Combat Scenes Research Articles

Air Target Recognition Algorithm based on Mixed Depth Features in the Interference Environment

Infrared aircraft target recognition technologies under complex interference conditions have been a research hotspot. The development of infrared countermeasure technologies has made the air combat environment increasingly polymorphic, thus hindering the accurate recognition of infrared targets. In particular, a complex artificial interference can severely obscure target, resulting in the loss of continuity and saliency of target features, and the inability to fully describe the characteristics of a target object, thus making aerial target recognition inaccurate. To overcome this problem, we propose an anti-interference recognition algorithm for air targets based on mixed depth features. First, to improve the ability of the algorithm accurately in selecting candidate regions in a full trajectory, an improved fuzzy C-means (FCM) adaptive segmentation algorithm is developed to extract the target candidate region. Second, a deep convolutional feature (convolutional neural network) and the histogram of gradient feature are used to construct hybrid depth features for a more comprehensive representation of the target. Finally, to consider the diverse confrontation scenarios between the target and the interference in a combat scene, a three-class support vector machine model is proposed to deal with the target, interference, and interference adhesion states. The experimental results show that in a complex interference environment, the air target anti-interference recognition algorithm based on the mixed depth features exhibits an accuracy rate of 92.29%, which represents an accurate target anti-interference recognition.

AMPHORA FROM CHORTOMLYK BARROW AND PECTORAL FROM TOVSTA MOHYLA: THE GENERAL AND THE PECULIAR (HISTORIOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW AND NEW OBSERVATIONS)

The comparison of the masterpieces of the Greek-Scythian toreutics — the silver amphora from Chortomlyk and the gold Pectoral from Tovsta Mohyla became the set tradition from the moment of the pectoral discovery. Both objects have a range of distinct common traits, such as composition tripartite structure with plot identical in contents — scenes of nomadic daily routine, represented by miniature high relief figures of the characters, scenes of animal combat, and also the zones of floral ornament, enlivened by birds’ figures and many other nuances.
 The researchers compared the amphora and the pectoral in different contexts. A. P. Mantsevich saw in them, first of all, handiwork of Thracian craftsmen. Many researchers interpreted the compositions of amphora and pectoral as reflection of cosmogonic idea about tripartite Universe structure where the scenes of animal combat were associated with the day of vernal equinox and the idea of the cyclicality of seasons, the floral composition — with the World Tree symbolic, and the horse riding — with ritualistic sacrifice during a coronation or burial of king (E. E. Kuzmina, B. M. Mozolevskyi, D. S. Raevskii).
 Ann Farkas interpreted the plots on amphora and pectoral as cosmogonic act of creation, S. S. Bessonova saw in them the elements of cattle-breeding rituals, connected with calendar holidays. D. A. Machinski associated both handiworks with the cult of the Great Goddess, and F. R. Balonov considered the amphora and the pectoral compositions the model of mythopoetic space — the time.
 The researchers also didn’t reach common ground on the handiwork authorship — part of them consider the amphora and pectoral originated from the one workshop (W. Rudolph, D. Williams, F. R. Balonov), and some believed that both objects origin from different workshops (E. A. Savostina).
 Several more observations can be added to this similarity — in the context of using some or other beverages in the represented rituals, the compositional nuances of the ornithomorhic bestiary, numeric symbolism, etc. So, the comparison of two masterpieces in different contexts remains a promising direction of their study.

Molecular docking studies of gyrase inhibitors: weighing earlier screening bedrock.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-020-00064-9.

Research on combat simulation system based on Multi-Agent

Combat simulation is an important part of simulation war. There is a big error between the analysis, processing and calculation of the battlefield situation of the combat simulation system developed by various scientific theoretical methods of the traditional linear machinery and the actual situation. Firstly, the method of combat modeling and simulation based on Multi-Agent and the process of combat model modeling based on multi-agent are studied, and the combat scenario is formulated. Secondly, the types of agents are extended, and the roles and relations of each agent are emphasized. Finally, based on the anylogic development platform, a new complex multi-agent combat simulation model is proposed, which expands the types of agents in the combat simulation model. The simulation results show that the agents in the new complex multi-agent combat simulation model are more comprehensive and more close to the real combat scene of modern war.

