bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Porous Electrospun Fibers with Self‐Sealing Functionality: An Enabling Strategy for Trapping Biomacromolecules
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zheng Ting , Alarçin Emine , Byambaa Batzaya , Guan Xiaofei , Ding Jianxun , Zhang Yu Shrike , Li Zhongming 
Published: November 2017

AbstractStimuli‐responsive porous polymer materials have promising biomedical application due to their ability to trap and release biomacromolecules. In this work, a class of highly porous electrospun fibers is designed using polylactide as the polymer matrix and poly(ethylene oxide) as a porogen. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different concentrations are further impregnated onto the fibers to achieve self‐sealing functionality induced by photothermal conversion upon light irradiation. The fibers with 0.4 mg mL−1 of CNTs exhibit the optimum encapsulation efficiency of model biomacromolecules such as dextran, bovine serum albumin, and nucleic acids, although their photothermal conversion ability is slightly lower than the fibers with 0.8 mg mL−1 of CNTs. Interestingly, reversible reopening of the surface pores is accomplished with the degradation of PLA, affording a further possibility for sustained release of biomacromolecules after encapsulation. Effects of CNT loading on fiber morphology, structure, thermal/mechanical properties, degradation, and cell viability are also investigated. This novel class of porous electrospun fibers with self‐sealing capability has great potential to serve as an enabling strategy for trapping/release of biomacromolecules with promising applications in, for example, preventing inflammatory diseases by scavenging cytokines from interstitial body fluids.
Microsphere‐Assisted Robust Epidermal Strain Gauge for Static and Dynamic Gesture Recognition
Authors: Su Zongming , Chen Haotian , Song Yu , Cheng Xiaoliang , Chen Xuexian , Guo Hang , Miao Liming , Zhang Haixia 
Published: November 2017

AbstractA novel and robust epidermal strain gauge by using 3D microsphere arrays to immobilize, connect, and protect a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) pathway is presented. During the solvent deposition process, MWNTs sedimentate, self‐assemble, and wrap onto surface of polystyrene (PS) microspheres to construct conductive networks, which further obtain excellent stretchability of 100% by combining with commercially used elastomer. Benefiting from its 3D conductive pathway defined by microspheres, immobilized MWNT (I‐MWNT) network can be directly used in practical occasions without further packaging and is proved by tape tests to be capable of defend mechanical damage effectively from external environment. By parameter optimization, the strain sensor with 3 µm PS spheres obtains stable resistive responses for more than 1000 times, and maintains its gauge factor (GF) of 1.35. This thin‐film conductive membrane built by this effective construction method can be easily attached onto fingers of both robot and human, and is demonstrated in sensitive epidermal strain sensing and recognizing different hand gestures effectively, in static and dynamic modes, respectively.
Microscale Electro‐Hydrodynamic Cell Printing with High Viability
Authors: He Jiankang , Zhao Xiang , Chang Jinke , Li Dichen 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCell printing has gained extensive attentions for the controlled fabrication of living cellular constructs in vitro. Various cell printing techniques are now being explored and developed for improved cell viability and printing resolution. Here an electro‐hydrodynamic cell printing strategy is developed with microscale resolution (<100 µm) and high cellular viability (>95%). Unlike the existing electro‐hydrodynamic cell jetting or printing explorations, insulating substrate is used to replace conventional semiconductive substrate as the collecting surface which significantly reduces the electrical current in the electro‐hydrodynamic printing process from milliamperes (>0.5 mA) to microamperes (<10 µA). Additionally, the nozzle‐to‐collector distance is fixed as small as 100 µm for better control over filament deposition. These features ensure high cellular viability and normal postproliferative capability of the electro‐hydrodynamically printed cells. The smallest width of the electro‐hydrodynamically printed hydrogel filament is 82.4 ± 14.3 µm by optimizing process parameters. Multiple hydrogels or multilayer cell‐laden constructs can be flexibly printed under cell‐friendly conditions. The printed cells in multilayer hydrogels kept alive and gradually spread during 7‐days culture in vitro. This exploration offers a novel and promising cell printing strategy which might benefit future biomedical innovations such as microscale tissue engineering, organ‐on‐a‐chip systems, and nanomedicine.
Fluorinated Phosphorene: Electrochemical Synthesis, Atomistic Fluorination, and Enhanced Stability
Authors: Tang Xian , Liang Weiyuan , Zhao Jinlai , Li Zhongjun , Qiu Meng , Fan Taojian , Luo Crystal Shaojuan , Zhou Ye , Li Yu , Guo Zhinan , Fan Dianyuan , Zhang Han 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPhosphorene has attracted great interest due to its unique electronic and optoelectronic properties owing to its tunable direct and moderate band‐gap in association with high carrier mobility. However, its intrinsic instability in air seriously hinders its practical applications, and problems of technical complexity and in‐process degradation exist in currently proposed stabilization strategies. A facile pathway in obtaining and stabilizing phosphorene through a one‐step, ionic liquid‐assisted electrochemical exfoliation and synchronous fluorination process is reported in this study. This strategy enables fluorinated phosphorene (FP) to be discovered and large‐scale, highly selective few‐layer FP (3−6 atomic layers) to be obtained. The synthesized FP is found to exhibit unique morphological and optical characteristics. Possible atomistic fluorination configurations of FP are revealed by core‐level binding energy shift calculations in combination with spectroscopic measurements, and the results indicate that electrolyte concentration significantly modulates the fluorination configurations. Furthermore, FP is found to exhibit enhanced air stability thanks to the antioxidation and antihydration effects of the introduced fluorine adatoms, and demonstrate excellent photothermal stability during a week of air exposure. These findings pave the way toward real applications of phosphorene‐based nanophotonics.
Water technology, knowledge and power. Addressing them simultaneously
Authors: Aubriot Olivia , Fernandez Sara , Trottier Julie , Fustec Klervi 
Published: November 2017

