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At least 235 records · Page 13

Assessment of Uncertainty-Based Screening Volumes for NASA Robotic LEO and GEO Conjunction Risk Assessment

Conjunction Assessment operations require screening assets against the space object catalog by placing a pre-determined spatial volume around each asset and predicting when another object will violate that volume. The selection of the screening volume used for each spacecraft is a trade-off between observing all conjunction events that may pose a potential risk to the primary spacecraft and the ability to analyze those predicted events. If the screening volumes are larger, then more conjunctions can be observed and therefore the probability of a missed detection of a high risk conjunction event is small; however, the amount of data which needs to be analyzed increases. This paper characterizes the sensitivity of screening volume size to capturing typical orbit uncertainties and the expected number of conjunction events observed. These sensitivities are quantified in the form of a trade space that allows for selection of appropriate screen-ing volumes to fit the desired concept of operations, system limitations, and tolerable analyst workloads. This analysis will specifically highlight the screening volume determination and selection process for use in the NASA Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis process but will also provide a general framework for other Owner / Operators faced with similar decisions.

Narvet, Steven W.↗

Colonoscopy Screening in the US Astronaut Corps

BACKGROUND: Historically, colonoscopy screenings for astronauts have been conducted to ensure that astronauts are in good health for space missions. Recently this historical data has been identified as being useful for developing an occupational surveillance requirement. It can be used to assess overall colon health and to have a point of reference for future tests in current and former astronauts, as well as to follow-up and track rates of colorectal cancer and polyps. These rates can be compared to military and other terrestrial populations. In 2003, the active astronaut colonoscopy requirements changed to require less frequent colonoscopies. Since polyp removal during a colonoscopy is an intervention that prevents the polyp from potentially developing into cancer, the procedure decreases the individual's risk for colon cancer. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible effect of increased follow-up times between colonoscopies on the number and severity of polyps identified during the procedures among both current and former NASA astronauts. Initial results and forward work regarding astronaut colonoscopy screenings will be presented. METHODS: A retrospective study of all colonoscopy procedures performed on NASA astronauts between 1962 and 2015 (both during active career and retirement) was conducted by review of the JSC Clinic Electronic Medical Record and Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) database for colonoscopy screening procedures and pathology reports. The timeframe of interest was from the time of selection into the Astronaut Corps through May 2015 or death. For each colonoscopy report, the following data were captured: date of procedure, age at time of procedure, reason for procedure, quality of bowel prep, completion of procedure and/or reason for termination of procedure, findings of procedure, subsequent treatment (if any), recommended follow-up interval, actual follow up interval, family history of polyps or colon cancer, and other significant items or discrepancies. The population consisted of 338 astronauts: 52 females, 286 males. Of these, 56 were deceased, and 11 astronauts had no record of any colonoscopies. Because of a screening requirement change in 2003, analyses were conducted to determine if there were differences between the two time periods. One-sided Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to identify statistically significant differences between the two time periods. RESULTS: There was a combined total of 1,964 colonoscopy screenings identified. The average follow-up intervals between colonoscopies were indeed longer after the screening requirement change than before the change. The mean follow-up interval pre -2003 was 3.59 years, while post-2003 it increased to 4.35 years. The statistical significance of this difference was confirmed using a one sided Wilcoxon rank sum test which yielded p<.001. Colonoscopies performed after the requirement change tended to have a higher incidence and greater severity of polyps. From pre-2003 to post-2003 the percentage of colonoscopy procedures yielding no polyps decreased from 83.77% to 74.70%. Not only did post-2003 procedures yield more polyp findings, but the polyps recorded were more often of severe pathology. Before 2003 3.62% of colonoscopy findings were polyps of the hyperplastic type (the least severe polyp type) and only 3.35% were of greater severity. Post-2003, 4.21% of findings were hyperplastic polyps while 11.44% were of greater severity. Upon the investigation of other possible contributing factors to these results, we also found that mean age post-2003 was 54.55 years which was significantly higher than during the pre-2003 timeframe (47.32 years). This was observed with a one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test, resulting in a p<0.001. The increased average age of astronauts could also be a contributing factor to the greater number of polyps found since the risk of developing polyps increases with age. Further work is needed to better understand the increased incidence and greater severity of polyps found in astronaut colonoscopy outcomes.

