Rationally Designing the Supramolecular Interfaces of Nanoparticle Superlattices with Multivalent Polymers.

In supramolecular materials, multiple weak binding groups can act as a single collective unit when confined to a localized volume, thereby producing strong but dynamic bonds between material building blocks. This principle of multivalency provides a versatile means of controlling material assembly, as both the number and the type of supramolecular moieties become design handles to modulate the strength of intermolecular interactions. However, in materials with building blocks significantly larger than individual supramolecular moieties (e.g., polymer or nanoparticle scaffolds), the degree of multivalency is difficult to predict or control, as sufficiently large scaffolds inherently preclude separated supramolecular moieties from interacting. Because molecular models commonly used to examine supramolecular interactions are intrinsically unable to examine any trends or emergent behaviors that arise due to nanoscale scaffold geometry, our understanding of the thermodynamics of these massively multivalent systems remains limited. Here we address this challenge via the coassembly of polymer-grafted nanoparticles and multivalent polymers, systematically examining how multivalent scaffold size, shape, and spacing affect their collective thermodynamics. Investigating the interplay of polymer structure and supramolecular group stoichiometry reveals complicated but rationally describable trends that demonstrate how the supramolecular scaffold design can modulate the strength of multivalent interactions. This approach to self-assembled supramolecular materials thus allows for the manipulation of polymer-nanoparticle composites with controlled thermal stability, nanoparticle organization, and tailored meso- to microscopic structures. The sophisticated control of multivalent thermodynamics through precise modulation of the nanoscale scaffold geometry represents a significant advance in the ability to rationally design complex hierarchically structured materials via self-assembly.

Adjusting for dilution in wastewater using biomarkers: A practical approach.

We developed a biomarker-based approach to quantify in-sewer dilution by measuring wastewater quality parameters (ammoniacal-N, orthophosphate, crAssphage). This approach can enhance the environmental management of wastewater treatment works (WWTW) by optimising their operation and providing cost-effective information on the health and behaviour of populations and their interactions with the environment through wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Our method relies on site specific baselines calculated for each biomarker. These baselines reflect the sewer conditions without the influence of rainfall-derived inflow and infiltration (RDII). Ammoniacal-N was the best candidate to use as proxy for dilution. We demonstrated that the dilution calculated using biomarkers correlates well with the dilution indicated by measured flow. In some instances, the biomarkers showed much higher dilution than measured flows. These differences were attributed to the loss of flow volume at wastewater treatment works due to the activation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and/or storm tanks. Using flow measured directly at the WWTW could therefore result in underestimation of target analyte loads.

Assessment of macrozoobenthos baseline diversity for monitoring the ecological quality of Finima Nature Park Lake.

The scarcity of pristine, intact ecosystems limits opportunities to learn about succession and ecosystem evolution under conditions of limited human impact. Finima Nature Park (FNP) has been identified as a possible RAMSAR site. Its protected lake-"FNP Lake" (also known locally as "Bonny Lake")-is an unusual habitat that enables monitoring of aquatic ecological succession in the Niger Delta, where pristine and near-pristine ecosystems are becoming scarce. Macrozoobenthos are one of the best-known bio-monitors of ecological health integrity because they are widespread and long-lasting, with moderate mobility and high diversity, among other valuable characteristics. Monthly data of the community structure of macrozoobenthos and some of the FNP Lake's priority abiotic factors were collected in 2018, which provided a baseline for identifying future water quality changes and succession in the lake. Except for temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO), which were spatially uniform, the physico-chemical parameters varied spatio-temporally. The diversity indices values were low. According to the canonical correspondence abundance (CCA) plot, taxa distributions were influenced mainly by pH, DO, and temperature, which explains the prevalence of oxygen-insensitive species.

Learning to write with the fluid rope trick.

Direct ink writing, a versatile method of 3D and 4D printing, requires the precise placement of a nozzle just above the print surface to prevent fluid instabilities that cause deviations from the prescribed print path. But what if one could harness the instability associated with the spontaneously folding or coiling of a thin stream of viscous fluid, i.e. use the "fluid rope trick" to write specified patterns on a substrate? Here we use Deep Reinforcement Learning to derive control strategies for the motion of the extruding nozzle and thus the fluid patterns that are deposited on the surface. The method proceeds by having a learner (nozzle) repeatedly interact with the environment (a viscous filament simulator), and improves its strategy using the results of this experience. We demonstrate the outcome of the learned control instructions using experiments to manipulate a falling viscous jet and create cursive writing patterns and Pollockian paintings on substrates.

