Just delivering the news or something more? How the mass media influence public opinion and public perception

The media, which include radio, television and newspapers, have become a crucial part of society as it provides the public with a variety of information on a daily basis. As a result, the media can potentially influence public opinion and public perception. This review examines the current research on how the media are influential and, in the process, the degree to which the media are responsible for creating public opinion. Also explained is the third-person effect, defined as the belief that a person considers himself to be less influenced by the media than others. Furthermore, the review focuses on the media\u27s coverage of politics. The review will also discuss the implications of Internet and on-line news on the media

Detariffing and the Death of the Filed Tariff Doctrine: Deregulating in the “Self” Interest

This Article reviews the history of the FCC\u27s detariffing efforts, addressing the major issue raised not so much by detariffing itself, but by the FCC\u27s view of detariffing orders impact on the Filed Tariff Doctrine. Notwithstanding the existence of the Doctrine for nearly a century, the FCC, through detariffing, has declared the Doctrine dead. This Article formally opposes the FCC\u27s declaration and suggests that the FCC\u27s motivations behind detariffing have failed to consider, much less attempted to properly balance, the conflicting public interests involved. Comparing and contrasting the legal rights enjoyed by long-distance carriers under the Filed Tariff Doctrine to the rights and potential liabilities of carriers in its absence, this Article discusses the actions several states have taken immediately following the July 31, 2001 effective date of the FCC\u27s mass-market detariffing order. The Article concludes that the FCC\u27s action is a manifest injustice to both carriers and consumers alike, and is a prime example of irresponsible agency regulation

Potential use of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in anaerobic co-digestion with wastewater in submerged anaerobic membrane technology

Food waste was characterized for its potential use as substrate for anaerobic co-digestion in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor pilot plant that treats urban wastewater (WW). 90% of the particles had sizes under 0.5 mm after grinding the food waste in a commercial food waste disposer. COD, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were 100, 2 and 20 times higher in food waste than their average concentrations in WW, but the relative flow contribution of both streams made COD the only pollutant that increased significantly when both substrates were mixed. As sulphate concentration in food waste was in the same range as WW, co-digestion of both substrates would increase the COD/SO4-S ratio and favour methanogenic activity in anaerobic treatments. The average methane potential of the food waste was 421 +/- 15 mL CH4 g(-1) VS, achieving 73% anaerobic biodegradability. The anaerobic co-digestion of food waste with WW is expected to increase methane production 2.9-fold. The settleable solids tests and the particle size distribution analyses confirmed that both treatment lines of a conventional WWTP (water and sludge lines) would be clearly impacted,by the incorporation of food waste into its influent. Anaerobic processes are therefore preferred over their aerobic counterparts due to their ability to valorise the high COD content to produce biogas (a renewable energy) instead of increasing the energetic costs associated with the aeration process for aerobic COD oxidation. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research work was possible thanks to financial support from the Generalitat Valenciana (project PROMETEO/2012/029) which is gratefully acknowledged.Moñino Amorós, P.; Jiménez Douglas, E.; Barat Baviera, R.; Aguado García, D.; Seco Torrecillas, A.; Ferrer, J. (2016). Potential use of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in anaerobic co-digestion with wastewater in submerged anaerobic membrane technology. Waste Management. 56:158-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.07.021S1581655

Effect of food waste disposers on municipal solid waste and wastewater management

This paper examines the feasibility of introducing food waste disposers as a waste minimization option within urban waste management schemes, taking the Greater Beirut Area (GBA) as a case study. For this purpose, the operational and economic impacts of food disposers on the solid waste and wastewater streams are assessed. The integration of food waste disposers can reduce the total solid waste to be managed by 12 to 43% under market penetration ranging between 25 and 75%, respectively. While the increase in domestic water consumption (for food grinding) and corresponding increase in wastewater flow rates are relatively insignificant, wastewater loadings increased by 17 to 62% (BOD) and 1.9 to 7.1% (SS). The net economic benefit of introducing food disposers into the waste and wastewater management systems constitutes 7.2 to 44.0% of the existing solid waste management cost under the various scenarios examined. Concerns about increased sludge generation persist and its potential environmental and economic implications may differ with location and therefore area-specific characteristics must be taken into consideration when contemplating the adoption of a strategy to integrate food waste disposers in the waste–wastewater management syste

Detariffing and the Death of the Filed Tariff Doctrine: Deregulating in the “Self” Interest

This Article reviews the history of the FCC\u27s detariffing efforts, addressing the major issue raised not so much by detariffing itself, but by the FCC\u27s view of detariffing orders impact on the Filed Tariff Doctrine. Notwithstanding the existence of the Doctrine for nearly a century, the FCC, through detariffing, has declared the Doctrine dead. This Article formally opposes the FCC\u27s declaration and suggests that the FCC\u27s motivations behind detariffing have failed to consider, much less attempted to properly balance, the conflicting public interests involved. Comparing and contrasting the legal rights enjoyed by long-distance carriers under the Filed Tariff Doctrine to the rights and potential liabilities of carriers in its absence, this Article discusses the actions several states have taken immediately following the July 31, 2001 effective date of the FCC\u27s mass-market detariffing order. The Article concludes that the FCC\u27s action is a manifest injustice to both carriers and consumers alike, and is a prime example of irresponsible agency regulation

Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy with Dentato-Rubro-Thalamic Tractography in Patients with Spinal Cord Stimulators and Cardiac Pacemakers

Magnetic resonance image-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS)-based thermal ablation of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) is a minimally invasive treatment modality for essential tremor (ET). Dentato-rubro-thalamic tractography (DRTT) is becoming increasingly popular for direct targeting of the presumed VIM ablation focus. It is currently unclear if patients with implanted pulse generators (IPGs) can safely undergo MRgFUS ablation and reliably acquire DRTT suitable for direct targeting. We present an 80-year-old male with a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) and an 88-year-old male with a cardiac pacemaker who both underwent MRgFUS for medically refractory ET. Clinical outcomes were measured using the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST). DRTT was successfully created and imaging parameter adjustments did not result in any delay in procedural time in either case. In the first case, 7 therapeutic sonications were delivered. The patient improved immediately and durably with a 90% CRST-disability improvement at 6-week follow-up. In our second case, 6 therapeutic sonications were delivered with durable, 75% CRST-disability improvement at 6 weeks. These are the first cases of MRgFUS thalamotomy in patients with IPGs. DRTT targeting and MRgFUS-based thermal ablation can be safely performed in these patients using a 1.5-T MRI