Abstract: To increase its saturation threshold very strongly without degrading its gain, whilst remaining compatible with any semiconductor amplifier structure or technology, a semiconductor optical amplifier includes an input coupler having an input port and g output ports and an output coupler having g input ports and one output port. The q output ports of the input coupler are respectively connected to the q input ports of the output coupler by q semiconductor optical amplifiers having the same amplification characteristics. Applications include transmission of optical signals and to producing "all optical" switching devices.

Abstract: A method of managing a system comprising a plurality of queues (F.sub.1, F.sub.2, F.sub.3, . . . F.sub.n) in which events are inserted by a transmitter (E), and a set of tasks (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.3, . . . T.sub.n) that consume said events, the method being characterized in that each queue is associated with an indirection identifier (I.sub.1, I.sub.2, I.sub.3, . . . I.sub.n) and in that each time a transmitter seeks to insert a new event (e) in a queue, it consults the state of the indirection identifier, and where appropriate, inserts a "substitution" event (s) containing an identifier of said queue containing the new event in the queue indicated by said indirection identifier.

Abstract: A process for producing a photographic light-sensitive material comprising providing a first light-sensitive photographic emulsion layer on one side of a support having a surface resistivity greater than 10.sup.14 .OMEGA. and a thickness of not more than 230.mu. and providing a light-sensitive photographic emulsion layer or a gelatin-containing back layer on the opposite side of the support wherein between the time the first emulsion layer is coated and the time the opposite surface of the support is coated, (i) the opposite surface of the support is prevented from coming into contact with anything except rolls having a diameter larger than about 50 mm, and (ii) the water/gelatin weight ratio in the photographic emulsion layer(s) coated on the first surface of the support prior to coating the second surface is not less than 1. The process is particularly applicable to production of X-ray films.