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Biomedical subjects

V M Petrov

Publications and source records attributed to V M Petrov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Diversity of structure and function of DNA polymerase (gp43) of T4-related bacteriophages.

The replication DNA polymerase (gp43) of the bacteriophage T4 is a member of the pol B family of DNA polymerases, which are found in all divisions of life in the biosphere. The enzyme is a modularly organized protein that has several activities in one polypeptide chain (approximately 900 amino acid residues). These include two catalytic functions, POL (polymerase) and EXO (3 -exonuclease), and specific binding activities to DNA, the mRNA for gp43, deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs), and other T4 replication proteins. The gene for this multifunctional enzyme (gene 43) has been preserved in evolution of the diverse group of T4-like phages in nature, but has diverged in sequence, organization, and specificity of the binding functions of the gene product. We describe here examples of T4-like phages where DNA rearrangements have created split forms of gene 43 consisting of two cistrons instead of one. These gene 43 variants specify separate gp43A (N-terminal) and gp43B (C-terminal) subunits of a split form of gp43. Compared to the monocistronic form, the interruption in contiguity of the gene 43 reading frame maps in a highly diverged sequence separating the code for essential components of two major modules of this pol B enzyme, the FINGERS and PALM domains, which contain the dNTP binding pocket and POL catalytic residues of the enzyme. We discuss the biological implications of these gp43 splits and compare them to other types of pol B splits in nature. Our studies suggest that DNA mobile elements may allow genetic information for pol B modules to be exchanged between organisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Problems and conception of ensuring radiation safety during Mars missions.

The Mars mission differs from near-Earth manned space flights by radiation environment and duration. The importance of effective using the weight of the spacecraft increases greatly because all the necessary things for the mission must be included in its starting weight. For this reason the development of optimal systems of radiation safety ensuring (RSES) acquires especial importance. It is the result of sharp change of radiation environment in the interplanetary space as compared to the one in the near-Earth orbits and significant increase of the interplanetary flight duration. The demand of a harder limitation of unfavorable factors effects should lead to radiation safety (RS) standards hardening. The main principles of ensuring the RS of the Mars mission (optimizing, radiation risk, ALARA) and the conception of RSES, developed on the basis of the described approach and the experience obtained during orbital flights are presented in the report. The problems that can impede the ensuring of the crew members' RS are also given here.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2004

Solar cosmic rays as a specific source of radiation risk during piloted space flight.

Solar cosmic rays present one of several radiation sources that are unique to space flight. Under ground conditions the exposure to individuals has a controlled form and radiation risk occurs as stochastic radiobiological effects. Existence of solar cosmic rays in space leads to a stochastic mode of radiation environment as a result of which any radiobiological consequences of exposure to solar cosmic rays during the flight will be probabilistic values. In this case, the hazard of deterministic effects should also be expressed in radiation risk values. The main deterministic effect under space conditions is radiation sickness. The best dosimetric functional for its analysis is the blood forming organs dose equivalent but not an effective dose. In addition, the repair processes in red bone marrow affect strongly on the manifestation of this pathology and they must be taken into account for radiation risk assessment. A method for taking into account the mentioned above peculiarities for the solar cosmic rays radiation risk assessment during the interplanetary flights is given in the report. It is shown that radiation risk of deterministic effects defined, as the death probability caused by radiation sickness due to acute solar cosmic rays exposure, can be comparable to risk of stochastic effects. Its value decreases strongly because of the fractional mode of exposure during the orbital movement of the spacecraft. On the contrary, during the interplanetary flight, radiation risk of deterministic effects increases significantly because of the residual component of the blood forming organs dose from previous solar proton events. The noted quality of radiation responses must be taken into account for estimating radiation hazard in space.

Cosmic Radiation↗
PubMed2004

[Scientific substantiation of experimental determination of the radiation effective dose in an interplanetary flight].

The present-day method of effective dose determination with a simplified human body model (spherical phantom) lacks the parameter of vehicle shielding. Introduction of the parameter will increase only the effective depth of various critical organs in the spherical phantom which can be easily accounted for during preliminary calculations. In future these facts, as well as data about impacts of the angular distribution of galactic cosmic rays (GCR), will be integrated into the calculation procedure. Analysis of the GCR dose contribution will not be very intricate owing to the GCR spectrum stability and isotropy of the angular distribution. Thus, basic calculation and measurement procedures will be fully unaltered.

