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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 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Use of Tracer Elements for Estimating Community Exposure to Marcellus Shale Development Operations

Since 2009, unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) has significantly increased in Appalachia’s Marcellus Shale formation. Elevations of fine particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), have been documented in areas surrounding drilling operations during well stimulation. Furthermore, many communities are experiencing increased industrial activities and probable UNGD air pollutant exposures. Recent studies have associated UNGD emissions with health effects based on distances from well pads. In this study, PM2.5 filter samples were collected on an active gas well pad in Morgantown, West Virginia, and three locations downwind during hydraulic stimulation. Fine particulate samples were analyzed for major and trace elements. An experimental source identification model was developed to determine which elements appeared to be traceable downwind of the UNGD site and whether these elements corresponded to PM2.5 measurements. Results suggest that 1) magnesium may be useful for detecting the reach of UNGD point source emissions, 2) complex surface topographic and meteorological conditions in the Marcellus Shale region could be modeled and confounding sources discounted, and 3) well pad emissions may be measurable at distances of at least 7 km. If shown to be more widely applicable, future tracer studies could enhance epidemiological studies showing health effects of UNGD-associated emissions at ≥15 km.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chitosan-Based Scaffolds for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as myocardial infarction (MI), constitute one of the world’s leading causes of annual deaths. This cardiomyopathy generates a tissue scar with poor anatomical properties and cell necrosis that can lead to heart failure. Necrotic tissue repair is required through pharmaceutical or surgical treatments to avoid such loss, which has associated adverse collateral effects. However, to recover the infarcted myocardial tissue, biopolymer-based scaffolds are used as safer alternative treatments with fewer side effects due to their biocompatibility, chemical adaptability and biodegradability. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature from the last five years on the production and application of chitosan scaffolds for the reconstructive engineering of myocardial tissue was carried out. Seventy-five records were included for review using the “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses” data collection strategy. It was observed that the chitosan scaffolds have a remarkable capacity for restoring the essential functions of the heart through the mimicry of its physiological environment and with a controlled porosity that allows for the exchange of nutrients, the improvement of the electrical conductivity and the stimulation of cell differentiation of the stem cells. In addition, the chitosan scaffolds can significantly improve angiogenesis in the infarcted tissue by stimulating the production of the glycoprotein receptors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family. Therefore, the possible mechanisms of action of the chitosan scaffolds on cardiomyocytes and stem cells were analyzed. For all the advantages observed, it is considered that the treatment of MI with the chitosan scaffolds is promising, showing multiple advantages within the regenerative therapies of CVD.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Molecular Pathogenesis and Immune Evasion of Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey Virus Inferred from Genes Expression Changes in Infected Porcine Macrophages

The molecular mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in livestock remain poorly understood. Several studies have highlighted the relevant role of macrophages in controlling the systemic dissemination of VSV during infection in different animal models, including mice, cattle, and pigs. To gain more insight into the molecular mechanisms used by VSV to impair the immune response in macrophages, we used microarrays to determine the transcriptomic changes produced by VSV infection in primary cultures of porcine macrophages. The results indicated that VSV infection induced the massive expression of multiple anorexic, pyrogenic, proinflammatory, and immunosuppressive genes. Overall, the interferon (IFN) response appeared to be suppressed, leading to the absence of stimulation of interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). Interestingly, VSV infection promoted the expression of several genes known to downregulate the expression of IFNβ. This represents an alternate mechanism for VSV control of the IFN response, beyond the recognized mechanisms mediated by the matrix protein. Although there was no significant differential gene expression in macrophages infected with a highly virulent epidemic strain compared to a less virulent endemic strain, the endemic strain consistently induced higher expression of all upregulated cytokines and chemokines. Collectively, this study provides novel insights into VSV molecular pathogenesis and immune evasion that warrant further investigation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Experiments and Modeling of Proppant Embedment and Fracture Conductivity for the Caney Shale, Oklahoma, USA

