Galactic cosmic ray simulation at the NASA space radiation laboratory - Progress, challenges and recommendations on mixed-field effects.

For missions beyond low Earth orbit to the moon or Mars, space explorers will encounter a complex radiation field composed of various ion species with a broad range of energies. Such missions pose significant radiation protection challenges that need to be solved in order to minimize exposures and associated health risks. An innovative galactic cosmic ray simulator (GCRsim) was recently developed at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL).

Ionizing radiation, cerebrovascular disease, and consequent dementia: A review and proposed framework relevant to space radiation exposure.

Space exploration requires the characterization and management or mitigation of a variety of human health risks. Exposure to space radiation is one of the main health concerns because it has the potential to increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and both acute and late neurodegeneration. Space radiation-induced decrements to the vascular system may impact the risk for cerebrovascular disease and consequent dementia.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Modeling for Astronauts: Making the Leap From Earth to Space.

NASA has recently completed several long-duration missions to the International Space Station and is solidifying plans to return to the Moon, with an eye toward Mars and beyond. As NASA pushes the boundaries of human space exploration, the hazards of spaceflight, including space radiation, levy an increasing burden on astronaut health and performance. The cardiovascular system may be especially vulnerable due to the combined impacts of space radiation exposure, lack of gravity, and other spaceflight hazards.

Hot Topics: Keeping Patrons in the Loop to Promote Research Engagement and Professional Growth.

The creation of the current awareness service, Hot Topics, provides opportunities for research engagement while preventing duplicate literature requests and information silos across three campuses. The service provides additional opportunities for the librarians to promote and enhance library resources and services, support evidence-based practice, as well as participate in research projects and studies. Additionally, the service continues the librarians' support of both the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet and Joint Commission reaccreditation efforts.

The Feasibility of Blinding Intraoperative Electro-Auricular Acupuncture Under Neuraxial Anesthesia.

Demand for complementary medicine, in particular, acupuncture, has increased over the past few years but widespread acceptance has been limited, in part, by the lack of high-quality studies, including lack of blinding. Acupuncture studies traditionally have difficulty with blinding as sham acupuncture can have up to a 40%-50% analgesic effect. This study randomized patients between Acupuncture and No Acupuncture (standard of care) without using sham needles.

Advances in space radiation physics and transport at NASA.

The space radiation environment is a complex mixture of particle types and energies originating from sources inside and outside of the galaxy. These environments may be modified by the heliospheric and geomagnetic conditions as well as planetary bodies and vehicle or habitat mass shielding. In low Earth orbit (LEO), the geomagnetic field deflects a portion of the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and all but the most intense solar particle events (SPE).

HZETRN radiation transport validation using balloon-based experimental data.

The deterministic radiation transport code HZETRN (High charge (Z) and Energy TRaNsport) was developed by NASA to study the effects of cosmic radiation on astronauts and instrumentation shielded by various materials. This work presents an analysis of computed differential flux from HZETRN compared with measurement data from three balloon-based experiments over a range of atmospheric depths, particle types, and energies. Model uncertainties were quantified using an interval-based validation metric that takes into account measurement uncertainty both in the flux and the energy at which it was measured.

Cell Cycle-Related Kinase (CCRK) regulates ciliogenesis and Hedgehog signaling in mice.

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a key role in cell fate specification, proliferation, and survival during mammalian development. Cells require a small organelle, the primary cilium, to respond properly to Hh signals and the key regulators of Hh signal transduction exhibit dynamic localization to this organelle when the pathway is activated. Here, we investigate the role of Cell Cycle Related kinase (CCRK) in regulation of cilium-dependent Hh signaling in the mouse.

Galactic cosmic ray simulation at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory.

Most accelerator-based space radiation experiments have been performed with single ion beams at fixed energies. However, the space radiation environment consists of a wide variety of ion species with a continuous range of energies. Due to recent developments in beam switching technology implemented at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), it is now possible to rapidly switch ion species and energies, allowing for the possibility to more realistically simulate the actual radiation environment found in space.

Advanced practice nursing students in the patient-centered medical home: preparing for a new reality.

Driven by reimbursement incentives for increased access, improved quality and reduced cost, the patient-centered medical home model of health care delivery is being adopted in primary care practices across the nation. The transition from traditional primary care models to patient-centered medical homes presents many challenges, including the assembly of a well-prepared, interprofessional provider team to achieve effective, well-coordinated care. In turn, advanced practice nursing education programs are challenged to prepare graduates who are qualified for practice in the new reality of health care reform.

The impact of peer support and mp3 messaging on adherence to inhaled corticosteroids in minority adolescents with asthma: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Poor adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a critical risk factor contributing to asthma morbidity among low-income minority adolescents.

Objective: This trial tested whether peer support group meetings and peer asthma messages delivered via mp3 players improved adherence to ICS.

Methods: Low-income African American and/or Hispanic adolescents, ages 11-16 years old, with persistent asthma, and poor (≤ 48%) adherence to prescription ICS during the 3-week run-in were randomized to intervention or attention control groups (ATG) for the 10-week treatment.

Factors associated with levels of adherence to inhaled corticosteroids in minority adolescents with asthma.

Background: Nonadherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a significant risk factor for poor asthma outcomes in minority adolescents with persistent asthma.

Objective: To identify factors associated with nonadherence to daily ICS in this target population.

Methods: Adolescents 11 to 16 years old, self-identified as African American or Hispanic, diagnosed with persistent asthma and with an active prescription for daily ICS were invited to participate.

NAIRAS aircraft radiation model development, dose climatology, and initial validation.

[1] The Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) is a real-time, global, physics-based model used to assess radiation exposure to commercial aircrews and passengers. The model is a free-running physics-based model in the sense that there are no adjustment factors applied to nudge the model into agreement with measurements. The model predicts dosimetric quantities in the atmosphere from both galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar energetic particles, including the response of the geomagnetic field to interplanetary dynamical processes and its subsequent influence on atmospheric dose.

Intraflagellar transport protein 122 antagonizes Sonic Hedgehog signaling and controls ciliary localization of pathway components.

Primary cilia are required for proper Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling in mammals. However, their role in the signal transduction process remains unclear. We have identified sister of open brain (sopb), a null allele of mouse Intraflagellar transport protein 122 (Ift122).

Broad-minded links cell cycle-related kinase to cilia assembly and hedgehog signal transduction.

Recent findings indicate that mammalian Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal transduction occurs within primary cilia, although the cell biological mechanisms underlying both Shh signaling and ciliogenesis have not been fully elucidated. We show that an uncharacterized TBC domain-containing protein, Broad-minded (Bromi), is required for high-level Shh responses in the mouse neural tube. We find that Bromi controls ciliary morphology and proper Gli2 localization within the cilium.

Tubby-like protein 3 (TULP3) regulates patterning in the mouse embryo through inhibition of Hedgehog signaling.

Tubby-like protein 3 (TULP3) is required for proper embryonic development in mice. Disruption of mouse Tulp3 results in morphological defects in the embryonic craniofacial regions, the spinal neural tube and the limbs. Here, we show that TULP3 functions as a novel negative regulator of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in the mouse.

Nuclear MRP genes and mitochondrial disease.

The ancestral mitochondrial ribosome (70S) underwent major structural remodeling during the evolution of mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes (55S). Despite the loss of nearly half their RNA, 55S ribosomes are actually larger than bacterial ribosomes because of all the extra proteins they contain. Typical of mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes, the human mitochondrial ribosome is one of the most protein-rich ribosomes, containing several new proteins.