United States Department of Energy

About: United States Department of Energy is a government organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Coal & Catalysis. The organization has 13656 authors who have published 14177 publications receiving 556962 citations. The organization is also known as: DOE & Department of Energy.

Optimal Time-Critical Scheduling via Resource Augmentation

Abstract: We consider two fundamental problems in dynamic scheduling: scheduling to meet deadlines in a preemptive multiprocessor setting, and scheduling to provide good response time in a number of scheduling environments. When viewed from the perspective of traditional worst-case analysis, no good on-line algorithms exist for these problems, and for some variants no good off-line algorithms exist unless P = NP . We study these problems using a relaxed notion of competitive analysis, introduced by Kalyanasundaram and Pruhs, in which the on-line algorithm is allowed more resources than the optimal off-line algorithm to which it is compared. Using this approach, we establish that several well-known on-line algorithms, that have poor performance from an absolute worst-case perspective, are optimal for the problems in question when allowed moderately more resources. For optimization of average flow time, these are the first results of any sort, for any NP -hard version of the problem, that indicate that it might be possible to design good approximation algorithms.

Algal genomes reveal evolutionary mosaicism and the fate of nucleomorphs.

Abstract: Cryptophyte and chlorarachniophyte algae are transitional forms in the widespread secondary endosymbiotic acquisition of photosynthesis by engulfment of eukaryotic algae. Unlike most secondary plastid-bearing algae, miniaturized versions of the endosymbiont nuclei (nucleomorphs) persist in cryptophytes and chlorarachniophytes. To determine why, and to address other fundamental questions about eukaryote-eukaryote endosymbiosis, we sequenced the nuclear genomes of the cryptophyte Guillardia theta and the chlorarachniophyte Bigelowiella natans. Both genomes have >21,000 protein genes and are intron rich, and B. natans exhibits unprecedented alternative splicing for a single-celled organism. Phylogenomic analyses and subcellular targeting predictions reveal extensive genetic and biochemical mosaicism, with both host- and endosymbiont-derived genes servicing the mitochondrion, the host cell cytosol, the plastid and the remnant endosymbiont cytosol of both algae. Mitochondrion-to-nucleus gene transfer still occurs in both organisms but plastid-to-nucleus and nucleomorph-to-nucleus transfers do not, which explains why a small residue of essential genes remains locked in each nucleomorph.

Dense ceramic membranes for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

Abstract: Several perovskite-type oxides (ABO3) containing transition metals on the B-site show mixed (electronic/ionic) conductivity. These mixed-conductivity oxides are promising materials for oxygen-permeating membranes that can operate without electrodes or external electrical circuitry. Oxides in the system LaSrFeCoO permeate large amounts of oxygen, and extruded tubes of these materials have been evaluated in a reactor operating at ca. 850°C for direct conversion of methane into syngas (CO + H2) in the presence of a reforming catalyst. Methane conversion efficiencies of > 99% were observed, and some of the reactor tubes have been operated for over 1000 h. Membrane tubes were fabricated from calcined powders by a plastic extrusion technique. Ceramic powders in the LaSrFeCoO system were made by solid-state reaction of the constituent carbonates, oxides, and/or nitrates. The chemical-phase behavior of the ceramic powders with varying stoichiometries were studied by high-temperature in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) as a function of oxygen partial pressure. The sintered extruded tubes were also characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy.