Thermal comfort and thermoregulation in manned space flight

Exposure to thermal environment is one of the main concerns for manned space exploration. By focusing on the works performed on thermoregulation at microgravity or simulated microgravity, we endeavored to review the investigation on space thermal environmental physiology. First of all, the application of medical requirements for the crew module design from normal thermal comfort to accidental thermal emergencies in a space craft will be addressed. Then, alterations in the autonomic and behavioral temperature regulation caused by the effect of weightlessness both in space flight and its simulation on the ground are also discussed. Furthermore, countermeasures like exercise training, simulated natural ventilation, encouraged drink, etc., in the protection of thermoregulation during space flight is presented. Finally, the challenge of space thermal environment physiology faced in the future is figured out.

National Report on Space Medicine Progress in 2014-2016

The progress of China Spaceflight makes a great impetus for the development of space medicine.With the developing of China Space Station,the national space medicine has attained great achievements.In this paper,the basic research of Space Medicine and its application in China during 2014—2016 are briefly reviewed.

Effects on the Behavior and Neuroimmunity of Pulsed Microwaves with Different Peak Densities

Pulsed microwaves are widely used inradar,navigation, and communication. The average power density is low at narrow pulse widths or large pulse intervals,but pulsed microwaves at certain peak densities exert numerous biological effects, including

Long-Term, Low-Level Microwave Radiation Impairs Learning and Memory via Synbindin: Molecular Basis and Underlying Mechanism

Human beings are usually exposed to microwaves originated from the equipment in industry,communication,military,and aerospace,which has led to interest in health effects of long-term low level microwave radiation exposure,particularly on the brain,one of the most sensitive organs to microwaves[1].Morris water maze,oxidative stress related typical markers of corticosteroids(CORT),malondialdehyde(MDA),catalase(CAT),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and total antioxidant capacity(TAOC),ultrastructure,dendritic spine growth and molecular signaling pathway are important indicators in the study of learning and memory effects[2].Among them,Synbindin(Sbdn),closely associated to dendritic spine growth,learning and memory,was found to be a remarkable microwave sensitive molecule in our previous work[3]..Additionally,it’s well known that both the CA1 and Dentate Gyrus(DG)regions of the hippocampus are involved in learning and memory,however studies on the effect of microwave on DG region were less,so,this paper further focused on DG region in the study of dendrite spine,ultrastructure of neurons and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase(pERK)protein expression.Therefore,Synbindin was focused on and the above indicators were integrated in this paper to study the influence and mechanism of long-term low-intensity 2,100 MHz microwave on learning and memory.

Quantification of the distribution of blood flow pressure with postures

At a different angle, this study analyzed the contour chart of blood flow pressure, extreme pressure and its position to quantify DBFP in thirteen different postures with gravity considered or not (G ≠ 0 or G = 0). The aim was to determine the suitable body positions, in which the postural model of a single vessel could be simplified to two-dimensional (2D) symmetrical one while only considering such factors as posture and gravity. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were performed. Numerical results demonstrated that the DBFP showed 2D axisymmetry at ±90° and three-dimensional (3D) asymmetry at any other posture with G ≠ 0, and 2D axisymmetrical one at any posture with G = 0. Therefore, modeling a vessel as a 2D model is feasible in space and at ±90° posture on earth. In addition, the maximum pressure occurred between the inlet and the middle of the vessel, and its position variation mainly happened in the range of 0° - 15°. For a single vessel, this study provides the first theoretical evidence for cardiovascular modeling in microgravity and may help guide the researchers in designing defense devices for astronauts or patients clinically.