LETTUCE SEEDLING RESPONSE TO DETERGENTS RECOMMENDED FOR SPACE TRAVEL

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 656a-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Greene ◽  
David Bubenheim ◽  
Wade Berry
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Primary Root ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Threshold Concentration ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Space Travel ◽  
Lettuce Seedling ◽  
Lettuce Seeds

Water contributes approximately 90% of the life support consumables in a closed space environment, therefore, regeneration of pure water from waste streams is important for long term space travel. Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) will rely on plants to produce food, oxygen, consume CO2 and purify water. Igepon TC42, Amide coco N-methyl N-2-sulphoethyl sodium salt, is the main ingredient of the soap recommended for showering and hand washing aboard Space Station Freedom. To determine the soap concentration which causes plant toxicity, lettuce seeds were germinated in 0.1 strength modified Hoagland's nutrient solution and a series of increasing concentrations of Igepon. After 5 days, the seedlings were examined and primary root length measured. The dose response curve indicates an Igepon acute toxicity threshold of 0.2 g l-1 Below the threshold concentration the curve is similar to that of the control, but drops linearly upon reaching the toxic threshold. Seedlings exposed to concentrations of soap greater than the toxic threshold exhibited root damage characterized by the browning of cells in bands above the root cap resulting in reduced growth rates. The damaged cells enlarged becoming round in appearance prior to departing from adjacent cells. The underlying cells appeared clear and uniform making up a thinner, more fragile root mass when compared to undamaged root regions.

scholarly journals Spaceflight Induced Disorders: Potential Nutritional Countermeasures

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Costa ◽  
Francesco Saverio Ambesi-Impiombato ◽  
Tommaso Beccari ◽  
Carmela Conte ◽  
Samuela Cataldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Space Travel ◽  
Basic Training ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Selection Strategies ◽  
Almost All

Space travel is an extreme experience even for the astronaut who has received extensive basic training in various fields, from aeronautics to engineering, from medicine to physics and biology. Microgravity puts a strain on members of space crews, both physically and mentally: short-term or long-term travel in orbit the International Space Station may have serious repercussions on the human body, which may undergo physiological changes affecting almost all organs and systems, particularly at the muscular, cardiovascular and bone compartments. This review aims to highlight recent studies describing damages of human body induced by the space environment for microgravity, and radiation. All novel conditions, to ally unknown to the Darwinian selection strategies on Earth, to which we should add the psychological stress that astronauts suffer due to the inevitable forced cohabitation in claustrophobic environments, the deprivation from their affections and the need to adapt to a new lifestyle with molecular changes due to the confinement. In this context, significant nutritional deficiencies with consequent molecular mechanism changes in the cells that induce to the onset of physiological and cognitive impairment have been considered.

Thermoelectric Applications as Related to Biomedical Engineering for Nasa Johnson Space Center

1997 ◽  
Vol 478 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Kramer ◽  
P.E.
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
International Space ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Environment Noise ◽  
Scientific Value

AbstractThis paper presents current NASA biomedical developments and applications using thermoelectrics. Discussion will include future technology enhancements that would be most beneficial to the application of thermoelectric technology.A great deal of thermoelectric applications have focused on electronic cooling. As with all technological developments within NASA, if the application cannot be related to the average consumer, the technology will not be mass-produced and widely available to the public (a key to research and development expenditures and thermoelectric companies). Included are discussions of thermoelectric applications to cool astronauts during launch and reentry. The earth-based applications, or spin-offs, include such innovations as tank and race car driver cooling, to cooling infants with high temperatures, as well as, the prevention of hair loss during chemotherapy. In order to preserve the scientific value of metabolic samples during long-term space missions, cooling is required to enable scientific studies. Results of one such study should provide a better understanding of osteoporosis and may lead to a possible cure for the disease.In the space environment, noise has to be kept to a minimum. In long-term space applications such as the International Space Station, thermoelectric technology provides the acoustic relief and the reliability for food, as well as, scientific refrigeration/freezers. Applications and future needs are discussed as NASA moves closer to a continued space presence in Mir, International Space Station, and Lunar-Mars Exploration.

scholarly journals Joint Dynamics Modeling and Parameter Identification for Space Robot Applications

