bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RÉFLEXIONS SUR L’ÉVOLUTION DE LA POSITIVITÉ DU DROIT DES PEUPLES À DISPOSER D’EUX-MÊMES EN DEHORS DES SITUATIONS DE DÉCOLONISATION
Authors: Roch François
Published: September 2020

Longtemps associé sinon occulté par le droit à la décolonisation, le droit à l’autodétermination fait déjà depuis quelques années l’objet de nouveaux développements normatifs en dehors du contexte de la décolonisation. Si la positivité des normes est encore mal assurée en ce domaine, elle traduit néanmoins une tendance lourde vers l’élargissement du principe. En revanche, l’évolution des normes d’autodétermination en dehors du contexte de la décolonisation illustre néanmoins l’échec relatif de trois grands principes : celui de l’indépendance économique des peuples, en particulier ceux du Tiers-Monde; celui du droit collectif à la démocratie et à l’autonomie pour l’ensemble de la population d’un état ou en faveur d’une collectivité infra-étatique selon le cas; et enfin celui d’un droit à la sécession fondé sur l’exercice du droit des peuples. Certes, ces principes ont eu une portée juridique certaine et ont produit des effets en droit. Partant ces derniers peuvent être qualifiés à juste titre de normes juridiques. Toutefois, le fait qu’ils ne soient pas véritablement reçus aujourd’hui comme normes positives en droit international suggère qu’il existe encore beaucoup d’obstacles à leur réalisation. La mondialisation est un phénomène multiforme et s’infère de volontés très diverses; parfois convergentes mais aussi divergentes. Supportée théoriquement par le droit à l’autodétermination, la démocratie à l’échelle nationale et internationale demeure pour l’essentiel un projet à construire et à mettre en œuvre au-delà de la rhétorique politique. Or, au dessein élitique d’un ordre supra-national en pleine construction et pour lequel on prête au concept de mondialisation la faculté de recouper pratiquement toute les facettes et avenues, le droit des peuples à disposer d’eux-mêmes pourrait bien devenir à terme, nonobstant sa faible réception dans l’ordre juridique international actuel, l’un des rares remparts juridiques allant dans le sens du maintien de cet idéal démocratique.
LA FONCTION DE LA COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE DANS L’ORDRE JURIDIQUE INTERNATIONAL : QUELQUES RÉFLEXIONS
Authors: Bufferne Jean-Philippe
Published: September 2020

Cette étude s’attache à expliquer la fonction juridictionnelle de la Cour internationale de Justice dans la structure de l’ordre juridique international. La Cour, qualifiée d’organe principal par la Charte des Nations Unies, est victime d’une certaine marginalisation du fait de l’absence d’une compétence juridictionnelle obligatoire, des précautions qu’elle prend pour déterminer la volonté des États à se soumettre à sa juridiction et de l’absence de monopole juridictionnel dans l’interprétation du droit. Ces éléments ne doivent pas faire oublier sa contribution à la régulation du système politique international – par la voie contentieuse ou consultative – en développant les compétences de l’ONU, précisant le contenu du droit et les contours d’une éventuelle hiérarchie normative. Du fait de la structure fortement décentralisée de la société internationale et des caractéristiques de son droit – né de rapports intersubjectifs entre États souverains – la contribution de la CIJ au maintien de la paix explique tant la finalité de la fonction judiciaire que les limites de son exercice. En tant qu’organe consultatif, elle contribue à l’institutionnalisation de la vie internationale. En tant qu’organe de règlement pacifique des différends au service exclusif des États, elle n’apparaît que de manière ponctuelle comme un organe protecteur de l’ordre public international en l’absence de mécanismes adéquats permettant de rappeler leurs obligations aux différents acteurs de la scène internationale et, partant à substituer des rapports de droit aux rapports de force.
NULLUM CRIMEN NULLA POENA SINE LEGE PRINCIPLE AND THE ICTY AND ICTR
Authors: Endo Guillaume
Published: September 2020

Not many scholarly writings deal with sentencing practices of the ICTY and the ICTR. When compared to frequently discussed topics within the subject matter jurisdiction of the ad hoc Tribunals, they are relatively scarce. Both of these Tribunals’ Statutes provide a sentencing regime encompassing, inter alia, a reference to national sentencing practice. It is the author’s view that the provisions of the statutes and rules of procedure and evidence may violate the nullum crimen nulla poena sine lege principle in certain respects. Without a doubt, the rationale underlying the Second World War precedents with respect to sentencing does not accurately reflect the status of international law norms today. As such, the evolvement of human rights law must be reflected in the current sentencing practice of the ad hoc Tribunals. Moreover, the ICTY and ICTR interpretation of the international sentencing mechanism provides inconsistent justice, which in turn harms the legacy of these ad hoc Tribunals. In fact, an accused could successfully argue that life imprisonment as provided by rules 101 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of both ICTY and ICTR are not prescribed by law. Accordingly, the ICTY and ICTR provisions regarding sentencing should be amended.
LE DROIT À L’AUTODÉTERMINATION DES QUÉBÉCOIS DANS LE CADRE FÉDÉRAL CANADIEN : LE QUÉBEC PEUT-IL ACCÉDER À L’INDÉPENDANCE ?
Authors: Lombart Laurent
Published: September 2020

