Abstract: A method for the preparation of a highly polarized nuclear spins containing sample of an organic or inorganic material, containing H or OH groups or adsorbed water molecules. Such highly polarized nuclear spins containing samples can be subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement and/or can be thawed and immediately administered to an individual undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The method is based on generating unstable radicals on the surface of the sample in the presence of ionized environment followed by cooling the sample to cryogenic temperatures. A device for carrying out a particular step of said method is also discloses.

Abstract: A scanning micro-fluid device for an exchange of species with a surface and with an intermediate immersion liquid is disclosed. The device comprises a first and a second micro-channel comprising a fluid. The first micro-channel comprises a first aperture and the second micro-channel comprises a second aperture. They have a distance to each other in an apex area in proximity of the surface of a substrate. The surface, the apex area is immersed with the intermediate immersion liquid. The device also comprises a first electrode reaching into the fluid on the first micro-channel and a second electrode reaching into the fluid on the second micro-channel, and an apex electrode. Different voltage levels are applicable to the first, the second and the apex electrode such that species are interacting at surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A pressure sensing device that may include a first and second sensing elements that include one or more piezoresistive materials. The first sensing element has a first gradient. The second sensing element has a second gradient. The second gradient differs from the first gradient. The first and second gradients facilitate a determination of a magnitude of and/or a location of pressure applied on the first and second sensing element.

Abstract: Highly efficient digital domain sub-band based receivers and transmitters.

Abstract: A system and method for ensuring safe and tolerable insertion of a needle into a subject's body according to a preplanned or continuously monitored sequence of insertion steps. The system comprises a gripping device for gripping the needle in order to perform robotic insertion steps, yet for releasing the grip between such insertion steps, until the next insertion step is initiated. Thereby, the robot has full control of the needle during insertion steps, but does not constrain the needle between insertions, such that movement of the subject can cause neither damage nor discomfort. The gripping and insertion steps may be coordinated to keep in synchronization with the subject's breathing cycles, such that the insertion steps may be performed in the same segment of each cycle of motion of the subject's chest. The gripper can either fully disconnect from the needle, or can partially disconnect but constrain motion within limits.

Abstract: A self-propelled device for locomotion through a lumen, comprising a set of serially arranged inflatable chambers, the end ones of which expand at least radially when inflated. Connecting passages provide fluid communication between each pair of adjacent chambers. A fluid source is attached to one of the end chambers. The connecting passages are such that the fluid inflates the chambers in a sequence, beginning with the chamber closest to the source, and ending with the chamber furthest from the source. The same sequence occurs when the chambers deflate, beginning with the chamber closest to the source, and ending with the chamber furthest from the source. The fluid source can either be a fluid supply tube, extending to a supply outside the lumen, or it can be built-in and carried by the device. The device can crawl either along the lumen wall or on an inserted guide wire.

Abstract: A GPGPU-compatible architecture combines a coarse-grain reconfigurable fabric (CGRF) with a dynamic dataflow execution model to accelerate execution throughput of massively thread-parallel code. The CGRF distributes computation across a fabric of functional units. The compute operations are statically mapped to functional units, and an interconnect is configured to transfer values between functional units.

Abstract: The present invention relates, according to some embodiments, method of treating eye diseases, such as AMD by administering Semaphorin 3C (Sema3C) or a variant thereof having amino acid modifications at furin-like pro-protein convertase cleavage sites, rendering these sites resistant to cleavage.

Abstract: A self-propelled device for locomotion through a lumen, comprising a set of serially arranged inflatable chambers, adjacent chambers being fluidly connected, and a fluid source attached to one end of the set, such that the chambers inflate sequentially. The chambers are constructed of an elastic material and have a wall thickness and dimensions such that they have a characteristic with a non-monotonous relationship between the inflation pressure within the chamber and the chamber's inflated size. The characteristic is such that after an initial inflation pressure peak, the non-monotonous relationship adopts a negative slope, such that the volume of the chamber increases more rapidly than the volume of fluid flowing into it, and the inflation pressure of the chamber falls. This effect causes the chamber to inflate and anchor rapidly, while essentially slowing down the inflation of the succeeding chamber until inflation of the first is complete.

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 spectrally encoded imaging device having a light transmission path arrangement which propagates light to illuminate a target object, a light collection path arrangement having a light collection waveguide which propagates a spectrally encoded portion of the light from the target object to a detector which forms an image of the target object accordingly, and a diffractive element which spectrally disperses at least one of the light and the spectrally encoded portion. The light transmission path arrangement and the light collection path arrangement are optically isolated from one another.

