Study of the information stress problem in operators

On the basis of analysis of the special features of operator performance under extreme conditions, a special form of occupational and psychological stress was determined, i.e., information stress in the operator. The relations between workload and stress are determined, and basic information stressors are indicated. The results of the use of information stress models and the data on personality-related determination of this condition are analyzed. The assumptions on the mental control mechanisms of stress resistance in the operator are suggested.     

论心理对生理的影响和作用

本文阐述了心理对生理的能动作用。在一定的条件下,人的心理可影响其生理功能,两者互为因果、相互影响。生理是心理活动的物质基础,心理是其生理的驱动力和标志。本文论述了精神、情绪、意念、信念、暗示等心理活动对生理的影响和作用及中医论心理对生理的作用,中医利用情志疗法的理论达到心理对生理趋向健康的作用。同时论证了肠道菌群通过心理间接影响生理功能,通过微生态制剂调节肠道菌群的微生态平衡,可改善患者的神经症状,使之心理活动达到最佳状态,进而使人的生理趋向健康。     

The influence of glycine on EEG parameters and sensorimotor activity in normal and alcoholic subjects

The influence of a pharmaceutical preparation of glycine on the EEG and the quality of sensorimotor activity of healthy subjects and alcoholics was studied during the performance of a test on pursuing tracking. Subjects with left-sided dominance of spatial synchronization of cortical biopotentials in the posterofron-totemporal areas under conditions of quiet wakefulness with open eyes were found to have an advantage in performing this kind of activity. Glycine normalized pathological changes of cortical activity and, under certain conditions, improved sensorimotor parameters of operator activity.     

Psychophysiological characterization of persons with different resistance to stress

On the basis of behavioral characteristics while performing operator activity under the conditions of emotional stress, two types of subjects were identified with different neurophysiological reactions to emoional stress. In high stress resistant subjects, irrespective of the character of errors under stress, a decrease in the spectral power of theta-rhythm and an increase in the power in beta hand was observed. As compared to low stress resistant subjects, they were characterized by the predominance of activity of the right hemisphere. In low stress resistant subjects during the work under stress conditions the spectral power in beta-1 hand decreased. As compared to high stress resistant, they were characterized by the predominance of the left hemisphere.     

Effect of alternating G loads on the activities of a human operator wearing a protective helmet

Specific types of operator activity make it necessary to wear a helmet protecting the head against various physical factors. Wearing a heavy helmet for a long time may affect the quality of operator activity when the operator is exposed to alternating G loads. Studies have been performed using a dynamic model of a vehicle subjected to considerable alternating G loads. Crash test dummies have been used to test a system protecting the cervical region of the spinal column. The effects of accelerations, vibrations, and the time of wearing helmets with different weights on the functional state and operator performance have been studied. Data on the effects of helmet weight on some physiological, psychological, and biomechanical reactions of human operators are reported. Some relationships have been found that have practical implications for the functional improvement of the operator component of vehicle operation.     

Motor Activity of Eyelids as a Functional State Indicator

The authors consider an insufficiently studied indicator, i.e., motor activity of eyelids, recorded with or without miniature contacts in infrared rays for the visual analyzer states eyes open / eyes closed. Eyelid movement characteristics are highly informative in diagnosing the functional state and evaluating operator activity quality under monotonous conditions. The authors discuss possible mechanisms of the influence of such functional states on the motor activity of eyelids.     

L.S. Vygotsky's Historical and Cultural Theory and Its Significance for Contemporary Studies of the Psychology of Personality

Problems concerning the activity of a human operator warrant discussion because under the conditions of modern scientific and technological progress, many of the directions of development of production and control involve automation and a complication of the technological process, i.e., an expansion of operator occupations. The development of automation increases the role of intellectual labor and gives rise to a number of problems that have not yet been dealt with by psychologists.     

Activity changes in lac repressor with cysteine oxidation.

The effects of prior covalent cysteine modification or nonspecific DNA presence on the reaction of lac repressor protein with N-bromosuccinimide have been investigated. At low excesses, N-bromosuccinimide oxidation causes loss of operator DNA binding activity with simultaneous retention of inducer and nonspecific DNA binding activities. Cysteine and methionine are oxidized under the conditions utilized. Covalent modification of the cysteines of repressor prior to reaction decreased the observed loss of operator DNA binding capacity; the presence of nonspecific DNA partially prevented oxidation of the cysteines by N-bromosuccinimide, and concurrent protection of operator binding ability was observed. Methionine oxidation was observed in the cases where protection of the operator DNA binding capacity of repressor was seen. The region surrounding cysteine 107 was found to be influential in maintaining intact operator DNA binding function in repressor. This observation provides chemical evidence for the contribution of the core region of repressor in determining specificity of the protein in binding the lac operator. The protection from oxidation of cysteine residues in the core region by the presence of nonspecific DNA suggests that this binding influences the core region of the protein.     

