Facebook boasts an audience approximately three times as large as the next most popular social media networks, so it comes as no surprise that brands are devoting substantial resources to engage with their fans on the world’s most widely used social networking site. Television shows are among those brands using Facebook as a platform to connect with consumers, and their potential for fan relationships is unique from those of other brands, but there are, as of yet, no published scholarly articles for driving Facebook fan engagement and loyalty for a television show. This mixed methods study uses an ethnographic content analysis of the Facebook fan page for the series Orange is the New Black in order to evaluate the engagement of various types of posts and compare that information with scholarly research and industry best practices in order to inform an online user survey. The survey of 452 adult fans of TV show Facebook pages revealed which types of posts most engage audiences in ways that fostered engagement, parasocial interaction, and ultimately, viewing loyalty.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of root preparation strategy, the type of post and mechanical cycling on root fracture resistance. Eighty single-rooted human teeth were divided into 8 groups (n=10): G1 and G2 - hand file, glass fiber post, without and with mechanical cycling (MC) respectively; G3 and G4 - hand file, cast post and core, without and with MC respectively; G5 and G6 rotary file, glass fiber post, without and with MC respectively; G7 and G8 rotary file, cast post and core, without and with MC respectively. Obturation was performed by the lateral condensation technique. Root canals were prepared to a length of 10mm, using a #2 preparation bur of a tapered fiber glass post system. The following protocol was used for the cycling: 45o angle, 37°C, 88N, 4Hz, 2 million cycles. All groups were submitted to fracture resistance test in a device in 45°, at 0.05cm/min. The 3-way ANOVA showed the instrumentation strategy (p<0.03) and the post type (p<0.0001) had significant effects, however, mechanical cycling had not (p<0.29). The type of instrumentation caused effect on the fracture strength, only when the roots were restored with fiber glass post and cycled, with disadvantage for hand instrumentation. The cast post and core promoted higher fracture resistance, although showed more irreparable failures than roots restored with glass fiber post. / O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da estratégia de preparo radicular, do tipo de pino e da ciclagem mecânica na resistência à fratura de raízes. Métodos: 80 raízes unirradiculares humanas foram divididas em 8 grupos (n=10): G1 e G2- lima manual, retentor de fibra de vidro (RFV), sem e com ciclagem mecânica (CM) respectivamente; G3 e G4- lima manual, retentor metálico fundido (RMF), sem e com CM respectivamente; G5 e G6- instrumento rotatório, RFV, sem e com CM respectivamente; G7 e G8- instrumento rotatório, RMF, sem e com CM respectivamente. A obturação foi realizada pela técnica da condensação lateral. Todos canais radiculares foram preparados para pino em 10 mm com a broca de preparo do sistema de pinos de fibra de vidro #2. Para a ciclagem, seguiu-se o protocolo: angulação 45°, 37 °C, 88 N, 4 Hz, 2 milhões de pulsos. Todos os grupos foram submetidos ao teste de resistência à fratura, em um dispositivo a 45º a uma velocidade de 0.05 cm/min até a falha ocorrer. A análise de variância 3 fatores mostrou que a estratégia de instrumentação (p<0,03) e o tipo de pino (p<0,0001) tiveram efeitos significativos, mas a ciclagem mecânica não (p<0,29). O tipo de instrumentação causou efeito na resistência à fratura, somente quando as raízes foram restauradas com pinos de fibra de vidro e cicladas, com prejuízo para a instrumentação manual. Os retentores metálicos fundidos proporcionaram maior resistência à fratura, contudo apresentaram mais falhas irreparáveis do que raízes restauradas com pino de fibra.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study set out to investigate the social and institutional factors which impact on the retention and progression of female academics in four universities in Zimbabwe. Drawing on a qualitative research methodology the aim of the study was to understand the social and institutional factors related to the retention and progression of female academics in four institutions in Zimbabwe. In seeking to unpack the factors that shape the low representation of female academics in occupational spheres, the study finds unequal gender-based patterns in Zimbabwean society as a key condition that finds its way into the four institutions. In this regard, the patterns and shape of gender relations, based on the principles of kinship, become the platform for unequal relations among male and female academic staff. This manifests itself in different ways, including the (negative) role played by the extended kin family in the progression of married women academics to higher level management posts, resistance to women's authority by both men and women, the culture of male domination within institutions which works to the disadvantage of female academics and stereotypical behaviour by men within the institutions.

