Cumulative index to NASA Tech Briefs, 1986-1990, volumes 10-14

Tech Briefs are short announcements of new technology derived from the R&D activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These briefs emphasize information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application. This cumulative index of Tech Briefs contains abstracts and four indexes (subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number) and covers the period 1986 to 1990. The abstract section is organized by the following subject categories: electronic components and circuits, electronic systems, physical sciences, materials, computer programs, life sciences, mechanics, machinery, fabrication technology, and mathematics and information sciences

NASA thesaurus. Volume 3: Definitions

Publication of NASA Thesaurus definitions began with Supplement 1 to the 1985 NASA Thesaurus. The definitions given here represent the complete file of over 3,200 definitions, complimented by nearly 1,000 use references. Definitions of more common or general scientific terms are given a NASA slant if one exists. Certain terms are not defined as a matter of policy: common names, chemical elements, specific models of computers, and nontechnical terms. The NASA Thesaurus predates by a number of years the systematic effort to define terms, therefore not all Thesaurus terms have been defined. Nevertheless, definitions of older terms are continually being added. The following data are provided for each entry: term in uppercase/lowercase form, definition, source, and year the term (not the definition) was added to the NASA Thesaurus. The NASA History Office is the authority for capitalization in satellite and spacecraft names. Definitions with no source given were constructed by lexicographers at the NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Facility who rely on the following sources for their information: experts in the field, literature searches from the NASA STI database, and specialized references

Technology 2001: The Second National Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, volume 1

Papers from the technical sessions of the Technology 2001 Conference and Exposition are presented. The technical sessions featured discussions of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, computer graphics and simulation, communications, data and information management, electronics, electro-optics, environmental technology, life sciences, materials science, medical advances, robotics, software engineering, and test and measurement

KINE[SIS]TEM'17 From Nature to Architectural Matter

Kine[SiS]tem – From Kinesis + System. Kinesis is a non-linear movement or activity of an organism in response to a stimulus. A system is a set of interacting and interdependent agents forming a complex whole, delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, influenced by its environment. How can architectural systems moderate the external environment to enhance comfort conditions in a simple, sustainable and smart way? This is the starting question for the Kine[SiS]tem’17 – From Nature to Architectural Matter International Conference. For decades, architectural design was developed despite (and not with) the climate, based on mechanical heating and cooling. Today, the argument for net zero energy buildings needs very effective strategies to reduce energy requirements. The challenge ahead requires design processes that are built upon consolidated knowledge, make use of advanced technologies and are inspired by nature. These design processes should lead to responsive smart systems that deliver the best performance in each specific design scenario. To control solar radiation is one key factor in low-energy thermal comfort. Computational-controlled sensor-based kinetic surfaces are one of the possible answers to control solar energy in an effective way, within the scope of contradictory objectives throughout the year.FC

NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program: 1988 research reports

This contractor's report contains all sixteen final reports prepared by the participants in the 1988 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Reports describe research projects on a number of topics including controlled environments, robotics, cryogenic propellant storage, polymers, hydroponic culture, adaptive servocontrol, and computer aided desig

JETC (Japanese Technology Evaluation Center) Panel Report on High Temperature Superconductivity in Japan

The Japanese regard success in R and D in high temperature superconductivity as an important national objective. The results of a detailed evaluation of the current state of Japanese high temperature superconductivity development are provided. The analysis was performed by a panel of technical experts drawn from U.S. industry and academia, and is based on reviews of the relevant literature and visits to Japanese government, academic and industrial laboratories. Detailed appraisals are presented on the following: Basic research; superconducting materials; large scale applications; processing of superconducting materials; superconducting electronics and thin films. In all cases, comparisons are made with the corresponding state-of-the-art in the United States

Self-organization in heterogeneous biological systems

Self-organization is an ubiquitous and fundamental process that underlies all living systems. In cellular organisms, many vital processes, such as cell division and growth, are spatially and temporally regulated by proteins -- the building blocks of life. To achieve this, proteins self-organize and form spatiotemporal patterns. In general, protein patterns respond to a variety of internal and external stimuli, such as cell shape or inhomogeneities in protein activity. As a result, the dynamics of intracellular pattern formation generally span multiple spatial and temporal scales. This thesis addresses the underlying mechanisms that lead to the formation of heterogeneous patterns. The main themes of this work are organized into three parts, which are summarized below. The first part deals with the general problem of mass-conserving reaction-diffusion dynamics in spatially non-uniform systems. In section 1 of chapter II, we study the dynamics of the E. coli Min protein system -- a paradigmatic model for pattern formation. More specifically, we consider a setup with a fixed spatial heterogeneity in a control parameter, and show that this leads to complex multiscale pattern formation. We develop a coarse-graining approach that enables us to explain and reduce the dynamics to the "hydrodynamic variables'' at large length and time scales. In another project, we consider a system where spatial heterogeneities are not imposed externally, but self-generated by the dynamics via a mechanochemical feedback loop between geometry and reaction-diffusion system (section 2 of chapter II). We show that the resulting dynamics can be explained from the phase-space geometry of the reaction-diffusion system. The second part focuses on how patterns in realistic cell geometries are controlled by shape and biochemical cues. We examine axis selection of PAR polarity patterns in C. elegans, where we show that spatial variations in the bulk-surface ratio and a tendency of the system to minimize the pattern interface yield robust long-axis polarization of PAR protein patterns (section 1 of chapter III). In a second project, we develop a theoretical model that explains the localization of the B. subtilis Min protein system (section 2 of chapter 3). We show that a biochemical cue -- which acts as a template for pattern formation -- guides and stabilizes Min patterns. In the third part, we study the coupling between lipid membranes and curvature-generating proteins. We demonstrate that myosin-VI motor proteins cooperatively bind to saddle-shaped regions of lipid membranes, and thereby induce large-scale membrane remodeling (section 1 of chapter IV). To understand the dynamics, we develop a coarse-grained geometric model and show that the emergence of regular spatial structures can be explained by a "push-pull'' mechanism: protein binding destabilizes the membrane shape at all length scales, and this is counteracted by line tension. Inspired by this system, we then investigate a general model for the dynamics of growing protein-lipid interfaces (section 2 of chapter IV). A key feature of the model is that the protein binding kinetics is explicitly coupled to the morphology of the interface. We show that such a coupling leads to turbulent dynamics and a roughening transition of the interface that is characterized by universal scaling behaviour

Advanced Materials in 3D/4D Printing Technology

This reprint contains a collection of state-of-the-art reviews and original research articles from leaders in the field of 3D/4D printing. It focuses on 3D/4D printing materials with novel and/or advanced functionalities, novel applications of 3DP material, and material synthesis and characterization techniques