Abstract: The invention provides a compound for use in the treatment of symptoms associated with psychosis, schizophrenia, a cognitive impairment disorder, a mood disorder, a nervous system disorder and/or a behavioral disorder. The compound has the formula ? and is administered to a subject in need thereof in an effective amount. The compound Meparfynol (3-methylpent-1-yn-3-ol) has been found to be effective.

Abstract: A method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), comprising (i) culturing in a culture medium containing a substrate comprising one or more monoaromatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, ortho-xylene, meta-xylene, para-xylene and styrene, one or more strains of Pseudomonas putida selected from the group consisting of F1, mt-2 and CA-3 having the respective accession numbers DSM 6899, NCIMB10432 and NCIMB41162; and (ii) recovering the PHA produced from the culture medium; with the proviso that the substrate cannot comprise styrene in the absence of at least one of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and ortho-, meta- or para-xylene.

Abstract: This invention relates to heat-expanded synthetic cheese products, heat-expandable precursors for forming same, the preparation of the precursor and the cheese products, and the use of a sugar alcohol for improving the organoleptic properties and/or the volume expansion % of the heat-expandable precursors and/or heat-expanded synthetic cheese products. The invention provides a heat-expanded synthetic cheese product, comprising: —from about 20% to about 59% by weight of a milk protein or a source thereof; from about 10% to about 50% by weight of a starch; from about 2% to about 24% by weight of a sugar alcohol; from about 3% to about 15% by weight of water; wherein the heat-expanded synthetic cheese product comprises no more than 10% by weight of fat, the percentages being percentages by weight of the total product, and wherein the heat-expanded synthetic cheese product is a microwave-expanded synthetic cheese product or a radiofrequency (RP)-expanded synthetic cheese product.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method for determining the level of expression of one or more candidate objects of interest in a biological sample. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for determining the level of expression of one or more candidate objects of interest using image analysis. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a system for determining the level of expression of one or more candidate objects of interest using an automated (computer-aided) image analysis system.

Abstract: In an information retrieval method a meta search engine receives a user information query in the form of key words; and submits the query to a search engine, and also submits the query to a snippet database storing previously selected results, indexed by a snippet index of terms included in snippets of the results when they were previously selected. The meta search engine then receives results from the search engine; and receives a response from the snippet database. It merges the results from the search engine with those from the snippet database; and submits re-ranked results to the user. The snippet database processes in parallel with the underlying search engine. The meta search engine also monitors which results of the returned re-ranked results are selected by the user, and updates the snippet index accordingly.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of creating an LDPC code that is defined by a parity-check matrix H. The parity-check matrix H is derived from a (0,1)-geometry which is induced by a finite inversive space. This inversive space has an order q where every circle in the inversive space contains exactly q+1 points, q is preferably even, and most preferably equal to 2. Where the inversive space has a dimension n. Where the (0,1)-geometry is formed as a derived geometric structure based on pencils of degree m?n in the inversive space. The method includes construction of a binary K by N matrix H labelled by K circles and N pencils of the inversive space, wherein the (i, j)-entry of the matrix is 1 if circle i belongs to pencil j, and 0 otherwise. If the degree of the pencil is given by 2 then the parity-check matrix H needs to be transposed, i.e. HT is used instead of H. A method of transmitting a message, a coder, a decoder and a data transmission system using such codes are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for providing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation comprises a laser source arranged to produce a laser beam having a focus; and a carrier movable relative to the laser source for carrying a surface material, the surface material when carried by the carrier providing a renewable target edge. The focussed beam is arranged to impinge on the target edge to produce an EUV radiation emitting plasma. The system is cooperable with a mirror for harnessing the EUV radiation by reflecting EUV radiation impinging thereon. The mirror comprises a substantially aspheric surface and means for supplying a reflecting liquid to at least partially coat the aspheric surface, the mirror being rotatable to centrifugally confine the liquid to the aspheric surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to stereoselective methods for the preparation of ?-glycosyl thiols and ?-S-linked glycosylceramides.

Abstract: A conversational recommender system retrieves k cases (3) and generates a structure for user feedback (4). The structure includes a list of critique units for each of which the user can specify a value range. It also generates compound critiques, each being a combination of features and value ranges presented together. An explanation of a compound critique can be generated in response to a user request. The system determines (7), from one cycle of a session to the next, if a preference has been carried. If so, a re-focus function implementing diversity is used for retrieval in the next cycle. If not, a refine function implementary similarity-based retrieval is used for the next cycle of the session.

Abstract: A method for determining clock skew in a packet-based telephony session is disclosed. A telephony device receives RTCP SR packets from a remote telephony device transmitting RTP packets in a telephony session. Each control packet includes an NTP time-stamp and a RTP time-stamp. The device determines from two or more of the received SR packets a first relative rate of a remote media card clock to the remote system clock rate. Further, the device determines from two or more transmitted RTCP SR packets, a second relative rate of a local media card clock to the local system clock rate. The device can then be adjusted to take into account the first and second relative rates for optimum buffer management and to more accurately adjust the quality of a session based on one-way packet delay.

