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At least 829 records · Page 46

Extreme ultraviolet mask roughness effects in high numerical aperture lithography

Given the reflective nature of extreme ultraviolet lithography and its extremely short operational wavelength, roughness of the optical surfaces is of significant concern. In particular, roughness in the mask multilayer leads to image plane speckle and ultimately patterned line-edge or line-width variability in the imaging process. Here we consider the implications of this effect for future high numerical aperture (NA) systems that are assumed to require anamorphic magnification projection optics. The results show significant anisotropic behavior at high NA as well as a substantial increase in relative patterned line variability in the shadowed direction when comparing 0.55 NA to 0.33 NA, despite the assumption of an anamorphic magnification system. In conclusion, the shadowed-direction patterned line variability is 2× larger than for unshadowed lines, and the majority of the increase in variability occurs in the low frequency regime.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Full Karyotype Interphase Cell Analysis

Aneuploidy seems to play not only a decisive role in embryonal development but also in tumorigenesis where chromosomal and genomic instability reflect a universal feature of malignant tumors. The cost of whole genome sequencing has fallen significantly, but it is still prohibitive for many institutions and clinical settings. No applied, cost-effective, and efficient technique has been introduced yet aiming at research to assess the ploidy status of all 24 different human chromosomes in interphases simultaneously, especially in single cells. Here, we present the selection of human probe DNA and a technique using multistep fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) employing four sets of six labeled FISH probes able to delineate all 24 human chromosomes in interphase cells. This full karyotype analysis approach will provide additional diagnostic potential for single cell analysis. The use of spectral imaging (SIm) has enabled the use of up to eight different fluorochrome labels simultaneously. Thus, scoring can be easily assessed by visual inspection, because SIm permits computer-assigned and distinguishable pseudo-colors to each probe during image processing. This enables full karyotype analysis by FISH of single-cell interphase nuclei.

Baumgartner, Adi↗

LiDAR-based aboveground biomass changes data of tropical montane forest in Borneo

Anthropogenic activities are increasingly impacting the carbon storage of tropical montane forests. We employed airborne LiDAR data to estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) changes at high resolution in a human-modified tropical montane forest in northern Borneo. The data package consists of LiDAR-based AGB changes at 1m resolution in GeoTIFF format, a table of field and estimated AGB changes at plot level and a shape file of the plots’ coordinates. The raster data (GeoTIFF) at 1 m resolution covers two study sites (site 1: 2.67 km x 8 km; site 2: 2 km x 8 km). The GeoTIFF and shape files can be read using any GIS or image processing software. The dataset can be utilized to deepen our understanding of the carbon storage of tropical montane forests, establish reference values for Southeast Asian tropical montane forests, guide forest resource managers on rehabilitation strategies and further research on the impacts of anthropogenic land use activities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data from: "Moisture rivals temperature in limiting photosynthesis by trees establishing beyond their cold-edge range limit under ambient and warmed conditions"

This archive contains data files that were used to draw conclusions in “Moisture rivals temperature in limiting photosynthesis by trees establishing beyond their cold-edge range limit under ambient and warmed conditions”, by Moyes et al., 2015. All field research was completed in common garden plots set up as part of the Alpine Treeline Warming Experiment (ATWE) on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA.There are two main data file formats in this archive: comma-separated values (.csv), and Microsoft Excel (.xls and .xlsx). .xlsx files can be read using Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, and .csv files can be read using any simple text editor program, such as TextEdit (Mac) and Notepad (Windows). This .pdf data user’s guide can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader, or any other compatible software. Seedling photographs and their corresponding leaf area-processed images are available in .jpg/.JPG image format, and can be opened using Preview (Mac) and Photos (Windows). To provide additional spatial context, two types of geospatial files are also published in this data package: ESRI shapefiles (.shp) and .kml files. Shapefiles are compatible with any GIS software able to read the file type (such as QGIS or ESRI’s ArcGIS suite), and .kml files can be opened with Google Earth or Google Maps. Figures 3 and 4 in the publication contain data from Moyes et al. 2013. This publication is cited in the References section in this archive, and data files can be accessed via the Alpine Treeline Warming Experiment project portal on ESS-DIVE. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Climate change is altering plant species distributions globally, and warming is expected to promote uphill shifts in mountain trees. However, at many cold-edge range limits, such as alpine treelines in the western United States, tree establishment may be colimited by low temperature and low moisture, making recruitment patterns with warming difficult to predict.- We measured response functions linking carbon (C) assimilation and temperature- and moisture-related microclimatic factors for limber pine (Pinus flexilis) seedlings growing in a heating × watering experiment within and above the alpine treeline. We then extrapolated these response functions using observed microclimate conditions to estimate the net effects of warming and associated soil drying on C assimilation across an entire growing season.- Moisture and temperature limitations were each estimated to reduce potential growing season C gain from a theoretical upper limit by 15–30% (c. 50% combined). Warming above current treeline conditions provided relatively little benefit to modeled net assimilation, whereas assimilation was sensitive to either wetter or drier conditions.- Summer precipitation may be at least as important as temperature in constraining C gain by establishing subalpine trees at and above current alpine treelines as seasonally dry subalpine and alpine ecosystems continue to warm.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Resonant Frequency Derived from the Rayleigh-Wave Dispersion Image: The High-Impedance Boundary Problem

In this work, we present a simple and automated approach to estimate primary site-response resonance, layer thickness, and shear-wave velocity directly from a dispersion image for a layer over half-space problem. We demonstrate this for high-impedance boundary conditions that lie in the upper tens of meters. Our approach eliminates the need for time-consuming dispersion curve picking and 1D shear-wave velocity inversion for large data volumes that can capture velocity structure in profile. We highlight important relationships between dispersion characteristics and resonance parameters through synthetic modeling and field data acquired over Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments. In this environment, shallow soil conditions are critical to accurately estimate earthquake site response. We suggest that this image processing approach can be applied to a range of high-impedance conditions, at a range of scales, or can provide model constraints for more complex velocity structures.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Experimental Setup of Apodization Techniques for Beam Diagnostics Performed at ELBE

The ELBE (Electron Linac for beams with high Brilliance and low Emittance) facility in Dresden, Germany is a multipurpose user facility, which is also used for accelerator R&D purposes. The beam line was set up for transverse beam profile measurements, where the imaging system includes a series of three apodizers and five circular apertures. During beam operations both of these were changed remotely through automated LabView routines. The bunch structure and charge were varied to collect a series of images that were acquired automatically, and then stored for later analysis. Over 12,000 images were captured and then analyzed using software written at Jefferson Lab that runs ImageJ as it's main image processing library.

Freeman, B.↗

Final Report for Grant DOE DE-FG02-08ER64573 (Relating to Turbulence Modeling)

Turbulence enhances transport and mixing. Turbulent ocean currents can increase the encounter rate between fish larvae and their prey. Without turbulence, the fuel and air injected into the cylinder of an internal combustion engine would mix too slowly to be effective. Birds extract energy from turbulent winds to soar for great distances without flapping their wings. Turbulence can be detrimental as well. The efficiencies of vehicles, pipelines, and industrial equipment are all hindered by turbulence. Turbulence can also cause structural fatigue, generate unwanted noise, and distort the propagation of electromagnetic signals. These observations highlight the importance of turbulence research. Our ability to predict and control turbulence and, thus, to intensify or suppress its effects as circumstances warrant is contingent on our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Turbulence is also immensely interesting from a purely scientific perspective and is a great source of fundamentally important, challenging problems for physicists, engineers, and mathematicians. Moreover, various methods and tools developed in the field have found applications in other fields, including nonlinear optics, nonlinear acoustics, pattern formation, image processing, data compression, and econophysics. It is possible, at least away from walls, to derive LES models of very high-order accuracy. However, these models also lead to correspondingly intense computational complexity for their numerical solution. Some also introduce yet more questions on the already difficult problem of specifying needed and sometimes artificial local boundary conditions for the inherently nonlocal flow averages. For these two (and other) reasons, there has been a resurgence of interest in basing simulations of turbulent flows on much simpler regularizations of the Navier–Stokes equations rather than on full models of local averages--i.e., LES models. Initially these were developed as pure theoretical tools. The influx of ideas from LES and the added constraint that the regularization be amenable to numerical simulation have breathed new perspective and thus new life into this thread of ideas.Over the past year, a significant portion of our research activity has focused on numerical studies of the Navier–Stokes-$αβ$ model and extensions thereof. Our results regarding these and other approaches to turbulence modeling are described below.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Center for Momentum Transport and Flow Organization in Plasmas - Final Scientific Report

