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Since the arrival of Netflix – the world's dominant Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) platform – in France in 2014, the French streaming market has undergone considerable growth with significant impact on the wider audiovisual landscape in France. The rise of VOD, and the French film industry's response to the incursion of the US streamers (especially Netflix) into the French market, therefore have much to tell us about the transformation of France's distribution and exhibition landscape since the mid-2010s. A significant part of this transformation has been the changes to the chronologie des médias – the French windowing system and a central part of the regulation designed to promote and safeguard the economic sustainability and diversity of the French film industry. This article will analyse the rise of the streamers in France with a particular focus on the impact of Netflix and the consequences of a radically transformed chronologie des médias, as France (Europe's largest cinematic producer and one of the most mature, tightly regulated national cinemas in the world) fights to maintain its (cultural) specificity and cinematic independence in the wake of a realignment of the media markets at local and global levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestreaming has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, marked notably by the rise of VTubers. VTubers are face-tracking avatars capable of replacing a streamer's actual face. In order to delve deeper into this trend, this study examines how the visual representation of a streamer affects audience perception. An online experiment was conducted, involving three-group comparisons within a between-subjects design, with 413 undergraduate students in the U.S. The primary findings reveal that, in comparison to utilizing VTubers, both displaying a streamer's real face and opting not to show a face enhance the social presence of the streamer, consequently leading to more favorable perceptions of the streamer. This study underscores the mediating role of social presence in shaping audience perceptions of streamers and underscores the necessity of exploring potential non-linear relationships between a streamer's visual representation and social presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the transient phase of an atmospheric pressure discharge, the avalanche turns into a streamer discharge with time. Hydrodynamic fluid models are frequently used to describe the formation and propagation of streamers, where charge particle transport is dominated by the creation of space charge. The required electron transport data and rate coefficients for the fluid model are parameterized using the local mean energy approximation (LMEA) and the local field approximation (LFA). In atmospheric pressure applications, the excited species produced in the electrical discharge determine the subsequent conversion chemistry. We performed the fluid model simulation of streamers in nitrogen gas at atmospheric pressure using three different parametrizations for transport and electron excitation rate data. We present the spatial and temporal development of several macroscopic properties such as electron density and energy, and the electric field during the transient phase. The species production efficiency, which is important to understand the efficacy of any application of non-thermal plasmas, is also obtained for the three different parametrizations. Our results suggest that at atmospheric pressure, all three schemes predicted essentially the same macroscopic properties. Therefore, a lower-order method such as LFA, which does not require the solution of the energy conservation equation, should be adequate to determine streamer macroscopic properties to inform most plasma-assisted applications of nitrogen-containing gases at atmospheric pressure.

AbstractThe popularity of live streaming has continuously grown in recent years, with streamers sharing various aspects of their lives with audiences. This study explores the impact of streamers’ self-disclosure, including visual cues and personal life stories on audiences’ perceived parasocial interaction (PSI). This study used a 2 × 2 online experiment, using a between-subjects design: presence of a streamer’s face (no face vs. face) and type of shared stories (professional vs. personal). Key findings underscore the significant role of social presence. Specifically, sharing personal life stories enhances the perceived social presence of the streamer, leading to heightened perceptions of parasocial interaction. Moreover, the study highlights that parasocial interaction predicts increased enjoyment. Overall, the research underscores the importance of fostering social presence in livestreaming contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 2 decades, reflections on video games' ideological and political aspects—and their overarching media ecosystems—have grown. Despite this, few contributions focus on environmental issues, mainly empirically-oriented studies or ecocritical contributions vis-à-vis shared models and systematizations. Starting from the "To The Last Tree Standing" campaign carried out in 2017 for Greenpeace Poland to stop the deforestation of the Białowieża forest, this research sets out to elaborate an analytical model to outline the constitutive dimensions to be taken into account in analyses of how video games and environmental activism can intersect in a specific intentional communicative instance. The results, which relied on semi-structured interviews with executives and designers (n = 3) and inductive thematic analysis and sentiment analysis of the YouTube comments, delineate three initial categories (controversy, campaign network, and game ecosystem). This evidence highlights new development trajectories for studying the intersection between the gaming world and ecological activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar el impacto del uso de los elementos gráficos (overlays) basados en UX, en transmisiones en vivo a través de la marca IVEON, con el fin de comprender su influencia en el rendimiento de los creadores de contenido. La metodología de investigación es cuantitativa realizando dos tipos de encuestas. La primera consiste en determinar las variables de estudio a través de las preferencias de los usuarios de diseño, para identificar tendencias. La segunda se basa en encuestas longitudinales de medidas repetidas para verificar la variación de las métricas de los directos.

