Plant respirometer enables high resolution of oxygen consumption rates

Plant respirometer permits high resolution of relatively small changes in the rate of oxygen consumed by plant organisms undergoing oxidative metabolism in a nonphotosynthetic state. The two stage supply and monitoring system operates by a differential pressure transducer and provides a calibrated output by digital or analog signals

A study of psychrophilic organisms isolated from the manufacture and assembly areas of spacecraft to be used in the Viking mission

The effect of storage of dry heat treated Teflon ribbons under nitrogen gas followed by high vacuum on the recovery of hardy organisms from the ribbons was studied. A similar experiment was performed on spore crops of hardy organisms recovered previously from Cape Canaveral. Hardy organisms have been inoculated onto slides and subjected to an artificial Martian environment in an attempt to demonstrate their growth in this environment. Additional experiments using the artificial Martian environment include response of soil samples from the VAB with both constant temperature and freeze-thaw cycles. These experiments were performed with dried soil and soil containing added water. Other investigations included the effect of heatshock on soil samples, psychrophilic counts of new soil samples from the manufacture area of the Viking spacecraft, effect of pour plate versus spread plate on psychrophilic counts, and preparation of spore crops of hardy organisms from Cape Canaveral

Response of selected microoganisms to experimental planetary environments

A microbial population profile of mixed Cape Canaveral soil samples is presented. During this investigation a few organisms were isolated which exhibit the ability to grow at 3 C, 32 C, and 55 C. Growth curves are shown for three of these isolates, one of which grows extremely well at all three temperatures. Also included are studies dealing with growth of soil populations at zero and subzero temperatures. Results indicate growth at 0 C and -5 C, but not at 15 C or -65 C. The effect of storage temperature on dry soil is presented, and results show that psychrophilic populations decrease when soil is stored at room temperature, but do not decrease when soil is stored at -65 C. Results of an experiment with the simulated Martian environment are presented and indicate that nonsporeforming rods, sporeforming rods, and cocci can reproduce in the simulated environment when nutrients and moisture are supplied. The sporeforming rods are the predominant suvivors when dry soil is subjected to this environment

A study of psychrophilic organisms isolated from the manufacture and assembly areas of spacecraft to be used in the Viking mission

The ability of psychrophilic microorganisms to grow in some of the environmental conditions suggested for Mars is studied with particular attention given to the effects of moisture and nutrients on growth. Results of growth with the slide culture technique are presented and indicate that this technique can be a rapid and sensitive technique for demonstration of microbial growth under various environmental conditions. Additional soil samples have been obtained from Cape Kennedy, and results of these assays at various low temperatures for psychrophilic populations are presented. The heat resistance of some of the psychrophilic sporeformers have been determined. Psychrophilic organisms were isolated from the teflon ribbons at Cape Kennedy and characterization of these was begun. In addition, heat survivors from the teflon ribbons are being investigated, and partial characterizations of these are presented

Response of Selected Microorganisms to Experimental Planetary Environments

Results of studies in anaerobic phosphorus metabolism are presented. Specific topics discussed include: (1) anaerobic utilization of PH3; (2) reduction of phosphate or phosphite; (3) isolation of organisms which utilize phosphite or phosphate anaerobically as a final hydrogen acceptor; and (4) the toxicity of PH3 to the organisms. Techniques of anaerobic microbiology associated with space hardware were also studied. These include: (1) the Brewer anaerobe jar/GasPak system; (2) a new procedure to grow aerobes and anaerobes simultaneously; (3) a culture medium to differentiate oblagate from facultative anaerobes; and (4) a procedure to quantitate O2 sensitivity of anaerobes

Magnetomotive metal working device Patent

Portable magnetomotive hammer for metal workin

Dispositional Hardiness and Women’s Well-Being Relating to Gender Discrimination: The Role of Minimization

Three studies examined whether personality-based hardiness would be associated with mental health benefits in contexts of gender discrimination. Hardy women encountering both a laboratory simulation and a hypothetical scenario of discrimination showed greater self-esteem and less negative affect than low hardy women. However, these benefits were mediated by the use of specific attributions, suggesting that the well-being in hardy women may have been achieved through minimizing the pervasiveness of discrimination. Study three showed this mediation pattern occurred only for participants exposed to higher threat scenarios versus lower threat scenarios of discrimination. Thus, minimizing the pervasiveness of discrimination may have been a threat-reducing tool for high hardy women. Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory was used as a possible explanation for this finding

Employers' policies for third age employment – the case for action and the rational for reaction

This paper reports on findings from a study which explores employers’ perceptions of the careers of those in third age employment and the extent to which these organisations have in place policies and practices to manage older worker careers. Drawing on interviews with UK HR managers and advisory bodies, the study finds that there was an absence of formal policies which addressed the career needs of older works despite employers being aware of the issue associated with an aging workforce. Instead employers responded to career related requests from older workers on an ad hoc basis as they felt that specific policies for this group of people would potentially create legal issues for the organisation. Employers also believed that the aged workforce had little impact on their business and as a result did not engage in collective dialogue with older workers about their requirements and instead made assumptions about their career needs