Discovery and Preclinical Activity of BMS-986351, an Antibody to SIRPα That Enhances Macrophage-mediated Tumor Phagocytosis When Combined with Opsonizing Antibodies

In normal cells, binding of the transmembrane protein CD47 to signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα) on macrophages induces an antiphagocytic signal. Tumor cells hijack this pathway and overexpress CD47 to evade immune destruction. Macrophage antitumor activity can be restored by simultaneously blocking the CD47-SIRPα signaling axis and inducing a prophagocytic signal via tumor-opsonizing antibodies. We identified a novel, fully human mAb (BMS-986351) that binds SIRPα with high affinity. BMS-986351 demonstrated broad binding coverage across SIRPα polymorphisms and potently blocked CD47-SIRPα binding at the CD47 binding site in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, BMS-986351 increased phagocytic activity against cell lines from solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, and this effect was markedly enhanced when BMS-986351 was combined with the opsonizing antibodies cetuximab and rituximab. A phase I dose-escalation/-expansion study of BMS-986351 for the treatment of advanced solid and hematologic malignancies is underway (NCT03783403).

SIGNIFICANCE

Increasing the phagocytotic capabilities of tumor-associated macrophages by modulating macrophage-tumor cell surface signaling via the CD47-SIRPα axis is a novel strategy. Molecules targeting CD47 have potential but its ubiquitous expression necessitates higher therapeutic doses to overcome potential antigen sink effects. The restricted expression pattern of SIRPα may limit toxicities and lower doses of the SIRPα antibody BMS-986351 may overcome target mediated drug disposition while maintaining the desired pharmacology.

Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors and Ligand Directed Degraders of Calcium/Calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase Kinase 1 and 2 (CaMKK1/2)

CaMKK2 signals through AMPK-dependent and AMPK-independent pathways to trigger cellular outputs including proliferation, differentiation, and migration, resulting in changes to metabolism, bone mass accrual, neuronal function, hematopoiesis, and immunity. CAMKK2 is upregulated in tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate, breast, and gastric cancer, and genetic deletion in myeloid cells results in increased antitumor immunity in several syngeneic models. Validation of the biological roles of CaMKK2 has relied on genetic deletion or small molecule inhibitors with activity against several biological targets. We sought to generate selective inhibitors and degraders to understand the biological impact of inhibiting catalytic activity and scaffolding and the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting CaMKK2. We report herein selective, ligand-efficient inhibitors and ligand-directed degraders of CaMKK2 that were used to probe immune and tumor intrinsic biology. These molecules provide two distinct strategies for ablating CaMKK2 signaling in vitro and in vivo.

Explore the risk perception and evaluate the effectiveness of competency-based intervention (CBI) on knowledge and lifestyle changes among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

OBJECTIVE

This is a study to explore the risk perception among T2DM patients and to compare the pre-test and post-test levels of knowledge and lifestyle changes among T2DM patients at selected hospitals in Chennai. Most diabetics have type 2 diabetes, accounting for 85-90% of cases. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic disease with distressing human, societal, and economic effects. It affects an estimated 382 million people worldwide in 2021.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The research design used mixed-method research, such as Exploratory Sequential Design. The phenomenological approach, in that sequential exploratory design for the qualitative and true experimental design for the quantitative study, was chosen. 60 samples of T2DM patients were selected using a simple random sampling technique through the lottery method and divided into experimental and control groups for every 30 samples in quantitative. Five samples were selected using convenient sampling for qualitative.

RESULTS

In the quantitative study, the pre-test showed 4 (13.3%), and 5 (16.7%) adequate knowledge and lifestyle changes in both groups. Post-test experimental group showed that 23 (76.7%) had adequate knowledge and 23 (76.7%) changes in lifestyle found a drastic transformation from the pre-test as well as in the control group. The calculated Chi-square value showed a significant difference in the post-test level of lifestyle change among the T2DM patients between the groups at p<0.001 level.

