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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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Articles are presented on a space station architectural elements model study, space station group activities habitability module study, full-scale architectural simulation techniques for space stations, and social factors in space station interiors.
A cost-reward model is used to frame a discussion of differences in observed behavior of individuals and groups in confined environments. It has been observed that the high cost of functioning in a stressful environment is likely to produce poor performance when anticipated rewards are low but that participants can manage the stress and achieve high performance if they anticipate high rewards. The high-reward environment is exemplified by early undersea habitats such as Sealab and Tektite and by early space missions. Other aspects of behavior occur in all confined environments and point to an important area for future research. Of particular interest are intergroup conflicts arising between the confined group and its external control. Also, individual differences in personality seem always to have an impact in confined environments. Recent research has focused on: (1) predicting performance and adjustment based on instrumental and expressive aspects of the self; (2) the differential predictive power of achievement striving and irritation/irritability in Type A personalities; and (3) the nature and role of leadership in small, isolated groups.
Various enzymes can be used to modify the structure of hemicelluloses directly in vivo or following extraction from biomass sources, such as wood and agricultural residues. Generally, these enzymes can contribute to designer hemicelluloses through four main strategies: (1) enzymatic hydrolysis such as selective removal of side groups by glycoside hydrolases (GH) and carbohydrate esterases (CE), (2) enzymatic cross-linking, for instance, the selective addition of side groups by glycosyltransferases (GT) with activated sugars, (3) enzymatic polymerization by glycosynthases (GS) with activated glycosyl donors or transglycosylation, and (4) enzymatic functionalization, particularly via oxidation by carbohydrate oxidoreductases and via amination by amine transaminases. Thus, this Perspective will first highlight enzymes that play a role in regulating the degree of polymerization and side group composition of hemicelluloses, and subsequently, it will explore enzymes that enhance cross-linking capabilities and incorporate novel chemical functionalities into saccharide structures. These enzymatic routes offer a precise way to tailor the properties of hemicelluloses for specific applications in biobased materials, contributing to the development of renewable alternatives to conventional materials derived from fossil fuels.
Here, we report on the availability and chemical utility of primary amines within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for cell targeting. Primary amine groups represent one of the most versatile chemical moieties for conjugation to biologically relevant molecules, including antibodies and enzymes. Specifically, we used two different chemical conjugations schemes, utilizing the amino functionality on the organic linker: first, carbodiimide chemistry was used to link the primary amine to available carboxyl groups on the protein neutravidin; second, sulfhydryl cross-linking chemistry was used via Traut’s reagent scheme. Importantly, this is the first report that documents this methodology implemented with MOF systems. Finally, the ability of the EpCAM antibody targeted MOFs to bind to a human epithelial cell line (A549), a common target for imaging studies, was confirmed with confocal microscopy.
Cyber landscape evolves rapidly. Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge Computing (EC) have rapidly become an integral part of the modern computing infrastructure. It is expected that there will be more than 50 billion active and connected IoT devices by 2025 [1]. Pervasive IoT/EC creates unprecedented opportunities bridging the gap between previously segregated cyber and physical spaces. However, this progress also brings along new security challenges. IoT devices typically have limited computation, communication, and storage resources. This leads to security architecture designs such as using symmetric keys for group communication. While secure and efficient in stable network settings, symmetric key solutions are ill-adapted for IoT's highly dynamic device mobility behavior and frequent group membership turnover. Whenever IoT members leave a group, the known symmetric keys cannot be made forgotten, posing a serious vulnerability. This leads to frequent re-groupings that require expensive re-authentication, key regeneration, and key redistribution in order to maintain IoT/EC security. We present a novel symmetric key management framework that integrate an Incremental Threshold Scheme (ITS) cryptographical function into communication protocol's key rotation mechanism to allow for secure and efficient symmetric key communication group member node revocation. This ITS-enabled key management framework alleviates the need of frequent and expensive re-grouping and re-keying needed by today's large and dynamic IoT/EC operations. We further applied this ITS-enabled key management framework to a distributed IoT/EC-integrated publish and subscribe framework for applicability validation.
