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At least 235 records · Page 13

The ethylene signal transduction pathway in Arabidopsis

The gaseous hormone ethylene is an important regulator of plant growth and development. Using a simple response of etiolated seedlings to ethylene as a genetic screen, genes involved in ethylene signal transduction have been identified in Arabidopsis. Analysis of two of these genes that have been cloned reveals that ethylene signalling involves a combination of a protein (ETR1) with similarity to bacterial histidine kinases and a protein (CTR1) with similarity to Raf-1, a protein kinase involved in multiple signalling cascades in eukaryotic cells. Several lines of investigation provide compelling evidence that ETR1 encodes an ethylene receptor. For the first time there is a glimpse of the molecular circuitry underlying the signal transduction pathway for a plant hormone.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Neurovascular Outcomes of Ionizing Radiation in Human Blood-Brain Barrier Models

One of the main health risks in human deep space exploration is central nervous system (CNS) damage by ionizing radiation due to exposure to galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). In animal models, irradiation with simulated GCRs or their components has been shown to cause neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation associated with cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. The extent of CNS damage is partially mediated by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which regulates the interaction between CNS and systemic responses to stressors in the rest of the body. The main cellular regulators of BBB permeability are astrocytes, which also modulate neuronal death, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. However, studies on BBB and astrocyte functions in regulating CNS responses to ionizing radiation have been limited, especially in human tissue/organ analogs. Therefore, we developed a high throughput 3D human neurovascular system model, based on commercially available Mimetas OrganoPlates seeded by primary human cells, to investigate the neurovascular responses to simulated deep space radiation. Using this system, we have demonstrated that 600MeV/n 56Fe irradiation leads to cellular damage and increased blood-brain barrier permeability via dysfunction of brain cells called astrocytes, which appear to be the weakest link and therefore a highly suitable countermeasure target to reduce the impact of space radiation on the blood-brain barrier. We anticipate that our results form merely the first step in ongoing development of organ models, including their adaptation for personalized risk assessment, high throughput approaches to countermeasure screening and validation, and eventual payload adaptation.

organ-on-a-chip↗

Annual Conference on Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects, 19th, Las Vegas, NV, July 20-22, 1982, Proceedings

The results of research concerning the effects of nuclear and space radiation are presented. Topics discussed include the basic mechanisms of nuclear and space radiation effects, radiation effects in devices, and radiation effects in microcircuits, including studies of radiation-induced paramagnetic defects in MOS structures, silicon solar cell damage from electrical overstress, radiation-induced charge dynamics in dielectrics, and the enhanced radiation effects on submicron narrow-channel NMOS. Also examined are topics in SGEMP/IEMP phenomena, hardness assurance and testing, energy deposition, desometry, and radiation transport, and single event phenomena. Among others, studies are presented concerning the limits to hardening electronic boxes to IEMP coupling, transient radiation screening of silicon devices using backside laser irradiation, the damage equivalence of electrons, protons, and gamma rays in MOS devices, and the single event upset sensitivity of low power Schottky devices.

Long, D. M.↗

Herpesviruses in Saliva and Their Clinical Significance

Saliva has been used as a source of biological markers for a wide spectrum of normal and disease states for a long time. It is a non-invasive, easily accessible, and self-collected body fluid that contains a variety of measurable biological substances. While mostly water, saliva also contains ions, carbohydrates, proteins and peptides, exfoliated cells, nucleic acids, and microorganisms. Saliva can reflect tissue levels of some natural substances and a large variety of molecules introduced for therapeutic use, emotional status; hormonal status, immunological status, neurological effects, and nutritional and metabolic status. It can also be used to monitor a variety of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. It is the most cost-effective approach for screening large population in community mass screening programs and for longitudinal sampling of hospitalized individuals aimed at monitoring viral load dynamics and treatment response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific evidence emerged indicating that molecular tests performed on saliva have diagnostic sensitivity and specificity comparable to those observed with nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. The presence of IgA and IgG antibodies at the mucosal level has been demonstrated to influence the progression of viral infection and the severity of clinical manifestation. As saliva contains both respiratory secretions and immunological components, it has wide applications, ranging from clinical diagnostics to post-vaccine disease burden and immunity surveillance.

