NASA Workshop on future directions in surface modeling and grid generation

Given here is a summary of the paper sessions and panel discussions of the NASA Workshop on Future Directions in Surface Modeling and Grid Generation held a NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, December 5-7, 1989. The purpose was to assess U.S. capabilities in surface modeling and grid generation and take steps to improve the focus and pace of these disciplines within NASA. The organization of the workshop centered around overviews from NASA centers and expert presentations from U.S. corporations and universities. Small discussion groups were held and summarized by group leaders. Brief overviews and a panel discussion by representatives from the DoD were held, and a NASA-only session concluded the meeting. In the NASA Program Planning Session summary there are five recommended steps for NASA to take to improve the development and application of surface modeling and grid generation

Laser-based three-dimensional manufacturing technologies for rechargeable batteries.

Laser three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing technologies have gained substantial attention to fabricate 3D structured electrochemical rechargeable batteries. Laser 3D manufacturing techniques offer excellent 3D microstructure controllability, good design flexibility, process simplicity, and high energy and cost efficiencies, which are beneficial for rechargeable battery cell manufacturing. In this review, notable progress in development of the rechargeable battery cells via laser 3D manufacturing techniques is introduced and discussed. The basic concepts and remarkable achievements of four representative laser 3D manufacturing techniques such as selective laser sintering (or melting) techniques, direct laser writing for graphene-based electrodes, laser-induced forward transfer technique and laser ablation subtractive manufacturing are highlighted. Finally, major challenges and prospects of the laser 3D manufacturing technologies for battery cell manufacturing will be provided

A universal quantum estimator

Almost all computational tasks in the modem computer can be designed from basic building blocks. These building blocks provide a powerful and efficient language for describing algorithms. In quantum computers, the basic building blocks are the quantum gates. In this tutorial, we will look at quantum gates that act on one and two qubits and briefly discuss how these gates can be used in quantum networks

Multiple Sclerosis Patient Sequence Variation In Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1

No abstract availabl

Identifying Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-1 sequence variation using 454 FLX technology in Multiple Sclerosis patient samples

No abstract availabl

Integrating design planning, schedule and control with Deplan

The planning and management of building design has historically been focused upon traditional methods of planning such as Critical Path Method (CPM). Little effort is made to understand the complexities of the design process; instead design managers focus on allocating work packages where the planned output is a set of deliverables. All too often there is no attempt to understand and control the flow of information that gives rise to these deliverables. This paper proposes the combined use of the Analytical Design Planning Technique (ADePT) and Last Planner methodology as a tool called DesPlan to improve the planning, scheduling and control of design. ADePT is applied during the early planning stages to provide the design team with an improved design programme that takes into account the complex relationships that exist between designers, and the information flows that flows between them. Then the Last Planner methodology is employed, through a program called ProPlan, to schedule and control the design environment

Identifying Patient-Specific Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 Genetic Variation and Potential Autoreactive Targets Relevant to Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection represents a major environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), with evidence of selective expansion of Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA1)-specific CD4+ T cells that cross-recognize MS-associated myelin antigens in MS patients. HLA-DRB1*15-restricted antigen presentation also appears to determine susceptibility given its role as a dominant risk allele. In this study, we have utilised standard and next-generation sequencing techniques to investigate EBNA-1 sequence variation and its relationship to HLA-DR15 binding affinity, as well as examining potential cross-reactive immune targets within the central nervous system proteome. Methods: Sanger sequencing was performed on DNA isolated from peripheral blood samples from 73 Western Australian MS cases, without requirement for primary culture, with additional FLX 454 Roche sequencing in 23 samples to identify low-frequency variants. Patient-derived viral sequences were used to predict HLA-DRB1*1501 epitopes (NetMHCII, NetMHCIIpan) and candidates were evaluated for cross recognition with human brain proteins. Results: EBNA-1 sequence variation was limited, with no evidence of multiple viral strains and only low levels of variation identified by FLX technology (8.3% nucleotide positions at a 1% cutoff). In silico epitope mapping revealed two known HLA-DRB1*1501-restricted epitopes (‘AEG’: aa 481–496 and ‘MVF’: aa 562–577), and two putative epitopes between positions 502–543. We identified potential cross-reactive targets involving a number of major myelin antigens including experimentally confirmed HLA-DRB1*15-restricted epitopes as well as novel candidate antigens within myelin and paranodal assembly proteins that may be relevant to MS pathogenesis. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining autologous EBNA-1 sequences directly from buffy coat samples, and confirms divergence of these sequences from standard laboratory strains. This approach has identified a number of immunogenic regions of EBNA-1 as well as known and novel targets for autoreactive HLA-DRB1*15-restricted T cells within the central nervous system that could arise as a result of cross-reactivity with EBNA-1-specific immune responses

DePlan: a tool for integrated design management

The iterative and information-intensive nature of the design process during detail design phases makes it hard to plan and schedule design work using computer tools for conventional project management. The success of design projects depends on the quality of the available information. Having the right information at the right time is crucial. This paper proposes DePlan as a method for integrated design management, i.e. for planning, scheduling, and controlling design activities during the detail design phase. DePlan integrates two techniques, namely ADePT (Analytical Design Planning Technique) andExtended WorkPlan Last Planner, each involving a software tool.. ADePT implements the dependency structure matrix (DSM) analysis method and helps identify the iterative processes and the planning strategy for managing them. Last Planner is a production management philosophy that focuses on scheduling and controlling design activities. Combined as DePlan, these techniques help planners generate quality plans, i.e., plans that express what is ready for execution by sequencing activities in the right order, identifying informational and resource requirements ahead of design execution, and by scheduling only activities that have met these requirements. This collaborative research has successfully developed the DePlan approach and associated computer software and tested them on a typical office building

Anti-tumor activity mediated by protein and peptide transduction of HIV viral protein R (Vpr)

Peptides that are capable of traversing the cell membrane, via protein transduction domains (PTDs), are attractive either directly as drugs or indirectly as carriers for the delivery of therapeutic molecules. One such PTD, a HIV-1 Tat derived peptide has successfully delivered a variety of "cargoes" including proteins, peptides and nucleic acids into cells. There also exists other naturally occurring membrane permeable peptides which have potential as PTDs. Specifically, one of the accessory proteins of HIV (viral protein R; i.e., Vpr), which is important in controlling viral pathogenesis, possesses cell transduction domain characteristics. Related to these characteristics, Vpr has also been demonstrated to induce cell cycle arrest and host/target cell apoptosis, suggesting a potential anticancer activity for this protein. In this report we assessed the ability of Vpr protein or peptides, with or without conjugation to a PTD, to mediate anti-cancer activity against several tumor cell lines. Specifically, several Vpr peptides spanning carboxy amino acids 65-83 induced significant (i.e., greater than 50%) in vitro growth inhibition/toxicity of murine B16.F10 melanoma cells. Likewise, in in vitro experiments with other tumor cell lines, conjugation of Vpr to the Tat derived PTD and transfection of this construct into cells enhanced the induction of in vitro apoptosis by this protein when compared to the effects of transfection of cells with unconjugated Vpr. These results underscore the potential for Vpr based reagents as well as PTDs to enhance anti-tumor activity, and warrants further examination of Vpr protein and derived peptides as potential therapeutic agents against progressive cell proliferative diseases such as cancer. ©2009 Landes Bioscience