1. A transmitter-implemented method for encoding N input audio signals, N>1, comprising the steps of:
(a) the transmitter converting each of the N input audio signals into a plurality of spectral components in a frequency domain;
(b) for each of one or more, but not all, of the spectral components, the transmitter downmixing the spectral components corresponding to the N input audio signals to generate a downmixed spectral component, leaving one or more of the spectral components for each of the N input audio signals unmixed; and
(c) the transmitter generating an encoded audio bitstream based on the one or more downmixed spectral components and one or more unmixed spectral components, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:
(1) the transmitter replicating each downmixed spectral component to generate a plurality of replicated downmixed spectral components;
(2) the transmitter converting the plurality of replicated downmixed spectral components and the one or more unmixed spectral components into N hybrid audio signals in a time domain; and
(3) the transmitter applying an audio coding algorithm to the N hybrid audio signals to generate the encoded audio bitstream.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of generating one or more auditory spatial parameters for the one or more downmixed spectral components.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: N=2; the two input audio signals correspond to left and right input audio signals of a stereo input audio signal; each downmixed spectral component is a mono spectral component; and the encoded audio bitstream is generated using a stereo audio coder.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the one or more downmixed spectral components have frequencies above a specified threshold frequency; and
the one or more unmixed spectral components have frequencies below the specified threshold frequency.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the specified threshold frequency varies dynamically over time.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the specified threshold frequency varies as a function of bit rate.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the one or more downmixed spectral components have spectral energies below a specified threshold energy; and
the one or more unmixed spectral components have spectral energies above the specified threshold energy.
8. An apparatus for processing N input audio signals, N>1 for encoding, comprising:
(a) one or more transforms configured to convert each of the N input audio signals into a plurality of spectral components in a frequency domain; and
(b) a downmixer configured, for each of one or more, but not all, of the spectral components, to downmix the spectral components corresponding to the N input audio signals to generate a downmixed spectral component, leaving one or more of the spectral components for each of the N input audio signals unmixed, wherein the apparatus is configured to replicate each downmixed spectral component to generate a plurality of replicated downmixed spectral components and convert the plurality of replicated downmixed spectral components and the one or more unmixed spectral components into N hybrid audio signals in a time domain.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an audio coder configured to apply an audio coding algorithm to the N hybrid audio signals to generate an encoded audio bitstream.
10. A receiver-implemented method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) the receiver decoding the encoded audio bitstream to generate a plurality of spectral components in a frequency domain, wherein:
one or more sets of the spectral components correspond to replicated downmixed spectral components; and
one or more sets of the spectral components correspond to unmixed spectral components;
(b) for each set of the replicated downmixed spectral components, the receiver converting the replicated downmixed spectral components into a single downmixed spectral component and applying one or more auditory spatial parameters to the single downmixed spectral component to generate a plurality of synthesized spectral components; and
(c) the receiver converting the synthesized spectral components and the unmixed spectral components into N decoded audio signals in a time domain, N>1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:
(1) the receiver decoding the encoded audio bitstream to recover N hybrid audio signals; and
(2) the receiver converting each of the N hybrid audio signals into the plurality of spectral components in the frequency domain.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein: N=2; the encoded audio bitstream is decoded using a stereo audio decoder; the two hybrid audio signals correspond to left and right hybrid audio signals of a hybrid stereo audio signal; and each downmixed spectral component is a mono spectral component.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
the one or more downmixed spectral components have frequencies above a specified threshold frequency; and
the one or more unmixed spectral components have frequencies below the specified threshold frequency.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specified threshold frequency varies dynamically over time.
14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specified threshold frequency varies as a function of bit rate.
15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
the one or more downmixed spectral components have spectral energies below a specified threshold energy; and
the one or more unmixed spectral components have spectral energies above the specified threshold energy.
16. An apparatus for decoding an encoded audio bitstream, the apparatus comprising:
(a) an audio decoder configured to decode the encoded audio bitstream to generate a plurality of spectral components in a frequency domain, wherein:
one or more sets of the spectral components correspond to replicated downmixed spectral components; and
one or more sets of the spectral components correspond to unmixed spectral components;
(b)a synthesizer configured, for each set of the replicated downmixed spectral components, to convert the replicated downmixed spectral components into a single downmixed spectral component and apply one or more auditory spatial parameters to the single downmixed spectral component to generate a plurality of synthesized spectral components; and
(c) one or more inverse transforms configured to convert the synthesized spectral components and the unmixed spectral components into N decoded audio signals in a time domain, N>1, wherein the audio decoder is configured to:
(1)decode the encoded audio bitstream to recover N hybrid audio signals; and
(2)convert each of the N hybrid audio signals into the plurality of spectral components in the frequency domain.
17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein: N=2; the audio decoder is a stereo audio decoder; the two hybrid audio signals correspond to left and right hybrid audio signals of a hybrid stereo audio signal; and each downmixed spectral component is a mono spectral component.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A nucleic acid, particularly an isolated nucleic acid which is capable of binding to a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP ribosylation factors, and its derivatives.
