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For the realization of small-scale biomass-to-liquid (BTL) processes, low-cost syngas cleaning remains a major obstacle, and for this reason a simplified gas ultracleaning process is being developed. In this study, a low- to medium-temperature final gas cleaning process based on adsorption and organic solvent-free scrubbing methods was coupled to a pilot-scale staged fixed-bed gasification facility including hot filtration and catalytic reforming steps for extended duration gas cleaning tests for the generation of ultraclean syngas. The final gas cleaning process purified syngas from woody and agricultural biomass origin to a degree suitable for catalytic synthesis. The gas contained up to 3000 ppm of ammonia, 1300 ppm of benzene, 200 ppm of hydrogen sulfide, 10 ppm of carbonyl sulfide, and 5 ppm of hydrogen cyanide. Post-run characterization displayed that the accumulation of impurities on the Cu-based deoxygenation catalyst (TOS 105 h) did not occur, demonstrating that effective main impurity removal was achieved in the first two steps: acidic water scrubbing (AWC) and adsorption by activated carbons (AR). In the final test campaign, a comprehensive multipoint gas analysis confirmed that ammonia was fully removed by the scrubbing step, and benzene and H2S were fully removed by the subsequent activated carbon beds. The activated carbons achieved > 90% removal of up to 100 ppm of COS and 5 ppm of HCN in the syngas. These results provide insights into the adsorption affinity of activated carbons in a complex impurity matrix, which would be arduous to replicate in laboratory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is a promising source that has the potential to revolutionize the world of bioenergy, bioproducts, and nondigestible dietary components. As a substrate, LB has proven to be particularly attractive for the production of high-value cello-oligosaccharides (COS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), which offer diverse applications in the food, biopharmaceutical, and other industries, as well as potential health benefits, including prebiotic and antidiabetic effects. However, despite these promising developments, the manufacturing of these oligosaccharides remains a challenge due to slow reactions and low yields. Therefore, this review presents various pretreatment techniques to improve enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as the possibilities of employing a multi-step process and utilizing thermostable enzymes to enhance the production of COS and XOS from LB. Additionally, this review addressed the potential for by-product recovery during the XOS and COS production and the separation of β-glucosidase enzymes using the "separation–adsorption" method in high-temperature and continuous systems for COS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research on parenting programs typically focuses on program-specific evaluations, this article considers therapeutic competence as a transversal feature across different programs. It draws empirically on focus group interviews with practitioners of two separate parenting programs in Sweden: Circle of Security (COS-P) and Communication Method (COMET). The qualitative data analysis shows how the practitioners of both programs used their therapeutic competence to tailor the program manuals for each parent group; they combined the techniques of positive reinforcement and intentional self-disclosure with an attuned flexibility that was enabled by mentalization. The article concludes that therapeutic competence is a crucial aspect of parenting programs that needs further attention from scholars and practitioners alike. Highlights: Draws on qualitative data from focus group interviews with parenting program practitioners in Sweden. Focuses on the therapeutic competence of the practitioner as a transversal feature across two different parenting programs (COS-P and COMET). Shows how a combination of positive reinforcement, intentional self-disclosure, and mentalization, was used by the practitioners for enhanced program adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeS2/CoS and FeS2/CoS/C composites were synthesized by solvothermal method and following vapor phase vulcanization at mild temperature with binary oxide CoFe2O4 as precursors. All FeS2/CoS composites prepared at different molar ratios of Fe3+ and Co2+ ions exhibit the similar morphology of solid microspheres. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the as-prepared FeS2/CoS and FeS2/CoS/C composites show higher reversible capacity and better cycling performance, compared with the bare FeS2 and CoS. Among them, the FeS2/CoS composite with molar ratio of Fe3+ and Co2+ of 2:1 exhibits the high reversible capacity of 1150 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1 and even 610 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 900 cycles. This strategy for synthesizing the heterogeneous structure of binary sulfide can effectively improve the kinetic which thus enhance the electrochemical performance of materials. This work can provide an effective method and idea for the preparation and modification of FeS2 and other transition metal sulfide anode materials for LIBs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bauxite residue, also known as red mud (RM), is a kind of industrial solid waste with high alkali content, complex composition and difficult utilization. In this study, a new type of RM-based adsorbent was prepared by using polyethylene glycol modified RM and was used to remove low concentration of COS in flue gas. The optimum preparation conditions of adsorbent and the optimum technological parameters of COS adsorption purification were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the adsorption efficiency of the new adsorbent exceeds 95%, and the COS adsorption capacity reaches 63.56 mg/m3. The characterization results showed that the main active components of the adsorbent were active alkali, FeOOH and Fe3O4, and the main products were Na2S2O3, Na2SO4, FeS and FeS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although lithium–sulfur batteries are promising replacements for conventional lithium-ion batteries, their commercial applications have been limited due to issues such as polysulfide dissolution, volume variation, and low conductivity. To overcome these problems, we designed and hydrothermally synthesized a flower-like three-dimensional CoS/multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite as the sulfur host material. The CoS and MWCNTs were tightly joined by chemical bonds to form a stable composite structure. The polar and catalytic CoS can promote the redox process and reduce the dissolution of polysulfides, while the flexible carbon nanotubes can buffer the expansion/shrinkage of the electrode during charging and discharging. CoS/MWCNT-S displays an excellent specific capacity (1120 mAh g−1, 0.1 C) and high capacity retention after 200 cycles (78%, 0.5 C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is synthesis of a promising bacterial elimination nanohybrid for water disinfection. Hence dextrin, a carbohydrate polymer composed of linear α-(1,4)-linked d-glucose, is used as an intermediate to prepare Fe3O4–dextrin–CoS nanohybrid. At the first step magnetic dextrin was prepared by one step ultrasound assisted route using Fe2+ as iron source and dextrin as capping agent. At the second step functional groups of dextrin was employed to trap Co2+ ions for decorating CoS at the biosorbent structure through refluxing route. The structure of the magnetic dextrin and nanohybrid was studied by XRD, EDX, FESEM, TGA and zeta potential measurement. EDX and TGA results confirmed that the CoS has been decorated with high density onto magnetite dextrin structure. The prepared nanohybrid has been employed to capture Escherichia coli as a sample pathogen from water solution. Effective parameters on bacterial elimination, i.e., pH, contact time, nanohybrid dosage and presence of anions have been studied. Results showed that at pH of 3.5, contact time of 15 min and nanohybrid dosage of 20 mg E. coli capturing efficacy was more than 99% which confirmed high efficiency of the nanosystem in bacteria elimination from water solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal sulfide nanomaterials have attracted great interest because of their excellent properties and promising applications in sensing, energy harvesting, magnetic and optoelectronic devices, especially their well-aligned crystalline nanostructures are highly desirable for the enhanced performance and novel applications. In this study, the cobalt monosulfide (CoS) nanofibers with uniform shape and good crystallinity were firstly obtained via electrospinning and atmospheric calcination routes under controllable conditions. It was found that the CoS nanofibers exhibited ethanol sensing properties at the optimum working temperature of 200 °C, the response was 11.6 toward 100 × 10−6 ethanol gas, and the CoS nanofibers-based sensor exhibits a short response time and recovery time of 5 and 6 s at the optimum temperature, respectively, the result also shows that the sensor has good stability after 50 days, which would be a favorable characteristic as a promising sensor. In addition, the Pauli paramagnetic property of CoS nanofibers was also investigated at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Core outcome set; Core outcome measure; COS; Outcomes; Clinical trial; Research EN Core outcome set Core outcome measure COS Outcomes Clinical trial Research 389 391 3 04/13/22 20220501 NES 220501 Many questions regarding optimal therapeutics for specific patient problems remain to be answered. Creation of a COS is important but no COS will be successful if it is not widely employed by researchers. Core outcome set, Core outcome measure, COS, Outcomes, Clinical trial, Research. [Extracted from the article]

