Windbreaks Research Articles

(020) Comparing Postoperative Outcomes and Risk Factors for Patients Undergoing Partial vs Total Penectomy for Penile Carcinoma

Abstract Introduction The American Cancer Society estimates that 2,200 men develop penile cancer annually and 440 men will die from the disease. Partial penectomies (PP) and total penectomies (TP) are both performed for penile cancer in the United States. Compared to TP, PP is performed more frequently to preserve functional urinary outcomes. Objective To date TP and PP outcomes have not been compared, in this study we compared clinical characteristics and post-operative outcomes between TP and PP conducted between 2006-2016. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of penile cancer patients from National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for the years 2010-2016 using international classification of diseases clinical modification (ICD-CM) ninth revision codes. A total of 260 patients, 67 TP and 193 PP patients, were included. Results Partial penectomy patients were less likely to be transferred patients (7.3% vs 20.9%, p=0.002), less likely to be suffering from diabetes (25.9% vs 40.3%, p=0.026), and were more likely to have preoperative laboratory values within normal limits. TP was associated with increased preoperative white blood cell count x109, preoperative white blood cell count > 7.5x109 (p<0.001), preoperative hematocrit (p<0.001). PP patients were, in contrast, shown to have higher pre-operative creatinine levels (p=.037) and lower platelet levels than TP patients (p=.045). PP patients had shorter operation times (78.8 vs 145.5 min, p<0.001). PP patients also had decreased levels of inpatient stay length (1.67 vs 4.31, p<0.001), any 30-day post-surgery complication (7% vs 31%, p<0.001), deep incisional surgical site infection (0.5% vs 6% p=0.017), wound disruption (0.5% vs 6.0%p=0.017), intraoperative or postoperative transfusion (1.6% vs 7.5%, p=0.029), and sepsis (0.5% vs 7.5%, p=0.005), when compared to patients who underwent TP. TP patients displayed a significantly greater number of concurrent surgical procedures (p<0.001), when compared to PP patients. There was no information on urinary, sexual, and erectile outcomes in the database. Conclusions PP is associated with fewer post-operative complications, shorter surgeries, shorter hospital stays, and fewer concurrent surgical procedures. Total penectomy is associated with a greater proportion of patients suffering from comorbid conditions, suggesting that TP patients are at higher risk for post-surgical complications and longer hospital stays. There is a gap in reported data pertaining to post-operative sexual function and erectile outcomes for PP at a national level. Disclosure No.

Superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) repair is associated with increased rate of subsequent rotator cuff diagnoses and revision surgery: a propensity-matched comparison

Surgical management of superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) tears remains controversial. Current management utilizes 2 well-established procedures: biceps tenodesis and SLAP repair. This study evaluates the complications associated with arthroscopic SLAP repair vs. an open or arthroscopic biceps tenodesis to further elucidate optimal surgical management. In this retrospective cohort study, the TriNetX database was utilized to evaluate patients who underwent repair of SLAP lesions (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code: S43.43) from May 15, 2003, to May 15, 2023. Three patient cohorts were evaluated: those who underwent arthroscopic SLAP repair (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] code: 29807), those who underwent arthroscopic biceps tenodesis (CPT code: 29828), and those who underwent open tenodesis of the biceps (CPT code: 23430). Cohorts were propensity matched for type 2 diabetes, nicotine dependence, alcohol-related disorders, body mass index, and demographic factors such as age at event, ethnicity, race, and sex. The outcomes evaluated were disruption of surgical wound, deep vein thrombosis, mononeuropathy of upper limb, shoulder contusion, humeral fracture, sepsis, deceased, acute postoperative pain, revision, shoulder stiffness, and rotator cuff strain. All outcomes were evaluated within 1 year postprocedure. A total of 11,081 arthroscopic SLAP repairs, 9960 arthroscopic biceps tenodesis, and 9420 open biceps tenodesis were matched. Compared with patients who underwent arthroscopic biceps tenodesis, those who underwent arthroscopic SLAP repair were 1.8 times more likely to undergo revision (2.9% vs. 1.6%, P<.0001). Compared with those who underwent open biceps tenodesis, patients who had SLAP repair performed were 1.4 times more likely to undergo revision (3.1% vs. 2.3%, P=.013) and 1.6 times more likely to have a subsequent rotator cuff strain diagnosis (5.1% vs. 3.2%, P=.0002). Compared with patients who underwent SLAP repair, those who underwent arthroscopic biceps tenodesis exhibited 1.3 times more instances of acute postoperative pain (5.2% vs. 4.0%, P=.011). Similarly, open biceps tenodesis exhibited 1.8 times more instances of acute postoperative pain (6.9% vs. 3.8%, P<.0001) and 1.3 times more shoulder stiffness (11.8% vs. 9.0%, P<.0001). In the last 20 years, patients who underwent SLAP repair were associated with higher risk of revision surgery and subsequent rotator cuff strain diagnosis. Conversely, patients who underwent biceps tenodesis were associated with higher rates of acute postoperative pain and shoulder stiffness.

