Compositions useful as dermal fillers and methods using such compositions to treat various skin and soft tissue conditions. The dermal fillers can comprise silk attached to hyaluronic acid using for example two cross linkers and can be used to treat of facial imperfections, facial defects, facial augmentations, breast imperfections, breast augmentations or breast reconstructions.

A method for producing a rubber-plastic composite, including the steps of (a) shaping an unvulcanized elastomer, (b) partially vulcanizing the shaped elastomer at a temperature of at least 140° C. up to a degree of vulcanization in the range from 10% to 40%, (c) cooling the partially vulcanized elastomer to a temperature of less than 100° C. within less than 20 minutes, (d) overmolding the partially vulcanized elastomer with a plastic, and (e) heat treating the partially vulcanized elastomer overmolded with a plastic at a temperature in the range from 100° C. to 170° C. for a duration of from 5 minutes to 5 hours to complete the vulcanization and form a rubber-plastic composite. The method further relates to a rubber-plastic composite obtainable by the method according to the invention and also to a shoe comprising the rubber-plastic composite obtainable by the method according to the invention.

A wood polymer composite additive includes at least one maleic anhydride grafted polymer coupling agent, a second coupling agent that is at least one of a silane and siloxane, at least one peroxide crosslinking agent; and an amine compound. A wood polymer composite includes the additive, a thermoplastic polymer and cellulosic material. A wood polymer composite article is formed by extruding the composite material.

A wood polymer composite additive includes at least one maleic anhydride grafted polymer coupling agent, a second coupling agent that is at least one of a silane and siloxane, at least one peroxide crosslinking agent; and an amine compound. A wood polymer composite includes the additive, a thermoplastic polymer and cellulosic material. A wood polymer composite article is formed by extruding the composite material.

The present invention generally relates to a method for applying a coating of hydrophilic polymers onto polyvinylalcohol-based hydrogel contact lenses to improve lubricity. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method for forming a coating on a contact lens, preferably a polyvinylalcohol-based hydrogel contact lens, directly in the primary package and maintaining the coated contact lens within said primary package until insertion of the coated contact lens in the eye of the contact lens user. The resultant polyvinylalcohol-based hydrogel contact lens has a coating with improved lubricity and good durability and also can be used directly from the lens package by a patient without washing and/or rinsing.

A hybrid crosslinked polymeric membrane and a process for fabricating the same are provided. Specifically, the hybrid crosslinked polymer membrane comprises a glassy polymer and a ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane and has a crosslinked structure. The hybrid crosslinked polymer membrane can have an excellent permeability of carbon dioxide by virtue of an increase in the free volume and enhanced plasticization resistance, chemical resistance, and durability.

The invention provides methods for the formation of thermo-reversible hydrogels from triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(α-benzyl carboxylate-ε-caprolactone) (PBCL-PEG-PBCL) prepared by bulk and solution polymerization. PBCL-PEG-PBCLs prepared at fixed PBCL to PEG ratios but different polymerization times were characterized for their average molecular weights, molar-mass disparity and intrinsic viscosity using .sup.1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results indicated a copolymer of high molecular weight population with elevated intrinsic viscosity. The size and proportion of this population grew as a function of polymerization time. The formation of this high molecular weight PBCL-PEG-PBCL population can be attributed to non-linear architecture caused by partial cross-linking of the PBCL segment during the polymerization reaction. At least about 40% mole concentration of the high molecular weight PBCL-PEG-PBCL was required for thermo-reversible micellar aggregation in aqueous media and hydrogel formation.

The invention provides methods for the formation of thermo-reversible hydrogels from triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(α-benzyl carboxylate-ε-caprolactone) (PBCL-PEG-PBCL) prepared by bulk and solution polymerization. PBCL-PEG-PBCLs prepared at fixed PBCL to PEG ratios but different polymerization times were characterized for their average molecular weights, molar-mass disparity and intrinsic viscosity using .sup.1H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results indicated a copolymer of high molecular weight population with elevated intrinsic viscosity. The size and proportion of this population grew as a function of polymerization time. The formation of this high molecular weight PBCL-PEG-PBCL population can be attributed to non-linear architecture caused by partial cross-linking of the PBCL segment during the polymerization reaction. At least about 40% mole concentration of the high molecular weight PBCL-PEG-PBCL was required for thermo-reversible micellar aggregation in aqueous media and hydrogel formation.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for using and manufacturing hydrogel template particles with micropores and/or a nanoporous structure.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for using and manufacturing hydrogel template particles with micropores and/or a nanoporous structure.