The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or treating diseases or symptoms associated with a reduction in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1?), the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by the following general formula I, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof.

Mixtures comprising a mixture of compounds (A), said mixture comprising a mixture of compounds according to the general formula (I) wherein R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl, linear or branched, or hydrogen, R.sup.2 is CH.sub.2CH.sub.2R.sup.1, each G.sup.1 is glucose or xylose, wherein in the range of from 70 to 95% mole-% are glucose and from 5 to 30 mole-% are xylose, the average of x is in the range of from 1.1 to 4. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides a method for fermentative hydrogen production under limited aerobic conditions by utilizing the respiratory interaction between a strictly anaerobic hydrogen producing bacterium, E. harbinense YUAN-3, and a facultative anaerobic bacterium, P. aeruginosa PAO1. The two bacteria are co-cultured to produce hydrogen gas in a culture medium without any anaerobic treatment. Sucrose, lactose or glucose are used as the carbon source for the co-culture which can promote the growth of E. harbinense YUAN-3 and reduce substrate competition between two bacteria. L-cysteine is added to increase the hydrogen yield and the production rate. Using 15 g/L glucose and 5 mmol/L L-cysteine, the invented method achieved the hydrogen production yield of 1.11 mol-hydrogen/mol-glucose.

The present invention provides a method for fermentative hydrogen production under limited aerobic conditions by utilizing the respiratory interaction between a strictly anaerobic hydrogen producing bacterium, E. harbinense YUAN-3, and a facultative anaerobic bacterium, P. aeruginosa PAO1. The two bacteria are co-cultured to produce hydrogen gas in a culture medium without any anaerobic treatment. Sucrose, lactose or glucose are used as the carbon source for the co-culture which can promote the growth of E. harbinense YUAN-3 and reduce substrate competition between two bacteria. L-cysteine is added to increase the hydrogen yield and the production rate. Using 15 g/L glucose and 5 mmol/L L-cysteine, the invented method achieved the hydrogen production yield of 1.11 mol-hydrogen/mol-glucose.

The present invention provides a one-pot multi-enzyme method for preparing UDP-sugars from simple sugar starting materials. The invention also provides a one-pot multi-enzyme method for preparing oligosaccharides from simple sugar starting materials.

A coated biological composition has a mixture of biologic material and a volume of a liquid protectant. The mixture of biologic material has non-whole cellular components or whole cells or combinations of the non-whole cellular components and whole cells, wherein the mixture is compatible with biologic function. The volume of a liquid protectant is intermixed with the mixture of biologic material, wherein the liquid protectant forms a coating externally enveloping each of the non-whole cellular components, if any, and each of the whole cells, if any, of the mixture of biologic material, to form the coated biological composition. The coated biological composition is frozen and thereafter thawed and then frozen a second time for storage or frozen at least once and thawed and stored under refrigeration above freezing, or frozen and thawed and then concentrated by drying, or while frozen without thawing lyophilized for ambient or room temperature storage.

Structures and methods of making biodegradable trehalose co-polymers are disclosed. Specifically, biodegradable trehalose co-polymers consist of the general structure R.sub.5[R.sub.1R.sub.2CCR.sub.3R.sub.4]n-[DG].sub.m-R.sub.6, wherein R.sub.1-R.sub.4 are independently selected from hydrogen or a side chain comprising at least one carbon atom, and wherein at least one of R.sub.1-R.sub.4 is a side chain comprising -L-trehalose, wherein L is a linker molecule that links trehalose to the monomer through at least one of the trehalose hydroxyl groups (OH), wherein DG is a biodegradable group, and wherein R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are end groups.

A superabsorbent polymer includes polymeric particles, surface cross-linking agents and an extract of a plant of Sapindaceae. The polymeric particles have cross-linking inside the polymeric particles. The surface cross-linking agents are covalently bound to the surface of the polymeric particles so as to constitute a layer of surface cross-linked region at the surface of each polymeric particle, and the extract of the plant of Sapindaceae covers the surface of the polymeric particles.

A superabsorbent polymer includes polymeric particles, surface cross-linking agents and an extract of a plant of Sapindaceae. The polymeric particles have cross-linking inside the polymeric particles. The surface cross-linking agents are covalently bound to the surface of the polymeric particles so as to constitute a layer of surface cross-linked region at the surface of each polymeric particle, and the extract of the plant of Sapindaceae covers the surface of the polymeric particles.

The present invention provides a mammalian stem cell suspension containing mammalian stem cells and at least one polysaccharide such as trehalose, and the like; a mammalian stem cell aggregation inhibitor containing polysaccharide such as trehalose, and the like; a method of suppressing aggregation of mammalian stem cells, containing suspending the mammalian stem cells in an aqueous physiological solution containing polysaccharide; an inhibitor of a decrease in the survival rate of mammalian stem cells containing polysaccharide such as trehalose and the like; a method of suppressing a decrease in the survival rate of mammalian stem cells, containing suspending the mammalian stem cells in an aqueous physiological solution containing polysaccharides, and the like.