Monthly Archives: March 2015

NASA tests virtual reality smart glasses for trip to Mars

Posted on by

NASA is testing virtual reality smart glasses that could one day help astronauts as they travel to an asteroid or even Mars.

NASA is testing virtual reality smart glasses that could one day help astronauts as they travel to an asteroid or even Mars.

The space agency is working with Osterhout Design Group (ODG), a San Francisco-based company that develops wearables for enterprises and government use. NASA engineers and astronauts are set to test the company's smart glasses, which are equipped with augmented reality and virtual reality technologies.

"The intended purpose and usefulness of glasses like this are unlimited," said Jay Bolden, a NASA spokesman, in an email to Computerworld. "Advanced glasses could aid in navigation, where cockpit displays are broadcast on the goggles in much the same way fighter pilot heads up displays operate today."

Bolden also noted that astronauts on a journey to an asteroid or Mars could use the smart glasses to access chart, map and technical information, instead of having to carry many pounds of technical journals and papers with them.

"For a two-hour flight on a 737 from Cleveland to Dallas, each pilot carries 15 pounds of manuals and that weight isn't really a big deal in the grand scheme," he noted. "However, for a multiple-week mission to an asteroid or the moon, or a multi-year mission to Mars, every pound saved means additional life-critical supplies -- food, water, oxygen, or fuel -- can be shipped in their place."

The smart glasses also could give more information to NASA engineers and scientists working on Earth.

"Real time applications also include the ability for ground support teams to see first hand what astronauts discover and video," Bolden said. "Instead of bringing a 50-pound boulder back for ground analysis, the astronaut can use glasses to scan, measure and catalog where it was found and then chip off a 5-pound sample for ground analysis."

Evaluating smart glasses isn't a new concept for U.S. agencies.

The U.S. Air Force last spring said it was testing Google Glass with pilots, battlefield coordinators and even medics parachuting into battlefield areas.

Go here to read the rest:

NASA tests virtual reality smart glasses for trip to Mars

NASA Straps 18 Propellers to a Wing, Because Science

Posted on by

Solar Impulse 2, the plane powered only by the sun, has dominated the electric aircraft news cycle recently, starting its 5-month, 20,000-mile journey around the world this month. But theyre not the only folks trying to build alternative, environmentally friendly ways to fly.

NASAs in the game, too, and is working on an experimental wing that could finally eliminate the massive advantage exploding jet fuel has over batteries when it comes to keeping planes in the sky. The key to this new design? It has 18 propellers, powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, mounted on a 31-foot wide carbon composite wing.

Its called the Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology project (LEAPTech), and while its not ready for flight yet, the team is going to test the experimental wing by mounting it to a truck and driving it across a dried up lakebed at Edwards Air Force base in California at 70 mph later this year. Revealed this week by NASA, its been in development since last year.

Its part of the agencys X-Plane program, which has developed advanced prototype airplanes for more than half a century. Planes developed in the program include the first rocket-powered airplane to break the sound barrier in 1947, and prototypes that were instrumental in the development of the Space Shuttle.

So whats up with the huge number of propellers? According to IEEE Spectrum, theyll blow wind directly over the wings to generate lift, so you want a whole bunch of them. Conventional planes rely solely on forward motion (often produced by a jet engine) to create lift. The LEAPTech way of doing things provides three big advantages: It should able to take off on shorter runways. The wing can be optimized for cruising efficiency rather than takeoff and landing. And each motor can run at a different speed (thats the asynchronous bit in the name) to optimize performance, ride quality, and noise reduction.

If the LEAPTech is indeed the basis for the new X-Plane, likely to be dubbed X-57, it should be able to fly at 200 mph with a 12,000 foot ceiling, with a range of 450 miles. But like with every X-Plane, the aircraft is just a vehicle for new technology: NASAs real goal is helping the aviation industry eventually go electric.

See original here:

NASA Straps 18 Propellers to a Wing, Because Science

This is how NASA tests its spacesuits

Posted on by

Engineers and technicians at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston tested the spacesuits astronauts will wear in the agencys Orion spacecraft on trips to deep space, March 17, 2015. NASA-Bill Stafford

When astronauts eventually get to Mars, they will need the right outfits.

