Abstract: The invention provides a polymer composite comprising a thermoplastic host polymer having solid particulate material dispersed therethrough, the host polymer having at least one phase nanodomain, wherein the solid particulate material comprises particles having height, length and width dimensions of which at least one is substantially less than one or both of the other dimensions, and wherein the composite exhibits an increase in modulus of no more than 15% and a higher tensile strength, relative to said host polymer.

Abstract: An isolated caveolin containing vesicle comprising a caveolin protein and at least one lipid, wherein at least about 30% of the at least one lipid is selected from phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of making an isolated caveolin containing vesicle, an isolated caveolin containing vesicle comprising a recombinant caveolin protein, an isolated caveolin containing delivery vesicle, a method of making an isolated caveolin containing delivery vesicle and a method of treatment of a disease or condition by delivery of a molecule using the isolated caveolin containing delivery vesicle.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the breakage properties of a particulate material, the apparatus including: a support; a rotor mounted relative to the support and including at least one guide channel through which a particle of the particulate material is guided in use, the guide channel having an inlet and an outlet; a drive associated with the rotor; a feed channel for feeding particles of the particulate material to the inlet of the guide channel; a stator associated with the rotor and including an impact surface that is radially spaced from a circumferential edge of the rotor; and a collector for collecting pieces of the particulate material following impact; wherein the apparatus is provided with a control system for accurate control and adjustment of impact velocity of the particulate material with the impact surface.

Abstract: A method of predicting breakage properties of a particulate material when subjected to impact, the method including: calculating a breakage index for the particulate material using the following equation: Breakage Index=M{I?exp[?fmatxk?E]} where: M represents the maximum breakage of particles for the particulate material; fmat is a material parameter that is a function of the particulate material being broken and particle size; x is the initial particle size of the particulate material prior to impact; E is a measure of the specific energy applied to the particulate material; and k is the number of impacts with specific energy E.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel nucleic acid molecule encoding an amino acid sequence, which is capable of forming a cyclic structure. Cyclization may occur within a cell or cell membrane, or linear forms of the molecules may be circularised or partially circularised, in vitro using isolated enzyme systems or chemical means. The cyclised amino acid sequence is generally in the form of a stabilized folded structure such as acyclic knotted peptide, polypeptide or protein or functional equivalent. The nucleic acid molecules and cyclic and linear peptides are useful inter alia in the generation of molecules having animal or plant therapeutic properties, as well as in a range of diagnostic, industrial and agricultural, including horticultural, applications. Of particular importance is the use of these molecules in the protection of plants, such as crop plants, from pest and/or pathogen infestation.

Abstract: A method is provided for inducing or enhancing an immune response in a mammal to a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of the mammal, which method comprises administering to the mammal an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) which encodes said polypeptide. Also provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA which encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal, such that translation of an aberrant form of the target polypeptide occurs in said cells, said truncated form of the target polypeptide comprising one or more T cell epitopes; together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.

Abstract: A method of preparing a porous polymer structure comprising the steps of: forming a liquid composition comprising at least one polymer dissolved in at least one solvent; subjecting the liquid composition to stress, and if necessary also to a reduction in temperature, to cause the liquid composition to form a bi-continuous phase separated composition, the bi-continuous phase separated composition comprising a polymer rich phase and a polymer poor phase; solidifying the at least one polymer in the polymer rich phase; and removing the polymer poor phase from the polymer rich phase to provide the porous polymer structure having a bi-continuous morphology from the polymer rich phase.

Abstract: Disclosed are short chain peptides that are constrained to adopt an alpha helical conformation and their use as alpha helical scaffolds for directing amino acid side chains into positions analogous to those found in longer chain alpha helical peptides. Also disclosed is the use of these peptides for attaching peptidic or non-peptidic appendages in order to mimic side chains of longer alpha helical peptides. The peptides find use in mimicking naturally occurring peptides or proteins or in preparing new materials.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel surface polypeptide from Neisseria meningitidis as well as nucleic acid and nucleic acid sequence homologues encoding this protein. Pharmaceutical compositions containing the polypeptide and nucleic acids of the invention are also disclosed as well as methods useful in the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of N. meningitidis infection.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a population of post-mitotic cells of the neutrophil lineage, which method comprises the ex vivo steps of: (a) providing a population of cells comprising neutrophil progenitor cells; and (b) culturing the population of cells in an animal cell culture medium comprising (i) one or more early acting cytokines and (ii) one or more cytokines that differentiate said progenitor cells into a neutrophil specific lineage, under conditions of low oxidative stress, the culture medium being agitated when the cells are at a cell density at which oxygen transfer via the surface of the culture medium is insufficient for growth of the progenitor cells and the progeny thereof under static conditions, to produce a population of post-mitotic cells of the neutrophil lineage. The resulting population of cells can be used to increase the number of neutrophils in a patient.