The Selected Works of Yussef El Guindi

The Selected Works of Yussef El Guindi

CILALANMIŞ KAHRAMANLAR: AMERİKAN KURGUSUNDA SAVAŞ YÜZLERİ

Phil Klay is one of many American war veterans to mould their experiences in war into works of literature. In his first story collection, Redeployment (first published in 2014), Klay employs first person narrators with diverse backgrounds and occupations to provide multi-faceted perspectives and insights into war. This study examines service members in these stories within the context of the 2001 War in Afghanistan and 2003 War in Iraq and their behaviour in terms of heroism/post-heroism. Post-heroism declares the decline of heroic mindset in present wars since soldiers are less concerned with the grandeur of achievements and more obsessed with their own survival. This paper investigates two aspects of the collection’s representation of war, specifically, soldiers’ emotive and psychological interaction with lethal experiences in and after war in addition to impetuses behind soldiers’ involvement in the military. Even though Klay’s stories are abundant with combat scenes, characters are preoccupied with the appalling reality of war rather than grandeur of valour. War is framed within conflicting sensitivities and motivations through twelve narrators which reflect a rather gloomy perspective.

Fake It till You Make It? Representation of Special Operations Forces Capabilities in Jihadist Propaganda Videos

Jihadist propaganda videos depicting training camps and combat scenes have steadily increased in variety and quality over the years. A small number of these videos attempt to mimic Special Operation Forces (SOF)’s tactics and skills. This subset of jihadist propaganda might go beyond a mere attempt to show prowess and reveal actual operational capabilities. This article analyzes three exemplary jihadist propaganda videos depicting claimed SOF capabilities through expert reviews with active service SOF personnel to assess the actual tactical quality of the content shown. It also discusses the potential reasons for those groups to mimic SOF and implications for counterterrorism.

توثیق الغزال من خلال لوحتین جداریّتین محفوظتین فی المتحف البریطانیّ(عصر سرجون الثانی وآشوربانیبال) The realism in portraying deer through two murals preserved in the British Museum (the era of Sargon II and Ashurbanipal)

إن التنقيبات الأثرية التي جرت في العراق في القرن التاسع عشر الميلادي التي شملت قصور الملوک الآشوريين، کشفت عن عدد کبير من النقوش البارزة المحفورة على لوحات حجرية من المرمر، کانت تزين جدران قاعة العرش، والقاعات المهمة في القصر، حيث کان من أبرزها مشاهد حربية ومشاهد صيد، صورت فيها العديد من الحيوانات، من بينها الغزلان التي هي موضوع دراستنا. إن هذه اللوحات الجدارية، لم تعد اليوم موجودة في أماکنها الأصلية، إنما وزعت على متاحف عديدة من العالم أبرزها: المتحف العراقي في بغداد، المتحف البريطاني في لندن ومتحف اللوفر في باريس. سيشمل بحثنا دراسة لوحتين جداريتين تعودان إلى العصر الآشوري الحديث. أولى هذه اللوحات تعود إلى عصر سرجون الثاني (705 - 721ق.م.)، حيث عثر عليها في قصر خورسباد، وهي محفوظة حاليا في المتحف البريطاني، وقد نقش عليها مشهد صيد يظهر فيه الغزال محمولا على أکتاف الصياد. أما اللوحة الثانية فتعود إلى عصر آشوربانيبال (627 - 668) ق.م.، وقد عثر عليها في القصر الشمالي في نينوى، محفوظة في المتحف البريطاني، تشمل هذه اللوحة على مشاهد عدة من بينها مشهد يصور مجموعة من الغزلان في وضعية المشي خلال مشهد صيد، ومشهد ثان يصور غزلان مصابة بالسهام. سنتناول في هذه الدراسة تحديد نوع الغزلان المصورة وتوثيق تصويرها في هاتين اللوحتين الآشوريتين، ومدى مطابقتهما مع التصاوير الواقعية لهذه الحيوانات في وضعيات مماثلة، وصولا إلى تقويم مدى نجاح الفنان في توثيق الغزلان ، وما الذي ميز الفنان في عصر سرجون الثاني عن الفنان في عصر آشوربانيبال؟ The excavations of Assyrian palaces that took place in Iraq, in the 19th century, revealed many motifs engraved gypsum alabaster slabs that were decorating the throne room and the major halls of the palaces. Most of these motifs illustrate combat scenes or hunting scenes that portray many animals, including deer, which are the focus of our study. These motifs no longer exist in their original places. They are located now in several museums around the world, such as the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad, the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris. Our research includes a study of two murals dating back to the modern Assyrian era. The first one dates back to the period of Sargon II (721 - 705 BC), where it was found in the Khorsabad Palace and is currently preserved in the British Museum. A hunting scene in which deer appears on the shoulders of the hunter has been engraved it. The second mural dates back to the Ashurbanipal period (668 - 627 BC). It was found in the Northern Palace in Nineveh and also preserved in the British Museum. This painting includes several scenes; one of the scenes portrays a walking group of deer during hunting, and another scene represents deer affected with arrows. In this study, we will address several issues. First, we will determine the type of deer portrayed. Then, we will compare the documentation of deer in the two Assyrian murals. Besides, we will discuss the extent of their conformity with their original appearance in similar real situations. Also, we will check whether the artist succeeded in documenting the deer or not. Finally, we will determine what distinguishes the artist in the period of Sargon II from the artist of the Ashurbanipal period?

The lion, the weapon and the warlord: historical evaluation of the early Late Bronze Age Aegean iconography

This paper historically examines the depictions of warriors, lion hunters and figures of power and authority dated to the early phases of the Late Bronze Age Aegean. We argue that the depictions of warriors and lion hunters reflect warrior hierarchies of the early Late Bronze Age Aegean. Moreover, we define different types of figures of power and authority and argue that two different and parallel elite iconographies depicting such figures were developed during the Neopalatial period on Crete. We suggest that the antagonism between the two elite groups identifying with two parallel elite iconographies is directly visible in some of the combat scenes. We believe that the two iconographies were also used in the self-representation of different Neopalatial elite groups to negotiate their positions in society. However, we suggest that a new iconographic repertoire emerged from the new social reality with the beginning of the Final Palatial period. Later in the paper we turn to the Greek Mainland to compare warrior hierarchies depicted in representations of combat and lion hunt to the warrior hierarchies attested in the burial record. In our view, originally Cretan themes were actively consumed in the context of the Greek Mainland and used to create new elite identities.

Depiction of personal protective equipment in popular war films

Background. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn by military personnel to protect from combat trauma. War films may not represent PPE accurately, even when considered realistic. There is a risk that the subtle influence of films may subvert the understanding of PPE amongst military personnel and civilians. Methods. An observational study compared the depiction of PPE within popular war films to real-life. Films were included if they depicted land-based warfare. Depiction of helmets, body armour, eye protection, gloves, combat boots and hearing protection was compared to benchmarks. Trends in PPE over time were analysed using linear regression. Results. There were 73 combat scenes viewed from 16 films. Combat boots were the most depicted (72 scenes; 99%); hearing protection was the least (two scenes; 3%). There were statistically significant differences in PPE adherence between real life and films for all items of PPE (p < 0.05), except for combat boots (p = 0.621). There were improvements over time for all PPE except for hearing protection. Conclusions. PPE adherence in modern war films is poor, but has improved over time. There is a hypothetical risk that this has a negative impact on perceptions by both civilians and military personnel.

Neurophysiology of threat processing bias in combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that may develop after experiencing a traumatic event. Combat exposure increases an individual's chance of developing PTSD, making veterans especially susceptible to the disorder. PTSD is characterized by dysregulated emotional networks, memory deficits, and a hyperattentive response to perceived threatening stimuli. Recently, there have been a number of imaging studies that show structural and functional abnormalities associated with PTSD; however, there have been few studies utilizing electroencephalography (EEG). The goal of this study was to characterize **EEG brain dynamics in individuals with PTSD, in order to better understand the neurophysiological underpinnings of some of the salient features of PTSD, such as threat‐processing bias. Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom completed an implicit visual threat semantic memory recognition task with stimuli that varied on both category (animals, items, nature, and people) and feature (threatening and nonthreatening) membership, including trauma‐related stimuli. Combat veterans with PTSD had slower reaction times for the threatening stimuli relative to the combat veterans without PTSD (VETC). There were trauma‐specific effects in frontal regions, with theta band EEG power reductions for the threatening combat scenes in the PTSD patients compared to the VETC group. Additionally, a moderate negative correlation was observed between trauma‐specific frontal theta power and hyperarousal symptoms as measured by clinically administered PTSD scale. These findings complement and extend current models of cortico‐limbic dysfunction in PTSD. The moderate negative correlation between frontal theta power and hyperarousal endorsements suggests the utility of these measures as therapeutic markers of symptomatology in PTSD patients.

