Abstract: A degradable composite comprising a degradable matrix, a first fiber type and a second fiber type, wherein the first fiber type has a different rate of degradation to that of the second fiber type.

Abstract: This invention relates to a composition comprising at least about 0.2% w/w xanthan gum and at least about 6% w/w of a swellable particulate, and to uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising one or more Streptococcus uberis sortase-anchored surface proteins, or an immunogenic part thereof, wherein the composition is capable of eliciting an immune response, when administered to a subject.

Abstract: Ways of applying microwaves to feedstock to be processed are disclosed. One embodiment relates to heating inter-layer water in vermiculite to expand the vermiculite. Another embodiment relates to heating water in oil-contaminated materials and waste products, such as drilling cuttings, contaminated soils and certain types of animal by-products, to drive out oil. In some embodiments a microwave tunnel applicator has the microwaves applied from beneath the feedstock.

Abstract: Novel biotin analogues, such as 2-Azidobiotin, comprising the ureido ring of natural biotin with the thiophene ring, optionally modified, and a modified sidechain having a functional end group, preferably selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid, amine, alcohol, thiol, aldehyde and a halide, and at least one bio-orthogonally reactive chemical group located elsewhere in the sidechain. The analogues are used for labelling target structures and biomolecules, such as peptides and proteins in vitro or in vivo.

Abstract: Non-leguminous crops, e.g. wheat, maize and rice, do not form nodules and are dependant for their nutrition on fixed nitrogen from the soil, or from chemical/nitrogenous fertilizers. The present invention provides non-leguminous plants and leguminous plants, including legumes that fail to nodulate with Rhizobia, with bacteria that enable them to fix nitrogen endophytically. Therefore, the plants contain nitrogen fixing bacteria the bacteria being located intracellularly in living plant cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-liquid composite material, a manufacturing method and an application of the same. Liquid-phase material, solid-phase material, and solvent are distributed to form a distributed system. The solid-phase material and liquid-phase material in the solvent can be suspensions, emulsions, microemulsions, colloids, or solutions. A portion or all of the solvent is removed to produce the solid-liquid composite material. The liquid-phase material is approximately equal to 1%˜80% of the total mass of the solid-liquid composite material. The porosity of the solid-phase material is approximately equal to 10%˜80% in the solid-liquid composite material. The specific surface area of the porous material is approximately equal to 50˜2000 cm2/cm3. The field-chromatic material is added to the solid-liquid composite material to form a field-chromatic device.

Abstract: The invention relates to degradable composites and their use in biomedical implants, in particular the repair of damaged bones and/or cartilage.

Abstract: We describe modified bacterial cells that are defective in gene expression and their use in the treatment of bacterial infections of animals and plants and the inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining the strain or strains of yeast in a sample, comprising: obtaining and screening nucleic acid from yeast for target sequences comprises all or part of a gene, or a flanking region associated with a gene, in the yeast mitochondrial DNA; and determining from the results of the screen the yeast strain or strains in the sample. Also provided is a method of determining the genetic stability of a yeast strain in a sample, wherein one target sequences in the nucleic acid comprises all or part of a gene, or a flanking region associated with a gene, in the yeast mitochondrial DNA or all or part of a gene, or a flanking region associated with a gene, located in the subtelomeric region of a chromosome; and determining from the results of the screen if the yeast strain is genetically stable.

Abstract: A method for testing the mechanical properties of a specimen having a first contact surface and a second contact surface spaced apart and opposing the first contact surface, the method comprising: applying forces to the contact surfaces of the specimen to deform the specimen over a period of time and determining the response of the specimen to the forces over time; and defining a spatial distance between the contact surfaces such that the equivalent gauge length of the specimen is greater than the distance between the contact surfaces.

Abstract: A power generating system 10 includes a drive arrangement 12 and a compressor 18 arranged to be driven by the drive arrangement 12 to compress gas, in particular air. The system 10 also includes an underwater storage arrangement 20 for storing compressed gas provided by the compressor 18 and an expander 22 for expanding compressed gas from the underwater storage arrangement 20 and/or the compressor 18 to thereby drive a generator 16 to generate electrical power.

Abstract: The invention relates to inhibitors of tissue transglutaminase II activity and their use as a tocolytic agent.

