Turning marketing promises into business value: The experience of an industrial SME

The article studies the value that businesses should have for their customers and shareholders. It explains how to develop such value to meet or exceed customer's expectations through the application of the promise framework. The promise model includes promises made to customers, promises kept, and promises that involve a synchronized effort from the whole firm to create and deliver value to customers

Retailers’ perceived value of manufacturers’ brands

Most of the theoretical and empirical research into brand equity has focused on business to consumer relationships and the value created with end-customers (consumer-based brand equity). Little is known of the processes where brands create value in business-to-business relationships such as in manufacturer-retailer relationships. This article reports the qualitative findings of a research project into this under-researched area investigating the role of brands in business-to-business relationships. The results show that manufacturers’ brand equity is linked to the value of the brand performance as perceived by the retailer. This perceived value has an impact on key relationship variables such as commitment, trust, dependence and cooperation. To obtain the optimal value from the brand, both manufacturers and retailers need to manage these sources of brand asset value within the business relationship. Although large brands have considerable influence in the relationship, smaller brands can also offer value to retailers and play an important part in the management of product categories within the store. A conceptual model is developed that shows the impact of the sources of brand value within a business-to-business relationship

DNA-binding protein prediction using plant specific support vector machines:validation and application of a new genome annotation tool

There are currently 151 plants with draft genomes available but levels of functional annotation for putative protein products are low. Therefore, accurate computational predictions are essential to annotate genomes in the first instance, and to provide focus for the more costly and time consuming functional assays that follow. DNA-binding proteins are an important class of proteins that require annotation, but current computational methods are not applicable for genome wide predictions in plant species. Here, we explore the use of species and lineage specific models for the prediction of DNA-binding proteins in plants. We show that a species specific support vector machine model based on Arabidopsis sequence data is more accurate (accuracy 81%) than a generic model (74%), and based on this we develop a plant specific model for predicting DNA-binding proteins. We apply this model to the tomato proteome and demonstrate its ability to perform accurate high-throughput prediction of DNA-binding proteins. In doing so, we have annotated 36 currently uncharacterised proteins by assigning a putative DNA-binding function. Our model is publically available and we propose it be used in combination with existing tools to help increase annotation levels of DNA-binding proteins encoded in plant genomes

Determinants of impact : towards a better understanding of encounters with the arts

The article argues that current methods for assessing the impact of the arts are largely based on a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural dynamics that govern the aesthetic experience. It postulates that a better grasp of the interaction between the individual and the work of art is the necessary foundation for a genuine understanding of how the arts can affect people. Through a critique of philosophical and empirical attempts to capture the main features of the aesthetic encounter, the article draws attention to the gaps in our current understanding of the responses to art. It proposes a classification and exploration of the factors—social, cultural and psychological—that contribute to shaping the aesthetic experience, thus determining the possibility of impact. The ‘determinants of impact’ identified are distinguished into three groups: those that are inherent to the individual who interacts with the artwork; those that are inherent to the artwork; and ‘environmental factors’, which are extrinsic to both the individual and the artwork. The article concludes that any meaningful attempt to assess the impact of the arts would need to take these ‘determinants of impact’ into account, in order to capture the multidimensional and subjective nature of the aesthetic experience

Charged Particles in a 2+1 Curved Background

The coupling to a 2+1 background geometry of a quantized charged test particle in a strong magnetic field is analyzed. Canonical operators adapting to the fast and slow freedoms produce a natural expansion in the inverse square root of the magnetic field strength. The fast freedom is solved to the second order. At any given time, space is parameterized by a couple of conjugate operators and effectively behaves as the `phase space' of the slow freedom. The slow Hamiltonian depends on the magnetic field norm, its covariant derivatives, the scalar curvature and presents a peculiar coupling with the spin-connection.Comment: 22 page

TEACHING CHEMISTRY UNDERGRADUATES TO SHARE THEIR SCIENCE WITH THE PUBLIC

The ability to communicate scientific concepts and new research to public audiences is a key skill for science graduates. Among the extensive science communication literature; chemistry as a discipline is underexplored and relatively few pedagogical examples of chemistry communication are found in the chemistry education literature. The current literature on chemistry communication in educational contexts was analysed to explore different pedagogical methods used by educators to teach chemistry communication to their students, and to highlight areas that invite further investigation. In this presentation, we will share insights from our review, including effective methods for teaching chemistry communication to students. Examples of teaching activities across different media of chemistry communication will also be explored, including visual, auditory, tactile, informal writing, social media, outreach activities, gamification and mixed media. Ultimately, we will build on this review to help chemical educators design better learning experiences for undergraduates and empower them to share our science effectively in informal settings

Mechanically-induced intercellular remodeling of cardiomyocytes by magnetic micromanipulation

