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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Propagule Pressure in Microbial Introductions

The use of potentially beneficial microorganisms in agriculture (microbial inoculants) has rapidly accelerated in recent years. For microbial inoculants to be effective as agricultural tools, these organisms must be able to survive and persist in novel environments while not destabilizing the resident community or spilling over into adjacent natural ecosystems. Here, we adapt a macroecological propagule pressure model to a microbial scale and present an experimental approach for testing the role of propagule pressure in microbial inoculant introductions. We experimentally determined the risk-release relationship for an IAA-expressing Pseudomonas simiae inoculant in a model monocot system. We then used this relationship to simulate establishment outcomes under a range of application frequencies (propagule number) and inoculant concentrations (propagule size). Our simulations show that repeated inoculant applications may increase establishment, even when increased inoculant concentration does not alter establishment probabilities. The dataset filed here includes the experimemtal datafile, and a RMarkdown file that includes all the code used in in both the modeling and anaylsis.

agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2021

Introduction to (Photo)electrocatalysis For Renewable Energy

Humanity is facing a significant and growing energy demand, necessitating a new energy paradigm built on clean and abundant renewable energy.1 Within this context, electrocatalysis and (photo)electrocatalysis hold great promise for enabling renewable energies such as solar and wind power to overcome the transient nature of their energy output.2-6 Developing catalysts that operate efficiently and selectively, and that are also robust, has been the focus of much research. This special issue brings together the latest advances in the fundamental and applied science addressing the synthesis, characterization, mechanisms, and performance of (photo)electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion of small molecules into useful specialty and commodity chemicals and fuels. The electrocatalysts and (photo)electrocatalysts highlighted in this issue include metalloenzymes, homogeneous and supported molecular catalysts, and diverse heterogeneous nanoparticulate and thin film systems. The reports span across basic and applied studies and encompass both experimental and theoretical investigations.

Dey, Abhishek↗
DOE OSTI2020

Volume I. Introduction to DUNE

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early universe, the dynamics of the supernovae that produced the heavy elements necessary for life, and whether protons eventually decay -- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our universe, its current state, and its eventual fate. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions as it searches for leptonic charge-parity symmetry violation, stands ready to capture supernova neutrino bursts, and seeks to observe nucleon decay as a signature of a grand unified theory underlying the standard model. The DUNE far detector technical design report (TDR) describes the DUNE physics program and the technical designs of the single- and dual-phase DUNE liquid argon TPC far detector modules. This TDR is intended to justify the technical choices for the far detector that flow down from the high-level physics goals through requirements at all levels of the Project. Volume I contains an executive summary that introduces the DUNE science program, the far detector and the strategy for its modular designs, and the organization and management of the Project. The remainder of Volume I provides more detail on the science program that drives the choice of detector technologies and on the technologies themselves. It also introduces the designs for the DUNE near detector and the DUNE computing model, for which DUNE is planning design reports. Volume II of this TDR describes DUNE's physics program in detail. Volume III describes the technical coordination required for the far detector design, construction, installation, and integration, and its organizational structure. Volume IV describes the single-phase far detector technology. A planned Volume V will describe the dual-phase technology.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-Grade Vulvar, Vaginal, and Anal Precancers Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults After Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Introduction

Since human papillomavirus vaccine introduction, incidence rates of cervical precancers have decreased; however, the vaccine's impact on noncervical anogenital precancers has not been shown. These precancers are identified opportunistically and are not collected routinely by most cancer registries. This study examined the incidence rates of high-grade (intraepithelial lesions grade 3) vulvar, vaginal, and anal precancers among persons aged 15–39 years using 2000–2017 data from select cancer registries covering 27.8% of the U.S. population that required reporting of these precancers. Trends in incidence rates were evaluated with Joinpoint regression. Analyses were conducted in 2020. High-grade vulvar precancer rates declined by 21.0% per year after human papillomavirus vaccine introduction among females aged 15–19 years. In addition, high-grade vaginal precancer rates declined by 19.1% per year among females aged 15–29 years after human papillomavirus vaccine introduction. Compared with that in the prevaccine period when high-grade anal precancer rates were increasing, anal precancer rates after human papillomavirus vaccine introduction were stable among females aged 15–29 years and among males aged 30–39 years. Among males aged 15–29 years, the rates increased over the entire period but less so after human papillomavirus vaccine introduction. In conclusion, opportunistically-detected high-grade vulvar and vaginal precancers among females aged 15–29 years decreased and anal precancers stabilized in years after the introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which is suggestive of the impact of the vaccine on noncervical human papillomavirus cancers.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evolution and Antigenic Advancement of N2 Neuraminidase of Swine Influenza A Viruses Circulating in the United States following Two Separate Introductions from Human Seasonal Viruses

