Slight Movement Research Articles

427.9: Total Bilateral Arm Transplantation: Functional Recovery and Psychosocial Outcomes at One Year

Introduction: Although arm loss causes severe disability and compromission of body image, functional recovery after allotransplantation still presents many challenges. Objective: A bilateral arm transplantation including reconstruction of the left shoulder was performed on January 13, 2021 in Lyon (France). Functional recovery and psychosocial outcomes are reported one year after the transplantation. Materials and Methods: The recipient was a 48-year old patient with bilateral amputation at proximal arm level after electric shock in January 1998, who underwent liver transplantation in 2002. The patient used mechanic prostheses with poor satisfaction. The surgical procedure consisted in a total arm transplantation on the left side with reconstruction of the gleno-humeral joint. The maintenance immunosuppressive therapy included tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. Rehabilitation therapy started on day one. It progressively included manual lymphatic drainage, passive motion of all joints in a total range except limitations for the shoulders during the first 6 weeks. Then, electrostimulation on denervated muscles was performed. After 6 weeks the protocol included hand therapy, psychomotricity, physical activities, occupational therapy and sensory-motor simulation training approaches (motor imagery, virtual mirror therapy, virtual reality). Results: Motor recovery was already appreciated 8 months after the transplantation. At one year, passive ranges of motion of upper limbs are subnormal. According to MRC scale, muscular strength at shoulder level is from 3 to 4/5 on the right side and from 1 to 2/5 on the left side; from 3 to 4/5 for elbow flexors and from 1 to 2 for elbow extensors on both sides; 3/5 for wrist flexors on the right side and 0/5 on the left side; 1 to 2/5 for wrist extensors on both sides; 3/5 for pronators and supinators on the right side and 1/5 on the left side. Slight contraction and movements of the extrinsic flexors and extensor muscles of the fingers have been evidenced on both sides, and the first prehension movements started on the right hand. The Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test for sensory threshold was 6.65 in the right palm and below the left elbow; deep pressure sensation is recovered in both hands. Functional Independence Measure is 96/126 and the DASH score 75.8. The patient is able to perform the same daily activities as with the prostheses before the transplantation.The patient was psychologically tested during the follow-up using a specific questionnaire for upper extremity allotransplantation and MADRS, Hamilton and Rosenberg tests. The results (Table 1) show the difficulties, the patient’s strong motivation and capacity to cope, and his satisfaction reached at the first year of follow-up. Conclusions: The patient is very satisfied of his grafts and of his restored body image, which was his main expectation.

Safety, feasibility, and acceptability of physiotherapy combined with strength training using active video games for older patients with musculoskeletal conditions

Purpose This study aimed to determine the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of physiotherapy (PT) combined with strength training using active video games (AVG) for older patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Methods Sixteen patients underwent AVG + PT on day 1 and only conventional physiotherapy (CPT) on day 2. The AVG was conducted in 6 upper- and lower-limb training performed in standing position using Ring Fit Adventure (RFA) on Nintendo Switch. Outcome measured adverse events and deviant movements associated with the AVG as safety, execution rate of each AVG programme as feasibility, and questionnaires (4-point Likert scale) regarding enjoyment, motivation to continue, and feeling of efficacy as acceptability. Results The berg balance scale/functional independence measure indicated 45 ± 8/90 ± 16. No adverse events occurred. Some of deviant movements were observed that could be an injury risk, such as a slight forward movement during the stepping exercise. The execution rate for each AVG programme ranged from 81% to 100%. The categories of enjoyment, motivation to continue, and feeling of efficacy had >90% of positive responses (strongly agree, slightly agree) in AVG + PT, and enjoyment tended to be higher in AVG + PT than in CPT. Conclusions Strength training using RFA was considered to be a safe and feasible exercise tool enough to be applicable as part of a rehabilitation programme in older patients with musculoskeletal conditions. However, should be supervised, at least during the introductory phase. It was also positively accepted by older adults, suggesting enhanced enjoyment. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Active video games (AVG) training with Ring Fit Adventure (RFA) was found to be safe enough to be considered for application as part of a rehabilitation programme for older patients with musculoskeletal conditions, but should be supervised, at least during the introductory phase. AVG training comprising strength training with RFA was found to be a highly feasible exercise tool for rehabilitation in older patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Physiotherapy combined with AVG training using RFA was also well received, suggesting enhanced enjoyment for older patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

