Harvest of the Oleaginous Microalgae Scenedesmus obtusiusculus by Flocculation From Culture Based on Natural Water Sources

Harvest and dewatering poses a significant economical burden for industrial algae biomass production. To mitigate these effects, energy efficient techniques for these process steps have to be developed. Flocculation of the microalgae Scenedesmus obtusiusculus in salt based medium was induced by pH-shift and alternatively by addition of two biological flocculants, chitosan, and the commercial tannin CFL-PT. This is the first time that CFL-PT is used as an algae flocculant particularly focusing on harvesting of halophilic strains. The method was characterized and subsequently optimized. In comparison to biological flocculants, induction by pH shift is far cheaper, but due to buffering effects of the brackish cultivation medium infeasible amounts of base are required to raise the pH-value. tannin appears to be superior compared to chitosan not only in the absence of algae organic matter (AOM), but tannin-based harvest is also more robust regarding culture pH in presence of AOM. A higher flocculant-demand for modified tannin compared to chitosan is offset by the lower price. Given the employed strain and cultivation conditions, cultivation time had no pronounced effect on flocculation efficiencies (FE) while algae zeta-potential and bacterial communities also remained stable

GIS-based sales support by company knowledge reuse in the telecommunications sector

A quick and timely response to a customer request provides an important competitive advantage for a company. Experience reuse as intended by experience management facilitates an acceleration of the process of preparing offers. From a technology-oriented point of view, experience is "valuable, stored, specific knowledge that was acquired by a problem solving agent in a problem solving situation" . In the situation of creating an offer in response to a customer request, such valuable knowledge from a company’s experience might include past prices of products or services for a similar customer request. Especially in the telecommunication market such prices are volatile and depend on many impact factors such as the required technology, bandwidth of available lines, or the time period in which the telecommunication service is required. In the run-up for a large sports event, for instance, purchase prices might be significantly higher than after the event when the investment in new infrastructure has provided additional capacities and when there is less demand

Introduction to skin aging

YesCutaneous science has seen considerable development in the last 25 years, in part due to the -Omics revolution, and the appreciation that this organ is hardwired into the body’s key neuroimmuno- endocrine axes. Moreover, there is greater appreciation of how stratification of skin disorders will permit more targeted and more effective treatments. Against this has been how the remarkable extension in the average human life-span, though in the West at least, this parallels worrying increases in lifestyle-associated conditions like diabetes, skin cancer etc. These demographic trends bring greater urgency to finding clinical solutions for numerous age-related deficits in skin function caused by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Mechanisms for aging skin include the actions of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mtDNA mutations, and telomere shortening, as well as hormonal changes. We have also significantly improved our understanding of how to harness the skin’s considerable regenerative capacity e.g., via its remarkable investment of stem cell subpopulations. In this way we hope to develop new strategies to selectively target the skin’s capacity to undergo optimal wound repair and regeneration. Here, the unsung hero of the skin regenerative power may be the humble hair follicle, replete with its compliment of epithelial, mesenchymal, neural and other stem cells. This review introduces the topic of human skin aging, with a focus on how maintenance of function in this complex multi-cell type organ is key for retaining quality of life into old age

Continuous crystallisation

Although crystallisation in pharmaceutical manufacturing is traditionally carried out as a batch operation, with the drive towards implementing continuous manufacturing of pharmaceuticals there is increased interest in developing and applying approaches for continuous crystallisation [1, 2]. Indeed, the potential to directly connect multiple process stages as part of an integrated end-to-end process chain including a continuous crystallisation step has been demonstrated for the manufacture of aliskiren hemifumarate tablets [3] and in a compact reconfigurable platform for a range of liquid dosage APIs [4]. Crystallisation is a key operation for the purification and isolation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from solution mixtures to produce pure drug substance in a stable, solid form suitable for subsequent formulation and processing. Crystallisation is therefore a critical stage in controlling the physical properties of the solid material [5, 6]. For pharmaceuticals, achieving high levels of chemical purity of crystallised or precipitated particles is an essential requirement. However, a given API can also show a range of variability in crystalline form (polymorph, solvate, salt, co-crystal), crystal size, size distribution and shape that can have significant effects on processing performance and product stability [7]. Consequently, robust continuous crystallisation processes are required that can achieve the target particle attributes consistently and avoid uncontrolled variation in quality and performance. However, despite the widespread application of crystallisation in fine chemical and pharmaceutical production, it still remains relatively poorly understood. Hence the development of consistent and robust continuous crystallisation processes requires systematic and rigorous approaches to identify and control the complex physical transformations that take place within a multicomponent, multiphase process environment

