Structure-properties relationships of defined CNF single-networks crosslinked by telechelic PEGs.

The high structural anisotropy and colloidal stability of cellulose nanofibrils' enable the creation of self-standing fibrillar hydrogel networks at very low solid contents. Adding methacrylate moieties on the surface of TEMPO oxidized CNFs allows the formation of more robust covalently crosslinked networks by free radical polymerization of acrylic monomers, exploiting the mechanical properties of these networks more efficiently. This technique yields strong and elastic networks but with an undefined network structure.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in low-risk tricuspid or bicuspid aortic stenosis: the NOTION-2 trial.

Background And Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the first choice to treat older patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). This study aimed to compare TAVI with surgery in low-risk patients ≤75 years of age, including both tricuspid and bicuspid AS.

Methods: The Nordic Aortic Valve Intervention (NOTION)-2 trial enrolled and 1:1 randomized low-risk patients aged ≤75 years with severe symptomatic AS to TAVI or surgery.

Quality of Life 5 Years Following Transfemoral TAVR or SAVR in Intermediate Risk Patients.

Background: Symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) sustain comparable improvements in health status over 5 years after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or SAVR. Whether a similar long-term benefit is observed among intermediate-risk AS patients is unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess health status outcomes through 5 years in intermediate risk patients treated with a self-expanding TAVR prosthesis or SAVR using data from the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial.

Transcatheter or surgical aortic valve implantation: 10-year outcomes of the NOTION trial.

Background And Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a viable treatment option for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis across a broad range of surgical risk. The Nordic Aortic Valve Intervention (NOTION) trial was the first to randomize patients at lower surgical risk to TAVI or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The aim of the present study was to report clinical and bioprosthesis outcomes after 10 years.

Passerini three-component reaction for the synthesis of saccharide branched cellulose.

In this work, we investigate a multicomponent synthetic method for combining saccharides with cellulose to produce saccharide branched cellulose (b-Cel). First, cellulose is modified conventionally using carboxymethyl to create carboxyl functional groups for multicomponent reactions. The Passerini three-component reaction (Passerini-3CR) is then used to synthesize the saccharide b-Cel, with particular attention paid to the scope of the substrate and reaction process optimization.

Short-term outcomes after heart transplantation using donor hearts preserved with ex vivo perfusion.

The standard Conventional Cold Storage (CCS) during heart transplantation procurement is associated with time-dependent ischemic injury to the graft, which is a significant independent risk factor for post-transplant early morbidity and mortality - especially when cold ischemic time exceeds four hours. Since 2018, Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen, Denmark) has been utilising perfusion (Organ Care System, OCS) in selected cases. The objective of this study was to compare the short-term clinical outcomes of patients transplanted with OCS compared to CCS.

Fully Bio-Based Ionic Liquids for Green Chemical Modification of Cellulose in the Activated-State.

Biopolymers, especially cellulose, are vital to transitioning to a circular economy and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. However, for many applications a high degree of cellulose hydroxyl modification is necessary. The challenge is that the chemical features of the hydroxyls of cellulose and water are similar.

Effect of once-per-day tacrolimus versus twice-per-day ciclosporin on 3-year incidence of chronic lung allograft dysfunction after lung transplantation in Scandinavia (ScanCLAD): a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: Evidence is low regarding the choice of calcineurin inhibitor for immunosuppression after lung transplantation. We aimed to compare the use of tacrolimus once per day with ciclosporin twice per day according to the current definition of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) after lung transplantation.

Methods: ScanCLAD is an investigator-initiated, open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial in Scandinavia evaluating whether an immunosuppressive protocol based on anti-thymocyte globulin induction followed by tacrolimus (once per day), mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids reduces the incidence of CLAD after de novo lung transplantation compared with a protocol using ciclosporin (twice per day), mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids.

Effect of microbial muramidase supplementation in diets formulated with different fiber profiles for broiler chickens raised under various coccidiosis management programs.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of muramidase (MUR) supplemented to diets formulated with different fiber sources (inert or fermentable) on the growth performance and intestinal parameters of broiler chickens raised under different coccidiosis management programs. A total of 2,208 male Ross 308 broilers were housed in 96 floor pens and distributed into a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized block design with 2 sources of fiber (inert or fermentable fiber), 3 coccidiosis management programs (none, vaccine, or Salinomycin), and with or without supplementation of MUR at 35,000 LSU(F)/kg of diet. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for each feeding phase (d 0-14, d 14-28, d 28-36) and from d 0 to 36.

2-Methoxy-4-Vinylphenol as a Biobased Monomer Precursor for Thermoplastics and Thermoset Polymers.

To address the increasing demand for biobased materials, lignin-derived ferulic acid (FA) is a promising candidate. In this study, an FA-derived styrene-like monomer, referred to as 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (MVP), was used as the platform to prepare functional monomers for radical polymerizations. Hydrophobic biobased monomers derived from MVP were polymerized via solution and emulsion polymerization resulting in homo- and copolymers with a wide range of thermal properties, thus showcasing their potential in thermoplastic applications.

Sustainable Thermal Energy Batteries from Fully Bio-Based Transparent Wood.

The sustainable development of functional energy-saving building materials is important for reducing thermal energy consumption and promoting natural indoor lighting. Phase-change materials embedded in wood-based materials are candidates for thermal energy storage. However, the renewable resource content is usually insufficient, the energy storage and mechanical properties are poor, and the sustainability aspect is unexplored.

Experimental diets dictate the metabolic benefits of probiotics in obesity.

Growing evidence supports the use of probiotics to prevent or mitigate obesity-related dysmetabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, frequent reports of responders versus non-responders to probiotic treatment warrant a better understanding of key modifiers of host-microbe interactions. The influence of host diet on probiotic efficacy, in particular against metabolic diseases, remains elusive.

Running demands in club, regional, national, and international provincial New Zealand rugby union competitions.

The demands of national and international professional rugby union matches are well established, however, there has not been a comparative study investigating running demands in New Zealand teams playing in club (amateur), Heartland Championship (semi-professional Div 2), the Mitre 10 Cup (semi-professional Div 1) or Super Rugby (professional) competitions. This information could enable specific training and rehabilitation that programmes to be developed to meet the needs of players in the different competitions. Players wore 10 Hz GPS units during games for one rugby season to determine absolute (m) and relative (m.

Impact of national holidays and weekends on incidence of acute type A aortic dissection repair.

Previous studies have demonstrated that environmental and temporal factors may affect the incidence of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Here, we aimed to investigate the hypothesis that national holidays and weekends influence the incidence of surgery for ATAAD. For the period 1st of January 2005 until 31st of December 2019, we investigated a hypothesised effect of (country-specific) national holidays and weekends on the frequency of 2995 surgical repairs for ATAAD at 10 Nordic cities included in the Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) collaboration.

Aqueous synthesis of highly functional, hydrophobic, and chemically recyclable cellulose nanomaterials through oxime ligation.

Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) materials are candidates for the sustainable development of high mechanical performance nanomaterials. Due to inherent hydrophilicity and limited functionality range, most applications require chemical modification of CNF. However, targeted transformations directly on CNF are cumbersome due to the propensity of CNF to aggregate in non-aqueous solvents at high concentrations, complicating the choice of suitable reagents and requiring tedious separations of the final product.

Highly reinforced and degradable lignocellulose biocomposites by polymerization of new polyester oligomers.

Unbleached wood fibers and nanofibers are environmentally friendly bio-based candidates for material production, in particular, as reinforcements in polymer matrix biocomposites due to their low density and potential as carbon sink during the materials production phase. However, producing high reinforcement content biocomposites with degradable or chemically recyclable matrices is troublesome. Here, we address this issue with a new concept for facile and scalable in-situ polymerization of polyester matrices based on functionally balanced oligomers in pre-formed lignocellulosic networks.

Self-expanding Transcatheter vs Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Intermediate-Risk Patients: 5-Year Outcomes of the SURTAVI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: In patients with severe aortic valve stenosis at intermediate surgical risk, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding supra-annular valve was noninferior to surgery for all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 2 years. Comparisons of longer-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes in these patients are limited.

Objective: To report prespecified secondary 5-year outcomes from the Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement (SURTAVI) randomized clinical trial.

"Like Recycles Like": Selective Ring-Closing Depolymerization of Poly(L-Lactic Acid) to L-Lactide.

Chemical recycling of poly(L-lactic acid) to the cyclic monomer L-lactide is hampered by low selectivity and by epimerization and elimination reactions, impeding its use on a large scale. The high number of side reactions originates from the high ceiling temperature (T ) of L-lactide, which necessitates high temperatures or multistep reactions to achieve recycling to L-lactide. To circumvent this issue, we utilized the impact of solvent interactions on the monomer-polymer equilibrium to decrease the T of L-lactide.

Three decades of heart transplantation: experience and long-term outcome.

. Heart transplantation (HTx) has become an established treatment option in patients with end-stage heart failure. The aim of this study was to report on long-term outcome over the past three decades.

Topical Brimonidine Delays Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Hairless Mice.

We investigated whether topical brimonidine delayed or enhanced the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) when ultraviolet radiation (UVR) was applied to a well-established murine model. Hairless female mice (n = 125) were randomized into five groups and treated as follows: 1% brimonidine cream before UVR (Group 1), 0.33% brimonidine gel before UVR (Group 2), 1% brimonidine cream after UVR (Group 3), UVR only (control; Group 4) and 1% brimonidine cream only (control; Group 5).

Once after a full moon: acute type A aortic dissection and lunar phases.

Objectives: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a rare but severe condition, routinely treated with emergent cardiac surgery. Many surgeons have the notion that patients with ATAAD tend to come in clusters, but no studies have examined these observations. This investigation was undertaken to study the potential association between the lunar cycle and the incidence of ATAAD.

Pinene-Based Oxidative Synthetic Toolbox for Scalable Polyester Synthesis.

Generation of renewable polymers is a long-standing goal toward reaching a more sustainable society, but building blocks in biomass can be incompatible with desired polymerization type, hampering the full implementation potential of biomaterials. Herein, we show how conceptually simple oxidative transformations can be used to unlock the inherent reactivity of terpene synthons in generating polyesters by two different mechanisms starting from the same α-pinene substrate. In the first pathway, α-pinene was oxidized into the bicyclic verbanone-based lactone and subsequently polymerized into star-shaped polymers via ring-opening polymerization, resulting in a biobased semicrystalline polyester with tunable glass transition and melting temperatures.

Fungal lysozyme leverages the gut microbiota to curb DSS-induced colitis.

Colitis is characterized by colonic inflammation and impaired gut health. Both features aggravate obesity and insulin resistance. Host defense peptides (HDPs) are key regulators of gut homeostasis and generally malfunctioning in above-mentioned conditions.