Abstract: A method of forming a polymer device including the steps of: (i) depositing on a substrate a solution comprising a polymer or oligomer and a crosslinking moiety, to form a layer; (ii) curing the layer formed in step (i) under conditions to form an insoluble crosslinked polymer, characterized in that the crosslinking moiety is present in step (i) in an amount in the range of from 0.05 to 5 mol % based on the total number of moles of repeat units of the polymer or oligomer and the crosslinking moiety in the solution.

Abstract: To provide a catalyst for synthesis reaction which can achieve good yield in the Sonogashira reaction and also can be recovered after the reaction, and a method for synthesizing a compound in which the catalyst for synthesis reaction is used, a perovskite-type composite oxide containing palladium is used as the catalyst for synthesis reaction in the Sonogashira reaction represented by the following reaction scheme (1): R1—X+HC?CR2?R1C?CR2 ??(1)

Abstract: A process for the production of a composite material comprising collagen, brushite and one or more glycosaminoglycans, said process comprising the steps of providing an acidic aqueous solution comprising collagen, a calcium source and a phosphorous source and one or more glycosaminoglycans, and precipitating the collagen, the brushite and the one or more glycosaminoglycans together from the aqueous solution to form a triple co-precipitate.

Abstract: We describe two primordial germ cell-specifically expressed genes, GCR1 (Fragilis) and GCR2 (Stella), as well as their fragments, homologues, variants or derivatives thereof which are markers for primordial germ cells and may be used to identify such cells in cell populations.

Abstract: The device comprises an optical waveguide and an acoustic wave generating device. The waveguide has an optical band gap and a sharp electronic transition (e.g. an excitonic transition) in the band gap, and the acoustic wave generating device generates acoustic waves within the waveguide. Light passing through the waveguide is of a frequency within the band gap of the waveguide and is nearly resonant with the sharp electronic transition. The wave generating device is arranged to generate acoustic waves so as to induce optical band gas in the polariton spectrum, thereby affecting the transmission of the light passing through the waveguide, the transmission of which is thereby affected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification and characterisation of a viral homologue (vCD30) of mammalian CD30. The vCD30 polypeptide is shown to have immunomodulatory activity and has various therapeutic applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the aerobic digestion of a fluid waste material, notably an aqueous sewage, in which at least part of the waste material and/or of the digestion mixture is comminuted to reduce the median particle size of biomass and other solid particles in the digestion mixture to less than 10 micrometres, for example using destructive cavitation with a pressure drop of from 2 to 7.5 Bar. The comminution produces particles which are preferentially ingested by predator organisms in the digestion stage so that they graze on the bacteria and biomass particles and thus reduce the amount of biomass and suspended solids produced in the digestion stage. The invention also relates to apparatus for use in the method of the invention.

Abstract: We describe two primordial germ cell-specifically expressed genes, GCR1 (Fragilis) and GCR2 (Stella), as well as their fragments, homologues, variants or deriviatives thereof which are markers for primordial germ cells and may be used to identify such cells in cell populations.

Abstract: A method for producing nanoscaled carbon materials comprising providing, dispersed in a carrier gas, finely divided substrate particles on which to nucleate a catalyst, providing in said carrier gas a catalyst precursor material, decomposing the catalyst precursor material to form a catalytic metal in the presence of the substrate particles such that the catalyst metal is deposited on said substrate particles to form supported-catalyst particles dispersed in said carrier gas, forming a mixture of said dispersed supported-catalyst particles and a gas comprising a carbon containing gas at a temperature at which said carbon containing gas will react to form carbon when in the presence of said supported-catalyst particles, forming nanoscaled carbon materials by said carbon forming reaction and recovering the nanoscaled carbon materials.

Abstract: A device for generating terahertz radiation. The device comprising a dipole generating layer, a coupling block and an extraction block. The coupling block is transparent to laser light and is in contact with the surface of the dipole generating layer to couple light from a laser to the surface of the dipole generating layer, when the device is in use. The extraction block is located in contact with the surface of the dipole generating layer to provide an emission extraction surface. The refractive indices of the dipole forming layer, the coupling block and the extraction block are substantially equal. In this way, the dipole which is generated upon illumination of the dipole generating layer by a laser, has an axis which is not perpendicular to the emission.

