Empowering Rural Citizen Journalism Via Web 2.0 Technologies

Once acquainted with the modern information and communication tools made available with the advent of the Internet, five Brazilian rural communities participating in a pilot project to develop a self-sustaining telecenter model, engaged in citizen journalism using inexpensive digital video cameras. Community members used Web 2.0 collaborative tools to post short videos on the telecenter portal. The 95 video blogs published between September 2006 and May 2008 recorded various aspects of community life,including religious celebrations,oral history arts and crafts traditions,folklore,and envirnmental concerns. This study evaluates the impact of video blogging in these communities

Self-service technologies potential in the portuguese retail sector

The use of self-service technologies has the potential to disrupt the Portuguese retail industry. The aim of this research is to assess how can SSTs transform the retail space in Portugal. This assessment was done by studying the relationship between consumer problems with attributes of self-service technologies and by the relationship between Technology readiness of consumers and self-service technologies adoption and lastly by the relationship between selfservice technologies satisfaction and the consumers’ trustworthiness and willingness to purchase. The data supported that self-service technologies could solve specific consumers problems related with their retail experience. Furthermore, the hypothesized framework indicated that the higher the technology readiness of a consumer the higher the self-service technology adoption will be. Besides, the Technology readiness of consumers is a crucial variable to evaluate the willingness to use innovative self-service stores. Lastly, results also show that the higher self-service technologies satisfaction, the higher will be the consumers’ trustworthiness and loyalty with the respective retailers and the higher will be the willingness to purchase. Besides, more results are shown in order to support the conclusions. This research finishes with limitations and recommendations for future studies about this topic.O uso de tecnologias de self-service tem o potencial para revolucionar o retalho em Portugal. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar como podem estas tecnologias criar disrupção na indústria do retalho em Portugal. Esta avaliação foi feita ao estudar a relação entre os problemas do consumidor e os atributos das tecnologias de self-service, pela relação entre prontidão tecnológica e a satisfação ao usar as tecnologias self-service, e por último pela relação entre a satisfação ao usar as tecnologias self-service e a lealdade dos consumidores e a sua vontade de comprar. Os dados suportam que as tecnologias self-service podem resolver problemas específicos dos consumidores relacionados com a sua experiência de retalho. Adicionalmente, o modelo criado foi suportado por um resultado estatisticamente significativo, o que indica que quanto maior o nível de prontidão tecnológica do consumidor, maior será a adoção de tecnologias self-service. Para além disso, a prontidão tecnológica dos consumidores é uma variável essencial para avaliar a vontade de usar conceitos inovadores de lojas self-service. Por último, os resultados mostram que quanto maior a satisfação com as tecnologias self-service, maior será a lealdade dos consumidores com os respetivos retalhistas e maior será a vontade de comprar. Outros resultados foram apresentados de forma suportar as conclusões. O estudo acaba com limitações e recomendações para futuras investigações

Dissociações entre tarefas de memória: Evidência para uma distinção entre as memórias implícita e explícita

Centro de Investigação em Psicologia da Universidade do Minho (CIPsi

Effects of the Energy Error Distribution of Fluorescence Telescopes on the UHECR energy spectrum

The measurement of the ultra high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) spectrum is strongly affected by uncertainties on the reconstructed energy. The determination of the presence or absence of the GZK cutoff and its position in the energy spectrum depends not only on high statistics but also on the shape of the energy error distribution. Here we determine the energy error distribution for fluorescence telescopes, based on a Monte Carlo simulation. The HiRes and Auger fluorescence telescopes are simulated in detail. We analyze the UHECR spectrum convolved with this energy error distribution. We compare this spectrum with one convolved with a lognormal error distribution as well as with a Gaussian error distribution. We show that the energy error distribution for fluorescence detectors can not be represented by these known distributions. We conclude that the convolved energy spectrum will be smeared but not enough to affect the GZK cutoff detection. This conclusion stands for both HiRes and Auger fluorescence telescopes. This result differs from the effect of the energy error distribution obtained with ground detectors and reinforces the importance of the fluorescence energy measurement. We also investigate the effect of possible fluorescence yield measurement errors in the energy spectrum.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figure

