Media Coverage of the Baltimore Unrest in the Op-Ed of "The New York Times" : a Case Study

Newspaper Op-Ed articles are an important form of intellectual debate that communicate views on public policy matters and help shape public opinion. They are challenging, information-rich and persuasive short media texts imbued with worldviews, arguments, sarcasms and biases, hence providing salience cues regarding key national and international affairs. Recent police killings of citizens in the US have attracted mass coverage in the media, predominantly in the Op-Ed section of The New York Times in 2015. Informed by Critical Discourse Analysis, this case study is a multi-layered qualitative analysis of the Baltimore unrest media coverage, particularly in one article authored by a guest contributor in The New York Times. To identify how the nation-wide case of the Baltimore unrest is rhetorically represented in media discourse, the study is premised on Appraisal Theory and Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The paper aims to: first, pinpoint the inherent appraisal resources used by the author to frame his argument and dialogically position the intended audiences in (dis)alignment with his worldviews; second, showcase the metaphoric repertoire that serves his ideological stance.Els articles d'opinió representen una font important de debat intel·lectual que influeix en la formació de l'opinió pública. Són textos periodístics desafiadors, rics en informació i persuasius, imbuïts de visions del món, arguments, sarcasmes i biaixos, per la qual cosa brinden pistes de rellevància respecte d'assumptes internacionals clau. Els recents assassinats de ciutadans per part de la policia als Estats Units han merescut una cobertura massiva en els mitjans de comunicació, especialment en la secció d'opinió de The New York Times el 2015. Ancorat en els estudis de l'anàlisi crítica del discurs, aquest estudi de cas ofereix una anàlisi qualitativa de la cobertura periodística dels disturbis a Baltimore, particularment en un article a The New York Times. Per identificar com es representa retòricament el cas nacional dels disturbis de Baltimore en el discurs periodístic, la investigadora adopta un enfocament eclèctic basat en la teoria de la valoració i la teoria de la metàfora conceptual. La investigadora té com a objectiu: primer, identificar els recursos d'avaluació inherents, utilitzats per l'autor per emmarcar el seu argument i posicionar dialògicament el públic (des)alineant-lo amb la seva visió del món; segon, mostrar el repertori metafòric que serveix de base a la seva postura ideològica.Los artículos de opinión representan una fuente importante de debate intelectual que influye en la formación de la opinión pública. Son textos periodísticos desafiantes, ricos en información y persuasivos, imbuidos de visiones del mundo, argumentos, sarcasmos y sesgos, por lo que brindan pistas de relevancia con respecto a asuntos internacionales clave. Los recientes asesinatos de ciudadanos a manos de la policía en los Estados Unidos han merecido una cobertura masiva en los medios de comunicación, especialmente en la sección de opinión de The New York Times en 2015. Anclado en los estudios del análisis crítico del discurso, este estudio de caso ofrece un análisis cualitativo de la cobertura periodística de los disturbios en Baltimore, particularmente en un artículo en The New York Times. Para identificar cómo se representa retóricamente el caso nacional de los disturbios de Baltimore en el discurso periodístico, la investigadora adopta un enfoque ecléctico basado en la teoría de la valoración y la teoría de la metáfora conceptual. La investigadora tiene como objetivo: primero, identificar los recursos de evaluación inherentes, utilizados por el autor para enmarcar su argumento y posicionar dialógicamente al público (des)alineándolo con su visión del mundo; segundo, mostrar el repertorio metafórico que sirve de base a su postura ideológica

Estimating Egyptsat -1 Radiometric Coefficient using Cross Calibration with Spot4 and Spot5

The pre-processing of satellite data is a vital step in harnessing the full potential of remote sensing pictures. EgyptSat-1, Egypt\u27s first satellite for observing the Earth from a distance, encountered a major obstacle as a considerable amount of the images it captured could not be used since the necessary radiometric coefficients were missing. This study utilises a cross-calibration methodology, taking advantage of the spectral similarity between Spot 4 and Spot 5 as reference satellites, in order to retrieve these difficult-to-obtain coefficients. The analysis demonstrates that the selection of window size in the cross-calibration process is crucial in determining the outcomes. In general, smaller window sizes tend to produce better results. However, there are certain cases when larger windows are more successful, such as in the scenario of EgyptSat-1\u27s band 3 and its cross-calibration with Spot 5. In contrast to a previous study, the new methodology produces much diminished uncertainty factors, indicating a remarkable enhancement in accuracy. The cross-calibration results highlight the significance of selecting the appropriate window size and satellite for accurate calibration, especially for the Near-Infrared (NIR) band, which is highly responsive to these parameters. Moreover, there are differences in the computations of offset and gain between Spot 4 and Spot 5, which further highlight the intricacies involved in radiometric calibration. The results of this study lead to the determination of improved calibration coefficients for EgyptSat -1, with the specific aim of maximising the accuracy of the results and minimising any errors

A Multimodal Analysis of the Representation of Hegemonic Masculinity and Hegemonic Femininity on "Men's Health" and "Women's Health" Cover Pages (January 2011 - June 2016)

