Artificial gravity--head movements during short-radius centrifugation: influence of cognitive effects

Short-radius centrifugation is a potential countermeasure against the effects of prolonged weightlessness. Head movements in a rotating environment, however, induce serious side effects: inappropriate vestibular ocular reflexes (VOR), body-tilt illusions and motion sickness induced by cross-coupled accelerations on a rotating platform. These are well predicted by a semicircular canal model. The present study investigates cognitive effects on the inappropriate VOR and the illusory sensations experienced by subjects rotating on a short-radius centrifuge (SRC). Subjects (N=19) were placed supine on a rotating horizontal bed with their head at the center of rotation. To investigate the extent to which they could control their sensations voluntarily, subjects were asked alternatively to "fight" (i.e. to try to resist and suppress) those sensations, or to "go" with (i.e. try to enhance or, at least, acquiesce in) them. The only significant effect on the VOR of this cognitive intervention was to diminish the time constant characterizing the decay of the nystagmus in subjects who had performed the "go" (rather than the "fight") trials. However, illusory sensations, as measured by reported subjective intensities, were significantly less intense during the "fight" than during the "go" trials. These measurements also verified an asymmetry in illusory sensation known from earlier experiments: the illusory sensations are greater when the head is rotated from right ear down (RED) to nose up (NU) posture than from NU to RED. The subjects habituated, modestly, to the rotation between their first and second sequences of trials, but showed no better (or worse) suppression of illusory sensations thereafter. No significant difference in habituation was observed between the "fight" and "go" trials.     

CASH 2021: commercial access and space habitation

Issues about commercialization of space have been a growing concern in the past decade for the space community. This paper focuses on the work from a team of 51 students attending the Summer Session Program of the International Space University in Bremen, Germany. CASH 2021 (Commercial Access and Space Habitation) documents a plan that identifies commercial opportunities for space utilization that will extend human presence in space, and will chart the way forward for the next 20 years. The group selected four commercial sectors that show the most promise for the future: tourism, entertainment, space system service, assembly and debris removal, and research and development/production. The content of this document presents the results of their research. Historical activities in each of the commercial sectors are reviewed along with the current market situation. To provide a coherent background for future commercialization possibilities a scenario has been developed. This scenario includes a postulated upon ideal future and includes social, political and economic factors that may affect the space industry over the timeline of the study. The study also presents a roadmap, within the limited optimistic scenario developed, for the successful commercialization of space leading to future human presence in space. A broad range of commercially viable opportunities, not only within the current limits of the International Space Station, but also among the many new developments that are expected by 2021 are discussed.     

基于非结构自适应网格和嵌入边界法的残差格式研究

嵌入边界法由于在求解NS方程时能够简化网格生成问题而在计算流体领域受到越来越广泛的关注.简言之,嵌入边界法能够简化大变形和运动条件下多物理流动模拟、流固相互作用耦合问题,然而壁面边界条件的精确处理仍旧是该方法需要解决的问题.在本文工作中,为考虑壁面边界条件而在NS方程中增加了补偿项,同时采用非结构网格自适应技术保持了壁面边界条件的精度.     

机械师短缺,航空安全令人堪忧

AVIATIONWEEK&SPACETECHNOLOGYMechanicShortageRaisesGrowth，SafetyConcernsEdwaPdHPhilips据预测，在今后几年，除非采取快捷有效的方法改变现状，否则美国飞机机械师和航电技术人员的人力资源的短缺会威胁到航空运输的发展和安全问题据美国劳工部所作的统计表明，在今后几年需要12000名新的飞机、发动机机械师（A＆P）加盟，以保持现有的航空运输业发展速度和补充退休的有经验的机械师，几乎每年缺4000名机械师。到2006年，全美维修业应达到155000名机械师，比现有人员增加13％。航空技术教育委员会（ATEC）的总裁文…     

Steady course for civil space in 2002

Total expenditures for space activities by civilian governments totaled $20.3 billion in 2002. National summaries by expenditure and type of flight are provided.     

The search for life on Europa: limiting environmental factors, potential habitats, and Earth analogues

The putative ocean of Europa has focused considerable attention on the potential habitats for life on Europa. By generally clement Earth standards, these Europan habitats are likely to be extreme environments. The objectives of this paper were to examine: (1) the limits for biological activity on Earth with respect to temperature, salinity, acidity, desiccation, radiation, pressure, and time; (2) potential habitats for life on Europa; and (3) Earth analogues and their limitations for Europa. Based on empirical evidence, the limits for biological activity on Earth are: (1) the temperature range is from 253 to 394 K; (2) the salinity range is a(H2O) = 0.6-1.0; (3) the desiccation range is from 60% to 100% relative humidity; (4) the acidity range is from pH 0 to 13; (5) microbes such as Deinococcus are roughly 4,000 times more resistant to ionizing radiation than humans; (6) the range for hydrostatic pressure is from 0 to 1,100 bars; and (7) the maximum time for organisms to survive in the dormant state may be as long as 250 million years. The potential habitats for life on Europa are the ice layer, the brine ocean, and the seafloor environment. The dual stresses of lethal radiation and low temperatures on or near the icy surface of Europa preclude the possibility of biological activity anywhere near the surface. Only at the base of the ice layer could one expect to find the suitable temperatures and liquid water that are necessary for life. An ice layer turnover time of 10 million years is probably rapid enough for preserving in the surface ice layers dormant life forms originating from the ocean. Model simulations demonstrate that hypothetical oceans could exist on Europa that are too cold for biological activity (T < 253 K). These simulations also demonstrate that salinities are high, which would restrict life to extreme halophiles. An acidic ocean (if present) could also potentially limit life. Pressure, per se, is unlikely to directly limit life on Europa. But indirectly, pressure plays an important role in controlling the chemical environments for life. Deep ocean basins such as the Mariana Trench are good analogues for the cold, high-pressure ocean of Europa. Many of the best terrestrial analogues for potential Europan habitats are in the Arctic and Antarctica. The six factors likely to be most important in defining the environments for life on Europa and the focus for future work are liquid water, energy, nutrients, low temperatures, salinity, and high pressures.     

GAO要求严格审查“代码共享”营运

据美国联邦审计总署(GAO)的报告指出,美国运输部即将颁布新的条例,旨在更为准确地评估“代码共享”(Code-Sharing)战略联盟对美国民航业的影响,并确定反垄断豁免权是否能鼓励新的“开放天空”协议的签署.该报告还指出,目前已有的数据尚不足以精确地确定各种联盟短期内对票价结构的实际影响是什么,是否会减弱或加剧长期的竞争,从而导致票价的降低或升高.     

矩阵变换器应用于电机系统的研究与进展

矩阵变换器(Matrix converter,MC)是一种直接变换型的交流-交流电力变换装置,具有无电解电容、结构紧凑、功率密度高和恶劣环境条件下适应性强等优点,适用于电机驱动、移动电源和风力发电等场合,因此得到了国内外众多学者的关注。本文主要对MC在电机系统中应用的研究现状进行综述。首先对MC在异步电机、同步电机以及在航空作动器等电机驱动系统中的研究现状进行了评述,然后介绍了MC应用于基于燃气轮机的分布式发电系统和大功率风力发电中的发展现状,最后对MC在工业界的发展情况进行介绍。本文的内容对矩阵变换器的进一步研究及其推广应用具有参考价值。