Entire Block Research Articles

The Influence of Different Inter-Trial Intervals on the Quantification of Intracortical Facilitation in the Primary Motor Cortex.

Intracortical facilitation (ICF) is a paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measurement used to quantify interneuron activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) in healthy populations and motor disorders. Due to the prevalence of the technique, most of the stimulation parameters to optimize ICF quantification have been established. However, the underappreciated methodological issue of the time between ICF trials (inter-trial interval; ITI) has been unstandardized, and different ITIs have never been compared in a paired-pulse TMS study. This is important because single-pulse TMS studies have found motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude reductions over time during TMS trial blocks for short, but not long ITIs. The primary purpose was to determine the influence of different ITIs on the measurement of ICF. Twenty adults completed one experimental session that involved 4 separate ICF trial blocks with each utilizing a different ITI (4, 6, 8, and 10 s). Two-way ANOVAs indicated no significant ITI main effects for test MEP amplitudes, condition-test MEP amplitudes, and therefore ICF. Accordingly, all ITIs studied provided nearly identical ICF values when averaged over entire trial blocks. Therefore, it is recommended that ITIs of 4-6 s be utilized for ICF quantification to optimize participant comfort and experiment time efficiency.

High-resolution photogrammetry to measure physical aperture of two separated rock fracture surfaces

Photogrammetry, reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) models from overlapping two-dimensional (2D) photos, finds application in rock mechanics and rock engineering to extract geometrical details of reconstructed objects, for example rock fractures. Fracture properties are important for determining the mechanical stability, permeability, strength, and shear behavior of the rock mass. Photogrammetry can be used to reconstruct detailed 3D models of two separated rock fracture surfaces to characterize fracture roughness and physical aperture, which controls the fluid flow, hydromechanical and shear behavior of the rock mass. This research aimed to determine the optimal number of scale bars required to produce high-precision 3D models of a fracture surface. A workflow has been developed to define the physical aperture of a fracture using photogrammetry. Three blocks of Kuru granite (25 cm × 25 cm × 10 cm) with an artificially induced fracture, were investigated. For scaling 3D models, 321 markers were used as ground control points (GCPs) with predefined distances on each block. When the samples were well-matched in their original positions, the entire block was photographed. Coordinate data of the GCPs were extracted from the 3D model of the blocks. Each half was surveyed separately and georeferenced by GCPs and merged into the same coordinate system. Two fracture surfaces were extracted from the 3D models and the vertical distance between the two surfaces was digitally calculated as physical aperture. Accuracy assessment of the photogrammetric reconstruction showed a 20–30 μm digital control distance accuracy when compared to known distances defined between markers. To attain this accuracy, the study found that at least 200 scale bars were required. Furthermore, photogrammetry was employed to measure changes in aperture under normal stresses. The results obtained from this approach were found to be in good agreement with those obtained using linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs), with differences ranging from 1 μm to 8 μm.

Regulating the local coordination model of homologous and heterogeneous niobium tungsten oxides toward ultrafast lithium storage

Intercalation-type niobium tungsten oxide anodes show potential for use in high-power-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Lithium activation barriers are vital factors determining the rate performance of niobium tungsten oxides. Lithium activation barriers located in the crystallographic shear plane are the highest in the entire block structure, as the rate-limiting factor for Li+ diffusion in the Wadsley–Roth crystallographic shear structure of niobium tungsten oxides. Nb(W)O6 octahedrons are distorted by introducing Nb18W8O69 (Nb18) into Nb16W5O55 (Nb16) to form heterogeneous composite structures. This distortion induces metal–oxygen bond lengthening in Nb16/Nb18, increasing the interspace between the edge-sharing octahedrons and thereby reducing the highest lithium activation barriers in the Nb16/Nb18 crystallographic shear plane and mitigating volume expansion. Nb16/Nb18 has an extraordinary rate capacity of 85 mA h g−1 at 100 C and structural stability with 86.3% capacity retention of its highest value at 100 C after 1000 cycles, with a high volumetric energy density of 647 W h L−1 at 134930 W L−1. Nb16/Nb18//LiCoO2 have a high energy density of 158 W h kg−1 at 12480 W kg−1. Thus, a new approach is proposed to improve the rate performance of niobium-based oxides with Wadsley–Roth crystallographic shear structure by employing homologous and heterogeneous composites.

