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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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Toward highlighting the Ultrafast Electron Transfer Dynamics at the Optically Dark Sites of Photocatalysts
Abstract not provided
Shaping the Future of Science: COVID‐19 Highlighting the Importance of GeoHealth
Abstract From the heated debates over the airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus to the abrupt Earth system changes caused by the sudden lockdowns, the dire circumstances resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic have brought the field of GeoHealth to the forefront of visibility in science and policy. The pandemic has inadvertently provided an opportunity to study how human response has impacted the Earth system, how the Earth system may impact the pandemic, and the capacity of GeoHealth to inform real‐time policy. The lessons learned throughout our responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic are shaping the future of GeoHealth.
A single-cell atlas of the bobtail squid visual and nervous system highlights molecular principles of convergent evolution
Abstract The cephalopod and vertebrate visual systems are a textbook example of convergent evolution with unknown molecular underpinnings. Here we characterize 98,537 single-cell transcriptomes in the bobtail squidEuprymna berryito understand how the cephalopod retina and optic lobes relate to the vertebrate retina. We confirm the overall relative simplicity of the cephalopod retina but identify two related photoreceptor cell subtypes expressing distinct r-opsins. By contrast, the adult optic lobe contains a diverse repertoire of neuronal and glial cell types, with a predominance of dopaminergic neurons. We show that cephalopod-specific gene duplicates probably contributed to this cell type diversification. Comparing neuronal cell population in the optic lobes of hatchlings and adults, we reveal a switch towards dopaminergic neurotransmitter usage with age, indicative of a maturation process. We further identify an FMRF-amide-based retrograde signal from the optic lobe towards the retina that supports the functional analogy of the cephalopod optic lobe cortex and the vertebrate inner retina in visual signal processing from a molecular standpoint. Finally, comparative analyses with vertebrate and arthropod cells suggest a scenario in which two photoreceptor types and two neuronal populations may have already been present in the eye of the bilaterian ancestor.
Air-conditioning adoption and electricity demand highlight climate change mitigation–adaptation tradeoffs
Abstract We elucidate mid-century climate change impacts on electricity demand accounting for endogenous adoption of residential air-conditioning (AC) in affluent, cooler countries in Europe, and in poorer, hotter states in India. By 2050, in a high-warming scenario (SSP585) AC prevalence grows twofold in Europe and fourfold in India, reaching around 40% in both regions. We document a mitigation-adaptation tradeoff: AC expansion reduces daily heat exposures by 150 million and 3.8 billion person degree-days (PDDs), but increases annual electricity demand by 34 TWh and 168 TWh in Europe and India, respectively (corresponding to 2% and 15% of today’s consumption). The increase in adoption and use of AC would result in an additional 130 MMTCO2, of which 120 MMTCO2 in India alone, if the additional electricity generated were produced with today’s power mix. The tradeoff varies geographically and across income groups: a one PDD reduction in heat exposure in Europe versus India necessitates five times more electricity (0.53 kWh vs 0.1 kWh) and two times more emissions (0.16 kgCO $$_2$$ 2 vs 0.09 kgCO $$_2$$ 2 ), on average. The decomposition of demand drivers offers important insights on how such tradeoff can be moderated through policies promoting technology-based and behavioral-based adaptation strategies.
The genome of Shorea leprosula (Dipterocarpaceae) highlights the ecological relevance of drought in aseasonal tropical rainforests
Hyperdiverse tropical rainforests, such as the aseasonal forests in Southeast Asia, are supported by high annual rainfall. Its canopy is dominated by the species-rich tree family of Dipterocarpaceae (Asian dipterocarps), which has both ecological (e.g., supports flora and fauna) and economical (e.g., timber production) importance. Recent ecological studies suggested that rare irregular drought events may be an environmental stress and signal for the tropical trees. We assembled the genome of a widespread but near threatened dipterocarp, Shorea leprosula, and analyzed the transcriptome sequences of ten dipterocarp species representing seven genera. Comparative genomic and molecular dating analyses suggested a whole-genome duplication close to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event followed by the diversification of major dipterocarp lineages (i.e. Dipterocarpoideae). Interestingly, the retained duplicated genes were enriched for genes upregulated by no-irrigation treatment. These findings provide molecular support for the relevance of drought for tropical trees despite the lack of an annual dry season.