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-72).Gap junctions are responsible for providing and maintaining a pathway for intercellular communication. This is critical in the heart where gap junctions are responsible for maintaining electrical impulse propagation. Connexin43 (Cx43) is the most abundant gap junction in the heart, and studies have shown that spatial heterogeneity of Cx43 may promote electrical instability and anisotropic conduction pathways that may cause cardiac arrhythmias. Structural and electrical remodeling of gap junctions have been linked to increases in stresses in conditions such as hypertrophy. Understanding how local mechanical forces influence the remodeling of gap junctions can provide insight into arrhythmias and reentry circuits. In this work, I describe a system for exerting local mechanical forces on cardiomyocytes to study gap junction remodeling and I show that cell-to-cell movement and subsequent remodeling of Cx43 can occur. The system consisted of patterned linear strands on polyacrylamide gels and mechanical stimulation using magnetic micromanipulation. Cardiomyocytes were patterned on polyacrylamide gel using 25pm and 50pm microchannels. Mechanical stimulation was induced in sections with high densities of magnetic beads.(cont.) With a maximal input current of 1.5A, the system generated 1.5nN at 100pm distance from the magnetic trap, and this was sufficient to induce cell-to-cell movement. Cell-to-cell movement was measured to be 0.032±0.03pm/min, three times faster than the average cell-to-cell movement under no applied force. Remodeling of Cx43 was also shown using Cx43-YFP transfected cells while a local force induced cell-to-cell movement. Changes in both the distribution and expression of the protein were seen throughout time as the linear strand was pulled by the magnetic force. We conclude that this system can induce remodeling of Cx43 by an applied local force. This work establishes a system to allow to quantification of applied mechanical loads and resultant Cx43 remodeling.by J.P. Michael Motion.M.Eng

Quantitative analysis of the tomato nuclear proteome during <i>Phytophthora capsici </i>infection unveils regulators of immunity

Plant–pathogen interactions are complex associations driven by the interplay of host and microbe-encoded factors. With secreted pathogen proteins (effectors) and immune signalling components found in the plant nucleus, this compartment is a battleground where susceptibility is specified. We hypothesized that, by defining changes in the nuclear proteome during infection, we can pinpoint vital components required for immunity or susceptibility. We tested this hypothesis by documenting dynamic changes in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) nuclear proteome during infection by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. We enriched nuclei from infected and noninfected tissues and quantitatively assessed changes in the nuclear proteome. We then tested the role of candidate regulators in immunity through functional assays. We demonstrated that the host nuclear proteome dynamically changes during P. capsici infection. We observed that known nuclear immunity factors were differentially expressed and, based on this observation, selected a set of candidate regulators that we successfully implicated in immunity to P. capsici. Our work exemplifies a powerful strategy to gain rapid insight into important nuclear processes that underpin complex crop traits such as resistance. We have identified a large set of candidate nuclear factors that may underpin immunity to pathogens in crops

Collaboration between researchers and educators enables an authentic and engaging learning experience

The use of authentic learning experiences and real-world problem solving is an effective means to increase student engagement with course content. Providing broader context of the application of chemistry can aid students in relating abstract chemical concepts to their own experiences of the world, and improve students’ willingness to learn and understand deeper concepts (King, 2012). In addition, there is increasing evidence that engaging in citizen science projects, wherein students work with peers and researchers towards a common goal, is a powerful motivator for students (Vitone et al., 2016).  The Breaking Good project is an ongoing citizen science program in which high school and undergraduate students work cooperatively with researchers to synthesise novel drug candidates that are screened against various neglected tropical diseases. We will discuss our experiences implementing this synthetic workshop program in both schools and universities and explore how different educational settings require and enable different levels of immersion and styles of learning. In particular, we examine the balance between providing authentic and immersive experiences while maintaining close alignment with learning outcomes. We suggest that co-creation between educators and researchers facilitates a more cohesive and enriching experience for students. REFERENCES King, D. (2012) New perspectives on context-based chemistry education: using a dialectical sociocultural approach to view teaching and learning. Studies in Science Education, 48(1), 51-87 Vitone, T., Stofer, K., Steininger, M. S., Hulcr, J., Dunn, R. and Lucky, A. (2016). School of Ants goes to college: integrating citizen science into the general education classroom increases engagement with science. Journal of Science Communication, 15(01), A0

Contemporary Women Filmmakers in Myanmar: Reflections on a Visit in February 2019

Existing accounts of Myanmar’s film industry available to English speakers are more than twenty years out of date. Opening with a brief overview of cinema in Myanmar since 2000, this article is based on a recent visit to the Myanmar Motion Picture Development Department and the Yangon Film School, on conversations with staff, students and alumnae of these institutions and of the National University of Arts and Culture, and with local independent filmmakers. The purpose of my visit was to begin the groundwork needed to answer basic questions: Who are the women making films in Myanmar today? Where are they trained? What are the conditions in which they work? What kind of films they make? How do they fund production? How do their films circulate? And finally: Is there a women’s cinema in Myanmar? What follows thus outlines the context in which women in Myanmar make films today and introduces the work of a small number of them. I conclude with reflections on three short films: A Million Threads (2006, by Thu Thu Shein), Now I am 13 (2013, by Shin Daewe), and Seeds of Sadness (2018, by Thae Zar Chi Khaing), two of which can be found online (at http://yangonfilmschool.org/___-free-yfs-film/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX0LUZQcMCQ)