Abstract: The protein NM23 is disclosed as an agent for the maintenance of undifferentiated biological cells in culture. The NM23 protein may act as a survival factor for such cultured cells, or to prevent the differentiation and maturation of the cultured cells. The use of NM23 protein is applicable to culture of stem and/or progenitor cells, and particularly to such cells cultured and adapted for therapeutic use. The invention provides methods, media and media supplements for use in the culture of biological cells, and further provides methods of preparing biological cells for therapeutic use, as well as methods of therapy utilising biological cells and medicaments comprising biological cells adapted for therapeutic use.

Abstract: The invention relates to perhexiline, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof, for use in the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as to a method of treating HCM, which comprises administering to an animal in need thereof an effective amount of perhexiline, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or enantiomer thereof, to treat said HCM. The invention further relates to a treatment programme for treating HCM, which involves the co-use or co-administration of perhexiline with one or more other compounds that are advantageous in treating HCM or the symptoms thereof.

Abstract: Methanofullerene derivatives having side chains with acid-labile protecting groups. The methanofullerene derivatives may find application as photoresist materials, and particularly as positive-tone photoresists.

Abstract: A method is provided for solubilising a membrane protein. The method is applied to cellular material comprising the membrane protein and an associated membrane lipid. A copolymer of styrene and maleic acid, wherein the styrene:maleic acid ratio is between 1:2 and 10:1, is mixed with the cellular material to cause the copolymer, lipid and protein to form soluble macromolecular assemblies.

Abstract: A reconfigurable multi-output antenna (16) is disclosed comprising: one or more radiating elements (12, 14), at least two matching circuits (42, 44, 50, 52) coupled to the or each radiating element (12, 14) via e.g. a splitter (30, 32) or a diplxer; and wherein each matching circuit (42, 44, 50, 52) is associated with a separate port (38, 40, 46, 48) arranged to drive a separate resonant frequency so that the or each radiating element (12, 14) is operable to provide multiple outputs simultaneously. The resonant frequency of each output is independently controllable by each matching circuit, with good isolation with each other port, thereby offering very wide operating frequency range with simultaneous multi-independent output operations. Also described is a multi-output antenna control module for coupling to one or more radiating elements, an antenna structure and an antenna interface module.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for devices, methods and systems effective to create a visual display of a meal. A processor may be configured in communication with a memory. The processor may be effective to display images of food items on a display. The processor may be further configured to receive one or more selections of food items from among the displayed images. The processor may be further configured to display images of the one or more selected food items on the display to generate the visual display of the meal. The processor may be further configured to calculate an amount of energy associated with the displayed meal.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for recovering rare earth particulate material from an assembly comprising a rare earth magnet and comprises the steps of exposing the assembly to hydrogen gas to effect hydrogen decrepitation of the rare earth magnet to produce a rare earth particulate material, and separating the rare earth particulate material from the rest of the assembly. The invention also resides in an apparatus for separating rare earth particulate material from an assembly comprising a rare earth magnet. The apparatus comprises a reaction vessel having an opening which can be closed to form a gas-tight seal, a separation means for separating the rare earth particulate material from the assembly, and a collection means for collecting the rare earth particulate material. The reaction vessel is connected to a vacuum pump and a gas control system, and the gas control system controls the supply of hydrogen gas to the reaction vessel.

Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides derived from a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA), such as HLA-A2, and derivatives or analogues thereof. The polypeptides, derivatives and analogues can be used to treat or prevent allosensitisation, such as the treatment or prevention of allograft rejection.

Abstract: The invention relates to perhexiline, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for use in the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as to a method of treating HCM, which comprises administering to an animal in need thereof an effective amount of perhexiline, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to treat said HCM. The invention further relates to a treatment programme for treating HCM, which involves the co-use or co-administration of perhexiline with one or more other compounds that are advantageous in treating HCM or the symptoms thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for increasing the concentration of platinum group metals in urban waste material. The method comprises obtaining particles of urban waste material; screening the particles of urban waste material by size,—selecting particles of urban waste material that lie within a defined size range; and processing the selected particles using at least one physical or chemical technique whereby to increase the concentration of platinum group metals to at least 5 ppm. The invention also relates to an apparatus for increasing the concentration of platinum group metals in particulate urban waste material. The apparatus comprises: a drying unit (4), a particle size screening unit (5); and one or more processing units for effecting platinum group metal concentration of the particulate urban waste material by physical and/or chemical techniques, in particular a magnetic separation unit (7) and a froth flotation cell (9).

