Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “domains”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8

Néel domain walls with bistable chirality in a perpendicularly magnetized ferrimagnetic insulator

Field-free spin-orbit torque-driven domain wall motion in magnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) requires the domain walls to have Néel character. Conventionally, Néel domain walls are stabilized by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in ultrathin films. Here, in a europium iron garnet thin film with PMA and an additional uniaxial in-plane anisotropy, we demonstrate two bistable Néel domain wall states in the absence of DMI, and the capability to toggle the wall states with an in-plane field pulse and consequently their directions of motion under a current pulse. We present a phase diagram for the bistable Néel domain wall states as a function of in-plane field pulse width and amplitude. By fitting the experimental data to an analytical model of Néel wall reversal through the nucleation and propagation of Bloch lines, we extract the length of the initial reversed domain wall segment and Bloch line nucleation energy barrier. Current-driven motion of in-plane anisotropy stabilized Néel walls is qualitatively different from that of DMI-stabilized ones owing to the different symmetry of the effective fields that stabilize the Néel configuration. Furthermore, we present a proof of principle demonstration for 2-bit random number generation based on the stochastic reversal of domain wall chirality. These results provide critical insight into the topological energy barrier of Bloch lines and identify paths towards domain wall-based memory and computing devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Emergent electric field induced by dissipative sliding dynamics of domain walls in a Weyl magnet

The dynamic motion of topological defects in magnets induces an emergent electric field, as exemplified by the continuous flow of skyrmion vortices. However, the electrodynamics underlying this emergent field remains poorly understood. In this context, magnetic domain walls—one-dimensional topological defects with two collective modes, sliding and spin-tilt—offer a promising platform for exploration. Here we demonstrate that the dissipative motion of domain walls under oscillatory current excitation generates an emergent electric field. We image domain patterns and quantify the domain-wall length under applied magnetic fields in mesoscopic devices based on the magnetic Weyl semimetal NdAlSi. These devices exhibit exceptionally strong domain-wall scattering and a pronounced emergent electric field, as observed in the imaginary component of the complex impedance. Spin dynamics simulations reveal that domain-wall sliding dominates over spin-tilting, in which the phase delay of the domain-wall motion with respect to the driving force impacts the emergent electric field. Our findings establish domain-wall dynamics as a platform for studying emergent electromagnetic fields and motivate further investigations of the coupled motion of magnetic solitons and conduction electrons.

Yamada, Rinsuke [The University of Tokyo, Japan]↗

A ligand discovery toolbox for the WWE domain family of human E3 ligases

The WWE domain is a relatively under-researched domain found in twelve human proteins and characterized by a conserved tryptophan-tryptophan-glutamate (WWE) sequence motif. Six of these WWE domain-containing proteins also contain domains with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. The general recognition of poly-ADP-ribosylated substrates by WWE domains suggests a potential avenue for development of Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). Here, we present novel crystal structures of the HUWE1, TRIP12, and DTX1 WWE domains in complex with PAR building blocks and their analogs, thus enabling a comprehensive analysis of the PAR binding site structural diversity. Furthermore, we introduce a versatile toolbox of biophysical and biochemical assays for the discovery and characterization of novel WWE domain binders, including fluorescence polarization-based PAR binding and displacement assays, 15 N-NMR-based binding affinity assays and 19 F-NMR-based competition assays. Through these assays, we have characterized the binding of monomeric iso -ADP-ribose ( iso -ADPr) and its nucleotide analogs with the aforementioned WWE proteins. Finally, we have utilized the assay toolbox to screen a small molecule fragment library leading to the successful discovery of novel ligands targeting the HUWE1 WWE domain.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Contact-free reversible switching of improper ferroelectric domains by electron and ion irradiation

Focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to reversibly switch improper ferroelectric domains in the hexagonal manganite ErMnO 3 . Surface charging is achieved by local ion (positive charging) and electron (positive and negative charging) irradiation, which allows controlled polarization switching without the need for electrical contacts. Polarization cycling reveals that the domain walls tend to return to the equilibrium configuration obtained in the as-grown state. The response of sub-surface domains is studied by FIB cross-sectioning, enabling imaging in the direction perpendicular to the applied electric field. The results clarify how the polarization reversal in hexagonal manganites progresses at the level of domains, resolving both domain wall movements and the nucleation and growth of new domains. Our FIB-SEM based switching approach is applicable to all ferroelectrics where a sufficiently large electric field can be built up via surface charging, facilitating contact-free high-resolution studies of the domain and domain wall response to electric fields in 3D.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The C2 domain augments Ras GTPase-activating protein catalytic activity

