Search

In a market with indivisibilities, Roth and Postlewaite (1977) show that the (weak) core can suffer from instability problems, in the sense that groups of individuals might upset the equilibrium by recontracting among themselves. By contrast, the strong core is stable. Following the seminal contribution of Koray and Yildiz (2018), we re-examine the classical questions of implementation theory under complete information in a setting where coalitions are fundamental behavioral units, and the outcomes of their interactions are predicted by applying the solution concept of the strong core. The planner’s exercise includes designing a code of rights that specifies the collection of coalitions having the right to block one outcome by moving to another.

In the construction field, paver blocks are preferably used in many industries and houses as well. In houses, most often they use paver blocks in their lawns. Also, these paver blocks are used in the pathways along the roadside. While laying these paver blocks manually, they have to place it by hands and it requires workload and physical stress for labors and consuming more time. Also, it requires more laborers for this process. This proposed project can lay the paver blocks semi-automatically by laying through the machine. The machine traces the path and moves slowly over the path. Paver blocks are placed over the top position of the tapered frame. The blocks move slowly to the bottom position due to its gravity as the frame is tapered. Then blocks will lay upon the required path as the machine slowly moves in a backward direction. In this way, blocks are placed. As these blocks are used in pavement paths that are constrained, the machine will lay and save time. Also, the machine is smaller in size; it can be carried along with paver blocks that are carried in lorries.

Modern industrial robots can work alongside human workers and coordinate with other robots. This means they can perform complex tasks, but doing so requires complex programming. Therefore, robots are typically programmed by experts, but there are not enough to meet the growing demand for robots. To reduce the need for experts, researchers have tried to make robot programming accessible to factory workers without programming experience. However, none of that previous work supports coordinating multiple robot arms that work on the same task. In this paper we present four block-based programming language designs that enable end-users to program two-armed robots. We analyze the benefits and trade-offs of each design on expressiveness and user cognition, and evaluate the designs based on a survey of 273 professional participants of whom 110 had no previous programming experience. We further present an interactive experiment based on a prototype implementation of the design we deem best. This experiment confirmed that novices can successfully use our prototype to complete realistic robotics tasks. This work contributes to making coordinated programming of robots accessible to end-users. It further explores how visual programming elements can make traditionally challenging programming tasks more beginner-friendly.

The judicious choice of metal clusters and organic building blocks leads to a wide variety of structures for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). In this work, we demonstrated that relegating the symme...

Soil Reinforced Blocks are the new attempt in which a soil block of definite size and shape is produced by incorporating the Reinforcement into the Stabilized Soil by wrapping the Geomembrane around the soil block with the proposal of applying it as a Foundation Bed. Red soil is primarily stabilized by using Portland Cement and Steel bars are used as Reinforcement, by using these materials Soil reinforced blocks are constructed which is similar to the construction of Reinforced Concrete Columns in the form of solid blocks. The main objective of the work is to produce an Engineered Efficient Structure in the form of soil reinforced blocks to provide a Solid High Resistance Foundation Platform to the structure by placing these Soil Reinforced blocks in the ground where Foundation Soil has Low Bearing Capacity. After the construction of Soil Reinforced blocks, these are tested against Compression, Bending Tension, Triaxial Shear, UCS, CBR, and Water Absorption. To avoid the Saturation or Entry of Water into the Soil Reinforced blocks a Geo-Synthetic material named Geo-membrane is used. A Geo-membrane is a Synthetic material with the primary function of Obstructing Moisture and it will be wrapped around the Soil Reinforced blocks. A Geotechnical Structure possessing the Good Engineering properties are the Expected Possible Outcomes.

This study addresses the block(s) relocation problem (BRP), also known as the container relocation problem. This problem considers individually retrieving blocks piled up in tiers according to a predetermined order. When the block to be retrieved next is not at the top, we have to relocate the blocks above it because we can access only the topmost blocks. The objective is to retrieve all the blocks with the smallest number of relocations. In this study, a novel exact algorithm is proposed for the restricted BRP, a class of the problem where relocatable blocks are restricted. The proposed algorithm computes lower and upper bounds iteratively by solving the corresponding integer programming problems until the optimality gap is reduced to zero. The novelty of the algorithm lies in the formulations based on complete and truncated relocation sequences of the individual blocks. We examine the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm through computational experiments for benchmark instances from the literature. In particular, we report that, for the first time, all the instances with up to 100 blocks are solved to proven optimality.

Smart contracts offer a unique method of contracting that differs from the methods used for a long time in this regard; Because the agreement between the contracting parties appears in the form of a code that is run and executed by members of the Blockchain network or the nodes, without one of the parties being able to stop it; so that when a certain condition is met and the members of the network verify that, the related or the corresponding condition is executed automatically; therefore it's a contracting method that guarantees the process of contracts performance in the manner agreed upon, without the need to have a confidence in the other party or resort to a trusted body to verify the truth of that party or the object of contract; so we thought about studying the topic of the conclusion of those contracts in order to highlight their features and clarify the extent to which general rules accommodate the specificities of their formation; and we divided our research into an introductory section entitled "the fundamentals of block chain technology", and two main sections; the first entitled "the idea of smart contracts as a blockchain application", and the second entitled" specificity of smart contracts formation. Keywords: smart contracts, blockchain, DApps, Ethereum.

