Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Sep 2005
Case ReportsDiabetes mellitus type 1 in five military aviators: flying with insulin.
Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 results in medical disqualification for all military aviation duties all over the world. The main concern is hypoglycemia, which can cause sudden incapacitation. Efforts to reduce the glucose levels and long-term complications increase the frequency of hypoglycemia. ⋯ Our experience indicates that safely flying with newly diagnosed DM type 1 is possible. The cost of the demanding lifestyle of military aircrew members and the fear of hypoglycemic episodes can result in periods of sub-optimal glucose control.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Jul 2005
Historical ArticleAviation medicine in the United Kingdom: from the end of World War I to the end of World War II, 1919-1945.
This is the second of three brief papers that summarize the history of Aviation Medicine in the Royal Air Force. British aviation medicine research was rescued from the doldrums of retrenchment after the end of the First World War by the need to support attempts on world records for height and speed. Despite this, the outbreak of the Second World War still found the British inadequately prepared. This part of the account of British aviation medicine research charts its transition from an organization with three full-time workers into a thriving research institute.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Jul 2005
Historical ArticleThis month in aerospace medicine history--July 2005.
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Maintaining optimal alertness and neurobehavioral functioning during space operations is critical to enable the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) vision "to extend humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars and beyond" to become a reality. Field data have demonstrated that sleep times and performance of crewmembers can be compromised by extended duty days, irregular work schedules, high workload, and varying environmental factors. This paper documents evidence of significant sleep loss and disruption of circadian rhythms in astronauts and associated performance decrements during several space missions, which demonstrates the need to develop effective countermeasures. ⋯ Investing research in humans is one of NASA's building blocks that will allow for both short- and long-duration space missions and help NASA in developing approaches to manage and overcome the human limitations of space travel. In addition to reviewing the current state of knowledge concerning sleep and circadian disruptions during space operations, this paper provides an overview of NASA's broad research goals. Also, NASA-funded research, designed to evaluate the relationships between sleep quality, circadian rhythm stability, and performance proficiency in both ground-based simulations and space mission studies, as described in the 2003 NASA Task Book, will be reviewed.
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We assessed the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in maintaining normal calcium and bone homeostasis in underway submariners deprived of sunlight. ⋯ 400-IU daily vitamin D supplementation was insufficient in maintaining serum vitamin D levels in underway submariners, engendering biochemical evidence of bone resorption and turnover. Six d sunlight exposure compensated for 49 d sunlight absence, supporting the enormous capacity of UV-B mediated vitamin D production.