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At least 559 records · Page 31

Post-translational control of collagen fibrillogenesis in mineralizing cultures of chick osteoblasts

Cultured osteoblasts from chick embryo calvaria were used as a model system to investigate the post-translational extracellular mechanisms controlling the macroassembly of collagen fibrils. The results of these studies demonstrated that cultured osteoblasts secreted a collagenous extracellular matrix that assembled and mineralized in a defined temporal and spatial sequence. The assembly of collagen occurred in a polarized fashion, such that successive orthogonal arrays of fibrils formed between successive cell layers proceeding from the culture surface toward the media. Mineralization followed in the same manner, being observed first in the deepest and oldest fibril layers. Collagen fibrillogenesis, the kinetics of cross-link formation, and collagen stability in the extracellular matrix of the cultures were examined over a 30 day culture period. Between days 8 and 12 in culture, collagen fibril diameters increased from < 30 nm to an average of 30-45 nm. Thereafter, diameters ranged in size from 20 to 200 nm. Quantitation of the collagen cross-linking residues, hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP) and lysyl pyridinoline (LP), showed that these mature cross-links increased from undetectable levels to concentrations found in normal chick bone. Analysis of the kinetics of their formation by pulse-chase labeling the cultures with [3H]lysine showed a doubling time of approximately 5 days. The relationships between cross-link formation, fibrillogenesis, and collagen stability were examined in cultures treated with beta-aminopropionitrile (beta-APN), a potent inhibitor of lysyl oxidase and cross-link formation. In beta-APN-treated cultures, total collagen synthesis was increased twofold, with no change in mRNA levels for type I collagen, whereas the amount of collagen accumulated in the cell layer was decreased by 50% and mineral deposition was reduced. The rate of collagen retention in the matrix was assessed by pulse-chase analysis of [3H]proline over a 16 day period in control and beta-APN-treated cultures. In control cultures, about 20% of the labeled collagen was lost from the cell layers over a 16 day period compared with > 80% in the presence of beta-APN. The beta-APN-treated cultures also showed a wider diversity of fibril diameters with a median in the > 45-60 nm range. In summary, these data suggest that cross-linking and assembly of collagen fibrils secreted by osteoblasts in vitro occur in a fashion similar to that found in vivo. The rate of cross-link formation is relatively constant and may be correlated with increasing collagen mass.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS).

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗

Symmetric Parsec-scale OH Megamaser Structure in Arp 220

The parsec-scale OH megamaser emission in the luminous IR galaxy Arp 220 has been imaged in detail using a global VLBI array. Four major emission regions are revealed in the 1667 MHz line, each with complex spatial and velocity structure showing intriguing symmetries.

active infrared radio lines galaxies maser↗

Hail Size Distribution Mapping

A 3-D weather radar visualization software program was developed and implemented as part of an experimental Launch Pad 39 Hail Monitor System. 3DRadPlot, a radar plotting program, is one of several software modules that form building blocks of the hail data processing and analysis system (the complete software processing system under development). The spatial and temporal mapping algorithms were originally developed through research at the University of Central Florida, funded by NASA s Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), where the goal was to merge National Weather Service (NWS) Next-Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) volume reflectivity data with drop size distribution data acquired from a cluster of raindrop disdrometers. In this current work, we adapted these algorithms to process data from a cluster of hail disdrometers positioned around Launch Pads 39A or 39B, along with the corresponding NWS radar data. Radar data from all NWS NEXRAD sites is archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). That data can be readily accessed at . 3DRadPlot plots Level III reflectivity data at four scan elevations (this software is available at Open Channel Software, ). By using spatial and temporal interpolation/extrapolation based on hydrometeor fall dynamics, we can merge the hail disdrometer array data coupled with local Weather Surveillance Radar-1988, Doppler (WSR-88D) radial velocity and reflectivity data into a 4-D (3-D space and time) picture of hail size distributions. Hail flux maps can then be generated and used for damage prediction and assessment over specific surfaces corresponding to structures within the disdrometer array volume. Immediately following a hail storm, specific damage areas and degree of damage can be identified for inspection crews.

Source record↗

MOS Circuitry Would Detect Low-Energy Charged Particles

Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) circuits for measuring spatially varying intensities of beams of low-energy charged particles have been developed. These circuits are intended especially for use in measuring fluxes of ions with spatial resolution along the focal planes of mass spectrometers. Unlike prior mass spectrometer focal-plane detectors, these MOS circuits would not be based on ion-induced generation of electrons, and photons; instead, they would be based on direct detection of the electric charges of the ions. Hence, there would be no need for microchannel plates (for ion-to-electron conversion), phosphors (for electron-to-photon conversion), and photodetectors (for final detection) -- components that degrade spatial resolution and contribute to complexity and size. The developmental circuits are based on linear arrays of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) with associated readout circuitry (see figure). They resemble linear CCD photodetector arrays, except that instead of a photodetector, each pixel contains a capacitive charge sensor. The capacitor in each sensor comprises two electrodes (typically made of aluminum) separated by a layer of insulating material. The exposed electrode captures ions and accumulates their electric charges during signal-integration periods.

