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Jain, Varsha, Robert Ploutz-Snyder, Millennia Young, Jacqueline M. Charvat, and Virginia E. Wotring. "Potential Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Female Astronauts." Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 91, no. 5 (May 1, 2020): 432–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.3357/amhp.5458.2020.
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BACKGROUND: Whether the unique environment of space affects astronaut risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not known. On Earth, it is known that use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) doubles the risk of VTE. Since some female astronauts choose to use COCs, this retrospective study examined known risk factors associated with VTE risk to determine whether the available data suggested elevated VTE risk in female astronauts.METHODS: Longitudinal health data were requested for female astronauts who flew short and long duration missions between 2000 and 2014. Pre- and postflight hematological and biochemical blood markers were available and evaluated. Astronauts’ postflight measurements were compared to clinically relevant terrestrial high risk levels to determine any trend toward increased risk for VTE following spaceflight. Secondarily, a comparison of pre- and postflight changes was made, as well as an assessment of COC impact.RESULTS: A total of 38 astronaut-flights were included in this study and no VTE events were found. Analysis of potential VTE risk factors showed no evidence suggesting elevated VTE risk in female astronauts associated with spaceflight, regardless of contraceptive use.DISCUSSION: Arguably, all astronauts encounter many physiological stressors during spaceflight missions, but women using the combined contraceptive pill add a known risk factor for VTE. The risk factors analyzed within this study showed no trend toward an increased risk of VTE for female astronauts. This study provides an evidence base supporting the safety of COC use by female astronauts and also reinforces the importance of healthy lifestyle on VTE risk reduction.Jain V, Ploutz-Snyder R, Young M, Charvat JM, Wotring VE. Potential venous thromboembolism risk in female astronauts. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(5):432–439.
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Bush, Elizabeth. "Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 73, no. 6 (2020): 270–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2020.0121.
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Harm, Deborah L., Richard T. Jennings, Janice V. Meck, Michael R. Powell, Lakshmi Putcha, Clarence P. Sams, Suzanne M. Schneider, Linda C. Shackelford, Scott M. Smith, and Peggy A. Whitson. "Invited Review: Gender issues related to spaceflight: a NASA perspective." Journal of Applied Physiology 91, no. 5 (November 1, 2001): 2374–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.5.2374.
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This minireview provides an overview of known and potential gender differences in physiological responses to spaceflight. The paper covers cardiovascular and exercise physiology, barophysiology and decompression sickness, renal stone risk, immunology, neurovestibular and sensorimotor function, nutrition, pharmacotherapeutics, and reproduction. Potential health and functional impacts associated with the various physiological changes during spaceflight are discussed, and areas needing additional research are highlighted. Historically, studies of physiological responses to microgravity have not been aimed at examining gender-specific differences in the astronaut population. Insufficient data exist in most of the discipline areas at this time to draw valid conclusions about gender-specific differences in astronauts, in part due to the small ratio of women to men. The only astronaut health issue for which a large enough data set exists to allow valid conclusions to be drawn about gender differences is orthostatic intolerance following shuttle missions, in which women have a significantly higher incidence of presyncope during stand tests than do men. The most common observation across disciplines is that individual differences in physiological responses within genders are usually as large as, or larger than, differences between genders. Individual characteristics usually outweigh gender differences per se.
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Waters, Wendy W., Michael G. Ziegler, and Janice V. Meck. "Postspaceflight orthostatic hypotension occurs mostly in women and is predicted by low vascular resistance." Journal of Applied Physiology 92, no. 2 (February 1, 2002): 586–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00544.2001.
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About 20% of astronauts suffer postspaceflight presyncope. We studied pre- to postflight (5- to 16-day missions) cardiovascular responses to standing in 35 astronauts to determine differences between 1) men and women and 2) presyncopal and nonpresyncopal groups. The groups were presyncopal women, presyncopal men, and nonpresyncopal men based on their ability to stand for 10 min postflight. Preflight, women and presyncopal men had low vascular resistance, with the women having the lowest. Postflight, women experienced higher rates of presyncope (100 vs. 20%; P = 0.001) and greater losses of plasma volume (20 vs. 7%; P < 0.05) than men. Also, presyncopal subjects had lower standing mean arterial pressure (P ≤ 0.001) and vascular resistance ( P < 0.05), smaller increases in norepinephrine ( P ≤ 0.058) and greater increases in epinephrine ( P ≤ 0.058) than nonpresyncopal subjects. Presyncopal subjects had a strong dependence on plasma volume to maintain standing stroke volume. These findings suggest that postflight presyncope is greatest in women, and this can be ascribed to a combination of inherently low-resistance responses, a strong dependence on volume status, and relative hypoadrenergic responses. Conversely, high vascular resistance and postflight hyperadrenergic responses prevent presyncope.
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Arquilla, Katya, Sarah Leary, Andrea K. Webb, and Allie P. Anderson. "Wearable 3-Lead Electrocardiogram Placement Model for Fleet Sizing of Medical Devices." Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 91, no. 11 (November 1, 2020): 868–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.3357/amhp.5633.2020.
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BACKGROUND: Electrocardiography (ECG) provides valuable information on astronaut physiological and psychological health. ECG monitoring has been conducted during crewed missions since the beginning of human spaceflight and will continue during astronauts upcoming long-duration exploration missions (LDEMs) in support of automated health monitoring systems. ECG monitoring is traditionally performed in clinical environments with single-use, adhesive electrodes in a 3, 6, or 12-lead configuration placed by a trained clinician. In the space exploration environment, astronauts self-place electrodes without professional assistance. Wearable ECG systems are an attractive option for automated health monitoring, but electrode placement has not been quantified to a high enough degree to avoid artifacts within the data due to position changes. This variability presents challenges for physician-limited, autonomous health monitoring, so quantifying electrode placement is key in the development of reliable, wearable ECG monitoring systems.METHODS: We present a method of quantifying electrode placement for 3-lead, chest-mounted ECG using easy-to-measure, two-dimensional chest measurements.RESULTS: We find that male and female dimensions require different electrode positioning computations, but there is overlap in positioning between men and women. The distribution of electrodes vertical positions is wider than their horizontal positions.DISCUSSION: These results can be translated directly to ECG wearable design for the individual and for the size range and adjustability required for the astronaut fleet. Implementation of this method will improve the reliability in placement and fit of future wearables, increasing comfort and usability of these systems and subsequently augmenting autonomous health monitoring capabilities for exploration medicine.Arquilla K, Leary S, Webb AK, Anderson AP. Wearable 3-lead electrocardiogram placement model for fleet sizing of medical devices. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(11):868875.
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Elizabeth Bush. "Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream (review)." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 62, no. 8 (2009): 337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/bcc.0.0815.
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Drago-Ferrante, Rosa, Riccardo Di Fiore, Fathi Karouia, Yashwanth Subbannayya, Saswati Das, Begum Aydogan Mathyk, Shehbeel Arif, et al. "Extraterrestrial Gynecology: Could Spaceflight Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer in Female Astronauts? An Updated Review." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, no. 13 (July 5, 2022): 7465. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms23137465.
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Outer space is an extremely hostile environment for human life, with ionizing radiation from galactic cosmic rays and microgravity posing the most significant hazards to the health of astronauts. Spaceflight has also been shown to have an impact on established cancer hallmarks, possibly increasing carcinogenic risk. Terrestrially, women have a higher incidence of radiation-induced cancers, largely driven by lung, thyroid, breast, and ovarian cancers, and therefore, historically, they have been permitted to spend significantly less time in space than men. In the present review, we focus on the effects of microgravity and radiation on the female reproductive system, particularly gynecological cancer. The aim is to provide a summary of the research that has been carried out related to the risk of gynecological cancer, highlighting what further studies are needed to pave the way for safer exploration class missions, as well as postflight screening and management of women astronauts following long-duration spaceflight.
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Ryan, Kathy L., Jack A. Loeppky, and Donald E. Kilgore. "A forgotten moment in physiology: the Lovelace Woman in Space Program (1960–1962)." Advances in Physiology Education 33, no. 3 (September 2009): 157–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/advan.00034.2009.
