Colonizing Mars: Will Hydroponic Tower Gardens Suffice?

As “NASA aims to launch astronauts to Mars by the late 2030s or early 2040s,” astronauts are in need of a system to provide food regularly on extended space missions (Howell, 2022). The current use of packaged food will only last for so long, and the nutrients in the packaged food will continuously be lost over time. Hydroponic tower gardens could be the solution to this problem. Hydroponic tower gardens constructed on Mars in a temperature-and-atmosphere-regulated structure may be able to produce the sustainable harvest astronauts need for long-duration missions. Therefore, Project HART’s research program aims to determine the most efficient conditions for using hydroponic tower gardens as a gardening technique for astronauts on Mars. The research conducted includes the water and nutrient input, day and night cycle with temperature regulation, lighting sources, and gravitational processes. The ability to grow food on Mars will not only produce a reliable diet for astronauts but provide the psychological benefits of gardening that astronauts would not be able to gain alternatively

Hydroponically Growing a Holistic Superfood Diet for Mars Exploration

In “Hydroponically Growing a Holistic Superfood Diet for Mars Exploration,” Project H.O.M.E. members conducted an experiment to help determine ways to provide future astronauts with a complete, balanced diet on a planet that does not receive as much sunlight as Earth. Sending massive amounts of food into space is incredibly expensive, takes up valuable spacecraft area, and is, overall, not a feasible way to provide astronauts with sustenance. Project H.O.M.E. has thus developed a hydroponic system to evaluate the growth and yield of various superfoods - including Moringa Oleifera, goji berries, and kale - under simulated Mars lighting conditions. Data suggests that these three plants are perennial hydroponic crops, which can be grown under reduced illumination, and are candidate food sources for Mars explorers. Based on the hypothesis that the growth of the superfood plants in simulated lighting conditions will be similar to their growth in regular lighting conditions here on Earth, Project H.O.M.E. members created a Dutch bucket, tower garden, and nutrient flow table indoor hydroponics systems to grow superfoods in a solar-powered 8x16ft greenhouse for the past 13 months. In conclusion, this project determined that the growth of superfoods using hydroponics systems would be a preferred farming method for space, demonstrating the incredible potential for future missions to Mars

Comparison of the 6th and 7th editions of the AJCC/UICC TNM staging system for gastric cancer focusing on the "N" parameter-related survival: the monoinstitutional NodUs Italian study

Background: A large number of Asian population studies examined the difference between the 6th and the 7th tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) while it is still poorly validated among Caucasian populations. This is a retrospective study aimed at investigating the efficacy of the 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging system for gastric cancer focusing on the "N" parameter-related survival for prognostic assessment in gastric cancer patients of a single Western high-volume institution.Methods: From January 2002 to December 2009, the data of 274 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastric surgery at the 8th General and Gastrointestinal Surgical Centre of the Second University of Naples were analyzed retrospectively. We collected data for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical characteristics, and TNM stage. Particularly, the nodal status, with the number of dissected nodes and metastatic nodes, was reviewed from the pathology records. The same patient dataset was used to stage patients according to both the 6th and 7th edition criteria.Results: Age at surgery, tumor location, histological grade, Lauren's classification subtypes, and 6th and 7th AJCC/UICC N categories were found to have statistically significant associations with overall survival on univariate analysis. In the 6th edition staging system, the Kaplan-Meier plot did not show significant overlapped survival curves: significant differences were found between N0 and N1, P<.001; N1 and N2, P=.04; and N2 and N3, P<.001. On the contrary, in the 7th edition, among all five substages, there were similar survival curves between N categories 2 and 3a (P=.98) with a statistically significant discriminatory ability only between N1 versus N3b and N2 versus N3b (P=.02 and .04, respectively).Conclusions: Based on analysis, we found that several clinicopathological variables, especially histological grade and Lauren's classification, were significant prognostic factors in our database. The 6th and 7th AJCC/UICC N classifications represent significantly independent prognostic factors, and the 6th AJCC/UICC N classification seems to be superior to the 7th AJCC/UICC N classification in terms of uniformity, differentiation, and monotonicity of gradients

Genetic analysis of copy number variations affecting ion channel genes in familial idiopathic generalized epilepsy

L'epilessia idiopatica generalizzata (EIG)è una patologia neurologica caratterizzata da crisi epilettiche ricorrenti e spontanee che interessano l'intero cervello in assenza di evidenti lesioni e anomalie metaboliche. Studi epidemiologici indicano che fattori genetici hanno un ruolo centrale nell'eziologia delle EIG, sebbene le modalità di trasmissione siano complesse ed eterogenee. Studi recenti hanno dimostrato che mutazioni in geni codificanti canali ionici sono responsabili di forme familiari di EIG modificando le proprietà eccitatorie della membrana neuronale e la comunicazione tra neuroni. Recentemente è stato evidenziato che variazioni del numero di copie del genoma, le copy number variations (CNV) e difetti nel dosaggio genico potrebbero essere coinvolti nell'eziologia di malattie neurologiche comuni,incluso l'epilessia. In questo progetto ci proponiamo di effettuare uno screening ad alta risoluzione dei CNVs in 429 geni candidati, in particolare canali ionici. A tal fine abbiamo analizzato 137 probandi di famiglie EIG e 165 controlli mediante una nuova tecnica chiamata array−CGH (IonChannel array), specificamente disegnato per esplorare geni codificanti per canali ionici, e che consente lo screening del genoma in un singolo esperimento. Abbiamo così identificato CNVs in 68 (50%) pazienti e 74(45%) controlli (p=0.41). Nei pazienti vi sono 35 CNVs ricorrenti (18 non riportati nel DGV database) inclusi alcuni coinvolgenti geni epilessia noti o candidati. In particolare studi di segregazione nelle famiglie hanno confermato il ruolo patogenetico di CNVs coinvolgenti KCND2 e GABRG2, dato non riportato in letteratura. Questo studio conferma il ruolo patogenetico di CNVs coinvolgenti canali ionici in pazienti con EIG familiare. I nostri dati suggeriscono inoltre nuovi geni epilessia candidati per le EIG con potenziali implicazioni diagnostiche ed applicazioni terapeutiche

