Abstract: Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cultured in the presence of a compound which selectively inhibits propagation or survival of cells other than ES cells. The ES cells have not been genetically altered. Instead, the compound inhibits a signalling pathway which is essential for propagation of differentiated cells but is not essential for propagation of ES cells—hence ES cells are selectively maintained in the culture.

Abstract: A method for remediating land contaminated by a combustible material, in particular, land contaminated with non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), which includes the steps of locating a subterranean volume of combustible material such as a DNAPL in land to be remediated, and igniting the combustible material to combust the material and thereby remediate the land. By monitoring combustion of the material, combustion may be optimised by, for example, supplying an oxidant or a combustion suppressant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a generator, to a magnetic flux conducting unit for a generator, and to a power generation machine comprising such a generator. In an embodiment of the invention, a generator is disclosed which comprises at least one coil assembly and at least one magnetic flux conducting unit. The magnetic flux conducting unit comprises at least one magnet, a pair of opposed magnetic flux conducting elements defining a space therebetween for receiving the coil assembly, and at least one connection portion extending between the opposed magnetic flux conducting elements. The at least is arranged relative to the opposed magnetic flux conducting elements such that the magnetic attraction forces between the elements are redacted through and balances with the connection portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a peptide derivative represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof: Z-(CH2)n—CO—NH-Leu-Ile-Gly-AA1-AA2-CO—R (I) wherein Z represents an aryl group which may or may not have a substituent or a heteroaryl group which may or may not have a substituent; n represents 0, 1 or 2: AA1-AA2 represents Lys-Val or Arg-Leu; and R represents —OH or —NH2, and relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide derivative represented by the general formula (I) or a salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier thereof. The peptide derivative is useful as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent of dysfunction of masticatory, dysphagia, dysgeusia, ozostomia, intra-oral cavity dysphoria, intra-oral cavity infections, intra-oral cavity inflammations, dry eye, ectocornea detachment, keratitis, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastritis, diarrhea, enteritis or Sjogren's syndrome.

Abstract: Pluripotent cells are maintained in a self-renewing state in serum-free culture medium comprising a gp130 agonist (LIF) and a GSK3 inhibitor.

Abstract: A computer system for modelling and controlling a hydrocarbon reservoir through management of fluid flow at individual wells. The computer system has program instructions which operate a computer model which uses oilfield production data to provide a model of future production. The model comprises an optimal regression model which represents injector and producer wells whose fluid flow characteristics are highly correlated with the fluid flow characteristics of the well of interest; the application of parsimonious information criterion techniques to identify well pairs that statistically contribute information to the optimal regression model; and a statistical reservoir model comprising the product of the optimal regression model and a significance matrix. The system is also provided with control means, responsive to the output of the computer model in order to control wells in the hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: A capacitive switch for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) comprises a topmost metal plate which extends across a bridge structure formed by a polymer layer. The polymer layer comprises poly-monochoro-para-xylene (parylene-C). The space below the polymer layer contains the second plate on a substrate. Using parylene as the primary bridge material makes the bridge of the MEMS device very flexible and requires a relatively low actuation voltage to pull the bridge down and lower power is required to control the MEMS device.

Abstract: A method of fabricating microelectromechanical (MEMs) systems and in particular for producing silicon carbide (SiC) MEMs devices with improved mechanical properties. The method comprises reacting a dry etch plasma with a layered microstructure; the layered microstructure having an etch mask, a sacrificial layer and a device layer arranged between the etch mask and the sacrificial layer. The dry etch plasma is introduced into the environment of the layered microstructure such that the device layer is etched anisotropically and the sacrificial layer is etched substantially isotropically. The invention also provides a method for tuning MEMs devices by material de-stressing using an inert gas in the dry etch plasma.

Abstract: Described is a method of detecting non-viable cells in a sample of cells, the method comprising contacting a sample of the cells with a detectable reagent and detecting binding of said reagent to cells of said sample. The detectable reagent is milk, a milk product or component thereof. A component which may be used is a lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, for example lactoferrin. The method may be performed in low Ca2+ or Ca2+-free conditions.