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In 1959, Brigadier General Donald Flickinger and Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II suggested that it would be more practical from an engineering standpoint to send women rather than men into space due to their lower body weights and oxygen requirements. When the Air Force decided not to pursue this project, Dr. Lovelace assumed leadership of the Woman in Space Program and began medical and physiological testing of a series of accomplished women aviators at the Lovelace Medical Clinic in Albuquerque, NM, in 1960. The tests that these women underwent were identical to those used to test the original Mercury astronauts, with the addition of gynecological examinations. Thirteen of the nineteen women tested passed these strenuous physiological exams (for comparison, 18 of 32 men tested passed); a subset of these pilots was further tested on a series of psychological exams that were similar to or, in some instances, more demanding than those given to male Mercury candidates. Despite these promising results, further testing was halted, and the Woman in Space Program was disbanded in 1962. Although the Woman in Space Program received a great deal of publicity at the time, the story of these women was somewhat lost until they were reunited at the 1999 launch of the shuttle Columbia, commanded by Colonel Eileen Collins.
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Hughson, Richard L., Andrew D. Robertson, Philippe Arbeille, J. Kevin Shoemaker, James W. E. Rush, Katelyn S. Fraser, and Danielle K. Greaves. "Increased postflight carotid artery stiffness and inflight insulin resistance resulting from 6-mo spaceflight in male and female astronauts." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 310, no. 5 (March 1, 2016): H628—H638. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00802.2015.
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Removal of the normal head-to-foot gravity vector and chronic weightlessness during spaceflight might induce cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations related to changes in arterial pressure and reduction in physical activity. We tested hypotheses that stiffness of arteries located above the heart would be increased postflight, and that blood biomarkers inflight would be consistent with changes in vascular function. Possible sex differences in responses were explored in four male and four female astronauts who lived on the International Space Station for 6 mo. Carotid artery distensibility coefficient ( P = 0.005) and β-stiffness index ( P = 0.006) reflected 17–30% increases in arterial stiffness when measured within 38 h of return to Earth compared with preflight. Spaceflight-by-sex interaction effects were found with greater changes in β-stiffness index in women ( P = 0.017), but greater changes in pulse wave transit time in men ( P = 0.006). Several blood biomarkers were changed from preflight to inflight, including an increase in an index of insulin resistance ( P < 0.001) with a spaceflight-by-sex term suggesting greater change in men ( P = 0.034). Spaceflight-by-sex interactions for renin ( P = 0.016) and aldosterone ( P = 0.010) indicated greater increases in women than men. Six-month spaceflight caused increased arterial stiffness. Altered hydrostatic arterial pressure gradients as well as changes in insulin resistance and other biomarkers might have contributed to alterations in arterial properties, including sex differences between male and female astronauts.
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Peters, Carole C. "Gifted Females: Teachers, Nurses and Astronauts A Unit on Gender Issues PEAC: Primary Extension and Challenge." Gifted Education International 9, no. 3 (January 1994): 138–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026142949400900303.
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Realising the potential of both males and females should be an important objective of every nation. Analysis of the status of women in the workforce provides support for the argument that many women are functioning as underachievers, a loss not only to themselves as they fail to realise their full potential, but also to society which is deprived of their full contribution. In this paper the special challenges for gifted girls are highlighted in a gender issues unit offered to students attending a Primary Extension and Challenge program. A single-sex setting for gifted girls is explored and evaluated. The realization of potential through the breaking with tradition and keeping options and choices open is an important issue for the girls.
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Buckey, Jay C., Scott D. Phillips, Allison P. Anderson, Ariane B. Chepko, Veronique Archambault-Leger, Jiang Gui, and Abigail M. Fellows. "Microgravity-induced ocular changes are related to body weight." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 315, no. 3 (September 1, 2018): R496—R499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00086.2018.
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On Earth, tissue weight generates compressive forces that press on body structures and act on the walls of vessels throughout the body. In microgravity, tissues no longer have weight, and tissue compressive forces are lost, suggesting that individuals who weigh more may show greater effects from microgravity exposure. One unique effect of long-duration microgravity exposure is spaceflight-associated neuroocular syndrome (SANS), which can present with globe flattening, choroidal folds, optic disk edema, and a hyperopic visual shift. To determine whether weight or other anthropometric measures are related to ocular changes in space, we analyzed data from 45 individual long-duration astronauts (mean age 47, 36 male, 9 female, mean mission duration 165 days) who had pre- and postflight measures of disk edema, choroidal folds, and manifest ocular refraction. The mean preflight weights of astronauts who developed new choroidal folds [78.6 kg with no new folds vs. 88.6 kg with new folds ( F = 6.2, P = 0.02)] and disk edema [79.1 kg with no edema vs. 95 kg with edema ( F = 9.6, P = 0.003)] were significantly greater than those who did not. Chest and waist circumferences were also significantly greater in those who developed folds or edema. The odds of developing disk edema or new choroidal folds were 55% in the highest- and 9% in the lowest-weight quartile. In this cohort, no women developed disk edema or choroidal folds, although women also weighed significantly less than men [62.9 vs. 85.2 kg ( F = 53.2, P < 0.0001)]. Preflight body weight and anthropometric factors may predict microgravity-induced ocular changes.
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Swara, Sanditya Jati, and Joseph Ernest Mambu. "Analyzing Gender Inequality and Stereotypes in Foreign-Sourced ELT Textbooks at an Indonesian School: A Mixed-Methods Content Analysis." Voices of English Language Education Society 8, no. 1 (April 29, 2024): 230–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.29408/veles.v8i1.25344.
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This study investigates gender stereotypes in two ELT textbooks, "My Pals Are Here! English 1A" and "My Pals Are Here! English 2A," used at a school in Indonesia. Through content analysis, the study assesses the visual representations in these textbooks to identify gender stereotypes. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a teacher who uses these textbooks, focusing on her perceptions of gender-related issues. The findings reveal persistent gender inequality and stereotypes, with the textbooks frequently assigning unequal household roles and associating specific jobs with specific genders. Men are predominantly depicted in physically demanding roles, such as firefighters, farmers, astronauts, and pilots. In contrast, women are portrayed in roles that are suggested to require patience and perseverance, such as teachers, hairdressers, and nurses. The interview with the teacher indicated an awareness of gender equality issues; however, this awareness was not actively integrated into her teaching practices. This study highlights the need for more equitable gender representations in educational materials.
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Launius, Roger D. "Lady Astronauts, Lady Engineers, and Naked Ladies: Women and the American Space Community During the Cold War, 1960s–1980s by Karin Hilck." Technology and Culture 62, no. 1 (2021): 299–300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tech.2021.0036.
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Holt, Jacquelyn A., Brandon R. Macias, Suzanne M. Schneider, Donald E. Watenpaugh, Stuart M. C. Lee, Douglas G. Chang, and Alan R. Hargens. "WISE 2005: Aerobic and resistive countermeasures prevent paraspinal muscle deconditioning during 60-day bed rest in women." Journal of Applied Physiology 120, no. 10 (May 15, 2016): 1215–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00532.2015.
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Microgravity-induced lumbar paraspinal muscle deconditioning may contribute to back pain commonly experienced by astronauts and may increase the risk of postflight injury. We hypothesized that a combined resistive and aerobic exercise countermeasure protocol that included spinal loading would mitigate lumbar paraspinal muscle deconditioning during 60 days of bed rest in women. Sixteen women underwent 60-day, 6° head-down-tilt bed rest (BR) and were randomized into control and exercise groups. During bed rest the control group performed no exercise. The exercise group performed supine treadmill exercise within lower body negative pressure (LBNP) for 3-4 days/wk and flywheel resistive exercise for 2–3 days/wk. Paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured using a lumbar spine MRI sequence before and after BR. In addition, isokinetic spinal flexion and extension strengths were measured before and after BR. Data are presented as means ± SD. Total lumbar paraspinal muscle CSA decreased significantly more in controls (10.9 ± 3.4%) than in exercisers (4.3 ± 3.4%; P < 0.05). The erector spinae was the primary contributor (76%) to total lumbar paraspinal muscle loss. Moreover, exercise attenuated isokinetic spinal extension loss (−4.3 ± 4.5%), compared with controls (−16.6 ± 11.2%; P < 0.05). In conclusion, LBNP treadmill and flywheel resistive exercises during simulated microgravity mitigate decrements in lumbar paraspinal muscle structure and spine function. Therefore spaceflight exercise countermeasures that attempt to reproduce spinal loads experienced on Earth may mitigate spinal deconditioning during long-duration space travel.
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Stein, T. P., and C. E. Wade. "The catecholamine response to spaceflight: role of diet and gender." American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism 281, no. 3 (September 1, 2001): E500—E506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.2001.281.3.e500.
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Compared with men, women appear to have a decreased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response to stress. The two manifestations where the sexual dimorphism has been the most pronounced involve the response of the SNS to fluid shifts and fuel metabolism during exercise. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether a similar sexual dimorphism was found in the response to spaceflight. To do so, we compared catecholamine excretion by male and female astronauts from two similar shuttle missions, Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS1, 1991) and 2 (SLS2, 1993) for evidence of sexual dimorphism. To evaluate the variability of the catecholamine response in men, we compared catecholamine excretion from the two SLS missions against the 1996 Life and Microgravity Sciences Mission (LMS) and the 1973 Skylab missions. Results: No gender- or mission-dependent changes were found with epinephrine. Separating out the SLS1/2 data by gender shows that norepinephrine excretion was essentially unchanged with spaceflight in women (98 ± 10%; n = 3) and substantially decreased with the men (41 ± 9%; n= 4, P < 0.05). Data are a percentage of mean preflight value ± SE. Comparisons among males demonstrated significant mission effects on norepinephrine excretion. After flight, there was a transient increase in norepinephrine but no evidence of any gender-specific effects. We conclude that norepinephrine excretion during spaceflight is both mission and gender dependent. Men show the greater response, with at least three factors being involved, a response to microgravity, energy balance, and the ratio of carbohydrate to fat in the diet.
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Dorfman, Todd A., Benjamin D. Levine, Tommy Tillery, Ronald M. Peshock, Jeff L. Hastings, Suzanne M. Schneider, Brandon R. Macias, Gianni Biolo, and Alan R. Hargens. "Cardiac atrophy in women following bed rest." Journal of Applied Physiology 103, no. 1 (July 2007): 8–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01162.2006.
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Both chronic microgravity exposure and long-duration bed rest induce cardiac atrophy, which leads to reduced standing stroke volume and orthostatic intolerance. However, despite the fact that women appear to be more susceptible to postspaceflight presyncope and orthostatic hypotension than male astronauts, most previous high-resolution studies of cardiac morphology following microgravity have been performed only in men. Because female athletes have less physiological hypertrophy than male athletes, we reasoned that they also might have altered physiological cardiac atrophy after bed rest. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 24 healthy young women (32.1 ± 4 yr) to measure left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) mass, volumes, and morphology accurately before and after 60 days of 6° head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest. Subjects were matched and then randomly assigned to sedentary bed rest (controls, n = 8) or two treatment groups consisting of 1) exercise training using supine treadmill running within lower body negative pressure plus resistive training ( n = 8), or 2) protein (0.45 g·kg−1·day−1 increase) plus branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) (7.2 g/day) supplementation ( n = 8). After sedentary bed rest without nutritional supplementation, there were significant reductions in LV (96 ± 26 to 77 ± 25 ml; P = 0.03) and RV volumes (104 ± 33 to 86 ± 25 ml; P = 0.02), LV (2.2 ± 0.2 to 2.0 ± 0.2 g/kg; P = 0.003) and RV masses (0.8 ± 0.1 to 0.6 ± 0.1 g/kg; P < 0.001), and the length of the major axis of the LV (90 ± 6 to 84 ± 7 mm. P < 0.001), similar to what has been observed previously in men (8.0%; Perhonen MA, Franco F, Lane LD, Buckey JC, Blomqvist Zerwekh JE, Peshock RM, Weatherall PT, Levine BD. J Appl Physiol 91: 645–653, 2001). In contrast, there were no significant reductions in LV or RV volumes in the exercise-trained group, and the length of the major axis was preserved. Moreover, there were significant increases in LV (1.9 ± 0.4 to 2.3 ± 0.3 g/kg; P < 0.001) and RV masses (0.7 ± 0.1 to 0.8 ± 0.2 g/kg; P = 0.002), as well as mean wall thickness (9 ± 2 to 11 ± 1 mm; P = 0.02). The interaction between sedentary and exercise LV and RV masses was highly significant ( P < 0.0001). Protein and BCAA supplementation led to an intermediate phenotype with no change in LV or RV mass after bed rest, but there remained a significant reduction in LV volume (103 ± 14 to 80 ± 16 ml; P = 0.02) and major-axis length (91 ± 5 to 88 ± 7 mm; P = 0.003). All subjects lost an equivalent amount of body mass (3.4 ± 0.2 kg control; 3.1 ± 0.04 kg exercise; 2.8 ± 0.1 kg protein). Cardiac atrophy occurs in women similar to men following sedentary 60 days HDT bed rest. However, exercise training and, to a lesser extent, protein supplementation may be potential countermeasures to the cardiac atrophy associated with chronic unloading conditions such as in spaceflight and prolonged bed rest.
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Foster, Amy E. "Safely To Earth: The Men And Women Who Brought The Astronauts Home. By Jack Clemons. (Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2018. Pp. 265. $24.95.)." Historian 81, no. 3 (September 1, 2019): 500–501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hisn.13220.
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Nikolova, G., D. Dantchev, M. Tsveov, and V. Kotev. "Mathematical and computer modelling of age-related changes of basic anthropometric and mass-inertial characteristics of Bulgarian females." Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2675, no. 1 (December 1, 2023): 012020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2675/1/012020.
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Abstract We study the age changes of the anthropometric as well as of the mass-inertial characteristics (MIC) of Bulgarian women aged 18-25 versus those aged 30-40. We do that via mathematical modelling of the human body (HB). Nowadays mathematical modelling is one of the modern methods for the determination of the MIC of different segments of the body, as well as of the whole body, and for studying the changes of the inertial characteristics during a specific motion of the considered person. The current work presents a 3D mathematical model (MM) of the HB, that is also generated in a computer environment. Both the model and its computer generation allow for the calculation of the MIC of all segments of the body, as well as for the whole HB in specific body positions. We consider such body postures which are presented in the corresponding classification of astronauts’ standard positions of interest for NASA. The obtained results are compared with those reported in the literature by other authors. The proposed models shall be also helpful in problems appearing in medicine (orthopaedics and traumatology), computer simulations, rehabilitation robotics, and sports, as well as in areas such as ergonomics, simulation of human behaviour in space, forensics (body fall, car crash) and more.
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Shackelford, L. C., A. D. LeBlanc, T. B. Driscoll, H. J. Evans, N. J. Rianon, S. M. Smith, E. Spector, D. L. Feeback, and D. Lai. "Resistance exercise as a countermeasure to disuse-induced bone loss." Journal of Applied Physiology 97, no. 1 (July 2004): 119–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00741.2003.
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During spaceflight, skeletal unloading results in loss of bone mineral density (BMD). This occurs primarily in the spine and lower body regions. This loss of skeletal mass could prove hazardous to astronauts on flights of long duration. In this study, intense resistance exercise was used to test whether a training regimen would prevent the loss of BMD that accompanies disuse. Nine subjects (5 men, 4 women) participated in a supine maximal resistance exercise training program during 17 wk of horizontal bed rest. These subjects were compared with 18 control subjects (13 men, 5 women) who followed the same bed rest protocol without exercise. Determination of treatment effect was based on measures of BMD, bone metabolism markers, and calcium balance obtained before, during, and after bed rest. Exercisers and controls had significantly ( P < 0.05) different means, represented by the respective following percent changes: lumbar spine BMD, +3% vs. −1%; total hip BMD, +1% vs. −3%; calcaneus BMD, +1% vs. −9%; pelvis BMD, −0.5% vs. −3%; total body BMD, 0% vs. −1%; bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, +64% vs. 0%; alkaline phosphatase, +31% vs. +5%; osteocalcin, +43% vs. +10%; 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, +12% vs. −15%; parathyroid hormone intact molecule, +18% vs. −25%; and serum and ionized calcium, −1% vs. +1%. The difference in net calcium balance was also significant (+21 mg/day vs. −199 mg/day, exercise vs. control). The gastrocnemius and soleus muscle volumes decreased significantly in the exercise group, but the loss was significantly less than observed in the control group. The results indicate that resistance exercise had a positive treatment effect and thus might be useful as a countermeasure to prevent the deleterious skeletal changes associated with long-duration spaceflight.
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Rummel, Christoph. "Perhaps woman are better astronauts?" Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 74 (November 2018): 47–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.021.
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Wong, Vickie, Zachary W. Bell, Robert W. Sptiz, Jun Seob Song, Yujiro Yamada, Takashi Abe, and Jeremy P. Loenneke. "Blood flow restriction maintains blood pressure upon head-up tilt." Physiology International 109, no. 1 (March 10, 2022): 106–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/2060.2022.00051.
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Abstract Background Orthostatic intolerance occurs in some astronauts following space flight. Although orthostatic blood pressure responses should normalize in the weeks following the return to Earth, there may be situations where an immediate short-term solution is necessary (e.g., emergency evacuation). Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine different levels of blood flow restriction on changes in blood pressure and heart rate when transitioning from supine to a head-up tilt and determine whether this change differs based on sex. Methods Eighty-nine participants (45 men, 44 women) completed the three visits with different pressures (Sham, Moderate, and High) in a randomized order. Cuffs were placed on the most proximal area of the thighs. Brachial blood pressure was measured at baseline, upon inflation of the cuffs in a supine position, immediately after tilt (70°), and eight more times separated by 45 seconds. Results Data are presented as mean (SD). The change in systolic (High > Moderate > Sham) [High vs Sham: 5.5 (7.4) mmHg, High vs Moderate: 3 (7.4) mmHg, and Moderate vs Sham: 2.4 (8.4) mmHg] and diastolic pressure (High > Moderate = Sham) [High vs Sham: 2.4 (5.3) mmHg, High vs Moderate: 1.9 (6.3) mmHg] differed across applied pressures. The change in heart rate was initially greatest in the sham-pressure but increased the greatest in the high-pressure condition by the end of the head-up tilt period. Additionally, there was no influence of sex. Conclusion Blood flow restriction applied in this study increased blood pressure in a pressure-dependent manner upon head-up tilt.
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Tesch, P. A., J. T. Trieschmann, and A. Ekberg. "Hypertrophy of chronically unloaded muscle subjected to resistance exercise." Journal of Applied Physiology 96, no. 4 (April 2004): 1451–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01051.2003.
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In an effort to simulate the compromised function and atrophy of lower limb muscles experienced by astronauts after spaceflight, 21 men and women age 30-56 yr were subjected to unilateral lower limb unloading for 5 wk. Whereas 10 of these subjects performed unilateral knee extensor resistance exercise (ULRE) two or three times weekly, 11 subjects (UL) refrained from training. The exercise regimen consisted of four sets of seven maximal actions, using an apparatus that offers concentric and eccentric resistance by utilizing the inertia of rotating flywheel(s). Knee extensor muscle strength was measured before and after UL and ULRE, and knee extensor and ankle plantar flexor muscle volumes were determined by means of magnetic resonance imaging. Surface electromyographic activity measured after UL inferred increased muscle use to perform a given motor task. UL induced an 8.8% decrease ( P < 0.05) in knee extensor muscle volume. After ULRE and as a result of only ∼16 min of maximal contractile activity over the 5-wk course, muscle volume increased 7.7% ( P < 0.05). Muscle strength decreased 24-32% ( P < 0.05) in response to UL. Group ULRE showed maintained ( P > 0.05) strength. Ankle plantar flexor muscle volume of the unloaded limb decreased ( P < 0.05) in both groups (UL 10.5%; ULRE 11.1%). In neither group did the right weight-bearing limb show any change ( P > 0.05) in muscle volume or strength. The results of this study provide evidence that resistance exercise not only may offset muscle atrophy but is in fact capable of promoting marked hypertrophy of chronically unloaded muscle.
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Levine, B. D., L. D. Lane, D. E. Watenpaugh, F. A. Gaffney, J. C. Buckey, and C. G. Blomqvist. "Maximal exercise performance after adaptation to microgravity." Journal of Applied Physiology 81, no. 2 (August 1, 1996): 686–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1996.81.2.686.
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The cardiovascular system appears to adapt well to microgravity but is compromised on reestablishment of gravitational forces leading to orthostatic intolerance and a reduction in work capacity. However, maximal systemic oxygen uptake (Vo2) and transport, which may be viewed as a measure of the functional integrity of the cardiovascular system and its regulatory mechanisms, has not been systematically measured in space or immediately after return to Earth after spaceflight. We studied six astronauts (4 men and 2 women, age 35–50 yr) before, during, and immediately after 9 or 14 days of microgravity on two Spacelab Life Sciences flights (SLS-1 and SLS-2). Peak Vo2 (Vo2peak) was measured with an incremental protocol on a cycle ergometer after prolonged submaximal exercise at 30 and 60% of Vo2peak. We measured gas fractions by mass spectrometer and ventilation via turbine flowmeter for the calculation of breath-by-breath Vo2, heart rate via electrocardiogram, and cardiac output (Qc) via carbon dioxide rebreathing. Peak power and Vo2 were well maintained during spaceflight and not significantly different compared with 2 wk preflight. Vo2peak was reduced by 22% immediately postflight (P < 0.05), entirely because of a decrease in peak stroke volume and Qc. Peak heart rate, blood pressure, and systemic arteriovenous oxygen difference were unchanged. We conclude that systemic Vo2peak is well maintained in the absence of gravity for 9–14 days but is significantly reduced immediately on return to Earth, most likely because of reduced intravascular blood volume, stroke volume, and Qc.
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Et, Sümeyra Zeynep, and Esra Kabataş Memiş. "The Perceptions of Five Years Old Group Students’ about Scientists." Journal of Education and Training Studies 5, no. 2 (January 12, 2017): 140. http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/jets.v5i2.2167.
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The purpose of this research is to reveal the perceptions of students of five years old group about scientists. The practice was implemented with 76 students having education in five-age group continuing to various nursery schools located in the center of Kastamonu province. Before starting the practice, the teacher asked the questions of “Who is the scientist?” and made them thought with the aim of ensuring the awareness of students against scientist. Afterwards, the researchers asked the students to narrate their pictures while they collect the drawings. The paintings were coded by the researchers by using the descriptive analysis method. The codification was made individually at first and then together with all the researchers with the aim of ensuring the reliability of research. In the light of collected information, it was generally seen in the pictures of students that the work environment of scientists is constituted by the space and world and their gender is generally men and also, there was a small number of women scientist profile. It was also determined that the students emphasized the extraterrestrial life and drew the scientists as similar to astronauts and they used space crafts and planets in their paintings. In another finding, scientists were seen as the people who mostly conduct research and use potion in general. Another attractive research finding is that; a small number of students draw the scientist as person who use computer and study lesson. In the light of these findings, it can be told that the students were affected extremely from their environment (the movies and cartoon they watched, their families, etc.…).
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Torres, Rachel, Camilo Castillo, Addie Wanner, Kaden Kozlowski, and Daniela Terson de Paleville. "GUIDED BREATHING EXERCISE MODULATES BLOOD PRESSURE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY." Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology 12, s1 (January 1, 2023): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.31189/2165-7629-12-s1.13.
