Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining the likelihood of an individual transitioning to a first episode of psychosis (FEP), the method comprising determining the level of selected markers in a bodily fluid sample from the individual, wherein the increase or decrease in the markers is predictive of the individual transitioning to a first episode of psychosis (FEP). The invention also relates to a method of predicting the functional outcome for an individual following a first episode of psychosis (FEP), the method comprising determining the level of selected markers in a bodily fluid sample from the individual, wherein the increase or decrease in the markers is predictive of an increased risk of functional disability outcome for the individual.

Abstract: In a communications network, expired packets are recognized and removed by comparing a phase value received with the packet and a phase value previously received via the network on a master node. The packet is discarded when the difference between the value exceeds a predetermined amount.

Abstract: In a communications network, a node receives a transit packet. The priority assigned to the transit packet is determined and when it has a low priority then the transit packet is removed and a higher priority packet is inserted in the resulting vacancy.

Abstract: A belt conveyor includes a driven roller and at least one other roller positioned along and between opposite sidewalls of the conveyor and a continuous belt routed around the driven roller and the other roller or rollers. The driven roller is drivable to drive the belt around the rollers to move articles along the respective zone. The belt has a low modulus characteristic and may be initially stretched at least 0.75 percent in its lengthwise direction when the belt is reeved or routed around the rollers. The driven roller may be drivable in response to an article sensor that senses articles on the conveyor belt, in order to convey or accumulate articles on the belt conveyor.

Abstract: An accumulation conveyor and method, according to the invention, includes providing a plurality of tandem accumulation zones, each of the zones including a conveying surface and at least one drive roller selectively driving the conveying surface. A drive member below the conveying surface extends a length of the plurality of tandem accumulation zones. Each of the zones includes a clutch roller rotated by the drive member and an electromagnetic clutch. The clutch selectively transfers rotation of the clutch roller to the drive roller to drive the conveying surface. The clutch may be made up of a pair of concentric cylinders aligned in a vertical plane and a force transmission member between the concentric cylinders with the force transmission member transmitting force between the concentric cylinders when the clutch is electrically actuated. The clutch may be a wrapped-spring clutch.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for processing a segment of x optical bit slots from a packet comprising y optical bit slots, each bit slot defining a respective one of first and second complementary logical states, within a time span shorter than or equal to the time for receipt of the packet. The apparatus including a segment replicator which generates serial copies of the segment of the packet, each copy residing within a respective word containing z bit slots, where z is equal to or greater than x; and a bit differential processor for processing successive bits of the successive copies of the segment in n successive processing steps, the product of n and z being less than or equal to y. The result of each processing step is output in sequence by the bit differential processor, the result of processing the segment being given by x successive bit slots of the output.

Abstract: An optical regenerator suitable for use with optical signals has two stages. An incoming optical signal to be regenerated passes first through a data division stage. This divides the optical data stream into a number of data streams at a bit rate lower than the original optical signal. These data streams then pass to a regeneration stage. In the regeneration stage, there are a number of optical gates. Each gate receives one of the optical data streams at its control input. An optical clock stream at the lower or at a multiple thereof passes through the optical gates. The outputs of these optical gates are connected in common to the optical output of the regenerator and provide a bit-interleaved regenerated optical data stream at the output.

Abstract: A roller shaft mount or support secures a shaft end of a conveyor roller at and between opposite sidewalls of a conveyor. The shaft support includes a mounting portion mountable to a sidewall of the conveyor and a clamping portion. The clamping portion is movably attached to the mounting portion and movable relative thereto. The shaft support receives a roller shaft at least partially therethrough. The clamping portion is movable relative to the mounting portion so as to clamp the roller shaft within the shaft support in response to movement of the clamping portion relative to the mounting portion. The clamping portion may move along a ramped surface toward and into engagement with the shaft of the roller in response to adjustment of a fastener to clamp the roller shaft within the shaft support.

Abstract: A curved belt conveyor includes at least two zones, each of which may be defined by a motorized roller and at least one idler roller which are positioned along and between opposite sidewalls of the conveyor, and a continuous belt reeved around the rollers. The conveyor includes a tracking means for tracking the belt on the rollers. The tracking means is substantially contained between the sidewalls of the conveyor and laterally inward of the outer and inner ends of the rollers. The tracking means may comprise a tracking roller positioned along a lower surface of one of the rollers and may engage the lower run of the belt with an upper surface of the tracking roller to maintain the belt in a proper position around the rollers.

Abstract: A node in an optical communications network receives optical packets at its input. It determines a priority assigned to each optical packet. When the optical packet is a transit packet destined for another node then, if the packet is determined to have a relatively higher priority, it is output from the node via a continuous-flow transmission path. Other transmit packets having relatively lower priorities are sent via an alternative transmission path that may include queues or buffers resulting in a variable delay.

