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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11

Development and Application of Computational/In Vitro Toxicological Methods for Chemical Hazard Risk Reduction of New Materials for Advanced Weapon Systems

The development of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is essential for reducing the chemical hazards of new weapon systems. The current collaboration between HEST (toxicology research and testing), MLPJ (computational chemistry) and PRS (computational chemistry, new propellant synthesis) is focusing R&D efforts on basic research goals that will rapidly transition to useful products for propellant development. Computational methods are being investigated that will assist in forecasting cellular toxicological end-points. Models developed from these chemical structure-toxicity relationships are useful for the prediction of the toxicological endpoints of new related compounds. Research is focusing on the evaluation tools to be used for the discovery of such relationships and the development of models of the mechanisms of action. Combinations of computational chemistry techniques, in vitro toxicity methods, and statistical correlations, will be employed to develop and explore potential predictive relationships; results for series of molecular systems that demonstrate the viability of this approach are reported. A number of hydrazine salts have been synthesized for evaluation. Computational chemistry methods are being used to elucidate the mechanism of action of these salts. Toxicity endpoints such as viability (LDH) and changes in enzyme activity (glutahoione peroxidase and catalase) are being experimentally measured as indicators of cellular damage. Extrapolation from computational/in vitro studies to human toxicity, is the ultimate goal. The product of this program will be a predictive tool to assist in the development of new, less toxic propellants.

Frazier, John M.↗

Beyond the Prototype: The Design Evolution of a Deployed AI System

Our previous experiences with deployed intelligent control agents for NASA advanced life support systems (Schreckenghost et al., 2002) inspired us to develop the Distributed Collaboration and Interaction (DCI) system to help humans and mostly-autonomous software agents work together. We discovered many unaddressed needs for human interaction with control agents that operate continuously over months to years to monitor and perform process control for regenerative life support systems. These systems recover usable water or air from the waste products created by biological systems over time. Through the DCI project, we have addressed the needs for interaction between humans and autonomous control systems. This paper describes the software engineering aspects of our experiences, first, in designing and developing a prototype of the DCI system, and later, in adjusting the implementation to make the leap from initial prototype to a system ready to be applied under varying circumstances to meet different needs. The details in the paper focus primarily on the second stage of development. The DCI system is currently deployed, operating 24/7, to assist humans to interact with an advanced Water Recovery System (WRS). In addition, we have demonstrated an application of DCI to support ground personnel in mission support roles.

Martin, C.↗

Beyond the Prototype: The Design Evolution of a Deployed AI System

Our previous experiences with deployed intelligent control agents for NASA advanced life support systems (Schreckenghost et al., 2002) inspired us to develop the Distributed Collaboration and Interaction (DCI) system to help humans and mostly-autonomous software agents work together. We discovered many unaddressed needs for human interaction with control agents that operate continuously over months to years to monitor and perform process control for regenerative life support systems. These systems recover usable water or air from the waste products created by biological systems over time. Through the DCI project, we have addressed the needs for interaction between humans and autonomous control systems. This paper describes the software engineering aspects of our experiences, first, in designing and developing a prototype of the DCI system, and later, in adjusting the implementation to make the leap from initial prototype to a system ready to be applied under varying circumstances to meet different needs. The details in the paper focus primarily on the second stage of development. The DCI system is currently deployed, operating 24/7, to assist humans to interact with an advanced Water Recovery System (WRS). In addition, we have demonstrated an application of DCI to support ground personnel in mission support roles.

Martin, Cheryl↗

Human Systems Integration (HSI) Framework and Training - Shifting the View of HSI for Better Implementation

The Implementation of Human Systems Integration (HSI) presents challenges within the acquisition community for two reasons. The first is that misconceptions of HSI still exist, with many Program Managers (PMs) and leadership uncertain of the value or where to begin. The second is due to an unbalanced approach to HSI in its own framework. These implementation challenges lead to barriers in the early prevention of mishaps. Understanding HSI practices and how they should be implemented in the Acquisition Product Life Cycle (PLC) has been a challenge across the government, leaving the value of HSI unknown and misunderstood with Program Managers. In the case for many acquisition programs, HSI is not implemented in early design, losing the perspective on human capabilities and limitations, creating impacts on human-centered design. Expectations in human performance are not clearly set and operations are baselined with no margin for changes in technology and processes that will affect system performance. The HSI framework addresses total system performance holistically using collaboration as the primary tool. The goal is to create a system with efficiencies while minimizing risk to the operators, maintainers, and support personnel, as well as any collateral personnel and systems. To accomplish this, HSI should be implemented as part of preemptive measures to minimize potential human error and mishaps during the operation phase. Investigative and assessment tools exist that consider events, issues, and other outside influences of a system that may not fall under the current construct of the HSI domains, leaving gaps in early HSI implementation and affecting the prevention of human errors and mishaps. This presentation will outline what NASA HSI is doing to support Early HSI implementation and Operational Performance shifts that affect human performance.

