On consistency maintenance in service discovery

Communication and node failures degrade the ability of a service discovery protocol to ensure Users receive the correct service information when the service changes. We propose that service discovery protocols employ a set of recovery techniques to recover from failures and regain consistency. We use simulations to show that the type of recovery technique a protocol uses significantly impacts the performance. We benchmark the performance of our own service discovery protocol, FRODO against the performance of first generation service discovery protocols, Jini and UPnP during increasing communication and node failures. The results show that FRODO has the best overall consistency maintenance performance

O papel "emergente" do Medical Science Liaison na indústria farmacêutica

Mestrado em Medicina FarmacêuticaThe main goal of this report is to describe an on-the-job training as Medical Science Liaison in a multinational biopharmaceutical company, in Cardiovascular (CV) area, acting as support for a market-leading brand in Portugal, with particular focus on the development and implementation of continuing medical education programs and associated management of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and regional Opinion Leaders (OPs).O objectivo deste trabalho é a descrição de um on-the-job training como Medical Scientific Liaison numa Companhia biofarmacêutica multinacional, na área Cardiovascular (CV), e em apoio a uma marca líder de mercado em Portugal, com particular enfoque no desenvolvimento e implementação de programas de educação médica continuada e associada gestão de Key Opinion Leaders e Opinion Leaders regionais ou locais

A NEW BENCHMARKING METHODOLOGY TO MONITOR INDUSTRY\u27S INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY-BASED OBESITY PREVENTION AND FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVES: GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Background: Despite increased public health efforts and investment in obesity prevention, obesity continues to be a growing problem in the United States.1 Excess weight increases the risk for a series of correlated diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, joint abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep disturbances and a decreased life span.2–9 Traditional interventions to improve nutrition or decrease obesity have not achieved the desired success so far because obesity is a complex problem, involving a vast number of factors, sectors and actors that influence individuals’ energy balance.10,11 To achieve change in a complex system, it is crucial to adopt a collective response that intervenes at different levels and spans multiple sectors.12 Such response would see a coordinated effort between actors from different sectors toward the common goal of reducing obesity. Though still controversial, several authors and international organizations have highlighted the necessity of involving food and beverage companies – with appropriate monitoring and accountability systems – given the crucial role they play in shaping the food production and consumption environment.13–17 Food and beverage companies have already made substantial investments aimed at improving communities’ access to food and encouraging healthful eating and active living. Although the presence of the private sector in the public health space is growing at a rapid pace, there is limited research on its actual impact, and the supposed “added value” of industry-sponsored initiatives is often grounded on anecdotal evidence and best-practice reasoning.18 In response to the growing need for objective assessments of health initiatives funded by the private sector, the Commitment to Healthy Communities (CHC) initiative developed a new methodology to benchmark the strategy and performance of community-based food access, healthful nutrition and active living programs in the US funded by food and beverage companies. The initiative also included developing and piloting a new tool to assess the collective impact the companies’ strategies have at the community level. This dissertation sought to analyze the results of the CHC initiative and to use scientific lenses to suggest a roadmap for public-private collaboration in obesity prevention initiatives. The results of the three papers shed light on the impact of current privately funded initiatives in community health and suggest a framework for future multi-sectoral collaboration with a specific focus on portion guidance and management. Methods for CHC assessment: We developed an industry survey based on best practices in corporate benchmarking while incorporating concepts from the collective impact framework. The survey evaluated four domains of community initiatives: 1) strategy design; 2) governance and management; 3) monitoring and evaluation; and 4) reporting, communication and stakeholder engagement. Eleven companies participated. Quantitative and qualitative data on companies’ obesity prevention and food access initiatives were collected through an online platform and validated by the research team. For each dimension and overall, a percentage score was computed for each company. Domains 1, 2, and 4 above were given a weight of 20% while domain 3 was given a weight of 40% in the final score. Method for community-based assessment: We developed the Collective Impact Community Assessment Scale, which evaluates programs along 14 dimensions. Five community programs funded by five companies participated in the testing of this tool. Qualitative data were collected through in-person key informant interviews, focus groups, and direct observations of program activities. Eight interviews/focus groups (representing program management, delivery staff, participants and community champions) were selected in each program for review and analysis using a scoring system with pre-established anchors and algorithms to arrive at quantitative metrics of CI. Raw scores ranged on a scale from 0 to 8 for each dimension and were standardized as percentages. Scores for all 14 dimensions were averaged to generate a total composite score. Methods for Delphi study: The study consisted of an iterative process of administering three rounds of surveys to a panel of experts – representing the fields of obesity, public health, food production, access and distribution, and the broader nutrition field – over a period of three months. The surveys included questions aimed at gathering opinions on the following issues surrounding portion guidance: psychological mindsets that can affect portion size choice, eating habits, portion perception and distortion, passive overconsumption, and challenges and advantages of this tool to improve population nutrition. The surveys also included questions regarding envisioned changes in the food environment in the future. After every round we analyzed all answers and transformed the questions into more narrow agreement queries in order to reach group consensus on specific items in the subsequent round. Results: Nine companies provided enough quantitative data to be scored in the CHC assessment. Overall scores ranged from 27% to 69% (mean=53%, median=55%). Companies scored between 18-83% on strategy design (mean=60%, median=62%); 26-89% on governance and management (mean=64%, median=65%); 24-60% on monitoring and evaluation (mean=40%, median=37%); and 27-89% on reporting, communication and stakeholder engagement (mean=63%, median=67%). There was a positive, exponential relationship between companies’ overall scores and the level of financial investment in community-based programs. For the community assessment, total composite scores of CI for programs ranged from 63% to 89%. The CI dimensions that scored the highest were “backbone infrastructure” (median=94%, range=88%-100%) and “common agenda” (median=91%, range=59%-97%). All programs scored lower on dimensions related to their ability to impact funding flows (median=47%, range=34%-94%), cultural norms (median=69%, range=34%-88%), and advocacy and public policy (median=56%, range=25%-69%). The Delphi study found that, although many experts fear that portion size interventions might be perceived as paternalistic, 91% of respondents agree that these innovations should be stealth and unnoticed. 73% of experts believe that the most impactful portion size information is product reformulation while simply producing smaller packages is the most effective intervention according to only 16% of experts. The majority of the panel (59%) also believes that creating an artificial stopping point in packages is the best strategy to reduce food consumption. Finally, the study found that one of the most complex aspects of establishing a multi-sector collaboration for obesity prevention is to ascertain trust in the private sector’s ability to go beyond the profit versus responsibility conundrum. Conclusion: The complexity of the obesity issue requires collaboration from different actors across all areas of the complex food environment. The CHC initiative presents an innovative and promising methodology to assess these efforts in a rigorous manner and provide specific feedback on areas that need further improvement. This evaluation framework also provides best practice standards against which different companies can set their goals and objectives. This dissertation has uncovered an area of potential growth that could push companies to maximize their collective impact. Finally, this dissertation has set the stage for future public-private collaboration to improve population nutrition through portion size initiatives. It has identified important points of agreement and obstacles that can inform the agenda of such a movement and shape next-generation obesity prevention programs

