The aim with this study is to compare the American newspaper The New York Times and the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter and its framing of the organization the Islamic State. The study uses a selection of articles during the period when Barack Obama ordered airstrikes against the Islamic State. The period is 2014/07/27-2014/08/14 and it gave 107 articles to the analysis. The study undertakes a methodology based on the quantitative content analysis. The study leans on the theory of framing and theories of war journalism which is a common and well suitable theory for the study’s aim. The result shows both differences and similarities between the two newspapers frame. The most notable difference between the newspapers' articles were the appellation of the Islamic State and also how the newspapers used sources and statements. The Swedish newspaper had a more religious orientation in the appellation of IS, while the American newspaper had a military orientation in the appellation of IS.

The conversion of a memory from an initially fragile state to an enduring representation requires cellular, molecular, and systems-level brain network changes. This reorganization is hypothesized to involve time-dependent neuroanatomical changes that may differentially support some types of remote versus recent memory, and may also influence the latency to decide and complete responses during retrieval. To quantify the timecourse of learning and retrieval after different retention durations, a paradigm is developed to measure in humans and monkeys the retrieval speed of visuomotor associations, which require an intact hippocampus for initial acquisition but not for retrieval after days or weeks. Two components of retrieval speed, a decision time to initiate movement and a velocity-dependent movement completion time to complete a motor response, are shown to change differently relative to a pre-retention baseline. Movement completion times decrease across repetitions within single learning session, and continue to decrease from the level reached at the end of learning following retention. Decision times also decrease within the learning session, but increase on the first post-retention retrieval attempt as a function of retention interval duration. Extensive practice is required for decision times to reach a level below that obtained at the end of learning, and the transition from a long- to short-latency decision depends on the number and spacing of practice trials. The findings are discussed in a framework in which post-retention processing time is influenced by the speed of visual identification, the time to retrieve the associative relationship from long-term memory, and the time to plan and execute a motor response. The creation of sparser, long-lasting visual form representations and strengthened cortico-striatal connections predict behavioral efficiency gains in visual identification and motor responses after learning. Decision times could be fast and automatic following extensive practice when the neural representation may become stored permanently in cortico-cortical and cortico-striatal linkages, or could increase after retention because of several cognitive and neural factors, including interference and frontal inhibition of the hippocampal system to prevent new learning before choice feedback. The experimental results are discussed in the context of the existing literature on memory consolidation.

Der Aufsatz argumentiert, dass der entscheidende Punkt an Ortholph Fuchspergers "Dialectica deutsch" der Nachweis ist, dass es möglich ist, in deutscher Sprache zu argumentieren. Dies richtet sich gegen die alleinige Verwendung der lateinischen Sprache als wissenschaftlicher Sprache. Fuchsperger zieht damit eine Konsequenz aus der humanistischen Umbestimmung des ars-Begriffes als einer deskriptiven und nicht normativen Verfahrensweise.

Deal or no deal? Hold ‘em or fold ‘em? Buy, hold or sell? When faced with uncertainty, a wise decision-maker evaluates each option and chooses the one they deem most valuable. Scientists studying decision making processes have spent much theoretical and experimental effort formalizing a framework that captures how decision makers can maximize the amount of subjective value they accrue from such decisions. This thesis tested two hypotheses. The first was that subjective value guides our simplest and most common of motor actions similar to how it guides more deliberative economic decisions. The second was that subjective value is allocated across pre-motor regions of the brain to make our actions more efficient. To accomplish these goals, I adapted a paradigm used by behavioural economists for use in neurophysiological experiments in non-human primates. In our task, monkeys repeatedly make quick, orienting eye movements, known as saccades, to targets, which they learned through experience, had different values. In support of the hypothesis that subjective value influences simple motor actions, the speed with which monkeys responded, known as saccadic reaction time (SRT), and their saccadic choices to valued targets were highly correlated and therefore both acted as a behavioural measures of subjective value. Two complimentary results support the hypothesis that subjective value influences activity in the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (SCi) – a well-studied brain region important to the planning and execution of saccades - to produce efficient actions. First, when saccades were elicited with microstimulation, we found that the timing and spatial allocation of pre-saccadic activity in the SC was shaped by subjective value. Second, the baseline preparatory activity and transient visual activity of SCi neurons prior to saccade generation was also influenced by subjective value. Our results can be incorporated into existing models of SC functioning that use dynamic neural field theory. I suggest that saccades of higher subjective value will result in higher activation of their associated neural field such that they will be more likely and more quickly selected. In summary, this thesis demonstrates that subjective value influences neural mechanisms, not only for deliberative decision making, but also for the efficient selection of simple motor actions. / Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-06-25 17:18:25.393

