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PubMed1995

The electrolytical processes in dirty ices: implications for origin and chemistry of minor bodies and related objects.

Many moonlike bodies (M approximately or = 1 Moon) beyond the Martian orbit contain large amounts of dirty ice (approximately 50%) forming thick mantle with the solid phase thermal convection. When a body moves through the inter- or nearplanetary magnetized plasma, electric current is generated in the body and its environment. The current passing through a dirty ice containing up to 10% of organic admixtures produces a lot of electrochemical effects which have a profound impact on its composition. At this stage one can hardly say something definite concerning changes experienced by organics. The changes must occur inevitably and can be of a rather unexpected and far-reaching nature, so deserving a close study. Another obvious effect is a volumetric electrolysis of ice containing alien inclusions. The electrolysis products accumulate in ice in the form of a solid solution which is capable of detonation at 15-20 wt.% of 2H2 + O2. If M > or = 1 Moon (Galilean satellites, Titan), the body loses in explosion a part of its mass in the form of vapor and ice fragments (=short-period comet nuclei), whereas if M < or = 0.2 Moon, the body breaks up totally (the Main Belt asteroids origin approximately 3.9 Byr ago). 2H2 + O2 containing cometary nuclei are capable of burning or suffer new explosions when receiving an additional energy. The combustion in the sublimation products containing also light organics and 2H2 + O2 explains unexpected energetics and nearnuclear chemistry of Comet P/Halley (e.g. great abundances of negative and positive ions, atomic carbon, CO over CO2, origin of CHON particles etc) and its distant outbursts correlated, possibly, with the Solar activity. Thus the electrochemical processes in the dirty ice with organics, along with its subsequent thermal, radiative etc. processing, open up new potentials for explanation and prediction of quite unexpected discoveries.

Electric Conductivity↗
PubMed1992

Neutron fluences and energy spectra in the Cosmos-2044 biosatellite orbit.

Joint Soviet-American measurements of the neutron component of space radiation (SR) were carried out during the flight of the Soviet biosatellite Cosmos-2044. Neutron flux densities and differential energy spectra were measured inside and on the external surface of the spacecraft. Three energy intervals were employed: thermal (En < or = 0.2 eV), resonance (0.2 eV < En < 1.0 MeV) and fast (En > or = 1.0 MeV) neutrons. The first two groups were measured with U.S. 6LiF detectors, while fast neutrons were recorded both by U.S. fission foils and Soviet nuclear emulsions. Estimations were made of the contributions to absorbed and equivalent doses from each neutron energy interval and a correlation was presented between fast neutron fluxes, measured outside the satellite, and the phase of solar activity (SA). Average dose equivalent rates of 0.018 and 0.14 mrem d-1 were measured for thermal and resonance neutrons, respectively, outside the spacecraft. The corresponding values for fast neutrons were 3.3 (U.S.) and 1.8 (U.S.S.R.) mrem d-1. Inside the spacecraft, a value of 3.5 mrem d-1 was found.

Cosmic Radiation↗
PubMed2002

The effect of geomagnetic activity on cardiovascular parameters.

Multidirectional changes in the natural history of many cardiovascular syndromes have been linked to different levels of daily and monthly geomagnetic activity (GMA). Previous studies have found that in periods of high GMA, there were more admissions for acute myocardial infarction and more cases of anterior wall myocardial infarction. Results also indicated: higher out-patient mortality and a trend towards higher hospital mortality from acute myocardial infarction; higher diastolic arterial pressure in healthy subjects and in treated hypertensive patients; higher prolactin and 17-corticosteroid levels in the peripheral blood; more severe migraine attacks and more admissions for CVA and cerebrovascular insufficiency in male patients; changes in many blood coagulation cellular gradients (platelet count, basophils in the peripheral blood), a rise in platelet aggregation, fibrinogen level and a drop in leukocyte adhesiveness. Periods of low GMA showed a related increase (negative correlation) in in-hospital non-myocardial infarction-related cardiovascular deaths. Only in times of lowest GMA did inferior wall myocardial infarction exceed anterior wall myocardial infarction. Low GMA was also associated with higher levels of growth hormone and 11-ketosteroids in the peripheral blood, more sudden deaths, some increase in electrical heart instability number of ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles and higher rate of ventricular tachycardia. The monthly occurrence of pregnancy-induced hypertension was negatively correlated with GMA level. Gender differences were noted in some of the parameters. Other studied parameters did not show changes related to GMA. These included hemoglobin level, electrolyte level, heart beat and pulse rate. Moreover, some observed cardiovascular fluctuations that were related to the level of GMA, also showed differences in the rising and dropping parts of the 11-year cycle of solar activity. It has been suggested that some of the changes observed in many clinical syndromes may be related to the concomitant activation of the serotoninergic system.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2001

