Abstract: An imaging system for an object such as human or animal tissue applies acoustic vibrations localised in two or three dimensions and simultaneously illuminates the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave. The acoustic vibration comprises a carrier wave that is amplitude modulated by an AM waveform. The carrier wave is selected to provide the localization of the acoustic vibration, whereas the AM waveform includes a frequency component selected to provide a vibration of the object of greater magnitude than the carrier wave. To detect a Doppler component shifted by the frequency of said frequency component of the AM waveform, a signal processing apparatus comprises a phase locked-loop locked to the EM frequency, producing a frequency-demodulated signal comprising the set of the Doppler components, and a lock-in amplifier configured to extract a signal at a reference frequency equal to the frequency of a frequency component of the AM waveform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining torque in a shaft, the apparatus comprising an elongate member with a weakened region partway along its length, and means for securing the member to the shaft either side of the weakened region, preferably adjacent each end of the elongate member. The invention extends to a method of localising the twist a shaft undergoes, comprising securing an elongate member to a shaft, wherein the elongate member comprises a weakened region partway along its length.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the treatment, e.g. reduction, of body fat mass levels for example in overweight and obese subjects. The present disclosure also relates to weight control in a subject where obesity should be avoided. Disclosed herein are methods of reducing body fat mass e.g. reducing obesity or preventing weight gain and agents used in such methods whereby the agents inhibit a sulphur containing amino acid. Also included in the present disclosure include, without being limited to, methods for determining regimes for the treatment of obesity as well as other subject matter.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel screening method that identifies simple molecular markers that are predictive of whether a particular disease condition is responsive to a specific treatment. Also, a method of diagnosing the susceptibility of an individual suffering from a disease to treatment with an HDAC inhibitor is provided. Also provided is a method of treating a proliferative disease or a condition which involves a change in cell differentiation or growth rate in a patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of identifying an individual nucleotide, comprising (a) contacting the nucleotide with a transmembrane protein pore so that the nucleotide interacts with the pore and (b) measuring the current passing through the pore during the interaction and thereby determining the identity of the nucleotide. The invention also relates to a method of sequencing nucleic acid sequences and kits related thereto.

Abstract: A method for producing a bilayer of amphipathic molecules comprising providing a hydrated support and providing a hydrophilic body, and bringing the hydrated support and hydrophilic body into contact to form a bilayer of amphipathic molecules. A bilayer produced by the method of the invention, and uses of the bilayer.

Abstract: A compound which is 3-hydroxybutyl 3-hydroxybutyrate enantiomerically enriched with respect to (3R)-hydroxybutyl (3R)-hydroxybutyrate of formula (I) is an effective and palatable precursor to the ketone body (3R)-hydroxybutyrate and may therefore be used to treat a condition which is caused by, exacerbated by or associated with elevated plasma levels of free fatty acids in a human or animal subject, for instance a condition where weight loss or weight gain is implicated, or to promote alertness or improve cognitive function, or to treat, prevent or reduce the effects of neurodegeneration, free radical toxicity, hypoxic conditions or hyperglycaemia.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of screening method small-molecule candidate therapeutics capable of inhibiting or interfering with intracellular protein-protein interactions, such as cancer associated oncogenic protein interactions and in particular RAS and LMO2 protein-protein interactions. The present invention also provides methods and assays for rationalized drug design based on identifying small molecular weight protein-protein interaction inhibitor molecules that emulate antibody therapeutics products.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance apparatus and operating method therefore, 3D navigator data are acquired and are used to correct spatially varying phase errors in contemporaneously acquired imaging data in each shot of a multi-shot data acquisition sequence. A mosaic sampling scheme is used to enter the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance data and the navigator data into k-space respectively in blocks that each form a subset of the entirety of k-space. The navigator data in each shot are entered into a block that is located at the center of k-space, and, in each shot, the corresponding image data are entered into an offset block in k-space, that is offset in at least one spatial direction from the navigator data block. The offset is varied from shot-to-shot.

Abstract: A resonant assembly for identification of a buried asset comprising first and second resonant members each configured to resonate at a respective different resonant frequency when excited by an electromagnetic field. The resonant assembly is arranged to cause a near-field coupling of transmit and receive antenna of a detector at the first and second resonant frequencies such that identification of the resonant assembly is performed at least in part according to the frequencies of the coupling.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mutant streptavidin subunit which comprises one or more amino acid substitutions compared to a wildtype streptavidin subunit at any one of residue positions equivalent to positions (50, 51, 52, 53) and (54) of SEQ ID NO. 2 and wherein amino acid residues at positions equivalent to positions (23, 27, 43, 45, 49, 79, 88, 90, 92, 108, 110) and (128) of SEQ ID NO. 2, in said mutant streptavidin subunit, are wildtype, wherein (i) when said mutant streptavidin subunit unit is comprised in streptavidin, said streptavidin has a lower off rate for biotin or for a biotin conjugate than wildtype streptavidin or (ii) when said mutant streptavidin subunit is in monomelic form said mutant monomelic streptavidin has a lower off rate for biotin or a biotin conjugate than monomelic streptavidin. The invention also encompasses nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the mutant streptavidin subunit and vectors and cells comprising the nucleic acid.

