Structural Architecture Research Articles

The national-cultural context of the architectural identity of the cities of the North Caucasus

Attempt to correlate the concepts of “image of the city – identity”, the concept of identity in the national-cultural context is considered. The features of the architectural identity of the cities of the North Caucasus are revealed. The article also discusses the issues of preserving the national heritage. The authors actualize the preservation and positioning of the national-cultural context in the architectural structures of the Chechen people. The author’s analysis of the factors of manifestation of the architectural language of local development together with compositional design methods is carried out.

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of AI‐enabled assessment in language learning: Design, implementation, and effectiveness

AbstractBackgroundLanguage assessment plays a pivotal role in language education, serving as a bridge between students' understanding and educators' instructional approaches. Recently, advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have introduced transformative possibilities for automating and personalising language assessments.ObjectivesThis article aims to explore the design and implementation of AI‐enabled assessment tools in language education, filling the research gaps regarding the impact of assessment type, intervention duration, education level, and first language learner/second language learner (L1/L2) on the effectiveness of AI‐enabled assessment tools in enhancing students' language learning outcome.MethodsThis study conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to examine 25 empirical studies from January 2012 to March 2024 from six databases (including EBSCO, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library and CNKI).ResultsThe predominant design in AI‐driven assessment tools is the structural AI architecture. These tools are most frequently deployed in classroom settings for upper primary students within a short duration. A subsequent meta‐analysis showed a medium overall effect size (Hedges's g = 0.390, p < 0.001) for the application of AI‐enabled assessment tools in enhancing students' language learning, underscoring their significant impact on language learning outcomes. This evidence robustly supports the practical utility of these tools in educational contexts.ConclusionsThe analysis of several moderator variables (i.e., assessment type, intervention duration, educational level and L1/L2 learners) and potential impacts on language learning performance indicates that AI‐enabled assessment could be more useful in language education with a proper implementation design. Future research could investigate diverse instructional designs for integrating AI‐based assessment tools in language education.

Evolutionary Characteristics in Primary Aldosteronism Patients.

Primary aldosteronism is predominantly caused by excessive aldosterone production from the adrenal cortex, and the aldosterone-producing structures could take many forms, like adenomas, nodules, micronodules, and so on. Most studies of primary aldosteronism were limited to the hotspot driver genes responsible for autonomous aldosterone production; however, the panoramic genetic architecture and genomic alterations of aldosterone-producing structures and their adjacent hyperplasia glands remain unknown. In this study, whole-exome sequencing and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses were performed using functional nodules and matched hyperplasia tissues, which were microdissected guided by aldosterone synthase immunohistochemistry. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the shared and unique mutations, gene mutation spectrums, and clonal characteristics. The rates of mutations represented higher means of functional nodules than hyperplasia samples, and the little mutational overlap was shown between the 2 groups on phylogenetic trees. The mutations of the aldosterone driver gene (KCNJ5 or CACNA1D) were only observed in functional nodules and indicated almost the largest values of cancer cell fraction. Moreover, the functional nodules also harbored some potential variants related to cell proliferation, which were not detected in hyperplasia tissues. Transcriptome analysis suggested that only 25.5% upregulated and 23.3% downregulated genes overlapped between functional nodules and hyperplasia tissues. This study demonstrated a genetic and transcriptome landscape of aldosterone-producing structures and adjacent hyperplasia glands in primary aldosteronism. The results indicated independent clonal origins on functional nodules and hyperplasia tissues, and little mutual evolutionary relationship was found on their phylogenetic trees.

Layered/Olivine Composite Structure-Induced Stable Gradient Interfacial Chemistry toward High-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The state-of-the-art layered oxide as the cathode material for lithium-ion batteries has attracted wide attention; however, harsh operations of high-energy and high-safety energy-storage technology at high temperature is challenging owing to the aggravated structural instability and parasitic reactions at the cathodes. Herein, the layered/olivine composite structure architecture is designed at the grain surface to govern constant electrochemistry in a harsh environment, and a gradient LiF interlayer is developed onto the cathodes to suppress the interfacial degradation. By a combination of interfacial-sensitive characterizations and theoretical analysis at the cathode/interface, the formation mechanism of this special interphase induced by the composite structure cathode is revealed. The composite structure cathode could deliver an excellent high-temperature cycling stability with 90.8% retention for 300 cycles in the half cell and 95.6% retention for 1000 cycles in the pouch cell and simultaneously enhances ∼51% of the thermal stability, which broadens the approaches for developing high-stable cathodes that work in extreme environments.

