Exploring the enterprise value of wikis through media choice theories

Wikis are quickly emerging as a new corporate medium for communication and collaboration. They allow dispersed groups of collaborators to asynchronously engage in persistent conversations, the result of which is stored on a common server as a single, shared truth. To gauge the enterprise value of wikis, the authors draw on Media Choice Theories (MCTs) as an evaluation framework. MCTs reveal core capabilities of communication media and their fit with the communication task. Based on the evaluation, the authors argue that wikis are equivalent or superior to existing asynchronous communication media in key characteristics. Additionally argued is the notion that wiki technology challenges some of the held beliefs of existing media choice theories, as wikis introduce media characteristics not previously envisioned. The authors thus predict a promising future for wiki use in enterprises.

Through the kaleidoscope: media consumption patterns in the participatory cross-media era

The paper aims to identify actual media audiences of different mass- and non-mass media types through identifying those audience clusters consuming not different but differentiable media mixes. A major concern of the study is to highlight the transformation of mass media audiences when technology, digitalization and participation behaviors are able to reshape traditional audience forms and media diets, which may directly affect the traditional media value chain and in turn the thinking and decision making of media managers. Through such a kaleidoscope the authors examined media use and consumption patterns using an online self-reported questionnaire. They developed different media consumer clusters as well as media consumption mixes. Based on the results of the study the authors can state that internet use is today’s main base of media consumption, and as such it is becoming the real mass media, replacing television. However this “new” media has a completely different structure, being more fragmented with smaller audience reach. At the same time, television is keeping its audience. However, there are emerging segments self-reporting non- or light television viewing. This is how the question of the viewer-television relation among different television viewer clusters evolves. At the same time only gaming exhibited demographic differentiation of audiences based on gender.

The New (Marketing) Role of Firms as Media Content Providers – The case of SME’s Strategic Social Media Presence

In the new social media context, it is gradually more common to say that each party can itself be considered a media content provider, firms included (through their brand pages). This tendency is reflected in a rising professional field called “content marketing”. This study incorporates the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the scope of social media (SM) as a marketing communications and media content distribution system. In an exploratory content analysis of 20 official SM brand pages with 1281 analyzed posts the authors study how SMEs respond to the advent of a new paradigm of marketing communications with special attention to their usage of media-specific contents. SM impels companies to eventually rethink the traditional one-way communication flow of their marketing messages and to incorporate a new, two-way communication into their marketing strategy, where (their engaged and involved) users can create, modify, share and discuss content related to the firm’s activity. This study’s preliminary results show that diffusing content generally acts for SMEs as a facilitator to involve fans by offering a thematized space for them to manifest themselves in company-related topics. Therefore, content adds to the firms’ possibilities of brand positioning by offering a reflection of fans’ company- and contentrelated behavior, which is a supplementary source of information.

The Attributes of Social Media as a Strategic Marketing Communication Tool

New digital trends are transforming the media industry landscape, modifying elemental characteristics and attitudes of companies as well as of consumers. Firms often claim that their presence in social media (SM) is a key element to success. SM helps companies rethink the traditional one-way flow of their marketing messages and to incorporate a new interactive pattern into their communications. Nevertheless, these tendencies involve problems of strategic myopia for firms that do not structurally integrate these tools. One main problem is that institutions can rarely differentiate between the various types of SM and the attributes thereof, while the literature equally reveals a number of contradictions in the subject. The present conceptual paper lays the foundations of a strategic approach to SM and discusses its theoretical implications. Following an overview on the concept of SM, through a content analysis of the specialized management literature (n = 14), we present various best practices and reflect on the apparent lack of strategic thinking in using SM as a marketing application. Then, we compare these practical examples with general marketing strategy theory. By merging theory and practice, we aim to provide an insight towards a well-founded application of SM as a genuinely strategic marketing tool.

