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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Insects at low pressure: applications to artificial ecosystems and implications for global windborne distribution

Insects have a number of potential roles in closed-loop life support systems. In this study we examined the tolerance of a range of insect orders and life stages to drops in atmospheric pressure using a terrestrial atmosphere. We found that all insects studied could tolerate pressures down to 100 mb. No effects on insect respiration were noted down to 500 mb. Pressure toleration was not dependent on body volume. Our studies demonstrate that insects are compatible with plants in low-pressure artificial and closed-loop ecosystems. The results also have implications for arthropod colonization and global distribution on Earth.

Atmospheric Pressure↗
NASA NTRS1993

Insect diversity in the fossil record

Insects possess a surprisingly extensive fossil record. Compilation of the geochronologic ranges of insect families demonstrates that their diversity exceeds that of preserved vertebrate tetrapods through 91 percent of their evolutionary history. The great diversity of insects was achieved not by high origination rates but rather by low extinction rates comparable to the low rates of slowly evolving marine invertebrate groups. The great radiation of modern insects began 245 million years ago and was not accelerated by the expansion of angiosperms during the Cretaceous period. The basic trophic machinery of insects was in place nearly 100 million years before angiosperms appeared in the fossil record.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2007

Solutions Network Formulation Report. Using NASA Sensors to Perform Crop Type Assessment for Monitoring Insect Resistance in Corn

The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) is tasked to monitor for insect pest resistance to transgenic crops. Several models have been developed to understand the resistance properties of insects. The Population Genetics Simulator model is used in the EPA PIRDSS (Pest Infestation and Resistance Decision Support System). The EPA Office of Pesticide Programs uses the DSS to help understand the potential for insect pest resistance development and the likelihood that insect pest resistance will negatively affect transgenic corn. Once the DSS identifies areas of concern, crews are deployed to collect insect pest samples, which are tested to identify whether they have developed resistance to the toxins in transgenic corn pesticides. In this candidate solution, VIIRS (Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite) vegetation index products will be used to build hypertemporal layerstacks for crop type and phenology assessment. The current phenology attribute is determined by using the current time of year to index the expected growth stage of the crop. VIIRS might provide more accurate crop type assessment and also might give a better estimate on the crop growth stage.

Lewis, David↗
NASA NTRS2005

Insect-Inspired Flight Control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Flight-control and navigation systems inspired by the structure and function of the visual system and brain of insects have been proposed for a class of developmental miniature robotic aircraft called "biomorphic flyers" described earlier in "Development of Biomorphic Flyers" (NPO-30554), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 11 (November 2004), page 54. These form a subset of biomorphic explorers, which, as reported in several articles in past issues of NASA Tech Briefs ["Biomorphic Explorers" (NPO-20142), Vol. 22, No. 9 (September 1998), page 71; "Bio-Inspired Engineering of Exploration Systems" (NPO-21142), Vol. 27, No. 5 (May 2003), page 54; and "Cooperative Lander-Surface/Aerial Microflyer Missions for Mars Exploration" (NPO-30286), Vol. 28, No. 5 (May 2004), page 36], are proposed small robots, equipped with microsensors and communication systems, that would incorporate crucial functions of mobility, adaptability, and even cooperative behavior. These functions are inherent to biological organisms but are challenging frontiers for technical systems. Biomorphic flyers could be used on Earth or remote planets to explore otherwise difficult or impossible to reach sites. An example of an exploratory task of search/surveillance functions currently being tested is to obtain high-resolution aerial imagery, using a variety of miniaturized electronic cameras. The control functions to be implemented by the systems in development include holding altitude, avoiding hazards, following terrain, navigation by reference to recognizable terrain features, stabilization of flight, and smooth landing. Flying insects perform these and other functions remarkably well, even though insect brains contains fewer than 10(exp -4) as many neurons as does the human brain. Although most insects have immobile, fixed-focus eyes and lack stereoscopy (and hence cannot perceive depth directly), they utilize a number of ingenious strategies for perceiving, and navigating in, three dimensions. Despite their lack of stereoscopy, insects infer distances to potential obstacles and other objects from image motion cues that result from their own motions in the environment. The concept of motion of texture in images as a source of motion cues is denoted generally as the concept of optic or optical flow. Computationally, a strategy based on optical flow is simpler than is stereoscopy for avoiding hazards and following terrain. Hence, this strategy offers the potential to design vision-based control computing subsystems that would be more compact, would weigh less, and would demand less power than would subsystems of equivalent capability based on a conventional stereoscopic approach.

