A Preliminary Study on the Spherical Bombs(Huolei)of the Southern Song Dynasty,Unearthed in Chongqing

The military situation of the thirteenth century required that the Song and the Mongols construct a great number of defensive works,relying on the mountains or facing the rivers,in the mountainous Sichuan Province and Chongqing.In recent years,a special kind of explosive firearms,huolei火雷(bombs),was unearthed in the large-scale excavations of the site of Diaoyu Fortress钓鱼城in Hechuan District合川and the Baidicheng白帝城in Fengjie County奉节,both of which were defensive works constructed in this mountainous area during the Southern Song dynasty.In addition,the ruins of kilns and the clay molds that were relevant to the casting of iron huolei have been discovered at the site of Baidicheng,indicating that these huolei might have been produced locally.The Southern Song iron huolei unearthed in Chongqing are the most direct evidence of the evolvement of gunpowder and firearms,and are of great significance to the history of science and technology,in particular the history of military technology.

Feng Jiasheng’s Diagrams of Iron Bombs(Huopao)and Beyond:On the Academic Significance of the Southern Song Iron Bombs(Huopao)Unearthed in Chongqing

The world’s earliest bomb with an iron casing,the iron huopao鐵火砲(cast-iron bomb,also referred to as zhentian lei震天雷,literally“thunder-crash bomb”),is one of the most important inventions of ancient China relating to gunpowder and firearms.Until recently,however,academics were not able to conduct substantial research on the topic,as no actual remains of a huopao had yet been found.Since 2013,in the excavation of two sites of Southern Song ancient cities(Diaoyu Fortress and Baidicheng)in Chongqing,archaeologists from the Chongqing Cultural Heritage Research Institute have discovered a number of iron huopao of the Southern Song dynasty.This finding not only provides first-hand material for research on the history of the invention of gunpowder and firearms,which has always been lacking,but also offers new physical evidence for an exploration of the history of war and the military history of the thirteenth century(in particular the Mongol-Song war),and is thus historically significant.

From Bombs to Books

WHEN Isnina Jelle wanted to visit a fair, she decided to wait for two days first. It wasn＇t that the 26-year-old livelihood officer with an NGO was inordinately fussy or busy. It was simply that she was living in a country going through an extraordinary situation where even going to a book fair could become a matter of life and death.

Quantitative method for calculating spatial release region for laser-guided bomb

The laser-guided bomb(LGB)is an air-to-ground pre-cision-guided weapon that offers high hit rates,great power,and ease of use.LGBs are guided by semi-active laser ground-seek-ing technology,which means that atmospheric conditions can affect their accuracy.The spatial release region(SRR)of LGBs is difficult to calculate precisely,especially when there is a poor field of view.This can result in a lower real hit probability.To increase the hit probability of LGBs in tough atmospheric situa-tions,a novel method for calculating the SRR has been pro-posed.This method is based on the transmittance model of the 1.06μm laser in atmospheric species and the laser diffuse reflection model of the target surface to determine the capture target time of the laser seeker.Then,it calculates the boundary ballistic space starting position by ballistic model and gets the spatial scope of the spatial release region.This method can determine the release region of LGBs based on flight test data such as instantaneous velocity,altitude,off-axis angle,and atmospheric visibility.By more effectively employing aircraft release conditions,atmospheric visibility and other factors,the SRR calculation method can improve LGB hit probabi-lity by 9.2%.

Top U.S. Soap Bombs

Different cultural values see award-winning U.S. melodrama run aground in China It had audiences on the edge of their seats in 202 countries and regions around the world, but in China the show was a deleterious bridge too far. The award-winning American soap opera Desperate Housewives, came, was seen, but failed to conquer Chinese TV audiences, exposing the enormous

WAREHOUSE TIME BOMBS

Taking steps to prevent storage catastrophes like the Tianjin blast防范悲剧重演,探寻危险化学品的栖身之所The warehouse explosions in Tianjin on August 12 claimed over 160 lives,one of the most serious chemical explosions in a decade.The warehouse,located in a port at the Tianjin Binhai New Area,stored large amounts of hazardous chemicals including

How Did Vinh Moc Village, Located near Vietnam DMZ, Protect Their Villagers from United States Air Force Bombardment during the Vietnam War?

