Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a controller for controlling a glucagon pump. The controller comprises an input 8 for receiving an input signal indicative of a measured blood glucose concentration, an output 9 for providing a pulsed glucagon pump drive signal, each pulse being arranged to cause a glucagon pump to deliver a volume of glucagon, and a processing unit 10 for setting the pulse frequency of the pump drive signal in dependence upon the input signal, such that when the input signal indicates that the measured blood glucose concentration is above a threshold concentration the pulse frequency is zero and when the input signal indicates that the measured blood glucose concentration is below the threshold concentration the pulse frequency is increased as the measured blood glucose concentration decreases.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound of formula (I): X-PYY* (3-36) (I) wherein X is selected from H, PYY1-2 (ie Tyr Pro) and D-Allo-Ue; PYY*(3-36) representing PYY (3-36) in which one or more residues is replaced by an acylated lysine group, the acyl group being selected from: CO—C1-20 alkyl, CO—C2-20 alkenyl, CO—C5-10 aryl and CO—C5-10 ar-C1-20 alkyl; a variant or derivative thereof; or a salt or solvate thereof. The compounds are effective in inducing satiety and suppressing appetite and they are thus useful in treating various diseases, including obesity.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, uses and compounds for promoting bone formation in a patient at a site in need thereof by the provision of a pro-inflammatory compound at the site. The site is generally a site of injury or a site of surgical intervention in the patient. Exemplary compounds include pro-inflammatory: cytokines. Inhibitors of indoleamine 2, 3, dioxygenase 1 are also provided in the methods and uses of the invention.

Abstract: A method of determining an analyte parameter is described for an analyte in a detection region having at least one analyte binding zone. The method includes detecting presence of an analyte element bound at the binding zone, incrementing or decrementing a count and preventing recount of the element to obtain absolute quantification.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I); variants or derivatives thereof, or salts or solvates thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of such compounds to control appetite, feeding, food intake, energy expenditure and calorie intake, particularly in the treatment of obesity.

Abstract: A method of solubilising in an aqueous medium a hydrocarbon or a hydrophobic compound having a hydrocarbon skeleton that carries one or more heteroatom-containing functional groups, e.g. hydroxyl, carboxylic acid or aldehyde (CHO) groups. The method comprises contacting the hydrocarbon or the hydrophobic compound with the aqueous medium that includes at least one non-ionic surfactant containing a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part, the hydrophilic part comprising a polyhydroxylated moiety and the hydrophobic part comprising a hydrocarbon chain containing at least 12 carbon atoms, e.g. ethoxylated sorbitol. The amount of surfactant used is sufficient to form micelles including a core formed of the hydrocarbon or the hydrophobic compound.

Abstract: An aerofoil member is described which provides for a ‘smart Core’and flexible skin. The core comprises sheet material elements forming adjoining cells. The length of the elements can be changed, for example, using the piezo-electric effect, to alter the cross-sectional shape of the aerofoil without changing the peripheral length. Thus, the shape of the aerofoil may be changed to suit different flight conditions, or to mimic the effect of control surfaces.

Abstract: An absorbent composition is manufactured and used in cat litter. The composition includes: a particulate inorganic mineral, one or more superabsorbent polymers (SAP) dispersed between the particles of the mineral, and a hydrophilic binder capable of binding the mineral and the SAP into discrete granules. The granular material produced has water absorbency characteristics comparable to that of more expensive bentonite-products. The mineral may be waste quarry fines that would otherwise have to be disposed of. Such fines are widely available, in contrast to bentonite that must be shipped from a restricted number of locations, which is environmentally damaging and associated with excessive product miles. The granules can be made by mixing the mineral and the super absorbent polymer to form a slurry, draining the water from the slurry and optionally pressing the resulting filter cake, mixing the binder with the wet filter cake and granulating the resulting composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an assay for transferases. The assay comprises a first moiety comprising a transferase substrate and a second moiety capable of binding to the transferase substrate after it has been acted on by the transferase. One of the first and second moieties comprises a fluorophore and the other of the first and second moieties causes a change in fluorescence of the fluorophore. Thus, when the second moiety binds the transferase substrate after it has been acted on by the transferase, a change in fluorescence can be detected. The assay allows for agents that modulate the activity of the transferase to be screened.

