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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]

This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the organizational structures, financial capacities, citizen engagement mechanisms, technology utilization, and common challenges faced by Local Government Units (LGUs) across Southeast Asian nations. Drawing insights from a diverse range of scholarly works, including books, theses, published dissertations, and electronic journals, the research investigates key dimensions that shape local governance dynamics in the region. The investigation into organizational structures delves into the nuances of centralization vs. decentralization, federal structures, hierarchical frameworks, policy harmonization, and community engagement practices. The study uncovers how these structural variances impact the efficiency and effectiveness of local governance. Examining financial capacities and resource management practices, the research reveals substantial differences among LGUs in terms of the system of government and the subdivision of state. This prompts a call for tailored fiscal policies and collaborative initiatives to optimize resource utilization and financial autonomy. Citizen engagement mechanisms emerge as a focal point, with a notable emphasis placed on fostering inclusive decisionmaking processes. The study finds a high commitment to citizen involvement within Southeast Asian LGUs, urging continued support for transparent and responsive local governance. Technological adoption and digital strategies come under scrutiny, highlighting disparities, diverse adoption rates, and an increasing embrace of digital communication strategies. Recommendations include addressing digital divides and promoting comprehensive digital strategies for efficient public service delivery and citizen engagement. Finally, the study explores common challenges faced by LGUs in Southeast Asian nations, such as corruption, political dynamics, and capacity constraints. It underscores the interconnected nature of these challenges, emphasizing the need for holistic solutions and comprehensive reforms to strengthen governance structures. This research contributes to the existing literature by synthesizing insights from various sources, providing a nuanced understanding of local governance in Southeast Asia. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners can leverage these findings to inform strategic interventions, foster collaboration, and promote effective governance practices across the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates whether and how the supply of and demand for art-based religious tourism changed after the pandemic. We examine the effects of the pandemic on the business models of Italian Fabbricerie. The analysis investigates whether the pandemic has impacted visitor flows in quantitative (e.g. the number of visitors) and qualitative terms (e.g. the type of visitors) and the emergence of new market segments. We examine whether the restrictions due to the health emergency and the resources supporting the cultural sector have changed these organizations' cost and revenue structure and generated new costs or revenues. Finally, we focus on the strategies implemented to unveil whether cultural offerings changed and to understand the role of new digital tools or communication channels in responses to the pandemic. Our results thus contribute a better understanding of cultural organizations' business models and the pandemic's impact on the value they generate for visitors and other stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study develops and validates an innovative approach for extracting knowledge from online user reviews by integrating textual content and emojis. Recognizing the pivotal role emojis play in enhancing the expressiveness and emotional depth of digital communication, this study aims to address the significant gap in existing sentiment analysis models, which have largely overlooked the contribution of emojis in interpreting user preferences and sentiments. By constructing a comprehensive model that synergizes emotional and semantic information conveyed through emojis and text, this study seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of user preferences, thereby enhancing the accuracy and depth of knowledge extraction from online reviews. The goal is to offer a robust framework that enables more effective and empathetic engagement with user-generated content on digital platforms, paving the way for improved service delivery, product development and customer satisfaction through informed insights into consumer behavior and sentiments. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a structured methodology to integrate and analyze text and emojis from online reviews for effective knowledge extraction, focusing on user preferences and sentiments. This methodology consists of four key stages. First, this study leverages high-frequency noun analysis to identify and extract product attributes mentioned in online user reviews. By focusing on nouns that appear frequently, the authors can systematically discern the primary features or aspects of products that users discuss, thereby providing a foundation for a more detailed sentiment and preference analysis. Second, a foundational sentiment dictionary is established that incorporates sentiment-bearing words, intensifiers and negation terms to analyze the textual part of the reviews. This dictionary is used to assign sentiment scores to phrases and sentences within reviews, allowing the quantification of textual sentiments based on the presence and combination of these predefined lexical items. Third, an emoticon sentiment dictionary is developed to address the emotional content conveyed through emojis. This dictionary categorizes emojis based on their associated sentiments, thus enabling the quantification of emotional expressions in reviews. The sentiment scores derived from the emojis are then integrated with those from the textual analysis. This integration considers the weights of text- and emoji-based emotions to compute a comprehensive attribute sentiment score that reflects a nuanced understanding of user sentiments and preferences. Finally, the authors conduct an empirical study to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in mining user preferences from online reviews by applying the approach to a data set of online reviews and evaluating its ability to accurately identify product attributes and user sentiments. The validation process assessed the reliability and accuracy of the methodology in extracting meaningful insights from the complex interplay between text and emojis. This study offers a holistic and nuanced framework for knowledge extraction from online reviews, capturing both explicit and implicit sentiments expressed by users through text and emojis. By integrating these elements, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of user preferences, contributing to improved consumer insight and strategic decision-making for businesses and researchers. Findings: The application of the proposed methodology for integrating emojis with text in online reviews yields significant findings that underscore the feasibility and value of extracting realistic user knowledge to gain insights from user-generated content. The analysis successfully captured consumer preferences, which are instrumental in informing service decisions and driving innovation. This achievement is largely attributed to the development and utilization of a comprehensive emotion-sentiment dictionary tailored to interpret the complex interplay between textual and emoji-based expressions in online reviews. By implementing a sentiment calculation model that intricately combines textual sentiment analysis with emoji sentiment analysis, this study was able to accurately determine the final attribute emotion for various product features discussed in the reviews. This model effectively characterized the emotional knowledge of online users and provided a nuanced understanding of their sentiments and preferences. The emotional knowledge extracted is not only quantifiable but also rich in context, offering deeper insights into consumer behavior and attitudes. Furthermore, a case analysis is conducted to rigorously test the validity of the proposed model in a real-world scenario. This practical examination revealed that the model is not only capable of accurately extracting and analyzing user preferences but is also adaptable to different contexts and product categories. The case analysis highlights the robustness and flexibility of the model, demonstrating its potential to enhance the precision of knowledge extraction processes significantly. Overall, the results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in integrating text and emojis for comprehensive knowledge extraction from online reviews. The findings validate the model's capability to offer actionable insights into consumer