Please cancel the previous Abstract and replace it with the following NEW A contact medium for use in medical and non-medical sonography, in electrocardiography, in electroencephalography, or in defibrillation, which contains 0.05 to 2.5 wt. % of a gel-forming agent, 0.05 to 3.5 wt. % of a detergent, and 0.1 to 4.0 wt. % of an emulsifier and optionally additives as well as water as the remaining element.

The invention provides articles and methods for making such articles including a substrate coated on at least one region thereof with a layer of nanocomposites nano-cellulose materials and nanoparticles.

Provided is a method of making methylcellulose-type ether in powder form, said method comprising (a) providing a solution of said methylcellulose-type ether in water, and (b) then separating said methylcellulose-type ether from said water to produce dried methylcellulose-type ether, with the proviso that either (i) step (b) produces said methylcellulose-type ether in powder form, or (ii) after step (b), said method additionally comprises a step (c) of subjecting said dried methylcellulose-type ether to mechanical stress to produce said methylcellulose-type ether in powder form.

Provided is a composition in powder form comprising methylcellulose, wherein said composition has a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum at source x-ray wavelength of 1.789 ? showing a peak at a 2? value between 14.5 and 16.5 degrees having intensity level Ipeak and a trough at a 2? value between 16.51 and 20 degrees having intensity level Itrough, wherein a peak index PIndex is defined as

PIndex=(Ipeak?Itrough)/Itrough and wherein said PIndex is 0.01 or greater.

Embodiments of the present description provide methods for increasing the concentration of carboxymethylcellulose alkali solutions that are particularly suitable for use in a high solids paper coating, barrier materials, etc. Generally described, the method includes dissolving carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and an alkali salt in water to obtain an alkali solution of CMC. The CMC desirably has a degree of substitution less than about 0.9. The alkali solution of CMC includes CMC in a concentration greater than about 9.8% by weight, has a pH from about 7.5 to about 11, and is characterized as having a viscosity of less than about 5,000 mPa.

A process for producing a water-insoluble shaped material, including a step of treating a raw material shaped material containing a water-soluble salt of a polyanionic polysaccharide with a treatment liquid containing an acid anhydride to insolubilize the raw material shaped material in water, and the process makes it possible to simply produce a water-insoluble shaped material in which intrinsic characteristics of the polyanionic polysaccharide being a raw material are retained, which has a high safety in that a chemical crosslinking agent is not required, and which is useful as a medical material, a food material, a cosmetic material, and the like.

A resin composition including from 30 to 99 wt % of a cellulose-based resin represented by the following formula (1) and from 70 to 1 wt % of a fumaric acid ester polymer containing 30 mol % or more of a fumaric acid diester residue unit represented by the following formula (2); an optical compensation film using the same; and a production method of the optical compensation film. ##STR00001##
(wherein R.sub.1 to R.sub.3 represent a substituent having a carbon number of 1 to 12, and R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 represent an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 12).

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a cellulose sponge, comprising: (A) providing a solution of hydroxypropyl cellulose having a self-crosslinkable substituent; and (B) irradiating the solution of hydroxypropyl cellulose having the self-crosslinkable substituent with -ray for crosslinking, wherein a method for preparing the hydroxypropyl cellulose having the self-crosslinkable substituent comprises: (a) dissolving hydroxypropyl cellulose in dimethylformamide to form a hydroxypropyl cellulose solution; (b) dissolving a compound comprising the self-crosslinkable substituent in dimethylformamide and slowly adding it drop by drop into the hydroxypropyl cellulose solution; (c) adding alcohol for reaction; and (d) reacting and drying at room temperature to form the hydroxypropyl cellulose having the self-crosslinkable substituent. The present invention also relates to a mixed solution, comprising dimethylformamide, hydroxypropyl cellulose, a compound comprising a self-crosslinkable substituent and alcohol.

A process for producing a water-insoluble shaped material, including a step of treating a raw material shaped material containing a water-soluble salt of a polyanionic polysaccharide with a treatment liquid containing an acid anhydride to insolubilize the raw material shaped material in water, and the process makes it possible to simply produce a water-insoluble shaped material in which intrinsic characteristics of the polyanionic polysaccharide being a raw material are retained, which has a high safety in that a chemical crosslinking agent is not required, and which is useful as a medical material, a food material, a cosmetic material, and the like.

Provided herein a biodegradable composite comprising a biodegradable polymer and bio-crystals, wherein the bio-crystals are in a concentration of between 1 wt % to 50 wt % of the biodegradable polymer.