Algorithm of Impact Point Prediction for Intercepting Reentry Vehicles

Intercepting reentry vehicles is difficult because these move nearly at hypersonic speedsthat traditional interceptors cannot match. Counterparallel guidance law was developed fordefending a high speed target that guides the interceptor to intercept the target at a 180° aspectangle. When applying the counterparallel guidance law, it is best to predict the impact pointbefore launch. Estimation and prediction of a reentry vehicle path are the first steps in establishingthe impact point prediction algorithm. Model validation is a major challenge within the overalltrajectory estimation problem. The adaptive Kalman filter, consising of an extended Kalman filterand a recursive input estimator, accurately estimates reentry vehicle trajectory by means of aninput estimator which processes the model validation problem. This investigation presents analgorithm of impact point prediction for a reentry vehicle and an interceptor at an optimal interceptaltitude based on the adaptive Kalman filter. Numerical simulation using a set of data, generatedfrom a complicated model, verifies the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The algorithm alsoperforms exceptionally well using a set of flight test data. The presented algorithm is effectivein solving the intercept problems

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF BADMINTON FOREHAND NET SHOTS

The purpose of this study was to compare the upper extremity kinematics variables of badminton forehand dab shot, stab shot and cross court net shot. The participants were eight elite collegiate male players in Taiwan. The kinematical data were collected by Vicon system (250Hz) and the Visual 3D software was used to analyze the variables. The results indicated that the elite badminton players perfomed dab net shot with less angular velocity in racket upper limb joints. They performed the stab net shot with faster angular velocity in forearm supination and wrist ulnar flexion. The cross court net shot had greatest angular velocity in shoulder internal rotation, forearm pronation and the least distance between the contact point and the mid-line of body

THE UPPER LIMB EMG ACTIVITY COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TABLE TENNIS FOREHAND DRIVES

The purpose of this study was to combine dynamics and surface EMG methods to analyze the movements of table tennis forehand drives by Taiwan elite table tennis players performing straight and cross court forehand drives from topspin and backspin serves. The kinematical data were collected by 10 Vicon MX13+ high-speed cameras and one Biovision system was used to record the EMG signal of seven muscles groups on the dominate hand. The results showed that there were significant differences among the four table tennis drives. The players exerted greater muscular activity in the wrist extensors, the biceps and the triceps for the backspin serve forehand drive than when returning the topspin serve forehand drive, not only on the straight but also on the cross court strokes

Chinese adaptation of the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test and prevalence estimate of Internet gaming disorder among adolescents in Taiwan

Background and aims Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is an increasingly important topic and has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) research criteria. This study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), a self-reported questionnaire based on DSM-5 IGD criteria, and to estimate the prevalence of IGD in adolescents. Methods The IGDT-10 was translated to Chinese as a 10-item questionnaire rated on a 3-point Likert scale to evaluate the symptoms of IGD. Overall, 8,110 students from grade four to senior high who played Internet games were administered the questionnaire. In addition, 76 senior high-school students were interviewed using DSM-5 criteria to determine the optimal cut-off point that ensures adequate sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. The cut-off point was determined using the Youden’s index and optimal diagnostic accuracy. Results The Chinese version of the IGDT-10 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .85) and adequate diagnostic efficiency (area under the curve = 0.810). Through interviews, the optimal cut-off point was determined to be five out of the nine criteria (Youden’s index: 42.1%, diagnostic accuracy: 86.8%, sensitivity: 43.8%, and specificity: 98.3%). In this study, the prevalence of IGD among adolescent gamers was 3.1%. Conclusion Findings evidence the validity and diagnostic accuracy of the IGDT-10 in the assessment of IGD

THE DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF TABLE TENNIS FOREHAND AND BACKHAND DRIVES

The purpose of this study was to analyze the dynamics parameters of table tennis drives by Taiwan collegiate first class table tennis players when they were performing straight and cross court forehand and backhand drives from receiving topspin and backspin serves. Ten Vicon MX-13+ high-speed cameras (250Hz) and two Kistler force plates (1500 Hz) were used to collect the kinematics and kinetics data. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank nonparametric statistical test was to compare the differences between forehand and backhand drives. The results showed that there were significant differences between forehand and backhand drives were in the ball initial velocity and the kinetics variables. The GRF data of the players were different between forehand and backhand drives when they performed four different paths of drive

Microbiota signatures associated with invasive Candida albicans infection in the gastrointestinal tract of immunodeficient mice

