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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 1,423 records · Page 79

Human V H 1-69 Gene-Encoded Human Monoclonal Antibodies against Staphylococcus aureus IsdB Use at Least Three Distinct Modes of Binding To Inhibit Bacterial Growth and Pathogenesis

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that infects nearly every human tissue. Like most organisms, the acquisition of nutrient iron is necessary for its survival. One route by which it obtains this metal is through the iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) system that scavenges iron from the hemoglobin of the host. We show that the heavy chain variable region IGHV1-69 gene commonly encodes human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting IsdB-NEAT2. Remarkably, these antibodies bind to multiple antigenic sites. One class of IGHV1-69-encoded mAbs blocks S. aureus heme acquisition by binding to the heme-binding site of NEAT2, while two additional classes reduce the bacterial burden in vivo by an alternative Fc receptor-mediated mechanism. We further identified clonal lineages of IGHV1-69-encoded mAbs using donor samples, showing that each lineage diversifies during infection by somatic hypermutation. These studies reveal that IGHV1-69-encoded antibodies contribute to a protective immune response, furthering our understanding of the correlates of protection against S. aureus infection.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Meanders as a scaling motif for understanding of floodplain soil microbiome and biogeochemical potential at the watershed scale

Abstract Background Biogeochemical exports from watersheds are modulated by the activity of microorganisms that function over micron scales. Here, we tested the hypothesis that meander-bound regions share a core microbiome and exhibit patterns of metabolic potential that broadly predict biogeochemical processes in floodplain soils along a river corridor. Results We intensively sampled the microbiomes of floodplain soils located in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the East River, Colorado. Despite the very high microbial diversity and complexity of the soils, we reconstructed 248 quality draft genomes representative of subspecies. Approximately one third of these bacterial subspecies was detected across all three locations at similar abundance levels, and ~ 15% of species were detected in two consecutive years. Within the meander-bound floodplains, we did not detect systematic patterns of gene abundance based on sampling position relative to the river. However, across meanders, we identified a core floodplain microbiome that is enriched in capacities for aerobic respiration, aerobic CO oxidation, and thiosulfate oxidation with the formation of elemental sulfur. Given this, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of the middle floodplain. In contrast to predictions made based on the prominence of gene inventories, the most highly transcribed genes were relatively rare amoCAB and nxrAB (for nitrification) genes, followed by genes involved in methanol and formate oxidation, and nitrogen and CO 2 fixation. Within all three meanders, low soil organic carbon correlated with high activity of genes involved in methanol, formate, sulfide, hydrogen, and ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidoreduction, and nitrate and nitrite reduction. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of sulfur, one-carbon and nitrogen compound metabolism in soils of the riparian corridor. Conclusions The disparity between the scale of a microbial cell and the scale of a watershed currently limits the development of genomically informed predictive models describing watershed biogeochemical function. Meander-bound floodplains appear to serve as scaling motifs that predict aggregate capacities for biogeochemical transformations, providing a foundation for incorporating riparian soil microbiomes in watershed models. Widely represented genetic capacities did not predict in situ activity at one time point, but rather they define a reservoir of biogeochemical potential available as conditions change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Genomic Analysis of Metastatic Solid Tumors in Veterans: Findings From the VHA National Precision Oncology Program

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest cancer care provider in the United States, with the added challenge of serving more than twice the percentage of patients with cancer in rural areas than the national average. The VHA established the National Precision Oncology Program in 2016 to implement and standardize the practice of precision oncology across the diverse VHA system. Tumor or peripheral blood specimens from veterans with advanced solid tumors who were eligible for treatment were submitted for next-generation sequencing (NGS) at two commercial laboratories. Annotated results were generated by the laboratories and independently using IBM Watson for Genomics. Levels-of-evidence treatment recommendations were based on OncoKB criteria. From July 2016 to June 2018, 3,698 samples from 72 VHA facilities were submitted for NGS testing, of which 3,182 samples (86%) were successfully sequenced. Most samples came from men with lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Thirty-four percent of samples were from patients who lived in a rural area. TP53, ATM, and KRAS were among the most commonly mutated genes. Approximately 70% of samples had at least one actionable mutation, with clinical trials identified as the recommended option in more than 50%. Mutations in genes associated with a neuroendocrine prostate cancer phenotype were expressed at increased frequency among veterans than in the general population. The most frequent therapies prescribed in response to NGS testing were immune checkpoint inhibitors, EGFR kinase inhibitors, and PARP inhibitors. Clinical implementation of precision oncology is feasible across the VHA health care system, including rural sites. As a result, veterans have unique occupational exposures that might inform the nature of the mutational signatures identified here. Importantly, these results underscore the importance of increasing clinical trial availability to veterans.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Search for new phenomena in events with same-charge leptons and b -jets in p p collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

CERN-LHC, ATLAS. This result is a search for new phenomena in events with two same-charge leptons or three leptons and jets identified as originating from b-quarks in a data sample of 36.1 fb−1 of pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess is found and limits are set on vector-like quark, four-top-quark, and same-sign top-quark pair production.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Report on the effect of dopants on FLASH sintering of enhanced UO 2

Large grained UO 2 can be achieved through the addition of dopants such as, Cr, Al, Nb and Mg. The enhanced microstructure can enable slower fission gas release that reduces pressure build up in the fuel rods and better mechanical properties that can alter the pellet cracking behavior and, therefore, limit accident prone pellet cladding loading. UO 2 fuel is sintered through conventional sintering methods that require high temperatures and long sintering times. Field assisted sintering techniques like flash sintering use current and voltage to enable sintering of ceramics at low temperatures and short times. Flash sintering has been demonstrated for sintering UO 2 to high densities. In this work, this technique has been applied to Cr-doped UO 2 to assess the feasibility of the technique for grain enhancement. Doped UO 2 samples below and above the solubility limit of Cr into UO 2 have been assessed. The results show that grain enhancement was not possible in either case and this was attributed to the low temperatures and sintering times that make flash sintering attractive. For the Cr-doped sample below or near the solubility of Cr, it is postulated that the temperatures were not high enough to actually dissolve it into solution in the UO 2 lattice. For the Cr-doped sample above the solubility limit of Cr, secondary phases were identified via SEM and EDS, as expected. Follow up work should be carried out to assess if flash sintering can produce grain enlargement for UO 2 feedstocks with dopants already in solid solution such as UO 2 produced via sol-gel or modified direct denitration method.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

ORNL Second Target Station Project: Biological & Environmental Science Workshop

Recent advances in neutron sources and instrumentation have opened up many new opportunities for the application of neutron scattering techniques in the biological and environmental sciences. Neutrons enable studies of the structure and dynamics of biological and environmental samples with a particular sensitivity to light elements, such as hydrogen, which is a key component of biological and environmental samples. Studies using neutrons are complementary to X-rays and have the unique advantage of being non-destructive and highly-penetrating. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s upcoming Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Second Target Station (STS) will provide high brightness cold neutron sources that significantly advance the scientific capabilities of neutron scattering instruments. The STS will advance our understanding of biological and environmental processes across spatial and temporal scales. The capabilities will enhance our ability to discover, design, and develop new materials essential for advanced sustainable technologies to address society’s most pressing needs. This report summarizes the discussions and recommendations from a joint workshop held by the STS Project and the Biological and Environmental Systems Science Directorate (BESSD) in June 2022. The purpose of the workshop was to explore science opportunities and capabilities related to biological and environmental systems that could be incorporated into both current and future STS instrument designs, as well as additional instruments at the SNS First Target Station (FTS) and High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). With six breakout sessions, each with two invited plenary speakers from other institutions, the participants discussed a wide range of topics relevant to biological and environmental research. Based on the input from participants, a number of recommendations on instrumentation, sample environments, complementary multi-modal methods, data processing and analysis and sample deuteration are provided in the report. The participants also identified science opportunities that are emerging from the planned instrument capabilities at STS. Selected recommendations and science opportunities are listed in the Executive Summary.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Fracture problems in composite materials

A series of fracture problems in composite materials are identified, their methods of solution are briefly discussed, and some sample results are presented. The main problem of interest is the determination of the stress state in the neighborhood of localized imperfections such as cracks and inclusions which may exist in the composite. Particular emphasis is placed on the evaluation of quantities such as the stress intensity factors, the power of the stress singularity, and the strain energy release rate, which may be used directly or indirectly in connection with an appropriate fracture criterion for the prediction of fracture initiation and propagation load levels. The topics discussed include a crack in layered composites, a crack terminating at and going through a bi-material interface, a penny-shaped crack in a filament-reinforced elastic matrix, and inclusion problems in bonded materials.

Erdogan, F.↗

Ar-40/Ar-39 ages and cosmic ray exposure ages of Apollo 14 samples.

We have used the Ar-40/Ar-39 dating technique on eight samples of Apollo 14 rocks (14053, 14310), breccia fragments (14321), and soil fragments (14001, 14167). The large basalt fragments give reasonable Ar-40/Ar-39 release patterns and yield well defined crystallization ages of 3.89-3.95 aeons. Correlation of the Ar-40/Ar-39 release patterns with Ar-39/Ar-37 patterns showed that the low temperature fractions with high radiogenic argon loss came from K-rich phases. A highly shocked sample and fragments included in the breccia yield complex release patterns with a low temperature peak. The total argon age of these fragments is 3.95 aeons. Cosmic ray exposure ages on these samples are obtained from the ratio of spallogenic Ar-38 to reactor induced Ar-37 and show a distinct grouping of low exposure ages of 26 m.y. correlated with Cone crater. Other samples have exposure ages of more than 260 m.y. and identify material with a more complex integrated cosmic age exposure history.

Turner, G.↗

Fracture problems in composite materials.

In this paper a series of fracture problems in composite materials are identified, their methods of solution are briefly discussed, and some sample results are presented. The main problem of interest is the determination of the stress state in the neighborhood of localized imperfections such as cracks and inclusions which may exist in the composite. Particular emphasis is placed on the evaluation of quantities such as the stress intensity factors, the power of the stress singularity, and the strain energy release rate, which may be used directly or indirectly in connection with an appropriate fracture criterion for the prediction of fracture initiation and propagation load levels.

Erdogan, F.↗

Application of LANDSAT to the surveillance and control of lake eutrophication in the Great Lakes basin

The author has identified the following significant results. By use of distilled water samples in the laboratory, and very clear lakes in the field, a technique was developed where the atmosphere and surface noise effects on LANDSAT signals from water bodies can be removed. The residual signal dependent only on the material in water was used as a basis for computer categorization of lakes by type and concentration of suspended material. Several hundred lakes in the Madison and Spooner, Wisconsin area were categorized by computer techniques for tannin or nontannin waters and for the degree of algae, silt, weeds, and bottom effects present. When the lakes are categorized as having living algae or weeds, their concentration is related to the enrichment or eutrophication of the lake.

Rogers, R. H.↗

Inferring nutrient loading of estuarine systems by remote sensing of aquatic vegetation

THe use of remote sensing to record algal and vascular aquatic plant growths in estuarine waters is discussed. A technique is proposed that uses a combination of data to hierarchically classify watersheds with regard to severity of potential pollution. Specific nonpoint sources of nutrients in tributaries of the watershed are identified with lower altitude photography of vegetation and selected ground sampling. It is concluded that excessive growths of some aquatic plants may be related to nutrient pollution.

Anderson, R. R.↗

Characterization of lunar mare basalt types. II - Spectral classification of fresh mare craters

Telescopic reflectance spectra (0.3-1.1 microns) of fresh craters are presented and classified according to the spectral features observed. These spectra are the closest lunar surface analog to laboratory spectra obtained for lunar rock powders. Mineral absorption features can be identified in these crater spectra and interpreted using returned lunar samples. Spectra of craters to 2.5 microns are required for specific mineralogical determinations from remote observation. If the currently available telescopic spectra are representative, classification of lunar telescopic spectra indicates that most (more than 80%) of the lunar surface is composed of a finite number of discrete and describable geochemical units.

Pieters, C.↗

The violet interstellar medium associated with the Carina Nebula

The interstellar spectrum of HD 93205, an 03V star in the cluster Tr16, located inside the most active part of the Great Carina Nebula was analyzed using data extracted directly from raw IUE images. From the analysis of 67 lines of 25 atoms, ions and molecules, up to six discrete absorption components spanning a maximum velocity range of approximately 375 km 5/1 were identified. The component structure for different species is tabulated and sample absorption lines, indicating at the top the positions of the six components, labelled A to F are shown. Ion column densities appropriate to each component which can be resolved in at least one line were derived by constructing empirical curves of growth and by fitting the observations with corresponding theoretical absorption line profiles. The most important results concerning each component are discussed.