Masterova, K.↗

Breakdown of the Static Dielectric Screening Approximation of Coulomb Interactions in Atomically Thin Semiconductors

Coulomb interactions in atomically thin materials are remarkably sensitive to variations in the dielectric screening of the environment, which can be used to control exotic quantum many-body phases and engineer exciton potential landscapes. For decades, static or frequency-independent approximations of the dielectric response, where increased dielectric screening is predicted to cause an energy redshift of the exciton resonance, have been sufficient. These approximations were first applied to quantum wells and were more recently extended with initial success to layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Here, we use charge-tunable exciton resonances to investigate screening effects in TMD monolayers embedded in materials with low-frequency dielectric constants ranging from 4 to more than 1000, a range of 2 orders of magnitude larger than in previous studies. In contrast to the redshift predicted by static models, we observe a blueshift of the exciton resonance exceeding 30 meV in higher dielectric constant environments. We explain our observations by introducing a dynamical screening model based on a solution to the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE). When dynamical effects are strong, we find that the exciton binding energy remains mostly controlled by the low-frequency dielectric response, while the exciton self-energy is dominated by the high-frequency one. Our results supplant the understanding of screening in layered materials and their heterostructures, introduce a knob to tune selected many-body effects, and reshape the framework for detecting and controlling correlated quantum many-body states and designing optoelectronic and quantum devices.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electrostatic interaction of macroparticles in a plasma in the strong screening regime

We have studied the electrostatic interaction of spherical particles in an equilibrium plasma or an electrolyte in the moderate and strong screening regimes when the macroparticle size is comparable with or much larger than the Debye screening radius. We have developed an approximate theory of the electrostatic interaction of macroparticles in the case of constant potentials of their surfaces in the weak or moderate screening regimes. In this theory, the charges of macroparticles with a fixed spacing between them are determined using vacuum capacitive coefficients, which are corrected taking into account the plasma screening effects. The force of interaction with the resultant charges is calculated based on the solution of the problem of interaction in a homogeneous dielectric (vacuum) and is multiplied by the plasma factor. We have also obtained an approximate solution to the problem in the strong screening regime. Comparison with the exact solution has demonstrated high accuracy of the proposed methods of calculation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program for CFTR Mutation Detection and Gene Sequencing to Identify Cystic Fibrosis

All newborn screening laboratories in the United States and many worldwide screen for cystic fibrosis. Most laboratories use a second-tier genotyping assay to identify a panel of mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program houses a dried blood spot repository of samples containing CFTR mutations to assist newborn screening laboratories and ensure high-quality mutation detection in a high-throughput environment. Recently, CFTR mutation detection has increased in complexity with expanded genotyping panels and gene sequencing. To accommodate the growing quality assurance needs, the repository samples were characterized with several multiplex genotyping methods, Sanger sequencing, and 3 next-generation sequencing assays using a high-throughput, low-concentration DNA extraction method. The samples performed well in all of the assays, providing newborn screening laboratories with a resource for complex CFTR mutation detection and next-generation sequencing as they transition to new methods.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Gamma Discriminating Scintillation Screens for Digital Transfer Method Neutron Imaging

