Abstract: The present invention provides methods for the therapy and prevention of problem drinking in alcohol-dependent and non-dependent subjects and those at risk of developing problem drinking behavior, and compositions of matter comprising oxytocin or an analog or derivative thereof or an agonist or partial agonist of an oxytocin receptor that are useful in preventing or treating problem drinking.

Abstract: Equipment (10) for reconstructing a recorded sound field includes a sensing arrangement (12) for measuring the sound field to obtain recorded data. A signal processing module (14) is in communication with the sensing arrangement (12) and processes the recorded data for the purposes of at least one of (a) estimating the sparsity of the recorded sound field and (b) obtaining plane-wave signals to enable the recorded sound field to be reconstructed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an organometallic catalyst and an organometallic catalyst when produced by the method. The method comprises the steps of combining a polycarboxylic acid or anhydride and a metal-oxide, metal-hydroxide or metal-salt with a solvent at a temperature and pressure at which the solvent exists as a supercritical or near-critical fluid. The polycarboxylic acid or anhydride is reacted with the metal-oxide, metal-hydroxide or metal-salt for sufficient time and under sufficient temperature and pressure to produce the organometallic catalyst. The present invention also relates to a process for making a poly(alkylene carbonate) in the presence of a catalytic amount of the organometallic catalyst produced by the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of using an effective amount of activated protein C (APC) to treat an individual for a skin disorder characterised by the presence of hyperproliferative keratinocytes.

Abstract: This invention concerns real-time multi-impairment signal performance monitoring. In particular it concerns an optical device, for instance a monolithic integrated photonics chip, comprising a waveguide having an input region to receive a signal for characterization, and a narrow band CW laser signal. A non-linear waveguide region to mix the two received signals. More than one output region, each equipped with bandpass filters that extract respective discrete frequency bands of the RF spectrum of the mixed signals. And, also comprising (slow) power detectors to output the extracted discrete frequency banded signals.

Abstract: An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a transcriptional enhancer of cytochrome P450 (P450) CYP3A4 production or expression, and uses of the nucleic acid molecule for screening compounds for xenobiotic induction of CYP3A4 expression in cells and animals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a biocompatible ceramic material comprising Baghdadite (Ca3ZrSi2O9), and a method for its preparation. Preferably the Baghdadite is synthetically prepared. The present invention also relates to an implantable medical device comprising biocompatible Baghdadite, and a method for its production. The present invention further relates to a method for improving the long term stability of an implantable medical device and an implantable drug delivery device comprising Baghdadite. Further, the present invention relates to the use of comprising biocompatible Baghdadite in the regeneration or resurfacing of tissue.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of estimating an arousal state of a person, the method comprising: providing one or more measurements of a physiological or behavioural variable relevant to the arousal state of the person; and updating a nonlinear physiologically based time-dependent model of arousal using the one or more measurements of the physiological or behavioural variable, thereby estimating an augmented state vector of the model, wherein the estimated augmented state vector of the model includes the arousal state of the person and one or more parameters of the model.

Abstract: Injectable biomaterial compositions formed from tropoelastin for tissue repair and restoration. The compositions include a coalescence-controlling agent in the form of a polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative, in an amount effective for providing the substance with the properties of flow, enabling injection.

Abstract: The invention concerns scheduling an application comprised of precedence constrained parallel tasks on a high-performance computer system. The computer system has a plurality of processors each enabled to operate on different voltage supply levels. First, a priority order for the tasks based on the computation and communication costs of the tasks is determined. Next, the based on the priority order of the tasks, assigning each task both a processor and a voltage level that substantially minimizes energy consumption and completion time for performing that task when compared to energy consumption and completion time for performing that task on different combinations of processor and voltage level. It is an advantage of the invention that the scheduling takes account not only completion time (makespan), but also energy consumption. Aspects of the invention include a method, software, a scheduling module of a computer and a schedule.

Abstract: A plant watering device is disclosed. The device has a preferentially water permeable membrane arranged to separate a supply of water from a root system of a plant. The membrane is arranged to allow water to permeate to water the roots.

