Abstract: A slide fastener is provided. A pair of coupling elements provided along adjacent edges of a pair of fastener tapes. A slider is configured to engage or separate the pair of coupling elements with or from each other. An end stop is secured to the pair of fastener tapes at an end portion of the pair of coupling elements. The pair of coupling elements are secured to each other at one region of the end portion of the pair of coupling elements. The one region extends between a rear end portion of a diamond of the slider and a base portion of the slider in a state where the base portion of the slider comes in contact with the end stop.

Abstract: A well intervention system (10) which is adapted to be coupled to a subsea wellhead assembly (12) is described. The subsea wellhead assembly has a wellhead, a subsea tree (14) coupled to the wellhead and a well control package, having a plurality of well control valves, coupled to the subsea tree. The intervention system (10) comprises a vessel (44) for storing and deploying wireline tooling, first fluid communication means extending between the vessel and a purging fluid supply (57) and second fluid communication means extending between the vessel and the well control package at a location above at least one well control valve. In use, purging fluid applied to the vessel via the first fluid communication means displaces fluid from the vessel into the second fluid communication means and into the well control package. Embodiments of the invention are described.

Abstract: A subsea assembly (11) comprises a valve assembly (12) and a winch assembly (8) mounted relative to the valve assembly (12). The valve assembly (12) comprises: a valve block (22) defining a throughbore (24); a valve member (26) mounted within the valve block (22) and adapted to be moved between open and closed positions to selectively provide a fluid barrier within the throughbore (24); and first and second valve stems (29, 31) extending from respective sides of the valve member (26) and through a side wall of the valve block (22), each valve stem (29, 31) including a sealing region in fluid communication with the throughbore (24), wherein a cross-sectional area of the sealing region of the first valve stem (29) is substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the sealing region of the second valve stem (31).

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to devices, systems, and methods for acquiring and/or dispensing a sample without introducing a gas into a microfluidic system, such as a liquid bridge system. An exemplary embodiment provides a sampling device including an outer sheath; a plurality of tubes within the sheath, in which at least one of the tubes acquires a sample, and at least one of the tubes expels a fluid that is immiscible with the sample, in which the at least one tube that acquires the sample is extendable beyond a distal end of the sheath and retractable to within the sheath; and a valve connected to a distal portion of the sheath, in which the valve opens when the tube extends beyond the distal end and closes when the tube retracts to within the sheath.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a devices, systems, and methods for amplifying nucleic acids in flowing droplets. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a device for amplifying nucleic acids including at least one channel through which sample droplets including nucleic acids flow, in which the nucleic acids in the droplets are optically detectable while the droplets are flowing through the channel, and a plurality of temperature zones in thermal contact with the channel, in which the zones are located at different locations along the channel and the zones are separated from each other.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to an integrated fluidic circuit. In certain embodiments, the circuit includes a main chamber having a withdrawal port, a carrier fluid occupying a volume in the chamber, in which the carrier fluid is immiscible with a sample fluid, and a plurality of liquid bridges disposed within the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods for culturing and analyzing cells using liquid bridges.

Abstract: A method of processing geophysical data including at least measured potential field data from a potential field survey of a surveyed region of the earth to provide a representation of the geology of said surveyed region, the method comprising generating a first model of said surveyed region by fitting data predicted by said first model to said measured data for a specified frequency range; predicting full range potential field data for all measured frequencies using said generated first model; comparing said full range predicted data to said measured potential field data to provide full range residual data representing a difference between the full range predicted data and the full range measured data, and interpreting said full range residual data to provide a representation of said geology of said surveyed region.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates methods for analyzing agricultural and/or environmental samples using liquid bridges. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a method for analyzing an agricultural sample for a desired trait including obtaining a gene or gene product from an agricultural sample, in which the gene or gene product is in a first fluid; providing a liquid bridge for mixing the gene or gene product with at least one reagent to form a mixed droplet that is wrapped in an immiscible second fluid; and analyzing the mixed droplet to detect a desired trait of the agricultural sample.

