Managing induced tourism image : relational patterns and the life cycle

The tourism image is an element that conditions the competitiveness of tourism destinations by making them stand out in the minds of tourists. In this context, marketers of tourism destinations endeavour to create an induced image based on their identity and distinctive characteristics.A number of authors have also recognized the complexity of tourism destinations and the need for coordination and cooperation among all tourism agents, in order to supply a satisfactory tourist product and be competitive in the tourism market. Therefore, tourism agents at the destination need to develop and integrate strategic marketing plans.The aim of this paper is to determine how cities of similar cultures use their resources with the purpose of developing a distinctive induced tourism image to attract tourists and the extent of coordination and cooperation among the various tourism agents of a destination in the process of induced image creation.In order to accomplish these aims, a comparative analysis of the induced image of two cultural cities is presented, Girona (Spain) and Perpignan (France). The induced image is assessed through the content analysis of promotional brochures and the extent of cooperation with in-depth interviews of the main tourism agents of these destinations.Despite the similarities of both cities in terms of tourism resources, results show the use of different attributes to configure the induced image of each destination, as well as a different configuration of the network of tourism agents that participate in the process of induced image creation

Variations of plasmid content in Rickettsia felis.

BACKGROUND: Since its first detection, characterization of R. felis has been a matter of debate, mostly due to the contamination of an initial R. felis culture by R. typhi. However, the first stable culture of R. felis allowed its precise phenotypic and genotypic characterization, and demonstrated that this species belonged to the spotted fever group rickettsiae. Later, its genome sequence revealed the presence of two forms of the same plasmid, physically confirmed by biological data. In a recent article, Gillespie et al. (PLoS One. 2007;2(3):e266.) used a bioinformatic approach to refute the presence of the second plasmid form, and proposed the creation of a specific phylogenetic group for R. felis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present report, we, and five independent international laboratories confirmed unambiguously by PCR the presence of two plasmid forms in R. felis strain URRWXCal(2) (T), but observed that the plasmid content of this species, from none to 2 plasmid forms, may depend on the culture passage history of the studied strain. We also demonstrated that R. felis does not cultivate in Vero cells at 37 degrees C but generates plaques at 30 degrees C. Finally, using a phylogenetic study based on 667 concatenated core genes, we demonstrated the position of R. felis within the spotted fever group. SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrated that R. felis, which unambiguously belongs to the spotted fever group rickettsiae, may contain up to two plasmid forms but this plasmid content is unstable.

Characterisation of pigment particles by scanning electron microscope and image analysis programs

Coating and filler pigments have strong influence to the properties of the paper. Filler content can be even over 30 % and pigment content in coating is about 85-95 weight percent. The physical and chemical properties of the pigments are different and the knowledge of these properties is important for optimising of optical and printing properties of the paper. The size and shape of pigment particles can be measured by different analysers which can be based on sedimentation, laser diffraction, changes in electric field etc. In this master's thesis was researched particle properties especially by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and image analysis programs. Research included nine pigments with different particle size and shape. Pigments were analysed by two image analysis programs (INCA Feature and Poikki), Coulter LS230 (laser diffraction) and SediGraph 5100 (sedimentation). The results were compared to perceive the effect of particle shape to the performance of the analysers. Only image analysis programs gave parameters of the particle shape. One part of research was also the sample preparation for SEM. Individual particles should be separated and distinct in ideal sample. Analysing methods gave different results but results from image analysis programs corresponded even to sedimentation or to laser diffraction depending on the particle shape. Detailed analysis of the particle shape required high magnification in SEM, but measured parameters described very well the shape of the particles. Large particles (ecd~1 µm) could be used also in 3D-modelling which enabled the measurement of the thickness of the particles. Scanning electron microscope and image analysis programs were effective and multifunctional tools for particle analyses. Development and experience will devise the usability of analysing method in routine use.

Computational Techniques for Spectral Image Analysis

Multispectral images are becoming more common in the field of remote sensing, computer vision, and industrial applications. Due to the high accuracy of the multispectral information, it can be used as an important quality factor in the inspection of industrial products. Recently, the development on multispectral imaging systems and the computational analysis on the multispectral images have been the focus of a growing interest. In this thesis, three areas of multispectral image analysis are considered. First, a method for analyzing multispectral textured images was developed. The method is based on a spectral cooccurrence matrix, which contains information of the joint distribution of spectral classes in a spectral domain. Next, a procedure for estimating the illumination spectrum of the color images was developed. Proposed method can be used, for example, in color constancy, color correction, and in the content based search from color image databases. Finally, color filters for the optical pattern recognition were designed, and a prototype of a spectral vision system was constructed. The spectral vision system can be used to acquire a low dimensional component image set for the two dimensional spectral image reconstruction. The data obtained by the spectral vision system is small and therefore convenient for storing and transmitting a spectral image.

Síntese e caracterização de dispersões aquosas de poliuretanos à base de copolímeros em bloco de poli(glicol etilênico) e poli(glicol propilênico)

Non-polluting polyurethane aqueous dispersions, with 40% of solids content, were synthesized based on block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(propylene glycol) (PEG-b-PPG), with PEG hydrophilic segments content of 7 and 25%, poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and hydrazine. Different formulations were synthesized by varying the equivalent-grams ratios between isocyanate and hydroxyl groups (NCO/OH) and PPG and (PEG-b-PPG). The presence of high amounts of PEG in the formulations provoked the formation of gels. Average particle size and viscosity of the dispersions were determined. Mechanical properties and water absorption resistance of cast films were evaluated.

Determinação do teor de cálcio em comprimido à base de lactato de cálcio utilizado no tratamento da osteoporose

The present study utilized thermogravimetry (TG) and optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP/OES) to determine the amount of calcium in calcium lactate tablets used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Thermogravimetry results indicated that the decomposition temperature of CaCO3 occurred at 603.9 and 609.4 ºC in the samples of calcium lactate and tablets, respectively. The calcium content obtained by TG for the tablets sample showed a similar result to that disclosed by ICP-OES, indicating a value of 8.93% for both techniques.

Neural correlates of language learning in adults

The human language-learning ability persists throughout life, indicating considerable flexibility at the cognitive and neural level. This ability spans from expanding the vocabulary in the mother tongue to acquisition of a new language with its lexicon and grammar. The present thesis consists of five studies that tap both of these aspects of adult language learning by using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during language processing and language learning tasks. The thesis shows that learning novel phonological word forms, either in the native tongue or when exposed to a foreign phonology, activates the brain in similar ways. The results also show that novel native words readily become integrated in the mental lexicon. Several studies in the thesis highlight the left temporal cortex as an important brain region in learning and accessing phonological forms. Incidental learning of foreign phonological word forms was reflected in functionally distinct temporal lobe areas that, respectively, reflected short-term memory processes and more stable learning that persisted to the next day. In a study where explicitly trained items were tracked for ten months, it was found that enhanced naming-related temporal and frontal activation one week after learning was predictive of good long-term memory. The results suggest that memory maintenance is an active process that depends on mechanisms of reconsolidation, and that these process vary considerably between individuals. The thesis put special emphasis on studying language learning in the context of language production. The neural foundation of language production has been studied considerably less than that of perceptive language, especially on the sentence level. A well-known paradigm in language production studies is picture naming, also used as a clinical tool in neuropsychology. This thesis shows that accessing the meaning and phonological form of a depicted object are subserved by different neural implementations. Moreover, a comparison between action and object naming from identical images indicated that the grammatical class of the retrieved word (verb, noun) is less important than the visual content of the image. In the present thesis, the picture naming was further modified into a novel paradigm in order to probe sentence-level speech production in a newly learned miniature language. Neural activity related to grammatical processing did not differ between the novel language and the mother tongue, but stronger neural activation for the novel language was observed during the planning of the upcoming output, likely related to more demanding lexical retrieval and short-term memory. In sum, the thesis aimed at examining language learning by combining different linguistic domains, such as phonology, semantics, and grammar, in a dynamic description of language processing in the human brain.

Content marketing and the significance of corporate branding

Tämän tutkielman tavoite on tutkia vahvan brandin merkitystä ja syitä, miksi yritykset käyttävät sisältömarkkinointia brandin rakentamisessa, sekä selvittää mitkä ovat yritysten sisältömarkkinointi-investointien tavoitteet, odotetut seuraukset ja koetut hyödyt ja tulokset. Teoriaosassa esitetään empiriaosaa varten tarvittava akateeminen taustatutkimustieto. Empiria on toteutettu puoli-struktroiduilla kahdenkeskisillä puhelinhaastatteuilla. Haastateltavina ovat työn toimeksiantajan Calcus Kustannus Oy:n viisi asiakasta. Näiden yritysten liikevaihto vaihtelee 23-75M€ välillä, ja yritykset toimivat pääosin suomen B2B yritysmarkkinoilla. Haastateltavat henkilöt ovat yrityksissä vastuussa markkinointipäätöksistä. Tulokset osoittavat, että vahvalla brandilla on erittäin suuri merkitys yrityksen kasvun ja menestyksen kannalta, ja että yritykset käyttävät sisältömarkkinointia brandin rakentamisessa, koska se kasvattaa brandipääomaa tehokkaasti. Sisältömarkkinoinnilla yritykset pyrkivät kasvttamaan heidän asiakkaidensa branditietoisuutta ja brandiuskollisuutta, sekä brandinsa uskottavuutta jakamalla aidosti kiinnostavaa ja lisäarvoa tuottavaa sisältöä. Lisäksi yrityksen asiantuntija-, sekä mielipidejohtajaroolin vahvistaminen koettiin erittäin tärkeäksi. Sisältömarkkinoinnin koetaan olevan brandin rakentamisessa tehokkaampaa kuin traditionaalinen markkinointi, minkä vuoksi yritykset tulevat kasvattamaan sen osuutta markkinointisuunnitelmissaan tulevaisuudessa.

Assessment of Young Learners’ English Proficiency in Bilingual Content Instruction CLIL

This applied linguistic study in the field of second language acquisition investigated the assessment practices of class teachers as well as the challenges and visions of language assessment in bilingual content instruction (CLIL) at primary level in Finnish basic education. Furthermore, pupils’ and their parents’ perceptions of language assessment and LangPerform computer simulations as an alternative, modern assessment method in CLIL contexts were examined. The study was conducted for descriptive and developmental purposes in three phases: 1) a CLIL assessment survey; 2) simulation 1; and 3) simulation 2. All phases had a varying number of participants. The population of this mixed methods study were CLIL class teachers, their pupils and the pupils’ parents. The sampling was multi-staged and based on probability and random sampling. The data were triangulated. Altogether 42 CLIL class teachers nationwide, 109 pupils from the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade as well as 99 parents from two research schools in South-Western Finland participated in the CLIL assessment survey followed by an audio-recorded theme interview of volunteers (10 teachers, 20 pupils and 7 parents). The simulation experimentations 1 and 2 produced 146 pupil and 39 parental questionnaires as well as video interviews of volunteered pupils. The data were analysed both quantitatively using percentages and numerical frequencies and qualitatively employing thematic content analysis. Based on the data, language assessment in primary CLIL is not an established practice. It largely appears to be infrequent, incidental, implicit and based on impressions rather than evidence or the curriculum. The most used assessment methods were teacher observation, bilingual tests and dialogic interaction, and the least used were portfolios, simulations and peer assessment. Although language assessment was generally perceived as important by teachers, a fifth of them did not gather assessment information systematically, and 38% scarcely gave linguistic feedback to pupils. Both pupils and parents wished to receive more information on CLIL language issues; 91% of pupils claimed to receive feedback rarely or occasionally, and 63% of them wished to get more information on their linguistic coping in CLIL subjects. Of the parents, 76% wished to receive more information on the English proficiency of their children and their linguistic development. This may be a response to indirect feedback practices identified in this study. There are several challenges related to assessment; the most notable is the lack of a CLIL curriculum, language objectives and common ground principles of assessment. Three diverse approaches to language in CLIL that appear to affect teachers’ views on language assessment were identified: instrumental (language as a tool), dual (language as a tool and object of learning) and eclectic (miscellaneous views, e.g. affective factors prioritised). LangPerform computer simulations seem to be perceived as an appropriate alternative assessment method in CLIL. It is strongly recommended that the fundamentals for assessment (curricula and language objectives) and a mutual assessment scheme should be determined and stakeholders’ knowledge base of CLIL strengthened. The principles of adequate assessment in primary CLIL are identified as well as several appropriate assessment methods suggested.

A distributed, cloud-ready, digital content processing and transformation platform and a specific use case

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Coronary fat content evaluated by morphometry in patients with severe atherosclerosis has no relation with serum lipid levels

The relationship between lipid serum levels and coronary atherosclerotic plaque fat content was studied in 51 necropsy patients. Serum lipids were measured by standard techniques, during life, in the absence of lipid-lowering drugs. Intima, intimal fat and media areas were measured using a computerized system in cryosections of the odd segments of the right, anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries stained with Sudan-IV. Mean intimal and lipid areas were 5.74 ± 1.98 and 1.22 ± 0.55 mm² (22.12 ± 8.48%) in 26 cases with high cholesterol (³200 mg/dL) and 4.98 ± 1.94 and 1.16 ± 0.66 mm² (22.75 ± 9.06%) in 25 cases with normal cholesterol (<200 mg/dL; P > 0.05). Patients with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (³130 mg/dL, N = 15) had a higher intima/media area ratio than those with normal levels of low-density lipoprotein (<130 mg/dL, N = 13, P < 0.01). No significant difference in the morphometrical variables was found in groups with high or low serum levels of triglycerides (³200 mg/dL, N = 13 vs <200 mg/dL, N = 36) or high-density lipoprotein (³35 mg/dL, N = 11 vs <35 mg/dL, N = 17). The association between the morphological measurements and serum levels of cholesterol, its fractions, and triglycerides was also tested and the correlation coefficients were low. Although high cholesterol is a risk factor, we show here that in patients with severe atherosclerosis blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels seem to have little influence on coronary lipid content, indicating that other factors may contribute to arterial lipid deposition and plaque formation.

Digital Content Marketing in the Business-to-Business Context. A Case Study on Marketing Communications Agencies.

Marketing has changed because of digitalization. Marketing is moving towards digital channels and more companies are transitioning from “pushing” advertising messages to “pull” marketing, that attracts audience with the content that interests and benefits the audience. This kind of marketing is called content marketing or “inbound” marketing. This study focuses on how marketing communications agencies utilize digital content marketing and what are the best practices with the selected digital content marketing channels. In this study, those channels include blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The qualitative research method was utilized in order to examine the phenomenon of digital content marketing in-depth. The chosen data collecting method was semi-structured interviewing. A total of seven marketing communications agencies, who currently utilize digital content marketing, were selected as case companies and interviewed. All the case companies are from the marketing communications industry because that industry can be assumed to be well adapted to digital content marketing techniques. There is a research gap about digital content marketing in the B2B context, which increases the novelty value of this research. The study examines what is digital content marketing, why B2B companies use digital content marketing, and how should digital content marketing be conducted through blogs and social media. The informants perceived digital marketing to be a fundamental part of their all marketing. They conduct digital content marketing for the following reasons: to increase sales, to improve their brand image and to demonstrate their own skills. Concrete results of digital content marketing for the case companies include sales leads, new clients, better brand image, and that recruiting is easier. The most important success factors with blogs and social media are the following: 1) Audience-centric thinking. All content planning should start from figuring out which themes interests the target audience. Social media channel choices should be based on where the target audience can be reached. 2) Companies should not talk only about themselves. Instead, content is made about themes that interests the target audience. On social media channels, only a fragment of all shared content is about the company. Rather, most of the shared content is industry-specific content that helps the potential client.

Commercial blog communication and brand image

The aim of this thesis was to examine whether company initiated commercial communication in personal blogs has an effect on consumers’ brand image. A detailed picture of the main topics was built based on the previous academic literature. The study explores how sponsored and company-initiated blog postings influence consumers’ brand image with a qualitative research. A framework defines the link between the main concepts of commercial blog communication and how this can be used in order to reach positive results in relation to consumers’ brand image. The findings of this study demonstrate that if the tech-savvy consumers consider that the commercial blog communication is genuine and the blogger stands behind the recommendation of the blog posting, it will result on a more positive brand image. However, if the consumers consider the content of the blog posting to be too controlled by the company, it is automatically seen as an advertisement instead of a recommendation by someone trustworthy. The company-controlled commercial blog communication without presenting the personality of the blogger has negative effects on brand image.

Corporate green image communication through public disclosures and social media

Today, companies need to mind the environment in all their actions. Policies, regulations and growing pressure from environmentally conscious public are driving corporations to invest increasingly in their green images. Communication plays a key role in forming and maintaining that image. This thesis explores how six selected companies communicate about their environmental efforts and activities, and its linkage to their green images, in annual and sustainability reports and in Facebook. The companies come from the U.S. and Europe and operate in three different industries: ICT, oil and gas, and aerospace & defense. Qualitative and quantitative content analyses are conducted to examine 36 reports and 121 Facebook messages, collected from the period of 2010-2014, and from 2005 for comparison. The results show that although the quality and quantity of environmental disclosure is increasing, there is still room for improvement. Overall, disclosure in the ICT sector is on the highest level. The European companies disclose more and on average have stronger green images than the American ones. Emissions and ways to reduce them is by far the most covered topic in both continents and in all three industry sectors. The messages in Facebook are closer to advertising, and overall the platform is utilized surprisingly little.

Image of Niagara Falls n.d.

In 1818 Parkhurst Whitney built stairs leading to the river’s edge at Prospect Point. In 1825 Porter Brother replaced that staircase with a spiral one. In 1844 Whitney started a water powered incline railway there although the staircase was also used until 1890. In 1906 the water wheel was replaced by an electric power plant. There were lower buildings which included Shadow of the Rock which was a concession stand and also rented raincoats to the tourists. This was destroyed by fire and ice in 1892 and replaced by a chalet-style building in 1894-95. On July 6th, 1907 a cable on the incline railway broke. One person was killed and several sustained injuries. An elevator was constructed and it opened in January of 1910. It was condemned in 1954 when water entered the shaft, this was at the time of the collapse of Prospect Point which occurred at 4:50 pm. on July 28, 1954. This photograph was taken prior to 1954. Today the New York State Observation Tower stands at Prospect Point and The Maid of the Mist boat ride is available from the base of the tower. with information from: Niagara Falls Canada: a History by the Kiwanis Club of Stamford, Ontario