Abstract: A flexural ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a sealed case which includes a flexible membrane and which defines a sealed cavity. The sealed case has an inside and an outside. The ultrasonic transducer comprises an active element, for example, a piezoelectric element, inside the sealed case supported on the flexible membrane. The ultrasonic transducer includes a liquid in the cavity. The sealed case includes a resilient portion between the inside and outside of the case for allowing equalization of pressure between the inside and the outside of the case. The resilient portion may comprise resilient walls or a thin-wall section, the flexible membrane or the case.

Abstract: A method of carrying out mass spectrometry, comprising: using an electrostatic or electrodynamic ion trap to contain a plurality of ions, each ion having a mass to charge ratio, the ions having a first plurality of mass to charge ratios, each ion following a path within the electrostatic or electrodynamic ion trap having a radius; and for each of a second plurality of the mass to charge ratios: modulating the radii of the ions in a mass to charge ratio-dependent fashion dependent upon the mass to charge ratio; fragmenting the ions thus modulated in a radius-dependent fashion; and determining a mass spectrum of the ions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for preventing or inhibiting ice recrystallisation in substances (e.g. biological materials and food products) which are susceptible to ice crystal growth upon cryopreservation and/or thawing therefrom. The methods relate to the use of compositions comprising poly(proline) or a variant or derivative thereof. Also provided are kits and compositions comprising poly(proline) which can be used in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: An ultrasonic clamp-on flow meter is disclosed. The flow meter comprises a moulded coupling element (9).

Abstract: A method comprises the following steps: a) Providing a body having an internal surface which defines an internal pathway within the body, the body having an inlet and an outlet both communicating with the internal pathway; b) Introducing a liquid solution into the internal pathway so as to fill at least a portion of the internal pathway with the liquid solution, the liquid solution comprising a solute capable of undergoing thermal decomposition; c) Heating the liquid solution while the liquid solution fills said at least a portion of the internal pathway to a sufficient temperature so that the solute undergoes thermal decomposition to form a decomposition product within said at least a portion of the internal pathway. The heating step forms a coating comprising the decomposition product on at least a part of the internal surface that borders the internal pathway.

Abstract: A method, processor and system for controlling packet flow in a network provides for selecting a transmission scheme based on a payload rate for payloads arriving at a buffer. The transmission scheme includes data blocks comprising packets each having an associated payload, the data blocks have a variable packet transmission rate and a variable payload per packet ratio. The product of the variable packet transmission rate and the variable payload per packet ratio remains constant. The data blocks are sent to a network switch that deterministically routes the data blocks.

Abstract: A method of controlling a scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip comprising the following steps: oscillating the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip relative to the surface of interest; moving the oscillating scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip towards the surface of interest; detecting damping of an amplitude of the oscillation of the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip resulting from the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip coming into contact with the surface of interest at the first location; using the detected damping to detect the surface of interest; retracting the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip away from the surface of interest without first translating the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip along the surface of interest while the scanning electrochemical microscopy probe tip is in intermittent contact with the surface of interest.

Abstract: A device for generating electrical power, the device comprising a scroll expander with first and second scrolls configured to move relative to each other when a fluid is provided to an inlet at a higher pressure than a pressure at an outlet. The first scroll is configured to provide a magnetic field and the second scroll comprises one or more conductors in which electric currents are induced when the first and second scrolls move relative to each other.

Abstract: A bolometer is described. A bolometer includes a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-superconductor structure or a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-insulator-superconductor structure. The semiconductor comprises an electron gas in a layer of silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium alloy in which valley degeneracy is at least partially lifted. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of dielectric material. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of non-degenerately doped semiconductor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a DDX3X inhibitor for use in the treatment of pneumovirus infection in a mammal, wherein the DDX3X inhibitor may be a compound of Formula (I) wherein y, Z, R1, X, L, Ra and Rb are as defined herein. The invention also relates to compounds of Formula (I).

Abstract: A method of compressing a high dynamic range original image to provide compressed image data for use with (i) a high dynamic range decoder for viewing the high dynamic range image and (ii) a reduced bit depth decoder for viewing an image of lower dynamic range which has been derived from the high dynamic range original image. The difference between the image of the high dynamic range original image and the lower dynamic range is measured and that difference information is compressed. Compressed image data is produced comprising the compressed image of the lower dynamic range and the compressed image data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of certain osmium containing complexes such as cytotoxic agents particularly for the treatment of cancer. There is also provided novel osmium containing complexes, as well as pharmaceutical formulations comprising such complexes.

Abstract: A bolometer is described. A bolometer includes a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-superconductor structure or a superconductor-insulator-semiconductor-insulator-superconductor structure. The semiconductor comprises an electron gas in a layer of silicon, germanium or silicon-germanium alloy in which valley degeneracy is at least partially lifted. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of dielectric material. The insulator or a one or both of the insulators may comprise a layer of non-degenerately doped semiconductor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of certain osmium containing complexes such as cytotoxic agents particularly for the treatment of cancer. There is also provided novel osmium containing complexes, as well as pharmaceutical formulations comprising such complexes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel iridium and/or rhodium containing complexes for use as a cytotoxic, such as an anti-cancer agent. There is also provided a method of preparing said compounds.

Abstract: A method of producing a compressed video data stream (12) by compressing a stream of relatively high dynamic range video frames (2). A bilateral filter (3) extracts a base frame (4) with luminance information. The base frame (4) and the original frame (2) are used to provide a detail frame (5) with chroma information. A tone mapping operation (6) is selected (7, 11) and applied to the base frame to generate a relatively low dynamic range base frame (8), which is then compressed (9). The detail frame (5) is compressed separately. Final frame data (12) is then created, consisting of the compressed relatively low dynamic range base frame, the compressed detail frame, and stored information in respect of the tone mapping operation that had been applied to the base frame.

Abstract: A method of tracking the position of a body part, such as a hand, in captured images, the method comprising capturing (10) colour images of a region to form a set of captured images; identifying contiguous skin-colour regions (12) within an initial image of the set of captured images; defining regions of interest (16) containing the skin-coloured regions; extracting (18) image features in the regions of interest, each image feature relating to a point in a region of interest; and then, for successive pairs of images comprising a first image and a second image, the first pair of images having as the first image the initial image and a later image, following pairs of images each including as the first image the second image from the preceding pair and a later image as the second image: extracting (22) image features, each image feature relating to a point in the second image; determining matches (24) between image features relating to the second image and image features relating to in each region of interest in

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for synthesizing tethered ruthenium catalysts and novel tethered ruthenium catalysts obtainable by this methods. The method involves carrying out an “arene swapping” reaction avoiding the requirement to use complicated techniques making use of unreliable Birch reductions and unstable cyclodienyl intermediates.

Abstract: Apparatus comprises a pipet comprising first and second channels separated by a septum and having a tip at which each of the first and second channels is open; an electrolyte solution contained within both the first and second channels of the pipet; a first electrode extending into the electrolyte in the first channel of the pipet; a second electrode extending into the electrolyte in the second channel of the pipet; means for applying a potential difference between the first and second electrodes; means for measuring alternating current components of a current flowing to or from the first electrode; means for applying an oscillatory perturbation to the pipet; and means responsive to the alternating current measured to be flowing to or from the first electrode to adjust a position of the pipet such as to control a separation between the tip of the pipet and a surface of interest.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of certain osmium containing complexes such as cytotoxic agents particularly for the treatment of cancer. There is also provided novel osmium containing complexes, as well as pharmaceutical formulations comprising such complexes.