Hydroponically Growing a Holistic Superfood Diet for Mars Exploration

In “Hydroponically Growing a Holistic Superfood Diet for Mars Exploration,” Project H.O.M.E. members analyze how to provide future astronauts with a complete, balanced diet on a planet that does not receive as much sunlight as Earth. Sending massive amounts of food into space is incredibly expensive, takes up valuable spacecraft area, and is overall not a feasible way to provide astronauts with sustenance. Project H.O.M.E. has thus developed a hydroponic system to evaluate the growth and yield of various superfoods - including Moringa Oleifera, goji berries, and kale - under simulated Mars lighting conditions. Based on the hypothesis that the growth of the superfood plants in simulated lighting conditions will be similar to their growth in regular lighting conditions here on Earth, Project H.O.M.E. members evaluated Dutch bucket, tower garden, and nutrient flow table indoor hydroponics systems to grow foods that contribute to a complete set of nutrients. Data suggests that these three plants are perennial hydroponic crops, which can be grown under reduced illumination, and are candidate food sources for Mars explorers. Currently, a solar powered 8x16ft greenhouse is being used to hydroponically grow the selected superfoods. In the past 13 months, Project H.O.M.E. has utilized natural light with shading cloths covering the greenhouse to simulate the reduction of light on Mars. In conclusion, this project determined that the growth of superfoods using hydroponics systems would be a preferred farming method for space, demonstrating the incredible potential for future missions to Mars

5,6-Dihydroxyindole oxidation in phosphate buffer/polyvinyl alcohol: a new model system for studies of visible chromophore development in synthetic eumelanin polymers.

The determinants of the broadband absorption spectrum of eumelanins are still largely unknown. Herein the authors report a novel approach to investigate eumelanin chromophore which is based on the biomimetic oxidn. of the key monomer precursor, 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI), with peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer, pH 7, contg. 1-5% polyvinylalc. (PVA, 27,000 Da). This approach relies on the discovery that as low as 1% PVA can prevent pptn. of the growing melanin polymer thus allowing investigation of the chromophoric phases accompanying oxidn. of DHI without confounding scattering effects. Spectrophotometric monitoring showed the initial development of a band around 530 nm persisting for about 1 h before gradually changing into the typical broadband spectrum of eumelanin. Reductive treatment caused a significant absorbance decrease in the visible region without affecting an absorption band around 320 nm. Initial product anal. indicated an altered formation ratio of 2,4'-biindolyl (2) and 2,7'-biindolyl (3) relative to control expts. Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that the development in soln. of visible chromophores since the early oligomer stages is independent of strong aggregation/pptn. phenomena

5,6-Dihydroxyindole oxidation in phosphate buffer/polyvinyl alcohol: a new model system for studies of visible chromophore development in synthetic eumelanin polymers

The determinants of the broadband absorption spectrum of eumelanins are still largely unknown. Herein the authors report a novel approach to investigate eumelanin chromophore which is based on the biomimetic oxidn. of the key monomer precursor, 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI), with peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer, pH 7, contg. 1-5% polyvinylalc. (PVA, 27,000 Da). This approach relies on the discovery that as low as 1% PVA can prevent pptn. of the growing melanin polymer thus allowing investigation of the chromophoric phases accompanying oxidn. of DHI without confounding scattering effects. Spectrophotometric monitoring showed the initial development of a band around 530 nm persisting for about 1 h before gradually changing into the typical broadband spectrum of eumelanin. Reductive treatment caused a significant absorbance decrease in the visible region without affecting an absorption band around 320 nm. Initial product anal. indicated an altered formation ratio of 2,4'-biindolyl (2) and 2,7'-biindolyl (3) relative to control expts. Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that the development in soln. of visible chromophores since the early oligomer stages is independent of strong aggregation/pptn. phenomena

Long-term follow-up in two siblings with pyridoxine-dependent seizures associated with a novel ALDH7A1 mutation.

none7Pyridoxine-dependent seizures (PDS) is a rare disorder characterized by seizures resistant to anticonvulsants but controlled by daily pharmacologic doses of pyridoxine. Mutations in the antiquitin (ALDH7A1) gene have recently reported to cause PDS in most of patients. We report the long-term follow-up in two PDS siblings carrying a novel ALDH7A1 mutation.N. S. Yeghiazaryan;P. Striano;L. Spaccini;M. Pezzella;D. Cassandrini;F. Zara;M. MastrangeloYeghiazaryan, N. S.; Striano, Pasquale; Spaccini, L.; Pezzella, Marianna; Cassandrini, D.; Zara, F.; Mastrangelo, M