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At least 397 records · Page 22

System theory on group manifolds and coset spaces.

The purpose of this paper is to study questions regarding controllability, observability, and realization theory for a particular class of systems for which the state space is a differentiable manifold which is simultaneously a group or, more generally, a coset space. We show that it is possible to give rather explicit expressions for the reachable set and the set of indistinguishable states in the case of autonomous systems. We also establish a type of state space isomorphism theorem. Our objective is to reduce all questions about the system to questions about Lie algebras generated from the coefficient matrices entering in the description of the system and in that way arrive at conditions which are easily visualized and tested.

Brockett, R. W.↗

Periodic motion in nonlinear systems

In this paper it is shown how some basic ideas from system theory and differential geometry can be used to establish some new results on the existence of periodic motion in autonomous feedback systems. The conditions are expressed in terms of the frequency response characteristic of the open-loop system and certain general properties of the nonlinearities.

Williamson, D.↗

The relation between temporal and spatial stability in three-dimensional flows

An analysis is presented of the nonparallel spatial or temporal stability of three-dimensional incompressible, isothermal boundary-layer flows taking into account the transverse velocity component as well as the axial and crossflow variations of the mean flow. The method of multiple scales is used to derive partial differential equations that describe the axial and crossflow variations of the disturbance amplitude, phase and wavenumbers. This equation is used to derive the expressions that relate the temporal and spatial instabilities. These relations are functions of the complex group velocities. Moreover, this equation is used to derive the expression that relates the spatial amplification in any direction to a calculated amplification in any other direction. These relations are verified by numerical results obtained for two- and three-dimensional disturbances in two- and three-dimensional flows.

Nayfeh, A. H.↗

An approximate factorization solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for transonic flow using body-fitted coordinates with application to NACA 64A010 airfoils

The implementation of the approximate factorization algorithm and its ability to efficiently and accurately describe transonic flow about an NACA 64A010 airfoil section is examined. The approximate factorization algorithm is developed from the nondimensional, conservative, vectorized Navier-Stokes equations expressed in curvilinear coordinates. Equations of state and transport coefficient relations appropriate to atmospheric air are appended to close the system of partial differential equations. An algebraic turbulence model is also incorporated into the equation set. This algorithm was verified by investigating the flow about an NACA 64A010 airfoil at 0, 2, and 3.5 deg angle of attack for free-stream conditions of 2,000,000 Reynolds number and 0.8 Mach number. Overall results were in good qualitative agreement with wind tunnel data sets. However, while nondimensional times of six were attained, numerical difficulties prevented any case from reaching a true steady state.

Copper, G. K.↗

A WKB asymptotic analysis of baroclinic instability

A modest extension of conventional WKB methods of solving second-order differential equations asymptotically is developed and applied to the problem of baroclinic instability. Accurate results are obtained for the Charney problem using simple expressions. More important, the present expressions can be used immediately for a wide variety of basic velocity profiles.

Lindzen, R. S.↗

Computation techniques and computer programs to analyze Stirling cycle engines using characteristic dynamic energy equations

The basic equations that are used to describe the physical phenomena in a Stirling cycle engine are the general energy equations and equations for the conservation of mass and conversion of momentum. These equations, together with the equation of state, an analytical expression for the gas velocity, and an equation for mesh temperature are used in this computer study of Stirling cycle characteristics. The partial differential equations describing the physical phenomena that occurs in a Stirling cycle engine are of the hyperbolic type. The hyperbolic equations have real characteristic lines. By utilizing appropriate points along these curved lines the partial differential equations can be reduced to ordinary differential equations. These equations are solved numerically using a fourth-fifth order Runge-Kutta integration technique.

Larson, V. H.↗

Linear and Nonlinear Aspects of Rotordynamics

Excessive vibrations of the liquid oxygen pump in the Space Shuttle's Main Engine have been recorded during hot firing ground testing. In order to determine mathematical explanations of this possibility, destructive phenomenon differential equations have been examined which describe the rotordynamics of the pump. Modeling the rotor as a random eigenvalue problem was considered. Analytical expressions were derived for the solution in the case of symmetric damping and stiffness. This enables one to determine accuracy estimates when testing numerical techniques to solve both asymmetric and nonlinear problems. Finally, the rotor model has had nonlinear elements incorporated to improve its simulation of the pump and to expand the corresponding mathematical theory.

