Social Zapping: Examining Predictors of Last-Minute Cancelations Among Community Members

Social zapping refers to the tendency to cancel plans or appointments shortly before they are supposed to take place in order to attend plans deemed “better” than the original (Müller et al., 2020). With the recent global pandemic occurring and forced isolation presenting as a consequence, the population more than ever has turned to technology to keep up with their relationships (Pennington, 2021). Because of this, social zapping has become increasingly prevalent. Although there is clear need to assess social zapping, few empirical studies have been conducted regarding the predictors and implications of social zapping (Müller et al., 2020; 2021). The present study sought to examine potential predictors of social zapping, including behavioral traits such as the four fundamental needs (belongingness, self-esteem, sense of control, and meaningful existence). Furthermore, the present study sought to determine if the four fundamental needs were predictors of social zapping in individuals aged 40-75 years old. Data utilized for the present study was collected in 2021. The present study found that belongingness and self-esteem significantly predicted social zapping tendencies with belongingness being the strongest predictor. The present study also found that older adults have a significant, more positive relationship with self-esteem, sense of control, and meaningful existence than individuals aged 39 and younger. The population of young adults (aged 18-39) were found to have stronger, more positive relationships with belongingness. Social zapping was found to be nonsignificant for both older adults and younger adults. The current study additionally found social desirability to be a significant predictor of self-esteem and meaningful existence. Overall, the present study builds on what is currently a new phenomenon in research and will provide new information on the relationship between age, social zapping, and behavioral traits such as the four fundamental needs

Thermal Infrared Observations of Asteroid (99942) Apophis with Herschel

The near-Earth asteroid (99942) Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid. We obtained far-infrared observations of this asteroid with the Herschel Space Observatory's PACS instrument at 70, 100, and 160 micron. These were taken at two epochs in January and March 2013 during a close Earth encounter. These first thermal measurements of Apophis were taken at similar phase angles before and after opposition. We performed a detailed thermophysical model analysis by using the spin and shape model recently derived from applying a 2-period Fourier series method to a large sample of well-calibrated photometric observations. We find that the tumbling asteroid Apophis has an elongated shape with a mean diameter of 375$^{+14}_{-10}$ m (of an equal volume sphere) and a geometric V-band albedo of 0.30$^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$. We find a thermal inertia in the range 250-800 Jm$^{-2}$s$^{-0.5}$K$^{-1}$ (best solution at 600 Jm$^{-2}$s$^{-0.5}$K$^{-1}$), which can be explained by a mixture of low conductivity fine regolith with larger rocks and boulders of high thermal inertia on the surface. The thermal inertia, and other similarities with (25143) Itokawa indicate that Apophis might also have a rubble-pile structure. If we combine the new size value with the assumption of an Itokawa-like density and porosity we estimate a mass between 4.4 and 6.2 10$^{10}$ kg which is more than 2-3 times larger than previous estimates. We expect that the newly derived properties will influence impact scenario studies and influence the long-term orbit predictions of Apophis.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 21 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Development of glycinergic innervation to the murine LSO and SPN in the presence and absence of the MNTB

Neurons in the superior olivary complex (SOC) integrate excitatory and inhibitory inputs to localize sounds in space. The majority of these inhibitory inputs have been thought to arise within the SOC from the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). However, recent work demonstrates that glycinergic innervation of the SOC persists in Egr2; En1CKO mice that lack MNTB neurons, suggesting that there are other sources of this innervation (Jalabi et al., 2013). To study the development of MNTB- and non-MNTB-derived glycinergic SOC innervation, we compared immunostaining patterns of glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2) at several postnatal ages in control and Egr2; En1CKO mice. GlyT2 immunostaining was present at birth (P0) in controls and reached adult levels by P7 in the superior paraolivary nucleus (SPN) and by P12 in the lateral superior olive (LSO). In Egr2; En1CKO mice, glycinergic innervation of the LSO developed at a similar rate but was delayed by one week in the SPN. Conversely, consistent reductions in the number of GlyT2+ boutons located on LSO somata were seen at all ages in Egr2; En1CKO mice, while these numbers reached control levels in the SPN by adulthood. Dendritic localization of GlyT2+ boutons was unaltered in both the LSO and SPN of adult Egr2; En1CKO mice. On the postsynaptic side, adult Egr2; En1CKO mice had reduced glycine receptor α (GlyRα1) expression in the LSO but normal levels in the SPN. GlyRα2 was not expressed by LSO or SPN neurons in either genotype. These findings contribute important information for understanding the development of MNTB- and non-MNTB-derived glycinergic pathways to the mouse SOC

