Abstract: Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a battery including a rolling diaphragm configured to move to accommodate an internal volume change of one or more components of the battery. Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a battery housing including a rolling diaphragm seal disposed between an interior volume of the battery and an electrode assembly within the battery. Various embodiments may provide an air electrode assembly including an air electrode supported on a buoyant platform such that the air electrode is above a surface of a volume of electrolyte when the buoyant platform is floating in the electrolyte.

Abstract: A simple cellulose sulphate based microencapsulation technology has been applied to encapsulate bacterial or other microbial cells, which produce and release digestive enzymes and thereby provides an acid resistant shelter for these microbial cells. Surprisingly, the resulting spheres were found to provide sufficient protection for encapsulated cells from treatment with aqueous acidic solutions. Thereby the cellulose sulphate microencapsulated cells, such as probiotics are now enabled to survive passage, for example, through the stomach after consumption by a human or animal with a higher survival rate than those not within a microcapsule. After passing the stomach these cells are delivering products produced by them, e.g. enzymes or other nutrition factors. This technology therefore proves to be very useful in providing digestive or otherwise beneficial enzymes and/or of living microbial cells, into the lower gastrointestinal tract, where they could confer their health benefit to the host.

Abstract: A simple cellulose sulphate based microencapsulation technology has been applied to encapsulate bacterial or other microbial cells, which produce and release digestive enzymes and thereby provides an acid resistant shelter for these microbial cells. Surprisingly, the resulting spheres were found to provide sufficient protection for encapsulated cells from treatment with aqueous acidic solutions. Thereby the cellulose sulphate microencapsulated cells, such as probiotics are now enabled to survive passage, for example, through the stomach after consumption by a human or animal with a higher survival rate than those not within a microcapsule. After passing the stomach these cells are delivering products produced by them, e.g. enzymes or other nutrition factors. This technology therefore proves to be very useful in providing digestive or otherwise beneficial enzymes and/or of living microbial cells, into the lower gastrointestinal tract, where they could confer their health benefit to the host.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method of freeze-drying encapsulated cells, the method comprising at least two consecutive incubation steps, wherein the encapsulated cells are incubated in each incubation step in an incubation solution containing cryoprotectant over a suitable period of time, wherein the concentration of cryoprotectant in the incubation solution is increased with each subsequent incubation step. The disclosure also provides freeze dried cells that are obtained by this method as well as various uses of these cells as pharmaceutical, food additive or additive in cosmetics. The disclosure also provides a composition that contains skim milk, glycerol and a carbohydrate.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method of freeze-drying encapsulated cells, the method comprising at least two consecutive incubation steps, wherein the encapsulated cells are incubated in each incubation step in an incubation solution containing cryoprotectant over a suitable period of time, wherein the concentration of cryoprotectant in the incubation solution is increased with each subsequent incubation step. The disclosure also provides freeze dried cells that are obtained by this method as well as various uses of these cells as pharmaceutical, food additive or additive in cosmetics. The disclosure also provides a composition that contains skim milk, glycerol and a carbohydrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing whole tobacco leaves with stem, veins, and lamina material. The whole tobacco leaves are tipped, in order to receive tips and butts. The tips and butts are then separated. The separated tips are further processed by cutting or shredding, in order to receive light and heavy tip material. Once the light tip material is separated from the heavy tip material, the light tip material is dried, before it is finally packaged.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing whole tobacco leaves with stem, veins, and lamina material. The whole tobacco leaves are tipped, in order to receive tips and butts. The tips and butts are then separated. The separated tips are further processed by cutting or shredding, in order to receive light and heavy tip material. Once the light tip material is separated from the heavy tip material, the light tip material is dried, before it is finally packaged.

Abstract: A simple cellulose sulphate based microencapsulation technology has been applied to encapsulate bacterial or other microbial cells, which produce and release digestive enzymes and thereby provides an acid resistant shelter for these microbial cells. Surprisingly, the resulting spheres were found to provide sufficient protection for encapsulated cells from treatment with aqueous acidic solutions. Thereby the cellulose sulphate microencapsulated cells, such as probiotics are now enabled to survive passage, for example, through the stomach after consumption by a human or animal with a higher survival rate than those not within a microcapsule. After passing the stomach these cells are delivering products produced by them, e.g. enzymes or other nutrition factors. This technology therefore proves to be very useful in providing digestive or otherwise beneficial enzymes and/or of living microbial cells, into the lower gastrointestinal tract, where they could confer their health benefit to the host.

