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At least 685 records · Page 38

Bioengineered anterior cruciate ligament

The present invention provides a method for producing an anterior cruciate ligament ex vivo. The method comprises seeding pluripotent stem cells in a three dimensional matrix, anchoring the seeded matrix by attachment to two anchors, and culturing the cells within the matrix under conditions appropriate for cell growth and regeneration, while subjecting the matrix to one or more mechanical forces via movement of one or both of the attached anchors. Bone marrow stromal cells are preferably used as the pluripotent cells in the method. Suitable matrix materials are materials to which cells can adhere, such as a gel made from collagen type I. Suitable anchor materials are materials to which the matrix can attach, such as Goinopra coral and also demineralized bone. Optimally, the mechanical forces to which the matrix is subjected mimic mechanical stimuli experienced by an anterior cruciate ligament in vivo. This is accomplished by delivering the appropriate combination of tension, compression, torsion, and shear, to the matrix. The bioengineered ligament which is produced by this method is characterized by a cellular orientation and/or matrix crimp pattern in the direction of the applied mechanical forces, and also by the production of collagen type I, collagen type III, and fibronectin proteins along the axis of mechanical load produced by the mechanical forces. Optimally, the ligament produced has fiber bundles which are arranged into a helical organization. The method for producing an anterior cruciate ligament can be adapted to produce a wide range of tissue types ex vivo by adapting the anchor size and attachment sites to reflect the size of the specific type of tissue to be produced, and also adapting the specific combination of forces applied, to mimic the mechanical stimuli experienced in vivo by the specific type of tissue to be produced. The methods of the present invention can be further modified to incorporate other stimuli experienced in vivo by the particular developing tissue, some examples of the stimuli being chemical stimuli, and electro-magnetic stimuli. Some examples of tissue which can be produced include other ligaments in the body (hand, wrist, elbow, knee), tendon, cartilage, bone, muscle, and blood vessels.

Altman, Gregory↗

NASA Microgravity Materials Science Conference

The Microgravity Materials Science Conference was held June 10-11, 1996 at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, AL. It was organized by the Microgravity Materials Science Discipline Working Group, sponsored by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division at NASA Headquarters, and hosted by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Alliance for Microgravity Materials Science and Applications (AMMSA). It was the second NASA conference of this type in the microgravity materials science discipline. The microgravity science program sponsored approximately 80 investigations and 69 principal investigators in FY96, all of whom made oral or poster presentations at this conference. The conference's purpose was to inform the materials science community of research opportunities in reduced gravity in preparation for a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) scheduled for release in late 1996 by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division at NASA Headquarters. The conference was aimed at materials science researchers from academia, industry, and government. A tour of the MSFC microgravity research facilities was held on June 12, 1996. This volume is comprised of the research reports submitted by the principal investigators after the conference and presentations made by various NASA microgravity science managers.

Szofran, Frank R.↗

A New Direction for NASA Materials Science Research Using the International Space Station

NASA recently created a fifth Strategic Enterprise, the Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR), to bring together physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to foster interdisciplinary research. The Materials Science Program is one of five Microgravity Research disciplines within this new enterprise's Division of Physical Sciences Research. The Materials Science Program will participate within this new enterprise structure in order to facilitate effective use of ISS facilities, target scientific and technology questions and transfer scientific and technology results for Earth benefits. The Materials Science research will use a low gravity environment for flight and ground-based research in crystallization, fundamental processing, properties characterization, and biomaterials in order to obtain fundamental understanding of various phenomena effects and relationships to the structures, processing, and properties of materials. Completion of the International Space Station's (ISS) first major assembly, during the past year, provides new opportunities for on-orbit research and scientific utilization. Accommodations will support a variety of Materials Science payload hardware both in the US and international partner modules with emphasis on early use of Express Rack and Glovebox facilities. This paper addresses the current scope of the flight investigator program. These investigators will use the various capabilities of the ISS to achieve their research objectives. The type of research and classification of materials being studied will be addressed. This includes the recent emphasis being placed on nanomaterials and biomaterials type research. Materials Science Program will pursue a new, interdisciplinary approach, which contributes, to Human Space Flight Exploration research. The Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and other related American and International experiment modules will serve as the foundation for this research. Discussion will be included to explain the changing concept for materials science research processing capabilities aboard the ISS along with the various ground facilities necessary to support the program. Finally, the paper will address the initial utilization schedule and strategy for the various materials science payloads including their corresponding hardware.

