Described herein are methods of producing prebiotic compositions that are made up of oligosaccharide compositions, as well as methods of using such prebiotic compositions in nutritional compositions and methods of producing such oligosaccharide and nutritional compositions.

In alternative embodiments, the invention provides vaccines, pharmaceutical compounds and formulations for diagnosing, preventing, treating or ameliorating Group A Streptococcus (GAS), Group C Streptococcus (GCS), or Group A Streptococcus (GGS), infections, or other pathogenic Streptococcus infections. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides compositions such as diagnostic tests, assays, immunoassays and test strips, and methods, for detecting or diagnosing the presence of a Streptococcal infection, e.g., Group A Streptococcus (GAS), Group C Streptococcus (GCS), or Group A Streptococcus (GGS), infections, or other pathogenic Streptococcus infections.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising fractionated alkylated cyclodextrin compositions having a single degree of substitution, and processes for preparing and using the same.

Disclosed herein is a novel compound of formula (I) for detecting circulating cancerous cells, particularly, cholangio-cancerous cells, from a biological sample,

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wherein, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently H, or —SO.sub.3M; and M is a monovalent cation selected from the group consisting of sodium ion, potassium ion, lithium ion or ammonium ion. Also disclosed herein is a method of treating and detecting cholangio-cancerous cells from a biological sample of a subject suspected of having cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The method includes steps of, contacting the biological sample with a magnetic bead pre-coated with the compound of formula (I); detecting a complex formed between the magnetic bead and the biological sample in an immunoassay; and administering to the subject an effective amount of a chemotherapeutic agent to ameliorate symptoms associated with the CCA.

A preparation of a homogeneous polysaccharide from a Radix Puerariae aqueous extract is provided and the lipid-lowering activity of the polysaccharide is studied. It is proved through in vivo experiments that the homogeneous polysaccharide QL extracted from Radix Puerariae (a genuine medicinal material in Jiangxi Province) in the present disclosure has significant lipid-lowering activity, can significantly reduce a serum triglyceride content and a liver index, and can be used to develop a potential safe and effective lipid-lowering drug.

The present disclosure provides retrievable artificial food particles comprising one or more compound of interest, and methods of using the artificial food particles. The methods disclosed herein can be used to characterize the composition and/or functional state of a subjects gut microbiota. Other aspects of the compositions and methods are described in further detail.

A liquid ink composition includes a liquid phase and particles suspended in the liquid phase, the particles containing a target pharmaceutical or biological agent. The biological activity of the target pharmaceutical or biological agent is preserved upon suspension of the particles in the liquid phase. The liquid phase is capable of solidifying via a solidification process.

Described herein are efficient, low cost methods for making prebiotics that contain maltosyl-isomaltooligosaccharides (MIMOs), as well as compositions made by such methods.

The present invention relates to a polysialic acid according to the general formula (1) as given as follows and derivatives thereof: (α(2.fwdarw.8)Neu5Ac).sub.n, with n being an integer in the range from 6 to 13, for use in the prevention or treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising as an active ingredient said polysialic acid and/or derivatives and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of producing said polysialic acid and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for labeling cells using click chemistry reagents. The compositions and methods disclosed herein provide a specific and efficient means of localizing desired agents to a variety of cell types in vivo and in vitro.