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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

Ensemble Solar Forecasting Statistical Quantification and Sensitivity Analysis: Preprint

Uncertainties associated with solar forecasts present challenges to maintain grid reliability, especially at high solar penetrations. This study aims to quantify the errors associated with the day-ahead solar forecast parameters and the theoretical solar power output for a 51-kW solar power plant in a utility area in the state of Vermont, U.S. Forecasts were generated by three numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, including the Rapid Refresh, the High Resolution Rapid Refresh, and the North American Model, and a machine-learning ensemble model. A photovoltaic (PV) performance model was adopted to calculate theoretical solar power generation using the forecast parameters (e.g., irradiance, cell temperature, and wind speed). Errors of the power outputs were quantified using statistical moments and a suite of metrics, such as the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE). In addition, the PV model's sensitivity to different forecast parameters was quantified and analyzed. Results showed that the ensemble model yielded forecasts in all parameters with the smallest NRMSE. The NRMSE of solar irradiance forecasts of the ensemble NWP model was reduced by 28.10% compared to the best of the three NWP models. Further, the sensitivity analysis indicated that the errors of the forecasted cell temperature attributed only approximately 0.12% to the NRMSE of the power output as opposed to 7.44% from the forecasted solar irradiance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Ensemble Solar Forecasting Statistical Quantification and Sensitivity Analysis

Uncertainties associated with solar forecasts present challenges to maintain grid reliability, especially at high solar penetrations. This study aims to quantify the errors associated with the day-ahead solar forecast parameters and the theoretical solar power output for a 51-kW solar power plant in a utility area in the state of Vermont, U.S. Forecasts were generated by three numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, including the Rapid Refresh, the High Resolution Rapid Refresh, and the North American Model, and a machine-learning ensemble model. A photovoltaic (PV) performance model was adopted to calculate theoretical solar power generation using the forecast parameters (e.g., irradiance, cell temperature, and wind speed). Errors of the power outputs were quantified using statistical moments and a suite of metrics, such as the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE). In addition, the PV model's sensitivity to different forecast parameters was quantified and analyzed. Results showed that the ensemble model yielded forecasts in all parameters with the smallest NRMSE. The NRMSE of solar irradiance forecasts of the ensemble NWP model was reduced by 28.10% compared to the best of the three NWP models. Further, the sensitivity analysis indicated that the errors of the forecasted cell temperature attributed only approximately 0.12% to the NRMSE of the power output as opposed to 7.44% from the forecasted solar irradiance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

A diagnosis of vorticity fields associated with an explosively-developing winter cyclone over the southeastern United States

A diagnosis of absolute (ABS) and potential (POV) vorticity is studied, both calculated in isobaric coordinates, associated with a cyclone that developed explosively over the southeastern United States from January 20-21, 1979. Comparison of isobaric representations of ABS and POV fields relative to an explosively developing cyclone shows that in a number of ways the two vorticity fields exhibited similar relationships to the cyclone. As the cyclone developed, it propagated cyclonically around middle and upper tropospheric ABS and POV maxima, with each being located upstream from the cyclone.

Smith, Phillip J.↗

Efficacy of dalbavancin against MRSA biofilms in a rat model of orthopaedic implant-associated infection

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dalbavancin against MRSA biofilm-related infection in orthopaedic implants in vivo. Methods One MRSA strain isolated from human osteomyelitis was used to promote biofilm formation on the surface of screws. The implants were inserted in the proximal tibia under general anaesthesia. Thirty-nine Wistar rats were divided into three groups [control group (no treatment), Group 1 (7 days of treatment) and Group 2 (14 days of treatment)]; both treatment groups were administered dalbavancin intraperitoneally and euthanized after treatment. cfu of bacteria present in both the tibia and the implant were quantified. The infection severity was assessed by histopathology and scored from 0 (no infection) to 4 (severe infection). Results The high number of cfu/g and cfu/mL present in the control group indicated a well-established infection. There was a significant reduction in cfu in rats treated with dalbavancin both in the tibia (2.8 × 105 cfu/g) and the implant (1.1 × 106 cfu/mL) in Group 1 (1.8 × 103 cfu/g and 2.4 × 105 cfu/mL, respectively) and in Group 2 (8.2 cfu/g and 8.2 × 103 cfu/mL, respectively). Most animals from the control group presented an infection scored as 3 (severe). At the end of the experiment, most rats from Groups 1 and 2 presented an infection scored as 2 (moderate) and 0 (no infection), respectively. Conclusions Although there was a marked decrease in cfu number, signs of biofilm-induced infection prevailed after 14 days of treatment. Further studies should be carried out to evaluate the potential of dalbavancin in the treatment of bone and orthopaedic implant-associated MRSA infections.

