Crisis Communication Patterns in Social Media during Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy was one of the deadliest and costliest of hurricanes over the past few decades. Many states experienced significant power outage, however many people used social media to communicate while having limited or no access to traditional information sources. In this study, we explored the evolution of various communication patterns using machine learning techniques and determined user concerns that emerged over the course of Hurricane Sandy. The original data included ~52M tweets coming from ~13M users between October 14, 2012 and November 12, 2012. We run topic model on ~763K tweets from top 4,029 most frequent users who tweeted about Sandy at least 100 times. We identified 250 well-defined communication patterns based on perplexity. Conversations of most frequent and relevant users indicate the evolution of numerous storm-phase (warning, response, and recovery) specific topics. People were also concerned about storm location and time, media coverage, and activities of political leaders and celebrities. We also present each relevant keyword that contributed to one particular pattern of user concerns. Such keywords would be particularly meaningful in targeted information spreading and effective crisis communication in similar major disasters. Each of these words can also be helpful for efficient hash-tagging to reach target audience as needed via social media. The pattern recognition approach of this study can be used in identifying real time user needs in future crises

“If you look at Karachi and who plans it, the decisions are made by those who do not understand the problems of the ordinary people” – Arif Hasan

With its fast-growing population Karachi is typical of many South Asian megacities that struggle to meet the needs of low income citizens. The eminent Pakistani architect Arif Hasan has been involved in urban development for over 40 years. Here he talks to Mukti Jain Campion about his home city’s post-Partition evolution

Pakistan: the causes and repercussions of the housing crisis

"Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented urban housing crisis. Low-rise, low-income urban settlements are rapidly and informally becoming high-rise, high-density informal settlements, with all the physical, social and environmental problems of unplanned densification. Meanwhile, speculative low-density elite housing is encroaching on the ecological assets of the city. This working paper explores the factors that have led to this crisis – and also what policy actions can be taken to help mitigate it, such as passing legislation to acquire land for low-income settlements, suppressing land speculation and prescribing minimum density for all settlements. Providing affordable credit and house improvement loans for informal settlements will also be crucial, as well as advice on how to use those loans effectively. Appropriate housing standards are also needed so that design and technical advice is available to those involved in the informal and formal densification process, while also establishing criteria for judging the merits of new housing projects. Finally, more research is needed to better understand the processes, actors and dynamics of the evolving informal densification process.

Analisis Nilai Pendidikan Karakter dalam Kumpulan Dongeng Suku Mbojo

Sebagai produk budaya suatu dari daerah, dongeng memiliki banyak nilai yang terkandung di dalamnya.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan nilai-nilai pendidikan karakter yang termuat dalam cerita rakyat suku Mbojo. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dala penelitian ini yaitu metode deskriptif kualitatif. Data penelitian diambil dari buku “kumpulan dongeng suku Mbojo: sebagai bahan ajar bahasa Indonesia di Sekolah Dasar” yang diterbitkan oleh penerbit Nathan Indonesia 2020. Data-data yang dibutuhkan dalam penelitian dikumpulkan melalui membaca secara cermat unsur-unsur dongeng yang termuat dalam buku. Teknik yang digunanakan dalam penelitian teknik catat. Teknik analisis data yang dilakukan dalam penelitian ini yaitu menggunakan teknik analisis isi (content analysis). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa terdapat lima nilai pendidikan karakter yang termuat dalam buku kumpulan dongeng suku Mbojo di antaranya: (1) peduli sosial; (2) keadilan; (3) tanggung jawab; (4) kerjasama; (5) menghargai pendapat orang lain

The Right Jokes: An Analysis of Conservative Political Comedy in Late Night Television