Candida albicans is a commensal microorganism in the human gut but occasionally causes invasive C. albicans infection (ICA), especially in immunocompromised individuals. Early initiation of antifungal therapy is associated with reduced mortality of ICA, but rapid diagnosis remains a challenge. The ICA-associated changes in the gut microbiota can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic targets but have been poorly investigated. In this study, we utilized an immunodeficient Rag2γc (Rag2-/-il2γc-/-) mouse model to investigate the gut microbiota alterations caused by C. albicans throughout its cycle, from its introduction into the gastrointestinal tract to invasion, in the absence of antibiotics. We observed a significant increase in the abundance of Firmicutes, particularly Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, as well as a significant decrease in the abundance of Candidatus Arthromitus in mice exposed to either the wild-type SC5314 strain or the filamentation-defective mutant (cph1/cph1 efg1/efg1) HLC54 strain of C. albicans. However, only the SC5314-infected mice developed ICA. A linear discriminate analysis of the temporal changes in the gut bacterial composition revealed Bacteroides vulgatus as a discriminative biomarker associated with SC5314-infected mice with ICA. Additionally, a positive correlation between the B. vulgatus abundance and fungal load was found, and the negative correlation between the Candidatus Arthromitus abundance and fungal load after exposure to C. albicans suggested that C. albicans might affect the differentiation of intestinal Th17 cells. Our findings reveal the influence of pathogenic C. albicans on the gut microbiota and identify the abundance of B. vulgatus as a microbiota signature associated with ICA in an immunodeficient mouse model

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 mediates denbinobin-induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

In the present study, we explore the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) in denbinobin-induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. Denbinobin-induced cell apoptosis was attenuated by an ASK1 dominant-negative mutant (ASK1DN), two antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSH)), a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125), and an activator protein-1 (AP-1) inhibitor (curcumin). Treatment of A549 cells with denbinobin caused increases in ASK1 activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and these effects were inhibited by NAC and GSH. Stimulation of A549 cells with denbinobin caused JNK activation; this effect was markedly inhibited by NAC, GSH, and ASK1DN. Denbinobin induced c-Jun phosphorylation, the formation of an AP-1-specific DNA-protein complex, and Bim expression. Bim knockdown using a bim short interfering RNA strategy also reduced denbinobin-induced A549 cell apoptosis. The denbinobin-mediated increases in c-Jun phosphorylation and Bim expression were inhibited by NAC, GSH, SP600125, ASK1DN, JNK1DN, and JNK2DN. These results suggest that denbinobin might activate ASK1 through ROS production to cause JNK/AP-1 activation, which in turn induces Bim expression, and ultimately results in A549 cell apoptosis

Chemical abundances and ages of the bulge stars in APOGEE high-velocity peaks

A cold high-velocity (HV, $\sim$ 200 km/s) peak was first reported in several Galactic bulge fields based on the APOGEE commissioning observations. Both the existence and the nature of the high-velocity peak are still under debate. Here we revisit this feature with the latest APOGEE DR13 data. We find that most of the low latitude bulge fields display a skewed Gaussian distribution with a HV shoulder. However, only 3 out of 53 fields show distinct high-velocity peaks around 200 km/s. The velocity distribution can be well described by Gauss-Hermite polynomials, except the three fields showing clear HV peaks. We find that the correlation between the skewness parameter ($h_{3}$) and the mean velocity ($\bar{v}$), instead of a distinctive HV peak, is a strong indicator of the bar. It was recently suggested that the HV peak is composed of preferentially young stars. We choose three fields showing clear HV peaks to test this hypothesis using the metallicity, [$\alpha$/M] and [C/N] as age proxies. We find that both young and old stars show HV features. The similarity between the chemical abundances of stars in the HV peaks and the main component indicates that they are not systematically different in terms of chemical abundance or age. In contrast, there are clear differences in chemical space between stars in the Sagittarius dwarf and the bulge stars. The strong HV peaks off-plane are still to be explained properly, and could be different in nature.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, published in ApJ. Updated to match the final ApJ published version. Minor revisions to the text and Figure

An expert consensus for the management of chronic hepatitis B in Asian Americans.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common with major clinical consequences. In Asian Americans, the HBsAg carrier rate ranges from 2% to 16% which approximates the rates from their countries of origin. Similarly, HBV is the most important cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver related deaths in HBsAg positive Asians worldwide. AIM: To generate recommendations for the management of Asian Americans infected with HBV. METHODS: These guidelines are based on relevant data derived from medical reports on HBV from Asian countries as well as from studies in the HBsAg positive Asian Americans. The guidelines herein differ from other recommendations in the treatment of both HBeAg positive and negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB), in the approach to HCC surveillance, and in the management of HBV in pregnant women. RESULTS: Asian American patients, HBeAg positive or negative, with HBV DNA levels \u3e2000 IU/mL (\u3e10 CONCLUSIONS: Application of the recommendations made based on a review of the relevant literature and the opinion of a panel of Asian American physicians with expertise in HBV treatment will inform physicians and improve patient outcomes