Effective Medium Research Articles

Building resilient leadership: A study exploring leadership development during uncertainty

Effective small and medium enterprise (SME) leadership demands creative solutions, to ensure organisations survive, and thrive, during the turbulent times that COVID-19 continues to bring. This paper explores how SME leaders (in micro and small organisations) prioritise and access the skills and development needed to provide effective and sustainable leadership to organisations, focusing on the role of resilience and the benefits it provides. Participants were selected through purposive and snowballing sampling. Online surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted and provide qualitative data that contributes to an understanding of the role of resilience and the view of participants as to what is needed to effectively respond to a dynamic environment. Evidence shows that SME leaders prioritise learning and development opportunities that provide demonstrable benefits throughout the organisation. Building business resilience remains a fuzzy concept, however, viewing resilience as a multi-level construct offers benefits when designing and delivering development opportunities. It is found that networking, partnerships, and relationship building promote resilience and may offer a solution to how to embed resilience building into development opportunities that SME leaders value and wish to engage with. This article contributes by illustrating and exploring leadership development within SMEs during a period of unexpected and untested uncertainty. The pandemic caused major shock waves within business communities and SMEs were significantly affected. The research is limited in that it is (expected) to be a once in a lifetime event and as such conditions may not be replicable, however learning opportunities for other ‘shock’ events are possible. The findings of this paper have relevance to practice, in that while the event may be a one-off, shocks to the business environment are not.

Vowel Recognition Revolutionizes Early Childhood Education Globally

This study addresses the challenge of vowel recognition among 3-4-year-old children, focusing on vowels like “e,” “u,” and “o.” Using a Classroom Action Research (CAR) approach, twelve children at KB Aisyiyah 17 Jasem participated in pre-cycle, cycle I, and cycle II interventions. The results showed a significant improvement from a 33.3% recognition rate in the pre-cycle to 95.3% in cycle II, indicating the effectiveness of using ball letter media. This research highlights the importance of tailored teaching methods in enhancing early childhood learning outcomes, particularly in improving vowel recognition skills. Highlight: Tailored CAR approach boosts vowel recognition in early education. Effective ball letter media enhances learning outcomes in young children. Notable 62% increase shows success in improving vowel recognition skills. Keyword: Vowel recognition, Early childhood education, Classroom Action Research, Ball letter media, Learning outcomes

E-Moticon's Effective Curriculum Revolutionizes Technical Education

This research focuses on developing an E-Moticon E-Module as a digital learning tool for classroom use in the field of basic computer network and telecommunications. Utilizing the ADDIE method, the study includes expert validation and student trials to assess the media's effectiveness. Results show an 84.31% approval rate from experts and an 82.14% acceptance rate from students, indicating high feasibility and positive reception. This E-Module addresses a knowledge gap in tailored technical learning resources and highlights the potential impact of digital media integration in enhancing classroom learning experiences. Further research is recommended to validate its broader applicability and effectiveness in larger-scale classroom settings. Highlight: Tailored Technical Resource: E-Moticon fills gaps in technical learning for classrooms. High Feasibility: Expert and student approval rates exceed 80%, validating effectiveness. Structured Development: ADDIE method ensures systematic and effective media creation. Keyword: E-Moticon, E-Module, Digital Learning, Classroom Integration, ADDIE Method

Evaluating models that predict epoxy conversion using rheological properties.

Simultaneous rheology and conversion measurements of neat and composite epoxy resins reveal that conventional models neither accurately nor fully describe the relationship between rheology and conversion. We find that models predicting thermoset conversion based on mixing rules of rheological properties are quantitatively inaccurate and do not account for chemical gelation. Models based on percolation theory and the divergence of the viscosity at the gel point are more accurate but only valid before the gel point. Here, we propose the use of the generalized effective medium (GEM) model, which incorporates the divergence of rheological properties on both sides of the critical gel point. We show that the GEM model works well for both neat resins and filled systems, and the resulting parameters estimate the gel point and scaling behavior on either side of the sol-gel transition.

