Hollow fiber membrane systems for advanced life support systems

The practicability of utilizing hollow fiber membranes in vehicular and portable life support system applications is described. A preliminary screening of potential advanced life support applications resulted in the selection of five applications for feasibility study and testing. As a result of the feasibility study and testing, three applications, heat rejection, deaeration, and bacteria filtration, were chosen for breadboard development testing; breadboard hardware was manufactured and tested, and the physical properties of the hollow fiber membrane assemblies are characterized

Time delay between photoemission from the 2p and 2s subshells of Neon

The R-Matrix incorporating Time (RMT) method is a new method for solving the time-dependent Schroedinger equation for multi-electron atomic systems exposed to intense short-pulse laser light. We have employed the RMT method to investigate the time delay in the photoemission of an electron liberated from a 2p orbital in a neon atom with respect to one released from a 2s orbital following absorption of an attosecond XUV pulse. Time delays due to XUV pulses in the range 76-105 eV are presented. For an XUV pulse at the experimentally relevant 105.2 eV, we calculate the time delay to be 10.2 +/- 1.3 attoseconds, somewhat larger than estimated by other theoretical calculations, but still a factor two smaller than experiment. We repeated the calculation for a photon energy of 89.8 eV with a larger basis set capable of modelling correlated-electron dynamics within the neon atom and the residual Ne(+) ion. A time delay of 14.5 +/- 1.5 attoseconds was observed, compared to a 16.7 +/- 1.5 attosecond result using a single-configuration representation of the residual Ne(+) ion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

The technology, opportunities, and challenges of Synthetic Biological Intelligence

Integrating neural cultures developed through synthetic biology methods with digital computing has enabled the early development of Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI). Recently, key studies have emphasized the advantages of biological neural systems in some information processing tasks. However, neither the technology behind this early development, nor the potential ethical opportunities or challenges, have been explored in detail yet. Here, we review the key aspects that facilitate the development of SBI and explore potential applications. Considering these foreseeable use cases, various ethical implications are proposed. Ultimately, this work aims to provide a robust framework to structure ethical considerations to ensure that SBI technology can be both researched and applied responsibly

Using differential reinforcement of high rates of behavior to improve work productivity : a replication and extension

Background: Due to deficits in adaptive and cognitive functioning, productivity may pose challenges for individuals with intellectual disability in the workplace.Method: Using a changing‐criterion embedded in a multiple baseline across partici‐pants design, we examined the effects of differential reinforcement of high rates of behaviour (DRH) on the rate of data entry (i.e., productivity) in four adults with intel‐lectual disability.Results: Although the DRH procedure increased the rate of correct data entry in all four participants, none of the participants achieved the criterion that we set with novice undergraduate students.Conclusions: Our results indicate that DRH is an effective intervention to increase rate of correct responding in individuals with intellectual disability, but that achiev‐ing the same productivity as workers without disability may not always be possible

Identifying a Novel Role for Fractalkine (CX3CL1) in Memory CD8(+) T Cell Accumulation in the Omentum of Obesity-Associated Cancer Patients

The omentum is enriched with pro-inflammatory effector memory CD8+ T cells in patients with the obesity-associated malignancy, esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EAC) and we have identified the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha as a key player in their active migration to this inflamed tissue. More recently, others have established that subsets of memory CD8+ T cells can be classified based on their surface expression of CX3CR1; the specific receptor for the inflammatory chemokine fractalkine. CD8+ T cells expressing intermediate levels (CX3CR1INT) are defined as peripheral memory, those expressing the highest levels (CX3CR1HI) are effector memory/terminally differentiated and those lacking CX3CR1 (CX3CR1NEG) are classified as central memory. To date, the fractalkine:CX3CR1 axis has not been examined in the context of CD8+ T cell enrichment in the omentum and here we examine this chemokines involvement in the accumulation of memory CD8+ T cells in the omentum of EAC patients. Our data show that fractalkine is significantly enriched in the omentum of EAC patients and drives migration of T cells derived from EAC patient blood. Furthermore, CX3CR1 is endocytosed specifically by CD8+ T cells upon encountering fractalkine, which is consistent with the significantly diminished frequencies of CX3CR1INT and CX3CR1HI CD8+ T cells in the fractalkine-rich environment of omentum in EAC, relative to matched blood. Fractalkine-mediated endocytosis of CX3CR1 by CD8+ T cells is sustained and is followed by enhanced surface expression of L-selectin (CD62L). These novel data align with our findings that circulating CX3CR1NEG CD8+ T cells express higher levels of L-selectin than CX3CR1INT CD8+ T cells. This is consistent with previous reports and implicates fractalkine in the conversion of CX3CR1INT CD8+ T cells to a CX3CR1NEG phenotype characterized by alterations in the migratory capacity of these T cells. For the first time, these findings identify fractalkine as a driver of T cell migration to the omentum in EAC and indicate that CD8+ T cells undergo sequenced fractalkine-mediated alterations in CX3CR1 and L-selectin expression. These data implicate fractalkine as more than a chemotactic cytokine in obesity-associated meta-inflammation and reveal a role for this chemokine in the maintenance of the CX3CR1NEG CD8+ T cell populations

Significant papers from the First 25 Years of the FPL Conference

The list of significant papers from the first 25 years of the Field-Programmable Logic and Applications conference (FPL) is presented in this paper. These 27 papers represent those which have most strongly influenced theory and practice in the field.postprin