This paper is the second part of the study of some reused Pharaonic blocks in Cairo Islamic monuments. These blocks are mostly unpublished. The studied blocks are the threshold in Khanqah-Mausoleum of Sultan Baybars AL Jashankir, the text on this block dates to the time of Ramesses IX. The second block is the threshold in Gateway of Wekala of Qusoun, the text on this block dates to the time of Ramesses II. The third block is the threshold in Ahmed Ibn Shaaban Zawia, which dates to the time of Senwosert. The fourth block is the threshold in Othman Katkhoda (Kekhya) mosque, this block was noted by Daressy, and he thought it is a part of a Saite period sarcophagus lid. The provenance of these blocks could be suggested according to the texts on each of them. According to the study of these blocks, Heliopolis is the provenance of most of them.

Building blocks are the molecular foundations for drug molecule design. The building block is one of the determining factors of final compound qualities in any given medicinal chemistry campaign. Herein, we describe our analysis of the building blocks used in parallel library synthesis at AbbVie. The results gave insights into the synthetic tractability and accessibilities of building blocks used in medicinal chemistry. Furthermore, our analysis showed that opportunities still exist for the identification and future incorporation of underrepresented building blocks, even for commonly used reactions, to obtain intellectual and competitive advantages in drug discovery.

Learning programming is an integral part of the school informatics course. The teachers often start to teach programming with the "childish" language Scratch, which, despite its simplicity, makes it possible to write not only the simplest program, but also quite complex programs that reflect the basic principles of programming such as variables, loops, branches, etc. Continuing learning programming pupils can use Python, which is one of the most popular programming languages. The article proposes an approach to implementing the continuity of programming learning in the transition from learning Scratch to learning Python, namely, using the capabilities of the online educational platform EduBlocks. EduBlocks is an easy way to go from block programming to text-based programming. The main part of EduBlocks is the visual block editor. After completing the construction of the program in this editor, you can go to the "regular" Python editor. Python code is displayed in blocks, so pupils learn Python syntax while coding in a familiar block-level environment.

BackgroundWe evaluated the impact of bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane blocks on pain and opioid-related outcomes within a standardized care pathway for lumbar fusion.MethodsA retrospective propensity score matched cohort study. Clinical data were extracted from the electronic medical records of patients who underwent lumbar fusion (January 2019–July 2020). Propensity score matching based on common confounders was used to match patients who received or did not receive blocks in a 1:1 ratio. Primary outcomes were Numeric Rating Scale pain scores (0–10) and opioid consumption (morphine equivalent dose) in the first 24 hours after surgery (median (IQR)). Secondary outcomes included length of stay and opioid-related side effects.ResultsOf 1846 patients identified, 242 were matched and analyzed. Total 24-hour opioid consumption was significantly lower in the erector spinae plane block group (30 mg (0, 144); without-blocks: 45 mg (0, 225); p=0.03). There were no significant differences in pain scores in the postanesthesia care unit (with blocks: 4 (0, 9); without blocks: 4 (0,8); p=0.984) or on the nursing floor (with blocks: 4 (0,8); without blocks: 4 (0,8); p=0.134). Total length of stay was 5 hours shorter in the block group (76 hours (21, 411); without blocks: 81 (25, 268); p=0.001). Fewer patients who received blocks required postoperative antiemetic administration (with blocks: n=77 (64%); without blocks: n=97 (80%); p=0.006).ConclusionsErector spinae plane blocks were associated with clinically irrelevant reductions in 24-hour opioid consumption and no improvement in pain scores after lumbar fusion. The routine use of these blocks in the setting of a comprehensive care pathway for lumbar fusion may not be warranted.

The paper explores the possibilities of the structural and functional transformation of blocks in the historical center of Zagreb as a part of modernization after many years of neglect as well as earthquakes in 2020. The research aims to determine how the existing block tissue corresponds with the needs of today’s residents and the possibility of its improvement. The historical circumstances in which the blocks were formed and underwent the most significant changes and modern processes that affect the state and value are determined. There is a special focus on the interior of the block (courtyards), as well as on the spaces on the ground floors of street facades, where numerous, unexplored changes can be observed. The findings provide starting points for desirable structural–functional transformations of blocks and stem from the synthesis and interpretation of knowledge from four interrelated parts of the research. The characteristics of blocks have changed during city development stages, as depicted by an analysis and graphic interpretation of historical maps and urban plans (1864–2021). Influences of modern processes on changes of the city are determined on the basis of the synthesis of previous research from different interdisciplinary points of view, a detailed analysis of the structural–functional changes is conducted on the example of three selected blocks. Transformation models for three selected blocks are proposed.

Handwritten script classification is still considered as a challenging research problem in the domain of document image analysis. Although some research attempts have been made by the researchers for solving the challenging issues, a comprehensive solution is yet to be achieved. The case study, undertaken here, analyzes the performances of various state-of-the art handwritten script classification methods for Indian scripts where features, needed for the script classification task, are extracted from the script images at four different granularity levels, i.e., page, block, text line, or word. The results of handwritten script classification at each level have been obtained and compared using eight different feature sets and six different state-of-the-art classifiers. Based on the classification results, an ideal level for performing the handwritten script classification task is suggested among these four classification levels. The results have also been improved by using two feature dimensionality reduction methods. All these experiments are done on two different handwritten Indic script databases, of which one is an in-house developed dataset and the other one is a freely available dataset. Finally, some future research directions that may be undertaken by the researchers as an application of the handwritten Indic script classification problem are also highlighted. The work presented here provides a basic foundation for the construction of a comprehensive handwritten script classification method for official Indian scripts.

