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At least 397 records · Page 22

Operational Characteristics of Two Commercially Available Personal Cooling Vests

Personal thermoregulatory systems which provide chest cooling are used in the industrial and aerospace environments to alleviate thermal stress. However, little information is available regarding the physiologic and circulatory changes produced by routine operation of these systems. The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of two passive cooling vests, and to measure the body temperature and circulatory changes produced by each cooling vest configuration. A Life Enhancement Technologies, (LET) ice vest garment and a Steele, Inc. vest were used to cool the chest region of 11 male subjects (25 to 55 yr) in this study. Calf, forearm and finger blood flows were measured using a tetrapolar impedance rheograph. The subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approximately 21 C) were tested for 60 min. with the cooling system operating at its maximum cooling capacity. Blood flows were recorded continuously using a computer data acquisition system with a sampling frequency of 250 Hz. Oral, right and left ear temperatures and cooling system parameters were logged manually every 5 min. Arm, leg, chest and rectal temperatures; heart rate; respiration; and an activity index were recorded continuously on a U.F.I., Inc. Biolog ambulatory monitor. No significant differences were found in either the oral or ear temperature responses to the two vests. However, the rectal and mean skin temperatures at the end of the cooling period were both significantly lower (P less than 0.05), approximately 0.2 and 1.9 C, respectively for the LET vest than for the Steele garment. These data show that different vest configurations may produce different thermal responses in healthy male subjects which should be considered in the use of these cooling garments.

Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.↗

Operational Characteristics of Four Commercially Available Personal Cooling Vests

Personal thermoregulatory systems which provide chest cooling are used in the industrial and aerospace environments to alleviate thermal stress. However, little information is available regarding the physiologic and circulatory changes produced by routine operation of these systems. The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of two passive and two active cooling vests, and to measure the body temperature and circulatory changes produced by each cooling vest configuration. The MicroClimate Systems and the Life Enhancement Tech(LET) lightweight liquid cooling vests, the Steele Vest and LET's Zipper Front Garment were used to cool the chest region of 11 male and 10 female subjects (25 to 55 yr.) in this study. Calf, forearm and finger blood flows were measured using a tetrapolar impedance rheograph. The subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approx.21 C), were tested for 60 min. with the cooling system operated at its maximum cooling capacity. Blood flows were recorded continuously using a computer data acquisition system with a sampling frequency of 250 Hz. Oral, right and left ear temperatures and cooling system parameters were logged manually every 5 min. Arm, leg, chest and rectal temperatures; heart rate; respiration; and an activity index were recorded continuously on a URI Inc. Biolog ambulatory monitor. In general, the male and female subjects' rectal and ear temperature responses to cooling were similar for all vest configurations tested. Oral temperatures during the recovery period were significantly (P<0.05) lower than during the control period, approx.0.2 - 0.5 C, for both men and women wearing any of the four different garments. The corresponding car temperatures were significantly (P<0.05) decreased approx.0.2 - 0.3 C by the end of the recovery period. Compared to the control period, no significant differences were found in rectal temperatures during cooling and recovery periods. These results show that all vest configurations elicit a similar thermal response in both male and female subject groups. However, subject population variance was rather large and may have masked differences between the vests. One vest may prove more effective than another for a given individual, and experience is the only means of determining this.

Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.↗

User-Centered Indexing for Adaptive Information Access

We are focusing on information access tasks characterized by large volume of hypermedia connected technical documents, a need for rapid and effective access to familiar information, and long-term interaction with evolving information. The problem for technical users is to build and maintain a personalized task-oriented model of the information to quickly access relevant information. We propose a solution which provides user-centered adaptive information retrieval and navigation. This solution supports users in customizing information access over time. It is complementary to information discovery methods which provide access to new information, since it lets users customize future access to previously found information. It relies on a technique, called Adaptive Relevance Network, which creates and maintains a complex indexing structure to represent personal user's information access maps organized by concepts. This technique is integrated within the Adaptive HyperMan system, which helps NASA Space Shuttle flight controllers organize and access large amount of information. It allows users to select and mark any part of a document as interesting, and to index that part with user-defined concepts. Users can then do subsequent retrieval of marked portions of documents. This functionality allows users to define and access personal collections of information, which are dynamically computed. The system also supports collaborative review by letting users share group access maps. The adaptive relevance network provides long-term adaptation based both on usage and on explicit user input. The indexing structure is dynamic and evolves over time. Leading and generalization support flexible retrieval of information under similar concepts. The network is geared towards more recent information access, and automatically manages its size in order to maintain rapid access when scaling up to large hypermedia space. We present results of simulated learning experiments.

