Method for determination of radiation effects in cosmonauts by board dosimeter readings made during orbital mission

A technique for calculating the SS MIR absorbed doses from the galactic cosmic rays, protons of the Earth's radiation belts and solar flares is described. Calculated daily doses for different compartments along the MIR main axis are compared with doses calculated for the location of board radiometer R-16 in various periods of solar activity. Maximal doses in MIR compartments (in the absence of phantom) were compared with the doses in referential depths of a spherical phantom representing the blood forming tissue, skin, enteric epithelium, and the absorbed dose in the dosimeter location. This comparison allows more precise estimation of radiation hazard to cosmonauts in space flight.     

Design and Construction of Shielded Lunar Outpost

The construction of an outpost on the Moon in which humans can live and work for periods exceeding six months will require special countermeasures to adapt to the hostile environment present at the lunar surface. Various inherent dangers such as meteoroids, galactic cosmic radiation, solar proton events, and large thermal extremes will drive the design configuration of the outpost. Other considerations such as lunar soil mechanics, equipment performance, mass delivery, risk, reliability, and tele‐operability act strongly as constraints that shape and control the design alternatives. Analysis of these fundamental relationships have resulted in lunar civil engineering guidelines, which are unique to this domain, and these in turn have pointed to research areas needing further attention. A preliminary design is presented for a lunar outpost shelter. Additionally, the design methodology is explored, and early enabling technologies are identified to facilitate an understanding of lunar shelter designs from an integrated system standpoint.     

Effect of the approximately 2400-year solar climatic cycle on the lives of peoples

2400-year solar cycle ascertained by us in the long-term series of various natural characteristics (e.g. the radiocarbon content in samples of well-known ages, oscillations of the sea and ocean levels etc.) includes three parts roughly equal in duration: a phase of high activity, a phase of depression and a phase of moderate activity. In climate oscillations, which are connected with this cycle, the next phenomena are established: a little climatic optimum, a little Ice Age, and a temperate climate epoch.     

Usage modeling test in aerosols formulations

Authors emphasize the importance of "usage-modelling" test concerning the uniformity of doses in the case of aerosol formulations, containing propellants or supplied with atomising devices. Weight measurement was carried out to identify the uniformity of doses per actuation keeping non-use periods in the case of water-based solutions with different density and suspension containing HFC propellants. It can be concluded that uniformity of doses--applying non-use periods during the testing time--significantly depends on the composition, the density of the formulation and the spraying mechanism of the atomising device.     

Performance of the piezoelectric microbalance respirable aerosol sensor

A battery-portable respirable aerosol sensor has been experimentally evaluated. Calibration procedures are described. For instruments calibrated with welding smoke, test results show agreement within +/- 15% of parallel filter samples for 10 laboratory and industrial aerosols including welding and tobacco smoke, oil mist, cotton and asbestos mill dusts, powdered metal and walnut shell dusts, and atmospheric urban aerosol in the 0.05-5.5 mg/m3 range. Results show that an average of several piezobalance measurements can accurately simulate a time-integrated filter sample in many industrial environments.     

Solar Energy Cell with Rare Earth Film

The characteristic of the solar energy cell with the rare earth film according to theory of molecular structure was introduced.When sunlight shines, the molecules of the rare earth film can absorb energy of the photon and jump to the excited state from the basic state, and play a role in storing solar energy.When sunlight do not shine, the electron of the excited state returns to the basic state, the rare earth film can automatically give out light and shine to surface of the solar cell, which can make solar cell continuously generate electric current.The rare earth film can absorb direct,scattering sunlight, and increase density of solar energy to reach surface of the solar cell, and play focusing function.The rare earth film can bear 350 ～ 500 ℃, which make the solar cell be able to utilize the focusing function system.Because after luminescence of the rare earth film, it can release again the absorbed solar energy through 1 ～ 8 h, and play a role in storing solar energy; The solar cell with the rare-earth film can generate electricity during night and cloudy days, and remarkably increase efficiency of the solar cell.     