The effectiveness of content marketing activities in Facebook and Instagram : generating leads and improving sales for a B2C experiential service company

Nowadays a majority of society is using social media, which increased the number of social network sites (SNS) users. Business to consumer (B2C) companies have started to use SNS in order to gain from its close connectivity to customers and to attract new customers. Becoming of most self-interest to master the art of online marketing through SNS for B2C companies. The aim of this thesis is to study the effectiveness of visual user-generated content (UGC) versus own branded content for sales conversions on Facebook. Additionally, the study compares the effectiveness of own branded visual content vs UGC in generating leads on Instagram and Facebook. By analyzing the effectiveness of content marketing activities on SNS, we are contributing to the discussion on strategic marketing decisions for B2C enterprises. Having an interaction effect between the type of social network platform and type of content that is not statistically significant different, we can truthfully reject hypothesis one. The difference between conversion rates indicates that UGC inspires more confidence, achieving higher conversions rates over the five days the campaign occurred. Although the sample size was restricted which can affect the power of detecting meaningful difference and not allowing a statement on significance.Atualmente, a maior parte da nossa sociedade usa redes sociais, o que aumentou o número de usuários de redes sociais. Muitas empresas (B2C) começaram a usar redes sociais para contribuir ao bem do negocio. Tornando-se do maior interesse saber dominar a arte do marketing online através de redes sociais, estas plataformas sendo Facebook e Instagram. O objetivo desta tese é estudar a eficácia do conteúdo visual gerado por usuários (UGC) versus o conteúdo de marca própria para conversões de vendas no Facebook. Além disso, o estudo compara a eficácia do conteúdo visual de marca própria versus o de usuários (UGC) na geração de leads no Instagram e no Facebook. Ao analisar a eficácia das atividades de marketing com o conteúdo das redes sociais contribuindo para a discussão sobre decisões estratégicas de marketing para as empresas (B2C). Resultados revelam um efeito de interação entre o tipo de rede social e o tipo de conteúdo que não é estatisticamente significativo, rejeitando a hipótese 1. A diferença entre as quotas de conversão indica que o conteúdo visual gerado por usuários (UGC) inspira mais confiança, alcançando taxas de conversão mais altas nos cinco dias em que a campanha ocorreu. Embora o tamanho da amostra tenha sido restrito, o que pode afetar o poder de detetar diferenças significativas e não permitindo uma declaração com significância

