Abstract: A method of and apparatus for stimulating pelvic floor muscles in a patient comprises applying at least one electrode externally to each side of the patient's body in the region of the pelvis, and energising the electrodes to apply a muscular stimulation current which flows laterally across the patient through the patient's pelvic floor. Preferably a plurality of electrodes are applied symmetrically on each side of the body. The electrodes may be incorporated in a garment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for creating a coherent optical comb comprising a plurality of lasers, each laser providing an optical output channel; means for combining each optical channel output; a modulator for modulating the combined optical channel outputs, to provide a modulated signal; means for feeding back said modulated signal to said plurality of lasers, such that each laser output channel is phase and/or frequency locked with respect to at least one other of said plurality of lasers. A discrete optical comb is obtained without the need for excessively high power laser outputs and only employs a single (optional) wavelength locker for all channels.

Abstract: The invention provides time-synchronised transmission of data on the (polarisation or phase-modulated) QKD channel and the (on-off modulated) conventional channel such that a QKD bit is only transmitted when a zero, or sequence of zeros, is transmitted on the conventional channel. Also, there is co-directional propagation of the QKD and conventional channel. Further, there is dispersion management through wavelength selection or control of fibre properties or other means such that the “walk-off in time of the QKD pulses and the Raman pulses generated by the ones on the conventional channel is less than or of the order of one bit period. The latter can be achieved, for example, by placing the conventional and QKD channel wavelengths close to the point where the group velocity-induced time delay for optical pulses propagating in the fibre reaches a minimum. This dispersion minimum occurs at a wavelength of 1.3 microns in standard fibre. The invention discloses a receiver embodiment to implement the invention.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of inhibiting, suppressing or preventing a viral infection in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising one or more of the compounds useful within the invention.

Abstract: Polymeric micellar clusters formed from amphiphilic carbohydrate polymers and their uses in formulating drugs is disclosed, and in particular the finding that amphiphilic carbohydrate polymers are capable of self assembling to form micellar clusters in which the carbohydrate amphiphiles aggregate into hierarchically organized micellar clusters of individual aggregates. The micellar clusters may be transformed into stable nanoparticles with drugs, especially hydrophobic drugs that have poor aqueous solubility, and may improve the transfer of hydrophobic drugs across biological barriers.

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: Described herein are isolated mammalian cells (progenitor cell biomarkers), referred to as primitive vascular progenitor cells (PVPC), which are present in and isolated from blood (e.g., peripheral blood) and useful as biomarkers of vascular remodeling in mammals (e.g., humans, rodents).

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that provide a radio frequency synthesizer that generates precise frequencies over a large radio frequency range. The radio frequency synthesizer can provide a high resolution of frequency generation and still provide precise frequencies over a range of radio frequencies. The precision and resolution while maintaining a large operating range come from the ability of the frequency synthesizer to generate frequencies as a product of a plurality of moduli. For example, the frequency can be generated from a reference frequency using a first modulus and a second modulus. The plurality of modulo can be implemented using nested digital delta-sigma modulators in a fractional-N frequency synthesizer.

Abstract: The present invention includes compositions that are useful in preventing or treating metastasis in a subject diagnosed with cancer. The present invention also includes methods of preventing or treating metastasis in a subject diagnosed with cancer, wherein the method comprises administering to the subject in need thereof an effective amount of a pharmaceutical formulation comprising at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and at least one CX3CR1 or fractalkine antagonist.

Abstract: The invention provides a selective Sigma 1 or Dopamine D3 receptor agonist or a 5HT2c receptor ligand for use in the treatment of symptoms of anxiety and/or depression associated with an affective disorder and/or symptoms associated with cognitive impairment disorder. Particularly useful are diphenhydramine derivatives of Formula (I) and particularly (2-[(4-butylsulfanylphenyl)-phenyl-methyl]sulfanyl-N,N-dimethyl-ethanamin) (Captodiamine).

