Support for Ukraine against Russian aggression has been strong across Europe, but it is far from uniform. An expert survey of the positions taken by political parties in 29 countries conducted mid-2023 reveals that 97 of 269 parties reject one or more of the following: providing weapons, hosting refugees, supporting Ukraine's path to European Union membership, or accepting higher energy costs. Where the perceived threat from Russia is most severe, we find the greatest levels of support for Ukraine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is a suitable alternative to currently employed cancer treatments. However, the hydrophobicity of most photosensitizers (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydrogels are ideal materials to encapsulate cells, making them suitable for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, they generally do not possess adequate mechanical strength to functionally replace human tissues, and therefore they often need to be combined with reinforcing structures. While the interaction at the interface between the hydrogel and reinforcing structure is imperative for mechanical function and subsequent biological performance, this interaction is often overlooked.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCore-crosslinked polymeric micelles (CCPMs) are an attractive class of nanocarriers for drug delivery. Two crosslinking approaches to form CCPMs exist: either via a low-molecular-weight crosslinking agent to connect homogeneous polymer chains with reactive handles or via cross-reactive handles on polymers to link them to each other (complementary polymers). Previously, CCPMs based on methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)--poly[-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-lactate] (mPEG--PHPMAmLac) modified with thioesters were crosslinked via native chemical ligation (NCL, a reaction between a cysteine residue and thioester resulting in an amide bond) using a bifunctional cysteine containing crosslinker.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To explore whether nurses in hospital settings experience moral distress when involved in potentially life-prolonging treatments in adults with a short life expectancy.
Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.
Results: 23 Registered nurses working in inpatient or outpatient hospital settings participated.