Abstract: A photonic signal processor providing finite impulse response filtering of an external input signal, the processor including: a photonic signal input having a predetermined wavelength range, a Bragg grating structure interconnected to the photonic signal input and having a series of localized modifications to the periodicity of the grating structure so as to provide a predetermined transmission output window within the stopband of the Bragg grating structure and predetermined wavelength range; a modulator interconnected to the grating structure for modulating the output from the grating structure in accordance with the external signal input; a delay structure for providing a wavelength variable delay to the output from the modulator; an intensity detector interconnected to the delay structure for determining and outputting the intensity of the delay structure output.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method of treating a neoplastic condition and to agents useful for same. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method of facilitating the treatment of a solid tumor in a localised manner via the co-administration of particulate material and a cellular toxin. The method of the present invention is useful in a range of therapeutic treatments including the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors.

Abstract: A process for producing ammonium nitrate is disclosed, which process comprises exposing a gaseous oxidiser feed composed at least substantially of ammonia, steam and an oxidising gas to conditions whereby the ammonia is oxidised to produce a reaction mixture including nitrogen monoxide and water vapour. The reaction mixture is cooled in a heat exchanger whereby the nitrogen monoxide is oxidised, the water vapour is condensed and the products of the nitrogen monoxide oxidation react with and are absorbed by the condensed water to form a nitric acid stream, with substantially all of the nitrogen monoxide in the reaction mixture being converted to nitric acid. The nitric acid stream is reacted with a stream of ammonia to form the ammonium nitrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting cardiovascular oxidative stress in an individual, comprising detecting in a blood sample from the individual modification of a cysteine at position 45 of the ?1-subunit of the human erythrocyte ATP-dependent Na+K+ pump protein or of an equivalent cysteine in a homologue or variant thereof. The invention further relates to a kit for detecting cardiovascular oxidative stress in an individual, the kit comprising at least one agent for detecting the presence of a modification in a cysteine at position 45 of the ?1-subunit of the human erythrocyte ATP-dependent Na+K+ pump protein or of an equivalent cysteine in a homologue or variant thereof, wherein said modification is a result of oxidation.

Abstract: A beam forming antenna device emitting a predetermined free space energy pattern, the device including: an optical signal source having predetermined wavelength characteristics; an optical modulator for modulating predetermined wavelengths of the optical signal source to produce a modulated signal source including frequency sideband components; a dispersion element for spreading and projecting the modulated signal source in a wavelength dependant manner onto a relative phase manipulation element; a relative phase manipulation element manipulating the relative phase of the modulated signal source in a predetermined manner, said phase manipulation element further amplitude modulating predetermined wavelengths of said modulated signal source and outputting a predetermined groupings of wavelengths on a series of output ports; optical to electrical conversion means converting the amplitude of the optical signal on said output ports to a corresponding electrical signal; and a series of irradiating antenna elements

Abstract: A method is described of regulating movement of an autonomous entity between a first zone (904) and a second zone (901), wherein the first and second zones each have an operation-defined geographical boundary within a defined geographical region. The autonomous entity is instructed to move into a transition zone (906, 907) that spans the first zone and the second zone, wherein the autonomous entity while located in the first zone is responsive to supervisory control of a first controller (912) associated with the first zone. The autonomous entity is registered with a second controller (910) associated with the second zone to enable the autonomous entity to respond to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity enters the second zone through the transition zone. The autonomous entity is de-registered from the first controller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing an aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material, the method comprising: providing a dispersion of the particulate material in a continuous aqueous phase, the dispersion comprising ethylenically unsaturated monomer and a stabiliser for the particulate material; and polymerising the ethylenically unsaturated monomer by non-living free radical polymerisation to form polymer that encapsulates the particulate material, thereby providing the aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material; wherein polymerisation of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises: (a) polymerising a monomer composition that includes ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form a base responsive water swellable non-living polymer layer that encapsulates the particulate material; and (b) polymerising a monomer composition that includes non-ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form an extensible, water and base permeab

Abstract: A deformable implantable medical device such as a stent comprising metallic, polymer and/or composite substrate having a columnar structured plasma polymer surface capable of binding functional biological molecules. The polymer surface can be bound to the substrate through a mixed or graded interface formed by a co-deposition process where a substrate material is deposited with carbon containing species while gradually reducing the substrate material proportion and increasing the carbon containing species proportion. The device is able to undergo deformation without substantial delamination of the plasma polymer surface.

Abstract: A method of mining comprising: using a vehicle fitted with scanning module to scan a bench face of a mine bench for both geometric and geological information; making ore grade assessments of material at the bench face from the information provided by the bench face scan; removing material from the bench; and transporting removed material for processing. At least one of said removing, transporting, and processing is performed at least partially dependent on the ore grade assessments.