First report of Arthrobacter woluwensis causing brown blotch disease on white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus).

Agaricus bisporus is one of the most commonly grown edible fungi in the world. In December 2021, brown blotch disease (2% incidence) was observed on the cap of A. bisporus, growing in a mushroom cultivation base in Guangxi, China. Initially, brown blotches (1-1.3 cm) appeared on the cap of A. bisporus, which expanded gradually as the cap grew. After two days, the infection penetrated inner tissues of fruiting bodies, and blotches were dark brown. For the isolation of causative agent(s), internal tissue samples of the infected stipes (5×5×5 mm) were sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s, rinsed three times with sterile deionized water (SDW), then, mashed in the sterile 2 ml Eppendorf tubes, 1000 µl SDW was added and the suspension was diluted into seven concentrations (10-1~10-7). Each suspension (120 µl) was spread on Luria Bertani (LB) medium and incubated for 24 hours at 28 °C. Morphological examination of the isolates was referred to Liu et al (2022). The dominant single colonies were whitish-grayish, smooth, convex. The cells were Gram-positive, non-flagellated, nonmotile, no pods or endospores formed, and no fluorescent pigments production on King's B medium (Solarbio). Amplified 16S rRNA (1351 bp; OP740790) of five colonies using universal primers 27f/1492r (Liu et al., 2022), exhibited 99.26% identity with Arthrobacter (Ar.) woluwensis. The partial sequences of the ATP synthase subunit beta gene (atpD) (677 bp; OQ262957), RNA polymerase subunit beta gene (rpoB) (848 bp; OQ262958), preprotein translocase subunit SecY gene (secY) (859 bp; OQ262959) and elongation factor Tu gene (tuf) (831 bp; OQ262960) genes of colonies were amplified using the method of Liu et al (2018), also exhibited more than 99% similarities to Ar. woluwensis. The biochemical tests for isolates (n=3) were performed via bacterial micro-biochemical reaction tubes (Hangzhou Microbial Reagent Co., LTD), and the results showed the same biochemical characteristics as Ar. woluwensis (Positive for esculin hydrolysis, urea, gelatinase, catalase, sorbitol, gluconate, salicin and arginine. Negative for citrate, nitrate reduction and rhamnose) (Funke et al., 1996). The isolates were identified as Ar. woluwensis based on morphological characteristics, biochemical tests and phylogenetic analysis. Pathogenicity tests were performed with bacterial suspensions (1 × 109 CFU/ml) after growing for 36 h in LB Broth at 28 °C, 160 rpm. 30 µl bacterial suspension was added to the cap and tissue of young A. bisporus. SDW was added as a negative control. All treatments were incubated at 20 °C and 80-85% humidity. The experiment was repeated three times with five caps and five tissues of young A. bisporus each time. Brown blotches were observed on all the parts of the inoculated caps and tissues after 24 h of inoculation. At 48 h, the inoculated caps turned dark brown while the infected tissues changed from brown to black and expanded to the entire tissue block giving a severely rotten appearance and foul odor. This disease symptoms were similar to those observed in the original samples. There were no lesions in the control group. After the pathogenicity test, the pathogen was re-isolated from the infected caps and tissues based on morphological characteristics, 16S rRNA sequences, and biochemical results, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Arthrobacter spp. are very widely distributed in the environment (Kim et al., 2008). To date, two studies have confirmed Arthrobacter spp. as a pathogen of edible fungi (Bessette, 1984; Wang et al., 2019). However, this is the first report of Ar. woluwensis causing brown blotch disease on A. bisporus. Our finding could contribute to developing phytosanitary and control treatments for this disease.

An X-ray CT assessment of fungal growth in spruce, poplar and thermally-modified poplar

ABSTRACT Poplar has been gaining attention as a potential material for use in engineered wood products (EWPs). However, poplar wood is not durable against fungal degradation, which is an important factor that needs to be investigated. Previous studies on degradation have mostly focused on evaluating mass loss (ML), while lacking information on the progress of degradation. In this study a recently developed non-destructive X-ray computed tomography (CT) technique was used to investigate the degradation progress within poplar, thermally modified (TM) poplar, and spruce during a 10-weeks fungal degradation experiment. The results showed that degradation led to a significant decrease in density, particularly after 15 days. Based on the X-ray CT scans, it was observed that spruce showed a higher mass loss at the end grain while poplar showed a homogeneous pattern throughout the entire block. Thermally modified poplar specimens were less degraded even at moist conditions. The density of the wood was found to affect the fungal susceptibility of both poplar and TM poplar: a higher density resulted in a lower mass loss of poplar. The use of X-ray CT scanning allowed for a detailed micro-level insight into fungal decay, which can potentially help in protecting poplar in future industrial use for constructions.

