The ALTEA/ALTEINO projects: studying functional effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation

The ALTEA project investigates the risks of functional brain damage induced by particle radiation in space. A modular facility (the ALTEA facility) is being implemented and will be operated in the International Space Station (ISS) to record electrophysiological and behavioral descriptors of brain function and to monitor their time dynamics and correlation with particles and space environment. The focus of the program will be on abnormal visual perceptions (often reported as "light flashes" by astronauts) and the impact on retinal and brain visual structures of particle in microgravity conditions. The facility will be made available to the international scientific community for human neurophysiological, electrophysiological and psychophysics experiments, studies on particle fluxes, and dosimetry. A precursor of ALTEA (the 'Alteino' project) helps set the experimental baseline for the ALTEA experiments, while providing novel information on the radiation environment onboard the ISS and on the brain electrophysiology of the astronauts during orbital flights. Alteino was flown to the ISS on the Soyuz TM34 as part of mission Marco Polo. Controlled ground experiments using mice and accelerator beams complete the experimental strategy of ALTEA. We present here the status of progress of the ALTEA project and preliminary results of the Alteino study on brain dynamics, particle fluxes and abnormal visual perceptions.

Automated culture system experiments hardware: developing test results and design solutions

The experiment proposed by Prof. Ricci University of Milan is funded by ASI with Laben as industrial Prime Contractor. ACS-EH (Automated Culture System-Experiment Hardware) will support the multigenerational experiment on weightlessness with rotifers and nematodes within four Experiment Containers (ECs) located inside the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) facility..Actually the Phase B is in progress and a concept design solution has been defined. The most challenging aspects for the design of such hardware are, from biological point of view the provision of an environment which permits animal's survival and to maintain desiccated generations separated and from the technical point of view, the miniaturisation of the hardware itself due to the reduce EC provided volume (160mmx60mmx60mm). The miniaturisation will allow a better use of the available EMCS Facility resources (e.g. volume. power etc.) and to fulfil the experiment requirements. ACS-EH, will be ready to fly in the year 2005 on boar the ISS.

Cross-cultural research: trying to do it better. 2. Enhancing data quality

OBJECTIVE

To describe the dilemmas for cross-cultural research in translating study instruments and implementing quality assurance methods, drawing on strategies utilised in the Mothers in a New Country (MINC) Study.

METHOD

To translation of study instruments in the MINC Study included: forward and back translations, a bilingual group review process, consultation with bilingual content experts, piloting of different versions of translations, a process for exploring unresolved difficulties and caution in interpreting unusual study findings. Interview quality was assessed by: 1. An ongoing review of interviewer-prepared English coding schedules to ensure completeness of data and identify problems with interview administration. 2. Analysis of fully translated transcripts of six randomly selected early interviews to assess the accuracy and consistency with which questions were asked. 3. A comparison of data sources for 45 randomly selected interviews (original language interview schedules, English coding schedules and translated interview transcripts) to determine the rate and nature of discrepancies.

RESULTS

Translation strategies that went beyond simple forward and back translations achieved more reliable and appropriate translations. The complexity of language and cultural differences sometimes still meant less than satisfactory results. Interview tapes played an important quality assurance role, enabling feedback to the interviewers and providing a basis of comparison for identification of data discrepancies.

IMPLICATIONS

Ensuring good data quality in cross-cultural research is both critically important and difficult. Open discussion of the problems and concerted efforts to deal with them would benefit future research.

Support, sensitivity, satisfaction: Filipino, Turkish and Vietnamese women's experiences of postnatal hospital stay

OBJECTIVE

To assess Filipino, Turkish and Vietnamese women's views about their care during the postnatal hospital stay.

DESIGN

Interviews were conducted with recent mothers in the language of the women's choice, 6-9 months after birth, by three bilingual interviewers.

PARTICIPANTS

Three hundred and eighteen women born in the Philippines (107), Turkey (107) and Vietnam (104) who had migrated to Australia.

SETTING

Women were recruited from the postnatal wards of three maternity teaching hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, and interviewed at home.

FINDINGS

Overall satisfaction with care was low, and one in three women left hospital feeling that they required more support and assistance with both baby care and their own personal needs. The method of baby feeding varied between the groups, with women giving some insight into the reason for their choice. A significant minority wanted more help with feeding, irrespective of the method. The need for rest was a recurrent theme, with women stating that staff's attitudes to individual preferences, coupled with lack of assistance, made this difficult. The majority of comments women made regarding their postnatal stay focused on the attitude and behaviour of staff and about routine aspects of care. Issues related to culture and cultural practices were not of primary concern to women.

CONCLUSION

Maternity services need to consider ways in which care can focus on the individual needs and preferences of women.

New methods for microbial contamination monitoring: an experiment on board the MIR orbital station

Experiment T2, carried out during the Euromir'95 mission, was an important step toward innovative methods for spacecraft microbial contamination monitoring. A new standard sampling technique permitted samples to be analysed by different means. On board, two analysis methods were tested in parallel: Bioluminescence and Miniculture. In turn, downloaded samples are being analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a powerful and promising method for the rapid detection, identification and quantification of pathogens and biofouling agents in closed manned habitats.

Human posture in microgravity: an experiment on EUROMIR '95 to verify and improve a simulation tool

An anthropometric mannequin implemented in robotic modelling software has proved very useful in the simulation of static and semi-dynamic reachability envelopes. Its prediction of working postures has been verified to some extent during neutral buoyancy trials. While a robotic solution is useful for static analyses or rough estimates of simple movements, more realistic movement strategies need to be identified directly measuring astronauts' in-orbit behaviour. A set of experiments is to be performed as part of the EUROMIR '95 mission to the MIR orbiting station in which dynamic posture (i.e. posture and movement) measurements will be taken using the ELITE system. The data and analyses of the data will be used to animate the Alenia anthropometric mannequin and to develop movement algorithms more similar to those of a person in microgravity than the robotic solutions currently employed. This paper presents the experiments to be performed and the changes to Alenia's mannequin that will allow the model to effect movements according to the experimental results. It is aimed at expanding the dialog between the biomechanical and human factors disciplines started in this experiment to other potential end-users of the experimental results.

Monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials in cerebral ischemia: an experimental model

We have studied Mongolian gerbils using somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) recordings before, during and after an ischemic event. In six experimental animals, cerebral ischemia was reproduced by clamping both carotid arteries for ten minutes. Two recordings were made during this period at 4' and 8'. An additional four recordings were made after removal of the clamp at 4', 8', 12' and 20'. Four animals were utilized as a control group, and were subjected to the identical experimental protocol, with the exclusion of carotid artery clamping. During ischemia we observed an evident alteration of the SEP recordings in the experimental animals, and a more or less rapid recovery during the post-ischemic period. This experimental model may be useful for the monitoring and the evaluation of the evolution of cerebro-vascular damage during the post-ischemic period.