Alternative Channels Research Articles

Localizing Transitions via Interaction-Induced Flat Bands.

This Letter presents a theory of interaction-induced band-flattening in strongly correlated electron systems. We begin by illustrating an inherent connection between flat bands and index theorems, and presenting a generic prescription for constructing flat bands by periodically repeating local Hamiltonians with topological zero modes. Specifically, we demonstrate that a Dirac particle in an external, spatially periodic magnetic field can be cast in this form. We derive a condition on the field to produce perfectly flat bands and provide an exact analytical solution for the flat band wave functions. Furthermore, we explore an interacting model of Dirac fermions in a spatially inhomogeneous field. We show that certain Hubbard-Stratonovich configurations exist that "rectify" the field configuration, inducing band flattening. We present an explicit model where this localization scenario is energetically favorable-specifically in Dirac systems with nearly flat bands, where the energy cost of rectifying textures is quadratic in the order parameter, whereas the energy gain from flattening is linear. In conclusion, we discuss alternative symmetry-breaking channels, especially superconductivity, and propose that these interaction-induced band-flattening scenarios represent a generic nonperturbative mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking, pertinent to many strongly correlated electron systems.

Anonymity, nonverbal communication and prosociality in digitized interactions: An experiment on charitable giving

We empirically examine the value of modern digital communication tools for inducing prosocial behavior. In our online experiment (N=594), charity members transmit a standardized message to potential donors through alternative digital communication channels varying the amount of nonverbal content (written message in the baseline Text condition vs. voice recording in Audio vs. video-recorded discourse in Video). We find partial support for the initial conjecture that individuals get more prosocial towards strangers once the latter become less anonymous to the former. Compared to the baseline Text condition, our Audio treatment induces a significant and substantial (nearly 40%) increase in the average donation. However, the effect observed in the richest Video condition has only half the magnitude of the one in Audio and donations made therein are not statistically different to those in the remaining conditions. We rule out the possibility that these treatment effects stem from perceptual mechanisms by which the changes in prosociality are driven by the differences in the perception of charity members in the stimuli, suggesting that the treatment effects capture the intrinsic value of reducing anonymity for promoting prosociality in the digital world.

Using the “Media as Mediator” Approach to Understand the Influence of Communication Channel Trust on COVID-19 Protective Behaviors: England, January 2022

In a secondary analysis, we examine how trust in pro-recommendation versus alternative communication channels mediated effects of demographic, personality, lifestyle, and political variables on COVID-19 protective behavior in England. In so doing, we adapt the media-as-mediator approach to the pandemic context. Respondents reported that family, close friends, primary care medical providers, and mainstream news media were relatively supportive of public health recommendations, and social media friend networks, faith/community groups, alternative news sites, and alternative health practitioners were relatively unsupportive. Parallel mediation analyses showed that effects of age, dutiful civic-mindedness, sensation-seeking, healthy lifestyle orientation, and more marginally, race on COVID-19 protective behavior were mediated by trust in these pro-recommendation and/or alternative communication channels. In some cases, trust in exemplars of both types of channels resulted in these channels influences largely canceling one another out.

Peculiarities of online user’s content search in the context of inbound marketing

The article addresses the issue of the distribution of users browsing the internet for content in a specific format through alternative content delivery channels in the context of inbound marketing. The problem being addressed is part of a broader problem with the formation of traffic to an organization’s website. The theoretical part of the work presents the concept of inbound marketing and analyzes the theoretical aspects of its tactical activities, such as content marketing, search engine marketing, and social media marketing. Based on the theoretical research, the scientific hypothesis is formulated – there are links between the desired content format and the choice of content search and consumption channel. The research methodology consists of data collection by survey method and hypothesis testing using Cochran’s Q test. Empirical research has shown links between the content format sought and the channels for searching and consuming content. Although in almost all cases the search for video and audio content is dominated by search engines, evaluating other content delivery channels reveals a significant specialty of users’ web browsing.

White dwarf eccentricity fluctuation and dissipation by AGB convection

ABSTRACT Millisecond pulsars with white dwarf companions have typical eccentricities $e\sim 10^{-6}{\!-\!}10^{-3}$. The eccentricities of helium white dwarfs are explained well by applying the fluctuation–dissipation theorem to convective eddies in their red giant progenitors. We extend this theory to more massive carbon–oxygen (CO) white dwarfs with asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitors. Due to the radiation pressure in AGB stars, the dominant factor in determining the remnant white dwarf’s eccentricity is the critical residual hydrogen envelope mass $m_{\rm env}$ required to inflate the star to giant proportions. Using a suite of mesa stellar evolution simulations with $\Delta m_{\rm c}=10^{-3}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ core-mass intervals, we resolved the AGB thermal pulses and found that the critical $m_{\rm env}\propto m_{\rm c}^{-6}$. The resulting eccentricity $e\sim 3\times 10^{-3}$ is almost independent of the remnant CO white dwarf’s mass $m_{\rm c}$. Nearly all of the measured eccentricities lie below this robust theoretical limit, indicating that the eccentricity is damped during the common-envelope inspiral that follows the unstable Roche lobe overflow of the AGB star. Specifically, we focused on white dwarfs with median masses $m_{\rm c}\gt 0.6\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$. These massive white dwarfs begin their inspiral with practically identical orbital periods and eccentricities, eliminating any dependence on the initial conditions. For this sub-sample, we find an empirical relation $e\propto P^{3/2}$ between the final period and eccentricity that is much tighter than previous studies – motivating theoretical work on the eccentricity evolution during the common envelope phase. The eccentricities of lower mass CO white dwarfs may be explained by alternative formation channels.

MAPPING CHINA’S ONLINE CONSUMER DISPUTE RESOLUTION SYSTEM

The Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system has been designed as a method to achieve Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). According to the UNCTAD, ODR has had significant success in China. China has been especially active in promoting the utilization of ODR systems in resolving consumer disputes. Following a thorough analysis of the current mechanisms and practices of consumer ODR in China, this paper endeavours to present two arguments. Firstly, consumer ODR in China is more than a means of moving ADR online. On the one hand, the “Internet Plus” strategy has facilitated the digitalisation of the public sector, including the development of “Smart Courts” and “Digital Government” services. On the other hand, innovative mechanisms implemented by the private sector, such as Crowdsourced ODR and Platform ODR, have effectively provided alternative channels for resolving consumer disputes, in addition to the public channels. Secondly, this article identifies a number of challenges currently facing China’s consumer ODR system. These challenges encompass both legal issues and cultural and linguistic diversity concerns.

Manajemen Risiko pada Pelaksanaan Pekerjaan Bendung Batang Pagian Kabupaten Dharmasraya

Risks in construction project work are events or occurrences that are uncertain but can have a positive or negative impact on the sustainability of a project. In this research, the author carried out an analysis of risks, impacts and risk responses caused by failure in the construction work of the Batang Pangian weir construction project. The aim is to identify potential risks and the impact of risks that occur in the implementation of the Batang Pagian weir project work, as well as to obtain risk responses that can be carried out. The research was conducted qualitatively through field surveys and interviews with respondents involved in the field. Next, a risk assessment was carried out referring to the Godfrey development method. Based on the results of research analysis, it was found that the flood disaster was the main trigger for failure in the implementation of construction work for the Batang Pangian Dam. The impact of the flood disaster resulted in the main irrigation canal being closed so that water flow became obstructed and had an impact on the agricultural sector. The risk responses carried out include creating alternative channels and conducting outreach to the community regarding this problem.

