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BackgroundDuring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq most injuries to service members involved the musculoskeletal system. These wounds often occurred around joints, and in some cases result in traumatic arthrotomy-a diagnosis that is not always clear, especially when there is no concomitant articular fracture. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of peri-articular blast injuries without fracture.MethodsThe study cohort included 12 consecutive patients (12 involved extremities) who sustained peri-articular blast wounds of the extremities without fractures. The diagnosis of penetrating articular injury was based on clinical examination, radiographic findings, or aspiration. A peri-articular wound was defined as any wound, or radio-opaque blast fragment, within 5 cm of a joint. The New Injury Severity Score (NISS) was calculated for each patient. Four patients had upper, and 8 patients had lower extremity injuries. Nine of 12 patients had joint capsular penetration and underwent joint irrigation and debridement.ResultsTwo patients had retained intra-articular metal fragments. One patient had soft tissue blast wounds within 5 cm of a joint but did not have joint capsule penetration. There were no significant differences (p = 0.23) between the distribution of wounds to upper versus lower extremities. However, there were a significantly greater number of blast injuries attributed to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) than from other blast mechanisms (p = 0.01).ConclusionExtremity blast injuries in the vicinity of joints involving only soft tissues present a unique challenge in surgical management. A high index of suspicion should be maintained for joint capsular penetration so that intra-articular injuries may be appropriately treated.

Today, considering the increased cases of terroristic operations, structural design engineers are starting to acknowledge blast-induced loads alongside other design parameters. Since a blast-induced load exhibits a much shorter period than the natural period of the structure, it is unlikely to induce general damages or stimulate the entire structure immediately after the loading, but rather local damages in individual structural elements are the common form of damage. These local damages, however, can set the scene for the gradual failure of the structure. The present study on structures with moment-resisting frames, buckling-restrained braces (BRBs), and conventional steel braces was conducted through an alternative load path (ALP, also known as column elimination) and exact modeling of the blast on the steel frames was undertaken using LS-DYNA software. In this work, the behavior of three five-story steel frames under a blast-induced load of 100 kg TNT equivalent at a distance of 10 m from the structural columns for a period of 100 ms was investigated. Results of analyzing the blast-induced effect on the frames showed that the frame equipped with buckling-restrained braces (BRB) exhibited improved overall peak displacement across the entire frame, peak induced velocity, and peak induced acceleration by 30%, 30%, and 46%, respectively, as compared to other steel frames exposed to blast loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma-related spinal injuries have been reported as far back as Egyptian times when their severity was recognized but treatment limited and outcomes poor. Advances in the knowledge and management of these injuries have arisen due to increased periods of conflict in the 20th and 21st centuries. With terrorist activity increasing globally, clinicians working in the civilian environment are increasingly being called upon to manage severe, high-energy injuries of the sort usually seen in conflict. This review considers the differences in the mechanism, pattern, and management of spinal trauma in a military combat setting to allow translation to a civilian setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In land warfare, trenches serve as vital defensive fortifications, offering protection to soldiers while engaging in combat. However, despite their protective function, soldiers often sustain injuries within these trenches. The lack of corresponding blast data alongside empirical injury reports presents a significant knowledge gap, particularly concerning the blast pressures propagating within trench spaces following nearby explosions. This absence hinders the correlation between blast parameters, trench geometry, and reported injury cases, limiting our understanding of blast-related risks within trenches. This paper addresses the critical aspect of blast propagation within trench systems, essential for evaluating potential blast injury risks to individuals within these structures. Through advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, the study comprehensively investigates blast injury risks resulting from explosions near military trenches. Employing a sophisticated computational model, the research analyzes the dynamic blast effects within trenches, considering both geometrical parameters and blast characteristics influenced by explosive weight and scaled distance. The numerical simulations yield valuable insights into the impact of these parameters on blast injury risks, particularly focusing on eardrum rupture, lung injury, and traumatic brain injury levels within the trench. The findings elucidate distinct patterns of high-risk zones, highlighting unique characteristics of internal explosions due to confinement and venting dynamics along the trench. This study underscores the significance of detailed numerical modeling in assessing blast injury risks and provides a novel knowledge base for understanding risks associated with explosives detonating near military trenches. The insights gained contribute to enhancing safety measures in both military and civilian contexts exposed to blast events near trench structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In plants, miRNAs participate in diverse developmental processes and adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stress. MiR827 has long been recognized to be involved in plant responses to phosphate starvation. In rice, the miR827 regulates the expression of OsSPX-MFS1 and OsSPX-MFS2, these genes encoding vacuolar phosphate transporters. In this study, we demonstrated that miR827 plays a role in resistance to infection by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae in rice. We show that MIR827 overexpression enhances susceptibility to infection by M. oryzae which is associated to a weaker induction of defense gene expression during pathogen infection. Conversely, CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations in the MIR827 gene completely abolish miR827 production and confer resistance to M. oryzae infection. This resistance is accompanied by a reduction of leaf Pi content compared to wild-type plants, whereas Pi levels increase in leaves of the blast-susceptible miR827 overexpressor plants. In wild-type plants, miR827 accumulation in leaves decreases during the biotrophic phase of the infection process. Taken together, our data indicates that silencing MIR827 confers resistance to M. oryzae infection in rice while further supporting interconnections between Pi signaling and immune signaling in plants. Unravelling the role of miR827 during M. oryzae infection provides knowledge to improve blast resistance in rice by CRISPR/Cas9-editing of MIR827.Key message: MiR827, a miRNA involved in the control of phosphate homeostasis, is also involved in immunity and disease resistance in rice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and occupational blast exposure in military Service Members may lead to impaired brain waste clearance which increases neurological disease risk. Perivascular spaces (PVS) are a key part of the glymphatic system which supports brain waste clearance, preferentially during sleep. Visible PVS on clinical magnetic resonance imaging have been previously observed in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and animal neurotrauma models. The purpose of this study was to determine associations between PVS morphological characteristics, military career stage, and mTBI history in Special Operations Forces (SOF) Soldiers. Participants underwent T2-weighed neuroimaging to capture three-dimensional whole brain volumes. Segmentation was performed using a previously validated, multi-scale deep convolutional encoder-decoder neural network. Only PVS clusters within the white matter mask were quantified for analyses. Due to non-normal PVS metric distribution, non-parametric Mann–Whitney U tests were used to determine group differences in PVS outcomes. In total, 223 healthy SOF combat Soldiers (age = 33.1 ± 4.3yrs) were included, 217 reported career stage. Soldiers with mTBI history had greater PVS number (z = 2.51, P = 0.013) and PVS volume (z = 2.42, P = 0.016). In-career SOF combat Soldiers had greater PVS number (z = 2.56, P = 0.01) and PVS volume (z = 2.28, P = 0.02) compared to a baseline cohort. Mild TBI history is associated with increased PVS burden in SOF combat Soldiers