Medical Implications of Space Radiation Exposure Due to Low Altitude Polar Orbits

Space radiation research has progressed rapidly in recent years, but there remain large uncertainties in predicting and extrapolating biological responses to humans. Exposure to cosmic radiation and Solar Particle Events may pose a critical health risk to future spaceflight crews and can have a serious impact to all biomedical aspects of space exploration. The relatively minimal shielding of the cancelled 1960's Manned Orbiting Laboratory program's space vehicle and the high inclination polar orbits would have left the crew susceptible to high exposures of cosmic radiation and high dose-rate SPEs that are mostly unpredictable in frequency and intensity. In this study, we have modeled the nominal and off-nominal radiation environment that a MOL-like spacecraft vehicle would be exposed to during a 30-day mission using high performance, multi-core computers. Projected doses from a historically large SPE (e.g. the August 1972 solar event) have been analyzed in the context of the MOL orbit profile, providing an opportunity to study its impact to crew health and subsequent contingencies.It is reasonable to presume that future commercial, government, and military spaceflight missions in low-Earth orbit will have vehicles with similar shielding and orbital profiles. Studying the impact of cosmic radiation to the mission's operational integrity and the health of MOL crewmembers provides an excellent surrogate and case-study for future commercial and military spaceflight missions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Limitations in Predicting the Space Radiation Health Risk for Exploration Astronauts

Despite years of research, understanding of the space radiation environment and the risk it poses to long-duration astronauts remains limited. There is a disparity between research results and observed empirical effects seen in human astronaut crews, likely due to the numerous factors that limit terrestrial simulation of the complex space environment and extrapolation of human clinical consequences from varied animal models. Given the intended future of human spaceflight, with efforts now to rapidly expand capabilities for human missions to the moon and Mars, there is a pressing need to improve upon the understanding of the space radiation risk, predict likely clinical outcomes of interplanetary radiation exposure, and develop appropriate and effective mitigation strategies for future missions. To achieve this goal, the space radiation and aerospace community must recognize the historical limitations of radiation research and how such limitations could be addressed in future research endeavors. We have sought to highlight the numerous factors that limit understanding of the risk of space radiation for human crews and to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed for improved understanding and appropriate risk posture regarding future human spaceflight.Comment: Accepted for publication by Nature Microgravity (2018

Epidemiology and management of rice tungro disease

Since the mid 1960s, rice tungro virus disease has had a serious economic impact on rice production in South-East Asia. Although the frequency and intensity of outbreaks have declined since their peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, occasional major epidemics do sill occur, often associated with changes in agronomic practices. Epidemiology and Management of Rice Tungro Disease is the outcome of a workshop held in Malaysia where researchers including representatives from five major rice producing countries met to discuss the present status of the disease and the progress of research into its management. The publication outlines current options for integrated management of tungro and critically reassesses vector control strategies. The book will be of interest to scientists and officials from national agricultural departments who have to make decisions on the management of this important disease

Limitations in Predicting Radiation-Induced Pharmaceutical Instability during Long-Duration Spaceflight

As human spaceflight seeks to expand beyond low-Earth orbit, NASA and its international partners face numerous challenges related to ensuring the safety of their astronauts, including the need to provide a safe and effective pharmacy for long-duration spaceflight. Historical missions have relied upon frequent resupply of onboard pharmaceuticals; as a result, there has been little study into the effects of long-term exposure of pharmaceuticals to the space environment. Of particular concern are the long-term effects of space radiation on drug stability, especially as missions venture away from the protective proximity of the Earth. Here we highlight the risk of space radiation to pharmaceuticals during exploration spaceflight, identifying the limitations of current understanding. We further seek to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed through dedicated research efforts aimed towards the rapid development of an effective pharmacy for future spaceflight endeavors.Comment: in press, Nature Microgravit

Characteristics of buckbrush shrubs exposed to herbivores after seven years of protection

In dense ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) forests of northern Arizona, forage limitations may lead to severe herbivory by large ungulates on certain plant species. In 1999, we fenced 76 buckbrush (Ceanothus fendleri Gray) shrubs to protect them from herbivores and study growth and reproduction in response to forest restoration treatments implemented on the Fort Valley Experimental Forest. After seven years, we removed fences from around half the plants and examined herbivore impacts on vegetative characteristics. In spring, and again in fall, we measured stem heights and took photographs of exposed shrubs and protected controls. In fall, we also collected stems to analyze size, biomass, and leaf area. Plants exposed to herbivores had significantly less leaf area and total leaf weight than protected control plants. Stem length, diameter, and weight were statistically similar between exposed and control groups. Results from this study suggest that temporary protection from herbivores during the early stages of forest restoration may enhance rates of development and persistence of native plants such as buckbrush

A Study on Awareness and Ease of Using E-Resources with Special Reference to Bengaluru City University Affiliated Colleges

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the awareness and use of electronic resources or e-resources among the faculty and students of Bengaluru City University (BCU). A questionnaire based survey method has been adopted and used in this research to collect the primary data from the respondents. The analysis of the collected data also covers the purpose of using e-resources, how users learned about the e-resources, method of access, frequency of the type of e-resources used, users preferred format, problems faced while using e-resources and satisfaction level of the users. In the study found that 89% of the respondents are aware of the e-resources, 52% of the users preferred print as well as the e-resources, 64% of the users satisfied with the available e-resources, low internet speed and the difficulty in finding the right information is the biggest barrier as reported by the respondent