Influence of repetitive Gz acceleration on structural and metabolic profile of m. vastus lateralis in monkeys exposed to 30 day bedrest.

It was shown that changes in structural and metabolic indices of extensor muscles of the lower extremities were usually found in man after exposure to space flight or to bed rest. Similar changes were also observed in monkeys, space-flown on "Kosmos" biosatellites. Response to weightlessness and to restraint was found to be different in m.

Modern view on the short-arm centrifuge as a potential generator of artificial gravity in piloted missions.

The problem of artificial gravity (AG) in long-term missions is one of the hottest, as the existing countermeasures do not fully cope with the negative consequences of weightlessness. From two variants of AG creation--rotation of space systems around of their mass center or short radius centrifuge (SAC)--the preference is given to SAC, as technically easier variant for realization. However, the rotation of a person on SAC can cause not only positive, but also negative effects.

Microgravity and aging of animals.

A study of changed gravity effects upon viability, life span and aging is of interest, on one hand, from a practical viewpoint in relation to the growing duration of space missions and on other hand, from a theoretical viewpoint, because gravity is one of the key factors in the evolutionary process on the Earth. In 1978 special conference titled "Space Gerontology" was held. Well known experts in space biology and physiology of aging participated in it.

Dystrophin in limb skeletal muscle fibers and creatinkinase leakage after acute +3 Gz acceleration in rhesus monkeys.

Intensive muscle tension induces significant blood accumulation of enzymes and structural proteins of the muscle origin. Altered macromolecular permeability of the sarcolemma is attributed to integrity of sarcolemmal cytoskeleton, mainly to dystrophin-sarcoglycan (DSG) complex. It is known that intensive tension of the antigravity extensor muscles is observed under conditions of gravitational overloading.

Lifetime total radiation risk of cosmonauts for orbital and interplanetary flights.

This paper presents results of calculations of total radiation risk for cosmonauts over their lifetimes and assessments of possible shortening of life expectancy on the basis of generalized doses calculated for cosmonauts after a long term interplanetary and orbital space missions on "MIR" station and International Space Station with the use of mathematical expressions coming from a model of change mortality rate of mammals after irradiation. Tumor risk assessments for cosmonauts over lifetime after flights are also given. Dependences of the delayed radiation consequences mentioned above on flight duration, spacecraft shielding thicknesses, solar activity and cosmonauts' age are analyzed.

Estimation of a cosmonaut's radiation hazard during long-term space missions on the basis of a generalized dosimetric function.

This paper presents a new concept of radiation hazard assessment for spacecraft crew members during long term space missions on the basis of a generalized dosimetric function. This new dosimetric function enables a complicated nature of space radiation exposure to be reduced to the conditions of a standard irradiation. It can be obtained on the basis of mean-tissue equivalent dose values calculated for each space radiation source and transmission coefficients describing the influence of the complex spatial and temporal distribution of the absorbed dose in the cosmonaut's body on the radiobiological effects.

Radiation risk during long-term spaceflight.

Cosmonauts' exposure to cosmic rays during long-term spaceflight can cause unfavorable effects in health and risk for the crew members' lives. All unfavorable effects induced by exposure should be taken into consideration for the risk estimation. They should include both the acute deterministic effects and delayed effects called stochastic.

[Effect of space flight factors on health of cosmonauts in the near and late term after space flights].

Cytogenetical studies of cosmonauts' peripheral blood lymphocytes after space flights on MIR orbital station showed a statistically significant increase in the yields of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations. However, similar studies with in vitro irradiation of biological objects with accelerated charged particles are of great importance for elucidation of the nature of cytogenetical damage induced in vivo. It is also important to investigate the structure of cosmonatus' diseases over their life, in particular, lens opacities and oncological diseases.

Medical care system for NASA-Mir spaceflights.

A fundamental goal of space medicine is to maintain the health and fitness of spacecrews. Meeting this goal requires reliable, effective, up-to-date medical support systems for use in microgravity. This article describes some of the factors considered in the design and assembly of Russian and U.

Verification of methods of MIR-station's crew members personal dose estimation based on radiation monitoring data.

During the flight of the main missions on board the MIR station the individual doses of the crew members and the dose inside the core module was measured by the ID-3M package and R-16 dosimeter, respectively. Comparison of the skin dose measured by ID-3M unit and calculated by the transmission coefficient method on the basis of R-16 data in each of 23 main missions permits estimation of the systematic error of the transmission coefficient method. The mean value of this error is equal to 32%.

Some problems of group interaction in prolonged space flights.

The objective of this paper is to describe psychological phenomena which has developed in the course of inter- and intragroup interaction in space. Several objective reasons are stressed which comprise the basis of the formation of the majority of the psychological phenomena. The authors also discuss prediction of these phenomena, namely, can they occur on the International Space Station (ISS) and what countermeasures will prevent them.

Interrelations between the small isolated groups with homogeneous and heterogeneous composition.

Increase in the heterogeneity of a space crew's composition (cultural and gender differences) is a risk factor that can negatively influence the formation of a cohesive crew, which depends on a common way of perceiving one's social environment, goals and values. Method. Three groups working in isolation from 110 to 240 days, all with different cultural and gender composition were analysed using a modification of Kelly's repertory grid technique during a space simulation at the Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow.

