Abstract: Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP) is a neurocutaneous genodermatosis that segregates as an X-linked dominant disorder with a high probability of prenatal male lethality. A locus in Xq28 containing NF-&kgr;B Essential Modulator, a gene product involved in the activation of NF-kB and central to many pro-inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, contains mutations in the majority of cases of IP. Disclosed are methods, compositions and kits directed to a defect in a NF-&kgr;B related disease such as IP.

Abstract: A light emitting device comprising a substrate, a transparent electrode formed on said substrate, a layer of light emitting material provided over the transparent electrode and having at least one corrugated surface, and a further electrode formed over the light emitting material. In a preferred arrangement there is provided a light emitting device comprising a substrate having a corrugated surface, a transparent electrode formed on said corrugated surface, a layer of light emitting material provided over the transparent electrode and a further electrode formed over the light emitting material.

Abstract: A representative data storage medium includes: a substrate; and a plurality of elongate, carrier molecules anchored to the substrate. Each carrier molecule carries one or more luminescent groups and is alterable between a readable conformation in which the luminescent groups carried by the molecule are able to emit radiation and an inactive conformation in which the luminescent groups carried by the molecule are inhibited from emitting radiation. A writer to and reader of the data storage medium are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for forming an electronic device having a semiconducting active layer comprising a polymer, the method comprising aligning the chains of the polymer parallel to each other by bringing the polymer into a liquid-crystalline phase.

Abstract: A lateral semiconductor device has a semiconductor layer on an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer has a region of a first conduction type and a region of a second conduction type with a drift region therebetween. The drift region is provided by a region of the first conduction type and a region of the second conduction type. The first and second conduction type drift regions are so arranged that when a reverse voltage bias is applied across the first and second conduction type regions of the semiconductor layer, the second conduction type drift region has an excess of charge relative to the first conduction type drift region which varies substantially linearly from the end of the drift region towards the first conduction type region of the semiconductor layer to the end of the drift region towards the second conduction type region of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Highly cross-linked, maroporous/mesoporous polymer monoliths are prepard using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as the solvent and porogen for the polymerisation of monomers having more than one polymerisable group, at a monomer concentration in CO2 of more than 40 vol %. The procedure allows the direct formation of dry, solvent-free, macroporous/mesoporous cross-linked monoliths with large surface area and well-controlled pore size distribution.

Abstract: A humanized antibody or antibody fragment having all or part of the CDRs as defined and capable of binding to the human CD18 antigen. The antibody and fragment may be labeled and are useful in a variety of applications, such as in therapy in treating leukocyte mediated conditions such as inhibiting ingress of leukocytes into the lung and other organs and treatment of inflammation. Also provided is a kit for detecting the presence of human CD18 antigen comprising an antibody or fragment of the invention, which is optionally labeled.

Abstract: A light emitting device formed of a substrate having first and second regions, a first non-transparent electrode formed on the substrate in the first region, a layer of organic light emitting material provided over the first non-transparent electrode in the first region, a layer of organic light emitting material provided over the substrate in the second region, the light emitting materials each having at least one planar surface which is corrugated, a second non-transparent electrode formed over the light emitting material in the first region, and a mirror formed over the light emitting material in the second region. A device having a stacked structure of electrodes and light emitting layers is also disclosed, as are various methods of fabricating the devices.

Abstract: A display device has a number of pixels to display an image. A first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes are provided. To display an image in accordance with image data, the first and second sets of electrodes are addressed with a first set of drive signals and a second set of drive signals respectively in order to drive the pixels of the display device. The first set of drive signals is predefined. The image data is compressed. The second set of drive signals is obtained from the compressed image data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of altering one or more characteristics of at least some of the cells of the reproductive tract of a mammalian individual by the introduction into said cells of a nucleic acid, together with a composition comprising nucleic acid, for use in the method.

Abstract: A holographic filter for an optical communication system is configurable to provide signal power equalisation for a number of optical signals or signal channels in a wavelength division multiplexed system.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing an immune response in a mammal to an antigen which comprises modifying said antigen by introducing an alkyl aldehyde group into said antigen and introducing said modified antigen into the mammal. Periodate or glycolaldhyde may be used as the agent to introduce the aldehyde groups.

Abstract: A holographic filter for an optical communication system is configurable to provide signal power equalisation for a number of optical signals or signal channels in a wavelength division multiplexed system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of altering one or more characteristics of at least some of the cells of the reproductive tract of a mammalian individual by the introduction into said cells of a nucleic acid, together with a composition comprising nucleic acid, for use in the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to the finding that animals deficient in the Peg3 gene suffer from a number of phenotypic traits, including obesity, aberrant thermoregulation and behavioral defects, including impaired maternal behavior. The invention provides a transgenic non-human animal which comprises an inactive copy for the Peg3 gene, and the use of such animals as model systems in assays for novel therapies in the treatment of conditions such as those mentioned above.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an enzymatic reaction involving a pyridine nucleotide cofactor, wherein an enzyme is used that has a sequence of greater than 70% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 and is capable of transferring reducing equivalents between pyridine nucleotide cofactors. Alternatively, a cell transformed to express the enzyme may be used.

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 bonding two pieces of metal having a foil or layer of another metal, either of lower melting point or such that it forms a liquid layer at or near to the bonding temperature, disposed therebetween. The method comprises the steps of: bringing the pieces into contact; applying pressure across the area of contact; heating the area of contact; and providing a predetermined temperature gradient across the area of contact.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions which modulate the immune response. In one aspect, a composition is described which comprises an antigen covalently linked to a ligand for CD21(CR2) or CD19. This antigen is not associated with a complement C3 fragment through an ester bond derived from the internal thioester of the complement C3 fragment.

Abstract: Constructs for the delivery of sequences of interest to cells include a herpes virus latency active promoter (LAP) of the latency associated transcript (LAT) region. An internal ribosome entry site (IRES) is located downstream of the LAP, with a nucleotide sequence of interest downstream of the IRES. Stable, long-term expression including export of mRNA to the cytoplasm and translation of the encoded polypeptide, is found in neuronal and non-neuronal cells.