Search

Rapport and rapport-building are fundamental building blocks of the sales process. As part of the approach in personal selling, as well as a relationship-building mechanism, rapport allows salespeople to facilitate customer engagement. This paper reviews and synthesizes articles over four decades of research on rapport and rapport-building within buyer-seller relationships to provide insight into the gaps in the current literature and provide an overarching conceptual model of where rapport research stands. This analysis of the research from theoretical and methodological perspectives identifies three major themes in the existing literature and offers five gaps where the literature should grow going forward. Building on these gaps, we identify an agenda for future research that extends knowledge in this domain, particularly as salespeople grapple with changing digital communications and relationship-building in virtual spaces with customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital image steganography serves as a technology facilitating covert communication through digital images by subtly incorporating secret data into a cover image. This practice poses a potential threat, as criminals exploit steganography to transmit illicit content, thereby jeopardizing information security. Consequently, it becomes imperative to implement defensive strategies against steganographic techniques. This paper proposes a novel defense mechanism termed "image vaccine" to safeguard digital images from steganography. The process of "vaccinating" an image renders it immune to steganographic manipulation. Notably, when criminals attempt to embed secret data into vaccinated images, the presence of such hidden information can be detected with a 100% probability, ensuring the consistent identification of stego images. This proactive approach enables the interception of stego image transmission, thereby neutralizing covert communication channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As a consequence of continuing demand for additional capacity and higher quality data transmission, channel coding as a key component of a digital communication network has progressed from a classical single pair, point‐to‐point information theoretic application to a class of coding techniques with diverse parameters. The heterogeneous requirements of B5G/6G networks technology have made flexibility of code parameters the main desired feature while designing channel codes. Owing to this, channel coding techniques have evolved to support enabling applications that depend on different factors such as latency, reliability, energy efficiency and throughput. We review and discuss the application of new techniques, modifications in the design and construction of modern channel coding schemes, including block, convolutional, rateless and space‐time codes. Further, the error correction performance of mainstream channel decoders for LDPC, polar and turbo codes is compared and analysed for their attainable error rate. The aim of this study is to highlight the adaptability of the discussed coding schemes for the forthcoming cellular network landscape. This article also addresses the implementational challenges of high throughput, low latency and machine type communication scenarios. Moreover, some recent studies exploring the role of machine learning for optimisation of B5G/6G networks are classified and discussed. Concluding, research areas pertaining to the scalability of error control coding for next generation networking are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As digital platforms that expand opportunities to create, distribute, and access content online, social media are transforming the policing landscape. While scholars have considered social media's contradictory effects on police services' public image and operational capacity, less is known about how patterns of technological use are reported within the mainstream press. Employing a mixed-methods content analysis, this article assesses how Canadian newspapers framed the policing-social media relationship over a 15-year period, and how such representations can affect public opinion and policy. It finds, despite minor fluctuations over time and across outlets, news organizations prioritized police perspectives and offered overwhelmingly favourable assessments with social media being constructed as a valuable tool of crime prevention and control. The broader implications of these findings for perceptions of law enforcement and relations between the news media and institutional power are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A digital twin (DT) is a virtual/digital model of any physical object (physical twin), interconnected through data exchange. In the context of Industry 4.0, DTs are integral to intelligent automation driving innovation at scale by providing significant improvements in precision, flexibility, and real-time responsiveness. A critical challenge in developing DTs is achieving a model that reflects real-time conditions with precision and flexibility. This paper focuses on evaluating latency and accuracy, key metrics for assessing the efficacy of a DT, which often hinder scalability and adaptability in robotic applications. This article presents a comprehensive framework for developing DTs using Unity and Robot Operating System (ROS) as the main layers of digitalization and communication. The MoveIt package was used for motion planning and execution for the robotic arm, showcasing the framework's versatility independent of proprietary constraints. Leveraging the versatility and open-source nature of these tools, the framework ensures interoperability, adaptability, and scalability, crucial for modern smart manufacturing applications. Our approach was validated by conducting extensive accuracy and latency tests. We measured latency by timestamping messages exchanged between the physical and digital twin, achieving a latency of 77.67 ms. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the joint positions of the DT and the physical robotic arm over multiple cycles, resulting in an accuracy rate of 99.99%. The results highlight the potential of DTs in enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making in manufacturing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the posting strategies of CEOs of Latin American companies on LinkedIn and their impact on engagement. It examines activity levels and types of presence, and engagement rates. Based on a quantitative analysis, the results reveal that executives in this region have a significantly lower frequency of posting on LinkedIn compared to the averages recommended by experts. Regarding the type of presence, CEOs are “content creators” and mainly post their own content. The engagement analysis shows discrepancies between own and hybrid posts. Due to the originality of own content, it receives better engagement rates than hybrid posts. The findings reveal that most Latin American CEOs adopt a “passive funnel” posting strategy on LinkedIn, which is characterized by low activity and own content. It is striking that CEOs with a more passive approach tend to have higher engagement rates compared to those with a more active approach. From these findings it is clear that, although authentic content generates interaction, CEOs should take advantage of the potential of shared publications, which are characterized by fostering dialogue based on content with diverse perspectives, a particular feature of the actors and institutions of the business environment. This research assesses the potential of CEOs as institutional communicators and provides methodological guidelines for academics and professionals in charge of the publication strategies of organizations and managers in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To report on the design of a novel 3D-printed retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) benchtop trainer and detail its validation against real-life experiences. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files of 2 patients with normal computed tomography of the kidney and bladder were converted into stereolithography files to create 3D triangular mesh models. These images were further refined using Autodesk Meshmixer. These 3D models were fabricated through additive manufacturing, a process commonly known as 3D printing, and assembled in a polypropylene case. After development, the model was validated by 40 experienced urologists and urology residents in their final year of training. They were asked to rate the components of the simulation using a 9-point questionnaire. The model's value in understanding the principles of RIRS and simulating contextual anatomy had mean scores of 9.43 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.74) and 9.21 (SD = 1.03), respectively. Mean scores for specific steps in RIRS were 8.07 (SD 1.47) for cannulating the ureteric orifice, 8.61 (SD 1.24) for inserting the ureteric access sheath, 9.29 (SD 0.97) for performing a renoscopy and evaluating all the calyces, 9.46 (SD 0.87) for laser lithotripsy, and 9.17 (SD 0.94) for manual stone retrieval. Participants scored the model with a mean score of 9.04 (SD 0.87) regarding realism and a mean score of 9.18 (SD 0.89) when evaluating its ability to enhance a trainee's confidence in RIRS. The model performed well for all components of RIRS. This model allows high fidelity of the simulation and is cost-effective, portable, durable, reusable, and compatible with standard ureteroscopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automation is a defining feature of today's societies—not only since ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI) have accomplished to produce yet another wave of hype. This essay introduces a special issue on automation and communication in the digital society. It aims to study how subjectivity, agency, and empowerment become defined and reconfigured in novel human–machine encounters and, more broadly, in societies which in large parts are kept going and sustained by complex digital infrastructures. The issue includes contributions from a wide array of disciplines and perspectives and engages with conditions, contexts, and consequences of automation in very different settings ranging from journalism to self-service hotels, and from social movements in Hong Kong to the Russian Invasion to the Ukraine. The articles offer critical perspectives on the transition of human activity into machine operations, and back, as well on the social dynamics changing and emerging in increasingly digitized and datafied societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous literature has associated math literacy with linguistic factors such as verbal ability and phonological skills. However, few studies have investigated linguistic synchrony, shown in mathematical discussions. This study modelled math literacy and examined the relationship of math literacy with linguistic synchrony between students and facilitators. We retrieved data from 20,776 online mathematical discussion threads at a secondary school level. First, we assessed students' math literacy based on their discussions and classified them into high‐ and low‐math literacy groups. Then, we conducted Cross‐Recurrence Quantification Analysis (CRQA) to calculate linguistic synchrony within each thread. The result implies that students with high math literacy are more likely to share common words (eg, mathematical terms) with facilitators. At the same time, they would paraphrase the facilitators' words rather than blindly mimic them as the exact sentences or phrases. On the other hand, students with low math literacy tend to use overlapping words with facilitators less frequently and are more likely to repeat the exact same phrases from the facilitators. The findings provide an empirical data analysis and insights into mathematical discussions and linguistic synchrony. In addition, this paper implies the directions to improve online mathematical discussions and foster math literacy. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Mathematical discussions are known to be an effective way to promote math literacy.Math literacy and linguistic skills have a strong link.Linguistic synchrony is related to better collaboration and common knowledge building.What this paper adds Reveals the relationship between math literacy and linguistic synchrony and deepens the understanding of digital communication in online learning environments.Provides empirical analysis of natural language data in group discussions using CRQA.Conceptualizes linguistic synchrony with three sub‐concepts: linguistic concurrence, predictability, and complexity.Implications for practice and/or policy Educators and practitioners could utilize the automatic formative assessment of math literacy based on the student's language use in mathematical discussions.Educational technology researchers and designers could include CRQA indices and recurrence plots in the dashboard design to provide information to support teachers and learners.Teachers would be able to provide real‐time interventions to promote effective mathematical communication and foster math literacy throughout mathematical discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS), this study examines the impact of closed-minded communication in the secondary digital information market in crisis situations where controversial issues about large corporations can unduly deteriorate the relationship between the business and publics. A combination model was constructed to examine the influence of the situational antecedents of STOPS and the conspiracy orientation on selective forfending. An analysis of online survey data (N = 700) revealed the influences of conspiracy orientation and factors other than problem recognition were significant among the factors for problem situations. Publics was subdivided into "non-conspiracy theorists," "conspiracy theorists," and "situational problem solvers" groups with the "conspiracy theorist" group performing selective forfending of business ethics issue information, engaging in the most prominent degree of acquisition and transmission of the information among the groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on repression in social movement studies focuses mainly on protest behavior and neglects other aspects of activism. This paper expands this literature by looking at how surveillance as a covert form of repression affects organizational practices in social movements. The secessionist mobilizations around the 1 October 2017 referendum in Catalonia serve as a case study to explore this question. Semi-structured interviews with organizers from the Catalan independence movement were used to identify two surveillance threats. Organizers feared the monitoring of their digital communication and the infiltration of their assemblies. They responded to these threats with five moves of counter-surveillant organizing: encryption, face-to-face communication, analogizing meetings, committee decision making, and closingoff assemblies. How organizers perceived surveillance and responded was closely connected to the cyclical dynamics of contention over time. The five moves allowed the movement to resist surveillance at least in the short term without moderating their claims or going underground. However, they were also harmful to the Catalan independence movement's organizing culture based on inclusivity and horizontality. These findings suggest that the consequences of repression for social movements go well beyond protest behavior and have a profound impact on their organizational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Norwegian educational policy documents construct an overarching role for the teacher as the main party responsible for inclusion in the parent-school cooperation, there are conflicts in the associated discourses on language and inclusion. This can lead to uncertainties in terms of the