Spherical Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

The invention relates to an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV ). The AUV includes a frame and tunnel thrusters for propelling and orientating the AUV, where the tunnel thrusters have inlets and outlets, each of outlets being directed in a different orientation, and are mounted to the frame. The AUV further includes fasteners for connecting the frame to a hull, where the fasteners have an orientation that is substantially parallel to the tunnel thrusters. The hull has a substantially spherical shape and further includes (1) a bottom plate with inlet openings, (2) a top plate with outlet openings, where the top plate and the bottom plate are affixed to the fasteners and hold plate rings of the hull in place, and (3) each of the plate rings that further includes a corresponding retention ring and corresponding central plates

Hydrogen Fuel in Support of Unmanned Operations in an EABO Environment

NPS NRP Project PosterNavy and Marine Corps planners developed the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept of operations to provide maritime commanders with more options for future sea control operations. Additionally, Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) is the concept for logistical support to multiple EABO sites. Finally, NAVPLAN 2020 and the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy detail the importance of unmanned systems capabilities to future warfighting. Many unmanned undersea and aerial systems currently in development are looking to alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, to maximize operational reach and persistence. The picture is clear, the future combat environment demands risk-worthy platforms to perform sea denial as a low-signature "inside force' that is untethered from a large petroleum supply chain. This study will assess hydrogen requirements for use as a fuel in an EABO environment to inform development of a capability evolution plan. This work will apply a holistic, systems engineering approach to develop a finite set of scenarios for hydrogen use as a fuel in an EABO environment. One scenario will be modelled to determine short, mid, and long-term requirements for: hydrogen generation and storage, fuel-cell numbers and capabilities, facilities, and safety or other '-ilities' of relevance. The goal is to investigate benefits and system of systems trade-offs with the objective of delaying fuel resupply to the greatest extent possible. This will inform identification of DOTMLPF gaps to hydrogen adoption as an enabler of EABO in LOCE and support development of a capability evolution plan. This work directly supports technology assessment & transition in support of ONR S&T objectives, as well as the analysis & assessment needs of OPNAV N-94, MCWL, and NECC. An interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Operations Research will contribute. Systems Engineering will lead the study.N9 - Warfare SystemsThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Hydrogen Fuel in Support of Unmanned Operations in an EABO Environment

NPS NRP Technical ReportNavy and Marine Corps planners developed the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept of operations to provide maritime commanders with more options for future sea control operations. Additionally, Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) is the concept for logistical support to multiple EABO sites. Finally, NAVPLAN 2020 and the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy detail the importance of unmanned systems capabilities to future warfighting. Many unmanned undersea and aerial systems currently in development are looking to alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, to maximize operational reach and persistence. The picture is clear, the future combat environment demands risk-worthy platforms to perform sea denial as a low-signature "inside force' that is untethered from a large petroleum supply chain. This study will assess hydrogen requirements for use as a fuel in an EABO environment to inform development of a capability evolution plan. This work will apply a holistic, systems engineering approach to develop a finite set of scenarios for hydrogen use as a fuel in an EABO environment. One scenario will be modelled to determine short, mid, and long-term requirements for: hydrogen generation and storage, fuel-cell numbers and capabilities, facilities, and safety or other '-ilities' of relevance. The goal is to investigate benefits and system of systems trade-offs with the objective of delaying fuel resupply to the greatest extent possible. This will inform identification of DOTMLPF gaps to hydrogen adoption as an enabler of EABO in LOCE and support development of a capability evolution plan. This work directly supports technology assessment & transition in support of ONR S&T objectives, as well as the analysis & assessment needs of OPNAV N-94, MCWL, and NECC. An interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Operations Research will contribute. Systems Engineering will lead the study.N9 - Warfare SystemsThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Hydrogen Fuel in Support of Unmanned Operations in an EABO Environment

