Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the fermentative production of sulfur-containing fine chemicals, in particular L-methionine, by using bacteria which express a nucleotide sequence coding for a methionine synthase (meta) gene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of polyamines having at least one terminal secondary or tertiary amine function as a detergent additive for fuels and lubricants; to additive concentrates comprising such polyamines; to fuels and lubricants additized with these polyamines and to processes for their preparation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing unsaturated nitrites from the corresponding alkanes which comprises the steps: a) feeding an alkane into a dehydrogenation zone and catalytically dehydrogenating the alkane to the corresponding alkene to obtain a product gas stream A which comprises the alkene, unconverted alkane and possibly one or more further gas components selected from the group consisting of steam, hydrogen, carbon oxides, hydrocarbons having a lower boiling point than the alkane or the alkene (low-boilers), nitrogen and noble gases, b) at least partially removing further gas components from the product gas stream A to give a feed gas stream B which comprises the alkane and the alkene, c) feeding the feed gas stream B, ammonia, an oxygen-containing gas and, if desired, steam into an oxidation zone and catalytically ammoxidizing the alkene to the corresponding unsaturated nitrile to give a product gas stream C which comprises the unsaturated nitrile, ammoxidation by-products, unconverte

Abstract: Isolated nucleic acid molecules, designated sugar metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation (SMP) nucleic acid molecules, which encode novel SMP proteins from Corynebacterium glutamicum, are described. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing SMP nucleic acid molecules, and host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced. The invention still further provides isolated SMP proteins, mutated SMP proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and methods for the improvement of production of a desired compound from C. glutamicum based on genetic engineering of SMP genes in this organism.

Abstract: A transgenic plant transformed by a phosphatase stress-related protein (PHSRP) coding nucleic acid, wherein expression of the nucleic acid sequence in the plant results in increased tolerance to environmental stress as compared to a wild type variety of the plant. Also provided are agricultural products, including seeds, produced by the transgenic plants. Also provided are isolated PHSRPs, and isolated nucleic acid coding PHSRPs, and vectors and host cells containing the latter.

Abstract: Optionally alkyl-substituted 1,4-butanediol is prepared from C4-dicarboxylic acids and/or of derivatives thereof by: a) a gas stream of the C4-dicarboxylic acid or the derivative thereof in a first reactor in the gas phase to obtain a product which contains mainly optionally alkyl-substituted ?-butyro-lactone; b) removing succinic anhydride from the product of step a); c) catalytically hydrogenating the product of step b) in a second reactor in the gas phase to obtain optionally alkyl-substituted 1,4-butanediol; d) removing the desired product from intermediates, by-products and any unconverted reactants; and e) optionally recycling unconverted intermediates into one or both hydrogenation stages. The catalysts employed in each of the hydrogenation stages comprise ?95% by weight of CuO, and ?5% by weight of an oxidic support, and the second reactor has a higher pressure than the first reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing phytofluene of the formula I, where a) a phosphonium salt of the formula II is condensed with an aldehyde of the formula III in a Wittig reaction to give an acetal of the formula IV b) the condensation product of the formula IV is subjected to an acid-catalyzed acetal hydrolysis to give the aldehyde of the formula V c) and V is condensed in a further Wittig reaction with a phosphonium salt of the formula VI to give phytofluene where the radicals R1, R2 and R7, and X? and Y? have the meaning sated in the description.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for continuously, distillatively removing piperazine from an ethylenediamine-piperazine mixture under pressure at elevated temperature, by discharging the ethylenediamine at the top and the piperazine at the bottom of a distillation column. For the purpose of improving the quality of the piperazine, especially its color and color stability, the piperazine is subjected directly to circulation conveying it through an evaporator unit operated at a temperature of from about 160° C. to about 170° C. and returning it into the distillation column. After a residence time of from about 30 min to about 60 min in the circulation system, the piperazine is discharged in vapor form from a side draw in the lower section of the distillation column.

Abstract: A coating slip composition which can be applied by the curtain coating method to substrates to be coated, for example base paper or cardboard, is described. The substrate, which may be base paper or cardboard, is coated with one or more free-falling liquid curtains, a binder being added to the coating liquid. The binder is selected from the group comprising styrene/butadiene latex binders, styrene/acrylate latex binders, styrene/butadiene/acrylonitrile latex binders, styrene/maleic anhydride binders and styrene/acrylate/maleic anhydride binders, the binder having a particle size of <130 nm.