Anthony T Thomas↗

Promoting A-Priori Interoperability of HLA-Based Simulations in the Space Domain: The SISO Space Reference FOM Initiative

Distributed and Real-Time Simulation plays a key-role in the Space domain being exploited for missions and systems analysis and engineering as well as for crew training and operational support. One of the most popular standards is the 1516-2010 IEEE Standard for Modeling and Simulation (M&S) High Level Architecture (HLA). HLA supports the implementation of distributed simulations (called Federations) in which a set of simulation entities (called Federates) can interact using a Run-Time Infrastructure (RTI). In a given Federation, a Federate can publish and/or subscribes objects and interactions on the RTI only in accordance with their structures as defined in a FOM (Federation Object Model). Currently, the Space domain is characterized by a set of incompatible FOMs that, although meet the specific needs of different organizations and projects, increases the long-term cost for interoperability. In this context, the availability of a reference FOM for the Space domain will enable the development of interoperable HLA-based simulators for related joint projects and collaborations among worldwide organizations involved in the Space domain (e.g. NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, and JAXA). The paper presents a first set of results achieved by a SISO standardization effort that aims at providing a Space Reference FOM for international collaboration on Space systems simulations.

Moller, Bjorn↗

Project MEDSAT

During the winter term of 1991, two design courses at the University of Michigan worked on a joint project, MEDSAT. The two design teams consisted of the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Spacite System Design and Aerospace Engineering 483 (Aero 483) Aerospace System Design. In collaboration, they worked to produce MEDSAT, a satellite and scientific payload whose purpose was to monitor environmental conditions over Chiapas, Mexico. Information gained from the sensing, combined with regional data, would be used to determine the potential for malaria occurrence in that area. The responsibilities of AOSS 605 consisted of determining the remote sensing techniques, the data processing, and the method to translate the information into a usable output. Aero 483 developed the satellite configuration and the subsystems required for the satellite to accomplish its task. The MEDSAT project is an outgrowth of work already being accomplished by NASA's Biospheric and Disease Monitoring Program and Ames Research Center. NASA's work has been to develop remote sensing techniques to determine the abundance of disease carriers and now this project will place the techniques aboard a satellite. MEDSAT will be unique in its use of both a Synthetic Aperture Radar and visual/IR sensor to obtain comprehensive monitoring of the site. In order to create a highly feasible system, low cost was a high priority. To obtain this goal, a light satellite configuration launched by the Pegasus launch vehicle was used.

Source record↗

ATLAS LINKS Electronically Steered Aperture Array System

NASA GSFC and ATLAS Space Operations, Inc. are collaborating through the Space Technology Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (NASA solicitation NNH17ZOA001K) to advance the state of technology of ATLAS LINKS electronically steered aperture array system. ATLAS LINKS system is a state-of-the-art lightweight, high-performance electronically steered aperture array system. This collaboration provides the opportunity to explore the value of ATLAS technology in supporting NASA Near Earth missions.

Altunc, Serhat↗

A bolometric millimeter-wave system for observations of anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background radiation on medium angular scales

The performance of a bolometric system designed to measure the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation on angular scales from 0.3 to 3 deg is presented. The system represents a collaborative effort combining a low-background 1-m diameter balloon-borne telescope with new multimode feed optics, a beam modulation mechanism with high stability, and a four-channel bolometric receiver with passbands centered near frequencies of 3, 6, 9, and 12/cm (90, 180, 270, and 360 GHz). The telescope has been flown three times with the bolometric receiver and has demonstrated detector noise limited performance capable of reaching sensitivity levels of about 0.00001 with detectors operated at 0.3 K.

Fischer, M. L.↗

A bolometric millimeter-wave system for observations of anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background radiation on medium angular scales

We report the performance of a bolometric system designed to measure the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation on angular scales from 0 deg 3 min to 3 deg. The system represents a collaborative effort combining a low-background 1 m diameter balloon-borne telescope with new multimode feed optics, a beam modulation mechanism with high stability, and a four-channel bolometric receiver with passbands centered near frequencies of 3 (90), 6 (180), 9 (270), and 12 (360) cm(exp -1) (GHz). The telescope was flown three times with the bolometric receiver and has demonstrated detector noise limited performance capable of reaching sensitivity levels of Delta(T)/T(sub CMB) is approximately equal to 10(exp -5) with detectors operated at T = 0.3 K.

