Influence of clinorotation and fettering stress on tail regeneration of Triturus vulgaris (Urodela).

Tail-amputated adult Triturus vulgaris, fettered in cuvettes of a fast-rotating clinostat were exposed to simulated weightlessness (60 rpm; equiv. to 10(-3)-10(-4) g), during a 14-day period. To feed and clean the animals rotation was stopped once a day for approx. 10 min. To test the influence of the fettering stress, a second series of animals was kept separately under normal earth conditions without rotation. A further control series was kept in a dark container without any handicap. While tail regeneration of the rotated animals was markedly accelerated, the fettered-only animals showed a considerably less marked acceleration effect. At the end of the 14-day period, all regenerates were reamputated together with an additional 5 mm of the tail stump. Although this second level of amputation was distant from the first, the regenerative growth rate of the rotated series was accelerated 123% in contrast to both the control and the fettered-only series. Our results demonstrate that the growth acceleration is induced by clinorotation. Fettering stress has no comparable influence. The growth promoting effect is not limited to the regenerating area.     

Variations of the radiation dose onboard Mir station

Dose variations, associated with the 11-year solar activity cycle, seasonal variations of particle fluxes in the Earth's radiation belts at the station orbit, and solar proton events are studied, using prolonged measurements of radiation doses inside orbital station Mir. Daily averages of radiation doses during the declining phase of the 22^nd solar cycle and during transition to the 23^rd solar activity cycle reached very large values for astronauts and significantly exceed the values calculated according to existing models.     

Special features of a digital speckle interferometer for determining vibration characteristics of heavy-loaded elements of an aircraft fuel pump

The results of vibration tests for heavy-loaded elements in the auger-centrifugal stage of an aircraft fuel pump performed with the use of an interference-free digital speckle-interferometer created at the Samara State Aerospace University are presented. The speckle-interferograms of an auger and a centrifugal wheel of the auger-centrifugal pump stage in different conditions of attachment and dynamic loading are given. The data obtained may be of sufficient importance in the development of aircraft fuel pumps for a specified service life.     

Optimization of efficient order service by information unmanned aerial vehicles

We propose a mathematical model and the numerical method for an optimal choice of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from those being in flight to fulfill a newly received order for monitoring (reconnaissance) of a new region. Examples of using the approach being proposed and main lines of its realization in promising information unmanned aircraft complexes (UAC) are presented.     

Investigation of helicopter maneuverability by the power balance method

The algorithms for calculating available overloads and maneuvers are presented. Nesterov’s loop maneuver is analyzed.     

On application of the theory of face seals with microgrooves to high-speed FV engine rotors

With allowance made for thermoelasticity of working surfaces and inertia forces on the lubricant coat, a hydrodynamic problem is solved for the noncontacting face seals with microgrooves in the high-speed rotors of FV engines. Also shown are the initiation of surface waviness in the zone of lubricant coat fracture and the influence of its amplitude upon the seal characteristics.     

Jovian periodicities (∼10 h, ∼40 min) on Ulysses’ Distant Jupiter Encounter observations around the Halloween CIR events

We analyzed data from four different instruments (HI-SCALE, URAP, SWOOPS, VHM/FGM) onboard Ulysses spacecraft (s/c) and we searched for possible evidence of Jovian emissions when the s/c approached Jupiter during the times of Halloween events (closest time approach/position to Jupiter: February 5, 2004/R = 1683 R_J,θ = ∼49°). In particular, we analyzed extensively the low energy ion measurements obtained by the HI-SCALE experiment in order to examine whether low energy ion/electron emissions show a symmetry, and whether they are observed at north high latitudes upstream from the jovian bow shock, as is known to occur in the region upstream from the south bow shock as well ( Marhavilas et al., 2001). We studied the period from October 2003 to March 2004, as Ulysses moved at distances 0.8–1.2 AU from the planet at north Jovicentric latitudes <75°, and we present here an example of characteristic Jovian periodicities in the measurements around a CIR observed by Ulysses on days ∼348–349/2003 (R = 1894 R_J,θ = 72°). We show that Ulysses observed low energy ion (∼0.055–4.7 MeV) and electron (>∼40 keV) flux and/or spectral modulation with the Jupiter rotation period (∼10 h) as well as variations with the same period in solar wind parameters, radio and magnetic field directional data. In addition, characteristic strong ∼40 min periodic variations were found superimposed on the ∼10 h ion spectral modulation. Both the ∼10 h and ∼40 min ion periodicities in HI-SCALE measurements were present in several cases during the whole period examined (October 2003 to March 2004) and were found to be more evident during some special conditions, for instance during enhanced fluxes around the start (forward shock) and the end (reverse shock) of CIRs. We infer that the Jovian magnetosphere was triggered by the impact of the CIRs, after the Halloween events, and it was (a) a principal source of forward and reverse shock-associated ion flux structures and (b) the cause of generation of ∼10 h quasi-periodic magnetic field and plasma modulation observed by Ulysses at those times.     

Effect of “Noisy” sun conditions on aircrew radiation exposure

In computer codes used to estimate the aircrew radiation exposure from galactic cosmic radiation, a quiet sun model is usually assumed. A revised computer code (PCAIRE ver. 8.0f) is used to calculate the impact of noisy sun conditions on aircrew radiation exposure. The revised code incorporates the effect of solar storm activity, which can perturb the geomagnetic field lines, altering cutoff rigidities and hence the shielding capability of the Earth’s magnetic field. The effect of typical solar storm conditions on aircrew radiation exposure is shown to be minimal justifying the usual assumptions.