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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Domain crossover in the reductase subunit of NADPH-dependent assimilatory sulfite reductase

NADPH-dependent assimilatory sulfite reductase (SiR) from Escherichia coli performs a six-electron reduction of sulfite to the bioavailable sulfide. SiR is composed of a flavoprotein (SiRFP) reductase subunit and a hemoprotein (SiRHP) oxidase subunit. There is no known high-resolution structure of SiR or SiRFP, thus we do not yet fully understand how the subunits interact to perform their chemistry. Here, we used small-angle neutron scattering to understand the impact of conformationally restricting the highly mobile SiRFP octamer into an electron accepting (closed) or electron donating (open) conformation, showing that SiR remains active, flexible, and asymmetric even with these conformational restrictions. From these scattering data, we then model the first solution structure of SiRFP. Further, computational modeling of the N-terminal 52 amino acids that are responsible for SiRFP oligomerization suggests an eight-helical bundle tethers together the SiRFP subunits to form the SiR core. Finally, mass spectrometry analysis of the closed SiRFP variant show that SiRFP is capable of inter-molecular domain crossover, in which the electron donating domain from one polypeptide is able to interact directly with the electron accepting domain of another polypeptide. This structural characterization suggests that SiR performs its high-volume electron transfer through both inter- and intramolecular pathways between SiRFP domains and, thus, cis or trans transfer from reductase to oxidase subunits. Such highly redundant potential for electron transfer makes this system a potential target for designing synthetic enzymes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stretchable electrochemical energy storage devices

The increasingly intimate contact between electronics and the human body necessitates the development of stretchable energy storage devices that can conform and adapt to the skin. Therefore, the development of stretchable batteries and supercapacitors has received significant attention in recent years. This review provides an overview of the general operating principles of batteries and supercapacitors and the requirements to make these devices stretchable. The following sections provide an in-depth analysis of different strategies to convert the conventionally rigid electrochemical energy storage materials into stretchable form factors. Namely, the strategies of strain engineering, rigid island geometry, fiber-like geometry, and intrinsic stretchability are discussed. A wide range of materials are covered for each strategy, including polymers, metals, and ceramics. By comparing the achieved electrochemical performance and strain capability of these different materials strategies, we allow for a side-by-side comparison of the most promising strategies for enabling stretchable electrochemical energy storage. The final section consists of an outlook for future developments and challenges for stretchable supercapacitors and batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Structural organization of the spongy mesophyll

Summary Many plant leaves have two layers of photosynthetic tissue: the palisade and spongy mesophyll. Whereas palisade mesophyll consists of tightly packed columnar cells, the structure of spongy mesophyll is not well characterized and often treated as a random assemblage of irregularly shaped cells. Using micro‐computed tomography imaging, topological analysis, and a comparative physiological framework, we examined the structure of the spongy mesophyll in 40 species from 30 genera with laminar leaves and reticulate venation. A spectrum of spongy mesophyll diversity encompassed two dominant phenotypes: first, an ordered, honeycomblike tissue structure that emerged from the spatial coordination of multilobed cells, conforming to the physical principles of Euler’s law; and second, a less‐ordered, isotropic network of cells. Phenotypic variation was associated with transitions in cell size, cell packing density, mesophyll surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio, vein density, and maximum photosynthetic rate. These results show that simple principles may govern the organization and scaling of the spongy mesophyll in many plants and demonstrate the presence of structural patterns associated with leaf function. This improved understanding of mesophyll anatomy provides new opportunities for spatially explicit analyses of leaf development, physiology, and biomechanics.

3D↗
NASA NTRS2001

Crystallization and initial X-ray diffraction analysis of human pyruvate dehydrogenase

Human pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) is a component enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. The enzyme catalyzes the irreversible decarboxylation of pyruvic acid and the rate-limiting reductive acetylation of the lipoyl moiety linked to the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. E1 is an alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer ( approximately 154 kDa). Crystals of this recombinant enzyme have been grown in polyethylene glycol 3350 using a vapor-diffusion method at 295 K. The crystals are characterized as orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 64.2, b = 126.9, c = 190.2 A. Crystals diffracted to a minimum d spacing of 2.5 A. The asymmetric unit contains one alpha(2)beta(2) tetrameric E1 assembly; self-rotation function analysis showed a pseudo-twofold symmetry relating the two alphabeta dimers.

