Abstract: A process for the preparation of an aromatic product is disclosed which includes a step b) of contacting one or more intermediate compounds with a further acid to form the aromatic product. The intermediate compounds can be obtained in step a) that includes contacting a 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene core structure with an acidic mixture. The amount of acid in step b) is higher than the amount of acid in step a).

Abstract: A focusing device comprises a base unit and a mirror unit which is translatable relative to the base unit parallel to an optical axis of the focusing device. The mirror unit is configured to receive incident light along the optical axis in a first direction and to reflect the incident light parallel with the optical axis in said first direction. The mirror unit comprises at least four mirrors, at least one of the mirrors being curved.

Abstract: In a communication network, a network function may be provided for controlling Information Centric Networking (ICN) protocol-based traffic flow between a set of user equipment (UE). This network function may be an ICN application function (ICN-AF), and may obtain ICN layer information from an ICN router which is indicative of a congestion state of a current PDU session of user equipment. If the congestion state indicates congestion, the ICN-AF may initiate establishment of a new PDU session for the user equipment (UE1) or initiate upgrade of a quality of service (QoS) characteristic of the current PDU session, for example using the session management function (SMF) and via the SMF's session management of PDU sessions.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a process for producing formic acid, having (a) a carbon capture step in which a source of carbon dioxide is contacted with an amine solution in a closed-top scrubber, to obtain an ammonium bicarbonate solution; (b) inducing crystallization in the ammonium bicarbonate solution to obtain a concentrated ammonium bicarbonate solution; (c) subjecting the concentrated ammonium bicarbonate solution to a hydrogenation step to obtain an ammonium formate; and (d) heating the ammonium formate to a temperature in the range of 50-150° C., to obtain a gaseous product containing the amine and a liquid product stream containing formic acid. The source of carbon dioxide has a carbon dioxide content of at least 95 vol % and the amine used in step (a) and reformed in step (d) has a partial vapour pressure above a 40 wt % solution of the amine in water at 20° C. of at least 40 kPa. The disclosure further concerns a system for performing the process.

Abstract: A laser device for optical communication comprises a first laser unit connected to a first optical fiber for supplying a transmission laser beam thereto. wherein the laser device is configured for providing a reference laser beam in addition to the transmission laser beam. For providing the reference laser beam the laser device further includes a second laser unit connected to a second optical fiber for supplying the reference laser beam to the second optical fiber. The first laser unit is configured for providing the transmission laser beam as a linear polarized beam that is polarized in a first polarization direction, and the second laser unit is configured for providing the reference laser beam as a linear polarized beam that is polarized in a second polarization direction.

Abstract: Lignocellulosic biomass can be fractionated for the purpose of increasing cellulose purity in the pulp, increasing native lignin content of the isolated lignin, and improving cellulose hydrolysis, by performing the steps of: (a) extracting the biomass with an extracting liquid comprising at least 20 wt % of a first organic solvent at a temperature below 100° C.; (b) treating the extracted biomass with a treatment liquid comprising a second organic solvent selected from lower alcohols, ethers and ketones, optionally water and optionally an acid, at a temperature between 120° C. and 280° C., and, optionally: (c) subjecting a cellulose-enriched product stream resulting from step (b) to enzymatic hydrolysis. The first and second organic solvent may be different or the same; in particular they comprise ethanol or acetone.

Abstract: Translations of an object in a plurality of different spatial directions are measured using a plurality of interferometers to detect interference with light that has been reflected from a diffusively reflective surface, preferably using diffuse reflection from the same planar surface to measure in each of the different spatial directions. At least the interferometers that measure translation in directions that are not perpendicular to the surface each comprises a single mode fiber and a collimator configured to transmit the outgoing light to the object successively through the single mode fiber and the collimator, and to collect reflection into the single mode fiber with the collimator both along a same beam direction. It has been found that, when reflection of a beam with a beam direction at an oblique angle to a diffusively reflective surface is used, the interference resulting from translation of the object is due substantially only to translation in the beam direction.

Abstract: A foldable thin film device assembly is provided comprising: a flexible thin film device with a thickness smaller than 50 micrometer. The thin film device has a stack of electroactive layers formed on a substrate. A protective inorganic capping layer caps the stack of electroactive layers and a backside elastomeric layer backs the flexible thin film device. A frontside transparent elastomeric layer covers the flexible thin film device, and backside and frontside flexible layers are dimensioned to mechanically form a neutral line for the protective inorganic layer. The elastomeric material has a Young's modulus smaller than 100 MPa smaller than 100 MPa and thickness larger than 100 micron, with a flexural rigidity equal or larger than the thin film device.

Abstract: A method and system for heat bonding a chip to a substrate by means of heat bonding material disposed there between. At least the substrate is preheated from an initial temperature to an elevated temperature below a damage temperature of the substrate. A light pulse applied to the chip momentarily increases the chip temperature to a pulsed peak temperature below a peak damage temperature of the chip. The momentarily increased pulsed peak temperature of the chip causes a flow of conducted heat from the chip to the bonding material, causing the bonding material to form a bond.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device (1) is provided with plurality of mutually subsequent photovoltaic device cells (1A, . . . , 1F) arranged along a direction of first device axis (D1). Each pair of a photovoltaic device cell and its successor are serially arranged through an interface region (1CD), further having a bypass function, and which extends along a second axis (D2), transverse to the first axis.

