Cell-to-cell interactions in changed gravity: ground-based and flight experiments

Cell-to-cell interactions play an important role in all physiological processes and are mediated by humoral and mechanical factors. Mechanosensitive cells (e.g., osteocytes, chondrocytes, and fibroblasts) can be studied ex vivo to understand the effects of an altered gravity environment. In particular, cultured endothelial cells (EC) are very sensitive to a broad spectrum of mechanical and biochemical stimuli. Earlier, we demonstrated that clinorotation leads to cytoskeletal remodeling in cultured ECs. Long-term gravity vector changes also modulate the expression of surface adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, E-selectin, VCAM-1) on cultured ECs. To study the interactions of geterological cells, we cocultured endothelial monolayers and human lymphocytes, immune cells and myeloleucemic (K-560) cells. It was found that, although clinorotation did not alter the basal adhesion level of non-activated immune cells on endothelial monolayers, the adhesion of PMA-activated lymphocytes was increased. During flight experiments onboard the Russian segment of the International Space Station, we measured the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells incubated with labeled target cells. It was found that immune cells in microgravity retained their ability to contact, recognize, and destroy oncogenic cells in vitro. Together, our data concerning the effects of simulated and real microgravity suggest that, despite changes in the cytoskeleton, cell motility, and expression of adhesion molecules, cell-cell interactions are not compromised, thus preserving the critical physiological functions of immune and endothelial cells.     

停车迫降中风速对四转弯改出高度的影响

以微分形式,推导出了在停车迫降中,逆风会使下滑距离缩短、飞机四转弯改出位置后移两种情况下四转转改出高度的增量公式及计算方法,通过实例进行了定量分析,给出了逆风使下滑距离缩短和航线四转弯改出位置后移而使四转弯改出所需高度增加的一般规律,为成功实施迫降,保证飞行安全,提供了准确的理论依据。     

工程知识粒度技术及其在工艺设计中的应用

由于科学技术的发展与人类需求的增加,工程问题的难度越来越大,人们希望将实践中积累的知识形式化地表示出来,并借助于知识处理系统来提高解决问题的能力.工程问题既需要相关的学科理论,更离不开工程方法、经验和数据,知识处理对于解决工程问题至关重要.     

Stability of amino acids and their oligomerization under high-pressure conditions: implications for prebiotic chemistry

The polymerization of amino acids leading to the formation of peptides and proteins is a significant problem for the origin of life. This problem stems from the instability of amino acids and the difficulty of their oligomerization in aqueous environments, such as seafloor hydrothermal systems. We investigated the stability of amino acids and their oligomerization reactions under high-temperature (180-400°C) and high-pressure (1.0-5.5?GPa) conditions, based on the hypothesis that the polymerization of amino acids occurred in marine sediments during diagenesis and metamorphism, at convergent margins on early Earth. Our results show that the amino acids glycine and alanine are stabilized by high pressure. Oligomers up to pentamers were formed, which has never been reported for alanine in the absence of a catalyst. The yields of peptides at a given temperature and reaction time were higher under higher-pressure conditions. Elemental, infrared, and isotopic analyses of the reaction products indicated that deamination is a key degradation process for amino acids and peptides under high-pressure conditions. A possible NH(3)-rich environment in marine sediments on early Earth may have further stabilized amino acids and peptides by inhibiting their deamination.     

SOLID3: a multiplex antibody microarray-based optical sensor instrument for in situ life detection in planetary exploration

The search for unequivocal signs of life on other planetary bodies is one of the major challenges for astrobiology. The failure to detect organic molecules on the surface of Mars by measuring volatile compounds after sample heating, together with the new knowledge of martian soil chemistry, has prompted the astrobiological community to develop new methods and technologies. Based on protein microarray technology, we have designed and built a series of instruments called SOLID (for "Signs Of LIfe Detector") for automatic in situ detection and identification of substances or analytes from liquid and solid samples (soil, sediments, or powder). Here, we present the SOLID3 instrument, which is able to perform both sandwich and competitive immunoassays and consists of two separate functional units: a Sample Preparation Unit (SPU) for 10 different extractions by ultrasonication and a Sample Analysis Unit (SAU) for fluorescent immunoassays. The SAU consists of five different flow cells, with an antibody microarray in each one (2000 spots). It is also equipped with an exclusive optical package and a charge-coupled device (CCD) for fluorescent detection. We demonstrated the performance of SOLID3 in the detection of a broad range of molecular-sized compounds, which range from peptides and proteins to whole cells and spores, with sensitivities at 1-2?ppb (ng?mL?1) for biomolecules and 10? to 103 spores per milliliter. We report its application in the detection of acidophilic microorganisms in the Río Tinto Mars analogue and report the absence of substantial negative effects on the immunoassay in the presence of 50?mM perchlorate (20 times higher than that found at the Phoenix landing site). Our SOLID instrument concept is an excellent option with which to detect biomolecules because it avoids the high-temperature treatments that may destroy organic matter in the presence of martian oxidants.     

纤维陶瓷复合材料强度和热稳定性的提高

最近研制了一代新型的刚性好重量轻的先进纤维陶瓷复合材料。这类材料在力学性能和热稳定性方面有很大提高。它的抗弯强度是当前能得到的氧化硅纤维绝热材料的2-3倍,而密度减小10％。该材料短时间的重复使用温度高于2600°F,而连续使用温度为2600°F。     

欧洲航空工业与技术合作的典范——访空中客车工业公司

世界三大民机商之一的空中客车工业公司,拥有世界上先进的民机系列,年营业额80亿美元,在世界范围内的总销售量已接近2000架。为亲眼目睹现代化、高科技飞机总装厂的风采,参加中国西北航空公司首架A300—600R飞机的接交仪式,记者与新闻界同行一行12人,于1994年     

用运放制作的积分器的快速瞬态噪声响应

本文描述用运放制作的积分器在减少直流电源的高频噪声方面并不很有效,当受到高频噪声影响时,它似乎起着微分器的作用。这种现象是由于输入线和直流电源的快速瞬态噪声对运放作用的结果。     

在SA条件下利用GPS的轨道确定和点定位

GPS精度控制(SA)措施降低了GPS标准定位业务(SPS)非差分用户的定位精度。常说的SPS可达精度在正常条件下为100米(2DRMS)。在缺乏更多具体条件下,许多未来的SPS用户在他们的规划中采用了100米这一精度值,但多数情况下,是夸大了实际定位误差。在本文中,我们针对轨道用户星的点定位和动力学轨道确定来研究SA带来的误差。要使SA带来的误差减至最小,非差分用户有几种选择:扩大接收视场;观测尽可能多的GPS卫星;在时间上平滑误差;选用独立计算的GPS精密轨道星历(如NASA和美国测绘局计算的),而不采用广播星历。仿真计算表明,3维点位误差可保持在30米,并且在几小时内能平滑到3米。     

2005年度机场营房系统院士顾问座谈会剪影

2005年11月25日，空后机场营房部在空军工程设计研究局组织召开了“2005年度机场营房系统院士顾问座谈会”，总参科工委常委，中国工程院钱七虎院士，解放军后勤工程学院教授，中国工程院郑颖人院士应邀到会。空后机场营房部基建工程处，