. . "The term ???filament???, as used in the specification and appended claims, shall refer to a single, continuous or discontinuous elongated strand formed from one or more metals, ceramics, polymers or other materials and that has no discrete sub-structures (such as individual fibers that make up a ???thread??? as defined above). ???Filaments??? can be formed by extrusion, molding, melt-spinning, fil" . . .