Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “superoxide”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 631 records · Page 35

Carbon monoxide alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress injury through suppressing the expression of Fis1 in NR8383 cells

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most devastating complications of sepsis lacking of effective therapy. Mitochondrial dynamics undergoing continuous fusion and fission play a crucial role in mitochondrial structure and function. Fis1, as a small protein located on the outer membrane of mitochondria, has been thought to be an important protein mediated mitochondrial fission. During ARDS, alveolar macrophages suffer from increased oxidative stress and apoptosis, and also accompanied by disrupted mitochondrial dynamics. In addition, as one of the products of heme degradation catalyzed by heme oxygenase, carbon monoxide (CO) possesses powerful protective properties in vivo or in vitro models, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptosis function. However, there is little evidence that CO alleviates oxidative stress damage through altering mitochondrial fission in alveolar macrophages. In the present study, our results showed that CO increased cell vitality, improved mitochondrial SOD activity, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inhibited cell apoptosis in NR8383 exposed to LPS. Meanwhile, CO decreased the expression of Fis1, increased mitochondrial membrane potential and sustained elongation of mitochondria in LPS-incubated NR8383. Overall, our study underscored a critical role of CO in suppressing the expression of Fis1 and alleviating LPS- induced oxidative stress damage in alveolar macrophages. - Highlights: • LPS exposure triggered cell injury in NR8383. • CO alleviated LPS-induced oxidative stress damage in alveolar macrophages. • CO inhibited Fis1 levels and improved mitochondrial function in LPS-induced NR8383.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Deregulation of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway causes susceptibility of dystrophin-deficient myotubes to menadione-induced oxidative stress

Highlights: • Dystrophin knock-down myotubes are more vulnerable to oxidative stress than control myotubes. • Activation of Nrf2 is impaired in dystrophin knock-down myotubes. • Akt signaling is responsible for Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus. • Bcl-2 expression is regulated by nuclear Nrf2. • Sulforaphane can prevent the damage of dystrophin knock-down myotubes under menadione-induced oxidative stress. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X chromosome-linked disorder caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene. Many previous studies reported that the skeletal muscles of DMD patients were more susceptible to oxidative stress than those of healthy people. However, not much has been known about the responsible mechanism of the differential susceptibility. In this study, we established dystrophin knock-down (DysKD) cell lines by transfection of dystrophin shRNA lentiviral particles into C2 cells and found that DysKD myotubes are more vulnerable to menadione-induced oxidative stress than control myotubes. We focused on the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) which is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of phase II antioxidant enzymes by binding to the antioxidant response element (ARE). Under menadione-induced oxidative stress, the translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus is significantly decreased in the DysKD myotubes. In addition, the binding of Nrf2 to ARE site of Bcl-2 gene as well as protein expression of Bcl-2 is decreased compared to the control cells. Interestingly, sulforaphane increased Akt activation and Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus in the DysKD myotubes. These results suggest that the Nrf2 pathway might be the responsible pathway to the oxidative stress-induced muscle damage in DMD.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Construction of extracellular matrix-based 3D hydrogel and its effects on cardiomyocytes

Highlights: • SOD and Triton X-100 could efficiently decellularize cells to get cardiac ECM. • Main proteins of cECM were fibronectin, collagen, elastin, fibrillin, laminin, etc. • 75% cECM-containing 3D hydrogel promoted cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis. • cECM3DH facilitated the differentiation of ESCs into CMs. • APcECM3DH was more conducive to NCM and ESC-derived CM maturation. Some discoveries resulted from 2-dimensional (2D) cultured cardiac cells have been disqualified in animal testing and later clinical trials. Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a vital role in cardiac homeostasis, cardiac ECM (cECM)-based 3D cell cultures can mimics the physiological and pathological conditions in vivo closely, it is hopeful of addressing this challenge. Construction of cECM-based 3-dimensional (3D) hydrogel (cECM3DH) and its effects on cell behaviors were studied here. The results indicated that cellular compartments could be efficiently removed from heart tissue via sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS)- and Triton X-100-mediated decellularization, remaining the natural fibrous network structure and major proteins. 3D hydrogel consisted of 1 × 10{sup 7} cells/mL cells and 75% cECM could promote the proliferation and anti-apoptosis ability of human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293T cells. 0.25% trypsin or 0.20% collagenase was suitable to retrieve these cells from 3D hydrogel for further researches. Compared with 2D culture system, cECM3DH could significantly increase the proportion of GATA 4{sup +} cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from heart tissue of neonatal mouse or induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) (P < 0.05) The expression levels of mature genes including cTnT, JCN, CaV1.2, MYL2, CASQ2, NCX1, and Cx43 of these CMs in adult pig cECM-based 3D hydrogel (APcECM3DH) were significantly higher than that in 2D culture system and in newborn piglet cECM-based 3D hydrogel (NPcECM3DH), respectively (P < 0.05). Therefore, cECM3DH supports the generation of primary CMs and ESC-derived CMs, APcECM3DH was more conducive to promoting CM maturation, which contributes to building 3D model for pathogenesis exploration, drug screening, and regenerative medicine of heart diseases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Preferential solvation of lithium cations and impacts on oxygen reduction in lithium–air batteries

