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At least 271 records · Page 15

Investigation of the combined effects of bedrest and mild hypoxia

Subjects were exposed to an 8-h mild hypoxia exposure (8000 ft. equivalent, 2438 m) with and without a 28-h period of 6 deg headdown bedrest. Anticipated responses to the bedrest and the hypoxia were observed. There was no indication that bedrest affected the arterial oxygenation or the oxygen gradient across the lungs of the subjects undergoing mild hypoxia. It is concluded that there is no evidence that would preclude an alveolar O2 pressure as low as 69 torr during contingency spacecraft operation.

Waligora, J. M.↗

Sharp-Focus Composite Microscope Imaging by Computer

Enhanced depth of focus aids medical analysis. Computer image-processing system synthesizes sharply-focused composite picture from series of photomicrographs of same object taken at different depths. Computer rejects blured parts of each photomicrograph. Remaining in focus portions form focused composite. System used to study alveolar lung tissue and has applications in medicine and physical sciences.

Wall, R. J.↗

Radiation from a double layer jet

The aerodynamic radiation caused by two acoustic point sources located symmetrically on the sides of a double layer jet which produces a velocity discontinuity was examined, with attention given to the effect on the sound by the stream. Basic equations were defined in terms of wave propagation in the fluid in motion and a Fourier transformation. It was found that the radiation due to a point source on one side of the jet is enhanced by the presence of sound transmitted from the other side. The effect is expressed as a function of the reflection coefficient, wherein the reflections take place at the vortex interfaces separating the fluid in motion from the fluid at rest. The intensity patterns were determined to be kidney-shaped, lung-shaped, and heart-shaped, and characterized by a deep valley in the directivity pattern. The significance of the findings for STOL aircraft ejector thrust augmentation is mentioned.

Dash, R.↗

Transpulmonary passage of venous air emboli

Twenty-seven paralyzed anesthetized dogs were embolized with venous air to determine the effectiveness of the pulmonary vasculature for bubble filtration or trapping. Air doses ranged from 0.05 to 0.40 ml/kg min in 0.05-ml increments with ultrasonic Doppler monitors placed over arterial vessels to detect any microbubbles that crossed the lungs. Pulmonary vascular filtration of the venous air infusions was complete for the lower air doses ranging from 0.05 to 0.30 ml/kg min. When the air doses were increased to 0.35 ml/kg min, the filtration threshold was exceeded with arterial spillover of bubbles occurring in 50 percent of the animals and reaching 71 percent for 0.40 ml/kg min. Significant elevations were observed in pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Systemic blood pressure and cardiac output decreased, whereas left ventricular end-diastolic pressure remained unchanged. The results indicate that the filtration of venous bubbles by the pulmonary vasculature was complete when the air infusion rates were kept below a threshold value of 0.30 ml/kg min.

Butler, B. D.↗

Effects of deceleration on the humoral antibody response in rats

Effects of hypergravity, simulated by chronic centrifugation, followed by a return to normal G (deceleration) on the immune system of rats were investigated. Two groups of male rats (28 days at 2.1 G, and 3.1 G) were compared to the control group (1.0 G). The animals were immunized by i.p. injections of sheep red blood cells on days 29, 42, and 57, and bled on days 36, 47, and 62. While the centrifuged rats ate and gainedsignificantly less than the control rats, the antibody titers and the organ/body mass ratios for the adrenal glands, kidneys, lungs, heart, and thymus were unaffected by gravity exposures, as were the values of the hematocrit and the white blood cell counts. It is concluded that deceleration does not adversely affect these particular aspects of the immune system.

Barone, R. P.↗

Role of cardiac volume receptors in the control of ADH release during acute simulated weightlessness in man

Hemodynamic responses and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) were measured during body position changes, designed to induce central blood volume shifts in ten cardiac and one heart-lung transplant recipients, to assess the contribution of cardiac volume receptors in the control of ADH release during the initial acute phase of exposure to weightlessness. Each subject underwent 15 min of a sitting-control period (C) followed by 30 min of 6 deg headdown tilt (T) and 30 min of resumed sitting (S). Venous blood samples and cardiac dimensions were taken at 0 and 15 min of C; 5, 15, and 30 min of T; and 5, 15, and 30 min of S. Blood samples were analyzed for hematocrit, plasma osmolality, plasma renin activity (PRA), and ADH. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every two min. Plasma osmolality was not altered by posture changes. Mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased (P less than 0.05) from 90 ml in C to 106 ml in T and returned to 87 ml in S. Plasma ADH was reduced by 20 percent (P less than 0.05) with T, and returned to control levels with S. These responses were similar in six normal cardiac-innervated control subjects. These data may suggest that cardiac volume receptors are not the primary mechanism for the control of ADH release during acute central volume shifts in man.

