Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 389)

This bibliography lists 234 reports, articles, and other documents recently introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance

Functional Organization of the Human Brain: How We See, Feel, and Decide.

The human brain is responsible for constructing how we perceive, think, and act in the world around us. The organization of these functions is intricately distributed throughout the brain. Here, I discuss how functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to understand three broad questions: how do we see, feel, and decide? First, high-resolution fMRI was used to measure the polar angle representation of saccadic eye movements in the superior colliculus. We found that eye movements along the superior-inferior visual field are mapped across the medial-lateral anatomy of a subcortical midbrain structure, the superior colliculus (SC). This result is consistent with the topography in monkey SC. Second, we measured the empathic responses of the brain as people watched a hand get painfully stabbed with a needle. We found that if the hand was labeled as belonging to the same religion as the observer, the empathic neural response was heightened, creating a strong ingroup bias that could not be readily manipulated. Third, we measured brain activity in individuals as they made free decisions (i.e., choosing randomly which of two buttons to press) and found the activity within fronto-thalamic networks to be significantly decreased compared to being instructed (forced) to press a particular button. I also summarize findings from several other projects ranging from addiction therapies to decoding visual imagination to how corporations are represented as people. Together, these approaches illustrate how functional neuroimaging can be used to understand the organization of the human brain

Neuroprotective Effect of Selected Plants and their Formulation against induced Neurodegeneration

Neurodegeneration is defined as the progressive loss of structure and function of neurons in the central nervous system. Neurodegenerative diseases have a devastating impact on millions of individuals and their families. Left unchecked, the prevalence of these diseases will grow at an alarming rate (Goodman 1990). There is an urgent need to accelerate the search for effective treatments and cures. Many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s occur as a result of neurodegenerative processes. WHO also assures that by 2030, as many as 1 in 5 among us will suffer from neurodegenerative disease. If left unchecked few years from now, more than 12 million will suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. Finding treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases is a goal of increasing urgency (Scholtissen B 2006). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of hydroethanolic extract of roots of Annona squamosa Linn., and hydroethanolic extract of aerial parts of Echinops echinatus Roxb., on 6 - OH dopamine induced neurodegeneration in Wistar albino rats and to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant acitivity of both the extracts. In the present study all the results and analysis confirm the neuroprotection status of both the plants. Hydroethanolic extracts of Annona squamosa Linn., Echinops echinatus Roxb., has produced significant neuroprotection at the dose level of 200mg/kg. As a comparison the formulation of both the plant at the dose level of 200mg/kg has a better neuroprotection against 6-OH Dopamine induced neurodegeneration. In conclusion the plants Annona squamosa Linn., and Echinops echinatus Roxb., will prove to be useful in the treatment of Parkinsonism and associated neurodegenerative disorders. Further studies are to be warranted in future

Designing a comprehensive system for analysis of handwriting biomechanics in relation to neuromotor control of handwriting

A comprehensive system for investigation of biomechanical and neuromuscular processes involved with producing handwriting and drawing was developed. The system included a pen-like grip measuring device that enabled the variations of finger grip force associated with writing and drawing to be measured while holding the pen in tripod grip. The pen was integrated with a digitiser tablet for recording x,ycoordinates and pressure of the nib and a motion analysis system for recording the limb and hand kinematics. It was observed that for line drawing in the y-direction of the tablet, finger forces were directly related to pen tip movement and finger forces were modulated in a repeatable and predictable fashion, while this was not the case for line drawing in the x-direction. This was evidence for longstanding assumptions. Wrist rotation was required for production of lines in the x-direction without excessive deviation. For writing tasks, it was observed that no two tasks performed by one subject share an identical writing process, not even when the writing results are (nearly) identical. The neuromuscular control apparatus is highly flexible and works in a coordinated fashion that allows production of nearly equal end-results by means of different mechanical and therefore neuromuscular processes. For spiral drawing, tremor that originates from the fingers, hand and arm was quantified with the transducer pen. Limb joint kinematics were displayed in three dimensions with colour coding of coordinate sample numbers. This method can reveal the origin of some forms of limb tremor. Pen grip force patterns during signature writing were found to be characteristic for subjects, which relate to their individual pen-hand interaction, resulting from fine control of distal joints. Variation between trials of the same subject was observed, revealing adaptations of the computational processes during writing. The potential for signature verification by means of finger force recording was explored.A comprehensive system for investigation of biomechanical and neuromuscular processes involved with producing handwriting and drawing was developed. The system included a pen-like grip measuring device that enabled the variations of finger grip force associated with writing and drawing to be measured while holding the pen in tripod grip. The pen was integrated with a digitiser tablet for recording x,ycoordinates and pressure of the nib and a motion analysis system for recording the limb and hand kinematics. It was observed that for line drawing in the y-direction of the tablet, finger forces were directly related to pen tip movement and finger forces were modulated in a repeatable and predictable fashion, while this was not the case for line drawing in the x-direction. This was evidence for longstanding assumptions. Wrist rotation was required for production of lines in the x-direction without excessive deviation. For writing tasks, it was observed that no two tasks performed by one subject share an identical writing process, not even when the writing results are (nearly) identical. The neuromuscular control apparatus is highly flexible and works in a coordinated fashion that allows production of nearly equal end-results by means of different mechanical and therefore neuromuscular processes. For spiral drawing, tremor that originates from the fingers, hand and arm was quantified with the transducer pen. Limb joint kinematics were displayed in three dimensions with colour coding of coordinate sample numbers. This method can reveal the origin of some forms of limb tremor. Pen grip force patterns during signature writing were found to be characteristic for subjects, which relate to their individual pen-hand interaction, resulting from fine control of distal joints. Variation between trials of the same subject was observed, revealing adaptations of the computational processes during writing. The potential for signature verification by means of finger force recording was explored

Acta kinesiologiae Universitatis Tartuensis. 7(Supplement)

http://www.ester.ee/record=b1227224*es

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A cumulative index to the 1974 issues of a continuing bibliography

This publication is a cumulative index to the abstracts contained in supplements 125 through 136 of Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography. It includes three indexes--subject, personal author, and corporate source