Design of an Agile Unmanned Combat Vehicle - A Product of the DARPA UGCV Program

The unmanned ground combat vehicle (UGCV) design evolved by the SAIC team on the DARPA UGCV Program is summarized in this paper. This UGCV design provides exceptional performance against all of the program metrics and incorporates key attributes essential for high performance robotic combat vehicles. This performance includes protection against 7.62 mm threats, C130 and CH47 transportability, and the ability to accept several relevant weapons payloads, as well as advanced sensors and perception algorithms evolving from the PerceptOR program. The UGCV design incorporates a combination of technologies and design features, carefully selected through detailed trade studies, which provide optimum performance against mobility, payload, and endurance goals without sacrificing transportability, survivability, or life cycle cost. The design was optimized to maximize performance against all Category I metrics. In each case, the performance of this design was validated with detailed simulations, indicating that the vehicle exceeded the Category I metrics. Mobility metrics were analyzed using high fidelity VisualNastran vehicle models, which incorporate the suspension control algorithms and controller cycles times. DADS/Easy 5 3-D models and ADAMS simulations were also used to validate vehicle dynamics and control algorithms during obstacle negotiation

Band-structure trend in hole-doped cuprates and correlation with Tcmax

By calculation and analysis of the bare conduction bands in a large number of hole-doped high-temperature superconductors, we have identified the energy of the so-called axial-orbital as the essential, material-dependent parameter. It is uniquely related to the range of the intra-layer hopping. It controls the Cu 4s-character, influences the perpendicular hopping, and correlates with the observed Tc at optimal doping. We explain its dependence on chemical composition and structure, and present a generic tight-binding model.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, 5 eps figure

T-cell Subsets and Antifungal Host Defenses

It has been long appreciated that protective immunity against fungal pathogens is dependent on activation of cellular adaptive immune responses represented by T lymphocytes. The T-helper (Th)1/Th2 paradigm has proven to be essential for the understanding of protective adaptive host responses. Studies that have examined the significance of regulatory T cells in fungal infection, and the recent discovery of a new T-helper subset called Th17 have provided crucial information for understanding the complementary roles played by the various T-helper lymphocytes in systemic versus mucosal antifungal host defense. This review provides an overview of the role of the various T-cell subsets during fungal infections and the reciprocal regulation between the T-cell subsets contributing to the tailored host response against fungal pathogens

Planck 2013 results. XXVI. Background geometry and topology of the Universe

Peer reviewe

Planck 2013 results. III. LFI systematic uncertainties

Peer reviewe

Planck 2013 results. XXIII. Isotropy and statistics of the CMB

Peer reviewe

Planck 2013 results. I. Overview of products and scientific results

Peer reviewe

Status Update and Interim Results from the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial-2 (ACST-2)

Objectives: ACST-2 is currently the largest trial ever conducted to compare carotid artery stenting (CAS) with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with severe asymptomatic carotid stenosis requiring revascularization. Methods: Patients are entered into ACST-2 when revascularization is felt to be clearly indicated, when CEA and CAS are both possible, but where there is substantial uncertainty as to which is most appropriate. Trial surgeons and interventionalists are expected to use their usual techniques and CE-approved devices. We report baseline characteristics and blinded combined interim results for 30-day mortality and major morbidity for 986 patients in the ongoing trial up to September 2012. Results: A total of 986 patients (687 men, 299 women), mean age 68.7 years (SD ± 8.1) were randomized equally to CEA or CAS. Most (96%) had ipsilateral stenosis of 70-99% (median 80%) with contralateral stenoses of 50-99% in 30% and contralateral occlusion in 8%. Patients were on appropriate medical treatment. For 691 patients undergoing intervention with at least 1-month follow-up and Rankin scoring at 6 months for any stroke, the overall serious cardiovascular event rate of periprocedural (within 30 days) disabling stroke, fatal myocardial infarction, and death at 30 days was 1.0%. Conclusions: Early ACST-2 results suggest contemporary carotid intervention for asymptomatic stenosis has a low risk of serious morbidity and mortality, on par with other recent trials. The trial continues to recruit, to monitor periprocedural events and all types of stroke, aiming to randomize up to 5,000 patients to determine any differential outcomes between interventions. Clinical trial: ISRCTN21144362. © 2013 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved