Leg venous hemodynamics and leg volumes during a 42 day -6 degrees head-down bedrest

Seven healthy subjects were submitted to a 42-day head down bedrest, where leg venous compliance (venous distensibity index VDI) and leg volumes were assessed by mercury strain gauge plethysmography with venous occlusion and optoelectronic plethysmography, respectively. Plethysmographic and volometric measurements were made, before, during (at days 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 26, 34 and 41), and after bedrest (days 1, 4, 7, 11 and 30 of the recovery period). Results showed a continuous decrease in leg volumes throughout bedrest, when VDI increased until day 26 of bedrest, and then decreased afterwards. The recovery period was characterized by a rapid return of VDI to prebedrest levels while leg volumes progressively normalised. These results showed that leg venous compliance changes are not always dependant upon skeletal muscle changes, and that factors other than size of muscle compartment are able to determine increases in leg venous compliance during long-term bedrest.     

Spatial orientation during locomotion [correction of locomation] following space flight

To investigate changes in spatial orientation ability and walking performance following space flight, 7 astronaut subjects were asked pre- and post-flight to perform a goal directed locomotion paradigm which consisted of walking a triangular path with and without vision. This new paradigm, involving inputs from different sensory systems, allows quantification of several critical parameters, like orientation performance, walking velocities and postural stability, in a natural walking task. The paper presented here mainly focusses on spatial orientation performance quantified by the errors in walking the previously seen path without vision. Errors in length and reaching the corners did not change significantly from pre- to post-flight, while absolute angular errors slightly increased post-flight. The significant decrease in walking velocity and a change in head-trunk coordination while walking around the corners of the path observed post-flight may suggest that during re-adaptation to gravity the mechanisms which are necessary to perform the task have to be re-accomplished.     

Influence of graviceptives cues at different level of visual information processing: the effect of prolonged weightlessness

We evaluated the influence of prolonged weightlessness on the performance of visual tasks in the course of the Russian-French missions ANTARES, Post-ANTARES and ALTAIR aboard the MIR station. Eight cosmonauts were subjects in two experiments executed pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight sessions.

In the first experiment, cosmonauts performed a task of symmetry detection in 2-D polygons. The results indicate that this detection is locked in a head retinal reference frame rather than in an environmentally defined one as meridional orientations of symmetry axis (vertical and horizontal) elicited faster response times than oblique ones. However, in weightlessness the saliency of a retinally vertical axis of symmetry is no longer significantly different from an horizontal axis. In the second experiment, cosmonauts performed a mental rotation task in which they judged whether two 3-D objects presented in different orientations were identical. Performance on this task is basically identical in weightlessness and normal gravity.     

Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) as a countermeasure for long term spaceflight

The article presents the current status of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) as a countermeasure for preventing orthostatic intolerance after space flight or bed rest. Devices discussed include the Chibis vacuum suit, the Anthrorack device, a collapsible device, and an inflatable device. Two bed rest studies examined the effect of LBNP and exercise on orthostatic tolerance; plasma volume; vasopressin, plasma renin activity, and catecholamines; and side effects.     

中国公务机如何起飞──就公务飞行标准访民航总局飞标司副司长饶绍武

对中国的公务飞行的采访过程中， 公务机的运行安全管理成为运营人关注的焦点问题之一。为此，记者走访了民航总局飞行标准司副司长饶绍武。 飞行员出身的饶副司长直接切入主题：中国的公务机和小飞机运输的运行安全管理，很快会有一整套的规章作为依据，这就是今年即将发布的ＣＣＡＲ９１部和预计明年出台的ＣＣＡＲ１３５部。饶副司长介绍，美国是世界上航空运输业最发达的国家，国土面积与我国相当，因而美国的航空管理模式是我们的一个重要参考。由于我国的公共运输发展相对更加迅速，运行安全管理也更为重要，因此中国民航总局首先抓了…     

几种引伸计的精度及其标定和分级方法

在金属拉伸、蠕变、疲劳和断裂力学等性能试验中,普遍应用引伸计来实现试样应变的测量与控制。众所周知,引伸计的精度与试验结果的正确性密切相关,所以要进行某项材料性能的测定,选择哪一级精度的引伸计,标准     

不断超越自我,志与世界比肩─—中国航空工业巡礼之五

面对世界航空列强激烈的市场角逐和先进航空技术飞速发展的挑战，哈尔滨飞机工业集团在引进法国“海豚”直升机生产专利并最终在直－９上实现国产化；让国产运－１２轻型多用途飞机跻身于强手纷争的国际航空产品市场；凭借自己技术实力参与国外先进ＥＣ１２０直升机合作研制计划，以及创立航空工业股份公司，以真正意义上的航空高科技产品投入资本运营市场等方面，开创了一个又一个国内航空工业界的发展先河     

国外铸钛机匣在航空发动机上的应用

本文简要介绍了国外铸钛机匣在航空发动机上的应用概况，较全面地分析了铸钛机匣的结构特点，质量控制与保证，以及可靠性与经济性。可以认为精铸钛机匣在航空发动机上的应用前景是十分广阔的。     

不同迎角下脊形前体绕流数值模拟研究

脊形前体有较强的背风涡流场,不同的前体形状对前体涡流场和气动力有很大的影响。本文针对脊形前体飞行器大迎角湍流大分离流动计算的困难,采用IDDES混合湍流模型,以及与之匹配的非定常算法,研究了不同来流迎角下脊形前体的气动特性,以及背风涡非定常演化、破裂的细致流动结构。选取了不同脊形角,以及不同上、下高宽比的脊形前体进行计算。计算结果表明,在迎角较小时,随着迎角的增大,前体主涡会逐渐增强,在迎角较大时,前体主涡破裂;在相同迎角下,脊形角较小时,前体涡较强,涡升力也更大;对于相同脊形角的前体,当上半截面高宽比较小时,前体主涡强度较大,前体涡破裂临界迎角较小,即会提前破裂。