Modulated photothermal techniques provide useful methods based on linear relations to measure the thermal diffusivity of homogeneous materials. We have analyzed theoretically the applicability of such linear relations to two particular cases of layered composites, i.e., two-layer materials and superlattices. In order to measure the through-thickness and in-plane thermal diffusivities of these anisotropic materials, planar and pointlike excitations have been studied. The main result of this article is that the linear relations encountered for homogeneous materials still hold for layered composites, although their slopes do not always give the effective thermal diffusivities of the sample parallel and perpendicular to the layers, as derived from the in-parallel and in-series thermal resistors models, respectively. However, an “apparent” thermal diffusivity is obtained from which the thermal parameters of each layer can be retrieved.

Mobile games are a prime example of a successful mobile application and demonstrate the increasing range of platforms for the media and entertainment industries. Against this convergent background, this paper introduces the basic features of the mobile gaming market and its industrial ecosystem together with its main actors and activities. The focus of the paper lies in the challenges ahead for the evolution of mobile applications into a potentially dominant game platform and the possible disruptions along this road. The deep personal relationships between users and their mobile devices are considered to further explore the link between mobile games, players' strategies and pending techno-economic developments. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of some policy options to assist with the development of this domain.

The paper is grounded in the idea that a theory of mobile media, like that of any other scientific discourse, must be built on solid conceptual and taxonomical bases. Within this context the paper brings together previous fragmented approaches to studying mobile media, analyses them, and develops a set of definitions and classifications of contents and applications in order to consolidate the construction of a robust mobile media theory. The paper finishes with a reflection on the ongoing mutations of this field and their implications, suggesting that scholars need to rethink the basic concepts behind their theories

In this article we present a general solution for the ac temperature field generated from a modulated heating in an opaque material containing a series of aligned subsurface cylinders. The model includes the multiple scattering effects suffered by the plane thermal wave, generated by a planar heat source, when interacting with the cylinders and with the sample surfaces. A series solution to the heat diffusion equation and a matrix formulation to solve the scattering coefficients are used. There are no restrictions on the cylinders number, on their size and position inside the material, nor on the thermal properties of cylinders and sample. For completeness the case of coated cylinders is also investigated. Numerical calculations for the case of nonconducting cylinders illustrate the effect of the multiple scattering of the incident thermal wave on the sample surface temperature. A specific case of interest of the model is its application to the thermal characterization and nondestructive evaluation of fiber reinforced composites.