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>> The integrated cardiovascular
experiment studies heart mass

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and rhythms to glean information
about cardiac atrophy.

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That's a decrease in
heart muscle that's seen

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in some astronauts
when they return

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from long duration missions.

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Here's one of the
co-investigators

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of that experiment
had to say about it.

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Tell us about the integrated
cardiovascular experiment.

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>> Michael Bungo: Well
it's pretty extensive

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and that's why they ended up
giving it the name integrated.

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But we're looking
at a diverse number

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of cardiovascular parameters and
how they change with spaceflight

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and how changes in
the heart function

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or the heart structure
will affect the ability

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to do exercise, will affect the
ability to stand after return

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to gravity, and what
influence that might have

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on the generation of
cardiac rhythm disturbances.

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>> Lori Meggs: Tell us
what you've learned.

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>> Michael Bungo: We've learned
that if you measured the change

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in the amount of work, heart
work now not physical work

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but cardiac work that's done
in space versus on the ground

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because the theory is that in
space your heart is doing less

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work than it's doing on the
ground but if you measure

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that change in work and then
you can relate that directly

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to how much mass or how
big or small the heart is

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and the change in cardiac mass.

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So we've verified that and
we've seen changes in heart size

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in the astronauts from
preflight to post-flight.

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Then our secondary goals for
the experiment are to look

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at those changes and see
whether these reflect in changes

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in their ability to perform
in an exercise regime

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or their ability to perform

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in standing upright
pre or post-flight.

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Or does it relate to the
generation of any, as I said,

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cardiac rhythm disturbances.

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>> Lori Meggs: Tell us

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about earth applications
that this may bring.

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>> Michael Bungo: Right.

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Well we think it does
have some applications

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to the earth particularly
we've had for decades,

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NASA has used bed rest as analog
for spaceflight particularly

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as it relates to the
cardiovascular system.

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So this may have
implications for those people

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who are otherwise relegated
to sedentary positions either

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because of injury or because of
disease or there may, indeed,

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be some parallels between
people who have heart failure

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and decreases in cardiac mass

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that we might see
with spaceflight.

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So we're looking to make
those kinds of analogies

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in the future as well.

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>> Lori Meggs: So if you make
those analogies you can come

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up with what?

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>> Michael Bungo: Well you know
there's certainly a whole lot

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more people on earth
than there are in space

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so if there are either
equivalent situations on earth

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that could help supplement our
knowledge base for spaceflight

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or conversely, if in
order to prevent some

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of the changes we see

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in spaceflight we develop
certain countermeasures.

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These may be applicable as
I'll put in quotes treatments

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in the clinical environment
here on earth.

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>> Lori Meggs: And the
integrated cardiovascular

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experiment concluded recently

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with Expedition 35's
Tom Marshburn

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as the last test subject.

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A total of 13 astronauts
participated in this study

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over the last few years
and we look forward

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to hearing results
in the coming months.

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For more information on this
and other investigations,

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go to NASA.gov/station.

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And as we take a live look

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into the pilot operations
integration center,

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Tim Horvath is at the helm today

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as the Pilot Operations
Director.

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And they are supporting the
Robonaut 2 activities today.

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And that will do for us from
the pilot operations integration