Molecular Alignment of a Meta-Aramid on Carbon Nanotubes by In Situ Interfacial Polymerization.

Molecularly organized nanocomposites of polymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have great promise as high-performance materials; in particular, conformal deposition of polymers can control interfacial properties for mechanical load transfer, electrical or thermal transport, or electro/chemical transduction. However, controllability of polymer-CNT interaction remains a challenge with common processing methods that combine CNTs and polymers in melt or in solution, often leading to nonuniform polymer distribution and CNT aggregation. Here, we demonstrate CNTs within net-shape sheets can be controllably coated with a conformal coating of meta-aramid by simultaneous capillary infiltration and interfacial polymerization. We determine that π-interaction between the polymer and CNTs results in chain alignment parallel to the CNT outer wall. Subsequent nucleation and growth of the precipitated aramid forms a smooth continuous layered sheath around the CNTs. These findings motivate future investigation of mechanical properties of the resulting composites, and adaptation of the in situ polymerization method to other substrates.

Multiscale Plasmonic Refractory Nanocomposites for High-Temperature Solar Photothermal Conversion.

Development of a refractory selective solar absorber (RSSA) is the key to unlock high-temperature solar thermal and thermochemical conversion. The fundamental challenge of RSSA is the lack of design and fabrication guidelines to simultaneously achieve omnidirectional, broadband solar absorption and sharp spectral selectivity at the desired cutoff wavelength. Here, we realize a ruthenium-carbon nanotube (Ru-CNT) nanocomposite RSSA with multiscale nanoparticle-on-nanocavity plasmonic modes. Ru conformally coated on the sidewalls of CNTs enables a spoof surface plasmon polariton mode for spectra selectivity; Ru nanoparticles formed at the tips of CNTs enable a localized surface plasmon resonance mode and plasmon hybridization for omnidirectional broadband solar absorption. The fabricated Ru-CNT RSSA has a total solar absorption (TSA) of 96.1% with sharp spectral cutoff at 2.21 µm. The TSA is maintained at over 90% for an incident angle of 56°. Our findings therefore guide full-spectrum optical and thermal control from visible to the far-infrared.

Use of monofilament sutures and triclosan coating to protect against surgical site infections in spinal surgery: a laboratory-based study.

PURPOSE: We investigated bacterial propagation through multifilament, monofilament sutures and whether sutures coated with triclosan would exhibit a different phenomenon. METHODS: One centimetre (cm) wide trenches were cut in the middle of Columbia blood Agar plates. We tested a 6 cm length of two Triclosan-coated (PDS plus®, Vicryl plus®) and two uncoated (PDS ®, Vicryl ®) sutures. Each suture was inoculated with a bacterial suspension containing methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus epidermidis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at one end of each suture. The plates were incubated at 36C for 48 h, followed by room temperature for a further 5 days. We established bacterial propagation by observing for any bacterial growth on the Agar on the opposite side of the trench. RESULTS: Bacterial propagation was observed on the opposite side of the trench with both suture types, monofilament PDS and multifilament Vicryl, when tested with the motile bacterium (E. coli). Propagation was not observed on the other side of the trench with the monofilament PDS suture following incubation with MSSA and S. epidermidis, and in 66% of MRSA. With multifilament suture Vicryl, propagation was observed on the other side of the trench in 90% (MSSA), 80% (S. epidermidis), and 100% (MRSA) of plates tested. No bacterial propagation was observed in any of the triclosan-coated sutures (monofilament or multifilament). CONCLUSIONS: Monofilament sutures are associated in vitro with less bacterial propagation along their course when compared to multifilament sutures. Inhibition in both sutures can be further enhanced with a triclosan coating.

OPTN/SRTR 2020 Annual Data Report: Kidney.

