANE FROM A BIOGAS | May 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 25 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18138098 | CEILING FAN BLADE DEVICE FOR CAPTURING AIRBORNE PARTICLES | April 2023 | December 2025 | Abandon | 32 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 18029286 | GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE AND GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE MODULE | March 2023 | October 2025 | Allow | 31 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18127469 | GAS STREAM ENRICHMENT USING SILICONE SEPARATOR CASCADES | March 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18042671 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ULTRA-THIN POLYMER SEPARATION MEMBRANE BY USING LOW-TEMPERATURE COATING | February 2023 | August 2025 | Allow | 30 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18005455 | COMPOSITE MEMBRANE COMPRISING HIGHLY PERMEABLE GUTTER LAYER AND METHOD FOR PREPARING SAME | January 2023 | June 2025 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18147766 | SEPARATION ARTICLES AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME FOR SELECTIVELY REMOVING DIFLUOROMETHANE FROM A GASESOUS MIXTURE | December 2022 | May 2025 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 18146610 | LIQUID FUEL SYNTHESIS SYSTEM | December 2022 | December 2023 | Allow | 11 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 18083309 | SUPER-PLEATED VEHICLE AIR FILTER | December 2022 | October 2023 | Abandon | 10 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 18009916 | CARBON HOLLOW FIBRE MEMBRANE | December 2022 | September 2025 | Allow | 34 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17926856 | APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING HYDROGEN FROM A GAS MIXTURE AND PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF | November 2022 | July 2025 | Abandon | 32 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17923073 | CONTACTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING CONTACTOR SYSTEM | November 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 29 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17978742 | MEMBRANE SWEEP WITH INTERNAL REHEAT OF SWEEP GAS | November 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17977109 | COLUMN OVEN AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPH | October 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17974786 | CARBON MOLECULAR SIEVE MEMBRANES CONTAINING A GROUP 13 METAL AND METHOD TO MAKE THEM | October 2022 | May 2023 | Allow | 7 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17914521 | COMPOSITE NONWOVEN FABRIC AND ARTICLE COMPRISING SAME | October 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17951380 | HIGH SELECTIVITY MEMBRANES FOR HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL FROM NATURAL GAS | September 2022 | December 2023 | Allow | 15 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17944230 | METHOD FOR PURIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC GASES AND A PURIFICATION DEVICE FOR THE METHOD | September 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 34 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17909216 | FILTER STRUCTURE | September 2022 | February 2025 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17901191 | METHOD OF PREPARING HETEROGENEOUS ZEOLITE MEMBRANES | September 2022 | January 2023 | Allow | 5 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17897798 | CHA ZEOLITE MEMBRANE AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME | August 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 19 | 4 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17882937 | OXYGENATOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME | August 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17873890 | FILTER MEDIA WITH IRREGULAR STRUCTURE AND/OR REVERSIBLY STRETCHABLE LAYERS | July 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 20 | 2 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 17873960 | FILTER MEDIA WITH IRREGULAR STRUCTURE | July 2022 | March 2024 | Allow | 19 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17872737 | BARRIER VENT ASSEMBLY | July 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 25 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17791496 | FE-AL-BASED METAL MEMBRANE AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF | July 2022 | April 2024 | Allow | 21 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17790971 | CO2 AND O2 REMOVER | July 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 31 | 2 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17852893 | METHOD OF FORMING A SULFUR CONTAINING CROSS-LINKED POROUS POLYMER | June 2022 | August 2025 | Allow | 38 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17842189 | FLUORINATED NANOPOROUS MOLECULAR SIEVE MEMBRANES FOR EFFICIENT GAS SEPARATION | June 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17839811 | POROUS CERAMIC FILTERS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME | June 2022 | June 2023 | Allow | 12 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17783891 | METHOD FOR REGENERATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF MEG CONTAINING SALTS WITH PURGE TREATMENT | June 2022 | March 2025 | Allow | 33 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17835959 | GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE BUNDLE WITH CONVERTIBLE FLOW CONFIGURATIONS | June 2022 | April 