Consumer Storytelling of Brand Archetypal Enactments

The study here probes the perspective that consumers use certain brands as actors that play roles in the consumers’ lives and that help consumers as protagonists to enact roles that give them the feelings of achievement, well-being, and/or emotional excitement. The method enables the uncovering of archetypes as unconscious forces that drive consumers to specific actions implicitly and to a less extent, explicitly. The study employs two techniques: degrees-of-freedom analysis (DFA) to test whether or not consumer stories fit a given archetypal theme and visual narrative art (VNA) to confirm whether or not consumer’s own stories enact a specific archetype and how such enactments are done. This study offers an alternative for survey auditing consumer-brand relationships; the study here describes and explains the importance of narratives in consumer behaviour and the use of archetypes as universal themes that aid understanding of brand-consumer relationships. The study describes DFA and VNA with two examples of the use of these analytics

Blockchain Technology Adoption Status and Strategies

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the acceptance and future use of blockchain technology. Given the rapid technological changes, this paper focuses on a managerial overview and framework of how the blockchain, including its implementations such as Bitcoin have advanced and how blockchain can be utilized in large-scale, enterprise environments. The paper begins with a technological overview that covers the history of the technology, as well as describing the computational, cryptographic theory that serves as the basis for its notable security features. This paper also covers several key application areas such as finance, accounting, and marketplaces where blockchain technology is seeing major investments from some of the world’s largest organizations. Analysis Methods: Triangulation is utilized for this paper, which combines multiple methodologies, such as qualitative and quantitative methods, as complementary components for improving research study accuracy. The triangulation methods chosen for this paper include a secondary data environment analysis, a text analysis, and financial analysis in order to successfully manage and review the adoption diffusion of innovative technologies like blockchain. The blockchain stands to disrupt many areas of society with the proper application and thus it is important to examine its use with as many viewpoints as possible. Contributions and Conclusion: The contribution this paper describes the potential drivers and drawbacks of blockchain technology in real world applications and highlights the managerial implications of its use. This paper also expands the theoretical contributions for identifying blockchain technology progress on the diffusion of innovation curve. As it stands, the blockchain is within the innovation stage in terms of its application in multi-national enterprises, but with major firms making investments, the blockchain could see growing normalization and acceptance, and at an inflection point akin to the Internet of the 1990s

Improving signal-to-noise resolution in single molecule experiments using molecular constructs with short handles

We investigate unfolding/folding force kinetics in DNA hairpins exhibiting two and three states with newly designed short dsDNA handles (29 bp) using optical tweezers. We show how the higher stiffness of the molecular setup moderately enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in hopping experiments as compared to conventional long handles constructs (approximately 700 bp). The shorter construct results in a signal of higher SNR and slower folding/unfolding kinetics, thereby facilitating the detection of otherwise fast structural transitions. A novel analysis of the elastic properties of the molecular setup, based on high-bandwidth measurements of force fluctuations along the folded branch, reveals that the highest SNR that can be achieved with short handles is potentially limited by the marked reduction of the effective persistence length and stretch modulus of the short linker complex.Comment: Main paper: 20 pages and 6 figures. Supplementary Material: 25 page

Integrative Learning and Interdisciplinary Information Systems Curriculum Development in Accounting Analytics

This paper develops the structure for an integrative model information systems curriculum on Accounting Analytics, which affords students the opportunities to develop domain knowledge along with application of data analytics. As industry experiences rapid technological change, university curricula must remain current in order to be effective. Curriculum content is further advanced and established with input from industry organizations that employ graduates of the programs. The paper output includes a curriculum review of top accounting programs, course curriculum map, accounting data skills matrix, and professional opportunities. The curriculum review utilizes an empirical text analytics methodological approach to extract patterns and develop additional insights for the advancement of accounting information systems research. To minimize curricular disruption, existing courses can be utilized as core curriculum, enhancing key courses to complete undergraduate, graduate, or certificate programs. The Accounting Analytics customized curriculum provides students an opportunity to take advantage of the growing interdisciplinary field and student interest among accounting and analytical career paths. The integrative curriculum is developed to better prepare graduates with the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel in this new-age workforce

Bromeliad Catchments as Habitats for Methanogenesis in Tropical Rainforest Canopies