Transactive energy is an effective way to share and trade energy among peers. A transactive energy framework is composed of several integrated blocks such as an energy market, service providers, generation companies, transmission and distribution networks, prosumers, etc. The success of such a framework can be measured by analyzing the effectiveness of its major building blocks. This paper provides a basic definition of transactive energy which helps in identifying its primary building blocks. Based on the identified building blocks, each block of the transactive energy system is discussed briefly to highlight its significant role and effectiveness. Some enabling technologies for such systems are then reviewed along with pilot projects. In the end, some policy guidelines are presented to speed up their implementation.

Sorting permutations with various operations has applications in macro rearrangement of genes in a genome and the design of computer interconnection networks. Block-interchange is a powerful operation that swaps two substrings that are called as blocks in literature, in a given permutation. When the blocks are restricted to be adjacent then one obtains a well studied operation: transposition. We call either a prefix or a suffix as an extreme. Restricting one of the swapped blocks to be an extreme in block-interchange operation yields a prefix or a suffix block-interchange respectively, the two types of extreme block-interchanges. For prefix block-interchange operation over permutations we design: (i) an optimum algorithm to sort reverse permutation, R n , in n/2 moves, (ii) a simple 2-approximation algorithm, and (iii) for permutations with O ( 1 ) cycles, a 4/3 approximation algorithm. Due to symmetry, these results apply to suffix block-interchange operation also.

ISOTILT is a user-friendly web-based software package for discovering the cooperative rigid-unit modes in materials whose structures contain interconnected networks of rigid units., A user-friendly web-based software tool called ‘ISOTILT’ is introduced for detecting cooperative rigid-unit modes (RUMs) in networks of interconnected rigid units (e.g. molecules, clusters or polyhedral units). This tool implements a recently described algorithm in which symmetry-mode patterns of pivot-atom rotation and displacement vectors are used to construct a linear system of equations whose null space consists entirely of RUMs. The symmetry modes are first separated into independent symmetry-mode blocks and the set of equations for each block is solved separately by singular value decomposition. ISOTILT is the newest member of the ISOTROPY Software Suite. Here, it is shown how to prepare structural and symmetry-mode information for use in ISOTILT, how to use each of ISOTILT’s input fields and options, and how to use and interpret ISOTILT output.

The construction of chemical libraries containing polysubstituted pyrazoline scaffolds is highly desirable for the discovery of novel chemical ligands for biological targets. Herein, we report a sequential DNA-encoded synthesis strategy for polysubstituted pyrazoline heterocycles, which fuses a broad panel of aldehydes, aryl amines, and alkenes as building blocks. Furthermore, mock library synthesis and selection demonstrated the ability of the method to produce DNA-encoded focused libraries with highly functionalized pyrazoline cores.

Lightweight masonry blocks (LMBs) are more environmentally favorable than solid clay bricks, and have gradually become the main material for the infill walls of modern buildings. It is of great imp...

PurposeThis paper presents the details of a research study on developing composite masonry blocks using two types of mixes, conventional and lightweight mix, to enhance their fire/bushfire resistance and residual compressive strength.Design/methodology/approachComposite masonry blocks (390 × 190 × 90 mm) were fabricated using conventional cement–sand mix as the outer layer and lightweight cement–sand–diatomite mix as the inner layer. Material properties were determined, and all the mixes were proportioned by the absolute volume method. After 28 days of curing, density tests, compression tests before and after fire exposure and fire resistance tests of the developed blocks were conducted, and the results were compared with those of conventional cement–sand and cement–sand–diatomite blocks.FindingsDeveloped composite blocks satisfy density and compressive strength requirements for loadbearing lightweight solid masonry units. Fire resistance of the composite block is –/120/120, and no cracks appeared on the ambient side surface of the block after 3 h of fire exposure. Residual strength of the composite block is higher compared to cement–sand and cement–sand–diatomite blocks and satisfies the loadbearing solid masonry unit strength requirements.Practical implicationsComposite block developed in this research can be suggested as a suitable loadbearing lightweight solid masonry block for several applications in buildings in bushfire prone areas.Originality/valueLimited studies are available for composite masonry blocks in relation to their fire resistance and residual strength.

Although multiple studies have shown the efficacy of Serious Games (SGs) in improving students' performance and learning experience, the wide use of SGs is yet to be realised. One of the challenges towards the adoption of SGs can be attributed to the complex and costly development process. In this paper, we present ARQS (Authentic Role-playing-game Quest System) tool, an educator-oriented authoring tool we developed for supporting the implementation of a serious role-playing-game (RPG). The authoring tool consists of features that simplify the creation of important RPG components e.g. avatars, virtual world. Furthermore, the authoring process employs block-based programming to configure aspects of RPG such as creating quests. The concept is adopted in order to provide a platform where educators without programming knowledge are able to use. A formative evaluation was conducted with ten educators from secondary and university levels, using a low-fidelity prototype. Outcomes from the evaluation showed promising results, attesting the potential of ARQS as an educational tool for the creation of interactive learning instructions in the form of real-world scenarios embedded within a role-playing-game.