A multi-ancestry GWAS of Fuchs corneal dystrophy highlights the contributions of laminins, collagen, and endothelial cell regulation
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a leading indication for corneal transplantation, but its molecular etiology remains poorly understood. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of FECD in the Million Veteran Program followed by multi-ancestry meta-analysis with the previous largest FECD GWAS, for a total of 3970 cases and 333,794 controls. We confirm the previous four loci, and identify eight novel loci: SSBP3, THSD7A, LAMB1, PIDD1, RORA, HS3ST3B1, LAMA5, and COL18A1. We further confirm the TCF4 locus in GWAS for admixed African and Hispanic/Latino ancestries and show an enrichment of European-ancestry haplotypes at TCF4 in FECD cases. Among the novel associations are low frequency missense variants in laminin genes LAMA5 and LAMB1 which, together with previously reported LAMC1, form laminin-511 (LM511). AlphaFold 2 protein modeling, validated through homology, suggests that mutations at LAMA5 and LAMB1 may destabilize LM511 by altering inter-domain interactions or extracellular matrix binding. Finally, phenome-wide association scans and colocalization analyses suggest that the TCF4 CTG18.1 trinucleotide repeat expansion leads to dysregulation of ion transport in the corneal endothelium and has pleiotropic effects on renal function.
Highlights from Faraday Discussion 172: Carbon in Electrochemistry, Sheffield, UK, July 2014
Faraday Discussions have been very true to their name, focusing genuinely on healthy, in-depth, and fruitful discussions rather than just serving as a platform for one to one researcher interaction and collaboration. So the first experience of a Faraday Discussion is always an eye-opener about how lively conference discussions can become. The format follows that presenters submit full papers a few months in advance which are lightly reviewed before all the papers are circulated to each of the registered participants. Participants arrive at the conference prepared with their queries and arguments after having read the circulated manuscripts. At the conference the authors present their work for five minutes each followed by extensive discussion of 20–25 minutes, which is practically a ‘‘live peer-review’’. Moreover, this experience of a discussion-cum-peer review with participants ranging for PhD students to experts in the relevant field is both a daunting and a very enriching experience at the same time. This has been the trend since the first Faraday Discussions held in London in 1907 in London which debated ‘‘osmotic pressure’’,1 and this format clearly sets it apart from any other conference to date. All discussions form part of the peer review process and are sequentially recorded and published with the accepted manuscripts.
Highlights of the Faraday Discussion on Nanoparticle Synthesis and Assembly, Argonne, USA, April 2015
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How the AI-assisted discovery and synthesis of a ternary oxide highlights capability gaps in materials science
Exploratory synthesis has been the main generator of new inorganic materials for decades. AI-assisted discovery is possible, but human-AI collaboration should be refined according to their respective strengths.
Diacylglycerol enantiomer selectivity of diacylglycerol acyltransferases highlights metabolic specialization in triacylglycerol synthesis across the tree of life
Triacylglycerols are the major energy storage lipids in plants, animals, and microorganisms, and are predominantly produced by acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol (DAG) acyltransferases (DGATs). Two enantiomers of the DAG substrate, sn -1,2 and sn -2,3, can be produced by different biological mechanisms; however, little is known about which species produce each enantiomer, the selectivity of DGAT isoforms for either enantiomer, or whether DGAT enantiomer selectivity varies across organisms. Here, DAG enantiomer selectivity of DGAT1 and DGAT2 was measured from eight seed plants, two mammals, one oleaginous yeast, and one photosynthetic microalga using enantiomer-specific in vitro DGAT assays. Across most plants, DGAT1 favored sn -1,2-DAG, whereas DGAT2 preferentially utilized sn -2,3-DAG. However, there were several exceptions. Mammalian DGAT1, DGAT2, and microbial DGAT1s efficiently used both DAG enantiomers, while microbial DGAT2s had unique selectivity. The selectivity of several DGATs for combined acyl-CoA and DAG enantiomer molecular species were also evaluated for biotechnical applications. Therefore, DGAT DAG enantiomer selectivity is common yet strongly dependent on lineage and isoform and likely shaped in part by species-specific metabolic context of triacylglycerol synthesis, turnover, and remodeling. This work expands our understanding of DGAT function and establishes a foundation for leveraging enantiomer-selective acyltransferases in metabolic engineering of tailored lipid products.
