Abstract: The invention relates to a method for texturing the surface of a gaseous phase silicon substrate, and to a textured silicon substrate for a solar cell. The method includes at least a step a) of exposing the surface to an SF6/O2 radiofrequency plasma for a duration of 2 to 30 minutes in order to produce a silicon substrate having a textured surface having pyramidal structures, the SF6/O2 ratio being 2 to 10. During step a) the power density generated using the radiofrequency plasma is greater than or equal to 2500 mW/cm2, and the SF6/O2 pressure in the reaction chamber is lower than or equal to 100 mTorrs, so as to produce a silicon substrate having a textured surface having inverted pyramidal structures.

Abstract: Acoustic echo control and noise suppression in telecommunication systems. The proposed method of processing multi-channels audio loudspeakers signals and at least one microphone signal, comprises the steps of: transforming the input microphone signals (y1 (n), y2 (n), . . . , yM (n)) into input microphone short-time spectra, computing a combined loudspeaker signal short-time spectrum [X(i,k)] from the loudspeaker signals, (x1 (n), x2 (n), . . . , xL (n)), computing a combined microphone signal short-time spectrum [Y(i,k)] from the input microphone signal, (y1 (n), y2 (n), . . . , yM (n)), estimating a magnitude or power spectrum of the echo in the combined microphone signal short-time spectrum, computing a gain filter (G(i,k)) for magnitude modification of the input microphone short-time spectra, applying the gain filter to at least one of the input microphone spectra, converting the filtered input microphone spectra into the time domain (e1 (n), e2 (n), . . . , eM (n)).

Abstract: Chemokines may be administered to a patient for immunotolerization. Chemokines include CCL19 and CCL21. Materials and methods for accomplishing tolerization and described.

Abstract: A 3D M-CNT structure with at least one tri-state CNT NEM switch comprising at least an electrode as a source, an electrode as a gate and an electrode as a drain, a conductive carbon nanotube which is able to take three positions depending on a voltage application to said electrodes.

Abstract: We presented an approach for speeding-up image acquisition when tasked with localizing specific structures in FIB-SEM imagery. It exploits the fact that low-quality images can be acquired faster than higher-quality ones and yet be sufficient for inference purposes. We have demonstrated greater than five-fold speed-ups at very little loss in accuracy in the context of mitochondria and synapse detection. Furthermore, the algorithm we propose is generic and applicable to many imaging modalities that allow trading quality for speed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for forming a plasma beam. According to the invention: the quality of the electroneutrality of the plasma beam (PB) is detected (in 12 and/or 13); and the alternating polarisation potentials of the extraction and acceleration grid (4) are adjusted such that the plasma beam (PB) is at least approximately electrically neutral.

Abstract: A novel mechanical system, based on a new cable driven mechanical transmission, able to provide sufficient dexterity, stiffness, speed, precision and payload capacity to actuate multi-DOF micro-manipulators. Besides the possibility of being used in several articulated surgical instruments and robotic systems for surgery or other applications involving remote manipulation, it enables the design of a novel fully mechanical surgical instrument, which offer the advantages of conventional laparoscopy (low cost, tactile feedback, high payload capacity) combined with the advantages of single port surgery (single incision, scarless surgery, navigation through several quadrants of the abdominal cavity) and robotic surgery (greater degrees of freedom, short learning curve, high stiffness, high precision, increased intuition).

Abstract: It is disclosed an acoustic tomography method to improve the time of flight estimation, said method comprising the steps of: sequentially triggering a set of N transmitters so as to generate a sequence of N acoustic waves through a volume being scanned; receiving each of said acoustic waves after transmission through said volume with a set of M receivers, which are called received signals; delaying by varying delays the N different said received signals that each receiver receives from the N different transmitters, and adding them together to form a new received signal, which is called transmit-beamformed signal for that receiver; delaying by varying delays the M different said transmit-beamformed signals for each receiver and adding them together at each receiver to form a new signal, which we call transmit-receive-beamformed signal.

Abstract: Multistage hydraulic systems and methods for converting the potential energy of a pressurized gas, particularly air, into mechanical work when operating in motor, and for producing compressed gas from the mechanical work of the rotating shaft when rotating when operating in compressor mode, by performing a successive expansion/compression of the said gas. Each of the systems comprises: a multistage Compression-Expansion Unit made of several hydraulic Compression-Expansion Modules having different capacity and integrating a gas/liquid separating heat exchanger, designed to convert pressure power into a hydraulic power and vice-versa, by performing an essentially isothermal compression/expansion of the gas; a single stage or multistage, direct or indirect, external forced-air Heat Exchanger for maintaining the active liquid at ambient temperature; and a multi-circuit, multi-displacement Hydraulic Motor/Pump for converting hydraulic power into mechanical power and vice-versa.

