Hard Conditions Research Articles

Pupil Size Sensitivity to Listening Demand Depends on Motivational State.

Motivation plays a role when a listener needs to understand speech under acoustically demanding conditions. Previous work has demonstrated pupil-linked arousal being sensitive to both listening demands and motivational state during listening. It is less clear how motivational state affects the temporal evolution of the pupil size and its relation to subsequent behavior. We used an auditory gap detection task (N = 33) to study the joint impact of listening demand and motivational state on the pupil size response and examine its temporal evolution. Task difficulty and a listener's motivational state were orthogonally manipulated through changes in gap duration and monetary reward prospect. We show that participants' performance decreased with task difficulty, but that reward prospect enhanced performance under hard listening conditions. Pupil size increased with both increased task difficulty and higher reward prospect, and this reward prospect effect was largest under difficult listening conditions. Moreover, pupil size time courses differed between detected and missed gaps, suggesting that the pupil response indicates upcoming behavior. Larger pre-gap pupil size was further associated with faster response times on a trial-by-trial within-participant level. Our results reiterate the utility of pupil size as an objective and temporally sensitive measure in audiology. However, such assessments of cognitive resource recruitment need to consider the individual's motivational state.

Analysis and prediction of small-diameter TBM performance in hard rock conditions

Analysing and predicting the advance rate of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) in hard rock is integral to tunnelling project planning and execution. It has been applied in the industry for several decades with varying success. Most prediction models are based on or designed for large-diameter TBMs, and much research has been conducted on related tunnelling projects. However, only a few models incorporate information from projects with an outer diameter smaller than 5 m and no penetration prediction model for pipe jacking machines exists to date. In contrast to large TBMs, small-diameter TBMs and their projects have been considered little in research. In general, they are characterised by distinctive features, including insufficient geotechnical information, sometimes rather short drive lengths, special machine designs and partially concurring lining methods like pipe jacking and segment lining. A database which covers most of the parameters mentioned above has been compiled to investigate the performance of small-diameter TBMs in hard rock. In order to provide sufficient geological and technical variance, this database contains 37 projects with 70 geotechnically homogeneous areas. Besides the technical parameters, important geotechnical data like lithological information, unconfined compressive strength, tensile strength and point load index is included and evaluated. The analysis shows that segment lining TBMs have considerably higher penetration rates in similar geological and technical settings mostly due to their design parameters. Different methodologies for predicting TBM penetration, including state-of-the-art models from the literature as well as newly derived regression and machine learning models, are discussed and deployed for backward modelling of the projects contained in the database. New ranges of application for small-diameter tunnelling in several industry-standard penetration models are presented, and new approaches for the penetration prediction of pipe jacking machines in hard rock are proposed.

Burnout syndrome among medical nurse-technicians in intensive care units in cardiovascular surgery.

Healthcare workers in intensive care units work under specifically hard conditions compared to healthcare workers who work under regular clinical conditions. In this sense, the research aims at assessing the level of burnout symptomatology among nurse technicians working in intensive care units for cardiovascular surgery and to compare those burnout levels with those recorded for medical technicians working under regular clinical conditions. The research was designed as a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of nurse technicians working in intensive care units specializing in cardiovascular surgery (70 participants) and nurse technicians working under regular clinical conditions (70 participants) at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases "Dedinje," Belgrade, Serbia. To evaluate the manifestation of burnout syndrome at work, the analysis uses the Serbian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). To examine the variances in the average sub-scores for burnout within two groups of medical technicians, the study used Two Independent Samples T-test. The statistically noteworthy differentiation was ascertained for emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, but this does not hold true for depersonalization. However, the mean score values across the different burnout levels (low, moderate, high) are similar in two cohorts of respondents (p > 0.05). This study will serve as an impetus for a policy reform focused on ameliorating working conditions and improving healthcare workers' satisfaction and overall healthcare quality.

Crossmodal interference on counting performance: Evidence for shared attentional resources.

