228 research outputs found
Transformational Leadership and Innovation in Digital-Only News Outlets. Analysis of Quartz and El Confidencial
The constant changes in the media and increasing competition
oblige news organizations to develop a solid leadership that
promotes innovation. Transformational leadership has been
recognized as an optimal style in this context, as it fosters
organizational creativity and a collaborative culture, which are
essential factors to anchor innovation within organizations by
aligning workers with the companyâs vision and empowering
them to take their own decisions. This article analyses the
leadership style in digital-only outlets and how it influences
aspects such as intrinsic motivation, which leads to creativity,
organizational culture and, ultimately, innovation. We studied
Quartz and El Confidencial, selected from among the most
innovative in the United States and Spain, respectively, using a
method based on their social, professional and expert relevance.
In both organizations, participant observation processes were
carried out in addition to in-depth interviews with professionals.
The results indicate that these digital-only news outlets try to
promote innovation through transformational leadership,
identified through the recommendations set out in the literature,
despite observing the emergence of certain features of traditional
transactional leadership style in strategic decision-making. Our
study supports previous research that shows an interrelation
between leadership and innovative performance, filling an
existing gap about digital-only news outlets
Testicular ultrasound analysis as a predictive tool of ram sperm quality
esticular ultrasound is a non-invasive technique that could be very useful for predicting ram seminal quality. Recent software developments allow macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of testicular parenchyma. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the testicular echotexture using ultrasound-video analysis and investigate its possible correlation with semen quality. Nine rams were evaluated for one year using a portable ultrasound scanner and the echotexture was analyzed with ECOTEXTÂź software. The number of black (Ec1), white (Ec2), and grey pixels (Ec3), tubular density (TD), lumen area (LA), and lumen diameter (LD) were analyzed. Semen was collected by an artificial vagina the same day and the sperm concentration, morphology, motility, viability, phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation, reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) levels, DNA damage and capacitation state were evaluated. Ec2 and Ec3 correlated positively with âbad qualityâ sperm parameters (the percentage of spermatozoa with high ROS levels, with PS translocation and proximal cytoplasmic droplets), and negatively with motility. In contrast, TD and LA showed a positive correlation with âgood qualityâ parameters (motility or normal morphology) and a negative correlation with spermatozoa with high ROS levels, with DNA fragmentation, and proximal or distal cytoplasmic droplets. Thus, echotexture analysis by ultrasound-video analysis could be a valuable tool for assessing ram fertility
Readout circuit with improved sensitivity for contactless LC sensing tags
In this work we present a novel technique to estimate the resonance frequency of LC chipless tags (inductor-capacitor parallel circuit) with improved sensitivity and linearity. The developed reader measures the power consumption of a Colpitts oscillator during a frequency sweep. The readout circuit consists of a Colpitts oscillator with a coil antenna, varactor diodes to change the oscillator frequency, analog circuitry to measure the power consumption and a microcontroller to control the whole system and send the data to a PC via USB. When an LC tag is inductively coupled to the oscillator, without contact, a maximum power peak is found. As shown by an experimental calibration using an LC tag made on FR4 substrate, the frequency of this maximum is related to the resonance frequency. Both parameters, power consumption and resonance frequency, present an excellent linear dependence with a high correlation factor (R 2 = 0.995). Finally, a screen-printed LC tag has been fabricated and used as relative humidity sensor achieving a sensitivity of (â2.41 ± 0.21) kHz/% with an R 2 of 0.946
Impact of nonconvergence and various approximations of the partition function on the molecular column densities in the interstellar medium
We emphasize that the completeness of the partition function, that is, the use of a converged partition function at the typical temperature