We present SIDM Concerto: 14 cosmological zoom-in simulations in cold dark matter (CDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models based on the Symphony and Milky Way-est suites. SIDM Concerto includes one Large Magellanic Cloud– (LMC-) mass system (host mass ∼10 11 M ⊙ ), two Milky Way (MW) analogs (∼10 12 M ⊙ ), two group-mass hosts (∼10 13 M ⊙ ), and one low-mass cluster (∼10 14 M ⊙ ). Each host contains ≈2 × 10 7 particles and is run in CDM and one or more strong, velocity-dependent SIDM models. Our analysis of SIDM (sub)halo populations over seven subhalo mass decades reveals that (1) the fraction of core-collapsed isolated halos and subhalos peaks at a maximum circular velocity corresponding to the transition of the SIDM cross section from a v −4 to v 0 scaling; (2) SIDM subhalo mass functions are suppressed by ≈50% relative to CDM in LMC, MW, and group-mass hosts but are consistent with CDM in the low-mass cluster host; (3) subhalos’ inner density profile slopes, which are more diverse in SIDM than in CDM, are sensitive to both the amplitude and shape of the SIDM cross section. Our simulations provide a benchmark for testing SIDM predictions with astrophysical observations of field and satellite galaxies, strong lensing systems, and stellar streams. Data products are publicly available at doi:10.5281/zenodo.14933624.
The visibility times and communication link dynamics for the Earth Observations Satellite (EOS)-McMurdo Sound direct downlinks have been studied. The 16 day EOS periodicity may be shown with the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) and the entire 16 day period should be simulated for representative link statistics. We desire many attributes of the downlink, however, and a faster orbital determination method is desirable. We use the method of osculating elements for speed and accuracy in simulating the EOS orbit. The accuracy of the method of osculating elements is demonstrated by closely reproducing the observed 16 day Landsat periodicity. An autocorrelation function method is used to show the correlation spike at 16 days. The entire 16 day record of passes over McMurdo Sound is then used to generate statistics for innage time, outage time, elevation angle, antenna angle rates, and propagation loss. The levation angle probability density function is compared with 1967 analytic approximation which has been used for medium to high altitude satellites. One practical result of this comparison is seen to be the rare occurrence of zenith passes. The new result is functionally different than the earlier result, with a heavy emphasis on low elevation angles. EOS is one of a large class of sun synchronous satellites which may be downlinked to McMurdo Sound. We examine delay statistics for an entire group of sun synchronous satellites ranging from 400 km to 1000 km altitude. Outage probability density function results are presented three dimensionally.
Over the past year, two Rogue GPS prototype receivers have been assembled and successfully subjected to a variety of laboratory and field tests. A functional description is presented of signal processing in the Rogue receiver, tracing the signal from RF input to the output values of group delay, phase, and data bits. The receiver can track up to eight satellites, without time multiplexing among satellites or channels, simultaneously measuring both group delay and phase for each of three channels (L1-C/A, L1-P, L2-P). The Rogue signal processing described requires generation of the code for all three channels. Receiver functional design, which emphasized accuracy, reliability, flexibility, and dynamic capability, is summarized. A detailed functional description of signal processing is presented, including C/A-channel and P-channel processing, carrier-aided averaging of group delays, checks for cycle slips, acquistion, and distinctive features.
This paper presents the development of coupling between the molten salt reactor species transport code Mole and the reactor physics code Griffin. Here, in this study, tracking of delayed neutron precursors was investigated in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), accounting for changes in fuel flow velocity as a function of position in the primary loop. The neutron transport calculations in Griffin were performed using 11 energy groups, and the species advection calculations in Mole used 6 delayed neutron precursor groups to predict spatial distribution of the neutron flux and neutron precursors in the MSRE. Mole–Griffin was used to calculate $k$ eff and $β$ eff in the reactor as a function of different volumetric flow rates.