#StillServing: Engaging younger veterans in continued service

AbstractThis case study examines the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) efforts over the past 3 years through #StillServing, a movement to highlight the stories and voices of veterans who continue to serve their communities in various ways, provide avenues for communities to coalesce around volunteerism, and attract younger generations for a wider range of engaged veterans. With an overarching goal to amplify the perception of the VFW as a place for dedicated veterans of all stripes to continue their service to country and their communities, the campaign spotlights men and women who exemplify the best of what it means to be a VFW member through storytelling emphasizing diversity, tenacity, and an enduring commitment to serve. Informed by findings from individual interviews conducted with a diverse group of U.S. military veterans, targeted messages with specific calls to action were developed for younger veterans. The association sought to take advantage of the most relevant and effective media to share its message while ultimately encouraging the veteran and military community to share their own stories of continued service through #StillServing. The case shares lessons learned from the campaign's iterative approach and offers creative, tested strategies for other programs seeking to engage younger generations.

Novel Plasmonic Metamaterials Based on Metal Nano-Hemispheres and Metal-Dielectric Composites

We introduce a groundbreaking plasmonic metamaterial, the Nano-Hemisphere on Hyperbolic Metamaterial (NHoHMM), which involves the fabrication of Ag nano-hemispheres on a multilayered Ag/SiO2 structure, achieved solely through sputtering and heat treatment. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations unveil the intriguing slow propagation of the localized electric field, where light travels at only 1/40th of its usual speed within this structure. These simulations reveal distinctive sharp absorption peaks in the visible spectrum, attributed to surface plasmon resonance. In practical experiments, the NHoHMM structure, characterized by random Ag nano-hemispheres, exhibits broad absorption peaks spanning the visible range, rendering it a versatile broadband optical absorber. For comparison, the optical properties of the Ag nano-hemispheres on a nanocermet (NHoNC) structure were analyzed through simultaneous sputtering of Ag and SiO2 followed by heat treatment. Simulations employing effective medium theory and the transfer matrix method demonstrate variable optical properties dependent on the Ag filling ratio in the nanocermet structure. The results obtained differ from the spectra of the NHoHMM structure; thus, it is concluded that in the NHoHMM structure, the calculated multi-peaks are broadened due to the inhomogeneity of the nano-hemispherical structure’s size, rather than the metal/dielectric multilayer structure being altered by the heat treatment.

SchizoBot: Delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Augmented Management of Schizophrenia

According to WHO, about 1.86 million people in Nigeria and about 24 million people worldwide are living with schizophrenia, having symptoms varying from hallucination to delusion, and distorted speech and thinking. Schizophrenia is a life-long disorder with no cure and thus, patients need continuous management with medications and psychotherapy. However, due to various factors such as the cost of therapy, time consumption, lack of adequate health workers, the unwillingness of patients to engage, and the pandemic, there is a need for an effective alternate medium for providing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to schizophrenia patients. This research aims to develop a chatbot, which is called SchizoBot, delivering CBT for augmented management of schizophrenia. CBT for schizophrenia details, along with FAQs of schizophrenia patients were collected and adopted into a conversational format for pre-processing and model development. The model was developed with artificial neural network (ANN) and trained with the dataset which was split into train-test data to optimize the performance of the model. The result of the ANN showed an accuracy score of 93.97% at 60:40 train-test data split with 200 epochs. This robust system which provides an optimized chatbot platform using ANN as the model classifier for CBT delivery is foreseen to be a windfall to clinicians and patients as an augmentative management tool for schizophrenia. This, therefore, is a relatively low-cost and easily accessible means to significantly improve the health of schizophrenia patients while assisting clinicians in therapy delivery and compensating for the lapses in the administration of CBT to schizophrenia patients.

Research on Enterprise Marketing Strategies from the Perspective of New Media

New media has brought tremendous impact to traditional business models, and how enterprises can determine effective new media marketing strategies based on their product characteristics and market development direction has become a practical problem that enterprises need to solve at present. In this context, this paper takes Goodme Company as an example, conducts research and analysis on the company's new media marketing situation, explores the characteristics and existing problems of the company's new media marketing, and proposes highly targeted and actionable countermeasures, in order to provide reference for enterprises to formulate sound new media marketing strategies.

