“Anger so clouds the mind, that it cannot perceive the truth.”
- Cato the Elder

“Catch a man a fish, and you can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish, and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity.”
- Karl Marx

“Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn't go with it. “
- Colin Powell

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” - Herm Albright

“Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.”
- Laurence J. Peter

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
-Confucius
 

How Does Adrenaline Work?

It is the “rush” that can happen in an array of situations – whether it is skydiving out of an airplane or giving a speech in front of a crowd. The adrenaline rush is the body’s natural response to a threat. Known as the “fight or flight” reaction, it is a physiological process that prepares the body to react to emergencies.

Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, which sit adjacent to the top of each of the kidneys. Also known as epinephrine, it is a key element in the stimulation involved in the “fight or flight” response. The hormone is produced by dedicated adrenal chromaffin cells found in the central part of the adrenal gland. The gland is stimulated by various signals and the hormone is secreted in response to the stimuli. Acting on many cells of the body, epinephrine behaves like a neurotransmitter, transferring and regulating the signals between the neurons and other cells. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for the generation of the response.

Consequences of epinephrine secretion are numerous and many actions take place. The muscles and the brain receive an increased supply of oxygen and glucose, and there is a rise in stroke volume as the heart rate increases. The pupils dilate, arterioles in the skin constrict, blood sugar levels increase, and both the immune and digestive systems are suppressed. The hormone is necessary for the smooth functioning of the body by helping to counter the stress experienced during the emergent event. It signals the nervous system to act immediately. A quick reaction in times of emergency is possible thanks to glucose produced. The resulting energy enables the body to react faster.

Jokichi Takamine and his assistant Keizo Uenaka, both of Japan, discovered epinephrine in 1900. Using the adrenal glands of a cow, the isolation and purification of epinephrine was carried out. Friedrich Stolz produced epinephrine artificially in 1904. Synthetic epinephrine has many uses in medical emergencies like shock, heart attacks, and asthma.
 

Cognis Licenses Two New Active Ingredients

Specialty chemicals supplier Cognis has exclusively licensed two new active ingredients for weight management and cognitive performance from natural product lead-discovery company InterMed Discovery (IMD). During their ongoing collaboration, the two companies have utilized IMD’s database of biologically active natural substances and its distinctive IMD Bioprofiling® technology platform to determine pioneering functional ingredients for specific food applications and to bring suitable active substances to market-readiness. The combination with Cognis’ nutritional experience and expertise has resulted in the discovery of additional product candidates that assist with weight management and cognitive performance.

With obesity becoming such a major health concern in many parts of the world, the sales potential is increasing for active ingredients in functional food to support weight management as well as to benefit heart and brain health. Cognis’ own research has shed light on some important aspects of brain health such as learning ability, cognitive performance, alertness, and concentration. One of the product candidates is a new ingredient displaying promising benefits in weight management in different test systems, while a second ingredient is showing the potential for improving brain health. Cognis has already licensed four other ingredients from IMD, targeting weight management and heart health.
 

Landec Subsidiary and Windset Farms Enter Into License Agreement

Apio, Inc., a subsidiary of polymer science company, Landec Corporation, has signed an exclusive agreement with Greenhouse Grown Foods Inc. (d/b/a Windset Farms) to license its proprietary breathable packaging to extend the shelf life of specific greenhouse grown vegetables. Under terms of the agreement, Apio will receive a one-time, upfront R&D fee as well as ongoing licensing fees from the revenue of the exclusive products that utilize the technology, with or without the BreatheWay® trademark. Windset will have exclusive use of the technology and the trademark for use in the production, marketing, distribution, and sale of the exclusive products in the United States and Canada within the exclusive licensed field. Apio will provide Windset with the required technical services as well as any additional support necessary for future development of the technology.

CleanTech Biofuels Receives U.S. Patent

CleanTech Biofuels’ technology for converting municipal solid waste (MSW) to cellulosic biomass feedstock recently received a U.S. patent. The patent covers the company’s process and apparatus for the conversion, known collectively as the Biomass Recovery Process. The Biomass Recovery Process is carried out by an angled reaction vessel that utilizes steam and pressure to both clean and separate MSW into recyclables and lignocellulosic biomass feedstock. Issuance of the patent strengthens the company’s property portfolio and places it in a position to take the lead as a feedstock supplier to the renewable energy and bio-based chemical industries. It has the exclusive rights to the Biomass Recovery Process in the U.S. and Canada, subject to CleanTech’s exclusive licensing agreement with Biomass North America LLC.
 

Fuwei Films Launches New Dry Film Product

Fuwei Films (Holdings) Co. Limited has successfully launched a new dry film product. The manufacturer and distributor of high-quality BOPET plastic films located in China, completed the development through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fuwei Films (Shandong) Co. Ltd. The test sample has passed the strict examination by Hitachi Chemical Shanghai and Asahi ASEI. Fuwei is one of only two major manufacturers in the Chinese BOPET industry that currently produce this kind of dry film, which is in high demand in the global market. It is generally used in PCB and FPC circuit board production as well as in nameplate and crafts etching.

Songwon Industrial Leads on Environmental Protection and Energy Savings

Songwon Industrial Co. Ltd. recently announced the start up of its third incinerator and the installation of photovoltaic solar panels at its Ulsan production site. The new incinerator will be used to burn VOC and to generate steam required by the plant. Two incinerators are already in use and help to safely eliminate chemical residues and waste. The steam generated by the process is used as an energy source for the plant. The latest state-of-the-art incinerator offers a new patented technology that was jointly developed by Songwon and the incinerator supplier eTEC. It is designed to drastically reduce any risk of explosion. Songwon also completed the installation of its first set of photovoltaic solar panels at its Ulsan plant. These solar panels were installed to reduce consumption of energy derived from nonrenewable energy sources.
 

DSM Presents 2010 Performance Materials Award to Professor Han E.H. Meijer

Han E.H. Meijer, Professor of Polymer Technology and Scientific Director of the Research School Eindhoven Polymer Laboratories at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, is the recipient of the DSM Performance Materials Award 2010. Professor Meijer received the recognition for his exceptional contributions to the advancement of the materials sciences. He is one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of predicting polymer structuring during processing and the relation between resulting structure and mechanical performance.
The DSM Performance Materials Award forms part of DSM’s Innovation Awards Program and is presented in cooperation with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The award is given every two years in recognition of scientific work that has significantly contributed to the advancement of the materials sciences.

Air Products Appoints Sustainability Manager

Air Products has appointed Julie O'Brien to the position of Corporate Sustainability Manager. O’Brien will be responsible for the development and management of the company’s worldwide sustainability initiatives, practices, and reporting. She will work with both senior business and functional managers and Air Products' Sustainability Council to drive achievements against the company's sustainability growth strategy and improvement targets. O’Brien joined Air Products in 1986 and has served in a number of roles.
 

Verenium Announces Promotion of President and Chief Operating Officer

Verenium Corporation has promoted Janet Roemer to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of its Enzymes Business. Roemer joined the company in March of 2008. Prior to joining Verenium, Roemer held several positions with the BP Group including Chief of Staff to the CEO of Innovene, a former division of BP Group and Vice President and General Manager of a $1.7 billion North American chemical business.

Johnson Matthey Acquires Metal Scavenging Business

Johnson Matthey has acquired the Metal Scavenging Business from Reaxa Ltd, which incorporates the QuadraPureTM and QuadraSilTM product ranges. The undertaking significantly enhances both the range of functionalities and types of support offered by Johnson Matthey. The newly formed Johnson Matthey ‘Scavenging Technologies’ Business is the result. Available alongside the established Smopex® Metal Scavenging range, the extended range of products is suitable for use in the electronics and pharmaceutical industries and is available in a variety of engineered formats. Johnson Matthey's Scavenging Technologies purify products and recover precious metals that are dissolved in solution, from low to high flow rates.

