Abstract: An immunogenic composition comprising the Nm-MIP protein or an immunogenic part thereof or an analogue thereof, wherein the composition is capable of eliciting an immune response when administered to a human or non-human animal, and uses thereof. A pharmaceutical composition or a vaccine composition comprising the Nm-MIP protein or an immunogenic part thereof or an analogue thereof.

Abstract: A metallic ring is made of two metals, wherein one metal forms a major arcuate portion and the other a minor arcuate portion of the ring, thereby forming a thermocouple-type structure as a result of the two inter-metallic junctions. The metallic ring supports a surface plasmon whose energy is matched to the energy, i.e. wavelength, of an incident light beam so that the oscillating electromagnetic field of the light resonates with the plasmon. The resonating plasmon causes a temperature difference to arise between the two inter-metallic junctions in the ring. The different Seebeck coefficients of the two metals results in the temperature difference causing a net current to flow around the ring, which in turn generates a magnetic field. Such a thermoelectric metamaterial ring transforms high frequency optical energy into long duration magnetic radiation pulses in the terahertz range.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a process for producing a material with improved break-down strength. The process includes heating a polymeric composition composed of a low density polyethylene (LDPE) and a minority amount of a high density polyethylene (HDPE). The polymeric composition is heated to at least the melting temperature of the HDPE. The process includes control-cooling the heated polymeric composition at a cooling rate from 0.1° C./min to 20° C./min, and forming a polymeric composition. The control-cooled polymeric composition has a unique morphology which improves breakdown strength. Also provided is a coated conductor with an insulating layer composed of the polymeric composition with the unique morphology. The insulating layer exhibits improved breakdown strength.

Abstract: Methods of inducing T cell proliferation and expansion in vivo for treating conditions wherein antigen-specific T cell immune response are therapeutically desirable such as cancer, infection, inflammation, allergy and autoimmunity and for enhancing the efficacy of vaccines are provided. These methods comprise the administration of at least one CD27 agonist, preferably an agonistic CD27 antibody, alone or in association with another moiety such as immune stimulant or immune modulator such as an anti-CD40, OX-40, 4-IBB, or CTLA-4 antibody or an agent that depletes regulatory cells, or a cytokine. These mono and combination therapies may also optionally include the administration of a desired antigen such as a tumor antigen, an allergen, an autoantigen, or an antigen specific to an infectious agent or pathogen against which a T cell response (often CD8+) is desirably elicited.

Abstract: Vibration control apparatus for controlling vibration of a structure (6), the apparatus having an inertial actuator (1), a velocity sensor (4) to measure the velocity of vibration of the structure, and a controller (2) to provide a gain control signal to the actuator. The controller is arranged to determine the gain control signal using at least a measure of velocity from the velocity sensor and a measure of force applied by the actuator to the structure. The controller is further arranged to use the measure of velocity and the measure of force applied to determine a measure of power absorbed by the actuator, and to use the measure of power to determine the gain control signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a screening method for identifying a peptide capable of inducing a T cell response comprising: a) contacting a peptide having a level of identity with a sequence of a protein of a virus, with a test sample comprising T cells obtained from blood from a subject who is currently or has been recently infected with the virus, b) quantifying the response of the T cells to the peptide, c) comparing the T cells' response in b) to a response of a control sample comprising T cells obtained from blood from a subject who is not currently infected nor been recently infected with the virus, when contacted with the peptide, wherein a greater response to the peptide in b) than in c) is indicative of a peptide capable of inducing a T cell response.

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: A redox ammoximation process in which a ketone or aldehyde is reacted with ammonia and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, wherein: the catalyst is an aluminophosphate based redox catalyst having the qualitative general formula (I) M1M2AlPO-5 (I) in which M1 is at least one transition metal atom having redox catalytic capability; M2 is at least one metal atom in the (IV) oxidation state; M1 and M2 are different from each other; and a proportion of the phosphorous atoms in the M1M2AlPO-5 type structure are replaced by M2 atoms.

Abstract: Signal processing apparatus (1) for measuring hand joint movement comprising a plurality of markers (5) located at particular positions on a hand (20) and further comprising monitoring apparatus (10) to monitor movement of the markers to obtain dynamic positional information of the markers, and the apparatus further comprising a processor (12) to process the positional information to determine hand joint movement, wherein the processor configured to use the positional information of the markers to determine planes associated with respective groups of markers, wherein the processor configured to determine a first plane and a second plane, said planes adjacent to a hand joint, the first plane is substantially determined by a respective group of markers, and the processor configured to determine the second plane by reference to the first plane and the processor further configured to determine a change in angle between the two planes as a result of hand joint movement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manipulating particles. The apparatus comprising an ultrasound source for providing a variable ultrasound signal within a region of interest, and a controller connected to the ultrasound source such that it provides a control signal to the ultrasound source. The variable ultrasound signal creates a pressure field within the region of interest, the shape and/or position of which can be altered by changing the control signal input to the ultrasound source such that a particle within the region of interest will move in response to changes in the pressure field.