La province de Québec abrite un peuple québécois, titulaire du droit à l’autodétermination. Mais, à la lumière des règles pertinentes du droit international positif, ce peuple ne peut prétendre posséder un droit à l’autodétermination externe, c’est-à-dire à l’indépendance étatique, car il ne s’agit ni d’un peuple colonisé, ni d’un peuple dont le droit à l’autodétermination interne est nié. En effet, dans le cadre de la fédération canadienne, les institutions fédérales accordent une place importante aux Québécois, et ces dernières détiennent le contrôle à l’endroit d’un État fédéré et de son appareil politique. De plus, la Constitution canadienne ne permet pas, en l’état, la sécession de l’une des provinces de la fédération. Un tel processus nécessiterait une modification constitutionnelle, et donc l’ouverture de négociations entre le Québec et le reste du Canada.

En conséquence, afin d’accéder à l’indépendance, suite à un référendum remporté de façon démocratique, les autorités québécoises disposent de deux moyens pouvant concrétiser l’accession de leur province à la souveraineté. Elles peuvent soit faire accepter cette indépendance par les autorités fédérales et provinciales canadiennes, soit passer outre et l’acquérir sur la base de l’effectivité politique et la reconnaissance internationale par les autres États, tout en sachant qu’elles risquent de se heurter à une opposition à la fois d’Ottawa et des minorités anglophones et allophones du Québec.
William Blake and the Napoleon Factor: Rethinking Empire and the Laocoön Separate Plate
Authors: Paice Rosamund
Published: September 2020

This essay examines a distinct shift in William Blake’s thoughts on empire, and argues that hisLaocoönseparate plate marks the culmination of his revised views. While Blake initially distinguished negative, commercial and tyrannical forms of empire from positive, non-tyrannical forms of empire that he conceived of as founded upon the arts, he subsequently did away with these distinctions, and came to see an irremediable link between imperial and commercial worlds. By situating Blake’s changing views on empire against the backdrop of the empire-building of Napoleon as it relates to the appropriation of art, this essay clarifies the particular focus on empire and commerce of so many of theLaocoönseparate plate’s inscriptions.
Questions of inheritance: Erasmus and Charles Darwin
Authors: Fara Patricia
Published: September 2020

Would Charles Darwin have developed the concept of natural selection if he had been born into a different family? Although Darwinian natural selection is situated within the context of Victorian capitalism, there is also clear evidence that Charles studied the evolutionary ideas of his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. In this essay, I examine the evidence testifying to connections between them. Familial and broader contextual effects are inevitably intertwined, but I divide influences into two major strands: those passed down directly through family interactions, and those more closely tied to particular books. Charles’s family history inclined him towards thinking about inheritance, and while it is impossible to pin down a causal relationship for the similarities in their religious views, it does seem certain that Charles acquired his abhorrence of slavery from his family. Annotations confirm that Charles read his grandfather’s books closely, notably Zoonomia (1794-6) and The Temple of Nature (1803). Both Darwins shocked their critics by denying divine direction, yet by presenting evolution through natural selection as the only viable alternative to repeated miraculous creation, Charles effectively concealed his grandfather’s suggestion that life had stemmed from a single event of spontaneous generation. Death, argued Erasmus, is essential for preventing a population explosion that would outrun the world’s resources, a Malthusian concept that was crucial for Charles’s development of natural selection. The extent of Erasmus Darwin’s influence on his grandson must remain speculative, but it cannot be dismissed.
The Fertile Darwins: Epigenesis, Organicism, and the Problem of Inheritance
Authors: Griffiths Devin
Published: September 2020

This essay explores the Darwinian imagination – an approach to exploring the basic ontology of nature that was shared by both Erasmus Darwin and his grandson, Charles Darwin. It focuses on Erasmus and Charles’s respective theories of generation, especially as laid out in Zoonomia (1794) and The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication (1868), and their derivation from the longstanding opposition between theories of epigenesis and panspermia. Erasmus Darwin’s thinking, in particular, was torn between relatively closed and open conceptions of how organic structures assemble and reproduce. Charles, by contrast, worked hard to fashion his theory of pangenesis into a capacious model that would account for interactions of inheritance and development across all levels of physical and temporal scale. Yet beneath disagreements over the distribution of agency between matter and different sexual partners, both argued for an anti-holist, anti-organic ontology that consistently cleared space for more open, more contingent, and ultimately more ecological theories of nature. Ultimately this required a rejection both of the Romantic conception of organic life and Romantic aesthetics, in particular, the notion that the unity of aesthetic experience communicated something about the unity of natural systems. Finally, I will argue that Charles Darwin’s pangenic model – which relies upon the functional assemblage of elements derived from different lineages, on different timescales, and with distinct, non-overlapping, and incompletely integrated capacities – offers a unique way of understanding the problem of intellectual inheritance and the relation between the Darwins themselves. If most approaches to this problem have posited either a lineal genealogy of intellectual inheritance, or situated their work as reflections of a larger historical context, pangenesis can help to imagine intellectual history beyond our typically lineal or atmospheric models of influence.
“The very air is a vital essence”: Pneumaticism at the Poles
Authors: Fulford Tim
Published: September 2020

I discuss the culture of accurate and dispassionate mensuration in an Arctic that was, for the first time, predictably attainable—a technologized Arctic near enough to be reached and subjected to experiment. My purpose is to develop, in the context of the discourse of polar exploration and the British responses to that discourse made by poets and fiction writers, recent arguments about the culture of scientific experiment and the so-called rise of “objectivity” that have been made by historians of science. The effect of these arguments has been to suggest that a mutually reinforcing objectification of experiment narrative and establishment of professional institutions set nineteenth century science apart from natural philosophy as practised by amateur eighteenth-century gentlemen—Erasmus Darwin being a typical gentleman of that kind.

