Studying the Drivers of Consumer Behavioural Engagement With Social Media Brand-Related Content

The actual behavioural engagement of consumers with social media brand-related content is measured by three activities; consumption, contribution and creation. This type of engagement is considered the true practical indicator of the success of brand presence on social media. The study aims to uncover the drivers of consumer behavioural engagement identified by the key characteristics of social media context. Accordingly, quality dimensions and perceived usefulness of the brand hosting media channel are adopted from the IT use and acceptance models. Data is collected using self-administrated questionnaire from a sample of 366 respondents in the UK. Structural Equation Modeling-V.26 was used to analyse the data. The results support the significant role of cognitive absorption in explaining how perceptions of social media quality dimensions are shaped to motivate consumer engagement behaviour. The findings enrich the extant literature of consumer engagement; additionally, several practical insights can be drawn related to the design of social media marketing strategy.

Effectiveness of the Combined Use of Microelements and Tetravit in Calves of the Dairy Period

Use of biologically active additives in feeding young animals is the most important element of resource-saving technologies. The aim of the study was to study the effectiveness of use of vitamin and mineral nutrition on the growth and development of young animals. 3 groups of calves were formed at the age of 10 days. Animals of the control group received the basic diet (OR), the II-experimental group received OR + salts of microelements and the calves of the III-experimental group received OR + salts of microelements and tetratwit in doses from 1 to 3 months – 1.5 mg, from 3 to 5 months – 2.0 mg and from 5 to 6 months – 3.0 mg. Tetravit was injected once every 2 weeks throughout the study. It was found that feeding the salts of microelements (copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, iodine) to calves during the dairy period contributes to their more intensive development and growth of their meat productivity, both in combination with tetravite and without it. Use of salts of microelements separately, and in combination with a multivitamin preparation (tetravit) contributes to a significant increase in the studied hematological parameters in young animals, relative to control analogues.

Capacidade de Armazenamento de Água no Solo (CAD) e Características Físicas dos Solos na Avaliação da Distribuição da Água das Chuvas na Alta Bacia do Ribeirão Santo Antônio

O estudo avalia a capacidade de armazenamento de água dos solos (CAD), utiliza como objeto de avaliação os latossolos da alta bacia do ribeirão Santo Antônio no município de Iporá-Goiás. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a dinâmica da água da chuva na manutenção do fluxo de água na bacia. Utilizou de dados de umidade dos solos em período de déficit hídrico e de excedente para comparar o comportamento dos solos na retenção de água e na permeabilidade. Utilizou a metodologia padrão na definição do CAD, porém com ajustes específicos na obtenção da umidade e na capacidade de campo (CC) e no ponto de murcha permanente PMP, que aqui foi denominado de ponto de menor umidade residual (PMUR). Informações como dados de chuva do período, balanço hídrico climatológico no período analisado (maio de 2018 a abril de 2019) e valores de vazão obtidos mensalmente no exutório durante o período de referência fizeram parte da análise. Um total de 43,5% da água disponibilizada pela chuva escoam superficialmente, 9,5% escoam em subsuperfície, 47% da água infiltra e/ou permanece retida nos solos. Os solos apresentaram boa drenagem e, cerca de 42% da água das chuvas garantem a perenidade da bacia. Soil Water Storage Capacity (AWSC) and Physical Characteristics of Soils in the Evaluation of Rainwater Distribution in the High Basin of Santo Antônio Stream. A B S T R A C T The study evaluates the water storage capacity of soils (AWSC). It use like object of evaluation the oxissoils located at the high Santo Antônio basin. The objective of the study was to evaluate the dynamics of rainwater in maintaining the flow of water in the basin through laboratory evaluations, in addition to testing a new methodology to define the destinations of the water that reached the surface. Was used soil moisture data in a period of water deficit and surplus to compare the behavior of soils in water retention and permeability. It used the standard methodology in the definition of the AWSC but with specific adjustments in obtaining the humidity and in the field capacity (FC) and in the permanent wilting point PWP, which here was called the point of lowest residual moisture (PLRM). Information such as rainfall data for the period, climatological water balance in the period analyzed (May 2018 to April 2019) and flow values obtained monthly in the exutory during the reference period were part of the analysis. A total of 43.5% of the water provided by the rain run off superficially, 9.5% seeps in subsurface, 47% of the water seeps and / or remains trapped in the soil. The soils had good drainage and about 42% of the rainwater guarantees the basin's perpetuity. Keywords: AWSC. Permeability. Moisture. Storage.