Abstract: We describe a method of processing geophysical data including at least measured potential field data from a potential field survey of a surveyed region of the earth to provide a three-dimensional representation of the underlying geology of said surveyed region, the method comprising: inputting terrain-corrected potential field data for said surveyed region, said potential field data comprising data for a range of spatial wavelengths, geological features at different depths in said surveyed region being associated with different wavelengths in said range of wavelengths; filtering said potential field data by spatial wavelength to generate a first plurality of filtered sets of potential field data, each relating to a respective wavelength or range of wavelengths, each targeting geological features at a different respective said depth; processing each said filtered set of potential field data, to identify a set of spatial features comprising one or both of line spatial features and point spatial features in each

Abstract: The invention provides a lubricating composition containing an oil of lubricating viscosity, an oil soluble molybdenum compound, and an ashless antiwear agent. The invention further provides for a new antioxidant. The lubricating composition is suitable for lubricating an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of lubricating an aluminium-composite surface by supplying to the aluminium composite surface (typically an internal combustion engine aluminium surface) a lubricating composition comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity and an ashless antiwear agent.

Abstract: A composition comprising a mixture of: (i) an aromatic polycarbonate; (ii) a graft copolymer including polyacrylonitrile; and, (iii) a non-crosslinked acrylic polymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of less than or equal to 65,000 Daltons (Da).

Abstract: The invention provides a lubricating composition containing an oil of lubricating viscosity and a hydrogenated copolymer of an olefin block and vinyl aromatic block, wherein the copolymer is optionally functionalised. The invention further provides a method for preparing a hydrogenated copolymer; and the use of the lubricating composition.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for mixing and dispensing a sample droplet from a microfluidic system, such as a liquid bridge system. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems for mixing and dispensing sample droplets, including a sample acquisition stage, a device for mixing sample droplets to form sample droplets wrapped in an immiscible carrier fluid, a dispensing port, and at least one channel connecting the stage, the droplet mixing device, and the port, in which the system is configured to establish a siphoning effect for dispensing the droplets.

Abstract: A microfluidic connector (1) comprises an enclosure (6, 7), a fluidic inlet port (2) and a fluidic outlet port (3), in the enclosure, in which the inlet and outlet ports (2, 3) are movable with respect to each other, for example, mutual spacing between the inlet and outlet ports (2, 3) is variable. A port (2) is in a fixed part (6) of the enclosure, and another port (3) is in a part (7) of the enclosure which slides with respect to the fixed part. There may be multiple inlet ports (22, 23) and/or multiple outlet ports (24, 25). Also, there may be an auxiliary port (45) for introduction of fluid into the enclosure (47, 48) or removal of fluid from the enclosure.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of conducting a nucleic acid reaction, including methods for performing digital PCR using a “droplet-in-oil” technology. In the methods, the starting sampled is segmented at least partially into a set of sample droplets each containing on average about one or fewer copies of a target nucleic acid. The droplets are passed in a continuous flow of immiscible carrier fluid through a channel that passes through a thermal cycler, whereby the target is amplified. In one implementation, the droplets are about 350 nl each and the number of positively amplified droplets is counted at the near-saturation point.

Abstract: A microfluidic analysis system (1) performs polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on a bio sample. In a centrifuge (6) the sample is separated into DNA and RNA constituents. The vortex is created by opposing flow of a silicon oil primary carrier fluid effecting circulation by viscous drag. The bio sample exits the centrifuge enveloped in the primary carrier fluid. This is pumped by a flow controller (7) to a thermal stage (9). The thermal stage (9) has a number of microfluidic devices (70) each having thermal zones (71, 72, 73) in which the bio sample is heated or cooled by heat conduction to/from a thermal carrier fluid and the primary carrier fluid. Thus, the carrier fluids envelope the sample, control its flowrate, and control its temperature without need for moving parts at the micro scale.

Abstract: A real time detector system for monitoring ram alignment in a can bodymaker measures ram (10) position immediately before and during impact with the dome forming station (1). Displacement measurements of the ram enable the user to adjust dome (1) position or otherwise correct ram (10) alignment and avoid multiple can failures.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) is for DNA amplification with quantitative measurements. A biological sample is held in a cell (2) for the amplification, the cell (2) defining a single space within which the sample rotates. On one side a copper heater (3) is located to supply heat to the cell (2), and on the other side there is a cooling copper block (4) withdrawing heat from the cell. The locations of the heater (3) and the cooling block (4) generate a natural convection loop internally within the cell (2) without need for active cooling—the block (4) passively cooling by withdrawing heat from the direction of the heater (3). A detector (9, 27) captures readings in real time and a processor (10) generates an S-curve for change of sample emission with time. The S-curve (FIGS. 4 and 5) also includes a thermal cycle number corresponding to the time parameter, so that the S-curve is given in the traditional qPCR intensity vs. cycle number.