2. A nucleic acid, particularly an isolated nucleic acid which is capable of binding to a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for ADP ribosylation factors, characterised in that the nucleic acid comprises a sequence selected from the group comprising SEQ ID No. 1, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 7, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 9, SEQ ID No. 10, SEQ ID No. 18, SEQ ID No. 19, SEQ ID No. 20, SEQ ID No. 21, SEQ ID No. 22, SEQ ID No. 23, SEQ ID No. 24, SEQ ID No. 25, SEQ ID No. 26, SEQ ID No. 27, SEQ ID No. 28 SEQ ID No. 29, SEQ ID No. 30, SEQ ID No. 31, SEQ ID No. 32, SEQ ID No. 33, SEQ ID No. 34, SEQ ID No. 35, SEQ ID No. 36, SEQ ID No. 37, SEQ ID No. 38 and SEQ ID No. 39 as well as its respective derivatives.
3. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor belongs to the group of small guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ARF proteins, particularly to the group of guanine nucleotide exchange factors whose molecular weight is around 50 kDa or less.
4. The nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor is not inhibited by Brefeldin A.
5. The nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor is cytohesin-1 or cytohesin-2 and particularly the Sec7 domain of cytohesin-1 or cytohesin-2.
6. The nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor is the Sec7 domain.
7. The nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the nucleic acid is selected from the group comprising DNA, RNA, polynucleotides, oligonucleotides, aptamers, aptazymes and intramers.
8. A vector, preferably an expression vector, comprising a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. A cell comprising a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 andor a vector according to claim 8.
10. The cell according to claim 9, characterised in that the cell is a eukaryotic cell, preferably an animal cell and more preferably a mammalian cell.
11. The cell according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterised in that the cell is selected from the group comprising Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. elegans.
12. An animal, preferably a transgenic animal, comprising at least one cell according to any one of claims 9 to 11.
13. Use of a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for the manufacture of a medicament.
14. The use according to claim 13, characterised in that the medicament is for the treatment of diseases selected from the group comprising the metastasis of lymphomas or melanomas, autoimmune diseases, rejection reactions, acute and chronic inflammations, reperfusion damage, transplantation diseases, particularly rejection reactions in organ transplantations and graft-vs-host diseases.
15. The use according to claim 13 or claim 14, characterised in that the medicament influences the 0-2-integrin-mediated adhesion of immune cells.
16. Use of a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 andor a vector according to claim 8 in gene therapy.
17. Use of a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for detection of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor.
18. Use of a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for complex formation with a guanine nucleotide exchange factor.
19. A composition, particularly a pharmaceutical composition, comprising a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a vector according to claim 8 andor a cell according to any one of claims 9 to 11 together with a suitable carrier material.
20. An inhibitor for a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, wherein the guanine nucleotide exchange factor belongs to the group of small guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ARF proteins, particularly to the group of guanine nucleotide exchange factors whose molecular weight is around 50 kDa or less.
21. The inhibitor according to claim 20, characterised in that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor is not inhibited by Brefeldin A.
22. The inhibitor according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 andor a vector according to claim 8.
23. A method for screening compounds which inhibit the interaction between a guanine nucleotide exchange factor and a nucleic according to claims 1 to 7, especially by a method that is compatible with high-throughput methods and is characterised by the following steps:
a) providing the guanine nucleotide exchange factor and the nucleic acid
b) optionally determining whether an interaction takes place between the guanine nucleotide exchange factor and the -2-integrin,
c) adding a candidate compound and
d) determining whether an interaction between the guanine nucleotide exchange factor and the nucleic acid is inhibited, preferably by the candidate compound.
24. The method according to claim 23, characterised in that provided as a further step is determining whether the identified compound inhibits the guanine nucleotide exchange function of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for a monomeric G protein.
25. The method according to claim 23, characterised in that provided as a further step is determining whether the interaction of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor with an integrin, preferably the interaction between the Sec-7 domain of cytohesin-1 and the -2-integrin subunit, is inhibited.
26. The method according to claim 23, characterised in that provided as a further step is determining whether the interaction of the PH domain with its natural ligands is inhibited, preferably whether the interaction of the PH domain of cytohesin-1 with phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate is inhibited.
27. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 26, characterised in that the candidate substance is used for the manufacture of a medicament.
28. Use of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor as a target molecule as part of an in vitro selection process.
29. A method for identifying and isolating nucleic acids capable of binding to a target molecule, characterised by the following steps:
incubating the target molecule or a part thereof with a plurality of nucleic acids, preferably a nucleic acid library, wherein the nucleic acids have different sequences,
selecting and isolating those nucleic acids capable of binding to the target molecule or a part thereof,
optionally amplifying the isolated nucleic acids and repeating the first two steps; and
optionally determining the sequence andor binding specificity of the isolated nucleic acids,
characterised in that the target molecule is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, preferably one such for ARF.
30. Use of a nucleic acid according to any one of the preceding claims, preferably in a complex with a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, for the rational design of compounds, preferably of inhibitors and more preferably of low-molecular inhibitors.