Absorption properties by irregularly shaped particles with inclusions at visible and near-infrared wavelength regions

The absorption properties of snow and ice particles containing impurities such as black carbon (BC) and mineral dust (DS) were investigated using the geometrical optics approximation method (GOM). This study focuses on analyzing the single scattering co-albedo (SSCA) characteristics of non-spherical particles, aiming to enhance the interpretation of radiation observations in snow and ice regions. Particle sizes were varied (rva=50,200 and 500μm) and two types of inclusions (1 ppmw of BC and 100 ppmw DS) were considered. Significant differences in SSCA, ranging from one to two orders of magnitude were observed at λ=0.5μm between the “homogeneous model” with effective medium approximation method (EMA) and the “inhomogeneous model” with 50 BC inclusions. Similarly, differences of a factor of 2 to 4 were found for DS with 100 ppmw at λ=0.5μm and BC with 1 ppmw at λ=0.875μm. To bridge intermediate SSCA values between these models, we propose an “inhomogeneous model with EMA”, introducing two parameters to account for impurity concentration and inclusion aggregation. Our findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate single scattering calculation methods in the analysis of observation data, particularly when dealing with BC impurity with significant absorption characteristics. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of solar radiation absorption in snow and ice regions, with potential implications for the optical remote sensing of snow and ice and climate modeling studies.

Reflection modulation generated by scale-free network resonator periodic structure

The pattern of resonator in a periodical array is decisive for its response under impinging electromagnetic wave. A scale-free network resonator is proposed by connecting sub-units in the form of scale free network. Scale-free network resonator array’s reflectivity near resonant frequency could be modulated at arbitrary value between zero and unity, which is different from known resonator array or frequency selective surface. Reflection amplitude modulation could generate rich behaviors, as effective medium property in wide band could be maintained near zero constant, which means zero phase shift and is favorable in radar radome structure. S-parameter analysis indicates amplitude modulation is owing to polarization conversion generated by network links. Scale-free network resonator array has application potentials in future radar radomes, electromagnetic wave lens and microwave antenna panels.

Playing the self-adventure board game to increase adolescents' self-esteem

Competition in the field of education to become excellent, accredited, and favored has an impact on students. Indirectly, to maintain their ranking status, schools generally design various dense academic and non-academic programs, requiring students to give special attention and energy. On the other hand, parents nowadays also tend to have a competitive spirit burdened on their children. One age group particularly susceptible to this situation is teenagers. Exposure to pressure inversely proportional to students' abilities will result in them experiencing low self-esteem (LSE), which if left unaddressed, can lead to depressive and even suicidal conditions. To address LSE, a therapy called "self-adventure" board game therapy is established. This community service activity aims to improve the self-esteem of students at Satya Wacana Christian High School in Salatiga. Therapy is conducted on 57 students who are indicated to have LSE through scoring on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) questionnaire. Therapy is conducted in four sessions with a group system. At the end of the sessions, all participants entered the category of high self-esteem scores. This means that playing the self-adventure game is an effective medium for resolving LSE issues.

Evaluation of the reliability and accuracy of YouTube™ and TikTok™ contents about storage media for avulsed teeth: A cross-sectional study.

The preservation of avulsed teeth is critical in dental trauma management, necessitating effective storage media to ensure viable tooth reimplantation. The urgent need for accurate information has led both professional and non-professional individuals to increasingly seek guidance from video-sharing platforms such as YouTube™ and TikTok™. These platforms have become key resources for advice on such dental emergencies, but the reliability and accuracy of this information have not yet been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to assess the quality, accuracy, and reliability YouTube™ and TikTok™ of videos regarding storage solutions for avulsion injuries. A search was conducted on YouTube™ and TikTok™ on February 4th, 2023, using terms related to traumatic dental injuries, and 53 videos were included. Video demographics such as platform, duration, type, upload date, likes, and comments were recorded. Video content quality, reliability, and accuracy were measured using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI). Research data were analyzed using SPSS IBM 24.0 at a 95% confidence interval. In total, 53 videos were examined. The average scores were JAMA: 1.70/4.00, modified DISCERN: 54.3/80.00, GQS: 3.88/5.00, and VIQI: 13.8/20.00. According to the modified DISCERN index, there were no "very poor" or "poor" quality videos, 49.05% were "moderate," 22.6% were "good," and 28.3% were "very good." No difference was found between YouTube™ and TikTok™ videos in terms of the modified DISCERN index, JAMA scores, GQS, and VIQI scoring (p > .05). Traumatic dental injuries are a common problem among children, and evaluating the reliability of available contents is becoming crucial for appropriate intervention. The study reveals that despite being sourced mainly from dental professionals, the overall quality of videos on avulsed tooth management was mediocre, underscoring the risks associated with misleading or incomplete information in such critical situations.

