Desert Rats Research Articles

The spacecraft and Science Communicator roles in human missions: Lessons learned from testing various architectures in the Desert RATS field tests

The Desert RATS field analogue tests in 2010 and 2011 utilized the position of Science Communicator (SciCom) as that of a communications facilitator among the test's astronaut crews, science backrooms, and flight operations team. Based on the traditional role of the Spacecraft Communicator (CapCom), the SciCom was tasked with utilizing their science expertise to understand the inputs from the science backroom, and to quickly and effectively distill those into executable tasks communicated to the crew. The role was demonstrated to be a crucial component of the success of these tests.Certain skills were determined to be essential for a SciCom to develop; these included science knowledge germane to the mission, good communications skills, diplomacy, the ability to multitask, and the ability to advocate for the crew. Key attributes of the SciCom role include: the ability to balance science team goals and requirements with crew needs on a science-driven tactical timeline; using good judgment, strong situational awareness, foresight, and experience to meet the needs of each team; fostering a good relationship with their Science Lead (SciLead); anticipating and being proactive in addressing issues; and strengthening constructive cross-referencing and cross-education with the SciLead. These attributes mimic the relationship between the CapCom and the Flight Director.

Urologists to the desert rats - serendipitous skills of the world war II urologists

Urologists to the desert rats - serendipitous skills of the world war II urologists

Soroepidemiologia da Brucelose em equinos de trabalho de áreas rurais do Município de Uberlândia-MG

The brucellosis is an infectious-contagious disease caused by bacterias of the Brucella gender, of general distribution, infects many species of domestic animals and even mankind. Among animal species in which the disease was already diagnosed are included bovine, goats, swine, dogs, ovine, equine, buffalo, and desert rats. Few works in the literature approach the disease in the equine species, bringing difficulties in the evaluation of the disease’s distribution in a national and worldwide level. The present work was focused on evaluating the predominance of the disease in equines that worked as traction animals in the rural areas of the city of Uberlândia - MG and clarify the epidemiologic mechanisms evolved in the regional transmission chain. Serologic tests and a socio-epidemiologic questionary. In order to do that, serologic tests were used and a social-epidemiologic set of questions was answered by each owner after the blood sample collection. One hundred and eighty seven blood samples were evaluated by test of rose Bengal antigen (AAT), 100% of them being negative to the test. The handling conditions, mounting system, storing, alimentation and isolation of the species of sanitary interest in the transmission of Brucellosis to the traction equines, had a decisive contribution as limiting factors to the dissemination of this disease to these animals. In conclusion, the equine brucellosis, doesn’t have much epidemiologic importance for working equines in the rural sites of Uberlândia – MG, which is an area rid of the given disease.

James Tulloch Brown

James Tulloch Brown was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, and educated at Hamilton Academy before studying medicine He did house jobs at Glasgow’s Victoria Infirmary before joining the Royal Army Medical...

THE EFFECTS OF ADMINISTRATION OF VALPROIC ACID ON BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) AND DEPRESSION OF ANIMAL ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DURING EIGHT WEEK LONG ENDURANCE EXERCISES

Abstract. The objective of the present study is to analyze the effects of administration of valproic acid on Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and depression of alzheimer’s disease of desert rat during eight week long endurance exercises. In order to administer the study, 140 Sprague Dawley desert rats (70 of which are male and the other half, female) are categorized randomly into seven research groups, which includes 1) control group 2) sham group and testing groups 3) long distance training group 4) valproic acid 100 group 5) valproic acid 200 group 6) training group of valproic acid 100 7) training group of valproic acid 200. During the eight week period, research desert rats of groups 3, 6 and 7 run for 15 minutes and 30 seconds on zero gradient laboratory treadmill, with the speed of 15 to 20 meters per minute in each training lapse. The lapses are frequented five times a week. Furthermore, for a 14 day period, groups 4 and 6 are daily administered with 100 milligrams valproic acid on kilogram and groups 5 and 7 are daily administered with 200 milligrams valproic acid. Research Methodology For research data analysis, one-way variance test and post hoc Tukey’s test are utilized. The findings indicate that the level of BDNF in all the research groups is significantly higher than the sham group (p<0.05) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF) and depression level of all the research groups are significantly lower than the sham group (p<0.05). Research Findings According to the research findings, it is indicated that endurance exercises, valproic acid and their synthetic administration increase the level of BDNF and decrease the levels of TNF and depression in desert rats with alzheimer’s disease.

