Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Movement”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 307 records · Page 17

Inhibition of auxin movement from the shoot into the root inhibits lateral root development in Arabidopsis

In roots two distinct polar movements of auxin have been reported that may control different developmental and growth events. To test the hypothesis that auxin derived from the shoot and transported toward the root controls lateral root development, the two polarities of auxin transport were uncoupled in Arabidopsis. Local application of the auxin-transport inhibitor naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) at the root-shoot junction decreased the number and density of lateral roots and reduced the free indoleacetic acid (IAA) levels in the root and [3H]IAA transport into the root. Application of NPA to the basal half of or at several positions along the root only reduced lateral root density in regions that were in contact with NPA or in regions apical to the site of application. Lateral root development was restored by application of IAA apical to NPA application. Lateral root development in Arabidopsis roots was also inhibited by excision of the shoot or dark growth and this inhibition was reversible by IAA. Together, these results are consistent with auxin transport from the shoot into the root controlling lateral root development.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Changing patterns of localization of the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein and replicase to the endoplasmic reticulum and microtubules during infection

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) derivatives that encode movement protein (MP) as a fusion to the green fluorescent protein (MP:GFP) were used in combination with antibody staining to identify host cell components to which MP and replicase accumulate in cells of infected Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and in infected BY-2 protoplasts. MP:GFP and replicase colocalized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER; especially the cortical ER) and were present in large, irregularly shaped, ER-derived structures that may represent "viral factories." The ER-derived structures required an intact cytoskeleton, and microtubules appeared to redistribute MP:GFP from these sites during late stages of infection. In leaves, MP:GFP accumulated in plasmodesmata, whereas in protoplasts, the MP:GFP was targeted to distinct, punctate sites near the plasma membrane. Treating protoplasts with cytochalasin D and brefeldin A at the time of inoculation prevented the accumulation of MP:GFP at these sites. It is proposed that the punctate sites anchor the cortical ER to plasma membrane and are related to sites at which plasmodesmata form in walled cells. Hairlike structures containing MP:GFP appeared on the surface of some of the infected protoplasts and are reminiscent of similar structures induced by other plant viruses. We present a model that postulates the role of the ER and cytoskeleton in targeting the MP and viral ribonucleoprotein from sites of virus synthesis to the plasmodesmata through which infection is spread.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Motor function in microgravity: movement in weightlessness

Microgravity provides unique, though experimentally challenging, opportunities to study motor control. A traditional research focus has been the effects of linear acceleration on vestibular responses to angular acceleration. Evidence is accumulating that the high-frequency vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is not affected by transitions from a 1 g linear force field to microgravity (<1 g); however, it appears that the three-dimensional organization of the VOR is dependent on gravitoinertial force levels. Some of the observed effects of microgravity on head and arm movement control appear to depend on the previously undetected inputs of cervical and brachial proprioception, which change almost immediately in response to alterations in background force levels. Recent studies of post-flight disturbances of posture and locomotion are revealing sensorimotor mechanisms that adjust over periods ranging from hours to weeks.

NASA Program Flight↗

Spatial orientation perception and reflexive eye movements--a perspective, an overview, and some clinical implications

When head motion includes a linear velocity component, eye velocity required to track an earth-fixed target depends upon: a) angular and linear head velocity, b) target distance, and c) direction of gaze relative to the motion trajectory. Recent research indicates that eye movements (LVOR), presumably otolith-mediated, partially compensate for linear velocity in small head excursions on small devices. Canal-mediated eye velocity (AVOR), otolith-mediated eye velocity (LVOR), and Ocular Torsion (OT) can be measured, one by one, on small devices. However, response dynamics that depend upon the ratio of linear to angular velocity in the motion trajectory and on subject orientation relative to the trajectory are present in a centrifuge paradigm. With this paradigm, two 3-min runs yields measures of: LVOR differentially modulated by different subject orientations in the two runs; OT dynamics in four conditions; two directions of "steady-state" OT, and two directions of AVOR. Efficient assessment of the dynamics (and of the underlying central integrative processes) may require a centrifuge radius of 1.0 meters or more. Clinical assessment of the spatial orientation system should include evaluation of central integrative processes that determine the dynamics of these responses.