Abstract: The invention concerns agents with anti-bacterial activity and methods and intermediates for their production. The present invention further concerns the use of such agents for the treatment of bacterial infections in animals, including man. The agents are derivatives of vancomycin-type antibiotics, of structure: V-L-W-X; wherein V is a glycopeptide moiety which inhibits peptidoglycan biosynthesis in bacteria; L is a linking group; W is a peptidic membrane-associating element such as an element based on naturally-occurring animal or bacterial peptide antibiotics; and X is hydrogen or a membrane-insertive element.

Abstract: A method for producing aligned carbon nanotubes and/or nanofibres comprises providing finely divided substrate particle having substantially smooth faces with radii of curvature of more than 1 ?m and of length and breadth between 1 ?m and 5 mm and having catalyst material on their surface and a carbon-containing gas at a temperature and pressure at which the carbon-containing gas will react to form carbon when in the presence of the supported catalyst, and forming aligned nanotubes and/or nanofibres by the carbon-forming reaction.

Abstract: A method of production of carbon nanoparticles comprises the steps of: providing on substrate particles a transition metal compound which is decomposable to yield the transition metal under conditions permitting carbon nanoparticle formation, contacting a gaseous carbon source with the substrate particles, before, during or after said contacting step, decomposing the transition metal compound to yield the transition metal on the substrate particles, forming carbon nanoparticles by decomposition of the carbon source catalysed by the transition metal, and collecting the carbon nanoparticles formed.

Abstract: A capacitance sensor comprises an asynchronous ring first in first out (FIFO) oscillator circuit having an electrode for receiving a sample for analysis. A sample placed into contact with the electrode causes a change in capacitance at the electrode which gives rise to a change in the oscillation frequency of the ring. This change in oscillation frequency can be used to identify the sample.

Abstract: A method is described for the continuous production of nanotubes comprising forming a plasma jet, introducing into the plasma jet a metal catalyst or metal catalyst precursor to produce vaporised catalyst metal, directing one or more streams of quenching gas into the plasma to quench the plasma and passing the resulting gaseous mixture through a furnace, one or more nanotube forming materials being added whereby nanotubes are formed therefrom under the influcence of the metal catalyst and are grown to a desired length during passage through the furnace, and collecting the nanotubes so formed.

Abstract: Coupling of C3d molecules or ligands of CD21 or CD19 to an antigen alters the level of immune response to the immunogen upon its administration to an individual. For C3d, the magnitude of the effect is dependent on the number of C3d molecules included in the conjugate. Conveniently, C3d molecules or CD21/CD19 ligands are coupled to an immunogen in fusion polypeptides which may be produced by expression from coding nucleic acid, for instance by culturing host cells containing the nucleic acid. Other means of associating the molecules include chemical cross-linking and co-expression on the surface of a carrier structure. Administration of compositions comprising, in a preferred embodiment, C3d molecules and an immunogen of interest may be used prophylactically (by virtue of the immunological memory induced) or therapeutically. The administration may be for the purpose of raising antibodies to the immunogen. A T-cell response may also be induced.

Abstract: A method of producing carbon nanoparticles comprises the steps of: passing a gaseous carbon source through a heated reactor; and adding catalyst supported on substrate particles or thermally decomposable catalyst precursor supported on substrate particles to the heated reactor to form a fluidised bed; such that carbon nanoparticles are formed in the heated reactor.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for generating mycolic acid bacterial biosensors for particular analytes (especially industrial pollutants) by the use of innovative methods for isolating DNA encoding an inducible promoter which is induced in response to the specific analyte (and/or associated operon proteins), the methods generally comprising the steps of: (a) culturing a source of mycolic acid bacteria in a selective medium containing said specific analyte and being selective for oligotriphic bacteria; (b) identifying mycolic acid bacteria capable of subsisting on said medium, especially those which do not display catabolic repression; (c) extracting DNA from said mycolic acid bacteria; (d) incorporating said DNA into vectors, such as various shuttle vectors; (e) cloning said vector into a suitable host cell (which may be E.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition comprises M3 protein as encoded by virus MHV 68, or a homologue of said M3 protein, for use in binding to a chemokine or a chemokine analogue in vivo, or to block binding of chemokines to corresponding cell surface receptors in vivo, to produce an immunomodulatory effect, or to bind to a chemokine analogue present in a virus or parasite to block its entry into cells.

Abstract: A process for production of an agglomerate comprises the steps of: passing a flow of one or more gaseous reactants into a reactor; reacting the one or more gaseous reactants within a reaction zone of the reactor to form product particles; agglomerating the product particles into an agglomerate; and applying a force to the agglomerate to displace it continuously away from the reaction zone.