Effect of shoulder width, guardrail and roadway geometry on driver perception and behavior

Roadway design is one of the most significant factors that affect driving behavior and perceived safety. The current study tests the combined effects of three roadway design elements – shoulders width, guardrail existence and roadway geometry (curvature) – on objective driving measures (speed and lane position), and subjective measures (perceived safe driving speed and estimated road safety).Twenty two drivers participated in an experiment with a driving simulation. In the first part objective driving data were collected, and in the second part subjective paper–pencil evaluations were requested of the perceived safety of 30 different scenarios that were previously experienced in the simulator. The scenarios consisted of the various combinations of the three roadway design elements.The results showed a significant effect of roadway geometry on both objective and subjective measures. The shoulders width had a significant effect on actual speed, on lane position, and on perceived safe driving speed, but only when a guardrail was present.These findings illustrate the perceptual role of a guardrail in defining the perceived safety margins that various shoulder widths provide. When a guardrail is absent, the width of the shoulder loses much of its benefits and effects on driving behavior. The results also demonstrate that roadway geometry can be used to reduce driving speeds, but at the same time it can have a negative effect on maintaining a stable lane position in sharp curves. Thus, controlling the width of road shoulders and the placement of guardrails seems to be a safer approach to speed and lane position control.     

Flavonoids in Gran Negro berries collected from shoulders and tips within the cluster,and comparison with Brancellao and Mouratón varieties

Galicia (the north-western corner of Spain) is a Spanish region with several old-traditional winegrowing areas. Vitis vinifera L. cv. Mencía is one of the most often used to produce quality red wines but the tendency of the world wine-making market is to reward the production of wines that have particular and differentiated characteristics. In Galicia, there are other red cultivars such as Gran Negro which were not exploited for their potential to produce quality red wines. Dynamics of anthocyanin and flavonol accumulation in Gran Negro berries were studied separately in two different positions within the cluster (tips and shoulders) during 30 days before harvest to assess the existence of different polyphenol quality in both positions and as a consequence, red wines with different qualities. Dynamics of anthocyanins over ripening confirmed that anthocyanins presented upward trends (from 1510 to 1727 mg/kg in tips; and from 1532 to 1728 mg/kg in shoulders) but dynamics of flavonols confirmed that maximum values were reached and stabilised thirty days before harvest (from 45 to 39 mg/kg in tips; and from 49 to 45 mg/kg in shoulders). No differences were observed in anthocyanin and flavonol contents collected from tips and shoulders which indicates that is not necessary to harvest them separately. The results from Gran Negro were compared with those of Brancellao and Mouratón.     

Anthocyanins and flavonols berries from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Brancellao separately collected from two different positions within the cluster

Galicia (N.W. Iberian Peninsula) is a Spanish region with several old-traditional winegrowing areas. Vitis vinifera L. cv. Mencía is one of the most often used to produce quality red wines in the five Galicia Denomination of Origin. However, there are traditional cultivars such as Brancellao, which were not exploited for their potential to produce quality red wines. Dynamics of anthocyanin and flavonol accumulation were studied separately in two different positions within the cluster (tips and shoulders), during 30 days before harvest. The objective of separating berries is to assess the existence of different polyphenol quality in both positions; as a consequence, the selection and harvest of those berries with a higher content of anthocyanins and flavonols could produce red wines with different qualities. Derivatives of five anthocyanins (malvidin, peonidin, petunidin, delphinidin and cyanidin) were detected in skins at both positions within the cluster. Anthocyanin contents stabilized in the 30 days prior to harvest in the berries from the shoulders whereas they continue to increase in those from the tips. Derivatives of six flavonols (quercetin, myricetin, kaempherol, laricitrin, isorhamnetin and syringetin) were detected in skin and flesh at both positions within the cluster. Dynamics of anthocyanins (from 400 to 515 mg/kg in tips; and from 598 to 574 mg/kg in shoulders) and flavonols (from 19 to 29.3 mg/kg in tips; and from 22.7 to 29.4 mg/kg in shoulders) over ripening confirmed that these polyphenols presented upward trends. Therefore, it is not necessary to harvest Brancellao berries separately and a high quality red wine will be obtained with berries from entire clusters regarding these compounds.     

Aroma potential of Brancellao grapes from different cluster positions

In this study the presence of aroma compounds in grapes of Brancellao (Vitis vinifera L.) was investigated in order to obtain its aroma potential fingerprint. It is well known that differences exist in aromatic compounds amongst grapevine varieties at ripening stages. Within the framework of an increasingly competitive market, the chance of obtaining different wines from vines of the same variety grown at the same vineyard is becoming of increasing importance. This can be done through the managing of the vineyard, but also some wineries have assayed the separation of the tip and shoulder berries of the clusters of a specific variety with this objective. In this work it is evaluated that, in the final stages of maturation, differences exist in the probable alcoholic degree, total acidity of the must, as well as in the aromatic composition of skin and flesh of berries coming from the tips and shoulders of the clusters. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the aromatic composition, in the skin and flesh of each sample, either tip or shoulder berries from the clusters. The obtained results showed that there was not variability for the probable alcoholic degree and total acidity between the shoulders and tips, whereas there was variability for their aromatic composition. For the berries from the tips of the clusters most of volatiles were found in the flesh (except aldehydes) and spicy and floral nuances (with the only exception of β-ionone) were in higher proportions. For the berries from the shoulders of the clusters, most of volatiles were found in the skin (monoterpenes, norisoprenoids, aldehydes, and C₆ alcohols), where the flesh was slightly richer in aromatic alcohols, volatile phenols and pantolactone; β-ionone and herbaceous nuances were in higher proportions. These results are promising for those wineries that are considering the chance of separating berries from tips and shoulders of the clusters for the elaboration of different quality wines.     

Active odorants in Mouratón grapes from shoulders and tips into the bunch

The opportunity for obtaining different wines from the same variety cultivated in the same vineyard is becoming of increasing importance. This is why some wine cellars have started to assay the separation of the tips and shoulders berries of the clusters of a specific variety with this objective. In this work, the study is focused on berries of Mouratón (Vitis vinifera L.) to investigate if, in the latter stages of ripening, differences exist in the probable alcoholic degree, total acidity of the must, as well as in the aromatic composition of skin and flesh of berries coming from the tips and shoulders of the clusters. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to determine the aromatic composition. The obtained results showed that there was not variability for the probable alcoholic degree and total acidity between the tips and shoulders, whereas there was variability for their aromatic composition during ripening. These results are promising for those wine cellars that are considering the separation of berries from tips and shoulders of the clusters for the elaboration of different quality wines.     

Measuring behavioral regulation in four societies.

The present study examined the psychometric properties of scores from a direct measure of behavioral regulation, the Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders task (HTKS) with 3- to 6-year-old children in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Specifically, we investigated (a) the nature and variability of HTKS scores, including relations to teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation; and (b) relations between the HTKS and early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills. Higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation in the United States and South Korea but not in Taiwan and China. Also, higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills beyond the influence of demographic variables and teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation. These initial findings suggest that HTKS scores may be interpreted as reflecting early behavioral regulation in these 4 societies and that behavioral regulation is important for early academic success in the United States and in Asian countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)