Abstract: Inhibitors of syndapin I binding to dynamin I (DynI) are provided. Examples include mimetics of a region of DynI including the serine residues S774 and S778 or phosphorylatable amino acids in homologous positions. Typically, the mimetics exclude or do not imitate at least one phosphorylation site provided by the serine residues or phosphorylatable amino acids. Peptide fragment inhibitors comprising or consisting of this region of DynI are also described. The inhibitors have application in the prophylaxis or treatment of neurological diseases or conditions. The inhibitors can also be used to inhibit neuronal cell vesicle trafficking and synaptic signal transmission.

Abstract: Animal stem cells are obtained and maintained by culturing cells containing, in the genome, a selectable marker. Differential expression of the selectable marker enables preferential survival and/or division of the desired stem cells compared to the non-stem cells.

Abstract: Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cultured in the presence of a compound which selectively inhibits propagation or survival of cells other than ES cells. The ES cells have not been genetically altered. Instead, the compound inhibits a signalling pathway which is essential for propagation of differentiated cells but is not essential for propagation of ES cells—hence ES cells are selectively maintained in the culture.

Abstract: A method of generating a virtual model of an object, comprising the step of constructing a fused model to represent the variation of the shape of the object in a plurality of configurations. In the method, position variation vectors may be calculated which describe the variation of a plurality of points in the fused model from their mean positions over all the configurations of the object; the position variation vectors may be assigned a weighting factor which represents a measure of their probabilistic confidence; a weighted covariance matrix may be constructed to represent the variations; the weighted covariance matrix may be operated on to obtain shape variation vectors representing the weighted direction and magnitude of variations; such that the fused model may describe how the shape of the object varies as a function of the shape variation vectors scaled by a shape parameter.

Abstract: A method and data-processing apparatus for storing data from an XML document in a relational database, wherein the XML document conforms to an XML schema which specifies the types of elements which may be included in the XML document and child element types of the said element types, and wherein the relational database conforms to a relational schema, the method comprising the steps of, in respect of element types in the XML schema which have child element types, determining at least one rule in relation to the said element types, wherein the at least one rule specifies how to compute the value of attributes associated with child elements of an instance of an element of that type, taking into account at least the value of either or both an attribute associated with an instance of an element of that type and PCDATA of text children of an instance of an element of that type, wherein at least some of the said rules in relation to at least some of the said element types in the XML schema specify how to calculate

Abstract: Methods and data processing apparatus for normalization of mentions of subcellular entities, such as proteins and/or genes, in a natural language biomedical text document, in which the species of the individual mention of a subcellular entity is determined before an identifier is assigned to the individual mention of a subcellular entity and the identified species is taken into account when assigning an identifier to the said individual mention of a subcellular entity.

Abstract: Self renewal of pluripotent cells in culture is promoted using a combination of an activator of a signalling pathway downstream of a receptor of the TGF-? superfamily and an activator of a gp130 downstream signalling pathway.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of gels. The invention also relates to an improved method for manufacturing gels. In particular the invention relates to a new class of material, fluid-bicontinuous particle-stabilised gels, and a method of making the same. The fluid-bicontinuous particle-stabilised gels comprise at least a first fluid, a second fluid, and a continuous layer of particles positioned at a continuous interface between the first fluid and the second fluid.

Abstract: Embryonic stem (ES) cells are cultured in the presence of a compound which selectively inhibits propagation or survival of cells other than ES cells. The ES cells have not been genetically altered. Instead, the compound inhibits a signalling pathway which is essential for propagation of differentiated cells but is not essential for propagation of ES cells—hence ES cells are selectively maintained in the culture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of isolating fragments of nucleic acid according to the density of CpG dinucleotides and subsequent procedures for producing a library and/or an array or microarray of these fragments, as well as uses thereof.

Abstract: Pluripotent cells are derived and maintained in a self-renewing state in serum-free culture medium comprising a MEK inhibitor, a GSK3 inhibitor and an antagonist of an FGF receptor.