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DOE OSTI2014

Non-destructive inspection protocol for reinforced concrete barriers and bridge railings

Reinforced concrete highway barriers and bridge railings serve to prevent errant vehicles from departing the travel way at grade separations. Despite the important role that they play in maintaining safety and their ubiquitous nature, barrier inspection rarely moves beyond visual inspection. In August 2008, a tractor-trailer fatally departed William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge after it dislodged a section of the bridge barrier. Investigations following the accident identified significant corrosion of the anchor bolts attaching the bridge railing to the bridge deck. As a result of the information gathered during its investigation of the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration concerning Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of concrete bridge railings. The Center for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) at Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA is currently evaluating feasibility of using four technologies - ground penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic pulse-echo, digital radiography and infrared thermal imaging methods to develop bridge inspection methods that augment visual inspections, offer reliable measurement techniques, and are practical, both in terms of time and cost, for field inspection work. Controlled samples containing predefined corrosion levels in reinforcing steel were embedded at barrier connection points for laboratory testing. All four NDE techniques were used in the initial phase I testing. An inspection protocol for detecting and measuring the corrosion of reinforced steel embedded in the anchorage system will be developed as part of phase II research. The identified technologies shall be further developed for field testing utilizing a structure with a barrier in good condition and a structure with a barrier in poor condition.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2019

Nanoporous gold: a hierarchical and multiscale 3D test pattern for characterizing X-ray nano-tomography systems

Full-field transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) is a well established technique, available at various synchrotron beamlines around the world as well as by laboratory benchtop devices. One of the major TXM challenges, due to its nanometre-scale resolution, is the overall instrument stability during the acquisition of the series of tomographic projections. The ability to correct for vertical and horizontal distortions of each projection image during acquisition is necessary in order to achieve the effective 3D spatial resolution. The effectiveness of such an image alignment is also heavily influenced by the absorption properties and strong contrast of specific features in the scanned sample. Here it is shown that nanoporous gold (NPG) can be used as an ideal 3D test pattern for evaluating and optimizing the performance of a TXM instrument for hard X-rays at a synchrotron beamline. Unique features of NPG, such as hierarchical structures at multiple length scales and high absorbing capabilities, makes it an ideal choice for characterization, which involves a combination of a rapid-alignment algorithm applied on the acquired projections followed by the extraction of a set of both 2D- and 3D-descriptive image parameters. This protocol can be used for comparing the efficiency of TXM instruments at different synchrotron beamlines in the world or benchtop devices, based on a reference library of scanned NPG samples, containing information about the estimated horizontal and vertical alignment values, 2D qualitative parameters and quantitative 3D parameters. The possibility to tailor the ligament sizes of NPG to match the achievable resolution in combination with the high electron density of gold makes NPG an ideal 3D test pattern for evaluating the status and performance of a given synchrotron-based or benchtop-based TXM setup.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Performance Evaluation of LPBF Manufactured 316H Components

This work represents the continuation of a benchmark study that includes modeling, fabrication and characterization as demonstration to support industry’s adoption of advanced manufacturing processes in a variety of structures. This comprehensive study investigated the feasibility of using additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, specifically Laser Powder Direct Energy Deposition (LP-DED) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), to produce complex nuclear microreactor components using 316H stainless steel. The research focused on manufacturing an expanded elbow pipe component with transitioning sections, which are traditionally difficult and costly to produce through conventional manufacturing methods. The overall study’s primary objectives are therefore demonstrating AM viability for nuclear applications, optimizing process parameters, developing comprehensive material characterization protocols, validating computational modeling approaches, and establishing manufacturing guidelines for complex geometries. Although the initial work included the phased approach of cubical, upscaled cylindrical components, it is to enable to obtain more knowledge for the printing of the expanded elbow structure. The project achieved significant progress in process development by successfully optimizing LP-DED parameters to achieve 99.16-99.97% relative density in 316H stainless steel components. Through systematic evaluation of sixteen cube samples with varied laser powers (400-700W) and scan speeds (600-900 mm/min), optimal processing windows were identified at 500-550W with 600-700 mm/min or 650-700W with 650-900 mm/min scan speeds. The DED manufactured 316H demonstrated mechanical properties comparable or superior to wrought materials, with Young's modulus ranging from 153-208 GPa and controlled microstructural characteristics including greater than 95% face-centered cubic (FCC) phases and engineered cellular structures with sizes between 3.23-6.17 µm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