CONCLUSIONS

This inferred that Competent Based Intervention (CBI) on knowledge and lifestyle changes administered to T2DM patients in the experimental group was found to be effective. Competent Based Intervention is a nursing intervention that is well accepted and adopted by patients and easily implemented by nurses. It can be included in the nursing curriculum. In-service education can be arranged once a month for staff nurses and faculty members regarding Competent Based Intervention. The Nurse educator should encourage the nurses to effectively utilize research evidence-based practice related to Competent Based Intervention for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

An energy efficient deep learning model for intrusion detection in smart healthcare with optimal feature selection mechanism

In healthcare (HC), Internet of Things (IoT) integrated cloud computing provides various features and real-time applications. However, owing to the nature of IoT architecture, their types, various modes of communication and the density of data transformed in the network, security is currently a critical issue in the IoT healthcare (IoT-HC) field. This paper proposes a deep learning (DL) model, namely Adaptive Swish-based Deep Multi-Layer Perceptron (ASDMLP) that identifies the intrusions or attacks in the IoT healthcare (IoT-HC) platform. The proposed model starts by clustering the patients’ sensor devices in the network using the Probability-based Fuzzy C-Means (PFCM) model. After clustering the devices, the cluster heads (CHs) among the cluster members are selected based on the energy, distance and degree of the sensor devices for aggregating the data sensed by the medical sensor devices. The base station (BS) sends the patient’s data collected by the CHs to the cloud server (CS). At the cloud end, the proposed model implements an IDS by applying training of the DL model in publicly available databases. The DL approach first performs preprocessing of the data and then selects optimal features from the dataset using the Opposition and Greedy Levy mutation-based Coyotes Optimization Algorithm (OGCOA). The ASDMLP trains these optimal features for the detection of HC data intrusions. The outcomes confirm that the proposed approach works well on real-time IoT datasets for intrusion detection (ID) without compromising the energy consumption (EC) and lifespan of the network.

An advanced electrical vehicle charging station using adaptive hybrid particle swarm optimization intended for renewable energy system for simultaneous distributions

A proposed hybrid approaches are incorporated in Electric Vehicle (EV) fast charging station (FCS) using (RES). Hybrid approach is improved by Adaptive Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization (AHPSO) named as AHWPSO, moreover the proposed work Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) is assist with adaptive hybridize PSO algorithm. Therefore, an overall pricing cost should be reduced maximum Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) with minimal installation. This simulation work is verified an adaptive time varying weightage parameters to increase the AHWPSO particle diversity factor. Proposed algorithm is incorporated with improve the novelty, and compared the results are recent version of PSO used for EVCS. Its increase the charging ability, energy loss minimization, voltage deviation reduction, and cost minimization. A distribution micro-grid capacity and demand are tested. Similarly, low to peak period energy variations are controlled by proposed algorithm with reduced capacitor bank. Overall control algorithm code is executed buy MATLAB/Simulink platform, the performance of this work listed, and compare to the existing approaches with achievement of maximum efficiency.

Primitive detection of Alzheimer’s disease using neuroimaging: A progression model for Alzheimer’s disease: Their applications, benefits, and drawbacks

Alzheimer’s disease (A.D.) is the most widespread type of Dementia, and it is not a curable neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of older people. Researchers were able to use their understanding of Alzheimer’s disease risk variables to develop enrichment processes for longitudinal imaging studies. Using this method, they reduced their sample size and study time. This paper describes the primitive detective of Alzheimer’s diseases using Neuroimaging techniques. Several preprocessing methods were used to ensure that the dataset was ready for subsequent feature extraction and categorization. The noise was reduced by converting and averaging many scan frames from real to DCT space. Both sides of the averaged image were filtered and combined into a single shot after being converted to real space. InceptionV3 and DenseNet201 are two pre-trained models used in the suggested model. The PCA approach was used to select the traits, and the resulting explained variance ratio was 0.99The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI)—Simon’s Simplex Collection (SSC)—and UCI machine learning datasets showed that our method is faster and more successful at identifying complete long-risk patterns when compared to existing methods.