The Value of a Co-surgeon in Microvascular Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Using a co-surgeon model has been suggested to improve perioperative outcomes and reduce the risk of complications. Therefore, we evaluated if a co-surgeon model compared with a single microsurgeon model could decrease the surgical time, length of stay, rate of complications, and healthcare-associated costs in adult patients undergoing microvascular breast reconstruction (MBR). A comprehensive search was performed across PubMed MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science. Studies evaluating the perioperative outcomes and complications of MBR using a single-surgeon model and co-surgeon model were included. A random-effects model was fitted to the data. Seven retrospective comparative studies were included. Ultimately, 1411 patients (48.23%) underwent MBR using a single-surgeon model, representing 2339 flaps (48.42%). On the other hand, 1514 patients (51.77%) underwent MBR using a co-surgeon model, representing 2492 flaps (51.58%). The surgical time was significantly reduced using a co-surgeon model in all studies compared with a single-surgeon model. The length of stay was reduced using a co-surgeon model compared with a single-surgeon model in all but one study. The log odds ratio (log-OR) of recipient site infection (log-OR = -0.227; P = 0.6509), wound disruption (log-OR = -0.012; P = 0.9735), hematoma (log-OR = 0.061; P = 0.8683), and seroma (log-OR = -0.742; P = 0.1106) did not significantly decrease with the incorporation of a co-surgeon compared with a single-surgeon model. Incorporating a co-surgeon model for MBR has minimal impact on the rates of surgical site complications compared with a single-surgeon model. However, a co-surgeon optimized efficacy and reduced the surgical time and length of stay.

P094 Lack of DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A in fibroblasts impairs cell growth and wound healing

Abstract Background Fibrotic scarring is an untreatable pathological wound-healing complication that invalidates correct organ function. However, pathomechanisms leading to intestinal fibrosis during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not fully understood. Since the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A has been associated with increased risk for IBD and alters epithelial homeostasis, we sought to characterize how DNMT3A loss might affect fibroblasts, the key mesenchymal cells involved in wound healing. Methods We stably depleted Dnmt3a in 3T3 fibroblast cell line using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and subsequently selected GFP-positive clones using FACS sorting. Cell cultures were performed in vessels with or without 0.2% gelatin coat. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence were used to confirm Dnmt3a gene deletion and characterize wild-type (WT) and knockout cells (KO). Wound healing assays in the presence or absence of tissue repair cytokine TGF-β served to quantify and assess cell capacity of wound closure. Results 3T3 fibroblasts lacking Dnmt3a acquire an activated myofibroblast phenotype (characterized by increased α-SMA expression) that also overexpress tissue remodelling matrix metalloproteinase Mmp3, and the inflammation-induced necroptosis marker RIPK3 when compared to their WT counterparts. In addition, Dnmt3a-depleted 3T3 cells grow overlapped in tightly aggregated foci (fig. 1), and when seeded in vessels without the gelatin coat, they form spheroids. To assess healing properties, the closure of a wound (gap) in a cell monolayer was monitored. While WT 3T3 fibroblasts closed the gap within 48h, Dnmt3a KO 3T3 cells were unable to refill the empty space and formed aggregated foci in the vicinity of the wound (fig. 1). When the wound healing assay was repeated in the presence of TGF-β, WT cells nearly closed the gap within 24h whereas Dnmt3a KO 3T3 still failed to grow. Conclusion We conclude that Dnmt3a is crucial for fibroblast homeostasis and correct wound healing. Furthermore, TGF-β signalling is impaired when Dnmt3a is lacking. Thus, additional characterization of Dnmt3a depletion in fibroblasts will deepen the understanding of fibrosis and point towards new therapeutic approaches for this untreatable complication.

