ORIGIN: Metal Creation and Evolution from the Cosmic Dawn

ORIGIN is a proposal for the M3 mission call of ESA aimed at the study of metal creation from the epoch of cosmic dawn. Using high-spectral resolution in the soft X-ray band, ORIGIN will be able to identify the physical conditions of all abundant elements between C and Ni to red-shifts of z=10, and beyond. The mission will answer questions such as: When were the first metals created? How does the cosmic metal content evolve? Where do most of the metals reside in the Universe? What is the role of metals in structure formation and evolution? To reach out to the early Universe ORIGIN will use Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) to study their local environments in their host galaxies. This requires the capability to slew the satellite in less than a minute to the GRB location. By studying the chemical composition and properties of clusters of galaxies we can extend the range of exploration to lower redshifts (z approx. 0.2). For this task we need a high-resolution spectral imaging instrument with a large field of view. Using the same instrument, we can also study the so far only partially detected baryons in the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM). The less dense part of the WHIM will be studied using absorption lines at low redshift in the spectra for GRBs. The ORIGIN mission includes a Transient Event Detector (coded mask with a sensitivity of 0.4 photon/sq cm/s in 10 s in the 5-150 keV band) to identify and localize 2000 GRBs over a five year mission, of which approx.65 GRBs have a redshift >7. The Cryogenic Imaging Spectrometer, with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV, a field of view of 30 arcmin and large effective area below 1 keV has the sensitivity to study clusters up to a significant fraction of the virial radius and to map the denser parts of the WHIM (factor 30 higher than achievable with current instruments). The payload is complemented by a Burst InfraRed Telescope to enable onboard red-shift determination of GRBs (hence securing proper follow up of high-z bursts) and also probes the mildly ionized state of the gas. Fast repointing is achieved by a dedicated Controlled Momentum Gyro and a low background is achieved by the selected low Earth orbit

Induction of interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 expression by Broncho-Vaxom (OM-85 BV) via C-Fos/serum responsive element.

BACKGROUND: Broncho-Vaxom (OM-85 BV) increases the resistance of the respiratory tract to bacterial infections by modulating host immune responses. The compound increases serum IgG levels but decreases IgE levels in patients suffering from chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It increases concentrations of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma), IgA, and interleukin (IL)-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with bronchitis. Treatment with OM-85 BV increases the number of T helper and natural killer cells. In this study the effects of OM-85 BV on transcription of cytokines is investigated in human lung fibroblasts. METHODS: Transcription and synthesis of IL-6 and IL-8 were assessed in cultured primary human lung fibroblasts using standard methods of Northern blot analysis for the level of mRNAs and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for proteins. RESULTS: Broncho-Vaxom (OM-85 BV) at different concentrations induced transcription of IL-6 and IL-8. The effect of the drug on transcription of IL-6 and IL-8 genes correlated with secretion of the proteins into cell supernatants. OM-85 BV-dependent expression of the interleukin genes involved C-Fos/serum responsive element (C-Fos/SRE). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the various immunopharmacological activities of OM-85 BV that have been described in clinical studies may be explained by its ability to induce expression of IL-6 and IL-8

