Biomedical problems of EVA support during manned space flight to Mars

Current projects of manned missions to Mars are aimed to their realization in the second-third decades of this century. The purpose of this paper is to determine and review the main biomedical problems, that require a first and foremost decision for safety support of extravehicular activity (EVA) carried out by crewmembers of the Mars expedition. To a number of such problems the authors of the paper attribute a creation of adequate EVA equipment intended, first, for assembly of interplanetary spacecraft on the Earth orbit, performance of maintenance operations and scientific researches on the external surface of spacecraft during interplanetary flight and, secondly, for work on the Mars surface. New generation of space suits with low weight, high mobility and acceptable risk of decompression sickness must be as a central component of EVA equipment. The program for preparation to a Mars expedition also has to include special investigations in order to design the means and methods for a reliable protection of crew against space radiation, to elaborate the approach to medical monitoring and primary medical care during autonomous space mission, to maintain good health condition of crewmembers during EVA under the Mars gravity (0.38 g) after super long-term flight in weightlessness.     

Effect of clinostating on photosynthetic apparatus of pea plants.

The photosynthetic membrane composition and low temperature fluorescence spectra were analyzed for pea chloroplasts from control and clinostated plants. Clinorotation induces a decrease in the amount of the oligomeric form of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex (LHCII) and an increase of its monomeric form. Some changes in organization of photosystem 1 (PS1) complex were revealed as well. These changes are in accordance with the variations of fluorescence characteristics and photochemical activity.     

Optimization of observer trajectories for bearings-only targetlocalization

The problem of bearings-only target localization is to estimate the location of a fixed target from a sequence of noisy bearing measurements. Although, in theory, this process is observable even without an observer maneuver, estimation performance (i.e., accuracy, stability and convergence rate) can be greatly enhanced by properly exploiting observer motion to increase observability. This work addresses the optimization of observer trajectories for bearings-only fixed-target localization. The approach presented herein is based on maximizing the determinant of the Fisher information matrix (FIM), subject to state constraints imposed on the observer trajectory (e.g., by the target defense system). Direct optimal control numerical schemes, including the recently introduced differential inclusion (DI) method, are used to solve the resulting optimal control problem. Computer simulations, utilizing the familiar Stansfield and maximum likelihood (ML) estimators, demonstrate the enhancement to target position estimability using the optimal observer trajectories     

COUNTERFOIL: a new high security optical surface technology

This paper presents a new optical surface technology known as COUNTERFOIL. The COUNTERFOIL technology provides a means of covert information storage and is used as the basis for a range of security seals and labels. The technology has obtained Australian Government Endorsement (SCEC Endorsement) for use in high security applications. It provides a convenient, low cost means to determine authenticity and detect tampering or surreptitious access     

Modelling of genetically engineered microorganisms introduction in closed artificial microcosms.

The possibility of introducing genetically engineered microorganisms (GEM) into simple biotic cycles of laboratory water microcosms was investigated. The survival of the recombinant strain Escherichia coli Z905 (Apr, Lux+) in microcosms depends on the type of model ecosystems. During the absence of algae blooming in the model ecosystem, the part of plasmid-containing cells E. coli decreased fast, and the structure of the plasmid was also modified. In conditions of algae blooming (Ankistrodesmus sp.) an almost total maintenance of plasmid-containing cells was observed in E. coli population. A mathematics model of GEM's behavior in water ecosystems with different level of complexity has been formulated. Mechanisms causing the difference in luminescent exhibition of different species are discussed, and attempts are made to forecast the GEM's behavior in water ecosystems.