Abstract: A thin-film field-effect transistor is formed by forming a dielectric layer adjacent a gate, forming a source region and a drain region, and forming a semiconductor layer on the dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer is deposited by spray pyrolysis and comprises a material selected from a group comprising: oxides; oxide-based materials; mixed oxides; metallic type oxides; group I-IV, II-VI, III-VI, IV-VI, V-VI and VIII-VI binary chalcogenides; and group I-II-VI, II-II-VI, II-III-VI, II-VI-VI and V-II-VI ternary chalcogenides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunogenic composition comprising at least one modified factor H binding protein, wherein the composition is capable of eliciting an immune response, when administered to a human or non-human animal; and associated compositions, uses and kits.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of particular, although not exclusive application to analysing a plurality of molecules which comprises computing a kernel function for each pair of the plurality of molecules, the kernel function being representative of the number of features present in both molecules of the pairs and using the kernel function in a kernel based learning algorithm to model the relationship between the features and a property of the molecules. The method is also applicable to predicting a numerical value representing a characteristic of a molecule and, more generally, modelling instances of data in a database. A particular, although again not exclusive application, is the prediction of toxicity of a molecule.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of diagnosing atheroma in an individual, the method comprising providing a sample from the individual, determining the level of lysozyme in the sample and assessing whether the level is indicative of atheroma in the individual. The invention also provides the use of a reagent which selectively identifies lysozyme in the assessment of atheroma in an individual.

Abstract: The invention features peptides for the treatment or prevention of obesity, diabetes or co-morbidities of obesity; for reduction of appetite, food intake, calorie intake, body weight, or body weight gain; and for increase of energy expenditure in a subject.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for decreasing calorie intake, food intake, and appetite in a subject. The methods include peripherally administering PYY or an agonist thereof and GLP-1 or an agonist thereof to the subject, simultaneously or sequentially, thereby decreasing the calorie intake of the subject.

Abstract: A T cell receptor molecule (TCR) containing an alpha chain portion and a beta chain portion wherein the alpha chain portion contains three complementarily determining regions (CDRs): CDR1?: SSYSPS CDR2?: YTSAATL CDR3?: VVSPFSGGGADGLT or comprising or consisting of SPPSGGGADGLT and the beta chain portion contains three complementarity determining regions (CDRs): CDR1?: DFQATT CDR2?: SNEGSKA CDR3?: comprising SARDGGEG or comprising or consisting of RDGGEGSETQY, or wherein up to three amino acid residues in one or more CDRs are replaced by another amino acid residue. The invention also includes polynucleotides encoding the TCR molecules, and host cells containing the said polynucleotides. Patient derived T cells may have the polynucleotides encoding the TCR molecules introduced therein, and the engineered T cells may be introduced into the patient in order to combat a WT1-expressing malignancy.

Abstract: An optical arrangement for oblique plane microscopy includes a first optical subassembly having an objective lens that receives light from a sample in use, and configured to produce an intermediate image of the sample, and a second optical subassembly focused on the intermediate image. Optical axes of the first and second subassemblies are at an angle to each other at the point of the intermediate image, such that the second subassembly images an oblique plane in the intermediate image, corresponding to an oblique plane in the sample. An oblique plane microscopy method is performed by directing an incident light beam through the objective lens to illuminate or excite the oblique plane in the sample, and receiving light from the sample through the same objective lens. The incident light beam is incident on the sample at an angle of substantially 90° relative to the light beam received from the sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of generating a keypoint descriptor for identifying an object in an image or in a sequence of images, the keypoint descriptor being substantially invariant to a transformation of the object in the image.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a process for the preparation of a first compound selected from peptides, oligonucleotides and peptide nucleic acids. The process comprises synthesising the first compound and then separating the first compound formed in step (i) from a second compound, which is a reaction by-product of the synthesis of the first compound and/or an excess of a reagent used for the synthesis of a first compound by a process of diafiltration. The membrane used for the diafiltration process is stable in organic solvents and provides a rejection for the first compound which is greater than the rejection for the second compound.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the production of a functionalised carbon (nano)material comprising heating a carbon (nano)material in an inert atmosphere to produce a surface-activated carbon (nano)material and incubating said surface-activated carbon (nano)material with a chemical species capable of reacting with the surface-activated carbon (nano)material.