SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Potential evaluation”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 991 records · Page 55

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2018

Electro-analytical method for the quantities evaluation of the silicon solar cell by DC and AC characterization technique

Highlights: • Exact electro-analytical method for evaluation of silicon solar cells. • DC and AC characterization technique to determine the performance limiting parameters of solar cells. • EIS is used to get an insight into the solar cells and parameter optimization. - Abstract: Mono and Poly- crystalline silicon (Si) based solar cell has proven to be the most efficient and matured technology till date. The present work reports an exact electro-analytical method for the evaluation of different performance parameters in the current voltage response of the Si solar cell by DC and AC characterization technique. The extracted solar cell parameters from DC and AC techniques were compared with each other under the proper limiting conditions of low and high forward bias. The DC and AC characterization are used to determine the bias dependence of ideality factor and series resistance, respectively. The current-voltage (J-V) characteristics is combined with the impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements to reveal the various interfacial, resistive and recombination analysis of the silicon solar cell. Herein the experimentally obtained J-V characteristics under the illumination condition have been reconstructed by individually extracted parameters from DC and AC measurements. Moreover, the present mechanistic provides a simple tool for analysing the commercial Si solar cell with a wide applicability for other solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Development of design technique for vacuum insulation in large size multi-aperture multi-grid accelerator for nuclear fusion

Design techniques for the vacuum insulation have been developed in order to realize a reliable voltage holding capability of multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) accelerators for fusion application. In this method, the nested multi-stage configuration of the MAMuG accelerator can be uniquely designed to satisfy the target voltage within given boundary conditions. The evaluation of the voltage holding capabilities of each acceleration stages was based on the previous experimental results about the area effect and the multi-aperture effect. Since the multi-grid effect was found to be the extension of the area effect by the total facing area this time, the total voltage holding capability of the multi-stage can be estimated from that per single stage by assuming the stage with the highest electric field, the total facing area, and the total apertures. By applying these consideration, the analysis on the 3-stage MAMuG accelerator for JT-60SA agreed well with the past gap-scan experiments with an accuracy of less than 10% variation, which demonstrated the high reliability to design MAMuG accelerators and also multi-stage high voltage bushings.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2016

Chronic preclinical safety evaluation of EPO-018B, a pegylated peptidic erythropoiesis-stimulating agent in monkeys and rats

EPO-018B, a synthetic peptide-based erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA), is mainly designed for treatment of anemia caused by chronic renal failure and chemotherapy against cancer. It overcomes the deficiencies of currently approved ESA, including the frequent administration of temperature-sensitive recombinant protein and anti-EPO antibody-mediated pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). This study was designed to evaluate the potential chronic toxicity of EPO-018B. Subcutaneous administration doses were designed as 0, 0.2, 1 and 10 mg/kg for six months for 160 rats (20/gender/group) and 0, 0.3, 3 and 20 mg/kg for nine months for 32 monkeys (4/gender/group) once every three weeks. The vehicles received the same volume of physiological saline injection. All animals survived to the scheduled necropsies after six weeks (for rats) and fourteen weeks (for monkeys) recovery period, except for the two high-dose female rats and two high-dose male monkeys, which were considered related to the increased RBCs, chronic blood hyperviscosity and chronic cardiac injury. EPO-018B is supposed to be subcutaneously injected once every month and the intended human therapeutic dose is 0.025 mg/kg. The study findings at 0.2 mg/kg for rats and 0.3 mg/kg for monkeys were considered to be the study NOAEL (the no observed adverse effect level), which were more than ten times the intended human therapeutic dose. Higher doses caused adverse effects related to the liver toxicity, cardiotoxicity, appearance of neutralizing antibodies of EPO-018B and the decrease of serum glucose and cholesterol. Most treatment-induced effects were reversible or revealed ongoing recovery upon the discontinuation of treatment. The sequelae occurred in rats and monkeys were considered secondary to exaggerated pharmacology and would less likely occur in the intended patient population. As to the differences between human beings and animals, the safety of EPO-018B need to be further confirmed in the future clinical studies. - Highlights: • EPO-018B is a newly developed synthetic peptide-based ESA. • The evaluation contained studies of 6 months in rats and 9 months in monkeys. • The safety studies provided further evidences in future clinical trials. • Most toxic effects were reversible and need more evidences in clinical studies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2016

Cislunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit for Human Space Exploration

In order to conduct sustained human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), spacecraft systems are designed to operate in a series of missions of increasing complexity. Regardless of the destination, Moon, Mars, asteroids or beyond, there is a substantial set of common objectives that must be met. Many orbit characterization studies have endeavored to evaluate the potential locations in cislunar space that are favorable for meeting common human exploration objectives in a stepwise approach. Multiple studies, by both NASA and other international space agencies, have indicated that Earth-‐moon libration point orbits are attractive candidates for staging operations in the proving ground and beyond. In particular, the Near Rectilinear Orbit (NRO) has been demonstrated to meet multi-‐mission and multi-‐destination architectural constraints. However, a human mission to a selected NRO presents a variety of new challenges for mission planning. While a growing number of robotic missions have completed successful operations to various specific libration point orbits, human missions have never been conducted to orbits of this class. Human missions have unique challenges that differ significantly from robotic missions, including a lower tolerance for mission risk and additional operational constraints that are associated only with human spacecraft. In addition, neither robotic nor human missions have been operated in the NRO regime specifically, and NROs exhibit dynamical characteristics that can differ significantly as compared to other halo orbits. Finally, multi-‐body orbits, such as libration point orbits, are identified to exist in a simplified orbit model known as the Circular Restricted Three Body Problem (CRTBP) and must then be re-‐solved in the full ephemeris model. As a result, the behavior of multi-‐body orbits cannot be effectively characterized within the classical two-‐body orbit dynamics framework more familiar to the human spaceflight community. In fact, a given NRO is not identified by a set of Keplerian orbit parameters, and a valid epoch specific state vector must be first obtained from a multi-body dynamical model. In this paper, the significant performance and operational challenges of conducting human missions to the NRO are evaluated. First, a systematic process for generating full ephemeris based ballistic NROs of various families is outlined to demonstrate the relative ease in which a multi-‐revolution orbit can be found for any epoch and for various orbit geometries. In the Earth-‐Moon system, NROs, which are halo orbits with close passage over a lunar pole, can exist with respect to libration point 1 (L1) or libration point 2 (L2) and are either from a North or South family orbit class with respect to the ecliptic. Second, the ability to maintain the orbit over the lifetime of a habitat mission by applying a reliable station-keeping strategy is investigated. The NRO, while similar to the quasi-‐halo orbits that the Artemis mission flew, requires an updated station keeping strategy. This is due to several dynamical differences such as the increased relative stability of the NRO compared to other halo orbits and the close passage over the lunar surface as shown in Figure 1. Multiple station-keeping strategies are being investigated to ensure a human spacecraft remains on a predictable path. As the NRO is not described in simple two-‐body parameters, analysis must determine the best strategy for targeting a reference NRO as well as how closely a future state should be constrained. In addition, costs will be minimized by determining maneuver directionality based on an identified pattern in the optimal station-keeping solutions or an analytically derived relationship. The candidate station-keeping algorithm must be stable and robust to environmental and vehicle uncertainties as well to navigation estimation and flight control execution errors. To that end, navigation accuracies, the impact on the station-keeping execution errors as well as other vehicle uncertainties need to be assessed. Starting with Orion, current navigation accuracies are evaluated and then navigation requirements are derived assuming a desired station-keeping propellant budget. Third, the performance requirements to and from the NRO are evaluated. Important parameters for developing expected propellant costs include epoch of operation, size and type of NRO, Earth departure and return constraints, as well as abort or early-‐return capability. Finally, rendezvous and proximity operations are vital aspects of multi-‐mission human exploration endeavors. The ability to conduct rendezvous and the associated propellant costs are assessed as well as the impacts of various profile assumptions including the location within the NRO the rendezvous is performed. The results of these studies will influence plans for international cooperation on both nearer term proving ground missions and beyond.

Whitley, Ryan↗

DOE OSTI2016

Hard X-ray mirrors for Nuclear Security

Research performed under this LDRD aimed to demonstrate the ability to detect and measure hard X-ray emissions using multilayer X-ray reflective optics above 400 keV, to enable the development of inexpensive and high-accuracy mirror substrates, and to investigate applications of hard X-ray mirrors of interest to the nuclear security community. Experiments conducted at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility demonstrated hard X-ray mirror reflectivity up to 650 keV for the first time. Hard X-ray optics substrates must have surface roughness under 3 to 4 Angstrom rms, and three materials were evaluated as potential substrates: polycarbonates, thin Schott glass and a new type of flexible glass called Willow Glass®. Chemical smoothing and thermal heating of the surface of polycarbonate samples, which are inexpensive but have poor intrinsic surface characteristics, did not yield acceptable surface roughness. D263 Schott glass was used for the focusing optics of the NASA NuSTAR telescope. The required specialized hardware and process were costly and motivated experiments with a modified non-contact slumping technique. The surface roughness of the glass was preserved and the process yielded cylindrical shells with good net shape pointing to the potential advantage of this technique. Finally, measured surface roughness of 200 and 130 μm thick Willow Glass sheets was between 2 and 2.5 A rms. Additional results of flexibility tests and multilayer deposition campaigns indicated it is a promising substrate for hard X-ray optics. The detection of U and Pu characteristics X-ray lines and gamma emission lines in a high background environment was identified as an area for which X-ray mirrors could have an impact and where focusing optics could help reduce signal to noise ratio by focusing signal onto a smaller detector. Hence the first one twelvetant of a Wolter I focusing optics for the 90 to 140 keV energy range based on aperiodic multilayer coating was designed. Finally, we conducted the first demonstration that reflective multilayer mirrors could be used as diagnostic for HED experiment with an order of magnitude improvement in signal-to-noise ratio for the multilayer optic compared a transmission crystal spectrometer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2015

Risk of Crew Adverse Health Event Due to Altered Immune Response

Determining the effect of space travel on the human immune system has proven to be extremely challenging. Limited opportunities for in-flight studies, varying mission durations, technical and logistical obstacles, small subject numbers, and a broad range of potential assays have contributed to this problem. Additionally, the inherent complexity of the immune system, with its vast array of cell populations, sub-populations, diverse regulatory molecules, and broad interactions with other physiological systems, makes determining precise variables to measure very difficult. There is also the challenge of determining the clinical significance of any observed immune alterations. Will such a change lead to disease, or is it a transient subclinical observation related to short-term stress? The effect of this problem may be observed by scanning publications associated with immunity and spaceflight, which began to appear during the 1970s. Although individually they are each valid studies, the comprehensive literature to date suffers from widely varying sampling methods and assay techniques, low subject counts, and sometimes a disparate focus on narrow aspects of immunity. The most clinically relevant data are derived from in-flight human studies, which have demonstrated altered cell-mediated immunity and reactivation of latent herpes viruses. Much more data are available from post-flight testing of humans, with clear evidence of altered cytokine production patterns, altered leukocyte distribution, continued latent viral reactivation, and evidence of dramatically altered virus-specific immunity. It is unknown if post-flight assessments relate to the in-flight condition or are a response to landing stress and readaptation. In-flight culture of cells has clearly demonstrated that immune cells are gravity-sensitive and display altered functional characteristics. It is unknown if these data are related to in vivo immune cell function or are an artifact of microgravity culture. Ground analog testing of humans and animals, as well as microgravity-analog cell culture, has demonstrated utility. However, in all cases, it is not known with certainty if these data would reflect similar testing during space travel. Given their ready availability, ground analogs may be extremely useful for assay development and the evaluation of potential countermeasures. In general, the evidence base suffers from widely disparate studies on small numbers of subjects that do not directly correlate well with each other or spaceflight itself. Also lacking are investigations of the effect of gender on adaption to spaceflight. This results in significant knowledge 'gaps' that must be filled by future studies to completely determine any clinical risk related to immunity for human exploration-class space missions. These gaps include a significant lack of in-flight data, particularly during long-duration space missions. The International Space Station represents an excellent science platform with which to address this knowledge gap. Other knowledge gaps include lack of a single validated ground analog for the phenomenon and a lack of flight-compatible laboratory equipment capable of monitoring astronauts (for either clinical or research purposes). However, enough significant data exist, as described in this manuscript, to warrant addressing this phenomenon during the utilization phase of the ISS. A recent Space Shuttle investigation has confirmed the 31 in-flight nature of immune dysregulation, demonstrating that it is not merely a post-flight phenomenon. Several current studies are ongoing onboard the ISS that should thoroughly characterize the phenomenon. NASA recognizes that if spaceflight-associated immune dysregulation persists during exploration flights in conjunction with other dangers, such as high-energy radiation, the result may be a significant clinical risk. This emphasizes the need for a continued integrated comprehensive approach to determining the effect of prolonged spaceflight, separated from transient launch and landing stresses, on human immunity. After such studies, the phenomenon will be understood, and, hopefully, a monitoring strategy will have been developed that could be used to monitor the effectiveness of countermeasure

Crucian, Brian↗

DOE OSTI2021

Vadose and Saturated Zone Flow and Transport Calculations for the Active Trenches of the Low-Level Burial Grounds, Hanford Site, Washington

The purpose of the fate and transport modeling described in this environmental calculation file (ECF) is to evaluate the impacts to groundwater associated with waste disposal operations at Mixed Waste Low-Level Burial Ground (LLBG) Trenches 31 and 34 to satisfy requirements in DOE O 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management. The model integrates the flow and transport in the vadose zone beneath the active trenches with the saturated zone downgradient of the trenches to predict the radionuclide concentration at the point of assessment (POA). DOE M 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual, defines the POA as the point of highest projected dose or concentration beyond a 100 m (328 ft) buffer zone surrounding the disposed waste. The modeling is conducted in accordance with the DOE G 435.1, Implementation Guide for Use with DOE M 435.1-1, performance assessment (PA) guidelines. The modeling involves evaluation of the groundwater concentrations and radionuclide arrival times during the 1,000-year compliance and 10,000-year sensitivity-uncertainty periods per DOE O 435.1 and DOE M 435.1. This analysis does not consider radionuclide release during facility operations, only the post-closure impacts of the radionuclides to the environment. The evaluation of potential radiological dose to groundwater receptors caused by releases from a closed facility containing radioactive waste typically includes the following: (1) Release of radionuclides from that facility (2) Transport of those radionuclides through the environment, and (3) Exposure to humans to environmental concentration levels of those radionuclides The fate and transport three-dimensional (3D) model analysis involves the post-closure impacts to the environment of the technetium-99, iodone-129, and uranium (all isotopes in the waste). The residual inventory estimates include several radionuclides, but technetium-99 is typically responsible for almost all of the beta-gamma dose equivalent associated with groundwater (water resources) protection per 40 CFR 141, “National Primary Drinking Water Regulations” (e.g., see the results in WCH-520, Performance Assessment of Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, Hanford Site, Washington; hereinafter referred to as the ERDF PA), and iodone-129 can also be a significant dose contributor for some waste (e.g., RPP-RPT-59958, Performance Assessment for the Integrated Disposal Facility, Hanford Site, Washington; hereinafter referred to as the IDF PA). Uranium does not typically factor significantly into the impacts to groundwater, even during the 10,000-year sensitivity-uncertainty period, but always remains of interest as a contaminant. This ECF does not address vadose and saturated zone modeling for Trench 94 of the 200 East Area LLBG. Current information confirms the validity of the low corrosion rate of the naval reactor plant carbon steel (HY-80), and the even lower corrosion rate of the nickel-iron-chromium alloy reactor vessel (Inconel Alloy 600) presented in DOE/EIS-0259, Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants. Based on these low corrosion rates, the time to breach the reactor vessel to allow release of radionuclides from the activated metal of the reactor vessel internal structure is at least 10,000 years. This time to breach precludes the need to evaluate the vadose and saturated zone transport of contaminants released from the reactor compartment disposal packages in the 200 East Area LLBGs PA (CP-63826, Waste Release Model Package Report for the Active Trenches of the Low-Level Burial Grounds, Hanford Site, Washington).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

{sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT-imaging of left ventricular assist device infection: a retrospective quantitative intrapatient analysis

Background: Despite the use of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), diagnosis of a driveline infection in ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients remains challenging. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of a baseline {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT (prior to an infection) for the diagnosis of an LVAD-related infection. Methods: We retrospectively selected all LVAD recipients who had undergone two consecutive whole-body {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT examinations between January 2010 and December 2016. PET/CT was analyzed qualitatively (uptake pattern) and semi-quantitatively (SUV{sub max} and ∆SUV{sub max}). SUV{sub max} was measured and compared in five distinctive volumes of interest along the LVAD driveline. An SUV{sub max} threshold was calculated. Final diagnosis was made by clinical examination, microbiological parameters, and molecular imaging. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled (mean age 54 ± 12 years; 26 male). Mean difference in SUV{sub max} for all five positions between the first and the second PET/CT along the driveline was significantly higher in patients with an LVAD-related infection (mean ∆SUV{sub max} = 4.38 ± 1.44) compared to those without a driveline infection (mean ∆SUV{sub max} = 0.03 ± 0.43), P < 0.05. Applying ROC analysis, an SUV{sub max} threshold of 3.88 resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, respectively. There were three distinctive uptake patterns in patients with a driveline infection. Conclusion: PET/CT diagnosis in the context of an LVAD-related infection can be improved by comparison to a baseline examination using a distinctive SUV{sub max} threshold.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Advanced Pt-Based Core–Shell Electrocatalysts for Fuel Cell Cathodes

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are highly efficient energy storage and conversion devices. Thus, the platinum group metal (PGM)-based catalysts which are the dominant choice for the PEMFCs have received extensive interest during the past couple of decades. However, the drawbacks in the existing PGM-based catalysts (i.e., high cost, slow kinetics, poor stability, etc.) still limit their applications in fuel cells. The Pt-based core–shell catalysts potentially alleviate these issues through the low Pt loading with the associated low cost and the high corrosion resistance and further improve the oxygen reduction reaction’s (ORR’s) activity and stability. This Account focuses on the synthetic strategies, catalytic mechanisms, factors influencing enhanced ORR performance, and applications in PEMFCs for the Pt-based core–shell catalysts. We first highlight the synthetic strategies for Pt-based core–shell catalysts including the galvanic displacement of an underpotentially deposited non-noble metal monolayer, thermal annealing, and dealloying methods, which can be scaled-up to meet the requirements of fuel cell operations. Subsequently, catalytic mechanisms such as the self-healing mechanism in the Pt monolayer on Pd core catalysts, the pinning effect of nitrogen (N) dopants in N-doped PtNi core–shell catalysts, and the ligand effect of the ordered intermetallic structure in L10-Pt/CoPt core–shell catalysts and their synergistic effects in N-doped L10-PtNi catalysts are described in detail. Additionally, the core–shell structure in the Pt-based catalysts have two main effects for enhanced ORR performance: (i) the interaction between Pt shells and core substrates can tune the electronic state of the surface Pt, thus boosting the ORR activity and stability, and (ii) the outer Pt shell with modest thickness can enhance the oxidation and dissolution resistance of the core, resulting in improved durability. We then review the recent attempts to optimize the ORR performance of the Pt-based core–shell catalysts by considering the shape, composition, surface orientation, and shell thickness. The factors influencing the ORR performance can be grouped into two categories: the effect of the core and the effect of the shell. In the former, PtM core–shell catalysts which use different non-PGM element cores (M) are summarized, and in the latter, Pt-based core–shell catalysts with different shell structures and compositions are described. The modifications of the core and/or shell structure can not only optimize the intermediate-binding energetics on the Pt surface through tuning the strain of the surface Pt, which increases the intrinsic activity and stability, but also offer a significantly decreased catalyst cost. Finally, we discuss the membrane electrode assembly performance of Pt-based core–shell catalysts in fuel cell cathodes and evaluate their potential in real PEMFCs for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle applications. Even though some challenges to the activity and lifetime in the fuel cells remain, the Pt-based core–shell catalysts are expected to be promising for many practical PEMFC applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Increasing Cognitive Ability/Reserve Using Software – Pilot (ICARUS-Pilot)

BACKGROUND This research study was competitively awarded under the 2022 JSC Innovation Charge Account (ICA) program administered by NASA Johnson Space Center’s Joint Technology Working Group. Study period of performance was May through September 2022, with a maximum allowed procurement budget of $10K. The study sought to quantify and assess the potential benefit of using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) cognitive training software to improve cognitive performance in an astronaut-like terrestrial population. METHODS Five volunteer research participants were recruited from the JSC employee population to mimic certain demographic characteristics of the NASA astronaut population (age, education/discipline). Participant cognitive performance was assessed before and after executing eighteen sessions of remote cognitive training executed nominally three times per week using six exercises within an adaptive app-based COTS software package (BrainHQ, Posit Science) on study-provided tablets. Pre- and post-training cognitive performance was measured using internal assessments in BrainHQ as well as Cognition Test Battery (CTB) version ISS B01 v3 (3.0.9-201710021500), an independent software test developed specifically for NASA and used currently in research studies on astronauts. BrainHQ exercises were posited to map well or partially to several CTB sub-tests. Participants provided feedback on their study experience formally via semi-structured interview at the conclusion of testing and informally throughout the study if they encountered issues. RESULTS The enrolled ICARUS-Pilot study participants generally matched Artemis crew demographic characteristics. Four of five participants have completed study training and assessment activities as of the writing of this abstract. These test participants complied well with desired training session frequency and duration yielding an average cumulative active training duration of 15 hours over an average of 45 days; participants showed 78% average improvement in metric performance for the six trained exercises, with an associated overall 33%ile ranking increase against performance of the entire BrainHQ subscribing population for internal pre/post assessment, agreeing with post-study survey self-reported performance increases. CTB overall feedback scoring, not corrected for learning effects, showed an average of 19% performance improvement across its 10 performance measures over the training period for the completed participants. Detailed analyses will be conducted once participant data collection for the study is complete and the resulting dataset is fully populated. DISCUSSION These preliminary results provide a positive trend for the effectiveness of the training approach, but further analysis will be needed to establish significance, investigate far transfer, and suggest the needed participant pool size for subsequent efforts to achieve statistically significant outcomes given similar results. The pilot study has already been helpful by allowing the study team to learn a great deal about the capabilities and limitations of the COTS software package that will be reflected in future proposals along with revised timelines for study execution and test participant management. From participant feedback, one common thread regarding the COTS training was that it felt overly repetitive – future proposals should reassess overall training duration, available levels for each trained exercise, and the behavior of the BrainHQ internal scheduler in determining which exercises should be trained and for how long. If the final analysis of this feasibility study ultimately supports it, the study team will recommend further investigation to fully evaluate this potential countermeasure and optimize its implementation. Future proposals would cite this feasibility study’s outcome and would seek to refine the training protocol and obtain statistically significant results for cognitive performance increases as well as retention data.

cognitive training↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Increasing Cognitive Ability/Reserve Using Software – Pilot (ICARUS-Pilot)

Background: This research study was competitively awarded under the 2022 JSC Innovation Charge Account (ICA) program administered by NASA Johnson Space Center’s Joint Technology Working Group. Study period of performance was May through September 2022, with a maximum allowed procurement budget of $10K. The study sought to quantify and assess the potential benefit of using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) cognitive training software to improve cognitive performance in an astronaut-like terrestrial population. Methods: Five volunteer research participants were recruited from the JSC employee population to mimic certain demographic characteristics of the NASA astronaut population (age, education/discipline). Participant cognitive performance was assessed before and after executing eighteen sessions of remote cognitive training executed nominally three times per week using six exercises within an adaptive app-based COTS software package (BrainHQ, Posit Science) on study-provided tablets. Pre- and post-training cognitive performance was measured using internal assessments in BrainHQ as well as Cognition Test Battery (CTB) version ISS B01 v3 (3.0.9-201710021500), an independent software test developed specifically for NASA and used currently in research studies on astronauts. BrainHQ exercises were posited to map well or partially to several CTB sub-tests. Participants provided feedback on their study experience formally via semi-structured interview at the conclusion of testing and informally throughout the study if they encountered issues. Results: The enrolled ICARUS-Pilot study participants generally matched Artemis crew demographic characteristics. Four of five participants have completed study training and assessment activities as of the writing of this abstract. These test participants complied well with desired training session frequency and duration yielding an average cumulative active training duration of 15 hours over an average of 45 days; participants showed 78% average improvement in metric performance for the six trained exercises, with an associated overall 33%ile ranking increase against performance of the entire BrainHQ subscribing population for internal pre/post assessment, agreeing with post-study survey self-reported performance increases. CTB overall feedback scoring, not corrected for learning effects, showed an average of 19% performance improvement across its 10 performance measures over the training period for the completed participants. Detailed analyses will be conducted once participant data collection for the study is complete and the resulting dataset is fully populated. Discussion: These preliminary results provide a positive trend for the effectiveness of the training approach, but further analysis will be needed to establish significance, investigate far transfer, and suggest the needed participant pool size for subsequent efforts to achieve statistically significant outcomes given similar results. The pilot study has already been helpful by allowing the study team to learn a great deal about the capabilities and limitations of the COTS software package that will be reflected in future proposals along with revised timelines for study execution and test participant management. From participant feedback, one common thread regarding the COTS training was that it felt overly repetitive – future proposals should reassess overall training duration, available levels for each trained exercise, and the behavior of the BrainHQ internal scheduler in determining which exercises should be trained and for how long. If the final analysis of this feasibility study ultimately supports it, the study team will recommend further investigation to fully evaluate this potential countermeasure and optimize its implementation. Future proposals would cite this feasibility study’s outcome and would seek to refine the training protocol and obtain statistically significant results for cognitive performance increases as well as retention data.

cognitive training↗

DOE OSTI2017

Convulxin, a C-type lectin-like protein, inhibits HCASMCs functions via WAD-motif/integrin-αv interaction and NF-κB-independent gene suppression of GRO and IL-8

Convulxin (CVX), a C-type lectin-like protein (CLPs), is a potent platelet aggregation inducer. To evaluate its potential applications in angiogenic diseases, the multimeric CVX were further explored on its mode of actions toward human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs). The N-terminus of β-chain of CVX (CVX-β) contains a putative disintegrin-like domain with a conserved motif upon the sequence comparison with other CLPs. Importantly, native CVX had no cytotoxic activity as examined by electrophoretic pattern. A Trp-Ala–Asp (WAD)-containing octapeptide, MTWADAEK, was thereafter synthesized and analyzed in functional assays. In the case of specific integrin antagonists as positive controls, the anti-angiogenic effects of CVX on HCASMCs were investigated by series of functional analyses. CVX showed to exhibit multiple inhibitory activities toward HCASMCs proliferation, adhesion and invasion with a dose- and integrin αvβ3-dependent fashion. However, the WAD-octapeptide exerting a minor potency could also work as an active peptidomimetic. In addition, flow cytometric analysis demonstrated both the intact CVX and synthetic peptide can specifically interact with integrin-αv on HCASMCs and CVX was shown to have a down-regulatory effect on the gene expression of CXC-chemokines, such as growth-related oncogene and interleukin-8. According to nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 translocation assay and Western blotting analysis, the NF-κB activation was not involved in the signaling events of CVX-induced gene expression. In conclusion, CVX may act as a disintegrin-like protein via the interactions of WAD-motif in CVX-β with integrin-αv on HCASMCs and it also is a gene suppressor with the ability to diminish the expression of two CXC-chemokines in a NF-κB-independent manner. Indeed, more extensive investigations are needed and might create a new avenue for the development of a novel angiostatic agent. - Highlights: • The tetrameric convulxin (CVX) with WAD-motif could affect HCASMC multi-functions. • CVX significantly diminished cell proliferation, adhesion and invasion in HCASMCs. • The WAD-motif/integrin-αv interaction was involved in its suppressive mechanism. • CVX impaired the gene expression of GRO and IL-8 with a NF-κB independent manner.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

3,4‐Dicyanothiophene—a Versatile Building Block for Efficient Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells

Abstract In this contribution, a versatile building block, 3,4‐dicyanothiophene (DCT), which possesses structural simplicity and synthetic accessibility for constructing high‐performance, low‐cost, wide‐bandgap conjugated polymers for use as donors in polymer solar cells (PSCs), is reported. A prototype polymer, PB3TCN‐C66, and its cyano‐free analogue polymer PB3T‐C66, are synthesized to evaluate the potential of using DCT in nonfullerene PSCs. A stronger aggregation property in solution, higher thermal transition temperatures with higher enthalpies, a larger dipole moment, higher relative dielectric constant, and more linear conformation are exhibited by PB3TCN‐C66. Solar cells employing IT‐4F as the electron acceptor offer power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 11.2% and 2.3% for PB3TCN‐C66 and PB3T‐C66, respectively. Morphological characterizations reveal that the PB3TCN‐C66:IT‐4F blend exhibits better π–π paracrystallinity, a contracted domain size, and higher phase purity, consistent with its higher molecular interaction parameter, derived from thermodynamic calculations. Moreover, PB3TCN‐C66 offers a higher open‐circuit voltage and reduced energy loss than most state‐of‐the‐art wide‐bandgap polymers, without the need of additional electron‐withdrawing substituents. Two additional polymers derived from DCT also demonstrate promising performance with a higher PCE of 13.4% being achieved. Thus, DCT represents a versatile and promising building block for constructing high‐performance, low‐cost, conjugated polymers for application in PSCs.

Zhang, Bo↗

DOE OSTI2018

Economic comparative advantage of willow biomass in the Northeast USA

We evaluate the potential economic availability of willow ( Salix spp.) short-rotation woody crops in the Northeast USA. Based on results from a 20-year agronomic simulation, the Northeast USA could potentially provide between 2.1 and 9.7 million dry Mg year -1 , depending on farmgate price and competition with other energy crops. In a diversified biomass energy-crop scenario, willow outperforms other lignocellulosic energy crops in planted area and production at 91% of supply and 83% of planted area in a low-price scenario in the Northeast USA. In a high-price scenario, willow also outperforms competing energy crops at 47% of production and 51% of planted area. In contrast with the rest of the USA, willow comprises the greatest portion of energy crop potential in the Northeast. Furthermore, these results suggest that willow has an agronomic comparative advantage in this region as compared to herbaceous energy crops, with great potential to increase production given adequate market prices.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Fast Correction of Errors in the DFT‐Calculated Energies of Gaseous Nitrogen‐Containing Species

Abstract Modeling adsorption phenomena on surfaces by DFT calculations often involves substantial errors, resulting in inaccurate predictions of catalytic activities. Such errors partly stem from the inaccurate description of the energetics of free molecules. Herein, we use a semiempirical group‐additivity method to correct the DFT‐calculated heats of formation of 106 carbon‐ and nitrogen‐containing gaseous compounds belonging to 15 different chemical families. PBE, PW91, RPBE and BEEF‐vdW initially yield mean absolute errors (MAEs) with respect to experiments in the range of 0.32–0.75 eV. After correcting the systematic errors, the overall MAEs decrease to ∼0.05 eV. Additionally, upon applying the corrections to three types of reaction enthalpies, the resulting MAEs are below 0.10 eV. These functional‐group corrections can be used in (electro)catalysis to correct the gas‐phase references necessary to evaluate equilibrium potentials and adsorption energies, predict error cancellation, and assess conflicting experimental data.

