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

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

Missing Persons: a Need for Initial Call Policy and Procedure

The need for Initial Response procedures in missing persons cases are discussed

Using the J1-J2 Quantum Spin Chain as an Adiabatic Quantum Data Bus

This paper investigates numerically a phenomenon which can be used to transport a single q-bit down a J1-J2 Heisenberg spin chain using a quantum adiabatic process. The motivation for investigating such processes comes from the idea that this method of transport could potentially be used as a means of sending data to various parts of a quantum computer made of artificial spins, and that this method could take advantage of the easily prepared ground state at the so called Majumdar-Ghosh point. We examine several annealing protocols for this process and find similar result for all of them. The annealing process works well up to a critical frustration threshold.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures (2 added), revisions made to add citations and additional discussion at request of referee

Volunteer Attitudes Toward Homelessness - a Test of Contact Hypothesis

The contact hypothesis, as outlined by Gordon Allport (1946), suggests that intergroup contact with a marginalized group may lead to a better understanding of said group. As such, the focus of this study was to test the contact hypothesis among a group of soup kitchen volunteers who serve the homeless at a local soup kitchen. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented, and data was collected at the soup kitchen during volunteering shifts from October 2013 to February 2014. A total of 129 volunteers agreed to participate in the survey. Contact with the homeless was operationalized utilizing three components: length of time volunteering, type of volunteering: "new or episodic" versus "established or continuous" and capacity of volunteering: serving on food line, grocery assistance, pantry service or anywhere needed. As expected, the results indicated religion and political affiliation were significant predictors of the belief that societal causes may lead to homelessness. More specifically, non-Protestants and Democrats were more likely to believe societal causes may lead to homelessness. Women were more likely to express a belief that childhood causes may lead to homelessness. The community service attitudes scale was a significant predictor of both the societal causes and childhood causes subscales, and proved to be the best predictor of attitudes. None of the three components of contact were found to be statistically significant predictors of attitudes toward the homeless. This finding may be a function of the overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward the homeless held by all of the soup kitchen volunteers rather than theoretical errors in the contact hypothesis. The overall positive attitudes of the volunteers may have been a result of location as well as the time of year.Education (all programs

Algorithm for Dual-Energy Radiographic Analysis

The use of two or more radiographs of an object taken with different x-ray spectral characteristics to infer quantitative values of material density or Z number has been of interest to both the medical and industrial worlds for some time. One method uses monoenergetic isotopic sources with well defined energies in conjunction with standard step wedges and solving the resulting simultaneous equations. Besides the problem of finding isotopic sources with the appropriate energies, you have to have a priori knowledge of the materials in the object

Patient-Reported Side Effects of Intradetrusor Botulinum Toxin Type A for Idiopathic Overactive Bladder Syndrome

Objective: The aim of the study was a prospective assessment of patient-reported side effects in an open-label study after intradetrusor botulinum toxin injections for idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). Patients and Methods: Botulinum toxin A injection was performed in 56 patients with idiopathic OAB. Patients were followed up for 6 months concerning side effects and patients' satisfaction. Results: Different types of side effects were assessed such as dry mouth (19.6%), arm weakness (8.9%), eyelid weakness (8.9%), leg weakness (7.1%), torso weakness (5.4%), impaired vision (5.4%) and dysphagia (5.4%). In all cases, symptoms were mild and transient. Urological complications such as gross hematuria (17.9%), acute urinary retention (8.9%) and acute urinary tract infection (7.1%) were noticed. In all cases, acute urinary retention was transient and treated with temporary intermittent self-catheterization. There was no statistically significant correlation between dosage and observed side effects. Patients' satisfaction rate was high (71.4%). Conclusion: Intradetrusor injection of botulinum toxin was associated with a high rate of neurourological side effects. In general, side effects were transient, mild and did not require special treatment. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base

The capabilities approach and critical social policy: lessons from the majority world?

The capabilities approach (CA) most closely associated with the thinner and thicker versions of Sen and Nussbaum has the potential to provide a paradigm shift for critical social policy, encompassing but also transcending some of the limitations associated with the Marshallian social citizenship approach. The article argues, however, that it cannot simply be imported from the majority world, rather there is a need to bear in mind the critical literature that developed around it. This is generally discussed and then critically applied to case studies of CA in the developed capitalist world, particularly the Equalities Review conducted for the Equality and Human Rights Commission