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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

Corporate Social Responsibility in Aviation

The dialog within aviation management education regarding ethics is incomplete without a discussion of corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR research requires discussion involving: (a) the current emphasis on CSR in business in general and aviation specifically; (b) business and educational theory that provide a basis for aviation companies to engage in socially responsible actions; (c) techniques used by aviation and aerospace companies to fulfill this responsibility; and (d) a glimpse of teaching approaches used in university aviation management classes. The summary of this research suggests educators explain CSR theory and practice to students in industry and collegiate aviation management programs. Doing so extends the discussion of ethical behavior and matches the current high level of interest and activity within the aviation industry toward CSR.

Phillips, Edwin D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Significant characteristics of social response to noise and vibration

Several surveys made since 1971 to investigate annoyance resulting from noise and vibration, from various sources were studied in order to quantify the relation between annoyance response to noise or vibration and properties of the respondent including factors such as noise exposure, etc. Samples collected by the social surveys and physical measurements were analyzed by multi-dimensional analysis.

Nishinomiya, G.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Temperature-Related Death and Illness

Based on present-day sensitivity to heat, an increase of thousands to tens of thousands of premature heat-related deaths in the summer and a decrease of premature cold-related deaths in the winter are projected each year as a result of climate change by the end of the century. Future adaptation will very likely reduce these impacts (see Changing Tolerance to Extreme Heat Finding). The reduction in cold-related deaths is projected to be smaller than the increase in heat-related deaths in most regions. Days that are hotter than usual in the summer or colder than usual in the winter are both associated with increased illness and death. Mortality effects are observed even for small differences from seasonal average temperatures. Because small temperature differences occur much more frequently than large temperature differences, not accounting for the effect of these small differences would lead to underestimating the future impact of climate change. An increase in population tolerance to extreme heat has been observed over time. Changes in this tolerance have been associated with increased use of air conditioning, improved social responses, and or physiological acclimatization, among other factors. Expected future increases in this tolerance will reduce the projected increase in deaths from heat. Older adults and children have a higher risk of dying or becoming ill due to extreme heat. People working outdoors, the socially isolated and economically disadvantaged, those with chronic illnesses, as well as some communities of color, are also especially vulnerable to death or illness.

winter↗
NASA NTRS1972

Studies for determining the optimum propulsion system characteristics for use in a long range transport aircraft

A comprehensive evaluation of propulsion systems for the next generation of near-sonic long range transport aircraft indicates that socially responsive noise and emission goals can be achieved within the probable limits of acceptable airplane performance and economics. Technology advances needed in the 1975-1985 time period to support the development of these propulsion systems are identified and discussed. The single most significant result is the low noise, high performance potential of a low tip speed, spaced, two-stage fan.

Brines, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Journal of Air Transportation, Volume 11, No. 1

Topics covered include: Analysis of System-wide Investment in the National Airspace System: A Portfolio Analytical Framework and an Example; Regional Air Transport in Europe: The Potential Role of the Civil Tiltrotor in Reducing Airside Congestion; The Development of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a Regional Aviation Hub; Corporate Social Responsibility in Aviation; The Competitive Effects of Airline Mergers and Acquisitions: More Capital Market Evidence; and The Competitive Position of Hub Airports in the Transatlantic Market.

Bowen, Brent↗
NASA NTRS2019

Mitigations to Reduce the Law of Unintended Consequences for Autonomy and Other Technological Advances

The United Nations states that Earth’s population is expected to reach just under 10 billion people (9.7) by the year 2050. To meet the demands of 10 billion people, governments, multinational corporations and global leaders are relying on autonomy and technological advances to augment and/or accommodate human efforts to meet the required needs of daily living. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) gene-edited plants and cloning will be utilized to expand human food supply. Biomimetic implants are expected to improve life expectancy with 3D printed body parts. Human functioning will be extended with wearables and cybernetic implants continuing humanity’s path toward transhumanism. Families will be strengthened with 3 parent households. Disease will surely be eradicated using the CRISPR-CAS9 genetic engineering revolution to design out undesirable human traits and to design in new capabilities. With autonomous cars, trucks and buses on our roads and on-demand autonomous aircraft delivering pizzas, medical prescriptions and groceries in the air and multi-planet vehicles traversing space, utopia will finally arrive! Or will it? All of these powerful, man-made, technological systems will experience unintended consequences with certainty. Instead of over-reacting with hysteria and fear, we should be seeking answers to the following questions - “What skills are required to architect socially-healthy technological systems for 2050?” “What mindsets should we embody to ameliorate hubris syndrome and to build our future technological systems with deliberation, soberness and social responsibility?”

