Abstract: A device for receiving, storing and releasing thermal energy, the device comprising a thermally insulated enclosure defining a cavity; at least one thermal energy storage material disposed within said cavity; at least one energy source configured for charging said thermal energy storage material with thermal energy; and a thermal energy converter configured for receiving thermal energy from said thermal energy storage material; wherein said thermally insulated enclosure comprises an inner wall, an outer wall and a substantially gas-tight interior void delimited by the inner wall and the outer wall, and wherein the outer wall comprises at least one flow regulator in fluid communication with the interior void and configured to supply and remove working fluids to and from the inner void.

Abstract: The invention relates to a base trough (4) for a thermal module (1), thermal module (1) comprising such base trough (4), a system for extracting thermal energy and the use of such base trough (4) for extracting thermal energy from sunlight.

Abstract: A device is described including a lid, a collection portion support, and a collection portion with a surface for receiving a biological sample, the lid includes a window and a window holder, the surface defines a first plane, the collection portion includes a first, a second, and a third position markers, each position marker indicates a center point marker, the center points define a second plane that has a line of intersection with the first plane, the device has an interior volume defined partially by the collection portion support, the collection portion, the window, and the window holder, the window allows visual inspection of the position markers, the collection portion support has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet with a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet via the interior volume.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a thermocycling unit for use with a conventional smartphone, as well as methods for the amplification of nucleic acid using the same. The thermocycling unit makes use of several built-in features of the smartphone and thus requires relatively little complexity on the thermocycling unit itself.

Abstract: A tile, preferably a roof tile (1), for collecting energy from kinetic, thermal and light sources. The tile comprises a housing (2) with at least one photovoltaic cell (3) for collecting energy from a light source and at least one thermal collector (4). The tile comprises at least one wind channel (5) with a wind turbine (6).

Abstract: A tile, preferably a roof tile (1), for collecting energy from kinetic, thermal and light sources. The tile comprises a housing (2) with at least one photovoltaic cell (3) for collecting energy from a light source and at least one thermal collector (4). The tile comprises at least one wind channel (5) with a wind turbine (6).

Abstract: A device is described including a lid, a collection portion support, and a collection portion with a surface for receiving a biological sample, the lid includes a window and a window holder, the surface defines a first plane, the collection portion includes a first, a second, and a third position markers, each position marker indicates a center point marker, the center points define a second plane that has a line of intersection with the first plane, the device has an interior volume defined partially by the collection portion support, the collection portion, the window, and the window holder, the window allows visual inspection of the position markers, the collection portion support has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet with a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet via the interior volume.

Abstract: A device is described including a lid, a collection portion support, and a collection portion with a surface for receiving a biological sample, the lid includes a window and a window holder, the surface defines a first plane, the collection portion includes a first, a second, and a third position markers, each position marker indicates a center point marker, the center points define a second plane that has a line of intersection with the first plane, the device has an interior volume defined partially by the collection portion support, the collection portion, the window, and the window holder, the window allows visual inspection of the position markers, the collection portion support has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet with a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet via the interior volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device in which molecules capable of reacting with analytes that are to be detected are immobilized on a surface such that said analytes are bound and can be detected in a subsequent reaction or in several reaction steps. According to the invention, at least two such surfaces are combined in a graphically connected manner, one of said surfaces being used for detecting an analyte and the other one being used for verifying or quantifying the analyte. Said surfaces are embodied so as to simultaneously enter into contact with a sample matrix. The inventive device and a corresponding method can be used for all diagnostic areas, especially in medical diagnostics such as diagnoses of allergies, infections, typifications, DNA/RNA diagnoses, pharmacological and toxicological diagnoses, as well as in food diagnostics, veterinary diagnostics, or environmental diagnostics.

Abstract: A device is described including a lid, a collection portion support, and a collection portion with a surface for receiving a biological sample, the lid includes a window and a window holder, the surface defines a first plane, the collection portion includes a first, a second, and a third position markers, each position marker indicates a center point marker, the center points define a second plane that has a line of intersection with the first plane, the device has an interior volume defined partially by the collection portion support, the collection portion, the window, and the window holder, the window allows visual inspection of the position markers, the collection portion support has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet with a fluid path from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet via the interior volume.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of recombinant silicatein-? or silicatein-? isolated from natural sources as well as to silicatein-?-fusion proteins as well as silicatein-?-related enzymes for the synthesis, the degradation and for modification of silicon dioxide (condensation products of silicic acid, silicates), silicones and other silicon(IV)- or metal(IV)-compounds, and their technical uses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device in which molecules capable of reacting with analytes that are to be detected are immobilized on a surface such that said analytes are bound and can be detected in a subsequent reaction or in several reaction steps. According to the invention, at least two such surfaces are combined in a graphically connected manner, one of said surfaces being used for detecting an analyte and the other one being used for verifying or quantifying the analyte. Said surfaces are embodied so as to simultaneously enter into contact with a sample matrix. The inventive device and a corresponding method can be used for all diagnostic areas, especially in medical diagnostics such as diagnoses of allergies, infections, typifications, DNA/RNA diagnoses, pharmacological and toxicological diagnoses, as well as in food diagnostics, veterinary diagnostics, or environmental diagnostics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of recombinant silicatein-? or silicatein-? isolated from natural sources as well as to silicatein-?-fusion proteins as well as silicatein-?-related enzymes for the synthesis, the degradation and for modification of silicon dioxide (condensation products of silicic acid, silicates), silicones and other silicon(IV)- or metal(IV)-compounds, and their technical uses.