Challenges in the construction of a lunar base

The construction of a Lunar Base is seen as achievable. The paper provides a useful summary of challenges facing pioneers of lunar base construction. It highlights important aspects of the location and use of the facility, the local environment, the human physiological adaptation process, and a principal concern for the construction industry—construction materials and methods required to erect the facility. Specific emphasis is placed on the latter two major issues. The authors believe that a lunar base will be built, operated and maintained by humans. It may be the next generation that carry out these dreams, but it is research of the type reported in this paper that will make these dreams a reality.

Physiological expression of human thermal comfort to indoor operative temperature in the non-HVAC environment

A physiological experiment was carried out in a naturally ventilated, non-HVAC indoor environment of a spacious experimental room. More than 300 healthy university students volunteered for this study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the human physiological indicators which could be used to characterise the indoor operative temperature changes in a building and their impact on human thermal comfort based on the different climatic characteristics people would experience in Chongqing, China. The study found that sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) could objectively provide a good indicator for assessment of the human response to changes in indoor operative temperatures in a naturally ventilated situation. The results showed that with the changes in the indoor operative temperatures, the changing trend in the nerve conduction velocity was basically the same as that of the skin temperature at the sensory nerve measuring segment (Tskin(scv)). There was good coherent consistency among the factors: indoor operative temperature, SCV and Tskin(scv) in a certain indoor operative temperature range. Through self-adaptation and self-feedback regulation, the human physiological indicators would produce certain adaptive changes to deal with the changes in indoor operative temperature. The findings of this study should provide the baseline data to inform guidelines for the development of thermal environment-related standards that could contribute to efficient use of energy in buildings in China.

Assessing health risk of reclaimed water using human cell culture.

For risk analysis of reclaimed water, current animal and toxicity testing may not detect subtle effects such as interactions that could contribute to complex diseases such as cancers that develop over a long period of time. There is a need for assays that can be validated against known human physiological processes. We have previously validated sensitive human cell culture assays for their responsiveness to agents that induce carcinogenesis in vivo. In this initial study we analysed the effects of three batches of reclaimed water on human colonic cells. At concentrations of up to 10-fold, they had no significant effect on the cellular markers, indicating an overall lack of biological activity. The assay has potential but needs to be refined to maximise its sensitivity.

Design of carbon nanotube fiber microelectrode for glucose biosensing

BACKGROUND: Carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber directly spun from an aerogel has a unique, well-aligned nanostructure (nano-pore and nano-brush), and thus provides high electro-catalytic activity and strong interaction with glucose oxidase enzyme. It shows great potential as a microelectrode for electrochemical biosensors. RESULTS: Cyclic voltammogram results indicate that post-synthesis treatments have great influence on the electrocatalytic activity of CNT fibers. Raman spectroscopy and electrical conductivity tests suggest that fibers annealed at 250 °C remove most of the impurities without damaging the graphite-like structure. This leads to a nano-porous morphology on the surface and the highest conductivity value (1.1 × 10 5 S m -1). Two CNT fiber microelectrode designs were applied to enhance their electron transfer behaviour, and it was found that a design using a 30 nm gold coating is able to linearly cover human physiological glucose level between 2 and 30 mmol L -1. The design also leads to a low detection limit of 25 μmol L -1. CONCLUSIONS: The high performance of CNT fibers not only offers exceptional mechanical and electrical properties, but also provides a large surface area and electron transfer pathway. They consequently make excellent bioactive microelectrodes for glucose biosensing, especially for potential use in implantable devices. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Níveis de homocisteína e desempenho cognitivo em uma amostra populacional de idosos da cidade do Natal-RN

The imprecision of the frontier that separates those cognitive deficits inherent to the human physiological aging process from those which represent the early signs of nervous system degenerative pathologies ,very prevalent among the elderly, has brought attention to the need of studies aiming to establish clinical and/or laboratorial criteria to allow this differentiation. Elderly people living in poor and developing countries are frequently exposed to precarious socioeconomic conditions which facilitate the development of an array of pathologies which have metabolic and nutritional dysfunctions as the established or proposed etiological agents. The levels of certain micronutrients, such as the vitamins B12 and B9 (folic acid), and of some intermediary metabolites, such as homocysteine are being thought of as etiological factors and/or as biological markers of a group of alterations which affect the normal functioning of the nervous system with important reflexes upon cognitive performance. This study aims to investigate the influence of homocysteine, B12 vitamin and folic acid levels on the cognitive performance of the low income elderly population. This transversal study took place in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, and involved 205 dwelling elderly people, users of the Programa de Saúde da Família, a public healthcare program, maintained by the city s health authorities. A multidimensional questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic aspects and the overall health and nutrition conditions. The cognitive performance was measured by the use of the Portuguese version of the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). The serum levels of homocysteine, B12 vitamin and folic acid were determined by chemiluminescence. The association between the socio-demographic and serum levels of Hcy, B12 vitamin and folic acid was determined by multiple linear regression. Serum levels higher than 13.5 μmol/l, indicative of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), were found on 25.4% of the sample, being more prevalent in men (p<0.05). Deficitary levels of folic acid (<5ng/mol) and of B12 vitamin (<193 pg/ml) were found on 3.9% and 10.2% of the sample respectively. A negative correlation was found between cognitive performance with both age and HHcy and a positive correlation was found between cognitive performance and schooling. The isolated HHcy R2 values were an explanation to only 4% of the variance of the MMSE scores. However, when associated with schooling and age, this model explains about 25% of this association

