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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Crew Autonomy Through Self-Scheduling: Scheduling Performance Pilot Study

Within the domain of human spaceflight, crew scheduling for International Space Station (ISS) remains a human-driven planning task. Large teams of flight controllers (called Ops Planners) spend weeks creating violation-free schedules for all crewmembers. As NASA considers long-duration exploration missions, the necessary shift of scheduling and planning management from Ops Planners to crew members requires significant research and investigation of crew performance to complete these scheduling tasks. This pilot study was conducted to evaluate non-expert human performance for the task of planning and scheduling, focusing on scheduling problems that increased in complexity based on the number of activities to be scheduled and the number of planning constraints. Nine non-expert planners were recruited to complete scheduling tasks using Playbook, a scheduling software. The results of this pilot study show that scheduling performance decreased as scheduling workload (i.e. number of activities and percent of activities with planning constraints) increased. This paper provides evidence towards developing a model for scheduling task difficulty and identifies potential implications for future automated aids for flight crew scheduling.

planning↗
NASA NTRS2019

Envisioning an Analog Work Domain Across Deep-Ocean Exploration and Human-Robot Spaceflight Exploration

What if one existing work domain could be leveraged to inform an instantiation of a second type of work domain? This is the question that informed a three year NASA-funded study, SUBSEA (Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog), on the use of ocean science and exploration via telepresence as an analog for future human-robot spaceflight. SUBSEA included two field programs performed in 2018 and 2019. Each was comprised of a multidisciplinary team of natural scientists studying deep-sea venting sites in tandem with a team of social scientists conducting work ethnography to understand the existing ocean exploration domain. This paper presents results from the 2018 field program which includes analyses that were required to generate specific “flight-like” conditions for the 2019 field program.

Miller, Matthew J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crystal structure of the kinase domain of a receptor tyrosine kinase from a choanoflagellate, Monosiga brevicollis

Genomic analysis of the unicellular choanoflagellate, Monosiga brevicollis (MB), revealed the remarkable presence of cell signaling and adhesion protein domains that are characteristically associated with metazoans. Strikingly, receptor tyrosine kinases, one of the most critical elements of signal transduction and communication in metazoans, are present in choanoflagellates. We determined the crystal structure at 1.95 Å resolution of the kinase domain of the M . brevicollis receptor tyrosine kinase C8 (RTKC8, a member of the choanoflagellate receptor tyrosine kinase C family) bound to the kinase inhibitor staurospaurine. The chonanoflagellate kinase domain is closely related in sequence to mammalian tyrosine kinases (~ 40% sequence identity to the human Ephrin kinase domain EphA3) and, as expected, has the canonical protein kinase fold. The kinase is structurally most similar to human Ephrin (EphA5), even though the extracellular sensor domain is completely different from that of Ephrin. The RTKC8 kinase domain is in an active conformation, with two staurosporine molecules bound to the kinase, one at the active site and another at the peptide-substrate binding site. To our knowledge this is the first example of staurospaurine binding in the Aurora A activation segment (AAS). We also show that the RTKC8 kinase domain can phosphorylate tyrosine residues in peptides from its C-terminal tail segment which is presumably the mechanism by which it transmits the extracellular stimuli to alter cellular function.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Challenges of Human-Autonomy Teaming

Machine intelligence is improving rapidly based on advances in big data analytics, deep learning algorithms, networked operations, and continuing exponential growth in computing power (Moores Law). This growth in the power and applicability of increasingly intelligent systems will change the roles humans, shifting them to tasks where adaptive problem solving, reasoning and decision-making is required. This talk will address the challenges involved in engineering autonomous systems that function effectively with humans in aeronautics domains.

artificial intelligence↗
NASA NTRS1996

Positive selection moments identify potential functional residues in human olfactory receptors

Correlated mutation analysis and molecular models of olfactory receptors have provided evidence that residues in the transmembrane domains form a binding pocket for odor ligands. As an independent test of these results, we have calculated positive selection moments for the alpha-helical sixth transmembrane domain (TM6) of human olfactory receptors. The moments can be used to identify residues that have been preferentially affected by positive selection and are thus likely to interact with odor ligands. The results suggest that residue 622, which is commonly a serine or threonine, could form critical H-bonds. In some receptors a dual-serine subsite, formed by residues 622 and 625, could bind hydroxyl determinants on odor ligands. The potential importance of these residues is further supported by site-directed mutagenesis in the beta-adrenergic receptor. The findings should be of practical value for future physiological studies, binding assays, and site-directed mutagenesis.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2017