Douglass Diak↗

An update of the JPL program to develop Li-SOCl2 cells

The goal of producing spiral wound D cell was met. The cell design and electrodes, particularly the carbon cathodes were produced in-house. Also all parts were assembled, the welding performed, the electrolyte aided and the cells sealed in-house. The lithium capacity (theoretical) was 19.3 Ah and that of the SOCl2 in the 1.8 m LiAlCl4 electrolyte, 16.4 Ah (a greater excess of SOCl2 is necessary for safe high rate operation). The electrode surface area was 452 sq cm. The carbon electrode comprised Shawinigen Black/Teflon -30 (90/10 by weight) mixture 0.020 inches thick on an expanded metal screen prepared in the JPL laboratory. There were two tab connections to the cathode. The 0.0078 inch thick lithium foil was rolled into an expanded nickel screen. The separator was Mead 934-5 fiberglass material.

Halpert, S.↗

SPICE: An innovative, flexible instrument concept

Studies and plans for orbital capture of cosmic dust and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) looked very bright with the advent of space station Freedom (SSF) and formal selection of Cosmic Dust Collection Facility (CDCF) as an attached payload in 1990. Unfortunately it has been downhill since its selection, culminating in CDCF being dropped as attached payload in the SSF redesign process this year. This action was without any input from the science or cosmic dust communities. The Exobiology Intact Capture Experiment (Exo-ICE) as an experiment on CDCF was also lost. Without CDCF, no facility-class instrument for cosmic dust studies is available or planned. When CDCF (and Exo-ICE) was selected as a SSF attached payload, an exercise called the small particle intact capture experiment (SPICE) was started for Exo-ICE to develop an understanding and early testing of the necessary expertise and technology for intact capture of cosmic dust and IDP's. This SPICE activity looks to fly small, meter square or less, collection area experiments on early orbital platforms of opportunity such as EURECA, MIR, WESTAR, and others, including the shuttle. The SPICE activity has focused on developing techniques and instrument concepts to capture particles intact and without inadvertent contamination. It began with a survey and screening of available capture media concepts and then focused on the development of a capture medium that can meet these requirements. Evaluation and development of the chosen capture medium, aerogel (a silicon oxide gel), has so far lived up to the expectations of meeting the requirements and is highlighted in a companion paper at this workshop. Others such as McDonnell's Timeband Capture Cell Experiment (TICCE) on EuReCa and Tsuo's GAS-CAN lid experiments on STS 47 and 57 have flown aerogel, but without addressing the contamination issue/requirement, especially regarding organics. Horz, Zolenskym and others have studied and have also been advocates for its development. The SPICE instrument's experiment design builds on the knowledge gained from these efforts to meet the intact capture, noncontamination requirements. An overview of a possible SPICE experimental instrument concept using the MIR space station as a host platform for cosmic dust collection is provided in this paper. The SPICE concept is nonplatform-specified and can fly on any platform that provides a mode for experiment recovery.

Nishioka, Kenji↗

Novel Confocal Microscopic and Flow Cytometric Based Assays to Visualize and Detect the (Beta)2-Adrenergic Receptor in Human Lymphocyte and Mononuclear Cell Populations

The data show that immunophenotyping of leukocyte populations with (beta)2AR is possible with the commercially available Ab, although the FC assay is limited to the IST as a result of the Ab binding site to the intracellular C-terminus of the 2AR. The FC assay has applications for measuring alterations in total (beta)2AR in human leukocyte populations as changes in fluorescence. In addition, CM confirms that both surface and intracellular compartments stain positively for the (beta)2AR and can be used for qualitative assays that screen for changes in receptor compartmentalization and localization.

