The human microbiome in space: parallels between Earth-based dysbiosis, implications for long-duration spaceflight, and possible mitigation strategies.

SUMMARYThe human microbiota encompasses the diverse communities of microorganisms that reside in, on, and around various parts of the human body, such as the skin, nasal passages, and gastrointestinal tract. Although research is ongoing, it is well established that the microbiota exert a substantial influence on the body through the production and modification of metabolites and small molecules. Disruptions in the composition of the microbiota-dysbiosis-have also been linked to various negative health outcomes.

A second space age spanning omics, platforms and medicine across orbits.

The recent acceleration of commercial, private and multi-national spaceflight has created an unprecedented level of activity in low Earth orbit, concomitant with the largest-ever number of crewed missions entering space and preparations for exploration-class (lasting longer than one year) missions. Such rapid advancement into space from many new companies, countries and space-related entities has enabled a 'second space age'. This era is also poised to leverage, for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine, thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crews.

The implementation of rapid cooling and overnight hold of whole blood at ambient temperature before processing into components in Israel.

Background: The quality of blood components prepared from whole blood (WB) units rapidly cooled to 20 to 24°C and stored for prolonged periods using butane-1,4-diol "cooling plates," and the factors that determine the functional activity of these cooling systems under various temperature conditions were investigated.

Study Design And Methods: Validation of the cooling systems functions, performed in different environmental temperature-time schemes using WB-mock units, were recorded and analyzed in 106 temperature curves, simulating environmental conditions of blood storage at the blood drives and transport to the blood services component laboratory. The quality of red blood cells, fresh-frozen plasma, platelet concentrates, and cryoprecipitate units was studied on components routinely prepared in 2007 to 2009 from WB units collected in citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine or citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD), rapidly cooled, and stored in ambient temperature for up to 22 hours postdonation using the cooling systems.

Occupational risks for the development of brain tumors.

Occupationally related risk factors were assessed in a population-based, case-control study of 139 patients with primary brain tumors (BT), carried out in central Israel between 1987-1991. For each case, two control groups were matched by age (+/-5 years), sex, and ethnic origin. The interview schedule included questions about lifelong occupational history before diagnosis.

Cancer in the elderly.

The objective of this study was to assess the patterns of cancer incidence of elderly populations on a geographic and ethnic basis. Internationally published incidence data was used to characterize the status of cancer in the elderly in selected world locations. Cancer sites reviewed are those common in the elderly.