Alternative Sources Of Information Research Articles

Tracking the COVID-19 crisis with high-resolution transaction data.

Payments systems generate vast amounts of naturally occurring transaction data rarely used for constructing official statistics. We consider billions of transactions from card data from a large bank, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, as an alternative source of information for measuring consumption. We show, via validation against official consumption measures, that transaction data complements national accounts and consumption surveys. We then analyse the impact of COVID-19 in Spain, and document: (i) strong consumption responses to business closures, but smaller effects for capacity restrictions; (ii) a steeper decline in spending in rich neighbourhoods; (iii) higher mobility for residents of lower-income neighbourhoods, correlating with increased disease incidence.

Issues of species diagnostics of fossil fishes

The article is devoted to the methodological problems of diagnostics of the palaeoich-thyological material from alluvial sediments and to the search for ways of their solu-tion on the example of processing fish remains from late Cenozoic deposits in the south of Eastern Europe. The complexity of such studies (determination to the species level based on skeletal elements) is noted given the limited amount of respective information in the diagnoses accepted in ichthyology. The importance of creation and enrichment of comparative osteological collections is emphasised and possible alternative sources of information for species diagnostics of fossil fish remains from sediments of different age are proposed. Accurate and detailed identification of the palaeoichthyological ma-terial directly depends on the state of its preservation. A set of skeletal structures and features is presented, according to which the author has described extinct species of bony fishes as new to science. The specifics of the use of open nomenclature during the processing of palaeoichthyological material are explained. A new approach to deter-mining the systematic affiliation of fish remains is described and the contradiction be-tween morphological and molecular data is clarified.

Similarity assessment and adjustment of integrated temperature databases. Cuyo region, Argentina

Given the frequent spatial-temporal limitations and deficiencies of instrumental meteorological records, the use of alternative information sources, such as integrated databases, are important for analyses and studies of diverse nature. The research aim was to evaluate the accuracy of integrated databases of monthly temperature, belonging to Climate Research Unit, University of Delaware and Global Historical Climatology Network, gridded with a pixel size of 3,098.01 km2 (0.5º x 0.5º), surface area of 151,802.5 km2 and temporary length of 22 years (1993-2014), through the modified structural similarity index (mSSIM). The study area is located in central-western Argentina (between 30º and 35º S, and 71º and 66º W). The University of Delaware grid showed the best fit of the data series from 10 weather stations located in the study area. Therefore, a proposal was presented to increase similarity indices, especially for those cells without instrumental reference information. The study determined that by applying this modification, the gridded datasets increases the similarity of the measured data, especially in mountainous areas, where originally there were differences of more than 7.5 ºC between the gridded data and observed one. The proposal decreases these differences to average values below 1 ºC. The use and subsequent adjustment of these integrated databases, allows access to information in areas without meteorological records.

A linearly extendible multi-artifact removal approach for improved upper extremity EEG-based motor imagery decoding.

Non-invasive multichannel Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings provide an alternative source of neural information from which motor imagery (MI) patterns associated with limb movement intent can be decoded for use as control inputs for rehabilitation robots. The presence of multiple inherent dynamic artifacts in EEG signals, however, poses processing challenges for brain-computer interface (BCI) systems. A large proportion of the existing EEG signal preprocessing methods focus on isolating single artifact per time from an ensemble of EEG trials and require calibration and/or reference electrodes, resulting in increased complexity of their application to MI-EEG controlled rehabilitation devices in practical settings. Also, a few existing multi-artifacts removal methods though explored in other domains, they have rarely been investigated in the space of MI-EEG signals for multiple artifacts cancellation in a simultaneous manner. Building on the premise of previous works, this study propose a semi-automatic EEG preprocessing method that combines Generalized Eigenvalue Decomposition driven by low-rank approximation and a Multi-channel Wiener Filter (GEVD-MWF) that employs a learning technique for simultaneous elimination of multiple artifacts from MI-EEG signals. The proposed method is applied to remove multiple artifacts from 64-channel EEG signals recorded from transhumeral amputees while they performed distinct classes of upper limb MI tasks before decoding their movement intent using a selection of features and machine learning algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed GEVD-MWF method yields significant improvements in MI decoding accuracies, in the range of 13.23%-41.21% compared to four existing popular artifact removal algorithms. Further investigation revealed that the GEVD-MWF approach enabled accuracies in the range of 90.44% - 99.67% using "single trial" EEG recordings, which could eliminate the need to record and process large ensembles of EEG trials as commonly required in some existing approaches. Additionally, using a variant of the sequential forward floating selection algorithm, a subset of 9 channels was used to obtain a decoding accuracy of 93.73%±1.58%. Given its improved performance, reduced data requirements, and feasibility with few channels, the proposed GEVD-MWF could potentially spur the development of effective real-time control strategies for multi-degree of freedom EEG-based miniaturized rehabilitation robotic interfaces.