A novel plastic failure model of prestressed anchor cables for upper bound stability analyses of rotational reinforced slopes

In the existing upper bound limit analyses (UBLA) of rotational slopes reinforced with prestressed anchor cables, the mobilized axial forces of all cables are assumed to be equal to the ultimate pullout force. However, such an assumption overestimates the mechanical contribution of prestressed anchor cables, resulting in excessively high safety factors. In this technical note, we aim to tackle this issue by proposing a pseudo-plastic design concept, in which soil masses and prestressed cables are treated as plastic and elastic-plastic, respectively, when slopes collapse. A pseudo-plastic failure model of prestressed anchor cables is proposed, where the variation of tension forces and movement of anchor heads are accounted for. Several interesting conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) Contrary to the conventional plastic failure mode of cables, upper bound solutions obtained by the proposed model are much closer to the exact solutions. (2) Variation of factors of safety (FSs) against the accumulated rotational displacement can be explained by the force-displacement curve obtained in the pullout test of prestressed anchor cables. (3) The sliding slope reinforced with cables may turn out to be stable after a slight rotational movement, which can be utilized in the economical design.

Function, Injury, and Treatment for Meniscus

The meniscus is considered a vital structure for maintaining normal functions and perennial health of the knee joint. This study focuses on the meniscus and discusses its function, injuries and the corresponding treatments. Results show that two menisci are located in the knee joint- medial and lateral meniscus, which are different in shape but work together to provide specific functions. The main functions of the meniscus include load sharing, shock absorption, stability, joint lubrication and nutrition. Meniscal injuries include vertical longitudinal, radial, horizontal (cleavage), degenerative (complex), and bucket-handle tears, all of which can cause serious knee morbidity. There are different symptoms of meniscus damage, and the severity of the damage can be identified from the symptoms. Once the meniscus injury is found, conservative or surgical treatment should be carried out immediately. Conservative treatments generally include massage, acupuncture, and slight movement, as well as drug treatment. Surgical treatments include meniscus suture, partial meniscectomy, and meniscectomy. If it is not treated in time, the meniscus could cause irreversible damage and a series of sequelae.

Ultrafast miniaturized GaN-based optoelectronic proximity sensor

In this work, a novel ultrafast optoelectronic proximity sensor based on a submillimeter-sized GaN monolithic chip is presented. Fabricated through wafer-scale microfabrication processes, the on-chip units adopting identical InGaN/GaN diode structures can function as emitters and receivers. The optoelectronic properties of the on-chip units are thoroughly investigated, and the ability of the receivers to respond to changes in light intensity from the emitter is verified, revealing that the sensor is suitable for operation in reflection mode. Through a series of dynamic measurements, the sensor is highly sensitive to object movement at subcentimeter distances with high repeatability. The sensor exhibits ultrafast microsecond response, and its real-time monitoring capability is also demonstrated by applying it to detect slight motions of moving objects at different frequencies, including the human heart rate, the vibration of the rotary pump, the oscillation of the speaker diaphragm, and the speed of the rotating disk. The compact and elegant integration scheme presented herein opens a new avenue for realizing a chip-scale proximity sensing device, making it a promising candidate for widespread practical applications.

