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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Elongation growth of the leaf sheath base of Avena sativa seedlings: regulation by hormones and sucrose

The leaf sheath base of the seedling of Avena sativa was characterized for growth response to hormones and sucrose. Six day old plants, raised under a 10:14 hr light:dark cycle, were excised at the coleoptilar node and 1 cm above the node for treatment. The growth of the leaf sheath base was promoted by gibberellic acid (GA3) and this response was dose dependent. The lag to response initiation was approximately 4 hr. Growth with or without GA3 (10 micromoles) was transient, diminishing appreciably after 48 hr. The addition of 10 mM sucrose greatly prolonged growth; the effect of GA3 and sucrose was additive. Neither indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) nor the cytokinin N6-benzyladenine (BA), alone or in combination, promoted the growth of leaf sheath bases. However, both significantly inhibited the action of GA3. The inhibitory effect of IAA was dose dependent and was not affected by the addition of BA or sucrose. These results indicate that the growth of leaf sheath bases of Avena sativa is promoted specifically by gibberellin, that this action depends on the availability of carbohydrates from outside of the leaf sheath base, and that the promotional effect of GA3 can be modified by either auxins or cytokinins.

NASA Discipline Number 40-50↗
NASA NTRS1991

Modeling light and temperature effects on leaf emergence in wheat and barley

Phenological development affects canopy structure, radiation interception, and dry matter production; most crop simulation models therefore incorporate leaf emergence rate as a basic parameter. A recent study examined leaf emergence rate as a function of temperature and daylength among wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars. Leaf emergence rate and phyllochron were modeled as functions of temperature alone, daylength alone, and the interaction between temperature and daylength. The resulting equations contained an unwieldy number of constants. Here we simplify by reducing the constants by > 70%, and show leaf emergence rate as a single response surface with temperature and daylength. In addition, we incorporate the effect of photosynthetic photon flux into the model. Generic fits for wheat and barley show cultivar differences less than +/- 5% for wheat and less than +/- 10% for barley. Barley is more sensitive to daylength changes than wheat for common environmental values of daylength, which may be related to the difference in sensitivity to daylength between spring and winter cultivars. Differences in leaf emergence rate between cultivars can be incorporated into the model by means of a single, nondimensional factor for each cultivar.

NASA Discipline Number 61-10↗
DOE OSTI2024

Genetically correlated leaf tensile and morphological traits are driven by growing season length in a widespread perennial grass

Leaf tensile resistance, a leaf's ability to withstand pulling forces, is an important determinant of plant ecological strategies. One potential driver of leaf tensile resistance is growing season length. When growing seasons are long, strong leaves, which often require more time and resources to construct than weak leaves, may be more advantageous than when growing seasons are short. Growing season length and other ecological conditions may also impact the morphological traits that underlie leaf tensile resistance.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Correlational selection and genetic architecture shape the evolution of the leaf economics spectrum in a perennial grass

The generality of the worldwide leaf economics spectrum (LES) has made it a pillar of trait-based ecological research. Yet, few studies have examined the processes shaping the evolution of the LES within species, in part, because most species occupy only a small portion of the LES. Here, to address this gap, we took advantage of the distinct leaf economics strategies present in different ecotypes of the phenotypically diverse perennial grass Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) to generate a genetic mapping population, which we planted in common gardens at three sites spanning 12 degrees of latitude in the central United States. With this genetic mapping population, we evaluated two potentially interacting causes of LES evolution: 1) genetic architecture, where multiple traits are influenced by either the same gene (pleiotropy) or by genes in close physical proximity (genetic linkage), and 2) correlational selection, where selection acts on traits in combination rather than in isolation. We found that shared genetic architecture influenced covariation between photosynthetic rate (A MASS ) and leaf nitrogen (N MASS ) and between A MASS and leaf mass per area (LMA). We also found that correlational selection favored the trait combinations predicted by the LES (e.g., high LMA with low N MASS or low LMA with high N MASS ) and disfavored other, mismatched trait combinations at two of the three sites. Together, these results demonstrate how the evolution of an integrated LES within species can arise from multiple evolutionary causes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reproductive and leaf litterfall fluxes in forest ecosystem sites globally (1950-2022)

Forest allocation of net primary productivity (NPP) to reproduction is poorly quantified globally, despite its critical role in forest regeneration and a well-supported trade-off with allocation to growth. Although field measurements of total NPP are rare, our work finds that a proxy for reproductive carbon allocation constructed from leaf (L) and reproductive (R) litterfall fluxes, R/(R+L), is strongly correlated with R/NPP, facilitating analysis across a wide range of sites where biometric estimates of NPP are not available (R² = 0.85; Hanbury-Brown et al., 2022, Ward et al., in prep). To investigate relationships between ecosystem-scale reproductive allocation (RA) and climate, soil fertility, and stand age gradients, we conducted a literature search and synthesized 824 observations of annual average leaf and reproductive litterfall fluxes across forest sites globally. The zip file includes 1) a folder Data/ containing the litterfall data ("GlobalForestRA_data.csv") and metadata ("GlobalForestRA_metadata.doc") files. The data file includes geographic coordinates, long-term mean annual temperature and precipitation (1970-2000, extracted from WorldClim2.1), leaf and reproductive litterfall fluxes, sampling interval and protocols, forest characteristics (dominant leaf morphology, information pertaining to forest age and successional stage, and disturbance history) and soil properties (% sand, %silt, %clay, total phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and pH) extracted from SoilGrids250 and from on-site measurements, where available. The metadata file contains information about each variable reported in the data file, including data sources, processing methods, and all references. The Data folder contains two additional files used to create Figure 1; these are described in greater detail in the README.2) R scripts GloalForestRA_analysis.r and GlobalForestRA_SI.r and a folder /Functions used to produce results, figures, and tables in the manuscript Ward et al. (in press)3) a README file describing how the data and R scripts can be used to reproduce statistical results, figures, and tables found in the manuscript. Ward et al. (in press)This repository can also be found at: https://github.com/r-ward/Global_Analysis_ForestRA.Ward, R.E., Zhang-Zheng, H. Aernethy, K., Adu-Bredu, S., Arroyo, L., Bailey, A. et al. (in press). Forest age rivals climate to explain reproductive allocation patterns in forest ecosystems globally. Ecology Letters. Hanbury-Brown, A.R., Ward, R.E. & Kueppers, L.M. (2022). Forest regeneration within Earth system models: current process representations and ways forward. New Phytol., 235, 20–40.Ward et al. (2025), Forest age rivals climate to explain reproductive allocation patterns in forest ecosystems globally, in prep.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fungal mat growth and leaf colonization at the TRACE warming experiment, Mar - Aug 2024, Luquillo, Puerto Rico

This data package contains processed measurements on the growth of litter mat-forming fungi and the time to leaf colonization at the Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE). Located near the Sabana Field Research Station in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, the TRACE site is located in a mature, closed-canopy tropical rainforest within the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF). These data quantify fungal mat growth and the time to leaf colonization of fungi species Gymnopus johnstonii and Marasmius crinis-equi. The experiment was conducted in ambient (control) and experimentally warmed plots (4°C above ambient) during spring and summer periods to assess how litter mat-forming fungi respond to a range of environmental conditions of tropical wet forests. The data files include tables of relative fungal mat growth rates, time to leaf colonization, averages of soil temperature (°C), and number of dry days before leaf attachment. The data are stored in comma-separated values (CSV) format and viewable with any text editor, spreadsheet, or statistical software (e.g., R, Python, Excel). Associated metadata describe plot identifiers, measurement descriptions, and processing steps.

Agaric fungi↗
DOE OSTI2025

Overexpression of plasma membrane SUT1 in poplar alters lateral sucrose partitioning in stem and promotes leaf necrosis

Abstract In Populus and many other tree species, photoassimilate sucrose diffuses down a concentration gradient via symplastically connected mesophyll cells to minor vein phloem for long‐distance transport. There is no evidence for apoplastic phloem‐loading in Populus . However, plasma membrane sucrose transporters (SUT1 and SUT3) orthologous to those associated with apoplastic phloem loading are expressed in vascular tissues of poplar. While SUT3 functions in sucrose import into developing xylem, the role of SUT1 remains unclear. Here, we overexpressed PtaSUT1 in Populus tremula x P. alba to examine the effects on sucrose partitioning in transgenic plants. Overall leaf sucrose levels were similar between wild type and transgenic lines. Stem sucrose levels were not changed in bark but were significantly reduced in the adjacent xylem, suggesting hindered intercellular sucrose trafficking from the phloem to the developing xylem. Fully expanded leaves of transgenic plants deteriorated prematurely with declining photosynthesis prior to severe necrotic spotting. Necrotic spotting advanced most rapidly in the distal portion of mature leaves and was accompanied by sharp hexose increases and sharp sucrose decreases there. Leaf transcriptome profiling and network inference revealed the down‐regulation of copper proteins and elevated expression of copper microRNAs prior to noticeable leaf injury. Our results suggest ectopic expression of PtaSUT1 altered sucrose partitioning in stems with systemic effects on leaf health and copper homeostasis mediated in part by sucrose‐sensitive copper miRNAs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparative analysis of thermal management systems in electric vehicles at extreme weather conditions: Case study on Nissan Leaf 2019 Plus, Chevrolet Bolt 2020 and Tesla Model 3 2020

With the surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the need for extended driving ranges, optimizing energy efficiency, particularly through thermal management, is critical, especially in extreme weather. Managing the substantial energy needed for cabin climate control and battery temperature regulation can increase energy demands by over 50 %, severely limiting range. This study conducts a comparative analysis of thermal management systems (TMS) in three popular EV vehicles, 2020 Chevrolet Bolt, 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, and 2020 Tesla Model 3, evaluating their distinct TMS configurations and performance under varied weather conditions. Using both numerical simulations and experimental data collected on a controlled test bench at Argonne National Laboratory, we assess how TMS architecture and operational modes influence energy consumption and range. A comprehensive TMS model was developed, integrating cabin and battery thermal sub-models in the Autonomie software platform, to simulate temperature fluctuations and range impacts. Cabin climate was modeled using a mono-zonal approach, while battery cell temperature distribution was estimated through a 2D nodal structure. Each vehicle's distinct TMS setup was evaluated: the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3 use a dual evaporator vapor compression cycle with a PTC heater for the cabin and a coolant loop for battery thermal management; the Nissan Leaf Plus employs a heat pump with a PTC heater for the cabin and air-cooling for the battery. Tests conducted at ambient temperatures of 35°C, 22°C, -7°C, and -18°C reveal significant differences in energy use and range reduction across both configurations and conditions. At 35°C, the Tesla Model 3, Chevrolet Bolt, and Nissan Leaf Plus have a range reduction of 8%, 9%, and 13%, respectively, due to air conditioning. In winter, heating technology is paramount; at -7°C, the Nissan Leaf's heat pump configuration achieves a lower range reduction (19.3%) compared to the Tesla and Chevrolet Bolt PTC heaters, which reduce range by 28.3% and 31%, respectively. Further, this study provides valuable insights for automotive engineers, EV technology researchers, and thermal management system designers aiming to enhance electric vehicle performance by understanding how different weather conditions and TMS architectures impact energy consumption and driving range.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observed declines in leaf nitrogen explained by photosynthetic acclimation to CO 2

Widespread evidence of decreasing leaf nutrients has raised concerns about ecosystem productivity under global change. Interpreting trends in leaf nutrients has important implications for the fate of ecosystem services, particularly the role of forests in mitigating climate change and sustaining quality food sources. Here, we challenge the common interpretation that decreasing leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) is evidence of increasing nutrient limitations on ecosystem primary productivity. Instead, we show that declines in LNC (4% decrease per 50 ppm CO 2 increase), observed across 409 European forest plots over 22 y, can be explained by reduced photosynthetic nitrogen demand. This regional trend is consistent with leaf acclimation to increasing atmospheric CO 2 according to optimality theory. This finding suggests that enhanced photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency due to CO 2 fertilization may lead to less nitrogen uptake and/or reallocation of nitrogen for plant growth and other functions. Our results have large implications for understanding and simulating interactions between ecosystem nitrogen and carbon cycles and suggest nitrogen requirements for terrestrial carbon uptake under elevated CO 2 may be lower than previously thought.

CO2 fertilization↗
NASA NTRS1973

Reflectance model of a plant leaf

A light ray, incident at 5 deg to the normal, is geometrically plotted through the drawing of the cross section of a soybean leaf using Fresnel's Equations and Snell's Law. The optical mediums of the leaf considered for ray tracing are: air, cell sap, chloroplast, and cell wall. The above ray is also drawn through the same leaf cross section considering cell wall and air as the only optical mediums. The values of the reflection and transmission found from ray tracing agree closely with the experimental results obtained using a Beckman DK-2A Spectroreflectometer. Similarly a light ray, incident at about 60 deg to the normal, is drawn through the palisade cells of a soybean leaf to illustrate the pathway of light, incident at an oblique angle, through the palisade cells.

Kumar, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The red edge of plant leaf reflectance

A detailed study of the red edge spectral feature of green vegetation based on laboratory reflectance spectrophotometry is presented. A parameter lambda is defined as the wavelength is defined as the wavelength of maximum slope and found to be dependent on chlorophyll concentration. Species, development stage, leaf layering, and leaf water content of vegetation also influences lambda. The maximum slope parameter is found to be independent of simulated ground area coverage. The results are interpreted in terms of Beer's Law and Kubelka-Munk theory. The chlorophyll concentration dependence of lambda seems to be explained in terms of a pure absorption effect, and it is suggested that the existence of two lambda components arises from leaf scattering properties. The results indicate that red edge measurements will be valuable for assessment of vegetative chlorophyll status and leaf area index independently of ground cover variations, and will be particularly suitable for early stress detection.

Horler, D. N. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The role of gravity in leaf blade curvatures

In the past year we have gained useful information on several aspects of leaf blade growth. The most important observations are as follows: The C(14)-1AA moves preferentially in a gravipositive dorsiventral direction through the blade. This movement is inhibited by inversion of the blade. The responding cells in leaf blade hyponasty are in the lower epidermis and bundle sheath cells. Two additional responses in the leaf were characterized. In addition to blade curvature, the leaf shows petiole curvature and changes in the liminal angle subtended by the pulvinus. Ethylene production was studied under a number of conditions. The blade, rather than the petiole or pulvinus, is the principal site of auxin-promoted ethylene synthesis. The effects of a variety of agents on the blade, including gibberellic acid, abscisic acid, vanadate, low pH buffers, and blue light were reviewed.

Hayes, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Modeling the directional reflectance from complete homogeneous vegetation canopies with various leaf-orientation distributions

The directional-reflectance distributions of radiant flux from homogeneous vegetation canopies with greater than 90 percent ground cover are analyzed with a radiative-transfer model. The model assumes that the leaves consist of small finite planes with Lambertian properties. Four theoretical canopies with different leaf-orientation distributions were studied: erectophile, spherical, planophile, and heliotropic canopies. The directional-reflectance distributions from the model closely resemble reflectance distributions measured in the field. The physical scattering mechanisms operating in the model explain the variations observed in the reflectance distributions as a function of leaf-orientation distribution, solar zenith angle, and leaf transmittance and reflectance. The simulated reflectance distribution show unique characteristics for each canopy. The basic understanding of the physical scattering properties of the different canopy geometries gained in this study provide a basis for developing techniques to infer leaf-orientation distributions of vegetation canopies from directional remote-sensing measurements.

