Abstract: A bistable liquid crystal device having liquid crystal molecules in one or more cavities, at least one liquid crystal region of high distortion being formed in each cavity, these region(s) being switchable between bistable states on application of an electric field. Each cavity may have a polygon cross-section such as a square cross-section.

Abstract: A chromatographic medium including thioether ligands bound to a cross-linked polymer matrix. The polymer is an organic polymer and the medium is hydrophilic. A method of manufacturing the media is also described. The media are useful in the chromatographic separation of components from solution, and in particular for the interseparation of platinum group metals.

Abstract: A vertical-cavity device comprises: (a) a chip comprising an active semiconductor layer for providing optical gain; (b) a first mirror arranged on a first side of the active layer; (c) a second mirror arranged on a second side of the active layer, opposite to the first mirror, and forming with at least the first mirror an optically resonant cavity that passes through the active layer in a direction out of the plane of the active layer; (d) a heatspreader for removing heat from the active layer, the heatspreader being arranged inside the cavity and having a first surface adjacent to the chip and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the heatspreader being transparent to light of wavelengths in an operating bandwidth of the device. In addition to removing heat from the active layer, the heatspreader also has one or more further selected property that has a further selected effect on light output from the device.

Abstract: Material is removed from a body of material, e.g. to create a bore hole, by plasma channel drilling. High voltage, high energy, rapid rise time electrical pulses are delivered many times per second to an electrode assembly in contact with the material body to generate therein elongate plasma channels which expand rapidly following electrical breakdown of the material causing the material to fracture and fragment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a telecommunications service provision manager that is configured to allow access to a plurality of telecommunications services to determine the location of a service and control execution of that service.

Abstract: There is provided an oligopeptide compound comprising: (a) at least one nitrogen-containing basic group attached to at least one end of the oligopeptide; and (b) two or more heterocyclic monomers, at least one of which is substituted in the heterocyclic part by a branched, cyclic or part cyclic C3-5 alkyl group, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof; which compound, salt or solvate binds to the minor groove of DNA.

Abstract: This invention relates to an indicator for detecting a photocatalyst wherein the indicator comprises at least one redox-sensitive material and either at least one electron donor or at least one electron acceptor. The invention also relates to a method for detecting a photocatalyst using an indicator. In particular, the photocatalyst may be a semiconductor such as titanium dioxide on a glass substrate.

Abstract: A method of optimising a digital test signal for testing an analogue or mixed-signal circuit comprising determining a measure, for example a figure of merit, that is indicative of differences between the output of a fault free and the output of a known faulty circuit in response to an applied digital input signal. The digital input signal is then varied and another figure of merit is calculated for the fault free and the known faulty circuit for the new input signal. This is repeated a number of times, the digital input signal being varied each time. An optimum test signal is selected based on the determined figures of merit.

Abstract: The invention provides modified molecular beacons detectable by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and related materials, processes, and methods of use. Examples methods provide for the determination of the presence or absence of a target nucleotide sequence in a sample nucleic acid by (a) providing a detection agent, which agent comprises: (i) a probe comprising a target complement sequence (TCS) being complementary to the target sequence and flanking the TCS, first and second oligonucleotide arms, said first and second oligonucleotide arms forming a stem duplex, and said first arm incorporating a first label moiety being detectable by SERS (e.g. a fluoroscein dye) and said second arm terminating in a second label moiety being detectable by SERS, which second arm further includes a surface seeking group (SSG—e.g.

Abstract: A method of compressing an image frame composed of an array of pixels in the form of digital signals comprises a two stage codebook search. In the first stage the pixelated image frame and the pixelated codebook patches are transformed to frequency domain coefficients and a pattern comparison is made between the coefficients of the image patch and the codebook patches to identify a short list of possible match codebook patches by discarding incorrectly matching patterns. In the second stage the image frame is compared with the short list of codebook patches by any desired method, e.g. by pixel comparisons, to select the best matching codebook patch.