Abstract: A catalyst is described which has a catalytically active composition which contains a phase A and a phase B in the form of three-dimensional delimited regions, wherein phase A is a silver-vanadium oxide bronze and phase B a mixed oxide phase based on titanium dioxide and vanadium pentoxide. The catalyst serves to prepare aldehydes, carboxylic acids and/or carboxylic anhydrides from aromatic or heteroaromatic hydrocarbons by gas phase oxidation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of nucleic acid sequences for regulating the transcription and expression of genes, the novel promoters and expression units themselves, methods for altering or causing the transcription rate and/or expression rate of genes, expression cassettes comprising the expression units, genetically modified microorganisms with altered or caused transcription rate and/or expression rate, and methods for preparing biosynthetic products by cultivating the genetically modified microorganisms.

Abstract: High-functionality highly branched or hyperbranched polyesters based on di-, tri- or polycarboxylic acids and di-, tri- or polyols, processes for preparing them, and their use.

Abstract: New triazine derivatives containing carbamate groups, processes for preparing them, and their use.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of water-soluble and/or water-swellable anionic polymers which are obtainable by free radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated, anionic monomers in an aqueous medium in the presence of at leas one stabilizer, the polymerization being carried out in the presence of at least one water-soluble polymer of the groups consisting of (a) graft polymers of vinyl acetate and/or vinyl propionate on (i) polyethylene glycols or (ii) polyethylene glycols or polypropylene glycols blocked at one or both terminal groups with alkyd carboxyl or amino groups, polyalkylene glycols, polyalkylene glycols blocked at one or both terminal groups with alkyl carboxy or amino groups and (b) water-soluble copolymers of (b1) nonionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, (b2) cationic monoethylenically unsaturated monomers and if appropriate (b3) anionic monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, the fraction of the interpolymerized cationic monomers being greater than that of the anionic monomers, as a stabil

Abstract: A process for producing a liquid formulation of a basic azo dye from a phenylenediamine I, which may be alkyl or alkoxy substituted, by diazotizing and coupling in acidic solution comprises diazotizing the phenylenediamine with sodium nitrite in the presence of at least two organic acids comprising at least one first acid (A) having a pkA value of ?40 and at least a second acid (B) having a pKA value ?4.1 and performing a nanofiltration after the coupling has ended.

Abstract: Modified open-cell foams having a density in the range from 5 to 1000 kg/m3, a mean pore diameter in the range from 1 ?m to 1 mm, a BET surface area in the range from 0.1 to 50 m2/g and an acoustic absorption factor of more than 50% at a frequency of 2000 Hz at a layer thickness of 50 mm, comprising in the range from 1 to 4000 ppm, based on the weight of the unmodified open-cell foam, fixed particles (b) having a mean diameter (number average) in the range from 5 nm to 900 nm.

Abstract: A method of forming a polyethercarbonate polyol enhances incorporation of CO2 into the polyethercarbonate polyol. The method provides a catalyst including a multimetal cyanide compound. The multimetal cyanide compound has an ordered structure defined by a cationic catalytic center and an anionic backbone with the anionic backbone spatially arranged about the cationic catalytic center. The anionic backbone is modified with a supplemental anionic spacer to affect the spatial arrangement and catalytic activity of the cationic catalytic center. The supplemental anionic spacer is incorporated into the multimetal cyanide compound to establish the general formula, M1a[M2b(CN)cMd3Xe]f, wherein M1, M2, and M3 are various metal ions and X is the supplemental anionic spacer. An H-functional initiator, an alkylene oxide, and CO2 are reacted in the presence of the modified multimetal cyanide compound to form the polyethercarbonate polyol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the modification of surface properties of particulate, linear, sheet-like, or three-dimensional structures using alkoxylated polyvinylamines. The invention further relates to novel alkoxylated polyvinylamines, and also to a process for their preparation.

Abstract: Polyurethanes having hyperbranched structures, selected from hyperbranched polyurethanes containing at least one pigment affinity group and modified hyperbranched polyurethanes, are used as polymeric dispersing additives for pigments. A preferred process for preparing modified polymeric dispersing additives comprises reacting a hyperbranched polyurethane having from 2 to 100 NCO groups and a molar mass of from 500 to 50,000 g/mol with one or more polyether derivatives.

Abstract: The present invention provides a crosslinker for organic coatings having an amino resin core with substituents including more than one olefin functional group, a silicon-containing group, and at least one alkoxyalkyl or alkylol group. Coating compositions containing the crosslinker can be cured with radiation, especially ultraviolet radiation. The crosslinker can be included in a coating composition with one or more curable resins, applied onto a substrate and cured to form the cured coating of the invention.