Abstract: A balloon catheter (100), suitable for delivery of a balloon to the stomach via application by the nose, the balloon catheter comprising a catheter (2) and one or more inflatable balloons (1) fixedly attached to the catheter. The balloons have an outer diameter from 4 to 7 cm, are made of a relatively hard material (e.g. durometer 70 to 100 shore A), and have an effective length of 7 to 18 cm or a total inner volume of 90 to 330 ml, when inflated by 0.2 psi. A system comprising the balloon catheter, and a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of a fluid inside the balloon, and optionally a fluid pump for inflating and/or deflating the balloon, and a control unit for reading the pressure sensor and optionally for controlling the fluid pump.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of fermentation, more particularly to ethanol production. Even more particularly the present invention relates to reduced aroma production during fermentation processes. The present invention provides mutant alleles and chimeric genes useful to develop yeast strains to limit acetate ester levels during fermentation. In addition, the invention also relates to the use of such yeast strains as well as of compounds for the production of fermented foods and liquids with reduced acetate ester levels.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for training a classifier (??), including: training a pretext model (??) to learn a pretext task, so as to minimize a distance between an output of a source sample via the pretext model (??) and an output of a corresponding transformed sample via the pretext model (??), the transformed sample being a sample obtained by applying a transformation (T) to the source sample; S20) determining a neighborhood (NXi) of samples (Xi) of a dataset (SD) in the embedding space; S30) training the classifier (??) to predict respective estimated probabilities ??j(Xi), j=1 . . . C, for a sample (Xi) to belong to respective clusters (Cj), by using a second training criterion which tends to: maximize a likelihood for a sample and its neighbors (Xj) of its neighborhood (Nxi) to belong to the same cluster; and force the samples to be distributed over several clusters.

Abstract: The present invention concerns substituted indoline derivatives, methods to prevent or treat dengue viral infections by using said compounds and also relates to said compounds for use as a medicine, more preferably for use as a medicine to treat or prevent dengue viral infections. The present invention furthermore relates to pharmaceutical compositions or combination preparations of the compounds, to the compositions or preparations for use as a medicine, more preferably for the prevention or treatment of dengue viral infections. The invention also relates to processes for preparation of the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention concerns substituted indoline derivatives, methods to prevent or treat dengue viral infections by using said compounds and also relates to said compounds for use as a medicine, more preferably for use as a medicine to treat or prevent dengue viral infections. The present invention furthermore relates to pharmaceutical compositions or combination preparations of the compounds, to the compositions or preparations for use as a medicine, more preferably for the prevention or treatment of dengue viral infections. The invention also relates to processes for preparation of the compounds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a lithography scanner including: a light source configured to emit extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light; a pellicle including an EUV transmissive membrane that is configured to scatter the EUV light into an elliptical scattering pattern having a first major axis; a reticle configured to reflect the scattered EUV light through the pellicle; and an imaging system configured to project a portion of the reflected light that enters an acceptance cone of the imaging system onto a target wafer, wherein a cross section of the acceptance cone has a second major axis, and wherein the pellicle is arranged such that the first major axis is oriented at an angle relative to the second major axis.

Abstract: A method for detecting an analyte in a sample includes the steps of obtaining a nanopore sensor comprising a nanopore and a protein adaptor internalized in the lumen of the nanopore, adding a sample comprising an analyte to the cis side or the trans side of the nanopore, and measuring conductance across the nanopore. A change in conductance after adding the sample indicates the analyte is present in the sample and has bound to the protein adaptor. Nanopore sensors comprise a nanopore and a protein adaptor internalized in the lumen of the nanopore. The protein adaptor is a functional enzyme or ligand-binding protein.

Abstract: An authentication method includes an enrolment stage comprising: receiving fuzzy data from a noisy authentication factor and fixed authentication data; generating a secret string independently from the received fuzzy data and the received fixed authentication data; deriving metadata from the fuzzy data and the secret string and helper data from the secret string and metadata; encrypting the helper data using the fixed authentication data as encryption key; outputting the encrypted helper data as public data, and an authentication stage including receiving the public data output during the enrolment stage, decrypting the received public data using the fixed authentication data as decryption key, recovering the helper data and the metadata from the decrypted public data, reproducing the secret string using the further fuzzy data and the recovered metadata, validating the reproduced secret string using the recovered helper data, and releasing the reproduced secret string if the validating yields a positive outco

Abstract: The present invention provides novel hybrid self-reinforced composites, combining an oriented brittle fibre and an oriented thermoplastic polymeric ductile fibre (as reinforcement phase) in the same thermoplastic polymeric matrix phase. The hybrid self-reinforced composites are strong and stiff, but in case of impact or crash they have high strain to failure and absorb a lot of energy. The present invention also relates to methods to produce said hybrid self-reinforced composites by a hot compaction technique.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for determining a subject's stress condition. The system includes a stress test unit configured for: receiving features defining the subject and physiological signals sensed from the subject when performing a relaxation and a stressful test task; extracting normalization parameters from the physiological signals; and identifying stress-responsive physiological features. The system also includes a storage unit configured for: storing a plurality of stress models; and storing the subject's features, normalization parameters, and the stress-responsive physiological features.