Engineers and technicians at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston are currently testing the spacesuits that astronauts will wear in the agency's Orion spacecraft on trips to deep space. The Orion mission will carry astronauts further into space than they've ever been before, possibly to an asteroid, and one day to Mars.

16 Photos

From a modified flight suit to a Mars-ready protoype, the space suit has been the enduring hero in every mission to the outer reaches

In the photo above, taken March 17, members of the Johnson team completed a so-called Vacuum Pressure Integrated Suit Test to verify that the suit will meet the standards required to be worn aboard the Orion spacecraft, which was built to carry astronauts to deep space and back.

During the test, which was the first of four, the engineers suited up and entered an 11-foot chamber designed to simulate the vacuum environment experienced in the spacecraft. The suit was connected to life support systems and then the air was sucked out of the chamber.

The suit is a version of the launch and entry suits already worn by space shuttle astronauts, and will contain all the necessary functions to support life in the unlikely event the spacecraft loses pressure. It will also enable astronauts to leave their spacecraft for spacewalks.

In the most serious known incident ever encountered during a NASA spacewalk, on July 16, 2013, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano's helmet flooded with water, a near-fatal mishap. An investigation followed, which blamed the leak on a complex combination of factors that included a misunderstanding of the subtleties of the suit's operation in weightlessness.

In February, NASA astronaut Terry Virts returned from the second of three spacewalks with a small amount of water in his helmet. NASA had already delayed the start of the spacewalk to complete troubleshooting to ensure that the suits were in full working order.

Read this article:

This is how NASA tests its spacesuits

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #640 – 20 March 2015

Posted on by

Papers deriving from NASA support: 1 Mader TH, Gibson CR, Lee AG, Patel NB, Hart SF, Pettit DR. Unilateral loss of spontaneous venous pulsations in an astronaut. J Neuroophthalmol. 2015 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25756457 Note:ISS results. Journal Impact Factor:1.807 Funding:No funding cited. S.F. Hart and D.R. Pettit are at NASA Johnson Space Center. 2 LaVoy EC, Bollard CM, Hanley PJ, O'Connor DP, Lowder TW, Bosch JA, Simpson RJ. A single bout of dynamic exercise by healthy adults enhances the generation of monocyte-derived-dendritic cells. Cell Immunol. 2015 Feb 25;295(1):52-9. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25749006 PI:R.J. Simpson Journal Impact Factor:1.874 Funding:"This work was supported by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Grant (NNX12AB48G) to R.J. Simpson and University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences dissertation fellowship to E. LaVoy." 3 Ritchie LE, Sturino JM, Carroll RJ, Rooney LW, Azcarate-Peril MA, Turner ND. Polyphenol-rich sorghum brans alter colon microbiota and impact species diversity and species richness after multiple bouts of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2015 Jan 14. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25764457 PI:L.E. Ritchie, NSBRI Fellowship Program Journal Impact Factor:3.875 Funding:"Research support from United Sorghum Checkoff Program (Roo31A-09 and HVM006-12), and the NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant P30 DK34987. The work was also supported through a fellowship to Lauren Ritchie from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through NCC 9-58 (EO01001) and Whole Systems Genomics at Texas A&M University." 4 Laiakis EC, Trani D, Moon BH, Strawn SJ, Fornace AJ Jr. Metabolomic profiling of urine samples from mice exposed to protons reveals radiation quality and dose specific differences. Radiat Res. 2015 Mar 13. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25768838 PIs:A.J. Fornace, Jr./NSCOR; D. Trani, NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Journal Impact Factor:2.445 Funding: "This work was funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) grant PF019004 (P.I., DT) under NASA Cooperative Agreement #NCC 958, and NASA Grant NNX09AU95G (P.I., AJF Jr). The authors acknowledge the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource (PMSR), which are in part supported by Award Number P30CA051008 (P.I., LW) from the National Cancer Institute." 5 Slaker M, Churchill L, Todd RP, Blacktop JM, Zuloaga DG, Raber J, Darling RA, Brown TE, Sorg BA. Removal of perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex impairs the acquisition and reconsolidation of a cocaine-induced conditioned place preference memory. J Neurosci. 2015 Mar 11;35(10):4190-202. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25762666 PI:J. Raber Journal Impact Factor:6.747 Funding:"This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse DA030647 and DA033404 to B.A.S., National Institute on Drug Abuse T32DA007262 to D.G.Z. and Kim Neve, NASA NNJ12ZSA001N to J.R., and National Institutes of Health Centers Programs Grant P30GM103398-32128 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to T.E.B. and R.A.D." 6 Zeitzer JM. Real life trumps laboratory in matters of public health. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Mar 11. Epub [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25762078 and Chang AM, Czeisler CA. Reply to Zeitzer: Good science, in or out of the laboratory, should prevail. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25762077 PI:C.A. Czeisler Note:These letters refer to the article: Chang A, Aeschbach D, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jan 27;112(4):1232-7 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25535358), which appeared in Current Awareness List 630, January 9, 2015. Journal Impact Factor:9.809 Funding:From the original paper: "... C.A.C. was supported in part by NASA NNX10AF47G and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through NASA NCC 9-58." 7 Watson AB, Ahumada AJ. Letter identification and the Neural Image Classifier. J Vis. 2015 Feb 12;15(2). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25761333 Note:This article may be obtained online without charge. Journal Impact Factor:2.727 Funding:"This work supported by the NASA Space Human Factors Research Project WBS 466199." A.B. Watson and A.J. Ahumada are at NASA Ames Research Center. ______________________________________________________ Other papers of interest: 1 Herranz R, Valbuena MA, Youssef K, Medina FJ. Mechanisms of disruption of meristematic competence by microgravity inArabidopsisseedlings. Plant Signal Behav. 2014 Apr;9(4):e28289. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25764425 Note:ISS results as well as Random Positioning Machine and magnetic levitation studies are reviewed. 2 Mazars C, Brire C, Grat S, Pichereaux C, Rossignol M, Pereda-Loth V, Eche B, Boucheron-Dubuisson E, Le Disquet I, Medina FJ, Graziana A, Carnero-Diaz E. Microsome-associated proteome modifications ofArabidopsisseedlings grown on board the International Space Station reveal the possible effect on plants of space stresses other than microgravity. Plant Signal Behav. 2014 Sep;9(9):e29637. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763699 Note:ISS results. This article may be obtained online without charge. 3 Panic H, Panic AS, DiZio P, Lackner JR. Direction of balance and perception of the upright are perceptually dissociable. J Neurophysiol. 2015 Mar 11:jn.00737.2014. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25761954 4 Rozhkov VN, Belisheva NK, Martynova AA, Soroko SI. [Psychophysiological and cardiohemodynamic effects of solar, geomagnetic and meteorological factors in man living in Arctic area]. Fiziol Cheloveka. 2014 Jul-Aug;40(4):51-64. Russian. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25707219 5 Yang C, Gao Y, Greaves DK, Villar R, Beltrame T, Fraser KS, Hughson RL. Prior head-down tilt does not impair the cerebrovascular response to head-up tilt. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2015 Mar 6:jap.00871.2014. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25749443 Note:Head-down tilt study. 6 Just TP, Jendzjowsky NG, DeLorey DS. Hindlimb unweighting does not alter vasoconstrictor responsiveness and NO-mediated inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstriction. J Physiol. 2015 Mar 5. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25752721 Note:Hindlimb unloading study. 7 Homma T, Hamaoka T, Osada T, Murase N, Kime R, Kurosawa Y, Ichimura S, Esaki K, Nakamura F, Katsumura T. Once-weekly muscle endurance and strength training prevents deterioration of muscle oxidative function and attenuates the degree of strength decline during 3-week forearm immobilization. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Mar;115(3):555-63. Epub 2014 Oct 26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25344799 Note:Mid-biceps to mid-palm casts were used for immobilization. 8 Kim DY, Hong MJ, Park CS, Seo YW. The effects of chronic radiation of gamma ray on protein expression and oxidative stress inBrachypodium distachyon. Int J Radiat Biol. 2015 Mar 11:1-46. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25757902 9 Singh M, Gupta A, Laxmi A. Glucose and phytohormone interplay in controlling root directional growth inArabidopsis. Plant Signal Behav. 2014 Jul;9(7):e29219. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763496 10 Taniguchi M, Nakamura M, Tasaka M, Morita MT. Identification of gravitropic response indicator genes inArabidopsisinflorescence stems. Plant Signal Behav. 2014 Sep;9(9):e29570. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763694 Note:Seedlings were reoriented at 180 degrees for gravistimulation. This article may be obtained online without charge. 11 Tatsumi H, Toyota M, Furuichi T, Sokabe M. Calcium mobilizations in response to changes in the gravity vector inArabidopsisseedlings. Plant Signal Behav. 2014 Aug;9(8):e29099. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763612 Note:Studies reviewed used rotation of seedlings by 180 degrees, centrifugation, and parabolic flight for gravistimulation. 12 Keereetaweep J, Blancaflor EB, Hornung E, Feussner I, Chapman KD. Lipoxygenase derived 9-hydro(pero)xides of linoleoylethanolamide interact with ABA signaling to arrest root development duringArabidopsisseedling establishment. Plant J. 2015 Mar 9. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25752187 13 Naznin MT, Kitaya Y, Shibuya T, Endo R, Hirai H, Lefsrud MG. Ground based study on culturing garlic as a source of vegetable food and medicine in space - Growth and ajoene accumulation in garlic plants cultured with different CO2 regimes. Biol Sci Space. 2015;29:1-7. Epub 2015 Mar 17. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/bss Note:This article may be obtained online without charge. 14 Moulia B, Coutand C, Julien JL. Mechanosensitive control of plant growth: Bearing the load, sensing, transducing, and responding. Front Plant Sci. 2015;6:52. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25755656 Note:This article may be obtained online without charge. 15 Sharif-Naeini R. Contribution of mechanosensitive ion channels to somatosensation. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;131:53-71. Review. Epub 2015 Feb 10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25744670 16 Lavagnino M, Wall ME, Little D, Banes AJ, Guilak F, Arnoczky SP. Tendon mechanobiology: Current knowledge and future research opportunities. J Orthop Res. 2015 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print] Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763779 17 Lin TJ, Lu KW, Chen WH, Cheng CM, Lin YW. Roles of syndecan-4 and relative kinases in dorsal root ganglion neuron adhesion and mechanotransduction. Neurosci Lett. 2015 Mar 7;592:88-93. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25757361