This thesis explores the emerging landscape of conservative political comedy through a case study of Gutfeld!, the late-night talk show hosted by Greg Gutfeld on Fox News. Through qualitative content analysis of selected episodes, the study examines the key stylistic and rhetorical features previous scholars have identified as distinguishing conservative comedy from its traditionally liberal counterpart. To further contextualize these findings, the research incorporates expert insights via an in-depth interview with Dr. Jeffrey Jones, director of the Peabody Awards and a leading scholar in political satire and entertainment studies. This research is guided by two central questions: (1) To what extent do the characteristics mentioned above appear in the content of popular conservative political comedy outlets such as Gutfeld!? and (2) Why has conservative political comedy only found mainstream success now, and not with previous efforts? Findings indicate the role of an increasingly polarized political climate, the use of strategic power reframing to overcome the traditional hurdle of conservative comedy “punching down” at those in positions of less relative power, the adoption of various elements from other Fox News programs and Rush Limbaugh’s successful stint on talk radio, and the use of humor styles that appeal to the preferences of conservative audiences.Plan II Honors Progra

Characteristics of chicken slaughterhouse wastewater

The chicken slaughterhouse wastewater is a class of wastewater, which is heavily polluted with organic matters including proteins, blood residues, fats and lard. Therefore, the direct discharged of untreated chicken slaughterhouse wastewater into the environment is associated with the occurrence of eutrophication phenomenon. In the present study, the characteristics of chicken slaughterhouse wastewater were investigated to ascertain the role of these wastes in the adverse effect on the environment and natural water system. The parameter tested included biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solid (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), orthophosphate (PO4 3-), temperature and pH. The results revealed available high concentrations of BOD (1,341 - 1,821 ± 242.7 mg L1 ), COD (3,154.19 - 7,719.3 ± 2,282.69 mg L-1), TSS (377.67 - 5,462 ± 2,696.1 mg L-1) which have exceeded the EQA1974 standard limits for disposal of wastewater into the environment. The concentrations of TN (162.6 -563.8 ± 215 mg L-1) and PO4 3- (7.047 - 17.111 ± 4.25 mg L-1) were within the range required for microalgae growth which confirm their role in the occurrence of eutrophication phenomenon. It can be concluded that the direct discharge of chicken slaughterhouse wastewater contributes negatively on the environmental biodiversity and thus they should be subjected for an effective treated before the final disposal

Impacts of economic crises and reform on the informal textile industry in Karachi

"To date, no empirical research has examined the local impacts of economic crises and reform on cities in Pakistan, including Karachi. This study addresses this gap by examining how the textile industry – as one of Pakistan’s most productive economic sectors – has been impacted, with a focus on the informal power loom sub-sector. The factors that have contributed to the decline of the textile industry and the repercussions for this sub-sector, including one of the settlements in which it operates, are discussed. The conclusions contemplate the challenges of formulating urban policy responses to an economic problem that is shaped simultaneously by local, regional and global pressures.

PEMIKIRAN AHMAD RAJAFI TERHADAP GERAKAN PEMBARUAN HUKUM KELUARGA ISLAM DI INDONESIA: ANALISIS EVOLUSI SOSIAL DAN TEORI KONFLIK

This research reviews Ahmad Rajafi's thoughts on Indonesia's Islamic family law reform movement. Utilising literature-based research with qualitative research and descriptive-analytic analysis, where the primary data source is Ahmad Rajafi's works. Then, the data is processed and analysed using two main theories: Social Evolution theory and Conflict theory. The results show that from a historical perspective, the Old Order reflected early attempts to remove colonial traces in family law, focusing on harmonisation between religion and national interests. The New Order involved conflict between religious groups over the 1974 Marriage Law, with concrete steps to achieve harmony between Islamic law and national interests by establishing the Compilation of Islamic Law. The Reformation era marked the debate on polygamy and the search for an Indonesian identity in family law, reflecting the complexity of Indonesia's journey towards a just and inclusive legal system. In the social evolution and conflict theory analysis, family law reform is not only linear but influenced by conflict and changes in social values. This process reflects an active struggle to achieve gender justice and maintain local identity in the Indonesian context. This research concludes that Ahmad Rajafi's thoughts on family law change not only reflect adaptation to social and cultural changes but also involve an active struggle to achieve gender justice and maintain local identity in the Indonesian context. Keywords: Ahmad Rajafi, Reform, Family Law, Indonesia, Social Evolution, Conflict Theor