Solid-State NMR Double-Quantum Dipolar Recoupling Enhanced by Additional Phase Modulation.

Additional phase modulation (APM) is proposed to generally enhance the theoretical efficiency of homonuclear double-quantum (DQ) recoupling in solid-state NMR. APM applies an additional phase list to DQ recoupling in steps of an entire block. The sine-based phase list can enhance the theoretical efficiency by 15-30 %, from 0.52 to 0.68 (non-γ-encoded recoupling) or from 0.73 to 0.84 (γ-encoded recoupling), with doubled recoupling time. The genetic-algorithm (GA) optimized APM can adiabatically enhance the efficiency to ∼1.0 at longer times. The concept of APM has been tested on SPR-51 , BaBa, and SPR-31 , which represent γ-encoded recoupling, non-γ-encoded recoupling, and another kind beyond the former two, respectively. Simulations reveal that enhancements from APM are due to the activation of more crystallites in the powder. Experiments on 2,3-13 C labeled alanine are used to validate the APM recoupling. This new concept shall shed light on developing more efficient homonuclear recoupling methods.

Here to Stay: Building a Tenant Association Against Displacement

The Flower Drive Tenants Association (La Asociación de inquilinos de Flower Drive) is an entire block of tenants organising against displacement in South Central Los Angeles. Members of the Los Angeles Tenants Union since March 2021, Flower Drive tenants have fought to stay put in the face of a multi-billion dollar development plan to replace hundreds of rent controlled apartments with luxury housing. In the process they have transformed their block of working class Black and Latino tenants into what one comrade described as a “semillero” – a seedbed of tenant organising across South Central Los Angeles. The señoras who lead the Flower Drive TA have also turned their weekly meeting into a co-learning space for the wider community. As many as 60 tenants from across South Central LA gather each week in a parking lot behind the Flower Drive buildings to discuss their rights, share their experiences, and plan direct actions. Tenants support each other through protesting landlords, reversing lockouts, and even confronting domestic abusers. Tenants have also begun to discuss their deeper political conditions, drawing connections to popular land struggles across the world.

STRENGTHENING OF REINFORCED CONCRETE ROOF WITH STEEL FRAME

Strengthening methods of reinforced concrete roofs are known and developed in sufficient detail. They are classified according to the constructions: strengthening of simply supported and continuous beams, cantilever beams, panels, girders, trusses, arches, etc. But all the proposed ways have common disadvantages – they require open space for work, provide for preliminary unloading, and under certain circumstances, partial dismantling of significantly damaged structures, and cannot consider the features of a specific technical situation naturally. We offer the strengthening method of not a single beam, but the entire roof block, with limited time period and the need to restart the production process in the shortest possible time, which has got critical damage, during the situation that excludes temporary unloading, and the dismantling of damaged areas or structures is impossible. The additional technical problem is that the supporting vertical structures of the emergency shutdown – the columns are also in a critical technical condition. Therefore, the attempt to dismantle any load-bearing element will lead to the complete destruction of a large part of the industrial building and the cessation of production for a considerable time period. The use of a spatial steel frame simplifies the strengthening work, speeds up the return to production and does not increase the material costs

Low-Rate and Short-Block-Length Random Permutation-Coded Modulations Achieve Finite-Length Bounds

Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) is an important feature brought by 5G New Radio (NR). By using a block code, the low-latency requirement in general requires a short block length in order to reduce the latency of transmitting the entire code block. The ultra-reliable communication requires a low-rate code to achieve high decoding reliability even under low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). This paper proposes a new class of coding and modulation schemes, termed permutation-coded modulations, for low-rate and short-block-length applications, such as URLLC. We show that permutation-coded modulations under maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding have remarkable performance levels that achieve the dispersion bounds with normal approximation (NA) for short block lengths. However, their encoding and ML-decoding complexities are prohibitive if the number of message bits transmitted per code block increases. To reduce the encoding and decoding complexities, we propose a trapezoidal permutation-coded modulation scheme which can be decoded efficiently by successive cancellation list (SCL) decoders. We also show that the trapezoidal permutation-coded modulations under SCL decoding can achieve the dispersion bounds with NA for short block lengths.