preferences, thereby supporting more informed and strategic decision-making by businesses. This study contributes to the broader field of sentiment analysis by showcasing the untapped potential of emojis as valuable indicators of user sentiments, opening new avenues for research and applications in digital marketing and consumer behavior analysis. Originality/value: This study introduces a pioneering approach to extract knowledge from Web user interactions, notably through the integration of online reviews that incorporate both textual content and emoticons. This innovative methodology stands out because it holistically considers the dual channels of communication, text and emojis, to comprehensively mine Web user preferences. The key contribution of this study lies in its novel insights into the extraction of consumer preferences, advancing beyond traditional text-based analysis to embrace nuanced expressions conveyed through emoticons. The originality of this study is underpinned by its acknowledgment of emoticons as a significant and untapped source of sentiment and preference indicators in online reviews. By effectively merging emoticon analysis and emoji emotion scoring with textual sentiment analysis, this study enriches the understanding of Web user preferences and enhances the accuracy and depth of consumer preference insights. This dual-analysis approach represents a significant leap forward in sentiment analysis, setting a new standard for how digital communication can be leveraged to derive meaningful insights into consumer behavior. Furthermore, the results have practical implications to businesses and marketers. The insights gained from this integrated analytical approach offer a more granular and emotionally nuanced view of customer feedback, which can inform more effective marketing strategies, product development and customer service practices. By pioneering this comprehensive method of knowledge extraction, this study paves the way for future research and practice to interpret and respond more accurately to the complex landscape of online consumer expressions. This study's originality and value lie in its innovative method of capturing and analyzing the rich tapestry of Web user communication, offering a ground-breaking perspective on consumer preference extraction that promises to enhance both academic research and practical applications in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echolocating bats exhibit remarkable auditory behaviors, enabled by adaptations both within and outside their auditory system. Yet research on echolocating bats has focused mostly on brain areas that belong to the classic ascending auditory pathway. This study provides direct evidence linking the cerebellum, an evolutionarily ancient and non-classic auditory structure, to vocalization and hearing. We report that in the fruit-eating bat Carollia perspicillata , external sounds can evoke cerebellar responses with latencies below 20 ms. Such fast responses are indicative of early inputs to the bat cerebellum. After establishing fruit-eating bats as a good model to study cerebellar auditory responses, we searched for a neural correlate of vocal production within the cerebellum. We investigated spike trains and field potentials occurring before and after vocalization and found that the type of sound produced (echolocation pulses or communication calls) can be decoded from pre-vocal and post-vocal neural signals, with prediction accuracies that reach above 85%. The latter provides a direct correlate of vocalization in an ancient motor-coordination structure that lies outside of the classic ascending auditory pathway. Taken together, our findings provide evidence of specializations for vocalization and hearing in the cerebellum of an auditory specialist. [Display omitted] • The cerebellum contributes to vocalization and auditory processing • Cerebellar responses to external sounds are rapid with latencies below 20 ms • Cerebellar activity can predict the type of vocalization with >85% accuracy • Vocalizations are better predicted by spikes than LFPs in the cerebellum Hariharan et al. demonstrate that the cerebellum can predict the type of vocalization (echolocation or communication) in fruit-eating bats with high accuracy. They also show prominent and fast responses to sound in the cerebellum of passively listening bats, highlighting its specialized role in vocal prediction and auditory processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we theoretically conceptualize and empirically investigate translocal spatial arrangements of networked public spheres on social media. In digital communication networks, actors easily connect with others globally, crossing the borders of cities, nations and languages. However, the spatial notions evoked in public sphere research to date remain largely territorial. We propose a theoretical framework drawing on Löw's sociology of space, which highlights the relational and translocal nature of spatial arrangements. In a case study of the translocal interaction network of Berlin Twitter users, we demonstrate how this framework can be leveraged empirically using network analysis. Despite the overall network of Berlin's Twittersphere spanning the whole world, we find territorialized as well as deterritorialized translocal communities. This points to the simultaneity of territorial and networked spatial logics in digital public spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that teachers' feedback plays an important role in students' learning, as it enhances learners' cognitive development; yet there has been little research on how positive feedback given in the form of emojis works in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) courses. In this study, an experiment was designed to clarify how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' emotions are affected when such feedback is presented (no feedback vs. supraliminal feedback vs. subliminal feedback) and to examine how the feedback correlates with their learning effectiveness. A within-subject experiment with 33 participants was designed and administered to examine three proposed research hypotheses. Participants' frontal asymmetry alpha (FAA) and their recollection of the learning contents were used as the index of their emotional valence and learning effectiveness. The results revealed that positive feedback given in the form of emojis generated a positive/approach emotion when it was shown subliminally. Furthermore, a significant relationship was seen between EFL learners' positive emotion and their learning effectiveness; such a finding was supported by the significant relationship between the modes of emoji presentation and the participants' learning effectiveness. This study's originality and value lies in the innovative research method that was adopted and the interesting findings that it yielded. The limitations of this study such as research design and sampling are reported. The study also has practical and theoretical implications for practitioners and scholars of CALL for praxis and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study refers to what the communication of city networks looks like regarding mentions and frames and if the digital communication activities of city networks could primarily serve as collaborative diplomacy of governance or are motivated by self-interests such as city branding. Our theoretical frame integrates Castells' (2010, 2009) networked society and communication power and combines various concepts from the public (digital) diplomacy, public relations, and strategic communication. In a semantic network analysis of Tweets, we analysed the communication strategies of three city networks according to their digital content (n = 47,226) and more specifically each network's top 50 hashtags and mentions therein. We find that city networks use three different Twitter communication strategies. We propose a model describing topic-, city/mayor-, and hybrid-oriented strategies. The analysis of the three city groups undertaken here has extended our knowledge of global urban governance communication strategies in burgeoning city diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article reports on findings from interviews with ICT-based content creators whose work focuses on documenting and curating queer history and culture. The research specifically examines how as amateur historians, the participant's embodied knowledge plays a central role in how they engage with discourse about queer historical figures, methods of queer historiography and community accountability. Design/methodology/approach: The research deploys a queer constructivist framework to qualitatively gather and analyzes the semi-structured interviews of 31 North American content creators who curate digital project related to queer history and culture. The interviews were gathered between August 2022 and August 2023. Findings: The research highlights how the subjectivity of queer embodiment