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Social MediARverse: investigating users’ social media content sharing and consuming intentions with location-based AR
No full textAugmented Reality (AR) is evolving to become the next frontier in social media, merging physical and virtual reality into a living metaverse, a Social MediARverse. With this transition, we must understand how different contexts—public, semi-public, and private—affect user engagement with AR content. We address this gap in current research by conducting an online survey with 110 participants, showcasing 36 AR videos, and polling them about the content’s fit and appropriateness. Specifically, we manipulated these three spaces, two forms of dynamism (dynamic vs. static), and two dimensionalities (2D vs. 3D). Our findings reveal that dynamic AR content is generally more favorably received than static content. Additionally, users find sharing and engaging with AR content in private settings more comfortable than in others. By this, the study offers valuable insights for designing and implementing future Social MediARverses and guides industry and academia on content visualization and contextual considerations
Smartphone resilience: ICT in Ukrainian civic response to the Russian full-scale invasion
No full textIn modern warfare, digitalization has blurred the line where civilian ends and military begins. Embedded in the participative warfare theoretical paradigm, this article looks into how the information and communication technologies (ICT) enable civic resilience under the conditions of the foreign armed aggression. Specifically, the authors explore how smartphones and smartphone applications empowered the Ukrainian civil society in the aftermath of the Russian full-scale invasion of 2022. Based on an online survey and semi-structured interviews, the article highlights how the device and its features not only allowed civilians to adapt to living in conditions of a constant threat, but also to respond and support the defence from the rear. The authors conclude that, while the smartphone becomes an ‘online resilience hub’, acquiring many new functions like a mobile office, an online volunteer (frontline logistics and procurement) hub, an air-threat warner, a first-hand news source and so on, its security provision functions are not unconditional and may turn to the opposite, depending on the physical circumstances on the ground as well as the virtual information battlefield
Kuhlmann, Sabine, Moritz Heuberger, und Benoît P. Dumas (2021): Kommunale Handlungsfähigkeit im europäischen Vergleich. Autonomie, Aufgaben und Reformen: Baden-Baden: Nomos. 124 Seiten. 24,00 €
No full textKuhlmann et al. haben einen interessanten Band vorgelegt, welcher die Frage behandelt, wie es um die Handlungsfähigkeit der kommunalen Ebene in Europa bestellt ist. In den Blick genommen werden in Kapitel 2 zunächst fünf zentrale Aspekte, die mit dem Begriff der Handlungsfähigkeit verbunden sind: Autonomie, Aufgabenprofile, Stellung im Mehrebenensystem, territoriale Fragmentierung und politische-institutionelle Konfiguration. Die Kapitel 3 und 4 widmen sich der finanziellen Ausgestaltung der kommunalen Ebene sowie den herrschenden Reformtrends
Footwear Innovation Science & Research: Aspects of Data Collection Methodology, Sub-Group Requirements and Functional Threshold Implications
No full textRunning shoes are the main interface between the athlete and the road. Since the 1980’s significant effort has been put into understanding running mechanics and the influence a shoe can have on performance, incidence of injury and comfort. However, there is limited knowledge on whether the predominant research methodology is useful in analyzing an activity that is mainly characterized by continuous motion. In addition, the majority of research has been conducted on Western runners, with little knowledge on whether previous findings can be related to runners of different ethnicity. Finally, when assessing the influence of running shoes on objective running biomechanics and subjective perception, the majority of studies have used shoes outside the commercial market range. This makes it difficult to know the minimum requirements to trigger changes in biomechanics and perception.
The first study investigated running biomechanics and running shoe characterization during discontinuous runway running along a 20 m runway and continuous loop running around a 140 m concrete running loop in three different shoe conditions. It was found that running mode influenced running biomechanics, with reductions seen in ground contact time and peak braking force during continuous loop running. Furthermore, continuous loop running induced a flatter and more inverted foot-strike at touchdown, shown by a reduced sagittal plane shoe-ground angle and increased ankle inversion angle. Shoe classification remained similar across the two modes, with similar kinetic and kinematic effects seen in both discontinuous runway running and continuous loop running. The findings indicate that when precise variable magnitudes are required continuous loop running should be used but discontinuous runway running is sufficient for comparative shoe functionality evaluations.
The second study assessed the running biomechanics and perception of Chinese men and women. The results showed differences in running mechanics, with females exhibiting increased hip internal rotation, knee flexion and abduction, as well as reduced sagittal plane shoe-ground angle and ankle inversion at touchdown in comparison to Chinese male runners. Females also exhibited increased maximal and mean vertical loading rates in comparison to their male counterparts. Despite the differences in loading, females did not perceive shoe cushioning to be worse than males. Differences between Chinese men and women followed similar trends to that of Western men and women, with Chinese females showing increased joint ranges of motion. This indicates that shoe design should focus on creating a shoe which provides gender specific performance and comfort.
The third study examined the influence of mechanically different midsole hardness’s that are within a commercial range on running biomechanics and subjective perception. The findings showed no differences in lower limb kinematics. Softer shoes reduced the maximal vertical loading rate in comparison to a medium and harder shoe. Subjectively, runners were able to perceive a difference between the softer and harder shoe models. This suggests that a smaller difference in material hardness is required to elicit differences in biomechanical loading than is required to trigger differences in subjective perception.
