Biological Sciences in Space
Online ISSN : 1349-967X
Print ISSN : 0914-9201
ISSN-L : 0914-9201
Volume 21, Issue 2
Displaying 1-2 of 2 articles from this issue
  • Naomi Katayama
    2007 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 21-26
    Published: 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: December 26, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    We scope space exploration beyond the low Earth orbit, such as manned activities on Moon and Mars. The advanced life support system is required to create and maintain living environment in outer space by providing foods, cloths and habitat. We shall prepare effective measures for promoting health and preventing illness, as well. Since astronauts would be exposed to various stressful situation, it is highly requested to feed them healthy meal with a good balance of its nutrients, which maintain inner environment of digestive organ at its proper condition. It is also important to prevent diarrhea and constipation, or to enhance willpower and physical strength of astronauts, by feeding them with good nutritious and ingestible materials. The lactic acid bacterium beverage (containing 80 billion Lactobacillus casei shirota) was given, every day for one month, to 10 healthy female subjects (20.4 ± 0.51 years old) who suffer constipation, together with another 10 subjects for the control with dead bacteria in the same beverage. Status of their constipation was examined by their reporting of number of evacuation, shape of the evacuation, their self awareness on their status. The average stool frequency increased in both the experiment and the control group from the first week of administration. In the experiment group, six among ten subjects showed improvement of clear constipation. Since seven out of ten control subjects did not show improvement in their constipation, administration of live lactic acid bacterium is effective for improving constipation. The L-casei shirota lactic acid bacterium stock helps the action of Bifidobacterium bifidum to keep bowels in normal state. Without proper population of Bifidobacterium bifidum, such conditioning is not effective. Administration of both bacterium species is required in such case. In the future space missions, intake of the lactic acid bacterium would be one of effective measures to maintain astronaut's bowel in good condition and contribute to enhance their health and productivity in their task of space exploration.
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  • Masamichi Yamashita, Makoto Yamashita, Masayuki Saigusa
    2007 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 27-31
    Published: 2007
    Released on J-STAGE: December 26, 2007
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    A stand-alone data logger was developed for biological exposure experiment in space. A combibnation of one chip micro computer with electrically erasable programabble read only memory, real timer counter and analog awitch enables measurement of temperature every 10 minutes (default) for a period of one year at electric power supplied from lithium primary battery. It can be operated under thermal swing between - 80 and +80 degree C, expected during expoosure on outer environemnt of the International Space Station or biological orbiting satellites. Physical size and mass of the prototype logger are 46 x 35 x 14 mm and 24g (not including potting material coated over the circuit board nor a pressurized container for the logger).
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