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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Possible effects of organelle charge and density on cell metabolism

A system of perception and transduction involving the gravity-induced asymmetric distribution of a plant growth hormone is studied. A theory is constructed which assumes that the perception of the gravitational stimulus involved a perturbation of the plant's bioelectric field and that the transduction of the stimulus involved voltage-gating of hormone movement from the plant's vascular tissue into the hormone responsive growing tissue. Particular attention is focused on the barriers to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) transport from the seed to the mesocotyl cortex, the protoinhibition of IAA movement from the endosperm to the shoot, the effects of the gravitational stimulus on the movement of IAA from the kernel to the shoot, electrochemical gating as a target for the gravity stimulus, and the gravity sensing mechanism.

Bandurski, Robert S.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Powering Post-COVID-19 Resilient Recovery with Green Stimulus

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic spread globally in early 2020, many governments enacted lockdown measures as an initial containment response. These lockdowns, while effective in slowing infection rates, have also had substantial economic consequences. A series of supply and demand shocks, workforce and supply chain disruptions, and other impacts of the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns have upended the livelihoods for much of the world's population. This quick read spotlights how green stimulus plans and other recovery measures can support near-term recovery and enable longer-term power system resilience against future threats. The term “green stimulus” encompasses fiscal measures (i.e., governmental tax and spending actions) that support short-term economic activity that enhances environmental and natural resource quality over a longer term. The deployment of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) technologies, as well as associated initiatives (e.g., grid modernization, electrification of transport, and so on) have been demonstrably effective in providing this kind of short-run economic boost while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of the power sector. Along with green stimulus packages, concurrent action on the regulatory side—for example, the development of green building codes, updating grid interconnection standards, creating programs and marketplaces for demand-side efficiency, and others—can be a force multiplier in ensuring that public spending achieves maximum impact in near-term recovery and long-term power sector transformation

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1973

Brain serotonin and pituitary-adrenal functions

It had been concluded by Scapagnini et al. (1971) that brain serotonin (5-HT) was involved in the regulation of the diurnal rhythm of the pituitary-adrenal system but not in the stress response. A study was conducted to investigate these findings further by evaluating the effects of altering brain 5-HT levels on the daily fluctuation of plasma corticosterone and on the response of the pituitary-adrenal system to a stressful or noxious stimulus in the rat. In a number of experiments brain 5-HT synthesis was inhibited with parachlorophenylalanine. In other tests it was tried to raise the level of brain 5-HT with precursors.

Vernikos-Danellis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Modulating the pituitary-adrenal response to stress

Serotonin is believed to be a transmitter or regulator of neuronal function. A possible relationship between the pituitary-adrenal secretion of steroids and brain serotonin in the rat was investigated by evaluating the effects of altering brain 5-hydroxy tryptamine (HT) levels on the daily fluctuation of plasma corticosterone and on the response of the pituitary-adrenal system to a stressful or noxious stimulus in the rat. The approach was either to inhibit brain 5-HT synthesis with para-chlorophenyl alanine or to raise its level with precursors such as tryptophan or 5-hydroxy tryptophan.

Vernikos-Danellis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Changes in compensatory eye movements associated with simulated stimulus conditions of spaceflight

Compensatory vertical eye movement gain (CVEMG) was recorded during pitch oscillation in darkness before, during, and immediately after exposures to the stimulus rearrangement produced by the Preflight Adaptation Trainer (PAT) Tilt-Translation Device (TTD). The TTD is designed to elicit adaptive responses that are similar to those observed in microgravity-adapted astronauts. The data from Experiment 1 yielded a statistically significant CVEMG decrease following 15 min of exposure to a stimulus rearrangement condition where the phase angle between subject pitch tilt and visual scene translation was 270 deg; statistically significant gain decreases were not observed following exposures either to a condition where the phase angle between subject pitch and scene translation was 90 deg or to a no-stimulus-rearrangement condition. Experiment 2 replicated the 270-deg-phase condition from Experiment 1 and extended the exposure duration from 30 to 45 min. Statistically significant additional changes in CVEMG associated with the increased exposure duration were not observed. The adaptation time constant estimated fram the combined data from Experiments 1 and 2 was 29 min.