Sensor grid middleware metamodeling and analysis

Sensor grid is a platform that combines wireless sensor networks and grid computing with the aim of exploiting the complementary advantages of the two systems. Proper integration of these distinct systems into effective, logically single platform is challenging. This paper presents an approach for practical sensor grid implementation and management. The proposed approach uses a metamodeling technique and performance analysis and tuning as well as a middleware infrastructure that enable practical sensor grid implementation and management. The paper presents our implementation and analysis of the sensor grid. © 2014 Srimathi Chandrasekaran et al

Packaging and sustainability : a study of a liquid paperboard pack

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.The liquid paperboard (LPB) supply chain converts coated paperboard into single-use beveragecartons. The packaging industry claims to have engaged extensively with matters of sustainabilityand that it has taken many steps to improve resource efficiency associated with this type of packaging. Yet, the 2011 recycling rate of used beverage cartons (UBCs) in South Africa was 0.9%,implying that significant volumes are going to landfill disposal. UBCs are a source of high quality fullybleached furnish (paper fibres), which are routinely recovered and recycled in many other countries,and this practice has been shown by multiple life cycle assessments (LCAs) to reduce environmentalimpacts. The sustainability awareness of different actors in the LPB supply chain was assessed as the first objective, including both South African and international actors in the comparison. Similarities in sustainability reporting were determined by a content analysis of the annual reports supported by two analyses principled on multi-criteria analysis (MCA). The purposively chosen actors in the LPB supply chain were grouped into three namely, manufacturers, organisations and ‘retailers and brand owners’. An analysis using the three focal issues of the Nampak 2010 sustainability report, namely carbon footprint, recycling and training, as search terms shows variation in focus amongst manufacturers to be as wide as that in the two other groups though Stora Enso (an international manufacturer) is noted as having the having the most similar focus. PACSA is the organisation that has the most similar focus to the three Nampak-identified criteria. The four-criteria principled MCA with LCA as the fourth criterion indicates that Stora Enso has the most similar focus to that of Nampak; PACSA is the organisation that has the most similar focus to the four criteria and also had the most focus similar focus to Nampak for the single criterion of ‘recycling’. It is concluded that sustainability awareness in the LPB supply chain is more nuanced in the international companies (based on the date of first responding, word counts in the reports and use of LCA) but is similar between the three company groups in the supply chain. An LCA is presented in order to investigate whether policy recommendations for further reducing the environmental impacts pf LPB use in South Africa

Disaggregating U.S. Interests in International Law

The Constitution is so central to American identity that any concession of external constitutional constraints may constitute a threat to national self-determination. This explains the relative intensity of objections to international norms and institutions thought to compromise constitutional discretion, at least in the absence of countervailing interests

