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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

The concentration of BTEX in selected urban areas of Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) are air pollutants that harm human health. This study aims to identify BTEX concentrations before the lockdown known as the Movement Control Order was imposed (BMCO), during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), and then during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). These orders were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The study utilised data measured by the continuous monitoring of BTEX using online gas chromatography instruments located at three urban area stations. Here, the results showed that the BTEX concentrations reduced by between –38% and –46% during the MCO compared to the BMCO period. The reduction of human mobility during the MCO and CMCO influenced the lower BTEX concentrations recorded at a station within the Kuala Lumpur area. The results of the BTEX diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis showed that the major source of BTEX, especially during the BMCO and CMCO periods, was motor vehicle emissions. Further investigation, using correlation analysis and polar plots, showed that the BTEX concentrations were also influenced by meteorological variables such as wind speed, air temperature and relative humidity.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Leptin modulates gene expression in the heart, cardiomyocytes and the adipose tissue thus mitigating LPS-induced damage

Highlights: • LPS enhanced expression of the leptin gene in mouse tissues and cardiomyocytes. • Leptin downregulated pro-inflammatory genes in vivo and in cardiomyocytes after LPS treatment. • Leptin upregulated expression of antioxidant genes in vivo and in cardiomyocytes after LPS treatment. • Leptin reduced ROS levels in cardiomyocytes after LPS treatment. • Leptin acts to counteract LPS-induced damage in the heart and cardiomyocytes by modulating gene expression. • Anti-inflammatory effects of leptin in transgenic aMUPA mice overexpressing leptin surpassed that of wild type mice. Leptin is an adipokine of pleiotropic effects linked to energy metabolism, satiety, the immune response, and cardioprotection. We have recently shown that leptin causally conferred resistance to myocardial infarction-induced damage in transgenic αMUPA mice overexpressing leptin compared to their wild type (WT) ancestral mice FVB/N. Prompted by these findings, we have investigated here if leptin can counteract the inflammatory response triggered after LPS administration in tissues in vivo and in cardiomyocytes in culture. The results have shown that LPS upregulated in vivo and in vitro all genes examined here, both pro-inflammatory and antioxidant, as well as the leptin gene. Pretreating mice with leptin neutralizing antibodies further upregulated the expression of TNFα and IL-1β in the adipose tissue of both mouse types, and in the αMUPA heart. The antibodies also increased the levels of serum markers for cell toxicity in both mouse types. These results indicate that under LPS, leptin actually reduced the levels of these inflammatory-related parameters. In addition, pretreatment with leptin antibodies reduced the levels of HIF-1α and VEGF mRNAs in the heart, indicating that under LPS leptin increased the levels of these mRNAs. In cardiomyocytes, pretreatment with exogenous leptin prior to LPS reduced the expression of both pro-inflammatory genes, enhanced the expression of the antioxidant genes HO-1, SOD2 and HIF-1α, and lowered ROS staining. In addition, results obtained with leptin antibodies and the SMLA leptin antagonist indicated that endogenous and exogenous leptin can inhibit leptin gene expression. Together, these findings have indicated that under LPS, leptin concomitantly downregulated pro-inflammatory genes, upregulated antioxidant genes, and lowered ROS levels. These results suggest that leptin can counteract inflammation in the heart and adipose tissue by modulating gene expression.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Evolution of Electronic Properties of Graphene Nanoribbons with Progressive Carving: From Straight to Porous to Chevron Ribbons

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are highly versatile materials due to their unique electronic, magnetic, and optical properties, which can be precisely tuned by controlling their width, edge structure, and topology. Here, we report the on-surface synthesis and characterization of a straight N = 15 armchair GNR with periodic annulene nanopores (15-pGNR). It serves as a structural link between two well-established GNRs: the pristine N = 15 armchair GNR without pores (15-AGNR) and the chevron GNR (cGNR). With the addition of the 15-pGNR reported in this study, these three GNRs form a rare experimentally accessible series of ribbons, in which the evolution of electronic properties can be tracked upon progressive carving of a basic 15-AGNR: first, by creating periodic nanopores to form 15-pGNR and then by extending the pore area and producing meandering cGNR. We have designed a molecular precursor for the 15-pGNR and grown the nanoribbons on single-crystal gold substrates by on-surface synthesis in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions. The atomically precise structure of 15-pGNR was confirmed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM). The band gap of 15-pGNR was studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and dI/dV mapping, and the occupied electronic levels were investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). A theoretical and experimental comparison of 15-pGNRs, 15-AGNRs, and cGNRs demonstrates that the introduction of periodic nanopores into 15-AGNR leads to a more than 2-fold increase in its band gap. In contrast, the band gaps of 15-pGNR and cGNR differ only by about 15%. Such band gap increase can be qualitatively understood to arise from two combined effects, the periodic perforation of the graphene lattice and the confinement effect induced by the GNR width.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