Development of live shopping has introduced a new form of celebrity endorsement. This study examines the impact of negative news related to streamers on viewers' purchasing behaviour during live streaming, considering different types of negative news. Drawing on research related to celebrity endorsement and information dissemination, this study presents the results from one natural experiment and four lab experiments. The findings suggest that negative news about streamers, as well as their responses to such news, positively influence viewers' purchasing behaviour during live streaming, which is mediated by their visit to the live streaming. Furthermore, the study reveals that negative news related to streamers' personal behaviour has a more positive impact than negative news related to the product they are selling. The positive effect of response to negative news is weakened when the response seems to protect the wrongdoers. This study contributes to the development of endorsement theory, retests the model of the endorser effect, and expands the literature about celebrity scandals. Additionally, the findings provide practical suggestions for retailers and streamers who are dealing with negative news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global streaming services' investment strategies in Europe have shifted the production landscape for scripted fiction. This article examines the commissioning patterns for scripted serial TV fiction through a comparative analysis of three small European markets: Flanders, Ireland and Norway. The analysis assesses the differences and similarities in the volumes of scripted fiction and how they evolved, focusing on the position of SVoD commissions in the total volumes based on a dataset of 411 unique titles and 609 title seasons of serial scripted fiction released between 2016 and 2023. It reveals that different economic and cultural contexts modulate global streamers' investments in local content, which in turn are an essential facet of global streamers' localization strategies in Europe. Our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of SVoD localization strategies within European markets, contextualizing the variations in investment and production patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the main features of the Spanish streamers with the most followers on Twitch, as well as their content. The aim of the research is to identify the streamers who hold the most appeal for young people on one of the social networks that has experienced the highest growth in recent years. To this end, based on the selection of the main profiles in terms of number of followers, along with other indicators that help to categorise the content, a portion of the platform’s most influential offering has been analysed. The results show that young people have created a personal space on this platform with features that belong exclusively to their age group, which are part of their youth culture. The streamers act as figureheads by offering spontaneous content to which young people can relate, and the interaction enriches the experience and reinforces a sense of community. Moreover, the latter aspect is essential to the success of the platform, as it occurs at a crucial moment when identity and relationships with peers take on special importance. Our analysis reveals a gender bias consistent with other international research. This is evidenced by the scarce presence of women as content creators, which is an unbalanced distribution that occurs on a national and global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America in 2020, the world's leading video game live streaming platform Twitch. TV has seen explosive growth. Twitch prides itself on the relationship between its streamer-influencers and viewers. Despite the promise Twitch holds for advertisers, it remains an understudied platform. Using the theoretical lens of transparasocial interaction (TPSI), this study investigates Twitch streamers' relationship with their viewers and the impact on sponsored promotional content using a multi-method approach. The exploratory study uses in-depth interviews to examine how ten Twitch streamers perceive their relationships with viewers, whether that relationship might be expressed in a transparasocial means and how monetization opportunities impact the streamer-viewer relationship. The main study employs a theoretical model to investigate how 316 participants perceive the efforts of a streamer new to them to develop TPSI with viewers, and how those efforts impact responses to sponsored promotion. The study found that as participants perceived a transparasocial relationship between a streamer and their viewers, the participants developed stronger feelings of parasocial interaction with the streamer, which in turn mediated sponsored promotion outcomes from the streamer, even after only one exposure. The authors conclude with theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live streaming marketing has become a popular topic of academic research. However, relatively few studies have been conducted in terms of the physical attractiveness of streamers, and even fewer studies have analyzed the changes in cognitive-emotional mechanisms that affect consumer response behavior. Based on SOR theory and cognitive-emotional system theory, this study proposes a theoretical research model and analyzes the internal mechanism of streamers' physical attractiveness affecting consumers' response using a combination of eye-tracking experiments and questionnaires. The results showed that: compared to streamers with lower physical attractiveness, consumers pay longer attention to streamers and products with higher physical attractiveness, and their response behaviors (continued watching intention, continued engagement intention, and purchase intention) are more active; compared to consumers with low involvement, consumers with high involvement pay longer attention to the product and perceive the process for a longer period of time; and quasi-social interaction and the flow experience play the role of a chain mediator between streamers' physical attractiveness and consumers' response behaviors. This study not only has certain theoretical significance for expanding the applicable boundaries of the physical appearance halo effect, but also has important practical significance for live broadcasting e-commerce companies to effectively adopt visual marketing and enhance customer retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the main features of the Spanish streamers with the most followers on Twitch, as well as their content. The aim of the research is to identify the streamers who hold the most appeal for young people on one of the social networks that has experienced the highest growth in recent years. To this end, based on the selection of the main profiles in terms of number of followers, along with other indicators that help to categorise the content, a portion of the platform’s most influential offering has been analysed. The results show that young people have created a personal space on this platform with features that belong exclusively to their age group, which are part of their youth culture. The streamers act as figureheads by offering spontaneous content to which young people can relate, and the interaction enriches the experience and reinforces a sense of community. Moreover, the latter aspect is essential to the success of the platform, as it occurs at a crucial moment when identity and relationships with peers take on special importance. Our analysis reveals a gender bias consistent with other international research. This is evidenced by the scarce presence of women as content creators, which is an unbalanced distribution that occurs on a national and global scale.