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex/chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1947

On the Theory of the Unsteady Motion of an Airfoil

The paper presents a systematical analysis of the problem of the determination of the unsteady motion about an airfoil moving in an infinite fluid that contains a system of vortices and the determination of the hydrodynamical forces acting on the airfoil. The hydrodynamical problem is reduced to the determination of the function f (xi) which transforms conformally the external region of the airfoil into the interior of a circle. The proposed methods of determining the irrotational motion of a fluid that is produced by any motion of the airfoil are especially simple and effective if the function f (xi) is rational. As an example the flow is determined for the case of an arbitrary motion of an airfoil of the Joukowsky type. The formulas obtained for the determination of the hydrodynamical forces by means of contour integration are similar to those given by S. Chaplygin. These formulas are used to determine the force acting on the airfoil in the cases where the unsteady motion is potential throughout and the circulation about the airfoil is constant and also when the fluid contains a system of vortices. A full discussion is given of the concept of virtual masses together with practical formulas for computing the virtual mass coefficients.

Sedov, L. I.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multiple Functional Bonds Integrated Interphases for Long Cycle Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have garnered significant interest as one of the most promising energy suppliers for power grid energy storage. However, the poor electrode/electrolyte interfacial stability leads to continual electrolyte decomposition and transition metal dissolution, resulting in rapid performance degradation of SIBs. In this work, we propose a strategy integrating multiple functional bonds to regulate electrode/electrolyte interphase by triple-coupling of succinonitrile (SN), sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF 6 ) and fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC). Theoretical calculation and experiment results show that the solvation structure of Na + and ClO 4 – is effectively reconfigured by the solvated FEC, SN and PF 6 – in PC-based carbonate electrolyte. The newly developed electrolyte demonstrates increased Na + -FEC coordination, weakened interaction of Na + -PC and participation of SN and PF 6 – anions in solvation, resulting in the formation of a conformal interfacial layer comprising of sodium oxynitrides (NaN x O y ), sodium fluoride (NaF) and phosphorus oxide compounds (NaP x O y ). Consequently, a 3 Ah pouch full cell of hard carbon//NaNi 1/3 Fe 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 exhibits an excellent capacity retention of 90.4 % after 1000 cycles. Detailed postmortem analysis of interface chemistry is further illustrated by multiple characterization methods. Finally, this study provides a new avenue for developing electrolyte formulations with multiple functional bonds integrated interphases to significantly improve the long-term cycling stability of SIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The little skate genome and the evolutionary emergence of wing-like fins

Skates are cartilaginous fish whose body plan features enlarged wing-like pectoral fins, enabling them to thrive in benthic environments. However, the molecular underpinnings of this unique trait remain unclear. Here we investigate the origin of this phenotypic innovation by developing the little skate Leucoraja erinacea as a genomically enabled model. Analysis of a high-quality chromosome-scale genome sequence for the little skate shows that it preserves many ancestral jawed vertebrate features compared with other sequenced genomes, including numerous ancient microchromosomes. Combining genome comparisons with extensive regulatory datasets in developing fins—including gene expression, chromatin occupancy and three-dimensional conformation—we find skate-specific genomic rearrangements that alter the three-dimensional regulatory landscape of genes that are involved in the planar cell polarity pathway. Functional inhibition of planar cell polarity signalling resulted in a reduction in anterior fin size, confirming that this pathway is a major contributor to batoid fin morphology. We also identified a fin-specific enhancer that interacts with several hoxa genes, consistent with the redeployment of hox gene expression in anterior pectoral fins, and confirmed its potential to activate transcription in the anterior fin using zebrafish reporter assays. Our findings underscore the central role of genome reorganization and regulatory variation in the evolution of phenotypes, shedding light on the molecular origin of an enigmatic trait.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Psychomedical Interventions with Transgender People in Portugal and Brazil: A Critical Approach

