Abstract: A microfluidic device including a microfluidic chip assembled to an electrospray structure. The microfluidic chip includes at least one microfluidic channel leading through an outlet aperture to a surface area of the microfluidic chip. The electrospray structure includes at least one thin, planar point provided with a capillary slot that terminates at the end of the point so as to form an aperture for ejection of a liquid to be sprayed. The electrospray structure is arranged on the surface area of the microfluidic chip so that the point is cantilivered with respect to the microfluidic chip and so that the outlet aperture of the microfluidic device leads to the capillary slot of the point, which microfluidic device also has a mechanism to apply an electrospray voltage to the liquid to be sprayed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a collar for measuring the lateral deformation of a test piece during uniaxial or triaxial compression tests. According to the invention, the collar includes a metal hoop or a hoop that is made from composite materials, which can clasp the test piece and which is open. The free ends thereof are separated by a distance A. The inventive collar also includes a mechanism for directly or indirectly measuring the distance A. Between the free ends of the hoop, the mechanism includes at least one strain gauge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a monolithic polymer material comprising alternating copolymers formed by a radical reaction between a maleic anhydride in the form of a base monomer and ethylene comonomers in the form of electron donors. The invention also relates to a method for preparing said monolithic material consisting in carrying out a radical polymerization reaction of a composition which comprises a base composition containing a maleic anhydride in the form of a base monomer associated with the ethylene comonomers in the form of electron donors and/or with other ethylene comonomers in the form of electron donors or receivers and a mixture of pore-forming solvents, wherein said base composition is optionally supplemented with a thermal initiator or photo initiator.

Abstract: A frequency-stabilized laser source that is adapted for use as a frequency standard. The frequency of the laser source is locked and the laser beam delivered by the laser source on a transition of an absorber chemical element. The technique combines both operation with saturated absorption and synchronous detection, based on modulating said transition being saturated by the beam passing through the absorber chemical element. This produces a single frequency laser beam whose output frequency is stationary. The frequency is not continuously modulated and is more precise than that which would be obtained operating with single-pass absorption only. The laser source is thus adapted for making a frequency standard.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for treating a fiber or a fiber-based material such as a yarn, a woven, knitted or nonwoven textile material, paper, or leather, to improve its adsorption properties, wherein the following successive operations are carried out on said fiber or said material: a) applying a solid mixture of cyclodextrin(s) and/or cyclodextrin derivative(s) and/or inclusion complex(es) of cyclodextrin and/or cyclodextrin derivatives, at least one poly(carboxylic) acid and/or at least one poly(carboxylic) acid anhydride and optionally a catalyst; b) heating to a temperature in the range 150° C. to 220° C.; c) washing with water; and d) drying. The present invention also concerns fibers or fiber-based materials with improved cation exchange properties and improved hydrophilic characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the in vitro diagnosis of breast cancer which consists in determining the presence of NGF in a biological sample derived from a patient suspected of suffering from breast cancer. Said method may be used both in early diagnosis, screening, therapeutic follow-up and prognosis, and in the diagnosis of relapse in the case of breast cancer. The present invention also concerns the use of an NGF binding partner or of an NGF inhibitor for preparing a medicinal product, said medicinal product being in particular useful for blocking tumor proliferation and remote dissemination in patients suffering from breast cancer.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a ground-based haptic interface equipped with at least two decoupled rotary finger actuators adapted to be manipulated with the fingertips of a single hand of a user. For each finger actuator, means are included for measuring the angular position of the actuator or a for measuring the torque applied on the axis of rotation of the actuator. Each rotary finger actuator is associated with a control motor adapted to apply, on the axis of rotation of the actuator, a torque that is a function of the angular position of the actuator, or that controls the rotational position of the axis of rotation of the actuator as a function of the torque applied on this axis. The haptic interface can be used as a peripheral of a computer, for example, for interacting with a virtual environment. It can also be applied to the control or manipulation of real objects by being coupled, for example, with a robot or a manipulating arm. The interface also can be telemanipulated.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for preparing copolymers of cyclodextrin(s) and/or cyclodextrin derivative(s), characterized by the following operations: (a) preparing a solid state mixture of cyclodextrin(s) and/or cyclodextrin derivative(s) and/or inclusion complex(es) of cyclodextrin(s) and/or cyclodextrin derivative(s) and a poly(carboxylic) acid and/or a poly(carboxylic) acid anhydride or a mixture of poly(carboxylic) acid(s) and/or poly(carboxylic) acid anhydride(s), and optionally, a catalyst; and (b) heating the solid mixture to a temperature in the range 100° C. to 200° C. for a period in the range 1 min to 60 min, preferably 30 min or substantially 30 min. The present invention also concerns soluble and insoluble compounds of cyclodextrin(s) and/or cyclodextrin derivative(s) or their inclusion complexes with at least one poly(carboxylic) acid.

Abstract: Organometallic iron complexes containing one or more basic structural components characterizing a molecule with antimalarial properties such as quinine, chloroquinine or mepacrine, as well as one or more iron atoms are described. The complexes of the invention are more particularly characterized in that they contain one or more ferrocene groups.

