Human challenges in polar and space environments

This paper reviews literature on psychosocial adaptation in isolated and confined extreme (ICE) environments, focusing on polar work groups and expedition teams, and simulation and actual space crews. Long-duration missions may involve chronic exposure to many stressors that can negatively impact behavioral health, performance and even safety. In the last decades, anecdotal evidence has been replaced by scientific studies, identifying temporal, social, and individual determinants of psychosocial adaptation, and pointing to countermeasures that may minimize or prevent potential problems. Still, many issues remain that require additional investigation, specifically in relation to the integration of psychosocial and neurobiological adaptation. A recognition of ICE environments as natural laboratories for studies of fundamental questions within psychology may attract more scientists to the field.     

Cytogenetic studies of blood lymphocytes of cosmonauts after long-ter, space flights

An analysis was performed of unstable chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood of 36 cosmonauts after long-term space missions on "Mir" orbital station. 25 cosmonauts were examined before their flights to score spontaneous yields of cytogenetical damage. In all cases the doses absorbed by crews during space flights did not exceed permissible levels of irradiation, adopted for cosmonauts. The frequencies of chromosomal-type aberrations after space missions were found to increase significantly compared to the pre-flight levels. The yields of dicentrics and centric rings on the average were as high as 0.12 +/- 0.02 and 0.47 +/- 0.06% before and after the 1st flight, 0.18 +/- 0.05 and 0.71 +/- 0.11% before and after the 2nd flight respectively. During the inter-flight periods, usually lasted 1.5-2 years, the yields of chromosome damage lowered, but did not reach their spontaneous values. After each next flight the yields of chromosome aberrations increased again. The cytogenetical damage detected in cosmonauts' peripheral blood lymphocytes after chronic action of low doses of space radiation points out a possible increase in risks of stochastic effects in distant future for crews after long-term space missions.     

Interpersonal Similarity between Body Movements in Face-To-Face Communication in Daily Life

Individuals are embedded in social networks in which they communicate with others in their daily lives. Because smooth face-to-face communication is the key to maintaining these networks, measuring the smoothness of such communication is an important issue. One indicator of smoothness is the similarity of the body movements of the two individuals concerned. A typical example noted in experimental environments is the interpersonal synchronization of body movements such as nods and gestures during smooth face-to-face communication. It should therefore be possible to estimate quantitatively the smoothness of face-to-face communication in social networks through measurement of the synchronization of body movements. However, this is difficult because social networks, which differ from disciplined experimental environments, are open environments for the face-to-face communication between two individuals. In such open environments, their body movements become complicated by various external factors and may follow unstable and nonuniform patterns. Nevertheless, we consider there to be some interaction during face-to-face communication that leads to the interpersonal synchronization of body movements, which can be seen through the interpersonal similarity of body movements. The present study aims to clarify such interaction in terms of body movements during daily face-to-face communication in real organizations of more than 100 people. We analyzed data on the frequency of body movement for each individual during face-to-face communication, as measured by a wearable sensor, and evaluated the degree of interpersonal similarity of body movements between two individuals as their frequency difference. Furthermore, we generated uncorrelated data by resampling the data gathered and compared these two data sets statistically to distinguish the effects of actual face-to-face communication from those of the activities accompanying the communication. Our results confirm an interpersonal similarity of body movements between two individuals in face-to-face communication, for all the organizations studied, and suggest that some body interaction is behind this similarity.     

Current issues in seamen's labour intensity (a review of Soviet literature)

In view of the changing nature of seamen's labour over the last decades, a decrease in the proportion of manual work and increasing levels of operator activities, the evaluation of the intensity of labour among maritime and riverine ship crews becomes an important criterion of regulating labour regimens and adopting measures aimed at enhancing work ability as well as diminishing fatigue and morbidity rates. The methodological approaches valid in other branches of the national econom cannot be fully utilized for the assessment of seamen's labour intensity. The author summs up published data on the optimization of labour intensity (introduction of prolonged regimens of work on board a ship and rest ashore, employment of physical factors, medical drugs, psychological relaxation etc.).     

