scholarly journals Urologic Innovation in the Spaceflight Environment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Kahlenberg ◽  
Danielle Carroll ◽  
Octav Cristea ◽  
Emmanuel Urquieta ◽  
Nabil Bissada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Space Station ◽  
Renal Calculi ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Human Spaceflight ◽  
Endoscopic Techniques ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Tract Infections

The coming decades are poised to usher in an era of commercial spaceflight and extended duration missions beyond low-earth orbit. Urologic challenges and conditions have been central to the history of human spaceflight, and their effective management will continue to play a key role in future endeavors. Voiding equipment, such as the Universal Waste Management System aboard the International Space Station, is emblematic of the significant technical strides that have been made to improve the usability and functionality of non-terrestrial waste elimination and containment devices. Detailed investigations over the past few decades have demonstrated that crew members are at an increased risk of developing nephrolithiasis due, in large part, to the effects of microgravity. Renal calculi and their potentially debilitating effects represent one of the most significant urologic complications that could impact the success of future long duration missions. Other urologic conditions, such as urinary tract infections, urinary retention, and urinary incontinence have been well documented during flight and pose their own challenges. While preventive measures remain central to all mitigation strategies, imaging and treatment modalities such as a S-Mode ultrasound, burst wave lithotripsy, and ultrasonic propulsion are being developed and evaluated as in-flight countermeasures for urologic pathology. Parabolic flights have been conducted to develop and evaluate the feasibility of using surgical and endoscopic techniques to treat urologic conditions in microgravity. Although less often discussed, occupation-related delayed conception and the risk of radiation-induced gamete damage suggests that there may be a need for NASA to adopt a policy for Assisted Reproductive Technology for both male and female astronauts. The last 60 years of human spaceflight have provided a unique opportunity for discovery and medical technology innovation. This paper serves to highlight the advancements that will help pave the way for the next 60 years of human spaceflight.

scholarly journals Designing Procedure Execution Tools with Emerging Technologies for Future Astronauts

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1607
Author(s):  
John A. Karasinski ◽  
Isabel C. Torron Valverde ◽  
Holly L. Brosnahan ◽  
Jack W. Gale ◽  
Ron Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Human Spaceflight ◽  
Control Center ◽  
New Era ◽  
Ground Support ◽  
Long Duration

NASA’s human spaceflight efforts are moving towards long-duration exploration missions requiring asynchronous communication between onboard crew and an increasingly remote ground support. In current missions aboard the International Space Station, there is a near real-time communication loop between Mission Control Center and astronauts. This communication is essential today to support operations, maintenance, and science requirements onboard, without which many tasks would no longer be feasible. As NASA takes the next leap into a new era of human space exploration, new methods and tools compensating for the lack of continuous, real-time communication must be explored. The Human-Computer Interaction Group at NASA Ames Research Center has been investigating emerging technologies and their applicability to increase crew autonomy in missions beyond low Earth orbit. Interactions using augmented reality and the Internet of Things have been researched as possibilities to facilitate usability within procedure execution operations. This paper outlines four research efforts that included technology demonstrations and usability studies with prototype procedure tools implementing emerging technologies. The studies address habitat feedback integration, analogous procedure testing, task completion management, and crew training. Through these technology demonstrations and usability studies, we find that low- to medium-fidelity prototypes, evaluated early in the design process, are both effective for garnering stakeholder buy-in and developing requirements for future systems. In this paper, we present the findings of the usability studies for each project and discuss ways in which these emerging technologies can be integrated into future human spaceflight operations.

Long-read sequencing reveals increased occurrence of genomic variants and adenosine methylation in Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 after long-duration flight exposure onboard the International Space Station

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Samantha M. Waters ◽  
S. Marshall Ledford ◽  
Amanda Wacker ◽  
Sonali Verma ◽  
Bianca Serda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Bacillus Pumilus ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Survival Fraction ◽  
International Space ◽  
Genomic Variants ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Long Read

Abstract Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, an endospore-forming bacterial strain, was investigated to determine its methylation pattern (methylome) change, compared to ground control, after direct exposure to space conditions onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 1.5 years. The resulting ISS-flown and non-flown strains were sequenced using the Nanopore MinION and an in-house method and pipeline to identify methylated positions in the genome. Our analysis indicated genomic variants and m6A methylation increased in the ISS-flown SAFR-032. To complement the broader omics investigation and explore phenotypic changes, ISS-flown and non-flown strains were compared in a series of laboratory-based chamber experiments using an X-ray irradiation source (doses applied at 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1250 Gy); results show a potentially higher survival fraction of ISS-flown DS2 at the two highest exposures. Taken together, results from this study document lasting changes to the genome by methylation, potentially triggered by conditions in spaceflight, with functional consequences for the resistance of bacteria to stressors expected on long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.

The AMINO experiment: a laboratory for astrochemistry and astrobiology on the EXPOSE-R facility of the International Space Station

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Cottin ◽  
K. Saiagh ◽  
Y.Y. Guan ◽  
M. Cloix ◽  
D. Khalaf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Vacuum Ultraviolet ◽  
Rna World ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
International Space ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
World Hypothesis

AbstractThe study of the evolution of organic matter subjected to space conditions, and more specifically to Solar photons in the vacuum ultraviolet range (120–200 nm) has been undertaken in low-Earth orbit since the 1990s, and implemented on various space platforms. This paper describes a photochemistry experiment called AMINO, conducted during 22 months between 2009 and 2011 on the EXPOSE-R ESA facility, outside the International Space Station. Samples with relevance to astrobiology (connected to comets, carbonaceous meteorites and micrometeorites, the atmosphere of Titan and RNA world hypothesis) have been selected and exposed to space environment. They have been analysed after return to the Earth. This paper is not discussing the results of the experiment, but rather gives a general overview of the project, the details of the hardware used, its configuration and recent developments to enable long-duration exposure of gaseous samples in tight closed cells enabling for the first time to derive quantitative results from gaseous phase samples exposed in space.

scholarly journals Human Space Exploration: The Next Fifty Years

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Williams ◽  
Matthew Turnock
Keyword(s):  
Space Exploration ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Distance Constant ◽  
Time Distance ◽  
Human Space Exploration

Preparation for the fftieth anniversary of human spacefight in the spring of 2011 provides the space faring nations with an opportunity to refect on past achievements as well as consider the next fifty years of human spacefight. The International Space Station is a unique platform for long duration life science research that will play a critical role in preparing for future human space exploration beyond low earth orbit. Some feel the future path back to the Moon and on to Mars may be delayed with the current commitment of the united States to support the development of human-rated commercial spacecraft. others see this as a unique opportunity to leverage the capability of the private sector in expanding access to  space exploration. This article provides an overview of the past achievements in hu- man spacefight and discusses future missions over the next ffty years and the role  space medicine will play in extending the time-distance constant of human space exploration.

scholarly journals Operational radiation protection for human space flight: the flight surgeon’s perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 193-193
Author(s):  
U. Straube
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Protection ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Deep Space ◽  
Mission Success ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Human Space Flight

Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space in 1961 almost 60 years ago. Eight years later Neil Armstrong left his footprints on the Moon – the first human on the surface of a celestial body other than Earth. By now long-duration missions of up to 1 year have become a reality for humans in space. Nearly 19 years of continuous human presence at the International Space Station (ISS) have provided a unique insight into human life in space. Humans are reaching out for more – targeting missions to take us outside the protective hull of low earth orbit into deep space. The challenges to human health and well-being remain significant and increase with distance and time from Earth. The lack of gravity, the ubiquitous ionising radiation, remoteness, and confinement are just some examples of the hostile environment of space. More hurdles have to be overcome prior to the human endeavour of reaching out into deep space and radiation is one such primary and inevitable factor that is key to crew health, safety and overall mission success. This presentation will provide an introduction into operational space medicine and radiation protection for humans in space as executed on ISS, in low earth orbit and in preparation for the scenarios ‘beyond’.

scholarly journals A Fresh Look at Whether the Human Appendix Should Be Considered “Friend or Foe” in the Context of Long-duration Remote Expeditionary Medicine (Benivolem aut Insidiator?)

