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At least 37 records · Page 2

Morphological Characterization of Fresh and 20-Yr-Old Fixed Nematode Specimens of Sauertylenchus maximus (Allen, 1955) Siddiqi, 2000 Deposited in the USDA Nematode Collection from Arlington National Cemetery, VA, USA

Sauertylenchus maximus was discovered during a survey conducted at the Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, for the type specimens of Hoplolaimus galeatus. Besides the fresh material, the fixed specimens of S. maximus were also studied by molecular and morphological means. The morphological and morphometric characteristics of the recovered fresh material were consistent with the original and other description(s) of this species. The fixed specimens used in this study were preserved in a 3% formaldehyde and 2% glycerin solution for over 20 yr. Molecular analyses of the fresh and fixed specimens were performed using internal transcribed spacer, D2–D2 expansion segments of 28S large subunits, and 18S small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of S. maximus from Virginia and the first report of a successful DNA extraction from fixed nematode specimens.

18S rDNA↗

Leveraging Observations of Untrained Panelists to Screen for Quality of Fresh-Cut Romaine Lettuce

Fresh-cut romaine lettuce’s high perishability challenges ready-to-eat (RTE) salad production. Selecting cultivars less prone to browning and decay is crucial for extending shelf life. Traditional quality evaluation methods using instrumentation and trained panelists are time-consuming and logistically complex. This study investigated the effectiveness of untrained volunteers in assessing fresh-cut romaine lettuce quality. Given that the average consumer in the USA is familiar with the flavor characteristics of romaine lettuce, this study proposed to investigate the value of having untrained volunteers discern the quality of fresh-cut romaine lettuce. Therefore, six romaine lettuce accessions (Green Forest, King Henry, Parris Island Cos, PI 491224, SM13-R2, and Sun Valley) were assessed for sensory quality attributes (browning, green color, decay, and overall quality) and compared with instrumentation analyses (gas composition including O2 and CO2, electrolyte leakage, and color). The results showed significant quality differences (p < 0.05) among the accessions, with some seasonal variability. Very importantly, the consumers’ (n = 159) assessments revealed similar results to those produced by either instrumentation or a trained panel. The consumers provided sensory scores that allowed for the grouping of accessions based on their postharvest quality, which efficiently matched their pedigree relationship. In conclusion, ad hoc consumer panels can be an effective way to characterize the quality of romaine lettuce for RTE salads.

Agriculture↗

Size-dependence in the shape of fresh impact craters on the moon

The transition from small simple craters to large complex or modified craters is characterized by eleven changes in the shape of fresh lunar craters which occur within a diameter range of 10 to 30 km. In the present paper, seven ratio-level variations - those of rim-crest diameter with depth, rim height, flank width, rimwall slope, floor diameter, circularity, and rim-crest evenness - are defined for fresh-appearing craters from the new Apollo data and are expressed mathematically where practicable. These relations constitute a shape model for interpreting fresh craters on the moon. The size dependent changes reflect the occurrence of central peaks, rimwall terraces, and a flat floor within craters measuring 10 to 20 km in diameter.

Pike, R. J.↗

Fresh Water Content Variability in the Arctic Ocean

Arctic Ocean model simulations have revealed that the Arctic Ocean has a basin wide oscillation with cyclonic and anticyclonic circulation anomalies (Arctic Ocean Oscillation; AOO) which has a prominent decadal variability. This study explores how the simulated AOO affects the Arctic Ocean stratification and its relationship to the sea ice cover variations. The simulation uses the Princeton Ocean Model coupled to sea ice. The surface forcing is based on NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis and its climatology, of which the latter is used to force the model spin-up phase. Our focus is to investigate the competition between ocean dynamics and ice formation/melt on the Arctic basin-wide fresh water balance. We find that changes in the Atlantic water inflow can explain almost all of the simulated fresh water anomalies in the main Arctic basin. The Atlantic water inflow anomalies are an essential part of AOO, which is the wind driven barotropic response to the Arctic Oscillation (AO). The baroclinic response to AO, such as Ekman pumping in the Beaufort Gyre, and ice meldfreeze anomalies in response to AO are less significant considering the whole Arctic fresh water balance.