that are clinically recovered from mTBI. This may indicate ongoing physiological changes that could lead to impaired waste clearance via the glymphatic system. Future studies should determine if PVS number and volume are meaningful neurobiological outcomes for neurodegenerative disease risk and if clinical interventions such as improving sleep can reduce PVS burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing threat of accidental and malevolent blast loading to building structures has necessitated the consideration of blast-resistant design. Columns are the most vulnerable and critical component of a building, so they must be designed against blast to achieve defined performance goals. The influence of transverse rebar detailing on the ultimate capacity and failure modes of rectangular reinforced concrete (RC) columns against blast loads was investigated under different detonation scenarios. The performance of the columns was quantified using the failure charge mass and post-blast residual axial capacity. Pressure–impulse diagrams were used to study the failure modes. The analyses showed that special transverse detailing measures were the most effective for columns subjected to near-field surface bursts. The confinement of concrete due to ties and axial restraint played a critical role in improving the blast performance of columns. The provision of diagonal rebar improved the blast resistance by preventing direct shear failure, and was most effective when coupled with closely spaced lateral ties. Finally, the performance of code-compliant columns against blast was studied to determine the blast safety margin and the scenarios under which it would be necessary to undertake blast retrofitting of the columns in existing critical buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed the technical principle and advantages of GB-SAR, and combined engineering practices to study the site selection, data acquisition scheme and data processing of GB-SAR station, and made a complete emergency monitoring scheme. Taking the construction blasting scene of an engineering construction as an example, the blasting point was located in the central position where the whole reinforced slope needs to be monitored. The emergency monitoring was carried out by using GB-SAR and the deformation information was obtained by using time-series data processing method, which verified the feasibility of the proposed emergency monitoring scheme and the reliability of data processing. The results show that, the blasting has little influence on the well-supported structure, and the shape variable is less than 1. 5 mm. After the explosion, the position shape variable near the center increases sharply, and the maximum value can reach 103 mm during the monitoring period. It is further confirmed that the GB-SAR can effectively monitor the impact of blasting on the surrounding construction scene, and can provide strong support for construction operations and project risk investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of blast loads on structures is important due to the potential of significant consequences in various scenarios. From terrorist attacks to industrial accidents, comprehending how structures respond to blast waves is critical for ensuring public safety and designing resilient structures. Studying these effects typically involves two main methods: free-field tests with live explosives and shock tube tests. Although shock tube testing offers certain advantages, both approaches are costly and demand significant space. This research aims to develop a cost-effective and straightforward technique for generating stress waves that closely replicate the progressive and spatial characteristics of free-field or shock tube blast waves. This method was designed to evaluate the dynamic response of laminated glass panels. The stress wave was generated by impacting a piston on the fluid inside a tube, which was connected to a fluid chamber. This setup produced impulsive loads that were distributed across a laminated glass test panel. Moreover, it was used to simulate the shock near filed explosions for a certain part of a structure. High-speed cameras were utilized to analyze the initial velocity of flying glass fragments. The apparatus successfully produced various blast waves and impulsive profiles for different drop weight heights. The initial velocities of randomly selected flying shards ranged from 3 m/s to 4 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blast resistance of a typical two-lane steel girder highway bridge structural system was modeled using a nonlinear finite-element approach that considered material damage, fracture, and separation. Critical blast scenarios were based on field observations of terrorist attacks on bridges in Iraq, while system failure was defined in terms of practical emergency serviceability criteria used on actual blast-damaged bridges. The blast resistance of various design parameters was assessed, including the number of girders, deck concrete strength, reinforcement ratio, slab thickness, girder and reinforcement yield strength, girder sectional dimensions, and pier column width. The presented approach uniquely quantifies structural system blast resistance in terms of the charge weight that can be applied at different locations until failure. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the most influential design parameters. It was found that system blast capacity was primarily influenced by the number of girders and girder yield strength, while additional significant parameters were deck compressive strength, deck thickness, web stiffener width, and girder depth. Secondary parameters were deck reinforcement ratio, girder flange, and web thickness, while deck reinforcement yield stress was found to be insignificant. Based on the results, recommendations for improving blast resistance are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice production is drastically affected by biotic stresses, namely, bacterial leaf blight (BB), blast (BL) and brown planthopper (BPH). As marker-assisted selection for uniplex gene screening in breeding population is often tedious, time-consuming and expensive, multiplex PCR is practically a reasonable choice for the testing of genes in the pyramided lines as it offers significant time- and cost-saving advantages. Therefore, a cost-effective multiplex PCR-based screening for simultaneous detection of three BB (Xa21, xa13, and Xa4), two BL (Pi1and Pi54) and two BPH resistance genes (Bph20 and Bph21) has been developed. This multiplex system can detect different combinations of BB, BL and BPH resistance. In addition to this most cost-effective method, a five-gene (Xa21, xa13, Pi54, Bph20 and Bph21) multiplex assay in a single PCR tube for three biotic stresses, BB, BL and BPH, has been developed. These standardized multiplex assays have been incorporated into our breeding programs for accelerated results. These assays have displayed no deviation and are in perfect correlation with the individual marker screenings. As one of the most efficient and cost-saving technologies, this technology will have a great impact in the seed industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In land warfare, trenches serve as vital defensive fortifications, offering protection to soldiers while engaging in combat. However, despite their protective function, soldiers often sustain injuries within these trenches. The lack of corresponding blast data alongside empirical injury reports presents a significant knowledge gap, particularly concerning the blast pressures propagating within trench spaces following nearby explosions. This absence hinders the correlation between blast parameters, trench geometry, and reported injury cases, limiting our understanding of blast-related risks within trenches.This paper addresses the critical aspect of blast propagation within trench systems, essential for evaluating potential blast injury risks to individuals within these structures. Through advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, the study comprehensively investigates blast injury risks resulting from explosions near military trenches. Employing a sophisticated computational model, the research analyzes the dynamic blast effects within trenches, considering both geometrical parameters and blast characteristics influenced by explosive weight and scaled distance.The numerical simulations yield valuable insights into the impact of these parameters on blast injury risks, particularly focusing on eardrum rupture, lung injury, and traumatic brain injury levels within the trench. The findings elucidate distinct patterns of high-risk zones, highlighting unique characteristics of internal explosions due to confinement and venting dynamics along the trench. This study underscores the significance of detailed numerical modeling in assessing blast injury risks and provides a novel knowledge base for understanding risks associated with explosives detonating near military trenches. The insights gained contribute to enhancing safety measures in both military and civilian contexts exposed to blast events near trench structures.

