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At least 199 records · Page 11

Production of High Specific Activity 155 Tb, 161 Tb and 203 Pb for Research and Clinical Applications: Effective Target Design, Target Material Recycling and Radioisotope Separation (Final Technical Report)

The overall objectives of this project were (1) to develop methods for the production and separation of a diagnostic and therapeutic or “theranostic” pair of radioisotopes, terbium-155 ( 155 Tb) and terbium-161 ( 161 Tb) and (2) to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in technologies and methods used in radionuclide production. Radionuclides can be incorporated into drugs called radiopharmaceuticals that target a specific disease (e.g., cancer). The need for theranostic radionuclides is escalating with the clinical translation of radiopharmaceuticals due to their implementation in personalized medicine, which has demonstrated enhanced patient treatments. High purity and high specific activity radionuclides are critical for theranostic agent development, for example to maintain diagnostic image quality, to minimize radiation dose to the patient, and to increase uptake in the targeted tissue (e.g., tumor), especially in the case of receptor- and antigen-targeted agents. The 155 Tb (diagnostic) and 161 Tb (therapeutic) radioisotopes that were generated through this project are a theranostic pair with demonstrated potential for the development and translation into individualized, targeted, and dosimetry-driven radiotherapies. However, the development of such radiotherapies has been hindered by the lack of a routine and reliable supply of these isotopes in the United States. Methods for the production, separation, and supply of 155 Tb and 161 Tb were investigated and developed in this project. Further, the strong emphasis throughout the project on the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows has helped to ensure and enhance the nuclear science workforce through the training of the next generation of highly qualified scientists in nuclear and radiochemistry. This grant also continued a collaboration between scientists at the University of Washington (UW), the University of Missouri (MU) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). All three institutions were involved in the project, but to different degrees on the various tasks through which the overall objectives were met.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Cluster Expansion Analysis of Atomic Order in Li-Ion Battery Cathode Material LiCo y Ni 1-y O 2

A modified cluster-expansion treatment was developed recently to analyze atomic order in LiCo y Ni 1-y O 2 , a model cathode material for Li-ion batteries. In this treatment, referred to as a “spin-atom” cluster expansion, the occupant of a lattice site is identified by its spin state as well as its atomic species. Further, Effective Cluster Interaction (ECI) coefficients are derived from a large training data set (i.e., the set of atomic arrangements for which DFT calculations are performed) which is filtered by an anomaly detection algorithm to eliminate poorly converged DFT calculations. The cluster expansion incorporates Li-Ni (LN) exchange as well as intralayer Co-Ni (CN) exchange. Monte Carlo simulations based on the cluster expansion were applied to the Ni-rich part of the phase diagram. The simulations predict a miscibility gap between y = 0.05 and y = 0.65.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Developing a SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding prediction random forest model for drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic resulted in millions of people becoming infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus and close to seven million deaths worldwide. It is essential to further explore and design effective COVID-19 treatment drugs that target the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, a major target for COVID-19 drugs. In this study, machine learning was applied for predicting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to assist in the identification of potential repurposing candidates for COVID-19 treatment. Ligands bound to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease in the Protein Data Bank and compounds experimentally tested in SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding assays in the literature were curated. These chemicals were divided into training (516 chemicals) and testing (360 chemicals) data sets. To identify SARS-CoV-2 main protease binders as potential candidates for repurposing to treat COVID-19, 1188 FDA-approved drugs from the Liver Toxicity Knowledge Base were obtained. A random forest algorithm was used for constructing predictive models based on molecular descriptors calculated using Mold2 software. Model performance was evaluated using 100 iterations of fivefold cross-validations which resulted in 78.8% balanced accuracy. The random forest model that was constructed from the whole training dataset was used to predict SARS-CoV-2 main protease binding on the testing set and the FDA-approved drugs. Model applicability domain and prediction confidence on drugs predicted as the main protease binders discovered 10 FDA-approved drugs as potential candidates for repurposing to treat COVID-19. Our results demonstrate that machine learning is an efficient method for drug repurposing and, thus, may accelerate drug development targeting SARS-CoV-2.