Hakkinen, Sirpa↗

Quantifying the Global Fresh Water Budget: Capabilities from Current and Future Satellite Sensors

The global water cycle is complex and its components are difficult to measure, particularly at the global scales and with the precision needed for assessing climate impacts. Recent advances in satellite observational capabilities, however, are greatly improving our knowledge of the key terms in the fresh water flux budget. Many components of the of the global water budget, e.g. precipitation, atmospheric moisture profiles, soil moisture, snow cover, sea ice are now routinely measured globally using instruments on satellites such as TRMM, AQUA, TERRA, GRACE, and ICESat, as well as on operational satellites. New techniques, many using data assimilation approaches, are providing pathways toward measuring snow water equivalent, evapotranspiration, ground water, ice mass, as well as improving the measurement quality for other components of the global water budget. This paper evaluates these current and developing satellite capabilities to observe the global fresh water budget, then looks forward to evaluate the potential for improvements that may result from future space missions as detailed by the US Decadal Survey, and operational plans. Based on these analyses, and on the goal of improved knowledge of the global fresh water budget under the effects of climate change, we suggest some priorities for the future, based on new approaches that may provide the improved measurements and the analyses needed to understand and observe the potential speed-up of the global water cycle under the effects of climate change.

Hildebrand, Peter↗

Flume and single-pass washing systems for fresh-cut produce processing: Disinfection by-products evaluation

Free chlorine is widely used in fresh-cut produce washing to minimize microbial cross-contamination, but its application can also lead to the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts (DBPs). This study compared DBPs in process water and washed produce during commercial operation. Samples of shredded lettuce and diced cabbages washed in chlorinated water in the traditional double-flume wash and novel immersion-free single-pass wash systems were collected at multiple time points and locations from the processing lines. A suite of 33 conventional and emerging DBPs, including 4 trihalomethanes (THMs), 9 haloacetic acids (HAAs), 9 nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs), and 11 carbonaceous DBPs (C-DBPs), were investigated. Overall, N-DBPs and HAAs dominated the concentration of detected DBPs. Wash water in the flumes contained 7–111 folds higher DBP levels compared to that in the single-pass system, with the abundance of DBPs following the order of N-DBPs > HAAs > C-DBPs > THMs. DBPs were detected on washed produce, presenting primarily in the forms of N-DBPs and HAAs followed by C-DBPs and THMs. While higher levels of DBPs were detected in flume-washed produce, the final potable water rinse significantly reduced the DBP concentration in these products. The concentrations of THMs and HAAs on these washed products were used to estimate potential exposure via consumption of fresh-cut produce and the levels were below the daily allowable exposure for drinking water standard established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The detected high concentration and potential toxicity of N-DBPs indicate the need for further research. Here, the findings of this study advance the understanding of the formation and removal of DBPs during wash processes, and identify additional research opportunities for further reduction in DBPs and food safety improvement.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Comprehensive Battery Safety Risk Evaluation: Aged Cells versus Fresh Cells Upon Mechanical Abusive Loadings

Abstract Despite their wide applications, lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) have been struggling with their safety risks arising from different lifetime stages. Here, the NCMA pouch cell is taken as an example, and the safety of both fresh and aged cells from three milestone stages, that is, internal short circuit (ISC) triggering risk, ISC mode, and the subsequent thermal runaway (TR) consequence is investigated. By combining mechanical abusive testing and physics‐based models on commercialized cells with various states‐of‐health (SOH) and states‐of‐charge, it is discovered that the ISC triggering delays with the decay of SOH and soft ISC mode will be triggered more frequently, which is mainly due to the mechanical behaviors of the current collectors. The temperature rises and peak temperature during the subsequent TR also become milder for aged cells due to the reduced capacity and deterministic soft ISC process. Results here provide a mechanistic explanation of the safety risk comparison between the fresh and aged cells, offering cornerstone guidance to the evaluation and design of next‐generation safer LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Cerium oxide impact on fresh and hardened properties of cementitious materials