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adenilson R. da Silva ◽  
Luiz C. Gadelha de Souza ◽  
Bernd Schäfer
Keyword(s):  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Nonlinear Parameters ◽  
Robust Version ◽  
Joint Dynamics

Long-term mission identification and model validation for in-flight manipulator control system in almost zero gravity with hostile space environment are extremely important for robotic applications. In this paper, a robot joint mathematical model is developed where several nonlinearities have been taken into account. In order to identify all the required system parameters, an integrated identification strategy is derived. This strategy makes use of a robust version of least-squares procedure (LS) for getting the initial conditions and a general nonlinear optimization method (MCS—multilevel coordinate search—algorithm) to estimate the nonlinear parameters. The approach is applied to the intelligent robot joint (IRJ) experiment that was developed at DLR for utilization opportunity on the International Space Station (ISS). The results using real and simulated measurements have shown that the developed algorithm and strategy have remarkable features in identifying all the parameters with good accuracy.

Microbes and Crewed Space Habitat

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1022-1024
Author(s):  
Nobuyasu Yamaguchi ◽  
◽  
Masao Nasu
Keyword(s):  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Environmental Microbiology ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
International Space ◽  
Microbiological Safety ◽  
Fundamental Information ◽  
Space Habitat

Microbes exist everywhere, and studies have demonstrated the presence of viable microorganisms in a crewed space habitat. Microorganisms within space habitats pose potential hazards to crew health and potentially damage hardware. Continuing successful long-term space habitation requires fundamental information on microbiological safety for avoiding biohazards in space. We discuss the importance of researching microbes in crewed space habitats and of monitoring microbes on the International Space Station (ISS). We also review environmental microbiology perspectives in crewed space habitats and the microbiology of the space environment (astromicrobiology).

scholarly journals Space Radiation Biology for “Living in Space”

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Furukawa ◽  
Aiko Nagamatsu ◽  
Mitsuru Nenoi ◽  
Akira Fujimori ◽  
Shizuko Kakinuma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Space Radiation ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Radiation Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Space Travel ◽  
Novel Technologies

Space travel has advanced significantly over the last six decades with astronauts spending up to 6 months at the International Space Station. Nonetheless, the living environment while in outer space is extremely challenging to astronauts. In particular, exposure to space radiation represents a serious potential long-term threat to the health of astronauts because the amount of radiation exposure accumulates during their time in space. Therefore, health risks associated with exposure to space radiation are an important topic in space travel, and characterizing space radiation in detail is essential for improving the safety of space missions. In the first part of this review, we provide an overview of the space radiation environment and briefly present current and future endeavors that monitor different space radiation environments. We then present research evaluating adverse biological effects caused by exposure to various space radiation environments and how these can be reduced. We especially consider the deleterious effects on cellular DNA and how cells activate DNA repair mechanisms. The latest technologies being developed, e.g., a fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator, to measure real-time cell cycle progression and DNA damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation are presented. Progress in examining the combined effects of microgravity and radiation to animals and plants are summarized, and our current understanding of the relationship between psychological stress and radiation is presented. Finally, we provide details about protective agents and the study of organisms that are highly resistant to radiation and how their biological mechanisms may aid developing novel technologies that alleviate biological damage caused by radiation. Future research that furthers our understanding of the effects of space radiation on human health will facilitate risk-mitigating strategies to enable long-term space and planetary exploration.

scholarly journals Supplemental Food Production With Plants: A Review of NASA Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Johnson ◽  
Haley O. Boles ◽  
LaShelle E. Spencer ◽  
Lucie Poulet ◽  
Matthew Romeyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Martian Surface ◽  
Supplemental Food ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Fresh Foods

Bioregenerative life-support systems for space have been investigated for 60 years, and plants and other photosynthetic organisms are central to this concept for their ability to produce food and O2, remove CO2, and help recycle wastewater. Many of the studies targeted larger scale systems that might be used for planetary surface missions, with estimates ranging from about 40 to 50 m2 (or more) of crop growing area needed per person. But early space missions will not have these volumes available for crop growth. How can plants be used in the interim, where perhaps <5 m2 of growing area might be available? One option is to grow plants as supplemental, fresh foods. This could improve the quality and diversity of the meals on the International Space Station or on the Lunar surface, and supply important nutrients to the astronauts for missions like Mars transit, and longer duration Martian surface missions. Although plant chambers for supplemental food production would be relatively small, they could provide the bioregenerative research community with platforms for testing different crops in a space environment and serve as a stepping stone to build larger bioregenerative systems for future missions. Here we review some of NASA’s research and development (ground and spaceflight) targeting fresh food production systems for space. We encourage readers to also look into the extensive work by other space agencies and universities around the world on this same topic.

