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Chen, Feng

Publications and source records attributed to Chen, Feng.

At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

CORONAL HEATING BY THE INTERACTION BETWEEN EMERGING ACTIVE REGIONS AND THE QUIET SUN OBSERVED BY THE SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY

The question of what heats the solar corona remains one of the most important puzzles in solar physics and astrophysics. Here we report Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations of coronal heating by the interaction between emerging active regions (EARs) and the surrounding quiet Sun (QS). The EARs continuously interact with the surrounding QS, resulting in dark ribbons which appear at the boundary of the EARs and the QS. The dark ribbons visible in extreme-ultraviolet wavelengths propagate away from the EARs with speeds of a few km s{sup −1}. The regions swept by the dark ribbons are brightening afterward, with the mean temperature increasing by one quarter. The observational findings demonstrate that uninterrupted magnetic reconnection between EARs and the QS occurs. When the EARs develop, the reconnection continues. The dark ribbons may be the track of the interface between the reconnected magnetic fields and the undisturbed QS’s fields. The propagating speed of the dark ribbons reflects the reconnection rate and is consistent with our numerical simulation. A long-term coronal heating which occurs in turn from nearby the EARs to far away from the EARs is proposed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

pH and Amphiphilic Structure Direct Supramolecular Behavior in Biofunctional Assemblies

Supramolecular self-assembly offers promising new ways to control nanostructure morphology and respond to external stimuli. A pH-sensitive self-assembled system was developed to both control nanostructure shape and respond to the acidic microenvironment of tumors using self-assembling peptide amphiphiles (PAs). Here, by incorporating an oligo-histidine H 6 sequence, we developed two PAs that self-assembled into distinct morphologies on the nanoscale, either as nanofibers or spherical micelles, based on the incorporation of the aliphatic tail on the N-terminus or near the C-terminus, respectively. Both cylinder and sphere-forming PAs demonstrated reversible disassembly between pH 6.0 and 6.5 upon protonation of the histidine residues in acidic solutions. These PAs were then characterized and assessed for their potential to encapsulate hydrophobic chemotherapies. The H 6 -based nanofiber assemblies encapsulated camptothecin (CPT) with up to 60% efficiency, a 7-fold increase in CPT encapsulation relative to spherical micelles. Additionally, pH-sensitive nanofibers showed improved tumor accumulation over both spherical micelles and nanofibers that did not change morphologies in acidic environments. We have demonstrated that the morphological transitions upon changes in pH of supramolecular nanostructures affect drug encapsulation and tumor accumulation. Lastly, our findings also suggest that these supramolecular events can be tuned by molecular design to improve the pharmacologic properties of nanomedicines.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Controllable underwater anisotropic oil-wetting

This Letter demonstrates a simple method to achieve underwater anisotropic oil-wetting using silicon surfaces with a microgroove array produced by femtosecond laser ablation. The oil contact angles along the direction perpendicular to the grooves are consistently larger than those parallel to the microgroove arrays in water because the oil droplet is restricted by the energy barrier that exists between the non-irradiated domain and the trapped water in the laser-ablated microgrooves. This underwater anisotropic oil-wetting is able to be controlled, and the anisotropy can be tuned from 0° to ∼20° by adjusting the period of the microgroove arrays.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanorods using pyridoxal-5′-phosphate as a phosphorus source

Graphical abstract: Hydroxyapatite nanorods are synthesized using biocompatible biomolecule pyridoxal-5′-phosphate as a new organic phosphorus source by the hydrothermal method. - Highlights: • Hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanorods is reported. • Biocompatible pyridoxal-5′-phosphate is used as an organic phosphorus source. • This method is simple, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly. - Abstract: Hydroxyapatite nanorods are synthesized by the hydrothermal method using biocompatible biomolecule pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP) as a new organic phosphorus source. In this method, PLP biomolecules are hydrolyzed to produce phosphate ions under hydrothermal conditions, and these phosphate ions react with pre-existing calcium ions to form hydroxyapatite nanorods. The effects of experimental conditions including hydrothermal temperature and time on the morphology and crystal phase of the products are investigated. This method is simple, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly. The products are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Methane yield phenotypes linked to differential gene expression in the sheep rumen microbiome

Ruminant livestock represent the single largest anthropogenic source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is generated by methanogenic archaea residing in ruminant digestive tracts. While differences between individual animals of the same breed in the amount of methane produced have been observed, the basis for this variation remains to be elucidated. To explore the mechanistic basis of this methane production, we measured methane yields from 22 sheep, which revealed that methane yields are a reproducible, quantitative trait. Deep metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing demonstrated a similar abundance of methanogens and methanogenesis pathway genes in high and low methane emitters. However, transcription of methanogenesis pathway genes was substantially increased in sheep with high methane yields. These results identify a discrete set of rumen methanogens whose methanogenesis pathway transcription profiles correlate with methane yields and provide new targets for CH4 mitigation at the levels of microbiota composition and transcriptional regulation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2014

