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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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61 records · Page 4

LEO Flight Testing of GaAs on Si Solar Cells Aboard MISSES

Previous research efforts have demonstrated small area (0.04 cm) GaAs on Si (GaAs/Si) solar cells with AM0 efficiencies in excess of 17%. These results were achieved on Si substrates coated with a step graded buffer of Si(x),Ge(1-x) alloys graded to 100% Ge. Recently, a 100-fold increase in device area was accomplished for these devices in preparation for on-orbit testing of this technology aboard Materials International Space Station Experiment number 5 (MISSE5). The GaAs/Si MISSE5 experiment contains five (5) GaAs/Si test devices with areas of lcm(exp 2) and 4cm(exp 4) as well as two (2) GaAs on GaAs control devices. Electrical performance data, measured on-orbit for three (3) of the test devices and one (1) of the control devices, will be telemetered to ground stations daily. After approximately one year on orbit, the MISSE5 payload will be returned to Earth for post flight evaluation. This paper will discuss the development of the GaAs/Si devices for the MISSE5 flight experiment and will present recent ground and on-orbit performance data.

Wilt, David M.↗

Operations and Modeling Analysis

The Reliability and Maintainability Analysis Tool (RMAT) provides NASA the capability to estimate reliability and maintainability (R&M) parameters and operational support requirements for proposed space vehicles based upon relationships established from both aircraft and Shuttle R&M data. RMAT has matured both in its underlying database and in its level of sophistication in extrapolating this historical data to satisfy proposed mission requirements, maintenance concepts and policies, and type of vehicle (i.e. ranging from aircraft like to shuttle like). However, a companion analyses tool, the Logistics Cost Model (LCM) has not reached the same level of maturity as RMAT due, in large part, to nonexistent or outdated cost estimating relationships and underlying cost databases, and it's almost exclusive dependence on Shuttle operations and logistics cost input parameters. As a result, the full capability of the RMAT/LCM suite of analysis tools to take a conceptual vehicle and derive its operations and support requirements along with the resulting operating and support costs has not been realized.

Ebeling, Charles↗

Computer-Aided Parallelizer and Optimizer

The Computer-Aided Parallelizer and Optimizer (CAPO) automates the insertion of compiler directives (see figure) to facilitate parallel processing on Shared Memory Parallel (SMP) machines. While CAPO currently is integrated seamlessly into CAPTools (developed at the University of Greenwich, now marketed as ParaWise), CAPO was independently developed at Ames Research Center as one of the components for the Legacy Code Modernization (LCM) project. The current version takes serial FORTRAN programs, performs interprocedural data dependence analysis, and generates OpenMP directives. Due to the widely supported OpenMP standard, the generated OpenMP codes have the potential to run on a wide range of SMP machines. CAPO relies on accurate interprocedural data dependence information currently provided by CAPTools. Compiler directives are generated through identification of parallel loops in the outermost level, construction of parallel regions around parallel loops and optimization of parallel regions, and insertion of directives with automatic identification of private, reduction, induction, and shared variables. Attempts also have been made to identify potential pipeline parallelism (implemented with point-to-point synchronization). Although directives are generated automatically, user interaction with the tool is still important for producing good parallel codes. A comprehensive graphical user interface is included for users to interact with the parallelization process.

Jin, Haoqiang↗

Update on Development of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) Instrument for In Situ Geochronology

Absolute dating of planetary samples is an essential tool to establish the chronology of geological events, including crystallization history, magmatic evolution, and alteration. We are addressing this challenge by developing the Potassium (K) -- Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE), building on previous work to develop a K-Ar in situ instrument. KArLE ablates a rock sample, determines the K in the plasma state using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), measures the liberated Ar using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS), and relates the two by the volume of the ablated pit using laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Our goal is for the KArLE instrument to be capable of determining the age of several kinds of planetary samples to address a wide range of geochronolgy problems in planetary science.

