Abstract: A nucleic acid sequence encoding all or part of an 18-19 kDa Helicobater pylori protein is described to which immunoreactivity is detected in H. pylori negative individuals. A process for the production of a recombinant form of this protein and its use, particularly as a vaccine to provide immunological protection against H. pylori infection are also described.

Abstract: Aspirin is one of the most widely used drugs in the treatment of inflammation, pain and fever. It has more recently found application in the prevention of heart attacks and stroke and is being studied as a cancer chemopreventative agent. Despite its value aspirin continues to be underutilized because it causes gastric bleeding. The technology under development potentially removes this problem. It is designed to reduce contact between the drug and the intestinal lining. An isosorbide aspirinate prodrug compound is thus provided. The compound has the general structure as shown in general formula (I) wherein Y is a C1-C8 alkyl ester, a C1-C8 alkoxy ester, a C3-C10 cycloalkyl ester, an arylester, a C1-C8 alkylaryl ester or —C(O)ORring, wherein Rring is a 5-membered aromatic or nonaromatic 5-member ring having at least one heteroatom substituted for a carbon of the ring system, which can be unsubstituted or substituted with at least one nitric oxide releasing group.

Abstract: The invention is directed to materials and methods associated with polymorphic variants in two enzymes involved in folate-dependent and one-carbon metabolic pathways: MTHFD1 (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+dependent) 1-like (MTHFD1L). Diagnostic and therapeutic methods are provided involving the correlation of polymorphic variants in MTHFD1, MTHFD1, and other genes with relative susceptibility for various pregnancy-related and other complications.

Abstract: The present invention describes a methods, uses, compositions such as adhesive, sealants and coatings, scaffold material, composite material, all comprising amyloid-like materials such as fibrils, in particular those made from fruit or vegetable proteins. The amyloid-like materials impart good mechanical strength to the materials in which it is employed. Inhibition of amyloid formation is also described.

Abstract: The isolation of genes and proteins from Staphylococcus aureus is provided, and the nucleic acids coding for specific regions of the S. aureus protein are described. The nucleic acids encode proteins that can be useful as vaccines or in pharmaceutical compositions for application to prevent infection, promotion of wound healing, blocking adherence to indwelling medical devices, or diagnosis of infection.

Abstract: A laser device (1) comprises a ridge waveguide (2) comprising an upper cladding layer (5) and a lower cladding layer (6), between which is located an active layer (7). A ridge (8) formed in the upper cladding layer (5) defines the lateral width of a light guiding region (9) in the active layer (7). The ridge (8) is formed so that a portion (13) of the light guiding region (9) extends above the active layer (7) into the ridge (8). A plurality of lateral reflecting slots (15) extend laterally across the ridge (8) and extend into the ridge (8) to a depth sufficient to extend into the portion (13) of the light guiding region (9) which extends into the ridge (8) in order that the reflectivity of each lateral slot (15) is in the order of 2%.

Abstract: A method of preparing porous microparticles comprises the steps of combining one or more organic compounds with a volatile system, and drying the system thus formed to provide substantially pure porous microparticles of the organic compound or composite porous microparticles of combinations of organic compounds. Organic compounds used in the method may be one or more of a bioactive, a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant or combinations thereof. The invention also relates to porous microparticles produced by such a method, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such porous microparticles.

Abstract: The invention relates to gene suppression and replacement. In particular, the invention relates to enhanced expression of suppression agents for suppressing gene expression in a cell and in vivo and replacement nucleic acids that are not inhibited by the suppression agent. Regulatory elements are included in expression vectors to optimize expression of the suppression agent and/or replacement nucleic acid.

Abstract: The adrenergic receptors or adrenoceptors are a family of G-protein coupled receptors split into ? and ? subclasses. The adrenoceptors have important roles in regulating a myriad of physiological conditions and their malfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of diseases. Disclosed herein are a series of novel compounds which are ligands of the alpha2-adrenoceptor (?2-ARs) subclass of adrenergic receptors. The invention also provides for pharmaceutical compositions comprising the novel compounds. The compounds are suitable for use in the manufacture of medicaments for the treatment of ?2-ARs associated disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia.

Abstract: The invention relates to compounds that inhibit thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) degrading ectoenzyme and/or enhance, and/or mimic the biological actions of TRH. The compounds find therapeutic application, particularly in conditions involving neuronal cell injury and disturbances in neurobiological function.

Abstract: Methods for treating or preventing infections from coagulase-negative staphylococci using proteins and polypeptides from coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteria such as S. epidermidis, including proteins designated SdrF, SdrG and SdrH, and their effective fragments such as their respective A domains, are provided. Methods are also provided wherein antibodies that recognize the SdrG protein or its ligand binding A region are used to treat or prevent staphylococcal infection, and these methods can also be utilized to prevent the formation of infections on indwelling medical devices.