Schlagheck, Ronald↗

Microspheres for laser velocimetry in high temperature wind tunnel

The introduction of non-intrusive measurement techniques in wind tunnel experimentation has been a turning point in error free data acquisition. Laser velocimetry has been progressively implemented and utilized in various wind tunnels; e.g. subsonic, transonic, and supersonic. The success of the laser velocimeter technique is based on an accurate measurement of scattered light by seeding particles introduced into the flow stream in the wind tunnel. Therefore, application of appropriate seeding particles will affect, to a large extent the acquired data. The seeding material used depends on the type of experiment being run. Among the seeding material for subsonic tunnel are kerosene, Kaolin, and polystyrene. Polystyrene is known to be the best because of being solid particles, having high index of refraction, capable of being made both spherical and monodisperse. However for high temperature wind tunnel testing seeding material must have an additional characteristic that is high melting point. Typically metal oxide powders such as Al2O3 with melting point 3660 F are used. The metal oxides are, however polydispersed, have a high density, and a tendency to form large agglomerate that does not closely follow the flow velocity. The addition of flame phase silica to metal oxide helps to break up the agglomerates, yet still results in a narrow band of polydispersed seeding. The less desirable utility of metal oxide in high temperature wind tunnels necessitates the search for a better alternative particle seeding which this paper addresses. The Laser Velocimetry (LV) characteristic of polystyrene makes it a prime candidate as a base material in achieving the high temperature particle seeding inexpensively. While polystyrene monodisperse seeding particle reported has been successful in a subsonic wind tunnel, it lacks the high melting point and thus is not practically usable in a high temperature wind tunnel. It is well known that rise in melting point of polystyrene can be achieved by a cross-linking technique. Since polystyrene already possesses all the desired characteristics for LV, to circumvent the low melting point, a cross-linking technique was investigated.

Ghorieshi, Anthony↗

Hydrogen environment embrittlement

Hydrogen embrittlement is classified into three types: internal reversible hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen reaction embrittlement, and hydrogen environment embrittlement. Characteristics of and materials embrittled by these types of hydrogen embrittlement are discussed. Hydrogen environment embrittlement is reviewed in detail. Factors involved in standardizing test methods for detecting the occurrence of and evaluating the severity of hydrogen environment embrittlement are considered. The effect of test technique, hydrogen pressure, purity, strain rate, stress concentration factor, and test temperature are discussed. Additional research is required to determine whether hydrogen environment embrittlement and internal reversible hydrogen embrittlement are similar or distinct types of embrittlement.

Gray, H. R.↗

Hydrogen environment embrittlement.

Hydrogen embrittlement is classified into three types: internal reversible hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen reaction embrittlement, and hydrogen environment embrittlement. Characteristics of and materials embrittled by these types of hydrogen embrittlement are discussed. Hydrogen environment embrittlement is reviewed in detail. Factors involved in standardizing test methods for detecting the occurrence of and evaluating the severity of hydrogen environment embrittlement are considered. The effects of test technique, hydrogen pressure, purity, strain rate, stress concentration factor, and test temperature are discussed.

Gray, H. R.↗

On the primordial condensation and accretion environment and the remanent magnetization of meteorites

In the context of various models for the early evolution of a solar nebula, the possible roles assigned to ambient magnetic fields and the paleointensities required to establish the stable natural remanent magnetization observed in meteorites, are discussed. It is suggested that the record of paleofields present during condensation, growth, and accumulation of grains is likely to have been preserved as chemical or thermochemical remanence in unaltered meteoritic material. Fine particle theories appear adequate for treating meteoritic remanence, if models based on corresponding types of permanent magnet materials, e.g., powder ferrites for chondrites and diffusion hardened alloys for iron meteorites, are adopted.

Brecher, A.↗

Testing for hydrogen environment embrittlement - Experimental variables

Hydrogen embrittlement is classified into three types: internal reversible hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen reaction embrittlement, and hydrogen environment embrittlement. Characteristics of and materials embrittled by these types of hydrogen embrittlement are discussed. Hydrogen environment embrittlement is reviewed in detail. Factors involved in standardizing test methods for detecting the occurrence of and evaluating the severity of hydrogen environment embrittlement are considered. The effects of test technique, hydrogen pressure, gas purity, strain rate, stress concentration factor, and test temperature are discussed.

Gray, H. R.↗

Evaluation available encapsulation materials for low-cost long-life silicon photovoltaic arrays

Experimental evaluation of selected encapsulation designs and materials based on an earlier study which have potential for use in low cost, long-life photovoltaic arrays are reported. The performance of candidate materials and encapsulated cells were evaluated principally for three types of encapsulation designs based on their potentially low materials and processing costs: (1) polymeric coatings, transparent conformal coatings over the cell with a structural-support substrate; (2) polymeric film lamination, cells laminated between two films or sheets of polymeric materials; and (3) glass-covered systems, cells adhesively bonded to a glass cover (superstrate) with a polymeric pottant and a glass or other substrate material. Several other design types, including those utilizing polymer sheet and pottant materials, were also included in the investigation.

Carmichael, D. C.↗

Spectral and Total Normal Emittance of Reusable Surface Insulation Materials

Measurements of spectral and total normal emittance have been made on three types of reusable external insulation materials proposed for space shuttles. Emittances were measured in the spectral range 1 to 15 micrometer at temperatures of 800 K and 1100 K using a radiometric measurement technique. Results indicated that the total normal emittance of these materials was less than 0.8 between 800 K and 1300 K. The total normal emittance decreased with increasing temperature. The three ceramic coating candidate materials exhibited a similar spectral emittance distribution.