Review of Significant Incidents and Close Calls in Human Spaceflight from a Human Factors Perspective

This project aims to identify poor human factors design decisions that led to error-prone systems, or did not facilitate the flight crew making the right choices; and to verify that NASA is effectively preventing similar incidents from occurring again. This analysis was performed by reviewing significant incidents and close calls in human spaceflight identified by the NASA Johnson Space Center Safety and Mission Assurance Flight Safety Office. The review of incidents shows whether the identified human errors were due to the operational phase (flight crew and ground control) or if they initiated at the design phase (includes manufacturing and test). This classification was performed with the aid of the NASA Human Systems Integration domains. This in-depth analysis resulted in a tool that helps with the human factors classification of significant incidents and close calls in human spaceflight, which can be used to identify human errors at the operational level, and how they were or should be minimized. Current governing documents on human systems integration for both government and commercial crew were reviewed to see if current requirements, processes, training, and standard operating procedures protect the crew and ground control against these issues occurring in the future. Based on the findings, recommendations to target those areas are provided.

Silva-Martinez, Jackelynne↗
DOE OSTI2024

Augmented Human Analysis (AHA)

Radio frequency (RF) signal monitoring generally emphasizes intentionally generated signals, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular transmissions. However, electronic devices also produce unintended radiated emissions (UREs), which could also be useful in RF spectrum analysis. In either case, deriving intelligence from RF signals is typically a human-intensive process requiring significant domain knowledge. In the Augmented Human Analysis (AHA) project, we investigate the utility of dimensionally aligned signal projection (DASP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for accelerating RF analysis workflows. We find that while DASP algorithms can indeed highlight signal characteristics relevant for classification tasks, the choice of algorithmic hyperparameters greatly affects performance. To address this challenge, we evaluate the quality of DASP outputs using the silhouette score, which measures how well data points cluster; high silhouette scores indicate good clustering, and thus good hyperparameter values. This approach is critical for machine learning pipelines as the DASP parameters cannot be directly optimized during model training. By identifying good DASP parameters, and thus good DASP outputs, as a preprocessing step, we can decrease the amount of effort required for downstream ML model training. We demonstrate our workflow using a dataset of UREs from common household devices, showing that even without the aid of ML, proper selection of DASP parameters enables clustering by device type.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

We Must Stop Fossil Fuel Emissions to Protect Permafrost Ecosystems

Climate change is an existential threat to the vast global permafrost domain. The diverse human cultures, ecological communities, and biogeochemical cycles of this tenth of the planet depend on the persistence of frozen conditions. The complexity, immensity, and remoteness of permafrost ecosystems make it difficult to grasp how quickly things are changing and what can be done about it. Here, we summarize terrestrial and marine changes in the permafrost domain with an eye toward global policy. While many questions remain, we know that continued fossil fuel burning is incompatible with the continued existence of the permafrost domain as we know it. If we fail to protect permafrost ecosystems, the consequences for human rights, biosphere integrity, and global climate will be severe. The policy implications are clear: the faster we reduce human emissions and draw down atmospheric CO 2 , the more of the permafrost domain we can save. Emissions reduction targets must be strengthened and accompanied by support for local peoples to protect intact ecological communities and natural carbon sinks within the permafrost domain. Some proposed geoengineering interventions such as solar shading, surface albedo modification, and vegetation manipulations are unproven and may exacerbate environmental injustice without providing lasting protection. Conversely, astounding advances in renewable energy have reopened viable pathways to halve human greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and effectively stop them well before 2050. We call on leaders, corporations, researchers, and citizens everywhere to acknowledge the global importance of the permafrost domain and work towards climate restoration and empowerment of Indigenous and immigrant communities in these regions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2010