aids, rather than hinders, participants' ability to collaborate with LGBTQIA+ communities while also addressing more significant ethical questions around intersectionality and inclusive historiographic work. Research limitations/implications: The content creators' own positionality and commitments to community accountability and queer inclusivity fostered richer stories and historical documentation, while also helping make visible queer identity as affirming and valuable within queer culture. Additionally, practical implications include highlighting the value of ICT-based content within the distribution of educational and informational resources related to queer history. Originality/value: This research offers an underexamined intersection of historiography and queer embodiment. While extensive scholarship on institutional and community-based historiography work exist the content creators interviewed within this study exist within the space of both, often using a combination of embodied knowledge and traditional curatorial work to translate between such spaces, inviting, in turn, new ways of thinking about queer archival knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluates how publicly available archival documents shaped online discussions about allegations that thousands of children were kidnapped during the 1950s in Israel, known as the Yemenite children's affair. It examines if access to historical records leads to more informed and rational public discourse, especially on social media. Design/methodology/approach: Using content analysis, this study examines Facebook posts from media outlets, politicians, NGOs and public groups between 2016 and 2021 to understand how the Israeli State Archives' release of over 300,000 documents affected support of the kidnapping. Findings: Despite extensive archival information debunking the kidnapping theory, public opinion and discourse largely continued to support it. This suggests a complex interaction between information availability, preexisting beliefs, echo chambers and group allegiances, suggesting that access to factual data alone may not effectively challenge established beliefs in online public settings. Research limitations/implications: Since data were collected only from Facebook, our conclusions cannot be generalized to other platforms. The study relies only on publicly accessible data and does not establish causality between exposure to information and shifts in opinion. Our findings show that disclosing archival information does not significantly benefit public political discourse on contentious topics but also point to the advantages of mediating information by politicians, NGOs and journalists. Originality/value: As a unique case study, this research contributes to understanding the role of historical archives in digital-age public discourse. It highlights their potential and limitations in facilitating informed debate and deliberation, emphasizing the complexity of influencing established beliefs with factual data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of infrastructure resilience relies on the seamless extraction of information, timely acquisition of critical knowledge, and heightened situational awareness. The ongoing utilization of digital citizen communication through social media with response organizations during disasters remains a valuable avenue for disseminating information, ensuring the effective utilization of public resources in emergency response to crisis events. Public agencies can use this information to examine community sentiments and discussions to assess, determine, and prioritize critical areas in need of assistance. However, there are limitations on harnessing precise geolocation information from social media, as well as a lack of mitigating bias of machine learning models used during such events. These limitations can restrict emergency management personnel's ability to locate and promptly delineate actionable insights. Here, we propose a semisupervised machine learning model that utilizes approaches such as transfer learning, topic modeling (i.e., Latent Dirichlet Allocation), and natural language processing to augment data from historical and current social media posts (i.e., Twitter) with community-driven application alerts (i.e., Waze) to achieve further evidence on the location and context of emergency events. The model is designed to also mitigate machine learning bias using the Wells–Du Bois protocol. A framework was developed for this process and is illustrated through a case study on Hurricane Ian and three previous hurricanes that occurred in Florida. This fusion provides increased situational awareness and may enhance the speed of emergency response. This study establishes a foundation for equitable, real-time crisis event detection, expanding organizations' response capacity in allocating resources and reducing harmful effects of disaster, particularly within public infrastructure systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to education systems around the world, resulting in a 'new normal' for school music education in which teaching and learning can no longer rely only on conventional classroom practices. Concerns have also been raised over music teachers' digital competencies, given the perceived importance of the use of technology within the new educational landscape. This article presents the results of a study that examined the challenges and experiences associated with the digital competencies of music teachers during the pandemic period. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with full-time music teachers (N = 18), all of whom taught music as a subject at mainstream primary or secondary schools in Hong Kong. The findings revealed challenges and upskilling of music teachers during the lockdown period, including the technological constraints imposed by the school and the online environment, how they made use of technology to teach music online, and the different ways they developed their digital competencies. Alongside with the catalyst effect of the pandemic that stimulated their upskilling, curriculum changes in teacher training programmes are necessary to better prepare music teachers for the digital transformation of music education and future challenges under the post-pandemic 'new normal' situation. 新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)對全球教育系統造成衝擊，導致學校的音樂教育進入了一種「新常態」，令教學不能只依賴傳統的面授課堂。鑒於「新常態」下的教學非常倚重科技的運用，音樂教師的數碼技能尤為重要。本研究旨在考察音樂教師在疫情期間運用數碼技能的經驗及其所面臨的挑戰，對18名在香港主流小學或中學教授音樂課程的全職教師進行了半結構化訪談，調查結果顯示在實施新冠肺炎封鎖措施期間音樂教師所面臨的挑戰和技能提升，包括線上教學環境及學校面授課堂的限制，科技的運用，以及他們學習數碼技能的方法。除了疫情的推動之外，課程改革及教師培訓也是必要的，以便音樂教師在數位化音樂教育和後疫情「新常態」下的未來挑戰做準備。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image encryption is a vital area in our current digital age, playing an important role in protecting information and improving data quality. Encryption protects privacy and enhances security in various applications, such as communications, cloud storage, and digital transmission. As the size and complexity of images increase, the importance of using parallel methods in image processing and encryption becomes more prominent. These methods allow exploiting the multiple processing capabilities available in modern devices, such as multi-core processors, which enhance efficiency and speed in processing large data sets.in this paper, we present a modified Blowfish algorithm and a hybrid parallel approach to overcome the known weaknesses of the traditional Blowfish algorithm. First, we use a Pascal matrix to permuting the image pixels, and the results of this operation are used as input to the modified version of the Blowfish algorithm. In this version, the P matrix is modified using a hybrid chaos approach, which improves the encryption process. Furthermore, this encryption is implemented using a hybrid parallel processing approach, which enhances the performance and efficiency of data processing. Tests and Result are shown using test images (256*256) from the USC-SIPI and CVG-UGR databases. were quicker outcomes and more secure encryption. In addition, the average execution time of encryption and decryption reached (0.00618ms, 0.003292 ms) the information entropy screening rate reached 7.99735, which is close to the optimal ratio of 8. and NPCR and UACI reached (99.639, 33.42825). The algorithm has achieved a high level of security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inpatient rehabilitation therapies can be applied for in Germany by patients of working age to support their return to work. However, there are some problems that impede an easy and uncomplicated application process. An interdisciplinary case management approach for rehabilitation care planning was developed to facilitate the access to rehabilitation. Case conferences (CCs) were held with relevant stakeholders and took place on a digital communication platform. We conducted a qualitative process evaluation to understand the implementation of the intervention and to identify contextual factors as well as mechanisms for a successful implementation in the context of primary care. Methods: The process evaluation included interviews with primary care physicians (PCPs), patients and stakeholders involved in the intervention process. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Emerging themes were structured according to the Donabedian framework of structure, process and outcomes. Results: A total of 18 interviews were conducted. Important results included the desire for more patient involvement and case management. Patients especially valued the opportunity to receive support from a social worker. Limitations of the platform related to usability and limited opportunities for stakeholder communication. Despite training for PCPs, several problems arose regarding the clarity of the intervention process. Patients were satisfied with their application process and the treatments offered, while PCPs reported an increase in workload. Conclusions: A digitalisation of the application procedure for rehabilitation and further treatment options is acceptable to patients and personal support of a social worker is particularly valued. However, patients should be included in the CC in terms of a shared decision-making process. The digital platform requires sufficient training and adjustments have to be made to enhance usability and to improve the efficiency of the process for PCPs. Overall, the exchange between the various stakeholders in the CC is considered particularly useful in more complex cases. Trial registration: DRKS German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS0 00242 07. Registered on 22 March 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐presentation in Congress is more nationalized, with digital constituencies on platforms such as Twitter offering new reputation‐building opportunities. Digital constituencies transform traditional expectations of constituent communication, challenging Richard Fenno's theory that representatives adopt an “expansionist” style with constituents during early, vulnerable phases of their tenure. In a digital era that encourages a more national approach, we question how Fenno's distinction between expansionist and protectionist phases of connecting with constituents applies to reputation‐building with digital constituencies. While electorally vulnerable senators still seek to expand their presentation among geographic constituents, digital platforms, such as Twitter, incentivize them to protect their reputation among a digital constituency. We analyzed senators' Twitter communications from 2013 to 2023. We find the electoral vulnerabilities of Fenno's expansionist local model are associated with a protectionist model of engagement with digital constituencies on Twitter. Our study sheds light on the significance of online reputation management and its implications for representing a media‐influenced, modern Congress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOnline social capital is a determinant of success for net-entrepreneurs. However, there has been limited research on how net-entrepreneurs acquire online social capital through social media. Therefore, this study aims to explore whether different digital behaviors of net-entrepreneurs lead to differences in acquiring online social capital. We conducted empirical tests using partial least square structural equation method and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) based on survey data from 306 Chinese agricultural net-entrepreneurs. The results revealed that digital business card (profile and state self-disclosure) significantly influences bridging online social capital (BRSC) and bonding online social capital (BOSC). Certain subcomponents of digital information and digital communication serve as significant predictors of online social capital. Furthermore, the acquisition of BRSC has three distinct configurational conditions, while BOSC has four. This study provides valuable insights for net-entrepreneurs on utilizing different digital behaviors to acquire online social capital effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Image Data Commons (IDC) offers publicly available cancer radiology collections for cloud computing, crucial for developing advanced imaging tools and algorithms. Despite their potential, these collections are minimally annotated; only 4% of DICOM studies in collections considered in the project had existing segmentation annotations. This project increases the quantity of segmentations in various IDC collections. We produced high-quality, AI-generated imaging annotations dataset of tissues, organs, and/or cancers for 11 distinct IDC image collections. These collections contain images from a variety of modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). The collections cover various body parts, such as the chest, breast, kidneys, prostate, and liver. A portion of the AI annotations were reviewed and corrected by a radiologist to assess the performance of the AI models. Both the AI's and the radiologist's annotations were encoded in conformance to the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, allowing for seamless integration into the IDC collections as third-party analysis collections. All the models, images and annotations are publicly accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of digitally extended availability in work-from-home arrangements on work-family conflict under the intensity of work demands for parents. The advent of digital communication technologies has facilitated a shift towards a more blurred distinction between work and private life, which is often enabled by the option of working from home. Digitally extended availability, as a condition of being available for work-related requests and answering messages during non-working hours, represents a specific aspect of boundary blurring. Theoretically, it builds on the work/family border theory, which is expanded by the perspective of the flexibility paradox. This approach assumes that flexible working arrangements in contexts of work-centred always-on cultures can potentially exacerbate the reconciliation of work and private life. The results of moderated mediation models on two waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam) indicate that working from home is associated with increased work-family conflict. This association is mediated by a higher degree of digitally extended availability for work communication. Furthermore, higher work demands serve to reinforce this mediation for fathers, but not for mothers. These findings lend support to the flexibility paradox perspective and underscore gender-specific differences in the conflict-enhancement of digitally extended availability in demanding work-from-home arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDespite the increasing inclusion of communication skills in accreditation standards and an increase in time dedicated to teaching these skills, communication is often regarded as a separate skill and is therefore, not consistently represented in overall systems of assessment in Health Professions Education (HPE). The ascendence of competency-based medical education, programmatic assessment, artificial intelligence, and widespread use of telehealth, alongside changing patient expectations warrant an update in thinking about the assessment of communication skills in health professions education. This consensus statement draws on existing literature, expert pinion, and emerging challenges to situate the assessment of communication skills in the contemporary health professions education context. The statement builds on previous work to offer an update on the topic and include new developments related to assessment, particularly: the challenges and opportunities associated with systems of assessment; patient and peer perspectives in assessment; assessment of interprofessional communication, cross-cultural communication, digital communication; and assessment using digital technologies. Consensus was reached through extensive discussion among the authors and other experts in HPE, exploration of the literature, and discussion during an Ottawa 2024 conference workshop. The statement puts forward a summary of available evidence with suggestions for what educators and curriculum developers should consider in their planning and design of the assessment of communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how European think tanks with obstructive positions on climate policy use the social network X to advance their agendas. The aim is to understand their digital communication strategies, the issues they address, the use of hyperlinks, and the impact on interaction and online polarization. A mixed-methods analysis was conducted on tweets from twelve organizations known for opposing climate policies. Out of an initial 96,607 tweets, 803 relevant messages were selected to evaluate thematic content and interaction reach. The analysis identified five dominant thematic areas in the tweets: economic impacts of climate policy, ideological perspectives, questioning of official science, proposed technological solutions, and other messages. The higher levels of interaction were generated by messages with a political or ideological focus and those proposing technological solutions. In addition, most hyperlinks directed users to the think tanks' own websites rather than to external sources. European anti-climate change think tanks use social network X to promote their agendas through ideological and technical messages that generate high engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the integration of dimmable constant weight polar‐coded non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) with orthogonal space‐time block coding (OSTBC) in visible light communication (VLC) systems over Nakagami‐m$m$ fading environments. The proposed scheme aims to enhance the reliability of VLC systems by reducing the outage probability while accommodating dimming requirements. By allowing multiple users to utilize the same time‐frequency resources and adjust power levels based on individual channel conditions, the system optimizes resource utilization. Additionally, the OSTBC method provides effective communication among multiple users by leveraging transmit diversity to improve system performance. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated through analytical analysis and Monte Carlo simulations, showcasing superior outage probability performance compared to conventional Alamouti‐STBC schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists are under increasing pressure to enhance public awareness of the societal implications of their research. This involves recontextualizing highly specialized knowledge into forms accessible to diverse audiences, varying in levels of expertise. While much research has focused on the reformulation of ideas for popularizing purposes, less emphasis has been placed on the pragmatic strategies involved in adapting expert knowledge for varied audiences in digital contexts. A pragmatic approach that leverages both verbal communication and digital tools could provide insights into these dissemination strategies. This study examines how digital research digests, which are concise versions of research articles, make scientific research accessible to non-experts. The study identifies two key sets of strategies: expert-oriented, which emphasize authority and credibility, and audience-oriented, which simplify complex ideas and relate them to everyday life. These strategies blend to form a unique narrative voice that balances authority with accessibility. The paper argues that effective digital dissemination should integrate both linguistic and pragmatic methods to successfully communicate complex information across different digital practices. • Pragmatic strategies help bridge knowledge asymmetries in digital scientific communication. • Expert-oriented strategies highlight credibility and research significance. • Audience-oriented strategies ensure comprehension and engagement. • Interaction of pragmatic strategies with metadiscourse enhances science communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes and proposes the concept of "spontaneous audiovisual autoethnography" on TikTok, revealing a diversity of cultural narratives. Autoethnographers like @jairdesdeelcampo0 and @indigenac4mp0 defy conventions, authentically connecting with a global audience. The research is based on content analysis, web observation, and film analysis theory. It highlights the communicative evolution from simple selfnarratives to complex and aesthetic representations. The study theoretically defines spontaneous autoethnography on TikTok. This typology transcends borders, projecting rural, ethnic, and peasant life. The present study contributes to understanding new forms of sociocultural expression on digital platforms, emphasizing TikTok's significant impact on preserving audiovisual memory and disseminating diverse voices globally. The research underscores the relevance of the phenomenon in contemporary cultural dynamics and how it amplifies diverse voices globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, mobile–mobile interaction is becoming a fundamental methodology for human–human networking services since mobile devices are the most common interfacing equipment for recent smart services such as food delivery, e-commerce, ride-hailing, etc. Unlike legacy ways of human interaction, on-site and in-person mutual recognition between a service provider and a client in mobile–mobile interaction is not trivial. This is because of not only the avoidance of face-to-face communication due to safety and health concerns but also the difficulty of matching up the online user using mobiles with the real person in the physical world. So, a novel mutual recognition scheme for mobile–mobile interaction is highly necessary. This paper comes up with a novel cyber-physical secure communication scheme relying on the digital twin paradigm. The proposed scheme designs the digital twin networking architecture on which real-world users form digital twins as their own online abstraction, and the digital twins authenticate each other for a smart service interaction. Thus, inter-twin communication (ITC) could support secure mutual recognition in mobile–mobile interaction. Such cyber-physical authentication (CPA) with the ITC is built on the dynamic BLE beaconing scheme with accurate proximity detection and dynamic identifier (ID) allocation. To achieve high accuracy in proximity detection, the proposed scheme is conducted using a wide variety of data pre-processing algorithms, machine learning technologies, and ensemble techniques. A location-dependent ID exploited in the CPA is dynamically generated by the physical user for their own digital twin per each mobile service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of digital communication has profoundly transformed the landscape of persuasive discourse. Online platforms have amplified the reach and impact of persuasive techniques. However, they have also enabled the rapid spread of manipulative content, targeted propaganda, and divisive rhetoric. Consequently, a wide range of computational approaches has emerged to address the multifaceted nature of digital persuasion, to detect and mitigate its harmful practices. In light of this, the paper surveys computational methods for detecting persuasive means in digital communication, focusing on how they integrate humanistic knowledge to operationalize this construct. Additionally, special emphasis is placed onmodels' explainability, a pivotal aspect considering these models are used by institutions to influence societal interactions. For the analysis, two primary perspectives in persuasion are defined: linguistic and argumentative. The linguistic approach analyzes specific textual features, allowing for highly accountable algorithms based on explicit rules. The argumentative approach focuses on broader persuasive mechanisms, offering greater scalability but often resulting in less explainable models due to their complexity. This tension between model sophistication and explainability presents a key challenge in developing effective and transparent persuasion detection systems. The results highlight the spectrum of methodologies for studying persuasion, ranging from analyzing stylistic elements to detecting explicitly propagandist messages. Our findings highlight two key challenges in using these algorithms to tackle societal issues of persuasionmisuse: the opacity of deep learning models and the absence of a theoretically grounded distinction between vicious and virtuous persuasion. To address these challenges, we propose integrating social sciences and humanities theories to enhance the effectiveness and ethical robustness of persuasion detection systems. This interdisciplinary approach enables a more nuanced characterization of text, facilitating the differentiation between vicious and virtuous persuasion through analysis of rhetorical, argumentative, and emotional aspects. We emphasize the potential of hybrid approaches that combine rule-based methods with deep learning techniques, as these offer a promising avenue for implementing this interdisciplinary framework. The paper concludes by outlining future challenges, including the importance of multimodal and multilingual analysis, ethical considerations in handling user-generated data and the growing challenge of distinguishing between human and AI-generated persuasive content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a support vector regression-based interval power flow prediction method for distribution networks with distributed generators (DGs) integration. The method aims to address the challenges of uncertain power flow analysis in distribution networks, particularly as the size of the system increases. The proposed method utilizes intervals to describe system uncertainty and employs support vector regression for model training. Simulation results