The prepared non-precious metal composite catalyst uses Eosin Y as a sensitizer; triethanolamine is an electronic sacrificial agent. It has high efficiency and stable catalytic activity. CoS/ZnWO4 has a stronger ability to absorb visible light and greater photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity than ZnWO4. The hydrogen production rate of CoS/ZnWO4 can reach 7.12 mmol/h/g, and the catalytic activity is 3.6 times that of CoS. The excellent catalytic activity of the composite catalyst is due to its proper band gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the performance of the VITEK® MS IVD V3.0 matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization - time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) V3.0 database for the identification of Nocardia spp. as compared with targeted DNA sequencing. A collection of 222 DNA sequence-defined Nocardia spp. strains encompassing 18 different species present or not in the database was tested. Bromocresol purple agar (BCP) and Columbia agar +5% sheep's blood (COS) culture media were used together with two different preparation steps: direct smear and a "3 attempts" procedure that covered (1) spotting of an extract, (2) new spotting of the same extract, and (3) spotting of a new extract. The direct smear protocol yielded low correct identification rates (≤ 15% for both media) whereas protein extraction yielded correct identification results (> 67% regardless of the media used.). The use of 2 additional attempts using repeat or new extracts increased correct identification rates to 87% and 91% for BCP and COS, respectively. When using the 3 attempts procedure, the best identification results, independent of media types, were obtained for N. farcinica and N. cyriacigeorgica (100%). Identification attempts 2 and 3 allowed to increase the number of correct identifications (BCP, +20%; COS, +13%). The enhancement in performance during attempts 2 and 3 was remarkable for N. abscessus (81% for both media) and low prevalence species (BCP, 70%; COS, 85%). Up to 3.4% and 2.4% of the strains belonging to species present in the database were misidentified with BCP and COS media, respectively. In 1.9% of the cases for BCP and 1.4% for COS, these misidentifications concerned a species belonging to the same phylogenetic complex. Concerning strains that are not claimed in the V3.0 database, N. puris and N. goodfellowi generated "No identification" results and 100% of the strains belonging to N. arthritidis, N.cerradoensis, and N. altamirensis yielded a misidentification within the same phylogenetic complex. Vitek® MS IVD V3.0 is an accurate and useful tool for identification of Nocardia spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of metal sulfides-carbon nanocomposites with a hollow structure is highly attractive for various energy storage and conversion technologies. Herein, we report a facile two-step method for preparing a nanocomposite with CoS nanoparticles in N-doped carbon nanotube hollow frameworks (NCNTFs). Starting from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) particles, in situ reduced metallic cobalt nanocrystals expedite the formation of the hierarchical hollow frameworks from staggered carbon nanotubes via a carbonization process. After a follow-up sulfidation reaction with sulfur powder, the embedded cobalt crystals are transformed into CoS nanoparticles. Benefitting from the robust hollow frameworks made of N-doped carbon nanotubes and highly active CoS ultrafine nanoparticles, this advanced nanocomposite shows greatly enhanced lithium storage properties when evaluated as an electrode for lithium-ion batteries. Impressively, the resultant CoS/NCNTF material delivers a high specific capacity of ∼937 mAh·g at a current density of 1.0 A·g with a cycle life longer than 160 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease of unknown etiology with heterogeneous outcomes. This study reviewed the clinical outcome status (COS) and organ involvement of Israeli sarcoidosis patients during a five-year period. Further, we compared our results to the 'World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disease' (WASOG) COS and the 'A Case Control Etiologic Study of Sarcoidosis' (ACCESS) instruments in order to evaluate their relevance to the Israeli population. Methods: The retrospective study group consisted of 166 sarcoidosis patients for the period of 2010-2015. Data on demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, co-morbidities, disease duration, lung function