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 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.

Abstract: A method for enforcing smoothness constraints on surface meshes produced by a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) including the steps of reading image data from a memory, the image data including two-dimensional image data representing a three-dimensional object or a three-dimensional image stack of the three-dimensional object, performing a GCNN mesh deformation step on the image data to obtain an approximation of a surface of the three-dimensional object, the surface represented by triangulated surface meshes, at least some vertices of the triangulated surface meshes having a different number of neighboring vertices compared to other vertices in a same triangulated surface mesh, and performing a deep active surface model (DASM) transformation step on the triangulated surface meshes to obtain a corrected representation of the surface of three-dimensional object to improve smoothness of the surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a scintillation detector structure including the steps of forming a plurality of first structures into a surface of a substrate to form a patterned substrate, filling the plurality of first structures and covering the surface of the substrate with a polymeric material, hardening the polymeric material and first removing the hardened polymeric material from the substrate to obtain a polymeric mold with a patterned surface having a plurality of second structures, performing a surface cleaning treatment and a silanization of the patterned surface of the polymeric mold, filling the plurality of second structures and covering the patterned surface of the polymeric mold with a moldable scintillation material, polymerizing the scintillation material while exerting a pressure on the scintillation material, and second removing the polymerized scintillation material from the plurality of second structures of the polymeric mold to obtain scintillation detector active structures.

Abstract: A terahertz device for detecting or emitting or for both detecting and emitting electromagnetic waves in the terahertz frequency range. The terahertz device comprises: a first waveguide branch and a second waveguide branch, the first and second waveguide branches being configured to allow optical signals to propagate through them, the first and second waveguide branches being nonlinear dielectric elements with a thickness of at most 500 micrometres; and an antenna arrangement comprising a set of antennas for capturing and/or emitting electromagnetic waves in the terahertz frequency range, the antennas being placed along at least one of the waveguide branches in an immediate vicinity of the respective waveguide branch and/or around the respective waveguide branch to at least partially enclose the respective waveguide branch in a respective antenna gap of the respective antenna.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasmonic biosensor system. The system includes a nano-hole array device comprising at least one nano-hole array (NHA) including at least one or a plurality of nano holes (NH), an image sensor (A3) for capturing light provided by a light source (A1) and transmitted through the nano-hole array (NHA), and at least one or a plurality of nano-particles (NP) configured to be received by the nano-holes (NH) of the nano-hole array (NHA).

Abstract: The present invention relates to functionalized hydrogel networks grafted with at least one moiety for use in numerous fields, from cosmetics to surgery and medicine.

Abstract: A crossflow microfluidic particle concentrator including a main channel having an inlet and an outlet a crossflow outlet operably connectable with pressure means and/or flow control means, a plurality of crossflow channels fluidically connecting the crossflow outlet with the main channel a filtering element including a particle flow channel within the main channel, and a row of crossflow pillars disposed between the filtering element and the plurality of crossflow channels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated imaging system. The integrated imaging system includes an array of analog photomultiplier elements. The integrated imaging system includes a plurality of submodules, each submodule having a number of the photomultiplier elements. The integrated imaging system includes a plurality of time-to-digital converters each associated and coupled with one of the submodules. The plurality of time-to-digital converters are configured to provide a respective timing information.

Abstract: The invention provides for a device (100) for use in electrical nerve modulation in a subject, characterized in that it comprises a rotational and linear actuator (110); a tubular element (101) having a proximal end connected to the actuator (110) and a distal end; a flexible shaft (102) coaxially disposed within the tubular element (101), comprising a proximal end operably connected to the actuator (110) and a distal end, and adapted to be slid along the tubular element (101); a conformable support (103) comprising a proximal end operably connected to the tubular element's (101) distal end, and a distal end operably connected to the flexible shaft's (102) distal end, having a portion of its length helically wrapped about a distal portion of the flexible shaft (102) so to define a pitch (500) and a radius (400); and a plurality of electrodes (104) operably disposed along the helically configured portion of the conformable support (103), and electrically connectable to a generator (200), adapted to contact the

Abstract: The invention relates to a scaffold material comprising a plurality of particles of a highly porous polymeric material, characterized in that said scaffold material becomes a shapeable paste once hydrated. The specific features of the particle material impart a special behavior to the scaffold, which can be easily shaped and even highly reversibly compressed, so that in certain aspects it can, if needed, be injected, said capacity to be shaped being maintained over a high range of hydration conditions. A particular aspect of the invention relates, therefore, to the use of such scaffold material for the manufacturing of shapeable body implants, such as breast implants, to the shapeable body implants themselves as well as to non-invasive methods for using thereof in creating or reconstructing a three-dimensional volume in a subject's body part.

