Highly Responsive Soft Electrothermal Actuator with High-Output Force Based on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-Coated Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Sponge.

Recently, soft actuators have been found to have great potential for various applications due to their ability to be mechanically reconfigured in response to external stimuli. However, the balance between output force and considerable strain constrains their potential for further application. In this work, a novel soft electrothermal actuator was fabricated by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated carbon nanotube sponge (CNTS).

Bio-Inspired Hierarchical Carbon Nanotube Yarn with Ester Bond Cross-Linkages towards High Conductivity for Multifunctional Applications.

The cross-linked hierarchical structure in biological systems provides insight into the development of innovative material structures. Specifically, the sarcoplasmic reticulum muscle is able to transmit electrical impulses in skeletal muscle due to its cross-linked hierarchical tubular cell structure. Inspired by the cross-linked tubular cell structure, we designed and built chemical cross-links between the carbon nanotubes within the carbon nanotube yarn (CNT yarn) structure by an esterification reaction.

[Maternal mortality and referral maternities in Morocco: how to (re)motivate professionals?].

The very high rates of maternal mortality and perinatal mortality, as well as the deficiencies and dysfunctions observed in maternity hospitals, which play the role of referential maternity wards, led the Moroccan Minister of Public Health to implement a project in order to improve the quality of care of parturient women and new-borns. This project included 8 provinces in the country. The strategy chosen was "the team approach to resolving health problems", which is a learning process which leads local teams to implement and evaluate projects they have developed themselves.