Methods of and devices for monitoring the effects of cellular stress and damage resulting from radiation exposure

A method of detecting a measurable characteristic of a gas sample comprising:

• a) receiving the gas sample, wherein the gas sample contains a targeting chemical generated by a testee, wherein the targeting chemical comprises nitric oxide;
• and
• b) determining the measurable characteristic of the gas sample before, during or after, or some combination of before, during, or after a stressor event to the testee by using a computing device, wherein the measurable characteristic includes at least nitric oxide concentration, wherein the computing device is configured to control generating of an ionizing radiation dosage level or an adjustment in a concentration of the ionizing radiation dosage level generated by a stressor generator, by comparing a change in a nitric oxide concentration in one or more selected modes, wherein the selected modes comprise:
• i) comparing the change of the nitric oxide concentration in a first exhaled breath stream exhaled before application of the ionizing radiation to a second exhaled breath stream exhaled during application of the ionizing radiation;
• ii) comparing the change of the nitric oxide concentration in the second exhaled breath stream exhaled during application of the ionizing radiation to a third exhaled breath stream exhaled after application of the ionizing radiation;
• iii) comparing the change of the nitric oxide concentration in the third exhaled breath stream exhaled after application of the ionizing radiation to the first exhaled breath stream exhaled before application of the ionizing radiation;
• iv) comparing the change of the nitric oxide concentration in one or more of:
• the at least one first exhaled breath stream exhaled before application of the ionizing radiation, the at least one second exhaled breath stream exhaled during application of the ionizing radiation, and the at least one third exhaled breath stream exhaled after application of the ionizing radiation to one or more values of stored exhaled nitric oxide concentration measured data;
• and
• c) controlling the stressor event.