Review of russian literature on biological action of DC and low-frequency AC magnetic fields.

This review considers the Russian scientific literature on the influence of weak static and of low-frequency alternating magnetic fields on biological systems. The review covers the most interesting works and the main lines of investigation during the period 1900 to the present. Shown here are the historical roots, beginning with the ideas of V. Vernadsky and A. Chizhevsky, which led in the field of Russian biology to an increasing interest in magnetic fields, based on an intimate connection between solar activity and life on the Earth, and which determined the peculiar development of Russian magnetobiology. The variety of studies on the effects of magnetic storms and extremely low-frequency, periodic variations of the geomagnetic field on human beings and animals as well as on social phenomena are described. The diverse experiments involving artificial laboratory magnetic fields acting on different biological entities under different conditions are also considered. A series of theoretical advances are reviewed that have paved the way for a step-by-step understanding of the mechanisms of magnetic field effects on biological systems. The predominantly unfavorable influence of magnetic fields on living beings is shown, but the cases of favorable influence of magnetic fields on human beings and lower animals are demonstrated as well. The majority of Russian investigations in this area of science has been unknown among the non-Russian speaking audience for many reasons, primarily because of a language barrier. Therefore, it is hoped that this review may be of interest to the international scientific community.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Analysis and prediction of global climate temperature change based on multiforced observational statistics.

The response of the climate system to increasing greenhouse gases was simulated by a number of climate model projections. There is an urgent need to verify or falsify these projections against observational climate data. Therefore, in this contribution, surface air temperature data are considered covering on a global average the period 1861-1990 and on a northern hemisphere average 1670-1990 (including proxy data). Based on a multiple correlation and coherence analysis a regression model is evaluated which is simultaneously forced by the observed or reconstructed atmospheric CO(2) or equivalent CO(2) concentration increase, volcanic activity, solar variations, and the ENSO (El Niño/southern oscillation) mechanism including phase shifts between cause and effect. This model reveals a greenhouse-gas-induced mean global temperature rise of 0.6-0.8 K since preindustrial time (c. 1800-1990). Following the IPCC business-as-usual scenario (trend extrapolation) this would lead to a hypothetical 3.8 K temperature rise in 2100 (best estimate, uncertainty + 0.7/-0.4 K compared to the 1985 value.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Organic chemistry by irradiation in space.

The irradiation of grains and/or ices by particles from solar or stellar winds, as well as cosmic rays, induces the synthesis of molecular species. We have shown by in-situ infrared spectroscopy of irradiated samples that this chemistry may be responsible for the presence of organic compounds in a large variety of astrophysical sites such as: lunar and asteroidal regoliths, cometary nucleus, rings and satellites of outer planets, circumstellar shells, interstellar clouds. We present our experimental results concerning the mature and efficiency of C and N irradiation chemistries, and give plausible astrophysical implications.

Carbon↗
PubMed1994

Angular distributions of energetic charged particles observed with HELIOS-1 and -2 between 0.3 amd 1 AU and their relevance to manned interplanetary space missions.