In essence, the goal of this project is to interrogate the multi-semiotic manifestations of hegemonic masculinity and femininity in male and female body culture as manifested on Men's Health and Women's Health cover-page corpora that spanned from 2011 to mid- 2016. The research uses a mixed-methods design with macro- and micro-level analysis. On the macro level, a 'themes' analysis is conducted to illuminate the ideological nature of the multimodal ensemble of the cover pages. On the micro level, the researcher draws on a trio of analytical frameworks through which the semiotic choices embedded in the media texts can be more objectively examined, namely: Halliday's SFG for the verbal analysis; Kress and van Leeuween's VG for the visual analysis; and Lakoff and Johnson's CMT for the cognitive analysis of multimodal metaphors and metonymies. While being tangential to the notion of health itself, the cover pages endorse a peculiar fitness discourse in which subtle consumerist ideologies of male and female empowerment are co-opted. Men's Health and Women's Health perpetuate unhealthy physical standards and unattainable canons of beauty linked to hegemony, more overtly calling for the consumption of products that will transform the millennial male and female consumers into more socially acceptable packages for the outside gaze.L'objectiu d'aquesta investigació és indagar en les operacions i manifestacions multisemiòtiques de l'hegemonia masculina i l'hegemonia femenina en la cultura del cos masculí i femení tal com està manifestada en les portades de Men's Health i Women's Health. El corpus del treball s'estén des de 2011 fins a mitjan 2016. L'investigador empra una metodologia mixta i fa una macroanàlisi i una microanàlisi. En el primer nivell, l'anàlisi temàtica està dissenyada per dilucidar la nomenclatura ideològica del conjunt multimodal de les portades. En el nivell micro, l'investigador ha dissenyat un triangle d'un marc analític a través del qual les opcions semiòtiques ben emprades en els textos periodístics poden ser més ben examinades des d'una perspectiva objectivista, a saber: les teories SFG de Halliday, VG de Kress i Van Leeuween i CMT de Lakoff i Johnson sobre l'anàlisi cognitiva de les metàfores i metonímies multimodals. Mentre s'és tangencial cap a la pròpia noció de salut, les portades de les dues revistes mantenen un discurs peculiar sobre fitness en què l'apoderament de les formes de consumició dels homes i de les dones és cooptat. Les revistes en qüestió perpetuen uns estàndards físicament no saludables, a més d'unes normes de bellesa insostenibles, la mida del cos i l'aparença física interconnectades amb l'hegemonia, i convidant més obertament al consum de productes que convertiran tant homes com dones en paquets molt més acceptables socialment des d'una òptica exterior.El objetivo de esta investigación es indagar en las operaciones y manifestaciones multisemióticas de la hegemonía masculina y la hegemonía femenina en la cultura del cuerpo masculino y femenino tal como está manifestada en las portadas de Men's Health y Women's Health. El corpus del trabajo se extiende de 2011 hasta mediados de 2016. El investigador emplea una metodología mixta y realiza un macroanálisis y un microanálisis. En el primer nivel, el análisis temático está diseñado para dilucidar la nomenclatura ideológica del conjunto multimodal de las portadas. En el nivel micro, el investigador ha diseñado un triángulo de un marco analítico a través del cual las opciones semióticas bien empleadas en los textos periodísticos pueden ser mejor examinadas desde una perspectiva objetivista, a saber: las teorías SFG de Halliday, VG de Kress y Van Leeuween y CMT de Lakoff y Johnson sobre el análisis cognitivo de las metáforas y metonimias multimodales. Mientras se está siendo tangencial hacia la propia noción de salud, las portadas de ambas revistas mantienen un discurso peculiar sobre fitness en el que el empoderamiento de las formas de consumición de los hombres y mujeres es cooptado. Las revistas en cuestión perpetúan unos estándares físicamente no saludables, aparte de unas normas de belleza insostenibles, el tamaño del cuerpo y la apariencia física interconectados con la hegemonía, y más abiertamente invitando al consumo de productos que convertirán tanto a hombres como a mujeres en paquetes mucho más aceptables socialmente desde una óptica exterior

A Multi-Agent Framework for Testing Distributed Systems

Software testing is a very expensive and time consuming process. It can account for up to 50% of the total cost of the software development. Distributed systems make software testing a daunting task. The research described in this paper investigates a novel multi-agent framework for testing 3-tier distributed systems. This paper describes the framework architecture as well as the communication mechanism among agents in the architecture. Web-based application is examined as a case study to validate the proposed framework. The framework is considered as a step forward to automate testing for distributed systems in order to enhance their reliability within an acceptable range of cost and time

Assessment of seismic vulnerability of RC frames at the end-of-row of buildings with floor-to-floor alignment using multi-strips analysis MSA