The basis for the super-repressor phenotypes of the AV77 and EK18 mutants of trp repressor

The DNA-binding properties of two super-repressor mutants of the Escherichia coli trp repressor, EK18 and AV77, have been investigated using steady-state fluorescence anisotropy measurements, in order to further elucidate the basis for their super-repressor phenotypes. Several suggestions have been previously proposed as the basis for the super-repressor phenotype of EK18 and AV77. For the negative to positive charge change EK18 mutant, increased electrostatic interactions between the EK18 mutant and the operator and increased protein-protein interactions between EK18 dimers have been suggested as contributing to the super-repressor phenotype of this mutant. We show that EK18 dimers actually bind to wild-type and variant operator sequences with a decrease in apparent cooperativity and an increase in affinity, compared to WTTR dimers. Thus, the EK18 super-repressor phenotype is not due to increased cooperative binding between EK18 dimers. These results support the hypothesis that the super-repressor phenotype of EK18 arises from increased electrostatic interactions between the mutant and DNA. In the case of the AV77 mutant, weaker binding affinity of apo-AV77 to non-specific DNA, increased selectivity of binding of AV77 for the operator, and a higher population of folded functional AV77 dimers available to bind the operator under limiting L-Trp conditions in vivo, have been proposed for the super-repressor phenotype of this mutant. We show that like the EK18 mutant, apoAV77 binds with higher affinity to non-specific DNA compared to apo-WTTR and that the holo-AV77 mutant does not bind with higher selectivity to the operator, has had been previously proposed. We therefore conclude that the super-repressor phenotype of the AV77 mutant is due to an increase in the population of folded, functional AV77 dimers, under limiting L-Trp conditions in vivo.     

Prognostic value of studying personality traits of civil aviation pilots

A clinical and psychological examination of civil aviation pilots, including ones with a history of attempted suicide, and an in-depth study of the personality qualities of the pilots by means of a modified standardized multifactor personality study and a portrait choice method based on a modification of Szondi’s test for eight drives were performed. The analysis of psychological features in pilots with a history of attempted suicide showed a neurotic type of maladaptation formed on the basis of the domination of hyposthenic traits in the personality structure. Neurotic behavior, pessimism, increased anxiety, and introversion that had become acute under the specific social and occupational conditions transformed into depressive signs and avoidance of social problems.     

Assessment of the parameters of human external respiration by means of a portable volumeter under the field and laboratory conditions

Spirometric assessment of human lung capacity is usually feasible only under laboratory conditions, using expensive equipment, bicycle ergometers, or treadmills. Hence, it is desirable to develop a portable device to measure the key parameters of the external respiration of a subject under field conditions, with the data saved in the memory on a breath-by-breath basis and then transferred to a computer for further analysis. We have created a portable device consisting of an easy and tiny sensor fastened to a respiratory mask. The sensor is connected with a cable to a tiny device with an LCD screen where the values of pulmonary ventilation (Ve), expiratory volume (Vt), and respiratory rate are shown in turn by the choice of the operator. Metrological studies have shown that the instrument error generally did not exceed 5%.     

Analysis in vivo of factors affecting the control of transcription initiation at promoters containing target sites for trp repressor

An investigation of repression in the trp system of Escherichia coli was undertaken using operon fusions and plasmids constructed via recombinant DNA technology. The promoters of the trp operon and the trpR gene were fused to lacZ, enabling the activity of these promoters to be evaluated under various conditions through measurements of beta-galactosidase production. In confirmation of earlier studies, the trpR gene was shown to be regulated autogenously. This control feature of the trp system was found to maintain intracellular Trp repressor protein at essentially invariant levels under most conditions studied. Increasing the trpR+ gene dosage did not significantly elevate Trp repressor protein levels, nor did the introduction of additional operator "sinks" result in significantly decreased levels of Trp repressor protein. Definite alterations in intracellular Trp repressor protein levels were achieved only by subverting the normal trpR regulatory elements. The placement of the lacUV5 or the lambda PL promoters upstream of the trpR gene resulted in significant increases in repression of the trp system. Substituting the primary trp promoter/operator for the native trpR promoter/operator resulted in an altered regulatory response of the trp system to tryptophan limitation or excess. The regulation of the trpR gene effectively imparts a broad range of expression to the trp operon in a manner finely attuned to fluctuations in intracellular tryptophan levels.     

On The History of Soviet Military Psychology

Military psychology is a branch of psychology, which is in addition included among the military sciences. In it the psychological features of different kinds of military and, above all, of combat activity are studied in relation to social and historical conditions, military technology, personal qualities of the fighting men, and methods of military and political preparation. The general purpose of Soviet military psychology is to discover principles of human mental activity under the conditions of combat and of training for combat, and to use these principles for raising the fighting capacity of the Soviet armed forces.     

