Abstract: A sensor system comprising: a deformable structure; a plurality of electrodes operably connectable to the deformable structure; an electrical conductor operably connected to the deformable structure and electrically couplable to each of the electrodes; a current source connectable to predetermined electrodes; a current injector for injecting current from the current source through predetermined electrodes; a voltage recorder for recording the voltage between predetermined pairs of electrodes; and an analyser for analysing voltage recordings to thereby determine the shape of the deformable structure.

Abstract: A fast-response photovoltaic (PV) simulator based on an improved deadbeat predictive current control (DPCC). Compared to actual PV modules, there is a response time at the output of the PV simulation. Currently widely used PV simulation have a long response time, which cannot meet the performance testing requirements of high-performance grid-connected PV inverters. Based on the energy balance of the inductor during the absorption and dissipation phases, the current control law of the output inductor in the PV simulation was studied in a single switching period, thereby establishing the required DPCC model. An integral compensation eliminates the steady-state error in current tracking caused by nonlinear factors such as time delay and mismatched parameters, enabling its wide application in engineering. For the proposed PV simulator, the transient response time can be reduced to 1.1 ms and significantly shorter than widely used PV simulation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of estimating a pose of a target object in a three-dimensional scene includes: obtaining image data and associated depth information representing a view of the three-dimensional scene; processing the image data and the associated depth information to generate a volumetric reconstruction for each of a plurality of objects in the three-dimensional scene, including the target object; determining a volumetric grid containing the target object; generating, using the generated volumetric reconstructions, occupancy data indicating portions of the volumetric grid occupied by free space and portions of the volumetric grid occupied by objects other than the target object; and estimating the pose of the target object using the generated occupancy data and pointwise feature data for a plurality of points on a surface of the target object.

Abstract: This invention relates to compounds that may be useful as inhibitors of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase Kinase-4 (MAP4K4). The invention also relates to the use these compounds, for example in a method of treatment of cardiac conditions.

Abstract: A method of identifying a subject having Kawasaki disease (KD), which includes discriminating the subject from a subject having another condition, for example other infectious and inflammatory conditions, such as those that present similar symptoms to KD. Also provided is a minimal gene signature employed in the method, as well as primers, probes and gene chips for use in the method.

Abstract: A method of determining a measure of wave speed or intensity in a fluid conduit uses ultrasound measurements to determine the conduit diameter and fluid velocity in a volume element, each as a function of time, and each at a same longitudinal position of the conduit. The ultrasound measurement to determine fluid velocity is effected by tracking objects within the fluid flow in successive frames sampling the volume element, and obtaining displacement vectors for the objects. A wave speed may be determined from a ratio of the change in fluid velocity at the longitudinal position as a function of time and the change in a logarithmic function of the conduit diameter as a function of time. A measure of wave intensity may be determined as a function of change in determined conduit diameter and corresponding change in fluid velocity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic combination for use in treating an infection with a pathogen. The therapeutic combination comprises an aminoglycoside antibiotic; and a nucleic acid monoalkylating agent that substitutes a single nucleotide of a nucleic acid with an alkyl group, wherein the therapeutic combination provides an enhanced suppression of a pathogen when compared with an otherwise identical composition lacking said aminoglycoside antibiotic; or wherein the therapeutic combination provides an enhanced suppression of a pathogen when compared with an otherwise identical composition lacking said nucleic acid monoalkylating agent; and kits for performing said method.

Abstract: The invention relates to RNA constructs, and particularly, although not exclusively, to mRNA constructs and saRNA replicons and to nucleic acids and expression vectors encoding such RNA constructs. The invention extends to the use of such RNA constructs in therapy, for example in treating diseases and/or in vaccine delivery. The invention extends to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such RNA constructs, and methods and uses thereof.

Abstract: There is provided apparatuses and methods for measuring at least one thermal property of a body. The methods involve causing a symmetrical thermal boundary condition across the body such that measurements taken are not affected by the structure of the body being measured.

Abstract: A method of measuring states of qubits of a quantum processor, the method includes providing, to the qubits, a control signal to control states of n qubits in the quantum processor, where n is a natural number; performing a bit-flip to invert a state of at least one qubit of the qubits; reading out output qubit values of bit-flipped qubits based on the performing of the bit-flip; and generating an error model indicating a probability of occurrence of measurement errors in the output qubit values based on a result of the reading-out of the output qubit values.

Abstract: Provided are a thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module, each including the thermoelectric material. The thermoelectric material, according to some embodiments includes an n-doped metal halide compound having a zero-dimensional (0D) electronic system. The thermoelectric material has a significantly low electrical thermal conductivity and improved electron conductivity and thus may enhance thermoelectrical performance.

