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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 361 records · Page 20

Shifts in hydropower operation to balance wind and solar will modify effects on aquatic biota

To avoid negative consequences to freshwater biota from climate change, society must complete the transition from fossil to renewable electricity sources. However, temporal patterns in hydropower generation (and flow releases that affect aquatic biota) may change with increased wind and solar penetration. We used power cost modeling to characterize current and future within-day and seasonal patterns in hydropower generation across the Eastern Interconnection in a wet and a dry year. Compared to the baseline, future hydropower generation across the grid decreased during the day and increased before dawn and after dusk. At a project level, such a pattern would suggest 'double peaking' operation (up- and down-ramping before dawn and after dusk, with lower releases midday). Variation in generation was higher in wet years than dry years, foreshadowing possible flow constraints on hydropower flexibility. At the grid scale, projected ramping rates were higher in all seasons. A review of the ecological literature suggests that these changes would shift the timing of invertebrate drift and elevate the risk of nest scouring during up-ramping and the risk of stranding or dewatering during down ramping. Thermal conditions may be moderated by increased ramping. Strategies for adapting to future shifts in the renewable portfolio range from re-regulation in reservoir cascades to providing flow refuge (structures and vegetation) below individual projects. Coordinated basin-scale operation can distribute peaking operation to maintain grid support while restricting local ramping at critical ecological times. In addition, research to design hybrid renewable systems that add battery storage is needed to understand how we can mitigate future risks to aquatic communities while promoting the use of renewable energy. This study, which is among the first to examine ecological side-effects of the shift to renewable energy in freshwater ecosystems, lays out a path toward understanding and navigating changes to flow regimes under the energy transition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The JmjC-domain protein NO66/RIOX-1 affects the balance between proliferation and maturation in acute myeloid leukemia

Highlights: • NO66/RIOX1 is not expressed in the AML cell line KG1a regarded as a “stem cell-like” model system. • NO66/RIOX1 is not expressed in primary HSC-enriched CD34{sup +}/CD38{sup -} cells of healthy donors. • Ectopic expression of NO66/RIOX1 in KG1a cells inhibits proliferation and rDNA transcription. • NO66/RIOX1 impacts on the transition from stem cells to progenitors by regulation of gene expression. As epigenetic regulators are frequently dysregulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) we determined expression levels of the JmjC-protein NO66 in AML cell lines and sub fractions of healthy human hematopoietic cells. NO66 is absent in the AML cell lines KG1/KG1a which consist of cells with the immature CD34{sup +}/CD38{sup -} phenotype and is regarded as a “stem cell-like” model system. Similarly, NO66 is not detectable in CD34{sup +}/CD38{sup -} cells purified from healthy donors but is clearly expressed in the more committed CD34{sup +}/CD38{sup +} cell population. Loss of NO66 expression in KG1/KG1a cells is due to hyper-methylation of its promoter and is released by DNA-methyltransferase inhibitors. In KG1a cells stably expressing exogenous wild type (KG1a66wt) or enzymatically inactive mutant (KG1a66mut) NO66, respectively, the wild type protein inhibited proliferation and rDNA transcription. Gene expression profiling revealed that the expression of NO66 induces a transcriptional program enriched for genes with roles in proliferation and maturation (e.g.EPDR1, FCER1A, CD247, MYCN, SNORD13). Genes important for the maintenance of stem cell properties are downregulated (e.g. SIRPA, Lin28B, JAML). Our results indicate that NO66 induces lineage commitment towards myeloid progenitor cell fate and suggest that NO66 contributes to loss of stem cell properties.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Balancing DNA repair to prevent ageing and cancer

DNA damage is a constant stressor to the cell. Persistent damage to the DNA over time results in an increased risk of mutation and an accumulation of mutations with age. Loss of efficient DNA damage repair can lead to accelerated ageing phenotypes or an increased cancer risk, and the trade-off between cancer susceptibility and longevity is often driven by the cell's response to DNA damage. High levels of mutations in DNA repair mutants often leads to excessive cell death and stem cell exhaustion which may promote premature ageing. Stem cells themselves have distinct characteristics that enable them to retain low mutation rates. However, when mutations do arise, stem cell clonal expansion can also contribute to age-related tissue dysfunction as well as heightened cancer risk. In this review, we will highlight increasing DNA damage and mutation accumulation as hallmarks common to both ageing and cancer. We will propose that anti-ageing interventions might be cancer preventative and discuss the mechanisms through which they may act.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Recent advances in constraint and machine learning-based metabolic modeling by leveraging stoichiometric balances, thermodynamic feasibility and kinetic law formalisms

Understanding the governing principles behind organisms’ metabolism and growth underpins their effective deployment as bioproduction chassis. A central objective of metabolic modeling is predicting how metabolism and growth are affected by both external environmental factors and internal genotypic perturbations. The fundamental concepts of reaction stoichiometry, thermodynamics, and mass action kinetics have emerged as the foundational principles of many modeling frameworks designed to describe how and why organisms allocate resources towards both growth and bioproduction. Furthermore, this review focuses on the latest algorithmic advancements that have integrated these foundational principles into increasingly sophisticated quantitative frameworks.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Balancing Charge Transfer and Frenkel Exciton Coupling Leads to Excimer Formation in Molecular Dimers: Implications for Singlet Fission

Photoexcitation of molecular chromophore aggregates can form excimer states that play a significant role in photophysical processes such as charge and energy transfer as well as singlet fission. An excimer state is commonly defined as a superposition of Frenkel exciton and charge transfer states. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of excimer formation and decay in π-stacked 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene (BPEA) covalent dimers appended to a xanthene spacer, where the electronic coupling between the two BPEA molecules is adjusted by changing their longitudinal molecular slip distances. Using exciton coupling calculations, we quantify the relative contributions of Frenkel excitons and charge transfer states and find that there is an upper and lower threshold of the charge transfer contribution for efficient excimer formation to occur. In conclusion, knowing these thresholds can aid the design of molecular aggregates that optimize singlet fission.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tuning Anion Composition and Mobility to Balance Ionic Conductivity and Cation Selectivity in Solid Polymer Electrolytes

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer a promising route toward safe and high-performance electrochemical energy storage, yet a fundamental challenge in SPEs involves improving ionic conductivity while maintaining selective cation transport. The hurdle exists because ion transport is typically coupled closely to polymer segmental dynamics. Herein, a glassy single-ion-conducting polymer, poly[lithium sulfonyl(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide methacrylate] (PLiMTFSI), in which the anions were tethered to the polymer, was blended with a flexible polymer, poly(oligo-oxyethylene methyl ether methacrylate) (POEM), and a series of small-molecule lithium salts, in which the anions were untethered [lithium bis(trifluoromethane­sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiTf), or lithium perchlorate (LiClO 4 )]. The impact of salt anion volume and tethered-to-untethered anion ratio on the ion conduction behavior and thermal properties of blend electrolytes was investigated. In some cases, conductivity could be enhanced through this ternary blend approach. For example, a POEM-based polymer blend containing a bulky salt anion (TFSI⁻) and an equimolar mixture of PLiMTFSI and LiTFSI exhibited a Li + conductivity (4.8×10 -4 S/cm) an order of magnitude higher than that of a comparable POEM / LiTFSI system (6.3×10 -5 S/cm) at 100 °C. This enhancement was attributed to a more than ninefold increase in lithium transference number (0.66 in the ternary blend vs. 0.07 in POEM / LiTFSI). Overall, this study highlights the potential for tuning anion composition and mobility to achieve relatively high ionic conductivities and maintain selective cation transport in SPEs, offering a pathway to enable batteries that tolerate elevated temperatures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