Abstract Today, considering the increased cases of terroristic operations, structural design engineers are starting to acknowledge blast-induced loads alongside other design parameters. Since a blast-induced load exhibits a much shorter period than the natural period of the structure, it is unlikely to induce general damages or stimulate the entire structure immediately after the loading, but rather local damages in individual structural elements are the common form of damage. These local damages, however, can set the scene for the gradual failure of the structure. The present study on structures with moment-resisting frames, buckling-restrained braces (BRBs), and conventional steel braces was conducted through an alternative load path (ALP, also known as column elimination) and exact modeling of the blast on the steel frames was undertaken using LS-DYNA software. In this work, the behavior of three five-story steel frames under a blast-induced load of 100 kg TNT equivalent at a distance of 10 m from the structural columns for a period of 100 ms was investigated. Results of analyzing the blast-induced effect on the frames showed that the frame equipped with buckling-restrained braces (BRB) exhibited improved overall peak displacement across the entire frame, peak induced velocity, and peak induced acceleration by 30%, 30%, and 46%, respectively, as compared to other steel frames exposed to blast loads.

This study investigates the superposition law of blasting damage between double cylindrical charges in PMMA through laboratory experiments and numerical simulation. The results showed that the evolution of blasting damage is consistent with fractal law. For a single cylindrical charge, the crushing area is distributed throughout the charge section, whereas the stemming section consists primarily of sparse cracks and contains no crushing area. The blasting damage peak between double cylindrical charges is concentrated between 5 and 12.5 times the borehole's diameter from the initiation point. The distance between the boreholes does not affect the damage pattern between double cylindrical charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the blast events and resulting damage found on more than 100 bridges in Iraq caused by terrorist attacks. Most structures were two to three lanes wide and composed of a superstructure with prestressed concrete beams that supported a concrete deck. In most cases, terrorists placed charges either on the deck or at the base of columns. Typical structural system failures were due to either intermediate column failure, girder end failure, or girder end failure in combination with midspan failure. It was found that a single blast load on the deck rarely caused collapse, while three or more blast loads distributed across the deck nearly always caused deck and/or span collapse. If at least two girders remained largely undamaged, one lane of traffic could often be directed safely over the structure, allowing a heavily damaged bridge to remain in temporary use. When columns were attacked, charges placed symmetrically caused the columns to collapse downward, whereas charges placed asymmetrically caused significant lateral movement. Although most bridges were simple span, substantial resiliency was observed, where the structures could support large amounts of load even when some critical components theoretically had near-zero capacity. It was further found that separating components, even slightly, could significantly reduce blast damage propagation. Brief recommendations are given to mitigate blast damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the characterization of the entomopathogenic nematode isolate LD_CU, and its associated symbiotic entomopathogenic bacteria. Morphological data of the present strain showed similitude with type population of Steinernema siamkayai, with small morphometric variations. BLASTn analysis of the ITS rRNA sequence of the nematode revealed 100% similarity with S. siamkayai, confirming conspecificity. The pairwise alignment showed no nucleotide differences with the type population of S. siamkayai. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS rRNA gene sequences supported these findings, placing isolate LD_CU in a monophyletic clade with S. siamkayai, which forms a sister clade with S. huense, S. cumgarense, S. tami, and S. minutum. Biochemical tests identified the associated bacterial symbiont as Xenorhabdus stockiae. The isolate tested negative for oxidase, catalase, nitrate reductase, O-Nitrophenyl-β-D galactopyranoside (ONPG), methyl red, tryptophan deaminase, indole production, ornithine, lysine, citrate, malonate, hydrogen sulfide, acetoin, and phenylalanine deaminase, but positive for urea and esculin hydrolysis, motility, and acid production from glucose fermentation. The bacteria exhibited neutral red adsorption on MacConkey agar and formed brownish pigmented colonies on nutrient agar. Molecular characterization using 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed 100% similarity with X. stockiae and 90% similarity with X. innexi, indicating significant divergence from other Xenorhabdus species. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relation to X. stockiae VP-2016b and distinct differences from X. innexi DSM 16336T. Pairwise alignment confirmed no nucleotide differences between the present bacterial strain and X. stockiae. This detailed and comprehensive profiling supports the accurate identification of Steinernema siamkayai and its bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus stockiae, and contributes valuable information to the taxonomy and phylogeny of these organisms.