The ability to capture and utilize light in the near-ultraviolet (NUV), visible and near-infrared (NIR-I and NIR-II) spectral regions (i.e., 320–400, 400–700, 700–1000, 1000–1700 nm) is essential for any solar-energy conversion scheme. Nature employs chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls in light-harvesting architectures to absorb light in the blue and red/NIR regions. Accessory pigments (carotenoids, bilins) augment absorption of the (bacterio)chlorophylls in the green region. The harvested energy is funneled to a reaction center protein, where charge separation occurs. Subsequent migration of the electron and the hole stabilizes and stores the energy from light via redox chemistry. The long-term objective of the Bocian/Holten&Kirmaier/Lindsey research program under this DOE grant has been to develop tetrapyrrole-based molecular architectures that absorb sunlight, funnel energy and separate charge with high efficiency. Integral to the program has been iterative cycles of design, synthesis and characterization that provided deep insights into the relationships between chemical composition, electronic structure, and key static and dynamic properties (vibrational, redox, photophysical, energy/charge transfer) of tetrapyrrolic systems. Such architectures included monomers, dyads, larger arrays, and complexes with accessory components. The objective was to develop molecular designs and guiding principles to enhance current and future energy-conversion schemes. Molecular arrays targeted to address one or more fundamental questions concerning light harvesting and energy/charge transfer were constructed from analogues of the naturally occurring hemes, chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. Diverse, tunable synthetic building blocks were prepared that spanned the three respective tetrapyrrole families, which are the porphyrins, chlorins and bacteriochlorins. Thus, the research focused on porphyrins as well as synthetic surrogates for chlorophylls (chlorins, 13 1 -oxophorbines and chlorin-imides) and bacteriochlorophylls (bacteriochlorins, bacterio-13 1 -oxophorbines and bacteriochlorin-imides), generically termed hydroporphyrins. Although the three tetrapyrrole classes (porphyrins, chlorins and bacteriochlorins) absorb light strongly in the violet-blue spectral region, the long-wavelength absorption band typically lies in the green-orange, red, and NIR regions, respectively, with increasing intensity. Understanding the spectra, electronic structure, and energy/charge-transfer properties of such tetrapyrrolic macrocycles is of central importance for the rational design of molecular architectures for solar-energy conversion. Our integrated program of molecular design and synthesis coupled with a variety of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and computational studies have probed from first principles how structural and electronic properties of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles dictate spectral properties as well as the rates of ground-state hole/electron transfer and excited-state energy flow in multicomponent architectures. Individual molecules and multicomponent architectures were designed to test ideas of fundamental importance, often requiring the development of new synthetic methodology. The members of the collaborative team had almost daily discussions by phone and/or e-mail concerning design of molecules, flow of compounds between the labs, planning of physical characterization studies, discussing results and analysis and integrating into design of next generation architectures, and the preparation of manuscripts. Furthermore, students and postdocs in the different labs routinely communicated with one another to facilitate the advancement of the research activities. In short, a highly integrated and collaborative research program was well established among the groups. The research effort involved molecular design and synthesis of synthetic molecular architectures by the Lindsey group integrated with physicochemical and photophysical characterization by the Bocian group and the Holten&Kirmaier group (Figure 2). The Bocian group carried out electrochemical, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), resonance Raman (RR), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) studies, as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the time-dependent extension (TDDFT) to gain insight into excited-state properties. The Holten&Kirmaier group carried out static and time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy studies and simulated absorption spectra using molecular orbital (MO) energies from DFT as input to the four-orbital model to complement the TDDFT calculations. The combined measurements provided understanding of the vibrational/electronic properties of the individual molecules and the changes that occur upon incorporation into multicomponent architectures. This information underpinned elucidating the mechanisms and timescales of ground-state hole/electron transfer and excited-state energy and charge transfer.
During this grant period the investigator has accomplished the following: developed and researched the science case for high resolution optical imaging with NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope); presented to the ASWG (Ad-Hoc Science Working Group) on the use of NGST to image and measure the proper motions of white dwarf stars that could account for the MACHO events toward the LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud); wrote proposals for the Design Reference Mission. Three proposals have been written on the following topics: Measuring the faint end of the white dwarf luminosity function to get an independent measure of the age of the oldest stars, measurement of the stellar luminosity function over the full range of age, abundance, and population type, and deep imaging of Local Group halos to measure the relative ages of the oldest stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies; he has introduced simulations of crowded field stellar photometry on a hypothetical population in the M31 halo. Using a physically correct luminosity function and a surface brightness of 24.5 mag/sq. arcsec, NGST imaging in 10 hours easily measures the turnoff and reaches 3 mags down the main sequence in the halo of M31; and has delivered talks at the NGST workshop in Liege, and at the meeting in Paris entitled "Connecting the Distant Universe with the Local Fossil Record".