Review, Tutorial↗

Application of high-performance computing to numerical simulation of human movement

We have examined the feasibility of using massively-parallel and vector-processing supercomputers to solve large-scale optimization problems for human movement. Specifically, we compared the computational expense of determining the optimal controls for the single support phase of gait using a conventional serial machine (SGI Iris 4D25), a MIMD parallel machine (Intel iPSC/860), and a parallel-vector-processing machine (Cray Y-MP 8/864). With the human body modeled as a 14 degree-of-freedom linkage actuated by 46 musculotendinous units, computation of the optimal controls for gait could take up to 3 months of CPU time on the Iris. Both the Cray and the Intel are able to reduce this time to practical levels. The optimal solution for gait can be found with about 77 hours of CPU on the Cray and with about 88 hours of CPU on the Intel. Although the overall speeds of the Cray and the Intel were found to be similar, the unique capabilities of each machine are better suited to different portions of the computational algorithm used. The Intel was best suited to computing the derivatives of the performance criterion and the constraints whereas the Cray was best suited to parameter optimization of the controls. These results suggest that the ideal computer architecture for solving very large-scale optimal control problems is a hybrid system in which a vector-processing machine is integrated into the communication network of a MIMD parallel machine.

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗

Three dimensional eye movements of squirrel monkeys following postrotatory tilt

Three-dimensional squirrel monkey eye movements were recorded during and immediately following rotation around an earth-vertical yaw axis (160 degrees/s steady state, 100 degrees/s2 acceleration and deceleration). To study interactions between the horizontal angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and head orientation, postrotatory VOR alignment was changed relative to gravity by tilting the head out of the horizontal plane (pitch or roll tilt between 15 degrees and 90 degrees) immediately after cessation of motion. Results showed that in addition to post rotatory horizontal nystagmus, vertical nystagmus followed tilts to the left or right (roll), and torsional nystagmus followed forward or backward (pitch) tilts. When the time course and spatial orientation of eye velocity were considered in three dimensions, the axis of eye rotation always shifted toward alignment with gravity, and the postrotatory horizontal VOR decay was accelerated by the tilts. These phenomena may reflect a neural process that resolves the sensory conflict induced by this postrotatory tilt paradigm.

NASA Program Space Physiology and Countermeasures↗

Geometrical approach to neural net control of movements and posture

In one approach to modeling brain function, sensorimotor integration is described as geometrical mapping among coordinates of non-orthogonal frames that are intrinsic to the system; in such a case sensors represent (covariant) afferents and motor effectors represent (contravariant) motor efferents. The neuronal networks that perform such a function are viewed as general tensor transformations among different expressions and metric tensors determining the geometry of neural functional spaces. Although the non-orthogonality of a coordinate system does not impose a specific geometry on the space, this "Tensor Network Theory of brain function" allows for the possibility that the geometry is non-Euclidean. It is suggested that investigation of the non-Euclidean nature of the geometry is the key to understanding brain function and to interpreting neuronal network function. This paper outlines three contemporary applications of such a theoretical modeling approach. The first is the analysis and interpretation of multi-electrode recordings. The internal geometries of neural networks controlling external behavior of the skeletomuscle system is experimentally determinable using such multi-unit recordings. The second application of this geometrical approach to brain theory is modeling the control of posture and movement. A preliminary simulation study has been conducted with the aim of understanding the control of balance in a standing human. The model appears to unify postural control strategies that have previously been considered to be independent of each other. Third, this paper emphasizes the importance of the geometrical approach for the design and fabrication of neurocomputers that could be used in functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) for replacing lost motor control.

