Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-agonist ligand of ARTC1, which inhibits the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of ARTC1, or an inhibitor nucleic acid sequence capable of downregulating or inhibiting expression of a target nucleic acid sequence encoding ARTC1, for use in prevention or treatment of cancer. The invention also relates to a method for diagnosis of cancer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immersion microscope objective (10) for inspecting a sample (S) in an immersion medium (M), comprising: at least one concave minor (3), at least one optical element (1) comprising an aspherical surface (2) facing the at least one concave minor (3), and an internal space (4) arranged between the at least one concave minor (3) and said aspherical surface (2), said internal space (4) being configured to be filled with an immersion medium (M) such that the immersion medium (M) contacts the at least one concave minor (3) and the aspherical surface (2). According to the present invention, the aspherical interface (2) is shaped such that the working distance (7) of the immersion microscope objective (10) varies by less than 1% when the refractive index n of said immersion medium (M) is increased or decreased by at least 0.025.

Abstract: A modular artificial neural sensing system includes a hierarchical network of neural sensing units including a neuromimetic sensor array of artificial sensory synapses and sensory neurons for receiving physicochemical sensed signals and for outputting sensor output signals. An artificial neural network processor is adapted for processing the sensor output signals and includes processor neurons interconnected by processor synapses forming first connections and second connections. The processor outputs processor output signals. A first sensor interface feeds processed or unprocessed sensed signals into the processor. A second sensor interface receives output predicted signals from other neural sensing units and feeds processed or unprocessed output predicted signals into the processor. A signal decoder decodes the processor output signals and outputs decoder output signals.

Abstract: The invention provides a bacterial composition comprising, or consisting of, one or more of the genera of bacteria selected from Anaerostipes, and/or Roseburia, for treatment, or for prevention of recurrence, of cancer. In another aspect, the invention relates to a combination medicament for use in the treatment or the prevention of recurrence of cancer comprising a bacterial composition as specified herein and an antineoplastic treatment, particularly a combination medicament comprising a bacterial composition and a cancer chemotherapy drug, or a bacterial composition as provided herein and a cancer immunotherapy drug.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is used to adapt a first artificial neural network for data classification tasks. The first artificial neural network is characterized by a first number of first weight parameters, and includes a set of first network layers. The method includes freezing at least some of the first weight parameters of the first neural network to obtain frozen first weight parameters and duplicating the frozen first weight parameters to obtain duplicated first weight parameters. A second artificial neural network is applied to the duplicated first weight parameters to obtain modulated first weight parameters. The second artificial neural network is characterized by a second number of second weight parameters, the second number being smaller than the first number. The frozen first weight parameters are replaced in the first neural network with the modulated first weight parameters to obtain a modulated first artificial neural network adapted for a data classification task.

Abstract: The invention is related to a device (1) for receiving a biological sample (3) wherein the device (1) comprises a plurality of wells (10) wherein each well (10) comprises an inner surface (14) facing a volume (60) for receiving a biological sample (3). The inner surface (14) comprises a top section (20) and a bottom section (30). The top section (20) and the bottom section (30) are connected via a circumferential step (40). The circumferential step (40) forms a stop for a tip of a pipette (70).

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a composition in a method of reducing the allergenicity of a cat. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a composition in a method of reducing the allergenicity of a cat for a human exposed to the cat. Furthermore, the present invention relates to compositions comprising a virus-like particle (VLP) and at least one Fel d1 protein. The compositions of the invention induce efficient immune responses, in particular antibody responses, in cats and are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of cat allergy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to indicate the clinical outcome of a cancer patient by labelling a cancer sample with labelled molecular probes, assaying the expression of a plurality of biomolecules at the resolution of a single cell and assigning a cellular identity (CI) to each single cell in the sample based on their expression pattern; then assigning a single cell pathology (SCP) patient group according to the proportion of each CI the sample contains. The invention in other aspects relates to methods of treatment of a patient with anticancer drugs according to the patient's assignment to particular SCPs. Alternatively, this aspect may be formulated as the provision of certain drugs for treatment of cancer in patients characterized by tumours assigned to certain SCPs.

