Online allies and tricky freelancers: understanding the differences in the role of social media in the campaigns for the Scottish Independence Referendum

Using the 2014 Scottish independence referendum as a case study, this article asks first, to what extent is the use of digital communications technologies, in particular social media, associated with fundamental changes to campaign organizations, specifically to the command and control model? Second, under what conditions are challenges to the model more likely to emerge? Using mixed methods, our analysis of the case demonstrates that radical organizational or strategic change is not inevitable, nor is there a one-size-fits-all approach. Technologies are not ‘just tools’ that any campaign with enough resources will adopt in similar ways. Instead, depending on a number of interdependent factors (i.e. context, resources, strategy, organizational structure and culture), some campaigns – like Better Together – selectively adopt digital tools that fit with the command and control model; in other cases – like Yes Scotland – the application of digital communications technologies and the dynamics created by linking to other (digital-enabled) grassroots organizations can have transformative effects

BONNSAI: a Bayesian tool for comparing stars with stellar evolution models

Powerful telescopes equipped with multi-fibre or integral field spectrographs combined with detailed models of stellar atmospheres and automated fitting techniques allow for the analysis of large number of stars. These datasets contain a wealth of information that require new analysis techniques to bridge the gap between observations and stellar evolution models. To that end, we develop BONNSAI (BONN Stellar Astrophysics Interface), a Bayesian statistical method, that is capable of comparing all available observables simultaneously to stellar models while taking observed uncertainties and prior knowledge such as initial mass functions and distributions of stellar rotational velocities into account. BONNSAI can be used to (1) determine probability distributions of fundamental stellar parameters such as initial masses and stellar ages from complex datasets, (2) predict stellar parameters that were not yet observationally determined and (3) test stellar models to further advance our understanding of stellar evolution. An important aspect of BONNSAI is that it singles out stars that cannot be reproduced by stellar models through $\chi^{2}$ hypothesis tests and posterior predictive checks. BONNSAI can be used with any set of stellar models and currently supports massive main-sequence single star models of Milky Way and Large and Small Magellanic Cloud composition. We apply our new method to mock stars to demonstrate its functionality and capabilities. In a first application, we use BONNSAI to test the stellar models of Brott et al. (2011a) by comparing the stellar ages inferred for the primary and secondary stars of eclipsing Milky Way binaries. Ages are determined from dynamical masses and radii that are known to better than 3%. We find that the stellar models reproduce the Milky Way binaries well. BONNSAI is available through a web-interface at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/stars/bonnsai.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 15 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables; BONNSAI is available through a web-interface at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/stars/bonnsa

Contrasting changes of urban heat island intensity during hot weather episodes

Cities typically exhibit higher air temperatures than their rural surroundings, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Contrasting results are reported as to whether UHI intensity (UHII) is exacerbated or reduced during hot weather episodes (HWEs). This contrast is investigated for a four-year period from 2015 to 2018, utilising a set of observational data from high-quality meteorological stations, as well as from hundreds of crowdsourced citizen weather stations, located in the urban region of Berlin, Germany. It can be shown that if HWEs, defined here as the ten percent hottest days or nights during May–September, are identified via daytime conditions, or by night-time conditions at inner-city sites, then night-time UHII is exacerbated. However, if HWEs are identified via night-time conditions at rural sites, then night-time UHII is reduced. These differences in UHII change can be linked with prevalent weather conditions, namely radiation, cloud cover, wind speed, precipitation, and humidity. This highlights that, beside land cover changes, future changes in weather conditions due to climate change will control UHIIs, and thus heat-stress hazards in cities.BMBF, 01LP1602C , Verbundprojekt Stadtklima: Dreidimensionale Beobachtung atmosphärischer Prozesse in Städten, Modul B - 3DODFG, 322579844, Hitzewellen in Berlin, Deutschland - StadtklimamodifkationenDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli

Political agenda setting in the hybrid media system: why legacy media still matter a great deal

This article examines the roles of the media in the process of political agenda setting. There is a long tradition of studies on this topic, but they have mostly focused on legacy news media, thus overlooking the role of other actors and the complex hybrid dynamics that characterise contemporary political communication. In contrast, through an in-depth case study using mixed methods and multi- platform data, this article provides a detailed analysis of the roles and interactions between different types of media and how they were used by political and advocacy elites. It explores what happened in the different parts of the system, and thus the paths to attention that led to setting this issue in the political and media agendas. The analysis of the case, a partial policy reversal in the UK provoked by an immigration scandal known as the ‘Windrush scandal’, reveals that the issue was pushed into the agenda by a campaign assemblage of investigative journalism, political and advocacy elites, and digitally-enabled leaders. The legacy news media came late but were crucial. They greatly amplified the salience of the issue and, once in ‘storm mode’, they were key for sustaining attention and pressure, eventually compelling the government to respond. It shows that they often remain at the core of the ‘national conversation’ and certainly in the eye of a media storm. In the contemporary context, characterised by fierce battles for attention, shortening attention spans and fractured audiences, this is key and has important implications for agenda setting and beyond

Synthesis and properties of Thieno[3,2-f]isoquinolines and Benzothieno[3,2-f]isoquinolines

A variety of thieno[3,2-f]isoquinolines were prepared by combination of Pd catalysed cross-coupling reactions with Brønsted acid mediated cycloisomerisations. The reactions tolerate various functional groups and proceed with high selectivity. In addition, benzothieno[3,2-f]isoquinolines were prepared which represent a new heterocyclic core structure. The optical properties of selected compounds were studied by experimental and theoretical methods. Emission solvatochromism, characteristic of intramolecular charge transfer was observed for one of the compounds with a push-pull structure.Fil: Blanco Ponce, Marian. Universität Rostock; AlemaniaFil: Mangione, Maria Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Hermosilla Espinosa, Robinson. University Of Granma; CubaFil: Torres Rodriguez, Eugenio. University Of Granma; CubaFil: Ehlers, Peter. Universität Rostock; AlemaniaFil: Langer, Peter. Universität Rostock; Alemani

Towards a unified model of stellar rotation II: Model-dependent characteristics of stellar populations

Rotation has a number of important effects on the evolution of stars. Apart from structural changes because of the centrifugal force, turbulent mixing and meridional circulation caused by rotation can dramatically affect a star's chemical evolution. This leads to changes in the surface temperature and luminosity as well as modifying its lifetime. Observationally rotation decreases the surface gravity, causes enhanced mass loss and leads to surface abundance anomalies of various chemical isotopes. The replication of these physical effects with simple stellar evolution models is very difficult and has resulted in the use of numerous different formulations to describe the physics. Using stellar evolution calculations based on several physical models we discuss the features of the resulting simulated stellar populations which can help to distinguish between the models.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Scotland’s Sustainable Media Future: Challenges and Opportunities: a Stakeholder Analysis

No abstract available

Rotation and massive close binary evolution

We review the role of rotation in massive close binary systems. Rotation has been advocated as an essential ingredient in massive single star models. However, rotation clearly is most important in massive binaries where one star accretes matter from a close companion, as the resulting spin-up drives the accretor towards critical rotation. Here, we explore our understanding of this process, and its observable consequences. When accounting for these consequences, the question remains whether rotational effects in massive single stars are still needed to explain the observations.Comment: invited review for Proceedings of IAU-Symp. 250 on Massive Stars as Cosmic Engines, F. Bresolin, P. Crowther & J. Puls, ed