高职院校中专学生SCL-90评定结果分析

目的:分析影响高职院校中专学生的心理健康状况的相关因素.方法:对抽取的江苏省某职业院校437名学生,用症状自评量表(SCL-90)调查,以因子分≥3筛查阳性个体进行检出率及年级差异的比较.结果:低年级学生SCL-909个因子得分均高于全国常模值,比较差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).心理健康阳性检出率的排序,其中排在前3位的分别为敌对、人际关系敏感以及强迫症状,它们的阳性检出率分别为6.86％、5.95％和5.03％,高于其他因子,比较差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).2009级学生的阳性率高于2010级,但心理健康阳性检出率年级差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:高职院校的中专学生心理健康状况不容乐观,敌对、人际关系敏感、强迫症状、抑郁、焦虑是其面临的主要心理问题,学校应该针对性的开展心理干预措施.     

Psychophysiological issues of manned space flights

The article deals with some issues of psychophysiological support (PPS) of manned space flights discussed with Academician O.G. Gazenko. It has been shown that even at the initial stages of development of space flights (SFs), monitoring and evaluation of the mental state and working capacity of crew members were regarded as the key components of PPS and merited special comprehensive studies with the development of associated methods. The polyeffectors method for recording physiological functions, such as electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and skin-galvanic reaction, was recognized as a potent tool in gathering information for the assessment of the current state of health. In the period of the performance of long-term orbital flights, starting with the 96-day flight of Yu. Romanenko and G. Grechko, the system of psychological support developed at the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP), under the leadership of Gazenko was introduced into PPS, and then used in all flights of the stations Salyut and Mir, and now at the International Space Station. Evidently, the use of this system made a significant contribution to the PPS and maintenance of health and working efficiency of crews.     

Generating Pedestrian Trajectories Consistent with the Fundamental Diagram Based on Physiological and Psychological Factors

Pedestrian crowds often have been modeled as many-particle system including microscopic multi-agent simulators. One of the key challenges is to unearth governing principles that can model pedestrian movement, and use them to reproduce paths and behaviors that are frequently observed in human crowds. To that effect, we present a novel crowd simulation algorithm that generates pedestrian trajectories that exhibit the speed-density relationships expressed by the Fundamental Diagram. Our approach is based on biomechanical principles and psychological factors. The overall formulation results in better utilization of free space by the pedestrians and can be easily combined with well-known multi-agent simulation techniques with little computational overhead. We are able to generate human-like dense crowd behaviors in large indoor and outdoor environments and validate the results with captured real-world crowd trajectories.     

Violations of Personal Space by Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The ability to maintain an appropriate physical distance (i.e., interpersonal distance) from others is a critical aspect of social interaction and contributes importantly to real-life social functioning. In Study 1, using parent-report data that had been acquired on a large number of individuals (ages 4–18 years) for the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and the Simons Simplex Collection, we found that those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; n = 766) more often violated the space of others compared to their unaffected siblings (n = 766). This abnormality held equally across ASD diagnostic categories, and correlated with clinical measures of communication and social functioning. In Study 2, laboratory experiments in a sample of high-functioning adults with ASD demonstrated an altered relationship between interpersonal distance and personal space, and documented a complete absence of personal space in 3 individuals with ASD. Furthermore, anecdotal self-report from several participants confirmed that violations of social distancing conventions continue to occur in real-world interactions through adulthood. We suggest that atypical social distancing behavior offers a practical and sensitive measure of social dysfunction in ASD, and one whose psychological and neurological substrates should be further investigated.     