Redoxaktive Chelat-Liganden auf Basis von Wolfram Alkinkomplexen mit α-Phosphanylalkinen

Die Synthese von funktionellen Chelat-Liganden auf Basis von Trispyrazolylborat Wolfram Komplexen mit side-on gebundenen Donoralkinen η2-C2(D)2 (D = PR2, N(H)R, S−) wird präsentiert. Die stufenweise elektrophile Substitution am Acetylenkomplex-Templat erwies sich als beste Strategie für eine späte Funktionalisierung des Alkins mit P-Donoren. Diese Diphosphane zeichnen sich durch einen großen sterischen Anspruch und einen reversiblen, metallzentrierten Oxidationsprozess aus. Die Isolierung einer Vielzahl von polynuklearen Komplexen mit verschiedensten Metallen beweist ihre große Flexibilität.The synthesis of functional chelating ligands based on trispyrazolylborate tungsten complexes bearing side-on donor-substituted alkynes of the type η2-C2(D)2 (D = PR2, N(H)R, S−) is reported. Late stage functionalization of the alkyne ligand with P-donors was achieved by a stepwise electrophilic substitution strategy applied on an acetylene complex template. The obtained diphosphines are characterized by a large steric demand and a metal-based oxidation process of excellent reversibility. The synthesis and isolation of polynuclear complexes renders the [W]{C2(PR2)2} moiety a high flexibility

Entwurf eines Selbstbalancierenden Fahrzeugs

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Kronzeugeninformationen im kartellrechtlichen Schadensersatzprozess

Der Zugriff auf Informationen, die Kronzeugen an die Kartellbehörden übermitteln, kann für Schadensersatzkläger zur Substantiierung ihrer Klagen von Bedeutung sein. Das Informationsbedürfnis der Schadensersatzkläger kollidiert jedoch mit dem Interesse, effektive Kronzeugenprogramme im Rahmen der behördlichen Kartellrechtsdurchsetzung aufrecht zu erhalten.Die Arbeit untersucht die Lösungsmodelle für das durch einen derartigen Informationszugriff entstehende Spannungsverhältnis zwischen öffentlicher und privater Kartellrechtsdurchsetzung im deutschen Recht vor und nach Inkrafttreten der 9. GWB-Novelle, im europäischen Recht unter Einbeziehung der Schadensersatzrichtlinie und der Transparenzverordnung sowie für Aspekte des US-amerikanischen Rechts. Dabei wird erörtert, ob die Regelungen der Schadensersatzrichtlinie und der 9. GWB-Novelle in Konflikt zum Primärrecht der Europäischen Union stehen. In Anlehnung an das amerikanische Recht wird erwogen, die Haftungsprivilegierung der Kronzeugen an Kooperationsleistungen im Schadensersatzprozess zu knüpfen

A multi-objective optimisation including results of life cycle assessment in developing bio-renewables-based processes

A decision support tool has been developed, which uses global multi-objective optimisation based on: (i) the environmental impacts, evaluated within the framework of full life cycle assessment, and (ii) process costs, evaluated using rigorous process models. This approach is particularly useful in developing the bio renewable-based energy solutions and chemicals manufacturing, where multiple criteria must be evaluated and where the optimisation-based decision making process is particularly attractive. The framework is demonstrated using a case study of conversion of terpenes derived from bio-waste feedstocks into reactive intermediates. A two-step chemical conversion/separation sequence was implemented as a rigorous process model and combined with a life cycle model. A life cycle inventory for crude sulfate turpentine was developed, as well as a conceptual process of its separation into pure terpene feedstocks. The performed single- and multi-objective optimisations demonstrate the functionality of the optimisation-based process development and illustrate the approach. Most significant advance is the ability to perform multi-objective global optimisation, resulting in identification of a region of Pareto-optimal solutions