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Thomas, James

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas, James.

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

A Neutralizing Antibody Recognizing Primarily N -Linked Glycan Targets the Silent Face of the HIV Envelope

Virtually the entire surface of the HIV-1-envelope trimer is recognized by neutralizing antibodies, except for a highly glycosylated region at the center of the “silent face” on the gp120 subunit. From an HIV-1-infected donor, #74, we identified antibody VRC-PG05, which neutralized 27% of HIV-1 strains. The crystal structure of the antigen-binding fragment of VRC-PG05 in complex with gp120 revealed an epitope comprised primarily of N-linked glycans from N262, N295, and N448 at the silent face center. Furthermore, somatic hypermutation occurred preferentially at antibody residues that interacted with these glycans, suggesting somatic development of glycan recognition. Resistance to VRC-PG05 in donor #74 involved shifting of glycan-N448 to N446 or mutation of glycan-proximal residue E293. HIV-1 neutralization can thus be achieved at the silent face center by glycan-recognizing antibody; along with other known epitopes, the VRC-PG05 epitope completes coverage by neutralizing antibody of all major exposed regions of the prefusion closed trimer.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

The application of wavelet shrinkage denoising to magnetic Barkhausen noise measurements

The application of Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) as a non-destructive method of defect detection has proliferated throughout the manufacturing community. Instrument technology and measurement methodology have matured commensurately as applications have moved from the R and D labs to the fully automated manufacturing environment. These new applications present a new set of challenges including a bevy of error sources. A significant obstacle in many industrial applications is a decrease in signal to noise ratio due to (i) environmental EMI and (II) compromises in sensor design for the purposes of automation. The stochastic nature of MBN presents a challenge to any method of noise reduction. An application of wavelet shrinkage denoising is proposed as a method of decreasing extraneous noise in MBN measurements. The method is tested and yields marked improvement on measurements subject to EMI, grounding noise, and even measurements in ideal conditions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Siemens-INL SCADA System Assessments: Assessment 1: Spectrum Power TG & Assessment 2: Spectrum Power 3 (Final CRADA Report)

INL, in collaboration with Siemens Energy, Inc., performed a laboratory assessment on Siemens SCADA systems. During the assessment, vulnerabilities were discovered, evaluated, and mitigation strategies recommended. These results were reported to Siemens Energy, Inc. to guide their efforts towards improved cyber security in their software products.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2008

Accuracy of Gradient Reconstruction on Grids with High Aspect Ratio

Gradient approximation methods commonly used in unstructured-grid finite-volume schemes intended for solutions of high Reynolds number flow equations are studied comprehensively. The accuracy of gradients within cells and within faces is evaluated systematically for both node-centered and cell-centered formulations. Computational and analytical evaluations are made on a series of high-aspect-ratio grids with different primal elements, including quadrilateral, triangular, and mixed element grids, with and without random perturbations to the mesh. Both rectangular and cylindrical geometries are considered; the latter serves to study the effects of geometric curvature. The study shows that the accuracy of gradient reconstruction on high-aspect-ratio grids is determined by a combination of the grid and the solution. The contributors to the error are identified and approaches to reduce errors are given, including the addition of higher-order terms in the direction of larger mesh spacing. A parameter GAMMA characterizing accuracy on curved high-aspect-ratio grids is discussed and an approximate-mapped-least-square method using a commonly-available distance function is presented; the method provides accurate gradient reconstruction on general grids. The study is intended to be a reference guide accompanying the construction of accurate and efficient methods for high Reynolds number applications

Thomas, James↗
NASA NTRS2004

On Efficient Multigrid Methods for Materials Processing Flows with Small Particles

Multiscale modeling of materials requires simulations of multiple levels of structural hierarchy. The computational efficiency of numerical methods becomes a critical factor for simulating large physical systems with highly desperate length scales. Multigrid methods are known for their superior efficiency in representing/resolving different levels of physical details. The efficiency is achieved by employing interactively different discretizations on different scales (grids). To assist optimization of manufacturing conditions for materials processing with numerous particles (e.g., dispersion of particles, controlling flow viscosity and clusters), a new multigrid algorithm has been developed for a case of multiscale modeling of flows with small particles that have various length scales. The optimal efficiency of the algorithm is crucial for accurate predictions of the effect of processing conditions (e.g., pressure and velocity gradients) on the local flow fields that control the formation of various microstructures or clusters.

Thomas, James↗