Here, I suggest that the extreme regions of the poles not only challenged the authority of accurate observation as a defining virtue of science from within the discourse of science, but also inspired fictional narratives that challenged it—and thus called the new science into question. Thus I reveal the effects, in literary texts and the wider culture as well as in expedition narratives and scientific discourse, when experiments did not produce predictable results, or failed completely to comprehend their subjects. I suggest that because of its simultaneous availability and resistance to investigation, the Arctic became an external representative of the fear and desire buried within scientific objectivity. It has remained fascinating in the European cultural imaginary for this reason, as an Other, embodying fear but also longing for a world that eludes mastery by our technologies of knowledge-production. A consequence of this is that aspects of the Arctic have been used by Europeans to configure alternatives and oppositions to scientific culture as it was practised from the early nineteenth century onwards. Specifically, “The Ancient Mariner” and Frankenstein interrogate the claims of “objective” report and accurate experiment and, in doing so, remodel Erasmus Darwin’s fictionalisation and poeticisation of scientific discourse for a more vexed and hostile literary context than the one in which he wrote
Prosaic Poetry and Pneumatic Craving in Southey’s Curse of Kehama
Authors: Colman Adam
Published: September 2020

Among those affiliated with Thomas Beddoes’s Pneumatic Institution in Bristol, there were a number who poetically emphasized the hopeful attributes of scientific pursuit. Coleridge did so; Humphry Davy did in his poetry, too; Robert Southey had early on asserted the connection between scientific study and hope. Southey, however, would remark that he had undergone especially volatile responses to nitrous oxide. His sense of adventures through a material world would, in the years following his time spent at the Pneumatic Institution, become conflicted. He would, in particular, register pneumatically inflected hopes in less idealistic terms than Coleridge or Davy. Instead, Southey’s poetry has passages containing descriptions of pneumatic desires in terms of anguished bodily craving. This essay considers how Southey’s Curse of Kehama, published in 1810, locates an especially vexed sense of bodily craving in the kind of thinking about matter and air associated with the Pneumatic Institution. I examine how such physically wrenching desire relates to the form of Southey’s poem, wherein certain poetic rhythms of anticipation—iterations suggesting others still to come—operate within a more prosaic realm of conflicted, irregularly interconnected, material immanence.
Estimating Parameters for Traffic Flow Using Navigation Data on Vehicles
Authors: Burinskienė Marija , Kapski Denis , Kasyanik Valery , Pashkevich Anton , Volynets Aleksandra , Kaptsevich Oleg
Published: September 2020

The article describes the method for estimating transport flow parameters using the two-fluid Herman-Prigogine mathematical model developed considering the proposed method of estimating parameters for the system based on the passive processing of navigation data on the movement of vehicles. The efficiency of the suggested algorithms and mathematical models for estimating road traffic flow parameters and the system as a whole was confirmed performing tests using a set of tracks on the main highways of Belarus.
A Review of Precast Concrete Pavement Technology
Authors: Syed Ameen , Sonparote Ranjan
Published: September 2020

Precast concrete pavement (PCP) has proven itself to be one of the most efficient methods for repair and replacement of concrete pavement, as well as for construction of new pavement in the areas of heavy traffic. The application of PCP ensures fast construction of concrete pavement without compromising the quality of concrete. This paper provides a brief of various types of PCP that have been used worldwide and their application in the repair of damaged pavement, continuous construction of pavement, Airfield application and temporary pavement construction. It further discusses critical aspects of PCP that require careful analysis prior to its field implementation. The paper specially focuses on panel dimensioning, load transfer mechanism, lifting arrangement, stacking arrangement, transportation and base preparation for PCP. Suitability of different types of PCP for varying site conditions has been discussed. Innovative developments related to PCP and the future scope of this technology have also been discussed.
Behaviour of a Space Inverted Triangular Steel Truss
Authors: Podkoritovs Andrejs , Serdjuks Dmitrijs , Goremikins Vadims , Buka-Vaivade Karina , Kirsanov Mikhail Nikolaevich
Published: September 2020

