Abstract: An emulsion-derived particle comprises a lattice of polymeric strands cross-linked by means of a cross-linking agent, and interstitial openings adjacent and around the strands. Functional groups are provided on the lattice and proteins and/or modified proteins can react with these, thereby to be bonded to the lattice and hence immobilized.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the production of crystalline titanium powder containing single crystals or agglomerates of single crystals having an average crystal size (by volume) greater than 1 ?m, said process including reacting a titanium chloride species, preferably titanium dichloride, and reducing metal in a continuous back-mix reactor to produce a free flowing suspension of titanium powder in molten chloride salt wherein: i. both the titanium chloride species and the reducing metal are dissolved in a molten chloride salt and fed to the reactor containing a chloride salt of the reducing metal; ii. the average feed ratio of the titanium chloride species and reducing metal to the continuous back-mix reactor is within 1%, preferably within 0.1%, of the stoichiometric ratio required to fully reduce the titanium chloride salt to titanium metal; iii.

Abstract: The present invention extends on-chip lensless microscope systems (10), including optofluidic microscope (OFMs) and holographic imaging microscopes to incorporate computational photography principles. A LF-OFM system 10 includes at least one plasmonic lens (50) with apertures (38), at least one microfluidic channel (28), and an image sensor array (24). The system (10) is capable of generating an image through computational photography.

Abstract: The invention provides a wing control system aimed at countering the aeroelastic effect of twisting of a length of wing of an aircraft due to dynamic air pressure acting on an aileron of the wing. The wing control system includes a shaft extending along the length of wing and actuation means responsive to aileron control inputs to induce a variable torque T in the shaft. Outboard of the length of wing, the system operatively transfers T partially to the aileron to pivot the aileron and partially to the wing at an outboard end of the length of wing to counter twisting of the length of wing due to dynamic air pressure on the aileron. Inboard of the length of wing, the system operatively transfers T to the aircraft, e.g. to its fuselage, thereby effectively balancing the sum of the moments transferred respectively to the aileron and the wing.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for hydrolytically converting aloeresin A to aloesin by the following reaction: The amount of aloesin available for extraction from sap of aloe plants is thereby increased and the extraction and purification of the aloesin is also made easier and less costly. As aloesin is more commercially valuable than aloeresin A, the process also increases the commercial value of the sap or aloe bitters from the aloe plant. The process optionally also includes the step of separating the aloesin from the p-coumaric acid. Typical hydrolysis steps that are used in the process are acid hydrolysis, base hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. In the case of acid hydrolysis, the acid is any suitable organic or inorganic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid or phosphoric acid. In the case of enzymatic hydrolysis, the hydrolytic enzyme is typically an esterase, a lipase or a protease.

Abstract: This invention relates to a single cell assay for determining the effect of chromosomal contact on the transcriptional activity of genes of interest in a cell and to methods of silencing gene expression in a cell by way of perturbing gene regulatory elements which are engaged in chromosomal contact.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a camera includes an energy source and a camera to be calibrated, with at least one of the energy source and the camera being mounted on a mechanical actuator so that it is movable relative to the other. A processor is connected to the energy source, the mechanical actuator and the camera and is programmed to control the mechanical actuator to move at least one of the energy source and the camera relative to the other through a plurality of discrete points on a calibration target pattern. The processor further, at each of the discrete points, controls the camera to take a digital image and perform a lens distortion characterization on each image. A focal length of the camera is determined including any lens connected to the camera and an extrinsic camera position for each image is then determined.

Abstract: The invention provides a theft-inhibiting carrier which includes a body 12 having a chassis 16 on which three wheels 18, 20 and 22 are mounted. The carrier 10 includes theft deterrent means 12. The theft deterrent means is configured, when activated, to dismount the wheels 20, 22 from their respective axles 44 but to retain them connected to the chassis 16 by an elongate flexible tether to impede the movement of the carrier. Two containers 60, 62 are provided and contain chemicals which are fed via pistons 68 to a mixing device 76 and into a valuables receiving chamber in which they foam and set thereby encasing valuables contained therein. A pair of arms 88 are pivotally displaced from a retracted position to an extended position in which they protrude from the containers 60, 62. Sharpened teeth 94 are provided on the arms to further inhibit displacement of the carrier.