Abstract Background Trauma can result in systemic inflammation that leads to organ dysfunction, but the impact on the brain, particularly following extracranial insults, has been largely overlooked. Methods Building upon our prior findings, we aimed to understand the impact of systemic inflammation on neuroinflammatory gene transcripts in eight brain regions in rats exposed to (1) blast overpressure exposure [BOP], (2) cutaneous thermal injury [BU], (3) complex extremity injury, 3 hours (h) of tourniquet-induced ischemia, and hind limb amputation [CEI+tI+HLA], (4) BOP+BU or (5) BOP+CEI and delayed HLA [BOP+CEI+dHLA] at 6, 24, and 168 h post-injury (hpi). Results Globally, the number and magnitude of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) correlated with injury severity, systemic inflammation markers, and end-organ damage, driven by several chemokines/cytokines (Csf3, Cxcr2, Il16, and Tgfb2), neurosteroids/prostaglandins (Cyp19a1, Ptger2, and Ptger3), and markers of neurodegeneration (Gfap, Grin2b, and Homer1). Regional neuroinflammatory activity was least impacted following BOP. Non-blast trauma (in the BU and CEI+tI+HLA groups) contributed to an earlier, robust and diverse neuroinflammatory response across brain regions (up to 2–50-fold greater than that in the BOP group), while combined trauma (in the BOP+CEI+dHLA group) significantly advanced neuroinflammation in all regions except for the cerebellum. In contrast, BOP+BU resulted in differential activity of several critical neuroinflammatory-neurodegenerative markers compared to BU. t-SNE plots of DEGs demonstrated that the onset, extent, and duration of the inflammatory response are brain region dependent. Regardless of injury type, the thalamus and hypothalamus, which are critical for maintaining homeostasis, had the most DEGs. Our results indicate that neuroinflammation in all groups progressively increased or remained at peak levels over the study duration, while markers of end-organ dysfunction decreased or otherwise resolved. Conclusions Collectively, these findings emphasize the brain's sensitivity to mediators of systemic inflammation and provide an example of immune-brain crosstalk. Follow-on molecular and behavioral investigations are warranted to understand the short- to long-term pathophysiological consequences on the brain, particularly the mechanism of blood–brain barrier breakdown, immune cell penetration–activation, and microglial activation.

The study of blast loads on structures is important due to the potential of significant consequences in various scenarios. From terrorist attacks to industrial accidents, comprehending how structures respond to blast waves is critical for ensuring public safety and designing resilient structures. Studying these effects typically involves two main methods: free-field tests with live explosives and shock tube tests. Although shock tube testing offers certain advantages, both approaches are costly and demand significant space. This research aims to develop a cost-effective and straightforward technique for generating stress waves that closely replicate the progressive and spatial characteristics of free-field or shock tube blast waves. This method was designed to evaluate the dynamic response of laminated glass panels. The stress wave was generated by impacting a piston on the fluid inside a tube, which was connected to a fluid chamber. This setup produced impulsive loads that were distributed across a laminated glass test panel. Moreover, it was used to simulate the shock near filed explosions for a certain part of a structure. High-speed cameras were utilized to analyze the initial velocity of flying glass fragments. The apparatus successfully produced various blast waves and impulsive profiles for different drop weight heights. The initial velocities of randomly selected flying shards ranged from 3 m/s to 4 m/s.

The article explores the extent to which medieval polemical authors resorted to patristic originals and how much they adopted patristic argumentation. The authors used computational text reuse analysis using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) to compare 189 classical and medieval texts, mainly from open repositories of digitized texts, to find similarities. The corpus includes classical works, particularly Augustine’s anti-heretical treatises, canon law, inquisition manuals, exempla collections and florilegia, sermons, and theological commentaries. The lack of medieval texts after ca. 1200 in machine-readable format is the greatest hindrance to building a representative medieval corpus. The authors propose that although medieval polemicists saw Augustine and other Church fathers as models of Christian champions fighting heresy, intensive engagement with patristic theology took place in medieval works with limited circulation and influence. (Abstract created with the help of Perplexity.ai.)

Abstract Background Precise evaluation of fungal conidia production may facilitate studies on resistance mechanisms and plant breeding for disease resistance. In this study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used to quantify the sporulation of Magnaporthe oryzae on the leaves of rice cultivars grown under controlled conditions. Three rice genotypes (CO 39, Nipponbare, IR64) differing in susceptibility to blast were inoculated with M. oryzae isolates Guy 11 and Li1497. Spectral information (450–850 nm, 140 wavebands) of typical leaf blast symptoms was recorded before and after induction of sporulation of the pathogen. Results M. oryzae produced more conidia on the highly susceptible genotype than on the moderately susceptible genotype, whereas the resistant genotype resulted in no sporulation. Changes in reflectance spectra recorded before and after induction of sporulation were significantly higher in genotype CO 39 than in Nipponbare. The spectral angle mapper algorithm for supervised classification allowed for the classification of blast symptom subareas and the quantification of lesion areas with M. oryzae sporulation. The correlation between the area under the difference spectrum (viz. spectral difference without and with sporulation) and the number of conidia per lesion and the number of conidia per lesion area was positive and count-based differences in rice - M. oryzae interaction could be reproduced in the spectral data. Conclusions HSI provided a precise and objective method of assessing M. oryzae conidia production on infected rice plants, revealing differences that could not be detected visually.