Research & Experimental Medicine↗

Postural perturbations: new insights for treatment of balance disorders

This article reviews the neural control of posture as understood through studies of automatic responses to mechanical perturbations. Recent studies of responses to postural perturbations have provided a new view of how postural stability is controlled, and this view has profound implications for physical therapy practice. We discuss the implications for rehabilitation of balance disorders and demonstrate how an understanding of the specific systems underlying postural control can help to focus and enrich our therapeutic approaches. By understanding the basic systems underlying control of balance, such as strategy selection, rapid latencies, coordinated temporal spatial patterns, force control, and context-specific adaptations, therapists can focus their treatment on each patient's specific impairments. Research on postural responses to surface translations has shown that balance is not based on a fixed set of equilibrium reflexes but on a flexible, functional motor skill that can adapt with training and experience. More research is needed to determine the extent to which quantification of automatic postural responses has practical implications for predicting falls in patients with constraints in their postural control system.

Review↗

Dynamic data-driven multiscale modeling for predicting the degradation of a 316L stainless steel nuclear cladding material

Here, we have developed a long short-term memory stacked ensemble (LSTM-SE) surrogate modeling approach that can provide rapid predictions of microstructural evolution and the resultant mechanical properties of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 316L series stainless steel (316LSS) fuel cladding under conditions of varying temperature and radiation dose rate. To acquire training data, we developed and implemented a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model to simulate precipitation kinetics of M 23 C 6 , γ', and G phases within SS316L cladding. Experimentally reported precipitation kinetics of SS316L in literature were linked to the kinetic parameters of the simulated precipitation in our KMC model. The model was then used to simulate microstructure evolution under synthetically generated treatments of varying temperature and radiation dose rate, for periods of up to 3000 hours. Changes in volume fraction, number density, and particle size of precipitates were recorded, and particle area fractions were correlated using statistical methods to develop the surrogate model. Simultaneously, the mechanical properties of the simulated microstructures were evaluated using microstructure-based finite element method (FEM) analysis to determine the elastic modulus, yield stress, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation to failure of the aged microstructures. Using this approach, our surrogate model can predict precipitation behavior within 0.25% volume fraction and mechanical properties within 6% relative error from the values predicted by the KMC and FEM models using 50 training simulations as input. The trained recurrent neural network-based model can return estimations of precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties ~1000 times faster than the physics-based codes. This work demonstrates, as a proof of concept, that reactor material service lifetimes under variable service conditions can be predicted for a statistics-based model from a practicably obtainable dataset.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic Data-Driven Multiscale Modeling for Predicting Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 316L Stainless Steel

We have developed a long short-term memory stacked ensemble (LSTM-SE) surrogate modeling approach that can provide rapid predictions of microstructural evolution and the resultant mechanical properties of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 316L series stainless steel (316LSS) fuel cladding under conditions of varying temperature and radiation dose rate. To acquire training data, we developed and implemented a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model to simulate precipitation kinetics of M 23 C 6 , γ', and G phases within SS316L cladding. Experimentally reported precipitation kinetics of SS316L in literature were linked to the kinetic parameters of the simulated precipitation in our KMC model. The model was then used to simulate microstructure evolution under synthetically generated treatments of varying temperature and radiation dose rate, for periods of up to 3000 hours. Changes in volume fraction, number density, and particle size of precipitates were recorded, and particle area fractions were correlated using statistical methods to develop the surrogate model. Simultaneously, the mechanical properties of the simulated microstructures were evaluated using microstructure-based finite element method (FEM) analysis to determine the elastic modulus, yield stress, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation to failure of the aged microstructures. Using this approach, our surrogate model can predict precipitation behavior within 0.25% volume fraction and mechanical properties within 6% relative error from the values predicted by the KMC and FEM models using 50 training simulations as input. The trained recurrent neural network-based model can return estimations of precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties ~1000 times faster than the physics-based codes. This work demonstrates, as a proof of concept, that reactor material service lifetimes under variable service conditions can be predicted for a statistics-based model from a practicably obtainable dataset.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Phase Identification in Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Patterns of Ti–6Al–4V Using Computer Vision and Deep Learning