Automated detection of hematological abnormalities through classification of flow cytometric data patterns

Flow Cytometry analyzers have become trusted companions due to their ability to perform fast and accurate analyses of human blood. The aim of these analyses is to determine the possible existence of abnormalities in the blood that have been correlated with serious disease states, such as infectious mononucleosis, leukemia, and various cancers. Though these analyzers provide important feedback, it is always desired to improve the accuracy of the results. This is evidenced by the occurrences of misclassifications reported by some users of these devices. It is advantageous to provide a pattern interpretation framework that is able to provide better classification ability than is currently available. Toward this end, the purpose of this dissertation was to establish a feature extraction and pattern classification framework capable of providing improved accuracy for detecting specific hematological abnormalities in flow cytometric blood data. ^ This involved extracting a unique and powerful set of shift-invariant statistical features from the multi-dimensional flow cytometry data and then using these features as inputs to a pattern classification engine composed of an artificial neural network (ANN). The contribution of this method consisted of developing a descriptor matrix that can be used to reliably assess if a donor’s blood pattern exhibits a clinically abnormal level of variant lymphocytes, which are blood cells that are potentially indicative of disorders such as leukemia and infectious mononucleosis. ^ This study showed that the set of shift-and-rotation-invariant statistical features extracted from the eigensystem of the flow cytometric data pattern performs better than other commonly-used features in this type of disease detection, exhibiting an accuracy of 80.7%, a sensitivity of 72.3%, and a specificity of 89.2%. This performance represents a major improvement for this type of hematological classifier, which has historically been plagued by poor performance, with accuracies as low as 60% in some cases. This research ultimately shows that an improved feature space was developed that can deliver improved performance for the detection of variant lymphocytes in human blood, thus providing significant utility in the realm of suspect flagging algorithms for the detection of blood-related diseases.^

Influence of hydrobiogeochemistry on transport of chromium through manganese -containing sediments: Experimental and modeling approaches

Chromium (Cr) is a metal of particular environmental concern, owing to its toxicity and widespread occurrence in groundwater, soil, and soil solution. A combination of hydrological, geochemical, and microbiological processes governs the subsurface migration of Cr. Little effort has been devoted to examining how these biogeochemical reactions combine with hydrologic processes influence Cr migration. This study has focused on the complex problem of predicting the Cr transport in laboratory column experiments. A 1-D reactive transport model was developed and evaluated against data obtained from laboratory column experiments. ^ A series of dynamic laboratory column experiments were conducted under abiotic and biotic conditions. Cr(III) was injected into columns packed with β-MnO 2-coated sand at different initial concentrations, variable flow rates, and at two different pore water pH (3.0 and 4.0). In biotic anaerobic column experiments Cr(VI) along with lactate was injected into columns packed with quartz sand or β-MnO2-coated sand and bacteria, Shewanella alga Simidu (BrY-MT). A mathematical model was developed which included advection-dispersion equations for the movement of Cr(III), Cr(VI), dissolved oxygen, lactate, and biomass. The model included first-order rate laws governing the adsorption of each Cr species and lactate. The equations for transport and adsorption were coupled with nonlinear equations for rate-limited oxidation-reduction reactions along with dual-monod kinetic equations. Kinetic batch experiments were conducted to determine the reduction of Cr(VI) by BrY-MT in three different substrates. Results of the column experiments with Cr(III)-containing influent solutions demonstrate that β-MnO2 effectively catalyzes the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI). For a given influent concentration and pore water velocity, oxidation rates are higher, and hence effluent concentrations of Cr(VI) are greater, at pH 4 relative to pH 3. Reduction of Cr(VI) by BrY-MT was rapid (within one hour) in columns packed with quartz sand, whereas Cr(VI) reduction by BrY-MT was delayed (57 hours) in presence of β-MnO 2-coated sand. BrY-MT grown in BHIB (brain heart infusion broth) reduced maximum amount of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) followed by TSB (tryptic soy broth) and M9 (minimum media). The comparisons of data and model results from the column experiments show that the depths associated with Cr(III) oxidation and transport within sediments of shallow aquatic systems can strongly influence trends in surface water quality. The results of this study suggests that carefully performed, laboratory column experiments is a useful tool in determining the biotransformation of redox-sensitive metals even in the presence of strong oxidant, like β-MnO2. ^