Celgene Corporation Acquiring Abraxis BioScience

Celgene Corporation has signed a merger agreement to acquire Abraxis BioScience Inc. Celgene will add Abraxane for Injectable Suspension to its portfolio of leading cancer products, accelerating its strategy to become a global leader in oncology. Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound particles) is used in the treatment of breast cancer. Headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, Celgene Corporation is a global biopharmaceutical company focusing primarily on novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Abraxis BioScience is a global biotechnology company dedicated to next-generation therapeutics and core technologies offered in the treatment of cancer and other critical illnesses.

Xcelience Forming Joint Venture with Penn Pharma

Xcelience, LLC announced that it is forming a joint venture with Penn Pharma to provide the precision powder micro-dosing system technology, Capsugel’s Xcelodose®, on a global basis. The Xcelodose® system allows biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies the ability to manufacture first in human batches near clinical sites guaranteeing immediate manufacturing capacity. Xcelience is a contract research company providing preformulation, formulation development, and analytical and clinical trial manufacturing. Penn Pharma provides pharmaceutical development and custom manufacturing services internationally to the healthcare industry.

Cabot Corporation Acquires Oxonica Materials Inc.

Cabot Corporation (Cabot) has acquired Oxonica Materials Inc. (OMI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oxonica plc. The purchase expands Cabot’s portfolio of security technologies and will complement the company’s existing securities business. OMI develops Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) materials and detection methods. These SERS materials provide highly counterfeit-resistant security solutions for a broad range of applications. Cabot's Security Business is a leading supplier of covert taggants, providing unique, hard-to-replicate particles added to inks, paper, films, and other materials that can only be detected with a specialized reader. Covert taggants are used to add additional security features to applications from passports to packaging.

Clariant Releases Second Quarter Performance Information

Specialty chemical leader, Clariant recently announced its performance figures for the second quarter of 2010. On the back of a broad economic recovery, the company reported sales growth in all businesses and regions, with an increase of 18% in Swiss Francs and 20% in local currency. The business units Pigments, Additives, Leather, and Masterbatches realized the most improved economic environment and rose above group average. Faced with the depreciation of the Euro against the USD and an increased competitiveness, demand in Europe developed better compared to last year. This resulted in a strong 22% sales growth for Clariant. Demand in Asia, Latin and North America increased, too, which had a favorable effect on the company’s sales volumes. Clariant’s gross margin significantly improved, up to 28.9% compared to 24.8% in the previous year. Sale prices were increased by 1% to make up for a 4% uptake in raw material costs. However, these prices have not yet fully compensated for feedstock markups, and they will have to be intensified further in coming months as further cost increases are expected.

As part of its Global Asset Network Optimization (GANO) efforts, Clariant is improving the structure of its production facilities and consolidating some of its Pigment activities in Asia. Because of its ongoing cost reduction focus, SG&A costs dropped to 16.3% of sales, compared to 18.6% last year. Operating income (EBIT) margin before exceptional items improved 11.1% and the company reported a net profit of CHF 25 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of CHF 61 million last year. Clariant’s cash position remained strong at CHF 1,221 million.

Afton Chemical’s New Additive Exceeds Requirements

NewMarket Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Afton Chemical Corporation, is ready to launch a new passenger car motor oil (PCMO) additive. This additive is one of the first to come to market in anticipation of the new GF-5 standard set by the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC), which goes into effect this coming October. The new additive is also a cost effective solution for meeting both GF-5 requirements as well as the dexos1™ standard from General Motors. The GF-5 additive will cover more viscosity grades than the company’s GF-4 product and will minimize the need for special base stocks. It also exceeds the GF-5 specification in a number of key performance areas. In the Sequence IIIG test for oil robustness, the Afton additive demonstrated almost a 20% better performance than the GF-5 requirement. It also exceeded the GM dexos1™ specification across a range of industry base stocks. In the Opel RNT test, used by GM for their dexos1™ requirement, the product controlled camshaft wear to 3 to 4 atoms/hour, which is 65% better than the limit set in the specification.

Eisai Acquires Right to Lorcaserin

The U.S. pharmaceutical branch of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., has entered a marketing and supply agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH to commercialize lorcaserin in the United States. If approved by the FDA, Eisai Inc. will market and distribute the drug candidate for potential use in the treatment of obesity. Arena will continue to manufacture and supply the product at its Switzerland facility.
 

