The mass media destabilizes the cultural homogenous regime in Axelrod`s model

An important feature of Axelrod`s model for culture dissemination or social influence is the emergence of many multicultural absorbing states, despite the fact that the local rules that specify the agents interactions are explicitly designed to decrease the cultural differences between agents. Here we re-examine the problem of introducing an external, global interaction-the mass media-in the rules of Axelrod`s model: in addition to their nearest neighbors, each agent has a certain probability p to interact with a virtual neighbor whose cultural features are fixed from the outset. Most surprisingly, this apparently homogenizing effect actually increases the cultural diversity of the population. We show that, contrary to previous claims in the literature, even a vanishingly small value of p is sufficient to destabilize the homogeneous regime for very large lattice sizes.

Simultaneous determination of irinotecan (CPT-11) and SN-38 in tissue culture media and cancer cells by high performance liquid chromatography: Application to cellular metabolism and accumulation studies

A simple and sensitive HPLC method was developed to simultaneously determine CPT-11 and its major metabolite SN-38 in culture media and cell lysates. Camptothecin (CPT) was used as internal standard (I.S.). Compounds were eluted with acetonitrile–50 mM disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer containing 10 mM sodium 1-heptane-sulfonate, with the pH adjusted to 3.0 using 85% (w/v) orthophosphoric acid (27/73, v/v) by a Hyperclon ODS (C18) column (200 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.), with detection at excitation and emission wavelengths of 380 and 540 nm, respectively. The average extraction efficiencies were 96.9–108.3% for CPT-11 in culture media and 94.3–107.2% for CPT-11 in cell lysates; and 87.7–106.8% for SN-38 in culture media and 90.1–105.6% for SN-38 in cell lysates. Within- and between-day precision and accuracy varied from 0.1 to 10.3%. The limit of quantitation (precision and accuracy <20%) was 5.0 and 2.0 ng/ml for CPT-11 and 1.0 and 0.5 ng/ml for SN-38 in culture media and cell lysates, respectively. This method was successfully applied to quantitate the cellular accumulation and metabolism of CPT-11 and SN-38 in H4-II-E, a rat hepatoma cell line.

Decisionmaking in a glass house : mass media, public opinion, and American and European foreign policy in the 21st century

"Decisionmaking in a Glass House: Mass Media, Public Opinion, and American and European Foreign Policy in the 21st Century" edited by Brigitte L. Nacos, Robert Y. Shapiro and Pierangelo Isernia is reviewed.

Vibrant, oppositional culture : the media and Australian political culture, 1880-1910

The notion that Australia has an entrenched “utilitarian political culture” has predominated in representations of political life and political culture in this country. Ostensibly, political life has been characterised above all by materialism and pragmatism, largely devoid of meaningful debate over ideas. There has, however, been a growing recognition that Australian political culture has been richer, more complex and less settled than commonly believed.

This paper examines the experience in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Australia, focussing on the role of the media in tandem with a burgeoning reading public as integral elements of a vibrant oppositional culture. Here, a passion for knowledge and self-improvement combined with a strong sense that cultivation of the mind was intrinsic to goals of moral, political and social development existed. The print media was centrally important in catering to and stimulating the interests, outlooks and aspirations of a diverse community of readers. Radical papers and journals jostled for attention alongside the mainstream press, supported by a spreading carpet of Mechanics Institutes and Schools of Arts, bookshops stocking a vast array of titles, and a comparatively large and increasingly professionalised literary-artistic intelligentsia.

Many different publics were being engaged and indeed constituted, from the very pragmatic to the strongly idealistic; from anarchists through to conservatives; from the strongly nationalistic through to those deeply loyal to God and Empire. Moreover, potentially quite complex patterns of understanding and attachment were being stimulated during this time. Taking clearer account of the media’s contribution to intellectual and literary pursuits during this period increases our understanding of the diverse and often contradictory traditions that have been part of Australian political culture.

Do mass media campaigns capture and describe the experience of stroke symptoms?