Sinha, Mahadeva↗

A SUBLIME 3D Model for Cometary Coma Emission: The Hypervolatile-rich Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

The coma of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is one of the most chemically peculiar ever observed, in particular due to its extremely high CO/H2O and N(+2)/H2O ratios, and unusual trace volatile abundances. However, the complex shape of its CO emission lines, as well as uncertainties in the coma structure and excitation, has lead to ambiguities in the total CO production rate. We performed high-resolution, spatially, spectrally, and temporally resolved CO observations using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and Submillimeter Array to elucidate the outgassing behavior of C/2016 R2. Results are analyzed using a new, time-dependent, three-dimensional radiative transfer code (SUBlimating gases in LIME; SUBLIME, based on the open-source version of the LIne Modeling Engine), incorporating for the first time, accurate state-to-state collisional rate coefficients for the CO–CO system. The total CO production rate was found to be in the range of (3.8 − 7.6) × 10^(28) per s between 2018 January 13 and February 1 (at r(H) = 2.8–2.9 au), with a mean value of (5.3 ± 0.6) × 10^(28) per s. The emission is concentrated in a near-sunward jet, with a half-opening angle of ∼62° and an outflow velocity of 0.51 ± 0.01 km/s, compared to 0.25 ± 0.01 km/s in the ambient (and nightside) coma. Evidence was also found for an extended source of CO emission, possibly due to icy grain sublimation around 1.2 × 10^(5) km from the nucleus. Based on the coma molecular abundances, we propose that the nucleus ices of C/2016 R2 can be divided into a rapidly sublimating apolar phase, rich in CO, CO2, N2, and CH3OH, and a predominantly frozen (or less abundant), polar phase containing more H2O, CH4, H2CO, and HCN.

Martin Andrew Cordiner↗

IceNode: A Buoyant Vehicle for Acquiring Well-Distributed, Long-Duration Melt Rate Measurements Under Ice Shelves

Antarctic ice shelves buttress the Antarctic Ice Sheet from sliding into the ocean and significantly raising global sea level. However, the accelerating dynamics of ice shelf melt in a warming environment are poorly understood, and the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves remains one of the largest sources of uncertainty in global sea level rise projections. The cavities below Antarctic ice shelves are notoriously difficult to access, making model-based hypotheses about the relationship between ocean warming and greater ice shelf melting difficult to verify because of a lack of in-situ data to constrain model parameters and examine key assumptions. We present early progress on IceNode, a novel vehicle under development at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed to acquire well-distributed, concurrent, long-duration melt rate measurements under ice shelves. IceNodes are deployed as an array from a ship at the shelf edge, and use variable buoyancy to ride melt-driven exchange currents far into the cavity. Once underneath their target, they release a ballast weight to become highly positively buoyant and attach to the underside of the ice shelf, where they acquire in-situ measurements of basal melt rate directly at the ice-ocean interface for a year or more. Finally, IceNodes detach from their landing structure and use variable buoyancy to ride melt-driven exchange currents back to open water, where they surface and transmit their mission data home. IceNodes are designed to be relatively low-cost, expendable, and have simple logistics, enabling scientists to deploy scalable arrays that simultaneously measure co-varying ice shelf melt and ocean conditions over large spatial areas, thereby providing an unprecedented view of ice shelf melt rate variability and its drivers.

Zapien, Xavier↗

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 Gravitational Lensing Map and Cosmological Parameters

We present cosmological constraints from a gravitational lensing mass map covering 9400 deg2 reconstructed from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) from 2017 to 2021. In combination with measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations and big bang nucleosynthesis, we obtain the clustering amplitude σ8 = 0.819 ± 0.015 at 1.8% precision, S 8 ≡σ 8 (Ω m>/sub>/0.3) 0.5 = 0.840 ± 0.028, and the Hubble constant H 0 = (68.3 ± 1.1) km s −1 Mpc −1 at 1.6% precision. A joint constraint with Planck CMB lensing yields σ 8 = 0.812 ± 0.013, S 8 ≡σ 8 (Ω m>/sub>/0.3) 0.5 = 0.831 ± 0.023, and H0 = (68.1 ± 1.0) km s −1 Mpc −1 . These measurements agree with ΛCDM extrapolations from the CMB anisotropies measured by Planck. We revisit constraints from the KiDS, DES, and HSC galaxy surveys with a uniform set of assumptions and find that S 8 from all three are lower than that from ACT+Planck lensing by levels ranging from 1.7σ to 2.1σ. This motivates further measurements and comparison, not just between the CMB anisotropies and galaxy lensing but also between CMB lensing probing z ∼ 0.5–5 on mostly linear scales and galaxy lensing at z ∼ 0.5 on smaller scales. We combine with CMB anisotropies to constrain extensions of ΛCDM, limiting neutrino masses to ∑m ν < 0.13 eV (95% c.l.), for example. We describe the mass map and related data products that will enable a wide array of cross-correlation science. Our results provide independent confirmation that the universe is spatially flat, conforms with general relativity, and is described remarkably well by the ΛCDM model, while paving a promising path for neutrino physics with lensing from upcoming ground-based CMB surveys.

Cosmology↗

Centroid tracking with area array detectors

A computer program (ALGEVAL) has been developed to simulate the position estimating behavior of a centroid estimator algorithm using data typical of optical point spread function data recorded by an area array detector. Typical results are shown of varying detector properties and optical point spread function types. The detector parameters currently available for study include read noise mean value, dark current mean value and spatial variation, charge transfer efficiency and point spread function location, saturation level, signal level and pixel size. The program is capable of calculating any order centroid using an array size from 2 x 2 to 15 x 15 pixels. The output of the program is either a performance map, histogram data or tabluar data. A number of further developments are recommended.

Glavich, T. A.↗

Markov Chain Monte Carlo Joint Analysis of Chandra X-Ray Imaging Spectroscopy and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Data

X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect data can be combined to determine the distance to galaxy clusters. High-resolution X-ray data are now available from Chandra, which provides both spatial and spectral information, and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect data were obtained from the BIMA and Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) arrays. We introduce a Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure for the joint analysis of X-ray and Sunyaev- Zel'dovich effect data. The advantages of this method are the high computational efficiency and the ability to measure simultaneously the probability distribution of all parameters of interest, such as the spatial and spectral properties of the cluster gas and also for derivative quantities such as the distance to the cluster. We demonstrate this technique by applying it to the Chandra X-ray data and the OVRO radio data for the galaxy cluster A611. Comparisons with traditional likelihood ratio methods reveal the robustness of the method. This method will be used in follow-up paper to determine the distances to a large sample of galaxy cluster.

Bonamente, Massimillano↗

Utah FORGE: Seismic Velocity Models, February 2021

This dataset contains a map, showing the Utah FORGE seismic stations, and seismic velocity model data. There are 61 1-D velocity models which are in a compressed TAR file. A paper is referenced at the end of this description which discusses the use of these data in 3D modelling. The paper summary follows: We expand the application of spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) from typical 1-D Vs profiles to quasi-3-D imaging via Bayesian Monte Carlo inversion (BMCI) using a dense nodal array (49 nodes) located at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) site. Combinations of 4 and 9 geophones in subarrays provide for 36 and 25 1-D Vs profiles, respectively. Profiles with error bars are determined by calculating coherency functions that fit observations in a frequency range of 0.2-5 Hz. Thus, a high-resolution quasi-3-D Vs model from the surface to 2.0 km depth is derived and shows that surface-parallel sedimentary strata deepen to the west, consistent with a 3-D seismic reflection survey. Moreover, the resulting Vs profile is consistent with a Vs profile derived from distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data located in a borehole at the FORGE site. The quasi-3-D velocity model shows that the base of the basin dips ~22 degrees to the west and topography on the basement interface coincident with the Mag Lee Wash suggests that the bedrock interface is an unconformity. Reference: Zhang, H. and K. L. Pankow (2021). High-resolution Bayesian spatial auto-correlation (SPAC) pseudo-3D Vs model of Utah FORGE site with a dense geophone array, Geophys. Res. Int, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab049

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

The GOES-R Lightning Mapper Sensor

The Lightning Mapper Sensor on GOES-R builds on previous measurements of lightning from low earth orbit by the OTD (Optical Transient Detector) and LIS (Lightning Imaging Sensor) sensors. Unlike observations from low earth orbit, the GOES-R platform will allow continuous monitoring of lightning activity over the Continental United States and southern Canada, Central and South America, and portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The LMS will detect total (cloud-to-ground and intracloud) lightning at storm scale resolution (approx. 8 km) using a highly sensitive Charge Coupled Device (CCD) detector array. Discrimination between lightning optical transients and a bright sunlit background scene is accomplished by employing spectral, spatial, and temporal filtering along with a background subtraction technique. The result is 24 hour detection capability of total lightning. These total lightning observations can be made available to users within about 20 seconds. Research indicates a number of ways that total lightning observations from LMS could benefit operational activities, including 1) potential increases in lead times and reduced false alarms for severe thunderstorm and tornado Warnings, 2) improved routing of &rail around thunderstorms, 3) support for spacecraft launches and landings, 4) improved ability to monitor tropical cyclone intensity, 5) ability to monitor thunderstorm intensification/weakening during radar outages or where radar coverage is poor, 6) better identification of deep convection for the initialization of numerical prediction models, 7) improved forest fire forecasts, 8) identification of convective initiation, 9) identification of heavy convective snowfall, and 10) enhanced temporal resolution of storm evolution (1 minute) than is available from radar observations. Total lightning data has been used in an operational environment since July 2003 at the Huntsville, Alabama National Weather Service office. Total lightning measurements are obtained by the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and have successfully been used in warning decisions. Every 2 minutes, total lightning counts in 2 km by 2 km horizontal, 1 km vertical grids are available to forecasters on an AWIPS (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) workstation. Experience with the LMA total lightning data is used to illustrate the potential use of LMS data that would be available to forecasters across the US. This abstract is for submission as a presentation to the National Weather Association Annual Meeting to be held 16-21 October 2004 in Portland, OR. This abstract will be published in the conference proceedings.

Buechler, Dennis↗

Massively parallel processor computer

An apparatus for processing multidimensional data with strong spatial characteristics, such as raw image data, characterized by a large number of parallel data streams in an ordered array is described. It comprises a large number (e.g., 16,384 in a 128 x 128 array) of parallel processing elements operating simultaneously and independently on single bit slices of a corresponding array of incoming data streams under control of a single set of instructions. Each of the processing elements comprises a bidirectional data bus in communication with a register for storing single bit slices together with a random access memory unit and associated circuitry, including a binary counter/shift register device, for performing logical and arithmetical computations on the bit slices, and an I/O unit for interfacing the bidirectional data bus with the data stream source. The massively parallel processor architecture enables very high speed processing of large amounts of ordered parallel data, including spatial translation by shifting or sliding of bits vertically or horizontally to neighboring processing elements.

Fung, L. W.↗

Three-dimensional mapping of mineral in intact shark centra with energy dispersive x-ray diffraction

The centra of shark vertebrae consist of cartilage mineralized by a bioapatite similar to bone's carbonated hy-droxyapatite, and, without a repair mechanism analogous to remodeling in bone, these structures still survive millions of cycles of high-strain loading. The main structures of the centrum are an hourglass-shaped double cone and the intermedialia which supports the cones. Little is known about the nanostructure of shark centra, spe-cifically the relationship between bioapatite and cartilage fibers, and this study uses energy dispersive diffraction (EDD) with polychromatic synchrotron x-radiation to study the spatial organization of the mineral phase and its crystallographic texture. The unique energy-sensitive detector array at beamline 6-BM-B, the Advanced Photon Source, enables EDD to quantify the texture within each sampling volume with one exposure while constructing 3D maps via specimen translation across the sampling volume. Herein this study maps a centrum from two shark orders, a carcharhiniform and a lamniform, with different intermedialia structures. In the blue shark (Prionace glauca, Carcharhiniformes), the bioapatite's c-axes are oriented laterally within the centrum's cone walls but axially within the wide wedges of the intermedialia; the former is interpreted to resist lateral deformation, the latter to support axial loads. In the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus, Lamniformes), there is some tendency for c-axis variation with position, but the situation is unclear because one dimension of the sampling volume is consid-erably larger than the thickness and spacing of the intermedialia's radially-oriented lamellae. Because elastic modulus in collagen plus bioapatite mineralized tissues varies significantly with both volume fraction of bio-apatite and crystallographic texture, the present 3D EDD-derived maps should inform future 3D numerical models of shark centra under applied load.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Nuclear rotation at the fission limit in Rf 254

A ground-state rotational band in the fissile nucleus Rf254 was observed for the first time. Levels up to spin 14 and excitation energy of 1.56 MeV were observed. The Rf254 nuclei were produced using the Pb206(Ti50,2n) fusion-evaporation reaction. It is the weakest reaction channel ever studied using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopic methods. The reaction products were separated from the beam in the Argonne gas-filled analyzer (AGFA). The Rf254 nuclei were implanted into a double-sided Si strip detector at the AGFA focal plane and tagged with subsequent ground-state spontaneous fission decays using temporal and spatial correlations. Prompt γ rays in coincidence with the Rf254 recoils were detected in the Gammasphere array of Ge detectors. In order to identify the ground-state rotational band in Rf254, a method for identifying rotational bands in low statistics γ-ray spectra was developed. The deduced Rf254 kinematic moment of inertia is smaller compared to neighboring even-even nuclei. This is most likely associated with a slightly lower quadrupole deformation and stronger pairing correlations in Rf254. The behavior of the moment of inertia as a function of rotational frequency is similar to that of the lighter N=150 isotones Fm250 and No252.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

LArCADe | Liquid Argon Charge Amplification Devices

The Liquid Argon Charge Amplification Devices (LArCADe) project is an R$\&$D effort aimed at developing instrumentation capable of lowering detection thresholds for ionization signatures in liquid and gaseous argon detectors and achieving O(100 $\mu$m) position resolution. The core concept is the use of sharp “tip arrays” that generate strong local electric-field enhancement, enabling charge amplification and collection with improved spatial resolution. A key physics motivation for this work is to enhance the experimental sensitivity of Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) measurements to low-energy nuclear recoils by enabling spatially resolved charge reconstruction at reduced ionization thresholds, with the goal of achieving event-by-event energy reconstruction for interactions originating from localized accelerator or astrophysical neutrino sources. This poster will present the current status of the instrumentation R$\&$D, which leverages Fermilab’s Noble Liquid Test Facility and UC Santa Barbara’s Nanofabrication Facility, and will discuss the potential physics impact of this technology.

Antonakis, Alexander [UC, Santa Barbara]↗

A case for Gohrem - Geosynchronous orbit high resolution earth monitoring

Although the constant viewing geometry of the geostationary orbit simplifies quantitative monitoring of study areas, the high satellite altitude, in conjunction with the need for high spatial resolution, leads to large and complex sensors and spacecraft. State-of-the-art linear array detectors and a telescope of 1 m diameter and 10 m focal length can meet the requirements in question, which include a scan rate of the ground of at least 25 km/sec, the ability to cover a 150 X 150-km scene every several minutes, and an instantaneous field of view of 50 m in the visible portion of the spectrum and 1000 m in the IR.

Otterman, J.↗

Limiting mechanisms in large-grain polycrystalline silicon Spatial homogeneity

An experiment to investigate the spatial homogeneity of large-grain polycrystalline silicon shows a number of performance-loss mechanisms. Arrays of up to 400 small (about 0.2 sq cm in area) photodiodes were fabricated on a selection of 10 cm x 10 cm polycrystalline silicon wafers. Measurements of the illuminated current-voltage (J-V) characteristics were used to generate maps of Voc, Jsc, and FF as a function of position; and dark J-V and LBIC analysis were used to determine the cause of low performance in areas with significantly degraded J-V characteristics. In addition to the presence of inclusions, which act as resistive shunts, the performance of many of the cells is limited by quasineutral recombination current, which may vary by up to an order of magnitude across a wafer. The increase is the result of either electrically-active grain boundaries or numerous subgrain boundaries within the grain bulk. In other isolated instances, the open-circuit voltage is reduced by excess space-charge recombination current that is not correlated with either grain or subgrain boundary activity.

Culik, J.↗

Optical imaging spectroscopy

During the recent solar maximum the combination of imaging and spectroscopy in the visible part of the spectrum became a powerful tool for observational study of flares primarily because of the development of two-dimensional charge-coupled-device (CCD) arrays. In combination with appropriate new operational methods, this has led to the ability to observe, for the first time, the preflare and impulsive-phase physical processes associated with spatially resolved features of flare loops. As a result of concurrent theoretical developments, modeling progressed from an empirical to a physical level. This made it possible to interpret imaging spectra in terms of coronal pressure and heat flux, particle beam heating, chromospheric evaporation, and explosive chromospheric dynamics at the footpoints of flare loops. There is clear potential for further advances in the near future, taking advantage of improvements in digital recording speed (approx. 10-fold), number of photosensitive elements per array (approx. 10-fold), real-time data pre-reduction (potentially 10- to 100-fold), and using multiple CCD arrays. By the time of the next solar maximum imaging spectroscopy is expected to achieve spatial resolution or approx. arc 1 arc s, temporal resolution or approx. 5 s, and simultaneous critically-sampled spectroscopy of several lines and continua. As a result, continued increase in our understanding of the physical processes and configurations of solar flares in the chromosphere, temperature minimum region, and photosphere can be anticipated. Even greater progress toward a more global understanding of flares will obviously come about when simultaneous optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy are possible.

Canfield, R. C.↗