Shipping managers’ information behavior during a pandemic crisis

PurposeA significant body of literature suggests that shipping companies operate in an extremely volatile and risky environment, relying on the effective use of information to remain competitive. However, decision-making in this market is demanding because of the high uncertainty, market competition and significant capital investments. Moreover, the rapid spread of COVID-19 renders information uncertainty a daunting challenge for companies engaged in global trade. Hence, this study aims to explore the information behavior of managers in a time of crisis seems compelling.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides novel insights into the information behavior of senior managers by adopting a qualitative approach. Forty-nine semi-structured face-to-face interviews with individuals from Hellenic shipping companies were conducted. Moreover, this study explores the extant theory qualitatively, using the grounded theory methodology and shows that an unprecedented event (pandemic crisis) can redefine the information behavior of managers.FindingsThis study highlights the importance of information in decision-making. Moreover, the results show that, during a pandemic, managers resort to alternative information sources, adopt collaborative information behaviors and take advantage of digital technology.Originality/valueThere is limited research in exploring the information behavior of managers in times of pandemics. This research underscores the fact that during a crisis, managers seek information from digital information resources and decision-making assumes a more decentralized form. This study concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Conceptualizing the Role of Social Context in Media Selectivity: The Social Embeddedness of Media Reliance and Internalization (SEMRI) Model

Examining antecedents of selective media use is important to understand how media can impact individual behavior and attitudes. The present article extends the selective exposure paradigm by outlining the Social Embeddedness of Media reliance and Internalization (SEMRI) model. This model postulates that individuals’ reliance on and internalization of media content for problem-focused coping depends on a) the perceived availability of alternative information sources in their social network, and b) the extent to which observed media content is socially validated by others. The first section of the article provides an overview of the selective exposure paradigm and notes that existing theories are limited in their ability to address the socially situated context of media message selection and internalization. In the second section we introduce the SEMRI model and discuss its main assumptions. The last section illustrates the main principles of the SEMRI model with data related to ideal-appearance media messages.

Опыт использования информационных ресурсов в преподавании темы «Население мира» в курсе географии 10–11-х классов

The article considers the main elements of the emerging information and educational environment. The reasons for the decline in the attractiveness of geography among schoolchildren are determined. Various approaches to the organization of remote classes with the use of a computer and the use of geoinformation technologies are proposed. As an alternative source of geographical information, images of the Earth from space are presented, made both for the world as a whole, and for individual regions and countries. The authors offer options for tasks using information resources in the context of distance learning of geography in grades 10-11. The techniques of using photos of the world's regions making from space, online statistics on the topics "World population" and "World Regions" are considered. The main types of activities and planned results when working with these resources are analyzed. Information about the use of online population counters in real time is of great interest. Such variants of tasks make it possible to simultaneously analyze natural and socio-economic processes, forming a higher level of spatial thinking.

Understanding Audience Engagement with Mainstream and Alternative News Posts on Facebook

Facebook is an integral part of the American news environment. Substantial numbers of users now seek or encounter news on the platform and news organizations depend on the site to build audiences and drive traffic to their websites. At the same time, Facebook has also become a space for people to engage alternative sources of news and political information, including highly partisan and ideological sources. Yet we know relatively little about the types of news sources Americans engage with most frequently on the platform. In this study, we evaluate the scope of news and information sources on Facebook, including engagement with these sources. We analyse nearly 12 million Facebook posts from 416 news organizations between 2012 and 2017. We find that the sources that receive the most user engagement are often the most ideologically extreme. We also find that alternative outlets that are politically conservative frequently get more engagement, which may provide them an outsized presence on users’ newsfeeds.

