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There is provided a method for culturing a population of cancer stem cells. The method comprises introducing the cancer stem cells on or in a cell culture substrate, the cell culture substrate being in the form of a gel comprising a conjugate of a glycosaminoglycan and a substituted phenalkylamine.

In various embodiments, a magnetic medium may be provided. The magnetic medium may include a substrate. The substrate may include a servo layer over the substrate. The servo layer may include a cap layer having a first coercivity. The servo layer may also include a granular layer having a second coercivity greater than the first coercivity. The servo layer may also include an intervening layer between the cap layer and the granular layer.

A joint apparatus includes: a first holding unit which attracts and holds a first substrate; a second holding unit which attracts and holds a second substrate; an imaging unit which images, from outside a chamber, alignment marks provided on the first substrate and the second substrate via a through hole formed in the chamber and the first holding unit; a light source which radiates, from outside the chamber, light to the first substrate and the second substrate via a through hole formed in the chamber and the second holding unit; and a horizontal position adjustment unit which adjusts a horizontal position of the first holding unit.

A joint apparatus includes: a first holding unit which attracts and holds a first substrate; a second holding unit which attracts and holds a second substrate; a pressurization unit which presses the first substrate and the second substrate against each other; a first adjustment unit which adjusts a position of the first holding unit along a first horizontal direction; and a second adjustment unit which adjusts the position of the first holding unit along a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The first holding unit is rotated around a vertical axis using the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit.

There is provided at least one isolated cell comprising at least one HBV epitope-reactive exogenous T cell receptor and/or fragment thereof, and methods for producing them. In particular, there is provided polynucleotides, constructs and vectors encoding at least one HBV epitope-reactive exogenous T cell receptor for use in the treatment of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The invention further provides kits and methods of detection of HBV and HCC.

An influenza detector for detecting a targeted influenza virus and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor for Influenza A virus detection in liquid are provided. The influenza detector includes a liquid environment, the surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor and an influenza specific binding agent such as an antibody. The agent is immobilized on a surface of the SAW sensor for selectively capturing an analyte for the targeted influenza virus. The SAW sensor is in contact with the liquid environment and includes a substrate comprising a piezo-electric material for producing a surface acoustic wave signal in response to an applied electric field and an insulative layer formed on top of the substrate and having a functionalized surface formed thereon for selectively immobilizing the influenza specific binding agent, the functionalized surface being in contact with the liquid environment. The surface acoustic wave signal produced by the SAW sensor changes in response to the analyte for the targeted influenza virus being present in the liquid environment and being captured by the influenza specific binding agent immobilized on the functionalized surface of the insulative layer of the SAW sensor.

A method and system for sound-induced sleep is provided. The method includes detecting brainwave signals of a subject. The method further includes analyzing the brainwave signals to determine a current sleepy state of the subject and selecting a sound in response to the current sleepy state based on a quantified association index between the brainwave signals and acoustical features of the sound. The method further more includes playing the sound to the subject.

Previously, we have shown that a cancer associated-PRL-3 intracellular phosphatase is a potential therapeutic target for PRL-3 antibody therapy. PRL-3 has recently emerged as a potentially useful biomarker for cancer prognosis, particularly the prediction of cancer metastasis (Matsukawa et al, 2010, Ren et al, 12 2009). Here we demonstrate that PRL-3 can act as an independent prognostic marker for cancers.

Antibodies specifically binding an epitope comprised in the ?-chain of c-Met, modifications, compositions and uses thereof are disclosed herein.

Methods for the improved purification of antibodies and other proteins from protein preparations including the steps of conditioning the protein preparation by contacting it with multivalent organic ions, then applying the conditioned preparation to an adsorptive chromatography medium.