teachers' responsibilities for inclusion in the parent-teacher interaction. This paper considers some of the constraints and ambivalences experienced by teachers in multilingual contexts, and more precisely investigates the subject positions made available through political and societal discourses and locally emerging teacher discourses. Examining parent-teacher interaction in both online and offline contexts, the study is guided by the following research question: How do Norwegian teachers construct their roles and responsibilities for inclusive language practices with parents who have Norwegian as an additional language? The analysis shows that the teachers' values concerning inclusive practices open up for an asset-orientation towards multilingualism. However, the potentials of these discourses of ideals are curbed by monolingual ideologies due to the lack of awareness, and of material, institutional and relational support. These constraints seem to be more prominent in the digitally mediated interaction than in face-to-face meetings, which deserves our attention as we know that parent-school interaction increasingly takes place via digital channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates resilience processes in the context of identity-based discrimination through the lens of the communication theory of resilience (CTR). Participants enacted all CTR processes delineated in the theory utilizing both in-person and online communication when facing six identity-related triggers. Participants described how social media, virtual tools, and online communities empowered them to adapt each communicative resilience (CR) process digitally, particularly when feeling unsafe in face-to-face interactions. Utilizing thematic co-occurrence analysis, we identified relationships within triggers and CR processes, both in person (maintaining networks, productive action, and alternative logics) and online (crafting normalcy, affirming identity anchors, and maintaining networks). These findings offer valuable insights into resilience strategies across communication channels for individuals navigating identity-based disruptions. The findings also illuminate the intricate interplay of triggers, CR processes, and communication channels in response to identity-based discrimination, underscoring the need for a holistic understanding of the vital role of building resilience both in-person and online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent development of tele-diagnosis and tele-medicine, the amount of medical images transferred through the network has been tremendously increased. These medical images are usually in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format. The need of solutions for authentication and confidentiality of such data is critical. This paper proposes a zero-watermarking approach of DICOM images authentication and identification. The novelty of the proposed approach relies on two main points. The first one is the selection approach of image features, called pertinent features, which are used for identification. These features are selected from a large set of image characteristics, using a statistical analysis approach that aims to select the minimal discriminant set of features with the highest resistance against existing attacks. The second one is the key building process based on the combination of information extracted from the header of the DICOM images, pertinent features and a Jacobian model. This key is the one sent to the receiver for the authentication of the medical image. The experiment results show that the proposed approach has very good performance in terms of authentication and identification of medical images and satisfies timing-constraints of medical applications such as telemedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transfer: Zeitschrift für Kommunikation & Markenmanagement is the property of Deutsche Werbewissenschaftliche Gesellschaft and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To solve the problem that the available spectrum resources of L-band digital aeronautic communication system (LDACS) are limited and vulnerable to interference from high-power distance measuring equipment (DME) signals, a spectrum sensing method based on reduced dimension cyclic spectrum and residual neural network is proposed. Firstly, the cyclic spectrum characteristics of DME signal are analyzed theoretically. Then Fisher discriminant rate (FDR) is used to extract the vector with the highest cycle frequency energy, and the pre-processing features are enhanced by principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, the process of combining the cyclic spectral vector and convolutional neural network after data processing is given, and the effective detection of DME signal is achieved. Simulation results show that the method in not sensitive to noise, and the average detection probability is greater than 90% when the signal-to-noise ratio is no less than -15 dB. When the signal-to-noise ratio is not less than -14 dB, the detection probability is dose to 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Food marketing has long been recognized to influence food preferences, consumption and health, yet little is known about the nature and extent of food marketing to young adults – especially with respect to their real-world encounters with food marketing and the appeals they find persuasive. This study aims to engage young adults to explore the persuasive power of food marketing and its platforms of exposure. Design/methodology/approach: Participatory research with 45 young adults, who used a specially designed mobile app to capture the food marketing they encountered for seven days, including information on brand, product, platform and "power" (i.e. the specific techniques that made the advertisement persuasive). Findings: A total of 618 ads were captured for analysis. Results revealed the dominance of digital platforms (especially Instagram, comprising 43% of ads), fast food and beverage brands (48% of ads) and the top persuasive techniques of visual style, special offer and theme. Originality/value: This study uniquely draws from framing theory to advance the notions of selection and salience to understand food marketing power. It is the first study of its kind to provide a comprehensive look at the platforms and persuasive techniques of food marketing to adults as selected, captured and tagged by participants. It provides timely insights into young adults and food marketing to adults, including where it is encountered, the (generally unhealthy) brands and products promoted and how it is made meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of people spend hours on social media platforms every day. While there are numerous known benefits of social media, hate speech and abusive language on social media platforms have become an increasingly serious social problem affecting individuals and societies' psychological state. Detecting and preventing hate speech and abusive language is a crucial task for healthy and safety digital communication. To overcome this important social problem, we propose four various deep learning and pre-trained models: (i) Ensemble deep learning model, (ii) Multilingual BERT model, (iii) Arabic BERT model, and (iv) ALBERT model to detect hate speech and abusive language in Arabic text. To that end, we utilized the L-HSAB Arabic dataset to build our models, and we utilized the OSACT dataset to evaluate the generalizability of our model's architecture. Our model tackles two classification tasks: a binary classification and a multiclass classification task. Our Arabic Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)-based model achieved the best performance on the binary classification task with an F1-score of 90.8%. While our Multilingual BET-based model obtained the best result on the multi-class classification task with an F1-score of 80.0%. Finally, the generalizability experiment of our best-performing mod-el on the