The University of Kiel Cosmic Ray Instrument on board the solar probes HELIOS-1 and -2 measured angular distributions of electrons, protons, and heavier nuclei between 0.3 and 1 AU over one complete solar cycle between 1974 and 1986. Anisotropies are observed mainly during the rising phase of solar particle events or close to the passage of certain interplanetary shocks. The anisotropies are presented as proton data of energies between 27 and 37 MeV. The dependence of the anisotropies on particle energy and distance from the sun is provided based on diffusive propagation in interplanetary space. Strong anisotropies could provide a chance of efficient shielding of the passenger compartment by moving heavier parts of the spacecraft structure into the direction of the highest flux. A reduction of the total radiation dose by less than a factor of 2 might be achievable, however, selection of quiet times for the mission reduces the radiation hazard much more.

Anisotropy↗
PubMed1994

Instrument and spacecraft faults associated with nuclear radiation in space.

A review is given which surveys the variety of faults and failures which have occurred in space due both to the effects of single, energetic nuclear particles, as well as effects due to the accumulated ionizing dose or the fluence of nuclear particles. The review covers a variety of problems with sensors, electronics, instruments and spacecraft from several countries.

Atlantic Ocean↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Engaging space: extraterrestrial architecture and the human psyche.

The human fascination with exploring and inhabiting the space that lies beyond Earth's atmosphere continues to grow. Nevertheless, 40 years of experience to date have clearly established that humans in outer space routinely suffer significant psychological impairment arising from their stressful extraterrestrial living conditions. This paper explores those extraterrestrial conditions through the interactions between the extraordinarily harsh environment of outer space, the sensations that humans encounter in space, and the qualities of a habitat that physically interposes itself between the two. The objective of this paper is to develop a habitat that expresses the extraterrestrial condition while supporting the mental health of its inhabitants, so as to augment the success of prolonged extraterrestrial residence and interplanetary travel.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2004

Absorbed dose of secondary neutrons from galactic cosmic rays inside the International Space Station.

In this paper, we present the results of Monte-Carlo simulations of the flux and energy spectra of neutrons generated as a result of galactic cosmic ray proton interactions with the material of International Space Station (ISS) inside Zvezda Service Module, the Airlock between Russian and USA segments and one of Russian Research Modules for a full configuration of ISS. Calculations were made for ISS orbit for the energy ranges <10 and >10 MeV for both maximum and minimum of solar activity. To test the accuracy of the calculations the same simulations were made for MIR orbital station and for CORONAS-I satellite and compared with the results of measurements. Calculated and measured fluxes are in reasonable agreement.

Cosmic Radiation↗
PubMed2005

Estimation of biogenic emissions with satellite-derived land use and land cover data for air quality modeling of Houston-Galveston ozone nonattainment area.

The Houston-Galveston Area (HGA) is one of the most severe ozone non-attainment regions in the US. To study the effectiveness of controlling anthropogenic emissions to mitigate regional ozone nonattainment problems, it is necessary to utilize adequate datasets describing the environmental conditions that influence the photochemical reactivity of the ambient atmosphere. Compared to the anthropogenic emissions from point and mobile sources, there are large uncertainties in the locations and amounts of biogenic emissions. For regional air quality modeling applications, biogenic emissions are not directly measured but are usually estimated with meteorological data such as photo-synthetically active solar radiation, surface temperature, land type, and vegetation database. In this paper, we characterize these meteorological input parameters and two different land use land cover datasets available for HGA: the conventional biogenic vegetation/land use data and satellite-derived high-resolution land cover data. We describe the procedures used for the estimation of biogenic emissions with the satellite derived land cover data and leaf mass density information. Air quality model simulations were performed using both the original and the new biogenic emissions estimates. The results showed that there were considerable uncertainties in biogenic emissions inputs. Subsequently, ozone predictions were affected up to 10 ppb, but the magnitudes and locations of peak ozone varied each day depending on the upwind or downwind positions of the biogenic emission sources relative to the anthropogenic NOx and VOC sources. Although the assessment had limitations such as heterogeneity in the spatial resolutions, the study highlighted the significance of biogenic emissions uncertainty on air quality predictions. However, the study did not allow extrapolation of the directional changes in air quality corresponding to the changes in LULC because the two datasets were based on vastly different LULC category definitions and uncertainties in the vegetation distributions.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2004

Chaotic solar cycles modulate the incidence and severity of mental illness.

