Abstract: A method and associated circuits protect data stored in a secure data circuit of a telecommunication device equipped with a near-field communication (NFC) router, a microcontroller, and the secure data circuit. In the method, each message received with the NFC router is parsed to retrieve a communication pipe identifier and an instruction code. The communication pipe identifier and the instruction code are compared to corresponding information in a filter table. Instruction codes of particular messages that attempt to modify a communication pipe by reassigning one end of the communication pipe from the port of the NFC router to a different circuit are acted upon. These messages are blocked from reaching the secure data circuit when the instruction code is not authorized in the filter table, and these messages are permitted when the instruction code is authorized in the filter table.

Abstract: A device, including a main element and a set of at least two auxiliary elements, the main element including a master SWP interface, each auxiliary element including a slave SWP interface connected to the master SWP interface of the NFC element through a controllably switchable SWP link and management circuit configured to control the SWP link switching for selectively activating at once only one slave SWP interface on the SWP link.

Abstract: Intelligent query routing may be performed across shards of a scalable database table. A router of a database system may receive an access request directed to one or more database tables. The router may evaluate the access request with respect to metadata obtained for the database tables to determine an assignment distribution of computing resources of the database system to data that can satisfy the access request. The router can select planning locations to perform the access request based on the assignment distribution of the computing resources. The router can cause the access request to be performed according to planning at the selected planning locations.

Abstract: Data exchanges between an ultra-wide band communication module and a secure element are controlled such that the data exchanges pass through a near-field communication router. The near-field communication router controls routing of the data exchanges so that the data exchanges do not pass through a host circuit that is also coupled to the near-field communication router.

Abstract: Lease-based consistency may be implemented for databases to handle failovers. A database node may obtain a consistency lease that describes a point in time determined from a time-to-live amount added to a consistent point in time for database data. While the consistency lease is valid, Multi-version Concurrency Control (MVCC) snapshots assigned by the database node can be used to handle requests to access the database data. Once expired, the database node may have to renew the consistency lease in order to continue to handle write and read requests.

Abstract: In holographic calling, it is difficult to capture the eyes of a caller due to lighting effects on an artificial reality (XR) headset. However, it can be important to capture the eyes when rendering the caller as they can show emotion, gaze, physical characteristics, etc., that aid in natural communication. Thus, implementations can capture the eyes of the caller using an external image capture device by briefly turning off the lighting effects on the XR headset. Some implementations can trigger the image capture device to capture an image of the eyes by temporal multiplexing in which timers on both the image capture device and the XR headset are synchronized. In other implementations, the image capture device can be an event-based camera that is automatically triggered to capture an image of the eyes based on a detected pixel change caused by deactivation of the lighting effects on the XR headset.

Abstract: The invention provides CARs (CARs) that specifically bind to BCMA (B-Cell Maturation Antigen). The invention further relates to engineered immune cells comprising such CARs, CAR-encoding nucleic acids, and methods of making such CARs, engineered immune cells, and nucleic acids. The invention further relates to therapeutic methods for use of these CARs and engineered immune cells for the treatment of a condition associated with malignant cells expressing BCMA (e.g., cancer).

Abstract: One variation of a method for modeling a human body includes: driving a sensor block along a path above a platform occupied by a user and recording a sequence of depth images and color images, via the sensor block, at each capture position in a sequence of capture positions along the path; compiling the set of depth images into a low-density 3D model of the user and a high-density 3D model of the user; extracting a set of color patches, from the sequence of color images, corresponding to discrete regions on a surface of the low-density 3D model of the user; projecting the set of color patches onto the surface of the low-density 3D model to generate a 3D color model of the user; and extracting a value of a dimension, projected from the low-density 3D color model onto the high-density 3D model, from the high-density 3D model.

Abstract: A device, including a main element and a set of at least two auxiliary elements, said main element including a master SWP interface, each auxiliary element including a slave SWP interface connected to said master SWP interface of said NFC element through a controllably switchable SWP link and management means configured to control said SWP link switching for selectively activating at once only one slave SWP interface on said SWP link.

Abstract: Provided are delivery immunostimulatory bacteria that have enhanced colonization of tumors, the tumor microenvironment and/or tumor-resident immune cells, and enhanced anti-tumor activity. The immunostimulatory bacteria are modified by deletion of genes encoding the flagella or modification of the genes so that functional flagella are not produced, and/or are modified by deletion of pagP or modification of pagP to produce inactive PagP product. As a result, the immunostimulatory bacteria are flagellin? and/or pagP?. The immunostimulatory bacteria optionally have additional genomic modifications so that the bacteria are adenosine or purine auxotrophs. The bacteria optionally are one or more of asd?, purI? and msbB?.

