Next-Generation Media: The Global Shift

For over a decade the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program has convened its CEO-level Forum on Communications and Society (FOCAS) to address specific issues relating to the impact of communications media on societal institutions and values. These small, invitation-only roundtables have addressed educational, democratic, and international issues with the aim of making recommendations to policy-makers, businesses and other institutions to improve our society through policies and actions in the information and communications sectors.In the summer of 2006 the forum took a different turn. It is clear there is a revolution affecting every media business, every consumer or user of media, and every institution affected by media. In a word, everyone. FOCAS sought to define the paradigm changes underway in the media, and to identify some of the significant repercussions of those changes on society."Next Generation Media" was a three-day meeting among leaders from new media (e.g., Google, craigslist, and Second Life) and mainstream media (e.g., The New York Times and Time), from business, government, academia and the non-profit sector, all seeking a broad picture of where the digital revolution is taking us.This report of the meeting, concisely and deftly written by Richard Adler, a longtime consultant in the field, weaves insights and anecdotes from the roundtable into a coherent document supplemented with his own research and data to form an accessible, coherent treatment of this very topical subject.The specific goals of the 2006 forum were to examine the profound changes ahead for the media industries, advertisers, consumers and users in the new attention economy; to understand how the development and delivery of content are creating new business models for commercial and non-commercial media; and to assess the impact of these developments on global relations, citizenship and leadership.The report thus examines the growth of the Internet and its effect on a rapidly changing topic: the impact of new media on politics, business, society, culture, and governments the world over. The report also sheds light on how traditional media will need to adapt to face the competition of the next generation media.Beginning, as the Forum did, with data from Jeff Cole's Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California, Adler documents the increasing popularity of the Internet for information, entertainment and communication. Users are increasingly generating and contributing content to the web and connecting to social networks. They are posting comments, uploading pictures, sharing videos, blogging and vlogging, chatting through instant messages or voice over Internet (VoIP), or emailing friends, business colleagues, neighbors and even strangers. As Cole observes, "Traditional media informed people but didn't empower them." New media do.The report describes three of the Internet's most successful ventures -- Wikipedia, Second Life, and craigslist. Wikipedia is a prime example of how an Internet platform allows its users to generate content and consume it. As a result of "wiki" software technology anyone can contribute or edit existing information free of cost. Second Life, a virtual world, sells virtual real estate where subscribers, in avatar form, can conduct conversations, go to lectures, even create a business. Craigslist, a predominantly free online classified site with listings in every major city in the United States, has become so popular that it is posing a significant threat to newspapers as it competes with their classified ad revenues.As a result of these and other new media phenomena, not the least being Google and Yahoo, print publications are wrestling with new business models that could entail fundamentally restructuring the way they operate. For instance, reporters are now expected to report a story on multiple media platforms and discuss them online with readers. Newspaper publisher Gannett is exploring the incorporation of usergenerated news or "citizen-journalism" into its news pages.In an era of abundant choices marketers have an even greater challenge to figure out how best to appeal to consumers. The report explores how marketers, e.g., of Hollywood movies or pomegranate juice, are moving from traditional or mainstream media to viral and other marketing techniques.For much of the world, the mobile phone rather than the computer is the most important communications device. Users depend on their phones to send and receive messages, pictures, and download information rather than just talk. In developing countries mobile phones are having an exceptional impact, penetrating regions which are not being serviced by land lines. Thus we are seeing new uses daily for this increased connectivity, from reporting election results in emerging democracies to opposing authoritarian governments in order to bring about new democracies.Meanwhile, the report discusses the need for the United States to develop a new form of public diplomacy rather than the traditional top-down approach to communicating to foreign citizens. This topic has been a recurring theme at FOCAS conferences the past few years, this year calling for more citizen diplomacy -- that is, more person-toperson contact across borders through uses of the new media. Indeed, Peter Hirshberg suggested that American leaders should listen more to the outside world to effectively manage what he called "Brand America."Finally, after acknowledging the detrimental effects that new technologies can bring about, the report discusses what role those technologies could play in expanding freedom and opportunity for the next generation. As a conclusion, FOCAS co-chair Marc Nathanson proposed adding a ninth goal to the United Nations Millennium Goals, namely, "to provide access to appropriate new technologies.

