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Stenner E, Giovannella L, Raffaelli G, Delbello G, Ruscio M, Verna R. Laboratory Investigation of the 900-km Lapland Extreme Challenge. Ann Lab Med 2019; 40:92-94. [PMID: 31432648 PMCID: PMC6713650 DOI: 10.3343/alm.2020.40.1.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Stenner
- SC Laboratorio Unico di ASUITs, Burlo, Gorizia e Monfalcone, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Servizi, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Luca Giovannella
- Centro Malattie Tiroidee, Clinica di Medicina Nucleare e Imaging Molecolare, Istituto di Imaging della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Giorgia Raffaelli
- U.O.C. Medicina Trasfusionale e Patologia Clinica, Repubblica di San Marino - Istituto per la Sicurezza Sociale, San Marino, Republic of San Marino
| | - Giorgio Delbello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ruscio
- SC Laboratorio Unico di ASUITs, Burlo, Gorizia e Monfalcone, Dipartimento di Medicina dei Servizi, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Roberto Verna
- World Association of Societies of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Milan, Italy. .,Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Zuccarelli L, Galasso L, Turner R, Coffey EJB, Bessone L, Strapazzon G. Human Physiology During Exposure to the Cave Environment: A Systematic Review With Implications for Aerospace Medicine. Front Physiol 2019; 10:442. [PMID: 31068833 PMCID: PMC6491700 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Successful long-duration missions outside low-Earth orbit will depend on technical and physiological challenges under abnormal environmental conditions. Caves, characterized by absence of light, confinement, three-dimensional human movement and long-duration isolation, are identifiably one of the earliest examples of scientific enquiry into space analogs. However, little is known about the holistic human physiological response during cave exploration or prolonged habitation. Objectives: The aim of our review was to conduct a systematic bibliographic research review of the effects of short and prolonged exposure to a cave environment on human physiology, with a view to extend the results to implications for human planetary exploration missions. Methods: A systematic search was conducted following the structured PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for electronic databases. Results: The search retrieved 1,519 studies. There were 50 articles selected for further consideration, of which 31 met our inclusion criteria. Short-term cave exposure studies have investigated visual dysfunction, cardiovascular, endocrine-metabolic, immunologic-hematological and muscular responses in humans. Augmentations of heart rate, muscular damage, initial anticipatory stress reaction and inflammatory responses were reported during caving activity. Prolonged exposure studies mainly investigated whether biological rhythms persist or desist in the absence of standard environmental conditions. Changes were evident in estimated vs. actual rest-activity cycle periods and external desynchronization, body temperature, performance reaction time and heart rate cycles. All studies have shown a marked methodological heterogeneity and lack reproduction under controlled conditions. Conclusions: This review facilitates a further comparison of the proposed physiological impact of a subterranean space analog environment, with existing knowledge in related disciplines pertaining to human operative preparation under challenging environmental conditions. This comprehensive overview should stimulate more reproducible research on this topic and offer the opportunity to advance study design and focus future human research in the cave environment on noteworthy, reproducible projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucrezia Zuccarelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Directorate of Human and Robotics, Exploration, European Space Agency, Köln, Germany
| | - Letizia Galasso
- Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Rachel Turner
- Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Emily J B Coffey
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Loredana Bessone
- Directorate of Human and Robotics, Exploration, European Space Agency, Köln, Germany
| | - Giacomo Strapazzon
- Directorate of Human and Robotics, Exploration, European Space Agency, Köln, Germany.,Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy
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Mogilever NB, Zuccarelli L, Burles F, Iaria G, Strapazzon G, Bessone L, Coffey EBJ. Expedition Cognition: A Review and Prospective of Subterranean Neuroscience With Spaceflight Applications. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:407. [PMID: 30425628 PMCID: PMC6218582 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Renewed interest in human space exploration has highlighted the gaps in knowledge needed for successful long-duration missions outside low-Earth orbit. Although the technical challenges of such missions are being systematically overcome, many of the unknowns in predicting mission success depend on human behavior and performance, knowledge of which must be either obtained through space research or extrapolated from human experience on Earth. Particularly in human neuroscience, laboratory-based research efforts are not closely connected to real environments such as human space exploration. As caves share several of the physical and psychological challenges of spaceflight, underground expeditions have recently been developed as a spaceflight analog for astronaut training purposes, suggesting that they might also be suitable for studying aspects of behavior and cognition that cannot be fully examined under laboratory conditions. Our objective is to foster a bi-directional exchange between cognitive neuroscientists and expedition experts by (1) describing the cave environment as a worthy space analog for human research, (2) reviewing work conducted on human neuroscience and cognition within caves, (3) exploring the range of topics for which the unique environment may prove valuable as well as obstacles and limitations, (4) outlining technologies and methods appropriate for cave use, and (5) suggesting how researchers might establish contact with potential expedition collaborators. We believe that cave expeditions, as well as other sorts of expeditions, offer unique possibilities for cognitive neuroscience that will complement laboratory work and help to improve human performance and safety in operational environments, both on Earth and in space.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ford Burles
- Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Iaria
- Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Giacomo Strapazzon
- Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research - Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Loredana Bessone
- Directorate of Human and Robotics, Exploration, European Space Agency, Köln, Germany
| | - Emily B J Coffey
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Bernardi S, Bossi F, Toffoli B, Giudici F, Bramante A, Furlanis G, Stenner E, Secchiero P, Zauli G, Carretta R, Fabris B. Association between thyroid hormones and TRAIL. Clin Biochem 2017; 50:972-976. [PMID: 28551332 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent studies suggest that a circulating protein called TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) might have a role in the regulation of body weight and metabolism. Interestingly, thyroid hormones seem to increase TRAIL tissue expression. This study aimed at evaluating whether overt thyroid disorders affected circulating TRAIL levels. METHODS TRAIL circulating levels were measured in euthyroid, hyperthyroid, and hypothyroid patients before and after thyroid function normalization. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between thyroid hormones and TRAIL. Then, the stimulatory effect of both triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) on TRAIL was evaluated in vitro on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS Circulating levels of TRAIL significantly increased in hyperthyroid and decreased in hypothyroid patients as compared to controls. Once thyroid function was restored, TRAIL levels normalized. There was an independent association between TRAIL and both fT3 and fT4. Consistent with these findings, T3 and T4 stimulated TRAIL release in vitro. CONCLUSION Here we show that thyroid hormones are associated with TRAIL expression in vivo and stimulate TRAIL expression in vitro. Given the overlap between the metabolic effects of thyroid hormones and TRAIL, this work sheds light on the possibility that TRAIL might be one of the molecules mediating thyroid hormones peripheral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Bernardi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Fleur Bossi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Toffoli
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabiola Giudici
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bramante
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giulia Furlanis
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Stenner
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, ASUITS, Maggiore Hospital, Via Stuparich, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Paola Secchiero
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine and LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giorgio Zauli
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine and LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Renzo Carretta
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Bruno Fabris
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 34100 Trieste, Italy
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