Effect of solar particle event radiation on gastrointestinal tract bacterial translocation and immune activation

Space flight conditions within the protection of Earth's gravitational field have been shown to alter immune responses, which could lead to potentially detrimental pathology. An additional risk of extended space travel outside the Earth's gravitational field is the effect of solar particle event (SPE) radiation exposure on the immune system. Organisms that could lead to infection include endogenous, latent viruses, colonizing pathogenics, and commensals, as well as exogenous microbes present in the spacecraft or other astronauts. In this report, the effect of SPE-like radiation on containment of commensal bacteria and the innate immune response induced by its breakdown was investigated at the radiation energies, doses and dose rates expected during an extravehicular excursion outside the Earth's gravitational field. A transient increase in serum lipopolysaccharide was observed 1 day after irradiation and was accompanied by an increase in acute-phase reactants and circulating proinflammatory cytokines, indicating immune activation. Baseline levels were reestablished by 5 days postirradiation. These findings suggest that astronauts exposed to SPE radiation could have impaired containment of colonizing bacteria and associated immune activation.     

Analysis of white blood cell counts in mice after gamma- or proton-radiation exposure

In the coming decades human space exploration is expected to move beyond low-Earth orbit. This transition involves increasing mission time and therefore an increased risk of radiation exposure from solar particle event (SPE) radiation. Acute radiation effects after exposure to SPE radiation are of prime importance due to potential mission-threatening consequences. The major objective of this study was to characterize the dose-response relationship for proton and γ radiation delivered at doses up to 2 Gy at high (0.5 Gy/min) and low (0.5 Gy/h) dose rates using white blood cell (WBC) counts as a biological end point. The results demonstrate a dose-dependent decrease in WBC counts in mice exposed to high- and low-dose-rate proton and γ radiation, suggesting that astronauts exposed to SPE-like radiation may experience a significant decrease in circulating leukocytes.     

End‐of‐life product management as a resilience driver for developing countries: A policy experiment for used tires in Ecuador

Over the last decades, a number of new environmental policies have been designed to improve waste management. Among them, extended producer responsibility (EPR) has introduced a mechanism to shift the environmental and financial burden of end‐of‐life products from public management to producers. Recently, EPR has been adopted by a growing number of developing countries, but this policy often struggles in being effectively implemented in such contexts, missing the opportunity of using waste management as a sustainability driver. By discussing the EPR for end‐of‐life tires (ELTs) in Ecuador, this paper proposes a different approach in designing and implementing EPR schemes in developing countries: it recommends consideration of social sustainability, rather than merely copying foreign management frameworks. To address this point, two case studies on socially directed ELT applications were designed and carried out. The case studies aimed at improving resilience of vulnerable populations to natural disasters by increasing the resistance of housing and settlements against catastrophic events using civil engineering applications. The analysis of the case studies’ outcomes brings to light possible policy adjustments, in which social sustainability goals are taken into account within the national EPR scheme. The Ecuadorian case also highlights the benefit of employing an adaptive governance approach when dealing with challenging urban management topics, such as informality (a widespread phenomenon in developing countries) and resilience.     

Acute biological effects of simulating the whole-body radiation dose distribution from a solar particle event using a porcine model

In a solar particle event (SPE), an unshielded astronaut would receive proton radiation with an energy profile that produces a highly inhomogeneous dose distribution (skin receiving a greater dose than internal organs). The novel concept of using megavoltage electron-beam radiation to more accurately reproduce both the total dose and the dose distribution of SPE protons and make meaningful RBE comparisons between protons and conventional radiation has been described previously. Here, Yucatan minipigs were used to determine the effects of a superficial, SPE-like proton dose distribution using megavoltage electrons. In these experiments, dose-dependent increases in skin pigmentation, ulceration, keratinocyte necrosis and pigment incontinence were observed. Five of 18 animals (one each exposed to 7.5 Gy and 12.5 Gy radiation and three exposed to 25 Gy radiation) developed symptomatic, radiation-associated pneumonopathy approximately 90 days postirradiation. The three animals from the highest dose group showed evidence of mycoplasmal pneumonia along with radiation pneumonitis. Moreover, delayed-type hypersensitivity was found to be altered, suggesting that superficial irradiation of the skin with ionizing radiation might cause immune dysfunction or dysregulation. In conclusion, using total doses, patterns of dose distribution, and dose rates that are compatible with potential astronaut exposure to SPE radiation, animals experienced significant toxicities that were qualitatively different from toxicities previously reported in pigs for homogeneously delivered radiation at similar doses.     

Common climatic signals affecting oak tree-ring growth in SE Central Europe

A network of 41 local tree-ring chronologies of oak (Quercus petraea and Quercus robur) in Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia (latitudes 45.00–48.00N, longitudes 13.14–21.63E, altitudes 80–800 m a.s.l.) was constructed and used to establish common climatic signals in oak tree rings in the region. Co-variation of residual chronologies could be resumed in 11 significant principal components (PC), explaining 79 % of common variability. Three of them, PC1, PC2 and PC3, made it possible to identify similarities among the sites. PC1, significantly correlated with all 41 chronologies, indicated a common positive response to precipitation in spring and summer (March and June) and a negative response to temperature in spring and summer (April and June). PC2, significantly correlated with 12 chronologies, indicated a common positive response to precipitation especially in spring (May) and a negative one to high summer temperatures (especially in August) with a pronounced north to south gradient. PC3, significantly correlated with ten chronologies, indicated that a warm previous December and warm current September have a positive effect on tree growth, especially in the south-western part of the study area. The obtained climate–growth relationships will help to understand better the variability of oak growth, to fill palaeoclimatic gaps and to improve dendrochronological research in the region.     