Morris, A. Terry↗
NASA NTRS2019

Social Isolation Impacts Select Responses to Simulated Weightlessness

The rodent hindlimb unloading (HU) model was initially developed to simulate the cephalad fluid shift and musculoskeletal disuse in astronauts. Since then, the HU model has been applied to explore how other systems (e.g. immune, cardiovascular and CNS) respond to weightlessness. Most HU studies are performed with singly-housed animals, although social isolation also can substantially impact behavior and physiology, and therefore may confound HU experimental results. We hypothesized that relative to social housing, single housing exacerbates HU-induced dysfunction in select organ systems. We refined the standard NASA-Ames HU model to accommodate social housing in HU pairs, retaining advantageous features of traditional housing but using commercial off-the-shelf components to facilitate adoption by others. We conducted a 30 day HU experiment with adult, female C57Bl6/NJ mice that were either singly or socially housed. HU animals in both single and social HU housing displayed expected musculoskeletal deficits compared to housing matched, normally loaded (NL) controls. However, select immune, HPA axis, and CNS responses were differentially impacted by the HU social environment relative to NL controls. HU reduced % CD4+ T cells in singly-housed, but not socially-housed mice. Surprisingly, HU increased adrenal gland mass in socially-housed but not singly-housed mice, while social isolation increased adrenal gland mass in NL controls. HU also increased plasma corticosterone levels (day 30) in both singly and socially-housed mice. Thus, the social environment altered select adrenal and immune, but not musculoskeletal, responses to simulated weightlessness. We refine our original hypothesis since our results show combined stressors can mask, not only exacerbate, tissue responses to HU. These findings further expand the utility of the HU model for studying possible combined effects of the various spaceflight stressors.

Tahimic, Candice↗
NASA NTRS1994

Residents' reactions to long-term sonic boom exposure: Preliminary results

This presentation is about residents' reactions to sonic booms in a long-term sonic boom exposure environment. Although two phases of the data collection have been completed, the analysis of the data has only begun. The results are thus preliminary. The list of four authors reflects the complex multi-disciplinary character of any field study such as this one. Carey Moulton is responsible for Wyle Laboratories' acoustical data collection effort. Robert Baumgartner and Jeff Thomas of HBRS, a social science research firm, are responsible for social survey field work and data processing. The study is supported by the NASA Langley Research Center. The study has several objectives. The preliminary data addresses two of the primary objectives. The first objective is to describe the reactions to sonic booms of people who are living where sonic booms are a routine, recurring feature of the acoustical environment. The second objective is to compare these residents' reactions to the reactions of residents who hear conventional aircraft noise around airports. Here is an overview of the presentation. This study will first be placed in the context of previous community survey research on sonic booms. Next the noise measurement program will be briefly described and part of a social survey interview will be presented. Finally data will be presented on the residents' reactions and these reactions will be compared with reactions to conventional aircraft. Twelve community studies of residents' reactions to sonic booms were conducted in the United States and Europe in the 1960's and early 1970's. None of the 12 studies combined three essential ingredients that are found in the present study. Residents' long-term responses are related to a measured noise environment. Sonic booms are a permanent feature of the residential environment. The respondents' do not live on a military base. The present study is important because it provides the first dose/response relationship for sonic booms that could be expected to apply to residents in civilian residential areas.

Fields, James M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Analysis of High-order Social Interaction of Female Mice on the International Space Station

Social interactions are adaptive responses to environmental pressures that have evolved to facilitate the success of individual animals and their progeny. Quantifying social behavior in social animals is therefore one method of evaluating an animal's health, wellbeing and their adjustment to changes in their environment. The interaction between environment and animal can influence numerous other physiological and psychological responses that may enhance, deter or shift an animals social paradigm. For this study, we utilized flight video from the Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation mission (Rodent Research-1; RR1) on the International Space Station (ISS). Female mice spent 37 days in microgravity on the ISS and video was captured during the final 33 days. In a previous analysis of individual behavior, we also reported an observed spontaneous ambulatory behavior which we termed circling or 'race tracking,' and we anecdotally observed an increase in group organization around this behavior. In this analysis we further examined this behavior, and other social interactions, to determine if (1) animals joining in on this behavior were induced by other cohort members already participating in this circling behavior, (2) rates of joining varied by number already participating.

