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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Systematic discovery of pseudomonad genetic factors involved in sensitivity to tailocins

Tailocins are bactericidal protein complexes produced by a wide variety of bacteria that kill closely related strains and may play a role in microbial community structure. Thanks to their high specificity, tailocins have been proposed as precision antibacterial agents for therapeutic applications. Compared to tailed phages, with whom they share an evolutionary and morphological relationship, bacterially produced tailocins kill their host upon production but producing strains display resistance to self-intoxication. Though lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been shown to act as a receptor for tailocins, the breadth of factors involved in tailocin sensitivity, and the mechanisms behind resistance to self-intoxication, remain unclear. Here, we employed genome-wide screens in four non-model pseudomonads to identify mutants with altered fitness in the presence of tailocins produced by closely related pseudomonads. Our mutant screens identified O-antigen composition and display as most important in defining sensitivity to our tailocins. In addition, the screens suggest LPS thinning as a mechanism by which resistant strains can become more sensitive to tailocins. Furthermore, we validate many of these novel findings, and extend these observations of tailocin sensitivity to 130 genome-sequenced pseudomonads. This work offers insights into tailocin–bacteria interactions, informing the potential use of tailocins in microbiome manipulation and antibacterial therapy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ocean acidification over the next three centuries using a simple global climate carbon-cycle model: projections and sensitivities

Continued oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 is projected to significantly alter the chemistry of the upper oceans over the next three centuries, with potentially serious consequences for marine ecosystems. Relatively few models have the capability to make projections of ocean acidification, limiting our ability to assess the impacts and probabilities of ocean changes. In this study we examine the ability of Hector v1.1, a reduced-form global model, to project changes in the upper ocean carbonate system over the next three centuries, and quantify the model's sensitivity to parametric inputs. Hector is run under prescribed emission pathways from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and compared to both observations and a suite of Coupled Model Intercomparison (CMIP5) model outputs. Current observations confirm that ocean acidification is already taking place, and CMIP5 models project significant changes occurring to 2300. Hector is consistent with the observational record within both the high- (> 55°) and low-latitude oceans (< 55°). The model projects low-latitude surface ocean pH to decrease from preindustrial levels of 8.17 to 7.77 in 2100, and to 7.50 in 2300; aragonite saturation levels (Ω Ar ) decrease from 4.1 units to 2.2 in 2100 and 1.4 in 2300 under RCP 8.5. These magnitudes and trends of ocean acidification within Hector are largely consistent with the CMIP5 model outputs, although we identify some small biases within Hector's carbonate system. Of the parameters tested, changes in [H + ] are most sensitive to parameters that directly affect atmospheric CO 2 concentrations – Q 10 (terrestrial respiration temperature response) as well as changes in ocean circulation, while changes in Ω Ar saturation levels are sensitive to changes in ocean salinity and Q 10 . We conclude that Hector is a robust tool well suited for rapid ocean acidification projections and sensitivity analyses, and it is capable of emulating both current observations and large-scale climate models under multiple emission pathways.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Structural and functional impact of troponin C-mediated Ca 2+ sensitization on myofilament lattice spacing and cross-bridge mechanics in mouse cardiac muscle

Acto-myosin cross-bridge kinetics are important for beat-to-beat regulation of cardiac contractility; however, physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms for regulation of contractile kinetics are incompletely understood. Here we explored whether thin filament-mediated Ca 2+ sensitization influences cross-bridge kinetics in permeabilized, osmotically compressed cardiac muscle preparations. We used a murine model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) harboring a cardiac troponin C (cTnC) Ca 2+ -sensitizing mutation, Ala8Val in the regulatory N-domain. We also treated wild-type murine muscle with bepridil, a cTnC-targeting Ca 2+ sensitizer. Our findings suggest that both methods of increasing myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity increase cross-bridge cycling rate measured by the rate of tension redevelopment (k TR ); force per cross-bridge was also enhanced as measured by sinusoidal stiffness and I 1,1 -1/I 1,0 ratio from X-ray diffraction. Computational modeling suggests that Ca 2+ sensitization through this cTnC mutation or bepridil accelerates k TR primarily by promoting faster cross-bridge detachment. To elucidate if myofilament structural rearrangements are associated with changes in k(TR), we used small angle X-ray diffraction to simultaneously measure myofilament lattice spacing and isometric force during steady-state Ca 2+ activations. Within in vivo lattice dimensions, lattice spacing and steady-state isometric force increased significantly at submaximal activation. We conclude that the cTnC N-domain controls force by modulating both the number and rate of cycling cross-bridges, and that the both methods of Ca 2+ sensitization may act through stabilization of cTnC's D-helix. Furthermore, we propose that the transient expansion of the myofilament lattice during Ca 2+ activation may be an additional factor that could increase the rate of cross-bridge cycling in cardiac muscle. These findings may have implications for the pathophysiology of HCM.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