Chen, James R.↗

Cancer Risk Assessment for Space Radiation

Predicting the occurrence of human cancer following exposure to any agent causing genetic damage is a difficult task. This is because the uncertainty of uniform exposure to the damaging agent, and the uncertainty of uniform processing of that damage within a complex set of biological variables, degrade the confidence of predicting the delayed expression of cancer as a relatively rare event within any given clinically normal individual. The radiation health research priorities for enabling long-duration human exploration of space were established in the 1996 NRC Report entitled "Radiation Hazards to Crews of Interplanetary Missions: Biological Issues and Research Strategies". This report emphasized that a 15-fold uncertainty in predicting radiation-induced cancer incidence must be reduced before NASA can commit humans to extended interplanetary missions. That report concluded that the great majority of this uncertainty is biologically based, while a minority is physically based due to uncertainties in radiation dosimetry and radiation transport codes. Since that report, the biologically based uncertainty has remained large, and the relatively small uncertainty associated with radiation dosimetry has increased due to the considerations raised by concepts of microdosimetry. In a practical sense, however, the additional uncertainties introduced by microdosimetry are encouraging since they are in a direction of lowered effective dose absorbed through infrequent interactions of any given cell with the high energy particle component of space radiation. The biological uncertainty in predicting cancer risk for space radiation derives from two primary facts. 1) One animal tumor study has been reported that includes a relevant spectrum of particle radiation energies, and that is the Harderian gland model in mice. Fact #1: Extension of cancer risk from animal models, and especially from a single study in an animal model, to humans is inherently uncertain. 2) One human database is predominantly used for assessing cancer risk caused by space radiation, and that is the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Fact #2: The atomic-bomb-survivor database, itself a remarkable achievement, contains uncertainties. These include the actual exposure to each individual, the radiation quality of that exposure, and the fact that the exposure was to acute doses of predominantly low-LET radiation, not to chronic exposures of high-LET radiation expected on long-duration interplanetary manned missions.

Richmond, Robert C.↗

Biomedical Application of Aerospace Personal Cooling Systems

Personal thermoregulatory systems which are used by astronauts to alleviate thermal stress during extravehicular activity have been applied to the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis. However, little information is available regarding the physiologic and circulatory changes produced by routine operation of these systems. The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of two passive and two active cooling vests and to measure the body temperature and circulatory changes produced by each cooling vest configuration. The MicroClimate Systems and the Life Enhancement Tech(LET) lightweight liquid cooling vests, the Steele Vest and LET's Zipper Front Garment were used to cool the chest region of 10 male and female subjects (25 to 55 yr.) in this study. Calf, forearm and finger blood flows were measured using a tetrapolar impedance rheograph. The subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approx.22C), were tested for 60 min. with the cooling system operated at its maximum cooling capacity. Blood flows were recorded continuously using a computer data acquisition system with a sampling frequency of 250 Hz. Oral, right and left ear temperatures and cooling system parameters were logged manually every 5 min. Arm, leg, chest and rectal temperatures; heart rate; respiration; and an activity index were recorded continuously on a U.F.I., Inc. Biolog ambulatory monitor. In general, the male and female subjects' oral and ear temperature responses to cooling were similar for all vest configurations tested. Oral temperatures during the recovery period were significantly (P<0.05) lower than during the control period, approx. 0.2 - 0.5C, for both men and women wearing any of the four different garments. The corresponding ear temperatures were significantly (P<0.05) decreased approx.0.2 - 0.4C by the end of the recovery period. Compared to the control period, no significant differences were found in rectal temperatures during cooling and recovery periods.

