Abstract: Self-assembled gels and methods of making thereof are described. A selective range of ratios between an organic solvent and optionally water, or an aqueous solution, allows for combinations of gelators (such as GRAS amphiphiles or prodrug-based gelators), co-gelators (such as anti-retrovirals), and solvents to form self-supporting hydrogels or organogels. The resulting gels may be used in methods of treating HIV and/or hepatitis.

Abstract: Self-assembled gels and methods of making thereof are described. A selective range of ratios between an organic solvent and optionally water, or an aqueous solution, allows for combinations of gelators (such as GRAS amphiphiles or prodrug-based gelators), co-gelators (such as anti-retrovirals), and solvents to form self-supporting hydrogels or organogels. The resulting gels may be used in methods of treating HIV and/or hepatitis.

Abstract: Self-assembled gels and methods of making thereof are described. A selective range of ratios between an organic solvent and optionally water, or an aqueous solution, allows for combinations of gelators (such as GRAS amphiphiles or prodrug-based gelators), co-gelators (such as anti-retrovirals), and solvents to form self-supporting hydrogels or organogels. The resulting gels may be used in methods of treating HIV and/or hepatitis.

Abstract: flow control arrangement for controlling the flow of lubricant discharged from a bearing includes a flow control member locatable, in use, adjacent to the bearing. The flow control member defines a generally radially outer edge and is rotatable to direct lubricant discharged onto the flow control member radially outwardly towards the outer edge for ejection therefrom.

Abstract: A stretchable fabric sleeve is configured for use as a prosthetic shrinker or as a prosthetic sock and broadly comprises a unitary receptacle broadly including a tubular section and a rounded end section. In particular, the rounded end section includes opposite panels that are knitted in seriatim with a plurality of interlaced short rows that provide a progressive taper from the open margin of the tubular section to the lowermost toe end of the end section. The progressive taper of the knitted panels permits the outermost edge of the rounded end section to assume a rounded shape that comfortably conforms to an amputated limb and is devoid of any sewn seams that would otherwise irritate the sensitive end of the amputated limb.

Abstract: A flow control arrangement 10 for controlling the flow of lubricant discharged from a bearing 12 includes a flow control member 24 locatable, in use, adjacent to the bearing 12. The flow control member 24 defines a generally circumferential outer edge 26a and is rotatable to direct lubricant discharged onto the flow control member 24 radially outwardly towards the outer edge 26a for ejection therefrom.

Abstract: A stretchable fabric sleeve is configured for use as a prosthetic shrinker or as a prosthetic sock and broadly comprises a unitary receptacle broadly including a tubular section and a rounded end section. In particular, the rounded end section includes opposite panels that are knitted in seriatim with a plurality of interlaced short rows that provide a progressive taper from the open margin of the tubular section to the lowermost toe end of the end section. The progressive taper of the knitted panels permits the outermost edge of the rounded end section to assume a rounded shape that comfortably conforms to an amputated limb and is devoid of any sewn seams that would otherwise irritate the sensitive end of the amputated limb.

Abstract: A distributed voice recognition system (500) and method employs principles of bottom-up (i.e., raw input) and top-down (i.e., prediction based on past experience) processing to perform client-side and server-side processing by (i) at the client-side, replacing application data by a phonotactic table (504); (ii) at the server-side, tracking separate confidence scores for matches against an acoustic model and comparison to a grammar; and (iii) at the server-side using a contention resolver (514) to weight the client-side and server-side results to establish a single output which represents the collaboration between client-side processing and server-side processing.

Abstract: A method and system for using input signal quality in an automatic speech recognition system. The method includes measuring the quality of an input signal into a speech recognition system and varying a rejection threshold of the speech recognition system at runtime in dependence on the measurement of the input signal quality. If the measurement of the input signal quality is low, the rejection threshold is reduced and, if the measurement of the input signal quality is high, the rejection threshold is increased. The measurement of the input signal quality may be based on one or more of the measurements of signal-to-noise ratio, loudness, including clipping, and speech signal duration.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic recognition of foreign speakers by performing analysis of a speech sample to produce a signal representative thereof and attempting to match the representative signal to one of a plurality of predetermined sounds to produce recognition; and determining whether a gap exists in a table of predetermined sounds in a predetermined language and, if a gap exists, substituting for matching a sound from a position in the table near the gap. This automatic substitution of known foreign pronunciation characteristics improves and modifies the output from standard, monolingual automatic speech recognition. There is no requirement to implement either adaptation or to impose additional manual modification of the baseform pool on the application developer. In addition, the danger of increased ambiguity is removed by introducing an explicit accent and/or language checker which queries known differences across accents.

Abstract: A parser is generated for parsing a marked up document. A template of a sample marked up document chosen by a user is extracted. The template comprises elements of the structural markup of the sample document with their data contents removed. The parser for parsing a marked up document is generated. The parser is generated in the form of code based on the extracted template in such a manner that the parser is adapted to extract any elements and associated data content of the marked up document to be parsed corresponding to the elements of the extracted template.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system includes a speech-responsive application and a recognition engine. The ASR system generates user prompts to elicit certain spoken inputs, and the speech-responsive application performs operations when the spoken inputs are recognised. The recognition engine compares sounds within an input audio signal with phones within an acoustic model, to identify candidate matching phones. A recognition confidence score is calculated for each candidate matching phone, and the confidence scores are used to help identify one or more likely sequences of matching phones that appear to match a word within the grammar of the speech-responsive application. The per-phone confidence scores are evaluated against predefined confidence score criteria (for example, identifying scores below a ‘low confidence’ threshold) and the results of the evaluation are used to influence subsequent selection of user prompts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating appropriate confirmatory prompts in a speech-enabled, interactive computer system. The method can be incorporated in an interactive voice response system that includes receiving an input audio stream over a voice channel from a users, performing keyword recognition on received input audio as subsequent input audio is being received, and prompting the user with an acknowledgement of the keyword or keywords as subsequent input audio is being received. In another aspect of the method, the volume of the speech input can be continuously monitored. In a further aspect of the method, recognition results and associated confidence values can be combined to select different confirmatory prompts, and the volume is tailored to be the same as, louder than or quieter than the volume of the speech input, so that different types of confirmation can be automatically generated to produce a natural speech-enabled interface.

Abstract: A flexible wrapping is adapted to fit around a section of pipe or pipeline requiring repair. The wrapping has inner and outer skins and a plurality of tags for limiting the separation between the skins. The wrapping is sealed in position around the pipe or pipeline by means of straps. A mould forming material is introduced through a filler into the space between the skins and then allowed to solidify. A sealant is then introduced under pressure through an injector into the mound space between the inner skin and the pipe or pipeline. A pressure gauge indicates the pressure in the mould space. Gases may escape from the mould space through a vent. The invention provides a method of and apparatus for repairing a leak in a pipe or pipeline.