Abstract: Ultrasonic measurements of fluid properties are performed with the aid of an optical fiber or a package of optical fibers by exciting ultrasound waves at a first location along the optical fiber in the fluid by means of light from the optical fiber and detecting an effect of the ultrasound waves on light reflection or propagation in the optical fiber and/or a further optical fiber in the package at a second location along the optical fiber or at the end of the optical fiber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a co-layered propellant grain having an exposed outer surface, wherein said propellant grain comprises an outer layer comprising a slow burning propellant composition located on essentially the entire outer surface of the grain, and an inner layer comprising a fast burning propellant composition having a higher linear burn rate than said slow burning propellant composition; wherein said propellant grain has a structure such that after ignition, the inner layer becomes increasingly exposed at the outer surface.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a composite substrate wherein a diamond is embedded into another substrate, to a process for manufacturing a composite substrate, to a composite substrate obtainable by said process, to uses of said composite substrate and to a device comprising said composite substrate. The composite substrate of the invention comprises a substrate having a recess in a surface of said substrate, wherein the recess comprises embedded material comprising diamond and a filling material wherein the filling material at least in part fills the volume between diamond and the inner surface of the recess.

Abstract: A photo-voltaic element comprising a stack of layers is disclosed, as well as a method of making the photo-voltaic element. The stack of layers at least includes the following: a first electrode layer, a first charge carrier transport layer, an insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second charge carrier transport layer, and a photo-electric conversion layer. The photo-electric conversion layer comprises a plurality of distributed extensions extending through the second charge carrier transport layer, the second electrode layer, and the insulating layer, to the first charge carrier transport layer. The distributed extensions have an effective cross-section Deff in the range of 0.5 to 10 micron, and have an average pitch in the range of 1.1 to 5 times said effective cross-section.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heterodyne scanning probe microscopy method for imaging structures on or below the surface of a sample, the method including applying, using a transducer, an acoustic input signal to the sample sensing, using a probe including a probe tip in contact with the surface, an acoustic output signal, wherein the acoustic output signal is representative of acoustic surface waves induced by the acoustic input signal wherein the acoustic input signal comprises at least a first signal component having a frequency above 1 gigahertz, and wherein for detecting of the acoustic output signal the method comprises a step of applying a further acoustic input signal to at least one of the probe or the sample for obtaining a mixed acoustic signal, the further acoustic input signal including at least a second signal component having a frequency above 1 gigahertz, wherein the mixed acoustic signal comprises a third signal component having a frequency equal to a difference between the first frequen

Abstract: A method is described for forming output video frames by a decoder device, comprising: receiving a bitstream comprising bitstream parts representing encoded media data of video tiles and tile positioning information associated with the encoded video tiles; extracting tile positioning information from the bitstream, the tile positioning information comprising tile identifiers for identifying encoded video tiles, a tile identifier being associated with one or more boundary identifiers, each identifying a boundary of a video tile identified by a tile identifier; determining a tile map based on the boundary identifiers, the tile map representing a spatial layout of video tiles in an output video frame; and forming an output video frame, including identifying parts of the bitstream representing encoded media data of video tiles identified in the tile map, decoding the identified encoded media data and copying the decoded media data in the output video frame buffer according to spatial layout.

Abstract: A thermoacoustic system for transfer of energy by an acoustic wave, includes a process volume. The process volume is filled with a fluid through which the acoustic wave propagates, and includes an acoustic network including a compliance volume, a thermoacoustic core and a fluidic inertia; the thermoacoustic core including a cold heat exchanger, a hot heat exchanger and a regenerator; the cold heat exchanger arranged on a first side of the hot heat exchanger with the regenerator between the hot and cold heat exchangers; a thermal buffer zone is positioned adjoining the hot heat exchanger on a second side thereof. The thermoacoustic system includes a partitioning element that is arranged in the thermal buffer zone adjacent to the hot heat exchanger. The partitioning element is configured for blocking mass flow of the fluid through the thermal buffer zone in a direction of acoustic wave propagation in the thermal buffer zone, while allowing passage of the acoustic wave through the thermal buffer zone.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the ring-opening of a cycloadduct obtainable from a reaction of a furanic compound and a diene, said process comprising contacting the cycloadduct with an acidic mixture comprising sulfuric acid and an activating agent to obtain a ring-opened product. The present invention is particularly directed a continuous process.