New molecular components of high and low affinity iron import systems in Drosophila

The high abundance and molecular versatility of iron have led to its universal presence in biological systems, yet its absorption is exceptionally challenging. Animals and yeasts use divalent metal transporters to import iron, but yeasts also employ the multicopper oxidase Fet3p for high-affinity iron uptake when iron-starved. Using long-term iron depletion in Drosophila, we identified four components involved in iron absorption: Multicopper oxidase-4 (Mco4), a Fet3p ortholog, is essential for surviving iron starvation, whereas the cytochrome b561 enzymes Fire (Ferric Iron Reductase) and Fire-like, as well as cytochrome b5 protein Firewood, are required for iron absorption under normal conditions. This study reports the presence of a high-affinity iron uptake system in an animal, a cytochrome b5 electron donor for ferric iron reduction, and intestinal ferric reductases, and provides a valuable resource for further exploration of genes involved in iron homeostasis, transport, and absorption.

Iron↗
DOE OSTI2020

Raman and X-ray diffraction study of pressure-induced phase transition in synthetic Mg 2 TiO 4

Synthetic Mg 2 TiO 4 qandilite was investigated to 50 and 40.4 GPa at room temperature using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The Raman measurements showed that cubic Mg 2 TiO 4 spinel transforms to a high pressure tetragonal (I4 1 /amd, No.141) phase at 14.7 GPa. Owing to sluggish kinetics at room temperature, the spinel phase coexists with the tetragonal phase between 14.7 and 24.3 GPa. In the X-ray diffraction experiment, transformation of the cubic Mg 2 TiO 4 to the tetragonal structure was complete by 29.2 GPa, ~5 GPa higher than the transition pressure obtained by Raman measurements, owing to slow kinetics. The obtained isothermal bulk modulus of Mg 2 TiO 4 spinel is K T0 = 148(3) GPa when K T0 ’ = 6.6, or K T0 = 166(1) GPa when K T0 ’ is fixed at 4. The isothermal bulk modulus of the high-pressure tetragonal phase is calculated to be 209(2) GPa and V 0 = 270(2) Å 3 when K T0 ’ is fixed at 4, and the volume reduction on change from cubic to tetragonal phase is about 9%. The calculated thermal Grüneisen parameters (γ th ) of cubic and tetragonal Mg 2 TiO 4 phases are 1.01 and 0.63. Based on the radii ratio of spinel cations, a simple model is proposed to predict post-spinel structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multichannel haptic feedback unlocks prosthetic hand dexterity

Abstract Loss of tactile sensations is a major roadblock preventing upper limb-absent people from multitasking or using the full dexterity of their prosthetic hands. With current myoelectric prosthetic hands, limb-absent people can only control one grasp function at a time even though modern artificial hands are mechanically capable of individual control of all five digits. In this paper, we investigated whether people could precisely control the grip forces applied to two different objects grasped simultaneously with a dexterous artificial hand. Toward that end, we developed a novel multichannel wearable soft robotic armband to convey artificial sensations of touch to the robotic hand users. Multiple channels of haptic feedback enabled subjects to successfully grasp and transport two objects simultaneously with the dexterous artificial hand without breaking or dropping them, even when their vision of both objects was obstructed. Simultaneous transport of the objects provided a significant time savings to perform the deliveries in comparison to a one-at-a-time approach. This paper demonstrated that subjects were able to integrate multiple channels of haptic feedback into their motor control strategies to perform a complex simultaneous object grasp control task with an artificial limb, which could serve as a paradigm shift in the way prosthetic hands are operated.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Operation of the trigger system for the ICARUS detector at Fermilab

The ICARUS liquid argon TPC detector is taking data on the Booster (BNB) and Main Injector (NuMI) Neutrino beam lines at Fermilab with a trigger system based on the scintillation light produced by charged particles in coincidence with the proton beam extraction from the accelerators. The architecture and the deployment of the trigger system in the first two runs for physics are presented, as well as the triggered event rates. The event recognition efficiency has been evaluated as a function of the deposited energy and the position of cosmic muons stopping inside the detector.

