Synchronized External Pulsation for Improved Tolerance to Acceleration Stress: Model Studies and Preliminary Experiments

Synchronized external pulsation is proposed as a method to improve tolerance to acceleration stress. This technique uses a modified anti-G suit which is pressurized and depressurized synchronously with the heart cycle. The feasibility of the procedure has been studied using a computer model of the cardiovascular system which includes the effects of Gz stress, and contains simulations of baroreceptor control of heart rate and venous tone. Model predictions indicate that for unprotected subjects, carotid pressure at eye level (ophthalmic artery pressure) decreases to 20 mmHg (beginning of central light loss) at approximately +3.6 Gz. Applying standard anti-G suit pressure to the model increases this level to 5.3 Gz. When synchronized external pulsation of 2 psi is superimposed on the standard anti-G suit pressure, the tolerance to acceleration stress is further augmented by at least 0.9 G above the protection afforded by the standard anti-G suit alone. A set of preliminary experiments on human subjects to test the feasibility of using the technique in the high-G environment has also been carried out. The results under various protection modes compare favorably to the model predictions. Our results suggest that the computer model presented here is a useful tool for studying cardiovascular responses under +GZ stress. It also indicates that using synchronized external pulsation pressure superimposed on the standard anti-G suit pressure may offer extra protection to acceleration stress.     

Precarious manhood.

The authors report 5 studies that demonstrate that manhood, in contrast to womanhood, is seen as a precarious state requiring continual social proof and validation. Because of this precariousness, they argue that men feel especially threatened by challenges to their masculinity. Certain male-typed behaviors, such as physical aggression, may result from this anxiety. Studies 1-3 document a robust belief in (a) the precarious nature of manhood relative to womanhood and (b) the idea that manhood is defined more by social proof than by biological markers. Study 4 demonstrates that when the precarious nature of manhood is made salient through feedback indicating gender-atypical performance, men experience heightened feelings of threat, whereas similar negative gender feedback has no effect on women. Study 5 suggests that threatening manhood (but not womanhood) activates physically aggressive thoughts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Capacitance voltage characterization of poly SiSiO2Si structures

The high frequency C-V characteristics of poly SiSiO₂Si capacitors have been studied. It is shown that the poly SiSiO₂Si capacitor C-V characteristics are significantly different from the corresponding metal-SiO₂Si capacitor due to field penetration into the poly Si layer. A comparison of the theoretical and measured C-V characteristics gives an estimate of the surface state charge density at the poly SiSiO₂ interface and indicates that the surface potential behavior of this interface is trap and surface state dominated up to poly silicon impurity concentrations of approximately 10¹⁷ cm^?3.     

Trichothecium roseum的酸碱属性及pH值对其胞外酶活性和致病性的影响

目的：明确粉红单端孢（Trichothecium roseum）侵染果实的酸碱性质,测定3 种pH值孢子悬浮液接种对苹果果实病斑直径及胞外酶活性的影响。方法：用T. roseum接种“富士”苹果,测定果实病斑处的pH值变化。用pH值分别为3、5和7的孢子悬浮液接种果实,观察接种对果实病斑直径及病斑处果胶酶和纤维素酶活性的影响。结果：T. roseum接种后果实病斑处的pH值显著升高,由第0天的3.54升高至第12天的4.84,提高了36.7%。3 种pH值孢子悬浮液接种果实后,以pH 7接种的果实病斑直径最大,第9天时分别高出pH 5与pH 3接种的35.2%与68.0%。pH 7接种的果实病斑处具有最高的果胶酶及纤维素酶活性,第9天时的果胶甲酯酶、果胶甲基多聚半乳糖醛酸酶、多聚半乳糖醛酸酶活性分别为pH 3接种的2.95、1.61 倍和1.68 倍,为pH 5接种的2、1.25 倍和1.39 倍。此外,pH 7接种的果实病斑处纤维素酶和β-葡萄糖苷酶第9天的活性分别为pH 3接种的1.97 倍和1.64 倍,为pH 5接种的1.33 倍和1.3 倍。结论：T. roseum属碱化菌,中性或偏碱环境可提高该菌损伤接种苹果果实病斑处的胞外酶活性,增强其致病性。     

Species composition and plant traits: Characterization of the biogeomorphological succession within contrasting river corridors