坦克作业对乘员肾脏功能的影响

目的：观察坦克作业对乘员肾脏功能的影响。方法：在我军某坦克部队随机选取152名坦克乘员为观察组,在同一部队选取非坦克作业战士37名为对照组。留取24h尿和晨尿,检测尿中α1-微球蛋白（α1-MG）、β2-微球蛋白（β2-MG）、IgG、N-乙酰-β-葡萄糖苷酶（NAG）和尿微量白蛋白（UAE）排泄率。结果：与对照组比较,观察组尿α1-．MG、β2-MG、尿NAG、尿UAE均明显升高,且平均值均超过临床检验正常值,尿IgG无明显升高。其中从事坦克作业50摩托小时以上的坦克乘员尿中β2-MG、NAG、UAE均高于对照组（P〈0．05）,从事坦克作业51～100摩托小时的尿中α1-MG虽有升高,但未有统计学差异且平均值在正常范围内,从事坦克作业大于301摩托小时的坦克乘员尿中α1-MG显著高于对照组。脱离坦克作业3年后乘员尿中β2-MG、NAG、UAE降低至正常水平,但大于10年者尿中β2-MG再度出现升高,与6—10年组比较有显著差异（P〈0．05）。脱离坦克作业后坦克乘员尿中α1-MG虽有下降,但始终未降至正常水平。结论：坦克作业对乘员肾脏功能有一定影响,脱离坦克作业后乘员肾功能可得到较好的恢复,但远期仍遗留一定程度的肾小管重吸收功能障碍。     

The solar UV environment and bacterial spore UV resistance: considerations for Earth-to-Mars transport by natural processes and human spaceflight

The environment in space and on planets such as Mars can be lethal to microorganisms because of the high vacuum and high solar radiation flux, in particular UV radiation, in such environments. Spores of various Bacillus species are among the organisms most resistant to the lethal effects of high vacuum and UV radiation, and as a consequence are of major concern for planetary contamination via unmanned spacecraft or even natural processes. This review focuses on the spores of various Bacillus species: (i) their mechanisms of UV resistance; (ii) their survival in unmanned spacecraft, space flight and simulated space flight and Martian conditions; (iii) the UV flux in space and on Mars; (iv) factors affecting spore survival in such high UV flux environments.     

Designed and real working situations in machine systems operation.

New work situations designed at the stage when new machine systems are introduced are realized on the assumption that the new systems can maintain their designed functions consistently, generally eliminating previous work habits and without sufficient knowledge about real working processes and skills. This may produce differences between designed and real working situations. Some examples are presented from observations on influence of modern design of cargo ships on their crews. It was difficult for crews to maintain stable working conditions, especially when machine systems deviated from their designed functions. Often the crew had to work in off-duty hours giving up private freetime activities. Among various factors contributing to the discrepancies between designed and real work, lack of availability of the new systems is the most important factor. Also important is lack of back-up systems which would function either when the machine systems are out of order or when previous working skills and habits must be applied. A need for developing methods of evaluation of these two factors from ergonomic points of view is pointed out.     

Influence of space flight on red blood cells

Losses of red blood cell mass (RCM) averaging 10-15% have been observed consistently in astronauts after space flight; postflight recovery of RCM requires 4-6 wk. Although apparently not harmful to the health and effectiveness of crews during uncomplicated flights, decreased RCM could compromise health and performance in the event of illness, injury, or partial malfunction of the life support system. Whether the loss of RCM would worsen or stabilize in missions longer than 7 months is unknown. As a biological response, it is a significant, predictable reaction whose etiology, biological mechanisms, and potential operational significance are inadequately defined. Weightlessness is probably the primary cause; however, contributory factors may include hypokinesia/hypodynamia, bone loss, muscle atrophy, altered hemodynamics, stress, and metabolic disturbances. Space medical specialists consider other possible influences such as hypoxia, hypobaria, radiation, toxic contaminants, and launch and reentry accelerations as less likely factors. Because the data base on loss of RCM is insufficient for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's space medical responsibilities, the Life Sciences Research Office ad hoc Working Group on Space Anemia suggested research approaches ranging form fundamental topics such as utilization of erythropoietin and oxygen in target organs and cell-cell interactions, through possible splenic and vascular dysfunctions, metabolic disturbances, and inhibitors of erythropoiesis, to methodology and models.     

Biological life support systems for space crews: Some results and prospects

A set of problems of biomedical support for humans in the extreme environment of a space flight is a challenge for space biology and medicine. Designing robust and efficiently functioning life support systems (LSS) is among these problems. The paper gives an overview of the experiments with manned ground-based biological LSS (BLSS) performed in Russia and abroad. The basic data on the photoautotrophic components of BLSS (higher plants) were obtained in a series of experiments conducted on board the orbital complex Mir for 630 days in total and in the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) (a series of experiments with total duration of 820 days). Analysis of the results obtained on Earth and during the space flights leads to the conclusion that some BLSS components, e.g., greenhouses, can be integrated even now into the systems that are currently used for the life support of space crews.     

Interpersonal Trust and Quality-of-Life: A Cross-Sectional Study in Japan

Background

There is growing interest in psychosocial factors with positive attitudes, such as interpersonal trust, as determinants for Quality-of-life (QOL) or subjective well-being. Despite their longevity, Japanese people report a relatively poor subjective well-being, as well as lower interpersonal trust. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the possible association between interpersonal trust and QOL among Japanese people.

Methodology and Principal Findings

Based on the cross-sectional data for Japanese adults (2008), we analyzed the relationship between interpersonal trust and each of four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Interpersonal trust was assessed using three scales for trust in people, in human fairness and in human nature. In a total of 1000 participants (mean age: 45 years; 49% women), greater trust was recognized among women (vs. men), those aged 60–69 (vs. 20–29), or the high-income group (vs. low-income). Each of three trust scales was positively correlated with all domains of QOL. Multiple linear-regression models were constructed for each of QOL and the principal component score of the trust scales, adjusted for age, gender, area size of residence, income, education, and occupation. For all QOL domains, interpersonal trust was significantly and positively associated with better QOL with p<0.001 for all four domains including physical, psychological, social, and environmental QOL. Other factors associated with QOL included gender, age class, area size of residence, and income. Education and occupation were not associated with QOL.

Conclusions and Significance

Greater interpersonal trust is strongly associated with a better QOL among Japanese adults. If a causal relationship is demonstrated in a controlled interventional study, social and political measures should be advocated to increase interpersonal trust for achieving better QOL.     

Psychoneurotic symptomatology in the irritable bowel syndrome: a study of reporters and non-reporters.

An appreciable proportion of the general population have the irritable bowel syndrome but do not report it. Results of psychological assessments showed that outpatients with the syndrome and non-reporters of it were psychologically similar, but both groups showed more somatic distress than normal controls. Anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsion, and interpersonal sensitivity were similar in both groups with the syndrome and the normal controls. The preponderance of women referred to outpatient clinics may reflect sociological factors rather than the severity of the irritable bowel syndrome.     

Skeletal muscle unweighting: spaceflight and ground-based models.

Long-term manned spaceflight requires that flight crews be exposed to extended periods of unweighting of antigravity skeletal muscles. This exposure will result in adaptations in these muscles that have the potential to debilitate crew members on return to increased gravity environments. Therefore, the development of countermeasures to prevent these unwanted adaptations is an important requirement. The limited access to microgravity environments for the purpose of studying muscle adaptation and evaluating countermeasure programs has necessitated the use of ground-based models to conduct both basic and applied muscle physiology research. In this review, the published results from ground-based models of muscle unweighting are presented and compared with the results from related spaceflight research. The models of skeletal muscle unweighting with a sufficient body of literature included bed rest, cast immobilization, and unilateral lower limb suspension. Comparisons of changes in muscle strength and size between these models in the context of the limited results available from spaceflight suggest that each model may be useful for the investigation of certain aspects of the skeletal muscle unweighting that occur in microgravity.     

Principal dimensions of the Framingham Type A scale: differential relationships to cardiovascular reactivity and anxiety

The present investigation sought to identify the principal dimensions of the Framingham Type A scale (FTAS) and then to examine their physiological and psychological correlates. A factor analysis of the FTAS items, which was cross-validated, revealed two factors. Items concerning achievement and competitive-striving loaded primarily on the first factor. Scores on a subscale composed of these items (labeled Competitive Drive) were related to systolic blood pressure reactivity during an interpersonal task but were unrelated to anxiety. FTAS items concerning impatient, time urgent, and domineering propensities loaded primarily on the second factor. Scores on a subscale composed of these items (labeled Speed and Impatience) were not related to cardiovascular reactivity during the task but were related to anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of the psychological heterogeneity of the Type A behavior pattern and possible differences between dimensions of the overall Type A pattern and their association with different manifestations of coronary heart disease.     