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BACKGROUND People with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) often suffer from autonomic dysfunction, including orthostatic intolerance. These effects can be similar to those that astronauts experience while exposed to microgravity. To improve post-flight orthostatic intolerance, and other symptoms of autonomic dysfunction, scientists at NASA designed a biofeedback protocol, Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE). AFTE combines specific autogenic exercises (e.g., self-suggestion of warmth in the hands) with biofeedback of multiple physiological responses (i.e., blood pressure [BP], heart rate, body temperature, breathing rate). We modified this protocol by adding guided breathing exercises and immersive virtual reality (VR) and tested it among people with and without SCI. The study aims to determine if AFTE is viable for improving autonomic dysfunction in individuals with SCI. We hypothesize that participants with SCI will improve symptoms of orthostatic hypotension and be able to modulate BP toward normotensive values after eight sessions of AFTE. METHODS/DESIGN A convenience sample of five (n=5) participants with chronic cervical SCI: two women (body weight 90+/−13Kg, height 164+/−2Cm, age 48+/−18), three men (body weight 96+/−37, height 180+/−5Kg, age 40+/−28) and four (n=4) participants without SCI: two women (body weight 57+/−9 Kg, height 164+/ 9 Cm, age 22+/−1) and two men (body weight 78 Kg +/−18, height 182 cm +/−5, age 27+/−2) participated in the study. Training consisted of eight 3-minute cycles of alternating relaxing then stimulating breathing, interoception (i.e., noticing inner body sensation), and VR. The relaxing breathing to lower BP consisted of making the “mmm” sound with three long nasal exhales to lower blood pressure. The stimulating breathing to raise BP consisted of three series of ten quick nasal exhales. After each of the eight cycles, participants were given feedback on whether they met their goal of increasing of decreasing MAP 5 mmHg during stimulation or relaxation cycles respectively. Training was performed twice a week for five weeks. RESULTS Participants successfully modulated their BP during the breathing exercise portion of the training. Participants reported they were able to use the technique at home after training was completed. CONCLUSIONS Guided breathing exercises could provide a readily available method of BP modification without side effects, potentially enabling more exercise compliance for people with SCI.
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Palmer, Lorrie, and Lisa Purse. "When the astronaut is a woman." Science Fiction Film & Television 12, no. 1 (February 2019): 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2019.01.
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Glasser, Leanne, Emily Young, and Pauline Sameshima. "The Supermodel Astronaut Challenge: traversing frames of mind." Qualitative Research Journal 19, no. 4 (November 11, 2019): 415–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/qrj-02-2019-0023.
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Purpose The Supermodel Astronaut (SMA) Challenge began with a group of women in a graduate class who joined together to take the pledge “I Am Enough.” The goals of the pledge are to practice positive affirmative actions of self-acceptance, self-grace, self-improvement and positive encouragement of oneself and others. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The SMA Challenge involves an online video pledge to encourage women and girls to demonstrate their opposition to the promotion of singular ideals of body perpetuated through media. Various individuals and groups have created music videos titled SMA to the soundtrack created by Ellen Tift (the originator of the project). Findings Here, framed by Daignault’s (1983) theories on curriculum construction, the authors critically reflect on their support of the idea of the video, but also their apprehension and insecurities in participating in the video production. Originality/value From reflections, writings and dialogic discussions, they determined five embodied frames of mind that supported them in traversing the liminal space of new learning: imagining the possible, learning in doing, settling in vulnerability, journeying through empowerment and heightening self-reflection.
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Nora Chiang, Lan-Hung. "‘Astronaut families’: transnational lives of middle-class Taiwanese married women in Canada." Social & Cultural Geography 9, no. 5 (August 2008): 505–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649360802175709.
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Arzeno, Natalia M., Michael B. Stenger, Stuart M. C. Lee, Robert Ploutz-Snyder, and Steven H. Platts. "Sex differences in blood pressure control during 6° head-down tilt bed rest." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 304, no. 8 (April 15, 2013): H1114—H1123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00391.2012.
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Spaceflight-induced orthostatic intolerance has been studied for decades. Although ∼22% of the astronaut corps are women, most mechanistic studies use mostly male subjects, despite known sex differences in autonomic control and postflight orthostatic intolerance. We studied adrenergic, baroreflex, and autonomic indexes during continuous infusions of vasoactive drugs in men and women during a 60-day head-down bed rest. Volunteers were tested before bed rest (20 men and 10 women) and around day 30 (20 men and 10 women) and day 60 (16 men and 8 women) of bed rest. Three increasing doses of phenylephrine (PE) and sodium nitroprusside were infused for 10 min after an infusion of normal saline. A 20-min rest period separated the phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside infusions. Autonomic activity was approximated by spectral indexes of heart rate and blood pressure variability, and baroreflex sensitivity was measured by the spontaneous baroreflex slope. Parasympathetic modulation and baroreflex sensitivity decreased with bed rest, with women experiencing a larger decrease in baroreflex sensitivity by day 30 than men. The sympathetic activation of men and parasympathetic responsiveness of women in blood pressure control during physiological stress were preserved throughout bed rest. During PE infusions, women experienced saturation of the R-R interval at high frequency, whereas men did not, revealing a sex difference in the parabolic relationship between high-frequency R-R interval, a measurement of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and R-R interval. These sex differences in blood pressure control during simulated microgravity reveal the need to study sex differences in long-duration spaceflight to ensure the health and safety of the entire astronaut corps.
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Mehta, Satish K., Indreshpal Kaur, Elizabeth A. Grimm, Christine Smid, Daniel L. Feeback, and Duane L. Pierson. "Decreased non-MHC-restricted (CD56+) killer cell cytotoxicity after spaceflight." Journal of Applied Physiology 91, no. 4 (October 1, 2001): 1814–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.4.1814.
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Cytotoxic activity of non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted (CD56+) (NMHC) killer cells and cell surface marker expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined before and after spaceflight. Ten astronauts (9 men, 1 woman) from two space shuttle missions (9- and 10-day duration) participated in the study. Blood samples were collected 10 days before launch, within 3 h after landing, and 3 days after landing. All peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparations were cryopreserved and analyzed simultaneously in a 4-h cytotoxicity51Cr release assay using K562 target cells. NMHC killer cell lytic activity was normalized per 1,000 CD56+cells. When all 10 subjects were considered as one study group, NMHC killer cell numbers did not change significantly during the three sampling periods, but at landing lytic activity had decreased by ∼40% ( P < 0.05) from preflight values. Nine of ten astronauts had decreased lytic activity immediately after flight. NMHC killer cell cytotoxicity of only three astronauts returned toward preflight values by 3 days after landing. Consistent with decreased NMHC killer cell cytotoxicity, urinary cortisol significantly increased after landing compared with preflight levels. Plasma cortisol and ACTH levels at landing were not significantly different from preflight values. No correlation of changes in NMHC killer cell function or hormone levels with factors such as age, gender, mission, or spaceflight experience was found. After landing, expression of the major lymphocyte surface markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD16, CD56), as determined by flow cytometric analysis, did not show any consistent changes from measurements made before flight.
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MCQUAID, KIM. "Race, Gender, and Space Exploration: A Chapter in the Social History of the Space Age." Journal of American Studies 41, no. 2 (July 5, 2007): 405–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021875807003532.
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An era of space explorations and an era of expanded civil rights for racial minorities and women began simultaneously in the United States. But such important social changes are very rarely discussed in relation to each other. Four recent books on how the US astronaut program finally opened to women and minorities in 1978 address a key part of this connection, without discussing the struggles that compelled the ending of traditional race and gender exclusions. This essay examines the organizational and political dynamics of how civil rights in employment came to the US civilian space program in the decades after 1970.
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McComb, Erinn. "Integrating Women into the Astronaut Corps: Politics and Logistics at NASA, 1972–2004 by Amy E. Foster." Technology and Culture 55, no. 2 (2014): 507–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tech.2014.0038.
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Forde, Kara. "The Woman in the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Helped Fly the First Astronauts to the Moon by Richard Maurer." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 76, no. 7 (March 2023): 229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2023.0135.
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Köseoğlu, Berna. "The Change in the Reflection of Gender Roles from Proto-Science Fiction to Science Fiction with the Rise of Feminism: Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World and Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Calculating Stars." International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 10, no. 6 (November 30, 2021): 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.10n.6p.16.