Abstract: A method for protecting a photomask comprises: (i) providing the photomask, (ii) providing a border, (iii) depositing at least two electrical contacts on the border, (iv) mounting a film comprising carbon nanotubes on the border such that the film comprises a free-standing part, wherein after the mounting and depositing steps, the electrical contacts are in contact with the film, (v) inducing a current through the free-standing part of the film by biasing at least one pair of the electrical contacts, and (vi) mounting the border on at least one side of the photomask with the free-standing part of the film above the photomask.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous fibrous tape comprising a substantially planar sheet of natural fibres of length Li. The sheet has a longitudinal dimension L and a transverse dimension w. The sheet comprises planar units positioned in n longitudinal lines. The planar units of adjoining longitudinal lines are misaligned by a misalignment distance Lv, with Lv being at least 3 w/n. Furthermore if the misalignment distance Lv between planar units of a first longitudinal line and the planar units of a second longitudinal line is less than 3 w/n, then there are at least two longitudinal lines positioned between the first longitudinal line and the second longitudinal line. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a continuous fibrous tape and to the use of such a continuous fibrous tape to manufacture a composite article.

Abstract: The present invention concerns substituted indoline derivatives, methods to prevent or treat dengue viral infections by using said compounds and also relates to said compounds for use as a medicine, more preferably for use as a medicine to treat or prevent dengue viral infections. The present invention furthermore relates to pharmaceutical compositions or combination preparations of the compounds, to the compositions or preparations for use as a medicine, more preferably for the prevention or treatment of dengue viral infections. The invention also relates to processes for preparation of the compounds.

Abstract: A system and a method for processing an image so as to perform instance segmentation. The system/method includes: a—inputting (S1) the image (IMG) to a first neural network configured to output an affinity graph (AF), and b—inputting (S2), to a second neural network, the affinity graph and a predefined seed-map (SM), so as to determine whether other pixels belong to a same instance, and set at a first value the value of the other pixels determined as belonging to the same instance.

Abstract: Ionic compounds containing an anion, and a cation having the following structural formula (1): R1R2R3N+-(linker1)-O-(linker2)-(FC)??(1) wherein: R1 and R2 either linear or branched alkyl groups or together form a N-heterocylic ring with the nitrogen atom to which they are joined; R3 is linear or branched alkyl group; linker1 and linker2 are alkylene chains or polyether chains; and the group FC is a fluorinated alkyl group, as well as an electrolyte material comprising such an ionic compound and a metal salt, and metal-air batteries using such an electrolyte material. The invention also relates to a metal-air battery containing an electrolyte material, wherein the electrolyte material comprises at least one ionic compound and a metal salt, and wherein at least one ionic compound contains an anion CnF2n+1COO? or CnF2n+1SO3?, where in each case n is at least 1 and at most 10.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for manufacturing an inorganic polymer object from a precursor wherein the precursor consists of one or more or comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of gibbsite-containing bauxite, gibbsite containing residue of the Bayer process, thermally processed gibbsite-containing bauxite, and thermally processed gibbsite-containing residue of the Bayer process, the method comprising the steps of alkaline-activating said precursor, mixing the precursor, shaping the mixed precursor and hydrothermally curing the shaped precursor at a temperature between 70° C. and 350° C.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to FinFET transistors. In one aspect, at least three fins are arranged to extend in parallel in a first direction and are laterally separated from each other in a second direction by shallow trench isolation structures having a first fin spacing, where at least a portion of each fin protrudes out from a substrate. At least a portion of each of a first fin and a second fin of the at least three fins vertically protrude to a level higher than an upper surface of the shallow trench isolation structures. A third fin is formed laterally between the first fin and the second fin in the second direction, where the third fin has a non-protruding region which extends vertically to a level below or equal to the upper surface of the shallow trench isolation structures.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for electrically activating a passive capillary stop valve, an apparatus and method are provided. The microfluidic device includes a first channel for containing a first fluid, and an output channel, wherein the first channel comprises a first interface with the output channel, and the first interface comprises a capillary stop valve characterised in that the microfluidic device also comprises a second channel for containing a second fluid, wherein the second channel comprises a second interface with the output channel, and the first channel and the second channel are electrically isolated from each other, and the first interface and the second interface are arranged relative to each other thereby being configured to activate fluid flow from the first channel into the output channel when a first fluid and a second fluid are present, and an electrical potential difference is applied between the first fluid and the second fluid.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for processing at least one image comprising inputting the image to at least one neural network, the at least one network being configured to deliver, for each pixel of a group of pixels belonging to an object of a given type visible on the image, an estimation of object parameters that are parameters of the object. The method further comprising processing the estimations of the object parameters using an instance segmentation mask identifying instances of objects having the given type.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the field of cancer, particularly the field of melanoma. It was found that a particular long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is specifically up-regulated in melanoma (but not other tumor) cells as compared to melanocytes. Inhibition of this lncRNA in melanoma cells leads to induction of apoptosis and is a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of melanoma.