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At least 127 records · Page 7

Lower body negative pressure, experiment M092

Evaluation of orthostatic intolerance has been achieved by the use of lower body negative pressure (LBNP). The LBNP technique, though independent of gravity, simulates its effect by exposing the legs and the lower abdomen to reduced ambient pressures. This LBNP experiment, conducted during the 56-day simulation of the Skylab environment, was designed to supply baseline information on cardiovascular responses to periodic orthostatic stress. Impaired orthostatic tolerance, manifested by the increased heart rate, diminished systolic and pulse pressure, and increased tendency to syncope in the upright position, or during LBNP, was not observed in this experiment.

Johnson, R. L.↗

Leading-edge pressure measurements of airfoil vortex interaction

Experimental pressure-differential measurements made at 10% chord of an airfoil-vortex interaction are presented. A line vortex was oscillated over an airfoil perpendicular to the span and parallel to the chord. The pressure time history was recorded in order to show the sharp pressure pulses resulting from the bursting of the vortex core as it impinges upon the airfoil. Results for various vortex sizes and free stream velocities were obtained. Measurements were also made when the airfoil was yawed to the line vortex. Maximum pressure differences were observed to occur in phase across the blade even with yaw, and were directly proportional to the square of the free stream velocity. The maximum dynamic pressure coefficients obtained were as high as 1.0 when vortex bursting occurred.

Walsh, R. G., Jr.↗

Lower body negative pressure: Third manned Skylab mission

The crew of the Skylab 4 Mission exhibited physiological changes during their 84-day mission that resembled but in several important areas did not reach the magnitude of changes exhibited in crewmen of the two earlier Skylab flights. At rest all three crewmen showed, in comparison to preflight levels, elevated mean systolic and pulse pressures and decreased mean diastolic and mean arterial pressures. Similar changes were seen in most Skylab 2 and Skylab 3 crewmen. While mean resting heart rates of both the Skylab 3 and Skylab 4 crews were elevated, those of the Skylab 2 crew were, however, lower than during preflight tests. Stressed heart rates followed previous patterns in being consistently elevated over preflight values. Postflight changes in cardiovascular parameters for the most part resembled those seen in previous crewmen of space missions. Their recovery to preflight limits occurred rapidly. In-flight data and subjective impressions of the crewmen confirmed that lower body negative pressure in weightlessness imposed a greater stress upon the cardiovascular system than in earth's gravity.

Johnson, R. L.↗

Lower body negative pressure - The second manned Skylab mission

Results of orthostatic evaluations of the crew of Skylab 3 with lower body negative pressure (LBNP) stress tests during their 59-d mission are reported. Except for an inflight increase (rather than a decrease) in resting heart rates, results were essentially parallel to those observed in crewmen of the shorter Skylab 2 mission. Exaggerated elevations in heart rate and decreases in pulse pressure during LBNP stress inflight and immediately postflight corresponded to lowered orthostatic tolerance. Large decrements is resting calf size inflight and in total leg volume postflight indicated significant headward fluid shifts as had already been seen in the Skylab 2 crewmen. In addition, decreases in calf circumference gave no certain indication of a plateau over the 59 d inflight. Percentage volume increase in calf size during LBNP stress inflight was greater than those in either preflight or postflight tests.

Johnson, R. L.↗

Rat cardiovascular responses to whole body suspension - Head-down and non-head-down tilt

Two experiments aimed at examining the versatility of the whole body suspension (WBS) system as a ground-based model for cardiovascular effects of microgravity are described. The first experiment studied heart rate and arterial pressure responses in rats during a 7-day period of head-down tilt (HDT) or nonhead-down tilt (NHDT) and after removal from whole body suspension (WBS). Mean arterial (MAP), systolic, and diastolic pressures increased about 20 percent in HDT rats on the fist day, heart rates were elevated about 10 percent. During postsuspension most cardiovascular parameters returned to presuspension levels. The second experiment evaluated responses to rapid head-up tilt in HDT and NHDT rats. It was observed that, while pulse pressures remained unchanged, MAP, systolic and diastolic pressures, and HR were elevated in HDT and NHDT rats during head-up tilt after one day of suspension. The WBS rats are considered to be useful as a model to better understand responses of rats exposed to microgravity.

