Predictors of channel switching during live prime time television advertising

The focus of this study is on viewers’ channel switching behaviour during prime-time television advertising breaks. While the extent of channel switching has been studied repeatedly, the factors underlying channelswitching have not been extensively researched within a single study. To date, methodological limitations associated with self-reports, in-home cameras and electronic tracking data have restricted the scope for identifying the predictors of channel switching.The study makes use of a dual observation/survey methodological approach that has been largely overlooked in this area of research. This approach makes it possible to determine the influence of previously untested potential predictors of channel switching. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of six identified predictors on television viewers’ channel switching. The predictor variables tested include Perceived Clutter, Channel Proliferation, Attitude towards Television Advertising, Planned versus Impulse Viewing, Advertising Triggers and Remote Control Device (RCD) Empowerment. The last two predictors (Advertising Triggers and RCD Empowerment) result from factors drawn from a scale (SITUZAP) developed to measure the situational factors associated with channel switching. Moreover, the study determines the impact of these six predictor variables on observed channel switching (observed PROPZAP) across 1,283 observations as well as on reported channel switching (reported PROPZAP) across 848 respondents.The empowerment provided by the RCD emerges as the dominant predictor of channel switching behaviour. Access to the RCD as a means of controlling the viewing environment is the foremost influencer of both observed and reported propensity to switch channels. However, while reported switching propensity is influenced by ‘advertising triggers’ (for example, a repetitive or irritating commercial) and ‘perceived clutter’ (too much advertising on television), observed switching propensity is unaffected by these factors

Community multimedia centers in Mozambique: exploring and experimenting co-design

The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to elucidate the premises and conditions in which a co-design approach can be used with rural communities in Mozambique and the usage of Information and communication technologies for development as a tool for supporting rural communities on daily activities. The doctoral thesis includes five papers, a systematic literature review, and four case studies. The literature review (I) provides an overview of 34 studies that describe the implementation of co-design with rural communities. In the review, papers published between 2002 and 2013 were clustered in three groups – information system, social design, and ICT4D. The analysis provided insightful information about the knowledge and taxonomies required to understand how actually co-design can be used to support communities. While the conventional development paradigm asserted that developing countries could be propelled to growth path by knowledge emanating from developed nations, new approaches give priority to design partnerships and participation by the local civil society as the best method to achieve sustainable development. Paper (II) describes a case study implemented in the Morrumbene district (Mozambique), which emphasizes the need to explore design spaces and meaningful dialogs to share past experiences and contextual knowledge. Data were collected via focus group sessions, which had as participant’s people from the local community, the CMC staff, and two researchers. Findings from the Morrumbene case show that an equalitarian approach where all participants’ ideas and perceptions are taken into consideration provides an artefact that unifies ideas and perceptions. It also creates conditions for individuals with social and political differences to work together, share ideas and competencies. Paper (III) brings a case study implemented in the Quelimane municipality. The case outlines a design perspective that brings up proactivity and trust as additional condiments to be taken into consideration while co- designing. Papers (IV) e (V) provides understanding on how co-design can be used to produce sustainable services for the community. The cases analyse aspects that hinder – or even stop – intended positive ICT4D benefits to becoming a reality. The case studies here presented were performed in the three regions of Mozambique (south, central and north), with social groups with different education level, language, and social status working towards the same objective. The findings of this thesis could be used to develop a plan to support CMC and to further improve rural community’s usage and adoption of ICT. CMC services are an important endeavour with significant payoff in communities’ daily lives and activities. This thesis also contributes to a more complete, balanced, and grounded image of how CMCs and local communities can work together to create socially and financially sustainable services

A bluetooth educational content distribution system modelled on a service-oriented architecture

In this research, we design and prototype an educational content distribution system modeled on a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) paradigm and implemented using Web services, XML and Bluetooth technology. In the prototype, we use an Open Source Learning Management System (LMS) Sakai implemented in Java and branded Vula for the University of Cape Town (UCT). Web services and its specification of SOAP, XML and Bluetooth technology are used to integrate the disparate technologies that form the service architecture. The disparate technologies include among others Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and PDAs, services (modules) which may be running on different operating systems, and deployed over Local Area Networks (LANs) or Internet. The service is meant to leverage the existing infrastructure to provide a new, cheap channel for education content distribution to mobile devices in learning institutions especially Universities in the developing world and Africa in particular. We design, implement and evaluate the prototype for performance and scalability. During the designing and implementation of the architecture, we incorporate SOA principles of service/module re-use, service composition, loose-coupling, standard data exchange within the system or services, and extensibility of the services among others. The aim of the service is to distribute education content uploaded in Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to Bluetooth enabled mobile devices that are increasingly held by students in developing world Universities. The service is intended to supplement existing Web-based and lecture room content distribution channels by opening up the mobile device space. For the prototype, we focus on repackaging structured text content and distributing it to Bluetooth enabled phones and PDAs using Bluetooth technology. We evaluate our prototype for performance using experimental studies

