Varicella zoster virus (VZV) becomes latent in human ganglia after primary infection. VZV reactivation occurs primarily in elderly individuals, organ transplant recipients, and patients with cancer and AIDS, correlating with a specific decline in cell-mediated immunity to the virus. VZV can also reactivate after surgical stress. The unexpected occurrence of thoracic zoster 2 days before space f...

Following the advent of molecular assays that measure T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) present in recent thymic emigrants, it has been conclusively shown that thymopoiesis persists in most adults, but that functional output decreases with age, influencing the maintenance of a diverse and functional T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. Space flight has been shown to result in a variety of p...

Biofilm formation is closely related to the pathogenetic processes of Klebsiella pneumoniae, which frequently causes infections in immunocompromised individuals. The immune system of astronauts is compromised in spaceflight. Accordingly, K. pneumoniae, which used to be isolated from orbiting spacecraft and astronauts, poses potential threats to the health of astronauts and mission security. Mic...

Postural and gait instabilities in astronauts returning from spaceflight are thought to result from in-flight adaptation of central nervous system processing of sensory inputs from the vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems. We hypothesized that reorganization of posture control relying on these multiple inputs would result in not only greater amounts of sway, but also changes in interj...

Abstract Astronauts exhibit an assortment of clinical abnormalities in their eyes during long-duration spaceflight. The purpose this study was to determine whether spaceflight induces epigenomic and transcriptomic reprogramming the retina or alters epigenetic clock. mice were flown for 37 days animal enclosure modules on International Space Station; ground-based control animals maintained under...

Radio-based communication between crew members in space and mission control centers on the ground has operational purpose of supporting safe effective execution missions space. Space-to-ground also, however, constitutes one relatively few interpersonal relationships astronauts have during addition to its purpose, this can support astronauts’ wellbeing. The paper is identify psychosocially suppo...

NASA’s human spaceflight efforts are moving towards long-duration exploration missions requiring asynchronous communication between onboard crew and an increasingly remote ground support. In current aboard the International Space Station, there is a near real-time loop Mission Control Center astronauts. This essential today to support operations, maintenance, science requirements onboard, witho...

The International Space Station will soon provide an unparalleled research facility for studying the nearand longer-term effects of microgravity on living systems. Using the Space Station Glovebox Facility a compact, fully contained reach-in environment astronauts will conduct technically challenging life sciences experiments. Virtual environment technologies are being developed at NASA Ames Re...