Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene glycol including the steps of: (i) reacting, in a reactor, at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 170° C. to equal to or less than 270° C., at least a portion of a carbohydrate source in the presence of hydrogen, a solvent, a homogeneous catalyst, which homogeneous catalyst contains tungsten, and a heterogeneous catalyst, which heterogeneous catalyst contains one or more transition metals from groups 8, 9 and 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, yielding ethylene glycol and a spent heterogeneous catalyst; (ii) regenerating the spent heterogeneous catalyst by removing at least a portion of deposited tungsten species from the spent heterogeneous catalyst, yielding a regenerated heterogeneous catalyst; and (iii) using at least a portion of the regenerated heterogeneous catalyst as heterogeneous catalyst in the reaction of step (i).

Abstract: An article of footwear has an upper that is direct attached with the sole. The sole has a film extending up sidewalls of the sole to a film edge that is prior to the sidewall and the upper joining. Method of manufacture of the article of footwear includes steps of positioning a film over a mold cavity and then securing the film to the mold. The film is heated and then drawn into the mold cavity under a vacuum. The film forms a liner of the mold cavity. A foam composition is injected into the lined mold cavity. As the foam composition expands, the foam composition interacts with and mechanically engages with the upper that is positioned at the mold cavity to allow for the mechanical engagement that results in the direct attach of the sole to the upper. The film is then trimmed from the sole sidewalls.

Abstract: A centrifugal device for brewing coffee includes a spinning assembly, the spinning assembly includes a piston element, a cylinder element including a peripheral wall, a filter, a motor and a spindle connected to the motor. The piston element includes a nut. During centrifugal rotation, the piston element is in a coffee brewing position, and during the centrifugal rotation the piston element is rotated by the spindle via the action on the nut and is pressed against the upper rim, where a centrifugal force is created which forms a bed of coffee against the peripheral wall and which drives hot water through the bed of coffee and through the filter. A stopping device includes an engagement member and an actuator, the engagement member being movable by the actuator between an engaged position engaging the piston element of the spinning assembly and a disengaged position.

Abstract: A fuel composition comprises humins and at least one organic oxygenated solvent which has an apparent viscosity of at most 1.5 Pa·s at 100° C. at a shear rate of 30 s?1. Humins are produced by the dehydration of carbohydrates. The organic oxygenated solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, which may be aromatic, cycloaliphatic and aliphatic, and mixtures thereof. The fuel compositions can be used as marine fuel.

Abstract: An aromatic dicarboxylic acid of chemical formula HOOC—Ar1—COOH is prepared in a process wherein a feedstock comprising at least an aromatic aldehyde compound of chemical formula (1): OHC—Ar1—COOH, wherein Ar1 represents an arylene or heteroarylene moiety, and an aqueous electrolyte are provided; the feedstock and the aqueous electrolyte are introduced into an electrolytic cell comprising electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a non-noble metal and/or an oxide and/or a hydroxide thereof and/or carbon; and the aromatic aldehyde compound of formula (1) is oxidized electrochemically to yield the aromatic dicarboxylic acid.

Abstract: A foam includes a cellular structure and having a density of at most 0.50 g/cm3, where the cellular structure is provided by a solid material that includes humins. Such a foam is prepared in a process, which includes: providing a starting material containing humins; and heating the starting material to a temperature in the range of 150 to 450° C. The foam can be used in articles for a variety of applications such as substrate for plant growth, as adsorbent for treating waste water or waste gases, as support for solid catalysts, as insulation material, or packaging material.

Abstract: The current invention relates to the use of a physiologically acceptable organic and/or inorganic vanadium compound or complex, such as for example bis(maltolato)oxovanadium (BMOV) in the prevention or amelioration of stress-induced metabolic derangement in a subject. More in particular, the invention relates to a physiologically acceptable organic and/or inorganic vanadium compound or complex for use in the amelioration of hyperglycemia in a subject suffering from stress such as elicited by a trauma, wherein the physiologically acceptable organic and/or inorganic vanadium compound or complex is administered to said subject before the trauma is inflicted to the subject.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the continuous preparation of a cycloadduct product from the reaction of a furanic with a dienophile, comprising heating a first liquid feed stream comprising the dienophile and a solvent in which the dienophile is dissolved; providing a second liquid feed stream comprising the furanic; leading the first liquid feed stream and the second liquid feed stream into a continuous reactor to produce a product solution stream comprising the cycloadduct product; and leading the product solution stream to an product isolation zone to produce an isolated cycloadduct product. A further aspect of the invention is an apparatus for carrying out this reaction.

