Abstract: Provided is a method of focusing particles. The method includes: providing a suspension of the particles in a suspending medium; and flowing the suspension along a channel, such that the flowing suspension occupies a certain volume that has at least one cross-sectional dimension smaller than 100 ?m. The suspending medium has such viscoelastic properties, that flowing the suspension in the channel directs at least some of the particles towards a focus region, enclosed in said certain volume.

Abstract: Process for preserving insulin secreting cells intended to be transplanted, including the following steps: introducing an initial volume of culture medium and insulin-secreting cells into a culture container, providing a culture medium source, and replacing, at time intervals below 8 hours, the culture medium in the culture container with culture medium from the source so as to renew the culture medium contained in the container.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a dose and schedule and making dose adjustments of PBA prodrugs used to treat nitrogen retention states, or ammonia accumulation disorders, by measuring urinary excretion of phenylacetylglutamine and/or total urinary nitrogen. The invention provides methods to select an appropriate dosage of a PBA prodrug based on the patient's dietary protein intake, or based on previous treatments administered to the patient. The methods are applicable to selecting or modifying a dosing regimen for a subject receiving an orally administered ammonia scavenging drug.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for designing and measuring a cell-electrode impedance sensor to detect chemical and biological samples, including biological cells. The method of designing a cell-electrode impedance sensor comprises: determining a cell free cell-electrode impedance and a cell-covered cell-electrode impedance; obtaining a sensor sensitivity of the cell-electrode impedance measurement system; and choosing one or more design parameters of the cell-electrode impedance sensor to maximize the sensor sensitivity. When the frequency of AC signal between electrodes ranges from 10 kHz to 40 kHz, the sensitivity of the sensor is maximized.

Abstract: The invention is a method for using an avian embryo to identify the neuripotency of a cell population. The invention may be used for applications such as screening for candidate neuripotent cell lines for masterbanking, validation of working cell banks, and identifying agents and conditions capable of inducing neural differentiation in a cell population.

Abstract: A method for monitoring consumption or release of a gaseous analyte such as oxygen by a liquid sample under investigation includes providing a cuvette (1) having an elongate narrow tube (12) of a material which is substantially gas impermeable and which is at least partly transparent to measurement excitation radiation and emission radiation along some of the length of the tube. The tube (12) has a cross-sectional area of under 1 mm2. The sample (15) is loaded into the cuvette (1), the sample being in contact with a probe in the tube (12), the probe being sensitive to the gaseous analyte, and the liquid having at least one surface and an associated headspace (16). The cuvette, the sample, and the probe are equilibrated at a target measurement temperature. Excitation radiation is directed at a sampling zone of the tube (12) and which is distal from the headspace (16), while maintaining the cuvette at the measurement temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel strains of Lactobacillus helveticus that can produce high amounts of hypotensive peptides, in particular IPP, VPP and LPP. It also relates to a fermented milk product containing a mixture of tripeptides IPP-VPP-LPP and a strain of L. helveticus. The invention further relates to the specific peptide mixture consisting of tripeptides IPP, VPP and LPP and the use of the fermented product or mixture of peptides in food products, food supplement or pharmaceutical compositions for reducing or preventing hypertension.

Abstract: A biocompatible ligament repair implant or scaffold device is provided for use in repairing a variety of ligament tissue injuries. The repair procedures may be conducted with ligament repair implants that contain a biological component that assists in healing or tissue repair. The biocompatible ligament repair implants include a biocompatible scaffold and particles of viable tissue derived from ligament tissue or tendon tissue, such that the tissue and the scaffold become associated. The particles of living tissue contain one or more viable cells that can migrate from the tissue and populate the scaffold.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a fluidized bed detector for continuous detection of biological and chemical materials comprising a fluidized bed of detecting elements suspended in a continuous flow system wherein the detecting elements remain in the system when a first force trying to move the detecting elements to the bottom of the system is balanced with a second opposing force of a flowing gas or liquid trying to move detecting elements to the top of the system and wherein the presence of a target molecule in the flowing gas or liquid disrupts the balance of the first and second forces causing the detecting element to exit the system. The release of the detecting element indicates the presence of the target molecule and may be captured, concentrated, or both for further evaluation by other assays or other means. Also disclosed is the related method of detecting biological and chemical materials using a fluidized bed detector.