Abstract: An ion spectrum analysing apparatus (1) comprising an electric field generation arrangement (3, 4, 5) which, in use, is operative to accelerate ions into a flight tube (7), and further comprising a detector (6), and recording apparatus (8) which is operative to record data representative of the spatial distribution of scattered ions impacting on the detector, and in use the recording apparatus is triggered at multiple times to record spatial distribution data relating to respective times-of-arrival of the ions.

Abstract: A cochlear implant provides electrical pulses to neurons and is configured to convert the excitation signal into a sparsified signal for electrically stimulating the neurons, thereby reducing the redundancy of the stimuli applied to the neurons. A signal analyser is configured to perform dimension reduction or factorisation of said excitation signal in the time domain or in the frequency domain followed by a sparse transform, the resulting relatively clean output signal providing the input to an inverse transformation step to create the sparsified signal. The dimension reduction or factorisation can be performed by principal component analysis (PCA), and the sparse transform can be performed by independent component analysis (ICA).

Abstract: The present invention provides the use of IFN-?, an agent that increases the expression of IFN-?, or a polynucleotide which is capable of expressing IFN-? or said agent for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of rhinovirus-induced exacerbation of a respiratory disease selected from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein said treatment is by airway delivery of said medicament, e.g. by use of an aerosol nebulizer. Also provided is IFN-? for the same purpose.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a metamaterial is provided, comprising providing a sample of engineered microstructured material that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation and comprises one or more voids, passing through the voids a high pressure fluid comprising a functional material carried in a carrier fluid, and causing the functional material to deposit or otherwise integrate into the engineered microstructured material to form the metamaterial. Many microstructured materials and functional materials can be used, together with various techniques for controlling the location of the integration of the functional material within the microstructured material, so that a wide range of different metamaterials can be produced.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a surface, the apparatus including a body defining a chamber, an inlet for liquid flow into the chamber, an outlet for liquid flow from the chamber, a nozzle connected to the outlet for generating an output flow of liquid for cleaning a surface, an acoustic transducer associated with the body to introduce acoustic energy into the liquid within the chamber whereby the acoustic energy is present in the liquid flowing out of the nozzle, and a gas bubble generator for generating gas bubbles within the liquid flowing out of the nozzle.

Abstract: Compounds which are Spiruchostatin analogues of the general formula (I) or (I?), isosteres thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are found to inhibit HDAC wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different and represent an amino acid side chain moiety and each R6 is the same or different and represents hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl.

Abstract: A method of producing a planar substrate having waveguide channels, which method comprises: (i) providing a tube (6) of a substrate material; (ii) depositing silica layers (110) on the inside of the tube (6), the silica layers (110) being doped with a photosensitive material; (iii) drawing the tube (6) so that the cross-sectional size of the tube (109) is reduced; (iv) before or after the reducing of the cross-sectional size of the tube (6), causing the tube (6) to collapse into a flat shape by applying a low pressure to the tube, whereby the deposited silica layers together form a photosensitive silica layer (111); (v) cutting to required lengths the tube (6) which has been collapsed and reduced in cross-sectional size; and (vi) using laser writing to define waveguide channels in the cut lengths of the tube (6) and thereby to produce the planar substrate having the waveguide channels.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field of a predetermined orientation, an element provided in the apparatus at a location that, in use, is within a region of the magnetic field having the predetermined orientation generated by the generator, and a device for determining an angle between the element and the magnetic field, the device comprising a Hall Effect sensor.

Abstract: An improved optoelectronic device is described, which employs optically responsive nanoparticles and utilises a non-radiative energy transfer mechanism. The nanoparticles are disposed on the sidewalls of one or more cavities, which extend from the surface of the device through the electronic structure and penetrate the energy transfer region. The nanoparticles are located in close spatial proximity to an energy transfer region, whereby energy is transferred non-radiatively to or from the electronic structure through non-contact dipole-dipole interaction. According to the mode of operation, the device can absorb light energy received from the device surface via the cavity and then transfer this non-radiatively or can transfer energy non-radiatively and then emit light energy towards the surface of the device via the cavity. As such, the deice finds application in light emitting devices, photovoltaic (solar) cells, displays, photodetectors, lasers and single photon devices.

Abstract: In a vapor deposition method which can be used to deposit mixtures of materials in progressively varying amounts on a substrate (1) and which can be used for a variety of purposes, but is of especial value in combinatorial chemistry, the path of the vaporized material from the source (3) to the substrate (1) is partially interrupted by a mask (5), the positioning of the mask in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the substrate (1) being such that the material is deposited on the substrate (1) in a thickness which increases substantially continuously in a direction along the substrate (1).