range of the survey, is very important to decrease the uncertainty on this quantity and thus to derive reliable interstellar molecular
densities. In that context, we show how the use of different approximations for the rovibrational partition function together with
some interpolation and/or extrapolation procedures may affect the estimate of the interstellar molecular column density. For that
purpose, we apply the partition function calculations to astronomical observations performed with the IRAM-30m telescope towards
the NGC 7538âIRS1 source of two N-bearing molecules: isocyanic acid (HNCO, a quasilinear molecule) and methyl cyanide (CH3CN,
a symmetric top molecule). The case of methyl formate (HCOOCH3), which is an asymmetric top O-bearing molecule containing
an internal rotor is also discussed. Our analysis shows that the use of different partition function approximations leads to relative
differences in the resulting column densities in the range 9â43%. Thus, we expect this work to be relevant for surveys of sources with
temperatures higher than 300K and to observations in the infrared.This work is partly supported by CMST COST Action
CM1401 Our Astro-Chemical History and CMST COST Action CM1405
MOLIM. The work of C.F. is supported by the French National Research
Agency in the framework of the Investissements dâAvenir program (ANR-15-
IDEX-02), through the funding of the âOrigin of Lifeâ project of the UniversitĂ©
Grenoble-Alpes. C.C. and C.F. acknowledge funding from the European
Research Council (ERC) under the European Unionâs Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme, for the Project âThe Dawn of Organic Chemistryâ
(DOC), grant agreement No 741002. I.K. would like to thank the French
programme of Chimie Interstellaire PCMI. C.F. and D.F. acknowledge support
from the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, project
SIR (RBSI14ZRHR). E.A.B. acknowledges support from NSF (AST-1514670)
and NASA (NNX16AB48G). M.C. acknowledges the financial support from
FIS2014-53448-C2-2-P (MINECO, Spain), from the Centro de Estudios Avanzados
de FĂsica, MatemĂĄticas y ComputaciĂłn (CEAFMC) of the University of
Huelva and from the ConsejerĂa de Conocimiento, InvestigaciĂłn y Universidad,
Junta de AndalucĂa and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ref.
SOMM17/6105/UGR
General-purpose passive wireless pointâofâcare platform based on smartphone
A versatile, compact and low-cost analytical platform has been designed, tested and validated to be used in the point-of-care settings. This passive measurement system is powered and complemented by a standard smartphone including a programmed application for measurement configuration and data processing as well as wireless results sharing. Electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence analytical techniques can be configured and realized by this platform that employs standard screen-printed electrodes for the sample managing and off-the-shelf electronic components. The power, electrical and optical signal processing have been studied in depth. The system can harvest energy up to 22.5 mW, set up a voltage in the range of ±1.15 V, and measure potentials in a range of 600 mV with an uncertainty of 1 mV, and current from 2 ÎŒA to 0.75 mA with a resolution of 1.1 ÎŒA. Moreover, standard tests have been performed to the platform consisting of amperometric, potentiometric, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemiluminescent analytical techniques, showing excellent agreement with a reference instrument. Finally, our design has also been applied to glucose, pH and H2O2 determinations, providing the full analytical parameters which are in very good agreement with the reference instrument results. Ranges (0.065â0.75 M, 0.62â100 mM and 3â9 pH units for glucose, H2O2 and pH, respectively) and limits of detection (0.024 M and 0.03 mM for glucose and H2O2, respectively) make this low-cost platform (<US$8) suitable for analytical applications.This study was supported by projects from the Spanish MINECO (CTQ2016-78754-C2-1- R), European Regional Development Funds (ERDF). and Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport for a R&D predoctoral grant (FPU13/05032
Observation of a Griffiths-like phase in the paramagnetic regime of ErCo_2
A systematic x-ray magnetic circular dichroism study of the paramagnetic
phase of ErCo2 has recently allowed to identify the inversion of the net
magnetization of the Co net moment with respect to the applied field well above
the ferrimagnetic ordering temperature, Tc. The study of small angle neutron
scattering measurements has also shown the presence of short range order
correlations in the same temperature region. This phenomenon, which we have
denoted parimagnetism, may be related with the onset of a Griffiths-like phase