History lessons. Search for forms of rental housing – experience of the USSR in the era of constructivism

In development of the topic raised in IP magazine No. 14 / 2023, the main attention is paid to mass and experimental rental housing designed and/or built in the USSR in the 1920s - early 1930s, as well as its architectural and typological features. The object of the study is the residential environment of the rental (municipal) type, the subject of the study is the factors influencing the typological evolution of housing. The purpose of the study is to systematize, generalize and critically retrospective analyze the domestic experience of economical housing, identifying its forms characteristic of the Soviet era. Based on a content analysis of data published in open sources, it was concluded that mass housing, which had pronounced socially oriented properties and minimal parameters, became one of the key tools for ensuring the stability of society. Despite this, today the architectural and planning structure of this housing does not meet the needs of the population. It is necessary to search for new design principles.

Chromatin structure and 3D architecture define the differential functions of PU.1 regulatory elements in blood cell lineages

The precise spatiotemporal expression of the hematopoietic ETS transcription factor PU.1, a key determinant of hematopoietic cell fates, is tightly regulated at the chromatin level. However, how chromatin signatures are linked to this dynamic expression pattern across different blood cell lineages remains uncharacterized. Here, we performed an in-depth analysis of the relationships between gene expression, chromatin structure, 3D architecture, and trans-acting factors at PU.1 cis-regulatory elements (PCREs). By identifying phylogenetically conserved DNA elements within chromatin-accessible regions in primary human blood lineages, we discovered multiple novel candidate PCREs within the upstream region of the human PU.1 locus. A subset of these elements localizes within an 8-kb-wide cluster exhibiting enhancer features, including open chromatin, demethylated DNA, enriched enhancer histone marks, present enhancer RNAs, and PU.1 occupation, presumably mediating PU.1 autoregulation. Importantly, we revealed the presence of a common 35-kb-wide CTCF-flanked insulated neighborhood that contains the PCRE cluster (PCREC), forming a chromatin territory for lineage-specific and PCRE-mediated chromatin interactions. These include functional PCRE-promoter interactions in myeloid and B cells that are absent in erythroid and T cells. By correlating chromatin structure and 3D architecture with PU.1 expression in various lineages, we were able to attribute enhancer versus silencer functions to individual elements. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the interplay between dynamic chromatin structure and 3D architecture in the chromatin regulation of PU.1 expression. This study lays crucial groundwork for additional experimental studies that validate and dissect the role of PCREs in epigenetic regulation of normal and malignant hematopoiesis.

Fluid Grey 2: How Well Does Generative Adversarial Networks Learn Deeper Topology Structure in Architecture That Matches Images?

Taking into account the regional characteristics of ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ properties of space is an essential issue in architectural design and urban renewal, which is often achieved step by step using image and graph-based GANs. However, each model nesting and data conversion may cause information loss, and it is necessary to streamline the tools to facilitate architects and users to participate in the design. Therefore, this study hopes to prove that I2I GAN also has the potential to recognize topological relationships autonomously. Therefore, this research proposes a method for quickly detecting the ability of pix2pix to learn topological relationships, which is achieved by adding two Grasshopper-based detection modules before and after GAN. At the same time, quantitative data is provided and its learning process is visualized, and changes in different input modes such as greyscale and RGB affect its learning efficiency. There are two innovations in this paper: 1) It proves that pix2pix can automatically learn spatial topological relationships and apply them to architectural design. 2) It fills the gap in detecting the performance of Image-based Generation GAN from a topological perspective. Moreover, the detection method proposed in this study takes a short time and is simple to operate. The two detection modules can be widely used for customizing image datasets with the same topological structure and for batch detection of topological relationships of images. In the future, this paper may provide a theoretical foundation and data support for the application of architectural design and urban renewal that use GAN to preserve spatial topological characteristics.