NPS NRP Executive SummaryNavy and Marine Corps planners developed the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept of operations to provide maritime commanders with more options for future sea control operations. Additionally, Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE) is the concept for logistical support to multiple EABO sites. Finally, NAVPLAN 2020 and the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy detail the importance of unmanned systems capabilities to future warfighting. Many unmanned undersea and aerial systems currently in development are looking to alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, to maximize operational reach and persistence. The picture is clear, the future combat environment demands risk-worthy platforms to perform sea denial as a low-signature "inside force' that is untethered from a large petroleum supply chain. This study will assess hydrogen requirements for use as a fuel in an EABO environment to inform development of a capability evolution plan. This work will apply a holistic, systems engineering approach to develop a finite set of scenarios for hydrogen use as a fuel in an EABO environment. One scenario will be modelled to determine short, mid, and long-term requirements for: hydrogen generation and storage, fuel-cell numbers and capabilities, facilities, and safety or other '-ilities' of relevance. The goal is to investigate benefits and system of systems trade-offs with the objective of delaying fuel resupply to the greatest extent possible. This will inform identification of DOTMLPF gaps to hydrogen adoption as an enabler of EABO in LOCE and support development of a capability evolution plan. This work directly supports technology assessment & transition in support of ONR S&T objectives, as well as the analysis & assessment needs of OPNAV N-94, MCWL, and NECC. An interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Operations Research will contribute. Systems Engineering will lead the study.N9 - Warfare SystemsThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Chronic Intestinal Inflammation Induces Stress-Response Genes in Commensal Escherichia coli

Intestinal microbes induce homeostatic mucosal immune responses, but can also cause inappropriate immune activation in genetically susceptible hosts. While immune responses to bacterial products have been studied extensively, little is known about how intestinal inflammation affects the function of commensal luminal microbes

Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine Needle Biopsy for Metastatic Melanoma and Its Implications for Patient Management

The use of fine needle biopsy (FNB) for the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma can lead to the early removal and treatment of metastases, reduce the frequency of unnecessary surgery, and facilitate the staging of patients enrolled in clinical trials of adjuvant therapies. In this study, the accuracy of FNB for the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma was investigated. A retrospective cohort study was performed with 2204 consecutive FNBs performed on 1416 patients known or suspected to have metastatic melanoma. Almost three-quarters (1582) of these FNBs were verified by either histopathologic diagnosis following surgical resection or clinical follow-up. FNB for metastatic melanoma was found to have an overall sensitivity of 92.1% and a specificity of 99.2%, with 69 false-negative and 5 false-positive findings identified. The sensitivity of the procedure was found to be influenced by six factors. The use of immunostains, reporting of the specimen by a cytopathologist who had reported >500 cases, lesions located in the skin and subcutis, and patients with ulcerated primary melanomas were factors associated with a significant improvement in the sensitivity of the test. However, FNBs performed in masses located in lymph nodes of the axilla and FNBs that required more than one needle pass to obtain a sample were far more likely to result in false-negative results. FNB is a rapid, accurate, and clinically useful technique for the assessment of disease status in patients with suspected metastatic melanoma

PI3K-δ and PI3K-γ Inhibition by IPI-145 Abrogates Immune Responses and Suppresses Activity in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease Models

SummaryPhosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)-δ and PI3K-γ are preferentially expressed in immune cells, and inhibitors targeting these isoforms are hypothesized to have anti-inflammatory activity by affecting the adaptive and innate immune response. We report on a potent oral PI3K-δ and PI3K-γ inhibitor (IPI-145) and characterize this compound in biochemical, cellular, and in vivo assays. These studies demonstrate that IPI-145 exerts profound effects on adaptive and innate immunity by inhibiting B and T cell proliferation, blocking neutrophil migration, and inhibiting basophil activation. We explored the therapeutic value of combined PI3K-δ and PI3K-γ blockade, and IPI-145 showed potent activity in collagen-induced arthritis, ovalbumin-induced asthma, and systemic lupus erythematosus rodent models. These findings support the hypothesis that inhibition of immune function can be achieved through PI3K-δ and PI3K-γ blockade, potentially leading to significant therapeutic effects in multiple inflammatory, autoimmune, and hematologic diseases

Panmicrobial Oligonucleotide Array for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

To facilitate rapid, unbiased, differential diagnosis of infectious diseases, we designed GreeneChipPm, a panmicrobial microarray comprising 29,455 sixty-mer oligonucleotide probes for vertebrate viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Methods for nucleic acid preparation, random primed PCR amplification, and labeling were optimized to allow the sensitivity required for application with nucleic acid extracted from clinical materials and cultured isolates. Analysis of nasopharyngeal aspirates, blood, urine, and tissue from persons with various infectious diseases confirmed the presence of viruses and bacteria identified by other methods, and implicated Plasmodium falciparum in an unexplained fatal case of hemorrhagic feverlike disease during the Marburg hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola in 2004–2005