Abstract: An imaging system for an object such as human or animal tissue uses scattering of an illuminating electromagnetic wave by acoustic vibrations to generate a scattered electromagnetic wave including Doppler components shifted from the frequency of the illuminating electromagnetic wave by frequencies of the acoustic vibration and multiples thereof. An acoustic transducer apparatus applies acoustic vibrations localized in two or three dimensions in a plurality of regions. A transmitter simultaneously illuminates the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave that has a frequency in the range from 100 MHz to 100 GHz, the vibration direction of the acoustic vibration having a component parallel to the propagation direction of the illuminating electromagnetic wave. A receiver receives the scattered electromagnetic wave. A signal processing apparatus derives characteristics of the Doppler components, and stores image data representing the derived characteristic.

Abstract: Musculoskeletal fibroproliferative disorders, such as Dupuytren's disease may be treated by administering locally a TNF-? antagonist. TNF-? antagonists find particular utility in inhibiting the progression of early disease state Dupuytren's disease and other musculoskeletal fibroproliferative disorders and, in combination with extracellular matrix degradation agents (such ascollagenase or matrix metalloproteinase I), treating advanced disease state Dupuytren's disease and, in particular inhibiting recurrence.

Abstract: Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images.

Abstract: This invention relates to mutant enzymes with enhanced properties and processes for oxidation of organic compound substrates using such enzymes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a non-human multicellular organism carrying a dominant lethal genetic system, the lethal effect of which is conditional, wherein the lethal effect of the lethal system occurs in the natural environment of the organism.

Abstract: The invention provides a hydrogel network comprising a plurality of hydrogel objects, wherein each of said hydrogel objects comprises: a hydrogel body, and an outer layer of amphipathic molecules, on at least part of the surface of the hydrogel body, wherein each of said hydrogel objects contacts another of said hydrogel objects to form an interface between the contacting hydrogel objects. A process for producing the hydrogel networks is also provided. The invention also provides an electrochemical circuit and hydrogel component for mechanical devices comprising a hydrogel network. Various uses of the hydrogel network are also described, including their use in synthetic biology and as components in electrochemical circuits and mechanical devices.

Abstract: The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a photoactive region, which photoactive region comprises: an n-type region comprising at least one n-type layer; a p-type region comprising at least one p-type layer; and, disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region: a layer of a perovskite semiconductor without open porosity. The perovskite semiconductor is generally light-absorbing. In some embodiments, disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region is: (i) a first layer which comprises a scaffold material, which is typically porous, and a perovskite semiconductor, which is typically disposed in pores of the scaffold material; and (ii) a capping layer disposed on said first layer, which capping layer is said layer of a perovskite semiconductor without open porosity, wherein the perovskite semiconductor in the capping layer is in contact with the perovskite semiconductor in the first layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a ceramic material, which comprises: (a) forming a green compact by compacting a powder comprising alumina and carbon, wherein the powder is substantially free of silicon carbide and wherein the amount of carbon present in the powder does not exceed 0.1% by weight of the powder; and (b) sintering the green compact under non-oxidising conditions to form a ceramic material comprising alumina and carbon, wherein the green compact is sintered at a temperature of less than 1550° C. Ceramic materials obtainable by said process are also provided.

Abstract: A method for determining the malarial status of a subject, comprising the steps of: providing a biological sample obtained from a subject; and determining the level, or presence, of PF10_0121 (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase, pHPRT) and/or PF11_0208 (phosphoglycerate mutase, pPGM) in the biological sample.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a system such as a machine, industrial system, or human or animal patient, to classify the system as normal or abnormal, in which a time-series of measurements of the system are regarded as a function to be compared to a model of normality for such functions. The model of normality can be constructed as a Gaussian Process and test functions compared to the model to derive the probability that they are drawn from the model of normality. A probability distribution for the expected extrema of sets of functions drawn from the model can also be derived and the probability of any extremum of a plurality of test functions being an extremum of a set derived from the model of normality can be obtained. The system can be classified as normal or abnormal based on the extreme probability distribution. Test functions with fewer data points can be compared to the model of normality by marginalisation with respect to the missing data points.

Abstract: A passive compression wave imaging system comprises an array of sensor elements arranged in a sparse array and a processor arranged to: store a plurality of samples of the output from each of the sensor elements over a sample period; derive from the stored samples a value for each of a set of image pixels; wherein for each of the image pixels the processing means is arranged to: define a plurality of different sets of weights for the elements of the sparse array; calculate a component of a pixel value from each of the sets of weights and the stored samples; and sum the components of the pixel value to produce a final pixel value.