Detection of Choroidal Neovascularization Using Optical Tissue Transparency.

Optical tissue transparency (OTT) provides a tool for visualizing the entire tissue block. This study provides insights into the potential value of OTT with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) in detecting choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions. OTT with LSFM, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of paraffin sections, choroidal flatmount immunofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were used to obtain images of CNV. We determined the rate of change as (Data of week 1 - Data of week 2)/Data of week 1 × 100%. Finally, we compared the rate of change acquired from OTT with LSFM and the other methodologies. We found that OTT with LSFM can realize three-dimensional (3D) visualizations of the entire CNV. The results showed that the decline in the rate of change from week 1 to week 2 after laser photocoagulation was 33.05% with OTT, 53.01% with H&E staining, 48.11% with choroidal flatmount, 24.06% with OCTA (B-scan), 18.08% with OCTA (en face), 10.98% with OCTA (3D reconstruction), and 7.74% with OCTA (vessel diameter index). OTT with LSFM will continue to be an invaluable resource for investigators to detect more visualized and quantified information regarding CNV. OTT with LSFM now serves as a tool for detecting CNV in mice, and it may undergo human clinical trials in the future.

Evolution Law of Dominant Flow Channel and Enhanced Oil Recovery Measures for Water Flooding in Reservoirs with Partially Sealed Faults.

The presence of strongly sealed faults can divide a reservoir into complex fault blocks, while partially sealed faults can be created by farewell faults within each block, leading to more intricate fluid migration and residual oil distribution. However, oilfields often overlook these partially sealed faults, focusing instead on the entire fault block, which can impact the efficiency of the production system. In addition, the current technology struggles to quantitatively describe the evolution of the dominant flow channel (DFC) during the water-flooding process, especially in reservoirs with partially sealed faults. This limits the ability to formulate effective enhanced oil recovery measures during the high water cut stage. To address these challenges, a large-scale sand model of a reservoir with a partially sealed fault was designed, and water flooding experiments were conducted. Based on the results of these experiments, a numerical inversion model was established. By combining percolation theory and the physical concept of DFC, a new method was proposed to quantitatively characterize DFC using a standardized flow quantity parameter. The evolution law of DFC was then studied, considering the variations of volume and oil saturation of DFC, and the water control effect of different measures was evaluated. The results revealed that, during the early stage of water flooding, a vertical uniform dominant seepage zone formed near the injector. As the water was injected, DFCs from the top of the injector to the bottom of the producers gradually formed in the unoccluded area. However, DFC was only formed at the bottom in the occluded area. During water flooding, the volume of DFC in each area gradually increased and then tended to stabilize. The development of the DFC in the occluded area lagged behind due to gravity and fault occlusion, leading to the formation of an unswept area near the fault in the unoccluded area. The volume of the DFC in the occluded area was the slowest, and the volume was the smallest after stabilization. Although the volume of the DFC near the fault in the unoccluded area grew the fastest, the volume was only higher than that in the occluded area after stabilization. During the high water cut period, the remaining oil was mainly distributed in the upper part of the occluded area, the area near the unoccluded fault, and the top of the reservoir in other areas. The plugging of the lower part of the producers can increase the volume of DFC in the occluded area, and the DFC moves up throughout the entire reservoir. This improves the utilization degree of the remaining oil at the top of the entire reservoir, but the remaining oil near the fault in the unoccluded area remains inaccessible. The combination of producer conversion, drilling infill wells, and producer plugging can alter the injection-production relationship and weaken the occlusion effect of the fault. The occluded area forms a new DFC, leading to a significant increase in the recovery degree. The deployment of infill wells near the fault in the unoccluded area can effectively control the area and improve the utilization of the remaining oil.

Influence of path design cooling strategies on thermal conditions and pedestrian walkability in high-rise residential complexes

Intensive urbanization exacerbates overheating in cities, leading to negative impacts on human health. Although numerous studies have investigated the improvement of pedestrian comfort through street-level treatments, few have examined the influence on pedestrian walkability, and the spatial extent of cooling effects from paths to adjacent areas remains unevaluated. This study assesses the cooling effects of different mitigation strategies on four thermal indicators—surface temperature (Tsurf), air temperature (Ta), mean radiant temperature (MRT), and physiological equivalent temperature (PET)—using ENVI-met simulations. We employ Agent-based Models (ABM) to analyze pedestrian walkability through perceived travel time (PTT). The study focuses on two high-rise residential complexes in Suwon City, South Korea, and compares reflective pavement, single-row tree planting, and clustered tree planting mitigation strategies. Results indicate that single-row planting offers more significant cooling effects across the entire site compared to other strategies, while clustered planting improves local heat conditions. Cooling effects extend from the path to the entire block, with single-row planting reducing Tsurf by up to 5.5 °C, Ta by 0.2 °C, MRT by 16.2 °C, and PET by 5.8 °C at 12.72 m away from paths during the hottest hours. ABM results suggest that single-row planting provides the best PTT reduction and can be up to 36.24 %. The proposed framework and findings provide urban designers with a data-driven approach to optimize pedestrian thermal comfort and walkability.

Additional Detection of Clones Using Locally Sensitive Hashing

Today, there are many methods for detecting blocks with repetitions and redundancy in the program code. But mostly they turn out to be dependent on the programming language in which the software is developed and try to detect complex types of repeating blocks. Therefore, the goal of the research was to develop a language-independent repetition detector and expand its capabilities. In the development and operation of the language-independent incremental repeater detector, it was decided to conduct experiments for five open source systems for evaluation using the industrial detector SIG (Software Improvement Group), including the use of a tool syntactic analysis. But there was the question of extending the algorithm for additional detection of duplication and redundancy in the code, which was proposed by Hammel, and how improvements can be made to achieve independence from the programming language. Particular attention was paid to the empirical results presented in the original study, as their effectiveness is questionable. The main parameters that were considered when creating the index for LIIRD (Language-independent incremental repeat detector) and its expansion of the LSH (locally sensitive hashing): measuring time, memory and creating an incremental step. Based on the results of experiments conducted by the authors of Hammel’s work, there was a motivation to develop an extended approach. The idea of this approach is that according to the original study, the operation of calculating the entire block index with repeats and redundancy from scratch is very time consuming. Therefore, it is proposed to use LSH to obtain an effective assessment of the similarity of software project files.

Geoelectric model of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle of the Dniester-Bug megablock of the Ukrainian Shield

A network of long-period magnetotelluric and magnetovariational data (124 sites) in the period range of 9—16 to 2500—6400 s made it possible to explore the geoelectric structure of the Erth’s crust and upper mantle of most of the Dniester-Bug and adjacent megablocks of the Ukrainian shield. Based on the resistivity cross-sections along the profiles (with 2D inversion), a three-dimensional matrix was created for the territory limited by coordinates 27.7—30.4° E and 47.7—49.4° N, which included the spatial coordinates of each grid node on each profile, the power of the model cells, and the resistance value in the cell. As a result, geoelectrical anomalous structures were identified at different depths from 3 to 100 km.
 The entire block of rocks 200×200 km down to a depth of 100 km is characterized by high resistivity, against which objects of reduced resistivity (LRO) are identified.
 The resulting distribution of high-resistivity rocks over the entire depth of the model is in good agreement with the laboratory dependencies obtained both for the rocks of the Ukrainian Shield and other data. Model data show a significant difference in resistivities in the upper 14—16 km (above 105 ohm), lower crust (about 104 ohm), and upper mantle (103 ohm). Against a general decrease in resistance with depth in the Earth’s crust, three regions were identified in which anomalously high (for a given depth) resistances extend to the entire thickness of the crust. These high-resistivity objects are consistent with positive Bouguer anomalies.
 Against the background of high-resistivity rocks, LROs stand out, the resistance of which does not exceed 120 ohm·m. The spatial dimensions of the LRO zones indicate their locality and do not form a continuous layer. An analysis of the distribution of LROs in space and depth suggests a genetic relationship between mantle LROs and crustal LROs. Comparison of mantle LROs with the Beltska zone of modern activation on the territory of Ukraine shows their good agreement both vertically and horizontally. To explain the lower LRO resistivity in the upper mantle, overheating of the rocks to solidus and 2—3 % melting and/or the presence of fluids is necessary [Gordienko, 2017]. In recent studies discussing the influence of thermobaric conditions and the fluid content necessary to explain the presence of increased conductivity in the upper mantle, the authors of [Blatter et al., 2022] concluded that an anomalously large amount of volatiles is needed with small amounts of melt. The assumption that mantle LROs are related to crustal LROs has been tested by comparing LROs with fault zones.
 The presence of LROs in the mantle, their vertical extent, and their connection with rejuvenated fault systems can serve as a basis for the deep migration of fluids enriched in volatiles.