Abstract: A cantilever (30) for an ultrasound acoustic microscopy device is provided comprising a transmission tip (31) to contact a sample (11) to therewith transmit an ultrasound acoustic signal as an ultrasound acoustic wave into the sample. The cantilever further comprises a reception tip (32) separate from the transmission tip (31) to contact the sample to receive an acoustic signal resulting from reflections of the ultrasound wave from within the sample.

Abstract: A fluid handling structure for a gas phase deposition apparatus, the structure defining a flow path with an inlet and an outlet for transmitting pressurized fluid from said inlet to the outlet, wherein the structure includes an elongated slit and a series of nozzles through which pressurized fluid is allowed to enter the elongated slit, the inlet being upstream the series of nozzles, and wherein the outlet is formed downstream at a gap opening of the elongated slit allowing pressurized fluid to discharge from the elongated slit towards a substrate, wherein the series of nozzles are configured to provide a larger flow resistance than the elongated slit, and wherein the series of nozzles are adapted to form a series of jet flows directed towards one or more impingement surfaces of the structure when pressurized fluid is transmitted through the flow path.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wireless access telecommunications system comprising at least an SA-cell with which a terminal in an active mode is configured to have a data connection and an LA-cell on which the terminal in an idle mode is configured to camp. A method for the terminal to at least obtain LA-cell system information and SA-cell system information includes, when the terminal is in the active mode and an SA-cell radio interface of the terminal is enabled, the terminal receiving at least a part of the SA-cell system information for the terminal from the SA-cell via the SA-cell radio interface. The method further includes enabling an LA-cell radio interface of the terminal during one or more of a plurality of LA time periods and receiving at least a part of the LA-cell system information for the terminal from the LA-cell via the LA-cell radio interface.

Abstract: A proximity sensitive display element (1) is provided that comprises a light guide (10), at least one light emitting element (30) and at least one infrared radiation sensor (40). The light guide (10) comprises a substrate (11) with a first and a second mutually opposite main sides (12, 14), respectively having a first and a second reflective layer (22, 24), with a reflective inner surface (222, 242) facing inside the light guide. At least one window (16) is defined in the first main side to allow optical radiation to enter and to leave the light guide. The at least one light emitting element (30) is typically embedded in the substrate at its second main side to generate optical radiation in said light guide. The at least one IR-sensor (40) is arranged at the second main side of the substrate and faces the first main side through a semi-transparent patch (240) in the second reflective layer (24).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the preparation of an aromatic acid or a phenolic compound, said process comprising reacting a dienophile and a furanic compound comprising an acetal moiety in a Diels-Alders reaction to obtain an aromatic compound comprising said acetal moiety, followed by hydrolysis and oxidation of said acetal moiety into a hydroxide or carboxylate moiety to form the aromatic acid or phenolic compound, wherein said dienophile is selected from the group consisting of alkylenes, acetylenes, acrylates, maleates, fumarates, maleimides, propiolates, acetylene dicarboxylates, and benzynes and wherein said acetal moiety is bound directly to the 2-position of the furanic compound.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communication network which is configured to enable instantiation of network slices which represent virtual networks. The invention further relates to a content application server (CAS) for providing an application service via a network slice to at least one user equipment (UE). A network function (SREF) is provided which on the one hand may have access to one or more slice management network functions (CSMF, NSMF, NSSMF) and on the other hand may be accessible to the CAS. The network function (SREF) may abstract the properties of the network slice using a data structure representing a slice object and expose these abstracted properties to the CAS by providing access to the slice object. The slice object may comprise modifiable properties which represent modifiable properties of the corresponding network slice.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for preparing maleic acid or a derivative thereof, the process comprising a step b) of oxidizing 5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone and/or cis-?-formylacrylic acid to maleic acid or a derivative thereof by contacting the 5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone and/or cis-?-formylacrylic acid with molecular oxygen (O2) in the presence of a catalyst. In a particular embodiment, the step b) is preceded by a step a) of oxidizing a furanic compound according to formula I into the 5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone and/or cis-?-formylacrylic acid, wherein R1 is H, CH2OH, CO2H or CHO and R2 is H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl or O(C1-C6 alkyl), or esters, ethers, amides, acid halides, anhydrides, carboximidates, nitriles, and salts of formula I.