Amorphous CoFePOx hollow nanocubes decorated with g-C3N4 quantum dots to achieve efficient electrocatalytic performance in the oxygen evolution reaction.

Simultaneously enriching active sites and enhancing intrinsic activity in a simple way is of great importance for the design of highly active electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but it still faces challenges. Herein, g-C3N4 quantum dot decorated amorphous hollow CoFe bimetallic phosphate nanocubes (a-CoFePOx@CNQD) are prepared as an efficient OER electrocatalyst by a simple in situ etching-phosphating process. Research shows that their unique hollow architecture and amorphous structure can help provide generous exposed active sites for OER, and the incorporation of g-C3N4 quantum dots can effectively adjust the electronic structure to improve the intrinsic activity. Therefore, a-CoFePOx@CNQD exhibits excellent OER performance with a low overpotential (239 mV) at 10 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope (58.4 mV dec-1), surpassing the commercial RuO2. Furthermore, a-CoFePOx@CNQD as an electrode catalyst for a water electrolyzer and zinc-air battery also shows higher performance and stability than RuO2 + Pt/C catalysts. This study provides a feasible strategy for preparing efficient and stable amorphous hollow heterostructure OER electrocatalysts.

Decoding Cortical Chronotopy - Comparing the Influence of Different Cortical Organizational Schemes

The brain's diverse intrinsic timescales enable us to perceive stimuli with varying temporal persistency. This study aimed to uncover the cortical organizational schemes underlying these variations, revealing the neural architecture for processing a wide range of sensory experiences. We collected resting-state fMRI, task-fMRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging data from 47 individuals. Based on this data, we extracted six organizational schemes: (1) the structural Rich Club (RC) architecture, shown to synchronize the connectome; (2) the structural Diverse Club architecture, as an alternative to the RC based on the network's module structure; (3) the functional uni-to-multimodal gradient, reflected in a wide range of structural and functional features; and (4) the spatial posterior/lateral-to-anterior/medial gradient, established for hierarchical levels of cognitive control. Also, we explored the effects of (5) structural graph theoretical measures of centrality and (6) cytoarchitectural differences. Using Bayesian model comparison, we contrasted the impact of these organizational schemes on (1) intrinsic resting-state timescales and (2) inter-subject correlation (ISC) from a task involving hierarchically nested digit sequences. As expected, resting-state timescales were slower in structural network hubs, hierarchically higher areas defined by the functional and spatial gradients, and thicker cortical regions. ISC analysis demonstrated hints for the engagement of higher cortical areas with more temporally persistent stimuli. Finally, the model comparison identified the uni-to-multimodal gradient as the best organizational scheme for explaining the chronotopy in both task and rest. Future research should explore the microarchitectural features that shape this gradient, elucidating how our brain adapts and evolves across different modes of processing.

Pioneering SubPc-Br/CdS S-scheme heterojunctions: Achieving superior photocatalytic oxidation through enhanced radical synergy and photocorrosion mitigation

For the efficient harnessing of solar energy and mitigation of environmental pollution, the development and application of semiconductor photocatalysis technology is paramount. Herein, a novel SubPc-Br/CdS supramolecular array with an S-scheme heterojunction was synthesized through the intermolecular π-stacked self-assembly of subphthalocyanine (SubPc-Br) and nanometer cadmium sulfide (CdS). This self-assembly system features a highly structured architecture and excellent stability. Experiments and ground-state differential charge calculations demonstrate that SubPc-Br and CdS form a built-in electric field during the self-assembly process, a critical factor in promoting the dissociation of electrons and holes. Additionally, this study utilized time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to simulate the dynamic adsorption behavior of excited oxygen molecules on the SubPc-Br/CdS interface for the first time. The analysis of molecular charge differential density under different excited states proved that the addition of SubPc-Br molecules not only improves the photocorrosion resistance of CdS in an O2 adsorption environment but also enhances the production of advanced reactive oxygen species under the synergistic action of h+ and ·O2–. When subjected to visible light, the degradation efficiency of minocycline (MC) achieved 96.8% within 60 min and maintained 80.3% after 5 cycles. In summary, this study highlights the feasibility of creating advanced S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts through the strategic incorporation of organic supramolecules with semiconductor catalysts.

PicPatrolling: Smart Surveillance with ESP32CAM

Robotics is an exciting and developing branch of science. Robots are now common in society because of their high efficiency and durability, and they have many users. Security and surveillance robots, especially those with wheeled movements and agility, are important for multiplexes in security and surveillance domains, including public security, military, facilities, and home security. These robots carry built-in high-end sensors, cameras, and communication equipment that simplify real-time data collection in indoor and outdoor environments. "PicPatrolling: Smart Surveillance with ESP32CAM” is a technique that attempts to improve the current concept of security and surveillance. The proposed system incorporates ESP32CAM for image capture and transmission without delay and GPS for location tracking. The system includes sending photo e-mail alerts, making immediate reports, and guaranteeing adequate area coverage. The robot can move during operation in a complex environment using computer vision, machine learning, and sensor fusion to recognize objects, faces, and changes and monitor important regions.. Application areas for surveillance robots include commercial and populated regions, transport points and architectural structures, other soft regions that people cannot access, and other dangerous areas that humans cannot monitor for various reasons.

Limits of Design and Technique: Lina Bo Bardi Staircases

Staircases, a part of architectural circulation and structure, can become a unique design value with the application technique that directs design and functionality. However, here, attention is drawn to the directive nature of the technique rather than its perception as a deterministic attitude in design. Bo Bardi’s architectonic approach has placed her in a distinguished position among modern architects. The effect of the architect’s staircase design and application technique on building tectonics is worth examining. Thus, this study aims to examine the staircases of Lina Bo Bardi, where design and technique are dissolved in integrity. Bo Bardi’s staircases were examined in terms of meaning, form, function, and technique, with classification for material use. In this context, unique situations were observed in the design and technical applications of reinforced concrete, wood, and metal materials used in stairs. The fact that the place, technique, and the architect’s thought guided the design turned the staircase into a symbolic value and has made the staircase the founding element of the space. This approach, which does not consider design and technique independently, creates a strong reference for today that structural elements such as stairs can be produced as symbols in space.

Assessment of upscaling methodologies for daily crop transpiration using sap flows and two-source energy balance models in almonds under different water statuses and production systems

Abstract. Daily transpiration (Td) is crucial for both irrigation water management and increasing crop water productivity. The use of the remote-sensing-based two-source energy balance model (TSEB) has proven to be robust in estimating plant transpiration and evaporation separately for various crops. However, remote sensing models provide instantaneous estimations, and so daily upscaling approaches are needed to estimate daily fluxes. Daily upscaling methodologies have not yet been examined to upscale solely transpiration in woody crops. In this regard, this study aims to evaluate the proper image acquisition time throughout the day and four methodologies used to retrieve Td in almond trees with different production systems and water statuses. Hourly transpiration (Th) was estimated using the TSEB contextual approach (Th–TSEB) with high-resolution imagery five times during two diurnal courses. The tested methodologies were the following: the simulated evaporative fraction variable (EFsim), irradiance (Rs), reference evapotranspiration (ETo), and potential evapotranspiration (ETp). These approaches were first evaluated with in situ sap flow (T–SF) data and were then applied to the Th–TSEB. Daily T–SF showed significant differences among production systems and levels of water stress. The EFsim and ETp methods correlated better with measured T–SF and reduced the underestimation observed using the Rs and ETo methods, especially at noon in the severely water-stressed trees. However, the daily upscaling approaches applied in the TSEB (Td–TSEB) failed to detect differences between production systems. The lack of sensibility of Th–TSEB among production systems poses a challenge when estimating Td in canopies with discontinuous architectural structures. The use of ETp as a reference variable could address this issue as it incorporates various aerodynamic and radiative properties associated with different canopy architectures that influence the daily Th–SF pattern. However, more accurate ETp estimates or more advanced ETp models are needed.