Abstract: A material for binding to a cell culturing protein is disclosed. The material contains a bulk-modified elastomer comprising a plurality of fatty acid moieties covalently bound to the elastomer bulk, wherein the carboxylic acid groups of said moieties are available to provide said binding. Also disclosed are a fluidic device module, a cell culturing scaffold, a fluidic device, the method of synthesizing such a material and a drug testing method. With such a material, a (monolithic) fluidic device module may be manufactured in as few as a single step injection molding process.

Abstract: Milk meter for measuring a milk flow provided with an inlet the milk flow is supplied to an outlet, a liquid flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet, a stabilization chamber in the liquid flow path and a float therein configured to float on milk. The level of milk in the stabilization chamber depends on the flow rate of the milk flow. At least one sensor device for determining the position of the float in the stabilization chamber for determining the flow rate of the milk flow. The milk meter has an outflow channel and an outflow opening in fluid communication with the outlet via the outflow channel. The sensor device has a first and a second coil which have a fixed distance to each other, and a third coil. The first and second coil and the third coil are displaceable relative to each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for maintaining normoglycemia in a mammal in need thereof, preferably a critically ill patient suffering from acute stress, and to a method for preventing or limiting renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in a mammal, preferably in a critically ill patient suffering from acute stress.

Abstract: A hydrogenated Diels-Alder adduct of the formula (III) a hydrogenated Diels-Alder adduct of the formula (IV) and a lactone compound of formula (V) are disclosed and described.

Abstract: A process for treating a dicarboxylic acid composition, with the proviso that the dicarboxylic acid is not furan 2,5-dicarboxylic acid, which process comprises: —introducing a dicarboxylic acid composition, which dicarboxylic acid composition contains an impurity compound and which impurity compound is an organic compound comprising a carbonyl group, into a cathode compartment of an electrochemical cell; and electrochemically reducing the impurity compound in the cathode compartment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, a cleaning device may be provided on the substrate table and an ultrasonic emitter may be provided to create an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.

Abstract: A process for treating a furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid composition, which process comprises: introducing a furan-2,5-di-carboxylic acid composition, which furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid composition contains an impurity compound and which impurity compound is 5-formyl-furan-2-carboxylic acid, into a cathode compartment of an electrochemical cell; and electrochemically reducing the impurity compound in the cathode compartment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for maintaining normoglycemia in a mammal in need thereof, preferably a critically ill patient suffering from acute stress, and to a method for preventing or limiting renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in a mammal, preferably in a critically ill patient suffering from acute stress.

Abstract: A carboxylic acid-containing composition, which composition contains an aldehyde, is purified in a process, which process comprises introducing the carboxylic acid-containing composition and an aqueous electrolyte into an electrolytic cell comprising electrodes; electrochemically oxidizing the aldehyde in the electrolytic cell to obtain an electrochemically oxidized product composition comprising a carboxylic acid derived from the aldehyde; and, optionally, separating carboxylic acid from the electrochemically oxidized product composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new fungal production system comprising a fungal host strain of Chrysosporium lucknowense wherein the endogenous cellulase secretion is less than 20% of the endogenous cellulase secretion of Chrysosporium lucknowense strain UV 18-25. Preferably, also the secretion of endogenous protease, endogenous ?-glucanase and endogenous cellobiohydrolase is less than 20% of the secretion of Chrysosporium lucknowense strain UV 18-25. Furthermore, fungal host strains are provided wherein several genes have been disrupted. According to another aspect of the invention a method for homologous and/or heterologous production of a pure protein with a purity of higher than 75%, comprising expressing a gene encoding said protein in the strains according to the invention have been described. Furthermore, a method for production of artificial protein mixes comprising expressing a gene encoding each of said proteins in a strain according to the invention have been disclosed.

Abstract: Modified humins are prepared by contacting humins with a reactive compound, such as, a carboxylic acid, an acyl halide, a carboxylic anhydride, an olefin, an epoxy-group containing compound and combinations thereof in the presence of an organic aprotic solvent to obtain a humins-containing admixture; maintaining the humins-containing admixture at elevated temperature to achieve a reaction between the humins and the reactive compound, thereby obtaining modified humins; and recovering the modified humins.

Abstract: Gamma-valerolactone is prepared from a levulinic acid ester in a continuous process where a stream of the levulinic acid ester together with a gaseous stream of a hydrogen-containing gas is contacted with a hydrogenation catalyst, where the levulinic acid ester is in the liquid phase, and where the hydrogenation catalyst is a solid particulate catalyst including at least one hydrogenating metal, supported on an oxide carrier.