Multidisciplinary analysis of subsonic stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles

In this paper, the GENUS multidisciplinary aircraft design and analysis environment is presented in its application to the conceptual design of tailless, low-observable unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Analysis disciplines comprise a variety of low to medium fidelity, physics-based and empirical methodologies, as well as higher order panel method aerodynamic analysis. Stealth considerations have been included in terms of a radar cross section analysis through a physical optics approximation method, with results verified against a well-known radar cross section prediction code. Preliminary results show good agreement for gross and empty masses when compared to several existing UCAV demonstrators and conceptual designs. A further validation of the presented methodologies is evaluated through the design, analysis, and optimisation of an unmanned strike fighter concept

Experimental study of the aerodynamic noise radiated by cylinders with different cross-sections and yaw angles

Vortex shedding from cylinders has been extensively studied due to its occurrence in many engineering fields. Many experimental studies reported in the literature focus on the aerodynamics of the vortex shedding process but the literature about the radiated noise is more scarce. The aim of the work presented here is to extend the available noise data. Aero-acoustic wind tunnel tests were carried out using cylinders with different cross-sections: circular, square, rectangular and elliptical. Flow speeds between 20 and 50 m/s were used, corresponding to Reynolds numbers in the range from 1.6×104 to 1.2×105. The dependence of the noise on the yaw angle, flow speed, cross-sectional shape, angle of attack and radiation angle (directivity) is assessed. The results obtained are compared, where possible, with those found in the literature for similar cases. It is intended that the results can be used for the validation and calibration of numerical and empirical aerodynamic noise prediction models

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms: A Personalised Approach

Peer reviewe

Investigating the Acceptability and Tolerability of tDCS in Patients with OCD - A Feasibility Study

© 2021 University of Hertfordshire.Introduction: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder which often proves refractory to current treatment approaches1. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive form of neurostimulation, with potential for development as a self-administered intervention, has shown potential as a safe and efficacious treatment for OCD in a small number of trials2. The two most promising stimulation sites are located above the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the supplementary motor area (SMA). The aim of this feasibility study was to inform the development of a definitive trial, focussing on the acceptability, safety of the intervention, feasibility of recruitment, adherence and tolerability to tDCS and study assessments and the size of the treatment-effect. Due to COVID-19 this study was paused in March 2020 and restarted in July 2020, consequently facing the challenges of recruiting and continuing face-to-face research during the pandemic. This abstract presents acceptability and safety of the intervention as well as the feasibility of recruitment, adherence and tolerability of tDCS in patients with OCD. Method: Potential participants were identified from OCD clinics, primary health care services (e.g. IAPTs), charity/support networks, advertisements and trust databases across two sites (Hertfordshire Partnership and Southampton). Individuals were screened, then randomised if eligible, receiving three courses of tDCS (SMA, OFC and sham), randomly allocated and given in counterbalanced order. Each course comprised four sessions of 20-minute stimulations, delivered over two consecutive days, separated by at least a four-week washout period. Participants were evaluated at baseline, 1, 2 and 4 hours after stimulation. Follow-up assessments were conducted via telephone at 24 hours, 7 and 14 days following the last stimulation of each round with a final assessment 28 days after the third round. Intervention-related adverse events (AEs) were also recorded at each time point, using a questionnaire specific to tDCS3. Results: A total of 135 individuals were identified as potentially eligible (through clinics or self-referral), of which 36 consented to eligibility screening. Four withdrew consent/were lost to follow up, so screening was completed for 32. Subsequently, 16 were excluded through ineligibility (n=9), withdrawal (n=2) or loss to follow up (n=1), with the remaining 20 randomised. One participant withdrew prior to intervention round one and another prior to round two, both due to COVID-19 anxiety. All other participants (n=18, 90% of those randomised) completed all three intervention rounds. However, one individual was unable to attend day two of round two due to unconnected ill-health. Across all tDCS types, the most commonly reported AEs were sleepiness (18.7% of sessions), trouble concentrating (13.0%) and headache (12.2%), with other AE types present at <7% of sessions. Itching (0.8%) and scalp pain (1.0%) were reported least often. Discussion: Despite the impact of COVID-19, this study successfully restarted after suspension with few adjustments, meeting the revised target sample with minimal participant drop-out. Reasons for drop-out were unrelated to the intervention itself, with some participants delayed or experiencing pandemic-related anxiety. This study presents a safe intervention which was accepted, adhered to and tolerated by OCD patients, even amid a pandemic.Peer reviewe