Abstract: A meta search engine receives a query from a user, and submits adapted queries to n search engines. The results are adapted and combined to provide a result set R?. In parallel, the meta search engine accesses a selected hit matrix populated with values for correspondence of queries q1-qm with web pages pi-pn. These values are the number of “hits” for pervious searches. The pages retrieved from a row for qT are combined with the search engine results to provide a final result but which is ranked according to previous search experience. The hit matrix may be dynamically selected according to a user community. The query need not exactly match a hit matrix query as rows can be selected according to similarity to the current query qT with weightings applied.

Abstract: A system for providing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation comprises a laser source arranged to produce a laser beam having a focus; and a carrier movable relative to the laser source for carrying a surface material, the surface material when carried by the carrier providing a renewable target edge. The focussed beam is arranged to impinge on the target edge to produce an EUV radiation emitting plasma. The system is cooperable with a mirror for harnessing the EUV radiation by reflecting EUV radiation impinging thereon. The mirror comprises a substantially aspheric surface and means for supplying a reflecting liquid to at least partially coat the aspheric surface, the mirror being rotatable to centrifugally confine the liquid to the aspheric surface.

Abstract: A sleep monitoring system includes an ECG device (2) and a respiration inductance plethysmogram (3) which monitor cardiac activity and physical (ribcage) respiration respectively and feed representative signals to a digital data processor. Operations (5-9) process the beat interval data, while in a second thread, operations (20-24) independently process the amplitude modulation of the ECG data caused by the respiratory motion of the subject. The inductance plethysmogram device (3) provides an input to the processor which represents respiration as directly monitored independently of the ECG. Operations (30-34) process this direct respiration data independently and in parallel, in a third thread. All extracted features are fed to a classifier which in step (10) combines selected combinations of features to make decisions in real time.

Abstract: A system for remote assessment of a user is disclosed. The system comprises application software resident on a server and arranged to interact across a network with a user operating a client device to obtain one or more sample signals of the user's speech. A datastore is arranged to store the user speech samples in association with details of the user. A feature extraction engine is arranged to extract one or more first features from respective speech samples. A comparator is arranged to compare the first features extracted from a speech sample with second features extracted from one or more reference samples and to provide a measure of any differences between the first and second features for assessment of the user.

Abstract: A process for the stereoselective preparation of a P-chiral four-co-ordinated phosphorus compound, the process comprising reacting a first reactant selected from the group consisting of a chiral alcohol, chiral amine or chiral thiol, with a second reactant comprising a P-chiral three-co-ordinated phosphorus compound, in the presence of an electrophile.

Abstract: A method of processing an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplex (OFDM) signal having a plurality of data carriers and a plurality of unused carriers is disclosed. The method comprises transforming an original frequency-domain OFDM signal into a time domain signal and simulating the effect of a non-linear amplifier on the time-domain signal to provide a potentially distorted time domain signal. The potentially distorted time domain signal is transformed into a potentially distorted frequency domain signal and at least some of any values of the data carriers in the potentially distorted frequency domain signal are restored with corresponding values from the original frequency domain signal. At least some of the unused carriers in the at least partially restored frequency domain signal are scaled with a scaling factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a functionally gradient component, such a component having an outer layer of a first material, and an inner core of a second material, there being a gradual change in microstructure across the interface between the two materials, the method having particular application in producing a component formed from two or more aluminium alloys based on the aluminium-silicon (Al—Si) system, the method involving introducing a first molten metal into a mould, and allowing a layer of the first metal to partially solidify against a wall of the mould, decanting the remaining molten portion of the first metal, and introducing a second molten metal into the mould and allowing same to solidify.

Abstract: A method for identifying a gene having a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy comprises culturing mesangial cells in the presence of a concentration of glucose sufficient to induce differential expression, especially up-regulation, of a gene susceptible to such differential expression and identifying the gene so induced. The cells are also optionally subjected to mechanical strain and/or TGF-?1 can be added to the culture medium. The differentially expressed genes can be identified by suppression subtractive hybridisation. The method has resulted in the Identification of novel genes which play a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy. The genes can be used as diagnostic markers for diabetic nephropathy and as the basis of drug development programmes.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of patterned microparticles comprises immobilizing microparticles, including nanoparticles, to be patterned on a surface of a porous membrane, causing an inorganic or organic coating material which can bind to exposed surfaces of said microparticles, and which can permeate through the pores of said membrane, to flow relative to said immobilized microparticles, and removing the microparticles from the membrane following binding of said coating material. The method enables one to prepare a wide range of anisotropically-modified patterned microparticles, including microparticles patterned with nanoparticles or a biomolecular material such as DNA and protein. The patterned microparticles produced can be used in wide range of applications in health, information and communication, and sustainable environment such as shelter, clothing, energy, food, transport and security.