Background: In the last few years, there has been rapid growth in the use of cryptocurrency, as it is a form of digital currency and was developed using blockchain technology, so it is almost impossible to counterfeit cryptocurrency. Due to these features, it has attracted a lot of popularity and attention in the market. There has been a research gap in predicting accurate cryptocurrency prices by using sentiment analysis. This study will use Artificial Intelligence-based methods and sentiment analysis to develop a model for predicting cryptocurrency prices. By using the mentioned methods in this thesis, the developed model will provide precise results. Objectives: The objective of the thesis is to compare artificial intelligence models for cryptocurrency price prediction and analyze the importance of sentiment analysis by understanding the public pulse in cryptocurrencies and how it affects price fluctuations, analyzing the correlation within news articles, social media posts, and price fluctuations, as well as evaluating the model performance by employing metrics like RSME, MSE, MAE, and R2 error. Methods: The thesis follows the use of a systematic literature review along with an experimental model for comparing artificial intelligence models. Sentiment analysis played a crucial role in understanding market dynamics. By using linear regression, random forest, and gradient boosting algorithms artificial intelligence models are built to predict cryptocurrency prices using sentiment analysis. The developed models are then compared using performance metrics. This research has analyzed and evaluated each model's performance in predicting cryptocurrency prices. Results: The results of the systematic literature review indicated that market sentiment affects cryptocurrency prices. Prices have increased when market sentiment has been positive, whereas prices dropped when sentiment has been negative. The correlation between cryptocurrency values and market mood, however, is complicated as it depends on a variety of factors. Based on the evaluation measures, the random forest artificial intelligence model is the most accurate in predicting cryptocurrency prices after evaluating the three artificial intelligence models. Conclusions: This study utilized sentiment analysis and artificial intelligence to forecast cryptocurrency prices. It highlighted the significance of sentiment analysis as a tool for predicting the short-term price of cryptocurrencies by demonstrating how negative sentiment is correlated with decreases in price compared to positive sentiment with price increases. However, it recognized that it was necessary to take into consideration the complexity and broad range of effects on cryptocurrency markets. Research in the future will examine comprehensive sentiment analysis methods and broadening data sources.

The study of blogs up to this point has primarily, though not exclusively, covered "A-list" and political or campaign blogs. Large filter blogs have not yet been the focus of communication research and offer an exciting new area of scholarship in online communication. This study examined if and how the environmental blog, TreeHugger, works to engage and maintain the online environmental community by potentially acting an online environmental public sphere and interacting with users who make up the community. Through a content analysis of two constructed weeks of blog posts (N=336) and their comments (N=1342) from the first half of 2008, this study examined the discussion of issues, use of interactive feature, and presence of the metacommunication frame in both groups. Results showed significant influence of topic and tone in the blog posts on the subsequent user comments. They also showed how commenters' discussion can operate quite independently as well. In particular, comments were found to have a negative valence significantly more than the posts. Also, the focus of external metacommunication frames in each differed significantly, with posts referencing other mass media more often. Overall, this thesis concludes that writers for blogs like TreeHugger have limited influence on the discussion in the comments. Greater understanding of that influence could help bloggers engage readers better and promote active dialogue. / Master of Arts

Abstract As the media intensity increases, it becomes more difficult for companies to obtain people's attention, and a risk that the message will pass its target audience arises. Social media has generated new possibilities for companies to be able to profile their message and reach specific target audiences. Within all groups in society there are certain people who have an ability to influence others. These individuals have become more important on social media. Several names have been used in previous research to describe them, in this paper the term social media influencers, SMIs, will be used. Through collaborations with SMIs, companies can promote their organization or their brand. During this process, the authors of this paper have found several studies which focuses mainly on how companies should identify the right SMIs to collaborate with and also what distinguishes these individuals. The authors recognize that less research has been dedicated to studying this phenomenon from the consumers’ perspective. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the research in this specific area. The purpose of this study is to get an insight in consumers’ attitudes towards social media influencers, as well as how consumers value and perceive corporate-sponsored posts by influencers on social media. A qualitative approach was used in this study, based on fifteen interviews with consumers who use social media in which they follow one or more SMIs. The empirics have then been analyzed based on the theoretical framework, which mainly consists of theories and previous studies within the field of marketing communication, among others buzz-marketing, sponsorship, product placement and covert marketing. The conclusion of this paper is that none of the respondents had a positive attitude towards corporate-sponsored posts. The respondents tend to trust SMIs that are genuine and have a sense of humor. The respondents trusts information from other consumers more than they trust information from companies. The credibility for SMIs decreases when they get financial compensation to publish corporate-sponsored posts. Keywords: SMI, social media, influencer, corporate-sponsored posts, trust, attitudes, credibility / Sammanfattning På grund av den ökade medieintensiteteten blir det svårare för företag att fånga människors uppmärksamhet, det uppstår en risk att budskapet passerar dess tilltänkta målgrupp. Sociala medier har skapat nya möjligheter för företag att kunna profilera sitt budskap och nå ut till specifika målgrupper. Inom alla grupper i samhället finns vissa typer av personer som har en förmåga att påverka andra människor, inom samma grupp. Dessa personer har fått ökad betydelse på sociala medier och benämns inom tidigare forskning med flera olika namn. I denna studie kommer de benämnas social media influencers, SMIs. Genom samarbeten med SMIs kan företag marknadsföra sin organisation eller sitt varumärke. Under denna process har uppsatsförfattarna funnit flera tidigare studier som har fokuserat på hur företag kan identifiera de rätta personerna att samarbeta med samt vad som utmärker dessa personer. Samtidigt har uppsatsförfattarna upplevt att mindre forskning tillägnats åt att studera fenomenet ur konsumenternas perspektiv. Därför ämnar denna studie att bidra till forskningen på detta område. Syftet med denna studie är att få en inblick i konsumenters attityder gentemot social media influencers samt hur konsumenter värderar och uppfattar företagssponsrade inlägg från dessa. Undersökningen har genomförts med en kvalitativ ansats bestående av femton personliga intervjuer med konsumenter som använder sociala medier samt följer någon eller några SMIs inom dessa. Empirin har därefter analyserats utifrån det teoretiska ramverket, vilket huvudsakligen består av teorier och tidigare studier inom marknadskommunikation, bland annat buzz-marknadsföring, sponsring, produktplacering och dold marknadsföring.   Slutsatsen i denna studie är att ingen av respondenterna i studien hade en positiv attityd gentemot företagssponsrade inlägg. Respondenterna känner mer förtroende för SMIs som är äkta, har humor och kan bjuda på sig själva. Respondenterna har även större förtroende för information från andra konsumenter än från företag. Vetskapen om att SMIs får finansiell kompensation för att publicera företagssponsrade inlägg gör att trovärdigheten för dem minskar.   Nyckelord: SMI, sociala medier, influencer, företagssponsrade inlägg, förtroende, trovärdighet, attityder

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-24T19:22:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Driellen C Zarpellon.pdf: 2067341 bytes, checksum: 353cd12f8d341ee6a474a3f966dbe8e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Bonding adhesive systems and luting agents material inside the root canal is still a challenge in luting posts. This study evaluated the effects of applying three bonding agents using a vibrating sonic device on the push-out bond strength (BS) and nanolakage (NI) pattern, when these products were applied in the etch-and-rinse mode to bond fiber post to the root canal. Fifty-four roots of human premolars were endodontically prepared and divided into 6 groups according to combination of the main factors: products (Ambar Universal / AllCem, Single Bond Universal / RelyX ARC, Prime & Bond Elect / Enforce) and application mode (manual or sonic). The fiber posts were cemented and sectioned transversally into six 1-mm thick serial slices, which were subjected to a push-out bond strength test at 0.5 mm/min. In addition, two roots (n=2) were subjected to NI analysis using scanning electron microscopy after immersion of slices in silver nitrate. The data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's post-hoc test (α=5%). Sonic application increased BS significantly only on the coronal third in the Ambar Universal group. When Single Bond Universal was used, higher BS values were observed when the bonding agent was manually applied in comparison to those when the sonic device was used. For Prime & Bond Elect, no significant difference in BS values was noted when the application methods were compared. Manual application also produced lower NI values than sonic application when Ambar Universal was used, while no significant difference in NI was noted when the other adhesive systems were used. The sonic application did not improve the bond strength of posts to root canal in comparison to manual application. / Adesão de sistemas adesivos e agentes de união ao canal radicular ainda é um desafio na cimentação de pinos. Este estudo avaliou os efeitos da aplicação de três agentes de união universais usando dispositivo de vibração sônica na resistência de união por push-out (RU) e padrão de nanoinfiltração (NI), quando esses produtos foram aplicados no modo convencional na adesão de pinos de fibra de vidro ao canal radicular. Raízes de 54 pré-molares humanos foram preparadas endodonticamente e divididas em 6 grupos de acordo com a combinação dos fatores principais: produtos (Ambar Universal / AllCem, Single Bond Universal / RelyX ARC, Prime & Bond Elect / Enforce) e modo de aplicação (manual ou sônico). Os pinos de fibra de vidro foram cimentados e seccionados transversalmente em 6 fatias de 1mm de altura, as quais foram submetidas ao teste de RU por push-out a uma velocidade de 0,5 mm/min. Além disso, duas raízes (n=2) foram submetidas à análise de NI usando microscópio eletrônico de varredura após imersão em nitrato de prata. Os dados foram analisados por ANOVA 2 fatores e teste de Bonferroni (α=5%). A aplicação sônica aumentou significativamente a RU apenas no terço coronal do grupo Ambar Universal. Quando o Single Bond Universal foi usado, valores mais altos de RU foram observados quando o agente de união foi aplicado manualmente em comparação aos valores quando o dispositivo sônico foi usado. Para o Prime & Bond Elect, nenhuma diferença significativa na RU foi observada na comparação entre métodos. Aplicação manual também produziu valores mais baixos de NI que aplicação sônica quando Ambar Universal foi usado, enquanto nenhuma diferença na NI foi observada nos outros sistemas de adesivos usados. A aplicação sônica não melhorou a adesão de pinos ao canal radicular comparado a aplicação manual.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-24T19:22:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Joao Paulo Filgueiras Ribeiro.pdf: 1425033 bytes, checksum: bf635e2252eb5599d0b6eabb6e2eb961 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-07-28 / RIBEIRO, J. P. F. Analysis, through the finite element techniques, the distribution of stress in tooth with or without remnant in the crown portion, using different post. 2004. 95p. Dissertação (Mestrado em Odontologia) – Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, 2004. Analyze, through the finite element techniques, the distribution of stress produce in models of an upper central incisor with or without dentin remnant in the crown portion, using five different systems of intraradicular post. The post used were: cast metal (Cu – AL alloy), carbon fiber, fiberglass, zirconium and titanium, having as a control group a healthy tooth. Two – dimensional models of a upper central incisor were building, with and without 2 mm of dentin remanesces on the crown portion. One load of 100 N was applying on the incisal portion of the palatine face with an inclination of 45 in relation of the axle along the tooth for all models. The stress results were obtain using the computational program ANSYS and express in the terms of the Von Mises stress. It can be concluded that significant differences stress distribution were found between the five post systems tested: the zirconium, cast metal alloy and titanium post produced high stress concentration in the radicular surface along the interface post/cement/dentin. The fiberglass and carbon fiber post presented a distribution of uniform stress along the radicular surface. The presence or absence of dentin remnant in the crown portion created differences in the stress distribution, the groups that had 2 mm of dentin remanesces distributed stress better than the groups without the 2mm of dentin remnant. / RIBEIRO, J. P. F. Análise pelo método de elementos finitos, da distribuição de tensões em dente com e sem remanescente coronário, utilizando diferentes pinos intra-radiculares. 2004. 95f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Odontologia) – Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, 2004. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar pelo Método de Elementos Finitos, a distribuição de tensões produzidas em modelos de um incisivo central superior com e sem remanescente de dentina na porção coronária, utilizando cinco diferentes sistemas de pinos intra-radiculares.Os pinos utilizados foram: núcleo metálico fundido, fibra de carbono, fibra de vidro, zircônio e titânio, tendo como grupo controle o dente hígido. Foram construídos modelos bi-dimensionais do incisivo central superior sem e com 2 mm de remanescente dentinário na porção coronária. Uma carga de 100 N foi aplicada no terço incisal da região palatina com uma inclinação de 45º em relação ao longo eixo do dente para todos os modelos criados. Com a análise dos dados no programa computacional “ANSYS” os resultados foram obtidos e expressos em função da Tensão de Von Mises. Concluiu-se que houve diferenças significativas na distribuição de tensão entre os cinco sistemas de pinos testados. Os pinos, zircônio, metálico fundido e titânio, promoveram maiores concentrações de tensões na região do conduto radicular ao longo da interface pino/cimento/dentina. Nos pinos de fibra de vidro e fibra de carbono houve uma distribuição de tensões mais uniforme ao longo da superfície radicular. Quando variou apenas a presença ou ausência do remanescente dentinário na porção coronária houve diferenças na distribuição de tensões, onde os grupos os quais tinham remanescente dentinário de 2 mm distribuíram melhor as forças.