A functional global sensitivity measure and efficient reliability sensitivity analysis with respect to statistical parameters

Sensitivity analysis and reliability assessment are two important aspects of structural and system safety. Epistemic uncertainty with respect to probabilistic model of input parameters due to lack of knowledge is present in many scarce-data applications and complicates the characterization of uncertainty in model response. In this article, we present two importance measures to evaluate the impact of distribution parameters on the probability distribution function (PDF) of the output and the failure probability. The epistemic uncertainty associated with the distribution parameters is modeled as random variables. Additionally, a modified extended polynomial chaos expansion (MEPCE) approach is introduced in which aleatory and epistemic random variables are modeled and propagated simultaneously while allowing the separate assessment for any single epistemic variable. A MEPCE-based kernel density estimation (KDE) construction provides a composite map from each epistemic variable to the response PDF. The functional global sensitivity index of the PDF with respect to the distribution parameters is thus derived, as a function of output, which is both more informative and more efficient than standard scalar sensitivity measures. Reliability sensitivity indices can be readily evaluated by integrating the global sensitivity index function over the failure zone. Three illustrative examples are used to demonstrate the proposed methodology.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell photocurrent and efficiency using a Y-shaped, pyrazine-containing heteroaromatic sensitizer linkage

A new sensitizer motif for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) has been developed. A heteroaromatic moiety containing a pyrazine ring links two porphyrin chromophores to the metal oxide surface via two carboxylic acid attachment groups. A test DSSC sensitized with the new molecule was 3.5 times more efficient than a similar cell sensitized by a single porphyrin model compound. The open circuit photovoltage was increased by a modest factor of 1.3, but the photocurrent increased by a factor of 2.7. Most of the increase is attributed to a reduced rate of charge recombination of the charge separated state formed by photoinduced electron transfer from the excited sensitizer to the TiO 2 , although some of the difference is due to increased light absorption resulting from more dye on the photoanode. Increased light absorption due to the pyrazine-containing group may also play a role. The design illustrated here could also be used to link complementary sensitizers or antenna moieties in order to increase spectral coverage.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Availability Assessment Based Case-Sensitive Power System Restoration Strategy

Increasingly frequent severe weather events in recent years threaten the security of power systems and result in major power outages throughout the world. The development of reasonable power system restoration (PSR) solutions is therefore urgently needed to speed up the recovery of the power supply while at the same time steering clear of vulnerable and risky equipment. This paper aims to develop a case-sensitive PSR model for power transmission systems that can adjust restoration solutions according to the evaluated availability of outage equipment in specific blackout scenarios and weather conditions. A novel PSR model that integrates the startup of generating units, formulation of the restoration network, renewable energy sources, and availability assessment of devices is proposed. A reformulated model is also proposed to relieve the computational burden of complex PSR problems. The availability of outage equipment is comprehensively assessed based on historical operating records, fault diagnosis results, and weather conditions. The assessed availability results are sensitive to the characteristics of real blackout cases and will support system operators generate case-sensitive PSR solutions while mitigating the vulnerable equipment. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed PSR model and its reformulations are verified through case studies.

availability assessment↗
DOE OSTI2022

Non-target RNA depletion strategy to improve sensitivity of next-generation sequencing for the detection of RNA viruses in poultry