Angular clustering of galaxies at 3.6 microns from the Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic (SWIRE) Survey

We present the first analysis of large-scale clustering from the Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic legacy survey (SWIRE). We compute the angular correlation function of galaxies selected to have 3.6 m fluxes brighter than 32 Jy in three fields totaling 2 deg2 in area. In each field we detect clustering with a high level of significance. The amplitude and slope of the correlation function is consistent between the three fields and is modeled as w() ¼ A1 with A ¼ (0:6 0:3) ; 10 3; ¼ 2:03 0:10. With a fixed slope of ¼ 1:8, we obtain an amplitude of A ¼ (1:7 0:1) ; 10 3. Assuming an equivalent depth of K 18:7 mag we find that our errors are smaller but our results are consistent with existing clustering measurements in K-band surveys and with stable clustering models. We estimate our median redshift z ’ 0:75, and this allows us to obtain an estimate of the three-dimensional correlation function (r), for which we find r0 ¼ 4:4 0:1 h 1 Mpc

Novel End-to-End Molecular Biology Approach for Direct Nanopore 1D cDNA Sequencing of Reverse Transcribed mRNAs Purified from Cell Cultures by the NASA ISS WetLab2 SPM

Continued space bioscience research onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and future long-duration flight missions to the Moon or Mars will require the ability to conduct on-orbit molecular analysis of biological samples independently from Earth. In the last year two new molecular analytic technologies have been installed and the technologies demonstrated onboard the ISS: The Sample Prep Module (SPM) WetLab-2 (WL2) qRT-PCR toolbox and the Oxford Nanopore MinIon Biomolecule Sequencer. Here we describe protocol development and integration into existing ISS technology for end-to-end on-orbit biological sample processing and molecular analysis with real time results generated utilizing only field offline analytic software. For this experiment we isolated primary cells from bone marrow flushes of wild type B6129SF2 mice (Jackson Labs) long bones. The cell isolate was then processed using the SPM to produce total 147nanograms of RNA. The total RNA was purified to only messenger RNA (mRNA) and transferred to Smartcycler Thermocycle ISS kit consumable tube using Eppendorf gel loading pipette tips for further processing. Complementary first strand cDNA was synthesized using OLIGO dT priming followed by addition of SuperScript II Reverse Transcriptase and thermal cycling as per manufacturers instruction. All thermal cycling was conducted using the ISS WetLab-2 Cephid Smarcycler real time thermal cycler. Our protocol takes advantage of mRNAs native poly(A) tail, synthesized in vivo to protect the mRNA from degradation by endonucleases, to eliminate end-prep for adapter ligation. The adapted library is purified using MyOne C1 Streptavidin beads before elution in buffer. The pre-sequencing library is diluted in the loading buffer and injected into the MinIon sample port, drawn into the nanopore window by capillary action, and sequenced using the MinKnown software with local basecalling. The sequencing read produced 34.5 million events and local basecalling produced 117,301 successful reads. NCBI Blast of the data for the mouse genome resulted in 2,462 successful nucleotide collection matches (gene sequences) exceeding 70 homology. These results demonstrate the viability of this novel flight ready end-to-end sample analytic methodology and provide a real time homolog for flight experimentation utilizing supply kits and technologies that have already been demonstrated on ISS

A bi‐organellar phylogenomic study of Pandanales: inference of higher‐order relationships and unusual rate‐variation patterns

