Abstract: Provided are peptide analogs of PA-IL and compositions containing them. The PA-IL peptide analogs have altered carbohydrate binding specificity relative to a PA-IL of SEQ ID NO:1, and thus the analogs contain amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:1. The substitutions can be at positions 50, 52 and 53 of SEQ ID NO:1 and can include combinations of amino acid substitutions at those positions. Also included are methods for detecting changes in the glycosylation of carbohydrates and for separating biomolecules which contain glycoproteins or glycoconjugates.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to analgesic Clostridial neurotoxin derivatives comprising polypeptides having a long-lasting SNARE protein-selective endopeptidase activity. These derivatives selectively bind to and are internalized by non-neuronal cells secreting cytokines or sensory neurons in preference to motor neurons or autonomic neurons. The invention is also directed to nucleic acid constructs encoding such polypeptides, and methods of making such derivatives and nucleic acid constructs, and methods of treating pain, such as chronic pain, by administering such derivatives to a patient suffering from, or at risk of suffering from such pain.

Abstract: A method of formatting data for identifying colon polyps in a Computed Tomography Colonography (CTC) dataset comprising the steps of: extracting colon surface data, from the CTC dataset, within a sub-volume centered on a candidate polyp (CP) seed point; identifying individual sets of points corresponding to the CP's body and CP's base within the sub-volume; selecting the points corresponding to the body; re-formatting the candidate polyp by projecting the selected points corresponding to the body on to a tangent plane; and generating a series of cutting planes based on the reformatted candidate polyp.

Abstract: A sequential flow analysis tool comprising a microfluidic device having a fluid path defined within a substrate between an input and an output is described. The device includes a capture chamber provided within but offset from the fluid path, the capture chamber extending into the substrate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fluid path such that operably particles provided within a fluid flowing within the fluid path will preferentially collect within the capture chamber.

Abstract: An electrode tile configuration is disclosed. The tile has contoured edges dimensioned to control any coupling effects. A plurality of tiles in a matrix configuration is also described.

Abstract: Nanoparticle clusters are described. In particular nanoparticle clusters formed from two or more individual nanoparticles of different types are described and methods for fabricating such nanoparticle clusters are further described. These nanoparticle clusters are fabricated by surface activating individual ones of the plurality of nanoparticles by desorption of surfactant molecules from the surface of the coated nanoparticles through exposure of the individual ones of the plurality of nanoparticles to an activating agent.

Abstract: The present application provides an optical comb source in which the comb is produced by seeding a gain switched Fabry-Pérot laser with light from a single mode laser, whilst at the same time driving the Fabry-Pérot laser with a DC bias and RF signal.

Abstract: The present application provides a system (1) that comprises a mobile phone (25) to allow testing of samples from a patient at the point of care or environmental/industrial process monitoring tests to be performed in the field. The system (1) may be easily adapted for use with a variety of different mobile phones (25). The mobile phone (25) comprises an integrated camera (15). The system (1) further comprises an optical module (20) for receiving a sample for testing. The mobile phone (25) is configured to extract the intensity and/or colour information from the camera (15).

Abstract: Microfluidic devices and in particular microfluidic devices incorporating a valve for selectively controlling the flow of a fluid within the microfluidic device are described. Specific examples of a microfluidic device are described, comprising a sacrificial valve, desirably one that is dissolvable on contact with a fluid or that is configured to disintegrate or dissolve on experiencing a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A translation system for translating source text from a first language to target text in a second language. The system comprises a translation memory (TM) module that stores translation segments. The TM module is operable to generate a TM target text output in response to source text. A statistical translation machine (SMT) module is configured to generate translations on the basis of statistical models whose parameters are derived from the analysis of bilingual text corpora. The SMT module is operable to generate a SMT target text output in response to source text. An extractor is configured to extract features from the TM target text output and the SMT target text output. A vector generator is configured to generate a vector with a unified feature set derived from the extracted features and features associated with the SMT module and the TM module. A recommender is operable to read the vector and determine whether the TM target text output or the SMT target text output is optimum for post editing.

Abstract: A chiral ionic compound comprising an alkyl substituted imidazolium or pyridinium cationic core having an alkyl ester side chain (-alkyl-C(O)O—) directly linked to the core and an associated counter anion, characterized in that the —O— atom of the ester side chain is linked to an alpha, a beta or a gamma hydroxycarboxylic acid functionality via the alpha, beta or gamma hydroxy of the acid functionality and the hydroxycarboxylic acid functionality has at least one asymmetric carbon, or characterized in that an —N? atom of the alkyl substituted imidazolium or pyridinium cationic core is substituted with an alpha, a beta or a gamma hydroxy group of a alpha, a beta or a gamma hydroxycarboxylic acid functionality and the hydroxycarboxylic acid functionality has at least one asymmetric carbon. The chiral ionic liquids (CILs) may be used as novel solvents, in particular for organic synthesis. The CILs have the potential to induce asymmetry into substrates or catalysts in a variety of organic transformations.

