Latest news with #Asrar
Toronto Star
03-06-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
How studying what space travel does to astronauts' health is leading to innovations on Earth
When astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico following a nine month space odyssey — what was initially meant to be a mere eight-day test flight — crews had to carry out their atrophied bodies from the SpaceX capsule and onto stretchers. It's become a common procedure for astronauts returning from extended travels in space, who often experience intense nausea and difficulty walking on re-entry to Earth, experts said. Our bodies, evolved over hundreds of millennia to adapt to Earth's environments, are not designed to survive in the cosmos. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Canada Space debris is cluttering our orbit. Can falling space junk hit a plane? A new paper by University of British Columbia researchers paints a stark picture of the risks of space debris on commercial flights. Canada Space debris is cluttering our orbit. Can falling space junk hit a plane? A new paper by University of British Columbia researchers paints a stark picture of the risks of space debris on commercial flights. 'Space as a whole is an extreme environment. And it can be very disabling, even to the fittest individual,' said Dr. Farhan Asrar, associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Medicine and a global faculty member at International Space University. As researchers examine deep space travel, longer voyages and even the colonization of other planets, the question of how we can keep humans healthy in space has become a vital one. A new commentary by Asrar, published in Nature Monday, delves into the key challenges with space medicine — as well as the myriad of benefits the endeavour has had on Earthbound health care. What space travel does to the human body Space travel can affect us in numerous, often surprising ways. Away from the protection of Earth's ozone layer, the human body will be bombarded by extreme levels of radiation. It's estimated that astronauts on their way to Mars will experience what amounts to a year's worth of radiation on Earth every day of their months-long voyage. This can significantly raise one's risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and more, Asrar said. 'And now, people are focusing on looking at deep space voyages — the radiation tends to be even higher there.' Then there's the lack of gravity. Our bones, muscles and heart are calibrated to strain against this fundamental force; in its absence, these systems can quickly start breaking from disuse, explained Mathieu Caron, director of astronauts, life sciences and space medicine at the Canadian Space Agency. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Life Opinion Leanne Delap: Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez jet off on a controversial trip to space. Why their 'glam' getaway isn't a giant leap for womankind The billionaire-funded Blue Origin expedition lifts off with a celebrity-stacked, all-women crew today. Life Opinion Leanne Delap: Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez jet off on a controversial trip to space. Why their 'glam' getaway isn't a giant leap for womankind The billionaire-funded Blue Origin expedition lifts off with a celebrity-stacked, all-women crew today. The effects are similar to accelerated ageing: 'Six months in space can correspond to about ten or sometimes even 20 years of aging on the ground,' Caron, who is not affiliated with Asrar's paper, said. 'Fortunately for the astronauts, when they come back down on Earth, they can actually recover a lot of what they've lost.' Time spent in microgravity, combined with the radiation exposure, can ravage our bodies and lead to losses in bone density, vision changes due to fluid shifts in the eyes or even organ damage, Asrar's paper reads. In some cases, the damage was lasting, he said — some astronauts had to start wearing glasses or reported bone fractures after returning to Earth. On top of all the physical hurdles, astronauts must also contend with the psychological toll of what may be months spent in a cramped, dangerous and stressful environment, away from loved ones, he continued. 'On Earth, if someone has a health issue, you can immediately call an ambulance or go to the ER,' Asrar said. 'But in space, obviously, it just makes the health care delivery so much more challenging.' How do astronauts stay healthy in space? Astronauts undergo a great deal of preparation both before, during and after their space trips to ensure their health — including health checks and training before flight, regular physical conditioning while in space and weeks of physical therapy and rehabilitation after re-entry to Earth. But for trips into deep space, these may not be enough. Asrar's paper defined four 'key strands' of space medicine critical for mission success, as well as human health on Earth: Remote health care, mental health, food production and basic human biology. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Astronauts depend on telemedicine to monitor and support their health, Asrar writes. But long space voyages can disrupt this process; it can take 20 minutes each way for astronauts on Mars to communicate with doctors on Earth — much too long when dealing with emergencies like a heart attack, for example. The development of artificial intelligence health systems may provide a solution. But there are still more issues to contend with; many ingredients in medications degrade faster as a result of the intense radiation, for example, and resupplying crucial medicines in deep space is 'infeasible,' Asrar's paper reads. Canada 'He had the weight of Canada on his shoulders': An oral history of Canada's first trip to space, 40 years later Marc Garneau flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on Oct. 5, 1984, becoming the first Canadian in space. This is the story of that flight, Canada 'He had the weight of Canada on his shoulders': An oral history of Canada's first trip to space, 40 years later Marc Garneau flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on Oct. 5, 1984, becoming the first Canadian in space. This is the story of that flight, Then there's the challenge of maintaining mental health amid the fatigue, stress and isolation of space travel. While further research is needed on this front, advancements are being made, from lighting systems meant to maintain more conventional circadian rhythms to virtual-reality headsets. It could take seven to ten months to travel to space — meaning spacefarers would need to produce their own food. On this front, a number of new systems that require few resources to grow fruits and veggies in harsh environments are being developed. Finally, Asrar and Caron note there is still much unknown about how extended space trips will affect our biology. 'The International Space Station is really close, relatively speaking, to the Earth,' Caron said. 'But if we venture towards the moon, that's about a thousand times further away. Mars is a million times farther away. We really, absolutely need to know what happens to the human body before we reach those destinations.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW How space health care is leading new innovations on Earth Each of the four strands identified by Asrar come with significant benefits for health care on Earth. For example, advancements in telemedicine have helped deliver crucial care to members of remote communities and have skyrocketed in use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Asrar said. Similarly, optimizations in the dosage and storage of drugs may help improve medications on Earth, his paper read. Meanwhile, insights into maintaining mental health in isolation have proven invaluable in resolving Earthbound crises — Asrar's paper noted that, in 2010, the Chilean government consulted NASA when 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground. World NASA astronauts step outside space station to perform the 5th all-female spacewalk CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An astronaut who missed out on the first all-female spacewalk because of a spacesuit sizing issue got her chance s… World NASA astronauts step outside space station to perform the 5th all-female spacewalk CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An astronaut who missed out on the first all-female spacewalk because of a spacesuit sizing issue got her chance s… Improving food production can help feed isolated communities struggling with food insecurity; if we can grow veggies in the void of space, we can grow them in the harsh environment of northern Canada, Asrar said. Finally, insights into how human biology unravels in space can lead to a better understanding of our own bodies. Even the struggle to keep astronauts physically fit in space has translated into sports medicine and athletics on Earth, he said. 'There's a number of areas where I would say that space has been playing a role — especially when we look at things that are being developed for deep space missions — that would be relevant for us here on Earth,' Asrar concluded.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Invocation of MCOCA illegal': Court grants bail to Hashim Baba's associate
Noting that the invocation of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was illegal in an organised crime case, a Delhi court on Friday granted bail to an alleged associate of gangster Hashim Baba. 'In the present case, since the invocation of MCOCA in itself is found to be illegal, then there remains no doubt that such requirement of law also stands fulfilled in order to grant bail,' said Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Court in his order dated May 2. Asrar, the man suspected to be an associate of Baba, was granted bail on the condition that he furnish bonds worth Rs 25,000. Asrar was arrested on March 27 in a case registered against nine persons at Gokul Puri police station last September. His advocates M S Khan and Prashant Prakash had argued that MCOCA had been invoked on 'wrong foundation of law'. On January 18, the court had said that the FIR was based on the 'wrong notion of law' and refused to allow the arrest of the accused. On May 2, the court said, '…this court has already elaborated how this FIR was found to be based on wrong notion of law. The essential requirements to invoke MCOCA were discussed therein, which required that there must be a third instance of organised crime giving rise to the cause of action to invoke MCOCA. It was found that there was no such third instance, which could be deciphered from the FIR of this case.'
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- The Guardian
Children of war: six orphans' 1,000-mile journey across Sudan in search of safety
They were huddled together on the bare floor of an abandoned house – four orphans who had travelled nearly 1,000 miles after having to flee from their home in the city when Sudan's brutal civil war erupted. Having escaped ferocious fighting around Omdurman, twin city of the capital, Khartoum, they had arrived in Darfur, the sprawling region in western Sudan that has become synonymous with ethnic cleansing, massacres of civilians and widespread gang-rape and sexual violence during the ongoing conflict between Sudan's armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 'But we couldn't stay, it was too deadly,' says Asrar, 13, sitting beside three of her siblings, twins Mustafa and Mujtaba, nine, and seven-year-old Fatima. Outside the house, located in the devastated West Darfur city of El Geneina, another two of Asrar's siblings were trying to make money for them all to eat: Haroun, 21, working at a mechanic's workshop, while Abdallah, 15, pounded the streets with a donkey selling water all day. The six are symbolic of a conflict that has ravaged swathes of Africa's third-largest country. Next week marks the war's second anniversary. It is already the world's worst humanitarian crisis and all available evidence confirms it is worsening. An estimated five million children have fled their homes since fighting began, with almost 14 million minors in need of humanitarian assistance. The orphans of El Geneina do not have to speak to relay the horrors they have endured. Behind them, on the wall of the room where they sleep, are crude drawings depicting the relentless battles that have razed their neighbourhood in Omdurman. Tanks, artillery, drones and pickup trucks with heavy machine-guns mounted (known as 'technicals') feature heavily. Asrar and her siblings have been alone since July last year, when their mother, Aisha, died from dysentery at their home in Omdurman. 