Radiation Exposure and Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer in Early NASA Astronauts: Space for Exploration

Of the many possible health challenges posed during extended exploratory missions to space, the effects of space radiation on cardiovascular disease and cancer are of particular concern. There are unique challenges to estimating those radiation risks; care and appropriate and rigorous methodology should be applied when considering small cohorts such as the NASA astronaut population. The objective of this work was to establish whether there is evidence for excess cardiovascular disease or cancer mortality in an early NASA astronaut cohort and determine if a correlation exists between space radiation exposure and mortality

EFECTO DE LA SUSTANCIA P SOBRE LA PRESIÓN ARTERIAL PULMONAR EN POLLOS EXPUESTOS A LA ALTURA

La hipoxia de la altura produce hipertensión arterial pulmonar como consecuencia de una vasoconstricción arteriolar pulmonar, cuyo mecanismo es aún desconocido. Bajo estas condiciones, en el endotelio vascular se sintetizan sustancias vasoactivas en las que podría incluirse la Sustancia P (SP). A fin de determinar el efecto de la SP sobre la Presión Arterial Pulmonar media (PAPm) se utilizaron 30 pollos de carne, machos, nacidos y criados a nivel del mar. A los 35 días de edad fueron expuestos a 3,320 m de altitud por 3 días, al término de los cuales se determinó la PAPm por cateterismo directo de la arteria pulmonar, tanto antes (Pre–SP) como despues de la administración de Sustancia P (PostSP), en dosis de 0.30 mcg (0.3ml)/ kg de peso vivo. El valor promedio de la PAPm para PreSP fue de 37.92 ± 4.10 mmHg, mientras que en los tiempos de 01, 05, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 y 90 segundos para Post-SP fueron 36.08 ± 3.70, 31.11 ± 7.51, 28.00 ± 10.22, 26.43 ± 11.02, 24.43 ± 11.02, 23.17 ± 11.54, 24.08 ± 10.98, 27.27 ± 10.97 y 30.67 ± 9.40 mm Hg, respectivamente. La SP disminuyó significativamente la PAPm desde el primer segundo (p< 0.001), y alcanzó su mínimo valor a los 45 segundos. La rápida disminución de la PAPm permite sugerir la posible influencia de la SP a nivel endotelial vascular por su acción vasodilatadora, disminuyendo el efecto presor que, a su vez, podría estar relacionado con la hiperpolarización de la membrana o con el aumento de la actividad del óxido nítrico.Hypoxia at high altitude produces pulmonary arterial hypertension as a result of pulmonary arteriolar vasoconstriction, but the mechanism of action is still unknown. Under these conditions, vasoactive substances like Substance P (SP), are synthesized in the vascular endothelium. To study the effect of SP on the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPm), 30 male chickens for meat production, born and reared at sea level were used. The birds were exposed at 35 days of age to 3,320 m of altitude for 3 days, and then the PAPm was determined by catheterising the pulmonary artery, both before (Pre–SP) and after (Post–SP) injection of SP in doses of 0.30 mcg (0.3ml)/kg of body weight. The mean value of PAPm for Pre–SP was 37.92 ± 4.10 mm Hg, while for Post–SP at the times of 01, 05, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 seconds were 36.08 ± 3.70, 31.11 ± 7.51, 28.00 ± 10.22, 26.43 ± 11.02, 24.43 ± 11.02, 23.17 ± 11.54, 24.08 ± 10.98, 27.27 ± 10.97, and 30.67 ± 9.40 mm Hg, respectively. SP significatively diminished the PAPm (p < 0.001) from the 1st second and reached his lowest value at 45 seconds. The quick decrease of PAPm suggests a possible influence of SP at vascular endothelial level through its vasodilator effect, decreasing the press effect that could be related to the hyperpolarization of the membrane as well as to an increase of nitric oxide activity

A field expansions method for scattering by periodic multilayered media

The interaction of acoustic and electromagnetic waves with periodic structures plays an important role in a wide range of problems of scientific and technological interest. This contribution focuses upon the robust and high-order numerical simulation of a model for the interaction of pressure waves generated within the earth incident upon layers of sediment near the surface. Herein described is a boundary perturbation method for the numerical simulation of scattering returns from irregularly shaped periodic layered media. The method requires only the discretization of the layer interfaces (so that the number of unknowns is an order of magnitude smaller than finite difference and finite element simulations), while it avoids not only the need for specialized quadrature rules but also the dense linear systems characteristic of boundary integral/element methods. The approach is a generalization to multiple layers of Bruno and Reitich’s “Method of Field Expansions” for dielectric structures with two layers. By simply considering the entire structure simultaneously, rather than solving in individual layers separately, the full field can be recovered in time proportional to the number of interfaces. As with the original field expansions method, this approach is extremely efficient and spectrally accurate

Scaling up sustainability in commodity agriculture: Transferability of governance mechanisms across the coffee and cattle sectors in Brazil

A number of governance mechanisms address socio-environmental challenges associated with commodity agriculture in tropical forested countries. Governance mechanisms that prove effective in one agricultural sector are often applied to other sectors as well. For example, voluntary certification programs have been adopted by producers of commodities as diverse as beef, coffee, palm oil, and soy. However, there are substantial differences in the extent to which governance mechanisms scale up and achieve impact in different sectors. This paper analyzes how the potential for scaling up a particular governance mechanism is influenced by environmental, market, and social geographies that differ between sectors. Through stakeholder interviews, farm-level surveys, and a literature review, we examine two types of voluntary governance mechanisms (third-party certification, and sustainable intensification programs) in the coffee and cattle sectors in Brazil, to understand why the two governance mechanisms have scaled differently between these two sectors. We find that third-party certification programs have scaled up relatively well in Brazil\u27s coffee sector, more so than its cattle sector, in part owing to differences in sustainability priorities, market orientations, supply chain traceability, and social networks between the two sectors. We also find that pilot sustainable intensification programs in the cattle sector have had more success than certification in engaging farmers, in part because they involve less investment from participating farmers. We conclude that the distribution and quality of environmental resources, markets, knowledge, actors, and networks can play an important role in the ability of a governance mechanism to effectively take root

Suppression of quantum oscillations and the dependence on site energies in electronic excitation transfer in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson trimer

Energy transfer in the photosynthetic complex of the Green Sulfur Bacteria known as the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex is studied theoretically taking all three subunits (monomers) of the FMO trimer and the recently found eighth bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) molecule into account. We find that in all considered cases there is very little transfer between the monomers. Since it is believed that the eighth BChl is located near the main light harvesting antenna we look at the differences in transfer between the situation when BChl 8 is initially excited and the usually considered case when BChl 1 or 6 is initially excited. We find strong differences in the transfer dynamics, both qualitatively and quantitatively. When the excited state dynamics is initialized at site eight of the FMO complex, we see a slow exponential-like decay of the excitation. This is in contrast to the oscillations and a relatively fast transfer that occurs when only seven sites or initialization at sites 1 and 6 is considered. Additionally we show that differences in the values of the electronic transition energies found in the literature lead to a large difference in the transfer dynamics

First Observation of the Rare Decay Mode K-long -> e+ e-

In an experiment designed to search for and study very rare two-body decay modes of the K-long, we have observed four examples of the decay K-long -> e+ e-, where the expected background is 0.17+-0.10 events. This observation translates into a branching fraction of 8.7^{+5.7}_{-4.1} X 10^{-12}, consistent with recent theoretical predictions. This result represents by far the smallest branching fraction yet measured in particle physics.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

