Conventional Block Research Articles

Customized three-dimensional printed ceramic bone grafts for osseous defects: a prospective randomized study

Ridge resorption can result in insufficient bone volume for implant surgery, necessitating bone substitutes to restore the resorption area. Recent advances in computer-aided design and manufacturing enable the use of alloplastic bone graft materials with customizable compositions or shapes. This randomized study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of a customized three-dimensional (3D) printed alloplastic bone material. Sixty patients requiring guided bone regeneration for implant installation following tooth extraction due to alveolar bone resorption were recruited at two institutions. The participants were randomly allocated to either a group that received 3D-printed patient-customized bone graft material or a group that received conventional block bone graft material. Implant installation with bone harvesting was performed approximately 5 months after bone grafting. Histological and radiological assessments of the harvested bone area were performed. The experimental group had a significantly higher percent bone volume and a smaller tissue surface than the control group. Bone volume, bone surface, bone surface/volume ratio, bone surface density (bone surface/total volume), and bone mineral density did not differ significantly between groups. Patient-customized bone graft materials offer convenience and reduce patient discomfort. The findings suggest 3D-printed patient-customized bone graft materials could be used as an alternative for simpler bone grafting procedures.

The effect of comb length on the in vitro and in vivo properties of self-assembled poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate)-based block copolymer nanoparticles.

Comb copolymer analogues of poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene glycol block copolymers (PLA-b-PEG) offer potential to overcome the inherent chemistry and stability limitations of their linear block copolymer counterparts. Herein, we examine the differences between P(L)LA10K-b-PEG10K and linear-comb copolymer analogues thereof in which the linear PEG block is replaced by poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) blocks with different side chain (comb) lengths but the same overall molecular weight. P(L)LA10K-b-POEGMA47510K and P(L)LA10K-b-POEGMA200010K block copolymers were synthesized via activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and fabricated into self-assembled nanoparticles using flash nanoprecipitation via confined impinging jet mixing. Linear-comb copolymer analogues based on PLA-b-POEGMA yielded smaller but still well-controlled nanoparticle sizes (88 ± 2 nm and 114 ± 1 nm respectively compared to 159 ± 2 nm for P(L)LA10K-b-PEG10K nanoparticles) that exhibited improved colloidal stability relative to linear copolymer-based nanoparticles over a 15 day incubation period while maintaining comparably high cytocompatibility, although the comb copolymer analogues had somewhat lower loading capacity for doxorubicin hydrochloride. Cell spheroid studies showed that the linear-comb copolymers promoted enhanced tumor transport and thus cell killing compared to conventional linear block copolymers. In vivo studies showed all NP types could passively accumulate within implanted CT26 tumors but with different accumulation profiles, with P(L)LA10K-b-POEGMA200010K NPs showing continuous accumulation throughout the full 24 h monitoring period whereas tumor accumulation of P(L)LA10K-b-POEGMA47510K NPs was significant only between 8 h and 24 h. Overall, the linear-comb copolymer analogues exhibited superior stability, biodistribution, spheroid penetration, and inherent tunability over linear NP counterparts.

Surgical transversus abdominis plane block with liposomal bupivacaine at cesarean: a pilot randomized trial