北方城市绿地对大气颗粒物浓度的削减作用对比研究

尽管城市绿地能够改善空气质量,但由于实践中缺乏统一的绿地分类系统,很难从优化绿地植被结构的角度出发调节城市空气质量。因此,为了探究北方城市不同绿地削减大气颗粒物浓度效果的差异,构建了一套融入植被结构因子和物种组成的绿地分类系统,基于该分类系统,在北京、西安、宝鸡选取了5类共同常见的植被结构绿地类型,通过卫星图像判读与实地监测相结合的方式,探究了不同本底环境、植被结构、植物多样性、气象因子和时间因子对大气颗粒物浓度(PM_2.5与PM₁₀)的影响。结果表明:(1)城市绿地率对大气颗粒物浓度造成显著影响,绿地率越高的本底环境内颗粒物浓度越低,即多绿本底<灰绿参半本底<灰色本底;(2)植被结构和植物多样性水平显著影响绿地的滞尘能力,北方城市中半开敞绿地的滞尘能力最好,其次为半闭合绿地与闭合绿地,开敞绿地滞尘能力最弱,植物多样性的增加将导致绿地内颗粒物浓度增加;(3)不同植被结构绿地内的大气颗粒物浓度受气象因素的显著影响,随温度和风速的增大而减小,随湿度的增大而增大;(4)北方城市绿地大气颗粒物浓度存在明显的季节和日变化规律,一年内大气颗粒物浓度在夏季最低,冬季最高;一天之内颗粒物浓度在8:00-10:00最低。上述研究结果以期为今后不同本底环境下以削减大气颗粒物浓度为导向的北方城市绿地规划与设计提供理论依据和实践方法。     

Interpersonal stress and style as predictors of biofeedback/relaxation training outcome: preliminary findings

Although the data base describing clinical outcome following biofeedback/relaxation training is accumulating, there have been relatively few attempts to predict short-term outcome, and even fewer for long-term outcome. Significant short-term outcome predictors have been identified, and they often allude to the level of psychological distress as a major factor affecting outcome. To investigate further the role of psychological variables in outcome prediction, this project presents preliminary findings that demonstrate the relationship involving interpersonal psychological stress, interpersonal style of behavior, and outcome. With a very heterogeneous group of patients (N = 39), measures of interpersonal style of behavior were used to discriminate correctly 80% of cases by outcome at the 3-month postadmission evaluation. With a more homogeneous group having somatic disorders alone (headache, Raynaud's, etc.), the accuracy of prediction at 3 months was 90%. No measures were capable of predicting long-term outcome with accuracies even moderately greater than chance. The results indicate that style of interpersonal behavior (e.g., managerial, dependent) and, to a lesser extent, interpersonal stress is predictive of short-term outcome following biofeedback/relaxation training. Individuals who tend to like responsibility and who are more executive and independent generally benefited more than doubtful, obedient, and depressed individuals. While the resulting prediction rates were only slightly more accurate than MMPI D and Pt subscales alone, the procedures provide additional information regarding the personality characteristics of successful and unsuccessful biofeedback clients, and may also provide the clinician with information regarding treatment choice if biofeedback is provided as an adjunct to psychotherapy.     

Interplanetary crew dose rates for the August 1972 solar particle event

Parsons, J. L. and Townsend, L. W. Interplanetary Crew Dose Rates for the August 1972 Solar Particle Event. Using the coupled neutron-proton space radiation transport computer code (BRYNTRN), estimates of dose rates of protons in the skin, ocular lens and bone marrow, behind various thicknesses of aluminum shielding, for crews on space missions outside the Earth's magnetosphere, are made for the large solar particle event (SPE) of August 1972. Overall, the August 1972 dose rates are significantly higher than those estimated for any of the events that occurred in August-December 1989. The dose rates in the August 1972 SPE are not low dose rates as specified by the major national and international advisory bodies and committees.