Abstract: (S)-(+)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methyl-hexanoic acid or (S)-pregabalin is an anticonvulsive drug. In addition to its use as an anticonvulsive agent, pregabalin has also been indicated as a medicament in the treatment of anxiety, neuropathic pain and pain in patients with fibromyalgia. Provided herein are thioester intermediates in the synthesis of and processes for the synthesis of 3-(aminomethyl)-5-methyl-hexanoic acid in the (R) or (S) configuration.

Abstract: Described are compounds having a thiazolhydrazide scaffold, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing at least one of these compounds together with pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient and/or diluents. Said thiazolhydrazide compounds can be used for prophylaxis and/or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and conditions.

Abstract: A device (1) for housing a scientific sample comprising at least one sample well (2) and an on-board buffering substance (3) wherein the onboard buffering substance (3) at least partly surrounds the sample well (2). The on-board buffering substance (3) may be in the form of a matrix, such as a gel-like matrix. The device (1) may further comprise an insulating means. Also described is a substance for use in culturing and/or assaying a sample whereby the substance provides atmospheric and thermal buffering. The invention further provides a lid for a single-well or multi-well sample plate, the lid being configured to facilitate delivery of a sample through the lid into a well, and for sealing the well. The lid comprises moveable portions (52, 53) that have at least one orifice (54, 57) formed through the moveable portions (52, 53) such that a conduit is formed by alignment of the orifices (54, 57) of both the lid portions (52, 53).

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for measuring optical signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR) in an optical communication system. A channel filter is adapted to select one specific optical communication channel from a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) optical communication system, wherein the channel comprises an optical signal carrying digital bit information and noise from associated optical power amplifiers in the system. At least one optical delay interferometer is adapted to measure at least two interferograms of the noisy signal. The invention provides a mechanism for calculating the in-band OSNR from extinctions of the interferograms measured at different optical delays by referring to each other, wherein said optical delays are selected to be substantially less than a bit period of the optical channel.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides for the ad-hoc configuration of femtocells using spectrum sensing for the selection of spectrum channels. One or more embodiments of the invention determine frequency bands that are not reserved by macrocells in a location, and perform spectrum sensing to determine communication channels in unreserved frequency bands that are being used by other femtocells in range. In this manner, femtocells can be deployed and configured in an ad-hoc manner without external coordination or control between deployed femtocells.

Abstract: A sensor comprises silver nanoparticles in which substantially all of the surfaces of the silver nanoparticles are available for interaction with an analyte or for functionalization with a receptor which is capable of interacting with an analyte. Silver nanoparticles are preparated by forming the nanoparticles in the presence of a polymeric stabilizer such as PVA.

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) A plurality of first and second slots (27, 28) extending laterally in the ridge (12) adjacent the first and second waveguides (5, 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. The spacing between the second slots (28) is different to that between the first slots (27) so that with one exception the minimum peak values of the first and second mirror loss spectrum occur at different wavelength values. The first and second waveguides (5, 6) are independently pumped with variable currents to selectively vary the common wavelength at which the minimum peak values of the first and second mirror loss spectra occur to produce Vernier tuning of the device.

Abstract: A laser device includes a ridge waveguide having an active layer between upper and lower cladding layers. A ridge formed in the upper cladding layer defines the width of a light guiding region in the active layer, and is formed so that a portion of the light guiding region extends into the ridge. A plurality of reflecting slots extend across and into the ridge to a depth sufficient to extend into the extending portion in order that the reflectivity of each slot is on the order of 2%. The slots intersect more than 20% of the total mode energy in the light guiding region, and this in combination with the gain of the active layer facilitates lasing within the light guiding region independently of the reflectivity of end facets of the waveguide. The laser device is particularly suitable for integrally forming with other optical components on a single semiconductor chip.

Abstract: A phase controllable field effect transistor device is described. The device provides first and second scattering sites disposed at either side of a conducting channel region, the conducting region being gated such that on application of an appropriate signal to the gate, energies of the electrons in the channel region defined between the scattering centers may be modulated.

Abstract: Products for altering IL-33 activity including antibodies that specifically bind to an epitope with the polypeptide sequence of IL-33 such as antibodies that specifically bind to a protease cleavage region of IL-33 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 17, or SEQ ID NO. 16, or SEQ ID NO. 10; isolated IL-33 polypeptide(s); and compositions comprising a soluble IL-33 receptor linked to an enzyme capable of cleaving IL-33 or an antibody that binds to IL-33 linked to an enzyme capable of cleaving IL-33. The invention also relates to methods of altering IL-33 activity using the products described herein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for suppressing an inflammatory immune response comprising the excretory/secretory (ES) component of Fasciola hepatica or a fraction thereof. The composition has particular utility in the treatment or prophylaxis of T cell mediated inflammatory immune responses, and in particular autoimmune disease. The invention further extends to methods for modulating a T cell mediated immune response wherein a therapeutically effective amount of the excretory/secretory (ES) component from Fasciola hepatica is administered to a subject in need of such treatment in order to suppress the development of the response.

Abstract: A hand washing monitoring system (1) comprising a camera (2), a processor (4), the processor being adapted to receive from the camera images of hand washing activity. The processor analyses mutual motion of hands to determine if the hands mutually move in desired poses, and if so, the durations of the patterns; and generates a hand washing quality indication according to the analysis. The processor extracts information features from the images and generates feature vectors based on the features, including bimanual hand and arm shape vectors, and executes a classifier with the vectors to determine the poses. The processor uses edge segmentation and pixel spatio-temporal measurements to form at least some of the feature vectors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and composition for the treatment and prevention of an autoimmune disease such a multiple sclerosis which is mediated by autoreactive T cells. The administration of a NOD-1 agonist is shown to mediate an anti-inflammatory immune response. NOD-1 agonists suitable for use in the methods and compositions of the invention include diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-containing muropeptide compounds such as Tri-DAP and M-TriDAP.

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 a 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: Surface proteins are provided which generate polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies which are cross-reactive to both coagulase-positive staphylococcus bacteria, such as S. aureus and to coagulase-negative bacteria, such as S. epidermidis and S. hemolyticus. The antibodies may be generated from surface proteins that have been isolated on the basis of characteristics that may be common between S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, or the A domains of those surface proteins, and these recombinant surface proteins are used to generate the cross-reactive antibodies. Vaccines comprising an immunologically effective amount of the proteins are also provided, and these vaccines are used in methods for the treatment or protection against a wide variety of staphylococcal infections.

Abstract: Composite materials comprise nanotubes and a polymer. The nanotubes and polymer interact in an ordered fashion at an interfacial region. The interface is crystalline or semi crystalline.

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: 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.