The propaganda model and sociology : understanding the media and society

This article unpacks reasons why the Propaganda Model represents a critical sociological approach to understanding media and society, explores the model’s potential within the sociological field, and considers the trajectory of its reputational reception to date. The article also introduces the three central hypotheses and five operative principles of the Propaganda Model and suggests that the model complements other (competing) approaches that explore the relationship between ideological and institutional power and discursive phenomena

Constraints on the High-Density Nuclear Equation of State from Neutron Star Observables

Depending on the density reached in the cores of neutron stars, such objects may contain stable phases of novel matter found nowhere else in the Universe. This article gives a brief overview of these phases of matter and discusses astrophysical constraints on the high-density equation of state associated with ultra-dense nuclear matter.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, Contribution to Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Astronomy and Relativistic Astrophysics (IWARA), 3-6 October 2007, Joao Pessoa, Brazi

Water Tree Analysis and On-Line Detection Algorithm Using Time Domain Relectometry

With the increasing amount of overhead lines being converted to underground cables in the distribution system, the need to be able to determine the health of these underground cables becomes imperative. Since the health of underground cables cannot be determined by visual means like overhead lines, an on-line measurement method is needed to determine the health of these cables. By sending a high frequency voltage pulse down the cable and measuring the return pulse, a method called time domain reflectomentry (TDR), an on-line measurement method becomes feasible. One of the main causes of cable failure is known as water-trees, and they are formed through dielectric breakdown of the cables insulation. They are formed from electrical stress at the interface of the cables’ insulation and conductors. To determine an on-line measurement method to detect water trees, an accurate model of water-trees in underground cables is developed. Two different cable types are modeled with water-trees, concentric neutral and tape shield cables. These models are developed in COMSOL Multiphysics®. With this developed water-tree model, it is then integrated into a distribution feeder located along the coast of South Carolina, with parameters provided by Santee Cooper®. To perform TDR and monitor the health of all the three-phase cables in the distribution feeder an optimal pulse generators placement algorithm was used to determine the location of pulse generators to monitor all cables. Finally, an algorithm for monitoring every cable was created and the method tested in PSCAD®. Based on these results an on-line measurement water-tree detection method is presented

Propaganda 2.0: Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model in the Age of the Internet, Big Data and Social Media

"Thirty years after Chomsky and Herman elaborated the Propaganda Model this title aims to introduce a new generation of readers to it. It presents cutting-edge research demonstrating the model’s general validity as well as new attempts – in the light of digital media and 21st century politics – to critically update, expand, and refine it. International researchers thus analyse the continuities and new developments in media Environments throughout various regions of the world. Part I addresses the theoretical and methodological dimensions of the PM beginning with an interview with Edward Herman on the model itself. Part II reflects on propaganda as a concept and practice within new mediated digital communications systems and interfaces. Applications of the Propaganda Model are featured in Part III notably new forms of media and content not previously analysed within it: the entertainment industries through the analysis of television, professional sports, Hollywood movies and videogames using quantitative and qualitative research methods. The last section presents case studies of corporate media and reporting practices as reflections of elite power. An extensive re-visioning of the PM this book concludes by identifying the fundamental dimensions of the model, the key modifications and expansions that are suggested—such as the inclusion of new filters—whilst assessing the model’s overall value for conducting research in different geographical contexts and media systems and products.

The Algorithm Assembly Set of Plato

Driven by the requirements of earth observing satellite missions, the mission planning team of the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) has improved its scheduling engine to allow automated timeline generation for multiple interacting satellites. Whereas the past work included extensions of the modeling language and improvements on the performance, current work focusses on the algorithm framework. In order to allow future missions’ scheduling software to reuse generic algorithms, special attention is given to the way one can add new sub-algorithms and combine them with existing ones. This ePoster demonstrates the algorithm framework of GSOC’s mission planning software Plato, using its interactive GUI Pinta. Based upon a typical multiple satellite planning problem, a priority based generic algorithm is presented, which solves this problem. We show how this algorithm can be split up into small subalgorithms, each of which can be used separately and all of which can be combined in arbitrary ways. We demonstrate how this flexibility can be used to create modifications on the overall algorithm or include mission specific sub-algorithms. Although all presented algorithms are based on simple heuristics, this mechanism supplies a straight forward way to incorporate more sophisticated optimization algorithms. The techniques demonstrated in this paper will be shown by means of the OnCall planning project. This project is used by GSOC in order to schedule the on-call shift times of its staff in order to implement 24/7 support for all important satellite sub-systems

Degradation Studies of Cyanex 301

International audienceDespite the numerous studies found in the literature on CYANEX® 301, very few explain its degradation in depth. To the best of our knowledge none has explained the inconsistency between the “common knowledge” of “CYANEX® 301 degrades into CYANEX® 272” (dithiophosphinic acid degrading into the corresponding phosphinic acid) and the 31P spectrum obtained by NMR of the degradation compound. The 31P {1H} NMR analysis of a solution of CYANEX® 301 in prolonged contact with nitric acid shows a very complex spectrum, with resonances about 20 ppm downfield from what could have been expected.The degradation product giving those multiple resonances in a pattern that could be interpreted as a triplet of triplet is actually a dimer, where two molecules of CYANEX® 301 are linked by a disulfide bridge, corresponding to the condensation of the SH groups. The explanation of the complexity of the spectrum comes from the comparison with the spectrum obtained for the degradation of a stereoisomerically-purified CYANEX® 301. This purification led to the removal of the [R;S] and [S;R] isomers from the initial mixture, and yielded a white crystalline solid proven to comprise exclusively [R;R] and [S;S] isomers by XRD analysis. It was determined that the carbon chirality induced an asymmetry of the phosphorus atoms upon condensation, leading to a wide combination of magnetically non-equivalent P-31 nuclei, which can also exhibit coupling through the S-S bond The complete explanation of the NMR spectra was established and corroborated by elemental analysi

Polyimides and their derivatives for gas separation applications

High performance polymers are of interest for high temperature gas separations, especially for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. A new family of high performance imide polymers (VTEC, RBI Inc.) has been identified as a material class containing the potential building blocks needed for a successful membrane capture material. The VTEC polyimides possess the desired thermal properties (up to 500 °C) and are robust and flexible even after multiple thermal cycles (up to 400 °C). A critical variable when working with the glassy polymers is their moisture content. It has been found that water entrapped within the polymer matrix (either as hydration molecules attached to salts in the polymer, left over solvent, or physisorbed) can also cause the polymer to change dramatically. Additionally presence of molecular water in the polymer’s void volume has been validated through Positron Annihilation Lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy. In this presentation, polymer characterization and gas-separation testing results will be discussed