Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “ABERRATION”

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 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Modification of the Loss Cone for Energetic Particles in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere

The behavior of energetic particles in the Earth's dipole and stretched magnetic-field models is explored with a focus on the shift of the atmospheric loss cone away from the magnetic-field direction and on non-adiabatic behavior occurring when the particle gyroradius becomes comparable with the gradient scale length of the local magnetic field. It is shown that the equatorial loss cone is aberrated away from the magnetic-field direction (pitch angle of 0°) by the perpendicular drift of a charged particle (which is referred to as the “Mozer transform” described in Mozer (1966, https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ071i011p02701). It is found that the Mozer coordinate transformation in pitch-angle/gyrophase-angle space better organizes the behavior of bounce times, mirror altitudes, drift speeds, and first adiabatic invariant. It also describes the loss-cone shift accurately for a certain range of values of the adiabaticity parameter ϵ, defined by the ratio of the particle gyroradius to the local radius of curvature of the magnetic field. For particles with larger ϵ, the Mozer transform (evaluated with the standard gradient-curvature drift) breaks down and the “central trajectory” theory can be used to calculate the angular shift of the loss cone, which now includes an Earthward shift. When ϵ becomes relatively large, stochastic field line curvature (FLC) scattering occurs: we show the intimate connection between the strength of FLC scattering and the loss-cone shift. Finally, by comparing ion orbits in the dipole and Tsyganenko (Ts89 and Ts04) magnetic fields, we conclude that the loss cone of ring-current ions is significantly modified during geomagnetically active times.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantifying Carbon Cycle Extremes and Attributing Their Causes Under Climate and Land Use and Land Cover Change From 1850 to 2300

The increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) mole fraction affects global climate through radiative (trapping longwave radiation) and physiological effects (reduction of plant transpiration). We use the simulations of the Community Earth System Model (CESM1-BGC) forced with Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 to investigate climate-vegetation feedbacks from 1850 to the year 2300. Human-induced land use and land cover change (LULCC), through biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes, alter the climate and modify photosynthetic activity. The changing characteristics of extreme anomalies in photosynthesis, referred to as carbon cycle extremes, increase the uncertainty of terrestrial ecosystems to act as a net carbon sink. However, the role of LULCC in altering carbon cycle extremes under business-as-usual (continuously rising) CO 2 emissions is unknown. Here we show that LULCC magnifies the intensity, frequency, and extent of carbon cycle extremes, resulting in a net reduction in expected photosynthetic activity in the future. We found that large temporally contiguous negative carbon cycle extremes are due to a persistent decrease in soil moisture, which is triggered by declines in precipitation. With LULCC and global warming, vegetation exhibits increased vulnerability to hot and dry environmental conditions, increasing the frequency of fire events and resulting in considerable losses in photosynthetic activity. While most regions show strengthening of negative carbon cycle extremes, a few locations show a weakening effect driven by declining vegetation cover or benign climate conditions for photosynthesis. Increasing hot, dry, and fire-driven carbon cycle extremes are essential for improving carbon cycle modeling and estimation of ecosystem responses to LULCC and rising CO 2 mole fractions. Moreover, large aberrations in vegetation productivity represent potential and growing threats to human lives, wildlife, and food security.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Amyloid- β induces NLRP1-dependent neuronal pyroptosis in models of Alzheimer’s disease

Increasing evidence has shown the aberrant expression of inflammasome-related proteins in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain; these proteins, including NLRP1 inflammasome, are implicated in the execution of inflammatory response and pyroptotic death. Although current data are associated NLRP1 genetic variants with AD, the involvement of NLRP1 inflammasome in AD pathogenesis is still unknown. Using APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice, we found that cerebral NLRP1 levels were upregulated. Our in vitro studies further showed that increased NLRP1-mediated caspase-1-dependent ‘pyroptosis’ in cultured cortical neurons in response to amyloid-b. Moreover, we employed direct in vivo infusion of non-viral small-interfering RNA to knockdown NLRP1 or caspase-1 in APPswe/PS1dE9 brain, and discovered that these NLRP1 or caspase-1 deficiency mice resulted in significantly reduced neuronal pyroptosis and reversed cognitive impairments. Taken together, our findings indicate an important role for NLRP1/caspase-1 signaling in AD progression, and point to the modulation of NLRP1 inflammasome as a promising strategy for AD therapy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Analysis of mutational signatures in exomes from B-cell lymphoma cell lines suggest APOBEC3 family members to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary effusion lymphoma

