Disclosed is a resilient foam and methods of making the foam. The resilient foam includes a derivatized polyanionic polysaccharide and has an open-cell structure. When the resilient foam is contacted with water, the foam forms a thixotropic hydrogel.

Cellulose derivative particles including an alkoxy group having 2 or more carbons or an acyl group having 3 or more carbons, wherein the cellulose derivative particles have an average particle size of 80 nm or greater and 100 m or less, a sphericity of 70% or greater and 100% or less, and a surface smoothness of 80% or greater and 100% or less; and a total substitution degree of the cellulose derivative is 0.7 or greater and 3 or less.

Disclosed herein are a retardation film for IPS mode, a polarizing plate including the same, and a liquid crystal display including the same. The retardation film for IPS mode has an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 450 nm (Rth (450) of about 80 nm to 0 nm, an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 550 nm (Rth (550) of about 60 nm to 10 nm, an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 650 nm (Rth (650) of about 60 nm to 10 nm, and an in-plane retardation (Re) at a wavelength of 550 nm of about 0 nm to 10 nm.

Disclosed is a porous structure including water-soluble chitosan; and a carboxymethyl cellulose-based compound, wherein a weight ratio of the water-soluble chitosan and the carboxymethyl cellulose-based compound is from 65:35 to 25:75, and a process for preparing the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth4 cm in width4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

Disclosed herein is a porous material comprising a biopolymer functionalized with a carbon dioxide capturing moiety; where the biopolymer is in the form of a foam or an aerogel having a bulk density of 500 grams per cubic meter to 2500 grams per cubic meter. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising functionalizing a biopolymer with a carbon dioxide capturing moiety; dissolving the biopolymer in an aqueous solution to form a first solution; reducing the temperature of the first solution to below the freezing point of the aqueous solution; displacing the aqueous solution with a first solvent that has a lower surface tension than a surface tension of the aqueous solution; and drying the first solvent to produce a porous biopolymer having a bulk density of 500 grams per cubic meter to 2500 grams per cubic meter.

A self-integrating hydrogel includes a water-soluble polymer. The water-soluble polymer includes a repeating unit having at least one functional group that includes an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or a nitrogen atom, and a pendant chain covalently attached to the oxygen atom, the sulfur atom, or the nitrogen atom of the at least one functional group of the repeating unit. The pendant chain includes ureido-pyrimidinone.

A natural fiber polymer composite precursor pellet comprising, a thermoplastic polymer coupling agent as a binder and a natural fiber, wherein the natural fiber is a bleached chemical pulp and is comprised in an amount of at least 88 weight %, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer coupling agent is comprised in an amount of between 8 and 12 weight %, preferably between 9 and 11 weight %, based on the weight of the pellet.

A flavoring sheet with an enhanced flavor holding amount and flavor retention and a smoking article including the same are provided. The flavoring sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a hydrocolloid material configured to form a sheet, an emulsifier, and a fat-soluble flavoring. The emulsifier may serve as a cross-link between the water-soluble hydrocolloid material and the fat-soluble flavoring and increase a flavor holding amount and flavor retention of the flavoring sheet.

The present invention relates to polymer comprising a polysaccharide crosslinked with a spacer crosslinker, wherein the spacer crosslinker comprises a first optionally substituted aliphatic moiety terminated at each end with a second moiety comprising at least two carboxylic acid groups. The present invention also relates to a hydrogel, a method of forming the polymer or hydrogel, a composition and capsule comprising the polymer or hydrogel and a method treating obesity, pre-diabetes, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or chronic idiopathic constipation, or of reducing caloric intake or improving glycemic control using the polymer or hydrogel and a method of weight-loss or improving the body appearance in a healthy subject.