Neutrino detectors↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cryogenics and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector installation at Fermilab

This paper describes the cryogenic and purification systems of the ICARUS T600 detector in its present implementation at the Fermi National Laboratory, Illinois, U.S.A. The ICARUS T600 detector is made of four large Time Projection Chambers, installed in two separate containers of about 275 m 3 each. The detector uses liquid argon both as target and as active medium. For the correct operation of the detector, the liquid argon must be kept in very stable thermal conditions and the contamination of electronegative impurities must be consistently kept at the level of small fractions of parts per billion. The detector was previously operated in Italy, at the INFN Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), in a three-year run on the CERN to LNGS Long Baseline Neutrino Beam. For its operation on the Booster and NuMI neutrino beams at Fermilab, for the search of sterile neutrinos and measurements of neutrino-argon cross sections, the detector was moved from Gran Sasso to CERN for the upgrades required for operation at shallow depth with high intensity neutrino beams. The liquid argon containers, the thermal insulation and all the cryogenic equipment have been completely re-designed and rebuilt, following the schemes of the previous installation in Gran Sasso. The detector and all the equipment have been transported to Fermilab, where they have been installed, tested and recently put into operation. The work described in this paper has been conducted as a joint responsibility of CERN and Fermilab with the supervision provided by the ICARUS Collaboration. Design, installation, testing, commissioning and operation are the result of a common effort of CERN, Fermilab and INFN groups.

Cryogenic detectors↗
DOE OSTI2026

Charge readout electronics for the DUNE horizontal drift far detector: design and performance in ProtoDUNE-HD

DUNE (Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment currently under construction, whose far detectors will be the largest liquid argon time projection chambers ever built. This detector design calls for custom-built cryogenic front-end electronics to meet its performance requirements. This paper describes the charge readout electronics that will be used in the DUNE horizontal drift (HD) far detector and presents performance results using data from the ProtoDUNE-HD detector, a 770 ton liquid argon time projection chamber operated at the CERN Neutrino Platform in 2024 that served as the final prototype of the DUNE HD design.

Front-end electronics for detector readout↗
DOE OSTI2026

Comprehensive earthquake catalogue update and spatiotemporal distribution analysis for Iraq and surrounding regions, northeastern Arabian Plate

The updated earthquake catalogue for Iraq covers the period from 1900 to the end of 2021 and includes over 37 000 recorded earthquakes. To create this comprehensive catalogue, five key steps were taken: compiling bulletins, calculating moment magnitudes, harmonizing magnitudes, establishing empirical conversion relations and evaluating the completeness of the catalogue. A notable enhancement in this update is the direct calculation of moment magnitudes for approximately 2800 earthquakes, achieved through the coda envelope technique and waveform data from the Mesopotamian Seismological Network (MPSN) in Iraq. This updated catalogue serves as a valuable resource for examining the spatiotemporal distribution of earthquakes, with respect to earthquake density, maximum moment magnitude and seismogenic depths. Additionally, the Gutenberg–Richter relationship was applied to calculate the a- and b-values specific to Iraq. The findings show that the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt has a seismogenic layer (source) that ranges from 2 to 33 km deep and experiences high seismic activity. In contrast, the Mesopotamian Foredeep has a seismogenic layer ranging from 1 to 25 km deep and has lower seismic activity. The greatest seismic activity is concentrated around the Mandili-Badra-Teeb fault, which has experienced significant ruptures over time. The Outer Arabian Platform is identified as the main area of seismic activity, while additional activity occurs on the Inner Arabian Platform. Three major tectonic boundaries define the distribution of earthquakes in the northeastern Arabian Plate. These boundaries are defined by the Main Zagros Reverse Fault, the Zagros Foredeep Fault and the Anah Graben and Abu Jir-Euphrates Fault Zone. These boundaries highlight variations in seismicity levels and the spatial distribution of deformation in the region. The updated earthquake catalogue presented in this study is expected to play a vital role in regional seismicity assessments and seismic hazard analyses for Iraq and its surrounding areas.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dark energy survey year 3 results: miscentring calibration and X-ray-richness scaling relations in redMaPPer clusters