Reflections on the Political Economy of European Wine Appellations

Today’s European wine policy is centered on a system of appellations, implemented as geographical indications (GIs), that entail significant technological regulations—restricting the varieties that may be grown, while imposing maximum yields per hectare and other rules regarding grape production and winemaking practice. This paper outlines the historical development of European wine policy under the CAP, and presents a more detailed analysis of the economic consequences of the rules and regulations under the appellation system. The introduction of these rules and regulations was probably beneficial initially, both for their didactive effect on wine producers and consumers and as a way of overcoming a significant “lemons” problem in the market. However, those same rules and regulations are much less valuable today, given (1) the potential for alternative sources of information to solve the lemons problem, and (2) evidence that the appellation system per se might not be effectively serving that purpose as well as it once did, while some of the regulations impose significant social costs. Yield restrictions, in particular, are economically inefficient as a way of enhancing and signaling quality (their ostensible purpose) and as a way of restricting total supply to support market prices and thus producer incomes (a significant motivation). The inherent weaknesses of the policy design are compounded by failures of governance. A less heavy-handed approach to policy would allow more scope for the market mechanism to match supply and demand for this signature product from European agriculture.

IAS 7 and value relevance: the direct method versus the indirect method

We identify and predict circumstances where the direct method statement of cash flows is expected to provide more value relevant information to financial statement users. We predict the direct method is more informative when earnings are of lower quality (earnings are less permanent or companies report losses), companies are in a more stable state (proxied by small absolute changes in accruals/operating cash flow), and when cash flows/accruals are measured with more error using the indirect method. Direct method disclosure is also predicted to be more useful for small companies, where investors have fewer alternative sources of information beyond financial statements. We analyze Australian companies because they are required to report the direct and indirect method, and we further decompose the sample into industrial, mining, and company size to account for unique features of the Australian market. Our results are consistent with our predictions. This suggests the indirect method is as informative as the direct method on average but the direct method incrementally informs stock returns in specific circumstances. We also identify operational factors that significantly increase estimation error when estimating direct method line items for cash receipts and cash payments.

Scientific floras can be reliable sources for some trait data in a system with poor coverage in global trait databases

AbstractAimTrait‐based approaches are increasingly important in ecology and biogeography, but progress is often hampered by the availability of high‐quality quantitative trait data collected in the field. Alternative sources of trait information include scientific floras and taxonomic monographs. Here we test the reliability and usefulness of trait data acquired from scientific floras against trait values measured in the field, and those in TRY, the most comprehensive global plant trait database.LocationTenerife and La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.MethodsWe measured leaf area and specific leaf area (SLA) in the field for 451 native vascular plant species and compared them with equivalent trait data digitised from the most recent and comprehensive guide of the Canarian flora, and data sourced from TRY. We regressed the field‐measured traits against their equivalents estimated from the literature and used the regression models from one island to predict the trait values on the other island.ResultsFor leaf area, linear models showed good agreement between values from the scientific flora and those measured in the field (r2 = 0.86). These models were spatially transferable across islands. In contrast, for SLA we found a weak relationship between field‐measured values and the best estimates from the scientific flora (r2 = 0.11). Insufficient data were available in the TRY database for our study area to calculate trait correlations with other data sources.ConclusionsScientific floras can act as useful data sources for quantitative plant trait data for some traits but not others, whilst the TRY database contains many traits, but is incomplete in species coverage for our study region, and oceanic islands in general.

The Impact of Health Information Exposure and Source Credibility on COVID-19 Vaccination Intention in Germany.

Due to the novelty and high transmission rate of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), direct medical countermeasures are urgently needed. Among actions against the further outbreak of COVID-19, vaccination has been considered as a chief candidate. However, the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has led to concern about their safety and thus to public vaccine hesitancy. Strategic heath communication channels, which are widely used and highly trusted, can contribute to more effective promotions of vaccination intention and to the reduction of misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between the exposure to and credibility of different health information sources and the COVID-19 vaccination intention among 629 German adults. Descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regressions are employed to examine the research questions. Results reveal that, aside from reliable information from experts and health authorities, local newspapers also have a positive impact on COVID-19 vaccination intention. However, this effect diminishes to some extent when age is considered. In addition, alternative information sources pose a noticeable threat to COVID-19 vaccination intention. Therefore, a close cooperation between healthcare experts, health authorities, and mass media with regard to information dissemination is conducive for vaccination campaigns and for the fight against misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines.

