Denosumab as a Pharmacological Countermeasure Against Osteopenia in Long Duration Spaceflight.

Prolonged exposure to microgravity is associated with a significant reduction in bone density, exposing astronauts to renal calculi in flight and osteoporotic fractures on return to Earth. While physical countermeasures and bisphosphonates may reduce demineralization, additional therapies are needed for future interplanetary missions. This literature review aims to understand the current background pertaining to denosumab (a monoclonal antibody therapy used in osteoporosis) and its potential use for long duration spaceflight.

Hydrodynamic study of an internal airlift reactor for microalgae culture.

Internal airlift reactors are closed systems considered today for microalgae cultivation. Several works have studied their hydrodynamics but based on important solid concentrations, not with biomass concentrations usually found in microalgae cultures. In this study, an internal airlift reactor has been built and tested in order to clarify the hydrodynamics of this system, based on microalgae typical concentrations.

Abnormal strategies during visual discrimination reversal learning in ephrin-A2(-/-) mice.

Eph receptors and ephrins are involved in establishing topographic connectivity in primary sensory brain regions, but also in higher order structures including the cortex and hippocampus. Ephrin-A2(-/-) mice have abnormal topography in the primary visual system but have normal visual and learning performance on a simple visual discrimination task. Here we use signal detection theory to analyse learning behaviour of these mice.

Mycobiota and concentration of ochratoxin A in concentrated poultry feed from Venezuela.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency distribution of mycobiota and the concentration of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 50 samples from one company of commercial brand poultry feed produced in Venezuela. The concentration of OTA in the samples analyzed was determined using the competitive ELISA method. The most frequently isolated genera of moulds were Aspergillus (36%) and Penicillium (20%).

Soft toric lenses fitting for the ophthalmic technician.

1. Many ophthalmic technicians are familiar with fitting standard soft lenses that correct hyperopia and myopia. There is less confidence, however, in their proficiency with fitting soft toric lenses that correct astigmatism.

Soft toric lenses: correcting cylinder greater than sphere.

We reviewed soft toric contact lens fitting success in 100 eyes that required greater astigmatic correction than spherical power correction. We found a significantly greater rate of success with lenses having back surface cylinder correction than lenses with front surface cylinder. When back surface optics are used to correct astigmatism with soft toric lenses, the success rate approaches that obtained in random studies of soft lens fitting success.

Penlight test for glare disability of cataracts.

We describe an alternative glare test using a simple penlight. When the glare and decrease in vision created by the penlight were compared on Snellen chart recordings, 92% of eyes within 20/50 or less visual acuity were no longer able to see even the 20/200 Snellen figure. This penlight test is suggested as an adjunct to standard Snellen testing in the evaluation of the cataract surgery patient.

Isolation of Salmonella from Raw Chicken in Venezuela.

Forty-five samples of raw chicken carcasses obtained from three poultry processing plants were examined for presence of Salmonella by the whole carcass rinse and skin maceration methods. Sensitivity of the selenite cystine (SC), tetrathionate brilliant green (TBG) and Rappaport (RAP) enrichment broths at 37°C and 43°C was compared following preenrichment in nutrient broth incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The rinse method and skin maceration resulted in isolation of Salmonella from 41 and 22 of the 45 samples, respectively.