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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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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Anticonvulsant discovery through animal models of status epilepticus induced by organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) and nerve agents (NAs) are highly toxic chemicals that pose a significant threat to human health worldwide. These compounds induce status epilepticus (SE) by irreversibly blocking the ability of acetylcholinesterase to break down acetylcholine at neural synapses. Animal models of organophosphate‐induced SE are a crucial resource for identifying new anticonvulsant therapies. Here, we describe the development of various animal models of SE induced by NA or OP exposure. Experiments in nonhuman primates, rats, mice, and guinea pigs have helped to identify novel therapeutic targets in the central nervous system, with particular success at modulating GABAergic and glutamatergic receptors. The anticonvulsants identified by NA‐ and OP‐induced SE models are well poised for fast advancement into clinical development, and their potential utility in the broader field of epilepsy should make them all the more attractive for commercial pursuit.

McCarren, Hilary S.↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-376: 3-D Commissioning for An Image-Guided Small Animal Micro- Irradiation Platform

Purpose: A 3-D radiochromic plastic dosimeter has been used to cross-test the isocentricity of a high resolution image-guided small animal microirradiation platform. In this platform, the mouse stage rotating for cone beam CT imaging is perpendicular to the gantry rotation for sub-millimeter radiation delivery. A 3-D dosimeter can be used to verify both imaging and irradiation coordinates. Methods: A 3-D dosimeter and optical CT scanner were used in this study. In the platform, both mouse stage and gantry can rotate 360° with rotation axis perpendicular to each other. Isocentricity and coincidence of mouse stage and gantry rotations were evaluated using star patterns. A 3-D dosimeter was placed on mouse stage with center at platform isocenter approximately. For CBCT isocentricity, with gantry moved to 90°, the mouse stage rotated horizontally while the x-ray was delivered to the dosimeter at certain angles. For irradiation isocentricity, the gantry rotated 360° to deliver beams to the dosimeter at certain angles for star patterns. The uncertainties and agreement of both CBCT and irradiation isocenters can be determined from the star patterns. Both procedures were repeated 3 times using 3 dosimeters to determine short-term reproducibility. Finally, dosimeters were scanned using optical CT scanner to obtain the results. Results: The gantry isocentricity is 0.9 ± 0.1 mm and mouse stage rotation isocentricity is about 0.91 ± 0.11 mm. Agreement between the measured isocenters of irradiation and imaging coordinates was determined. The short-term reproducibility test yielded 0.5 ± 0.1 mm between the imaging isocenter and the irradiation isocenter, with a maximum displacement of 0.7 ± 0.1 mm. Conclusion: The 3-D dosimeter can be very useful in precise verification of targeting for a small animal irradiation research. In addition, a single 3-D dosimeter can provide information in both geometric and dosimetric uncertainty, which is crucial for translational studies.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

TH-C-17A-12: Integrated CBCT and Optical Tomography System On-Board a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP)

Purpose: We present a newly developed on-board optical tomography system for SARRP. Innovative features include the compact design and fast acquisition optical method to perform 3D soft tissue radiation guidance. Because of the on-board feature and the combination of the CBCT, diffusive optical tomography (DOT), bioluminescence and fluorescence tomography (BLT and FT), this integrated system is expected to provide more accurate soft tissue guidance than an off-line system as well as highly sensitive functional imaging in preclinical research. Methods: Images are acquired in the order of CBCT, DOT and then BLT/FT, where the SARRP CBCT and DOT are used to provide the anatomical and optical properties information to enhance the subsequent BLT/FT optical reconstruction. The SARRP stage is redesigned to include 9 imbedded optical fibers in contact with the animal's skin. These fibers, connected to a white light lamp or laser, serve as the light sources for the DOT or FT, respectively. A CCD camera with f/1.4 lens and multi-spectral filter set is used as the optical detector and is mounted on a portable cart ready to dock into the SARRP. No radiation is delivered during optical image acquisition. A 3-way mirror system capable of 180 degree rotation around the animal reflects the optical signal to the camera at multiple projection angles. A special black-painted dome covers the stage and provides the light shielding. Results: Spontaneous metastatic bioluminescent liver and lung tumor models will be used to validate the 3D BLT reconstruction. To demonstrate the capability of our FT system, GastroSense750 fluorescence agent will be used to imaging the mouse stomach and intestinal region in 3D. Conclusion: We expect that this integrated CBCT and optical tomography on-board a SARRP will present new research opportunities for pre-clinical radiation research. Supported by NCI RO1-CA 158100.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Impact of extraneous mispositioned events on motion-corrected brain SPECT images of freely moving animals

