Abstract: A sleep monitoring system includes an ECG device (2) and a respiration inductance plethysmogram (3) which monitor cardiac activity and physical (ribcage) respiration respectively and feed representative signals to a digital data processor. Operations (5-9) process the beat interval data, while in a second thread, operations (20-24) independently process the amplitude modulation of the ECG data caused by the respiratory motion of the subject. The inductance plethysmogram device (3) provides an input to the processor which represents respiration as directly monitored independently of the ECG. Operations (30-34) process this direct respiration data independently and in parallel, in a third thread. All extracted features are fed to a classifier which in step (10) combines selected combinations of features to make decisions in real time.

Abstract: A method of processing an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplex (OFDM) signal having a plurality of data carriers and a plurality of unused carriers is disclosed. The method comprises transforming an original frequency-domain OFDM signal into a time domain signal and simulating the effect of a non-linear amplifier on the time-domain signal to provide a potentially distorted time domain signal. The potentially distorted time domain signal is transformed into a potentially distorted frequency domain signal and at least some of any values of the data carriers in the potentially distorted frequency domain signal are restored with corresponding values from the original frequency domain signal. At least some of the unused carriers in the at least partially restored frequency domain signal are scaled with a scaling factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a functionally gradient component, such a component having an outer layer of a first material, and an inner core of a second material, there being a gradual change in microstructure across the interface between the two materials, the method having particular application in producing a component formed from two or more aluminium alloys based on the aluminium-silicon (Al—Si) system, the method involving introducing a first molten metal into a mould, and allowing a layer of the first metal to partially solidify against a wall of the mould, decanting the remaining molten portion of the first metal, and introducing a second molten metal into the mould and allowing same to solidify.

Abstract: A method for identifying a gene having a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy comprises culturing mesangial cells in the presence of a concentration of glucose sufficient to induce differential expression, especially up-regulation, of a gene susceptible to such differential expression and identifying the gene so induced. The cells are also optionally subjected to mechanical strain and/or TGF-?1 can be added to the culture medium. The differentially expressed genes can be identified by suppression subtractive hybridisation. The method has resulted in the Identification of novel genes which play a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy. The genes can be used as diagnostic markers for diabetic nephropathy and as the basis of drug development programmes.