Sensient Technologies to Invest in Pharmaceutical Coatings

Global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors, and fragrances, Sensient Technologies Corporation, is expanding its pharmaceutical coating capabilities at its Color Group headquarters site in St. Louis, Missouri. The project allows Sensient to expand its product offering to major pharmaceutical companies. To accommodate larger orders, Sensient will increase the square footage dedicated to pharmaceutical coatings by more than 50% and significantly raise its batch size.

Monsanto Completes Submission to USDA

The Monsanto Company recently completed a key regulatory submission for dicamba-tolerant soybeans to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Regulatory submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to be complete in the coming months. Once approved and commercialized, the dicamba tolerance trait will be stacked with Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybean trait to provide weed control and higher yield to soybean farmers. Monsanto also expects to seek approval for its Roundup Ready Flex dicamba-tolerant product for weed management in cotton crops.
 

Total Petrochemicals Starts MTO Program

Total Petrochemicals confirms its Methanol-To-Olefins (MTO) demonstration program is operational. The MTO project is producing polypropylene and other polyolefins based on methanol from alternate feedstock such as natural gas, coal, and biomass. Located at Total’s research center in Feluy, Belgium, the MTO demonstration plant is the Total Group’s second largest research project after the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project located in Lacq, France.
 

PPG Aerospace Coatings System Tops Milestone

PPG Aerospace’s selectively strippable exterior coatings system has topped an aircraft milestone. British Airways is the recipient of the 500th new aircraft painted with the Desothane® system. Introduced on a commercial aircraft in 1998, the system has been chosen by over 30 airlines for their aircraft. In airline maintenance operations, the PPG system reduces painting downtime because a primer is not removed during selective stripping of the topcoat and intermediate coat. In addition, it provides corrosion protection for the airframe, affords a high-gloss, durable finish and has environmental benefits. The intermediate coating in combination with the Desothane™ topcoat creates a highly flexible system, resulting in improved rivet paint adhesion and reduced paint film crazing. Since its introduction, the system has reduced the volume of organic solvent, thanks to the efficiency of the stripping and repainting process, and has eliminated the need for toxic paint removers.

Lanxess Expands Mesamoll Production

Facing increased demand for its phthalate-free plasticizers, Lanxess is expanding its Mesamoll product range. To facilitate this growth, production facilities in Krefeld-Uerdingen will be expanded by 40 percent and new heat exchangers and reactors, available at the end of 2010, will replace technical equipment. Mesamoll’s range of alkanesulfonic acid esters are known for their resistance to saponification, migration and solvating properties as well as their compatibility with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane, and rubber. In addition, Mesamoll has received approval for food contact applications.

CP Kelco Expands Pectin Facility

Global manufacturer and marketer of specialty hydrocolloids, CP Kelco has invested $8 million to expand its Lille Skensved, Denmark pectin facility. This expansion is a continuation of the $4.5 million investment in the same site announced in November of last year. This investment enables the company to continue meeting the growing demand for GENU® LMA pectin (amidated pectin). GENU® LMA pectin is widely used in the food industry. It continues displaying good market growth due to its functionality in fruit and yogurt products, where it facilitates production of jams and fruit spreads with low-sugar and high-fruit content. Completion of the expansion project is expected by June 2011.

Dow Chemical Becomes Olympic Partner

The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) has become an official Worldwide Olympic Partner as part of The Olympic Partners Program (TOP). Named the “Chemistry Company” of the Olympic Movement, the company will collaborate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees through 2020.

In addition to providing critical financial support to the Olympic Movement, Dow will also bring its expertise and innovation to the Games and will be an instrumental partner in achieving sustainability and global cooperation. The company has been associated with the Olympics in prior years, donating the Styrofoam™ insulation used in the 1980 Lake Placid Games. It was also an official supplier of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralypmic Winter Games.

In 2011, Dow’s sponsorship will also bring to life and extend the themes and values of the UNESCO’s “International Year of Chemistry”, commemorating the significant role chemistry must play to help meet human challenges of the future.