Introduction: In 2006, the National Stroke Foundation of Australia launched the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech)/ Signs of Stroke (SOS) (5 symptom categories) campaigns designed to improve public awareness of stroke symptoms and the sense of urgency to present to hospital. However, there is little published review of how well such campaigns capture and describe the experience of stroke. This study aims to examine the awareness, content and language of the FAST/SOS campaigns by those experiencing stroke symptoms.
Methods: Interviews were conducted with either the stroke patient or a witness (incapacitated patients) whilst an inpatient at Box Hill or Maroondah Hospitals between August 2006 through April 2008. They were asked to describe awareness of campaigns, symptoms experienced (recorded verbatim and coded into campaign symptom categories) and to evaluate the descriptions of “Signs of Stroke” against their own experience (exact, somewhat, or not at all).
Results: Of 239 eligible stroke cases, 167 (70%) were interviewed (100 patients and 67 witnesses). Few (n= 20, 12%) were aware of the FAST campaign and only 16% recalled all three symptoms. Most recalled that it was “something” to do with the face, however facial droop (n=6) was less commonly experienced compared to speech impairments (n=16) and arm drift (n=13). FAST symptoms detected 84% (patients 77% and witnesses 94%) and SOS symptoms 100% of stroke patients. Patients not describing a FAST symptom (n=27) described: arm or hand numbness; hand incoordination; leg impairments; vision disturbances; or collapse. Approximately, half of patients and witnesses thought the SOS descriptions of the most commonly detected symptoms (arm/leg/face weakness or paralysis or numbness and speech impairments) exactly described the experience. Common language used to describe symptoms were: incoordination of hands or limbs; sudden difficulty walking; drooped/dropped face or mouth; slurred or loss of speech; pins and needles or tingling.
Conclusion: Both campaigns identified symptoms most commonly detected in those experiencing and reacting to symptoms. Both campaigns could portray symptoms more realistically using common descriptors without impacting on the simplicity of the messages

Psychological study of consumer novelty seeking and mass media consumption

The thesis integrates theory from psychology and marketing, finding that those with an innate desire to seek out information on new products / brands are motivated to do so by aspects of regulatory focus, needs for uniqueness, and their susceptibility to interpersonal influence. In turn, these people consume more media and have higher information exposure.

Entrepreneurship and mass media : audiences' perceptions of entrepreneurship stories in mass media

Using a set ofvariables measured in the Danish population survey related to the international Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project (GEM), this study explored what influences how people perceive stories about entrepreneurship in mass media. It was found that demographics influence how people perceived entrepreneurship stores, whereas social stratifications had no influence. Further on, the findings revealed a reinforcing effect from entrepreneurship stories in mass media. People already engaged in entrepreneurship perceived media stories differently from people not engaged, and people’s existing values were also reinforced. Together, these findings provide some crucial implications for policy initiatives trying to promote entrepreneurship. First, such initiatives need to consider who the actual targets are as different people decode and perceive the same messages differently. Second, such initiatives have to be longitudinal and long termed in order to function through more influential agencies like family, peer group, school, occupational group and so forth, and not only through the mass media as secondary socialisation.

Culture, media and sport : the Gambling Act 2005: a bet worth taking? Written evidence submitted by Professor Linda Hancock

At the outset, it should be noted that under the watch of the 2005 Gambling Act, there is robust evidence of increasing harms caused by gambling. The increase in problem gambling from 0.6% (prior to the implementation of the Act) to 0.9% of the British population reported in the British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) (2010) is significant at the .05 level; which is internationally recognised as a robust significance level. This represents a 50% rise in problem gambling since the Act was implemented. It was disingenuous of the Gambling Commission to report the results as “not statistically relevant” and “at the margins of statistical relevance” in its media release concerning the study. This equates to around 451,000 adults aged 16 and over experiencing serious gambling-related problems and significant additional numbers experiencing moderate problems. Regular (approximately monthly) use of gaming machines, fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in betting shops, casino games and online gambling are associated with problem gambling.