Probability maps of anthropogenic impacts affecting ecological status in European rivers

Understanding how anthropogenic pressures affect river ecological status is pivotal to designing effective management strategies. Knowledge on river aquatic habitats status in Europe has increased tremendously since the introduction of the European Union Water Framework Directive, yet heterogeneities in mandatory monitoring and reporting still limit identification of patterns at continental scale. Concurrently, several model and data-based indicators of anthropogenic pressures to freshwater that cover the continent consistently have been developed. The objective of this work was to create European maps of the probability of occurrence of river conditions, namely failure to achieve good ecological status, or to be affected by specific pervasive impacts. To this end, we applied logistic regression methods to model the river conditions as functions of continental-scale water pressure indicators. The prediction capacity of the models varied with river condition: the probability to fail achieving good ecological status, and occurrence of nutrient and organic pollution were rather well predicted; conversely, chemical (other than nutrient and organic) pollution and alteration of habitats due to hydrological or morphological changes were poorly predicted. The most important indicators explaining river conditions were the shares of agricultural and artificial land, mean annual net abstractions, share of pollution loads from point sources, and the share of upstream river length uninterrupted by barriers. The probability of failing to achieve good ecological status was estimated to be high (>60%) for 36% of the considered river network of about 1.6 M km. Occurrence of impact of nutrient pollution was estimated high (>60%) in 26% of river length and that of organic pollution 20%. The maps are built upon information reported at country level pursuant EU legal obligations, as well as indicators generated from European scale models and data: both sources are affected by epistemic uncertainty. In particular, reported information depend on data collection scoping and schemes, as well as national knowledge and interpretation of river system pressures. In turn, water pressure indicators are affected by heterogeneous biases due to incomplete or incorrect inputs and uncertainty of models adopted. Lack of effective reach- and site-scale indicators may hamper detection of locally relevant impacts, for example in explaining alteration of habitats due to morphological changes. The probability maps provide a continental snapshot of current river conditions, and offer an alternative source of information on river aquatic habitats, which may help filling in knowledge gaps. Foremost, the analysis demonstrates the need for developing more effective continental-scale indicators for hydromorphological alterations and chemical pollution.

Alternative data sources can fill the gaps in data-poor fisheries

Abstract Assessing fish stocks harvested by small-scale fisheries is challenging. The lack of official fisheries data constrains the proper management of such fisheries. Thus, alternative sources of information are crucial to enrich data-poor fisheries. Here, we evaluated different sources of data for the mullet (Mugil liza) fishery, one of the most important but overexploited fisheries in Brazil. We gathered three alternative sources of catch data by artisanal fisheries: 14 years of self-reported catches by artisanal fishers across 24 municipalities; 16 years of catches by traditional beach seines mined from news outlets; and 13 years from a single community monitoring their beach seine catches. We tested whether alternative data sources follow the same trends of landing reports from systematic, official monitoring of the industrial fleet. We fitted Bayesian time-series models to test if environmental changes and stock abundance can predict these data. We found that only self-reported catches matched the official reporting trends, thereby improving our understanding of changes in the mullet stock. These findings reveal that self-reported catches by fishers provide reliable additional data useful for management. Self-reporting data are cost-effective, deals with the complexity of small-scale fisheries, and welcomes fishers as key stakeholders in management practices.

Measles vaccine coverage among children born to Somali immigrants in Norway

BackgroundDespite overall good vaccination coverage in many countries, vaccine hesitancy has hindered full coverage and exposed groups to the risk of outbreaks. Somali immigrant groups have been known to have low measles vaccination coverage, leading to outbreaks in their communities. Current research indicates a general lack of trust in the healthcare system, the use of alternative information sources and inadequate health literacy can be contributing factors. We explore measles vaccine coverage in children born to Somali parents in Norway, whether it has changed over time and factors that may influence coverage.MethodsData was extracted from the National Population Register on all children born in Norway from 2000 to 2016, where both parents originated from Somalia. Date of birth, gender, residential area at birth and date of immigration and emigration for both parents was linked to information on measles vaccination from the National Immunisation Register.ResultsWe found that children born to Somali immigrants in Norway had suboptimal measles vaccine coverage at 2 years; for children born in 2016 the coverage was 85%. Coverage declined between 2000 and 2016, and at a greater rate for boys than girls. Children born to mothers residing in Norway for 6 years or more had lower coverage compared to those with mothers residing less than 2 years prior to their birth. Children born in the capital and surrounding county had significantly lower coverage than children born elsewhere in Norway.DiscussionNew targeted interventions are needed to improve measles vaccine coverage among Somali immigrants in Norway. Some possible strategies include using Somali social media platforms, improving communication with Somali parents and tighter cooperation between various countries’ vaccination programmes.