The solvation of Li⁺ with eleven non-aqueous solvents commonly used as the electrolytes for Li batteries were studied. The solvation preferences of different solvents were compared by means of electrospray mass spectrometry and collision-induced dissociation. The relative strength of the solvent for the solvation of Li⁺ was determined. The Lewis acidity of the solvated Li⁺ cations was determined by the preferential solvation of the solvent in the solvation shell. The kinetics of the catalytic disproportionation of the O₂⁻ depends on the relative Lewis acidity of the solvated Li⁺ ion. The impact of the solvated Li⁺ cation on the O₂ redox reaction was also investigated.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Dendrite-Free Potassium–Oxygen Battery Based on a Liquid Alloy Anode

The safety issue caused by the dendrite growth is not only a key research problem in lithium-ion batteries but also a critical concern in alkali metal (i.e., Li, Na, and K) oxygen batteries where a solid metal is usually used as the anode. Herein, we demonstrate the first dendrite-free K-O-2 battery at ambient temperature based on a liquid Na K alloy anode. The unique liquid liquid connection between the liquid alloy and the electrolyte in our alloy anode-based battery provides a homogeneous and robust anode electrolyte interface. Meanwhile, we manage to show that the Na K alloy is only compatible in K-O-2 batteries but not in Na-O-2 batteries, which is mainly attributed to the stronger reducibility of potassium and relatively more favorable thermodynamic formation of KO, over NaO2 during the discharge process. It is observed that our K-O-2 battery based on a liquid alloy anode shows a long cycle life (over 620 h) and a low discharge charge overpotential (about 0.05 V at initial cycles). Moreover, the mechanism investigation into the K-O-2 cell degradation shows that the 02 crossover effect and the ether electrolyte instability are the critical problems for K-O-2 batteries. In a word, this study provides a new route to solve the problems caused by the dendrite growth in alkali metal oxygen batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synergies between Unsaturated Zn/Cu Doping Sites in Carbon Dots Provide New Pathways for Photocatalytic Oxidation

Unsaturated metal species (UMS) confined in nanomaterials play important roles for electron transfer in a wide range of catalytic reactions. However, the limited fabrication methods of UMS restrict their wider catalytic applications. Here in this paper, we report on the synergy of unsaturated Zn and Cu dopants confined in carbon dots (ZnCu-CDs) to produce enhanced electron transfer and photooxidation processes in the doped CDs. The Zn/Cu species chelate with the carbon matrix mainly through Cu-O(N)-Zn-O(N)-Cu complexes. Within this structure, Cu 2+ acts as a mild oxidizer that facilely increases the unsaturated Zn content and also precisely tunes the unsaturated Zn valence state to Zn d+ , where d is between 1 and 2, instead of Zn. With the help of UMS, electron-transfer pathways are produced, enhancing both the electron donating (7.0 times) and-accepting (5.3 times) abilities relative to conventional CDs. Because of these synergistic effects, the photocatalytic efficiency of CDs in photooxidation reactions is shown to improve more than 5-fold.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Combining Experiment and Theory To Unravel the Mechanism of Two-Electron Oxygen Reduction at a Selective and Active Co-catalyst

In this work, we present a combination of comprehensive experimental and theoretical evidence to unravel the mechanism of two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on a catalyst composed of mildly reduced graphene oxide supported on P50 carbon paper (mrGO/P50). This catalyst is unique in that it shows >99% selectivity toward H 2 O 2 , the highest mass activity to date, and essentially zero overpotential in base. Furthermore, the mrGO catalytically active site is unambiguously identified and presents a unique opportunity to investigate mechanisms of carbon-based catalysis in atomistic detail. A wide range of experiments at varying pH are reported: ORR onset potential, Tafel slopes, H/D kinetic isotope effects, and O 2 reaction order. With DFT reaction energies and known thermodynamic parameters, we calculate the potential and pH-dependent free energies of all possible intermediates in this ORR and propose simple kinetic models that give semiquantitative agreement with all experiments. Our results show that mrGO is semiconducting and cannot support the conventional mechanism of coherently coupled proton–electron transfers. The conducting P50 provides electrons for initiating the ORR via outer sphere electron transfer to O 2 (aq), while the semiconducting mrGO provides the active catalytic sites for adsorption of O 2 – (aq) or HO 2 (aq), depending upon electrolyte pH. Due to this unique synergistic effect, we describe the mrGO/P50 as a co-catalyst. Lastly, this concept implies departure from the traditional picture of predicting catalytic activity trends based on a single descriptor, and the co-catalyst design strategy may generally enable other semiconductors to function as electrocatalysts as well.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spin-on-doping for output power improvement of silicon nanowire array based thermoelectric power generators