This review focuses on how water knowledge and technology are linked to power relations when they shape water access, sharing, and distribution. It examines how scholars have tackled this issue explicitly or implicitly. To do this, the paper first discusses the way knowledge and technology are intimately intertwined. Since knowledge and technology are never produced in a sociopolitical vacuum, it goes on to discuss how they embed and produce power relations. This article particularly highlights the way the concept of co‐production has been used to address these issues by focusing on how boundaries and categories are made. Lastly, the review suggests four lines of research to further explore co‐production processes: (1) understanding the political construction of scales of water use and access; (2) identifying the diversity and dynamics of the relations toward water that societies deploy, (3) grasping the way framings and paradigms have been historically shaped, and (4) pursuing the simultaneous analysis of the political and material dimensions of water.WIREs Water2018, 5:e1261. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1261This article is categorized under:Human Water > Water GovernanceHuman Water > Water as Imagined and Represented
XRF characterization and source apportionment of PM10 samples collected in a coastal city
Authors: Manousakas M. , Diapouli E. , Papaefthymiou H. , Kantarelou V. , Zarkadas C. , Kalogridis A.‐C. , Karydas A.‐G. , Eleftheriadis K. 
Published: November 2017

In the current study, a yearlong measurement campaign was conducted during the year 2012 in a medium sized coastal Greek city, Patras. PM10 samples were collected once every 3 days, and a number of those samples were analyzed by the use of a commercial X‐ray fluorescence system, Epsilon 5 by PANalytical, The Netherlands. PMF model was used for source identification. Because the uncertainty of the measurements is used as input in the model, special emphasis was given in its accurate estimation. Seven PM10 emission sources were identified using PMF 5.0 and were, namely, mineral dust (15%), road dust (4.6%), shipping emissions (3.8%), sea salt (11.9%), biomass burning (6.9%), traffic (46.2%), and sulfates (11.6%). The concentration weighted approach was used to investigate if the contributions of the sources identified in the area are affected by long range transportation events. A methodology of estimating the uncertainty of the day to day source contributions is proposed in this study. A comparison between the 24‐hr contribution for the mineral dust factor provided by the model and the calculated contributions for the same factor deduced from appropriate equations (chemical reconstruction) can be used for this purpose. The analysis showed that when the concentrations of the elements associated with the mineral dust source are close to their lowest value, the model assigns zero contribution to the mineral dust source. Following this methodology in the current study, 6 points were identified as bad fitting points, a number that represents less than 10% of the total measurements.
Clavicle Malunions: Surgical Treatment and Outcome—a Literature Review
Authors: Sidler-Maier Claudia Christine , Dedy Nicolas J. , Schemitsch Emil H. , McKee Michael D. 
Published: November 2017

