The Logo “Visual Thickness Effect”: When and Why It Boosts Brand Evaluation. Does It Relax the Logo Visual Asymmetry Side-effect?

Logos are one of the first elements of brands with which new consumers interact. Thus, the symbolic meanings that a logo implies by its visual characteristics, e.g., circularity vs angularity, symmetry vs asymmetry, etc., can form consumers’ early perception of personality of the associated brand. A considerable body of research studies the key visual elements of logos that influence consumers’ perceptions about the associated brands. The primary aim of this research is to contribute to this body of literature by documenting the logo “Visual Thickness Effect” (VTE) as an understudied but influential visual phenomenon. Using 4685 MTurk participants and 34 fictitious logos, across two pre-studies and five main studies, we find support for the logo Visual Thickness Effect, in that thick logo boosts perception of brand personality, as a result of boosting perception of brand power. Also, the perception of brand power induced by logo thickness is moderated by consumer’s level of perceived power of the self, in that consumers with higher sense of power are less influenced by thickness of logo, as a sign of brand power, when evaluating a brand. Further, the perception of brand power induced by logo thickness is moderated by consumer’s level of visuospatial capacity, meaning that people with higher visuospatial sketchpad are less influenced by thickness of logo, as an extraneous visual stimulus, while evaluating a brand. Also, results suggest that the logo Visual Thickness Effect is at play as long as consumers do not already possess complementary information about the associated brand. Furthermore, we try to contribute to the findings of prior research by suggesting perception of logo familiarity as the underlying mechanism why asymmetric logo attenuates the perception of brands sincerity, competence, and ruggedness. Results show that symmetrical logos can be perceived as more familiar than asymmetrical logos. Findings of this research imply that brands, especially new-to-market brands, might exploit thick logos. This research contributes to the literature for perception of visual elements, logo design, brand evaluation, perception of power, and sensory marketing

Methods to Design and Manage Energy-Efficient Offshore Hydrocarbon Production Systems

The world is facing the urgent challenge of climate change, and Norway is committed to reducing CO2 emissions while maintaining oil and gas production levels. The LowEmission project, which this thesis is a part of, has set ambitious targets of finding solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas production by 50% before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This thesis focuses on developing and testing methods for designing and managing energy-efficient offshore hydrocarbon production systems. The research examined offshore production systems to analyze their energy consumption and environmental impacts. It proposed strategies to improve energy efficiency and minimize these impacts through optimized planning, technological advancements, and integration of renewable energy sources. The study consists of four distinct projects, each addressing the design and management of energy-efficient offshore hydrocarbon production systems. The first project developed a decision-support tool for field planning using an optimization framework that balanced both economic and environmental objectives. The study found that incorporating environmental factors in field planning resulted in a clear trade-off between economic performance and emissions reduction. Notably, moderate economic sacrifices could lead to significant reductions in CO2 emissions without the use of any additional technology. The second project evaluated the environmental impact of the Cold Flow technology. The findings demonstrated that this technology is a promising alternative for hydrate prevention in long tie-back systems for satellite fields operated with gas and water injection depletion strategies. This approach resulted in substantial lifetime CO2 emissions reduction. The third project focused on integrating wind power with oil and gas facilities. The study showed that in order to ensure a constant, stable, and reliable power supply, it is necessary to integrate wind energy in combination with other methods such as energy storage and gas turbines. The final project, as a continuation of the third project, investigated methods to adjust the production rate in response to fluctuating power supply while ensuring consistent export rates. The study explored the use of oil storage and variable pressure in the gas export pipeline, such as line packing and drafting. The results showed that these methods are feasible, but determining the optimal oil tank size and appropriate pressure adjustments for line packing requires thorough analysis and consideration

Performance of sustainable concrete incorporating recycled polyethylene terephthalate (pet) granules

The use of wastes as a supplementary material in concrete manufacturing is of great interest due to the potential cost savings, preservation of natural resources and reduction in environmental pollution. This study focused on the performance of sustainable concrete containing recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste in the form of granules. The mix was designed for normal strength concrete using PET granules as a partial replacement for fine aggregates (0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% by volume). Firstly, the mechanical properties were evaluated by conducting compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, flexural strength and crack mouth opening displacement tests along with microscopic analysis. The test results showed that PET granules improve the mechanical properties and ductility of the concrete, although the improvement was more noticeable for 10% PET concrete. The Australian and American design guidelines accurately predicted the experimental results for mechanical properties of PET concrete. Secondly, the bond behaviour between steel reinforcement and concrete mixes, as well as flexural and cracking performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams were examined together with porosity of the concrete mixes. The findings revealed that the inclusion of 10% PET granules positively impacted the bond strength, flexural strength and cracking behaviour, and porosity of concrete. However, the performance was deteriorated with increasing PET granule percentage. The cracking and flexural moments of PETRC beams were conservatively predicted by the American and Australian standards. The flexural behaviour of RC beams was simulated using finite element method, and the results agreed well with experimental findings. Thirdly, the long-term durability properties were investigated by performing alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), creep strain, shrinkage strain, rapid chloride penetration (RCP), water absorption and apparent volume of permeability (AVPV) tests. The results showed that ASR expansion of concrete prisms and mortar bars decreased with increasing PET aggregate percentage. Including 10% PET aggregates improved chloride resistance and creep strain while having almost no effect on shrinkage, water absorption and AVPA of concrete. A shrinkage model was proposed for concrete containing PET aggregate and the results corresponded well with the experimental results. An in-depth understanding of the behaviour of sustainable concrete incorporating recycled PET granule aggregate was the significant outcome of this study

Uncovering the Oppenheimer Siddur: using scientific analysis to reveal the production process of a medieval illuminated Hebrew manuscript

The aim of this research was to use non-invasive scientifc analysis to uncover evidence of the planning process and relationship between pigments used in text copying and artwork production in the Oppenheimer Siddur (Oxford Bodleian Library MS Opp. 776), an illuminated 15th-century Hebrew prayer book. In many medieval Hebrew illuminated manuscripts, the authorship of the artwork is unknown. This manuscript’s colophon states that it was copied by its scribe-owner for personal family use but does not confrm who was responsible for the artwork. Prior deductive analysis suggested that the scribe-owner may also have been the manuscript’s artist, based on common motifs and an apparent shared colour palette appearing in both texts and artwork. Visual examination using high resolution digital images also identifed points of contact between pigments used in the manuscript’s texts and artwork, raising questions about the pigment application sequence, and concurrent versus sequential text copying and artwork production. An in-house developed remote spectral imaging system (PRISMS) with 10 flters spanning the spectral range from 400 to 880 nm was modifed for close-range application to image two of the folios to examine the sequence of production, identify the pigments and compare the materials used for the illumination and the text. Optical microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total refection mode (FTIR-ATR) were used directly on the folios to complement the spectral imaging data in binding media and pigment identifcation. The results revealed close matches in refectance spectra for the colorants and inks used in both text copying and illuminations, suggesting that the same mixture of colorants and inks have been used. The spectral imaging in the near infrared bands revealed a hidden underdrawing, indicating a design change during production of the manuscript, and the outlining of letters prior to coloured pigment being applied. The pigment use, the variation in the binder for diferent pigments and some elements of its production were found to be consistent with those described in historical sources. The evidence from this study supports the hypothesis that the scribe applied pigments for the manuscript’s artwork at the same time he did some of the scribal work which has implications for understandings of Jewish medieval visual cultures

Methods for early-phase planning of offshore fields considering environmental performance

Extraction and processing of oil and gas with current technologies is energy- and carbon-intensive as well as are the manufacture, transport and installation of the facilities needed for oil and gas production. Nowadays, there is a strong emphasis on reducing emissions and energy usage to help mitigate climate change. In this work, we demonstrate a method for decision-support in early-phase field planning based on proxy modeling and optimization. An optimization model is developed to determine drilling and production schedules, as well as the processing capacities of oil and gas that maximize a key performance indicator. The key performance indicator is a linear combination of the normalized net present value and environmental variables, the carbon footprint and carbon dioxide emissions. The weight of each variable in the objective function is adjusted by varying the value of the constants. An offshore field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf is used as a case study. Results show that there is a clear trade-off between economic and environmental performance. There are cases, however, where a modest improvement in field environmental performance can be achieved without significantly decreasing its economic value or requiring additional technologies. As a result of a 13% and 8% reduction in NPV relative to the maximum achievable reduction, the carbon footprint and CO2 emissions will be reduced by 30% and 35%, respectively. The paper offers comments and observations about the implementation and inclusion of environmental indicators into early-field development planning. In the near future, this study will be improved to include a more accurate analysis of the impact of environmental indicators and different low-emission technologies on the field development plan.publishedVersio

Control social e incidencia ciudadana a nivel local -Alcaldía Local de Chapinero- en Bogotá

La cultura de transparencia en la sociedad inicia desde la participación e incidencia ciudadana en la gestión pública, quién tiene la responsabilidad moral de ejercer control al actuar político, de esta manera dotar a los ciudadanos de herramientas para que haga parte y seguimiento al desarrollo de proyectos contemplados en la administración de organismos distritales, y verifique el óptimo cumplimiento de los deberes adquiridos por los gobiernos locales, representa una fortaleza para el cuidado de lo público. Lo que verá a continuación el lector es una conceptualización y/o antecedentes de la participación ciudadana, y el caso en particular de la localidad de Chapinero, en Bogotá-Colombia. El objetivo del presente trabajo es resaltar la importancia de la participación ciudadana como un elemento de incidencia eficaz en cualquier administración pública.Requerimientos de sistema: Adobe Acrobat ReaderThe culture of transparency in society is based on citizen participation and influence in public management, which has a moral responsibility to control political management, in this way provide citizens with tools to participate and monitor the development of projects contemplated in the administration of district agencies, and verify compliance with the duties acquired by local governments, represents a strength for the care of the public. The reader will find below a conceptualization and / or background of citizen participation, and in particular the case of the location of Chapinero, in Bogotá-Colombia. The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of citizen participation as an element of effective incidence in any public administration.Profesional en relaciones internacionale

Application of a Cost System by Production Orders to the Cheese Factory Company.

En el contexto de los costos por órdenes de producción, su enfoque se centra en la optimización de la división del trabajo y la asignación eficiente de recursos para maximizar la productividad y reducir los costos. Este trabajo busca utilizar un sistema de costeo por órdenes de Producción para la organización Fabrica de Quesos para así determinar la rentabilidad del trabajo, estimando unos costos y conocer la eficiencia de la mano de obra. La investigación utiliza un enfoque cuantitativo que busca recopilar y analizar datos de la organización dando más claridad y perspectiva eficiente de los datos tomados. Los resultados incluyen una precisión en la asignación de costos de producción, la empresa mejorará el control y seguimiento de los costos de producción, facilitando la toma de decisiones basadas en datos precisos hallados que por consecuencia conlleva a implementar este sistema que permite un control más detallado y eficiente de los costos de producción del queso campesino de los pedidos diarios, optimizando así la gestión financiera de la empresa Fabrica de Quesos