Topic

An efficient bit-interleaving algorithm for a turbo encoder differs from prior such algorithms in that it does not require memory to store permutation mappings and can work with constituent decoders that produce multiple bit reliabilities per decoding stage. The algorithm can be implemented in...

This new generalized approach to prognostics can provide an automated early failure prediction of an engineering system or its components, often in time to prevent occurrence of hard failures. This approach has been demonstrated in a proof-of-concept software prototype, shown to accurately...

Cool Polymers Xyloy™ is an injection-molded zinc/aluminum alloy processed in conventional plastic injection-molding equipment and molds. The Xyloy technology enables 3D netshaped metal parts right from the mold. Xyloy requires no carriers or binders, and — unlike die-cast metal parts — imposes no...

Kimberly-Clark Inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture conductive papers, tissues, and nonwovens open new areas for resistively heated and disposable electronic consumer goods. The technology allows electric and electronic features previously too expensive for disposables to be built into...

A company seeks unique materials to add to lip products for new lip sensations and experiences (such as cooling, warming, numbing, tingling, and flavors), solutions that can impart prolonged sensate experiences, and solutions that can impart not-yet-known sensations. Products should meet the following...

A company seeks to protect the surface of an aluminum product when exposed to the harsh alkaline environment inside a dishwasher. The product currently has a hard-anodized surface to protect against abrasion. The company seeks to avoid an exterior coating that can be abraded away....

Digital radiography makes use of Xray detectors that yield a radiographic image of the object or patient between the X-ray source and the detector. Tools have been developed to assess the image quality characteristics of radiation images. One tool is an edge phantom, placed between source and...

Oral mucosal drug delivery is an alternative method of systemic drug delivery that offers several advantages over both injectable and enteral methods. Since the oral mucosa is highly vascularised, drugs that are absorbed through the oral mucosa directly enter the systemic circulation,...

A novel analytical technology characterizes liquids for healthcare applications. As a drop of liquid evaporates on a vibrating quartz sensor, it undergoes distinctive phase changes representing the unique chemical and physical characteristics of the sample. This unique “fingerprint”...

A constant-force resistive exercise unit (CFREU) has been invented for use in both normal gravitational and microgravitational environments. In comparison with a typical conventional exercise machine, this CFREU weighs less and is less bulky: Whereas weight plates and associated bulky supporting structures...

Fluorogenic cell-based sensor systems for detecting microbes (especially pathogenic ones) and some toxins and allergens are undergoing development. These systems harness the natural signal-transduction and amplification cascades that occur in mast cells upon activation with antigens. These...

As the number of investigational and approved vaccines continues to increase, the frequency of vaccinations will soon reach a practical limit. The development of combination vaccines is a common practice that addresses the concern of repeated visits to the clinic by reducing the total number of...

A graphical-user-interface (GUI) computer program has been developed to facilitate research on the damage caused by highly energetic particles and photons impinging on living organisms. The program brings together, into one computational workspace, computer codes that have been...

A lab-on-a-chip was developed that is capable of extracting biochemical indicators from urine samples and generating their surface-enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) so that the indicators can be quantified and identified. The development was motivated by the need to monitor and assess the effects of extended weightlessness,...

This design of the liquid-cooling garment for NASA spacesuits allows the suit to remove metabolic heat from the human body more effectively, thereby increasing comfort and performance while reducing system mass. The garment is also more flexible, with fewer restrictions on...