Abstract: A method for generating ultrashort pulses includes directing a master beam having ultrashort pulses and at least one slave beam through an optical gate material. The intensity of the slave beam upstream of the optical gate material is lower than that of the master beam upstream of the optical gate material. The optical gate material and the pulses of the master beam are chosen to induce a Kerr effect when the master beam passes through the optical gate material, the Kerr effect producing a modulation of the phase of the slave beam in association with pulses of the master beam when the slave beam passes through the optical gate material. The modulation of the phase of the slave beam is transformed into a modulation of the amplitude thereof using a complementary optical device to generate a slave beam downstream of the optical gate material having ultrashort pulses.

Abstract: A Koehler integrator device includes a collimating lens for collimating a light field from an incoherent or partially coherent light source, planar first and second micro-lens arrays for relaying portions of the collimated light field along separate imaging channels, wherein all the micro-lenses have equal focal length and pitch and the arrays are arranged with a mutual distance equal to the focal length, and a collecting Fourier lens having a Fourier lens diameter and focal length defining front and back focal planes, wherein the Fourier lens is for superimposing light from all imaging channels in the front focal plane and wherein the second micro-lens array is in the back focal plane, wherein a third micro-lens array is in the front focal plane for creating a wavelength independent array of illumination spots. Furthermore, a confocal microscope apparatus, including the device, and a method of using the apparatus are described.

Abstract: A lifetime optimization method for a two-sided photovoltaic module, which includes at least one multi-junction stack, where the stack's first junction layer is on the module's first side, which is exposed to the sun at the beginning of the module's life in the module's base position, and the stack's last junction layer is arranged under the module's second side, which receives diffused and reflected light and light passed through the stack. The method includes measuring the full module's output power (PFM); calculating an estimated output power for the last junction layer (PLL) as a function of the first irradiance in the module's turned over position, where the second side becomes its upper side; comparing the estimated PLL with the PFM when the first side is the upper side and recommending turning over the module when the base position's PFM becomes less than the turned over position's estimated PLL.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a three-dimensional article comprises providing a spatially coherent light source (101, 201), generating from the light source (101, 201), patterns of light based on computed tomographic projections of the three-dimensional article, and projecting the patterns of light into a photoresponsive medium. The projecting is configured to define a three-dimensional dose distribution, thereby locally altering the phase of the photoresponsive medium and creating the article.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for planning and/or providing neuromodulation One example system includes a stimulation related basic data storage module for storing stimulation related basic data, a stimulation related response data storage module for storing the stimulation related response data, a transfer module configured such that the stimulation related basic data are linked with and/or translated into the response data and/or artificial response data created by the transfer module, wherein the data generated by the transfer module are transfer data, the transfer data comprising link data and/or translation data and/or artificial response data, mapping module configured and arranged such that based on the stimulation related basic data and stimulation related response data and the transfer data a digital characteristic map is generated, and an analysis module configured and arranged such that the digital characteristic map is analyzed automatically.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a dynamic occupancy of a space by two opposing teams of a game, including a movable sporting accessory, such as a ball, a puck or a shuttlecock, each team including at least one player. The method makes it possible to determine, for each player and for all or some of the points on the pitch, a value representative of how far in advance the player is to the point of the pitch, the representative value being computed by a comparison between the duration of movement of the player to the point of the pitch and the duration of movement of a distinct player and/or of the sporting accessory to the same point. A system is also provided for characterizing a dynamic occupancy of a space by two opposing teams of a game, implementing the method.

Abstract: The simplification of neural network models is described. For example, a method for simplifying a neural network model includes providing the neural network model to be simplified, defining a first temporal filter for the conveyance of input from a neuron to an other spatially-extended neuron along the arborized projection, defining a second temporal filter for the conveyance of input from yet another neuron to the spatially-extended neuron along the arborized projection, replacing, in the neural network model, the first, spatially-extended neuron with a first, spatially-constrained neuron and the arborized projection with a first connection extending between the first, spatially-constrained neuron and the second neuron, wherein the first connection filters input from the second neuron in accordance with the first temporal filter and a second connection extending between the first spatially-constrained neuron and the third neuron.

Abstract: A system for photon correlation of an illuminated object and/or a light source is provided. The system includes a light source for illuminating the object and an optical system having an object-facing side configured to face the object or the light source and a projection side with the projection side having a focal plane. The system also includes a single-chip single photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) array arranged at the focal plane and a timing circuit associated with the single-chip SPAD array for measuring arrival times of photons detected by the single-chip SPAD array.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a rail pad including a pad matrix having a first material and at least one damping element at least partially encapsulated or embedded in the pad matrix. The damping element includes a second material. The second material includes at least one damping element having a damping factor tan delta greater than or equal to 0.5 in the audible frequency of 1000 Hz. Methods for producing the rail pad are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for controlling an electric microgrid comprising an electrical energy consuming element, an electrical energy production element and an electrical energy storage element, the method comprising the steps of extracting parameter values from a source model, the extraction phase being implemented by computer, initializing parameters of a target model with parameter values extracted from the source model, so as to obtain an initialized target model, the initialization phase being implemented by computer, and optimizing, according to a target domain and a target set of tasks, of the parameters of the initialized target model, so as to obtain a target model trained for the control of a target microgrid, the optimization phase being implemented by computer.