We consider the multi-objective optimization problem of choosing the bottom left block-entry of a block lower triangular matrix to minimize the ranks of all block sub-matrices. We provide a proof that there exists a simultaneous rank-minimizer by constructing the complete set of all minimizers., 11 pages, 1 figure, accepted in Linear Algebra and its Applications

Strong rock blocks embedded in a weaker soil matrix are found in many geological units. When tunneling in ground containing cobbles and boulders, extremely challenging conditions can be encountered. Such inconveniences may be avoided by means of appropriate tunneling methods and cutterhead designs, which require the content, frequency, and size of rock blocks to be predicted as accurately as possible. Several approaches have been developed to estimate the block fraction of heterogeneous geomaterials for excavation. However, the estimation of cobble–boulder quantities both all along the tunnel and only partially embedded within the tunnel face remains a critical issue. This study develops a methodology for the estimation of the probability of encountering blocks partially or totally contained within the tunnel excavation area, wherein the area of intersection with the tunnel face is greater than the given critical values. For this purpose, a statistical approach has been implemented in a Matlab routine. The potential of this code is that it provides extremely useful and statistically based information that can be used for making a more rational choice regarding tunneling technique and in terms of designing a suitable cutterhead in order to avoid technical problems during tunnel excavations in heterogeneous ground. The executable code is provided.

Appointment scheduling assigns start times in a session or consultation block to a set of tasks that share a common resource. For a generic repeated appointment scheduling problem, we study the trade-off between waiting for an appointment and waiting at the appointed time. Assuming that being scheduled later during a session implies that one has to wait longer for service (on average), it is often beneficial to choose a consultation block further away. We study this trade-off both when the patients have no information on how many patients are already scheduled in future consultation blocks and when they can observe the future block schedules. By some numerical examples, we find that in both cases the rational choice considerably changes between consecutive appointment blocks, patients favouring later blocks when the next appointment block starts in the near future. We also compare the rational choice with the socially optimal schedule and find that socially optimal scheduling can significantly reduce the waiting cost.

BackgroundErector spinae plane (ESP) and retrolaminar (RL) blocks show unreliable spread. We hypothesize that the combination of ESP and RL blocks provides more extensive and reliable spread of dye than single ESP blocks. Our primary objective was to compare the spread of dye to the paravertebral spaces after the combination block and ESP block in Thiel embalmed cadavers. Spread, the primary end point, was defined as the number of paravertebral spaces colored with dye per injection.Materials and methodsA single anesthetist performed ultrasound-guided ESP (20 mL) and combination of ESP and RL (10 mL each) blocks at the third thoracic vertebra of eight soft embalmed Thiel cadavers. Tissue displacement was visualized on an adjacent strain elastography image. Cadavers were dissected 24 hours later and anatomical structures were inspected for the presence of dye.FindingsDye was visualized in more paravertebral spaces with the combination block (median 3 (IQR 3–5 (range 0–8)) vs 1.5 (IQR 0.25–2.75 (range 0–3) and difference (1.5 (0–4), p=0.04). Six out of seven (86%) combined erector spinae and RL blocks spread to at least three paravertebral spaces compared with two out of eight (25%) ESP blocks (RR 3.4, 95% CI 1.0 to 11.8; p=0.04). Contralateral spread occurred in three combination blocks and in one ESP block (OR 9.0, 95% CI 4.0 to 21.1; pConclusionsIn conclusion, the combination of ESP and RL blocks was more extensive and reliable than ESP block alone.

A wide range of heterogeneous geological units composed of strong rock blocks enclosed in a bonded matrix of fine texture exists worldwide. Such geomaterials belong to geotechnically complex formations and are often referred to as bimrocks (block-in-matrix rocks) or bimsoils (block-in-matrix soils), as a function of their matrix characteristics and the interface strength between the matrix and blocks. Stability problems occurring in such complex geomaterials have been analysed almost exclusively by means of deterministic approaches and with the aim of investigating the effects of variable block contents on their mechanical behaviour. However, bimrocks and bimsoils can present very different internal block-in-matrix arrangements and properties according to their forming process and, consequently, significantly dissimilar mechanical behaviours. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to statistically investigate and compare the stability of theoretical slopes in the most widespread bimrock formations, i.e. sedimentary and tectonic melanges. These formations are characterised by substantial differences in their rock inclusion geometry. To this aim, a great number of 2D slope models were generated to enclose blocks with variable shapes, dimensions, arrangements, inclinations and contents. To obtain statistically based results, fifteen configurations were analysed for each block content and geometrical configuration considered. The results obtained indicate that block shapes and orientations significantly affect the stability of slopes in bimrocks only when the block contents are greater than 40%. Moreover, it is demonstrated that blocks inclined 0° to the horizontal provide the most tortuous and irregular failure surfaces and, consequently, the highest safety factors.

