There is disclosed herein compositions, methods, uses and systems for reducing pain in a patient that emanates from a body area, preferably spine or joint. Methods of treatment or prevention are described for a disease or condition selected from degenerative disc disease, disc injury, pain, arthritis, or suspected arthritis.

A method for producing high purity D-psicose crystals having a purity of 98% (w/w) or more and a grain size of MA200 or more. The method includes: removing impurities from a D-psicose solution to obtain a purified D-psicose solution; concentrating the purified D-psicose solution; cooling the concentrated D-psicose solution to 30° C. to 40° C. through a heat exchanger; seed crystallizing the D-psicose solution at 30° C. to 40° C. to obtain a seed crystallized massecuite; and full-scale crystallizing the seed crystallized massecuite. The method can produce pure D-psicose crystals in a suitable form for industrial application through an economical crystallization process from the D-psicose solution without using organic solvents.

A method for producing high purity D-psicose crystals having a purity of 98% (w/w) or more and a grain size of MA200 or more. The method includes: removing impurities from a D-psicose solution to obtain a purified D-psicose solution; concentrating the purified D-psicose solution; cooling the concentrated D-psicose solution to 30° C. to 40° C. through a heat exchanger; seed crystallizing the D-psicose solution at 30° C. to 40° C. to obtain a seed crystallized massecuite; and full-scale crystallizing the seed crystallized massecuite. The method can produce pure D-psicose crystals in a suitable form for industrial application through an economical crystallization process from the D-psicose solution without using organic solvents.

A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde, wherein formaldehyde is transformed into one or more formaldehyde acetal(s) and removed from the reactive distillation reaction solution by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and a catalyst.

A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde, wherein formaldehyde is transformed into one or more formaldehyde acetal(s) and removed from the reactive distillation reaction solution by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and a catalyst.

Provided is a surfactant-free, single-step synthesis of delaminated aluminosilicate zeolites. The process comprises the step of heating a borosilicate zeolite precursor in a metal salt solution, e.g., an aluminum nitrate solution, zinc nitrate solution or manganese nitrate solution. The delaminated aluminosilicate zeolite product is then recovered from the solution.

Provided is a method for quantitating a saccharide in a liquid sample. The method comprises incubating the liquid sample with 2,3-naphthalenediamine in the presence of iodine to allow a naphthimidazole group to be linked to the saccharide to obtain a first mixture; obtaining an .sup.1H-NMR spectrum of the first mixture; and comparing, in said .sup.1H-NMR spectrum, the intensity or integral of a proton signal corresponding to the saccharide to the intensity or integral of a proton signal corresponding to an internal standard present in the first mixture.

Cellulose may be converted into simple sugars such as glucose by contacting the cellulose with a compound effective to catalytically cleave the ether bonds of the cellulose. The compound may be a vitamin, a porphyrin, flavins, pyridoxal-containing molecules, and/or a compound containing at least one ylide functional group. The cellulose may be carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which may be made by reacting cellulose with chloroacetic acid and a base such as NaOH. The compound may be vitamins (B1, B2, B6, or B12), phosphonium ylides, sulfonium ylides, sulfoxonium ylides, carbonyl ylides, oxonium ylides, asomethine ylides, iminium ylides, halonium ylides, and combinations thereof. The free glucose may be used for fermentation, converted to a biofuel and for other applications.

Cellulose may be converted into simple sugars such as glucose by contacting the cellulose with a compound effective to catalytically cleave the ether bonds of the cellulose. The compound may be a vitamin, a porphyrin, flavins, pyridoxal-containing molecules, and/or a compound containing at least one ylide functional group. The cellulose may be carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which may be made by reacting cellulose with chloroacetic acid and a base such as NaOH. The compound may be vitamins (B1, B2, B6, or B12), phosphonium ylides, sulfonium ylides, sulfoxonium ylides, carbonyl ylides, oxonium ylides, asomethine ylides, iminium ylides, halonium ylides, and combinations thereof. The free glucose may be used for fermentation, converted to a biofuel and for other applications.

A process for the production of organic acids having at least three carbon atoms comprises the steps of forming an amount of carbon monoxide and reacting the amount of carbon monoxide with an amount of an unsaturated hydrocarbon. The reaction is preferably carried out in the presence of a supported palladium catalyst, a strong acid, and a phosphine. In some embodiments, the unsaturated hydrocarbon is one of acetylene and methylacetylene, and the organic acid is one of acrylic acid and methyl acrylic acid. The reacting step is preferably performed with carbon monoxide produced from carbon dioxide.