DEMOGRAPHIC TARGETING OF USERS IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR LIVESTOCK DIGITAL MARKETING AMONG SMALLHOLDER CATTLE FARMERS

Several livestock diseases leading to high mortality rates among animals have raised concerns about a potential food crisis in Indonesia. To prevent further spread of these diseases, access to livestock sheds has been restricted. This situation has highlighted the importance of developing alternative marketing channels to facilitate livestock trade. The present study investigates the demographic factors that influence farmers' interest in adopting mobile applications for digital livestock marketing in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The data for this research was collected from a stratified random sample of 968 respondents across four regions. Prior to the interviews, farmers were provided with an introduction and given the opportunity to experience the mobile applications firsthand. The data analysis employed descriptive statistics, non-parametric analysis, and a logistic regression model. The results indicated a significant (p < 0.05) association between variables such as the farmer's age, educational level, women's decision-making power, farming revenue, cattle ownership, farming experience, and interest in using mobile applications for livestock digital marketing. However, no distinction in adoption interest was observed between farmers who were members of agricultural groups and those who were not. These findings have significant methodological implications, as they require independent interviewing among member farmer groups. This study suggests that developers of mobile applications for livestock digital marketing should consider the lack of digital literacy among farmers as a crucial factor influencing their interest in adopting new technologies. Addressing the digital literacy gap could increase the adoption and effective use of these applications within the farming community.

Intergenerational Storytelling and Positive Psychosocial Development: Stories as Developmental Resources for Marginalized Groups

Academic We articulate an intergenerational model of positive psychosocial development that centers storytelling in an ecological framework and is motivated by an orientation toward social justice. We bring together diverse literature (e.g., racial-ethnic socialization, family storytelling, narrative psychology) to argue that the intergenerational transmission of stories about one’s group is equally important for elders and youth, and especially important for groups who are marginalized, because stories provide a developmental resource for resistance and resilience in the face of injustice. We describe how storytelling activities can support positive psychosocial development in culturally dynamic contexts and illustrate our model with a case study involving LGBTQ+ communities, arguing that intergenerational storytelling is uniquely important for this group given issues of access to stories. We argue that harnessing the power of intergenerational storytelling could provide a culturally safe and sustaining practice for fostering psychosocial development among LGBTQ+ people and other equity-seeking populations. Public Understanding one’s identity as part of a group with shared history and culture that has existed through time is important for positive psychological functioning. This is especially true for marginalized communities for whom identity-relevant knowledge is often erased, silenced, or distorted in mainstream public discourses (e.g., school curricula, news media, television, and film). To compensate for these limitations around access, one channel for the transmission of this knowledge is through oral storytelling between generations of elders and youth. Contemporary psychological science has often assumed that such storytelling occurs within families, but when families cannot or would not share such knowledge, youth suffer. We present a model of intergenerational storytelling that expands our ideas around who counts as “family” and how knowledge can be transmitted through alternative channels, using LGBTQ+ communities as a case example.

Exploring the Dietary Supplement Use During COVID-19: Insights from Community Pharmacists, Pharmacy Staff, Academics, and Industry Experts.

Introduction: The increased use of dietary supplements is a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although their efficacy has not been consistently proven, they have been perceived as a preventive tool against COVID-19. Less strict regulations and debates on their definitions in a regulatory framework raise concerns about safety issues. Apart from dietary supplement use, information demand has increased, and pharmacists have played a key role as accessible health professionals. This study aimed to reveal the opinions of community pharmacists, pharmacy staff, sector representatives, and academicians regarding the sale and use of dietary supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study approach was followed, using grounded theory. Data were collected between September 2021 and July 2022, analyzed using MAXQDA 2020 software, and reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. Results: After refining the open codes, two themes emerged: dietary supplements and the effects of the pandemic. It was found that increased dietary supplement use was rooted in COVID-19 fear, promotional activities, and social media influence. The interaction between consumers and the dietary supplement industry is bidirectional. Conclusions: Pharmacies, as access points for these products, played a crucial role in struggling with the effects of the pandemic. Although dietary supplements are considered safe, their potential for adverse reactions poses a public health risk. Flexible regulations, unregulated alternative advertising channels, and a lack of awareness of the safety of these products pose a challenge to public health. In this regard, all stakeholders should work to minimize the risks from undergraduate education to professional life.

Digitalization and alternative marketing channels in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain

This study aims to delve into the potentials and difficulties of digitalization on the real commercial experience of some of the fundamental actors in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain (producers, merchants, intermediaries, consumers, and private and public technicians). For that, these social actors and their projects were described and consulted in search of appreciations or points of view regarding technical innovations, barriers to commercialization, family labor, public policies, pressure for land use, and other complex problems. Through a “snowball sampling”, carrying out semi-structured questionnaires for more than 4 months from INIA Las Brujas, we obtained information mainly from actors in the south and some points in the northwest and east-central Uruguay. Opinions come from the complexity of people in their different roles, with the expected emergence of tensions and contradictions at different moments of the participatory-action research. We could appreciate that the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolution are having a significant impact in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain. Digital technology is providing new tools for marketing such as: electronic commerce platforms, mobile applications, traceability and monitoring technologies for data analysis, etc. Support in this transformation comes both from private initiatives and public projects, some of which are outlined. We discuss some causes of digitalization disparities and some solutions, debating the role of each one of the represented actors and their possibilities of change.

Do private firms (mis)learn from the stock market?

Abstract This article examines whether and to what extent private firms learn from the stock market. Using a large panel data set for the UK, I find that private firms’ investment responds positively to the valuation of public firms in the same industry. The sensitivity increases with price informativeness. To further pin down the information channel, I construct a price noise measure based on public firms’ unrelated minor segments and show that it positively affects the investment of private firms in the major-segment industry. The results are consistent with models featuring learning from noisy signals and are not driven by alternative channels in the absence of learning. My findings suggest that the stock market can have real effects on private firms through an information-spillover channel, even when these firms do not list their shares on the stock exchanges.

Twisted knowledge construction on X/Twitter: an analysis of constructivist sensemaking on social media leading to political radicalization

PurposeThis study aims to identify how Brazilian followers of an X/Twitter profile engage in theory-building processes leading up to the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasília, the Brazilian capital. This paper seeks to understand how cognitive and sociocultural processes weave together to weaponize collective knowledge construction that, in isolation, could be seen as virtuous but, in specific contexts, might lead to radicalization.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses qualitative content analysis of comments on ambiguous X/Twitter posts published by a conspiratorial profile associated with former President Jair Bolsonaro. Content was published in the three weeks that preceded the coup d’état attempt by Bolsonaro supporters on January 8, 2023.FindingsFindings point to users’ resorting to intuitive knowledge to support sensemaking processes in their search for subliminal meanings in tweets. That includes, for example, attempts to crack binary code-encrypted messages. This study also identified practices of cross-media sourcing, where users collect evidence from alternative social media channels to interpret messages containing verbal and visual information. Finally, this study found that religious symbols are often instrumentalized and become a lens through which followers organize information to integrate with their existing knowledge and assumptions.Research limitations/implicationsWith this work, the authors build on existing scholarship on epistemologies used by conspiratorial and radicalized groups as they engage in systematic sensemaking and often refer to religion to interpret messages that motivate extreme political position-taking. This study addresses a similar phenomenon as it unfolds in an understudied geographical context (Brazil) and seeks to demonstrate how individuals engage in collective sensemaking practices. The authors hope that their findings inform educators as they explore the affordances of social media to foster positive collective learning experiences in reasoning supported by social media.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is twofold. First, this study uses an analytical lens that draws on the learning sciences and cognitive science for inquiry of radicalization happening around social media. The authors understand that social media lend themselves particularly interesting to the analysis, as they are settings where notions of mastery blur, and individuals engage in conversations on complex, controversial topics. With that engagement, they demonstrate willingness to reason collectively. Second, this study investigates how those phenomena unfold in an understudied context, responding to calls for more diversity in research in the learning sciences as well as in media studies.