The Effect of wind barriers on the local wind field on a bridge deck

Abstract The adverse effect of crosswinds on road vehicles on a bridge deck or traffic lanes is of increasing concern. Local flow characteristics depend on the bridge's architecture and wind barriers are commonly used to alleviate wind-induced instability for vehicles. Terrain orography is another dominant factor. This study uses a terrain model with a coastal bridge (Chen-Kung Bridge, Penghu, Taiwan). The bridge is located between a reservoir and the Taiwan Strait. Numerous accidents have occurred due to strong monsoon winds in autumn and winter. In wind tunnel experiments, an atmosphere boundary layer is established and the test conditions (wind speed and wind incidence) are taken from local meteorological data. The effect of the height of solid wind barriers on local wind direction and speed is determined. The results can be used to remodel wind barriers to increase safety for road vehicles.

Nanosponge hydrogel of octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propanoate of Alcaligenes faecalis

Octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propanoate (ODHP) was extracted in a previous study from the culture broth of soil isolate Alcaligenes faecalis MT332429 and showed a promising antimycotic activity. This study was aimed to formulate ODHP loaded β-cyclodextrins (CD) nanosponge (NS) hydrogel (HG) to control skin fungal ailments since nanosponges augment the retention of tested agents in the skin. Box-Behnken design was used to produce the optimized NS formulation, where entrapment efficiency percent (EE%), polydispersity index (PDI), and particle size (PS) were assigned as dependent parameters, while the independent process parameters were polyvinyl alcohol % (w/v %), polymer-linker ratio, homogenization time, and speed. The carbopol 940 hydrogel was then created by incorporating the nanosponges. The hydrogel fit Higuchi’s kinetic release model the best, according to in vitro drug release. Stability and photodegradation studies revealed that the NS-HG remained stable under tested conditions. The formulation also showed higher in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans compared to the control fluconazole. In vivo study showed that ODHP-NS-HG increased survival rates, wound contraction, and healing of wound gap and inhibited the inflammation process compared to the other control groups. The histopathological examinations and Masson’s trichrome staining showed improved healing and higher records of collagen deposition. Moreover, the permeability of ODHP-NS-HG was higher through rats’ skin by 1.5-folds compared to the control isoconazole 1%. Therefore, based on these results, NS-HG formulation is a potential carrier for enhanced and improved topical delivery of ODHP. Our study is a pioneering research on the development of a formulation for ODHP produced naturally from soil bacteria.Key points• Octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propanoate was successfully formulated as a nanosponge hydrogel and statistically optimized.• The new formula exhibited in vitro good stability, drug release, and higher antifungal activity against C. albicans as compared to the fluconazole.• Ex vivo showed enhanced skin permeability, and in vivo analysis showed high antifungal activity as evidenced by measurement of various biochemical parameters and histopathological examination.

Poisoned for gold: Assessing the spatial extent of heavy metal contamination within the Tutua-Bura-Angoben Shelter Belt Forest Reserve in Ghana

The Tutua-Bura-Angoben Shelter Belt project in Ghana, aimed at combating desertification and land degradation, faces an unexpected threat from heavy metal contamination. This study investigates the levels and spatial distribution of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) within the forest reserve, focusing on the implications for environmental health and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), 195 soil samples from the forest reserve were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations. The results reveal significant contamination, with arsenic levels ranging from 3.19 to 138.63 ppm, and an alarming 26 % of the reserve exceeding the 20 ppm threshold for arsenic. Copper, lead, and zinc showed lower contamination levels, with mean concentrations of 13.83 ppm, 7.63 ppm, and 27.53 ppm, respectively. Spatial interpolation using kriging in ArcGIS highlighted localized hotspots of arsenic contamination, primarily influenced by nearby Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities. The study underscores the urgent need for targeted environmental management strategies, including stricter waste management protocols, sustainable mining practices, and community engagement to mitigate the contamination risks and preserve the ecological integrity of the Tutua-Bura-Angoben Shelter Belt.