This paper hypothesizes that the intensity of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the Sun predisposes humans to polygenic mutation fostering major mental illness (MMI) and other disorders of neurodevelopment. In addition, the variation in the intensity of this radiation acts to stress immune systems, possibly mediated by cytokines, resulting in variable clinical expressions of mental illness and autoimmune disorders. Organisms can adapt to chronic high-intensity UVR by producing melanin and by retaining various pigments. We found that 28% of 11-year solar cycles produce particularly severe solar flares during which UVR is 300% more intense and hence more damaging than normal. Out of a total of six severe cycles in the past 250 years, four have occurred in the past 55 years, possibly explaining the apparent increase in the incidence of MMI in recent decades. UVR is 10 times more mutagenic than ionizing radiation to nuclear DNA, and especially damaging to mitochondrial DNA. However, variable light as manifested by seasons stresses adaptability to UVR, possibly through an immune mechanism. We show that the region of the Earth having the most UVR, relative to the most variation in that light, is at 54 +/-10 degrees (N or S) latitude. Therefore, the most potential damage from sunlight occurs between the Equator and the Poles, not at the Equator itself. The human brain, our most important organ of adaptability, must be able to survive environmental variation, with successful matching to the environment resulting in adaptation. Unsuccessful adaptation to UVR (and possibly other types of radiation) results in mutation, which can produce neuro-chemical abnormalities manifested by MMI. We postulate that the combination of intensity and variation in UVR serves as a global modulator of MMI.

Causality↗
PubMed2003

Impact of ozone mini-holes on the heterogeneous destruction of stratospheric ozone.

A comprehensive study of ozone mini-holes over the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres is presented, based on model simulations with the coupled climate-chemistry model ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM representing atmospheric conditions in 1960, 1980, 1990 and 2015. Ozone mini-holes are synoptic-scale regions of strongly reduced total ozone, directly associated with tropospheric weather systems. Mini-holes are supposed to have chemical and dynamical impacts on ozone levels. Since ozone levels over northern mid-latitudes show a negative trend of approximately -4%/decade and since it exists a negative correlation between total column ozone and erythemally active solar UV-radiation reaching the surface it is important to understand and assess the processes leading to the observed ozone decline. The simulated mini-hole events are validated with a mini-hole climatology based on daily ozone measurements with the TOMS (total ozone mapping spectrometer) instrument on the satellite Nimbus-7 between 1979 and 1993. Furthermore, possible trends in the event frequency and intensity over the simulation period are assessed. In the northern hemisphere the number of mini-hole events in early winter decreases between 1960 and 1990 and increases towards 2015. In the southern hemisphere a positive trend in mini-hole event frequency is detected between 1960 and 2015 in spring associated with the increasing Antarctic Ozone Hole. Finally, the impact of mini-holes on the stratospheric heterogeneous ozone chemistry is investigated. For this purpose, a computer-based detection routine for mini-holes was developed for the use in ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM. This method prevents polar stratospheric cloud formation and therefore heterogeneous ozone depletion inside mini-holes. Heterogeneous processes inside mini-holes amount to one third of heterogeneous ozone destruction in general over northern mid- and high-latitudes during winter (January-April) in the simulation.

Atmosphere↗
PubMed2000

Radiation shielding of spacecraft in manned interplanetary flights.

During the interplanetary flights the crewmembers will be exposed to cosmic ray radiation with great risk for their health. The absorbed dose due to CR depends on the galactic (GCR) or solar (SCR) origin. GCRs are isotropic and relatively high in energy and deliver a dose nearly constant with time that can be reduced only by means of "heavy" passive protection. The outer walls of the spacecraft usually shield the SCRs up to a few tens of MeV, but during some exceptional solar bursts, a great number of particles, mainly protons, are ejected at higher energies. In this case the dose delivered in a few hours by a solar burst can easily exceed 1 year cumulated dose by GCRS. The high-energy component of SCRs is quasi-directional so that a shielding system based on a superconductive magnetic lens can reduce the daily dose of SCRs to the level delivered by GCRS.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2002

Lifetime total radiation risk of cosmonauts for orbital and interplanetary flights.