Openness and crowdfunding : succeeding by opening up

Crowdfunding is an emerging way of financing that has been growing at a fast pace in the past few years. The present dissertation aims to study the impact of openness on the success of Crowdfunding platforms. This research analyzed 274 platforms operating in 2014, attributing them a score of openness. The degree of openness is then correlated with performance indicators, such as the number of global users, the global rank of the platforms and the number of Facebook fans. The results of the analysis show that openness is positively correlated with greater adoption of Crowdfunding platforms. In conclusion, given the crowd based nature of this phenomenon, this study shows that opening up, allowing a greater interaction with the external environment, is a beneficial strategy for Crowdfunding platforms.O Crowdfunding é uma inovadora forma de financiamento que tem vindo a crescer a um ritmo elevado nos últimos anos. A presente dissertação pretende estudar o impacto que a abertura das plataformas de Crowdfunding, tem no sucesso das mesmas. Para o estudo, foram analisadas 274 plataformas em atividade no ano de 2014, sendo-lhes atribuídas uma pontuação de acordo com o seu grau de abertura. O grau de abertura das plataformas é então correlacionado com indicadores de performance, tais como o número global de utilizadores, o ranking global das plataformas, bem como o número de fãs no Facebook. Os resultados da análise efetuada indicam que a abertura está positivamente correlacionada com uma maior adoção das plataformas de Crowdfunding por parte dos utilizadores. Em conclusão, sendo este fenómeno baseado no “crowd”, ou seja, tendo como base as pessoas, o presente estudo mostra que adotar uma maior abertura, permitindo uma maior interação com o ambiente externo, é uma estratégia benéfica para as plataformas de Crowdfunding

The impact of sports sponsorship on brand equity

Purpose: Sports Sponsorship aims to build a synergic relationship between the sponsor brand and the sponsored entity. Knowing that these partnerships benefit from impacting consumer perception, the dissertation’s main objective is to investigate sports sponsorship’s impact on consumer-based brand equity assets: Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Perceived Quality and Brand Associations. As a parallel objective, the relationship between supporters and the sports entity was studied as a mediator of the sponsorship and brand equity relationship through the brand love scale. Methodology: first, a literature review focused on retrieving pertinent academic contributions for Sports Marketing, Sports Sponsorship and Brand Equity was conducted. Next, hypotheses were developed and tested through an exploratory study focused on two Portuguese brands and three football teams. Finally, the retrieved data was examined to confirm the proposed hypotheses. Finding: All hypotheses were accepted, and the objectives were accomplished. There is statistical evidence that Sagres and Super Bock’s sponsorship of FC Porto, SL Benfica and Sporting CP impacts brand equity variables. Furthermore, the linear relationship sponsorship-brand equity assets are justified through the mediator, supporters’ brand love for their team. The study revealed that Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Perceived Quality and Brand Associations had significantly better results among the sponsorship-aware groups, confirming that brand equity is positively impacted by sports sponsorship. Additionally, it was demonstrated that supporters’ brand love for their team is a mediator between the sports sponsorship effect and each brand equity asset. Hence, sports sponsorship impacts the consumer-based brand equity of supporters with higher brand love for the sponsored entity.Objetivo: O Patrocínio Desportivo visa construir uma relação entre a marca patrocinadora e o patrocinado, beneficiando do impacto na perceção do consumidor. O objetivo principal é investigar o impacto do patrocínio desportivo nos ativos de brand equity: Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Perceived Quality e Brand Associations. Em paralelo, estudou-se a relação entre apoiantes e entidade desportiva como mediadora dessa relação por meio da escala de amor à marca. Metodologia: Foi realizada uma revisão de literatura focando-se em Marketing Desportivo, Patrocínio Desportivo e Brand Equity. Em seguida, foram desenvolvidas e testadas hipóteses através de um estudo exploratório centrado em duas marcas portuguesas e três equipas de futebol. Por fim, os dados foram examinados para confirmar as hipóteses propostas. Resultados: Todas as hipóteses foram aceites e os objetivos alcançados. Existe evidência de que o patrocínio da Sagres/Super Bock ao FC Porto, SL Benfica e Sporting CP tem impacto nas variáveis de brand equity. Além disso, a relação patrocínio-ativos de brand equity justifica-se por meio do mediador, o amor à marca. Este estudo revelou que Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Perceived Quality e Brand Associations tinha significativamente melhores resultados entre os grupos que reconheciam o patrocínio, confirmando que brand equity é impactada positivamente pelo patrocínio desportivo. Foi ainda demonstrado que o amor à marca dos torcedores por sua equipe é um mediador entre o efeito do patrocínio esportivo e cada ativo de brand equity. Assim, o patrocínio desportivo impacta de forma positiva os ativos de brand equity nos apoiantes que têm mais amor à entidade patrocinada