Abstract: The present invention relates to retroviral vectors carrying DNA sequences encoding SDI-1, function analogues of SDI-1, or fragments thereof, or antisense SDI-1 DNA sequences, and especially retroviral vectors carrying the SDI-1 or antisense SDI-1 sequences under the transcriptional control of target cell specific regulatory elements or promoters or X-ray inducible promoters. Further, the invention relates to the use of such retroviral vectors for the production of recombinant retroviral particles useful for the treatment of disorders or diseases responsive to the anti-proliferative activity of SDI-1, or the proliferative activity of antisense SDI-1 sequences.

Abstract: The present invention relates to capsules encapsulating cytochrome P450 producing cells and cytochrome P450 producing retroviral packaging cells. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the treatment of cancer or any other relevant disease with said capsules and to the use of said capsules for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for said treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of the rodent WAP (Whey Acidic Protein) and the MMTV (Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus) regulatory sequences for targeted expression of linked heterologous genes, in particular therapeutic genes in human mammary cells, including human mammary carcinoma cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a retroviral vector which is especially applicable as a safe gene transfer vehicle for targeted gene therapy. Said retroviral vector comprises one or more promoters inserted in antisense orientation within the 5′ LTR region and one or more coding sequences inserted in antisense orientation within the 3′ LTR region. Both, the promoter as well as the coding sequence, are additionally inserted in such a way as to ensure that the promoter and the coding sequence become duplicated during the process of reverse transcription in a target cell and thus appear in the 3′ as well as in the 5′ LTR region of the resulting provirus in a fashion where the promoter is located upstream of the coding sequence allowing it to drive gene expression. This system avoids any leakiness of gene expression in the packaging cells, and allows expression of transferred genes in the target cell without the necessity for external stimuli.

Abstract: The present invention relates to encapsulated cells producing viral particles, especially retroviral particles containing the genome of a retroviral vector carrying therapeutic genes, to methods for the preparation of such encapsulated cells, as well as to the use of such encapsulated cells for the delivery of genes, especially therapeutic genes, to target organs/cells.

Abstract: The invention refers to a novel recombinant vectors useful for gene therapy of viral infections and of diseases associated with B and T cells. The present invention relates, furthermore, to novel usages of the two products of the open reading frame of mouse mammary tumour virus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a retroviral vector encoding heterologous genes particularly for gene therapy of genetic defects or viral infections.

Abstract: A process for preparing tobacco stem for use as filler for a smoking article includes classifying the green tobacco stem by diameter to provide a plurality of stem grades and rolling each grade separately. Each grade is rolled under rolling conditions optimized for that grade including rolling the grade through the nip between rollers with the nip size being adjusted for each grade so as to achieve a uniform rolled stem thickness and the oven volatiles content of the stem being adjusted before the rolling. The yield of flat rolled stem which may be used directly as filler is increased, and the average stem length and thus the average length of cut filler from stem is increased.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method for the detection and quantification of variants of nucleic acid sequences, which differ in the probe-binding site. The method is based on the complete and/or partial amplification of the same region of the variants and the addition of two or more oligonucleotide probes to the same PCR mixture, each probe being specific for the prob-binding site of at least one variant. The method can be applied e.g. to estimate the viral load in a sample, to differentiate between subgroups, subtypes isolates or clades of a viral species or to estimate the impact of the viral load on tumorgenesis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to capsules encapsulating cytochrome P450 producing cells and cytochrome P450 producing retroviral packaging cells. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the treatment of cancer or any other relevant disease with said capsules and to the use of said capsules for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for said treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to capsules encapsulating antibody-producing cells, and to use of such capsules and encapsulated cells, respectively, for implantation in vivo for long term delivery or sustained delivery of antibodies of therapeutic interest.

Abstract: The invention refers to a novel recombinant vectors useful for gene therapy of viral infections and of diseases associated with B and T cells. The present invention relates, furthermore, to novel usages of the two products of the open reading frame of mouse mammary tumour virus.