Cohen, Barbara A.↗

Capitol Reef Ecological Conservation: Mapping Vegetation Functional Groups to Inform Invasive Vegetation Management, Ecological Conservation and Restoration in Capitol Reef National Park

Invasive exotic plant (IEP) species have been found within the park boundaries of Capitol Reef National Park (CARE) in Utah. Currently, remotely sensed datasets such as the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been used to investigate IEP species within the park, but validation of the national RAP program is necessary for informing decisions at a local scale. CARE seeks a remote monitoring solution that can precisely target managerial efforts within the park’s challenging terrain and hard-to-reach locations. To fulfill this objective, we harnessed Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery and leveraged Random Forest (RF) modeling to generate classification maps characterizing vegetation functional groups for 2013 and 2022 within the park. Subsequently, the Land Change Modeler (LCM) in Idrisi TerrSet facilitated the production of a predicted classification map for 2033. The team also devised an annual grass probability map to accentuate areas impacted by exotic grasses. A comparative assessment between the RF classification map and the RAP map for 2022 revealed an overall agreement of 47.41%, with disparities primarily arising from differences in bare soil and shrub areas. Significantly, the 2022 RF-generated classification map showcased an impressive overall accuracy of 92.17%. In short, the probability map, the land cover change detection spanning 2013 to 2022, and the forecasting of observed trends into the future aids in the evaluation of invasive plant impacts and facilitation of CARE’s preparedness for potential ecological disturbances. Notably, in comparison to the RAP, the RF classification method generates functional group maps that are more representative of the study area.

Vanchy Li↗

Altered excitation energy transfer between phycobilisome and photosystems in the absence of ApcG, a small linker peptide, in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a cyanobacterium

Phycobilisome (PBS) is a large pigment-protein complex in cyanobacteria and red algae responsible for capturing sunlight and transferring its energy to photosystems (PS). Spectroscopic and structural properties of various PBSs have been widely studied, however, the nature of so-called complex-complex interactions between PBS and PSs remains much less explored. In this work, we have investigated the function of a newly identified PBS linker protein, ApcG, some domain of which, together with a loop region (PB-loop in ApcE), is possibly located near the PBS-PS interface. Using Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, we generated an ApcG deletion mutant and probed its deletion effect on the energetic coupling between PBS and photosystems. Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic characterization of the purified ΔApcG-PBS demonstrated that ApcG removal weakly affects the photophysical properties of PBS that the spectroscopic properties of terminal energy emitters are comparable to those of PBS from wild-type. However, analysis of fluorescence decay imaging datasets reveals that ApcG deletion induces disruptions within the allophycocyanin (APC) core, resulting in the emergence (splitting) of two spectrally diverse subgroups with some short-lived APC. Profound spectroscopic changes of the whole ΔApcG mutant cell, however, emerge during state transition, a dynamic process of light scheme adaptation. The mutant cells in State I show a substantial increase in PBS-related fluorescence. On the other hand, global analysis of time-resolved fluorescence demonstrates that in general ApcG deletion does not alter or inhibit state transitions if it is interpreted only in terms of the changes of the PSII and PSI fluorescence emission intensity. Furthermore, the results revealed yet–to–be discovered mechanism of ApcG-docking induced excitation energy transfer regulation within PBS or to Photosystems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Antiretroviral therapy for HIV and intrahepatic hepatitis C virus replication

HIV alters host responses to hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HCV is rarely understood in relevant tissues and never before within individual hepatocytes. HIV and HCV kinetics were studied before and after ART initiation among 19 HIV/HCV co-infected persons. From five persons with the largest decline in plasma HCV RNA, liver tissues collected before and during ART, when plasma HIV RNA was undetectable, were studied. Here we used single-cell laser capture microdissection and quantitative PCR to assess intrahepatic HCV. Immunohistochemistry was performed to characterize intrahepatic immune cell populations. Plasma HCV RNA declined by 0.81 (0.52–1.60) log 10 IU/ml from a median (range) 7.26 (6.05–7.29) log 10 IU/ml and correlated with proportions of HCV-infected hepatocytes (r = 0.89, P = 2 × 10 -5 ), which declined from median (range) of 37% (6–49%) to 23% (0.5–52%) after plasma HIV clearance. Median (range) HCV RNA abundance within cells was unchanged in four of five participants. Liver T-cell abundance unexpectedly decreased, whereas natural killer (NK) and NK T-cell infiltration increased, correlating with changes in proportions of HCV-infected hepatocytes (r = -0.82 and r = -0.73, respectively). Hepatocyte expression of HLA-E, an NK cell restriction marker, correlated with proportions of HCV-infected hepatocytes (r = 0.79). These are the first data to show that ART control of HIV reduces the intrahepatic burden of HCV. Furthermore, our data suggest that HIV affects the pathogenesis of HCV infection by an NK/NK T-cell-mediated mechanism that may involve HLA-E and can be rescued, at least in part, by ART.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