Constraint and Flight Rule Management for Space Mission Operations

The exploration of space is one of the most fascinating domains to study from a human factors perspective. Like other complex work domains such as aviation (Pritchett and Kim, 2008), air traffic management (Durso and Manning, 2008), health care (Morrow, North, and Wickens, 2006), homeland security (Cooke and Winner, 2008), and vehicle control (Lee, 2006), space exploration is a large-scale sociotechnical work domain characterized by complexity, dynamism, uncertainty, and risk in real-time operational contexts (Perrow, 1999; Woods et al, 1994). Nearly the entire gamut of human factors issues - for example, human-automation interaction (Sheridan and Parasuraman, 2006), telerobotics, display and control design (Smith, Bennett, and Stone, 2006), usability, anthropometry (Chaffin, 2008), biomechanics (Marras and Radwin, 2006), safety engineering, emergency operations, maintenance human factors, situation awareness (Tenney and Pew, 2006), crew resource management (Salas et al., 2006), methods for cognitive work analysis (Bisantz and Roth, 2008) and the like -- are applicable to astronauts, mission control, operational medicine, Space Shuttle manufacturing and assembly operations, and space suit designers as they are in other work domains (e.g., Bloomberg, 2003; Bos et al, 2006; Brooks and Ince, 1992; Casler and Cook, 1999; Jones, 1994; McCurdy et al, 2006; Neerincx et aI., 2006; Olofinboba and Dorneich, 2005; Patterson, Watts-Perotti and Woods, 1999; Patterson and Woods, 2001; Seagull et ai, 2007; Sierhuis, Clancey and Sims, 2002). The human exploration of space also has unique challenges of particular interest to human factors research and practice. This chapter provides an overview of those issues and reports on some of the latest research results as well as the latest challenges still facing the field.

Barreiro, J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Structures of Two Human Astrovirus Capsid/Neutralizing Antibody Complexes Reveal Distinct Epitopes and Inhibition of Virus Attachment to Cells

Human astrovirus is an important cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide. Young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised are especially at risk for contracting severe disease. However, no vaccines exist to combat human astrovirus infection. Evidence points to the importance of antibodies in protecting healthy adults from reinfection. To develop an effective subunit vaccine that broadly protects against diverse astrovirus serotypes, we must understand how neutralizing antibodies target the capsid surface at the molecular level. Here, we report the structures of the human astrovirus capsid spike domain bound to two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies bind two distinct conformational epitopes on the spike surface. We add to existing evidence that the human astrovirus capsid spike contains a receptor-binding domain and demonstrate that both antibodies neutralize human astrovirus by blocking virus attachment to host cells. We identify patches of conserved amino acids which overlap or border the antibody epitopes and may constitute a receptor-binding site. Our findings provide a basis for developing therapies to prevent and treat human astrovirus gastroenteritis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanobodies against the metal binding domains of ATP7B as tools to study copper transport in the cell

Abstract Nanobodies are genetically engineered single domain antibodies derived from the unusual heavy-chain only antibodies found in llamas and camels. The small size of the nanobodies and flexible selection schemes make them uniquely versatile tools for protein biochemistry and cell biology. We have developed a panel of nanobodies against the metal binding domains of the human copper transporter ATP7B, a multidomain membrane protein with a complex regulation of enzymatic activity and intracellular localization. To enable the use of the nanobodies as tools to investigate copper transport in the cell, we characterized their binding sites and affinity by isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR. We have identified nanobodies against each of the first four metal binding domains of ATP7B, with a wide affinity range, as evidenced by dissociation constants from below 10−9 to 10−6 M. We found both the inhibitory and activating nanobodies among those tested. The diverse properties of the nanobodies make the panel useful for the structural studies of ATP7B, immunoaffinity purification of the protein, modulation of its activity in the cell, protein dynamics studies, and as mimics of copper chaperone ATOX1, the natural interaction partner of ATP7B.

Uhlemann, Eva-Maria E.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dual domain recognition determines SARS-CoV-2 PLpro selectivity for human ISG15 and K48-linked di-ubiquitin

The Papain-like protease (PLpro) is a domain of a multi-functional, non-structural protein 3 of coronaviruses. PLpro cleaves viral polyproteins and posttranslational conjugates with poly-ubiquitin and protective ISG15, composed of two ubiquitin-like (UBL) domains. Across coronaviruses, PLpro showed divergent selectivity for recognition and cleavage of posttranslational conjugates despite sequence conservation. We show that SARS-CoV-2 PLpro binds human ISG15 and K48-linked di-ubiquitin (K48-Ub 2 ) with nanomolar affinity and detect alternate weaker-binding modes. Crystal structures of untethered PLpro complexes with ISG15 and K48-Ub 2 combined with solution NMR and cross-linking mass spectrometry revealed how the two domains of ISG15 or K48-Ub 2 are differently utilized in interactions with PLpro. Analysis of protein interface energetics predicted differential binding stabilities of the two UBL/Ub domains that were validated experimentally. We emphasize how substrate recognition can be tuned to cleave specifically ISG15 or K48-Ub 2 modifications while retaining capacity to cleave mono-Ub conjugates. These results highlight alternative druggable surfaces that would inhibit PLpro function.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Modeling reality

Although powerful computers have allowed complex physical and manmade hardware systems to be modeled successfully, we have encountered persistent problems with the reliability of computer models for systems involving human learning, human action, and human organizations. This is not a misfortune; unlike physical and manmade systems, human systems do not operate under a fixed set of laws. The rules governing the actions allowable in the system can be changed without warning at any moment, and can evolve over time. That the governing laws are inherently unpredictable raises serious questions about the reliability of models when applied to human situations. In these domains, computers are better used, not for prediction and planning, but for aiding humans. Examples are systems that help humans speculate about possible futures, offer advice about possible actions in a domain, systems that gather information from the networks, and systems that track and support work flows in organizations.