". . . imagine! . . . what position she was in! . . .": Revealing the Female Form in Samuel Beckett's Not I

". . . imagine! . . . what position she was in! . . .":Revealing the Female Form in Samuel Beckett's Not I Zan Cammack (bio) In Samuel Beckett's 1972 play Not I, an actress whose mouth is tightly and exclusively lit delivers a rapid, incessant, long stream-of-consciousness monologue as the protagonist Mouth. Mouth undergoes a desperate struggle to articulate a traumatic narrative of female identity, all the while "vehement[ly] refus[ing] to relinquish the third person" as Beckett describes it, seemingly incapable of acknowledging that the narrative is indeed her own (Beckett 405). She avoids saying "I" during five marked moments of crisis in which her monologue becomes a question and answer with an unheard interlocutor: ". . . what? . . . who? . . . no! . . . she! . . ." (406, 408, 411, 412, 413). The staging of Not I requires Mouth to be suspended eight feet above stage level, upstage and audience right, "faintly lit from close-up and below" with the rest of her face and body obscured in darkness (405). For most of the piece the audience stares intently at the pinprick of light that Mouth occupies at the back of the large, dark stage. In Enoch Brater's article "The 'I' in Beckett's Not I" (1974), he explains how this staging affects the play: "if we concentrate too steadily on Mouth, we begin to discern in the stage darkness the actress behind the Mouth" (195). Brater's comment alludes to the phenomenon of dark adaptation in the human eye. Our eyes can reach a certain level of dark adaptation—the process by which eyes adjust to enable further vision in dim lighting—in approximately five to nine minutes, although full adaptation takes approximately twenty minutes (Kalloniatis and Luu). Brater's assessment of the stage lighting suggests that, in Not I, if audiences focus on Mouth for an extended period, their eyes can start to adapt to the dark, begin to penetrate the darkness of the stage, and potentially see the blacked-out figure of the performer. That level of dark adaptation would essentially undo the effect of a floating and disembodied mouth upon which Beckett's play entirely relies. In this essay, I attend to the darkness that so frames Mouth and its effects on spectators. What role, I ask, does darkness have on the play's presentation of female experience, and how have different productions used darkness as a staging technique to shape audiences' views of Beckett's disembodied protagonist? Lighting was (and is) a principal concern for the staging of Not I; to be more specific, the absence of lighting was a sticking point for Beckett and early productions of the piece. At the first Royal Court production of Not I in 1973, for instance, Billie Whitelaw remembers the impenetrability of the darkness in the theatre. It extended beyond a darkened stage to include the entire theatre space: "we killed all the lights, we broke all the rules, and took the lightbulbs out of the exit lights and took the lightbulbs out of the ladies' loo-lights because people tried to escape into the loo" (1990, n.p.). This left Mouth on the stage as the primary focal point for audiences, an anchor in the dark, as Beckett intended. While Beckett and his directors never specifically mention "dark adaptation" as motivation in their staging and lighting of Not I, I see a central tension in the way the play develops technical (staging) and verbal (in Mouth monologue) lighting in relation to the disembodied female body. For example, Beckett also added the figure of Auditor to the play:1 a hooded figure who stands "fully faintly lit" downstage left and diagonally positioned from the upstage right Mouth (Beckett 405). Auditor never speaks, only making slight arm movements at the first four intervals of Mouth's denial [End Page 97 ] of the first person. The dimly lit presence of Auditor and, more importantly, the small gestures Auditor makes create a distraction from Mouth at crucial moments in her narrative. Audiences shift their attention from the small, far-away Mouth to the larger and closer figure. In this fleeting moment of distraction, the eye is forced to change its level of dark adaptation. The eye can relax its...

Методы расчета дрейфа тяжелых облаков с учетом движения среды

Peculiarities are considered related to the numerical integration of the diffusion equations for describing the formation and motion (drift) of explosive clouds formed on the territories of industrial facilities as a result of the accidental releases of combustible substances. The relevance of the study is associated with the fact that when the contents of an emergency release are mixed with an air, an explosive and flammable mixture is formed. The process of its combustion is determined by the volumetric concentration of the combustible substance. At concentrations below the lower concentration limit of ignition, combustion or explosion of the mixture is completely excluded. If the concentration of the mixture is between the lower and upper concentration limits of ignition, then there is an explosion. When the concentration of the mixture is above the upper concentration limit of ignition, a flash fire or a fireball occurs. Thus, the information is required on the parameters of the explosive mixture that may form due to the accidental release. Accidental releases can occur under the most adverse atmospheric environment and weather conditions. As a result, the focus of the article is on determining the parameters of an explosive cloud in the conditions of drift under the influence of a slight movement of the atmosphere (the most unfavorable scenario for the development of an accident). The results of numerical calculations of the diffusion equation with allowance for the mobility of the atmosphere are presented. The presence of a weak wind is the most unfavorable situation in terms of the drift of an explosive cloud. The methods and criteria are substantiated that allow obtaining the most correct results of calculating its motion.

Estimation of Needle Puncturing Form during Slight Needle Movement Based on Force Data for Robotic Automated Puncturing Function

In this paper, we focused on the medical procedure to insert needles under computer tomography (CT) guidance as a target for the robotization of medical surgery, which is one of Interventional Radiology (IR). IR is a general term for treatments that use devices to visualize patients’ bodies. During surgery, our developed robot, known as Zerobot, specializes in inserting a needle into the patient under CT guidance. Its surgery is less invasive and more effective in treating small cancer tumors because the temperature of the inserted needle tip is controlled. Zerobot was originally designed to be remotely controlled by doctors, and first-in-human feasibility trials in 2018 confirmed its surgical capability. We are currently focusing on the automatic insertion function to reduce the workload of doctors. In an animal experiment, Zerobot was unable to insert the needle into the animal during IR surgery if the needle was bent. As a result, the goal of this research is to have the robot function automatically so that the needle does not bend during surgery. We propose a method for estimating the form of the needle using a force sensor. There are three different types of needle forms. Next, the proposed method distinguishes between these needle forms by measuring the difference in force sensor data when the needle root is moved slightly. In addition, we conducted tests to confirm the efficacy of the proposed method.

Disc-condyle relationship alterations following stabilization splint therapy or arthrocentesis plus hyaluronic acid injection in patients with anterior disc displacement: a retrospective cohort study.

The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of stabilization splint (SS) therapy or arthrocentesis plus hyaluronic acid (HA) injection in the treatment of anterior disc displacement (ADD) through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 99 subjects were collected in this study. 46 subjects received SS treatment (SS group), 53 subjects received arthrocentesis plus HA injection (HA group). Joints with anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR) and anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR) were compared separately. MRI before the beginning of the treatment and after a set of treatment were used for measurement. Disc-condyle relationship and positions of condyles and discs were determined by disc-condyle angles and X-Y coordinates. The disc-condyle angles decreased significantly in the SS group (P < .0001). Whereas no significant change was found in the HA group. Substantial anteroinferior condyle movement was detected in the SS group, slight anterior movement of condyles was discovered in the HA group. Anterior shift of discs position was observed in HA group and joints with ADDwoR in the SS group. SS was effective in improving the disc-condyle relationship in ADD subjects, while significant improvement of disc-condyle relationship cannot be achieved through arthrocentesis plus HA injection.

Specializations in optic flow encoding in the pretectum of hummingbirds and zebra finches

All visual animals experience optic flow-global visual motion across the retina, which is used to control posture and movement.1 The midbrain circuitry for optic flow is highly conserved in vertebrates,2-6 and these neurons show similar response properties across tetrapods.4,7-16 These neurons have large receptive fields and exhibit both direction and velocity selectivity in response to large moving stimuli. Hummingbirds deviate from the typical vertebrate pattern in several respects.17,18 Their lentiformis mesencephali (LM) lacks the directional bias seen in other tetrapods and has an overall bias for faster velocities. This led Ibbotson19 to suggest that the hummingbird LM may be specialized for hovering close to visual structures, such as plants. In such an environment, even slight body motions will translate into high-velocity optic flow. A prediction from this hypothesis is that hummingbird LM neurons should be more responsive to large visual features. We tested this hypothesis by measuring neural responses of hummingbirds and zebra finches to sine wave gratings of varying spatial and temporal frequencies. As predicted, the hummingbird LM displayed an overall preference for fast optic flow because neurons were biased to lower spatial frequencies. These neurons were also tightly tuned in the spatiotemporal domain. We found that the zebra finch LM specializes along another domain: many neurons were initially tuned to high temporal frequencies followed by a shift in location and orientation to slower velocity tuning. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the LM has distinct and specialized tuning properties in at least two bird species.

