Abstract: An optical light beam positioning system that enables the combination of two or more light beams of different wavelengths to be focused onto a probe or sample of a scientific instrument, such as an atomic force microscope, for a number of specific uses typical to AFMs, like measuring the deflection or oscillation of the probe and illuminating an object for optical imaging, and less traditional ones like photothermal excitation of the probe, photothermal activated changes in the sample, photothermal cleaning of the probe and photochemical, photovoltaic, photothermal and other light beam induced changes in the sample. The focused light beams may be independently positioned relative to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dental imaging apparatus which includes an x-ray imaging means and at least one color camera for photographing the face of a patient positioned at the imaging station of the apparatus, which at least one color camera is arranged to image the patient's face positioned at the patient support station from different directions, and means arranged into functional connection with said at least one color camera for creating a virtual three-dimensional texture model of the patient's face.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seal comprising an elastomeric composite, said composite comprising an elastomeric polymer and a negative thermal expansion (NTE) filler, the NTE filler has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than ?6×10-6 K-1 within a temperature range of 220-293 K and is present in an amount of 0.01-50 volume % based on the total volume of the elastomeric composite at 20° C.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire produced by processing a rubber composition including a hydrogenated branched conjugated diene copolymer produced by copolymerizing a branched conjugated diene compound and a vinyl compound to form a branched conjugated diene copolymer and hydrogenating the branched conjugated diene copolymer. The branched conjugated diene compound is represented by formula (1), where R1 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 11 carbon atoms, the vinyl compound is represented by formula (3), where R4 is a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, or an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, copolymerization ratio of the branched conjugated diene compound is 1 to 99% by weight, copolymerization ratio of the vinyl compound is 99 to 1% by weight, the branched conjugated diene compound is myrcene and/or farnesene, and the vinyl compound is styrene.

Abstract: A device includes a driver laser arrangement including a beam source for generating a laser beam and an amplifier arrangement for amplifying the laser beam. The device also includes an apparatus for monitoring the laser beam that includes a transmissive optical element having a normal direction oriented at a tilt angle with respect to a beam axis of the laser beam. The apparatus also includes a spatially resolving detector for registering laser radiation reflected backwards by the transmissive optical element. The transmissive optical element has first and second sides that are oriented at a wedge angle with respect to one another and through which the laser beam passes. The first and second sides reflect first and second partial beams of the incident laser beam. The apparatus has an optical filter that prevents one of the reflected first and second partial beams from reaching the detector.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to oxygen scavenging molecules, compositions comprising the molecules, and articles made from the compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to optically pumped and pulsed solid-state lasers which are used in mass spectrometers in particular for ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI) and which operate at pulse frequencies of up to 10 kilohertz or even higher. The invention proposes that, instead of interrupting the clocked sequence of the laser operation, individual light pulses or groups of light pulses are blanked out so that subsequent light pulses do not have a higher energy density, in accordance with the requirements for LDI processes. Methods and devices for the blanking out of light pulses are provided which are, in particular, low cost and considerably less complex than other methods.