Regulation of Ras GTPases by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) is essential for their normal signaling. Nine of the ten GAPs for Ras contain a C2 domain immediately proximal to their canonical GAP domain, and in RasGAP (p120GAP, p120RasGAP;RASA1) mutation of this domain is associated with vascular malformations in humans. Here, we show that the C2 domain of RasGAP is required for full catalytic activity toward Ras. Analyses of the RasGAP C2-GAP crystal structure, AlphaFold models, and sequence conservation reveal direct C2 domain interaction with the Ras allosteric lobe. This is achieved by an evolutionarily conserved surface centered around RasGAP residue R707, point mutation of which impairs the catalytic advantage conferred by the C2 domain in vitro. In mice,R707Cmutation phenocopies the vascular and signaling defects resulting from constitutive disruption of theRASA1gene. In SynGAP, mutation of the equivalent conserved C2 domain surface impairs catalytic activity. Our results indicate that the C2 domain is required to achieve full catalytic activity of GAPs for Ras.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Optimal Bayesian supervised domain adaptation for RNA sequencing data

Abstract Motivation When learning to subtype complex disease based on next-generation sequencing data, the amount of available data is often limited. Recent works have tried to leverage data from other domains to design better predictors in the target domain of interest with varying degrees of success. But they are either limited to the cases requiring the outcome label correspondence across domains or cannot leverage the label information at all. Moreover, the existing methods cannot usually benefit from other information available a priori such as gene interaction networks. Results In this article, we develop a generative optimal Bayesian supervised domain adaptation (OBSDA) model that can integrate RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from different domains along with their labels for improving prediction accuracy in the target domain. Our model can be applied in cases where different domains share the same labels or have different ones. OBSDA is based on a hierarchical Bayesian negative binomial model with parameter factorization, for which the optimal predictor can be derived by marginalization of likelihood over the posterior of the parameters. We first provide an efficient Gibbs sampler for parameter inference in OBSDA. Then, we leverage the gene-gene network prior information and construct an informed and flexible variational family to infer the posterior distributions of model parameters. Comprehensive experiments on real-world RNA-Seq data demonstrate the superior performance of OBSDA, in terms of accuracy in identifying cancer subtypes by utilizing data from different domains. Moreover, we show that by taking advantage of the prior network information we can further improve the performance. Availability and implementation The source code for implementations of OBSDA and SI-OBSDA are available at the following link. https://github.com/SHBLK/BSDA. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗

CasDinG is a 5′-3′ dsDNA and RNA/DNA helicase with three accessory domains essential for type IV CRISPR immunity

Abstract CRISPR-associated DinG protein (CasDinG) is essential to type IV-A CRISPR function. Here, we demonstrate that CasDinG from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 83 is an ATP-dependent 5′-3′ DNA translocase that unwinds double-stranded (ds)DNA and RNA/DNA hybrids. The crystal structure of CasDinG reveals a superfamily 2 helicase core of two RecA-like domains with three accessory domains (N-terminal, arch, and vestigial FeS). To examine the in vivo function of these domains, we identified the preferred PAM sequence for the type IV-A system (5′-GNAWN-3′ on the 5′-side of the target) with a plasmid library and performed plasmid clearance assays with domain deletion mutants. Plasmid clearance assays demonstrated that all three domains are essential for type IV-A immunity. Protein expression and biochemical assays suggested the vFeS domain is needed for protein stability and the arch for helicase activity. However, deletion of the N-terminal domain did not impair ATPase, ssDNA binding, or helicase activities, indicating a role distinct from canonical helicase activities that structure prediction tools suggest involves interaction with dsDNA. This work demonstrates CasDinG helicase activity is essential for type IV-A CRISPR immunity as well as the yet undetermined activity of the CasDinG N-terminal domain.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Domain fluctuations in a ferroelectric low-strain BaTiO 3 thin film

In this work, a ferroelectric BaTiO 3 thin film grown on a NdScO 3 substrate was studied using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) to characterize thermal fluctuations near the a/b to a/c domain structure transformation present in this low-strain material, which is absent in the bulk. XPCS studies provide a direct comparison of the role of domain fluctuations in first- and second-order phase transformations. The a/b to a/c domain transformation is accompanied by a decrease in fluctuation timescales, and an increase in intensity and correlation length. Surprisingly, domain fluctuations are observed up to 25 °C above the transformation, concomitant with the growth of a/c domains and coexistence of both domain types. After a small window of stability, as the Curie temperature is approached, a/c domain fluctuations are observed, albeit slower, potentially due to the structural transformation associated with the ferroelectric to paraelectric transformation. The observed time evolution and reconfiguration of domain patterns highlight the role played by phase coexistence and elastic boundary conditions in altering fluctuation timescales in ferroelectric thin films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Resolving domain positions of cellobiose dehydrogenase by small angle X–ray scattering

The interdomain electron transfer (IET) between the catalytic flavodehydrogenase domain and the electron-transferring cytochrome domain of cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) plays an essential role in biocatalysis, biosensors and biofuel cells, as well as in its natural function as an auxiliary enzyme of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase. We investigated the mobility of the cytochrome and dehydrogenase domains of CDH, which is hypothesised to limit IET in solution by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). CDH from Myriococcum thermophilum (syn. Crassicarpon hotsonii, syn. Thermothelomyces myriococcoides) was probed by SAXS to study the CDH mobility at different pH and in the presence of divalent cations. By comparison of the experimental SAXS data, using pair-distance distribution functions and Kratky plots, we show an increase in CDH mobility at higher pH, indicating alterations of domain mobility. To further visualise CDH movement in solution, we performed SAXS-based multistate modelling. Glycan structures present on CDH partially masked the resulting SAXS shapes, we diminished these effects by deglycosylation and studied the effect of glycoforms by modelling. The modelling shows that with increasing pH, the cytochrome domain adopts a more flexible state with significant separation from the dehydrogenase domain. On the contrary, the presence of calcium ions decreases the mobility of the cytochrome domain. Experimental SAXS data, multistate modelling and previously reported kinetic data show how pH and divalent ions impact the closed state necessary for the IET governed by the movement of the CDH cytochrome domain.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The ChiS-Family DNA-Binding Domain Contains a Cryptic Helix-Turn-Helix Variant

Sequence-specific DNA-binding domains (DBDs) are conserved in all domains of life. These proteins carry out a variety of cellular functions, and there are a number of distinct structural domains already described that allow for sequence-specific DNA binding, including the ubiquitous helix-turn-helix (HTH) domain. In the facultative pathogen Vibrio cholerae, the chitin sensor ChiS is a transcriptional regulator that is critical for the survival of this organism in its marine reservoir. We recently showed that ChiS contains a cryptic DBD in its C terminus. This domain is not homologous to any known DBD, but it is a conserved domain present in other bacterial proteins. Here, we present the crystal structure of the ChiS DBD at a resolution of 1.28 Å. We find that the ChiS DBD contains an HTH domain that is structurally similar to those found in other DNA-binding proteins, like the LacI repressor. However, one striking difference observed in the ChiS DBD is that the canonical tight turn of the HTH is replaced with an insertion containing a β-sheet, a variant which we term the helix-sheet-helix. Through systematic mutagenesis of all positively charged residues within the ChiS DBD, we show that residues within and proximal to the ChiS helix-sheet-helix are critical for DNA binding. Finally, through phylogenetic analyses we show that the ChiS DBD is found in diverse proteobacterial proteins that exhibit distinct domain architectures. Together, these results suggest that the structure described here represents the prototypical member of the ChiS-family of DBDs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Conformational heterogeneity of the BTK PHTH domain drives multiple regulatory states

Full-length Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) has been refractory to structural analysis. The nearest full-length structure of BTK to date consists of the autoinhibited SH3–SH2–kinase core. Precisely how the BTK N-terminal domains (the Pleckstrin homology/Tec homology [PHTH] domain and proline-rich regions [PRR] contain linker) contribute to BTK regulation remains unclear. We have produced crystals of full-length BTK for the first time but despite efforts to stabilize the autoinhibited state, the diffraction data still reveal only the SH3–SH2–kinase core with no electron density visible for the PHTH–PRR segment. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) data of full-length BTK, on the other hand, provide the first view of the PHTH domain within full-length BTK. CryoEM reconstructions support conformational heterogeneity in the PHTH–PRR region wherein the globular PHTH domain adopts a range of states arrayed around the autoinhibited SH3–SH2–kinase core. On the way to activation, disassembly of the SH3–SH2–kinase core opens a new autoinhibitory site on the kinase domain for PHTH domain binding that is ultimately released upon interaction of PHTH with phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate. Membrane-induced dimerization activates BTK and we present here a crystal structure of an activation loop swapped BTK kinase domain dimer that likely represents the conformational state leading to trans-autophosphorylation. Together, these data provide the first structural elucidation of full-length BTK and allow a deeper understanding of allosteric control over the BTK kinase domain during distinct stages of activation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The Third Dimension of Ferroelectric Domain Walls

Abstract Ferroelectric domain walls are quasi‐2D systems that show great promise for the development of nonvolatile memory, memristor technology, and electronic components with ultrasmall feature size. Electric fields, for example, can change the domain wall orientation relative to the spontaneous polarization and switch between resistive and conductive states, controlling the electrical current. Being embedded in a 3D material, however, the domain walls are not perfectly flat and can form networks, which leads to complex physical structures. In this work, the importance of the nanoscale structure for the emergent transport properties is demonstrated, studying electronic conduction in the 3D network of neutral and charged domain walls in ErMnO 3 . By combining tomographic microscopy techniques and finite element modeling, the contribution of domain walls within the bulk is clarified and the significance of curvature effects for the local conduction is shown down to the nanoscale. The findings provide insights into the propagation of electrical currents in domain wall networks, reveal additional degrees of freedom for their control, and provide quantitative guidelines for the design of domain‐wall‐based technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Domain decomposition in the GPU-accelerated Shift Monte Carlo code

The GPU solver within the Shift continuous-energy Monte Carlo neutron transport code has been extended to provide domain decomposition in addition to domain replication to enable the solution of problems with memory requirements exceeding the capacity of a single GPU. The strategy follows the Multiple Set, Overlapping Domain (MSOD) approach that is used in Shift’s CPU solver and integrates into the event-based algorithm used for Shift’s GPU solver. Furthermore, the ability to assign processors to spatial domains non-uniformly has been maintained. In this work, two different approaches for communicating particle data between domains are considered, and multiple criteria for load balancing problems have been investigated. Numerical results are presented for both fresh and depleted small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) cores. A parallel efficiency of approximately 80% was achieved with up to 16 spatial domains measured relative to full domain replication. A scaling study on the Summit supercomputer demonstrates a weak scaling parallel efficiency of over 90% on over 24000 GPUs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Directing Charge Carriers and Ferroelectric Domains at Lateral Interfaces in van der Waals Heterostructures

Emergent phenomena in traditional ferroelectrics are frequently observed at heterointerfaces. Accessing such functionalities in van der Waals ferroelectrics requires the formation of layered heterostructures, either vertically stacked (similar to oxide ferroelectrics) or laterally stitched (without equivalent in 3D-crystals). Here, we investigate lateral heterostructures of the ferroelectric van der Waals semiconductors SnSe and SnS. A two-step process produces ultrathin crystals comprising an SnSe core laterally joined to an SnS edge-band, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging, and electron diffraction. TEM shows a moiré pattern across the SnSe core due to coverage by an ultrathin SnS layer. The ability of the lateral interface (IF) to direct excited carriers, probed by cathodoluminescence, shows electron transfer over 560 nm diffusion length from the SnS edge-band. Large, thin flakes supporting ferroelectricity allow investigating domains and domain wall interactions in uniform crystals and lateral heterostructures. Polarized optical microscopy of sub-20 nm flakes consistently shows ⟨110⟩ oriented stripe domains with mirror-twin domain walls. Heterostructures adopt two domain configurations, with domains either constrained to the SnSe core or propagating across the entire SnSe–SnS flakes. Furthermore, the combined results demonstrate multifunctional van der Waals heterostructures with high-quality IFs presenting extraordinary opportunities for manipulating carrier flows and ferroelectric domain patterns.

2D ferroelectrics↗

SIDDA: SInkhorn Dynamic Domain Adaptation for image classification with equivariant neural networks

Modern neural networks (NNs) often do not generalize well in the presence of a ‘covariate shift’; that is, in situations where the training and test data distributions differ, but the conditional distribution of classification labels given the data remains unchanged. In such cases, NN generalization can be reduced to a problem of learning more robust, domain-invariant features. Domain adaptation (DA) methods include a broad range of techniques aimed at achieving this; however, these methods have struggled with the need for extensive hyperparameter tuning, which then incurs significant computational costs. In this work, we introduce SInkhorn Dynamic Domain Adaptation (SIDDA), an out-of-the-box DA training algorithm built upon the Sinkhorn divergence, that can achieve effective domain alignment with minimal hyperparameter tuning and computational overhead. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method on multiple simulated and real datasets of varying complexity, including simple shapes, handwritten digits, real astronomical observations, and remote sensing data. These datasets exhibit covariate shifts due to noise, blurring, differences between telescopes, and variations in imaging wavelengths. SIDDA is compatible with a variety of NN architectures, and it works particularly well in improving classification accuracy and model calibration when paired with symmetry-aware equivariant NNs (ENNs). We find that SIDDA consistently enhances the generalization capabilities of NNs, achieving up to a ${\approx}40\%$ improvement in classification accuracy on unlabeled target data, while also providing a more modest performance gain of $\lesssim 1\%$ on labeled source data. We also study the efficacy of DA on ENNs with respect to the varying group orders of the dihedral group DN, and find that the model performance improves as the degree of equivariance increases. Finally, if SIDDA achieves proper domain alignment, it also enhances model calibration on both source and target data, with the most significant gains in the unlabeled target domain—achieving over an order of magnitude improvement in the expected calibration error and Brier score. SIDDA’s versatility across various NN models and datasets, combined with its automated approach to domain alignment, has the potential to significantly advance multi-dataset studies by enabling the development of highly generalizable models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Structure and Dynamics of Domains in Ferroelectric Nanostructures – Phase-Field Modeling (Final Technical Report)

