Flight prototype regenerative particulate filter system development

The effort to design, fabricate, and test a flight prototype Filter Regeneration Unit used to regenerate (clean) fluid particulate filter elements is reported. The design of the filter regeneration unit and the results of tests performed in both one-gravity and zero-gravity are discussed. The filter regeneration unit uses a backflush/jet impingement method of regenerating fluid filter elements that is highly efficient. A vortex particle separator and particle trap were designed for zero-gravity use, and the zero-gravity test results are discussed. The filter regeneration unit was designed for both inflight maintenance and ground refurbishment use on space shuttle and future space missions

Fluorescent amplification for next generation sequencing (FA-NGS) library preparation.

BACKGROUND:Next generation sequencing (NGS) has become a universal practice in modern molecular biology. As the throughput of sequencing experiments increases, the preparation of conventional multiplexed libraries becomes more labor intensive. Conventional library preparation typically requires quality control (QC) testing for individual libraries such as amplification success evaluation and quantification, none of which occur until the end of the library preparation process. RESULTS:In this study, we address the need for a more streamlined high-throughput NGS workflow by tethering real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to conventional workflows to save time and implement single tube and single reagent QC. We modified two distinct library preparation workflows by replacing PCR and quantification with qPCR using SYBR Green I. qPCR enabled individual library quantification for pooling in a single tube without the need for additional reagents. Additionally, a melting curve analysis was implemented as an intermediate QC test to confirm successful amplification. Sequencing analysis showed comparable percent reads for each indexed library, demonstrating that pooling calculations based on qPCR allow for an even representation of sequencing reads. To aid the modified workflow, a software toolkit was developed and used to generate pooling instructions and analyze qPCR and melting curve data. CONCLUSIONS:We successfully applied fluorescent amplification for next generation sequencing (FA-NGS) library preparation to both plasmids and bacterial genomes. As a result of using qPCR for quantification and proceeding directly to library pooling, the modified library preparation workflow has fewer overall steps. Therefore, we speculate that the FA-NGS workflow has less risk of user error. The melting curve analysis provides the necessary QC test to identify and troubleshoot library failures prior to sequencing. While this study demonstrates the value of FA-NGS for plasmid or gDNA libraries, we speculate that its versatility could lead to successful application across other library types

Copycats, Relax - The Federal Circuit Lightens up on Willful Patent Infringement

Willful infringement is alleged in over 90% of patent cases. This is primarily because, under the Patent Act and Federal Circuit case law, a finding of willful infringement gives trial judges the discretion to award treble damages and attorney\u27s fees to the patentee. Given that patent infringement actions can carry litigation fees of two million dollars or more, an award of punitive damages is a serious threat to accused infringers. A common and powerful defense to a willful infringement allegation is reasonable reliance on an opinion of counsel. Using this defense, the accused infringer can prove he acted in good faith and in accordance with his duty of care because he reasonably relied on an attorney\u27s opinion, usually in the form of an opinion letter, that he was not infringing. 6 However, in order to assert this defense, the plaintiff must disclose the relied upon opinion letter and waive attorney- client and work product privileges as to the subject matter of the opinion. District courts differ widely as to the scope of this waiver, with some even holding that this waiver extends to the defendant\u27s communications with trial counsel in addition to opinion counsel. Thus, in these cases, accused patent infringers face a dilemma as to which to forego: a potentially powerful defense to a patentee\u27s claim of willfulness or attorney-client and work product privileges, possibly even as to trial counsel. In In re Seagate Technology, the Federal Circuit was asked to vacate the rulings of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York that allowed the patentee-plaintiff to obtain discovery of the work product of the defendant\u27s trial counsel that was communicated to the defendant. The Federal Circuit, sua sponte, ordered an en banc review of the petition and issued a general rule as to the scope of the waiver affected by the use of an opinion counsel. The court stated that, ordinarily, the scope of the privilege waiver would only extend to opinion counsel, not to trial counsel. The Federal Circuit then elected to overrule its own 24-year-old Underwater Devices decision and lightened the standard of care imposed on a potential infringer to determine whether he is infiinging on another\u27s patent

Intraracial and Intraethnic Microaggressions Experienced by Korean American Internationally and Transracially Adopted Persons

