Shock absorbing support and restraint means Patent

Shock absorbing couch for body support under high acceleration or deceleration force

Social factors influencing Russian male alcohol use over the life course: a qualitative study investigating age based social norms, masculinity, and workplace context

The massive fluctuations occurring in Russian alcohol-related mortality since the mid-1980s cannot be seen outside of the context of great social and economic change. There is a dearth of qualitative studies about Russian male drinking and especially needed are those that address social processes and individual changes in drinking. Conducted as part of a longitudinal study on men’s alcohol consumption in Izhevsk, this qualitative study uses 25 semi-structured biographical interviews with men aged 33–60 years to explore life course variation in drinking. The dominant pattern was decreasing binge and frequent drinking as men reached middle age which was precipitated by family building, reductions in drinking with work colleagues, and health concerns. A minority of men described chaotic drinking histories with periods of abstinence and heavy drinking. The results highlight the importance of the blue-collar work environment for conditioning male heavy drinking in young adulthood through a variety of social, normative and structural mechanisms. Post-Soviet changes had a structural influence on the propensity for workplace drinking but the important social function of male drinking sessions remained. Bonding with workmates through heavy drinking was seen as an unavoidable and essential part of young men’s social life. With age peer pressure to drink decreased and the need to perform the role of responsible breadwinner put different behavioural demands on men. For some resisting social pressure to drink became an important site of self-determination and a mark of masculine maturity. Over the lifetime the place where masculine identity was asserted shifted from the workplace to the home, which commonly resulted in a reduction in drinking. We contribute to existing theories of Russian male drinking by showing that the performance of age-related social roles influences Russian men’s drinking patterns, drinking contexts and their attitudes. Further research should be conducted investigating drinking trajectories in Russian men

Surface Properties of Bamboo and Scots Pine Impregnated With Boron and Copper Based Wood Preservatives After Accelerated Weathering

WOS: 000396793400003In this study, we investigated the color, gloss and surface roughness of bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) samples impregnated with boron and copper based preservatives during accelerated weathering from 168 h to 672 h. Tanalith-E, ACQ, wolmanit-CB were used as copper-based chemicals, while a mixture of boric acid and borax (7:3; w/w) was used as the boron compound. Results showed that retention values of bamboo samples were lower than the retention values of Scots pine samples probably due to the bamboo's anatomical structure and penetration characteristic. Bamboo surfaces became rougher and darker after impregnation and accelerated weathering compared to initial surfaces. Longer accelerated weathering periods seemed to have not a considerable effect on surface roughness of bamboo samples impregnated with copper based preservatives. Gloss of impregnated Scots pine samples increased with longer accelerated weathering period while gloss of bamboo samples decreased slightly with longer accelerated weathering period. Wolmanit-CB seemed to be most effective wood preservative for hindering color change and ensuring smooth surfaces after accelerated weathering. Color changes caused by accelerated weathering tended to be greater for impregnated bamboo samples than impregnated Scots pine samples

Changes in surface and mechanical properties of heat treated wood during natural weathering

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the changes in moisture content, color, surface roughness, compression strength parallel to grain, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of heat treated ash, iroko, Scots pine and spruce wood species during natural weathering for two years. Samples were removed at 6-month intervals for performance evaluation, and test results were compared with the controls. Moisture content of heat treated samples was found to be lower than that of control samples for all exposure periods. Heat treatment significantly changed original wood color as well as weathering factors. Wood surfaces become rougher within longer weathering exposure period. Natural weathering factors caused a decrease for all strength properties. Reduction rate for strength properties of heat treated samples was relatively lower than that of control samples. Heat treatment also seemed to improve color stability and surface quality of samples after weathering