Salicru, A. N.↗

Ion propulsion

An ion engine is a plasma thruster which produces thrust by extracting ions from the plasma and accelerating them to high velocity with an electrostatic field. The ions are then neutralized and leave the engine as high velocity neutral particles. The advantages of ion engines are high specific impulse and efficiency and their ability to operate over a wide range of input powers. In comparison with other electric thrusters, the ion engine has higher efficiency and specific impulse than thermal electric devices such as the arcjet, microwave, radiofrequency and laser heated thrusters and can operate at much lower current levels than the MPD thruster. However, the thrust level for an ion engine may be lower than a thermal electric thruster of the same operating power, consistent with its higher specific impulse, and therefore ion engines are best suited for missions which can tolerate longer duration propulsive phases. The critical issue for the ion engine is lifetime, since the prospective missions may require operation for several thousands of hours. The critical components of the ion engine, with respect to engine lifetime, are the screen and accelerating grid structures. Typically, these are large metal screens that must support a large voltage difference and maintain a small gap between them. Metallic whisker growth, distortion and vibration can lead to arcing, and over a long period of time ion sputtering will erode the grid structures and change their geometry. In order to study the effects of long time operation of the grid structure, we are developing computer codes based on the Particle-In-Cell (PIC) technique and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic techniques to study the physical processes which control the performance and lifetime of the grid structures.

Meserole, J. S.↗

Ion propulsion

An ion engine is a plasma thruster which produces thrust by extracting ions from the plasma and accelerating them to high velocity with an electrostatic field. The ions are then neutralized and leave the engine as high velocity neutral particles. The advantages of ion engines are high specific impulse and efficiency and their ability to operate over a wide range of input powers. In comparison with other electric thrusters, the ion engine has higher efficiency and specific impulse than thermal electric devices such as the arcjet, microwave, radio frequency, and laser heated thrusters and can operate at much lower current levels than the MPD thruster. However, the thrust level for an ion engine may be lower than a thermal electric thruster of the same operating power, consistent with its higher specific impulse, and therefore ion engines are best suited for missions which can tolerate longer duration propulsive phases. The critical issue for the ion engine is lifetime, since the prospective missions may require operation for several thousands of hours. The critical components of the ion engine, with respect to engine lifetime, are the screen and accelerating grid structures. Typically, these are large metal screens that must support a large voltage difference and maintain a small gap between them. Metallic whisker growth, distortion, and vibration can lead to arcing, and over a long period of time ion sputtering will erode the grid structures and change their geometry. In order to study the effects of long time operation of the grid structure, we are developing computer codes based on the particle-in-cell (PIC) technique and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic techniques to study the physical processes which control the performance and lifetime of the grid structures.

Meserole, J. S.↗

Parallel line analysis: multifunctional software for the biomedical sciences

An easy to use, interactive FORTRAN program for analyzing the results of parallel line assays is described. The program is menu driven and consists of five major components: data entry, data editing, manual analysis, manual plotting, and automatic analysis and plotting. Data can be entered from the terminal or from previously created data files. The data editing portion of the program is used to inspect and modify data and to statistically identify outliers. The manual analysis component is used to test the assumptions necessary for parallel line assays using analysis of covariance techniques and to determine potency ratios with confidence limits. The manual plotting component provides a graphic display of the data on the terminal screen or on a standard line printer. The automatic portion runs through multiple analyses without operator input. Data may be saved in a special file to expedite input at a future time.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

High Performance Space Computing with System-on-Chip Instrument Avionics for Space-based Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS).

The emergent technology of system-on-chip (SoC) devices promises lighter, smaller, cheaper, and more capable and reliable space electronic systems that could help to unveil some of the most treasured secrets in our universe. This technology is an improvement over the technology that is currently used in space applications, which lags behind stateof-the-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment by several generations. SoC technology integrates all computational power required by next-generation space exploration science instruments onto a single chip. This presentation will describe a Xilinx Zynq-based data acquisition, cloud-screening and compression computing system that has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for JPL’s Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS). The Xilinx Zynq-based Alpha Data hardware assembly fits into a 120mm by 190m by 40mm assembly and uses 9 watts at peak performance. The computing element is a Xilinx Zynq Z7045Q which includes a Kintex-7 FPGA (equivalent to 3 RAD Virtex5 FPGAs in terms of logic cell resources) and dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Processors (equivalent to 10 RAD750 Power PCs in term of processing capability).

Smith, Adam↗

High Performance Space Computing with System-on-Chip Instrument Avionics for Space-based Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS).

