Investigating the appropriateness and relevance of mobile web accessibility guidelines

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develop and maintain guidelines for making the web more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.0 and the MWBP 1.0 are internationally regarded as the industry standard guidelines for web accessibility. Mobile testing sessions conducted by AbilityNet document issues raised by users in a report format, relating issues to guidelines wherever possible. This paper presents the results of a preliminary investigation that examines how effectively and easily these issues can be related by experts to the guidelines provided by WCAG 2.0 and MWBP 1.0. Copyright 2014 ACM

Comments and Suggestions for Improvement of the Archon Genomics X PRIZE Validation Protocol

This document is a comment on the X PRIZE validation protocol written by Kedes et al. (2011). We propose several modifications which we think will improve the fairness and transparency of the contest while keeping the cost of the validation process under control

FTIR studies on the effect of concentration of polyethylene glycol on polimerization of Shellac

© Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. In the present paper, it was reported the FTIR studies on the efect of polyethylene glycol on polimerization of shellac. The shellac was shellac waxfree, and the solvent was ethanol 96%. The shellac films were were prepared by solvent- evaporation method. The concentrations of polyethylene glycol having molecular weight of 400 were 10, 30, 60, and 90 w/w %. Three peak intensity bands of C= O stretching of ester at 1709 cm-1, O-H stretching of hydroxyl group at 3400 cm-1, and C-H stretching vibration at 2942 cm-1 were observed and related to polimerization of shellac. It was found that polymerization of shellac was slowed down by polyethyelene glycol, and the degree of polymerization of shellac decreased with increasing the concentration of polyethyelene glycol

Best in Class International Franchising: Report for the UK Retail Sector

Retailing is such a fast-moving industry it is difficult to keep on top of changes in domestic markets, let alone those in geographically and culturally distant foreign markets. Although it is tempting for a UK-based retailer to remain domestic and focus on strengthening their competitive position in the UK before going overseas, the most successful retailers continuously explore what it takes to operate effectively across national borders. UK retailers need to “think bigger” if they are to escape the economic slowdown of Western Europe. There is now a renewed push for internationalisation by UK firms and they are setting adventurous growth targets. Retailing is fast becoming a global industry and it is vital for “UK plc” that our leading retailers are successful in emerging markets. Against this backdrop, we conducted a study of one type of foreign market entry mode, namely franchising. We propose that franchising is to retailing what exporting is to manufacturing. It is a low-risk, low-involvement way for retailers to enter risky foreign markets, but which nevertheless must be professionally executed. In order to shed light on how UK retailers can make franchising work in emerging markets, we focus on the advanced franchising model used by one particular retailer. This model has been developed over decades of steady expansion of its franchising operations overseas. As well as examining their franchising operations, the study gathered a range of other information on international franchising in order to develop a complete picture of good practices. It is unlikely that a firm with a fast-moving, complex product assortment (e.g., general merchandise) will be able to follow the franchising model of dealing with many small franchisees across many foreign markets (i.e., the McDonald’s model). Indeed, the focal retailer uses an area development franchising approach, targeting franchisees that have capabilities sufficient to develop and manage a franchisor-branded store network in their country or region. While not equals, given the franchisor’s ownership of the brand, such relationships operate as partnerships. Franchisees are empowered to exert influence and use their local know-how to help meet the precise needs of foreign customers. Unlike in traditional franchising partnerships, where the franchisor is in control and intensively monitors across its network of franchisees, we observe that cross-border franchising may be optimally developed through openly communicating with and trusting a capable partner. The differences between emerging markets and the UK can be so extreme that it is difficult for the franchisor to control operations there, irrespective of their resource base and experience. In effect, the franchisor is reliant on the franchisee to make and implement decisions in the local marketplace and absorb risks. The overseas franchisees can effectively play a role in building the brand with the franchisor through a form of alliance. Knowledge exchange is crucial not only in the running of the franchise partnership but also for the franchisor’s learning about local market conditions and growth opportunities. When operating in emerging markets the franchisor needs to “learn from their experiences all the time”. UK retail brands resonate strongly amongst aspirational, emerging market customers. Yet, retailers can be slow to go overseas if they perceive differences in, and lack familiarity with, foreign markets. This is where franchising comes in. Far from being a basic business model, best-in-class franchising can be made to play a central role in overseas retailing due to its ability to mitigate threats and seek out growth opportunities. Furthermore, UK retailers can derive flexibility advantages from using franchising in emerging markets as the basis upon which to expand into other, higher-profit equity-based modes (e.g., joint ventures) if and when local circumstances dictate this