binary classification task achieved an F1-score of 90.2% on the OSACT dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We examine the effect of digital financial reporting on firm productivity. Information frictions represent a constraint that impedes efficient resource allocation and a major source of such frictions stems from the fact that firms' production functions (the conversion from inputs to outputs) are not observable to corporate outsiders. Digital communication of corporate financial data fundamentally changes how firm-specific information is disclosed, released, and disseminated by mitigating information asymmetry between corporate insiders and outsiders and facilitates the processing of such information. We use the staggered implementation of the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval (EDGAR) system to investigate the impact of digital financial reporting on firms' productivity. We show that the implementation of EDGAR results in an economically meaningful and statistically significant increase on firms' productivity, measured by total factor productivity (TFP). By focusing on the role of information dissemination in coordinating investments and production, our findings provide evidence on the real effects of "going digital" in corporate reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to strengthen data security and establish credibility using novel cryptography-based techniques in the context of the digital revolution in the water resource and hydropower development industry. Protecting sensitive data and guaranteeing the confidentiality of digital assets becomes crucial as the sector depends more and more on digital technology for communication, monitoring, and project management. The goal of this work is to create developed cryptographic protocols and structures that have been tailored to the needs of the water resources and hydropower industry. This study offers a thorough investigation into the use of cryptographic methods to tackle the difficulties presented by the digital construction surroundings in these projects. The research process combines algorithm creation, theoretical advancements, and real-world application. The efficiency and viability of the suggested cryptographic approaches in resolving trust and security issues intrinsic in digital building environments will be evaluated using actual-life scenarios and simulations. The results of this study should offer a strong basis for improving data security, reliability, and integrity in digital construction projects related to water resources and hydropower. Through the development of cryptography techniques specifically suited to this vital infrastructure industry, the research helps to build digital ecosystems that are resilient and secure, which is important for the sustainable growth of hydropower and water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Structured medication reviews (SMRs), introduced in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020, aim to enhance shared decision-making in medication optimisation, particularly for patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Despite its potential, there is limited empirical evidence on the implementation of SMRs, and the challenges faced in the process. This study is part of a larger DynAIRx (Artificial Intelligence for dynamic prescribing optimisation and care integration in multimorbidity) project which aims to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) to SMRs and develop machine learning models and visualisation tools for patients with multimorbidity. Here, we explore how SMRs are currently undertaken and what barriers are experienced by those involved in them. Methods: Qualitative focus groups and semi-structured interviews took place between 2022–2023. Six focus groups were conducted with doctors, pharmacists and clinical pharmacologists (n = 21), and three patient focus groups with patients with multimorbidity (n = 13). Five semi-structured interviews were held with 2 pharmacists, 1 trainee doctor, 1 policy-maker and 1 psychiatrist. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two key themes limiting the effectiveness of SMRs in clinical practice were identified: 'Medication Reviews in Practice' and 'Medication-related Challenges'. Participants noted limitations to the efficient and effectiveness of SMRs in practice including the scarcity of digital tools for identifying and prioritising patients for SMRs; organisational and patient-related challenges in inviting patients for SMRs and ensuring they attend; the time-intensive nature of SMRs, the need for multiple appointments and shared decision-making; the impact of the healthcare context on SMR delivery; poor communication and data sharing issues between primary and secondary care; difficulties in managing mental health medications and specific challenges associated with anticholinergic medication. Conclusion: SMRs are complex, time consuming and medication optimisation may require multiple follow-up appointments to enable a comprehensive review. There is a need for a prescribing support system to identify, prioritise and reduce the time needed to understand the patient journey when dealing with large volumes of disparate clinical information in electronic health records. However, monitoring the effects of medication optimisation changes with a feedback loop can be challenging to establish and maintain using current electronic health record systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research emphasizes social media's potential for citizens to express shared grievances. In active conflict, however, social media posts indicating political loyalties can pose severe risks to civilians. We develop a theory that explains how civilians modify their online behavior as part of efforts to improve their security during conflict. After major changes in territorial control, civilians should be more likely to post positive content, and more content that supports the winning side. We study social media behavior during and after the siege of Aleppo in November 2016. We match Aleppo‐based Twitter users with users from other parts of Syria and use large language models to analyze changes in online behavior after the regime's retaking of the city. Results show that users in Aleppo post more positive and pro‐Assad content, but only when self‐disclosing their location. The findings have important implications for our understanding of digital communication in civil conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Against the odds: social media and resistance" by Zeena Feldman discusses the book "Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media" by Rosalind Gill. The book explores the complex relationship between technology, representation, and gender, focusing on the experiences of young women in the age of social media. Feldman reflects on the book's themes of resistance and the impossibility of disconnecting from social media. The article highlights the oppressive nature of choice in the social media age, where young women face constant pressure to perform and conform. It also discusses the challenges of systemic change and the capitalist influence on digital culture. Despite the difficulties, the article emphasizes the importance of resistance and the need to disrupt the current technosocial system. [Extracted from the article]