Domain pattern formation is one of the most common phenomena in nature and is a topic of immense interest in many fields ranging from materials science and physics to chemistry and biology. This DOE sponsored research project explored the basic science concerning the thermodynamic stability of mesoscale polarization domain patterns and their temporal evolution mechanisms during formation and subsequent switching in ferroelectric nanostructures and heterostructures. The project employed the computational phase-field method in combination of microelasticity and electrostatic theories. The research was carried out in close collaboration with a number of experimental groups who used High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), in situ TEM with Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), or Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) to characterize the domain structures and dynamics of ferroelectric thin films and heterostructures and who grow high-quality ferroelectric and multiferroic thin films using advanced growth techniques such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLLD), and sputtering. The research efforts of the project help establish the phase-field method as the most powerful method for understanding and predicting domain structures in ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures. The findings of the project led to the basic understanding of stability and switching mechanisms of ferroelectric domains under different mechanical boundary conditions and under either homogeneous capacitor configurations or local fields using metallic probes as electrodes and the emergence of charged domain walls during domain switching. The project predicted the spatial length scales, temperature ranges, and electromechanical conditions for different polar states in heterostructures and guided the discovery of both transient and stable novel polarization states containing vortex lattices in oxide superlattices. The project resulted in 134 journal publications and 6 PhD theses with all the PhD graduates currently working in either academia or industry within the United States. The basic understanding on the stability of mesoscale polar states and pattern evolution achieved by the project improved our ability to control and engineer properties of ferroelectric thin films and heterostructures for potential applications in nanoscale electronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Amino Acid Residues Controlling Domain Interaction and Interdomain Electron Transfer in Cellobiose Dehydrogenase

The function of cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) in biosensors, biofuel cells, and as a physiological redox partner of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) is based on its role as an electron donor. Before donating electrons to LPMO or electrodes, an interdomain electron transfer from the catalytic FAD-containing dehydrogenase domain to the electron shuttling cytochrome domain of CDH is required. This study investigates the role of two crucial amino acids located at the dehydrogenase domain on domain interaction and interdomain electron transfer by structure-based engineering. The electron transfer kinetics of wild-type Myriococcum thermophilum CDH and its variants M309A, R698S, and M309A/R698S were analyzed by stopped-flow spectrophotometry and structural effects were studied by small-angle X-ray scattering. The data show that R698 is essential to pull the cytochrome domain close to the dehydrogenase domain and orient the heme propionate group towards the FAD, while M309 is an integral part of the electron transfer pathway – its mutation reducing the interdomain electron transfer 10-fold. Structural models and molecular dynamics simulations pinpoint the action of these two residues on the domain interaction and interdomain electron transfer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A non‐intrusive domain‐decomposition model reduction method for linear steady‐state partial differential equations with random coefficients

Abstract Domain decomposition methods have been proved to be an effective strategy to reduce the dimension of parametric partial differential equations (PDEs). However, existing domain decomposition methods for parametric PDEs are usually intrusive, which means domain decomposition based solvers need to be implemented from scratch for each target parametric PDE. To address this issue, we develop a new non‐intrusive domain‐decomposition model reduction method for linear steady‐state PDEs with random‐field coefficients. As a variant of our previous work by Mu and Zhang, the new method only needs access to the final linear system, that is, the global stiffness matrix and the right hand side, of a deterministic PDE solver, in order to build a domain‐decomposition‐based reduced model without intrusive implementation from scratch. The key idea is to remove the interface condition between sub‐domains and rely on the correlation between columns of the linear system to couple the sub‐domains. The non‐intrusive feature enables the applicability of the proposed method to a broader class of uncertainty quantification problems, where many legacy codes/solvers can be fully reused by our method. Two numerical examples including diffusion equations with random diffusivity and convection‐dominated transport with random velocity, are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our method.

Zhang, Guannan↗