A recombinant signalling-selective activated protein C that lacks anticoagulant activity is efficacious and safe in cutaneous wound preclinical models.

Various preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the robust wound healing capacity of the natural anticoagulant activated protein C (APC). A bioengineered APC variant designated 3K3A-APC retains APC's cytoprotective cell signalling actions with <10% anticoagulant activity. This study was aimed to provide preclinical evidence that 3K3A-APC is efficacious and safe as a wound healing agent. 3K3A-APC, like wild-type APC, demonstrated positive effects on proliferation of human skin cells (keratinocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts). Similarly it also increased matrix metollaproteinase-2 activation in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Topical 3K3A-APC treatment at 10 or 30 μg both accelerated mouse wound healing when culled on Day 11. And at 10 μg, it was superior to APC and had half the dermal wound gape compared to control. Further testing was conducted in excisional porcine wounds due to their congruence to human skin. Here, 3K3A-APC advanced macroscopic healing in a dose-dependent manner (100, 250 and 500 μg) when culled on Day 21. This was histologically corroborated by greater collagen maturity, suggesting more advanced remodelling. A non-interference arm of this study found no evidence that topical 3K3A-APC caused either any significant systemic side-effects or any significant leakage into the circulation. However the female pigs exhibited transient and mild local reactions after treatments in week three, which did not impact healing. Overall these preclinical studies support the hypothesis that 3K3A-APC merits future human wound studies.

Aerodynamic and aeroelastic response of wind barrier over trapezoidal box girder bridge under turbulence wind

Aerodynamic and aeroelastic response of wind barrier over trapezoidal box girder bridge under turbulence wind

Typical Village and Town Houses in the Cold Region of Northeast China: Simulation Analysis of Courtyard Layout and Winter Wind Environment Habitability

Folk residence in the cold region of Northeast China is an integral part of China’s traditional folk residence, with significant geographical representation. In this paper, we take the residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China as the research object, summarize four typical layout forms of residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China, simulate the wind environment of combinations of different layout forms in winter using the computer numerical simulation software Fluent, and then analyze and evaluate the wind environment of the compounds, including the evaluation standard of the wind speed ratio and considering the area of wind shadows, number of vortices, and other factors.

Identifying wind turbines from multiresolution and multibackground remote sensing imagery

The wind energy industry has expanded in recent years. Promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is expected to further increase the scale of the wind energy industry. Determining the location and quantity of wind turbines is crucial for monitoring the development status of the wind energy industry and evaluating wind energy production. In this study, we propose a method for simultaneously detecting and positioning wind turbines in remote sensing images, namely, Wind Turbine YOLO (WT-YOLO), based on the You Only Look Once version 5 model (YOLOv5). The wind turbine hub, base, and shadow hub are treated as key points in the proposed method. Regression terms are incorporated into the head of the YOLOv5 basic framework to predict the location of these three key points. The base point is utilized to determine the exact position of the wind turbine. A multibackground and multiresolution wind-turbine image dataset is constructed by sampling high-resolution images from Google Earth. The WT-YOLO method outperforms existing methods in both wind turbine detection and positioning on different types of land cover backgrounds and multiresolution images of the constructed dataset. In the spatial resolution range of 0.6 m to 5.4 m, WT-YOLO exhibits enhanced wind-turbine detection, where the average precision (AP) is 5.92 % to 15.43 % higher than that of existing wind-turbine detection methods. Wind-turbine positioning by WT-YOLO has a mean distance error (MDE) that is 16.06 m to 21.59 m lower than that of existing wind-turbine positioning methods. A comparative analysis showed that the shadow and the three key points are effective features for wind-turbine detection. The proposed WT-YOLO model can support detection, positioning and counting for wind turbines worldwide.

Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic repair of type II, III and IV hiatal hernias: A retrospective study comparing adverse outcomes

ObjectiveRobotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is continuing to expand in use in surgical specialties, including foregut surgery. The available data on its use in large hiatal hernia (HH) repair are limited and conflicting. This study sought to determine whether there are significant differences in adverse outcomes following HH repair performed with a robotic approach vs. a laparoscopic approach. This study was limited to outcomes in patients with type II, III, and IV HHs, as these hernias are typically more challenging to repair. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed from data obtained from TriNetX, a large deidentified clinical database, over a 10-year period. Adult patients who underwent type II, III, or IV HH repair were included in the study. HH with robotic repair was compared to laparoscopic repair. Cohorts were propensity score matched for demographic information and comorbidities. Risk ratios, risk differences (RDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and t test for each examined adverse outcome were used to estimate the effects of robotic repair vs. laparoscopic repair. ResultsIn total, 20,016 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified; 1,515 patients utilized RAS, and 18,501 used laparoscopy. Prior to matching, there were significant differences in age, sex, comorbidity, and BMI between the two cohorts. After 1:1 propensity score matching, analyses of 1,514 well-matched patient pairs revealed no significant differences in demographics or comorbidities. Patients who underwent robotic repair were more likely to experience major complications, including venous thromboembolism (RD: 0.007, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.011; p = 0.002), critical care (RD: 0.023, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.039; p = 0.004), urinary/renal complications (RD: 0.027, 95% CI: 0.014, 0.041; p < 0.001), and respiratory complications (RD: 0.046, 95% CI: 0.028, 0.064; p < 0.001). RAS was associated with a significantly shorter length of stay (32.4 ± 27.5 h vs. 35.7 ± 50.1 h, p = 0.031), although this finding indicated a reduction in the length of stay of less than 4 hours. No statistically significant differences in risk of esophageal perforation, infection, postprocedural shock, bleeding, mortality, additional emergency room visits, cardiac complications, or wound disruption were found. ConclusionsPatients who undergo robotic-assisted large HH repair are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism, need critical care, urinary or renal complications and respiratory complications. Due to variations in RAS technique, experience, and surgical volumes, further study of this surgical approach and complication rates is warranted.

Experimental and numerical studies on unsteady galloping driving mechanism of a truss beam with solid barriers

The long-span bridges with truss beam are widely recognized as typical wind-sensitive structures, and its wind-induced divergence events may become a very predominant issue. This work evaluates the galloping performance of a typical truss beam with wind barriers, which is detected to be susceptible to the infrequent vertical instability at specific attack angles, as evidenced by experimentation and numerical analysis. Since the truss beam constitutes a complex cross section, this study employs energy analysis to distinguish the crucial parts affected by vibration and discovers that the galloping vibration is mostly caused by the surfaces of the deck. Rather than relying on conventional quasi-steady theory, this study explores the unsteady aerodynamic forces to identify the underlying galloping driving mechanism. Our findings reveal that the instigator of galloping instability is the phase rising of lift with increasing wind speed. Additionally, the nonlinear mechanical damping is not a decisive parameter. Furthermore, we have investigated the impact of an essential ancillary facility, the wind barrier, and discovered that its galloping stability can be enhanced by increasing its porousness and decreasing its height. However, the underlying mechanisms behind this improvement are distinct.