Tropical epiphytic plants within the family Bromeliaceae are unusual in that they possess foliage capable of retaining water and impounded material. This creates an acidic (pH 3.5–6.5) and anaerobic (<1 ppm O2) environment suspended in the canopy. Results from a Costa Rican rainforest show that most bromeliads (n = 75/86) greater than ~20 cm in plant height or ~4–5 cm tank depth, showed presence of methanogens within the lower anoxic horizon of the tank. Archaea were dominated by methanogens (77–90% of recovered ribotypes) and community structure, although variable, was generally comprised of a single type, closely related to either hydrogenotrophic Methanoregula or Methanocella, a specific clade of aceticlastic Methanosaeta, or Methanosarcina. Juvenile bromeliads, or those species, such as Guzmania, with shallow tanks, generally did not possess methanogens, as assayed by polymerase chain reaction specific for methanogen 16S rRNA genes, nor did artificial catchments (~100 ml volume), in place 6–12 months prior to sample collection. Methanogens were not detected in soil (n = 20), except in one case, in which the dominant ribotype was different from nearby bromeliads. Recovery of methyl coenzyme M reductase genes supported the occurrence of hydrogenotrophic and aceticlastic methanogens within bromeliad tanks, as well as the trend, via QPCR analysis of mcrA, of increased methanogenic capacity with increased plant height. Methane production rates of up to 300 nmol CH4 ml tank water−1 day−1 were measured in microcosm experiments. These results suggest that bromeliad-associated archaeal communities may play an important role in the cycling of carbon in neotropical forests

Low fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with low knowledge of the details of the 5-a-day fruit and vegetable message in the UK: findings from two cross-sectional questionnaire studies.

BACKGROUND: This project aimed to understand the details of the 5-a-day fruit and vegetable (FV) message (which foods are included, portion sizes, the need for variety, reasons for consumption) least known by UK consumers, and most associated with low FV consumption. METHODS: Study 1 assessed FV consumption, knowledge of the details of the message, and relationships between these, using a short questionnaire administered face-to-face to an opportunity sample of one large UK city. Study 2 assessed the same variables using a comprehensive postal questionnaire administered across the UK to a representative population sample. RESULTS: Five hundred and seven respondents completed Study 1 and 247 respondents completed Study 2. The majority of individuals in both studies were aware of the 5-a-day message and could recount this correctly. In both studies, however, knowledge of the details of the message was low, and lower knowledge was associated with lower FV consumption. Respondents had lowest knowledge of the details of the message related to portion sizes and the need for variety. However, FV consumption was not independently associated with knowledge of any one aspect of the message. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, although most of the UK population sampled were aware of the 5-a-day FV message and could recount this correctly, details of the 5-a-day FV message were not well known, and that FV consumption was related to this knowledge. These findings suggest that strategies to increase FV consumption will benefit from increasing UK consumers' knowledge of the details of the 5-a-day FV message

Imaging Inter-Edge State Scattering Centers in the Quantum Hall Regime

We use an atomic force microscope tip as a local gate to study the scattering between edge channels in a 2D electron gas in the quantum Hall regime. The scattering is dominated by individual, microscopic scattering centers, which we directly image here for the first time. The tip voltage dependence of the scattering indicates that tunneling occurs through weak links and localized states.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Weak temporal signals can synchronize and accelerate the transition dynamics of biopolymers under tension

In addition to thermal noise, which is essential to promote conformational transitions in biopolymers, cellular environment is replete with a spectrum of athermal fluctuations that are produced from a plethora of active processes. To understand the effect of athermal noise on biological processes, we studied how a small oscillatory force affects the thermally induced folding and unfolding transition of an RNA hairpin, whose response to constant tension had been investigated extensively in both theory and experiments. Strikingly, our molecular simulations performed under overdamped condition show that even at a high (low) tension that renders the hairpin (un)folding improbable, a weak external oscillatory force at a certain frequency can synchronously enhance the transition dynamics of RNA hairpin and increase the mean transition rate. Furthermore, the RNA dynamics can still discriminate a signal with resonance frequency even when the signal is mixed among other signals with nonresonant frequencies. In fact, our computational demonstration of thermally induced resonance in RNA hairpin dynamics is a direct realization of the phenomena called stochastic resonance (SR) and resonant activation (RA). Our study, amenable to experimental tests using optical tweezers, is of great significance to the folding of biopolymers in vivo that are subject to the broad spectrum of cellular noises.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure

The forest has a story: Cultural ecosystem services in Kona, Hawai‘i

Understanding cultural dimensions of human/environment relationships is now widely seen as key to effective management, yet characterizing these dimensions remains a challenge. We report on an approach for considering the nonmaterial values associated with ecosystems, i.e., cultural ecosystem services. We applied the approach in Kona, Hawai‘i, using 30 semistructured interviews and 205 in-person surveys, striving to balance pragmatism and depth. We found spirituality, heritage, and identity-related values to be particularly salient, with expression of some of these values varying among respondents by ethnicity and duration of residence in Hawai‘i. Although people of various backgrounds reported strong spirituality and heritage-related values, Native Hawaiians rated heritage connections as deeper, and lifetime residents portrayed ecosystem-identity connections as more integral to their wellbeing than did people from other backgrounds. The approach also proved useful in identifying concerns not addressed in survey and interview prompts, including postcolonial issues, access to ecosystems, and relationships between people of different ethnic backgrounds. Although understanding these nonmaterial dimensions of human-ecosystem relationships can be complex, emerging techniques eliciting qualitative and quantitative data provide feasible ways of deepening that understanding