The perception of the African-American community through the eyes of the Hispanic media in the U.S.: a critical discourse analysis of the reporting of the death of Michael Brown

In this paper, 36 English and 38 Spanish news articles were selected from English and Spanish newspapers and magazines published in the U.S.A. from August 2014 to November 2014. All articles discuss the death of Michael Brown, the ensuing protests and police investigations. A discourse analysis shows that there are few differences between reporting by the mainstream and the Hispanic media. Like the mainstream media, the Hispanic media adopts a neutral point of view with regard to the African-American minority. However, it presents a negative opinion with regard to the police. It appears that the Hispanic media does not explicitly side with the African-American community, but rather agrees more with the mainstream media’s opinion and is substantially influenced by it.

Improving Science literacy through interdisciplinary collaboration using media reported science.

The capability to respond critically to science in the news is recognised as one aspect of science literacy. Consequently, science-related news reports are an essential resource for science teachers wishing to promote critical reading as the foundation of a critical response to media reported science. Consequently Science education in schools should prepare students to engage with informal sources of science, including news media, in the world beyond formal science education. An interest in science news media is not limited to the science specialist. Science news provides an authentic context for teachers of science and English to collaborate in promoting interdisciplinary learning. The challenges of using science related news, as a context for cross-curricular collaboration, highlight the professional development needs of both science and English teachers working in this context. This qualitative study with over 150 pupils involved secondary school science and English teachers working collaboratively using media reported science resources and collated data from interviews, pre and post intervention tasks, pupils’ classwork and teacher notes. The outcomes of the project showed pupil engagement and greater capacity to carry knowledge and skills across traditional subject boundaries. Teachers reported increased understanding of the pedagogy of the alternative subject specialist and increased confidence to move outside their subject in order to facilitate pupil learning. This study would suggest that adopting an interdisciplinary approach could enhance learning for pupils and increase the confidence and capability of teachers. Additionally teachers’ engagement in professional conversations focusing on pupil progress was noteworthy.

Revealing Cultural Ecosystem Services through Instagram Images : The Potential of Social Media Volunteered Geographic Information for Urban Green Infrastructure Planning and Governance

With the prevalence of smartphones, new ways of engaging citizens and stakeholders in urban planning and govern-ance are emerging. The technologies in smartphones allow citizens to act as sensors of their environment, producing and sharing rich spatial data useful for new types of collaborative governance set-ups. Data derived from Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) can support accessible, transparent, democratic, inclusive, and locally-based governance situations of interest to planners, citizens, politicians, and scientists. However, there are still uncertainties about how to actually conduct this in practice. This study explores how social media VGI can be used to document spatial tendencies regarding citizens’ uses and perceptions of urban nature with relevance for urban green space governance. Via the hashtag #sharingcph, created by the City of Copenhagen in 2014, VGI data consisting of geo-referenced images were collected from Instagram, categorised according to their content and analysed according to their spatial distribution patterns. The results show specific spatial distributions of the images and main hotspots. Many possibilities and much potential of using VGI for generating, sharing, visualising and communicating knowledge about citizens’ spatial uses and preferences exist, but as a tool to support scientific and democratic interaction, VGI data is challenged by practical, technical and ethical concerns. More research is needed in order to better understand the usefulness and application of this rich data source to governance.

Heat transfer rates for cross flow of water through a tube bank at high Reynolds numbers.

Mode of access: Internet.

Possibilities and problems of teaching the history of the present time through media and information literacy.