Harm, Deborah L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Changes in Compensatory Eye Movements Associated with Simulated Stimulus Conditions of Spaceflight

Compensatory vertical eye movement gain (CVEMG) was recorded during pitch oscillation in darkness before, during and immediately after exposures to the stimulus rearrangement produced by the Preflight Adaptation Trainer (PAT) Tilt-Translation Device (TTD). The TTD is designed to elicit adaptive responses that are similar to those observed in microgravity-adapted astronauts. The data from Experiment 1 yielded a statistically significant CVEMG decrease following 15 minutes of exposure to a stimulus rearrangement condition where the phase angle between subject pitch tilt and visual scene translation was 270 degrees; statistically significant gain decreases were not observed following exposures either to a condition where the phase angle between subject pitch and scene translation was 90 degrees or to a no-stimulus-rearrangement condition. Experiment 2 replicated the 270 degree phase condition from Experiment 1 and extended the exposure duration from 30 to 45 minutes. Statistically significant additional changes in CVEMG associated with the increased exposure duration were not observed. The adaptation time constant estimated from the combined data from Experiments 1 and 2 was 29 minutes.

Harm, Deborah L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The human auditory evoked response

Figures are presented of computer-averaged auditory evoked responses (AERs) that point to the existence of a completely endogenous brain event. A series of regular clicks or tones was administered to the ear, and 'odd-balls' of different intensity or frequency respectively were included. Subjects were asked either to ignore the sounds (to read or do something else) or to attend to the stimuli. When they listened and counted the odd-balls, a P3 wave occurred at 300msec after stimulus. When the odd-balls consisted of omitted clicks or tone bursts, a similar response was observed. This could not have come from auditory nerve, but only from cortex. It is evidence of recognition, a conscious process.

Galambos, R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Physiology of prolonged bed rest

Bed rest has been a normal procedure used by physicians for centuries in the treatment of injury and disease. Exposure of patients to prolonged bed rest in the horizontal position induces adaptive deconditioning responses. While deconditioning responses are appropriate for patients or test subjects in the horizontal position, they usually result in adverse physiological responses (fainting, muscular weakness) when the patient assume the upright posture. These deconditioning responses result from reduction in hydrostatic pressure within the cardiovascular system, virtual elimination of longitudinal pressure on the long bones, some decrease in total body metabolism, changes in diet, and perhaps psychological impact from the different environment. Almost every system in the body is affected. An early stimulus is the cephalic shift of fluid from the legs which increases atrial pressure and induces compensatory responses for fluid and electrolyte redistribution. Without countermeasures, deterioration in strength and muscle function occurs within 1 wk while increased calcium loss may continue for months. Research should also focus on drug and carbohydrate metabolism.

Greenleaf, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Gravity receptors and responses

The overall process of gravity sensing and response processes in plants may be divided conveniently into at least four components or stages: Stimulus susception (a physical event, characteristically the input to the G receptor system of environmental information about the G force magnitude, its vector direction, or both); information perception (an influence of susception on some biological structure or process that can be described as the transformation of environmental information into a biologicallly meaningful change); information transport (the export, if required, of an influence (often chemical) to cells and organs other than those at the sensor location); and biological response (almost always (in plants) a growth change of some kind). Some analysts of the process identify, between information perception and information transport, an additional stage, transduction, which would emphasize the importance of a transformation from one form of information to another, for example from mechanical statolith displacement to an electric, chemical, or other alteration that was its indirect result. These four (or five) stages are temporally sequential. Even if all that occurs at each stage can not be confidently identified, it seems evident that during transduction and transport, matters dealt with are found relatively late in the information flow rather than at the perception stage. As more and more is learned about the roles played by plant hormones which condition the G responses, the mechanism(s) of perception which should be are not necessarily better understood. However, if by asking the right questions and being lucky with experiments perhaps the discovery of how some process (such as sedimentation of protoplasmic organelles) dictates what happens down stream in the information flow sequence may be made.

Brown, Allan H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Circadian rhythms of visual accommodation responses and physiological correlations.

Use of a recently developed servocontrolled infrared optometer to continuously record the state of monocular focus while subjects viewed a visual target for which the stimulus to focus was systematically varied. Calculated parameters form recorded data - e.g., speeds of accommodation to approaching and receding targets, magnitude of accommodation to step changes in target distance, and amplitude and phase lag of response to sinusoidally varying stimuli were submitted to periodicity analyses. Ear canal temperature (ECT) and heart rate (HR) rhythms were also recorded for physiological correlation with accommodation rhythms. HR demonstrated a 24-hr rhythm, but ECT data did not.