Spanish television is increasingly subject to transmedia consumption. Faced with traditional models in which journalists limited themselves to rigorously transmitting information to strengthen their audiences, the networks' commitment to infotainment, as well as the competition with platforms or with figures from YouTube and Twitch, forces professionals to reinvent themselves, often by resorting to entertainment and show business resources. TV programs such as El intermedio (La Sexta, 2006) and El hormiguero (Antena3, 2006) have been working for years to bring journalists and comedians together in the same space, and others such as Todo es mentira (Cuatro, 2019) interact with audiences through social networks such as Twitter and Instagram. The question is whether these efforts are sufficient or whether we are witnessing a transition period in which interviews conducted by content creators such as Ibai Llanos or Jordi Wild will end up being more highly valued than those of a journalist. To answer these questions, six professionals from the current audiovisual scene were interviewed: Vicente Vallés, Antonio Castelo, Cristina Pardo, Rocío Vidal (La Gata de Schrödinger), José Antonio Lavado, and Jorge Gallardo Camacho, and their reflections were contrasted with those of three focus groups with audiences of different ages. It was concluded that the professionals recognize the necessity of adapting to the digital era and to the new needs of their audiences, but prioritize traditional journalistic rigor and do not fear competition from figures such as Ibai Llanos. However, the audience focus groups consulted, especially the younger ones, admit that they consume more audiovisual content on the Internet than on television. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twitch se ha convertido en muy poco tiempo en una plataforma con un incontestable impacto en cuanto al número de usuarios y canales de transmisión de todo tipo. Esta apertura en los contenidos y su crecimiento exponencial, con 35 millones de visitantes diarios en 2023, hace relevante su estudio. Por ello, este trabajo se centra en el lenguaje vernáculo de la plataforma Twitch y sus posibles ventajas también para el aprendizaje. Para el análisis se ha optado por una metodología eminentemente cualitativa a través del análisis de contenido del chat de dos streamers, Jaime Altozano, con un carácter más de celebridad, y Clara Cordero, educadora con una comunidad fiel a sus contenidos. Por último, se aplica un focus group a cinco usuarios habituales de Twitch para explorar sus opiniones sobre la plataforma, los canales analizados y sus posibilidades para el aprendizaje. Los resultados aportan características del lenguaje vernáculo propio de la plataforma que son reafirmados con los comentarios de los participantes del focus group, como la relación parasocial, la comunidad virtual, chat, emote, bot, pivoting, twitch bit e intimidad digital. Además, se concluye que, junto con este lenguaje propio y el intercambio de información e interacción que se da en la plataforma Twitch, se favorece el aprendizaje digital en comunidad.

La intención del presente texto es relacionar las narrativas verbales y visuales de los streamers a partir de tres dimensiones: determinantes de salud, estética y violencia. Los ejes conceptuales son los modelos de los determinantes de la salud, los estudios sobre estética e identidad, y de la violencia como espectáculo social. Mediante encuestas, entrevistas y etnografía en videos de streamers en Instagram, YouTube y TikTok, se identificaron actitudes egocéntricas y conductas dramáticas. Además, fue evidente la ostentación de sus prácticas y estilos de vida, como exaltación del yo virtual, que reproduce un modelo social y económico basado en el espectáculo y la ficción, pero con efectos reales discutibles y nocivos para las audiencias. Se sugiere cultivar y promover una mirada crítica en las audiencias jóvenes y adolescentes, escolarizados o no, y desarrollar propuestas creativas de entretenimiento menos triviales.

Copyright of Dixit. Comunicación, Profesión, Conocimiento is the property of Universidad Catolica del Uruguay Damaso Antonio Larranaga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Analisi: Quaderns de Comunicacio i Cultura is the property of Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Partial discharges can occur in different types of electric equipment and cause progressive insulation deterioration, so there is interest in monitoring partial discharges for assessing the state of the isolation of an electric system and to predict failures. Techniques to detect partial discharges, such as detecting ultrasonic emission, have been proposed in the literature, but as various effects can co-occur during a discharge, identifying characteristics in sound and pressure waveforms and correlating then with discharge characteristics is difficult. Simulations can assist in these correlations by allowing the isolation of the different phenomena. In this work the drift diffusion model, including photoionization, is coupled with the linearized compressible Navier-Stokes equations to simulate ultrasonic waves produced by partial discharges. Previous works have used the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, so they can simulate ionic wind produced by the Trichel pulses, but no sound. In the literature, simulations have focused either on streamers or Trichel pulses. In this work both discharges and produced sound waves are successfully simulated for the needle-plane geometry in air. The electric current and charge per pulse are compared with experimental results reported in the literature for the same discharge conditions. The simulations have demonstrated that the sound waves depart from the electrode tip for the Trichel pulses, and for the streamers two sound waves are produced, one from the electrode tip and the other from the whole discharge length. Differences in the wave front with respect to the relative position to the electrode tip were analyzed, showing that near the discharge spot the sound wave is not a spherical wavefront. The sound wave for one of the discharges in the Trichel pulse regime was compared with experimental results in the literature. Results are in good agreement with the experimental data found in the literature. Both current and sound waves were successfully predicted and correlated with the discharge, results that can be used to help in the detection of partial discharges.