Two separate introductions of human seasonal N2 neuraminidase genes were sustained in U.S. swine since 1998 (N2-98) and 2002 (N2-02). Herein, we characterized the antigenic evolution of the N2 of swine influenza A virus (IAV) across 2 decades following each introduction. The N2-98 and N2-02 expanded in genetic diversity, with two statistically supported monophyletic clades within each lineage. To assess antigenic drift in swine N2 following the human-to-swine spillover events, we generated a panel of swine N2 antisera against representative N2 and quantified the antigenic distance between wild-type viruses using enzyme-linked lectin assay and antigenic cartography. The antigenic distance between swine and human N2 was smallest between human N2 circulating at the time of each introduction and the archetypal swine N2. However, sustained circulation and evolution in swine of the two N2 lineages resulted in significant antigenic drift, and the N2-98 and N2-02 swine N2 lineages were antigenically distinct. Although intralineage antigenic diversity was observed, the magnitude of antigenic drift did not consistently correlate with the observed genetic differences. These data represent the first quantification of the antigenic diversity of neuraminidase of IAV in swine and demonstrated significant antigenic drift from contemporary human seasonal strains as well as antigenic variation among N2 detected in swine. These data suggest that antigenic mismatch may occur between circulating swine IAV and vaccine strains. Consequently, consideration of the diversity of N2 in swine IAV for vaccine selection may likely result in more effective control and aid public health initiatives for pandemic preparedness.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Translating macroecological models to predict microbial establishment probability in an agricultural inoculant introduction

The use of potentially beneficial microorganisms in agriculture (microbial inoculants) has rapidly accelerated in recent years. For microbial inoculants to be effective as agricultural tools, these organisms must be able to survive and persist in novel environments while not destabilizing the resident community or spilling over into adjacent natural ecosystems. Despite the importance of propagule pressure to species introductions, few tools exist in microbial ecology to predict the outcomes of agricultural microbial introductions. Here, we adapt a macroecological propagule pressure model to a microbial scale and present an experimental approach for testing the role of propagule pressure in microbial inoculant introductions. We experimentally determined the risk-release relationship for an IAA-expressing Pseudomonas simiae inoculant in a model monocot system. We then used this relationship to simulate establishment outcomes under a range of application frequencies (propagule number) and inoculant concentrations (propagule size). Our simulations show that repeated inoculant applications may increase establishment, even when increased inoculant concentration does not alter establishment probabilities. Applying ecological modeling approaches like those presented here to microbial inoculants may aid their sustainable use and provide a monitoring tool for microbial inoculants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enabling Data Exchange and Data Integration with the Common Information Model: An Introduction for Power Systems Engineers and Application Developers

The Common Information Model (CIM) is an open-source information model that is used to model an electrical network and the various equipment used on the network. CIM is widely used for data exchange of bulk transmission power systems and is finding increasing use for distribution systems. Use of a non-proprietary information model (such as CIM) that has been agreed upon and adopted by numerous utilities, vendors, and researchers allows significant reduction in the effort and cost of data integration. Likewise, adoption of open data platforms built around the CIM increases available functionalities for managing and optimizing the smart grid of the future. This report is intended as an introduction to CIM for utility engineers, power systems researchers, and application developers, providing a broad view of the CIM and how particular profiles can be adapted for various use cases. Unlike most other CIM introduction documents and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards (which are mostly targeted to an audience of data scientists, enterprise database managers, and platform developers), this report is intended for users of traditional power systems analysis software and other readers without any prior experience with canonical information models, data profiles, or UML modeling.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