Background: Trauma can result in systemic inflammation that leads to organ dysfunction, but the impact on the brain, particularly following extracranial insults, has been largely overlooked. Methods: Building upon our prior findings, we aimed to understand the impact of systemic inflammation on neuroinflammatory gene transcripts in eight brain regions in rats exposed to (1) blast overpressure exposure [BOP], (2) cutaneous thermal injury [BU], (3) complex extremity injury, 3 hours (h) of tourniquet-induced ischemia, and hind limb amputation [CEI+tI+HLA], (4) BOP+BU or (5) BOP+CEI and delayed HLA [BOP+CEI+dHLA] at 6, 24, and 168 h post-injury (hpi). Results: Globally, the number and magnitude of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) correlated with injury severity, systemic inflammation markers, and end-organ damage, driven by several chemokines/cytokines (Csf3, Cxcr2, Il16, and Tgfb2), neurosteroids/prostaglandins (Cyp19a1, Ptger2, and Ptger3), and markers of neurodegeneration (Gfap, Grin2b, and Homer1). Regional neuroinflammatory activity was least impacted following BOP. Non-blast trauma (in the BU and CEI+tI+HLA groups) contributed to an earlier, robust and diverse neuroinflammatory response across brain regions (up to 2–50-fold greater than that in the BOP group), while combined trauma (in the BOP+CEI+dHLA group) significantly advanced neuroinflammation in all regions except for the cerebellum. In contrast, BOP+BU resulted in differential activity of several critical neuroinflammatory-neurodegenerative markers compared to BU. t-SNE plots of DEGs demonstrated that the onset, extent, and duration of the inflammatory response are brain region dependent. Regardless of injury type, the thalamus and hypothalamus, which are critical for maintaining homeostasis, had the most DEGs. Our results indicate that neuroinflammation in all groups progressively increased or remained at peak levels over the study duration, while markers of end-organ dysfunction decreased or otherwise resolved. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings emphasize the brain's sensitivity to mediators of systemic inflammation and provide an example of immune-brain crosstalk. Follow-on molecular and behavioral investigations are warranted to understand the short- to long-term pathophysiological consequences on the brain, particularly the mechanism of blood–brain barrier breakdown, immune cell penetration–activation, and microglial activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high energy absorption capability and excellent bending strength of the sandwich panels, they are mostly preferred as protective structures against explosive blast attacks. The evaluation of their blast-mitigation characteristics through experiments is highly dangerous, costly, time-consuming, and polluting for the environment. Therefore, in this presented work, a series of numerical analyses were performed to evaluate the blast mitigation of the outstanding sandwich panels with honeycomb, corrugated, auxetic, and foam cores. The masses of sandwich panels were kept constant, and their areal densities were maintained constant throughout the study to effectively compare their performance under identical air blast loading conditions. To apply the air blast loads to the designed sandwiches, 1–3kg of spherical-shaped trinitrotoluene charges were used for a 100mm stand-off distance. The sandwiches are made of high-strength AL-6XN steel and crushable aluminum foam. The rate-dependent Johnson–Cook constitutive model of plasticity and the crushable foam model with volumetric hardening were used for the evaluation of sandwich panels’ plastic deformations. The findings of the work depicted that the honeycomb core is more efficient than the other core structures of the same masses because the sandwich panels with honeycomb core provide smaller back skin deflections, globalized core crushing, and higher core energy absorption than the other sandwich panels for extreme conditions of air blast loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the characterization of the entomopathogenic nematode isolate LD_CU, and its associated symbiotic entomopathogenic bacterium. BLASTn analysis of the ITS rRNA sequence of the nematode revealed 100% similarity with Steinernema siamkayai, confirming conspecificity. The pairwise alignment showed no nucleotide differences with the type population of S. siamkayai. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS rRNA gene sequences supported these findings, placing isolate LD_CU in a monophyletic clade with S. siamkayai, which forms a sister clade with S. huense, S. cumgarense, S. tami, and S. minutum. Biochemical tests identified the associated bacterial symbiont as Xenorhabdus stockiae. The isolate tested negative for oxidase, catalase, nitrate reductase, O-Nitrophenyl-β-D galactopyranoside (ONPG), methyl red, tryptophan deaminase, indole production, ornithine, lysine, citrate, malonate, hydrogen sulfide, acetoin, and phenylalanine deaminase, but positive for urea and esculin hydrolysis, motility, and acid production from glucose fermentation. The bacteria exhibited neutral red adsorption on MacConkey agar and formed brownish pigmented colonies on nutrient agar. Molecular characterization using 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed 100% similarity with X. stockiae and 90% similarity with X. innexi, indicating significant divergence from other Xenorhabdus species. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relation to X. stockiae VP-2016b and distinct differences from X. innexi DSM 16336T. Pairwise alignment confirmed no nucleotide differences between the present bacterial strain and X. stockiae. This detailed and comprehensive profiling supports the accurate identification of Steinernema siamkayai and its bacterial symbiont, Xenorhabdus stockiae, and contributes valuable information to the taxonomy and phylogeny of these organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed imaging and digital signal processing are used to measure temperatures and pressures produced by explosions of solid chemical energetic materials. These measurements are used to enhance understanding of hazards faced by personnel working or training near explosions. The techniques described provide a complement to point measurements. Peak incident pressures studied are between 21 and 138 kPa, a region important for injury studies of personnel exposed to airborne shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a non-ordinary state-based (NOSB) peridynamics model for (i) stress concentration in a plate with a hole under static loading, (ii) blast-induced dynamic brittle fracture process and (iii) subsurface blast-induced damage in steel-reinforced concrete. In this model formulation, fractures take their own natural paths. Damage is captured through a scalar damage variable that transits from an intact state of the material to the fully damaged state in a sharp yet smooth manner. The proposed blast formulation considers the effect of conversion of a material state from solid (explosives reactants) to gaseous state (products) during shock wave detonation. The pressure in explosive gas is evaluated using an equation of state. The interaction between gas and rock is modelled using extrapolated stress based on the considerations of stress continuity and numerical stability at the solid–gas interface. The equations that govern the mechanical deformation and damage, are in the form of coupled integro-differential equations derived based on the Hamilton's principle. The proposed formulation captures the initial radial cracks and spall fracture in the rock medium under explosive induced both shock energy and gas energy, and the subsurface damaged zone in the steel-reinforced concrete medium. The simulation results of all the three peridynamics models are compared and validated with published results. Highlights: Proposed a novel Non-ordinary state-based (NOSB) peridynamics model for stress concentration, dynamic brittle fracture process, and subsurface blast-induced damage. Mechanical deformation and damage equations are coupled integro-differential equations derived using Hamilton's principle. The natural path of fracture and damage captured through a scalar damage variable that smoothly transits from intact state to fully damaged state. Blast formulation considers the effect of conversion of a material state from solid (explosives reactants) to gaseous state (products) during shock wave detonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (BR mTBI) is a critical research area in recent combat veterans due to increased prevalence of survived blasts. Post-BR mTBI outcomes are highly heterogeneous and defining neurological differences may help in discrimination