Photosynthetic production of enantioselective biocatalysts

$\bf Background:$ Global resource depletion poses a dramatic threat to our society and creates a strong demand for alternative resources that do not compete with the production of food. Meeting this challenge requires a thorough rethinking of all steps of the value chain regarding their sustainability resource demand and the possibility to substitute current, petrol-based supply-chains with renewable resources. This regards also the production of catalysts for chemical synthesis. Phototrophic microorganisms have attracted considerable attention as a biomanufacturing platform for the sustainable production of chemicals and biofuels. They allow the direct utilization of carbon dioxide and do not compete with food production. Photosynthetic enzyme production of catalysts would be a sustainable supply of these important components of the biotechnological and chemical industries. This paper focuses on the usefulness of recombinant cyanobacteria for the photosynthetic expression of enantioselective catalysts. As a proof of concept, we used the cyanobacterium $\it Synechocystis$ sp. PCC 6803 for the heterologous expression of two highly enantioselective enzymes. $\bf Results:$ We investigated the expression yield and the usefulness of cyanobacterial cell extracts for conducting stereoselective reactions. The cyanobacterial enzyme expression achieved protein yields of 3% of total soluble protein (%TSP) while the expression in $\textit {E. coli}$ yielded 6-8% TSP. Cell-free extracts from a recombinant strain expressing the recombinant esterase ST0071 from the thermophilic organism $\textit {Sulfolobus tokodai}$ ST0071 and arylmalonate decarboxylase from $\textit {Bordetella bronchiseptica}$ showed excellent enantioselectivity (>99% ee) and yield (>91%) in the desymmetrisation of prochiral malonates. $\bf Conclusions:$ We were able to present the proof-of-concept of photoautotrophic enzyme expression as a viable alternative to heterotrophic expression hosts. Our results show that the introduction of foreign genes is straightforward. Cell components from $\it Synechocystis$ did not interfere with the stereoselective transformations, underlining the usability of photoautotrophic organisms for the production of enzymes. Given the considerable commercial value of recombinant biocatalysts, cyanobacterial enzyme expression has thus the potential to complement existing approaches to use phototrophic organisms for the production of chemicals and biofuels

166 HEALTH TRAJECTORIES OF FRAIL, OLDER PEOPLE WHILE COCOONING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract Background Cocooning, i.e. staying at home and reducing interaction with others, was a key part of the strategy to protect older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, there are concerns this has had a negative impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of those who have been isolated. Methods We completed a survey of 150 patients (55% female, mean age 79.8 years, average Clinical Frailty Scale 4.8) attending ambulatory medical services in a large university hospital. Questions were focused on: access to healthcare services, mental health, physical health, and attitudes to COVID-19 restrictions. Results Almost 40% reported that their mental health was ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’ while cocooning, while over 40% reported a decline in their physical health. Over 57% had a scheduled healthcare-related visit cancelled while cocooning, most frequently hospital outpatient appointments. Worryingly, almost 1/6 reported not seeking medical attention for an illness that they would usually. Of these, half did not as they were worried about catching COVID and 46% did not as this service was not currently available to them. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic and lack of access to essential services, both medical and social, has had a devastating impact on older people. This is evident in both the acute presentations to hospital and the longer-term impact it has had on health and function. It is important that in the future clear policies are in place to enable older people to access care when they need it. </jats:sec

Methane oxidation over dual redox catalysts. Final report

Catalytic oxidation of methane to partial oxidation products, primarily formaldehyde and C{sub 2} hydrocarbons, was found to be directed by the catalyst used. In this project, it was discovered that a moderate oxidative coupling catalyst for C{sub 2} hydrocarbons, zinc oxide, is modified by addition of small amounts of Cu and Fe dopants to yield fair yields of formaldehyde. A similar effect was observed with Cu/Sn/ZnO catalysts, and the presence of a redox Lewis acid, Fe{sup III} or Sn{sup IV}, was found to be essential for the selectivity switch from C{sub 2} coupling products to formaldehyde. The principle of double doping with an oxygen activator (Cu) and the redox Lewis acid (Fe, Sn) was pursued further by synthesizing and testing the CuFe-ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst. The Cu{sup II}(ion exchanged) Fe{sup III}(framework)-ZSM-5 also displayed activity for formaldehyde synthesis, with space time yields exceeding 100 g/h-kg catalyst. However, the selectivity was low and earlier claims in the literature of selective oxidation of methane to methanol over CuFe-ZSM-5 were not reproduced. A new active and selective catalytic system (M=Sb,Bi,Sn)/SrO/La{sub 2}O{sub 3} has been discovered for potentially commercially attractive process for the conversion of methane to C{sub 2} hydrocarbons, (ii) a new principle has been demonstrated for selectivity switching from C{sub 2} hydrocarbon products to formaldehyde in methane oxidations over Cu,Fe-doped zinc oxide and ZSM-5, and (iii) a new approach has been initiated for using ultrafine metal dispersions for low temperature activation of methane for selective conversions. Item (iii) continues being supported by AMOCO while further developments related to items (i) and (ii) are the objective of our continued effort under the METC-AMOCO proposed joint program