Research and Technology 1996: Innovation in Time and Space

As the NASA Center responsible for assembly, checkout, servicing, launch, recovery, and operational support of Space Transportation System elements and payloads, the John F. Kennedy Space Center is placing increasing emphasis on its advanced technology development program. This program encompasses the efforts of the Engineering Development Directorate laboratories, most of the KSC operations contractors, academia, and selected commercial industries - all working in a team effort within their own areas of expertise. This edition of the Kennedy Space Center Research and Technology 1996 Annual Report covers efforts of all these contributors to the KSC advanced technology development program, as well as our technology transfer activities

Gradient Generating Microfluidic Coculture System for Disease Modeling and Neural Development

Cellular microenvironment or cell niche plays an important role in developmental biology and disease pathophysiology. Physical or chemical signals in microenvironment drive the cellular activity. These signaling molecules are generated from the surrounding cells/tissues as part of intercellular communication; a fundamental property of a cell. Dynamic profile of these signaling molecules in the microenvironment plays a pivotal role in transfer of molecular information from cell to cell in disease proliferation or fate determination. Recapitulating these signaling cues in an in vitro study is difficult to achieve using standard cell culture techniques. However microfluidic systems are capable of addressing these issues, due to their ability to precisely control the microenvironment. The first study focuses on developing a microfluidic system capable of differentiating MNs in a 3D microenvironment (similar to in vivo) and perform a drug assay to identify the therapeutic concentration range. Using this microfluidic device, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) motor neurons were differentiated (in 3D) and ideal concentration of rapamycin in rescuing motor neurons from degeneration was identified. In the second study, a gradient generating coculture system capable of culturing two distinct types of tissues (in 3D) (muscle and motor neurons) in spatially distinct chambers which were interconnected by microchannels for intercellular communications (chemical signal and axon transport) was designed and fabricated. This microfluidic device offers us an ability to understand and evaluate the effects of coculturing muscle cells with motor neurons in defining the motor neuron columnar identity. Thus, the current microdevice will be a useful platform not only in understanding the developmental processes but also to study and model rare degenerative diseases. Due to its ability to create a concentration gradient, this device can also be a unique platform for scientists to perform a high throughput screening for drug activity and drug toxicity using patient specific cells

Purification of Pharmaceutical Grade Salmon-Derived Thrombin and Fibrinogen for Hemostatic Bandages

Hemorrhage due to trauma is the leading cause of preventable death among American soldiers, according the National Institute of Trauma. Uncontrollable bleeding is also seen regularly in civilian incidences of trauma and is a common major surgical complication. The human blood clotting process involves a complex cascade of tightly regulated enzymatic reactions. Two of the most important proteins in this cascade are fibrinogen and thrombin. Thrombin is an enzyme that activates fibrinogen monomers to form a polymeric fibrin network, forming the basis of a blood clot. During trauma, a state of consumptive coagulopathy, the body depletes these two proteins causing severe bleeding. A novel way to counteract hemorrhage is to supply additional thrombin and fibrinogen to the focal injury site. However, as of yet fibrinogen has proved technically challenging to produce recombinantly, and mammalian-based proteins carry the risk of pathogen transmission and immune response. Salmon-derived proteins, on the other hand, overcome both of these obstacles. DiamondStat is a novel hemostatic bandage that delivers fibrinogen and thrombin purified from salmon blood. It is a 4 x 4 inch adhesive bandage that delivers 10 mg/cm2 of fibrinogen and 90 units/cm2 of thrombin to effectively stop hemorrhage. The production of DiamondStat bandages begins with harvesting blood from salmon. Through a series of centrifugations and precipitations, prothrombin (a zymogen precursor to thrombin) and fibrinogen are extracted from the blood. Additional precipitations and filtrations further purify the fibrinogen solution to pharmaceutical-grade. The prothrombin is converted to thrombin in an immobilized snake venom catalyst column. Thrombin is then purified through an affinity column and ultrafiltration. Both thrombin and fibrinogen solutions are run through endotoxin removal columns and then sprayed onto pieces of gauze. The proteins are lyophilized onto the gauze and 2 the final bandage, which consists of fibrinogen and thrombin gauze pieces and an adhesive backing, is assembled. Bandages are sterilized via gamma irradiation and ready for use. At a capacity of 300,000 bandages per year and $800 per bandage, DiamondStat production is very profitable. It will yield an internal rate of return of 289.76$489 million. Extensive sensitivity analysis indicates that the project will be profitable in all likely scenarios. Investment in the DiamondStat processing plant is highly recommended. It is an economically viable project with the potential to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 05)

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1363 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1991 and July 31, 1992. Topics covered include technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion and solar power satellite systems

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2004

Topics covered include: COTS MEMS Flow-Measurement Probes; Measurement of an Evaporating Drop on a Reflective Substrate; Airplane Ice Detector Based on a Microwave Transmission Line; Microwave/Sonic Apparatus Measures Flow and Density in Pipe; Reducing Errors by Use of Redundancy in Gravity Measurements; Membrane-Based Water Evaporator for a Space Suit; Compact Microscope Imaging System with Intelligent Controls; Chirped-Superlattice, Blocked-Intersubband QWIP; Charge-Dissipative Electrical Cables; Deep-Sea Video Cameras Without Pressure Housings; RFID and Memory Devices Fabricated Integrally on Substrates; Analyzing Dynamics of Cooperating Spacecraft; Spacecraft Attitude Maneuver Planning Using Genetic Algorithms; Forensic Analysis of Compromised Computers; Document Concurrence System; Managing an Archive of Images; MPT Prediction of Aircraft-Engine Fan Noise; Improving Control of Two Motor Controllers; Electro-deionization Using Micro-separated Bipolar Membranes; Safer Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Cells; Rotating Reverse-Osmosis for Water Purification; Making Precise Resonators for Mesoscale Vibratory Gyroscopes; Robotic End Effectors for Hard-Rock Climbing; Improved Nutation Damper for a Spin-Stabilized Spacecraft; Exhaust Nozzle for a Multitube Detonative Combustion Engine; Arc-Second Pointer for Balloon-Borne Astronomical Instrument; Compact, Automated Centrifugal Slide-Staining System; Two-Armed, Mobile, Sensate Research Robot; Compensating for Effects of Humidity on Electronic Noses; Brush/Fin Thermal Interfaces; Multispectral Scanner for Monitoring Plants; Coding for Communication Channels with Dead-Time Constraints; System for Better Spacing of Airplanes En Route; Algorithm for Training a Recurrent Multilayer Perceptron; Orbiter Interface Unit and Early Communication System; White-Light Nulling Interferometers for Detecting Planets; and Development of Methodology for Programming Autonomous Agents

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 04)

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1211 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between 1 Jul. and 30 Dec. 1991. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems

A Proposal for a Three Detector Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Program in the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam

A Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) physics program of three LAr-TPC detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab is presented. This new SBN Program will deliver a rich and compelling physics opportunity, including the ability to resolve a class of experimental anomalies in neutrino physics and to perform the most sensitive search to date for sterile neutrinos at the eV mass-scale through both appearance and disappearance oscillation channels. Using data sets of 6.6e20 protons on target (P.O.T.) in the LAr1-ND and ICARUS T600 detectors plus 13.2e20 P.O.T. in the MicroBooNE detector, we estimate that a search for muon neutrino to electron neutrino appearance can be performed with ~5 sigma sensitivity for the LSND allowed (99% C.L.) parameter region. In this proposal for the SBN Program, we describe the physics analysis, the conceptual design of the LAr1-ND detector, the design and refurbishment of the T600 detector, the necessary infrastructure required to execute the program, and a possible reconfiguration of the BNB target and horn system to improve its performance for oscillation searches.Comment: 209 pages, 129 figure

Spinoff 1997: 25 Years of Reporting Down-to-Earth Benefits

The 25th annual issue of NASA's report on technology transfer and research and development (R&D) from its ten field centers is presented. The publication is divided into three sections. Section 1 comprises a summary of R&D over the last 25 years. Section 2 presents details of the mechanisms NASA uses to transfer technology to private industry as well as the assistance NASA provides in commercialization efforts. Section 3, which is the focal point of the publication, features success stories of manufacturers and entrepreneurs in developing commercial products and services that improve the economy and life in general

Mission oriented R and D and the advancement of technology: The impact of NASA contributions, volume 2

NASA contributions to the advancement of major developments in twelve selected fields of technology are presented. The twelve fields of technology discussed are: (1) cryogenics, (2) electrochemical energy conversion and storage, (3) high-temperature ceramics, (4) high-temperature metals (5) integrated circuits, (6) internal gas dynamics (7) materials machining and forming, (8) materials joining, (9) microwave systems, (10) nondestructive testing, (11) simulation, and (12) telemetry. These field were selected on the basis of both NASA and nonaerospace interest and activity