Development of Pigmentation-Regulating Agents by Drug Repositioning

Skin color is determined by the processes of melanin synthesis and distribution. Problems in various molecules or signaling pathways involved in melanin synthesis contribute to skin pigmentation defects. Several trials have been conducted on the production of pigmentation-regulating agents, and drug repositioning has emerged as a modern technique to identify new uses for existing drugs. Our research team has researched substances or drugs associated with pigmentation control and, as a result, nilotinib, sorafenib, and ICG-001 have been found to promote pigmentation, while 5-iodotubercidin inhibits pigmentation. Therefore, these substances or medications were suggested as potential therapeutics for pigmentation disorders by drug repositioning.     

A framework for ammonia supply chain optimization incorporating conventional and renewable generation

Ammonia is an essential nutrient for global food production brought to farmers by a well‐established supply chain. This article introduces a supply chain optimization framework which incorporates new renewable ammonia plants into the conventional ammonia supply chain. Both economic and environmental objectives are considered. The framework is then applied to two separate case studies analyzing the supply chains of Minnesota and Iowa, respectively. The base case results present an expected trade‐off between cost, which favors purchasing ammonia from conventional plants, and emissions, which favor building distributed renewable ammonia plants. Further analysis of this trade‐off shows that a carbon tax above $25/t will reduce emissions in the optimal supply chain through building large renewable plants. The importance of scale is emphasized through a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, as the largest scale renewable plants are selected most often in the optimal supply chain. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 4390–4402, 2017     

Esterification and Transesterification of Renewable Chemicals

An overview is given of newly developed Lewis or Brønsted acid and base catalysts for esterification, transesterification and ester interchange reactions. The most relevant applications of these catalysts and reactions in the domain of renewable resources, in particular, oils and fats, are discussed.     

高氯酸银催化4-甲氧基苯乙烯阳离子聚合反应

采用Ph2CHCl/AgClO4作为引发体系,实现了4-甲氧基苯乙烯的阳离子聚合,探究了添加剂、聚合温度及引发剂种类对阳离子聚合的影响,并采用凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)、红外光谱(IR)和基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOFMS)进行了表征。结果表明,聚合反应中无添加剂或使用弱的Lewis碱时,反应速度较快,产物的分子量分布较宽。使用强Lewis碱二甲基硫醚作为添加剂,反应温度为0℃,Ph2CHCl/AgClO4/Me2S物质的量比为1.0/1.0/10,反应表现出活性聚合的特征。此外,引发剂芳甲基正离子与二甲基硫醚间的作用力大小对聚合中的引发过程影响较大,二苯甲基正离子与三苯甲基正离子表现出较高的引发活性。     

固体碱催化制备生物柴油研究进展

生物柴油是一种清洁可再生能源,是石化能源的理想替代品。近年来,生物柴油的非均相制备技术已成为研究热点,其中,固体碱催化制备生物柴油的研究较多。主要介绍了现阶段非负载型固体碱及负载型固体碱在酯交换制备生物柴油中的应用,并对用于制备生物柴油的固体碱催化剂的发展方向进行初步探讨。     

Characterization and comparison of fumonisin b(1)-protein conjugates by six methods

In order to generate an antibody against a small hapten molecule, the hapten is cross-linked with carrier protein to make it immunogenic. In this study, the hapten (Fumonisin B(1), FB(1)) was coupled to ovalbumin (OVA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), respectively by a short cross-linker reagent (glutaraldehyde, GA). To develop a technique for detecting the conjugation, the hapten-protein conjugates (FB(1)-OVA and FB(1)-BSA) were characterized thoroughly by ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), respectively. The molecular weights of FB(1)-BSA and FB(1)-OVA were 74,355.301 Da and 48,009.212 Da, respectively determined by the method of MALDI-TOF-MS. The molecular coupling ratios were 11 and 5 in FB(1)-BSA and FB(1)-OVA, respectively. In this experiment, MALDI-TOF-MS was selected as the most efficient method to evaluate the cross-linking effect and calculate the molecular coupling ratio.     

可再生能源在化工生产及其公用工程系统中的应用

“双碳目标”对化工生产提出了新的挑战,改善能源供给结构和提升能源利用效率是解决这一问题的重要途径之一。随着能源转换技术和储能技术不断发展和完善,可再生能源利用水平及供应稳定性进一步提高,在替代以化石能源为主的化工公用工程系统方面有着明显的优势,被认为是最具应用前景的新一代化工系统供能方式。本文在可再生能源供能技术的基础上,总结了可再生能源在供热、制冷、供水、供电以及多联产系统等新型化工公用工程中的应用现状,着重突出了可再生能源相比传统化工公用工程在节能减排方面发挥的重要作用。探讨了可再生能源目前在化工公用工程系统中的耦合匹配现状、应用所遇到的问题和挑战,并对其未来发展进行了展望。文章指出,可再生能源化工公用工程将成为解决目前化工环保困境的重要途径。     

用废油脂制备生物柴油的催化材料的结构与性能研究

用废油脂制备生物柴油时所用的催化剂的结构与性能研究,包括对负载型固体酸催化剂、负载型固体碱催化剂和离子液体催化剂的研究,并对生物柴油催化剂的发展进行了展望。     

Recent Developments in the Conversion of Biomass to Renewable Fuels and Chemicals

The rapid and ongoing increase in consumption of petroleum for transportation fuels, chemicals and energy is not sustainable. Therefore, development of technology that uses agricultural, animal, forestry and municipal solid waste as renewable feedstock is critical to the US economy and national security, and presents a significant opportunity for new catalysis, chemistry and process research. This paper will outline recent developments on the conversion of biomass to renewable fuels and chemicals with emphasis on new opportunities for thermochemical catalysis.     