Silva, Vanessa↗

Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) and other Flow Visualization Developments and Applications at GRC

This is a presentation to be given at an internal NASA Advanced Schlieren Working Group Meeting. The presentation will cover the recent developments and applications of flow visualization methods at GRC. The topics being discussed will include the use of Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) in the study of screech and its associated shock spacing as well as in the investigation of broadband shock noise reduction in the Jet-Surface Interaction Tests. In addition, other flow visualiztion methods will be discussed in an on-going study comparing schlieren, shadowgraph, BOS, and focusing schlieren.

background oriented schlieren↗

Experimental Studies of Elementary Particle Interactions at High Energies

This is the final report of a program of research on "Experimental Studies of Elementary Particle Interactions at High Energies'' of the High Energy Physics (HEP) group of The Rockefeller University. The research was carried out using the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Three faculty members, two research associates, and two postdoctoral associates participated in this project. At CDF, we studied proton-antiproton collisions at an energy of 1.96 TeV. We focused on diffractive interactions, in which the colliding antiproton loses a small fraction of its momentum, typically less than 1%, while the proton is excited into a high mass state retaining its quantum numbers. The study of such collisions provides insight into the nature of the diffractive exchange, conventionally referred to as Pomeron exchange. In studies of W and Z production, we found results that point to a QCD-based interpretation of the diffractive exchange, as predicted in a data-driven phenomenology developed within the Rockefeller HEP group. At CMS, we worked on diffraction, supersymmetry (SUSY), dark matter, large extra dimensions, and statistical applications to data analysis projects. In diffraction, we extended our CDF studies to higher energies working on two fronts: measurement of the single/double diffraction and of the rapidity gap cross sections at 7 TeV, and development of a simulation of diffractive processes along the lines of our successful model used at CDF. Working with the PYTHIA8 Monte Carlo simulation authors, we implemented our model as a PYTHIA8-MBR option in PYTHIA8 and used it in our data analysis. Preliminary results indicate good agreement. We searched for SUSY by measuring parameters in the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM) and found results which, combined with other experimental constraints and theoretical considerations, indicate that the CMSSM is not a viable model. Expressing our results in terms of simple topologies, we exclude squark masses below 0.75 TeV and gluino masses below 1.1 TeV. Astrophysical measurements suggest that about 80% of the matter density of the Universe is non-luminous. One of the theories on dark matter attributes it to Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). We searched for WIMPs in 7 TeV and 8 TeV collisions at CMS and set limits on WIMP production rates, which are competitive and complementary to those of direct detection experiments. Searching for monojets (events with only one jet), which in a popular model could be produced by a jet paired by a gravitino that escapes into extra dimensions, we significantly improved the previously set limit. Our results have been used to set limits on Higgs decay to invisible particles and on production of top squarks in compressed SUSY scenarios. Statistics. We computed Bayesian reference priors for several types of measurement and used them in the analysis of CMS data; investigated the applicability of bootstrap methods to HEP measurements; studied several issues associated with simple-versus-simple hypothesis testing and applied the resulting methods to the measurement of some properties of the top quark and Higgs boson.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Solar Energetic-Particle-Associated Coronal Mass Ejections Observed by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Mk3 and Mk4 Coronameters

