Terminal ballistics of 7.62 mm armour piercing projectiles against spaced, oblique RHA plates

Spacing and obliquity, when used together, are known to provide one of the most weight efficient solutions for armor protection. Although this configuration has been widely used over almost 100 years there is little quantitative or design data for such systems. In the present study a series of tests were performed using a steel-cored 7.62mm bullet (DAG 7.62x51) against RHA plates of varying thicknesses, spacing and obliquity of the front plate. This work showed that front plate should be substantially thinner than the rear, a ratio of 0.48:1 gave the best results. The highest mass efficiency (2.00) was for a large spacing (400mm) but this could be reduced to 50mm with only a 17% reduction in ballistic efficiency if a slightly more oblique front plate was used

Energy Content of Colliding Plane Waves using Approximate Noether Symmetries

This paper is devoted to study the energy content of colliding plane waves using approximate Noether symmetries. For this purpose, we use approximate Lie symmetry method of Lagrangian for differential equations. We formulate the first-order perturbed Lagrangian for colliding plane electromagnetic and gravitational waves. It is shown that in both cases, there does not existComment: 18 pages, accepted for publication in Brazilian J Physic

Learning curve for robotic-assisted laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) is evolving as an important surgical approach in the field of colorectal surgery. We aimed to evaluate the learning curve for RALS procedures involving resections of the rectum and rectosigmoid. METHODS: A series of 50 consecutive RALS procedures were performed between August 2008 and September 2009. Data were entered into a retrospective database and later abstracted for analysis. The surgical procedures included abdominoperineal resection (APR), anterior rectosigmoidectomy (AR), low anterior resection (LAR), and rectopexy (RP). Demographic data and intraoperative parameters including docking time (DT), surgeon console time (SCT), and total operative time (OT) were analyzed. The learning curve was evaluated using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method. RESULTS: The procedures performed for 50 patients (54% male) included 25 AR (50%), 15 LAR (30%), 6 APR (12%), and 4 RP (8%). The mean age of the patients was 54.4 years, the mean BMI was 27.8 kg/m(2), and the median American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification was 2. The series had a mean DT of 14 min, a mean SCT of 115.1 min, and a mean OT of 246.1 min. The DT and SCT accounted for 6.3% and 46.8% of the OT, respectively. The SCT learning curve was analyzed. The CUSUM(SCT) learning curve was best modeled as a parabola, with equation CUSUM(SCT) in minutes equal to 0.73 × case number(2) - 31.54 × case number - 107.72 (R = 0.93). The learning curve consisted of three unique phases: phase 1 (the initial 15 cases), phase 2 (the middle 10 cases), and phase 3 (the subsequent cases). Phase 1 represented the initial learning curve, which spanned 15 cases. The phase 2 plateau represented increased competence with the robotic technology. Phase 3 was achieved after 25 cases and represented the mastery phase in which more challenging cases were managed. CONCLUSIONS: The three phases identified with CUSUM analysis of surgeon console time represented characteristic stages of the learning curve for robotic colorectal procedures. The data suggest that the learning phase was achieved after 15 to 25 cases

Cardiac acceleration as a marker of vagal withdrawal in heart rate control during exercise in humans

Objective: To investigate whether the time rate of change in heart rate i.e. cardiac acceleration, during aerobic exercise in human subjects could be used to differentiate vagal withdrawal from sympathetic stimulation.Methods: Fifteen male subjects exercised on a bicycle ergometer at 50 Watts (Step 1), then 100 Watts (Step 2), for 2 minutes each.Results: Heart rate (HR) was monitored from a resting value (mean +/- SD) of 80.3 +/- 12.9 to 113.8 +/- 13.6 beats min-1 in Step 1. In Step 2 exercise, HR increased from 113.8 +/- 13.6 to 145 +/- 20 beats min-1. At the initiation of Step 1, a rapid acceleration of HR was observed in the form of an overshoot response. In contrast to Step 1, a small overshoot response of cardiac acceleration was observed during Step 2. The difference between the mean cardiac acceleration at 10 seconds in Steps 1 and 2 was significant (2.40 +/- 0.19 and 0.71 +/- 0.12 beats min-1 sec-1, p \u3c 0.0001).CONCLUSION: The initial vagal withdrawal of exercise-induced tachycardia, as a frontline adaptive mechanism, can be indirectly identified from HR transients using cardiac acceleration as a new marker

Photoexcitation and photoionization from the 2p53p[5/2]2,3 levels in neon

We present measurements of the excitation spectra from the 2p53p [5/2]3,2 levels in neon using two-step laser excitation and ionization in conjunction with an optogalvanic detection in dc and rf discharge cells. The 2p53p [5/2]3,2 intermediate levels have been approached via the collisionally populated 2p53s [3/2]2 metastable level. The Rydberg series 2p5(2P3/2)nd [7/2]4 (12 ⩽ n ⩽ 44), 2p5(2P3/2)ns [3/2]2 (13 ⩽ n ⩽ 35) and the parity forbidden transitions 2p5(2P3/2)np [5/2]3 (13 ⩽ n ⩽ 19) have been observed from the 2p53p [5/2]3 level, whereas the 2p5(2P3/2)nd [7/2]3 (12 ⩽ n ⩽ 44), 2p5(2P3/2)ns [3/2]2 (13 ⩽ n ⩽ 35), and 2p5(2P1/2)nd′ [5/2]3 (9 ⩽ n ⩽ 12) Rydberg series have been observed from the 2p53p[5/2]2 level in accordance with the ΔJ = ΔK = ± 1 selection rules. The photoionization cross sections from the 2p53p [5/2]3 intermediate level have been measured at eight ionizing laser wavelengths (399, 395, 390, 385, 380, 370, 364, and 355 nm) and that from the 2p53p [5/2]2 level at 401.8 nm. These measurements are in excellent agreement with the experimental values reported in the literature, while the experimental data lie much below the theoretically calculated photoionization cross sections curve

