Space art: aesthetics design as psychological support

The purpose of this article is to explore the possibilities of art and design in the context of space development. The focus is the effects of arts on feelings, how to enjoy arts as a creator (Ono expressed together with “Art for psychological support”, the paper presented at European Space Agency (ESA), Tools for psychological support during exploration missions to Mars and Moon, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 2007), supporting the idea of Joseph Beuys that “every human being is an artist” (Art into society, society into art. First published in English in Caroline Tisdall, ICA, London, p 48, 1973). Expression with arts is helpful to find our real selves. When humans create arts, their inner feelings will appear. Art therapy works in this way (Ono in Expressive arts therapy—drawing, clay, music, drama, and dance, Seishinshobo, Japan, 2005). Artistic expressions effect positively the human well-being. This work hypotheses that also in outer space artistic expression will be able to improve astronauts’ quality of life. The topics approached in this article are: (1) Space Art; (2) Psychology and Space Art; (3) Lunar Zen Garden Habitat; (4) Astronaut′s Art.     

Sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust in a tropical Asian mega-city, Bangkok, Thailand

We collected samples of roadside air, automobile exhaust soot, tires, asphalt, and used engine oil in a tropical Asian mega-city, Bangkok, Thailand, and analyzed them for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hopanes. The concentrations and compositions of PAHs and hopanes were utilized to identify the sources of PAHs in street dust, in which high concentrations of PAHs were reported in our previous study. Weight-based concentrations of total PAHs had the following order: gasoline-powered vehicle soot (2600+/-2900 microg/g; n=4)>diesel-powered vehicle soot (115+/-245 microg/g; n=7) approximately roadside aerosols (101+/-35 microg/g; n=5) approximately used engine oil (97+/-65 microg/g; n=4) approximately tire wear particles (82+/-41 microg/g; n=5)>asphalt (2.3+/-1.6 microg/g; n=3)>street dust (1.1+/-0.8 microg/g; n=10). In cluster analysis, all the source materials fell into different clusters from that in which street dust fell, indicating that multiple source materials contribute to PAHs in the street dust. Multiple regression analysis of PAH profiles and diagnostics of hopane compositions identified tire debris as the major contributor of PAHs to street dust, followed by diesel vehicle exhaust.     

Removal of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during sand filtration and ozonation at a municipal sewage treatment plant

We investigated the efficiencies of removal of 24 pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) during sand filtration and ozonation in an operating municipal sewage treatment plant (STP). The target compounds were 2 phenolic antiseptics (thymol, triclosan), 5 acidic analgesics or anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, fenoprofen, mefenamic acid), 4 amide pharmaceuticals (propyphenazone, crotamiton, carbamazepine, diethyltoluamide), 7 antibiotics (sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin, erythromycin anhydride, clarithromycin, roxithromycin), 3 phenolic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) (nonylphenol:NP, octylphenol:OP, bisphenol A:BPA) and 3 natural estrogens (17 beta-estradiol:E2, estrone:E1, estriol:E3). Ozonation removed approximately 80% or more of the phenolic antiseptics, crotamiton, sulfonamide and macrolide antibiotics, and 17 beta-estradiol. Their removal is discussed in terms of chemical structure. The study ascertained the validity of ozonation mechanisms proposed by previous studies in an actually running STP. Compounds with a CC double bond or an aromatic structure with electron donors (e.g., phenol, alkyl, methoxy, or non-protonated amine) were susceptible to ozonation. Compounds with amide structures were resistant. Removal of the PhACs during sand filtration was generally inefficient, probably because of their low hydrophobicities. The combination of ozonation and sand filtration with activated sludge treatment gave efficient removal (>80%) of all the target compounds except carbamazepine and diethyltoluamide. Among all the steps in the plant, ozonation contributed substantially to overall removal of naproxen, ketoprofen, triclosan, crotamiton, sulfapyridine, macrolide antibiotics, and estrone.     

Accumulation of radiocesium in wild mushrooms collected from a Japanese forest and cesium uptake by microorganisms isolated from the mushroom-growing soils

Mushrooms and soils samples collected from a sub-alpine forest of Mt. Fuji in Japan were measured for 137Cs and stable Cs. The ranges of 137Cs specific activities and stable Cs concentrations in the mushrooms were 291-7950 Bq kg(-1) dry weight and 4.69-58.1 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. Both 137Cs specific activities and stable Cs concentrations in the mushrooms were higher than those in common agricultural plants. The 137Cs specific activities and stable Cs concentrations in the soils were 3.18-149 Bq kg(-1) dry weight and 0.618-2.18 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. The appearance frequencies of filamentous actinomycetes and planktonic bacteria from the soils decreased according to increasing Cs contents in the medium. No relationship was observed between the appearance frequencies of those and the stable Cs concentrations in the soils. The filamentous actinomycetes from any soil sample could not grow in the presence of 25 mM Cs, although the planktonic bacteria from the soil samples could grow with up to 50 mM Cs in YM agar. In addition, the planktonic bacteria from approximately 70% of the soil samples could grow even in the presence of 100 mM Cs. Filamentous actinomycetes were more sensitive to Cs than planktonic bacteria. In in vitro experiments, Cs uptake by these strains of filamentous actinomycetes and planktonic bacteria was high in the presence of 5 mM CsCl and the strains accumulated Cs, the same as in mushrooms. Our results indicate that filamentous actinomycetes in the soils have higher sensitivity to Cs than planktonic bacteria, and several strains of filamentous actinomycetes have a high Cs accumulation in the presence of 5 mM Cs.     

Spectroscopic Studies of R(+)-α-Lipoic Acid—Cyclodextrin Complexes

α-Lipoic acid (ALA) has a chiral center at the C6 position, and exists as two enantiomers, R(+)-ALA (RALA) and S(−)-ALA (SALA). RALA is naturally occurring, and is a cofactor for mitochondrial enzymes, therefore playing a major role in energy metabolism. However, RALA cannot be used for pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals because it readily polymerizes via a 1,2-dithiolane ring-opening when exposed to light or heat. So, it is highly desired to find out the method to stabilize RALA. The purpose of this study is to provide the spectroscopic information of stabilized RALA and SALA through complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs), α-CD, β-CD and γ-CD and to examine the physical characteristics of the resultant complexes in the solid state. The RALA-CD structures were elucidated based on the micro fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman analyses. The FT-IR results showed that the C=O stretching vibration of RALA appeared at 1717 cm⁻¹ and then shifted on formation of the RALA-CD complexes. The Raman spectra showed that the S–S and C–S stretching vibrations for RALA at 511 cm⁻¹ (S–S), 631 cm⁻¹ (C–S) and 675 cm⁻¹ (C–S) drastically weakened and almost disappeared upon complexation with CDs. Several peaks indicative of O–H vibrations also shifted or changed in intensity. These results indicate that RALA and CDs form host-guest complexes by interacting with one another.     

Arterial baroreceptor afferent activity in nonpulsatile systemic circulation

We directly measured aortic depressor nerve activity (ADNA) in rabbits to investigate changes in arterial baroreceptor afferent activity (ABAA) in response to nonpulsatile systemic circulation (NC) during total left heart bypass (TLHB). ADNA was measured before and 5, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min after the start of TLHB while maintaining the mean aortic pressure (MAP) at preestablished values (n=10). At 5 min, the ADNA was significantly increased compared to its baseline value. At 30 min, it was significantly decreased compared to its value at 5 min and thereafter remained the same. The ADNA was then measured before and 5 and 30 min after the start of TLHB under increased MAP (n=10). The results showed that the percentage changes in ADNA during TLHB were significantly less than that observed when the MAP was increased before TLHB. We conclude that ABAA acutely adapts to NC 30 min after its initiation, but changes in ABAA are depressed under NC combined with increased MAP.     

Acquisition of cell adhesion and induction of focal adhesion kinase of human colon cancer Colo 201 cells by retinoic acid-induced differentiation

The human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines Colo 201 and Colo 205 lose adhevise capacity to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and take on a round and floating cell shape. Treatment of these cells with all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) results in inhibition of growth and in a marked increase in the production of carcinoembryonic antigen, thereby indicating that the cells undergo differentiation. This RA-induced differentiation was accompanied by a large increase in the degree of cell adhesion with localization of E-cadherin molecules at cell-cell contact sites. We examined several adhesion molecules involved in cell-cell and cell-ECM interaction by immunoblotting, but no change in E-cadherin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, or CD44 was observed in RA-treated Colo 201 cells. Although the adhesion of Colo 201 cells to ECM depends on the Arg-Gly-Asp sequence, levels of integrins, alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha V, and beta 1 in differentiated adherent cells were similar to those in untreated cells. In contrast to equivalent amounts of cell surface adhesion molecules before and after differentiation, intracellular focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was markedly induced during RA treatment, and the increase in FAK resulted in elevation of tyrosine-phosphorylated FAK. These findings suggest a role for FAK in activation of cell adhesion of RA-induced differentiation of these colon cancer cells. This may serve as an appropriate model to examine the mode of activation of the adhesive capacity of cancer cells.     

A poliovirus-susceptible transgenic mouse model as a possible replacement for the monkey neurovirulence test of oral poliovirus vaccine

Two poliovirus-susceptible transgenic mouse (Tg PVR) strains, Tg1 and Tg21, were compared with the monkey test for their sensitivity to neurovirulence of live oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Intracerebral (i.c.) and intraspinal (i.s.) routes of inoculation were investigated to determine the most suitable combination of mouse strain and route. Evaluation of the mouse tests was performed using several indicators; clinical score and failure time were selected as the most efficient. Tg1 and Tg21 mice inoculated i.s. with type 2, and Tg21 mice inoculated i.s. with type 3 OPV were determined to be the most appropriate systems, whereas they are shown not to be suitable for type 1 OPV. The sensitivity of each of the two mouse models was at least equal to that of the monkey test, suggesting that these mouse systems might be considered as a potential replacement for the monkey test of OPV. However, more data are needed to establish regulatory criteria of acceptability for vaccine lots tested in Tg PVR mice. This is the first study conducted with Tg PVR mice with all three types of poliovirus vaccine preparations.     

Development of narrow gap multi-layer welding process using oscillation laser beam

The oscillation laser beam is considered to be effective as a heat source of narrow gap multi-layer welding because oscillation laser welding can control the penetration shape and prevent the lack of fusion. In this study, in order to establish a narrow gap welding process by oscillation laser beam, butt welding experiments of 50 mm thickness carbon steel plate were performed. By the appropriate control of the heat input area using the in-process sensor for recognizing the groove shape, narrow gap welding of a thick plate with groove which was cut by gas cutting was achieved. Properties of the welded joint had been confirmed by nondestructive testing, tensile test and side bend test. A two-dimensional numerical calculation model for welding deformation was developed. This calculation model was used for investigation of the optimal groove angle. The results of calculations were in quantitative agreement with the experimental results. Microstructure of the weld zone had multiple thermal histories. According to the hardness test results, maximum hardness of the heat affected zone of the upper layer has been lowered than that of the lower layer.