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Background: Quantitative ultrasound imaging is a popular technique to assess the structural properties of the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. Although several studies examined test-retest reliability, specific gaps remain in assessing inter-rater reliability, particularly distinguishing between image acquisition and muscle measurement. Additionally, these studies utilized equipment that may not be generalizable across both clinical and research settings and often involved small sample sizes without prior sample size calculations. This study aimed to investigate test-retest reliability as well as global and measurement-based inter-rater reliability (MIRR) using a low-end ultrasound device to measure intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle sizes., Methods: This prospective reliability study included 21 active individuals. Five intrinsic muscles [abductor hallucis (AbH), flexor digitorum brevis (FDB), flexor hallucis brevis (FHB), quadratus plantae (QP), abductor digiti minimi (AbDM)], and three extrinsic muscles [peroneal (PER), flexor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior (TA)] were scanned. Three investigators independently acquired images on two occasions and measured cross-sectional area (CSA) and thickness in September and October 2023. Participants were assessed either at the Musculoskeletal Research Group laboratory (University of Leuven, Bruges) or in the Rehabilitation Sciences laboratory (Ghent University hospital). Test-retest (same investigator, one week in between), global inter-rater (each investigator measures own image set) and MIRR (three investigators measure one image set) was performed following intra-class correlation, standard error of the measurement (SEM) and coefficient of variation., Results: Test-retest reliability showed intraclass-correlation coefficients of 0.60-0.88 for the FDB and 0.38-0.73 for the TA. SEM ranged from 0.16 to 0.41 cm 2 (CSA) and from 0.05 to 0.31 cm (thickness) for the intrinsic, while they ranged from 0.19 to 1.13 cm 2 and from 0.12 to 0.44 cm for the extrinsic muscles. Global inter-rater correlation coefficients varied between 0.4 and 0.8 for the AbH and FDB. Measurement based inter-rater correlation coefficient varied between 0.50 and 0.96 for AbH, FDB, TA and PER muscles. SEM ranged from 0.14 to 0.89 cm 2 (CSA) and from 0.07 to 0.24 cm (thickness) for the intrinsic, while they ranged from 0.29 to 0.85 cm 2 (CSA) and from 0.12 to 0.51 cm (thickness) for the extrinsic muscles. Coefficients of variations were between 4% and 34%. For test-retest, they were consistently ≤10% for AbH thickness, FDB CSA, FHB and TA. FDB coefficients of variation were ≤10% across all inter-rater reliabilities., Conclusions: Most muscles demonstrated moderate to excellent test-retest reliability using a portable ultrasound device, supporting its generalizability. However, the greater variability in global inter-rater reliability suggests substantial variation during image acquisition. The same clinician should perform pre-intervention and follow-up assessments to minimize errors. If different clinicians are involved, caution is needed when comparing measurements., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-1309/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2025 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

Fluorescent foams with interconnected pores are attractive for the detection and quantification of various products. However, many fluorescent probes are suffering from aggregation-caused fluorescence quenching in their solid/aggregated state, are costly, and/or not straightforward to incorporate in foams, limiting their utility for this application. Herein, non-isocyanate polyurethane foams, prepared by the simple water-induced self-blowing process, present a nonconventional fluorescence behaviour, i.e. they are intrinsically fluorescent with a multicolor emission without requiring ex situ traditional fluorescent probes. These foams demonstrate utility for capturing-sensing gaseous formaldehyde (an emblematic indoor air pollutant), as well as for detecting and quantifying various metal ions (Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Fe 3+ , Hg 2+ ). They are also able to selectively sense tetracycline antibiotic in a ratiometric way with a high sensitivity. By exploiting the unique multicolor photoluminescent foam properties, a smartphone-compatible device is used for the facile antibiotic quantification. This nonconventional fluorescence behaviour is discussed experimentally and theoretically, and is mainly based on clusteroluminescence originating from multiple hydrogen bonding and hetero-atomic sub-luminophores, thus from aggregation-induced emission luminogens that are naturally present in the foams. This work illustrates that easily accessible non-conventional fluorescent NIPU foams characterized by a modular emission wavelength have an enormous potential for multiple substrates detection and quantification., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The assessment of performance during functional tasks and the quality of movement execution are crucial metrics in the rehabilitation of patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. While measuring performance is feasible in clinical practice, quantifying joint kinematics poses greater challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate whether smartphone video, using deep neural networks for human pose detection, can enable the clinicians not only to measure performance in functional tasks but also to assess joint kinematics., Methods: Twelve healthy participants performed the forward reach of the Star Excursion Balance Test 10 times, along with 10 repetitions of forward jumps and vertical jumps, with simultaneous motion capture via a marker-based reference system and a smartphone. OpenPifPaf was utilized for markerless detection of anatomical landmarks in video recordings. The OpenPifPaf coordinates were scaled using anthropometric data of the thigh, and task performance and joint kinematics were computed for both the marker-based and markerless systems., Results: Comparing results for marker-based and markerless systems revealed similar joint angles, with mean root mean square errors of 2.8° for the knee, 3.1° for the hip, and 3.9° for the ankle. Excellent agreement was observed for clinically pertinent parameters, i.e., the performance, the peak knee flexion, and the knee range of motion (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.97)., Conclusion: The results underscore the feasibility of using markerless methods based on OpenPifPaf for assessing performance and joint kinematics in functional tasks crucial for ACL patients' rehabilitation. The simplicity of this approach makes it suitable for integration into clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Orthopedic manual therapy is currently considered as an alternative approach for treating hip osteoarthritis. However, studies assessing its efficacy in low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are scarce., Objectives: Investigating the effectiveness of Maitland passive joint mobilization (Maitland PJM) compared to self-rehabilitation in patients with hip osteoarthritis in Benin, a low-income country, in Sub-Saharan Africa., Methods: This was a pragmatic, single-blind, two-arm randomized trial involving 66 participants randomly assigned into two groups (Maitland PJM group, n = 33, and self-rehabilitation group, n = 33). Both interventions took 5 weeks. The primary outcome (pain) was evaluated using numerical rating scale. Secondary outcomes (passive hip range of motion, muscles strength, walking, and quality of life) were assessed using goniometry, medical research council, 10 m walk test, and short-form 36. Participants were assessed at baseline, after interventions and 3-month follow-up., Results: Forty-nine patients (Maitland PJM group, n = 22, self-rehabilitation, n = 27) completed the sessions. Within-group analyses showed a significant improvement in body function, walking speed, and quality of life (p < 0.05) after interventions and at 3-month follow-up within both groups. No significant differences in any outcomes were observed between the Maitland PJM and self-rehabilitation groups, after interventions and at the 3-month follow-up (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Maitland passive joint mobilization and self-rehabilitation similarly improved function, walking speed, and quality of life in Beninese patients with hip osteoarthritis., Trial Registration: PACTR201911553990405., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Specific foot exercises and the use of minimalist shoes during running or daily life were suggested to strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles and to modify locomotion biomechanics. We aimed to review the effectiveness of these interventions to modify foot muscle sizes, foot strength, and biomechanical outcomes., Method: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and SportDiscus databases were searched (last update: 12 March 2024). Randomized controlled trials with intervention duration of four weeks or more were included. A random-effect meta-analysis was performed when at least two studies were available for an outcome. Standardized mean differences and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals were reported. The certainty of the evidence was assessed by considering risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, and indirectness. The evidence not summarized in the meta-analysis was synthetised., Findings: Twenty-eight trials (1399 participants) were included in the systematic review and seventeen meta-analyses were performed. From meta-analyses, minimalist shoes lead to greater strength of toes 2 to 5 (confidence interval = 0.02 to 0.76), and foot exercises resulted in lower medial longitudinal arch motion during running (confidence interval = 0.08 to 0.82). The certainty of the evidence was low to very low, mainly due to the limited number of available studies and high risk of bias. The systematic synthesis supported exercises and minimalist shoes to increase foot strength, but was conflicting for muscle sizes. The interventions occasionally modified walking and running biomechanical variables., Interpretation: Foot exercises and minimalist shoes may be appropriate to increase foot strength and to induce biomechanical changes during dynamic tasks., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction frequently present asymmetries in the sagittal plane dynamics when performing single leg jumps but their assessment is inaccessible to health-care professionals as it requires a complex and expensive system. With the development of deep learning methods for human pose detection, kinematics can be quantified based on a video and this study aimed to investigate whether a relatively simple 2D multibody model could predict relevant dynamic biomarkers based on the kinematics using inverse dynamics. Six participants performed ten vertical and forward single leg hops while the kinematics and the ground reaction force "GRF" were captured using an optoelectronic system coupled with a force platform. The participants are modelled by a seven rigid bodies system and the sagittal plane kinematics was used as model input. Model outputs were compared to values measured by the force platform using intraclass correlation coefficients for seven outcomes: the peak vertical and antero-posterior GRFs and the impulses during the propulsion and landing phases and the loading ratio. The model reliability is either good or excellent for all outcomes (0,845 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.987). The study results are promising for deploying the developed model following a kinematics analysis based on a video. This could enable clinicians to assess their patients' jumps more effectively using video recordings made with widely available smartphones, even outside the laboratory.

