Collective action in China and its social and political implications

A school of thought on China’s rural unrest contends that rural unrest not only has successfully forced China’s top leaders to introduce measures to improve the economic wellbeing of the rural population but will also democratise the political and social culture in rural areas. While agreeing with its contention about the positive economic outcome of rural political activism, this paper challenges its over-optimistic assessment of the political and social implications of rural unrest.Sylvia Cha

Enhanced TV as Brand Extension: The Economics and Pragmatics of Enhanced TV to Cable TV Network Viewership [Slides]

A series of 12 slides from a presentation given at the National Cable Television Association Academic Seminar, Chicago, June 8, 2003

Misinformation on Instagram: The Impact of Trusted Endorsements on Message Credibility

This research explores how social validation, measured through trusted endorsements and bandwagon heuristics, influence the credibility of misinformation on Instagram. Using experimental design, this study found that trusted endorsements (i.e., the liking of content by a trustworthy or reputable source) significantly impacted the credibility of misleading content on Instagram. Perceived message credibility was greater when a fabricated post was endorsed by a trustworthy personality. Findings provide insights into how message credibility is evaluated on a social media platform like Instagram in the context of misinformation

Towards a Video Consumer Leaning Spectrum: A Medium-Centric Approach

Purpose: As TV and digital video converge, there is a need to compare advertising effectiveness, advertising receptivity, and video consumption drivers in this new context. Considering the emerging viewing practices and underlying theories, this study examines the feasibility of the traditional notion of differentiating between lean-back (LB) and lean-forward (LF) media, and proposes a revised approach of addressing video consumption processes and associated advertising effectiveness implications. Methodology: An extensive, systematic literature review examines a total of 715 sources regarding current lean-back/lean-forward media research and alternative approaches as by (1) basic terminologies, (2) limitations of lean-back/lean-forward situations, (3) advertising effectiveness implications, (4) video-specific approaches. Findings/Contribution: Key differences between lean-back and lean-forward video consumption are presented. A conceptual integration of video ad receptivity/effectiveness drivers is proposed to guide future media and marketing research and practice. Video consumption today is no longer lean-back or lean-forward, but a “leaning spectrum” with two dimensions: leaning direction and leaning degree. Designing video content today requires focusing on consumption drivers and platform synergies for owning the “leaning spectrum”

Body-Mind Connectedness: Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Work for Depressed Persons with Salient Somatic Disturbances

Globally, depression frequently comorbid with a variety of physical illnesses, which exert substantial mental and somatic distresses on patients. Sleep disturbance is one of the common conditions reported by individuals with either, mental or physical illnesses. Complex interaction among depression, sleep and physical illnesses highlighted the essential mind‐body connection in the planning of integrative care and other clinical services. A number of eastern mind‐body practices, such as Qigong, acupuncture and meditation, have been frequently studied indicating the efficacy of mind‐body connection in complementary therapies. This chapter will introduce the integrative body‐mind‐spirit (I‐BMS) group work, which has been found effective in addressing comorbid depressed mood and somatic afflictions, especially sleep disturbances among Hong Kong Chinese adults

La nueva red de valor de los medios digitales: propuesta de un modelo interactivo para el análisis de las actividades de valor de los medios digitales

This study models the dynamic nature of today’s media markets using the framework of value-adding activities in the provision and consumption of media products. The proposed user-centric approach introduces the notion that the actions of external users, social media, and interfaces affect the internal value activities of media firms via a feedback loop, and therefore should themselves be considered value activities. The model also suggests a more comprehensive list of indicators for value assessment.El estudio examina la actual naturaleza dinámica de los mercados de losmedios de comunicación utilizando un marco de análisis de las actividades devalor añadido para evaluar el suministro y consumo de productos de medios decomunicación. El enfoque propuesto, centrado en el usuario, introduce la nociónde que las acciones de los usuarios externos, las redes sociales, y las propiasinterfaces afectan a las actividades de valor internas de las empresas de losmedios de comunicación a través de un circuito que se retroalimenta, pudiendoser consideradas, en sí mimas, actividades de valor. El modelo ofrece tambiénun listado completo de indicadores para la evaluación del valor de los mediosdigitales

Surveying pediatric caregivers’ readiness for dyad isolation in the hospital during COVID-19

The onset of any emerging outbreak is stressful for everyone. Singapore was one of many countries affected early by COVID-19. In response, many precautionary measures were quickly initiated, including the isolation of suspected COVID-19 pediatric cases, and their caregivers were isolated together with their hospitalized children as a result. Caregivers play an important role in facilitating their child’s health in the hospital. Rooming in with their children during hospitalization promotes the benefits of parental presence and reduces separation effects. However, sudden admission with strict movement restrictions poses stress to these caregivers too. This study ran a 3-part paper-based survey to understand the stresses and concerns which caregivers faced when suddenly entering dyad isolation. The survey polled caregivers’ general perception of the situation, and also used questions adapted from the SARS Fear Scale and the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale (HADS). Caregivers in the COVID-19 isolation units did not expect their child to be isolated and were not prepared for dyad isolation with their children. They were found to be more dejected and were concerned that they themselves might have possibly infected their family and friends. Caregivers of children suspected of COVID-19 should be pre-empted to prepare for the possibility of isolation. This may include bringing in toys and personal entertainment to reduce boredom, as well as other essential needs. Patient mental wellness programs may consider extending their services to these caregivers too. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework (https://www.theberylinstitute.org/ExperienceFramework). Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Evolution of the sex-Related Locus and Genomic Features Shared in Microsporidia and Fungi

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular, eukaryotic pathogens that infect a wide range of animals from nematodes to humans, and in some cases, protists. The preponderance of evidence as to the origin of the microsporidia reveals a close relationship with the fungi, either within the kingdom or as a sister group to it. Recent phylogenetic studies and gene order analysis suggest that microsporidia share a particularly close evolutionary relationship with the zygomycetes.Here we expanded this analysis and also examined a putative sex-locus for variability between microsporidian populations. Whole genome inspection reveals a unique syntenic gene pair (RPS9-RPL21) present in the vast majority of fungi and the microsporidians but not in other eukaryotic lineages. Two other unique gene fusions (glutamyl-prolyl tRNA synthetase and ubiquitin-ribosomal subunit S30) that are present in metazoans, choanoflagellates, and filasterean opisthokonts are unfused in the fungi and microsporidians. One locus previously found to be conserved in many microsporidian genomes is similar to the sex locus of zygomycetes in gene order and architecture. Both sex-related and sex loci harbor TPT, HMG, and RNA helicase genes forming a syntenic gene cluster. We sequenced and analyzed the sex-related locus in 11 different Encephalitozoon cuniculi isolates and the sibling species E. intestinalis (3 isolates) and E. hellem (1 isolate). There was no evidence for an idiomorphic sex-related locus in this Encephalitozoon species sample. According to sequence-based phylogenetic analyses, the TPT and RNA helicase genes flanking the HMG genes are paralogous rather than orthologous between zygomycetes and microsporidians.The unique genomic hallmarks between microsporidia and fungi are independent of sequence based phylogenetic comparisons and further contribute to define the borders of the fungal kingdom and support the classification of microsporidia as unusual derived fungi. And the sex/sex-related loci appear to have been subject to frequent gene conversion and translocations in microsporidia and zygomycetes