With the advancement in technology and the emphasis on computer science education, there has been a strong push for more widespread programming instruction at K-12 and higher education levels. Existing research has mostly focused on students at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Little work has involved students at the elementary school age, which has been considered a critical age to cultivate an interest in programming. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of a block-based programming interface (e.g., Hopscotch) on elementary school students’ attitudes toward programming. In this study, eighteen elementary school students in 4th -5th grades participated in a programming curriculum for about seven weeks in the US. A survey on attitude toward programming was distributed before and after the curriculum, to explore the change in attitudes toward programming. Students’ perception toward the block-based programming interface (e.g., Hopscotch) was also examined after the curricular activities. Students’ activities in lessons and artifacts from the culminating project were observed. The findings indicated that elementary school students had a positive perception of programming in the block-based programming interface. Also, the block-based programming activities contributed to more positive attitudes toward programming. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed.

In spring 2019, without controversy or fanfare and without violating the voter mandate of Proposition 203, emergent bilinguals in Arizona were once again granted unrestricted access to dual languag...

A blockmodel is a network in which the nodes are clusters of equivalent (in terms of the structure of the links connecting) nodes in the network being studied. The term block refers to the links between two clusters. When structural equivalence is relied on, two types of blocks are possible: complete blocks and null blocks. Ideally, all possible links are found in complete blocks while there are no links in null blocks. Yet, in the case of empirical networks, some links frequently appear in null blocks and some non-links appear in complete blocks. These links and non-links are called inconsistencies. When a relocation algorithm is applied to obtain a blockmodel, the criterion function is minimised. The number of inconsistencies is reflected in a criterion function’s value, leading to it being regularly used to fit an empirical network to an ideal blockmodel. Since the value of a criterion function depends on various factors (e.g. the block types allowed, the network size and its density), the values obtained for different networks are incomparable. To address this deficiency, the Relative Fit measure is proposed in this paper. Relative Fit values may be used to select the appropriate blockmodel type and/or number of clusters. Values of the Relative Fit measure can also be of value when fitting different empirical networks to a given blockmodel.

Purpose of review To describe current developed regional blocks, their indications and clinical use. Furthermore, describe new local anesthetics recently introduced and the new agents in pipeline. Recent findings There are multiple new blocks recently developed with the introduction of ultrasound to regional anesthesia and studies demonstrate effect in different surgical procedures. However, majority of the studies do not compare with gold standard and are relatively small to change clinical practice. Some of these blocks are: erector spinae plane block, infiltration between the popliteal artery and capsule of the posterior knee, pectoral nerve blocks, quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominis plane block. New local anesthetics and adjuvants have been developed in recent years. However, the studies with even with the oldest one introduced Exparel is currently questioned, large future studies are needed to determine efficacy and safety profile and compared with conventional local anesthetics. Summary New regional block techniques and new local anesthetics have been introduced recently. However, the efficacy/safety and comparison to conventional techniques and local anesthetics are still needed. Future studies must focus on prolonging analgesia with least invasive regional technique and compare new local anesthetics with current ones.

Due to their essential role in forming good quality urban life, urban structures need to be comprehensively understood. The use of quantitative methods and measures to analyze the urban fabric metrics is crucial to understand the physical and spatial properties at multiple scales. This research aims to study the structures of urban blocks by using computational and metric methods. Three essential variables of urban blocks - perimeter, size, and dimension - are selected to measure the blocks’ features and differences formed in Baghdad, Iraq. The analysis used various statistical methods combined with computation techniques and a geographical information system (GIS) to measure and compare the correlations between the block properties of four selected urban areas. The results revealed a differentiation among the geometric potentials found in urban block structures; moreover, this helped to provide a precise basis and principal guidelines for urban design models and planning practices. The research concluded that a better understanding of the block’s role in urban fabric helps to improve the formation and transformation processes within the built environment.

This paper argues against the most important theoretical foundations which Walter Block uses to defend his thesis that Evictionism legitimizes indirectly deadly evictions of a progeny while simultaneously forbidding abortion. It begins by presenting Block’s Gentleness principle and Rothbard’s principle Proportionality separately. Then, it compares both principles to analyze how satisfactorily each of them deals with some important general problems of libertarian legal theory. The ‘bubble gum theft’ scenario is the main tool for this comparison because both authors uses ‘petty theft’ examples to illustrate their respective principles. This paper’s conclusions are as follows: First, every moment of crime is interconnected. Second, proportionality applies to every moment of crime. Third, that Block’s so-called ‘gentleness principle’ is not only redundant to proportionality, but also cannot be a libertarian principle for two reasons: (1) it implies positive rights and obligations; (2) it presupposes a deterrence penology. This paper is the first in a series of three in an attempt to reform the standard libertarian stance on abortion. Resumo Este artigo argumenta contra as fundamentações teóricas mais importantes que Walter Block usa para defender a sua tese de que o eviccionismo legitima expulsões indiretamente fatais à prole enquanto simultaneamente proíbe abortos. O artigo começa apresentando o princípio da gentileza de Block e, separadamente, o princípio da proporcionalidade de Rothbard. Depois, comparam-se ambos os princípios para analisar o quão satifatoriamente cada um deles lida com alguns importantes problemas gerais da teoria jurídica do libertarianismo. O cenário do ‘roubo do chiclete’ é a principal ferramenta para tal comparação porque ambos os autores usam exemplos de ‘roubo de bagatela’ para ilustrar os seus respectivos princípios. As conclusões deste artigo são as seguintes: Primeiro, cada momento do crime está interconectado. Segundo, a proporcionalidade se aplica a todos os momentos do crime. Terceiro, que o assim chamado ‘princípio da gentileza’ de Block é não apenas redundante à proporcionalidade, mas também não pode ser um princípio libertário por duas razões: (1) implica em direitos e obrigações positivas; (2) pressupõe um penalismo dissuasivo. Este artigo é o primeiro em uma série de três na tentativa de reformar o posicionamento padrão do libertarianismo a respeito do aborto.

