Abstract: Herein is described oncolytic viruses for use as immunologic adjuvants. There is provided a method of adjuvanting an immune response to an antigenic protein in a mammalian subject by administering the oncolytic virus and at least one antigenic peptide, with the latter not encoded by the former. Without the requirement for the virus to encode the antigenic protein, therapies may be readily personalized or formulated. The virus may be attenuated or inactivated. Prime:boost therapies for tumours are also provided, in which the prime comprises at least one antigenic protein, the boost comprises a virus and at least one antigenic protein, the at least one antigenic protein of the prime and the at least one antigenic protein of the boost are based on the same at least one tumour associated antigen, and the at least one antigenic protein of the boost is not encoded by the virus of the boost.

Abstract: Herein is described oncolytic viruses for use as immunologic adjuvants. There is provided a method of adjuvanting an immune response to an antigenic protein in a mammalian subject by administering the oncolytic virus and at least one antigenic peptide, with the latter not encoded by the former. Without the requirement for the virus to encode the antigenic protein, therapies may be readily personalized or formulated. The virus may be attenuated or inactivated. Prime:boost therapies for tumours are also provided, in which the prime comprises at least one antigenic protein, the boost comprises a virus and at least one antigenic protein, the at least one antigenic protein of the prime and the at least one antigenic protein of the boost are based on the same at least one tumour associated antigen, and the at least one antigenic protein of the boost is not encoded by the virus of the boost.

Abstract: The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.

Abstract: The invention relates to mechanical watch oscillators comprising an assembly consisting of a spiral and a temperature compensated balance. The spiral is embodied in a quartz substrate whose section is selected in such a way that the drifts of the spiral and of the balance associated therewith are thermally compensated. The substrate section can be embodied in the form of a section of single or double rotation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.

Abstract: The invention relates to mechanical watch oscillators comprising an assembly consisting of a spinal and a temperature compensated balance. The spiral is embodied in a quartz substrate whose section is selected in such a way that the drifts of the spiral and of the balance associated therewith are thermally compensated. The substrate section can be embodied in the form of a section of single or double rotation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a set of resonators integrated in a single-crystal silicon substrate and intended to allow the production of a temperature stable time base. In one implementation, first and second resonators are designed to oscillate in modes of different type and with dimensions such that at least a first thermal coefficient ? of their frequency difference is equal or close to zero, and a second thermal coefficient ? may also be highly reduced.

Abstract: The invention relates mainly to a hairspring intended to equip the balance wheel of a mechanical timepiece. It is in the form of a spiraled rod (10) cut from an {001} single-crystal silicon plate. Its structure and its dimensions are calculated so as to minimize the thermal drift of the hairspring/balance-wheel assembly by means of the first and second thermal coefficients of its spring constant.

Abstract: The invention relates mainly to a hairspring intended to equip the balance wheel of a mechanical timepiece. It is in the form of a spiraled rod (10) cut from an {001} single-crystal silicon plate. Its structure and its dimensions are calculated so as to minimize the thermal drift of the hairspring/balance-wheel assembly by means of the first and second thermal coefficients of its spring constant.

Abstract: This switching device comprises at least one cell made up of a moving structure consisting in a flexible cantilever beam (14) and an integral screen (16) attached to said beam, being able to move between two end positions (A, B) and of actuating electrodes (20) for subjecting said structure to forces of attraction to control its movements. The electrodes (20) are located on each side of the beam (14) in such a way as to follow its exact shape when it is in one of its two end positions. A regular movement of the moving structure and a reliable operating of the switching device are thus obtained This invention may be used in optical switching applications.

Abstract: There is described a switching device comprising a mobile element (2) that is able to at least move back and forth along a defined trajectory between a zero position (O) and at least one predetermined switching position (A, B), an elastic member (3, 30, 32) connecting the mobile element to a base (4) and at least one stationary actuating electrode (5, 6) located in the vicinity of the predetermined switching position for producing electrostatic forces to cause the mobile element to move to and/or away from the predetermined switching position. The stationary actuating electrode is disposed to act on at least one edge (20a) of the mobile element which is substantially parallel to the mobile element's trajectory.

Abstract: There is described a switching device comprising a mobile element (2) that is able to at least move back and forth along a defined trajectory between a zero position (O) and at least one predetermined switching position (A, B), an elastic member (3, 30, 32) connecting the mobile element to a base (4) and at least one stationary actuating electrode (5, 6) located in the vicinity of the predetermined switching position for producing electrostatic forces to cause the mobile element to move to and/or away from the predetermined switching position.

