Evolution of Combustion-Generated Particles at Tropospheric Conditions

This paper describes particle evolution measurements taken in the Particulate Aerosol Laboratory (PAL). The PAL consists of a burner capable of burning jet fuel that exhausts into an altitude chamber that can simulate temperature and pressure conditions up to 13,700 m. After presenting results from initial temperature distributions inside the chamber, particle count data measured in the altitude chamber are shown. Initial particle count data show that the sampling system can have a significant effect on the measured particle distribution: both the value of particle number concentration and the shape of the radial distribution of the particle number concentration depend on whether the measurement probe is heated or unheated

OpenMDAO: Framework for Flexible Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis and Optimization Methods

The OpenMDAO project is underway at NASA to develop a framework which simplifies the implementation of state-of-the-art tools and methods for multidisciplinary design, analysis and optimization. Foremost, OpenMDAO has been designed to handle variable problem formulations, encourage reconfigurability, and promote model reuse. This work demonstrates the concept of iteration hierarchies in OpenMDAO to achieve a flexible environment for supporting advanced optimization methods which include adaptive sampling and surrogate modeling techniques. In this effort, two efficient global optimization methods were applied to solve a constrained, single-objective and constrained, multiobjective version of a joint aircraft/engine sizing problem. The aircraft model, NASA's nextgeneration advanced single-aisle civil transport, is being studied as part of the Subsonic Fixed Wing project to help meet simultaneous program goals for reduced fuel burn, emissions, and noise. This analysis serves as a realistic test problem to demonstrate the flexibility and reconfigurability offered by OpenMDAO

SLoMo: automated site localization of modifications from ETD/ECD mass spectra

Recently, software has become available to automate localization of phosphorylation sites from CID data and to assign associated confidence scores. We present an algorithm, SLoMo (Site Localization of Modifications), which extends this capability to ETD/ECD mass spectra. Furthermore, SLoMo caters for both high and low resolution data and allows for site-localization of any UniMod post-translational modification. SLoMo accepts input data from a variety of formats (e.g., Sequest, OMSSA). We validate SLoMo with high and low resolution ETD, ECD, and CID data

Motivational assessment of mice using the touchscreen operant testing system: effects of dopaminergic drugs.

RATIONALE: Touchscreens are widely used to examine rodent cognition. Current paradigms require animals to view stimuli and nose poke at an appropriate touchscreen location. After responding, there is little screen interaction and, as infra-red touchscreens eliminate the need for physical contact, minimal somatosensory feedback. It is therefore unclear if touchscreens can support the vigorous, repetitive responding required in paradigms like progressive ratio (PR) for assessing motivation and effort-related choice (ERC) for assessing decision-making. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to adapt and validate PR and ERC for the rodent touchscreen. METHODS: Male C57Bl/6 mice were trained until responding on PR stabilised. Amphetamine, sulpiride and raclopride were administered via the intraperitoneal route to modify performance. Mice were transferred to ERC and paradigm parameters adjusted to demonstrate behavioural modification. ERC reward preference was assessed by home cage choice analysis. RESULTS: PR performance stabilised within seven sessions. Amphetamine (1 mg/kg) increased and raclopride (0.3 mg/kg) decreased performance by 63 and 28 %, respectively, with a 20-min injection-test interval. Sulpiride (50 mg/kg) decreased performance by 19 % following a 40-min injection-test interval. Increasing ERC operant requirements shifted responding from the operant response-dependent preferred reward towards the freely available alternative. CONCLUSIONS: Vigorous, repetitive responding is sustainable in touchscreen PR and ERC and task validation mirrors non-touchscreen versions. Thus, motivation and reward-related decision-making can be measured directly with touchscreens and can be evaluated prior to cognitive testing in the same apparatus to avoid confounding by motivational factors.CJH, TJB and LMS were funded by Wellcome Trust grant 089703/Z/09/Z. TJB and LMS also received funding from the Innovative Medicine Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement no 115008 of which resources are composed of EFPIA in-kind contribution and financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-4009-

