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Williams, H. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Williams, H. L..

6 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Effects of weightlessness on neurotransmitter receptors in selected brain areas

The central nervous system receptor dynamics of rats exposed to 7 days of microgravity are studied. The receptor affinity and receptor number at the hippocampus, lateral frontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, corpus striatum, cerebellum and pons-medulla, and the Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity are examined. The data reveal that there is no significant change in the receptor affinity and receptor number for the lateral frontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, cerebellum and pons-medulla; however, there is an increase from 81 + or - 11 to 120 + or 5 fmole/mg protein in the receptor number for hippocampal binding, and a decrease in receptor number for the striatum from 172 + or - 14 to 143 + or - 10 fmoles/mg protein. A 9 percent decrease in Mg-dependent Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity is observed. It is detected that the terminal mechanism may be affected by exposure to microgravity.

Miller, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Human Tracking Performance in Uncoupled and Coupled Two-Axis Systems

This report presents tile results of an experimental and analytical study of human performance in uncoupled and coupled control systems. Human pilot performance in single and two-axis systems was mathematically modeled by linear second-order describing functions. Model parameters were determined using model matching techniques. Analysis of the models showed that the amplitude ratio and phase lead of the describing function increased with training indicating an increase in open loop bandwidth. The phase margin also decreased with training. Increasing the plant lag time constant resulted in an increase in the model lead time constant and a decrease in the zero frequency gain. No significant difference was found to exist in the normalized tracking error per axis between the two-axis tasks and the single-axis tasks. However tile model lead time constant was significantly greater in two-axis tracking. Manual tracking of two-axis systems with cross-coupling was studied experimentally and analytically. Approximate methods for modeling two-axis performance were developed and checked using a precise spectral analysis approach. Coupled and uncoupled, symmetrical and asymmetrical two-axis performance was compared. The results show that modeling of cross-coupled systems is feasible and that trained subjects are capable of decoupling the axes of some systems. A methodology study compared the identification performance of continuous, iterative, and extrapolation model matching techniques. An iterative technique employing sensitivity equations for the generation of influence coefficients was found to be the best technique due to its excellent identification accuracy and ease of implementation. Convergence in iterative techniques can be improved substantially by equalizing the parameter adjustment rates and limiting the maximum correction per iteration.

Todosiev, E. P.↗