Leveraging Bring Your Own Device for Mobility of Library Reference Services: The Nigerian Perspective

ABSTRACT Libraries in Nigeria are increasingly affected by alternative sources of information that provide stiff competition to library reference services. Reference librarians need to adopt a bring your own device (BYOD) strategy to remain relevant. The article explores the practical application of BYOD principles and strategies to the mobility of library reference services in Nigeria. It explores mobile phones’ role in Nigerian libraries, identifies likely challenges in implementing BYOD strategies, and makes recommendations. Reference librarians in Nigeria can adopt BYOD strategies to guarantee the survival and continuous growth of libraries.

Robust, source-independent biases in children's use of socially and individually acquired information.

Culture has an extraordinary influence on human behavior, unparalleled in other species. Some theories propose that humans possess learning mechanisms biologically selected specifically for social learning, which function to promote rapid enculturation. If true, it follows that information acquired via observation of another's activity might be responded to differently, compared with equivalent information acquired through one's own exploration, and that this should be the case in even very young children. To investigate this, we compared children's responses to information acquired either socially or from personal experience. The task we used allowed direct comparison between these alternative information sources, as the information value was equivalent across conditions, which has not been true of previous methods used to tackle similar questions. Across two 18-month- to 5-year-old samples (recruited in the United Kingdom and China), we found that children performed similarly following information acquired from social demonstrations, compared with personal experience. Children's use of the information thus appeared independent of source. Furthermore, children's suboptimal performance showed evidence of a consistent bias driven by motivation for exploration as well as exploitation, which was apparent across both conditions and in both samples. Our results are consistent with the view that apparent peculiarities identified in human social information use could be developmental outcomes of general-purpose learning and motivational biases, as opposed to mechanisms that have been biologically selected specifically for the acquisition of cultural information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationship Use of Social Media with A Level of Knowledge about Free Sex in Teenagers

Adolescence is a phase of developmental growth between childhood and adulthood. In 2013 the number of teenagers was 65 million people or 30% of the population of Indonesia. Parents find it taboo to talk about sex issues so teenagers are looking for alternative sources of information. Teenagers use mass media as a source of information. This study was to find out the relationship of social media use with the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents at SMA Negeri 12 Makassar. Research design uses analytical surveys with a cross sectional approach. Sampling was with simple random sampling techniques. The number of respondents was 105 students. Data collection is done using questionnaires. Data analysis includes univariate analysis by looking for frequency distribution, bivariate analysis with Chi-Square test α = 0.05 to find out the relationship between variables. The results of the analysis of bivariate obtained a relationship between social media and the level of knowledge about free sex (p= 0.002). The conclusion in this study is that there is a strongly relationship between the use of social media and the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents

Short Neuropsychological Assessment in Schizophrenic Patients

Adolescence is a phase of developmental growth between childhood and adulthood. In 2013 the number of teenagers was 65 million people or 30% of the population of Indonesia. Parents find it taboo to talk about sex issues so teenagers are looking for alternative sources of information. Teenagers use mass media as a source of information. This study was to find out the relationship of social media use with the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents at SMA Negeri 12 Makassar. Research design uses analytical surveys with a cross sectional approach. Sampling was with simple random sampling techniques. The number of respondents was 105 students. Data collection is done using questionnaires. Data analysis includes univariate analysis by looking for frequency distribution, bivariate analysis with Chi-Square test α = 0.05 to find out the relationship between variables. The results of the analysis of bivariate obtained a relationship between social media and the level of knowledge about free sex (p= 0.002). The conclusion in this study is that there is a strongly relationship between the use of social media and the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents.

Relationship Use of Social Media with A Level of Knowledge about Free Sex in Teenagers

Adolescence is a phase of developmental growth between childhood and adulthood. In 2013 the number of teenagers was 65 million people or 30% of the population of Indonesia. Parents find it taboo to talk about sex issues so teenagers are looking for alternative sources of information. Teenagers use mass media as a source of information. This study was to find out the relationship of social media use with the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents at SMA Negeri 12 Makassar. Research design uses analytical surveys with a cross sectional approach. Sampling was with simple random sampling techniques. The number of respondents was 105 students. Data collection is done using questionnaires. Data analysis includes univariate analysis by looking for frequency distribution, bivariate analysis with Chi-Square test α = 0.05 to find out the relationship between variables. The results of the analysis of bivariate obtained a relationship between social media and the level of knowledge about free sex (p= 0.002). The conclusion in this study is that there is a strongly relationship between the use of social media and the level of knowledge about free sex in adolescents.