Effect of Pressure on Graphite Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Squeeze Cast Hyper-Eutectic Grey Cast Iron

Squeeze casting is a process in which a high external pressure is applied and maintained on the molten metal during the whole solidification process resulting in the lower porosity, higher solidification rate and improved mechanical properties. In this research, the effects of applied pressure on the morphology of graphite flakes in a squeeze cast hyper-eutectic grey cast iron were investigated. The molten grey cast irons were solidified under atmospheric pressure as well as 25, 50 and 75 MPa externally applied pressures. The results indicated that the pressure increase during solidification decreased the amount of free graphite flakes, reduced the size of pro-eutectic Kish graphite flakes and increased the density of the castings. D-type graphite enclosing austenite dendrites, resembling that expected in hypo-eutectic grey cast iron, was observed near the surfaces of the castings solidified under externally applied pressures. Moreover, some compacted and spheroidal graphite particles were observed in the castings solidified under 50 and 75 MPa pressures. Furthermore, by increasing the squeeze casting pressure from atmospheric pressure to 75 MPa, the hardness, ultimate tensile strength and elongation increased by about 13, 68 and 128%, respectively. The results have been discussed in terms of increased cooling rate, expected change in the phase diagram of the alloy, different atomic structure of the interfaces of graphite and austenite as well as some proposed theories for formation of eutectic cells and spheroidal graphite.     

Field testing of new aerosol sampling method with a porous curved surface as inlet

A new aerosol sampling method, utilizing a porous curved surface as the sampling inlet, has recently been developed. Previous laboratory evaluations of this method have demonstrated its important features, such as low wind sensitivity and good filter collection uniformity. In this study a prototype incorporating the new method was evaluated in the field as a stationary and personal sampling device. The small sampler, utilizing a 25-mm filter is called the button aerosol sampler and was evaluated for collecting total airborne dust and fungal spores. The study was performed in nine poorly maintained inner-city houses during environmental cleanups at different cleanliness levels. The button sampler was used in parallel with the standard 37-mm closed-face filter cassette. Four collocated samplers of each type were tested at all sites as stationary samplers, and three samplers of each type were tested at two sites as personal samplers. Aerosol samples were collected on filters and analyzed using the gravimetric method for total dust and epifluorescence microscopy for fungal spores. The average particle concentration values measured with the button sampler and with the standard sampling cassette were found to correlate well within ranges of 10(1)-10(3) micrograms/m3 for total dust and 10(3)-10(5) spores/m3 for airborne fungi. The measurement results obtained with the new button sampler showed lower intersample variations of the measured concentration levels and higher uniformity of the particle deposits on the filters than those obtained with the standard cassette.     

Unaltered cosmic spherules in a 1.4-Gyr-old sandstone from Finland

Micrometeorites-submillimetre-sized particles derived from asteroids and comets-occur in significant quantities in deep sea sediments, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. The most abundant micrometeorites are cosmic spherules, which contain nickel-rich spinels that were crystallized and oxidized during atmospheric entry, therefore recording the oxygen content in the uppermost atmosphere. But the use of micrometeorites for detecting past changes in the flux of incoming extraterrestrial matter, and as probes of the evolution of the atmosphere, has been hampered by the fact that most objects with depositional ages higher than 0.5 Myr show severe chemical alteration. Here we report the discovery of unaltered cosmic spherules in a 1.4-Gyr-old sandstone (red bed) from Finland. From this we infer that red beds, a common lithology in the Earth's history, may contain substantial unbiased populations of fossil micrometeorites. The study of such populations would allow systematic research on variations in the micrometeorite flux from the early Proterozoic era to recent times (a time span of about 2.5 Gyr), and could help to better constrain the time when the atmospheric oxygen content was raised to its present level.     

The actions of avenaciolide and ethanol on glucose metabolism and on related enzyme activities in the isolated perfused rat liver

Six hundred and seventy five cases of attempted suicide observed in a resuscitation department were confronted with a certain number of biometeorological factors recorded daily: atmospheric pressure, air temperature, degree of insolation, precipitation, relative humidity, water vapour pressure, wind (speed and direction), hydrometeores, index of solar eruption, density of F2 layer. The confrontation is made for the two days before the intoxication and for the day when suicide is attempted. Parameters are then studied by statistical calculation (calculation of X2 and of the number of degrees of freedom). There does not seem to be any significant relationship, in spite of disconcerting series, between most meteorological factors and the number of attempted suicides observed. However, it is noted that no suicides were recorded during periods of solar eruption, and that there seems to be a marked correlation between suicide and winds, particularly according to their direction. Thus, winds charged with ionised particles seem to coincide with a high rate of self-destruction.     

Histomorphometric changes of the skin in rats in relation to age

Histomorphometric evolution of skin was studied using 74 Wistar rats aged from 2 days to 34 months. Epidermal and dermal thickness, as well as surface density of collagen bundles in the superficial dermis was investigated by image analysis. Average epidermal thickness decreases progressively up to the 4th week, than it remains almost constant. Dermal thickness has a biphasic evolution. It increases rapidly during the first 3 weeks (+166%). This increase is followed by an important decrease (-55%), than dermal thickness increases again and reaches at the age of 1 year 5 times its value at birth. That thickness persists up to the end of life. Surface density of collagen bundles follows the rate of increase of dermal thickness, but variations are less important. Total increase of surface density of dermal collagen bundles between birth and the end of life corresponds to 56% of the initial value.     

Direct Radiative Forcing of Anthropogenic Aerosols over Oceans from Satellite Observations

Anthropogenic aerosols play an important role in the atmospheric energy balance. Anthropogenic aerosol optical depth (AOD) and its accompanying shortwave radiative forcing (RF) are usually simulated by numerical models. Recently, with the development of space-borne instruments and sophisticated retrieval algorithms, it has become possible to estimate aerosol radiative forcing based on satellite observations. In this study, we have estimated shortwave direct radiative forcing due to anthropogenic aerosols over oceans in all-sky conditions by combining clouds and the Single Scanner Footprint data of the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES/SSF) experiment, which provide measurements of upward shortwave fluxes at the top of atmosphere, with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol and cloud products.We found that globally averaged aerosol radiative forcing over oceans in the clear-sky conditions and all-sky conditions were-1.03±0.48 W m-2 and -0.34±0.16 W m-2, respectively. Direct radiative forcing by anthropogenic aerosols shows large regional and seasonal variations. In some regions and in particular seasons, the magnitude of direct forcing by anthropogenic aerosols can be comparable to the forcing of greenhouse gases. However, it shows that aerosols caused the cooling effect, rather than warming effect from global scale, which is different from greenhouse gases.     

Impacts of Seasonal Fossil and Ocean Emissions on the Seasonal Cycle of Atmospheric CO2

The seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 at surface observation stations in the northern hemisphere is driven primarily by net ecosystem production (NEP) fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems. In addition to NEP from terrestrial ecosystems, surface fluxes from fossil fuel combustion and ocean exchange also contribute to the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2. Here the authors use the Goddard Earth Observing System-Chemistry (GEOS-Chem) model (version 8-02-01), with modifications, to assess the impact of these fluxes on the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 in 2005. Modifications include monthly fossil and ocean emission inventories. CO2 simulations with monthly varying and annual emission inventories were carried out separately. The sources and sinks of monthly averaged net surface flux are different from those of annual emission inventories for every month. Results indicate that changes in monthly averaged net surface flux have a greater impact on the average concentration of atmospheric CO2 in the northern hemisphere than on the average concentration for latitudes 30-90° in July. The concentration values differ little between both emission inventories over the latitudinal range from the equator to 30° in January and July. The accumulated impacts of the monthly averaged fossil and ocean emissions contribute to an increase of the total global monthly average of CO2 from May to December. An apparent discrepancy for global average CO2 concentration between model results and observation was because the observation stations were not sufficiently representative. More accurate values for monthly varying net surface flux will be necessary in future to run the CO2 simulation.     

