Response to hypogravity of normal in vitro cultured follicular cells from thyroid

Aim of this investigation is the study of molecular modifications occurring in differentiated mammalian cells exposed to gravitational changes. The test system chosen is a well characterized clone of differentiated, normal thyroid follicular cells (FRTL5) in long-term culture. As a follow-up to our recent experiment performed during the MASER-7 sounding rocket mission, flown for European Space Agency by Swedish Space Corporation in May 1996, we evaluated FRTL5 cells responses to Thyroid Stimulating Hormone dependent cAMP production under acute hypogravity conditions obtained in a fast rotating clinostat. Following this approach, we evaluated the FRTL5 cells response to TSH under microgravity conditions in order to optimize experimental tools and strategies in preparation to, and in between real flight missions.     

Relative efficacy of the proposed Space Shuttle antimotion sickness medications

Space motion sickness has been estimated as affecting between 1/3 and 1/2 of all space flight participants. NASA has at the moment proposed a combination of promethazine and ephedrine (P/E) and one of scopolamine and dextroamphetamine (S/D), both given orally, as well as a transdermally applied scopolamine (TAS), as preventive and ameliorative measures. The reported double-blind study, tests the early phase actions and efficacy of the transdermal scopolamine (Transderm (TM)-V of ALZA Corporation) and compares these in detail to the oral medications. Motion sickness resistance was tested by standardized head movements while accelerating at 0.2 degree/sec2 to a maximum rotation of 240 degrees/sec, with an intermediate plateau of 10 min at 180 degrees/sec. To permit weighting motion sickness protection against other system influences, cardiovascular, psychological (subjective and objective), and visual parameter changes were documented for the three therapeutic modes. The relative impact of the various modalities on operational and experimental components of space missions is discussed. A comparison to intramuscularly administered promethazine (a backup therapeutic mode suggested for Space Shuttle use) is also included.     

Life science experiments during the German-Russian MIR '97 mission

Manned spaceflight has been an important element of the German space program over the last decades. This is demonstrated by the nationally managed space missions Spacelab D-l (1985), D-2 (1993), and MIR '92 as well as by the participation in the 1st Spacelab mission FSLP (1983), the NASA missions IML-1 (1992) and IML-2 (1994), as well as in the ESA missions EUROMIR '94 and '95. On February 12th, this year, the German cosmonaut Reinhold Ewald was launched together with his Russian colleagues Wasilij Zibliew and Alexander Lasudkin onboard of a Soyuz spacecraft for another stay of a German cosmonaut onboard of the Russian Space Station MIR. This mission--the so-called German/Russian MIR '97--was, of course, another cornerstone with regard to the cooperation between Russian and German space organizations. The cooperation in the area of manned missions began 1978 with the flight of the German cosmonaut Sigmund Jahn onboard of Salyut 6, at that time a cooperation between the Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic in the frame of the Interkosmos Program. In March 1992, it was followed by the flight of Klaus Dietrich Flade with his stay onboard of MIR. After two further successful ESA missions, EUROMIR '94 and '95 with the two German cosmonauts Ulf Merbold and Thomas Reiter and with a marked contribution of German scientists, the decision was taken to perform another German/Russian MIR mission, the so-called MIR '97. In Germany, MIR'97 was managed and performed in a joint effort between several partners. DARA, the German Space Agency, was responsible for the overall program and project management, while DLR, the German Aerospace Research Establishment, was responsible for the cosmonaut training, for medical operations, for the mission control at GSOC in Oberpfaffenhofen as well as for user support.     

A Sensate Liner for personnel monitoring applications

This program develops and demonstrates technologies useful for implementing a manageable cost effective systems approach to monitoring the medical condition of personnel by way of an instrumented uniform hereafter referred to as a Sensate Liner (SL). The SL consists of a form fitting garment which contains and interconnects sensing elements and devices to an electronics pack containing a processor and transmitter. The SL prototype requires fiber, textile, garment and sensor development. The SL textile consists of a mesh of electrically and optically conductive fibers integrated into the normal structure (woven or knitted) of fibers and yarns selected for comfort and durability. A suite of SL garment compatible embedded biological and physical sensors are then integrated into the SL. The initial SL sensor suite is selected to improve triage for combat casualties. Additional SL sensor concepts for medical monitoring will be discussed.     

