Early experiences with quality-assured HbA1c and professional glucose point-of-care testing in general practice: a cross-sectional observational study among patients, nurses and doctors.

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) is increasingly used in primary care. The rapid availability of the test result during the patient encounter increases the potential for patients and care providers to make a direct and joint decision on disease management. Our aim was to get insight into the first experiences of patients and healthcare professionals after introducing quality-controlled HbA1c and professional glucose POCT in diabetes care in their own general practices.

Importance of Viscosity Control for Recyclable Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites.

Thermoplastic composites consisting of a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and poly(lactide) (PLA) have the potential to combine good mechanical performance with recyclability and are therefore interesting as strong and sustainable composite materials. The viscoelastic behavior of both the LCP and the PLA is of great importance for the performance of these composites, as they determine the LCP morphology in the composite and play a crucial role in preventing the loss of mechanical performance upon recycling. Though the effect of the matrix viscosity is well-documented in literature, well-controlled systems where the LCP viscosity is tailored are not reported.

Thermoplastic PLA-LCP Composites: A Route toward Sustainable, Reprocessable, and Recyclable Reinforced Materials.

Reprocessing of reinforced composites is generally accompanied by loss of value and performance, as normally the reinforcing phase is damaged, or the matrix is lost in the process. In the search for more sustainable recyclable composite materials, we identify blends based on poly(l-lactide) (PLA) and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) as highly promising self-reinforced thermoplastic composites that can be recycled several times without loss in mechanical properties. For example, irrespective of the thermal history of the blend, injection molded bars of PLA containing 30 wt % LCP exhibit a tensile modulus of 6.

All-Polycarbonate Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on Triblock Copolymers Derived from Triethylborane-Mediated Sequential Copolymerization of CO with Various Epoxides.

Various oxirane monomers including alkyl ether or allyl-substituted ones such as 1-butene oxide, 1-hexene oxide, 1-octene oxide, butyl glycidyl ether, allyl glycidyl ether, and 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether were anionically copolymerized with CO into polycarbonates using onium salts as initiator in the presence of triethylborane. All copolymerizations exhibited a "living" character, and the monomer consumption was monitored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The various polycarbonate samples obtained were characterized by H NMR, GPC, and differential scanning calorimetry.

Frequencies and clinical associations of myositis-related antibodies in The Netherlands: A one-year survey of all Dutch patients.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a heterogeneous group of connective tissue diseases, collectively known as myositis. Diagnosis of IIM is challenging while timely recognition of an IIM is of utter importance considering treatment options and otherwise irreversible (severe) long-term clinical complications. With the EULAR/ACR classification criteria (2017) considerable advancement has been made in the diagnostic workup of IIM.

Fungal mycelium classified in different material families based on glycerol treatment.

Fungal mycelium is an emerging bio-based material. Here, mycelium films are produced from liquid shaken cultures that have a Young's modulus of 0.47 GPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 5.

Controlling Processing, Morphology, and Mechanical Performance in Blends of Polylactide and Thermotropic Polyesters.

Thermoplastic composites based on thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) materials are interesting candidates for reinforced composite application due to their promising mechanical performance and potential for recyclability. In combination with a societal push toward the more sustainable use of materials, these properties warrant new interest in this class of composites. Though numerous studies have been performed in the past, a coherent set of design rules for LCP design for the generation of injection-molded reinforced thermoplastic composites is not yet available, likely due to the complex interplay between LCP and matrix components.

Effect of Thermal History and Shear on the Viscoelastic Response of PP Containing an Oxalamide-Based Organic Compound.

We report on the role of temperature and shear on the melt behavior of PP in the presence of the organic compound 1,1'-(propane-1,3-diyl)bis(2-hexyloxalamide) (). It is demonstrated that facilitates a viscosity suppression when it resides in the molten state. The viscosity suppression is attributed to the interaction of PP chains/subchains with molten nanoclusters.

Effect of Shear Rate on the Orientation and Relaxation of a Vanillic Acid Based Liquid Crystalline Polymer.

In this study, we report on the visco-elastic response during start-up and cessation of shear of a novel bio-based liquid crystal polymer. The ensuing morphological changes are analyzed at different length scales by in-situ polarized optical microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Upon inception of shear, the polydomain texture is initially stretched, at larger strain break up processes become increasingly important, and eventually a steady state texture is obtained.

Effect of Self-Assembly of Oxalamide Based Organic Compounds on Melt Behavior, Nucleation, and Crystallization of Isotactic Polypropylene.

We report on the effect of an aliphatic oxalamide based nucleating agent () on the melt and crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene (PP) under defined shear conditions. Through polarized optical microscopy, we demonstrate that self-assembles from the PP melt into rhombic crystals whereas their size and distribution proved highly dependent on the employed cooling rates. The presence of 0.