The year 2020 presented significant challenges to the field of kidney transplantation. After increasing each year since 2015 and reaching the highest annual count to date in 2019, the total number of kidney trans- plants decreased slightly, to 23642, in 2020. The decrease in total kidney transplants was due to a decrease in living donor transplants; the number of deceased donor transplants rose in 2020. The number of patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States declined slightly in 2020, driven by a slight drop in the number of new candidates added in 2020 and an increase in patients removed from the waiting list owing to death-important patterns that correlated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The complexities of the pandemic were accompanied by other ongoing challenges. Nationwide, only about a quarter of waitlisted patients receive a deceased donor kidney transplant within 5 years, a proportion that varies dramatically by donation service area, from 14.8% to 73.0%. The nonutilization (discard) rate of recovered organs rose to its highest value, at 21.3%, despite a dramatic decline in the discard of organs from hepatitis C-positive donors. Nonutilization rates remain particularly high for Kidney Donor Profile Index ≥85% kidneys and kidneys from which a biopsy specimen was obtained. Due to pandemic-related disruption of living donation in spring 2020, the number of living donor transplants in 2020 declined below annual counts over the last decade. In this context, only a small proportion of the waiting list receives living donor transplants each year, and racial disparities in living donor transplant access persist. As both graft and patient survival continue to improve incrementally, the total number of living kidney transplant recipients with a functioning graft exceeded 250,000 in 2020. Pediatric transplant numbers seem to have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of pediatric kidney transplants performed decreased to 715 in 2020, from a peak of 872 in 2009. Despite numerous efforts, living donor kidney transplant remains low among pediatric recipients, with continued racial disparities among recipients. Of concern, the rate of deceased donor transplant among pediatric waitlisted candidates continued to decrease, reaching its lowest point in 2020. While this may be partly explained by the COVID-19 pandemic, close attention to this trend is critically important. Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract remain the leading cause of kidney disease in the pediatric population. While most pediatric de- ceased donor recipients receive a kidney from a donor with KDPI less than 35%, most pediatric deceased donor recipients had four or more HLA mis- matches. Graft survival continues to improve, with superior survival for living donor recipients versus deceased donor recipients.

OPTN/SRTR 2019 Annual Data Report: Kidney.

Despite the ongoing severe shortage of available kidney grafts relative to candidates in need, data from 2019 reveal some promising trends. After remaining relatively stagnant for many years, the number of kidney transplants has increased each year since 2015, reaching the highest annual count to date of 24,273 in 2019. The number of patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States was relatively stable, despite an increase in the number of new candidates added in 2019 and a decrease in patients removed from the waiting list owing to death or deteriorating medical condition. However, these encouraging trends are tempered by ongoing challenges. Nationwide, only a quarter of waitlisted patients receive a deceased-donor kidney transplant within 5 years, and this proportion varies dramatically by donation service area, from 15.5% to 67.8%. The non-utilization (discard) rate of recovered organs remains at 20.1%, despite adramatic decline in the discard of organs from hepatitis C-positive donors. Non-utilization rates remain particularly high for Kidney Donor Profile Index ≥85% kidneys and kidneys from which a biopsy specimen was obtained. While the number of living-donor transplants increased again in 2019, only a small proportion of the waiting list receives living-donor transplants each year, and racial disparities in living-donor transplant access persist. As both graft and patient survival continue to improve incrementally, the total number of living kidney transplant recipients with a functioning graft is anticipated to exceed 250,000 in the next 1-2 years. Over the past decade, the total number of pediatric kidney transplants performed has remained stable. Despite numerous efforts, living donor kidney transplant remains low among pediatric recipients with continued racial disparities among recipients. Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract remain the leading cause of kidney disease. While most deceased donor recipients receive a kidney from a donor with KDPI less than 35%, the majority of pediatric recipients had four or more HLA mismatches. Graft survival continues to improve with superior outcomes for living donor recipients.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) technique and analgesic efficacy in patients with pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) for the treatment of abdominal pain in pancreatic cancer can be administered in three different ways, depending on the site of needle insertion: central injection (CI), bilateral injection (BI) and celiac ganglia neurolysis (CGN). This meta-analysis aimed to (1) estimate the overall efficacy of the EUS-CPN; (2) compare the efficacy of each of the three techniques; and (3) investigate demographic and disease characteristics as potential predictors of treatment response. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that reported the proportion of treatment responders to EUS-CPN overall, and according to the technique used. We performed a random effects meta-analysis of proportions, and meta-regression was used to estimate the association between technique and clinical characteristics on treatment response. The safety profile was reviewed through narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Overall response rate to EUS-CPN was 68% (95% CI 61%-74%) at week two and 53% (95% CI 45%-62%) at week four. There was no evidence of a significant difference in the response rates between the three techniques. Demographics and disease characteristics were not associated with treatment response. Serious complications have been reported for BI and CGN but not for CI. Moderate to high risk of bias was observed. DISCUSSION: EUS-CPN is a useful adjunct to opioids in the management of pain. There is no evidence of a difference in the efficacy among the three techniques, however, CI is the only one for which serious complications have not been reported. Future research should focus on the appropriate timing of EUS-CPN (early versus on demand) and randomised comparison to establish the comparative efficacy of each technique.

