Soybean cotyledon starch metabolism is sensitive to altered gravity conditions.

We have demonstrated that etiolated soybean seedlings grown under the altered gravity conditions of clinorotation (1 rpm) and centrifugation (5xg) exhibit changes in starch metabolism. Cotyledon starch concentration was lower (-28%) in clinorotated plants and higher (+24%) in centrifuged plants than in vertical control plants. The activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in the cotyledons was affected in a similar way, i.e. lower (-37%) in the clinorotated plants and higher (+22%) in the centrifuged plants. Other starch metabolic enzyme activities, starch synthase, starch phosphorylase and total hydrolase were not affected by the altered gravity treatments. We conclude that the observed changes in starch concentrations were primarily due to gravity-mediated differences in ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity.     

Influence of gravity on the circadian timing system.

The circadian timing system (CTS) is responsible for daily temporal coordination of physiological and behavioral functions both internally and with the external environment. Experiments in altered gravitational environments have revealed changes in circadian rhythms of species ranging from fungi to primates. The altered gravitational environments examined included both the microgravity environment of spaceflight and hyperdynamic environments produced by centrifugation. Acute exposure to altered gravitational environments changed homeostatic parameters such as body temperature. These changes were time of day dependent. Exposure to gravitational alterations of relatively short duration produced changes in both the homeostatic level and the amplitude of circadian rhythms. Chronic exposure to a non-earth level of gravity resulted in changes in the period of the expressed rhythms as well as in the phase relationships between the rhythms and between the rhythms and the external environment. In addition, alterations in gravity appeared to act as a time cue for the CTS. Altered gravity also affected the sensitivity of the pacemaker to other aspects of the environment (i.e., light) and to shifts of time cues. Taken together, these studies lead to the conclusion that the CTS is indeed sensitive to gravity and its alterations. This finding has implications for both basic biology and space medicine.     

A modified Gaussian sum approach to estimation of non-Gaussiansignals

A Gaussian sum estimation algorithm has previously been developed to deal with noise processes that are non-Gaussian. Inherent in this algorithm is a serious growing memory problem that causes the number of terms in the Gaussian sum to increase exponentially at each iteration. A modified Gaussian sum estimation algorithm using an adaptive filter is developed that avoids the growing memory problem of the previous algorithm while providing effective state estimation. The adaptive filter is comprised of a fixed set of estimators operating in parallel with each individual estimate possessing its own corresponding weighting term. A simulation example illustrates the new non-Gaussian estimation technique     

Mutual coupling effects and their reduction in wideband directionof arrival estimation

The performance of multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm using three different inputs over a wideband of frequencies is considered. These inputs are: 1) ideal voltages, 2) actual voltages which include coupling effects and are obtained with the method or moments, and 3) corrected voltages which are obtained from the actual voltages so that the mutual coupling effects are removed. Linear arrays of dipoles, sleeve dipoles, and spiral antennas are considered over 200 MHz to 400 MHz band     

Fusion of sensors with dissimilar measurement/tracking accuracies

The case of data fusion of sensors dissimilar in their measurement/tracking errors is considered. It is shown that the fused track performance is similar whether the sensor data are fused at the track level or at the measurement level. The case of a cluster of targets, resolved by one sensor but not the other, is also considered. Under certain conditions the fused track may perform worse than the worst of the sensors. A remedy to this problem through modifications of the association algorithm is presented     

Reconnection during substorms and solar flares

The patterns of reconnection in the Earth magnetotail and in the solar corona above the active region are presented. The electric field and field-aligned currents (FAC) generation in the current sheet are discussed.     

Interaction of shocks with a current sheet and reconnection in the solar corona

Interaction of shocks with a current sheet is investigated within a 2D MHD model based on an improved FCT numerical scheme. Basic parameters of the problem are chosen to correspond to situations in the solar corona with low plasma β and moderate shock strength. Slow and fast MHD shocks are introduced with shock normal parallel to magnetic field lines. The interaction with the current sheet causes distortion of the shock front and this distorts the magnetic field lines and generates electric current. Large current densities are generated especially when the fast MHD shock becomes the intermediate MHD shock at the current sheet. Then peak values of the current density are about 3–4 times larger than the initial undisturbed values in the current sheet.     

