Suchergebnisse

Alcoholism is a complex problem whose full comprehension involves concepts from many disciplines. One of these is physiology, dealing with the nature of alcoholic beverages and their fate and action in the body. The pri mary action of alcohol is on the brain, producing intoxication. Since alcohol is consumed in the body liberating energy, its excessive use curtails adequate in take of other essential foods, creating deficiency diseases common to alcoholics. Intoxication itself also indirectly injures organs and functions of the body. Al though physiology has contributed much to knowledge about the course and medical treatment of alcoholism, it has not provided an answer to its etiology.

Physiological measures of aircrew mental workload were divided into fourteen specific classes. Each class was then summarized in terms of background, applications, and implications for research and implementation. It is concluded that several physiological measures appear promising, but that more research is needed to provide convincing evidence of viability. Physiological techniques can, however, be combined with other workload assessment techniques to provide a more complete understanding of the workload associated with given aircrew tasks.

Men wear cooling garments to reduce external heat load and to remove metabolic heat. The effects of cooling can be seen in physiological measurements made with and without cooling, and the question is: what are the meaningful measurements to make? The following measurements are described and illustrated with experimental data: tolerance times to a physiological or performance end point; heart rate; sweat rate; temperatures in three body compartments; and heat flows to the cooling garment. All of these measurements are useful in various ways, particularly those dealing with heat storage and rates of heat removal.

AbstractMyths of "Man the Hunter" and male biological superiority persist in interpretations and reconstructions of human evolution. Although there are uncontroversial average biological differences between females and males, the potential physiological advantages females may possess are less well‐known and less well‐studied. Here we review and present emerging physiological evidence that females may be metabolically better suited for endurance activities such as running, which could have profound implications for understanding subsistence capabilities and patterns in the past. We discuss the role of estrogen and adiponectin as respective key modulators of glucose and fat metabolism, both of which are critical fuels during long endurance activities. We also discuss how differences in overall body composition, muscle fiber composition, the metabolic cost of load carrying, and self‐pacing may provide females with increased endurance capacities. Highlighting these potential advantages provides a physiological framework that complements existing archaeological (Lacy and Ocobock, this issue) and cultural work reassessing female endurance and hunting capabilities as well as the sexual division of labor. Such a holistic approach is critical to amending our current understanding of hu(wo)man evolution.

A laboratory experiment and a field study were conducted using psychophysical methods for among investigators with regard to physiological criteria used for excessive fatigue, (2) a poor relationship between physiological measures of fatigue and measures of performance, and (3) a good relationship between subjective measures of fatigue and measures of performance. A laboratory experiment and a field study were conducted using psychophysical methods for determining fatigue criteria. Heart rate was measured during these studies as an indication of the physiological level of functioning and was compared with fatigue criteria suggested by other investigators. The consistency of the results in the field study and three replications of the laboratory study demonstrated the reliability of the psychophysical methodology.

"During the launch and re-entry phases of spaceflight pilots of military fast jets, civilian aerobatic pilots and astronauts are frequently and repetitively exposed to high G forces, for which the human body is not fundamentally designed. This unique book examines the nature of the high G environment and its physiological effects on the various systems of the human body. It draws together the accumulated knowledge of human exposure to high G, resulting in a definitive volume on its physiological effects and countermeasures"--Provided by publisher.

AbstractRecent research suggests that imagination, defined as engaging in behaviors or cognitions not representative of one's current reality, is related to the development of emotion regulation (ER) skills in early childhood. Yet, the underlying mechanisms responsible for driving this relationship are unknown. The present study aimed to elucidate one potential pathway through which imagination may influence ER by examining the possible physiological substrates of imagination in early childhood. Specifically, one theoretical perspective proposes that imagination may be related to ER because it allows children to become absorbed in highly emotional, imaginative scenarios, leading to physiological arousal that must be regulated. To support this idea, we must first investigate if imagination evokes a physiological response. To date, no studies have examined physiology during imagination in early childhood. Therefore, the present study included 44 preschool‐aged children who participated in a standard reactivity protocol where physiological responses to mild social, cognitive, sensory, emotional, and imaginative challenges were assessed. Results demonstrated a significant increase in sympathetic nervous system activity when children engaged in a cognitive imaginative storytelling task, even after controlling for overall arousal and task engagement. As the first study to identify a meaningful physiological response during imagination, these data provide one potential explanation for why imagination is related to ER skills in early childhood.