Behaviour of the inverted triangular truss, which is widely used as a bridge girder, was investigated analytically and experimentally. Cold-formed square hollow cross-sections of steel grade S355J2H with dimensions 80 mm × 4 mm, 90 mm × 4 mm and 40 mm × 4 mm were selected for the top and bottom chords and bracing elements of the truss with 12.56 m span, correspondingly. Five FEM models were developed using software Dlubal RFEM. The main specific feature of the models is the difference in modelling of joint behaviour considering plastic behaviour and stiffness of truss connections. It was shown that the FE model of the truss where the members were modelled by the truss type finite elements and the joints modelled by the shell type ones allows predicting behaviour of the truss with precision of up to 3.9%. It was shown that precision of the suggested FEM model grows 4.36 to 4.62 times in comparison with the traditional FEM models where the members were modelled by the truss finite elements with the pinned and rigid joints in case of plastic joint behaviour. Precision of the suggested FEM model is identical to that of the traditional FEM models regarding the case of elastic joint behaviour.
Measurement of Temperature Distribution Within Steel Box Girder of Vistula River Bridge in Central Europe
Authors: Hildebrand Maciej , Nowak Łukasz
Published: September 2020

Uneven temperature distribution in a structural element constitutes one of its load factors. Temperature fields occurring in structural elements lead to stresses and strains. The values of internal stresses are directly related to temperature distribution and degree of freedom for element deformation. The best way to get information about temperature distribution in an element is to take measurements on a real object. Such measurements have been run or are still taken over decades in various parts of the world, e.g. in Western Europe, USA, China, South America. In a number of cases, such examinations were carried out for objects constructed in warm or hot climate. It is a lot harder to find the results of measurements made in the countries with moderate and transitional climate, like in the Central or East-Central Europe. This paper presents measurement methodology and results gained for a large steel bridge located in the East European Plain, about 52.5° N northern latitude. Permanently installed contact sensors, temporary sensors, as well as pyrometry and thermography were used. An attempt was made to determine temperature distribution in a steel box girder of a bridge using thermovision technique. Approximate temperature distribution patterns in the main span girder were determined from thermal photographs taken. The most important results of examinations are the images of temperature fields in the main span girder related to solar radiation that first and foremost directly affects the bridge deck.
Evaluation Criteria of Smart City Mobility System Using MCDM Method
Authors: Zapolskytė Simona , Burinskienė Marija , Trépanier Martin
Published: September 2020

While many cities around the world qualify themselves as “smart cities”, there is no comprehensive way to evaluate to what extent they are “smart”. This article proposes a framework for comparison of the level of “smartness” of the urban mobility systems. The most relevant indicators that have the greatest impact on smart mobility systems were selected in the course of literature review. The impact of indicators on smart mobility systems is variable. Evaluating smart mobility systems, different authors distinguish between different indicators, which usually do not duplicate. The paper categorizes the indicators of the smart mobility system into five groups, called “factors”: motor travel and congestion reduction measures; pollution reduction measures; travel safety and accident reduction measures; traffic management tools and services; smart infrastructure measures. A number of indicators are attributed to each of the listed groups. A Multiple Criteria Decision-Making method, namely, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, has been used to evaluate the significance of the smartness level used in the research. This method bases the weighting of subjective criteria on expert judgement. Rank correlation is used to determine the consistency of expert opinions. A model has been developed to compare smart mobility systems of individual cities and their infrastructure.
Pyruvate is required for catecholamine-stimulated growth of different strains of Campylobacter jejuni
Authors: Liu Meicen , Lyte Mark
Published: September 2020

Humans and food-producing animals are constantly exposed to and affected by stress. As a consequence of stress, the release of stress-related catecholamines, such as norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA), from nerve terminals in the gastrointestinal tract potentiates both the growth and the virulence of pathogenic bacteria. This may lead to the enhancement of gastrointestinal infections in humans or food-producing animals. Compared with foodborne bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., less is known about the effect of stress catecholamines on Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni. The present study focuses on the effect(s) of stress catecholamines DA and NE in iron-restricted media and how they affect the growth of different C. jejuni strains NCTC 11168, 81–176, and ML2126. Results demonstrated that DA- and NE-enhanced growth of C. jejuni in iron-restricted media may involve different mechanisms that cannot be explained by current understanding which relies on catecholamine-mediated iron delivery. Specifically, we found that DA-enhanced growth requires pyruvate, whereas NE-enhanced growth does not. We further report significant strain-specific dependence of C. jejuni growth on various catecholamines in the presence or absence of pyruvate. These data provide novel insights into the effect(s) of stress catecholamines on the in vitro growth of C. jejuni in iron-restricted environments, such as the intestinal tract. They suggest a mechanism by which stress-related catecholamines affect the growth of C. jejuni in the intestinal tract of food-producing animals, which in turn may influence colonization and transmission to humans.
Informal Sector’s Structural and Demographic Fundamentals against the Efficacy of Monetary Policy in Nigeria
Authors: Osuji Emeka , Nwani Stanley Emife
Published: September 2020

The informal sector is globally significant because it accounts for much of the job placements, especially in the developing economies. About 99 per cent of the 37million enterprises in Nigeria are microenterprises, most of which are financially excluded. This study examined the structural and demographic features of Nigeria’s MSMEs, from the stand point of the efficacy of monetary policy. The study employed survey research design using structured questionnaire administered on 282 microenterprises in Lagos. The results indicated that the MSME sector suffers significantly from limited access to finance and banking services. Operators in the sector placed little or no reliance on commercial banks for both start-up and additional working capital. They, therefore, operated largely outside the banking system thereby acting, at best, as passive observers of government’s monetary policy actions. The study recommended the vigorous pursuit of financial inclusion, as a strategy for enhanced monetary policy effectiveness.
Socialization Level and Market Response of Pulse Crop: Structural and Functional Interpretation
Authors: Pal Dibyendu , Ghosh Arindam , Biswas Amitava , Acharya Sankar Kr. , Mondal Kabita
Published: September 2020