Denning, Peter J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Human Factors in Space Exploration

The exploration of space is one of the most fascinating domains to study from a human factors perspective. Like other complex work domains such as aviation (Pritchett and Kim, 2008), air traffic management (Durso and Manning, 2008), health care (Morrow, North, and Wickens, 2006), homeland security (Cooke and Winner, 2008), and vehicle control (Lee, 2006), space exploration is a large-scale sociotechnical work domain characterized by complexity, dynamism, uncertainty, and risk in real-time operational contexts (Perrow, 1999; Woods et ai, 1994). Nearly the entire gamut of human factors issues - for example, human-automation interaction (Sheridan and Parasuraman, 2006), telerobotics, display and control design (Smith, Bennett, and Stone, 2006), usability, anthropometry (Chaffin, 2008), biomechanics (Marras and Radwin, 2006), safety engineering, emergency operations, maintenance human factors, situation awareness (Tenney and Pew, 2006), crew resource management (Salas et aI., 2006), methods for cognitive work analysis (Bisantz and Roth, 2008) and the like -- are applicable to astronauts, mission control, operational medicine, Space Shuttle manufacturing and assembly operations, and space suit designers as they are in other work domains (e.g., Bloomberg, 2003; Bos et al, 2006; Brooks and Ince, 1992; Casler and Cook, 1999; Jones, 1994; McCurdy et ai, 2006; Neerincx et aI., 2006; Olofinboba and Dorneich, 2005; Patterson, Watts-Perotti and Woods, 1999; Patterson and Woods, 2001; Seagull et ai, 2007; Sierhuis, Clancey and Sims, 2002). The human exploration of space also has unique challenges of particular interest to human factors research and practice. This chapter provides an overview of those issues and reports on sorne of the latest research results as well as the latest challenges still facing the field.

FROM↗
DOE OSTI2024

Demonstration and Evaluation of Explainable and Trustworthy Predictive Technology for Condition-based Maintenance

The domestic nuclear power plant (NPP) fleet has historically relied on labor-intensive and time-consuming predictive maintenance (PdM) programs, thus driving up operation and maintenance (O&M) costs to achieve high-capacity factors. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) can help simplify complex problems such as diagnosing equipment degradation to enable more effective decision-making efforts. The benefits of AI will be felt through more efficient plant O&M, improved work processes, and better integration of people and technology. Together, these benefits hold the promise to make nuclear power more sustainable by reducing O&M costs while improving employee engagement. While AI and ML technologies hold significant promise for the nuclear industry, there are challenges or barriers to their adoption. Explainability and trustworthiness of AI are two salient challenges that need to be addressed for wider deployment of these technologies in NPPs. This research focuses specifically on addressing the explainability and trustworthiness of AI technologies to advance the human, technical, and organization (HTO) readiness levels in adopting a risk-informed PdM strategy at commercial NPPs. In addition, this approach can be adapted to enhance the acceptability of AI in other nuclear applications with a few application-specific modifications. The technical approach ensuring wider adoption of AI technologies was developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—in collaboration with Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), Nuclear, LLC—by utilizing the circulating water system (CWS) at two PSEG-owned plant sites for demonstration. Focused user studies were performed in collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) from PSEG and other nuclear domains to enhance human and organization readiness by building trust in AI-informed technologies. VIsualization for PrEdictive maintenance Recommendation (VIPER)—a Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, copyrighted software—was developed and expanded to provide a user-centric visualization by incorporating inputs from the collaborating utility, human factors engineering guidelines, and data analysts. The VIPER software enables users, who may be unfamiliar with ML in general, to be interactively engaged by asking technical questions about PdM, work orders, diagnosis results and their confidence levels, the kind of data being used, and the types of ML algorithms employed. This interactive engagement enhances explainability and builds trust. One of the enabling accomplishments was the integration of large language models (LLMs), both text-based and vision-based, in the VIPER software.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