This thesis has revealed that there are differences in running biomechanics depending on the methodology used as well as providing knowledge on an under researched population. It has also provided information regarding a minimum threshold required to trigger differences in running biomechanics and subjective perception. Findings will benefit the running shoe industry by providing a methodology which can improve shoe design, and thresholds which can improve the manufacturing process of running shoes
Beyond Borders: Building Employee Loyalty in Remote Work
No full textThe digital transformation of workplaces has accelerated remote work adoption, reshaping traditional employment dynamics. While remote work offers benefits such as flexibility and productivity, it also raises concerns about employee engagement, workplace culture, and long-term organizational commitment. Post-pandemic, organizations have adopted divergent strategies, with some embracing remote work and others enforcing partial office returns, reflecting ongoing debates about its sustainability. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews with 15 experts and thematic coding, we identify ten key loyalty factors. The findings reveal that while remote work is now an expected norm in many industries, particularly IT, it is not a direct driver of employee retention. Instead, factors such as the degree of flexibility, managerial support, communication, and digital infrastructure play a crucial role. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of organizational commitment in remote settings, offering theoretical insights and practical recommendations for fostering long-term employee engagement in digitally driven workplaces
Linking smart cities and SDGs through descriptive analysis of US municipalities
No full textTransforming cities and communities into ‘smart cities’ holds great potential to advance sustainable development goals (SDGs), but where smart initiatives are taking place, and how they link to local SDGs and performance remain unknown. Here we analyze the official websites of US municipalities and identified 397 smart cities. Although our findings do not establish causality, we observed distinct disparities between smart and non-smart cities in educational attainment (SDG 4.3), internet access (SDG 9.c), income inequality (SDG 10.4) and sustainable transportation (SDG 11.2), based on comparisons of American Community Survey data
Multiparameter Measurement System for Analyzing the Temporomandibular Joint Complex
No full textThe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most
complex joints in the human body, but its biomechanics have not
been as extensively researched as other body joints, leading to a
fundamental gap in understanding the physiological characteristics
and diagnostics of related disorders. This work introduces a
measurement system that applies a precise counterforce against
mouth opening, enabling the study of jaw motion under both static
and dynamic conditions. Unlike conventional methods, this system
assesses mandibular function without solely relying on subjective,
isotonic, or isometric techniques. The system simultaneously measures
the degree of jaw opening, symmetry of jaw opening force,
electromyography (EMG), and hand grip force as pain feedback. An
exploratory study was conducted with five healthy participants, and
their results were compared with those of a dysgnathic patient. In
the healthy group, a maximum jaw opening force of 161 ± 58N was
recorded, approximately doubling the jaw opening forces previously
discussed in literature. The dysgnathic patient showed a 39.8%
reduction in maximum jaw opening force compared to a similar
healthy participant and experienced moderate pain (4 on the NPRS-
11 scale) at a jaw opening angle of 10°. These findings demonstrate
the system’s capability to objectively assess multiple functional parameters simultaneously. This system bridges the gap
in TMJ diagnostics and offers a comprehensive tool for evaluating mandibular function
Postglacial evolution of the Lake Constance shelf and its relation to a 10-km long chain of submerged Neolithic mounds
No full textA recent bathymetric survey of Lake Constance revealed ~ 170 mounds composed of loosely deposited rocks aligned in a ~ 10-km long chain along the southern Swiss shoreline in a water depth of 3–5 m. The mounds are 10–30 m in diameter and up to 1.5 m high. Over their entire length of occurrence, the mounds are estimated to be composed of ~ 60 million individual boulders, with a total weight of ~ 78,000 t. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey showed that the mounds are not linked to the glacial substrate but were rather deposited artificially on the edge of a prograding shelf composed of Holocene lake sediments. Here, we present the results of a coring campaign with four piston cores along a GPR transect across one of the mounds. The cores recovered the full Holocene sedimentary succession all the way into the basal till that is overlain by lacustrine sediments dating back to ~ 14,400 cal. yrs BP. The four cores are merged into a ~ 12.4-m long composite section reflecting continuous sedimentation from the siliciclastic-dominated Late Glacial to the carbonate-rich Late Holocene. The stratigraphic horizon representing the mound’s construction was radiocarbon-dated to ~ 5600–5300 cal. yrs BP, placing them in the Neolithic period. This age was confirmed by radiocarbon dating of wood samples collected during underwater excavation of the mounds. Geochemical analysis of the Holocene sedimentary succession shows generally high carbonate contents (average of 69%). The interval from 5750 to 4950 cal. yrs BP, a part of the mound period, is characterized by a Holocene minimum in carbonate content (average of 57%) and by larger mean grain sizes. Comparing these values to those from a recent surface-sediment depth transect indicates that this was a period of rather low lake levels, which might have favoured mound construction. Correlations to nearby archaeological sites and to the general West-Central European lake-level record indicates that the mounds likely were built during a short phase of low lake levels during a general trend of climatic cooling followed by a lake-level transgression