Live streaming commerce (LSC) effectively combines the traditional real economy and e-commerce. Based on more than half a million unique GIS data values on LSC activities sourced via Taobao (Alibaba), we traced the spatial distribution of different players along the supply chain and further highlighted the intermediary role of streamers in developing the inter-regional industry. This study guides industrial planning in a diversified regional context, especially in economically peripheral regions. Our results show the following outcomes: (1) in contrast to dispersed suppliers, streamers and consumers are highly clustered. This trend proves that streamers are rooted in a specific urban context while playing the role of an intermediary in inter-regional supply chains, effectively extending geographic interactivity between suppliers and (potential) customers. (2) LSC primarily promotes regional light industry, especially in economically peripheral and rural areas, and provides opportunities for rapid development in cities with skilled handicraft providers. (3) China's LSC streams have a pyramid structure, and the top group is highly clustered in metropolitan regions, such as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Pearl River Delta (PRD). This clustering makes it easier for streamers to work with large, well-known brands. The bottom group is mainly in charge of expanding the supply chain within the region and relies more on the local industrial base. It is diversified due to the different types of businesses or products. Ultimately, we draw attention to adaptive spatial planning and resource allocation in the context of the economic and geographic reforms brought by this growing industry, and discuss the policy implications based on the relationships between the supply of and demand for live streamers from a broader regional perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the migration of influencers from YouTube to Twitch and the boom in popularity experienced by the latter social network, this paper explores if brands are capitalizing on the influence capacity of streamers or if streamers might be getting money from their own content. In order to investigate this, it was necessary to perform a quantitative analysis on the publication schedules and broadcast formats used by streamers. This facilitated the simultaneous identification of another main finding: Spanish streamers are using a broadcast model on Twitch that resembles that of open linear television. Although they only broadcast content related to videogames, trends towards other types of audiovisual content have already been identified. Moreover, it has been found that influential streamers prioritize Twitch over other social networks even though feedback flows have been detected, especially from Twitch to other platforms. This work represents a contribution to knowledge in terms of understanding Twitch and understanding platforms and influencers. It is important to determine whether these new forms of broadcasting and interaction could be considered a hybrid model between linear television and social media streaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the analysis of the fractal dimension of streamers propagating in mineral oil, under lightning impulse voltage, using the box counting method; the method and technique of calculation are described therein. In the considered experimental conditions, the average velocities of recorded streamers are of 2.4 km/s and 1.8 km/s for positive and negative streamers, respectively; these velocities correspond to the 2nd mode of streamers propagation. It is shown that the streamers present the fractal dimension D ; and the higher D is the bushier are the streamers (i.e. with high branch density). The positive streamers can have higher D than the negative ones, if they are bushier.

Streamers play a key role in the formation and propagation of lightning channels. In nature streamers rarely appear alone. Their ensemble behavior is very complex and challenging to describe. For instance, the intricate dynamics within the streamer zone of negative lightning leaders give rise to space stems, which help advance the stepped-leader. Another example is how the increasing morphological complexity of sprites can lead to higher sprite current and greater energy deposition in the mesosphere. Insights into the complex dynamics of a streamer corona can be obtained from laboratory experiments that allow us to control the conditions of streamer formation. Based on simultaneous nanosecond-temporal-resolution photography, and measurements of voltage, current, and x-ray emissions, we report the characteristics of negative laboratory streamers in 88 kPa of atmosphere. The streamers are produced at peak voltages of 62.2 ± 3.8 kV in a point-to-plane discharge gap of 6 cm. While all discharges were driven to the same peak voltage, the discharges occurred at different stages of the relatively slow voltage rise (177 ns), allowing us to study discharge properties as a function of onset voltage. The onset voltage ranged between 24 and 67 kV, but x-ray emissions were observed to only occur above 53 kV, with x-ray burst energies scaling quadratically with voltage. The average delay between the current pulse and x-ray emission was found to be 3.5 ± 0.5 ns, indicating that runaway electrons are produced during the streamer inception phase or no later than the transition stage, when the inception cloud is breaking into streamer filaments. During this short time span, runaway electrons can traverse the gap, hit the ground plate and produce bremsstrahlung x-ray photons. However, streamers themselves cannot traverse more than 3.5 mm across the gap, which supports the idea that runaway electron production is not associated to streamer connection to the ground electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dynamics of downward propagation of positive sprite streamers is considered. • Approximate analytical approach to evaluation of streamer characteristics is developed. • The radius and velocity of sprite streamers versus the altitude are evaluated. • Estimates for the rate of optical emission by sprite streamers are obtained. • Comparison of obtained estimates with results of sprite observations is performed. An approximate approach to estimating characteristics of downward-propagating single positive sprite streamers is presented. Within the framework of this approach, the dependences of streamer radius and velocity on the altitude were obtained. The influence of changes in the altitude of streamer initiation and in the electric field at this altitude on the streamer parameters is considered. Estimates of the optical emission rate are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on ultra‐slowly propagating discharge events with speeds in the range 1–13 km/s, much lower than any known lightning process. The propagation speeds of these discharges are orders of magnitude slower than leader or streamer speeds, but faster than the ion drift speed. For one particular event, a lightning leader forms about 40 ms later within 50 m of the discharge, likely within the same high field region. A second slow event forms 9 ms prior to the initiation, and leads into the negative leader. Most slow events appear to not be directly involved with lightning initiation. This suggests that the classic streamer cascade model of initiation is not always a definitive process. In this work we describe these discharge events displaying unique behavior, their relation to common lightning discharges, and their implications for lightning initiation. Plain Language Summary: While lightning is generally a very fast process, here we report on ultra‐slow discharges which may be a new and unexpected method of lightning initiation. These discharges travel at uncharacteristically low speeds and are observed in conjunction with lightning initiation in two cases, while in three different cases they are not. This indicates that these events are also evidence of failed lightning leader formation, which complicates the current understanding of how lightning initiates. Additionally, the velocity of these events is slow enough that in principle the propagation can be observed by the unaided eye ‐ challenging the colloquial notion of "fast as lightning." Key Points: The ultra‐slowly propagating events travel at speeds at least an order of magnitude slower than the slowest positive leadersIn one observed case, the slow propagation led directly into the formation of a lightning leaderIn most cases, these discharges are not connected with lightning initiation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very close high‐speed video observation of lightning attachment to a building revealed novel details regarding the leader streamer zone dynamics. Upward leaders propagate in a steady and unbranched manner, displaying a uniformly luminous corona brush. The exception being the upward connecting leader (UCL) just before connection, when its streamer zone increases in size and develops a more filamentary pattern. Downward negative leaders have 3‐m long multiple streamers emanating from each negative leader tip. On some occasions, plasma formations known as space stems are seen to form in the location previously occupied by negative streamers. Space stems have luminosities comparable to the main leader channel, but are detached from it by 4 m. Some space stems display streamers of their own, including cases where streamers are emanating from both ends. The space stem formation hampered the propagation of the negative leader that was closest to the UCL. Plain Language Summary: A serendipitous close observation of a natural lightning flash revealed novel details of the lightning attachment process to residential buildings in highly populated areas. A staggering total of 31 lightning precursor channels (called leaders) were launched from nearby buildings in an attempt to intercept the down coming negative leaders. The upward positive leaders propagate almost in a straight path manner, do not branch, and display a uniformly luminous "corona brush" at their tips. This contrasts with the negative leaders coming down from the cloud, which present substantial branching and have numerous filaments (called streamers) emanating from their tips. The high‐speed and high‐resolution images obtained also revealed that, in some cases, the negative leaders display a luminous formation that is about 2 m long and is detached from the main channel by about 4 m. These observations consist of one of the rare sightings of these luminous formations known in the peer‐reviewed literature as "space stems." It is understood that space stems play a key role in the stepped propagation of negative leaders. In these observations, it seems that they hamper the leader propagation, making the upward connecting leader intercept a different downward branch, which was originally more distant from the striking point. Key Points: Very close high‐speed video observation of lightning attachment reveals details of corona brush, streamers and space stemsStreamer zone of upward connecting leader increases in size and develops a more filamentary patternSome space stems display streamers emanating from both ends, forming an embryonic bidirectional space leader [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial discharges can occur in different types of electric equipment and cause progressive insulation deterioration, so there is interest in monitoring partial discharges for assessing the state of the isolation of an electric system and to predict failures. Techniques to detect partial discharges, such as detecting ultrasonic emission, have been proposed in the literature, but as various effects can co-occur during a discharge, identifying characteristics in sound and pressure waveforms and correlating then with discharge characteristics is difficult. Simulations can assist in these correlations by allowing the isolation of the different phenomena. In this work the drift diffusion model, including photoionization, is coupled with the linearized compressible Navier-Stokes equations to simulate ultrasonic waves produced by partial discharges. Previous works have used the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, so they can simulate ionic wind produced by the Trichel pulses, but no sound. In the literature, simulations have focused either on streamers or Trichel pulses. In this work both discharges and produced sound waves are successfully simulated for the needle-plane geometry in air. The electric current and charge per pulse are compared with experimental results reported in the literature for the same discharge conditions. The simulations have demonstrated that the sound waves depart from the electrode tip for the Trichel pulses, and for the streamers two sound waves are produced, one from the electrode tip and the other from the whole discharge length. Differences in the wave front with respect to the relative position to the electrode tip were analyzed, showing that near the discharge spot the sound wave is not a spherical wavefront. The sound wave for one of the discharges in the Trichel pulse regime was compared with experimental results in the literature. Results are in good agreement with the experimental data found in the literature. Both current and sound waves were successfully predicted and correlated with the discharge, results that can be used to help in the detection of partial discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the strategies video game streamers with disabilities employ to navigate their identity as gamers as it relates to their subject positions as persons with disabilities. Through an analysis of online videos featuring eight streamers with disabilities, this study reveals four themes around how streamers establish their identities regarding both disability and gaming: establishing gaming capital, acknowledging disability, gaming to overcome challenges, and feeling empowered to 'inspire'. Our analysis discusses how the four themes coalesce around a co-constitutive identity of 'disabled streamer' that is unique from both gamer and disability identities yet informed by and negotiated through each of these in various ways. The study sheds light on the ongoing mutual creation and transformation of gaming and disability identities on the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, live streaming has grown rapidly in recent years, with gift-giving, a unique business model in live streaming, driving the development of many industries. This article explores the association between gift-giving behavior in game live streaming and viewers' live streaming experience. Specifically, this study aims to explore the correlation between Para-social Relationships, Social Presence, and gift-giving in the context of China. Based on the survey and interview of the viewer on Douyu, a Chinese live streaming platform, this study found that there is only a weak to a medium correlation between para-social relationships and viewers' gift-giving behavior. The correlation between social presence and gift-giving was even weaker. Although the conclusion of this study may be affected by the sample size limitation, it can still provide a reference for the current research on gift-giving on Chinese live streaming platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streaming platforms, booming in recent years, have been especially committed to audience participation. Twitch, owned by Amazon, is the benchmark platform for broadcasting eSports. But do the media echo what is happening in the world of electronic sports. At first, the coverage between specialized and general media seems very different, so a comparative analysis between the different information treatments will allow us to draw a conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive review of previous work on streak photography of the stepped leader. • A critical review of previous stepped leader mathematical models. • A novel approach to modelling of the stepping process that accounts for both dielectric and thermal leader characteristics. The paper constitutes a novel physical approach to the different stages of negative leader stepping in cloud-to-ground lightning, starting with determination of the length of the negative streamer zone below the leader tip. The positive space leader, belonging to a pre-existing space leader, propagates towards the main leader tip, bridging the streamer zone. Such propagation time however is too short for leader thermalization. The thermalization, with associated substantial drop in the internal voltage gradient, occurs over a much longer time, through corona current injected at the tip of the moving negative space leader. The latter stage constitutes the determining factor for the time interval between steps. The model has then been applied to leaders with prospective return stroke current of 3–228 kA, leader tip height of 23–2000 m, leader charge linearly decaying to practically vanish at heights of either 2500 m or 4500 m. For the conditions investigated, the step length varies in the range 3.5 m to 39 m, the bridging time of the streamer zone by positive space leader in the range 0.8 - 3 μs, time interval between steps in the range 8.5–92 μs, yielding mean stepped leader speed in the range 1.0 - 11.6 × 105 m/s. Whenever possible the model predictions were satisfactorily compared to field measurements. Interaction between the negative