Innovative business models

One of the biggest challenges media businesses are facing is the redefinition of distribution and consumption patterns, shifting from traditional channels such as print, real time radio and TV to online, including digital formats like on-demand videos and podcasts. This digital revolution demands media workers and managers to consider a change from the former one-size-fits-all business model to a panoply of tailor-made models.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

AI and journalism, robot journalism and algorithms

Automated journalism is also known as algorithmic journalism or robot journalism and consists of news articles generated by computer programmes. Through artificial intelligence (AI) software, stories are produced automatically by computers rather than human reporters. These programmes interpret, organise, and present data in human-readable ways. The process involves an algorithm that scans large amounts of data, selects from an assortment of preprogrammed article structures, orders key points, and inserts details such as names, places, amounts, rankings, statistics, and other figures. The output can also be customized to fit a certain voice, tone, or style. Until now, despite it being a growing trend, not that many media outlets worldwide have used automated journalism on a large scale. Pioneer adopters include The Associated Press, Forbes, ProPublica, and The Los Angeles Times. Early implementations were mainly used for stories based on statistics and numerical figures. Common topics include sports recaps32, weather, financial reports, real estate analysis, and earnings reviews.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Journalism for voice-activated assistants and devices

Speech was human’s first great tool for communication. By developing sounds capable of creating meaning for a group, human beings were able to exchange important information, such as threats to the group. Writing has emerged only very recently in human history: about 5,500 years ago . The opposite was true in the history of the Internet: writing came first, then sound. The big leap only arrived in the 21st century, with Apple’s launch of Siri in 2011. From then on, these voice tools gained the definition of voice assistants, as they were able to listen to, respond and perform tasks through voice command. Since then, voice assistants have become popular and easily accessible to the global population. Currently five major voice assistants are available in Western markets. The issue of platform power is likely to become increasingly important for news publishers as Google and Amazon look to provide more aggregated news services via their voice assistants.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estuarine production of resident and nursery fish species: Conditioning by drought events?

The production of resident (Pomatoschistus minutus and Pomatoschistus microps) and marine juvenile fish species using the Mondego estuary (central Portugal) as nursery grounds (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus, Solea solea), was assessed in order to: (1) understand the potential of the estuary for fish production; (2) know the production of nursery fish species likely to be exported to the coastal stocks; and (3) how anthropogenic and natural stress could influence the estimated production. Sampling occurred from June 2003 to May 2006 and together the 5 species in study comprised around 70% of the whole fish community numbers and biomass. Increasing drought conditions were observed, starting with a normal hydrological year in 2003 until attaining a severe drought in 2005, which resulted in low river discharges (1/3 of the mean river discharges in 2003). Additionally, high water temperatures were observed in 2003 and 2005 (24 and 26 °C, night temperatures). The secondary production was estimated using the increment summation method, after recognition of the cohorts. Production was in general lower in the Mondego estuary when compared to other systems, which was associated to the estuary's small area (only 3.4 km2, less than 1/4 of area compared to other studied systems). Dicentrarchus labrax was among the most productive species. Production decreased in the drought year for all species, especially evident for D. labrax, P. minutus and P. flesus. No direct effects could be attributable to the salinity and temperature variations and to the low freshwater discharges (resulting from the drought and high temperatures), yet these were pointed as probable major reasons for the decreased production. A significant reduction (15-45% reduction in the estuarine production) was also concluded for the potential production to be exported for coastal areas by the nursery species in the drought conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WDV-4R9GGXS-2/1/663d5981f8928a75fea6999bf328f16

Abrupt field-induced transition triggered by magnetocaloric effect in phase-separated manganites

The occurrence at low temperatures of an ultrasharp field-induced transition in phase separated manganites is analyzed. Experimental results show that magnetization and specific heat step-like transitions below 5 K are correlated with an abrupt change of the sample temperature, which happens at a certain critical field. This temperature rise, a magnetocaloric effect, is interpreted as produced by the released energy at the transition point, and is the key to understand the existence of the abrupt field-induced transition. A qualitative analysis of the results suggests the existence of a critical growing rate of the ferromagnetic phase, beyond which an avalanche effect is triggered.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures included. Acepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Herpetic esophagitis: a diagnosis to remember

Introdução: A esofagite herpética é uma doença frequente em doentes imunodeprimidos, sendo raros os casos descritos em indivíduos imunocompetentes. Caso clínico: Os autores descrevem o caso de uma adolescente, admitida no serviço de urgência com febre, odinofagia, disfagia para líquidos e sólidos e dor retroesternal, com três dias de evolução. Realizou endoscopia digestiva alta, que revelou erosões lineares e redondas no terço inferior do esófago. O estudo anatomo-patológico das biópsias realizadas foi sugestivo de esofagite herpética. Conclusão: A esofagite herpética é uma doença frequentemente subdiagnosticada na criança e adolescente imunocompetentes, pelo que não deve ser esquecida. O diagnóstico definitivo depende da realização de endoscopia digestiva alta com colheita tecidular. Habitualmente é autolimitada e o tratamento é de suporte. A utilização do aciclovir é controversa, mas o seu início precoce parece encurtar a duração da doença