Neutral buoyancy and sleep-deprived serum factors alter expression of cytokines regulating osteogenesis

We examined expression of genes associated with cytokine production, and genes implicated in regulating bone metabolism, in bone stromal and osteoblast cells incubated under standard ground conditions and under conditions of neutral buoyancy, and in the presence/absence of serum from normal or sleep-deprived mice. We observed a clear interaction between these two conditions (exposure to neutral buoyancy and serum stimulation) in promoting enhanced osteoclastogenesis. Both conditions independently altered expression of a number of cytokines implicated in the regulation of bone metabolism. However, using stromal cells from IL-1 and TNFx cytokine(r) KO mice, we concluded that the increased bone loss under microgravity conditions was not primarily cytokine mediated.     

Vanguard--a European robotic astrobiology-focussed Mars sub-surface mission proposal

We present a new European Mars mission proposal to build on the UK-led Beagle2 Mars mission and continue its astrobiology-focussed investigation of Mars. The small surface element to be delivered to the Martian surface--Vanguard--is designed to be carried by a Mars Express-type spacecraft bus to Mars and adopts a similar entry, descent and landing system as Beagle2. The surface element comprises a triad of robotic devices--a lander, a micro-rover of the Sojourner class for surface mobility, and three ground-penetrating moles mounted onto the rover for sub-surface penetration to 5 m depth. The major onboard instruments on the rover include a Raman spectrometer/imager, a laser plasma spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer--these laser instruments provide the basis for in situ "remote" sensing of the sub-surface Martian environment within a powerful scientific package. The moles carry the instruments' sensor head array to the sub-surface. The moles are thus required to undergo a one-way trip down the boreholes without the need for recovery of moles or samples, eliminating much of the robotic complexity invoked by such operations.     

Social desirability bias in personality testing: implications for astronaut selection

The assessment of personality is recognized by space agencies as an approach to identify candidates likely to perform optimally during spaceflights. In the use of personality scales for selection, the impact of social desirability (SD) has been cited as a concern. Study 1 addressed the impact of SD on responses to the Personality Characteristic Inventory(PCI) and NEO-FFI. This was achieved by contrasting scores from active astronauts (N=65) with scores of successful astronaut applicants (N=63), and between pilots applicants (N=1271) and pilot research subjects (N=120). Secondly, personality scores were correlated with scores on the Marlow Crown Social Desirability Scale among applicants to managerial positions (N=120). The results indicated that SD inflated scores on PCI scales assessing negative interpersonal characteristics, and impacted on four of five scales in NEO-FFI. Still, the effect sizes were small or moderate. Study 2 addressed performance implications of SD during an assessment of males applying to work as rescue personnel operations in the North Sea (N=22). The results showed that SD correlated negatively with cognitive test performance, and positively with discrepancy in performance ratings between self and two observers. In conclusion, caution is needed in interpreting personality scores in applicant populations. SD maybe a negative predictor for performance under stress.     

在高频负荷下钛合金及耐热合金持久强度的研究

1.引言 新型优质材料的制造及其在工艺上的应用与金属疲劳强度问题的研究,关系极为密切。这一问题对于现代航空发动机构造的发展具有特别重要的意义。因为,这种发动机的零件是在高温和高频振动负荷的情况之下工作的。在喷气发动机中,负荷最大的零件     

三轴承矢量喷管红外辐射特性

针对涡扇发动机用三轴承矢量喷管（3BSN）,通过数值模拟的方法研究了在巡航和垂直起降（VTOL）状态即非矢量和90°矢量状态下三轴承矢量喷管的红外辐射空间分布特征,并分析了其影响机理。结果表明,在非矢量状态下由于特殊的几何型面使得喷管下壁面出现了局部高温区,喷流形状也变成椭圆锥形,造成垂直探测面上正探测角壁面红外辐射较负探测角最大增加44.6%,水平探测面上的燃气红外辐射大于垂直探测面;90°矢量状态下,由于偏转的喷管结构对前端高温部件的遮挡,总辐射峰值仅为非矢量状态的43.3%;喷管90°矢量偏转使得远离曲率中心一侧的气流速度降低温度升高,喷管外侧出现了大范围的局部高温区,导致垂直探测面负探测角范围的壁面辐射大于正探测角范围,最大相对差值达到71.9%。喷管偏转也遮挡了部分喷管内部的高温燃气,垂直探测面负探测角的仅能覆盖喷管出口处的高温燃气区域,明显小于正探测角,造成燃气辐射出现了20%的最大相对差值。     