Abstract: This dialkylmagnesium is represented by the formula R--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.n --Mg--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.n' --R', (E--O--E').sub.x, where R and R' each independently represent a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbon residue, branched or not, substituted or not, of the alkyl, cycloalkyl or aralkyl type; n and n', identical or substantially identical, represent an average number of --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 -- linkages such that the average number of carbon atoms in each of the two chains borne by Mg is greater than 20; E and E', identical or different, each represent an alkyl radical, linear or cyclical, branched or not; and 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.2, x being the average value of the number of moles of E--O--E' ether complexed to the dialkylmagnesium. In order to prepare a dialkylmagnesium of this type, ethylene is polymerized in an anhydrous, de-oxygenated hydrocarbonaceous solution by means of a catalyst Cp*.sub.2 MCl.sub.2 Li(OEt.sub.2).sub.

Abstract: A composite structure comprising:(i) a solid electrolyte which is an O.sup.2- anion conductor and essentially impermeable to gases;(ii) a cathode; and(iii) an anode, wherein the cathode and anode are porous to gases and wherein the electrolyte is in contact with the cathode and anode,wherein at least one of the cathode and anode is a voluminal electrode comprising (a) at least one BIMEVOX compound and (b) an electronic conductor, forming a distinct solid phase, dispersed in the BIMEVOX compound so as to define, within respective volumes of the voluminal electrode, a plurality of triple contact points between an ambient gaseous atmosphere, the electrolyte, and the electronic conductor.

Abstract: This dialkylmagnesium is represented by the formula R--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.n --Mg--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.n' --R', (E--O--E').sub.x, where R and R' each independently represent a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbon residue, branched or not, substituted or not, of the alkyl, cycloalkyl or aralkyl type; n and n', identical or substantially identical, represent an average number of --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 -- linkages such that the average number of carbon atoms in each of the two chains borne by Mg is greater than 20; E and E', identical or different, each represent an alkyl radical, linear or cyclical, branched or not; and 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.2, x being the average value of the number of moles of E--O--E' ether complexed to the dialkylmagnesium. In order to prepare a dialkylmagnesium of this type, ethylene is polymerized in an anhydrous, de-oxygenated hydrocarbonaceous solution by means of a catalyst Cp*.sub.2 MCl.sub.2 Li(OEt.sub.2).sub.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell comprising a solid electrolyte conductive for O.sup.2- anions in contact with an anode and a cathode of identical or different composition, the electrolyte solid being comprised of a composition derived from Bi.sub.4 V.sub.2 O.sub.11 of which at least one of the cationic constituent elements is substituted by at least one substituting element chosen such that the gamma phase structural type of Bi.sub.4 V.sub.2 O.sub.11 is maintained, as well as the equilibrium of charges, at least one of the anode or the cathode including two parts, a first part being of a mixed electronic and ionic conductive material in contact with the solid electrolyte, the second part being an electronic conductive material superposed on the first part. The invention equally relates to the use of the electrochemical cell with a view towards the separation or the extraction of oxygen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell comprising a solid electrolyte which conducts O.sup.2- anions in contact with an anode and a cathode of identical or different composition, the solid electrolyte being comprised of a composition derived from Bi.sub.4 V.sub.2 O.sub.11 of which at least one of the constituent cationic elements is substituted by at least one substituting element such that the gamma phase structural type of Bi.sub.4 V.sub.2 O.sub.11 is maintained as well as the equilibrium of charges, at least one of the anode or of the cathode is a material containing at least one element of substitution of said composition derived from Bi.sub.4 V.sub.2 O.sub.11, that element being in a metallic or cationic state. The invention equally relates to the use of the electrochemical cell with a view towards the separation or extraction of oxygen.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for application of hyperthermia in a particular body using microwaves. The device comprises a wire antenna (1) supplied with microwave energy or, upon switching, acting as a radiometric probe, a sleeve (2) enabling the wire antenna to be thermostatted and a Foley-type catheter (3) removably mounted so as to encompass the assembly thus constituted, the catheter enabling this assembly to be positioned in relation to an opening for insertion into the particular body and being the sole disposable part in order to ensure good hygiene of the hyperthermia session. A connection module (4) allows the interconnection both of the wire antenna, from the radio-frequency point of view, and of the sleeve and the catheter, from the hydraulic point of view. Application to thermotherapy or to the thermal treatment of certain bodies is thus provided.

Abstract: A system for internal heat treatment of specific bodies by microwave including a generator 1 of microwave energy at a frequency f0, at least one channel for transmission of the microwave energy, each channel making it possible to generate a modulated microwave treatment signal, the wave of the microwave energy of two consecutive channels exhibiting a phase shift of defined value. At least one microwave applicator is associated with one of the channels in order to ensure application of the microwave energy delivered by this channel at separate adjacent points of the area Z to be treated, and a dual-temperature-reference radiometer is interconnected selectively to the applicator which then plays the role of temperature sensor, the absolute temperature of the adjacent point of the area Z to be treated being thus determined. The microwave powers radiated and the instantaneous temperatures of the separate points of the area Z to be treated are displayed.