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Before the rise of feminism, women were oppressed in the field of literature, particularly in science fiction. Despite this prejudice, Margaret Cavendish played a very important role in producing proto-science fiction with her utopian fiction, A Description of a New World Called the Blazing World, though gender problem can still be observed in the work. After the rise of feminism, with Mary Robinette Kowal’s science fiction, The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel, female characters, who are more active in science and technology, are depicted, even if these women still struggle with patriarchal values in a different context. Therefore, the aim of this article is to compare and contrast The Blazing World and The Calculating Stars by discussing the ways these two female writers try to achieve destroying the gender-based stereotypical roles in the field of science and technology. Consequently, what will be stressed is the change in the portrayal of gender roles within the transition period from proto-science fiction to science fiction, therefore it will be emphasized that proto-science fiction written before the feminist movement cannot overcome gender inequality in science and technology, whereas science fiction produced after feminism can break the gender-based barriers in these fields.
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Schneider, Victor, Bette Siegel, and John R. Allen. "Human Health on the Moon and Beyond and the Results of the Spaceflight for Everybody Symposium." Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 94, no. 8 (August 1, 2023): 634–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.3357/amhp.6138.2023.
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INTRODUCTION:In 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began launching missions to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. One key to success will be maintaining human health. In preparation for longer missions with more diverse crews, the Spaceflight for Everybody Symposium was held to review currently known human spaceflight biomedical knowledge, the future of exploration space medicine, and the ability of NASA to manage the spaceflight human health risks and enable exploration. The symposium highlighted the future of precision health/personalized medicine, the possible spaceflight health acute and lifetime illnesses, and the challenge of identifying appropriate prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and autonomous medical systems for long-duration spaceflight. The symposium was organized to look back at NASA exploration, science, and leadership successes, celebrate NASA women’s leadership, and focus on future Artemis activities, including research and development that will benefit both spaceflight and terrestrial life. NASA current preparations for returning to the Moon have led to increased acknowledgment of the importance of workforce diversity, i.e., to use the best candidate in every work position, including the plan for the first woman and person of color to land on the Moon. NASA is developing plans to use commercial spaceflight research opportunities when the International Space Station is no longer available. Astronaut health decisions will consist of individualized health risk determinations and mitigation strategies and increased medical self-care. Research findings include improved exploration cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and radiation risk reduction and improved interpersonal support for both astronaut crews and mission control personnel.Schneider V, Siegel B, Allen JR. Human health on the Moon and beyond and the results of the Spaceflight for Everybody Symposium. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2023; 94(8):634–643.
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Landgraf, Susan. "!Kung Woman Lament; From an Interview with Winnie Mandela; To an Astronaut from an Ancient on the Use of Search Lights." Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly 13, no. 3 (October 1988): 71–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/ahu.1988.13.3.71.
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Jansen, Ann. "Weird Wet Snapping Sounds: The Rhythms of Radio Drama." Canadian Theatre Review 75 (June 1993): 25–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/ctr.75.006.
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Some years ago, CBC Radio’s Morningside presented a sound puzzle to its audience. The tape played was a montage of noises and music without narration or dialogue. Listeners were challenged to identify the story being related by the collection of sounds. The tape begins with music and ends with waves washing up on a beach, after a sequence of sound effects, some eminently recognizable – a child crying, a dog barking – and some more mysterious – a clanking sound, an explosion of some sort. Even the familiar sounds are hard to contextualize: yes, that’s applause, but who is applauding and for what reason? A series of sounds seems clearly related to growing up: a woman gives birth, a boy plays with a dog, wedding bells ring. Another child cries. When the piece was played again with narration, the story assumed one simple shape: an astronaut in a shuttle recalls his life in the moments before the final blow-up. The Challenger disaster.
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Zuj, K. A., Ph Arbeille, J. K. Shoemaker, A. P. Blaber, D. K. Greaves, D. Xu, and R. L. Hughson. "Impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation and reduced CO2 reactivity after long duration spaceflight." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 302, no. 12 (June 15, 2012): H2592—H2598. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00029.2012.
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Long duration habitation on the International Space Station (ISS) is associated with chronic elevations in arterial blood pressure in the brain compared with normal upright posture on Earth and elevated inspired CO2. Although results from short-duration spaceflights suggested possibly improved cerebrovascular autoregulation, animal models provided evidence of structural and functional changes in cerebral vessels that might negatively impact autoregulation with longer periods in microgravity. Seven astronauts (1 woman) spent 147 ± 49 days on ISS. Preflight testing (30–60 days before launch) was compared with postflight testing on landing day ( n = 4) or the morning 1 ( n = 2) or 2 days ( n = 1) after return to Earth. Arterial blood pressure at the level of the middle cerebral artery (BPMCA) and expired CO2 were monitored along with transcranial Doppler ultrasound assessment of middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity (CBFV). Cerebrovascular resistance index was calculated as (CVRi = BPMCA/CBFV). Cerebrovascular autoregulation and CO2 reactivity were assessed in a supine position from an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model of data obtained during a test where two breaths of 10% CO2 were given four times during a 5-min period. CBFV and Doppler pulsatility index were reduced during −20 mmHg lower body negative pressure, with no differences pre- to postflight. The postflight indicator of dynamic autoregulation from the ARMA model revealed reduced gain for the CVRi response to BPMCA ( P = 0.017). The postflight responses to CO2 were reduced for CBFV ( P = 0.056) and CVRi ( P = 0.047). These results indicate that long duration missions on the ISS impaired dynamic cerebrovascular autoregulation and reduced cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity.
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Melkumyan, E. "United Arab Emirates Space Activity: Breaking the Stereotypes." World Economy and International Relations 66, no. 5 (2022): 78–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2022-66-5-78-87.
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The article analyzes the formation and development of the UAE space sector in the context of the country’s strategic plans. The author draws attention to how large-scale space activities change the existing perception of this country as a state whose economic well-being depends on export of energy resources. The article discusses how modernization has created conditions for transition to a fundamentally new stage of economic development, with space activity being one of its important sectors. The article analyzes in detail the organizational structure and legal acts that regulate activities in the field of space in the UAE. Space programs such as astronaut training, satellite launches, lunar exploration, and the Martian program are examined. All of them are part of Emirati international efforts aimed at space exploration. International cooperation, as the article argues, is a characteristic feature of the UAE space activities. The author acknowledges these colossal shifts that are taking place not only in the economic structure, but also in the social status, and in the minds of the Emirati citizens. The article also touches upon the rapid changes in the status of women, as demonstrated by the example of their participation in space activities. The author also draws attention to the growth in the number of nationally qualified personnel employed in the space sector, which indicates that there must be a reassessment of the established perceptions of the UAE as a traditional country whose citizens, with their well-being provided by the state, do not show interest in improving their education and increasing participation in economic development of their state. UAE space activities reflect the aspirations of the country to make a breakthrough in their economic and social development, as well as to increase their international prestige.
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Ilyin, Vyacheslav K., Zoya O. Solovieva, Marina P. Rykova, Maria A. Skedina, Anna A. Kovaleva, Andrey M. Nosovskiy, Anna S. Sheblaeva, et al. "The Relationship of Changes in Oral Microbiocenosis and Mucosal Immunity in the Conditions of 14-Day Isolation of a Person in a Hermetic Object with an Artificial Habitat." Annals of the Russian academy of medical sciences 77, no. 5 (December 28, 2022): 326–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.15690/vramn2117.
