Molecular and physiologic changes in the SpaceX Inspiration4 civilian crew.

Human spaceflight has historically been managed by government agencies, such as the NASA Twins Study1, but new commercial spaceflight opportunities have opened spaceflight to a broader population. In 2021, the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission launched the first-ever all civilian crew to low Earth orbit, which included the youngest American astronaut (age 29), novel in-flight experimental technologies (handheld ultrasound imaging, smartwatch wearables, and immune profiling), ocular alignment measurements, and new protocols for in-depth, multi-omic molecular and cellular profiling. Here we report the primary findings from the 3-day spaceflight mission, which induced a broad range of physiological and stress responses, neurovestibular changes indexed by ocular misalignment, and altered neurocognitive functioning, some of which match long-term spaceflight2, but almost all of which did not differ from baseline (pre-flight) after return to Earth. Overall, these preliminary civilian spaceflight data suggest that short-duration missions do not pose a significant health risk, and moreover present a rich opportunity to measure the earliest phases of adaptation to spaceflight in the human body at anatomical, cellular, physiologic, and cognitive levels. Finally, these methods and results lay the foundation for an open, rapidly expanding biomedical database for astronauts3, which can inform countermeasure development for both private and government-sponsored space missions.

Basidiobolus: An unusual cause of lung abscess.

Non-resolving pneumonia leading to lung abscess is always a challenge to the treating physician especially in a diabetic patient. Atypical radiological features of lung abscess should raise the suspicion of unusual organisms. This is a case report of a 42 year old diabetic male presented with features suggestive of lung abscess and multiple target organ damage. Subsequent work up revealed that the etiological agent is a rare fungus - Basidiobolus. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of Basidiobolus lung abscess reported from India.

Application of LC-MS/MS for the identification of a polar impurity in mosapride, a gastroprokinetic drug.

In the impurity profile of mosapride a polar impurity (0.1%) was detected in HPLC with respect to mosapride. Based on the mass spectral data obtained by LC-MS/MS analysis this impurity structure was characterised as 4-amino-5-chloro-2-ethoxy-N-[[(4-benzyl)-2-morphinyl] methyl] benzamide. It is interesting to note that this impurity is potent analogue of mosapride, which will have much higher gastroprokinetic activity than metoclopramide. This impurity was synthesised from an unambiguous route and confirmed the structure by collecting various spectral data and the formation is discussed. To our knowledge this compound was not reported as process impurity elsewhere.

Adenosine deaminase inhibitors. Synthesis and biological evaluation of putative metabolites of (+)-erythro-9-(2S-hydroxy-3R-nonyl)adenine.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of three chain-hydroxylated (+)-erythro-9-(2S-hydroxy-3R-nonyl)adenine [(+)-EHNA] derivatives are reported. Hydroxy groups at positions 9', 8', and 8',9' (12, 25, and 16) were introduced by either epoxidation or hydroboration of a terminal olefinic intermediate. Affinities for calf intestinal adenosine deaminase (ADA) were determined from the steady-state inhibition of adenosine deamination. Ki values of 0.82, 3.8, 6.4, and 15.8 nM were estimated for (+)-EHNA, 9'-hydroxy-(+)-EHNA (12), 8'-hydroxy-(+)-EHNA (25), and 8',9'-dihydroxy-(+)-EHNA (16), respectively, by assuming a single class of binding sites. However, the data for all inhibitors conformed more closely to the kinetics of a heterogeneous system with different affinities for two or more binding sites. The fairly high potencies of 12 and 25 suggest that other substitutions at the terminal position of the nonyl chain could yield useful ADA inhibitors.

1',2'-seco-dideoxynucleosides as potential anti-HIV agents.

1',2'-seco-2',3'-Dideoxycytidine (12), -guanosine (14), -adenosine (16), and -inosine (18) were prepared from (R)-benzylglycidol as potential anti-HIV agents. When compared to ddAdo in protecting ATH8 cells, they were found to be inactive.

p-Aminoacetophenone as a reagent for the colorimetric determination of cerium(IV).

With a solution ofp-aminoacetophenone, cerium(IV) gives a purple colour which can be used for its detection and determination. The limits of identification and dilution are 1.0 mug and 1 in 50000 respectively. Beer's law is obeyed in the range 14-350 mug. The colour is stable for only 5 min and measurements of absorbance must be made quickly. The interferences are fewer than with existing methods.