一种新型多普勒噪声抑制技术对BepiColombo任务无线电科学实验的性能提升

在欧洲空间局和日本宇宙开发机构联合开展的BepiColombo水星任务中,将开展水星轨道器无线电科学实验,包括估计水星的引力场及其旋转状态,并对广义相对论进行验证。目前地面系统和星上设备的主流配置可以在无线电科学实验中建立X/X、X/Ka和Ka/Ka多个频段的链路,测速精度可达3 um/s（1 000 s积分）,测距精度为20 cm。提出了基于时延机械噪声对消技术提高无线电科学实验性能的方案。时延机械噪声对消技术需要处理在两个测站不同时刻的测量数据,一个测站实施双向多普勒测距,对另一个单收测站的要求较为严格,该测站需要具有较好的对流层条件。这种方法能够显著降低Ka频段双向链路的主要测量噪声,包括由对流层和天线机械系统震动引起的噪声。我们给出了端到端的仿真性能,并估计了在使用时延机械噪声对消技术前提下的水星引力场和旋转状态。考虑使用NASA位于美国本土戈尔德斯敦的DSS-25天线或欧空局位于阿根廷马拉圭的DSA-3天线作为双程测量站,并考虑使用位于智力的APEX天文观测天线作为单收站。分析结果表明在最好的噪声条件下,使用DSA-3天线作为双程测量站时,时延机械噪声对消技术可将待估计的全局和局部参数的估计精度提升一倍。对于无线电科学实验的目标,这一可能的性能提升对行星地质物理学很有意义,它将有益于研究水星内部的结构。     

TC-1和Geotail对亚暴过程中近地等离子体片磁扰动的联合观测

以2004年9月28日02:53:20 UT的亚暴为例, 通过TC-1在磁尾约12.5 R_e 和Geotail卫星在近地磁尾等离子体片约8～9 R_e的联合观测, 研究亚暴触发过程中近地磁尾等离子体片中等离子体波动特征. 结果表明, 亚暴触发区是近地磁尾中心等离子体片中较小的一个区域, 在亚暴触发区中低混杂不稳定性在近地磁尾等离子体片中存在, 准垂直传播的低混杂波发生在亚暴触发过程中, 而亚暴触发过程中近地磁尾等离子体片外边界区内的磁场偶极化信号和扰动都非常微弱. 在亚暴触发和亚暴膨胀相过程中出现了多次具有不同特征的磁场偶极化现象.      

基于线性最小均方差估计的星敏感器故障诊断

针对使用两个星敏感器进行姿态测量的三轴稳定控制系统,利用星敏感器输出值与陀螺输出值的解析冗余关系,通过设计两个滤波器实现对不同星敏感器的故障隔离.考虑到陀螺测量噪声以乘性噪声的形式出现在姿态运动学方程中,利用陀螺输出测量值和目标星敏感器的测量值,采用线性最小均方差估计器得到包含目标星敏感器故障信息的残差; 以无故障情况下残差的统计方差为基础得到阈值,通过检验残差评价值是否超过相应的阈值,实现对目标星敏感器故障的检测; 分别将两个星敏感器作为目标星敏感器,综合两个故障检测结果隔离故障.对星敏感器出现测量偏差和精度逐渐下降两种故障的仿真验证了该方法的有效性.     

基于Tersoff-Brenner势的航天器群图形编队研究

从分子动力学模拟角度提出了一种分布式航天器群导航控制方法,可使行星中心开普勒轨道上的航天器群在有限的感知信息条件下自发实现图形编队.该法基于人工势场技术,主要分为两个部分：改造自C-W方程的外围全局汇聚势场和基于Tersoff-Brenner势的局部塑形势场.前者将各航天器导引至预设汇聚点附近,后者进一步使各航天器自我调整彼此相对位置,最终编成期望构型.此外,引入一速度依赖型耗散项以确保任意初始分布条件下图形编队均收敛.通过地球同步轨道上航天器群正四面体构型（含中心,即金刚石结构单元）编队仿真,验证了所提方法的有效性和优越性.将编队脚本简单修改,该法还可方便用于其它类碳元素同素异形体构型的塑造,如石墨晶体结构单元正六边形等.