Ginger (zingiber officinale roscoe) prevents morphine-induced addictive behaviors in conditioned place preference test in rats.

Consumption of chronic morphine induces neuro-inflammation and addictive seeking behavior. Ginger (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe), a well-known spice plant, has been used traditionally in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments. It has been shown that ginger has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and antinociceptive properties. However, its influences on morphine-induced addictive behaviors have not yet been clarified. The aim of the present study was the inhibition of exploratory behavior of morphine addiction in the conditioned place preference test in male desert rats through ginger. For conditioning to the morphine, the male Wistar rats received morphine (12 mg/kg intraperitoneally or i.p.) for 6 consecutive days and treatment groups were given different doses of ginger (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg intragastrically or i.g.) 30 min before morphine injection. For investigating addictive seeking behavior, conditioned place preference test (CPP) was used. Our result demonstrated that injection of morphine for 6 days induces dependency to morphine and creates addictive seeking behavior and ginger (100 mg/kg) could decrease time spend in conditioning box (addictive seeking behavior). The data indicated that ginger extract has a potential anti-addictive property against chronic usage of morphine.

Desert RATS 2011: Human and robotic exploration of near-Earth asteroids

The Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) 2011 field test involved the planning and execution of a series of exploration scenarios under operational conditions similar to those expected during a human exploration mission to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA). The focus was on understanding the operations tempo during simulated NEA exploration and the implications of communications latency and limited data bandwidth. Anchoring technologies and sampling techniques were not evaluated due to the immaturity of those technologies and the inability to meaningfully test them at D-RATS. Reduced gravity analogs and simulations are being used to fully evaluate Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) and extravehicular (EVA) operations and interactions in near-weightlessness at a NEA as part of NASA's integrated analogs program. Hypotheses were tested by planning and performing a series of 1-day simulated exploration excursions comparing test conditions all of which involved a single Deep Space Habitat (DSH) and either 0, 1, or 2 SEVs; 3 or 4 crewmembers; 1 of 2 different communications bandwidths; and a 50-second each-way communications latency between the field site and Houston. Excursions were executed at the Black Point Lava Flow test site with a remote Mission Control Center and Science Support Room at Johnson Space Center (JSC) being operated with 50-second each-way communication latency to the field. Crews were composed of astronauts and professional field geologists. Teams of Mission Operations and Science experts also supported the mission simulations each day. Data were collected separately from the Crew, Mission Operations, and Science teams to assess the test conditions from multiple perspectives. For the operations tested, data indicates practically significant benefits may be realized by including at least one SEV and by including 4 versus 3 crewmembers in the NEA exploration architecture as measured by increased scientific data quality, EVA exploration time, capability assessment ratings, and consensus acceptability ratings provided by Crew, Mission Operations, and Science teams. A combination of text and voice was used to effectively communicate over the communications latency, and increased communication bandwidth yielded a small but practically significant improvement in overall acceptability as rated by the Science team, although the impact of bandwidth on scientific strategic planning and public outreach was not assessed. No effect of increased bandwidth was observed with respect to Crew or Mission Operations team ratings of overall acceptability.

Mission control team structure and operational lessons learned from the 2009 and 2010 NASA desert RATS simulated lunar exploration field tests

The NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) is an annual field test of advanced concepts, prototype hardware, and potential modes of operation to be used on human planetary surface space exploration missions. For the 2009 and 2010 NASA Desert RATS field tests, various engineering concepts and operational exercises were incorporated into mission timelines with the focus of the majority of daily operations being on simulated lunar geological field operations and executed in a manner similar to current Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions. The field test for 2009 involved a two week lunar exploration simulation utilizing a two-man rover. The 2010 Desert RATS field test took this two week simulation further by incorporating a second two-man rover working in tandem with the 2009 rover, as well as including docked operations with a Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM). Personnel for the field test included the crew, a mission management team, engineering teams, a science team, and the mission operations team. The mission operations team served as the core of the Desert RATS mission control team and included certified NASA Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) flight controllers, former flight controllers, and astronaut personnel. The backgrounds of the flight controllers were in the areas of Extravehicular Activity (EVA), onboard mechanical systems and maintenance, robotics, timeline planning (OpsPlan), and spacecraft communicator (Capcom). With the simulated EVA operations, mechanized operations (the rover), and expectations of replanning, these flight control disciplines were especially well suited for the execution of the 2009 and 2010 Desert RATS field tests. The inclusion of an operations team has provided the added benefit of giving NASA mission operations flight control personnel the opportunity to begin examining operational mission control techniques, team compositions, and mission scenarios. This also gave the mission operations team the opportunity to gain insight into functional hardware requirements via lessons learned from executing the Desert RATS field test missions. This paper will detail the mission control team structure that was used during the 2009 and 2010 Desert RATS Lunar analog missions. It will also present a number of the lessons learned by the operations team during these field tests. Major lessons learned involved Mission Control Center (MCC) operations, pre-mission planning and training processes, procedure requirements, communication requirements, and logistic support for analogs. This knowledge will be applied to future Desert RATS field tests, and other Earth based analog testing for space exploration, to continue the evolution of manned space operations in preparation for human planetary exploration. It is important that operational knowledge for human space exploration missions be obtained during Earth-bound field tests to the greatest extent possible. This allows operations personnel the ability to examine various flight control and crew operations scenarios in preparation for actual space missions.

The Badger eXploration Loft at Desert RATS 2011

In recent years, the aim of both NASA as well as the nascent private space industry has become increasingly audacious. By any measure, it is becoming apparent that long duration manned missions to deep space are inevitable; as are the inherent complexities and risks associated with such large scale undertakings. With this in mind, it is critical that engineers and scientists work toward the goal of understanding the difficulties that lay ahead. Analog studies such as the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) are one critical resource available for the investigation of the effectiveness of various mission architectures. This paper provides a brief outline of D-RATS and focuses on the role, abilities, and benefits of the integration of the Badger X-Loft with the Habitat Demonstration Unit mission during D-RATS 2011.Â

Historical synopses of desert RATS 1997–2010 and a preview of desert RATS 2011

Desert RATS objectives, hardware, locations, and participants have changed over time. This paper provides historical perspective on the original motivations for the Desert RATS analog, and an overview of the changes in RATS over time. The lessons learned from each year are synopsized. Finally, a preview of Desert RATS 2011 tests is included.

Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) 2010 science operations: Operational approaches and lessons learned for managing science during human planetary surface missions

Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) is a multi-year series of hardware and operations tests carried out annually in the high desert of Arizona on the San Francisco Volcanic Field. These activities are designed to exercise planetary surface hardware and operations in conditions where long-distance, multi-day roving is achievable, and they allow NASA to evaluate different mission concepts and approaches in an environment less costly and more forgiving than space. The results from the RATS tests allow selection of potential operational approaches to planetary surface exploration prior to making commitments to specific flight and mission hardware development. In previous RATS operations, the Science Support Room has operated largely in an advisory role, an approach that was driven by the need to provide a loose science mission framework that would underpin the engineering tests. However, the extensive nature of the traverse operations for 2010 expanded the role of the science operations and tested specific operational approaches. Science mission operations approaches from the Apollo and Mars-Phoenix missions were merged to become the baseline for this test. Six days of traverse operations were conducted during each week of the 2-week test, with three traverse days each week conducted with voice and data communications continuously available, and three traverse days conducted with only two 1-hour communications periods per day. Within this framework, the team evaluated integrated science operations management using real-time, tactical science operations to oversee daily crew activities, and strategic level evaluations of science data and daily traverse results during a post-traverse planning shift. During continuous communications, both tactical and strategic teams were employed. On days when communications were reduced to only two communications periods per day, only a strategic team was employed. The Science Operations Team found that, if communications are good and down-linking of science data is ensured, high quality science returns is possible regardless of communications. What is absent from reduced communications is the scientific interaction between the crew on the planet and the scientists on the ground. These scientific interactions were a critical part of the science process and significantly improved mission science return over reduced communications conditions. The test also showed that the quality of science return is not measurable by simple numerical quantities but is, in fact, based on strongly non-quantifiable factors, such as the interactions between the crew and the Science Operations Teams. Although the metric evaluation data suggested some trends, there was not sufficient granularity in the data or specificity in the metrics to allow those trends to be understood on numerical data alone.

NASA Desert RATS 2010: Preliminary results for science operations conducted in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is working with international partners to develop the space architectures and mission plans necessary for human spaceflight beyond Earth orbit. The Apollo missions to the Moon demonstrated conclusively that surface mobility is a key asset that improves the efficiency of human explorers on a planetary surface. NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS), a multi-year series of tests of hardware and operations carried out annually in the high desert of Arizona, has tested a crewed pressurized rover concept referred to as the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV). During NASA's Desert RATS 2010, four 2-person crews driving two SEVs collectively conducted 12 days of field exploration in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona. They collected 461 samples, with a total mass of 161.2kg, on 70 simulated extravehicular activities (EVAs). Each SEV crew traveled over 60km during their field explorations. This paper illustrates where the actual field sites, or ‘science stations’, were located, provides a brief description of the types of samples collected at each station, and highlights some of the more interesting sites. Most of the geologic samples collected at Desert RATS 2010 were well documented at the site of collection, and upon delivery to the Johnson Space Center the samples were given a preliminary examination. The samples are available for further study by interested researchers developing scientific instruments for use on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, or for geological investigations of the San Francisco Volcanic Field.

DESERT RATS

An hour to spare this pen and meA word I'll pen whilst thoughts are free To write, and pay those "Rats" their due As we know them, me and you. Â Hard and lean, covered in sand Fast and sure. Gad! what a band, That dirty but efficient lot And "Desert Rats" that name they've got.

GeoLab—A habitat-based laboratory for preliminary examination of geological samples

GeoLab is a prototype geological laboratory designed for deployment and testing during NASA's analog demonstrations. Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) built GeoLab as part of a technology project to support the development of science operational concepts for future planetary surface missions. It was integrated into NASA's Habitat Demonstration Unit 1 – Pressurized Excursion Module (HDU1-PEM), a first generation exploration habitat test bed.As a test bed, GeoLab provides a high fidelity working space for crewmembers to perform preliminary examination and characterization of geologic samples. The GeoLab concept builds from the hardware and cleanroom protocols used in JSC's Astromaterials Sample Curation laboratories. The main hardware component of the GeoLab is a custom-built glovebox, constructed from stainless steel and polycarbonate, and built to provide a positive pressure nitrogen environment. The glovebox is mounted onto the habitat's structural ribs; the unique shape (trapezoidal prism) fits within a pie-shaped section of the cylindrical habitat. A key innovation of GeoLab is the mechanism for transferring samples into the glovebox: three antechambers (airlocks) that pass through the shell of the habitat. These antechambers allow geologic samples to enter and exit the main glovebox chamber directly from (and to) the outside, thereby controlling contamination from inside the habitat. The glovebox is configured to include imaging systems, instrumentation, and computer controls. The first field trials tested a simple configuration including a microscope, a commercially available handheld X-ray Fluorescence instrument, network cameras, and simple sample handling tools inside the glovebox.We present results from the initial field trials of GeoLab during the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) planetary analog test near Flagstaff, AZ. These field tests examined the general operations of the GeoLab hardware and the crew interfaces for operating the laboratory. GeoLab operations also resulted in the preliminary examination of selected samples for Desert RATS science team decisions regarding prioritization of samples.

The effect of different operations modes on science capabilities during the 2010 Desert RATS test: Insights from the geologist crewmembers

The 2010 Desert RATS field test utilized two Space Exploration Vehicles (prototype planetary rovers) and four crewmembers (2 per rover) to conduct a geologic traverse across northern Arizona while testing continuous and twice-per-day communications paired with operation modes of separating and exploring individually (Divide & Conquer) and exploring together (Lead & Follow), respectively. This report provides qualitative conclusions from the geologist crewmembers involved in this test as to how these modes of communications and operations affected our ability to conduct field geology. Each mode of communication and operation provided beneficial capabilities that might be further explored for future Human Spaceflight Missions to other solar system objects. We find that more frequent interactions between crews and an Apollo-style Science Team on the Earth best enables scientific progress during human exploration. However, during multiple vehicle missions, this communication with an Earth-based team of scientists, who represent “more minds on the problem”, should not come at the exclusion of (or significantly decrease) communication between the crewmembers in different vehicles who have the “eyes on the ground”. Inter-crew communications improved when discussions with a backroom were infrequent. Both aspects are critical and cannot be mutually exclusive. Increased vehicle separation distances best enable encounters with multiple geologic units. However, seemingly redundant visits by multiple vehicles to the same feature can be utilized to provide improved process-related observations about the development and modification of the local terrain. We consider the value of data management, transfer, and accessibility to be the most important lesson learned. Crews and backrooms should have access to all data and related interpretations within the mission in as close to real-time conditions as possible. This ensures that while on another planetary surface, crewmembers are as educated as possible with respect to the observations and data they will need to collect at any moment.

Desert RATS! A Field Report

INSIGHTVolume 11, Issue 1 p. 35-37 INCOSE Forum Desert RATS! A Field Report Jack Ring, Jack Ring jack.ring@incose.org Search for more papers by this author Jack Ring, Jack Ring jack.ring@incose.org Search for more papers by this author First published: 23 June 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/inst.200811135AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume11, Issue1January 2008Pages 35-37 RelatedInformation

B. Randall Tufts (1948–2002)

Randy Tufts, an explorer who made major discoveries on Earth and beyond, died on 1 April. The date surprised no one who knew him. Nationally known for his model of environmental stewardship, which stemmed from his co‐discovery of Kartchner Caverns in Arizona, Tufts more recently had turned to planetary exploration and conducted path‐breaking research into the geology and geophysics of Jupiter's moon Europa.Tufts began spelunking as a high school student, and he vowed to friends that one day he would discover a cave. As with everything he did, he committed himself completely to reaching that goal. He majored in geology at the University of Arizona and combed the region for undiscovered caves through maps, fieldwork, analysis, and of course schmoozing old‐time desert rats.

Presence of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide in Two Desert Rodents: Comparison With Rat

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was characterized and assayed in plasmas, hearts, and brains of two Algerian desert rodents, Psammomys obesus and Meriones libycus along with vasopressin, which was assayed in hypophyses and hypothalami. Using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay, we showed, in plasmas and hearts of both species of desert rats, the presence of peptides similar to rat N- and C-terminal ANP but in lower amounts than in Wistar rats. Conversely, C-terminal ANP was abundantly detected in hypophyses from Meriones libycus rats. As these peptides, through their diuretic and natriuretic activities, are involved in body fluid regulation and electrolyte balance, the reduction of ANP stores in both plasmas and hearts suggests that diuresis and natriuresis are lowered in both species of mammals adapted to arid environments. This could occur because of the vasopressin-mediated adaptation, but also in response to the low ANP involvement in hydro-osmotic regulations, even in Psammomys, which has a dietary salt loading. On the other hand, the higher C-terminal ANP contents in the hypophysis of Meriones than in Psammomys and Wistar rats remain to be understood.

Pericapsular smooth muscle cells in renal corpuscles of the Mongolian gerbil

During the course of a systematic investigation of the renal corpuscles in various desert rodents (Meriones unguiculati, Meriones shawii, Psammomys obesus, and Dipodymis), a thickened Bowman's capsule was observed light microscopically in some kidneys of adult Meriones unguiculati (Mongolian gerbil). Electron microscopic studies show that this unusual finding may depend on the presence of one or two layers of typical smooth muscle cells adjacent to the outer surface of the basal lamina. In the kidneys of other species of desert rats examined, no pericapsular smooth muscle cells were observed.

The interstitial cells in the renal medulla of rat, rabbit, and gerbil in different states of diuresis.

The inner zone of the renal medulla of rats, gerbils, and rabbits was investigated to determine whether or not there are any characteristic ultrastructural differences between the interstitial cells of these species. The effects on the interstitial cells of water deprivation and water loading were also investigated. In all three species, the Type 1 interstitial cells, the lipid containing cells, were abundant and their distribution and topographical relations as well as their general ultrastructure were similar. The previously reported significantly higher frequency in desert rats could not be confirmed. Although the lipid droplets of the interstitial cells were smaller in gerbils and rabbits when compared to rats, their fine structure was similar. Their electron dense outer zone was sometimes associated with a granular material and/or a lamellar material with a periodicity of about 40 A resembling phospholipid "myelin figures". Water-loaded rats showed a considerable increase in the number of lipid droplets when compared to dehydrated or untreated animals. In contrast, the interstitial cells of waterloaded gerbils and rabbits were depleted of lipid droplets.