Unveiling the Redox Electrochemistry of MOF-Derived fcc-NiCo@GC Polyhedron as an Advanced Electrode Material for Boosting Specific Energy of the Supercapattery

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), which constitute a new class of porous organic-inorganic hybrid materials, have gained considerable attention in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices owing to their open topological structures, large surface areas, tunable morphologies, and extreme redox activity. A synthesis protocol that comprises coprecipitation followed by controlled calcination processes to design a battery-type electrode is used. This electrode consists of three-dimensional (3D), ant cave-like polyhedrons of nickel-cobalt alloy on graphitic carbon (GC; NiCo@GC) nanostructures; trimesic acid is used as a potential MOF-linker. The developed NiCo@GC sample exhibits mesoporous characteristics with the maximum surface area of 94.08 m² g^-1 at 77 K. In addition, the redox activity at different sweep rates reveals the battery-type charge storage behavior of the NiCo@GC electrode; its three-electrode assembly provides 444 C g^-1 specific capacity at 2 A g^-1 with long-term capacity retention. The constructed supercapattery (SC) devices (i.e., AC//NiCo@GC) achieved capacity, specific energy, and specific power are 74.3 mAh g^-1 , 39.5 Wh kg^-1 , and 665 W kg^-1 , respectively. Owing to its reasonable electrochemical characteristics, the prepared NiCo@GC material is a promising candidate for supercapattery electrodes for portable electronic devices.

Spinel structured metal oxide embedded MXene nanocomposites for efficient water splitting reactions

Nanoplatelet-like spinel metal oxide grain decorated MXene composite was successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal reaction. The prepared MXene/Co3O4 and MXene/Fe3O4 nanocomposites provided higher porosity than their pristine structure, realizing outstanding...

200 TGFβ-armoring boosts potency and persistence of engineered TCR T cells, unlocking superior efficacy against HPV-positive solid tumors

Background

Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells targeting cell surface antigens has shown remarkable success in hematological malignancies. However, only limited success has been achieved to date with CAR T cells, or their engineered T cell receptor (eTCR) counterparts, in the context of solid tumors. This is largely due to: 1) challenges in identifying highly expressed, tumor-specific antigens and; 2) the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment mediated by cellular and secreted factors such as TGFβ, known to suppress intra-tumoral immunity and notably elevated in many human cancers, including in human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated cancers (e.g. head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and cervical cancers).Here, we describe the generation of highly potent, TGFβ-armored, engineered T cells expressing a novel fully human, natural TCRαβ sequence that is HLA-A*02:01-restricted, CD8 coreceptor-independent and targets the tumor-restricted HPV-16 E7(11–19) onco-peptide.

Methods

Donor-derived T cells were genetically engineered using high efficiency CRISPR-Cas9 editing as follows: 1) TRAC domain knock-out (KO) to prevent endogenous TCR expression; 2) knock-in of an HPV-specific eTCR at the TRAC locus; and 3) KO of TGFBR2 to prevent TGFβ signaling. Functional evaluation of edited T cells was performed in vitro using 3D serial spheroid stimulation as well as in vivo using NSG mouse tumor xenografts and against two cancer lines, SCC-152 and CasKi.

Results

Under chronic antigen stimulation and in the presence of high TGFβ at optimal effector-to-target (E:T) ratio, HPV eTCR WT (control) and HPV eTCR TGFBR2 KO cells demonstrated robust and comparable cytotoxic functions in vitro. However, when tested at suboptimal E:T ratio, HPV eTCR TGFBR2 KO cells demonstrated superior expansion (>5-fold difference), cytotoxicity and an improved functional phenotype, suggesting that TGFβ-Armoring may decouple T cell expansion and the onset of exhaustion. In vivo studies demonstrated significant inhibition of tumor growth (p <0.0001) and survival advantage (p <0.05) in HPV eTCR TGFBR2 KO treated NSG mice when compared to HPV eTCR WT treated animals at a suboptimal dose of eTCR-positive cells. Additionally, in all conditions tested, T cell expression of CD103 (a pharmacodynamic marker of TGFβ-induced signaling) was ablated in TGFBR2 KO groups. Both in vitro and in vivo data robustly reproduced across donors and tumor models.

Conclusions

Pharmacology studies demonstrate that the HPV eTCR armoring strategy aimed at overcoming TGFβ-mediated immune-suppression is highly effective in suboptimal conditions. Additionally, TGFβ-armored eTCR cells presented with improved pharmacodynamic and phenotypic characteristics, paving the way for effective clinical applications in solid tumors.

