A Protease Inhibitor with Induction Therapy with Natural Interferon-β in Patients with HCV Genotype 1b Infection

The restoration of innate immune responses has potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We compared the efficacy and safety of induction therapy (IT) with natural interferon-β (n-IFN-β) followed by pegylated-IFN-α/ribavirin (PR) alone (group A, n = 30) and IT with a protease inhibitor (PI) (simeprevir or vaniprevir)/PR (group B, n = 13) in CHC patients with genotype 1b and high viral loads. During IT with nIFN-β, virologic response rates in group A and group B were 10% and 8% (p = 0.6792) at week 4, 30% and 16% (p = 0.6989) at week 12 and 47% and 20% (p = 0.0887) at week 24 respectively. During and after the treatment with PR alone or PI/PR, virologic response rates in groups A and B were 50% and 82% (p = 0.01535) at week 4, 53% and 91% (p = 0.006745) at week 8, 57% and 91% (p = 0.001126) at week 12, 57% and 100% (p < 0.001845) at the end of the treatment and 57% and 80% (p < 0.005166) after treatment cessation. IT with PI/PR linked to the restoration of innate immune response was tolerated well, overcame virological breakthrough, enhanced early virologic responses, and resulted in a sustained virologic response in difficult-to-treat CHC patients. IT with PI/PR is beneficial for treating difficult-to-treat CHC patients.     

Exploiting synthetic chemistry with mesoionic rings: improvements achieved with thioisomünchnones

The chemistry of mesoionic rings, especially their use as masked dipoles, has been a fruitful area of research since the late 1950s. With recent advances in the control of regio- and stereochemistry, the dipolar cycloaddition led to widespread application. In this Account, we illustrate our contribution employing thioisomünchnones, a class of mesoionics that has found use in creating a series of heterocyclic systems hitherto inaccessible by conventional 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. We also provide some rationalizations from computations and comment on future directions.     

Copolymerization of α-methylstyrene with N-alkylmaleimides

Summary Alternating copolymers of -methylstyrene (-MeSt) with N-alkylmaleimides (RMI; R=Et, n-Pr, iso-Pr, n-Bu, n-Hex) were prepared in Calvet differential microcalorimeter under different monomer-to-monomer ratios in the feed using AIBN as initiator. The equilibrium constants of CT-complex monomers have low values: 0.02–0.05 L.mol^-1 but the mechanism of copolymerization indicates the participation of CT-complex. Equilibrium constants and rate of decomposition under the TGA conditions are not dependent on steric factors, but the rate of copolymerization decreases with the increase of bulkiness of alkyl substituent. In high conversion copolymerization it was observed that in the presence of an excess of homopolymerizable RMI, alternating copolymers are quantitatively formed prior to the formation of poly(RMI).Dedicated to Professor Dragutin Fle on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Maoming Shihua Signed Memorandum with Sinopec

On March 23rd,Maoming Petrochemi-cal Shihua Company,which hadstopped production for one hundredsdays due to problems in the supply ofraw materials,announced that it willresume operation on April 1st.(CCR2005 No.8page 6) It was reported that negotiationsconcerning disagreements over theprice of raw materials,resuming thesupply of raw materials,and equity     

Henkel Cooperates with Top Chinese Universities

In China,as of January 1st,2005,Henkellaunched an R&D cooperation projectwith six leading research groups fromfive Chinese universities.With an ini-tial investment of US＄500 000 in the up-coming two years,this cooperation will     

Urea Price Faced with Temporary Containment

Reporter:The relevant departments ofChinese government have recentlymade a decision that to ensure the needof fertilizers for spring plough,an ex-port tariff of RMB260 per ton will beimposed on the urea export for 3months starting from Jan.1,2005 as a     

Novel biocatalyst with petroleum desulfurization potential

Introduction As the supply of low-sulfur crude oils is decreasing,the need to refine sour crude oil has become more urgent[1]. Hydrodesulfurization ( HDS) , a conventional way to remove sulfur , requires a high cost and has difficulties in getting rid of sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds . By contrast , biodesulfurization (BDS) , operating under mild conditions with less sophisticated equipment , can specifically remove sulfur in organosulfur compounds with the calorific value unchang…     

Improved Dyeing with Redox Systems: IV—dyeing of nylon-6 with disperse dyes

The dyeing of nylon-6 fabric with Terasil Red 2GL (CI Disperse Red 72), in the absence and presence of redox systems based on ammonium persulphate [(NH₄)₂S₂O₈] as oxidant and potassium pyrosulphite (K₂S₂O₅), glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) or thiourea (CH₄N₂S) as reductant, was studied. It was found that for a given set of dyeing conditions the colour strength, expressed as K/S, follows the order

Increasing the (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ concentration (0.00–0.03 m ) as well as the duration (15–60 min) and temperature (65–95° C) of the dyeing process caused significant enhancement in the colour strength and dye fixation. It is postulated that the presence of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ alters the mode of dye interaction. In the presence of the oxidant component, i.e. (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ , attachment of the disperse dye to the nylon-6 substrate seems to involve covalent bonding in addition to the usual hydrogen bond. This is indicated by the significant colour strength remaining after DMF extraction for dyeings obtained using different disperse dyes and in the presence of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈. A free-radical mechanism for the covalent bond formation between nylon-6 and the disperse dyes is tentatively suggested.     

