Abstract: A method of assaying the interaction of a molecule and a lipid bilayer is described. The method employs a microfluidic device comprising a substrate having at least one concave microcavity with a metallic surface defining an aperture and a liquid disposed within the microcavity, a lipid bilayer suspended across the aperture, and a microfluidic channel containing a liquid disposed on top of the substrate in fluid communication with the lipid bilayer. The method comprises the steps of passing a liquid containing a test molecule across the microfluidic channel, and monitoring lipid bilayer molecule interactions by plasmonically enhanced Raman or fluorescence spectroscopy configured for plasmonic enhancement of a detection signal evolving from the test molecule or lipid bilayer. Also described in a microfluidic device configured to perform the method of the invention.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for detection of an analyte in a fluid is described. The microfluidic device comprises a substrate having a first surface defining entrances to one or more chambers defined in the substrate, surfaces of the chambers defining a second surface of the substrate, the first surface being modified for selective targeting and capture of at least one analyte to operably effect a blocking of the entrance to at least one of the chambers, and wherein a response characteristic of the microfluidic device is operably varied by the blocking of the entrance to the at least one of the chambers, thereby providing an indication of the presence of the analyte within the fluid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards an apparatus and method to detect electromagnetic radiation or signals emitted by plasma comprising a sensor unit, the sensing unit comprising a first sensor for detecting electromagnetic radiation or signals; an electromagnetic barrier wherein the electromagnetic barrier is configured to surround the first sensor to prevent ambient electromagnetic radiation reaching the first sensor; a first port through which electromagnetic radiation can pass, the port configured for coupling to a port of a plasma chamber such that electromagnetic radiation or signals emitted from the plasma can reach the first sensor; and a first output coupled with a balun and a dual coaxial system whereby a signal sensed is grounded and a phase reversed version of the signal is grounded. A signal acquisition system (SAS) for detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by a plasma is also described.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for measuring a characteristic of a plasma or a plasma chamber, wherein the plasma chamber has a viewport or a surface which is permeable to electromagnetic radiation such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the plasma in the plasma chamber passes through the viewport, the method comprising providing the antenna of a Radio Emission Spectroscopy, RES, plasma bulk system externally to the plasma chamber to absorb at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation that has passed through the viewport and configured to measure signals in the near-field E- and B-field regions; measuring a first value based on the signal induced in the antenna wherein the signal is obtained from a plurality of powered RF electrodes configured to be independently modulated with one or more power sources; and calculating a second value indicative of a change of magnitude of the characteristic based on a change of magnitude of the first value, wherein the char

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system to remotely monitor a plasma (3) comprising a magnetic field antenna (2) positioned in the near electromagnetic field of a coupled plasma source wherein the magnetic field antenna is a magnetic loop antenna placed in the near electromagnetic field and measure near field signals emitted from the plasma source. A radio system (1) is utilised to analyse the low power signal levels across a wide frequency band. Plasma paramaters such as series, or geometric, resonance plasma and electron-neutral collision frequencies are evaluated via a fitting of resonant features present on higher harmonics of the driving frequency to identify arcing, pump or matching failure events, common in fabrication plasma systems.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for automation of the creation of a software application as a combination of microservices by extraction of discrete elements of software functionality from a monolithic architectures using dynamic and static analysis of code and non-code-related artefacts; forming them into microservices such that the software application is recreated as serverless hardware infrastructure while also validating the transformed code. In many cases, serverless microservices will significantly reduce the hardware requirement for software systems.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system to remotely monitor a plasma (3) comprising a magnetic field antenna (2) positioned in the near electromagnetic field of a coupled plasma source wherein the magnetic field antenna is a magnetic loop antenna placed in the near electromagnetic field and measure near field signals emitted from the plasma source. A radio system (1) is utilised to analyse the low power signal levels across a wide frequency band. Plasma paramaters such as series, or geometric, resonance plasma and electron-neutral collision frequencies are evaluated via a fitting of resonant features present on higher harmonics of the driving frequency to identify arcing, pump or matching failure events, common in fabrication plasma systems.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for detection of an analyte in a fluid is described. The microfluidic device comprises a substrate having a first surface defining entrances to one or more chambers defined in the substrate, surfaces of the chambers defining a second surface of the substrate, the first surface being modified for selective targeting and capture of at least one analyte to operably effect a blocking of the entrance to at least one of the chambers, and wherein a response characteristic of the microfluidic device is operably varied by the blocking of the entrance to the at least one of the chambers, thereby providing an indication of the presence of the analyte within the fluid.

Abstract: A method of predicting response to chemotherapy in a patient with cancer is described. The method comprises the steps of incubating an ADCC-capable molecule, an immune response modulator, a cancer cell line that expresses a target of the ADCC-capable molecule, and a sample of the patient's blood, for a period of time, determining an ADCC response of the cancer cell line, comparing the ADCC response with a reference ADCC response, and predicting the patient's response to chemotherapy based on the comparison. In one aspect, the cancer is a HER2+ cancer, the ADCC-capable molecule is an antibody targeting HER2, and the cancer cell lines is a HER2+ cancer cell line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fluidic devices, especially microfluidic devices, for aliquoting and pairwise combinatorial mixing of a first set of liquids with a second set of liquids. The device architecture is designed to move liquids in two separate phases, a first phase where the liquids are exposed to a first directional force field to move the liquids in a first direction, from a reservoir to aliquot chambers, and a second phase where the liquids are exposed to a second directional force field to move the liquids in a second direction, from the aliquot chambers to the mixing chambers. The first and second directional force fields that the device is exposed to may be achieved using a single directional force field (i.e. a rotor driven centrifugal force field) and by re-orienting the position of the device with respect to the centrifugal forces between the first and second phases of operation.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to photo-responsive hydrogels comprising a copolymer comprising N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), a polymerisable derivative of benzospiropyran, a cross-linking agent and an acid, the acid having a pKa of less than 6, wherein the hydrogel is operably responsive to exposure to water so as to undergo spontaneous protonation and swelling. The photo-responsive hydrogels described can be used in the field of microfluidic platforms.

