Space Dust Impacts Detector Development for the Evaluation of Ejecta

AbstractThis paper aims at a) introducing the space dust impacts detector developed at Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), b) presenting the detector utility for the evaluation of ejecta, and c) raising awareness of the space community regarding the risk represented by orbital debris. The space dust impacts detector introduced into this paper belongs to the in-situ detection systems and has for purposes to be a) light, 30g, b) low cost, about EUR200, c) low power consuming, 0.01W, d) easily adaptable on-board of spacecraft, and e) able to detect impacts of debris with a diameter ranging from 100μm to 600μm. The detector is mounted on the nano-satellite, Horyu-II, developed at KIT and launched on May 18, 2012. The data received will be very helpful to identify the detector's strengths and weaknesses to improve it and create a second version that will aim at evaluating ejecta fragments produced during hypervelocity impact testing. An accurate evaluation of ejecta is critical for orbital debris risk assessment and mitigation. If all space activities were stopped, debris will still be created by chain reaction. The number of debris could then become so large, that the access to certain LEOs will be quasi-impossible, which will jeopardize the space exploration as well as scientific, educational, and security missions that benefit to all mankind. Debris is therefore a serious issue that should be taken into consideration at every step of the development of a small or large spacecraft

The effect of modifiable healthy practices on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers

This study aimed to clarify the effects of the accumulation of 8 modifiable practices related to health, including smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, sleeping hours, body mass index, dietary diversity, ikigai (life worth living), and health checkup status, on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers. Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 1269 men and women aged 40 to 79 years at baseline (1997–2000) who participated in a follow-up postal survey (2013). Higher-level functional capacity was measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (total score and 3 subscales: instrumental self-maintenance, intellectual activity, and social role). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for a decline in higher-level functional capacity in the follow-up study according to the total number of healthy practices were analyzed using the lowest category as a reference. Multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for the total score of higher-level functional capacity, which declined according to the total number of healthy practices (0–4, 5–6, 7–8 groups) were 1.00 (reference), 0.63 (0.44–0.92), and 0.54 (0.31–0.94). For the score of social role decline, multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were 1.00 (reference), 0.62 (0.40–0.97), and 0.46 (0.23–0.90), respectively (P for trend = 0.04). Having more modifiable healthy practices, especially in social roles, may protect against a decline in higher-level functional capacity among middle-aged and elderly community dwellers in Japan

Hepatitis B Virus e Antigen Physically Associates With Receptor-Interacting Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase 2 and Regulates IL-6 Gene Expression

We previously reported that hepatitis B virus (HBV) e antigen (HBeAg) inhibits production of interleukin 6 by suppressing NF-κB activation. NF-κB is known to be activated through receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 2 (RIPK2), and we examined the mechanisms of interleukin 6 regulation by HBeAg. HBeAg inhibits RIPK2 expression and interacts with RIPK2, which may represent 2 mechanisms through which HBeAg blocks nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 ligand-induced NF-κB activation in HepG2 cells. Our findings identified novel molecular mechanisms whereby HBeAg modulates intracellular signaling pathways by targeting RIPK2, supporting the concept that HBeAg could impair both innate and adaptive immune responses to promote chronic HBV infectio

Space Dust Impacts Detector Development for the Evaluation of Ejecta

This paper aims at a) introducing the space dust impacts detector developed at Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), b) presenting the detector utility for the evaluation of ejecta, and c) raising awareness of the space community regarding the risk represented by orbital debris. The space dust impacts detector introduced into this paper belongs to the in-situ detection systems and has for purposes to be a) light, 30 g, b) low cost, about EUR200, c) low power consuming, 0.01W, d) easily adaptable on-board of spacecraft, and e) able to detect impacts of debris with a diameter ranging from 100 μm to 600 μm. The detector is mounted on the nano-satellite, Horyu-II, developed at KIT and launched on May 18, 2012. The data received will be very helpful to identify the detector\u27s strengths and weaknesses to improve it and create a second version that will aim at evaluating ejecta fragments produced during hypervelocity impact testing. An accurate evaluation of ejecta is critical for orbital debris risk assessment and mitigation. If all space activities were stopped, debris will still be created by chain reaction. The number of debris could then become so large, that the access to certain LEOs will be quasi-impossible, which will jeopardize the space exploration as well as scientific, educational, and security missions that benefit to all mankind. Debris is therefore a serious issue that should be taken into consideration at every step of the development of a small or large spacecraft.2012 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium (HVIS 2012), September 16-20, 2012, Baltimore, Marylan