Ku, Yu-Tsuan E.↗

Reusable Autonomy

Currently, spacecraft ground systems have a well defined and somewhat standard architecture and operations concept. Based on domain analysis studies of various control centers conducted over the years it is clear that ground systems have core capabilities and functionality that are common across all ground systems. This observation alone supports the realization of reuse. Additionally, spacecraft ground systems are increasing in their ability to do things autonomously. They are being engineered using advanced expert systems technology to provide automated support for operators. A clearer understanding of the possible roles of agent technology is advancing the prospects of greater autonomy for these systems. Many of their functional and management tasks are or could be supported by applied agent technology, the dynamics of the ground system's infrastructure could be monitored by agents, there are intelligent agent-based approaches to user-interfaces, etc. The premise of this paper is that the concepts associated with software reuse, applicable in consideration of classically-engineered ground systems, can be updated to address their application in highly agent-based realizations of future ground systems. As a somewhat simplified example consider the following situation, involving human agents in a ground system context. Let Group A of controllers be working on Mission X. They are responsible for the command, control and health and safety of the Mission X spacecraft. Let us suppose that mission X successfully completes it mission and is turned off. Group A could be dispersed or perhaps move to another Mission Y. In this case there would be reuse of the human agents from Mission X to Mission Y. The Group A agents perform their well-understood functions in a somewhat but related context. There will be a learning or familiarization process that the group A agents go through to make the new context, determined by the new Mission Y, understood. This simplified scenario highlights some of the major issues that need to be addressed when considering the situation where Group A is composed of software-based agents (not their human counterparts) and they migrate from one mission support system to another. This paper will address: - definition of an agent architecture appropriate to support reuse; - identification of non-mission-specific agent capabilities required; - appropriate knowledge representation schemes for mission-specific knowledge; - agent interface with mission-specific knowledge (a type of Learning); development of a fully-operational group of cooperative software agents for ground system support; architecture and operation of a repository of reusable agents that could be the source of intelligent components for realizing an autonomous (or nearly autonomous) agent-based ground system, and an agent-based approach to repository management and operation (an intelligent interface for human use of the repository in a ground-system development activity).

Truszkowski, Walt↗

How I Love My 80 Percenters

Don't ever take your support staff for granted. By support staff, I mean the people in personnel, logistics, and finance; the ones who can make things happen with a phone call or a signature, or by the same token frustrate you to no end by their inaction; these are people you must depend on. I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to cultivate relationships with my support staff that work to the advantage of both of us. The most important thing that have learned working with people, any people--and I will tell you how I learned this in a minute--is there are some folks you just can't motivate, so forget it, don't try; others you certainly can with a little psychology and some effort; and the best of the bunch, what I call the 80 percenters, you don't need to motivate because they're already on the team and performing beautifully. The ones you can't change are rocks. Face up to it, and just kick them out of your way. I have a reputation with the people who don't want to perform or be part of the team. They don't come near me. If someone's a rock, I pick up on it right away, and I will walk around him or her to find someone better. The ones who can be motivated I take time to nurture. I consider them my projects. A lot of times these wannabes are people who want to help but don't know how. Listen, you can work with them. Lots of people in organizations have the mindset that all that matters are the regulations. God forbid if you ever work outside those regulations. They've got one foot on that regulation and they're holding it tight like a baby holds a blanket. What you're looking for is that first sign that their minds are opening. Usually you hear it in their vocabulary. What used to sound like "We can't do that ... the regulations won't allow it ... we have never done this before," well, suddenly that changes to "We have options ... let's take a look at the options ... let me research this and get back to you." The 80 percenters you want to nurture too, but they're already on the team. The 80 percenters know the regulation, but if there is a problem because of a regulation, they will still tell you, "Don't worry about it, I've got it under control." These people don't see themselves as guardians of the regulations. Instead, they see themselves as customer service representatives. Two 80 percenters on my team are Hettie Courtney at Goddard Space Flight Center and Debbie Randall at NASA Headquarters in Code B. Thank you, ladies, very much. You are the best.

