Abstract: A method for determining the presence, absence or amount of two or more target polynucleotides in a sample comprising additional components, the method comprising: (i) contacting the sample with a panel of two or more probes under conditions suitable for hybridisation of the target polynucleotides to the probes, wherein: (a) each probe comprises a non-hybridisation region and a hybridisation region that specifically hybridises to one of the target polynucleotides to form a hybridised probe; and (b) the hybridisation region of a probe of the panel comprises one or more non-natural nucleotides; (ii) contacting the sample prepared in step (i) with a transmembrane pore through which a single stranded polynucleotide but not a double stranded polynucleotide can pass and applying a potential difference to the transmembrane pore such that the hybridised probes in the sample interact with the pore; (iii) measuring current blockades having a duration within a defined window, wherein: (a) the one or more non-natu

Abstract: A porous material with liquid in the pores is examined by submerging the material in a bathing liquid, possibly a perfluorocarbon, which is immiscible with the liquid in the pores, is non-wetting towards the material, is immiscible with and differs in density from any liquid on the outside of the material, and does not contain a resonant element found in the bathing liquid. This bathing liquid displaces fluid from the surface of the porous material but not the liquid in the pores. Nuclear magnetic resonance signals from liquid in the pores give a measurement of pore volume. Volume of bathing liquid displaced by the porous material gives the bulk volume and porosity can be derived from these measurements. Sample preparation is minimal and a benchtop spectrometer can be used, making the method practical for examination of drill cuttings from a borehole while drilling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives a key that corresponds to the value, where the key used to retrieve the value form the shared memory hash table and the shared memory hash table is written to by a writer and read from by a plurality of readers. In addition, the device retrieves an index from a local values table, where the local values table stores a plurality of indices for one of the plurality of readers and the index is an index into an entry in the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves the value from the shared memory hash table using the index.

Abstract: A porous material with liquid in the pores is examined by submerging the material in a bathing liquid, possibly a perfluorocarbon, which is immiscible with the liquid in the pores, is non-wetting towards the material, is immiscible with and differs in density from any liquid on the outside of the material, and does not contain a resonant element found in the bathing liquid. This bathing liquid displaces fluid from the surface of the porous material but not the liquid in the pores. Nuclear magnetic resonance signals from liquid in the pores give a measurement of pore volume. Volume of bathing liquid displaced by the porous material gives the bulk volume and porosity can be derived from these measurements. Sample preparation is minimal and a benchtop spectrometer can be used, making the method practical for examination of drill cuttings from a borehole while drilling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives a key that corresponds to the value, where the key used to retrieve the value form the shared memory hash table and the shared memory hash table is written to by a writer and read from by a plurality of readers. In addition, the device retrieves an index from a local values table, where the local values table stores a plurality of indices for one of the plurality of readers and the index is an index into an entry in the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves the value from the shared memory hash table using the index.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in an assay comprising: (a) at least one first receptacle comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, (b) a porous membrane, and (c) at least one analyte-specific binding agent, characterised in that said at least one analyte-specific binding agent is immobilised on the underside of said porous membrane relative to the fluid inlet; and to methods of performing said assay.

Abstract: A friction pile has an elongate columnar body which extends at least 1 m. down into the ground and is arranged to carry a structural load at its upper end. A number of rods or other elongate elements, each of smaller cross-sectional area than said body, are connected at their upper ends to the pile body and extend in a direction with a downward component into the ground to shed at least a major portion of the structural load into the ground. At least some of the elongate elements extend outwards and downwards from the side of the pile body.