In modern society, with the improvement of people's living standards, the requirements for indoor living environment are also increasing. With its advantages of high speed, high stability, low latency, and large capacity, 5G communication technology achieves a more intelligent, comfortable, and safe indoor environment through intelligent and digital means, which provides the possibility for indoor design to become a new, interactive, and experiential indoor design. This article aimed to explore interactive spatial experiential interior design based on 5G communication. This article explored how to create more comfortable, convenient, and efficient indoor spaces through digital and intelligent methods, and compared them with traditional methods in terms of transmission speed, visualization effects, intelligent interactivity, and spatial fidelity. The experimental results showed that in terms of intelligent interactivity, the maximum and minimum intelligent control sensitivity scores of the five devices under 5G communication technology were 8.74 and 6.31 respectively; the maximum value of response speed score was 8.60 and the minimum value was 6.07; the maximum value of stability score was 8.79 and the minimum value was 6.08; the average scores were 7.69, 7.39, and 7.49, respectively; compared to traditional methods, intelligent interactivity was better. The interactive spatial experiential interior design based on 5G communication can better create a more comfortable, pleasant, and convenient indoor space, and enhance users' perception and interactive experience in the indoor space, thereby meeting users' needs for the living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Increasing global migration and (im)mobilities are affecting the provision of aged care in transnational families. Such families rely on digital communication technologies like WhatsApp to manage and maintain aged care obligations across borders. This study investigates the role of WhatsApp family groups in enabling transnational families to manage transnational aged care from a distance. I draw on interviews with three transnational family constellations with members in the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. The study finds that WhatsApp family groups create a virtual home where Zimbabwean transnational families can plan, organise and deliver care to their ageing parents. However, managing transnational aged care through WhatsApp family groups can also pose problems, especially for migrants pressured to remit. Furthermore, gendered assumptions of care and asymmetrical power relationships entrenched in families are reinforced. The study contributes to the literature on transnational care and new technologies, providing a Zimbabwean perspective on co‐presence and mediated aged care practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emojis are widely used on social media, blogs, and instant messaging to express users' feelings. However, in everyday interactions, the same emoji often has different interpretations and aesthetic preferences among different age groups. This can lead to communication barriers and misunderstandings. Based on social identity theory, this study uses WeChat, a social platform popular in China, to analyze intergenerational differences in emoji understanding and preferences through a questionnaire survey. The results indicate: (1) There are significant intergenerational differences in the usage habits, interpretation, and aesthetic preferences of emojis. (2) Middle-aged and elderly tend to interpret goodbye emoji symbols as simple emotional expressions, such as "goodbye" or "see you later," while younger-age groups lean towards more complex emotions and social intentions, such as "speechlessness" and "end of friendship." (3) Youngerage groups use emojis frequently and with a wide variety, whereas middle-aged and elderly groups use emojis less frequently and with limited variety. Younger individuals' aesthetic preferences for emojis lean towards humor, conflict, and narrative, whereas middle-aged and elderly groups prefer emojis with bright colors and everyday greetings typical of their generation. Based on research findings, we believe that social identity theory provides a framework for understanding how individuals establish their identities through interactions with specific social groups. This study is beneficial for identifying the comprehension and aesthetic biases in emoji usage across generations, sheds light on the broader implications of social identity theory in digital communication contexts, and promotes friendly social interactions in real-time communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond 5G networks provide solutions for next-generation communications, especially digital twins networks (DTNs) have gained increasing popularity for bridging physical and digital space. However, current DTNs pose some challenges, especially when applied to scenarios that require efficient and multimodal data processing. Firstly, current DTNs are limited in communication and computational efficiency, since they require to transmit large amounts of raw data collected from physical sensors, as well as to ensure model synchronization through high-frequency computation. Second, current models of DTNs are domain-specific (e.g. E-health), making it difficult to handle DT scenarios with multimodal data processing requirements. Finally, current security schemes for DTNs introduce additional overheads that impair the efficiency. Against the above challenges, we propose a large language model (LLM) empowered DTNs framework, LLM-Twin. First, based on LLM, we propose digital twin semantic networks (DTSNs), which enable more efficient communication and computation. Second, we design a mini-giant model collaboration scheme, which enables efficient deployment of LLM in DTNs and is adapted to handle multimodal data. Then, we designed a native security policy for LLM-twin without compromising efficiency. Numerical experiments and case studies demonstrate the feasibility of LLM-Twin. To our knowledge, this is the first to propose an LLM-based semantic-level DTNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global – albeit uneven – nature of the Covid-19 pandemic has heralded changes that shape and reshape ethnoscapes, technoscapes, finanscapes, ideoscapes, mediascapes (Appadurai 1996) [Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press] and linguascapes (Pennycook 2003) [“Global Englishes, Rip Slyme and Performativity.” Journal of Sociolinguistics 7 (4): 513–533]. It is unsurprising then that the papers in this Special Issue show how contradictions have become commonsensical in the post-Covid landscape. Agency runs as an overarching theme across the papers in diverse forms: the reassigning of primary responsibility for health to individuals by authorities (Huang); the undertaking of active surveillance of the self and others (Leppänen); increasing agency through digital technology and multimodal repertoires (Ou and Maelström); and activism in the form of positive digital citizenship (Jiang) or online and offline political activism and protest (Silva and Lopes). Intertwined with this theme of agency, a number of areas emerge: the issue of personalisation or individualisation in digital communication; the increasing multi-modality and in particular the creative move from remediation to resemiotisation, benign and malignant; the role of surveillance, in terms of the policing of order, maintenance of behaviour and control of the self and others, and of explicit groups by official authorities; and the hierarchies and inequalities in terms of the uneven experience of the pandemic and its ongoing effects and activist responses to this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeDesignFindingsResearch implicationsPractical implicationsOriginality\nSUMMARY STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONTo explore the role played by DCT, SM, and CRM through customer knowledge, and market knowledge in the sales performance of a salesforce, and their economic and non-economic satisfaction in B2B sales.A total of 66 B2B Norwegian companies out of 69 participated in this study. A questionnaire with an introduction letter was sent to 356 sellers, and 216 valid questionnaires were used for this study, generating a net response rate of 60.6%. The approach followed was deductive.The results have both purified and simplified the structural relationships in the nomological framework initially posited. The triadic exploration of digital communication tools (DCT), social media (SM), and CRM-solutions (CRM) in relation to customer and market knowledge, the sales performance of a salesforce and their economic and non-economic satisfaction in B2B sales, yield complementary insights to existing theory and previous research.The combined focus on the effect of acquiring customer knowledge and obtaining market knowledge through DCT, SM, and CRM on the sales performance of a salesforce in B2B sales has important implications. The results have simultaneous implications regarding the role of customer and market knowledge through DCT, SM, and CRM in B2B sales.DCT, SM, and CRM enable a salesforce to stay updated and maintain contacts with existing customers, and also facilitate updates, and to getting in contact with potential customers. DCT, SM, and CRM may enable a salesforce to acquire additional information about existing and potential customers. DCT, SM, and CRM may enable a salesforce to obtain more information about the market. Customer and market knowledge may also become more accessible through peers, superiors, or other informants.Contributes to enhancing our understanding of the role of digital communication tools (DCT), social media (SM), and CRM solutions (CRM) through customer knowledge and market knowledge on sales performance in B2B sales. It also contributes to enhancing the understanding of a salesforce’s economic and non-economic satisfaction in B2B sales through DCT, SM, and CRM. The results clarify the structural characteristics between a salesforce’s customer and market knowledge, their sales performance, and economic as well as non-economic satisfaction in B2B sales.This study contributes to knowledge on the role of digital communication tools (DCT), social media (SM), and CRM-solutions (CRM) through customer knowledge and market knowledge on sales performance in B2B sales. It also contributes to the knowledge of salesforces’ economic and non-economic satisfaction through DCT, SM, and CRM. It provides empirical evidence on the structural properties between salesforces’ customer and market knowledge, their sales performance, and economic as well as non-economic satisfaction in B2B sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stochastic generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation (SGNLSE) of third order in the Stratonovich sense is examined here. New elliptic, hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational stochastic solutions are obtained using a modified mapping method. Because the GNLSE is extensively used in nonlinear optical phenomena, optical fiber communication systems, communication and heat pulse propagation in materials, the obtained solutions may be used to study a broad range of relevant physical phenomena. In order to interpret the effects of multiplicative noise, the dynamic performances of the various obtained solutions are displayed utilizing 3-D and 2-D graphs. We infer that multiplicative noise impacts and stabilizes the behavior of SGNLSE solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The intraoral scanner represents an important innovation in the world of dentistry, capable of transforming and digitizing conventional workflows and significantly improving communication with the patient, especially in pediatric age. The aim of this study is to investigate how digital dentistry, using the intraoral scanner, can interact in the communicative trinomial dentist–pediatric patient–parents and how this tool can be useful in communicating and understanding the received message. The value of the introduction of digital dentistry on communication schemes is evaluated by administering a questionnaire of 17 questions. A sample of 100 children aged between 6 and 12 years was studied. Of the sample of children/parents included in the study, 50 were re-examined 4 weeks after the first visit to re-administer the questionnaire. Internal consistency, assessed through Cronbach's alpha, was adequate, being alpha equal to 0.728. Test–retest reliability was assessed with Cohen's kappa index for dichotomous variables (percentage of agreement was >85.71%), and for the discrete variables it was assessed with the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). The reliability was moderate (0.5 < ICC < 0.75) for Q4, Q9, Q11 and Q1; for the other answers, the reliability was poor (ICC < 0.5) and not statistically significant. The digital approach is confirmed not only as a powerful innovation from an engineering or clinical point of view, but also as a useful tool for a more effective communication in the approach to pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuiyang-ST2000 is a deep-towed multichannel seismic system that provides high-resolution exploration of sub-seabed geological formations. Due to the uncertainty of the sound speed at full ocean depth, the travel-time positioning of sea surface reflected waves still has flaws in positioning arrays. This research reveals that the average sound speed of seawater selected for computing the array position only affects the vertical displacement of the arrays. thus, a polynomial fitting method is proposed to position the arrays. Because the nonuniform mass distribution complicates the array shape, first, the weight of the digital transmission unit is balanced by one designed floater so that the array shape becomes a simple convex curve during towing conditions. Afterward, one general sound speed is used to calculate the initial array position; then, the polynomial fitting method is used to tune the sound speed so that the seismic source and hydrophones are on the same convex curve. Finally, an accurate array position is calculated by the proposed positioning method, and the submarine shallow strata are imaged at a high resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current digital era, images have become one of the key channels for communication and information. There are multiple platforms where digital images are used as an essential identity, like social media platforms, chat applications, electronic and print media, medical science, forensics and criminal investigation, the court of law, and many more. Alternation of digital images becomes easy because multiple image editing software applications are accessible freely on the internet. These modified images can create severe problems in the field where the correctness of the image is essential. In such situations, the authenticity of the digital images from the bare eye is almost impossible. To prove the validity of the digital images, we have only one option: Digital Image Forensics (DIF). This study reviewed various image forgery and image forgery detection methods based on blind forgery detection techniques mainly. We describe the essential components of these approaches, as well as the datasets used to train and verify them. Performance analysis of these methods on various metrics is also discussed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Channel coding is the most significant part of every communication system. Future wireless systems will require extraordinary performance codes employing a low‐complication encoding process and decoding to accommodate scenarios ranging from effective throughput with low code rates for extended messages to high dependability for brief information messages with low code rates. The existence of digital transmission techniques that can communicate error‐free over a noisy channel is established by Shannon's channel theorem. Channel coding, however, increases communication dependability at the cost of higher computational costs and structured redundancy. The primary goals of the fifth‐generation cellular network (5G) are enhanced dependability, reduced redundancy, and decreased latency. Two promising communication systems for achieving this goal are LDPC codes and polar codes. The 3GPP, which established the 5G communication system, is reviewed in this paper, along with the encoding/decoding procedure and communication dependability. The encoding/decoding process will be evaluated using the three most studied communication channels: the Binary Erasure Channel (BEC), AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise), and the BSC (Binary Symmetric Channel). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weighted projective spaces are natural generalizations of projective spaces with a rich structure. Projective Reed–Muller codes are error-correcting codes that played an important role in reliably transmitting information on digital communication channels. In this case study, we explore the power of commutative and homological algebraic techniques to study weighted projective Reed–Muller (WPRM) codes on weighted projective spaces of the form ℙ(1, 1,b). We compute minimal free resolutions and thereby obtain Hilbert series for the vanishing ideal of the 픽q-rational points, and compute main parameters for these codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe paper explores the use of country-related stereotypes associated with Italian identity in the social media communication of 21 Italian fashion brands on Instagram. Focusing on the concept of “made in Italy”, the research employs image content analysis to identify how the selected sample of brands communicates Italian identity globally. The theoretical framework emphasizes the importance of the Country of Origin (COO) concept, indicating that “made in Italy” extends beyond a manufacturing label to encompass cultural, historical, and esthetic dimensions. The analysis reveals Italian fashion brands’ deliberate use of stereotypes, iconic objects, and cultural references to shape and reinforce Italian identity in their digital communication. It highlights the intertwining of these elements, contributing to a multifaceted narrative that extends beyond product promotion. Moreover, it underscores the role of social media, particularly Instagram, in enabling brands to project their Italian identity globally, perpetuating esthetics associated with the concept of “dolce vita”. The study emphasizes the importance of holistic brand communication and the powerful role of Instagram in shaping and reinforcing the global image of “made in Italy”. It also offers insights on utilizing stereotypes and cultural symbols to enhance brand identity, aligning with perceptions associated with Italian culture1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K-12 educators who engage their students in designing using digital technologies face the challenge of teaching the act of designing in classroom contexts, yet books and articles on the topic of design processes and methods tend to focus on the instruction of design strategies for adult learners rather than children. One framework, the Informed Design Teaching and Learning Matrix (Crismond and Adams, Journal of Engineering Education 101:738–797, 2012) does address dimensions of design practices and instructional approaches specifically within K-16 educational contexts, but it has yet to be revised based on empirical evidence. Using multiple case studies, we examined this framework against teacher perceptions of how design should be taught and the observed instructional practices of those secondary educators. We argue that refinement to the IDTL Matrix is warranted and suggest expanding the framework to include design strategies that address collaborative learning, peer communication, and the integration of digital and non-digital tools and materials. Such revisions to the IDTL Matrix would contribute to providing the best possible support to teachers who seek to develop their students' design strategies in classroom contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional media and contemporary digital communication platforms have been instrumental in developing environmental awareness and educating the general public about the entrenched dangers of ecoprecarity. Visual references like ecocinema, short films, documentaries and television series have shown how the Anthropocene is affecting the world and how important human‐centred survival models are. These visual references have played a big part in ecological knowledge and shown possible ways to use socio‐ecological practices. The present article critically analyses Kaala Paani, a contemporary Indian Hindi‐language survival drama seven‐episode television series, and foregrounds how this series not only represents the ecological issues we face but also fosters a stronger sense of ethical accountability towards the long‐term impact of our decisions and actions on the natural environment. Through its focus on dramatizing environmental toxins and the power of indigenous and tribal knowledge to fight them, the series effectively tells viewers about the harmful effects of illegally exploiting the environmental buffer zone and the results of capitalist‐driven developmentalism. The series also inspires them to recognize the overwhelming existence of nature that the discourse of the ‘Anthropocene’ has downplayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worker solidarity is a recurring theme in the digital labour debate. While recent studies of the on-demand platforms contribute to highlighting digital affordances in fostering solidarity among gig workers, few have explored how this works in depth and offered a theoretically informed evaluation of this potential. This study of Didi drivers in China fills this gap by looking at how agential practices amplify or constrain the effects of digital communication. We contribute to constructing a mediated framework of affordances for association, for discourse and for mobilisation to examine the process of fostering worker solidarity. Increasingly under structural constraints of platform control and state surveillance on labour activism, this article discloses the theoretical puzzle of 'solidarity in question' by rooting the agential practices firmly in the analysis of workers' gender, migratory status, work experience and critical media literacy, and how they intersect with the tactical appropriation of social media to create potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship has suggested the presence of website-delineated social identities within social media platforms, couched within the social identity model of deindividuation effects, and evidenced by distinct commenting patterns between networks. This study experimentally evaluated the possibility that Imgur users self-categorize and identify with an Imgur social identity, testing this hypothesis through the lens of in-group argumentation and attitudinal conformity. Specifically, this study presented persuasive messages to individuals reporting varying levels of Imgur identification and measured resulting attitudes, manipulating message context and the presence of message-reinforcing user comments. Findings support the proposition that users identify with the Imgur community, as high-identifiers exhibited greater message processing and normative attitude change when exposed to a persuasive message from an in-group source (i.e. another Imgur user) than low identifiers. These results further our understanding of contemporary social media use, contributing to a growing body of literature exploring online social identification and persuasive message processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This issue of American Behavioral Scientist deals with the various ways in which different kinds of organizations cope with the manifold challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these articles map the challenges and opportunities encountered by a variety of organizations in a major public health crisis. The first section of the issue takes up the theme of adaptive crisis response in relation to two different kinds of organizations. This section begins with a comprehensive overview of U.S. nonprofit organizations' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second article expands on the theme of communication practices in organizations using digital communication platforms which facilitate constructive