Maturo, Anthony J.↗

A Systematic Global Mapping of the Radiation Field at Aviation Altitudes

This paper presents early results from aircraft measurements made by a Low-LET Radiation Spectrometer (LoLRS), as part of a long-range effort to study the complex dynamics of the atmospheric radiation field. For this purpose, a comprehensive data base is being generated to enable a multivariable global mapping (and eventually modeling) of doses and Linear-Energy-Transfer (LET) spectra at aviation altitudes. To accomplish this, a methodical collection of data from the LoLRS (and other instruments), is planned over extended periods of time, in a manner that complements some previous isolated and sporadic measurements by other workers, with the objective to generate a detailed long-range description of the cosmic-ray induced particle environment and to study its variability and dependence on atmospheric thickness, magnetic latitude, L-shell or rigidity, space weather, solar particle events, solar cycle effects, magnetic field variation, diurnal and seasonal effects, and atmospheric weather. Analysis of initial data indicates that the dose is rising with increasing altitude and increasing magnetic latitude. Comparison of total doses with predictions is in good agreement.

Stassinopoulos, E. G.↗

Fundamental space radiobiology

The unique feature of the space radiation environment is the dominance of high-energy charged particles (HZE or high LET radiation) emitted by the Sun and galactic sources, or trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts. These charged particles present a significant hazard to space flight crews, and accelerator-based experiments are underway to quantify the health risks due to unavoidable radiation exposure. There are three principal properties of charged particles that distinguish them from conventional radiation, i.e. gamma rays and x-rays. First, they have a defined range in matter rather than an exponential absorption profile. Second, they undergo nuclear reactions to produce secondary particles. Third, and most important, they deposit their energy along well-defined linear paths or tracks rather than diffuse fields. The structured energy deposition pattern interacts on multiple scales with the biological structures of DNA, cells and tissues to produce correlated patterns of damage that evade repair systems. Traditional concepts of dose and its associated normalization parameter, RBE (relative biological effectiveness), break down under experimental scrutiny, and probabilistic models of risk based on the number of particle traversals per cell may be more appropriate. Unique patterns of DNA damage, gene expression, mobilization of repair proteins, activation of cytokines and remodeling of cellular microenvironment are observed following exposure to high LET radiation. At low levels of exposure the communication of bioactive substances from irradiated to unirradiated "bystander" cells can amplify the damage and cause a significant deviation from linearity in dose vs. response relations. Under some circumstances, there is even a multigenerational delay in the expression of radiation-induced genetic damage (genomic instability) which is not strictly dose dependent. These issues and the experimental evidence derived from ground based experiments at particle accelerators are presented along with speculation about how modified inertial conditions might perturb homeostatic responses to radiation to further complicate risk assessment for space flight.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Clustered DNA damages induced in human hematopoietic cells by low doses of ionizing radiation

Ionizing radiation induces clusters of DNA damages--oxidized bases, abasic sites and strand breaks--on opposing strands within a few helical turns. Such damages have been postulated to be difficult to repair, as are double strand breaks (one type of cluster). We have shown that low doses of low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation induce such damage clusters in human cells. In human cells, DSB are about 30% of the total of complex damages, and the levels of DSBs and oxidized pyrimidine clusters are similar. The dose responses for cluster induction in cells can be described by a linear relationship, implying that even low doses of ionizing radiation can produce clustered damages. Studies are in progress to determine whether clusters can be produced by mechanisms other than ionizing radiation, as well as the levels of various cluster types formed by low and high LET radiation.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

A model for interphase chromosomes and evaluation of radiation-induced aberrations