This study aims to analyze biopsychomedical interventions with transgender people. For this purpose, we carried out 35 semi-structured interviews with people who self-identify as transsexuals and transvestites in Brazil and Portugal. The responses of the study participants were systematized according to a thematic analysis, which led to the emergence of the following three main themes: “institutional power”, “expectations of trans-bodies”, and “experiences in health services”. This study demonstrates how some trans people perform bodily modifications to fight the transphobia they experience throughout their lives. In addition, they believe that, by making their bodies conform to each other, they may become more attractive and desirable. The process of cisnormativity is, furthermore, conveyed by the idea present in the answers of some respondents: that having “integrated” bodies means facing less discrimination and that they will, therefore, obtain more satisfactory ways of personally and socially experiencing their identities. This study contributes to a deepening critical reflection on the experiences/exclusions of trans people, especially in the psychomedical context of “normalization” devices. Hence, just as social structures produce and sustain transphobia, the same structures are responsible for combating it.

Rodrigues, Liliana↗
DOE OSTI2020

Conducting Industrial Hygiene Exposure Assessments at Scale Using Non-Parametric Upper Tolerance Limits at the Hanford Site - 20439

Chemical vapors are generated in the radioactive waste storage tanks at the Hanford Site due to ongoing chemical and radiological activity. Hanford's Tank Operations Contractor conducts exposure assessments for individual tank farms to identify, evaluate, and recommend controls or other worker protection measures for chemical, physical, and biological hazards present within each tank farm. These exposure assessments conform to the American Industrial Hygiene Association assessment strategy and recommended statistical procedures. The exposure assessment process involved manually processing tens of thousands of records that were collected over several years and entered into a central database. Working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, this process has been largely automated, providing a scalable analysis process that reduced processing time by over 90%, while providing defensible results and improved data quality. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Efficient BiVO 4 /CoFeO x H y photoanodes using controlled annealing and conformal linear-sweep electrocatalyst photodeposition

Although monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) is a promising photoanode for solar water splitting, its practical use is hindered by imperfect photocurrent generation/collection, low photovoltage compared to the bandgap, and corrosion side reactions that limit durability. Here, we introduce a controlled-annealing sol–gel process for BiVO 4 thin-film photoanodes along with an optimized linear-sweep-voltammetry photodeposition of CoFeO x H y cocatalysts. The resulting BiVO 4 films annealed at 550 °C exhibited a photocurrent density of 4.1 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V RHE under 1 sun AM 1.5G solar simulation and a low onset potential of 0.26 V RHE due to high majority carrier conductivity, a crystalline bulk with reduced defects as evidenced by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence lifetime analysis, and thus enhanced photocarrier collection. However, significant degradation in performance was found due to interfacial photocorrosion. To protect the surface and speed the oxygen-evolution reaction CoFeO x H y cocatalyst layers were deposited. By varying the number of consecutive sweeps and adjusting the applied bias range, an ultra-thin (~15 nm) CoFeO x H y cocatalyst layer was uniformly grown deposited over 30 cycles on the BiVO 4 surface. The resulting BiVO 4 /CoFeO x H y yielded 4.03 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V RHE and onset potential of 0.24 V RHE , with stable operation (~15 % loss in photocurrent at 1.23 V RHE relative to ~60 % loss in the uncatalyzed control sample). These conformal CoFeO x H y catalytic layers function simultaneously to selectively collect photoexcited holes from the BiVO 4 , catalyze the water-oxidation reaction, and protect the BiVO 4 from photodegradation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Genetic and Structural Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein for Universal Epitope Selection

