A method for making an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core comprising one or more channels, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a first endless moving surface comprising a plurality of molds, each mold comprising a non-porous insert therein, typically said insert having the inverse shape of said channel(s), wherein the molds are in fluid communication with an under-pressure source except for said insert; ii. feeding a first nonwoven web to said first endless moving surface and over one or more said molds; iii. depositing an absorbent material, comprising cellulose fibers and/or superabsorbent polymer particles, over at least a portion of said nonwoven web; iv. removing said absorbent material from areas of the nonwoven web corresponding to said insert; v. applying a second nonwoven web directly or indirectly over the absorbent material, or folding said first nonwoven web, such to sandwich said absorbent material between upper and lower layers of said nonwoven web(s); vi. joining said upper and lower layers together at least in the areas of the nonwoven web(s) corresponding to the insert to form an absorbent core having one or more channels substantially free of absorbent material; vii. optionally joining an acquisition distribution layer to said absorbent core, typically a skin facing surface of said upper layer; viii. optionally laminating said absorbent core and acquisition distribution layer between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet; wherein step vi. comprises the step of selectively applying a first pressure onto the absorbent core, preferably only, in a central portion thereof and a second pressure, preferably only, along peripheral longitudinal side edges thereof miming opposite and parallel to each other and being outboard of said central portion, said central portion corresponding at least to a region of the core comprising said channel(s), and wherein said first and second pressures are successively applied along a machine direction (MD).

A paravalvular leak resistant prosthetic heart valve system including a stent frame, a valve structure and a sealing mechanism. The stent frame has a surface. The valve structure is associated with the stent frame. The sealing mechanism at least partially extends over the surface of the stent frame. The sealing mechanism includes at least one semi-permeable membrane and an osmotic gradient driving material.

A paravalvular leak resistant prosthetic heart valve system including a stent frame, a valve structure and a sealing mechanism. The stent frame has a surface. The valve structure is associated with the stent frame. The sealing mechanism at least partially extends over the surface of the stent frame. The sealing mechanism includes at least one semi-permeable membrane and an osmotic gradient driving material.

Provided are PHA particles which are excellent in dispersibility in an aqueous dispersion and have excellent film formation capability, in which odor of a molded body obtained from the PHA particles or an aqueous dispersion of the PHA particles is suppressed, and whose color tone is good, and an aqueous dispersion of the PHA particles. Polyhydroxyalkanoate particles including polyhydroxyalkanoate having a particle shape and peptidoglycan covering a portion of or an entire surface of the polyhydroxyalkanoate. In this polyhydroxyalkanoate particle, a content of polyhydroxyalkanoate is 98.0% by weight or more, and a content of peptidoglycan is 0.1% by weight or more and 1.0% by weight or less.

The present invention provides a resin capable of contributing greatly to solve environmental problems and problems related to exhaustion of fossil fuel resources and having physical properties suited for practical use. The polyester according to the present invention has a diol and a dicarboxylic acid as constituent components and has an amount of terminal acid of 50 equivalents/metric ton or less.

A method for producing ultrafine lignin particles by means of spray-drying at a dual-fluid nozzle (2), which has a first nozzle opening (31) and a second nozzle opening (41), wherein a lignin-containing solution or suspension is fed to the first nozzle opening (31) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) and an atomizer gas is fed to the second nozzle opening (41) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2), and wherein: a) the flow rate at which the lignin-containing solution or suspension is fed to the first nozzle opening (31) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) is 60 to 65 ml/min; b) the drying temperature is 150 to 175° C.; and c) the pressure of the atomizing gas at the second nozzle opening (41) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) is 3 to 6 bar.

A method for producing ultrafine lignin particles by means of spray-drying at a dual-fluid nozzle (2), which has a first nozzle opening (31) and a second nozzle opening (41), wherein a lignin-containing solution or suspension is fed to the first nozzle opening (31) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) and an atomizer gas is fed to the second nozzle opening (41) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2), and wherein: a) the flow rate at which the lignin-containing solution or suspension is fed to the first nozzle opening (31) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) is 60 to 65 ml/min; b) the drying temperature is 150 to 175° C.; and c) the pressure of the atomizing gas at the second nozzle opening (41) of the dual-fluid nozzle (2) is 3 to 6 bar.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m.sup.2.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition distribution layer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises absorbent material selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, superabsorbent polymers and combinations thereof, wherein said absorbent core comprises at least one core wrap substrate enclosing said absorbent material, and wherein a top layer of said core wrap is adhered to a bottom layer of said core wrap to form one or more channels substantially free of said absorbent material, wherein said channels have a length extending along a longitudinal axis and the absorbent core has a length extending along said longitudinal axis and wherein the length of said channels is from 10% to 95% of the length of said absorbent core and wherein said channels each follow a substantially continuous path such as from a first end of a channel to a second end of the same channel wherein the acquisition distribution layer comprises a spunbond and/or carded nonwoven layer comprising synthetic fibers, wherein said synthetic fibers are comprised at a level of greater than 80% wt by weight of said acquisition distribution layer, and wherein said acquisition distribution layer has a basis weight of from 10 to 50 g/m.sup.2.

The present invention relates to a polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel having an asymmetric pore size. the pore size of the upper surface of the polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel is 1-30 μm, the pore size of lower surface thereof is 50-300 μm, and the pore size of the hydrogel gradually increases from the upper surface to the lower surface. The polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel in the present invention has excellent biocompatibility, and has functions of blocking bacteria, anti-adhesion, the absorption of exudate, promoting wound healing, observing in situ of wound healing process and the like.