Thakoor, Sarita↗
NASA NTRS2013

Engineered Surfaces for Mitigation of Insect Residue Adhesion

Maintenance of laminar flow under operational flight conditions is being investigated under NASA s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Program. Among the challenges with natural laminar flow is the accretion of residues from insect impacts incurred during takeoff or landing. Depending on air speed, temperature, and wing structure, the critical residue height for laminar flow disruption can be as low as 4 microns near the leading edge. In this study, engineered surfaces designed to minimize insect residue adhesion were examined. The coatings studied included chemical compositions containing functional groups typically associated with abhesive (non-stick) surfaces. To reduce surface contact by liquids and enhance abhesion, the engineered surfaces consisted of these coatings doped with particulate additives to generate random surface topography, as well as coatings applied to laser ablated surfaces having precision patterned topographies. Performance evaluation of these surfaces included contact angle goniometry of pristine coatings and profilometry of surfaces after insect impacts were incurred in laboratory scale tests, wind tunnel tests and flight tests. The results illustrate the complexity of designing antifouling surfaces for effective insect contamination mitigation under dynamic conditions and suggest that superhydrophobic surfaces may not be the most effective solution for preventing insect contamination on aircraft wing leading edges.

Siochi, Emilie J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Novel Epoxy Particulate Composites for Mitigation of Insect Residue Adhesion on Future Aircraft Surfaces

Drag is reduced significantly for airflow over surfaces when laminar flow can be maintained over greater chord lengths, the distance from the leading edge of an airfoil.1 However, surface imperfections, such as chipped paint, scratches, and events that change topography on a microscopic scale can introduce airflow instabilities resulting in premature transition to turbulent flow.1 Although many of these surface imperfections can be avoided with proper maintenance, advanced materials, and advanced manufacturing practices, topographical surface anomalies arising during flight from insect impacts cannot be controlled and can influence laminar flow stability. Practical solutions to this operational challenge need to be developed for future aircraft to have full advantage of laminar flow designs that improve fuel efficiency.2 Researchers have investigated various methods to mitigate insect residue adhesion for decades.3 Although several techniques have demonstrated efficacy including mechanical scrapers, active liquid discharge systems, and sacrificial paper coatings, they have not been commercially implemented due to increased manufacturing and operational complexity, environmental impact, and weight penalties. Coatings offer a simple route for passive insect residue adhesion prevention without many of the challenges associated with maintenance of laminar flow.4 In our previous work, we determined that most commercially available materials were not effective at insect residue adhesion.5 We also identified improvements when both surface energy could be controlled by surface modifying agents and the topography could be altered through the use of micron-sized and nanometer-sized filler materials.6 In this work, these general principles were applied to an epoxy system to evaluate the behavior of the surface modifying agent, a fluorinated alkyl ether oligomer, on surface energy and insect residue adhesion properties.

Wohl, Christopher J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Flight Testing Surfaces Engineered for Mitigating Insect Adhesion on a Falcon HU-25C

Insect residue contamination on aircraft wings can decrease fuel efficiency in aircraft designed for natural laminar flow. Insect residues can cause a premature transition to turbulent flow, increasing fuel burn and making the aircraft less environmentally friendly. Surfaces, designed to minimize insect residue adhesion, were evaluated through flight testing on a Falcon HU-25C aircraft flown along the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. The surfaces were affixed to the wing leading edge and the aircraft remained at altitudes lower than 1000 feet throughout the flight to assure high insect density. The number of strikes on the engineered surfaces was compared to, and found to be lower than, untreated aluminum control surfaces flown concurrently. Optical profilometry was used to determine insect residue height and areal coverage. Differences in results between flight and laboratory tests suggest the importance of testing in realistic use environments to evaluate the effectiveness of engineered surface designs.

Shanahan, Michelle↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sequence polymorphism in an insect RNA virus field population: A snapshot from a single point in space and time reveals stochastic differences among and within individual hosts

Population structure of Homalodisca coagulata Virus-1 (HoCV-1) among and within field-collected insects sampled from a single point in space and time was examined. Polymorphism in complete consensus sequences among single-insect isolates was dominated by synonymous substitutions. The mutant spectrum of the C2 helicase region within each single-insect isolate was unique and dominated by nonsynonymous singletons. Bootstrapping was used to correct the within-isolate nonsynonymous:synonymous arithmetic ratio (N:S) for RT-PCR error, yielding an N:S value ~one log-unit greater than that of consensus sequences. Probability of all possible single-base substitutions for the C2 region predicted N:S values within 95% confidence limits of the corrected within-isolate N:S when the only constraint imposed was viral polymerase error bias for transitions over transversions. These results indicate that bottlenecks coupled with strong negative/purifying selection drive consensus sequences toward neutral sequence space, and that most polymorphism within single-insect isolates is composed of newly-minted mutations sampled prior to selection. -- Highlights: •Sampling protocol minimized differential selection/history among isolates. •Polymorphism among consensus sequences dominated by negative/purifying selection. •Within-isolate N:S ratio corrected for RT-PCR error by bootstrapping. •Within-isolate mutant spectrum dominated by new mutations yet to undergo selection.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Equally sloped X-ray microtomography of living insects with low radiation dose and improved resolution capability

Three-dimensional X-ray imaging of living specimens is challenging due to the limited resolution of conventional absorption contrast X-ray imaging and potential irradiation damage of biological specimens. In this letter, we present microtomography of a living specimen combining phase-contrast imaging and a Fourier-based iterative algorithm termed equally sloped tomography. Non-destructive 3D imaging of an anesthetized living yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor was demonstrated with a relatively low dose using synchrotron generated X-rays. Based on the high-quality 3D images, branching tracheoles and different tissues of the insect in a natural state were identified and analyzed, demonstrating a significant advantage of the technique over conventional X-ray radiography or histotomy. Additionally, the insect survived without problem after a 1.92-s X-ray exposure and subsequent absorbed radiation dose of ∼1.2 Gy. No notable physiological effects were observed after reviving the insect from anesthesia. The improved static tomographic method demonstrated in this letter shows advantage in the non-destructive structural investigation of living insects in three dimensions due to the low radiation dose and high resolution capability, and offers many potential applications in biological science.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

A simple developmental model recapitulates complex insect wing venation patterns

Insect wings are typically supported by thickened struts called veins. These veins form diverse geometric patterns across insects. For many insect species, even the left and right wings from the same individual have veins with unique topological arrangements, and little is known about how these patterns form. We present a large-scale quantitative study of the fingerprint-like “secondary veins.” We compile a dataset of wings from 232 species and 17 families from the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), a group with particularly elaborate vein patterns. We characterize the geometric arrangements of veins and develop a simple model of secondary vein patterning. We show that our model is capable of recapitulating the vein geometries of species from other, distantly related winged insect clades.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stimulation of Insect Herbivory by Elevated Temperature Outweighs Protection by the Jasmonate Pathway

Rising global temperatures are associated with increases in the geographic range, population size, and feeding voracity of insect herbivores. Although it is well established that the plant hormone jasmonate (JA) promotes durable resistance to many ectothermic herbivores, little is known about how JA-mediated defense is influenced by rising temperatures. Here, we used the Arabidopsis-Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper) interaction to investigate the relative contribution of JA and elevated temperature to host resistance. Video monitoring of T. ni larval behavior showed that elevated temperature greatly enhanced defoliation by increasing the bite rate and total time spent feeding, whereas loss of resistance in a JA-deficient mutant did not strongly affect these behaviors. The acceleration of insect feeding at elevated temperature was not attributed to decreases in wound-induced JA biosynthesis, expression of JA-responsive genes, or the accumulation of defensive glucosinolates prior to insect challenge. Quantitative proteomic analysis of insect frass, however, provided evidence for a temperature-dependent increase in the production of T. ni digestive enzymes. Our results demonstrate that temperature-driven stimulation of T. ni feeding outweighs the protective effects of JA-mediated resistance in Arabidopsis, thus highlighting a potential threat to plant resilience in a warming world.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Resist! : Sustaining forest carbon sequestration and wood production after insect disturbance

Disturbances from insect pests threaten ecologically and economically important goods and services supplied by forests, including wood production and carbon sequestration. We highlight the factors that influence these services’ resistance, a term quantifying the initial response to disturbance. Insects inflict damage through a range of mechanisms, prompting distinct plant physiological responses that scale to influence ecosystem processes and, with time, goods and services. The degree and timing of tree mortality and defoliation affect the amount of residual vegetation available to support compensatory wood production and influence carbon sequestration by changing rates of detritus-fueled decomposition. Compounding, or sequential, insect attacks may prime a forest for additional disturbance, further eroding wood production and carbon sequestration. Forest management practices that promote biological and structural diversity, and augment or retain limiting biological and nutrient resources, may buffer against the effects of insect pests on wood production and carbon sequestration.

Gough, Christopher M. [Virginia Commonwealth Univ.↗
DOE OSTI2018

The binding properties of cycloxaprid on insect native nAChRs partially explain the low cross‐resistance with imidacloprid in Nilaparvata lugens

Abstract BACKGROUND Neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, are selective agonists of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) used to control Nilaparvata lugens , a major rice insect pest. High imidacloprid resistance has been reported in N. lugens both in the laboratory and in the field. Cycloxaprid (CYC), an oxa‐bridged cis ‐nitromethylene neonicotinoid, showed high insecticidal activity against N. lugens and low cross‐resistance in imidacloprid‐resistant strains and field populations. RESULTS Binding studies demonstrated that imidacloprid has two binding sites with different affinities ( K d = 3.18 ± 0.43 p m and 1.78 ± 0.19 n m ) in N. lugens nAChRs. CYC was poor at displacing [ 3 H]imidacloprid at its high‐affinity binding site ( K i = 159.38 ± 20.43 n m ), but quite efficient at the low‐affinity binding site ( K i = 1.27 ± 0.35 n m ). These data showed that CYC had overlapping binding sites with imidacloprid only at its low‐affinity binding site. Therefore, the low displacement ability of CYC against imidacloprid binding at its high‐affinity site could partially explain the low cross‐resistance of CYC in imidacloprid‐resistant populations. CONCLUSION The high insecticidal activity, low cross‐resistance and different binding properties on insect nAChRs of CYC show that it is a potential insecticide for the control of N. lugens and related insect pests, especially ones with high resistance to neonicotinoids. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Zhang, Yixi↗
DOE OSTI2020

Synthesis, aphicidal activity and conformation of novel insect kinin analogues as potential eco‐friendly insecticides

Abstract BACKGROUND The discovery of ecofriendly insecticides through a new strategy for aphid control is important because of the substantial resistance and unexpected eco‐toxicity to honeybees caused by traditional insecticides. The insect kinins, a class of multifunctional insect neuropeptides, are considered for potential application in pest control. In our previous work we developed several series of insect kinin analogues and found a promising lead II‐1 with good aphicidal activity. To seek further eco‐friendly aphicides, the optimization of II‐1 is carried out in this study. RESULTS Fifteen novel Yaa 3 modified analogues based on the lead II‐1 were synthesized. The aphicidal tests indicated that IV‐3 , IV‐5 and IV‐10 exhibited significant activity against the soybean aphid Aphis glycines with LC 50 values of 0.0029, 0.0072 and 0.0086 mmol L –1 , respectively, higher than that of lead II‐1 and the commercial Pymetrozine. The molecular modeling results showed that analogues II‐1 , IV‐3 , IV‐5 , IV‐7 and IV‐10 formed a β‐turn‐like conformation, while the conformation of analogues IV‐1 , IV‐2 and IV‐9 seemed to be linear. Some structural elements favorable for the activity were proposed based on the conformation‐activity relationship of the analogues. CONCLUSION Insect kinin analogues derived from lead II‐1 by modifying the hydrolysis site Yaa 3 with natural, sterically hindered α‐ and β‐amino acids showed great potential as eco‐friendly insecticides. Inspiringly, the most active analogue IV‐3 can be a candidate for further development. The β‐turn‐like conformation and the orientation of the aromatic rings of the side chain of Phe 2 and Trp 4 may be critical factors beneficial to activity. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Zhang, Chuanliang↗
DOE OSTI2015

The development of new radiation protocols for insect sterilization using long wavelength x-rays

Control of insect species for the protection of crops, livestock, and prevention of disease such as dengue fever and malaria is a high priority in today’s global economy. Traditional methods such as pesticides have fallen out of favor because its effects are indiscriminate as well as adverse and unpredictable impacts on the environment. Modern novel techniques such as genetic modification have had trouble gaining traction due to ethics concerns and the potential for unforeseen side effects. One approach that has gained traction and has proven its efficacy is the use of ionizing radiation to affect sterility in insect species in order to scale back their population. Known as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), it has proven very effective in eradicating certain dipteran insect populations. However, when standard sterilization methods developed for dipertans are applied to mosquito populations significant complications arise, such as an inability to compete with non-irradiated males and high mortality rates. We have investigated the effect of treatment with x-rays of different wavelengths on x-ray sterilized mosquito males. Our results have demonstrated that longer wavelength x-rays have a significant effect on the outcome of the sterile males’ longevity as well as an increase on the efficacy of sterilization while employing a substantially lower dose.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1979

Radar Observation of Insects - Mosquitoes

Tests were conducted at several sites over the coastal lowlands of New Jersey and over a region of high plains and low mountains in Oklahoma. In one area, a salt marsh in New Jersey, extensive ground tests were combined with laboratory data on expected insect backscatter to arrive at an extremely convincing model of the insect origin of most Dot Angels. A great deal of insight was studied from radar on the buildup and dispersal of insect swarms, since radar can follow where other means of trapping and observation cannot. Data on large-scale behavior as a function of wind and topography are presented. Displayed techniques which show individual or small swarm motion within some larger cloud or mass, or which can show the overall motion over great distances were developed. The influence of wind and terrain on insect motion and dispersal is determined from radar data.

Frost, E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Birds and insects as radar targets - A review

A review of radar cross-section measurements of birds and insects is presented. A brief discussion of some possible theoretical models is also given and comparisons made with the measurements. The comparisons suggest that most targets are, at present, better modeled by a prolate spheroid having a length-to-width ratio between 3 and 10 than by the often used equivalent weight water sphere. In addition, many targets observed with linear horizontal polarization have maximum cross sections much better estimated by a resonant half-wave dipole than by a water sphere. Also considered are birds and insects in the aggregate as a local radar 'clutter' source. Order-of-magnitude estimates are given for many reasonable target number densities. These estimates are then used to predict X-band volume reflectivities. Other topics that are of interest to the radar engineer are discussed, including the doppler bandwidth due to the internal motions of a single bird, the radar cross-section probability densities of single birds and insects, the variability of the functional form of the probability density functions, and the Fourier spectra of single birds and insects.

Vaughn, C. R.↗