27005 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Introduction

This Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations Introduction Self-Study consists of an introduction, four modules, and a quiz. The quiz is separate and can be taken following completion of this course.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fall Protection Introduction: Instructor Guide

The proper use of fall prevention and fall protection controls can reduce the risk of deaths and injuries caused by falls. This course, Fall Protection Introduction (#33462), is designed as an introduction to various types of recognized fall prevention and fall protection systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), including guardrail systems, safety net systems, fall restraint systems, and fall arrest systems. Special emphasis is given to the components, inspection, care, and storage of personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). This course also presents controls for falling object hazards and emergency planning considerations for persons who have fallen.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Introduction of NADH-dependent nitrate assimilation in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 improves photosynthetic production of 2-methyl-1-butanol and isobutanol

Cyanobacteria hold promise for renewable chemical production due to their photosynthetic nature, but engineered strains frequently display poor production characteristics. These difficulties likely arise in part due to the distinctive photoautotrophic metabolism of cyanobacteria. Here, in this work, we apply a genome-scale metabolic model of the cyanobacteria Synechococus sp. PCC 7002 to identify strain designs accounting for this unique metabolism that are predicted to improve the production of various biofuel alcohols (e.g. 2-methyl-1-butanol, isobutanol, and 1-butanol) synthesized via an engineered biosynthesis pathway. Using the model, we identify that the introduction of a large, non-native NADH-demand into PCC 7002's metabolic network is predicted to enhance production of these alcohols by promoting NADH-generating reactions upstream of the production pathways. To test this, we construct strains of PCC 7002 that utilize a heterologous, NADH-dependent nitrite reductase in place of the native, ferredoxin-dependent enzyme to create an NADH-demand in the cells when grown on nitrate-containing media. We find that photosynthetic production of both isobutanol and 2-methyl-1-butanol is significantly improved in the engineered strain background relative to that in a wild-type background. We additionally identify that the use of high-nutrient media leads to a substantial prolongment of the production curve in our alcohol production strains. The metabolic engineering strategy identified and tested in this work presents a novel approach to engineer cyanobacterial production strains that takes advantage of a unique aspect of their metabolism and serves as a basis on which to further develop strains with improved production of these alcohols and related products.

2-methyl-1-butanol↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reduced Dislocation Introduction in III–V/Si Heterostructures with Glide-Enhancing Compressively Strained Superlattices

The novel use of a GaAs y P 1-y /GaP compressively-strained superlattice (CSS) to provide enhanced control over misfit dislocation (MD) evolution and threading dislocation density (TDD) during GaP/Si metamorphic heteroepitaxy is demonstrated. Here, the insertion of the CSS just after critical thickness, and thus prior to substantial dislocation introduction, is found to yield significantly reduced TDD in relaxed, 500 nm thick, n-type GaP/Si versus comparable control samples. The impact of CSS period count on average TDD and the overall dislocation network morphology was examined, supported by quantitative microstructural characterization, revealing a nearly 20× relative TDD reduction (to 2.4 ± 0.4×10 6 cm -2 ) with a 3-period CSS structure. A similarly low TDD (3.0 ± 0.6×10 6 cm -2 ) is maintained when the resultant n-GaP/Si virtual substrate is used for the growth of a subsequent n-type GaAs 0.75 P 0.25 -terminal GaAs y P 1-y step-graded metamorphic buffer. Although the physical mechanism for TDD reduction provided by these structures is not yet entirely understood, this initial work suggests that enhanced glide dynamics of MDs at or within the CSS placed early in the growth leads to a reduction in the total number of dislocations introduced overall, as opposed to annihilation-based reduction that occurs in conventional strained-layer superlattice dislocation filter approaches.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