We used a bi‐organellar phylogenomic approach to address higher‐order relationships in Pandanales, including the first molecular phylogenetic study of the panama‐hat family, Cyclanthaceae. Our genus‐level study of plastid and mitochondrial gene sets includes a comprehensive sampling of photosynthetic lineages across the order, and provides a framework for investigating clade ages, biogeographic hypotheses and organellar molecular evolution. Using multiple inference methods and both organellar genomes, we recovered mostly congruent and strongly supported relationships within and between families, including the placement of fully mycoheterotrophic Triuridaceae. Cyclanthaceae and Pandanaceae plastomes have slow substitution rates, contributing to weakly supported plastid‐based relationships in Cyclanthaceae. While generally slowly evolving, mitochondrial genomes exhibit sporadic rate elevation across the order. However, we infer well‐supported relationships even for slower evolving mitochondrial lineages in Cyclanthaceae. Clade age estimates across photosynthetic lineages are largely consistent with previous studies, are well correlated between the two organellar genomes (with slightly younger inferences from mitochondrial data), and support several biogeographic hypotheses. We show that rapidly evolving non‐photosynthetic lineages may bias age estimates upwards at neighbouring photosynthetic nodes, even using a relaxed clock model. Finally, we uncovered new genome structural variants in photosynthetic taxa at plastid inverted repeat boundaries that show promise as interfamilial phylogenetic markers.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/33/cla12417-sup-0025-TableS1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/32/cla12417-sup-0017-FigS17.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/31/cla12417-sup-0004-FigS4.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/30/cla12417-sup-0019-FigS19.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/29/cla12417-sup-0020-FigS20.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/28/cla12417_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/27/cla12417-sup-0005-FigS5.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/26/cla12417-sup-0012-FigS12.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/25/cla12417-sup-0007-FigS7.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/24/cla12417-sup-0022-FigS22.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/23/cla12417-sup-0029-TableS5.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/22/cla12417-sup-0010-FigS10.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/21/cla12417-sup-0011-FigS11.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/20/cla12417-sup-0014-FigS14.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/19/cla12417-sup-0002-FigS2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/18/cla12417-sup-0001-FigS1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/17/cla12417.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/16/cla12417-sup-0030-TableS6.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/15/cla12417-sup-0021-FigS21.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/14/cla12417-sup-0023-FigS23.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/13/cla12417-sup-0009-FigS9.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/12/cla12417-sup-0031-TableS7.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/11/cla12417-sup-0006-FigS6.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/10/cla12417-sup-0003-FigS3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/9/cla12417-sup-0024-FigS24.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/8/cla12417-sup-0008-FigS8.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/7/cla12417-sup-0028-TableS4.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/6/cla12417-sup-0016-FigS16.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/5/cla12417-sup-0013-FigS13.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/4/cla12417-sup-0018-FigS18.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/3/cla12417-sup-0026-TableS2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/2/cla12417-sup-0015-FigS15.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162810/1/cla12417-sup-0027-TableS3.pd

The risk of dengue for non-immune foreign visitors to the 2016 summer olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Background: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will host the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. About 400,000 non-immune foreign tourists are expected to attend the games. As Brazil is the country with the highest number of dengue cases worldwide, concern about the risk of dengue for travelers is justified. Methods: A mathematical model to calculate the risk of developing dengue for foreign tourists attending the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 is proposed. A system of differential equation models the spread of dengue amongst the resident population and a stochastic approximation is used to assess the risk to tourists. Historical reported dengue time series in Rio de Janeiro for the years 2000-2015 is used to find out the time dependent force of infection, which is then used to estimate the potential risks to a large tourist cohort. The worst outbreak of dengue occurred in 2012 and this and the other years in the history of Dengue in Rio are used to discuss potential risks to tourists amongst visitors to the forthcoming Rio Olympics. Results: The individual risk to be infected by dengue is very much dependent on the ratio asymptomatic/symptomatic considered but independently of this the worst month of August in the period studied in terms of dengue transmission, occurred in 2007. Conclusions: If dengue returns in 2016 with the pattern observed in the worst month of August in history (2007), the expected number of symptomatic and asymptomatic dengue cases among tourists will be 23 and 206 cases, respectively. This worst case scenario would have an incidence of 5.75 (symptomatic) and 51.5 (asymptomatic) per 100,000 individuals

