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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

Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training

Regular exercise promotes whole-body health and prevents disease, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium profiled the temporal transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, lipidome, phosphoproteome, acetylproteome, ubiquitylproteome, epigenome and immunome in whole blood, plasma and 18 solid tissues in male and female Rattus norvegicus over eight weeks of endurance exercise training. The resulting data compendium encompasses 9,466 assays across 19 tissues, 25 molecular platforms and 4 training time points. Thousands of shared and tissue-specific molecular alterations were identified, with sex differences found in multiple tissues. Temporal multi-omic and multi-tissue analyses revealed expansive biological insights into the adaptive responses to endurance training, including widespread regulation of immune, metabolic, stress response and mitochondrial pathways. Many changes were relevant to human health, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular health and tissue injury and recovery. The data and analyses presented in this study will serve as valuable resources for understanding and exploring the multi-tissue molecular effects of endurance training and are provided in a public repository (https://motrpac-data.org/).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Structural Analysis Approach for the Defense Programs Package 3 (DPP-3)

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is the design authority for a new Type B hazardous materials transportation package designated as the Defense Programs Package 3 (DPP-3) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The DPP-3 has been developed using similar materials and fabrication methods employed in previous U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), DOE, and NNSA certified packages. The DPP-3 design criteria are derived from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), NNSA guidance and NRC regulatory guides in order to safely and securely transport a variety of payloads. Final regulatory approval by the NNSA will require physical testing to demonstrate that the containment vessel (CV) remains leaktight after enduring the entire regulatory testing sequence prescribed in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 71 (10 CFR 71). In order to gain confidence that the DPP-3 will remain leaktight after testing, the DPP-3 has been structurally analyzed using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software LS-DYNA. The FEA analyses serve two general purposes: first, they aid in design and development of the package, and second, they advise as to which drop orientations are expected to cause the most damage during regulatory testing. This paper will discuss how the design criteria are incorporated into analytical techniques needed to evaluate the FEA structural simulation results for 10 CFR 71 conditions to give confidence the DPP-3 testing campaign will be successful.

Sakalaukus Jr., Peter J.↗

Activities and risk factors associated with fall-related injuries among US Army soldiers

Introduction Falls/near falls are the second leading cause of hospitalisation and outpatient visits among US Army soldiers. While numerous studies have evaluated fall-related or near fall-related injuries among elderly adults, few have evaluated this association among young adults. The objective of this study is to describe the characteristics and risk factors associated with fall-related or near fall-related injuries among male US Army soldiers. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of male US Army Airborne Division soldiers (n=5187). Electronic surveys captured demographic, lifestyle, physical training (PT), fitness and injury data during spring/summer of 2016. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors of fall-related or near fall-related injuries, adjusting for potential confounders. Results Primary findings indicated that activities and risk factors associated with fall-related or near fall-related injuries among soldiers included younger age (≤35 years), holding a job that required minimal lifting activities, slower 2-mile run times and not running during personal PT. Conclusions The findings from this study suggest that male US Army soldiers and other physically active men may benefit from (1) obtaining and/or maintaining higher aerobic endurance and muscular strength, and (2) training focused on preventing fall-related injuries during PT, road marching and sports/recreational activities. Moreover, prevention strategies and education should further target younger soldiers (≤35 years old), as younger age is not modifiable.

General & Internal Medicine↗

Effects Of Exercise During Prolonged Bed Rest

Report describes experiment to investigate effects of isotonic and isokinetic leg exercises in counteracting effects of bed rest upon physical and mental conditions of subjects. Data taken on capacity for work, endurance and strength, tolerance to sitting up, equilibrium, posture, gait, atrophy, mineralization and density of bones, endocrine analyses concerning vasoactivity and fluid and electrolyte balances, intermediary metabolism of muscles, mood, and performance.

Arnaud, S.↗

Biomechanical Analysis of Treadmill Locomotion on the International Space Station

Treadmill locomotion exercise is an important aspect of ISS exercise countermeasures. It is widely believed that an optimized treadmill exercise protocol could offer benefits to cardiovascular and bone health. If training heart rate is high enough, treadmill exercise is expected to lead to improvements in aerobic fitness. If impact or bone loading forces are high enough, treadmill exercise may be expected to contribute to improved bone outcomes. Ground-based research suggests that joint loads increase with increased running speed. However, it is unknown if increases in locomotion speed results in similar increases in joint loads in microgravity. Although data exist regarding the biomechanics of running and walking in microgravity, a majority were collected during parabolic flight or during investigations utilizing a microgravity analog. The Second Generation Treadmill (T2) has been in use on the International Space Station (ISS) and records the ground reaction forces (GRF) produced by crewmembers during exercise. Biomechanical analyses will aid in understanding potential differences in typical gait motion and allow for modeling of the human body to determine joint and muscle forces during exercise. By understanding these mechanisms, more appropriate exercise prescriptions can be developed that address deficiencies. The objective of this evaluation is to collect biomechanical data from crewmembers during treadmill exercise prior to and during flight. The goal is to determine if locomotive biomechanics differ between normal and microgravity environments and to determine how combinations of subject load and speed influence joint loading during in-flight treadmill exercise. Further, the data will be used to characterize any differences in specific bone and muscle loading during locomotion in these two gravitational conditions. This project maps to the HRP Integrated Research Plan risks including Risk of Bone Fracture (Gap B15), Risk of Early Onset Osteoporosis Due to Spaceflight (Gap B15), Risk of Impaired Performance Due to Reduced Muscle Mass, Strength, and Endurance (Gaps M3, M4, M6, Ml, M8, M9) and Risk of reduced Physical Performance Capabilities Due to Reduce Aerobic Capacity (Gaps M7, M8, M9).

De Witt, J. K.↗

Primordial nucleosynthesis with non-extensive statistics

The conventional Big Bang model successfully anticipates the initial abundances of 2 H(D), 3 He, and 4 He, aligning remarkably well with observational data. However, a persistent challenge arises in the case of 7 Li, where the predicted abundance exceeds observations by a factor of approximately three. Despite numerous efforts employing traditional nuclear physics to address this incongruity over the years, the enigma surrounding the lithium anomaly endures. In this context, we embark on an exploration of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) of light element abundances with the application of Tsallis non-extensive statistics. A comparison is made between the outcomes obtained by varying the non-extensive parameter q away from its unity value and both observational data and abundance predictions derived from the conventional big bang model. Here, a good agreement is found for the abundances of 4 He, 3 He and 7 Li, implying that the lithium abundance puzzle might be due to a subtle fine-tuning of the physics ingredients used to determine the BBN. However, the deuterium abundance deviates from observations.

Bertulani, Carlos A.↗

Development of an Extremely Durable Concrete (EDC) - A Novel approach coupling Chemistry and Autogenous Crack Width Control (Final Report)

Concrete cracking is a challenging issue and a constant threat to the durability of modern physical infrastructure. It is most commonly produced by mechanical loading and environmental deformations endured under field conditions, and structural deterioration accelerates at large crack widths. There is an urgent need for dramatic reductions in O&M cost, energy use, and emissions for infrastructure. The goal of this project is to fundamentally design an Extremely Durable Concrete (EDC) with a life expectancy at least five times that of current concrete by deploying a coupled micromechanical and chemical approach in material design. EDC is expected to embody an autogenously tight crack width (<50μm), high ductility (>3%), and stable chemistry using a green binder based on Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3), which together will produce a resilient formulation with self-healing capability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using Bond Graphs for Articulated, Flexible Multi-bodies, Sensors, Actuators, and Controllers with Application to the International Space Station

Conceptually, modeling of flexible, multi-body systems involves a formulation as a set of time-dependent partial differential equations. However, for practical, engineering purposes, this modeling is usually done using the method of Finite Elements, which approximates the set of partial differential equations, thus generalizing the approach to all continuous media. This research investigates the links between the Bond Graph method and the classical methods used to develop system models and advocates the Bond Graph Methodology and current bond graph tools as alternate approaches that will lead to a quick and precise understanding of a flexible multi-body system under automatic control. For long endurance, complex spacecraft, because of articulation and mission evolution the model of the physical system may change frequently. So a method of automatic generation and regeneration of system models that does not lead to implicit equations, as does the Lagrange equation approach, is desirable. The bond graph method has been shown to be amenable to automatic generation of equations with appropriate consideration of causality. Indeed human-interactive software now exists that automatically generates both symbolic and numeric system models and evaluates causality as the user develops the model, e.g. the CAMP-G software package. In this paper the CAMP-G package is used to generate a bond graph model of the International Space Station (ISS) at an early stage in its assembly, Zvezda. The ISS is an ideal example because it is a collection of bodies that are articulated, many of which are highly flexible. Also many reaction jets are used to control translation and attitude, and many electric motors are used to articulate appendages, which consist of photovoltaic arrays and composite assemblies. The Zvezda bond graph model is compared to an existing model, which was generated by the NASA Johnson Space Center during the Verification and Analysis Cycle of Zvezda.

Montgomery, Raymond C.↗

Physical fitness and cardiovascular response to lower body negative pressure

Klein et al. (1977) have questioned the concept of endurance training as an appropriate means of preparing for prolonged space flights. Their opinion was mainly based on reports of endurance athletes who had a decreased tolerance to orthostatic or gravitational stress induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP), upright tilt, or whole body water immersion. The present investigation had the objective to determine if the hemodynamic response to LBNP is different between a high and average fit group of subjects. In addition, the discrete aspect of cardiovascular function which had been altered by chronic training was to be identified. On the basis of the results of experiments conducted with 14 young male volunteers, it is concluded that the reflex response to central hypovolemia is altered by endurance exercise training.

Raven, P. B.↗

The effects of chronic alcohol consumption and exercise on the skeleton of adult male rats

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors are known to affect skeletal development and integrity. Specifically, running has been reported to increase risk of fatigue fractures, whereas chronic alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce bone formation and bone mass. The combined effect of exercise and alcohol on the skeleton has yet to be explored, although alcohol consumption is common among certain physically active populations (e.g., military recruits, college athletes). It was hypothesized that chronic alcohol consumption would accentuate the inherent risk associated with endurance running exercise. METHODS: Six-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to one of five groups: baseline, exercise-alcohol diet, exercise-normal diet, sham-alcohol diet, and sham-normal diet. Alcohol-fed rats (35% caloric intake) received a liquid diet ad libitum. Normal animals were pair-fed the identical diet with a maltose dextrin caloric substitute. Exercise was conducted on a motorized treadmill 5 days/wk for 16 weeks. Sham rats were placed on a stationary treadmill for matching time periods. Fluorochrome labels were administered 3 days before baseline and at 10 and 2 days before animals were killed. Heart, soleus, and rectus femoris muscles were wet weighed to assess the effects of training. Tibiae were collected for static and dynamic histomorphometric measurements on cancellous and cortical bone. RESULTS: Muscle weights were larger in the exercised rats versus the sham rats. Alcohol had no significant effect on skeletal muscle weight but did result in larger heart weights in both alcohol-treated groups. Cancellous and periosteal bone formation rates were significantly decreased in the alcohol-fed rats versus rats on the normal diet and were associated with a significant reduction in trabecular thickness in the tibial metaphysis. Cortical and cross-sectional areas were also significantly lower in the alcohol-fed groups compared with the non-alcohol-fed groups. Exercise had no significant effect on cancellous or cortical bone measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic alcohol consumption significantly reduced bone formation. Exercise had no effect on the bone and did not attenuate any of the negative effects of alcohol. The results suggest that alcohol consumption weakens the skeleton and increases the incidence of endurance-exercise-related bone injuries. Thus, individuals who are participating in endurance exercise and consuming alcohol may be at greater risk for exercise-related skeletal injuries. Further investigation of the potential for alcohol to induce detrimental effects on the hearts of individuals participating in endurance exercise is indicated.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

2014 Bone and Muscle Risks Standing Review Panel

The 2014 Bone and Muscle Risks Standing Review Panel (from here on referred to as the SRP) met for a site visit in Houston, TX on December 17 - 18, 2014. The SRP reviewed the updated Evidence Reports for the Risk of Impaired Performance Due to Reduced Muscle Mass, Strength and Endurance and (from here on referred to as the 2014 Muscle Evidence Report) and the Risk of Reduced Physical Performance Capabilities Due to Reduced Aerobic Capacity (from here on referred to as the 2014 Aerobic Evidence Report), as well as the Research Plans for these Risks. The SRP agreed the Evidence Reports were comprehensive and described a logical sequence of steps taken by NASA and the scientific community to address the risk of impaired performance as a result of muscle atrophy, i.e., reduced muscle mass, loss of strength and loss of endurance in a microgravity environment. The interdependence of the three physiological systems represented by this SRP (i.e., skeletal, muscular and cardiovascular) supports a level of discussion on system integration that is now appreciated by the Chief Scientist of the Human Research Program (HRP). The Evidence Reports cover the effects of microgravity on muscle, ranging from the cellular and molecular levels to whole muscle function. The reports also addressed other factors related to muscle (e.g., neural influences, insulin resistance, heat stress, and nutrition) that will serve as a basis for future discussions on the integration of physiological systems and the response to microgravity. The SRP agreed the Evidence Reports were balanced, provided insight to muscle function, and laid the foundation for the integrated approach now taken by the SRP.

Steinberg, Susan↗

The effect of the low Earth orbit environment on space solar cells: Results of the Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment (S0014)

The results of post-flight performance testing of the solar cells flown on the Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment are reported. Comparison of post-flight current-voltage characteristics with similar pre-flight data revealed little or no change in solar cell conversion efficiency, confirming the reliability and endurance of space photovoltaic cells. This finding is in agreement with the lack of significant physical changes in the solar cells despite nearly six years in the low Earth orbit environment.

Brinker, David J.↗

Effect of 3-Day Bed Rest on the Basal Sympathetic Activity and Responsiveness of this System to Physiological Stimuli In Athletes and Sedentary Subjects

The aims of this study were: (1) to examine the effect of three days of bed rest (BR) on basal plasma epinephrine [E] and norepinephrine [NE] and the catecholamine responses to various physiological stimuli, and (2) to find out whether previous physical activity modifies effects of BR. In the first series, 29 young men (11 sedentary students, 8 endurance and 10 strength trained athletes) were submitted to oral glucose tolerance test in supine position and to active orthostatic test before and after 3 days of BR. Plasma [E] and [NE] were measured after overnight fast (basal condition), at 60, 120 and 180 min after glucose ingestion (70 a), and at the 8th min of unsupported standing. In the second series, other 22 subjects (12 sedentary students, 10 endurance and 10 strength trained athletes) were submitted to 2 min cold pressor test (CPT) and exercise. Plasma E and NE were determined in the supine position after overnight fast and at 60th and 120th s of hand cooling. Then, after breakfast followed by 2-3 hour sitting, the subjects performed cycle ergometer exercise with workload increasing until volitional exhaustion. Plasma [E] and [NE] were determined at the end of each load. Plasma catecholamines were determined made radioenzymatically. After BR, basal plasma [NE] was decreased in endurance and strength athletes (p<0.01) but not in sedentary subjects. In neither group BR affected the basal [E]. Responses of both catecholamines to glucose load were diminished after BR in all three groups (p<0.05) but the effect was most pronounced in the endurance athletes. All subjects tolerated well 8-min standing although their heart rate response was increased after BR. Plasma catecholamine responses standing were not significantly affected by BR in either group but the plasma [NE] and [E] during standing were lowered after BR in endurance athletes (p<0.01). BR did not affect blood pressure and catecholamine responses to CPT. The pre- and post-exercise plasma catecholamines were similar before and after BR although the subjects achieved lower maximal loads after BR. In endurance athletes the threshold for plasma NA rise occurred at lower work intensity after than before BR (p<0.05).

Smorawinski, Jerzy↗

Amorphous Indium Oxide Channel FEFETs With Write Voltage of 0.9 V and Endurance >10 12 for Refresh-Free Embedded Memory

This work presents, for the first time, a back-end-of-the-line (BEOL)-compatible W-doped indium oxide (IWO) ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FEFET) with a record-low operating voltage below 0.9 V and a write speed of 20 ns while achieving a transient read current window (CW) ratio ( I LVT /I HVT ) greater than 10 4 . The device also exhibits exceptional reliability characteristics such as: 1) measured bipolar write endurance up to 10 12 cycles; 2) a fast read speed of 50 ns; 3) read endurance surpassing 10 12 cycles; and 4) retention exceeding 10 4 s at 85 ∘ C. Furthermore, a physics-based numerical model has been developed to investigate the nanoscale characteristics of BEOL FEFET devices, leveraging nucleation-limited switching in HfO 2 ferroelectrics and dc characterization to extract material and channel parameters for accurate device simulation. The simulation uncovers the stochastic switching behavior of BEOL amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) FEFETs and demonstrates an intrinsic switching time as low as 1 ps, highlighting the potential of BEOL AOS FEFETs for ultrafast memory applications. These results establish AOS FEFETs as a compelling candidate for high-density embedded memory applications for last-level cache (LLC) (L4) in advanced CMOS technology nodes.

1-V ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FEFET)↗

New proxies for second-order cumulants of conserved charges in heavy-ion collisions within the EPOS4 framework

Proxies for cumulants of baryon number 𝐵, electric charge 𝑄, and strangeness 𝑆 are usually measured in heavy-ion collisions via moments of net-number distribution of given hadronic species. Since these cumulants of conserved charges are expected to be sensitive to the existence of a critical point in the phase diagram of nuclear matter, it is crucial to ensure that the proxies used as substitutes are as close to them as possible. Hence, we use the EPOS 4 framework to generate Au + Au collisions at several collision energies of the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider beam energy scan. We compute second-order net cumulants of 𝜋, 𝐾, and 𝑝, for which experimental data have been published as well as the corresponding conserved charge cumulants. We then compare them with proxies, defined in previous lattice QCD and hadron resonance gas model studies, which are shown to reproduce more accurately their associated conserved charge cumulants. We investigate the impact of hadronic rescatterings occurring in the late evolution of the system on these quantities, as well as the amount of signal actually originating from the bulk medium which endures a phase transition.

Physics↗

Operation Dominic

A very tall (6’5”) Austin McGuire endured duty aboard the cramped confines of a submarine during World War II. After receiving a doctorate in physics from the University Rochester, he came to Los Alamos in 1954, later participating in the Koa shot of Operation Hardtack I. In 1962, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Los Alamos task unit of Joint Task Force 8 (8.1.1) and sent to Christmas Island for Operation Dominic.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Innovation in Radiological Security, Part 1 of 2 – Using a Cloud Solution to Compress the Timely Detection Model

The design and implementation of new security technologies must account for numerous and complex operational challenges. For example, traditionally isolated systems must now survive amid the proliferation of network connectivity and endure the dynamic environments created by organizations tolerating bring-your-own-device policies. When evaluating the cyber, physical, or cyber-physical security of an asset, a common practice in the security industry is to apply the Timely Detection Model (TDM)—a versatile concept that relates the security functions of detection, delay, and response to the progression of an oppositional force’s attack timeline. If implemented correctly, security enhancements can compress the TDM to offer efficiencies to the stakeholders responsible for adjudicating threat scenarios. The efficiencies gained by the response force allow for more effective protection strategies to be realized. One such enhancement, deployed within the radiological security domain—the Sentry-Remote Monitoring System (Sentry-RMS)—is a stand-alone security system that detects, assesses, and communicates priority alarms as a means of thwarting internal and external threats. The SEntry-RMS CommUnications and REsponse (Sentry-SECURE) platform—an optional feature of the Sentry-RMS—is being developed to facilitate more efficient alarm adjudication by site stakeholders and, if necessary, a faster response by law enforcement. This Cloud-hosted platform receives protected information from deployed Sentry-RMS units and relays it to stakeholders that have vested interests in maintaining an elevated level of situational awareness. Operationally, this enables real-time delivery of high-priority alarm and video imagery directly to an identified response stakeholder, such as local law enforcement or site management, via natively developed mobile applications or full platform integration. The Sentry-SECURE platform, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Radiological Security, is an example of an innovative security technology that compresses the TDM by (1) enabling a more efficient time to target and (2) better informing a response force’s predetermined tactics, techniques, and procedures. This paper explores the platform’s operational roles, highlights its principal functions, and presents a use case that demonstrates how the platform provides enhanced situational awareness when adjudicating priority alarms.

Sentry-RMS, Timely Detection Model, Sentry-SECURE↗

Effect of Fatigue on the Capacity and Performance of Structural Concrete

The goal of this project was to enhance the understanding of the fatigue behavior of concrete structures for the purpose of improving the design and assessment of towers and foundations that support wind turbines, which must endure repeated loadings from wind, waves, operations, and other dynamic effects that cause material degradation. This was achieved through physical experiments, a review of the technical literature, and collaboration with experts in key subject areas. The project produced a comprehensive database of publicly available fatigue data, several technical papers presenting the research findings, and two Technotes to be published by the American Concrete Institute that advance best practices in fatigue testing and enable the development of concrete-specific fatigue (S-N) (stress-life) curves. These contributions are expected to enhance the durability and cost-effectiveness of wind turbine support structures.

17 WIND ENERGY↗