Abstract: The invention relates to a method of inhibiting the cytotoxic activity of extracellular histones in a subject, comprising administering an effective amount of a polyanion to the subject. In particular the invention relates to a method for the treatment of patients who are suffering from sepsis and employs polyanions to rapidly form complexes with and thus neutralize or inhibit the cytotoxic activity of extracellular histone proteins, for example, those found in the blood circulation of sepsis patients.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for inducing an antigen-specific immune response, methods for increasing the avidity of immune cells for an antigen, methods for increasing the number of immune cells specific for an antigen, methods of preventing or treating infection and methods of vaccinating, the methods comprising administering an interleukin-4 receptor (LL-4R) antagonist in combination with an antigen, in particular HIV-1 antigens selected from a gag, pol, or env.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a material having formula (A3+((4-5n)/3)-?B5+n)xTi1-xO2, wherein 0<n<0.8, ? and x is such that the material has a rutile structure, 0<n<0.8, ? is between 0 and 0.025 inclusive, A3+ is a trivalent positive ion and B5? is a pentavalent positive ion. A process for making the material, and its use as a dielectric material, are also described.

Abstract: A system and method for assessing the function of parts of the nervous system of a subject by measuring the pupillary responses to at least one stimulus ensemble comprising a plurality of individual stimuli; the method comprising: presenting a sequence of selected individual stimuli from the at least one stimulus ensemble to the nervous system of a subject thereby evoking pupillary responses in at least one pupil of the subject, selected individual stimuli being concurrently presented in the sequence, wherein the individual stimuli are each individually balanced such that the pupillary responses evoked by individual stimuli in the ensemble are balanced according to the strength of the neural responses evoked by the individual stimuli; detecting responses of the pupil or pupils evoked by the stimuli using a sensor; and processing the detected responses to relate them to the function of the subject's neural responses to some or all of the individual stimuli of the ensemble.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for exfoliating a laminar material to form an exfoliated material, in which the laminar material is ultrasonicated in a solution of a surfactant for sufficient time to form the exfoliated material. At all times during the ultrasonication the concentration of the surfactant in the solution is maintained sufficient to form a complete monolayer on the surfaces of the laminar material and the exfoliated material in the solution, or sufficient to sterically stabilise the laminar and exfoliated materials against aggregation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for coupling a first compound having the formula (I) with a second compound that contains a carbonyl group. Also disclosed herein are compounds that can be formed by this method, and uses for such compounds.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating a photovoltaic module, and the resulting photovoltaic module, are provided and include selecting a photovoltaic cell operable to convert photons to electrons, selecting a light transparent superstrate material having a superstrate absorption coefficient and a superstrate refractive index, and selecting an encapsulant having an encapsulant absorption coefficient and an encapsulant refractive index, wherein an absorption coefficient relationship between the superstrate absorption coefficient and the encapsulant absorption coefficient and a refractive index relationship between the superstrate refractive index and the encapsulant refractive index are selected such that there is a gain in efficiency, and assembling the photovoltaic module using the selected materials.

Abstract: A method of forming an injectable radioactive composition, the method comprising the steps of: (a) depositing a solid form of technetium onto a carbon crucible; (b) preheating the solid form of technetium to remove any carrier; (c) plasma ablating the technetium and portions of the carbon crucible; (d) allowing the carbon and technetium metal to co-condense from the gas phase to produce a nanoparticle composite aerosol in an inert gas; (e) dispersing the nanoparticle composite in water containing a low concentration of surfactant using an electrostatic precipitator; (f) size fractionating the nanoparticle dispersion by filtration with hydrophilic membranes of known pore size.

Abstract: A device for detecting seismic acceleration includes a proof mass; a base for providing a sensor acceleration, relative to the proof mass, based on the seismic acceleration; and an optical fiber portion operatively connected between the proof mass and the base for providing a fiber tension based on the sensor acceleration. A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) in the optical fiber portion provides an optical characteristic representative of the fiber tension. A compensator applies a compensating tension to the FFPI to compensate for a change of the optical characteristic due to a temperature change of the FFPI.

Abstract: A method and a system is provided for configuring a device for correcting the effect of a medium on a light signal having propagated through the medium, the device including at least one optical element whose phase profiles are individually adjustable. The configuring system and method include propagating a reference signal and a disordered signal obtained at the output of the medium through the correcting device. An interference parameter is measured and optimized by modifying the phase profile of each of the optical elements of the correcting device. A method and a system is also provided for correcting the effect of a medium on a light signal having propagated through the medium.