Based on Knowledge Recognition and Using Binomial Distribution Function to Establish a Mathematical Model of Random Selection of Test Questions in the Test Bank

With the in-depth development of social reforms, the scientificization of enterprise online examinations has become more and more urgent and important. The key to realizing scientific examinations is the automation and rationalization of propositions. Therefore, the construction and realization of the test question bank is also more important. In the realization of the entire test question database, how to select satisfactory test questions randomly from a large number of test questions through the selection of test questions so that the average difficulty, discriminability, and reliability of the test are satisfactory? These requirements are also more important. Among them, random selection of questions is an important difficulty in the realization of the test question bank. In order to solve the difficulties of random selection of these test questions, the author combines the experience of constructing the test question bank and uses the discrete binomial distribution to draw conclusions. Random variables established the first mathematical model for topic selection. By determining the form of the test questions and the distribution of the difficulty of the test questions and then making it use a random function to select questions, this will achieve better results.

Designing Online Educational Russian Language Courses in Finland

When switching to online teaching, the question arises about the feasibility, methods and form of transposing existing teaching materials into the Internet and creating new ones. The aim of the study is to show what opportunities electronic educational environment ViLLE, developed in Finland, has for teaching Russian as a foreign language and as a second home language. The material of the article include exercises created in this e-environment, and the methods of the research include various software and pedagogical solutions aimed at implementing the methodology. During research, starting in 2017, e-learning platform ViLLE has allowed the Russian language to find and to take its place in Finlands digital language teaching system. Different courses were created, with different sets of tasks and exercises that can be used by teachers and students of any educational institution. Some of the courses, among them those aimed at bilinguals, provide an opportunity to familiarize students with the included theoretical material. Having mastered the necessary minimum skills of using ViLLE, any teacher can independently modify tasks and exercises, combine them in the desired sequence and volume, and thus create courses adapted to the needs of their students. An integrated performance analysis system makes their work easier by allowing the teacher to focus on a specific language teaching problem. The results showed that among the existing electronic educational resources, online platforms and e-learning environments are the most essential tools for teaching a foreign/second language, since only they give the teacher the opportunity to independently plan and structure the entire educational process, manage it, use existing materials and create new ones, automatize certain functions, combine various educational events, and communicate with students. The article compares criteria for evaluating such resources and dividing them into two categories: (1) general criteria that include multi-functionality, the set of features provided by the environment, and compatibility with regard to encoding and format of training materials and other system components; (2) those considering needs of specific teachers and students and their resources, namely, resource administrating, creating tasks and courses, managing and monitoring the learning process. The future plans concern carrying out extensive monitoring of the effectiveness of the system in school and university teaching.

Technology Use Among Cancer Patients Pre- and Post- COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Dementia

COVID-19 has highlighted increasing reliance on information and communication technology (ICT) and challenges in access and use. ICT access also provides resources that benefit users’ mental health. Our study describes changes in the use of ICT before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among cancer patients with and without dementia. We identified 196 (1.6 million weighted population) older adults with a self-reported cancer history who participated in both 2019 and 2020 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). In 2019, cancer patients with dementia (9.9%) were less likely (adjusted OR 0.29; 95%CI, 0.11-0.78) to use information technology (IT) for health matters (contacting medical providers, handling health insurance matters, obtaining information about health conditions, and ordering prescription refills) compared to those without dementia. In contrast, dementia status was not associated with communication technology (CT) use (email or texts) or IT use for personal tasks (grocery shopping or online banking). IT use for personal tasks was inversely associated with anxiety symptoms (adjusted OR 0.22; 95%CI:0.06-0.83) and CT use was inversely associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 0.25 (95%CI:0.07-0.97). In 2020, regardless of dementia status, all cancer patients increased their virtual (email/phone/video) contact with family, friends (3.4%-7.0%), and medical providers (17.2%-36.2%) while decreasing in-person contact (10.0%-15.7% and 21.8%-24.2%, respectively) during the pandemic. This study suggests that there are potential unmet daily needs for patients with comorbid cancer and dementia that may be met with improved ICT access. Such challenges are of increasing concern as COVID-19 has resulted in increased ICT reliance for older adults.

