Abstract: A black ceramic composite coating is presented. The ceramic composite coating comprises a ceramic matrix having embedded therein carbide nanoparticles (in particular metal carbide nanoparticles) and/or metal-carbon composite nanoparticles (with separate metal and carbon phases) embedded therein. The carbide nanoparticles are metastable and the metal-carbon composite nanoparticles are decay products of the metastable carbide nanoparticles. A further aspect of the invention relates to producing such a ceramic composite coating.

Abstract: A process for synthesizing a biphasic material, the biphasic material comprising at least one mesoporous substrate surrounded with carbon nanotubes, the process comprising step (a) of providing a catalyst on the at least one mesoporous substrate, the catalyst being configured to favour the growth of the carbon nanotubes, and the process comprising step (b) of performing the growth of the carbon nanotubes. The synthesis process is remarkable in that the two steps (a) and (b) are performed in a one-pot synthesis.

Abstract: An electromagnet assembly suitable for mass spectrometer comprising one yoke; and two pole pieces; the pole pieces being comprised in a vacuum chamber and being separated from each other by a pole piece gap defining a passage for the charged particles to be deflected; the yoke forming a bridge over the two pole pieces thus defining a magnetic circuit. The electromagnet assembly further comprises one electrical circuit for generating a magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit, the electrical circuit being included in the yoke. The electromagnet assembly is remarkable in that the pole pieces are electrically insulated from the electrical circuit and from the yoke by first electrical insulating means and are electrically insulated from the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for degrading and inactivating at least one xenobiotic, the at least one xenobiotic being present in an aqueous medium. The method comprises the steps of (a) grafting at least one enzyme onto a solid support, (b) incubating the solid support with the at least one enzyme into the aqueous medium and (c) measuring the evolution of the concentration of the at least one xenobiotic. The method is remarkable in that the at least one enzyme is New-Dehli metallo-?-lactamase 1, a laccase extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus and/or a ?-lactamase extracted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and in that the solid support is a moving bed carrier.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for producing conformational-stabilized proteins by incorporating a recognition sequence in a protein, the method comprising the steps of (a) generating at least one genetic construct comprising the recognition sequence; (b) expressing in a natural host the at least one genetic construct using oligonucleotide primers, thereby forming a vector; and (c) using a plant-based over-expression system with a constitutive promoter to over-express the vector. The method is remarkable in that the recognition sequence comprises at least one stretch of amino acids with as sequence Phe-x1-x2-Tyr, wherein Phe is phenylalanine, X1 and X2 are amino acid residues and Tyr is tyrosine.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for forming regular polymer thin films on a substrate using atmospheric plasma discharges. In particular, the method allows for the deposition of functional polymer thin films which require a high regularity and a linear polymer structure.

Abstract: A method for self-assembling a mesoporous silica nanoparticle. The method comprises the step of condensing a silica precursor, a surfactant and a condensation agent in a solvent. Then, the addition of an organotriethoxysilane is performed. Finally, there is the step of removing the surfactant. The method is remarkable in that the portion of the organotriethoxysilane to the silica precursor is comprised between 5% and 15%. Additionally, a self-assembled mesoporous silica nanoparticle comprising at least one silica precursor and an organotriethoxysilane.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of identifying at least one type of surface in a digital image, comprising the steps of: (a) dividing (4) the image (2) in sub-images of the same size; (b) analyzing (6) the sub-images for identifying at least one type of surface; (c) sub-dividing (10) into sub-images each of the sub-images (8) of the preceding step where at least one type of surface is not identified; (d) analyzing (6) the sub-images of step (c) for identifying at least one type of surface; and (e) iterating steps (c) and (d). This is a hierarchical split based approach (HSBA) that can be used for detecting water zones in a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of digitally modeling in two, three or more dimensions an infrastructure (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4), comprising using digital two, three, four, five or more dimensional objects; and attributing at least one flexibility attribute (8.2, 8.3) to at least one of the objects (4, 6, 10). Several digital two, three or more dimensions infrastructure models (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4) are merged and managed by automatically detecting (14) potential conflict(s) between objects (6, 10) of the models (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4) and by automatically searching (16) for at least one possible solution to each of the at least one conflict, based on the flexibility attribute(s) (8.2, 8.3) of the objects (6, 10) related to the conflict.

