Abstract: An optimized coding sequence of human blood clotting factor eight (VIII) and a promoter may be used in vectors, such as rAAV, for introduction of factor VIII, and/or other blood clotting factors and transgenes. Exemplary of these factors and transgenes are alpha-1-antitrypsin, as well as those involved in the coagulation cascade, hepatocye biology, lysosomal storage, urea cycle disorders, and lipid storage diseases. Cells, vectors, proteins, and glycoproteins produced by cells transformed by the vectors and sequence, may be used in treatment.

Abstract: The present invention provides an audio-visual dialogue system that allows a user to create an ‘avatar’ which may be customised to look and sound a particular way. The avatar may be created to resemble, for example, a person, animal or mythical creature, and generated to have a variable voice which may be female or male. The system then employs a real-time voice conversion in order to transform any audio input, for example, spoken word, into a target voice that is selected and customised by the user. The system is arranged to facially animate the avatar using a real-time lip-synching algorithm such that the generated avatar and the target voice are synchronised.

Abstract: This invention provides fluid formulations and materials produced therefrom for repairing dental and bone defects, processes for the production of the fluid formulations and materials, and to uses of these formulations and materials. In particular, the invention provides the use cationic polymers such as polylysine in these formulations and materials, and the advantageous properties derived therefrom which include mechanical and antibacterial properties.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for manipulating electromagnetic radiation such as laser beams include a first acousto-optic deflector optimised for efficient transmission at the input beam angle and a second acousto-optic deflector of lower peak efficiency than the first acousto-optic deflector but which accepts beams from a wider range of angles at better transmission efficiency than the first acousto-optic deflector by passing a beam optimised for efficient transmission through the first acousto-optic deflector at the input beam angle, deflecting the beam using the first acousto-optic deflector, passing the deflected beam through the second acousto-optic deflector, which has a lower peak efficiency than the first acousto-optic deflector and accepts beams from a wider range of angles at better transmission efficiency than the first acousto-optic deflector, and deflecting the beam using the second acousto-optic deflector.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a therapeutic agent for use in a method for modulating the function and/or growth of a thymus in a subject, wherein the therapeutic agent comprises an HER2 or HER1 pathway antagonist or agonist, and/or a CCR/CCL5 antagonist the method involving administering the therapeutic agent to the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a compound containing a moiety of formula (I) as a reagent for linking a compound of formula R1—H which comprises a first functional moiety of formula F1 to a second functional moiety of formula F2 wherein X, X?, Y, R1, F1 and F2 are as defined herein. The present invention also provides related processes and products. The present invention is useful for creating functional conjugate compounds, and specifically conjugates in which at least one of the constituent molecules carries a thiol group.