We report on the first comprehensive study of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with ~25 MeV solar energetic-proton (SEP) events in 1980 – 2013 observed in the low/inner corona by the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) Mk3 and Mk4 coronameters. Where possible, these observations are combined with space-based observations from the Solar Maximum Mission C/P, P78-1 SOLWIND, or SOHO/LASCO coronagraphs. The aim of the study is to understand directly measured (rather than inferred from proxies) CME motions in the low to midcorona and their association with SEP acceleration, and hence attempt to identify early signatures that are characteristic of SEP acceleration in ground-based CME observations that may be used to warn of impending SEP events. Although we find that SEP events are associated with CMEs that are on average faster and wider than typical CMEs observed by MLSO, a major challenge turns out to be determining reliable estimates of the CME dynamics in the low corona from the 3-min cadence Mk3/4 observations since different analysis techniques can produce inconsistent results. This complicates the assessment of what early information on a possible SEP event is available from these low-coronal observations.

I. G. Richardson↗

Microgravity and clinorotation cause redistribution of free calcium in sweet clover columella cells

In higher plants, calcium redistribution is believed to be crucial for the root to respond to a change in the direction of the gravity vector. To test the effects of clinorotation and microgravity on calcium localization in higher plant roots, sweet clover (Melilotus alba L.) seedlings were germinated and grown for two days on a slow rotating clinostat or in microgravity on the US Space Shuttle flight STS-60. Subsequently, the tissue was treated with a fixative containing antimonate (a calcium precipitating agent) during clinorotation or in microgravity and processed for electron microscopy. In root columella cells of clinorotated plants, antimonate precipitates were localized adjacent to the cell wall in a unilateral manner. Columella cells exposed to microgravity were characterized by precipitates mostly located adjacent to the proximal and lateral cell wall. In all treatments some punctate precipitates were associated with vacuoles, amyloplasts, mitochondria, and euchromatin of the nucleus. A quantitative study revealed a decreased number of precipitates associated with the nucleus and the amyloplasts in columella cells exposed to microgravity as compared to ground controls. These data suggest that roots perceive a change in the gravitational field, as produced by clinorotation or space flights, and respond respectively differently by a redistribution of free calcium.

short duration↗

The potential effect of metallothionein 2A - 5 A/G single nucleotide polymorphism on blood cadmium, lead, zinc and copper levels

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight, cysteine-rich, metal-binding proteins. Because of their rich thiol groups, MTs bind to the biologically essential metals and perform these metals' homeostatic regulations; absorb the heavy metals and assist with their transportation and extraction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the metallothionein 2A (MT2A) core promoter region - 5 A/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu levels in the blood samples. MT2A polymorphism was determined by the standard polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique using the 616 blood samples and the genotype frequencies were found as 86.6% homozygote typical (AA), 12.8% heterozygote (AG) and 0.6% homozygote atypical (GG). Metal levels were analyzed by dual atomic absorption spectrophotometer system and the average levels of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu in the blood samples were 1.69 {+-} 1.57 ppb, 30.62 {+-} 14.13 ppb, 0.98 {+-} 0.49 ppm and 1.04 {+-} 0.45 ppm, respectively. As a result; highly statistically significant associations were detected between the - 5 A/G core promoter region SNP in the MT2A gene and Cd, Pb and Zn levels (p = 0.004, p = 0.012 and p = 0.002, respectively), but no association was found with Cu level (p = 0.595). Individuals with the GG genotype had statistically lower Zn level and higher Cd and Pb levels in the blood samples than individuals with AA and AG genotypes. This study suggests that having the GG genotype individuals may be more sensitive for the metal toxicity and they should be more careful about protecting their health against the toxic effects of the heavy metals. - Highlights: > MT2A -5A/G SNP has strong effect on the Cd, Pb and Zn levels in the blood. > MT2A GG individuals should be more careful for their health against metal toxicity. > This SNP might be considered as a biomarker for risk of disease related to metals.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Cross-shell excitations in Ca 46 studied with fusion reactions induced by a reaccelerated rare isotope beam