Modified tool radius compensation in the Archimedes' spiral tool path for high speed machining of circular geometry

A key role in HSM (High Speed Machining) is played by the NC program code, which guides the tool along a programmed path without jumps in velocity and acceleration. The commonly used CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software offers many operations for dynamic machining, but the generated code is difficult to edit. An alternative is to use parameterized technology cycles. Unfortunately, the circular pocket cycle available on the Siemens Sinumerik 840D controller was not designed for HSM machining. The purpose of the article is to program an Archimedes' spiral using modified tool radius compensation. The parametric NC code was implemented on the Siemens Sinumerik 840D controller as a technology cycle. The obtained trajectory of the tool meets the curvature continuity condition (C2 continuity). The algorithm uses 3 NC program blocks to define the spiral, regardless of its length. Tool positions are calculated directly by the interpolator during the tool's circular motion (G2/G3). Spiral step is achieved by an additional contour offset (OFFN function), and also by multiple repetitions of circles (TURN function). The change in the effective tool radius value during active tool radius compensation (G41/G42) moves the tool away from the contour along the length of the entire NC block. Several spiral programming variants that are used in cycles were analyzed to identify the feed rate drops at joining points between program blocks. During the process, the trajectory and feed rate were recorded using the Sinumerik Trace function. A problem with the Siemens Sinumerik controller was identified when machine axes exceed the acceleration limit. Synchronized actions were implemented to reduce the feed rate, with the acceleration and jerk limit that are specified in the part program being taken into account. The presented cycle, with the graphical user interface, highlights the potential for HSM milling. The conducted experiment shows the need to supplement the Siemens Sinumerik controller with Archimedes' spiral interpolation. New technology cycles will increase productivity and open up new possibilities, such as tapered threads milling.

Exterior decoration of buildings during reconstruction and restoration residential areas of Ukrainian cities

The modern experience of external equipment of residential and public buildings isconsidered and analyzed. It was determined that during the reconstruction and restoration of the housing stock, a significant percentage of which consist of large-panel houses that belong to the outdated housing stock, modern types of external equipment will be usedcomprehensively for entire blocks and neighborhoods.
 This determines the use of a wide palette of facing materials, diverse in color and texture, which will help, along with other means, to avoid monotony, grayness and monotony of the building, which is subject to reconstruction and restoration.
 The conditionally divided into two main groups: plaster facades and attachments. The plaster facades still have the conditional name "wet facades" as in the processes used in the production of facade work, water is present. At the same time, the hinged systems were called "dry facades" The equipment of plaster solutions is used on the outer surfaces of walls of prefabricated or monolithic concrete of different species, as well as from natural or artificial stone (bricks, stone blocks, etc.). Like any technology or design, the plaster type facade insulation system has its restrictions: seasonality of execution, due to the fact that this technology involves wet processes that can be performed only in warm weather (up to +5 ° C); It is possible to perform part of the work (gluing of the insulation, reinforcement) in the winter with the use of thermal curtains, but the ocular treatment, in all cases, should be carried out in the warm season. The facades of buildings and structures, which are finished with modern materials, are conditionally divided into two main groups: plaster facades and attachments. The plaster facades still have the conditional name "wet facades" as in the processes used in the production of facade work, water is present. At the same time, the hinged systems were called "dry facades" [2]. The equipment of plaster solutions is used on the outer surfaces of walls of prefabricated or monolithic concrete of different species, as well as from natural or artificial stone (bricks, stone blocks, etc.). Like any technology or design, the plaster type facade insulation system has its restrictions: seasonality of execution, due to the fact that this technology involves wet processes that can be performed only in warm weather (up to +5 ° C); It is possible to perform part of the work (gluing of the insulation, reinforcement) in the winter with the use of thermal curtains, but the ocular treatment, in all cases, should be carried out in the warm season. As a result of the analysis of modern types of outdoor equipment the most effective materials have been determined, which have been tested by practice in various operating conditions and are recommended for solving future tasks. In the course of the research, it was determined that the most effective type of external equipment of buildings are hinged facade systems, which were called "dry facades".

