Mineralization of human bone tissue under hypokinesia and physical exercise with calcium supplements

It has been suggested that physical exercise and calcium supplements may be used to prevent demineralization of bone tissue under hypokinesia (diminished muscular activity). Thus, the aim of this study was to determine mineral content of bones of 12 physically healthy men aged 19-24 years under 90 days of hypokinesia and intensive physical exercise (PE) with calcium lactate (C) supplements. They were divided into experimental and control groups with 6 men in each. The experimental group of men were subjected to hypokinesia (HK) and intensive PE and took 650 mg C 6 times per day; the control group was placed under pure HK, i.e. without the use of any preventive measures. The mineral content of different bone tissues was measured with a densitometric X-ray method in milligrams of calcium per 1 mm3 before and after exposure to HK. The level of bone density of the examined bone tissues decreased by 7-9% and 5-7% for the control and experimental groups of men, respectively. A statistical analysis revealed that the reduction of bone mineralization was significant with P < 0.01 in both groups of men. A comparison between bone density changes in the control and experimental groups of men failed to demonstrate significant differences. It was concluded that the level of mineralization of bone tissues decreased under hypokinesia and physical exercise with calcium supplements.     

热循环对原子氧与树脂基复合材料 交互作用的影响

文章选取M40/DFA-1和M40/AG-80两种碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料,进行了热循环对原子氧与这两种材料交互作用影响的研究。原子氧反应率的计算和层间剪切性能测试的结果表明,一定温度区间一定次数的热循环使得材料与原子氧交互作用减弱。该研究应用X射线光电子能谱仪（XPS）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对样品表面成分和形貌进行了分析。根据分析结果,初步提出热循环对增强树脂基复合材料自身抗原子氧侵蚀能力的作用机理。     

Precision bone and muscle loss measurements by advanced, multiple projection DEXA (AMPDXA) techniques for spaceflight applications.

An advanced, multiple projection, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (AMPDXA) scanner system is under development. The AMPDXA is designed to make precision bone and muscle loss measurements necessary to determine the deleterious effects of microgravity on astronauts as well as develop countermeasures to stem their bone and muscle loss. To date, a full size test system has been developed to verify principles and the results of computer simulations. Results indicate that accurate predictions of bone mechanical properties can be determined from as few as three projections, while more projections are needed for a complete, three-dimensional reconstruction.     

Biomedical analysis of rat body hair after hindlimb suspension for 14 days

The levels of 26 minerals in rat body hair were analyzed in control and hindlimb-suspended Wistar Hannover rats (n=5 each). We quantified the levels of 22 minerals in this experiment. However, we were unable to measure the levels of 4 minerals (Be, V, Cd, and Hg) quantitatively because they were below the limit of detection. Of the 22 quantified, the levels of 19 minerals were not significantly different between control and hindlimb-suspended groups. The levels of 3 minerals (Pb, Cr, and Al) tended to be higher in the hindlimb-suspended group than in the control group; however, this difference was not significant. The concentrations of 3 other minerals (I, K, and Mg) were significantly different between the 2 groups. The iodine (I) level was 58.2% higher in the hindlimb-suspended group than in the control group (P<0.05). Potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) levels were 55.2% and 20.4% lower, respectively, in the experimental group (P<0.05 in both cases).These results indicate that a physiological change in mineral metabolism resulting from physical or mental stress, such as hindlimb suspension, is reflected in body hair. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has initiated a human research study to investigate the effects of long-term space flight on gene expression and mineral metabolism by analyzing hair samples of astronauts who stayed in the International Space Station (ISS) for 6 months. We believe that hindlimb suspension for 14 days can simulate the effects of an extremely severe environment, such as space flight, because the hindlimb suspension model elicits a rapid physiological change in skeletal muscle, bone, and fluid shift even in the short term. These results also suggest that we can detect various effects on the body by analyzing the human scalp hair shaft.     