PCR-based assays have become the benchmark for detecting pathogens of poultry and other livestock; however, these techniques are limited in their ability to detect multiple infecting agents, provide limited genetic information on the pathogen, and, for RNA viruses, must be reviewed frequently to assure high sensitivity and specificity. In contrast, untargeted, high-throughput sequencing can rapidly detect all infecting agents in a sample while providing genomic sequence information to allow more in-depth characterization of viruses. Although next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers many advantages, one of its primary limitations is low sensitivity to pathogens given the abundance of host and other non-target sequences in sequencing libraries. We explored methods for improving the sensitivity of NGS to detect respiratory and enteric viruses in poultry from RNA extracts of swab samples. We employed commercial and custom-designed negative enrichment strategies to selectively deplete the most abundant rRNA reads from the host and non-target bacteria; host RNA was diminished from up to 40% of total reads to as low as 3%, and the total number of reads assigned to abundant bacterial classes were reduced greatly. Our treatment resulted in up to a 700-fold increase in the number of viral reads, detection of a greater number of viral agents, and higher average genome coverage for pathogens. Depletion assays added only 2 h to the NGS library preparation workflow. Custom depletion probe design offered significant cost savings (US$7–12 per sample) compared to commercial kits (US$30–50 per sample).

Parris, D. Joshua↗
DOE OSTI2019

Assessment of Airfoil Property Sensitivity on Wind Turbine Extreme and Fatigue Loads: Preprint

Wind turbines are designed using a set of simulations to determine the structural loads that the turbine could experience. These structural loads can be significant influenced by physical turbine parameters. While significant research and effort has been put into measuring and defining such parameters, limited work has been done to quantify the sensitivity of structural loads to uncertainty in the physical turbine parameters. This paper therefore seeks to assess the sensitivity of different turbine aerodynamic parameters on the resulting ultimate and fatigue loads of the turbine during normal operational conditions. Eighteen different turbine parameters are screened using an Elementary Effects approach with radial points. The results show a high sensitivity of the loads to the blade twist and lift coefficient distributions. To a lesser extent, other turbine parameters that drive loads include the maximum lift coefficient location, blade chord length, and drag coefficient distributions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1994

Possibility to sound the atmospheric ozone by a radiosonde equipped with two temperature sensors, sensitive and non-sensitive to the long wave radiation

The sensitiveness of white coated thermistor sensors and non-sensitiveness of the gold coated over white thermistor sensors (which have been manufactured by a vacuum evaporation process) to long wave radiation were ascertained by some simple experiments in-room and also by analyses of some results of experimental soundings. From results of analyses on the temperature discrepancies caused by long wave radiation, the possibility to sound the atmospheric ozone partial pressure by a radiosonde equipped with two kinds of sensors, sensitive and non-sensitive to the long wave radiation was suggested, and the test results of the newly developed software for the deduction of ozone partial pressure in upper layers was also shown. However, it was found that the following is the necessary condition to realize the purpose. The sounding should be made by a radiosonde equipped with three sensors, instead of two, one being non-sensitive to the long wave radiation perfectly, and the other two also non-sensitive partially to the downward one, with two different angles of exposure upward. It is essential for the realization of the purpose to get two different values of temperature discrepancies simultaneously observed by the three sensors mentioned above and to avoid the troublesome effects of the upward long wave radiation.

Kitaoka, T.↗
NASA NTRS2009

A Comparison of the Capability of Sensitivity Level 3 and Sensitivity Level 4 Fluorescent Penetrants to Detect Fatigue Cracks in Aluminum

Historically both sensitivity level 3 and sensitivity level 4 fluorescent penetrants have been used to perform NASA Standard Level inspections of aerospace hardware. In April 2008, NASA-STD-5009 established a requirement that only sensitivity level 4 penetrants were acceptable for inspections of NASA hardware. Having NASA contractors change existing processes or perform demonstration tests to certify sensitivity level 3 penetrants posed a potentially huge cost to the Agency. This study was conducted to directly compare the probability of detection sensitivity level 3 and level 4 penetrants using both Method A and Method D inspection processes. The study results strongly support the conclusion that sensitivity level 3 penetrants are acceptable for NASA Standard Level inspections

Parker, Bradford, H.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Parametric sensitivity analysis for stochastic molecular systems using information theoretic metrics

In this paper, we present a parametric sensitivity analysis (SA) methodology for continuous time and continuous space Markov processes represented by stochastic differential equations. Particularly, we focus on stochastic molecular dynamics as described by the Langevin equation. The utilized SA method is based on the computation of the information-theoretic (and thermodynamic) quantity of relative entropy rate (RER) and the associated Fisher information matrix (FIM) between path distributions, and it is an extension of the work proposed by Y. Pantazis and M. A. Katsoulakis [J. Chem. Phys. 138, 054115 (2013)]. A major advantage of the pathwise SA method is that both RER and pathwise FIM depend only on averages of the force field; therefore, they are tractable and computable as ergodic averages from a single run of the molecular dynamics simulation both in equilibrium and in non-equilibrium steady state regimes. We validate the performance of the extended SA method to two different molecular stochastic systems, a standard Lennard-Jones fluid and an all-atom methane liquid, and compare the obtained parameter sensitivities with parameter sensitivities on three popular and well-studied observable functions, namely, the radial distribution function, the mean squared displacement, and the pressure. Results show that the RER-based sensitivities are highly correlated with the observable-based sensitivities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Monobenzoporphyrins as Sensitizers for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells: Observation of Significant Spacer‐Group Effect