Pulses are important component of diet in Indian, mainly for being one of the leading cheap and reliable sources of protein. The emphasis of the Government has, accordingly, been on increasing production of pulses through area expansion and adoption of improved technology. Equally important is the marketing of the pulses, particularly in an objective condition created by the introduction of reforms in the marketing sector, conspicuous by an existing demand-supply gap in pulses. Marketing can also help inducing an element of incentive to farmer through participation in processing and distribution of pulses through direct marketing, or cooperative marketing to get higher share in the consumer’s price. The study has been carried out in two developed block namely Chakdah and Haringhata of Nadia district in West Bengal. The two villages out of twenty-seven gram panchayat were purposively selected for the present study. The multistage purposive and random sample techniques were the key to contrast sampling design in the present study. The statistical tools like mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation, coefficient of variation, coefficient of correlation, multiple regression, step down multiple regression and path analysis. The study also responded to the inquiry as to where and how much the crop marketed this will be much rewarding and beneficiary to the common farmer. The determinants like yield (kg/bigha), farmer’s attitude towards Pulse crop cultivation and gross return (Rs/ Bigha) are decisively characterizing the marketed surplus of pulse crop.
Microbiological Analysis and Identification of Pathogenic Microorganisms on Currency Notes (Congolese Francs) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Iteku Jeff Bekomo , Likabo Donel Moswala , Pambu Aaron Lelo , Bongo Gédéon Ngiala , Katunda Ruth , Lunguya Octavie Metila , Lumande Joseph Kasali
Published: September 2020

Aims: The incidence of infectious diseases is still a vital concern in developing countries. Recently, hygienists have focused on the risk of transmitted diseases through currency notes. This study aims at the determination of potential pathogenic microorganisms found on the Congolese Francs currency notes circulating in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Place and Duration of the Study: This study was carried out in Kinshasa city, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between September 3 and 29, 2019 at the Bacteriology Laboratory of the National Institute for Biomedical Research.

Methods: During this study, 36 currency notes of different denominations have been used for microbiological analysis. Currency notes were collected from vendors of the Central market and currency note dealers at Kintambo Magasin market in Kinshasa. The identification of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) was performed using gram staining and biochemical analyses. Results: The findings reveal the presence of following microorganisms, namely Bacillus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacter spp, Escherichia coli, Serratia spp, Citrobacter spp, Salmonella enteritidis as well as molds on the Congolese currency notes. It should be observed that circulated currency notes in Kinshasa are contaminated by bacteria and fungi. The contamination rate was based on the fact, that money is new, clean or dirty.

Conclusion: Congolese currency notes constitute the potential sources of infectious disease transmission if hygienic conditions are not respected. Molecular studies are required in order to determine the antibiotic resistance gene of these microorganisms. As the population does not know how to store these notes properly, their contamination would eventually become a major public health hazard. Therefore, a need of an awareness of the population in order to apply hygienic rules while handling currency notes. This is for the first time that such a study is being carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Edge Detection and Depth to Magnetic Source Estimation in Part of Central Nigeria
Authors: Tawey Mam D. , Adetona Abbass A. , Alhassan Usman D. , Rafiu Abdulwaheed A. , Salako Kazeem A. , Udensi Emmanuel E.
Published: September 2020

High-resolution aeromagnetic data covering an area of 24, 200 km2 in north central Nigeria has been acquired and analyzed with the aim of carrying out trend analysis, edge detection (structural delineation) and depth to magnetic source estimation using reduce to the pole (RTP), horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM), center for exploration targeting plug-in (CET), 3D Euler deconvolution and source parameter imaging (SPI) techniques. Trend analysis was applied to the RTP data to delineate structures that have dissected the area. The 3D Euler deconvolution and HGM were correlated by plotting the estimated Euler solutions for a structural index of one (SI=1) on HGM map and the resulting map produced have shown that both methods can contribute in the interpretation of the general structural framework of the study area. The structural delineation based on HGM and CET maps showed that two predominant trends (ENE-WSW) and (WNW-ENE) have affected the area. The trend/depth/contacts of these faults were classified into four groups: Faults <150 m, 150 m - 300 m, 300m - 450 m which are the most predominant fault system based on Euler solutions with a structural index of one (SI=1) and those deeper than 450 m while the result of source parameter imaging (SPI) revealed a depth to source varying from 58 m specifically for areas with shallow depth to the magnetic source to those from deeper source occurring at 588.153m depth especially the south-central portion and the south-eastern portion of the study area.
Characteristics of Patients With Antiphospholipid Antibody Positivity in the APS ACTION International Clinical Database and Repository
Authors: Sevim Ecem , Zisa Diane , Andrade Danieli , Sciascia Savino , Pengo Vittorio , Tektonidou Maria G. , Ugarte Amaia , Gerosa Maria , Belmont H. Michael , Zamorano Maria Angeles Aguirre , Fortin Paul R. , Ji Lanlan , Efthymiou Maria , Cohen Hannah , Branch D. Ware , de Jesus Guilherme Ramires , Andreoli Laura , Petri Michelle , Rodriguez Esther , Cervera Ricard , Knight Jason S. , Atsumi Tatsuya , Willis Rohan , Roubey Robert , Bertolaccini Maria Laura , Erkan Doruk , Barbhaiya Medha ,   APS ACTION Investigators
Published: September 2020

Objective

To describe the baseline characteristics of patients with positivity for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) who were enrolled in an international registry, the Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) Alliance for Clinical Trials and International Networking (APS ACTION) clinical database and repository, overall and by clinical and laboratory subtypes.