<p>The national curriculum and the School Act emphasize the importance of establishing partnerships between schools and local businesses. The formation of partnerships was expected to be facilitated by the decentralization reforms that took place in the beginning of the 1990’s. These reforms gave schools and municipalities greater scope for adjusting education to meet local circumstances. However, central government has not made financial resources available for stimulating the establishment of school-business partnerships, nor does it penalize municipalities that do not set up such partnerships.</p><p>The questions in focus in this study are: why do partnerships arise, how are they organised and what factors are important in achieving a partnership which can function in practice? Urban regime theory is applied to explain why collaborations occur and policy network theory is used to analyse how they are organised. A further aim of the study is to examine whether the partnerships can be defined as urban regimes.</p><p>The study was based on case studies of four upper secondary schools in Sweden, each in a different municipality. These municipalities are all industrialized, but the structure of their industrial base varies. Two are dominated by one or a few major companies whereas the others are characterized by the predominance of many small businesses. The study focuses on how three vocational study programmes – industry, electricity and building - collaborate with local businesses.</p><p>The study shows that the main explanation of why a partnership arises is that both partners believe that they can gain something by collaborating. For schools, the main reason for establishing a partnership with business is a belief that this will make the vocational education programmes more attractive for pupils. Through partnerships, schools can get access not only to practical experience for their pupils, but also help from business with developing the content of courses and some financial contributions. However, the economic benefits are of limited importance compared with the perceived gains in terms of the development of the educational content of the courses. This goes against results from studies in other countries.</p><p>For business, it is particularly important to be able to influence decisions about the content of local education. By doing so, they hope to ensure that the pupils, after having completed their education, will enter the local labour market with more relevant qualifications.</p><p>My research shows that several requirements have to be present for a successful partnership to be established. First, there must be a commitment and firm intentions from both partners. Second, size of the businesses involved in the partnerships is important for how they are organized. Larger businesses tend to see the partnership from a more long term perspective. However, it is also possible to organize collaborations with smaller businesses if they can be united under a common organisation. Third, specific actors make a difference in the partnerships. Devoted and interested key actors who are closely associated with the partnership are very important for the continuity of the partnership</p><p>The study suggests that urban regime theory and policy network theory are useful for understanding why and how partnerships between schools and businesses are established and retained. However, it can not be concluded that these collaborations in themselves are urban regimes at a more local level. This would require that their focus was much more long-term.</p>

This dissertation examines the engagement of civilian designers in United States Army post architecture and planning between 1917 and 1948. During those years, the built environment of the Army was fundamentally transformed, as troops relocated from frontier posts and coastal fortifications to large permanent military bases. First conceived of as “soldier cities,” by the end of World War II these posts had come to resemble garden suburbs. At the same time, the architecture and planning of civilian communities also changed. Turn-of-the-century affection for the industrial city had, by 1920, given way to a preference for suburban living among the upper classes. After World War II, suburbia would become ubiquitous, as federally- supported tract-house developments sprung up around the nation. These changes in civilian and military architecture and planning were, I argue, tightly connected, in part through the movement of civilian designers back and forth between civilian and military commissions. For architects and planners, the Army post was a kind of laboratory in which to experiment with design concepts outside the constraints of the real estate market. For Army officials, meanwhile, the involvement of outside experts in post design helped to convince potential recruits and the public alike that military life was not so different from civilian life. As the built environments of military and civilian America mutually influenced one another, the distinction between the two narrowed, and the Army effectively hid itself in plain sight. I track the exchange between civilian and military design ideals in five chronological chapters, each highlighting a particular episode in Army post design, and each connecting to broader themes in American urban and suburban history. The first two chapters take place during World War I and look at the planning of the Army’s training camps, and the architecture of the YMCA and YWCA buildings therein. The third chapter focuses on the permanent post- building program of the 1920s and 1930s. The fourth chapter recounts the Army’s pre-World War II experiments in prefabrication, and the final chapter examines the re-planning of the atomic town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1948.