Waterbird and Wetland Monitoring at The Emiquon Preserve Annual Report 2017

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) identified key ecological attributes (hereafter, KEAs) of specific biological characteristics or ecological processes that evaluate restoration success and trajectory at The Emiquon Preserve (hereafter Emiquon; The Nature Conservancy 2006). Because of the historic importance of the Illinois River valley (IRV) to waterfowl and other waterbirds, several conservation targets and associated KEAs at Emiquon were related to waterbird communities and their habitats (Appendix A). Indeed, use of wetlands by waterbirds may serve as an indicator of landscape condition or a measure of restoration success (Austin et al. 2001, Gawlik 2006, Hagy et al. 2017). Therefore, we monitored the response of wetland vegetation and waterbirds to restoration efforts at Emiquon during 2017 to evaluate restoration success relative to desired conditions under the relevant KEAs. Our primary efforts included evaluating: 1) abundance and diversity of waterfowl and other waterbirds through spring and autumn aerial counts; 2) productivity by waterfowl and other waterbirds through brood counts and nest searches; 3) plant seed biomass to estimate energetic carrying capacity for waterfowl during autumn migration; 4) biomass of wetland plants and seeds emigrating from Emiquon through the water control structure; and 5) composition and arrangement of wetland vegetation communities and associated cover types through geospatial covermapping and soil properties in response to water management. Herein, we report results of our monitoring efforts and interpret them as a means of evaluating restoration activities at Emiquon with respect to desired conditions under the KEAs.The Nature Conservancy Contract Number: C07-032unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Waterbird and wetland monitoring at The Emiquon Preserve: Final report, 2007-2018

Historically, the wetlands of the Illinois River valley (IRV) provided extensive and valuable habitat to migrating waterbirds and other wetland-dependent wildlife in the Upper Midwest (Havera 1999). The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve (2,700 ha) is a portion of a former floodplain of the Illinois River that was farmed for >80 years, isolated behind river levees, and has been undergoing restoration to a complex of wetlands and uplands since 2007. Since hydrology returned in 2007, we have monitored key ecological attributes (hereafter, KEAs) of specific biological characteristics or ecological processes related to waterbird communities and their habitats. Wetland vegetation communities and associated cover types have increased almost 700% since 2007, expanding from 255 ha to 2022 ha in fall 2016. Aquatic bed vegetation has comprised >50% of Emiquon Preserve since 2009, but important emergent plant communities have declined in recent years as the complex reached the lake marsh stage due to elevated and stabilized water levels (van der Valk and Davis 1978). Waterfowl and other waterbirds visit Emiquon Preserve in great numbers each fall and spring migration, with species such as American coot, northern pintail, green-winged teal, and gadwall selecting Emiquon compared to other wetlands and lakes in the IRV. The abundant aquatic bed and hemi-marsh plant communities collectively provide more food for waterbirds than do other nearby wetlands, such as the south pool of Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge. Consistent with the >30 million energetic use days provided annually during 2013–2015 at Emiquon Preserve, dabbling and diving duck behaviors were dominated by feeding indicating the importance of the aquatic plant communities as foraging habitat. Emiquon also provides breeding habitat for species of conservation concern, such as common gallinule, black-crowned night herons, least bitterns, and American bitterns, as well as several species of ducks, geese, and swans. However, 3 we have noted recent declines in persistent emergent vegetation, moist-soil vegetation, brood counts which act as an index of waterbird productivity, duck use days during fall migration, and invertebrate abundance during brood-rearing periods, which we assume is related to the transition of Emiquon Preserve into the lake marsh stage. Consequently, Emiquon Preserve is currently undergoing an extensive drawdown to reverse declining trends in wetland health and corresponding waterbird use. Future monitoring will assess the effects of drawdown on emergent vegetation communities and the response of wildlife in the system.The Nature Conservancyunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Waterbird and Wetland Monitoring at The Emiquon Preserve Annual Report 2016