OPTN/SRTR 2018 Annual Data Report: Hepatitis C.

Direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have fundamentally changed the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and reduced the discard rate of HCV-infected organs by offering a treatment option with a high likelihood of cure posttransplant. This has spurred increased interest in transplanting organs from HCV-positive donors into recipients both with and without HCV. In this chapter, we examine data from 2007 to 2018 to determine trends in HCV (+) donor transplants across various organ types. Since 2015, willingness to accept HCV (+) organs increased for candidates waitlisted for kidney, lung, heart, and pancreas transplant, but decreased for those listed for intestine transplant. For candidates listed for liver transplant, willingness to accept HCV (+) organs decreased from 2007 to 2017, but began increasing in 2017. Willingness to accept was not concentrated in a single US geographic area, and there was substantial variation among transplant programs and donation service areas. Numbers of anti-HCV (+) donor kidney, heart, lung, and liver transplants have increased considerably in the past few years. Short-term allograft survival for kidney and liver transplant recipients of anti-HCV (+) organs appears to be comparable to that for recipients of anti-HCV (-) organs in an unadjusted analysis. However, an unadjusted analysis indicates that long-term allograft survival may be worse. Kidney transplant between HCV-infected donors and uninfected recipients with posttransplant DAA treatment is an emerging area. Short-term data are promising, with similar 1-year allograft survival compared with HCV-uninfected donor to HCV-uninfected recipient kidney transplants in unadjusted analyses. However, long-term data are lacking and close monitoring in the future is warranted.

OPTN/SRTR 2018 Annual Data Report: Kidney.

Despite the ongoing severe mismatch between organ need and supply, data from 2018 revealed some promising trends. For the fourth year in a row, the number of patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the US declined and numbers of both deceased and living donor kidney transplants increased. These encouraging trends are tempered by ongoing challenges, such as a large proportion of listed patients with dialysis time longer than 5 years. The proportion of candidates aged 65 years or older continued to rise, and the proportion undergoing transplant within 5 years of listing continued to vary dramatically nationwide, from 10% to nearly 80% across donation service areas. Increasing trends in the recovery of organs from hepatitis C positive donors and donors with anoxic brain injury warrant ongoing monitoring, as does the ongoing discard of nearly 20% of recovered organs. While the number of living donor transplants increased, racial disparities persisted in the proportion of living versus deceased donors. Strikingly, the total number of kidney transplant recipients alive with a functioning graft is on track to pass 250,000 in the next 1-2 years. The total number of pediatric kidney transplants remained steady at 756 in 2018. Deeply concerning to the pediatric community is the persistently low level of living donor kidney transplants, representing only 36.2% in 2018.

In-Plane Direct-Write Assembly of Iridescent Colloidal Crystals.

Materials made by directed self-assembly of colloids can exhibit a rich spectrum of optical phenomena, including photonic bandgaps, coherent scattering, collective plasmonic resonance, and wave guiding. The assembly of colloidal particles with spatial selectivity is critical for studying these phenomena and for practical device fabrication. While there are well-established techniques for patterning colloidal crystals, these often require multiple steps including the fabrication of a physical template for masking, etching, stamping, or directing dewetting. Here, the direct-writing of colloidal suspensions is presented as a technique for fabrication of iridescent colloidal crystals in arbitrary 2D patterns. Leveraging the principles of convective assembly, the process can be optimized for high writing speeds (≈600 µm s-1 ) at mild process temperature (30 °C) while maintaining long-range (cm-scale) order in the colloidal crystals. The crystals exhibit structural color by grating diffraction, and analysis of diffraction allows particle size, relative grain size, and grain orientation to be deduced. The effect of write trajectory on particle ordering is discussed and insights for developing 3D printing techniques for colloidal crystals via layer-wise printing and sintering are provided.