Background Successful treatment of clavicle malunion represents a major challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Questions/Purposes The aim of this study was to provide an overview of surgical options for the treatment of clavicle malunions regarding their technical details and clinical results. Methods A comprehensive search of the literature was performed to retrieve articles and conference abstracts regarding the surgical treatment of clavicle malunions. A total of 1873 records were identified and 29 studies were included in the present review, with a total of 103 patients. Results The majority of the patients (77/103) were treated with an osteotomy and subsequent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). The next most frequent management choice was debridement, excision, or removal of excess callus or bone ( n = 19), but other techniques like resection of the clavicle ( n = 5) or nerve exploration and decompression ( n = 2) were also reported. The preferred method of fixation was plate fixation ( n = 53) followed by pin fixation ( n = 6). The complication rate was low, reported in less than 6% of patients. Conclusion All of the currently reported surgical techniques to manage symptomatic clavicle malunion have resulted in good clinical outcomes with a low complication rate. Considering biomechanical aspects, correction osteotomy followed by plate fixation seems to be the preferred method. Further studies are needed to compare the various surgical techniques and their specific outcomes in a prospective manner. Nevertheless, this review article can be used as an overview to help choose an optimal operative treatment for patients presenting with a clavicle malunion.
Oxidation-Induced Increase In Photoreactivity of Bovine Retinal Lipid Extract
Authors: Koscielniak A. , Serafin M. , Duda M. , Oles T. , Zadlo A. , Broniec A. , Berdeaux O. , Gregoire S. , Bretillon L. , Sarna T. , Pawlak A. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe mammalian retina contains a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) (DHA), which are highly susceptible to oxidation. It has been shown that one of the products of DHA oxidation—carboxyethylpyrrole (CEP), generated in situ, causes modifications of retinal proteins and induces inflammation response in the outer retina. These contributing factors may play a role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is also possible that some of the lipid oxidation products are photoreactive, and upon irradiation with blue light may generate reactive oxygen species. Therefore, in this work we analysed oxidation-induced changes in photoreactivity of lipids extracted from bovine neural retinas. Lipid composition of bovine neural retinas closely resembles that of human retinas making the bovine tissue a convenient model for studying the photoreactivity and potential phototoxicity of oxidized human retinal lipids. Lipid composition of bovine neural retinas Folch’ extracts (BRex) was determined by gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization source-mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS) analysis. Liposomes prepared from BRex, equilibrated with air, were oxidized in the dark at 37 °C for up to 400 h. The photoreactivity of BRex at different stages of oxidation was studied by EPR-oximetry and EPR-spin trapping. Photogeneration of singlet oxygen (1O2,1Δg) by BRex was measured using time-resolved detection of the characteristic phosphorescence at 1270 nm. To establish contribution of lipid components to the analysed photoreactivity of Folch’ extract of bovine retinas, a mixture of selected synthetic lipids in percent by weight (w/w %) ratio resembling that of the BRex has been also studied. Folch’s extraction of bovine neural retinas was very susceptible to oxidation despite the presence of powerful endogenous antioxidants such asα-tocopherol and zeaxanthin. Non-oxidized and oxidized BRex photogenerated singlet oxygen with moderate quantum yield. Blue-light induced generation of superoxide anion by Folch’ extract of bovine neural retinas strongly depended on the oxidation time. The observed photoreactivity of the studied extract gradually increased during its in vitro oxidation.
Standardized residency training in China: the new internal medicine curriculum
Authors: Lio Jonathan , Ye Yanqing , Dong Hongmei , Reddy Shalini , McConville John , Sherer Renslow 
Published: November 2017

China formally established a system of national standardized medical residency training in 2014, which affects the health of its 1.4 billion people. Accompanying this system were new guidelines and standards for internal medicine residency training. However, the majority of the standards focused on process measurements, such as minimum case requirements of diseases and procedural skills, rather than describing broader physician competencies in the domains of professionalism, patient care, communication, teamwork, quality improvement, and scholarship. While China has taken a large step forward with standardization of certain aspects of internal medicine residency training, the next step should focus on outcome measures and creating a system that is competency-based.
Sex‐specific association between neighborhood characteristics and dementia: The Three‐City cohort
Authors: Letellier Noémie , Gutierrez Laure‐Anne , Carrière Isabelle , Gabelle Audrey , Dartigues Jean‐François , Dufouil Carole , Helmer Catherine , Cadot Emmanuelle , Berr Claudine 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIntroductionThe living environment affects general health and may influence cognitive aging; however, the relationships between neighborhood characteristics and dementia are still poorly understood.MethodsWe used data from a French population–based prospective study (the Three‐City cohort) that included 7016 participants aged 65 years and older with a 12‐year follow‐up. We used principal components analysis of neighborhood composition indicators to construct the Three‐City deprivation score. To study its impact on dementia incidence, we performed survival analyses using a marginal Cox model to take into account intraneighborhood correlations. As interaction with sex was significant, analyses were stratified by sex.ResultsEven after controlling on individual factors, women living in deprived neighborhoods were at higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.67) and Alzheimer's disease (hazard ratio = 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.09–1.84). No association was found for men.DiscussionLiving in a deprived neighborhood is associated with higher risk of dementia in women.
ROBUST AND EFFICIENT FITTING OF SEVERITY MODELS AND THE METHOD OF WINSORIZED MOMENTS
Authors: Zhao Qian , Brazauskas Vytaras , Ghorai Jugal 
Published: November 2017

