The Medical journal of Australia
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Space flight presents a set of physiological challenges to the space explorer which result from the absence of gravity (or in the case of planetary exploration, partial gravity), radiation exposure, isolation and a prolonged period in a confined environment, distance from Earth, the need to venture outside in the hostile environment of the destination, and numerous other factors. Gravity affects regional lung function, and the human lung shows considerable alteration in function in low gravity; however, this alteration does not result in deleterious changes that compromise lung function upon return to Earth. ⋯ Dust exposure is a significant health hazard in occupational settings such as mining, and exposure to extraterrestrial dust is an almost inevitable consequence of planetary exploration. The combination of altered pulmonary deposition of extraterrestrial dust and the potential for the dust to be highly toxic likely makes dust exposure the greatest threat to the lung in planetary exploration.
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To determine whether socio-economic status at birth is associated with differences in risk factors for cardiovascular disease - body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood lipid levels - during the first 25 years of life. ⋯ Our longitudinal life course analyses indicate that area-level socio-economic factors at birth influence the prevalence of major cardiovascular disease risk factors among Indigenous Australians during childhood and early adulthood.