Engineering electrically tunable TiN/SiO2 epsilon-near-zero metamaterials

Electrically tunable TiN/SiO2/TiN epsilon-near-zero photonic structures with various parameters were fabricated using the reactive DC magnetron sputtering approach. Effective medium approximation was used to predict the optical permittivity of a multilayered TiN/SiO2 metamaterial and guide the design/fabrication. Experimental reflectance measurements for tunable TiN/SiO2/TiN structures were obtained using the ellipsometer technique in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. Results show that reflectance for biased (12 V) and un-biased bulk TiN/SiO2/TiN structure changes up to ∼ 2% with the spectral shift at the ENZ spectral point ∼ 10 nm for samples with an optimal SiO2 dielectric layer (thickness d=10 nm). Reflectance measurements for multilayered tunable TiN/SiO2/TiN structures show strong variation in reflectance change for s- polarized light at epsilon-near-zero wavelengths due to applied voltage (12 V). We expect that the results of this research study of the tunable TiN/SiO2/TiN epsilon-near-zero photonic structures will potentially be useful for the photonic density of states engineering, surface sensing, and metamaterial-based super-resolution imaging.

Magnetorefractive effect in metallic Co/Pt nanostructures

Objectives. To carry out a theoretical investigation of the features of magnetorefractive effect for metal-to-metal nanostructures. This study uses the example of multilayer Co/Pt nanostructures (ferromagnetic metal–paramagnetic metal) with a different ratio of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases in the visible and near-infrared (IR) spectral regions.Methods. The dependence was expressed explicitly using the basic formulas for permittivity, refraction and extinction coefficients, and optical conductivity. This then confirms the common nature of these two effects. The magnetorefractive effect for s-polarization of light was calculated using Fresnel formulas for a three-layer structure. This took into account the thickness of the samples and the influence of the substrate. Effective medium methods were used to calculate the dielectric permittivity of materials. Since the average range of cobalt concentrations was being studied, the Bruggeman approximation was used to establish the effective permittivity of nanostructures. The reflection coefficient at normal incidence was calculated for all nanostructures.Results. Since the permittivity of inhomogeneous samples was replaced by a common effective parameter depending on the permittivity of each component, we were able to apply the Drude–Lorentz theory for conductors in a high-frequency alternating field and then estimate the parameters of the electronic structure of the samples being studied. Plasma and relaxation frequencies were calculated for each sample. This made it possible for the number of free electrons to be estimated and scattering in nanostructures to be investigated.Conclusions. It was shown that Langmuir shielding can be observed in the given energy range in the IR region of the spectrum. The calculated values correlate well with the experimental data.

Сравнительный анализ медиаактивности вузов Южного федерального округа

Higher education institutions of the Southern Federal District appeal to new media to promote their services. Although Russian universities are undergoing active digitalization, this process remains largely understudied. This research traced the media activity of ten key universities located in the Southern Federal District that possess the highest local and federal ratings in Russia. The research objective was to identify the best practice of using new media tools by institutions of higher education in this region. The focus was on such digital communication platforms as websites, video hosting, messengers, and social networks. The methods of content analysis, comparative analysis, and classification revealed that universities with the most effective new media have the broadest coverage in the regional information field and are far ahead of their competitors as the academic leaders in their region. The weaknesses and strengths of their communication strategies underwent a quantitative and qualitative analysis, with the focus on the Southern Federal University.

The Influence of Social Media Marketing on Brand Equity: Evidence from the Fast-Food Industry in Brazil

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of digital marketing adoption on firm performance: a case study of small and medium enterprises in India. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study investigates how social media marketing impacts brand equity in Brazil's fast-food industry. It finds a positive link between effective social media strategies and key brand equity measures like awareness, perceived quality, and loyalty. Brands with robust social media presence tend to enjoy greater visibility and are seen as offering higher quality. Furthermore, these efforts cultivate stronger consumer connections, potentially offering a competitive advantage. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social identity theory, consumer engagement theory & gratifications theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact of digital marketing adoption on firm performance: a case study of small and medium enterprises in India. Fast-food brands should prioritize measurement and evaluation of social media marketing efforts to assess their impact on brand equity. Government agencies and regulatory bodies in Brazil should collaborate with industry stakeholders to develop guidelines and best practices for social media marketing in the fast-food industry.