Ordinary disposition ascriptions (DAs) appear to form a semantically heterogeneous class of clauses some of which can be straightforwardly analyzed as possibility claims, and some of which resist a simple quantificational treatment. For example, while “The block is breakable” is true if the block breaks at a relevant possible world, for “The block is fragile” to be true it doesn’t suffice that the block breaks at one of the worlds that matter to the evaluation of the ascription, since the block could break accidentally and yet be sturdy. The contrast has been taken to indicate that sentences like “The block is fragile” don’t introduce mere existential quantification over sets of worlds, and should be represented as claims about sufficient ratios or proportions of worlds. However, recent work has suggested that by pairing the recalcitrant DAs with modified manifestation phrases, we can generalize the standard analysis of existential DAs to the problematic examples, and state a uniform characterization of DAs as claims of possibility. The paper discusses some counterexamples to the view that allegedly non-existential DAs are covert claims of fine-grained possibility, and sketches a hybrid account combining proportional quantification with fine-grained manifestations.

The thrust block is one of the most widely recognized methods of resisting thrust forces. This type of infrastructure should be installed in bends, dead ends, tees and wyes. Thrust blocks perform the function of transferring thrust force to the ground safely. Thrust block dimensions are designed based on hydrostatic pressures, bend angles, and soil properties in the surrounding area. Several codes exist for designing thrust blocks, but we focus on Egyptian code for design and implementation of pipelines for drinking water and sewage networks (ECDIPWSN) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). In this methodology, the steps of thrust block design by the codes are demonstrated and applied individually to one of the published papers. The goal of the study was to find the optimum percentages between the dimensions of the block in the two codes and to compare the quantity of concrete after the block was designed by each code. Based on the research, it was found that the concrete amount of the block designed by AWWA was smaller than that designed by ECDIPWSN. HIGHLIGHT Results of the study discovered the volume of the thrust block created by the AWWA method was smaller than the volume created by the ECDIPWSN method when excavation depth was low but was larger when excavation depth was large.

Informal availability of Internet and easy accessibility of network resources to a general public has created a new era of security design challenge for multimedia contents which is available in the form of image, text, video and audio etc. This paper presents a novel technique to employ a security mechanism for transmission of digital contents over public network. The proposed method uses a multilevel image encryption/decryption algorithm based on quantum chaos map and sparse sampling. In the initial phase an original image is divided into blocks of equal size and each block is further divided into sub-block using DWT technique. The pixels of the adjacent sub blocks are exchanged randomly by random matrix. Each frequency band of the blocks is encrypted by modulus function, and then combined each to get the new block. Next, pixels of the neighbor blocks are exchanged randomly by random matrix and subsequently each block is encrypted using modulus function. The result given in graphical and tabular form shows the correctness of the algorithm.

In the case of maxillary involution, augmentation is necessary for implant-supported prosthetics. The use of bone grafts is standard; customized allogeneic bone blocks may be a predictable alternative before dental implantation. For maxillary full-arch reconstruction, this case shows a horse-shoe augmentation by four allogeneic blocks, followed by guided dental implantation and fixed prosthetics after 6 months of healing. Using allogeneic blocks is an option for full-arch maxillary augmentation and comparable with autologous bone grafts. There is no donor site comorbidity. Bone height is stable for a minimum of 3 years after loading with resorption less than 10% in vertical, buccolingual, and mesiodistal directions. Short-implants allow for the long-term stability of prosthetic fixtures. Prefabricated customized allogeneic blocks for augmentation may increase the fitting accuracy of the graft, decrease morbidity, and lower operation time in maxillary full-arch reconstruction. The percentage of resorption after 3 years is comparable to the commonly used iliac crest.

This study investigated how a computer science (CS) problem-based curriculum impacted elementary students’ CS learning and attitudes. Four sixth-grade teachers and 200 of their students participated in the study. Researchers developed a CS curriculum in collaboration with the teachers, which consisted of two main units: (1) an introduction to block-based coding and (2) a problem-based learning (PBL) applied coding project. Overall, students significantly improved their knowledge of CT concepts after the introductory block-based coding lessons and retained that knowledge after completing the PBL activities approximately three months later. Results suggest that Event and Parallelism were challenging concepts for most of the students, whereas Loop and Sequence were easily grasped by most of the students. Further analysis based on prior knowledge levels revealed that the high-prior knowledge (HK) group outperformed the low-prior knowledge (LK) group on every measure. However, LK narrowed the gap of CT concepts after the introductory block-based coding lessons. Students also communicated relatively positive attitudes towards CS at the conclusion of the PBL unit. These results provide support for further exploring the integration of inquiry-oriented instructional strategies such as PBL to support CS instruction.

