Characterization of Bacilli isolated from the confined environments of the Antarctic Concordia station and the International Space Station

Bacillus and related genera comprise opportunist and pathogen species that can threaten the health of a crew in confined stations required for long-term missions. In this study, 43 Bacilli from confined environments, that is, the Antarctic Concordia station and the International Space Station, were characterized in terms of virulence and plasmid exchange potentials. No specific virulence feature, such as the production of toxins or unusual antibiotic resistance, was detected. Most of the strains exhibited small or large plasmids, or both, some of which were related to the replicons of the Bacillus anthracis pXO1 and pXO2 virulence elements. One conjugative element, the capacity to mobilize and retromobilize small plasmids, was detected in a Bacillus cereus sensu lato isolate. Six out of 25 tested strains acquired foreign DNA by conjugation. Extremophilic bacteria were identified and exhibited the ability to grow at high pH and salt concentrations or at low temperatures. Finally, the clonal dispersion of an opportunist isolate was demonstrated in the Concordia station. Taken together, these results suggest that the virulence potential of the Bacillus isolates in confined environments tends to be low but genetic transfers could contribute to its capacity to spread.     

Following the kinetics: iron-oxidizing microbial mats in cold icelandic volcanic habitats and their rock-associated carbonaceous signature

Icelandic streams with mean annual temperatures of less than 5 °C, which receive the cationic products of basaltic rock weathering, were found to host mats of iron-cycling microorganisms. We investigated two representative sites. Iron-oxidizing Gallionella and iron-reducing Geobacter species were present. The mats host a high bacterial diversity as determined by culture-independent methods. β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, α-Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were abundant microbial taxa. The mat contained a high number of phototroph sequences. The carbon compounds in the mat displayed broad G and D bands with Raman spectroscopy. This signature becomes incorporated into the weathered oxidized surface layer of the basaltic rocks and was observed on rocks that no longer host mats. The presence of iron-oxidizing taxa in the stream microbial mats, and the lack of them in previously studied volcanic rocks in Iceland that have intermittently been exposed to surface water flows, can be explained by the kinetic limitations to the extraction of reduced iron from rocks. This type of ecosystem illustrates key factors that control the distribution of chemolithotrophs in cold volcanic environments. The data show that one promising sample type for which the hypothesis of the existence of past life on Mars can be tested is the surface of volcanic rocks that, previously, were situated within channels carved by flowing water. Our results also show that the carbonaceous signatures of life, if life had occurred, could be found in or on these rocks.     

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。     

替代惯导陀螺的石英叉

罗克韦尔公司正在采用与数字手表中机构相似的振动石英音叉技术来生产军用战术固态惯性测量装置。这种产品的市场是需要轻小型、低价导航和控制系统,而且数量正在日益增长的战术导弹、精导武器和无人机。 据说新技术更加可靠,但其最大优点是价格较低。数字石英惯性(DQI)测量装置中的6个传感器可采用半导体工业中普通采用的光蚀刻工艺大批生产。罗克韦尔的长期合作伙伴,BEI电子公司西斯特朗·唐纳惯性分公司研制和生产这些传感器。 预计罗克韦尔将以比同等性能光     

一种多平台支持环境

传统的武器系统(如攻击机)利用嵌入式计算机和软件来提供巨大的灵活性和扩展性能。这些性能的实现需要大量的费用，虽然也可用已建立起来的专用软件开发设施来支持这些传统系统。不幸的是这些专用设施的费用一直过高。先进航空电子设备支持多雷达软件研究(AAMRSSS)项目提供了解决上述问题的办法。AAMRSSS研究了用专用软件开发设施(SDF)支持多软件系统平台的可行性。本研究涉及的问题有：通用性；待扩展的新系统的独特要求；平台优先次序以及将来的扩展。本研究特别提出了用F-15的雷达软件开发设施支持AC，130U Gunship(武装直升机)雷达工作的飞行试验计划(OFP)。     

从《宇宙—1500》上雷达观察河水泛滥

在河水泛滥期间研究水泛地的淹没状况并预报在泄洪渠调节的情况下它的变化—这是水文学研究的一个重要方面。在洪水期间,水泛将导致分水界沼泽的部分淹没,而且是产生水泛区沼泽地定期引水的因素之一。水泛地长期的淹没促成了沼泽地需不断引水并促进了水泛地沼泽化过程的发展。河水泛滥对农业、畜牧业、鱼业能源及船泊航运等国民经济部门有影响。这就必须完     

美国空军/麦克唐纳·道格拉斯Delta2的第一次发射开始了军用空间的新时代

上星期美国空军/麦克唐纳·道格拉斯Delta2将一颗新的洛克韦尔导航卫星作为负荷的第一次飞行试验被空军认为是向军用空间新时代迈出的关键的第一步,可以用各种新的不载人运载器进行军事空间操作。Delta2将是一个将大重量负荷送入空间的运载器,和通用动力公司的‘宇宙神’及马丁·玛丽埃塔公司的‘大力神’几种型式一起使国防部今年用不载人的扩编运载器的发射率获得势头。     

陆军战术无人侦察机（下）——苏联／俄罗斯战术无人侦察机

在当今世界，无人机以其独特的优势日益受到各国军方的青睐。无人机的研制，运用和发展也可谓方兴未艾。但对世人来讲，世界航空大国俄罗斯的无人机长期以来却一直是个谜……早在20世纪50年代初，随着喷气式发动机的诞生，苏联开始研制中远程巡航导弹和洲际弹道导弹以及军用无人机。军用无人机拥有有人驾驶飞机不可替代的许多优点：结构设汁简单、起降简便等，从而在军用航空武器中占据了特殊的地位。其无人机的发展大致可分为三个阶段。[编者按]     

ESA再入探测器的某些空气热动力问题

给出了两种不同的再入飞行器:充气的再入和下滑演示器(IRDT)和Huygens.两者的任务都涉及在靠近轨道的条件下再入并均已于2005年完成.概述了IRDT的使命和具体设计问题,综述了IRDT最近飞行的初步结果和ESTEC估计Huygens受到的辐射通量采用的方法.