Wound healing scaffolds provide cells with structural integrity and can also deliver biological agents to establish a skin tissue-specific microenvironment to regulate cell functions and to accelerate the healing process. In this study, we fabricated biodegradable nanofibrous scaffolds with an emulsion electrospinning technique. The scaffolds were composed of polycaprolactone, hyaluronan and encapsulating epidermal growth factor. The morphology and core-sheath structure of the nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The scaffolds were also characterized for chemical composition and hydrophilicity with a Fourier-transform infrared analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy and the water contact angle. An in vitro model protein bovine serum albumin and epidermal growth factor release study was conducted to evaluate the sustained release potential of the core-sheath structured nanofibers with and without the hyaluronan component. Additionally, an in vitro cultivation of human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts on polycaprolactone/hyaluronan and polycaprolactone/hyaluronan-epidermal growth factor scaffolds showed a significant synergistic effect of hyaluronan and epidermal growth factor on cell proliferation and infiltration. Furthermore, there was an up-regulation of the wound-healing-related genes collagen I, collagen III and TGF-β in polycaprolactone/hyaluronan/epidermal growth factor scaffolds compared with control groups. In the full-thickness wound model, the enhanced regeneration of fully functional skin was facilitated by epidermal regeneration in the polycaprolactone/hyaluronan/epidermal growth factor treatment group. Our findings suggest that bioactivity and hemostasis of the hyaluronan-based nanofibrous scaffolds have the capability to encapsulate and control the release of growth factors that can serve as skin tissue engineering scaffolds for wound healing.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technology for surveillance and evaluation of existing and newly built long-span bridges has been widely developed, and the significance of the technique has been recognized by many administrative authorities. The paper reviews the recent progress of the SHM technology that has been applied to long-span bridges. The deployment of a SHM system is introduced. Subsequently, the data analysis and condition assessment including techniques on modal identification, methods on signal processing, and damage identification were reviewed and summarized. A case study about a SHM system of a long-span arch bridge (the Jiubao bridge in China) was systematically incorporated in each part to advance our understanding of deployment and investigation of a SHM system for long-span arch bridges. The applications of SHM systems of long-span arch bridge were also introduced. From the illustrations, the challenges and future trends for development a SHM system were concluded.

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Aim To deeply explore the experience of front‐line nurses who participated in rescuing Wuhan during the early stage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic. Methods Using a descriptive qualitative design, individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted between February 25 and March 5, 2020. A conventional content analysis method was used in data analysis to extract themes and sub‐themes. Results Six themes emerged after data analysis: (a) worries and stress during rescue; (b) difficulties encountered during rescue; (c) experience of team work; (d) experience of interaction with COVID‐19 patients; (e) experience of logistic support and widespread concern; and (f) value and significance of the experience. Conclusions Nurses took on difficult missions in the rescue and played an irreplaceable role. They experienced remarkable psychological changes over the intensive work. It was necessary to understand the feelings and problems of the nurses so as to establish a healthcare system that can protect medical staff effectively in future disasters.

This study investigates the effectiveness of Chinese international education assistance through an examination of student experience in the Chinese Government Scholarship Program, an important mechanism of Chinese foreign aid. Grounded in PascarellaÕs (1985) model of the impact of college on students, the study investigates participantsÕ level of satisfaction with their higher education experience in China and their perception of the role of the scholarship program in promoting positive relationships between China and the scholarship studentsÕ home countries. Findings indicate that participants are generally satisfied with their experiences in China and are positive about the impact of the program in building friendships with their home countries. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in terms of ChinaÕs emerging prominence as a provider of international development assistance.Re´sume´-LE PROGRAMME DE BOURSE DU GOUVERNEMENT CHINOIS: UNE FORME EFFICACE DÕAIDE É TRANGÈ RE ? -Cette e´tude examine lÕefficacited e lÕaide chinoise a`lÕe´ducation internationale par un examen des expe´riences estudiantines dans le programme de bourse du gouvernement chinois, un me´canisme important dÕaide chinoise aux e´trangers. Fonde´sur le mode`le de Pascarella (de 1985) de lÕimpact de lÕuniversite´sur les e´tudiants, lÕe´tude examine le niveau de satisfaction des participants quant a`leur expe´rience de lÕenseignement supe´rieur en Chine et leur perception du roˆle du programme de bourse comme favorisant des rapports positifs entre la Chine et les pays dÕorigine des e´tudiants boursiers. Les re´sultats indiquent que les participants sont en ge´ne´ral satisfaits de leur expe´rience en Chine et sont affirmatifs quant a`lÕimpact du programme dans la mise en place dÕamitie´s avec leurs pays dÕorigine. Les auteurs discutent des implications de ces re´sultats en termes de lÕe´minence commenc¸ante de la Chine comme fournisseur dÕaide au de´veloppement international.