Pettini, M.↗

High-speed machining of space shuttle External Tank (ET) panels

The applicability to and advantages of the high-speed machining process for the production of Space Shuttle external tank panels by physically machining selected sample portions of an external tank panel were investigated. The panel sample configuration was selected, and potential high speed milling procedures identified. An 8 foot long panel was machined and the milling demonstration is described in detail.

Miller, J. A.↗

Evaluation of solar angle variation over digital processing of LANDSAT imagery

The effects of the seasonal variation of illumination over digital processing of LANDSAT images are evaluated. Original images are transformed by means of digital filtering to enhance their spatial features. The resulting images are used to obtain an unsupervised classification of relief units. After defining relief classes, which are supposed to be spectrally different, topographic variables (declivity, altitude, relief range and slope length) are used to identify the true relief units existing on the ground. The samples are also clustered by means of an unsupervised classification option. The results obtained for each LANDSAT overpass are compared. Digital processing is highly affected by illumination geometry. There is no correspondence between relief units as defined by spectral features and those resulting from topographic features.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Reflectance spectroscopy of diogenite meteorite types from Antarctica and their relationship to asteroids

Measurements of the spectral reflectance (0.4-2.5 microns) of three diogenite meteorites found in Antarctica are examined. Comparisons are made with previous measurements of diogenites in order to correlate the mineralogy and petrography with the spectral characteristics that can also be measured on solar system objects of unknown composition. Even though the Antarctic diogenites have the same spectral characteristics as other diogenites, there are measurable differences between all diogenite spectra. Bands caused by spin-forbidden transitions of Fe(2+) ions in pyroxene, which are identified for the first time in reflectance spectra of powdered samples, are revealed in an analysis of the spectra into sums of Gaussian components. It is shown from these laboratory measurements that spectral reflectance measurements of asteroids and other solar system objects made with the visible CVF (circular variable filter) spectrometer used for laboratory measurements can provide useful information on their surface composition.

Mcfadden, L. A.↗

Advanced Containerless Processing Technology

Breadboards for high temperature containerless processing systems are to be developed, the principles of operation are to be studied, the performance is to be characterized, the limitations identified, and the influence of the acoustic field on the samples established. The subjects to be addressed are experimental and theoretical studies of: (1) acoustic positioning and manipulation capabilities in a high temperature gradient environment (from 26 C to 990 C); (2) acoustic waveforms, harmonic contents, power transfer, sample transport and stability associated with high temperature gradient system; (3) high temperature ground based levitation systems which will allow melting, processing, and solidifying samples without crucibles in the laboratory, (4) KC-135 and laboratory tests of various acoustic geometries which may have spherical applications in the Materials Processing in Space Program; and (5) provide technical information to Acoustics Containerless Experimental System (ACES) engineering team and establish the operation conditions for ACES.

Wang, T. G.↗

Dome craters on Ganymede

Voyager observations reveal impact craters on Ganymede that are characterized by the presence of broad, high albedo, topographic domes situated within a central pit. Fifty-seven craters with central domes were identified in images covering approx. 50% of the surface. Owing to limitations in resolution, and viewing and illumination angles, the features identified are most likely a subset of dome craters. The sample appears to be sufficiently large to infer statistically meaningful trends. Dome craters appear to fall into two distinct populations on plots of the ratio of dome diameter to crater rim diameter, large-dome craters and small-dome craters. The two classes are morphologically distinct from one another. In general, large dome craters show little relief and their constituent landforms appear subdued with respect to fresh craters. The physical attributes of small-dome craters are more sharply defined, a characteristic they share with young impact craters of comparable size observed elsewhere in the solar system. Both types of dome craters exhibit central pits in which the dome is located. As it is difficult to produce domes by impact and/or erosional processes, an endogenic origin for the domes is reasonably inferred. Several hypotheses for their origin are proposed. These hypotheses are briefly reviewed.

Moore, J. M.↗