40 keV质子辐照对HfO2/SiO2高反射薄膜激光损伤性能影响试验研究

在低地球轨道，低能质子辐照是造成空间光学元器件损坏的重要因素之一。激光高反射薄膜是空间激光系统中激光产生和输出部件的重要组成部分，其激光损伤性能变化直接影响激光系统的稳定性。文章采用地面空间环境模拟装置模拟低能（40 keV）质子单独作用效果，通过定点原位测量技术和光热吸收测试获得薄膜的光谱透射率、表面形貌和光热吸收特性，采用激光损伤阈值测量方法表征微小初始破坏的激光损伤阈值及损伤形貌；结合SRIM程序模拟计算粒子在材料中输运的具体过程，定量分析过程中的能量损失情况。试验结果表明，40 keV质子辐照会造成HfO₂/SiO₂三波段高反膜的激光损伤阈值明显降低。     

Medical considerations for extending human presence in space

The prospects for extending the length of time that humans can safely remain in space depend partly on resolution of a number of medical issues. Physiologic effects of weightlessness that may affect health during flight include loss of body fluid, functional alterations in the cardiovascular system, loss of red blood cells and bone mineral, compromised immune system function, and neurosensory disturbances. Some of the physiologic adaptations to weightlessness contribute to difficulties with readaptation to Earth's gravity. These include cardiovascular deconditioning and loss of body fluids and electrolytes; red blood cell mass; muscle mass, strength, and endurance; and bone mineral. Potentially harmful factors in space flight that are not related to weightlessness include radiation, altered circadian rhythms and rest/work cycles, and the closed, isolated environment of the spacecraft. There is no evidence that space flight has long-term effects on humans, except that bone mass lost during flight may not be replaced, and radiation damage is cumulative. However, the number of people who have spent several months or longer in space is still small. Only carefully-planned experiments in space preceded by thorough ground-based studies can provide the information needed to increase the amount of time humans can safely spend in space.     

纳米颗粒SiCp/Al复合材料车削特性试验研究

针对纳米颗粒增强铝基（SiCp/Al）复合材料在航空航天领域的应用需求,采用试验的方法,研究不同刀具材料和不同刀具几何参数对切削加工纳米SiCp/Al复合材料加工表面粗糙度和切屑形貌的影响。试验结果表明,相同切削参数下,PCD刀具比硬质合金刀具能获得更低的已加工工件表面粗糙度,微崩刃的存在是导致硬质合金刀具加工时工件表面粗糙度升高的主要原因之一;增加刀具的锋利度能够获得较低的工件表面粗糙度,较大的主偏角表面粗糙度变化较剧烈;由于纳米颗粒增强相的不均匀分布和材料内部存在微裂纹,在切削时导致切屑呈不规则的锯齿状,基体的断裂模式是该现象产生的主要原因。文中的研究成果将为进一步分析纳米SiCp/Al复合材料的切削机理提供必要的试验基础。     

An endogenous growth pattern of roots is revealed in seedlings grown in microgravity

In plants, sensitive and selective mechanisms have evolved to perceive and respond to light and gravity. We investigated the effects of microgravity on the growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotype Landsberg) in a spaceflight experiment. These studies were performed with the Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) hardware system in the middeck region of the space shuttle during mission STS-131 in April 2010. Seedlings were grown on nutrient agar in Petri dishes in BRIC hardware under dark conditions and then fixed in flight with paraformaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, or RNAlater. Although the long-term objective was to study the role of the actin cytoskeleton in gravity perception, in this article we focus on the analysis of morphology of seedlings that developed in microgravity. While previous spaceflight studies noted deleterious morphological effects due to the accumulation of ethylene gas, no such effects were observed in seedlings grown with the BRIC system. Seed germination was 89% in the spaceflight experiment and 91% in the ground control, and seedlings grew equally well in both conditions. However, roots of space-grown seedlings exhibited a significant difference (compared to the ground controls) in overall growth patterns in that they skewed to one direction. In addition, a greater number of adventitious roots formed from the axis of the hypocotyls in the flight-grown plants. Our hypothesis is that an endogenous response in plants causes the roots to skew and that this default growth response is largely masked by the normal 1?g conditions on Earth.     

塞式喷管单元发动机实验与数值模拟研究

简要介绍固体推进剂模拟塞式喷管单元发动机实验系统，给出了实验塞式喷管型面设计方法和特征线法在塞式喷管流场计算中的应用，癖结了实验研究结果，并同数值模拟计算结果进行了比较，主要结果包括燃烧室压力，底部气锥流量，内膨胀比，侧喷管倾角，底部压缩角等对塞式喷管性能的影响，并得出了塞式喷管单元发动机推力方向与其轴线方向夹角的高度特性。     

沥青基C/C复合材料的制备及氧化行为

采用超高压浸渍-炭化方法制备了沥青基C/C复合材料,并对其在1273～1773 K氧化后的力学性能进行了测试,借助扫描电镜研究了该材料的氧化形貌.实验结果表明,在恒温下,随着氧化时间的延长,试样弯曲强度和模量逐渐减小,弯曲强度和模量与时间呈线性关系;而在恒定时间条件下,随着氧化温度的升高,试样的弯曲强度和模量亦逐渐减小...     

Spaceflight and clinorotation cause cytoskeleton and mitochondria changes and increases in apoptosis in cultured cells.

The cytoskeleton is a complex network of fibers that is sensitive to environmental factors including microgravity and altered gravitational forces. Cellular functions such as transport of cell organelles depend on cytoskeletal integrity; regulation of cytoskeletal activity plays a role in cell maintenance, cell division, and apoptosis. Here we report cytoskeletal and mitochondria alterations in cultured human lymphocyte (Jurkat) cells after exposure to spaceflight and in insect cells of Drosophila melanogaster (Schneider S-1) after exposure to conditions created by clinostat rotation. Jurkat cells were flown on the space shuttle in Biorack cassettes while Schneider S-1 cells were exposed to altered gravity forces as produced by clinostat rotation. The effects of both treatments were similar in the different cell types. Fifty percent of cells displayed effects on the microtubule network in both cell lines. Under these experimental conditions mitochondria clustering and morphological alterations of mitochondrial cristae was observed to various degrees after 4 and 48 hours of culture. Jurkat cells underwent cell divisions during exposure to spaceflight but a large number of apoptotic cells was also observed. Similar results were obtained in Schneider S-1 cells cultured under clinostat rotation. Both cell lines displayed mitochondria abnormalities and mitochondria clustering toward one side of the cells which is interpreted to be the result of microtubule disruption and failure of mitochondria transport along microtubules. The number of mitochondria was increased in cells exposed to altered gravity while cristae morphology was severely affected indicating altered mitochondria function. These results show that spaceflight as well as altered gravity produced by clinostat rotation affects microtubule and mitochondria organization and results in increases in apoptosis. Grant numbers: NAG 10-0224, NAG2-985.     

水下转台系统的一种实验建模方法

针对非线性摩擦特性对伺服系统建模的影响问题,通过适当的实验设计,利用优化方法来得到系统非线性摩擦模型以及系统模型参数.实验结果表明,利用该方法可以得到与实际系统模型参数较为接近的对象模型参数.     

Bone effects of space flight: analysis by quantum concept of bone remodelling.

During the manned Skylab flights mineral losses from the calcaneum and changes in external calcium balance were in the ranges found for healthy subjects at bedrest. Calcium balance reached a nadir of -200 mg/day by two months with no change thereafter; the negative balance was due to increased urinary excretion with no change in net absorption. The total calcium loss averaged 18 g in the longest flight of 84 days; the densitiometric data suggested that about two-thirds of this came from trabecular bone and about one-third from cortical bone. These data could represent reversible bone loss due to increased birth rate of normal osteoclasts and osteoblasts and consequent increase in bone turnover and in reversible mineral deficit, or irreversible bone loss due to overactive osteoclasts and/or underactive osteoblasts. If the former explanation is correct, significant bone loss is unlikely whatever the duration of future flights, except in older persons already losing bone; if the latter explanation is correct, space flights longer than six months may lead to a significant increase in fracture risk in later life. Neither terrestrial immobilization nor unwilling animals in orbit are ideal models for the effects of space flight on human bone. To choose between reversible and irreversible mechanisms of bone loss, and to determine the effects of space flight on lifelong fracture risk, future astronauts and cosmonauts must undergo adequate histologic study of bone after in vivo tetracycline labeling.     

Reloading partly recovers bone mineral density and mechanical properties in hind limb unloaded rats

Skeletal unloading results in decreased bone formation and bone mass. During long-term space flight, the decreased bone mass is impossible to fully recover. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the effective countermeasures to prevent spaceflight-induced bone loss. Hindlimb Unloading (HLU) simulates effects of weightlessness and is utilized extensively to examine the response of musculoskeletal systems to certain aspects of space flight. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a 4-week HLU in rats and subsequent reloading on the bone mineral density (BMD) and mechanical properties of load-bearing bones.     