Abstract: The process described in the instant invention has the steps of dissolving the lipid-containing biomass in an ionic liquid, whereby a lipid phase and a hydrophilic phase are formed. The lipid phase contains primarily triglycerides, which can be converted to biodiesel by transesterification to, e.g., methyl esters. The hydrophilic phase comprises dissolved biopolymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and protein. The biopolymers are converted in situ to compounds that are insoluble in the molten inorganic salt hydrate. The molten inorganic salt hydrates regenerated by removing insolubles, such as lignin, ash from the biomass, and water.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of selecting a cardiomyocyte from a cell population derived from a whole heart or a differentiated cell population derived from a stem cell without genetic alteration. Specifically, the invention relates to a method of selecting a cardiomyocyte from a cardiomyocyte-containing cell mixture without genetic alteration of a cardiomyocyte, on the basis of a relative content of cellular mitochondria and/or a relative mitochondrial transmembrane potential of the cell. The invention also relates to methods of enriching a cardiomyocyte from a cardiomyocyte-containing cell mixture without genetic alteration of a cardiomyocyte, producing a cardiomyocyte without genetic alteration of a cardiomyocyte, and evaluating the ratio of a cardiomyocyte in a cardiomyocyte-containing cell mixture.

Abstract: A method for producing biomass and sequestering greenhouse gas includes providing a greenhouse gas, providing light energy, and growing algae in a growth container with the greenhouse gas and the light energy. The algae can be processed into a biomass feedstock. The biomass feedstock can be converted into a fuel or specialty chemical. At least a portion of the algae can be used as a fertilizer for a biomass growth source.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining or predicting the response of a patient diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer to chemoradiotherapy. The present invention also aims to provide methods and devices for predicting the response of patients diagnosed with rectal cancer to specific medicaments, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. More specifically, the present invention provides methods which measure kinase activity by studying phosphorylation levels and profiles in samples of said patients.

Abstract: A method for treating a patient with migraine headache includes administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an invertebrate presynaptic neurotoxin in a pharmaceutically safe form. The administration includes extramuscular injection of the neurotoxin to emerging nerve points including foraminal sites for enabling neurotoxin access to concentrated nerve bundles at exit points of the foramina.

Abstract: A reagent composition for a biosensor sensor strip is disclosed that provides for rapid rehydration after drying. The composition includes porous particles and is preferably formed as a colloidal suspension. The dried reagent composition including porous particles may provide analytically useful output from the sensor strip in a shorter time period than observed from dried reagent compositions using solid particles. The output signal from the porous particle compositions may be correlated to the analyte concentration of a sample within about two seconds. In this manner, an accurate concentration determination of an analyte concentration in a sample may be obtained in less time than from sensor strips including conventional compositions. The reagent composition including the porous particles also may allow for the redox reaction between the reagents and the analyte to reach a maximum kinetic performance in a shorter time period than observed from conventional sensor strips.

Abstract: A method for the simultaneous concentration of multiple toxins from large volumes of water. The method includes the steps of providing a disposable separation centrifuge bowl, the centrifuge bowl including a positively charged material at it's inner core. A large water sample contaminated with toxins from a group consisting of protozoa, bacteria, bacterial spores, and toxins is delivered to the centrifuge bowl. A centrifugal force is applied to the separation bowl. The water sample is concentrated to remove large particles of the toxins in the bowl due to the centrifugal forces. The concentrated water sample is passes through the positively charged inner core to capture any remaining concentrated targets by electrostatic forces and the concentrated targets are eluted.

Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for culturing stem cell including embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and embryonic germ cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for using human placental alkaline phosphatase or an active derivative to reduce blood glucose level in a mammal. Treatment regimens provided by the invention may be used to control Type 1 and Type 2 forms of diabetes in humans. The methods and treatment regimens may be effective to maintain the human's blood glucose level below about 10 mM, and preferably within the normal range of 4 mM to 7 mM. The methods and treatment regimens may be used in combination with administration of known anti-diabetic medicaments. Also provided by the invention is a method for inducing weight loss or reducing an expected weight gain caused by or associated with obesity or Type 2 diabetes. The invention further provides a preparation for administration to a human, the preparation comprising homogeneous purified human placental alkaline phosphatase in a physiologically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: A method and kit are provided for enhancing the tolerance of an assay reagent to compounds in an assay sample, the assay reagent including a luciferase enzyme. The method includes contacting the luciferase with a tolerance enhancement agent in an amount sufficient to substantially protect luciferase enzyme activity from interference of the compound and minimize interference by at least about 10% relative to an assay not having tolerance enhancement agent.