Abstract: A method of transforming a three-dimensional ultrasound Doppler image that represents flow within a subject uses a three-dimensional ultrasound intensity image that has a common field of view and represents structure within the subject. Within the three-dimensional structural image, there is identified a three-dimensional reference surface that represents the location of a surface of the structure represented by the three-dimensional structural image. A mapping is derived that maps the three-dimensional surface into a two-dimensional plane. The mapping is applied to map the three-dimensional surface of the flow image at the location represented by the three dimensional reference surface into a two-dimensional flow image.

Abstract: A semiconductor detector device comprises a layer of semiconductor material for generating charge in response to an input event and an array of pixels for collecting charge. Tracks are connected to the pixels to supply signals representing the collected charge to a reader circuit. The pixels are grouped into sets, all the pixels within a set being connected to the same track, the sets of pixels being interwoven so that so that any group of n adjacent pixels capable of collecting charge generated by a single input event is connected to a combination of n tracks that is unique to the group of pixels, where n has a value of one of 2, 3 or 4. This allows detection of position of the area of charge collection on the basis of temporally coincident signals on a combination of at least n tracks.

Abstract: A drug delivery system for the controlled release of a pharmaceutically-active compound by oral route comprises an intercalate of a layered double hydroxide having, before intercalation, layers of metal hydroxides, and having intercalated therein a pharmaceutically-active compound having at least one anionic group. A preferred layered double hydroxide is one that has layers which comprise [LiAl2(OH)6]+. The drug delivery system has use in the delivery of drugs such as 4-biphenylacetic acid, Diclofenac, Gemfibrozil, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, 2-Propylpentanoic acid and Tolfenamic acid.

Abstract: A system for providing locality information to a user is disclosed. The system comprises at least one magnetic field beacon. Each beacon comprises means for generating a magnetic field encoded with information associated with the beacon. A communication device is provided that comprises means for detecting the encoded magnetic field emitted by the beacon and means for extracting the information encoded in the detected magnetic field.

Abstract: A method of system monitoring or, more particularly, novelty detection, based on extreme value theory in particular a points-over-threshold POT method which is applicable to multimodal multivariate data. Multimodal multivariate data points collected by continuously monitoring a system are transformed into probability space by obtaining their probability density function (pdf) values from a statistical model of normality, such as a pdf fitted to a training data set of normal data. Extremal data is defined as that whose pdf value is below a predetermined threshold and a new analytic function, in particular the Generalised Pareto Distribution (GPD) is fitted to that extremal data only. The fitted GPD can be compared to a GPD fitted to the extremal datapoints of the training data set of normal data to determine if the monitored system is in a normal state.

Abstract: The invention relates to an immunogenic composition comprising an adenoviral vector and a pox viral vector, or two different adenoviral vectors, wherein one or more of the vectors encodes one or more target antigens; and related methods, uses and kits.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of monitoring the severity of infection in a group of individuals. A set of data for each individual is obtained, the data comprising at least one piece of diagnostic test data indicating the level of a biomarker associated with the individual's response to infection. The data is then split into a plurality of segments, each segment comprising all data for each individual within a corresponding one of a plurality of time periods. For each segment, a level of the biomarker across the group of individuals during the time period is estimated. The level of the biomarker for each segment to is then determined provide an indication of the change in severity of infection in the group of individuals over time.

Abstract: There is provided a composition comprising: (a) a modified vaccinia virus ankara (MVA) vector, wherein said MVA vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen; and (b) an adjuvant comprising a saponin, or an emulsion. There is also provided a composition comprising: (a) an adenovirus vector, wherein said adenovirus vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen, and wherein the adenovirus is selected from: a group B adenovirus, a group C adenovirus, and a group E adenovirus; and (b) an adjuvant comprising a saponin, or an emulsion; wherein the group B adenovirus is not an adenovirus 35, the group C adenovirus is not Ad5 having an intact E3 gene region, and the group E adenovirus is not an adenovirus C7. Also provided are corresponding uses of the compositions in medicine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to per-substituted pentalene compounds, including permethylpentalene and precursors thereof. In particular, the invention provides substituted pentalene compounds and methods of preparing substituted pentalene compounds; complexes of metals with substituted pentalene compounds and methods for their production; and the use of complexes of metals with substituted pentalene compounds in catalysis.