Blood volume regulating hormones, fluid and electrolyte modifications during 21 and 198-day space flights (Altair-MIR 1993)

During the Altair MIR' 93 mission we studied several parameters involved in blood volume regulation. The experiment was done on two cosmonauts before (B-60, B-30), during (D6, D12, D18 for French and D7, D12, D17 for Russian) and after the flight (R+1, R+3 and R+7). Space flight durations were different for two cosmonauts: for the Russian the flight duration was 198 days and for the French 21 days. On board the MIR station only urinary (volume and electrolytes, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and catecholamines) and salivary (cGMP and cortisol) samples were collected, centrifuged and stored in freezer. Lithium was used as a tracer to know exactly the 24 h urine output (CNES urine collection Kit). Before and after flight, blood was drawn with an epicite needle and vacutainer system for hormonal assays (renin, antidiuretic hormone, cGMP, ANP and aldosterone) in two positions: after 30 min rest in upright seated position and after 90 min of supine position. Salivary samples were collected simultaneously. During flight a decrease of diuresis and ANP and an increase of osmolality were found. No modifications of hematocrit, but an increase of salivary cGMP and cortisol were also observed. The decrease of urinary ANP is in favor of hypovolemia as described in previous flights. The postflight examinations revealed changes in fluid-electrolyte metabolism which indicate a hypohydration status and a stimulation of hormonal system responsible for water and electrolyte retention in order to readapt to the normal gravity.     

用声表面波传感器进行压力和温度测量

本文介绍两种不同的声表面波传感器,即弱压压力传感器和声表面波温度传感器。压力传感器制作在一薄的石英晶片上,使两束表面弹性波在同一方向但在两个不同的侧向位置上传播。加在下表面上的压力的变化引起强烈的弯曲,从而改变两波的波速。采用差动检测法能够测出波速的变化(或者相应振荡器的频率偏移),同时也能够人大地消除因温度波动所引起的假速度(或频率)的变化。通过计算应变分布和相应频率漂移来得出石英薄片上声表面波延迟线具有最大压力灵敏度,而温度影响最小的两位置。把Y切割的理论结果与在105MHz取得的测帚结果进行了比较, 用具有LST和JCL晶向的石英片制作的温度传感器已在灵敏度(28ppm/K)、线性、响应时间(0.1S)和分辨力(50μK)方面进行了测试。将用表面波温度传感器取得的温度测量结果与用体波温度传感器(LC切)所测得的结果进行比较,提出一种采用声表面波温度探头的新型石英温度计。     

金权电传飞行控制系统数字计算机设计指南

本文介绍设计顾虑是:1)、“要求多少个通道”?2).“要求多大的复盖率”?3)、“表决系统的内检设备(BITE)的作用是什么”?文章陈述一组假定的基准,为六个不同的多计算机系统研制分析模型;并分析这些模型和给出图示结果,这些结果可由不同与被选择的基准值的参邮给予解释。文章介绍有关上面三个设计顾虑问题的专用设计准则。     

最小生理噪声进场航迹飞行管理方法

 微波着陆系统MLS的最优航迹计算以减小居民最敏感的生理噪声为基本优化性能准则,用感觉噪声级Sone为单位。计算了考虑了噪声传播时温度、风梯度、沿进场航迹附近区域生活居民区分布位置及密度等影响。通过对杜塞尔道夫-罗奥申航空港计算结果证实,使航空港附近居民的平均有效感觉生理噪声级(Sone)较原有Jeppesen标准方式降低了20％以上。     

利用GPS进行精密轨道确定

全球定位系统(GPS)完全布满卫星后,将成为近地卫星的精密轨道确定(POD)强有力的工具。该系统具有连续跟踪覆盖能力,不仅可实现传统的动力学精密轨道确定方法,而且还可进行运动学轨道确定。来自至少四个GPS卫星的伪距测量值,通过载波相位测量值的平滑,可测定天线相位中心的地心位置和用户卫星的时钟修正值,因而后一技术不需要用户卫星受力的动力学模型。运动学法对测量模型的影响非常敏感,如GPS星历误差(给定的或求解的)、信号的多径、接收机噪声等等;然而,动力学方法又受参数误差和/或力模型不完善的影响。为此研究出一种利用过程噪声补偿对运动学和动力学算法进行加权的混合方案。本课题的中心点是利用仿真辅以协方差分析,研究这几种定轨方法。建立了几种动力学和测量误差模型,这些模型造成的轨道不确定性与处理实际GPS数据而估计的星历误差大致相当。协方差分析经调整能反映这些误差,能看出各种滤波技术的特性。     

瞬时GPS姿态确定

本文介绍了瞬时GPS姿态确定方法,即只用单时刻测量值解GPS积分多普勒波长的模糊度。以前解相位模糊所用的大部分技术需要作某种形式的依赖GPS卫星和/或用户运动的时间历程处理,为消除不合理解提供足够的几何变化。本文介绍的算法假定使用两副以上天线(全部姿态确定需用三副以上天线),并从四颗以上卫星由一或两个GPS L波段载波测得积分多普勒测量值。利用专门的双差分处理得到测量误差不相关的观测量,用于计算天线相对位置及两个以上姿态欧拉角。针对利用4颗以上卫星及2副以上天线及一或两个GPS L波段载波频率(包括86cm宽巷道测量值),开发和演示了GPS姿态确定中快速解双差分载波相位模糊的算法。为希望瞬时GPS测姿的用户找出了实际设计极限。姿态快速确定中的重要因素之一是用户接收机跟踪的卫星数目,GPS金星座对此有很大好处。