{"title":"Cell Mechanobiology in Microgravity Conditions","authors":"A. S. Nikitiuk, Yu.V. Bayandin, O. B. Naimark","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10186-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10186-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Changes in a cell phenotype occur under the influence of external and internal stimuli of a biochemical and/or physical nature, including gravity. This study is devoted to a comparative analysis of the characteristic reactions of breast cancer cells under different gravitational conditions using the statistical-thermodynamic model of their deformation caused by the orientation properties of the actin cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells using the actin filament orientation parameter. The free energy form of the cell cytoskeleton is determined followed by a derivation of the evolution equation. The statistical-thermodynamic model describes the basic mechanical behavior of eukaryotic cells, including their viscoelasticity, power-law stress relaxation and fluidization under loading. Numerical modeling of cell cytoskeleton reactions to gravitational effects of different magnitudes, including values of 10<sup>–6</sup>∙g and 1∙g, was performed. A comparative analysis of cytoskeleton deformation patterns was carried out based on which the peculiarities of the influence of gravity on the mechanical behavior of cells were established.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145167821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Sureshkumar, V. P. M. Senthil Nayaki, Ali J. Chamkha
{"title":"Reconfiguration of Thin Plate Venue in Oblique Magnetohydrodynamic Free Convection in a Composite Nanofluid-filled Container","authors":"S. Sureshkumar, V. P. M. Senthil Nayaki, Ali J. Chamkha","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10188-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10188-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Natural convection inside a thin plate in a rectangular cabinet containing <span>(Cu-Al_2 O_3)</span> water hybrid nanofluids is carried out in the present study. The thin plate is positioned both vertically and horizontally at various locations within the cavity. An isothermal thermal boundary conditions was imposed to the plate. The upper and lower boundaries are maintained under adiabatic thermal boundary conditions, while the lateral boundaries are designated as an isothermal cold wall. Employing the FVM, the dimensionless governing equations alongside the corresponding boundary conditions are solved through numerical techniques. The power law scheme is implemented to address the convective terms effectively. The resultant system of linear equations is resolved utilizing the TDMA algorithm. The characteristics of flow and heat transfer are examined across various parameters, including Rayleigh number <span>((Ra = 10^6)</span> and <span>(10^7))</span>, Hartmann number <span>((Ha = 0-100))</span>, concentration of nanoparticles <span>((phi = 0.02-0.06))</span>, and orientation of the magnetic field <span>((gamma =0^o - 135^o))</span>. It is observed that the fluid flow pattern exhibits greater intensity at elevated <i>Ra</i> and diminished <i>Ha</i>. The rate of heat transfer (HT) is diminished with an increase in <i>Ha</i>. For both horizontal and vertical plates, the magnetic inclination angle <span>(gamma = 90^o)</span> usually produces the best HT improvement; however, extreme inclinations <span>(gamma = 135^o)</span> cause a number of intricate flow phenomena, which results in an insufficient HT rate. An escalation in the concentration of composite nanoparticles and <i>Ra</i> significantly enhances the Nusselt number. Composite nanofluid gives better HT performance than the single nanofluid. The average increase in Nu for <span>(Cu-Al_2 O_3)</span> water hybrid nanofluid is 5.63% when compared to the cavity filled with pure water.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145166621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kai Xiao, Ye Wang, Huizhi Wang, Fangjing Weng, Qi Wu, Guoguang Li, Sixue Liu, Hongxing Zhang, Jianyin Miao
{"title":"Progress and Prospects of Cryogenic Thermal Control Technology for Space Power Transmission Systems Based on High-Temperature Superconducting Cables","authors":"Kai Xiao, Ye Wang, Huizhi Wang, Fangjing Weng, Qi Wu, Guoguang Li, Sixue Liu, Hongxing Zhang, Jianyin Miao","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10187-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10187-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As spacecraft continue to advance in scale, performance, and capabilities, their operational power requirements are projected to rise from kilowatts to megawatts or even gigawatts with voltages reaching the megavolt level. Under such conditions, traditional copper-based power transmission systems will incur substantial energy losses, resulting in an increase in both size and mass. Conversely, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cables exhibit zero resistance and enable high-capacity transmission at liquid nitrogen temperatures, thereby facilitating lossless power and presenting significant potential for space application. The unique challenges presented by the space environment necessitate the development of specialized cryogenic thermal control systems (CTCSs) specifically designed for space-based HTS cables, underscoring the need for targeted research on CTCSs. This study presents a CTCS that employs pulse tube cryocoolers for cryocooling, cryogenic loop heat pipes for heat transfer, and cryogenic insulation technology to minimize parasitic heat leakage. A comprehensive examination of space cryogenic technologies, an analysis of existing problems, and a discourse on prospective research are presented.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145143267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Georgy S. Ganchenko, Vladimir S. Shelistov, Vladislav A. Popov, Evgeny A. Demekhin