Overview and highlights of the Spin Asymmetries of the Nucleon Experiment – SANE
The Spin Asymmetries of the Nucleon Experiment – SANE took data on inelastic and elastic inclusive and coincidence beam-target asymmetries in the Hall C facility at Jefferson Lab, detecting the scattered electrons with the large non-magnetic Big Electron Telescope Array – BETA and the High Momentum Spectrometer. The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility – CEBAF delivered polarized electrons that were incident on the U. of Virginia polarized proton target. An overview and selected examples of the wealth of collected data, extending from the elastic to the deep inelastic scattering regions, and spanning the four-momentum range from 0.8 to 6GeV{sup 2}, will be presented.
Experimental Highlights: Heavy Quark Physics in Heavy-Ion Collisions at RHIC
The discovery at RHIC of large high-p T suppression and flow of electrons from heavy quarks flavors have altered our view of the hot and dense matter formed in central Au + Au collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV. These results suggest a large energy loss and flow of heavy quarks in the hot, dense matter. In recent years, the RHIC experiments upgraded the detectors; (1) PHENIX Collaboration installed silicon vertex tracker (VTX) at midrapidity region and forward silicon vertex tracker (FVTX) at the forward rapidity region, and (2) STAR Collaboration installed the heavy flavor tracker (HFT) and the muon telescope detector (MTD) both at the mid-rapidity region. The PHENIX experiments established measurements of ψ (1S ) and ψ (2S ) production as a function of system size, p + p, p + Al, p + Au, and 3 He + Au collisions at √s NN = 200 GeV. In p/ 3 He + A collisions at forward rapidity, we observe no difference in the ψ (2S )/ψ (1S ) ratio relative to p + p collisions. At backward rapidity, where the comoving particle density is higher, we find that the ψ (2S ) is preferentially suppressed by a factor of two. STAR Collaboration presents the first J/ ψ measurements in the di-muon decay channel in Au + Au at √s NN = 200 GeV at mid-rapidity. In conclusion, we observe a clear J/ψ R AA suppression and qualitatively well described by transport models, including dissociation and regeneration simultaneously.
Highlights from PHENIX at RHIC
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sPHENIX Highlights: First Results from sPHENIX at RHIC
First results from the sPHENIX experiment on the π 0 v 2 and dE T =dη in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 200 GeV using detector commissioning data during the RHIC 2023 Run are presented. These results are shown across a large centrality range, and compared to previous PHENIX and STAR results. These measurements demonstrate the sPHENIX capabilities towards accomplishing the sPHENIX jet physics program. From the ongoing RHIC 2024 Run, p + p collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV, a first glimpse of the measurements K S 0 and Λ 0 obtained by the sPHENIX Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detector are shown.
Theoretical highlights on neutrino-nucleus interactions: current challenges
The present theoretical status of neutrino interactions in the few-GeV region is reviewed. Quasielastic scattering, pion production and their importance for neutrino oscillation studies are discussed, making emphasis on the open questions that arise in the comparison with new experimental data.
Highlights from RHIC Spin Physics Program
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory delivers the world's highest energy polarized proton-proton collisions at a center of mass energy up to 500 GeV and provides a unique opportunity to study the quark and gluon spin structure of the proton and QCD dynamics at high energy scale. RHIC has produced many exiting physics results in recent years. The latest data from RHIC significantly constrain the gluon spin contribution to the proton spin, and the parity violating single spin asymmetry are observed for the first time in W production by both the PHENIX and STAR collaborations. In this report, I present the latest results from the PHENIX and STAR experiments, followed by a brief discussion of the future prospects of transverse physics, particularly on the importance of the unique measurements of Drell-Yan single spin asymmetry.
Adiabatic magnetocaloric temperature change in polycrystalline gadolinium – A new approach highlighting reversibility
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