This paper presents results of calculations of total radiation risk for cosmonauts over their lifetimes and assessments of possible shortening of life expectancy on the basis of generalized doses calculated for cosmonauts after a long term interplanetary and orbital space missions on "MIR" station and International Space Station with the use of mathematical expressions coming from a model of change mortality rate of mammals after irradiation. Tumor risk assessments for cosmonauts over lifetime after flights are also given. Dependences of the delayed radiation consequences mentioned above on flight duration, spacecraft shielding thicknesses, solar activity and cosmonauts' age are analyzed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Marriage and divorce over a century in Japan: social biomedicine, not yet societal therapy.

During the past half-century, the differences found in the spectral element of marriages vs. divorces in Tokyo reveal a half-year aspect which increasingly dominates in marriages, probably as a result of a mix of socio-economic, climatic and/or geomagnetic, as well as human affection-related factors, On the other hand, a decadal component is prominent in divorces, possibly in association with non-photic solar activity. Sparser (yearly, not monthly) records, obtained over a century at different latitudes in Japan, demonstrate that the decadal components are not consistent in moving spectra of original (as yet not detrended) data. Longer and denser series over much greater differences in latitudes and longitudes will have to be subjected to a much more thorough scrutiny, in conjunction with a series of possibly pertinent variables, to assess the contributions of different sources of variation in different areas of Japan and world wide, preferably in democratic, non-combatant areas, where the socio-economical, political and other war-associated conditions are mostly in the background.

Confidence Intervals↗
PubMed2002

Geomagnetics and society interact in weekly and broader multiseptans underlying health and environmental integrity.

Evidence for the ubiquity and partial endogenicity of about-weekly (circaseptan) components and multiples and/or submultiples thereof (the multiseptans) accumulates as longer and denser records become available. Often attributed to a mere response to the social schedule, circaseptan components now have been documented to characterize environmental variables related to primarily non-photic solar effects. Plausibly, like circadians, circaseptans are anchored in genomes, from bacteria to humans, via both an internal and external evolution. If so, circaseptans, like circadians, may be found in the absence of a 7-day schedule, whereas the social schedule may play a synchronizing role and be responsible for the detection of prominent weekly variations in population statistics. The wobbliness of multiseptans and other components of some environmental time structures (chronomes) may correspond to the wobbliness of multiseptans found in cardiovascular morbidity statistics. Here, the latter stem primarily, but not exclusively, from an extensive database on the incidence of daily calls for an ambulance in Moscow, Russia from 1979-1981. A modulation of multiseptans and other chronome components of both environmental and biological variables by the about 11-year solar activity cycle (and of other low-frequency signals reviewed elsewhere) may account for prior controversies and scepticism about a variety of non-photic effects on biota. This is notably the case when relatively short series are analyzed without consideration of effects of unassessed long-term variations; this is the task of the new field of chronomics. In the spectral element of the chronomes of geophysical and biospherical variability, there are natural near weeks,apart from any precise 7-day periodicity.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Time structures, chronomes, of soldiers' stature mimicking Hale cycle in neonatal body length.

The systematic patterns in human adult physical stature are explored in connection with Wolf's relative sunspot numbers. This topic should be of interest to economists, physicians as well as physicists. There is a need for more than a check of any similarity of curves in variables approximating the economy and human stature and for more than the application of mathematical models, as done herein. Ours is at best a halting step at one frequency, presented only to document the challenge of a transdisciplinary approach to multifrequency intermodulations of hosts of variables, yet to be untangled. The circumstance that at birth some decisions concerning adult stature are already made is challenging. The signature of the environment in terms of the about 21-year Hale bipolarity cycle of Wolf's relative sunspot numbers found in adult soldiers shows that the association at birth is not a transient one, even if other evidence beyond our scope herein points to the possibility that observations on presumably healthy soldiers can be extrapolated to abnormal growth. Nonetheless, the task for those concerned with short stature could become preventive if the sensitive stages when growth may be inhibited by the environment could be found, as well as means to shield from or counter the undesirable effects.

Adolescent↗