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Background. Changes in the human oral microbiota is an adaptive process. Infections will be particularly manifest in extreme conditions, especially during a long stay in space flight, where the astronaut is exposed to various nonspecific stresses. Aim the aim of the work is to estimate the complex influence of 14-day isolation conditions of human being in sealed environment on the state of natural barriers of periodontal colonization. Methods. During the experiment 6 volunteer subjects (4 men and 2 women) aged 24 to 45 years old were confined for 14 days to an air-tight space simulating a spaceship capsule. Then from 6 to 18 days after leaving the experiment the experimental group (4 people) received Lactobacillus spp. autoprobiotics once a day on an empty stomach in the morning. During this period the control group (2 persons) took Linex (Lebenin: Lactobacillus acidophilus (species L. gasseri) 300 mg, Bifidobacterium infantis 300 mg, Enterococcus faecium 300 mg, lactose 50 mg). Qualitative and quantitative changes of oral microbiota, concentration of immunoglobulins (sIgA, IgA, IgM) and cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1, IL-4, INF, TNF) in periodontal samples were recorded. The number of periodontopathogens and regional blood flow in the periodontium under conditions of prolonged confinement and hypokinesia were studied. Results. In comparison with the background period during the time of isolation, a quantitative growth of obligate periodontopathogens was observed in the subjects. This was accompanied by increased levels of immunoglobulins (IgM, IgA, sIgA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8). There was an increase in blood flow in the arteriolo- venular part of the microcirculatory channel of periodontal tissues after leaving isolation. Subsequently, there was a tendency to optimize microbiocenosis through the use of probiotic and autoprobiotic agents. Along with this, there was a decrease of anti-inflammatory interleukin IL-4 practically to the initial values on the 18th day.
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"Women astronauts." Choice Reviews Online 40, no. 06 (February 1, 2003): 40–3382. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/choice.40-3382.
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Zwart, Sara R., Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Martina Heer, M. Mark Melin, and Scott M. Smith. "Albumin, Oral Contraceptives, and Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Astronauts." Journal of Applied Physiology, April 7, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00024.2022.
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Background: A venous thromboembolism (VTE) event occurred in a female astronaut during long-duration spaceflight. Multiple factors may have contributed to this risk, including the use of combined (progestin + estrogen) oral contraceptives (cOC). Methods: Biochemistry data from 65 astronauts were evaluated for associations with cOC use and with sex. Results: The female astronauts who used cOCs had lower concentrations of serum albumin and higher concentrations of transferrin, a protein involved in the clotting cascade, than the male astronauts and the female astronauts who were not taking cOCs (P<0.001). The women who used cOCs had higher serum concentrations of the acute phase reactant ceruloplasmin during flight and cortisol (P<0.001) than the men and the women who were not taking cOCs; they also had higher calculated whole blood viscosity than women not taking cOCs (P<0.001). Conclusions: Lower circulating concentrations of albumin, higher concentrations of transferrin, and elevated markers of inflammation all could contribute to an increased risk of VTE during spaceflight. These changes, in association with a higher blood viscosity can directly affect endothelial glycocalyx integrity and hypercoagulability status, both of which contribute to VTE risk in terrestrial populations.
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Abdullah, Shuaib M., Jeffrey L. Hastings, Shigeki Shibata, Steven H. Platts, Douglas R. Hamilton, James D. Thomas, Douglas E. Hughes, Michael W. Bungo, and Benjamin D. Levine. "Abstract 18672: Effects of Prolonged Space Flight on Cardiac Structure and Function." Circulation 128, suppl_22 (November 26, 2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/circ.128.suppl_22.a18672.
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Background: “Cardiovascular deconditioning” induced by bed rest, a model for spaceflight, causes cardiac atrophy of ~1%/wk in men and women. Data from small numbers of astronauts NOT performing any exercise countermeasures suggest the rate of atrophy for spaceflight may be even greater. However, cardiac morphology has not been assessed using high resolution techniques before and after prolonged space flight in the International Space Station (ISS) era. Methods: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess left and right ventricular volumes and masses, and fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement was performed within 2 months before and 3 days after 4-6 months in space aboard the ISS on 13 astronauts. Results: Eight men and 5 women (mean age 49.5 years) astronauts participated (mean ISS duration 153 days). All performed regular and intensive combined endurance and strength training countermeasures inflight, and most did so at a higher intensity than they did pre-flight. No significant differences in left ventricular or right ventricular end-diastolic and -systolic volumes were observed (Table). Both right and left ventricular mass was preserved, and supine stroke volume was maintained. No evidence of myocardial fibrosis was seen in 11 astronauts who had late gadolinium enhancement performed before and after space flight. Conclusions: No deleterious effects of prolonged space flight were seen on cardiac structure and function. These results suggest that an appropriate astronaut exercise regimen may counteract the effects of “cardiovascular deconditioning” during prolonged space flight up to 6 months duration.
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Hastings, Jeffrey L., Jaime Kowal, James Daniels, Shigeki Shibata, Steven H. Platts, Doug R. Hamilton, Richard L. Page, et al. "Abstract 18904: Cardiac Arrhythmias During Long Duration Spaceflight." Circulation 128, suppl_22 (November 26, 2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/circ.128.suppl_22.a18904.
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PURPOSE: Whether cardiac arrhythmias are increased during spaceflight has been a long standing question for the human space program. Few data are available from long duration flight. To evaluate the incidence of in-flight arrhythmias we studied 12 astronauts during 4-6 months on the International Space Station with high-fidelity Holter monitoring. We hypothesized that spaceflight does not increase the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias, and when arrhythmias are observed they represent a benign substrate. METHODS: Twelve astronauts (3 women) wore 48hr Holter monitors: two preflight; in-Flight Day (FD)-14, 30, 75, 135; 15 days prior to return; and immediately upon landing. Individuals recorded symptoms in a diary. Arrhythmia frequency was assessed blindly by an experienced electrophysiologist. RESULTS: Baseline data showed 125±359 (range 1-1262) supraventricular ectopic beats (SEB) per 48hr period, while in-flight recordings showed 320±1137 SEB (range 0-5405); ventricular ectopy (VEB) at baseline was 286±944 beats (range 0-3282) and 305±775 beats (range 0-3439) in-flight confirming the substantial inter-individual variability. SEB and VEB at baseline were 0.06±0.16% and 0.13 ± 0.42% of all beats respectively, while the 48hr Holter with the largest number of ectopic beats for each astronaut was 0.25±0.74% (p=0.284) and 0.24±0.51% (p=0.177) respectively, demonstrating no significant change in ambient ectopy. There were no sustained arrhythmias in flight; short runs of NSVT (all <5 beats) were observed both pre and in-flight in some astronauts. Filtered QRS duration (baseline: 84.5±8.2; in-flight maximum: 90.5±12.1 msec, p<0.001), and low amplitude signal duration (baseline: 23.2±6.4; in-flight maximum: 27.1±6.4 msec, p<0.01) increased subtly, but remained within normal limits; root mean square voltage of the terminal 40 ms did not change (baseline: 62.5±34.3; in-flight maximum: 73.0±29.4 microV, p=0.19). T wave alternans was not present at any time. Analysis of QT variability and T wave morphology in the first 6 astronauts did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline arrhythmias are quite variable between astronauts; data suggest that long duration spaceflight is not associated with changes in arrhythmia frequency or arrhythmic substrate.
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Kermorgant, Marc, Thibault Chedmail, Fanny Varenne, Marie-Pierre Bareille, Arnaud Beck, Rebecca Billette de Villemeur, Pierre Fournié, et al. "Neuro-ophthalmological changes in healthy females exposed to a 5-day dry immersion: a pilot study." npj Microgravity 10, no. 1 (January 11, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00344-0.
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AbstractAfter exposure to microgravity, astronauts undergo microgravity-induced thoraco-cephalic fluid shift, which may lead to ocular changes called “spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome” (SANS). The onset of SANS may be multifactorial, including a potential elevation in intracranial pressure. Moreover, little is known about the impact of spaceflight on SANS in women due to the fact that fewer female astronauts have spent time in long-term missions. The objective is to determine whether similar ophthalmological changes occur in healthy women after short-term exposure to microgravity. The auto-refractometer was used to determine objective refraction. The best corrected distance visual acuity was assessed with a Monoyer chart. The ocular axial length was assessed using optical biometry. The applanation tonometry was used to determine intraocular pressure. Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (pRNFLT), macular total retinal thickness, and ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured using optical coherence tomography. Ocular axial length is reduced after DI. pRNFL is thickest after DI specifically in the temporal, temporal-inferior, and nasal-inferior quadrants. Macular total retinal at the inferior quadrant of the 6-mm ring is thickest after DI. Global GCC is thinnest after DI. In this study, 5 days of DI induces slight but significant ophthalmological changes in women. However, these subtle changes do not correspond to criteria defined in SANS.