Methods

The APS ACTION registry includes adults who persistently had positivity for aPLs. We evaluated baseline sociodemographic and aPL‐related (APS classification criteria and “non‐criteria”) characteristics of patients overall and in subgroups (aPL‐positive without APS, APS overall, thrombotic APS only, obstetric APS only, and both thrombotic APS/obstetric APS). We assessed baseline characteristics of patients tested for the presence of three aPLs (lupus anticoagulant [LAC] test, anticardiolipin antibody [aCL], and anti–β2‐glycoprotein I [anti‐β2GPI]) antibodies by aPL profiles (LAC only, single, double, and triple aPL positivity).

Results

The 804 aPL‐positive patients assessed in the present study had a mean age of 45 ± 13 years, were 74% female, and 68% White; additionally, 36% had other systemic autoimmune diseases. Of these 804 aPL‐positive patients, 80% were classified as having APS (with 55% having thrombotic APS, 9% obstetric APS, and 15% thrombotic APS/obstetric APS). In the overall cohort, 71% had vascular thrombosis, 50% with a history of pregnancy had obstetric morbidity, and 56% had experienced at least one non‐criteria manifestation. Among those with three aPLs tested (n = 660), 42% were triple aPL–positive. While single–, double–, and triple aPL–positive subgroups had similar frequencies of vascular, obstetric, and non‐criteria events, these events were lowest in the single aPL subgroup, which consisted of aCLs or anti‐β2GPI only.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the heterogeneity of aPL‐related clinical manifestations and laboratory profiles in a multicenter international cohort. Within single aPL positivity, LAC may be a major contributor to clinical events. Future prospective analyses, using standardized core laboratory aPL tests, will help clarify aPL risk profiles and improve risk stratification.
Nanostructured Polymers Enable Stable and Efficient Low‐Power Photon Upconversion
Authors: Saenz Felipe , Ronchi Alessandra , Mauri Michele , Vadrucci Roberto , Meinardi Francesco , Monguzzi Angelo , Weder Christoph
Published: September 2020

Photon upconversion based on sensitized triplet–triplet annihilation (sTTA‐UC) is a wavelength‐shifting technique with potential use in actuators, sensing, and solar technologies. In sTTA‐UC, the upconverted photons are the result of radiative recombination of high‐energy singlets, which are created through the fusion of metastable triplets of two annihilator/emitter molecules. The emitter triplets are populated via energy transfer (ET) from a low‐energy absorbing light‐harvester/sensitizer. The process is highly efficient at low powers in solution but becomes relatively ineffective in solid matrices since the limited molecular mobility precludes bimolecular interactions. The realization of efficient solid‐state upconverters that exhibit long‐term stability and are compatible with industrial fabrication processes is an open challenge. Here, nanophase‐separated polymer systems synthesized under ambient conditions that contain the upconverting dyes in liquid nanodomains is reported. The nanostructured polymers show an excellent optical quality, an outstanding upconversion efficiency of up to ≈23%, and excellent stability in air, with only negligible performance losses over a period of three months. Moreover, the dyes’ confinement in nanosized domains <50 nm results in an increased effective local density of chromophores that enables hopping‐assisted ET and TTA and confers to the upconversion process peculiar kinetics that enhances the material performance at low powers.
A Flexible and Regenerative Aptameric Graphene–Nafion Biosensor for Cytokine Storm Biomarker Monitoring in Undiluted Biofluids toward Wearable Applications
Authors: Wang Ziran , Hao Zhuang , Wang Xuejun , Huang Cong , Lin Qiao , Zhao Xuezeng , Pan Yunlu
Published: September 2020

Wearable sensors that can conveniently detect cytokine levels in human biofluids are essential for assisting hospitals to maximize the benefits of anti‐inflammatory therapies and avoid cytokine storms. Measurement of cytokine levels in biofluids still remains challenging for existing sensors due to high interference from the background. Here, this challenge is overcome through developing a flexible and regenerative aptameric field‐effect transistor biosensor, consisting of a graphene–Nafion composite film, for detecting cytokine storm biomarkers in undiluted human biofluids. The composite film enables the minimization of nonspecific adsorption and empowers the renewability to the biosensor. With these capabilities, the device is capable of consistently and sensitively monitoring cytokines (e.g., IFN‐γ, an inflammatory and cancer biomarker) in undiluted human sweat with a detection range from 0.015 to 250 nm and limit of detection down to 740 fm. The biosensor is also shown to incur no visible mechanical damage and maintain a consistent sensing response throughout the regenerative (up to 80 cycles) and crumpling (up to 100 cycles) tests. Experimental results demonstrate that the biosensor is expected to offer opportunities for developing wearable biosensing systems for distinguishing acute infectious disease patients and monitoring of patients’ health conditions in daily life.
Laser‐Induced Graphene Tapes as Origami and Stick‐On Labels for Photothermal Manipulation via Marangoni Effect
Authors: Wang Wei , Han Bing , Zhang Yang , Li Qi , Zhang Yong‐Lai , Han Dong‐Dong , Sun Hong‐Bo
Published: September 2020

