Abstract: The present application relates to valorization of lignin products. More specifically, the present application relates to conversion of lignin to added-value products. The present application includes a process for modifying lignin, said process comprising: treating lignin material in a basic aqueous solution to obtain a mixture; submitting the mixture to ultrasonic treatment in the presence of at least one carboxyalkylating agent to depolymerize and carboxyalkylate the lignin to obtain carboxyalkylated oligomeric lignin.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for treating diseases that produce elevated intraocular pressures, such as glaucoma, wherein the device includes a housing shell defining a cavity between a first end and a second end of the housing shell, and an elastic membrane disposed within the cavity to divide the cavity into a fluidic channel that permits a flow of fluid from the first end to the second end and a sealed cavity. The elastic membrane deforms to change the volume of the sealed cavity responsive to pressure fluctuations between the first and second ends, thereby varying the fluidic resistance of the flow of fluid through the fluidic channel.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for translating an input text element into a sequence of characters comprising a set of graphical symbols. The method comprises the steps of: selecting (12) one or more words out of the input text element as pre-processed or unprocessed to be translated to obtain a word selection; marking (12) the word selection; translating (13) the word selection identified by the marking into at least a set of graphical symbols by using an artificial intelligence language model considering the context of the word selection in the pre-processed text element to dynamically translate the word selection based on the context to obtain a translated word selection, wherein a given word in the word selection is translated into a sequence of at least two graphical symbols; and displaying (15) the input text element as translated to a user, wherein the input text element as translated comprises the translated word selection.

Abstract: A mechanical isotropic harmonic oscillator including a frame, a mass configured to oscillate, and three flexure rods, each flexure rod connecting the mass to the frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polyaromatic polymer that comprises multifunctional aromatic moieties MA, cationic groups CG and bifunctional aromatic moieties BA, wherein one or more CG and one or more BA form a linear unit L, and MA is connected to 3 to 6 linear units L. MA, CG and BA are defined as described in the specification. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a neutral precursor of the polyaromatic polymer and to an anion exchange membrane that comprises a polyaromatic polymer according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a nanoplasma switch device, comprising: —multiple electrically isolated electrodes; —a gap separating the two electrodes; wherein the gap has a width which is dimensioned to effect the generation of a plasma by electric-field electron emission.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photodetector array for capturing image data, comprising: —photodetector cells arranged on a substrate, each including a single-photon avalanche diode, wherein the active areas of the photodetector cells are neighbored along a hexagonal grid; —microlenses, having a hexagonal or circular shape, each arranged on one photodetector cell to focus light onto the photodiode.

Abstract: A device for measuring an angular inclination and angular inclination fluctuations of an electromagnetic radiation beam is adapted to detect the incidence angular inclination and the relative fluctuations with respect to a nominal axis of propagation of the beam, in a desired detection plane including the nominal propagation axis. A system and a method for measuring an angular inclination and angular inclination fluctuations of an electromagnetic radiation beam uses the device for measuring an angular inclination and angular inclination fluctuations of an electromagnetic radiation beam. A method measures a spatial shift of a focused laser beam, at the focusing point, with respect to a reference optical axis.

Abstract: A method and a setup for light detection and ranging are disclosed. The setup is configured to carry out the following method: generating signal radiation at multiple signal frequencies with an optical signal source, wherein the signal radiation exhibits random signal modulations preferably at each of the multiple signal frequencies, splitting the signal radiation into a target radiation part and a reference radiation part, directing the target radiation part towards a target, detecting a target signal, wherein the target signal is associated with a reflected portion of the target radiation part being reflected from the target, detecting a reference signal, wherein the reference signal is associated with the reference radiation part, and deriving at least one ranging information parameter from the target signal and the reference signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gate unit (22) for controlling a gate commutated thyristor (21), comprising: —a voltage selector (26) for selectively applying a high supply potential (Vpos), a middle supply potential (Vmid), and a low supply potential (Vneg); —a nonlinear inductor (27) serially coupled between the output of the voltage selector (26); —a gate control unit (23) configured to control the voltage selector (26) to control switching of the gate commutated thyristor (21) in its turn-on state comprising a turn-on pulse generation, a positive-gate-voltage backporch operation, a negative-gate-voltage backporch operation and a retrigger pulse generation; wherein the nonlinear inductor (27) has a nonlinearity to have a high inductance during any of the backporch operations and to have a low inductance during the turn-on pulse generation and retrigger pulse generation.

Abstract: A device for fragmenting ions by collision induced dissociation, the device intended to be used together with a planar ion mobility apparatus, the device including a first conductive grid having a plurality of first openings, the first conductive grid configured for electric interconnection to a first electric potential, and a second conductive grid having a plurality of second openings, the second conductive grid configured for electric interconnection to a second electric potential, the first and second conductive grids being electrically insulated from each other.