Human platelet lysate to substitute fetal bovine serum in hMSC expansion for translational applications: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Foetal bovine serum (FBS), is the most commonly used culture medium additive for in vitro cultures, despite its undefined composition, its potential immunogenicity and possible prion/zoonotic transmission. For these reasons, significant efforts have been targeted at finding a substitute, such as serum free-media or human platelet-lysates (hPL). Our aim is to critically appraise the state-of-art for hPL in the published literature, comparing its impact with FBS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In June 2019 a systematic search of the entire Web of Science, Medline and PubMed database was performed with the following search terms: (mesenchymal stem cells) AND (fetal bovine serum OR fetal bovine calf) AND (human platelet lysate). Excluded from this search were review articles that were published before 2005, manuscripts in which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were not from human sources, and when the FBS controls were missing. RESULTS: Based on our search algorithm, 56 papers were selected. A review of these papers indicated that hMSCs cultured with hPL showed a spindle-shaped elongated morphology, had higher proliferation indexes, similar cluster of differentiation (CD) markers and no significant variation in differentiation lineage (osteocyte, adipocyte, and chondrocyte) compared to those cultured with FBS. Main sources of primary hMSCs were either fat tissue or bone marrow; in a few studies cells isolated from alternative sources showed no relevant difference in their response. CONCLUSION: Despite the difference in medium choice and a lack of standardization of hPL manufacturing, the majority of publications support that hPL was at least as effective as FBS in promoting adhesion, survival and proliferation of hMSCs. We conclude that hPL should be considered a viable alternative to FBS in hMSCs culture-especially with a view for their clinical use.

Solid-Phase Extraction, Preservation, Storage, Transport, and Analysis of Trace Contaminants for Water Quality Monitoring of Heavy Metals.

Accurate quantification of trace contaminants currently requires collection, preservation, and transportation of large volumes (250-1000 mL) of water to centralized laboratories, which impedes monitoring of trace-level pollutants in many resource-limited environments. To overcome this logistical challenge, we propose a new paradigm for trace contaminant monitoring based on dry preservation: solid-phase extraction, preservation, storage, transport, and analysis of trace contaminants (SEPSTAT). We show that a few grams of low-cost, commercially available cation exchange resin can be repurposed to extract heavy metal cations from water samples even in the presence of background ions, dryly preserve these cations for at least 24 months, and release them by acid elution for accurate quantification. A compact, human-powered device incorporating the sorbent removes spiked contaminants from real water samples in a few minutes. The device can be stored and transported easily and produces a sample suitable for measurement by standard methods, predicting the original sample heavy metal concentration generally within an error of 15%. These results suggest that, by facilitating the collection, storage, handling, and transportation of water samples and by enabling cost-effective use of high-throughput capital-intensive instruments, SEPSTAT has the potential to increase the ease and reach of water quality monitoring of trace contaminants.

Perianal fistula and the ileoanal pouch - different aetiologies require distinct evaluation.

AIM: Restorative proctocolectomy has been widely adopted as the procedure of choice for restoring gastrointestinal continuity following proctocolectomy. It is often associated with improved quality of life and high patient satisfaction; however, the development of a pouch anal fistula can cause significant morbidity. Pouch fistulas are notoriously difficult to treat and there is great heterogeneity in the management reported of these fistulas. A lack of classification, and the assumption that fistulas originating from completely different aetiologies will behave and respond similarly to a particular treatment strategy, precludes meaningful comparison of management outcomes. We aim to introduce consistency in the reporting of pouch fistulas using a novel classification system. METHODS: A consensus process involving clinicians experienced in the management of pouch fistulas from two high volume tertiary centres was performed. RESULTS: We propose that pouch anal fistulas should be classified into four distinct groups according to their aetiology: group 1, anastomotic related; group 2, inflammatory bowel disease related, with sub-classifications Crohn's (type A) and non-Crohn's (type B) in origin; group 3, cryptoglandular related; and group 4, malignancy related. CONCLUSION: Classification of pouch fistulas according to their aetiology will provide consistency in the literature and improve the quality of prospective evidence for the management of pouch fistulas.

OPTN/SRTR 2017 Annual Data Report: Kidney.

