Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Nov 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialCognition at altitude: impairment in executive and memory processes under hypoxic conditions.
The negative effect of hypoxia on cognitive function has been well described. However, less has been published regarding cognitive dysfunction resulting from hypoxia produced by exposure to different altitudes. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that electronic versions of these tests may be useful in screening for acute symptoms of hypoxia and could provide insight into how discrete cognitive processes become impaired with oxygen deprivation at various altitudes. Given that these tests also assess neuropsychological functioning, our results allow for inferences to be made about the effects of hypoxia on human brain functioning.
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Humans will eventually return to the Moon and thus there is a need for a ground-based analogue to enable the study of physiological adaptations to lunar gravity. An important unanswered question is whether or not living on the lunar surface will provide adequate loading of the musculoskeletal system to prevent or attenuate the bone loss that is seen in microgravity. Previous simulations have involved tilting subjects to an approximately 9.5 degrees angle to achieve a lunar gravity component parallel to the long-axis of the body. However, subjects in these earlier simulations were not weight-bearing, and thus these protocols did not provide an analogue for load on the musculoskeletal system. ⋯ The proposed analogue would appear to be an acceptable simulation of lunar gravity and deserves further exploration in studies of longer duration.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Nov 2013
Hot-air balloon tours: crash epidemiology in the United States, 2000-2011.
Hot-air balloon tours are FAR Part 91-governed balloon rides conducted for compensation or hire. Part 91, General Aviation, in general involves the least strict federal regulations and accounts for the majority of aviation crashes and fatalities. ⋯ The incidence of morbidity and mortality is high among hot-air balloon tour crashes, and the proportion of balloon crashes attributed to paid rides appears to have increased over time. In addition to examining the role of restraint systems, personal protective equipment, and power line emergency procedures in ballooning, injury prevention efforts should target factors such hard landings, object strikes, gondola instability, and occupant ejections, which are associated with balloon injuries and deaths. Crash outcomes may also improve with vehicle engineering that enables balloons themselves to absorb impact forces.