A collaborative project between Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Paul-Scherrer Institute (PSI) is investigating a new type of scintillation screen that uses ZnS scintillator material with a dysprosium neutron converter instead of traditional prompt converters such as 6Li. Such a screen exposed to a neutron beam creates a latent image by neutron activation of the dysprosium in the scintillator screen. The activated screen is transported into a camera box allowing the camera to read a digital image from the photons emitted by the activated scintillation screen. Such an imaging system combines modern camera-based system architecture with the approach of traditional indirect transfer method radiography. The results show for the first time that the combination of dysprosium with a scintillation material like ZnS can produce light which is measurable under common camera-based detection conditions and that neutron radiographic images of reasonable quality can be produced. The resolution was poorer than expected at ~ 300 µm, but is on the order of the desired resolution of 100 µm. Potential improvements and additional converter materials may be investigated in the future that could increase the light output and improve spatial resolution.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Conjunction Assessment Screening Volume Sizing and Event Filtering in Light of Natural Conjunction Event Development Behaviors

Conjunction Assessment screening volumes used in the protection of NASA satellites are constructed as geometric volumes about these satellites, of a size expected to capture a certain percentage of the serious conjunction events by a certain time before closest approach. However, the analyses that established these sizes were grounded on covariance-based projections rather than empirical screening results, did not tailor the volume sizes to ensure operational actionability of those results, and did not consider the adjunct ability to produce data that could provide prevenient assistance for maneuver planning. The present study effort seeks to reconsider these questions based on a six-month dataset of empirical screening results using an extremely large screening volume. The results, pursued here for a highly-populated orbit regime near 700 km altitude, identify theoretical limits of screening volume performance, explore volume configuration to facilitate both maneuver remediation planning as well as basic asset protection, and recommend sizing principles that maximize volume performance while minimizing the capture of "chaff" conjunctions that are unlikely ever to become serious events.

screening volume↗

Development of a Magnetic Microbead Affinity Selection Screen (MagMASS) Using Mass Spectrometry for Ligands to the Retinoid X Receptor-α

To overcome limiting factors in mass spectrometry-based screening methods such as automation while still facilitating the screening of complex mixtures such as botanical extracts, magnetic microbead affinity selection screening (MagMASS) was developed. The screening process involves immobilization of a target protein on a magnetic microbead using a variety of possible chemistries, incubation with mixtures of molecules containing possible ligands, a washing step that removes non-bound compounds while a magnetic field retains the beads in the microtiter well, and an organic solvent release step followed by LC-MS analysis. Using retinoid X receptor-α (RXRα) as an example, which is a nuclear receptor and target for anti-inflammation therapy as well as cancer treatment and prevention, a MagMASS assay was developed and compared with an existing screening assay, pulsed ultrafiltration (PUF)-MS. Optimization of MagMASS involved evaluation of multiple protein constructs and several magnetic bead immobilization chemistries. The full-length RXRα construct immobilized with amylose beads provided optimum results. Additional enhancements of MagMASS were the application of 96-well plates to enable automation, use of UHPLC instead of HPLC for faster MS analyses, and application of metabolomics software for faster, automated data analysis. Performance of MagMASS was demonstrated using mixtures of synthetic compounds and known ligands spiked into botanical extracts. .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The ‘grey’ assessment practice of IA screening: Prevalence, influence and applied rationale

Research focusing on the practices surrounding screening in Impact Assessment (IA) is limited. Yet, it has been found that development proposals sometimes are adjusted through an informal dialog with IA practitioners prior to or during screening. Such practice is often referred to as ‘grey IA’ in Denmark. This article explores the prevalence, influence and applied rationale of grey IA. Through a questionnaire, data was collected from 121 IA practitioners working within the fields of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment. It was found that grey IA is a common practice, which influences the outcomes of formal screening procedures through consideration of impacts on neighbours and spatial zones of protection. Grey IA is to some extent motivated by the opportunity to save the resources required for full-scale IA, but an additional ‘green’ rationale also exists. Grey IA may influence the effectiveness of IA systems, but further research is needed before any conclusions can be made. - Highlights: • Screening procedures may function as an informal, ‘grey’ assessment. • Grey assessment is common and influences formal screening outcomes. • Grey assessment is motivated by an opportunity to cut IA costs. • Yet, an environmental, ‘green’ rationale for grey assessment also exists.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Investigation of non-local screening in K-edge XANES for Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 under high pressure

