Ultrafast multireflector physical-optics beam simulations for the HFI instrument on the ESA PLANCK Surveyor

We present the latest results of our fast physical optics simulations of the ESA PLANCK HFI beams. The main beams of both polarized and non-polarized channels have been computed with account of broad frequency bands for the final design and positions of the HFI horns. Gaussian fitting parameters of the broadband beams have been presented. Beam polarization characteristics and horn defocusing effects have been studied.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Does perpetrator gender influence attitudes towards intimate partner violence (IPV)? Examining the relationship between male-perpetrated and female-perpetrated IPV attitudes among a sample of UK young adults

PurposeUnderstanding of the role that attitudes and beliefs may play on the judgments people make about intimate partner violence (IPV) is becoming increasingly important, notably in the context of the criminal justice process and in recognising IPV as a public health issue. This study aims to investigate the importance of several established factors predictive of attitudes towards male-perpetrated IPV, which have never previously been explored in relation to female-perpetrated IPV.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 295 young adults (18–28) from across the UK completed an online survey (M Age = 23.82) comprised of four established psychometric inventories; the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale, Satisfaction with Life scale, Attitudes Towards Female Dating Violence scale and newly developed Modern Adolescent Dating Violence Attitudes (MADVA) scale, alongside a suite of associated demographic factors.FindingsResults derived from a multiple linear regression indicates that three types of attitudes towards male-perpetrated violence against women (physical, sexual, and psychological abuse offline), were significant predictors of attitudes towards female-perpetrated IPV, along with gender and ethnicity. Self-esteem, satisfaction with life, age and education among those surveyed were not associated with attitudes towards female-perpetrated IPV.Practical implicationsThe results have important implications in developing educational programmes for those who have committed IPV offences, as well as teaching young people about the nature of partner abuse.Originality/valueThe results suggest that those who endorse attitudes supportive of male-perpetrated IPV in offline environments, also endorse violence-supportive beliefs towards female-perpetrated IPV. In effect, violence-supportive attitudes are held irrespective of the sex of the perpetrator. However, this may differ in terms of how individuals view online types of abuse, where these attitudes appear to be processed differentially to offline attitudes

“I didn’t feel i was a victim”: a phenomenological analysis of the experiences of male-on-male survivors of rape and sexual abuse

Research on men’s experiences of sexual victimization is limited and largely outdated. The present study seeks to remedy this issue by qualitatively examining the accounts of nine male-on-male survivors of rape and sexual abuse in the UK. It examines survivors’ experiences of psychological distress post-incident, the influence and manifestation of male rape myths, challenges in self-recognition and disclosure, and barriers to accessing therapeutic support and reporting to the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Participants took part in one-to-one, semi-structured video inter- views, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilized to identify four superordinate themes of participants’ experiences: i) gendered narratives, ii) coping with the abuse, iii) masculinity, and iv) reporting to the police. These themes emphasized the stigma and hostility repeatedly encountered by survivors after their victimization. Participants provided an account of short and long-term psychological issues following the abuse, emphasizing the role of self-perceptions of masculinity in the development of unhealthy coping mechanisms. Findings also highlighted the prevalence of prejudice and rape mythology that characterized negative encounters within the public, voluntary agencies, and the CJS. Results are discussed in relation to current service provision in the UK, recommendations for future research, and avenues for improvements across multiple vital entry points

Effect of current waveform in MIG arc on weld bead formation in plasma-MIG hybrid welding

The version of record of this article, first published in International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-13684-8.Plasma-metal inert gas (MIG) hybrid welding enables to join thick steel plates in single pass. However, arc coupling occurring between the plasma and MIG arcs disturbs its heat source characteristics, lowering the welding quality. This arc coupling phenomenon is not yet understood due to the complexity. This study aims to clarify the effect of current waveform of arc on weld bead formation according to the arc coupling in plasma-MIG hybrid welding. The metal transfer characteristics and bottom side weld pool were observed for direct current (DC) and pulse-MIG current waveforms. In addition, Ni element was used for visualizing the transport process of high-temperature molten metal provided by MIG welding within the weld pool. From these results, the effects of differences in MIG arc current waveforms on heat and mass transport processes within the weld pool and also on weld bead formation on the bottom side through changes in the occurrence of arc coupling were discussed. As a result, it was clarified that the droplets after detachment from the wire were transferred to the weld pool surface under the wire tip for DC MIG current, while those were transferred along the wire axis to the weld pool surface behind the keyhole for pulse-MIG current. When the droplet was transferred to the weld pool region with the forward flow such as the pulse-MIG current case, the heat was transported to the bottom side together with the counter-clockwise eddy behind the keyhole, strongly contributing to increasing the penetration depth. In the case of pulse-MIG current, the plasma arc is oscillated due to the arc coupling. According to this oscillation, the accumulation of molten metal behind the keyhole is prevented to suppress the humping bead formation. Consequently, pulse-MIG current was found to be suitable for increasing the penetration depth and suppressing humping bead formation on the bottom side comparing with DC MIG current

Enabling Advanced Wind-Tunnel Research Methods Using the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low Speed Tunnel

Design of Experiment (DOE) testing methods were used to gather wind tunnel data characterizing the aerodynamic and propulsion forces and moments acting on a complex vehicle configuration with 10 motor-driven propellers, 9 control surfaces, a tilt wing, and a tilt tail. This paper describes the potential benefits and practical implications of using DOE methods for wind tunnel testing - with an emphasis on describing how it can affect model hardware, facility hardware, and software for control and data acquisition. With up to 23 independent variables (19 model and 2 tunnel) for some vehicle configurations, this recent test also provides an excellent example of using DOE methods to assess critical coupling effects in a reasonable timeframe for complex vehicle configurations. Results for an exploratory test using conventional angle of attack sweeps to assess aerodynamic hysteresis is summarized, and DOE results are presented for an exploratory test used to set the data sampling time for the overall test. DOE results are also shown for one production test characterizing normal force in the Cruise mode for the vehicle