and prediction of cognitive outcomes. This study investigates whether white matter integrity, measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), could influence how remote BR mTBI history is associated with executive control. The sample included 151 Veterans from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center who were administered a clinical/TBI assessment, neuropsychological battery, and DTI scan as part of a larger battery. From previous research, six white matter tracts were identified as having a putative relationship with blast severity: the cingulum, hippocampal cingulum, corticospinal tract, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate. Fractional anisotropy (FA) of the a priori selected white matter tracts and report of BR mTBI were used as predictors of Trail-Making Test B (TMT-B) performance in a multiple linear regression model. Statistical analysis revealed that FA of the hippocampal cingulum moderated the association between report of at least one BR mTBI and poorer TMT-B performance (p < 0.008), such that lower FA value was associated with worse TMT-B outcomes in individuals with BR mTBI. No significant moderation existed for other selected tracts, and the effect was not observed with predictors aside from history of BR mTBI. Investigation at the individual-tract level may lead to a deeper understanding of neurological differences between blast-related and non-blast related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A molecular approach for the identification of unknown species by the using mitochondrial cox1 gene is an effective and reliable as compared with morphological-based identification. Hirudinaria manillensis referred to as Asian Buffalo Leech, is found in South Asia and traditionally used as medicine owing to its medicinal properties. Methods and results: The study aimed to isolate and identify the leech species using cox1 gene sequencing and their phylogenetic relationships. The nucleotide sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) mitochondrial genes were analyzed for species identification and the phylogenetic relationship of crucial therapeutic leech Hirudinaria manillensis. The isolated DNA from the leech sample was amplified with cox1 gene-specific primers. BLAST results with the H. manillensis sequence showed 89.24% homology with H. manillensis and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed the genetic relationship with other GenBank submitted sequences. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the cox1 gene could be an effective way to identify the leech H. manillensis and provided sufficient phylogenetic information to distinguish H. manillensis indicating a significant mtDNA-based approach to species identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (blast-mTBI) can result in a spectrum of persistent symptoms leading to substantial functional impairment and reduced quality of life. Clinical evaluation and discernment from other conditions common to military service can be challenging and subject to patient recall bias and the limitations of available assessment measures. The need for objective biomarkers to facilitate accurate diagnosis, not just for symptom management and rehabilitation but for prognostication and disability compensation purposes is clear. Toward this end, we compared regional brain [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography ([18F]FDG-PET) intensity-scaled uptake measurements and motor, neuropsychological, and behavioral assessments in 79 combat Veterans with retrospectively recalled blast-mTBI with 41 control participants having no lifetime history of TBI. Using an agnostic and unbiased approach, we found significantly increased left pallidum [18F]FDG-uptake in Veterans with blast-mTBI versus control participants, p < 0.0001; q = 3.29 × 10−9 [Cohen's d, 1.38, 95% confidence interval (0.96, 1.79)]. The degree of left pallidum [18F]FDG-uptake correlated with the number of self-reported blast-mTBIs, r2 = 0.22; p < 0.0001. Greater [18F]FDG-uptake in the left pallidum provided excellent discrimination between Veterans with blast-mTBI and controls, with a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve of 0.859 (p < 0.0001) and likelihood ratio of 21.19 (threshold:SUVR ≥ 0.895). Deficits in executive function assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Adult Global Executive Composite T-score were identified in Veterans with blast-mTBI compared with controls, p < 0.0001. Regression-based mediation analyses determined that in Veterans with blast-mTBI, increased [18F]FDG-uptake in the left pallidum-mediated executive function impairments, adjusted causal mediation estimate p = 0.021; total effect estimate, p = 0.039. Measures of working and prospective memory (Auditory Consonant Trigrams test and Memory for Intentions Test, respectively) were negatively correlated with left pallidum [18F]FDG-uptake, p < 0.0001, with mTBI as a covariate. Increased left pallidum [18F]FDG-uptake in Veterans with blast-mTBI compared with controls did not covary with dominant handedness or with motor activity assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Localized increased [18F]FDG-uptake in the left pallidum may reflect a compensatory response to functional deficits following blast-mTBI. Limited imaging resolution does not allow us to distinguish subregions of the pallidum; however, the significant correlation of our data with behavioral but not motor outcomes suggests involvement of the ventral pallidum, which is known to regulate motivation, behavior, and emotions through basal ganglia–thalamo–cortical circuits. Increased [18F]FDG-uptake in the left pallidum in blast-mTBI versus control participants was consistently identified using two different PET scanners, supporting the generalizability of this finding. Although confirmation of our results by single-subject-to-cohort analyses will be required before clinical deployment, this study provides proof of concept that [18F]FDG-PET bears promise as a readily available noninvasive biomarker for blast-mTBI. Further, our findings support a causative relationship between executive dysfunction and increased [18F]FDG-uptake in the left pallidum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast is the most common injury mechanism in conflicts of this century due to the widespread use of explosives, confirmed by recent conflicts such as in Ukraine. Data from conflicts in the last century such as Northern Ireland, the Falklands, and Vietnam up to the present day show that between 16% and 21% of personnel suffered a traumatic brain injury. Typical features of fatal brain injury to those outside of a vehicle (hereafter referred to as dismounted) due to blast include the presence of hemorrhagic brain injury alongside skull fractures rather than isolated penetrating injuries more typical of traditional ballistic head injuries. The heterogeneity of dismounted blast has meant that analysis from databases is limited and therefore a detailed look at the radiological aspects of injury is needed to understand the mechanism and pathology of dismounted blast brain injury. The aim of this study was to identify the head and spinal injuries in fatalities due to dismounted blast. All UK military fatalities from dismounted blast who suffered a head injury from 2007–2013 in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts were identified retrospectively. Postmortem computerized tomography images (CTPMs) were interrogated for injuries to the head, neck, and spine. All injuries were documented and classified using a radiology brain injury classification (BIC) tool. Chi-squared (χ2) and Fisher's exact tests were used to investigate correlations between injuries, along with odds ratios for determining the direction of correlation. The correlations were clustered. There were 71 fatalities from dismounted blast with an associated head injury with a CTPM or initial CT available for analysis. The results showed the heterogeneity of injury from dismounted blast but also some potential identifiable injury constellations. These were: intracranial haemorrhage, intracranial deep haemorrhage, spinal injury, and facial injury. These identified injury patterns can now be investigated to consider injury mechanisms and so develop mitigation strategies or clinical treatments. Level of Evidence: Observational. Study type: cohort observational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which evaluated and screened different doses for the management of bacterial blight, false smut and blast diseases of paddy. Topics discussed include assessment of false smut disease on paddy crop, bio-efficacy of cuprous oxide 86.2 percent WG against bacterial blight disease of paddy, and grain yields.