The emergent technology of system-on-chip (SoC) devices promises lighter, smaller, cheaper, and more capable and reliable space electronic systems that could help to unveil some of the most treasured secrets in our universe. This technology is an improvement over the technology that is currently used in space applications, which lags behind state-of-the-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment by several generations. SoC technology integrates all computational power required by next-generation space exploration science instruments onto a single chip. This presentation will describe a Xilinx Zynq-based data acquisition, cloud-screening and compression computing system that has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for JPL’s Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS). The Xilinx Zynq-based Alpha Data hardware assembly fits into a 120mm by 190m by 40mm assembly and uses 9 watts at peak performance. The computing element is a Xilinx Zynq Z7045Q which includes a Kintex-7 FPGA (equivalent to 3 RAD Virtex5 FPGAs in terms of logic cell resources) and dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Processors (equivalent to 10 RAD750 Power PCs in term of processing capability).

Dolinar, Sam↗

High performance space computing with system-on-chip instrument avionics for space-based Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS)

The emergent technology of system-on-chip (SoC) devices promises lighter, smaller, cheaper, and more capable and reliable space electronic systems that could help to unveil some of the most treasured secrets in our universe. This technology is an improvement over the technology that is currently used in space applications, which lags behind state-of-the-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment by several generations. SoC technology integrates all computational power required by next-generation space exploration science instruments onto a single chip. This presentation will describe a Xilinx Zynq-based data acquisition, cloud-screening and compression computing system that has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for JPL’s Next Generation Imaging Spectrometers (NGIS). The Xilinx Zynq-based Alpha Data hardware assembly fits into a 120mm by 190m by 40mm assembly and uses 9 watts at peak performance. The computing element is a Xilinx Zynq Z7045Q which includes a Kintex-7 FPGA (equivalent to 3 RAD Virtex5 FPGAs in terms of logic cell resources) and dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Processors (equivalent to 10 RAD750 Power PCs in term of processing capability).

Dolinar, Sam↗

Application of a Planar Doppler Velocimetry System to a High Reynolds Number Compressible Jet

A Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system has been constructed and used to investigate the instantaneous turbulent velocity structure of a round high-speed compressible air jet with a low-speed co-flow. The exit condition was Mach=0.85 at ambient pressure, yielding a Reynolds number of about 650,000 on diameter. The PDV system was installed at NASA Langley Research Center in the Small Anechoic Jet Facility (SAJF), a chamber in which both the acoustic and aerodynamic properties of jets can be studied. For this test, the goal was to gather data which can be used to relate the turbulence structure of the jet to the levels and character of the acoustic noise produced by the jet. The current PDV system can acquire single-velocity-component, single-shot, planar images (15ns exposures) at 30 Hz. For this paper, the primary data set consists of 240 frames of velocity data acquired with both the jet and the low-speed co-flow seeded with light-scattering articles. Thus, velocities could be measured everywhere in the jet shear layer, both in the jet fluid and in the entrained co-flow. Some data were also taken with only the jet flow seeded. These provided mixing concentration images along with the reduced velocity fields. Other images were taken with only the co-flow seeded. These produced unique quantitative images of high speed entrainment. Optical "laser speckle" noise is the largest source of random noise in pulsed PDV systems. Components for the PDV imaging system were specifically selected to minimize speckle noise. To reduce systematic velocity errors due to laser drift, a frequency monitoring reference leg with a temperature-tuned reference iodine cell, was employed. In the course of this study, a novel flow seeder was developed. It enabled continuously variable seeding of the flow with particles of Sheared Pyrogenic Amorphous Hydrophobic Silica (SPAHS). The seeder comprised a dry fluidized bed hopper and a supersonic nozzle "pickup." Shearing action in the pickup dispersed the seed material in an exceptionally fine cloud (approximately 0.3 micron). These particles followed the flow well, did not clump or cake on screens or model surfaces, and were not susceptible to evaporation. Because of the refractory nature of the particles, SPAHS seeding should also be applicable to anticipated future testing at high temperatures.