Postcesarean pain control is challenging. In addition to intrathecal morphine, recent studies have shown that liposomal bupivacaine administered via conventional transversus abdominis plane block reduces postcesarean opioid use. However, whether the administration of liposomal bupivacaine via a surgical approach also reduces opioid use is unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether the administration of liposomal bupivacaine via surgical transversus abdominis plane block (TAP block) reduces the cumulative dose of opioids administered in the first 48 hours after cesarean delivery among participants who also receive intrathecal morphine. This was a pilot single-blind randomized controlled trial of 60 parturients undergoing cesarean delivery at a community tertiary referral hospital staffed by academic physicians. Immediately before fascial closure during cesarean delivery, a total of 80 mL of dilute bupivacaine plus liposomal bupivacaine or dilute bupivacaine alone was administered via surgical transversus abdominis plane block (40 mL on each side). The primary outcome was a median cumulative opioid dose received within the first 48 hours after cesarean delivery measured in morphine milligram equivalents. In addition, opioid use at other time points, pain scores, and participant satisfaction were assessed. A sample size of 60 was determined to be adequate to inform a potential future adequately powered randomized trial. The primary outcome of morphine milligram equivalents and pain scores were compared using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Between October 11, 2021, and August 29, 2022, 60 participants were randomized and analyzed: 31 were allocated to liposomal bupivacaine plus regular bupivacaine (intervention group), and 29 were allocated to regular bupivacaine alone (control group). Participants allocated to the intervention group used a median cumulative dose of 2 morphine milligram equivalents of opioids (interquartile range, 0-24) in the first 48 hours compared with 8 morphine milligram equivalents (interquartile range, 0-40) among participants allocated to the control group (P=.236). The percentage of participants who used ≤15 morphine milligram equivalents of opioids was 61% in the intervention arm and 41% in the control arm (P=.123), and the percentage who used zero opioids was 45% in the intervention arm and 34% in the control arm (P=.399). The total number of opioid pills prescribed at discharge was fewer in the intervention arm than in the control arm (P=.029). Patient satisfaction with the intervention group and control group was similar. Our pilot study suggests that liposomal bupivacaine administered via surgical transversus abdominis plane block is worth critical evaluation as an adjunctive analgesic modality in an adequately powered randomized trial.

Pepper Target Recognition and Detection Based on Improved YOLO v4

In order to improve visual recognition accuracy of pepper and provide reliable technical support for agricultural production, an improved YOLOv4 algorithm for pepper target recognition and detection was proposed in this paper. By adding Mosaic data enhancement and CBAM (Conventional block attention module) attention mechanism to the primitive character extraction network, the method enhanced the learning ability of the target detection algorithm, made the network effectively suppress the interference features, and increased the attention to effective features. To improve the accuracy of identification. The improved network model was trained, verified and tested on the self-made data set. The results showed that the proposed algorithm could effectively improve the accuracy of pepper recognition under natural light, and finally improved the mean Average Precision (mAP) of the existing YOLOv4 algorithm from 88.95% to 98.36%.

Performance of Ore Sand as Aggregate for Interlocking Blocks

The search for alternatives that can replace conventional materials extracted from nature is crucial for environmental sustainability. This is especially the case for construction and geotechnical engineering, as this sector is a major consumer of the planet’s natural resources. This paper explores the use of ore sand (OS) tailings with fine aggregate characteristics, which are generated during exploration of iron ore and usually stored in stacks, in terms of their potential for replacing conventional aggregates (gravel, natural sand, and limestone sand) used in interlocking paving blocks for light-traffic pavement. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA, cradle-to-gate) approach was applied for aggregates in interlocking blocks produced using OS compared to blocks produced with conventional aggregates. The OS was able to replace 24wt% of conventional aggregates (100% limestone sand and 13.3% natural sand), while maintaining compressive-strength performance similar to that of the conventional block (35 MPa). For all eleven environmental-impact categories evaluated in the LCA, the block with OS has improved environmental performance compared to the conventional block. Through the creation and use of a scoring indicator (SI), it was possible to determine that the transport distance of the OS is a limiting factor for the environmental efficiency of the alternative block. Nonetheless, the incorporation of OS mitigates the impacts of block production on eutrophication, acidification, fresh water, human toxicity, and abiotic depletion. The use of tailings reduces the demand for natural resources, decreasing the environmental impact of production and promoting sustainable construction practices.

Immunocytochemistry on frozen-embedded cell block for the diagnosis of hematolymphoid cytology specimen: a straightforward alternative to the conventional cell block.

Agarose-based cell block (CB) technique can be modified to be combined with the frozen section technique for the preparation of a high-quality frozen-embedded CB (F-CB) from an effusion or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology sample. This combined technique can be effectively used for the immunocharacterization of the hematolymphoid cells on F-CB. To demonstrate the applicability of performing diagnostic ICC on F-CB, we have analyzed the immunophenotype of the hematolymphoid cells in a series of eight cases of effusions and eight cases of FNA cytology specimens by using CB-ICC on sections cut from frozen-embedded CBs. The SurePathTM residue or cytologic material scraped off from the FNA cytology smear that was diagnostic for or suspicious of hematolymphoid malignancy was pelleted and pre-embedded in agarose. Half of the agarose-embedded pellet was frozen-embedded in OCT compound for the preparation of F-CB, while the other half was processed for the preparation of paraffin-embedded CB. Sections cut from the F-CB and P-CB were used for CB-ICC. Panels of ICC on the F-CBs could enable the immunocytochemical differential diagnosis of large cell hematologic malignancies that encompass anaplastic large cell lymphoma and other forms of large-cell hematolymphoid malignancies such as large B-cell lymphomas, anaplastic plasma cell myeloma, myeloid sarcoma, and T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. It also appeared that the small B-cell lymphomas in the effusions or FNAs could be differentially diagnosed with the aid of CB-ICC on the F-CB. A modified agarose-based CB technique can be combined with the frozen-embedded CB method for the preparation of F-CB that can be directly used for the immunocytochemical differential diagnosis of hematolymphoid cytology samples.

Algebraic Attacks on RAIN and AIM Using Equivalent Representations

Designing novel symmetric-key primitives for advanced protocols like secure multiparty computation (MPC), fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and zero-knowledge proof systems (ZK), has been an important research topic in recent years. Many such existing primitives adopt quite different design strategies from conventional block ciphers. Notable features include that many of these ciphers are defined over a large finite field, and that a power map is commonly used to construct the nonlinear component due to its efficiency in these applications as well as its strong resistance against the differential and linear cryptanalysis. In this paper, we target the MPC-friendly ciphers AIM and RAIN used for the post-quantum signature schemes AIMer (CCS 2023 and NIST PQC Round 1 Additional Signatures) and Rainier (CCS 2022), respectively. Specifically, we can find equivalent representations of 2-round RAIN and full-round AIM, respectively, which make them vulnerable to either the polynomial method, or the crossbred algorithm, or the fast exhaustive search attack. Consequently, we can break 2-round RAIN with the 128/192/256-bit key in only 2111/2170/2225 bit operations. For full-round AIM with the 128/192/256-bit key, we could break them in 2136.2/2200.7/2265 bit operations, which are equivalent to about 2115/2178/2241 calls of the underlying primitives. In particular, our analysis indicates that AIM does not reach the required security levels by the NIST competition.

Cascading Four Round LRW1 is Beyond Birthday Bound Secure

In CRYPTO’02, Liskov et al. introduced the concept of a tweakable block cipher, a novel symmetric key primitive with promising applications. They put forth two constructions for designing such tweakable block ciphers from conventional block ciphers: LRW1 and LRW2. While subsequent efforts extended LRW2 to achieve security beyond the birthday bound (e.g., cascaded LRW2 in CRYPTO’12 by Landecker et al.), the extension of LRW1 remained unexplored until Bao et al.’s work in EUROCRYPT’20 that considered cascaded LRW1, a one-round extension of LRW1 - entailing masking the LRW1 output with the given tweak and re-encrypting it with the same block cipher. They showed that CLRW1 offers security up to 22n/3 queries. However, this result was challenged by Khairallah’s recent birthday bound distinguishing attack on cascaded LRW1, effectively refuting the security claim of Bao et al. Consequently, a pertinent research question emerges: How many rounds of cascaded LRW1 are required to obtain security beyond the birthday bound? This paper addresses this question by establishing that cascading LRW1 for four rounds suffices to ensure security beyond the birthday bound. Specifically, we demonstrate that 4 rounds of CLRW1 guarantees security for up to 23n/4 queries. Our security analysis is based from recent advancements in the mirror theory technique for tweakable random permutations, operating within the framework of the Expectation Method.

Architectural control over morphologies of bottlebrush block copolymer superstructures

The morphology of superstructures formed by bottlebrush block copolymers in the melt can be tuned by changing the side chain length or/and their grafting density at constant volume fractions of the blocks. This feature enables fabrication of microphase separated bulk structures and mesoporous materials thereof with spherical or cylindrical domains (precursors of the mesopores), with high porosity unattainable for materials produced from conventional linear block copolymers. These paradigms are proven by DPD simulations that allow constructing morphological phase diagrams of the melt of block copolymers comprising one linear and one bottlebrush block and comparing the simulation results to the predictions of the mean field analytical theory. While the binodal lines separating the stability regions of spherical and cylindrical domains predicted by the theory perfectly match the simulation results, the simulation indicates appearance of a gyroid phase around the theoretical binodal separating the stability ranges of cylinders and lamellae. The results of our work provide guidelines for macromolecular design of novel composite and mesoporous materials with a wide spectrum of potential applications.

Inhalation-modulated detection of olfactory BOLD responses in the human brain.

In contrast to other sensory domains, detection of primary olfactory processes using functional magnetic resonance imaging has proven to be notably challenging with conventional block designs. This difficulty arises from significant habituation and hemodynamic responses in olfactory areas that do not appear to align with extended boxcar functions convolved with a generic hemodynamic response model. Consequently, some researchers have advocated for a transition to event-related designs, despite their known lower detection power compared to block designs. Here, we conducted a block design experiment with 16s of continuous odorant stimulation alternating with 16s of continuous odorless air stimulation in 33 healthy participants. We compared four statistical analyses that relied either on standard block designs (SBD1-2) or on block designs that were modulated by the participants' individual breathing patterns (MBD1-2). We found that such modulated block designs were comparatively more powerful than standard block designs, despite having a substantially lower design efficiency. Using whole-brain effect size maps, we observed that the right insular and medial aspects of the left piriform cortex exhibited a preference for a breathing-modulated analysis approach. Research in olfaction that necessitates designs with longer-lasting blocks, such as those employed in the investigation of state-dependent processing, will benefit from the breathing-modulated analyses outlined in this study.

Advances in Anesthesia for Shoulder Surgery: A Comprehensive Review of Dexmedetomidine-Enhanced Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block.

Surgical procedures on the shoulder pose distinctive challenges in managing pain during the perioperative period, underscoring the importance of exploring innovative anesthesia techniques. This comprehensive review article delves into integrating dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, within interscalene brachial plexus blocks for shoulder surgery. The review initiates by underscoring the pivotal role of effective anesthesia in shoulder surgery and elucidates the rationale behind investigating dexmedetomidine as an adjunct. It meticulously examines the anatomy and physiology of the brachial plexus, emphasizing its critical significance in shoulder surgery. Furthermore, the article expounds on dexmedetomidine's mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics, encompassing its safety profile and potential side effects. The conventional interscalene brachial plexus block techniques, along with their limitations and challenges, are discussed, laying the foundation for the integration of dexmedetomidine. The review subsequently delves into exploring the role of dexmedetomidine in regional anesthesia, covering previous studies, mechanisms of action, and the potential advantages of incorporating it into nerve blocks. The review's core concentrates on the practical application of dexmedetomidine-enhanced interscalene brachial plexus blocks. This includes discussions on administration techniques, dosage guidelines, and compelling evidence supporting its utilization. Clinical scenarios where this approach proves most advantageous are thoroughly explored, comparing its effectiveness with traditional techniques in terms of pain control and patient outcomes. A comprehensive examination of relevant clinical trials and case studies highlights the evidence supporting its efficacy. The review also underscores safety considerations associated with dexmedetomidine. It proposes strategies for mitigating risks to ensure patient safety. Insights into future directions and research are provided, encompassing ongoing studies, areas necessitating further investigation, and potential refinements in technique. Finally, the article summarizes key findings, emphasizing the practicality of dexmedetomidine-enhanced interscalene brachial plexus blocks in shoulder surgery and its far-reaching implications for clinical practice and patient care.