Murphy, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Gravity perception and asymmetric growth in plants - A model derived from the grass pulvinus

It is pointed out that gravitropic responses in plants involve asymmetric growth. On the basis of the geometry of growth response in grass leaf sheath pulvinus, a general model is proposed for gravitropism in multicellular plant organs. The negative gravitropic response of a pulvinus is a result of cell elongation involving all but the uppermost region of a horizontally placed organ. Whereas the uppermost region does not grow, the lowermost region elongates maximally. The regions between elongate to intermediate extents. An expression is given relating the angle of curvature of the organ to the diameter and initial and final lengths of the organ. It is shown that the response of the individual cells can be expressed as inherent sensitivity to gravitational stimulus according to a particular equation.

Dayanandan, P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Neurophysiological model of the normal and abnormal human pupil

Anatomical, experimental, and computer simulation studies were used to determine the structure of the neurophysiological model of the pupil size control system. The computer simulation of this model demonstrates the role played by each of the elements in the neurological pathways influencing the size of the pupil. Simulations of the effect of drugs and common abnormalities in the system help to illustrate the workings of the pathways and processes involved. The simulation program allows the user to select pupil condition (normal or an abnormality), specific site along the neurological pathway (retina, hypothalamus, etc.) drug class input (barbiturate, narcotic, etc.), stimulus/response mode, display mode, stimulus type and input waveform, stimulus or background intensity and frequency, the input and output conditions, and the response at the neuroanatomical site. The model can be used as a teaching aid or as a tool for testing hypotheses regarding the system.

Krenz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Testing Models for Perceptual Discrimination Using Repeatable Noise

Adding noise to stimuli to be discriminated allows estimation of observer classification functions based on the correlation between observer responses and relevant features of the noisy stimuli. Examples will be presented of stimulus features that are found in auditory tone detection and visual Vernier acuity. Using the standard signal detection model (Thurstone scaling), we derive formulas to estimate the proportion of the observer's decision variable variance that is controlled by the added noise. One is based on the probability of agreement of the observer with him/herself on trials with the same noise sample. Another is based on the relative performance of the observer and the model. When these do not agree, the model can be rejected. A second derivation gives the probability of agreement of observer and model when the observer follows the model except for internal noise. Agreement significantly less than this amount allows rejection of the model.

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Masking by Gratings Predicted by an Image Sequence Discriminating Model: Testing Models for Perceptual Discrimination Using Repeatable Noise

Adding noise to stimuli to be discriminated allows estimation of observer classification functions based on the correlation between observer responses and relevant features of the noisy stimuli. Examples will be presented of stimulus features that are found in auditory tone detection and visual vernier acuity. using the standard signal detection model (Thurstone scaling), we derive formulas to estimate the proportion of the observers decision variable variance that is controlled by the added noise. one is based on the probability of agreement of the observer with him/herself on trials with the same noise sample. Another is based on the relative performance of the observer and the model. When these do not agree, the model can be rejected. A second derivation gives the probability of agreement of observer and model when the observer follows the model except for internal noise. Agreement significantly less than this amount allows rejection of the model.

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Sustained attention performance during sleep deprivation: evidence of state instability

Nathaniel Kleitman was the first to observe that sleep deprivation in humans did not eliminate the ability to perform neurobehavioral functions, but it did make it difficult to maintain stable performance for more than a few minutes. To investigate variability in performance as a function of sleep deprivation, n = 13 subjects were tested every 2 hours on a 10-minute, sustained-attention, psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) throughout 88 hours of total sleep deprivation (TSD condition), and compared to a control group of n = 15 subjects who were permitted a 2-hour nap every 12 hours (NAP condition) throughout the 88-hour period. PVT reaction time means and standard deviations increased markedly among subjects and within each individual subject in the TSD condition relative to the NAP condition. TSD subjects also had increasingly greater performance variability as a function of time on task after 18 hours of wakefulness. During sleep deprivation, variability in PVT performance reflected a combination of normal timely responses, errors of omission (i.e., lapses), and errors of commission (i.e., responding when no stimulus was present). Errors of omission and errors of commission were highly intercorrelated across deprivation in the TSD condition (r = 0.85, p = 0.0001), suggesting that performance instability is more likely to include compensatory effort than a lack of motivation. The marked increases in PVT performance variability as sleep loss continued supports the "state instability" hypothesis, which posits that performance during sleep deprivation is increasingly variable due to the influence of sleep initiating mechanisms on the endogenous capacity to maintain attention and alertness, thereby creating an unstable state that fluctuates within seconds and that cannot be characterized as either fully awake or asleep.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1998

Emulating the visual receptive-field properties of MST neurons with a template model of heading estimation