{"title":"Electrophoresis of an Ion-Selective Granule in the Oldroyd-B and FENE Fluids","authors":"Georgy S. Ganchenko, Vladimir S. Shelistov, Vladislav A. Popov, Evgeny A. Demekhin","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10184-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10184-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Electrophoresis, a crucial technique in medical diagnostics, enables the control of individual particles, molecules, viruses, and bacteria during single-cell analysis. Ion-selective outer layers are often present in many viruses and bacteria. Theoretical and experimental studies on ion-selective granule electrophoresis reveal the existence of various nonlinear modes influenced by the strength of the electric field. Concentration polarization near such granules can lead to instability and chaotic behavior in sufficiently strong electric fields. While most research focuses on electrophoresis in Newtonian fluids, it is well-known that biological fluids exhibit non-Newtonian properties due to the presence of polymer molecules. This paper presents numerical simulations of electrophoresis in viscoelastic electrolytes modeled as Oldroyd-B and FENE-CR fluids. Microscale statement is considered, so gravitational and other inertial effects are neglected. For the electrophoresis of the first kind, we obtained the dependence of the granule’s electrophoretic velocity on polymer concentration and relaxation time. For the electrophoresis of the second kind, we found that the velocity can either increase or decrease with increasing polymer concentration, depending on the Weissenberg number. The presence of polymers led to the emergence of unsteady electrophoresis regimes caused by electrokinetic instability and concentration trace instability. The critical electric field strength values, indicating the onset of non-stationary electrophoresis modes when exceeded, were obtained.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Qualitative and Quantitative Metrics for Evaluating the Resulting Acceleration in Random Positioning Machines (RPM)","authors":"Henri Paetz, Elmar Woschke","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10185-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10185-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Random Positioning Machine (RPM) is a widely used method to alter the impact of gravity on biological systems by means of averaging the gravitational vector through random rotation. The aim of this work is to analyze the real motion of an RPM by qualitatively and quantitatively evaluating the resulting acceleration with regard to its averaging and uniform distribution. A scalable measuring device was developed that allows long-term measurements at several measuring points simultaneously. Acceleration averaging over time is depicted more generally for RPM motion using moving averages. The density representation on a sphere and the statistics according to Giné enable an evaluation of the distribution of gravity. The investigated metrics do not yet allow a direct statement about the suitability of simulated microgravity for biological experiments, but can serve as a basis for improvements to the RPM movement.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12217-025-10185-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hao Wang, Jason Hartwig, Bohan Huang, J. N. Chung, Runyang Cui, Chase Camarotti, Arthur Werkheiser
{"title":"Screen Compliance Testing with Controlled Pre-Tension for Screen Channel Liquid Acquisition Devices","authors":"Hao Wang, Jason Hartwig, Bohan Huang, J. N. Chung, Runyang Cui, Chase Camarotti, Arthur Werkheiser","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10179-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10179-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Screen channel liquid acquisition devices (LADs) are used to separate gas and liquid phases within a propellant tank in microgravity so that single-phase liquid can be extracted to the transfer line. Screen channel LADs rely on porous mesh screens and surface tension forces to allow liquid to flow while blocking vapor penetration. During the transient startup of propellant transfer, the liquid must be accelerated from rest to the steady flow demand velocity, which causes the screen to deform or comply. Compliance depends on multiple parameters, most notably the mesh type and open area. Recent testing has shown that the screen pretension level is also a variable that must be controlled and quantified. This paper presents new screen compliance design, testing, and experimental results to determine the effect of pretension. Testing is conducted on six screen meshes, two metal types, three open area aspect ratios, two orientations, and three tension levels. Results show that the screen compliance rate increases with increasing pretension in both linear and nonlinear regimes and that mesh type, metal type, open area, and orientation all affect compliance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144084807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Surface Free Energy Measurement of Low Energy and High Energy Surfaces in Microgravity Conditions","authors":"Abrar Ahmed, Prashant R. Waghmare","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10181-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10181-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents a comprehensive exploration of a theoretical model designed to measure the surface energy of solids under microgravity conditions. While numerous studies have investigated various techniques for determining the surface energy of solids through the use of pairs of liquids based on Young’s equation of contact angle, these methods often lack accuracy and are impractical in space-like environments due to safety concerns. In this investigation, we critically examine and validate the sessile drop accelerometry model, specifically developed for measuring the surface free energy of solids in microgravity conditions through the deposition of a single water droplet. This model encompasses a set of governing equations that enable the determination of interfacial energies as a function of changes in the droplet’s shape resulting from the release of gravitational energy. To validate and analyze the theoretical model, a sophisticated experimental payload was developed, and a series of rigorous experiments were conducted under both reduced gravity and hypergravity conditions, simulated using parabolic flight. The measured surface free energy values were compared against traditional polar-nonpolar-based surface energy measurement techniques, demonstrating strong agreement and highlighting the robustness of the SDAcc model. Through rigorous theoretical and experimental analyses, this study establishes a fundamental understanding of the influence