Physical Properties of OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 derived from Herschel, ESO-VISIR and Spitzer observations

In September 2011, the Herschel Space Observatory performed an observation campaign with the PACS photometer observing the asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 in the far infrared. The Herschel observations were analysed, together with ESO VLT-VISIR and Spitzer-IRS data, by means of a thermophysical model in order to derive the physical properties of 1999 RQ36. We find the asteroid has an effective diameter in the range 480 to 511 m, a slightly elongated shape with a semi-major axis ratio of a/b=1.04, a geometric albedo of 0.045 +0.015/-0.012, and a retrograde rotation with a spin vector between -70 and -90 deg ecliptic latitude. The thermal emission at wavelengths below 12 micron -originating in the hot sub-solar region- shows that there may be large variations in roughness on the surface along the equatorial zone of 1999 RQ36, but further measurements are required for final proof. We determine that the asteroid has a disk-averaged thermal inertia of Gamma = 650 Jm-2s-0.5K-1 with a 3-sigma confidence range of 350 to 950 Jm-2s-0.5K-1, equivalent to what is observed for 25143 Itokawa and suggestive that 1999 RQ36 has a similar surface texture and may also be a rubble-pile in nature. The low albedo indicates that 1999 RQ36 very likely contains primitive volatile-rich material, consistent with its spectral type, and that it is an ideal target for the OSIRIS-REx sample return mission.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 9 pages, 7 figure

A New Bi-Functional Derivative of Polyethylene Glycol as Molecular Carrier for Eugenol and Ibuprofen

Eugenol (EU) and ibuprofene (IBU) were covalently bound to a bi-functionalized PEG, used as molecular carrier of drugs and the release kinetics of the two bioactive molecules was studied in vitro in buffer solution at pH 7.4, in simulated gastric fluid and in mouse plasma. The hydrolysis studies showed a specific cleavage dependent on the pH of the medium and by the presence of proteolytic enzymes in mouse plasma. Studies in vitro on the release of the parent drug from this double prodrug in various media, indicate that the adduct may be sufficiently stable to pass intact the gastrointestinal tract and release into the circulation EU and IBU. Many advantages may be achieved by the synthesis of the prodrug EU-PEG-IBU related to synergistic analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, to the reduction of the adverse reactions and the improvement of the chemical-physical properties of the parent drugs

Mycochemical study of polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Cortinarius caperatus (Gypsy mushroom)

Among basidiomycete molecules, cell wall polysaccharides have been recognized as a major class of bioactive constituents. [1] They are safe molecules and they have a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as immunostimulatory and antioxidant, therefore they possess a prominent role in health benefits coming from mushroom consumption. These properties make mushroom polysaccharides potential candidates for nutraceutical applications and bioactive ingredients production. [2] Fractionation of the hot aqueous extract of Cortinarius caperatus led to isolation of two fractions characterized by spectroscopic analyses (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, DQCOSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC and HMQC), mass spectrometry (EI-MS, ESI-MS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), chemical reactions of hydrolysis and derivatization followed by GC and HPLC analyses. [3] This mycochemical study revealed a water-soluble fraction characterized as a \u3b2-(1\uf0e06)-D-glucan, whose presence inside C. caperatus has never, to the best of our knowledge, been reported before. Moreover, a water insoluble fraction purified has been characterized as a branched \uf061, (1\u21926) glucan which structure is assumed to be: [\u21926)-\u3b2-D-Glcp(1\u21926)]4-\u3b1-D-Glcp(1\u21924)-\u3b2-D-Glcp(1\u2192 6 \u2191 1 \u3b1-D-Glcp The antioxidant activity of the soluble polysaccharide fraction has been evaluated as radical-scavenging activity with the DPPH test, the \u3b2-(1\uf0e06)-D-glucan showed significative antioxidant activity

Magnetic versus crystal field linear dichroism in NiO thin films

We have detected strong dichroism in the Ni $L_{2,3}$ x-ray absorption spectra of monolayer NiO films. The dichroic signal appears to be very similar to the magnetic linear dichroism observed for thicker antiferromagnetic NiO films. A detailed experimental and theoretical analysis reveals, however, that the dichroism is caused by crystal field effects in the monolayer films, which is a non trivial effect because the high spin Ni $3d^{8}$ ground state is not split by low symmetry crystal fields. We present a practical experimental method for identifying the independent magnetic and crystal field contributions to the linear dichroic signal in spectra of NiO films with arbitrary thicknesses and lattice strains. Our findings are also directly relevant for high spin $3d^{5}$ and $3d^{3}$ systems such as LaFeO$_{3}$, Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$, VO, LaCrO$_{3}$, Cr$_{2}$O$_{3}$, and Mn$^{4+}$ manganate thin films

A Compact Solid State Detector for Small Angle Particle Tracking

MIDAS (MIcrostrip Detector Array System) is a compact silicon tracking telescope for charged particles emitted at small angles in intermediate energy photonuclear reactions. It was realized to increase the angular acceptance of the DAPHNE detector and used in an experimental program to check the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule at the Mainz electron microtron, MAMI. MIDAS provides a trigger for charged hadrons, p/pi identification and particle tracking in the region 7 deg < theta < 16 deg. In this paper we present the main characteristics of MIDAS and its measured performances.Comment: 13 pages (9 figures). Submitted to NIM

Physical Properties of Asteroid (308635) 2005 YU55 derived from multi-instrument infrared observations during a very close Earth-Approach

The near-Earth asteroid (308635) 2005 YU55 is a potentially hazardous asteroid which was discovered in 2005 and passed Earth on November 8th 2011 at 0.85 lunar distances. This was the closest known approach by an asteroid of several hundred metre diameter since 1976 when a similar size object passed at 0.5 lunar distances. We observed 2005 YU55 from ground with a recently developed mid-IR camera (miniTAO/MAX38) in N- and Q-band and with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) at 1.3 mm. In addition, we obtained space observations with Herschel/PACS at 70, 100, and 160 micron. Our thermal measurements cover a wide range of wavelengths from 8.9 micron to 1.3 mm and were taken after opposition at phase angles between -97 deg and -18 deg. We performed a radiometric analysis via a thermophysical model and combined our derived properties with results from radar, adaptive optics, lightcurve observations, speckle and auxiliary thermal data. We find that (308635) 2005 YU55 has an almost spherical shape with an effective diameter of 300 to 312 m and a geometric albedo pV of 0.055 to 0.075. Its spin-axis is oriented towards celestial directions (lam_ecl, beta_ecl) = (60 deg +/- 30deg, -60 deg +/- 15 deg), which means it has a retrograde sense of rotation. The analysis of all available data combined revealed a discrepancy with the radar-derived size. Our radiometric analysis of the thermal data together with the problem to find a unique rotation period might be connected to a non-principal axis rotation. A low to intermediate level of surface roughness (r.m.s. of surface slopes in the range 0.1 - 0.3) is required to explain the available thermal measurements. We found a thermal inertia in the range 350-800 Jm^-2s^-0.5K^-1, very similar to the rubble-pile asteroid (25143) Itokawa and indicating a mixture of low conductivity fine regolith with larger rocks and boulders of high thermal inertia on the surface.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 12 pages, 10 figure

Short-term effects of focal muscle vibration on motor recovery after acute stroke: a pilot randomized sham-controlled study

Repetitive focal muscle vibration (rMV) is known to promote neural plasticity and long-lasting motor recovery in chronic stroke patients. Those structural and functional changes within the motor network underlying motor recovery occur in the very first hours after stroke. Nonetheless, to our knowledge, no rMV-based studies have been carried out in acute stroke patients so far, and the clinical benefit of rMV in this phase of stroke is yet to be determined. The aim of this randomized double-blind sham-controlled study is to investigate the short-term effect of rMV on motor recovery in acute stroke patients. Out of 22 acute stroke patients, 10 were treated with the rMV (vibration group–VG), while 12 underwent the sham treatment (control group–CG). Both treatments were carried out for 3 consecutive days, starting within 72 h of stroke onset; each daily session consisted of three 10-min treatments (for each treated limb), interspersed with a 1-min interval. rMV was delivered using a specific device (Cro®System, NEMOCO srl, Italy). The transducer was applied perpendicular to the target muscle's belly, near its distal tendon insertion, generating a 0.2–0.5 mm peak-to-peak sinusoidal displacement at a frequency of 100 Hz. All participants also underwent a daily standard rehabilitation program. The study protocol underwent local ethics committee approval (ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03697525) and written informed consent was obtained from all of the participants. With regard to the different pre-treatment clinical statuses, VG patients showed significant clinical improvement with respect to CG-treated patients among the NIHSS (p &lt; 0.001), Fugl-Meyer (p = 0.001), and Motricity Index (p &lt; 0.001) scores. In addition, when the upper and lower limb scales scores were compared between the two groups, VG patients were found to have a better clinical improvement at all the clinical end points. This study provides the first evidence that rMV is able to improve the motor outcome in a cohort of acute stroke patients, regardless of the pretreatment clinical status. Being a safe and well-tolerated intervention, which is easy to perform at the bedside, rMV may represent a valid complementary non-pharmacological therapy to promote motor recovery in acute stroke patients