Day, W. B.↗

Simulation of mesoscale convective response

Results are reported from a transfer of thermodynamic and dynamic data downscale from a two-dimensional mesoscale model to a two-dimensional cloud model and a subsequent examination of the differential convective response of the cloud model to a mesoscale structure. The mesoscale model included a high resolution PBL formulation, with convective forces expressed in a profile of exchange coefficients over the height of the PBL and the magnitude of the surface heat flux. Account was also taken of forcing by long- and short-wave radiation, surface forcing by the surface energy budget, the terrain shape, and possible wave reflection at the top boundary. The slab-symmetric cloud model possessed subgrid-scale features, five types of moisture terms, and a subroutine for accretion processes. The mesoscale environment was observed to have a significant impact on convective response, i.e., the vertical velocity and the cloud water. Various factors which were not included in the study and which must be considered are discussed.

Mcnider, R. T.↗

Radiation Quality Effects on Transcriptome Profiles in 3-D Cultures After Charged Particle Irradiation

In this work, we evaluated the differential effects of low- and high-LET radiation on 3-D organotypic cultures in order to investigate radiation quality impacts on gene expression and cellular responses. Current risk models for assessment of space radiation-induced cancer have large uncertainties because the models for adverse health effects following radiation exposure are founded on epidemiological analyses of human populations exposed to low-LET radiation. Reducing these uncertainties requires new knowledge on the fundamental differences in biological responses (the so-called radiation quality effects) triggered by heavy ion particle radiation versus low-LET radiation associated with Earth-based exposures. In order to better quantify these radiation quality effects in biological systems, we are utilizing novel 3-D organotypic human tissue models for space radiation research. These models hold promise for risk assessment as they provide a format for study of human cells within a realistic tissue framework, thereby bridging the gap between 2-D monolayer culture and animal models for risk extrapolation to humans. To identify biological pathway signatures unique to heavy ion particle exposure, functional gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used with whole transcriptome profiling. GSEA has been used extensively as a method to garner biological information in a variety of model systems but has not been commonly used to analyze radiation effects. It is a powerful approach for assessing the functional significance of radiation quality-dependent changes from datasets where the changes are subtle but broad, and where single gene based analysis using rankings of fold-change may not reveal important biological information.

Patel, Zarana S.↗

Radiation Quality Effects on Transcriptome Profiles in 3-d Cultures After Particle Irradiation

In this work, we evaluate the differential effects of low- and high-LET radiation on 3-D organotypic cultures in order to investigate radiation quality impacts on gene expression and cellular responses. Reducing uncertainties in current risk models requires new knowledge on the fundamental differences in biological responses (the so-called radiation quality effects) triggered by heavy ion particle radiation versus low-LET radiation associated with Earth-based exposures. We are utilizing novel 3-D organotypic human tissue models that provide a format for study of human cells within a realistic tissue framework, thereby bridging the gap between 2-D monolayer culture and animal models for risk extrapolation to humans. To identify biological pathway signatures unique to heavy ion particle exposure, functional gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used with whole transcriptome profiling. GSEA has been used extensively as a method to garner biological information in a variety of model systems but has not been commonly used to analyze radiation effects. It is a powerful approach for assessing the functional significance of radiation quality-dependent changes from datasets where the changes are subtle but broad, and where single gene based analysis using rankings of fold-change may not reveal important biological information. We identified 45 statistically significant gene sets at 0.05 q-value cutoff, including 14 gene sets common to gamma and titanium irradiation, 19 gene sets specific to gamma irradiation, and 12 titanium-specific gene sets. Common gene sets largely align with DNA damage, cell cycle, early immune response, and inflammatory cytokine pathway activation. The top gene set enriched for the gamma- and titanium-irradiated samples involved KRAS pathway activation and genes activated in TNF-treated cells, respectively. Another difference noted for the high-LET samples was an apparent enrichment in gene sets involved in cycle cycle/mitotic control. It is plausible that the enrichment in these particular pathways results from the complex DNA damage resulting from high-LET exposure where repair processes are not completed during the same time scale as the less complex damage resulting from low-LET radiation.