Replacing fossil oil with fresh oil – with what and for what?

Industrial chemicals and materials are currently derived mainly from fossil‐based raw materials, which are declining in availability, increasing in price and are a major source of undesirable greenhouse gas emissions. Plant oils have the potential to provide functionally equivalent, renewable and environmentally friendly replacements for these finite fossil‐based raw materials, provided that their composition can be matched to end‐use requirements, and that they can be produced on sufficient scale to meet current and growing industrial demands. Replacement of 40% of the fossil oil used in the chemical industry with renewable plant oils, whilst ensuring that growing demand for food oils is also met, will require a trebling of global plant oil production from current levels of around 139 MT to over 400 MT annually. Realisation of this potential will rely on application of plant biotechnology to (i) tailor plant oils to have high purity (preferably >90%) of single desirable fatty acids, (ii) introduce unusual fatty acids that have specialty end‐use functionalities and (iii) increase plant oil production capacity by increased oil content in current oil crops, and conversion of other high biomass crops into oil accumulating crops. This review outlines recent progress and future challenges in each of these areas. Practical applications: The research reviewed in this paper aims to develop metabolic engineering technologies to radically increase the yield and alter the fatty acid composition of plant oils and enable the development of new and more productive oil crops that can serve as renewable sources of industrial feedstocks currently provided by non‐renewable and polluting fossil‐based resources. As a result of recent and anticipated research developments we can expect to see significant enhancements in quality and productivity of oil crops over the coming decades. This should generate the technologies needed to support increasing plant oil production into the future, hopefully of sufficient magnitude to provide a major supply of renewable plant oils for the industrial economy without encroaching on the higher priority demand for food oils. Achievement of this goal will make a significant contribution to moving to a sustainable carbon‐neutral industrial society with lower emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and reduced environmental impact as a result.     

BP Cooperates with Sun Yat-sen University

The project of the LNG education, train-ing and research center jointly funded bySun Yat-sen University and BP waslaunched on May 23. BP has announcedthat it will also start a large solar energydemonstration project in GuangdongScience Center to promote the utilizationof regenerative energy. BP will provide agrant of US＄.0 million to these two     

Carbon nanotubes loaded with vanadium oxide for reduction NO with NH3 at low temperature☆

The catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes-supported vanadium oxide (V2O5/CNTs) catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 at low temperatures (≤250 °C) was investigated. The effects of V2O5 loading, reaction temperature, and presence of SO2 on the SCR activity were evaluated. The results show that V2O5/CNTs catalysts exhibit high activity for NO reduction with NH3 at low-temperatures. The catalysts also show very high stability in the presence of SO2. More interestingly, their activities are significantly promoted in-stead of being poisoned by SO2. The promoting effect of SO2 is distinctly associated with V2O5 loading, particularly maximized at low V2O5 loading, which indicated the role of CNTs support in this effect. The promoting effect of SO2 at low temperatures suggests that V2O5/CNTs catalysts are promising catalytic materials for low-temperature SCR reactions.     

Tensile shear strength of wood bonded with urea–formaldehyde with different amounts of microfibrillated cellulose

Urea–formaldehyde (UF) adhesive mixtures with a 5% suspension of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) at 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 wt% loading levels based on the solid weight (62.4%) of the UF adhesive were prepared. Beech lamellas with dimensions of 5 mm×20 mm×150 mm were prepared from beech lumbers using a planer saw. The UF adhesive (E0 class) was mixed with the MFC using a magnetic stirrer to achieve a proper distribution of the MFC in the UF adhesive. The tensile shear strength of single lap-joint specimens bonded with UF adhesive containing MFC was determined in accordance with EN 205 (2003). The specimens bonded with UF adhesive containing the MFC showed better tensile shear strengths as compared to the control. As compared to the control specimens, the tensile shear strength of the specimens increased by 5.7% as 3 wt% of the MFC was incorporated into the UF adhesive. However, a further increment in the MFC content up to 5 wt% decreased the tensile shear strength of the specimens (−14.3% of control specimen). The MFCs were well dispersed in the UF resin and were cross-linked to form a network to reinforce the bond line, improving bonding performance.     