downward leader and an upward connecting leader during the attachment process is out of scope of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live streaming commerce (LSC) effectively combines the traditional real economy and e-commerce. Based on more than half a million unique GIS data values on LSC activities sourced via Taobao (Alibaba), we traced the spatial distribution of different players along the supply chain and further highlighted the intermediary role of streamers in developing the inter-regional industry. This study guides industrial planning in a diversified regional context, especially in economically peripheral regions. Our results show the following outcomes: (1) in contrast to dispersed suppliers, streamers and consumers are highly clustered. This trend proves that streamers are rooted in a specific urban context while playing the role of an intermediary in inter-regional supply chains, effectively extending geographic interactivity between suppliers and (potential) customers. (2) LSC primarily promotes regional light industry, especially in economically peripheral and rural areas, and provides opportunities for rapid development in cities with skilled handicraft providers. (3) China’s LSC streams have a pyramid structure, and the top group is highly clustered in metropolitan regions, such as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Pearl River Delta (PRD). This clustering makes it easier for streamers to work with large, well-known brands. The bottom group is mainly in charge of expanding the supply chain within the region and relies more on the local industrial base. It is diversified due to the different types of businesses or products. Ultimately, we draw attention to adaptive spatial planning and resource allocation in the context of the economic and geographic reforms brought by this growing industry, and discuss the policy implications based on the relationships between the supply of and demand for live streamers from a broader regional perspective.

In this work, immobilization of the often unwanted filaments in dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) is achieved and used for one‐step deposition of patterned coatings. By texturing one of the dielectric surfaces, a discharge containing stationary plasma filaments is ignited in a mix of argon and propargyl methacrylate (PMA) in a reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. From PMA, hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemical and topographical contrasts at sub‐millimeter scale are obtained on silicon and glass substrates. Chemical and physical characterizations of the samples are performed by micrometer‐scale X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared imaging and by water contact angle and profilometry, respectively. From the latter and additional information from high‐speed imaging of the plasma phase and electrical measurements, it is suggested that filaments, denser in energetic species, lead to higher deposition rate with higher fragmentation of the precursor, while surface discharges igniting outwards the filaments are leading to smoother and slower deposition. This work opens a new route for a one‐step large‐area chemical and morphological patterning of surfaces at sub‐millimeter scales. Moreover, the possibility to separately deposit coatings from filaments and the surrounding plasma phase can be helpful to better understand the processes occurring during plasma polymerization in filamentary DBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The streamer appears on a static photograph as a narrow luminous filament. The light emission coming mainly from the photons created at the head of the streamer, the filamentary aspect results from the integration of this light over time. The streamer moves approximately in the direction of the applied field. However, due to the random nature of the photoionization mechanisms, the photoelectrons are produced not only at the head of the streamer in the direction of the maximum field, but also in a radial direction with respect to its advancement. The streamer can then present a tortuosity or even give rise to several secondary branches, if photoelectrons produced simultaneously in opposite directions create avalanches of comparable sizes. In fact, the speed of propagation of the streamer and that of the electrons are not linked to each other since the progress of the streamer results rather from the efficiency of the electronic multiplication process within an avalanche than from the velocity of the electrons themselves. This model allows evaluating the speed of streamers as a function of distances covered and the nature of the insulating materials. Indeed, a database was created from a laboratory model, to train different neuronal methods for predicting the evolution of streamers on the polymers surface which presents an interesting tool for estimating the propagation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations from LOFAR indicate that multiple, spatially distributed corona bursts can occur in lightning processes with a timescale of 10 microseconds. The close proximity of the corona bursts in space and time poses a great observation challenge for short‐baseline (typically ≤100 m) radio interferometers. This paper reports simulations to show the interferometry results that would be obtained with such an interferometer. In particular, spatially‐separated corona bursts at fixed locations may be seen as a fast (>107 m/s) propagating source with large power variation if the resolution of the instrument is greater than the spatial separation of the bursts. The implications and suggestions for lightning interferometry studies are discussed in the paper. Plain Language Summary: Lightning evolution contains brief processes that are critical to its channel formation, but their physical mechanisms are poorly understood at present. Those processes emit very high frequency radio emissions, and radio sensor arrays have been used to detect those emissions to investigate their source processes. The latest observations from the large radio telescope LOFAR show that multiple, intense bursts of radio emission at discrete locations occur in those processes. Here we report simulations to show that such bursts are seen as a fast propagating wave for a short‐baseline lightning radio sensor array. Our study suggests that caution is required when interpreting the observations made with such a radio sensor array. Key Points: Complications of lightning radio interferometer data interpretation due to random nature of the emission sources are investigatedCorona bursts observed by LOFAR may be seen as a fast (>107 m/s) moving source with power variation by short‐baseline interferometersRequirements for radio interferometers to resolve corona bursts occurring in close spatial and temporal proximity are examined and discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En los últimos años, y en especial tras la crisis sanitaria del COVID-19, se ha incrementado el consumo de plataformas de vídeo online como alternativa al consumo de medios audiovisuales tradicionales. Este artículo explora la divulgación científica presente en el contexto español de Twitch –plataforma hegemónica de vídeo-streaming–, focalizando en el análisis de contenido de textos audiovisuales generados por influencers de ciencia que cohabitan en Twitch junto a gamers, esports y todo tipo de social media entertainment. Para ello se empleó una orientación metodológica cualitativa –basada en un set de categorías semiótico-discursivas– que se aplicó sobre la producción de una muestra de seis de los divulgadores científicos más representativos de la twitchesfera española. Los resultados despliegan las estrategias discursivas de los textos analizados y visibilizan las particularidades de un tipo de divulgación científica –generada por influencers de ciencia y emitida en streaming– que convive dentro del ecosistema mediático con los medios generalistas y las fuentes oficiales científicas. En concreto, los divulgadores científicos de Twitch apuestan por un formato audiovisual basado en el personality vlog y un discurso caracterizado por una articulación expresiva eminentemente didáctica, la interacción sincrónica con el usuario y el uso de un tono ameno basado en unos códigos comunes compartidos con la comunidad. Pese a tratarse de un tipo de comunicación científica en ciernes y de la condición efímera de sus emisiones, los resultados de este estudio apuntan a la divulgación en Twitch como un vehículo eficiente para captar la atención del público joven hacia contenidos científicos y al compromiso de los creadores estudiados por un discurso basado en la calidad divulgativa y el rigor científico.