Mechanical metamaterials achieve unprecedented mechanical properties through their periodically interconnected unit cell structure. However, their geometrical design and resulting mechanical properties are typically fixed during fabrication. Despite efforts to implement covalent adaptable networks (CANs) into metamaterials for permanent shape reconfigurability, emphasis is given to global rather than local shape reconfiguration. Furthermore, the change of effective material properties like Poisson's ratio remains to be explored. In this work, a non-isocyanate polyurethane elastomeric CAN, which can be thermally reconfigured, is introduced into a metamaterial architecture. Structural reconfiguration allows for the local and global reprogramming of the Poisson's ratio with change of unit cell angle from 60° to 90° for the auxetic and 120° to 90° for the honeycomb metamaterial. The respective Poisson's ratio changes from -1.4 up to -0.4 for the auxetic and from +0.7 to +0.2 for the honeycomb metamaterial. Carbon nanotubes are deposited on the metamaterials to enable global and spatial electrothermal heating for on-demand reshaping with a heterogeneous Poisson's ratio ranging from -2 to ≈0 for a single auxetic or +0.6 to ≈0 for a single honeycomb metamaterial. Finite element simulations reveal how permanent geometrical reconfiguration results from locally and globally relaxed heated patterns., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Herein, the long-standing challenge of the ring-opening aminolysis of CO 2 -derived tetrasubstituted cyclic carbonates at room temperature (r.T) is overcome under catalyst-free conditions. Molecular design of the cyclic carbonate by substitution of an alkyl group by a thioether unlocks quantitative conversion at r.T and ensures total regioselectivity toward highly substituted oxazolidone scaffolds. An in-depth rationalization of the high reactivity of these cyclic carbonate structures and of the aminolysis reaction mechanism is provided by a computational study supporting experimental observations. The high efficiency of the reaction is then translated to the deconstruction of high-performance thermoplastics containing tetrasubstituted cyclic carbonate linkages to deliver building blocks that are reused for designing recyclable thermosets bearing dynamic N , S -acetal linkages.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals with persistent nonspecific neck pain who used immersive virtual reality (VR) serious games at home for 2 weeks., Methods: In this descriptive qualitative study, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted at the participant's home after the 2-week period. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Sample size was determined using the information power concept (where "information power" refers to the amount of relevant information the sample provides for addressing the research question)., Results: Eleven adults with continuous or recurrent nonspecific neck pain participated in the study. Three main categories were identified. The first revolves around the home environment, revealing that participants had mixed perceptions about being at home, yet held a positive perspective on the utilization of immersive VR in that setting. The second pertains to immersive VR as a novel technology, indicating its overall comfort, user-friendliness, and varying degrees of immersion and presence experienced by the participants. The third focuses on exercising in immersive VR, drawing comparisons with conventional exercises, exploring the facilitators and barriers to usage, and addressing various aspects of integrating this technology into rehabilitation., Conclusion: Immersive VR was deemed comfortable for almost all participants and easy to use. Participants found exercising in immersive VR motivating and enjoyable, compared to conventional exercises. The home environment proved suitable for using immersive VR, though challenges included autonomy and reduced human contact. Participants highlighted facilitators and barriers in using immersive VR serious games, as well as immersive VR's rehabilitation potential. They also underscored the crucial role of physical therapists for guidance, remote supervision, and personalized treatment., Impact: These findings could help clinicians to better understand the experiences of individuals with persistent nonspecific neck pain when using immersive VR, as well as its use at home. This understanding can improve patient care and optimize the effectiveness of immersive VR as a treatment method., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: The goals of this study were to i. describe the prevalence of latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the medialis gastrocnemius in runners versus non-runners, and ii. examine their level of pain and stiffness., Methods: Healthy runners and non-runners were recruited. Each participant's medialis gastrocnemius MTrPs count was recorded in both legs. The mean pain and the most painful MTrPs pain levels were recorded using an algometer, and the stiffness was evaluated using myotonometry (MyotonPro device) on the most painful MTrP., Results: With a medium effect size (p = 0.001), runners (n = 20) showed significantly more latent MTrPs than non-runners (n = 26). Runners also reported higher overall pain on the latent MTrPs site than non-runners (p = 0.003) and a significant difference (p = 0.001) for the most painful latent MTrP. Runners were substantially stiffer than non-runners in the most painful latent MTrP, with a mean stiffness difference of +9.98 N/m (p = 0.018, medium effect size)., Conclusions: Runners have a higher number of latent MTrPs than non-runners. The MTrPs found in runners' legs were more painful and stiff than those found in non-runners' legs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Passive stiffness, a biomechanical parameter, has a potential influence on running economy, thus playing a pivotal role in performance. This study aimed to quantify passive stiffness of the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle using myotonometry throughout an incremental running protocol., Methods: Twenty-one male participants underwent a multistage incremental test (Bordeaux test) on a treadmill until exhaustion. Passive stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon was measured using a MyotonPRO device. Measurements were taken before, during, and after the incremental test., Results: Our findings indicated that passive stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius decreased at rest between prerun and postrun assessments (-20.12 N·m-1, P = .012). Furthermore, during the test, stiffness increased at low intensity (at 50% of maximal aerobic speed: +104.8 N·m-1, P = .042), returning to baseline values as intensity increased., Conclusions: Throughout an incremental running protocol, both Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle stiffness initially increased and then decreased with escalating percentages of maximal aerobic speed. A deeper understanding of stiffness in running can inform more effective recommendations for runners' strengthening and training.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), despite being the most studied polymer electrolyte, suffers from serious drawbacks, which require fundamental studies behind its underperformance in lithium batteries. Here, we report the effect of the terminal group on triarm PEG stars bearing either hydroxyl (TPEG-OH) or carbonate-ketone (TPEG-Carb-ket) terminal groups. The latter is synthesized by a ring-opening reaction triggered by the -OH end group of TPEG-OH and results in a carbonate-ketone functionality. Indeed, the modified chain end is found to act as a sacrificial group by focusing the reactivity of the chain on the terminal group, protecting the rest of the TPEG molecule, which significantly reduces interfacial degradation and achieves a broader electrochemical stability window of up to 4.47 V, high Coulombic efficiency, and capacity retention. It furthermore demonstrates a stable interface with lithium metal after more than 1200 h of stripping and plating. When those electrolytes are investigated in reference cells based on LiFePO 4 cathodes and Li anodes, the change in discharge capacity is observed from 118.7 to 113.8 and 108.9 to 5.03 mAh g -1 for TPEG-Carb-ket and TPEG-OH electrolytes, respectively, from the 1st to 100th cycle. The experimental results are further supported by density functional theory calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Clavicle fractures represent one of the most frequent type of fractures. However, there is no consensus on the treatment of these fractures and their relative indications for surgery. The purpose of this study is to determine whether surgical treatment of mid-diaphyseal clavicular fractures indeed results in fewer complications and better radiological outcomes, as current trends suggest, in comparison to conservative treatment. A retrospective multicenter study was conducted between January 2005 and April 2017, involving adult patients aged 16 to 75 years with mid-diaphyseal clavicular fractures. Out of a total of 715 clavicle fractures assessed, 220 met the inclusion criteria for this study. The research encompassed a matched-pair cohort, comparing clavicle fractures treated surgically and those managed conservatively. The consolidation rate was respectively 94.5% In the operative group, and 89.1% in the conservative group. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of consolidation (p-value: 0.219). The surgical group had an infection rate of 1.8%. Additionally, 31.8% of patients experienced hardware-related discomfort, and 43.6% required a secondary surgery to remove the plate. The results of this study reveal a similar rate of consolidation between the two treatment approaches. However, there is a noticeable but not significant difference in pseudarthrosis incidence in the conservative group, which is typically asymptomatic and does not usually require surgical intervention. On the other hand, patients who have undergone osteosynthesis often experience hardware-related discomfort and may require a subsequent procedure for hardware removal. Low profile dual plating might reduce this inconvenient.