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

More here:

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #640 - 20 March 2015

NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Nathan Crossing Cape York Peninsula

Posted on by

The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of Tropical Cyclone Nathan (18P) over Cape York Peninsula, Australia on March 20 at 04:05 UTC.Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Tropical Cyclone Nathan made landfall in eastern Queensland, Australia's Cape York Peninsula and was moving west across it when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead. The RapidScat instrument revealed that Nathan's strongest winds were south of the center before its landfall.

On March 19, from at 1:17 to 2:49 UTC, before landfall, the RapidScat instrument that flies aboard the International Space Station studied Nathan's winds. RapidScat data showed the strongest sustained winds reaching over 30 meters per second (108 kph/67 mph) were south of Cyclone Nathan's center. Winds in the other quadrants were not as strong.

Nathan made landfall on March 19 around 2200 UTC (6 p.m. EDT/March 20 at 4 a.m. local time Queensland) between Cape Flattery and Cape Melville on the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland.

The MODIS instrument aboard Aqua captured visible data on the storm that was used to create a picture of it at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The image was taken at 4:05 UTC (12:05 a.m. EDT) on March 20 and shows Nathan's clouds cover all of the Cape York Peninsula with the exception of the far northern tip. Bands of thunderstorms spiraled into the center of circulation from the south, where RapidScat had previously seen the storm's strongest winds. An eye was no longer visible as the friction encountered from landfall weakened the storm.

From March 19 at 1:17 to 2:49 UTC, RapidScat showed strongest sustained winds over 30 meters per second (in red) (108 kph/67 mph) south of Cyclone Nathan's center.Image Credit: NASA JPL, Doug Tyler

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings from Kowanyama to Aurukun, extending inland to Coen. A Tropical Cyclone Watch is in effect from Maningrida to Numbulwar.

At 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), Tropical Cyclone Nathan's maximum sustained winds were near 75 knots (86 mph/138.9 kph). It was located near 14.5 south latitude and 143.2 east longitude, about 208 nautical miles (293.4 miles/385.2 km) northwest of Cairns, Australia. At that time, Nathan was moving to the west at 9 knots (10.2 mph/16.6 kph).