Posttraumatic Growth in Bereaved Parents: A Multidimensional Model of Associated Factors

Objective: Although the death of a child is a devastating event, recent evidence shows that personal growth is a relevant outcome of parents' grief. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG) and to propose a multidimensional model consisting of sociodemographic, situational, and intrapersonal and interpersonal factors. Methods: A sample (N = 197; 89.8% female; mean age = 39.44 years) of bereaved parents completed the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form, the 14-Item Resilience Scale, the Continuing Bonds Scale and the Dyadic Coping Inventory. Results: The final model consisted of sociodemographic, situational, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors of PTG, which accounted for 36.7% of the variance. Higher levels of PTG were generally associated with female sex, younger age of the child, higher levels of resilience, higher levels of internalized continuing bonds (i.e., internal representation of the child, maintaining psychological proximity), and higher levels of stress communication by the partner (communicating the stress experience and requesting emotional or practical support). Conclusions: In clinical practice, health professionals assisting bereaved parents should pay attention to men and parents of older children, who might be at higher risk of difficulties in developing PTG. Additionally, promoting a more internalized bond with the child, resilience and dyadic coping, especially stress communication, can constitute important therapeutic goals

Prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol are associated with chronic daily headaches at childhood: a population-based study

The influence of prenatal events on the development of headaches at childhood has not been investigated and is the scope of our study. Of 2,173 children identified as the target sample, consents and analyzable data were provided by 1,440 (77%). Parents responded to a standardized questionnaire with a validated headache module and specific questions about prenatal exposures. Odds of chronic daily headache (CDH) were significantly higher when maternal tabagism was reported. When active and passive smoking were reported, odds ratio (OR) of CDH were 2.29 [95% confidence intervals (CI)=1.6 vs. 3.6)]; for active tabagism, OR=4.2 (95% CI=2.1-8.5). Alcohol use more than doubled the chance of CDH (24% vs. 11%, OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.2-4.7). In multivariate analyses, adjustments did not substantially change the smoking/CDH association. Prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol are associated with increased rates of CDH onset in preadolescent children

Antimicrobial Efficacy of Triple Antibiotic-Eluting Polymer Nanofibers against Multispecies Biofilm

The elimination of microbial flora in cases of immature permanent teeth with necrotic pulp is both key and a challenging goal for the long-term success of regenerative therapy. Recent research has focused on the development of cell-friendly intracanal drug delivery systems. This in vitro study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial action of 3-dimensional (3D) tubular-shaped triple antibiotic-eluting nanofibrous constructs against a multispecies biofilm on human dentin. Polydioxanone polymer solutions, antibiotic-free or incorporated with metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and minocycline, were electrospun into 3D tubular-shaped constructs. A multispecies biofilm consisting of Actinomyces naeslundii, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Enterococcus faecalis was forced inside the dentinal tubules via centrifugation in a dentin slice in vitro model. The infected specimens were exposed to 2 experimental groups (ie, 3D tubular-shaped triple antibiotic-eluting constructs and triple antibiotic paste [TAP]) and 2 control groups (7-day biofilm untreated and antibiotic-free 3D tubular-shaped constructs). Biofilm elimination was quantitatively analyzed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) analysis showed a dense population of viable (green) bacteria adhered to dentin and penetrated into the dentinal tubules. Upon 3D tubular-shaped triple antibiotic-eluting nanofibrous construct exposure, nearly complete elimination of viable bacteria on the dentin surface and inside the dentinal tubules was shown in the CLSM images, which was similar (P < .05) to the bacterial death promoted by the TAP group but significantly greater when compared with both the antibiotic-free 3D tubular-shaped constructs and the control (saline). The proposed 3D tubular-shaped antibiotic-eluting construct showed pronounced antimicrobial effects against the multispecies biofilm tested and therefore holds significant clinical potential as a disinfection strategy before regenerative endodontics