Synthesis of σ Receptor Ligands with a Spirocyclic System Connected with a Tetrahydroisoquinoline Moiety via Different Linkers

With the aim to develop new σ₂ receptor ligands, spirocyclic piperidines or cyclohexanamines with 2-benzopyran and 2-benzofuran scaffolds were connected to the 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline moiety by variable linkers. In addition to flexible alkyl chains, linkers containing an amide as functional group were synthesized. The 2-benzopyran and 2-benzofuran scaffold of the spirocyclic compounds were synthesized from 2-bromobenzaldehyde. The amide linkers were constructed by acylation of amines with chloroacetyl chloride and subsequent nucleophilic substitution, the alkyl linkers were obtained by LiAlH₄ reduction of the corresponding amides. For the development of σ₂ receptor ligands, the spirocyclic 2-benzopyran scaffold is more favorable than the ring-contracted 2-benzofuran system. Compounds bearing an alkyl chain as linker generally show higher σ affinity than acyl linkers containing an amide as functional group. A higher σ₁ affinity for the cis-configured cyclohexanamines than for the trans-configured derivatives was found. The highest σ₂ affinity was observed for cis-configured spiro[[2]benzopyran-1,1′-cyclohexan]-4′-amine connected to the tetrahydroisoquinoline system by an ethylene spacer (cis- 31 , K_i (σ₂)=200 nM; the highest σ₁ affinity was recorded for the corresponding 2-benzofuran derivative with a CH₂C=O linker (cis- 29 , K_i (σ₁)=129 nM).     

Adhesive strength of steel–epoxy composite joints bonded with structural acrylic adhesives filled with silica nanoparticles

This paper reports a study on the effect of silica nanoparticles on the adhesion strength of steel–glass/epoxy composite joints bonded with two-part structural acrylic adhesives. The introduction of nano-silica in the two-part acrylic adhesive led to a remarkable enhancement in the shear and tensile strength of the composite joints. The shear and tensile strengths of the adhesive joints increased with addition of the filler content up to 1.5 wt%, after which decreased with addition of more filler content. Also, addition of nanoparticles caused a reduction in the peel strength of the joints. Differential scanning calorimeter analysis revealed that T_g values of the adhesives rose with increasing the nanofiller content. The equilibrium water contact angle was decreased for adhesives containing nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscope micrographs revealed that addition of nanoparticles altered the fracture morphology from smooth to rough fracture surfaces.     

Dioxouranium complexes with ‘Jaeger-type’ ligands

Azomethine ligands with electron-withdrawing groups such as bis{N,N^′-(2-ethoxycarbonyl-3-oxo-but-1-en(1)yl)-1,2-diaminobenzene (H₂L¹) or N-(2-ethoxycarbonyl-3-oxo-but-1-en(1)yl)-2-aminophenol (H₂L²) react with uranyl nitrate under deprotonation and formation of chelate complexes. The composition of the products can be controlled by the reaction conditions and the denticity of the ligands. Structure determinations have been performed on [NEt₃H][UO₂(L¹)(OMe)], [UO₂(L¹)(DMSO)] and [NEt₃H]₂[{UO₂(L²)}₃(μ₃-O)].     

UV photopolymerized hydrogels with β-cyclodextrin moieties

Hydrophilic hydrogels based on poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(propylene glycol)–poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymers have potential applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering and other biomedical devices due to their excellent biocompatibility and environmental sensitivity. However, they also exhibit some shortcomings in terms of swelling and mechanical properties as well as affinity for water-insoluble or hydrophobic drug molecules. To address these limitations, new polymeric hydrogels with β-cyclodextrin moieties were prepared by UV photo-polymerization of maleic anhydride-substituted β-CD (MAH-CD) and the block copolymer macromer from Pluronic F68 and poly(ɛ-caprolactone). Their swelling and dynamic rheological properties were investigated with respect to the effects of feed compositions. It was found that the swelling ratio, storage modulus and loss modulus of the resulting hydrogel increased with the increase of MAH-CD amount. Incorporation of MAH-CD resulted in strong viscoelastic system with dominating elastic behavior.     

How Does DNA Compaction Favor Chiral Selectivity with Cationic Species? Higher Selectivity with Lower Cationic Charge

A single-molecule study on giant DNA compaction by enantiomeric dications and tetracations demonstrates that strong chiral discrimination in DNA compaction is manifested only if the positive charge on enantiomeric multications is relatively low. The increase in cationicity of the chiral compaction agent inevitably leads to an increase in nonspecific electrostatic interactions and quenching of chiral discrimination in the DNA-folding phase transition.