Abstract: Various embodiments may relate to a gas cell. The gas cell may include a chamber body. The gas cell may also include a chamber lid cooperating with the chamber body to form a space. The gas cell may further include an infrared source provided in a through hole of the chamber lid such that the infrared source extends through a thickness of the chamber lid. The gas cell may additionally include a detector provided in a through hole of the chamber body. The gas cell may further include an optical chip arranged within the space such that the optical chip is between the infrared source and the detector. The gas cell may also include three O-rings.

Abstract: A method for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes from natural rubber, including providing a first material, the first material may include natural rubber or derivatives thereof, thermally decomposing the first material at a first temperature into an intermediate material, contacting the intermediate material with a catalyst, treating the intermediate material in contact with the catalyst at a second temperature, for forming carbon nanotubes. Adjusting an average characteristic of resulting nanotubes, including carrying out the synthesis method as a reference method and for decreasing the average diameter of the nanotube: decreasing the second temperature and/or decreasing the reaction time and/or increasing the concentration of H2 in the forming gas in relation to the reference method. Or, for increasing the average diameter of the nanotube: increasing the second temperature and/or increasing the reaction time and/or decreasing the concentration of H2 in the forming gas in relation to the reference method.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing a clay-polyacrylate composite. An aqueous solution including clay is mixed with at least one organosilane coupling agent including an acrylate moiety to form a silanized-clay suspension. The silanized-clay suspension is contacted with a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer in an inert environment, where the first acrylate monomer and the second acrylate monomer have different solubility. A polymerization initiator is added to the silanized-clay suspension before or during the contacting of the silanized-clay suspension with the first acrylate monomer and the second acrylate monomer in the inert environment to form the clay-polyacrylate composite including the first and second acrylate monomer, where the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer including a hydroxyl (—OH) group and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer which repels water.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to the field of muscle disease. In particular, the invention relates to a method for determining if a subject has sarcopenia or has an increased risk of developing sarcopenia. A method of predicting the responsiveness of said subject to nutritional intervention is also provided.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing a polymeric clay composition for coating. A clay-polyacrylate composite is produced, where the clay-polyacrylate composite includes one or more layers of clay intercalated with polyacrylate, where the one or more layers of clay include at least one organosilane coupling agent including an acrylate moiety, where the at least one organosilane coupling agent is attached to a surface of the one or more layers of clay and the polyacrylate is covalently attached to the organosilane coupling agent, and where the polyacrylate consists of a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer having different solubility, where the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer including a hydroxyl (—OH) group and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer which repels water. Furthermore, the clay-polyacrylate composite is mixed with a solution including a polymer to form the polymeric clay composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of an oleogel, comprising a) homogenising an aqueous dispersion of natural food fibre to develop viscosity, b) shear-mixing the aqueous fibre dispersion with liquid edible oil at room temperature to form an emulsion, and c) subjecting the emulsion to freeze-drying to remove the water. In some embodiments, the natural food fibre is citrus fibre or nata de coco fibre mix. The invention further relates to an edible fibre-based oleogel obtained by the method, as well as food products comprising the oleogel and/or based upon the oleogel.

Abstract: A method for providing a sub-population of stem cell or plurality of stem cells by determining or modulating GSTT1 expression level or genotype is disclosed together with uses of the stem cells.

Abstract: Isolated heparin or heparan sulphate oligosaccharide fragments having a chain length of at least 10 saccharides and no more than 50 saccharides, which are capable of binding BMP2, are disclosed. Also disclosed is the use of the same heparin or heparan sulphate oligosaccharide fragments in kits and pharmaceutical compositions, and the use of the same heparan sulphate oligosaccharide fragments in the repair and/or regeneration of connective tissue and bones, and the treatment of wounds.

Abstract: The invention concerns a compound of formula (Ia) or (lb) wherein R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group; R2 is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group; R3 is an aryl group or a heteroaryl group, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from halogen, alkyl or alkoxy; and, in Formula (Ia), X is CH or N and Y is NH, S or O, or, in Formula (Ib), X is NH, S or O and Y is CH or N. The invention further concerns a method of synthesizing the inventive compound, a composition comprising the inventive compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and bedaquiline (BDQ), an analogue of bedaquiline (BDQ) or a mixture thereof, and the use of said composition or compound for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Abstract: This application describes liver stem cells (LSC), and differentiated hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and 3D cellular structures derived therefrom. Methods for producing LSC and mature, differentiated hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in culture are provided. Also provided are cell culture systems and cell culture media for producing a homogenous population of liver stem cells that remain in an undifferentiated state over multiple passages in culture. The LSC and methods are useful for producing homogenous populations of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes for downstream applications. The LSC can be transplanted into subjects to treat liver diseases.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a material that may be useful as a coating for optical slides and medical implants. The material may aid or restrict grown of cells on a coating of the composite material. As such, there is provided a composite material having a substrate on the surface of which a coating layer of an amorphous metal oxide is formed. The metal oxide may be one or more of Ag2O, ZnO, ZrO2, TiO2, CuO, and Y2O3 and the coating layer may be from 5 to 100 nm thick and have a root mean square roughness of the coating surface is from 0.1 to 0.7 nm.