Abstract: An interference fit fastener (FIG. 1) and method of fabricating same is described.

Abstract: The method and system of the present invention provides Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH)-based Adaptive Rich Media Delivery Solution (DASH-ARM) which performs adaptive delivery of mulsemedia content by improving the perceived QoE levels which improves user's sense of reality. In its dynamic adjustment of multiple sensorial content characteristics, DASH-ARM performs a trade-off between video quality and presence of diverse other sensorial components which include components such as haptic, olfaction and wind. This trade-off relies on the fact that the presence of other sensorial components has a masking effect on potential audio/video quality variations. DASH-ARM is complemented by an adaptive multi-sensory media stream (mulsemedia) which synchronizes at the user device, where the multimedia content and mulsemedia comprises diverse sensorial stimuli.

Abstract: A gain switched dual comb spectroscopy device for spectroscopically detecting a sample substance, comprising a first slave laser light source configured to generate a first frequency comb having a first comb free spectral range, and a second slave laser light source configured to generate a second frequency comb having a second comb free spectral range which is different from the first comb free spectral range. A master laser light source is configured to inject seed light in to both slave laser light sources therewith to injection lock the generation of both the first and the second frequency combs. A photodetector part is arranged to combine the first and the second frequency combs and to detect a beat signal the spectrum of which comprises a third frequency comb including beat tones produced by interference between the combined first and second frequency combs.

Abstract: A method of assaying the interaction of a molecule and a lipid bilayer is described. The method employs a microfluidic device comprising a substrate having at least one concave microcavity with a metallic surface defining an aperture and a liquid disposed within the microcavity, a lipid bilayer suspended across the aperture, and a microfluidic channel containing a liquid disposed on top of the substrate in fluid communication with the lipid bilayer. The method comprises the steps of passing a liquid containing a test molecule across the microfluidic channel, and monitoring lipid bilayer molecule interactions by plasmonically enhanced Raman or fluorescence spectroscopy configured for plasmonic enhancement of a detection signal evolving from the test molecule or lipid bilayer. Also described in a microfluidic device configured to perform the method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system to remotely monitor a plasma (3) comprising a magnetic field antenna (2) positioned in the near electromagnetic field of a coupled plasma source wherein the magnetic field antenna is a magnetic loop antenna placed in the near electromagnetic field and measure near field signals emitted from the plasma source. A radio system (1) is utilised to analyse the low power signal levels across a wide frequency band. Plasma paramaters such as series, or geometric, resonance plasma and electron-neutral collision frequencies are evaluated via a fitting of resonant features present on higher harmonics of the driving frequency to identify arcing, pump or matching failure events, common in fabrication plasma systems.

Abstract: The method and system of the present invention provides Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH)-based Adaptive Rich Media Delivery Solution (DASH-ARM) which performs adaptive delivery of mulsemedia content by improving the perceived QoE levels which improves user's sense of reality. In its dynamic adjustment of multiple sensorial content characteristics, DASH-ARM performs a trade-off between video quality and presence of diverse other sensorial components which include components such as haptic, olfaction and wind. This trade-off relies on the fact that the presence of other sensorial components has a masking effect on potential audio/video quality variations. DASH-ARM is complemented by an adaptive multi-sensory media stream (mulsemedia) which synchronizes at the user device, where the multimedia content and mulsemedia comprises diverse sensorial stimuli.

Abstract: Microfluidic devices that are configured to use centrifugal forces to bias particles into one or more capture regions based on their individual sizes are described.

Abstract: The invention includes Clostridial neurotoxin derivatives containing at least two light chain endopeptidase domains, and nucleic acids encoding such Clostridial neurotoxin derivatives. In preferred embodiments, the invention includes methods and compositions for the treatment of inflammatory disorders (such as arthritis); chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain and inflammatory pain through the use of such Clostridial neurotoxin derivatives, including those derived from an intact BoNT/A having an LC/E-derived endopeptidase joined to the LC/A endopeptidase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fluidic devices, especially microfluidic devices, for aliquoting and pairwise combinatorial mixing of a first set of liquids with a second set of liquids. The device architecture is designed to move liquids in two separate phases, a first phase where the liquids are exposed to a first directional force field to move the liquids in a first direction, from a reservoir to aliquot chambers, and a second phase where the liquids are exposed to a second directional force field to move the liquids in a second direction, from the aliquot chambers to the mixing chambers. The first and second directional force fields that the device is exposed to may be achieved using a single directional force field (i.e. a rotor driven centrifugal force field) and by re-orienting the position of the device with respect to the centrifugal forces between the first and second phases of operation.