Direct light‐to‐work conversion enables remote actuation through a non‐contact manner, among which the photothermal Marangoni effect is significant for developing light‐driven robots because of the diversity of applicable photothermal materials and light sources, as well as the high energy conversion efficiency. However, the lack of nanotechnologies that enable flexible integration of advanced photothermal materials with actuators of complex configurations significantly restricts their practical applications. In this paper, laser‐induced graphene (LIG) tape is reported as stick‐on photothermal labels for developing light‐driven actuators based on the Marangoni effect. With the help of direct laser writing technology, graphene patterns with superior photothermal properties are prepared on the PI tape. The patterned LIG tape can be stuck on any desired objects and generates an asymmetric photothermal field under light irradiation, forming a photothermal Marangoni actuator. Additionally, the PI tape with LIG patterns can be folded into 3D origami actuators that permit photothermal Marangoni actuation including both translation and rotation. The graphene‐based photothermal Marangoni actuators feature biocompatibility, which is confirmed by MDA‐MB‐231 cells proliferation experiments. Owing to the excellent photothermal property of LIG patterns, the as‐produced photothermal actuators can be manipulated by a variety of light sources, holding great promise for developing light‐driven soft robots.
Contact Modulated Ionic Transfer Doping in All‐Solid‐State Organic Electrochemical Transistor for Ultra‐High Sensitive Tactile Perception at Low Operating Voltage
Authors: Chen Shuai , Surendran Abhijith , Wu Xihu , Leong Wei Lin
Published: September 2020

Ionic‐electronic coupling across the entire volume of conjugated polymer films endows organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) with high transconductance (gm) and low operating voltage. However, OECTs utilize liquid electrolytes, which limit their long‐term operation, reproducibility, and integration while solid electrolytes typically result in inefficient ion transport. Here, a solid polymer electrolyte is shown that can facilitate good electrochemical response in conjugated polymers and yield high OECT performance. This allows for the OECT‐based pressure sensors, modulated through a pressure sensitive ionic doping process. The pressure sensor exhibits the highest sensitivity ever measured (≈10 000 kPa−1) and excellent stability. Flexible sensor arrays achieve static capture of spatial pressure distribution and enable monitoring of dynamic pressure stimuli. The findings here demonstrate that all‐solid‐state OECTs are good candidates for providing rich tactile information, enabling applications for soft robotics, health monitoring, and human‐machine interfaces.
Hierarchical Composite‐Solid‐Electrolyte with High Electrochemical Stability and Interfacial Regulation for Boosting Ultra‐Stable Lithium Batteries
Authors: Sun Jianqi , He Caohua , Yao Xiangming , Song Anqi , Li Yaogang , Zhang Qinghong , Hou Chengyi , Shi Qiuwei , Wang Hongzhi
Published: September 2020

Solid‐state electrolytes have drawn enormous attention to reviving lithium batteries but have also been barricaded in lower ionic conductivity at room temperature, awkward interfacial contact, and severe polarization. Herein, a sort of hierarchical composite solid electrolyte combined with a “polymer‐in‐separator” matrix and “garnet‐at‐interface” layer is prepared via a facile process. The commercial polyvinylidene fluoride‐based separator is applied as a host for the polymer‐based ionic conductor, which concurrently inhibits over‐polarization of polymer matrix and elevates high‐voltage compatibility versus cathode. Attached on the side, the compact garnet (Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12) layer is glued to physically inhibit the overgrowth of lithium dendrite and regulate the interfacial electrochemistry. At 25 °C, the electrolyte exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 2.73 × 10−4 S cm−1 and a decent electrochemical window of 4.77 V. Benefiting from this elaborate electrolyte, the symmetrical Li||Li battery achieves steady lithium plating/stripping more than 4800 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 without dendrites and short‐circuit. The solid‐state batteries deliver preferable capacity output with outstanding cycling stability (95.2% capacity retained after 500 cycles, 79.0% after 1000 cycles at 1 C) at ambient temperature. This hierarchical structure design of electrolyte may reveal great potentials for future development in fields of solid‐state metal batteries.
Construction of Enzyme Nanoreactors to Enable Tumor Microenvironment Modulation and Enhanced Cancer Treatment
Authors: Liu Xiaowen , Hao Yu , Popovtzer Rachela , Feng Liangzhu , Liu Zhuang
Published: September 2020