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) identified key ecological attributes (hereafter, KEAs) of specific biological characteristics or ecological processes that could indicate restoration success and trajectory at the Emiquon Preserve (hereafter Emiquon; The Nature Conservancy 2006). Because of the historic importance of the Illinois River valley to waterfowl and other waterbirds, several conservation targets and associated KEAs at Emiquon were related to waterbird communities and their habitats (Appendix A). Inde ed, use of wetlands by waterbirds may serve as an indicator of landscape condition or a measure of restoration success (Austin et al. 2001, Gawlik 2006). Therefore, we monitored the response of wetland vegetation and waterbirds to restoration efforts at Emiquon during 2016 to evaluate restoration success relative to desired conditions under the relevant KEAs. Our primary efforts included evaluating: 1) abundance, diversity, and behavior of waterfowl and other waterbirds through autumn aerial counts and spring ground counts; 2) productivity by waterfowl and other waterbirds through brood counts and nest searches; 3) plant seed biomass to estimate energetic carrying capacity for waterfowl during autumn migration; 4) biomass of wetland plants and seeds emigrating from Emiquon through the water control structure; and 5) composition and arrangement of wetland vegetation communities and associated cover types through geospatial covermapping and soil properties in response to water management. Herein, we report results of our monitoring efforts and interpret them as a means of evaluating restoration activities at Emiquon with respect to desired conditions under the KEAs.The Nature Conservancy Contract Number: C07-032unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Numerical Simulations of a Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) Aircraft Preliminary Design

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed on a Lockheed Martin Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft preliminary design to assess inlet performance. The FUN3D flow solver and its adjoint-based grid refinement capability were used for the simulations in hopes of determining internal "best practices" for predicting inlet performance on top-aft-mounted inlets. Several parameters were explored including tetrahedral vs. pentahedral cells in/around the boundary-layer regions, an engine axis-aligned linear pressure sensor vs. a pressure box objective as the grid adaptation metric, and the number of grid adaptation cycles performed. Additional simulations were performed on manually refined grids for comparison with the adjoint-based adapted grids. Results showed poor agreement in predicted inlet performance on the refined grids compared to experimental data. This was true regardless of whether the refinement was adjoint-based or manual, the cell type in/near the boundary-layer regions, or the grid adaptation metric used. In addition, the 40-probe total pressure recovery was shown to decrease asymptotically as the number of adaptation cycles is increased. Solutions on the unadapted grids generally had better agreement with experimental data than their refined grid counterparts

Excitation/Detection Strategies for OH Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements in the Presence of Interfering Fuel Signal and Absorption Effects

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) excitation/detection methods have been applied to obtain spatial distributions of the hydroxyl [OH] reacting intermediary and hydrocarbon [HC] primary species in laminar and turbulent combustion reactions. In this report, broadband and narrowband excitation/filtering techniques are explored to identify an optimal experimental configuration yielding significant fluorescent signal with low absorption losses. The combustion environments analyzed include 1) a laminar non-premixed methane/air flame and 2) a turbulent, non-premixed Jet-A/air fueled flame within a lean flame tube combustor. Hydrocarbon-based fuel and OH were excited via the R1 (1), R1(10) and R2(7) transitions of the A(sup 2)Epsilon(+) X(sup 2)pi(1,0) band using a broadband Nd:YAG pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and narrowband Nd:YAG/dye laser with ultraviolet frequency extension (UVX) package. Variables tested for influence on fluorescent signal and absorption characteristics were excitation line, laser energy, exciting linewidth, combustion reactants, and test flow conditions. Results are intended to guide the transition from a dye/UVX laser to an OPO system for performing advanced diagnostics of low-emission combustion concepts

Numerical Simulations of a Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) Aircraft Preliminary Design

Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed on the Lockheed Martin Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft preliminary design to assess inlet performance. The FUN3D flow solver and its adjoint-based grid refinement capability was used for the simulations in hopes of determining internal "best practices" for predicting inlet performance on top-aft-mounted inlets. Several parameters were explored including tetrahedral vs. pentahedral cells in/around the boundary-layer regions, an engine axis-aligned linear pressure sensor vs. a pressure box objective as the grid adaptation metric, and the number of grid adaptation cycles performed. Additional simulations were performed on manually refined grids for comparison with the adjoint-based adapted grid