Here, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare large B-cell neoplasm particularly affecting immunodeficient hosts with an increased incidence in young or middle-aged males infected with the HIV. 1 The clinical outcome of patients with PEL is unfavorable with a median survival of <6 months. 1 PEL has been closely associated with human herpes virus 8 (HHV8, previously called Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus) infection. 1 In some cases a coinfection of HHV8 with the Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) has been described. 1 HHV8 encodes various genes homologous to cellular genes that have proliferative and anti-apoptotic functions. 2 Although HHV8 is supposed to be a major driver of PEL, it alone is not sufficient for a full-blown lymphomagenesis. 2 PEL usually shows complex karyotypes with many chromosomal aberrations. 3 This chromosomal complexity might be driven by the viral infection and lead to genetic alterations cooperating with HHV8 in PEL lymphomagenesis. 4

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

A stable transcription factor complex nucleated by oligomeric AML1–ETO controls leukaemogenesis

Transcription factors are frequently altered in leukaemia through chromosomal translocation, mutation or aberrant expression. AML1–ETO, a fusion protein generated by the t(8;21) translocation in acute myeloid leukaemia, is a transcription factor implicated in both gene repression and activation. AML1–ETO oligomerization, mediated by the NHR2 domain, is critical for leukaemogenesis, making it important to identify co-regulatory factors that ‘read’ the NHR2 oligomerization and contribute to leukaemogenesis. Here we show that, in human leukaemic cells, AML1–ETO resides in and functions through a stable AML1–ETO-containing transcription factor complex (AETFC) that contains several haematopoietic transcription (co)factors. These AETFC components stabilize the complex through multivalent interactions, provide multiple DNA-binding domains for diverse target genes, co-localize genome wide, cooperatively regulate gene expression, and contribute to leukaemogenesis. Within the AETFC complex, AML1–ETO oligomerization is required for a specific interaction between the oligomerized NHR2 domain and a novel NHR2-binding (N2B) motif in E proteins. Crystallographic analysis of the NHR2–N2B complex reveals a unique interaction pattern in which an N2B peptide makes direct contact with side chains of two NHR2 domains as a dimer, providing a novel model of how dimeric/oligomeric transcription factors create a new protein-binding interface through dimerization/oligomerization. Intriguingly, disruption of this interaction by point mutations abrogates AML1–ETO-induced haematopoietic stem/progenitor cell self-renewal and leukaemogenesis. These results reveal new mechanisms of action of AML1–ETO, and provide a potential therapeutic target in t(8;21)-positive acute myeloid leukaemia.

Sun, Xiao-Jian↗
DOE OSTI2013

Electron microscopy: Phase transition singled out

One of the fundamental challenges within nanotechnology is to understand and control how nanoscale properties are initiated, evolve, and eventually terminate as a system moves from an individual nanostructure towards the meso- and macro-scale ensembles that are used in most applications. The ability to directly observe individual nanostructures and characterize their structure and composition has long been within the purview of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The almost ubiquitous application of spherical aberration correction in TEM and in scanning-TEM (STEM) that has occurred over the last 10 years, now means it is possible to routinely characterize such nanostructures with both atomic resolution and sensitivity [1,2]. The development of temporal resolution in the TEM and the ability to study fast dynamics, on the other hand, has only recently come to the forefront of instrumentation development and is currently defined by two different approaches in the use of photoemission sources: the single shot s-ns dynamic TEM (DTEM) [3] and the stroboscopic ps-fs 4-D EM [4]. In the case of the DTEM, the goal is to observe the longer timescale irreversible structural changes that occur during nucleation and growth phenomena (here the single shot approach means there are enough electrons in a single pulsed beam to form a complete image). The 4-D EM focuses on a stroboscopic approach with the goal of studying very rapid reversible effects that occur during phase transitions (here an image is composed of thousands of pump-probe events each occurring with exactly the same time signature, with an individual pulse containing only a few electrons).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

An engineered Axl 'decoy receptor' effectively silences the Gas6-Axl signaling axis

Aberrant signaling through the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase has been associated with a myriad of human diseases, most notably metastatic cancer, identifying Axl and its ligand Gas6 as important therapeutic targets. Using rational and combinatorial approaches, we engineered an Axl ‘decoy receptor’ that binds Gas6 with high affinity and inhibits its function, offering an alternative approach from drug discovery efforts that directly target Axl. Four mutations within this high affinity Axl variant caused structural alterations in side chains across the Gas6/Axl binding interface, stabilizing a conformational change on Gas6. When reformatted as an Fc-fusion, the engineered decoy receptor bound to Gas6 with femtomolar affinity, an 80-fold improvement compared to the wild-type Axl receptor, allowing effective sequestration of Gas6 and specific abrogation of Axl signaling. Additionally, increased Gas6 binding affinity was critical and correlative with the ability of decoy receptors to potently inhibit metastasis and disease progression in vivo.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Nanoscale origins of the damage tolerance of the high-entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi

Damage tolerance can be an elusive characteristic of structural materials requiring both high strength and ductility, properties that are often mutually exclusive. High-entropy alloys are of interest in this regard. Specifically, the single-phase CrMnFeCoNi alloy displays tensile strength levels of ~1 GPa, excellent ductility (~60–70%) and exceptional fracture toughness (KJIc>200M Pa√m). Here through the use of in situ straining in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, we report on the salient atomistic to micro-scale mechanisms underlying the origin of these properties. We identify a synergy of multiple deformation mechanisms, rarely achieved in metallic alloys, which generates high strength, work hardening and ductility, including the easy motion of Shockley partials, their interactions to form stacking-fault parallelepipeds, and arrest at planar slip bands of undissociated dislocations. In conclusion, we further show that crack propagation is impeded by twinned, nanoscale bridges that form between the near-tip crack faces and delay fracture by shielding the crack tip.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

In-line three-dimensional holography of nanocrystalline objects at atomic resolution

We report that resolution and sensitivity of the latest generation aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopes allow the vast majority of single atoms to be imaged with sub-Ångstrom resolution and their locations determined in an image plane with a precision that exceeds the 1.9-pm wavelength of 300 kV electrons. Such unprecedented performance allows expansion of electron microscopic investigations with atomic resolution into the third dimension. Here we show a general tomographic method to recover the three-dimensional shape of a crystalline particle from high-resolution images of a single projection without the need for sample rotation. The method is compatible with low dose rate electron microscopy, which improves on signal quality, while minimizing electron beam-induced structure modifications even for small particles or surfaces. Lastly, we apply it to germanium, gold and magnesium oxide particles, and achieve a depth resolution of 1–2 Å, which is smaller than inter-atomic distances.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Decoupling optical function and geometrical form using conformal flexible dielectric metasurfaces

Physical geometry and optical properties of objects are correlated: cylinders focus light to a line, spheres to a point and arbitrarily shaped objects introduce optical aberrations. Multifunctional components with decoupled geometrical form and optical function are needed when specific optical functionalities must be provided while the shapes are dictated by other considerations like ergonomics, aerodynamics or aesthetics. Here we demonstrate an approach for decoupling optical properties of objects from their physical shape using thin and flexible dielectric metasurfaces which conform to objects' surface and change their optical properties. The conformal metasurfaces are composed of silicon nano-posts embedded in a polymer substrate that locally modify near-infrared (λ = 915 nm) optical wavefronts. As proof of concept, we show that cylindrical lenses covered with metasurfaces can be transformed to function as aspherical lenses focusing light to a point. Lastly, the conformal metasurface concept is highly versatile for developing arbitrarily shaped multi-functional optical devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Spontaneous incorporation of gold in palladium-based ternary nanoparticles makes durable electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Replacing platinum by a less precious metal such as palladium, is highly desirable for lowering the cost of fuel-cell electrocatalysts. However, the instability of palladium in the harsh environment of fuel-cell cathodes renders its commercial future bleak. Here we show that by incorporating trace amounts of gold in palladium-based ternary (Pd6CoCu) nanocatalysts, the durability of the catalysts improves markedly. Using aberration-corrected analytical transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we show that gold not only galvanically replaces cobalt and copper on the surface, but also penetrates through the Pd–Co–Cu lattice and distributes uniformly within the particles. The uniform incorporation of Au provides a stability boost to the entire host particle, from the surface to the interior. The spontaneous replacement method we have developed is scalable and commercially viable. This work may provide new insight for the large-scale production of non-platinum electrocatalysts for fuel-cell applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Atomic scale imaging of competing polar states in a Ruddlesden–Popper layered oxide

Layered complex oxides offer an unusually rich materials platform for emergent phenomena through many built-in design knobs such as varied topologies, chemical ordering schemes and geometric tuning of the structure. A multitude of polar phases are predicted to compete in Ruddlesden-Popper (RP), A n+1 B n O 3n+1 , thin films by tuning layer dimension (n) and strain; however, direct atomic-scale evidence for such competing states is currently absent. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy with sub-Ångstrom resolution in Sr n+1 Ti n O 3n+1 thin films, we demonstrate the coexistence of antiferroelectric, ferroelectric and new ordered and low-symmetry phases. We also directly image the atomic rumpling of the rock salt layer, a critical feature in RP structures that is responsible for the competing phases; exceptional quantitative agreement between electron microscopy and density functional theory is demonstrated. The study shows that layered topologies can enable multifunctionality through highly competitive phases exhibiting diverse phenomena in a single structure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Centromere and kinetochore gene misexpression predicts cancer patient survival and response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer that contributes to tumour heterogeneity and other malignant properties. Aberrant centromere and kinetochore function causes CIN through chromosome missegregation, leading to aneuploidy, rearrangements and micronucleus formation. Here we develop a Centromere and kinetochore gene Expression Score (CES) signature that quantifies the centromere and kinetochore gene misexpression in cancers. High CES values correlate with increased levels of genomic instability and several specific adverse tumour properties, and prognosticate poor patient survival for breast and lung cancers, especially early-stage tumours. They also signify high levels of genomic instability that sensitize cancer cells to additional genotoxicity. Thus, the CES signature forecasts patient response to adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Our results demonstrate the prognostic and predictive power of the CES, suggest a role for centromere misregulation in cancer progression, and support the idea that tumours with extremely high CIN are less tolerant to specific genotoxic therapies.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2016

Population and hierarchy of active species in gold iron oxide catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation

The identity of active species in supported gold catalysts for low temperature carbon monoxide oxidation remains an unsettled debate. With large amounts of experimental evidence supporting theories of either gold nanoparticles or sub-nm gold species being active, it was recently proposed that a size-dependent activity hierarchy should exist. Here we study the diverging catalytic behaviors after heat treatment of Au/FeO x materials prepared via co-precipitation and deposition precipitation methods. After ruling out any support effects, the gold particle size distributions in different catalysts are quantitatively studied using aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). A counting protocol is developed to reveal the true particle size distribution from HAADF-STEM images, which reliably includes all the gold species present. As a result, correlation of the populations of the various gold species present with catalysis results demonstrate that a size-dependent activity hierarchy must exist in the Au/FeO x catalyst.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

Dislocation mechanisms and 3D twin architectures generate exceptional strength-ductility-toughness combination in CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy

Combinations of high strength and ductility are hard to attain in metals. Exceptions include materials exhibiting twinning-induced plasticity. To understand how the strength-ductility trade-off can be defeated, we apply in situ, and aberration-corrected scanning, transmission electron microscopy to examine deformation mechanisms in the medium-entropy alloy CrCoNi that exhibits one of the highest combinations of strength, ductility and toughness on record. Ab initio modelling suggests that it has negative stacking-fault energy at 0K and high propensity for twinning. With deformation we find that a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical twin network forms from the activation of three twinning systems. This serves a dual function: conventional twin-boundary (TB) strengthening from blockage of dislocations impinging on TBs, coupled with the 3D twin network which offers pathways for dislocation glide along, and cross-slip between, intersecting TB-matrix interfaces. The stable twin architecture is not disrupted by interfacial dislocation glide, serving as a continuous source of strength, ductility and toughness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Catalytic site remodelling of the DOT1L methyltransferase by selective inhibitors

Selective inhibition of protein methyltransferases is a promising new approach to drug discovery. An attractive strategy towards this goal is the development of compounds that selectively inhibit binding of the cofactor, S-adenosylmethionine, within specific protein methyltransferases. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of the protein methyltransferase DOT1L bound toEPZ004777, the first S-adenosylmethionine-competitive inhibitor of a protein methyltransferase with in vivo efficacy. This structure and those of four new analogues reveal remodelling of the catalytic site. EPZ004777 and a brominated analogue, SGC0946, inhibit DOT1L in vitro and selectively kill mixed lineage leukaemia cells, in which DOT1L is aberrantly localized via interaction with an oncogenic MLL fusion protein. These data provide important new insight into mechanisms of cell-active S-adenosylmethionine-competitive protein methyltransferase inhibitors, and establish a foundation for the further development of drug-like inhibitors of DOT1L for cancer therapy.

biological sciences↗
DOE OSTI2014

Twinning-like lattice reorientation without a crystallographic twinning plane

Twinning on the {$10\bar{1}2$} plane is a common mode of plastic deformation for hexagonal-close-packed metals. Here we report, by monitoring the deformation of submicron-sized single-crystal magnesium compressed normal to its prismatic plane with transmission electron microscopy, the reorientation of the parent lattice to a ‘twin’ lattice, producing an orientational relationship akin to that of the conventional {$10\bar{1}2$} twinning, but without a crystallographic mirror plane, and giving plastic strain that is not simple shear. Aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that the boundary between the parent lattice and the ‘twin’ lattice is composed predominantly of semi-coherent basal/ prismatic interfaces instead of the {$10\bar{1}2$} twinning plane. The migration of this boundary is dominated by the movement of these interfaces undergoing basal/prismatic transformation via local rearrangements of atoms. This newly discovered deformation mode by boundary motion mimics conventional deformation twinning but is distinct from the latter and, as such, broadens the known mechanisms of plasticity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation catalysed by regenerable atomically dispersed palladium on alumina

Catalysis by single isolated atoms of precious metals has attracted much recent interest since it promises the ultimate economy in atom efficiency. Previous reports have been confined to reducible oxide supports such as FeO x , TiO₂ or CeO₂. Here we show that isolated Pd atoms can be stabilized on industrially relevant gamma-alumina supports. At low Pd loadings (≤0.5 wt%) these catalysts contain exclusively atomically dispersed Pd species. The addition of lanthanum-oxide to the alumina, long known for its ability to improve alumina stability, is found to also help in the stabilization of isolated Pd atoms. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM) confirms the presence of intermingled Pd and La on the gamma-alumina surface. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, performed on Pd/La-alumina and Pd/gamma-alumina (0.5 wt% Pd) demonstrates the presence of catalytically active atomically dispersed ionic Pd in the Pd/La-doped gamma-alumina system. CO oxidation reactivity measurements show onset of catalytic activity at 40 °C, indicating that the ionic Pd species are not poisoned by CO. The reaction order in CO and O₂ is positive, suggesting a reaction mechanism that is different from that on metallic Pd. The catalyst activity is lost if the Pd species are reduced to their metallic form, but the activity can be regenerated by oxidation at 700 °C in air. The high-temperature stability of these ionic Pd species on commercial alumina supports makes this catalyst system of potential interest for low-temperature exhaust treatment catalysts.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