The present invention provides alginic acid derivatives having a group represented by general formula (I) or general formula (II) (the right side of the dashed line is excluded in each formula) at a portion of the carboxyl groups in an alginic acid. Novel alginic acid derivatives are thereby provided. ##STR00001##

The present invention is directed to a polymer of Formula (IV): wherein A, X, Q, Y, Z, m1; m2, m3, k1; and k2 are as described herein and wherein the monomer units of the polymer are the same or different. The present invention also relates to a monomer of Formula (III), wherein R″, X.sup.1, Y.sup.1, Z.sup.1, m4, m5, and m6 are as described herein, and a polymeric network comprising two or more monomers of Formula (III). The present invention also relates to a hydrogel comprising any of the polymers and monomers described herein, a capsule comprising the hydrogel, and a method of delivering a therapeutic agent to a subject using the capsule. ##STR00001##

The invention is directed to a modified polysaccharide hydrogel, comprising a low molecular weight alginate with a specific M/G ratio. The modified polysaccharide is modified with a specific peptide, preferably comprising a cell-adhesion peptide. The modified polysaccharide hydrogel may be used as a hydrogel for the growth of cultured meat preferably as a sacrificial biopolymer.

The present invention provides a new type of hydrophobically -modified sodium alginate, which is synthesized by alginate and oleic acid linked with a spacer. The AGO macromolecule as obtained therefrom is amphiphilic and has clinically-accessible molecular size, and anti- cancer activity. The AGO nanoparticle formed therefrom shows excellent structural stability, colloidal stability, and biocompatibility in-vitro and in-vivo, and is expected to be useful in biomedical area, for example, used as a drug delivery system.

The present invention provides a binder for positive electrode of lithium ion battery which is excellent in workability at the time of producing a positive electrode, is excellent in charge and discharge characteristics such as cycle characteristics and rate characteristics, and enables to possible to produce a positive electrode having an extended cycle life, as well as the present invention provides a slurry for forming positive electrode mixture layer of lithium ion battery, a positive electrode for lithium ion battery, and a lithium ion battery, using the same. As a binder for binding a positive electrode active material, a conductive aid and a current collector at a positive electrode of a lithium ion battery, by using one containing a polysaccharide introduced with at least one ion exchange group selected from the group consisting of sulfate groups and alkali metal sulfate groups, it is possible to provide a lithium ion battery with excellent charge and discharge characteristics and an extended cycle life.

A method to produce nanoporous microsponge particles useful as carriers for drug delivery. The method comprises a cross-linking/precipitation step wherein a cross-linking agent reacts with a biocompatible polymer having nucleophile functional groups, which react with said cross-linking agent. The cross-linking agent is prepared by a reaction between 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) and a diamine compound. The biocompatible polymer has an average molecular weight ranging from 10 KDa to 150 KDa.

The present invention provides absorbent materials comprising a hydrogel-forming swellable polymer and a plasticizer, wherein the absorbent material demonstrates an advantageous performance characteristic such as advantageous fluid absorption capacity, fluid absorption rate, and rewetting, wherein the advantageous performance characteristic is within at least about 80% of a similar characteristic exhibited by a crosslinked polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer, or wherein the cumulative performance of the advantageous performance characteristics is comparable or superior to performance exhibited by the crosslinked polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer. The present invention also relates to articles of manufacture comprising such absorbent materials, and methods of manufacture.

The present application provides a semi-permeable hydrogel composition comprising an alginate matrix that is covalently crosslinked in its periphery to a multi-armed water soluble polymer, along with related methods and uses thereof.

A laundry care or dish care composition including a poly alpha glucan derivative, wherein the poly alpha glucan derivative includes: (i) a poly alpha glucan backbone of glucose monomer units, wherein greater than or equal to 40% of the glucose monomer units are linked via alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages, or a combination of alpha-1,3 and alpha-1,6 glycosidic linkages, and optionally at least 5% of the backbone glucose monomer units have branches via alpha-1,2 glycosidic linkages; and (ii) at least one organic group linked to the poly alpha glucan backbone through a linkage moiety; wherein, the poly alpha glucan backbone has a weight average degree of polymerization of from 51 to 150; and wherein, the poly alpha glucan derivative has a degree of substitution of

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linkage moiety of from 0.001 to 3.00.

The present invention provides methods for signal amplification. The methods use DNA hybridization chain reaction to build labeled nanoscaffolds off of target analytes. The methods are reversible, as the detectable signal can be removed using DNA hybridization and hydrolysis.