The buried village is Vinh Moc where more than 1200 Vietnamese, including soldiers, who lived underground during the Vietnam War (1965 to 1972) were hand dug into red basalt bedrock. The Vinh Moc Village was strategically located on the border of North Vietnam and South Vietnam approximately 14 km north of the DMZ and along the shoreline of the South China Sea. During the Vietnam War, the US Air Force heavily bombed Vinh Moc. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) had an important military base on nearby Con Co Island. Brave civil volunteers from Vinh Moc would make the 28 km dangerous journey to the island, disguised as fishermen, to deliver supplies to the soldiers stationed there. The people who remained at Vinh Moc dug tunnels into red basalt hills in order to survive this onslaught. The American forces assessed the villagers of Vinh Moc were supplying food and armaments to the NVA garrison on the island of Con Co, which was in turn hindering the American bombers on their way to bomb Hanoi. The US military objective was to force the villagers of Vinh Moc to leave the area. The villagers initially dug the tunnels to a 10 m depth but the American forces designed bombs that burrowed down 10 m before exploding. The soil tunnels were then deepened to 30 m to provide safety for the soldiers and civilians working there during the intense US Air Force bombing. The primary objective of the research study was to determine how the soils and parent material of Vinh Moc Village, protected their villagers from the United States Air Force bombardment during the Vietnam War. In addition, the natural parent material at both the Vinh Moc and Cu Chi were assessed to determine why the tunnels were so resilient. The Cu Chi and Iron Triangle soil tunnels were dug by hand in the Old Alluvium soils and parent material where iron in solution precipitated and became the soil binding material. The Vinh Moc tunnels were hand dug in porous, red basalt (bedrock) hills where the consolidated rock structure itself provided the required binding material. Neither site needed support beams to hold up the ceilings.

Review and Analysis: United States Cluster Munitions and Unexploded Ordnance Left in Laos after the Second Indochina War

Cluster munitions release dozens of smaller bomblets that rain deadly ammunition on armored tanks, vegetation and troops, effectively striking broad areas of war zone landscapes in one launch. However, only about 60% of bomblets detonate immediately and those that fail to detonate fall to the ground and can lie dormant for years. The legacy of cluster munitions in Laos from the Second Indochina War is unexploded bomblets across the landscape that unexpectedly detonate years later, injuring and killing children, farmers, and other civilians long after the war is over. In Laos, the United States (US) military operation against the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a network of foot and bicycle paths, waterways, and truck routes along the Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam borders linking North and South Vietnam began in 1959. By the 1960s, as the war escalated, trail traffic was interdicted frequently by CIA and US Air Force using tactical herbicide spraying to defoliate dense vegetation and bombing to disrupt supplies and North Vietnamese troops dispersed along the 16,000-kilometer trail. Unexploded ordinance (UXO), including cluster munitions, from U.S. bombings continued in recent years to detonate, kill, maim and injure Laotians and render agricultural lands too hazardous to cultivate. The primary objectives of this study are to document: 1) the long-term consequences and impacts of the US Air Force bombing of Laos during the Second Indochina War (1959 to 1973);2) the United States removal of unexploded ordnance and cluster munitions;and 3) worldwide relief efforts to help the Laotians maimed by unexploded ordnance and cluster munitions.

Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of mind bomb 1 gene in stomach adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND The carcinogenesis of stomach adenocarcinoma(STAD)involves many different molecules and multiple pathways,including the NOTCH signaling pathway.As a key factor that functions as a critical link in the NOTCH pathway,mind bomb 1(MIB1)is upregulated in various tumors and has been reported to promote cell metastasis and invasion.However,studies on the role of MIB1 in STAD are limited.Here,we evaluated the prognostic value of MIB1 in STAD and its association with immune infiltration and copy number variation.AIM To elucidate the relationship between MIB1 gene and gastric cancer(GC)and provide a new idea for the treatment of GC.METHODS We identified mutations in the MIB1 gene by searching the cBioPortal database and then analyzed their relationship with the overall survival rate and diseasefree survival rate using the Kaplan-Meier method.The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database provided transcript levels for MIB1 in STADs and normal tissues.As a method of distinguishing the STAD tissues from adjacent normal tissues,a receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was generated.Kaplan-Meier plotter was used to determine the effect of MIB1 expression on survival.Based on the LinkedOmics database,we were able to identify the coexpressed genes of the MIB1 gene,the top 50 positively correlated genes,and the top 50 negatively correlated genes.STRING was used to construct protein-protein interaction networks related to the MIB1 gene.An analysis of functional enrichment was carried out using the R package“Cluster Profiler”.The relationships between mRNA expression of MIB1 and immune infiltrates were assessed by Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource(TIMER)and the“GSVA package”in R.RESULTS According to the cBioPortal database,the MIB1 mutation rate in 287 patients in the TCGA dataset was approximately 6%.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with STAD in the mutated group had a worse prognosis than those in the unmutated group(P=0.0156).There was a significant upregulation of MIB1 expression in STAD tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues.A high T stage was associated with increased MIB1 mRNA expression.The ROC curve analysis revealed 59.4%sensitivity and 85.6%specificity of MIB1 for differentiating STAD tissues from adjacent normal tissues at a truncation level of 2.248.Kaplan-Meier plotter indicated that patients with higher MIB1 levels had a worse prognosis than those with lower levels(26.4 mo vs 56.2 mo,P=0.0330).A correlation analysis demonstrated an association between immune infiltrates and MIB1 mRNA expression.CONCLUSION Upregulation of MIB1 expression is significantly associated with poor survival rate and immune infiltration in gastric adenocarcinoma.MIB1 may be a biomarker for the poor prognosis of STAD patients and a potential immunotherapeutic target.

Effect of Aerodynamically Stabilized Seeker Dynamics on System Analysis

Aim To study the effect of aerodynamically stabilized seeker dynamics on guided bomb system analysis. Methods A thorough analysis of aerodynamically stabilized seeker dynamics was made to show that because of the much smaller time constant, its dynamic model can be greatly simplified. Results and Conclusion In guided bomb guidance/control digital simulation, with the use of the simplified seeker model, simulation time can be reduced without the loss of simulation accuracy.

Nursing Activities at Health Surveys and Health Checkups during the Early Period of Operation of the Hiroshima ABCC—Oral History Study Based on Narratives of Three Japanese Nurses

Using an oral history approach, this study analyzed the narratives obtained from semi-structured interviews administered to three Japanese women who worked as nurses for the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC). The analysis of the data in the narratives showed details of the health surveys and health checkups conducted during the early period of operation of ABCC. During the early period of operation of ABCC some survivors showed negative behaviors toward the health surveys and health checkups at the ABCC. However, it can be inferred that dedicated nursing played an important role in alleviating the stress and emotional issues of survivors at the health surveys and health checkups. The findings of the study could be beneficial to research into nursing activities for patients exposed to radiation at the present day.

SEQUENTIAL DISPERSING DISTRIBUTION EFFECT OF AERIAL CLUSTER BOMB

The sequential dispersing results of aerial cluster bomb are discussed. The ballistic model and the mod- el for impact point distribution of bullets are established. The main factors influencing impact point distribution are analyzed by numerical simulation. And the feasibility of improving distribution effect through sequential dis- persing is validated. Sequential dispersion and optimized airdrop parameters can help to achieve better battle effec- tiveness.

Epidemiology of civilian blast injuries inflicted by terrorist bombings from 1970-2016

An upsurge of terrorist activity has occurred in the past two decades. As part of this, explosive devices continue to be extensively deployed against civilians in wide-ranging environments. Bombings remain the leading worldwide cause of civilian fatalities due to terrorism. This demands an understanding of modern terrorist bombing trends to inform mitigation strategy. The objective of this study was to identify the occurrence and severity of bombings against civilian targets in diverse attack settings, and to establish corresponding blast injury profiles. Data was obtained from analysis of the Global Terrorism Database(GTD) and a meta-analysis of blast injury data derived from the PubMed database. Closed environment explosions were associated with significantly greater(p<0.05) mortality than in open spaces. The injury profiles were found to be influenced by attack setting, with higher rates of primary injury on trains and buses, and secondary injury in open space.