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Mehta, Ranjana K., and Joseph Nuamah. "Relationship Between Acute Physical Fatigue and Cognitive Function During Orthostatic Challenge in Men and Women: A Neuroergonomics Investigation." Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, July 17, 2020, 001872082093679. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018720820936794.
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Background Postflight orthostatic challenge (OC), resulting from blood pooling in lower extremities, is a major health concern among astronauts that fly long-duration missions. Additionally, astronauts undergo physical demanding tasks resulting in acute fatigue, which can affect performance. However, the effects of concurrent OC and acute physical fatigue on performance have not been adequately investigated. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between acute physical fatigue and cognitive function during OC. Methods Sixteen healthy participants performed the mental arithmetic task and psychomotor tracking tasks in the absence and presence of a prior 1-hour physically fatiguing exercise, on separate days under OC (induced via lower body negative pressure). We recorded task performances on the cognitive tests and prefrontal cortex oxygenation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, along with physiological and subjective responses. Results The introduction of the cognitive tasks during OC increased cerebral oxygenation; however, oxygenation decreased significantly with the cognitive tasks under the acute fatigue conditions, particularly during the tracking task and in males. These differences were accompanied by comparable task performances. Discussion The findings suggest that mental arithmetic is a more effective countermeasure than psychomotor tracking under acute physical fatigue during OC. Whereas females did not show a significant difference in cerebral oxygenation due to task, males did, suggesting that it may be important to consider gender differences when developing countermeasures against OC.
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Mossberg, Mari. "Finns det kvinnliga astronauter?" Barnboken, May 31, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.14811/clr.v44.563.
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Are There Any Female Astronauts? On Gender-Inclusive Translation of Non-Fiction Books for Children
This article deals with gender-inclusive translation of information books for children. Translation solutions drawn from three non-fiction books translated from French to Swedish by different translators are discussed in terms of gender neutrality and inclusion. Analysis reveals that, although the Swedish translations are comparatively free in relation to the original texts, the translators differ in their tendency to make use of gender-inclusive translation strategies, such as employing gender-neutral occupational terms, avoiding masculine generic forms, reformulating gender-biased passages, representing parenthood as more equal and making women visible in the translation by the explicit mention of female experiences and characters. While emphasizing the importance of being attentive to gender issues in information books for young children, it is argued that gender-neutralising interventions can be made in translations of this text type without putting the overall purpose of the book at risk.
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Nosikova, Inna, Alexandra Riabova, Liubov Amirova, Vladimir Kitov, and Elena Tomilovskaya. "NAIAD-2020: Characteristics of Motor Evoked Potentials After 3-Day Exposure to Dry Immersion in Women." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 15 (December 1, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.753259.
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As female astronauts participate in space flight more and more frequently, there is a demand for research on how the female body adapts to the microgravity environment. In particular, there is very little research on how the neuromuscular system reacts to gravitational unloading in women. We aimed to estimate changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the lower leg muscles in women after 3-day exposure to Dry Immersion (DI), which is one of the most widely used ground models of microgravity. Six healthy female volunteers (mean age 30.17 ± 5.5 years) with a natural menstrual cycle participated in this experiment. MEPs were recorded from the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles twice before DI, on the day of DI completion, and 3 days after DI, during the recovery period. To evoke motor responses, transcranial and trans-spinal magnetic stimulation was applied. We showed that changes in MEP characteristics after DI exposure were different depending on the stimulation site, but were similar for both muscles. For trans-spinal stimulation, MEP thresholds decreased compared to baseline values, and amplitudes, on the contrary, increased, resembling the phenomenon of hypogravitational hyperreflexia. This finding is in line with data observed in other experiments on both male and female participants. MEPs to transcranial stimulation had an opposing dynamic, which may have resulted from the small group size and large inter-subject variability, or from hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. Central motor conduction time remained unchanged, suggesting that pyramidal tract conductibility was not affected by DI exposure. More research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms.
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Möstl, Stefan, Stefan Orter, Fabian Hoffmann, Martin Bachler, Bernhard Hametner, Siegfried Wassertheurer, Jérémy Rabineau, et al. "Limited Effect of 60-Days Strict Head Down Tilt Bed Rest on Vascular Aging." Frontiers in Physiology 12 (May 28, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.685473.
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BackgroundCardiovascular risk may be increased in astronauts after long term space flights based on biomarkers indicating premature vascular aging. We tested the hypothesis that 60 days of strict 6° head down tilt bed rest (HDTBR), an established space analog, promotes vascular stiffening and that artificial gravity training ameliorates the response.MethodsWe studied 24 healthy participants (8 women, 24–55 years, BMI = 24.3 ± 2.1 kg/m2) before and at the end of 60 days HDTBR. 16 subjects were assigned to daily artificial gravity. We applied echocardiography to measure stroke volume and isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), calculated aortic compliance (stroke volume/aortic pulse pressure), and assessed aortic distensibility by MRI. Furthermore, we measured brachial-femoral pulse wave velocity (bfPWV) and pulse wave arrival times (PAT) in different vascular beds by blood pressure cuffs and photoplethysmography. We corrected PAT for ICT (cPAT).ResultsIn the pooled sample, diastolic blood pressure (+8 ± 7 mmHg, p < 0.001), heart rate (+7 ± 9 bpm, p = 0.002) and ICT (+8 ± 13 ms, p = 0.036) increased during HDTBR. Stroke volume decreased by 14 ± 15 ml (p = 0.001). bfPWV, aortic compliance, aortic distensibility and all cPAT remained unchanged. Aortic area tended to increase (p = 0.05). None of the parameters showed significant interaction between HDTBR and artificial gravity training.Conclusion60 days HDTBR, while producing cardiovascular deconditioning and cephalad fluid shifts akin to weightlessness, did not worsen vascular stiffness. Artificial gravity training did not modulate the response.
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Vanhoover, Alexandria, Charles McEnroe, William Gray, Ian O'Brien, Amy Kozerski, Emma Crush, Ema Selimovic, Kathy Carter, and John Caruso. "Impact of Two Diets on Metabolic- and Exercise-Based Outcomes to Workouts on Gravity-Independent Hardware (P23-002-19)." Current Developments in Nutrition 3, Supplement_1 (June 1, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz043.p23-002-19.
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Abstract Objectives Space flight diets include a 55/30/15 (carbohydrate/fat/protein) ratio. Yet recent long-term missions require astronauts to exercise several hours daily for up to seven days a week. We hypothesize a high protein diet (45/25/30) is more conducive to longer missions and their high volumes of exercise. Methods With a within-subjects design, participants (8 men, 8 women) adhered to each diet for 14 days. Isocaloric diets were prescribed based on subject's resting metabolic rate, activity level and body composition. Compliance was monitored daily. Per subject, diet sequence was randomized to limit order effects. Immediately after each diet concluded subjects worked out on a gravity-independent device (Impulse Training Systems; Newnan, GA) while tethered to a metabolic cart. Workouts entailed four (unilateral knee extension, unilateral hip extension, unilateral standing row, bilateral arm pulldown) exercises, comprised of three 60-second sets separated by 60-second rests and done against 4.4 kg. Work volumes were measured from our device, as were pre-exercise respiratory quotients (RQ), and energy costs based on net O2 uptakes. Blood lactate concentrations ([BLa-]) were measured before and five minutes after workouts. Exercise and respiratory data were compared with 2(gender) × 2(diet) ANOVAs, with repeated measures for diet. [BLa-] were assessed with a 2(gender) × 2(time) × 2(diet) ANOVA, with repeated measures for time and diet. Results Significant [BLa-] differences occurred for time (post > pre) and for RQ by diet (55/30/15 > 45/25/30). Trends for work differences occurred by gender (men > women) and diet (45/25/30 > 55/30/15). Conclusions Our preliminary results concur with those that show greater RQ values from diets higher in carbohydrates. With continued data collection it is of interest to note if inter-work differences reach statistical significance, with higher values produced by the high protein diet. If so, such a diet may be more efficacious as a countermeasure to the muscle atrophy, strength loss and performance decrements for in-flight operational tasks seen with longer missions. Funding Sources Kentucky Space Grant Consortium.