Abstract: A method of classifying a media includes receiving a media file and extracting therefrom first and second data streams including first and second media content, respectively, the media content being associated with the media item. First and second feature vectors describing the first and second media content, respectively, are generated. At least a first single feature vector representing the first sequence of first feature vectors and the second sequence of second feature vectors is generated, or at least a first single feature vector representing at least the first sequence of first feature vectors is generated. A second feature vector representing at least the second sequence of second feature vectors is generated. A probability vector from the first single feature vector, or from the first and second single feature vectors is generated. A user profile suitability class is assigned to the media item based on the probability vector.

Abstract: A system for measuring synchrony between two or more regions, or within a single region, of a subject's brain. The system can include a signal conditioning module in communication with a phase extraction module. The signal conditioning module can receive an oscillating signal, bandpass filter the signal, and convert the signal to its real and imaginary components. The phase extraction module can receive the real and imaginary components, determine the quadrant of the oscillating signal on the complex plane based on the real and imaginary components, and determine the phase of the oscillating signal using a linear arctangent approximation based on the determined quadrant. The system can calculate synchrony metrics based on the determined phase.

Abstract: A method for determining wavefront shapes of a multi-spectral signal light beam from a single signal image acquisition of said multi-spectral signal beam, with a device including an optical assembly made at least of an optical mask and an imaging sensor, notably a matrix imaging sensor, for generating and recording intensity patterns of incident beams, by having these beams reflect on, or propagate through, the optical mask. The optical mask having the optical properties: i) to cause the intensity pattern to depend on the wavefront shape, so that a tilt applied to the wavefront shape results in a displacement amount of the intensity pattern, and ii) to produce uncorrelated intensity patterns over at least one surface area A of the imaging sensor, for a plurality of respective incident monochrome beams of different wavelengths having a same wavefront shape.

Abstract: A micromachined mechanism for a sensing tool includes a support, a probe pivotally mounted with respect to the support, and a beam connected to the support and the probe. The probe is configured to apply a load (Ftool) on a body and to be subjected to a counter-reaction contact force exerted by the body in reaction to the load. The beam is configured to shift from an undeformed position to a deformed position when the contact force of the body is greater than a predetermined threshold force (Fcrit) for which the beam buckles.

Abstract: A method for controlling connectivity between two or more brain regions of a subject includes receiving signals corresponding to a connectivity between two or more regions of a subject's brain, measuring a connectivity level from the signals, and delivering at least one stimulation pulse to at least one target region of the subject's brain if the measured connectivity level is outside of a predetermined range.

Abstract: An ocular drainage system is provided for treating diseases that produce elevated intraocular pressures, such as glaucoma, wherein the system includes an implantable device and an external control unit, the implantable device includes a non-invasively adjustable valve featuring at least one deformable tube and a disk rotatably mounted within a housing, such that rotation of the disk using the external control unit causes the disk to apply a selected amount of compression to the deformable tube, thereby adjusting the fluidic resistance of the deformable tube and regulating the intraocular pressure.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods for spinal cord stimulation. In some exemplary embodiments, a lead is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the lead includes a paddle and an electrode array distributed in the paddle. The electrode array includes a first column of electrodes and a second column of electrodes. The first column of electrodes and the second column of electrodes are symmetric about the midline of the paddle. The first column of electrodes includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The second column of electrodes includes a fourth electrode corresponding to the first electrode, a fifth electrode corresponding to the second electrode, and a sixth electrode corresponding to the third electrode. A vertical inter-electrode distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is larger than that between the second electrode and the third electrode.

Abstract: A method for imaging a tissue of an eye, the method including the steps of providing oblique illumination to the eye by a plurality of light emitting areas of a light delivery device, the plurality of light emitting areas being independently controllable and arranged to direct light towards at least one of a retina and an iris of the eye, causing an output beam from light backscattered from the at least one of the retina and the iris by the oblique illumination, capturing the output beam with an imaging system to provide a sequence of images of a fundus of the eye, and retrieving a phase and absorption contrast image from the sequence of images of the fundus, wherein the sequence of images of the fundus of the step of capturing is obtained by sequentially turning on one or more of the plurality of light emitting areas at a time in the step of providing the oblique illumination.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for organizing trained and untrained neural networks. In one aspect, a neural network device includes a collection of node assemblies interconnected by between-assembly links, each node assembly itself comprising a network of nodes interconnected by a plurality of within-assembly links, wherein each of the between-assembly links and the within-assembly links have an associated weight, each weight embodying a strength of connection between the nodes joined by the associated link, the nodes within each assembly being more likely to be connected to other nodes within that assembly than to be connected to nodes within others of the node assemblies.

Abstract: Peptides that specifically bind erythrocytes are described. These are provided as peptidic ligands having sequences that specifically bind, or as antibodies or fragments thereof that provide specific binding, to erythrocytes. The peptides may be prepared as molecular fusions with therapeutic agents, tolerizing antigens, or targeting peptides. Immunotolerance may be created by use of the fusions and choice of an antigen on a substance for which tolerance is desired. Fusions with targeting peptides direct the fusions to the target, for instance a tumor, where the erythrocyte-binding ligands reduce or entirely eliminate blood flow to the tumor by recruiting erythrocytes to the target.