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s96-s96
Author(s):  
Rowena Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Gut Health ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Suspected Appendicitis ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Human Appendix

Introduction:Traditional belief holds that the human appendix is a vestigial organ devoid of any purpose, and consequently, surgical appendectomy has been the “gold standard” treatment for suspected appendicitis. Prophylactic (preventative) appendectomy remains the policy of the Australian Antarctic Division for wintering medical practitioners and has been discussed in the context of long-duration non-orbital space flight.Aim:New research around appendiceal function, increasing adoption of non-surgical treatment modalities for acute appendicitis, and emerging research on the long-term consequences of appendicectomy have recently enabled researchers to challenge this paradigm.Methods:This novel project set out to test the hypothesis that a “one size fits all” prophylactic appendectomy policy may not be in the best interest of individual expeditioners, and utilized a “mindmap” to identify several key areas for a scoping literature review. This enabled disparate research to be drawn together in an innovative way.Results:A growing body of research has discovered that the appendix plays an important role in the gut immune system and maintaining gut health. It acts as a reservoir of good bacteria that repopulates the gut after pathogenic challenge. This is particularly important for people with impaired immune systems, such as those that occur in extreme environments. Appendicitis can often be successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics. Prophylactic appendectomy is not without risk, as 1:4 to 1:3 people will encounter some sort of postoperative complication. After an appendectomy, there is an increased risk of many serious medical conditions, including intra-abdominal adhesions, ischaemic heart disease, inflammatory and irritable bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and many others.Discussion:The increased morbidity and mortality associated with appendectomy is costly for individuals (the burden of disease) and society (health economics). It also poses a currently unappreciated health risk for long-term off-world expeditions.

scholarly journals The NASA Twins Study: A multidimensional analysis of a year-long human spaceflight

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 364 (6436) ◽  
pp. eaau8650
Author(s):  
Francine E. Garrett-Bakelman ◽  
Manjula Darshi ◽  
Stefan J. Green ◽  
Ruben C. Gur ◽  
Ling Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Instability ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Intima Media Thickness ◽  
Global Gene Expression ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Multidimensional Analysis ◽  
Gastrointestinal Microbiota ◽  
Human Spaceflight ◽  
Ocular Structure ◽  
Long Duration

To understand the health impact of long-duration spaceflight, one identical twin astronaut was monitored before, during, and after a 1-year mission onboard the International Space Station; his twin served as a genetically matched ground control. Longitudinal assessments identified spaceflight-specific changes, including decreased body mass, telomere elongation, genome instability, carotid artery distension and increased intima-media thickness, altered ocular structure, transcriptional and metabolic changes, DNA methylation changes in immune and oxidative stress–related pathways, gastrointestinal microbiota alterations, and some cognitive decline postflight. Although average telomere length, global gene expression, and microbiome changes returned to near preflight levels within 6 months after return to Earth, increased numbers of short telomeres were observed and expression of some genes was still disrupted. These multiomic, molecular, physiological, and behavioral datasets provide a valuable roadmap of the putative health risks for future human spaceflight.

A Holistic Approach to Phimosis in Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajendra Paliwal ◽  
Rashmi Pareek
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Urinary Tract Infections ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Local Application ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Recurrent Attack ◽  
New Born ◽  
Tract Infections

Phimosis is described as condition in which prepuce or foreskin of glans penis is not retracted backwards resulting in poor narrowed stream of urine during micturition causing ballooning of prepuce along with recurrent attacks of balanoposthitis and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Majority of new born boys do have non-retractile foreskin called as Physiological Phimosis. In Ayurveda phimosis is described as Nirudhaprakasha. Physiological phimosis usually does not require any kind of treatment as it resolve spontaneously within first couple of years mostly taking 3 to 6 years after which measures are considered to correct it surgically. Pathological phimosis is condition in which prepuce get adhered to glans secondary to adhesions or scarring made because of infection, inflammation or trauma. Pathological phimosis and physiological phimosis with recurrent attack of balanoposthitis and UTIs do require treatment. There are several treatment modalities are available according to severity of adhesions such as local application of steroid cream or oil, manual retraction, dilatation and Circumcision. In this review article we assess the various treatment modalities available in Ayurveda and contemporary medical science for better management of Phimosis.

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