Ventilatory responses in awake guinea pigs exposed to acid aerosols

This study reports experiments designed to evaluate the dose and temporal effects of an atmospheric pollutant, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) aerosol, on the dynamic components of the respiratory cycle. Ventilation was measured in a whole-body barometric plethysmograph in unanesthetized, unrestrained animals following a 4-h exposure to H2SO4 aerosol at 14.1, 20.1, or 43.3 mg/m3. Lung injury was assessed by histopathology and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Aerosol exposure with H2SO4 caused marked alterations in both the magnitude and composition of the ventilatory response, which were both dose and time dependent. At the highest concentration tested, there was a significant increase in tidal volume (deltaVt) and a decrease in breathing frequency (f) immediately after exposure. Analysis of BAL fluid at this time showed increased inflammatory cells and protein in the acid exposed animals, and histology showed hyaline membranes and acute inflammatory cells in the proximal acinar region. By 24 h postexposure, f significantly increased whereas deltaVt decreased. This pattern of breathing was interspersed with short periods of apnea. The onset of rapid, shallow breathing was associated with histological evidence of diffuse pulmonary edema. By contrast, the immediate postexposure period at the lowest concentration of H2SO4 aerosol was characterized by a significant increase in f and little or no effect on deltaVt. These effects diminished with time, and at 24 h postexposure ventilatory parameters were indistinguishable from baseline values. An apparent crossover between the effects associated with the high and low exposure concentrations was seen at the intermediate exposure concentration; however, closer inspection of these findings on an animal-by-animal basis revealed two populations of animals with respiratory characteristics of either the high-exposure or low-exposure groups. The data suggest that the guinea pig exhibits complex interactions between dose and time to response that are consistent with the activation of neural reflexes. The indirect plethysmographic method provides a simple means to assess these responses in a model system that avoids the use of anesthetics, surgery, and restraint.     

低冰粘附强度表面设计与制备研究进展

表面结冰给通讯、电力等工业领域带来巨大损失,电加热和喷洒乙二醇等主动除冰方法虽然在一定程度上可以解决上述问题,但在能源、人力、环境方面需付出较高代价。为解决这一问题,低成本、低能耗的被动式防/除冰表面被寄予厚望。防/除冰表面主要分为延长结冰时间的防冰表面和低冰粘附强度的除冰表面。由于实际工况的复杂性,除冰表面比防冰表面更具有可实现性。除冰表面主要与低表面能、界面滑动和裂纹产生相关,低冰粘附强度表面按实现机理可分为化学改性低表面能表面、润滑表面、界面滑动表面和裂纹源表面。本文对不同类型低冰粘附表面的低冰粘附强度产生的原因和表面的制备方法进行总结。同时,对冰粘附强度的测量标准进行了说明和讨论,以解释不同的测试方法对防/除冰性能测试结果造成的差异。      

Frequency interactions in high-temperature fatigue crack growth in superalloys

The influence of high frequency loading on the subsequent low frequency crack growth behavior in nickel-based alloy 718 in laboratory air environment at 923 K has been investigated through the use of a sequential high/low frequency load waveform. The parameters that have been examined include the crack growth rate, fracture surface morphology, and slip line density at and below the fracture surface. Results of this study indicate that prior application of high frequency loading results in reduction of the subsequent low frequency crack growth rate. An attempt is made to interpret this type of modification as being a result of the crack tip condi- tioning through the increase in the slip line density during the high frequency part of the loading cycle. Furthermore, by linking the type of selective oxide formed at the crack tip to the degree of deformation in the crack tip zone, a correlation has been made between the increase in the slip line density in the crack tip zone during the preceding high frequency loading and the increase of the crack resistance to environment degradation effects during the subsequent low frequency loading.     