Intro: AIS surgery generates a high inflammatory stress response which might influence the outcome in the perioperative period. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a global multidisciplinary care pathway aimed to improve patient's recovery., Research Question: The purpose of this article is to expose our actual ERAS protocol for AIS surgery and compare it with the earlier non ERAS management in our institution.Our primary outcome focus on the re-hospitalisation and complications rates at 30 and 90 days postoperatively. Our secondary outcomes focus on the overall morphine consumption, pain scores and side effects during the hospitalisation., Material: We compare the results of the ERAS group (2019-2022) with the previous existing classical care pathway (2017-2019). The data were collected in our standard medical files., Results: Our ERAS care pathway for AIS surgery lead to consequently improve the outcome regarding the VAS scores, the morphine consumption, the LOS and the complication and re hospitalisation rates., Discussion: Regarding our results, ERAS care pathway for AIS surgery appears to be efficient in terms of benefits on complications rates, LOS and opioid consumption.Intrathecal morphine and "anti-inflammatory" anaesthesia provides a good quality of pain management and allows the patient to get up early.A superiority trial might be interesting to highlight the role of the ERAS pathway in AIS surgery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. No financial support, this research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not for profit section., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe, EANS, the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies.)

Background: Rupture of the long head of the distal bifid biceps tendon is a rare injury, for which surgical anatomical repair should be considered in active patients. The aim of this study was to review our patients who benefited from the EndoButton technique via a single anterior approach, comparing the clinical outcomes with the contralateral uninjured side and assessing their quality of life. Our hypothesis was that an "anatomical" insertion, through an anterior approach, by reinserting the 2 distinct tendons on the radial tuberosity, would restore the supination ability of the forearm more effectively than flexion strength., Methods: This study included 25 patients who underwent surgery between June 2015 and January 2021. All patients underwent distal biceps reattachment using an endo-osseous fixation technique with the same device. Each patient completed a quality-of-life questionnaire and participated in biomechanical performance tests., Results: We observed a significant 14% reduction in strength during flexion on the operated side compared to the healthy side. However, no significant differences in strength were found for supination, extension, and pronation between the operated and nonoperated limbs in these same patients. In terms of endurance, flexion on the operated side tended to exhibit greater endurance than on the healthy side, while endurance in supination appeared similar between the operated and healthy sides. This finding held irrespective of whether the operated limb was dominant or nondominant. We also discovered a strong correlation between the time elapsed since surgery and differences in strength during both flexion and supination., Conclusion: The ultimate goal is to achieve an anatomical surgical repair to restore all functions and maximize patient outcomes. As demonstrated, we have obtained good clinical results with EndoButton repair and a single anterior approach. The results in terms of strength and endurance are similar to those reported in the literature, and all our patients are satisfied. No postoperative complications were found., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.