Le système éducatif encourage une histoire positiviste, ordonnée, unilatérale et universelle; par l´incorporation de le découpage chronologique de l´histoire en quatre étapes. Mais, est-ce qu´il serait posible que les élèves puissent étudier leur propre présent? Mon commuication poursuit d´exposer, comme Saab affirmait, le présent est “le point de départ et d´arrivée de l´enseignement de l´histoire détermine les allers et les retours au passé”. La façon d´approcher l´enseignement de l´histoire est confortable. Il n´y a pas de questions, il n´y a pas de discussions. Cette vision de l´histoire interprétée par l´homme blancoccidental-hétérosexuel s´inscrit dans le projet de la modernité du Siècle des Lumières. Par conséquent, cette histoire obvie que nous vivons dans una société postmoderne de la suspicion, de la pensée débile. En ce qui concerne la problématique autour de la pollution audiovisuelle et la façon dont les enseignants et les élèves sont quotidiennement confrontés à ce problème. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de réfléchir à la question de l´enseignement de l´histoire quadripartite. Actuellement, les médias et les nouvelles technologies sont en train de changer la vie de l´humanité. Il est indispensable que l´élève connaisse son histoire presente et les scénarioshistoriques dans l´avenir. Je pense en la nécessité d´adopter une didactique de l’histoire presente et par conséquent, nous devons utiliser la maîtrise des médias et de l´information. Il faut une formation des enseignants que pose, comme Gadamer a dit: “le passé y le présent se trouvent par une négociation permanente”. Una formation des enseignants qui permette de comprendre et penser l´histoire future / les histoires futures. À mon avis, si les élèves comprennent la complexité de leur monde et leurs multiples visions, les élèves seront plus tolérantes et empathiques.

Influence of free-radical functionalization on non-woven filtering media for medical application

Nowadays the leukodepletion is one of the most important processes done on the blood in order to reduce the risk of transfusion diseases. It can be performed through different techniques but the most popular one is the filtration due to its simplicity and efficiency. This work aims at improving a current commercial product, by developing a new filter based on Fenton-type reaction to cross-link a hydrogel on to the base material. The filters for leukodepletion are preferably made through the melt flow technique resulting in a non-woven tissue; the functionalization should increase the stability of the filter restricting the extraction of substances to minimum amount when in contact with blood. Through the modification the filters can acquire new properties including wettability, surface charge and good resistance to the extractions. The most important for leukodepletion is the surface charge due to the nature of the filtration process. All the modified samples results have been compared to the commercial product. Three different polymers (A, B and C) have been studied for the filter modifications and every modified filter has been tested in order to determine its properties.

Analysis and optimisation of books flow among branches through simulation: the case of Trondheim’s Public Library

Il presente lavoro di tesi verte sull’analisi e l’ottimizzazione dei flussi di libri generati tra le diverse sedi della biblioteca pubblica, Trondheim folkebibliotek, situata a Trondheim, città del nord norvegese. La ricerca si inserisce nell’ambito di un progetto pluriennale, SmartLIB, che questa sta intraprendendo con l’università NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology. L’obiettivo di questa tesi è quello di analizzare possibili soluzioni per ottimizzare il flusso di libri generato dagli ordini dei cittadini. Una prima fase di raccolta ed analisi dei dati è servita per avere le informazioni necessarie per procedere nella ricerca. Successivamente è stata analizzata la possibilità di ridurre i flussi andando ad associare ad ogni dipartimento la quantità di copie necessarie per coprire il 90% della domanda, seguendo la distribuzione di Poisson. In seguito, sono state analizzate tre soluzioni per ottimizzare i flussi generati dai libri, il livello di riempimento dei box ed il percorso del camion che giornalmente visita tutte le sedi della libreria. Di supporto per questo secondo studio è stato il Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). Un modello simulativo è stato creato su Anylogic ed utilizzato per validare le soluzioni proposte. I risultati hanno portato a proporre delle soluzioni per ottimizzare i flussi complessivi, riducendo il delay time di consegna dei libri del 50%, ad una riduzione del 53% del flusso di box e ad una conseguente aumento del 44% del tasso di riempimento di ogni box. Possibili future implementazioni delle soluzioni trovate corrispondono all’installazione di una nuova Sorting Machine nella sede centrale della libreria ed all’implementazione sempre in quest’ultima di un nuovo schedule giornaliero.