Abstract: The invention relates to an intervertebral implant comprising a spacer designed to be applied between two spinous processes of two vertebrae. The spacer comprises: two elements (10, 12) made of a first material, and each presenting a first end (10a, 12a) and a second end (10b, 12b), said first end (10a, 12a) being securable to a spinous process; and a connection piece (14) made of a second material of greater elastic deformability than said first material, said connection piece interconnecting said second ends (10b, 12b) of said two elements (10, 12) so that the stresses that are exerted on said two elements (10, 12) are damped, and said connection piece enabling said intervertebral implant to limit and brake the relative movements of said vertebrae.

Abstract: A new approach to objective quality assessment of DCT-coded video sequences, with or without a reference is proposed. The system is comprised of a proprietary segmentation algorithm, a feature extraction process and a nonlinear feed-forward-type neural network for feature analysis. The methods mimic function of the human visual system (HVS): A neural network training algorithm is used for determining the optimal network weights and biases for both system modes of operation. The proposed method allows for assessment of DCT-coded video sequences without the original source being available (pseudo-reference mode). The pseudo-reference mode is also comprised of a proprietary DCT-coded video (MPEG) noise reducer (MNR), co-pending patent application No. 60/592,143.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for controlling a connection between a first network node and a second network node, wherein the connection is controlled by a packet filtering function filtering packets such that a packet is discarded in case a source address and/or a destination address do not comply with a filtering rule, wherein the packet filtering function is configured at a connection set up, and at least one of the first or second network node is adapted to change its address, the method comprising the steps of informing, the packet filtering function about the new address of the network node having changed its address, and updating the packet filter of the packet filtering function by using the new address of the network node having changed its address. The invention also proposes a corresponding network system comprising at least a network node and a packet filtering network element. Furthermore, the invention proposes a corresponding packet filtering network device.

Abstract: The present invention has for an object a cationic lipophilic compound of the following general formula (I): wherein: a) R1 and R?1 each represent, independently from one another, an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain or a polyalkenyl chain with from 10 to 24 carbon atoms, with the polyalkenyl chain having from 2 to 4 double links; b) R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl chain having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and R3 is a group with the following formula (IIa) —(CH2)n— or following formula (IIb) —C(?NH)—NH—(CH2)n— wherein: n is an integer equal to 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; and d) A+ is an organic cation; e) X? is an anion.

Abstract: A buffer management system for a data processing system can include a plurality of tokens wherein each token is associated with one of a plurality of buffers, and a plurality of first-in-first-out (FIFO) memories. Each FIFO memory can be associated with a stage of the data processing system and is configured to store at least one of the tokens. The buffer management system also can include control logic configured to determine a state of one or more selected buffers and transfer the token associated with the selected buffer from a source FIFO memory to a target FIFO memory. The target FIFO memory can be selected according to the state of the selected buffer.

Abstract: A collapsible apparatus includes a frame member being formed from a flexible twistable material, a first membrane and a second membrane, and an inflatable bladder. The second membrane is removably attachable to the first membrane.

Abstract: A heat sink for cooling at least one electronic device package is provided. The electronic device package has an upper contact surface and a lower contact surface. The heat sink comprises at least one thermally conductive material and defines multiple inlet manifolds configured to receive a coolant, multiple outlet manifolds configured to exhaust the coolant, and multiple millichannels configured to receive the coolant from the inlet manifolds and to deliver the coolant to the outlet manifolds. The manifolds and millichannels are disposed proximate to the respective one of the upper and lower contact surface of the electronic device package for cooling the respective surface with the coolant.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided, such as a memory card with a processor and nonvolatile memory coupled thereto. The nonvolatile memory has a secure area configured to store a user password and a serial number in encrypted form. The card is configured to grant access to the secure area when the card receives a password that matches the stored user password and the card is coupled to a system having the serial number.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microwave device of the slot-line type with a photonic band gap structure, comprising at least: a first substrate in a dielectric material having a first permittivity ?r1, a second substrate in a dielectric material having a second permittivity ?r2, and between the two substrates, a conductive layer in which at least one slot-line is engraved, with, on the face of the first and second substrates opposite the face in contact with the conductive layer, facing the slot-line, periodic metal patterns. The invention enables a compact filtering structure to be realized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 1-(Azolin-2-yl)-amino-1,2-heterocyclyl-ethane compounds, which are useful for combating insects, arachnids and nematodes. The present invention also relates to methods for combating animal pests and to compositions for combating animal pests. It has been found that animal pests can be combated by 1-(Azolin-2-yl)-amino-1,2-heterocyclyl-ethane compounds of the general formula (I): wherein A is a radical of the formulae A1 or A2: and wherein X is sulfur, oxygen or NR7, and HetA, HetB and R1 to R7 are defined as in the description.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing dicarboxylic acids (DCA) with long hydrocarbon chains, also called diacids, which consists in culturing a mutant strain of Yarrowia lipolytica obtained by mutagenesis directed and more particularly disrupted at least for the POX2, POX3, POX4 and POX5 genes encoding acyl-CoA oxydase, in a medium consisting essentially of an energetic substrate including at least one carbon source and one nitrogen source and in subjecting said strain to a bioconversion substrate selected among n-alkanes of at least 10 carbon atoms, fatty acids of at least 10 carbon atoms, their alkyl esters and natural oils.