Cosmic Radiation↗
PubMed2003

Radiation environment monitoring for manned missions to Mars.

In this paper a radiation monitoring system for manned Mars missions is described, based on the most recent requirements on crew radiation safety. A comparison is shown between the radiation monitoring systems for Earth-orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft, with similarities and differences pointed out and discussed. An operational and technological sketch of the chosen problem solving approach is also given.

Cosmic Radiation↗
PubMed2003

Analysis of the Cyclotron Facility calibration and aircraft dosimetry results from the LIULIN-3M instrument.

The LIULIN-3M instrument is a further development of the LIULIN dosimeter-radiometer, used on the MIR spacestation during the 1988-1994 time period. The LIULIN-3M is designed for continuous monitoring of the radiation environment during the BION-12 satellite flight in 1999. A semiconductor detector with 1 mm thickness and cm2 area is contained in the instrument. Pulse high analysis technique is used to determine the energy losses in the detector. The final data from the instrument are the flux and the dose rate for the exposure time and 256 channels of absorbed dose spectra based on the assumption that the particle flux is normal to the detector. The LIULIN-3M instrument was calibrated by proton fluxes with different energies at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility in June 1997 and had been used for radiation measurements during commercial aircraft flights. The calibration procedure and some flight results are presented in this paper.

Aircraft↗
PubMed2003

[Problems of radiation safety of a Martian expedition crew].

Analysis of the radiation conditions during a piloted expedition to Mars made it evident that the radiation safety system will be one of the most critical components of life support aboard the future Martian vehicle. The concept and main functions of the system have been considered. The authors give their vision of the radiation monitoring system based on the present-day radiation safety postulates, comparison and contrasting methods and equipment applied for the purpose in current orbital and projected interplanetary flights.

Cosmic Radiation↗
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

Estimation of a cosmonaut's radiation hazard during long-term space missions on the basis of a generalized dosimetric function.

This paper presents a new concept of radiation hazard assessment for spacecraft crew members during long term space missions on the basis of a generalized dosimetric function. This new dosimetric function enables a complicated nature of space radiation exposure to be reduced to the conditions of a standard irradiation. It can be obtained on the basis of mean-tissue equivalent dose values calculated for each space radiation source and transmission coefficients describing the influence of the complex spatial and temporal distribution of the absorbed dose in the cosmonaut's body on the radiobiological effects. The combination of cosmic ionizing radiation with other non-radiation nature factors in flight can also be accounted for. In terms of the generalized dose, it is possible to assess the nature and extent of lowering a crew working capacity, as well as radiation risk, both during a flight and post flight period.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed2002

Radiation risk during long-term spaceflight.

Cosmonauts' exposure to cosmic rays during long-term spaceflight can cause unfavorable effects in health and risk for the crew members' lives. All unfavorable effects induced by exposure should be taken into consideration for the risk estimation. They should include both the acute deterministic effects and delayed effects called stochastic. On the ground the limitation of unfavorable consequences of acute exposure is achieved by means of establishing dose limits. But in space applications this approach can't be acceptable. Establishing a fixed dose limit is adequate to introducing indefinite reserve coefficient and therefore ineffective usage of spacecraft resource. The method of radiation risk calculation caused by acute and delayed effects of cosmonauts' exposure is discussed and substantiated in the report. Peculiarities of the impact of permanent radiation sources (galactic cosmic rays and trapped radiation) and the variable one (solar cosmic rays) are taken into consideration.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed2002

The biological effects of solar activity.

The synchronization of biological circadian and circannual rhythms is broadly viewed as a result of photic solar effects. Evidence for non-photic solar effects on biota is also slowly being recognized. The ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes from rabbits, the time structure of blood pressure and heart rate of neonates, and the heart rate variability of human adults on earth and in space were examined during magnetically disturbed and quiet days, as were morbidity statistics. Alterations in both the about-daily (circadian) and about-weekly (circaseptan) components are observed during disturbed vs. quite days. The about-weekly period of neonatal blood pressure correlates with that of the local geomagnetic disturbance index K. Circaseptans which are seen early in human life and in various other forms of life, including unicells, may provide information about the possible site(s) of life's origins from an integrative as well as adaptive evolutionary perspective.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

TEPC measurements obtained on the Mir space station.