Crowd behavior anomaly detection using correlation of optical flow magnitude

Nowadays, crowd monitoring is a contentious issue. Because of the increasing population and diversity of human activities, crowd scenarios in the real world are becoming more common, demanding the need for an automotive anomaly detection system. Crowd behavior is influenced by the thoughts and attitudes of others around them. An unexpected event can turn a peaceful crowd into a riot. A mechanism based on optical flow must be implemented to compensate for all of these factors. The amount of motion present in two successive frames is estimated using optical flow. It includes information on velocity in the x & y plane, along with magnitude and line of action. By means of “anomalous event” in this paper is quick and sudden dispersal of the crowd. For detecting an event the magnitude of two successive frames should be taken into account followed by estimating a correlation. We expect a high correlation, slight motion, and low rate of change in velocities at non-anomalous events, but as soon as an anomalous event occurs, the correlation begins to decrease with a significant change in velocity and large motion vectors. The methodology was tested on a dataset from the University of Minnesota that included 11 movies from three different circumstances. Almost all anomalous occurrences in videos were successfully detected using this method.

Nonlinear assessment of “breathing” fatigue crack using steady-state vibration responses

Abstract Fatigue cracks can occur in structural components under long-term cyclic loads. Such fatigue cracks can open and close like "breathing" under harmonic excitations. Fatigue cracks can develop and jeopardize safety of structures. Therefore, there is a great need to assess fatigue cracks especially in their early stages. Higher harmonics have been widely used as crack indicators, however, slight opening-closing motion can lead to weak higher harmonics with much less amplitudes compared to the first harmonics. In these situations, higher harmonics can be barely identified for crack detection. Addressing this problem, this study develops the damage assessment approach based on singular spectrum analysis to distinguish crack-induced nonlinearities in steady-state vibration responses, whereby nonlinear assessment of the crack can be achieved. The capability of the approach is experimentally validated on a steel beam with a “breathing” fatigue crack, steady-state velocity responses of which are acquired through non- contact laser measurement using a Doppler laser vibrometer.

Numerical and Experimental Studies of Transpiration Cooling Film Effectiveness over Porous Materials

Comprehensive experimental and numerical studies were performed to determine cooling film effectiveness of transpiration cooling over porous materials. The cooling film effectiveness was evaluated experimentally using pressure-sensitive paint by invoking heat/mass transfer analogy over the surface of the porous samples. It was found that transpiration cooling can reduce total surface heat flux by two to three times and provide solid surface cooling film effectiveness on average 40% higher than the state-of-the-art multihole effusion cooling. This improvement increases to 200% when high coolant flow rates are used due to effusion cooling film liftoff. Numerical simulations allowed detailed investigations of the flow evolution in the porous media and its ability to create a thermal protection film. Modeling results revealed slight lateral motion of the flow inside the porous media in the same direction as the main flow. This was attributed to the viscous effect of the channel flow and low flow resistance of the porous samples. As a result, a larger portion of coolant exits the porous transpiration cooling surface toward the trailing edge of the test coupon, creating a nonuniform cooling film over the test samples surface. The model also suggested that cooling film effectiveness is a function of the porous media physical properties (permeability and inertia coefficient). In contrast to the reduction in cooling film effectiveness in multihole effusion cooling resulting from cooling film liftoff at high coolant flow rates, this study indicates that high coolant flow rates enhance cooling film protection in transpiration cooling.

Ultra-Sensitive, Deformable, and Transparent Triboelectric Tactile Sensor Based on Micro-Pyramid Patterned Ionic Hydrogel for Interactive Human-Machine Interfaces.