Purpose: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain imaging of freely moving small animals would allow a wide range of important neurological processes and behaviors to be studied, which are normally inhibited by anesthetic drugs or precluded due to the animal being restrained. While rigid body motion of the head can be tracked and accounted for in the reconstruction, activity in the torso may confound brain measurements, especially since motion of the torso is more complex (i.e., nonrigid) and not well correlated with that of the head. The authors investigated the impact of mispositioned events and attenuation due to the torso on the accuracy of motion corrected brain images of freely moving mice. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations of a realistic voxelized mouse phantom and a dual compartment phantom were performed. Each phantom comprised a target and an extraneous compartment which were able to move independently of each other. Motion correction was performed based on the known motion of the target compartment only. Two SPECT camera geometries were investigated: a rotating single head detector and a stationary full ring detector. The effects of motion, detector geometry, and energy of the emitted photons (hence, attenuation) on bias and noise in reconstructed brain regions were evaluated. Results: The authors observed two main sources of bias: (a) motion-related inconsistencies in the projection data and (b) the mismatch between attenuation and emission. Both effects are caused by the assumption that the orientation of the torso is difficult to track and model, and therefore cannot be conveniently corrected for. The motion induced bias in some regions was up to 12% when no attenuation effects were considered, while it reached 40% when also combined with attenuation related inconsistencies. The detector geometry (i.e., rotating vs full ring) has a big impact on the accuracy of the reconstructed images, with the full ring detector being more advantageous. Conclusions: Motion-induced inconsistencies in the projection data and attenuation/emission mismatch are the two main causes of bias in reconstructed brain images when there is complex motion. It appears that these two factors have a synergistic effect on the qualitative and quantitative accuracy of the reconstructed images.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows the measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal imaging routines including different standard MRI sequences.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-90: Characterizing Small Animal Lung Properties Using Speckle Observed with An In-Line X-Ray Phase Contrast Benchtop System

Purpose: We demonstrate a novel X-ray phase-contrast (XPC) method for lung imaging representing a paradigm shift in the way small animal functional imaging is performed. In our method, information regarding airway microstructure that is encoded within speckle texture of a single XPC radiograph is decoded to produce 2D parametric images that will spatially resolve changes in lung properties such as microstructure sizes and air volumes. Such information cannot be derived from conventional lung radiography or any other 2D imaging modality. By computing these images at different points within a breathing cycle, dynamic functional imaging will be readily achieved without the need for tomography. Methods: XPC mouse lung radiographs acquired in situ with an in-line X-ray phase contrast benchtop system. The lung air volume is varied and controlled with a small animal ventilator. XPC radiographs will be acquired for various lung air volume levels representing different phases of the respiratory cycle. Similar data will be acquired of microsphere-based lung phantoms containing hollow glass spheres with known distributions of diameters. Image texture analysis is applied to the data to investigate relationships between texture characteristics and airspace/microsphere physical properties. Results: Correlations between Fourier-based texture descriptors (FBTDs) and regional lung air volume indicate that the texture features in 2D radiographs reveal information on 3D properties of the lungs. For example, we find for a 350 × 350 πm2 lung ROI a linear relationship between injected air volume and FBTD value with slope and intercept of 8.9×10{sup 5} and 7.5, respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrate specific image texture measures related to lung speckle features are correlated with physical characteristics of refracting elements (i.e. lung air spaces). Furthermore, we present results indicating the feasibility of implementing the technique with a simple imaging system design, short exposures, and low dose which provides potential for widespread use in laboratory settings for in vivo studies. This research was supported in part by NSF Award CBET1263988.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-285: Dose Variation at Bone in Small-Animal Irradiation: A Monte Carlo Study Using Monoenergetic Photon Beams

