Abstract: A method for obtaining chemical and/or material specific information of a sample based on scattered light. The method comprises receiving detection data comprising at least two images. Each image is indicative of the intensity of scattered light i) for incident light of a different wavelength, or ii) for incident light of a different polarization state, or iii) of a different polarization state. The scattered light comprises an elastic scattering component that is due to Rayleigh scattering of the incident light in at least a portion of the sample. Alternatively, each image is indicative of the intensity of scattered light i) of a different wavelength, or ii) for incident light of a different polarization state, or iii) of a different polarization state, wherein the scattered light comprises an inelastic scattering component that is due to Raman scattering of the incident light in at least a portion of the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting events in an input signal. The method uses a volatile resistive switching component to detect the events in the input signal. The method comprising identifying the events based on sampling an output from the resistive switching component.

Abstract: An optical fiber has corrugations on an outer surface to dissipate a portion of an input light beam, allowing the remaining portion of the light beam to be coupled to the optical fiber. By dissipating the portion of input light, damage to the optical fiber by uncoupled light is reduced.

Abstract: A wearable antenna is described, for wirelessly receiving sensor data generated by an implantable sensor device implanted in a uterus, the wearable antenna, in use, extending around the waist of the wearer's body, and having a downwardly extending portion for location at the front of the wearer's body. In this way, an improved electromagnetic interaction between the wearable antenna and the implantable sensor can be achieved. Further, the wearable antenna may have an undulating shape around at least a portion of the wearer's waist, to permit expansion and contraction of the wearable antenna about the wearer's waist.

Abstract: A nested anti-resonant nodeless hollow core fiber (NANF) enables transmission of multi-kilowatt, continuous wave (CW) light beams operating in wavelengths between 1050 nm and 1100 nm provided by single mode lasers. Such a NANF has little loss over kilometer ranges, and can be employed in long distance subsurface applications, such as in the petroleum industry.

Abstract: An interferometric optical fibre sensor comprises optical fibre defining an optical circuit configured to propagate a first optical wave via an environment in which the optical fibre can be exposed to a stimulus that modifies the first optical wave, and a second optical wave, and to combine the first optical wave and the second optical wave to create an interference signal containing information about the stimulus, wherein optical fibre propagating either or both of the first optical wave and the second optical wave comprises hollow core optical fibre configured to propagate the optical wave or waves by an antiresonant optical guidance effect.

Abstract: The invention relates to compounds of general formula (I): wherein R2a, R2b, R3a, R3b, R5, Y and R7 are as defined herein are selective agonists at the FXR receptor and are useful for the treatment or prevention of diseases and conditions including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); primary biliary cirrhosis; primary sclerosing cholangitis; biliary atresia; cholestatic liver disease; hepatitis C infection; alcoholic liver disease; fibrosis; and liver damage arising from fibrosis.

Abstract: An intra-uterine monitoring system is described. The system comprises an implantable sensor device, shaped and dimensioned for implantation in a uterus for measuring conditions within the uterus to generate sensor data, and a wearable receiver device, for wirelessly receiving the sensor data generated by the implantable sensor device. In this way, real-time, in-vivo monitoring of the intra-uterine environment can be performed. The implantable sensor device can be kept small and simple, requiring only the mechanical and electronic structures necessary to take sensor measurements and transmit those to the receiver device. By making the receiver device wearable, it can be kept in relatively close proximity to the implantable sensor device on a long-term basis, making regular monitoring viable.

Abstract: An interferometric optical fibre sensor comprises optical fibre defining an optical circuit configured to propagate a first optical wave via an environment in which the optical fibre can be exposed to a stimulus that modifies the first optical wave, and a second optical wave, and to combine the first optical wave and the second optical wave to create an interference signal containing information about the stimulus, wherein optical fibre propagating either or both of the first optical wave and the second optical wave comprises hollow core optical fibre configured to propagate the optical wave or waves by an antiresonant optical guidance effect.

Abstract: An optical method of characterizing an object comprises providing an object to be characterized, the object having at least one nanoscale feature; illuminating the object with coherent plane wave optical radiation having a wavelength larger than the nanoscale feature; capturing a diffraction intensity pattern of the radiation which is scattered by the object; supplying the diffraction intensity pattern to a neural network trained with a training set of diffraction intensity patterns corresponding to other objects with a same nanoscale feature as the object to be characterized, the neural network configured to recover information about the object from the diffraction intensity pattern; and making a characterization of the object based on the recovered information.

Abstract: A fused fibre coupler comprising: a single mode fibre, SMF, and an orbital angular momentum fibre, OAMF, the fibres having a coupling portion in which the fibres are longitudinally aligned side by side and fused at least over a coupling length in which the SMF and OAMF are tapered such that the diameter of the SMF and the diameter of the OAMF give the fibres matching effective refractive indices for a single mode of the SMF and an orbital angular momentum, OAM, mode of the OAMF for a coupled wavelength of light.

Abstract: We describe an ice protection system used for removing ice and/or other accretions from a structure. An actuator, coupled to a structure, is driven to generate vibrations in the structure. A controller drives the actuator using a signal that comprises a frequency chirp over a first period of time, and the controller controls the frequency chirp and the first period such that vibrations generated in the structure by the actuator propagate through the structure to coincide at a desired area of the structure remote from the actuator to remove ice and/or other accretions from the desired area of the structure.

Abstract: A hollow core photonic bandgap optical fibre comprises: a cladding comprising capillaries in a hexagonal array and a hollow core formed by excluding a hexagonal group of nineteen capillaries from the centre of the hexagonal array. The core is inflated. A core size ratio is 1.26 or above, defined as a ratio of the core diameter to the cladding diameter normalized to the ratio of the core diameter to the cladding diameter in an undistorted hexagonal array; a first ring ratio is between 0.55 and 2.50, defined as a ratio of the length of radially aligned struts separating the capillaries of the first ring to the length of a strut in an undistorted hexagonal array; and a core node spacing is between 0.60 and 1.90, where defined as a ratio of a strut length around the core of a largest corner capillary and a strut length around the core of a smallest side capillary. The fabrication method comprises four different pressures for the core, corner capillary, side capillary and cladding.

Abstract: An optical modulation system comprises a signal source configured to generate an amplitude modulated electrical signal having a bandwidth and divided into frequency components comprising at least a first frequency component covering a first portion of the bandwidth and a second frequency component covering a second portion of the bandwidth; and an electro-optic modulator for receiving an input optical signal, the modulator having a first optical path and a second optical path, the input optical signal being divided between the first optical path and the second optical path and recombined after propagation along the first optical path and the second optical path to produce an output optical signal, and at least one of the first optical path and the second optical path comprising a phase shifter comprising a pair of electrodes in which each electrode is configured to receive a driving signal; wherein the or each phase shifter is coupled to the signal source to receive at least one of said frequency components a

Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleic acid vaccines which encode at least a MAGED4B protein, for use in the treatment of cancer in particular. Synergistic combinations with other anti-cancer agents are described, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors. The cancer vaccine may further comprise an immunologically active fragment to enhance the immune response, and an additional cancer antigen, such as FJX1. Particular combination therapies of interest include immunotherapies, radiotherapy, targeted therapies and chemotherapies.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, polynucleic acid polymers, assays, and kits for inducing processing of a partially processed mRNA transcript to remove a retained intron to produce a fully processed mRNA transcript that encodes a full-length functional form of a protein. Also described herein are methods and compositions for treating a disease or condition characterized by impaired production of a full-length functional form of a protein or for treating a disease or condition characterized by a defective splicing in a subject.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating encoded data for use in a cognitive computing system. The method comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of hypervectors, each representing a respective semantic object; element-wise modular addition of two or more of the plurality of hypervectors, thereby binding the corresponding semantic objects; and vector concatenation of two or more of the plurality of hypervectors, thereby superposing the corresponding semantic objects. The method may be carried out by a cognitive processing unit that may be part of a cognitive computing system.

Abstract: A stent (100) comprising a stent wall (102), the stent wall (102) having a plurality of side holes (110) extending therethrough, each side hole (110) having an upstream end (116) and a downstream end (118). The stent wall (102) tapers in thickness in a direction towards the side hole (110) at the upstream (116) and/or downstream (118) end of at least one of the side holes (110). Also disclosed are methods for making side holes (110) in stents (100) by milling and making stents (100) having side holes (110) by injection moulding.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assembling a clay-nanoparticle gel suitable for loading with one or more molecule species such that they are spatially structured therein, and a method for forming a clay-nanoparticle gel comprising one or more spatially structured molecule species. The invention further relates to structured clay nanoparticle gel and their use, for example in treatment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treatment or prophylaxis of cancer, wherein the cancer overexpresses exportin-1, the method comprising the administration of: a peptide capable of activating NK cell-mediated immunity to cancer cells that overexpress exportin-1, the peptide comprising or consisting of the amino acid sequence XnAX2X1, wherein Xn is an amino acid sequence of between 5 and 12 residues, and X1 is any amino acid; or leucine or phenylalanine; and X2 is alanine, threonine or serine; or administration of one or more of a nucleic acid encoding the peptide; an immunogenic composition comprising the peptide; a complex comprising the peptide; a vesicle comprising the peptide or nucleic acid encoding the peptide; a dendritic cell comprising the peptide and/or comprising nucleic acid encoding the peptide; an activated NK cell, that has been activated by the peptide; or a virus or virus like particle comprising the peptide and/or comprising nucleic acid encoding the peptide.