Polymersomes composed of block copolymers of which the blocks are coupled via a hydrazone moiety are shown to exchange surface PEG chains with the environment via an aniline-catalyzed transimination under equilibrium conditions. This methodology is used to functionalize polymersomes with a different inner and outer moiety in a dynamic covalent way. Secondly, the exchange of surface properties is also demonstrated between differently functionalized polymersomes. These results, therefore, open new routes to the design of complex vesicular surfaces by dynamic exchange.

We aimed to explore the current trends among obstetric consultants in timing planned caesarean sections in patients with previous caesarean deliveries. A questionnaire was sent to 129 consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists. The questionnaire included closed questions about the preferred gestational age to perform an elective caesarean section in patients with previous one, two, three or more caesarean deliveries and in patients with a previous classical caesarean scar. The study was confined to NHS hospitals at the Eastern and London Deaneries, UK. The main outcome measure was the gestational age at which a planned caesarean section was preferred. The percentage of consultants who preferred to do caesarean section at 39 weeks or more gestational age in patients with previous one, two, three or more and a classical caesarean section were 93.6%, 87.3%, 71.3% and 35.9%, respectively. A considerable body of obstetricians plan to perform elective caesarean sections at a gestational age <39 weeks in patients with three or more previous abdominal deliveries and in patients with a previous classical caesarean section. There are no randomised controlled trials to address the best practice in these cases. Looking at the available evidence in the literature, it seems unjustified to perform the caesarean section at an earlier gestational age for patients with previous multiple caesarean sections but there is some evidence to support this policy in patients with a previous classical section.

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Background: Remote smartphone-based 2-minute walking tests (s2MWTs) allow frequent and potentially sensitive measurements of ambulatory function. Objective: To investigate the s2MWT on assessment of, and responsiveness to change in ambulatory function in MS. Methods: One hundred two multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 24 healthy controls (HCs) performed weekly s2MWTs on self-owned smartphones for 12 and 3 months, respectively. The timed 25-foot walk test (T25FW) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were assessed at 3-month intervals. Anchor-based (using T25FW and EDSS) and distribution-based (curve fitting) methods were used to assess responsiveness of the s2MWT. A local linear trend model was used to fit weekly s2MWT scores of individual patients. Results: A total of 4811 and 355 s2MWT scores were obtained in patients ( n = 94) and HC ( n = 22), respectively. s2MWT demonstrated large variability (65.6 m) compared to the average score (129.5 m), and was inadequately responsive to anchor-based change in clinical outcomes. Curve fitting separated the trend from noise in high temporal resolution individual-level data, and statistically reliable changes were detected in 45% of patients. Conclusions: In group-level analyses, clinically relevant change was insufficiently detected due to large variability with sporadic measurements. Individual-level curve fitting reduced the variability in s2MWT, enabling the detection of statistically reliable change in ambulatory function.