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Individual humor tendencies or behaviors may change with age, but most studies have focused on school-aged children to college students and have rarely explored differences in humor style tendencies from adulthood to older age. The present study examines humor style differences among participants of different ages. This study hypothesizes that older adults are more likely to prefer positive and self-focused humor styles (self-enhancing humor style). A total of 407 participants of different ages and genders were recruited to investigate their humor style tendencies. The results show that men tend to prefer aggressive humor, while women tend to prefer affiliative humor. Interactions between age and humor styles were found. Further analyses show that adolescent to college-aged participants tend to use affiliative humor, adult participants tend to prefer both affiliative and self-enhancing humor, and older adults tend to use self-enhancing humor. In addition, individuals increasingly tend to prefer self-enhancing humor with age, and this tendency was strongest among the older adults, supporting our hypothesis. This study reveals not only significant gender differences but also age differences in humor style tendencies. Our findings clarify the relationship between humor and age and can serve as a basis for future research.

This paper describes the 1:1 scale application of Robotic Plaster Spraying (RPS), a novel, adaptive thin-layer printing technique, using cementitious base coat plaster, realized in a construction setting. In this technique, the print layers are vertical unlike most 3DCP processes. The goal is to explore the applicability and scalability of this spray-based printing technique. In this study, RPS is combined with an augmented interactive design setup, the Interactive Robotic Plastering (IRoP), which allows users to design directly on the construction site, taking the building structure, as-built state of the on-going fabrication and the material behavior into consideration. The experimental setup is an on-site robotic system that consists of a robotic arm mounted on a semi-mobile vertical axis with an integrated, automated pumping and adaptive spraying setup that is equipped with a depth camera. The user interaction is enabled by a controller-based interaction system, interactive design tools, and an augmented reality interface. The paper presents the challenges and the workflow that is needed to work with a complex material system on-site to produce bespoke plasterwork. The workflow includes an interactive design procedure, localization on-site, process control and a data collection method that enables predicting the behavior of complex-to-simulate cementitious material. The results demonstrate the applicability and scalability of the adaptive thin-layer printing technique and address the challenges, such as maintaining material continuity and working with unpredictable material behavior during the fabrication process., Architecture, Structures and Construction, 3 (2), ISSN:2730-9894, ISSN:2730-9886

Pimavanserin is a highly selective 5-HT

Suitable applications for a biodegradable polymer depend on its biodegradability (Bd), melting point (Tm) for thermal blending with biomass, tensile strength (σ) and tensile elongation (e). A factorial experimental design was carried out in order to evaluate the targeted relationship among these properties, for synthesizing a novel biodegradable poly (butylene terephthalate-co-e-caprolactone) (PBTCL). The results showed that the concentration of residual carboxyl end group ([COOH]) could inversely affect the number average molecular weight (Mn) and σ of PBTCL. Bd showed its loosely inversed relationship with crystallinity (Xc). The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed the increased ratio of aromatic/aliphatic segments in PBTCL increased its Tm, σ and Bd, but decreased e and Xc. The regression models from the experimental design of Bd, Tm, σ and e were plotted and overlaid; the targeted properties were achieved when the polycondensation temperature (Tp), the 1,4-butandiol/terephthalate (BDO/TPA), and the e-caprolactone/terephthalate (CL/TPA) molar ratio were 255 °C, 1.39 mol/mol, and 1.48 mol/mol, respectively. Replicated PBTCL was synthesized under these optimal conditions, and the confirmed value of predicted Bd, Tm, σ, and e were 58.9 ± 0.4%, 115 ± 2.5 °C, 17 ± 0.8 MPa, and 356 ± 22%, respectively. The targeted PBTCL showed comparable properties to a commercially available biodegradable plastic.

Previous work has shown that chronic nicotine administration causes adaptive changes in 5-HT

Biodegradable starch-based plastics are formed by combining corn starch with biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). Starch reduces the production cost and improves the biodegradability. However, starch reduces the ductility and toughness of biodegradable plastics, limiting their application. In this study the low molecular weight poly(ethylene ether carbonate) (LPEEC) is synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of ethylene carbonate produced from the greenhouse gas CO2. The extrusion combines starch-based plastic with LPEEC and provides plastics with increased tensile strength (by 3- to 4-fold) and elongation at break (by 4- to 5-fold), compared to that of plastics without LPEEC. The plastics with best mechanical properties are obtained using an LPEEC with the average molecular weights, molecular units of ethylene carbonate (Ec) and ethylene oxide (Eo) linkages of 3117 g/mol, 14, and 43, respectively. This is the first evidence of improving the properties of the starch-based polyester using LPEEC, which is suitable for biodegradable plastic.

Previous work has shown that chronic nicotine administration causes adaptive changes in 5-HT2A receptor expression. Based on this relationship, it was hypothesized that inactivating 5-HT2A receptors with the inverse agonists pimavanserin and volinanserin (MDL100907), would reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered nicotine-dependent by subcutaneous infusion of nicotine bitartrate, 9 mg/kg/day for seven days. The infusions were then terminated, and 22 h later, rats were observed under “blind” conditions for somatically expressed behavioral nicotine withdrawal signs. One hour before observations, the nicotine dependent rats were injected i.p. with saline alone, or either 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg pimavanserin in saline. Total withdrawal signs were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. A one-way ANOVA (total withdrawal signs as a function of dose) was highly significant, as was the descending linear trend of withdrawal signs as a function of dose. The 1.0 mg/kg dose reduced withdrawal signs nearly to the level exhibited by a comparison group of non-dependent rats injected with saline. A second experiment was conducted in a similar manner, which showed that volinanserin at 1.0 mg/kg but not 0.25 mg/kg also reduced nicotine withdrawal signs to nearly the level of non-dependent rats. In vitro experiments demonstrated that both pimavanserin and volinanserin potently antagonize 5-HT2A receptors, with approximately 25-fold, and 300-fold selectivity over 5-HT2C receptors, respectively. The results suggest that the 5-HT2A receptor contributes to mediating nicotine withdrawal syndrome, and thus represents a potential target for interventions to aid smoking cessation.