of gravity on metastable droplet morphology and its implications for accurate surface energy determination. These findings will contribute to the advancement of interfacial science in reduced gravity environments and open new avenues for surface characterization techniques in space applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144084934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acceleration Flight Control for Reduced Gravity Flight in Large Fixed-Wing Aircraft","authors":"Mohammed Nasser Aldosari, Eric Feron","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10182-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10182-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Access to reduced-gravity environments is a cornerstone of space research, enabling scientific experiments in space-like conditions. While parabolic flights have long served as an accessible platform for microgravity studies, their reliance on manual piloting limits precision and repeatability. This paper introduces an autonomous flight control framework designed to execute reduced-gravity maneuvers in large fixed-wing aircraft. The proposed system regulates all four phases of the maneuver by commanding a reference acceleration profile. This approach enables precise control over the aircraft’s acceleration, ensuring consistent reduced gravity conditions critical for experimental applications. The control architecture comprises three specialized controllers: one each for tangential and normal acceleration regulation and another for minimizing angle-of-attack variations to dampen pitch oscillations. The proposed framework is evaluated on a nonlinear Boeing 747 model implemented in MATLAB Simulink. Simulation results show that the controller maintains residual accelerations within <span>(pm 0.02,g)</span> for zero-, lunar-, and Martian-gravity manoeuvres, matching the error margins reported in published flight data. Key challenges are addressed, such as non-minimum phase dynamics, altitude-dependent air density variations, and pitch oscillations at the center of gravity. These findings contribute to the advancement of autonomous flight control for more reliable and precise reduced-gravity research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12217-025-10182-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144073893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Vladimirovna Fedchuk, Vasily Borisovich Rusanov, Milena Ilinichna Koloteva, Anastasia Ivanovna Tersintseva, Alexey Vladimirovich Salnikov, Elena Sergeevna Luchitskaya, Galina Arkadyevna Fomina, Anna Grigorievna Chernikova
{"title":"Potential of Interval Training Protocol on a Short-Arm Human Centrifuge for Orthostatic Intolerance Prevention After Space Flight Conditions","authors":"Maria Vladimirovna Fedchuk, Vasily Borisovich Rusanov, Milena Ilinichna Koloteva, Anastasia Ivanovna Tersintseva, Alexey Vladimirovich Salnikov, Elena Sergeevna Luchitskaya, Galina Arkadyevna Fomina, Anna Grigorievna Chernikova","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10180-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10180-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The decrease in orthostatic tolerance due to the deconditioning of cardiovascular system after space flight remains an urgent problem. The effect of longitudinal overloads on a short-arm human centrifuge (SAHC) is believed to be useful in preventing a decrease in orthostatic tolerance in astronauts after spaceflight through regular compensation of hydrostatic blood pressure, which is absent in microgravity. The analysis of adaptive reactions of the autonomic regulation system was carried out by analyzing heart rate variability, blood pressure was used to calculate hemodynamic parameters. These characteristics were analyzed in 6 male subjects (mean age 38 ± 7 (SD) years) during the protocol of training rotations on the SAHC and during a passive orthostatic test with foot support (tilt test). The nonparametric Wilcoxon criterion and Kendall’s rank correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. During training rotations, an increase in heart rate (HR), a weakening of high-frequency (HF) and a significant increase in low-frequency (LF) spectral components of the heart rate were observed, indicating the involvement of the sympatho-vagal system with a predominance of sympathetic regulation. It is shown that after a series of rotations on the SAHC, there is a smaller increase in HR in an upright position during a tilt test, which indicates a decrease in excitability and reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. There was also a decrease in the influence of suprasegmental (higher) autonomic centers on the regulation processes during orthostatic loading. This interval training protocol on the SAHC has a training effect and increases orthostatic stability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143932331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guoqing Chen, Ge Yin, Yanni Jiang, Xiaoming Zhou, Yuequn Tao
{"title":"Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Nanoparticle Shape on Nanofluids Thermocapillary Convection Instability","authors":"Guoqing Chen, Ge Yin, Yanni Jiang, Xiaoming Zhou, Yuequn Tao","doi":"10.1007/s12217-025-10177-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12217-025-10177-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>For disclose the effect of nanoparticle shape on flow regime and critical condition of thermocapillary convection, the nanofluid thermocapillary convection with different shaped nanoparticles are investigated in this paper, and the oscillation characteristics of thermocapillary flow are analyzed. The results indicate that, the nanoparticles can significantly alter the oscillatory characteristics of thermocapillary convection instability, and the influence of platelet shaped nanoparticle is the strongest and followed by cylinder, blade, brick, and sphere nanoparticles. The main frequency of oscillatory thermocapillary convection decreases with the increase of sphericity, and the size of hydrothermal wave propagation angle at free surface is as follows: sphere > brick > cylinder > blade > platelet.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":707,"journal":{"name":"Microgravity Science and Technology","volume":"37 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143908669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}