'There was nowhere to go to treat her. She got sick and was gone in two days,' says Asrar. Haroun, arriving back at the house after his workshop shift, adds: 'We were devastated when she died.' Their father disappeared before the war started, leaving the house one day and never returning. His children have been unable to reach him on his mobile phone; they presume he is dead. Left alone as the fighting in Omdurman intensified, the children lost their home and were forced to live on the city's ruined streets. Pointing at the pictures on the wall, mostly drawn by the twins, Haroun describes how their neighbourhood was subject to repeated drone attacks. 'The fighting was too close for us to stay there,' he says. Another brother who lives in Libya sent them money by phone to pay a driver to take them to El Geneina, where their parents were from and an elder sister, Israa, 30, still lived. Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion Their journey across the vast country forced them to navigate countless checkpoints and pass through towns emptied of residents. Nearly 13 million people have been displaced since the conflict began. 'Huge parts of the road felt like a ghost town,' says Haroun. They paid a driver in advance but he abandoned them along the way. 'He left us there with nothing,' Haroun says. 'We had already paid him, and we had run out of money, so we had to sell our mother's perfumes and clothes and survive on beans.' Strangers gave them money to help pay for them to make it to El Geneina, with the children forced to sleep on streets for several weeks. On arriving in the Darfur city last month, their elder sister could not be found, most likely having fled across the border to Chad. They found her house in ruins and moved into a nearby derelict house that had been left completely bare after being looted. A threadbare carpet serves as their bed. Despite escaping Omdurman, life in El Geneina is also fraught with risk. The city has witnessed myriad war crimes, including one of the worst atrocities of the war – a frenzied episode of violence, rape and looting by the RSF in 2023, in which almost 15,000 people were killed. In January, the US state department formally declared that the RSF had committed genocide during the civil war, committing 'systematic atrocities', many in West Darfur. For the orphans, hopes of a stable future are bleak. With the conflict about to enter its third year, 17 million Sudanese children are without a school. Haroun says he has abandoned his aspiration of becoming an engineer so he can look after his younger brothers and sisters. 'I want to register my siblings to go back to school. They've missed two years of education already and I want them to get back to learning,' he says. Neighbours share what little they have – bread, soup, beans and lentils – but survival is a daily struggle. 'We live in the hope that this nightmare ends soon,' says Haroun. Karl Schembri is media adviser for east and southern Africa with the Norwegian Refugee Council
CBC
19-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Astronauts' 9-month stay in space could help with healthier mission to Mars
Social Sharing As astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams get their land legs back on Earth, the effects of being stranded in space for nine months — and their recovery — will give scientists a chance to improve preparations for eventual, and even longer, space flights, say experts. NASA aims to send humans to Mars as early as the 2030s; flights which, there and back, could take 21 months. "The extreme environment of space, the radiation, the lack of gravity, even just those confined spaces, it can really take a toll on our health," said Dr. Farhan Asrar, associate dean of clinical faculty relations at Toronto Metropolitan University's medical school, who researches space medicine. "Literally I would say pretty much from head to toe it can cause issues." Without gravity, bodily fluids shift upward, leading to facial swelling and increased pressure in the skull, which can affect vision. On Earth, the pull of gravity on bones and muscles helps prevent bone and muscle loss. To try to counteract that, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) exercise for an average of two hours a day. WATCH | Canadian prepares to head to the moon: Canada's role in planned trips to the moon 3 years ago Duration 6:14 What's more, the cardiovascular system changes, which can lead to difficulty regulating blood pressure upon return to Earth. Asrar pointed to one Canadian study that suggested carotid arteries of astronauts can age the equivalent of 20 years from just six months in space. Heart and lungs, the balance mechanism in our ears, and our immune systems are also highly impacted by space flight, says Robert Thirsk, a former astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency and a retired medical doctor, Thirsk trained at NASA with Williams and says he's looking forward to speaking with her about how to improve training for Mars missions. He says astronauts will need to be more autonomous on Mars, given that it takes 20 minutes to send a message from there to mission control — too long, for example, if a crewmate's heart suffers an arrhythmia. "I think health-care delivery is the number one issue that needs to be resolved before we're ready to launch the first crew," Thirsk said on Tuesday. He says it'll be essential to have a physician on board for the Mars crew, along with AI-enabled diagnostic and monitoring tools. Despite their extended stay on board the ISS, others have been in space much longer than Wilmore and Williams. The record is held by Valery Polyakov, who was on board Russia's Mir station for 437 days, or more than 14 months, in the mid 1990s. Back then, Mir had an ultrasound on board to monitor changes to cosmonauts' health. It was about the size of an ABM. Now, Asrar says, the ultrasound on the ISS is the size of a gaming console. Similarly, astronauts also use the Canadian Space Agency's Bio-Analyzer, a portable tool that tests their blood, saliva and urine from just a few drops. Wilmore's and Williams's readings from before their trip will be compared with their condition now. Thirsk says astronauts are made well aware of the impacts of space flight on their abilities, including stress. Self-care, teamwork, cross-cultural skills and the ability to both lead and follow are all important skills for their careers. "I think the difference between a good astronaut and a great astronaut is mastery of some of these personality traits," he said.