Measurement of internal stresses in coatings using time resolved fluorescence

This paper describes a new nondestructive technique for detecting internal stresses in coatings using time resolved fluorescence. The measurement principle is based upon an experimental result that the decay time of fluorescence from poly(3-octylthiophene), P3OT, dispersed in uniaxially-stretched polymer films decreases with increasing tensile stress acting on the films. Internal stresses in the clear coat and in the base coat of a multilayer structure, which was composed of electrodeposited coat, surface coat, base coat, and clear coat, were estimated from the decay time of fluorescence from P3OT in both coats. The order of internal stresses in the clear coat and base coat of the multilayer system was 1 MPa. When the coatings were piled up, the internal stress decreased as the distance from a metal substrate was increased. It was found that moisture and temperature influenced internal stresses in the clear coat rather than in the base coat. Internal stress in the clear coat, which was one layer coated on a metal substrate, was measured by the traditional bimetallic method or by the time resolved fluorescence technique. Comparing both methods, it was concluded that the time resolved fluorescence technique gave reliable values for internal stresses in coatings.     

胞外聚合物去除废水中污染物的机理探讨

胞外聚合物(EPS)作为一种新兴的生物吸附剂,在废水处理中起着越来越重要的作用。由于其与细菌表面含有许多类似的物质及官能团,因此在吸附污染物性能方面与细菌相同甚至比细菌要好。介绍了EPS的组成成分、分类以及提取方法,并在此基础上论述了EPS吸附去除不同类型污染物时的吸附作用机理。阐明了EPS中不同组分及官能团在去除污染物时所起的作用,并对EPS作为生物吸附剂吸附污染废水这一技术进行了展望。     

Biodegradation Study of Microcrystalline Chitosan and Microcrystalline Chitosan/β-TCP Complex Composites

Bone repair or regeneration is a common and complicated clinical problem in orthopedic surgery. The importance of natural polymers, such as microcrystalline chitosan, and minerals such as HAp and β-TCP, has grown significantly over the last two decades due to their renewable and biodegradable source, increasing the knowledge and functionality of composites in technological and biomedical applications. This study compares the biodegradation process, bioactivity, structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of microcrystalline chitosan and microcrystalline chitosan/β-TCP complex; the latter according to the new method of preparation. The complex showed a homogeneous network structure with regular pores, good bioactivity, even after 60 days of conducting the hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation process, showing a bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity. The complex indicates that it could be used successfully as a base for implants and scaffolds production in orthopedic surgery.     

木质纤维素的生物转化综述

随着不可再生资源的石油的不断消耗,人们把目光转到许多再生能源甚至粮食来产生燃料。纤维素是全球产量最多的可再生有机物,如何使它转化成有用的资源如乙醇、丁醇等化工产品日益受到人们的重视。文章就是从此出发,探讨如何使用生物转化的方法把木质纤维素等原料通过预处理、酶水解和发酵等方法变成乙醇、丁醇等物质的过程。通过对SHF、SSF、SSCF、CBP等热点方法进行探讨其优缺点和国内外的最新研究成果,试图找出成本低、效率高的最佳生产途径。     

The use of lipids as phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Phase change materials (PCMs) are substances capable of absorbing and releasing large amounts of thermal energy (heat or cold) as latent heat at constant temperature as they undergo a change in state of matter (phase transition), commonly, between solid and liquid phases. Since the late 1940s, researchers have recognized the potential for phase change materials to play an essential part in energy storage systems and the search for suitable substances has received increasing interest. Currently, the global PCM market is estimated to grow from $ 460 million in 2013 to approximately $ 1.15 billion by 2018. Fats, oils, and their derivatives are diverse in their structures and among the few renewable feedstocks available that have melting and enthalpy profiles among other properties comparable to those of commercial paraffin waxes currently used in PCM applications. This has led to the investigation of triglycerides, fatty acids, esters, alcohols, and other lipid‐based derivatives as potential PCMs and much research examining lipid‐based materials as PCMs has been published. This article gives a brief overview of phase change materials, highlights the various types of lipid substances examined for PCM applications, and suggests potential future areas of study.     