Plant communities and dynamics can be characterized according to species composition or plant traits. Here, we used species composition and plant traits to compare their effectiveness in discriminating the biogeomorphological (involving reciprocal feedbacks between physical and biological processes) and ecological (mainly biologically driven) phases of the fluvial biogeomorphological succession (FBS) model. The comparison was done between two French rivers, the largely unchannelized lower Allier and the channelized middle Garonne. One reach representative of each river section was selected for the study. Within each river reach, we chose two contrasted study sites in terms of channel and floodplain dynamics: a reference site (least altered channel and floodplain dynamics) and an altered site (laterally stabilized by riprap and constrained). In the four study sites, we sampled vegetation in 402 plots of 4 m². The 512 species identified in the plots were characterized in terms of plant traits (20) from a literature review. When comparing reaches in unconstrained ordinations and permutational multivariate analyses of variance, both species composition and plant traits led to a similar identification of the biogeomorphological and the ecological successional trajectories. Nevertheless, the trait approach was less influenced by local and regional bioclimatic, hydrogeomorphological, and anthropogenic settings and thus produced a more comprehensive and general classification of the biogeomorphological and ecological phases of the FBS model. A lower than expected contrast between the four sites was found, because neither species composition nor plant traits could entirely characterize distinct successional trajectories occurring in our reference or altered sites. Furthermore, our results contributed to a better understanding of the multiple successional trajectories that can occur in midlatitude river corridors. It also showed that relating plant traits to their effects on fluvial landform dynamics remains a core challenge in explaining succession including feedback mechanisms between hydrology, morphodynamics, and vegetation dynamics.     

Transformational leadership and group interaction as climate antecedents: A social network analysis.

In order to test the social mechanisms through which organizational climate emerges, this article introduces a model that combines transformational leadership and social interaction as antecedents of climate strength (i.e., the degree of within-unit agreement about climate perceptions). Despite their longstanding status as primary variables, both antecedents have received limited empirical research. The sample consisted of 45 platoons of infantry soldiers from 5 different brigades, using safety climate as the exemplar. Results indicate a partially mediated model between transformational leadership and climate strength, with density of group communication network as the mediating variable. In addition, the results showed independent effects for group centralization of the communication and friendship networks, which exerted incremental effects on climate strength over transformational leadership. Whereas centralization of the communication network was found to be negatively related to climate strength, centralization of the friendship network was positively related to it. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kinetics of sensory quality changes in soymilk during thermal processing,by parametric and non‐parametric data analyses

Soymilk was subjected to various heat treatments at 90, 120 and 140 °C for various lengths of time. The colour and flavour of the soymilk samples were evaluated by a sensory panel consisting of eight semi‐trained assessors on (1) a 9‐unit hedonic scale, with analysis based on the assumption that the units are equidistant, and (2) a 15‐point hedonic ‘Smiley’ pictorial scale, the results being analysed non‐parametrically. The proportion (%) of ratings higher than or equal to/higher than the overall median of the samples was used as a rigorous estimate of product quality. These values were used to determine the colour and flavour changes in heated soymilk and their temperature dependence. The Z‐values derived from the parametric and non‐parametric analyses were in close agreement, ranging from 31 to 33 °C and from 30 to 32 °C for colour and flavour respectively. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Detonation Pressure of Donors as a Parameter for Assessing Detonation Transfer Probabilities

The commonly used penalty methods(such as Varicomp or varying the thickness of the out-of-line barriers), for determining the detonation transfer probability for an explosive interface, may become less practical or convenient the more insensitive explosive is the acceptor. The method proposed here suggests replacing the design donor by an explosive(substitute donor) of a lower detonation pressure. Both the acceptor and the mechanical hardware of the test system should be identical to those of the design system. It is assumed that the detonation pressures of both the design donor and the substitute donor are normally distributed. The same assumption holds also for the threshold detonation pressure required for initiating the acceptor. Following these assumptions we present a method to determine a minimum number of tests required to demonstrate a given reliability at a given confidence level. The relative standard deviation for each detonation pressure is assumed to be equal for all donors. We show then that the required number of tests to demonstrate a given reliability(at a given confidence level), practically depends on the ratio of the detonation pressures of the design donor and its test substitute. A similar method can be applied to demonstrate low probability of detonation transfer(high safety), by replacing the design donor by one of a higher detonation pressure.