Impact fragmentation of high-velocity compact projectiles on thin plates: a physical and statistical characterization of fragment debris

The high-velocity impact of a projectile onto a structure results in the creation and energetic expulsion of fragments of the interacting materials. The nature of this fragment debris is of concern in certain applications. Although more broadly applicable, the present study is motivated by a need to characterize the size and velocity distribution of fragments generated by orbital debris impacting external components of spacecraft structure, such as shielding and radiators. In this effort, statistical relations are developed to predict size, momentum and trajectory distributions of the debris. The underlying physics applied are those used in the fields of impact mechanics, thermodynamics of shocks, and statistical fragmentation. Equations from impact mechanics lead to predictions for mass, global momentum, and excess energy of the fragment debris. Relations from shock thermodynamics are developed to partition the initial kinetic energy into thermal and mechanical energies, and therefore to predict mass fractions of solid, liquid and vapor components and the subsequent dispersing motion of this fragment debris. Statistical methods of the energy-based Maxwell-Boltzmann type are pursued to characterize the inherently stochastic fragmentation event, emphasizing the extremes of fragment size and velocity. Computational simulations of impact events and data from impact fragmentation experiments are exploited in validating the underlying theoretical assumptions and the resulting impact fragmentation model.     

Analysis of T cell receptor Vbeta gene usage during the course of disease in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Polyvinyl siloxane impression materials have applications in a variety of indirect procedures in prosthodontics and restorative dentistry. Favourable handling properties, good patient acceptance and excellent physical properties have resulted in their popularity in today's practice. In this review, the chemistry and important physical properties of polyvinyl siloxanes are summarized, and recent clinical questions of improved hydrophilics, tray adhesives, disinfection, and glove-induced polymerization inhibition are addressed.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of an invertebrate homologue of a neuropeptide Y receptor

Neuropeptide Y is an abundant and physiologically important peptide in vertebrates having effects on food intake, sexual behaviour, blood pressure and circadian rhythms. Neuropeptide Y homologues have been found in invertebrates, where they are very likely to play similar, important roles. Although five neuropeptide Y-receptor subtypes have been identified in mammals, none has been reported from invertebrates. Here we describe the cloning of a neuropeptide Y-receptor from the brain of the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The identity of the receptor was deduced by expressing the neuropeptide Y-receptor-encoding cDNA in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, which were subsequently challenged with size-fractionated Lymnaea brain extracts. An active peptide, selected on the basis of its ability to induce changes in cAMP levels, was purified to homogeneity, analysed by mass spectrometry and amino acid sequence determination, and turned out to be a Lymnaea homologue of neuropeptide Y.     

Positron emission tomography in partial epilepsies: the clinical point of view

Epilepsy research using positron emission tomography (PET) has advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology and neurochemical correlates of both focal and generalized epilepsies, but from the clinical viewpoint its major contribution has been in the presurgical evaluation of patients with medically intractable partial seizures. Depending on the tracer used, PET may provide information on regional cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism, and the binding of specific ligands to receptors that are thought to be related to the genesis and propagation of epileptic activity. In this communication, we discuss the diagnostic yield, limitations and perspectives of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11C-flumazenil (FMZ) PET in partial epilepsies. The current evidence regarding the pathophysiology of the focal changes is also presented, with an emphasis on issues which must be carefully addressed for effective and reliable clinical research.     

Shock-wave compression of brittle solids

Extensive experimental investigation in the form of large-amplitude, nonlinear wave-profile measurements which manifest the shock strength and equation-of-state properties of brittle solids has been performed. Brittle materials for which a base of dynamic property data is available include Al₂O₃, AlN, B₄C, CaCO₃, SiC, Si₃N₄, SiO₂ (quartz and glass), TiB₂, WC and ZrO₂. Planar impact methods and velocity interferometry diagnostics have been used exclusively to provide the high-resolution shock-profile data. These wave-profile data are providing engineering dynamic strength and equation-of-state properties as well as controlled, shock-induced motion histories for the validation of theoretical and computational models. Of equal importance, such data are providing a window into the physics of a newly emerging understanding of the compression and deformation behavior of high-strength brittle solids. When considered along with a rich assortment of strength and deformation data in the literature, a systematic assessment of this shock-wave data lends strong support for failure waves and concomitant high-confinement dilatancy as a general mechanism of inelastic deformation in the shock compression of ceramics. Phase transformation in selected brittle solids appears to be a critical state phenomenon strongly controlled by kinetics. The risetime and structure of deformation shock waves in brittle solids are controlled by viscous effects which at present are still poorly understood. The shock-wave data also suggest that both crystalline plasticity and brittle fracture may play important and interconnected roles in the dynamic failure process.     

Antioxidant depletion during aortic aneurysm repair

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury generates oxygen-derived free radicals leading to local and distant damage. A simple method of following oxidative activity is to measure the consumption of endogenous scavenging antioxidants; an enhanced chemiluminescent assay was used to study this phenomenon in 21 patients undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Samples of peripheral venous blood were taken before induction of anaesthesia and then from a central venous line and the inferior mesenteric vein before, during, and after clamping of the aorta. Further specimens were taken from the central line at 2, 6 and 24 h after operation. Antioxidant concentration in the peripheral, central and inferior mesenteric blood were similar, indicating that anaesthesia and surgical dissection had no effect. Levels decreased significantly in central and inferior mesenteric blood during and after clamping, but returned to normal by 24 h. These results confirm ischaemia-reperfusion phenomena in AAA repair.     

Partial duplication of 3q and distal deletion of 11q in a stillbirth with an omphalocele containing the liver, short limbs, and intrauterine growth retardation

We describe a female stillbirth with duplication of 3q21-->qter and deletion of 11q23-->qter resulting from an unbalanced segregation of a maternal t(3;11) reciprocal translocation. The proband had some of the clinical features consistent with those seen in patients with dup(3q) syndrome or distal del(11q) syndrome. Prenatal sonographic examination showed short limbs, intrauterine growth retardation, and an omphalocele containing the liver.     

Gastroesophageal reflux in infants and children

Gastrooesophageal reflux is a common clinical condition in infancy and childhood. Evaluation and treatment are indicated if it is associated with complications such as failure to thrive, oesophagitis or pulmonary symptoms. Depending on the clinical symptoms, investigations may include pH-monitoring, upper gastrointestinal series and endoscopy. Gastrooesophageal reflux may be treated by parental reassurance, dietary advice, positional treatment, prokinetic agents and acid secretion inhibitors. Surgery is rarely indicated.