A path to in-space welding and to other in-space metal processing technologies using Space Shuttle small payloads

As we venture into space, it becomes necessary to assemble, expand, and repair space-based structures for our housing, research, and manufacturing. The zero gravity-vacuum of space challenges us to employ construction options which are commonplace on Earth. Rockwell International (RI) has begun to undertake the challenge of space-based construction via numerous options, of which one is welding. As of today, RI divisions have developed appropriate resources and technologies to bring space-based welding within our grasp. Further work, specifically in the area of developing space experiments to test RI technology, is required. RI Space Welding Project's achievements to date, from research and development (R&E) efforts in the areas of microgravity, vacuum, intra- / extra- vehicular activity and spinoff technologies, are reviewed. Special emphasis is given to results for G-169's (Get Away Special) microgravity flights aboard a NASA KC-135. Based on these achievements, a path to actual development of a space welding system is proposed with options to explore spinoff in-space metal processing technologies. This path is constructed by following a series of milestone experiments, of which several are to utilize NASA's Shuttle Small Payload Programs. Conceptual designs of the proposed shuttle payload experiments are discussed with application of lessons learned from G-169's design, development, integration, testing, safety approval process, and KC-135 flights

The potential of a GAS can with payload G-169

The feasibility of using welding for the construction, expansion and emergency repair of space based structures is discussed and the advantages of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) over other welding techniques are briefly examined. The objective and design concept for the G-169 Get Away Special payload are described. The G-169 experiment will allow the comparison of a space GTA welded joint with a terrestrial GTA welded joint with all parameters held constant except for gravitational forces. Specifically, a bead-on-plate weld around the perimeter of a 2 inch diameter stainless steel pipe section will be performed. The use of Learjet microgravity simulation for the G-169 and other Get Away Special experiments is also addressed

Blending Learning and Inference in Structured Prediction

In this paper we derive an efficient algorithm to learn the parameters of structured predictors in general graphical models. This algorithm blends the learning and inference tasks, which results in a significant speedup over traditional approaches, such as conditional random fields and structured support vector machines. For this purpose we utilize the structures of the predictors to describe a low dimensional structured prediction task which encourages local consistencies within the different structures while learning the parameters of the model. Convexity of the learning task provides the means to enforce the consistencies between the different parts. The inference-learning blending algorithm that we propose is guaranteed to converge to the optimum of the low dimensional primal and dual programs. Unlike many of the existing approaches, the inference-learning blending allows us to learn efficiently high-order graphical models, over regions of any size, and very large number of parameters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, while presenting state-of-the-art results in stereo estimation, semantic segmentation, shape reconstruction, and indoor scene understanding

The Geometric Maximum Traveling Salesman Problem

We consider the traveling salesman problem when the cities are points in R^d for some fixed d and distances are computed according to geometric distances, determined by some norm. We show that for any polyhedral norm, the problem of finding a tour of maximum length can be solved in polynomial time. If arithmetic operations are assumed to take unit time, our algorithms run in time O(n^{f-2} log n), where f is the number of facets of the polyhedron determining the polyhedral norm. Thus for example we have O(n^2 log n) algorithms for the cases of points in the plane under the Rectilinear and Sup norms. This is in contrast to the fact that finding a minimum length tour in each case is NP-hard. Our approach can be extended to the more general case of quasi-norms with not necessarily symmetric unit ball, where we get a complexity of O(n^{2f-2} log n). For the special case of two-dimensional metrics with f=4 (which includes the Rectilinear and Sup norms), we present a simple algorithm with O(n) running time. The algorithm does not use any indirect addressing, so its running time remains valid even in comparison based models in which sorting requires Omega(n \log n) time. The basic mechanism of the algorithm provides some intuition on why polyhedral norms allow fast algorithms. Complementing the results on simplicity for polyhedral norms, we prove that for the case of Euclidean distances in R^d for d>2, the Maximum TSP is NP-hard. This sheds new light on the well-studied difficulties of Euclidean distances.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures; revised to appear in Journal of the ACM. (clarified some minor points, fixed typos