Cements used in global nuclear waste treatment, storage, and disposal require thorough testing of fresh and cured properties to demonstrate regulatory compliance. Using actual radioactive wastes is often cost-prohibitive during early scoping tests necessitating the use of non-radiological surrogates. Cerium (Ce) is often used as a surrogate for actinides uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) in spent nuclear fuel, yet few studies have explored how Ce impacts the properties used to qualify a cement for use. Here, this work compares the fresh and cured properties of three classes of cements – ordinary portland cements, ultra-high performance cement composites, and magnesium phosphate cements – each with and without ceria (CeO 2 ). Due to CeO 2 sorption of water (54 vol%) that effectively decreases the water available to hydrate and form binding cement phases, variations in key cement properties were detected that suggest surrogate CeO 2 –cementitious matrices may not be representative of matrix behaviors when using U and Pu sources.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A review of the effect of nanoclays on the fresh and hardened properties of cement-based materials

This paper provides an overview of the use of nanoclays in cement-based materials. The effect of nanoclays on shear rheological properties will be discussed, with a focus on structural build-up behavior. This macroscale flow behavior will then be tied to the effect of nanoclays on the fresh microstructure as characterized via in-situ particle size measurements and rheological techniques. This will provide insight on the mechanisms underlying the effect of nanoclays on fresh state properties through an improved understanding of their effect on flocculation and coagulation behavior. In addition, secondary effects nanoclays have on the hardening and hardened properties will also be discussed. Examples of casting applications in which nanoclays have been effectively utilized as rheological modifiers, i.e. reducing self-consolidating concrete formwork pressure, extrusion, semi-flowable concrete for slipform paving, and 3D concrete printing, will be presented. Finally, some thoughts on potential directions for future work will be shared.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Off-spec fly ash-based lightweight aggregate properties and their influence on the fresh, mechanical, and hydration properties of lightweight concrete: A comparative study

An off-spec fly ash-based spherical lightweight aggregate (LWA), designated as Spherical Porous Reactive Aggregate (SPoRA), was manufactured through a lab pilot-scale production and its engineering properties, including specific gravity, dry rodded unit weight, water absorption, mechanical performance, and pore structure, were evaluated. Using SPoRA, lightweight concrete (LWC) samples were made and their fresh, mechanical, and hydration properties were assessed and compared with LWC samples made using two commercial LWA available in the US market. The results indicated that fine and coarse SPoRA had 72 h water absorption capacities of 16.4 % and 20.9 %, respectively, which were higher than that of the two commercial LWAs. Higher saturated surface dry specific gravity of SPoRA compared to commercial LWAs led to a higher fresh density for the corresponding LWC. Using X-ray computed tomography, large spherical type pores were observed in SPoRA similar to those in the commercial slate-based LWA. Additionally, the pore size distribution of SPoRA, characterized by a dynamic vapor sorption analyzer, indicated that more than 97 % of the pores had diameters greater than 50 nm. SPoRA’s average bulk crushing strength was 6.8 MPa which was smaller than commercial LWA and was potentially attributed to the differences in manufacturing processes. Nonetheless, SPoRA LWC with 28 days compressive strength of 29 MPa passed the ASTM C330 requirement and had a comparable strength with LWC prepared with the commercial LWAs indicating lesser importance for the LWA strength. SPoRA LWC had a flowability of 5 % compared to LWC prepared with commercial LWAs having flowability of 18 %. This observation was potentially related to the fluxing agent used in the SPoRA production. SPoRA had a 70 % degree of hydration at 12 days which was comparable with that of LWC prepared with commercial LWA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Use of a silver-based sanitizer to accelerate Escherichia coli die-off on fresh-cut lettuce and maintain produce quality during cold storage: Laboratory and pilot-plant scale tests

Outbreaks and product recalls involving romaine and iceberg lettuce are frequently reported in the United States. Novel technologies are needed to inactivate pathogens without compromising product quality and shelf life. In this study, the effects of a process aid composed of silver dihydrogen citrate, glycerin, and lactic acid (SGL) on Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes concentrations on lettuce immediately after washing and during cold storage were evaluated. Sensory and quality attributes of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce were also evaluated. Laboratory results indicated that application of SGL solution for 30 s as a first step in the washing process resulted in a 3.15 log reduction in E. coli O157:H7 immediately after washing. For E. coli O157:H7 a significant difference between SGL treatment and all other treatments was maintained until day 7. On day zero, SGL led to a 2.94 log reduction of L. monocytogenes. However, there was no significant difference between treatments with or without SGL regardless of storage time. Pilot-plant results showed that samples receiving SGL spray followed by chlorinated flume wash exhibited a greater reduction (1.48 log) in nonpathogenic E. coli populations at the end of shelf life than other treatments (p < 0.05). Additional pilot plant tests were conducted to investigate the hypothesis that SGL residues could continue to impact microbial survival on the final washed lettuce. Results show that pathogens introduced subsequent to flume washing of lettuce pretreated with SGL solution were not affected by antimicrobial residues. Here, the final quality and shelf life of flume washed lettuce were also unaffected by pretreatment with SGL. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that this new technology has the potential to accelerate E. coli die-off on fresh-cut lettuce during cold storage and improve product safety, while not affecting quality throughout the shelf life of the finished products.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Super-Resolved Single-Molecule Tracking Studies of Rhodamine B Accumulation on Fresh and Aged Polyethylene Terephthalate

It is well-known that toxic organic micropollutants (OMs) accumulate on the surfaces of microplastics. However, much remains to be learned about the exact molecular level mechanisms of OM accumulation and how these evolve as the plastics age. In this work, super-resolved single-molecule tracking (SMT) is used for the first time to investigate the accumulation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye on fresh and artificially aged polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surfaces. PET thin films serve as models for microplastics, while RhB serves as a proxy for the OMs they accumulate. Artificial aging of the films is accomplished by exposing them in a UV-ozone chamber. Water contact angle, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and carbonyl index measurements reveal a gradual decrease in film hydrophobicity, thickness, and carbonyl content with age. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) data reveal an increase in surface roughness and confirm that the films remain largely intact and continuous across the aging times explored. In SMT experiments, wide-field fluorescence videos acquired from the water/PET interface under 7.5 pM RhB reveal both mobile and immobile dye molecules. Measurements of the frame-to-frame displacements of the dye show that diffusion occurs by a desorption-mediated mechanism and that the diffusion rate varies with PET film age. The surface density of mobile dye molecules decreases with increasing PET age, while the population of immobile molecules becomes relatively larger, suggesting an age-dependent transformation of the mechanism(s) by which the dye is accumulated. SMT data reveal that both mobile and immobile molecules repeatedly adsorb over the same surface sites, consistent with the emergence of nanoscale PET surface heterogeneity also revealed by AFM. Estimates of the adsorption coefficients are obtained using a nearest-neighbor analysis, giving values from 9.9 × 10 5 to 2.1 × 10 6 M –1 for immobile molecules and from 1.8 × 10 5 to 2.5 × 10 5 M –1 for mobile molecules on fresh and 5 min aged PET, respectively. Here, anomalous age-dependent variations in the velocity of molecular motion on the PET surface and in the population of immobile molecules are shown to correlate with changes in the strength of RhB adsorption.