Abstract: A belt conveyor or belt accumulator includes at least two tandem zones, each of which is defined by a motorized roller and at least one idler roller positioned along and between opposite sidewalls of the conveyor and a continuous belt routed around the motorized roller and the idler roller or rollers. The motorized roller is operable to drive the belt around the rollers to move articles along the respective zone. The belt may have a low modulus characteristic and may be initially stretched at least 0.75% in its lengthwise direction when the belt is reeved or routed around the rollers. The motorized roller of each zone may be independently operable, such as in response to an article sensor at each zone, to convey or accumulate articles on the respective zone of the belt conveyor.

Abstract: A roller conveyor includes a plurality of idler rollers positioned along and between opposite sidewalls and a transverse drive system operable to rotatably drive at least some of the idler rollers of the roller conveyer. The transverse drive system includes a motorized roller positioned generally transverse to the idler rollers and a plurality of drive members drivably connected between the motorized roller and respective ones of the idler rollers. Actuation of the motorized roller drives each of the drive members, which in turn independently rotatably drive the respective idler rollers. The transverse drive system may be selectively operable to accumulate articles on one or more zones of the roller conveyor. The roller conveyor may include a right angle transfer unit operable to transfer articles in a direction generally normal to the direction of conveyance of the idler rollers.

Abstract: An optical network comprises a central source providing light in a plurality of spaced wavelength bands and including variable-gain optical amplifiers enabling the relative intensity of light in respective wavelength bands to be varied. A wavelength-routed network (preferably but not necessarily passive) receives light in all the wavelength bands from the central source and routes each wavelength band to a respective terminals. The terminals are operable to modulate and return received light in any of the said wavelength bands, and may be simple and identical, requiring no precision light source, as would otherwise be needed to allow multiplexing to use optical fibre efficiently. The operator can adjust the semiconductor optical amplifiers to illuminate or disable individual terminals, as required, and can alter the intensity (and if required type) of light supplied to the terminals to maintain a satisfactory signal level, minimising need for engineer visits.

Abstract: In a communications network, which may be a broadband optical network, a packet is transmitted from a source node to a destination node on a looped signal path. A return signal, which may function as an acknowledgement of the original signal, is transmitted back to the source node from the destination node in the time slot which was occupied by the original packet.

Abstract: A communications network, suitable, for example, for linking computer processors, is formed from a number of nodes and links. The nodes and links are configured as a multiplicity of directed trails. Each directed trail spans some only of the nodes, but in combination the directed trails span every node of the network. Packets are routed through the network by selecting the appropriate one of the directed trails which links the source node and destination node, and by outputting the packet at the source node onto the selected trail. The nodes throughout the network may switch between predetermined and prescheduled switching states, and a given trail may be selected by choosing appropriately the time slot in which the packet is put onto the network. The network may be a photonic network carrying optical packets.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for 3R regeneration of optical digital signals in which a modulator, preferably an electroabsorption modulator, is driven by an electrical clock synchronised with optical input pulses (preferably by a phase-locked-loop controller) and is located downstream of a 2R regenerator so as to receive its output.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for processing a segment of x optical bit slots from a packet comprising y optical bit slots, each bit slot defining a respective one of first and second complementary logical states, within a time span shorter than or equal to the time for receipt of the packet. The apparatus including a segment replicator which generates serial copies of the segment of the packet, each copy residing within a respective word containing z bit slots, where z is equal to or greater than x; and a bit differential processor for processing successive bits of the successive copies of the segment in n successive processing steps, the product of n and z being less than or equal to y. The result of each processing step is output in sequence by the bit differential processor, the result of processing the segment being given by x successive bit slots of the output.

Abstract: A packet is routed by “dead reckoning” on a network having a generally regular topology. The packet is received at a node where a local routing decision is made. The packet is output in a direction selected according to the routing decision. The packet carries in addition to a destination address a directional flag indicating explicitly the preferred direction of onward travel and the routing decision is made using this flag. Several flags may be used, corresponding to different dimensions of the network.

Abstract: A packet carried on an optical network is routed by carrying out a logic operation on an address word carried in a packet header and a predetermined discriminator word. A routing decision is made in accordance with the result of the logic operation. The logic operation may be a bit-wise Boolean AND operation. An additional logic operation may be carried out with an additional discriminator word to determine whether the packet is destined for a remote region of the network. In this case, the packet may be steered directly to the remote region.

Abstract: An optical AND gate includes at least one semiconductor laser amplifier (SLA) and inputs for first and second optical signals. The gate produces an output corresponding to the AND product of A and B. In one aspect of the invention, the first and second signals are equal in wavelength. The gate may comprise a single SLA which receives the first signal A together with a third signal P, which may be a continuous wave pump. The second signal B is input in an orthogonal polarization state to A and P. Alternatively, the gate may comprise a pair of SLAs. A first SLA receives the first signal A together with the pump P. A sideband is selected from the output of the first SLA and input to the second SLA together with the second signal B. A sideband is selected from the output of the second SLA corresponding to the AND product C of A and P with B.