Abstract: A light guide is described that includes a thermoplastic light channeling layer having at least a first segment, at least a second segment, and at least one groove dividing the thermoplastic light channeling layer into the first segment and second segment. The light guide further includes one or more light sources at least at the first segment. The at least one groove is shaped to block light from leaking between the first segment and the second segment. A method of forming the light guide is described that includes: providing a thermoplastic light channeling layer, thermoforming the at least one groove to divide the light guide into the first and second segments, and providing one of more light sources to at least the first segment.

Abstract: The concerns a process for producing formic acid, (a) a carbon capture step in which a source of carbon dioxide is contacted with an amine solution in an amine scrubber, to obtain an ammonium bicarbonate solution, where the carbon capture uses a chilled amine solution having a temperature in the range of 0-20 ° C.; (b) inducing crystallization in the ammonium bicarbonate solution to obtain a concentrated ammonium bicarbonate solution; (c) subjecting the concentrated ammonium bicarbonate solution to a hydrogenation step to obtain an ammonium formate; and (d) heating the ammonium formate to a temperature in the range of 50-150 ° C., to obtain a gaseous product containing the amine and a liquid product stream containing formic acid. The application further concerns a system for performing the process.

Abstract: Embodiments provide functionality for dynamic handling of network slice priorities. In an embodiment, a slice priority manager receives, from a network services node, data indicating changes in network resources available for maintaining instantiated network slices in a communication network. Based on the received data, changes in the network services node's ability to maintain the instantiated network slices are identified and a communication service provider is notified of the change. To continue, slice priority data that indicates a preferred order of a portion of the network slices for allocating the network resources is received from the communication service provider. In turn, an indication of the slice priority data is forwarded to the network services node to update allocation of network resources for the slices.

Abstract: A high-precision linear actuator is described that includes a first straight-guide mechanism that guides movements of an actuator element and a working device relative to an actuator housing. A pressing mechanism that, in a pressing-contact condition, presses the actuator frame and the actuator housing with a predetermined force against one another. A second straight-guide mechanism that guides movements of the actuator housing relative to the actuator frame between the pressing-contact condition and released-contact conditions in which the pressing mechanism presses the actuator frame and the actuator housing towards one another. The high-precision linear actuator provides a safety mechanism automatically reinstates negative consequences of unforeseen collisions in the working environment. In addition the high-precision linear actuator allows for a compact and light-weight design of the actuator element and the working device, which improves operational speed and effectivity of the linear actuator.

Abstract: Processor systems and computer-implemented methods are provided for rendering a multiuser virtual environment in which different panoramic images are provided as image-based backdrop for different viewing positions in the virtual environment. When a user switches from a first viewing position for which a first panoramic image is rendered to a second viewing position for which a second panoramic image is rendered, a transition may be rendered for the user, for example as a mathematical transformation of the panoramic images. To avoid other users perceiving the representation of the user in the virtual environment from abruptly switching to the second viewing position, transition data may be provided which enables another processor system to render a representation of the transition in the virtual environment, e.g., by moving an avatar of the user along a movement trajectory.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus (1,29) for forming an object by means of additive manufacturing, the method comprising consecutively providing a plurality of layers (9) of building material (5, 6), and selectively curing one or more pixels (47) of each of the layers (9) during printing thereof. The method comprises a step of providing a first layer (9) of a first building material (5) onto a support surface (4, 30) or a preceding layer (9), and selectively exposing, in accordance with layer data, one or more pixels (47) in the first layer (9) to a dose of radiation (45, 45?). It further comprises the identifying, based on the layer data, of one or more contour pixels (47) in the first layer (9) that coincide with a contour of a featured region of a subsequent second layer (9), wherein the featured region of the second layer (9) is to be provided using a second building material (6) different from the first building material (5).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a bitumen composition, to a paving, to a roofing, to a method for preparing a bitumen composition, to a method for increasing the stiffness of a bitumen composition, to a method of adjusting the physical properties of a bitumen composition, and to the use of a bitumen composition. The bitumen composition of the invention comprises a lignin compound or derivative thereof, wherein 10 wt. % or more by weight of said lignin compound or derivative thereof is molecularly dissolved in said bitumen composition.

Abstract: A method and processor system are provided for adapting an acoustic rendering of an audio source to a visual rendering of an image-based object. Such visual rendering may be in virtual-reality (VR) or in augmented-reality (AR). The image-based object may be modelled, and an audio object representing the modelled object may be established in an acoustic scene containing the audio source and being associated with the visual rendering. The audio object may be assigned a reverberant and/or absorbent property, and the acoustic rendering may be adapted to the audio object. This way, the acoustic rendering may be adapted to image-based objects, and a user may perceive the acoustic rendering as better matching the visual rendering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixture of strains of Lactobacillus crispatus, which mixture comprises strains that have a different carbohydrate degradation profile, comprising at least one strain of L. crispatus that is able to degrade glycogen, and at least one strain of L. crispatus that is able to degrade lactose. Such a mixture is of use in the treatment or prevention of bacterial vaginosis, preferably to decrease recurrence of bacterial vaginosis after treatment with antibiotics.

Abstract: A recoater for applying a layer of build material capable of solidification on a working surface, wherein the recoater comprises a discharge port and a flattening member, wherein the discharge port is configured to discharge build material to form a heap of build material ahead of the flattening member, wherein the flattening member is configured to spread material from the heap of build material along the working surface in order to form the layer of build material on top of the working surface through a gap formed between a lower surface of the flattening member and the working surface by relative movement of the flattening member and the working surface, wherein the recoater further includes a shutter distanced from the discharge port, wherein the shutter is configured to be movable between a closed position in which build material is not dispensed onto the working surface, and an opened position in which build material is dispensed onto the working surface, wherein the shutter is configured to close an ad