Abstract: In order to protect a substrate having at least a portion adjacent to a surface that is made of a refractory material containing silicon, while the substrate is in use at high temperature in a medium that is oxidizing and wet, there is formed on the surface of the substrate an environmental barrier that contains no boron and that has at least one layer that is essentially constituted by a system of oxides formed by at least one rare earth oxide, silica, and alumina, and that is capable of self-healing by maintaining the presence of at least one solid phase in a temperature range extending up to at least 1400° C. approximately.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for stimulating living tissue, comprising an array of stimulating microelectrodes that are placed in a defined configuration side by side and able to be selected by applying an electrical signal for stimulation by one of the microelectrodes. According to the disclosure, an additional conducting surface for application against the living tissue, is provided in the vicinity of a defined plurality of sections for local application of microelectrodes, connecting means being provided for electrical connection between the zones, and the additional conducting surface being also connected to a lead and being formed so as to ensure local stimulation via a microelectrode.

Abstract: A process for managing digital audio streams of a musical work, includes creating digital audio streams called tracks (p1 to p21) of the same musical work, whereby the tracks have a duration that is essentially equal to the musical work, each of the digital audio streams corresponding to a sound signal. The process includes, at the time of creation, combining the tracks into at least two units (G1 to G5), whereby the tracks and the units are called elements; establishing constraints relative to the elements; verifying that each new constraint is compatible with the prior constraints using a constraint resolution engine; encapsulating the tracks (p1 to p21) and the constraints in a single computer file; and, when the user listens to the work, selecting the tracks that he wishes to hear in accordance with the constraints, and obtaining a sound signal from the selected tracks.

Abstract: The invention provides a reliable, simple, and accurate method for detecting a threshold thickness of a purely-resistive material deposited on a sensor, and providing a response that is independent of the resistivity of the material. The invention provides a measurement method using a sensor comprising at least two electrode pairs having a defined voltage applied thereto generating current between the electrodes, the electrode pairs differing by at least one first parameter selected from the width, the spacing, and the length of the electrodes, and the voltage applied to each pair, and at least one second one of said parameters being adjusted so that a first resistance or a first current between the electrodes of the first pair, and a second resistance or a second current between the electrodes of the second pair are equal when the threshold thickness is reached.

Abstract: A probe for atomic force microscopy (SM) comprising a micromechanical resonator (RMM) and a tip for atomic force microscopy (P1) projecting from said resonator, the probe being characterized in that: it also includes means (EL1) for selectively exciting a volume mode of oscillation of said resonator (RMM); and in that said tip for atomic force microscopy (P1, P1?) projects from said resonator substantially in correspondence with an antinode point (PV1) of said volume mode of oscillation. An atomic force microscope including such a probe (SM?). A method of atomic force microscopy including the use of such a probe.

Abstract: A composite optic fibre for laser includes a core surrounded with a pump guiding sheath in contact with the core, sheath being a photonic structure formed by a substantially regular matrix assembly of coaxial capillaries, spaced apart and arranged parallel to the core, the core being a material with doping elements which may be brought into at least one excited electronic state by absorbing the energy from a pump optical signal of a first determined wavelength running through the core and capable of giving-back the former by de-energization in the form of an optical signal of a second determined wavelength, the core having a determined diameter and the sheath having a determined diameter. The diameter of the guiding sheath is greater than the core diameter and smaller than or equal to four times the core diameter, the core diameter being greater than or equal to 35 micrometers.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a process for managing digital audio streams, consisting in creating digital audio streams called tracks (p1 to p21), whereby each of said digital audio streams corresponds to a sound signal, characterized in that it consists, at the time of creation, in combining said tracks into at least two units (G1 to G5), whereby the tracks and units are called elements, in establishing constraints on the elements, in verifying that each new constraint is compatible with the prior constraints using a constraint resolution engine, in encapsulating the tracks (p1 to p21) and the constraints in a single computer file, and when the user listens to the work, in selecting the tracks that he wishes to hear in accordance with the constraints, and obtaining a sound signal from the selected tracks.

Abstract: The invention concerns a detection system (7) for measuring at least one characteristic of an inked zone (5) comprising at least one sensor adapted to sense a light radiation reflected by said inked zone (5) and to generate a measurement signal representing at least the characteristic of the inked zone (5). Such a system further comprises at least one first optic fiber (10), adapted to convey up to the neighbourhood of the inked zone (5), a light radiation emitted by a light source (11).

Abstract: The invention concerns compounds of formula (I), wherein —XmR1 and YnR2, identical or different are present, or one of the XmR1 or YnR2 is absent and YaR2, identical or different, is present, and in that case the bond between C1 and C2 is a double bond, XmR1 and YnR2 together represent a group A and in that case the bond between C1 and A is a double bond, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts as medicine.

Abstract: A rare earth ion ultrashort laser source includes a resonant cavity having a first output face partially reflecting and a second reflecting face. The source also includes a first active material, which receives a pump luminous flux transmitted via a first solid laser pump source. The resonant cavity exhibits a length of optical path travelled by the pulses greater than 7.5 m so that the pulsed energy EL is greater than 100 nJ, the optical path including at least one passage in the active material and the ultrashort laser source includes elements for lengthening the resonant cavity thereby enabling to extend the length of the optical path travelled by the luminous pulses in the resonant cavity, the ABCD propagation matrix of the resonant cavity being close to the unit matrix so that the features of the luminous beam going back and forth in the resonant cavity remain unchanged.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rare earth ion ultrashort laser source including a resonant cavity (1) having a first output face (2) partially reflecting and a second reflecting face (3). Said source also comprises a first active material (4). Said first material (4) receives a pump luminous flux (6) transmitted via a first solid laser pump source (7). According to the invention, the resonant cavity (1) exhibits a length of optical path travelled by said pulses greater than 7.

Abstract: A method of acquiring and processing images of an article, such as a tooth in the mouth, for example, the apparatus comprising an ultraviolet light source for illuminating the article, a matrix-type video camera for taking video images of the article illuminated in ambient light and in ultraviolet light, and control and data processor means.

Abstract: A method and device for photothermal imaging tiny metal particles which are immersed in a given medium like a living cell. The given medium and immersed tiny metal particles are illuminated through separate phase reference laser beam and sensitive probe laser beam, with the sensitive probe laser beam undergoing through impingement on the given medium slight phase changes induced by photothermal effect due to a local heating thanks to a heating laser beam, in the absence of any substantial phase changes to the phase reference laser beam. Illuminating is performed by focusing the separate phase reference laser beam. The induced slight phase changes on the sensitive probe laser beam with reference to the phase reference laser beam are detected through differential phase interference contrast phenomenon so as to allow each of the tiny metal particles in the given medium to be imaged as an optical label.

Abstract: A method and system of selecting items of data from a stream of information by comparing the information to reference data. The reference data items are recorded in the form of logical entities in a two dimensional memory table. The reference logical entities of different types are stored vertically in different horizontal zones of the table in the order in which the entities of the same type are found in the file. In a control memory are stored, line-by-line, control information which specify the comparisons to be made between the reference logical entities and logical entities which are received from the file, as well as control information related to storage of logical entities received from the file and of operations including comparisons and storage between comparison results and other data contained in the table and information related to the linkage of processes for each control line of the control memory or from one control line to another.