The present invention is directed to a polymer of Formula (IV): wherein A, X, Q, Y, Z, m1; m2, m3, k1; and k2 are as described herein and wherein the monomer units of the polymer are the same or different. The present invention also relates to a monomer of Formula (III), wherein R″, X.sup.1, Y.sup.1, Z.sup.1, m4, m5, and m6 are as described herein, and a polymeric network comprising two or more monomers of Formula (III). The present invention also relates to a hydrogel comprising any of the polymers and monomers described herein, a capsule comprising the hydrogel, and a method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a subject using the capsule. ##STR00001##

The invention is directed to a modified polysaccharide hydrogel, comprising a low molecular weight alginate with a specific M/G ratio. The modified polysaccharide is modified with a specific peptide, preferably comprising a cell-adhesion peptide. The modified polysaccharide hydrogel may be used as a hydrogel for the growth of cultured meat preferably as a sacrificial biopolymer.

Compositions and methods are described for inducing an immune response against extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) to thereby provide immune protection against diseases associated with ExPEC. In particular, compositions and methods are described for using conjugates of E. coli polysaccharide antigens O25B, O1A, O2, and O6A covalently bound to a detoxified exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (EPA) carrier protein as vaccines for the prevention of invasive ExPEC disease caused by ExPEC serotypes O1A, O2, O6A and O25B.

The disclosure provides synthetic (e.g. recombinant) pneumococcal saccharides comprising one or more repeat unit(s) .fwdarw.4)-β-D-Glcp-(1.fwdarw.4)-[Gro-(2.fwdarw.P.fwdarw.3)]-β-D-Galp-(1.fwdarw.4)-β-L-Rhap-(1.fwdarw.. Also provided are conjugates comprising a .fwdarw.4)-β-D-Glcp-(1.fwdarw.4)-[Gro-(2.fwdarw.P.fwdarw.3)]-β-D-Galp-(1.fwdarw.4)-β-L-Rhap-(1.fwdarw., immunogenic compositions, vaccines and their use in preventing or treating infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The present invention provides a binder for positive electrode of lithium ion battery which is excellent in workability at the time of producing a positive electrode, is excellent in charge and discharge characteristics such as cycle characteristics and rate characteristics, and enables to possible to produce a positive electrode having an extended cycle life, as well as the present invention provides a slurry for forming positive electrode mixture layer of lithium ion battery, a positive electrode for lithium ion battery, and a lithium ion battery, using the same. As a binder for binding a positive electrode active material, a conductive aid and a current collector at a positive electrode of a lithium ion battery, by using one containing a polysaccharide introduced with at least one ion exchange group selected from the group consisting of sulfate groups and alkali metal sulfate groups, it is possible to provide a lithium ion battery with excellent charge and discharge characteristics and an extended cycle life.

The invention relates to a process for extracting xylan compounds from comminuted wood components using hydrothermal extraction, wherein the hydrothermal extraction is carried out in a fixed-bed reactor with rapid circulation.

Compositions, methods, systems, etc., are provided for modified and/or purified fucans and corresponding fucan-containing compositions that inhibit fibrous adhesions among other advantages. The purified/modified fucans and fucan compositions have a reduced level of non-fucan components or impurities such as those found in a starting fucan composition. Such reduced undesirable components or impurities include, for example, undesired components bound to the fucan and compounds in the composition that are not a part of or bound to the fucan.

The present invention includes methods for preparing anticoagulant polysaccharides using several non-naturally occurring, engineered sulfotransferase enzymes that are designed to react with aryl sulfate compounds instead of the natural substrate, PAPS, to facilitate sulfo group transfer to polysaccharide sulfo group acceptors. Suitable aryl sulfate compounds include, but are not limited to, p-nitrophenyl sulfate or 4-nitrocatechol sulfate. Anticoagulant polysaccharides produced by methods of the present invention comprise N-, 3-O-, 6-O-sulfated glucosamine residues and 2-O sulfated hexuronic acid residues, have comparable anticoagulant activity compared to commercially-available anticoagulant polysaccharides, and can be utilized to form truncated anticoagulant polysaccharides having a reduced molecular weight.

The present invention relates to a Bifidobacterium bifidum inducing regulatory T cells (Treg), a polysaccharide derived from Bifidobacterium bifidum, and a probiotic strain producing a polysaccharide and, more particularly, a polysaccharide containing β-1-6-glucan as an effective ingredient, a probiotic strain producing β-1-6-glucan, a food comprising the polysaccharide or strain as an effective ingredient for alleviation of immune disease or inflammatory disease, a therapeutic agent comprising the polysaccharide or strain as an effective ingredient for alleviation of immune disease or inflammatory disease, a method for preparing induced regulatory T cells (iTreg) by treatment with the polysaccharide or strain, and a cell therapy product for prevention or treatment of immune disease or inflammatory disease, comprising the induced regulatory T cells prepared by the method.

The present application provides a semi-permeable hydrogel composition comprising an alginate matrix that is covalently crosslinked in its periphery to a multi-armed water soluble polymer, along with related methods and uses thereof.