Stereographic cloud heights from the imagery of two scan-synchronized geostationary satellites

Scan synchronization of the sensors of two SMS-GOES satellites yields imagery from which cloud heights can be derived stereographically with a theoretical two-sigma random uncertainty of + or - 0.25 km for pairs of satellites separated by 60 degrees of longitude. Systematic height errors due to cloud motion can be kept below 100 m for all clouds with east-west components of speed below hurricane speed, provided the scan synchronization is within 40 seconds at the mid-point latitude, and the spin axis of each satellite is parallel to that of the earth

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

The effect of helmet materials and simulated bone and tissue layers on bullet behaviour in a gelatine model of overmatch penetrating head injury

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)The aim of this work was to simulate an overmatch ballistic event against a head wearing a helmet. The experiments were designed to understand how layers of bone (or synthetic bone), synthetic skin and currently used helmet materials influence the behaviour of full metal jacket mild steel core (FMJ MSC) 7.62 × 39 mm bullets, impacting on targets with a mean velocity of 650 m/s. Bullet behaviour within 10% (by mass) gelatine blocks was assessed by measurements made of the temporary cavity within the blocks using high-speed video and of the permanent cavity by dissecting blocks post firing. While ANOVA did not find significant difference at the 0.05 level in the mean values of most of the measurements, there was a significant difference in neck length within the gelatine blocks. The addition of material layers did produce greater variability in the temporary cavity measurements under some of the conditions. One of the synthetic bone polymers with a synthetic skin layer produced similar results within the gelatine blocks to the horse scapulae (with residual tissue) and may be suitable for future ballistic experiments

Incursion of meteoric waters into the ductile regime in an active orogen

Rapid tectonic uplift on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand, elevates topography, regional geothermal gradients, and the depth to the brittle ductile transition, and drives fluid flow that influences deformation and mineralisation within the orogen. Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes, fluid inclusion and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) analyses of quartz from veins which formed at a wide range of depths, temperatures and deformation regimes identify fluid sources and the depth of penetration of meteoric waters. Most veins formed under brittle conditions and with isotope signatures (δ18OH2O = −9.0 to +8.7‰VSMOW and ‰ ) indicative of progressively rock-equilibrated meteoric waters. Two generations of quartz veins that post-date mylonitic foliation but endured further ductile deformation, and hence formation below the brittle to ductile transition zone ( depth), preserve included hydrothermal fluids with values between −84 and ‰ , indicating formation from meteoric waters. FT-IR analyses of these veins show no evidence of structural hydrogen release, precluding this as a source of low values. In contrast, the oxygen isotopic signal of these fluids has almost completely equilibrated with host rocks (δ18OH2O = +2.3 to +8.7‰). These data show that meteoric waters dominate the fluid phase in the rocks, and there is no stable isotopic requirement for the presence of metamorphic fluids during the precipitation of ductilely deformed quartz veins. This requires the penetration during orogenesis of meteoric waters into and possibly below the brittle to ductile transition zone

Foraging in the limpet Patella vulgata: The influence of rock slope on the timing of activity

Preliminary observations of limpet activity at Lough Hyne, in south-west Ireland, showed that individuals on steep slopes were primarily active at night, when emersed; while those on near-horizontal rocks were often active during daytime submersion. Observations over an 11 d period of limpet populations on a near-vertical and a near-horizontal site, only 45 m apart, confirmed that animals on the near-vertical site were active on nocturnal low tides, whilst those on the near-horizontal site were active on daytime high waters. A short-term survey at ten sites, which had limpets on both extremes of slope (i.e. either near-vertical or near-horizontal), showed that limpets on near-horizontal surfaces were, on average, more active at daytime high waters than those on near-vertical faces. In 1996 and 1997 surveys of activity at daytime high, and nocturnal low waters were conducted at sites (14 - 15) with varying rock slopes (~3 - 87°). In all cases, limpets on more steep slopes were active at nocturnal emersion whilst animals on more gentle slopes were active on daytime submersion periods. In most cases these trends were significant and explained between 22 - 40% and 37 - 44% of the variation in activity with site in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Analysis of the head orientation of limpets on their home scars showed that animals orientated in a down shore direction at all sites (1997 data) suggesting that limpets do perceive and respond to slope. Whilst slope does appear to influence the timing of limpets' activity (and especially on very steep or gently sloping sites) it does not account for a large degree of the variation in activity and, on sites with slopes between 30 and 60°, is likely to work in combination with other factors.published_or_final_versio