in paramagnetic ErCo2. We have measured ac susceptibility on ErCo2 as a
function of temperature, applied field, and excitation frequency. Several
characteristics shared by systems showing a Griffiths phase are present in
ErCo2, namely the formation of ferromagnetic clusters in the disordered phase,
the loss of analyticity of the magnetic susceptibility and its extreme
sensitivity to an applied magnetic field. The paramagnetic susceptibility
allows to establish that the magnetic clusters are only formed by Co moments as
well as the intrinsic nature of those Co moments
The effect of bending on laser-cut electro-textile inductors and capacitors attached on denim as wearable structures
In this paper we present the design, fabrication and characterization of electro-textile inductor and capacitor patterns on denim fabric as a basis for the development of wearable e-textiles. Planar coil inductors have been harnessed as antenna structures for the development of Near Field Communication (NFC) tags with temperature sensing capability, while interdigitated electrode (IDE) capacitors have been used as humidity sensors for wearable applications. The effect of bending in the electrical performance of such structures was evaluated, showing variations below 5% in both inductance and capacitance values for bending angles in the range of interest, i.e. those fitting to human limbs. In the case of the fabricated NFC tags, a shift in the resonance frequency below 1.7% was found, meaning that the e-textile tag would still be readable by an NFC- enabled smartphone. In respect of the capacitive humidity sensor, we obtained a minimum capacitance variation of 40% for a relative humidity range from 10% to 90%. Measured thermal shift was below 5% in the range from 10 to 40oC. When compared to the 4% variation due to bending, it can be concluded that this capacitive structure can be harnessed as humidity sensor even under bending strain conditions and moderate temperature variations. The development and characterization of such structures on denim fabrics, which is one of the most popular fabrics for everyday clothing, combined with the additional advantage of affordable and easy fabrication methodologies, means a further step towards the next generation of smart e-textile products
El modelo semi-presencial y virtual a examen en el ĂĄrea de ingenierĂa
Durante los dos Ășltimos cursos, la educaciĂłn universitaria se ha visto obligada a cambiar de forma precipitada debido a la pandemia mundial que nos ha afectado. A pesar de los esfuerzos de las instituciones por adaptarse de una forma adecuada a un modelo semi-presencial o virtual a lo largo del curso, la percepciĂłn de los estudiantes no siempre corresponde con la que se pretende desde los organismos oficiales. En este estudio se ha realizado una encuesta voluntaria al alumnado de diferentes titulaciones de grado y mĂĄsteres del ĂĄrea de ingenierĂa con el objetivo de someter a examen las medidas adoptadas por la Universidad de Granada (UGR) y comprobar si son aceptadas por los estudiantes y si, desde su punto de vista, se podrĂan mantener a largo plazo
How COVID-19 is Revamping Journalism: Newsroom Practices and Innovations in a Crisis Context
Worldwide audiences became interested in COVID-19-related news,
as the health emergency generated a sharp increase in information
consumption. Drawing on the literature of crisis innovation, this
study aims to understand the transformations that have taken
place in the Spanish journalistic industry and the innovations
implemented during the pandemic. The research questions are:
How has COVID-19 fostered innovation in work organisation in
the Spanish newsrooms? What other innovations were launched
by the Spanish media during the pandemic? The methodology is
based on semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposive
sample of 20 media practitioners and 20 experts on journalism
innovation (academics and journalists) in Spain. Results show that
newsroom practices have evolved through telework,
collaboration and other factors, and that digital transformation
was accelerated in legacy media. In many outlets, the science
section was increasingly relevant, working in a coordinated way
with the areas of data visualisation and design to produce
relevant content. Also, fact-checkers played an important role in
fighting misinformation. The pandemic has speeded up some
ongoing innovations in news production, newsroom organisation,
distribution, and commercialisation in a significant way. Thus,
COVID-19 understood as a crisis situation has had an impact on
news products and it has affected journalistic culture
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