Reconciling community and commerce? Collaboration between produsage communities and commercial operators

Collaborative user-led content creation by online communities, or produsage (Bruns 2008), has generated a variety of useful and important resources and other valuable outcomes, from open source software through the Wikipedia to a variety of smaller-scale, specialist projects. These are often seen as standing in an inherent opposition to commercial interests, and attempts to develop collaborations between community content creators and commercial partners have had mixed success rates to date. However, such tension between community and commerce is not inevitable, and there is substantial potential for more fruitful exchanges and collaboration. This article contributes to the development of this understanding by outlining the key underlying principles of such participatory community processes and exploring the potential tensions which could arise between these communities and their potential external partners. It also sketches out potential approaches to resolving them.

Acceptability of the distress thermometer and problem list to community-based telephone cancer helpline operators, and to cancer patients and carers

Background Cancer can be a distressing experience for cancer patients and carers, impacting on psychological, social, physical and spiritual functioning. However, health professionals often fail to detect distress in their patients due to time constraints and a lack of experience. Also, with the focus on the patient, carer needs are often overlooked. This study investigated the acceptability of brief distress screening with the Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem List (PL) to operators of a community-based telephone helpline, as well as to cancer patients and carers calling the service. Methods Operators (n = 18) monitored usage of the DT and PL with callers (cancer patients/carers, >18 years, and English-speaking) from September-December 2006 (n = 666). The DT is a single item, 11-point scale to rate level of distress. The associated PL identifies the cause of distress. Results The DT and PL were used on 90% of eligible callers, most providing valid responses. Benefits included having an objective, structured and consistent means for distress screening and triage to supportive care services. Reported challenges included apparent inappropriateness of the tools due to the nature of the call or level of caller distress, the DT numeric scale, and the level of operator training. Conclusions We observed positive outcomes to using the DT and PL, although operators reported some challenges. Overcoming these challenges may improve distress screening particularly by less experienced clinicians, and further development of the PL items and DT scale may assist with administration. The DT and PL allow clinicians to direct/prioritise interventions or referrals, although ongoing training and support is critical in distress screening.

Optical techniques for real-time binary multiplication

An optical system which performs the multiplication of binary numbers is described and proof-of-principle experiments are performed. The simultaneous generation of all partial products, optical regrouping of bit products, and optical carry look-ahead addition are novel features of the proposed scheme which takes advantage of the parallel operations capability of optical computers. The proposed processor uses liquid crystal light valves (LCLVs). By space-sharing the LCLVs one such system could function as an array of multipliers. Together with the optical carry look-ahead adders described, this would constitute an optical matrix-vector multiplier.

The construction of social identity in new nuclear operators : a longitudinal study

Countless studies have stressed the importance of social identity, particularly its role in various organizational outcomes, yet questions remain as to how identities initially develop, shift and change based on the configuration of multiple, pluralistic relationships grounded in an organizational setting. The interactive model of social identity formation has been proposed recently to explain the internalization of shared norms and values – critical in identity formation – has not received empirical examination. We analyzed multiple sources of data from nine nuclear professionals over three years to understand the construction of social identity in new entrants entering an organization. Informed by our data analyses, we found support for the interactive model and that age and level of experience influenced whether they undertook an inductive or deductive route of the group norm and value internalization. This study represents an important contribution to the study of social identity and the process by which identities are formed, particularly under conditions of duress or significant organizational disruption.

SOTrain: A new program for training supervisors and operators in Australian sugar factories

The provision of effective training of supervisors and operators is essential if sugar factories are to operate profitably and in an environmentally sustainable and safe manner. The benefits of having supervisor and operator staff with a high level of operational skills are reduced stoppages, increased recovery, improved sugar quality, reduced damage to equipment, and reduced OH&S and environmental impacts. Training of new operators and supervisors in factories has traditionally relied on on-the-job training of the new or inexperienced staff by experienced supervisors and operators, supplemented by courses conducted by contractors such as Sugar Research Institute (SRI). However there is clearly a need for staff to be able to undertake training at any time, drawing on the content of online courses as required. An improved methodology for the training of factory supervisors and operators has been developed by QUT on behalf of a syndicate of mills. The new methodology provides ‘at factory’ learning via self-paced modules. Importantly, the training resources for each module are designed to support the training programs within sugar factories, thereby establishing a benchmark for training across the sugar industry. The modules include notes, training guides and session plans, guidelines for walkthrough tours of the stations, learning activities, resources such as videos, animations, job aids and competency assessments. The materials are available on the web for registered users in Australian Mills and many activities are best undertaken online. Apart from a few interactive online resources, the materials for each module can also be downloaded. The acronym SOTrain (Supervisor and Operator Training) has been applied to the new training program.

A Classification of Homogeneous Operators in the Cowen-Douglas Class

A complete list of homogeneous operators in the Cowen-Douglas class B-n(D) is given. This classification is obtained from an explicit realization of all the homogeneous Hermitian holomorphic vector bundles on the unit disc under the action of the universal covering group of the bi-holomorphic automorphism group of the unit disc.

On the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of some integral operators

Some properties of the eigenvalues of the integral operator Kgt defined as Kτf(x) = ∫0τK(x − y) f (y) dy were studied by [1.], 554–566), with some assumptions on the kernel K(x). In this paper the eigenfunctions of the operator Kτ are shown to be continuous functions of τ under certain circumstances. Also, the results of Vittal Rao and the continuity of eigenfunctions are shown to hold for a larger class of kernels.

Tissue culture of forest trees: Clonal multiplication of Eucalyptus grandis L

Axillary shoot proliferation was obtained using explants of Eucalyptus grandis L. juvenile and mature stages on a defined medium. Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with benzyladenine (BA), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and additional thiamine. Excised shoots were induced to root on a sequence of three media: (1) White's medium containing indoleacetic acid (IAA), NAA and indole butyric acid; (IBA), (2) half-strength MS medium with charcoal and (3) half-strength MS liquid medium. The two types of explants differed in rooting response, with juvenile-derived shoots giving 60% rooting and adult-derived ones only 35%. Thus, the factors limiting cloning of selected trees in vitro are determined to be those controlling rooting of shoots in E. grandis.

Quaternary unary operators

Unary operators are functions of a single variable. Realization of quaternary unary operators (QUOs) using quaternary multiplexer (QMUX) is presented in this paper. QUOs are divided into eight groups on the basis of the number of change overs in the output for an input sequence of 0, 1, 2, 3. This grouping reduces the hardware required to realize them. QMUX with two, three, and four input lines are proposed for the realization of QUOs belonging to the eight groups. A systematic procedure for the selection of QMUX and the implementation of the QUOs are given. The QMUXs are designed using CMOS ICs. The hardware required for their implementation is also discussed.

Representations and properties of para-Bose oscillator operators. I. Energy position and momentum eigenstates

Para-Bose commutation relations are related to the SL(2,R) Lie algebra. The irreducible representation [script D]alpha of the para-Bose system is obtained as the direct sum Dbeta[direct-sum]Dbeta+1/2 of the representations of the SL(2,R) Lie algebra. The position and momentum eigenstates are then obtained in this representation [script D]alpha, using the matrix mechanical method. The orthogonality, completeness, and the overlap of these eigenstates are derived. The momentum eigenstates are also derived using the wave mechanical method by specifying the domain of the definition of the momentum operator in addition to giving it a formal differential expression. By a careful consideration in this manner we find that the two apparently different solutions obtained by Ohnuki and Kamefuchi in this context are actually unitarily equivalent. Journal of Mathematical Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

Spectral analysis of finite section normal integral operators

Some continuity and differentiability properties of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of finite section normal integral operators are proved. These are the extension of corresponding results for symmetric operators ([4.], 554–566; K. B. Athreya and R. Vittal Rao, to appear; [10.], 463–471.