Urrego‐Ortiz, Ricardo↗

DOE OSTI2018

Using imaging spectroscopy to detect variation in terrestrial ecosystem productivity across a water-stressed landscape

A central challenge to understanding how climate anomalies, such as drought and heatwaves, impact the terrestrial carbon cycle, is quantification and scaling of spatial and temporal variation in ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP). Existing empirical and model-based satellite broadband spectra-based products have been shown to miss critical variation in GPP. We evaluate the potential of high spectral resolution (10 nm) shortwave (400–2,500 nm) imagery to better detect spatial and temporal variations in GPP across a range of ecosystems, including forests, grassland-savannas, wetlands, and shrublands in a water-stressed region. Estimates of GPP from eddy covariance observations were compared against airborne hyperspectral imagery, collected across California during the 2013–2014 HyspIRI airborne preparatory campaign. Observations from 19 flux towers across 23 flight campaigns (102 total image-flux tower pairs) showed GPP to be strongly correlated to a suite of spectral wavelengths and band ratios associated with foliar physiology and chemistry. A partial least squares regression (PLSR) modeling approach was then used to predict GPP with higher validation accuracy (adjusted R 2 = 0.71) and low bias (0.04) compared to existing broadband approaches (e.g., adjusted R 2 = 0.68 and bias = -5.71 with the Sims et al. model). Significant wavelengths contributing to the PLSR include those previously shown to coincide with Rubisco (wavelengths 1,680, 1,740, and 2,290 nm) and V cmax (wavelengths 1,680, 1,722, 1,732, 1,760, and 2,300 nm). These results provide strong evidence that advances in satellite spectral resolution offer significant promise for improved satellite-based monitoring of GPP variability across a diverse range of terrestrial ecosystems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2017

Application of the Aquifer Impact Model to support decisions at a CO 2 sequestration site

The National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) has developed a suite of tools to assess and manage risk at CO 2 sequestration sites. The NRAP tool suite includes the Aquifer Impact Model (AIM), which evaluates the potential for groundwater impacts from leaks of CO 2 and brine through abandoned wellbores. There are two aquifer reduced-order models (ROMs) included with the AIM tool, a confined alluvium aquifer, and an unconfined carbonate aquifer. The models accept aquifer parameters as a range of variable inputs so they may have broad applicability. The generic aquifer models may be used at the early stages of site selection, when site-specific data is not available. Guidelines have been developed for determining when the generic ROMs might be applicable to a new site. This work considers the application of the AIM to predicting the impact of CO 2 or brine leakage were it to occur at the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP). Results of the model sensitivity analysis can help guide characterization efforts; the hydraulic parameters and leakage source term magnitude are more sensitive than clay fraction or cation exchange capacity. Sand permeability was the only hydraulic parameter measured at the IBDP site. More information on the other hydraulic parameters could reduce uncertainty in risk estimates. Some non-adjustable parameters are significantly different for the ROM than for the observations at the IBDP site. The generic ROMs could be made more useful to a wider range of sites if the initial conditions and no-impact threshold values were adjustable parameters.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2017

Evaluation and modeling of the potential effects of a module manufacturing anomaly

Photovoltaic lifetime predictions are in great demand, but are exceedingly difficult to achieve with uncertainties small enough to be useful. During the construction of photovoltaic modules, small unplanned variability in materials or processes can have profound effects on module durability. Thus, continual monitoring of production quality is needed. In the subject production run, module quality, as monitored by damp heat testing, revealed a subset of modules that were prone to higher degradation rates. An assessment of the potential long-term power loss and mitigation strategies was needed. To do this, modules were exposed to variable levels of humidity and temperature with periodic monitoring. The analysis takes into account the kinetics of the degradation and the spatially and temporally varying humidity content within the module during accelerated stress testing. This is an important aspect for extrapolating laboratory results to field exposure because moisture ingress is diffusion limited in most laboratory module tests but not limited in these fielded modules. This analysis predicted that although a solder flux induce degradation mechanism is significant in accelerated stress test, this is probably an artifact of a process with a very large acceleration factor that is not likely to be significant for deployed modules. The degradation mechanism affected a limited area around the tabbing helping to minimize the effect. Furthermore, three years after the system was commissioned, the fielded modules indeed show no significant power loss.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