Role of Weather Parameters on Quality Seed Production

Weather and climate are important factors deciding the growth of any crop. Meteorologists and seed technologist view the weather as a dominant element influencing yield and acreage behaviour of crops. The meteorological inputs, unlike other inputs such as land, labour, high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. is a direct input in seed production. The functional relationship between weather and yield is as much complicated as the term ‘weather’ itself. Occurrence of abnormal weather episodes during the growing season or during critical development stages may hamper growth processes resulting in yield reduction. Optimum temperature is the balanced heat requirement for the crop since lower or higher temperature results in abnormal effect of the crop growth. When the temperature goes below the minimum or the base level it is said that the physiology will be reduced or even nil. Similarly, when the temperature goes above the maximum the metabolic activity is enormous leading to the scorching or burning effect. The range of wavelength is a part of electromagnetic spectrum of the radiant energy which includes short wave, x-rays and g rays, long radio waves. The electromagnetic spectrum comprises of U-V, visible, IR wavelength which together transmits 90% of energy. Precipitation in any forms say rainfall, snow, fog, mist, dew, etc is important for the crop growth in relation to the seed production. Because the requirement of water for a plant growth is fulfilled naturally by precipitation. However, the effect is more contemplated in tropical countries like India. Amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere at a given time to the same atmosphere under saturation is termed as relative humidity. The VPD namely Vapour Pressure Deficit which is the difference between the pressure exerted by an atmosphere at a given condition to the same at atmosphere at hundred per cent saturation. That means the VPD is the prime cause for the transpiration of the crop plants. Seed production in efficient manner is a challenge in today’s context in correlation to weather parameters. The sowing window is to be adjusted accordingly so that all the growth phases coincides with favourable weather conditions and the crop is having an opportunity to produce quality seeds. The farm shall have wind breaks and shelter belts to enable suitable microclimate for crop production. Weather cannot be changed but managed by knowing before its occurrence termed as weather forecasting.

Moisture Performance Requirements for Insulation in Exterior Wood-Frame Walls without a Vapour Barrier

An increased interest has been observed, especially among architects, in constructing the building envelope without using a vapour barrier membrane of polyethene (PE) foil. An increasing interest in biogenic building materials has also been expressed, as their use, besides storing embedded carbon, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, replacing nonrenewable building components. Further, building envelope construction without a vapour barrier reduces expenses and the difficulty of the work process, especially around joints and penetrations. This study aims to determine the most important material properties of biogenic thermal insulation materials that influence the moisture-robustness of exterior wood-frame walls constructed without a vapour barrier. A literature study was performed to examine which material parameters have the most influence on the moisture conditions in an exterior wall without a vapour barrier. Hygrothermal simulations of lightweight exterior walls were performed to investigate the significance of variations in material properties (e.g., equilibrium moisture content and vapour diffusion resistance) and determine their necessary characteristics when used as thermal insulation material in an exterior wall without a vapour barrier in internal humidity class 3 (defined in EN ISO 13788). The moisture-robustness of the construction is assessed based on the risk of mould growth in the layer between the thermal insulation and wind barrier. The study suggests that the moisture capacity of the available common biogenic thermal insulation materials does not significantly affect the overall moisture performance of the wall. Simulations demonstrate that, for the thermal insulation layer in internal humidity class 3, at least one of the following requirements must be met to ensure moisture-robustness in exterior walls without a vapour barrier: (I) high diffusion resistance of the thermal insulation and (II) high moisture capacity of the thermal insulation material at relative humidity between 60% and 90%. Commercial biogenic thermal insulation materials on the market do not meet the latter requirement.

In-use conditions of air-tightening materials applied in the air gap of ventilated building envelope constructions: A parametric study for different European climates

Materials used in the building envelope have to withstand a wide range of varying and harsh conditions over their life cycle. Particular relevance falls upon the materials used for tightening buildings, such as wind barriers and tapes, as air infiltration was found to be responsible for between 10 and 30 % of heat losses of different national building stocks in Europe. However, there is large uncertainty about the conditions a material is exposed to over a building’s service life. A validated, hygrothermal model of a zero emission office building in Trondheim, Norway was simulated with 10-year climate files from different European locations: Bergen (NO), Berlin (DE), Oslo (NO), Paris (FR), Rome (IT), Tromsø (NO), and Trondheim (NO). This was done to investigate the temperature and humidity conditions in the ventilated air gap. The results show the total and median values for temperature in the ventilated air gaps of the simulated building’s walls and roof for the investigated locations. Moreover, the maximum change compared to the previous hour and the distribution of hours in 5 °C temperature and 10 % relative humidity intervals of the roofing underlay and wall to the west are reported.