Developing Information Technologies to Promote Dementia e-Friendly Communities for COVID-19 and Beyond

People living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers often face barriers to education, support, and services that can improve their health and quality of life. Information technology (IT) has been suggested as a solution to overcoming such barriers, though the development of evidence-based IT for dementia care is still developing. This project gathered stakeholder (e.g., providers, caregivers) perspectives on the development of a proposed IT solution to support community asset mapping that would allow families to self-assess their dementia-related service needs, educate them about available services, and link them with services they need in their community. This proposed IT would create a dementia resource database that relies on crowdsourced data from community stakeholders as well as relevant data mined from existing sources (e.g., CMS certified nursing home data). As part of the planning process, this project conducted qualitative interviews with providers and caregivers in four metro areas in Alabama and their surrounding rural communities to learn more about the content and features that stakeholders perceive as being most effective for the proposed technology. Stakeholders also discussed their experience of utilizing IT solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote access and continuum of care when barriers to service intensified. Thematic findings provide detail on: 1) motivating factors among stakeholders to contribute crowdsourced data that support community members affected by dementia; 2) potential barriers to implementing IT for dementia support, based on experiences with IT use during COVID-19; and 3) how stakeholders envision IT to better connect community members with needed services.

Can Maruti Suzuki’s wagonr steer through the repositioning drive?

Case overview Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), a joint venture between Maruti Udyog Limited, India and Suzuki Motors, Japan, is considering repositioning its WagonR brand amidst issues of overall decline in sales in the automobile industry. With a market share of more than 53%, MSIL is the market leader in passenger vehicle segment in India, yet it is facing difficulties in driving up sales. The company’s portfolio comprises entry-hatch, mid-hatch, premium-hatch, sedan, SUV/MUV, crossover and van. The case dilemma involves the decision that MSIL’s management should take for the repositioning of WagonR, a compact hatchback, at a time when the automobile industry is showing no signs of recovery. Is it opportune to reposition WagonR, given the current situation of the passenger car market in India? If yes, what can MSIL learn from its past positioning efforts and how can it use insights about consumers’ current perceptions of WagonR’s brand image to arrive at a repositioning decision? Leaning objectives Using the case will help address the following objectives: to expose students to the challenges of repositioning an established brand; appreciate the need for and importance of repositioning established brands; evaluate existing positioning and market conditions for making a sound decision; and develop analytical skills that will prepare them to make decisions in real business scenarios. Complexity academic level The study is suitable for Masters level students in courses on Marketing Management, but it can also work well in elective courses such as brand management. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Identifying priority medicines policy issues for Qatar: exploring perspectives and experiences of healthcare professionals through a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo identify priority medicines policy issues, including the ‘use’ and ‘access to medicines’ in Qatar.DesignIn this qualitative study, general inductive method was used and semi-structured exploratory interviews conducted.SettingStakeholders from a broad range of academic and healthcare practitioners in Qatar.ParticipantsExploratory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 stakeholders throughout Qatar. The inclusion criteria include (a) participants working or involved in the Qatar’s healthcare system, (b) participants having experience or working knowledge of medicine policy documents, different facets of it, use of medicines and access to medicines, (c) as well as participants well versed in the English language. It was intended to cover stakeholders from a broad range of healthcare and policy institutions in Qatar.Primary and secondary outcome measuresAll participants were involved in semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews, which were then transcribed verbatim, coded into NVivo V.12 and followed by thematic analysis to identify the common themes. Perceptions, experiences and opinions regarding Qatar’s medicines policy issues were recorded.ResultsThis study found challenges related to the availability of pharmaceuticals in Qatar, including medicines registration process. There is no comprehensive national medicines policy in Qatar, however, there are a number of rules, regulations, policies and procedures in place. The community pharmacy services provided are mostly ‘traditional’ with less emphasis on pharmacists’ extended roles and/or cognitive services. The study identifies several areas for improvement including extending the role of the pharmacist, improve the prescribing of antibiotics, medicines compliance and counselling for consumers, pharmacovigilance, implementation of generic medicines policies, as well as the need for a national health record database.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that in the last 20 years, Qatar has moved towards advancing healthcare; however, there are gaps and opportunities. The strategies need to be developed to resolve access to medicines issues, the priority being medicines registration, import and so on. With the rise of chronic diseases and a growing population, there is also a need to work to improve medicines adherence among patients.A national medicines policy should be developed through a consultative broad-based process in which prescribers, physicians, pharmacists and healthcare professionals be given a chance to contribute.