Acknowledgements

Ribonucleoprotein complexes designed specifically for the editing of human TRAC and TGFBR2 loci were provided by Editas Medicine.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Internal Labour Migration in India: A 'Crisis of Mobility'

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on migration. The rapid spread of the pandemic caught countries across the world off guard, resulting in widespread lockdowns that clamped down on mobility, commercial activities and social interactions. In India, the pandemic precipitated a severe 'crisis of mobility', with migrant labourers in many major cities seeking to return to their hometowns. Their desperate attempts to return home by any means available rendered the lockdown ineffective in several areas, prompting clashes with authorities, last-minute policy relief and, eventually, the arrangement of transport measures. This paper aims to shed light on the vulnerability of India's internal migrants in terms of their mobility, gender and mental health. In addition, it critically analyses the limitations of public policy in addressing migrants and suggests recommendations for the way ahead.

Nutritional status, food choices, barriers and facilitators to healthy nutrition in pregnant women with severe mental illness: a mixed methods approach

BACKGROUND

Although widely acknowledged that adequate maternal nutrition is important for mother and baby, limited research has focussed on women with severe mental illnesses (SMI) in pregnancy. The present study reports on nutritional factors and food choices and investigates barriers and facilitators to healthy nutritional choices by pregnant women with SMI.

METHODS

A prospective mixed method study was undertaken of 38 pregnant women with SMI, including a cross-sectional survey, a food frequency questionnaire and 12 postnatal qualitative interviews, with integrated analysis of all data.

RESULTS

Elevated rates of obesity (35%) were found, with 82% of women having above the recommended gestational weight gain. Despite perceived knowledge, 32% of women did not meet any of the Five Food Group serving recommendations for pregnancy and consumed above-recommended levels for processed (19%) and sugar snacks (51%). Thematic analysis identified four main barriers: a discrepancy between knowledge and action, food cravings, mental health, and physical health. During pregnancy, food cravings were reported in 66% of women, psychological distress in 71% and physical distress in 37%. Screening identified 19% with potential eating disordered behaviours. Despite the challenges, several facilitators were identified and covered three themes: access to a dietitian, information delivery and support, and comprehensive care.

DISCUSSION

Women with SMI in pregnancy struggle with issues of obesity, gestational weight gain, food cravings and possible eating disorder behaviours. They have additional challenges when pregnant, with management of their mental health and physical health having a direct impact. Interventional strategies in this population should incorporate findings from this research.

Abstract 2696: Genetic and pharmacologic evaluation of the ubiquitin ligase CBL-B as a small-molecule, tumor immunotherapy target

E3 ubiquitin ligases play critical roles in directing cellular protein fate by controlling the specificity of ubiquitin conjugation to substrate proteins and targeting them for cellular relocalization or degradation by the ubiquitin proteasome system. The E3 ubiquitin ligase CBL-B is expressed in immune cell lineages and negatively regulates activity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) by imposing a requirement for a costimulatory signal to mount a productive immune response upon TCR engagement. Mice deficient in Cbl-b, and more specifically in the RING Zn-finger ligase domain of Cbl-b, demonstrate a tumor rejection phenotype mediated by CD8+ T cells (Paolino et al., JI, 2011). We have reproduced these results and demonstrate that Cbl-b deficient mice show enhanced anti-tumor activity. In addition, we show that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from mice deficient in Cbl-b have 5 to 10-fold enhanced secretion of IL-2 and IFN γ when stimulated ex vivo. These data provide a genetic rationale for the development of a small molecule inhibitor of CBL-B ligase activity for use in patients with tumor-mediated immune suppression of effector T cells.

We have identified a series of small molecule inhibitors of CBL-B activity with biochemical potency at low nanomolar concentrations. CBL-B inhibitors increased cytokine secretion in vitro at low nanomolar concentrations, as measured by IL-2 and IFN γ secretion, in primary human and mouse T cells stimulated with CD3/CD28 or CD3 alone. The compounds also stimulated proliferation and elevated levels of the T cell surface activation markers CD25 and CD69. CBL-B inhibitors enhanced an antigen recall response in human PBMCs ex vivo, as measured by approximately 5-fold higher secretion of GM-CSF, TNF-α and RANTES, and demonstrated effects in an ex vivo model of exhausted T cell function.

Oral dosing of an optimized CBL-B inhibitor enhanced anti-CD3 stimulated T cell activation in mouse CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, demonstrating a dose proportional pharmacodynamic effect. Oral administration over 28 days in the syngeneic CT-26 tumor model was well tolerated and resulted in single agent tumor growth inhibition.

These data support the continued advancement of small molecule oral CBL-B inhibitors for future development in immuno-oncology.