Feedback delays and relaxation expectancies in EMG biofeedback

The use of noncontingent feedback controls in studies of the efficacy and process of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback may yield results confounded by differential expectancies for relaxation. Furthermore, the role of expectancies in producing psychological and physical relaxation as well as reducing muscle activity is unclear. This study investigated the effects of feedback delays and induced relaxation expectancies on EMG activity and experienced relaxation. One hundred four non-clinical subjects participated in one auditory frontal EMG biofeedback training session. Subjects were assigned to one of four computerized feedback delay conditions (0.0037, 0.7493, 2.2481, 6.7444 s) and to one of two relaxation expectancy conditions (positive or negative). During 20 minutes of biofeedback training, all groups decreased frontal activity. Feedback delays interacted with training epochs in affecting EMG; the longest delay group reduced frontal activity more slowly than the shortest delay group during training. Positive relaxation expectancies produced greater experienced relaxation than did negative relaxation expectancies. Instrumental and expectancy factors in EMG biofeedback appear to operate independently of each other by reducing physiological activity and producing psychological relaxation respectively.This study was completed by the first author under the direction of the second author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree. We gratefully acknowledge the computerization advice and assistance provided by Larry Wheeler, and the assistance in data collection provided by Dawn Dexter and Michael Winstanley.     

Index to Soviet Psychology,Volume XII (Fall 1973-Summer 1974)

Activity is the most general category in studies of the nature of the mind, mental development, and the cognitive and creative capacities of the individual person. Activity is the subject of investigation in different sciences, both natural and social. Every science studies specific laws of the generation, development, and dynamics of activity. Thus, in pedagogy, the activity of the pupil in the learning process constitutes the most general foundation for the development and implementation of active methods of instruction and education in the broad sense. A great many empirical and theoretical studies are carried out in every science. The purpose of the present article is to formulate certain theoretical questions and postulates concerning the psychological structure and dynamics of cognitive activity on the basis of an analysis of the results of experiments carried out under my direction.     

Construction and characterization of a highly regulable expression vector, pLAC11, and its multipurpose derivatives, pLAC22 and pLAC33

A number of different expression vectors have been developed to facilitate the regulated overproduction of proteins in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. Some of the more popular ones include pKK223-3, pKK233-2, pTrc99A, and the pET family of expression vectors. These vectors were designed to be regulable and can be grown under conditions that repress protein production or under conditions that induce protein production. Unfortunately, however, numerous researchers have found that these vectors produce significant amounts of protein even when grown under repressed conditions. We describe here a new expression vector, pLAC11, which was designed to be more regulable and thus more tightly repressible when grown under repressed conditions. The tight regulation of pLAC11 was achieved by utilizing the O3 auxiliary operator, CAP binding site, promoter, and O1 operator that occur in the wild-type lac control region. The pLAC11 vector can be used to conduct physiologically relevant studies in which the cloned gene is expressed at levels comparable to that obtainable from the chromosomal copy of the gene in question. In experiments in which a bacterial cell contained both a null allele in the chromosome and a second copy of the wild-type allele on pLAC11, we observed that cells grown under repressed conditions exhibited the null phenotype while cells grown under induced conditions exhibited the wild-type phenotype. Two multipurpose derivatives of pLAC11, pLAC22, and pLAC33 have also been constructed to fulfill different experimental needs.     

Characterization of the interaction between chymotrypsin and heparin.

Heparin forms a complex with chymotrypsin which is active towards glutaryl-L-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide (GPANA) and glutaryl-L-phenylalanine-beta-naphthylamide (GPNA) at pH 7.6. The activity of chymotrypsin towards GPANA at pH 7.6 is enhanced in the presence of heparin. Heparin does not bind at the active site of the enzyme since proflavin is not displaced from the active site of chymotrypsin upon complex formation. The heparin-chymotrypsin complex migrates under basic polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis conditions to a position intermediate between heparin and free chymotrypsin. The complex is dissociable under acidic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis conditions. It is estimated that one to three molecules of heparin can bind to each chymotrypsin molecule on the basis of electrophoretic and enzymic activity data.     

躯体性应激和心理性应激对鼠脾NK细胞受体表达的影响

阐明躯体性应激和心理性应激降低NK细胞杀伤活性的机制及异同。应用Communication box系统分别使小鼠连续负荷躯体性应激和心理性应激后,以~(51)Cr释放法检测鼠脾NK、LAK细胞的杀伤活性;以流式细胞术检测鼠脾细胞、LAK细胞中NK细胞受体的表达水平。结果表明,躯体性应激和心理性应激均可降低鼠脾NK、LAK细胞的杀伤活性,但对脾细胞、LAK细胞中NK细胞受体表达的影响却不同,提示躯体性应激和心理性应激影响NK细胞功能的机制不同。