Abstract: A determination is made regarding whether to merge two symbolic analysis states. A first state corresponds to a first path through a program to a program location and a second state corresponds to a second path through the program to the program location. A set of variables of the program at the program location is determined. For each variable in the set: a) a first value of the variable in the first state is determined; b) a second value of the variable in the second state is determined; and c) a determination is made, based on the first and second values, regarding whether merging the first and second states would be advantageous. A determination is made, responsive to determining that merging the first state and the second state would not be advantageous for at least one variable in the set, not to merge the first state and the second state.

Abstract: A method and system for calibrating an optical device having a spatial optical modulator (6) and including: an optical lens (8) of a large numerical aperture, capable of receiving an incident beam and/or collecting an optical beam reflected by a sample; a camera (14) disposed in a plane optically conjugate with the focal plane of the lens (8); and a spatial optical modulator (6) disposed on the optical beam upstream of the camera (14). The method includes the following steps consisting in: acquiring three-dimensional images of the PSF in terms of intensity in a plane conjugate with the focal plane of the lens (8), reconstructing the profile in terms of amplitude and/or phase of the beam using a phase diversity algorithm, and determining the respective influence functions of a plurality of elements P1, . . . , PN of the spatial optical modulator (6) on the profile in terms of the amplitude A and/or phase ? of the beam.

Abstract: The present invention relates to reinforced composite hydrogel based on a polymer blend and comprising a network of fibres, said polymer blend comprising UV sensitive molecules. It also relates to a process for preparing the reinforced composite hydrogel according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new 2-piperazin-1-yl-4H-1,3-benzothiazin-4-one derivatives and their use for the treatment of mammalian infections caused by bacteria, especially diseases like tuberculosis (TB), Buruli ulcer and leprosy that result from infection with closely related mycobacteria. (I).

Abstract: The present invention concerns a dual cure composition comprising a radiation curable polymer precursor, solid particles, an organometallic precursor and a coupling agent, a hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposite material produced using said dual cure composition and a dual cure process using thermal energy and radiation for producing the same.

Abstract: In bus communications methods and apparatus, a first set of physical signals representing the information to be conveyed over the bus is provided, and mapped to a codeword of a spherical code, wherein a codeword is representable as a vector of a plurality of components and the bus uses at least as many signal lines as components of the vector that are used, mapping the codeword to a second set of physical signals, wherein components of the second set of physical signals can have values from a set of component values having at least three distinct values for at least one component, and providing the second set of physical signals for transmission over the data bus in a physical form.

Abstract: A frequency-drift amplification device for a pulsed laser, including: a stretcher for time-stretching an incident laser pulse; at least one amplifying medium for amplifying the laser pulse; a main compressor for time-compressing the laser pulse to a desired duration for an output pulse of the amplification device; and at least one adjustment compressor between the stretcher and the main compressor, and in which the laser pulse undergoes four diffractions on diffraction gratings to time-compress the stretched laser pulse to a duration that is greater than the desired duration for the output pulse of the amplification device.

Abstract: The present invention enables creating authenticable continuous tone color multi-ink multi-halftone images offering means of verifying their authenticity. The invention relies on color halftones, color separation into different ink surface coverages for different halftoning methods, mapping of an input gamut into a gamut defined by a set of inks, calculating the optimal boundary between region halftones created with different halftoning methods, and color multi-halftone image generation. The basic authentication is performed by examining the color multi-halftone image under a reference illumination and verifying that the message incorporated within the color multi-halftone is hidden and revealed under a different illumination. Authentication can further be performed by observing the color multi-halftone image both in reflection and transmission modes and verifying that in one of these modes the message is hidden and that in the other mode the message is revealed.

Abstract: A method of providing SVC video content with added media content, comprising the steps of: receiving an original video content transmitted from a remote site in a bit stream and including original video encoding parameters; decoding said original video encoding parameters data; selecting a complementary media content to be added to the original video content; modifying said original video encoding parameters; modifying said bit stream in order to integrate the video data of said complementary media content to provide a modified bit stream; sending said modified bit stream for decoding; the additional media content being provided in the form of an additional layer into the scalable bit stream.

Abstract: An amplification device with frequency drift for a pulsed laser includes a stretcher temporally stretching an incident laser pulse, at least one amplifying medium for amplifying the stretched laser pulse, and a compressor for temporally compressing the stretched and amplified laser pulse. The compressor includes an amplifying medium for amplifying a partially temporally compressed laser pulse, increasing energy yield of the amplifier.

Abstract: Chitosan delivers a plasmid encoding Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) to cells in a patient for gene therapy of diabetes. Chitosan is optimized for plasmid transfection by modulating three of its physico-chemical properties: degree of deacetylation (DDA), molecular weight (MW), and ratio of amines on chitosan to phosphates on DNA (N:P ratio), Chitosan 92-10-5 (DDA-MW-N:P) is more efficient than chitosans 80-10-10 and 80-80-5 in delivering a plasmid encoding luciferase or GLP-1(7-37) to cells. In the Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rat model of diabetes, chitosan-delivered pVax plasmid encoding GLP-1 lowers glucose levels, increases insulin production and reduces weight gain.