Ricci Collineations of the Bianchi Type II, VIII, and IX Space-times

Ricci and contracted Ricci collineations of the Bianchi type II, VIII, and IX space-times, associated with the vector fields of the form (i) one component of $\xi^a(x^b)$ is different from zero and (ii) two components of $\xi^a(x^b)$ are different from zero, for $a,b=1,2,3,4$, are presented. In subcase (i.b), which is $\xi^a= (0,\xi^2(x^a),0,0)$, some known solutions are found, and in subcase (i.d), which is $\xi^a =(0,0,0,\xi^4(x^a))$, choosing $S(t)=const.\times R(t)$, the Bianchi type II, VIII, and IX space-times is reduced to the Robertson-Walker metric.Comment: 12 Pages, LaTeX, 1 Table, no figure

Matter collineations of Spacetime Homogeneous G\"odel-type Metrics

The spacetime homogeneous G\"odel-type spacetimes which have four classes of metrics are studied according to their matter collineations. The obtained results are compared with Killing vectors and Ricci collineations. It is found that these spacetimes have infinite number of matter collineations in degenerate case, i.e. det$(T_{ab}) = 0$, and do not admit proper matter collineations in non-degenerate case, i.e. det$(T_{ab}) \ne 0$. The degenerate case has the new constraints on the parameters $m$ and $w$ which characterize the causality features of the G\"odel-type spacetimes.Comment: 12 pages, LaTex, no figures, Class. Quantum.Grav.20 (2003) 216

Identification of recurrent and novel mutations in TULP1 in Pakistani families with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa

Contains fulltext : 108208.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)PURPOSE: To identify the genetic defects underlying retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in Pakistani families. METHODS: Genome-wide high-density single-nucleotide-polymorphism microarray analysis was performed using the DNA of nine affected individuals from two large families with multiple consanguineous marriages. Data were analyzed to identify homozygous regions that are shared by affected sibs in each family. Sanger sequencing was performed for genes previously implicated in autosomal recessive RP and allied retinal dystrophies that resided in the identified homozygous regions. Probands from both families underwent fundus examination and electroretinogram measurements. RESULTS: The tubby-like protein 1 gene (TULP1) was present in the largest homozygous region in both families. Sequence analysis identified a previously reported mutation (c.1138A>G; p.Thr380Ala) in one family and a novel pathogenic variant (c.1445G>A; p.Arg482Gln) in the other family. Both variants were found to be present in a homozygous state in all affected individuals, were heterozygous present in the unaffected parents, and heterozygous present or absent in normal individuals. Affected individuals of both families showed an early-onset form of RP. CONCLUSIONS: Homozygosity mapping, combined with candidate-gene analysis, successfully identified genetic defects in TULP1 in two large Pakistani families with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa

Comparative genomics study reveals Red Sea Bacillus with characteristics associated with potential microbial cell factories (MCFs)

© 2019, The Author(s). Recent advancements in the use of microbial cells for scalable production of industrial enzymes encourage exploring new environments for efficient microbial cell factories (MCFs). Here, through a comparison study, ten newly sequenced Bacillus species, isolated from the Rabigh Harbor Lagoon on the Red Sea shoreline, were evaluated for their potential use as MCFs. Phylogenetic analysis of 40 representative genomes with phylogenetic relevance, including the ten Red Sea species, showed that the Red Sea species come from several colonization events and are not the result of a single colonization followed by speciation. Moreover, clustering reactions in reconstruct metabolic networks of these Bacillus species revealed that three metabolic clades do not fit the phylogenetic tree, a sign of convergent evolution of the metabolism of these species in response to special environmental adaptation. We further showed Red Sea strains Bacillus paralicheniformis (Bac48) and B. halosaccharovorans (Bac94) had twice as much secreted proteins than the model strain B. subtilis 168. Also, Bac94 was enriched with genes associated with the Tat and Sec protein secretion system and Bac48 has a hybrid PKS/NRPS cluster that is part of a horizontally transferred genomic region. These properties collectively hint towards the potential use of Red Sea Bacillus as efficient protein secreting microbial hosts, and that this characteristic of these strains may be a consequence of the unique ecological features of the isolation environment

Expert Consensus Recommendations for the Suspicion and Diagnosis of Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

Cardiomyopathy is a manifestation of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), which is an underrecognized systemic disease whereby the transthyretin protein misfolds to form fibrils that deposit in various tissues and organs. ATTR amyloidosis is debilitating and associated with poor life expectancy, especially in those with cardiac dysfunction, but a variety of treatment options have recently become available. Considered a rare disease, ATTR amyloidosis may be more prevalent than thought, particularly in older persons. Diagnosis is often delayed because of a lack of disease awareness and the heterogeneity of symptoms at presentation. Given the recent availability of effective treatments, early recognition and diagnosis are especially critical because treatment is likely more effective earlier in the disease course. The Amyloidosis Research Consortium recently convened a group of experts in ATTR amyloidosis who, through an iterative process, agreed on best practices for suspicion, diagnosis, and characterization of disease. This review describes these consensus recommendations for ATTR associated with cardiomyopathy as a resource to aid cardiologists and others in the recognition and diagnosis of ATTR associated with cardiomyopathy. Included in this review is an overview of red flag signs and symptoms and a recommended diagnostic approach, including testing for monoclonal protein, scintigraphy, or biopsy and, if ATTR associated with cardiomyopathy is identified, TTR genotyping