Engaging Your Feelings: Emotion Contagion and Public Engagement on Nonprofit Organizations’ Facebook Sites

This study investigated nonprofit organizations’ (NPOs) emotion-based content strategies on Facebook and publics’ engagement behaviors. More than 52,000 Facebook posts and corresponding comments were collected from the top 100 NPOs in the United States. The emotion-carrying status and valence of the messages were analyzed with computer-assisted sentiment analysis procedures. Results confirmed emotion-carrying posts and posts with negative emotions led to increased public engagement as indexed by the volumes of likes, shares, and comments. The presence of emotions and valence of the NPOs’ posts were also found to have a diffusion effect on user comments.

Detachable dissolvable microneedles: intra-epidermal and intradermal diffusion, effect on skin surface, and application in hyperpigmentation treatment

Delivering bioactive compounds into skin tissue has long been a challenge. Using ex vivo porcine and rat skins, here we demonstrate that a detachable dissolvable microneedle (DDMN) array, a special dissolvable microneedle that allows needle detachment from the base within 2 min post administration, can effectively embed a model compound into epidermis and dermis. Diffusion of the compound from the needle embedding sites to the nearby skin tissue is demonstrated at various post administration periods. The relationship between the time that a conventional dissolvable microneedle array is left on skin without needle detachment from the base and the degree of skin surface abrasion at each microneedle penetration spot is also demonstrated on skin of human volunteers. Co-loading glutathione with vitamin C (vitC) can stabilize vitC in the DDMN. DDMN loaded with vitC and glutathione can help erasing post-acne-hyperpigmentation spots.

Square transposition: an approach to the transposition process in block cipher

The transposition process is needed in cryptography to create a diffusion effect on data encryption standard (DES) and advanced encryption standard (AES) algorithms as standard information security algorithms by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The problem with DES and AES algorithms is that their transposition index values form patterns and do not form random values. This condition will certainly make it easier for a cryptanalyst to look for a relationship between ciphertexts because some processes are predictable. This research designs a transposition algorithm called square transposition. Each process uses square 8 × 8 as a place to insert and retrieve 64-bits. The determination of the pairing of the input scheme and the retrieval scheme that have unequal flow is an important factor in producing a good transposition. The square transposition can generate random and non-pattern indices so that transposition can be done better than DES and AES.

Augmented proximity: Integration of physical and virtual proximity to enhance network connectivity

With the continuing increase in online communications, virtual proximity as well as physical proximity has become a common way to connect individuals. Virtual proximity refers to the psychological closeness felt by people based on their participation in a virtual space. Hence, augmenting physical proximity with virtual types is believed to enhance connectivity within social networks, and applications that consider both types have the capability to provide new forms of interaction. However, despite the importance of their coexistence, these proximity concepts have been studied separately or are being integrated using diverse terminologies that often lead to misunderstandings. Furthermore, although some applications reflect the two proximity types (e.g., location-based services), there is no metric of comparison. This paper proposes the concept of augmented proximity (AP), which combines physical and virtual forms into a network analogous to one of mixed reality (MR). The concept provides a clear distinction between physical and virtual proximity using a single quantitative value. Using this concept, a formal taxonomy is established to compare and evaluate AP-based networks. The taxonomy consists of three dimensions that can be analyzed using graph theory, including the extent of connectivity degree, diffusion effect, and extent of perceived closeness. Furthermore, using the services underlying AP-based network, the proposed taxonomy can be applied to evaluate the suitability of the services as an indicator for comparison. The results show that one of the two services has a higher taxonomy-based value, and a reasonable basis for selecting one based on proximity is established. This study suggests that AP will play an important role as a quantitative indicator in developing and comparing applications that consider proximity in both virtual and physical modes.

Mechanism Analysis of the Influence of Seat Attributes on the Seat Dip Effect in Music Halls

The seat dip effect (SDE) is an acoustic phenomenon of low-frequency band attenuation that occurs in the music halls when the sound of the music passes at a near grazing incidence over the seats. In this paper, the numerical simulations on the basis of the finite element method are conducted to study the influence of seat attributes (seat height, seat spacing and seat absorption) on the SDE and the corresponding mechanism. The mapping of sound spatial distribution related to the SDE is employed to observe the behavior of sound between the seats. The results show that the dip frequency of the SDE can be shifted to frequencies lower than theoretical values when the seat height is smaller than the seat spacing. Additionally, the SDE attenuation can be distinctly suppressed in a sequence from the front seats to the rear seats with an absorption improvement to the seat back or cushion, and the seat back absorption is more effective than the cushion absorption. A mechanism analysis reveals that the SDE is highly associated with standing waves inside the seat gaps and with the “diffusion” effect on the grazing incident waves by energy flow vortexes around the top surfaces of the seats.