Abstract: Certain examples described herein relate to a system for processing image data. In such examples, the system includes an input interface to receive the image data, which is representative of at least one view of a scene. The system also includes an initialisation engine to generate a first latent representation associated with a first segmentation of at least a first view of the scene, wherein the first segmentation is a semantic segmentation. The initialisation engine is also arranged to generate a second latent representation associated with at least a second view of the scene. The system additionally includes an optimisation engine to jointly optimise the first latent representation and the second latent representation, in a latent space, to obtain an optimised first latent representation and an optimised second latent representation.

Abstract: The present application discloses a variety of airway sampling devices and associated methods. According to an embodiment, an airway sampling device for taking a sample from a subject's airway is provided with a handle to be gripped by a user when taking the sample and a sampling head carried by the handle, the sampling head comprising a cavity with an opening for entry by the sample and a sample collection membrane located within the cavity for receiving the sample.

Abstract: A medical apparatus comprises an instrument channel arranged to be inserted into the body of a patient to enable a medical instrument to be inserted through the instrument channel into the body of the patient. It further comprises at least one support structure arranged to be located around the body of the patient, a plurality of guide ports each arranged to be inserted into the body of the patient, a plurality of control linkages each of which is at least partly supported on the at least one support structure, and a plurality of control actuators. Each of the control linkages may be arranged to extend through one of the guide ports, to be connected to the medical instrument, and to be moved by a respective one of the control actuators thereby to manipulate the medical instrument within the body of the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared photodetection device for detecting infrared radiation with a wavelength of 700 nm or larger comprising: a carrier transfer member comprised of a non-metallic material with a band gap; an absorber on one side of the carrier transfer member, and in electrical contact with the carrier transfer member, the absorber being a metallic material in which electron-hole pairs are excited upon absorption of infrared radiation; and a semiconductor on the other side of the carrier transfer member, and in electrical contact with the carrier transfer member; and wherein the carrier transfer member contains trap states such that majority carriers excited in the absorber due to infrared radiation are conducted via the trap states through the carrier transfer member to be collected b the semiconductor.

Abstract: N-type polymer based electrochemical devices include one or more source electrodes, one or more drain electrodes, one or more channels, a gate electrode, and an electrolyte solution are disclosed. The channels include one or more n-type polymers and one or more enzymes. The gate electrode includes one or more n-type polymers and one or more enzymes. The source and the drain electrodes are electrically connected by the corresponding channel. The electrolyte solution contains one or more metabolites capable of reacting with the one or more enzymes in the channel and the gate electrode and is in electrical contact with the channel and the gate electrode. Saturation current that flows through the channel increases when the metabolites react with the enzymes to produce electrons, which are directly transferred to the n-type polymers at the gate electrode and the channel. Methods of making and using the n-type electrochemical device are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of determining a measure of wave speed intensity in a fluid conduit uses ultrasound measurements to determine the conduit diameter, as a function of time, at a longitudinal position of the conduit, and to determine a measure of fluid velocity, as a function of time, in a volume element at said longitudinal position of the conduit. The ultrasound measurement to determine the measure of fluid velocity is effected by decorrelation of scattering objects within the fluid flow in successive frames sampling the volume element. A wave speed may be determined from a ratio of the change in fluid velocity at the longitudinal position as a function of time and the change in a logarithmic function of the conduit diameter as a function of time. A measure of wave intensity may be determined as a function of change in determined conduit diameter and corresponding change in fluid velocity.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the production of a material such as graphene in a liquid dispersion in real time, comprises supplying the liquid dispersion to a fluid gap defined between a first layer and an opposed second layer, wherein the first layer is light-transmissive and wherein the second layer has a diffusely reflective surface facing the first layer. The diffusely reflective surface is illuminated with light from a light source and light reflected from the diffusely reflective surface is detected at an associated photodetector. A light path from the light source to the photodetector comprises the light passing through the transmissive layer towards the diffusely reflective surface through the fluid gap, reflecting off the diffusely reflective surface and passing back through the fluid gap towards and onwards through the transmissive layer.

Abstract: An image processing system configured to obtain a mesh representation of a scene, wherein the mesh representation comprises a plurality of polygons defined by respective vertices associated with an in-plane position, the in-plane position being in a plane comprising a first dimension and a second dimension, and the vertices having an associated vertex depth value in a third dimension different from the first dimension and the second dimension. The image processing system comprises an in-plane position estimation network configured to process image data representative of an image of the scene to estimate the in-plane positions associated with respective vertices of the mesh representation. The image processing system further comprises a depth estimation engine configured to process the in-plane positions and the image data to estimate the associated vertex depth values for the respective vertices of the mesh representation.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a novel “kick and kill” strategy as an effective cancer therapy for treating virus-associated cancers. In particular, this disclosure provides a method of reactivating a latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in a cell infected with the EBV. Also provided are a method of eliciting or enhancing an immune response against an EBV-positive cancer cell in a subject infected with the EBV and a method of treating a subject having cancer associated with EBV infection.