Adsorption↗

Microbial ecology of acidic, biogenic gypsum: community structure and distribution of extremophiles on freshly formed and relict sulfate deposits in a hydrogen sulfide-rich cave

Sulfate minerals are abundant on the Martian surface, and many of these evaporite deposits are thought to have precipitated from acidic fluids. On Earth, gypsum (CaSO 4 •2H 2 O) and other sulfates sometimes form under acidic conditions, so exploring the extremophilic life that occurs in these mineral environments can help evaluate the astrobiological potential of acid sulfate depositional settings. Here, we characterized the microbial communities associated with acidic gypsum deposits in a sulfuric acid cave, where sulfate precipitation is driven by sulfide-oxidizing bacteria and archaea. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and cell counts to characterize gypsum-associated microorganisms in freshly formed and relict deposits throughout the cave, to test how microbial community composition and abundance would vary with distance from the sulfidic water table and with the concentration of H 2 S(g) and other gases in the cave atmosphere. We found that actively forming gypsum in the lower cave levels was colonized by low-diversity communities that have few cells compared to other environments in the cave. The most abundant taxa were Acidithiobacillus, Metallibacterium, Mycobacteria, and three different Thermoplasmatales-group archaea, which occupied distinct niches based on proximity to sulfidic streams and the concentration of gases in the cave air. By contrast, deposits in older cave levels had more diverse communities that were distinct from those associated with freshly formed gypsum and likely represent a community reliant on different energy resources. These findings show that acidic sulfate deposits serve as habitats for extremophilic microorganisms and broaden our knowledge of the life associated with terrestrial sulfates.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Microbial Community Shifts Reflect Losses of Native Soil Carbon with Pyrogenic and Fresh Organic Matter Additions and Are Greatest in Low-Carbon Soils

ABSTRACT Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an important role in regulating global climate change, carbon and nutrient cycling in soils, and soil moisture. Organic matter (OM) additions to soils can affect the rate at which SOC is mineralized by microbes, with potentially important effects on SOC stocks. Understanding how pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) affects the cycling of native SOC (nSOC) and the soil microbes responsible for these effects is important for fire-affected ecosystems as well as for biochar-amended systems. We used an incubation trial with five different soils from National Ecological Observatory Network sites across the United States and 13 C-labeled 350°C corn stover PyOM and fresh corn stover OM to trace nSOC-derived CO 2 emissions with and without PyOM and OM amendments. We used high-throughput sequencing of rRNA genes to characterize bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities and their responses to PyOM and OM in soils that were previously stored at −80°C. We found that the effects of amendments on nSOC-derived CO 2 reflected the unamended soil C status, where relative increases in C mineralization were greatest in low-C soils. OM additions produced much greater effects on nSOC-CO 2 emissions than PyOM additions. Furthermore, the magnitude of the microbial community composition change mirrored the magnitude of increases in nSOC-CO 2 , indicating that a specific subset of microbes was likely responsible for the observed changes in nSOC mineralization. However, PyOM responders differed across soils and did not necessarily reflect a common “charosphere.” Overall, this study suggests that soils that already have low SOC may be particularly vulnerable to short-term increases in SOC loss with OM or PyOM additions. IMPORTANCE Soil organic matter (SOM) has an important role in global climate change, carbon and nutrient cycling in soils, and soil moisture dynamics. Understanding the processes that affect SOM stocks is important for managing these functions. Recently, understanding how fire-affected organic matter (or “pyrogenic” organic matter [PyOM]) affects existing SOM stocks has become increasingly important, due to both changing fire regimes and interest in “biochar,” pyrogenic organic matter that is produced intentionally for carbon management or as an agricultural soil amendment. We found that soils with less SOM were more prone to increased losses with PyOM (and fresh organic matter) additions and that soil microbial communities changed more in soils that also had greater SOM losses with PyOM additions. This suggests that soils that already have low SOM content may be particularly vulnerable to short-term increases in SOM loss and that a subset of the soil microbial community is likely responsible for these effects.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Critical and Subcritical Californium Source Driven Noise Analysis Experiments with Fresh PWR Fuels Pins

