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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Survey of Deep Learning and Physics-Based Approaches in Computational Wave Imaging

Computational wave imaging (CWI) extracts hidden structure and physical properties of a volume of material by analyzing wave signals that traverse that volume. Applications include seismic exploration of the Earth’s subsurface, acoustic imaging and nondestructive testing (NDT) in material science, and ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) in medicine. Current approaches for solving CWI problems can be divided into two categories: those rooted in traditional physics and those based on deep learning. Physics-based methods stand out for their ability to provide high-resolution and quantitatively accurate estimates of acoustic properties within the medium. However, they can be computationally intensive and are susceptible to ill-posedness and nonconvexity typical of CWI problems. Machine learning (ML)-based computational methods have recently emerged, offering a different perspective to address these challenges. Diverse scientific communities have independently pursued the integration of deep learning in CWI. This review discusses how contemporary scientific ML techniques, and deep neural networks in particular, have been developed to enhance and integrate with traditional physics-based methods for solving CWI problems. We present a structured framework that consolidates existing research spanning multiple domains, including computational imaging, wave physics, and data science. This study concludes with important lessons learned from existing ML-based methods and identifies technical hurdles and emerging trends through a systematic analysis of the extensive literature on this topic.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2024

Chapter 9: Life as We Don't Know It

While Earth contains the only known example of life in the universe, it is possible that life elsewhere is fundamentally different from what we are familiar with. There is an increased recognition in the astrobiology community that the search for life should steer away from terran-specific biosignatures to those that are more inclusive to all life-forms. To start exploring the space of possibilities that life could occupy, we can try to dissociate life from the chemistry that composes it on Earth by envisioning how different life elsewhere could be in composition, lifestyle, medium, and form, and by exploring how the general principles that govern living systems on Earth might be found in different forms and environments across the Solar System. Exotic life-forms could exist on Mars or Venus, or icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, or even as a shadow biosphere on Earth. New perspectives on agnostic biosignature detection have also begun to emerge, allowing for a broader and more inclusive approach to seeking exotic life with unknown chemistry that is distinct from life as we know it on Earth.

Asthma↗
DOE OSTI2021

Rational approach to drug discovery for human schistosomiasis

Human schistosomiasis is a debilitating, life-threatening disease affecting more than 229 million people in as many as 78 countries. There is only one drug of choice effective against all three major species of Schistosoma, praziquantel (PZQ). However, as with many monotherapies, evidence for resistance is emerging in the field and can be selected for in the laboratory. Previously used therapies include oxamniquine (OXA), but shortcomings such as drug resistance and affordability resulted in discontinuation. Employing a genetic, biochemical and molecular approach, a sulfotransferase (SULT-OR) was identified as responsible for OXA drug resistance. By crystallizing SmSULT- OR with OXA, the mode of action of OXA was determined. This information allowed a rational approach to novel drug design. Our team approach with schistosome biologists, medicinal chemists, structural biologists and geneticists has enabled us to develop and test novel drug derivatives of OXA to treat this disease. Using an iterative process for drug development, we have successfully identified derivatives that are effective against all three species of the parasite. One derivative CIDD-0149830 kills 100% of all three human schistosome species within 5 days. The goal is to generate a second therapeutic with a different mode of action that can be used in conjunction with praziquantel to overcome the ever-growing threat of resistance and improve efficacy. The ability and need to design, screen, and develop future, affordable therapeutics to treat human schistosomiasis is critical for successful control program outcomes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1998

Applications of telemedicine in the United States space program

Since the beginning of human space flight, NASA has been placing humans in extreme and remote environments. There are many challenges in maintaining humans in outer space, including the provision of life-support systems, radiation shielding, and countermeasures for minimizing the effect of microgravity. Because astronauts are selected for their health, among other factors, disease and illness are minimized. However, it is still of great importance to have appropriate medical care systems in place to address illness and injury should they occur. With the exception of the Apollo program, exploration of space has been limited to missions that are within several hundred miles of the surface of the Earth. At the drawn of the 21st century and the new millennium, human exploration will be focused on operation of the International Space Station (ISS) and preparation for human missions to Mars. These missions will present inherent risks to human health, and, therefore, appropriate plans must be established to address these challenges and risks. Crews of long-duration missions must become more independent from ground controllers. New systems, protocols, and procedures are currently being perfected. Application of emerging technologies in information systems and telecommunications will be critical to inflight medical care. Application of these technologies through telemedicine will provide crew members access to information, noninvasive procedures for assessing health status, and guidance through the integration of sensors, holography, decision-support systems, and virtual environments. These technologies will also serve as a basis to enhance training and medical education. The design of medical care for space flight should lead to a redesign of the practice of medicine on Earth.

Review, Tutorial↗
DOE OSTI2021

On the progress of 3D-printed hydrogels for tissue engineering

Additive manufacturing or more commonly known as 3D printing, is currently driving innovations and applications in diverse fields such as prototyping, manufacturing, aerospace, education, and medicine. Recent technological and materials research breakthroughs have enabled 3D bioprinting, where biomaterials and cells are used to create scaffolds and functional living tissues (e.g. skin, cartilage, etc.). This prospective focuses on the classification and applications of hydrogels, and design considerations in their production (i.e. physical and biological parameters). Herein, the materials for 3D printing of hydrogels, such as biopolymers, synthetic polymers, and nanocomposites, are mainly discussed. More importantly, future perspectives on 3D printing hydrogels including new materials, 4D printing, emerging printing technologies, etc. and their importance in biomedical and bioengineering applications are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Early Drug Discovery and Development of Novel Cancer Therapeutics Targeting DNA Polymerase Eta (POLH)

Polymerase eta (or Pol η or POLH) is a specialized DNA polymerase that is able to bypass certain blocking lesions, such as those generated by ultraviolet radiation (UVR) or cisplatin, and is deployed to replication foci for translesion synthesis as part of the DNA damage response (DDR). Inherited defects in the gene encoding POLH (a.k.a., XPV) are associated with the rare, sun-sensitive, cancer-prone disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum, owing to the enzyme’s ability to accurately bypass UVR-induced thymine dimers. In standard-of-care cancer therapies involving platinum-based clinical agents, e.g., cisplatin or oxaliplatin, POLH can bypass platinum-DNA adducts, negating benefits of the treatment and enabling drug resistance. POLH inhibition can sensitize cells to platinum-based chemotherapies, and the polymerase has also been implicated in resistance to nucleoside analogs, such as gemcitabine. POLH overexpression has been linked to the development of chemoresistance in several cancers, including lung, ovarian, and bladder. Co-inhibition of POLH and the ATR serine/threonine kinase, another DDR protein, causes synthetic lethality in a range of cancers, reinforcing that POLH is an emerging target for the development of novel oncology therapeutics. Using a fragment-based drug discovery approach in combination with an optimized crystallization screen, we have solved the first X-ray crystal structures of small novel drug-like compounds, i.e., fragments, bound to POLH, as starting points for the design of POLH inhibitors. The intrinsic molecular resolution afforded by the method can be quickly exploited in fragment growth and elaboration as well as analog scoping and scaffold hopping using medicinal and computational chemistry to advance hits to lead. An initial small round of medicinal chemistry has resulted in inhibitors with a range of functional activity in an in vitro biochemical assay, leading to the rapid identification of an inhibitor to advance to subsequent rounds of chemistry to generate a lead compound. Importantly, our chemical matter is different from the traditional nucleoside analog-based approaches for targeting DNA polymerases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2001

Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise and pilot performance: enhanced functioning under search-and-rescue flying conditions

Studies have shown that autonomous mode behavior is one cause of aircraft fatalities due to pilot error. In such cases, the pilot is in a high state of psychological and physiological arousal and tends to focus on one problem, while ignoring more critical information. This study examined the effect of training in physiological self-recognition and regulation, as a means of improving crew cockpit performance. Seventeen pilots were assigned to the treatment and control groups matched for accumulated flight hours. The treatment group contained 4 pilots from HC-130 Hercules aircraft and 4 HH-65 Dolphin helicopter pilots; the control group contained 3 pilots of HC-130s and 6 helicopter pilots. During an initial flight, physiological data were recorded on each crewmember and an instructor pilot rated individual crew performance. Eight crewmembers were then taught to regulate their own physiological response levels using Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE). The remaining participants received no training. During a second flight, treatment participants showed significant improvement in performance (rated by the same instructor pilot as in pretests) while controls did not improve. The results indicate that AFTE management of high states of physiological arousal may improve pilot performance during emergency flying conditions.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
DOE OSTI2021

Prospective Clinical Investigation of the Efficacy of Combination Radiation Therapy With Immune Checkpoint Inhibition

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) lead to durable responses in a subset of patients with cancer, but most patients do not respond to ICI, prompting interest in combining immunotherapy with other therapeutic regimens. Preclinical evidence supports the potential for therapeutic synergy between immunotherapy and radiation therapy through modulation of the tumor microenvironment and antitumor immune responses. Local therapy also has the potential to overcome localized sites of relative immune suppression and resistance. Prospective clinical trials have been initiated to test these hypotheses in the clinic as well as to investigate the toxicities and adverse events associated with combination immunotherapy and radiation therapy. In this review, we discuss the emerging results from prospective clinical trials of combination immunotherapy and radiation therapy, the safety and efficacy of their combination, concordance with preclinical and retrospective data, and some of the remaining open questions to be addressed by future clinical trials.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Role of Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology: Proceedings of a Workshop

Quantum concepts hold the potential to enable significant advances in sensing and imaging technologies that could be vital to the study of biological systems. The workshop Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology, held online March 8–10, 2021, was organized to examine the research and development needs to advance biological applications of quantum technology. Hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the event brought together experts working on state-of-the-art, quantum-enabled technologies and scientists who are interested in applying these technologies to biological systems. Through talks, panels, and discussions, the workshop facilitated a better understanding of the current and future biological applications of quantum-enabled technologies in fields such as microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, plant science, mycology, and many others. The workshop was organized around three main themes. The first, quantum in biology, examined quantum concepts that are hypothesized to be important for life processes and that researchers are working to observe through biological imaging and sensing. The second, quantum for biology, addressed ways to use quantum concepts to enhance technologies for biological imaging and sensing. The third, biology for quantum, offered a wider discussion of how the frontiers of biological imaging and sensing could enable future study using quantum concepts, tools, or technologies. Throughout the workshop, participants identified a wide range of emerging approaches and opportunities at the intersection of quantum physics and biological sensing and imaging. During the workshop, there were some differences in how each speaker defined the term quantum. During one of the panels, Prem Kumar offered thoughts on what phenomena are classical versus quantum, explaining that techniques get progressively more quantum as you move from just having superposition to having superposition with measurement and entanglement. Another explanation from Clarice Aiello delineates the definition into several levels. This includes a base level of “quantum-ness,” which reflects that all matter is made of atoms, and when these particles are isolated they behave based on quantum mechanical principles. A second level is related to quantum coherence, where a single quantum object might be found in a coherent superposition state. A final level, which she described as the quantum-entangled level, involves multiple quantum systems which are entangled among themselves. Overall, the workshop touched on concepts such as superposition, entanglement, and squeezing and their potential implications for communication, computing, and simulation, in addition to the workshop’s main focal area, biological sensing and imaging. At the opening of the workshop, Thorsten Ritz of the University of California, Irvine, identified two questions at the heart of quantum biology: Is the machinery of life quantum mechanical, and can quantum mechanics be used to study the machinery of life in new ways? Participants highlighted systems in which researchers have explored these questions, from the vast array of molecular interactions involved in biological processes such as photosynthesis, to the mechanics involved in cellular functions such as differentiation and aggregation, to the role of oscillating magnetic fields in flight orientation among birds. Sensing and imaging technologies are crucial to biological research; these technologies could both enhance the study of quantum effects and be enhanced by quantum concepts. A critical challenge in biological research is to develop imaging and sensing tools that do not damage or interfere with the often fragile and fleeting systems being studied. Attendees discussed a variety of established and emerging technologies that could enhance noninvasive biological imaging, including single- and two-photon spectroscopy, single-molecule spectroscopy, quantum illumination, ghost imaging, and cryo-electron microscopy. One example came from Marlan Scully who gave a keynote address on the first day of the workshop. Scully emphasized the use of different laser technologies, which exhibit coherence and other quantum properties, in moving toward real-world biological applications, such as the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Both tools and theory will play an important role in advancing quantum biology research and applications. Several participants suggested