Musacchia, X. J.↗

Apollo flight crew cardiovascular evaluations

The results of the lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and passive stand tests are presented, and the efficacy of the experimental antihypotensive garments is evaluated. Results of the tests are presented in tabular form. Postflight orthostatic evaluations during the Apollo program indicate that reduction in orthostatic tolerance is a consequence of space flight exposure. Heart rate, the most reliable index, was increased, while systolic and pulse pressures were decreased during immediate postflight evaluations using lower body negative pressure and passive standing as the orthostatic stress. Elevation in resting heart rate was a less frequent finding. There was considerable variability in the magnitude of these changes between individual crewmembers and in the persistence of the changes over subsequent postflight evaluations. Postflight changes in leg volume during LBNP were equal to or less than those seen during preflight baseline evaluations. Body weight, resting calf girth, supine leg volume, and cardiothoracic ratios were all diminished immediately postflight, and return to preflight values was not complete within the postflight testing time frame.

G.W. Hoffler↗

Tolerance of Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) in endurance runners, weightlifters, swimmers and nonathletes

Thirteen endurance runners (R), 12 weightlifters (WL), 12 swimmers (SW) and 10 nonathletes (NA) were tested for their tolerance of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in consecutive 5 minute stages at -20, -30, -40, -50 and -60 torr. Each subject also performed an exercise test on a bicycle ergometer with progressive workloads to exhaustion to determined aerobic capacity. The R had a much higher aerobic capacity than any of the other groups, but a significantly lower LBNP tolerance. While responses in heart rate and pulse pressure were quite similar in all 4 groups, the rate of increase in leg volume relative to LBNP stress (leg compliance, LC) was considerably greater in R than in the other athletes and NA. The greater LC in R could be attributed not only to a more rapid shift of blood to the lower extremities but also to a greater tendency for edema formation, both contributing to a more rapid loss in effective central blood volume for a given LBNP stress. These results substantiate earlier observations which led to the conclusion that endurance running is not advisable as a training regimen for astronauts.

Source record↗

Experimental and theoretical investigation of stress wave attenuation in fiber reinforced composites.

The propagation of an initialrcidrical pressure pulse through a linear elastic fiber reinforced composite medium is analysed, both experimentally and analytically. In the experiment, tests were performed on plates with single and multiple circular inclusions embedded in a matrix of lower characteristic impedance. Sharp compression pulses were generated at an edge of the plate. Strain gages were mounted on various positions of the plate to determine the attenuation of the transient stress in the fiber reinforced composite. The qualitative analytical treatment is based on the methods of propagating stress discontinuities. Computer programs were written to numerically determine the changes in the shape of the leading wave front and the stresses immediately behind it. Experimental results for the attenuation of stress wave on steel-aluminum and steel-brass fiber-matrix composites compared very well with the computed analytical results when the applied pressure is generated by small explosive charges. The results did not compare well when the applied pressure is generated by projectile impact.

Yang, J. C. S.↗

Hypocapnia and cerebral hypoperfusion in orthostatic intolerance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Orthostatic and other stresses trigger tachycardia associated with symptoms of tremulousness, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurred vision, and, often, syncope. It has been suggested that paradoxical cerebral vasoconstriction during head-up tilt might be present in patients with orthostatic intolerance. We chose to study middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity (BFV) and cerebral vasoregulation during tilt in patients with orthostatic intolerance (OI). METHODS: Beat-to-beat BFV from the MCA, heart rate, CO2, blood pressure (BP), and respiration were measured in 30 patients with OI (25 women and 5 men; age range, 21 to 44 years; mean age, 31.3+/-1.2 years) and 17 control subjects (13 women and 4 men; age range, 20 to 41 years; mean age, 30+/-1.6 years); ages were not statistically different. These indices were monitored during supine rest and head-up tilt (HUT). We compared spontaneous breathing and hyperventilation and evaluated the effect of CO2 rebreathing in these 2 positions. RESULTS: The OI group had higher supine heart rates (P<0.001) and cardiac outputs (P<0.01) than the control group. In response to HUT, OI patients underwent a greater heart rate increment (P<0.001) and greater reductions in pulse pressure (P<0.01) and CO2 (P<0.001), but total systemic resistance failed to show an increment. Among the cerebrovascular indices, all BFVs (systolic, diastolic, and mean) decreased significantly more, and cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) was increased in OI patients (P<0.01) compared with control subjects. In both groups, hyperventilation induced mild tachycardia (P<0.001), a significant reduction of BFV, and a significant increase of CVR associated with a fall in CO2. Hyperventilation during HUT reproduced hypocapnia, BFV reduction, and tachycardia and worsened symptoms of OI; these symptoms and indices were improved within 2 minutes of CO2 rebreathing. The relationships between CO2 and BFV and heart rate were well described by linear regressions, and the slope was not different between control subjects and patients with OI. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral vasoconstriction occurs in OI during orthostasis, which is primarily due to hyperventilation, causing significant hypocapnia. Hypocapnia and symptoms of orthostatic hypertension are reversible by CO2 rebreathing.

