Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.

Abstract: The device (1) comprises an inlet element (28) comprising an interface (40) for connecting to an artificial vagina and delimiting an inlet opening (14), a filter delimiting with the inlet element (28) an inlet chamber (41) on the side of the filter turned towards the opening (14) and a collection bag (4) extending between a closed end (8) and an open end (7) in which said inlet element is engaged; said bag and said filter delimiting a collection chamber (42) on the side of the filter turned towards the end (8); by means of which the semen entering through the opening (14) passes through the filter and comes to the collection chamber (42); the filter being a perforated wall (30) having a tubular portion (22) and a bottom portion (15) closing said tubular portion, and having a surface density of orifices (24) that is greater on said bottom portion than on said tubular portion.

Abstract: An automation engineering two-wire field device, having: a sensor element for capturing a process variable; a connection terminal for connecting a two-wire line; field device electronics supplied with an operating power by a terminal voltage and a loop current from the two-wire line and configured to communicate the captured process variable by setting the loop current to a value between 4 mA and 20 mA; and a diagnosis unit configured so as, at least in the measurement mode, to capture at least one applicable value for the terminal voltage for each of at least two different values of the loop current set to between 4 mA and 20 mA, and to take exclusively the values captured in the measurement mode as a basis for making a statement about a minimum value of the terminal voltage for a maximum value of the loop current greater than 21 mA.

Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, which may be located at least in part between the electrodes. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids, including a gas, and separated from each other by polymer walls. The device may be an electroactive device, such as an actuator having a response time for a transition between actuation states. The gas may have a characteristic diffusion time (e.g., to diffuse half the mean wall thickness through the polymer walls) that is less than the response time. The nanovoids may be sufficiently small (e.g., below 1 micron in diameter or an analogous dimension), and/or the polymer walls may be sufficiently thin, such that the gas interchange between gas in the voids and gas absorbed by the polymer walls may occur faster than the response time, and in some examples, effectively instantaneously.

Abstract: The straw comprises a tube (11) and a stopper (12) fixed relative to the tube (11) and comprising a male connector tip (29) configured in order that a syringe needle (44) having a female connector tip (45) with a frusto-conical internal surface in accordance with a standard can be connected to said stopper (12) by engagement of the female connector tip (45) of the needle on the male connector tip (29) of the stopper (12). The injection device comprises such a straw (10) and a syringe needle (44). The method of emptying the straw comprises the step of pushing the dose of liquid-based substance (21) packaged in the straw (10) towards the stopper (12).

Abstract: The appliance comprises a handle, a speculum tube (23) extending axially from the handle (21) as far as a distal end (22) where it has an opening (28), a video viewing system having a lens (35) arranged in the speculum tube and a transmission device (36) connected to the lens and connectable to a remote viewing screen, and a lens support (49) for keeping the lens (35) in a predetermined position with respect to the speculum tube, in which position the lens is near said opening (28) and opposite the space situated beyond said opening (28), characterized in that said speculum tube has an end part (26) and a main part (27) extending between said end part and said handle, said end part (26) being arranged around said support (49) and delimiting said opening (28), said end part (26) being elastically deformable and said main part (27) being rigid.

Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.

Abstract: A device for preserving a predetermined dose of liquid-based substance, notably animal semen or a preservation medium containing embryos or tissue samples, comprises a tube (11) made of a weldable plastics material. The tube allows a service state in which a receiving portion (21) intended to contain the said predetermined dose has a circular cross-section whereas a sealing portion (22) comprises a welded pinch (19) and a transition zone (23). Over at least part of the sealing portion a differentiating edge region (28) gives the external surface of the tube a visual appearance different from the visual appearance of the external surface of the tube outside of the differentiating edge region. A range comprises such a device and a similar device but without the differentiating edge region.

Abstract: The straw comprises a tube (11) and a gas-permeable liquid-tight stopper (12), which stopper is disposed in the tube in the neighborhood of one end (16), which tube and which stopper are configured for the stopper to be able to slide in the tube towards the other end (17), said tube being transparent or translucent, said stopper comprising an identifier component (13) configured to emit, when it is illuminated with ultraviolet light, light of which the spectrum comprises at least one peak having a crest of predetermined wavelength in visible light, whereas when it is illuminated by visible light said identifier component does not emit said light of which the spectrum comprises said peak.

Abstract: The straw comprises a tube (11), a stopper (13) arranged in the tube and having a passage (35) extending through it, and an emptying needle (14) having a first portion (31) protruding from said stopper as far as a distal end (19) situated in said tube, and a second portion (32) situated in said passage (35) of the stopper, said needle and said stopper forming an insert (12) entirely disposed in said tube and having an internal conduit (24) fluidically connecting the internal spaces of said tube that are situated to either side of said insert, said internal conduit being formed at least in part by the needle. The assembly comprises the straw and a device configured to make an opening in the tube. The method comprises the steps of establishing a fluidic communication between the needle and a receptacle, there of making an opening in the tube in order to connect said dose of liquid-based substance to the atmosphere and allow it to flow.

Abstract: The invention relates to a storage receptacle (1) with a longitudinal opening (5) through which straws (2) for packing liquid-based substance are passed in a predetermined orientation of the straws, a housing (3) provided for the straws and configured to be inserted slidably in a cover (4) of the receptacle, the latter having an open configuration, in which the housing is partially inserted in the cover and the opening is free for the passage of the straws, and a closure configuration, in which the housing is inserted in the cover and the opening is closed by the cover in order to prohibit the passage of the straws. The housing has a parallelepipedal shape, a first front wall in which the opening is formed, a first bottom wall, two first longitudinal wails extending parallel to the opening, and two first side walls which each have two diagonals of a length less than or equal to the length of the straws.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for increasing the lifespan of animal sperm comprising contacting said sperm with an inhibitor of Slo3 potassium channel. The invention also relates to a use of an inhibitor of Slo3 potassium channel, for increasing the lifespan of animal sperm or motility of capacitated animal sperm, comprising contacting an inhibitor of Slo3 potassium channel with said sperm. Moreover, the invention relates to an artificial insemination instrument for use in artificial insemination of an animal, comprising animal sperm in contact with an inhibitor of Slo3 potassium channel. The invention also relates to a method for artificially inseminating an animal using said artificial insemination instrument. Eventually, the invention relates to a method for increasing the fertility of an animal, comprising contacting sperm of said animal with an inhibitor of Slo3 potassium channel; then artificially inseminating said animal with said sperm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for use in low dose artificial insemination and to a process for artificial insemination of a female mammal using a dose of sperm originating from a male mammal of the same species that is significantly lower than necessary in the absence of the composition. The preferred female mammal is a sow (Sus scrofa), and preferably the composition is for use in artificial uterine insemination, and the process for artificial insemination preferably is uterine insemination.

Abstract: The straw includes a tube (11) extending between a first end (16) and a second end (17) and includes a gas-permeable but liquid-impermeable plug (12). The tube (11) is made of a thermochromic material that reversibly changes colour at a pre-set temperature threshold, by virtue of which colour change the tube (11) has a first visual appearance if the temperature thereof is below the preset threshold and a second visual appearance that is different from the first visual appearance if the temperature thereof is above the preset threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a La-1-like peptide agent that increases sperm motility. It is non-toxic and it may be used to treat male infertility in humans, and also to increase fertility in animals. It may be used in artificial reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), including intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The La-1 like peptide agent may also be used in artificial insemination techniques such as intra-cytoplasmic uterine injection (IUI).

Abstract: The installation (1) comprises a treatment machine (12) and a supply and positioning device (16) configured to receive the straws (2) and dispose them one by one in a predetermined orientation for their treatment by said machine. The device (16) comprises a curved ramp (52) having a reception portion (64) for the straws (2) and an ejection portion (65) for the straws, the ramp being configured to convey, to the ejection portion (65), a straw (2) received on the reception portion (64) and sliding on the ramp (52), the ramp having a concave profile such that said profile has an orientation closer to the vertical in the reception portion (64) than in the ejection portion (65), such that a straw received on the reception portion (64) is accelerated to the ejection portion (65) at which the straw is guided and ejected with a predetermined orientation.

Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, which may be located at least in part between the electrodes. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids, including a gas, and separated from each other by polymer walls. The device may be an electroactive device, such as an actuator having a response time for a transition between actuation states. The gas may have a characteristic diffusion time (e.g., to diffuse half the mean wall thickness through the polymer walls) that is less than the response time. The nanovoids may be sufficiently small (e.g., below 1 micron in diameter or an analogous dimension), and/or the polymer walls may be sufficiently thin, such that the gas interchange between gas in the voids and gas absorbed by the polymer walls may occur faster than the response time, and in some examples, effectively instantaneously.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to an electronic circuit for a field device of automation technology, comprising: a first digital processor having a first set of machine commands for executing an algorithm running in the processor, wherein the first processor is adapted to execute a test algorithm to calculate output data, wherein the test algorithm uses for calculating the output data at least a part of the first set of machine commands, which are used for executing the algorithm, a second digital processor having a second set of machine commands for executing at least one verification algorithm, wherein the second processor is adapted to execute the verification algorithm to calculate verification data, and wherein the electronic circuit including the second processor is adapted, based on the output data calculated by the first processor and the verification data calculated by the second processor, to perform a checking of the first processor.

Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.

Abstract: The invention concerns a cryogenic system (1) for vitrifying a substance comprising biological material to be preserved in a receiving region of a thin tube (8), comprising a tank (10) containing a bath (11) of a cryogenic agent and a support member (80) mounted on said tank in a predetermined first position in which said tube is orientated upright, the receiving region being immersed in a liquid zone (17) of said bath, and an opening of said tube being situated above said bath, in a zone of ambient air above said bath, in order to introduce the substance into the tube, the support member being mounted on said tank in a second predetermined position, in which said receiving region is immersed in the liquid zone and said opening is situated immediately above said liquid zone, in a gaseous zone (18) of said bath above said liquid zone and below said zone of ambient air, and being raised from said second position