The output power of a silicon nanowire array (NWA)-bulk thermoelectric power generator (TEG) with Cu contacts is improved by spin-on-doping (SOD). The Si NWAs used in this work are fabricated via metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) of 0.01–0.02 Ω cm resistivity n- and p-type bulk, converting ~4% of the bulk thickness into NWs. The MACE process is adapted to ensure crystalline NWs. Current-voltage and Seebeck voltage-temperature measurements show that while SOD mainly influences the contact resistance in bulk, it influences both contact resistance and power factor in NWA-bulk based TEGs. According to our experiments, using Si NWAs in combination with SOD increases the output power by an order of 3 under the same heating power due to an increased power factor, decreased thermal conductivity of the NWA and reduced Si-Cu contact resistance.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Biological effects of low-level laser irradiation on umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

Low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) can enhance stem cell (SC) activity by increasing migration and proliferation. This study investigated the effects of LLLI on proliferation, enzymatic activity, and growth factor production in human umbilical cord mesenchymal SCs (hUC-MSCs) as well as the underlying mechanisms. hUC-MSCs were assigned to a control group (non-irradiation group) and three LLLI treatment groups (635 nm group, 808 nm group, and 635/808 nm group). Laser power density and energy density of 20 mW/cm{sup 2} and 12 J/cm{sup 2}, respectively, were used for each experiment. The proliferation rate was higher in the 635 nm as compared to the other groups. LLLI at 808 nm did not induce cell proliferation. ROS levels in cells exposed to 635, 808, and 635/808 nm radiation were increased by 52.81%, 26.89%, and 21.15%, respectively, relative to the control group. CAT, tGPx, and SOD activity was increased. LLLI at 808 nm increased the levels of IL-1, IL-6, and NFκB but not VEGF. LLLI improved hUC-MSCs function and increased antioxidant activity. Dual-wavelength LLLI had more potent effects on hUC-MSCs than single-wavelength treatment. LLLI has potential applications in the preconditioning of hUC-MSCs in vitro prior to transplantation, which could improve the regenerative capacity of cells.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

SU-F-I-69: Absorbed Dose Estimation for a Commercially Available MicroCT Scanner with Various Filtration Techniques

Purpose: To quantify the simulated mean absorbed dose per technique (cGy/mAs) from a commercially available microCT scanner using various filtration techniques. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 toolkit (version 10) was used utilizing the standard electromagnetic physics model. The Quantum FX microCT scanner (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA) was modeled incorporating measured energy spectra and spatial dimensions of nominal source-to-object (SOD) distances. The energy distribution was measured using a spectrometer (X-123CdTe, Amptek Inc., Bedford, USA) for the 90 kVp X-ray beams with various filters (including no filter, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm Al and 0.2 mm Cu + 2.5 mm Al). The SOD was set to 154 mm, 104 mm, and 52 mm. A total of 10 million incident particles were processed per simulation. Cutout value was set to 0.1 mm for both photon and electron. The mean dose absorbed (cGy/per incident particle) in a PMMA phantom (length of 2 cm and radius of 3 cm) were recorded. Exposure measurements were taken using a Radcal 9095 system with a protocol of 90 kVp, 200 µA, and ∼12 s beam-On time for the various filters. Results: The mean absorbed dose per mAs for various filtrations and different SOD setups indicated that the dose decreased as the SOD increased and as the amount of filtration increased. For a given SOD, the dose was reduced by as much as ∼13.7% by varying the filter (from 0.2 mm Cu + 2.5 mm Al to no filter). The maximum dose was found to be 0.39 cGy/mAs (SOD of 5.196 cm, no filter) while the minimum dose value was 0.077 cGy/mAs (SOD of 15.4 cm, .2mm Cu + 2mm Al filter). Conclusion: This study estimates easily the mean dose for objects scanned with a microCT scanner with different filtration.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Summary of Accomplishments FG02-04ER15529 (Final Technical Report)