Communication for development. Towards effective communication

The purpose of this study is to understand and identify the success factors of Communication for Development endeavors. By understanding the past efforts and studying the current methodologies used in the different phases of campaigns this study aims to conceptualize the most effective ways to generate Communication for Development products. Through the examination of foreign and local case studies in this research paper, it is anticipated to have a clear conceptualization of what makes some development campaigns succeed, in terms of message design and outreach rather than others. Meanwhile, through the expert interviews, this study aims to understand the process that marketing professionals take in order to design messages for Communication for Development. Finally, this paper strives to have a better understanding of how marketing professionals plan, design, execute and evaluate Communication for Development campaigns

Politics, Struggle, Violence, And The Transformation Of Expressive Culture: An Ethnography Of Kurds' Musical Practices in Turkey

Tez (Doktora) -- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, 2014Thesis (Ph.D.) -- İstanbul Technical University, Institute of Social Sciences, 2014Bu tez, direniş, şiddet, savaş ve çatışma gibi temaların müzik ve dans aracılığıyla kimlik kurma ve estetik bir çerçeve tasarlama faaliyetindeki rolünü incelemektedir. Müziğin kültürel, antropolojik, siyasi ve sosyal bağlamda incelenmesine vurgu yapan etnomüzikoloji, politik şiddet, savaş ve çatışmanın biçimlendirdiği artistik hayatı yorumlamada önemli bir konum almaktadır. Etnomüzikolojik açıdan bu çalışma Kürt etnik ya da ulus kimliğini benimseyen ve önemseyen bireylerin savaş deneyimiyle zenginleşmiş müzik ve dans havuzunu tahlil ederek, çatışma ve savaş durumunda sahne sanatlarının işleviyle ilgili detaylı çalışmalar açısından önemli derecede eksikliğe sahip olan etnomüzikoloji literatürüne yeni bir bakış açısı sunmayı ve savaş ve şiddet saikiyle sergilenen performansın, müzik, dans, estetik, milliyetçilik ve direnişle olan ilişkisini sorgulamayı hedeflemektedir. Çatışma, savaş, şiddet ve direniş pratiklerinin hakim olduğu müzik kültürleri son dönem etnografik incelemelerin yakından ilgilendiği alanların önemli bir kısmını oluşturmaktadır. Bu incelemelerin ortaya çıkardığı yaklaşım ve kuramların temelinde gelişen bu çalışma, Türkiye'de genellikle üniter devlet ve ulusal selfdeterminasyon karşıtlığı ya da tarih, dil, kültür ve asimilasyon üzerinden tartışılan Kürt ulusal ve siyasal hareketinin özellikle müzik ve dans etrafında gelişen ifade kültürü ile ilişkisini tartışmaktadır. Yaygın internet kültürünün günümüzdeki etkisini de hesaba katarak büyük ölçüde kamusal ifade pratiklerine odaklanan bu inceleme, Türkiye'de yaşayan Kürtlerin önemli bir kısmının müzik ve müzik merkezli faaliyet alanlarıyla nasıl siyasi mücadele oluşturduğunu ve aynı zamanda kültürel kaynaklarını yeniden yorumlayarak onları nasıl Kürt uluslaşmasının bir parçası yaptığını açıklamaktadır.The issue of how the relationship between music and resistance-based nationalist politics come into being has been systematically covered by ethnomusicologists lately. Music, as the current study attempts to discover a small part of it, has been one of the main channels through which Kurdish resistance and nationalism in Turkey is nurtured. Many researchers imply the musical transformation of Kurdish resistance and nationalism when they employ the word "politicization" for the change of the characteristics of Kurdish music especially after the mid-1970s. However, this thesis contends that this term could hardly clarify the prevalent position of politicized music in Kurdish culture and society in Turkey. In addition to the investigation of a number of music-centered political events in relation to their musical-related contents, chapters of this thesis have also focused on raison d'être of these events. It attempts to discuss, therefore, the functionality of proclaimed themes of these events in Kurdish culture and political movement. Seeking to offer an ethnographic snapshot that ascertains the effects of the transformative power of warfare, violence, and contentious politics on Kurdish culture, music, and musicians in Turkey, this thesis explains the authoritative role that music and music-centered practices have played in the process of Kurdish cultural and political movement in Turkey. Ultimately this thesis concludes that while music has established itself as a cultural force that affects Kurdish people in Turkey from many directions, it has, at the same time, had a particular role in the expansion of political and armed movement.DoktoraPh.D

MTV Europe: An Analysis of the Channel's Attempt to Design a Programming Strategy for a pan-European Youth Audience

This thesis examines the ascendancy of MTV (Music Television) in Europe. It concentrates, above all, on the period between 1987-1996, which represents the phase when the channel was transmitted as a single pan-European network. This thesis is an interdisciplinary study that offers a reading of music television texts in relation to the institutional context in which messages are produced and the different cultural contexts in which they are received. The analysis begins by locating the phenomenon of MTV within the political economy of the music and media industries. The factors which constitute the 'novelty' of MTV as a particular type of TV (i.e. a branded channel) in relation to a particular type of audience (i.e. the 'youth' who were traditionally out of the reach of terrestrial broadcasters) are assessed. The pan­European dimension of MTV is subsequently incorporated by way of a comparative analysis of the relative failure of the EC's initiatives to develop a pan-European broadcasting strategy and the relative success of MTV in this venture. A separate chapter explores the possibility of creating a sense of being European through shared tastes in music. The proposed arguments are then illustrated by case-studies conducted across the contrasting terrain of selected Western and Eastern European countries

Cybersecurity and the Digital Health: An Investigation on the State of the Art and the Position of the Actors

Cybercrime is increasingly exposing the health domain to growing risk. The push towards a strong connection of citizens to health services, through digitalization, has undisputed advantages. Digital health allows remote care, the use of medical devices with a high mechatronic and IT content with strong automation, and a large interconnection of hospital networks with an increasingly effective exchange of data. However, all this requires a great cybersecurity commitment—a commitment that must start with scholars in research and then reach the stakeholders. New devices and technological solutions are increasingly breaking into healthcare, and are able to change the processes of interaction in the health domain. This requires cybersecurity to become a vital part of patient safety through changes in human behaviour, technology, and processes, as part of a complete solution. All professionals involved in cybersecurity in the health domain were invited to contribute with their experiences. This book contains contributions from various experts and different fields. Aspects of cybersecurity in healthcare relating to technological advance and emerging risks were addressed. The new boundaries of this field and the impact of COVID-19 on some sectors, such as mhealth, have also been addressed. We dedicate the book to all those with different roles involved in cybersecurity in the health domain

In-situ Bioengineering of Arterial Vein Grafts

The autogenous saphenous vein remains the graft of choice for both coronary (500,000 annually in the US) and peripheral (80,000 annually) arterial bypass procedures. Failure of arterial vein grafts (AVGs) remains a major problem, and patients with failed grafts will die or require re-operation. Intimal hyperplasia (IH) accounts for 20% to 40% of all AVG failures. It is believed that this adverse pathological response by AVGs is largely due to their abrupt exposure to the significantly elevated circumferential wall stress (CWS) associated with the arterial system. We believe that if an AVG is given an ample opportunity to adapt and remodel to the stresses of its new environment, cellular injury may be reduced, thus limiting the initiating mechanisms of IH. The goal of this work was to develop a new mechanical conditioning paradigm, in the form of a peri-adventitially placed, biodegradable polymer wrap, to safely and functionally "arterialize" AVGs in situ. The polymer wrap was tuned so that as it degraded over a desired period of time, the mechanical support offered by it was reduced and the vein was exposed to gradually increasing levels of CWS in situ. To investigate the effects of mechanical conditioning on AVGs, we utilized both our well established, validated ex vivo vascular perfusion system (EVPS) as well as an appropriate preclinical animal model. The "engineering" component of this bioengineering study was to enhance our EVPS capabilities. Enhancements were made in the form of rigorous mathematical modeling, via subspace system identification, and automatic feedback control, via proportional integral and derivative control, of the arterial CWS and shear stress waveform generation capabilities of the EVPS. Pairs of freshly harvested porcine internal jugular veins (PIJVs) were perfused ex vivo under several biomechanical conditions. The acute hyperplastic response of PIJVs abruptly exposed to arterial hemodynamic conditions was compared to PIJVs perfused under normal venous conditions. In an attempt to attenuate this acute hyperplastic response, an ex vivo mechanical conditioning paradigm was imposed onto the PIJVs both via manual adjustment of EVPS parameters and via an adventitially placed tuned electrospun biodegradable polymer wrap. Early markers of IH were evaluated post-perfusion, and they included vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis, proliferation, and phenotypic modulation. Quantification of these markers via immunohistochemical techniques provided the foundation for the final stage of this work. To assess the efficacy of the tuned electrospun biodegradable polymer wrap in attenuating the development of intimal hyperplasia in AVGs, a series of preclinical studies was performed in a pig model.PIJVs abruptly exposed to arterial levels of CWS showed a significant increase in apoptosis and in the number of synthetic smooth muscle cells, as well as a decrease in proliferation. Mechanical conditioning, via both manual adjustment of the EVPS parameters and placement of the biodegradable adventitial wrap, appeared to have beneficial effects on the acute hyperplastic response of PIJVs perfused ex vivo. The beneficial effects of the adventitially placed polymer wrap was also observed in vivo, however the results did not achieve significance over unwrapped controls. Future work should be aimed at enhancing the beneficial effects of the electrospun biodegradable polymer wrap by incorporating the delivery of drugs and/or stem cells in addition to the delivery of structural support to AVGs

Book review of " Giuseppina Pellegrino and Alessandro Mongili (eds.) Information Infrastructure(s): Boundaries, Ecologies, Multiplicity, Cam- bridge, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014, pp. 337"

book revie