Abstract: The present invention provides processes for the production of chiral compounds in a stereoisomeric excess. The present processes involve reacting a hydrometallated alkene compound with a compound comprising a conjugated-bond system under conditions such that the compounds undergo an asymmetric 1,4- or 1,6-conjugate addition reaction, generating a chiral compound in a stereoisomeric excess. The reaction is performed in the presence of a metal catalyst, which catalyst preferably comprises a non-racemic chiral ligand.

Abstract: A method for determining the pneumococcal infection status of a subject, comprising the steps of: i, providing a biological sample obtained from a subject: ii. determining the level of lipocalin-2 in the biological sample; and iii. comparing the level determined in (ii) with one or more pre-determined reference values.

Abstract: A method of capturing and processing a multi-spectral image of an object comprises placing the object on a flat-bed scanner (1), using the flat-bed scanner (1) to illuminate the object successively with monochromatic light at a series of wave-lengths to produce a plurality of images together forming a composite multi-spectral image, determining a spectral profile of at least a portion of the multi-spectral image and comparing the spectral profile to a stored spectral profile (22, 24).

Abstract: Stents and method of inserting a stent into a delivery catheter are disclosed. In a disclosed embodiment, a stent for redirecting blood flow away from an aneurysmal sac is provided. The stent comprises an elongate frame (2) that is radially contractable from a fully radially expanded state to a radially contracted state in a process involving elongation of the frame, wherein: the fully radially expanded state represents the state of the frame at body temperature when no external force is applied to the frame; in the radially contracted state the frame has a maximum lateral dimension that is at least 30% smaller than the maximum lateral dimension of the frame in the fully radially expanded state; and the frame comprises a low porosity region (4) for positioning at the opening to the aneurysmal sac, the low porosity region having a porosity of less than 50% when the frame is in the fully radially expanded state.

Abstract: A dendrimer of formula (I): [DENDRON1]x-CORE-[B-[X]b]a (I) wherein: CORE is a metal ion or a group containing a metal ion, or is a non-polymeric organic group; B is a phenyl ring; a is an integer of from 1 to 8; b is an integer of from 3 to 5; x is zero or an integer of from 1 to 7; each X is an aryl or heteroaryl ring, or is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure; each DENDRON1 is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure; and wherein the dendrimer further comprises one or more surface groups; with the proviso that where CORE is a non-metallic core, then X is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure comprising at least one linking group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for detecting a state of true perception loss of a human, the device including processing means operable to detect from information on electrical signals sensed adjacent to the scalp of the human the activity of oscillations present in the electrical signals as a marker for the state of true perception loss of the human.

Abstract: The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a mixed-anion perovskite, wherein the mixed-anion perovskite comprises two or more different anions selected from halide anions and chalcogenide anions. The invention further provides a mixed halide perovskite of the formula (I) [A][B][X]3 wherein: [A] is at least one organic cation; [B] is at least one divalent metal cation; and [X] is said two or more different halide anions. In another aspect, the invention provides the use of a mixed-anion perovskite as a sensitizer in an optoelectronic device, wherein the mixed-anion perovskite comprises two or more different anions selected from halide anions and chalcogenide anions. The invention also provides a photosensitizing material for an optoelectronic device comprising a mixed-anion perovskite wherein the mixed-anion perovskite comprises two or more different anions selected from halide anions and chalcogenide anions.

Abstract: A process for producing a compound which is (3R)-hydroxybutyl (3R)-hydroxybutyrate of formula (I) which process comprises submitting, to enantioselective reduction, a compound of the following formula (II), (III) or (IV).

Abstract: The invention provides an optoelectronic device comprising a porous material, which porous material comprises a semiconductor comprising a perovskite. The porous material may comprise a porous perovskite. Thus, the porous material may be a perovskite material which is itself porous. Additionally or alternatively, the porous material may comprise a porous dielectric scaffold material, such as alumina, and a coating disposed on a surface thereof, which coating comprises the semiconductor comprising the perovskite. Thus, in some embodiments the porosity arises from the dielectric scaffold rather than from the perovskite itself. The porous material is usually infiltrated by a charge transporting material such as a hole conductor, a liquid electrolyte, or an electron conductor. The invention further provides the use of the porous material as a semiconductor in an optoelectronic device. Further provided is the use of the porous material as a photosensitizing, semiconducting material in an optoelectronic device.