tests, treatment program, chest X-ray, and chest high-resolution computed tomography were collected. Results: The median patient age was 62 ± 14, which was significantly higher than the WASOG and ACCESS cohorts ( p < 0.0001), and the average disease duration was 9.8 ± 7.5 years. Resembling the ACCESS cohort, most patients were women (67.5%). The majority of patients suffered from constitutional symptoms (86%), as well as from respiratory symptoms (38.5%). Similarly to the ACCESS cohort, 91% of patients presented with lung involvement. However, significant differences in the involvement of other organs were noted, including lymph nodes (3 vs. 15.2%), liver (3.6 vs. 11.5%), CNS (7.2 vs. 4.6%), and joints (3.6 vs. 0.5%). In addition, significant differences were observed in the COS of the Israeli population in comparison to the WASOG data ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: Sarcoidosis in Israel is a unique and challenging disease with its clinical presentations that differ from previously reported studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and electrochemical properties of amorphous CoS and crystalline CoS have been studied with both experimental characterization and theoretical calculations. In the field of experimental characterization, a facile chemical precipitation method is used to synthesize amorphous and crystalline CoS samples with calcining temperatures of 200 and 280 °C, respectively. Comparing with crystalline CoS, amorphous structure of CoS manifests great electron conductivity, effective porous structure, and exhibit a high specific capacitance of 996.16 F g at current density of 0.5 A g, excellent rate capability of 89.8% retention with the current density ranging from 0.5 to 5 A g, and a great cycling stability of 97.6% retention after 10,000 cycles at 2 A g in 6 mol L KOH aqueous electrolyte. In the area of theoretical calculation, we used the first principle and obtained the band structure with band gap of 0.00369 eV and DOSs with high locality of D-orbital from 69.88689 electrons/eV main peak, in the CoS amorphous. The result confirms that amorphous CoS have higher conductivity than crystalline CoS in theory. In addition, the as-assembled asymmetric supercapacitor of Co-S-200//AC also exhibits the maximum specific capacitance of 104 F g within a cell voltage from 0 to 1.5 V at current density of 0.5 A g and indicates a great cycling stability of 95.68% and excellent capacitance behavior. All results demonstrate a great potential of amorphous CoS active material for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the results of a systematic study of the effect of temperature and COS concentration on the formation of carbon deposits on a 20Cr25Ni austenitic stainless steel under a depositing gas of 1000 vppm ethene in 1%CO/CO have been presented. Carbon deposits were found over the temperature range of 550-725 °C after 4 h exposure. COS additions to the ethene-bearing gas inhibited the deposition process, but the effect was concentration and temperature dependent. The results have been interpreted in terms of the oxidation process and the adsorption of sulphur on the catalytic Ni-rich particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing cost-efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution is vital for the viability of H energy generated via electrolytic water. Engineering favorable defects on the electrocatalysts to provide accessible active sites can boost the sluggish reaction thermodynamics or kinetics. Herein, CoS nanosheets were designed and grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by controlling the successive two-step hydrothermal reaction. A belt-like cobalt-based precursor was first formed with the assistance of ammonia and rGO, which were then sulfurized into CoS by L-cysteine at a higher hydrothermal temperature. Because of the non-stoichiometric defects and ultrathin sheet-like structure, additional cobalt vacancies (V') were formed/exposed on the catalyst surface, which expedited the charge diffusion and increased the electroactive surface in contact with the electrolyte. The resulting CoS/rGO hybrids exhibited an overpotential as low as 310 mV at 10 mA·cm in an alkaline electrolyte for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Density functional theory calculations indicated that the V' on the CoS/rGO hybrid functioned as catalytic sites for enhanced OER. They also reduced the energy barrier for the transformation of intermediate oxygenated species, promoting the OER thermodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cobalt sulfide/graphene oxide (CoS/GO) nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction. The products as-synthesized were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET-BJH and TG. The electrochemical property and impedance of the