Parametric Trace Slicing

A program trace is obtained and events of the program trace are traversed. For each event identified in traversing the program trace, a trace slice of which the identified event is a part is identified based on the parameter instance of the identified event. For each trace slice of which the identified event is a part, the identified event is added to an end of a record of the trace slice. These parametric trace slices can be used in a variety of different manners, such as for monitoring, mining, and predicting.

Rosu, Grigore↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energies, fine structure, and radiative transitions of the high-lying core-excited states {sup 6}S{sup e,o}(n) and {sup 6}P{sup e,o}(n) (n=1–5) for the boron isoelectronic sequence

The Rayleigh–Ritz variation method using a multiconfiguration interaction wavefunction is carried out on the high-lying core-excited states {sup 6}S{sup e,o}(n) and {sup 6}P{sup e,o}(n) (n=1–5) for the boron isoelectronic sequence (Z=6–10), including mass polarization and relativistic corrections. Energy levels, fine structure, transition rates, and transition wavelengths for this system are calculated. Some energy levels of the high-n states are reported for the first time. Wavelengths of the electric-dipole transitions from these core-excited sextet states with quantum electro-dynamical effects and higher-order relativistic corrections are included. The lifetimes of the 1s2s2p{sup 2}3p{sup 6}S{sup o},1s2p{sup 3}3s{sup 6}S{sup o},1s2s2p{sup 2}3s{sup 6}P, 1s2s2p{sup 2}3d{sup 6}P, and 1s2p{sup 3}3p{sup 6}P states for the boron isoelectronic sequence are also reported. Our calculated results agree well in most cases with available theoretical and experimental data in the literature. -- Highlights: •The core-excited states {sup 6}S{sup e,o}(n) and {sup 6}P{sup e,o}(n) of B-like ions are studied. •Some energy levels for the high-n sextet series are reported for the first time. •Configuration structures of these states are checked by fine structure splittings. •Transition rates, wavelengths for these core-excited sextet states are reported.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The Epsomitic Phototrophic Microbial Mat of Hot Lake, Washington. Community Structural Responses to Seasonal Cycling

Phototrophic microbial mats are compact ecosystems composed of highly interactive organisms in which energy and element cycling take place over millimeter-to-centimeter-scale distances. Although microbial mats are common in hypersaline environments, they have not been extensively characterized in systems dominated by divalent ions. Hot Lake is a meromictic, epsomitic lake that occupies a small, endorheic basin in north-central Washington. The lake harbors a benthic, phototrophic mat that assembles each spring, disassembles each fall, and is subject to greater than tenfold variation in salinity (primarily Mg 2+ and SO 2 -4 ) and irradiation over the annual cycle. We examined spatiotemporal variation in the mat community at five time points throughout the annual cycle with respect to prevailing physicochemical parameters by amplicon sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene coupled to near-full-length 16S RNA clone sequences. The composition of these microbial communities was relatively stable over the seasonal cycle and included dominant populations of Cyanobacteria, primarily a group IV cyanobacterium (Leptolyngbya), and Alphaproteobacteria (specifically, members of Rhodobacteraceae and Geminicoccus). Members of Gammaproteobacteria (e.g., Thioalkalivibrio and Halochromatium) and Deltaproteobacteria (e.g., Desulfofustis) that are likely to be involved in sulfur cycling peaked in summer and declined significantly by mid-fall, mirroring larger trends in mat community richness and evenness. Phylogenetic turnover analysis of abundant phylotypes employing environmental metadata suggests that seasonal shifts in light variability exert a dominant influence on the composition of Hot Lake microbial mat communities. The seasonal development and organization of these structured microbial mats provide opportunities for analysis of the temporal and physical dynamics that feed back to community function.