Abstract A series of monobenzoporphyrins ( WH1 – WH4 ) bearing different conjugated spacer groups were designed and synthesized as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells. Although a phenyl spacer only has a minimal impact on the absorption bands of the monobenzoporphyrin, an ethynylphenyl ( WH3 ) or a vinyl ( WH4 ) spacer redshifts and broadens the absorption bands of the dyes to result in much enhanced light‐harvesting ability. Dye‐sensitized solar cells based on these monobenzoporphyrin dyes displayed remarkable differences in power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). The monobenzoporphyrin bearing no spacer ( WH1 ) resulted in a PCE of only 0.5 %; in contrast, the monobenzoporphyrin bearing vinyl spacers ( WH4 ) achieved a PCE of 5.2 %. The high efficiency of the WH4 cell is attributed to the higher light‐harvesting ability, the lesser extent of aggregation on the TiO 2 surface, and the more favorable electron‐density distributions of the HOMO and LUMO for electron injection and collection. This work demonstrates the exceptional tunability of benzoporphyrins as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells.

Jinadasa, R. G. Waruna↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sensitivity of the latitude of the westerly jet stream to climate forcing

The latitude of the westerly jet stream is influenced by a variety of climate forcings. Their effects often manifest as a tug-of-war between tropical forcing, characterized by tropical upper-tropospheric warming, and polar forcing, with a signature of Antarctic stratospheric cooling or Arctic amplification. Here we present a unified forcing-feedback frame work relating different climate forcings to their forced jet changes, in which the interactions between the westerly jet and synoptic storms are synthesized by a zonal advection feedback, analogous to the feedback framework for assessing climate sensitivity. This framework is supported by a prototype feedback analysis in the atmospheric dynamical core of a climate model with diverse thermal and mechanical forcings. Our analysis indicates that the latitude of a westerly jet is most sensitive to the thermally-induced jet speed changes near the tropopause. The jet shift also displays a larger sensitivity than linearity for the equatorward shift.

atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric variability, cli↗
NASA NTRS1984

New Uses for Sensitivity Analysis: How Different Movement Tasks Effect Limb Model Parameter Sensitivity

Original results for a newly developed eight-order nonlinear limb antagonistic muscle model of elbow flexion and extension are presented. A wider variety of sensitivity analysis techniques are used and a systematic protocol is established that shows how the different methods can be used efficiently to complement one another for maximum insight into model sensitivity. It is explicitly shown how the sensitivity of output behaviors to model parameters is a function of the controller input sequence, i.e., of the movement task. When the task is changed (for instance, from an input sequence that results in the usual fast movement task to a slower movement that may also involve external loading, etc.) the set of parameters with high sensitivity will in general also change. Such task-specific use of sensitivity analysis techniques identifies the set of parameters most important for a given task, and even suggests task-specific model reduction possibilities.

Winters, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2018

The active role of the ocean in the temporal evolution of climate sensitivity

Transient climate sensitivity has been shown to be influenced by the changing pattern of SST and Ocean Heat Uptake (OHU), which in turn have been attributed to ocean circulation changes. A set of novel experiments are performed to isolate the active role of the ocean by comparing a fully-coupled CO2-quadrupling CESM simulation against a partially-coupled one, where the effect of the ocean circulation change and its impact on surface fluxes are disabled. The active OHU is the main factor responsible for the reduced transient climate sensitivity and weaker surface warming response in the fully-coupled simulation. The passive OHU excites qualitatively similar feedbacks to CO2 forcing in a slab ocean model configuration due to the similar SST spatial pattern response in both experiments. Additionally, the non-unitary forcing efficacy of the active OHU (1.7) explains the very different net feedback parameters in the fully-and partially-coupled responses.

climate, ocean heat uptake, OHU, ocean, SST↗