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

Desorption of Pb2+ and Cu2+ from Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb) biomass

The desorption of Pb2+ and Cu2+ from Nypa frutican Wurmb biomass originally loaded with these two metals in a batch adsorption experiment was investigated using acidic, basic and neutral desorption solutions. The metal-loaded biomass was treated with 0.1 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH and distilled water atvarying contact time. The data shows that desorption in all the reagent increased with increase in contact time, reaching 75.3 and 63.7% in acid reagent, 18.9 and 14.06% in basic reagent and 3.35 and 2.44% in distilled water for Pb2+ and Cu2+, respectively, at a contact time of 140 min. The desorption kinetic showed that the release constant, kdes, for both metal ion in acidic system was faster (6.3 x 102 and 7. 9 x 102 min-1 for Pb2+ and Cu2+) than other desorption reagents

Chemical composition, functional and baking properties of wheat-plantain composite flours

The feasibility of partially replacing wheat flour with plantain flour in bread and biscuit making were investigated. Matured plantains (Musa paradisiaca) were  pulped, blanched, dehydrated and pulverized. The wheat flour (WF) was substituted by plantain four at levels of 5, 10, 20 and 30% and 0, 50, 60, 70, 80 90 and 100% for bread and biscuit making, respectively. The protein content of composite breads ranged from 5.6 – 10.2%. No significant difference was observed in the nutrient contents of control (wheat bread) and composite bread at 5% level of plantain addition. Water and oil absorption capacities of composite flours  increased with increasing levels of plantain flour in the blend. Emulsion and foam capacities as well as emulsion and foam  stabilities decreased at higher (40–100%) levels of dilution with plantain flour. As the plantain flour content of the composite dough increased beyond 5%, alveograph values for dough resistance to extension (R), extensibility (E) and mechanical work of dough deformation (W) decreased. The oven spring and specific loaf volume decreased significantly with increased plantain  content of blends. Sensory panel rating (80.2%) of the 10% plantain flour content of composite bread was not significantly  different from the score (83.8%) of the 5% level of WF substitution but was significantly different from a score of 88.4% for the control (Wheat-bread) (P≤0.05). The flow and break strength of wheat-plantain  composite biscuits decreased with increasing dilution of wheat with plantain flour. At 50 and 90% plantain flour substitution level the flow and break strengths were 54.2% and 1.90 kg and 50.8% and 1.20 kg, respectively, while the 100% wheat biscuit had a flow and break strength of 69.4% and 3.45 kg respectively. Thus the mean scores for colour, taste and crispness/aroma were generally high for all biscuits samples containing 0–70% plantain flour. Generally the biscuits were highly rated for colour (75.1%), taste (74.9%) and crispness/aroma, 71.6% of the total score for each characteristic on a 9-point hedonic scale. Technically,  organoleptically acceptable breads and biscuits were formulated from wheat-plantain composite flours using up to 80:20 (w/w)% and 60:40/w/w) ratios of wheat:plantain flour as maximum acceptable levels of substitution for breads and biscuits, respectively. Key words: Plantain, composite, dough bread and biscuit

Teacher perspectives of cultivating learning through practitioner enquiry to transform practice

This paper reports on the first year of an innovative Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Advanced Education Practice, designed to meet the specific staff and development needs of one school in the North West of England. The programme is underpinned by three strands of practice based learning: learning about practice (theory), learning in practice (application) and learning through practice (reflection) through critical reflection. This paper considers professional development situated around teaching and learning and outlines a new approach to cultivating learning, both for teachers and educational practitioners through a collaborative learning model with a Higher Education Institute (HEI). A further strand to the research considers transformative impact on practice including references to personal experience and reflections by the participants. Throughout the report it is evident that school leaders were keen to enhance the performance of staff by supporting them in Masters level study to enhance professional practice and impact on learning. Through questionnaires and interviews, an insight into personal and professional impact, challenges, evaluation, details of the progression, next steps in the small scale research study were considered

How young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experience mental health: some insights for mental health nurses

This article reports on a part of a study which looked at the mental health of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people. The research sought to learn from CALD young people, carers, and service providers experiences relevant to the mental health of this group of young people. The ultimate goal was to gain insights that would inform government policy, service providers, ethnic communities and most importantly the young people themselves. To this end, qualitative interviews were undertaken with 123 CALD young people, 41 carers and 14 mental health service providers in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. Only one aspect of the study will be dealt with here, namely the views of the young CALD participants, which included risk factors, coping strategies and recommendations about how they could be supported in their struggle to maintain mental health. One of the most important findings of the study relates to the resilience of these young people and an insight into the strategies that they used to cope. The efforts of these young people to assist us in our attempts to understand their situation deserve to be rewarded by improvements in the care that we provide. To this end this article sets out to inform mental health nurses of the results of the study so that they will be in a position to better understand the needs and strengths of their CALD clients and be in a better position to work effectively with them

Acute exposure to a hot ambient temperature reduces energy intake but does not affect gut hormones in men during rest

This study examined the effect of ambient temperature on energy intake, perceived appetite and gut hormone responses during rest in men. Thirteen men (age 21.5 (SD 1.4) years; BMI 24.7 (SD 2.2) kg∙m-2 ) completed three, 5.5-h conditions in different ambient temperatures: i) cold (10˚C), ii) thermoneutral (20˚C), and iii) hot (30˚C). A standardised breakfast was consumed after fasting measures, and an ad libitum lunch provided at 4 to 4.5 h. Blood samples (analysed for plasma acylated ghrelin, total peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY) and total glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) concentrations), perceived appetite and thermoregulatory responses were collected throughout. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. Ad libitum energy intake was 1243 (SD 1342) kJ higher in 10˚C and 1189 (SD 1219) kJ higher in 20˚C versus 30C (P = 0.002). Plasma acylated ghrelin, total PYY and GLP-1 concentrations did not differ significantly between the conditions (P ≥ 0.303). Sensitivity analyses for the 4-h pre-lunch period showed that perceived overall appetite was lower in both 30˚C and 10C when compared with 20˚C (P ≤ 0.019). In conclusion, acutely resting in a hot compared with a thermoneutral and cold ambient temperature reduced lunchtime ad libitum energy intake in healthy men. Suppressed perceived appetite may have contributed to the reduced energy intake in the hot compared with thermoneutral ambient temperature, whereas gut hormones did not appear to play an important role

