Abstract: A method for inspecting a three dimensional structure of a microscopic scale of a sample, the method may include obtaining an image of the three dimensional structure; obtaining a reference image of a reference three dimensional structure, the reference three dimensional structure and the three dimensional structure are ideally identical to each other; wherein each one of the image and the reference image was generated using optics that includes a phase mask, wherein the phase mask virtually expands a depth of field of the optics by encoding depth information over a depth range that exceeds the depth of field; generating a difference image that represents a difference between the image and the reference image; determining, based on the difference image, whether there is at least one defect in the three dimensional structure; wherein when determining that there is the at least one defect then providing a depth of the at least one defect.

Abstract: Provided are methods of predicting responsiveness of a subject having an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor, by analyzing a frequency of at least one subpopulation of immune cells in a tissue biopsy of the subject. Also provided are methods of selecting a treatment for a subject and kits for determining responsiveness of the subject to treatment with a TNF-alpha inhibitor.

Abstract: Provided is an isolated population of human pluripotent stem cells comprising at least 50% human pluripotent stem cells characterized by an OCT4+/TRA1-60?/TRA1-81?/SSEA1+/SSEA4? expression signature, and novel methods of generating and maintaining same in a pluripotent, undifferentiated state a suspension culture devoid of cell clumps. Also provided are novel culture media, cell cultures and methods for culturing pluripotent stem cells in a suspension culture or a two-dimensional culture system while maintaining the cells in a proliferative, pluripotent and undifferentiated state. The novel culture media comprise interleukin 11 (IL11) and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF); bFGF at a concentration of at least 50 ng/ml and an IL6RIL6 chimera; or an animal contaminant-free serum replacement and an IL6RIL6 chimera. Also provided are methods for generating lineage-specific cells from the pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract: Provided herein is a porous ?-cyclodextrin-containing monolith having a microstructure templated by the external phase of a HIPE, as well as processes of manufacturing the same and uses thereof.

Abstract: A modular robotic surgical system includes one or more tool-receiver units arranged as separate units, each tool-receiver unit operable to move a first elongate surgical tool received therein. The device also includes a base comprising one or more motors, the base operable to move a second elongate surgical tool attached to the base or received therein, the base serving as a mounting for the one or more tool-receiver units, each of the tool-receiver units is independently and interchangeably attachable to the base via a mechanical coupling interface which transfers one or more of: driving force for driving movement of the first elongate surgical tool received within the unit; electrical power supply to one or more components of the unit which drive movement of the first elongate surgical tool received within the unit; and data for controlling movement of the first elongate surgical tool received within the unit.

Abstract: A system for authenticating messages transmitted on a bus based on physical location of transmitting units, comprising a reflector adapted to inject a plurality of reflection signals at a first point of a line topology bus, each in response to each of a plurality of messages transmitted by a plurality of bus connected units and a probe adapted to intercept the messages and the reflection signals at a second point of the bus. The probe calculates propagation timing between a reception time of the message and a reception time of an associated reflection signal transmitted in response to the message and determines validity of the message according to a match between the calculated propagation timing and a predefined propagation timings associated with the bus connected units. Wherein the bus connected units are statically connected to the bus between the first point and the second point.

Abstract: An assembly for driving linear movement and roll movement of an elongate surgical tool, comprising: an elongate shaft comprising a central lumen extending along the shaft long axis; the elongate shaft comprising a plurality of apertures extending across walls of the elongate shaft and into the central lumen; a set of wheels positioned opposing each other and aligned on two sides of the central lumen, the set of wheels at least partially extending through the apertures beyond the walls of the elongate shaft and into the central lumen to contact an elongate surgical tool received therein; the set of wheels being coupled to the elongate shaft and configured to rotate with the elongate shaft as a single unit when the elongate shaft is rotated about the shaft long axis.

Abstract: Systems and methods for imaging scenes illuminated by light sources that are powered by alternating current. Data concerning these light sources are extracted from the imagery. Systems comprising a rolling shutter imaging sensor and configured to de-flicker images with spatial flicker are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method for generating hydrogen gas from an aqueous solution are disclosed herein. The system comprises a compartment with a working electrode for reducing water in response to an applied voltage to generate hydrogen and a redox-active electrode capable of reversibly undergoing oxidation and reduction. The system may further comprise a second compartment with a working electrode for generating oxygen and redox-active electrode electrically connectable to the redox-active electrode in the first compartment. The method comprises applying a voltage between a working electrode and a redox-active electrode of a system described herein and/or between comprising a working electrode of one compartment and a working electrode of a second compartment of a system described herein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vapor-permeable flexible sensing platform unit comprising: a first porous membrane, wherein said membrane is substantially flexible and hydrophobic; and a volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensor disposed on said membrane, the VOCs sensor comprising an electrode array and a conducting polymer porous film being in electric contact with said electrode array, wherein the VOCs sensor is insensitive to lateral strain. Further provided are a method of preparation of said platform unit and a lift-off, float-on (LOFO) method for the preparation of protonically doped polyaniline (PANI) thin films.