Convertino, V. A.↗

Detoxification of Halon Fire-Extinguishant Products

Ammonia compounds absorb toxic hydrogen halides as they are produced. Toxic acid vapors resulting from use of Halon (or equivalent) fire extinguishers immediately changed into nontoxic ammonium compounds when extinguishers contain some ammonia or ammonium carbonate. If ammonium carbonate used, particle size of resulting neutral compounds controlled to eliminate virtually any absorption into the lungs.

Miller, E. L.↗

Effect of water immersion on cardiopulmonary physiology at high gravity (+Gz)

The cardiopulmonary responses of eight male subject between 21-31 years exposed to 1, 2, and 3 Gz during immersion at 35 + or - 0.5 C to heart level and during control dry rides are studied. Ventilation, O2 consumption, the end-tidal pressure of CO2, heart frequency, cardiac output, functional residual capacity, and the arterial pressure of CO2 were measured. It is observed that as Gz increases ventilation, heart frequency, and O2 consumption increase, and the end-tidal and arterial pressures of CO2 decrease during dry rides, but are not altered during immersion. It is detected that the functional residual capacity is lower during immersion and decreases in both the dry and immersed state as Gz increases, and cardiac output decreases as Gz increases in dry rides. It is noted that changes produced by acceleration in a Gz direction are due to the effect on the systemic circulation rather than to the effect on the lungs.

Arieli, R.↗

The respiratory system under weightlessness

Studies of pulmonary functions at rest to be studied on Spacelab mission D-2 are introduced. Gravity dependence of the distribution of ventilation (single breath washout, multibreath washout-washin); chest wall shape and motion; and the vascular compartment (lung blood flow, capillary volume, liquid content, diffusive capacity) are discussed.

Paiva, M.↗

Vascular pressures and passage of gas emboli through the pulmonary circulation

Doppler technique was used to measure the pulmonary vascular pressure gradients in dogs that received venous air emboli (VAE) at the rate of 0.35 ml/kg per min, at which the spillover of bubbles into the systemic arteries occur. It was found that, in 60 percent of dogs, venous bubbles spilled over into the arterial circulation at the pulmonary vascular pressure gradient of about 34.7 mm Hg. When the pulmonary vascular pressure gradient was raised to about 52 mm Hg, the spillover of venous bubbles occurred 100 percent of time. It is concluded that venous bubbles can cross the lungs of anesthetized dogs when the driving pressures are sufficient to overcome the normal filtering function.

Butler, B. D.↗

Fractals in physiology and medicine

The paper demonstrates how the nonlinear concepts of fractals, as applied in physiology and medicine, can provide an insight into the organization of such complex structures as the tracheobronchial tree and heart, as well as into the dynamics of healthy physiological variability. Particular attention is given to the characteristics of computer-generated fractal lungs and heart and to fractal pathologies in these organs. It is shown that alterations in fractal scaling may underlie a number of pathophysiological disturbances, including sudden cardiac death syndromes.

Goldberger, Ary L.↗

Venous gas embolism - Time course of residual pulmonary intravascular bubbles

A study was carried out to determine the time course of residual pulmonary intravascular bubbles after embolization with known amounts of venous air, using an N2O challenge technique. Attention was also given to the length of time that the venous gas emboli remained as discrete bubbles in the lungs with 100 percent oxygen ventilation. The data indicate that venous gas emboli can remain in the pulmonary vasculature as discrete bubbles for periods lasting up to 43 + or - 10.8 min in dogs ventilated with oxygen and nitrogen. With 100 percent oxygen ventilation, these values are reduced significantly to 19 + or - 2.5 min.

Butler, B. D.↗

Definition of tolerance to continuous hyperoxia in man - An abstract report of Predictive Studies V

The overall goals, design, and procedures of Predictive Studies V are discussed as well as the specific elements of neural effects produced by prolonged hyperoxia. It is noted that Predictive Studies V study of oxygen poisoning in normal men during uninterrupted exposures to oxygen over the range of hyperbaric oxygen exposure most useful in diving, the treatment of gas lesion diseases, and general hyperbaric medicine. It is found that, throughout the study, the most striking observations were related to effects on visual function, on the lung, and the probable interactions of preconvulsive neural activity with effects on cardiovascular and respiratory-pulmonary functions.