Kantsios, A. G.↗

Extraterrestrial materials processing

The first year results of a multi-year study of processing extraterrestrial materials for use in space are summarized. Theoretically, there are potential major advantages to be derived from the use of such materials for future space endeavors. The types of known or postulated starting raw materials are described including silicate-rich mixed oxides on the Moon, some asteroids and Mars; free metals in some asteroids and in small quantities in the lunar soil; and probably volatiles like water and CO2 on Mars and some asteroids. Candidate processes for space materials are likely to be significantly different from their terrestrial counterparts largely because of: absence of atmosphere; lack of of readily available working fluids; low- or micro-gravity; no carbon-based fuels; readily available solar energy; and severe constraints on manned intervention. The extraction of metals and oxygen from lunar material by magma electrolysis or by vapor/ion phase separation appears practical.

Steurer, W. H.↗

Thermal Protection Materials Technology for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate

To fulfill the President s Vision for Space Exploration - successful human and robotic missions between the Earth and other solar system bodies in order to explore their atmospheres and surfaces - NASA must reduce trip time, cost, and vehicle weight so that payload and scientific experiment capabilities are maximized. As a collaboration among NASA Centers, this project will generate products that will enable greater fidelity in mission/vehicle design trade studies, support risk reduction for material selections, assist in optimization of vehicle weights, and provide the material and process templates for development of human-rated qualification and certification Thermal Protection System (TPS) plans. Missions performing aerocapture, aerobraking, or direct aeroentry rely on technologies that reduce vehicle weight by minimizing the need for propellant. These missions use the destination planet s atmosphere to slow the spacecraft. Such mission profiles induce heating environments on the spacecraft that demand thermal protection heatshields. This program offers NASA essential advanced thermal management technologies needed to develop new lightweight nonmetallic TPS materials for critical thermal protection heatshields for future spacecraft. Discussion of this new program (a December 2004 new start) will include both initial progress made and a presentation of the work to be preformed over the four-year life of the program. Additionally, the relevant missions and environments expected for Exploration Systems vehicles will be presented, along with discussion of the candidate materials to be considered and of the types of testing to be performed (material property tests, space environmental effects tests, and Earth and Mars gases arc jet tests).

Valentine, Peter G.↗

Environmentally compatible hand wipe cleaning solvents

Several solvents of environmental concern have previously been used for hand wipe cleaning of SRB surfaces, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, perchloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and MEK. USBI determined the major types of surfaces involved, and qualification requirements of replacement cleaning agents. Nineteen environmentally compatible candidates were tested on 33 material substrates with 26 types of potential surface contaminants, involving over 7,000 individual evaluations. In addition to the cleaning performance evaluation, bonding, compatibility, and corrosion tests were conducted. Results showed that one cleaner was not optimum for all surfaces. In most instances, some of the candidates cleaned better than the 1,1,1-trichloroethane baseline control. Aqueous cleaners generally cleaned better, and were more compatible with nonmetallic materials, such as paints, plastics, and elastomers. Organic base cleaners were better on metal surfaces. Five cleaners have been qualified and are now being implemented in SRB hand wipe cleaning operations.

Clayton, Catherine P.↗

Modeling of the Thermoelectric Properties of p-Type IrSb(sub 3)

IrSb(sub 3) is a compound of the skutterudite family of materials now being investigated at JPL. A combination of experimental and theoretical approaches has been recently applied at JPL to evaluate the potential of several thermoelectric materials such as n-type and p-type Si(sub 80) Ge(sub 20) alloys, n-type and p-type Bi(sub 2) Te(sub 3)-based alloys and p-type Ru(sub 2) Ge(sub 3) compound. The use of a comprehensive model for the thermal and electrical transport properties of a given material over its full temperature range of usefulness is a powerful tool for guiding experimental optimization of the composition, temperature and doping level as well as for predicting the maximum ZT value likely to be achieved.

skutterudite thermoelectric material thermoelectri↗

A comparison of two rocket borne Langmuir probes having electrodes of different materials

The behavior of two types of Langmuir probes, one with electrodes made of low-sulfur stainless steel and one with electrodes made of aluminum coated with Aquadag, has been compared on two rocket flights. Each rocket payload included one Langmuir probe of each type. The electron temperatures measured with the stainless-steel electrodes were about 15% higher than the electron temperatures measured with the Aquadag-coated electrodes at 150 km on ascent and about 10% higher at 180 km. These results imply that the use of Aquadag coated electrodes or electrodes of other carefully chosen materials permits greater reliability in the measurement of electron temperatures in the ionosphere by the Langmuir probe technique.

Schutz, S. R.↗

Development of high reliability, high frequency power conditioning models of converter regulators

High efficiency conversion, regulation, and filtering techniques are discussed for power using high conversion frequencies; i.e., in the order of 1 to 5 MHz for converters having total output power capability in the order of 20 watts and 200 to 500 KHz for converters having total output powers in excess of 200 watts. Work centered on areas of component selection, material selection, optimization of the various types of circuits required, and the selection of materials for and design of magnetic components. These techniques were then applied to the design of two sample converters, one a medium power instrument type converter and the second a high power converter representative of a primary spacecraft converter regulator. The configuration and performance of the two converters is reported and discussed.

Rochussen, A. W.↗