demonstrate that the method exhibits high prediction accuracy, adaptability, and computation efficiency, meeting the requirements for rapid and real-time power flow analysis in distribution networks with DGs integration. The text also discusses the construction of an Interval Power Flow (IPF) prediction model for distribution networks using Support Vector Regression (SVR). The model is a multi-output model that predicts the upper and lower bounds of power flow results, taking into account uncertainties in the distribution system. The model has been shown to have high prediction accuracy and computational efficiency in studies conducted on IEEE 33bw and IEEE 69 cases. The text concludes by stating that the claims expressed in the article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated organizations or the publisher. The article titled "Distributionally robust multistage dispatch with discrete recourse of energy storage systems" by Zheng et al. explores the concept of distributionally robust multistage dispatch with discrete recourse of energy storage systems. The authors propose a mathematical model that considers uncertainties in renewable energy generation and electricity demand, and aims to optimize the dispatch of energy storage systems. The study highlights the importance of incorporating uncertainty [Extracted from the article]

This study tries to ascertain the attitudes of tertiary learners’ internet meme consumption and its potential for pedagogical implications. Internet memes, as multifaceted cultural artefacts, have become pervasive in contemporary digital communication, influencing societal discourse and online interactions. Despite their prevalence, research on learners’ everyday experiences and attitudes towards memes in educational settings is a rarity. This research therefore aims to examine the affective and cognitive attitudes of undergraduate students towards internet meme culture. Utilising a cross-sectional survey design, data was collected from 119 second-year undergraduate students at St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, India. The questionnaire focused on measuring both affective and cognitive appeal towards meme consumption. The analysis revealed that memes as an educational tool have a positive impact on the affective and cognitive domains in a classroom setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionThere is a gap in the field of dance for dementia regarding how to engage in and improve equitable, moral, and rights-based ways of working with those with lived experience to co-design research priorities. We set out to create a collaborative research agenda for this field.A series of collaborative activities were conducted, including an in-person workshop (n = 59 people), online workshop (n = 23 people), digital communications, podcasts, and co-writing, including with people living with dementia (PLWD), health and social care professionals, artists, arts organisational representatives, and academic researchers.Three key themes were constructed: 1) Improving access to dance participation; 2) Prioritising co-produced approaches; and 3) Enabling innovation in measurement and methods.This is the first co-produced agenda for the field of dance for dementia. Underpinned by diverse perspectives and lived experience, it outlines themes and associated research questions that can be used in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the number of communication networks and digital multimedia technologies, ensuring the confidentiality of information has become increasingly important. Digital watermarking and scrambling are two methods that can be used to provide security to digital data such as video and to limit the chances of piracy. By implementing these techniques, it becomes more difficult for unauthorized users to access or distribute the video content, thereby protecting the integrity of the video data. This paper presents a novel approach to video watermarking, where a watermark bit is inserted into the motion vectors obtained through motion estimation. This is done to ensure copyright protection for the video content. In the proposed architecture, the negative horizontal components of the motion vectors generated by the three step search (TSS) algorithm are used, followed by a perturbation of the motion vectors (MVs). The perturbation helps to increase the security of the watermark and prevent it from being easily detected or removed. The experimental results of the proposed architecture have shown that it uses few resources, thereby making it a practical and efficient solution for video watermarking. Overall, the proposed architecture provides a better quality watermarked image sequence, operating with low power consumption that does not exceed 1.39 W and a maximum frequency of approximately 75.7 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emojis are frequently used in digital communication to supplement the lack of non-verbal cues, but their integration during reading has not been thoroughly examined. This study explores the interplay between language and emotion by testing the influence of emotional valence and face-status of emojis on visual word recognition. Two online experiments were conducted with 92 native English-speaking university students, examining priming effects between congruent (e.g. delicious) and incongruent (e.g. hate) prime-target pairs, varying the face-status of the emoji prime (face vs. non-face) and the valence (positive vs. negative) of the word target. Irrespective of valence, face emojis demonstrated a processing advantage over non-face emojis, implying automatic attention capture. Additionally, the results revealed an interaction between prime-target congruency and valence, with a facilitatory effect for positive, but not negative, items, suggesting a valence-specific mechanism of affective priming in the lexical decision task. The research suggests that the rapid integration of emoji content occurs during the early stages of visual word recognition, with heightened attentional sensitivity to both face-like and positive stimuli when reading digital communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vincent Mosco, a renowned academic in the field of communication studies, passed away at the age of 75. Throughout his career, Mosco focused on the power dynamics within digital technologies and the global communication landscape. He authored numerous books and articles, exploring topics such as the commodification of audiences, capitalist structures, and the impact of emerging media technologies. Mosco's work also delved into the social and cultural implications of the internet, AI, and content-driven services. His scholarship extended beyond North America, with collaborations and research in China and Brazil. Mosco's contributions to the field of communication studies have left a lasting impact on scholars worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Prior to its political appropriation, "groomer" characterized adults earning children's trust, so they can manipulate and sexually exploit them. Conservative activists have recently transformed "groomer" into an anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) slur. This critique of anti-"groomer" rhetoric examines an organization called Gays Against Groomers (GAG). GAG's website, which is presumably run by "gays," depicts children as especially vulnerable to queer "indoctrination" and "mutilation." Investigative probes recently conducted by The Advocate, the Anti-Defamation League ("Online Amplifiers," 2023), and Media Matters revealed that far-right hate groups and anti-LGBTQ conservative media strategists are largely responsible for the group's genesis. GAG participates in a duplicitous online discourse I call digital ventriloquism. In this context, digital ventriloquy describes online communication where anti-LGBTQ cadres throw their voices into a "dummy" organization that seemingly operates from a divergent social location. GAG's homonormative cooptation of the groomer pejorative results in a dangerous paradox of speaker location, or social identity, that virtually erases child molestation from anti-"grooming" speech, and recasts transgender people and progressive gender education as child pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first quarter of the 21st century has witnessed many technological innovations in various sectors. Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered the acceleration of digital transformation in organizations driven by artificial intelligence and communication technologies in Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Aiming at the construction of digital twins, virtual representations of a physical system allow real-time bidirectional communication. This will allow the monitoring of operations, identification of possible failures, and decision making based on technical evidence. In this study, a fault diagnosis solution is proposed, based on the construction of a digital twin, for a cloud-based Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) system contemplating the control of electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHAs). The system was supported by a deep learning model using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for an effective diagnostic approach. The implemented study considers data preparation and integration and system development and application to evaluate the performance against the fault diagnosis problem. According to the results obtained, positive results are shown in the construction of the digital twin using a deep learning model for the fault diagnosis problem of an active EHA-IIoT configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for implementing digital twins in aircraft lifecycle management, with a focus on using data-driven models to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. The proposed framework integrates cutting-edge technologies such as IoT sensors, big data analytics, machine learning, 6G communication, and cloud computing to create a robust digital twin ecosystem. This paper explores the key components of the framework, including lifecycle phases, new technologies, and models for digital twins. It discusses the challenges of creating accurate digital twins during aircraft operation and maintenance and proposes solutions using emerging technologies. The framework incorporates physics-based, data-driven, and hybrid models to simulate and predict aircraft behavior. Supporting components like data management, federated learning, and analytics tools enable seamless integration and operation. This paper also examines decision-making models, a knowledge-driven approach, limitations of current implementations, and future research directions. This holistic framework aims to transform fragmented aircraft data into comprehensive, real-time digital representations that can enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability throughout the aircraft lifecycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rural and frontier communities face high rates of opioid use disorders (OUDs). In 2021, the Rural Addiction Implementation Network (RAIN) sought to establish a rural hospital/clinic-system practice-based research network (RH-PBRN) to facilitate implementation of evidence-based addiction-related prevention, treatment, and recovery (PTR) services to reduce the morbidity of OUD and substance use disorder (SUD) in rural communities.Objective: To describe the goals and implementation of PTR activities of RAIN, a novel RH-PBRN.Methods: RAIN identified teams of external/internal facilitators at four rural hospitals/clinic-networks to achieve at least 15 PTR activities involving OUD and other SUDs. RAIN utilized an implementation-facilitation approach: facilitators assessed the implementation environment and promoted interventions to overcome barriers to PTR implementation. Other interventions included site visits, community of learning calls, and e-communication. RAIN assessed and recorded facilitators and barriers to implementation, milestone attainment, and outcomes of PTR activities. At 18 months, we queried facilitators about the fidelity and implementation of RAIN activities.Results: RAIN established an HP-PBRN in four sites (Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming). Within the HP-PBRN, 20 PTR activities were established (p = 7, T = 10, R = 3; range 3–7 per site). Barriers to implementation of PTR activities included competing clinical demands, especially due to COVID-19, lack of dedicated effort for staff at sites, and stigma of addiction and its treatment. Facilitators of implementation included the use of trained expert facilitators and communication between the sites.Conclusions: RAIN implemented 20 addiction-related PTR activities in four rural hospitals/clinic-networks. RAIN’s intervention model could be replicated to address addiction-related harms in other rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to study the impact of digital design on the communicative interaction between the consumer and the manufacturer. The study involved two groups of respondents. The first group included 47 digital design professionals (26 men and 21 women) involved in websites development. The second group included 49 consumers of these goods and services (25 men and 24 women). For the survey of respondents, a validated questionnaire was developed that included characteristics of the main digital design tools used to develop websites and aimed at attracting consumers of goods. The research has shown that the main factors of digital site design, affecting the communication between a manufacturer and consumers, are loading speed, security, usability, and the possibility of feedback. At the same time, designers prioritize the technical parameters of the site and the presence of the target audience, while consumers prioritize user-friendliness, site design, and information security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative communication research needs to catch up to other disciplines. In this special issue and the associated International Communication Association preconference, we focus on comparative work related to digital political communication. This introduction argues that comparative digital political communication needs to consider comparisons across various dimensions, including countries, platforms, and time, whereas existing comparative communication research focuses on country or territorial comparison. We highlight the six submissions' approaches to comparative work. Each submission provides at least one of these three dimensions of contrast. We conclude with a discussion of enduring gaps in this field of research, such as the lack of studies using time as a dimension of comparison. Time is crucial for understanding ever-changing digital media platforms. We also conclude by discussing some ongoing challenges in political communication research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of digital tools that enhance communications, security and decision making have caught the attention of international development agencies, national governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has highlighted the importance of digital tools as a means "to improve justice sector efficiency, transparency and access to justicel, 1-1 while the European Commission has aligned them with "a new push for European democracy in line with the political priority of a Europe fit for the digital aget." With these observations in mind, this article focuses on the unique advantages and challenges presented by the ongoing efforts of digitalization as they pertain to litigation. I provide examples drawn from dilferent jurisdictions, policies, strategies, and success stories regarding this important phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will explore challenges posed by the digital communications revolution to some long‐standing concepts and assumptions around security, warfare, and peace. It will demonstrate the obsolescence of the traditional state‐focused national security paradigm with regards to matters of cybersecurity, as well as the limitations of conventional collective security approaches. It will also outline the Internet's potential as a peacebuilding medium, and the crossroads we currently face between a new era of cyberwarfare or an Internet for "cyberpeace." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current social and technological scenario, the term digital is abundantly used with an apparently transparent and unambiguous meaning. This article aims to unveil the complexity of this concept, retracing its historical and cultural origin. This genealogical overview allows to understand the reason why an instrumental conception of digital media has prevailed, considering the digital as a mere tool to convey a message, as opposed to a constitutive conception. The constitutive conception places the digital phenomenon in the broader ground of media studies, and it considers digital technologies as an interface between the subject and the world. In this perspective, the media is not added to the experience of the person, but it shapes it from within on a cognitive, expressive and communicative level. The article makes use of two powerful examples to show the shortcomings of an instrumental conception of the digital, and to affirm the value of a constitutive conception for current media studies regarding digital interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have investigated the impacts of high-rise living on neighbourhood social interactions, yet this body of literature does not focus explicitly on intergenerational interactions, which are associated with distinctive benefits for older and younger generations. This qualitative study investigated how younger and older people interact in high-rise neighbourhoods, and identified the factors that hinder intergenerational interactions, through in-depth interviews with 23 young adults