Pflanzengeographische Stellung und Gliederung Sloweniens

Summary This paper is the first attempt to divide Slovenia (NW Yugoslavia) phytogeographically. The pronounced transitional character of this country comprising the SE spurs of the East Alps and the NW foot-hills of the Dinaric Mountains on the one hand, the SW parts of the Pannonian Lowland and the NW tracts of the Adriatic Littoral on the other hand, entails an exceedingly rich variation of minor and major, biogeographically and ecologically different regional units. Let us add the conspicuous floral riches and the enormous variety of the plant units since this country is shared by three large floral or vegetational regions, viz. the Euro-Siberian, the Mediterranean and the Alpine-Arctic ones.In this transition area the migratory routes of the plants intersected and interconnected as early as the Glacial, and particularly the Post-Glacial Periods. During the changing Glacial Periods this country, mostly free from ice, was affording to the most varied flora elements shelter, habitats and spreading opportunities in all directions; it was in those periods the scene of very briskly changing floras and vegetations. According to palynological findings, today's Slovenia was — especially in the warmer Post-Glacial Periods — inundated with plants impetuously advancing from the Balkans, viz. chiefly by beech-trees.Slovenia's phytogeographical division is mainly based on the results of vegetational research from the last two or three decades, which (despite some imperfections) permit to divide our country into 6 phytogeographical regions. For the time being, they are phytogeographically not precisely classified; they rank below provinces, and approximately correspond to sectors and districts. The further partitioning of these regions and their systematization remain for further research work; area maps of the sociologically, ecologically and geographically major tribes of plants are going to be indispensable to this end.In this light, Slovenia's phytogeographical regions are: the Alpine, the Dinaric, the Sub-Mediterranean, the Sub-Pannonian, the Sub-Dinaric, and the Sub-Alpine regions. For each of them the climatic, orographic and geological features are described, and the properties of floras and vegetations are briefly discussed. The best explored and explained is the Sub-Mediterranean region; hence, its delimitation is the clearest.

---

Zusammenfassung Es wird der erste Versuch gemacht, das Land Slowenien (NW-Jugoslawien) pflanzengeographisch einzuteilen. Seine ausgesprochene Übergangslage, indem es die südöstlichen Ausläufer der Ostalpen und die nordwestlichen Vorsprünge des Dinarischen Gebirges einerseits und die südwestlichen Teile der Pannonischen Niederung und die nordwestlichen Gebiete des Adriatischen Küstenlandes andererseits einnimmt, bedingt eine ungemein reiche Abwechslung von kleineren und größeren, biogeographisch und ökologisch verschiedenen Landschaftseinheiten. Es treten dazu noch ein sehr großer Florenreichtum und eine enorme Mannigfaltigkeit der Vegetationseinheiten, indem sich drei große Floren- bzw. Vegetationsregionen (die Eurosibirsiche, Mediterrane und Alpinarktische) das Land teilen.In diesem Übergangslande kreuzten und verknüpften sich die Wanderwege der Pflanzen bereits während der Eiszeit und besonders noch im Postglazial. Im Wandel der Glaziaperioden diente das Land, das größtenteils immer eisfrei war, den verschiedensten Florenelementen als Zufluchts-, Erhaltungs- und Ausbreitungsgebiet, war also der Schauplatz eines sehr regen Floren- und Vegetationswechsels. Nach palynologischen Befunden wurde das Land Slowenien besonders in der wärmeren Nacheiszeit von einem stürmischen Vordringen der Pflanzenwelt aus den Balkanländern überflutet, was vor allem für die Buchenvegetation gilt.Die pflanzengeographische Gliederung Sloweniens stützt sich hauptsächlich auf die Ergebnisse der vegetationskundlichen Forschung der letzten zwei, drei Jahrzehnte, die trotz gewisser Mängel eine allgemeine Einteilung in 6 pflanzengeographische Gebiete ermöglichen. Diese Gebiete werden vorderhand pflanzengeographisch nicht näher klassifiziert, stehen aber unter der Rangstufe einer Provinz und entsprechen etwa den Bezirken (Sektoren) oder teilweise den Unterbezirken (Distrikten). Die weitere Aufteilung dieser Gebiete und ihre Systemisierung bleibt den weiteren Forschungen vorbehalten, wozu insbesondere die Erarbeitung von Arealkarten der soziologisch, ökologisch und geographisch wichtigeren Pflanzensippen unentbehrlich ist.Die ausgeschiedenen pflanzengeographischen Gebiete Sloweniens sind: das Alpine, Dinarische, Submediterrane, Subpannonische, Vordinarische und Voralpine Gebiet. Für jedes dieser Gebiete werden die klimatischen, orographischen und geologischen Eigentümlichkeiten geschildert, sowie auch die Wesenszüge der Flora und Vegetation kurz und bündig besprochen. Am besten erforscht und begründet ist das Submediterrane Gebiet, seine Abgrenzung ist daher am klarsten.