Lambertsen, C. J.↗

Pulmonary tolerance in man to continuous oxygen exposure at 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 ATA in Predictive Studies V

Oxygen effects on pulmonary function were measured in normal, resting men who breathed oxygen continuously at 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 ATA to predefined limits of CNS, cardiac, or pulmonary tolerance. Rates of pulmonary symptom intensification and decrease in vital capacity (VC) increased progressively with elevation of inspired oxygen pressure. Although VC decrements occurred concurrently with symptoms, the lung volume changes became prominent when symptoms were still mild. The observed effects were consistent with the interpretation that small airway function is impaired more selectively by oxygen exposure at 3.0 and 2.5 ATA than by exposure at 2.0 and 1.5 ATA. Despite similar VC changes after oxygen exposure at 2.0 ATA for nearly 10 hr and exposure at 1.5 ATA for almost 18 hr, the 2.0 ATA exposure caused greater impairment of pulmonary function and required a longer recovery period.

Clark, J. M.↗

Environmental projects. Volume 12: Friable asbestos abatement, GDSCC

The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) is part of the NASA Deep Space Network, one of the world's largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications and radio navigation networks. Activities at the GDSCC are carried out in support of six large parabolic dish antennas. These activities may give rise to a variety of environmental hazards, particularly the danger of exposure of GDSCC personnel to asbestos fibers that have been shown to be responsible for such serious ailments as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestos-containing materials (ACM's) were used in the construction of many of the approximately 100 buildings and structures that were built at the GDSCC during a 30-year period from the 1950s through 1980s. The friable asbestos-abatement program at the GDSCC is presented which consists of text, illustrations, and tables that describe the friable asbestos abatement carried out at the GDSCC from December 21, 1988 through May 11, 1989.

Source record↗

The International Space University's variable gravity research facility design

A manned mission to Mars will require long travel times between Earth and Mars. However, exposure to long-duration zero gravity is known to be harmful to the human body. Some of the harmful effects are loss of heart and lung capacity, inability to stand upright, muscular weakness and loss of bone calcium. A variable gravity research facility (VGRF) that would be placed in low Earth orbit (LEO) was designed by students of the International Space University 1989 Summer Session held in Strasbourg, France, to provide a testbed for conducting experiments in the life and physical sciences in preparation for a mission to Mars. This design exercise was unique because it addressed all aspects concerning a large space project. The VGRF design was described which was developed by international participants specializing in the following areas: the politics of international cooperation, engineering, architecture, in-space physiology, material and life science experimentation, data communications, business, and management.

Bailey, Sheila G.↗

Spacelab life sciences 1 - Reprints of background life sciences publications

Results from investigations conducted in preparation for the first Spacelab life-sciences mission are summarized in selected previously published papers. Topics discussed are the role of calcium in osteoporosis, orthostaic hypotension, cardiovascular adjustments to gravitational stress, cell biology, exposure to stressful environments, heart-lung interactions in aerospace medicine, effects of weightlessness on human fluid and electrolyte physiology, macular bioaccelerometers on earth and in space, and metabolism of nonessential N-15-labeled amino acids and the measurement of human whole-body protein synthesis rates.

White, Ronald↗

Maximum expiratory flow-volume curves during short periods of microgravity

Nine normal subjects were studied in a NASA microgravity research aircraft to elucidate the effect of normal gravitation on the shape of the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV). They performed multiple MEFV maneuvers at 0, 1, and approximately 2 G. The MEFV curves for each subject were filtered, aligned at residual volume, and ensemble-averaged to produce an average MEFV curve for each state, allowing differences to be studied. Most subjects showed a decrease in the forced vital capacity at 0 G. The mean lung volume associated with a given flow was lower at 0 G over about the upper half of the vital capacity. There were consistent but highly individual changes in the position and magnitude of detailed features of the curve. This supports the concept that the location and motion of choke points that determine the detailed individual configuration of MEFG curves can be significantly influenced by gravitational forces, presumably via the effects of change in longitudinal tension on local airway pressure-diameter behavior and thus wave speed.

Guy, H. J. B.↗