Abstract: The present disclosure relates to 4-amino-3-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridin-2-one variants or derivatives, and salts thereof, for use as agonists and antagonists. The disclosure further relates to compositions, methods of preparing, and methods of treatment.

Abstract: The method can include obtaining a digital image of a wood board having a defect, the digital image including a representation of the defect; using a computer: mapping the position and shape of the representation of the defect, and generating blasting instructions based on the mapped position and shape; positioning the wood board in a given position in a cleaning station, the cleaning station having a blasting nozzle and holding the wood board in its coordinate system; and the cleaning station automatically moving the blasting nozzle relative to the wood board and blasting the defect based on the blasting instructions, including moving at least one of the blasting nozzle and the wood board relative to a frame of the cleaning station.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for measuring the size distribution and/or hardness of free falling rock pieces. The method comprises projecting at least one laser line on the falling rock pieces by a laser device; capturing images of the falling rock pieces at an angle from the at least one laser line by at least one camera; and obtaining size distribution data of the falling rock pieces based on data obtained from a topographical map generated from the captured images. Certain embodiments further comprise: obtaining at least one of the volume and area of individual rock pieces from the topographical map; conducting a data analysis on at least one of the volume and area measurements of the rock pieces to reduce at least one of sampling and measurement errors; determining the size distribution of the falling rock pieces based on the data analysis and, optionally, evaluating a rock hardness index for the rock.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to omnipolar imaging for generating a substantially 360 degree by 180 degree stereo spherical view. The omnipolar imaging device comprises at least three wide angle lenses facing in a first direction and at least three wide angle lenses facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, each lens connected to an image sensor. The lens are positioned so as to capture the substantially 360 degree by 180 degree view. The method of rendering the view comprises, for each pixel in an output image, selecting one set of lenses, i.e. the first set of lenses or the second set of lenses, selecting one lens from the selected set of lenses, and rendering the pixel in an output image from a corresponding point in an input image of the selected lens.

Abstract: A process for obtaining an item including a substrate made of glass or glass ceramic coated on at least one portion of at least one of its faces with a stack of thin-layers including no silver layers and including at least one thin layer of a transparent electrically conductive oxide, the process including: a step of depositing the stack, in which step the thin layer of a transparent electrically conductive oxide and at least one thin homogenizing layer are deposited, the thin homogenizing layer being a metal layer or a layer based on a metal nitride other than aluminum nitride, or a layer based on metal carbide; then a heat treatment step in which the stack is exposed to radiation.

Abstract: A method for generating a 360 degree view. N input images are captured from N cameras fixed at a baseline height equidistantly about a circle in an omnipolar camera setup where N?3. Two epipolar lines are defined per field of view from the cameras to divide the field of view of each one of the cameras into four parts. Image portions from each one of the cameras are stitched together along vertical stitching planes passing through the epipolar lines. Regions corresponding to a visible camera are removed from the image portions using deviations performed along the epipolar lines. Output images are formed for left and right eye omnistereo views by stitching together the first one of the four parts from each one of the fields of view and the second one of the four parts from each one of the fields of view, respectively.

Abstract: There is described a camera setup for capturing omnistereo images using a minimum of three cameras with ultra wide angle lenses and a method for generating a substantially 360 degree view from images taken from the cameras. The field of view covered in stereo may be a dome. The baseline between pairs of cameras defines epipoles which can be used for stitching without any horizontal misalignments due to parallax. The method comprises capturing the images from a plurality of cameras fixed at a baseline height substantially equidistantly about a circle; and stitching together portions of the images from each one of the plurality of cameras along first and second borders corresponding at least in part to lines joining center points of neighboring ones of the plurality of cameras.

Abstract: There is described an optical system for sensing the surface of an object. The system comprises: a light source for emitting at least one light beam centered on the optical axis of the system; a light reflector for reflecting the at least one incident light beam to generate at least two hollow conical light beams centered on the optical axis and having different opening angles, the at least two reflected hollow conical light beams for illuminating the surface; and an image capture device for imaging the illuminated surface.

Abstract: A glazing unit includes a glass substrate equipped on one of its faces, intended to form the face of the glazing unit in the use position, with a thin-film multilayer comprising, from the substrate, a film of a transparent electrically conductive oxide based on indium tin oxide of physical thickness e1 included in a range extending from 50 to 200 nm, a silicon-nitride barrier film of physical thickness e2, then a film based on silicon oxide, the thicknesses e1 and e2, expressed in nanometers, being such that 0.11?e2/e1?0.18.

Abstract: There is described a power splitter for directing electromagnetic power comprising: an input port for receiving the electromagnetic power; at least one dielectric element placed inside the power splitter; at least two output ports for outputting the power according to a splitting ratio, the at least two output ports placed on a surface opposite to the input port; and at least one dielectric moving device for positioning the at least one dielectric element between the at least two output ports to dynamically direct the power into the at least two output ports according to the power splitting ratio.

Abstract: Method and medical devices for generating and stabilizing micro or nano bubbles, and systems and methods for therapeutic applications using the bubbles, is provided. Two novel bubble generating means are provided: in-line capillary tubes and mix chambers flow focusing, and cross flow bubble generation with optimized bubble detachment means. A method and medical device to stabilize bubble sizes and improve bubble size homogeneity through rectified diffusion is disclosed. A method and system to facilitate acoustic activation of therapeutic agents using ultrasound energy is provided.