Measurements of the radiation environment inside the Mir space station were performed with a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) during the Antares mission in 1992, and over a long period following it. Interesting results concerning radiation measurements show (a) the South Atlantic Anomaly crossing, (b) the increase of radiation near the poles, and (c) the effects of solar particle events (the most important one occurring in early November 1992). This data also provides information about the dose and the quality factor of the radiation to which the cosmonauts were exposed during different missions. These data are compared with measurements obtained using a solid state detector.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2002

Verification of methods of MIR-station's crew members personal dose estimation based on radiation monitoring data.

During the flight of the main missions on board the MIR station the individual doses of the crew members and the dose inside the core module was measured by the ID-3M package and R-16 dosimeter, respectively. Comparison of the skin dose measured by ID-3M unit and calculated by the transmission coefficient method on the basis of R-16 data in each of 23 main missions permits estimation of the systematic error of the transmission coefficient method. The mean value of this error is equal to 32%.

Astronauts↗
PubMed2002

[The assessment of radiation hazards in the "MIR" and ISS orbits from the data of vehicle and personal dosimetric monitoring].

The paper describes the procedure of estimating total radiation risk to crewmembers during lifetime and possible lifetime reduction in consequence of participation in the Mir and ISS missions in different periods of the solar activity. The procedure includes analysis of data of vehicle and personal dosimetry, and calculations of radiation doses in various Mir compartments and accumulated by body tissues of cosmonauts. Calculated doses showed good consistency with the doses measured with R-16 on board Mir and personal dosimeters. To a first approximation, estimation of doses to cosmonauts and radiation risk as a result of participation in ISS missions took into account similarity of the Mir and ISS basal modules (geometry, dimensions and mass values) and was performed with the use of the space station shielding model that had been described elsewhere. The model of ISS radiation shielding will be updated as data of dosimetry of ISS compartments and phantom studies are available.

Astronauts↗
PubMed2001

[Levels of radiation exposure and radiation risk in flights aboard the orbital complex "Mir" and the International space station].

The paper presents results of calculating mean daily values of absorbed and equivalent doses from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and Earth's radiation belts (ERB) to crew members on orbital missions aboard Mir and the International space station during solar minimum and maximum. Calculated doses were corrected in accordance with the dosimetric and spectrometric data from Mir missions 18 through to 23 that took place in the period of solar minimum. Contribution of local and albedo neutrons to equivalent dose was also taken into account. Presented are calculated total radiation risk and tumor risk over life time for Mir and ISS crews following missions of varying duration, and predictions for reduction in life span in view of recent dosimetric data.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Estimation of the radiation risk of determined effects of human exposure in space].

Subject of the paper is possibility to estimate radiation risk of determined consequences of exposure to solar space rays as a probability of violation of established dose limits. Analysis of specifies of spacecrew exposure to solar space rays in a long-term, particularly interplanetary mission suggests that immediate introduction of the principle in the radiation health policy can result in serious errors, mainly exaggeration, in determination of radiation risk. Proposed are approaches to radiation risk estimation with consideration of the specific of human exposure in space.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

Solar particle events observed on MIR station.

Radiation impact of the SPEs on board the MIR space station and in the interplanetary space is discussed in the report. The data of the on-board radiation dosimeter R-16 were used to measure the SPE absorbed doses. Some of SPEs (such as September-October 1989 series of very large SPEs) were measured in detail by Liulin active high sensitive dosimetric instrument installed on board MIR station. MIR station orbit measurements of the absorbed doses are compared with the interplanetary absorbed doses from SPEs estimated by the data obtained by the METEOR satellite spectrometer. The equivalent dose beyond the magnetosphere resulting from the September 29, 1989 solar flare in a spacecraft module with ordinary shielding thickness (approximately 10 g/cm2 of Al) is far higher than the maximum permissible dose of acute single exposure (50 cSv) and comparable with the maximum permissible dose of 2 year mission (118 cSv). Such large SPEs are a serious hazard in interplanetary missions and call forth of special administrative countermeasures.

Equipment Design↗