The electronic excitation of 3$d$ transition metal oxide depends on the hybridization between orbitals of different ions, and is related to the materials properties. In this work, we systematically study the effect of hydrostatic pressure up to similar to ~20 GPa on the crystal structure and electronic structure of Pr 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 powder, using Mn $K$-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure and X-ray diffraction at room temperature. With the increase of pressure, the energy position of non-local screened feature moves towards feature without screening due to the enhanced transition energy; however, the intensity (probability) of non-local screened feature increases with the pressure. Further study suggests that the pressure-induced antiferromagnetic phase, affecting hybridization between neighboring Mn ions with spin sensitivity, increase the probability of non-local charge transfer and corresponding intensity of non-local screened feature. The spin-sensitivity of non-local screening may be a useful parameter for characterization of material properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Scanning Electrochemical Flow Cell with Online Mass Spectroscopy for Accelerated Screening of Carbon Dioxide Reduction Electrocatalysts

Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals or fuels is an increasingly important strategy for achieving carbon neutral technologies. The lack of a sufficiently active and selective electrocatalyst, particularly for synthesizing highly reduced products, motivates accelerated screening to evaluate new catalyst spaces. Traditional techniques, which couple electrocatalyst operation with analytical techniques to measure product distributions, enable screening throughput at 1–10 catalysts per day. In this paper, a combinatorial screening instrument is designed for MS detection of hydrogen, methane, and ethylene in quasi-real-time during catalyst operation experiments in an electrochemical flow cell. Coupled with experiment modeling, product detection during cyclic voltammetry (CV) enables modeling of the voltage-dependent partial current density for each detected product. Here, we demonstrate the technique by using the well-established thin film Cu catalysts and by screening a Pd–Zn composition library in carbonate-buffered aqueous electrolyte. The rapid product distribution characterization over a large range of overpotential makes the instrument uniquely suited for accelerating screening of electrocatalysts for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Accelerating Electrolyte Discovery for Energy Storage with High-Throughput Screening

Computational screening techniques have been found to be an effective alternative to the trial and error of experimentation for discovery of new materials. With increased interest in development of advanced electrical energy storage systems, it is essential to find new electrolytes that function effectively. This Perspective reviews various methods for screening electrolytes and then describes a hierarchical computational scheme to screen multiple properties of advanced electrical energy storage electrolytes using high-throughput quantum chemical calculations. The approach effectively down-selects a large pool of candidates based on successive property evaluation. As an example, results of screening are presented for redox potentials, solvation energies, and structural changes of similar to 1400 organic molecules for nonaqueous redox flow batteries. Importantly, on the basis of high-throughput screening, in silico design of suitable candidate molecules for synthesis and electrochemical testing can be achieved. We anticipate that the computational approach described in this Perspective coupled with experimentation will have a significant role to play in the discovery of materials for future energy needs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Thermodynamics of emergent magnetic charge screening in artificial spin ice

Electric charge screening is a fundamental principle governing the behaviour in a variety of systems in nature. Through reconfiguration of the local environment, the Coulomb attraction between electric charges is decreased, leading, for example, to the creation of polaron states in solids or hydration shells around proteins in water. Here, we directly visualize the real-time creation and decay of screened magnetic charge configurations in a two-dimensional artificial spin ice system, the dipolar dice lattice. By comparing the temperature dependent occurrence of screened and unscreened emergent magnetic charge defects, we determine that screened magnetic charges are indeed a result of local energy reduction and appear as a transient minimum energy state before the system relaxes towards the predicted ground state. These results highlight the important role of emergent magnetic charges in artificial spin ice, giving rise to screened charge excitations and the emergence of exotic low-temperature configurations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Inducing Kondo screening of vacancy magnetic moments in graphene with gating and local curvature