theorists and experimentalists should work in tandem to understand and model biological processes. While physics often reduces systems to their simplest forms for fundamental insights, participants also noted the value of observing and understanding biological systems in all their “messiness,” capturing both the inner workings of biological systems and the complex interactions that occur within and between organisms. In discussions among participants, several attendees stressed the need to match emerging tools with the right scientific questions. Rather than developing quantum technologies as “a hammer looking for a nail,” participants emphasized a focus on exploring the problems these technologies are best suited to address. For example, it is important to consider the size of the phenomenon being studied, the timescales that are important in answering the scientific question, and other relevant considerations. Every tool along the spectrum from classical to quantum involves its own set of trade-offs. For example, Ted Laurence of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said that quantum measurements, such as single photon counting, fluorescence transitions, and lasers, can take longer to produce the same results as classical measurements. These quantum measurements, however, do not require calibration and can enable new research questions to be answered. Prem Kumar, Northwestern University, noted that, despite their promise, quantum approaches should not be used simply for the sake of using quantum, especially in situations where classical approaches better meet the needs of the researcher. Understanding and applying quantum concepts could enable advances in a wide range of application areas including energy, synthetic biology, medicine, and sustainability. For example, Michelle O’Malley, University of California, Santa Barbara, described how improved noninvasive imaging approaches could help capture the complex interactions and functions involved in the breakdown of organic matter by microbial communities and lead to new technologies for capturing valuable products from plant waste. Several other participants discussed needs in tracking the movement of metabolites and molecules in microbial communities for insights into nutrient cycling in environments such as soil. Margaret Ahmad, Sorbonne University, discussed potential opportunities to leverage the magnetic properties of cryptochromes to advance new treatment approaches for diseases such as COVID-19 and cancer. Looking toward the future development of the field, participants discussed challenges to advancing quantum biology that arise from disciplinary disconnects between physicists and biologists. The siloing of academic research disciplines represents a significant barrier to progress. Disconnects in terminology, motivations and priorities, and structural barriers to collaborative work underscore the need for concerted efforts to bridge these divides. Attendees and speakers offered suggestions for resolving these divergences, establishing a shared language, moving the field forward, and fostering meaningful feedback between disciplines. Overall, participants stressed a need for balance, open communication, collaboration, unity, and clear dialogue on trade-offs between quantum and classical approaches. Keiko Torii, The University of Texas at Austin, said that the best collaborations happen when the project provides mutual advantages that can show off everyone’s talents, each team finds the work interesting, and partners develop a camaraderie to pursue new knowledge. To enable near- and long-term opportunities in this space, participants suggested that exploratory, high-risk funding could improve existing instrumentation to explore quantum enhancement collaboratively. They also emphasized the need for collaboration between quantum physicists and sensing/imaging scientists, which could be advanced through a dedicated quantum biology investigator program. People, even more than technology, will be crucial to the future of quantum biology. Participants explored training, education, and workforce needs to further develop this burgeoning field and cultivate the next generation of scientists. While many programs are still in their nascent stages, participants highlighted examples of approaches and programs being developed at various types of institutions to engage students and professional scientists in quantum biology research. Several participants stressed the need for an inclusive approach, spanning disciplines as well as communities to foster a diverse field fueled by the intellectual contributions of a wide range of people, including historically under-resourced schools and students. To increase awareness and excitement about quantum physics and related areas of biology, attendees suggested capitalizing on the “buzz” around quantum. Several participants emphasized the need to start early, introducing students to quantum concepts and their appealing “weirdness” in K–12 education. Engaging students early—before they become entrenched in traditional disciplinary siloes as typically happens in graduate school—could help to galvanize interest in the area and foster a generation of scientists with the interdisciplinary mindset and skills needed to advance this interdisciplinary field. While these efforts could be advanced at many levels and across multiple sectors, several participants suggested a national quantum biology center could be a valuable hub to coordinate and support quantum biology education and workforce development across academia, industry, and government.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The United States Department of Energy and National Institutes of Health Collaboration: Medical Care Advances by Discovery in Radiation Detection

A National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science virtual workshop on shared general topics was held in July of 2021 and reported on in this publication in January of 2023. Following the inaugural 2021 joint meeting representatives from the DOE Office of Science and NIH met to discuss organizing a second joint workshop that would concentrate on radiation detection to bring together teams from both agencies and their grantee populations to stimulate collaboration and efficiency. To meet this scientific mission within the NIH and DOE radiation detection space, the organizers assembled workshop sessions covering the state–of–the–art in cameras, detectors, and sensors for radiation external and internal (diagnostic and therapeutic) to human, data acquisition and electronics, image reconstruction and processing, and the application of artificial intelligence. NIH and DOE are committed to continuing the process of convening a joint workshop every 12–24 months. This Special Report recaps the findings of this second workshop. Beyond showing only the innovations and areas of success, important gaps in our knowledge were defined and presented. Finally, we summarize by defining four areas of greatest opportunity and need that emerged from the unique, dynamic dialogue the in–person workshop provided the attendees.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of All Solid Cancer Mortality and Incidence Dose-Response in the Life Span Study of Atomic Bomb Survivors, 1958–2009

Recent analysis of all solid cancer incidence (1958–2009) in the Life Span Study (LSS) revealed evidence of upward curvature in the radiation dose response among males but not females. Upward curvature in sex-averaged excess relative risk (ERR) for all solid cancer mortality (1950–2003) was also observed in the 0–2 Gy dose range. As reasons for non-linearity in the LSS are not completely understood, we conducted dose response analyses for all solid cancer mortality and incidence applying similar methods (1958–2009 follow-up, DS02R1 doses, including subjects notin-city (NIC) at the time of the bombing) and statistical models. Incident cancers were ascertained from Hiroshima and Nagasaki cancer registries, while cause of death was ascertained from death certificates over entire Japan. The study included 105,444 LSS subjects who were alive and not known to have cancer before Jan 1, 1958 (80,205 with dose estimates and 25,239 NIC subjects). Between 1958 and 2009, there were 3.1 million person-years (PY) and 22,538 solid cancers for incidence analysis and 3.8 million PY and 15,419 solid cancer deaths for mortality analysis. We fitted sex-specific ERR models adjusted for smoking to both types of data. Over the entire range of doses, solid cancer mortality dose response exhibited a borderline significant upward curvature among males (P=0.062) and significant upward curvature among females (P=0.010); for solid cancer incidence, as before, we found a significant upward curvature among males (P=0.001) but not among females (P=0.624). The sex difference in magnitude of dose response curvature was statistically significant for cancer incidence (P=0.017) but not for cancer mortality (P=0.781). The results of analyses in the 0–2 Gy range and restricted lower dose ranges generally supported inferences made about the sex-specific dose response shape over the entire range of doses for each outcome. Patterns of sex-specific curvature by calendar period (1958–1987 vs 1988–2009) and age at exposure (0–19 vs 20–83) varied between mortality and incidence data, particularly among females, although for each outcome there was an indication of curvature among 0–19 year old male survivors in both calendar periods and among 0–19 year old female survivors in the recent period. Collectively, our findings indicate that the upward curvature in all solid cancer dose response in the LSS is neither specific to males nor to incidence data; it appears to depend on composition of case series and age at exposure or time. Further follow-up and site-specific analyses of cancer mortality and incidence will be important to confirm the emerging trend in dose response curvature among young survivors and unveil the contributing factors and sites.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
NASA NTRS1988

Earth benefits from space life sciences

The applications to medicine of various results from space exploration are examined. Improvements have been made in the management of cardiovascular disease, in particular the use of the ultrasonic scanner to image arteries in three dimensions, the use of excimer lasers to disrupt arterial plaques in coronary blood vessels, and the use of advanced electrodes for cardiac monitoring. A bone stiffness analyzer has helped to diagnose osteoporosis and aid in its treatment. An automated light microscope system is used for chromosome analysis, and an X-ray image intensifier called Lixiscope is used in emergency medical care. An advanced portable defibrillator has been developed for the heart, and an insulin delivery system has been derived from space microminiaturization techniques.

