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UPDATE # 16 - March 13, l998 PART 1: Just use it! JUST USE IT!
On Tuesday I received a really cool button to wear next week. On a black background is pictured a brain, and words saying: Just use it. Yes, it's here: Brain Awareness Week and I hope you're planning to join us in what I think will be a fun and enlightening adventure. Take a look at the calendar below if you're new to the BAW concept. The chat room is full, but there are still lots of ways to participate actively. The difficulty of trying to catch up with our Neurolab team only intensifies as we near launch. I've had several of you write with rumors of further delays, but the word I get here is: that's all they are - rumors! I know I'm still planning to be at Kennedy Space Center on the 16th to be your eyes and ears behind the scenes. Keep a good thought about the weather! Despite the rushing around, I'm still receiving bios, and this week I want to especially call your attention to one that I couldn't put down! Charles Oman, Principal Investigator is part of the Sensory Motor and Performance Team. He will use virtual reality to discover how the astronauts use vision, the vestibular organs of the inner ear, and pressure cues to perceive their orientation and the identity of objects around them. A research engineer and neuroscientist at MIT, Dr. Oman has been involved in aeronautics and the space program for some time and that makes for a terrific tale (complete with pictures)! Take a look at his and the other new bios at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team I know some of you think I forgot all about the Logo Contest. I'm afraid it did get a little buried, but it's finally here! The selection was difficult, but the announcement of the winners is below. Til next week, Linda CALENDAR OF EVENTS
->Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Time:
NeurOn's salute to Brain Awareness Week, Learning Technologies Channel
(LTC) brings Neuroscientist Eric Chudler into your classroom to lead your
students in live projects. An opportunity to give feedback and ask
questions will be provided. In order to get the full advantage of
Audio/Video feed and Chat participation, see:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/baw
and be sure you have completed the items listed under "Things to do before
you join us." The registration is already very high, but classrooms can
still join us in the activities and communicate with us via email.
->Thursday, March 19 at 1 0:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Time:
Join us to chat with Karina Shook, Aerospace Technologist. This chat is a
follow-up on the WITN: Aerospace Engineer Career Segment which was
released to PBS stations on March 5th. Karina works with a group training
the astronauts for their spacewalks.
APRIL is bringing 2 more chats as part of the WITN career segments.
Mark your calendar:
->Wednesday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Time:
Steve Sokol, Lead Forecaster, Space Meteorology Group
Steve is the lead forecaster in the Space Meteorology Group and has worked
over 70 Space Shuttle Missions.
->Wednesday, April 15 at 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Time:
Janis Davis-Street, Nutritionist returns!
Janis is part of a team whose job is finding out what foods and nutrients
are important for the astronauts as they venture into space. See Janis'
journal below.
All chats may be reached from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/chats
AND THE LOGO DESIGN WINNERS ARE!
Autonomic Nervous System Team logo #1 by Caitlan Sensory Motor and Performance Team logo #1 by Mike Sleep Team logo #1 by Kelly Vestibular Team #2 by Jenna Neurobiology Team #2 by Bonnie Alexander's class Aquatic Team #2 by Nicole Mammalian Development Team #1 by Katy Adult Neuronal Plasticity Team #1 by Caitlin All of the designs were terrific and we thank the participating classrooms for their submissions. In case you missed them, the entries are at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/logo/entry.html The chosen logos will appear on the descriptive pages on the Neurolab mission in the background section of NeurOn: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/background/mission.html [Editor's note: Dave is a mission specialist, the Canadian Space Agency member of the Neurolab crew. Below you will find the description he sent as he and the other astronauts train for STS-90.] SIMULATIONS AND SLEEPING ON THE JOB http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/williams.html February 2 - February 6 This week started with another L-60 (60 days left to launch) baseline data collection session. The first experiment that I participated in Monday morning was the microneurography session with the autonomic team. This group of experiments is designed to determine the changes in the control of blood pressure that take place while in space and after a mission. Astronauts suffer from lightheadedness (orthostatic intolerance) when they stand up quickly after a space flight, an observation that may be linked to altered regulation of blood pressure. To prepare for the experiment, an IV catheter was placed in each of my forearms. These were used to draw blood specimens during the experiment and one was used to administer tritiated norepinephrine. After the catheter insertion an electrode was placed in the peroneal nerve in my leg to record activity in the sympathetic nerves, one of the parts of the nervous system involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Continuous recordings of the nerve activity were obtained while I breathed in a controlled manner, held by breath and strained forcefully (Valsalva maneuver), performed a maximal hand grip, placed my hand in a cold pack and lastly, was tilted to a vertical postion. Each of these activities allows the investigators to assess the regulation of blood pressure in response to a number of different situations. The first slide (Autonomic BDC) shows me lying on the tilt table with the equipment for the controlled ventilation beside me. After the BDC session, we had a bailout class in the crew compartment trainer (CCT) in building 9. This class was a continuation of previous classes that we had at the NBL where we practiced bailout into the water. The session started with instruction on using the bailout pole after which we got into our ACES and LES suits to practice getting out of our seats, deploying the pole and simulating a bailout. The next photo shows me simulating a bailout from the orbiter. For practice we rolled out of the side hatch onto a mat. Tuesday brought more BDC sessions with data collection for the VEG and rotating chair experiments. This was followed by an EMU (spacesuit) caution and warning class in which all of the procedures to prepare for an EVA are reviewed. The class is in preparation for the suited run in the vacuum chamber to simulate preparing for and performing an EVA. During the vacuum chamber run I will conduct 2 simple experiments, one is to look at what happens to water in a beaker as the chamber is brought to a vacuum. The other is to compare dropping a feather and a small ball while in the vacuum chamber. Tuesday night the crew participated in the sleep experiment, sleeping in crewquarters fully instrumented for the sleep team. On Wednesday, the BDC sessions continued with more VEG data