Abstract: An animation tool which is configured to enable a user to generate one or more animations for subsequent execution on a computer platform is described. The animation tool provides a plurality of graphical integers which a user can use to generate an animation. The graphical integers are divisible into graphical elements and graphical element effects, the effects being applied by a user onto an element and defining the viewing properties of that element.

Abstract: A tunable laser device (1) comprises integrally formed first and second ridge waveguides (5, 6). A longitudinally extending ridge (12) defines first and second light guiding regions (19, 20) of the first and second waveguides (5, 6) which communicate with each other. A plurality of first slots (27) extending laterally in the ridge (12) adjacent the first waveguide (5), and a plurality of second slots (28) extending laterally in the ridge (12) adjacent the second waveguide (6) produce first and second mirror loss spectra of the respective first and second waveguides (5, 6) with minimum peak values at respective first and second wavelength values.

Abstract: Multicomponent vaccines are provided which aid in the prevention and treatment of staphylococcal infections and which include certain selected combinations of bacterial binding proteins or fragments thereof, or antibodies to those proteins or fragments. By careful selection of the proteins, fragments, or antibodies, a vaccine is provided that imparts protection against a broad spectrum of Staphylococcus and other bacterial strains and against proteins that are expressed at different stages of the logarithmic growth curve. In one embodiment of the invention, a composition is provided that includes a fibrinogen binding domain of a fibrinogen binding protein and a bacterial component such as ca capsular polysaccharide, and both active and passive vaccines based on these components are also provided, along with methods of treating infection using these compositions and vaccines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of enhancing a pro-inflammatory immune response through the administration of the DEAD-box protein DDX3, as encoded by SEQ ID NO:1. The invention further extends to a method of suppressing an aberrant immune response, such at that associated with autoimmune conditions, through inhibition of DDX3. The invention also extends to a method of suppressing a pro-inflammatory immune response through the administration of the vaccinia virus protein K7. The invention further extends to the provision of an attenuated poxvirus wherein the K7R gene which encodes for the K7 protein is deleted or rendered non-functional. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising DDX3 inhibitory compounds, such as K7, are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming patterns and structures in target materials are described. The method produces a pattern or structure in a target material by contacting a stamp including one or more features with a target material using a normal load sufficient for keeping the one or more features in contact with the target material, and providing a cyclic shear force in an amount sufficient to extrude the target material and form a negative relief of the one more features in the target material. The systems and methods can be used to produce a variety of articles including, but not limited to, semiconductor integrated electrical circuits, integrated optical, magnetic, mechanical circuits and microdevices.

Abstract: A method of preparing an array of conducting or semi-conducting nanowires may include forming a vicinal surface of stepped atomic terraces on a substrate, and depositing a fractional layer of dopant material to form nanostripes having a width less than the width of the atomic terraces. Diffusion of the atoms of the dopant nanostripes into the substrate may form the nanowires.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for the suppression of Th2-mediated immune response. Tracheal cytotoxin is shown to mediate a selective suppression of T helper cell type 2 (Th2)-mediated immune responses. The methods and compositions of the invention are useful for the treatment of Th2-mediated diseases and conditions due to their utility in suppressing Th2-mediated immune responses. The invention further extends to methods for suppressing the production of cytokines, such as IL-4 and IL-5 which contribute to the development of Th2-mediated immune responses.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector (1) for detecting short duration laser light pulses of predetermined wavelength in a light signal (2) comprises a micro-resonator (3) of vertical Fabry-Perot construction having a Bragg mirror pair, namely, a front mirror (5) and a rear mirror (6) with an active region (8) located between the front and rear mirrors (5,6). An N-type substrate (11) supports the rear mirror (6). The light signal (2) is directed into the active region (8) through the front mirror (5) while a pump beam (17) is directed into the active region (8) at an end (18) thereof. The spacing between the front and rear mirrors (5,6) is such as to cause light of the predetermined wavelength to resonate between the mirrors (5,6).

Abstract: Proteins and polypeptides from coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteria such as S. epidermidis, including proteins designated SdrF, SdrG and SdrH, and their effective fragments such as their respective A domains, are provided which are useful in the prevention and treatment of infection caused by coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteria such as S. epidermidis. The SdrF, SdrG and SdrH proteins are cell-wall associated proteins that specifically bind host proteins and which each have a highly conserved motif of which the consensus sequence is TYTFTDYVD (SEQ ID NO: 16). The proteins and polypetides may be useful in generating antibodies for the diagnosis and treatment of coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections.