Satisfaction With Informal Volunteering During the COVID-19 Crisis: An Empirical Study Considering a Swiss Online Volunteering Platform

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a huge wave of compassion. In particular, online volunteering platforms established channeling help for high-risk groups. It is unclear under which conditions volunteers were satisfied with their COVID-19 volunteering mediated by these platforms and whether they will continue their engagement after the crisis. Therefore, and considering personal susceptibility to COVID-19 infection, this study analyzes the effects of different platform support for volunteers and the fulfillment of volunteers' motives. The study is based on an online survey of a sample of 565 volunteers who registered at and were placed by a Swiss online platform. Fulfillment of distinct volunteer motives and platform support drive COVID-19 volunteering satisfaction. Moreover, motive fulfillment and platform-related support indirectly impact willingness to volunteer long-term via volunteering satisfaction. Finally, the empirical results show that motive fulfillment and the effect of platform support are contingent on perceived susceptibility to infection

Consumer outrage: Emotional reactions to unethical corporate behavior ☆

Unethical corporate conduct frequently leads to public outrage, which in turn triggers detrimental consumer behavior, such as consumer boycotts. However, few studies examine the effects of unethical corporate behavior on consumer emotions. To address this gap, the present work develops and validates a model of consumer outrage. The analysis suggests that consumer outrage is a compound emotion that comprises affective and cognitive experiences. Moreover, the results indicate that consumer outrage is a major trigger of boycotting behavior and that gender affects the predictions of the outrage model. The paper provides implications for management and suggestions for further research

Antenna with optimized pattern for simultaneous reception of terrestrial signals and signals of geostationary satellites

The link margin for satellite communication services targeting mobile users is tight. This leads to reception problems in areas with strong fading scenarios like urban areas or forested areas with dense foliage. In order to avoid loss of service in urban areas with week coverage by satellite signals, terrestrial repeaters are used. Therefore in the design of antennas for mobile reception of satellite services, an optimized characteristics for the satellite constellation, as well as an adequate coverage of the terrestrial repeaters has to be accounted for. In this paper an antenna with optimum shaped pattern for the satellite mode and adjustable gain for vertical polarization is investigated. Beside constraints regarding the radiation pattern, measurements concerning the dependence of the antenna on noise temperature and therefore the behavior in real noisy environments are carried out. A comparison with a conventional antenna shows the high performance of the new antenna in combination with a very low volume requirement

The impact of preferences for clinical and managerial leadership roles on the willingness to apply for a medical leadership position : analysis of gender differences among a sample of German senior physicians

Background: The hybrid role (clinical and managerial leadership tasks) of physicians in medical leadership positions (MLPs) is a driver of the attractiveness of these positions. The increasing feminization of the medical profession makes gender-related preferences for hybrid roles relevant. Purpose: The current study uses the (EPL) career aspirations framework to analyze the (gender-related) effects that efficacy beliefs, motivations, and preferences for clinical leadership and managerial leadership have on the willingness of chief physicians to apply for an MLP. Methodology: A survey of senior physicians in German university hospitals yielded a sample size of N?=?496. The resulting data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Findings: The results confirm the low preference for MLPs among senior physicians, which is mainly affected by preferences for managerial leadership tasks. Female senior physicians perceive the position of an MLP to be less attractive than their male counterparts do, and female physicians’ willingness to apply for an MLP is concurrently driven by their preferences for clinical leadership and managerial leadership tasks. Practical implications: Mentoring programs could boost female senior physicians’ preparedness for MLPs. Further, flexibility in fulfilling managerial leadership tasks could be promoted to make MLPs more attractive to women

Asymmetrien eines Ethernet-Systems und deren Auswirkungen auf die Störaussendung im automobilen Umfeld

Seit Jahren ist ein Zuwachs von elektronischen Komponenten im Fahrzeug zu beobachten. Der Wunsch nach mehr Komfort und Sicherheit trägt hier maßgeblich dazu bei. Um den Anforderungen gerecht zu werden, sind schnelle Übertragungssysteme im Fahrzeug erforderlich, die die großen Datenmengen verteilen und verarbeiten können. Ein solches System ist zum Beispiel Ethernet, mit dem periphere Komponenten mit hohen Datenraten vernetzt werden können. Eine spezielle Variante für den automobilen Einsatz stellt dabei das OABR-Ethernet (Open-Alliance-BroadR-Reach) dar. Dieses Kommunikationssystem nutzt eine bidirektionale Übertragungstechnik um 100MBit/s über eine ungeschirmte Zweidrahtleitung (UTP) zu übertragen. Eine weitere Besonderheit ist die Begrenzung des Nutzsignalspektrums durch einen Tiefpassfilter auf ca. 70MHz. Dadurch wird das Risiko einer Störung im UKW-Bereich minimiert. Der Einsatz dieses schnellen Übertragungssystems im Fahrzeug stellt jedoch eine große Herausforderung an die Elektromagnetische-Verträglichkeit (EMV) dar. Bereits kleine Asymmetrien im Übertragungspfad führen dazu, dass ein Teil des Nutzsignals (Gegentaktsignal) durch Modenkonversion in ein Störsignal (Gleichtaktstörung) umgewandelt wird - nachfolgend Modenkonversion genannt. Diese Gleichtaktstörungen können über die UTP-Leitung abstrahlen und zu Grenzwertüberschreitungen bei Störaussendungsmessungen führen. Jede Komponente im Übertragungspfad trägt maßgeblich zur Modenkonversion und somit zur Störaussendung bei. Diese Arbeit soll eine Übersicht über die Modenkonversion der einzelnen Elemente der physikalischen OABR-Schnittstelle geben. Diese Elemente sind im Einzelnen der Tiefpassfilter (LPF), die Common-Mode-Choke (CMC), die differentiellen Mikrostreifenleitungen (DML) sowie die Platinen- und In-Line-Stecker

Concentration-dependent effects of resveratrol and metabolites on the redox status of human erythrocytes in single-dose studies

AbstractDietary trans-resveratrol (RES) is rapidly metabolized into sulfated and glucuronated conjugates in humans. This study focused on the in vitro determination of the antioxidant capacity of RES and its main physiological metabolites and on its relevance in vivo. In vitro, RES, RES-3-O-sulfate (R3S) and 3-O-glucuronide (R3G) showed antioxidant activities at a concentration of 1mM when compared to Trolox using an assay in which the antioxidant inhibits iron-induced linoleic acid oxidation: 0.87±0.08mM Trolox equivalents (TE) for RES, 0.52±0.01mM TE for R3S and 0.36±0.02mM TE for R3G. At a concentration of 1μM, compounds promoted linoleic acid peroxidation (RES −0.30±0.09mM TE, R3S −0.48±0.05mM TE and R3G −0.57±0.07mM TE). To elucidate whether these effects were reflected in vivo, total antioxidant capacity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), conjugated fatty acid dienes (CD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were determined in human plasma and erythrocytes over 24h, after oral intake of either 0.05g RES as piceid or 5g RES. Oral administration of RES did not show an impact on total antioxidant capacity, ROS or CD. However, enzymatic activities of ROS scavenging SOD and CAT were significantly lower after high-dose compared to low-dose administration of RES (P<.03 and P<.01). In conclusion, in healthy subjects, neither 0.05g nor 5g RES changed blood oxidative state, although our in vitro data point to a prooxidative activity of low concentrations of RES and its metabolites, which could be important in vivo for individuals with compromised antioxidant defense capacity

Captive gibbons (Hylobatidae) use different referential cues in an object-choice task: insights into lesser ape cognition and manual laterality

Background Utilization of visual referential cues by non-human primates is a subject of constant scientific interest. However, only few primate species, mostly great apes, have been studied thoroughly in that regard, rendering the understanding of phylogenetic influences on the underlying cognitive patterns difficult. Methods We tested six species of captive gibbons in an object-choice task (n = 11) for their ability to interpret two different pointing gestures, a combination of body orientation and gaze direction as well as glancing as referential cues. Hand preferences were tested in the object-choice task and in a bimanual tube task (n = 18). Results We found positive responses to all signals except for the glancing cue at the individual as well as at the group level. The gibbons’ success rates partially exceed results reported for great apes in comparable tests and appear to be similarly influenced by prior exposure to human communicative cues. Hand preferences exhibited by the gibbons in the object-choice task as well as in a bimanual tube task suggest that crested gibbons (Nomascus sp.) are strongly lateralized at individual but not at population level for tasks involving object manipulation. Discussion Based on the available data, it can be assumed that the cognitive foundations to utilize different visual cues essential to human communication are conserved in extant hominoids and can be traced back at least to the common ancestor of great and lesser apes. However, future studies have to further investigate how the social environment of gibbons influences their ability to exploit referential signals. Gibbons’ manual laterality patterns appear to differ in several aspects from the situation found in great apes. While not extensive enough to allow for general conclusions about the evolution of hand preferences in gibbons or apes in general, our results add to the expanding knowledge on manual lateralization in the Hylobatidae

Charakterisierung der Einflussfaktoren von einem Nahfeld Antennen Test

In der Automobilindustrie führt die Verwendung von immer hochbitratigeren Bus- und Kommunikationssystemen bei gleichzeitig steigender Packungsdichte der elektrischen Komponenten im Fahrzeug zu einer Nahfeldverkopplung von elektrischen Systemen. Um diese Verkopplung bereits auf der Komponenten- bzw. Systemebene abzusichern, wird ein Tischaufbau nach der Nahfeld-Antennen Testmethode (NFA-Test) konstruiert (firmeninterne Norm). In dieser Arbeit werden bestimmte geometrische Einflussfaktoren des Tischaufbaus auf die Messergebnisse der NFA-Messung untersucht. Die Messungen erfolgen mit einem vektoriellen Netzwerkanalysator (VNA). Für die Verifizierung der Messergebnisse wird eine 3D Simulation basierend auf der Momentenmethode (MoM) durchgeführt. Abschließend wird repräsentativ eine ermittelte Abhängigkeit mit Hilfe einer Emissionsmessung unter Anwendung eines Automotive Ethernet Steuergerätes für einen Anwendungsfall herangezogen. Diese Emissionsmessung wird mit einem Spektrumanalysator durchgeführt

Recharge Data Package for the Immobilized Low-Activity Waste 2001 Performance Assessment

Lockheed Martin Hanford Company (LMHC) is designing and assessing the performance of disposal facilities to receive radioactive wastes that are currently stored in single- and double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site. The preferred method of disposing of the portion that is classified as immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) is to vitrify the waste and place the product in near-surface, shallow-land burial facilities. The LMHC project to assess the performance of these disposal facilities is known as the Hanford ILAW Performance Assessment (PA) Activity, hereafter called the ILAW PA project. The goal of this project is to provide a reasonable expectation that the disposal of the waste is protective of the general public, groundwater resources, air resources, surface-water resources, and inadvertent intruders. Achieving this goal will require predictions of contaminant migration from the facility. To make such predictions will require estimates of the fluxes of water moving through the sediments within the vadose zone around and beneath the disposal facility. These fluxes, loosely called recharge rates, are the primary mechanism for transporting contaminants to the groundwater. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) assists LMHC in their performance assessment activities. One of the PNNL tasks is to provide estimates of recharge rates for current conditions and long-term scenarios involving the shallow-land disposal of ILAW. Specifically, recharge estimates are needed for a filly functional surface cover; the cover sideslope, and the immediately surrounding terrain. In addition, recharge estimates are needed for degraded cover conditions. The temporal scope of the analysis is 10,000 years, but could be longer if some contaminant peaks occur after 10,000 years. The elements of this report compose the Recharge Data Package, which provides estimates of recharge rates for the scenarios being considered in the 2001 PA. Table S.1 identifies the surface features and time periods evaluated. The most important feature, the surface cover, is expected to be the modified RCRA Subtitle C design. This design uses a 1-m-thick silt loam layer above sand and gravel filter layers to create a capillary break. A 0.15-m-thick asphalt layer underlies the filter layers to function as a backup barrier and to promote lateral drainage. Cover sideslopes are expected to be constructed with 1V:10H slopes using sandy gravel. The recharge estimates for each scenario were derived from lysimeter and tracer data collected by the ILAW PA and other projects and from modeling analyses

Stable isotope dilution assay for the accurate determination of mycotoxins in maize by UHPLC-MS/MS

A fast, easy-to-handle and cost-effective analytical method for 11 mycotoxins currently regulated in maize and other cereal-based food products in Europe was developed and validated for maize. The method is based on two extraction steps using different acidified acetonitrile–water mixtures. Separation is achieved using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) by a linear water–methanol gradient. After electrospray ionisation, tandem mass spectrometric detection is performed in dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode. Since accurate mass spectrometric quantification is hampered by matrix effects, uniformly [13C]-labelled mycotoxins for each of the 11 compounds were added to the sample extracts prior to UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. Method performance parameters were obtained by spiking blank maize samples with mycotoxins before as well as after extraction on six levels in triplicates. The twofold extraction led to total recoveries of the extraction steps between 97% and 111% for all target analytes, including fumonisins. The [13C]-labelled internal standards efficiently compensated all matrix effects in electrospray ionisation, leading to apparent recoveries between 88% and 105% with reasonable additional costs. The relative standard deviations of the whole method were between 4% and 11% for all analytes. The trueness of the method was verified by the measurement of several maize test materials with well-characterized concentrations. In conclusion, the developed method is capable of determining all regulated mycotoxins in maize and presuming similar matrix effects and extraction recovery also in other cereal-based foods