Citation Format: Jennifa Gosling, Ryan Rountree, Asad Taherbhoy, Chenbo Wang, Thomas Cummins, Frederick Cohen, Hiroko Tanaka, Dahlia Weiss, Mario Cardozo, Christopher Karim, May Tan, Joseph Juan, Austin Tenn-McClellan, Szerenke Kiss von Soly, Julie Sheung, Kathleen Boyle, Ketki Dhamnaskar, Katherine Kurylo, Jilliane Bruffey, Jennifer McKinnell, Dane Karr, Andria Christianson, Anne-Renee Van Der Vuurst de Vries, Pallavur Sivakumar, Mark Gallop, Paul A. Barsanti, Anjanabha Saha, Neil F. Bence, Christoph W. Zapf. Genetic and pharmacologic evaluation of the ubiquitin ligase CBL-B as a small-molecule, tumor immunotherapy target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2696.

Modelling of Multi Inductor based Balancing of Battery Pack for Electrical Mobility

   The pre requisite for success of electrical mobility is driven by development of battery technologies. Reliable performance of electrical mobility necessitates for high energy density battery packs. The advent of Li ion cell chemistry revolutionised the electric and hybrid vehicle advancement due to its high energy density, lighter weight and wide range of temperature performance. Higher operating voltages of the battery are achieved by configuration of the cells in series and parallel combinations. The performance of these battery packs are affected by operating temperature and imperfections in manufacturability which causes mismatches in cell impedance, cell potential and state of charge (SOC) imbalance. These performance issues are overcome by cell and battery balancing techniques. In this paper, a dynamic battery pack balancing circuit by using multi inductor with SOC based logic controller for both cell and battery balancing are presented. The battery pack balancing performances during static, charging, discharging conditions are analysed.

A benzofuran-β-alaninamide based “turn-on” fluorescent chemosensor for selective recognition of Fe3+ ions

A benzofuran-β-alaninamide based chemosensor, 3-(3-((4-methylbenzyl)amino)propanamido)benzofuran-2-carboxamide (BAA), was designed and synthesized for selective detection of Fe³⁺ ions.

The IL-20 Cytokine Family in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis

This review describes the IL-20 family of cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloartrhitits (SpA) including psoriatic arthritis. The IL-20 receptor (R) cytokines IL-19, IL-20, and IL-24 are produced in both the peripheral blood and the synovial joint and are induced by Toll-like receptor ligands and autoantibody-associated immune complexes in monocytes. IL-19 seems to have anti-inflammatory functions in arthritis. In contrast, IL-20 and IL-24 increase the production of proinflammatory molecules such as monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and are associated with bone degradation and radiographic progression. IL-22 is also associated with progression of bone erosions. This suggests that the IL-22RA1 subunit shared by IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24 is important for bone homeostasis. In line with this, the IL-22RA1 has been found on preosteoclasts in early RA. IL-26 is produced in high amounts by myofibroblasts and IL-26 stimulation of monocytes is an important inducer of Th17 cells in RA. This indicates a role for IL-26 as an important factor in the interactions between resident synovial cells and infiltrating leukocytes. Clinical trials that investigate inhibitors of IL-20 (fletikumab) and IL-22 (fezakinumab) in psoriasis and RA have been terminated. Instead, it seems that the strategy for modulating the IL-20 cytokine family should take the overlap in cellular sources and effector mechanisms into account. The redundancy encourages inhibition of more than one cytokine or one of the shared receptors. All IL-20 family members utilize the Janus kinase signaling pathway and are therefore potentially inhibited by drugs targeting these enzymes. Effects and adverse effects in ongoing clinical trials with inhibitors of IL-22 and the IL-22RA1 subunit and recombinant IL-22 fusion proteins will possibly provide important information about the IL-20 subfamily of cytokines in the future.

The diagnostic utility of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase for tuberculosis in a low prevalence area

BACKGROUND

Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (pfADA) is not routinely measured in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion due to limited evidence of its diagnostic utility in areas of low tuberculosis (TB) prevalence.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective consecutive case series analysis of all patients who underwent pfADA testing from 2009 to 2015 at a tertiary service pleural centre in south London. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we identified the optimal threshold at which maximal sensitivity and specificity were achieved.

RESULTS

Of the 132 patients tested for pfADA, 27 had confirmed pleural TB and 105 did not, with median pfADA levels of respectively 63 IU/l (interquartile range [IQR] 47-88) and 12 IU/l (IQR 7.5-22.5). ROC curve analysis determined the optimal pfADA cut-off to be 30 IU/l, which had positive and negative predictive values of respectively 60.5% and 98.9%, 96.3% sensitivity (95%CI 0.892-1.000) and 83.8% specificity (95%CI 0.768-0.909). The calculated area under the ROC curve was 0.934 (95%CI 0.893-0.975).

CONCLUSION

A pfADA level <30 IU/l makes a diagnosis of TB highly unlikely in the South London population. Its high sensitivity and negative predictive values make pfADA a valuable screening test for excluding suspected pleural TB.

Crystal structures of 2-methyl-pyridinium hydrogen 2,3-bis-(4-methyl-benzo-yloxy)succinate and bis-[4-methyl-pyridinium hydrogen 2,3-bis-(4-methyl-benzo-yloxy)succinate] penta-hydrate

The 1:1, 2-methyl­pyridium and 4-methyl­pyridinium salts of the chiral 4-methyl­benzo­yloxy-substituted succinic acid form, respectively one- and two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded crystal structures,

The title salt (I), C₆H₈N⁺·C₂₀H₁₇O₈⁻, comprises a 2-methyl­pyridinium cation and a 2,3-bis­(4-methyl­benzo­yloxy)succinate mono-anion while the salt (II), 2C₆H₈N⁺·2C₂₀H₁₇O₈⁻·5H₂O, consists of a pair of 4-methyl­pyridinium cations and 2,3-bis­(4-methyl­benzo­yloxy)succinate mono-anions and five water mol­ecules of solvation in the asymmetric unit. In (I), the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings of the anion is 40.41 (15)°, comparing with 43.0 (3) and 85.7 (2)° in the conformationally dissimilar anion mol­ecules in (II). The pyridine ring of the cation in (I) is inclined at 23.64 (16) and 42.69 (17)° to the two benzene moieties of the anion. In (II), these comparative values are 4.7 (3), 43.5 (3)° and 43.5 (3), 73.1 (3)° for the two associated cation and anion pairs. The crystal packing of (I) is stabilized by inter-ionic N—H⋯O, O—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds as well as weak C—H⋯π inter­actions, linking the ions into infinite chains along [100]. In the crystal packing of (II), the anions and cations are also linked by N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving also the water mol­ecules, giving a two-dimensional network across (001). The crystal structure is also stabilized by weak C—H⋯O and C—H⋯π inter­actions.

Optimisation of Diesel Engine for Hybrid Military Tracked Vehicles using Matlab-Simulink

<p class="Abstract">The demand in the technology requirements for diesel engines is growing keeping hybrid vehicles in mind. In future the diesel engine no longer drives the wheels directly; as a result the engine can be engaged at a limited number of operating points, thus, offering an opportunity to optimise the fuel efficiency and performance at those operating points. The extent to which this optimisation is possible is limited by practical considerations. Also if the positive and negative power peaks in vehicle during mobility (e.g. acceleration and regenerative braking respectively) can be accommodated by high-power batteries, then the size of the engine can be considerably reduced. The engine’s operating points depend on the power-control strategy. The consequences of modifications to these operating points will have an effect on performance and efficiency. As in series hybrid only a limited number of operating points are involved and dynamic performance requirements are not imposed on the diesel engine, significant improvements can be achieved by the optimisation of the diesel engine at these operating points. The feasibility of optimisation of the engine at these operating points can be done by modification on the injection systems, the valve timings and other such parameters. This kind of approach requires the use of complex and repeated experimental analysis of the engine which is costly, cumbersome and time consuming. An alternative to this kind of experimental approach is to develop a simulation model of the engine with the generator in Matlab- Simulink.</p>

