Abstract: A method for co-precipitating a therapeutic agent into a hydroxyapatite coated surface includes the steps of providing a surface and applying a hydroxyapatite seed layer on the surface. The hydroxyapatite seed layered surface is contacted with a solution including the therapeutic agent and a co-precipitated therapeutic agent, hydroxyapatite layer is formed on the coated surface to uniformly distribute the therapeutic agent in the layer. Further, an implant having sustained therapeutic agent delivery includes a base and an hydroxyapatite seed layer disposed on a surface of the base. A co-precipitated hydroxyapatite coating is disposed on the seed layer. The coating includes a therapeutic agent, wherein the therapeutic agent is provided in a solution of therapeutic agent.

Abstract: A method for loading a hydroxyapatite coated implant with a therapeutic agent including the steps of providing an implant and applying a hydroxyapatite coating on a surface of the implant. The hydroxyapatite coated implant is contacted with a solution including the therapeutic agent. The hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution is heated to temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C. Pressure is applied to the hydroxyapatite coated implant and solution from about 2 bar to about 10 bar, to load the hydroxyapatite coated implant with the therapeutic agent. An implant made ac cording to the method has sustained therapeutic agent delivery and includes a base and a biomimetic hydroxyapatite coating disposed on a surface thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a product from a plant material including the steps of providing a disrupted plant material including <10% (w/w) starch and <10% (w/w) oil/lipids; adjusting the pH of the disrupted plant material to a value of pH 3.5 or below to pro-vide an acidic suspension; heating the acidic suspension to a temperature in the range of about 50° C. to about 80° C.; isolating the product from the heat-ed, acidic suspension. The product may be a protein product or a non-protein product. In particular, the process of the invention provides a protein product with reduced contents of non-protein components of negative nutri-tional value.

Abstract: Biomaterials, in particular bone foams, a process for preparing such materials as well as an applicator for applying the biomaterials directly to the patient's application site, and the use of a composition comprising water, a surfactant and a propellant in the preparation of a bone foam for the preparation of a calcium phosphate foam wherein the foam is obtainable by the mixture of at least two phases, a first phase comprising water and optionally a propellant, a second phase comprising one or more sources for calcium and/or phosphate, and wherein the foaming is performed during the mixture of the at least two phases to provide an improved calcium phosphate foam, process for the preparation of a calcium phosphate foam, use of a composition, solid state structure, calcium phosphate cement foam and bone foam applicator.

Abstract: A wall section of a coherent product, such as a container, includes at least two opposing plastic components. At least a first one of the opposing plastic components is injection molded and includes a wall of non-uniform thickness that defines some ribs and a web located between two of the ribs in a portion of the wall where the wall is less thick than in the ribs. At a cross section of the first plastic component, over the height of the ribs the predominant thickness across each of the two ribs is significantly thicker than the thickness of the web. At least the crest of a portion of the ribs of one of the plastic components directly or indirectly contacts another plastic component, and at least a portion of the web of the one plastic component is apart from the web of the other plastic component.

Abstract: A toy building element has sidewalls that include grooves and tongues by which the toy building element can be interconnected with a like building element. Each groove is formed between a pair of outwardly extending flexible ridges. The tongue does not extend outward beyond the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue. The virtual plane is defined as a plane that passes through a midpoint of a line that connects a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall that includes the at least one tongue to a central point on an outer surface of the sidewall of the other building element that includes the at least one pair of ridges and is perpendicular to a line that passes through the central points of said interconnected building elements when said building elements are interconnected in a centered configuration.

Abstract: A toy building element includes side walls, a top having an upper surface that extends from the side walls, and a plurality of projections extending upward from the extensive upper surface, an open bottom and an interior. The interior is accessible through the open bottom for receiving a plurality of projections of another building element of a set of toy building elements. The interior includes a plurality of hollow members that extend downward from a respective portion of the extensive upper surface that is disposed between two of the projections; and the hollow members are open to the extensive upper surface. The hollow members partition the interior into regions in which a plurality of projections of another building element is received; and the regions of the building element are disposed directly below the projections of the same building element for receiving the projections of the other building element.

Abstract: A toy building element has sidewalls that include grooves and tongues by which the toy building element can be interconnected with a like building element. Each groove is formed between a pair of outwardly extending flexible ridges. In some embodiments, the tongue does not extend outward beyond the virtual plane of the sidewall that includes the tongue. In other embodiments in which the tongue extends outward beyond the tongue-sidewall virtual plane, the distance by which the tongue extends beyond the tongue-sidewall virtual plane is less than (a) the distance by which each ridge of the pair of ridges extends beyond the ridge-sidewall virtual plane, (b) the distance by each ridge of the pair of ridges extends outward to the ridge-sidewall virtual plane and/or (c) the distance by which each side of the tongue extends outward to the tongue-sidewall virtual plane.

Abstract: Toy-building elements including various combinations of the following features: a top having a broad surface and at least one projection or ball-shaped coupler extending above the broad surface; an interior having contact surfaces that are accessible through an open bottom and are adapted for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with an interconnectable projection or ball-shaped coupler on a second toy-building element; at least one sidewall including at least one groove for effecting a releasable restraining engagement with a tongue in a sidewall of another toy-building element; at least one sidewall including at least one tongue for effecting a releasable restraining engagement within a groove in a sidewall of still another toy-building element; and at least one sidewall including an axel-shaped or ball-shaped coupler for effecting a variably positional engagement with an interconnectable coupler in yet another toy-building element.

Abstract: A clampless tube connection is disclosed, wherein at least one of a conduit and a tube has integrated sealing and locking features.