Flow chemistry presents many advantages over batch processes for the fast and continuous production of polymers under more robust, safer, and easily scalable conditions. Although largely exploited for chain-growth polymerizations, it has rarely been applied to step-growth polymerizations (SGP) due to their inherent limitations. Here, we report the facile and fast preparation of an emerging class of nonisocyanate polyurethanes, i.e., CO 2 -based poly(oxazolidone)s, by SGP in continuous flow reactors. Importantly, we also demonstrate that functional poly(oxazolidone)s are easily prepared by telescoping a flow module where SGP occurs with reagents able to simultaneously promote two polymer derivatizations in a second module, i.e., dehydration followed by cationic thiol-ene to yield poly( N , S -acetal oxazolidone)s. The functional polymer is produced at a high rate and functionalization degree, without requiring the isolation of any intermediates. This work demonstrates the enormous potential of flow technology for the facile and fast continuous production of functional polymers by SGP.

Polyurethanes (PUs) have adjustable mechanical properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including in the biomedical field. Historically, these PUs have been synthesized from isocyanates, which are toxic compounds to handle. This has encouraged the search for safer and more environmentally friendly synthetic routes, leading today to the production of nonisocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs). Among these NIPUs, polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) bear additional hydroxyl groups, which are particularly attractive for derivatizing and adjusting their physicochemical properties. In this paper, polyether-based NIPU elastomers with variable stiffness are designed by functionalizing the hydroxyl groups of a poly(propylene glycol)-PHU by a cyclic carbonate carrying a pendant unsaturation, enabling them to be post-photo-cross-linked with polythiols (thiol-ene). Elastomers with remarkable mechanical properties whose stiffness can be adjusted are obtained. Thanks to the unique viscous properties of these PHU derivatives and their short gel times observed by rheology experiments, formulations for light-based three-dimensional (3D) printing have been developed. Objects were 3D-printed by digital light processing with a resolution down to the micrometer scale, demonstrating their ability to target various designs of prime importance for personalized medicine. In vitro biocompatibility tests have confirmed the noncytotoxicity of these materials for human fibroblasts. In vitro hemocompatibility tests have revealed that they do not induce hemolytic effects, they do not increase platelet adhesion, nor activate coagulation, demonstrating their potential for future applications in the cardiovascular field.

A subtle combination of fundamental and applied organic chemistry toward process intensification is demonstrated for the large-scale production of bio-based glycerol carbonate under flow conditions. The direct carbonation of bio-based glycidol with CO 2 is successfully carried out under intensified flow conditions, with Barton's base as a potent homogeneous organocatalyst. Process metrics for the CO 2 coupling step (for the upstream production, output: 3.6 kg day -1 , Space Time Yield (STY): 2.7 kg h -1  L -1 , Environmental factor (E-factor): 4.7) outclass previous reports. High conversion and selectivity are achieved in less than 30 s of residence time at pilot scale with a stoichiometric amount of CO 2 . Supporting DFT computations reveal the unique features of the mechanism in presence of Brønsted bases., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Passive stiffness describes how easily a joint may move passively. To accurately measure wrist stiffness, an electro-oscillation device was developed. The objectives were to 1) ensuring that the measurement are free from intentional or reflex contraction, 2) analyzing how forearm anatomy affects the passive stiffness of the wrist and 3) determining the clinical practical relevance of the device., Methods: In this prospective study, the device generated low amplitude sinusoidal motions in flexion and extension on the wrist to quantify elastic and viscous passive stiffness in voluntary orthopaedic patients. The first series of measurements was carried out in the state of voluntary relaxation, the second series of measurements was carried out after an axillary plexus anesthetic block. A matched group of healthy subjects were use for control., Findings: The Electromechanical Oscillation methods effectively enable the measurement of passive joint stiffness since the stiffness values obtained show no statistically significant difference pre-post the anesthesia. The stiffness values are comparable to those of healthy subjects. The effect of forearm passive structure, estimated by the perimeter of the forearm, influences the passive stiffness of the wrist, mainly the viscous component., Interpretation: The use of sinusoidal oscillation was well accepted by the participants, demonstrating its usefulness and applicability in a clinical setting. This work serves as a foundation for future investigations of orthopaedic and/or neurological pathological conditions characterized by abnormal passive joint stiffness of the wrist. It paves the way for its use as a diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring tool in these pathologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

For decades, self-blown polyurethane foams─found in an impressive range of materials─are produced by the toxic isocyanate chemistry and are difficult to recycle. Producing them in existing production plants by a rapid isocyanate-free self-blowing process from room temperature (RT) formulations is a long-lasting challenge. The recent water-induced self-blowing of nonisocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) formulations composed of a CO 2 -based tricyclic carbonate, diamine, water, and a catalyst successfully addressed the isocyanate issue, however failed to provide foams at RT. Herein, we elaborate a practical solution to empower the NIPU foam formation in record timeframes from RT formulations. We generate cascade exotherms by the addition of a highly reactive triamine and an epoxide to the formulation of the water-induced self-foaming process. These exotherms, combined to a fast cross-linking imparted by the triamine and epoxide, rapidly raise the temperature to the foaming threshold and deliver hybrid NIPU foams in 5 min with KOH as a catalyst. Careful selection of the monomers enables producing foams with a wide range of properties, as well as with an unprecedented high biobased content up to 90 wt %. Moreover, foams can be upcycled into polymer films by hot pressing, offering them a facile reuse scenario. This robust cheap process opens huge perspectives for greener foams of high biobased contents, expectedly responding to the sustainability demands of the foam sector. It is potentially compatible to the retrofitting of industrial foaming infrastructures, which is of paramount importance to accommodate existing foam production plants and address the huge foam market demands.