Abstract: An occluder device is provided for occluding a cardiovascular defect or a gap between a medical device and adjacent body tissue, the device including a compliant balloon defining a fluid-tight balloon chamber and a balloon channel forming a longitudinal passage from a proximal to a distal side of the balloon, the balloon including a fluid port for filling a fluid into the balloon chamber. A tip and a base are coupled to the distal and the proximal sides of the balloon, respectively. At least one connecting strut is attached to the tip and to the base. An elongate actuator is disposed longitudinally slidable in the balloon channel and connected to the tip, and longitudinally slidable with respect to the base so as to set a distance between the tip and the base. A lock is configured to maintain the distance between the tip and the base. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: An occlusion device (210) is provided for occluding a left atrial appendage (LAA), including a compliant balloon (230) defining a fluid-tight balloon chamber (232), and an actuating shaft (234), which is disposed at least partially within the balloon chamber (232) for setting a distance between distal and proximal end portions (236, 238) of the balloon (230). A proximal LAA-orifice cover (70) includes a frame (72) and a covering (74) fixed to the frame (72). An orifice-support stent (290) is fixed to and extends distally from the proximal LAA-orifice cover (70), and is generally cylindrical when in a radially-expanded state. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: An occluder device is provided for occluding a cardiovascular defect or a gap between a medical device and adjacent body tissue, the device including a compliant balloon defining a fluid-tight balloon chamber and a balloon channel forming a longitudinal passage from a proximal to a distal side of the balloon, the balloon including a fluid port for filling a fluid into the balloon chamber. A tip and a base are coupled to the distal and the proximal sides of the balloon, respectively. At least one connecting strut is attached to the tip and to the base. An elongate actuator is disposed longitudinally slidable in the balloon channel and connected to the tip, and longitudinally slidable with respect to the base so as to set a distance between the tip and the base. A lock is configured to maintain the distance between the tip and the base. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to an infectious arenavirus particle that is engineered to contain a genome with the ability to amplify and express its genetic information in infected cells but unable to produce further infectious progeny particles in normal, not genetically engineered cells. One or more of the four arenavirus open reading frames glycoprotein (GP), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein Z and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L are removed or mutated to prevent replication in normal cells but still allowing gene expression in arenavirus vector-infected cells, and foreign genes coding for an antigen or other protein of interest or nucleic acids modulating host gene expression are expressed under control of the arenavirus promoters, internal ribosome entry sites or under control of regulatory elements that can be read by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, cellular RNA polymerase I, RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for distinguishing a first nucleic acid sequence from a second nucleic acid sequence by electrophoresis. The first nucleic acid comprises a first common sequence tract, a variable sequence tract and a second common sequence tract and the second nucleic acid comprises a first common sequence tract, optionally an variable sequence tract and a second common sequence tract. The first and the second nucleic acid sequence is contacted with a probe sequence that is reverse complementary to the first and second common sequence tract under conditions allowing the hybridization of the probe sequence to the first and second nucleic acid sequence, thereby forming a first probe hybrid and a second probe hybrid. Subsequently, the first and second probe hybrids are submitted to electrophoresis to detect the electrophoretic mobility of the first and second probe hybrid.

Abstract: The invention relates to an infectious arenavirus particle that is engineered to contain a genome with the ability to amplify and express its genetic information in infected cells but unable to produce further infectious progeny particles in normal, not genetically engineered cells. One or more of the four arenavirus open reading frames glycoprotein (GP), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein Z and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L are removed or mutated to prevent replication in normal cells but still allowing gene expression in arenavirus vector-infected cells, and foreign genes coding for an antigen or other protein of interest or nucleic acids modulating host gene expression are expressed under control of the arenavirus promoters, internal ribosome entry sites or under control of regulatory elements that can be read by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, cellular RNA polymerase I, RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III.

Abstract: An illustrative method for estimating a direct-to-reverberant ratio of a sound signal is described, wherein the direct-to-reverberant ratio is indicative of a ratio between direct sound received from a sound source and reverberated sound received from reflections in an environment of the sound source. The method includes determining a first energy value of a sound signal for a first time frame; assigning to an onset value of the first time frame a positive value, if the difference of the first energy value of the first time frame and a second energy value of a preceding second time frame is greater than a threshold, and a zero value otherwise; and determining the direct-to-reverberant ratio by providing an onset signal comprising the onset value to a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained to determine the direct-to-reverberant ratio based on the onset signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the likelihood of a patient being responsive to cancer immunotherapy by determining the amount of T cells expressing the markers PD-1, CTLA-4, TIM-3, and CD38 and the amount of regulatory T cells (T-regs).

Abstract: The invention relates to a bispecific HER2-targeting agent that includes (a) a first polypeptide ligand that binds to HER2 extracellular domain 1, (b) a second polypeptide ligand that binds to HER2 extracellular domain 4, and (c) a linker covalently attaching said first polypeptide ligand to said second polypeptide ligand.

Abstract: A model-order reduction system and methods are described for providing a fast fluid flow simulation model of fluid flow in a conduit such as a blood vessel with stenosis. A first method is described for generating a reduced generic numerical model (20) for predicting fluid flow characteristics of fluid flowing through a subject conduit (7?). In steps 11, 12 and 13, geometric and fluid-flow parameter data are derived from CT image scans for each sampled conduit (7) in a reference set. A 3D model is generated (13) for each sampled conduit (7). The geometric parameter data, the 3D model and the fluid flow parameter data are used to generate solutions to fluid dynamics (such as the Navier-Stokes) equations for each sampled conduit (7), and a full order model is created comprising the geometric parameters data, the fluid flow parameter data and the Navier Stokes solutions.

Abstract: The invention relates a method for generating a motion-corrected image for visual-inertial odometry comprising an event camera rigidly connected to an inertial measurement unit (IMU), wherein the event camera comprises pixels arranged in an image plane that are configured to output events in presence of brightness changes in a scene at the time they occur, wherein each event comprises the time at which it is recorded and a position of the respective pixel that detected the brightness change, the method comprising the steps of: Acquiring at least one set of events (S), wherein the at least one set (S) comprises a plurality of subsequent events (e); Acquiring IMU data (D) for the duration of the at least one set (S); Generating a motion-corrected image from the at least one set (S) of events (e), wherein the motion-corrected image is obtained by assigning the position (xj) of each event (ej) recorded at its corresponding event time (tj) at an estimated event camera pose (Ttj) to an adjusted event position (x?j)

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing a polymer scaffold that comprises the steps of providing a piece of a fabric of filaments of a first biodegradable or biocompatible polymer, applying a coating of a second polymer to said arrangement of filaments, and stretching the piece along its axis of longitudinal extension, thereby obtaining an aligned microfibrillar scaffold. The invention further relates to a method for providing an artificial tissue, and to a microfibrillar scaffold of aligned filaments obtained by the method of the invention.