Abstract: The present invention is directed to a disk diffusion assay for determining susceptibility of bacteria to a glycopeptide antibiotic. The assay includes improvements over conventional assays due to the inclusion of polysorbate 80 and Span 80 in the antibacterial solution used to impregnate paper disks used in the assay.

Abstract: The present invention is based, in part, on our discovery of compositions and methods that can be used to systemically deplete arginine and thereby treat arginine-dependent cancers. Our studies indicate that administering a composition that depletes arginine directly to the patient's small intestine will provide effective treatment for arginine-dependent cancers. Moreover, the methods can be carried out in such a way that various sources of arginine are restricted and side effects are minimized. For example, to deplete arginine, one can not only administer an arginine-depleting enzyme directly to the intestinal lumen but can also inhibit endogenous production of arginine, reduce arginine production by intestinal bacteria and limit arginine intake. To minimize side effects, one can inhibit protein breakdown, which may occur as a compensatory mechanism, provide systemic NO from a nitric oxide donor, provide a pressor peptide, and/or provide prostacycline or an analog thereof.

Abstract: A hybrid tissue scaffold is provided which comprises a porous primary scaffold having a plurality of pores and a porous secondary scaffold having a plurality of pores, wherein the secondary scaffold resides in the pores of the primary scaffold to provide a hybrid scaffold. The pores of the porous primary scaffold may have a pore size in a range of 0.50 mm to 5.0 mm, and the pores of the porous secondary scaffold may have a pore size in a range of 50 ?m to 600 ?m. The primary scaffold may provide 5% to 30% of a volume of the hybrid scaffold.

Abstract: Three RNases (ranpirnase, the second embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,805, and recombinant Amphinase-2) are tested against identified herpesviridae infections. With some exceptions, quantitative PCR assays indicate that the RNases have anti-viral activity against many of these viruses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for illuminating the viruses in a circulatory blood, comprising the following steps of: 1) Adding an anticoagulant into a whole blood source and establishing a circulation system for the whole blood source; 2) Withdrawing the whole blood with the anticoagulant into a plasma-separating device for a separation, when finished, directly pumping the red-blood cells back into the whole blood source and transporting the plasma into a mixing transport pump after the separation; 3) Meanwhile, pumping a photosensitizer methylene blue into the mixing transport pump so that the methylene blue is mixed with the plasma and pumped together into a plasma container; 4) Using an illumination device to illuminate the plasma in the plasma container for virus illumination, and pumping the virus-illuminated plasma into a removing device for removing off the photosensitizer; 5) The methylene blue being absorbed by the removing device and the plasma illuminated being transfused back into the

Abstract: A method is provided for determining in real time the course of thrombin activity in a sample of blood or plasma as it appears in and disappears from the simple which comprises adding a thrombin substrate to the sample that, per unit time, produces a detectable signal in a quantity that bears relation to the amount of thrombin present. Simultaneously, in a control sample of the same blood or plasma in which thrombin generation is not triggered, the activity of a standard preparation with invariable thrombin activity is measured. The exact molar amount of thrombin present at any moment is obtained by comparison of the activity measured in clotting blood and the simultaneously measured calibrator. The method is useful inter alia for diagnosing hyper- and hypo-coaguable states, either congenital, acquired or drug-induced in humans and animals. Also provided is a kit for use in this method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition which comprises tryptophan whereby 10 to 90%, preferably 20 to 80% of the tryptophan is present as free tryptophan or peptide-bound tryptophan and 10 to 90%, preferably 20 to 80% of the tryptophan is present as polypeptide-bound tryptophan.

Abstract: Orally administrable pharmaceutical compositions of lipase-containing products, particularly pancreatin and pancreatin-containing products, or of enzyme products which contain at least one lipase of non-animal, especially microbial origin, which improve the lipolytic activity and particularly result in stabilization of the lipase in the acidic pH range. These oral pharmaceutical compositions contain a system which includes at least one surfactant and one co-surfactant and optionally a lipophilic phase, and are self-emulsifiable on contact with a hydrophilic and a lipophilic phase. The compositions according to the invention are suitable for treating or inhibiting maldigestion, especially maldigestion due to chronic exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, in mammals and humans.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods to determine or detect the activity of enzymes, including phosphotransferases such as kinases (e.g., protein, lipid, and sugar kinases) and ATP hydrolases such as ATPases, e.g., HSP90, that employ ATP as a substrate and form ADP as a product by monitoring changes in ADP. Methods, kits and compositions for monitoring changes in metabolites such as ADP are disclosed.