ABSTRACT We use Dark Energy Survey Year 3 (DES Y3) clusters with archival XMM–Newton and Chandra X-ray data to assess the centring performance of the redMaPPer cluster finder and to measure key richness observable scaling relations. We find that 10–20 per cent of redMaPPer clusters are miscentred, both when comparing to the X-ray peak position and to the visually identified central cluster galaxy. We find no significant difference in miscentring in bins of low versus high richness or redshift. The dominant reasons for miscentring include masked or missing data and the presence of other bright galaxies in the cluster. For half of the miscentred clusters, the correct central was one of the possible centrals identified by redMaPPer, while for ∼40 per cent of miscentred clusters, the correct central is not a redMaPPer member mostly due to masking. Additionally, we fit scaling relations of X-ray temperature and luminosity with richness. We find a TX–λ scatter of $0.21\pm 0.01$. While the scatter in TX–λ is consistent in redshift bins, we find modestly different slopes, with high-redshift clusters displaying a somewhat shallower relation. Splitting based on richness, we find a marginally larger scatter for our lowest richness bin, 20 < λ < 40. We note that the robustness of the scaling relations at lower richnesses is limited by the unknown selection function, but at λ > 75, we detect nearly all of the clusters falling within existing X-ray pointings. The X-ray properties of detected, serendipitous clusters are generally consistent with those of targeted clusters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of muon neutrino charged-current quasielasticlike cross section using off-axis NuMI beam at ICARUS

This paper presents the first neutrino cross-section measurement from the ICARUS detector at Fermilab, using Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam data collected from two beam operation periods corresponding to 2.5 × 10 20 protons-on-target in neutrino beam mode. The signal is defined by events with no pions produced in the final state, a topology dominated by charged-current quasielasticlike signatures. The measurement is reported as flux-averaged differential cross sections as functions of kinematic variables that provide sensitivity to the complex nuclear effects that often dominate the systematic uncertainty budgets of neutrino oscillation measurements. Specifically, this work reports cross sections in two angular variables—the angle of the outgoing lepton and the opening angle between the lepton and leading proton—and two variables characterizing the kinematic imbalance between the muon and proton in the plane transverse to the incoming neutrino. These results are compared against predictions from a variety of neutrino event generators, with p values calculated between the extracted cross sections and each prediction. Overall, the predictions agree with the data; however, the current budget of uncertainties does not yet provide sufficient discriminating power to favor a specific model.

Abd Alrahman, F. [Houston U.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for a Hidden Sector Scalar from Kaon Decay in the Dimuon Final State at ICARUS

We present a search for long-lived particles (LLPs), produced in kaon decays, that decay to two muons inside the ICARUS neutrino detector. This channel would be a signal of hidden sector models that can address outstanding issues in particle physics such as the strong CP problem and the microphysical origin of dark matter. The search is performed with data collected in the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam at Fermilab corresponding to 2.41 × 10 20 protons-on-target. No new physics signal is observed, and we set world leading limits on heavy QCD axions, as well as for the Higgs portal scalar among dedicated searches. Limits are also presented in a model-independent way applicable to any new physics model predicting the process 𝐾 → 𝜋 + 𝑆⁡(→ 𝜇⁢𝜇), for a LLP 𝑆. This result is the first search for new physics performed with the ICARUS detector at Fermilab. It paves the way for the future program of LLP searches at ICARUS.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental Investigation on the Performance Loss of Cross-Linked Polymers During Photo-Oxidative Aging

Abstract Polymeric substances have seen an unprecedented integration in countless applications and fields of life, subjecting them to a broad range of environmental conditions, which can cause a form of damage to the structural and mechanical properties of these components known as aging. In this study we investigate the effects of the degradation of polymeric materials due to the extended exposure to sunlight, which can be simulated through controlled photo-oxidative aging using ultraviolet (UV) radiation as the main catalyst of this phenomenon. The effects on mechanical behavior and chemical properties of four polymeric materials with different mechanical characteristics was accordingly monitored throughout the study. The materials range in hardness with the polyurethane adhesive being the hardest and acting plastically, followed by an acrylic which exhibits greater hardening with time, a polyurethane sealant, which behaves in an elastomeric manner, and a silicon sealant, which is the softest of the set. Samples were prepared and subjected to UV radiation at three different temperatures namely 45, 60 and 80°C, for different aging periods ranging from 1 day for higher temperatures to 150 days for lower ones. The samples were then subjected to the Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) test to monitor the change in the chemical composition of the materials along the aging durations and conditions. The materials were then subjected to mechanical testing along two modes of mechanical loading, which are a simple tension until failure and a double-cyclic test with progressively increasing strain limits after every two successful cycles until the sample reaches failure. The samples are loaded at constant strain rates throughout both tests. These tests revealed the change of behavior of our materials along the aging periods and conditions. The changes in mechanical behavior vary across each individual material depending on the aging temperature and period, with the changes ranging from hardening to softening, embrittlement or an increase in the maximum strain the material can endure before failure. A general trend would be that most materials become harder after photo-oxidation, however due to the range of temperatures in the aging conditions, thermo-oxidation, which causes softening in some of the polymers, has an increasingly notable effect at higher temperatures. A visible correlation can be noted between the change in mechanical behavior and a change in absorbance of Infrared Radiation (IR) in the FTIR spectrum, as the greater the crosslinking throughout the polymer matrix, the lower the absorbance of IR radiation due to the increased stiffness of the overall macro-molecular structure.

