Abstract: A novel radio frequency sequence, suitable for performing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of 2-dimensional (2D) slices of samples exhibiting short magnetization coherence times (i.e., hard tissues). The SS-ZTE pulse sequence contains the following steps: a) magnetizing all spins in the sample from a longitudinal direction to the transverse plane; b) exciting the 2D slice of interest, which comprises the selective locking of said 2D sample slice magnetization while spoiling the magnetization in the rest of sample volume; c) making the magnetization of the selected 2D slice impervious to reconfigurations of the magnetic field gradients from slice selection to encoding and readout; d) reading out of the free induction decay signal of the sample; e) repeating steps (a-d) with different readout directions, so as to gather a corresponding number of radial spokes of the plane defined by the 2D sample slice.

Abstract: It is provided a hydrogel comprising dendritic polyglycerol units and polyether units. The dendritic polyglycerol units correspond to general formula (I). They comprise a dendritic polyglycerol core having terminal hydroxyl groups and terminal sulfate or sulfonate substituents, wherein a degree of substitution of the dendritic polyglycerol core with sulfate or sulfonate substituents lies in a range from 10% to 98%. The polyether units correspond to general formula (II), wherein the dendritic polyglycerol units and the polyether units are covalently bound to each other via the bonds illustrated by dashed lines in formula (I) and formula (II). The hydrogel has antiviral properties and can be used, e.g., as mucus replacement, cartilage replacement, or synovial fluid replacement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising modified lignin and modified cellulose which are suitable for use in additive manufacturing (e.g. 3D printing), in particular for direct ink writing (DIW). In particular, the invention relates to a composition suitable for direct ink writing, comprising a) a functional ether of lignin, b) a functional ether of cellulose, and c) a solvent comprising an aliphatic alcohol and optionally water. The content of the functional ether of lignin in the composition is at least 25 wt. % based on the combined weights of functional ether of lignin and functional ether of cellulose.

Abstract: A manufacturing device for manufacturing an object in layers includes at least one transfer platform with a transfer platform surface, at least one application unit configured to apply at least one treatment layer and at least one material layer which together form a pre-material layer of the object, to the transfer platform surface, wherein the pre-material layer extends at least in a first direction (x) and/or in a second direction (y), and a construction platform configured to receive at least the at least one material layer of the pre-material layer from the transfer platform so that the object is manufactured in layers on the construction platform in a third direction (z).

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method for the additive manufacturing of an object, including supplying a strand-shaped starting material to a friction arrangement, and accelerating the starting material along an output direction through the friction arrangement, to apply the starting material onto a construction platform and/or onto already manufactured areas of the object for manufacturing the object, wherein the starting material is at least partially liquefied and/or at least partially plasticized and/or at least partially broken down into particles by the friction arrangement. This disclosure also relates to a manufacturing device to perform such methods.

Abstract: A mechanical collimator receives particles from a gamma radiation emission source and/or neutron emission source, a material that absorbs neutrons and is virtually transparent to gamma radiation A first detector includes a scintillator crystal with neutron-gamma discrimination capability and a position-sensitive photosensor, coupled to the mechanical collimator. One or more detector blocks have scintillator crystals of gamma or neutron-gamma radiation and position-sensitive photosensors, after the first detector, on a face opposite the mechanical collimator. A processing and acquisition module is connected to the detectors The device is suitable for use in inspections relating to nuclear safety, port safety, nuclear threats and accidents, and hadron-therapy treatments and nuclear medicine.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for recycling a composite material comprising inorganic fibers and an epoxy-resin in a one pot reaction, wherein the method comprises reacting the composite material with a boron halide in a solvent.

Abstract: A process for producing articles with an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system using a consumable filament made from or containing a propylene polymer composition made from or containing: A) from 20% to 60% by weight of a heterophasic propylene copolymer; B) from 5% to 33% by weight of a propylene homopolymer or copolymer, wherein the copolymer contains up to 5% by weight of an alpha olefin; C) from 2% to 15% by weight of an elastomeric block copolymer made from or containing styrene; D) from 4% to 32% by weight of an elastomeric ethylene copolymer; E) from 5% to 50% by weight of a glass material as filler; and F) from 0.1% to 5% by weight of compatibilizer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for the controlled fragmentation of solids by means of acoustic beams, comprising at least one acoustic beam generation unit (100); and one feedback and control unit (200) of said generation unit (100). Advantageously, the acoustic beams generated by the system are acoustic vortex beams; and the feedback and control unit (200) further comprises a feedback subsystem (12), configured to receive the information relating to the fragmented solids and to utilize it so as to adapt the operation of the acoustic beam generation unit (100). Given that the generation of shearing stresses is more efficient using vortex beams, the amplitudes of the ultrasonic field needed to fragment the calculi are much lower than in current extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy techniques. Likewise, the system minimizes unwanted effects on soft tissues surrounding the solid.

Abstract: Please cancel the abstract of this application and replace it with the following amended abstract presented in clean form according to the procedures outlines in MPEP 714(II)(B): It is provided an alkali metal metalate compound with high magnetic exchange bias and ionic conductivity properties having the general formulae (I) A2[M13-x M2x Z4] with A being one of Li, Na, K; M1, M2 being one or more of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn; Z being S or Se; x being 0-3, preferably 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3; whereby the compounds K2[Ni3S4], K2[Zn3S4], K2[Mn3S4], Na2[Mn3Se4] and K2[Ni3Se4] are exempted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a GluN2D inhibitor or a mGluR2 inhibitor in the treatment or relapse prevention of a depressive episode. Vectors encoding some of these inhibitors are also provided for use in the relapse prevention or treatment of depressive episodes. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising these inhibitors, preferably for use in the relapse prevention or treatment of a depressive episode.