Abstract: The present invention describes compositions and methods for treating and preventing non-degenerative neurological diseases and disorders associated with elevated sPLA2 activity as well as cardiovascular diseases using a CHEC peptide to inhibit sPLA2 activity.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention describes an integrated magnetic structure, for use in a transformer coupled buck and/or boost converter, comprising a core having at least one leg portion and at least one phase winding split into two sub-windings, said two sub-windings are wound around the core and adapted to function as a single phase of a transformer wherein the core is fabricated from two C and two T ferrite or magnetic sections and adapted to cooperate with each other to form a CCTT shaped integrated magnetic structure.

Abstract: The invention concerns a homogenous population of human stem cells isolated from the full depth of human cartilage tissue and/or isolated from aged human cartilage; and uses thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for use in an optical communication network to reduce noise comprising means for tapping a low noise signal from said network and a phase sensitive amplifier (PSA) for conditioning said tapped signal by means for removing modulation of the tapped signal to allow for phase locking of the tapped signal. A laser source provides phase locked reference signals to generate at least one pump signal, wherein the at least one pump signal provides correct phase alignment for optimum PSA operation. The invention makes use of injection locked and/or phase locked laser sources in conjunction with low power input tap couplers, or post/mid amplification taps to provide the required phase locked reference signals without degrading the input loss or noise. The use of injection/phase locked local lasers suppresses the detrimental impact of the low tapped power or added noise in the generation of the required pump signals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and kit for identifying chronic or acute mammalian wound tissue or for determining the prognosis of mammalian wound tissue based upon the identification of at least one key set of molecular markers or genes whose expression pattern is indicative of a given wound type and so representative of a given prognosis.

Abstract: Hopcalite-type catalysts for oxidation of CO are formed by preparing a mixed-metal oxide precursor by firstly preparing a solution of a mixture of metal precursor compounds in a solvent, followed by contacting the solution with a supercritical antisolvent to precipitate the mixed-metal oxide precursor. A mixed-metal oxide may then be prepared from the precursor by oxidation, for example by calcination. The mixed-metal oxide is then collected and optionally activated for use as a catalyst. The activated or calcined catalyst contains a nano-structured mixed-phase composition comprising phase-separated intimately mixed nanoparticles of copper and manganese oxide.

Abstract: The invention is based on the surprising finding that treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and an autophagy inducer effectively inhibit the continued growth of, and prevent the recovery following drug withdrawal, of cancer cells. In vivo, drug resistance from a failure to adequately engage in apoptotic programmed cell death leads to a recurrence of cancer and tumours can remain dormant for periods of time before re-emerging as drug resistant metastases. It has been hypothesised that autophagy (Type II cell death) may help cancer cells survive in response to growth limiting conditions, such as nutrient depletion, hypoxia, absence of growth factor, or presence of cytotoxic drug. LiCl is a known autophagy inducer and accelerates cell survival to autophagic programmed cell death.

Abstract: A real time information feed system comprises an interface to receive a real time information feed and a data mining engine for retrieving data concerning a subscriber. A recommendation engine automatically modifies the real time information feed according to the mined data; and a subscriber interface outputs the modified real time information for delivery to the subscriber. The data mining engine is adapted to mine data in a real time communication medium used by the subscriber, such as a micro-blogging service. The data mining engine comprises an indexer for mining and indexing the real time information feed and the subscriber data to provide a plurality of indexes; and to generate vectors representing the separate indexes and to compare the vectors to modify.

Abstract: Use of an isolated Ensifer adhaerens strain OV14 deposited under NCIMB Accession Number 4177, or an isolated variant thereof characterised by a 16S rRNA gene having at least 98.6% sequence homology with SEQUENCE ID NO: 1, as a gene delivery system in the genetic transformation of a plant cell or plant material is described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunogenic composition for a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that comprises BAX peptides from BAX host cell proteins and more particularly, a vaccine including those peptides that is directed against cancers that are associated with HPV infections, such as cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and skin cancers. The BAX peptides comprise fragments of BAX host cell proteins that have been targeted for degradation by HPV proteins, such as E6 and E7 and are presented on the surface of HPV infected cells in relatively large amounts. These peptides can be recognised by CTL and elicit an immune response, and are therefore ideal tumour-specific markers. The invention also relates to novel peptide: peptide complexes such as BAX peptide/HLA complexes and their use in a tumour-specific vaccine.