Review↗

Evaluating Fault Management Operations Concepts for Next-Generation Spacecraft: What Eye Movements Tell Us

Performance enhancements associated with selected forms of automation were quantified in a recent human-in-the-loop evaluation of two candidate operational concepts for fault management on next-generation spacecraft. The baseline concept, called Elsie, featured a full-suite of "soft" fault management interfaces. However, operators were forced to diagnose malfunctions with minimal assistance from the standalone caution and warning system. The other concept, called Besi, incorporated a more capable C&W system with an automated fault diagnosis capability. Results from analyses of participants' eye movements indicate that the greatest empirical benefit of the automation stemmed from eliminating the need for text processing on cluttered, text-rich displays.

Hayashi, Miwa↗

Constraining the Movement of the Spiral Features and the Locations of Planetary Bodies Within the AB Aur System

We present a new analysis of multi-epoch, H-band, scattered light images of the AB Aur system. We use a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to simultaneously model the systems spectral energy distribution (SED) and H-band polarized intensity (PI) imagery. We find that a disk-dominated model, as opposed to one that is envelope dominated, can plausibly reproduce AB Aurs SED and near-IR imagery. This is consistent with previous modeling attempts presented in the literature and supports the idea that at least a subset of AB Aurs spirals originate within the disk. In light of this, we also analyzed the movement of spiral structures in multi-epoch H-band total light and PI imagery of the disk. We detect no significant rotation or change in spatial location of the spiral structures in these data, which span a 5.8-year baseline. If such structures are caused by disk planet interactions, the lack of observed rotation constrains the location of the orbit of planetary perturbers to be 47 au.

AB Aur system↗

Predicting the Likelihood of Human-Elephant Conflict and Assessing Patterns in Elephant Movements Over Varying Habitat Conditions in the Kavango-Zambezi Area

In the Kavango-Zambezi area of southern Africa, three million people live within areas frequently traveled by free-ranging elephants. As the region continues to develop rapidly, urban and agricultural settlements further encroach upon the land that these elephants use. As elephants come into more frequent contact with urban and agricultural areas, human populations face financial loss through crop damage and the potential for injury from direct conflict with elephants. Elephant populations are also at risk of injuries from conflict as well as illness related to the consumption of waste. In order to implement human-elephant conflict mitigation strategies, local conservation groups need to be informed on best practices for coexistence. This project aided The Ecoexist Project and Connected Conservation in understanding the ecological factors that drive elephant movement into human settlements and provided Earth observation data to support conflict management in the future. The team used Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data to create land use land cover maps and calculate vegetation indices, and used TerraClimate data to analyze drought conditions. These classified maps allowed us to display a time series of human settlement from 1990 to the present and were made explorable alongside other environmental variables in an updated Google Earth Engine (GEE) tool. This project also provided heat maps that show the risk of human-elephant conflict based on historical data of HEC locations. This analysis will provide support for conservation experts in determining best practices for future mitigation and prevention of human-elephant conflict.

Ariel Calle↗

Lunar Excavator Mission Operations using Dynamic Movement Primitives

To support sustainable infrastructure on the Moon, NASA must leverage robots to extract lunar resources for in-situ processing and construction. As part of this effort, NASA is launching the in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Pilot Excavator later this decade to validate a robotic regolith excavator based on the Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR). RASSOR is designed to extract and transport regolith to meet the needs of ISRU architectures. During its mission, Pilot Excavator will be tasked with driving in test patterns to demonstrate the operational concept. One of these tests is a circular trajectory around the lander while avoiding miscellaneous surface hazards such as lunar rocks. To this end, we utilize dynamic movement primitives to represent navigation sequences as primitive trajectories. Here, we introduce a novel obstacle avoidance parameter, which is configured to avoid rocks throughout testing exercises. We demonstrate the effectiveness our method in a newly developed simulation tool called the Simulated Excavation Environment for Lunar Operations (SEELO) using models based on the NASA RASSOR 2.0 excavator. After making key changes to the obstacle avoidance formulation, our results show that the robot is able to safety and robustly navigate the lunar surface with densely populated rock obstacles while retaining the desired circle pattern behavior.

