Abstract: An isolated zebrafish genetic strain having a dystrophin mutant phenotype and fish models useful for screening or assaying agents having potential activity on muscular dystrophy or cardiomyopathy.

Abstract: An optical waveguide in the form of an optical fibre (10) having at least one longitudinally extending light guiding core region (11) composed at least in part of a polymeric material, a longitudinally extending core-surrounding region (12) composed of a polymeric material, and a plurality of light confining elements (15), such as, for example, channel-like holes, located within the core surrounding region. The light confining elements extend in the longitudinal direction of the core region and are distributed about the core region, and at least a majority of the light confining elements having a refractive index less than that of the polymeric material from which the core-surrounding region is composed. A preform for use in manufacture of the optical waveguide is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of conducting passive interferometry utilizing an optical coupler having N bidirectional input/output ports as an interferometer head, the method comprising the steps of for each of said ports, inserting an optical input signal into the port utilizing an optical network and measuring a corresponding optical output at each of the ports utilizing the optical network, forming products containing at least some of the N2 optical outputs each, wherein the products are chosen such that each of the products comprises the same network dependent factor and eliminating the network dependent factor to obtain substantially network independent measurements.

Abstract: This invention provides an optical fibre (1) incorporating a body (2), and an array of longitudinally extending holes or inclusions (3) formed in the body (2), the holes or inclusions (3) having a different refractive index from the surrounding body (2) and being arranged to form a full or partial ring structure (5) extending generally around a longitudinal axis of the fibre, the ring structure (5) being disposed so as to approximate the refractive or reflective transmission characteristics of a multi-layer optical fibre. The fibre (1) may have a solid core or a hollow air core. The invention also provides a method of forming the microstructured optical fibre (1).

Abstract: A method of conducting passive interferometry utilising an optical coupler having N bidirectional input/output ports as an inteiferometer head, the method comprising the steps of for each of said ports, inserting an optical input signal into the port utilising an optical network and measuring a corresponding optical output at each of the ports utilising the optical network, forming products containing at least some of the N2 optical outputs each, wherein the products are chosen such that each of the products comprises the same network dependent factor and eliminating the network dependent factor to obtain substantially network independent measurements.

Abstract: An optical fibre (20) is disclosed, the fibre is adapted in a manner such that it guides an optical signal substantially only in one non-degenerate mode, wherein an electro-magnetic field carrying the optical signal is symmetric with respect to rotation about the fibre axis. Preferably, the non-degenerate mode is the TE01 mode. In one embodiment, the optical fibre (20) includes a central hole region (22) surrounded by a concentric guiding region (24), which is in turn surrounded by a concentric cladding region 826). The guiding region (24) may comprise a Bragg reflector region. Through appropriate selection of design parameters of the fibre (20), the effective refractive index for the TM01 mode can be reduced relative to the TE01 mode to make it below a refractive index of the cladding region (269, resulting in leaking of the TM01 mode into the cladding region (26).

Abstract: An optical waveguide in the form of an optical fibre (10) having at least one longitudinally extending light guiding core region (11) composed at least in part of a polymeric material, a longitudinally extending core-surrounding region (12) composed of a polymeric material, and a plurality of light confining elements (15), such as, for example, channel-like holes, located within the core surrounding region. The light confining elements extend in the longitudinal direction of the core region and are distributed about the core region, and at least a majority of the light confining elements having a refractive index less than that of the polymeric material from which the core-surrounding region is composed. A preform for use in manufacture of the optical waveguide is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical fibre (1) having at least one longitudinally extending light guiding core region (11), a longitudinally extending core-surrounding region (12), and a plurality of light confining elements (15, 16, 17, 18), such as, for example, channel-like holes, located within the core-surrounding region (12). The light confining elements (15, 16, 17, 18) extend in the longitudinal direction of the core region and are located geometrically in zones that surround the core region. The aggregate cross-sectional area defined by the light confining elements within the respective zones increases with increasing radial distance of the zones from the core region. A preform for use in manufacture of the optical fibre is also defined.

Abstract: An optical fibre adapted in a manner such that it guides an optical signal substantially only in one non-degenerate mode.