Abstract: A sample 10 is measured by generating ultrasound at 12, for example by using a laser 22 and spatial light modulator 26. The ultrasound is detected at 16, for example by optical beam deflection techniques. A characteristic of the generation at 12 is swept across a range of values to vary the efficiency of generation of ultrasound. The value of the characteristic, which corresponds with the peak amplitude detected at 16, is identified to provide a measure of the acoustic velocity at the region 12. The method is executed at a plurality of sites 12, 20 to provide a set of spatially resolved measurements of the sample 10. This allows an image of the sample to be created.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of screening arrays of polymers having pre-determined surface energies. The polymer arrays of the present invention can be used to screen for microorganism adherence. More specifically the arrays can be used to screen for adherence of particular bacteria or fungi to particular polymers in the array. Furthermore, this invention relates to a method combining in-situ polymer synthesis with physico-chemical characterisation of the resulting polymer array and subsequent biological assays of bacterial or fungal adherence. This allows for high throughput screening and characterisation of candidate polymers which are not susceptible to bacterial or fungal adherence or which can be used to support bacterial or fungal adherence where such is required. The arrays can also be used to screen for inhibition or promotion of biofilm formation.

Abstract: A power generating system 10 includes a drive arrangement 12 and a compressor 18 arranged to be driven by the drive arrangement 12 to compress gas, in particular air. The system 10 also includes an underwater storage arrangement 20 for storing compressed gas provided by the compressor 18 and an expander 22 for expanding compressed gas from the underwater storage arrangement 20 and/or the compressor 18 to thereby drive a generator 16 to generate electrical power.

Abstract: Heat exchangers can be utilised in thermo-acoustic engines to facilitate through acoustic oscillations electrical power generation via linear alternators and/or cooling effects. Provision of a heat exchanger arrangement 31 which can be associated with a traditional open flame stove utilised in third world countries would be advantageous. However, such heat exchanger arrangements must be lightweight and robust to withstand operational use. By creating a heat exchanger arrangement formed from plates having apertures which develop a folded conduit to act as a resonance tube of appropriate length it is possible to more easily accommodate thermo-acoustic electrical power generation and cooling effects in a traditional stove configuration.

Abstract: A compound of formula (I) and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates and physiologically hydrolysable, solubilising or immobilisable derivatives wherein: Ar is a 5-membered heteroaryl ring wherein X1 and X2 are one or two heteroatoms or Ar is a 6-membered aromatic ring, wherein heteroatoms are selected from S, O, N, Se; Z is NH, NHCO, NHSO2, N-alkyl, CH2NH, CH2N-alkyl, CH2, CH2CH2, CH?CH, CH2CONH, SO2, or SO; Y is N CR3; R1, R2, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 are each independently H, or a substituent; R3, when present, is selected from alkyl and a substituent, with the proviso that when Y is CR3, Ar is a 5-membered heterocycle comprising one or two N heteroatoms and Z is NH, then R3 is selected from C3+ alkyl and a substituent; R4 is selected from H, alkyl and R13 as hereinbefore defined, with the proviso that when R3 is absent, R4 is selected from alkyl and a substituent; processes for the preparation thereof, intermediates and precursors therefore and the use thereof as a medicament, and therapeutic comp

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and kits for stabilising blood cell conjugates in blood samples for subsequent analysis. The invention particularly relates to methods and kits for use in fixing and stabilising platelet aggregates in blood samples, and methods for detecting the degree of platelet aggregation in a sample. The invention extends to kits for monitoring the efficacy of anti-thrombotic treatment regimes using platelet aggregation analysis. Two compositions with aliphatic aldehydes and a buffer are employed in a consecutive order. The second composition comprises addition a chelating agent.

Abstract: A method of double crossover homologous recombination in a host cell comprising: a first homologous recombination event between a donor DNA molecule comprising a first element of a selectable allele and an acceptor DNA molecule comprising a second element of the selectable allele in the host cell, thereby to form a product of the first homologous recombination event in the host cell; and a second homologous recombination event within the product of the first homologous recombination event, thereby to form a product of the second homologous recombination event in the host cell which confers a selectable phenotype on the host cell, wherein the selectable phenotype arises following and in dependency on the formation of a selectable allele from the first and second elements of the selectable allele.