Abstract: A portable handheld thermo-electric device (10) is used to test for decreased cold pain thresholds or increased sensitivity to cold stimulation (cold hyperalgesia) in a patient. The thermo-electric device (10) comprises a probe (18), a Peltier module (12) and a control unit (16) operable to energize the Peltier module (12) so that the temperature of the probe 18 is variable in a range between a predetermined upper temperature limit and a predetermined lower temperature limit during a test cycle of the thermo-electric device (10). A thermal mass (14) is adapted for thermal contact with an interface side (34) of the Peltier module (12). The Peltier module (12) has thermal properties which enables it to be cooled to a temperature below the predetermined upper temperature limit and thereafter maintain the interface side (34) of the Peltier module (12) at a temperature below the predetermined upper temperature limit for the duration of the test cycle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method of determining the presence of a mineral within a material, such as a rock, a rock fragment, soil, sand or other geological material including: applying pulsed microwave radiation to the material; detecting radiation emitted from the material after the application of the pulsed microwave radiation; and analysing the detected radiation to determine the presence of mineral within the material. The invention also provides a method of sorting rock fragments into at least two streams using this method and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing sleep disorders such as OASHS from snore sounds includes a segmentation module (126) coupled to a data logger (124) to provide segments of the digitized audio signal to a Snore Segment Identifier (128). A total airways response (TAR) module (130), pitch calculator (132) and MFCC calculator (134) are each coupled to an output side of the snore segment identifier module (128). Each of these modules is respectively arranged to calculate pitch, bispectrum, diagonal slice and MFCC parameters for the snore segments received from the snore segment identifier (128). Similarly, the NGI calculator (136) produces a non-Gaussianity index for the digitized audio signal. A classification module (144) is arranged to process the calculated parameters and compare a resulting diagnosis probability to a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting Macro Sleep Architecture states of a subject such as WAKE, NREM and REM sleep from a subject's EEG. The apparatus includes an EEG digital signal assembly of modules arranged to convert analogue EEG signals into digital EEG signals. A bispectrum assembly is responsive to the EEG digital signal assembly and converts the digital EEG signals into signals representing corresponding bispectrum values. A bispectrum time series assembly, in electrical communication with an output side of the bispectrum assembly, generates at least one bispectrum time series for a predetermined frequency. A macro-sleep architecture (MSA) assembly is responsive to the bispectrum time series assembly and is arranged to produce classification signals indicating classification of segments of the EEG signals into macro-sleep states of the subject.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel surface polypeptide from Neisseria meningitidis as well as nucleic acid and nucleic acid sequence homologues encoding this protein. Pharmaceutical compositions containing the polypeptide and nucleic acids of the invention are also disclosed as well as methods useful in the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of N. meningitidis infection.

Abstract: The present invention discloses proteinaceous compounds that comprise at least a biologically active portion of a taipan natriuretic peptide (TNP) or a variant or derivative thereof. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds in methods for stimulating vasodilation, natriuresis, diuresis, renin-suppression, bactericidal activity, weight-loss or bone growth in a mammalian host. In specific embodiments, the compounds are useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

Abstract: The invention relates to compounds having formula (I): Scaffold-[L-(Antigen)t]y (I) wherein Antigen represents at least a portion of a target antigen for modulating an immune response; wherein t is 0 or an integer of at least 1; wherein y is at least 1; wherein the number of Antigens on the Scaffold is at least 2; wherein L is a linking group or a covalent bond, wherein when L is a covalent bond, the covalent bond is a single bond attached to a sp or sp2 hybridized atom of the Scaffold and when L is a linking group, the linking group is attached to the Scaffold through a single bond attached to a sp or sp2 hybridized atom; whereby the Scaffold is sufficiently rigid to maintain the relative position of the single bonds attached to sp or sp2 hybridized atoms. Further described are compositions containing the compounds and methods of using them.

Abstract: A porous polymer blend, and a method of producing a porous polymer blend from at least two immiscible polymers. The at least two immiscible polymer being blended together and exhibiting the absence of complete phase separation. The method of producing a porous polymer blend comprising: forming a liquid composition comprising at least two immiscible polymers dissolved in a common solvent; subjecting the liquid composition to a reduction in temperature to cause at least two immiscible polymers to phase separate into a common polymer rich phase and a common polymer poor phase; solidifying the at least two immiscible polymers in the common polymer rich phase so as to avoid complete phase separation of the at least two immiscible polymers; and removing the common polymer pore phase to provide a blend of the at least two immiscible polymers having a porous morphology.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Gomphrena plant named ‘Balboa’, characterized by its tall and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; large grey green-colored leaves; and purple-colored flowers with a white lanulose-colored reverse giving a bi-color appearance to the flower.