Purpose: In response to the difficulties in classifying microseismic blasting signals, heavy manual classification workload, and low classification accuracy in the application of microseismic monitoring technology, this article innovatively proposes the waveform automatic classification technology of support vector machine, aiming to solve the existing application problems of microseismic monitoring systems. Method: This article conducted time-domain and frequency-domain analysis on the microseismic signals and artificial blasting signals collected by the BSN microseismic monitoring system. Nine waveform features, including signal-to-noise ratio, P-wave arrival time, first peak, maximum peak, main frequency, and P-wave main frequency, were obtained. After analysis and comparison, five typical features were selected. Finally, SVM method was used to train the above typical features, and an automatic classification model for microseismic and blasting signals was established. The actual on-site application analysis was conducted in a metal mine in Guangxi. Result: The microseismic accuracy is 80.28%, and the blasting accuracy is 86.36%. Conclusion:The recognition and classification methods of the classification model studied in this article have achieved a classification accuracy of over 80%, indicating that the results can alleviate the labor intension of processing personnel and promote the development of fully automatic mining microseismic monitoring systems. Significance: The classification method research ideas provided in this article can effectively solve the difficulties in on-site application of microseismic monitoring systems, and the analysis methods can not only be applied in microseismic processing, but also further used in microseismic analysis, which is of great significance for achieving real-time monitoring services for mining microseismic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, efforts were made to understand the defence responses in resistant and susceptible aromatic landraces against the rice leaf blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae. Four resistant genotypes (Benugopal, Manas, Karpurkali, and Kalazeera) and two susceptible genotypes (Kalikati 2 and Kalikati 1) underwent biochemical analysis in relation to blast disease. The results of the biochemical analysis revealed increased enzyme activity levels, namely peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, in the resistant genotypes (Benugopal (AC44184) and Karpurkali (AC44155)) in comparison to the susceptible ones [Kalikati 2 (AC44236) and Kalikati 1 (AC44156)]. The same trend has been seen in the assays for β-1,3-glucanase and total phenols. RT-qPCR evaluation has been performed to establish the expression levels of PO, PAL, PPO, SOD, and CAT in the four resistant genotypes and the two susceptible ones after inoculation with M. oryzae (RLB 06) at various time intervals. Noteworthy variations in defence gene expression were noted among the genotypes. The expression of defence genes was upregulated in the resistant genotypes [Benugopal (AC44184) and Karpurkali (AC44155)] compared to their susceptible ones. Gene expression studies result indicated that the relative defence genes expression levels related to the spectrophotometric data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an experimental and numerical study of the collapse behavior of a 60‐m‐high cement silo structure under blast loading, analyzed using SAP2000 (FEM‐NDA) and LS‐DYNA (FEM‐NDA‐explicit code) models to simulate the collapse mechanism. Considering the seismic events in Kahramanmaras, Turkiye, on February 6, 2023, with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.6, the necessity for the explosive demolition of hundreds of thousands of structures has underscored the urgency of rapid planning. This situation requires a particular focus on the expeditious analysis of demolition methodologies. The study includes pre‐planning stages, sudden column removals and the detonation of columns with blast loads for the controlled demolition of a full‐scale existing silo structure. To overturn the structure, the columns inside the wedge region were suddenly removed using SAP2000 nonlinear dynamic analysis (NDA) to understand the subsequent load redistribution. A study was conducted to compare the use of shell and plate elements in SAP2000 for a 1‐m‐thick wall silo. The results showed that using shell elements provided relatively closer results to real values than plate elements. For the explicit analysis part, the structural components were modeled as solid materials, and columns were detonated with blast loads. The models and actual demolition frame‐by‐frame results of the structure were compared, and the numerical model's accuracy was validated using experimental data from stationary cameras and drones, with the explicit analysis results found to be in agreement. While explicit analysis yielded results more in line with real data, SAP2000 NDA provided relatively distant results, although SAP2000‐NDA was more time‐efficient compared to explicit analysis models. However, a preliminary evaluation can be made if the characteristics of both programs are understood. The documented information on full‐scale structure demolition and findings presented in this paper will serve as a resource for future studies and provide a reference for researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice, a critical staple on a global scale, faces escalating challenges in yield preservation due to the rising prevalence of abiotic and biotic stressors, exacerbated by frequent climatic fluctuations in recent years. Moreover, the scorching climate prevalent in the rice-growing regions of South China poses obstacles to the cultivation of good-quality, heavy-grain varieties. Addressing this dilemma requires the development of resilient varieties capable of withstanding multiple stress factors. To achieve this objective, our study employed the broadspectrum blast-resistant line Digu, the brown planthopper (BPH)-resistant line ASD7, and the heavy-grain backbone restorer lines Fuhui838 (FH838) and Shuhui527 (SH527) as parental materials for hybridization and multiple crossings. The incorporation of molecular markers facilitated the rapid pyramiding of six target genes (Pi5, Pita, Pid2, Pid3, Bph2, and Wxb ). Through a comprehensive evaluation encompassing blast resistance, BPH resistance, cold tolerance, grain appearance, and quality, alongside agronomic trait selection, a promising restorer line, Guihui5501 (GH5501), was successfully developed. It demonstrated broad-spectrum resistance to blast, exhibiting a resistance frequency of 77.33% against 75 artificially inoculated isolates, moderate resistance to BPH (3.78 grade), strong cold tolerance during the seedling stage (1.80 grade), and characteristics of heavy grains (1,000-grain weight reaching 35.64 g) with good grain quality. The primary rice quality parameters for GH5501, with the exception of alkali spreading value, either met or exceeded the second-grade national standard for premium edible rice varieties, signifying a significant advancement in the production of good-quality heavy-grain varieties in the southern rice-growing regions. Utilizing GH5501, a hybrid combination named Nayou5501, characterized by high yield, good quality, and resistance to multiple stresses, was bred and received approval as a rice variety in Guangxi in 2021. Furthermore, genomic analysis with gene chips revealed that GH5501 possessed an additional 20 exceptional alleles, such as NRT1.1B for efficient nitrogen utilization, SKC1 for salt tolerance, and STV11 for resistance to rice stripe