Lithological and Structural Mapping of Basement Rock Units in the Ikara North-Central Basement Complex, Nigeria

Study’s Excerpt The lithological and structural composition of the Ikara North-Central Basement Complex in Nigeria is investigated. Detailed field and petrographic analyses were carried out to identify the rock types of the area. The geological map of the area is updated. Full Abstract The lithological and structural architecture to unravel the compositions and tectonic evolution of the Nigerian Basement Complex has not been fully documented by geoscientists. As such, this research aimed to investigate the lithological and structural characteristics of the Ikara North-Central Basement Complex. Detailed petrographic and field analysis reveals the prevalence of gneiss and granite lithologies characterized by significant structural features such as fractures, folds, and foliations. These findings offer new understandings of the tectonic evolution of the region. The study area mapped is the Ikara Sheet 103 Federal Survey Topographic Sheet to a scale of 1:100,000. The major lithological units underlying the study area are gneisses and granites. However, these major rock types have varieties, namely migmatitic gneiss, granite gneiss, migmatitic (augen) gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss, medium to coarse-grained granites, and porphyritic granites. These rock types were intruded by quartzites, pegmatitic dykes, quartz, and aplite veins. Rock samples were observed and studied based on their mineralogical composition, color, and texture. The results of the petrographic analysis showed that the rocks are mainly composed of quartz, plagioclase feldspars, alkali feldspars, mica (biotite and muscovite), hornblende, garnet, and accessory minerals like zircon and magnetite. Geological structures were also observed during the field study, namely fractures (joints and fractures), foliations, lineations, veins, dykes, and various landforms. Photomicrographs from thin section analyses revealed micro-structures like myrmekites, micro-folds, and micro-fractures were also observed. Mineralization such as amethyst and cassiterite were hosted by quartz veins and pegmatites in porphyritic granites, respectively. A litho-structural map was produced, exhibiting the lithological units and regional structures cross-cutting the area of research.

Effect of Nanostructure and Crosslinks on Impact Resistance of Carbon Nanotube Films Under Micro-Ballistic Impact.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) films show great promise as an advanced bulletproof materials due to their excellent energy dissipation ability under impact loadings. However, it is challenging to determine the optimized architecture structure of CNTs to enhance the impact resistance of CNT films. In this study, the impact behavior of CNT films with various architecture structures werestudied by micro-ballistic impact experiments and coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations. The micro-ballistic impact experimental results showed that the cross-ply laminated (CPL) structure enhances significantly the specific energy absorption (SEA) of CNT films compared to that with disordered structure due to the synergistic interactions between covalent bonds in CNT chains. On this basis, four CPL-CNT (CCNT) films with the same areal density (ρ2D) but different single-layer areal density ( ) and one disordered CNT (DCNT) film with the same ρ2D as the CCNT films wereconstructed in CGMD models. The simulation results showed that the SEAs of all the four CCNT films are higher than DCNT film, which is consistent with experiments. In addition, the SEAs of CCNT films increase with decreasing . However, too small can lead to local plugging failure of the CNT film and therefore decrease SEA of the CNT film. Moreover, adding crosslinks could further increase the SEAs of both the DCNT and the CCNT films due to the strengthened interactions of adjacent CNTs. The crosslinked CCNT films with appropriate ρ2D is still much higher than the crosslinked DCNT films. Furthermore, it wasfurther found that when the strength of the crosslinks aligns with that of the CNT beads, the CNT film achieves preeminent impact resistance. This study provides a pathway for enhancing the impact resistance of CNT films by optimizing the microstructure and introducing crosslinks betweenCNTs.

Metagenomic study of the microbiome and key geochemical potentials associated with architectural heritage sites: a case study of the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County, China.