forms of disagreement or "creative conflict." Both of these articles indicate the potential positive outcomes of entrepreneurial organizational response. In the next section, we turn to organizational responses hampered by digital inequalities. The first article addresses digital inequalities and eLearning during the pandemic in the country of Pakistan. The next article also uses a digital inequalities framework to probe infrastructural inadequacies faced by the criminal justice system in terms of hindrances to external communication for incarcerated populations during the pandemic. This pair of articles underscores the importance of infrastructure as a necessary element of successful crisis response. The third section of the issue continues with case studies of carceral institutions with the first article offering insight into strategies used by incarcerated people to generate a sense of normality despite pandemic disruptions. Finally, the issue closes with an article revealing the delicate balancing act which rural U.S. law enforcement carried out when competing imperatives made it extremely difficult to manage public health and public safety simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding to the work on creative conflict management that has been the object of organizational and management studies for the last several decades, we focus on a subset of Gen Z or "Generation Tech" (Gen T). This generation will be the first to instinctively and reflexively bring a "technology first" approach to their work practices including conflict resolution. Scholars of organizational communication identify the management of creative conflict as a prosocial process with important ramifications for organizational well-being. Taking a social diagnosis approach, we contribute to this growing literature by bringing it into dialogue with digital sociology and Gen Ters who are well-suited to use digital communication platforms (DCPs) like Teams and Slack to engage in creative conflict that benefits the well-being of organizations and their members. Our analysis shows that DCPs can encourage prosocial behaviors, when they (1) include nonsynchronous functionality, (2) associate contributions with members' real names, and (3) make all interactions visible to all team members. Our study reveals that when organizational DCPs are governed by these parameters, they can foster the Seven Cs of Creative Conflict that we identify as clarity, candor, contribution, cooperation, challenge, courage, and collegiality. The Seven Cs foster a growth mindset feedback loop in which members learn to self-reflectively apply a social diagnostic approach to their own digitally mediated well-being, thereby potentially improving organizational communication. Therefore, the Seven Cs form a core of communication competencies that will be increasingly important for organizational success as Gen Ters continue to mature and become colleagues in a variety of organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, modulation signals are more and more intensive in the same frequency. Time-frequency overlapped signal over co-channel widely exists in the shortwave, ultrashort wave and satellite channels, so the research on the time-frequency overlapped signals in non-cooperation receiver is of great significance. This paper firstly studies on blind estimation of amplitude of time-frequency overlapped signals. On the basis of deep analysis of cyclic stationary characteristic in the time-frequency overlapped signals, an amplitude estimation method of time frequency overlapped signal over co-channel based on four-order cyclic cumulants is proposed. The magnitude of the signal components is estimated by using the amplitude value of four-order cyclic cumulants of overlapped signals in certain cyclic frequency. And then an initial phase estimation method based on four-order cyclic cumulants is proposed in this paper. Experiments are conducted to verify the proposed parameter estimation method of time-frequency overlapped signals in this paper. Simulation results show that the proposed blind estimation method can achieve better estimation performance in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to design and evaluate a wireless electronic stethoscope that can transmit heart sound using Bluetooth HC-05 and Bluetooth 5.0 transmitter. This novel design contributes to the remote diagnosis and monitoring of heart conditions, especially for patients with infectious diseases. The heart sound signals are captured using a mic condenser mic, amplified, filtered, and converted to digital data by a microcontroller. The data are then transmitted by Bluetooth HC-05 to a module and by Bluetooth 5.0 transmitter to a headset. The quality-of-service parameters such as throughput, delay, and packet loss ratio (PLR) of the data transmission at different distances are measured. The results show that the wireless electronic stethoscope can transmit heart sound data with a small PLR of 0.10% and a throughput of 1002.5 bps. The study concludes that the wireless electronic stethoscope is an effective and useful device for examining heart conditions remotely, without compromising the functionality of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital tools are becoming more commonly used by older adults in daily life as well as in residential care to facilitate group activities. There is, however, limited research exploring how the participants orient to the tools and whether the choice of material affects the interaction between the participants. This study investigates the use of analogue and digital communication tools in group activities with older adults aged 70–90 with and without dementia in residential care. Interactions during group activities, in which analogue and digital pictures were used to stimulate conversations, were analyzed to identify differences and similarities in how the two different tools are used, as well as any potential differences between how the two groups (persons with and without dementia) orient to the materials. The analysis shows that the use of a communication supporting tool, be it analogue or digital, promotes conversations. However, the digital condition seems to afford shared focus around the device. The results also reveal that the two participating groups orient toward the material objects in a similar fashion. Thus, the choice of material objects used in group activities has consequences for the interaction and should be taken into account when planning for group activities involving persons with and without dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emojis in digital communication have drawn increasing academic attention. Qualitative studies mainly rely on a presumption that emojis share similar properties with units of natural language. It remains to be explored with quantitative methods whether emojis exhibit the same or similar behaviour from linguistic units (like words, morphemes). This study investigates emoji features in relation to language properties based on Zipf's law and linear regression models. Results show that, firstly, the rank frequency distribution of emojis can be well fitted by Zipf's law, and the parameters of emoji distribution are closer to those of written language. Secondly, most emoji categories tend to occur in the latter half of the tweet; while in some cases, they can also be at the beginning or in the middle of a tweet. Thirdly, the relative position of the more frequently-used emojis will be further back in the tweet. When emojis' frequencies are relatively greater, their categories vary more in terms of their positions. In general, our quantitative findings suggest that emojis display linguistic properties to some extent. Our exploratory study demonstrates the value of applying linguistic laws and quantitative methods to investigate emoji features, extending the application of quantitative linguistic methods into emoji studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]