The Colonialism and Stereotypes Based on Race and Religion: Representation of Papua in Indonesian Elementary Textbook School

Implementing anti-racist pedagogy in Islamic schools, particularly for Muslim teachers, involves unique challenges. Their behaviour is closely scrutinized, making it crucial to emphasize positive Islamic behaviour, including antiracism efforts, to contribute to a more just society. This research explained the root of racism and equality in Islam. In addition, this research add explanation on how Islamic education has significant role as well as antiracism paedagogy through school text book. School textbooks are effective media for conveying educational messages or values to children. Besides being made as an educational medium, books are also deliberately designed to represent the ideal interests according to their creator, especially books published by the state. The content can undoubtedly describe what is suitable for each country. Through school textbooks, we can look at the state's perspective on ethnicity critically. Based on this, this study will describe the representation of an ethnic group, especially the Papuan ethnic group. This research is not only limited to the study of texts but will try to do interdiscussion with the existing social context. By using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) this research will provide a complete picture of how the text is formed and what discourses are present in the formation of the text. The text in this study consisted of 2 related types, namely picture text and narrative text. In addition, this research is necessary because the findings will provide an overview of the content of school textbooks related to how regional representation is described. This is important to note as one of the instruments to build contemporary Indonesian identity especially in the national and Islamic education sector.

3D Hologram: An Alternative Media for Learning Science in Elementary School in the Post-COVID-19 Period

The spread of COVID-19 shifted school classes from offline to online. Online learning caused saturation in students. Innovative teaching methods help teachers make students play an active role in learning. A 3D hologram is a visual technique that utilizes reflecting objects or glass so that objects seem to be in the real world. This research aimed to develop a 3D hologram that is effectively used in the post-COVID-19 period by obtaining feasibility and response scores from users. This medium was designed using the Borg and Gall development model’s Research and Development (RnD) method. The population of this study was sixth graders of SDN Pasirhuni for a limited trial. The data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, media and material validation questionnaires, and responses from teachers and students. The length of the manufacturing process and the expensive manufacturing costs were refuted in this study by producing 3D hologram media that is easy to make, utilizing used goods, and fairly cheap. So that teachers, students, and the community can try to create and use their hologram 3D media at home or school. The results showed that 3D hologram media can be an effective learning medium used in the post-COVID-19 learning process.
 Keywords: 3D Hologram, Learning Science, Post-COVID-19

Strategi Pengelolaan Informasi Instagram @kabupaten.bogor dalam Meraih Predikat 1 Media Sosial Terbaik Humas Jabar Awards 2023.

The Bogor Regency Government has a central role in information management strategies to establish communication with the public. Instagram is one of the most effective social media for Bogor Regency Government Public Relations in disseminating information. The purpose of this research is to find out how the Bogor Regency Government's Public Relations strategy won the title of 1 Best Social Media PR Jabar Awards 2023. Researchers used four stages (4C) of social media management from Chris Heuer (2010), namely (1) context or creating messages; (2) communication or delivering messages; (3) collaboration or cooperation; and (4) connection or maintaining good relations. This research method uses a qualitative approach through data collection of observation, interviews, and documentation. Based on the results of the study, Bogor Regency Public Relations has succeeded in managing information through Instagram so that it can win the title of 1 Best Social Media Public Relations Jabar Awards 2023. Public Relations of Bogor Regency Government is very active in producing planned and measured messages by maximizing the features on Instagram social media.

Nonlinear spreading behavior across multi-platform social media universe.

Understanding how harmful content (mis/disinformation, hate, etc.) manages to spread among online communities within and across social media platforms represents an urgent societal challenge. We develop a non-linear dynamical model for such viral spreading, which accounts for the fact that online communities dynamically interconnect across multiple social media platforms. Our mean-field theory (Effective Medium Theory) compares well to detailed numerical simulations and provides a specific analytic condition for the onset of outbreaks (i.e., system-wide spreading). Even if the infection rate is significantly lower than the recovery rate, it predicts system-wide spreading if online communities create links between them at high rates and the loss of such links (e.g., due to moderator pressure) is low. Policymakers should, therefore, account for these multi-community dynamics when shaping policies against system-wide spreading.