Abstract: A microfluidic device, for analysis, comprising: a chip (1) comprising a cavity (3); a light emitting diode or a laser which emits a first electromagnetic radiation (4) for heating a sample placed in the cavity in use; and an analytical assembly (7) configured to record a change in the sample arising from an interaction of the sample with the first source of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A method for dispersing nanotubes, comprising contacting the nanotubes with an electronic liquid comprising a metal and an amine solvent, a solution of dispersed nanotubes, comprising individual nanotubes at a concentration of greater than about 0.01 mgml?1 and a solvent and a nanotube crystal comprising a close packed array of nanotubes, wherein the crystal has a thickness of 100 nm or more are described.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a silicon substrate on which is grown a <100 nm thick epilayer of AlAs or related compound, followed by a compound semiconductor other than GaN buffer layer. Further III-V compound semiconductor structures can be epitaxially grown on top. The AlAs epilayer reduces the formation and propagation of defects from the interface with the silicon, and so can improve the performance of an active structure grown on top.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optimising, improving or maximising the efficiency of an acousto-optic lens (AOL) system are disclosed. Data relating to efficiency is used to select drive frequencies of the acousto-optic devices (AODs) forming the AOL, thereby both increasing the usable field of view and reducing a prior art patternation problem. Preferably according to the invention, drive frequencies are selected that maximise efficiency of transmission through the AOL. When scanning, the centre of each scan is optimised to be of maximum efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the treatment or prevention of kidney injury and in particular acute kidney injury, such as acute kidney injury associated with cirrhosis. The invention relates to the treatment or prevention of such injury by administration of an agonist of the P2X7 receptor.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and materials relating to newly characterised enzymes from Pusillimonas noertemannii, or variants thereof, capable degrading poly-?-D-glutamic acid, for example as is present in the capsule of B. anthracis. Such depolymerases have utility as therapeutics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for performing photoacoustic tomography with respect to a sample that receives a pulse of excitation electromagnetic radiation and generates an acoustic field in response to said pulse. One embodiment provides an apparatus comprising an acoustically sensitive surface, wherein the acoustic field generated in response to said pulse is incident upon said acoustically sensitive surface to form a signal. The apparatus further comprises a source for directing an interrogation beam of electromagnetic radiation onto said acoustically sensitive surface so as to be modulated by the signal; means for applying a sensitivity pattern to the interrogation beam; and a read-out system for receiving the interrogation beam from the acoustically sensitive surface and for determining a value representing a spatial integral of the signal across the acoustically sensitive surface, wherein said spatial integral is weighted by the applied sensitivity pattern.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a compound containing a moiety of formula (I) as a reagent for linking a compound of formula R1—H which comprises a first functional moiety of formula F1 to a second functional moiety of formula F2 wherein X, X?, Y, R1, F1 and F2 are as defined herein. The present invention also provides related processes and products. The present invention is useful for creating functional conjugate compounds, and specifically conjugates in which at least one of the constituent molecules carries a thiol group.

Abstract: An ultrasound system comprises an ultrasound unit including: an ultrasound probe (20) for acquiring an anatomical image of a human body and for locating a medical instrument (5) with respect to said image, the ultrasound probe (20) including a first set of imaging transducer elements (550) and a second set of localisation transducer elements (551A, 551B), wherein the first set of imaging transducer elements are distinct and disjoint from the second set of localisation transducer elements, wherein: the first set of imaging transducer elements are configured to: produce ultrasound imaging transmissions into the human body, wherein the ultrasound imaging transmissions are focussed into an image scan plane (25), and receive reflections of the ultrasound imaging transmissions for generating a two-dimensional anatomical image corresponding to the image scan plane; and wherein the second set of localisation transducer elements are configured to produce ultrasound localisation transmissions into the human body for lo

Abstract: A method for producing a solution of dispersed graphenes comprising contacting graphite having a dimension in the a-b plane of 10 ?m or less with an electronic liquid comprising a metal and a polar aprotic solvent, and solutions of dispersed graphenes which may be obtained by such a method are described.

Abstract: The invention relates to liver damage, and to pharmaceutical compositions for use in treating, preventing or ameliorating liver damage or disease, especially acute liver damage. The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with treating or preventing liver damage caused by paracetamol poisoning. The invention also extends to methods of treating such conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for performing phase unwrapping for an acquired magnetic resonance (MR) image. The method includes modelling the MR phase in the MR image using a Markov random field (MRF) in which the true phase ?(t) and the wrapped phase ?(w) are modelled as random variables such that at voxel i of said MR image ?(t)(i)=?(w)(i)+2?n(i), where n(i) is an unknown integer that needs to be estimated for each voxel i. The method further includes constructing a graph consisting of a set of vertices V and edges E and two special terminal vertices representing a source s and sink t, where there is a one-to-one correspondence between cuts on the graph and configurations of the MRF, a cut representing a partition of the vertices V into disjoint sets S and T such that s?S and t?T.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the prevention of neural tube defects. In particular, the invention provides thymidine or dTMP for use in a method of preventing or prophylactically treating a neural tube defect. The method may comprise administering the thymidine or dTMP to a female mammal that is pregnant or that may become pregnant. The thymidine or dTMP may be administered in combination with one or more purine molecules.

Abstract: A high pressure tubular reactor for production of nanoparticles by precipitation has unidirectional fluid flows of precursor and supercritical water directed from inner and outer coaxial inlets to an outlet via a reaction zone immediately downstream of the inlets. The inner inlet is for supercritical fluid, and the outer inlet is for a precursor.