Abstract: The invention is a method for treating a heart disease, in particular acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a subject comprising the step of administering to the subject a Tjp1 inhibitor, wherein administration of said Tjp1 inhibitor promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation. The invention further includes use of Tjp1 inhibitor in the manufacture of a medicament for a heart disease, a patch, and a nucleic acid encoding a Tjp1 inhibitor. In a particular embodiment, the Tjp1 inhibitor is a nucleic acid, i.e. an siRNA or shRNA of Tjp1. The invention also includes administration of said Tjp1 inhibitor in combination with Neuregulin-1 (NRG1), Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or Follistatin-like 1 (Fst1) and wherein said inhibitor is delivered in an adeno-associated virus of serotype 9 (AAV 9).

Abstract: The present invention relates to catalytic, nucleic acid nanostmctures that enable versatile detection of RNAs, their use, and devices comprising same. The nanostructure comprises a DNA polymerase enzyme, a DNA aptamer and an inverter oligonucleotide, wherein the DNA aptamer comprising (i) a conserved sequence region for binding to the DNA polymerase enzyme, wherein the binding inactivates the polymerase activity, (ii) a variable sequence region for binding to the inverter oligonucleotide, and (iii) a duplex stabilizer region that lies between the conserved sequence region and the variable sequence region. The present invention also relates to the use of the nanostructure in a method of detection of nucleic acid for diagnosing a disease in a subject.

Abstract: There is provided a microneedle device comprising a substrate and a plurality of microneedles projecting from the substrate, the substrate being substantially spherical and wherein in use, the microneedle device has three-dimensional movement. There is also provided a method of forming the microneedle device of the present invention.

Abstract: A continuous thin film comprises a metal chalcogenide, wherein the metal is selected from the periodic groups 13 or 14 and the chalcogen is: sulphur (S), selenide (Se), or tellurium (Te), and wherein the thin film has a thickness of less than 20 mm. Methods of forming the continuous thin film involve thermally evaporating precursors to form a thin film on the surface of a substrate. In a particular embodiment, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is used to grow indium selenide (In2Se3) thin film from two precursors (In2Se3 and Se) and the thin film is used to fabricate a ferroelectric resistive memory device.

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: 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: A classifying sensing system, a classifying method performed using a sensing system, a tactile sensor, and a method of fabricating a tactile sensor. The classifying sensing system comprises a first spiking neural network, SNN, encoder configured for encoding an event-based output of a vision sensor into individual vision modality spiking representations with a first output size; a second SNN encoder configured for encoding an event-based output of a tactile sensor into individual tactile modality spiking representations with a second output size; a combination layer configured for merging the vision modality spiking representations and the tactile modality spiking representations; and a task SNN configured to receive the merged vision modality spiking representations and tactile modality spiking representations and output vision-tactile modality spiking representations with a third output size for classification.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for predicting the treatment response of a human gastroesophageal cancer patient, the method comprising: a) measuring the gene expression of at least 3 of the following genes: CDH1, CDK6, COX2, ELOVL5, GATA4, EGFR, TBCEL, FGF7, CDH17, FNBP1, PIP5K1B, TWIST, CD44, MET, CEACAM1, TOX3, GLIPR2, GSTP1, RON, TMEM136, MYB, BRCA2, FGF1, POU5F1, EPR, DPYD, ABL2 and SH3RF1 in a sample obtained from the gastroesophageal tumour of the patient to obtain a sample gene expression profile of at least said genes; and b) making a prediction of the treatment response and/or prognosis of the patient based on the sample gene expression profile. Also provided are related computer-implemented methods and methods of treatment of gastroesophageal cancer.