Today, the Construction of Modern, Functional and Effective Pedagogical Models of representatives of the Security and Defense Sector of Ukraine, including cadets of the command direction of Training of Higher Military Educational Institutions of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (etc.) is relevant and timely. The Main Purpose of the Research is to Construct a Pedagogical Model of the Formation of the Readiness of the Combat units of the ZU-23 to perform tasks on Purpose with the use of Special Physical Training (on the example of cadets of higher military educational institutions of the command direction of training). During the Theoretical Research the following Methods were used: axiomatic, historical (logical), idealization, ascent from the concrete, formalization, etc. As a Result of the Theoretical Research, the members of the Research group constructed a Semantic-Functional Model of the Formation of the Readiness of the Combat Units of the ZU-23 to perform the assigned tasks using Special Physical Training (on the example of cadets of the Command and Staff Faculty of the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine). The Pedagogical Model constructed by the members of the Research group integrates: The Target block, the Content block and the Result-evaluation block.

In modern conditions, the need to increase efficiency of forensic expert activity in economic field depends on development of theoretical and methodological base of forensic economics, interpretation of this economic and legal category in legislative field and determination of the system-forming factor of totality of forensic examinations. While systematizing scientific content, the main key issues related to theoretical development foundations of this type of forensic science are considered. The key informative informational blocks of forensic economics are highlighted: the first block is procedural nature of forensic examination assignment and conducting; second block is the use of specific expertise in the field of economics; third block is the topic of forensic economic examination; fourth block is the purpose of the results of economic research. An attempt has been made to improve interpretation of forensic economics as an economic andlegal category, as well as to substantiate its classification on the basis of dividing social production into material and non-material fields that are studied by the corresponding economic sciences. Thanks to the use of dialectical method, it is substantiated that solution to this methodological issue lies in the field of material production. Consideration of the relations between the economy and other fields of social activity demonstrated that economy is primary that allowed, as a result of the division of social production into the field of material production (material goods and material services; object of economic relations has a materialized form) and intangible production (intangible goods and intangible services; object economic relations has a non-material form) to determine the system-forming factor of various types of forensic economic examinations.

Block bots are modular mechanical robotic cubes, permitting children to create solid computationalthinking abilities. The blocks are constructed with PCB boards, each of size7*7, which makes itsimpler to play with. Similar to the arrangement of building cubes, these automated blocks should beassociated in their proper positions to make it work. In this fun based learning project, 6 blocks havebeen designed, with specific function. Those functions will inspire children to play and enhance theirdesire to innovate.

Currently, most organic semiconducting materials (OSMs) are π-conjugated structures in one or two dimension (2D), where the lack of layer-layer π-conjugation connection greatly blocks their electron delocalization and transport. The 3D fully conjugated materials could solve this issue because they can provide efficient charge-transport pathways throughout the whole 3D skeleton, in which the suitable 3D building block is the key to the development of fully conjugated 3D OSMs. Cyclooctatetraene (COT) and its derivatives are good candidates due to their π-conjugation with 3D saddle-shaped architecture. In this Concept, we discuss the key features of saddle-shaped COT-based derivatives and their synthetic strategy, then we present the current development of using the COT derivatives as building blocks to construct the 3D fully conjugated organic small compound- and polymer-based OSMs. The properties and perspectives of these OSMs in photovoltaics, electro-catalysis and electrical conductivities are also discussed. These recent advances in the developing 3D fully conjugated materials could potentially open up a new frontier in the design of OSMs.

The COVID 19 pandemic has affected global education. In Thailand, all educational institutions temporarily closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, teaching and learning still need to be continued. It is necessary to switch the learning activities to online learning. In this study, we designed online learning activities for developing computational thinking (CT) of students and carried out an experiment with 90 participants (first-year students enrolled in a Bachelor of Education Program in educational technology and communications at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi). At the beginning of the experiment, all participants were asked to take a CT test to measure their CT. The test is consistent with other CT tests under validation. During the sessions, all participants were taught by Thunkable. After the experiment, they took the CT test again. The results show that by improving CT through block-based programming projects, students’ performance improved significantly. In conclusion, block-based programming and working in pairs are combinations that can potentially help students to perform better, in turn affecting their performance in projects.

The use of ultrasound guided regional blocks is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence of the United Kingdom, for its safety and efficacy. This is a technique guide which is a culmination of the experiences gained in administering regional anesthesia under ultrasound guidance for ankle blocks as part of everyday podiatric surgery practice, based on a sound understanding of the principles of ultrasound science and instrumentation. It is in the opinion of the authors that the positioning of the patient is key, combined with an in-plane ultrasound guided technique, to perform a successful block of the selected nerve based on a foundation of knowledge and experience of anatomy and use of ultrasound respectively. This technique guide depicts annotated ultrasound images of the sonoanatomy to include the five nerves which innovate the foot that are required to be anesthetized for a selective or complete regional ankle block offering predictable peri-operative anesthesia, post-operative analgesia and early ambulatory discharge.

Interconnected porous carbonate apatite (CO3Ap) blocks that emulate cancellous bone have potential as an alternative to autografts. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of fabricating a block via a stepwise compositional transformation to CO3Ap through dissolution-precipitation reactions of an interconnected porous calcium sulfate dihydrate (CSD) block, which was obtained by the setting reaction of calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) granules. Exposure of the CSH granules to water resulted in a setting reaction. However, the gaps between the granules were clogged, preventing the fabrication of interconnected porous structures. Removing the water in the gaps using filter paper was beneficial in avoiding gap clogging and in fabricating interconnected porous CSD blocks. Although the CSD blocks transformed into CaCO3 blocks, which maintained the interconnected porous structure through a dissolution-precipitation reaction in a Na2CO3 solution, their mechanical strength was quite low (diametral tensile strength: DTS = 75 kPa). In contrast, a CaCO3 block with a much greater mechanical strength (DTS = 0.98 MPa) was fabricated when a calcium sulfate anhydrous block made via the heat treatment of the CSD block was used as a precursor. The CaCO3 block transformed into a CO3Ap block (DTS = 2.1 MPa), maintaining the interconnected porous structure through a dissolution-precipitation reaction when immersed in a Na2HPO4 solution. The CO3Ap block had macropores initiated by the gaps between the granules and micropores created by the setting reaction of CSH granules and the dissolution-precipitation reactions to form CO3Ap. The results obtained in the present study demonstrate that this method is useful for fabricating interconnected porous CO3Ap blocks.

The method of numerical and algebraic formalization and solution of the problem of synthesizing systems with the structure of one of the four varieties of combinatorial block designs has been substantiated. Analytical representations of the blocks and duality blocks of such systems are obtained when representing elements and numbering blocks and duality blocks by initial non-negative integers. In this case, algebraic block identifiers are used, which allows building blocks in a distributed manner, i.e. independently of one another. According to the substantiated method of formalizing the meaningful representations of systems, the same combinatorial block design can be a model of various synthesized systems. This thesis is illustrated by an example of the synthesis of a computer network and a key distribution scheme in a wireless sensor network.

This work uses a nonsmooth dynamic model to study the motion of rocking-block structures with base excitation. In this study, the rocking blocks are modeled with respect to two contact points that ...

Well-crafted libraries deliver much higher performance than code generated by sophisticated application programmers using advanced optimizing compilers. When a code pattern for which a well-tuned library implementation exists is found in the source code of an application, the highest performing solution is to replace the pattern with a call to the library. Idiom-recognition solutions in the past either required pattern matching machinery that was outside of the compilation framework or provided a very brittle solution that would fail even for minor variants in the pattern source code. This article introduces Kernel Find & Replacer ( KernelFaRer ), an idiom recognizer implemented entirely in the existing LLVM compiler framework. The versatility of KernelFaRer is demonstrated by matching and replacing two linear algebra idioms, general matrix-matrix multiplication (GEMM), and symmetric rank-2k update (SYR2K). Both GEMM and SYR2K are used extensively in scientific computation, and GEMM is also a central building block for deep learning and computer graphics algorithms. The idiom recognition in KernelFaRer is much more robust than alternative solutions, has a much lower compilation overhead, and is fully integrated in the broadly used LLVM compilation tools. KernelFaRer replaces existing GEMM and SYR2K idioms with computations performed by BLAS, Eigen, MKL (Intel’s x86), ESSL (IBM’s PowerPC), and BLIS (AMD). Gains in performance that reach 2000× over hand-crafted source code compiled at the highest optimization level demonstrate that replacing application code with library call is a performant solution.

The design of lightweight neutrons shields has been restricted for quite some time to the use of the epoxy thermosets as the main building blocks. Meanwhile, the recent developments in the field of polymers suggest otherwise. Indeed, benzoxazine resins have taken the lead over the traditional thermosets in many exigent applications. Therefore, in a vision to introduce newer matrices with better performances and to further expand the applications of the benzoxazine resins into the nuclear field, the neutron shielding efficiency along with the thermal and thermomechanical performances of the neat benzoxazine polymer and its subsequent B4C-reinforced composites were investigated. The neutron shielding measurements were performed using an optimized experimental setup at NUR research reactor, Algiers. The neat benzoxazine polymer displayed almost similar thermal neutrons screening performances than the epoxy with a macroscopic cross-section (Σ) of a 0.724 cm−1 equivalent to a mean free path (λ) of 0.957 cm. The effect of the particle amount was also studied to maximize the shielding ability of the developed materials. For instance, the benzoxazine composite containing 20 wt.% of B4C displayed the outstanding screening ratio of about 96% for a sample thickness of 13 mm. Finally, the remarkable findings were put into context by providing multifaceted comparisons with the available shielding materials.

Topologically interlocked materials (TIMs) are an emerging class of architectured materials that each of block is supported by their neighboring blocks without any connector, which is inspired by m...

Young students’ engagement in computer programming has been recognized as a crucial issue in educational settings nowadays. In this study, a block-based programming approach was employed to investigate its impacts on the learning anxiety, playfulness, and enjoyment of young students with different academic levels. A total of 175 10th graders participated in the study. The participants were asked to use block-based programming to control a robot. The experimental results show that the block-based programming, which engages students in programming tasks using a building block-like visual interface, significantly reduced the students’ learning anxiety while also promoting their playfulness and enjoyment in the perspectives of computational thinking. It was also found that the block-based programming benefited the low- and medium-achievement more than the high-achievement students did. Therefore, it was inferred that block-based programming would be useful for those people who have worse learning performance in conventional programming learning so they need further remedial instruction. Moreover, male students had lower learning anxiety and higher playfulness than the female students. The findings could be a good reference for researchers and school teachers who intend to conduct programming activities for young children.