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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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A simulation processor generates and stores a simulation model based on conditions associated with a physical structure, such as a building. A neural network processor implements a neural network, having an input layer coupled to receive sensor data from the structure and having an output layer coupled to supply control signals to the at least one electrically operable environmental control device. The neural network is trained using the simulation model. A particle swarm optimization processor programmed to receive the simulation results and perform particle swarm optimization, ascertains optimal parameters for controlling the at least one electrically operable environmental control device and supplies these optimal parameters to the neural network processor. The neural network processor uses the optimal parameters supplied by the particle swarm optimization processor to further train the neural network.
The characteristic His–Glu catalytic dyad of the disulfide oxidoreductase ( DSOR ) family of enzymes is replaced in 2‐ketopropyl coenzyme M oxidoreductase/carboxylase (2‐ KPCC ) by the residues Phe–His. 2‐ KPCC is the only known carboxylating member of the DSOR family and has replaced this dyad potentially to eliminate proton‐donating groups at a key position in the active site. Substitution of the Phe–His by the canonical residues results in production of higher relative concentrations of acetone versus the natural product acetoacetate. The results indicate that these differences in 2‐ KPCC are key in discriminating between carbon dioxide and protons as attacking electrophiles.
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In this paper, progress in understanding the coupling between plasma instabilities in the equatorial electrojet based on a unified fluid model is reported. Simulations with parameters set to various ionospheric background conditions revealed properties of the gradient-drift and Farley-Buneman instabilities. Notably, sharper density gradients increase linear growth rates at all scales, whereas variations in cross-field E × B drift velocity only affect small-scale instabilities. A formalism defining turbulent fluctuation energy for the system is introduced, and the turbulence is analyzed within this framework. This exercise serves as a useful verification test of the numerical simulations and also elucidates the physics underlying the ionospheric turbulence. Various physical mechanisms involved in the energetics are categorized as sources, sinks, nonlinear transfer, and cross-field coupling. The physics of the nonlinear transfer terms is studied to identify their roles in producing energy cascades, which explain the generation of small-scale structures that are stable in the linear regime. The theory of two-step energy cascading to generate the 3 m plasma irregularities in the equatorial electrojet is verified for the first time in the fluid regime. Finally, in addition, the nonlinearity of the system allows the possibility of an inverse energy cascade, potentially responsible for generating large-scale plasma structures at the top of the electrojet as found in different rocket and radar observations.
Abstract Organic solar cells (OSCs) process fascinating solution‐printing capability to achieve low‐cost and large‐scale manufacture. However, the rapid power conversion efficiency (PCE) decay with active layer thickness enlargement inhibits the implement of OSCs’ potential advantages. To overcome the bottlenecks of PCE decay in thick active layer OSCs, the electrical doping with componential selectivity in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) film is achieved by introducing a solid solvation additive. Benefiting from the higher exciton splitting efficiency together with the longer drift (L dr ) and diffusion (L diff ) lengths, an OSC with 100 nm BHJ film demonstrates a PCE increment from 16.44% to 18.24% with prolonged dark and illuminated storage stabilities. Applying the solid solvation assisted (SSA) doping method in the OSCs with 500 nm active layer, the PCE significantly increases by 31.9%, from the original value of 11.79% to 15.55%. It further improves to 15.84% in a ternary blend thick‐film device, which is the record value to the best of our knowledge. Besides, the SSA doping narrows the PCE gap between the 0.04 and 1 cm 2 devices. All improvements demonstrate the great potential of SSA doping for OSC commercial manufacture, since it optimizes the photovoltaic performance under all practical conditions of long‐term, thick‐film, and large‐area.
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Abstract The distinct organization of Kv2 voltage‐gated potassium channels on and near the cell body of brain neurons enables their regulation of action potentials and specialized membrane contact sites. Somatosensory neurons have a pseudounipolar morphology and transmit action potentials from peripheral nerve endings through axons that bifurcate to the spinal cord and the cell body within ganglia including the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Kv2 channels regulate action potentials in somatosensory neurons, yet little is known about where Kv2 channels are located. Here, we define the cellular and subcellular localization of the Kv2 paralogs, Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, in DRG somatosensory neurons with a panel of antibodies, cell markers, and genetically modified mice. We find that relative to spinal cord neurons, DRG neurons have similar levels of detectable Kv2.1 and higher levels of Kv2.2. In older mice, detectable Kv2.2 remains similar, while detectable Kv2.1 decreases. Both Kv2 subtypes adopt clustered subcellular patterns that are distinct from central neurons. Most DRG neurons co‐express Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, although neuron subpopulations show preferential expression of Kv2.1 or Kv2.2. We find that Kv2 protein expression and subcellular localization are similar between mouse and human DRG neurons. We conclude that the organization of both Kv2 channels is consistent with physiological roles in the somata and stem axons of DRG neurons. The general prevalence of Kv2.2 in DRG as compared to central neurons and the enrichment of Kv2.2 relative to detectable Kv2.1 in older mice, proprioceptors, and axons suggest more widespread roles for Kv2.2 in DRG neurons.
Abstract Microbial communities form the base of food webs in freshwater ecosystems, yet the interactions within these diverse assemblages are poorly understood. Based on evidence showing that primary production and respiration follow diurnal trends in lakes, we hypothesized that gene expression in freshwater microbes would have similar diel cycles. We used three 2‐d time series of metatranscriptomes to test this hypothesis in a eutrophic lake, an oligotrophic lake, and a humic lake. We identified prominent diel cycles in all three lakes, particularly in genes related to photosynthesis, sugar transport, and carbon fixation. The maximal time of expression for sugar transport genes tended to trail that of photosynthesis genes by several hours, indicating possible metabolic exchange between co‐occurring microbial lineages. These results provide an initial step in understanding sophisticated multispecies transcriptional organization within freshwater microbial communities.
Abstract Plant responses to the environment are shaped by external stimuli and internal signaling pathways. In both the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana ( Arabidopsis ) and crop species, circadian clock factors are critical for growth, flowering, and circadian rhythms. Outside of Arabidopsis, however, little is known about the molecular function of clock gene products. Therefore, we sought to compare the function of Brachypodium distachyon ( Brachypodium ) and Setaria viridis ( Setaria ) orthologs of EARLY FLOWERING 3, a key clock gene in Arabidopsis . To identify both cycling genes and putative ELF 3 functional orthologs in Setaria , a circadian RNA ‐seq dataset and online query tool (Diel Explorer) were generated to explore expression profiles of Setaria genes under circadian conditions. The function of ELF 3 orthologs from Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, and Setaria was tested for complementation of an elf3 mutation in Arabidopsis . We find that both monocot orthologs were capable of rescuing hypocotyl elongation, flowering time, and arrhythmic clock phenotypes. Using affinity purification and mass spectrometry, our data indicate that Bd ELF 3 and Sv ELF 3 could be integrated into similar complexes in vivo as At ELF 3. Thus, we find that, despite 180 million years of separation, Bd ELF 3 and Sv ELF 3 can functionally complement loss of ELF 3 at the molecular and physiological level.
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A search for long-lived heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) is presented, which considers the hadronic final state and coupling scenarios involving all three lepton generations in the 2–20 GeV HNL mass range for the first time. Events comprising two leptons (electrons or muons) and jets are analyzed in a data sample of proton-proton collisions, recorded with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{−1}$. A novel jet tagger, based on a deep neural network, has been developed to identify jets from an HNL decay using various features of the jet and its constituent particles. The network output can be used as a powerful discriminating tool to probe a broad range of HNL lifetimes and masses. Contributions from background processes are determined from data. No excess of events in data over the expected background is observed. Upper limits on the HNL production cross section are derived as functions of the HNL mass and the three coupling strengths V$_{ℓN}$ to each lepton generation ℓ and presented as exclusion limits in the coupling-mass plane, as lower limits on the HNL lifetime, and on the HNL mass. In this search, the most stringent limit on the coupling strength is obtained for pure muon coupling scenarios; values of |$ {V}_{\mu \textrm{N}}^2 $| > 5 (4) × 10$^{−7}$ are excluded for Dirac (Majorana) HNLs with a mass of 10 GeV at a confidence level of 95% that correspond to proper decay lengths of 17 (10) mm.[graphic not available: see fulltext]
Anomalies in semileptonic B-meson decays present interesting patterns that might be revealing the shape of the new physics to come. Under the assumption that neutrino and charged lepton mass terms are the only sources of flavor violation and given the hierarchy between the two, we find that charged lepton universality violation without charged lepton flavor violation naturally arises. This can account for a deficit of B + → K + μμ over B + → K + ee decays with new physics coupled predominantly to muons and a new physics scale of a few TeV. A generic prediction of this scenario is a large enhacement of tauonic B decay rates that, in particular, could accommodate an excess in B → D (*) τ ν. For the most part, the study is carried out in an effective field theory framework with an underlying SU(2) L × U(1) Y symmetry that emphasizes the model-independent correlations between low- and high-energy observables. As an example, a connection between B-decays and top physics is pointed out. To complement the discussion, all possible (spin 0 and 1) leptoquark models are matched to the low-energy field theory so that the effective analysis can be used to survey these candidates for new physics.
Apios ( Apios americana ; “apios”), a tuberous perennial legume in the Phaseoleae tribe, was widely used as a food by Native Americans. Work in the last 40 years has led to several improved breeding lines. Aspects of the pollination biology (complex floral structure and tripping mechanism) have made controlled crosses difficult, and the previous reports indicated that the plant is likely primarily an outcrosser. We used a pseudo-testcross strategy to construct a genetic map specific to the maternal parent. The map was built using single-nucleotide polymorphism markers identified by comparing the expressed sequences of individuals in the mapping population against a de novo maternal reference transcriptome assembly. The apios map consists of 11 linkage groups and 1121 recombinationally distinct loci, covering ~ 938.6 cM. By sequencing the transcriptomes of all potential pollen parents, we were able to identify the probable pollen donors and to discover new aspects of the pollination biology in apios. No selfing was observed, but multiple pollen parents were seen within individual pods. Comparisons with genome sequences in other species in the Phaseoleae showed extended synteny for most apios linkage groups. This synteny supports the robustness of the map, and also sheds light on the history of the Phaseoleae, as apios is relatively early diverging in this tribe. We detected a translocation event that separates apios and two Vigna species from Phaseolus vulgaris and Glycine max. This apios mapping work provides a general protocol for sequencing-based construction of high-density linkage maps in outcrossing species with heterogeneous pollen parents.