We report on our discoveries related to acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to Fe-deficiency. Fe is required for photosynthesis, but a good fraction of the photosynthetic habitat (oceans, land) on earth have insufficient iron. We used Chlamydomonas a green alga as a reference system to make discoveries related to photosynthetic metabolism in an iron-poor environment. We report on discoveries related to 1) mechanisms of iron assimilation, 2) mechanisms of iron-distribution where photosynthesis vs. respiration can be prioritized, 3) interaction of Fe and Mn utilizing pathways, 4) operation of Fe sparing mechanisms, 5) discovery of Fe recycling mechanisms, and 6) discovery of iron storage sites in the cell.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Prioritization of copper for the use in photosynthetic electron transport in developing leaves of hybrid poplar

Plastocyanin (PC) is an essential and abundant copper (Cu) protein required for photosynthesis in higher plants. Severe copper deprivation has the potential to cause a defect in photosynthetic electron transport due to a lack in PC. The Cu-microRNAs, which are up-regulated under Cu deficiency, down-regulate the expression of target Cu proteins other than PC, cytochrome-c oxidase and the ethylene receptors. It has been proposed that this mechanism saves Cu for PC maturation. We aimed to test how hybrid poplar, a species that has capacity to rapidly expand its photosynthetically active tissue, responds to variations in Cu availability over time. Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence after Cu depletion revealed a drastic effect on photosynthesis in hybrid poplar. The decrease in photosynthetic capacity was correlated with a reduction in PC protein levels. Compared to older leaves, PC decreased more strongly in developing leaves, which also lost more photosynthetic electron transport capacity. The effect of Cu depletion on older and more developed leaves was minor and these leaves maintained much of their photosynthetic capacity. Interestingly, upon resupply of Cu to the medium a very rapid recovery of Cu levels was seen in the younger leaves with a concomitant rise in the expression and activity of PC. In contrast, the expression of those Cu proteins, which are targets of microRNAs was under the same circumstances delayed. At the same time, Cu resupply had only minor effects on the older leaves. The data suggest a model where rapid recovery of photosynthetic capacity in younger leaves is made possible by a preferred allocation of Cu to PC in younger leaves, which is supported by Cu-microRNA expression.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Parvalbumin overexpression alters immune-mediated increases in intracellular calcium, and delays disease onset in a transgenic model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Intracellular calcium is increased in vulnerable spinal motoneurons in immune-mediated as well as transgenic models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To determine whether intracellular calcium levels are influenced by the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin, we developed transgenic mice overexpressing parvalbumin in spinal motoneurons. ALS immunoglobulins increased intracellular calcium and spontaneous transmitter release at motoneuron terminals in control animals, but not in parvalbumin overexpressing transgenic mice. Parvalbumin transgenic mice interbred with mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) transgenic mice, an animal model of familial ALS, had significantly reduced motoneuron loss, and had delayed disease onset (17%) and prolonged survival (11%) when compared with mice with only the mSOD1 transgene. These results affirm the importance of the calcium binding protein parvalbumin in altering calcium homeostasis in motoneurons. The increased motoneuron parvalbumin can significantly attenuate the immune-mediated increases in calcium and to a lesser extent compensate for the mSOD1-mediated 'toxic-gain-of-function' in transgenic mice.

Non-NASA Center↗

Cell signaling by reactive nitrogen and oxygen species in atherosclerosis

The production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species has been implicated in atherosclerosis principally as means of damaging low-density lipoprotein that in turn initiates the accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages. The diversity of novel oxidative modifications to lipids and proteins recently identified in atherosclerotic lesions has revealed surprising complexity in the mechanisms of oxidative damage and their potential role in atherosclerosis. Oxidative or nitrosative stress does not completely consume intracellular antioxidants leading to cell death as previously thought. Rather, oxidative and nitrosative stress have a more subtle impact on the atherogenic process by modulating intracellular signaling pathways in vascular tissues to affect inflammatory cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Furthermore, cellular responses can affect the production of nitric oxide, which in turn can strongly influence the nature of oxidative modifications occurring in atherosclerosis. The dynamic interactions between endogenous low concentrations of oxidants or reactive nitrogen species with intracellular signaling pathways may have a general role in processes affecting wound healing to apoptosis, which can provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Review, Tutorial↗

A comparative study of staggered and cell-centered Lagrangian formulation for multimaterial hydrodynamics