2024 | Abandon | 22 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17835961 | GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE BUNDLE WITH CONVERTIBLE FLOW CONFIGURATIONS | June 2022 | April 2024 | Abandon | 22 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17783908 | AIR FILTER ELEMENT AND AIR FILTER COMPRISING SAME | June 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 36 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17832475 | RETANGULAR FILTERS, ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR FILTRATION | June 2022 | July 2025 | Allow | 37 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17832473 | RETANGULAR FILTERS, ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR FILTRATION | June 2022 | June 2025 | Allow | 36 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17781905 | STRETCHED POROUS POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE MEMBRANE, AIR-PERMEABLE MEDIUM USING THE SAME, AND FILTER MEMBER USING THE SAME | June 2022 | May 2025 | Allow | 35 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17756522 | MEMBRANE MODULE | May 2022 | October 2023 | Allow | 17 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17664925 | FILTER DEVICE HAVING MULTIPLE CHANGEABLE FILTER SURFACES | May 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 32 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17663897 | GAS SEPARATION ARTICLES COMPOSED OF AMORPHOUS FLUORINATED COPOLYMERS OF DIOXOLANES AND OTHER FLUORINATED RING MONOMERS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THEREOF | May 2022 | October 2025 | Allow | 41 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17776854 | SEPARATION OF GASES FROM AIR | May 2022 | August 2025 | Allow | 40 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17775396 | Vacuum-cleaner filter bag for a hand-held vacuum cleaner | May 2022 | September 2025 | Abandon | 40 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17775515 | Vacuum-cleaner filter bag for a hand-held vacuum cleaner | May 2022 | August 2025 | Abandon | 39 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17731430 | PRE-FILTER MODULES FOR IMPROVING AIR QUALITY | April 2022 | November 2025 | Abandon | 42 | 0 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 17772621 | FLUID MODULATOR, SYSTEM, AND METHOD | April 2022 | July 2024 | Allow | 27 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17724022 | FILTER HOUSING WITH DROP OUT CHAMBER AND METHODS | April 2022 | April 2025 | Allow | 36 | 2 | 1 | No | No |
| 17723110 | Separating Apparatus for Separating Liquid from Gas, in Particular Air, and Separating System of a Machine | April 2022 | December 2024 | Allow | 32 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17768465 | DUST COLLECTOR AND DUST COLLECTION METHOD | April 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 33 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17719143 | Method for Fabricating Mixed-Matrix Membranes and Methods of Use | April 2022 | April 2025 | Abandon | 36 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17714273 | PASSIVE DUST FILTER FOR AN INSPECTION HATCH | April 2022 | October 2024 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17709214 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MITIGATING NOISE AND VIBRATION IN A PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR | March 2022 | October 2024 | Allow | 31 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17763908 | CARBON DIOXIDE SEPARATION SYSTEM AND METHOD | March 2022 | July 2024 | Allow | 28 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17700966 | PLANT FOR THE MEMBRANE PERMEATION TREATMENT OF A BIOGAS STREAM WITH A MEMBRANE SEPARATION UNIT CONTAINING TWO MODULES | March 2022 | June 2024 | Allow | 26 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17701608 | FILTER HEADER POCKET CHANNEL FRAME | March 2022 | June 2023 | Abandon | 15 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17762168 | METHODS OF AUTOMATED GARBAGE CHUTE AIR EVACUATION TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY | March 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 29 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17697230 | ROBUST MEMBRANE SUPPORTING STRUCTURES | March 2022 | January 2024 | Allow | 22 | 0 | 1 | No | No |
| 17760622 | PACKED TOWER | March 2022 | September 2024 | Allow | 30 | 1 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17684898 | ENERGY VAPOR EXCHANGER WITH AN INLET VORTEX GENERATOR | March 2022 | March 2024 | Abandon | 24 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17679998 | HYDROPHOBIC BARRIER LAYER FOR CERAMIC INDIRECT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS | February 2022 | September 2023 | Allow | 19 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17678358 | MOTORIZED VALVE WITH WASHING FILTER EXTENDING FROM A BLEED CONDUIT INLET INTO VALVE DUCT | February 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 35 | 1 | 1 | Yes | No |
| 17678641 | REGENERABLE ORGANIC CONTAMINANT CONTROLLER IN SPACE APPLICATION | February 2022 | July 2023 | Allow | 17 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17637324 | ACIDIC GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE, ACIDIC GAS SEPARATION DEVICE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING ACIDIC GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE, AND ACIDIC GAS SEPARATION METHOD | February 2022 | October 2023 | Allow | 20 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17636528 | Gas Separation Elements and Modules | February 2022 | January 2024 | Allow | 23 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17636497 | Gas Separation Elements and Modules | February 2022 | October 2023 | Allow | 20 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17672958 | AIR PURIFIER AND AIR VENTILATION DEVICE HAVING THE SAME | February 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 35 | 1 | 1 | No | No |