We have developed a theoretical model for evaluating radiation-induced chromosomal exchanges by explicitly taking into account interphase (G(0)/G(1)) chromosome structure, nuclear organization of chromosomes, the production of double-strand breaks (DSBs), and the subsequent rejoinings in a faithful or unfaithful manner. Each of the 46 chromosomes for human lymphocytes (40 chromosomes for mouse lymphocytes) is modeled as a random polymer inside a spherical volume. The chromosome spheres are packed randomly inside a spherical nucleus with an allowed overlap controlled by a parameter Omega. The rejoining of DSBs is determined by a Monte Carlo procedure using a Gaussian proximity function with an interaction range parameter sigma. Values of Omega and sigma have been found which yield calculated results of interchromosomal aberration frequencies that agree with a wide range of experimental data. Our preferred solution is one with an interaction range of 0.5 microm coupled with a relatively small overlap parameter of 0.675 microm, which more or less confirms previous estimates. We have used our model with these parameter values and with resolution or detectability limits to calculate yields of translocations and dicentrics for human lymphocytes exposed to low-LET radiation that agree with experiments in the dose range 0.09 to 4 Gy. Five different experimental data sets have been compared with the theoretical results. Essentially all of the experimental data fall between theoretical curves corresponding to resolution limits of 1 Mbp and 20 Mbp, which may reflect the fact that different investigators use different limits for sensitivity or detectability. Translocation yields for mouse lymphocytes have also been calculated and are in good agreement with experimental data from 1 cGy to 10 cGy. There is also good agreement with recent data on complex aberrations. Our model is expected to be applicable to both low- and high-LET radiation, and we include a sample prediction of the yield of interchromosomal rejoining in the dose range 0.22 Gy to 2 Gy of 1000 MeV/nucleon iron particles. This dose range corresponds to average particle traversals per nucleus ranging from 1.0 to 9.12.

Non-NASA Center↗

Dosimetric results from the Mir orbital station

The Mir Orbital Station provided a unique platform on which to carry out a variety of space radiation dosimetry measurements. A number of experiments were conducted using a combination of passive detectors on the interior of the Mir during 1996-97. Thermoluminescent detectors were used to measure absorbed dose. CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors were used to measure the LET spectra > or =5 keV.microm(-1). Results from TLDs and CR-39 PNTDs were combined to determine total dose and dose equivalent. Mean dose rate was found to decrease while mean dose equivalent rate and average quality factor increased with increasing shielding. Secondary particles from proton-induced target fragmentation interactions, not primary HZE particles, were found to be the largest contributor to the LET spectrum above 100 keV.microm(-1). During the 1997 measurements, mean quality factor was found to vary from 1.7 to 2.1 as a function of location within the Mir.

long duration↗

Relative biological effectiveness of light ions in human tumoural cell lines: role of protein p53

Protons and alpha particles of high linear energy transfer (LET) have shown an increased relative biological effectiveness (RBE) with respect to X/gamma rays for several cellular and molecular endpoints in different in vitro cell systems. To contribute to understanding the biochemical mechanisms involved in the increased effectiveness of high LET radiation, an extensive study has been designed. The present work reports the preliminary result of this study on two human tumoural cell lines, DLD1 and HCT116, (with different p53 status), which indicate that for these cell lines, p53 does not appear to take a part in the response to radiation induced DNA damage, suggesting an alternative p53-independent pathway and a cell biochemical mechanism dependent on the cell type.

NASA Center JSC↗

The effect of space radiation on the induction of chromosome damage

To obtain information on the cytogenetic damage caused by space radiation, chromosome exchanges in lymphocytes from crewmembers of long-term Mir missions, and a shorter duration shuttle mission, were examined using fluorescence in situ hybridization. A significant increase in chromosomal aberrations was observed after the long duration flights. The ratio of aberrations identified as complex was higher post-flight for some crewmembers, which is thought to be an indication of exposure to high-LET radiation. Ground-based studies have shown that the frequency of aberrations measured post-flight could be influenced by a mitotic delay in cells damaged by high-LET radiation and this effect could lower biological dose estimates. To counteract this effect, prematurely condensed chromosome (PCC) spreads were collected. Frequencies of aberrations in PCC were compared with those in metaphase spreads.

long duration↗

Quality factors for alpha particles emitted in tissue

A concept of a mean or dose averaged quality factor was defined in ICRP Publication 26 using relationships for quality factor as a function of LET. The concept of radiation weighting factors, wR, was introduced in ICRP Publication 60 in 1990. These are meant to be generalized factors that modify absorbed dose to reflect the risk of stochastic effects as a function of the quality of the radiation incident on the body or emitted by radioactivity within the body. The values of wr are equal to 20 for all alpha particles externally or internally emitted. This note compares the dose averaged quality factor for alpha particles originating in tissue using the old and revised recommendations for quality factor as a function of LET. The dose averaged quality factor never exceeds 20 using the old recommendations and is never less than 20 with the revised recommendations.

Non-NASA Center↗

Chromosome aberrations in the blood lymphocytes of astronauts after space flight

Cytogenetic analysis of the lymphocytes of astronauts provides a direct measurement of space radiation damage in vivo, which takes into account individual radiosensitivity and considers the influence of microgravity and other stress conditions. Chromosome exchanges were measured in the blood lymphocytes of eight crew members after their respective space missions, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome painting probes. Significant increases in aberrations were observed after the long-duration missions. The in vivo dose was derived from the frequencies of translocations and total exchanges using calibration curves determined before flight, and the RBE was estimated by comparison with individually measured physical absorbed doses. The values for average RBE were compared to the average quality factor (Q) from direct measurements of the lineal energy spectra using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and radiation transport codes. The ratio of aberrations identified as complex was slightly higher after flight, which is thought to be an indication of exposure to high-LET radiation. To determine whether the frequency of complex aberrations measured in metaphase spreads after exposure to high-LET radiation was influenced by a cell cycle delay, chromosome damage was analyzed in prematurely condensed chromosome samples collected from two crew members before and after a short-duration mission. The frequency of complex exchanges after flight was higher in prematurely condensed chromosomes than in metaphase cells for one crew member.

NASA Center JSC↗

Measurements of the linear energy transfer spectra on the Mir orbital station and comparison with radiation transport models

A tissue equivalent proportional counter designed to measure the linear energy transfer spectra (LET) in the range 0.2-1250 keV/micrometer was flown in the Kvant module on the Mir orbital station during September 1994. The spacecraft was in a 51.65 degrees inclination, elliptical (390 x 402 km) orbit. This is nearly the lower limit of its flight altitude. The total absorbed dose rate measured was 411.3 +/- 4.41 microGy/day with an average quality factor of 2.44. The galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) dose rate was 133.6 microGy/day with a quality factor of 3.35. The trapped radiation belt dose rate was 277.7 microGy/day with an average quality factor of 1.94. The peak rate through the South Atlantic Anomaly was approximately 12 microGy/min and nearly constant from one pass to another. A detailed comparison of the measured LET spectra has been made with radiation transport models. The GCR results are in good agreement with model calculations; however, this is not the case for radiation belt particles and again points to the need for improving the AP8 omni-directional trapped proton models.

Mir Project↗

Ionizing radiation exposure of LDEF (pre-recovery estimates)

The long duration exposure facility (LDEF), launched into a 258 nautical mile orbit with an inclination of 28.5 degrees, remained in space for nearly 6 yr. The 21,500 lb NASA satellite was one of the largest payloads ever deployed by the Space Shuttle. LDEF completed 32,422 orbits and carried 57 major experiments representing more than 200 investigators from 33 private companies, 21 universities and nine countries. The experiments covered a wide range of disciplines including basic science, electronics, optics, materials, structures and power and propulsion. A number of the experiments were specifically designed to measure the radiation environment. These experiments are of specific interest, since the LDEF orbit is essentially the same as that of the Space Station Freedom. Consequently, the radiation measurements on LDEF will play a significant role in the design of radiation shielding of the space station. The contributions of the various authors presented here attempt to predict the major aspects of the radiation exposure received by the various LDEF experiments and therefore should be helpful to investigators who are in the process of analyzing experiments which may have been affected by exposure to ionizing radiation. The paper discusses the various types and sources of ionizing radiation including cosmic rays, trapped particles (both protons and electrons) and secondary particles (including neutrons, spallation products and high-LET recoils), as well as doses and LET spectra as a function of shielding. Projections of the induced radioactivity of LDEF are also discussed.

Flight Experiment↗