A novel Wim Hof psychophysiological training program to reduce stress responses during an Antarctic expedition.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective observational study was to investigate the effects of a novel Wim Hof psychophysiological training program on stress responses and hormone release in healthy participants during an Antarctic expedition. METHODS: All members of an Antarctic expedition were included in the study. The participants were healthy volunteers allocated to an intervention group (n = 6) and a control group (n = 7). The intervention consisted of 8 weeks of Wim Hof training. The training program comprised three integrated parts: breathing exercises, cold exposure and meditation. Psychometric measures (the Beck Depression Inventory and the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40) and neuroendocrine measures (cortisol, melatonin) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: The results showed that the 8-week training program significantly reduced stress responses, as indicated by a reduction in depressive symptoms. A non-significant reduction in cortisol was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: These data constitute preliminary findings indicating that the Wim Hof Method may positively affect stress symptoms and adaptability of the hormonal system to respond adequately to the circadian rhythm in healthy volunteers who participated in an Antarctic expedition.

New species of black corals (Cnidaria:Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from deep-sea seamounts and ridges in the North Pacific.

Three new species of antipatharian corals are described from deep-sea (677-2,821 m) seamounts and ridges in the North Pacific, including Antipathes sylospongia, Alternatipathes venusta, and Umbellapathes litocrada. Most of the material for these descriptions was collected on expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer that were undertaken as part of the Campaign to Address Pacific Monument Science, Technology, and Ocean Needs (CAPSTONE). One of the main goals of CAPSTONE was to characterize the deep-sea fauna in protected waters of the U.S. Pacific, as well as in the Prime Crust Zone, the area with the highest known concentration of commercially valuable deep-sea minerals in the Pacific. Species descriptions and distribution data are supplemented with in situ photo records, including those from deep-sea exploration programs that have operated in the North Pacific in addition to CAPSTONE, namely the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).

Improvement in resilience and stress-related blood markers following ten months yoga practice in Antarctica.

BACKGROUND: Wintering is associated with distress to humans who work in the isolated and confined environment of Antarctica and yoga has been proved helpful for coping with stress. Therefore, a study was conducted on 14 winter expedition members of Indian Scientific Antarctic Expedition (2016) to find out the effects of yoga on stress-related markers. METHODS: Participants were divided into yoga, and control (non-yoga) groups. The yoga group practiced yoga for 10 months (from January to October 2016) daily in the morning for an hour. The Resilience test questionnaire was administrated at baseline and endpoint of the study. Blood samples were collected during the study at different intervals for the estimation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin and cortisol using ELISA. RESULTS: A trend of improvement was observed in the resilience test score in the yoga group. From January to October, 8-OHdG serum values in the yoga group declined by 55.9% from 1010.0 ± 67.8 pg/mL to 445.6 ± 60.5 pg/mL (Mean ± SD); in the control group, the decline was 49.9% from 1060.4 ± 54.6 pg/mL to 531.1 ± 81.8 pg/mL. In serotonin serum levels in the yoga group, there was a 3.1% increase from 6.4 ± 1.6 ng/mL to 6.6 ± 0.4 ng/mL while no increase was noticed in the control group. Cortisol values in the yoga group decreased by 19.9% from 321.0 ± 189.6 ng/mL to 257.1 ± 133.8 ng/mL; in the control group it increased by 2.8% from 241.2 ± 51.8 ng/mL to 247.8 ± 90.9 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: It could be concluded from the present study that following 10 months yoga practice may be useful for better resilience and management of stress-related blood markers for the polar sojourners.

Effects of prolonged isolation in a confined space on status of oxidative stress and prothrombogenesis: In preparation for possible future manned space expedition to Mars.

INTRODUCTION: Apart from inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, other key components in the development of atherogenesis include prothrombogenesis and oxidative stress. The effects of long-term confinement and isolation, exposure to radiation and different gravity forces during space travel could potentially increase the long-term risk of atherosclerosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study determining the status of prothrombogenesis and oxidative stress in six cosmonauts subjected to the longest duration of confined isolation period of 520 days in preparation for prospective undetermined manned space travel to Mars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This collaborative research between the National Space Agency (ANGKASA), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia and Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), Russia was conducted at the Russian Academy of Sciences IBMP, Moscow, Russia. Six multi-national cosmonauts were assigned to live in a ground-based confined module for 520 days. Standard exercise and diet regime were instituted throughout the isolation phase. Six age, ethnic and gender-matched healthy, free-living ground controls were recruited in parallel. Serial serum and whole blood were analysed for biomarkers of prothrombogenesis [plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and homocysteine] and oxidative stress [oxidised low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA)]. RESULTS: There were significantly lower concentrations of PAI-1 and homocysteine in cosmonauts during confinement compared to the controls. There were no significant differences seen in the concentrations of biomarkers of oxidative stress during confinement but there was a significant percentage change increment for serum MDA in cosmonauts. CONCLUSION: Long-term confinement decreased the risk of prothrombogenesis and this could be attributed to the exercise and diet regime which includes omega-3 fatty acids supplementation given to the crew members during their confinement period. However, oxidative damage could not be excluded and may be attributed to the influence of psychological stress during this prolonged confinement.

Sleep during an Antarctic summer expedition: new light on "polar insomnia".

Sleep complaints are consistently cited as the most prominent health and well-being problem in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, without clear evidence to identify the causal mechanisms. The present investigation aimed at studying sleep and determining circadian regulation and mood during a 4-mo Antarctic summer expedition. All data collection was performed during the continuous illumination of the Antarctic summer. After an habituation night and acclimatization to the environment (3 wk), ambulatory polysomnography (PSG) was performed in 21 healthy male subjects, free of medication. An 18-h profile (saliva sampling every 2 h) of cortisol and melatonin was assessed. Mood, sleepiness, and subjective sleep quality were assessed, and the psychomotor vigilance task was administered. PSG showed, in addition to high sleep fragmentation, a major decrease in slow-wave sleep (SWS) and an increase in stage R sleep. Furthermore, the ultradian rhythmicity of sleep was altered, with SWS occurring mainly at the end of the night and stage R sleep at the beginning. Cortisol secretion profiles were normal; melatonin secretion, however, showed a severe phase delay. There were no mood alterations according to the Profile of Mood States scores, but the psychomotor vigilance test showed an impaired vigilance performance. These results confirm previous reports on "polar insomnia", the decrease in SWS, and present novel insight, the disturbed ultradian sleep structure. A hypothesis is formulated linking the prolonged SWS latency to the phase delay in melatonin.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present paper presents a rare body of work on sleep and sleep wake regulation in the extreme environment of an Antarctic expedition, documenting the effects of constant illumination on sleep, mood, and chronobiology. For applied research, these results suggest the potential efficiency of melatonin supplementation in similar deployments. For fundamental research, these results warrant further investigation of the potential link between melatonin secretion and the onset of slow-wave sleep.

Las fotografías de California de Rafael Castro Ordóñez, miembro de la Expedición Científica del Pacífico (1862-1866): discurso y circulación / Rafael Castro, photographer and chronicler of the 'Expedition Científica del Pacífico' (1862-1866) and his vision of California

En octubre de 1863 Rafael Castro y Ordóñez, artista y fotógrafo de la Comisión Científica del Pacífico, viajó junto al naturalista Francisco de Paula Martínez y Sáez por el estado de California. La Comisión acompañaba una expedición militar y política de corte panhispanista. Fruto de aquel viaje el artista produjo una veintena de fotografías, dibujos y varias cartas que se publicarían en la revista El Museo Universal. Fotografías y crónicas del viaje conforman un corpus de excepcional valor que permite reconstruir el proyecto y su fabricación de una nueva imagen de América tras la independencia de las antiguas colonias y la irrupción de los Estados Unidos como potencia emergente. Este trabajo analiza este discurso y cómo se articuló con relación a este recién incorporado territorio de los Estados Unidos. A lo largo del estudio se revelarán varios fenómenos interesantes, como la ruptura ocasional del discurso, la circulación de las fotografías más allá del contexto de la Expedición o las conexiones de este viaje de exploración con el fenómeno del turismo (AU)

In October 1863, Rafael Castro y Ordóñez, artist and photographer of the Comisión Científica del Pacífico, traveled across the State of California in the company of naturalist Francisco de Paula Martínez y Sáez. The Comisión was associated with a pan-Hispanic military and political expedition. As a result of the expedition the artist produced around twenty photographs, drawings, and several letters that were ultimately published by the Spanish pictorial magazine El Museo Universal. Both his photographs and travel accounts make up an exceptionally valuable body of knowledge allowing to reconstruct not only the Comisión project but also its attempt at portraying a new image of America following the independence of Spain’s former colonies and the ascent of the United States as a world power. This paper analyzes both this discourse and its expression in relation to California, a then recently incorporated US territory. Several interesting phenomena, including occasional breaches in the discourse, the circulation of photographs beyond the expedition’s context, and the connections of this exploration journey with tourism, will be unveiled in the course of the present study (AU)

Dietary intakes of expeditioners during prolonged sunlight deprivation in polar enviroments do not support bone health.

BACKGROUND: Early Antarctic expeditions were plagued by nutrient deficiencies, due to lack of fresh food and reliance on preserved foods. Modern Antarctic expeditioners also require provisions to be shipped in, but improved knowledge and storage options ensure foods are nutritionally sound. Despite this, nutritional imbalances are observed. OBJECTIVES: To determine the adequacy of dietary intake of Antarctic expeditioners, with reference to bone health. DESIGN: Dietary intake was determined on 225 adults (mean age 42±11 years, 16% female) during 12-month deployments at Australian Antarctic stations from 2004 to 2010, using weighed 3-day food records. Nutrient intake was analysed using FoodWorks. Foods were divided into the 5 food groups according to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. RESULTS: Men consumed below the recommended levels [recommended daily intake (RDI)/adequate intakes (AI)] of calcium (79±42% of RDI, p<0.001), magnesium (83±34% of RDI, p<0.001), potassium (86±29% of AI, p<0.001) and fibre (75±30% of AI, p<0.001), and above the upper limit (UL) for sodium (125±48% of UL p<0.001), whereas women consumed below the recommended levels of calcium (68±21% of RDI, p<0.001) and iron (73±37% of RDI, p<0.001). Vitamin D intake is not substantial (<150 IU/d). Men consumed more alcohol than women (18±24 g/d vs. 10±13 g/d, p<0.05), nearer the guideline of ≤20 g/d. Men and women consumed approximately 1 serving of dairy food per day, and 3 of 5 recommended vegetable servings. Discretionary foods were consumed in excess of recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Improving consumption of calcium-rich (dairy) foods better supports bone health during sunlight deprivation. Increasing vegetable intake to recommended levels will increase fibre, potassium and magnesium intakes. The challenge is the logistics of providing these foods throughout the year.

[Augustin Delondre and Friedrich AuguIst Flückiger : an unpublished correspondence 1868-1869]. / Augustin Delondre et Friedrich August Flückiger : une correspondance inédite 1868-1869.

This article describes an unpublished correspondence between Augustin-Ambroise Delondre (1823- 1879), son of the famous pharmacist Augustin - Pierre Delondre and Friedrich August Flückiger, Swiss pharmacist (1828-1894), professor between 1873 to 1892 of the Chair in pharmacy at the university of Strasbourg and considered as the father of pharmacognosy. This set of 9 unique hand- written letters (1868 and 1869) allows to have an clearer idea of their scientific and human relations.

[Early encounters of German-language explorers with the Tibetan medicine in Siberia in the modern era]. / Frühe neuzeitliche Begegnungen deutschsprachiger Forscher mit der tibetischen Medizin in Sibirien.

The spreading of Tibetan Buddhism and with it the Tibetan medicine in the region east of Lake Baikal, goes back to the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, German speaking scholars were among the first to undertake scientific expeditions through Siberia. As such they were amongst the first scientists of the modern era who encountered the traditions, concepts, and therapeutic methods of Tibetan medicine. The aim of this article is to describe and analyze these first encounters with Tibetan medicine by the example of selected men of science of the 18th and 19th century. This work is based on extensive studies of sources in archives and libraries in Russia and Switzerland. We found documents related to the following scientists: Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt (1685-1735), Johann Georg Gmelin (1709-1755), Erik Laxmann (1737-1796), Friedrich Adelung (1768-1843), and Joseph Rehmann (1779-1831). They mentioned the distribution of Tibetan medicine within Russia, the use of medicinal plants and formulas as well as therapeutic techniques. For the scientific community of the time these first encounters of Europeans with practitioners of Tibetan medicine could not lift Tibetan medicine out of other exotic context in the field of ethnography. For today's researchers, these encounters are an important evidence for more than 300 years of development of Tibetan medicine on the vast territory of Siberia. The practice and the scientific examination of Tibetan medicine in Siberia is an active endeavor until today. The present work shows that it is possible and rewarding to follow up the historic and cultural connections from Europe to Asia via the Siberian link.

Skeletal and hormonal responses to vitamin D supplementation during sunlight deprivation in Antarctic expeditioners.

UNLABELLED: Sunlight deprivation results in vitamin D deficiency but serum vitamin D levels can be maintained above 50 nmol/L when supplemented with 50,000 IU at least every alternate month. INTRODUCTION: Antarctic expeditioners are exposed to prolonged sunlight deprivation resulting in vitamin D deficiency. We hypothesised that monthly dosing of 50,000 IU vitamin D (~1,600 IU daily) will increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH) and improve bone mineral density (BMD), 50,000 IU alternate months (~800 IU daily) will maintain these measures, while a single 50,000 IU dose pre-departure (~1,00 IU daily) will not be protective. METHODS: This was a randomised double-blind study involving 110 healthy adults: 91 males, mean age 41 years (range 24-65 years) working in Antarctica for up to 12 months, who we administered 50,000 IU vitamin D3 monthly, alternate months or a single dose pre-departure. Serum 25(OH)D, PTH, osteocalcin, CTx and calcium were assessed at baseline, mid- and end of expedition. Proximal femur and lumbar spine BMD were assessed pre- and post-expedition. RESULTS: Baseline 25(OH)D was 59 ± 14 nmol/L. By mid-expedition, 25(OH)D increased by 7 nmol/L in those supplemented monthly (p < 0.05) and remained unchanged in those supplemented in alternate months. In those given a single dose pre-departure, 25(OH)D decreased by 8 nmol/L (p < 0.05) and PTH increased by 27% (p < 0.09). Serum osteocalcin increased by ~22% in all groups but BMD remained unchanged. If serum 25(OH)D was >50 nmol/L at baseline, 25(OH)D was maintained above this level with all regimens. If 25(OH)D was <50 nmol/L at baseline, monthly or alternate month regimens were needed to achieve levels >50 nmol/L, the single pre-departure dose was ineffective. CONCLUSION: During sunlight deprivation of up to 12 months, serum 25(OH)D levels can be maintained above 50 nmol/L when expeditioners are provided with 50,000 I U at least every alternate month.

[Collecting medical knowledge during the Dutch expedition to Brazil in 1639]. / Verzamelen van medische kennis tijdens Nederlandse expeditie in Brazilië, 1639.

The Dutch expansion into tropical climates, starting in the 1590s, posed practical problems of prevention and therapy for the doctors and surgeons of the trading companies (the Dutch West India Company (WIC) and the Dutch East India Company (VOC)). The first specialised manual on tropical medicine was published in Dutch in 1694. It presented information that was based on practical experience and on knowledge obtained from earlier colonists and from the indigenous population. Obtaining information from the latter required the help of a specific kind of researcher, the so-called 'adventurer-scientists'. One of the most important among them was the German Georg Marcgraf, who in 1639 joined an expedition of slave traders to the inlands of Brazil to collect botanical and zoological information, including information on medicinal plants.