Scientific Periodicals Circulation in Lithuania in the First Half of the 19th Century: the Case of Vilnius University

This article examines the evolution and circulation of scientific periodicals within the academic community of Vilnius. The study aims to determine how periodicals from abroad reached Lithuania, how they were stored at Vilnius University, and how scientists utilized these information resources. It was found that the concept of scientific periodicals in the early 19th century began to emerge in bibliographic classification and librarians’ documentation, with their form and content being equated to popular science and/or the continuous works of scientific academies and societies. The distribution of scientific periodicals, especially those received from abroad, faced obstacles due to repressive censorship, which were attempted to be overcome using alternative channels (services of street book vendors). Despite the “clutches” on scientific information, the periodicals collection at Vilnius University Library grew significantly between 1803 and 1832, catering to the needs of the academic community. The thematic and content analysis of this collection from a heritage perspective would be the subject of another study.

Wockhardt Ltd.: Will the strategic change work?

PurposeWockhardt Ltd. is a global, research-based pharmaceuticals and biotechnology company headquartered in India. The company went through an ambitious period of growth, mainly using acquisitions as its primary inorganic growth strategy until the 2008 financial crisis. This period saw Wockhardt struggling to meet its financial obligations while at the same time confronting legal and regulatory challenges. Post this period, the company executed several strategic changes to its businesses to facilitate a recovery. The case asks students to assess Wockhardt’s strategic response to the crisis and its future success as a pharmaceutical company in an industry marked by intense competition.Design/methodology/approachThe case is based on secondary data sources and publicly available information. The company’s data and its history over the past six decades have been examined. Newspaper articles, journal articles, company annual reports and analyst firm reports have been used to gather information and have been cited accordingly. Financial data have been obtained from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) Prowess database.FindingsThe case highlights some interesting findings from Wockhardt’s handling of its financial problems and subsequent recovery process. Key insights come from its multi-pronged strategy to first stabilize and then continue to expand its core pharmaceuticals business by identifying new markets for its products and alternate channels for growth.Originality/valuePrevious cases on Wockhardt have focused on the financial aspects of the crises, particularly the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) process that was undertaken, the challenges of hedging foreign currency risk and the drawbacks of using foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs). In this case, we emphasize the unique aspects of Wockhardt’s business strategy, from its initial acquisition-based inorganic growth, its crisis response and management and finally the strategic execution of its recovery and continued expansion.

Rapid credit expansion and firm behavior: A case study from Türkiye

This study examines the impact of a sudden and remarkable credit expansion experienced in Türkiye during the first half of 2022 on firm behavior by utilizing a novel dataset containing the universe of all incorporated firms in Türkiye. The results of the combination of coarsened exact matching and difference-in-differences methodology show that, amid the credit expansion coupled with the deterioration in expectations of inflation and depreciation in local currency, the firms with higher credit usage tended to engage in alternative channels rather than undertaking real economic activities in short term, such as pulling-forward imports and input demand and taking position against local currency to gain financial profit more than those with less credit usage during the first half of 2022. While SMEs with higher credit usage increased their imports, domestic input purchases, foreign currency purchases, and foreign currency-denominated debt settlement before maturity, large firms increased their foreign currency purchases relative to their counterparts with less credit usage.

Performance characteristics of ultra-thin flat plate oscillating heat pipes with alternate channels and auxiliary micro-grooved structures

Two flat plate oscillating heat pipes (FPOHPs) characterized by the same thickness of 1 mm and alternating channel widths were fabricated using the wet etching technique. HFE-7100 was used as a working fluid at volumetric filling ratios ranging from 30%–60%. The startup and heat transfer characteristics of FPOHPs with and without embedded parallel microgrooves on the bottom wall of wider channels were experimentally compared and evaluated. The dual-diameter FPOHPs could operate at both horizontal and vertical orientations. The introduction of microgrooves reduced the duration of the startup time, lowered the startup temperature, and avoided the temperature overshoot. Furthermore, the microgrooves significantly reduced the temperature of the evaporator. At the combined condition of 30% filling ratio and 24 W power input, the effective thermal conductivities (ETCs) of the FPOHP with microgrooves were 1241 and 1226 W/(m·°C), respectively, at horizontal and vertical orientations, approximately 25.6% and 18.8% higher than those without microgrooves, or approximately 3.1 times higher than pure copper. At the horizontal orientation, the heat transfer enhancement was more pronounced for the micro-grooved FPOHP compared to that without micro-grooves. The micro-grooved structures facilitated the unidirectional fluid circulation and reduced the gravity dependence, showing the application prospects at both terrestrial and microgravity conditions.