This research examined the microaggressions that Korean American internationally and transracially adopted persons (ITAPs) reported based on intraracial/intraethnic interpersonal exchanges. This research tested a conceptual model that: 1) determined the themes of intraracial/intraethnic microaggressions reported by Korean American ITAPs; 2) investigated how psychological symptoms and emotion outcomes were predicted from these microaggressions; and 3) tested specific moderators (i.e., age, engagement coping, disengagement coping, ethnic identity, stigma consciousness, parental racial, ethnic, and cultural socialization, and level of interaction with other Asians) that could change the relationship between these microaggressions and negative psychological symptoms and emotion outcomes. Two studies with different samples that share similar demographics were conducted using a mixed methods triangulation design. Study 1 used two tech-mediated focus groups to discern the typology of microaggressions. Participants in Study 1 included adult male (n =4) and female (n =4) Korean American ITAPs between the ages of 18-35 years old who were adopted by White parents before the age of 2. Participants resided in Western, Midwestern, and Eastern regions. Purposive sampling was used to obtain breadth and depth for a more comprehensive typology. Study 2 used the themes from Study 1 to develop the Intraracial/Intraethnic Microaggressions Checklist (IMC). Participants in Study 2 included 150 Korean American ITAPs (males n =35, females n =112, and nonbinary/agender n =3) representing all geographical regions. Participants were between the ages of 19-66 years old. Preliminary reliability and validity were demonstrated for the IMC and two subscales were identified and developed. The Internal subscale was based on the internal experience that ITAPs feel when receiving microaggressions, and the External subscale was related to assumptions externally imposed onto ITAPS regarding their adoptive experiences and identities. Results indicated that anxiety, stress symptoms, positive affect about adoption, and negative feelings related to adoption were predicted from internal microaggressions. General negative affect and positive affect about adoption were predicted from external microaggressions. Moderation analyses determined that under high conditions of disengagement coping, there was a positive relationship between internal microaggressions and stress symptoms, whereas under conditions of low and medium disengagement, this association was not significant

Copycats, Relax - The Federal Circuit Lightens up on Willful Patent Infringement

Willful infringement is alleged in over 90% of patent cases. This is primarily because, under the Patent Act and Federal Circuit case law, a finding of willful infringement gives trial judges the discretion to award treble damages and attorney\u27s fees to the patentee. Given that patent infringement actions can carry litigation fees of two million dollars or more, an award of punitive damages is a serious threat to accused infringers. A common and powerful defense to a willful infringement allegation is reasonable reliance on an opinion of counsel. Using this defense, the accused infringer can prove he acted in good faith and in accordance with his duty of care because he reasonably relied on an attorney\u27s opinion, usually in the form of an opinion letter, that he was not infringing. 6 However, in order to assert this defense, the plaintiff must disclose the relied upon opinion letter and waive attorney- client and work product privileges as to the subject matter of the opinion. District courts differ widely as to the scope of this waiver, with some even holding that this waiver extends to the defendant\u27s communications with trial counsel in addition to opinion counsel. Thus, in these cases, accused patent infringers face a dilemma as to which to forego: a potentially powerful defense to a patentee\u27s claim of willfulness or attorney-client and work product privileges, possibly even as to trial counsel. In In re Seagate Technology, the Federal Circuit was asked to vacate the rulings of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York that allowed the patentee-plaintiff to obtain discovery of the work product of the defendant\u27s trial counsel that was communicated to the defendant. The Federal Circuit, sua sponte, ordered an en banc review of the petition and issued a general rule as to the scope of the waiver affected by the use of an opinion counsel. The court stated that, ordinarily, the scope of the privilege waiver would only extend to opinion counsel, not to trial counsel. The Federal Circuit then elected to overrule its own 24-year-old Underwater Devices decision and lightened the standard of care imposed on a potential infringer to determine whether he is infiinging on another\u27s patent

Space transportation systems, launch systems, and propulsion for the Space Exploration Initiative: Results from Project Outreach

A number of transportation and propulsion options for Mars exploration missions are analyzed. As part of Project Outreach, RAND received and evaluated 350 submissions in the launch vehicle, space transportation, and propulsion areas. After screening submissions, aggregating those that proposed identical or nearly identical concepts, and eliminating from further consideration those that violated known physical princples, we had reduced the total number of viable submissions to 213. In order to avoid comparing such disparate things as launch vehicles and electric propulsion systems, six broad technical areas were selected to categorize the submissions: space transportation systems; earth-to-orbit (ETO) launch systems; chemical propulsion; nuclear propulsion; low-thrust propulsion; and other. To provide an appropriate background for analyzing the submissions, an extensive survey was made of the various technologies relevant to the six broad areas listed above. We discuss these technologies with the intent of providing the reader with an indication of the current state of the art, as well as the advances that might be expected within the next 10 to 20 years

Research in NASA History: A Guide to the NASA History Program

This monograph details the archival and other related resources held by the NASA History Office at Headquarters, and at NASA's Field Centers and other related government agencies. It also gives information on the NASA History publications, World Wide Web pages and the like

Intraracial and Intraethnic Microagressions Experienced by Korean American Internationally and Transracially Adopted Persons

This research examined the typology of microaggressions (i.e., everyday slights and derogations) that Korean American internationally and transracially adopted individuals (ITAPs) report based on intraracial and intraethnic interpersonal exchanges. Although the microaggressions framework has been used to analyze more covert prejudicial interracial slights, it has not yet been explored from an intraracial lens. Transcripts from two separate focus groups with 4 young adult Korean American ITAPs (2 males and 2 females per group) were analyzed. Focus groups were completed using Skype. Thematic analysis was employed to discover 15 distinct subthemes organized under 6 overarching themes: (1) Cultural Scripts; (2) Relationships; (3) Assumptions of Identity; (4) Contextual Microaggressions; (5) Instruction; and, (6) Adoption-Specific Microaggressions. Themes revolved around expectations of culturally valued behavior, ignorance of adoption, and cultural societal definitions of identity. Implications for practice and theory are provided