Korayem, Abd-Elrahman↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reconstruction of atmospheric neutrinos in DUNE’s horizontal-drift far-detector module

This paper reports on the capabilities in reconstructing and identifying atmospheric neutrino interactions in one of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment’s (DUNE) far detector modules, a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) with horizontal drift (FD-HD) of ionization electrons. The reconstruction is based upon the workflow developed for DUNE’s long-baseline oscillation analysis, with some necessary machine-learning models’ retraining and the addition of features relevant only to atmospheric neutrinos such as the neutrino direction reconstruction. Where relevant, the impact of the detection of the charged particles of the hadronic system is emphasized, and comparisons are carried out between the case when lepton-only information is considered in the reconstruction (as is the case for many neutrino oscillation experiments), versus when all particles identified in the LArTPC were included. Three neutrino direction reconstruction methods have been developed and studied for the atmospheric analyses: using lepton-only information, using all reconstructed particles, and using only correlations from reconstructed hits. The results indicate that incorporating more than just lepton information significantly improves the resolution of both neutrino direction and energy reconstruction. The angle reconstruction algorithms developed in this work result in no strong dependence on particle direction for reconstruction efficiencies or neutrino flavor identification. This comprehensive review of the reconstruction of atmospheric neutrinos in DUNE’s FD-HD LArTPC is the first step towards developing a first neutrino oscillation sensitivity analysis, which will ready DUNE for its first measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Iraq Based on the Updated Earthquake Catalog (1900-2021) and Ground Motion Characteristics

Onur et al. (2017) compiled the first comprehensive earthquake catalog for Iraq, covering 1900 to 2009 within 26°–40°N latitude and 36°–51°E longitude. This catalog was utilized in a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) by Abdulnaby et al. (2020) to aid in updating Iraq’s building code seismic provisions. Recently, we have updated the earthquake catalog for Iraq by adding earthquakes recorded from 2010 to 2021 and directly calculating moment magnitude (Mw) for about 2,800 earthquakes using the coda envelope methodology and waveform data from the Mesopotamian Seismological Network (MPSN) in Iraq.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

NUMI Flux Systematic Uncertainties

The Imaging Cosmic And Rare Underground Signals (ICARUS) detector is a 476 t active liquid argon time projection chamber neutrino detector at Fermilab. ICARUS lies 795 m downstream and 5.75◦ off-axis from the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beam. To create a neutrino beam NuMI directs pulsed beam of 120 GeV protons onto a graphite target to create hadrons, which are then focused by magnetic horns and allowed to decay into neutrinos. At the ICARUS off-axis angle the neutrino flux originates from the decays of unfocused/antifocused pions decays and from high-transverse momentum kaon decays. These contributions allow ICARUS to observe a significant flux of (anti-)electron and (anti-)muon neutrinos in a kinematic region relevant to the upcoming DUNE experiment. These factors also introduce various model uncertainties that have not been studied in detail by existing on-axis experiments. This poster will explore the systematic uncertainties in the NuMI flux at ICARUS that arise from uncertainties on hadron interaction cross sections and beamline operation conditions.

Alrahman, Fatima Abd [Houston U.]↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanisms of Action of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation

The dorsal root ganglion (DRG) serves as a pivotal site for managing chronic pain through dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG-S). In recent years, the DRG-S has emerged as an attractive modality in the armamentarium of neuromodulation therapy due to its accessibility and efficacy in alleviating chronic pain refractory to conventional treatments. Despite its therapeutic advantages, the precise mechanisms underlying DRG-S-induced analgesia remain elusive, attributed in part to the diverse sensory neuron population within the DRG and its modulation of both peripheral and central sensory processing pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that DRG-S may alleviate pain by several mechanisms, including the reduction of nociceptive signals at the T-junction of sensory neurons, modulation of pain gating pathways within the dorsal horn, and regulation of neuronal excitability within the DRG itself. However, elucidating the full extent of DRG-S mechanisms necessitates further exploration, particularly regarding its supraspinal effects and its interactions with cognitive and affective networks. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimizing neurostimulation technologies and improving clinical outcomes of DRG-S for chronic pain management. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the DRG anatomy, mechanisms of action of the DRG-S, and its significance in neuromodulation therapy for chronic pain.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