CoS/GO nanocomposite were studied by cyclic voltammetry and EIS analysis, respectively. The results show that the presence of the GO enhances the electrode conductivity, and then improves the capacitance property of the CoS/GO nanocomposite. The galvanostatic charge/discharge measurement results show that the CoS/GO nanocomposite has a high specific capacitance (550 Fg) and long cycle life (over 1 000 cycles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need for the electrode with high mass loading of active materials, where both high energy and high power densities are required, in current and near-future applications of supercapacitor. Here, an ultrathin CoS nanosheet decorated electrode (denoted as CoS/NF) with mass loading of 6 mg cm is successfully fabricated by using highly dispersive CoO nanowires on Ni foam (NF) as template. The nanosheets contained lots of about 3∼5 nm micropores benefiting for the electrochemical reaction and assembled into a three-dimensional, honeycomb-like network with 0.5∼1 μm mesopore structure for promoting specific surface area of electrode. The improved electrochemical performance was achieved, including an excellent cycliability of 10,000 cycles at 10 A g and large specific capacitances of 2415 and 1152 F g at 1 and 20 A g, respectively. Impressively, the asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the activated carbon (AC) and CoS/NF electrode exhibits a high energy density of 79 Wh kg at a power density of 151 W kg, a high power density of 3000 W kg at energy density of 30 Wh kg and 73 % retention of the initial capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at 2 A g. More importantly, the formation process of the ultrathin CoS nanosheets upon reaction time is investigated, which is benefited from the gradual infiltration of sulfide ions and the template function of ultrafine CoO nanowires in the anion-exchange reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced sulfur gases are precursors to sulfate aerosols that act as cloud condensation nuclei and affect Earth's radiative balance. The diminishing anthropogenic atmospheric sulfur inputs due to long-standing acid rain abatement activities increase the influence of natural emissions on the remaining sulfur budget. Most previous terrestrial observations of reduced sulfur gas fluxes focus on wetland ecosystems where sulfur gas emissions are highest. The diffuse natural production of sulfur gas from more widespread oxic ecosystems needs to be characterized. Here we report in situ fluxes of sulfur gases and CO from grasslands outside of Santa Cruz, CA, USA (36.96°N, 122.08°W). Monthly measurements were made using static flux chambers from March 2012 to March 2014. A large net emission of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was observed during the growing season. During the non-growing dry season, small but quantifiable carbonyl sulfide (COS) exchange rates were correlated with soil temperature. When soil moisture was artificially increased in senescent grassland plots, the relative exchange of COS:CO increased and then returned to the original ratio within 2 h. Sulfur gas fluxes during wet season soil moisture transition events (i.e. after precipitation) indicate that understudied aerobic environments may provide an important contribution to atmospheric COS consumption and DMS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, cobalt pentlandite (CoS) is studied as a solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) anode material which is stable in HS-containing fuels and is promising in coal-based SOFCs. CoS is synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. Uniform and fine CoS particles are deposited on to the YSZ skeleton directly by using hydrothermal impregnation method and adhered to the skeleton closely after heat treating in N. The symmetrical cells are measured in the presence of 50 ppm HS-H to determine the electrochemical performance at intermediate temperatures. The polarization resistance is only 0.3385 Ω cm at 650 °C. It is concluded that CoS exhibits a combination of good electronic conductivity and catalytic activity and has the potential to be used as a sulfur-tolerant anode material of SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factors, such as amphiregulin (AR) and EGF, have emerged as mediators to propagate Luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulus for the oocyte maturation throughout the preovulatory follicle, because cumulus cells and oocytes express few or no LH receptors. This study was to compare AR and EGF concentrations in follicular fluid (FF) among four controlled ovary stimulation (COS) protocols and to investigate the relationship between FF EGF-like growth factors and COS outcomes. Ninety-five patients who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were