Postpolymerization functionalization is a key strategy in the diversification of polymeric materials for the conferral of tailored properties. Poly(cyclosilane)s are structurally complex polymers with an all-silicon backbone, featuring a periodic array of hydrido (Si–H) side chains that are potentially suitable for postpolymerization functionalization via hydrosilylation. At the same time, classical methods for hydrosilylation employing Pt- or Pd-based catalysts can result in Si–Si bond scission. In this work, we demonstrate borane-catalyzed hydrosilylation reactions between α-olefins and small molecules or three distinct poly(cyclosilane) architectures. We investigate chemoselectivity for end group versus internal Si–H groups and find that 29 Si cross-polarization magic angle spinning can provide insight on site-selectivity in the functionalization of a complex poly(cyclosilane). Furthermore, we show that postpolymerization hydrosilylation, converting oxidatively sensitive Si–H groups to Si–alkyl chains, modulates solubility and physical characteristics, optical properties, pyrolytic reactivity, and air sensitivity.
Measurements of the 5𝑝 2 𝑃 3/2 → 9𝑠 2 𝑆 1/2 and 5𝑝 2 𝑃 1/2 → 8𝑠 2 𝑆 1/2 transitions in the indium atom, combined with new atomic physics calculations, were used to extract the changes in mean-square nuclear charge radii, 𝛿⟨𝑟 2 ⟩, of the indium (𝑍 = 49) isotopes 101–111 In , 113–123 In , and 125–131 In . With a proton hole in the closed nuclear shell of 𝑍 = 50, indium provides a detailed study of the effect of unpaired nucleons adjacent to the proton-shell closure, allowing investigation into the charge radii for isotopes between the two major neutron-shell closures at 𝑁 = 50 and 𝑁 = 82. A study of the variations in charge radii between neighboring isotopes with neutron number (the ‘odd-even staggering') is presented and provides further insight and challenges for the theoretical description of the size of proton-hole nuclei. Two nuclear theories, density functional theory and the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group method, were employed to interpret the data. The new information obtained in this work provides valuable insights into the successes and shortcomings of the theoretical approaches employed.
In time-delay cosmography, three of the key ingredients are (1) determining the velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, (2) identifying galaxies and groups along the line of sight with sufficient proximity and mass to be included in the mass model, and (3) estimating the external convergence κ_ext from less massive structures that are not included in the mass model. We present results on all three of these ingredients for two time-delay lensed quad quasar systems, DES J0408–5354 and WGD 2038–4008 . We use the Gemini, Magellan, and VLT telescopes to obtain spectra to both measure the stellar velocity dispersions of the main lensing galaxies and to identify the line-of-sight galaxies in these systems. Next, we identify 10 groups in DES J0408–5354 and two groups in WGD 2038–4008 using a group-finding algorithm. We then identify the most significant galaxy and galaxy-group perturbers using the ‘flexion shift’ criterion. We determine the probability distribution function of the external convergence κ_ext for both of these systems based on our spectroscopy and on the DES-only multiband wide-field observations. Using weighted galaxy counts, calibrated based on the Millennium Simulation, we find that DES J0408–5354 is located in a significantly underdense environment, leading to a tight (width |$\sim 3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|), negative-value κ_ext distribution. On the other hand, WGD 2038–4008 is located in an environment of close to unit density, and its low source redshift results in a much tighter κ_ext of |$\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|, as long as no external shear constraints are imposed.
Background/Objectives: Fecal peritonitis following penetrating abdominal trauma is a serious condition that often results in sepsis and organ failure. The aim of our study was to develop a novel conscious porcine model of sepsis and organ dysfunction caused by multiple penetrating injuries to the small and large intestines. Methods: Twelve female Yorkshire pigs (average weight 50.6 ± 6.5 kg) were divided into two groups: Penetrating Abdominal Trauma (PAT) (n = 8) and Control (n = 4). All surgical procedures were performed under anesthesia with adequate analgesia. In the PAT group, the small and large intestines were punctured, and feces mixed with saline were introduced into the abdominal cavity to induce peritonitis. The Control group received sham surgery with only saline solution. The animals were observed in a conscious state over a period of 72 h, vital parameters were recorded, and blood samples were taken regularly. We adapted a pig-specific SOFA score and developed pig-specific SIRS criteria and NEWS2 score to assess organ function. The model was validated by independent investigators. Results: The survival rate in the PAT group was 75%, with an average survival time of 58.5 h, while all animals in the Control group survived to euthanasia. Monitoring showed pathophysiological changes, such as tachycardia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia, indicative of sepsis and organ dysfunction. Blinded investigators independently confirmed the model’s validity. Conclusions: A new swine model of penetrating abdominal trauma and sepsis has been successfully developed that demonstrates significant physiological and immunologic changes comparable to human sepsis. This new model provides a realistic platform for future research into sepsis, its diagnostics, and the evaluation of therapeutic strategies.