Abstract: The present relates to a combined hydrogen storage-compression unit suitable for the filling of high-pressure (350 bar and beyond) hydrogen vessels. It includes a containment vessel filled with a hydrogen storage alloy, a heating system, a cooling system and a thermal management system. The same shall be connected directly to the hydrogen supply (e.g. an electrolyser) on one side and to the end consumer on the other side. Moreover, it offers the possibility for intermediate storage of at least one time the maximal quantity of hydrogen that is to be supplied at high pressure in a single step.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of fabricating a chemically active fibre device (1) by thermal drawing. The method comprises the steps of providing a preform, the preform comprising a support element (3) at least partially made of a first polymeric material; and carrying out a thermal drawing process of the preform to produce a thermally drawn fibre. The preform comprises one or more chemically active agents and/or biological materials configured to react with a fluid sample when the one or more chemically active agents and/or biological materials are in contact with the fluid sample. In this manner miniaturised lab-in-fibre devices can be fabricated.

Abstract: A frequency agile tunable self-injection locking laser system being formed by a laser device coupled to at least one optical resonator and method and controller therefor are disclosed. A diode current and an optical resonator are controllable. A self-injection locking range is selected and the self-injection locking range corresponds an optical feedback phase for back-reflected light from the optical resonator into the laser device. A diode current is set and a maximum tuning range of the actuation voltage in which self-injection locking is maintained is determined. The laser system is operated with actuation voltages in a range depending on the determined tuning range.

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: The present invention relates to an electrically tunable photonic resonator device for a component having a fast and flat actuation response. The photonic resonator device includes at least one optical waveguide with an optical interface for coupling in laser light. The photonic resonator device includes at least one optical resonator including a waveguide made of an optical resonator material. A laser light coupled via the optical waveguide is coupled into at least one optical resonator. The photonic resonator device includes at least one piezo actuator to apply mechanical stress onto the optical resonator. The optical resonator, the piezo actuator, and the optical waveguide are monolithically integrated on a common substrate of the photonic resonator device. The photonic resonator device includes a mechanical mode suppression means configured to attenuate one or more mechanical modes of oscillation caused by an AC operation of the piezo actuator.

Abstract: Aqueous effluent treatment system including a separation reactor having a reactor chamber fluidly connected to an aqueous effluent source, connected via a pump to an inlet of the reactor chamber, a fluid extraction system connected to a liquid effluent outlet at a top of the reactor chamber, and a solid residue extraction system connected to a solid residue outlet at a bottom of the reactor chamber. The separation reactor is operable to generate pressures exceeding 22 MPa and temperatures exceeding 300° C. in the reactor chamber configured to generate a supercritical zone in an upper portion of the reactor chamber to which the liquid effluent outlet is connected, and a subcritical zone in a lower portion of the chamber within the reactor chamber to which the solid residue outlet is connected.

Abstract: A fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) based semiconductor memory array having a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell including a write transistor having a write wordline gate over a first fin connected to a write wordline gate contact, a write bitline contact in connection with the first fin, and a storage node contact in connection with the first fin, and a read transistor having a storage node gate over a second fin, the storage node gate connected to a storage node gate contact, the storage node gate contact connected to the storage node contact, a read wordline contact in connection with the second fin, and a read bitline contact in connection with the second fin, wherein the write wordline gate and the storage node gate are arranged in series to each other along an extension axis that coincides with an longitudinal axis of the write wordline gate and a longitudinal axis of the storage node gate.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a laser engraving device for engraving a target surface. The laser engraving device comprises: a beam splitter for dividing a processing laser beam into a plurality of engraving laser beams; a first optical focusing element with an adjustable focal point for focusing the plurality of engraving laser beams onto the target surface; and an optical sensor configured to determine the distance between the target surface and the optical sensor. The first optical focusing element is connected to the optical sensor by a data link to receive the determined distance from the optical sensor. Furthermore, the first optical focusing element is configured to adjust its focal point based on the determined distance received from the optical sensor.