Anode comprising an anode material, a protective material and a current collector is provided. The anode material is a mixture comprising an active material, at least one electronically conductive agent and at least one binder. The active material may be an alloy of silicon and lithium or an alloy of silicon oxide and lithium. There is provided a process for the preparation of the anode. Also, there is provided use of the anode in the fabrication of a battery.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

Provided herein are processes for making an anode containing an anode material, a protective material, and a current collector. The anode material is a mixture containing an active material, at least one electronically conductive agent and at least one binder. The active material may be an alloy of silicon and lithium or an alloy of silicon oxide and lithium. Processes also include use of the anodes in the fabrication of a battery.

The present document describes a process for the preparation of a low functionalization polysaccharide having carboxyl groups, comprising a) swelling of a polysaccharide granule in boiling water or a water/polyol mixture, to obtain a swollen polysaccharide; b) partial gelatinization of said swollen polysaccharide in an alkaline solvent mixture of water and alcohol and/or polyol, to obtain a partially gelatinized polysaccharide; and c) partial functionalization of said partially gelatinized polysaccharide with a functionalizing agent, to obtain the low functionalization polysaccharide.

The present invention provides amidic polymers, which exhibit shale swelling inhibitor activity having improved bio-degradability. The amidic polymers of the invention may be employed in a wide variety of compositions, particularly in subterranean drilling operations. Non-limiting generic structures of the amidic polymers are set out below: (1) wherein R.sub.1-R.sub.3 and integers m and n are defined herein.

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Objective of the present invention is to provide polysaccharides which modulate immune response, and which can be used as ingredients in edible products or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention provides such polysaccharides obtained from the species Camellia sinensis, which comprise a rhamnogalacturonan-I core, and wherein the molar ratio of galacturonyl acid residues to rhamnosyl residues in the backbone of the polysaccharide is close to 1:1. The present invention also provides edible products or pharmaceutical compositions containing such polysaccharides, in order to modulate immune response.

The present invention provides alkyl substituted polysaccharide compositions and methods of repairing substrates involving use of the alkyl substituted polysaccharide compositions.

Objective of the present invention is to provide polysaccharides which modulate immune response, and which can be used as ingredients in edible products or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention provides such polysaccharides obtained from the species Camellia sinensis, which comprise a rhamnogalacturonan-I core, and wherein the molar ratio of galacturonyl acid residues to rhamnosyl residues in the backbone of the polysaccharide is close to 1:1. The present invention also provides edible products or pharmaceutical compositions containing such polysaccharides, in order to modulate immune response.

The present invention provides amidic polymers, which exhibit shale swelling inhibitor activity having improved biodegradability. The amidic polymers of the invention may be employed in a wide variety of compositions, particularly in subterranean drilling operations. Non-limiting generic structures of the amidic polymers are set out below: formula (1) wherein R.sub.1-R.sub.3 and integers m and n are defined herein. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides alkyl substituted polysaccharide compositions and methods of repairing substrates involving use of the alkyl substituted polysaccharide compositions.