A Longitudinal Examination of the Effects of Social Support on Homicide Across European Regions

Since its introduction, social support theory has received generally consistent empirical support. Tests of social support theory have, however, mostly been cross-sectional and restricted to U.S. and Western European analyses. Measures of social support have tended to be inconsistent across studies and narrowly operationalized. The present project offers a longitudinal test of Cullen’s (1994) social support theory using a more broadly defined measure of social support that is comparable across both Eastern and Western European countries. Using data gathered by Eurostat, this study applies “hybrid” regression panel analysis to test the effects of social support on homicide rates across European regions for 2000, 2005 and 2009. Results provide evidence for an effect of social support on homicide between Western and Eastern European regions and within those regions over time. The analyses also indicate that social support moderates the effect of economic deprivation on homicide across Western European regions, though not Eastern European regions

The oral microbiome and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Significant evidence supports an association between periodontal pathogenic bacteria and preterm birth and preeclampsia. The virulence properties assigned to specific oral pathogenic bacteria, for example, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Filifactor alocis, Campylobacter rectus, and others, render them as potential collaborators in adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Several pathways have been suggested for this association: 1) hematogenous spread (bacteremia) of periodontal pathogens; 2) hematogenous spread of multiple mediators of inflammation that are generated by the host and/or fetal immune response to pathogenic bacteria; and 3) the possibility of oral microbial pathogen transmission, with subsequent colonization, in the vaginal microbiome resulting from sexual practices. As periodontal disease is, for the most part, preventable, the medical and dental public health communities can address intervention strategies to control oral inflammatory disease, lessen the systemic inflammatory burden, and ultimately reduce the potential for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This article reviews the oral, vaginal, and placental microbiomes, considers their potential impact on preterm labor, and the future research needed to confirm or refute this relationship

Rural Hispanic Women in Missouri: A Needs Assessment

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (9th : 2011 : Columbia, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedings.An interdisciplinary team of public health researchers in women's health from the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, School of Social Work and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing received funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health to perform an assessment of health and health services among rural-residing women 50 years and older in specific counties of rural Missouri. Focus groups occurred with groups of Spanish-speaking Latinas in two rural counties. A total of 25 women between the ages of 50-65 (12 in one group and 13 in the other) were queried about the health status of women in their community. They were also asked about facilitators and barriers to health care services for women in their age group. Common health disorders that were reported were 24 obesity, diabetes mellitus, depression, poor nutrition, high blood pressure, chronic pain, stress, and difficulty sleeping. Several women noted that they did "not like" going to see a physician and others that they were afraid to go because of what the doctor might find and what the findings might mean related to financial concerns ("because of so many bills", who would care for their children, and missing work). One participant noted that she is afraid to go to the nurse at her place of work when she has symptoms because the nurse will send her home and she will miss a day of pay. Many participants expressed the idea that women?s health services should be available free of charge and geographically accessible, noting that "in Mexico they do it for free." Although free mammograms had been available with the "truck" in the past, they were no longer available. Further, transportation to places in which services are available is problematic, and many physicians and health services require multiple visits. Acquiring dental services is acutely problematic since money is typically expected prior to treatment and treatments, including cleaning, may require more than one visit. In general, lack of confidence in health care providers and prescribed treatments were frequently expressed opinions. Older Hispanic women in rural communities of our state share many of the challenges to health faced by urban women. However, distance, a greater need for transportation and even more limited resources suggest that targeted programs are in order if we are to improve their health status. These findings should inform policy decisions and the development of appropriate interventions for this population

Proceedings of the 44th Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 8-9, 2017, Pensacola Beach, Florida)

Contents Agenda for March 8-9, 2017 Contributed papers Soybean cyst nematode: current status, challenges and opportunities. G Tylka and K Bissonnette Updates of the 2nd SCN (Soybean Cyst Nematode) Coalition. Albert Tenuta Developing management zones for nematodes in soybean. C Overstreet, EC McGawley, DM Xavier-Mis, and M Kularathna Microbial communities associated with long-term tillage and fertilizer management practices. AY Srour, J Hackman, RL Cook, JP Bond, and AM Fakhoury Microbial profile of SDS-suppressive soils in soybean fields. AY Srour, LFS Leonardo, DK Malvick, JP Bond, and AM Fakhoury Understanding the phytobiome; using strip trials and spatial analysis to determine concomitant maladies in soybean fields. TN Spurlock and TL Kirkpatrick Update on the importance and management strategies of root-knot nematode in Arkansas. T Faske Student papers The effect of abamectin on maturity group V soybean varieties (Glycine max) in root-knot (Meloidogyne incognita) nematode Infested fields of Alabama. W Groover, D Dodge, K Lawrence, E Sikora, and D Delaney Reniform nematode in the variable soil texture of a Commerce silt loam soil. DM Xavier-Mis, C Overstreet, EC McGawley, and M Kularathna Catenaria anguillulae: Potential biological control agent to aid in the management of Heterodera glycines (Soybean Cyst Nematode). DR Dyer, N Xiang, and KS Lawrence New charcoal rot management strategies: supplementing secondary nutrients. TH Wilkerson, M Tomaso-Peterson, BR Golden, S Lu, AB Johnson, and TW Allen The effects of cover crops on soil-borne seedling pathogens: a metagenomics study. JJ Hackman, AY Srour, JP Bond, RL Cook, and AM Fakhoury Plant growth characteristics and yield of soybean as a result of fungicide-associated phytotoxicity. WJ Mansour, M Tomaso-Peterson, A Henn, JA Bond, JT Irby, and TW Allen Evaluating thiophanate-methyl sensitivity as an alternative control option for QoI-resistant populations of Cercospora sojina in Mississippi. H Renfroe, N Brochard, M Tomaso-Peterson, and TW Allen Target spot and potential resistance to QoI fungicides in Mississippi soybean. N Brochard, M Tomaso-Peterson, TW Allen, BH Bluhm, B Dhillon, and TR Faske Target Spot Symposium Contributed papers Soybean rust: a threat to the soybean crop in the Midwest? E Sikora Effect of variety, seed treatment, and in-furrow fungicide on taproot decline of soybean. P Price, T W Allen, H Pruitt, MA Purvis, M Tomaso-Peterson, and T Wilkerson Coupling spore traps and quantitative PCR assays for detection of Cercospora sojina, the causal agent of soybean frogeye leaf spot. B Lin, A Mengistu, H Yu, and H Kelly Frogeye leaf spot management: the UUOT part deux. TW Allen, TR Faske, CA Hollier, D Mueller, P Price, TN Spurlock, and H Kelly Southern United States Soybean Disease Loss Estimates for 2016. TW Allen, CA Bradley, JP Damicone, NS Dufault, TR Faske, CA Hollier, T Isakeit, RC Kemerait, NM Kleczewski, RJ Kratochvil, HL Mehl, JD Mueller, C Overstreet, PP Price, EJ Sikora, TN Spurlock, L Thiessen, WJ Wiebold, and H Young Proceedings of the Southern Soybean Disease Workers are published annually by the Southern Soybean Disease Workers. Text, references, figures, and tables are reproduced as they were submitted by authors. The opinions expressed by the participants at this conference are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the Southern Soybean Workers. Mention of a trademark or proprietary products in this publication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of that product by the Southern Soybean Disease Workers