Screening for important unwarranted variation in clinical practice: a triple-test of processes of care, costs and patient outcomes

Objective: Unwarranted variation in clinical practice is a target for quality improvement in health care, but there is no consensus on how to identify such variation or to assess the potential value of initiatives to improve quality in these areas. This study illustrates the use of a triple test, namely the comparative analysis of processes of care, costs and outcomes, to identify and assess the burden of unwarranted variation in clinical practice. Methods: Routinely collected hospital and mortality data were linked for patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndromes at the emergency departments of four public hospitals in South Australia. Multiple regression models analysed variation in re-admissions and mortality at 30 days and 12 months, patient costs and multiple process indicators. Results: After casemix adjustment, an outlier hospital with statistically significantly poorer outcomes and higher costs was identified. Key process indicators included admission patterns, use of invasive diagnostic procedures and length of stay. Performance varied according to patients’ presenting characteristics and time of presentation. Conclusions: The joint analysis of processes, outcomes and costs as alternative measures of performance inform the importance of reducing variation in clinical practice, as well as identifying specific targets for quality improvement along clinical pathways. Such analyses could be undertaken across a wide range of clinical areas to inform the potential value and prioritisation of quality improvement initiatives.Andrew Partington, Derek P. Chew, David Ben-Tovim, Matthew Horsfall, Paul Hakendorf and Jonathan Karno

Movement side effects of antipsychotic drugs in adults with and without intellectual disability: UK population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To measure the incidence of movement side effects of antipsychotic drugs in adults with intellectual disability and compare rates with adults without intellectual disability. DESIGN: Cohort study using data from The Health Improvement Network. SETTING: UK primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with intellectual disability prescribed antipsychotic drugs matched to a control group of adults without intellectual disability prescribed antipsychotic drugs. OUTCOME MEASURES: New records of movement side effect including acute dystonias, akathisia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinaesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. RESULTS: 9013 adults with intellectual disability and a control cohort of 34 242 adults without intellectual disability together contributed 148 709 person-years data. The overall incidence of recorded movement side effects was 275 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI 256 to 296) in the intellectual disability group and 248 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI 237 to 260) in the control group. The incidence of any recorded movement side effect was significantly greater in people with intellectual disability compared with those without (incidence rate ratio 1.30, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.42, p<0.001, after adjustment for potential confounders), with parkinsonism and akathisia showing the greatest difference between the groups. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, although occurring infrequently, was three times more common in people with intellectual disability-prescribed antipsychotic drugs (incidence rate ratio 3.03, 95% CI 1.26 to 7.30, p=0.013). Differences in rates of movement side effects between the groups were not due to differences in the proportions prescribed first and second-generation antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence to substantiate the long-held assumption that people with intellectual disability are more susceptible to movement side effects of antipsychotic drugs. Assessment for movement side effects should be integral to antipsychotic drug monitoring in people with intellectual disability. Regular medication review is essential to ensure optimal prescribing in this group

Mental illness, challenging behaviour, and psychotropic drug prescribing in people with intellectual disability: UK population based cohort study

To describe the incidence of recorded mental illness and challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability in UK primary care and to explore the prescription of psychotropic drugs in this group

Comparison of Two Detailed Models of Aedes aegypti Population Dynamics

The success of control programs for mosquito-­borne diseases can be enhanced by crucial information provided by models of the mosquito populations. Models, however, can differ in their structure, complexity, and biological assumptions, and these differences impact their predictions. Unfortunately, it is typically difficult to determine why two complex models make different predictions because we lack structured side-­by-­side comparisons of models using comparable parameterization. Here, we present a detailed comparison of two complex, spatially explicit, stochastic models of the population dynamics of Aedes aegypti, the main vector of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Both models describe the mosquito?s biological and ecological characteristics, but differ in complexity and specific assumptions. We compare the predictions of these models in two selected climatic settings: a tropical and weakly seasonal climate in Iquitos, Peru, and a temperate and strongly seasonal climate in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both models were calibrated to operate at identical average densities in unperturbedconditions in both settings, by adjusting parameters regulating densities in each model (number of larval development sites and amount of nutritional resources). We show that the models differ in their sensitivityto environmental conditions (temperature and rainfall) and trace differences to specific model assumptions.Temporal dynamics of the Ae. aegypti populations predicted by the two models differ more markedly under strongly seasonal Buenos Aires conditions. We use both models to simulate killing of larvae and/or adults with insecticides in selected areas. We show that predictions of population recovery by the models differ substantially, an effect likely related to model assumptions regarding larval development and (director delayed) density dependence. Our methodical comparison provides important guidance for model improvement by identifying key areas of Ae. aegypti ecology that substantially affect model predictions, and revealing the impact of model assumptions on population dynamics predictions in unperturbed and perturbed conditions.Fil: Legros, Mathieu. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Otero, Marcelo Javier. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Romeo Aznar, Victoria Teresa. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Solari, Hernan Gustavo. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gould, Fred. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Lloyd, Alun L.. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unido