Discovering unexplored high-spin states in neutron-rich nuclei can open up a new direction to study band structure and the associated shell structure in isospin-asymmetric many-body systems. However, experimental reach has so far been limited to neutron-deficient or stable nuclei which are preferentially produced in fusion reactions used in such studies. Here in this paper, we report the first γ-ray spectroscopy with fusion reactions using a reaccelerated rare-isotope beam of 45 K performed at the ReA3 facility of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Using particle and γ-ray coincidence techniques, three new higher-lying states around 6 MeV and five new γ-ray transitions were identified for 46 Ca, suggesting three independent band structures formed from different particle-hole configurations. The rotational-like band built on the 0$^+_2$ state is established up to the tentatively assigned 6$^+_2$ state. New results are compared to large-scale shell model calculations, confirming the validity of the effective interaction describing particle-hole excitations across the Z=20 and N=28 shell gaps in the vicinity of doubly-magic 48 Ca.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Acquisition of background and technical information and class trip planning

Instructors who are very familiar with a study area, as well as those who are not, find the field trip information acquisition and planning process speeded and made more effective by organizing it in stages. The stage follow a deductive progression: from the associated context region, to the study area, to the specific sample window sites, and from generalized background information on the study region to specific technical data on the environmental and human use systems to be interpreted at each site. On the class trip and in the follow up laboratory, the learning/interpretive process are at first deductive in applying previously learned information and skills to analysis of the study site, then inductive in reading and interpreting the landscape, imagery, and maps of the site, correlating them with information of other samples sites and building valid generalizations about the larger study area, its context region, and other (similar and/or contrasting) regions.

Mackinnon, R. M.↗

Genome-wide toxicogenomic study of the lanthanides sheds light on the selective toxicity mechanisms associated with critical materials

Significance The growing use of lanthanides in various industries has increased the potential for human exposure to large concentrations of these heavy metals throughout the life cycle of new technologies, requiring more detailed investigations into their toxicological properties. The eukaryote model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae is ideal to apply functional toxicogenomics tools at the system level and probe fundamental cellular functions disrupted by rare-earth metals. A comprehensive mechanistic assay was conducted to evaluate toxicity across the entire lanthanide series and provide information about which toxicological mechanisms may be shared by the different metals. We identified distinct characteristic behaviors between early and middle/late lanthanides, highlighting the powerful discrimination capabilities of natural systems and pointing to detailed mechanistic pathways associated with lanthanide exposure.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Spatial and Temporal Analyses of Environmental Affects on Zizania Palustris and Its Natural Cycles

As part of a joint education and research effort funded by NASA, research studies were initiated involving students associated with the Ojibwe and researchers at Marshall Space Flight Center. Topics were chosen that satisfied the nature of the work proposed and were tractable, given the student's constraints (abilities, interests, and time). One of the studies, which spanned two summers, examined some potential environmental effects on northern wild rice in northern Wisconsin. The rice of interest is naturally occurring ('wild' wild rice), as opposed to cultivated wild rice ('paddy' wild rice).

Wild rice; Zizania palustris; ecology; climate; bo↗

Complexin2 modulates working memory-related neural activity in patients with schizophrenia