Authorized Vehicles Only: Police, parking, and pedestrian access in New York City

Sidewalks and crosswalks do not benefit pedestrians if they are blocked by automobiles. In New York City, local media have documented that cars outside of law-enforcement offices routinely park on sidewalks and in crosswalks. This study systematically and longitudinally pursues this topic by tracking the geographic extent of this obstructive parking via in-person observation of the streets surrounding all 77 New York Police Department (NYPD) station houses, across all five boroughs. Combined with review of historical street imagery, this approach reveals widespread and longstanding parking on sidewalks, and to a lesser extent, in crosswalks. Of 77 NYPD station houses, 70 (91%) exhibited parking of at least one of these kinds, with sidewalk parking often extending along the entire block (and not simply in front of station houses), on adjacent blocks, and on both sides of the street. This renders many sidewalks impassable – forcing pedestrians into traffic – and in many cases directly abuts residences and businesses, curtailing access to such destinations. Longitudinally, such obstructive parking was present across 82% of 703 street-imagery data points, indicating this has largely become the default (and not occasional) use of adjacent sidewalks. In-person observation also demonstrated other ways this parking has had negative effects surrounding NYPD station houses, including double parking, obstruction of bus and bike lanes, and blocking of fire hydrants. These findings broaden the study of pedestrian accessibility and safety beyond the quality and design of sidewalks and intersections, to include chronic automotive obstruction, and indicate that parking behavior surrounding public-sector offices, if left unchecked, significantly degrades walkability.

Total Talar Replacement: Surgical Technique.

Total talar replacement is a salvage procedure for end-stage osteonecrosis of the talus. A customized total talar implant is designed with use of computed tomography scans of the healthy opposite side and made of alumina ceramic. The use of such an implant is potentially recommended, with a guarded prognosis, for the treatment of traumatic, steroidal, alcoholic, systemic lupus erythematous, hemophilic, and idiopathic pathologies. The talus is surrounded by the tibia, fibula, calcaneus, and navicular bones, which account for a large portion of the articular surface area. Yoshinaga9 reported that alumina ceramic prostheses were superior in terms of congruency and durability of articular cartilage compared with 316L stainless steel in an in vivo test in dogs. Therefore, alumina ceramic is an ideal material for replacement of the talus to preserve postoperative hindfoot mobility. Total talar replacement is performed with the patient in a supine position. The anterior ankle approach is utilized to exteriorize the talus, facilitating dissection of the ligaments and joint capsule attached to talus. The first osteotomy is performed around the talar neck, perpendicular to the plantar surface of the foot. The talar head fragment is then removed. Subsequent talar osteotomies are performed parallel to the first cutting line, at approximately 2-cm intervals. The attaching articular capsule and ligaments are dissected in each step. The removal of the posterior talar bone fragments is succeeded by careful dissection of the ligament and joint capsule under the periosteum. After dissecting the remaining interosseous talocalcaneal ligament, the foot is distally retracted and a customized talar implant is inserted. After testing and confirming the stability and mobility of the implant, the wound is irrigated with use of normal saline solution. A suction drain is placed anterior to the implant, and the skin is closed after repairing the extensor retinaculum. In cases with a limited area of necrosis, symptoms may improve with a patellar tendon-bearing brace. However, in many cases of symptomatic osteonecrosis of the talus, nonoperative treatment is not expected to improve symptoms. Alternative surgical procedures include ankle arthrodesis and hindfoot arthrodesis, but there are risks of nonunion, leg-length discrepancy as a result of extensive bone loss, and functional decline because of loss of hindfoot motion. Total talar replacement is a fundamentally unique treatment concept in which the entire talus is replaced with an artificial implant. Compared with ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis, this procedure preserves the range of motion of the foot and allows for earlier functional recovery. Postoperative results were satisfactory in the subjective evaluation, with no failure requiring revision. This procedure reduces the risk of postoperative failure in patients who are elderly and/or have underlying diseases, who often require a long recovery time. As the talus is a small bone with uniquely vulnerable vascularity, treatment of talar pathology is usually difficult; however, total talar replacement is a potential treatment option for patients with end-stage osteonecrosis of the talus without obesity. The greatest advantage of total talar replacement is the preservation of ankle and hindfoot mobility. Second, a customized talar prosthesis based on a mirrored model of the contralateral, unaffected talus will allow the smooth transfer of body weight from the lower leg to the heel and forefoot-a requirement for a stable gait. Third, the artificial talar prosthesis has a potential advantage in that it minimizes leg-length discrepancy, preventing daily inconvenience for the patient. Twenty years after the development of the implant, replacement with a total talar prosthesis resulted in a median score of 97 out of 100 on the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale as an objective evaluation and yielded a significant improvement in the subjective evaluation of the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) in a follow-up study over 10 years. The median ankle joint range of motion was 45°, and complications requiring implant replacement never occurred. The skin incision should be placed at the center of the inferior tibial articular surface and curved medially to avoid the medial branch of the superficial peroneal nerve.During the resection of the talus, the attaching ligament and joint capsule are recommended to be debrided prior to osteotomy.Bone fragments should be removed as an entire block in order to avoid leaving small fragments.When inserting the artificial talus, pull the entire foot distally by grasping the heel in order to avoid excessive plantar flexion.During wound closure, the extensor retinaculum should be repaired to avoid skin bowstringing.Although favorable long-term results have been reported, postoperative outcomes in patients with high body mass index have not been adequately investigated. This procedure should be carefully selected on the basis of the physical characteristics of the patient. AVN = avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis)SLE = systemic lupus erythematousCAD = computer-aided designCT = computed tomographyJSSF = Japanese Society for Surgery of the FootIQR = interquartile rangeAOS = Ankle Osteoarthritis ScalePWB = partial weight-bearingW = weeks.