ABSTRACT: The ultimate aim of hydraulic fracturing is to have a long and conductive flow path that extends from the wellbore into the formation. The effective fracture length is part of a hydraulically propped fracture which contributes to production. The difficulty in achieving economical production targets from shale reservoirs is at the forefront in many exploration companies. Fracture conductivity loss is related to; proppant embedment under depletion, proppant crushing, damage as a result of fracturing fluid, fines migration and proppant-pack permeability-damage are some of the factors that contribute to production decline after hydraulic fracturing in shale reservoirs. The Caney Shale is a calcareous organic-rich mudrock. Various studies have investigated the effect that clay on shale well productivity, however, there is currently no literature on the Caney shale in relation to horizontal wells; all available literature exists in vertical wells as well as on formations of the Caney that are shallow in comparison to an emerging play which is twice the depth. In this paper we investigate stress-dependent fracture conductivity of proppant-filled fractures and proppant embedment in Caney shale through laboratory and modeling studies. API fracture conductivity tests were conducted using 2% KCl on five locations within the Caney shale that consisted of selecting three brittle(reservoir) zones and two ductile zones. Confining pressures range from 1,000 psi to 12,000 psi at 210°F. Conductivity, permeability as well as embedment were measured during the test. Our experimental results have confirmed that improved fracture conductivity is attributed to; proppant size, the increase in porosity of the proppant pack, closure pressure changes and the reduction in fracture conductivity are a function of many factors such as fracture closure stress. The findings from this study could help the stimulation design by providing new insights into the critical factors that are to be determined to facilitate the choice of proppants as well as fracturing fluids for long term production and recovery from shale reservoirs. 1 INTRODUCTION The development of low permeability formations, like shales, has been aided by hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells (Radonjic et al., 2020). Hydraulic fracturing fluid is injected at a high pressure to induce tensile fractures that can link to and stimulate natural fractures (Katende et al., 2021a,b). Preserving adequate conductivity in hydraulic fractures over the life of the wells is required for economic production; nevertheless, conserving such conductivity can be difficult in some circumstances, particularly in soft, clay-rich formations (Wang et al., 2021). Proppant particles help to keep the fractures open when the pumping stops and the fracturing fluid returns to the wellbore, producing one or more propped hydraulic fractures of varying length, breadth, and height (Katende et al., 2021a). The proppant pack within the hydraulic fracture boosts well output by providing a greater permeability flowpath for hydrocarbons (Duenckel et al., 2016). Proppant in the fracture is under complicated stress conditions, and the interplay between the rock formation and the proppant pack has a significant impact on proppant-pack permeability (Karazincir et al., 2019). Proppant may be embedded (Katende et al., 2021a) in the rock or crushed into small pieces if the proppant size and strength characteristics are not specified appropriately, resulting in a loss in proppant-pack permeability and fracture aperture, and consequently a fall in well output.

Katende, A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

B cell receptor-induced IL-10 production from neonatal mouse CD19 + CD43 - cells depends on STAT5-mediated IL-6 secretion

Newborns are unable to reach the adult-level humoral immune response partly due to the potent immunoregulatory role of IL-10. Increased IL-10 production by neonatal B cells has been attributed to the larger population of IL-10-producting CD43 + B-1 cells in neonates. Here, we show that neonatal mouse CD43 - non-B-1 cells also produce substantial amounts of IL-10 following B cell antigen receptor (BCR) activation. In neonatal mouse CD43 - non-B-1 cells, BCR engagement activated STAT5 under the control of phosphorylated forms of signaling molecules Syk, Btk, PKC, FAK, and Rac1. Neonatal STAT5 activation led to IL-6 production, which in turn was responsible for IL-10 production in an autocrine/paracrine fashion through the activation of STAT3. In addition to the increased IL-6 production in response to BCR stimulation, elevated expression of IL-6Rα expression in neonatal B cells rendered them highly susceptible to IL-6-mediated STAT3 phosphorylation and IL-10 production. Finally, IL-10 secreted from neonatal mouse CD43 - non-B-1 cells was sufficient to inhibit TNF-α secretion by macrophages. Our results unveil a distinct mechanism of IL-6-dependent IL-10 production in BCR-stimulated neonatal CD19 + CD43 - B cells.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1967

Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines Second Edition

This book intends to build a bridge for the student and the young engineer: to link the rocket propulsion fundamentals and elements (which are well covered in the literature) with the actual rocket engine design and development work as it is carried out in industry (which is very little, if at all covered in literature). The book attempts to further the understanding of the realistic application of liquid rocket propulsion theories, and to help avoid or at least reduce time and money consuming errors and disappointments. In so doing, it also attempts to digest and consolidate numerous closely related subjects, hitherto often treated as separate, bringing them up to date at the same time. The book was written "on the job" for use by those active in all phases of engine systems design, development, and application, in industry as well as government agencies. Since it addresses itself to human beings set out to create new machines, rather than describing machines about to dominate man, the language chosen may not always be "functional" in the strict sense of the word. The book presents sufficient detail to familiarize and educate thoroughly those responsible for various aspects of liquid propellant rocketry, including engine systems design, engine development, and flight vehicle application. It should enable the rocket engineer to conduct, independently, complete or partial engine systems preliminary detail designs and to understand and judge the activities in, and the problems, limitations, and "facts of life~ of the various subsystems making up a complete engine system. It also attempts to educate those ultimately interested in specialized subsystems and component design (thrust chamber, turbopump, control valves, etc.) about their own as well as neighboring subsystems and about the complete engine system. This should enable the student to prepare realistic analytical calculations and design layouts with a long headstart toward the final specialized designs for subsystem production release. Special emphasis has been placed on engine flight application to stimulate engine systems and subsystem designers to think in these terms from the outset. The book is intended as a textbook, with specific consideration of the teacher without industry experience. We hope it will stimulate those desiring to specialize in the area of a rocket engine subsystem by supplying adequate information to enable them to benefit fully from the specialized literature. Thus, it provides a realistic expert introduction for those joining the liquid propellant rocket engine field.

Dieter K Huzel↗
NASA NTRS1971

High contrast cathode ray tube

A layer of material is described, which contains fine grains of phosphor material stimulated by electrons to produce visible radiation. The layer, which also contains fine grains of cobalt oxide, is deposited on the glass screen of a cathode ray tube to provide high contrast, by absorbing most of the visible radiation which is directed to the layer through the screen, while not materially affecting the visible light which the phosphor material produces in response to the electron stimulation.

Lisovicz, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1970

The ASEE-University of Maryland-Catholic University-NASA summer Faculty Fellowship Program

University faculty members go to Goddard for a period, often weeks, during which they engage actively in research and at the same time participate in seminars related to their research. The objectives of this program are: (1) stimulation of schools to become interested in the research problems confronting Goddard; (2) creation of interest of the university faculty to continue their research after completing the formal program; (3) stimulation of people through associations with the university faculty and through participation in the program's seminars; and (4) establishment of closer ties with the universities.

Morakis, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Laboratory and airborne techniques for measuring fluoresence of natural surfaces

Techniques are described for obtaining fluorescence spectra from samples of natural surfaces that can be used to predict spectral regions in which these surfaces would emit solar-stimulated or laser-stimulated fluorescence detectable by remote sensor. Scattered or reflected stray light caused large errors in spectrofluorometer analysis or natural sample surfaces. Most spurious light components can be eliminated by recording successive fluorescence spectra for each sample, using identical instrument settings, first with an appropriate glass or gelatin filter on the excitation side of the sample, and subsequently with the same filter on the emission side of the sample. This technique appears more accurate than any alternative technique for testing the fluorescence of natural surfaces.

Stoertz, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

On the stability of obliquely propagating whistlers.

By means of an energy conservation approach, this paper analyzes the growth rates of whistlers with arbitrary frequency and direction of propagation in a cold plasma permeated by a dilute energetic electron population. Numerical results are obtained for whistler frequencies and plasma characteristics prevailing at the onset of artificially stimulated emissions. It is found that the growth rates do not in general maximize for propagation along the static magnetic field, and a criterion for the existence of maximal growth at this direction is derived. An application to artificially stimulated emissions is discussed.

Brinca, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Photoemf in cadmium sulfide

Theoretical and experimental investigations on CdS single crystals and CuxS:CdS photovoltaic cells prepared from CdS single crystals by a chemical-dip procedure are described. The studies are aimed at clarifying cell mechanisms which affect key cell properties (efficiency, reliability, and lifetime) by examining the properties of intrinsic and extrinsic defects in the junction and surface regions and their effects on carrier transport through these regions. The experimental research described includes studies of thermal, infrared, and field quenching of acceptor-doped CdS crystals; investigation of optical and electrical properties of CuxS:CdS photovoltaic cells (current-voltage characteristics, spectral distribution of photocurrent and photovoltage) and the dependence of these properties on temperature and light intensity; measurement of changes, as a result of heat treatment in ultrahigh vacuum, in the spectral distribution of photoconductivity at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature, the luminescence spectrum at liquid nitrogen temperature, and the thermally stimulated current curves of CdS crystals; determination of the effect of irradiation with 150 keV (maximum) X-rays on the spectral distribution of photoconductivity and thermally-stimulated current of CdS crystals; and studies of the effect of growth conditions on the photoconductive properties of CdS crystals.

Boeer, K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A new method for upconversion of monochromatic radiation

Frequency upconversion by means of stimulated Raman scattering is examined. A monochromatic beam is scattered into the anti-Stokes wave in a medium with an inverted population of the pair of energy levels involved. A method is proposed in which the beam from a laser tuned to the desired anti-Stokes frequency provides an initial stimulating wave of sufficient intensity to ensure the desired Raman scattering dominates competitive processes.

Volkin, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Simulated weightlessness in fish and neurophysiological studies on memory storage

Simulated weightlessness was used to study the different types of gravity responses in blind fish. It was found that a shift in the direction of low magnitude acceleration in weightlessness causes a rapid 180 deg turn in the blind fish, while a shift in the direction of the applied acceleration in the earth's gravitational field is not significant because of a higher acceleration magnitude threshold than during the zero g condition. This increased responsiveness seems to be explained by a combination of directional sensitivity with a Weber-Fechner relationship of increased receptor sensitivity at diminished levels of background stimulation. Neurophysical studies of the statocyst nerve of the gastropod Mollusc Pleurobranchaea Californica were undertaken in order to understand how complex otolith systems operate. Information storage was investigated on relatively simple neuronal networks in the mollusc Aplysia. Intracellular electrical stimulation of isolated neurons show that a manipulation of autoditonous rhymicity is possible. It was also found that glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are involved in inherent rhymicity of Aplysis neurons.

Vonbaumgarten, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Ion effects on ionospheric electron resonance phenomena

Ion effects are often observed on topside-sounder stimulated electron plasma wave phenomena. A commonly observed effect is a spur, appearing after a time delay corresponding to the proton gyro period, attached to the low frequency side of an electron plasma resonance. The spurs are often observed on the resonances at the electron plasma frequency f sub N, the harmonics nf sub H of the electron cyclotron frequency f sub H (n = 2, 3, 4, ...), and occasionally on the upper hybrid frequency. The spurs on the f sub N resonance are usually quite small unless the f sub N resonance overlaps with an nf sub H resonance; very large spurs are observed during such overlap conditions. Proton spurs are only observed on the nf sub H resonances when the electron plasma waves associated with these resonances are susceptible to the Harris instability and when the electromagnetic z wave can be initiated by the sounderpulse. This instability is the result of a sounder stimulated anisotropic electron velocity distribution. The observations suggest that energy is fed into the nf sub H longitudinal plasma wave from the z wave via wave-mode coupling. The magnitude of the nf sub H spurs for large n is much greater than for small n.

Benson, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Effects of noise upon human information processing

Studies of noise effects upon human information processing are described which investigated whether or not effects of noise upon performance are dependent upon specific characteristics of noise stimulation and their interaction with task conditions. The difficulty of predicting noise effects was emphasized. Arousal theory was considered to have explanatory value in interpreting the findings of all the studies. Performance under noise was found to involve a psychophysiological cost, measured by vasoconstriction response, with the degree of response cost being related to scores on a noise annoyance sensitivity scale. Noise sensitive subjects showed a greater autonomic response under noise stimulation.

Cohen, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Research on biophysical evaluation of the human vestibular system

The human vestibular function was studied by the combined approach of advanced measurement and mathematical modelling. Fundamental measurements of some physical properties of endolymph and perilymph, combined with nystagmus measurements and fluid mechanical analysis of semicircular canal function furthered the theory of canal mechanical response to angular acceleration, caloric stimulation and relating linear acceleration. The effects of adaptation seen at low frequency angular stimulation were studied and modelled to remove some shortcomings of the torsion pendulum models. Otolith function was also studied experimentally and analytically, leading to a new set of models for subjective orientation. Applications to special problems of space, including the case of rotating spacecraft were investigated and the interaction of visual and vestibular cues and their relation to proprioceptive information was explored relative to postural control.

Young, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Rotary acceleration of a subject inhibits choice reaction time to motion in peripheral vision

Twelve pilots were tested in a rotation device with visual simulation, alone and in combination with rotary stimulation, in experiments with variable levels of acceleration and variable viewing angles, in a study of the effect of S's rotary acceleration on the choice reaction time for an accelerating target in peripheral vision. The pilots responded to the direction of the visual motion by moving a hand controller to the right or left. Visual-plus-rotary stimulation required a longer choice reaction time, which was inversely related to the level of acceleration and directly proportional to the viewing angle.

Borkenhagen, J. M.↗