Abstract: An intermediary system and method may be provided for assisting a receiver system in processing video data which is streamed as a video stream to the receiver system via a network. The processing of the video data by the receiver system may be dependent on an analysis of the video data. The intermediary system may provide processing assist data to the receiver system which comprises an analysis result or a processing instruction derived from the analysis results. Accordingly, the receiver system may process the video data without a need for the receiver system itself to analyze the video data, thereby offloading computational complexity to the intermediary system.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a photovoltaic multilayer laminate, to a method for preparing a photovoltaic multilayer laminate, to a method for preparing a photovoltaic roadway, and to a photovoltaic roadway. The photovoltaic multilayer laminate of the invention comprises multiple flexible photovoltaic foil elements laminated at least to a carrier layer comprising electrical interconnections for said flexible photovoltaic foil elements, wherein said multiple flexible photovoltaic elements are arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of the laminate, wherein a stretchable or compressible space is provided between each pair of multiple flexible photovoltaic foil elements.

Abstract: A photovoltaic module (1) with a plurality of photovoltaic units (3) each having a positive contact terminal (8) and a negative contact terminal (7), and a single layer back contact substrate (4). The back contact substrate (4) has a positive surface part (6) electrically connected to the positive contact terminal (8) of each of the plurality of photovoltaic units (3), and a negative surface part (5) electrically connected to the negative contact terminal (7) of each of the plurality of photovoltaic units (3). The photovoltaic module (1) further has at least one contact bridge (9a, 9b) in a layer of the photovoltaic module (1) outside of the single layer back contact substrate (4), which provides an electrical connection in the negative surface part (5) and/or in the positive surface part (6).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a two terminal or three terminal tandem solar cell comprising a silicon-based bottom solar cell and a thin-film top solar cell; the method comprising: providing a silicon substrate with a front surface and a rear surface, carrying out a sequence of steps comprising: creating on the front surface a carrier extracting layer stack comprising at least a carrier extracting layer formed on or in the front surface of the substrate, creating on the rear surface a passivating coating layer comprising deposition of a first AlOx layer, creating sacrificial layer stack comprising a second AlOx layer on the carrier extracting layer stack on the front surface; creating metal-based electrical contacts on the rear surface, including an annealing step; removing the sacrificial layer stack from the carrier extracting layer stack, and creating the thin film top solar cell on the carrier extracting layer stack.

Abstract: A hybrid organic-inorganic solar cell is provided that includes a substrate, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer deposited on the substrate, an n-type electron transport material (ETM) layer, a p-type hole transport material (HTM) layer, an i-type perovskite layer, and an electrode layer, where the substrate layers are arranged in an n-i-p stack, or a p-i-n stack, where the passivating barrier layer is disposed between the layers of the (i) perovskite and HTM, (ii) perovskite and ETM, (iii) perovskite and HTM, and perovskite and ETM, or (iv) TCO and ETM, and ETM and perovskite, and perovskite and HTM, or (v) substrate and TCO, and TCO and ETM, and ETM and perovskite, and perovskite layer and HTM, or (vi) a pair of ETM layers, or (vii) a pair of HTM layers.