Abstract: A process for the total synthesis of selenoneine, iso-selenoneine, and isomers thereof is disclosed herein. Regarding the synthesis of selenoneine, the process comprises reacting an alkylated L-histidine methyl ester with a stable, acid-labile alkylating agent followed by reaction with elemental selenium under mildly basic conditions; and an acidic hydrolysis step. Regarding the synthesis of iso-selenoneine, the process comprises reacting hercynine with an electrophilic R—Se—X species, wherein the R—Se—X species is obtained by reaction of an alkyl diselenide with X2, and wherein X is F, Cl, Br or I; and a deprotection reaction.

Abstract: There is provided a process for manufacturing a carbonaceous anode for an electrolysis cell for the production of aluminium. The process comprises contacting coke particles with a boron-containing solution to obtain boron-impregnated coke particles, mixing the boron-impregnated coke particles with coal tar pitch to form an anode paste, and forming a green anode with the anode paste. A carbonaceous anode for an electrolysis cell for the production of aluminium is also provided, which comprises at least a first fraction of coke particle, a second fraction of coke particles and coal tar pitch, wherein at least the first faction of coke particles comprises boron-impregnated coke particles, the boron-impregnated coke particles being distributed throughout the carbonaceous anode. The carbonaceous anode presents good resistivity towards air and CO2 oxidation, which translates into less dusting of the anode, thus improving its integrity throughout its lifetime.

Abstract: There is described a method for determining a refractive index of a medium. The method generally has providing a substrate having a surface, the surface having a first surface portion and a second surface portion spaced-apart from the first surface portion and recessed of a depth relative to the first surface portion; receiving the medium at least on the second surface portion; propagating a first optical beam towards the first surface portion and a second optical beam towards the second surface portion; collecting the first and second optical beams after said propagating and generating first and second signals being indicative of a phase of a respective one of the first and second collected optical beams; and determining a refractive index of said medium based on the first and second signals, the depth, a wavelength associated to the first and second optical beams and a refractive index of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention concerns a nutritional or therapeutic agent comprising a molecule mix obtained from Vitis vinifera and Vaccinium angustifolium, comprising: at least 1% of catechins and epicatechins, the percentage being given by weight in relation to the total weight of the mix, preferably at least 5%, at least 5 ppm (parts per million in the mix) of ferulic acid, preferably at least 10 ppm. The invention also relates to the use of this agent due to its effects on cognitive functions in particular.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a main arm having links extending from a ground end to an effector end and allowing movement of the effector end from a first position to a second position, the links including at least a base link adapted to be pivotally connected to a base, and a spacing link pivotally mounted to a free end of the base link and extending to the effector end. A first 4-bar parallelogram has pivot joints at its corners and including the base link of the main arm. A second 4-bar parallelogram has pivot joints at its corners and including the spacing link of the main arm and an effector link at the effector end adapted to support an object. A serial interconnection is between the first 4-bar parallelogram and the second 4-bar parallelogram constraining the effector link to maintaining a constant orientation in at least two rotational degrees of freedom relative to the base.

Abstract: Mid-infrared-transparent optical fiber products with enhanced resistance to OH diffusion are disclosed, which may be used fiber laser oscillator and amplifiers systems. In one embodiment, an optical fiber product may include optical fiber configured for propagation of mid-infrared radiation toward a light-radiating endface of or coupled to the optical fiber, and a diffusion barrier disposed on the light-radiating endface and configured for allowing the mid-infrared radiation emanating from the light-radiating endface to pass therethrough and for preventing OH diffusion therethrough toward the light-radiating endface.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject to reduce the risk of early onset preeclampsia in a pregnant subject determining a level of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) or fragment(s) thereof in a sample that has been isolated from said pregnant subject. The the sample is isolated from a subject before the end of the 12th week of gestation, where the level of sFlt-1 or fragment(s) thereof is indicative of early onset preeclampsia occurring before the end of the 33rd week of gestation. The subject is then treated to decrease the risk of developing, delay the time point of the onset and/or reduce the severity of preeclampsia.

Abstract: A shotcrete nozzle assembly comprising: a tubular body including a body sidewall defining a central passageway extending along a central longitudinal passageway axis, and water dispensing bores extending through the body sidewall and including: first and second sets of water dispensing bores positioned such that outlet openings thereof defined in an inner face of the body sidewall are disposed in a respective one of longitudinally spaced-apart first and second transversal planes extending perpendicularly to the passageway axis, at least some of the water dispensing bores being oriented such that the central bore axes thereof extend in a non-radial direction relative to the passageway axis, and such that an orthogonal projection of the central bore axes of the first and second sets of water dispensing bores onto one of the transversal planes forms first and second projected central bore axes which intersect each other at a first non-zero angle.

Abstract: The optical interrogation technique can use an optical prism having two opposite sides including a sample side and a refraction side, the sample side having a plurality of interrogation areas; a source assembly generating a collimated field of illumination directed towards the refraction side; a screen disposed in a screen plane intersecting the field of illumination and shielding the refraction side from the field of illumination, the screen having an aperture allowing a portion of the field of illumination to reach and be refracted by the refraction side, be totally internally reflected at one of said interrogation areas of the sample side, thereby generating a signal, the signal refracted back through the aperture, the screen being movable within the screen plane to shift the aperture and expose different portions of the field of illumination to corresponding ones of the interrogation areas.