Abstract: Various embodiments may relate to an electro-optic modulator. The electro-optic modulator may include a waveguide configured to carry optical light along a longitudinal length of the waveguide. The electro-optic modulator may also include a first electrically conductive sub-wavelength grating on a first side of the waveguide, the first electrically conductive sub-wavelength grating including a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the waveguide. The electro-optic modulator may further include a second electrically conductive sub-wavelength grating on a second side of the waveguide opposite the first side, the second electrically conductive sub-wavelength grating including a plurality of fingers extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the waveguide.

Abstract: Methods and systems for simulating a stent in a coronary artery lumen structure are disclosed. A method of simulating a stent in a coronary artery lumen structure, the method comprises: reconstructing a three-dimensional coronary artery tree from segmented coronary lumen contours; replacing part of the three-dimensional artery tree with a candidate stent structure; and simulating pressure distribution through the coronary artery tree to determine a non-invasive fractional flow reserve through the candidate stent structure.

Abstract: The disclosure provides anti-DENV antibodies and methods of making and using the same. Nucleic acids encoding anti-DENV antibodies and host cells comprising the nucleic acids are also provided. The anti-DENV antibodies have uses that include treating DENV infection. The disclosure also provided polypeptides containing a variant Fc region and methods of making the same. Nucleic acids encoding polypeptides and host cells comprising the nucleic acids are also provided. The polypeptides have uses that include treating a viral infection. Also claimed is a polypeptide comprising a Fc variant comprising at least one amino acid alteration in a parent Fc region, wherein the variant Fc region has a substantially decreased FcYR-binding activity and does not have a substantially decreased C1 q-binding activity when compared to the parent Fc region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to antigen binding proteins and in particular to IL-1? antigen binding proteins. The present invention further provides compositions comprising the antigen binding proteins, use of the antigen binding proteins and methods for production.

Abstract: A method of forming a titania-coated inorganic particle comprising the steps of (a) stirring a mixture of a titania precursor such as a titanium alkoxide and an inorganic particle such as a hollow glass particles in an organic solvent such as an alcohol for more than 1 h to cause adsorption of the titania precursor on the surface of the inorganic particle; and (b) adding water dropwise to the mixture under stirring to convert the titania precursor to titania which then forms a coating on the inorganic particle. A method for forming a paint formulation, a titania-coated inorganic particle, a paint formulation comprising a titania-coated inorganic particle and use of a titania-coated inorganic particle in a paint formulation is also described.

Abstract: A camera-based localization system is provided. The camera-based localization system may assist an unmanned vehicle to continue its operation in a GPS-denied environment with minimal increase in vehicular cost and payload. In one aspect, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus for localization via visual inertial odometry are provided. The apparatus may construct an optical flow based on feature points across a first video frame and a second video frame captured by a camera of the apparatus. The apparatus may refine the angular velocity and the linear velocity corresponding to the second video frame via solving a quadratic optimization problem constructed based on the optical flow, the initial values of the angular velocity and the linear velocity corresponding to the second video frame. The apparatus may estimate the pose of the apparatus based on the refined angular velocity and the refined linear velocity.

Abstract: Antigen binding molecules capable of binding to CD122 and/or common ? chain (CD132) are disclosed herein. Also disclosed are compositions comprising such antigen binding molecules, and uses and methods using the same.

Abstract: Techniques regarding polymers with antimicrobial functionality are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can regard a polymer, which can comprise a repeating ionene unit. The repeating ionene unit can comprise a cation distributed along a degradable backbone. The degradable backbone can comprise a terephthalamide structure. Further, the repeating ionene unit can have antimicrobial functionality.

Abstract: Techniques regarding guanidinium functionalized polylysine polymers that can have antimicrobial and/or anticancer activity are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a chemical composition, which can comprise a polymer comprising a molecular backbone covalently bonded to a pendent guanidinium functional group, wherein the molecular backbone can comprise a polylysine structure.