Abstract: A robotic device for performing intracranial procedures, comprising a baseplate for mounting on the subject's skull and a rotatable base element rotating on the baseplate. The rotatable base element has a central opening through which a cannulated needle can protrude such that it can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the baseplate. This cannulated needle is robotically controlled to provide motion into and out of the subject's skull. A flexible needle is disposed coaxially within the cannulated needle, and it is controlled to move into and out of a non-axial aperture in the distal part of the cannulated needle. Coordinated control of the insertion motion of the cannulated and flexible needles, and rotation of the combined cannulated/flexible needle assembly enables access to be obtained to a volume of a region of the brain having lateral dimensions substantially larger than the width of the cannulated needle.

Abstract: A nanosatellite with an illumination element, and an arrangement of nanosatellites in low earth orbit (LEO) arranged to controllably apply their illumination to be visible on the ground. The nanosatellites may be coordinated to provide illumination events visible on the ground at particular locations and particular times. Each nanosatellite has an illumination element that provides a sustained external illumination event being of at least momentary duration and to be visible from the ground. The event forms at least part of a display for viewing from the ground.

Abstract: Provided is an isolated population of human pluripotent stem cells comprising at least 50% human pluripotent stem cells characterized by an OCT4+/TRA1-60?/TRA1-81?/SSEA1+/SSEA4? expression signature, and novel methods of generating and maintaining same in a pluripotent, undifferentiated state a suspension culture devoid of cell clumps. Also provided are novel culture media, cell cultures and methods for culturing pluripotent stem cells in a suspension culture or a two-dimensional culture system while maintaining the cells in a proliferative, pluripotent and undifferentiated state. The novel culture media comprise interleukin 11 (IL11) and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF); bFGF at a concentration of at least 50 ng/ml and an IL6RIL6 chimera; or an animal contaminant-free serum replacement and an IL6RIL6 chimera. Also provided are methods for generating lineage-specific cells from the pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a permselective medium positionable to contact a fluid in a microchannel, an arrangement of electrodes arranged to generate an electric field across the permselective medium, an ion concentration sensing system having a sensing element configured to provide sensing signals indicative of a local ion concentration pattern, and a signal processor for analyzing a sensing signal received from the ion concentration sensing system to determine at least one flow parameter characterizing the flow.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of estimating a similarity of binary records comprising executable code, comprising converting a first binary record and a second binary record to a first intermediate representation (IR) and a second IR respectively, decomposing each of the first IR and the second IR to a plurality of strands which are partial dependent chains of program instructions, calculating a probability score for each of the plurality of strands of the first IR to have an equivalent counterpart in the second IR by comparing each strand of the first IR to one or more strands of the second IR, adjusting the probability score for each strand according to a significance value calculated for each strand and calculating a similarity score defining a functional similarity between the first IR and the second IR by aggregating the adjusted probability score of the plurality of strands.

Abstract: A system for energy conversion including photoluminescent (PL) material for absorbing solar radiation and emitting PL radiation, a solar concentrator for concentrating solar radiation on the PL material, photovoltaic (PV) material configured to absorb the PL radiation, and a chamber for containing the PL material and Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF), and further including the system configured to pipe the HTF from the chamber to a system for conversion of HTF heat to energy. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for diagnosing, screening or monitoring a disease by analyzing the breath of a test subject using a selected definitive sensor set in conjunction with a pattern recognition analyzer, wherein the pattern recognition analyzer receives output signals of the sensor set, compares them to disease-specific patterns derived from a database of response patterns of the sensor set to exhaled breath of subjects with known diseases, wherein each of the disease-specific patterns is characteristic of a particular disease, and selects a closest match between the output signals of the sensor set and the disease-specific pattern.

Abstract: This invention provides a nanoparticle made of: a potato protein; and a bioactive compound bound to the potato protein. The invention further provides foods or beverages, including clear ones, which are supplemented with the nanoparticles made of: a potato protein; and a hydrophobic bioactive compound bound to the potato protein. The process of making the nanoparticles of the invention, and methods for supplementing foods or beverages with hydrophobic bioactive compounds via the nanoparticles of the invention and are also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a computer implemented method of manufacturing a truss of a three dimensional (3D) object representation, comprising: receiving a definition of the 3D object representation, arranging within an interior space of the 3D object representation, a plurality of instances of a sphere having a common radius to create a packed sphere arrangement, computing nodes of a truss for the 3D object representation, each respective node positioned at a center of each respective instance of each sphere of the packed sphere arrangement, computing beams of the truss by connecting adjacent nodes with respective beams, and providing code instructions for execution by a manufacturing device controller of a manufacturing device for manufacturing the truss.

Abstract: There is provided a method of generating instructions for manufacturing of a functionally graded material (FGM) object, comprising: providing geometric trivariate(s) defining geometry of FGM object, providing material trivariate(s) defining material properties of the FGM object, computing a volumetric representation of the FGM object that includes the geometric trivariate(s) and the material trivariate(s) spanning a same parametric domain, and computing code instructions for execution by a manufacturing device controller of a manufacturing device for manufacturing of the FGM object by: identifying locations within the boundaries defined by the geometric trivariate(s) of the volumetric representation, computing respective material value(s) for each of the locations according to the material trivariate(s) of the volumetric representation corresponding to the identified locations, and converting the locations from the parametric domain to the Euclidean space, wherein each of the locations in Euclidean space is a