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the variation of bone dose on photon beam energy (keV – MeV) in small-animal irradiation. Dosimetry of homogeneous and inhomogeneous phantoms as per the same mouse computed tomography image set were calculated using the DOSCTP and DOSXYZnrc based on the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations for the homogeneous and inhomogeneous mouse phantom irradiated by a 360 degree photon arc were carried out. Mean doses of the bone tissue in the irradiated volumes were calculated at various photon beam energies, ranging from 50 keV to 1.25 MeV. The effect of bone inhomogeneity was examined through the Inhomogeneous Correction Factor (ICF), a dose ratio of the inhomogeneous to the homogeneous medium. Results: From our Monte Carlo results, higher mean bone dose and ICF were found when using kilovoltage photon beams compared to megavoltage. In beam energies ranging from 50 keV to 200 keV, the bone dose was found maximum at 50 keV, and decreased significantly from 2.6 Gy to 0.55 Gy, when 2 Gy was delivered at the center of the phantom (isocenter). Similarly, the ICF were found decreasing from 4.5 to 1 when the photon beam energy was increased from 50 keV to 200 keV. Both mean bone dose and ICF remained at about 0.5 Gy and 1 from 200 keV to 1.25 MeV with insignificant variation, respectively. Conclusion: It is concluded that to avoid high bone dose in the small-animal irradiation, photon beam energy higher than 200 keV should be used with the ICF close to one, and bone dose comparable to the megavoltage beam where photoelectric effect is not dominant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-481: In Vivo and Post Mortem Animal Irradiation: Measured Vs. Calculated Doses

Purpose: Computerized radiation therapy treatment planning is performed on almost all patients today. However it is seldom used for laboratory irradiations. The first objective is to assess whether modern radiation therapy treatment planning (RTP) systems accurately predict the subject dose by comparing in vivo and decedent dose measurements to calculated doses. The other objective is determine the importance of using a RTP system for laboratory irradiations. Methods: 5 MOSFET radiation dosimeters were placed enterically in each subject (2 sedated Rhesus Macaques) to measure the absorbed dose at 5 levels (carina, lung, heart, liver and rectum) during whole body irradiation. The subjects were treated with large opposed lateral fields and extended distances to cover the entire subject using a Varian 600C linac. CT simulation was performed ante-mortem (AM) and post-mortem (PM). To compare AM and PM doses, calculation points were placed at the location of each dosimeter in the treatment plan. The measured results were compared to the results using Varian Eclipse and Prowess Panther RTP systems. Results: The Varian and Prowess treatment planning system agreed to within in +1.5% for both subjects. However there were significant differences between the measured and calculated doses. For both animals the calculated central axis dose was higher than prescribed by 3–5%. This was caused in part by inaccurate measurement of animal thickness at the time of irradiation. For one subject the doses ranged from 4% to 7% high and the other subject the doses ranged 7% to 14% high when compared to the RTP doses. Conclusions: Our results suggest that using proper CT RTP system can more accurately deliver the prescribed dose to laboratory subjects. It also shows that there is significant dose variation in such subjects when inhomogeneities are not considered in the planning process.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

WE-FG-207B-01: BEST IN PHYSICS (IMAGING): Abdominal CT with Three K-Edge Contrast Materials Using a Whole-Body Photon-Counting Scanner: Initial Results of a Large Animal Experiment

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo three-material decomposition techniques using photon-counting CT (PCCT) with possible advantage of resolving arterial and venous flow of an organ simultaneously. Methods: Abdominal PCCT scans were acquired using a prototype whole-body PCCT with four energy thresholds (25/50/75/90keV) in a canine. Bismuth subsalicylate (60 mg) was administered orally one day prior to scanning. Immediately prior to CT scan, gadoteric acid (60 ml, Dotarem, Guerbet) was intravenously injected, followed in ten minutes by a 20mL injection of iodinated contrast (iopamidol 370 mg/mL, Bracco). Scans were acquired every ∼20 seconds, starting from the time of iodine injection. Linear material decomposition was performed using the least mean squares method to create concentration maps of iodine, gadolinium, and bismuth. The method was calibrated to vials with known concentrations of materials placed next to the animal. The accuracy of this method was tested on vials with known concentrations. Results: The material decomposition algorithm’s accuracy was confirmed to be within ±4mM in the test vials. In the animal, we could estimate the concentration of gadolinium in delayed-enhanced phase (10 minutes post-injection) in the abdomen. We could follow the wash-in and wash-out of iodine in arterial, venous, and excretory flow of the kidneys (20s, 80s, and 120s post-iodine injection) while gadolinium was present in the delayed-enhanced phase. Bismuth, which was used as a contrast agent for the gastro-intestinal tract, was easily differentiable from the other two contrast agents in the small intestine. Conclusion: This study shows the feasibility of using photon-counting CT with four energy thresholds to differentiate three k-edge contrast agents in vivo. This can potentially reduce radiation dose to patients by combining arterial and venous phases into a single acquisition.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Animal-associated jumbo phages as widespread and active modulators of gut microbiome ecology and metabolism

Huge phages are widespread in the biosphere, yet their prevalence and ecology in the human gut remain poorly characterized. Here, we report Jug (jumbo gut) phages with genomes of 360 to 402 kilobase pairs that comprise ~1.1% of the reads in human gut metagenomes, and are predicted to infect Bacteroides and/or Phocaeicola. Although three of the four major groups of Jug phages shared >90% genome-wide sequence identity, their large terminase subunits exhibited only 38 to 57% identity, suggesting horizontal acquisition from other phages. Over 1500 genomes of Jug phages were recovered from human and animal gut metagenomes, revealing their broad distribution, with largely shared gene content suggestive of frequent cross-animal-host transmission. Jug phages displayed high gene transcription activities, including the gene for a calcium-translocating P-type ATPase not detected previously in phages. These findings broaden our understanding of huge phages and highlight Jug phages as potential major players in gut microbiome ecology.

Chen, LinXing [University of Science and Technolog↗
DOE OSTI2023

Data, figures, animations, and scripts associated with the manuscript "Integrated Effects of Site Hydrology and Vegetation on Exchange Fluxes and Carbon Cycling at the Coastal Terrestrial Aquatic Interface"

This package contains the data, figures, animations, and scripts used in "Integrated Effects of Site Hydrology and Vegetation on Exchange Fluxes and Carbon Cycling at the Coastal Terrestrial Aquatic Interface" (Li et al., 2023). This study examines the interactions between soil, vegetation and hydrologic conditions in coastal areas, with a focus on the Chesapeake Bay region. The researchers used a mechanistic model called ATS-PFLOTRAN to explore how these interactions affect exchange process in different regions and the carbon/nitrogen cycle across the terrestrial-aquatic interface (TAI). Simulation scenarios isolate the effects of control factors and reaction constants derived from laboratory experiments. The results show a carbon cycle "hot zone" in coastal wetlands and in the transition zone between wetlands and uplands. Transpiration enhances fluxes between the surface and subsurface domains and increases dissolved oxygen in TAI. The decomposition of leaf-derived organic carbon provides an additional source of carbon for aerobic respiration and denitrification in the TAI. Microbial activity plays a key role in controlling redox conditions and their variability. This modeling study improves the understanding of complex TAI interactions and facilitates the representation of coastal ecosystems in larger-scale Earth system models.Several files can be found from this data package.1. Readme,md: This file describe the Title, Target Journal, Target submission date, Co-author, Science Questions, Hypotheses, Key words, Key message, Model and Data, Repo Structure. The user can read this file first and then go to details.2. mesh.zip: This file contains the mesh file for simulation cases. 3. Figure.zip: This file contains figures used in the manuscript . 4. animation.zip: This file contains animations used in the manuscript . 5. Data.zip: This file contains all required input data, such as concentration and flow boundaries. Also, it contains the DEM and processes results on area fraction. 6. Simulation_setup_and_results.zip: This file contains setup of cases used in the manuscript . The result files are too large, if you need that data, please contact to the Author. 7. notebooks.zip: This file contains the Jupyter notebooks for performing sensitivity analysis and other pre-process and post-process analyses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

: Small Animal SPECT/CT System Based on Position-Sensitive Semiconductor Detectors

We developed a SPECT/CT system for small-animal imaging utilizing a mechanically cooled, position-sensitive germanium detector for the SPECT camera. The detector offers better energy resolution than any other detector previously used for SPECT and demonstrates dual-isotope imaging capabilities superior to that of current commercial small-animal SPECT systems. We also explored a unique SPECT camera configuration consisting of a silicon detector and germanium detector stacked one behind the other and located behind a multi-pinhole collimator. This scheme is intended for imaging iodine-123 radiotracer distributions, with the ~30 keV x-ray emissions detected in the silicon detector and the 159 keV gamma-ray emissions passing through the silicon and detected in the germanium detector. Image reconstruction methods for combining this multi-energy, multi-magnification data were developed and it was shown that inclusion of the silicon data reduced artifacts in comparison to the germanium data alone.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Design and testing of microfabricated surgical tools for large animal probe insertion

Neural probes provide therapeutic stimulation for neuropsychiatric disorders or record neural activity to investigate the workings of the brain. Researchers utilize 6 mm long temporary silicon stiffeners attached with biodissolvable adhesive to insert flexible neural probes into rat brains, but increasing the probe length fivefold makes inserting large animal probes a significant challenge because of an increased potential for buckling. This study compared the insertion success rates of 6 mm and 30 mm long silicon stiffeners that were 80 μm wide and 30 μm thick, and ascertained the material thickness and modulus of elasticity that would provide successful insertion for a 30 mm probe. Using a microdrive, stiffeners were inserted into an agarose brain phantom at controlled insertion speeds while being video-recorded. Twenty-five percent of the 30 mm silicon stiffeners fully inserted at speeds approximately four times higher than the target rate of 0.13 mm/s, while 100 percent of the 6 mm silicon stiffeners inserted successfully at target speed. Critical buckling loads (P cr ) were calculated for the 6 mm and 30 mm silicon stiffeners, and for 30 mm diamond and tungsten stiffeners, with thicknesses varying from 30-80 μm. Increasing the thickness of the material by 10 μm, 20 μm and 30 μm improved the P cr by 2.4, 4.7 and 8.2 times, respectively, independent of the material, and substituting diamond for silicon multiplied the buckling capacity by 5.0 times. Stiffeners made of silicon for large animal probe insertion are not strong enough to withstand buckling upon insertion without a significant increase in thickness. Replacing silicon with diamond and increasing the thickness of the stiffener to 50 μm would afford a stiffener with the same P cr capacity as the 6 mm silicon stiffener that had a 100 percent insertion success rate. Experiments should continue with diamond to determine a minimum thickness that will ensure successful insertions and provide an adequate margin of safety.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Interactions of aquatic animals with the ORPC OCGen® in Cobscook Bay, Maine: Monitoring behavior change and assessing the probability of encounter with a deployed MHK device

Commercial viability of the marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy industry is contingent on numerous and diverse factors. A major factor is the effects deployed devices have on animals. This factor is multi-faceted since it is dependent on the availability of appropriate scientific approaches to detect these effects. One of the animal groups with overlapping distributions of MHK devices are fishes. As such, individual fish behavior is likely to be influenced by the presence and operation of MHK devices. Depending on the scale of deployment there are implications for changes to essential fish habitat and effects that can be explored during deployment of a single device yet most changes are likely to be realized when multiple devices are deployed over large areas. It is not only important to document these effects and examine the need for mitigation, but also determine whether the methods involved can be used within the economic constraints of this nascent industry. The results presented in this report benefit the MHK industry by providing transferrable environmental monitoring approaches for MHK projects, specifically related to the interactions between static and dynamic tidal turbines and fish. In addition, some of the data can be used to generalize conditions (e.g., the temporal periodicity of fish presence in tidal regions and probability of fish encountering a device) at other MHK sites with similar physical conditions and fish assemblages. Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC (ORPC) deployed and tested a prototype OCGen® tidal module in Cobscook Bay, Maine, in the summer of 2014. University of Maine researchers proposed an approach to inform other researchers, regulators, and industry members of the effects of this deployment on fish. While the approach was specifically applied to the OCGen® module, results are applicable to other pilot projects and inform future array deployments. Research funded under this grant allowed us to quantify fish presence as well as individual and group-level behavior changes in the presence of the deployed OCGen® module along with a bottom support frame from a previously deployed device (TidGen®). Specific objectives associated with fish behavior changes were (1) continuation of two long-term datasets: (a) stationary down-looking hydroacoustic dataset near an MHK device (group-level) and (b) stationary side-looking hydroacoustics near the bottom-support frame of a previously deployed MHK device (individual-level); (2) application of new processing methods to down-looking hydroacoustic datasets to improve fish species identification (group-level); and (3) development of an encounter probability model using data on fish abundance, vertical distribution, and behavior.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rapid Detection and Characterization of Emerging Foreign Animal Disease Pathogens

To best safeguard human and animal health requires early detection and characterization of disease events. This must include effective surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. Both deliberate and natural outbreaks have enormous economic and public health impacts, and can present serious threats to national security. In this project, we developed novel next generation detection technologies to protect the agricultural economy and biosecurity. The first technology is a multiplexed assay to simultaneously detection 10 swine viral and bacterial pathogens. The second one is the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA) which can detect more than 10,000 microbial species including 4219 viruses, 5367 bacteria, 265 fungi, 117 protozoa and 293 archaea. We analyzed a series of swine clinical samples from past disease events to demonstrate the utility of the assays for faster and cheaper detection of emerging and foreign animal disease pathogens, and their utility as s routine diagnosis and surveillance tool. A second goal of the study is to better understand mechanisms of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection in pigs to aid the development of countermeasures and diagnostics. There is no vaccine available for ASF. ASF outbreak is on the rise on several European countries. Though ASF is not currently in the U.S., a potential outbreak in the U.S. would be detrimental to the swine industry and the US agricultural economy. We pursued a genome-wide approach to characterize the pig immune responses after ASFV infection. We used RNA sequencing and bioinformatics methods to identify genes and pathways that are affected during ASF infection. We have identified a list of most differentially expressed genes that are in the immune response pathways.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 4: Risk to Marine Animals from Underwater Noise Generated by Marine Renewable Energy Devices

In all ocean environments, desirable locations for wave and tidal energy development have multiple natural sources of sound (e.g., waves, wind, and sediment transport), varying levels of anthropogenic and biological noise, and measurement quality challenges (e.g., flow-noise, self-noise). Many marine animals rely on sound for biological functions, including communication, social interaction, orientation, foraging, and evasion. The extent to which marine animals detect and produce sound varies by frequency (spanning roughly four decades from 10 Hz to 100 kHz) and is taxa-specific. Because of the relatively limited data available, hearing sensitivity is often generalized to taxonomic groups (e.g., cetaceans that have low-frequency hearing specialization). https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-4-underwater-noise

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 8: Encounters of Marine Animals with Marine Renewable Energy Device Mooring Systems and Subsea Cables

Many marine renewable energy (MRE) technologies, including floating or midwater wave and tidal devices, require mooring systems (i.e., mooring lines and anchors) to maintain their position within the water column or on the sea surface. In the case of some devices such as tidal kites, these lines and cables can be highly dynamic. An array of non-bottom-mounted devices may also include transmission cables within the water column interconnecting devices to one another, or to offshore substations or hubs on the seabed. The potential for these lines and cables to present hazards for marine animals that may become entangled or entrapped in them, or confused by their presence remains an issue of uncertainty. The degree to which mitigation to avoid or reduce entanglement risk might be required for future MRE installations is yet to be determined, pending greater understanding of the actual nature of the risk. In this chapter, the entanglement or entrapment of a marine animal is defined as the cause to become caught in a system without possibility of escaping. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-8-moorings

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2020

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 10: Environmental Monitoring Technologies and Techniques for Detecting Interactions of Marine Animals with Turbines

The greatest potential risk from turbine operation continues to be perceived by regulators and other stakeholders to be that of marine animals colliding with turbine blades. These potential interactions are the most difficult to observe using common oceanographic instruments and must be undertaken in parts of the ocean where fast moving water and high waves make studies challenging. However, our collective understanding of the effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) devices on marine animals and their habitats has improved since the publication of the 2016 State of the Science report. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-10-environmental-monitoring

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