Abstract: The invention provides a process for the production of nanoparticle carriers for drug delivery, said nanoparticles being produced by preparing a double emulsion of water-oil-water including one or more polymer which forms the basis of the nanoparticle carrier, blending the drug to be delivered into one of the emulsion phases, doping either the oil-phase or the outer-water phase with a carbohydrate, and spray drying the emulsion to form nanoparticles of a narrow particle size distribution of 100 nm to 1000 nm, which nanoparticles are substantially spherical.

Abstract: A method for assessing the integrity of a rock mass, the method including impacting the rock mass, capturing an acoustic signal generated as a result of the impact, deriving a frequency distribution for the captured acoustic signal, processing data from the frequency distribution by means of a neural network process applying artificial intelligence to assess the inputted data, and presenting a signal from the neural network process which is indicative of the integrity of the rock mass.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula A or B which are useful in the treatment of a subject infected with HIV.

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 immobilised.

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 crystalline Ti powder produced in a molten salt medium, said powder comprising predominantly particles of single ?-Ti crystals that are directly applicable in powder metallurgy.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of inhibiting the activity of a kinase or a synthetase, the method including binding an active site of the kinase or synthetase with a deuterated imidazole moiety, thereby inhibiting the activity of the kinase or the synthetase.

Abstract: The invention provides a packaging material which comprises a polymeric base component and a barrier component which coats and lines a surface of the base component, the barrier component inhibiting migration of gases, vapors and liquids through the base component. The barrier component comprises a polymeric layer comprising at least two different polymeric species which are polar and which are water soluble. The different species have different chemical compositions and are complementary in that they are bound together physically by interpolymer complexation to form an interpenetrating physical network. The invention also provides a process for producing the packaging material which comprises coating at least one surface of the base component with the barrier component and causing the complementary species to interact together physically by interpolymer complexation to form an interpenetrating physical network.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula (I), in which R1 and R2 are independently selected from H, alkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, or R1 and R2 together form a C5-C7 ring, R3-R7 are independently selected from H, halogen, alkyl and alkoxy, X is (CH2)n in which n is 0-5, Y is selected from CH2, NR8, O or S in which R8 is H or alkyl, salts thereof and stereoisomers thereof, for the prophylaxis or treatment of malaria.

Abstract: The invention provides the use of at least one plant selected from plants of the family Zingiberaceae in the preparation of a medicament for use in the treatment or prophylaxis of allergic diseases. The plant is optionally selected from the genera Siphonochilus, Kaempferia, Cienkowskia and Cienkowskiella and the species is optionally selected from Siphonochilus aethiopicus, Siphonochilus natalensis, Kaempferia aethiopica, Kaempferia natalensis, Kaempferia ethelae, Cienkowskia aethiopica and Cienkowskiella aethiopica. The allergic disease is selected from asthma and atopy.

Abstract: An in-shell egg pasteurization installation includes a temperature raising stage comprising a microwave cavity or microwave cavity portion into which microwaves can be radiated and a pasteurization stage comprising a microwave cavity or microwave cavity portion into which microwaves can be radiated. Heating means provide radiant or conductive heat to an in-shell egg located in the temperature raising stage and to an in-shell egg located in the pasteurization stage, and displacement means provide relative displacement between an in-shell egg and the microwave cavities or microwave cavity portions.

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 (10) includes an optical cavity (12) and an optical element (104.1, 104.2) at either end there-of, operable to sustain a light beam (108) therein, characterised 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 (10), such that in use the beam (108) at one end of the optical resonator (10) has a Gaussian profile while the beam (108) at the other end of the optical resonator (10) has a non-Gaussian profile.

Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula A or B which are useful in the treatment of a subject infected with HIV.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method (100) of operating a computing device to perform memoization. The method (100) includes determining whether or not 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) is characterised in that it includes transforming (104) by the computing device at least one selected from the group composed of 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 among and between the input parameters and output parameters of the function, the relationship reflecting redundancy.

Abstract: An in-shell egg pasteurization process (10) includes, in a temperature raising stage (16), raising the temperature of albumen of an in-shell egg predominantly by means of microwave radiation to a temperature between 57° C. and 60° C., the albumen temperature being raised at a rate which reduces at least once over time. Simultaneously, in the temperature raising stage (16), the temperature of an external surface of the egg is raised predominantly by means of external heat radiation or conduction to a temperature of between 57° C. and 70° C., or alternatively or in addition the egg surface temperature is allowed to rise to a temperature of between 57° C. and 70° C. as a result of the microwave radiation by inhibiting heat loss from the egg. Said temperatures are then maintained by means of microwave radiation and external heat radiation or conduction for at least some time.

Abstract: An injection sleeve or shot sleeve for a die-casting machine includes an elongated plunger passage and a container supporting portion configured to support an elongated container containing a charge of semi-solid metal alloy. The charge can be axially aligned with the plunger passage, and an interior surface of the container can be axially aligned with an interior surface of the plunger passage.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing the stereoisomers of 1,11-diamino-6-aza-undecane-2,4,8,10-tetraol.

Abstract: A method of repairing a metallic artefact (40) with an open defect in or on a metallic surface or substrate of the metallic artefact includes cold forging the open defect to close the open defect and thereafter laser cladding the cold forged defect with a plurality of laser clad beads (44) applied to the metallic surface or substrate to cover the cold forged defect with a cladded metal layer. Advantageously, in-situ repair of fluid-filled vessels, pipes or the like is made possible by the repair method, in some instances eliminates the need to shut equipment down thereby reducing downtime and the cost associated with lost production.

Abstract: An injection sleeve or shot sleeve for a die-casting machine includes an elongated plunger passage and a container supporting portion configured to support an elongated container containing a charge of semi-solid metal alloy. The charge can be axially aligned with the plunger passage, and an interior surface of the container can be axially aligned with an interior surface of the plunger passage.

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).