These experiments were performed in 1983 between August 1 and September 16 and used 35 operational days of critical facility time at the Babcock & Wilcox critical facility in Lynchburg, Va. These measurements were to assess the capability of the Cf source driven noise analysis method to measure the subcriticality of light water reactor fresh fuel configurations. This report documents the experiments of 1983 that were not reported at that time. These measurement with 2.459 wt. % 235 U enriched uranium oxide fresh fuel pins started at the delayed critical configuration of the fully assembled pressurized water reactor (PWR) core configuration with 1511 parts per million (ppm) natural boron (19.8 wt. % 10 B) in the water. This was a cylindrical configuration of 4961 fuel pins. After the initial measurements at delayed criticality, subcritical measurements by the Cf source driven noise analysis method were performed in which the number of detectors and Cf source locations were varied. Additional boron was added to the water moderator and reflector to reduce the neutron multiplication factor, with resulting boron concentrations of 1561, 1613, 1765, 1880, 2104, 2384, 2975, 3606, and 4303 ppm. After the completion of these measurements the increased, the boron concentration was returned to that at delayed critical (1511 ppm) and the reactivity was decreased by reducing the number of fuel pins in steps to 3713, 2553, 1281, 749, and 333 fuel pins and then to that (289) of a s ingle square 17 x 17 pin array, corresponding to a single PW fuel element. For all measurement that started at delayed criticality and then reduced the neutron multiplication factor to various subcritical states, inverse kinetics rod drop measurements at the higher reactivities were also performed but not reported here. At all subcritical states the break frequency noise analysis data was fitted to obtain the prompt neutron decay constant. Some data presented in this report are from notes not in the logbook. The purpose of this report is to document the experimental information for the measurements performed so that a later date someone could perform the required uncertainty and calculational analyses and documentation to use these data for an International Nuclear Criticality Safety Benchmark Program (INCSBEP) or Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) benchmark. The data from these measurements is available from the Laboratory Records Department of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the logbook is available from INCSBEP at Idaho National Laboratory.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Depth/diameter relations of fresh lunar craters - Revision from spacecraft data

The first systematic data from Apollo photogrammetry provide a high standard of accuracy for the depth/diameter relation of fresh lunar craters. Apollo depth-diameter results resemble results obtained by measuring shadows on Lunar Orbiter imagery. The depth-diameter distribution inflects at a crater diameter of 10 to 15 km. Lunar craters less than 15 km across are at least 50% deeper than older, telescopic data indicated, but larger craters are not much deeper. There is no marked depth-diameter difference between fresh upland and postmare craters. The new depth-diameter relation for small lunar craters resembles those of experimental and impact craters on earth.

Pike, R. J.↗

Modification of fresh crater landforms - Evidence from the moon and Mercury

The morphology of fresh lunar and Mercurian craters provides insight into processes of crater formation and modification. Measurements determined for Mercurian craters and compared to previously presented lunar data are depth/diameter, central peak and wall-related mass movement frequencies as functions of diameter, crater rim wall width/rim diameter, rim diameter/floor diameter, and central peak height/rim diameter. Two important results are as follows: (1) there is no evidence for direct gravity scaling of crater morphology, although some slight scaling relationship may be indicated, and (2) mass movements are responsible for the change in depth/diameter relationship observed near 2-km depth and 10-km diameter. The latter result is helpful in explaining gravitational and topographic data which suggest low-density regions beneath large fresh craters.

Malin, M. C.↗

The effects of target characteristics on fresh crater morphology - Preliminary results for the moon and Mercury

The results are reported of an analysis of the characteristics of fresh crater samples occurring on the two major geologic units on the moon (maria and highlands) and on Mercury (smooth plains and cratered terrain). In particular, the onset diameters and abundances of central peaks and terraces are examined and compared for both geologic units on each planet in order to detect any variations that might be due to geologic unit characteristics. The analysis of lunar crater characteristics is based on information provided in the LPL Catalog of Lunar Craters of Wood and Andersson (1977). The Mercurian data set utilized is related to a program involving the cataloguing of Mercurian craters visible in Mariner 10 photography. It is concluded that the characteristics of the substrate have exerted a measurable influence on the occurrence of central peaks, terraces, and scallops in flash crater samples. Therefore, in order to compare the morphologic characteristics of fresh crater populations between planets, an analysis of possible substrate-related differences must first be undertaken for each planet under consideration. It is suggested that large variations in gravity do not produce major variations in crater wall failure.

Cintala, M. J.↗