Abstract: This invention relates to the use of a phosphorylcholine-containing glycoprotein in the treatment or prophylaxis of diseases associated with inflammation. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of ES-62 for the treatment or prophylaxis of autoimmune diseases associated with abnormal inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to protein-coated micro-crystals and their method of preparation. The protein-coated micro-crystals may find particular application in preparing enzymes for use as biocatalysts; preparation of therapeutic proteins for use in pharmaceutical formulations; production of cleansing agents comprising enzymes; production of paints, varnishes, coatings, films and the like comprising proteins which impart protective and/or antifouling properties; production of films, polymers, inks, coatings, electrodes and/or optical materials comprising proteins for diagnostic kits and/or biosensor applications; use of proteins for studies of molecular recognition, molecular binding and inhibitor binding in non-aqueous media; and preparation of protein based food additives.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for determining the presence or absence of a target nucleic acid (e.g. DNA) sequence in a sample nucleic acid, the method comprising: (a) exposing the sample to a detection agent comprising a colloid metal surface associated with a SER(R)S active species (SAS) such as an azo dye and with a target binding species (TBS) which may be PNA which is complementary to the target, and (b) observing the sample agent mixture using SER(R)S to detect any surface enhancement of the label wherein the binding of the TBS to the target sequence causes surface enhancement SAS.

Abstract: A database processor is provided for on-line analytical processing. The processor is arranged to obtain multi-dimensional aggregates of an input relation. Prior to aggregation, the processor performs a pre-processing stage in which the processor identifies Group-bys that are equivalent to the root relation and thus can be derived directly from the root relation without computation. In this manner, the computational time and storage of the multidimensional aggregates is reduced since only unique Group-bys in the lattice are computed and stored.

Abstract: Photonic switch working in Momentum-Division-Multiple-Access (MDMA) mode for microwave and optical wavelengths based upon the measurement of the spin, orbital angular momentum and total angular momentum of the involved photons. For the optical wavelengths Dove prisms and holograms are used in form of a Mach-Zehnder-Interferometer as selectors; for the microwave wavelengths phased-array antennas with double orthogonal dipoles act as selectors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for immobilisation and optional stabilisation of viruses whilst retaining the viral biological activity and the use of immobilised virus in therapy. In particular, the immobilised virus relates to immobilised bacteriophage and their use as an antibiotic or bacteriostatic agent and in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections.

Abstract: A mobile communications network (20) comprises a local exchange (24) or mobile switching center effectively connected to a plurality of cell site switches (22), each cell site switch (22) being effectively connected to a cluster (14) of base station transceivers (13). The connection between each cell site switch (22) and the respective cluster (14) is formed by a common bus (21) to which each base station transceiver (13) in the cluster and the pertaining cell site switch (22) is directly connected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of substantially pure diastereoisomers of derivatives of tetrahydrofolate and the use of such diastereoisomers. More particularly the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a desired substantially pure (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer of a derivative of tetrahydrofolic acid or salt or ester. The process comprises the steps of: attaching a chiral auxiliary group at either N-5 or N-10 of a mixture of 6R and 6S diastereoisomers of tetrahydrofolic acid, separating the new diastereoisomers, recovering the desired new diastereoisomer (6R or 6S) corresponding to the desired (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer, and converting the substantially pure new diastereoisomer recovered into the corresponding diastereoisomer.

Abstract: Non-naturally occurring lipoprotein particles, process for preparing such particles and uses thereof.

Abstract: Immunoassay displacement methods for detecting (preferably identifying) the presence or amount of a target analyte (e.g. drug) in a sample comprising the steps of: (a) exposing the sample to a complex comprising an immobilized antibody capable of specifically binding the analyte, said antibody being specifically bound to a displacement agent, wherein said agent comprises: (I) an analyte analog capable of specifically binding the antibody, (ii) a surface enhanced resonance raman scattering (SERRS) or a surface enhanced raman scattering (SERS) active label, (iii) a SERRS or SERS surface-seeking group (e.g. benztriazole), whereby any analyte present in the sample causes the displacement of agent from the antibody; (b) exposing any displaced agent to a SERRS or SERS surface; and, (c) detecting any displaced agent associated with said surface using SERRS or SERS. In preferred forms of the invention several target analytes are detected from a single source or sample simultaneously.