During the act of counting, our perceptual system may rely on information coming from different sensory channels. However, when the information coming from different sources is discordant, such as in the case of a de-synchronization between visual stimuli to be counted and irrelevant auditory stimuli, the performance in a sequential counting task might deteriorate. Such deterioration may originate from two different mechanisms, both linked to exogenous attention attracted by auditory stimuli. Indeed, exogenous auditory triggers may infiltrate our internal "counter", interfering with the counting process, resulting in an overcount; alternatively, the exogenous auditory triggers may disrupt the internal "counter" by deviating participants' attention from the visual stimuli, resulting in an undercount. We tested these hypotheses by asking participants to count visual discs sequentially appearing on the screen while listening to task-irrelevant sounds, in systematically varied conditions: visual stimuli could be synchronized or de-synchronized with sounds; they could feature regular or irregular pacing; and their speed presentation could be fast (approx. 3/sec), moderate (approx. 2/sec), or slow (approx. 1.5/sec). Our results support the second hypothesis since participants tend to undercount visual stimuli in all harder conditions (de-synchronized, irregular, fast sequences). We discuss these results in detail, adding novel elements to the study of crossmodal interference.

Periodontal phenotype modification in orthodontic patients.

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of phenotype modification in orthodontic patients using combined bone and soft tissue grafting substitutes. The surgical procedure was conducted on 18 patients (3 males, 15 females). Periodontal phenotype modification was conducted using demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft and a xenogeneic collagen matrix. The following parameters were recorded for each tooth at baseline and 12-month follow-up: O'Leary plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival thickness (GT), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival recession (GR), and vestibular depth (VD). The results showed a statistically significant increase in GT (2.02 ± 0.39 mm), KTW (1.11 ± 0.82 mm), and VD (0.18 ± 1.16 mm) (p < 0.05). GR was also significantly decreased (1.02 ± 0.99 mm) (p < 0.05). Within the limitation of this study, the proposed approach enhanced the periodontal condition in orthodontic patients. However, further studies with a larger sample size are needed to ensure long-term stability. Hard and soft tissue conditions have paramount importance for long-term periodontal stability. Phenotype modification in orthodontic patients can diminish the probability of adverse consequences and result in optimal esthetic outcomes. The proposed technique using combined bone and soft tissue substitutes indicated promising results and could be recommended in orthodontic patients with thin periodontal phenotypes.

Pressure effect on some physical properties of calcium oxide material

The present investigation aims to study the high-pressure dependence up to 65.2GPa of the bulk modulus, Vickers hardness, mass density, Grüneisen parameter, Debye temperature, and average acoustic velocity for calcium oxide (CaO) binary compound. First, we calculated the normal conditions of Vickers hardness, which is equal to 14.8GPa, and then we employed the high-pressure Mukhanov's et al (2009) model to determine the high-pressure effect on the Vickers hardness. Using this model, commonly the hardness increases with increased pressure. Our data show that the bulk modulus, the mass density, the Debye temperature, and the average acoustic wave speed of CaO material increase gradually with increasing pressure, while both the first order pressure derivative of the bulk modulus and the Grüneisen parameter decrease with enhanced pressure up to 65.2GPa. Furthermore, we determined the normal conditions fracture toughness of CaO material; it is around 1.46MPa.m1/2, which is slightly higher than those of Si and GaP semiconducting materials.