treated by four different COS protocols, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol, GnRH-a ultra-long protocol, GnRH-a short protocol, and GnRH antagonist protocol. FF was taken on oocyte retrieval day. FF AR and EGF concentrations were measured and their correlations with COS outcomes were analyzed. FF AR concentration was significantly different from each other among four COS protocol groups (GnRH-a ultra-long protocol group, 186.12 ng/ml; GnRH-a long protocol group, 128.35 ng/ml; GnRH antagonist protocol group, 108.23 ng/ml; GnRH-a short protocol group, 77.13 ng/ml, p < 0.05). FF AR concentrations were higher in GnRH-a ultra-long and long protocol groups, while number of oocytes retrieval, available embryos, and good quality embryos in these two groups were also significantly higher than GnRH-a short protocol group and GnRH antagonist protocol group. FF AR concentration was positively correlated with available embryos, but negatively correlated with serum LH level on hCG day. FF EGF concentration had no relationship with COS parameters. Different COS protocols might have variable effects on AR synthesis. FF AR might be a good indicator to predict the number of oocytes and embryos. FF AR elevation may result in increasing the number of oocyte retrieval and embryo generation, consequently increased cumulative pregnancy rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitooligosaccharide (COS) or oligochitosan has been shown to induce tobacco defense responses which are connected with nitric oxide (NO) and OIPK (oligochitosan-induced Ser/Thr protein kinase). The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between NO production and OIPK pathway in the defense response of tobacco elicited by COS. NO generation was investigated by epidermal strip bioassay and fluorophore microscope using fluorophore diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2DA). Tobacco epidermal cells treated with COS resulted in production of NO, which was first present in chloroplast, then in nucleus, finally in the whole cell; this NO production was sensitive to NO scavenger cPTIO and the mammalian NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor l-NAME, suggesting that NOS-like enzyme maybe involved in NO generation in tobacco epidermal cells. However, NOS and nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1) inhibitors reduced NO content in tobacco leaves by using NO Assay Kit, suggesting both NOS and NR were involved in NO production in tobacco leaves. Using a pharmacological approach and western blotting, we provide evidence that NO acts upstream of OIPK expression. NO scavenger, NOS inhibitor partly blocked the activation of OIPK and the activities of several defense-related enzymes induced by COS; treatment with NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induced the activation of OIPK and enhanced the defense systems. The results suggest that COS is able to induce NO generation, which results in up-regulation the activities of some defense-related enzymes through an OIPK-dependent or independent pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction mechanisms of H with OCS have been investigated theoretically by using density function theory method. Three possible pathways leading to major products CO and HS, as well as two possible pathways leading to by-product CH have been proposed and discussed. For these reaction pathways, the structure parameters, vibrational frequencies and energies for each stationary point have been calculated, and the corresponding reaction mechanism has been given by the potential energy surface, which is drawn according to the relative energies. The calculated results show that the corresponding major products CO and HS as well as by-product CH are in agreement with experimental findings, which provided a new illustration and guidance for the reaction of H with OCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of COS from CO, CO2 and liquid sulfur in the presence and absence of hydrogen was explored. The reaction of H2 with liquid sulfur produced H2S and polysulfanes, which increase the reactivity of liquid sulfur and provide alternative complementary reaction routes for the formation of COS. The reaction from CO2 proceeds by forming CO as intermediate. Elevated pressure favors formation of COS from both carbon oxides due to the increasing residence time and the saturation of gases in the liquid. Above 350 °C, the solubility of H2S in sulfur and the hydrogenation of COS limit the conversion of CO. The approach provides a highly efficient method for the preparation of COS under mild reaction conditions, without using a catalyst or water adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Putative single-copy genes and conserved ortholog sets (COS) were identified in model plant species thale cress ( Arabidopsis thaliana), rice ( Oryza sativa ssp. japonica), and poplar [black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray ex Brayshaw)] and used to find putative COS in four conifers (the Coniferales order). Using expressed sequence tag sequences, unique transcript sets were assembled in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.), white spruce [ Picea glauca (Moench) Voss], Douglas-fir [ Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii], and sugi [ Cryptomeria japonica (Thunberg ex Linnaeus f.) D. Don]. They were compared with COS sets identified in three model plant species using comparative sequence analysis. Almost half of the single-copy genes in herbaceous species ( Arabidopsis and rice) had additional copies and homologs in poplar and conifers. The identified tentative COS sets have many applications in evolutionary genomics studies, phylogenetic analysis, and comparative mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant proteins (r-proteins) are increasingly important in fundamental research and for clinical applications. As many of these r-proteins are of human or animal origin, cultivated mammalian cells are the host of choice to ensure their functional folding and proper posttranslational modifications. Large-scale transfection of human embryonic kidney 293 or Chinese hamster ovary cells is now an established technology that can be used in the production of hundreds of milligram to gram quantities of a r-protein in less than 1 mo from cloning of its cDNA. This chapter aims to provide an overview of large-scale transfection technology with a particular emphasis on calcium phosphate and polyethylenimine-mediated gene transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exchange of COS between wheat soil and atmosphere was investigated by using a dynamic enclosure. The investigated soil type acted as a significant sink for the trace gas COS. Atmospheric COS mixing ratios and temperature were found to be the physicochemical parameters controlling the uptake. The uptake reached maximum about 0.6×10−12 mol · g−1 · h−1 at 15–20°C under natural ambient atmospheric conditions. The measured uptake values agree well with that calculated by Guenther algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The cost of intensive care for patients admitted to the ICU were estimated. Patients suffering from severe combined acute respiratory and renal failure who required mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy (SCARRF-D) cost per day significantly more than non-renal patients (pounds 938 compared to pounds 653 per patient respectively) and their average length of stay in hospital is nearly 4 times as long (28.8 compared to 7.6 days respectively). Approximately 44% of the total cost was staff related (28% for the provision of nurses and 16% for the rest). Retrieving information related to cost was difficult, time consuming and labour intensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro aggregation and fibrillization of synthetic amyloid beta-protein Aβ 1–40 was assessed in the conditioned media from rhabdomyosarcoma (CRL 1598, HTB 82, HTB 153, CCL 136), adenocarcinoma (CCL 218), neuroblastoma (SY5Y), and COS cells cultured in the absence and presence of 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS). The aggregation and formation of cross β-pleated sheet structures in Aβ was quantitated by Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence spectroscopy, while the morphology of Aβ fibrils was examined in negative staining in the electronmicroscope (EM). In cultures supplemented with 10% FBS, the conditioned media from CRL 1598, HTB 82, CCL 218, and SY5Y cell cultures stimulated Aβ aggregation in a time-dependent manner as compared to that of control (serum-containing medium that had not been exposed to cells). The order of stimulation was SY5Y > CRL 1598 ≥ HTB 82 > CCL 218, and the stimulation was higher in 2 week cultures than in 1 week cultures. Similar studies using media from HTB 153, CCL 136 and COS cell cultures showed no effect on Aβ 1–40 aggregation. In serum-free cell cultures, only media from SY5Y and CRL 1598 could promote significant aggregation of Aβ 1–40. Negative staining in EM revealed Aβ fibril formation only with conditioned media from SY5Y and CRL 1598 cultured under serum free conditions; no Aβ fibrils were noticed in media from cell cultures supplemented with 10% FBS. We propose that both the SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line and the CRL 1598 rhabdomyosarcoma cell line may serve as experimental models for in vitro studies of extracellular aggregation and fibrillization of Aβ-protein in cell cultures, while rhabdomyosarcoma HTB 82 and adenocarcinoma CCL 218 may be models for study of Aβ aggregation only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]