Effects of Weightlessness on Man During U. S. Suborbital and Orbital Flights

Human responses to weightlessness - analysis of astronaut biomedical data from Mercury project flight

Redefining Simulation Fidelity for Healthcare Education

Background. Fidelity - an intrinsic property of simulation is crucial to simulation design and to educational effectiveness. Yet the term fidelity is inconsistently used, which makes it difficult to draw inferences from current literature and translate research into practice. Aim. In this article, we attempt to bring some clarity to the term simulation fidelity in healthcare education. Method. We are opposed to the notion that high-fidelity simulation requires complete and faithful replication of reality, and instead argue for an accurate representation of real-world cues and stimuli. We address a number of issues surrounding the term fidelity and how it is currently used in the literature. Result. In recognising the limitations of current methods of describing fidelity in the literature, we propose an alternative 3-dimensional framework for fidelity along the axes of the patient, clinical scenario, and healthcare facilities as a means for more precise and practical positioning of current healthcare simulation activities. Conclusion. All aspects of fidelity significantly hinge on the learners’ perceived realism of the context of the learning episode as opposed to any one particular element such as the technology used.Peer reviewe

The gravity reference response, the rotation sensation, and other illusory sensations experienced in aircraft and space flight

An analysis of the gravitational and inertial forces which act during aircraft flight upon the vestibular systems of the aircraft occupants reveals that in the absence of a visual horizon, certain illusory sensations are predictable for various acceleration environments. Horizontal forward applied acceleration results in a climbing (backward tilting) sensation; conversely, horizontal rearward applied acceleration results in a diving (forward tilting) sensation. During any attempt to achieve weightlessness in aircraft parabolic flight, special care has to be taken to avoid unintended longitudinal ( x -axis) accelerations. Recent flight tests established that the ‘rotation sensation’ (Dzendolet, 1971; Gerathewohl, 1956) during entry into parabolic flight can be attributed to the existence of unintended longitudinal accelerations. However, the ‘inversion illusion’ (Graybiel and Kellogg, 1966) felt by some human subjects at 0 g seems to be different from the rotation sensation and could be caused by the diminished pressure forces of the otoliths on the maculae. The ‘inversion illusion’ of man correlates well with the blind fish diving behavior observed during aircraft parabolic flight (von Baumgarten et al. , 1969, 1972). It is suggested that the fish low g diving response and the human inversion illusion are due to the substitution of a predominately shearing force of low magnitude as a vestibular reference in place of a normal, predominately pressure force. This hypothesis indicates that vestibular senses alone cannot provide meaningful postural orientation to simulated or actual gravity of a magnitude below that of Earth's gravity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43353/1/11084_2004_Article_BF00930350.pd

Effects of Age and Expertise on Pilot Performance: Support for Performance Based Retirement Criteria

At any given chronological age, an individual may appear to be older or younger in various areas or aspects of aging. Ambiguity of age as a reliable indicator of gerontological changes has led to the derivation of the concept of functional age, which accommodates the fact that persons age at different rates along different dimensions (Gerathewohl, 1977; Gerathewohl, 1978a). Four groups of participants were required to conduct this study ; young pilots, young non-pilots, elderly pilots, and elderly non-pilots. Our research found a great deal of variability within all four groups. Although differences due to age clearly exist, the results of this research indicate that experience does matter with regard to pilot performance. Experience as a pilot appears to mediate performance and offset some of the deleterious detriments that occur as a result of aging