Kac-Akhiezer formula for normal integral operators

The Kac-Akhiezer formula for finite section normal Wiener-Hopf integral operators is proved. This is an extension of the corresponding result for symmetric operator [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

Representation and properties of para-Bose oscillator operators. II. Coherent states and the minimum uncertainty states

The energy, position, and momentum eigenstates of a para-Bose oscillator system were considered in paper I. Here we consider the Bargmann or the analytic function description of the para-Bose system. This brings in, in a natural way, the coherent states ||z;alpha> defined as the eigenstates of the annihilation operator ?. The transformation functions relating this description to the energy, position, and momentum eigenstates are explicitly obtained. Possible resolution of the identity operator using coherent states is examined. A particular resolution contains two integrals, one containing the diagonal basis ||z;alpha><−z;alpha||. We briefly consider the normal and antinormal ordering of the operators and their diagonal and discrete diagonal coherent state approximations. The problem of constructing states with a minimum value of the product of the position and momentum uncertainties and the possible alpha dependence of this minimum value is considered. Journal of Mathematical Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

Multiplication of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. x P. tremuloides Michx.) from cuttings

The primary aim of the present study was to find an efficient and simple method of vegetative propagation for producing large numbers of hybrid aspen (Populus tremuloides L. x P. tremula Michx.) plants for forest plantations. The key objectives were to investigate the main physiological factors that affect the ability of cuttings to regenerate and to determine whether these factors could be manipulated by different growth conditions. In addition, clonal variation in traits related to propagation success was examined. According to our results, with the stem cutting method, depending on the clone, it is possible to obtain only 1−8 plants from one stock plant per year. With the root cutting method the corresponding values for two-year-old stock plants are 81−207 plants. The difference in number of cuttings between one- and two-year-old stock plants is so pronounced that it is economically feasible to grow stock plants for two years. There is no reason to use much older stock plants as a source of cuttings, as it has been observed that rooting ability diminishes as root diameter increases. Clonal variation is the most important individual factor in propagation of hybrid aspen. The fact that the efficiently sprouted clones also rooted best facilitates the selection of clones for large-scale propagation. In practice, root cuttings taken from all parts of the root system of hybrid aspen were capable of producing new shoots and roots. However, for efficient rooting it is important to use roots smaller than one centimeter in diameter. Both rooting and sprouting, as well as sprouting rate, were increased by high soil temperature; in our studies the highest temperature tested (30ºC) was the best. Light accelerated the sprouting of root cuttings, but they rooted best in dark conditions. Rooting is essential because without roots the sprouted cutting cannot survive long. For aspen the criteria for clone selection are primarily fiber qualities and growth rate, but ability to regenerate efficiently is also essential. For large-scale propagation it is very important to find clones from which many cuttings per stock plant can be obtained. In light of production costs, however, it is even more important that the regeneration ability of the produced cuttings be high.

Composition operators on vector-valued BMOA and related function spaces

A composition operator is a linear operator between spaces of analytic or harmonic functions on the unit disk, which precomposes a function with a fixed self-map of the disk. A fundamental problem is to relate properties of a composition operator to the function-theoretic properties of the self-map. During the recent decades these operators have been very actively studied in connection with various function spaces. The study of composition operators lies in the intersection of two central fields of mathematical analysis; function theory and operator theory. This thesis consists of four research articles and an overview. In the first three articles the weak compactness of composition operators is studied on certain vector-valued function spaces. A vector-valued function takes its values in some complex Banach space. In the first and third article sufficient conditions are given for a composition operator to be weakly compact on different versions of vector-valued BMOA spaces. In the second article characterizations are given for the weak compactness of a composition operator on harmonic Hardy spaces and spaces of Cauchy transforms, provided the functions take values in a reflexive Banach space. Composition operators are also considered on certain weak versions of the above function spaces. In addition, the relationship of different vector-valued function spaces is analyzed. In the fourth article weighted composition operators are studied on the scalar-valued BMOA space and its subspace VMOA. A weighted composition operator is obtained by first applying a composition operator and then a pointwise multiplier. A complete characterization is given for the boundedness and compactness of a weighted composition operator on BMOA and VMOA. Moreover, the essential norm of a weighted composition operator on VMOA is estimated. These results generalize many previously known results about composition operators and pointwise multipliers on these spaces.