| 17667064 | ACTIVATED CARBON FIBER SHEET FOR MOTOR VEHICLE CANISTER | February 2022 | January 2025 | Allow | 36 | 2 | 0 | No | No |
| 17666983 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILTERING LIQUID PARTICLES FROM INSPIRATORY GAS FLOW OF A PATIENT BREATHING CIRCUIT AFFILIATED WITH A VENTILATOR AND/OR NITRIC OXIDE DELIVERY SYSTEM | February 2022 | November 2023 | Allow | 21 | 3 | 0 | Yes | No |
| 17580173 | SEPARATION MEMBRANE MODULE | January 2022 | November 2022 | Allow | 9 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
| 17628798 | DESULFURIZATION AND DENITRATION METHOD USING CHLORINE DIOXIDE | January 2022 | August 2024 | Allow | 31 | 1 | 0 | No | No |
| 17567048 | GAS SEPARATION MEMBRANE MODULE WITH HOLLOW FIBER CARBON MOLECULAR SIEVE MEMBRANES | December 2021 | February 2023 | Allow | 14 | 0 | 0 | No | No |
This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner SHUMATE, ANTHONY R.
With a 14.3% reversal rate, the PTAB affirms the examiner's rejections in the vast majority of cases. This reversal rate is below the USPTO average, indicating that appeals face more challenges here than typical.
Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.
In this dataset, 20.0% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is in the bottom 25% across the USPTO, indicating that filing appeals is less effective here than in most other areas.
⚠ Appeals to PTAB face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.
⚠ Filing a Notice of Appeal shows limited benefit. Consider other strategies like interviews or amendments before appealing.
Examiner SHUMATE, ANTHONY R works in Art Unit 1776 and has examined 504 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 79.0%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 28 months.
Examiner SHUMATE, ANTHONY R's allowance rate of 79.0% places them in the 48% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.
On average, applications examined by SHUMATE, ANTHONY R receive 1.34 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 20% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues significantly fewer office actions than most examiners.
The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by SHUMATE, ANTHONY R is 28 months. This places the examiner in the 67% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.
Conducting an examiner interview provides a -0.7% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by SHUMATE, ANTHONY R. This interview benefit is in the 11% percentile among all examiners. Note: Interviews show limited statistical benefit with this examiner compared to others, though they may still be valuable for clarifying issues.
When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 30.7% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 61% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. Consider whether your amendments or new arguments are strong enough to warrant an RCE versus filing a continuation.
This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 41.9% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 64% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows above-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. If your amendments clearly overcome the rejections and do not raise new issues, consider filing after-final amendments before resorting to an RCE.
When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 30.8% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 32% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show below-average success with this examiner. Consider whether your arguments are strong enough to warrant a PAC request.
This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 69.6% of appeals filed. This is in the 56% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 56.2% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows above-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. The mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) provides an opportunity for reconsideration.
When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 44.9% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 38% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.
Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.4% of allowed cases (in the 58% percentile). This examiner makes examiner's amendments more often than average to place applications in condition for allowance (MPEP § 1302.04).
Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 25.6% of allowed cases (in the 95% percentile). Per MPEP § 714.14, a Quayle action indicates that all claims are allowable but formal matters remain. This examiner frequently uses Quayle actions compared to other examiners, which is a positive indicator that once substantive issues are resolved, allowance follows quickly.
Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:
Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.
No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.
Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.
Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.