16S tag sequencing↗
DOE OSTI2013

Comparison of Three Cre-LoxP Based Paired-End Library Construction Methods

Paired-end library sequencing has been proven useful in scaffold construction during de novo whole genome shotgun assembly. The ability of generating mate pairs with > 8 Kb insert sizes is especially important for genomes containing long repeats. To make mate paired libraries for next generation sequencing, DNA fragments need to be circularized to bring the ends together. There are several methods that can be used for DNA circulation, namely ligation, hybridization and Cre-LoxP recombination. With higher circularization efficiency with large insert DNA fragments, Cre-LoxP recombination method generally has been used for constructing >8 kb insert size paired-end libraries. Second fragmentation step is also crucial for maintaining high library complexity and uniform genome coverage. Here we will describe the following three fragmentation methods: restriction enzyme digestion, random shearing and nick translation. We will present the comparison results for these three methods. Our data showed that all three methods are able to generate paired-end libraries with greater than 20 kb insert. Advantages and disadvantages of these three methods will be discussed as well.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of Genomic and Genetic Tools for Foxtail Millet, and Use of These Tools in the Improvement of Biomass Production for Bioenergy Crops-Transformation Technologies (Final Report)

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a warm-season, C4 annual crop commonly grown for grain and forage worldwide. It has a relatively short generation time, yet produces hundreds of seeds per inflorescence. The crop is inbred and it has a small-size genome (~500 Mb). These features make foxtail millet an attractive grass model, especially for bioenergy crops. While a number of genomic tools have been established for foxtail millet, including a fully sequenced genome and molecular markers, the objectives of this project were to develop a tissue culture system, determine the best explant(s) for tissue culture, optimize transient gene expression, and establish a stable transformation system for foxtail millet cultivar Yugu1. In optimizing a tissue culture medium for the induction of calli and somatic embryos from immature inflorescences and mature seed explants, Murashige and Skoog medium containing 2.5 mg l-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.6 mg l-1 6- benzylaminopurine was determined to be optimal for callus induction of foxtail millet. The efficiency of callus induction from explants of immature inflorescences was significantly higher at 76% compared to that of callus induction from mature seed explants at 68%. The calli induced from this medium were regenerated into plants at high frequency (~100%) using 0.2 mg l-1 kinetin in the regeneration media. For performing transient gene expression, immature embryos were first isolated from inflorescences. Transient expression of the GUS reporter gene in immature embryos was significantly increased after sonication, a vacuum treatment, centrifugation and the addition of L-cysteine and dithiothreitol, which led to the efficiency of transient expression at levels greater than 70% after Agrobacterium inoculation. Inoculation with Agrobacterium was also tested with germinated seeds. The radicals of germinated seeds were pierced with needles and dipped into Agrobacterium solution. This method achieved a 10% transient expression efficiency. Throughout these analyses, using plasmids with the hygromycin selectable marker, it was determined that 1.5 mg l-1 hygromycin was the optimal dose for genetic transformation of foxtail millet. In contrast, the nptII selectable marker appeared to yield many escapes. Three methods of transformation were employed in an attempt to produce stable transformants. An in planta transformation experiment, similar to the floral dip method used in Arabidopsis, which utilized a red fluorescent protein pporRFP from coral Porites porites and the hygromycin selectable marker, was tested using immature inflorescences. Although several plants were PCR positive using endpoint and Real-Time PCR and there was transient expression using pporRFP and GUS reporters, no plants were positive on Southern blot. Dipping in Agrobacterium may damage the anther or the pistil because seed production was significantly reduced. Agrobacterium transformation using embryogenic calli was also tested. Although hundreds of plants were regenerated from selection, none were positive using PCR. The third method was to wound germinated seeds with an Agrobacterium coated needle, but none of the plants were PCR positive. Although the Yugu1 genotype was recalcitrant to genetic transformation, several avenues of future research should be considered for foxtail millet. Calli from different foxtail millet genotypes should be screened and selected for regeneration potential, and some genotypes may be more amenable to transformation. Additional selectable markers should also be tested as hygromycin appears to be too stringent and there are too many escapes with nptII. This project has provided training for the following personnel: Dr. Xinlu Chen (postdoc), Xiaomei Liu (postdoc), Jayashree Desai (postdoc) and Kyle Berk (Undergraduate researcher). Conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles partly supported by this grant includes the following: 1. Baxter H., Equi R., Chen X, Berk K. and Zale J. Establishing Efficient in vitro Protocols For Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L. cv. Yugi 1). Plant & Animal Genomes XVIII Conference XVIII, San Diego, California, January 2010 2. Chen X, Zale J and Chen F. The Regeneration and Transformation of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica), A Model Biofuel Crop. Genomic Science Awardee Meeting IX and USDA-DOE Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Awardee Meeting, Crystal City, Virginia, April 2011 3. Chen, F., Tholl, D., Bohlmann, J., and Pichersky, E. (2011) The family of terpene synthases in plants: A mid-size family of genes for specialized metabolism that is highly diversified throughout the kingdom. Plant J. 66: 212-229.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Molecular and biochemical characterization of the jasmonic acid methyltransferase gene from black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