During earthquakes’ excitation, adjacent buildings start vibrating out of phase (in different directions) leading to collisions with each other causing severe damage in a phenomenon known as structural pounding. The proposed study analyses the pounding effects for several case studies representing one of the critical pounding configurations found in the Egyptian buildings taxonomy which is building at the end-of-row of buildings. The multi-strip analysis approach (MSA) using fifty-ground motion records has been adopted to reduce the computational effort required for probabilistic performance assessment. The obtained structural performances of the studied cases, expressed in the form of fragility functions, were compared with the corresponding reference cases (i.e., structures with no adjacent buildings). The results provide insights into the type of failure mechanism that contributes to the global collapse of the studied cases. Fragility functions are also developed for different limit states based on these results to extract further conclusions regarding the overall influence of pounding. Results highlight the main differences between the expected performance of the pounding-involved cases compared to the reference cases. Finally, results indicate the relevance of the pounding effect on the overall performance of the considered cases therefore large-scale seismic risk assessment studies should consider fragility functions accounting for different pounding configurations

A Generalized Service Replication Process in Distributed Environments

Replication is one of the main techniques aiming to improve Web services’ (WS) quality of service (QoS) in distributed environments, including clouds and mobile devices. Service replication is a way of improving WS performance and availability by creating several copies or replicas of Web services which work in parallel or sequentially under defined circumstances. In this paper, a generalized replication process for distributed environments is discussed based on established replication studies. The generalized replication process consists of three main steps: sensing the environment characteristics, determining the replication strategy, and implementing the selected replication strategy. To demonstrate application of the generalized replication process, a case study in the telecommunication domain is presented. The adequacy of the selected replication strategy is demonstrated by comparing it to another replication strategy as well as to a non-replicated service. The authors believe that a generalized replication process will help service providers to enhance QoS and accordingly attract more customer

The optimal sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in adjuvant treatment of breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The optimal time sequences for chemotherapy and radiation therapy after breast surgery for patients with breast cancer remains unknown. Most of published studies were done for early breast cancer patients. However, in Egypt advanced stages were the common presentation. This retrospective analysis aimed to assess the optimum sequence for our population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>267 eligible patients planned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy [FAC] and radiotherapy. Majority of patients (87.6%) underwent modified radical mastectomy while, 12.4% had conservative surgery.</p> <p>We divided the patients into 3 groups according to the sequence of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sixty-seven patients (25.1%) received postoperative radiotherapy before chemotherapy [group A]. One hundred and fifty patients (56.2%) were treated in a sandwich scheme (group B), which means that 3 chemotherapy cycles were given prior to radiotherapy followed by 3 further chemotherapy cycles. A group of 50 patients (18.7%) was treated sequentially (group C), which means that radiotherapy was supplied after finishing the last chemotherapy cycle. Patients' characteristics are balanced between different groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Disease free survival was estimated at 2.5 years, and it was 83.5%, 82.3% and 80% for patient receiving radiation before chemotherapy [group A], sandwich [group B] and after finishing chemotherapy [group C] respectively (p > 0.5). Grade 2 pneumonitis, which necessitates treatment with steroid, was detected in 3.4% of our patients, while grade 2 radiation dermatitis was 17.6%. There are no clinical significant differences between different groups regarded pulmonary or skin toxicities.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Regarding disease free survival and treatment toxicities, in our study, we did not find any significant difference between the different radiotherapy and chemotherapy sequences.</p

Energy Slices: Benchmarking with Time Slicing

Benchmarking makes it possible to identify low-performing buildings, establishes a baseline for measuring performance improvements, enables setting of energy conservation targets, and encourages energy savings by creating a competitive environment. Statistical approaches evaluate building energy efficiency by comparing measured energy consumption to other similar buildings typically using annual measurements. However, it is important to consider different time periods in benchmarking because of differences in their consumption patterns. For example, an office can be efficient during the night, but inefficient during operating hours due to occupants’ wasteful behavior. Moreover, benchmarking studies often use a single regression model for different building categories. Selecting the regression model based on actual data would ensure that the model fits the data well. Consequently, this paper proposes Energy Slices, an energy benchmarking approach with time slicing for existing buildings. Time slicing enables separation of time periods with different consumption patterns. The regression model suited for the specific scenario is selected using cross validation, which ensures that the model performs well on previously unseen data. The evaluation is carried out on a case study involving two sports arenas; event energy efficiency is benchmarked to identify low-performing events. The case study demonstrates the Energy Slice procedure and shows the importance of model selection

Frequency and Prognostic Relevance of FLT3

The Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a key role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. Mutations of FLT3 were first described in 1997 and account for the most frequent molecular mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations have poor cure rates the prognostic significance of point mutations; tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) is still unclear. We analyzed the frequency of FLT3 mutations (ITD and D835) in patients with AML at diagnosis; no sufficient data currently exist regarding FLT3 mutations in Saudi AML patients. This study was aimed at evaluating the frequency of FLT3 mutations in patients with AML and its significance for prognosis. The frequency of FLT3 mutations in our study (18.56%) was lower than many of the reported studies, FLT3-ITD mutations were observed in 14.4%, and FLT3-TKD in 4.1%, of 97 newly diagnosed AML patients (82 adult and 15 pediatric). Our data show significant increase of FLT3 mutations in male more than female (13 male, 5 female). Our results support the view that FLT3-ITD mutation has strong prognostic factor in AML patients and is associated with high rate of relapse, and high leucocytes and blast count at diagnosis and relapse