Abstract: The present description concerns a method of implementation of an NFC transaction between a mobile terminal and a distant module. The terminal includes a processor hosting an application establishing the NFC transaction, a near-field communication module, and a secure element distinct from the processor. The method includes at least the following successive steps: (a) the near-field communication module ciphers first data sent by the distant module by using a first key supplied by the secure element and (b) the first application deciphers the first data by using a second key supplied by the secure elements.

Abstract: In an embodiment a method for implementing a NFC transaction between a mobile terminal and a distant module is disclosed. The terminal includes a processor hosting an application configured to establish the NFC transaction, a near-field communication module, and a secure element distinct from the processor. The method includes storing, by the near-field communication module in the secure element, first data from the distant module, sending, by the near-field communication module, second data to the application notifying it that the first data have been stored in the secure element and requesting, by the application, the first data from the secure element.

Abstract: In an embodiment a method for implementing a NFC transaction between a mobile terminal and a distant module is disclosed. The terminal includes a processor hosting an application configured to establish the NFC transaction and an interface software configured to execute instructions of the application, a near-field communication module and a secure element distinct from the processor.

Abstract: The present description concerns a method of implementation of an NFC transaction between a mobile terminal and a distant module. The terminal includes a processor hosting an application establishing the NFC transaction, a near-field communication module, and a secure element distinct from the processor. The method includes at least the following successive steps: (a) the near-field communication module sends, to the first application, first data sent by the distant module and ciphered by the secure element; and (b) the first application asks the secure element to decipher the first data.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an NFC controller of an NFC device is configured to transmit, after the detection, by the NFC controller, of an NFC reader in relation with a first NFC transaction and prior to receiving an application selection command from the NFC reader, an application selection message to a transaction handling element of the NFC device.

Abstract: Provided are delivery immunostimulatory bacteria that have enhanced colonization of tumors, the tumor microenvironment and/or tumor-resident immune cells, and enhanced anti-tumor activity. The immunostimulatory bacteria are modified by deletion of genes encoding the flagella, or by modification of the genes so that functional flagella are not produced, and/or are modified by deletion of pagP or modification of pagP to produce inactive PagP product. As a result, the immunostimulatory bacteria are flagellin? and/or pagP?. The immunostimulatory bacteria optionally have additional genomic modifications so that the bacteria are adenosine or purine auxotrophs. The bacteria optionally are one or more of asd?, purI?, and msbB?.

Abstract: An interstitial fluid removal device including a first needle, a second needle, a fluid injector and an interstitial fluid extractor. The first needle is configured for insertion in a tissue of a multicellular organism to provide a fluid inlet channel. The second needle is configured for insertion in a tissue of a multicellular organism to provide an interstitial fluid outlet channel. The fluid injector is arranged in fluid communication with both a fluid source and the first needle and configured to inject a fluid in the tissue of the multicellular organism. The fluid extractor is arranged in fluid communication with the second needle and configured to extract interstitial fluid from the tissue of the multicellular organism. The fluid injector and the fluid extractor are independently and/or simultaneously operable with respect to each other.

Abstract: Provided are attenuated immunostimulatory bacteria with genomes that are modified to, for example, reduce toxicity and improve the anti-tumor activity, such as by increasing accumulation in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in tumor-resident myeloid cells, improving resistance to complement inactivation, reducing immune cell death, promoting adaptive immunity, and enhancing T-cell function. The increase in colonization of phagocytic cells improves the delivery of encoded therapeutic products to the tumor microenvironment and tumors, and permits, among other routes, systemic administration of the immunostimulatory bacteria.

Abstract: Provided are delivery immunostimulatory bacteria that have enhanced colonization of tumors, the tumor microenvironment and/or tumor-resident immune cells, and enhanced anti-tumor activity. The immunostimulatory bacteria are modified by deletion of genes encoding the flagella, or by modification of the genes so that functional flagella are not produced, and/or are modified by deletion of pagP or modification of pagP to produce inactive PagP product. As a result, the immunostimulatory bacteria are flagellin? and/or pagP?. The immunostimulatory bacteria optionally have additional genomic modifications so that the bacteria are adenosine or purine auxotrophs. The bacteria optionally are one or more of asd?, purI?, and msbB?.

Abstract: Provided are modified STING proteins that have constitutive activity, and also can have lower NF-?B signaling activity compared to unmodified human STING. Combinations and compositions containing the modified STING proteins with immunostimulatory proteins also are provided. Also provided are immunostimulatory bacteria that encode the STING proteins and the combinations, where the immunostimulatory proteins are encoded as a polycistronic message. The immunostimulatory bacteria have genomes that are modified to, for example, reduce toxicity and improve the anti-tumor activity, such as by increasing accumulation in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in tumor-resident myeloid cells, improving resistance to complement inactivation, reducing immune cell death, promoting adaptive immunity, and enhancing T-cell function.