In normal metals the magnetic moment of impurity-spins disappears below a characteristic Kondo temperature which marks the formation of a cloud of conduction-band electrons that screen the local-moment. In contrast, moments embedded in insulators remain unscreened at all temperatures. What then is the fate of magnetic-moments in intermediate, pseudogap systems, such as graphene? Theory predicts that coupling to the conduction-band electrons will drive a quantum phase transition between a local-moment phase and a Kondo-screened phase. However, attempts to experimentally confirm this prediction and its intriguing consequences, such as electrostatically tunable magnetic-moments, have been elusive. Here we report the observation of Kondo-screening and the quantum phase-transition between screened and unscreened phases of vacancy magnetic moments in graphene. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy and numerical renormalization-group calculations we show that this transition enables to control the screening of local moments by tuning the gate voltage and the local curvature of the graphene membrane.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Controlled dynamic screening of excitonic complexes in 2D semiconductors

We report a combined theoretical/experimental study of dynamic screening of excitons in media with frequency-dependent dielectric functions. We develop an analytical model showing that interparticle interactions in an exciton are screened in the range of frequencies from zero to the characteristic binding energy depending on the symmetries and transition energies of that exciton. The problem of the dynamic screening is then reduced to simply solving the Schrodinger equation with an efectively frequency-independent potential. Quantitative predictions of the model are experimentally verifed using a test system: neutral, charged and defect-bound excitons in two-dimensional monolayer WS2, screened by metallic, liquid, and semiconducting environments. The screening-induced shifts of the excitonic peaks in photoluminescence spectra are in good agreement with our model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Publisher Correction: Controlled dynamic screening of excitonic complexes in 2D semiconductors

We report a combined theoretical/experimental study of dynamic screening of excitons in media with frequency-dependent dielectric functions. We develop an analytical model showing that interparticle interactions in an exciton are screened in the range of frequencies from zero to the characteristic binding energy depending on the symmetries and transition energies of that exciton. The problem of the dynamic screening is then reduced to simply solving the Schrodinger equation with an effectively frequency-independent potential. Quantitative predictions of the model are experimentally verified using a test system: neutral, charged and defect-bound excitons in two-dimensional monolayer WS2, screened by metallic, liquid, and semiconducting environments. The screening-induced shifts of the excitonic peaks in photoluminescence spectra are in good agreement with our model.

Klots, Andrey R.↗

Plasma screening effects on the energies of hydrogen atom under the influence of velocity-dependent potential

In order to examine the plasma screening and velocity-dependent potential effects on the hydrogen atom, the Schrödinger equation including a more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb and velocity-dependent potential is solved numerically in the framework asymptotic iteration method. The more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb potential is used to model Debye and quantum plasma for the specific values of the parameters in its structure. However, in order to examine effects of velocity-dependent potential on energy values of hydrogen atom in Debye and quantum plasma, the isotropic form factor of velocity-dependent potential is given as harmonic oscillator type, ρ(r)=ρ{sub o}r{sup 2}. Then, the energies of s and p states are calculated numerically without any approximation. In order to investigate thoroughly plasma screening effects and contribution of velocity-dependent potential on energy values of hydrogen atom, the corresponding calculations are carried out by using different values of parameters of more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb potential and isotropic dependence, results of which are discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Renormalization screening and collision-induced quantum interference in dense plasmas

The influence of renormalization screening and collision-induced quantum interference in electron-electron collisions is investigated in partially ionized dense hydrogen plasmas. The effective interaction potential with the total spin-states of the collision system is considered to obtain the differential electron-electron scattering cross section. The results show that the renormalization plasma screening effect suppresses the electron-electron scattering cross section, including the quantum interference effect, especially, except for the forward and backward scattering directions. It is also shown that the renormalization plasma screening effect on the scattering cross section decreases with increasing collision energy. However, the renormalization screening effect is found to be important for the forward directions in the scattering cross section neglecting the quantum interference effect. The variations of the renormalization screening and collision-induced quantum interference effects are also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