The Return of the Republic

During the Liberation of Toulouse, crowd photography dominated the local press rather than the scenes of combat and barricades that marked coverage in Paris and elsewhere. This article shows how crowd photography contributed to a common construction of republicanism across the Toulouse press and exhibitions. It argues that the circulation of these images not only communicated the message that the “people” were once again sovereign, but also implied that these populations had been instrumental in their liberation, thereby contributing to the mythology of “la France résistante.” Editors mobilized crowd photography to convey to viewers the importance of adopting their republican roles at a time of community reconstruction. Reading the photography of the Liberation of Toulouse reveals that while photographic messaging in Liberation France varied in line with local circumstances, it nonetheless played a potent role in contributing to democratic resurgence.

Optimal Maneuver Trajectory for Hypersonic Missiles in Dive Phase Using Inverted Flight

To determine the optimal trajectory for the dive phase of a hypersonic missile, a maneuver strategy using inverted flight is presented. The combat scene that the hypersonic missile attacks the fixed target on the ground is considered in this paper. Particularly, a maneuvering form named inverted flight is first applied to the hypersonic missiles. Afterward, an optimal trajectory is designed by minimizing the attack time with a preset terminal flight path angle, where the constraints of the angle of attack, dynamic pressure, heating transfer rate, and normal overload are taken into account. In order to solve the designed trajectory optimization problem, an improved hp-adaptive pseudospectral method with mesh size reduction is presented. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the mesh scale with satisfactory accuracy and the trajectory obtained by the proposed algorithm is in accordance with the actual flight law. Furthermore, contrast simulation demonstrates that the inverted flight has better trajectory performance than normal flight.

The dualistic nature of a Red Lustrous Wheelmade bowl from Boğazköy with a depiction of a victorious armed warrior

AbstractA bowl with an incised heroic combat scene was found at the Hittite capital of Boğazköy and dates to the end of the 15th/beginning of the 14th century BC. This article reconsiders this previously published bowl, its production history and the message it conveys. The warrior is usually identified as Mycenaean, and in previous studies the bowl has been considered only for its incised decoration without evaluation of the bowl itself, its context and associated finds. This article argues that the bowl had a physical journey from Rough Cilicia to Hattusa and a non-physical journey from being a simple everyday object to a unique artwork through the secondary carving of an image, which reflects dualistic aspects.

Enemies are nearby: The Violent Encounter among Arab Americans in Yussef El Guindi's Play Our Enemies

Abstract Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat is a play written by the Egyptian American playwright Yussef El Guindi. It handles many important themes such as identity formation of Arab Americans, the misrepresentation of Arab Americans in the American media and internal conflicts among them. The play illustrates how some Arab Americans are real enemies who involve each other in pranks, serious problems and who can even threaten each other's lives. They can intimidate each other and, according to the play, often-misrepresent themselves in the American media. The corrupt images and the harsh opinions spread by some Sheikhs, who speak on behalf of Muslims in the American media, are also portrayed in the play as leading to hatred among Arab Americans, especially Muslims. The negative image of Arab Americans in the American media is drawn in the play as perpetuated by the Muslims themselves. As a result, the American media conceptualizes Arab Americans especially Muslims as enemies to the United States of America. Homi Bhabha's two major concepts mimicry and ambivalence are applied in the analysis of the play. Keywords: Yussef El Guindi, mimicry, ambivalence, Homi Bhabha, Arab Americans, media, enemies, stereotyping ملخص تعالج أعداؤئنا: مشاهد حية من الحب و الخلاف - مسرحية للکاتب المصرى الأمريکي يوسف الجندي- العديد من الموضوعات الهامة مثل تشکيل هوية العرب الأمريکيين و تحريف صور العرب الأمريکيين فى وسائل الإعلام الأمريکية و الصراعات الداخلية بينهم. وتوضح المسرحية أن بعض العرب الأمريکيين أعداء حقيقييون لبعضهم البعض ونتيجة لهذا يورطون أنفسهم فى مشاکل خطيرة. فبعضهم يخيف الآخر ويحرف صوره فى وسائل الإعلام الأمريکية. وقد أدت الصور الفاسدة و الآراء القاسية التي ينشرها بعض الشيوخ إلى الکراهية ما بين العرب الأمريکيين خصوصا المسلمين, حيث يعتقد هؤلاء الشيوخ أن لديهم الحق فى تمثيل المسلمين في الإعلام والتحدث بالنيابة عنهم. وبناء على ذلک إنتشرت صورة سلبية للعرب الامريکيين في الإعلام الأمريکي, و وضع الإعلام الأمريکي تصورا خاطئا للعرب الأمريکيين خصوصا المسلمين کأعداء للولايات المتحدة الأمريکية. و تقوم الباحثة بتطبيق مفهومى هومى بابا الأساسيين المحاکاة و الإزدواجية فى تحليل المسرحية.

