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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1999
> January
> January 15, 1999:
Hour One: Blood Substitutes / Shuttle Upgrades
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So the holidays are over, and you're working off
those fruitcake pounds. You've thrown out all the
wrapping paper, and the lights are off the tree.
Now how about donating some blood?
The nation's medical centers are facing a
shortage of blood. Packed holiday schedules and
nasty weather in some parts of the country have cut
down on donations, but demand continues unabated.
Every two to three seconds someone in the nation
needs a blood transfusion, according to blood
collection centers, and that demand continues
regardless of holiday schedules.
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So what can be done to fill in the gaps? Researchers
are working on several artificial blood substitutes to help
with the need. There are two main approaches, one involving
variations on the hemoglobin molecules that carry oxygen in
human blood, and one involving perfluorochemicals -
synthetic liquids in the same chemical family as Teflon.
Scientists hope that artificial bloods can be developed that have longer
shelf lives than natural blood's one-month storage time. Another advantage
of artificial bloods is that they can be pasteurized and made sterile,
unlike donor bloods which must be stringently screened to prevent disease
transmission. On this segment of Science Friday, we'll talk about blood,
blood transfusions, and the ongoing quest for blood substitutes.
Plus...What improvements should NASA make to the space shuttle to make
it useful in the years ahead?
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Substituting modern electrical systems for aging, toxic hydraulics
might improve safety and ease of maintenance. Developing longer-lasting
fuel cells would mean fewer repairs to the units that provide
electricity and water for the crew. Providing more security against
floating meteorites and space debris by modifying the shuttle
radiators and wings would have obvious benefits. A report released
this week by the National Research Council evaluated these options,
and some of the other possible ways that NASA could spend the
$100 million annually that it has allotted to shuttle improvements.
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The report also suggested that NASA work more closely with industry by
soliciting ideas for shuttle upgrades, offering incentives to contractors
that come up with good changes, and taking care not to squelch ideas that
might result in commercial alternatives to the taxpayer-funded shuttle.
By the end of next year, the government must decide whether to keep
using the shuttle for its space transportation needs, or to develop
a new reusable launch vehicle. The new type of craft, if authorized,
would replace the shuttle fleet by 2012. What's ahead for the shuttle,
both in the years and decades to come? We'll talk about it, on this
segment of Science Friday.
Guests:
Thomas Chang
Professor, Physiology, Medicine, and Biomedical
Engineering
Director,
Artificial
Cells and Organs Research Centre
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
Karen Shoos-Lipton
Chief Executive Officer
American Association of Blood Banks
Bethesda, MD
Bryan O'Connor
Chair, National Research Council Committee on Space Shuttle Upgrades
Former NASA Astronaut
Former Director, NASA's Space Shuttle Program
Aerospace Safety Consulting
Alexandria, VA
Books/Articles Discussed:
Upgrading
the Space Shuttle. National Academy Press, 1999.
Related Links:
American Association of
Blood Banks
America's Blood
Centers
American Red Cross
Artificial Cells and
Organs Research Centre
Scientific
American Article, 9/96 - Artificial Blood Quickens
NASA Shuttle Site
NASA Aeronautics and Space
Transportation Technology
NRC's Aeronautics and Space
Engineering Board
This segment produced by:
Karin Vergoth
Web producer:
Charles Bergquist
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