An often-overestimated ecological risk of copper in Chinese surface water: bioavailable fraction determined by multiple linear regression of water quality parameters

BackgroundRisks of adverse ecological effects of copper (Cu) consider of water quality parameters were not fully understood in China. Here, a national-scale exposure of Cu in Chinese surface water was investigated, and the first report using multiple linear regression approach to predict and correct toxicity data based on water chemistries in China. Risk of Cu was overestimated without considering water quality parameters in the previous studies.ResultsUnder prevalent water quality conditions of hardness = 150.0 mg/L, pH = 7.8, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) = 3.0 mg/L, across China, the predicted no effect concentration for total, dissolved Cu was 9.71 μg/L. Based on results of the preliminary risk quotients method, 1.19% (a total of 43 in 3610 sites) were classified as “high risk”, only one sixth of the percentage of sites with “high risk” than the proportion predicted when not considering water quality parameters, which was 7.51%. Similar results were obtained by application of both the margin of safety method (0.71% compared to 2.81%) and joint probability curve method (3.34% compared to 16.29%), both of which overestimated risks posed by Cu to aquatic organisms in China.ConclusionAfter correcting for bioavailability based on water quality parameters, consider both concentrations and frequencies during ecological risk assessment, regions of China at greatest risk from adverse effects of Cu were the Hai River (Haihe), Huai Rivers (Huaihe) and Chao Lake. These findings provide a comprehensive method for a more accurate assessment of risks of adverse effects of Cu to aquatic life in surface waters.

Artificial Neural Networks with Machine Learning Design for a Polyphasic Encoder.

Artificial neural networks are a powerful tool for managing data that are difficult to process and interpret. This article presents the design and implementation of backpropagated multilayer artificial neural networks, structured with a vector input, hidden layers, and an output node, for information processing generated by an optical encoder based on the polarization of light. A machine learning technique is proposed to train the neural networks such that the system can predict with remarkable accuracy the angular position in which the rotating element of the neuro-encoder is located based on information provided by light's phase-shifting arrangements. The proposed neural designs show excellent performance in small angular intervals, and a methodology was proposed to avoid losing this remarkable characteristic in measurements from 0 to 180° and even up to 360°. The neuro-encoder was implemented in the simulation stage to obtain performance results, where the main evaluation metric employed to assess the performance is the total error. This proposal can be useful to improve the capabilities of resolvers or other polyphasic sensors used to obtain outstanding precision and accurate data, even when working under hard and noisy industrial conditions.

A study on alveolar ridge augmentation guided by orthodontic forced eruption in patients with severe periodontitis

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of alveolar bone augmentation in teeth with severe periodontitis using orthodontic forced eruption. Methods: Twelve patients (5 males and 7 females) with severe periodontitis and malocclusion who visited the Department of Orthodontics and Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from October 2018 to May 2022 were included in this retrospective study. The age was (38.8±6.6) years (24-49 years). A total of 16 maxillary incisors that could not be retained due to severe periodontitis were included. The orthodontic fixed appliance was used to extrude the teeth. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) images of the patients before and after orthodontic forced eruption were collected. The voxel-based registration was used to superpose the images before and after orthodontic forced eruption. The height, thickness, and apical alveolar bone area were measured on the sagittal plane. The alveolar bone volume before and after orthodontic forced eruption was measured using three-dimensional reconstruction technique, and the influencing factors related to the alveolar volume change were analyzed. Results: The results of this study showed that the eruption distance of the teeth was (2.37±0.82) mm, and the alveolar bone height increased by (1.11±0.79) and (0.98±0.79) mm (t=3.73, P=0.010; t=4.85, P<0.001). The proximal and distal alveolar bone height increased by (1.10±0.78) and (0.86±1.08) mm, respectively (t=5.59, P<0.001; t=3.18, P=0.006). The alveolar bone thickness decreased (0.30±0.31) mm (t=-3.75, P=0.002) and alveolar bone area increased (6.84±5.86) mm2 (t=3.71, P<0.001). The alveolar bone volume increased (53±49) mm3 (t=4.38, P<0.001). The alveolar bone volume was moderately positively correlated with eruption distance, apical and mesial alveolar bone thickness (r=0.55, P=0.028; r=0.63, P=0.008; r=0.67, P=0.005). Conclusions: Orthodontic forced eruption results in a favorable increase of the alveolar bone in the upper incisor that cannot be retained due to severe periodontitis, which provides better periodontal hard tissue conditions for subsequent dental implant.

Limit Equilibrium Models for Tunnel Face Stability in Composite Soft-Hard Strata

The tunnel face stability in composite strata, commonly referred to as the soft upper and hard lower condition, is a critical challenge in tunnel construction. The soft–hard ratio (SA) strongly influences the limit support pressure as well as the failure mechanism experienced by a tunnel face. This study focused on the Xingye Tunnel project in the Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai City. By conducting numerical simulations, the impact of different SAs on the limit support pressure was investigated. Furthermore, a limit equilibrium model was established on the basis of the analysis of the results of numerical simulation. The findings were then compared and analyzed alongside those of relevant theoretical models. In the event of tunnel face instability of composite strata, the deformation tends to be concentrated mainly in the soft soil layer, with less noticeable deformation in the hard rock layer. The investigation of different SAs revealed a linear decrease in the limit support pressure ratio of the tunnel face in composite strata as SA decreases. The self-stability of the tunnel face was observed when SA ≤ 0.125. Moreover, the limit support pressure ratio predicted by the truncated log-spiral model (TLSM) exhibited a higher degree of agreement with the results of numerical simulation than those of other relevant models. The superiority of TLSM was mainly demonstrated in the range of SA = 0.25 to 1.0.

Rare Species Are Significant in Harsh Environments and Unstable Communities: Based on the Changes of Species Richness and Community Stability in Different Sub-Assemblages

To understand the contribution of different sub-assemblages (sub-communities) in the shrub and herb layers to the distribution patterns of community species richness and the stability of the Pinus massoniana Lamb. community, this study was carried out by using 160 shrub quadrats (5 m × 5 m) and 200 herb quadrats (1 m × 1 m). These quadrats were selected from 40 plots on six islands. In this study, common and rare species were classified according to the frequency, and “new communities” (sub-communities) were formed by adding or removing species. Then the changes of species richness and community stability in the “new communities” were analyzed. A redundancy analysis was also used to explore the factors affecting the size of the species richness in the understory of the Pinus massoniana community. The results showed the following: (1) The distribution patterns of both shrub and herb layer species frequencies in this area were plainly to the right, indicating a large proportion of non-common species (common species accounting for 37.87% in the shrub layer and 16.67% in the herb layer). (2) The higher the frequency of species, the greater their contribution to the pattern of species richness. Common species had a high frequency and were the most important contributors to the patterns of species richness in plant communities (64 common species and 41 most common species in the shrub layer and 10 common species in the herb layer each accounted for 95.72, 88.9, and 90.52%, respectively, of the species richness distribution pattern). However, rare species also made significant contributions to the species richness in regions with hard conditions (the (most) rare species in the herb layer explained more than 70% of the species richness distribution pattern, and the remaining species after removing the (most) common species explained more than 90%). (3) In relatively stable communities, rare species had relatively little influence on the stability of the community, which was mostly governed by the dominant species (common species (10 species) were more stable than rare species (38 species), Exc.-rare species (22 species) were more stable than except-common species (50 species), and Exc.-rarest species (35 species) were more stable than Exc.-most common species (55 species) in the herb layer). In less stable communities, the stability of the community gradually increased with the increase in species richness, which may be associated with the growth habit of the increased species (the stability of the herb layer was higher than that of the shrub layer, as shown by the Euclidean distance). The community stability was determined by not only the dominant species in the community but also the rare species that were important contributors to the stability of the communities. (4) The species richness of the shrub layer was considerably influenced (p-value &lt; 0.05) by the soil pH, soil organic matter, and wind speed, whereas the species richness of the herb layer was significantly influenced (p-value &lt; 0.05) by the soil pH. The greater the pH and wind speed, the greater the species richness in the island community. On islands, the soil stability was maintained in large part by the soil organic matter. The lack of soil organic matter can affect soil nutrients, destroy island habitats, and reduce species richness, all of which are harmful to the community stabilization.