spacefligh↗
NASA NTRS2019

Simulated Microgravity Affects Behavior and Cytokine Expression in the Hippocampus of Adult Mice: Influence of Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species

The effects of microgravity, and social isolation on the CNS are poorly understood. We hypothesize that mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in this process. Since mice are social animals, our lab developed a novel social model of hindlimb unloading (HU), enabling us to determine the effects of both social isolation and simulated microgravity. Responses to 30d of HU were compared in wildtype or transgenic MCAT mice who over-express human catalase in mitochondria. Abundance of 4-Hydroxynonenal, Park7 (a redox-sensitive chaperone and sensor of oxidative stress) and corticosterone were measured by ELISA. Cytokines related to inflammation in the hippocampus and in plasma were analyzed by a protein array. Behavioral data was collected over a 24-hour period.Socially housed HU mice were more active and conducted at least two times more exploratory activities, compared to normally loaded mice. Correlation analysis revealed that specific brain and plasma cytokines correspond with specific behaviors. Simulated microgravity and/or social isolation caused changes in cytokine patterns in the hippocampus and in plasma, with significant interaction effects of HU and genotype in expression levels of five cytokines (out of 35). Interestingly, elevation of these generally pro-inflammatory cytokines by HU in WT mice was mitigated in MCAT mice, suggesting a role for mitochondrial ROS signaling in inflammatory CNS responses to microgravity. Interestingly, socially housed mice had also lower level of 4HNE and higher level of Park7 in the hippocampus compared to singly housed animals. The cytokine responses to social isolation were more extensive in brain vs plasma. Further, there was no overlap in the cytokine repertoire regulated in response to microgravity versus, isolation suggesting divergent mechanisms or downstream signaling. These findings implicate a potentially important role for mitochondrial ROS in CNS responses to the challenges posed both by prolonged missions in space and bedrest on Earth

Guttmann, Linda↗
NASA NTRS1975

Historical aspects of technology assessment

The historical developments which have brought about changes in the way technology is viewed are discussed. These include: (1) the broadening through the centuries of the social context for technological change and assessment; (2) the growing need since the Industrial Revolution for assessment; (3) the recent deepening awareness of the impacts of technology; (4) the development of social and communal responsibility for technology, and (5) the current growth in the assessment capability.

Kranzberg, M.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Propagation of New Innovations: An Approach to Classify Human Behavior and Movement from Available Social Network Data

It is interesting to observe new innovations, products, or ideas propagating into the society. One important factor of this propagation is the role of individual's social network; while another factor is individual's activities. In this paper, an approach will be made to analyze the propagation of different ideas in a popular social network. Individuals' responses to different activities in the network will be analyzed. The properties of network will also be investigated for successful propagation of innovations.

Mahmud, Faisal↗
NASA NTRS2021

Indicators of Climate Change Impacts on the Water Cycle and Water Management

Managing water is a top social and economic responsibility and is expected to become even more critical as climate change, in addition to other human activities, alters water availability and quality. Robust indicators reflecting the effects of climate change on the U.S. and global water cycles are needed in order to appropriately manage water resources. Here, we describe a suite of seventeen water cycle and management indicators, which are based on synthesis of available datasets. These indicators include: average and heavy precipitation, standardized precipitation index, annual, 7-day low and 3-day high streamflow volume, streamflow timing, snow cover, snow water equivalent, groundwater level, lake water temperature, stream water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, Palmer Drought Severity Index, water withdrawals and water use. We also identify three indicators that could be included in the suite of water cycle and management indicators with some additional, directed work: snowfall, evapotranspiration and soil moisture. Our conceptual framework focuses on known water cycle changes in addition to potential effects on management, and addresses water quantity and quality, as well as water use and related interactions with freshwater ecosystems, societal impacts, and management. Water cycle indicators are organized into three categories: (1) hydrologic processes, (2) water quality processes, and (3) water quality and quantity impacts. Indicators described here are recommended to serve as critical references for periodic climate assessments. As such, these indicators support analyses of the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy, and water resources, among other sectors. Additionally, we identify research gaps and needs that can be addressed to advance the development of future indicators.

Christa D Peters-Lidard↗
NASA NTRS1985

Research on the effect of noise at different times of day: Models, methods and findings

Social surveys of residents' responses to noise at different times of day are reviewed. Some of the discrepancies in published reports about the importance of noise at different times of day are reduced when the research findings are classified according to the type of time of day reaction model, the type of time of day weight calculated and the method which is used to estimate the weight. When the estimates of nighttime weights from 12 studies are normalized, it is found that they still disagree, but do not support stronger nighttime weights than those used in existing noise indices. Challenges to common assumptions in nighttime response models are evaluated. Two of these challenges receive enough support to warrant further investigation: the impact of changes in numbers of noise events may be less at night than in the day and nighttime annoyance may be affected by noise levels in other periods. All existing social survey results in which averages of nighttime responses were plotted by nighttime noise levels are reproduced.

Fields, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Significance of light and social cues in the maintenance of temporal organization in man

The effects of light:darkness (LD) cycles and social interaction on the response to long-term confinement (105 days) were investigated experimentally in three groups of three male subjects aged 20-24 years. Data from measurements of physiological parameters indicating changes in circadian rhythms are presented in graphs and analyzed; it is found that the LD-induced rhythm changes observed in previous studies of subjects isolated singly do not appear when subjects are confined in groups of three, suggesting a positive adaptive effect of social contact. In one subject who was transferred to a different group at day 84, hostile social interactions and poor circadian-rhythm entrainment were observed; the possible reasons for this response are considered.

Winget, C. M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NSCOR for Evaluating Risk Factors and Biomarkers for Adaptation and Resilience to Spaceflight: Emotional Valence and Social Processes in ICC/ICE Environments

Space exploration class missions, such as a mission to Mars, will require optimization of human performance, adaptability, and resilience. This NASA Specialized Center of Research (NSCOR) utilizes the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework to identify biological and behavioral markers of individual social adaptation and emotional resilience (as well as vulnerability) to spaceflight-relevant stressors such as living in extended isolation. The overarching goal of this NSCOR is to obtain novel information to help identify biomarkers of individuals who are resilient and/or adaptable to the stressors of isolated, confined, and controlled (ICC) and isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments.A total of N=90 healthy adult astronaut surrogates are being studied in three spaceflight-analog environments: (1) n=40 healthy adults in the Isolation and Confinement Analog Research Unit (ICARUS), an ICC at the University of Pennsylvania, during 7-day missions, for a target total of 280 subject days; (2) n=32 healthy adult astronaut surrogates studied in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), an ICC at Johnson Space Center during 45-day missions, for a target total of 2,112 subject days; and (3) n=18 healthy adults in the Alfred-Wegener-Institute’s Neumayer Station III, an ICE in Antarctica, during 14-month missions, for a target total of 7,560 subject days. Dr. Nindl’s Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh is analyzing a priori selected protein biomarkers in blood, saliva, and urine. Complementary rodent models of exposure to early life stressors, confinement, and isolation are being evaluated at Dr. Hensch’s Laboratory to further validate the neurobehavioral and biological findings from the human studies.Given the inconsistency and varied definition of resilience/adaptation in the scientific literature, the NSCOR team developed a composite resilience/adaptation measure that reflects the most relevant outcomes to resilience/adaptation across psychosocial and neurobehavioral functions, as well as neurocognitive and spaceflight-relevant operational performance. To achieve this, group consensus was attained from subject matter experts to produce a rank-order of importance for each input variable. The final resilience/adaptation score included 36 variables that were collected across spaceflight analogs. As of 10/1/2021, the NSCOR project acquired data on n=27 subjects at ICARUS, n=16 at HERA, and n=18 at Neumayer. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed data acquisition at ICARUS and HERA.Among subjects studied to date, 99% of neural and neurobehavioral data (e.g., neuroimaging for structure and function, behavioral measures) as well as blood, saliva, and urine for biochemical assays have been acquired. For rodent models, Dr. Hensch’s laboratory has established biochemical and behavioral parameters reflecting confinement stress in social networks of mice for comparison to stress responses in the human spaceflight analog environments.Group social behaviors were measured with a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to define objective parameters associated with sociability and its plasticity by sex. This analytic approach may help identify a network of individuals who are more effective teammates or more likely to generate new social relationships. Data acquisition, biomarker assessment, and data quality control will continue through September 2022.

D F Dinges↗