Abstract: Derivatives of 10S, 17S-diHIDA (protectin DX, PDX) and medicinal uses thereof are disclosed. These derivatives are specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPRMs). In specific embodiments, said derivatives are used in to prevent or treat viral infections (including influenza and coronavirus infections), insulin resistance, diabetes, and inflammatory disorders.

Abstract: An optical fiber configured to improve the pump conversion efficiency of an L-band fiber amplifier which uses the multimode pump source. By directly absorbing multimode light including 915 nm, an active fiber core region co-doped with both erbium and ytterbium can provide gain to the L-band signals via stimulated emission. The unwanted C-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light generate from this active fiber core region can be absorbed by another active fiber core region doped with erbium, then provides additional gain to the L-band signals. Active regions and cladding can be configured to match a given spatial mode of the optical signal. Signal-pump combiners with end-coupling or side coupling can be used.

Abstract: There is described a method of optically coupling a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber to one another. The method generally has a step of bringing a free end of the first optical fiber, the second optical fiber and liquid in close proximity to one another within a coupling region, the free end of the first optical fiber having a dimension below a critical dimension, the free end of the first optical fiber moving within said liquid to contact the second optical fiber along a given coupling length, said contact optically coupling the free end of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber to one another.

Abstract: Novel chemical agents are described herein. More specifically, a novel inhibitor of 17?-HSD7 for decreasing estradiol concentrations while restoring dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations in breast cancer cells is disclosed herein. In a particular embodiment, the inhibitor of 17?-HSD7 has the following structure: (Formula I) A process for producing the novel inhibitors of 17?-HSD7 and their use in the manufacture of pharmaceutical formulations and/or combinations is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is described a high-strength concrete generally having: about 100 parts by weight of cement; about 60 to about 360 parts by weight of fine aggregates; about 90 to about 230 parts by weight of mineral powder having a diameter D50 below 150 ?m; about 0.1 to about 25 parts by weight of superplasticizer; and about 20 to about 65 parts by weight of water, the high-strength concrete has a cement content less than about 500 kg/m3 and having a compressive strength after 28 curing days of about 55 MPa or greater.

Abstract: There is described a polarimeter generally having a substrate; a polarization splitter on the substrate polarization splitting an incoming light beam into light beams; an interferometry circuit on the substrate forming polarization components from the light beams, and output waveguides outputting the polarization components.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and systems that can render a virtual object in a digital image by using a source-specific-lighting-estimation-neural network to generate three-dimensional (“3D”) lighting parameters specific to a light source illuminating the digital image. To generate such source-specific-lighting parameters, for instance, the disclosed systems utilize a compact source-specific-lighting-estimation-neural network comprising both common network layers and network layers specific to different lighting parameters. In some embodiments, the disclosed systems further train such a source-specific-lighting-estimation-neural network to accurately estimate spatially varying lighting in a digital image based on comparisons of predicted environment maps from a differentiable-projection layer with ground-truth-environment maps.

Abstract: A snap joint for securing construction modules together on a modular construction site, the snap joint comprising a male member mounted on a first construction module and a female member mounted on a second construction module. The female member housing locking members, a tumbler and biasing members biasing the locking members against the tumbler. The male member having shaft engageable within the female member, through a base stop of the tumbler, along a trigger path in a manner to push the tumbler out of interference with the locking members, thereby freeing the locking members to transversally engage with the shaft.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing a protein of interest within a plant or a portion of a plant is provided. The method involves treating the plant to increase secondary leaf biomass production, followed by introducing one or more than one nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein of interest operatively linked with a regulatory region that is active in the plant, into the plant. The plant is then maintained under conditions that permit the nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein of interest to be expressed in the plant or the portion of the plant. Optionally, the plant or portion of the plant may be harvested and the protein of interest extracted.

Abstract: A spatial parallel mechanism comprises a platform. Three or more legs configured for extending from a base or ground to the platform, each leg has a distal link, one or more distal joint providing one rotational degree of freedom (DOF) about a distal rotational axis, the distal joint connecting a distal end of the distal link to the platform. A proximal joint provides at least two rotational DOFs at the proximal end of the distal link. Assemblies of joints and links provide DOFs to each said leg between the proximal joint and the base or ground. The distal rotational axes of the three legs are parallel to one another.

Abstract: A light-inducible intracellular protein aggregation system is described herein, which provides invaluable tools to study the role of protein aggregates in proteinopathies and to screen for novel therapeutic compounds. The system generally comprises a cell expressing an alpha-synuclein polypeptide or another proteopathic polypeptide that self-aggregates under pathogenic conditions, operably linked to a photoactivatable polypeptide. Illumination of the photoactivatable polypeptide with light having a wavelength sufficient for photoactivation triggers irreversible accumulation of intracellular protein aggregates comprising the alpha-synuclein polypeptide or proteopathic polypeptide. The intracellular protein aggregates can be made to accumulate in real-time during the illumination, thereby enabling spatiotemporal control of protein aggregation.