Isolation and Purification of Lignin in Willow Wood

Currently increasing amounts of time and energy are spent in search for renewable resources with increasing focus on biomass. Of particular interest is the extraction and chemical ‘reforming’ of the lignin, a naturally occurring abundant organic polymer. If separated from cellulose and depolymerized, lignin could become a rich resource of chemicals. This project focuses on lignin separation from willow wood collected form GVSU agricultural project lot, and its purification. The lignin extracted from wood was analyzed via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. By comparing the IR results from four different willow wood to available literature data, it was confirmed that lignin was isolated from willow wood and that further purification is required. A quantitative estimate of efficiency of lignin extraction from the four different types of willow wood ranges from 4.50% to 10.82% lignin by mass

Under God: Political Views and Experiences Among Young Adults Attending an Evangelical College

While polarization has increased the saliency of political values, political meaning-making has been scarcely addressed in higher education literature and training. Additionally, even though the political orientation of evangelicals has been back in the spotlight since the 2016 presidential campaign, little research has been done to explore the interplay of faith commitments and political values among students at an evangelical college. This study examined religiosity, ideology, political attitudes, the salience of political identity, and experience with political differences among students at an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution (n = 223). Descriptive data confirmed the salience of religious belief and practice among the surveyed students and revealed that they endorsed the views that cross partisan boundaries, suggesting that they were more complicated politically than their ideology, party affiliation, or voting decisions would convey. While political identity was not an important part of personhood for most students, ideology predicted conflict, open-mindedness, and self-censorship

The potential for low-cost airlines in Asia

Thesis (S.M. in Transportation)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 123).The purpose of this thesis is to assess the potential for low-cost airlines in Asia. Low-cost airlines have been very successful in North America and Europe and have significantly impacted the airline industry and its stakeholders. In what ways and to what extent this might be repeatable in Asia is the underlying question of this thesis. An investigation of the low-cost airline business model reveals that there are a number of key elements that make it so successful on both sides of the Atlantic. But what works in North America and Europe may not be feasible in Asia. An analysis of the Asian airline industry shows that it differs from the rest of the world in several important dimensions, which will substantially affect prospective low-cost airlines. On the one hand, the rigid regulatory frameworks in most parts of Asia and the fact that many traditional Asian airlines have some of the world's lowest unit costs may not allow Asian low-cost airlines to thrive in the same way as they have in other parts of the world. On the other hand, a breakdown of Asia's socioeconomic indicators shows that the continent is bound to experience significant growth in intra-Asia air travel over the coming years. The low-cost airline business in Asia is therefore challenging in several ways but potentially very lucrative. The possible impacts that an increasing presence of low-cost airlines in Asia would have on the various stakeholders in the region are substantial. While some of these stakeholders will likely benefit from a growing presence of low-cost airlines in Asia, others might have a lot to lose. This thesis analyses several stakeholder groups and suggests potential response options.by Philipp Dietlin.S.M.in Transportatio

Simultaneous initiation of radical and cationic polymerization reactions using the "G1" copper complex as photoredox catalyst: Applications of free radical/cationic hybrid photopolymerization in the composites and

WOS:000469902800007This investigation presents the use of a photoredox catalyst "G1" as a photoinitiating system for free radical/cationic hybrid polymerization under mild irradiation conditions. The G1 system (G1/iodonium salt/N-vinylcarbazole), can simultaneously initiate the free radical and cationic polymerization reactions upon exposure to a visible (405 nm) light from a Light Emitting Diode (LED) source. The multicomponent G1 system is able to simultaneously generate radical and cationic species through a catalytic photoredox process. The curing of thin samples (25 mu m), thick samples (1.4 mm) as well as the manufacture of hybrid system/glass fibers composites ( 2 to 4 mm thickness) was realized and the influence of the ratio of cationic/radical monomer blends on the polymerization kinetics was studied. The use of G1 in visible light photoinitiating system for the access to composites and 3D printing experiments was particularly outlined. G1 was also shown to have low levels of migration from the cured materials. When compared to reference materials ("F1", a similar copper complex and an anthracene derivative, dibutoxy anthracene), G1 showed better polymerization efficiency. The initiation efficiency was investigated through the real-time Fourier transform infrared (RT-FTIR) spectroscopy and optical pyrometry. Dynamical Mechanical Analysis has been used to determine the glass temperature transition of the cured hybrid system as a complementary technique

Photochemistry and Radical Chemistry under Low Intensity Visible Light Sources: Application to Photopolymerization Reactions:

The search for radical initiators able to work under soft conditions is a great challenge, driven by the fact that the use of safe and cheap light sources is very attractive. In the present paper, a review of some recently reported photoinitiating systems for polymerization under soft conditions is provided. Different approaches based on multi-component systems (e.g., photoredox catalysis) or light harvesting photoinitiators are described and discussed. The chemical mechanisms associated with the production of free radicals usable as initiating species or mediators of cations are reported

Density of Gr1-positive myeloid precursor cells, p-STAT3 expression and gene expression pattern in canine mammary cancer metastasis

The very recent studies on human and mice models have indicated an important role of myeloid precursor cells (progenitors or not fully differentiated cells that express the Gr1 antigen also called Gr1-positive myeloid suppressor cells) in the tumor progression and metastasis. They are thought to suppress the immune system and promote angiogenesis via Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation. As of now there is no data available on the correlation of Gr1-positive cell number, phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) expression and cancer ability to metastasis. Thus, we counted the myeloid precursor cell number and analyzed p-STAT3 expression in 50 canine mammary tumors that gave local/distant metastases and did not metastasize. We showed that the number of Gr1-positive cells and p-STAT3 expression are significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the metastatic tumors than in the non-metastatic ones. We also observed higher expression of p-STAT3 in the canine mammary cancer cell lines with metastatic potential than in other cell lines (p < 0.001). Moreover, the number of myeloid precursors and p-STAT3 expression in metastatic tumors correlate strongly. The tumor infiltrating myeloid precursor cells may invigorate the STAT3 activity (probably via vascular endothelial growth factor – VEGF) that contributes to the tumor angiogenesis and furthermore tumor`s ability to metastasize. The analysis of gene expression in canine mammary cancer cell lines with metastatic potential indicated that semaphorin 3B (SEMA3B) and neuropilin receptors (NRP) may also be important elements in this process. Thus, we discuss the possible interactions within the tumor that may be required for cancer metastatis

The ethics of entrepreneurial philanthropy

A salient if under researched feature of the new age of global inequalities is the rise to prominence of entrepreneurial philanthropy, the pursuit of transformational social goals through philanthropic investment in projects animated by entrepreneurial principles. Super-wealthy entrepreneurs in this way extend their suzerainty from the domain of the economic to the domains of the social and political. We explore the ethics and ethical implications of entrepreneurialphilanthropy through systematic comparison with what we call customaryphilanthropy, which preferences support for established institutions and social practices. We analyse the ethical statements made at interview by 24 elite UK philanthropists, 12 customary and 12 entrepreneurial, to reveal the co-existence of two ethically charged narratives of elite philanthropic motivations, each instrumental in maintaining the established socio-economic order. We conclude that entrepreneurial philanthropy, as an ostensibly efficacious instrument of social justice, is ethically flawed by its unremitting impulse toward ideological purity

Favorable Alteration of Tumor Microenvironment by Immunomodulatory Cytokines for Efficient T-Cell Therapy in Solid Tumors

Unfavorable ratios between the number and activation status of effector and suppressor immune cells infiltrating the tumor contribute to resistance of solid tumors to T-cell based therapies. Here, we studied the capacity of FDA and EMA approved recombinant cytokines to manipulate this balance in favor of efficient anti-tumor responses in B16. OVA melanoma bearing C57BL/6 mice. Intratumoral administration of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-2 significantly enhanced the anti-tumor effect of ovalbumin-specific CD8+ T-cell (OT-I) therapy, whereas GM-CSF increased tumor growth in association with an increase in immunosuppressive cell populations. None of the cytokines augmented tumor trafficking of OT-I cells significantly, but injections of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma and IL-2 increased intratumoral cytokine secretion and recruitment of endogenous immune cells capable of stimulating T-cells, such as natural killer and maturated CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells. Moreover, IFN-alpha 2 and IL-2 increased the levels of activated tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells concomitant with reduction in the CD8+ T-cell expression of anergy markers CTLA-4 and PD-1. In conclusion, intratumoral administration of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma and IL-2 can lead to immune sensitization of the established tumor, whereas GM-CSF may contribute to tumor-associated immunosuppression. The results described here provide rationale for including local administration of immunostimulatory cytokines into T-cell therapy regimens. One appealing embodiment of this would be vectored delivery which could be advantageous over direct injection of recombinant molecules with regard to efficacy, cost, persistence and convenience.Peer reviewe