Overview of University of Colorado Efforts: The University of Colorado group has focused on two primary fronts during the grant period: development of a variety of multi-point diagnostic and/or imaging analysis techniques, and momentum-transport related experiments on a variety of devices (NSTX at PPPL, CSDX at UCSD, LAPD at UCLA, DIII-D at GA). Experimental work has taken advantage of several diagnostic instruments, including fast-framing cameras for imaging of electron density fluctuations (either directly or using injected gas puffs), ECEI for imaging of electron temperature fluctuations, and multi-tipped Langmuir and magnetic probes for corroborating measurements of Reynolds and Maxwell stresses. Mode Characterization in CSDX: We have performed a series of experiments at the CSDX linear device at UCSD, in collaboration with Center PI G. Tynan's group. The experiments included a detailed study of velocity estimation techniques, including direct comparisons between Langmuir probes and image-based velocimetry from fast-framing camera data. We used the camera data in a second set of studies to identify the spatial and spectral structure of coherent modes, which illuminates wave behavior to a level of detail previously unavailable, and enables direct comparison of dispersion curves to theoretical estimates. In another CSDX study, similar techniques were used to demonstrate a controlled transition from nonlinearly coupled discrete eigenmodes to fully developed broadband turbulence. The axial magnetic field was varied from 40-240 mT, which drove the transition. At low magnetic fields, the plasma is dominated by drift waves. As the magnetic field is increased, a strong potential gradient at the edge introduces an ExB shear-driven instability. At the transition, another mode with signatures of a rotation-induced Rayleigh–Taylor instability appears at the central plasma region. Concurrently, large axial velocities were found in the plasma core. For larger magnetic fields, all of the instabilities co-exist, leading to rich plasma dynamics and fully developed broadband turbulence. Edge-Turbulence and Flow Experiments in NSTX: A series of Gas Puff Imaging (GPI) observations on NSTX revealed a quasi-periodic oscillation in the plasma edge preceding the L-H transition in a limited set of neutral beam heated plasmas. These ~3 kHz flow oscillations exhibit both long wavelength and long correlation lengths, suggesting they are zonal-flow-like. The flow oscillations are strongly correlated with modulations of the level of edge turbulence, thus the system appears to undergo a predator--prey-type limit-cycle preceding the L-H transition. However, a clear trigger for the L-H transition was not observed. Reynolds stress profiles were obtained directly from image velocimetry for L-mode periods ELM-Precursor Studies in NSTX: A separate study based on NSTX-GPI data captured the two-dimensional evolution of edge-localized mode (ELM) precursors. Precursor events were observed preceding ELMs and ELM-induced H–L back-transitions in radio-frequency heated H-mode plasmas, and the growth of the precursor mode through the ELM filamentation was imaged in the plane perpendicular to the local B-field. Strong edge intensity modulations appeared to propagate in the electron diamagnetic direction while steadily drifting radially outwards. Intensity fluctuations were observed at frequencies around 20 kHz and wavenumbers of 0.05-0.2 cm -1 . Upon growing to a trigger point, precursor fluctuations were seen to form filamentary structures and move into the scrape-off layer (SOL) explosively with radial velocities peaking at 8 km/s. Once in the SOL, filaments reverse their propagation direction and travel in the ion diamagnetic direction. Edge intensity fluctuations were strongly correlated with magnetic signals from Mirnov coils, and toroidally distributed coils estimated toroidal mode numbers of n=5-10. Quantitatively similar precursors have been observed in ohmic H-mode plasmas as well, though significantly fewer events are seen in the ohmic cases and none were observed in the near-threshold NBI H-modes studied. Development of Velocimetry and Image Analysis Techniques: Along with the experiments listed above, the Colorado group has continued to explore various velocimetry techniques and their range of validity. We have developed a “linear optical flow” code, which calculates smooth velocity maps while accurately assessing local regions of high curl. This is critical for separating spatial scales of velocity behavior, and thus transport. This code has recently come on-line, and we are currently using it to revisit a number of older datasets. Additionally, we have worked on developing pattern-recognition techniques for imaging diagnostics, based on established digital image compression algorithms. This has the potential to open the analysis of turbulent plasma behavior beyond the well-trodden Fourier and wavelet approaches. Finally, we have extended several of these image-analysis routines to multiple other diagnostic sets, including GPI datasets in NSTX and ECEI imaging on DIII-D. In one study, correlation maps were used to measure the full 2-D mode structure of drift-wave level structures using ECEI for the first time. This enabled direct comparison to gyrokinetic simulations using the GEM code, from which is was determined that TEM modes were being measured in DIII-D.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Detecting the Extent of Eutectoid Transformation in U-10Mo

During eutectoid transformation of U-10Mo alloy, uniform metastable γ UMo phase is expected to transform to a mixture of α-U and γ’-U 2 Mo phase. The presence of transformation products in final U-10Mo fuel, especially the α phase is considered detrimental for fuel irradiation performance, so it is critical to accurately evaluate the extent of transformation in the final U-10Mo alloy. This phase transformation can cause a volume change that induces a density change in final alloy. To understand this density and volume change, we developed a theoretical model to calculate the volume expansion and resultant density change of U-10Mo alloy as a function of the extent of eutectoid transformation. Based on the theoretically calculated density change for 0 to 100% transformation, we conclude that an experimental density measurement system will be challenging to employ to reliably detect and quantify the extent of transformation. Subsequently, to assess the ability of various methods to detect the transformation in U-10Mo, we annealed U-10Mo alloy samples at 500°C for various times to achieve in low, medium, and high extent of transformation. After the heat treatment at 500°C, the samples were metallographically polished and subjected to optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Based on our assessment, optical microscopy and image processing can be used to determine the transformed area fraction, which can then be correlated with the α phase volume fraction measured by XRD analysis. XRD analysis of U-10Mo aged at 500°C detected only α phase and no γ’ was detected. To further validate the XRD results, atom probe tomography (APT) was used to understand the composition of transformed regions in U-10Mo alloys aged at 500°C for 10 hours. Based on the APT results, the lamellar transformation product was found to comprise α phase with close to 0 at% Mo and γ phase with 28–32 at% Mo, and the Mo concentration was highest at the α/γ interface.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera Value-Added Product

The Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC) addresses a need for high-resolution multi-angle imaging of hydrometeors in freefall with simultaneous measurement of fallspeed. As illustrated in Figure 1, the MASC consists of three cameras, separated by 36°, each pointing at an identical focal point approximately 10 cm away. Located immediately above each camera, a light aims directly at the center of depth of field for its corresponding camera. The focal point at which the cameras are aimed lies within a ring through which hydrometeors fall. The ring houses a system of near-infrared emitter-detector pairs, arranged in two arrays separated vertically by 32 mm. When hydrometeors pass through the lower array, they simultaneously trigger all cameras and lights. Fallspeed is calculated from the time it takes to traverse the distance between the upper and lower triggering arrays. The trigger electronics filter out ambient light fluctuations associated with varying sunlight and shadows. The microprocessor onboard the MASC controls the camera system and communicates with the personal computer (PC). The image data is sent via FireWire 800 line, and fallspeed (and camera control) is sent via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) line that relies on RS232-over-USB serial conversion. See Table 1 for specific details on the MASC located at the Oliktok Point Mobile Facility on the North Slope of Alaska. The value-added product (VAP) detailed in this documentation analyzes the raw data (Section 2.0) using Python: images rely on OpenCV image processing library and derived aggregated statistics rely on some clever averaging. See Sections 4.1 and 4.2 for more details on what variables are computed.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Enhanced Approximate Nearest Neighbor via Local Area Focused Search.

Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) algorithms are increasingly important in machine learning, data mining, and image processing applications. There is a large family of space- partitioning ANN algorithms, such as randomized KD-Trees, that work well in practice but are limited by an exponential increase in similarity comparisons required to optimize recall. Additionally, they only support a small set of similarity metrics. We present Local Area Fo- cused Search (LAFS), a method that enhances the way queries are performed using an existing ANN index. Instead of a single query, LAFS performs a number of smaller (fewer similarity comparisons) queries and focuses on a local neighborhood which is refined as candidates are identified. We show that our technique improves performance on several well known datasets and is easily extended to general similarity metrics using kernel projection techniques.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Hardware Acceleration of Adaptive Neural Algorithms.

As tradit ional numerical computing has faced challenges, researchers have turned towards alternative computing approaches to reduce power - per - computation metrics and improve algorithm performance. Here, we describe an approach towards non - conventional computing that strengthens the connection between machine learning and neuroscience concepts. The Hardware Acceleration of Adaptive Neural Algorithms (HAANA) project ha s develop ed neural machine learning algorithms and hardware for applications in image processing and cybersecurity. While machine learning methods are effective at extracting relevant features from many types of data, the effectiveness of these algorithms degrades when subjected to real - world conditions. Our team has generated novel neural - inspired approa ches to improve the resiliency and adaptability of machine learning algorithms. In addition, we have also designed and fabricated hardware architectures and microelectronic devices specifically tuned towards the training and inference operations of neural - inspired algorithms. Finally, our multi - scale simulation framework allows us to assess the impact of microelectronic device properties on algorithm performance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Methodology for Yield Determination of Surface Shots Over Water

Shockwave analysis is one of the few methods used to determine the yield of a nuclear detonation. It has been noted that the shockwave of these surface shots over water are asymmetric making accurate yield determination difficult. To calculate the yield of these shots more accurately, reanalysis of these films is required. Armed with the digitized replicas of the original nuclear test films and the latest image processing tools, a methodology for segmenting the shockwave from the digitized film and measuring these shockwaves is devised to quickly and accurately quantify the shape of these asymmetric shockwaves. With a two-dimensional result from these asymmetric shockwaves, several methods are discussed to transform the final shockwave contour to a scalar value which can be used in existing yield determination equations.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Developing Novel Multifunctional Materials for High-Efficiency Electrical Energy Storage

This is the final report for the program “Developing Novel Multifunctional Materials for High-efficiency Electrical Energy Storage”, funded by The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and performed by University of Tennessee, from September 01, 2013 to August 31, 2018. Securing a sustainable energy economy by developing affordable and clean energy from renewable energy is a central element to the mission of DOE/NETL. To further this mission, NETL funds research and development of novel multifunctional materials that can be used for high-efficiency electrical energy storage. The main objective of this research program is to conduct fundamental and applied research that lead to successful development and demonstration of novel multifunctional materials, which can improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of hydrogen production with water electrolysis. The specific objectives of this research program include: 1) Design, fabrication and demonstration of thin/well-tunable liquid/gas diffusion layer (TT-LGDLs) with different pore morphologies, including pore sizes and pore porosities. 2) Development of comprehensive computational models of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer cell (PEMECs) for the investigation of influence of different operating conditions and physical design parameters on its performance. 3) Surface modification of TT-LGDLs for better catalyst access and product/reactant removal, and smaller interfacial contact resistance (ICR). To achieve the above challenging goals, a multidisciplinary research team was formed to work on fundamental and applied research on the following three major technical areas: 1) Design, fabrication and demonstration of thin/well-tunable LGDLs (TT-LGDLs) by using photolithography and wet etching of thin titanium (Ti) foils. During the project period, the team has successfully fabricated TT-LGDLs with different pore morphologies, including pore sizes and pore porosities. The manufacturing steps mainly include cleaning thin Ti foil, supporting the foils, applying photoresist, patterning the photoresist with designed mask, exposing and developing, etching, removing photoresist, and lift-off and cleaning. The manufactured TT-LGDLs were characterized with optical microscopies and scanning electron microscopies. Their pore morphologies, including pore size and porosity, were derived based on advanced image process. The feasibility for scale-up manufacturing has been demonstrated. The TT-LGDLs have been successfully investigated for water splitting in PEMECs, which showing better performance than their counterparts fabricated with the traditional fiber-based materials. 2) Comprehensive computational modeling of a PEMEC. A comprehensive computational model has been successfully developed, and the influence of different operating conditions and physical design parameters on its performance has been investigated, including operating temperature, pressure, exchange current density, electrode thickness, membrane thickness, and interfacial resistance. Results obtained from the present model provide a comprehensive understanding of design parameter effects and consequently improve the design/performance in a PEMEC. 3) Surface modification of TT-LGDLs. The proposed surface modifications of TT-LGDLs by sputter coating and/ electroplating have been successfully demonstrated. It has been found that the performance of PEMECs can be improved by both methods, and the thickness of the electroplated gold thin layer has limited effects on the performance. With the help of the surface modifications, the PEMECs achieved the best ever performance compared with the public literatures. In addition to completion of the proposed method, microporous layers (MPLs) with both irregular micro and sphere nano titanium particles on novel TT-LGDLs was developed for the first time. The MPLs were fabricated by a low-temperature air spraying method, which provide a better catalyst access and product/reactant removal. In summary, under the close collaborations among the research team, all the tasks have been completed and the proposed research objectives have been fulfilled. All the technical milestones have been achieved and the project has been completed successfully. The technical breakthroughs obtained under this project provide novel LGDLs with well-tunable pore morphologies that can significantly improve the performance of water splitting and energy storage. This development can be directly used in existing and next generation energy storage and fuel systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Automatic Imagery Data Analysis for Proactive Computer-Based Workflow Management during Nuclear Power Plant Outages