Hygrothermal Performance of Prefabricated Insulation Elements for Serial Renovation of Apartment Buildings in a Moderately Continental German Climate

The reduction of energy use in the buildings is expected to be reached by fulfilling several requirements of the low- and nearly-zero energy buildings (nZEB) policy. The improvement of the energy performance of the building envelope and the service systems of the existing buildings offers great potential for energy savings as the annual replacement of the existing stock is only 1 to 2%. The efficient way to accomplish the purpose and global goals of the nZEB is to apply the integrated design process, development, and application of prefabricated insulation elements on a large scale. In this project, in the Berlin area of Germany, prefabricated timber frame insulation elements were designed for the external insulation of the envelope of the apartment building in the serial renovation process, with the thermal transmittance of the external envelope U external-wall = 0.14–0.16 W/(m2·K). In the current study, the potential hygrothermal risks and their effect on highly insulated multi-story apartment building envelope were analyzed. The study contained a set of hygrothermal analyses to ensure the moisture safety of highly insulated facade structures and the selection of materials from the perspective of hygrothermal performance and low risk of degradation. This research found that the risk of mold growth is high if timber elements are installed without protective measures against drying-out built-in moisture, wind-driven rain, and other weather conditions. The initial moisture content of the external concrete slab, to be considered critical, is 90 kg/m3, and the drying out period is longer than the covered with new layers constructions can sustain if a proper vapor control layer is not added between the existing moist wall and installed insulation elements. Furthermore, the wind barrier layer with high thermal resistance and vapor permeability of the installed insulation element helps to minimize the risk of mold growth. A careful analysis and selection of materials allow to design moisture-safe timber frame insulation elements and provide low thermal transmittance of renovated building envelopes. The results showed that before the final design and installation of the insulation elements, a thorough hygrothermal analysis of the original external envelope with actual climatic conditions and moisture loads must be realized.

Hygrothermal performance of corners and floor junctions of timber-framed exterior walls: a simulation study

Corners and basement junctions of different timber-framed walls were studied by computer simulation using Delphin 5.8.3 software. Wooden cladding and brick veneer were compared with each other, as well as different wind barrier solutions. Both internal and external corners were studied, first assuming them airtight and then modelling an air leak. Simulations were performed both in present and future climate conditions. According to the results, the walls with wooden cladding and brick veneer had a big difference in their hygrothermal behaviour. Mould index rose considerably after construction in sole plate of brick clad wall, even if the plate was originally dry. Wet sole plates dried up very slowly. Almost all corner junctions of walls with wooden cladding performed well when there was no air leak. Corners of brick clad walls were more problematic. With an air leak, all studied walls developed considerably high mould indices, underlining the importance of building airtightness.

Changes in Parameters of Effective Soil Fertility in the Kamennaya Steppe under the Effect of Forest Shelter Belts Allocated to Various Landscapes

Changes in Parameters of Effective Soil Fertility in the Kamennaya Steppe under the Effect of Forest Shelter Belts Allocated to Various Landscapes

Liposuction Complications in the Outpatient Setting: A National Analysis of 246,119 Cases in Accredited Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.

Suction lipectomy (liposuction) is a popular cosmetic surgical procedure performed in the United States, but little has been documented regarding perioperative complications due to its outpatient nature. This cross-sectional study aims to analyze the most common complications that accompany liposuction-related procedures and importantly estimate the total complication rate occurring at ambulatory surgical facilities. Adult patients who experienced liposuction-related complications from 2019 to 2021 were identified in the reporting database of the global surgery accreditation authority, the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (QUAD A). Patients were then divided by complication type and procedure location. Demographics and facility-specific variables were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed. Overall, 984 patients were included, with a mean age of 44 years (interquartile range [IQR] 37-53) and a median BMI of 28.7 kg/m2 (IQR 25.7-32.2). The overall confirmed complication rate was found to be 0.40% (984/246,119). Unplanned emergency department presentation was the most common complication overall (24%). Wound disruption was associated with the longest median procedure length (261 min), and venous thromboembolism was associated with the highest median BMI (30.1 kg/m2). The Southeast had the most complications (431), which accounted for 13/21 deaths (61.9%). Out of all complications, death was associated with the highest average annual case volume (241). Procedures that involve liposuction are associated with a variety of medical and surgical complications. Given the high frequency and variability in how liposuction is performed, a thorough assessment of complications is critical to improve the safety of this procedure.