Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing: An Experimental Inquiry on College Students’ Awareness of, Interest in, and Intention to Participate in a Campus Recreation Special Event

This study examined the effectiveness of social media marketing on college students attending a recreation special event. Facebook and Twitter were assessed via an experimental design. To measure the effectiveness of these applications (through updating statuses) on a college student’s awareness, interest, and intent of attending a special event, three groups were employed (Facebook, Twitter, and Control). A total of 134 participants were recruited via six undergraduate courses and were assigned into three groups based on their social media consumption. Subjects responded to a pre-survey, joined their respective treatment group, and completed a post-survey. Descriptive statistics revealed that awareness increased for those who received Facebook status updates and tweets. The interest level of the treatment groups decreased from the pre to the post-test and the intention of participants to participate increased slightly for the Facebook treatment group, but the intent level of participants in the Twitter and Control groups decreased

Can biological quantum networks solve NP-hard problems?

There is a widespread view that the human brain is so complex that it cannot be efficiently simulated by universal Turing machines. During the last decades the question has therefore been raised whether we need to consider quantum effects to explain the imagined cognitive power of a conscious mind. This paper presents a personal view of several fields of philosophy and computational neurobiology in an attempt to suggest a realistic picture of how the brain might work as a basis for perception, consciousness and cognition. The purpose is to be able to identify and evaluate instances where quantum effects might play a significant role in cognitive processes. Not surprisingly, the conclusion is that quantum-enhanced cognition and intelligence are very unlikely to be found in biological brains. Quantum effects may certainly influence the functionality of various components and signalling pathways at the molecular level in the brain network, like ion ports, synapses, sensors, and enzymes. This might evidently influence the functionality of some nodes and perhaps even the overall intelligence of the brain network, but hardly give it any dramatically enhanced functionality. So, the conclusion is that biological quantum networks can only approximately solve small instances of NP-hard problems. On the other hand, artificial intelligence and machine learning implemented in complex dynamical systems based on genuine quantum networks can certainly be expected to show enhanced performance and quantum advantage compared with classical networks. Nevertheless, even quantum networks can only be expected to efficiently solve NP-hard problems approximately. In the end it is a question of precision - Nature is approximate.Comment: 38 page

The proposed dropping of the genus crassostrea for all Pacific cupped oysters and its replacement by a new genus magallana: a dissenting view

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) currently registers all Pacific cupped oysters that were formerly members of the genus Crassostrea in a new genus, Magallana. Magallana gigas is designated as an ‘‘accepted name,’’ whereas a search for Crassostrea gigas results in the message ‘‘no matching results found.’’ This has caused dismay among many biologists, aquaculturists, and other stakeholders with an interest in the Pacific and other oysters. This note, which is authored by 27 interested scientists, presents a dissenting view and a rebuttal of the proposed change of genus

In Defence of Modest Doxasticism About Delusions

Here I reply to the main points raised by the commentators on the arguments put forward in my Delusions and Other Irrational Beliefs (OUP, 2009). My response is aimed at defending a modest doxastic account of clinical delusions, and is articulated in three sections. First, I consider the view that delusions are in-between perceptual and doxastic states, defended by Jacob Hohwy and Vivek Rajan, and the view that delusions are failed attempts at believing or not-quite-beliefs, proposed by Eric Schwitzgebel and Maura Tumulty. Then, I address the relationship between the doxastic account of delusions and the role, nature, and prospects of folk psychology, which is discussed by Dominic Murphy, Keith Frankish, and Maura Tumulty in their contributions. In the final remarks, I turn to the continuity thesis and suggest that, although there are important differences between clinical delusions and non-pathological beliefs, these differences cannot be characterised satisfactorily in epistemic terms. \u

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) territory placement near seismic lines is influenced by forest regeneration and conspecific density

. 2013. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) territory placement near seismic lines is influenced by forest regeneration and conspecific density. Avian Conservation and Ecology 8(1):5. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00596-080105 Research Paper Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) Territory Placement Near Seismic Lines is Influenced by Forest Regeneration and Conspecific Density Le positionnement des territoires de la Paruline couronnée (Seiurus aurocapilla) près des lignes sismiques est influencé par la régénération forestière et la densité des conspécifiques ABSTRACT. The boreal forest of western Canada is being dissected by seismic lines used for oil and gas exploration. The vast amount of edge being created is leading to concerns that core habitat will be reduced for forest interior species for extended periods of time. The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a boreal songbird known to be sensitive to newly created seismic lines because it does not include newly cut lines within its territory. We examined multiple hypotheses to explain potential mechanisms causing this behavior by mapping Ovenbird territories near lines with varying states of vegetation regeneration. The best model to explain line exclusion behavior included the number of neighboring conspecifics, the amount of bare ground, leaf-litter depth, and canopy closure. Ovenbirds exclude recently cut seismic lines from their territories because of lack of protective cover (lower tree and shrub cover) and because of reduced food resources due to large areas of bare ground. Food reduction and perceived predation risk effects seem to be mitigated once leaf litter (depth and extent of cover) and woody vegetation cover are restored to forest interior levels. However, as conspecific density increases, lines are more likely to be used as landmarks to demarcate territorial boundaries, even when woody vegetation cover and leaf litter are restored. This behavior can reduce territory density near seismic lines by changing the spatial distribution of territories. Landmark effects are longer lasting than the effects from reduced food or perceived predation risk because canopy height and tree density take >40 years to recover to forest interior levels. Mitigation of seismic line impacts on Ovenbirds should focus on restoring forest cover as quickly as possible after line cutting. RÉSUMÉ. La forêt boréale de l'ouest du Canada subit un découpage par les lignes sismiques effectuées dans le cadre de l'exploration pétrolière et gazière. La grande quantité de bordures ainsi créées soulève des préoccupations quant à l'intégrité des milieux pour les espèces forestières de massifs continus, et ce, pour de longues périodes. La Paruline couronnée (Seiurus aurocapilla) est un passereau boréal reconnu pour sa sensibilité aux lignes sismiques récemment créées parce qu'elle exclut les bandes nouvellement coupées de son territoire. Afin d'examiner les nombreuses hypothèses pouvant expliquer les mécanismes possibles derrière ce comportement, nous avons cartographié les territoires de parulines situés près de lignes, selon différents stades de régénération de la végétation. Le modèle qui explique le mieux le comportement d'exclusion des lignes inclut le nombre de conspécifiques voisins, la superficie de sol nu, la profondeur de la litière forestière et la superficie du couvert forestier. Les parulines excluent les lignes sismiques récemment coupées de leur territoire en raison du manque de couvert de protection (couvert arbustif et en petits arbres) et des ressources alimentaires réduites attribuables aux grandes superficies de sol nu. La faible quantité de ressources alimentaires et les risques perçus de prédation semblent être compensés une fois que la litière forestière (profondeur et étendue) et le couvert forestier ont ratteint les niveaux des massifs continus de forêts. Toutefois, à mesure que la densité de conspécifiques augmente, les lignes sismiques servent vraisemblablement de repères pour démarquer les limites des territoires, même lorsque le couvert forestier et la litière ont été restaurés. En modifiant la répartition spatiale des territoires, ce comportement peut amener une réduction de la densité de territoires près des lignes sismiques. L'effet de repère dure plus longtemps que les effets imputables aux ressources alimentaires réduites et au risque perçu de prédation étant donné que la hauteur et la densité des arbres prennent plus de 40 ans à ratteindre les niveaux des massifs continus de forêts. Les mesures destinées à atténuer l'impact des lignes sismiques devraient viser à restaurer le couvert forestier dès que possible

Ontological transparency, (in)visibility, and hidden curricula:Critical pedagogy and contentious edtech

AbstractThe steady migration of higher education online has accelerated in the wake of Covid-19. The implications of this migration on critical praxis—the theory-in-practice of pedagogy—deserve further scrutiny. This paper explores how teacher and student-led educational technology research and development can help rethink online critical praxis. The paper is based on a recent research project at the University of Edinburgh that speculatively explored the potential for automation in teaching, which generated insights into current and future pedagogical practice among both teachers and students. From this project emerged a series of pedagogical positions that were centred around visions of the future of teaching in response to automation: the pedagogical potential of visibility and invisibility online, transparency, and interrogating the hidden curricula of both higher education and educational technology itself. Through the surfacing of these pedagogical positions, this paper explores how critical pedagogy can be built into the broader teacher function and begins to identify the institutional structures that could potentially impede or accelerate that process.</jats:p

Learning at the Interstices; Locating Practical Philosophies for Understanding Physical/virtual Inter-spaces

Virtual worlds are relatively recent developments, and so it is tempting to believe that they need to be understood through newly developed theories and philosophies. However, humans have long thought about the nature of reality and what it means to be “real.” This paper examines the three persistent philosophical concepts of Metaxis, Liminality and Space that have evolved across more than 2000 years of meditation, contemplation and reflection. Our particular focus here is on the nature of the interface between the virtual and the physical: at the interstices, and how the nature of transactions and transitions across those interfaces may impact upon learning. This may, at first, appear to be an esoteric pursuit, but we ground our arguments in primary and secondary data from research studies in higher education

Bacillus subtilis HU58 and Bacillus coagulans SC208 probiotics reduced the effects of antibiotic-induced gut microbiome dysbiosis in an M-SHIME® model

Benefits associated with probiotic use have been reported; however, the mechanisms behind these benefits are poorly understood. The effects of a probiotic formulation (MegaDuo (TM)) containingBacillus coagulansSC208 andBacillus subtilisHU58 on intestinal permeability and immune markers was assessed using a combination of the in vitro gut model, the mucosal simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (M-SHIME(R)), and an in vitro inflammatory bowel disease-like Caco-2/THP1 co-culture model in both healthy and antibiotic-induced dysbiosis conditions. Established M-SHIME(R)proximal colon vessels were treated with/without clindamycin (1 week) and then with/without daily MegaDuo (TM) treatment (2 weeks). The mucosal and luminal microbial communities were sampled weekly. Suspensions were removed from the proximal colon vessels after 1 and 2 weeks of MegaDuo (TM) treatment and added to the co-culture system. Transepithelial resistance (membrane barrier function), cytokine/chemokine release, and NF kappa B activity were then measured. Under conditions of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, suspensions from MegaDuo (TM) treated vessels showed reduced gut membrane barrier damage and decreased levels of TNF alpha and IL-6 compared with suspensions from untreated vessels; no appreciable differences were observed under healthy conditions. MegaDuo (TM) treatment had no effect on NF kappa B activity of THP1-Blue (TM) cells. The potential benefits of MegaDuo (TM) treatment appeared most evident after 2 weeks of treatment

Will all scientists working on snails and the diseases they transmit please stand up?

Copyright © 2012 Adema et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.No abstract available