Smith, Michael W.↗

Hydrogen production from salt water by Marine blue green algae and solar radiation

Two marine bluegreen algae, Oscillatoria sp. Miami BG 7 and Synechococcus sp Miami 041511 have been selected as the result of over 10 years continuous and intensive effort of isolation, growth examination, and the screening of hydrogen photoproduction capability in this laboratory. Both strains photoproduced hydrogen for several days at high rates and a quantity of hydrogen was accumulated in a closed vessel. Overall hydrogen donor substance of the hydrogen photoproduction was found to be salt water. Using strain Miami BG 7, a two step method of hydrogen photoproduction from salt water was successfully developed and this was recycled several times over a one month period using both free cells and immobilized cells in both indoor and outdoor under natural sunlight. According to these experiments, a prototype floating hydrogen production system was designed for further development of the biosolar hydrogen production system.

Mitsui, A.↗

In-situ resource utilization activities at the NASA Space Engineering Research Center

The paper describes theoretical and experimental research activities at the NASA Space Engineering Research Center aimed at realizing significant cost savings in space missions through the use of locally available resources. The fundamental strategy involves idea generation, scientific screening, feasibility demonstrations, small-scale process plant design, extensive testing, scale-up to realistic production rates, associated controls, and 'packaging', while maintaining sufficient flexibility to respond to national needs in terms of specific applications. Aside from training, the principal activities at the Center include development of a quantitative figure-of-merit to quickly assess the overall mission impact of individual components that constantly change with advancing technologies, extensive tests on a single-cell test bed to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide, and the use of this spent stream to produce methane.

Ramohalli, Kumar↗

Microwave Treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmias

NASA seeks to transfer the NASA developed microwave ablation technology, designed for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (irregular heart beat), to industry. After a heart attack, many cells surrounding the resulting scar continue to live but are abnormal electrically; they may conduct impulses unusually slowly or fire when they would typically be silent. These diseased areas might disturb smooth signaling by forming a reentrant circuit in the muscle. The objective of microwave ablation is to heat and kill these diseased cells to restore appropriate electrical activity in the heart. This technology is a method and apparatus that provides for propagating microwave energy into heart tissues to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally ablating arrhythmogenic cardiac tissue while preventing excessive heating of surrounding tissues, organs, and blood. A wide bandwidth double-disk antenna is effective for this purpose over a bandwidth of about six gigahertz. A computer simulation provides initial screening capabilities for an antenna such as antenna, frequency, power level, and power application duration. The simulation also allows optimization of techniques for specific patients or conditions. In comparison with other methods that involve direct-current pulses or radio frequencies below 1 GHz, this method may prove more effective in treating ventricular tachycardia. This is because the present method provides for greater control of the location, cross-sectional area, and depth of a lesion via selection of the location and design of the antenna and the choice of microwave power and frequency.

Hernandez-Moya, Sonia↗

Purification, Crystallization, and Preliminary X-ray Analysis of Native Canavalin

The protein canavalin is a 7S vicilin, from the Jack Bean, Canavalis ensfomis. Canavalin is described as a seed storage protein, an energy source for a developing seed, as no other known activity or function has been found. The protein was first isolated and crystallized by Sumner and Howell (J. Biol. Chem. 113, 607-610, 1936). Canavalin spontaneously crystallizes after proteolytic cleavage at neutral pH, which removes residues 1-46, 224-245, and 325-330 and produces peptides of approximately 25, 13, and 12 kDa. Preliminary gel filtration experiments indicated the presence of nucleic acid with the uncleaved protein. We developed a dual column procedure, ion exchange followed by hydroxy apatite chromatography, that effectively removes the nucleic acid and yields an essentially pure uncut canavalin preparation with an OD 280/260 ratio of approximately 1.9-2.0. Standard crystallization screens using this material gave a number of positive results having a common requirement for alcohols and Mg(2+) ion, with crystals typically appearing within a day or less. Optimization experiments to date have shown that we can obtain crystals from pH 6.5 to pH 8.2, using MPD from 5 to 20% and 0.05 to 0.2M Mg(2+) (sulfate or acetate). The crystals are of space group P2(sub 1)2(sub 1)2(sub 1), unit cell dimensions, and a complete data set to 1.5 Angstroms, resolution has now been collected at a synchrotron source. Most importantly, the crystals are not twinned, a persistent problem with the most commonly obtained rhombohedral form of proteolytically cleaved canavalin.

Pusey, Marc↗