When news topics annoy - exploring issue fatigue and subsequent information avoidance and extended coping strategies

This paper scrutinizes the phenomenon of issue fatigue and its consequences. Issue fatigue results from overexposure to a news topic that has been on the media’s agenda for an extended period of time. Fatigued recipients become annoyed, and no longer wish to be exposed to the topic. Based on the findings of an explorative qualitative study, a quantitative online survey was conducted in Germany, Mexico, and Pakistan (N = 481). Using cluster analysis, we identified an emotional and a cognitive type of issue fatigue, and investigated how these types react. Both types of fatigued recipients avoided further news about the respective issue in traditional news media (= information avoidance). Differences were observed concerning the strategies to handle fatigue (= coping strategies): recipients of the emotional type posted about their fatigue in social media; recipients of the cognitive type turned to information in sources other than the mainstream news. Taking into account country-specific differences, we concluded that, generally, issue fatigue - via information avoidance - results in an uninformed citizenry. This can be a hurdle for the functioning of an established democracy or for the success of democratic transitions. Posting about issue fatigue, which was more frequent in Mexico and Pakistan, might ‘infect’ others, and intensify problems resulting from issue fatigue. Turning to alternative sources can be either beneficial or problematic for the development of a well-informed citizenry, depending on whether alternative sources provide reliable and truthful informatio

Fünf Tage ohne Smartphone: Smartphonenutzung und subjektives Wohlbefinden: ein Vergleich zwischen normaler Nutzung und Verzicht

The study examined the association between smartphone use and subjective well-being by comparing regular use with a deprivation condition. Subjective well-being is defined by cognitive and affective components. Regular smartphone use is studied in various situations and for different functions. Data were collected in a prolonged qualitative quasi-experimental deprivation study (n = 11) using diaries (n = 210 diary entries) and follow-up interviews (n = 11). Participants kept diaries for 10 days: five days during normal smartphone use and five days during deprivation. Afterwards, we compared well-being during normal use and deprivation. Results show that using the smartphone for infotainment was clearly associated with pleasant emotions, while social interaction apps caused both negative and positive emotions. However, results from the deprivation part of the study indicate that in sum, satisfaction with social relations clearly worsened when not using a smartphone. Moreover, participants had difficulty managing daily life. Taken together, non-usage seems to cause isolation and low subjective well-being.Die vorliegende Studie untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen Smartphone-Nutzung und subjektivem Wohlbefinden. In einer qualitativen, quasi-experimentellen Verzichtsstudie (n = 11) wurde das Wohlbefinden (erhoben durch kognitive und affektive Indikatoren) während regulärer Smartphone-Nutzung sowie während eines Smartphone-Verzichts gemessen und verglichen. Nutzungssituationen und Funktionen operationalisieren die Smartphone-Nutzung, in der Verzichtsphase wurde nach gewünschten Situationen und gewünschten Funktionen gefragt. Smartphone-Nutzende führten während fünf Tagen regulärer Nutzung und weiteren fünf Tagen Verzicht Tagebücher (n = 210) und wurden unmittelbar im Anschluss in qualitativen Interviews (n = 11) befragt. Die Ergebnisse aus der regulären Nutzungsphase zeigen, dass die Nutzung des Smartphones für Infotainment eindeutig mit angenehmen Emotionen verbunden war, während Apps zur sozialen Interaktion sowohl negative als auch positive Emotionen auslösten. In der Verzichtsphase hingegen verschlechterte sich die Zufriedenheit mit den sozialen Beziehungen insgesamt deutlich. Darüber hinaus hatten die Teilnehmenden Schwierigkeiten, dastägliche Leben zu bewältigen. Insgesamt führte die Nicht-Nutzung zu verstärkter Isolation und zu einem geringen subjektiven Wohlbefinden

Decreased deposition and increased swelling of cell walls contribute to increased cracking susceptibility of developing sweet cherry fruit

Main conclusion: During fruit development, cell wall deposition rate decreases and cell wall swelling increases. The cell wall swelling pressure is very low relative to the fruit’s highly negative osmotic potential. Abstract: Rain cracking of sweet cherry fruit is preceded by the swelling of the cell walls. Cell wall swelling decreases both the cell: cell adhesion and the cell wall fracture force. Rain cracking susceptibility increases during fruit development. The objectives were to relate developmental changes in cell wall swelling to compositional changes taking place in the cell wall. During fruit development, total mass of cell wall, of pectins and of hemicelluloses increases, but total mass of cellulose remains constant. The mass of these cell wall fractions increases at a lower rate than the fruit fresh mass—particularly during stage II and early stage III. During stage III, on a whole-fruit basis, the HCl-soluble pectin fraction, followed by the water-soluble pectin fraction, the NaOH-soluble pectin fraction and the oxalate-soluble pectin fraction all increase. At maturity, just the HCl-soluble pectin decreases. Cell wall swelling increases during stages I and II of fruit development, with little change thereafter. This was indexed by light microscopy of skin sections following turgor release, and by determinations of the swelling capacity, water holding capacity and water retention capacity. The increase in cell wall swelling during development was due primarily to increases in NaOH-soluble pectins. The in vitro swelling of cell wall extracts depends on the applied pressure. The swelling pressure of the alcohol-insoluble residue is low throughout development and surprisingly similar across different cell wall fractions. Thus, swelling pressure does not contribute significantly to fruit water potential. © 2020, The Author(s)

Development of a protocol to profile the gonadal steroid intermediates of vitellogenic ovaries from fathead minnows, pimephales promelas

This research developed a protocol to extract, isolate, detect, and measure the intermediates involved in ovarian steroid biosynthesis by Pimephales promelas to be used in bleached kraft mill effluent chronic toxicity studies. Steroid extraction from ovarian tissue was accomplished by sonication in methanol with 1:1 tissue:solvent. Four such extractions per sample successfully increased percent recovery from 74%, depending on the steroid. Isolation of steroids from the sample matrix was accomplished by C18 solid phase extraction columns. Adjustment of sample matrix pH to 6.5, and polarity of eluant to 7:3 hexane/t-butyl ether successfully removed free fatty acid interferences from the chromatographic analysis. The isolated steroids were derivatized to produce methoxime-trimethylsilyl derivatives that were detected and measured using selected ion recording - gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy. The finalized protocol had a percent recovery ranging from 74% to 101%, and a reproducibility of <11%, depending on the steroid. Detection limit standard curves were linear (0.9740<r<0.9994, depending on steroid)

Diffusion of IS in companies using renewable resources and its impact on uncertainty

The importance of sustainability is meanwhile well known in research as well as in practice. One way to produce moresustainable goods is the use of renewable resources. In this paper we present a two-staged study, consisting of a quantitativesurvey followed by qualitative interviews with companies which use renewable resources as an input for production. Thefocus of our study is on the diffusion of IS and supporting technologies and concepts in these special industrial sector. Due tothe natural growth and environmental influence factors it can be supposed that renewable resources are underlying a greateruncertainty regarding quantity, quality and time of availability. Therefore we also examine the influence of IS on uncertaintyin the companies surveyed

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