Rapid advances in wearable electronics and mechno‐sensational human–machine interfaces impose great challenges in developing flexible and deformable tactile sensors with high efficiency, ultra‐sensitivity, environment‐tolerance, and self‐sustainability. Herein, a tactile hydrogel sensor (THS) based on micro‐pyramid‐patterned double‐network (DN) ionic organohydrogels to detect subtle pressure changes by measuring the variations of triboelectric output signal without an external power supply is reported. By the first time of pyramidal‐patterned hydrogel fabrication method and laminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulation process, the self‐powered THS shows the advantages of remarkable flexibility, good transparency (≈85%), and excellent sensing performance, including extraordinary sensitivity (45.97 mV Pa−1), fast response (≈20 ms), very low limit of detection (50 Pa) as well as good stability (36 000 cycles). Moreover, with the LiBr immersion treatment method, the THS possesses excellent long‐term hyper anti‐freezing and anti‐dehydrating properties, broad environmental tolerance (−20 to 60 °C), and instantaneous peak power density of 20 µW cm−2, providing reliable contact outputs with different materials and detecting very slight human motions. By integrating the signal acquisition/process circuit, the THS with excellent self‐power sensing ability is utilized as a switching button to control electric appliances and robotic hands by simulating human finger gestures, offering its great potentials for wearable and multi‐functional electronic applications.

Deep learning versus the human visual system for detecting motion blur in radiography.

Purpose: The necessity of image retakes is initially determined on a preview monitor equipped with an operating system; therefore, some image blurring is only noticed later, on a high-resolution monitor. The purpose of this study is to investigate blur detection performance on radiographs via a deep learning approach compared with human observers. Approach: A total of 99 radiographs (blurry 57, nonblurry 42) were independently observed and rated by six observers using preview and diagnostic liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The deep convolution neural network (DCNN) was trained and tested using ninefold cross-validation. The average areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were calculated for each observer with LCDs and by stand-alone DCNN for each test session and then statistically tested using a 95% confidence interval. Results: The average AUCs were 0.955 for stand-alone DCNN and 0.827 and 0.947 for human observers using preview and diagnostic LCDs, respectively. The DCNN revealed a high performance for image motion blur on digital radiographs (sensitivity 94.8%, specificity 96.8%, and accuracy 95.6%), along with the capability to detect a slight motion blur that was overlooked by human observers with a preview LCD. There were no cases of motion blur overlooked by the stand-alone DCNN, of which some were incorrectly recognized as nonblurry by human observers. Conclusions: The deep learning-based approach was capable of distinguishing slight motion blur that was unnoticeable on a preview LCD, and thus, is expected to aid the human visual system for detecting blurred images in the initial review of digital radiographs.

Baggage Weight Classification by Extracting Temporal Features of Body Sway Acquired from Depth Image Sequences

We propose a method for classifying the weight of baggage carried by a person in an upright posture by finding temporal cues of body sway from depth image sequences. When a standing person is viewed from an overhead depth camera, body sway, which is a slight movement that naturally occurred in the human body, is observed. We consider body sway as discriminative cues for baggage weight classification because it varies depending on the weight of baggage carried by a standing person. To find the cues of body sway from depth image sequences, we can use the existing feature extraction1). However, the accuracy of baggage weight classification is reduced if the existing feature extraction is simply performed. The existing feature extraction causes this problem by seeing both the motion and the shape representing each person's cue to identify people. We consider that the shape of a person does not change even if the weight of the baggage changes. To this end, we design a novel feature extraction that suppresses spatial cues of the shape of a person and emphasizes temporal cues of the motion using the head region's center position. The experimental results show that our feature extraction improves baggage weight classification accuracy compared to the existing feature extraction.

