Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A cartridge for carrying out a method of analyzing the nucleic acids contained in a sample, includes a main body (1) produced in a substrate, in which there are formed at least one reaction chamber (6) and one detection chamber (10) for at least one nucleic acid likely to be contained in the sample, a microfluid circuit including a sample-injection member (7), elements (4 and 13) for respectively injecting fluids into and removing fluids from the cartridge, cavities, fluidic passages (2) and valves capable of closing them. The cartridge further includes (a) a first face known as the actuation face (16), from which the valves of the cartridge are actuated, and (b) a second face, opposite to the actuating face, including the detection chamber (10) for at least one nucleic acid likely to be contained in the sample, this face being known as the detection face (15).

Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A hairstyling tool has a thick, soft cushioned body adapted to be worn on the top of head close to the scalp in skull cap-like fashion. Hair clips affixed to the bottom of the body can be deployed to maintain the tool in position. A substantially vertical channel extending completely through the body allows the wearer to draw sheaves of hair fibers from below the body up, through and above the tool. The upwardly drawn hair fibers can be teased, combed, brushed or otherwise arranged together with other hair of the wearer in a highly elevated style resting on top of the body.

Abstract: A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A multicast optical switch includes a free-space optical assembly of discrete splitters, cylindrical optics, and a linear array of reflective switching devices, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors, to provide low-loss, high-performance multicast switching in a compact configuration. The assembly of optical splitters may include multiple planar lightwave circuit splitters or a multi-reflection beam splitter that includes a linear array of partially reflecting mirrors, each of a different reflectivity.

Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring digital goods facilitates bulk upload of file images to a central repository. The software gets a File ID and a path to each file image to be uploaded from a list, typically an XML file, of input attributes. After successful verification, the file image is uploaded to the central repository and linked with a corresponding metadata object. Each metadata object contains attributes that describe the corresponding file image. Although file attributes may be defined when the metadata object is created, the software determines file image attributes as the file image is being uploaded and records them in the metadata object. File images are either uploaded from a server, typically an FTP server, having been placed there by the goods vendor; or the file images can be uploaded directly from a computer operated by the vendor.

Abstract: A hairstyling tool has a thick, soft cushioned body adapted to be worn on the top of head close to the scalp in skull cap-like fashion. Hair clips affixed to the bottom of the body can be deployed to maintain the tool in position. A substantially vertical channel extending completely through the body allows the wearer to draw sheaves of hair fibers from below the body up, through and above the tool. The upwardly drawn hair fibers can be teased, combed, brushed or otherwise arranged together with other hair of the wearer in a highly elevated style resting on top of the body.

Abstract: An inbred corn line, designated D026407, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line D026407, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line D026407 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line D026407 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D026407, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D026407 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: System and process for audio authentication of an individual or speaker including a processor for decomposing an audio signal received at the sensor into vectors representative of the speaker to be authenticated for transforming the super-vector V of the speaker resulting from the concatenation of the vectors associated with the said speaker into binary data 1001100 . . . 0 taking as an input the mean super-vector M resulting from the mean super-vector, and comparing the super-vector V of the speaker with the mean super-vector M, the said binary data thus obtained being transmitted to a module for extracting the speaker authentication taking as an input the public keys Kpub(l) in order to authenticate the speaker and/or to generate a cryptographic key associated with the speaker.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods of controlling UV lamp output to increase irradiance uniformity. The methods generally include determining a baseline irradiance within a chamber, determining the relative irradiance on a substrate corresponding to a first lamp and a second lamp, and determining correction or compensation factors based on the relative irradiances and the baseline irradiance. The lamps are then adjusted via closed loop control using the correction or compensation factors to individually adjust the lamps to the desired output. The lamps may optionally be adjusted to equal irradiances prior to adjusting the lamps to the desired output. The closed loop control ensures process uniformity from substrate to substrate. The irradiance measurement and the correction or compensation factors allow for adjustment of lamp set points due to chamber component degradation, chamber component replacement, or chamber cleaning.

Abstract: An imaging method and a device for detecting the fluorescence of a biochip by illuminating chromophores associated with probes (14) of a substrate (12) placed on a sensor (10) having photodetectors, e.g. of the CCD or CMOS type, a stop filter that rejects the excitation light of the chromophores being provided between the probes (14) and the sensor, the substrate (12) being separable from the sensor (10) after use so as to enable the sensor to be reused.

Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: A method for controlling movement of an elevator car (20) during an emergency stop (S1) comprising the steps of determining a load of the car (S4;S8;S9;S10), determining a travel direction of the car (S3) and monitoring a speed (V) of the car (S6). When the car is travelling downwards (S3) and is lightly loaded (S8) or when the car is travelling upwards (S3) and is heavily loaded (S10), brake torque is applied (S7) only when the speed (V) of the car reaches zero.

Abstract: A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Abstract: An inbred corn line, designated D046399, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line D046399, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line D046399 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line D046399 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D046399, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D046399 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.

Abstract: The invention features compounds and methods relating to novel hydroxy-proline analog inhibitors of the ASCT1 and ASCT2 neutral amino acid transporters. These analogs are potent and selective inhibitors of ASCT2 and ASCT1-mediated amino acid transport as evidenced by significantly reduced glutamine or alanine transport-associated currents or radiolabeled substrate (amino acid) uptake in Xenopus oocytes expressing ASCT2 or ASCT1. Selectivity has been established in the same manner whereby reduced substrate associated current or substrate uptake is unobserved in Xenopus oocytes expressing ATA2, SN1, or EAAT(s) (excitatory amino acid transporter). The compounds and methods of the invention can be used in research or clinical applications (e.g., for the treatment of cancer, microbial infection, or ischemia-related central nervous system injury).

Abstract: A transmission band of an analog signal including successive symbols to be transmitted is notched, where each symbol includes sub-carriers to be modulated. In particular, in each symbol the sub-carriers corresponding to a part of the transmission band to be notched are suppressed. In addition, in each symbol a chosen part of the remaining sub-carriers to be modulated is also suppressed.