Abstract: The protein NM23 is disclosed as an agent for the maintenance of undifferentiated biological cells in culture. The NM23 protein may act as a survival factor for such cultured cells, or to prevent the differentiation and maturation of the cultured cells. The use of NM23 protein is applicable to culture of stem and/or progenitor cells, and particularly to such cells cultured and adapted for therapeutic use. The invention provides methods, media and media supplements for use in the culture of biological cells, and further provides methods of preparing biological cells for therapeutic use, as well as methods of therapy utilising biological cells and medicaments comprising biological cells adapted for therapeutic use.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the field of sialic acids, in particular to the field of sialic acid enriched food products and their uses. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a food product enriched with food-grade sialic acid producing bacteria and/or a fraction thereof containing sialic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for decreasing the fermentation inhibition in a process for producing a target chemical from a pretreated cellulosic material, the process comprising enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated cellulosic material and fermentation of hydrolysed material, wherein the fermentation inhibitory properties of the material subjected to fermentation is decreased by an addition of at least one reducing agent to the pretreated material or hydrolysed material. Moreover, the present invention provides the use of dithionite for decreasing the fermentation inhibitory properties of a material being subjected to simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation.

Abstract: The invention is directed to enzyme preparations which are obtainable by providing enzyme immobilizates which comprise enzymes or microorganisms comprising enzymes immobilized on an inert support with a polyethersilicone coating obtained by hydrosilylation, to a process for preparing such enzyme preparations and to the use of enzyme preparations as an industrial biocatalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for scanning, detecting, and monitoring microorganisms on solid or semi-solid media using intrinsic fluorescence (IF) measurements. The methods are further directed to detection, characterization and/or identification of microorganisms on a solid or semi-solid media using intrinsic fluorescence (IF) measurements that are characteristic of said microorganisms.

Abstract: A process is described for producing fermentable sugars derivable from biomass that contains polysaccharide, such as cellulose, made increasingly accessible as a substrate for enzymatic degradation or other methods of depolymerization. These fermentable sugars are subsequently able to be fermented to produce various target chemicals, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones or acids.

Abstract: A tablet for use in a drip tray including an excipient selected so that the tablet will not fully dissolve in water at ambient temperature for a period of at least one month, more preferably up to 12 months, a biocide, at least one enzyme, preferably a proteolytic or hydrolase enzyme, and enzyme preserving means, such as a boron compound for maintaining enzyme activity in a moist environment. The excipient may be for example poly vinyl alcohols, high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, high molecular weight polypropylene glycols, esters or partial esters of polyethylene glycols or of polypropylene glycols, and high molecular weight thermoplastic surfactants. The invention also relates to methods for inhibiting the growth of biofilm in an drip tray or the like, including the step of adding to the tray a tablet according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing biofuel, more specifically a method of producing biofuel comprising the steps of generating monosugars from marine algae, or from polysaccharides extracted from marine algae by treating the marine algae or the polysaccharides with a hydrolytic enzyme and/or a hydrolytic catalyst; and fermenting the monosugars using a microorganism to produce biofuel. The method of producing biofuel of the present invention solve the problem of raw material suppliance since it uses marine algae as a raw material for biomass, and reduce the production costs by excluding lignin eliminating process that has been required by the conventional method using wood-based raw materials, resulting in economic and environmental advantages.

Abstract: A method for immobilizing living microorganisms includes a step (1) of disposing a solution containing microorganisms as an electrolyte on the surface of a substrate at least one portion of which is an electrode, and applying a constant potential to the electrode to cause at least a portion of the microorganisms to attach to the surface of the substrate. The constant potential in step (1) is greater than ?0.5 V but not greater than ?0.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) or greater than +0.2 V but not greater than +0.4 V (vs Ag/AgCl). The electrolyte in step (1) does not contain a source of nutrition for the microorganisms.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a process for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol utilizing a dicarboxylic acid such as maleic acid as an enzyme mimic to hydrolyze the hemicellulose and cellulose of the biomass. Controlling the condition of the maleic acid hydrolysis can selectively hydrolyze the hemicellulose giving as a result a liquid portion rich in xylose and a solid portion rich in glucan. The glucan can be further hydrolyzed to produce a glucose containing material. The sugar materials can be fermented to produce ethanol which is recovered. The dicarboxylic acid is then recovered from the residue left after the ethanol is removed from the fermentation material, and the recovered dicarboxylic acid is recycled to the beginning of the process to treat additional lignocellulosic biomass.

Abstract: The invention provides engineered biomaterials derived from plant products. The engineered biomaterials are useful for biomedical applications. The engineered biomaterials are able to support the growth of animal cells.