Phase Error Analysis and Compensation of GEO-Satellite-Based GNSS-R Deformation Retrieval

Beidou geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite-based global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique has been developed for measuring surface deformation in a carrier-phase-based, cost-effective, and continuous manner. However, several improper assumptions in the original system and method, such as neglecting the slight GEO satellite movement during angle determination and deeming inter-channel phase difference as time-invariant, can introduce certain errors in estimating the surface deformation. In this work, these issues were analyzed and improved for more accurate estimations. Utilizing a Wilkinson power divider, the inter-channel phase error is estimated and calibrated with direct signal in the master channel. The GEO-motion phase error is theoretically modelled and compensated for based on precise ephemeris. A compensating algorithm of GNSS-R deformation retrieval technique utilizing Beidou GEO satellites is presented, by which encouraging results are yielded from field experiments emulating long-term monitoring. On artificial targets, the retrieval root mean square (RMSE) is better than 8 mm.

Exploration on mechanical test method of improved loess under dry-wet cycles

The stability of loess subgrade is affected by many factors. Dry-wet cycle is a common factor that causes damage to the strength of loess subgrade. In order to study the influence of dry-wet cycle on the stability of loess subgrade, reveal the mechanism of dry-wet cycle damage to the strength of loess subgrade It is necessary to sample the loess soil samples in this area, and perform compaction test, dry-wet cycle test, unconfined compression test and scanning electron microscope test on the soil sample to analyze the influence of dry-wet cycle on the strength and microstructure of loess soil. . In this way, the potential relationship between the microstructure and the strength of the soil can be obtained. The results show that the loess drywet cycle causes the loess's tensile strength and compressive strength to decrease with the increase of the number of dry-wet cycles. The dry-wet cycle effect gradually reduces the shear structural strength of the undisturbed loess and eventually disappears. Scanning electron microscope tests found that the humidification process caused slight movement of the particles, while the drying process resulted in permanent deformation of small pores.

Interplay between undue influence, usury, and immoral contracts in the light of the recent case law of Hungary

In this short writing, we intended to show the recent tendency in the Hungarian judicial practice, a slight movement to rediscover the importance and the great variety of the subjective elements of usury contract, focusing on the so-called undue influence as a subjective condition of the invalidity. However, a twofold finding should be expressed here. First, the conceptual scopes of these grounds are not totally separated from each other, although, a distinction should be made, moreover, not only between the undue influence and other defects of contractual intention but also between usurious contract, immoral contract and unfair exploitation, with the observation that the latter ground of invalidity has only historical importance in Hungarian law. Second, as the former judicial practice placed too much importance on the assessment of the reciprocity condition in usury cases, in the cases of the gift contracts concluded by the party under the undue influence the court constitutes the invalidity based on immorality, not on usury.

Stages That Lead to Drop Depinning and Onset of Motion.

In this paper, we consider drops that are subjected to a gradually increasing lateral force and follow the stages of the motion of the drops. We show that the first time a drop slides as a whole is when the receding edge of the drop is pulled by the advancing edge (the advancing edge drags the receding edge). The generality of this phenomenon includes sessile and pendant drops and spans over various chemically and topographically different cases. Because this observation is true for both pendant and sessile cases, we exclude hydrostatic pressure as its reason. Instead, we explain it in terms of the wetting adaptation and interfacial modulus, that is, the difference in the energies of the solid interface at the advancing and receding edges. At the receding edge, a slight motion exposes to the air a recently wetted solid surface whose molecules had reoriented to the liquid and will take time to reorient back to the air. This results in a high surface energy at the solid-air interface which pulls on the triple line, that is, inhibits the motion of the receding edge. On the other hand, at the advancing edge, a slight advancement does not change the nature of the solid interfacial molecules outside the drop, and the advancing side's sliding can continue. Moreover, the solid molecules under the drop at the advancing edge take time to reorient, and hence, their configuration is not yet adapted for the liquid and therefore not adapted for retention of the advancing edge. Therefore, in sliding-drop experiments, the advancing edge moves before the receding one, typically a few times before the receding edge moves. For the same reason, the last motion of the receding edge usually happens as a result of the advancing edge pulling on it.