AbstractContinuous parametric distributions are useful tools for modeling and pricing insurance risks, measuring income inequality in economics, investigating reliability of engineering systems, and in many other areas of application. In this paper, we propose and develop a new method for estimation of their parameters—the method of Winsorized moments (MWM)—which is conceptually similar to the method of trimmed moments (MTM) and thus is robust and computationally efficient. Both approaches yield explicit formulas of parameter estimators for log-location-scale families and their variants, which are commonly used to model claim severity. Large-sample properties of the new estimators are provided and corroborated through simulations. Their performance is also compared to that of MTM and the maximum likelihood estimators (MLE). In addition, the effect of model choice and parameter estimation method on risk pricing is illustrated using actual data that represent hurricane damages in the United States from 1925 to 1995. In particular, the estimated pure premiums for an insurance layer are computed when the lognormal and log-logistic models are fitted to the data using the MWM, MTM and MLE methods.
ANALYZING AND PREDICTING CAT BOND PREMIUMS: A FINANCIAL LOSS PREMIUM PRINCIPLE AND EXTREME VALUE MODELING
Authors: Stupfler Gilles , Yang Fan 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCAT bonds play an important role in transferring insurance risks to the capital market. It has been observed that typical CAT bond premiums have changed since the recent financial crisis, which has been attributed to market participants being increasingly risk averse. In this work, we first propose a new premium principle, the financial loss premium principle, which includes a term measuring losses in the financial market that we represent here by the Conditional Tail Expectation (CTE) of the negative daily log-return of the S&P 500 index. Our analysis of empirical evidence suggests indeed that in the post-crisis market, instead of simply increasing the fixed level of risk load universally, the increased risk aversion should be modeled jointly by a fixed level of risk load and a financial loss factor to reflect trends in the financial market. This new premium principle is shown to be flexible with respect to the confidence/exceedance level of CTE. In the second part, we focus on the particular example of extreme wildfire risk. The distribution of the amount of precipitation in Fort McMurray, Canada, which is a very important factor in the occurrence of wildfires, is analyzed using extreme value modeling techniques. A wildfire bond with parametric trigger of precipitation is then designed to mitigate extreme wildfire risk, and its premium is predicted using an extreme value analysis of its expected loss. With an application to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, we demonstrate that the extreme value model is sensible, and we further analyze how our results and construction can be used to provide a design framework for CAT bonds which may appeal to (re)insurers and investors alike.
The strategist’s dilemma: Global dynamic density and the making of US ‘China policy’
Authors: Meijer Hugo , Jensen Benjamin 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCombining the English School of International Relations and the study of grand strategy decision-making processes, this article investigates how dynamic density – growing volume, velocity, and diversity of interactions within international society – alters states’ strategy formation processes. By contrasting the perspectives of structural realism and the English School on the role of dynamic density in world politics, the piece illustrates the strategist’s dilemma: as global dynamic density in the international society increases, the ability of great powers to formulate coherent grand strategies and policies potentially decreases. Specifically, it contends that growing global dynamic density generates processual and substantive fragmentation in strategy formation. Building on a large body of elite interviews, US policy toward China – and the so-called US ‘rebalance’ to Asia – is used as a probability probe of the central idea of the strategist’s dilemma. In conclusion, we contrast our findings with complex interdependence theory and examine their implications for ‘great power management’ (GPM) as a primary institution of international society. We argue that, by generating processual and substantive fragmentation in strategy formation, global dynamic density complicates GPM by hindering the capacity of great powers to manage and calibrate the competitive and cooperative dynamics at play in a bilateral relationship.
Development of gravity currents on rapidly changing slopes
Authors: Negretti M. E. , Flòr J.-B. , Hopfinger E. J. 
Published: November 2017

Gravity currents often occur on complex topographies and are therefore subject to spatial development. We present experimental results on continuously supplied gravity currents moving from a horizontal to a sloping boundary, which is either concave or straight. The change in boundary slope and the consequent acceleration give rise to a transition from a stable subcritical current with a large Richardson number to a Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) unstable current. It is shown here that depending on the overall acceleration parameter$\overline{T_{a}}$, expressing the rate of velocity increase, the currents can adjust gradually to the slope conditions (small$\overline{T_{a}}$) or go through acceleration–deceleration cycles (large$\overline{T_{a}}$). In the latter case, the KH billows at the interface have a strong effect on the flow dynamics, and are observed to cause boundary layer separation. Comparison of currents on concave and straight slopes reveals that the downhill deceleration on concave slopes has no qualitative influence, i.e. the dynamics is entirely dominated by the initial acceleration and ensuing KH billows. Following the similarity theory of Turner 1973 (Buoyancy Effects in Fluids. Cambridge University Press), we derive a general equation for the depth-integrated velocity that exhibits all driving and retarding forces. Comparison of this equation with the experimental velocity data shows that when$\overline{T_{a}}$is large, bottom friction and entrainment are large in the region of appearance of KH billows. The large bottom friction is confirmed by the measured high Reynolds stresses in these regions. The head velocity does not exhibit the same behaviour as the layer velocity. It gradually approaches an equilibrium state even when the acceleration parameter of the layer is large.