Cobalt-mediated radical polymerization (CMRP) enables the preparation of both short and long polymers from acrylic and vinyl ester monomers with low dispersity. Here we describe the synthesis, purification, and characterization of polymeric mimics of ice-binding proteins based on the water-soluble polymer poly(vinyl alcohol) by CMRP. Block copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acrylic acid) were prepared from the precursor copolymers poly(vinyl acetate)-b-poly(acrylonitrile) upon hydrolysis. Copolymers comprising up to hundreds of monomers and dispersities M w /M n  < 1.3 were produced by this method., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Finding new chemistry platforms for easily recyclable polymers has become a key challenge to face environmental concerns and the growing plastics demand. Here, we report a dynamic chemistry between CO 2 -sourced alkylidene oxazolidones and thiols, delivering circular non-isocyanate polyurethane networks embedding N , S -acetal bonds. The production of oxazolidone monomers from CO 2 is facile and scalable starting from cheap reagents. Their copolymerization with a polythiol occurs under mild conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of acid to furnish polymer networks. The polymer structure is easily tuned by virtue of monomer design, translating into a wide panel of mechanical properties similar to commodity plastics, ranging from PDMS-like elastomers [with Young's modulus ( E ) of 2.9 MPa and elongation at break (ε break ) of 159%] to polystyrene-like rigid plastics (with E = 2400 MPa, ε break = 3%). The highly dissociative nature of the N , S -acetal bonds is demonstrated and exploited to offer three different recycling scenarios to the thermosets: (1) mechanical recycling by compression molding, extrusion, or injection molding─with multiple recycling (at least 10 times) without any material property deterioration, (2) chemical recycling through depolymerization, followed by repolymerization, also applicable to composites, and (3) upcycling of two different oxazolidone-based thermosets into a single one with distinct properties. This work highlights a new facile and scalable chemical platform for designing highly dynamic polymer networks containing elusive oxazolidone motifs. The versatility of this chemistry shows great potential for the preparation of materials (including composites) of tuneable structures and properties, with multiple end-of-life scenarios.

In this work, isocyanate-free formulations for poly(propylene glycol) polyurethane elastomers are studied. These formulations are based on poly(propylene glycol) end-capped by CO 2 -sourced cyclic carbonate (bisCC PPG) macromonomers able to react with amines leading to poly(hydroxyurethane)s. In order to obtain covalent networks, two curing approaches are studied. First, the direct thermally activated cross-linking of bisCC PPG with a mixture of various aliphatic or aromatic diamines and a triamine is investigated, and in particular the nature of the diamine on the mechanical properties. In the second approach, UV-activated formulations are developed by reacting bisCC PPG with allylamine followed by the addition of a trithiol by photoactivated thiol-ene reaction. The swelling tests show that both systems provide highly cross-linked polymer networks and complementary characterizations highlighted excellent mechanical properties. Thanks to the fast curing and adapted viscosity of the developed photoactive formulation, the latter was found suitable for use as a photoresin for 3D printing as demonstrated by printing a vaginal ring by a nozzle-based photoprinter.

Background: Prosthetic heart valves are the only treatment for most patients with severe valvular heart disease. Mechanical valves, made of metallic components, are the most long-lasting type of replacement valves. However, they are prone to thrombosis and require permanent anticoagulation and monitoring, which leads to higher risk of bleeding and impacts the patient's quality of life., Objectives: To develop a bioactive coating for mechanical valves with the aim to prevent thrombosis and improve patient outcomes., Methods: We used a catechol-based approach to produce a drug-releasing multilayer coating adherent to mechanical valves. The hemodynamic performance of coated Open Pivot valves was verified in a heart model tester, and coating durability in the long term was assessed in a durability tester producing accelerated cardiac cycles. Coating antithrombotic activity was evaluated in vitro with human plasma or whole blood under static and flow conditions and in vivo after surgical valve implantation in a pig's thoracic aorta., Results: We developed an antithrombotic coating consisting of ticagrelor- and minocycline-releasing cross-linked nanogels covalently linked to polyethylene glycol. We demonstrated the hydrodynamic performance, durability, and hemocompatibility of coated valves. The coating did not increase the contact phase activation of coagulation, and it prevented plasma protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, and thrombus formation. Implantation of coated valves in nonanticoagulated pigs for 1 month efficiently reduced valve thrombosis compared with noncoated valves., Conclusion: Our coating efficiently inhibited mechanical valve thrombosis, which might solve the issues of anticoagulant use in patients and the number of revision surgeries due to valve thrombosis despite anticoagulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests C.O., P.L., C.D., and C.J. are inventors on a patent owned by the University of Liège related to medical devices coated with the presented technology (WO2018122318A1)., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To assess the severity and progression of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), radiography with X-rays is usually used. The methods based on statistical observations have been developed from 3D reconstruction of the trunk or topography. Machine learning has shown great potential to classify the severity of scoliosis on imaging data, generally on X-ray measurements. It is also known that AIS leads to the development of gait disorder. To our knowledge, machine learning has never been tested on spine intervertebral efforts during gait as a radiation-free method to classify the severity of spinal deformity in AIS. Develop automated machine learning algorithms in lumbar/thoracolumbar scoliosis to classify the severity of spinal deformity of AIS based on the lumbosacral joint (L5-S1) efforts during gait. The lumbosacral joint efforts of 30 individuals with lumbar/thoracolumbar AIS were used as distinctive features fed to the machine learning algorithms. Several tests were run using various classification algorithms. The labeling consisted of three classes reflecting the severity of scoliosis i.e. mild, moderate and severe. The ensemble classifier algorithm including k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, random forest and multilayer perceptron achieved the most promising results, with accuracy scores of 91.4%. This preliminary study shows lumbosacral joint efforts can be used to classify the severity of spinal deformity in lumbar/thoracolumbar AIS. This method showed the potential of being used as an assessment tool to follow-up the progression of AIS as a radiation-free method, alternative to radiography. Future studies should be performed to test the method on other categories of AIS.