Abstract: Method and medical devices for generating and stabilizing micro- or nano-bubbles, and systems and methods for therapeutic applications using the bubbles, are provided. The micro-bubbles may be used to enhance therapeutic benefits such as ultrasound-guided precision drug delivery and real-time verification, acoustic activation of large tumor masses, enhanced acoustic activation through longer retention of therapeutic agents at the point of interest, enhancement of high intensity focused ultrasound treatments, light activation of photodynamic drugs at a depth within a patient using extracorporeal light sources, probes, or sonoluminescence, and initiation of time reversal acoustics focused ultrasound to permit highly localized treatment.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a glazing unit comprising a glass substrate (1) equipped on one of its faces, intended to form face 1 of said glazing unit in the use position, with a thin-film multilayer comprising, from the substrate (1), a film (2) of a transparent electrically conductive oxide, an intermediate film (3) having a refractive index lying in the range from 1.40 to 1.55 and having an optical thickness Y, and a photocatalytic film (4) the optical thickness X of which is at most 50 nm, said optical thicknesses X and Y, expressed in nanometers, being such that: 110·e?0.025X?Y?135·e?0.

Abstract: The identification of compounds, strigolactones, having the ability to stimulate the growth and/or development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi). Such compounds are, for example, the natural strigolactones strigol, alectrol, sorgolactone, orobanchol, or their synthetic analogs GR7, GR24, Nijmegen-1, demethylsorgolactone. New ways of developing an agriculture that is more respectful of the environment, and permits the implementation, on a small or large scale, of advanced mycorrhization techniques aimed at optimizing the production of fungic inoculum, the use of AM fungi in soils or cultivation substrates, and intensifying the symbiotic interaction between these microorganisms and cultivated plants.

Abstract: A method for performing security screening at a checkpoint is provided. The method includes providing an X-ray imaging system having a scanning area and providing a supporting device for supporting articles to be scanned in the scanning area, wherein the supporting device has at least two reference areas manifesting respective X-ray signatures when exposed to X-rays, the X-ray signatures being distinguishable from one another. The method further includes placing an article to be scanned on the supporting device, introducing the article to be scanned in the scanning area while the article is supported by the supporting device and using the X-ray imaging system for deriving the X-ray signatures of the reference areas and for obtaining an X-ray image of the article while the supporting device is in the scanning area.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus suitable for screening a receptacle are provided. An image signal conveying an input image related to contents of the receptacle is received, the image signal having been produced by a device that is characterized by introducing distortion into the input image. A distortion correction process is applied to the image signal to remove at least part of the distortion from the input image, thereby to generate a corrected image signal conveying at least one corrected image. The corrected image signal is processed in combination with a plurality of data elements associated with a plurality of target objects in an attempt to detect a presence of at least one of the target objects in the receptacle. A detection signal is generated in response to detection of the presence of at least one target object in the receptacle.

Abstract: A method for performing security screening at a checkpoint is provided. The method includes providing an X-ray imaging system having a scanning area and providing a supporting device for supporting articles to be scanned in the scanning area, wherein the supporting device has at least two reference areas manifesting respective X-ray signatures when exposed to X-rays, the X-ray signatures being distinguishable from one another. The method further includes placing an article to be scanned on the supporting device, introducing the article to be scanned in the scanning area while the article is supported by the supporting device and using the X-ray imaging system for deriving the X-ray signatures of the reference areas and for obtaining an X-ray image of the article while the supporting device is in the scanning area.

Abstract: Method and medical devices for generating and stabilizing micro- or nano-bubbles, and systems and methods for therapeutic applications using the bubbles, are provided. The micro-bubbles may be used to enhance therapeutic benefits such as ultrasound-guided precision drug delivery and real-time verification, acoustic activation of large tumour masses, enhanced acoustic activation through longer retention of therapeutic agents at the point of interest, enhancement of high intensity focused ultrasound treatments, light activation of photodynamic drugs at a depth within a patient using extracorporeal light sources, probes, or sonoluminescence, and initiation of time reversal acoustics focused ultrasound to permit highly localized treatment.

Abstract: There is described a power splitter for directing electromagnetic power comprising: an input port for receiving the electromagnetic power; at least one dielectric element placed inside the power splitter; at least two output ports for outputting the power according to a splitting ratio, the at least two output ports placed on a surface opposite to the input port; and at least one dielectric moving device for positioning the at least one dielectric element between the at least two output ports to dynamically direct the power into the at least two output ports according to the power splitting ratio.

Abstract: The identification of compounds, strigolactones, having the ability to stimulate the growth and/or development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi). Such compounds are, for example, the natural strigolactones strigol, alectrol, sorgolactone, orobanchol, or their synthetic analogs GR7, GR24, Nijmegen-1, demethylsorgolactone. New ways of developing an agriculture that is more respectful of the environment, and permits the implementation, on a small or large scale, of advanced mycorrhization techniques aimed at optimizing the production of fungic inoculum, the use of AM fungi in soils or cultivation substrates, and intensifying the symbiotic interaction between these microorganisms and cultivated plants.