Carbon dioxide generation and drawdown during active orogenesis of siliciclastic rocks in the Southern Alps, New Zealand

C.D.M. was supported by NERC CASE PhD studentship award NE/G524160/1 (GNS Science, NZ, CASE partner). D.A.H.T. acknowledges support from research grants NE/H012842/1 and NE/J022128/1 and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (WM130051). S.C.C. was funded under GNS Science's “Impacts of Global Plate Tectonics in and around New Zealand Programme” (PGST Contract CO5X0203). J.C.A. was supported by NSF OCE1334758. We also thank Matthew Cooper, Andy Milton, Darryl Green and Lora Wingate for laboratory assistance. We thank Mike Bickle for editorial advice and comments, and reviews from two anonymous reviewers that improved this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Uplift and exposure of serpentinized massifs: Modeling differential serpentinite diapirism and exhumation of the Troodos Mantle Sequence, Cyprus

Serpentinized mantle peridotites form prominent mountains, including the highest elevations of the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus (Mount Olympus, 1,952 m), but to date, only qualitative mechanisms have been proposed to explain the uplift of mantle rocks to high altitudes. Serpentinization reactions between mantle rocks and water result in profound changes to the rheology and physical properties of peridotites including significant density reduction (∼900 kg/m3). Field observations, density measurements, and isostatic uplift and erosional modeling provide new constraints on the contribution of serpentinization to the uplift of the Troodos Mantle Sequence. Different serpentinization styles have resulted in two distinct serpentinite domains with contrasting densities. Our modeling shows that the Troodos Mountains can form within the geologically constrained uplift time frame (∼5.5 Myr) exclusively through partial serpentinization reactions. We interpret the serpentinite domains as two nested diapirs that formed due to different extents of serpentinization and density reduction. Differential uplift and exhumation have decoupled the two serpentinite diapirs from the originally overlying ocean crustal rocks. Once at high altitudes the incursion of meteoric water reinforced coupled deformation-alteration-recrystallization processes in the shallow subsurface producing a localized low density completely serpentinized diapir. A second decoupling between the contrasting serpentinite diapirs results in localized differential uplift and exhumation, extruding deep materials to the east of Mount Olympus. Application of our modeling to other serpentinite massifs (e.g., St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks, New Idria, California) highlights the contribution of isostasy to the uplift of serpentinized massifs

Deletion of the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22 for adoptive T cell therapy facilitates CTL effector function but promotes T cell exhaustion

Background: Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a promising strategy for treating cancer, yet it faces several challenges such as lack of long-term protection due to T cell exhaustion induced by chronic TCR stimulation in the tumor microenvironment. One benefit of ACT, however, is that it allows for cellular manipulations, such as deletion of the phosphotyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22), which improves CD8+ T cell antitumor efficacy in ACT. We tested whether Ptpn22KO cytolytic T cells (CTLs) were also more effective than Ptpn22WT CTL in controlling tumors in scenarios that favor T cell exhaustion. Methods: Tumor control by Ptpn22WT and Ptpn22KO CTL was assessed following adoptive transfer of low numbers of CTL to mice with subcutaneously implanted MC38 tumors. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were isolated for analysis of effector functions. An in vitro assay was established to compare CTL function in response to acute and chronic restimulation with antigen-pulsed tumor cells. The expression of effector and exhaustion-associated proteins by Ptpn22WT and Ptpn22KO T cells was followed over time in vitro and in vivo using the ID8 tumor model. Finally, the effect of PD-1 and TIM-3 blockade on Ptpn22KO CTL tumor control was assessed using monoclonal antibodies and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout. Results: Despite having improved effector function at the time of transfer, Ptpn22KO CTL became more exhausted than Ptpn22WT CTL, characterized by more rapid loss of effector functions, and earlier and higher expression of inhibitory receptors (IRs), particularly the terminal exhaustion marker TIM-3. TIM-3 expression, under the control of the transcription factor NFIL3, was induced by IL-2 signaling which was enhanced in Ptpn22KO cells. Antitumor responses of Ptpn22KO CTL were improved following PD-1 blockade in vivo, yet knockout or antibody-mediated blockade of TIM-3 did not improve but further impaired tumor control, indicating TIM-3 signaling itself did not drive the diminished function seen in Ptpn22KO CTL. Conclusions: This study questions whether TIM-3 plays a role as an IR and highlights that genetic manipulation of T cells for ACT needs to balance short-term augmented effector function against the risk of T cell exhaustion in order to achieve longer-term protection