Kimes, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Leaf spring made of fiber-reinforced resin

A leaf spring made of a matrix reinforced by at least two types of reinforcing fibers with different Young's modulus is described in this Japanese patent. At least two layers of reinforcing fibers are formed by partially arranging the reinforcing fibers toward the direction of the thickness of the leaf spring. A mixture of different types of reinforced fibers is used at the area of boundary between the two layers of reinforced fibers. The ratio of blending of each type of reinforced fiber is frequently changed to eliminate the parts where discontinuous stress may be applied to the leaf spring. The objective of this invention is to prevent the rapid change in Young's modulus at the boundary area between each layer of reinforced fibers in the leaf spring.

Hori, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Near infrared leaf reflectance modeling

Near infrared leaf reflectance modeling using Fresnel's equation (Kumar and Silva, 1973) and Snell's Law successfully approximated the spectral curve for a 0.25-mm turgid oak leaf lying on a Halon background. Calculations were made for ten interfaces, air-wax, wax-cellulose, cellulose-water, cellulose-air, air-water, and their inverses. A water path of 0.5 mm yielded acceptable results, and it was found that assignment of more weight to those interfaces involving air versus water or cellulose, and less to those involving wax, decreased the standard deviation of the error for all wavelengths. Data suggest that the air-cell interface is not the only important contributor to the overall reflectance of a leaf. Results also argue against the assertion that the near infrared plateau is a function of cell structure within the leaf.

Parrish, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Aerial detection of leaf senescence for a geobotanical study

A geobotanical investigation based on the detection of premature leaf senescence was conducted in an area of predominantly chalcocite mineralization of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Spectrophotometric measurements indicated that the region from 600 to 700 nm captures the rise in red reflectance characteristic of senescent leaves. Observations at other wavelengths do not distinguish between senescent and green leaves as clearly and unequivocably as observations at these wavelengths. Small format black and white aerial photographs filtered for the red band (600 to 700 nm) and Thematic Mapper Simulator imagery were collected during the period of fall senescence in the study area. Soil samples were collected from two areas identified by leaf senescence and from two additional sites where the leaf canopy was still green. Geochemical analysis revealed that the sites characterized by premature leaf senescence had a significantly higher median soil copper concentration than the other two areas.

Schwaller, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Diffuse and specular characteristics of leaf reflectance

In this paper, the evolution of current understanding of the mechanisms of leaf reflectance is reviewed. The use of measurements of polarized reflectance to separate leaf reflectance into diffuse and specular components is discussed. A section on the factors influencing leaf reflectance - leaf structure and physiological disturbances - is included along with discussion on the manner in which these influences are manifested.

Grant, Lois↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measuring and modeling the backscattering cross section of a leaf

Leaves are a significant feature of any vegetation canopy, and for remote sensing purposes it is important to develop an effective model for predicting the scattering from a leaf. From measurements of the X band backscattering cross section of a coleus leaf in varying stages of dryness, it is shown that a uniform resistive sheet constitutes such a model for a planar leaf. The scattering is determined by the (complex) resistivity which is, in turn, entirely specified by the gravimetric moisture content of the leaf. Using an available asymptotic expression for the scattering from a rectangular resistive plate which includes, as a special case, a metallic plate whose resistivity is zero, the computed backscattering cross sections for both principal polarizations are found to be in excellent agreement with data measured for rectangular sections of leaves with different moisture contents. If the resistivity is sufficiently large, the asymptotic expressions do not differ significantly from the physical optics ones, and for naturally shaped leaves as well as rectangular sections, the physical optics approximation in conjunction with the resistive sheet model faithfully reproduces the dominant feataures of the scattering patterns under all moisture conditions.

Senior, T. B. A.↗