Digital Images Translating Climate Justice Online to inspire Transformative Ecological Visions of World Order from the Margins

Abstract This paper aims to study alternative visions of the world as they emerge creatively through digital media storytelling about floods, forest fires, and consequences of climate change that emerge within transnational climate justice activist networks and their digital media practices of translation and visual storytelling. Focusing on intersectional digital media practices among Fridays for Future (FFF) activists in Germany, it highlights the importance of marginalized voices and their transnational visions of world order and affective connections of solidarity that contest established world climate politics as insufficient. I conceive of questions of cultural and political translation as at the heart of understanding how critical voices from the margin become visible within broader, transnational public spaces due to intersectional (digital) media debates and public deliberation about climate change. I focus on the FFF movement in Germany and the visual practices of online media activists in translating perceived marginalized voices and political visions toward the spotlight of digital conversation within FFF Germany’s joint (trans)national, publicly accessible online spaces. Findings discuss how FFF alternative Telegram channels practice intersectional storytelling of floods, earth, and ecological transformation to make visible the critical agency of activists from the most affected peoples and communities engaged in protesting against extractivism and protecting nature in the Global South.

Cross-border sovereign risk transmission in BRICIT Nations: Unveiling asymmetries and the role of country risk premiums

This research highlights the asymmetric interdependence structure among the sovereign risks of Brazil, Russia, India, China, Indonesia, and Türkiye (BRICIT) nations, challenging the traditional view that bilateral trade is the main channel for cross-border spillover effects. Despite their dependence on Russian crude oil imports for energy, the BRICIT nations show no significant sovereign risk interdependence with Russia. The study finds that Indonesia's credit default swap (CDS) has the highest level of interdependence with other nations. Further exploration of alternative transmission channels necessitates an examination of the country risk premium, revealing Türkiye as the most vulnerable nation due to its negative association with the CDS of other countries, particularly India. By contrast, India is identified as a preferred investment destination, thanks to its lower uncertainty and strong GDP growth over the past decade. Additionally, the research underscores China's economic influence, demonstrated by its positive association with all other BRICIT nations. This suggests that despite the high sovereign risk associated with China, investors do not view other emerging markets as viable, lower-risk alternatives. The perceived risk related to China appears to extend beyond its borders, impacting the sovereign risk profiles of other emerging economies.

YouTube as an information source on politics and current affairs: Supply- and demand-side perspectives

This study examines YouTube channels reporting on French news and current affairs. After identifying the relevant channels, the study identifies the top 10 viewed videos of each channel during the year 2023. Manual annotation has been conducted for content, presentation format, engagement style, and position regarding the government and mainstream media. Each channel has also been coded for its business and communication strategies. Correspondence analysis is used to extract the most emblematic news content and presentation styles, while hierarchical clustering is used to categorize the channels into clusters of different genres. From the demand-side perspective, the study also examines the network of users commenting on the top 10 videos to assess the audience overlap between the identified clusters. . Five clusters of alternative news channels are identified, differing in presentation, style, and partisanship. Network analysis showed audience overlaps, notably between satire, alternative, and re-information clusters. Most channels earn revenue through branding and cross-media activities, occasionally supporting each other. These clusters act as mediators between politics, entertainment, and re-information, serving diverse audiences. Uncertainty remains regarding future dynamics and competition with established news outlets.