CHAPTER 1: Introduction. In: Organic Thermoelectric Materials

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020. Organic thermoelectric materials and generators are a promising field of research due to numerous attractive characteristics that suggest the ability to overcome the shortcomings of existing inorganic TE systems. This book aims to reprise some of the key directions in this field and provide some context on the key developments and opportunities that remain to be explored. Therefore, to facilitate comprehension of the book, this introduction chapter will present a brief overview of essential topics spanning the fields of chemistry, materials science, engineering, and physics, including a brief historical overview of organic TE materials. TE measurement techniques, including carrier-energy and thermal transport in organic TE systems, will also be briefly discussed, as they are relevant to understanding what challenges remain in understanding and optimizing the performance of these organic TE materials.

Choi, J↗
DOE OSTI2023

Introduction to Halide Perovskite Optoelectronics

An introduction to the Nanoscale themed collection on halide perovskite nanomaterials for optoelectronic applications, featuring a variety of articles that highlight the latest developments to address ongoing challenges in the field.

halide perovskite nanomaterials↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evolution of structure and transport properties of the Ba 8 Cu 16 P 30 clathrate-I framework with the introduction of Ga

Two type-I clathrates were synthesized by introducing Ga into the framework of the Ba 8 Cu 16 P 30 type-I clathrate. The introduction of minute amounts of Ga, 1.9% Ga/M total (where M total = Cu + Ga), resulted in the disturbance of the completely ordered Pbcn superstructure of Ba 8 Cu 16 P 30 . Ba 8 Cu 15.43(2) Ga 0.3 P 30.26(3) crystallizes in a partially ordered orthorhombic Pmna clathrate-I superstructure with five out of 15 framework sites being jointly occupied by metal+phosphorus. Increasing the Ga content resulted in all framework sites being occupied by metal + phosphorus in the archetype cubic Pm n clathrate-I crystal structure of Ba 8 Cu 14.5(3) Ga 1.3 P 30.2(4) with 8.2% Ga/M total . A combination of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, and single crystal x-ray diffraction was used to determine the structures alongside the compositions. The positional disorder was verified by 31 P solid state NMR spectroscopy. Characterization of the transport properties indicated that the Ga-substituted samples exhibit higher Seebeck coefficients and electrical resistivities compared to its pristine counterpart, in line with the expected reduction of the hole concentration due to Ga/Cu substitution. Moderate improvements in the thermoelectric power factor and overall figure-of-merit were observed for samples with 6.9% and 3.8% Ga/M total as compared to those for the pristine Ba 8 Cu 16 P 30 clathrate. Finally, band structure calculations shed light on how Ga substitution affects the electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of studied clathrates.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Introduction to spectral line shape theory

Spectral line-shape models are an important part of understanding high-energy-density (HED) plasmas. Models are needed for calculating opacity of materials and can serve as diagnostics for astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. However, much of the literature on line shapes is directed toward specialists. This perspective makes it difficult for non-specialists to enter the field. We have two broad goals with this topical review. First, we aim to give information so that others in HED physics may better understand the current field. Additionally, this first goal may help guide future experiments to test different aspects of the theory. Second, we provide an introduction for those who might be interested in line-shape theory, and enough materials to be able to navigate the field and the literature. We give a high-level overview of line broadening process, as well as dive into the formalism, available methods, and approximations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Introduction and overview: Chapter 1 of the special issue: on the path to tokamak burning plasma operation

The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) has developed a comprehensive overview of the results of its coordinated R&D activities in fusion physics and diagnostics implemented during the past two decades with the aim of developing an improved physics basis for the operation of tokamak burning plasma experiments. Here, an introduction is presented to key concepts in the physics of burning plasmas in tokamaks, together with an overview of the scope of the principal areas of physics R&D pursued by the ITPA Topical Physics Groups in which the critical issues, major areas of progress and most significant recent results are highlighted. This paper introduces the following collection of articles, which encompass detailed presentations of the progress achieved by the Topical Groups in preparing the physics basis for the operation of tokamak burning plasma experiments expected to come into operation in the 2030s.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