Abstract: A process for maximum power point tracking of a photovoltaic module, which includes monitoring the module's degradation by: for a periodicity n1?t0 with n1>1 constant or variable, steps of measuring parameters I and V of the module for points offset in voltage voltage VMPP+? and VMPP?? over the curve I(V) relative to the maximum power point MPP, calculating the slope dI/dV+ at the point VMPP+? and the slope dI/dV? at the point and VMPP?? and recording of the data with the MPP; for a periodicity n2?t0 with n2?n1 of > of steps of measuring values I and V by sweeping the curve I(V) and calculating and storing the module's parameters and values; one or several steps of calculating, tracing and displaying of (p/2) curves of data pairs based on p measured and calculated parameters; and one or more steps of detecting degradation from the measured and calculated parameters.

Abstract: A method and system for deriving particle characteristics is described. The method comprises imaging the movement of at least one free-floating particle in a liquid environment at at least one moment in time, determining for at least one moment in time a movement parameter based on the imaged movement of the free-floating particles in the liquid environment, and deriving from the movement parameter a characteristic of the at least one particle.

Abstract: A computer-implemented inverse rendering method comprising: computing an adjoint image by differentiating an objective function that evaluates the quality of a rendered image, image elements of the adjoint image encoding the sensitivity of spatially corresponding image elements of the rendered image with respect to the objective function; sampling the adjoint image at a respective sample position to determine a respective adjoint radiance value associated with the respective sample position; emitting the respective adjoint radiance value into a scene model characterised by scene parameters; determining an interaction location of a respective incident adjoint radiance value with a surface and/or volume of the scene model; determining a respective incident radiance value or an approximation thereof at the interaction location; and updating a scene parameter gradient.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic device comprising: a substrate; a culture chamber (130); a loading channel (170) in fluid communication with the culture chamber; at least one auxiliar channel (170-1, 5 170-2) extending from and in fluid communication with the loading channel, wherein the at least one auxiliary channel is so dimensioned such that a hydraulic resistance in the at least one auxiliary channel is higher than a hydraulic resistance in the loading channel; a test area (150) defined along the loading channel at a position between the loading channel and the at least one auxiliary channel; a first medium reservoir (110) in fluid communication with a first side of the test area; and a second medium reservoir (120) in fluid communication with a second side of the test area, the second side being different from the first side.

Abstract: A system for privacy-preserving distributed training of a global model on distributed datasets has a plurality of data providers being communicatively coupled. Each data provider has a local model and a local training dataset for training the local model using an iterative training algorithm. Further it has a portion of a cryptographic distributed secret key and a corresponding collective cryptographic public key of a multiparty fully homomorphic encryption scheme. All models are encrypted with the collective public key. Each data provider trains its local model using the respective local training dataset, and combines the local model with the current global model into a current local model. A data provider homomorphically combines current local models into a combined model, and updates the current global model based on the combined model. The updated global model is provided to at least a subset of the other data providers.

Abstract: A light microscope has a light source for illuminating a specimen, a sensor array comprised of photon-counting detector elements for measuring detection light coming from the specimen, and a control device for controlling the sensor array. The control device is configured for flexibly binning the photon-counting detector elements into one or more super-pixels.

Abstract: A photonic assembly, a laser setup having the photonic assembly and a method for performing frequency-modulated continuous-wave light detection and ranging using the laser setup are disclosed. The photonic assembly has an active photonic chip, a photonic modulator chip, and a tuning arrangement having a modulation element having a thickness of 10 micrometers or less. The active photonic chip and the photonic modulator chip are optically coupled such, that injection radiation at an optical feedback wavelength is generated, which defines at least one optical lasing wavelength at which the optical radiation is emitted by the active photonic chip. The modulation element is arranged such, that an actuation of the modulation element tunes the optical feedback wavelength via the Pockels effect, such, that a tuning of the optical feedback wavelength entails a tuning of the optical lasing wavelength.

Abstract: ESP particle collector (1) for collecting particles in a particle containing gas stream, comprising an inlet section (4), a collector section (6), and an electrode arrangement (8), the inlet section comprising a flow tube (10) defining a gas flow channel (12) therein bounded by a guide wall (24) extending between an entry end (14) and a collector end (16) that serves as an inlet to the collector section (6), the entry end comprising an inlet (28) for the particle gas stream and a sheath flow inlet portion (26) for generating a sheath flow around the particle gas stream, the collector section comprising a housing (18) coupled to the flow tube, and a collector plate (20) mounted therein having a particle collection surface (23). The ESP particle collector is configured to allow optical analysis of the collector plate particle collection surface to measure particles collected thereon.