Abstract: The invention discloses a shelf stable food product. The product comprises a continuous aqueous phase, liquid oil droplets dispersed in the continuous aqueous phase, and protein coated gas bubbles. The continuous aqueous phase constitutes from 20% to 80% by volume (or weight) of the food product and the liquid oil droplets and protein coated gas bubbles are from 0.5 ?m to 10 ?m in diameter. The protein comprises cysteine amino acid residues, but is not a hydrophobin. The invention also discloses a method of forming an aqueous dispersion of protein coated gas bubbles suitable for forming the above food product. The method comprises dissolving a protein capable of forming coated gas bubbles in water with stirring, sonicating the protein solution at a temperature below but within 6° C. of the protein's denaturation temperature in the presence of oxygen, and controlling the temperature within these limits. Any protein debris from the resultant dispersion of protein coated gas bubbles is separated out.

Abstract: The invention provides an agent for preventing or treating a condition characterised by the presence of unwanted cells, the agent comprising: (i) a targeting moiety that is capable of targeting to the unwanted cells; and (ii) a T cell antigen, wherein the T cell antigen can be released from the targeting moiety by selective cleavage of a cleavage site in the agent in the vicinity of the unwanted cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to a balanced antenna system comprising a radiator connected via a matching circuit to a balun. In certain embodiments, the radiator comprises a first radiating element and a second radiating element and the matching circuit comprises a first impedance-matching circuit connected to the first radiating element and a second impedance-matching circuit connected to the second radiating element. The first and second matching circuits may be identical and are connected through the balun to a single port. To minimise the component count, the design of the matching circuit and balun is co-optimised.

Abstract: A molecular sensor (10) comprises a flow path (12) configured for flowing a solution (28) potentially containing a target molecule (26). A source of polarized light (16) is provided and a detector (18) arranged to receive light from the source after it has passed through the flow path. A sensor element (19) is provided comprising a scaffold moiety (20) with a high aspect ratio disposed, in use, within the flow path and a receptor moiety (24), for the target molecule, attached to the scaffold moiety. A method for sensing a target molecule in a flowing solution is also described.

Abstract: The application relates to comestible products comprising acid gellable hydrocolloids, such as low acyl gellan gum. These are used for appetite suppression. On ingesting the product the hydrocolloid gels in the stomach. Mixed hydrocolloids, such as pectin and gellan gums are also provided.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing or determining the degree of an arterial aneurysm, especially an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which comprises determining the presence or level of interleukin-1? (IL-1a?) in a serum or plasma sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to inhibitors of VAP-1 and their use as medicaments in treating fibrotic conditions. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of diagnosing a fibrotic condition on the basis of elevated level of soluble VAP-1 or SSAO activity in a bodily fluid, and to a kit for use in said diagnostic method.

Abstract: The invention provides a comestible product, such as bread, cake, pastry, biscuit or cookie, comprising a water-in-oil emulsion, the water-in-oil emulsion comprising bakery fat continuous phase and an aqueous phase dispersed substantially throughout the bakery fat continuous phase. The bakery fat is typically selected from butter, margarine, animal fat and vegetable shortening.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer array and method of making an ultrasonic transducer array. The array comprising a plurality of individual array elements made from a piezoelectric composite which is made from a plurality of individual piezoelectric segments; a passive filler between the piezoelectric segments; and, one or more electrodes for driving the array elements formed from the piezoelectric segments; wherein the spatial pattern of the piezoelectric segments of the piezoelectric composite defines one or more non-linear, irregular channels which separate the piezoelectric segments thereby minimising interaction between the individual array elements and minimising spurious modes in the ultrasound transducer array.

Abstract: ?-mannosylceramides or salts or solvates thereof in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, for use as a Type I NKT cell agonist in conjunction with a therapeutically effective amount of ?-galactosylceramide or a salt or a solvate thereof, and/or at least one or more T-cell co-stimulatory molecules, disclosed. Compositions comprising ?-mannosylceramide, as well as methods of treatment of tumors are also provided.