ABSTRACT This paper addresses the static distortion and stress analysis of inflatable antenna structures subjected to a thermal load, which is a very important type of load experienced by such structures during service in orbit. Non-linear finite element analysis methods for inflatable structures were formulized, and the thermal stress of thin films was considered. The dynamic relaxation method was used to address the singularity problem of the stiffness matrix for the non-pre-stressed membrane structures. When the thermal load is changing, the state of the inflation gas inside the structure chamber varies, as well as the thermal stress of the membrane material. An iterative algorithm was presented to solve this coupling problem between thermal load, the structures, and inflation gas. The presented algorithm has been implemented into an own finite element code of inflatable structures. The thermal deformation and the stress distribution of a 3.2-m inflatable antenna structure were analyzed to illustrate the feasibility of the numerical method. The results indicated that the change in the state of the inflation gas adversely affects the structural performance, so the inflation gas must be considered.

Calreticulin (CRT), a Ca2+-binding storage protein and chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum, modulates cell adhesiveness and integrin-dependent Ca2+ signaling. However, the role of CRT during implantation remains poorly understood. In the present study, we characterized the expression of CRT mRNA and the protein in mouse endometria from pregnancy DI to D7. Real-Time PCR and in situ hybridization results showed that the levels of CRT mRNA in the endometria of pregnant mice were significantly higher than those of non-pregnant mice (P<0.05), and increased gradually from pregnancy DI to D4, reaching the máximum level on D4, followed by a plateau from D4 to D7. Using immunofluorescence histochemistry and western blot, changes of CRT expression in the endometria of pregnant mice were consistent with the expression of CRT mRNA. Furthermore, antisense CRT oligodeoxynucleotide was injected into the uterus horns of pregnant mice (D3) to investígate its effect on embryo implantation. The result showed that the number of implanted embryos markedly decreased in the side of uterine horns receiving antisense CRT oligodeoxynucleotide(í><0.05). These findings suggest that CRT may play an important role in embryo implantation in mice.