Abstract: In the installation for decontaminating a liquid effluent contaminated by at least one organic substance, a gaseous combustible is burned in a reactor to produce a flame containing hydroxyl free radicals OH.degree. and oxygen O.sub.2 and that flame is centered on the geometrical axis of the reactor. A helical flow of liquid effluent is produced on the inner cylindrical wall of the reactor to cause a direct contact between the hydroxyl free radicals and the organic substance contaminating the liquid effluent. Having hydroxyl free radicals present, the organic substance is oxidized in liquid phase. The high temperature of the flame enables completion of the oxidation of the organic substance, in liquid phase, by means of the oxygen O.sub.2 present in the flame. At the outlet of the reactor, the liquid and gaseous products are separated; the liquid product is collected while the gaseous product is evacuated.

Abstract: The gas phase exothermic reaction of a feed gas mixture is carried out by providing first and second chambers in fluid communication with one another and each containing a bed of solid heat exchange material and at least one bed of catalyst material, each chamber being selectively operable in cooling and heating modes. The feed gas mixture is introduced into a selected one of the chambers when the selected chamber is in the cooling mode and the other chamber is in the heating mode so that the feed gas mixture flowing through the selected chamber contacts the bed of heat exchange material before contacting the bed of catalyst material, the feed gas mixture being reacted in the catalyst bed to form a gaseous product. The gaseous product is conducted from the selected chamber to the other chamber so that the gaseous product flowing through the other chamber contacts the bed of catalyst material before contacting the bed of heat exchange material.

Abstract: The invention teaches grayscale specific character outline modification techniques for synthesizing contrast controlled grayscale pixmap characters of improved appearance at any resolution and size. In addition, methods for computing the visually optimal spacing of any two characters taking into account outline shape modifications induced by the character contrast control method.

Abstract: A compound in metal-free or metal complex form of formula (1) to (3) in which R is hydrogen or C.sub.1-30 alkyl; X is hydrogen, halogen (preferably Cl or Br) or C.sub.1-30 alkyl.

Abstract: A feedforward amplifier system comprises a main amplifier and an auxiliary amplifier. An input signal including one carrier signal used as a first pilot signal, is supplied to a main amplifier to produce an amplified output signal. A second pilot signal is injected into the amplified output signal. The amplified output signal from the main amplifier is supplied to an output of the amplifier system through a delay line. In each of a first loop associated to the main amplifier and a second loop including the auxiliary amplifier, two control signals with pilot signal components arc produced, discrete Fourier transforms of the pilot signal components of the two control signals are calculated, and the amplitude and phase of the input signal of the main or auxiliary amplifiers are adjusted to values making the two Fourier transforms substantially equal to each other. Alternatively, the first pilot signal is produced by a generator and is injected into the input signal.

Abstract: New methods of manipulating topological regions and properties have been discovered. These novel methods simplify complex spatial design problems. In some cases, the methods provide solutions or outputs where prior techniques fail entirely. Prior methods of reasoning about relations in two-dimensional space require computation with exact geometry even when only topological answers are required. For example, computing which sets of two-dimensional regions have simultaneous intersections would require explicitly constructing these intersections. These techniques become unnecessarily complex when regions have complex shapes. The present invention includes methods where topological properties of a set of regions in two-dimensional space can be manipulated by applications of topological computations. Two classes of these methods select and determine maximal and minimal simultaneous region intersections.

Abstract: Methods are proposed for visually evenly spacing of two successive characters taking into account outline shape modifications induced by character grid-fitting. Visually even spacing of characters is obtained by converting the geometric space between two characters into its visually perceived equivalent space. Converting between geometric and visually perceived spaces requires transformations applied to the character outlines for smoothing out the character borders and replacing them by virtual borders which represent the boundaries of the perceived intercharacter space. The optimal visual distance between the origins of two successive characters is obtained by requiring the characters to have a perceived visual space equal or close to an ideal perceived visual space called ideal optical intercharacter space extracted from by design optimally spaced character pairs such as "nn" for lower-case characters and "HH" for capital letters.

Abstract: A bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) sensor comprising (1) a gold recording surface, (2) a first lipid layer which is an imperfect layer of a thiolipid which comprises the residue of two phospholipid molecules linked to each end of a disulphide (--S--S--) group, each through an oxyethylene (--O--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2) chain which is short enough to allow the thiolipid to become anchored to the gold surface by self-assembly, but long enough to trap an aqueous layer between the gold surface and the bottom of the thiolipid layer, said thiolipid being attached to the gold surface and said imperfect layer being completed by a phospholipid which provides an unattached fluid phase at room temperature, and (3) a second lipid layer of phospholipid. The sensor is especially useful for measuring changes in electrical resistance and/or capacity when it is prepared to contain a receptor protein and an analyte containing an agonist to the receptor is contacted with the bilayer.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a parallel multiprocessor-multidisk storage server which offers low delays and high throughputs when accessing and processing one-dimensional and multi-dimensional file data such as pixmap images, text, sound or graphics. The invented parallel multiprocessor-multidisk storage server may be used as a server offering its services to a computer, to client stations residing on a network or to a parallel host system to which it is connected. The parallel storage server comprises (a) a server interface processor interfacing the storage system with a host computer, with a network or with a parallel computing system; (b) an array of disk nodes, each disk node being composed by one processor electrically connected to at least one disk and (c) an interconnection network for connecting the server interface processor with the array of disk nodes.

Abstract: A cell including a photoanode consisting of at least one polycrystalline titanium dioxide layer on a conductive substrate, a counter-electrode and an electrolyte positioned between these electrodes, at least one of said electrodes being transparent or translucent. The electrolyte includes an oxidation-reduction system which is liquid at room temperature. The first species of the pair making up the oxidation-reduction system advantageously consists of an electrochemically active salt having a melting point below room temperature, and optionally being dissolved in at least one electrochemically inactive salt also having a melting point below room temperature.

Abstract: A tapered optical fiber component is provided that has an optical fiber with a cladded region. An optical core passes through the cladded region. The cladded region has a tapered extended first region drawn down in diameter to form an effective area region that has a predetermined effective area. The tapered extended first region is formed to adiabatically concentrate an optical signal for propagation through the effective area region of reduced diameter. The power density of the optical signal propagating through the effective area region is increased as an inverse function of the effective area.

Abstract: An `i-motif` nucleic acid, DNA and/or RNA, complex characterized by the presence of at least four cytosine-rich stretches or stretches rich in cytosine derivatives, including two parallel-stranded duplexes in which the cytosines or derivatives thereof form base pairs, said two duplexes being associated anti-parallel to one another, and said pairs of cytosine or derivatives thereof of one duplex being intercalated with those of the other duplex.

Abstract: Method for the manufacture of a photoelectrochemical cell and a cell made by this method. A disadvantage of such cells (1) is the fact that their efficiency is not sufficient for economic use. It is therefore the aim of the invention to avoid this disadvantage. The method according to the invention makes it possible to produce a photoelectrochemical cell (1) comprising a porous electrode (4), the effective surface of which is by a factor 700 greater than that of electrodes of comparable size.

Abstract: A mark is incorporated to the original during the fabrication of said original in such a way that said mark is invisible on the original but appears on the copy of the original which is made by using a photocopying machinge. The mark is incorporated by additionally mixing the original image to be protected and the marking image to be concealed in the original by modulating one or the other of the images or by manipulation of Fourier transforms.

Abstract: The proportional-integral-derivative controller produces a process control signal in response to a process variable signal and a setpoint signal. The process variable signal is subtracted from the setpoint signal to produce a difference signal, and a signal representative of the derivative of the process variable is produced. In an inner loop the setpoint signal, the difference signal and the derivative signal are amplified by respective adjustable gains. In an outer loop the process variable signal and the derivative signal are amplified by respective adjustable gains and the difference signal is integrated. The amplified and integrated signals are combined and applied to another adjustable gain to produce an outer-loop output signal. The amplified setpoint, difference and derivative signals, and the outer-loop output signal are finally combined to produce the process control signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an intermediary circuit between a low voltage logic circuit and a high voltage output stage in standard CMOS technology. The output stage (20) is comprised of two transistors, respectively with N channel and P channel, achieved according to a standard CMOS technology. The intermediary circuit is comprised of a voltage level translator (21) coupled between an input logic circuit SL and said output stage (20). The voltage level translator (21) is achieved according to a standard CMOS technology and is comprised of at lest two similar base blocks forming voltage mirrors interconnected in a cross-configuration. Said circuit is used to control transducers, plasma screens and electromechanical actuators.

Abstract: A compound of formula (I): (X).sub.n RuLL.sub.1 where n is 1 or 2, preferably 2, and in which Ru is ruthenium; each X independently is selected from Cl, SCN, H.sub.2 O, Br, I, CN and SeCN and L is a ligand of formulae (a) to (g) and L.sub.1 is selected from a ligand of formulae (a) to (c) where each R independently is selected from OH, hydrogen, C.sub.1-20 alkyl, --OR.sub.a or --N(R.sub.a).sub.2 and each R.sub.a independently is hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl.

Abstract: A serial optical signal distribution system and method uses first and second coextending optical waveguides. First and second trains of light pulses are propagated through the first and second optical waveguides, respectively. A series of first delay lines are distributed along the first waveguide for delaying the first train of light pulses, while a series of second delay lines are distributed along the second waveguide for delaying the second train of light pulses. Optical/electrical converters are distributed along the first and second optical waveguides for receiving a fraction of the delayed first train of light pulses from one of the first delay lines and a fraction of the delayed second train of light pulses from a corresponding one of the second delay lines for producing in response thereto a train of electric pulses.

Abstract: A medication dispensing device for implantation into an animal or human body, comprises a plurality of compartments each containing a dose of medicine to be dispensed and having a delivery opening permitting delivery of the medicine; a rupturable membrane sealing the delivery opening of each compartment, the membrane having a predetermined elastic deformation limit and a predetermined rupture point; and a membrane rupturing system associated with each compartment for rupturing the membrane thereof in response to an electrical signal.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell comprising a light transmitting electrically conductive layer deposited on a glass plate or a transparent polymer sheet to which a series of titanium dioxide layers have been applied, in which at leash the last titanium dioxide layer (optionally also the second to last and third to last layer) are doped with a metal ion which is selected from a divalent or trivalent metal.