Abstract: A method for marking a substrate with a unique library of nucleic acid sequence tags includes providing a library of nucleic acid sequence tags, including at least two different groups of nucleic acid sequence tags that each include multiple nucleic acid sequence tags. Each nucleic acid sequence tags has a defined nucleic acid motif in at least a first and a second characteristic position, and outside of characteristic positions a random nucleic acid sequence is present. The combination of the nucleic acid motifs of the at least first characteristic position and the at least second characteristic position of a nucleic acid sequence tag is characteristic and unique for the group of nucleic acid sequence tags. The substrate is marked with the unique nucleic acid library by applying the nucleic acid sequence tag library. A packaging article and different kits for applying and validating a substrate tagged are also provided.

Abstract: A fluidic device, a fluidic system and a method for developing a cellular starting material into a three-dimensional cellular structure. The fluidic device includes a base body which includes a chamber in which a matrix is received, into which the cellular starting material to be developed can be introduced, and at least two fluid reservoirs. Each fluid reservoir includes a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a separating device which is partially permeable to a fluid medium and which separates the associated fluid reservoir from the chamber and forms a common plane interface with the chamber, via which the fluid medium can diffuse into the matrix.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi perspective photography camera device, for capturing perspective images of a macroscopic 3D scene, comprising: —a hollow casing (10a-10b, 11, 13) housing: —a lens array (8) to be placed at a conjugate plane of an aperture diaphragm (2) of a photographic objective (OB), between the photographic objective (OB) and a photosensitive pixel array sensor (9), to simultaneously receive and transmit to the sensor (9) light representative of a plurality of different perspectives of the macroscopic 3D scene (S), one perspective per array lens; —a field diaphragm (5) to be placed at a plane where an image provided by said photographic objective (OB) is to be formed; and—a converging lens (6) having a focal length fR, and that is placed between the field diaphragm (5) and the lens array (8), at a distance equal to fR from the field diaphragm (5).

Abstract: A device for contactless inductive energy transmission having a first side and a second side is proposed, wherein the device comprises an energy transmission coil and a synchronisation coil, in each case, on the first side and on the second side. The energy transmission coils are in each case configured for inductive transmission and for receiving of energy, while the synchronisation coils are in each case configured for inductive transmission and for receiving a synchronisation signal, such that the first side and the second side are configured as a transmission side for contactless transmission of energy to be transmitted, and as a receiving side for contactless receiving of transmitted energy.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the treatment of proliferative diseases, such as cancer. In particular, the invention describes a novel combination therapy strategy, comprising a Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) inhibitor, an Inhibitor of ?B (I?B) Kinase (IKK)/Nuclear Factor ?B (NF?B)-signaling inhibitor, and a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor for the treatment and/or prevention of proliferative diseases, such as cancer. The invention provides such inhibitory compounds and their combinations for use in medical applications, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides the afatinib or a pharmaceutically salt thereof for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a cancer in a patient suffering from a disease caused by a defect in DNA damage repair mechanism. Surprisingly, when afatinib was administered to FA cells, it was confirmed that there was a therapeutic anti-cancer effect without any toxic side-effect on DNA.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for performing magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, which exploits prior knowledge of the interactions between electromagnetic fields and spins in the sampled object. This technique is able to provide shorter acquisition times with respect to traditional (Nyquist-Shannon limited) MRI. The method is based on an encoding matrix formalism constructed from the specific knowledge of how every spin would evolve in time depending on their position for a given pulse sequence. This particular previous knowledge has not been fully exploited previously by traditional MRI techniques. Moreover, the method of the invention can be used in combination with other schemes, such as compressed sensing, parallel imaging, or deep learning, for further shortening the MRI scan time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photonic chip carried out by the combination and interconnection of equally-oriented Programmable Photonics Processing Blocks, with all their longitudinal axes in parallel, implemented over a photonic chip that is capable of implementing one or multiple, simultaneous photonics circuits with optical feedback paths and/or linear multiport transformations, by the appropriate programming of its resources and the selection of its input and output ports. The invention also relates to a parallel field-programmable photonic array (P-FPPA) comprising of, at least one programmable circuit based on equally-oriented/parallel tunable beam-splitters with independent coupling and phase-shifting configuration and peripheral high-performance building blocks.

Abstract: A 2D bismuth material, also called bismuthene, has a sandwich-like sheet structure with at least two outer layers formed by organic molecules containing sulphur atoms that form Bi—S bonds and at least one inner layer formed by a crystalline network of Bi(0) atoms. These materials are useful in electronic, optoelectronic, catalytic applications or in energy storage and transformation. Furthermore, a process produces this material from a bismuth salt that reacts with an amine and subsequently with a thiol by effect of the application of radiation and a subsequent reduction. This process has a colloidal approach to producing Bi(0) crystals based on a photocatalytic reduction of a soluble Bi(III) organometallic complex leading to the generation of the crystals.