The Portuguese Manufacturing Sector during 2013-2016 after the Troika Austerity Measures

This work studies the effects of the Troika austerity measures on the Portuguese manufacturing firms in terms of efficiency scores. We adopted a non-parametric approach, which combines multidirectional efficiency analysis with other techniques, to examine two empirical hypotheses after the financial crisis and corresponding intervention of the Troika measures: (a) the performance of firms in the manufacturing sector has improved; (b) the manufacturing sector significantly acquired long-term debt but use it in an efficient way. Our results show that validation of the first hypothesis heavily depends on the firm size, and the second hypothesis is correct only with respect to long-term debt acquiring. In fact, some sectors have managed to maintain an acceptable level of efficiency, according to the circumstances, however, most of them have showed some inefficiency in the management of resources and less than 10% have been able to overcome the difficulties emerged after the intervention of the Troika. A common tool to overcome a crisis is the acquisition of long-term debts, which was done by 77% of firms; but with a lower gain, since it was the most efficient input resourced used. On the contrary, our results show that the number of employees and total assets are better leverage to maintain efficiency.publishe

The Long-Term Effects of Prematurity and Intrauterine Growth Restriction on Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolic Function

Objective. To determine relative influences of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm birth on risks of cardiovascular, renal, or metabolic dysfunction in adolescent children. Study Design. Retrospective cohort study. 71 periadolescent children were classified into four groups: premature small for gestational age (SGA), premature appropriate for gestational age (AGA), term SGA, and term AGA. Outcome Measures. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), augmentation index (Al), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) following protein load; plasma glucose and serum insulin levels. Results. SGA had higher SBP (average 4.6 mmHg) and lower GFR following protein load (average 28.5 mL/min/1.73 m2) than AGA. There was no effect of prematurity on SBP (P = .4) or GFR (P = .9). Both prematurity and SGA were associated with higher AI (average 9.7%) and higher serum insulin levels 2 hr after glucose load (average 15.5 mIU/L) than all other groups. Conclusion. IUGR is a more significant risk factor than preterm birth for later systolic hypertension and renal dysfunction. Among children born preterm, those who are also SGA are at increased risk of arterial stiffness and metabolic dysfunction

Exploring the Associations of Afterschool Science Participation and Friendships with Science Identities

Building on previous research that demonstrates the association of youth experiences in afterschool science and higher science identities, this paper presents a network study of 421 middle school students that examines afterschool science participation, friendship ties, and science identities. Participation in afterschool science clubs is associated with higher science identity, but the mechanisms and order of causality are unclear. Youth form friendships inside and outside of school, and peers may influence participation in afterschool activities, as empirical research on friendships shows that they are associated with youth interests. These peer interactions also have the potential to shape identity development during adolescence. In this study, we explore associations among youth participation in afterschool science clubs, peer friendship groups, and science identity. We find that youth who participate in afterschool science clubs have higher science identities than those who do not participate. Additionally, having friends in afterschool science clubs is associated with higher science identity, even among students who report not participating in clubs themselves. Results suggest that afterschool science clubs support youth science identities, even beyond those who directly participate