Evaluation of immunogenic epitopes for universal vaccine development in the face of ongoing SARS-CoV-2 evolution remains a challenge. Herein, we investigate the genetic and structural conservation of an immunogenically relevant epitope (C662–C671) of spike (S) protein across SARS-CoV-2 variants to determine its potential utility as a broad-spectrum vaccine candidate against coronavirus diseases. Comparative sequence analysis, structural assessment, and molecular dynamics simulations of C662–C671 epitope were performed. Mathematical tools were employed to determine its mutational cost. We found that the amino acid sequence of C662–C671 epitope is entirely conserved across the observed major variants of SARS-CoV-2 in addition to SARS-CoV. Its conformation and accessibility are predicted to be conserved, even in the highly mutated Omicron variant. Costly mutational rate in the context of energy expenditure in genome replication and translation can explain this strict conservation. These observations may herald an approach to developing vaccine candidates for universal protection against emergent variants of coronavirus.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1972

Fourier transform C-13 NMR analysis of some free and potassium-ion complexed antibiotics.

Fourier transforms of the noise-decoupled, natural abundance C-13 NMR free induction decays of the cyclic antibiotic valinomycin and its potassium-ion complex have been obtained at 25.2 MHz. Comparisons are made with C-13 NMR spectra taken at 22.6 MHz of the cyclic antibiotic nonactin and the synthetic polyether dicyclohexyl-18-crown-6 and their potassium complexes. The results obtained suggest that conformational rearrangements of the molecule as a whole can compete with direct interactions between carbons and the potassium ion in determining C-13 chemical shift differences between the free and complexed species.

Ohnishi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Human factors in space station architecture 2. EVA access facility: A comparative analysis of 4 concepts for on-orbit space suit servicing

Four concepts for on-orbit spacesuit donning, doffing, servicing, check-out, egress and ingress are presented. These are: the Space Transportation System (STS) Type (shuttle system enlarged), the Transit Airlock (Shuttle Airlock with suit servicing removed from the pump-down chamber), the Suitport (a rear-entry suit mates to a port in the airlock wall), and the Crewlock (a small, individual, conformal airlock). Each of these four concepts is compared through a series of seven steps representing a typical Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) mission: (1) Predonning suit preparation; (2) Portable Life Support System (PLSS) preparation; (3) Suit Donning and Final Check; (4) Egress/Ingress; (5) Mid-EVA rest period; (6) Post-EVA Securing; (7) Non-Routine Maintenance. The different characteristics of each concept are articulated through this step-by-step approach. Recommendations concerning an approach for further evaluations of airlock geometry, anthropometrics, ergonomics, and functional efficiency are made. The key recommendation is that before any particular airlock can be designed, the full range of spacesuit servicing functions must be considered, including timelines that are most supportive of EVA human productivity.

Cohen, Marc M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Preliminary benchmarks and analysis of boundary conditions in a trenched microstructured silicon radiation detector

Microstructured neutron detectors have the benefit of enhanced neutron detection efficiency as compared to planar devices, achieved by etching 6 LiF-filled trenches on the top surface of a silicon PIN diode. This sensor geometry results in a complex electric field distribution and depletion characteristics within the diode under reverse bias. For the first time on record, the effects of a fixed oxide charge on the microstructured device depletion characteristics and mobile carrier transport is investigated. Prototype detectors were fabricated with non-conformal surface doping. Capacitance voltage and current voltage measurements were performed for these prototypes and compared with COMSOL Multiphysics simulations. A spectral response from an 241Am alpha particle source was acquired and analyzed. It was found that monoenergetic alpha particles produce three prominent peaks in the pulse height spectrum output by the device. The peaks were confirmed by simulations to correlate with dead layers and incident trajectories into the microstructure. It was also found that significant differences in pulse rise time result, corresponding with events arriving in a low-field region in the fins and a high-field region in the bulk. Geant4 was utilized for radiation transport, interaction modeling, and benchmarking the spectral data. The results of this simulation work provide confidence in the ability to attain and benchmark electrical characteristics and spectral data for semiconductor radiation detectors employing complex microstructures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Consideration of Initial Cloud Droplet Size Distribution Shapes in Quantifying Different Entrainment-Mixing Mechanisms