Many positive trends in kidney transplantation were notable in 2017. Deceased donor kidney transplant rates and counts continued to rise, the kidney transplant waiting list declined for the third year in a row after decades of growth, and both short- and long-term allograft survival continued to improve year over year. In total, more than 220,000 patients were living in the United States with a functioning allograft. With 3 years of data available since implementation of the new kidney allocation system, better prediction of longer-term results of the allocation policy changes became possible. The data also reveal several areas in need of improvement and attention. Overall, the challenge of providing adequate access to kidney transplant persisted nationally, with additional dramatic regional variation. The proportion of living donor kidney transplants in both adults and children continued to fall, and racial disparities in living donor kidney transplant grew in the past decade.

Stability Limit of Electrified Droplets.

In many physical processes, including cloud electrification, electrospray, and demulsification, droplets and bubbles are exposed to electric fields and may either remain whole or burst in response to electrical stresses. Determining the stability limit of a droplet exposed to an external electric field has been a long-standing mathematical challenge, and the only analytical treatment to date is an approximate calculation for the particular case of a free-floating droplet. Here we demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, that the stability limit of a conducting droplet or bubble exposed to an external electric field is described by a power law with broad generality that, in practice, applies to the cases in which the droplet or bubble is pinned or sliding on a conducting surface or free floating. This power law can facilitate the design of devices for liquid manipulation via a simple formula that captures the parameter range of bubbles and droplets that can be supported on electrified surfaces.

Dynamics of Liquid Transfer from Nanoporous Stamps in High-Resolution Flexographic Printing.

Printing of ultrathin layers of polymeric and colloidal inks is critical for the manufacturing of electronics on nonconventional substrates such as paper and polymer films. Recently, we found that nanoporous stamps overcome key limitations of traditional polymer stamps in flexographic printing, namely, enabling the printing of ultrathin nanoparticle films with micron-scale lateral precision. Here, we study the dynamics of liquid transfer between nanoporous stamps and solid substrates. The stamps comprise forests of polymer-coated carbon nanotubes, and the surface mechanics and wettability of the stamps are engineered to imbibe colloidal inks and transfer the ink upon contact with the target substrate. By high-speed imaging during printing, we observe the dynamics of liquid spreading, which is mediated by progressing contact between the nanostructured stamp surface and by the substrate and imbibition within the stamp-substrate gap. From the final contact area, the volume of ink transfer is mediated by rupture of a capillary bridge; and, after rupture, liquid spreads to fill the area defined by a precursor film matching the stamp geometry with high precision. Via modeling of the liquid dynamics, and comparison with data, we elucidate the scale- and rate-limiting aspects of the process. Specifically, we find that the printed ink volume and resulting layer thickness are independent of contact pressure; and that printed layer thickness decreases with retraction speed. Under these conditions, nanoparticle films with controlled thickness in the <100 nm regime can be printed using nanoporous stamp flexography, at speeds commensurate with industrial printing equipment.

Shear melting and recovery of crosslinkable cellulose nanocrystal-polymer gels.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are naturally-derived nanostructures of growing importance for the production of composites having attractive mechanical properties, and offer improved sustainability over purely petroleum-based alternatives. Fabrication of CNC composites typically involves extrusion of CNC suspensions and gels in a variety of solvents, in the presence of additives such as polymers and curing agents. Most studies so far have focused on aqueous CNC gels, yet the behavior of CNC-polymer gels in organic solvents is important to their wider processability. Here, we study the rheological behavior of composite polymer-CNC gels in dimethylformamide, which include additives for both UV and thermal crosslinking. Using rheometry coupled with in situ infrared spectroscopy, we show that under external shear, CNC-polymer gels display progressive and irreversible failure of the hydrogen bond network that is responsible for their pronounced elastic properties. In the absence of cross-linking additives, the polymer-CNC gels show an instantaneous but partial recovery of their viscoelasticity upon cessation of flow, whereas, the presence of additives allows the gels to recover over much longer timescale via van der Waals interactions. By exploring a broad range of shear history and CNC concentrations, we construct master curves for the temporal evolution of the viscoelastic properties of the polymer-CNC gels, illustrating universality of the observed dynamics with respect to gel composition and flow conditions. We find that polymer-CNC composite gels display a number of the distinctive features of colloidal glasses and, strikingly, that their response to the flow conditions encountered during processing can be tuned by chemical additives. These findings have implications for processing of dense CNC-polymer composites in solvent casting, 3D printing, and other manufacturing techniques.