Patel, Z. S.↗

Spatiotemporal features of early neuronogenesis differ in wild-type and albino mouse retina

In albino mammals, lack of pigment in the retinal pigment epithelium is associated with retinal defects, including poor visual acuity from a photoreceptor deficit in the central retina and poor depth perception from a decrease in ipsilaterally projecting retinal fibers. Possible contributors to these abnormalities are reported delays in neuronogenesis (Ilia and Jeffery, 1996) and retinal maturation (Webster and Rowe, 1991). To further determine possible perturbations in neuronogenesis and/or differentiation, we used cell-specific markers and refined birth dating methods to examine these events during retinal ganglion cell (RGC) genesis in albino and pigmented mice from embryonic day 11 (E11) to E18. Our data indicate that relative to pigmented mice, more ganglion cells are born in the early stages of neuronogenesis in the albino retina, although the initiation of RGC genesis in the albino is unchanged. The cellular organization of the albino retina is perturbed as early as E12. In addition, cell cycle kinetics and output along the nasotemporal axis differ in retinas of albino and pigmented mice, both absolutely, with the temporal aspect of the retina expanded in albino, and relative to the position of the optic nerve head. Finally, blocking melanin synthesis in pigmented eyecups in culture leads to an increase in RGC differentiation, consistent with a role for melanin formation in regulating RGC neuronogenesis. These results point to spatiotemporal defects in neuronal production in the albino retina, which could perturb expression of genes that specify cell fate, number, and/or projection phenotype.

NASA Discipline Developmental Biology↗

Differential assembly of alpha- and gamma-filagenins into thick filaments in Caenorhabditis elegans

Muscle thick filaments are highly organized supramolecular assemblies of myosin and associated proteins with lengths, diameters and flexural rigidities characteristic of their source. The cores of body wall muscle thick filaments of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are tubular structures of paramyosin sub-filaments coupled by filagenins and have been proposed to serve as templates for the assembly of native thick filaments. We have characterized alpha- and gamma-filagenins, two novel proteins of the cores with calculated molecular masses of 30,043 and 19,601 and isoelectric points of 10.52 and 11.49, respectively. Western blot and immunoelectron microscopy using affinity-purified antibodies confirmed that the two proteins are core components. Immunoelectron microscopy of the cores revealed that they assemble with different periodicities. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that alpha-filagenin is localized in the medial regions of the A-bands of body wall muscle cells whereas gamma-filagenin is localized in the flanking regions, and that alpha-filagenin is expressed in 1.5-twofold embryos while gamma-filagenin becomes detectable only in late vermiform embryos. The expression of both proteins continues throughout later stages of development. C. elegans body wall muscle thick filaments of these developmental stages have distinct lengths. Our results suggest that the differential assembly of alpha- and gamma-filagenins into thick filaments of distinct lengths may be developmentally regulated.

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗

Bounding solutions of geometrically nonlinear viscoelastic problems

Integral transform techniques, such as the Laplace transform, provide simple and direct methods for solving viscoelastic problems formulated within a context of linear material response and using linear measures for deformation. Application of the transform operator reduces the governing linear integro-differential equations to a set of algebraic relations between the transforms of the unknown functions, the viscoelastic operators, and the initial and boundary conditions. Inversion either directly or through the use of the appropriate convolution theorem, provides the time domain response once the unknown functions have been expressed in terms of sums, products or ratios of known transforms. When exact inversion is not possible approximate techniques may provide accurate results. The overall problem becomes substantially more complex when nonlinear effects must be included. Situations where a linear material constitutive law can still be productively employed but where the magnitude of the resulting time dependent deformations warrants the use of a nonlinear kinematic analysis are considered. The governing equations will be nonlinear integro-differential equations for this class of problems. Thus traditional as well as approximate techniques, such as cited above, cannot be employed since the transform of a nonlinear function is not explicitly expressible.