We have proposed previously a computational neural-network model by which the complex patterns of retinal image motion generated during locomotion (optic flow) can be processed by specialized detectors acting as templates for specific instances of self-motion. The detectors in this template model respond to global optic flow by sampling image motion over a large portion of the visual field through networks of local motion sensors with properties similar to those of neurons found in the middle temporal (MT) area of primate extrastriate visual cortex. These detectors, arranged within cortical-like maps, were designed to extract self-translation (heading) and self-rotation, as well as the scene layout (relative distances) ahead of a moving observer. We then postulated that heading from optic flow is directly encoded by individual neurons acting as heading detectors within the medial superior temporal (MST) area. Others have questioned whether individual MST neurons can perform this function because some of their receptive-field properties seem inconsistent with this role. To resolve this issue, we systematically compared MST responses with those of detectors from two different configurations of the model under matched stimulus conditions. We found that the characteristic physiological properties of MST neurons can be explained by the template model. We conclude that MST neurons are well suited to support self-motion estimation via a direct encoding of heading and that the template model provides an explicit set of testable hypotheses that can guide future exploration of MST and adjacent areas within the superior temporal sulcus.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Study of Parameters Affecting Fibroblast Morphology in Response to an Applied Mechanical Force

A precisely controlled stretch/relaxation regimen (20% elongation at 6.6 cycles/min) was applied to normal human fetal, neonatal and aged dermal fibroblasts cultured on flexible membranes. Culture conditions included poly (NH2) or collagen type I coated substrate membranes; control cultures were grown on the same pliable material in the absence of applied stretch. Direct observation and immunofluorescence analyses revealed a progressive change in cell body orientation limited to the stretched dermal fibroblast cultures. Monolayers gradually (over 4 days) acquired a symmetric, radial distribution equivalent to the biaxial array of the applied force. At high seeding density, alignment was inhibited in the fetal cell cultures. This cell strain required collagen type I coating for optimal attachment to the flexible membrane, preferring growth in three-dimensional cell 'balls' on the poly(NH2) coated substrate. Neonatal cells also required the collagen type I coating, but both neonatal and aged dermal fibroblasts aligned efficiently at all seeding densities examined. The randomly oriented neonatal cells on the unstretched control membranes spontaneously detached at confluence, as a single cell sheet. Their aligned counterparts did not detach until the applied stretch stimulus was removed. Low concentrations of cytochalasin D (62.5 ng/ml) disrupted the stretch-related alignment response. Rhodamine phalloidin staining visualized fewer actin stress fibers in stretched, aligned cells than in controls. Both intercellular interactions and cytoskeletal integrity mediate the response to mechanical strain. Normal rabbit corneal stroma fibroblasts (NRC) were also analyzed, and failed to orient under these conditions. This cell type may require a different regimen, or a longer time period, to demonstrate alignment behavior. Supported by NASA Space Biology RTOP 199-40-22 and the NASA-ARC Director's Discretionary Fund.

Grymes, Rosalind A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Central and peripheral components of short latency vestibular responses in the chicken

Far-field recordings of short latency vestibular responses to pulsed cranial translation are composed of a series of positive and negative peaks occurring within 10 ms following stimulus onset. In the bird, these vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) can be recorded noninvasively and have been shown in the chicken and quail to depend strictly upon the activation of the vestibular component of the eighth nerve. The utility of the VsEP in the study of vestibular systems is dependent upon a clear understanding of the neural sources of response components. The primary aim of the current research in the chicken was to critically test the hypotheses that 1) responses are generated by both peripheral and central neurons and 2) peaks P1 and N1 originate from first order vestibular neurons, whereas later waves primarily depend on activity in higher order neurons. The principal strategy used here was to surgically isolate the eighth nerve as it enters the brainstem. Interruption of primary afferents of the eighth nerve in the brainstem substantially reduced or eliminated peaks beyond P2, whereas P1 and N1 were generally spared. Surgical sections that spared vestibular pathways had little effect on responses. The degree of change in response components beyond N1 was correlated with the extent of damage to central vestibular relays. These findings support the conclusion that responses are produced by both peripheral and central elements of the vestibular system. Further, response peaks later than N1 appear to be dependent upon central relays, whereas P1 and N1 reflect activity of the peripheral nerve. These findings clarify the roles of peripheral and central neurons in the generation of vestibular evoked potentials and provide the basis for a more useful and detailed interpretation of data from vestibular response testing.

Non-NASA Center↗