Using the Haddon matrix to explore medical response strategies for terrorist subway bombings

Background:Since the 1970 s,terrorist bombings in subways have been frequently occurring worldwide.To cope with this threat and to provide medical response countermeasures,we analyzed the characteristics of subway bombing terrorist attacks and used the Haddon matrix to explore medical response strategies.Methods:First,we analyzed 111 subway bombings from 1970 to 2017 recorded in the Global Terrorism Database to provide a reference for the strategy exploration.Then,we convened an expert panel to use the Haddon matrix to explore the medical response strategies to subway bombings.Results:In recent decades,at least one bombing attack occurs every 3 years.Summarized by the Haddon matrix,the influencing factors of medical responses to conventional subway bombings include the adequacy of first-aid kits and the medical evacuation equipment,the traffic conditions affecting the evacuation,the continuity and stability of communication,as well as the factors exclusively attributed to dirty bomb attacks in subways,such as ionizing radiation protection capabilities,the structure of the radiation sickness treatment network based on the subway lines,and the disposal of radioactive sewage.These factors form the basis of the strategy discussion.Conclusions:Since subway bombings are long-term threats,it is necessary to have proper medical response preparation.Based on the Haddon matrix,we explored the medical response strategies for terrorist subway bombings,especially dirty bomb attacks.Haddon matrix can help policymakers systematically find the most important factors,which makes the preparations of the response more efficient.

Terrorist Networks, Network Energy and Node Removal: A New Measure of Centrality Based on Laplacian Energy

In this work we propose a centrality measure for networks, which we refer to as Laplacian centrality, that provides a general framework for the centrality of a vertex based on the idea that the importance (or centrality) of a vertex is related to the ability of the network to respond to the deactivation or removal of that vertex from the network. In particular, the Laplacian centrality of a vertex is defined as the relative drop of Laplacian energy caused by the deactivation of this vertex. The Laplacian energy of network G with?n?vertices is defined as , where ?is the eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix of G. Other dynamics based measures such as that of Masuda and Kori and PageRank compute the importance of a node by analyzing the way paths pass through a node while our measure captures this information as well as the way these paths are “redistributed” when the node is deleted. The validity and robustness of this new measure are illustrated on two different terrorist social network data sets and 84 networks in James Moody’s Add Health in school friendship nomination data, and is compared with other standard centrality measures.

Numerical study on the case effect of a bomb air explosion

When considering the bomb explosion damage effect,the air shock wave and high-speed fragments of the bomb case are two major threats.In experiments,the air shock wave was studied by the bare explosives superseding the real cased bomb;in contrast,the bomb case influence was ignored to reduce risk.The air explosion simulations of the MK84 warhead with and without the case were conducted.The numerical simulation results showed that the bomb case significantly influenced the shock wave generated by the bomb:the spatial distribution of shock wave in the near field changed,and the peak value of shock wave was reduced.Breakage of the case and kinetic energy of the fragmentation consumed 3 and 38% of the explosion energy,respectively.The increasing factors of the peak overpressure induced by the bare explosive on the ground and in the air were 1.43-3.04 and 1.37-1.57,respectively.Four typical stages of case breakage were defined.The mass distribution of the fragments follows the Mott distribution.The initial velocity distribution of the fragments agreed well with the Gurney equation.

Structure Analyses of the Explosive Extratropical Cyclone:A Case Study over the Northwestern Pacific in March 2007

The synoptic situation and mesoscale structure of an explosive extratropical cyclone over the Northwestern Pacific in March 2007 are investigated through weather station observations and data reanalysis. The cyclone is located beneath the poleward side of the exit of a 200 hPa jet, which is a strong divergent region aloft. At mid-level, the cyclone lies on the downstream side of a well-developed trough, where a strong ascending motion frequently occurs. Cross-section analyses with weather station data show that the cyclone has a warm and moist core. A ‘nose' of the cold front, which is characterized by a low-level protruding structure in the equivalent potential temperature field, forms when the cyclone moves offshore. This ‘nose' structure is hypothesized to have been caused by the heating effect of the Kuroshio Current. Two low-level jet streams are also identified on the western and eastern sides of the cold front. The western jet conveys cold and dry air at 800–900 hPa. The wind in the northern part is northeasterly, and the wind in the southern part is northwesterly. By contrast, the eastern jet carries warm and moist air into the cyclone system, ascending northward from 900 hPa to 600–700 hPa. The southern part is dominated by the southerly wind, and the wind in the northern part is southwesterly. The eastern and western jets significantly increase the air temperature and moisture contrast in the vicinity of the cold front. This increase could play an important role in improving the rapid cyclogenesis process.

Underwater explosion effects of 60 mm H.E. mortar bomb on a cylindrical concrete structure-PIT

PIT tests are usually performed when a mass distribution of High Explosive(H.E) projectile fragments is required. This paper shows the underwater detonation effects of 60 mm, M90 H.E. mortar bomb filled with Comp. B on cylindrical concrete structure(concrete pipe closed at one end-similar to a PIT test)which is 2 m high(inner height) with inner diameter of also 2 m. Thickness of both wall and bottom of a pipe is 0.35 m. Detailed characteristics of concrete which is used for manufacturing of a pipe are specified. Mortar bomb is submerged directly in to the water(no free airspace around the bomb) with the nose pointing to the bottom of a pipe. Number and mass of fragments after detonation are presented by table and photographs. Fragments of dummy fuze, through which blasting cap was protruded, are collected and reassembled to form a shape of a fuze after detonation where expanding of fuze material due to a detonation products is visualized. After underwater detonation, detonation of the same mortar bomb is performed in an empty pipe and the effects of this kind of detonation are observed. Distance at which fragments generated from submerged mortar bomb will not reach concrete pipes wall is also determined.

Preparing for a “dirty bomb” attack: The optimum mix of medical countermeasure resources

Background: In radiological emergencies with radionuclide incorporation, decorporation treatment is particularly effective if started early. Treating all people potentially contaminated("urgent treatment") may require large antidote stockpiles. An efficacious way to reduce antidote requirements is by using radioactivity screening equipment. We analyzed the suitability of such equipment for triage purposes and determined the most efficient mix of screening units and antidote daily doses.Methods: The committed effective doses corresponding to activities within the detection limits of monitoring portals and mobile whole-body counters were used to assess their usefulness as triage tools. To determine the optimal resource mix, we departed from a large-scale scenario(60,000 victims) and based on purchase prices of antidotes and screening equipment in Germany, we calculated efficiencies of different combinations of medical countermeasure resources by data envelopment analysis. Cost-effectiveness was expressed as the costs per life year saved and compared to risk reduction opportunities in other sectors of society as well as the values of a statistical life.Results: Monitoring portals are adequate instruments for a sensitive triage after cesium-137 exposure with a high screening throughput. For the detection of americium-241 whole-body counters with a lower daily screening capacity per unit are needed. Assuming that 1% of the potentially contaminated patients actually need decorporation treatment, an efficient resource mix includes 6 monitoring portals and 25 mobile whole-body counters. The optimum mix depends on price discounts and in particular the fraction of victims actually needing treatment. The costeffectiveness of preparedness for a "dirty bomb" attack is less than for common health care, but costs for a life year saved are less than for many risk-reduction interventions in the environmental sector.Conclusion: To achieve economic efficiency a high daily screening capacity is of major importance to substantially decrease the required amount of antidote doses. Among the determinants of the number of equipment units needed, the fraction of the potentially contaminated victims that actually needs treatment is the most difficult to assess. Judging cost-effectiveness of the preparedness for "dirty bomb" attacks is an issue of principle that must be dealt with by political leaders.

Estimation of radiation-induced health hazards from a“dirty bomb”attack with radiocesium under different assault and rescue conditions

In the case of a terrorist attack by a“dirty bomb”,blast injuries,external irradiation and the incorporation of radioactivity are to be expected.Departing from information about the radiological attack scenario with cesium-137 in the U.S.National Scenario Planning Guide,we estimated the radiological doses absorbed.Similar calculations were performed for a smaller plume size and a detonation in a subway.For conditions as described in the U.S.scenario,the committed effective dose amounted to a maximum of 848 mSv,even for very unfavorable conditions.Red bone marrow equivalent doses are insufcient to induce acute radiation sickness(ARS).In the case of a smaller plume size,the ARS threshold may be exceeded in some cases.In a subway bombing,doses are much higher and the occurrence of ARS should be expected.The health hazards from a dirty bomb attack will depend on the location and the explosive device.The derived Haddon matrix indicates that preparing for such an event includes education of all the medical staff about radiation effects,the time lines of radiation damages and the treatment priorities.Further determinants of the outcome include rapid evacuation even from difficult locations,the availability of a specific triage tool to rapidly identify victims at risk for ARS,the availability of an antidote stockpile and dedicated hospital beds to treat seriously irradiated victims.