Signal transduction in cells of the immune system in microgravity

Life on Earth developed in the presence and under the constant influence of gravity. Gravity has been present during the entire evolution, from the first organic molecule to mammals and humans. Modern research revealed clearly that gravity is important, probably indispensable for the function of living systems, from unicellular organisms to men. Thus, gravity research is no more or less a fundamental question about the conditions of life on Earth. Since the first space missions and supported thereafter by a multitude of space and ground-based experiments, it is well known that immune cell function is severely suppressed in microgravity, which renders the cells of the immune system an ideal model organism to investigate the influence of gravity on the cellular and molecular level. Here we review the current knowledge about the question, if and how cellular signal transduction depends on the existence of gravity, with special focus on cells of the immune system. Since immune cell function is fundamental to keep the organism under imnological surveillance during the defence against pathogens, to investigate the effects and possible molecular mechanisms of altered gravity is indispensable for long-term space flights to Earth Moon or Mars. Thus, understanding the impact of gravity on cellular functions on Earth will provide not only important informations about the development of life on Earth, but also for therapeutic and preventive strategies to cope successfully with medical problems during space exploration

Direct costs of acute recurrent and chronic pancreatitis in children in the INSPPIRE registry

Objective: To estimate selected direct medical care costs of children with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of data from International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In Search for a Cure (INSPPIRE), a multinational registry of children with ARP or CP. We determined health care utilization and estimated costs of hospitalizations, surgical and endoscopic procedures, and medications in our study population. Health care utilization data were obtained from all subjects enrolled in the study, and costs were calculated using national United States costs. Results: We included 224 subjects (median age 12.7 years), 42% of whomhad CP. Mean number of hospitalizations, including for surgery and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, was 2.3 per person per year, costing an estimated average $38,755 per person per year. Including outpatient medications, estimated total mean cost was$40,589 per person per year. Subjects using surgical procedures or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography incurred mean annual costs of $42,951 per person and$12,035 per person, respectively. Estimated annual costs of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, diabetic medications, and painmedicationswere $4114,$1761, and $614 per person, respectively. In an exploratory analysis, patients with the following characteristics appear to accrue higher costs than those without them: more frequent ARP attacks per year, reported constant or episodic pain, family history of pancreatic cancer, and use of pain medication. Conclusions: ARP and CP are uncommon childhood conditions. The severe burden of disease associated with these conditions and their chronicity results in high health care utilization and costs. Interventions that reduce the need for hospitalization could lower costs for these children and their families

Gamma-ray spectroscopy at TRIUMF-ISAC

The 8π spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC consists of 20 Compton-suppressed germanium detectors and various auxiliary devices. The Ge array, once used for studies of nuclei at high angular momentum, has been transformed into the world's most powerful device dedicated to radioactive-decay studies. Many improvements in the spectrometer have been made, including a high-throughput data acquisition system, installation of a moving tape collector, incorporation of an array of 20 plastic scintillators for β-particle tagging, 5 Si(Li) detectors for conversion electrons, and 10 BaF2 detectors for fast-lifetime measurements. Experiments can be performed where data from all detectors are collected simultaneously, resulting in a very detailed view of the nucleus through radioactive decay. A number of experimental programmes have been launched that take advantage of the versatility of the spectrometer, and the intense beams available at TRIUMF-ISAC. © 2006 American Institute of Physics

Gamma-ray spectroscopy at TRIUMF-ISAC

The 8π spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC consists of 20 Compton-suppressed germanium detectors and various auxiliary devices. The Ge array, once used for studies of nuclei at high angular momentum, has been transformed into the world's most powerful device dedicated to radioactive-decay studies. Many improvements in the spectrometer have been made, including a high-throughput data acquisition system, installation of a moving tape collector, incorporation of an array of 20 plastic scintillators for β-particle tagging, 5 Si(Li) detectors for conversion electrons, and 10 BaF detectors for fast-lifetime measurements. Experiments can be performed where data from all detectors are collected simultaneously, resulting in a very detailed view of the nucleus through radioactive decay. A number of experimental programmes have been launched that take advantage of the versatility of the spectrometer, and the intense beams available at TRIUMF-ISAC. © 2006 American Institute of Physics