Studies on vaginal malodor

Archiv für Gynäkologie 1978, Volume 225, Issue 2, pp 77-89

Milos Chvapil, Thomas Chvapil, Cleamond Eskelson

Division of Surgical Biology, Department of Surgery, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, 85724, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Summary

Various factors contribute to the formation of malodor in intravaginal collagen sponges (CS) worn for several days by sexually active persons. To study this problem we developed an in vitro model: CS was infiltrated with semen and incubated at various pH's or in the presence of various drugs, at 37° and 95% O2-5% CO2 in humid atmosphere. The odor was measured by subjective olfactometry as well as quantitated and characterized by gas liquid chromatography. Based on previous findings concerning the disappearance of polyamines from the semen in sponges with malodor and present detection of maximal malodor formation at pH 7.4 and absence of malodor with heat-inactivated semen we propose that malodor forms through the enzymatic oxidation of polyamines or diamines possibly by diamine oxidase (DAO) of the semen. Direct assay of DAO showed that all factors inhibiting or stimulating the malodor affected the activity of DAO in the same direction. Thus, while copper ions were stimulatory to odor and DAO activity, zinc ions, acid environment (3.4 pH), exogenous spermine administration, isoproniazid and pargyline, both known inhibitors of MAO's and DAO's, reduced malodor and DAO activity.

We found that more intensive malodor developed in sponges made of polyurethane, cellulose or spongin (sea sponge) than of collagen.

Whole semen caused greater malodor formation than prostatic fluid and seminal plasma. Both washed spermatozoa and vaginal secretion did not induce any subjectively detectable offensive odor in sponges. Addition of a mixture of nonpathogenic microorganisms to the semen did not enhance the formation of subjectively detectable malodor. GLC showed characteristic differences between volatile compounds formed by ejaculate and bacteria. While most of the malodor formed by the semen-CS system was enzymatically related, some evidence indicates a portion of malodor to be nonenzymatic process.

It is concluded that the most feasible method preventing the semen related vaginal malodor is to keep the CS acidic (pH 5) and to impregnate sponges with low concentrations of zinc sulfate (40 mg/sponge), unless the sponge is removed 24 h after the intercourse, washed and reinserted.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00670844

Anti Hijacking System For Aircraft

United States Patent 3,811,643
Pizzo
May 21, 1974

Pizzo; Gustano A.
Jackson Heights, NY

Abstract

An anti hijacking system for an airplane to be operated during flight. A partition or barrier located immediately aft of the pilots cabin is adapted to be raised dividing the aft section longitudinally into port and starboard areas, the floors of which are dropped on command to lower the hijacker into a capsule in the belly of the plane. The capsule is releasable through opened bomb bay doors having attached thereto a parachute for safely returning the hijacker within the capsule to earth.

Claims

1. An aircraft having a fuselage comprising a belly separated from a pilots cabin, a passengers section and an enclosed area intermediate thereof by a deck, a partition normally disposed in the belly of said aircraft and means for raising said partition into said area for effectively sealing off any person positioned in one of the zones defined by said partition and the fuselage of the aircraft, means for gaining access to the pilot's cabin and the passenger section from either zone when said partition is raised, the deck of each zone comprising hinged sections adapted to pivot from edge abutting position to a position directed to the belly of the aircraft, means for operating said hinged sections, a capsule separate from the aircraft fuselage disposed under each zone, a bomb-bay door under each zone with a capsule supported over each door, means for controlling each door for selectively jettisoning one of said capsules from the aircraft, a parachute being attached to each capsule and means being provided for automatically opening the chutes when a capsule is released through one of said doors.

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=3811643.PN.&OS=PN/3811643&RS=PN/3811643

Behavior of young children under conditions simulating entrapment in refrigerators

Pediatrics
Vol. 22 No. 4 October 1, 1958
pp. 628 -647

Katherine Bain, Marion L. Faegre, Robert S. Wyly

Children's Bureau, U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (K.B.), and National Bureau of Standards, U. S. Department of Commerce

Abstract

Behavior of young children in a situation simulating entrapment in refrigerators was studied in order to develop standards for inside releasing devices, in accordance with Public Law 930 of the 84th Congress.

Using a specially designed enclosure, 201 children 2 to 5 years of age took part in tests in which six devices were used, including two developed in the course of this experiment as the result of observation of behavior.

Success in escaping was dependent on the device, a child's age and size and his behavior. It was also influenced by the educational level of the parents, a higher rate of success being associated with fewer years of education attained by mother and father combined. Three major types of behavior were observed: (1) inaction, with no effort or only slight effort to get out (24%); (2) purposeful effort to escape (39%); (3) violent action both directed toward escape and undirected (37%).

Some of the children made no outcry (6% of the 2-year-olds and 50% of the 5-year-olds). Not all children pushed. When tested with devices where pushing was appropriate, 61% used this technique. Some children had curious twisting and twining movements of the fingers or clenching of the hands. When presented with a gadget that could be grasped, some (18%) pulled, a few (9%) pushed, but 40% tried to turn it like a doorknob.

Time of confinement in the enclosure was short for most children. Three-fourths released themselves or were released in less than 3 minutes; one-fourth in less than 10 seconds. Of those who let themselves out, one-half did so in less than 10 seconds. One-third of the children emerged unruffled, about half were upset but could be comforted easily, and a small group (11%) required some help to become calm.

Forces exerted in any horizontal direction by the children for whom such records were obtained ranged up to 29 pounds. The average was about 10 pounds for 3-year-olds and about 21 pounds for 5-year-olds. For reasons not known, the 2-year-old group exerted a slightly greater average force than did the 3-year-old group.

More than one-fourth of the children exerted in excess of 18 pounds and almost two-thirds in excess of 12 pounds.

Data from these experiments proved valuable in developing standards for release devices (as required by Public Law 930), which are expected to be effective for self-release by a large percentage of, but not all, entrapped children. An important result of the behavior study was the finding that, when entrapped, children most often try to escape either by pushing on the door through which they entered the enclosure, or by manipulating a knob release as they would a doorknob. Relatively few children pushed against the back, sides or ceiling of the enclosure.

A follow-up study of 96 test subjects, 8 months after the tests, by interviews with the mothers showed very little obvious residual effect. Reversion to infantile behavior was not found. A number of children still talked about the tests, some with pleasure, a few with resentment. Mothers were not aware of more than ephemeral emotional upset in any of the children.

Reasons for the low level of anxiety engendered by the tests may lie in the precautions taken and in factors inherent in the situation; the parents were not involved in the incident, which enabled them to be calm and casual with the children.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/22/4/628

On the Comparative Palatability of Some Dry-Season Tadpoles from Costa Rica

American Midland Naturalist
Vol. 86, No. 1 (Jul., 1971), pp. 101-109
Published by: The University of Notre Dame

Richard Wassersug
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
University of California
Berkeley 94720

Abstract:

Tadpoles of eight species of frog were tasted in a standardized procedure by 11 volunteers. The tadpoles were rated in their palatability from "tastes good" to "highly unpalatable." It is suggested that palatability in tadpoles may correlate inversely with vulnerability.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2423690