Historical cultural heritage sites are valuable for all of mankind, as they reflect the material and spiritual wealth of by nations, countries, or specific groups during the development of human civilization. The types and functions of microorganisms that form biofilms on the surfaces of architectural heritage sites influence measures to preserve and protect these sites. These microorganisms contribute to the biocorrosion of architectural heritage structures through the cycling of chemical elements. The ancient city wall of Shou County is a famous architectural and cultural heritage site from China's Song Dynasty, and the protection and study of this site have substantial historical and cultural significance. In this study, we used metagenomics to study the microbial diversity and taxonomic composition of the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County, a tangible example of Chinese cultural heritage. The study covered three main topics: (1) examining the distribution of bacteria in the biofilm on the surfaces of the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County; (2) predicting the influence of bacteria involved in the C, N, and S cycles on the corrosion of the city wall via functional gene analysis; and (3) discussing cultural heritage site protection measures for biocorrosion-related bacteria to investigate the impact of biocorrosion on the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County, a tangible example of Chinese cultural heritage. The study revealed that (1) the biofilm bacteria mainly belonged to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, which accounted for more than 70% of the total bacteria in the biofilms. The proportion of fungi in the microbial community of the well-preserved city wall was greater than that in the damaged city wall. The proportion of archaea was low-less than 1%. (2) According to the Shannon diversity index, the well-preserved portion of the ancient city wall had the highest diversity of bacteria, fungi, and archaea, and bacterial diversity on the good city wall was greater than that on the corroded city wall. (3) Bray-Curtis distances revealed that the genomes of the two good city walls were similar and that the genomes of the corroded city wall portions were similar. Researchers also detected human intestine-related bacteria in four locations on the city walls, with the proportion of these bacteria in the microbial community being greater on good city walls than on bad city walls. (4) KEGG functional analysis revealed that the energy metabolism and inorganic ion transport activities of the bacterial community on the corroded city wall were greater than those of the good city wall. (5) In the carbon cycle, the absence of active glycolysis, the ED pathway, and the TCA cycle played significant roles in the collapse of the east city wall. (6) The nitrogen cycling processes involved ammonia oxidation and nitrite reduction to nitrate. (7) In the sulfur cycle, researchers discovered a crucial differential functional gene, SoxY, which facilitates the conversion of thiosulfate to sulfate. This study suggests that, in the future, biological approaches can be used to help cultural heritage site protectors achieve targeted and precise protection of cultural relics through the use of microbial growth inhibition technology. The results of this study serve as a guide for the protection of cultural heritage sites in other parts of China and provide a useful supplement to research on the protection of world cultural heritage or architectural heritage sites.

Enhanced semantic-positional feature fusion network via diverse pre-trained encoders for remote sensing image water-body segmentation

ABSTRACT In the era of increasingly advanced Earth Observation (EO) technologies, extracting pertinent information (such as water-bodies) from the Earth’s surface has become a crucial task. Deep Learning, especially via pre-trained models, currently offers a highly promising approach for the semantic segmentation of Remote Sensing Imagery (RSI). However, effectively adapting these pre-trained models to RSI tasks remains challenging. Typically, these models undergo fine-tuning for specialized tasks, involving modifications to their parameters or structure of the original architecture, which may impact their inherent generalization capabilities. Furthermore, robust pre-trained models on nature images are not specifically designed for RSI, presenting challenges in their direct application to RSI tasks. To alleviate these problems, our study introduces a light-weight Enhanced Semantic-positional Feature Fusion Network (ESFFNet), leveraging diverse pre-trained image encoders alongside extensive EO data. The proposed method begins by leveraging pre-trained encoders, specifically Vision Transformer (ViT)-based and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based models, to extract deep semantic and precise positional features respectively, without additional training. Following this, we introduce the Enhanced Semantic-positional Feature Fusion Module (ESFFM). This module adeptly merges semantic features derived from the ViT-based encoder with spatial features extracted from the CNN-based encoder. Such integration is realized via multi-scale feature fusion, local and long-distance feature integration, and dense connectivity strategies, leading to a robust feature representation. Finally, the Primary Segmentation-guided Fine Extraction Module (PSFEM) further bolsters the precision of remote sensing image segmentation. Collectively, these two modules constitute our light-weight decoder, with a parameter size of less than 4 M. Our approach is evaluated on two distinct water-body datasets, indicating superiority over other leading segmentation techniques. In addition, our method also demonstrates exemplary efficacy in diverse remote sensing segmentation tasks, such as building extraction and land cover classification. The source codes will be available at https://github.com/zhilyzhang/ESFFNet.

Genius loci of the city of Padua in the context of Slovak travelogues of the 19th century

The authors’ decision to “read” and semiotically analyse the city’s text based on travelogues stems from their aesthetic, historical and informational value, the possibility of incorporating them “into the network” of other texts about Padua, thus shaping city image. The authors’ research on Slovak literature and culture also determined the choice. As a time frame, the nineteenth century is not accidental; the Slovak cultural environment (the territory of present-day Slovakia) witnessed the development of the travelogue genre and journeys to Italy. By interpreting and semiotic analysis of the selected authors’ travelogues and works, the paper draws attention to the uniqueness of Padua, the ways of its representation and the grasping of the urban space, which until now despite its importance in education, sciences and art has remained unnoticed in literary studies. Considering that only four Slovak travellers included Padua in their writings during the studied period, all of their works were reviewed to uncover their texts’ semantic potential. Interpretive immersions thus reflect the experiential reception of the author’s city image and perceiving its architectural structure. Through this, the authors develop a network of texts about Padua and support the typological classification according to its specific function or image. This paper articulates a variant of the Slovak phenomenon of Italian travel and a view of the meanings associated with urban spaces and places. It reflects the importance of travel writing for understanding the (literary) cityscape and its transformations and opens space for further research on the subject.

Proposing a course schedule for architectural basic design studio guided by Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

The article moves away from the traditional architectural basic design education methods and approaches it within the framework of the discipline of educational sciences and learning models. The multi-layered education structure transforms into a new learning field under the guidance of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy, which proposes a course schedule for the architectural basic design studio. Taxonomy allowed us to discover the reflections and effectiveness of the interdisciplinary structure of architecture and design in the educational process and to be instrumentalized and used in the context of basic design education. The course schedule proposal presents a flexible schedule outline with the example of an interdisciplinary studio schedule. The trial created within the scope of this study can be appropriately organized for different Ecoles, schools, and values. The paper is significant for its interdisciplinary nature and develops a new discourse using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy as a method in the studio has led to a paradigm shift in methodology.

Microvascular obstruction in cardiac amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is characterized by deposition of amyloid fibrils within the extracellular space, causing disarray of the myocardial structure and capillary architecture. This study aims to characterize the prevalence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) in patients with CA and to assess the association between MVO and prognosis. The study population comprised 800 patients, of which 400 had light-chain CA (AL-CA) and 400 had transthyretin CA (ATTR-CA). MVO was present in 221 (27.6%) patients, and more common in ATTR-CA than AL-CA (124 [56.1%] vs. 97 [43.9%], p = 0.033). Patients with MVO had a more severe cardiac phenotype evidenced by higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (3516 ng/L [1944-6247] vs. 2508 ng/L [1203-5752], p < 0.001), worse global longitudinal strain (-10.5% [-12.6; -7.9] vs. -12.0% [-16.0; -8.9], p < 0.001), and higher extracellular volume (56% [51-61] vs. 50% [45-57], p < 0.001). Patients with AL-CA and MVO had a higher serum troponin (86 ng/L [47-148] vs. 59 ng/L [44-78], p < 0.001), and higher T2 (53 ms [50-56] vs. 50 ms [48-52], p < 0.001), but lower extracellular volume (55% [50-60] vs. 58% [53-61], p = 0.008) and lower indexed myocyte cell volume (48.6 g/m2 [41.1-59.8] vs. 55.7 g/m2 [47.5-68.4], p < 0.001) than patients with ATTR-CA and MVO. MVO was associated with an increased risk of mortality in the overall population (hazard ratio [HR] 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.59, p = 0.025), and the subgroup with AL-CA (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.17-2.17, p = 0.003) but not ATTR-CA (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.77-1.40, p = 0.814). Microvascular obstruction is common in CA and is related to markers of amyloid infiltration. MVO is associated with an increased risk of mortality in AL-CA, but not in ATTR-CA. This reflects the intrinsic differences in disease biology between these two forms of CA, with MVO likely related to multiple myocardial processes, amyloid infiltration, oedema and myocyte death.