Go here to see the original:

NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Nathan Crossing Cape York Peninsula

NASA ORION Program Manager to Visit Goddard

Posted on by

OnDec. 5, 2014, NASA's Orion spacecraft, the vehicle that will send astronauts to deep space destinations, underwent a rigorous uncrewed flight test that was supported by various teams at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center inGreenbelt, Maryland.

OnTuesday, March 24, 2015, Orion Program ManagerMark Geyerof NASA's Johnson Space Center,Houston, will visit NASA Goddard to meet and thank the teams for their efforts. Geyer will also have an opportunity to see some of Goddard's other current programs such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Satellite Servicing Robotics Laboratory.

As part of Geyer's visit to Goddard, a media opportunity for reporters to speak with him is planned for4:30 p.m. EDT.

Reporters who wish to participate in the Q&A opportunity need to make arrangements with Goddard's Office of Communications. Media representatives should contact Goddard's News ChiefEd Campionvia e-mail at:edward.s.campion@nasa.govor by phone at 301-286-0697 no later than 12 noon onTuesday, March 24to arrange accreditation and access to the center.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

Continued here:

NASA ORION Program Manager to Visit Goddard

NASA Provides Space Access for University Developed Experiments during March 27 Flight

Posted on by

NASA will fly six university experiments developed by undergraduate students from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia between 6:45 and 10 a.m., Friday, March 27. The experiments will examine technology development, microgravity science and the search for life in the upper atmosphere and near space during the suborbital mission, which will reach an altitude of nearly 94 nautical miles.

The experiments, which will fly aboard a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket, were developed through the RockSat-X program, a collaboration with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The back-up launch dates are March 28-30.

Participating universities in this flight are the University of Colorado, Boulder; Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho; the University of Puerto Rico; the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg.

Phil Eberspeaker, chief of the Sounding Rocket Program Office at Wallops, said, We are pleased to continue our collaboration with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium in providing students from institutions across the United States the ability to fly their experiments in space.

This is the fourth flight of RockSat-X experiments. The quality of the experiments developed by the students shows they are prepared for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, he said.

RockSat-X is the third tier in a multi-phase NASA program for providing flight experiences for community college and university students to improve their skills in developing experiments and payloads for spaceflight.

Tier One, called Rock-On, introduces students and instructors to payload development; Tier Two, RockSat-C, then allows them to build on this learning experience developing an experiment for flight.

Chris Koehler, director of the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, said, RockSat-X is a great way for college students to put their experiments into space, giving them an experience that will help them in their future STEM-related careers.

The University of Puerto Rico has participated in the three past RockSat-X launches, in addition to participating in the Rock-On and RockSat-C programs dating back to 2008.

See the article here:

NASA Provides Space Access for University Developed Experiments during March 27 Flight

NNI publishes workshop report assessing the status of EHS risk science

Posted on by

Report examines progress 3 years after the release of the 2011 NNI EHS Research Strategy

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) today published the report from the workshop, "Stakeholder Perspectives on Perception, Assessment, and Management of the Potential Risks of Nanotechnology" (R3 Workshop), which was held September 10-11, 2013, in Washington, D.C. The goal of the workshop was to assess the status of nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risk science three years after the development of the 2011 NNI EHS Research Strategy and to identify the tools and best practices used by risk assessors to address the implications of nanotechnology. A wide range of stakeholders including Federal and State regulators, small and large businesses, insurance companies, academic researchers, occupational safety specialists, and public and environmental advocacy groups shared their perspectives on the risk management process; discussed strategies and approaches for improving risk science methods; and examined ways that NNI agencies can assist stakeholders in the responsible development of nanotechnology.

Stakeholders participating in the workshop presented their perspectives and methods used to assess and manage the potential risks of nanotechnology. Research presented at the workshop shows that technical risk data alone will not enable decisions; risk evaluations by different stakeholders with varying biases, values, and stances can affect the perceptions and behaviors (e.g., investment or personal safety decisions) of consumers, regulators, developers, manufacturers, and insurers.

Following a robust dialogue among participants, including a variety of stakeholder perspectives, participants identified needs in four areas. (The following list is not prioritized):

###

To view the full report, please visit http://www.nano.gov/R3report.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Read more:

NNI publishes workshop report assessing the status of EHS risk science

Cavitation Technologies Receives Nano Reactor System Trial for Canada

Posted on by

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2015

Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTi) (OTCBB:CVAT); announced today that the Desmet Ballestra Group, CTi's strategic partner since 2010 and licensee of the company's vegetable oil refining technology, has entered into a new system trial agreement with a canola oil refinery in Canada. This oil refinery processes approximately 500MTPD of canola oil and Desmet anticipates system installation in the first quarter of CTis fiscal year 2016.

