Prediction of fragment distribution and trajectories of expolding shells

A semi-empirical model allowing for prediction of natural fragmentation of exploding shells is described. The initial velocity, projection angle, size and location, obtained for each fragment, are used by a point mass trajectory routine to determine the overall fragment distribution on the ground and to model fragments hitting a threedimensional object. Examples of validation against experimental data for 105mm shell and a mortar bomb are shown. The proposed model is useful for munition assessments, including a prediction of safety hazard in a credible accident

Logistic regression models to predict solvent accessible residues using sequence- and homology-based qualitative and quantitative descriptors applied to a domain-complete X-ray structure learning set

A working example of relative solvent accessibility (RSA) prediction for proteins is presented. Novel logistic regression models with various qualitative descriptors that include amino acid type and quantitative descriptors that include 20- and six-term sequence entropy have been built and validated. A domain-complete learning set of over 1300 proteins is used to fit initial models with various sequence homology descriptors as well as query residue qualitative descriptors. Homology descriptors are derived from BLASTp sequence alignments, whereas the RSA values are determined directly from the crystal structure. The logistic regression models are fitted using dichotomous responses indicating buried or accessible solvent, with binary classifications obtained from the RSA values. The fitted models determine binary predictions of residue solvent accessibility with accuracies comparable to other less computationally intensive methods using the standard RSA threshold criteria 20 and 25% as solvent accessible. When an additional non-homology descriptor describing Lobanov–Galzitskaya residue disorder propensity is included, incremental improvements in accuracy are achieved with 25% threshold accuracies of 76.12 and 74.45% for the Manesh-215 and CASP(8+9) test sets, respectively. Moreover, the described software and the accompanying learning and validation sets allow students and researchers to explore the utility of RSA prediction with simple, physically intuitive models in any number of related applications

Simulation and measurement of fragment velocity in exploding shells

This paper presents simulations of initial velocity distribution of fragments for non-trivial shapes of casing in exploding shells, using a semi-empirical computational model. The key to the proposed approach is the use of transformation of a general geometrical shape to a hollow sphere followed by an application of Gurney principles in the transformed domain. The model is validated against an analytical model for a finite cylindrical charge bounded by a cylindrical shell and identical end-plates. A computation for 105-mm shell with steel casing and aluminium fuze illustrates aspects involved in reliable comparisons of fragmentation models against a standard trial data. Further, a simple and inexpensive experimental procedure based on a pin gauges measurement is described. Measurements obtained for short cylinders and an 81-mm mortar bomb are compared with numerical predictions. The described model responds to the need for an improved, fast assessment tool applicable to practical designs involving geometrically complex multi-material shells. The results highlight a requirement for quality experimental data obtained for complex shapes

From God's home to people's house: Property struggles of church redevelopment

Religious organizations participate in urban redevelopment in various ways including redeveloping their churches. While the literature has attempted to explain church redevelopment from different perspectives, what has often been forgotten is the fundamental characteristic of churches as property in cities. Drawing on the established scholarship of legal geography, this article argues that the lens of property relations offers an insightful framework to examine church redevelopment. By presenting a case study in Hong Kong, this article unpacks the property struggles of church redevelopment to examine how that resulted from the conflicting property claims and why these claims emerged. This article contrasts and analyzes the religious and market-driven values underlying these claims in the context of a property-led society like Hong Kong. To understand how urban churches transform from God’s home to people’s house, it is necessary to recognize the diverse readings of property. In so doing, this article invites scholars to re-conceptualize urban struggles from the property lens

Inhibition of yes-associated protein suppresses brain metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a main mediator of the Hippo pathway and promotes cancer development and progression in human lung cancer. We sought to determine whether inhibition of YAP suppresses metastasis of human lung adenocarcinoma in a murine model. We found that metastatic NSCLC cell lines H2030-BrM3(K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9-BrM3 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) had a significantly decreased p-YAP(S127)/YAP ratio compared to parental H2030 (K-rasG12C mutation) and PC9 (EGFRΔexon19 mutation) cells (P < .05). H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly increased YAP mRNA and expression of Hippo downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 compared to parental H2030 cells (P < .05). Inhibition of YAP by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreased mRNA expression in downstream genes CTGF and CYR61 in H2030-BrM3 cells (P < .05). In addition, inhibiting YAP by YAP shRNA significantly decreased migration and invasion abilities of H2030-BrM3 cells (P < .05). We are first to show that mice inoculated with YAP shRNA-transfected H2030-BrM3 cells had significantly decreased metastatic tumour burden and survived longer than control mice (P < .05). Collectively, our results suggest that YAP plays an important role in promoting lung adenocarcinoma brain metastasis and that direct inhibition of YAP by shRNA suppresses H2030-BrM3 cell brain metastasis in a murine model

A novel modified-indirect ELISA based on spherical body protein 4 for detecting antibody during acute and long-term infections with diverse Babesia bovis strains

Cattle sera positive by the RAP-1-based cELISA but negative by the SBP4-based MI-ELISA and IFA had negative results by Western blot analysis, suggesting possible false positive results in the cELISA. A. Molecular weight marker (48 to 180 Kd), B. K42-#21, C. W31-#Y-3, D. W31-#Y-11, E. W31-#0-3, F. W31-#Y-9, G. W31-#0-9, H. W31-#Y-10, I. W31-#Y-15, J. P21-#224, K. positive control serum with a band at 75kd representing B. bovis RAP-1 protein, J. negative control serum. Figure S2. Technical difference between the modified indirect ELISA and conventional indirect ELISA using rGST-SBP4 was illustrated in this figure. (DOCX 645 kb

Maternal depression in rural Pakistan: the protective associations with cultural postpartum practices

Background Traditional postpartum practices are intended to provide care to mothers, but there is mixed evidence concerning their impact on postpartum depression (PPD). It remains unknown if there is a unique impact of postpartum practices on PPD separately from other types of social support, or if practices differentially affect those with existing prenatal depression. In Pakistan, chilla (چله) is a traditional postpartum practice in which women receive relief from household work, additional familial support, and supplemental food for up to 40 days postpartum. This study aims to understand if chilla protects against PPD independent of other support and whether this relationship varies by prenatal depression status. Methods Data come from the Bachpan cohort study in rural Pakistan. Chilla participation and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) were assessed at 3 months postpartum. Women were assessed for major depressive episodes (MDE) with the Structured Clinical Interview, DSM-IV and for depression symptom severity with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in their third trimester and at 6 months postpartum. Adjusted linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between chilla participation and PPD. Results Eighty-nine percent of women (N = 786) participated in chilla and almost 70% of those that participated took part in all of chilla’s aspects. In adjusted models, chilla participation was inversely related to MDE (OR = 0.56;95%CI = 0.31,1.03) and symptom severity (Mean Difference (MD) = − 1.54;95%CI: − 2.94,-0.14). Chilla participation was associated with lower odds of MDE (OR = 0.44;95%CI = 0.20,0.97) among those not prenatally depressed and with lower symptom severity among those prenatally depressed (MD = -2.05;95%CI:-3.81,-0.49). Conclusions Chilla is inversely associated with both MDE and symptom severity at 6 months postpartum above and beyond social support. Specifically, chilla is inversely associated with MDE among those not prenatally depressed and with lower symptom severity among those prenatally depressed. This relationship signals an opportunity for interventions aimed at preventing and treating PPD in this region to draw upon chilla and similar traditional postpartum practices in creating community-based, low-cost, sustainable interventions for maternal mental health