Non-NASA Center↗

Antipodal Magnetic Anomalies on the Moon, Contributions from Impact Induced Currents Due to Positive Holes and Flexoelectric Phenomina and Dynamo

Large impacts on the Moon generate large pressure pulses that penetrate the whole body. Several of these large impacts may have generated antipodal structure with anomalous magnetic intensity.These regions can be more than a thousand km across, with fields of the order of tens to hundreds of nT. This is the case of Orientale, Imbrium, Serenitatis, Crisium, and Nectaris impact basins. The production of large-scale magnetic fields and associated crustal magnetization due to lunar basin-forming impacts was hypothesized to have an origin in fields external to the impact plasma cloud that are produced by the magnetohydrodynamic interaction of the cloud with ambient magnetic fields and plasmas. During the period of compressed antipodal field amplification, seismic compressional waves from the impact converge at the antipode resulting in transient shock pressures that reach 2 GPa (20 kbar). This can produce conditions for shock magnetic acquisition of the crust antipodal to impact basins.

Kletetschka, G.↗

The leaking mode problem in atmospheric acoustic-gravity wave propagation

The problem of predicting the transient acoustic pressure pulse at long horizontal distances from large explosions in the atmosphere is examined. Account is taken of poles off the real axis and of branch line integrals in the general integral governing the transient waveform. Perturbation techniques are described for the computation of the imaginary ordinate of the poles and numerical studies are described for a model atmosphere terminated by a halfspace with c = 478 m/sec above 125 km. For frequencies less than 0.0125 rad/sec, the GR sub 1 mode, for example, is found to have a frequency dependent amplitude decay of the order of 0.0001 nepers/km. Examples of numerically synthesized transient waveforms are exhibited with and without the inclusion of leaking modes. The inclusion of leaking modes results in waveforms with a more marked beginning rather than a low frequency oscillating precursor of gradually increasing amplitude. Also, the revised computations indicate that waveforms invariably begin with a pressure rise, a result supported by other theoretical considerations and by experimental data.

Kinney, W. A.↗

Effect of prolonged LBNP and saline ingestion on plasma volume and orthostatic responses during bed rest

Orthostatic intolerance remains a significant problem following space flight despite frequent use of the saline fluid-loading countermeasure and volitional use of an anti-gravity suite during reentry and landing. The purpose of this project is to examine the plasma volume (PV), endocrine, and orthostatic responses of bedrested subjects following 2-hr and 4-hr treatments of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and saline ingestion. Ten healthy men were randomly assigned into 2 groups. Group A underwent a 4-hr LBNP/saline treatment on best rest day 5 and the 2-hr treatment on day 11. Group B underwent the 2-hr treatment on day 6 and the 4-hr treatment on day 10. Blood volume was determined before and after bed rest using radiolabelling. Changes in PV between measurements were calculated from changes in hematocrit and estimated red cell volume. Urinary excretion of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone (ALD) were measured each day during the study. Orthostatic responses were measured using a ramp LBNP protocol before bed rest, before each treatment, and 24 hours after each treatment. Both 2-hr and 4-hr treatments resulted in a restoration of PV to pre-bed rest levels which persisted at least 24 hours. This increase in PV was associated with significant increases in urinary excretion of ADH and ALD. Twenty-four hours after the 4-hr treatment, the heart rate and pulse pressure response to LBNP were significantly lower and stroke volumes during LBNP were increased. Twenty-four hours after the 2-hr treatment, there was no evidence of improvement in orthostatic responses. These results suggest that a countermeasure which simply restores PV during space flight may not be sufficient for restoring orthostatic responses.