Understanding Infrared Galaxy Populations: the SWIRE Legacy Survey

We discuss spectral energy distributions, photometric redshifts, redshift distributions, luminosity functions, source-counts and the far infrared to optical luminosity ratio for sources in the SWIRE Legacy Survey. The spectral energy distributions of selected SWIRE sources are modelled in terms of a simple set of galaxy and quasar templates in the optical and near infrared, and with a set of dust emission templates (cirrus, M82 starburst, Arp 220 starburst, and AGN dust torus) in the mid infrared. The optical data, together with the IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 mu data, have been used to determine photometric redshifts. For galaxies with known spectroscopic redshifts there is a notable improvement in the photometric redshift when the IRAC data are used, with a reduction in the rms scatter from 10% in (1+z) to 5%. While further spectroscopic data are needed to confirm this result, the prospect of determining good photometric redshifts for the 2 million extragalactic objects in SWIRE is excellent. The distribution of the different infrared sed types in the L{ir}/L{opt} versus L{ir} plane, where L{ir} and L{opt} are the infrared and optical bolometric luminosities, is discussed. Source-counts at 24, 70 and 160 mu are discussed, and luminosity functions at 3.6 and 24 mu are presented.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figures, to appear in proceedings of 'Spitzer IR Diagnostics Conference, Nov 14-16, 2005

The risk of dengue for non-immune foreign visitors to the 2016 summer olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Background: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will host the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. About 400,000 non-immune foreign tourists are expected to attend the games. As Brazil is the country with the highest number of dengue cases worldwide, concern about the risk of dengue for travelers is justified. Methods: A mathematical model to calculate the risk of developing dengue for foreign tourists attending the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 is proposed. A system of differential equation models the spread of dengue amongst the resident population and a stochastic approximation is used to assess the risk to tourists. Historical reported dengue time series in Rio de Janeiro for the years 2000-2015 is used to find out the time dependent force of infection, which is then used to estimate the potential risks to a large tourist cohort. The worst outbreak of dengue occurred in 2012 and this and the other years in the history of Dengue in Rio are used to discuss potential risks to tourists amongst visitors to the forthcoming Rio Olympics. Results: The individual risk to be infected by dengue is very much dependent on the ratio asymptomatic/symptomatic considered but independently of this the worst month of August in the period studied in terms of dengue transmission, occurred in 2007. Conclusions: If dengue returns in 2016 with the pattern observed in the worst month of August in history (2007), the expected number of symptomatic and asymptomatic dengue cases among tourists will be 23 and 206 cases, respectively. This worst case scenario would have an incidence of 5.75 (symptomatic) and 51.5 (asymptomatic) per 100,000 individuals.LIM01-HCFMUSPCNPqFAPESPBrazilian Ministry of Health (Fundo Nacional de Saude)Dengue Tools under the Health theme of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European CommunityLeverhulme Trust Research FellowshipUniv Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilHCFMUSP LIM01, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFlorida Int Univ, Ctr Internet Augmented Res & Assessment, Miami, FL 33199 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Strathclyde, Glasgow, Lanark, ScotlandNanyang Univ, Lee Kong Chian Sch Med, Singapore, SingaporeFundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Programme Sci Computat, Rio De Janeiro, BrazilLondon Sch Hyg & Trop Med, London WC1, EnglandUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilCNPq: 300981/2014-7FAPESP: 2012/18463-4MS: 777588/2012Dengue Tools: 282589Leverhulme: RF-2015-88Web of Scienc