Carbon Fiber Composites: A Solution for Light Weight Dynamic Components of AFVs

<p class="p1">Changing circumstances across the world require armored fighting vehicle (AFV) of a country to be more agile, easily manoeuverable and transportable besides other key requirements like firepower and protection. Therefore, the AFV should be as light as possible. The use of conventional materials and techniques do not fulfill the requirement of light weight AFV. The composite materials having high specific modulus, specific strength and directional properties are the alternative substitution for reducing the weight. A customized design approach with proper selection of composite material is essential to make AFV components with required properties at lower weight as compared to the traditional approach. Special properties like resistance to moisture, solvents, UV degradation etc. could be imparted to the composite components by the use of proper additives or fillers. This paper deals with the development of dynamic members like road wheel, top roller and axle arm, whose count is always more in any AFVs, using carbon-epoxy composite material. The details of composite materials used and the manufacturing processes adopted are briefly discussed. The static load test carried out to assess the structural integrity as well as non-destructive tests (NDT) performed to detect the defects are also dealt in detail. Preliminary Finite Element Analysis and Multi-body Dynamic Analysis have also been discussed. These analyses have been done mainly to understand the sustainability and performance of the components developed under the given loading conditions.</p>

Configuration Study of Hybrid Electric Power Pack for Tracked Combat Vehicles

<p>In recent years, there is growing interest in hybridisation of military vehicles due to the features and advantages offered by the technology. Generally, the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is propelled by a combination of electric motors and internal combustion engine (ICE). Hybrid electric combat vehicles, when compared with conventional vehicles, have the advantages of improved fuel efficiency and drivability due to optimal operation of ICE, regenerative braking and silent operation capability. Limitations related to key technologies such as compact electric motors/generators, power electronics and energy storage systems that are required to operate under extreme environmental conditions pose challenges to the development of hybrid electric power pack. Technical challenges of HEV technologies considering futuristic applications of combat vehicles is described. The configuration specification of hybrid electric power train architecture suited to deliver high automotive performance and power demands for infantry combat vehicles (ICV) is also discussed.</p>

Finite Element Analysis and Experimental Study on the Effect of Extrusion Ratio during Hot Extrusion Process of Aluminium Matrix Composites

The finite element (FE) analysis on the effect of extrusion process parameter namely, extrusion ratio at different billet temperatures on the plastic strain and strain rate of aluminium matrix composite during hot extrusion process has been dealt. The dynamic explicit FE code in ANSYS 15.0 workbench was used for simulation. The FE analysis was carried out on the SiC reinforced aluminium matrix composites for three extrusion ratios 4:1, 8:1 and 15:1, for the billet temperatures in the range 350 °C - 450 °C in steps of 50 °C. The plastic strain and strain rate were found to increase with increase in the extrusion ratio. A minimum strain and strain rate was found to occur at the billet temperature of 450 °C. The silicon carbide particles reinforced aluminium matrix composites were then extruded at the optimised temperature of 450 °C for various extrusion ratios as mentioned above. The effect of extrusion ratio on the microstructure and surface quality of extruded rod was studied.

Design Configuration of a Generation Next Main Battle Tank for Future Combat

The future combat scenario will undergo a sea change as compared to the conventional and un-conventional warfare employed by the traditional armies and non-state actors. In such a scenario, the main battle tank which serves as a game changer during these conflicts has to face the dilemma whether its design should be either evolutionary or revolutionary. To determine the basis of selecting the right type of design based on the above, the broad parameters that define the configuration namely number of crew, weight, armament system, survivability, operating range, transportability, tactical mobility, trafficability, intelligence - surveillance - target acquisition - reconnaissance (ISTAR), system modularity and theatre of operation have been considered. Taking these parameters into account, this study evaluates both the evolutionary and revolutionary design configurations for a generation next main battle tank. Finally, from the outcome of this study it is observed that the revolutionary design approach not only fares better compared to the evolutionary approach, but also possess ease of adaptiveness as an universal combat weapon platform.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 4-methoxybenzoate dihydrate

In the title hydrated molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C8H7O3−·2H2O, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom. The cation and anion are linked by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, which generates anR22(8) loop, and the dihedral angle between their ring planes is 16.07 (14)°. The ion pairs are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds involving the water molecules, generating a three-dimensional network. Weak C—H...O and aromatic π–π stacking [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.5874 (17) Å] interactions are also observed.

2-Amino-3-methylpyridinium hydrogen phthalate

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2 +·C8H5O4 −, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom and the anion is deprotonated at the hydroxy O atom. The anion features an intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond with the H atom located almost in the middle of the two O atoms. The dihedral angle between the pyridine and benzene rings is 19.17 (12)°. The N—H...O hydrogen bonds generate R 2 2(8) and R 2 4(18) ring motifs. The crystal structure is stabilized by N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The structure is also influenced by weak π–π [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.7347 (14) Å] interaction between the anions.