Abstract: A heat sink for directly cooling at least one electronic device package is provided. The electronic device package has an upper contact surface and a lower contact surface. The heat sink comprises a cooling piece formed of at least one thermally conductive material. The cooling piece defines multiple inlet manifolds configured to receive a coolant and multiple outlet manifolds configured to exhaust the coolant. The inlet and outlet manifolds are interleaved. The cooling piece further defines multiple millichannels configured to receive the coolant from the inlet manifolds and to deliver the coolant to the outlet manifolds. The millichannels and inlet and outlet manifolds are further configured to directly cool one of the upper and lower contact surface of the electronic device package by direct contact with the coolant, such that the heat sink comprises an integral heat sink.

Abstract: A system secures a personal code for a user of a personal entity containing data and associated with a code processing entity. The personal entity establishes a graphical representation of characters that may be modified for each data request. The representation is associated with first coordinates of characters of the personal code and transmitted to the code processing entity. The code processing entity displays the representation so that the user selects therefrom characters representative of the personal code, determines second coordinates of selected characters and transmits the second coordinates to the personal entity. The personal entity compares the first and second coordinates so as to transmit requested data if said coordinates match.

Abstract: The management of a pool of batteries is an intelligent management taking account of the state of health of all the batteries of the pool and of the evolution thereof with time. The method for managing includes determination of priority criteria and charging of a battery selected according to the priority criteria. After the selected battery has been charged, electrical parameters representative of the battery are measured, then the state of health of the selected battery is analyzed according to the measured electrical parameters. The priority criteria are then updated according to the state of health of the battery. Selection of the next battery to be recharged is performed according to the updated priority criteria. The measured parameters used for analyzing the state of health are preferably representative of a coup de fouet effect during a partial discharge of a fully charged battery.

Abstract: This invention provides methods of identifying an Eg5 binding ligand. The ligand is identified by using the atomic coordinates of an Eg5 crystal to generate a three dimensional structure. The three dimensional structure is used in molecular modeling techniques and docking experiments to identify ligands that bind to the binding pocket of Eg5. A novel binding pocket is identified. The invention also provides a crystallized Eg5 and ligand complex.

Abstract: A geolocation system (10) includes an emitter (12), a plurality of collection nodes (14,16,18), and a control station (20). Each collection node includes a receiver (24) that is operable to receive signals transmitted from the emitter (12), generate a reduced data stream that includes only signal data, and communicate the reduced data stream to the control station (20) along with navigation data. The receiver (24) identifies signal data by detecting an energy level of the raw collection data. More specifically, the receiver (24) determines a bandwidth and a signal-to-noise ratio of each portion of the collection data, and identifies each portion as including signal data if both the bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio exceed predetermined threshold amounts. The receiver (24) includes a digital signal processing component (36) for performing calculations used by the receiver (24) to determine the bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: A memory module is disclosed. The memory module comprises a voltage supply; a memory interface coupled to the voltage supply; a plurality of memory components; and a voltage stabilizer converter (VSC) coupled to the memory interface and to the plurality of memory components, the VSC for ensuring that the plurality of memory components operate at their optimum performance level. A voltage stabilizer memory module (VSMM) in accordance with the present invention includes a printed circuit board (PCB) that contains memory chips, discrete components, a voltage stabilizer converter, and other related components. The voltage stabilizer converter uses system voltage supply as its input and its output is the voltage supply for the DRAM components. Accordingly, the VSSM is more adaptable, more stable and has better performance than conventional memory modules.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a wireless handheld device that securely accesses one or more remote devices subject to locally authenticating a user via biometrics. The device may be implemented as a wireless mouse with a biometric sensor incorporated with a scroll wheel that captures a biometric from the user and authenticates the user to the device using the captured biometric. More specifically, the captured biometric is compared to a template stored in memory. The device transmits a wireless signal, such as a command stream including the user's user name and password, to access the remote devices when the captured biometric matches the template. However, the device does not operate when the user is not authenticated. Accordingly, the invention may be particularly useful to log-on and log-off a user who frequently leaves and returns to a personal computer or various remote devices during the course of a day.

Abstract: Header compression system for compressing the header of the data packets of a flow transmitted from an ingress node to an egress node through a data transmission network comprising template creating means, in both ingress node and egress node, adapted for creating the same compression template from a predetermined number of uncompressed data packets at the beginning of the flow respectively transmitted by the ingress node and received by the egress node, and header compression means, in the ingress node, adapted for compressing the header of each packet following the predetermined number of uncompressed data packets before transmitting it through the data transmission network, the compression being achieved by using the compression template.