The present invention relates to amphiphilic star-like polyether. The core molecule is an aliphatic hyperbranched polyether polyol, which is further alkoxylated, first with ethylene oxide or combinations of ethylene oxide and C.sub.3-C.sub.20 alkylene oxide, preferably propylene oxide, and/or glycidol, and then with a C.sub.3-C.sub.20 alkylene oxide, preferably propylene oxide, or combination of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, then optionally anionically modified. The resulting amphiphilic star-like polyether thus has an inner core based on an aliphatic hyperbranched polyether polyol, an inner shell predominantly containing polyethylene oxide units, the inner shell comprising at least 3 ethylene oxide units and an outer shell predominantly containing polypropylene oxide units, the outer shell comprising at least 3 propylene oxide units. They optionally contain anionic groups instead of hydroxyl groups on the periphery of the macromolecule. The invention further relates to their use as additive in laundry formulations and to their manufacturing process.

Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.g., ingestion of a solution that induces rapid dissolution/degradation). In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance (e.g., a therapeutic agent), and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade such that the residence structure breaks apart and is released from the location internally of the subject after a predetermined amount of time.

A resin is provided for selectively binding to perchloride and related anions (e.g., TcO.sub.4.sup.−, ReO.sub.4.sup.− and I.sup.−) in aqueous solution. The resin may take the form of microparticles or beads. The beads are prepared by cross-linking macromolecules such as hyperbranched PEI, and quaternizing the amines with hydrocarbon substituents.

Nanoparticle-based vaccines, compositions, kits and methods are used for the effective delivery of one or more antigens in vivo for vaccination and antibody (e.g., monoclonal antibody) production, and for the effective delivery of peptides, proteins, siRNA, RNA or DNA to PAPCs or MHC class II positive cells (e.g. tumor cells). Antigens may be, for example, DNA that results in expression of the gene of interest and induction of a robust and specific immune response to the expressed protein in a subject (e.g., mammal). Antigens may also be immunogenic peptides or polypeptides that are processed and presented. In one embodiment, a nanoparticle-based method to deliver antigens in vivo as described herein includes injection of a vaccine composed of a DNA encoding at least one antigen, or at least one antigenic peptide or polypeptide conjugated to a charged dendrimer (e.g., PADRE-derivatized dendrimer) that is also conjugated to a T helper epitope (e.g., PADRE). Negatively-charged plasmids bind naturally to a positively-charged PADRE-dendrimer, while peptide or polypeptide antigens can be chemically linked to the PADRE-dendrimer if they are not negatively-charged. Alternatively, negatively-charged dendrimers may be used. The compositions, kits, vaccines and methods described herein have both prophylactic and treatment applications, i.e., can be used as a prophylactic to prevent onset of a disease or condition in a subject, as well as to treat a subject having a disease or condition. A vaccine as described herein can be used to mount an immune response against any infectious pathogen or cancer.

A catalytic cracking process includes a step of contacting a cracking feedstock with a catalytic cracking catalyst in the presence of a radical initiator for reaction under catalytic cracking conditions. The radical initiator contains a dendritic polymer and/or a hyperbranched polymer. The dendritic polymer and the hyperbranched polymer each independently has a degree of branching of about 0.3-1, and each independently has a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 1000. The catalytic cracking process is beneficial to enhancing and accelerating the free radical cracking of petroleum hydrocarbon and promoting the regulation of cracking activity and product distribution; by using the process disclosed herein, the conversion of catalytic cracking can be improved, the yields of ethylene and propylene can be increased, and the yield of coke can be reduced.

Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.g., ingestion of a solution that induces rapid dissolution/degradation). In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance (e.g., a therapeutic agent), and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade such that the residence structure breaks apart and is released from the location internally of the subject after a predetermined amount of time.

A device for transport of ions and/or charged molecules between a source and a target electrolyte, comprising: a first electrode provided at or in said source electrolyte, and a second electrode provided at or in said target electrolyte; and wherein said first and second electrodes provides an electrical control of an ion flow, and further comprising means for limiting an electronic current between said source and said target electrodes, such that at least after a voltage is applied a potential difference between said source and target electrodes is maintained, which effects ion transport from said source to said target electrode; wherein the device further comprises an ion- and/or permselective polyelectrolyte for transport ions and/or charged molecules via electrophoresis and functions as an ion-selective membrane; and wherein said polyelectrolyte comprises a cross-linked hyperbranched polymer.

The present invention provides a bionic fiber adsorptive material with multi-adsorption sites and a preparation method and use thereof, and the material is rich in multi-adsorption sites (N, O and S). The material is obtained by blending three polyethyleneimine polymers modified by multifunctional groups respectively with a carboxylated nanocellulose and graphene oxide, then adopting a coaxial spinning method based on a principle of imitating spider spinning, and then adopting a post-crosslinking technology. The material has a multilayer structure with the nanocellulose as a skeleton, the graphene oxide as an outer layer, and the three polyethyleneimine polymers modified by the multifunctional groups respectively as an inner layer, and a connection among the layers is a chemical bond connection. Densities of N, O and S adsorption sites of the material according to the present invention are all higher than 5 mmol/g.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a specific hyperbranched copolymer (HBC) of the monomers dodecenyl succinic acid anhydride, diisopropanol amine and bis-dimethylaminopropyl amine and the compound 1,3-propandiol and/or N-hydroxyoctanamide. It has been found that said hyperbranched copolymer synergistically enhances the antimicrobial action of a 1,3-propanediol and/or N-hydroxy-octanamide.

The present invention discloses novel calibrants containing between 1 and 5 iodine atoms and methods of making them using linear polymers, hyperbranched polymers, and biological polymers (including but not limited to proteins and peptides.) Methods of using the calibrants are also disclosed, such as mass spectrometry. The novel calibrants disclosed herein have a more cost- and time-efficient synthesis than other calibrants.