The influence of general knowledge test performance on self-ratings of and perceived relationships between intelligence, knowledge, and memory

The present study examined how taking a general knowledge (GK) test affects perceptions of one’s intelligence, memory, and knowledge and the relationship between these three constructs. Participants rated their abilities on each construct and the strength of the relationships between them before and after completing an easy or hard GK test or control task. In Experiment 1, participants were (mis)informed that GK questions were correctly answered by 50% of the population; in Experiment 2, no such information was provided. Regardless of (mis)information about others’ performance, participants in the Hard condition believed they had a worse memory, were less knowledgeable, and were less intelligent post-task. However, the strength of the perceived relationship between GK and intelligence decreased only when participants were misled. Judgments of one’s intelligence, memory, and knowledge can be manipulated by taking a GK test, and individuals engage in self-protective behavior to reduce the potential threat to one’s self-concept.

Students Engagement in Flipped Course through Motivational Design

This study investigates the impact of motivating design on participation in an flipped course, exercising primary sources similar as published literature, academic journals, and other applicable information. The exploration process commences with relating suitable sources through library exploration. foreign incitement gave pupils marks and instruments for course objects. natural provocation interventions created engaging and demanding course challenges. Both motivational design interventions bettered pupil engagement. still, natural provocation bettered pupil engagement further than foreign provocation, especially in delicate tasks. The exploration adds to the motivational design and flips classroom literature by showing that motivational design interventions increase pupil engagement in Indonesian seminaries. The results show that natural provocation treatments, which give interesting and hard conditioning, may be more successful at fostering engagement and provocation than foreign provocation development.

Sliding wear behaviour of austempered ductile iron, boron steel and AISI 1045 steel of similar hardness: effect of microstructure, yield strength, and strain hardening

ABSTRACT A study on dry sliding wear investigated four alloys: fully austenitized ADI (F-ADI), intercritically austenitized austempered ductile iron (I-ADI), hardened and tempered Boron steel (B-Steel), and hardened and tempered AISI 1045 steel (EN-Steel). Despite their similar hardness levels, these alloys differ in composition and microstructure. Testing was conducted using a Ball-On-Disc setup (ASTM G99-05) with a chrome steel ball, maintaining a constant sliding speed of 0.6 m/s and applying loads between 20 and 80 N. This study aimed to understand the influence of yield strength (σy ), strain hardening coefficient (n), and microstructure on sliding wear under uniform hardness conditions. The findings indicated a strong connection between sliding wear resistance, strain hardening coefficient, toughness, and yield strength. Wear mechanisms varied slightly among materials; F-ADI and I-ADI exhibited deformed layers with increased hardness and oxide formation, while B-Steel and EN-Steel showed micro-cutting and micro-ploughing. F-ADI's high-carbon austenite film and I-ADI's proeutectoid ferrite contributed to improved wear performance. The hardness of the deformation layer on FADI and I-ADI's worn surfaces highlighted the benefits of strain hardening in dry sliding wear.

Effect of Task Demands on Elementary Features in Vigilance

The current study sought to extend upon the findings of DeLucia et al. (2018), who observed a vigilance decrement when observers were asked to detect the presence of an elementary perceptual feature. A second, harder condition was introduced that asked participants to search for the absence of an elementary perceptual feature. Results indicated that correct detections and response time were worse in the feature-absence condition than in the feature-presence condition, and both conditions elicited progressively slower response times as the task progressed (i.e., a vigilance decrement). Eye-tracking data suggested that searching for feature-presence was more efficient than searching for feature-absence. These results echo those of DeLucia et al., indicating that elementary feature detection is not automatic and cannot protect fully against the vigilance decrement. Our results also suggest that display designs that task users with detecting elementary features can augment overall, average vigilance performance.