We compare a staggered Lagrangian formulation with a cell-centered Lagrangian formulation for a two-material compressible flow. In both formulation, we assume a single velocity field and rely on pressure relaxation techniques to close the system of equations. We employ Tipton's mixture model for both formulation. However, for the cell-centered formulation, employing Tipton's model for the mixture cell results in loss of conservation of total energy. We propose a numerical algorithm to correct this energy discrepancy. We test both algorithms on the two-materials Sod shock tube test problem and compare the results with the analytical solution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Second order multidimensional sign-preserving remapping for ALE methods

A second-order conservative sign-preserving remapping scheme for Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methods is developed utilising concepts of the Multidimensional Positive Definite Advection Transport Algorithm (MPDATA). The algorithm is inherently multidimensional, and so does not introduce splitting errors. The remapping is implemented in a two-dimensional, finite element ALE solver employing staggered quadrilateral meshes. The MPDATA remapping uses a finite volume discretization developed for volume coordinates. It is applied for the remapping of density and internal energy arranged as cell centered, and velocity as nodal, dependent variables. In the paper, the advection of scalar fields is examined first for test cases with prescribed mesh movement. A direct comparison of MPDATA with the performance of the van Leer MUSCL scheme indicates advantages of a multidimensional approach. Furthermore, distinctly different performance between basic MPDATA and the infinite gauge option is illustrated using benchmarks involving transport of a sign changing velocity field. Further development extends the application of MPDATA remapping to the full ALE solver with a staggered mesh arrangement for density, internal energy and momentum using volume coordinates. At present, two options of the algorithm - basic and infinite gauge - are implemented. To ensure a meaningful assessment, an identical Lagrangian solver and computational mesh update routines are used with either MPDATA or van Leer MUSCL remapping. The evaluation places particular focus on the abilities of both schemes to accurately model multidimensional problems. Theoretical considerations are supported with numerical examples. In addition to the prescribed mesh movement cases for advection of scalars, the demonstrations include two-dimensional Eulerian and ALE flow simulations on quadrilateral meshes with both fixed and variable timestep control. The key comparisons include the standard test cases of Sod and Noh for single material problems. The results demonstrate that the MPDATA gauge option is suitable for providing accurate ALE remapping and preserves the multidimensionality and sign of both scalar and vector fields.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Inhibition of arsenic induced-rat liver injury by grape seed exact through suppression of NADPH oxidase and TGF-{beta}/Smad activation

Chronic arsenic exposure induces oxidative damage to liver leading to liver fibrosis. We aimed to define the effect of grape seed extract (GSE), an antioxidant dietary supplement, on arsenic-induced liver injury. First, Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a low level of arsenic in drinking water (30 ppm) with or without GSE (100 mg/kg, every other day by oral gavage) for 12 months and the effect of GSE on arsenic-induced hepatotoxicity was examined. The results from this study revealed that GSE co-treatment significantly attenuated arsenic-induced low antioxidant defense, oxidative damage, proinflammatory cytokines and fibrogenic genes. Moreover, GSE reduced arsenic-stimulated Smad2/3 phosphorylation and protein levels of NADPH oxidase subunits (Nox2, Nox4 and p47phox). Next, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying GSE inhibition of arsenic toxicity using cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). From the in vitro study, we found that GSE dose-dependently reduced arsenic-stimulated ROS production and NADPH oxidase activities. Both NADPH oxidases flavoprotein inhibitor DPI and Nox4 siRNA blocked arsenic-induced ROS production, whereas Nox4 overexpression suppressed the inhibitory effects of GSE on arsenic-induced ROS production and NADPH oxidase activities, as well as expression of TGF-{beta}1, type I procollagen (Coll-I) and {alpha}-smooth muscle actin ({alpha}-SMA) mRNA. We also observed that GSE dose-dependently inhibited TGF-{beta}1-induced transactivation of the TGF-{beta}-induced smad response element p3TP-Lux, and that forced expression of Smad3 attenuated the inhibitory effects of GSE on TGF-{beta}1-induced mRNA expression of Coll-I and {alpha}-SMA. Collectively, GSE could be a potential dietary therapeutic agent for arsenic-induced liver injury through suppression of NADPH oxidase and TGF-{beta}/Smad activation. - Research Highlights: > GSE attenuated arsenic-induced low antioxidant defense, oxidative damage, proinflammatory cytokines and fibrogenic genes. > GSE reduced arsenic-mediated Smad2/3 phosphorylation and NADPH oxidase subunits (Nox2, Nox4 and p47phox). > Beneficial effects of GSE on As-induced liver injury was via inhibition of NADPH oxidase and TGF-{beta}/Smad activation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