Methyl jasmonate is a metabolite known to be produced by many plants and has roles in diverse biological processes. It is biosynthesized by the action of S-adenosyl-L-methionine:jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (JMT), which belongs to the SABATH family of methyltransferases. Herein is reported the isolation and biochemical characterization of a JMT gene from black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). The genome of P. trichocarpa contains 28 SABATH genes (PtSABATH1 to PtSABATH28). Recombinant PtSABATH3 expressed in Escherichia coli showed the highest level of activity with jasmonic acid (JA) among carboxylic acids tested. It was therefore renamed PtJMT1. PtJMT1 also displayed activity with benzoic acid (BA), with which the activity was about 22% of that with JA. PtSABATH2 and PtSABATH4 were most similar to PtJMT1 among all PtSABATHs. However, neither of them had activity with JA. The apparent Km values of PtJMT1 using JA and BA as substrate were 175 lM and 341 lM, respectively. Mutation of Ser-153 and Asn-361, two residues in the active site of PtJMT1, to Tyr and Ser respectively, led to higher specific activity with BA than with JA. Homology-based structural modeling indicated that substrate alignment, in which Asn-361 is involved, plays a role in determining the substrate specificity of PtJMT1. In the leaves of young seedlings of black cottonwood, the expression of PtJMT1 was induced by plant defense signal molecules methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid and a fungal elicitor alamethicin, suggesting that PtJMT1 may have a role in plant defense against biotic stresses. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that PtJMT1 shares a common ancestor with the Arabidopsis JMT, and functional divergence of these two apparent JMT orthologs has occurred since the split of poplar and Arabidopsis lineages.

Zhao, Nan↗
DOE OSTI2012

Daylight photocatalysis performance of biomorphic CeO{sub 2} hollow fibers prepared with lens cleaning paper as biotemplate

Highlights: ► A novel, simple and eco-friendly approach for hierarchical, biomorphic CeO{sub 2} hollow fibers with mesoporous tube walls is presented by using paper as template. ► The biomorphic CeO{sub 2} fibers was composed of nanosheets with bimodal pore-size mesoporous distribution and exhibited high light-harvesting under sunlight irradiation. ► The CeO{sub 2} microfibers biomimicking the natural plant structures have promising application for photodegradation of organic pollutants in water. -- Abstract: Hierarchical, biomorphic CeO{sub 2} hollow fibers with mesoporous tube walls have been fabricated using lens cleaning paper as biotemplates. After sintered at 550 °C in air, the cellulosic fibers of paper were converted into micro-tubes composing of CeO{sub 2} crystallites with grain size about 8 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the CeO{sub 2} fibers was evaluated by photodegradation efficiency of methylene blue in aqueous solution under daylight irradiation. The characterized results show that the CeO{sub 2} fibers faithfully replicated micro-fibrous structure derived from original template and possessed dramatic enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with bulk CeO{sub 2}. This simple biotemplate method provides a cost-effective and eco-friendly route to obtain high performance photocatalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

A New Hybrid Redox Flow Battery with Multiple Redox Couples

A redox flow battery using V{sup 4+}/V{sup 5+} vs. V{sup 2+}/V{sup 3+} and Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} vs. V{sup 2+}/V{sup 3+} redox couples in chloric/sulphuric mixed acid supporting electrolyte was investigated for potential stationary energy storage applications. The Fe/V hybrid redox flow cell using mixed reactant solutions operated within a voltage window of 0.5-1.7 V demonstrated stable cycling over 100 cycles with energy efficiency {approx}80% and no capacity fading at room temperature. A 66% improvement in the energy density of the Fe/V hybrid cell was achieved compared with the previous reported Fe/V cell using only Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} vs. V{sup 2+}/V{sup 3+} redox couples.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2012

A New Fe/V Redox Flow Battery Using Sulfuric/Chloric Mixed Acid Supporting Electrolyte

A redox flow battery using Fe2+/Fe3+ and V2+/V3+ redox couples in chloric/sulphuric mixed acid supporting electrolyte was investigated for potential stationary energy storage applications. The Fe/V redox flow cell using mixed reactant solutions operated within a voltage window of 0.5-1.35 V with a nearly 100% utilization ratio and demonstrated stable cycling over 100 cycles with energy efficiency > 80% and no capacity fading at room temperature. A 25% improvement in the discharge energy density of the Fe/V cell was achieved compared with the previous reported Fe/V cell using pure chloride acid supporting electrolyte. Stable performance was also achieved in the temperature range between 0 C and 50 C as well as using microporous separator as the membrane. The improved electrochemical performance at room temperature makes the Fe/V redox flow battery a promising option as a stationary energy storage device to enable renewable integration and stabilization of the electrical grid.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