Gender differences in organ density in a rat simulated microgravity model

Research investigating the physiological effects of microgravity on the human body has demonstrated a shift of body fluids in actual spaceflight and in simulated Earth-based microgravity models in both males and females, possibly causing many deleterious physiological effects. Twenty-five anatomically normal female (NF) and 20 ovariectomized (OE) Fischer 344 rats were randomly selected to be in an experimental (1 h of 45 degrees head-down tilt, 45HDT) or control (1 h of prone position) group. At the end of the hour experimental period, the density of the brain, lungs, heart, liver, and left and right kidneys were measured using spiral computed tomography (SCT) while the rats remained in their experimental positions. A sub-group of OE rats (N=6) was administered estrogen replacement therapy on a daily basis (5 micrograms/kg body weight, s.c.) for 4 days and then underwent 1 h of 45HDT and SCT analysis at one day, 2 days, and 5 days to determine if estrogen replacement therapy would alter organ densities. Our data demonstrate that 1 h of 45HDT produced significant increases (p<0.05) in the organ densities of the brain, liver, left kidney, and lung of the OE female group compared to their prone controls. However, only the brain density was significantly increased in the NF group. Estrogen replacement therapy caused a significant decrease in brain organ density at the 5 day time point compared to the 24 h time point. We conclude that estrogen plays a role in fluid distribution in a rat 45HDT model.     

Modeling the benefits of an artificial gravity countermeasure coupled with exercise and vibration

The current, system-specific countermeasures to space deconditioning have limited success with the musculoskeletal system in long duration missions. Artificial gravity (AG) that is produced by short radius centrifugation has been hypothesized as an effective countermeasure because it reintroduces an acceleration field in space; however, AG alone might not be enough stimuli to preserve the musculoskeletal system. A novel combination of AG coupled with one-legged squats on a vibrating platform may preserve muscle and bone in the lower limbs to a greater extent than the current exercise paradigm. The benefits of the proposed countermeasure have been analyzed through the development of a simulation platform. Ground reaction force data and motion data were collected using a motion capture system while performing one-legged and two-legged squats in 1-G. The motion was modeled in OpenSim, an open-source software, and inverse dynamics were applied in order to determine the muscle and reaction forces of lower limb joints. Vibration stimulus was modeled by adding a 20 Hz sinusoidal force of 0.5 body weight to the force plate data. From the numerical model in a 1-G acceleration field, muscle forces for quadriceps femoris, plantar flexors and glutei increased substantially for one-legged squats with vibration compared to one- or two-legged squats without vibration. Additionally, joint reaction forces for one-legged squats with vibration also increased significantly compared to two-legged squats with or without vibration. Higher muscle forces and joint reaction forces might help to stimulate muscle activation and bone modeling and thus might reduce musculoskeletal deconditioning. These results indicate that the proposed countermeasure might surpass the performance of the current space countermeasures and should be further studied as a method of mitigating musculoskeletal deconditioning.     

Immobilization induces a very rapid increase in osteoclast activity

We studied in a randomized, strictly controlled cross-over design, the effects of 6 days 6 degrees head-down tilt bed rest (HDT) in eight male healthy subjects in our metabolic ward. The study consisted of two periods (phases) of 11 days each in order to allow for the test subjects being their own controls. Both study phases were identical with respect to environmental conditions, study protocol and diet. Two days before arriving in the metabolic ward the subjects started with a diet. The diet was continued in the metabolic ward. The metabolic ward period (1l days) was divided into three parts: 4 ambulatory days, 6 days either HDT or control and 1 recovery day. Continuous urine collection started on the first day in the metabolic ward to analyze calcium excretion and bone resorption markers. On the 2nd ambulatory day in the metabolic ward and on the 5th day in HDT or control blood was drawn to analyze serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, and bone formation markers. Urinary calcium excretion was, as early as the first day in immobilization, increased (p<0.01). CTX- and NTX-excretion stayed unchanged in the first 24 h in HDT compared to the control. But already on the 2nd day of immobilization, both bone resorption markers significantly increased. We conclude from these results--pronounced rise of bone resorption markers--that already 24 h of immobilization induce a significant rise in osteoclast activity in healthy subjects. Thus, it appears possible to use short-term bed rest studies as a first step for the development of countermeasures to immobilization.