Poly(monothiocarbonate)s are an interesting class of sulfur-containing materials whose application as solid polymer electrolytes was barely studied, certainly due to the elusive production of diversified polymer architectures. Herein, a new liquid CO 2 -sourced bis(α-alkylidene cyclic carbonate) monomer was designed at high yield to allow its one-step and solvent-free copolymerization with thiols to produce linear and cross-linked polymers in mild conditions. The influence of the monomer structure on the thermal properties and the ionic conductivity of linear polymers was assessed. The polymer network showed to be thermally re-processable owing to the dynamic nature of the monothiocarbonate bonds. A solid polymer electrolyte was easily obtained from the cross-linked material when combined with LiTFSI salt. The solid polymer electrolyte was characterized by an ionic conductivity reaching 6×10 -6  S cm -1 at room temperature with a lithium transference number of 0.37 and a wide electrochemical stability window (4.0 V vs Li 0 /Li + ) valid for lithium cycling. This work thus reports an attractive valorizing approach for carbon dioxide to deliver under mild operating conditions poly(monothiocarbonate)-containing novel covalent adaptable network materials of high potential for energy applications, especially as solid electrolytes for batteries., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objectives: To identify which treatment modalities are described in the literature for the conservative management of ITBS (1) and to identify research gap (2)., Databases: The following electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE/Pubmed, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library., Eligibility Criteria: The included studies had to report at least one conservative treatment on a human population suffering from ITBS., Results: 98 studies reached the included criteria and seven categories of treatment were identified, i.e., stretching, adjuvants, physical modalities, injections, strengthening, manual techniques and education. Only 32 studies were designed as original clinical studies within which only 7 were randomized controlled trials, while 66 were review studies. Education, injections and medications as well as stretching were the most cited therapies. However, there was a clear discrepancy design. For example, stretching modalities were reported in 31% and 78% for clinical and review studies, respectively., Conclusions: There is an objective research gap in the literature concerning conservative ITBS management. The recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions and review article. More high-quality research studies should be performed for enhancing the ITBS conservative management understanding., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared, (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hyper-resistance after a central nervous system injury has been largely referred to as spasticity, which is but one of its neural components. Assessment largely relies on clinical scales (Modified Ashworth scale - MAS and Modified Tardieu scale, MTS) which are unable to distinguish between the non-neural (tissue-related) and the neural (central nervous system-related) components. This study assessed criterion validity and reliability (reproducibility) of muscle stiffness measures, namely, maximum elastic stiffness (ELmax), viscous stiffness (VI), and path length (L-path) in the hand flexor muscles among people with stroke. Measurements were obtained with a wrist-electromechanical oscillatory device (w-EOD). Twenty-four people with arm impairment after stroke were evaluated with the w-EOD and clinical assessment (MAS and MTS), twice on the same day (short-term reliability) and once 10 days later (long-term reliability). For criterion validity, a Spearman coefficient ( r ) was calculated between stiffness values and the clinical scales. For reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), SEM, and MDC95 were calculated. Moderate correlations were observed between EL max and MAS ( r  = 0.49) and MTS (V2, r  = 0.43; V3, r  = 0.49) of the wrist flexors, and finger flexors (MAS, r  = 0.60; MTS V2, r  = 0.56; MTS V3, r  = 0.55). There was a poor correlation between the clinical scales and VI and L-path. Reliability was excellent for all stiffness measurements at short term (EL max : 0.95, VI: 0.94, L-path: 0.92) and good at long term (EL max : 0.87, VI: 0.76, L-path: 0.82). In conclusion, stiffness measurements are valid and reliable to evaluate hyper-resistance in people with stroke., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Scoliosis curves present transverse plane deviations due to vertebral rotation. The Schroth method supports thoracic derotation by training patients to exert "derotational" breathing based on assumed enhanced ventilation in areas called "humps" in scoliosis and a patient's ability to voluntarily direct ventilation in less ventilated areas called "flats.", Objective: To assess the asymmetric ventilation distribution and the ability of patients to direct their ventilation to perform derotational breathing., Methods: Twelve girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 12 healthy girls performed 3 × 3 min of rest, maximal, and derotational breathing. Electrical impedance tomography was used to record locoregional lung ventilation distribution (LLVD) within 4 thoracic regions of interest: anterior right (ROI 1), anterior left (ROI 2), posterior right (ROI 3), and posterior left (ROI 4) quadrants. Humps and flats were the sums of ROI '2 + 3' and ROI '1 + 4,' respectively., Results: Overall, no difference in LLVD was observed in the flats and humps between groups. At rest, the LLVD in the humps was more elevated than that in the flats (51.5 ± 8.1% versus 43.6 ± 7.9%; p = .021) when considering both groups. Maximal and derotational breathing led to a more homogeneous LLVD between the humps and flats., Conclusion: The postulated derotational breathing effect was not confirmed.

For 80 years, polyisocyanates and polyols were central building blocks for the industrial fabrication of polyurethane (PU) foams. By their partial hydrolysis, isocyanates release CO 2 that expands the PU network. Substituting this toxic isocyanate-based chemistry by a more sustainable variant-that in situ forms CO 2 by hydrolysis of a comonomer-is urgently needed for producing greener cellular materials. Herein, we report a facile, up-scalable process, potentially compatible to existing infrastructures, to rapidly prepare water-induced self-blown non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foams. We show that formulations composed of poly(cyclic carbonate)s and polyamines furnish rigid or flexible NIPU foams by partial hydrolysis of cyclic carbonates in the presence of a catalyst. By utilizing readily available low cost starting materials, this simple but robust process gives access to greener PU foams, expectedly responding to the sustainability demands of many sectors., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The polyaddition between dicyclic carbonates and diamines leading to poly(hydroxy urethane)s (PHUs) has emerged as the preferred method for the synthesis of green, non-isocyanate polyurethanes. However, when proposed for use as structural adhesives, the long times for completion of aminolysis of the 5-membered cyclic carbonates under ambient conditions force the use of complementary chemistries to accelerate the curing process. In this work, a system that combines an amino-terminated PHU (NH 2 -PHU-NH 2 ), an epoxy resin, and a thiol compound was employed to develop high-shear strength PHU-epoxy hybrid adhesives able to cure at room temperature in short times. A NH 2 -PHU-NH 2 prepolymer synthesized by using a sub-stoichiometric quantity of dicyclic carbonates was mixed with a bisphenol A-based epoxy resin for the preparation of the structural adhesive. While this adhesive showed good lap-shear strength and shear resistance under static load and temperature, the curing process was slow. In order to speed up the curing process, a thiol (trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercapto propionate)) was added and its impact on the curing process as well as on the adhesive properties was evaluated. The trifunctional thiol additive allowed for faster curing in the presence of the 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine basic catalyst. Moreover, a combination of NH 2 -PHU-NH 2 and the thiol as curing agents for the epoxy resin resulted in adhesives with superior toughness, without any deterioration of the ultimate lap-shear strength or shear resistance under load and temperature, making these adhesives suitable for high-demand applications in the automotive industry., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Prevention strategies are essential to reduce the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in orthopaedic surgery. Members of the Royal Belgian Society for Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SORBCOT) and the Belgische Vereniging voor Orthopedie en Traumatologie (BVOT) were asked to answer a 28-question questionnaire on the internet about the application of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis measures and to compare them with current inter- national recommendations. 228 practicing orthopedic surgeons responded to the survey from different regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels), different hospitals (university, public and private), different levels of experience (< 5 years, 5 to 10 years and > 10 years) and different subspecialties (lower limb, upper limb and spine). Regarding the questionnaire: 7% systematically perform a dental check-up. 47.8% of the participants never carry out a urinalysis, 41.7% when the patient presents symptoms and 10.5% carry it out systematically. 2.6% systematically propose a pre-operative nutritional assessment. 5.3% of respondents suggest stopping biotherapies (Remicade®, Humira®, rituximab®, etc.) before an operation and 43.9% do not feel comfortable with this type of treatment. 47.1% suggest smoking cessation before the operation and 22% of them advise smoking cessation for a period of 4 weeks. 54.8% never carry out MRSA screening. 68.3% systematically per- formed hair removal, 18.5% when the patient had hirsutism. Among them, 17.7% use shaving with razors. Alcoholic Isobetadine is the most used product with 69.3% when disinfecting the surgical site. 42.1% of the surgeons chose a delay between the injection of antibiotic prophylaxis and the incision of less than 30 minutes, 55.7% between 30 and 60 minutes and 2.2% between 60 and 120 minutes. However, 44.7% did not wait for the injection time to be respected before incising. An incise drape is used in 79.8% of cases. The response rate was not influenced by the surgeon's experience. Most international recommendations in terms of prevention of surgical site infection are correctly applied. However, some bad habits are maintained. These include the use of shaving for depilation and the use of non-impregnated adhesive drapes. Practices that could be improved include management of treatment in patients with rheumatic diseases, a 4-week smoking cessation period, and treating positive urine tests only when symptomatic.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationships between weight, leisure time physical activity (PA), and the onset and persistence of neck pain in adults with nonspecific neck pain (NSNP). DESIGN: Etiology and prognosis systematic review. LITERATURE SEARCH: Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO) were searched from January 2010 to November 2021. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Case-control or cohort studies assessing the relationship between the onset and the persistence of NSNP, weight, and leisure time PA in healthy adults or adults with NSNP at baseline. DATA SYNTHESIS: Use of the "vote counting based on direction of effects" and qualitative synthesis. RESULTS: Nine articles were included (20 350 participants, range 86-11 391), four on the onset and five on the persistence of NSNP. Methodological quality varied from poor to good according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. For the onset and the persistence of NSNP, there was very low certainty evidence for modest associations suggesting a decreased risk with higher levels of leisure time PA and an increased risk in people with overweight and obesity. CONCLUSION: The risk for onset and persistence of NSNP may be lower in more active people and higher in people with overweight and obesity. Results should be interpreted cautiously and should not be generalized to populations other than workers. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(12):777-791. Epub: 12 August 2022. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.11137 .