A straw drift chamber spectrometer for studies of rare kaon decays

We describe the design, construction, readout, tests, and performance of planar drift chambers, based on 5 mm diameter copperized Mylar and Kapton straws, used in an experimental search for rare kaon decays. The experiment took place in the high-intensity neutral beam at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory, using a neutral beam stop, two analyzing dipoles, and redundant particle identification to remove backgrounds

pH of the luminal surface of the gastrointestinal mucosa of baby alpacas during the first weeks of age

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el pH de la superficie de la mucosa de los compartimentos estomacales y de los segmentos intestinales en los primeros 45 días de vida postnatal en la alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Se trabajó con 33 animales, procedentes de los departamentos de Puno y Cusco, desde el nacimiento (recién nacido - RN) hasta los 45 días de edad. Los animales fueron distribuidos en siete grupos etarios. El pH se determinó con un pH metro Metrohm 826 mobile con electrodo plano especial para membranas. Los animales fueron sacrificados y el tracto gastrointestinal fue delimitado en 13 porciones. En cada porción se hizo una apertura de 8 cm para determinar el pH de forma directa sobre la mucosa. El pH en los compartimentos 1, 2 y 3 porción abomaso fue menor en los RN (p<0.05), se incrementó en la primera semana de edad y se mantuvo constante hasta los 45 días de edad. El pH en las porciones intestinales fue constante en los grupos etarios, aunque se observó una ligera tendencia a la acidez en el intestino delgado y una tendencia a la neutralidad en el intestino grueso, lo que sugiere que las alpacas de estas edades tienen diversos mecanismos homeostáticos que mantienen constante el pH del microclima en todo el tracto gastrointestinal a pesar de los cambios en la alimentación durante su desarrollo inicial.The objective of this study was to determine the pH in the luminal mucosa of the gastric compartments and intestinal segments during the first 45 postnatal days of age in the alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Thirty three alpacas from birth to 45 days of age were distributed in seven age groups. The animals proceeded from the Puno and Cusco departments of Peru. The pH was measured using a 826 pH mobile meter with a special flat electrode for membranes. Animals were slaughtered and the gastrointestinal tract was divided in 13 segments. An 8-cm length opening was done in each segment and pH was directly measured over the mucosa. The pH of compartments 1, 2 and 3 (segment abomasum) was lower at birth (p<0.05), increased during the first week and kept constant until 45 days of age. The pH in the intestinal segments was constant in all age groups, but there was a slight tendency to acidity in the small intestine and a tendency to neutrality in the large intestine. This suggests that alpacas of these ages have homeostatic mechanisms for maintaining constant the pH of the microclimate in the gastrointestinal tract despite the change of feeds during the first phase of postnatal life

Versatile vector suite for the extracytoplasmic production and purification of heterologous His-tagged proteins in Lactococcus lactis

Recent studies have shown that the Gram-positive bacterium Lactococcus lactis can be exploited for the expression of heterologous proteins; however, a versatile set of vectors suitable for inducible extracellular protein production and subsequent purification of the expressed proteins by immobilized metal affinity chromatography was so far lacking. Here we describe three novel vectors that, respectively, facilitate the nisin-inducible production of N- or C-terminally hexa-histidine (His(6))-tagged proteins in L. lactis. One of these vectors also encodes a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage site allowing removal of the N-terminal His(6)-tag from expressed proteins. Successful application of the developed vectors for protein expression, purification and/or functional studies is exemplified with six different cell wall-bound or secreted proteins from Staphylococcus aureus. The results show that secretory production of S. aureus proteins is affected by the position, N- or C-terminal, of the His(6)-tag. This seems to be due to an influence of the His(6)-tag on protein stability. Intriguingly, the S. aureus IsdB protein, which is phosphorylated in S. aureus, was also found to be phosphorylated when heterologously produced in L. lactis, albeit not on the same Tyr residue. This implies that this particular post-translational protein modification is to some extent conserved in S. aureus and L. lactis. Altogether, we are confident that the present vector set combined with the L. lactis expression host has the potential to become a very useful tool in optimization of the expression, purification and functional analysis of extracytoplasmic bacterial proteins