With system installations in soy refineries worldwide, this order marks CTis first system trial in canola oil and provides a new business opportunity for companys line of products in edible oil processing and refining.

Roman Gordon, companys CTO comments, We are very excited to have a system trial at canola processing refinery. Furthermore, this system trial comes from a repeat customer in North America. This customer had an opportunity to evaluate significant benefits that our technology brings in soy oil refining and chose to install our system at their canola refining plant. Our invaluable relationship with our licensee, the Desmet Ballestra Group, provides our company with very strong business partnership with global technology leader."

About CTI Founded in 2007, the company designs and manufactures state-of-the-art, flow-through, robust devices and systems and develops processing technologies for use in edible oil refining, renewable fuel production, expeditious petroleum upgrading, algal oil extraction, alcoholic beverage enhancement and water treatment. As an add-on to existing neutralization systems, the company's patented Nano-Reactor allows refiners to significantly reduce both processing costs and the environmental impact, by substantially reducing chemical consumption while also increasing the oil yield. More information is available at http://www.ctinanotech.com/.

About Desmet Ballestra Group The Desmet Ballestra Group is a world leader in the fields of engineering and supply of plants and equipment for the oils, fats, animal feed industries, detergents, surfactants and related chemical industries and the oleo-chemical and biodiesel industries. Desmet Ballestra possesses a great worldwide reputation, thanks to over 60 years of experience, a significant R&D capacity and the most extensive customer base in the industry. The company has sales and engineering offices in 15 countries. In May 2011, the Company signed licensing agreement with Desmet and since then Desmet has marketed and installed CTis Nano-Reactor systems in edible vegetable oil refineries around the world. In May of 2012, CTi signed a global R&D, Marketing and Technology License Agreement with Desmet, which gives CTi the flexibility to pursue new research and applications while Desmet, markets CTis technology to major clients around the world. More information is available at http://www.desmetballestra.com/ .

Forward Looking Statement The foregoing press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding, among other things, about the expectation of CTI's future business. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, among others, the state of the economy, the competitive environment, and the Company's performance. In light of these risks and uncertainties there can be no assurances that the forward looking statements contained in this press release will in fact transpire or prove to be accurate.

Contact

Cavitation Technologies, Inc: Jessica Steidinger Jessica(at)ctinanotech(dot)com (818) 718-0905

Original post:

Cavitation Technologies Receives Nano Reactor System Trial for Canada

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company: Engineered to Perfection

Posted on by

Short Circuit Stout, Wheatstone Bridge, and Ampere Amber are three of the craft beers on tap at a micro-brewery owned by threemaybe you guessed who already?--electrical engineers.

St. Paul, MNIt was during one of many Happy Hours involving beer that electrical engineers Jake Johnson, Jeff Moriarty, and George Kellerman decided to take the plunge and start their own open source craft brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The electrical-engineering themed brewery's robot logo and wall mural (shown here) were created by artist Ben Courneya.

That was back in 2010, but their interest in craft beers had been brewing ever since earning BSEEs from the University of Minnesota in 2006. Moriarty and Johnson started home brewing the summer after graduation, using extract kits on the kitchen stove. I also took my first trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland at that time and was able to experience all their delicious beers, said Moriarty. I just really liked all the flavors of craft beer.

Once the idea of starting a brewery had moved past the dreaming-about-it-stage, Moriarty and Johnson scaled that home brew operation to a 1/2bbl (15.5 gallons or 1 keg) pilot nano brewery, complete with all the equipment of a larger, commercial brewery.

The micro brewery offers tours of the brew process (complete with all the technical details an engineer could ever want), along with beer tastings in its taproom.

The teams engineering skills proved instrumental in getting the business off the ground, with a minimum of burps in the process. "A significant aspect of engineering is learning how to think and analyze data, which was a huge help to us in launching the business, especially as brewing is very numbers-intensive, said Moriarty.