Disentangling Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Compositions

We present a measurement study on compositions of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols, which aim to disrupt traditional finance and offer services on top of distributed ledgers, such as Ethereum. Understanding DeFi compositions is of great importance, as they may impact the development of ecosystem interoperability, are increasingly integrated with web technologies, and may introduce risks through complexity. Starting from a dataset of 23 labeled DeFi protocols and 10,663,881 associated Ethereum accounts, we study the interactions of protocols and associated smart contracts. From a network perspective, we find that decentralized exchange (DEX) and lending protocol account nodes have high degree and centrality values, that interactions among protocol nodes primarily occur in a strongly connected component, and that known community detection methods cannot disentangle DeFi protocols. Therefore, we propose an algorithm to decompose a protocol call into a nested set of building blocks that may be part of other DeFi protocols. This allows us to untangle and study protocol compositions. With a ground truth dataset that we have collected, we can demonstrate the algorithm’s capability by finding that swaps are the most frequently used building blocks. As building blocks can be nested, that is, contained in each other, we provide visualizations of composition trees for deeper inspections. We also present a broad picture of DeFi compositions by extracting and flattening the entire nested building block structure across multiple DeFi protocols. Finally, to demonstrate the practicality of our approach, we present a case study that is inspired by the recent collapse of the UST stablecoin in the Terra ecosystem. Under the hypothetical assumption that the stablecoin USD Tether would experience a similar fate, we study which building blocks — and, thereby, DeFi protocols — would be affected. Overall, our results and methods contribute to a better understanding of a new family of financial products.

Non-isothermal thin-film flow of a viscoplastic material over topography: critical Bingham number for a partial slump

This paper considers the non-isothermal flow of a viscoplastic fluid on a horizontal or an inclined surface with a flat, a step-up and a step-down topography. A particular application of interest is the spread of a fixed mass—a block—of material under its own weight. The rheology of the fluid is described by the Bingham model which includes the effect of yield stress, i.e. a threshold stress which must be exceeded before flow can occur. Both the plastic viscosity and the yield stress are modelled with temperature-dependent parameters. The flow is described by a reduced model with a thin-film equation for the height of the block and a depth-averaged energy conservation equation for the heat transfer. Results show that for large values of the yield stress, only the outer fraction of the fluid spreads outward, the inner fraction remaining unyielded, hence the block only partially slumps. Conversely, for small values of the yield stress, the entire block of fluid becomes yielded and therefore slumps. We present an analysis which predicts the critical value of the yield stress for which partial slump occurs and how it depends on temperature.Graphical abstract