Abstract: A method of assessing the integrity of a rock mass, the method including receiving a thermal assessment of the integrity of a rock mass, receiving an acoustic assessment of the integrity of a rock mass and correlating the thermal- and acoustic assessments to obtain a combined assessment of the integrity of a rock mass. The invention also covers an assessment apparatus for assessing the integrity of a rock mass, which includes acoustic assessment means operable to provide an acoustic assessment of the integrity of a rock mass, thermal assessment means operable to provide a thermal assessment of the integrity of a rock mass and correlation means for correlating the acoustic assessment of the integrity of a rock mass with the thermal assessment of the integrity of a rock mass.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition and a food composition including extracts of Monsonia sp. for treating dementia, which compositions inhibit the formation of ?-amyloid, and a method of preparing the extracts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method (300, 310) of switching from a source encoded video stream (134) to a destination encoded video stream (108), and to an apparatus (100), a video platform (210) and a system (200) therefor. The method (300, 310) includes providing an intermediate switching stream (130) which is dependent upon the destination stream (108), the switching stream (130) including a plurality of successive GOP sequences, each GOP sequence including an initial l-frame and at least one successive P-frame. The method (300, 310) further includes switching from the source video stream (134) to the l-frame of a GOP sequence of the switching stream (130) and then switching from the switching stream (130) to the destination stream (108) such that the subsequent frames of the destination stream (108) can be decoded using the accumulated reference of the GOP sequence of the switching stream (130).

Abstract: Composition and method for preventing and/or treating dementia and ameliorating memory impairment and/or improving memory, comprising one or more arylnaphthalene lignan derivatives, namely Justicidin A, 5-methoxyjusticidin A, Chinensinaphthol, and a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, as active ingredient.

Abstract: The invention comprises an oligonucleotide selected from the group comprising SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3; SEQ ID NO: 4; SEQ ID NO: 5 and SEQ ID NO: 6. The invention also comprises a complementary oligonucleotide of the oligonucleotide selected from the group comprising SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3; SEQ ID NO: 4; SEQ ID NO: 5 and SEQ ID NO: 6, an oligonucleotide being at least 80% homologous thereto, a truncated portion of any of the aforementioned, or a pairing of any of the aforementioned.

Abstract: The invention provides the use of an extract of a plant of the genus Elephantorrhiza and at least one compound selected from quercitin-3?-O-glucoside, trans-3-O-galloyl-3,3?,5,5?,7-pentahydroxyflavan, taxifolin-3?-O-glucoside, catechin and epicatechin in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The mode of action is by a route selected from blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone by inhibiting the 5?-reductase enzyme or by reducing oxidative stress or both.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of printing, onto a substrate (12), an array (14) of spots of reagent compositions for use in a chemical and/or biochemical analysis. The method includes displacing an array of reagent composition containing capillary tubes (22) arranged alongside one another from an inoperative position to an operative position in which open ends of the capillary tubes (22) simultaneously impinge against a substrate and thereafter displacing the array of tubes (22) from the operative position back to the inoperative position. The invention extends to a printing apparatus (10), a method of printing a layered array of spots of reagent compositions, a method of introducing reagent compositions into the tubes, a reagent introducing device for introducing reagent compositions into the tubes and a printing installation which includes the printing apparatus (10) and the reagent introducing device.

Abstract: A system (200) and a method (100) of operating a computing device to perform memoization are disclosed. The method includes determining whether a result of a function is stored in a cache and, if so, retrieving the result from the cache and, if not, calculating the result and storing it in the cache. The method (100) includes transforming (104) by the computing device at least one selected from the input parameters and the output parameters of the function, the transforming being based on an analysis of the function and its input arguments to establish whether or not there is a possible relationship reflecting redundancy among the input parameters and output parameters of the function. The transforming may include at least one of: use of symmetry, scaling, linear shift, interchanging of variables, inversion, polynomial and/or trigonometric transformations, spectral or logical transformations, fuzzy transformations, and systematic arrangement of parameters.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical resonator, laser apparatus and a method of generating a laser beam inside an optical resonator. The optical resonator (100) includes an optical cavity (102) and an optical element (104.1, 104.2) at either end thereof, operable to sustain a light beam (108) therein, characterized in that each optical element (104.1, 104.2) is a phase-only optical element operable to alter a mode of the beam (108) as it propagates along the length of the optical resonator (100), such that in use the beam (108) at one end of the optical resonator (100) has a Gaussian profile while the beam (108) at the other end of the optical resonator (100) has a non-Gaussian profile.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of printing, onto a substrate (12), an array (14) of spots of reagent compositions for use in a chemical and/or biochemical analysis. The method includes displacing an array of reagent composition containing capillary tubes (22) arranged alongside one another from an inoperative position to an operative position in which open ends of the capillary tubes (22) simultaneously impinge against a substrate and thereafter displacing the array of tubes (22) from the operative position back to the inoperative position. The invention extends to a printing apparatus (10), a method of printing a layered array of spots of reagent compositions, a method of introducing reagent compositions into the tubes, a reagent introducing device for introducing reagent compositions into the tubes and a printing installation which includes the printing apparatus (10) and the reagent introducing device.

Abstract: A method of upgrading a titaniferous material includes nitriding and reducing a titaniferous material which includes TiO2 and Fe oxides in the presence of nitrogen and carbon to convert the TiO2 to TiN and to reduce most of the Fe oxides to Fe. The Fe is oxidized in preference to the TiN to form Fe2+ ions, whereafter the Fe2+ ions are removed to produce an upgraded low-Fe TiN bearing material.