Abstract: A method of generating true random numbers for use by a cryptographic hardware component for cryptographic algorithms or communication protocols, and a cryptographic hardware component for cryptographic algorithms or communication protocols. The method comprises the steps of controlling a clock pulsewidth, PW, for pulsed-latch clocking in the cryptographic hardware component to switch between using the cryptographic hardware component to generate the true random numbers in a first operating state; and using the cryptographic hardware component for cryptographic processing in a second operating state.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are vapour-phase crosslin ked composite membranes in the form of crosslinked polymers and defined inorganic materials. The membranes disclosed herein may have a narrow pore size distribution and precise molecule separation ability and may be used for organic solvent nanofiltration and organic solvent reverse osmosis. Also disclosed herein are methods of forming the membranes, and filtration. In a preferred embodiment, the vapour-phase crosslinked composite membrane is obtained by exposing a composite membrane comprising polyimide and UiO-66-NH2 particles to an amine vapour.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a bacterial microcompartment virus-like particle (VLP) carrying a cargo molecule, the method comprising introducing and expressing in a host cell or organism one or more polynucleotides comprising (a) a first sequence encoding bacterial microcompartment shell protomers and a second sequence encoding a cargo molecule fused to an encapsulation peptide comprising the sequence SKITGSSGNDTQGSLITYSGGARG, and forming a microcompartment that encapsulates the cargo molecule, or (b) a first sequence encoding bacterial microcompartment shell protomers and a second sequence encoding at least one of said protomers fused with a cargo molecule or a biochemical tag, and forming a microcompartment that expresses the cargo molecule or biochemical tag on an exterior surface. In one embodiment, the bacterial microcompartment protomers are CsoSIA and CsoS4A from Halothiobacillus neapolitanus, or HO-H, HO-P and HO-T1 from Haliangium ochraceum.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of treating a steatosis-associated disorder by administering a therapeutic agent selected from a lysosomal enzyme, an autophagy-inducing agent, or a combination thereof. Steatosis-associated disorders discussed herein include GSD Ia, GSD Ib, GSD Ic, NAFLD, and NASH. Other embodiments are directed to methods of reversing steatosis, modulating autophagy, inducing autophagy, and reversing glycogen storage.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of treating a steatosis-associated disorder by administering a therapeutic agent selected from a lysosomal enzyme, an autophagy-inducing agent, or a combination thereof. Steatosis-associated disorders discussed herein include GSD Ia, GSD Ib, GSD Ic, NAFLD, and NASH. Other embodiments are directed to methods of reversing steatosis, modulating autophagy, inducing autophagy, and reversing glycogen storage.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for forming a film on a substrate are described. The film is formed on the substrate by depositing an adamantane monomer and an initiator on the substrate to form a polymerizable seed layer and curing the polymerizable seed layer to form a polyadamantane layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a nucleic acid delivery construct comprising at least one sense or antisense RNA subdomain of the human cytomegalovirus ?2.7 RNA, wherein each subdomain is capable of localization within the mitochondria, for transport into mitochondria. Disclosed herein are also methods of enhancing mitochondrial gene function, or suppressing defective mitochondrial gene function, or both, as well as methods of treating a mitochondrial disorder.

Abstract: A noninvasive optical sensor for analyzing a level of a substance in a subject by illuminating a sclera may include at least one light source, at least one detector, and a processor. The at least one light source may direct incident light to illuminate a region of the sclera of an eye of the subject. The at least one detector may receive light, in response to the incident light, from the sclera or from inside the eye proximal to the illuminated region of the sclera. The processor may be configured to compute a ratio of an intensity of the received light from the at least one detector to a reference value and to estimate a level of a substance in the subject from the computed ratio.

Abstract: A heat transfer device includes at least one channel including an upstream zone, a downstream zone, and a mixing zone intermediate the upstream and downstream zones. The upstream zone includes an upstream separating configuration arranged to separate an inflow to the upstream zone into a plurality of upstream sub-flows. The mixing zone includes a converging configuration arranged to converge at least two upstream sub-flows into the mixing zone to form a primary mixed flow.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of colony picking. The method includes the steps of mixing a bacterial suspension with an oil-based carrier liquid for generating a plurality of droplets comprising bacteria contained in the bacterial suspension and incubating the plurality of droplets for a predetermined period of time to allow growth of bacteria within the plurality of droplets. The method further includes the steps of screening each of the plurality of droplets that flows through one or more microfluidic channels of a microfluidic device to determine an opacity degree of each of the plurality of droplets, wherein the opacity degree is indicative of colony formation in the plurality of droplets, and sorting the plurality of droplets based on the opacity degree of each of the plurality of droplets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for eliminating microorganisms comprising a plurality of light emitters, wherein each of the plurality of light emitters is configured to emit light comprising a wavelength of 380-500 nm, and wherein at least two or more of the plurality of light emitters emit light of a different wavelength. There is also provided a method of eliminating microorganisms comprising emitting a light of a wavelength of 380-500 nm by each of a plurality of light emitters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to miRNA interference technology. More specifically the invention relates to circular miRNA sponges that carry a plurality of binding sites directed to at least two types of miRNA and separated by random, non-identical spacers, allowing for the inhibition of functional classes of m1RNAs. Preferably, the binding sites are bulged binding sites wherein each bulge is created by a one base deletion and two base mismatch at positions 9-11 nt from the 3? end of each binding site. Preferably, each spacer is 6 to 24 nucleotides in length. Preferably, the binding sites are against miR-132 and miR-212, miR-17-5p and miR-18a-5p, or miR-20b-5p and miR-106a-5p. Construction vectors and uses of said miRNA sponges for the treatment of diseases, such as cardiomyopathy and cancer, are also disclosed.