Metabolic syndrome markers in wistar rats of different ages

In recent decades, metabolic syndrome has become a public health problem throughout the world. Longitudinal studies in humans have several limitations due to the invasive nature of certain analyses and the size and randomness of the study populations. Thus, animal models that are able to mimic human physiological responses could aid in investigating metabolic disease. Thus, the present study was designed to analyze metabolic syndrome markers in albino Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) of different ages. The following parameters were assessed at two (young), four (adult), six (adult), and twelve (mature) months of age: glucose tolerance (glucose tolerance test); insulin sensitivity (insulin tolerance test); fasting serum glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholestero, and LDL cholesterol concentrations; glucose uptake in isolated soleus muscle; and total lipid concentration in subcutaneous, mesenteric, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue. We found that aging triggered signs of metabolic syndrome in Wistar rats. For example, mature rats showed a significant increase in body weight that was associated. In addition, mature rats showed an increase in the serum concentration of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, which is characteristic of dyslipidemia. There was also an increase in serum glucose compared with the younger groups of animals. Therefore, aging Wistar rats appear to be an interesting model to study the changes related to metabolic syndrome.

Marcadores da síndrome metabólica e da capacidade aeróbia de ratos (Rattus Norvegicus Albinus, Wistar) em diferentes idades: efeito do exercício

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Integration of wearable devices in a wireless sensor network for an e-health application

Applications based on Wireless Sensor Networks for Internet of Things scenarios are on the rise. The multiple possibilities they offer have spread towards previously hard to imagine fields, like e-health or human physiological monitoring. An application has been developed for its usage in scenarios where data collection is applied to smart spaces, aiming at its usage in fire fighting and sports. This application has been tested in a gymnasium with real, non-simulated nodes and devices. A Graphic User Interface has been implemented to suggest a series of exercises to improve a sportsman/woman s condition, depending on the context and their profile. This system can be adapted to a wide variety of e-health applications with minimum changes, and the user will interact using different devices, like smart phones, smart watches and/or tablets.

The cis-acting phorbol ester "12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate"-responsive element is involved in shear stress-induced monocyte chemotactic protein 1 gene expression.

Vascular endothelial cells, serving as a barrier between vessel and blood, are exposed to shear stress in the body. Although endothelial responses to shear stress are important in physiological adaption to the hemodynamic environments, they can also contribute to pathological conditions--e.g., in atherosclerosis and reperfusion injury. We have previously shown that shear stress mediates a biphasic response of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) gene expression in vascular endothelial cells and that the regulation is at the transcriptional level. These observations led us to functionally analyze the 550-bp promoter region of the MCP-1-encoding gene to define the cis element responding to shear stress. The shear stress/luciferase assay on the deletion constructs revealed that a 38-bp segment (-53 to -90 bp relative to the transcription initiation site) containing two divergent phorbol ester "12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate" (TPA)-responsive elements (TRE) is critical for shear inducibility. Site-specific mutations on these two sites further demonstrated that the proximal one (TGACTCC) but not the distal one (TCACTCA) was shear-responsive. Shear inducibility was lost after the mutation or deletion of the proximal site. This molecular mechanism of shear inducibility of the MCP-1 gene was functional in both the epithelial-like HeLa cells and bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). In a construct with four copies of the TRE consensus sequences TGACTACA followed by the rat prolactin minimal promoter and luciferase gene, shear stress induced the reporter activities by 35-fold and 7-fold in HeLa cells and BAEC, respectively. The application of shear stress on BAEC also induced a rapid and transient phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Pretreatment of BAEC with TPA attenuated the shear-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, suggesting that shear stress and TPA share a similar signal transduction pathway in activating cells. The present study provides a molecular basis for the transient induction of MCP-1 gene by shear stress.