The impact of aerosols on solar ultraviolet radiation and photochemical smog

Photochemical smog, or ground-level ozone, has been the most recalcitrant of air pollution problems, but reductions in emissions of sulfur and hydrocarbons may yield unanticipated benefits in air quality. While sulfate and some organic aerosol particles scatter solar radiation back into space and can cool Earth's surface, they also change the actinic flux of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Observations and numerical models show that UV-scattering particles in the boundary layer accelerate photochemical reactions and smog production, but UV-absorbing aerosols such as mineral dust and soot inhibit smog production. Results could have major implications for the control of air pollution.     

Spray deposited Nb2O5 thin film electrodes for fabrication of dye sensitized solar cells

Nb₂O₅ thin film electrodes have been deposited on indium tin oxide substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. XRD analysis reveals tetragonal phase of the film. Reticulated micro-fibrous surface morphology has been observed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy indicates closely packed crystallites. Film thickness found using a stylus profilometer is around 26 nm. Transmittance spectra show the film to be 70–80% transparent in the visible region. Direct, indirect band gap and phonon energy are also estimated. Cyclic voltammetry measurement indicate distinct anodic peak during negative potential of the scan due to Li extraction. A reversible colour change from transparent to grey has been observed. The photo-electrochemical characteristic of the dye sensitized solar cell is studied by recording the I-V characteristics of the unsealed type cell under illumination of 40 mW/cm² using a solar simulator.     

304不锈钢在西沙海洋大气环境中的腐蚀行为

采用扫描电镜、能谱、电化学阻抗谱和拉曼光谱等分析测试手段,研究了西沙群岛苛刻海洋大气环境下,经过不同时间暴露后304不锈钢的腐蚀行为和机理.304不锈钢在西沙大气暴露后的腐蚀类型主要是以局部腐蚀的点蚀为主,腐蚀产物主要由β-FeOOH、γ-Fe₂O₃和Fe₃O₄组成.随暴露时间的延长,不锈钢表面钝化膜的稳定性变差,点蚀数目增加、点蚀坑深度增大日.表面腐蚀产物覆盖率也逐渐增多.与其他部位相比,点蚀更容易在表面划痕处产生.提高表面加工精度,有助于提高其耐腐蚀性能.      

Adenosine receptor antagonism affects regional resting vascular resistance during rat peritoneal sepsis

We examined sequential changes of bone-resorbing cytokines and bone metabolic markers and the effect of ovarian hormones on bone metabolism during the menstrual cycle in 10 healthy Japanese women, aged 22-43 yr, with normal ovarian function. Serum soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) showed a significant variation; a rise during the early and late follicular periods followed by a fall during the early luteal period (P = 0.0423, P = 0.0334) and an increase during the mid and late luteal periods. There were significant changes in the levels of markers of bone formation: a rise in serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) during the mid and late follicular (P = 0.0265) periods and a fall in serum carboxyl-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) during the midluteal period (P = 0.0161). As for the levels of bone resorption markers, urinary type I collagen C-telopeptide breakdown products (CTx) and free deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) decreased significantly during the early and midfollicular periods, urinary free D-Pyr and serum pyridinoline cross-linked carboxyl-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) (P = 0.0440) increased significantly during the early luteal period, and urinary CTx, free D-Pyr, and serum ICTP decreased significantly during the late luteal period (P = 0.0170-0.0008). The serum PTH level was significantly higher during the follicular than the luteal period (P = 0.0132). Serum sIL-6R significantly correlated with urinary CTx (r = 0.190, P < 0.05) and serum ALP (r = 0.209, P < 0.05) and serum estradiol with intact osteocalcin (r = 0.309, P < 0.0005) and serum ALP (r = 0.181, P < 0.05). These observations strongly suggest that cyclic variations in the levels of bone formation and resorption markers and of a bone-resorbing cytokine may be modulated by cyclic changes in serum steroid hormones during the menstrual period. In addition, the specific days of biochemical events in the menstrual cycle are crucial for evaluating osteoclastic and osteoblastic activities in pre- and perimenopausal women or in women starting GnRH agonist therapy.