A Novel Fast Helical 4D-CT Acquisition Technique to Generate Low-Noise Sorting Artifact–Free Images at User-Selected Breathing Phases

Purpose: To develop a novel 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) technique that exploits standard fast helical acquisition, a simultaneous breathing surrogate measurement, deformable image registration, and a breathing motion model to remove sorting artifacts. Methods and Materials: Ten patients were imaged under free-breathing conditions 25 successive times in alternating directions with a 64-slice CT scanner using a low-dose fast helical protocol. An abdominal bellows was used as a breathing surrogate. Deformable registration was used to register the first image (defined as the reference image) to the subsequent 24 segmented images. Voxel-specific motion model parameters were determined using a breathing motion model. The tissue locations predicted by the motion model in the 25 images were compared against the deformably registered tissue locations, allowing a model prediction error to be evaluated. A low-noise image was created by averaging the 25 images deformed to the first image geometry, reducing statistical image noise by a factor of 5. The motion model was used to deform the low-noise reference image to any user-selected breathing phase. A voxel-specific correction was applied to correct the Hounsfield units for lung parenchyma density as a function of lung air filling. Results: Images produced using the model at user-selected breathing phases did not suffer from sorting artifacts common to conventional 4D-CT protocols. The mean prediction error across all patients between the breathing motion model predictions and the measured lung tissue positions was determined to be 1.19 ± 0.37 mm. Conclusions: The proposed technique can be used as a clinical 4D-CT technique. It is robust in the presence of irregular breathing and allows the entire imaging dose to contribute to the resulting image quality, providing sorting artifact–free images at a patient dose similar to or less than current 4D-CT techniques.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2019

Alternative Pathogen Control Chemistry of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Panels for Cooling Towers

This study aimed to investigate the antibiofouling activity of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyl, alkyldimethylammonium chloride-based (SilQUAT)-treated glass fiber-reinforced polyester (GFRP) composite panels in model cooling tower system. All surface characterization analyses were performed by using FTIR and XPS and showed that surface chemical composition peaks confirmed the successful coating of compound. The antibiofilm efficacy of the SilQUAT-treated GFRP panels was evaluated with culture, ATP measurement and live/dead fluorescence staining, for 6 months. To mimic mechanical interventions, the durability and residual self-sanitizing activity of the treated GFRP panels was tested by modifying the EPA # 01-1A protocol, after abrasion. At the end of the 6-month period, the antibacterial effect was 95% and 99.90% for abraded and non-abraded materials, respectively. The current study provides an alternative application to prevent biofilm at source by modification and imparting antibacterial properties to the material. Prevention of biofilm at its source is an important approach by providing indirect benefits such as the reduction in corrosion and secondary environmental pollution caused by the use of excess biocides, and consequently, the reduction in cost and the risk of harm to the public/environment will also be of interest.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2010

Prostate Intrafraction Motion Assessed by Simultaneous Kilovoltage Fluoroscopy at Megavoltage Delivery I: Clinical Observations and Pattern Analysis

Purpose: To describe prostate intrafraction motion using kilovoltage fluoroscopy at treatment delivery for a hypofractionated radiotherapy protocol. Methods and Materials: Kilovoltage images were acquired during treatment delivery, as well as pre- and posttreatment cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for each fraction of 30 patients, totaling 571 fractions for analysis. We calculated population statistics, evaluated correlation between interfraction and intrafraction motion, evaluated effect of treatment duration, classified whether motion resolved by posttreatment CBCT, and compared motion magnitude on a per-patient basis. Results: The elapsed time between pre- and post-CBCTs was (18.6 {+-} 4.5) min. The population mean of motion measured by kilovoltage fluoroscopy was (-0.1, 0.5, -0.6) mm, the systematic was (0.5, 1.3, 1.2) mm, and random was (0.9, 1.9, 2.0) mm in the right-left, anterior-posterior, and superior-inferior axes, respectively. The probability of motion increased with treatment duration, with the mean increasing to (0.0, 1.0, -0.9) mm and the systematic to (0.6, 1.7, 1.5) mm when measured using posttreatment CBCT. For any motion {>=}2mm, approximately 75% did not resolve by posttreatment CBCT. Motion magnitude varied considerably among patients, with the probability of a 5-mm displacement ranging from 0.0% to 58.8%. Conclusions: Time dependency of intrafraction motion should be considered to avoid bias in margin assessment, with posttreatment CBCT slightly exaggerating the true motion. The patient-specific nature of the intrafraction motion suggests that a patient-specific management approach may be beneficial.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2013

Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy With Capecitabine/Oxaliplatin and Cetuximab in Rectal Cancer: Long-Term Results of a Prospective Phase 1/2 Study

Purpose: We have previously shown that the addition of cetuximab to chemoradiation therapy failed to improve complete response rates (pCR) in rectal cancer. Here we report the long-term results of the cetuximab added to preoperative radiation therapy with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CET-CAPOX-RT) phase 1/2 study that evaluated preoperative chemoradiation with cetuximab, capecitabine, and oxaliplatin in patients with rectal cancer. Methods and Materials: The median follow-up was 63 months (range, 5-73 months). Sixty patients were enrolled; 3 patients were excluded due to protocol violation, and 4 died before surgery. Total mesorectal excision was performed in 53 patients, in 85% (n=45) with curative intention (M0-status). Secondary end points including overall survival (OS) disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were calculated. The prognostic value of KRAS mutation status was also assessed. Results: Histopathological examination confirmed ypUICC stages 0 (n=4; pCR), I (n=17), II (n=10), III (n=14), and IV (n=8). For patients who underwent surgery (n=53), OS at 1, 3, and 5 years was 88.7%, 83%, and 75.5%, respectively, whereas CSS rates were 94.1%, 88.1%, and 78.1%, respectively. In the 45 patients who were treated with curative intent (M0), the OS rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 91.1%, 88.9%, and 86.7%, respectively; whereas CSS rates were 97.6%, 95.2%, and 90.3%, respectively; and DFS rates were 90.7%, 88.3%, and 88.3%, respectively. We did not find any locoregional failure in patients with M0-status (n=45). Chronic toxicity was rare. KRAS mutations, as detected in 33.3%, showed no correlation with the clinicopathological parameters nor significance for either OS (P=.112), CSS (P=.264), or DFS (P=.565). Conclusions: Taken together, chemoradiation therapy combined with cetuximab is safe, feasible, and offers excellent survival rates. KRAS mutation status was not a predictive factor. Importantly, lack of improvement in pCR rate did not translate to poor survival in our clinical trial.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Creation of a High-Yield AAV Vector Production Platform in Suspension Cells Using a Design-of-Experiment Approach

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are a leading gene delivery platform, but vector manufacturing remains a challenge. New methods are needed to increase rAAV yields and reduce costs. Past efforts to improve rAAV production have focused on optimizing a single variable at a time, but this approach does not account for the interactions of multiple factors that contribute to vector generation. Here, we utilized a design-of-experiment (DOE) methodology to optimize rAAV production in a HEK293T suspension cell system. We simultaneously varied the transgene, packaging, and helper plasmid ratios, the total DNA concentration, and the cell density to systematically evaluate the impact of each variable across 52 conditions. The results revealed a unique set of parameters with a lower concentration of transgene plasmid, a higher concentration of packaging plasmid, and a higher cell density than previously described protocols. Using this DOE-optimized protocol, we achieved unpurified yields approaching 3 × 10 14 viral genomes (VGs)/L of cell culture. Additionally, we incorporated polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based virus precipitation, pH-mediated protein removal, and affinity chromatography to our downstream processing, enabling average purified yields of >1 × 10 14 VGs/L for rAAV-EGFPs across 13 serotypes and capsid variants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Optimized simple and affordable procedure for differentiation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells from LRF: An accessible and valid alternative biological source

Dendritic cells are one of the most popular immune cells, which plays a remarkable role in both immunotherapy and tolerance induction. Due to unwanted side effects of leukocyte presence in donated blood, the policy of blood service is the pre-storage reduction of leukocytes, which today, filtration is the most common method for this purpose. The filtration method has led to diminished access to Buffy coat as a generally used conventional source of biological cells. We developed a simple, affordable, and reproducible method for dendritic cell differentiation from filter-derived monocytes and, the results of the filter study were compared with differentiated DCs from the conventional buffy coat-derived monocytes. The Monocytes were recovered from leukoreduction filter using an optimized protocol with supplemented PBS buffer. Following the adhesion method, CD14{sup +} Monocyte-enriched population with the purity of 94 % was obtained. After cytokine stimulation over a 6-day period and maturation induction by LPS, differentiated DCs were evaluated for morphology, surface markers (CD86, CD40, CD83 and, HLA-DR), antigen uptake potency and IL-12 secretion. Analysis and comparison of the results represented no significant difference between the two groups. Accordingly, we conclude that leukoreduction filters could be introduced as a reliable and research-grade source of monocyte for DC generation in biological research.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Modelling and analysis of nuclear reactor system coupled with a liquid metal battery

Traditionally, nuclear power plants in the U.S. provide baseload power to the power grid because they have less flexibility for ramping their output power than natural gas peaking plants. However, achieving climate goals to reduce the consumption of fossil‐based natural gas places pressure on nuclear power plants and other power generators to ramp up their power output to balance grid generation with demand. This paper presents the modelling and performance analysis of a nuclear reactor system (NRS) coupled to a liquid‐metal battery (LMB) to improve its dynamic response and enable its black start capability. The NRS and LMB thermal behaviour are modelled in Dymola, while the electrical dynamics of the LMB and power grid are modelled in RTDS‐RSCAD. Both simulation platforms are coupled and share their thermal and electrical data using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) communication protocol. The dynamic performance of the NRS‐LMB integration is tested on the IEEE 9 bus, which demonstrates its ability to respond and provide frequency and voltage regulation. The black start capability of the NRS‐LMB is also evaluated by simulating a grid outage and using the LMB to supply the auxiliary loads required to bring the NRS back online as soon as possible. The results show that coupling an NRS to an LMB improves the system dynamic performance and enables it to black start after being disconnected from the grid for several days.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Distributed Load Sharing Under False Data Injection Attack in an Inverter-Based Microgrid

In microgrids, distributed load sharing plays an important role in maintaining the supply-demand balance of power. Because false data injection (FDI) is one of the crucial threats faced by future microgrids, the study of the impact of FDI on distributed load sharing is both of theoretical merit and practical value. Here, we consider the distributed load sharing problem of the microgrids operating in autonomous mode under FDI. Each bus is assumed to be equipped with an agent. Under a well-developed distributed load sharing protocol based on multiagent systems, we first construct an FDI attack model, where the attacker is capable of injecting false data into the bus agents. Finally, a utilization level is introduced for coordinating generators, and its variation is evaluated in the presence of FDI attacks with given injection strategies. The stable region of the microgrid is defined, and conditions are given to determine stability. In conclusion, theoretical results are validated on the Canadian urban distribution system.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-129: Dosimetric Evaluation of the Impact of Density Correction On Dose Calculation of Breast Cancer Treatment: A Study Based On RTOG 1005 Cases

Purpose: RTOG 1005 requires density correction in the dose calculation of breast cancer radiation treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of density correction on the dose calculation. Methods: Eight cases were studied, which were planned on an XiO treatment planning system with pixel-by-pixel density correction using a superposition algorithm, following RTOG 1005 protocol requirements. Four were protocol Arm 1 (standard whole breast irradiation with sequential boost) cases and four were Arm 2 (hypofractionated whole breast irradiation with concurrent boost) cases. The plans were recalculated with the same monitor units without density correction. Dose calculations with and without density correction were compared. Results: Results of Arm 1 and Arm 2 cases showed similar trends in the comparison. The average differences between the calculations with and without density correction (difference = Without - With) among all the cases were: -0.82 Gy (range: -2.65∼−0.18 Gy) in breast PTV Eval D95, −0.75 Gy (range: −1.23∼0.26 Gy) in breast PTV Eval D90, −1.00 Gy (range: −2.46∼−0.29 Gy) in lumpectomy PTV Eval D95, −0.78 Gy (range: −1.30∼0.11 Gy) in lumpectomy PTV Eval D90, −0.43% (range: −0.95∼−0.14%) in ipsilateral lung V20, −0.81% (range: −1.62∼−0.26%) in V16, −1.95% (range: −4.13∼−0.84%) in V10, −2.64% (−5.55∼−1.04%) in V8, −4.19% (range: −6.92∼−1.81%) in V5, and −4.95% (range: −7.49∼−2.01%) in V4, respectively. The differences in other normal tissues were minimal. Conclusion: The effect of density correction was observed in breast target doses (an average increase of ∼1 Gy in D95 and D90, compared to the calculation without density correction) and exposed ipsilateral lung volumes in low dose region (average increases of ∼4% and ∼5% in V5 and V4, respectively)

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

SU-C-BRD-02: A Team Focused Clinical Implementation and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis of HDR Skin Brachytherapy Using Valencia and Leipzig Surface Applicators

Purpose: and Leipzig applicators (VLAs) are single-channel brachytherapy surface applicators used to treat skin lesions up to 2cm diameter. Source dwell times can be calculated and entered manually after clinical set-up or ultrasound. This procedure differs dramatically from CT-based planning; the novelty and unfamiliarity could lead to severe errors. To build layers of safety and ensure quality, a multidisciplinary team created a protocol and applied Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to the clinical procedure for HDR VLA skin treatments. Methods: team including physicists, physicians, nurses, therapists, residents, and administration developed a clinical procedure for VLA treatment. The procedure was evaluated using FMEA. Failure modes were identified and scored by severity, occurrence, and detection. The clinical procedure was revised to address high-scoring process nodes. Results: Several key components were added to the clinical procedure to minimize risk probability numbers (RPN): -Treatments are reviewed at weekly QA rounds, where physicians discuss diagnosis, prescription, applicator selection, and set-up. Peer review reduces the likelihood of an inappropriate treatment regime. -A template for HDR skin treatments was established in the clinical EMR system to standardize treatment instructions. This reduces the chances of miscommunication between the physician and planning physicist, and increases the detectability of an error during the physics second check. -A screen check was implemented during the second check to increase detectability of an error. -To reduce error probability, the treatment plan worksheet was designed to display plan parameters in a format visually similar to the treatment console display. This facilitates data entry and verification. -VLAs are color-coded and labeled to match the EMR prescriptions, which simplifies in-room selection and verification. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary planning and FMEA increased delectability and reduced error probability during VLA HDR Brachytherapy. This clinical model may be useful to institutions implementing similar procedures.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2015

WE-AB-204-05: Harmonizing PET/CT Quantification in Multicenter Studies: A Case Study

Purpose: To present the implementation of a strategy to harmonize FDG PET/CT quantification (SUV), performed with different scanner models and manufacturers. Methods: The strategy was based on Boellaard (2011) and EARL FDG-PET/CT accreditation program, that propose quality control measurements for harmonizing scanner performance. A NEMA IEC Body phantom study was performed using four different devices: PHP-1 (Gemini TF Base, Philips); PHP-2 (Gemini GXL, Philips); GEH (Discovery 600, General Electric); SMS (Biograph Hi-Rez 16, Siemens). The SUV Recovery Coefficient (RC) was calculated using the clinical protocol and other clinically relevant reconstruction parameters. The most appropriate reconstruction parameters (MARP) for SUV harmonization, in each scanner, are those which achieve EARL harmonizing standards. They were identified using the lowest root mean square errors (RMSE). To evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness, the Maximum Differences (MD) between the clinical and MARP RC values were calculated. Results: The reconstructions parameters that obtained the lowest RMSE are: FBP 5mm (PHP-1); LOR-RAMLA 2i0.008l (PHP-2); VuePointHD 2i32s10mm (GEH); and FORE+OSEM 4i8s6mm (SMS). Thus, to ensure that quantitative PET image measurements are interchangeable between these sites, images must be reconstructed with the above-mentioned parameters. Although, a decoupling between the best image for PET/CT qualitative analysis and the best image for quantification studies was observed. The MD showed that the strategy was effective in reducing the variability of SUV quantification for small structures (<17mm). Conclusion: The harmonization strategy of the SUV quantification implemented with these devices was effective in reducing the variability of small structures quantification, minimizing the inter-scanner and inter-institution differences in quantification. However, it is essential that, in addition to the harmonization of quantification, the standardization of the methodology of patient preparation must be maintained, in order to minimize the SUV variability due to biological factors. Financial support by CAPES.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

eCounter: Inline Per-IP Network Monitoring at Millisecond Resolution via eBPF

Scientific data acquisition (SciDAQ) systems are shifting from archive-based workflows to streaming paradigms, where real-time, fine-grained network monitoring becomes essential. While P4-enabled devices offer per-packet in-band observability, they require specialized switches and routers. Host-side tools like Prometheus exporters lack sufficient temporal granularity. To bridge this gap, we present eCounter, a lightweight, hardware-agnostic, inline telemetry agent built on extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF). eCounter captures per-interface ingress and egress traffic, categorized by IP address and protocol, at millisecond to sub-millisecond resolution. In a 100 Gbps environment, it continuously exports up to 3,257 time-series bins per second with only 4% CPU utilization at a 35¿KiB/s data rate. We evaluate eCounter across diverse NIC MTU settings, hook types, CPU architectures and operating systems, and observed negligible impact on concurrent high-throughput streaming applications. Complexity analysis confirms that it can be readily scaled to distributed SciDAQ deployments.

