Palmer Station, Antarctica: A ground-based spaceflight analog suitable for validation of biomedical countermeasures for deep space missions.

Astronauts are known to exhibit a variety of immunological alterations during spaceflight including changes in leukocyte distribution and plasma cytokine concentrations, a reduction in T-cell function, and subclinical reactivation of latent herpesviruses. These alterations are most likely due to mission-associated stressors including circadian misalignment, microgravity, isolation, altered nutrition, and increased exposure to cosmic radiation. Some of these stressors may also occur in terrestrial situations.

Predicting chromosome damage in astronauts participating in international space station missions.

Space radiation consists of energetic protons and other heavier ions. During the International Space Station program, chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of astronauts have been analyzed to estimate received biological doses of space radiation. More specifically, pre-flight blood samples were exposed ex vivo to varying doses of gamma rays, while post-flight blood samples were collected shortly and several months after landing.

Incidence of clinical symptoms during long-duration orbital spaceflight.

Background: The environment of spaceflight may elevate an astronaut's clinical risk for specific diseases. The purpose of this study was to derive, as accurately as currently possible, an assessment of in-flight clinical "incidence" data, based on observed clinical symptoms in astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS).

Methods: Electronic medical records were examined from 46 long-duration ISS crew members, each serving approximately a 6-month mission on board the ISS, constituting 20.

Credentialing complementary practitioners in a large academic cancer center.

One of the key obstacles to the complete integration of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) into standard care in the United States is the lack of between-state and between-institution standards for credentialing. Also, a formal framework for the scope of CIM practitioner's practice is not available for assessing CIM integration into conventional patient care. Although many cancer centers do have some CIM programming under way, the scope of practice for CIM practitioners who may or may not fall within any formal licensing body and for non-CIM practitioners continues to vary among centers.

Music therapy in a comprehensive cancer center.

The use of music as a therapeutic tool in health and medicine dates back to ancient times. In modern Western medicine, music therapy has been available since the 1950s and is now often incorporated into conventional medicine care. Music therapy is a common modality that is used in hospital settings as part of complementary and integrative medicine programs.