Abstract: A system and method for stabilizing a plurality of output frequencies (wavelengths) of a plurality of lasers (106). The laser beams are combined using optical multiplexer (110) and coupled into length-imbalanced (armlength-mismatched) Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) (114) having an optical modulator (e.g. AOM) (122) in one of its arms. The output of the MZI is divided into corresponding beams via optical demultiplexer (128) and each beam is detected by a respective photo-diode (PD) (134). The individual electric signals, so generated, are demodulated using a corresponding plurality of phase-responsive devices (138) and the resulting phase-signals are directed to a plurality of servo-controllers (148) to control the central frequency of the respective lasers (106) via a corresponding plurality of feedback loop circuits (150). The lasers (106) can have different central frequencies which can also be individually tunned using offset modules (141) in the phase-responsive devices (138).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining a plant with increased stress resistance relative to a wild-type plant, comprising: (a) introducing at least one mutation or exogenous nucleic acid into the genome of one or more plant cells which results in reduced activity associated with SAL1 or a homologue thereof in said one or more plant cells; (b) regenerating one or more plants from said one or more plant cells; and (c) selecting one or more plants that have increased stress resistance relative to a wild-type plant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of reconstructing a multi-dimensional data set representing a dynamic sample at a series of reconstruction instants. The multi-dimensional data set comprises a static component and a dynamic component. The method comprises acquiring a plurality of projection images of the dynamic sample; reconstructing a static component of the multi-dimensional data set from the acquired projection images; acquiring a further plurality of projection images of the dynamic sample; and reconstructing a dynamic component of the multi-dimensional data set at each reconstruction instant from the further plurality of acquired projection images using a priori information about the sample. The multi-dimensional data set is the sum of the static component and the dynamic component at each reconstruction instant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of inhibiting the cytotoxic activity of extracellular histones in a subject, comprising administering an effective amount of a polyanion to the subject. In particular the invention relates to a method for the treatment of patients who are suffering from sepsis and employs polyanions to rapidly form complexes with and thus neutralize or inhibit the cytotoxic activity of extracellular histone proteins, for example, those found in the blood circulation of sepsis patients.

Abstract: Assessment of one of the sensory nervous systems of a human subject using patterns of null and non-null stimuli. Parts of the visual system for example, are presented with two simultaneous sequences of stimuli. Each sequence is varied over time between a null stimulus and one or more less frequent non-null stimuli. The variation of each sequence is also controlled so that neighboring parts of the sensory system are less likely to receive simultaneous non-null stimuli. The stimuli are therefore sparse both in time and in some other aspect, typically a spatial dimension. One or more responses of the subject are measured and weight functions are determined for assessment of the sensory system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of modulating repair of a wound. The method includes modulating expression and/or activity of Flightless I in cells involved in repair of the wound.

Abstract: A system and method for spectroscopic detection of loss in a resonator cavity is disclosed. The system can include a number of components. A tunable laser source can generate a laser beam. A frequency locking system can lock the frequency of the laser beam to a resonance of the resonator cavity or lock the length of the cavity to the frequency of the laser beam. The first modulation element can modulate the laser beam at a first modulation frequency to generate a modulated laser beam. The input coupler can direct the modulated laser beam into the resonator cavity. The first directing element can direct a first portion of light reflected from the input coupler to a first photodetector. The first demodulator can demodulate the first modulation signal to generate a first error signal which is a function of the loss in the resonator cavity.

Abstract: A computed tomography imaging process, including: accessing projection data representing two-dimensional projection images of an object acquired using a misaligned tomographic imaging apparatus; and processing the projection data to generate misalignment data representing one or more values that quantify respective misalignments of the tomographic imaging apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to compositions and methods for modulating immune responses. More particularly, the present invention relates to the co-expression, co-location or co-presentation on host cells (e.g. antigen-presenting cells, leukocytes, etc) of an inhibitor of IL-13 function and an immune stimulator that stimulates an immune response to a target antigen in compositions and methods for stimulating protective or therapeutic immune responses to the target antigen. The compositions and methods of the present invention are particularly useful in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a range of diseases or conditions including pathogenic infections and cancers.

Abstract: A system and method for assessing the function of parts of the nervous system of a subject by measuring the pupillary responses to at least one stimulus ensemble comprising a plurality of individual stimuli; the method comprising: presenting a sequence of selected individual stimuli from the at least one stimulus ensemble to the nervous system of a subject thereby evoking pupillary responses in at least one pupil of the subject, selected individual stimuli being concurrently presented in the sequence, wherein the individual stimuli are each individually balanced such that the pupillary responses evoked by individual stimuli in the ensemble are balanced according to the strength of the neural responses evoked by the individual stimuli; detecting responses of the pupil or pupils evoked by the stimuli using a sensor; and processing the detected responses to relate them to the function of the subject's neural responses to some or all of the individual stimuli of the ensemble.