Physicochemical and rheological properties of passion fruit oil and its polyol

Vegetable oils are excellent renewable sources for chemical and oleochemistry industries, since they can be functionalized to be used in various applications. Here we present some physical and physicochemical properties of passion fruit oil and polyol derivatives obtained from this oil. The polyols were obtained by hydroxylation with in situ generation of the performic acid. Physicochemical properties, such as chromatographic analysis, iodine value, index of acidity, peroxide index, fixation index, unsaponifiables, and hydroxyl index were determined according to standard methods. Furthermore, ¹H NMR was examined and physical properties including liquid density and rheometry were characterized as well. The results revealed a wide variation of the physicochemical characteristics among the oils and respective polyols. The NMR analyses demonstrated polyol structures practically without unsaturation. The liquid rheology showed that the viscosity of polyols is at least two orders of magnitude larger than the viscosity of the original oil, confirming that the hydroxylation reaction occurred successfully. The shear viscosity of the polyols did not exhibit a systematic dependence on the shear rate or significant time dependence for the examined samples. The results indicate that the polyol viscosity decreases with the drying time increasing. Practical applications : The use of renewable resources is growing and is attracting great interest in the academic and industrial fields. Vegetable oils have attracted a special attention because of their potential to replace petrochemical derivatives and to contribute to minimizing environmental impacts; vegetable oils are promising candidates for base fluids in environment‐friendly lubricants. Polyols obtained from oils open new possibilities of use as monomers for polyurethanes, which exhibit excellent properties beyond reactivity.     

Hautverträglichkeit externer Produkte

Skin Compatibility of External Products Beside dermatotherapeutics, cosmetics and skin cleaners a great amount of further products gets more or less intensely into contact with the human skin. To give an example domestic chemicals and many professional substances can be mentioned. As always new substances are developed or new compositions are applied to produce such products, tests of skin compatibility at a large scale are necessary, since it is required by the law of food and requisites that there is no objection with respect to health and because the chemical law, too, includes a consideration of health criteria. The great number of new substances and newly developed finished products requires a most rational use of test capacities which are not at all inexhaustible not only because of the law for prevention of the cruelty to animals but also because of the limited number of suitable test persons and experienced scientists. Therefore the procedure for testing skin compatibility of new substances or substance combinations is discussed basing on an algorithmic presentation. Way and extent of the expected contact with the skin is a significantly more important selection criterion than the future application of the product which is to be judged.     

工科大学生多模式实习方略初探

实习是大中专学校实践教学的主要环节之一,对于工科本科教育,尤为重要。实习模式与教学质量密切相关。随着现代科技的发展,社会对工程技术人才的要求日益提高。为了培养出适应新世纪需要的合格的工程技术人才,有必要深入研究实习的模式。基于多年过程装备与控制工程专业的实习教学实践,探讨了在当今市场经济体制下,工科大学生实习的模式。认为,实施多模式实习教学,如校内基地实习、厂校共建基地实习以及校内虚拟实习等,有利于学生综合素质和工程能力的提高。     

High-Value Chemicals from Electrocatalytic Depolymerization of Lignin: Challenges and Opportunities

Lignocellulosic biomass is renewable and one of the most abundant sources for the production of high-value chemicals, materials, and fuels. It is of immense importance to develop new efficient technologies for the industrial production of chemicals by utilizing renewable resources. Lignocellulosic biomass can potentially replace fossil-based chemistries. The production of fuel and chemicals from lignin powered by renewable electricity under ambient temperatures and pressures enables a more sustainable way to obtain high-value chemicals. More specifically, in a sustainable biorefinery, it is essential to valorize lignin to enhance biomass transformation technology and increase the overall economy of the process. Strategies regarding electrocatalytic approaches as a way to valorize or depolymerize lignin have attracted significant interest from growing scientific communities over the recent decades. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the electrocatalytic methods for depolymerization of lignocellulosic biomass with an emphasis on untargeted depolymerization as well as the selective and targeted mild synthesis of high-value chemicals. Electrocatalytic cleavage of model compounds and further electrochemical upgrading of bio-oils are discussed. Finally, some insights into current challenges and limitations associated with this approach are also summarized.     

Carbon nanotubes from renewable feedstocks: A move toward sustainable nanofabrication

A recent development in the manufacturing of carbon nanotubes is the usage of renewable feedstocks as a carbon source. This new development is receiving much support and is a source of excitement among the global research communities due to the positive environmental impacts, reduced carbon footprints, and economic benefits. Various types of renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils, plant derivatives, and other types of biomasses have been used for the green synthesis of carbon nanotubes by employing conventional fabrication techniques. As the global demand increases for green manufacturing, efforts to synthesize carbon nanotubes from renewable resources are receiving immense attention while also strengthening the concept of biorefinery. This also enables the efficient use of resources as well as improved waste management. The present review summarizes the recent developments and current status of the synthesis of carbon nanotubes using renewable feedstocks along with technical discussions, opportunities for novel precursors, and future directions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44255.     

Chromatography membrane techniques as the prospect of creating technological processes for the continuous extraction separation of substances

The expediency of developing new sorption and extraction methods of separation of substances has been proved based on the differences in their interfacial distribution and the principles of improving the methods of performing processes of interphase distribution. The possibility of implementing the idea of twodimensional chromatography is considered based on the methodology chromatomembrane mass transfer process. The schemes of the continuous extraction-chromatographic liberation of gold, platinum (IV), and palladium (II) are described with simultaneous separation from the impurities of base metals.