Mei, Xinxin [Computational Sciences and Technology↗

DOE OSTI2019

Performance of a Biomass Boiler in a Load Profile Test

In this report, results are presented of the performance evaluation of a modern residential cordwood-fired hydronic heater. This unit was tested under a specific load and operating profile that includes cold start, four load levels, reload, and cycling in response to an emulated thermostat. The protocol can be completed in a single day, which allows for replicate runs in about a week of testing. This can characterize variability with greater confidence than current methods used in certification testing, reduces time to conduct certification tests, and moves toward greater representative operations as the test includes start-up and requires boilers to respond to a variety of heat loads in a manner that better reflects day-to-day operations. Detailed in the report are the results of triplicate testing of one U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified cordwood-fired outdoor wood boiler. Cold start emissions were the greatest among all testing periods. In triplicate testing, emission output values for the cold start tests were 9.52, 4.74, and 6.63 lb/MMBtu of output for Test 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The overall emission output values for Test 1, 2, and 3 were 0.44, 0.34, and 0.19 lb/MMBtu of output, respectively. Additionally, the work in this project found significant differences in filter sampling methods with different integrated time periods. The use of real-time particulate matter emission measurement devices was explored. Specifically, sampling with one filter over a long test with various phases (cold starts, reloads, high and low burns) yielded lower particulate mass than sampling phase by phase (one filter for high burns, one filter for low burns, etc.). Perhaps the use of a real-time particulate matter emission measurement device can be used to distinguish different burn phases without having to change filters multiple times throughout a varied load test method

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS2015

Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Intranasal Scopolamine in Plasma Saliva and Urine

An intranasal gel dosage formulation of scopolamine (INSCOP) was developed for the treatment of Space Motion Sickness (SMS). The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics (PK) were evaluated under IND (Investigational New Drug) guidelines. The aim of the project was to develop a PK model that can predict the relationships among plasma, saliva and urinary scopolamine concentrations using data collected from the IND clinical trial protocol with INSCOP. Twelve healthy human subjects were administered at three dose levels (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg) of INSCOP. Serial blood, saliva and urine samples were collected between 5 min to 24 h after dosing and scopolamine concentrations were measured by using a validated LC‐MS‐MS assay. PK compartmental models, using actual dosing and sampling time, were established using Phoenix (version 1.2). Model selection was based on a likelihood ratio test on the difference of criteria (‐2LL (i.e. log-likelihood ratio test)) and comparison of the quality of fit plots. The results: Predictable correlations among scopolamine concentrations in compartments of plasma, saliva and urine were established, and for the first time the model satisfactorily predicted the population and individual PK of INSCOP in plasma, saliva and urine. The model can be utilized to predict the INSCOP plasma concentration by saliva and urine data, and it will be useful for monitoring the PK of scopolamine in space and other remote environments using non‐invasive sampling of saliva and/or urine.

Wu, L.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Evaluating Material Flammability in Microgravity and Martian Gravity Compared to the NASA Standard Normal Gravity Test

Drop tower tests are conducted at Martian gravity to determine the flammability of three materials compared to previous tests in other normal gravity and reduced gravity environments. The comparison is made with consideration of a modified NASA standard test protocol. Material flammability limits in the different gravity and flow environments are tabulated to determine the factor of safety associated with normal gravity flammability screening. Previous testing at microgravity and Lunar gravity indicated that some materials burned to lower oxygen concentrations in low gravity than in normal gravity, although the low g extinction limit criteria are not the same as 1g due to time constraints in drop testing. Similarly, the data presented in this paper for Martian gravity suggest that there is a gravity level below Earth s at which materials burn more readily than on Earth. If proven for more materials, this may indicate the need to include a factor of safety on 1g flammability limits.

Oslon, Sandra. L.↗