virus. Consequently, the restorer line GH5501 could serve as a valuable resource for the subsequent breeding of high-yielding, good-quality, and stress-tolerant hybrid rice varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Precise evaluation of fungal conidia production may facilitate studies on resistance mechanisms and plant breeding for disease resistance. In this study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used to quantify the sporulation of Magnaporthe oryzae on the leaves of rice cultivars grown under controlled conditions. Three rice genotypes (CO 39, Nipponbare, IR64) differing in susceptibility to blast were inoculated with M. oryzae isolates Guy 11 and Li1497. Spectral information (450–850 nm, 140 wavebands) of typical leaf blast symptoms was recorded before and after induction of sporulation of the pathogen. Results: M. oryzae produced more conidia on the highly susceptible genotype than on the moderately susceptible genotype, whereas the resistant genotype resulted in no sporulation. Changes in reflectance spectra recorded before and after induction of sporulation were significantly higher in genotype CO 39 than in Nipponbare. The spectral angle mapper algorithm for supervised classification allowed for the classification of blast symptom subareas and the quantification of lesion areas with M. oryzae sporulation. The correlation between the area under the difference spectrum (viz. spectral difference without and with sporulation) and the number of conidia per lesion and the number of conidia per lesion area was positive and count-based differences in rice - M. oryzae interaction could be reproduced in the spectral data. Conclusions: HSI provided a precise and objective method of assessing M. oryzae conidia production on infected rice plants, revealing differences that could not be detected visually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has emerged as a potential risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Blast mTBI, caused by exposure to a pressure wave from an explosion, is predominantly experienced by military personnel and has increased in prevalence and severity in recent decades. Yet the underlying pathology of blast mTBI is largely unknown. We examined the expression and localization of AQP4 in human post-mortem frontal cortex and observed distinct laminar differences in AQP4 expression following blast exposure. We also observed similar laminar changes in AQP4 expression and localization and delayed impairment of glymphatic function that emerged 28 days following blast injury in a mouse model of repetitive blast mTBI. In a cohort of veterans with blast mTBI, we observed that blast exposure was associated with an increased burden of frontal cortical MRI-visible perivascular spaces, a putative neuroimaging marker of glymphatic perivascular dysfunction. These findings suggest that changes in AQP4 and delayed glymphatic impairment following blast injury may render the post-traumatic brain vulnerable to post-concussive symptoms and chronic neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Bacterial Leaf Blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae) and blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) are the major biotic stresses around the rice-growing zones of the world. The development of resistant varieties through Marker Assisted Backcross Breeding is the utmost economical and eco-friendly method for achieving stable yield. Amongst the resistance genes recognized, Xa21 and Pi54 possess broad-spectrum resistance to many Xoo and blast strains around the world. In the present study, we have effectively introgressed a Bacterial Blight resistance gene (Xa21) and a blast resistance gene (Pi54) into susceptible variety ADT43 from RP-Bio-Patho-2 coupled with phenotypic selection for agronomic, cooking quality and grain traits through MABC. MABC was sustained till BC2F2 generation with specific markers pTA248 for Xa21 and Pi54MAS for Pi54 resistance genes. A set of SSR markers for parental polymorphism were utilized for maximum regaining of recurrent parent genome in each backcrossing. "Positive plants" from BC2F1 were selfed to generate BC2F2 and the homozygous lines for bacterial leaf blight and blast resistance genes were identified for further assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2023 was an important year for research in traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly as it concerned interests in neuropathology. After reviewing the literature, we present the advancements that we felt were of particular importance to the neuropathology community. Highlighted are articles that report upon: (1) the first large-cohort assessment for the neuropathology of intimate partner violence, (2) the assessment of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in young athletes, (3) the observation of cortical sulcal depth vascular changes in CTE, (4) a proposal for a tau immunohistochemical panel to evaluate complex cases of CTE in the context of multiple tauopathies, (5) the relationship of TBI and/or CTE with TDP-43 pathology, (6) repetitive TBI inducing pathology in C9orf72-transgenic mice, (7) radiologic patterns of head and neck injury following vehicular underbody blast exposure, (8) chronic alterations in brain metal content following repetitive impact TBI, (9) neurovascular unit injury following low-level blast exposure, and finally (10) an assessment of Muhammad Ali’s clinical history leading to the conclusion that he suffered from young-onset, idiopathic Parkinson Disease. We close our writing with in memoriam to Dr. Byron A. Kakulas, a renowned figure in the neuropathology of spinal cord injury who we lost in 2023.

Abstract Large-scale flank collapses are one of the main hazards associated with the evolution of volcanic islands. Precisely dating such events is critical to evaluate the frequency of destabilization episodes and further assess the triggering mechanism(s) associated with internal and/or external factors, such as volcano dynamics, regional tectonics, and global paleoclimatic changes. Here, we constrain the age of a pumice-rich pyroclastic deposit exposed on the eastern flank of Flores Island (Azores), which we interpret as a co-blast deposit generated by a major flank collapse that destroyed the whole western flank of the former volcanic edifice. Twelve single-grain 40Ar/39Ar analyses, performed on 250–500 µm anorthoclase feldspars (mean K/Ca close to 5) with our high-sensitivity multi-collector NGX mass spectrometer, provide a robust weighted mean age of 1.32 ± 0.01 Ma for this eruption. This new age is consistent with previous K/Ar data bracketing the flank collapse between 1.30 ± 0.04 and 1.18 ± 0.09 Ma, and indicates that this event occurred at the end of the main construction phase of the volcano. The explosion produced pumice-rich layers preceded by a lahar as attested by a polygenetic mudflow deposit underlying the dated deposit. From the geochemistry of lavas erupted just before and after the collapse, we speculate upon the possible role of magmatic processes on flank destabilization. We propose a first hypothesis where differentiation in a shallow magma reservoir could have favored edifice inflation, ground shaking, and flank failure, triggering a decompression-induced violent eruption. Overall, our study shows that high-sensitivity mass spectrometers have now reached analytical performances allowing to measure precisely and accurately ages on relatively small and moderately K-rich single feldspars, which is of the utmost importance for dating heterogeneous blasts and tephra deposits that may have been induced by large-scale flank collapses during the late Quaternary.