collection, the pulmonary function tests, the COG test and in the evening another sleep session at crew quarters. After deinstrumenting from the sleep experiment Thursday morning, we went to building 9 for a full day simulation of ascent, postinsertion and the deorbit phases of flight. The crew donned our ACES and LES suits and strapped into our seats for ascent. After the ascent portion of the flight we followed the postinsertion timeline where we get out of our suits and get the orbiter ready for the mission. This took about 3 hours during the simulation as we wanted to review each step of the procedure and allocate responsibilities to specific crew members. The afternoon session was essentially the reverse of the morning as we followed the deorbit prep timeline getting the orbiter ready to return and getting into our suits. Friday morning started with a four hour suited ascent simulation in the motion simulator. This was our first integrated ascent simulation, in which we were supported by Mission Control throughout the simulation. As you can imagine, we simulated a number of malfunctions in the various shuttle systems and had a good review of the off nominal procedures. In the afternoon, I had photo TV training in the simulator in building 9 to review the use of the payload bay cameras and the video cameras that we use inside the shuttle. It was an exciting week and we look forward to flying the mission in April. [see pictorial version at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/team/journals/williams/02-07.html ] [Editor's note: Janis is part of a team whose job is determining the nutritional requirements for space flight, that is, finding out what foods and nutrients are important for the astronauts as they venture into space.] GOOD NUTRITION ESSENTIAL FOR ASTRONAUTS January 20, 1998 We are currently developing methods to assess nutritional status. These methods will be important for keeping the astronauts healthy during long space missions, like those planned for the International Space Station. Good nutrition is essential for everyone, especially when the astronauts spend a long time in weightlessness (zero gravity). We have just completed a study with the Advanced Life Support group (ALS). This was part of the 90-day Phase III Chamber study, which ended in December 1997. Earlier last year we participated in a 60-day Phase IIa Chamber study with the ALS group. During these 2 studies, 4 crew members were confined to a chamber, for a specified number of days without leaving (see http://pet.jsc.nasa.gov). The air and water were recycled, and food and everything else needed were provided to the crew members inside the chamber, where they performed their daily activities. We did several things during Phase IIa and Phase III. One part of our project was a nutritional status assessment profile, a series of tests planned for use on the astronauts before, during, and after long-term space flight. These tests were used before and after the 60-day study, and before, during and after the 90-day study. It was a nice tie-in with our work in the NASA/Mir program, and we were able to test out the assessment profile. The other part of our project was the use of a food frequency questionnaire, developed by Dr. Gladys Block of UC-Berkeley, designed for use on the Mir space station and tested during the ALS Chamber study. On the Mir, the questionnaire is filled out once a week, listing how much of the different types of foods are eaten. This information is down-linked to the ground, and once that information comes back to my group, we analyze the results to see if the person is getting enough calories and water. We then report these findings and any recommendations to the flight surgeon. We used a paper questionnaire for the Chamber studies, but the Mir astronauts complete their questionnaires via computer. Dr. David Wolf is the first U.S. astronaut to participate in the nutritional status assessment studies. We did two sets of tests on him before he went to the Mir. On the Mir, he completed the questionnaire weekly, taking measurements of his body mass, and collecting samples which will be analyzed on his return to Earth. Once he returns home, we will repeat our earlier tests - taking blood and urine samples to determine his nutritional status after spending about four months in space. It is going to be really exciting for us when he returns. I'm sure he will be able to give us lots of feedback about the questionnaire, as this was the first time it was actually used in flight. It is important to consider not only the science aspects (the analysis of the data collected) but also its mechanics (ease in filling it out, the format, and how it works). U.S. astronaut, Andy Thomas, who left on flight STS-89 (which launched January 22, 1998) to switch places with Dave Wolf on the Mir, will be the second astronaut to participate in these tests for us. We did preliminary tests on him six months before launch and again 10 days before launch. He will also do the questionnaire, and collect urine samples during the mission. Nutrition is important for maintaining crew health before, during, and after long term space flight. Our nutritional status assessment profile will evaluate crew members' vitamin and mineral status, body composition, antioxidant, protein and bone health. We need to make sure that our astronauts are eating enough food, as this is critical for keeping them healthy. Data from previous missions show that they lose weight, including muscle, during space flight. Because of this we pay close attention to the amount of calories and protein they eat. Space flight also results in bone loss and increased loss of calcium in the urine, which could increase the risk for developing kidney stones. Water intake is needed for keeping the astronauts hydrated, and adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals are also important. As you can see, being in good nutritional balance is very important. I am very excited about my work because, not only are we involved in keeping our astronauts healthy, but we are also generating a knowledge base of what happens to the body in long term space flight. Some of what we learn may have implications for science and research on Earth. Not since Skylab have we had the opportunity to have detailed nutritional data on man during long term space flight. I am one of the nutritionists on our team, which also includes a chemist, medical technologists, and a registered dietitian. Every member of the team has an important contribution to make in furthering our understanding of "nutrition in space". SUBSCRIBING & UNSUBSCRIBING: HOW TO DO IT! If this is your first message from the updates-nrn list, welcome! To catch up on back issues, please visit the following Internet URL: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/updates To subscribe to the updates-nrn mailing list (where this message came from), send a message to: listmanager@quest.arc.nasa.gov In the message body, write these words: subscribe updates-nrn CONVERSELY... To remove your name from the updates-nrn mailing list, send a message to: listmanager@quest.arc.nasa.gov In the message body, write these words: unsubscribe updates-nrn If you have Web access, please visit our "continuous construction" site at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron
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