Investigation of grain orientations of melt-textured HTSC with addition of uranium oxide, Y2O3 and Y2BaCuO5

Local grain orientations were studied in melt-textured YBCO samples processed with various amounts of depleted uranuim oxide (DU) and Y 2O3 by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The addition of DU leads to the formation of Ucontaining nanoparticles (Y2Ba4CuUOx) with sizes of around 200 nm, embedded in the superconducting Y-123 matrix. The orientation of the Y 2BaCuO5 (Y-211) particles, which are also present in the YBCO bulk microstructure, is generally random as is the case in other melttextured Y-123 samples. The presence of Y-211 particles, however, also affects the orientation of the Y-123 matrix in these samples

A randomised controlled trial of adjunctive triamcinolone acetonide in eyes undergoing vitreoretinal surgery for open globe trauma – the ASCOT study

Background: Eyes sustaining open globe trauma are at high risk of severe visual impairment. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy is the most common cause of retinal detachment and visual loss in eyes with open globe trauma. There is evidence from experimental studies and pilot clinical trials that the use of adjunctive steroid medication triamcinolone acetonide can reduce the incidence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and improve outcomes of surgery for open globe trauma. Objective: The Adjunctive Steroid Combination in Ocular Trauma or ASCOT study aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of adjunctive triamcinolone acetonide given at the time of vitreoretinal surgery for open globe trauma. Design: A phase 3 multicentre double-masked randomised controlled trial randomising patients undergoing vitrectomy following open globe trauma to either adjunctive triamcinolone acetonide or standard care. Setting: Hospital vitreoretinal surgical services dealing with open globe trauma. Participants: Patients undergoing vitrectomy surgery who had sustained open globe trauma. Interventions: Triamcinolone acetonide 4 mg/0.1 ml into the vitreous cavity and 40 mg/1 ml sub-Tenon’s or standard vitreoretinal surgery and postoperative care. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least 10 letters of improvement in corrected visual acuity at six months. Secondary outcomes included retinal detachment secondary to proliferative vitreoretinopathy, retinal reattachment, macula reattachment, tractional retinal detachment, number of operations, hypotony, elevated intraocular pressure and quality of life. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the EuroQol Five Domain and Visual Function Questionnaire 25 questionnaires.Results: A total of 280 patients were randomised; 129 were analysed from the control group and 130 from the treatment group. The treatment group appeared, by chance, to have more severe pathology on presentation. The primary outcome (improvement in visual acuity) and principal secondary outcome (change in visual acuity) did not demonstrate any treatment benefit for triamcinolone acetonide. The proportion of patients with improvement in visual acuity was 47% for triamcinolone acetonide and 43% for standard care (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 1.75, p = 0.908); the baseline adjusted mean difference in the six-month change in visual acuity was –2.65 (95% confidence interval –9.22 to 3.92, p = 0.430) for triamcinolone acetonide relative to control. Similarly, the secondary outcome measures failed to show any treatment benefit. For two of the secondary outcome measures, stable complete retinal reattachment and stable macular retinal reattachment, outcomes for the treatment group were significantly worse for triamcinolone acetonide at the 5% level (respectively, odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.99, p = 0.044 and odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.35 to 0.98, p = 0.041) compared with control in favour of control. The cost of the intervention was £132 per patient. Health economics outcome measures (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, Visual Function Questionnaire 25 and EuroQol Five Dimensions) did not demonstrate any significant difference in quality-adjusted life-years. Conclusions: The use of combined intraocular and sub-Tenon’s capsule triamcinolone acetonide is not recommended as an adjunct to vitrectomy surgery for intraocular trauma. Secondary outcome measures are suggestive of a negative effect of the adjunct, although the treatment group appeared to have more severe pathology on presentation

Optimization of metal transfer in rutile flux-cored arc welding through controlled CO₂ concentration in argon–CO₂ shielding gas

Trinh N.Q., Le K.D., Tashiro S., et al. Optimization of metal transfer in rutile flux-cored arc welding through controlled CO₂ concentration in argon–CO₂ shielding gas. Journal of Manufacturing Processes 124, 590 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.06.047.In this study, we analyzed the impact of carbon dioxide concentration in argon–carbon dioxide shielding gas on droplet transfer characteristics in rutile flux-cored arc welding, employing titanium oxide as a primary wire flux component. The welding process was carried out at a welding current of 190, 220, 250, 280, and 310 A under an argon–CO₂ shielding gas mixture with six levels of CO₂ concentration of 0, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, and 25 % for a parametric study. Unlike the conventional solid wire welding trend, where the droplet transfer frequency decreases with the increase in carbon dioxide concentration, an increase in metal transfer frequency was observed with the increase in CO₂ concentration from approximately 5 % to 20 %. The concentration reaching the maximum frequency was 20 % at 190 A, which decreased as the welding current increased, reaching 5 % at 310 A. Droplet initiation at the lower sheath end is succeeded by a gradual downward movement along the flux column's side after a few milliseconds. Upon reaching the lower end, the droplet forms a neck and undergoes separation. Thus, the length of the flux column directly impacts the duration of one droplet transfer cycle. The length was decreased by arc constriction when increasing CO₂ concentration appropriately to concentrate beneath the flux column or by increasing the welding current to raise the arc temperature, which contributed to melting and shortening the flux column