Research on vehicle-based driver status/performance monitoring; development, validation, and refinement of algorithms for detection of driver drowsiness.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Research on vehicle-based driver status/performance monitoring: seventh semi-annual research report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Effects of hours of service regularity of schedules, and cargo loading on truck and bus driver fatigue. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Human atrial beta1L-adrenoceptor but not beta3-adrenoceptor activation increases force and Ca2+ current at physiological temperature

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It has been proposed that BRL37344, SR58611 and CGP12177 activate b3-adrenoceptors in human atrium to increase contractility and L-type Ca2+ current (ICa-L). b3-adrenoceptor agonists are potentially beneficial for the treatment of a variety of diseases but concomitant cardiostimulation would be potentially harmful. It has also been proposed that (-)-CGP12177 activates the low affinity binding site of the b1-adrenoceptor in human atrium. We therefore used BRL37344, SR58611 and (-)-CGP12177 with selective b-adrenoceptor subtype antagonists to clarify cardiostimulant b-adrenoceptor subtypes in human atrium. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human right atrium was obtained from patients without heart failure undergoing coronary artery bypass or valve surgery. Cardiomyocytes were prepared to test BRL37344, SR58611 and CGP12177 effects on ICa-L. Contractile effects were determined on right atrial trabeculae. KEY RESULTS BRL37344 increased force which was antagonized by blockade of b1- and b2-adrenoceptors but not by blockade of b3-adrenoceptors with b3-adrenoceptor-selective L-748,337 (1 mM). The b3-adrenoceptor agonist SR58611 (1 nM–10 mM) did not affect atrial force. BRL37344 and SR58611 did not increase ICa-L at 37°C, but did at 24°C which was prevented by L-748,337. (-)-CGP12177 increased force and ICa-L at both 24°C and 37°C which was prevented by (-)-bupranolol (1–10 mM), but not L-748,337. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We conclude that the inotropic responses to BRL37344 are mediated through b1- and b2-adrenoceptors. The inotropic and ICa-L responses to (-)-CGP12177 are mediated through the low affinity site b1L-adrenoceptor of the b1-adrenoceptor. b3-adrenoceptor-mediated increases in ICa-L are restricted to low temperatures. Human atrial b3-adrenoceptors do not change contractility and ICa-L at physiological temperature.

Balance of growth factors in the human perinatal lung : Implications for physiological lung development and link to bronchopulmonary dysplasia

The aims of this Thesis was to evaluate the role of proangiogenic placental growth factor (PlGF), antiangiogenic endostatin and lymphangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -C as well as the receptors vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) -2 and VEGFR-3 during lung development and in development of lung injury in preterm infants. The studied growth factors were selected due to a close relationship with VEGF-A; a proangiogenic growth factor important in normal lung angiogenesis and lung injury in preterm infants. The thesis study consists of three analyses. I: Lung samples from fetuses, preterm and term infants without lung injury, as well as preterm infants with acute and chronic lung injury were stained by immunohistochemistry for PlGF, endostatin, VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3. II: Tracheal aspirate fluid (TAF) was collected in the early postnatal period from a patient population consisting of 59 preterm infants, half developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and half without BPD. PlGF, endostatin and VEGF-C concentrations were measured by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). III: Cord plasma was collected from very low birth weight (VLBW) (n=92) and term (n=48) infants in conjuncture with birth and endostatin concentrations were measured by ELISA. I: All growth factors and receptors studied were consistently stained in immunohistochemistry throughout development. For endostatin in early respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), no alveolar epithelial or macrophage staining was seen, whereas in late RDS and BPD groups, both alveolar epithelium and macrophages stained positively in approximately half of the samples. VEGFR-2 staining was fairly consistent, except for the fact that capillary endothelial staining in the BPD group was significantly decreased. II: During the first postnatal week in TAF mean PlGF concentrations were stable whereas mean endostatin and VEGF-C concentrations decreased. Higher concentrations of endostatin and VEGF-C correlated with lower birth weight (BW) and associated with administration of antenatal betamethasone. Parameters reflecting prenatal lung inflammation associated with lower PlGF, endostatin and VEGF-C concentrations. A higher mean supplemental fraction of inspired oxygen during the first 2 postnatal weeks (FiO2) correlated with higher endostatin concentrations. III: Endostatin concentrations in term infants were significantly higher than in VLBW infants. In VLBW infants higher endostatin concentrations associated with the development of BPD, this association remained significant after logistic regression analysis. We conclude that PlGF, endostatin and VEGF-C all have a physiological role in the developing lung. Also, the VEGFR-2 expression profile seems to reflect the ongoing differentiation of endothelia during development. Both endostatin and VEGFR-2 seem to be important in the development of BPD. During the latter part of the first postnatal week, preterm infants developing BPD have lower concentrations of VEGF-A in TAF. Our findings of disrupted VEGFR-2 staining in capillary and septal endothelium seen in the BPD group, as well as the increase in endostatin concentrations both in TAF and cord plasma associated with BPD, seem to strengthen the notion that there is a shift in the angiogenic balance towards a more antiangiogenic environment in BPD. These findings support the vascular hypothesis of BPD.