The specific contribution of risk or candidate gene variants to the complex phenotype of schizophrenia is largely unknown. Studying the effects of such variants on brain function can provide insight into disease-associated mechanisms on a neural systems level. Previous studies found common variants in the complexin2 ( CPLX2 ) gene to be highly associated with cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia patients. Similarly, cognitive functioning was found to be impaired in Cplx2 gene-deficient mice if they were subjected to maternal deprivation or mild brain trauma during puberty. Here, we aimed to study seven common CPLX2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their neurogenetic risk mechanisms by investigating their relationship to a schizophrenia-related functional neuroimaging intermediate phenotype. In this paper, we examined functional MRI and genotype data collected from 104 patients with DSM-IV-diagnosed schizophrenia and 122 healthy controls who participated in the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium study of schizophrenia. Seven SNPs distributed over the whole CPLX2 gene were tested for association with working memory-elicited neural activity in a frontoparietal neural network. Three CPLX2 SNPs were significantly associated with increased neural activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and intraparietal sulcus in the schizophrenia sample, but showed no association in healthy controls. Finally, since increased working memory-related neural activity in individuals with or at risk for schizophrenia has been interpreted as ‘neural inefficiency,’ these findings suggest that certain variants of CPLX2 may contribute to impaired brain function in schizophrenia, possibly combined with other deleterious genetic variants, adverse environmental events, or developmental insults.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Urinary concentrations of environmental phenols and their association with type 2 diabetes in a population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Highlights: • 23 phenolic endocrine disruptors were measured in urine from diabetic and control populations. • Age and smoking status showed positive associations with type 2 diabetes. • Parabens, bisphenols and benzophenone were associated with increased risk for diabetes. • The order of chemicals associated with diabetes was 4-OH-BP>BPA>BPF>EtP> 4-HB>MeP ≈ PrP. A few epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, little is known about association between other phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and T2DM. In this case-control study, we measured urinary concentrations of 23 phenolic EDCs in 101 individuals from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to examine the association of parabens, antimicrobials, bisphenols, benzophenones and bisphenol A diglycidyl ethers with T2DM. Urine samples were collected from 54 T2DM cases and 47 non-diabetic individuals (controls), aged 28–68 years old, during 2015–2016. Unconditional logistic regression was performed to estimate odd ratios (ORs) for the association between diabetes and EDC exposures after adjusting for confounders including age, gender, nationality, smoking status and occupation. Age from 40 to 59 years (OR 5.56, 95% CI 2.20–14.0) and smoking status (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.25–6.79) showed significant positive associations with T2DM. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that T2DM cases had high urinary levels of parabens (i.e., methyl- (MeP), ethyl- (EtP), propyl- (PrP) and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (4-HB)), bisphenols (i.e., bisphenols A (BPA) and F (BPF)), and benzophenone (i.e., 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP)) relative to the controls. Individuals in the 4th quartile for urinary concentrations of MeP, EtP, PrP, 4-HB and BPF and in the 3rd quartile for BPA and 4-OH-BP showed over a 6-fold increase in the odds of having diabetes compared with those in the first quartile. Overall, our study shows that urinary levels of multiple phenolic EDCs were associated with increased risk for diabetes. Further prospective studies are required to verify these associations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Roll Damping Derivatives from Generalized Lifting-Surface Theory and Wind Tunnel Forced-Oscillation Tests

Improving aerodynamic models for adverse loss-of-control conditions in flight is an area being researched under the NASA Aviation Safety Program. Aerodynamic models appropriate for loss of control conditions require a more general mathematical representation to predict nonlinear unsteady behaviors. As more general aerodynamic models are studied that include nonlinear higher order effects, the possibility of measurements that confound aerodynamic and structural responses are probable. In this study an initial step is taken to look at including structural flexibility in analysis of rigid-body forced-oscillation testing that accounts for dynamic rig, sting and balance flexibility. Because of the significant testing required and associated costs in a general study, it makes sense to capitalize on low cost analytical methods where possible, especially where structural flexibility can be accounted for by a low cost method. This paper provides an initial look at using linear lifting surface theory applied to rigid-body aircraft roll forced-oscillation tests.

Pototzky, Anthony S↗

Association of hydrophilic derivatives of chlorophyll a in ethanol–water and ethanol–water–solubilizer systems

Electronic absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to study conditions for the formation of associates of amphiphilic phorbins and chlorins in an ethanol–water system. The conditions and degree of disaggregation in the presence of solubilizing additives of nonionic surfactants (Tween 80) and biocompatible polymers (polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone) were also investigated. The propensity of the macroheterocycles based on chlorophyll a to association in water-alcoholic solutions decreases on going from covalently bound dimeric structures to monomeric ones, on going from phorbins to chlorins and on accumulating hydrophilic glycol or positively charged alkylammonium fragments in the molecule. Among the considered solubilizers, the nonionic surfactant Tween 80 emerged as the most efficient means for destroying chlorin associates in water–alcohol solutions with a high content of water.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