The Politics of Playing Along: Radio and Regulation in Democratic Europe

The loss of localism has been a common trend in most radio markets in Europe and the United States. Deregulation of ownership led to a concentration phenomenon that has affected local radios in several western democracies. New forms of regulation have been considered as possible ways to stop the erosion of localism by applying rules to markets in the defense of diversity, pluralism, and the local dimension. This article analyses the local radio market in Portugal, by assessing the changes in the legislation and by examining the regulatory action that can, according to its remit, act preventively to avoid market forces to harm these principles.     

The Macro and Micro Scale of Open Access Predation

Having found a business opportunity in exploiting the open access publishing model, predatory journals and publishers have been spamming authors with emails, inviting them to submit articles for publication. Authors may be misled by the names of prestigious authors and editors that predatory journals and publishers use to advertise their publishing services, either by claims that those scientists serve on the editorial boards or by sending invitations in their names. Given the fact that detailed knowledge of a journal is required to make an informed decision of whether the inviting journal is predatory or not, junior scientists are not likely to possess the knowledge or skill to make such decisions. In addition, analysis of the details of new suspicious journals and publishers can be a lengthy process or even a waste of time. Therefore, in this paper, we provide an analysis of a likely scenario that many authors are facing nowadays when they take on the difficult task of studying the details of suspicious journals as possible venues for the publication of their research findings. The analysis takes the form of an analysis of the Kenkyu Publishing Group, which is listed on Jeffrey Beall’s list of “predatory” open access publishers.     

Waves: a fast multi-tier top-<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis> query processing algorithm

In this paper, we present Waves, a novel document-at-a-time algorithm for fast computing of top-k query results in search systems. The Waves algorithm uses multi-tier indexes for processing queries. It performs successive tentative evaluations of results which we call waves. Each wave traverses the index, starting from a specific tier level i. Each wave i may insert only those documents that occur in that tier level into the answer. After processing a wave, the algorithm checks whether the answer achieved might be changed by successive waves or not. A new wave is started only if it has a chance of changing the top-k scores. We show through experiments that such lazy query processing strategy results in smaller query processing times when compared to previous approaches proposed in the literature. We present experiments to compare Waves’ performance to the state-of-the-art document-at-a-time query processing methods that preserve top-k results and show scenarios where the method can be a good alternative algorithm for computing top-k results.     

Does public support make a difference,and for whom?

The paper discusses the impact of gender on the income level and public support of artists in Finland. The empirical data is based on a research project carried out in the Arts Council of Finland. The data discussed in this paper indicated that the average income level of women artists is lower than their male colleagues. There was, however, no significant evidence of a gender bias in the distribution of public support for artists. The variation in the economic situation of artists seems to be notably stronger according to art form than according to gender.Based on a paper presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

Biotechnology for Preventive Conservation: Development of Bionanomaterials for Antimicrobial Coating of Outdoor Sculptures

ABSTRACT

Outdoor sculptures are part of the sociocultural identity of cities, but are extremely vulnerable to deterioration due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions and climate change. Furthermore, deterioration by micro-organisms renders urgent the need to design protective coatings. This research proposes an integrated methodology for the development of innovative and sustainable nanofilms for applications in the area of art conservation, very specifically in the preventive conservation of outdoor sculptures. Gathering objective data for the characterization of the surface microbiota is important in order to design strategies that make use of bio or nanotechnology innovative coatings. Methodologies for the characterization of the microbiota present in a granite outdoor sculpture, followed by preliminary results on the application of protective antimicrobial coatings for surfaces of cultural objects are described.     

Repositioning the position papers

Linking theory and practice in graduate school is easier said than done. We trace the history of an Ed.D. program which featured a culminating project, the Executive Position Papers, designed to yoke theory and practice. That marriage proved elusive as treaties tilted the balance to practice and downplayed theory. We sketch the recent efforts to right the balance, and reflect on what this case study suggests about reform in general.Trained as an historian (Ph.D., Cornell), Robert L. Hampel now coordinates the Ed.D. in educational leadership at the University of Delaware, where he is an Associate Professor in the College of Education. His research examines how schools serious about reform sustain momentum after five years. Sister Paula-Kleine-Kracht holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Chicago. Currently, she works for Ursuline Campus Schools as principal of Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. Her research interests include the secondary principalship and organizational change.     

Exploring the Influence of Parasocial Relationships and Experiences on Radio Listeners’ Consumer Behaviors

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of radio listener experiences on radio listening behaviors, consumer perceptions and behaviors, and social media involvement. A national sample of listeners (N = 2,700) from a variety of small, medium, and large designated market areas (N = 9) throughout the United States revealed the presence of parasocial relationships (PSRs) and experiences of parasocial interaction (EPSI) with local and nationally syndicated radio personalities. Both PSRs and EPSI predicted radio listening, positive perceptions about, recall of, and purchasing of the brands, products, and services recommended by listeners’ favorite radio personalities. Results also show that PSRs and EPSI predicted listeners’ involvement with social media platforms.     

Where did the reference desk go? Transforming staff and space to meet user needs

ABSTRACT

A sharp decline in the number of reference queries prompted the library administration at Indiana State University to begin a project to combine the circulation, reference, and IT desks to reduce staffing at a new consolidated service point. All faculty and staff in the reference/instruction and circulation units participated in the project. The new arrangement and subsequent removal of librarians from routine desk duties have expanded instructional opportunities, consistent with the university's goals. Project participants plan further assessments to better determine the impacts of the new service arrangements.