X-ray diffraction patterns contain information about the atomistic structure and microstructure (defect population) of materials, extracting detailed information from diffraction patterns is complex, demanding and relies on prior knowledge. Here, we hypothesize that deep-learning techniques can help to perform an effective and accurate analysis with high throughput rates. To demonstrate this concept, we applied a novel deep learning framework to determine the evolution of the β-phase volume fraction in a Ti–6Al–4V alloy during heat-treatment from video sequences of 2D diffraction patterns recorded in transmission and with highly monochromatic radiation in a synchrotron beamline. In particular, we studied the impact of network design on prediction reliability and computational performance. Networks of different architectures were trained using 3008 experimental 2D patterns. A well-tuned model was found to reproduce the phase fractions of another experimental data set, consisting of 1100 diffraction patterns, with a mean-square error as small as 2.6 x 10 -4 . The average prediction error of β-phase volume fraction was within 1.6 x 10 -2 (in each diffraction pattern) of the values obtained by conventional methods. Our work demonstrates that convolutional neural networks can evaluate high energy X-ray diffraction patterns with a remarkable level of reliability. Furthermore, it demonstrates the significance of network design on the reliability of predictions and computational performance. The most complex models do not necessarily result in highest accuracy and may even fail to learn from the data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Waste Management Fundamentals for Environmental Professionals (UTrain 50448) [Slides]

At the pilot of this course, we discovered that we need to focus on how we do waste management at LANL. Environmental Professionals have a variety of jobs - most impact waste in some way. Finding a balance between comprehensive enough and too much is key. The goals of this training are for it to be good, consistent, and helpful, not just a requirement. The course modules are: Intro to Waste, Waste Regulations and Requirements, Waste Planning, Waste Generation and Tracking, Waste Characterization, Waste Packaging, Waste Accumulation and Storage, Waste Treatment, Waste Shipping, and Operation Experience and Lessons Learned.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

An Application of Faster R-CNNs in Object Detection Efforts Applied to the Critical Infrastructure Domain

Object detection and segmentation approaches have been successfully applied to multiple interdisciplinary domains ranging from medical imaging to autonomous vehicles. The following study details efforts to apply segmentation methods to the critical infrastructure domain. Specifically, the identification of critical sub-components of four facilities: airports, hospitals, hydroelectric dams, and water treatment plants. Data for this study was extracted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Imagery Program data set. Each facility class was considered independently of the other facilities, producing four different segmentation models during the testing and training process. Ultimately, the study team concluded there are significant challenges associated with object detection modeling when applied to facility analysis within the critical infrastructure domain. The study team was able to identify possible sources of these challenges that could be potentially addressed in future work.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Tidal Disruption of Strengthless Rubble Piles: A Dimensional Analysis

A relatively simple prescription for estimating the number of debris clumps (n) that form after a catastrophic tidal disruption event is presented. Following the breakup event, it is assumed that the individual debris particles follow keplerian orbits about the planet until the debris' gravitational contraction timescale (t(sub c)) becomes shorter than its orbital spreading timescale (t(sub s)). When the two timescales become comparable, self-gravity breaks up the debris train into n = L/D clumps, which is the debris length/diameter ratio at that instant. The clumps subsequently orbit the planet independent of each other. The predicted number of clumps n is in good agreement with more sophisticated N-body treatments of tidal breakup for parabolic encounters, and the dependence of n upon the progenitor's density as well as its orbit is also mapped out for hyperbolic encounters. These findings may be used to further constrain both the orbits and densities of the tidally disrupted bodies that struck Callisto and Ganymede. A cursory analysis shows that the Gomul and Gipul crater chains on Callisto, which have the greatest number of craters among the known chains, were formed by projectiles having comet-like densities estimated at rho(sub o) < 1 gm/cc.

Hahn, Joseph M.↗

Innovations in Medicine

NASA is planning now toward the day of long-duration flight-manned interplanetary missions for example-wherein routine health care and emergency treatment must be accomplished on-board the spacecraft over periods of months or perhaps even years. Since spacecraft design limits crew size, the medical assignment may be handled by a single astronaut-physician or by a crew member trained as a physician's assistant. In a space emergency demanding surgery, for instance, sophisticated communications equipment, backed by a computerized data processing system, would make it possible for a surgeon on Earth to "examine" the patient. He could study X-rays and other data, specify an in-flight surgical procedure, and guide the astronaut-medic step-by-step through the operation. Such a system is being evaluated now. It is called STARPAHC (Space Technology Applied to Rural Papago Health Care). NASA technology in space communications and data processing is being applied to remote health services for the Papago tribe. STARPAHC is administered by the NASA Life Sciences Directorate in the Office of Space Sciences. It is a joint program involving NASA's Johnson Space Center, the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health, Education & Welfare, and the Papago's Executive Health Council. Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. is NASA's systems support contractor.

Source record↗

In-Flight Personalized Medication Management

Current medication selection for treatment of astronauts during spaceflight missions is primarily dictated by the task of efficiently treating the widest possible range of physiological conditions and illnesses with a limited set of medications. Dosage and recommendations on the combination of drugs are based on the assumption of genetically equal drug sensitivity and unchanged metabolism. To our knowledge, there was no pre-flight drug sensitivity testing on a genetic level for any of the previous manned NASA space missions. Although many of the common, binary drug-drug interactions are, most likely, already considered in the ISS Medical kit composition, multi-drug and multi-drug-gene factors are not incorporated in the medication selection or prescription. Furthermore, due to the physiological changes occurring in microgravity environments, astronauts might be susceptible to potential increased drug toxicity as a result of decreased clearance of numerous drugs. In particular, perturbation of CYP450 enzymes which contribute to the hepatic metabolism of the majority of drugs may have significant effects on therapeutic efficacy and increase treatment-related toxicity5. The genes encoding the CYP450 enzymes are highly variable in humans. Inheritable variations of CYP450 hepatic metabolizer enzymes and transport proteins play a crucial role in the inter-individual variability of drug efficiency and risks of adverse drug reactions5. Additionally, there are some reports that document changes in the levels of production of drug-metabolizing enzymes in microgravity. These data can be extrapolated to provide reasonable assumptions of decreased levels of expression for most CYP450 enzymes in human body during prolonged space travel. If the prescribed medication regiment is not fully effective or causes undesirable side effects, the ability of the astronauts to function and maintain peak performance levels during space flight could be seriously compromised. Therefore, technologies capable of predicting and managing medication side effects, interactions, and toxicity of drugs during spaceflight are needed. We propose to develop and customize for NASAs applications available on the market Personalized Prescribing System (PPS) that would provide a comprehensive, non-invasive solution for safer, targeted medication management for every crew member resulting in safer and more effective treatment and, consequently, better performance. PPS will function as both decision support and record-keeping tool for flight surgeons and astronauts in applying the recommended medications for situations arising in flight. The information on individual drug sensitivity will translate into personalized risk assessment for adverse drug reactions and treatment failures for each drug from the medication kit as well as predefined outcome of any combination of them. Dosage recommendations will also be made individually. The mobile app will facilitate ease of use by crew and medical professionals during training and flight missions.

Personalized Medication↗

Machine learning models of intermittent operation of RO wellhead water treatment for salinity reduction and nitrate removal

Machine learning models were developed for intermittent multi-mode operation of a wellhead reverse osmosis water purification and desalination system to predict salt passage, nitrate passage, and permeate flux. The models, based on long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture, included an attention mechanism to increase model performance in proximity of the regulatory limit for nitrate. Training and testing of the models for the Startup, Production, Shutdown and Flushing operational modes were based on operational data (consisting of 22 process variables per data sample) acquired every 2–5 s over a six-month period. The significant sets of model input attributes for the different operational modes were assessed via Spearman ranking correlation, Self-Organizing Map (SOM) analysis and feed forward feature selection (FFFS). Although the variability of nitrate passage, salt passage and permeate flux was significant over the four operational modes, prediction performance for the three outcomes were with R2 and Average Absolute Relative Error (AARE) of 0.78–0.95 and 2.96–6.16 %, respectively. Model updates post membrane elements replacement demonstrated similar levels of prediction accuracy. The study results suggest that there is merit in exploring the utility of multi-mode models for sensor fault detection, data imputation, and for potential use in model-predictive control.

Intermittent RO operation↗

Supporting information for Few-Shot Learning Enables Population-Scale Analysis of Leaf Traits in Populus trichocarpa

In this work, we use few-shot learning to segment the body and vein architecture of P. trichocarpa leaves from high-resolution scans obtained in the UC Davis common garden. Leaf and vein segmentation are formulated as separate tasks, in which convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are used to iteratively expand partial segmentations until reaching stopping criteria. Our leaf and vein segmentation approaches use just 50 and 8 manually traced images for training, respectively, and are applied to a set of 2,634 top and bottom leaf scans. We show that both methods achieve high segmentation accuracy, in some cases exceeding even human-level segmentation. The leaf and vein segmentations are subsequently used to extract 68 morphological traits using traditional open-source image processing tools, which are validated using real-world physical measurements. For a biological perspective, we perform a genome-wide association study using the vein density trait to discover novel genetic architectures associated with multiple physiological processes relating to leaf development and function. In addition to sharing all of the few-shot learning code (see https://github.com/jlager/few-shot-leaf-segmentation), we are releasing all images, manual segmentations, model predictions, 68 extracted leaf phenotypes, and a new set of SNPs called against the v4 P. trichocarpa genome for 1,419 genotypes. The data folder includes all images, ground truth segmentations, predicted segmentations, and extracted leaf traits. All images encode the sample ID in the file name by indicating the treatment, block, row, position, and leaf side, respectively. For example, the file, C_1_1_2_bot.jpeg, indicates the control treatment, block 1, row 1, position 2, and the bottom side of the leaf. Tabulated results include position IDs as well as the corresponding genotype IDs. The images folder includes the 2,906 high-resolution leaf scans taken in the field. The leaf_masks folder includes 50 ground truth segmentations used for training the leaf tracing algorithm. The leaf_preds folder includes the 2,906 predicted segmentations from the leaf tracing algorithm. The vein_masks folder includes 8 ground truth segmentations used for training the vein growing algorithm. The vein_preds folder includes the 1,453 predicted segmentations from the vein growing algorithm. The vein_probs folder includes the 1,453 predicted probability maps from the vein growing algorithm before thresholding. The genomes folder includes the set of SNPs called against the v4 P. trichocarpa genome for 1,419 genotypes with a README file detailing the steps taken. The results folder includes: (i) raw values of the 68 predicted leaf traits in digital_traits.tsv, (ii) manually measured values of petiole length and width in manual_traits.tsv, (iii) thin plate spline (TPS) adjusted values of the vein density trait in vein_density_tps_adj.tsv, (iv) best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) adjusted values of the vein density trait in vein_density_blups.tsv, and (v) GWAS results for the vein density trait, including chromosome positions and corresponding P values, in gwas_results.csv.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Pharmacotherapeutics of Intranasal Scopolamine: FDA Regulations and Procedures for Clinical Applications

Space Motion Sickness (SMS) is commonly experienced by astronauts and often requires treatment with medications during the early flight days of a space mission. Bioavailability of oral (PO) SMS medications is often low and highly variable; additionally, physiological changes in a microgravity environment exacerbate variability and decrease bioavailability. These factors prompted NASA to develop an intranasal dosage form of scopolamine (INSCOP) suitable for the treatment of SMS. However, to assure safety and efficacy of treatment in space, NASA physicians prescribe commercially available pharmaceutical products only. Development of a pharmaceutical preparation for clinical use must follow distinct clinical phases of testing, phase I through IV to be exact, before it can be approved by the FDA for approval for clinical use. After a physician sponsored Investigative New Drug (IND) application was approved by the FDA, a phase I clinical trial of INSCOP formulation was completed in normal human subjects and results published. The current project includes three phase II clinical protocols for the assessment of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), efficacy, and safety of INSCOP. Three clinical protocols that were submitted to FDA to accomplish the project objectives: 1) 002-A, a FDA Phase II dose ranging study with four dose levels between 0.1 and 0.4 mg in 12 subjects to assess PK/PD, 2) 002-B, a phase II clinical efficacy study in eighteen healthy subjects to compare efficacy of 0.2 (low dose) and 0.4 mg (high dose) INSCOP for prophylactic treatment of motion-induces (off-axis vertical rotation) symptoms, and (3) 002-C, a phase II clinical study with twelve subjects to determine bioavailability and pharmacodynamics of two doses (0.2 and 0.4 mg) of INSCOP in simulated microgravity, antiorthostatic bedrest. All regulatory procedures were competed that include certification for Good laboratory Procedures by Theradex , clinical documentation, personnel training, selection of clinical research operations contractor, data capturing and management, and annual reporting of results to FDA were successfully completed. Protocol 002-A was completed and sample and data analysis is currently in progress. Protocol 002-B is currently in progress at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Protocol 002-C has been submitted to the FDA and will be implemented at the same contractor site as 002-A. An annual report was filed as required by FDA on the results of Protocol 002-A. Once all the three Phase II protocols are completed, a New Drug Administration application will be filed with FDA for Phase III clinical assessment and approval for marketing of the formulation. A commercial vendor will be identified for this phase. This is critical for making this available for treatment of SMS in astronauts and military personnel on duty. Once approved by FDA, INSCOP can be also used by civilian population for motion sickness associated with recreational travel and other ailments that require treatment with anticholinergic drugs.

Das, H.↗

Structured Prompt Interrogation and Recursive Extraction of Semantics (SPIRES): a method for populating knowledge bases using zero-shot learning

Abstract Motivation Creating knowledge bases and ontologies is a time consuming task that relies on manual curation. AI/NLP approaches can assist expert curators in populating these knowledge bases, but current approaches rely on extensive training data, and are not able to populate arbitrarily complex nested knowledge schemas. Results Here we present Structured Prompt Interrogation and Recursive Extraction of Semantics (SPIRES), a Knowledge Extraction approach that relies on the ability of Large Language Models (LLMs) to perform zero-shot learning and general-purpose query answering from flexible prompts and return information conforming to a specified schema. Given a detailed, user-defined knowledge schema and an input text, SPIRES recursively performs prompt interrogation against an LLM to obtain a set of responses matching the provided schema. SPIRES uses existing ontologies and vocabularies to provide identifiers for matched elements. We present examples of applying SPIRES in different domains, including extraction of food recipes, multi-species cellular signaling pathways, disease treatments, multi-step drug mechanisms, and chemical to disease relationships. Current SPIRES accuracy is comparable to the mid-range of existing Relation Extraction methods, but greatly surpasses an LLM’s native capability of grounding entities with unique identifiers. SPIRES has the advantage of easy customization, flexibility, and, crucially, the ability to perform new tasks in the absence of any new training data. This method supports a general strategy of leveraging the language interpreting capabilities of LLMs to assemble knowledge bases, assisting manual knowledge curation and acquisition while supporting validation with publicly-available databases and ontologies external to the LLM. Availability and implementation SPIRES is available as part of the open source OntoGPT package: https://github.com/monarch-initiative/ontogpt.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Derivation of Capabilities and Resources for Treating Medical Conditions in Deep Space

BACKGROUND: Medical care in spaceflight requires the adaptation of terrestrial standards to the constraints of the space environment. However, there is often conflict between the ideal resources required for treatment and diagnosis of a medical condition, and the constraints on their mass, volume, data needs, etc. This optimization of trades between medical risk and resources will be a significant challenge for deep space medical system design. METHODS: A team of physicians with a broad range of expertise reviewed the 120 medical conditions on the condition list for NASA’s Informing Mission Planning via analysis of Complex Tradespaces Medical Database (IMPACT-MD). Each team member was assigned a subset of conditions based on their experience and training. The assigned physician generated a proposed list of capabilities, definitions, and resources required to treat each condition based on terrestrial practice guidelines, medical literature, and subject matter expertise. Additional specialists were consulted for conditions where expertise was not present within the main group. The proposed list was then reviewed by the broader team and modified as needed to achieve consensus. Each capability and resource was then assigned parameters to define quantity required per medical event, necessity, training level required, and primacy order of any alternative resources. These capabilities and resources were placed into condition specific tables and delivered to a team of engineers who added mass and volume data for each specific resource and converted the table into a database for use as input to a computational model to simulate spaceflight (IMPACT) DISCUSSION: This process ensures that a minimum of three subject matter experts review and agree upon the scope of practice, medical diagnostic tools, and treatment modalities that would be necessary to address emergent and non-emergent conditions that may arise during spaceflight to inform requirements during the vehicle design phase. The method is scalable to any design reference mission and permits modification of the existing database as information, conditions or experience are added. By including specialists, generalists, and those with subject matter expertise in the spaceflight environment on the team, we ensure that the included capabilities represent a realistic and actionable foundation for planning deep space missions.

D R Levin↗

Spinoff 2012

Topics covered include: Water Treatment Technologies Inspire Healthy Beverages; Dietary Formulas Fortify Antioxidant Supplements; Rovers Pave the Way for Hospital Robots; Dry Electrodes Facilitate Remote Health Monitoring; Telescope Innovations Improve Speed, Accuracy of Eye Surgery; Superconductors Enable Lower Cost MRI Systems; Anti-Icing Formulas Prevent Train Delays; Shuttle Repair Tools Automate Vehicle Maintenance; Pressure-Sensitive Paints Advance Rotorcraft Design Testing; Speech Recognition Interfaces Improve Flight Safety; Polymers Advance Heat Management Materials for Vehicles; Wireless Sensors Pinpoint Rotorcraft Troubles; Ultrasonic Detectors Safely Identify Dangerous, Costly Leaks; Detectors Ensure Function, Safety of Aircraft Wiring; Emergency Systems Save Tens of Thousands of Lives; Oxygen Assessments Ensure Safer Medical Devices; Collaborative Platforms Aid Emergency Decision Making; Space-Inspired Trailers Encourage Exploration on Earth; Ultra-Thin Coatings Beautify Art; Spacesuit Materials Add Comfort to Undergarments; Gigapixel Images Connect Sports Teams with Fans; Satellite Maps Deliver More Realistic Gaming; Elemental Scanning Devices Authenticate Works of Art; Microradiometers Reveal Ocean Health, Climate Change; Sensors Enable Plants to Text Message Farmers; Efficient Cells Cut the Cost of Solar Power; Shuttle Topography Data Inform Solar Power Analysis; Photocatalytic Solutions Create Self-Cleaning Surfaces; Concentrators Enhance Solar Power Systems; Innovative Coatings Potentially Lower Facility Maintenance Costs; Simulation Packages Expand Aircraft Design Options; Web Solutions Inspire Cloud Computing Software; Behavior Prediction Tools Strengthen Nanoelectronics; Power Converters Secure Electronics in Harsh Environments; Diagnostics Tools Identify Faults Prior to Failure; Archiving Innovations Preserve Essential Historical Records; Meter Designs Reduce Operation Costs for Industry; Commercial Platforms Allow Affordable Space Research; Fiber Optics Deliver Real-Time Structural Monitoring; Camera Systems Rapidly Scan Large Structures; Terahertz Lasers Reveal Information for 3D Images; Thin Films Protect Electronics from Heat and Radiation; Interferometers Sharpen Measurements for Better Telescopes; and Vision Systems Illuminate Industrial Processes.

Source record↗