Paper Session I-B - 21st Century Space Commerce Taking-Off From Aerospaceports

This paper describes how Space commerce may grow to partially overlap Air commerce in the 21st century, resulting in the evolution of some of America’s airports and spaceports into “aerospaceports .” Aerospaceports will play a key role in privatization and commercialization of America’s space program by establishing space transportation and associated support services as routine and accessible. Air and Space are closely related frontiers, one being an extension of the other in terms of the environment, science, engineering, government policies, and commerce. We have seen airplanes modified to fly one step further sampling the space environment; NACA transformed into NASA, a Space Wing established by the U.S. Air Force; rockets launch commercial satellites; and spaceport authorities established by state governments. Moreover, we have just recently seen the U.S. DOT’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) merge with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Soon, we may even see an X-34 type vehicle takeoff and land at an airport. Undeniably, the space program’s evolution toward commercial enterprise is underway; however, it is still in its infancy. The development of reusable space launch ve - hicles capable of operating at America’s airports with airline-type reliability and acceptabilit y is key to the emergence of aerospaceports, in-turn allowing the development of new space-industry markets, including transportation, manufacturing, energy, mining, and even tourism

Structure of amyloid-β (20-34) with Alzheimer's-associated isomerization at Asp23 reveals a distinct protofilament interface.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) harbors numerous posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that may affect Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Here we present the 1.1 Å resolution MicroED structure of an Aβ 20-34 fibril with and without the disease-associated PTM, L-isoaspartate, at position 23 (L-isoAsp23). Both wild-type and L-isoAsp23 protofilaments adopt β-helix-like folds with tightly packed cores, resembling the cores of full-length fibrillar Aβ structures, and both self-associate through two distinct interfaces. One of these is a unique Aβ interface strengthened by the isoaspartyl modification. Powder diffraction patterns suggest a similar structure may be adopted by protofilaments of an analogous segment containing the heritable Iowa mutation, Asp23Asn. Consistent with its early onset phenotype in patients, Asp23Asn accelerates aggregation of Aβ 20-34, as does the L-isoAsp23 modification. These structures suggest that the enhanced amyloidogenicity of the modified Aβ segments may also reduce the concentration required to achieve nucleation and therefore help spur the pathogenesis of AD

Paper Session II-A - ISOBUS A Faster, Better, Cheaper Tool for Space Flight Experiments

Space exploration and related investigations have been suffering from programmatic inefficiencies inherent to customized projects. One-of-a-kind space investigations such as experiments, installations, platforms, and missions all lack the profit-driven architectures and money-making methodologies that characterize commercial enterprise. The foundation of long-tenm commercial success is in the smart and efficient utilization of capital investment. An enterprise that throws away its tools, its infrastructure, its expertise, and its capital, every time it completes a project is not likely to be able to afford to do so again and again. When resources are scarce, one must utilize them efficiently. Proven commercial methodologies such as standardization, mass production, miniaturization, modular interchangeability, and reusability . of tools, facilities, and resources are the principal techniques by which products can be created faster-better-cheaper. Commercial investigators in intensely competitive fields, such as biotechnology, have successfully applied these principles to their experimental setups, tools, and support systems. We must similarly employ commercial principles if we are to survive the expensive challenge of future space exploration. This paper introduces a faster-bettercheaper\u27\u27 approach for space investigators. The approach employs a tool called ISOBUS

Reading fiction and reading minds : the role of simulation in the default network

Research in psychology has suggested that reading fiction can improve individuals’ social-cognitive abilities. Findings from neuroscience show that reading and social cognition both recruit the default network, a network which is known to support our capacity to simulate hypothetical scenes, spaces and mental states. The current research tests the hypothesis that fiction reading enhances social cognition because it serves to exercise the default subnetwork involved in theory of mind. While undergoing functional neuroimaging, participants read literary passages that differed along two dimensions: (i) vivid vs abstract and (ii) social vs non-social. Analyses revealed distinct subnetworks of the default network respond to the two dimensions of interest: the medial temporal lobe subnetwork responded preferentially to vivid passages, with or without social content; the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) subnetwork responded preferentially to passages with social and abstract content. Analyses also demonstrated that participants who read fiction most often also showed the strongest social cognition performance. Finally, mediation analysis showed that activity in the dmPFC subnetwork in response to the social content mediated this relation, suggesting that the simulation of social content in fiction plays a role in fiction’s ability to enhance readers’ social cognition

Enhanced diffraction by a rectangular grating made of a negative phase--velocity (or negative index) material

The diffraction of electromagnetic plane waves by a rectangular grating formed by discrete steps in the interface of a homogeneous, isotropic, linear, negative phase--velocity (negative index) material with free space is studied using the semi--analytic C method. When a nonspecular diffracted order is of the propagating type, coupling to that order is significantly larger for a negative index material than for conventional material. The computed coupling strengths reported here are in agreement with recent experiments, and illustrate the role of evanescent fields localized at the grating interface in producing this enhanced coupling.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure