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SummaryPolyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1) helps bacteria to survive under stress. The ppk1 gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. Residues R230 and F176, predicted to be present in the head domain of PPK1, were identified as residues critical for polyphosphate (polyP)-synthesizing ability and dimerization of PPK1. A ppk1 knockout mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis was compromised in its ability to survive under long-term hypoxia. The transcription of the rel gene and the synthesis of the stringent response regulator ppGpp were impaired in the mutant and restored after complementation with ppk1 of M. tuberculosis, providing evidence that PPK1 is required for the stringent response. We present evidence that PPK1 is likely required for mprAB-sigE-rel signalling. s E regulates the transcription of rel, and we hypothesize that under conditions of stress polyP acts as a preferred donor for MprB-mediated phosphorylation of MprA facilitating transcription of the sigE gene thereby leading finally to the enhancement of the transcription of rel in M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis. Downregulation of ppk1 led to impaired survival of M. tuberculosis in macrophages. PolyP plays a central role in the stress response of mycobacteria.

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Civil and military ballistic protection systems often consist of thin, high-strength steel plates. Such plates may either be monolithic or layered with or without spacing. The idea of using layered plates instead of a monolithic one in order to increase the ballistic perforation resistance is not new, and the effect of using targets made up of several thinner plates has been investigated in the literature for a long time. However, results by various authors are contradicting and detailed experimental and numerical work is still required.In the present study, the ballistic perforation resistance of double-layered steel plates impacted by blunt and ogival projectiles was investigated both experimentally and numerically. In the tests, 12 mm thick (monolithic or layered) targets of Weldox 700 E were impacted using a gas-gun at sub-ordnance velocity, and the ballistic limit velocity of the different target combinations was obtained. In general, good agreement was obtained between the numerical simulations and the experimental results. It was found that in the case of blunt projectiles a large gain in the ballistic limit is offered by double-layered systems. These advantages seem to disappear when ogival projectiles are used. However, the main conclusion from both the experimental and numerical studies is that the overall protection level, i.e. the minimum ballistic limit velocity obtained independently of projectile nose shape, seems to increase significantly by double-layering the target.

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