The influence of social relationships on men's weight

There is a clear link between the development of obesity with poor diet and exercise behaviours. In the UK, excess weight is more prevalent among men than women: 41% of men and 31% of women are classed as overweight (BMI 25.0 -29.9 kg/m2); 68% and 58% of men and women respectively are overweight or obese (BMI≥ 25 kg/m2). An increase in BMI is also associated with a greater risk of mortality in men than in women however men are under-represented in lifestyle interventions for weight loss: In 2016, 7% of Slimming World members were men. It has been argued that men may perceive larger bodies to be more masculine and more desirable to women. Furthermore, factors contributing to male obesity such as eating large portions and consuming large volumes of alcohol, can be viewed as quintessentially masculine behaviours. To promote weight loss and reduce obesity among men, it is useful to understand which social interactions influence male weight loss behaviours. It is known that men in heterosexual relationships often gain weight after getting married, however the extent of women’s influence on men’s food intake and weight is unclear. Research studies investigating the influence that women and female partners have on male dietary and weight loss have been mixed; while some suggests they have a positive impact, other research suggests the impact is mixed or negative. Friends, peers and colleagues are also referenced regarding men’s diet and physical activity behaviours and behavioural intentions. The qualitative literature in the UK which explores how social relationships influence men’s weight and weight-related behaviours is, however, limited, therefore this research study sought to address this literature gap. The primary research question was to explore men’s perceptions and attitudes of dietary and physical activity behaviours in relation to weight and weight management

Quaternionic factorization of the Schroedinger operator and its applications to some first order systems of mathematical physics

We consider the following first order systems of mathematical physics. 1.The Dirac equation with scalar potential. 2.The Dirac equation with electric potential. 3.The Dirac equation with pseudoscalar potential. 4.The system describing non-linear force free magnetic fields or Beltrami fields with nonconstant proportionality factor. 5.The Maxwell equations for slowly changing media. 6.The static Maxwell system. We show that all this variety of first order systems reduces to a single quaternionic equation the analysis of which in its turn reduces to the solution of a Schroedinger equation with biquaternionic potential. In some important situations the biquaternionic potential can be diagonalized and converted into scalar potentials

Hierarchical assembly of discrete copper(ii) metallo-structures from pre-assembled dinuclear (bis-beta-diketonato)metallocycles and flexible difunctional co-ligands

The sequential interaction of preformed [Cu(L) (THF)] (where HL is 1,1-(1,3-phenylene)-bis(4,4-dimethylpentane-1,3-dione incorporating a 1,3-phenylene linker between its two β-diketone domains) and [Cu (L)]·2HO (where H L is 1,1-(4,4′-oxybiphenylene)-bis(4,4- dimethylpentane-1,3-dione) incorporating a flexible oxybiphenylene linkage between the two β-diketone groups) with the potentially difunctional aliphatic non-planar co-ligands, N-methylpiperazine (mpip), N,N′- dimethylpiperazine (dmpip) and 1,4-thiomorpholine (thiomorph) is reported. A series of extended molecular assemblies exhibiting a range of di- and tetranuclear assemblies were obtained and their X-ray structures determined. Dinuclear [Cu(L)(mpip)] ·2mpip incorporates two 5-coordinate, square pyramidal metal centres as does tetranuclear [{Cu(L)} (dmpip)]·2dmpip. In contrast, dinuclear [Cu (L)(dmpip)]·dmpip and [{Cu(L)}(thiomorph) ]·3thiomorph each contain two 5-coordinate and two 6-coordinate centres. Each of [Cu(L)(THF) ]·2THF and Cu(L)(mpip) ]·HO incorporate only 5-coordinate metal centres, with the latter complex forming a one-dimensional hydrogen bonded ribbon-like structure directed along the crystallographic a-axis. In keeping with the documented tendency for the smallest, least strained assembly to form in supramolecular self-assembly processes, the incorporation of the flexible "oxy" linkage between the 4,4′-linked phenylene rings of H L results in generation of a dinuclear [Cu L] species rather than a trinuclear (triangular) [CuL] species of the type formed by the more rigid bis-β-diketonato ligand analogue in which the biphenylene rings separating the β-diketone domains are directly coupled in their 4,4′ positions

The effect of polyethylene glycol Mw 400 and 600 on stability of Shellac Waxfree

The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) having molecular weight of 400 and 600 on stability of shellac waxfree prepared by solvent-evaporation method was reported in the present paper. The stability of shellac was tested by life under heat at 125 °C for 10,30,90, and 180 minutes. It was found that that stability of shellac decreased with heating time at 125 °C. PEG400 gave the most stable effect of shellac for 30 minutes of heating, whereas at 90 minutes and above PEG600 gave the most effect of shellac stability as shown by insoluble solid test and FTIR. The WVTR showed that water vapour barrier properties of PEG600/shellac was beter than that of PEG400/shellac system