759 research outputs found

    Extracting consumers needs for new products a web mining approach

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    Here we introduce a web mining approach for automatically identifying new product ideas extracted from web logs. A web log - also known as blog - is a web site that provides commentary, news, and further information on a subject written by individual persons. We can find a large amount of web logs for nearly each topic where consumers present their needs for new products. These new product ideas probably are valuable for producers as well as for researchers and developers. This is because they can lead to a new product development process. Finding these new product ideas is a well-known task in marketing. Therefore, with this automatic approach we support marketing activities by extracting new and useful product ideas from textual information in internet logs. This approach is implemented by a web-based application named Product Idea Web Log Miner where users from the marketing department provide descriptions of existing products. As a result, new product ideas are extracted from the web logs and presented to the users

    Establishing a mission-based culture : analyzing the relation between intra-organizational socialization agents, mission valence, public service motivation, goal clarity and work impact

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    This study contributes to our understanding of how organizations can craft a mission-based culture by examining the relationship between mission valence, PSM, goal clarity, and work impact. More specifically, the study assesses how value-laden communication with multiple intra-organizational socialization referents is related with the cited variables. The developed hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling and a sample of 585 non-managerial employees employed by a public welfare organization. The findings confirm the claim that position in an organizational hierarchy is not likely to influence the analyzed relationships. The magnitude of the relationships, however, diverges. In contrast to previous research, the study results indicate that, in the case of lower-level employees, PSM is the most powerful predictor of mission valence. Furthermore, the results indicate that exposure to organizational values via interaction with internal socialization agents is positively related with their perceived importance. The results thus not only confirm the relevance of incorporating the institutional setting when analyzing mission valence, but also provide further proof for an institutional theory of PSM by highlighting that different organizational socialization agents could play a distinctive role in crafting PSM and a mission-based culture

    Turbulence consideration on wind resource assessment : state of the art

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    Nowadays, the interest on turbulence effect related to wind turbines has extensively growth within the wind energy community. Turbulence and wind shear are essential characteristic of wind, which can provide indications about the behavior of wind itself. It is well-know that a slight variance in wind speed generate large deviation in the output energy of wind turbine because of the cubic relationship between wind velocity and power output. Although, the phenomenon of turbulence is still not complete solved, both in terms of mathematical and intuitive understanding, the practical implications of this issue have encouraged multiple efforts at turbulence predictions by any reasonable approach. The present study is an attempt to pull together current finding related to the effect of turbulent loading on the wind turbine performance assessments. Accordingly, an exhaustive compilation regarding the issue of turbulence on wind resource assessment and a comprehensive literature review covering the different methodologies considering the subject within wind turbine application are presented. The issue of turbulence is discussed focusing on the wind speeds from various directions. Furthermore, the study presents a preliminary overview of the state of the art of the numerical calculation of wind-turbine aerodynamics. Moreover, a comprehensive examination of the status of research around turbulence treatment on wind turbine applications is presented. Hence the relevance of considering turbulence on wind resource assessment and the techniques and methods used for it are highlighted

    Psychometric Properties of the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire for Children (GCQ-C)

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    Negative thinking is seen as an important mediating factor in the development of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a syndrome encompassing debilitating symptoms of grief. No measure of specific grief related cognitions is available yet. Based on an adult measure of negative thinking in adults we developed a questionnaire for children, the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire for Children (GCQ-C). This study investigated several psychometric properties of the GCQ-C. Both reliability and validity were investigated in this study, in which hundred fifty-one children and adolescents (aged 8–18 years) participated. Findings showed that items of the GCQ-C represented one underlying dimension. Furthermore, the internal consistency and temporal stability were found to be adequate. Third, the findings supported the concurrent validity (e.g., significant positive correlations with self-report indices of PGD, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder), convergent and divergent validity of the GCQ-C. This study provides further evidence for the importance of negative thinking in PGD in children and adolescents