Abstract: A method and a device that includes a set of multiple pipeline stages, wherein the set of multiple pipeline stages is arranged to execute a first thread of instructions; multiple memristor based registers that are arranged to store a state of another thread of instructions that differs from the first thread of instructions; and a control circuit that is arranged to control a thread switch between the first thread of instructions and the other thread of instructions by controlling a storage of a state of the first thread of instructions at the multiple memristor based registers and by controlling a provision of the state of the other thread of instructions by the set of multiple pipeline stages; wherein the set of multiple pipeline stages is arranged to execute the other thread of instructions upon a reception of the state of the other thread of instructions.

Abstract: A method for writing data to a memory module, the method may include determining to write a representation of a data unit to a retired group of memory cells; searching for a selected retired group of memory cells that can store a representation of the data unit without being erased; and writing the representation of the data unit to the selected retired group of memory cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides processes for removing nitrogen species from fresh water or high salinity water recirculated aquaculture systems. The processes are based on physico-chemical treatments which are performed at ambient temperatures and at low pH values thus keeping the total ammonia nitrogen concentrations below a value which is considered detrimental for the growth or survival rate of cultured fish/shrimp.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for steering of a flexible needle into tissue using a steering robotic platform for manipulation of the needle shaft, and by use of a semi-active arm for locating and orienting of the steering robot on the patient's body. As opposed to other steering methods, the robot does not hold the base of the needle, which is its proximal region, but rather grips the shaft of the needle by means of a manipulatable needle gripping device, near its distal end. The needle gripper attached to the robotic platform may be equipped with a traction assembly to provide motion to the needle in its longitudinal direction, such that it co-ordinates the entry of the needle with the desired entry angle. The gripping of the needle at its distal end, close to its insertion point, provides the needle manipulator with a low profile, with concomitant advantages.

Abstract: A method for controlling a controlled system by a control device, the method may include transmitting multiple actuation signals to multiple degree of freedom (DOF) points of the controlled system; wherein the multiple actuation signals comprise multiple alternating current (AC) components that are mutually orthogonal; measuring at least one feedback signal from at least one probe point of the controlled system; wherein a number of DOF points exceeds a number of the at least one probe point; determining, based upon the at least one feedback signal, values of line search pulses to be sent to the multiple DOF points during at least one line search iteration; and performing the at least one line search iteration.

Abstract: A method and a sensing device are provided. The sensing device may include a readout circuit, a bulk, a holding element and a heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein heterojunction bipolar transistor is configured to generate detection signals responsive to a temperature of at least a portion of the heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein the holding element is configured to support the heterojunction bipolar transistor; wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor is thermally isolated from the bulk; wherein the readout circuit is electrically coupled to the heterojunction bipolar transistor; and wherein the readout circuit is configured to receive the detection signals and to process the detection signals to provide information about electromagnetic radiation that affected the temperature of the at least portion of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition and a method of treating, reducing or preventing vascular, cardiovascular arterial or valve calcification in a subject in need comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of an agent that prevents or reduces the expression of HDAC4, an agent that modulates the location of HDAC4, an agent that binds to HDAC4 or an inhibitor of HDAC4 or any combination thereof is provided. In some embodiments, there is provided a pharmaceutical composition comprising: an agent that prevents or reduces the expression of HDAC4, an agent that modulates the location of HDAC4, an agent that binds to HDAC4 or an inhibitor of HDAC4 or any combination thereof; an agent that prevents or reduces the expression of SIK or is an inhibitor of SIK; and/or an agent that prevents or reduces the expression of ENIGMA (Pdlim7) or is an inhibitor of ENIGMA.

Abstract: Provided are methods and kits for determining predisposition of a subject to develop a kidney disease, by identifying in a sample of the subject at least one APOL1 polypeptide variant which is characterized by a higher trypanolytic activity on Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense as compared to the trypanolytic activity of wild type APOL1 polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 on the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense under identical assay conditions; or at least one APOL1 nucleotide mutation in the APLO1 genomic sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, wherein the at least one nucleotide mutation or polypeptide variant being in linkage disequlibrium (LD) with the S342G mutation in the APOL1 polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, wherein presence of the APOL1 polypeptide variant indicates increased predisposition of the subject to develop the kidney disease.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a signal, which includes reflections of multiple pulses from one or more targets (24). A Doppler focusing function, in which the reflections of the multiple pulses from each target accumulate in-phase to produce a respective peak associated with a respective delay and a respective Doppler frequency of the target, is evaluated based on the received signal. Respective delays and Doppler frequencies of the targets are estimated based on the Doppler focusing function.