Telemedicine and spaceflight.

Medical assessment and treatment of crews during spaceflight is primarily perfomed by the Earth-based medical staff analyzing information received by telemetry and onboard preventive and medical treatment facilities. In the coming decades, the building of the International Space Station (ISS) will be the most important near-Earth space exploration project. Remote monitoring and distance support of the crewmembers by the Earth-based clinical medicine specialists will become increasely important.

Effect of support stimulation on unloaded soleus in rat.

We studied the efficacy of plantar support in the prevention of atrophy in a disused soleus muscle during hindlimb suspension (HS). The 14-day investigation involved three groups of hindlimb-suspended male Wistar rats and a group of control rats (C). In all HS groups, the left hindlimbs (L) of the animals were left free.

Work and rest planning as a way of crew member error management.

Human error prevention is very important to support the safety and efficiency of human-machine systems. The approach to space crew member management error is considered in this paper. The data collected during 14 "Mir" station missions were analyzed to substantiate this approach.

Human thermohomeostasis onboard "Mir" and in simulated microgravity studies.

Significant changes of thermogomeostatic parameters was obtained by thermotopometric method using the techniques simulate of microgravity effects: bed rest, pressurized isolation, suit immersion (SI). However, each of ground models made rectal temperature (T) trend downward. The autothermometric study (24 and 12 sessions, 2-13th and 6-174th flight days) was carried out onboard "Mir" by two flight engineers who had preliminary tested at SI (1-2 days).

[Structural and metabolic characteristics of m. vastus lateralis of monkeys during 30-day hypokinesia: effects of prophylactic Gz-accelerations].

Studies of m. vastus lateralis in Rhesus monkeys exposed to weightlessness on board of the Russian biosatellites showed the profound changes of the muscle structural and metabolic profile. It is known that exposure to head-down tilt berets (BR) induces the similar changes though not so pronounced.

Evaluation of planting surfaces for crop production in microgravity.

In microgravity, plants can be cultivated on curvilinear domed (convex) surfaces, e.g. cylindrical, spherical, and thoroidal, with light sources arrayed evenly along a concave surface above the crop surface.

Solar particle events observed on MIR station.

Radiation impact of the SPEs on board the MIR space station and in the interplanetary space is discussed in the report. The data of the on-board radiation dosimeter R-16 were used to measure the SPE absorbed doses. Some of SPEs (such as September-October 1989 series of very large SPEs) were measured in detail by Liulin active high sensitive dosimetric instrument installed on board MIR station.

Direct comparison of transient radiation belt topology and dynamics in 1991 based on measurements onboard Mir space station and NOAA satellite.

In March 1991 the CRRES spacecraft measured a new transient radiation belt resulting from a solar proton event and subsequent geomagnetic disturbance. The presence of this belt was also noted by dosimeter-radiometers aboard the Mir space station (approx. 400 km, 51 degrees orbit) and by particle telescopes on the NOAA-10 spacecraft (850 km, 98 degrees).

Project of conveyer-type space greenhouse for cosmonauts' supply with vitamin greenery.

Design and advantages of conveyer-type growth chamber PHYTOCYCLE with a cylindrical crop surface are featured. Based on the results of testing, an experimental prototype of conveyer-type vegetable greenhouse VITACYCLE for space vehicles is being developed at the SSC-IBMP in conjunction with a number of institutions of the Russian space industry to provide space crews with fresh greenery. Rated daily production of the greenhouse is 150 g of eatable biomass with power consumption of 1 kW.

Influence of bisphosphonates on calcium metabolism and bone tissue during simulation of the physiological effects of microgravity.

At present a significant experience has been gathered in experimental and clinical use of synthetic derivatives of bisphosphonic acid. Purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of bisphosphonates on calcium metabolism and bone tissue in humans and animals under the conditions simulating the physiological effects of microgravity. In a series of experiments with animals the effectiveness of various preparations and treatment plans was compared Action of 1-hydroxyethyliden-1, 1-bisphosphonic acid (EHBP, xydiphon) on calcium metabolism and bone tissue in human was the subject of experiments with long-term head-down tilt (HDT).

Phagocyte system under spaceflight conditions.

The spaceflight conditions lead to disturbances in immune system and cause the changes in microbial and chemical environment that create preconditions for immunodeficiency and allergic disease development. With the spaceflights lengthening the problem of crewmembers immunodeficiency and the probability of allergic disease manifestation became actual. The higher risk of various pathological conditions noted in cosmonauts during space flight due to lowered immunological resistance and unnatural biological and chemical environment (autoimmune reactions, bacterial and viral autoinfections, possible allergic events etc.

Human +Gx tolerance with the use of anti-G suits during descent from orbit of the Soyuz space vehicles.

Previous investigations have shown the necessity of anti-G protection of cosmonauts on the stage of descent from orbit. Purpose of this research is to evaluate effectiveness of an elastic anti-G suits in opposing the descent accelerations in the Soyuz space vehicles.