Fischer, M. L.↗

User-Centered Indexing for Adaptive Information Access

We are focusing on information access tasks characterized by large volume of hypermedia connected technical documents, a need for rapid and effective access to familiar information, and long-term interaction with evolving information. The problem for technical users is to build and maintain a personalized task-oriented model of the information to quickly access relevant information. We propose a solution which provides user-centered adaptive information retrieval and navigation. This solution supports users in customizing information access over time. It is complementary to information discovery methods which provide access to new information, since it lets users customize future access to previously found information. It relies on a technique, called Adaptive Relevance Network, which creates and maintains a complex indexing structure to represent personal user's information access maps organized by concepts. This technique is integrated within the Adaptive HyperMan system, which helps NASA Space Shuttle flight controllers organize and access large amount of information. It allows users to select and mark any part of a document as interesting, and to index that part with user-defined concepts. Users can then do subsequent retrieval of marked portions of documents. This functionality allows users to define and access personal collections of information, which are dynamically computed. The system also supports collaborative review by letting users share group access maps. The adaptive relevance network provides long-term adaptation based both on usage and on explicit user input. The indexing structure is dynamic and evolves over time. Leading and generalization support flexible retrieval of information under similar concepts. The network is geared towards more recent information access, and automatically manages its size in order to maintain rapid access when scaling up to large hypermedia space. We present results of simulated learning experiments.

Chen, James R.↗

The Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) 2002 Report

This report presents and overview of the Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL). It covers the University of Nebraska's areas of research, and its outreach to students at Native American schools as part of AERIAL. The report contains three papers: "Airborne Remote Sensing (ARS) for Agricultural Research and Commercialization Application" (White Paper), "Validated Numerical Models for the Convective Extinction of Fuel Droplets (CEFD)", and "The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS): Research Collaborations with the NASA Langley Research Center".

Bowen, Brent D.↗

Examining Topography of Mars Impact Basins to Determine If Impact Basins Have Topographic Characteristics of a Crater

Determining the topography of suspect craters on Mars will help scientists better understand the land deformation that occurs from an asteroid or comet impact. This will provide a better understanding of how Mars has changed over time and the topography data could be used for planning future missions to Mars. We have begun a program at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), a Bureau of Indian Affairs junior college, to analyze large impact basins on Mars (>300 km diameter) utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Collaborators at the University of New Mexico and the U.S. Geological Survey are providing technical support for this effort.

Livingston, A.↗

SemanticOrganizer: A Customizable Semantic Repository for Distributed NASA Project Teams

SemanticOrganizer is a collaborative knowledge management system designed to support distributed NASA projects, including diverse teams of scientists, engineers, and accident investigators. The system provides a customizable, semantically structured information repository that stores work products relevant to multiple projects of differing types. SemanticOrganizer is one of the earliest and largest semantic web applications deployed at NASA to date, and has been used in diverse contexts ranging from the investigation of Space Shuttle Columbia's accident to the search for life on other planets. Although the underlying repository employs a single unified ontology, access control and ontology customization mechanisms make the repository contents appear different for each project team. This paper describes SemanticOrganizer, its customization facilities, and a sampling of its applications. The paper also summarizes some key lessons learned from building and fielding a successful semantic web application across a wide-ranging set of domains with diverse users.

Keller, Richard M.↗

Ontology Development and Evolution in the Accident Investigation Domain

InvestiigationOrganizer (IO) is a collaborative semantic web system designed to support the conduct of mishap investigations. IO provides a common repository for a wide range of mishap related information, allowing investigators to integrate evidence, causal models, and investigation results. IO has been used to support investigations ranging from a small property damage case to the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Through IO'S use in these investigations, we have learned significant lessons? about the application of ontologies and semantic systems to solving real-world problems. This paper will describe the development of the ontology within IO, from the initial development, its growth in response to user requests during use in investigations, and the recent work that was done to control the results of that growth. This paper will also describe the lessons learned from this experience and how they may apply to the implementaton of future ontologies and semantic systems.

Carvalho, Robert↗

Low-Speed Active Flow Control Laboratory Developed

The future of aviation propulsion systems is increasingly focused on the application of control technologies to significantly enhance the performance of a new generation of air vehicles. Active flow control refers to a set of technologies that manipulate the flow of air and combustion gases deep within the confines of an engine to dynamically alter its performance during flight. By employing active flow control, designers can create engines that are significantly lighter, are more fuel efficient, and produce lower emissions. In addition, the operating range of an engine can be extended, yielding safer transportation systems. The realization of these future propulsion systems requires the collaborative development of many base technologies to achieve intelligent, embedded control at the engine locations where it will be most effective. NASA Glenn Research Center s Controls and Dynamics Technology Branch has developed a state-of-the-art low-speed Active Flow Control Laboratory in which emerging technologies can be integrated and explored in a flexible, low-cost environment. The facility allows the most promising developments to be prescreened and optimized before being tested on higher fidelity platforms, thereby reducing the cost of experimentation and improving research effectiveness.