This report is being submitted for the task “Final Report” of DOE NEUP Project 15-8121 “Automatic Imagery Data Analysis for Proactive Computer-Based Workflow Management during Nuclear Power Plant Outages.” Typical nuclear power plant (NPP) outages always involve thousands of maintenance and refueling activities and a large number of workers in limited workspaces, while having tight schedules and zero-tolerance for accidents. During an outage, thousands of workers will be working in various workspaces across the NPP. High outage costs and expensive delays (approximately 1.5 million dollars of loss per day of delay) in NPP maintenance demand tight outage schedules. In packed workspaces, an automatic system that monitors human behaviors in real-time and provides insights about current and pending schedule deviations from the plan is critical for ensuring: 1) effective collaboration among workers and worker teams from different trades; 2) less waste of time and resources due to the lack of situational awareness; and 3) proactive outage project control. The overall goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that real-time imagery-based object tracking and spatial analysis, as well as human behavior modeling of outage participants, will significantly improve the efficiency of outage control while lowering the rates of accidents and incidents. Three objectives of this project are: 1) Establish real-time object tracking and spatiotemporal analysis methods that automatically assess the productivity of field activities and detect anomalous spatiotemporal relationships among activities that cause inefficiencies and risks; 2) Establish realtime human tracking and human factor modeling methods for automatically diagnosing unexpected actions of and interactions between outage participants, those which cause inefficient collaborations between Advanced Outage Control Center (AOCC), satellite outage centers, NPP workers, and maintenance service providers; and 3) Test the proposed automated object tracking, human behavior modeling, and spatiotemporal analysis methods in outage control case studies in order to characterize the effectiveness of automated imagery-data-driven methods in proactively improving the efficiency and safety of workflows in outage coordination and risk management. Recent studies of detailed human behavior monitoring on construction sites have examined the potential of applying advanced computer vision algorithms in detecting and tracking anomalous workers (i.e., workers who do not wear hard hats or safety vests) for ensuring job site safety. Some studies of human factor studies revealed the importance of modeling detailed interactions between individuals within and across teams in better understanding the impact of human in proactive project control. Other studies in the construction domain have developed computational simulation frameworks that formalize detailed spatiotemporal interactions between tasks in order to simulate the impacts of individual tasks on the performance of workflows. While integrated analyses that combine human factor assessment, as well as image processing and simulation, are in demand for effective decision-making, limited studies have examined the potential of such integrated analyses in NPP outage control. This research project has examined an automatic outage monitoring and control system that integrates human factor analysis, computer vision techniques, and simulation methods in order to enable engineers to better understand the interactions between humans, resources, and workflows during outage processes. The project aims at providing NPP maintenance agencies insights into more efficient use of limited resources in extending the life of a nuclear plant, as well as reducing waste while ensuring sufficient generation of electricity. This study is significant for the safety of nuclear plants, sustainable electricity generation for livable communities, and cost savings for maintaining electricity infrastructures in the United States.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Integrating CryoEM and Molecular dynamic simulations [Slide]

López et al. analyze the structure and dynamics of lipid nanodiscs, both empty and in complex with pro-apoptotic BAX protein. Information from the computational derived structures prompted changes in image processing strategy, which led to quality improvements in Cryo-EM reconstructions. Together, these findings provide novel insights on the activity of BAXv.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