COMPONENT 2: The "Predictive Studies" Program

FULL OVERVIEW OF THE PREDICTIVE STUDIES I - VIII

Background

The Predictive Studies Series of the Institute for Environmental Medicine (IFEM) represents conjoined investigations by individual scientists, associated laboratories, and collaborating national agencies. A central purpose is to obtain concurrent measurements of multiple physiologic effects and recovery, in response to graded degrees and durations of imposed specific environmental stresses.

Design, data preservation, analytic functions, and documentation of integrated physiologic relations are accomplished by the Environmental Biomedical Stress Data Center, which maintains original records.

Concept

The integrated basic and applied human physiological investigations represented by the Predictive Studies (PS) Series exemplify a necessary but uncommon approach to solution of some major national technical problems. For reasons of specific research purpose, biomedical and life-support investigation has traditionally been carried out in many isolated studies by different laboratories with extremely varied goals. Integrations of results under these ordinary conditions are extraordinary tasks. Documentation is usually segmented. As a result of these normal obstacles, analytic correlations from very large numbers of individual research efforts tend to be limited in the rate of utilization for applied purposes.

Recognizing the need for interdisciplinary and interlaboratory investigations of man and his environment, the University of Pennsylvania established the Institute for Environmental Medicine as an open laboratory to serve as a focus for integrated study of environmental stresses upon human activity and physiological processes.

A series of collaborative investigations designated as "Predictive Studies" was initiated to provide opportunity and stimulus for advancement of human capabilities in conditions of physical and other atmospheric stresses. These studies began with correlated determinations of effects in prolonged, saturation exposure to increased nitrogen pressures (PS I and PS II). They continued with investigation of the limits of human tolerance to extremes of increased respiratory gas pressures and density at elevated ambient pressures (PS III and PS IV), to extreme exposures to hyperoxic poisoning (PS V and PS VI), and interacting effects of carbon dioxide in tolerance and adaptation to hyperoxia and hypoxia (PS VII and PS VIII).

Major Studies performed in associated other laboratories are retained as reports.

07 February 2000 09:57:50 AM