A deep learning framework for solving forward and inverse problems of power-law fluids

We for the first time leverage deep learning approaches to solve forward and inverse problems of two-dimensional laminar flows for power-law fluids. We propose a deep-learning framework, called Power-Law-Fluid-Net (PL-Net). We develop a surrogate model to solve the forward problems of the power-law fluids, and solve the inverse problems utilizing only a small set of measurement data under the assumption that boundary conditions (BCs) can be partially known. In the design of the methods, we incorporate the hard boundary condition constraints to accelerate the iteration of stochastic gradient descent methods for minimizing loss functions. For the forward problems, by incorporating the constitutive parameters into the input variables of neural networks, the PL-Net serves as a surrogate model for simulating the pressure-driven flows inside pipes having cross sections of varying shapes. We investigate the influences of the BC type, activation function type, and number of collocation points on the accuracy of numerical solutions. For the inverse problems, the PL-Net infers the physical quantities or constitutive parameters from a small number of measurements of flow field variables. The BCs of the inverse problems can even be partially known. We demonstrate the effects of BC type, number of sensors, and noise level on accuracy of inferred quantities. Computational examples indicate the high accuracy of the PL-Net in tackling both the forward and inverse problems of the power-law fluids.

Performance optimization of radiator engine parameters during hard conditions by control charts monitoring and evaluating

Recently, engine design and control systems have been developed using data-driven modeling techniques to specify the in-cylinder complicated combustion process. The cooling fan performance is highly influenced by several factors that are determined based on what is called (DOE) «design of experiments». These factors include blade tip clearance, pitch angle, distance from radiator. This work presents a method to improve a cooling fan performance of an engine by designing a Six Sigma technique using Control, Improve, Analyze, Measure, and Define (CIAMD). First, let’s assess the existing cooling fan performance and define its problem. Then, let’s specify the parameters that affect on fan performance to be optimized. Next, let’s conduct sensitivity analysis and evaluate manufacturing control of the developed cool Fan. The primary fan does not distribute air enough by the radiator to maintain the machine cool throughout hard circumstances. First, the work demonstrates how to develop an experiment to examine the influence of three performance elements: blade pitch angle, blade-tip clearance, and fan distance from the radiator. In order to improve the performance of the cooling fan, Box-Behnken design is adopted for testing quadratic (nonlinear) effects. It then indicates how to predict optimal quantities for every element, to produce a technique that makes airflows above the objective of 1486.6 m3/h when utilizing experimental measurements. Finally, it reveals how to operate simulations to confirm that this method creates airflow based on the specifications with more additional fans manufactured performance of 99.999 %. The results of S and X-bar control charts indicate that the manufacturing process is statistically under control

PLANNING ANALYSIS OF KALEDUPA PORT WHARF BY USING SAP2000 SOFTWARE

Kaledupa Port is a public port that serves a limited number of domestic sea transportation activities. With the growth of the tourism sector in Wakatobi Regency, especially at Kaledupa Island, the operational intensity of the Kaledupa port has also continued to increase. One of the efforts that can be made in the development of Kaledupa Port is to analyze the planning of the Kaledupa Port wharf for quality improvement and evaluation at the Kaledupa Port. This study aims to find out what kind of loads work on the wharf which can then be modeled for wharf planning in the SAP2000 software. Based on the planning analysis, the Kaledupa port wharf is planned to have a length of 82 m and a width of 10 m with a general cargo ship with a maximum weight of 1,000 DWT. The results of the wharf modeling in the SAP2000 software with steel piles with a diameter of 508 mm and a thickness of 14 mm with a carrying capacity is 86.31 tons and based on the carrying capacity of the soil at location BH-02 the soil carrying capacity is 158.88 tons at a depth of 23 m with hard soil or coral conditions.

Stability of Glass Ceramic Sealants in Atmospheres with Increased Water Contents

For Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), operating at temperatures above 800 °C, glass ceramic sealants are state of the art. The properties of the glass ceramics are adapted to the metallic and ceramic join partners, operation conditions, as also to the atmospheres: fuel gas and air. In SOFCs, glass ceramic sealants offer reliable, long term stable operation over several 10,000 hours of service. The demand to operate solid oxide cells (SOC) in fuel cell- as also in electrolysis cell mode increases the demands of the stability of the sealants against atmospheres. In the electrolysis mode, the SOC-stacks were impinged by gas with high water contents to produce H2. Water contents of up to 95 % and temperatures above 800 °C are hard conditions for all applied materials of SOC stacks. In addition, glass ceramic sealants have to electrical insulator under applied electric voltage. In the electrolysis mode, the applied voltage is even higher than in fuel cell mode. In conclusion, the electrolysis mode is much harsher as fuel cell mode and glass ceramic sealants have to be adapted to this. Glasses in the system BaO-CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-SiO2 with La2O3-additions have the potential to form glass ceramics with extraordinary high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)values, which are suitable for use as sealants compatible with Crofer 22 APU interconnect. Their characteristics have been generally described in various studies and are also in focus of our own work and have proven their suitability for use under SOFC operating conditions. However, achieving such high CTE values is especially challenging when these glasses must be designed for use in stacks operating with electrolyte supported cells because sealing and operating temperature are usually higher than in other stack designs. Their behavior under simulated electrolysis conditions together with a direct correlation of test by using these glasses as sealants in real stack designed to operate with electrolyte supported cells has not been investigated yet and presents the scope of this study.For this study, a series of glasses has been prepared as glass powders and characterized in terms of relevant thermophysical properties such as softening behavior, thermal expansion and formation of crystalline phases. La2O3-free sealing glasses established as standards for use in commercial stacks served as references and results of both groups of sealing glasses have been compared. The new La2O3-containing glasses showed CTE-values up 10.8 ppm K-1 at a glass transition temperature ranging between 640°C and 650°C for a partially crystallized microstructure. The softening and crystallization characteristics analyzed by hot stage microscopy and DSC/TGA allow sealing processes of stacks components in the temperature range between 900°C and 950°C. Helium-leakage rates of sealed sandwich type samples made of Crofer 22 APU showed values below 10-8 mbar l-1 s-1. From suitable glasses sandwich type sample sealings made of two Crofer 22 APU coupons have been prepared and exposed to a dual atmosphere in a special test rig under simulated electrolysis conditions at 850 °C with different electrical voltages applied across the sealants and a water content of 50 % in the steam atmosphere. In this out-of-stack environment, the resistance of the glass sealants can be recorded while being treated with high water atmosphere and electric voltage of up to 5 V at 850 °C. The development of resistance over 300 hours of aging show which glass composition fit to the conditions and which exhibit high degradation rates. Afterwards cross sections have been prepared and analyzed by SEM. Effects observed in the interfacial regions glass-Crofer 22 APU and glass-atmosphere have been correlated with the electrical measurements. A 30 layers stack was tested under typical SOEC conditions for approx. 3200 hours. Four different glass types were used and compared in terms of their degradation rate and the ASR value. The selection of the glasses was made according to their thermal expansion and softening behavior as well as their insulating properties.

Effects of different food hardness on cognitive inhibitory control function.

Mastication leads to an immediate enhancement in cognitive functions, including inhibitory control. Furthermore, the hardness of the food increases sympathetic nerve activity during and immediately after mastication. Hence, the cognitive function could be enhanced by increased sympathetic nerve activity. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of food hardness on cognitive inhibitory control function in humans. The participants were 23 healthy adults (19-22 years old). Experiments were conducted with two types of gummies (soft and hard). The participants ingested 13 g of gummies and performed a stop-signal task to measure cognitive inhibitory control function after they rested for 5 min. The reaction time for the stop-signal task after gummy consumption was significantly shorter in the hard gummy condition compared to the soft gummy condition (p < .05). Furthermore, the accuracy rate of the responses was also significantly higher in the hard gummy condition compared to the soft gummy condition (p < .05). The results of the present study suggest that food hardness enhances cognitive inhibitory control function in humans.