Stubstad, J. M.↗

Bounding solutions of geometrically nonlinear viscoelastic problems

Integral transform techniques, such as the Laplace transform, provide simple and direct methods for solving viscoelastic problems formulated within a context of linear material response and using linear measures for deformation. Application of the transform operator reduces the governing linear integro-differential equations to a set of algebraic relations between the transforms of the unknown functions, the viscoelastic operators, and the initial and boundary conditions. Inversion either directly or through the use of the appropriate convolution theorem, provides the time domain response once the unknown functions have been expressed in terms of sums, products or ratios of known transforms. When exact inversion is not possible approximate techniques may provide accurate results. The overall problem becomes substantially more complex when nonlinear effects must be included. Situations where a linear material constitutive law can still be productively employed but where the magnitude of the resulting time dependent deformations warrants the use of a nonlinear kinematic analysis are considered. The governing equations will be nonlinear integro-differential equations for this class of problems. Thus traditional as well as approximate techniques, such as cited above, cannot be employed since the transform of a nonlinear function is not explicitly expressible.

Stubstad, J. M.↗

Amphioxus and lamprey AP-2 genes: implications for neural crest evolution and migration patterns

The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type present in the most basal vertebrates, but not in cephalochordates. We have studied differences in regulation of the neural crest marker AP-2 across two evolutionary transitions: invertebrate to vertebrate, and agnathan to gnathostome. Isolation and comparison of amphioxus, lamprey and axolotl AP-2 reveals its extensive expansion in the vertebrate dorsal neural tube and pharyngeal arches, implying co-option of AP-2 genes by neural crest cells early in vertebrate evolution. Expression in non-neural ectoderm is a conserved feature in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting an ancient role for AP-2 genes in this tissue. There is also common expression in subsets of ventrolateral neurons in the anterior neural tube, consistent with a primitive role in brain development. Comparison of AP-2 expression in axolotl and lamprey suggests an elaboration of cranial neural crest patterning in gnathostomes. However, migration of AP-2-expressing neural crest cells medial to the pharyngeal arch mesoderm appears to be a primitive feature retained in all vertebrates. Because AP-2 has essential roles in cranial neural crest differentiation and proliferation, the co-option of AP-2 by neural crest cells in the vertebrate lineage was a potentially crucial event in vertebrate evolution.

NASA Discipline Evolutionary Biology↗

Differential RNA regulation by staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B in murine macrophages

Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) is significantly better than enterotoxin B (SEB) in activating tumor necrosis factor (TNF) secretion by B6MP102 cells. Both toxins bound to B6MP102 cells; however, SEB competed less effectively with SEA than SEA competed with SEB. This suggested that receptors unique to SEA were present on B6MP102 cells. Signal transduction occurred in response to both toxins. Within 30 s after addition, SEA and SEB significantly increased the F-actin concentration in B6MP102 cells. However, only SEA induced increased TNF mRNA levels. B6MP102 cells incubated with interferon-gamma and SEB secreted TNF. However, enhanced mRNA expression was delayed and the concentration of TNF secreted was less than that of B6MP102 cells stimulated with SEA. Although these data suggest that receptors unique to SEA are present on B6MP102 cells, they also indicate that staphylococcal enterotoxins differentially regulate TNF at the RNA level, perhaps because of differences in binding to the plasma membrane.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

Spectral line shapes in spherically symmetric radially moving clouds

We present a method for the analysis of spectral line shapes arising in homogeneous, moving gas clouds in which velocity and molecular line excitation have power-law dependences on radial distance from the center. Analytical expressions are obtained for radial flows, for both optically thick and optically thin lines. The additional case of an optically thick line from a differentially rotating cloud is considered qualitatively. The method is applied to the interpretation of the C(12)O line observed in the direction of the Kleinmann-Low infrared nebula in Orion. While gravitational collapse and accelerated outflows would produce lines qualitatively similar to the observed profile, it does not appear to be possible to fit either model to the observations in detail.

Kuiper, T. B. H.↗

High-energy heavy-ion scattering and the optical phase shift function

Within the framework of the Glauber approximation, an exact expression for the optical phase shift function is derived which takes into account the center-of-mass correlation function. We calculate total and differential cross sections using the first-order term for the shift function and compare them with the usual (first-order) optical limit results and, for the lighter nuclei, with the exact Glauber results. The nucleus-nucleus elastic scattering amplitude does not exhibit the large-q divergence which characterizes the usual optical limit. The obtained results improve the calculated total and differential cross sections dramatically for light nuclei, and significantly for medium and heavy nuclei.

Franco, V.↗