Abstract: The present invention provides a catalytic system comprising a catalyst comprising nanoporous or mesoporous palladium and an ion-exchange electrolyte, processes for manufacturing the catalytic system and catalyst, and processes for oxidising or reducing organic and/or inorganic molecules using the catalyst or catalytic system.

Abstract: A display device kit (10) comprising a support member in the form of a strip (14) faced with a hooked or hooped pile, a plurality of pads (18) provided on one side with an adhesive surface (18b), and complementary hooped or hooked surface (18a) on its other side, and at least two different ones of hangers (22,24). Each hanger comprises a base connection means (26a,28b) and a strip connection means (28a,26b), whereby the hanger may be connected to a base surface (34) by said base connection means and the hanger connected to said strip by the strip connection means. A first one (24) of the hangers has a base and strip connection means that are each an adhesive surface; and a second one (22) has a base connection means as an eye (26a) of a cord and a strip connection means as a spring clasp (28a) connected to the cord.

Abstract: A process is provided for the catalytic oxidation of a benzylic alkyl moiety using a bismuth complex and a stoichiometric oxygen source. This new oxidation methodology uses environmentally benign salts of bismuth in a process that uses mild conditions which are suitable for the oxidation of polyfunctional benzylic compounds. The bismuth complexes can contain Bi(III) and/or Bi(V) or the Bi(III) and/or Bi(V) can be formed in situ from Bi(O).

Abstract: A rotary pump for pumping compressible fluid comprising an eccentrically mounted rotor 20 and a stator 10. The stator 10 comprises a stator inner liner 80 that is free to rotate, driven directly or in response to rotation of the rotor 20 such that the relative velocity between the outer surface of the rotor 20 and the inner surface of the stator 10 is reduced. The vanes 40 are held at each end by sockets 90, 95 in the rotor 20 and stator 10. The vane 40 and socket 90, 95 coupling provides fluid sealing without liquid lubricant. Opposing solid lubricant and hard surfaces are used on contact surfaces between the elements.

Abstract: This invention provides a logic block comprising an mxn array of partial calculating circuits (where m≧2 and n≧2) operable to generate partial product components of an m-bit multiplicand x n-bit multiplicand binary multiplication and to generate a cumulative sum of the partial products for each bit of one of the multiplicands. A configurable output circuit which is operable under the control of a configuration signal either (a) to sum the cumulative sums of partial products generated by the partial calculating circuits so as to generate a product value, or (b) to pass data representing the cumulative sums of the partial product components to partial calculating circuits within one or more further logic blocks. Also provided is a logic circuit including two or more such logic blocks, data interconnections for data transfer between the logic blocks and control interconnections for control signal transfer to the logic blocks.