Enzymes play pivotal roles in regulating and maintaining the normal functions of all living systems, and some of them are extensively employed for diagnosis and treatment of diverse diseases. More recently, several kinds of enzymes with unique catalytic activities have been found to be promising options to directly suppress tumor growth and/or augment the therapeutic efficacy of other treatments by modulating the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), which is reported to negatively impair the therapeutic efficacy of different cancer treatments. In this review, first a summary is presented on the chemical approaches utilized for the construction of distinct enzyme nanoreactors with well‐retained catalytic performance and reduced immunogenicity. Then, the utilization of such enzyme nanoreactors in attenuating tumor hypoxia, modulating extracellular matrix, and amplifying tumor oxidative stress is discussed in depth. Afterward, some perspectives are presented on the future development of such enzyme nanoreactors in TME modulation and enhanced cancer treatment.
Broad‐Spectral‐Range Sustainability and Controllable Excitation of Hyperbolic Phonon Polaritons in α‐MoO3
Authors: Dong Weikang , Qi Ruishi , Liu Tiansheng , Li Yi , Li Ning , Hua Ze , Gao Zirui , Zhang Shuyuan , Liu Kaihui , Guo Jiandong , Gao Peng
Published: September 2020

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) in orthorhombic‐phase molybdenum trioxide (α‐MoO3) show in‐plane hyperbolicity, great wavelength compression, and ultralong lifetime, therefore holding great potential in nanophotonic applications. However, its polaritonic response in the far‐infrared (FIR) range remains unexplored due to challenges in experimental characterization. Here, monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is used to probe HPhPs in α‐MoO3 in both mid‐infrared (MIR) and FIR frequencies and correlate their behaviors with microstructures and orientations. It is found that low structural symmetry leads to various phonon modes and multiple Reststrahlen bands (RBs) over a broad spectral range (over 70 meV) and in different directions (55–63 meV and 119–125 meV along the b‐axis, 68–106 meV along the c‐axis, and 101–121 meV along the a‐axis). These HPhPs can be selectively excited by controlling the direction of swift electrons. These findings provide new opportunities in nanophotonic and optoelectronic applications, such as directed light propagation, hyperlenses, and heat transfer.
Coordination‐Driven Assembly of Metal–Organic Framework Coating for Catalytically Active Superhydrophobic Surface
Authors: Yi Bo , Wong Yan‐Lung , Hou Changshun , Zhang Jianqiang , Xu Zhengtao , Yao Xi
Published: September 2020

Here, a superhydrophobic and catalytically active metal–organic framework (MOF) coating is reported by coordination‐driven assembly of MOF nanoparticles and a catechol‐functionalized polysiloxane polymer. This MOF coating can be fabricated by casting MOF‐polymer precursor onto diverse substrates with varied coating techniques, for example, spray coating, bar coating, and dip coating. The catechol‐functionalized polymer can not only coordinate to the open metal sites on MOF surface which enables the surface functionalization and assembly of MOF nanoparticles, but also allow non‐covalent interactions with casting substrates—thus improving the substrate adhesion of the MOF coating. With the well‐preserved porosity and surface hydrophobicity, the MOF coating demonstrates superhydrophobicity as well as improved catalytic activity toward the Knoevenagel condensation at room temperature. Such coordination‐driven assembly approach can be extended to a range of MOF systems for preparing highly functional composite materials toward various applications.
Origin of Underwater Oil‐Repellence in Polyelectrolyte Brush Surfaces
Authors: Daniel Dan , Goh Shermin Simin , Truong Tran Ngoc Bao , Koh Xue Qi , Tomczak Nikodem
Published: September 2020

When submerged under water, polyelectrolyte brush surfaces become highly oil‐repellent. This is due to the ability of the charged moieties on the polymer backbone to retain strong hydration shells. Despite their technological relevance, there is no rational design principle for optimizing the oil‐repellent performance of hydrophilic polyelectrolyte brushes. Using droplet probe atomic force microscopy, the interaction forces between an oil droplet and different polyelectrolyte brushes are measured. It is shown that surfaces are most repellent when there are repulsive electric double‐layer forces that can stabilize a continuous water film beneath the oil droplet. Once a stable hydration layer forms, the oil‐repellent performance is not affected by the polymer brush characteristics, such as its thickness and swelling ratio.
Recent Advances in Clinical Translation of Intra‐Articular Osteoarthritis Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: DeJulius Carlisle R. , Gulati Shubham , Hasty Karen A. , Crofford Leslie J. , Duvall Craig L.
Published: September 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the joints and a leading cause of physical disability in adults. Intra‐articular (IA) therapy is a popular treatment strategy for localized, single‐joint OA; however, small‐molecule drugs such as corticosteroids do not provide prolonged relief. One possible reason for their lack of efficacy is high clearance rates from the joint through constant lymphatic drainage of the synovial tissues and synovial fluid and also by their exchange via the synovial vasculature. Advanced drug delivery strategies for extended release of therapeutic agents in the joint space is a promising approach to improve outcomes for OA patients. Broadly, the basic principle behind this strategy is to encapsulate therapeutic agents in a polymeric drug delivery system (DDS) for diffusion‐ and/or degradation‐controlled release, whereby degradation can occur by hydrolysis or tied to relevant microenvironmental cues such as pH, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and protease activity. In this review, the development of clinically tested IA therapies for OA and recent systems which have been investigated preclinically are highlighted. DDS strategies including hydrogels, liposomes, polymeric microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs), drug conjugates, and combination systems are introduced and evaluated for clinical translational potential.