    The use of the international classification of functioning, disability and health in primary care: Findings of exploratory implementation throughout life

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    __Purpose:__ The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) has found widespread acceptance since it was launched in 2001. Yet, little is known about its use in Primary Care. This paper aims to contribute to the dialogue about the practical use of the ICF by exploring how this framework constitutes a supplementary source to inform disability-related decision making in integrated Primary Care. __Method:__ The implementation process of the ICF in a Latin American Primary Care and Community-Based Rehabilitation setting is described and the ICF diagram is applied to a life story as an example of its current use. Participant observation, in-depth study of reports of team meetings and the review of clinical files are the main data collection methods. Data analysis is enabled by the combination of single-case study with theory testing, which facilitates the generation of hypotheses in this exploratory study. __Results:__ A valuable time component of the ICF may support continuity in Primary Care and the universal application of the ICF framework can promote comprehensiveness by integrating individual rehabilitation and collective disability prevention. A way to mitigate the perceived dominance of biomedical disease and deficiency thinking is proposed in order to encourage the biopsychosocial focus of Primary Care. Finally, the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) in the health condition domain of the ICF highlights the importance of social responsibility towards disability. __Conclusion:__ This study suggests that a creative implementation of the ICF during life course to everyone who uses universally accessible healthcare may strengthen the integrative functions of Primary Care, and may be at the heart of the information system of this essential part of the healthcare system. Further research on the complementary use of ICF and ICD-10 is suggested in order to support community-based multisectoral intervention which may be coordinated by Primary Care

    Testing the Direction of Longitudinal Paths between Victimization, Peer Rejection, and Different Types of Internalizing Problems in Adolescence

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    The transition to secondary school is accompanied by the fragmentation of peer groups, while adolescents are also confronted with heightened incidents of bullying and increased levels of internalizing problems. Victimization, peer rejection, and internalizing problems are known to be interrelated, but how they influence each other over time remains unclear. We tested the direction of these associations by applying a cross-lagged path model among a large sample of Finnish adolescents (N = 5645; 49.1 % boys; M age at T1 = 14.0 years) after they transitioned to secondary school (grades 7–9). Self-reported depression, anxiety, and victimization and peer-reported rejection were measured 3 times over the course of 1 year. Results showed that depression was predictive of subsequent victimization for both boys and girls, in line with a symptoms-driven model; for girls, anxiety was reciprocally related to victimization, in line with a transactional model; for boys, victimization was related to subsequent anxiety, in line with an interpersonal risk model. Peer rejection was not directly related to depression or anxiety, but among girls peer rejection was bi-directionally related to victimization. Overall, our results suggest that associations between internalizing problems and peer relations differ between depression and anxiety and between genders. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed

    Transition towards district heating in belgium : challenges, development and prospect

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    Addressing energy shortage problem, is one of the most complex matters that the world is facing nowadays. Within this context, in contrast to northern European countries, the Belgian heat supply sector based on building and dwelling heating devices is mainly decentralized, while more efficient and centralized methods such as District Heating is scarcely found. However, during the last years the interest in District Heating projects has experimented a steady and growth. The evolution and development of such path has confronted and overcome varying challenges, policies incentives, market and society scenarios. The present paper provides an update of the District Heating sector in Belgium, with the focus on the development in the last 5 years. Even though there is a well understanding among much of the stakeholders about the necessity of increase the share of sustainable energy sources, there still are predominant some conflict of interest and disagreement about how to achieve this paradigm shift. Hence, this study assesses the prospect of the future increase of District Heating use in the country by mean of a multi-actor analysis perspective. The approach looks forward to systematically explore the system and actor dynamics, to gather synergy between all relevant actors and achieve a sustainable and feasible framework. The study indicates that multi-actor approach will strengthen cooperation opportunities, increase the attractiveness of the business model and will contribute to precipitate the transition to a sustainable energy base in the country
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