Space Robotics and Automation↗

Movement of Decaying Quasi-2-day Wave in the Austral Summer-time Mesosphere

The Quasi-2-Day Wave (Q2DW) is a large temperature disturbance in the austral summer-time mesosphere. Its decay-phase movement and phase-speed are poorly understood. Q2DW events observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) onboard the NASA Aura satellite reveal that during the temperature Q2DW’s decay-phase, the Q2DW temperature disturbance is still substantial, but its phase-speed reduces exponentially, on average, from around -70 m/s to -20 13 m/s in around 30-days. Observations also reveal significant interannual variability in these phase-speed values. Q2DW events simulated by the extended Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (eCMAM) reveal that during the Q2DW decay-phase, the temperature Q2DW phase- speed is strongly correlated with the Summer Mesosphere Easterly Jet (SMEJ) wind values. eCMAM also shows that the phase-speed interannual variabilities partially reflect the interannual variabilities of the SMEJ. Planetary-wave diagnostics indicate that during the Q2DW’s decay phase, there is still an active transfer of momentum from the SMEJ into Q2DW. The model simulations therefore indicate that the SMEJ plays a substantial role in the decaying temperature Q2DW phase-speed variabilities observed by MLS. This adds to our knowledge of how the SMEJ affects the Q2DW.

Cornelius Csar Jude H Salinas↗

[The growth movements of moss protonemata under clinostatic and microgravity conditions]

Populations of dark-grown protonemata of moss Ceratodon purpureus wt-4 (Germany) and wt-U (Ukraine) were rotated on clinostat or flown in space (experiment "Protonema" aboard Bion-11, December 24, 1996-January 7, 1997) to determine the effects of altered gravity on orientation of protonemata growing filaments. Protonemata had been cultivated 8 days in vertical stationary position at dark to be transported to microgravity or placed in clinostat for the period of 14 days. In the ground control, protonemata demonstrated the negatively gravitropic growth (straight upwards in a bundle of compact filaments). The horizontal or circular rotation in clinostat and exposure to microgravity made filaments grow every each way within the substrate plane but with an apparent trend to rightward curling resulting in "spiral galaxies".

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Clinical use of three-dimensional video measurements of eye movements

Noninvasive measurements of three-dimensional eye position can be accurately achieved with video methods. A case study showing the potential clinical benefit of these enhanced measurements is presented along with some thoughts about technological advances, essential for clinical application, that are likely to occur in the next several years.

Non-NASA Center↗

Eye movements and motion perception induced by off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) at small angles of tilt after spaceflight

The nystagmus and motion perception of two astronauts were recorded during Earth-vertical axis rotation and during off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) before and after 7 days of spaceflight. Postflight, the peak velocity and duration of per- and postrotatory nystagmus during velocity steps about the Earth-vertical axis were the same as preflight values. During OVAR at constant velocity (45/s, tilt angles successively 5, 10, and 15 degrees), the mean horizontal slow-phase eye velocity (bias), produced by the 'velocity storage mechanism' in the vestibular system, and the peak-to-peak amplitude (modulation) in horizontal eye velocity and position, generated from the output of otolith afferents, were also the same before as after flight. There were, however, changes in the vertical eve position and in the perceived body motion during OVAR. The angle of the perceived body path described as a cone was larger in both astronauts postflight. One astronaut experienced either a large cone angle with its axis upright, or a smaller cone angle with its axis tilted backwards, accompanied by an upward vertical eye drift. These results suggest an increase in the sensitivity of the otolithic system after spaceflight and a longer period of readaptation to Earth's gravity for otolith-induced responses than for canal-induced responses. Our data support the hypothesis that just after spaceflight the CNS generally interprets changes in the otolith signals to be due to translation rather than to tilt.

manned↗