3,666 research outputs found
Web 2.0 and micro-businesses: An exploratory investigation
This is the author's final version of the article. This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.This article was chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2013.Purpose â The paper aims to report on an exploratory study into how small businesses use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) to work collaboratively with other small businesses. The study had two aims: to investigate the benefits available from the use of Web 2.0 in small business collaborations, and to characterize the different types of such online collaborations.
Design/methodology/approach â The research uses a qualitative case study methodology based on semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers of 12 UK-based small companies in the business services sector who are early adopters of Web 2.0 technologies.
Findings â Benefits from the use of Web 2.0 are categorized as lifestyle benefits, internal operational efficiency, enhanced capability, external communications and enhanced service offerings. A 2Ă2 framework is developed to categorize small business collaborations using the dimensions of the basis for inter-organizational collaboration (control vs cooperation) and the level of Web 2.0 ICT use (simple vs sophisticated).
Research limitations/implications â A small number of firms of similar size, sector and location were studied, which limits generalizability. Nonetheless, the results offer a pointer to the likely future use of Web 2.0 tools by other small businesses.
Practical implications â The research provides evidence of the attraction and potential of Web 2.0 for collaborations between small businesses.
Originality/value â The paper is one of the first to report on use of Web 2.0 ICT in collaborative working between small businesses. It will be of interest to those seeking a better understanding of the potential of Web 2.0 in the small business community.WestFocu
Similarity of nuclear structure in 132Sn and 208Pb regions: proton-neutron multiplets
Starting from the striking similarity of proton-neutron multiplets in 134Sb
and 210Bi, we perform a shell-model study of nuclei with two additional protons
or neutrons to find out to what extent this analogy persists. We employ
effective interactions derived from the CD-Bonn nucleon-nucleon potential
renormalized by use of the V-low-k approach. The calculated results for 136Sb,
212Bi, 136I, and 212At are in very good agreement with the available
experimental data. The similarity between 132Sn and 208Pb regions is discussed
in connection with the effective interaction, emphasizing the role of core
polarization effects.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 2 table
On-Line Learning with Restricted Training Sets: An Exactly Solvable Case
We solve the dynamics of on-line Hebbian learning in large perceptrons
exactly, for the regime where the size of the training set scales linearly with
the number of inputs. We consider both noiseless and noisy teachers. Our
calculation cannot be extended to non-Hebbian rules, but the solution provides
a convenient and welcome benchmark with which to test more general and advanced
theories for solving the dynamics of learning with restricted training sets.Comment: 19 pages, eps figures included, uses epsfig macr
Recommended from our members
Computer animation for virtual humans.
YesAdvances in computer animation techniques
have spurred increasing levels of
realism and movement in virtual characters that closely
mimic physical reality. Increases in computational
power and control methods enable the creation of 3D
virtual humans for real-time interactive applications.
Artificial intelligence techniques and autonomous
agents give computer-generated characters a life of
their own and let them interact with other characters
in virtual worlds. Developments and advances in networking
and virtual reality (VR) let multiple participants
share virtual worlds and interact with
applications or each other
Laser cooling of a nanomechanical resonator mode to its quantum ground state
We show that it is possible to cool a nanomechanical resonator mode to its
ground state. The proposed technique is based on resonant laser excitation of a
phonon sideband of an embedded quantum dot. The strength of the sideband
coupling is determined directly by the difference between the electron-phonon
couplings of the initial and final states of the quantum dot optical
transition. Possible applications of the technique we describe include
generation of non-classical states of mechanical motion.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, revtex
Quantum Theory of Cavity-Assisted Sideband Cooling of Mechanical Motion
We present a fully quantum theory describing the cooling of a cantilever
coupled via radiation pressure to an illuminated optical cavity. Applying the
quantum noise approach to the fluctuations of the radiation pressure force, we
derive the opto-mechanical cooling rate and the minimum achievable phonon
number. We find that reaching the quantum limit of arbitrarily small phonon
numbers requires going into the good cavity (resolved phonon sideband) regime
where the cavity linewidth is much smaller than the mechanical frequency and
the corresponding cavity detuning. This is in contrast to the common assumption
that the mechanical frequency and the cavity detuning should be comparable to
the cavity damping.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
SuDS and amphibians - are constructed wetlands really benefitting nature and people?
While urbanisation is a major threat to global
biodiversity, it also brings opportunities for some
species. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) have
been installed in all Scottish cities to reduce flood
and pollution risk and they can also offer new
habitats for wildlife. We studied SuDS in Inverness
and the Scottish Central Belt to assess their value as
amphibian breeding sites, habitats, and as places
where urban people can experience nature. The
nine-year study revealed that many SuDS were of
similar ecological quality to wider countryside ponds
but that the quality of ponds is not equitably
distributed between neighbourhoods inhabited by
different socio-economic classes. However, the
findings suggest ways to improve the design and
management of SuDS for people and nature, making
access to high quality ponds available to all social
groups
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