In this investigation, we leverage the combination of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys Data Release 9, Survey Validation 3, and Year 1 data sets to estimate the conditional luminosity functions and conditional stellar mass functions (CLFs and CSMFs) of galaxies across various halo mass bins and redshift ranges. To support our analysis, we utilize a realistic DESI mock galaxy redshift survey (MGRS) generated from a high-resolution Jiutian simulation. An extended halo-based group finder is applied to both MGRS catalogs and DESI observation. By comparing the r- and z-band luminosity functions (LFs) and stellar mass functions (SMFs) derived using both photometric and spectroscopic data, we quantified the impact of photometric redshift (photo-z) errors on the galaxy LFs and SMFs, especially in the low-redshift bin at the low-luminosity/mass end. By conducting prior evaluations of the group finder using MGRS, we successfully obtain a set of CLF and CSMF measurements from observational data. We find that at low redshift, the faint-end slopes of CLFs and CSMFs below ~10 9 h –2 L ⊙ (or h –2 M ⊙ ) evince a compelling concordance with the subhalo mass functions. After correcting the cosmic variance effect of our local Universe following Chen et al., the faint-end slopes of the LFs/SMFs turn out to also be in good agreement with the slope of the halo mass function.
We introduce coherent states averaged over a gauge group action to study correlators of half BPS states in $\mathcal{N}$= 4 SYM theory. The overlaps of these averaged coherent states are a generating function of correlators and can be written in terms of the Harish-Chandra-Itzykzon-Zuber (HCIZ) integral. We show that this formula immediately leads to a computation of the normalization of two point functions in terms of characters obtained originally in the work of Corley, Jevicki and Ramgoolam. We also find various generalizations for A n–1 quivers that follow directly from other solvable integrals over unitary groups. All of these can be computed using localization methods. When we promote the parameters of the generating function to collective coordinates, there is a dominant saddle that controls the effective action of these coherent states in the regime where they describe single AdS giant gravitons. We also discuss how to add open strings to this formulation. These will produce calculations that rely on correlators of matrix components of unitaries in the ensemble that is determined by the HCIZ integral to determine anomalous dimensions. We also discuss how sphere giants arise from Grassman integrals, how one gets a dominant saddle and how open strings are added in that case. The fact that there is a dominant saddle helps to understand how a 1/N expansion arises for open strings. We generalize the coherent state idea to study 1/4 and 1/8 BPS states as more general integrals over unitary groups.
Conformity denotes the correlation of properties between pairs of galaxies as a function of separation. Correlations between properties such as the star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and specific star formation rate (sSFR) have implications for the impact of environment upon galaxy formation and evolution. Conformity between primary galaxies and satellites within the same dark matter halo has been well documented in simulations and observations. However, the existence of conformity at greater distances—known as two-halo conformity—remains uncertain. We investigate whether galaxies in the Local Volume to a distance of 4 Mpc show conformity by examining the SFR, sSFR, stellar mass, and quenched fraction as a function of physical separation. Making use of the star formation histories of these galaxies, we then extend this analysis back in time to offer the first probe of conformity inside our past light cone. At the present day, we find that the stellar mass or sSFR of a galaxy correlates with the median SFR of neighboring galaxies at a separation of 2–3 Mpc. At a lookback time of 1 Gyr, we find a correlation with the quenched fraction of neighboring galaxies, again at a 2–3 Mpc separation. These signals of conformity likely arise from the differences between the recent star formation histories of Local Group dwarf galaxies and those outside the Local Group. As current and future missions including JWST, Rubin, and Roman expand the sample of Local Volume galaxies, tests of conformity using star formation histories will provide an important tool for exploring spatiotemporal correlations between galaxies.