Abstract: A plasma post-discharge deposition device for depositing crystalline metal oxide derivative on a substrate, the device comprising a gas source with a substrate inlet, a post-discharge deposition chamber with a substrate outlet, the substrate inlet and the substrate outlet defining a longitudinal central axis, and a dielectric tube placed between the gas source and the deposition chamber on the longitudinal central axis; configured to confine a plasma discharge and comprising a discharge zone lying on the internal surface of the dielectric tube and a central zone centred on the longitudinal central axis. The deposition device is remarkable in that the central zone is located at a distance comprised between 1 mm and 2.5 mm from the internal surface of the dielectric tube. Also a plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition method.

Abstract: According to the process, the filiform component is continuously linearly moved through magnetic dipoles arranged opposite each other and around a tube constituting a treatment chamber, and the microwave energy is introduced between at least two magnetic dipoles.

Abstract: The invention presents a method for producing micro- or nano-structures of an anodized valve metal on a substrate. The method allows for accurate production of the structures, involves a small number of steps and is highly repeatable.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of identifying at least one type of surface in a digital image, comprising the steps of: (a) dividing (4) the image (2) in sub-images of the same size; (b) analysing (6) the sub-images for identifying at least one type of surface; (c) sub-dividing (10) into sub-images each of the sub-images (8) of the preceding step where at least one type of surface is not identified; (d) analysing (6) the sub-images of step (c) for identifying at least one type of surface; and (e) iterating steps (c) and (d). This is a hierarchical split based approach (HSBA) that can be used for detecting water zones in a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image.

Abstract: The invention presents a method for producing micro- or nano-structures of an anodized valve metal on a substrate. The method allows for accurate production of the structures, involves a small number of steps and is highly repeatable.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic surface comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate with a surface roughness Ra between 0.1 and 1.0 ?m and (b) exposing the substrate to a filamentary atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma which is fed by a reaction gas and siloxane-forming material in order to form a superhydrophobic siloxane layer over at least a portion of the surface of the substrate. Step (b) is operated with an electrical excitation frequency of 15,000 Hz to 35,000 Hz and a power density between 0.5 to 10 W·cm?2. The siloxane layer produced in step (b) shows thereby a micro-structure and a nano-structure with droplet “sticking” properties (high water sliding angle).

Abstract: According to the present invention, an implantable device is provided, comprising a substrate on which at least one surface portion is provided. The chemical composition of the surface portion selectively enhances the cell-adhesion to the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for forming regular polymer thin films on a substrate using atmospheric plasma discharges. In particular, the method allows for the deposition of functional polymer thin films which require a high regularity and a linear polymer structure.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a polymer coating on a substrate. The method comprising the steps of providing in an evacuated reaction chamber a substrate having a surface to be coated; and providing a first source of polymer forming material and a second source of radicals. According to the invention the first source and the second source are separated from each other and from the reaction chamber, and the polymer forming material as well as the radicals are, at least temporarily, conducted contemporaneously but spatially separated to the substrate's surface, so that a reaction of the polymer forming material with the radicals is avoided before they reach the substrate's surface. Further, the present invention is directed to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compact and portable mass spectrometer device comprising a source of ions, a non-scanning magnetic sector for separating ions originating at the source of ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios, and a detection means. The magnetic sector comprises an ion entrance plane and at least two ion exit planes, which allow to optimize the resolving power of the mass spectrometer for specific mass-to charge ratio sub-ranges.

Abstract: According to the process, the filiform component is continuously linearly moved through magnetic dipoles arranged opposite each other and around a tube constituting a treatment chamber, and the microwave energy is introduced between at least two magnetic dipoles.