Abstract: A direct contact segmented column heater is described. The heater is capable of a broad heating and cooling range, and exhibits a very rapid response, with heating and cooling rates better than 350° C. min?1. In one configuration one or more of the individual heating devices are provided with full independent control and temperature feedback, and developed to provide excellent thermal stability at all temperatures. The heating devices or in other words active thermal transfer devices are capable of bi-directional operation, selectively heating (i.e., providing heat to) or cooling (i.e., withdrawing heat from) a column and/or contents of a column.

Abstract: Provided are peptide analogues of PA-IL and compositions containing them. The PA-IL peptide analogues have altered carbohydrate binding specificity relative to a PA-IL of SEQ ID NO:1, and thus the analogues contain amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:1. The substitutions can be at positions 50, 52 and 53 of SEQ ID NO:1 and can include combinations of amino acid substitutions at those positions Also included are methods for detecting changes in the glycosylation of carbohydrates and for separating biomolecules which contain glycoproteins or glycoconjugates.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to analgesic Clostridial neurotoxin derivatives comprising polypeptides having a long-lasting SNARE protein-selective endopeptidase activity. These derivatives selectively bind to and are internalized by non-neuronal cells secreting cytokines or sensory neurons in preference to motor neurons or autonomic neurons. The invention is also directed to nucleic acid constructs encoding such polypeptides, and methods of making such derivatives and nucleic acid constructs, and methods of treating pain, such as chronic pain, by administering such derivatives to a patient suffering from, or at risk of suffering from such pain.

Abstract: The present application relates to a high precision method for calibrating and removing distortion from a lens, and more particularly, a method for calibrating and removing distortion by arranging sensor readings to compensate for its presence and simultaneously optimize the resulting image magnification for best image quality.

Abstract: A power splitter and/or combiner is described. The power splitter may be provided as a broadband, passive, divide by N power splitter that may be advantageously employed in providing power to multiple electrodes within a plasma source. The power splitter comprises a transmission line and a plurality of N secondary windings arranged about the transmission lines.

Abstract: The present application is directed to the measurement of the intensity and phase of high speed optical signals. The present application uses a tunable optical local oscillator, an optical coupler, a photodiode and RF electronics. The tunable laser enables successive measurements to be taken across the optical spectrum allowing the system to measure extremely high bandwidth signals. The signal generated by the local oscillator comprises a component at a frequency between two adjacent modes of the periodic optical signal to be measured. The local oscillator and said periodic signal are optically mixed and sent to a photodiode, the measurement of the phase being based on isolating the resulting beat frequencies. This approach offers a significant improvement over existing time resolved approaches which are limited to the bandwidth of the photodiode (˜50 GHz).

Abstract: An inspection device is provided which comprises a receiving member defining an open cell for receiving a target therein. An optical excitation input is in optical communication with the cell for exciting the target. At least one acoustic pickup is in acoustic communication with the cell for picking up acoustic energy resultant from excitation of the target. A recorder is provided for recording the acoustic energy picked up from the at least one acoustic pickup for facilitating structural analysis of the target.

Abstract: This invention relates to ionic liquid (ILs) solvents for chemical synthesis based on an alkyl-imidazolium cation core containing ionic liquids which have enhanced biodegradability and reduced toxicity relative to existing imidazolium bases ILs such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (bmmim) salts. Many of the described ILs produce a score of over 60% biodegradability over 28 days in a biodegradability test such as the Sturm Test, the Closed Bottle Test (OECD 301D) or the CO2 Headspace Test (ISO 14593). The ILs of the invention comprise an alkyl substituted imidazolium cationic core having a —C?OX— side chain in the 3-position of the imidazole ring, wherein X?O, NH, N or S and an associated counteranion characterized in that the —C?OX side chain comprises at least one ether linkage. The biodegradable and non-toxic IL may be used as green solvents for the chemical, pharmaceutical, biofuel and biomass industries. The ILs of the invention are particularly useful in hydrogenation, pericyclic and metathesis reactions.

Abstract: A sensor comprising a substrate (100) having a first surface (105) and a second surface (110) is described. The first surface has at least one sensor site (115) provided thereon. The substrate is configured such that on excitation of a sample provided at the sensor site, luminescence originating from the sensor site propagates into the substrate, the second surface of the substrate being configured to selectively transmit the luminescence propagating within the substrates at angles greater than the critical angle out of the substrate where it may be detected by a detector (160) provided below the substrate.