Exercise-Related Effects on Executive Functions During a Simulated Underwater Extravehicular Activity

2021 ◽  
pp. 001872082110328
Author(s):  
Fabian Möller ◽  
Uwe Hoffmann ◽  
Tobias Vogt ◽  
Fabian Steinberg
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Space Travel ◽  
Neutral Buoyancy ◽  
Upper Body Exercise

Objective Investigation of cognitive performance during extravehicular activities (EVAs) in a space-analog setting. Background EVAs performed by humans in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) call for high cognitive performance during upper-body workload. Higher cardiovascular demands interact with cognitive performance, but no knowledge exists about EVA’s special requirements. This study simulates EVA-training underwater to investigate its effects on the executive functions inhibition and switching. Method In a counterbalanced crossover design, 16 divers (age: 28 ± 2.4 years; eight females) performed two conditions (i.e., EVA vs. Inactivity [INACT]) in 3–5 m submersion (diving gear; not in a space-suit). EVA included 30 min of moderate-, followed by 30 min of high-intensity upper-body exercise intervals, paired with EVA-specific cognitive-motor tasks. INACT included no exercise in submersion and neutral buoyancy. Both conditions included cognitive testing at pre, mid (after the first 30 min), and post (after the second 30 min) on a tablet computer. Reaction times (RTs) and response accuracy (ACC) were calculated for both tasks. Results ACC was significantly lower during EVA compared with INACT for inhibition (post: p = .009) and switching (mid: p = .019) at post ( p = .005). RTs for inhibition were significantly faster during EVA ( p = .022; ηp 2 = 0.320). Conclusion Specific physical exercise, intensity, duration, and tasks performed during the EVA might differently affect the exercise-cognition interaction and need further investigation, especially for future long-term space travel. Application Future research might serve to improve mission success and safety for EVAs and long-term space travel.

67. Loving your child to death: Considerations of the care of chronically-ill children and euthanasia in Emil Sher's Mourning Dove and implications for medical educations

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
K. Mukhida
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Constant Pain ◽  
Withdraw Life Support ◽  
Wheat Farmer

How do parents cope when their child is ill or dying, when he or she experiences constant pain or suffering? What do parents think of the contributions that medical professionals make to the care of their chronically or terminally ill child? Is it possible for a parent to love a child so much that the child is wished dead? The purpose of this paper is to explore those questions and aspects of the care of chronically or terminally ill children using Mourning Dove’s portrayal of one family’s attempt to care for their ill daughter. A play written by Canadian playwright Emil Sher, Mourning Dove is based on the case of Saskatchewan wheat farmer Robert Latimer who killed his 12 year old daughter Tracy who suffered with cerebral palsy and lived in tremendous pain. Rather than focusing on the medical or legal aspects of the care of a chronically ill child, the play offers a glimpse into how a family copes with the care of such a child and the effects the child’s illness has on a family. Reading and examination of non-medical literature, such as Mourning Dove, therefore serve as a useful means for medical professionals to better understand how illness affects and is responded to by patients and their families. This understanding is a prerequisite for them to be able to provide complete care of children with chronic or terminal illnesses and their families. Nuutila L, Salanterä S. Children with long-term illness: parents’ experiences of care. J Pediatr Nurs 2006; 21(2):153-160. Sharman M, Meert KL, Sarnaik AP. What influences parents’ decisions to limit or withdraw life support? Pediatr Crit Care Med 2005; 6(5):513-518. Steele R. Strategies used by families to navigate uncharted territory when a child is dying. J Palliat Care 2005; 21(2):103-110.

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