Culley, Dennis E.↗

Robot Assisted Microsurgery Development at JPL

A team of engineers at JPL, working in collaboration with MicroDexterity Systems, Inc., and Dr. Steve Charles, recently developed a telerobotic workstation to assist microsurgeons perform surgery.

Microsurgery JPL telerobotic MicroDexterity System↗

Deployment of an Advanced Electrocardiographic Analysis (A-ECG) to Detect Cardiovascular Risk in Career Firefighters

INTRODUCTION Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of line of duty death among firefighters, accounting for approximately 45% of fatalities annually. Firefighters perform strenuous muscular work while wearing heavy, encapsulating personal protective equipment in high ambient temperatures, under chaotic and emotionally stressful conditions. These factors can precipitate sudden cardiac events like myocardial infarction, serious dysrhythmias, or cerebrovascular accidents in firefighters with underlying cardiovascular disease. Screening for cardiovascular risk factors is recommended but not always followed in this population. PHASER is a project charged with identifying and prioritizing risk factors in emergency responders. We have deployed an advanced ECG (A-ECG) system developed at NASA for improved sensitivity and specificity in the detection of cardiac risk. METHODS Forty-four professional firefighters were recruited to perform comprehensive baseline assessments including tests of aerobic performance and laboratory tests for fasting lipid profiles and glucose. Heart rate and conventional 12-lead ECG were obtained at rest and during incremental treadmill exercise testing (XT). In addition, a 5-min resting 12-lead A-ECG was obtained in a subset of firefighters (n=18) and transmitted over a secure networked system to a physician collaborator at NASA for advanced-ECG analysis. This A-ECG system has been proven, using myocardial perfusion and other imaging, to accurately identify a number of cardiac pathologies including coronary artery disease (CAD), left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. RESULTS Subjects mean (SD) age was 43 (8) years, weight 91 (13) kg, and BMI of 28 (3) kg/square meter. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was 39 (9) ml/kg/min. This compares with the 45th %ile in healthy reference values and a recommended standard of 42 ml/kg/min for firefighters. The metabolic threshold (VO2Theta) above which lactate accumulates was 23 (8) ml/kg/min. The chronotropic index, a measure of cardiovascular strain during XT was 35 (8) /L compared with reference values for men of 40 /L. Total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C were 202 (34),126 (29), and 55 (15) mg/dl, respectively. Fifty-one percent of subjects had .3 cardiovascular risk factors, 2 subjects had resting hypertension (BP.140/90), and 23 had pre-hypertension (.120/80 but <140/90). Seven had exaggerated exercise induced hypertension but only one had ST depression on XT ECG, at least one positive A-ECG score for CAD, and documented CAD based on cardiology referral. While all other subjects, including those with fewer risk factors, higher aerobic fitness, and normal exercise ECGs, were classified as healthy by A-ECG, there was no trend for association between risk factors and any of 20 A-ECG parameters in the grouped data. CONCLUSIONS A-ECG screening correctly identified the individual with CAD although there was no trend for A-ECG parameters to distinguish those with elevated BP or multiple risk factors but normal XT ECG. We have demonstrated that a new technology, advanced-ECG, can be introduced for remote firefighter risk assessment. This simple, time and cost-effective approach to risk identification that can be acquired remotely and transmitted securely can detect individuals potentially at risk for line-of-duty death. Additional research is needed to further document its value.

Dolezal, B. A.↗

NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team Lunar Destination Activities

NASA's Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) Lunar Destination Team has been developing a number of "Design Reference Missions" (DRM) to inform exploration architecture development, transportation approaches, and destination elements and operations. There are four destinations being considered in the HAT studies: Cis-Lunar, Lunar, Near Earth Asteroids and Mars. The lunar destination includes all activities that occur on the moon itself, but not low lunar orbit operations or Earth Moon LaGrange points which are the responsibility of the HAT Cis-Lunar Team. This paper will review the various surface DRMs developed as representative scenarios that could occur in a human lunar return. The approaches have been divided into two broad categories: a seven day short stay mission with global capabilities and a longer extended duration stay of 28 days which is limited to the lunar poles as a landing zone. The surface elements, trade studies, traverses, concept of operations and other relevant issues and methodologies will be presented and discussed in the context and framework of the HAT ground rules and assumptions which are constrained by NASA's available transportation systems. An international collaborative effort based on the 2011 Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) will also be examined and evaluated.

Connolly, J. F.↗