ScTCN-LightGBM: a hybrid learning method via transposed dimensionality-reduction convolution for loading measurement of industrial material

Dynamic measurement via deep learning can be applied in many industrial fields significantly (e.g. electrical power load and fault diagnosis acquisition). Nowadays, accurate and continuous loading measurement is essential in coal mine production. The existing methods are weak in loading measurement because they ignore the symbol characteristics of loading and adjusting features. To address the problem, we propose a hybrid learning method (called ScTCN-LightGBM) to realize the loading measurement of industrial material effectively. First, we provide an abnormal data processing method to guarantee raw data accuracy. Second, we design a sided-composited temporal convolutional network that combines a novel transposed dimensionality-reduction convolution residual block with the conventional residual block. This module can extract symbol characteristics and values of loading and adjusting features well. Finally, we utilize the light-gradient boosting machine to measure loading capacity. Experimental results show that the ScTCN-LightGBM outperforms existing measurement models with high metrics, especially the stability coefficient R2 is 0.923. Compared to the conventional loading measurement method, the measurement performance via ScTCN-LigthGBM improves by 40.2% and the continuous measurement time is 11.28s. This study indicates that the proposed model can achieve the loading measurement of industrial material effectively.

A NEW INTELLIGENT MODEL BASED ON IMPROVED INCEPTION-V3 FOR ORAL CANCER AND CYST CLASSIFICATION

Oral cancer, which is also called mouth cancer, is cancer of the lining of the mouth, lips, or upper throat that has appeared in more than 355,000 people worldwide and caused more than 177,000 deaths, so it is essential to diagnose it as early as possible. Computed tomography (CT) scan is conducive to oral cancer diagnosis, but classifying oral CT images to cancer and cyst manually is difficult and time-consuming. A novel intelligent model based on improved Inception-v3 for classifying oral cancer and cyst CT images automatically is proposed in this paper. We replace the conventional convolution block in Inception-v3 with the Inverted Bottleneck Block and introduce Squeeze-and-Excitation Block (SEB) and Convolutional Block Attention Block (CBAB). The proposed model in this paper is trained on a dataset consisting of CT images of two classes (oral cancer and cyst), and the proposed model achieves 84.053% accuracy, 82.364% sensitivity, 84.508% specificity for oral cancer classification and outperforms other common models in classifying oral CT images.

Research on the intelligent generation of the spatial form of the island city historic district Based on parameterization: taking Macau Taipa Village as an example

ABSTRACT In this paper, Macau Taipa Village, a historical district in an island-type city, is the research focus, and a parametric design-based method for designing historical districts is proposed. First, the shape and distribution of roads in historical districts is studied through on-the-spot investigation and measurement and data are collected on the width, depth, and area of street blocks, average street length and width, street orientation, building width, depth, acreage, and height, and building orientation. Second, the acquired data are transmitted to the Grasshopper parameterization platform, and an intelligently generated program produces calculations. Through multiple iterations and evaluations of genetic algorithms based on the needs of modern urban design and planning constraints, the building density is further reduced, and more landscape areas are added. The parametric model is optimized to gradually generate the urban spatial design that meets contemporary requirements. The research reveals that (1) the grasshopper algorithm’s generated block design inherits the characteristics of the conventional historical block. (2) The historical block where the data were collected on site and the block where Grasshopper is applied should maintain the consistency of the regional context. (3) This method can be applied to the design of new urban areas, and the scope of application can be further adjusted through collaboration and the needs of the owners at a later stage.

Development of alkali activated paver blocks for medium traffic conditions using industrial wastes and prediction of compressive strength using random forest algorithm

Geopolymer is an environment friendly construction material that could be synthesized using either the natural source or the industrial byproducts such as flyash and GGBS. The characteristics of the Geopolymer rely on the proportion of the flyash and GGBS and the concentration of the activator solution used. In this research work, the effect of partial replacement of flyash with GGBS in proportions such as 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% is investigated. Also Molarity of NaOH are tested from 8 to 14 M and both the parameters are optimized. In this optimized Geopolymer concrete, the utilization of iron slag as a partial substitute for river sand in various proportions such as 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 35, 40 and 45% are investigated. The optimized Geopolymer concrete with iron slag is investigated for its performance as a paver block with incorporation of banana fiber in proportions such as 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 and is compared with conventional cement concrete paver block. The results show that there is a significant enhancement in the properties of Geopolymer concrete with the different levels of optimization and the utilization of natural banana fiber. The developed sustainable paver block was found to with stand medium traffic conditions as per IS 15658:2006. Further this study employed random forest (RF) algorithm for the prediction of compressive strength of geopolymer concrete specimens for the variable parameters such as molarity of alkaline solution, Flyash/GGBS ratio and partial replacement of river sand with iron slag. The performance evaluation parameters represented high accuracy of developed RF model. This research work unleashes a heft potential of Geopolymer concrete to develop economical eco-friendly sustainable paver blocks to the society through mitigation of environmental strain on the ecosystem.

Skeletal Effect of Modified Twin Block with Clear Plates Versus Conventional Twin Block in Class II Malocclusions – a Randomized Controlled Trial of Functional Appliances

Purpose: The aim of this in-vivo study was to evaluate the skeletal changes of a modified Twin Block with clear plates versus a conventional Twin Block appliance in skeletal class II patients. Methods and Materials: A total of 32 patients with skeletal class II malocclusion contributing to mandibular retrognathism were involved. The sample was divided into two groups: group A: 16 patients will undergo to orthodontic treatment with modified Twin Block with clear plates; group B: 16 patients will undergo to orthodontic treatment with conventional Twin Block appliance. After 12 months of treatment a cephalometric radiograph was taken in central occlusion to study skeletal changes. Independent sample T-test was used for studying significance between groups. Results: There were significant differences in MP-SN; MP-SPP and SN-NPG values. While there were no statistically significant differences in SNA, SNB and ANB values. A significant difference was observed after 12 months of treatment for each group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Modified Twin Block with clear plates is an effective alternative device to treat skeletal class II malocclusion with vertical growth pattern.

The Limited Use Of Dexmedetomidine For Subarachnoid Blocks In Pakistan.

Respected Madam, Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist. It acts by binding to the presynaptic alpha-2 adrenoceptors and inhibits the release of norepinephrine. Thereafter, it causes a decrease in the sympathetic tone and terminates the propagation of pain signals. As a result, the haemodynamic and the endocrine stress responses of the body to surgery and anesthesia are attenuated, the blood pressure and heart rate are decreased, and the requirement for other anaesthetic agents is reduced. These effects have meant that dexmedetomidine has been widely used prior to endotracheal intubation to optimize the patients and prevent the likelihood of hemodynamic adverse effects (1). In addition to its use in general anesthesia, peri-operative physicians worldwide are now becoming increasingly aware of the dexmedetomidine’s potential usefor subarachnoid blocks. A few studies have documented the efficacy of intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine in prolonging the duration of sensory and motor blockade induced by agents such as bupivacaine, prilocaine, and ropivacaine up to 4 hours (2), (3). Recent studies have found that intrathecal administration of dexmedetomidine in combination with the local anesthetic agent yields similar benefits (4). This has been attributed to the activation of presynaptic alpha2-A receptors at locus ceruleus and the termination of pain signal propagation via the medullospinal noradrenergic pathway (4). Therefore, it is no surprise that the use of dexmedetomidine in conjunction with local anesthetics for the subarachnoid block is common practice in peri-operative physicians throughout the globe. While Pakistani peri-operative physicians are aware of the benefits of dexmedetomidine prior to endotracheal intubation (5), the same cannot be said for subarachnoid blocks induced in Pakistan. Peri-operative physicians in Pakistan are either yet to realize the potential benefits the use of dexmedetomidine can provide for subarachnoid blocks or still adhere to conventional spinal anesthesia practices. Since the effects of a conventional subarachnoid block last from 2 to 3 hours, in any case of a surgical adverse event that prolongs the surgery, severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and derangement of the hemodynamic status have been noted in patients. Often times, this results in a shift towards general anesthesia midway through the procedure. Ultimately, the postoperative stay is prolonged which directly impacts the clinical outcome and the quality of life for these patients. ---Continue

Building energy and exergy analysis of the light-weight roofs compared with the traditional ones in different climates

A significant research gap exists concerning the thermal properties of lightweight roofs, as extensive investigations have predominantly focused on their mechanical characteristics. However, there is a notable dearth of studies addressing the thermal behavior of lightweight roof systems. The comprehension of thermal properties in lightweight roofs is of paramount importance, as it enables the promotion of energy-efficient design practices. The absence of comprehensive research in this domain constrains the optimization of thermal insulation mechanisms within lightweight roof constructions. Consequently, this hinders developments aimed at reducing energy consumption in buildings. To bridge this research gap, this study investigates the thermal performance of two lightweight roofs called waffle slab and bubble deck in three different climates, and compare them with conventional cement block roofs. Results revealed that Valencia had the lowest heating load due to its moderate climate, while Denver showed the minimum cooling load due to colder temperatures. The bubble deck roof outperformed other roofs in terms of heat loss reduction, achieving an average of 76% in winter and 41% in summer. Additionally, the bubble deck roof demonstrated the best overall efficiency (72% on average) and improved thermal comfort during summer, with lower energy consumption. Exergy analysis showed that the bubble deck roof significantly reduced input and output exergy, indicating its superior energy conservation capabilities compared to waffle slab and cement block roofs. These findings emphasize the potential benefits of lightweight roofs, particularly the bubble deck, in enhancing energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

A modified Newmark block method for determining the seismic displacement of a slope reinforced by prestressed anchors

The seismic permanent displacement is an essential aspect to evaluate the seismic stability of slope. The conventional Newmark block method commonly adopts a constant yield acceleration to determine the seismic permanent displacement of slope. In order to reflect a more realistic behavior of seismic displacement, the dynamic kinetic failure mechanism and the instant displacement model of slope reinforced by prestressed anchors in infinitesimal time are established. The time-dependent formula for dynamic yield acceleration is deduced based on upper bound method. A modified method is proposed to determine the seismic permanent displacement within the framework of Newmark block theory. The results are compared with the existing work with regard to the yield acceleration and seismic permanent displacement. Three typical seismic ground motions are performed to study the responses of the anchor force, the dynamic yield acceleration and the seismic permanent displacement. Results show that the anchor force, the dynamic yield acceleration and the seismic displacement all increase continuously during the excitation of seismic ground motion. The anchor causes the yield acceleration to increase, and the seismic permanent displacement to decrease significantly. The conventional method adopting a constant yield acceleration greatly overestimates the seismic permanent displacement.

Effects of polymer terminal group inside micelle core on paclitaxel loading promoting and burst release suppressing.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is widely used in the treatment of advanced esophageal and gastric cancer. Polymeric micelles can improve the drug-loading efficiency of PTX. However, the end groups on the amphiphilic blocks affect the drug-loading efficiency and the release kinetics of polymeric micelles. Therefore, there is an urgent need to disclose the tailoring of the core-/shell-forming terminal groups. Different from the conventional block copolymer synthesis in the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization, which has a hydrophilic end group on the core-forming blocks, an alternative monomer addition method was applied to tune and obtain two block copolymers with symmetrical and similar block length PBMAn-b-PNAMm [PNAM, poly(N-acryloylmorpholine); PBMA, poly(n-butyl methacrylate)] but distinct end groups on the hydrophobic core-forming blocks, that is, HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen and HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen. The chemical structure of the resulting copolymers was elucidated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The spherical morphology revealed by transmission electron microscopy and the uniform particle size revealed by dynamic light scattering analysis clearly confirmed the successful preparation of a PTX-polymeric micelle complex. The particle sizes of HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen and HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen were about 40 and 235 nm respectively. The PTX loading efficiency of HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen was much lower than that of HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen. The PTX release from HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen was much slower than that of HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen. The polymers had glass transition temperature (Tg) values of 70.24 and 74.22 ℃, which was from the HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen and HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen micelles, respectively. The systematic study on the PTX loading and releasing profile disclosed that, compared with the HOOC-PBMA-PNAM-Phen, the micelles with Phen group on the hydrophobic block (HOOC-PNAM-PBMA-Phen) enhanced drug loading and prolonged drug release but with a larger particle size. The results indicated that the hydrophobic end group Phen on the core-forming blocks can promote hydrophobic drug loading and suppress burst release.