Fortney, Suzanne M.↗

Effect of In-Flight Exercise and Extravehicular Activity on Postflight Stand Tests

The purpose of this study was to determine whether exercise performed by Space Shuttle crewmembers during short-duration spaceflights (9-16 days) affects the heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to standing within 2-4 hr of landing. Thirty crewmembers performed self-selected in-flight exercise and maintained exercise logs to monitor their exercise intensity and duration. A 10min stand test, preceded by at least 6 min of quiet supine rest, was completed 10- 15 d before launch (PRE) and within four hours of landing (POST). Based upon their in-flight exercise records, subjects were grouped as either high (HIex: = 3x/week, HR = 70% ,HRMax, = 20 min/session, n = 11), medium (MEDex: = 3x/week, HR = 70% HRmax, = 20 min/session, n = 10), or low (LOex: = 3x/week, HR and duration variable, n = 11) exercisers. HR and BP responses to standing were compared between groups (ANOVA, or analysis of variance, P < 0.05). There were no PRE differences between the groups in supine or standing HR and BP. Although POST supine HR was similar to PRE, all groups had an increased standing HR compared to PRE. The increase in HR upon standing was significantly greater after flight in the LOex group (36+/-5 bpm) compared to HIex or MEDex groups (25+/-1bpm; 22+/-2 bpm). Similarly, the decrease in pulse pressure (PP) from supine to standing was unchanged after spaceflight in the MEDex and HIex groups, but was significantly less in the LOex group (PRE: -9+/- 3, POST: -19+/- 4 mmHg). Thus, moderate to high levels of in-flight exercise attenuated HR and PP responses to standing after spaceflight compared.

Lee, Stuart M. C.↗

Inflight exercise affects stand test responses after space flight

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether exercise performed by Space Shuttle crew members during short-duration space flights (9-16 d) affects the heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to standing within 2-4 h of landing. METHODS: Thirty crew members performed self-selected inflight exercise and maintained exercise logs to monitor their exercise intensity and duration. Two subjects participated in this investigation during two different flights. A 10-min stand test, preceded by at least 6 min of quiet supine rest, was completed 10-15 d before launch (PRE) and within 4 h of landing (POST). Based upon their inflight exercise records, subjects were grouped as either high (HIex: > or = 3 times/week, HR > or = 70% HRmax, > or = 20 min/session, N = 11), medium (MEDex: > or = 3 times/week, HR < 70% HRmax, > or = 20 min/session, N = 10), or low (LOex: < or = 3 times/week, HR and duration variable, N = 11) exercisers. HR and BP responses to standing were compared between groups (ANOVA, P < or = 0.05). RESULTS: There were no PRE differences between the groups in supine or standing HR and BP. Although POST supine HR was similar to PRE, all groups had an increased standing HR compared with PRE. The increase in HR upon standing was significantly greater after flight in the LOex group (36 +/- 5 bpm) compared with HIex or MEDex groups (25 +/- 1 bpm; 22 +/- 2 bpm). Similarly, the decrease in pulse pressure (PP) from supine to standing was unchanged after space flight in the MEDex and HIex groups but was significantly greater in the LOex group (PRE: -9 +/- 3; POST: -19 +/- 4 mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, moderate to high levels of inflight exercise attenuated HR and PP responses to standing after space flight.

manned↗

Dynamic pressure transducer system for pulsed plasma flow diagnosis.

The response characteristics of high sensitivity piezoelectric pressure transducers suitable for use in the plasma flow induced by megawatt-level electric discharges in low density (less than 1 Torr) gases are described. The uniquely designed probe records the initial impingement of a large magnitude total pressure pulse, followed by the flow of primary interest with order-of-magnitude smaller signals. Effects relating to probe and support accelerations, blast shielding and probe heating are evaluated and accounted for in a probe system with a sensitivity of 40 V/atm.

York, T. M.↗

Direct force-measuring transducer used in blood pressure research

Direct force measuring transducer acts as an arterial tonometer, gives a direct readout to instrumentation, and is unaffected by ambient noise. It uses a semiconductor strain gage which is deflected by pressure pulses in the artery. The deflection changes the resistance of the gage and alters the voltage reading on the associated instrumentation.

Eige, J. J.↗

Magnetic forming studies

Investigation of the tensile strength dependability on the characteristic time over which a pressure pulse is applied to a metal workpiece shows that the mechanical properties of these materials are functions of the rate at which the material is undergoing strain. These results and techniques are used in magnetomotive metal forming.

Furth, H. P.↗