Infrared spectrometer PFS for the Mars 94 orbiter

Thin films containing a mixture of aliphatic (glycine) and aromatic (tryptophan or tyrosine) amino acids were exposed to a vacuum ultraviolet radiation (VUV) with wavelenghts 100–200 nm. Dipeptides (glycyl-tryptophan and glycyl-tyrosine) were synthesized in these conditions. We compared the actions of VUV and γ-radiation. Polymerization is an essential step in prebiological evolution and we have shown that this stage probably occured over an early Solar system history.     

Heavy-ion induced genetic changes and evolution processes.

On Moon and Mars, there will be more galactic cosmic rays and higher radiation doses than on earth. Our experimental studies showed that heavy ion radiation can effectively cause mutation and chromosome aberrations and that high-LET heavy-ion induced mutants can be irreversible. Chromosome translocations and deletions are common in cells irradiated by heavy particles, and ionizing radiations are effective in causing hyperploidy. The importance of the genetic changes in the evolution of life is an interesting question. Through evolution, there is an increase of DNA content in cells from lower forms of life to higher organisms. The DNA content, however, reached a plateau in vertebrates. By increasing DNA content, there can be an increase of information in the cell. For a given DNA content, the quality of information can be changed by rearranging the DNA. Because radiation can cause hyperploidy, an increase of DNA content in cells, and can induce DNA rearrangement, it is likely that the evolution of life on Mars will be effected by its radiation environment. A simple analysis shows that the radiation level on Mars may cause a mutation frequency comparable to that of the spontaneous mutation rate on Earth. To the extent that mutation plays a role in adaptation, radiation alone on Mars may thus provide sufficient mutation for the evolution of life.     

Long-term modulation of Galactic Cosmic Radiation and its model for space exploration.

As the human exploration of space has received new attention in the United States, studies find that exposure to space radiation could adversely impact the mission design. Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR), with its very wide range of charges and energies, is particularly important for a mission to Mars, because it imposes a stiff mass penalty for spacecraft shielding. Dose equivalent versus shielding thickness calculations, show a rapid initial drop in exposure with thickness, but an asymptotic behavior at a higher shielding thickness. Uncertainties in the radiobiology are largely unknown. For a fixed radiation risk, this leads to large uncertain ties in shielding thickness for small uncertainties in estimated dose. In this paper we investigate the application of steady-state, spherically-symmetric diffusion-convection theory of solar modulation to individual measurements of differential energy spectra from 1954 to 1989 in order to estimate the diffusion coefficient, kappa (r,t), as a function of time. We have correlated the diffusion coefficient to the Climax neutron monitor rates and show that, if the diffusion coefficient can be separated into independent functions of space and time: kappa (-r,t)=K(t)kappa 0 beta P kappa 1(r), where beta is the particle velocity and P the rigidity, then (i) The time dependent quantity 1/K(t), which is proportional to the deceleration potential, phi(r,t), is linearly related to the Climax neutron monitor counting rate. (ii) The coefficients obtained from hydrogen or helium intensity measurements are the same. (iii) There are different correlation functions for odd and even solar cycles. (iv) The correlation function for the Climax neutron monitor counting rate for given time, t, can be used to estimate mean deceleration parameter phi(t) to within +/- 15% with 90% confidence. We have shown that kappa(r,t) determined from hydrogen and/or helium data, can be used to fit the oxygen and iron differential energy spectra with a root mean square error of about +/- 10%, and essentially independent of the particle charge or energy. We have also examined the ion chamber and 14C measurements which allow the analysis to be extended from the year 1906 to 1990. Using this model we have defined reference GCR spectra at solar minimum and solar maximum. These can be used for space exploration studies and provide a quantitative estimate of the error in dose due to changes in GCR intensities.