Processes of preparing defined monomer sequence polymers are disclosed, in which a backbone portion of the polymer is first prepared by performing one or more sequential monomeric coupling reactions with intervening membrane diafiltration purification/isolation steps, followed by a step of decorating the backbone portion with one or more side chains at predetermined positions along its length. The process represents an improvement on prior art techniques, which impose limitations on the size of the side chains that may be present. Defined monomer sequence polymers that are obtainable by the processes are also disclosed.

Compositions consisting of block copolymers ,-di-aryl or alkyl sulfonates of poly(ethylene oxide).sub.w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide).sub.w of bis-ammonium and block copolymers ,-di-amine of poly(ethylene oxide).sub.w-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide).sub.w, are provided that are effective in the dewatering and desalting crude oils whose specific gravities are within the range of 14 to 20 API. A method of dewatering and desalting heavy crude oil adds a mixture of the copolymer bifunctionalized with an aliphatic or aromatic secondary amine and a copolymer bifunctionalized with an aliphatic or aromatic tertiary amine.

A branched hetero polyethylene glycol according to the present invention is represented by the formula [1]: ##STR00001##
wherein X and Y represent each an atomic group containing at least a functional group which reacts with a functional group present in a bio-functional molecule to form a covalent bond and the functional group contained in the atomic group X and the functional group contained in the atomic group Y are different from each other; s is an integer of 2 to 8, which represents the number of polyethylene glycol chains; n is the number of average added moles for the polyethylene glycol chain and 20n2000; and E is a branching linker moiety having s-valent bonding valency for the polyethylene glycol chains and having monovalent bonding valency for the functional group Y.

Provided are surfactant compositions that are useful as alternatives to alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) type surfactants in emulsion polymerization. The surfactant compositions comprise: an alkyl alkoxylate sulfate of formula (I): R.sup.1O(CH.sub.2CH(R.sup.2)O).sub.x(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.ySO.sub.3M wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, x, y, and M are as defined herein.

A hydrogel precursor formulation, its process of production as well as a kit comprising the formulation and a method of production of a hydrogel using the formulation. The precursor formulation comprises at least one structural compound, preferably vinyl sulfone (acrylated branched) poly(ethylene glycol), and at least one linker compound, preferably a peptide with two cysteines. The structural compound and the linker compound are polymerizable by a selective reaction between a nucleophile and a conjugated unsaturated bond or group. The precursor formulation is in the form of a powder.

The present invention discloses a Y-type discrete polyethylene glycol derivative and a preparation method thereof, which has the advantages of determined molecular weights and the number of chain segments, and can avoid the defect of heterogeneity of a PEG derivative, meanwhile the preparation method has simple steps, mild conditions, without need for strictly anhydrous environment or performing protection and deprotection steps. In addition, the Y-type discrete polyethylene glycol derivative of the present invention may increase the water solubility of the discrete polyethylene glycol, and solve the problem of insufficient water solubility of the discrete polyethylene glycol-modified insoluble drug caused by an increase of the loading capacity.

The present disclosure relates to an oxidation-reduction polymer which can be used in an electrochemical sensor, and particularly, in a polymer backbone of an electron transfer medium of the electrochemical sensor. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to: an oxidation-reduction polymer which can be used in a poly (allyl glycidyl ether)-based electrochemical sensor including a repeating unit derived from allyl glycidyl ether; and an electron transfer medium and an electrochemical sensor including same, wherein the oxidation-reduction polymer is advantageous in confirming the completion of reaction during manufacture, has high immobilization efficiency of the transition metal complex, has low possibility of having problems of toxicity and side effects, and can add various functions.

A formulation includes a carrier agent formed by conjugating at least one biologically active hydrophobic compound with at least one hydrophilic compound, the at least one biologically active hydrophobic compound selected from the group of farnesylthiosalicylic acid and a derivative of farnesylthiosalicylic acid which is biologically active as an RAS antagonist, wherein a plurality of the carrier agents are adapted to assemble into a structure and the at least one biologically active hydrophobic compound is conjugated with the at least one hydrophilic compound via a linkage which is labile in vivo, and a biologically active compound associated with the carrier agent.

An encoding/decoding apparatus and method using a low-density parity-check code (LDPC code) is disclosed. Basic column group information, serving as a set of information regarding positions of rows with weight 1, is extracted from a reference column in each column group of a predetermined parity-check matrix. Column group information transforms the positions of rows with weight 1 into positions whose lengths are within a required parity length. A parity-check matrix is generated according to the generated column group information. Data is enclosed or decoded based on the generated parity-check matrix.

A method of forming or creating a formulation for a compound to be delivered includes creating a carrier agent by conjugating at least one hydrophobic domain or hydrophobic compound with at least one hydrophilic domain or hydrophilic compound and associating the compound to be delivered with the carrier agent to create the formulation. The at least one hydrophobic compound has the formula: ##STR00001##
wherein R1 is a farnesyl group, a geranyl group or geranyl-geranyl group, X is O, S, SO, SO.sub.2, NH or Se, Z is CR.sub.2 or N, R.sub.2 is H, CN, CO.sub.2R.sub.7, SO.sub.3R.sub.7, CONR.sub.7R.sub.8 or SO.sub.2NR.sub.7R.sub.8, wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 are each independently H, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, CO.sub.2M or SO.sub.3M, wherein M is a cation and R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are independently H, a carboxyl group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aminoalkyl group, a nitroalkyl group, a nitro group, a halo atom, an amino group, a mono-alkylamino group, a di-alkylamino group, mercapto group, a mercaptoalkyl group, an azido group or a thiocyanato group. A plurality of the carrier agents are adapted to assemble into a structure. The hydrophobic compound is cleavably conjugated to the at least one hydrophilic compound via a linkage which is labile in vivo.