Entrainment-mixing process significantly affects cloud micro/macrophysics and the evaluation of aerosol indirect effects. However, it remains an open question as to how to quantify entrainment-mixing mechanism for broad cloud droplet size distributions (CDSDs). Here, CDSDs with different spectral widths are used to initialize the Explicit Mixing Parcel Model to address this problem, and microphysical properties are compared for different CDSD widths. For relatively broad CDSDs, as the number concentration and liquid water content decrease, the volume-mean radius and mean radius increase, which is opposite to the scenario for relatively narrow CDSDs and the homogeneous/inhomogeneous conceptual model. For the relatively broad CDSDs, such relationships could be mistaken as inhomogeneous mixing with subsequent ascent in analysis of the conventional microphysical mixing diagram. This then causes traditional homogenous mixing degrees to be unrealistically negative and not applicable for relatively broad CDSDs. New measures are introduced to explicitly account for the effect of CDSD spectral shapes on quantifying entrainment-mixing mechanism. The new measures yield reasonable ranges of values that conform to the dynamical measures such as the Damköhler and transitional scale numbers, and their temporal variation can be explained physically. This study extends the measures of homogeneous mixing degrees from narrow to broad CDSDs, and sheds new light on the consideration of CDSD shapes in parameterizations of entrainment-mixing mechanism.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1985

An explanation for the H Ly-alpha longitudinal asymmetry in the equatorial spectrum of Jupiter - An outcrop of paradoxical energy deposition in the exosphere

An analysis of the Voyager EUV spectra of the Jupiter sunlit equatorial emissions shows no evidence for a substantial dependence of atomic hydrogen abundance on magnetic longitude, required by earlier theories of the H Ly-alpha longitudinal asymmetry. An explanation for the H Ly-alpha bulge phenomenon is advanced in this work that conforms to the observations and does not require a strong asymmetry in atomic hydrogen abundance. It is proposed that the H Ly-alpha bulge is caused by a combination of proton collisional transfer of H(2s) atoms in the H(2p) state, and production through recombination of H2(+) and H3(+), in an asymmetric ionosphere. According to the present model a large fraction of the observed H Ly-alpha emission from the equatorial region is electron excited, at least at times of solar maximum.

Shemansky, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS2009

A Reference Model for Software and System Inspections. White Paper

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is an important component of the software development process. SQA processes provide assurance that the software products and processes in the project life cycle conform to their specified requirements by planning, enacting, and performing a set of activities to provide adequate confidence that quality is being built into the software. Typical techniques include: (1) Testing (2) Simulation (3) Model checking (4) Symbolic execution (5) Management reviews (6) Technical reviews (7) Inspections (8) Walk-throughs (9) Audits (10) Analysis (complexity analysis, control flow analysis, algorithmic analysis) (11) Formal method Our work over the last few years has resulted in substantial knowledge about SQA techniques, especially the areas of technical reviews and inspections. But can we apply the same QA techniques to the system development process? If yes, what kind of tailoring do we need before applying them in the system engineering context? If not, what types of QA techniques are actually used at system level? And, is there any room for improvement.) After a brief examination of the system engineering literature (especially focused on NASA and DoD guidance) we found that: (1) System and software development process interact with each other at different phases through development life cycle (2) Reviews are emphasized in both system and software development. (Figl.3). For some reviews (e.g. SRR, PDR, CDR), there are both system versions and software versions. (3) Analysis techniques are emphasized (e.g. Fault Tree Analysis, Preliminary Hazard Analysis) and some details are given about how to apply them. (4) Reviews are expected to use the outputs of the analysis techniques. In other words, these particular analyses are usually conducted in preparation for (before) reviews. The goal of our work is to explore the interaction between the Quality Assurance (QA) techniques at the system level and the software level.

He, Lulu↗