Szeregowiec Ryan, czyli wojna i (a) pamięć

Saving Private Ryan. War and (vs) memory The analysis is concerned with the relations between representation of war in American cinema and its cultural memory based on Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (USA 1998). Based on concepts such as cultural memory, postmemory, representation and realism, multiple aspects of a film work were analyzed: the plot, image, sound, and John Williams' musical score. Hollywood war films through referencing genre traditions, patriotic musical style and iconic imagery are capable of influencing the ways society remembers and imagines war. In case of Saving Private Ryan filming techniques used for the combat scenes play a particular role. Influenced by the original World War II combat documentaries the filmmakers achieved the viewer's full immersion in depicted combat, as opposed to the older war cinema, where technological means allowed the camera to only observe the events.Key words: combat film; Saving Private Ryan; Steven Spielberg; collective memory; representation;

Skin Conductance Reactivity to Standardized Virtual Reality Combat Scenes in Veterans with PTSD.

Interest in virtual reality (VR) as a clinical tool to augment posttraumatic stress (PTSD) treatment has grown substantially in recent years due to advances in VR technology. Moreover, its potential assisted use in the PTSD diagnostic process has been recognized. In this study we examined physiological responding, skin conductance, to a standardized presentation of non-personalized combat-related VR events (e.g. encountering enemy fire; explosions) as compared to non-combat classroom VR events in 19 Veterans with and 24 Veterans without combat-related PTSD who had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans watched a total of 12 VR scenarios-six combat-related and six non-combat-related-with each scenario gradually increasing in emotional intensity by adding more VR events in addition to repeating prior VR events. Results show that Veterans with PTSD displayed larger skin conductance reactivity across VR combat events, but not for non-combat VR events, as compared to combat Veterans without PTSD. Nevertheless, Veterans with and without PTSD showed a similar reduction of emotional arousal to repeated presentation of the same VR combat events. Within the PTSD sample, the elevated level of VR combat-related arousal correlated marginally with severity of hyperarousal symptoms. This study confirms that the use of a non-personalized and standardized VR presentation successfully distinguishes Veterans with PTSD from those without on a measure of psychophysiological arousal to combat-related VR stimuli. The assessment of physiological reactivity during the repeated presentation of standardized, trauma-related VR events highlights its use for PTSD assessment as well as treatment.

The Animal Combat Scenes in the Komnenian Art

The Animal Combat Scenes in the Komnenian Art

Refashioning combat in Chrétien's Cligés for the Burgundian court

In 1455 an anonymous prose writer adapted Chrétien de Troyes’ Cligés (1176). Seeking no doubt to appeal to his Burgundian contemporaries steeped in war culture, he made the combat scenes much more vivid and detailed while condensing the love intrigue. This article compares the verse and prose accounts of Cligés’s performance at two moments in his evolution, as a novice in the war waged by the duke of Saxony and as a more experienced knight in a tournament organized by King Arthur.

Oxytocin selectively modulates brain response to stimuli probing social synchrony

The capacity to act collectively within groups has led to the survival and thriving of Homo sapiens. A central group collaboration mechanism is “social synchrony,” the coordination of behavior during joint action among affiliative members, which intensifies under threat. Here, we tested brain response to vignettes depicting social synchrony among combat veterans trained for coordinated action and following life-threatening group experience, versus controls, as modulated by oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide supporting social synchrony. Using a randomized, double-blind, within-subject design, 40 combat-trained and control male veterans underwent magnetoencephalography (MEG) twice following OT/placebo administration while viewing two social vignettes rated as highly synchronous: pleasant male social gathering and coordinated unit during combat. Both vignettes activated a wide response across the social brain in the alpha band; the combat scene triggered stronger activations. Importantly, OT effects were modulated by prior experience. Among combat veterans, OT attenuated the increased response to combat stimuli in the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) – a hub of social perception, action observation, and mentalizing – and enhanced activation in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) to the pleasant social scene. Among controls, OT enhanced inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) response to combat cues, demonstrating selective OT effects on mirror-neuron and mentalizing networks. OT-enhanced mirror network activity was dampened in veterans reporting higher posttraumatic symptoms. Results demonstrate that the social brain responds online, via modulation of alpha rhythms, to stimuli probing social synchrony, particularly those involving threat to survival, and OT's enhancing versus anxiolytic effects are sensitive to salient experiences within social groups.