Abstract In this work, immobilization of the often unwanted filaments in dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) is achieved and used for one‐step deposition of patterned coatings. By texturing one of the dielectric surfaces, a discharge containing stationary plasma filaments is ignited in a mix of argon and propargyl methacrylate (PMA) in a reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. From PMA, hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemical and topographical contrasts at sub‐millimeter scale are obtained on silicon and glass substrates. Chemical and physical characterizations of the samples are performed by micrometer‐scale X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared imaging and by water contact angle and profilometry, respectively. From the latter and additional information from high‐speed imaging of the plasma phase and electrical measurements, it is suggested that filaments, denser in energetic species, lead to higher deposition rate with higher fragmentation of the precursor, while surface discharges igniting outwards the filaments are leading to smoother and slower deposition. This work opens a new route for a one‐step large‐area chemical and morphological patterning of surfaces at sub‐millimeter scales. Moreover, the possibility to separately deposit coatings from filaments and the surrounding plasma phase can be helpful to better understand the processes occurring during plasma polymerization in filamentary DBD.

This paper reports an observational study of lightning initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) using the low‐frequency array radio telescope and a broadband magnetic field sensor. The data show that the overall spatiotemporal evolution of the electrical breakdown causing an IBP is rather complex. During an IBP, spatially and temporally separated bursts of very high frequency (VHF) electromagnetic radiation occur in a volume on the order of 1003 m3, and they are coincident with brief magnetic field pulses, indicating that the location of the active breakdown region can change suddenly. Furthermore, recurrent breakdown activity is observed, especially at the location of the VHF burst. Interpreting each VHF burst as being generated by a corona burst, an IBP pulse appears to start off from an initial corona burst and subsequent corona bursts enhance it. We further suggest that the generation of IBPs likely involves multiple space stems/leaders and connections between them. Plain Language Summary: Lightning initiation is difficult to study because it occurs deep inside thunderclouds and in‐situ measurements are hard if not impossible. Strong low frequency radio pulses known as initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) are generated during the initiation stage of lightning. This study uses the LOFAR radio telescope to paint a picture of the electrical breakdown activity during IBPs. The picture shows that the breakdown activity is rather complex, involving sudden change of the active breakdown location and recurrent activity in a relatively large volume. Key Points: The electrical breakdown generating lightning initial breakdown pulses has complex spatial and temporal propertiesSpatially and temporally separated VHF bursts occur during an initial breakdown pulse, coincident with brief wideband magnetic field pulsesGeneration of initial breakdown pulses likely involves multiple corona bursts, and multiple space stems/leaders and their connections [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seminal Miller‐Urey experiment suggests that lightning may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth through the formation of amino acids and carbon acids. We here focus on the early stages of lightning in the atmosphere of Primordial Earth, so‐called streamer discharges. We discuss rate coefficients for electrons and study electron avalanches and avalanche‐to‐streamer transitions by modeling the motion of electrons with a 2.5 D particle‐in‐cell Monte Carlo code in the strongly reducing atmosphere used by Miller and Urey (MU) and the weakly reducing atmospheric suggested more recently (by Kasting (1993), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.11536547) for Earth 3.8 Ga ago and compare results with conditions on Modern Earth. Our simulations show that streamers incept at fields of 140–180 Td in Kasting's mixture and at fields of ≈114 Td in the MU mixture, thus their inception is more difficult in Kasting's mixture. Conclusively, discharges on Primordial Earth might have been more challenging to incept. Plain Language Summary: In the 1950s Miller and Urey performed discharge experiments in a gas mixture resembling the atmosphere of Ancient Earth and showed that a significant amount of prebiotic material was produced, possibly laying the foundation for the further synthesis of the first biomolecules. We perform numerical computer simulations of electron avalanches in the gas mixture used by Miller and Urey as well as in a mixture suggested more recently for the composition of Ancient Earth's atmosphere 3.8 Ga ago and study the conditions needed for the inception of filamentary discharges. We calculate electron and discharge properties and compare them with results for discharges on Modern Earth. We provide a table summarizing the electric fields needed for discharge inception in these different atmospheres. Our simulations show that discharges in the Miller‐Urey mixture incept at lower fields than in Kasting's mixture and partly on Modern Earth which implies that discharges in the atmosphere of Ancient Earth might have been more challenging to incept than previously thought. Key Points: We perform simulations of electron avalanches and streamers in different gas mixtures for Primordial and Modern EarthIonization rates are higher in strongly reducing gas mixtures, such as used by Miller and Urey, than in weakly reducing mixturesIn the Miller and Urey gas mixture streamers incept at ≈114 Td; in weakly reducing atmospheres, suggested by Kasting, at 140–180 Td [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of creators from other platforms and the emergence of new lines of content are contributing to the thematic diversification of Twitch.tv beyond its leadership in gaming. This article explores the potential for collaboration, education, and creation of live-streaming platforms by analyzing the online coworking experience of the JaimeAltozano 'working room' on Twitch, launched after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. An initiative that gathered 222,172 hours worked by the community in three months. Using a mixed methods research design, the experience was studied on the basis of quantitative data, 67 in-depth interviews with users and ethnographic techniques for content analysis. The results obtained in the three phases of the research process show that experiences like the JaimeAltozano 'working room' are useful virtual spaces for productivity. Based on these results, a map of the phenomenon was drawn using six key concepts: gamification, synchronicity, community, participation, free operability, and common atmosphere. In the face of the growing platformization of cultural goods, our research delves into the media reality of Twitch beyond videogaming to explore the possibilities of live-streaming for the digital community's media empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation of the development of ionization waves—streamers—in pure argon at atmospheric pressure in a plane-parallel gap has been performed. The velocities and plasma parameters of cathode- and anode-directed ionization waves are obtained, and the streamer dynamics and structure are analyzed. The effects of variation of the background density of charged species are considered. The roles of various ionization mechanisms (the direct and stepwise ionization, and the Penning reaction) during streamer formation and propagation are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-breakdown phenomena in HFO1234ze-(E) gas, considered as a potential replacement of SF6 for medium voltage insulation, are studied in needle-plane electrode systems versus pressure (0.01 to 0.3 MPa) under positive impulse voltage. Measurements are also carried out in air and SF6 in the same conditions for comparison. At the lowest pressure in HFO, the propagation of fast streamers is observed. Above 0.03 MPa, breakdown is the consequence of the propagation of stepped leaders, with shapes and velocities nearly identical to those observed in SF6. Several leader features (minimum inception voltage, propagation length) show that leader formation and propagation is easier in HFO compared to SF6. In turn, this allow explaining why breakdown voltages in HFO are slightly lower than in SF6.

Here, we present new radio interferometer beamforming observations of lightning initiation using data from the Low‐Frequency Array (LOFAR). We show that the first lightning source in the flash increases exponentially in intensity by two orders of magnitude in 15 μs, while propagating 88 m away from the initiation location at a constant speed of 4.8 ± 0.1 × 106 m/s. A second source replaces the first source at the initiation location, and subsequent propagation of the lightning leader follows. We interpret the first source to be a rapidly propagating and intensifying positive streamer discharge that subsequently produces a hot leader channel near the initiation point. How lightning initiates is one of the greatest unsolved problems in the atmospheric sciences, and these results shed light on this longstanding mystery. Plain Language Summary: Lightning initiation is poorly understood, in part, due to the difficulty is making detailed observations inside thunderstorms. This research elucidates the initiation process using highly sensitive imaging techniques from data acquired from the Low‐Frequency Array (LOFAR). These data indicate that lightning initiates with a cascading discharge composed of streamers before transitioning into a propagating leader. These streamers appear to propagate at a constant velocity, despite an exponential growth in number. This is an interesting result as it is not clear how it is possible to maintain both an exponential growth and a constant velocity. Key Points: As seen in VHF, the first lightning signal detectable above background increases exponentially by two orders of magnitude in 15 μsInitiation is likely caused by branching streamers with constant propagation speed of 4.8 × 106 m/s during the exponential ramp‐up phaseMechanism is similar to narrow‐bipolar events, but much weaker in VHF power [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran period witnessed transformational change across the Earth-life system, but life on land during this interval is poorly understood. Nonmarine/transitional Ediacaran sediments preserve a variety of probable microbially induced sedimentary structures and fossil matgrounds, and the ecology, biogeochemistry and sedimentological impacts of the organisms responsible are now ripe for investigation. Here, we report well-preserved fossils from emergent siliciclastic depositional environments in the Ediacaran of Newfoundland, Canada. These include exquisite, mouldically preserved microbial mats with desiccation cracks and flip-overs, abundant Arumberiatype fossils and, most notably, assemblages of centimetre-to-metre-scale, subparallel, branching, overlapping, gently curving ribbon-like features preserved by aluminosilicate and phosphate minerals, with associated filamentous microfossils. We present morphological, petrographic and taphonomic evidence that the ribbons are best interpreted as fossilized current-induced biofilm streamers, the earliest record of an important mode of life (macroscopic streamer formation) for terrestrial microbial ecosystems today. Their presence shows that late Ediacaran terrestrial environments could produce substantial biomass, and supports recent interpretations of Arumberia as a current-influenced microbial mat fossil, which we here suggest existed on a 'streamer-arumberiamorph spectrum'. Finally, the absence of classic Ediacaran macrobiota from these rocks despite evidently favourable conditions for soft tissue preservation upholds the consensus that those organisms were exclusively marine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]