A nanocomposite blend membrane and fabrication methods for making the nanocomposite membrane are disclosed. The nanocomposite blend membrane can be utilized in fuel cells. The nanocomposite blend membrane may include a blend polymer with a first sulfonated polymer and a second sulfonated polymer, as well as sulfonated tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3) nanoparticles.

An encoding/decoding apparatus and method using a low-density parity-check code (LDPC code) is disclosed. Basic column group information, serving as a set of information regarding positions of rows with weight 1, is extracted from a reference column in each column group of a predetermined parity-check matrix. Column group information transforms the positions of rows with weight 1 into positions whose lengths are within a required parity length. A parity-check matrix is generated according to the generated column group information. Data is enclosed or decoded based on the generated parity-check matrix.

Methods of enhanced oil recovery are disclosed that use compositions including an alkyl polyether anionic surfactant having the general structure R.sup.1JA, wherein R.sup.1 is a C.sub.8-C.sub.18 primary or secondary radical group, J is a random, block, alternating, or alternating block polyether segment having the structure [(PO).sub.x(EO).sub.y(BO).sub.z], wherein x is 4 to 18, y is 0 to 20, and z is 0 to 5, and A is an anionic group; a co-surfactant having the general structure (R.sup.2).sub.q(B)Ph-L-Ph(D)(R.sup.3).sub.r, wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each, independently in each instance, a C.sub.8-C.sub.24 linear or branched, primary or secondary alkyl group, B and D are anionic groups, q is 1 to 3, r is 1 to 3, and L is O or CH.sub.2; and an alkoxy alcohol.

A cation-conducting polymer has two or more repeating units of the following formula

##STR00001##

Owing to the cation-conducting polymer has good physicochemical properties, hydrolytic stability and conductivity, a film formed by coating the liquid cation-conducting polymer can be used as proton exchange membrane to apply in fuel cell system.

Methods and compositions are described for enhancing tissue regeneration or wound repair in a mammalian subject comprising a composition comprising (a) a proline hydroxylase inhibitor component or molecule that increases or upregulates HIF1a and (b) a carrier component comprising a hydrogel.

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by Formula (1) is provided.

R.sup.1R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4R.sup.5 (1)

(In Formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 each represents a group having a heterocyclic ring and may be the same as or different from each other, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 each represents a divalent linking group having a polar group and play be the same as or different from each other, and R.sup.3 represents a perfluoropolyether chain.)

A polymer electrolyte including a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) containing polymer; and a lithium salt, wherein a terminal of the poly (ethylene oxide) containing polymer is substituted with a sulfur compound functional group, a nitrogen compound functional group or a phosphorus compound functional group, and a method for preparing the same and a battery containing the same.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising an amino acid-modified polymer, a carboxypolysaccharide, and may further include a metal ion for anti-adhesion and vector application. More specifically, the invention relates to a thermosensitive composition having enhanced mechanical and improved water-erosion resistant properties for efficiently preventing tissue adhesions and can serve as a vector with bio-compatible, bio-degradable/absorbable, and in-vivo sustainable properties.

Synthetic amino acid-modified polymers and methods of making the same and using the same are disclosed. The synthetic amino acid-modified polymers possess distinct thermosensitive, improved water-erosion resistant, and enhanced mechanical properties, and are suitable of reducing or preventing formation of postoperative tissue adhesions. Additionally, the amino acid-modified polymers can also be used as a vector to deliver pharmaceutically active agents.

A branched hetero polyethylene glycol according to the present invention is represented by the formula [1]: ##STR00001##
wherein X and Y represent each an atomic group containing at least a functional group which reacts with a functional group present in a bio-functional molecule to form a covalent bond and the functional group contained in the atomic group X and the functional group contained in the atomic group Y are different from each other; s is an integer of 2 to 8, which represents the number of polyethylene glycol chains; n is the number of average added moles for the polyethylene glycol chain and 20n2000; and E is a branching linker moiety having s-valent bonding valency for the polyethylene glycol chains and having monovalent bonding valency for the functional group Y.