OPTIMUM: a protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing Out Patient Talc slurry via Indwelling pleural catheter for Malignant pleural effusion vs Usual inpatient Management

INTRODUCTION

The development of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) results in disabling breathlessness, pain and reduced physical capability with treatment a palliative strategy. Ambulatory management of MPE has the potential to improve quality of life (QoL). The OPTIMUM trial is designed to determine whether full outpatient management of MPE with an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) and pleurodesis improves QoL compared with traditional inpatient care with a chest drain and talc pleurodesis. OPTIMUM is currently open for any centres interested in collaborating in this study.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

OPTIMUM is a multicentre non-blinded randomised controlled trial. Patients with a diagnosis of MPE will be identified and screened for eligibility. Consenting participants will be randomised 1:1 either to an outpatient ambulatory pathway using IPCs and talc pleurodesis or standard inpatient treatment with chest drain and talc pleurodesis as per British Thoracic Society guidelines. The primary outcome measure is global health-related QoL at 30 days measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures include breathlessness and pain measured using a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale and health-related QoL at 60 and 90 days. A sample size of 142 patients is needed to demonstrate a clinically significant difference of 8 points in global health status at 30 days, for an 80% power and a 5% significance level.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the NRES Committee South East Coast-Brighton and Sussex (reference 15/LO/1018). The trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS

UKCRN19615 and ISRCTN15503522; Pre-results.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 2-hydroxybenzoate

The title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C7H5O3−, contains two ion pairs in the asymmetric unit. Both anions feature an intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond, which closes anS(6) ring. In the crystal, N—H...O hydogen bonds link the components into [010] chains, which featureR22(8) loops. The crystal structure is consolidated by weak C—H...O and π–π [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.7528 (16) Å] interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 4-hydroxybenzoate

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C7H5O3−, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom and the anion is deprotonated. The pyridine ring is inclined at an angle of 24.96 (11)° to the benzene ring. In the crystal, adjacent anions and cations are linked by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating anR22(8) ring motif; these motifs are further connected by another N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. The crystal structure also features weak C—H...O interactions.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 4-methylbenzoate

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C8H7O2−, the cation is protonated at its pyridine N atom and the dihedral angle between the carboxylate group and its attached benzene ring in the anion is 8.54 (17)°. In the crystal, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the components into [001] chains. Weak C—H...O and aromatic π–π stacking [centroid–centroid separation = 3.8503 (18) Å] link the chains into a three-dimensional network.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridin-1-ium 2-(4-nitrophenyl)acetate

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C8H6NO4−, the cation is protonated at its pyridine N atom. In the crystal, the anion and cation are connected by weak N—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating anR22(8) ring motif. A pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds and a C—H...O contact generate anR23(19) ring motif. In the crystal, adjacent anions and cations are linked by N—H...O hydrogen bonds into infinite chains along [001]. The components are further linked by weak C—H...O contacts and C—H...π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.

Bis(2-amino-6-methylpyridinium) 3-nitrobenzene-1,2-dicarboxylate

In the title molecular salt, 2C6H9N2+·C8H3NO62−, the cations are protonated at their pyridine N atoms. The cations and anion are linked by N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds and a π–π interaction [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.7299 (13) Å]. In the crystal, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the anions and cations into an infinite two-dimensional network parallel to (10-1). N—H...O hydrogen bonds generateR12(4),R21(6),R24(18) andR22(11) ring motifs. The structure also features weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, which lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network.

2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 2-(4-nitrophenyl)acetate

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C8H6NO4−, the cation is protonated at its pyridine N atom. In the crystal, the anions are connected by a pair of C—H...O contacts into [100] chains, which generateR22(11) loops and these chains are linkedviaanother C—H...O contact which encloses anR24(10) loop. Adjacent anions and cations are connected through N—H... O hydrogen bonds, generating anR22(8) loop. Two pairs of anions and cations are linked by N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a tetramer with anR22(8) loop motif. The packing also features weak C—H...π and π–π [centroid-to-centroid distances = 3.8972 (11) and 3.9549 (10) Å] interactions, which result in a three-dimensional network.