[Control locus, stress resistance and personal growth of the participants in experiment Mars-500].

The article deals with positive personal transformations in a simulated space mission. The investigation was focused on the aspects of control locus, stamina, proactive behavior to overcome challenges, and stress-related personal growth. Besides, ingenious psychophysiological techniques designed to select Russian cosmonauts were used for assessing stress-resistance and ability to control own emotions voluntarily. Experiment Mars-500 simulated the basic features of a mission to Mars. The crew consisted of 6 males 27 to 38 years of age who volunteered to spend 520 days in isolation and confinement in the IBMP experimental facility (Moscow). To detect personality changes, the volunteers were tested before the experiment and after its completion. According to the test results, the participants commonly demonstrated the ability to see the bright side of the Mars-500 adversities, which most often was caused by their social growth. Positive changes were particularly pronounced in the crewmembers who possessed a better ability to control own emotions. The simulated challenges were also beneficial for personal growth of the volunteers.

The space psychological research in the Czech Republic.

The paper informs about the history of psychological space research in Czechoslovakia and in the Czech Republic. The origins of aerospace research date back to the 1970s and were related to Interkosmos program. The paper details research carried out within its frame, focusing namely on the study of astronaut's personality and his/her psychological condition, ability of operators to work, impact of zero gravity and G-force, and study of small isolated groups.

Behaviour of newly hatched and adult Japanese quail and the feasibility of adaptation to weightlessness.

The aim of cosmic biology is to create conditions necessary for the long-term stay of man on cosmic orbital complexes and planetary stations. Such conditions should be provided by the autonomous closed ecosystem--a simplified model of the terrestrial biocenosis. As an experimental model of the higher heterotrophic link of this ecosystem the Japanese quail was chosen. This paper presents recent knowledge on the behaviour of newly hatched and adult quails under conditions of weightlessness. Videorecords made as part of the experiments aboard the MIR orbital station do not meet the criteria of systematic behavioural observation required for qualitative and quantitative behavioural analysis on earth. Nevertheless, the data is highly interesting and original, and was therefore analysed and summarized.

[Characterization of vertebrogenic pain using the short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire]. / Charakterizace vertebrogenní bolesti zkrácenou formou dotazníku McGill Pain Questionnaire.

A Czech translation of the short form McGill Pain Questionnaire was tested in a group of patients suffering from pain of vertebrogenic origin. The results support the hypothesis that the questionnaire will be an asset in various disciplines of medical practice. While taking up little time it provides a comprehensive and valid picture of the quality and intensity of pain experienced by the patient. The results indicated that the questionnaire can differentiate between different syndromes of pain and is sensitive to the effect of placebo.

Pilot performance is increased after alternating hypo- and hypergravity states.

An increase of performance of six experienced pilots in a complex in-flight aerobatics test repeated after a period of alternating zero-hypergravity conditions, lasting for 30 minutes, was observed, if compared with the same test before such exposition. There was no difference in the increase of the pilot performance, if the in-flight test was repeated after a period of rest of the same duration. We conclude that in experienced pilots adaptation to a complex in-flight test remains uninfluenced by alternating zero-hypergravity conditions, realized in a light transport plane. Perhaps adaptation to alternating gravity conditions is implemented better than to full weightlessness in experienced subjects. This is to be proved in real space flights.