Results for “ANXIETY” — Page 8

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Neurobehavioral Effects Of Five-Ion GCRSim Exposure In Male And Female Mice

Exposure to space galactic cosmic radiation is a principal consideration of spaceflight missions, and with upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars, it is increasingly imperative to elucidate the detrimental effects of space travel beyond the lower Earth orbit. Additionally, with the first female astronaut to soon travel to the Moon and beyond lower Earth orbit, there is a strong need to understand the biological sex differences to adaptation to the deep space environment. While the effects of spaceflight on the nervous system are not fully known, studies in animal models have shown that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause neuronal damage and lead to downstream cognitive and behavioral deficits. Therefore, we investigated the neurobehavioral responses to space environment-like radiation exposure. Male and female 23–24-week-old mice (age-matched to average astronaut age) were exposed to 5, 15 and 50 cGy via Five-Ion Galactic Cosmic Ray Simulation at the NASA National Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Both early (72hrs post exposure) and late (1-4 months post exposure) cognitive and behavioral deficits were investigated. In-cage behavior was analyzed as frequency/duration of digging, rearing, and grooming and nestlet building using a 5-stage Deacon score. Additionally, at NASA Ames, behavior tests included Catwalk (gait), Zero Maze (anxiety), Adhesive Removal (sensory motor), Novel Object Recognition and Barnes Maze (working memory). There were pronounced sex differences in both early and late time points. Females typically performed the tests better than males, specifically in nestlet building, gait and working memory, though males performed better at the sensory motor (adhesive removal) test. Dose effects were primarily observed at 50 cGy for both sexes, particularly with the Barnes Maze (working memory), where both males and females exposed to 50 cGy showed little to no improvement in test performance, though females again performed better than males. Currently, we are investigating the correlations between the observed behavior and cytokine levels in the plasma and brain. Future studies will continue to investigate cognitive consequences of galactic cosmic radiation in combination with other space-like environment stressors, including antigravity and social versus single housing.

Stephanie Puukila↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Early And Late Neurobehavioral Effects Of Male And Female Mice Exposed To Five-Ion GCRSim

With upcoming missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars, it is increasingly imperative to elucidate the detrimental effects of space travel beyond the lower Earth orbit, particularly to galactic cosmic radiation. Additionally, with the first female astronaut to soon travel to the Moon there is a strong need to understand the biological sex differences to adaptation to the deep space environment. While the effects of spaceflight on the nervous system are not fully known, studies in animal models have shown that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause neuronal damage and lead to downstream cognitive and behavioral deficits. Here, we investigated the neurobehavioral responses to space environment-like radiation exposure. Male and female 23–24-week-old mice (age-matched to average astronaut age) were exposed to 5, 15 and 50 cGy via Five-Ion Galactic Cosmic Ray Simulation at the NASA National Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Both early (72hrs post exposure) and late (1-4 months post exposure) cognitive and behavioral deficits were investigated. Early analysis was performed by observing in-cage behavior including frequency/duration of digging, rearing, and grooming and nestlet building. Additionally, late effects were analyzed at NASA Ames via in-cage behavior as well as Catwalk (gait), Zero Maze (anxiety), Adhesive Removal (sensory motor), Novel Object Recognition and Barnes Maze (working memory). There were pronounced sex differences in both early and late time points. Females scored better than males in nestlet building, gait and working memory while males scored better at the sensory motor (adhesive removal) test. Dose effects were primarily observed at 50 cGy for both sexes, particularly with the Barnes Maze (working memory), where both males and females exposed to 50 cGy showed little to no improvement in test performance, though females again performed better than males. Currently, we are investigating the correlations between the observed behavior and cytokine levels in the plasma and brain. Future studies will continue to investigate cognitive consequences of galactic cosmic radiation in combination with other space-like environment stressors, including antigravity and social versus single housing.

S Puukila↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Neurobehavioral Effects Of Five-Ion GCRSim Exposure In Male And Female Mice

Exposure to space galactic cosmic radiation is a principal consideration of spaceflight missions, and with upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars, it is increasingly imperative to elucidate the detrimental effects of space travel beyond the lower Earth orbit. Additionally, with the first female astronaut to soon travel to the Moon and beyond lower Earth orbit, there is a strong need to understand the biological sex differences to adaptation to the deep space environment. While the effects of spaceflight on the nervous system are not fully known, studies in animal models have shown that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause neuronal damage and lead to downstream cognitive and behavioral deficits. Therefore, we investigated the neurobehavioral responses to space environment-like radiation exposure. Male and female 23–24-week-old mice (age-matched to average astronaut age) were exposed to 5, 15 and 50 cGy via Five-Ion Galactic Cosmic Ray Simulation at the NASA National Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Both early (72hrs post exposure) and late (1-4 months post exposure) cognitive and behavioral deficits were investigated. In-cage behavior was analyzed as frequency/duration of digging, rearing, and grooming and nestlet building using a 5-stage Deacon score. Additionally, at NASA Ames, behavior tests included Catwalk (gait), Zero Maze (anxiety), Adhesive Removal (sensory motor), Novel Object Recognition and Barnes Maze (working memory). There were pronounced sex differences in both early and late time points. Females typically performed the tests better than males, specifically in nestlet building, gait and working memory, though males performed better at the sensory motor (adhesive removal) test. Dose effects were primarily observed at 50 cGy for both sexes, particularly with the Barnes Maze (working memory), where both males and females exposed to 50 cGy showed little to no improvement in test performance, though females again performed better than males. Currently, we are investigating the correlations between the observed behavior and cytokine levels in the plasma and brain. Future studies will continue to investigate cognitive consequences of galactic cosmic radiation in combination with other space-like environment stressors, including antigravity and social versus single housing.

S. Puukila↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overlapping Conditions in IMPACT

Introduction The IMPACT 1.0 model assumes independence of 119 different medical conditions. That is, it is assumed that one medical event maps to a single medical condition. However, it is often the case that a single medical event may lead to several different concurrent conditions (e.g., a single accident resulting in multiple fractures, chest/abdominal trauma, and sepsis). There is a significant overlap between many of the conditions in ICL 1.0. For example, depression and anxiety are two separate conditions but often co-exist. This overlap may lead to an overestimation in the incidence calculation. In future iterations of the model, we plan to address progression of medical conditions. Methods There are two possible methods to approach progression of a medical condition. The first is to take any medical condition in ICL, calculate its incidence and determine its outcomes no matter what sequelae occur. For example, calculate the incidence of prostatitis and determine its metrics (e.g., loss of crew life, risk of medical evacuation or task time affected) no matter what the sequelae might be (sepsis, hydronephrosis, renal failure, etc.). The second approach is to take any medical condition in the ICL and calculate the outcomes based on transitions to any other condition. For example, calculate the incidence of nephrolithiasis and determine the incidence of each possible transition (e.g., hydronephrosis, renal failure, UTI, pyelonephritis, sepsis) and then determine its metrics. With perfectly informative evidence, the answers should be the same using either method. The question is which approach best reduces the opportunity for overlapping. Results The team identified 31 conditions that were the most likely to transition to a secondary condition such as sepsis and respiratory failure. It was felt that the first approach, as described above, would be the easiest to implement and would have the greatest reduction in overlapping conditions. The identified conditions were primarily infectious conditions, like UTI and pneumonia (which could lead to both respiratory failure and sepsis), toxic inhalations, cardiac arrest, seizures, and trauma. Once these conditions were identified, the conditions were divided between the four clinicians on the team to identify those that were not consistent with the others in way they were approached. There were 13 conditions that were found to be problematic. Some condition definitions needed to be changed to eliminate references to transitions or to update them in cases where the definitions were out of date. Some conditions required new evidence to correct the loss of crew life, and one condition was felt to have so much overlap that it was recommended for elimination. A second effort required modification of the sepsis incidence calculation to prevent double counting of the conditions, such as prostatitis, that could progress to sepsis. Conclusion The team made significant progress in clarifying the method for dealing with transitions from one medical condition to another. In addition, errors were found and corrected in definitions, incidence, and loss of crew life as well as a condition in which reference was made to a CLiFF that was no longer included. These modifications will provide greater fidelity in the IMPACT model and reduce overlap.

Arian Anderson↗

DOE OSTI2020

A Facilitator's Perspective on Government Public Meetings on the Environmental and Energy Issues: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Example - 20428

Many Federal, and State agencies, are required by policy or regulation, to hold a public meeting on a proposed regulatory action. These may be on a specific licensing issue or they may be to obtain public advice on generic issues, such as a proposed rulemaking or policy issue. Environmental or energy issues may often involve emotional behavior on the part of the public, and sometimes anger or protests. Consequently, trained facilitators are often used to 'facilitate' the meeting to reduce the tension and to help the meeting run smoothly. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission ('NRC') has had considerable experience with public meetings, emotional behavior by the public, and the use of facilitators. This paper will describe the history of the NRC with public meetings and public engagement, the issues that raise concerns by certain segments of the public, and how a facilitator will attempt to reduce the concern and anxiety at the meeting and to run a fair and constructive meeting. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Control, Fault Management, and Grid Support Functionality of an MV AC-DC Solid State Transformer based EV Extreme Fast Charging Station

Electric vehicles (EVs) have become increasingly popular in recent times while revolutionizing the consumer and commercial transportation market. The development of charging infrastructure has become one of the priorities for increasing the adoption of EVs. Extreme fast charging (XFC) technology can reduce the so-called ’range anxiety’ of consumers as they significantly reduce the charging time. With the advent of wide band-gap (WBG) power devices and improvement in power electronic converters, medium voltage (MV) solid state transformer (SST) based XFC system has the potential to replace the traditional XFC stations because of the lower footprint, ease of installation, enhanced control feature, and better system efficiency. The control system design is one of the critical aspects of the SST development process. Careful consideration and detailed analysis are required to find out suitable control method for the SST based on its topology among different centralized and decentralized control architectures. Also, the control parameters selection and potential improvement to the transient response of the controller ought to be investigated. Another major concern of the SST is different types of internal fault which reduces the overall reliability of the XFC system. As a result, designing a robust protection system is essential. Among different fault modes, open circuit switch faults have received significant attention as an active research area because of their likelihood and severe effects on converters. Therefore, the power stages used in the XFC system require functional and accurate open circuit switch fault management methods. An equally significant aspect of this SST based XFC is its compatibility in a microgrid where there is no synchronous generator present. When the grid is not available, the XFC SSTs can provide grid forming capability and continue supplying the critical loads in islanded mode. The transition between grid connected and islanded mode, especially the grid resynchronization process has to be carefully performed for the safety of the microgrid components. The challenges posed by the aforementioned issues have inspired the work done in this dissertation. Here, a 13.2 kV, 1 MVA, AC/DC SST for the XFC system is examined and a comparative analysis is conducted to select the control architecture based on feasibility of implementation and performance. A detailed control parameter design process is demonstrated considering the sensor dynamics and delay. The selected decentralized control method is augmented by introducing a novel sensor-less load current feedforward method to provide better voltage regulation at the DC bus during a change of load. Next, in the fault management section, a hierarchical failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) is proposed to enable a systematic design of the internal fault protection of the XFC SST as there are limited examples in the literature regarding the analysis of the safety and design of the protection of a power electronic converter system. Novel open circuit switch fault management methods for the converters in the system are presented. Finally, XFC SST based MV microgrid operations in grid connected mode and islanded mode are explored. A secondary control method for grid resynchronization is presented and a design process of control parameters is shown to ensure the stability of the secondary voltage and frequency regulation.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Exploring the Potential of Second-Life Batteries for Mobile Charging Infrastructure: A Review

This review paper investigates the potential applications of second-life batteries (SLBs) specifically for mobile charging stations. As the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to rise, the need for accessible and efficient charging infrastructure becomes increasingly critical to address range anxiety of EV owners. The repurposing of SLBs presents a promising solution to address this need, offering cost-effective and sustainable alternatives to traditional stationary charging infrastructure. This paper examines key technical considerations, including battery chemistry, state of health assessment, heterogeneity and battery management system design, and safety protocols tailored to SLBs. The paper also highlights economic and environmental implications of utilizing SLBs in mobile charging applications, encompassing techno-economic analysis techniques and sustainability metrics. Through an exploration of challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends, this review aims to provide valuable insights to stakeholders involved in the development and deployment of SLBs in mobile charging infrastructure.

Gautam, Mukesh (ORCID:0000000305715825)↗

DOE OSTI2021

10 New Insights in Climate Science 2020 - a Horizon Scan

We summarize some of the past year’s most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding of Earth’s sensitivity to carbon dioxide, finds that permafrost thaw could release more carbon emissions than expected and that the uptake of carbon in tropical ecosystems is weakening. Adverse impacts on human society include increasing water shortages and impacts on mental health. Options for solutions emerge from rethinking economic models, rights-based litigation, strengthened governance systems and a new social contract. The disruption caused by COVID-19 could be seized as an opportunity for positive change, directing economic stimulus towards sustainable investments.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Application of Wireless Charging at Seaports for Range Extension of Drayage Battery Electric Trucks

Even though heavy-duty battery electric trucks (BETs) have become commercially available, their range limitation still hinders widespread adoption. Drayage has been regarded as a suitable application for early BETs due to typically having limited daily mileage. However, drayage operation can vary widely and some form of range extension may still be needed for BETs operating in this application. Here, in this paper, wireless charging at port terminals is proposed for this purpose. Potential wireless charging zones at port terminals are identified, and efficacy of wireless charging to extend BET range in drayage operation is verified by simulating the activity of 20 BETs from a drayage operator serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, using a microscopic BET energy consumption model. Furthermore, an optimization problem is formulated for optimal wireless charging zone planning from the port authority's perspective, considering subsets of the identified zones, and charging power options to choose from, for different budget ranges. In this context, zone planning means determining which areas of the port terminals should be selected for installing wireless charging systems, and what level of charging power should be for each selected zone's system. For each budget range, the optimization problem is solved using genetic algorithm to determine an optimal zone plan that provides the maximum amount of energy through wireless charging per unit cost of installation. The results show that wireless charging can aid improving activity completion of the simulated fleet by 5%, and further optimizing the zone plan can achieve similar performance with lower cost.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