and 26 older people in Hong Kong. The findings revealed that the two generations rarely interact, partly due to generational differences in the use of public spaces, and partly due to socio-cultural factors, especially the pervasive culture of digital communication among younger people, and aversion to small talk in public spaces. The findings also highlighted the potential of new forms of interdependency-oriented interventions in enhancing intergenerational support, while respecting residents' desire for privacy. These findings highlight the need for culturally-sensitive interventions, in order to foster meaningful intergenerational interactions in high-rise neighbourhoods across different cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital communication systems usually suffer from two factors: inter-symbol interference and impulsive noise. To improve the performance of communication receivers, this paper proposes a good solution to a linear blind equalizer. Firstly, a new lower-order statistic with a lower influence of impulsive noise is constructed based on a nonlinear function. Secondly, an unconstrained optimization problem is formulated by minimizing the mean square error related to the new lower-order statistic, and a new equalization algorithm is derived to effectively compensate for the inter-symbol interference. Thirdly, to further enhance the robustness of the proposed algorithm, the iterative formula of the proposed algorithm is handled by normalizing samples. Finally, numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves better performance under Gaussian and impulsive noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine how universities worldwide use TikTok, 7,880 TikTok posts from 118 institutional university profiles were reviewed and categorized through a systematic review. The results show an initial effort by universities to search for institutional content, although from 2021 onwards an increase in playful content focused on the university community is reported, making evident the need to exploit the platform with the corresponding narrative style, aesthetics, and particular times, thus connecting more efficiently with its target audience and betting on consolidating this community both in the real and digital terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, applying building information modeling (BIM) digital technologies to cultural heritage management, monitoring, restoration, with the objective of advancing the sustainable development of both cultural heritage protection and tourism in China, has become a prominent research focus. However, there are a few studies that comprehensively investigate the relationship between BIM, Chinese cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism development. In order to explore the application of BIM in the protection and inheritance of Chinese cultural heritage, as well as its potential in promoting the sustainable development of cultural heritage tourism, this paper adopts the quantitative research method of bibliometrics to explore the research hotspots, development background, and evolution trends of BIM-driven sustainable development in Chinese cultural heritage tourism. By using data obtained from the China Knowledge Network database, multi-level bibliometrics analysis has been conducted through visualized knowledge graphs. The results suggest that the popular research keywords for driving sustainable cultural heritage tourism in China through BIM since year 2000 (23 years) include heritage tourism, heritage protection, building heritage, digital technology, and tourism development. Three research hotspots have been identified, which are cultural heritage protection, cultural heritage tourism development, and cultural heritage tourism management. In terms of tourism development and management, building virtual interactive scenes of cultural heritage facilitated by BIM to enhance tourism experience of tourists, using BIM to assist in efficient management, intelligent decision-making, and personalized services of cultural heritage tourism, assist in better promoting the sustainable development of cultural heritage tourism. In terms of coordinating and managing stakeholders in cultural heritage tourism, BIM technology provides technical support to the government, industry managers, and community residents in information communication, and industry management by constructing a digital model of cultural heritage to better balance the rights and interests of stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Securing communication in our highly digitalized world has become a pressing issue due to the escalating threats of unauthorized data access and violations of network policies. Cryptographic techniques are employed to encrypt data for protection to address these challenges. However, a potential vulnerability arises during data transmission. Sophistic intruders may discern the encrypted information, leading to suspicions and unauthorized access. In response, steganography emerged as an alternative method for communication security. Steganography involves concealing confidential information within the codes of digital files, providing a unique approach that focuses on disguising the presence of communication to enhance data security. In this context, this paper introduces an enhanced information-hiding method implemented by utilizing image edges and modulus functions. This study provides a comparative analysis of various steganographic methods, highlighting the trade-offs between image quality, as evaluated by the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), and the payload size. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method has efficient data-hiding capabilities with minimum degradation in the quality of the resulting stego image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blood, which is divided into groups A, B, O, and AB, is a vital organ. Furthermore, the body needs cholesterol as a lipid, and the amount of cholesterol is a sign of health. A cholesterol level of 200–239 mg/dl is considered healthy. If it is very high, though, cholesterol can accumulate in the blood vessels and obstruct blood flow. This research built an Arduino Uno-based system to counterbalance the technical improvements in the use of LDR and Photodiode sensors that monitor blood type and cholesterol automatically without injections and send notifications to Telegram. This study sheds light on a significant advancement in medical sensor technology. The created device can check blood type and cholesterol levels with high accuracy and greater user convenience than prior technologies that required invasive procedures. The selection of LDR and photodiode sensors was based on their capacity to identify differences in blood samples and their sensitivity to light fluctuations. Medical teams can more effectively monitor patient symptoms thanks to the system's real-time notifications to the Telegram app. Programming and sensor integration are made flexible and simple by using an Arduino Uno in this setup. The primary conclusions of this study demonstrate that this technology can offer a useful non-invasive method for assessing one's health, increasing diagnostic precision and efficiency. The primary output of this research is the creation of a prototype for medical applications that integrates digital communication and sensor technologies, potentially lowering patient risks and expenses. Additionally, this finding opens the door for the advancement of non-invasive diagnostic tools that are more convenient and safer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hospital Web Quality Multicriteria Analysis Model (HWQ) is constructed, designed, and validated in this research. For this purpose, we examined the web quality analysis models specialized in hospitals and health centers through a literature review and the most current taxonomies to analyze digital media. Based on the benchmarking and walkthrough methods, the analysis model was built and validated by a panel of experts (X = 3.54, CVI = 0.88, Score Σ = 45.58). To test its applicability and reliability, the model was pilot-tested on the websites of the ten public and private hospitals with the best reputation in Spain in 2022, according to the Merco Sanitario ranking. The results showed very similar web structures divided by specific proposals or sections of some centers. In this regard, this study identifies a general communication proposal in hospitals that does not adapt to the guidelines of screen-mediated communication, as well as a lack of personalization and disruptive storytelling ideation. In addition, the work concludes that Spanish hospitals, for the moment, have not opted for formats and technological developments derived from the possibilities of gamified content, 360° immersion, Virtual Reality (V.R), or Augmented Reality (A.R). [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.)

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.)