Engineering also teaches you how to accomplish tasks with a risk-based approach as well as completing tasks and trials in discrete, small iterations as well as using process control., he added. Both are vital when it comes to designing and consistently producing a beer.

The biggest challenge for the team was raising the necessary capital for their startup. Breweries are very capital-intensive businesses, and Moriarty said that being a young team meant it took a lot of time to convince people to invest money in the startup.

Describing the fund-raising as an unpleasant and difficult period, Moriarty said that he and is co-founders made wise use of the time refining their plans and working on the beers. When you are so passionate about something and know it can be a success, it becomes an emotional roller coaster trying to raise the money you need, he said.

See more here:

Tin Whiskers Brewing Company: Engineered to Perfection

If this kind of performance is what you get after six months of dedicated planning, then less planning sounds good to …

Posted on by

This was a salutary defeat. This, surely, is the end for psychobabble and over-professionalism, a full stop to mark the end of overcoaching and joylessly prescriptive planning. It is time for Englands cricketers to put bat to ball, to react to the situation and not genuflect to the tactics manual. It is time to play once again. If this is what you get after six months of dedicated planning, then less planning sounds good to me.

Here is one possible summary of this disastrous World Cup: They found ever more stones to upturn, each less relevant than thelast. Lauded for their professionalism, they snuffed out the last glimpses of play (from a game, lets remember) . . . The resulting atmosphere: anxious, dutiful, earnest, fearful and highly professional. Too little in evidence: fun, naturalness, mischief, adventure, lightness, wit and maverick independence.

Only it was written in prospect, not retrospect by me, in this very space, 13 months ago. Since then, the same script has played out in full. Now, please, for the change.

New errors have been added, it is true. When England sacked Alastair Cook as one-day captain at the eleventh hour, it was almost universally praised as the right decision. I disagreed. There is a time when youve thrown your lot in with someone, and for this World Cup England had done that with Cook.

In seeking to avoid one problem Cooks batting form they ended up creating twoproblems. The discarded Cook, back at home, is deeply hurt. Eoin Morgan, adrift in totally uncharted waters as captain, may end up feeling he has been used. The adjectives streetwise and positive were hopeful to the point of neglectful naivety. Ifopting for Morgan was a sop to media pressure, it was disgraceful.

Selection was a shambles. On the eve of the opening game, they abandoned one of the few things that was working the form of James Taylor at number three. Instead, Gary Ballance was plucked from the subs bench. He is now needlessly scarred by having played in an ill-fated World Cup for which he had little preparation.

It is impossible not to feel sorry for Morgan, especially as his native Ireland have played much better than England at the World Cup. Morgan, like Ed Joyce before him, pursued a career as an England player because Ireland are held back by a lack of fixtures and opportunities. Watching a revitalised Joyce now back in Irish green chalkup elegant runs for his home team, its obvious how deeply he cares about the cricketing culture that produced him. You now wonder how Morgan, who may be tempted by the life of a roving Twenty20 specialist, will react to this bruising World Cup experience.

Having invented T20, England have engineered a situation where they squandered the advantages of being the pioneer. The best T20 leagues are the Indian Premier League and Australias Big Bash League. It is simply impossible to produce cricket at that level in a league of 18 counties the talent is diluted too weakly. Everyone knows this is a fact. When we shared a dressing room at Middlesex in 2008, I saw Morgan shake his head in disbelief at the ECBs refusal to set a franchise-based T20 league. He was right.

There is a brain drain in English cricket. The better thinkers rarely return to the game, whether as coaches or as administrators. After the defeat, viewers watched Andrew Strauss, Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain, three thoughtful former England captains, dissect the performance. Forgive my hypocrisy, but it seems a shame that the media are almost universally considered far more attractive than the coalface.

The pull of television is compounded by the push of the county grind. Top Australian ex-players such as Justin Langer, Stuart Law and Darren Lehmann have all recently coached at state level in Australia. It is much rarer for people of such distinction to enter coaching in county cricket. The prospect of a never-ending road trip around 18 counties works against recruiting top talent. When Peter Moores was reappointed as England coach a year ago, the striking feature was the unspectacular quality of the shortlist. Moores is a decent, hard-working enthusiast, probably the best of his type. It remains very unclear that his type is good enough.

Originally posted here:

If this kind of performance is what you get after six months of dedicated planning, then less planning sounds good to ...