Purpose: Uni- or bilateral hip osteoarthritis is a common disease generating pain, stiffness, and functional disabilities. Changes in the normal walking with higher energy expenditures are observed. Facing a cruel lack of biomechanical data, we decided to analyse the impact on the walking of single and simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasties (THA)., Method: We conducted a prospective monocentric study, comparing two matched groups of 15 patients able to walk with symptomatic isolated uni- (group 1) or bilateral HO (group 2) and treated respectively by unilateral THA (UTHA) or simultaneous bilateral THA (SBTHA). Surgery was performed by a single surgeon with a direct anterior approach and approved by local ethical committee. Walking was assessed by a « 3D Gait analysis motion» pre and at 6 months post operatively., Result: In the UTHA group, recovery, i.e., efficiency of locomotor mechanism (p < 0.001) and pelvis sagittal balance (p = 0.031) improved, while external and total work (p = 0.010) decreased post operatively. In the SBTHA group, speed (p = 0.035), step length (p = 0.046), range of motion of knee sagittal stance (p = 0.009) and hip frontal (p = 0.031), and internal work are significatively higher (p < 0.001) post operatively., Conclusions: This original study attests that THA has a positive impact on walking and energetics outcome in UTHA and SBTHA., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Green resources for lithium-based batteries excite many researchers due to their eco-friendly nature. In this work, a sustainable bio-based solid-state electrolyte was developed based on carbonated soybean oil (CSBO), obtained by organocatalyzed coupling of CO 2 to epoxidized soybean oil. CSBO coupled with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt on a bio-based cellulose separator resulted in free-standing membranes. Those membranes on electrochemical measurements exhibited ionic conductivity of around 10 -3  S cm -1 at 100 °C and around 10 -6  S cm -1 at room temperature with wide electrochemical stability window (up to 4.6 V vs. Li/Li + ) and transference number up to 0.39 at RT. Further investigations on the galvanostatic charge-discharge of LiFePO 4 cathodes with CSBO-based electrolyte membranes and lithium metal anodes delivered the gravimetric capacity of 112 and 157 mAh g -1 at RT and 60 °C, respectively, providing a promising direction to further develop bio-based solid electrolytes for sustainable solid-state lithium batteries., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: The primary aim of this work was to summarize and compare the effects of active rehabilitation assisted by new technologies (virtual reality [VR], robot-assisted therapy [RAT] and telerehabilitation [TR)) on upper limb motor function and everyday living activity during the subacute and chronic phases of stroke. The secondary aims were to compare the effects of these technologies according to the intervention design (in addition to or in substitution of conventional therapy), the duration of active rehabilitation and the severity of patients' motor impairments., Evidence Acquisition: Several databases, namely PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane Library, were searched. Studies were included if they were meta-analyses with a moderate to high level of confidence (assessed with AMSTAR-2) that compared the effects of a new technology promoting active rehabilitation to that of a conventional therapy program among patients with stroke. Network meta-analyses were conducted to compare the effects of the new technologies., Evidence Synthesis: Eighteen different meta-analyses were selected and fifteen included in the quantitative analysis. In total these 15 meta-analyses were based on 189 different randomized controlled trials. VR (SMD≥0.25; P<0.05), RAT (SMD≥0.29; P≤0.29) and TR (SMD≥-0.08; P≤0.64) were found to be at least as effective as conventional therapy. During the subacute phase, RAT's greatest effect was observed for patients with severe-moderate impairments whereas VR and TR's greatest effects were observed for patients with mild impairments. During the chronic phase, the highest effects were observed for patients with mild impairments, for all studies technologies. Network meta-analyses showed that VR and RAT were both significantly superior to TR in improving motor function during the chronic phase but revealed no significant difference between VR, RAT and TR effectiveness on both motor function (during the subacute phase) and activity (during both chronic and subacute phase)., Conclusions: This overview provides low-to-moderate evidence that rehabilitation assisted with technologies are at least as effective as conventional therapy for patients with stroke. While VR and RAT seem to be more efficient during the subacute phase, all technologies seem to be as efficient as one another in the chronic phase.

Poly(hydroxy urethane)s (PHUs) based on 5-membered cyclic carbonates have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional isocyanate-based polyurethanes. However, while from the point of view of sustainability they represent an improvement, their properties are still not competitive with conventional polyurethanes. In this work, the potential of PHUs as reversible hot-melt adhesives is discussed. We found that with a judicious choice of reagents (i.e., the dicyclic carbonate and diamine), the detrimental hydrogen bonding between the soft segment of the chains and the pendant hydroxyl groups was partially avoided, thus imparting PHUs with hot-melt adhesion properties (i.e., adhesion at elevated temperatures and cohesiveness at a temperature lower than T g / T m ). The importance of a balanced hard to soft segment ratio, along with the relevance of the chain extender in the final properties, is highlighted. Addition of aliphatic diamines (HMDA, 1,12-DAD) resulted in rubbery materials, while the employment of cycloaliphatic (CBMA) or aromatic ones (MXDA, PXDA) led to materials with hot-melt adhesive properties. The thermoreversibility of all compositions was assessed by rebonding specimens after lap-shear tests. Lap-shear strength values that were comparable to the virgin adhesives were observed. The breaking and reformation of hydrogen bonding interactions was demonstrated by FTIR measurements at different temperatures, as well as by rheological frequency sweep experiments. In order to mitigate the negative impact of the low molar mass PHUs and to enhance the service temperature of the adhesives, a hybrid PHU was prepared by adding a small amount of an epoxy resin, which acts as a cross-linker. These hybrid PHUs maintain the thermoreversibility displayed by thermoplastic PHUs while providing better adhesion at elevated temperatures. We believe that this work provides some important insights into the design of PHU-based hot-melt adhesives., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare congenital disease of connective tissue characterized by recurrent fractures and progressive skeletal deformities which may impact on gait. The aims of this prospective study were to identify gait deviations in children with osteogenesis imperfecta compared to age-matched controls and establish relationships with clinical features. We evaluated 22 patients with different types of osteogenesis imperfecta using three-dimensional gait analysis. The incidence and location of frac- tures, fracture at birth, age at first fracture, use of intramedullary rodding and number of surgical in- terventions in the lower extremities, bone mineral density, hypermobility and number of injections of bisphosphonates were recorded for each patient. Step length was lower in the osteogenesis imperfecta group compared with the control group. Kinematics showed that sagittal pelvic and transversal hip range of motion were higher in the osteogenesis imperfecta group, whereas sagittal knee range of motion during swing phase was reduced. Regarding kinetics, hip flexion moment and hip negative power peak were significantly decreased in the osteogenesis imperfecta group. Mechanical and energetic parameters were considered as normal. The principal component analysis revealed that the bone mineral density was increased in children who had received more in- jections of bisphosphonates and these had also less deficit in kinematic parameters. Main modifications in gait parameters were observed in spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic data. More studies are necessary to allow stratification of severity of the osteogenesis imperfecta disease, help improve its challenging multidisciplinary treatment and ob- jectively assess treatment outcomes.

Partial running whipstitches are commonly used in DT4 SAMBBA (Single Anteromedial Bundle Biological Augmentation) transplant preparation. We wanted to determine whether or not running whipstitches all over the graft affected the risk of iterative rupture and the overall outcome of the procedure. Two groups of 32 patients comparable in terms of sex, age, sport level and type of sport practiced were recruited in this prospective cohort study. DT4 SAMBBA was performed for all patients by a single surgeon. One cohort was treated with a full length running whipstitches during SAMBBA DT4 transplant preparation (F), the other had a classical SAMBBA DT4 graft preparation (NO F). The ACL RSI, subjective IKDC and KOOS scores were established preoperatively and with a 4 years follow-up. Complication rates (iterative rupture, cyclops syndrome) as well as pre and postoperative score variations were calculated. No statistically significant difference in terms of frequency of iterative rupture or complications could be demonstrated (NO F 9.3% vs F 3.1%, p = 0.61). There was no difference either on score variations compared pre and post operatively. Full running whipstitches of the DT4 SAMBBA transplant does not seem to influence the ligamentoplasty outcomes with a 4 years follow-up.

Carbon dioxide is a renewable, inexhaustible, and cheap alternative to fossil resources for the production of fine chemicals and plastics. It can notably be converted into exovinylene cyclic carbonates, unique synthons gaining momentum for the preparation of an impressive range of important organic molecules and functional polymers, in reactions proceeding with 100 % atom economy under mild operating conditions in most cases. This Review summarizes the recent advances in their synthesis with particular attention on describing the catalysts needed for their preparation and discussing the unique reactivity of these CO 2 -based heterocycles for the construction of diverse organic building blocks and (functional) polymers. We also discuss the challenges and the future perspectives in the field., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The MyotonPro is a portable device for measuring biomechanical and viscoelastic properties in superficial soft tissues. The aims of this study are firstly to validate the MyotonPro compared to a reliable gold-standard frame and secondly to observe the influence of MyotonPro measurement on the total wrist viscoelasticity., Methods: Three silicone polymers with different elastic properties were assessed with the MyotonPro and with a reference rheometer (Universal Tribometer Mod). Then, a free oscillations method was used to measure the passive elastic and viscous stiffness of the wrist and compared to MyotonPro forearm measurements., Results: A one-way ANOVA demonstrated the validity of the MyotonPro's stiffness ( p = 0.001), decrement ( p < 0.001), and relaxation ( p = 0.008) parameters for measuring the elastic stiffness ( k ) of the three polymers. The MyotonPro parameters demonstrated excellent reliability on the forearm. Proximal and distal anterior myofascial measurements of the MyotonPro were moderately correlated to the elastic stiffness ( p = 0.0027-0.0275, absolute r = from 0.270 to 0.375) of the wrist while the postero-distal myofascial tissues of the forearm demonstrated a moderate correlation with the viscous stiffness of the wrist ( p = 0.0096-0.0433, absolute r = from 0.257 to 0.326)., Discussion: The MyotonPro is a valid device for measuring elastic stiffness as well as a portable, affordable, and easy-to-use tool for quantifying the biomechanical properties and viscoelasticity of myofascial tissue in healthy subjects., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nguyen, Detrembleur, Fisette, Selves and Mahaudens.)

We report an approach to fabricate self-blown nonisocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foams by capitalizing on the divergent chemistries of amines with cyclic carbonates─creating the polymer network─and thiolactone─delivering in situ a thiol that generates the blowing agent (CO 2 ) by reaction with a cyclic carbonate. Multiple linkages (hydroxyurethanes, thioethers, and amides) are created within the polymer network by this domino process. This one-pot methodology furnishes flexible to rigid foams with open-cell morphology at moderate temperature. The foams are easily repurposed into films or structural composites by thermal treatment, showing the first example of recyclable NIPU foams. Remarkably, both the formation and the recycling of the thermoset foams do not necessarily require the use of a catalyst. This facile and robust process is opening new avenues for designing more sustainable PU foams and offers new end-of-life options by facile material repurposing.