Abstract: This switching device comprises at least one cell made up of a moving structure consisting in a flexible cantilever beam (14): and an integral screen (6) attached to said beam, being able to move between two end positions (A, B) and of actuating electrodes (20) for subjecting said structure to forces of attraction to control its movements The electrodes (20) are located on each side of the beam (14) in such a way as to follow its exact shape when it is in one of its two end positions. A regular movement of the moving structure and a reliable operating of the switching device are thus obtained This invention may be used in optical switching applications.

Abstract: A thin quartz plate having opposite major surfaces, each of the opposite major surfaces having a geometrical shape symmetrical or antisymmetrical with respect to an axis of reference; and X, Y and Z crystallographic directions corresponding to electrical, mechanical and optical axes, respectively, of the quartz plate, wherein the axis of reference forms an angle .psi. with said X axis, and the major surfaces form an angle .theta. with a plane defined by said X and Y axes, the angles .theta. and .psi. being chosen such that the first order frequency-temperature coefficient (.alpha.) of the quartz resonator is substantially 0, and the second order frequency-temperature coefficient (.beta.) of said quartz resonator is substantially 0. The shape of the resonator may be rectangular, square, polygonal, circular or elliptical. The resonator is fixed on a supporting base by means of at least one pair of connecting arms located on the extension of a nodal line.

Abstract: The present invention concerns device for the acquisition of the angular position of mobile means of the type including a luminous source emitting an incident beam in a known direction and a reflecting surface attached to the mobile means. The device also includes an array of elementary charge coupled sensors positioned so as to be at least partly scanned by the reflected beam. The device includes in addition optical means for limiting the width of the incident beam. The said array is connected to an electronic circuit producing a digital signal varying according to the position and/or the number of elementary sensors illuminated by the reflected beam.

Abstract: Method and apparatus intended for the filtration on a membrane of a product such as milk with a view to analysing filtration products recovered on the membrane. The method comprises the filtration under pressure and the rinsing by means of different elements without any risk of deteriorating or polluting the active filter. The apparatus which comprises two active elements (100) and (200) is particularly characterized by the combination of means for supplying a pressurized tank (3) with different liquids, and a filter holder (10) which is wedged by means of two inclined planes (P1) and (P2) driven by means of a jack (14) so that they are sealingly superposed. The invention applies particularly to the analysis of milk with a view to numbering the Clostridium Tyrobutyricum, or any other microorganism.

Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator formed as a thin parallelepipedic quartz plate whose width is arranged along the electric axis X of the crystal, the length along an axis Y' and the thickness along an axis Z', wherein the axes Y' and Z' form an angle approximately equal to 24.degree. with the mechanical axis Y and the optical axis Z of the crystal, respectively, and the ratio w/l of its width to its length is approximately equal to 0.64.

Abstract: The piezoelectric resonator (1) comprises two plates (5,6) and at least two parallel bars (2 to 4) connecting the plates (5,6) to each other. The orientation of the quartz wafer in which the resonator (1) is cut and the arrangement of the electrodes (9 to 11, 15 to 17) on the bars (2 to 4) are such that these bars (2 to 4) vibrate in an elongation mode. The elongation mode of the bars is coupled to a plate and bar flexure mode to improve the thermal properties of the resonator. This resonator can be used in devices in which the dimensions of the resonator have to be as small as possible and/or in which its resonance frequency has to be as low as possible.

Abstract: System to measure the coefficients of reflection of submerged surfaces such as the seabed, by comparison of the intensities of acoustic impulses propagated between a source and a receptor, both of which are submerged, and that of the echoes of these impulses on the reflectors. For this purpose, there is provided a programmed calculator, an interface card to communicate with different units: an echo-sounder, a source triggering detector, a shot box to control the source and a recorder, a programmable attenuator, an acquisition card driven by the calculator and bearing an adjustable type filter and a circuit, also controlled by the calculator, for modifying the functioning parameters of the attenuation and of the filter, and fixing the starting parameters.

Abstract: A hydroformylation catalyst system consisting essentially of a complex combination (1) of rhodium, carbon monoxide and triarylphosphine or triarylphosphite ligand, a compound (2) of cobalt and a triarylphosphine or triarylphosphite compound (3), wherein said system contains a source of at least one conjugated diene (4).