Garshnek, V.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Introduction and Mission Response Team (MRT)

On February 1, 2003 the Space Shuttle Columbia, returning to Earth with a crew of seven astronauts, disintegrated along a track extending from California to Louisiana. Observers on the ground filmed breakup of the spacecraft. Debris fell along a 567 statute mile track from Littlefield, Texas to Fort Polk, Louisiana; the largest ever recorded debris field. At the time of the accident the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flight surgeon on-duty at the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston, Texas initiated the medical contingency response. The DOD surgeon at Patrick Air Force Base was notified, NASA medical personnel were recalled and the services of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) were requested. Subsequent to the accident the NASA flight surgeons that had supported the crew on orbit now provided medical support to the crewmember s families. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and numerous other federal, state and local agencies along with the citizens of Texas and Louisiana responded to the disaster. Search and recovery was managed from a Disaster Field Office (DFO) established in Lufkin, Texas. Mishap Investigation Team (MIT) medical operations were managed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Accident investigation teams (Columbia Accident Investigation Task Force (CAITF) and Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB)) appointed immediately after the disaster included current and former authorities in space medicine. In August 2003, the CAIB concluded its investigation and released its findings in a report published in February 2004.

Pool, Sam↗
DOE OSTI2021

Salvage Mastectomy Versus Second Conservative Treatment for Second Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Event: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Analysis of the GEC-ESTRO Breast Cancer Working Group Database

Second conservative treatment has emerged as an option for patients with a second ipsilateral breast tumor event after conserving surgery and breast irradiation. We aimed to address the lack of evidence regarding second breast event treatment by comparing oncologic outcomes after conservative treatment or mastectomy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Current and future directions in network biology

Network biology is an interdisciplinary field bridging computational and biological sciences that has proved pivotal in advancing the understanding of cellular functions and diseases across biological systems and scales. Although the field has been around for two decades, it remains nascent. It has witnessed rapid evolution, accompanied by emerging challenges. These stem from various factors, notably the growing complexity and volume of data together with the increased diversity of data types describing different tiers of biological organization. We discuss prevailing research directions in network biology, focusing on molecular/cellular networks but also on other biological network types such as biomedical knowledge graphs, patient similarity networks, brain networks, and social/contact networks relevant to disease spread. In more detail, we highlight areas of inference and comparison of biological networks, multimodal data integration and heterogeneous networks, higher-order network analysis, machine learning on networks, and network-based personalized medicine. Following the overview of recent breakthroughs across these five areas, we offer a perspective on future directions of network biology. Additionally, we discuss scientific communities, educational initiatives, and the importance of fostering diversity within the field. This article establishes a roadmap for an immediate and long-term vision for network biology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

The use of teledentistry in facilitating oral health for older adults: A scoping review

Teledentistry is used in many countries to provide oral health care services. However, using teledentistry to provide oral health care services for older adults is not well documented. This knowledge gap needs to be addressed, especially when accessing a dental clinic is not possible and teledentistry might be the only way for many older adults to receive oral health care services. Nine databases were searched and 3,396 studies were screened using established eligibility criteria. Included studies were original research or review articles in which the intervention of interest was delivered to an older adult population (≥ 60 years) via teledentistry. The authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review criteria. Nineteen studies were identified that met the criteria for inclusion. Only 1 study was from the United States. Seven studies had results focusing on older adult participants only, with most of those conducted in elder care facilities. The remainder consisted of studies with mixed-age populations reporting distinct results or information for older adults. The included studies used teledentistry, in both synchronous and asynchronous modes, to provide services such as diagnosis, oral hygiene promotion, assessment and referral of oral emergencies, and postintervention follow-up. Teledentistry comprises a variety of promising apps. Lastly, the authors identified and described uses, promising possibilities, and limitations of teledentistry to improve the oral health of older adults.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Overview and Lessons From the Preclinical Chemoradiotherapy Testing Consortium

In the current molecular-targeted cancer treatment era, many new agents are being developed so that optimizing therapy with a combination of radiation and drugs is complex. The use of emerging laboratory technologies to further biological understanding of drug-radiation mechanisms of action will enhance the efficiency of the progression from preclinical studies to clinical trials. In 2017, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicited proposals through PAR 16-111 to conduct preclinical research combining targeted anticancer agents in the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program's portfolio with chemoradiation.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