Po nepriklausomybės atgavimo, daugelį pastatų privatizavus, atsirado grėsmė juose esantiems dailės kūriniams. Svarbus yra ir visuomenės požiūris į sovietinį, mums svetimą, paveldą. Vitražai išmontuojami vien todėl, kad primena praeitį. Be politinių aspekto, Sovietinio paveldo išlikimą lemia ir ekonominiai veiksniai. Daug kur vitražai išmontuoti renovuojant pastatus ir teisinantis, kad jų restauracijai trūksta lėšų. Nors sovietmetis tituluojamas lietuviško vitražo „aukso amžiumi”, dabartinė šio laikotarpio kūrinių padėtis sudėtinga. Pradėjus išsamiau domėtis sovietinio vitražo dabartine būkle susiduriama su medžiagos trūkumu. Renkant medžiagą apie sunaikintus, restauruotus vitražus iškilo ir paveldo apsaugos klausimas. Kaip ir kiek sovietinį paveldą įstatymais gali apsaugoti valstybė ir ar gali tuo pasirūpinti pats darbų autorius. Pirmoje darbo dalyje aptariamas sovietinis vitražas ir jo klestėjimo prielaidos, trumpai supažindinama su tuo metu kūrusiais vitražistais, jų ryškiausias darbais. Išskiriamos dvi pagrindinės prielaidos: valstybiniai užsakymai ir glaudus architektų bei vitražistų bendradarbiavimas. Pateikiama ryškesnių to meto architektų ir vitražistų bendradarbiavimo pavyzdžių. Antroje darbo dalyje aprašomi sovietinių vitražų sunaikinimo, rekonstravimo, perkėlimo atvejai. Pateikiama sunaikintų, rekonstruotų vitražų pavyzdžių. „Išlikusių vitražų pavyzdžiai ir objektyvios jų išlikimo sąlygos. Nagrinėjamos vitražo sunaikinimo priežastys. Trečioje darbo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / A lot of public places there privatized after the restoration of independence in Lithuania. A real threat occurred for monumental artworks in architecture after the biulding was privatized. In this situation a public opnion about soviet heritage is really important. Despite the political aspect, there is economical factors as well. Stained glass windows, can’t be fixed because of lack of finance. Though soviet times in Lithuania was „golden age“ for stained glass it has real preservation problem in nowdays. There is a lack of information about these days soviet stained glass situation. The first part of this work contains short history of soviet stained glass and the sources of prosperity. There was two main assumptions for prosperity of stained glass in soviet times: first was orders from soviet goverment and the second was artist and architectures cooperation. The exposition part is illiustration about stained glass destruction, and real situation of soviet stained glass in these days. The final part of the work is about the heritage of soviet art works and preservation of stained glass.

A flexible workforce or a versatile machine is employed to perform various types of operations. Often these resources are associated with setups. Whenever a worker or machine switches from processing one type of operation to another a setup time may be required although several operations of a same type can be processed in succession after a single setup. The presence of setups gives rise to the problem of choosing batch sizes that are neither too large nor too small. In the last one and a half decade, many researchers have addressed the problem of scheduling with batching. A majority of articles assumes that there is only one type of scarce resource, which is typically machine. Often there can be two scarce resources such as a worker and a machine or a machine and a tool. We propose a resource constrained scheduling model with a single operator and two or more machines. Whenever the operator changes machine, a setup time is required that may be sequence dependent or sequence independent. We consider the two cases of an open shop and a flow shop. In the open shop case, the order in which a job visits the machines is unrestricted. In the flow shop case, every job must visit the machines in the same order. We consider various scheduling objectives. For variable number of machines, many cases are intractable. We discuss some dominance properties that narrow down the search for an optimal schedule. We present a dynamic programming approach which solves a large number of cases. The running time of the dynamic program is polynomial for a fixed number of machines. For the case of two machines, we show that the dominance properties have a nice interpretation. We develop some algorithms and justify their use by establishing running times, comparing the running times with those of the existing algorithms, and testing the performance of the algorithms.

Sociable robots are increasing in complexity, popularity, and visibility. With the rapid diffusion of digital technologies in contemporary cultures, there is often limited time for critical reflection. The purpose of this thesis is to critically dissect an evolving technology, social robotics, as it begins entering more and more modern contexts. Using an eclectic approach, this research examines social robotics discourse across The New York Times (from 1986 to 2010) and popular fiction. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the media promoted appeal of social robotics, how social robotics are being presented to a general and specific audience, and evaluates how popular discourse on social robotics might be changing perceptions of communication and humanity. This research serves as a starting point for ongoing research into how new technologies and discourse on new technologies change, and attempt to influence, people and culture. / Introduction and justification -- Lit. review of sociable robots : the past, the present and the future -- Methods for analysis -- Critical analysis of social robotics and social robotics discourse -- Discussion. / Department of Telecommunications

This work deals with two main fields: a) The design, built, installation, test, evaluation, deployment and maintenance of Seismological Network of Crete (SNC) of the Laboratory of Geophysics and Seismology (LGS) at Technological Educational Institute (TEI) at Chania. b) The use of Wavelet Transform (WT) in several applications during the operation of the aforementioned network. SNC began its operation in 2003. It is designed and built in order to provide denser network coverage, real time data transmission to CRC, real time telemetry, use of wired ADSL lines and dedicated private satellite links, real time data processing and estimation of source parameters as well as rapid dissemination of results. All the above are implemented using commercial hardware and software which is modified and where is necessary, author designs and deploy additional software modules. Up to now (July 2008) SNC has recorded 5500 identified events (around 970 more than those reported by national bulletin the same period) and its seismic catalogue is complete for magnitudes over 3.2, instead national catalogue which was complete for magnitudes over 3.7 before the operation of SNC. During its operation, several applications at SNC used WT as a signal processing tool. These applications benefited from the adaptation of WT to non-stationary signals such as the seismic signals. These applications are: HVSR method. WT used to reveal undetectable non-stationarities in order to eliminate errors in site’s fundamental frequency estimation. Denoising. Several wavelet denoising schemes compared with the widely used in seismology band-pass filtering in order to prove the superiority of wavelet denoising and to choose the most appropriate scheme for different signal to noise ratios of seismograms. EEWS. WT used for producing magnitude prediction equations and epicentral estimations from the first 5 secs of P wave arrival. As an alternative analysis tool for detection of significant indicators in temporal patterns of seismicity. Multiresolution wavelet analysis of seismicity used to estimate (in a several years time period) the time where the maximum emitted earthquake energy was observed.

Problemformulering och syfte Det amerikanska presidentvalet 2016 var unikt – för första gången hade en kvinna chansen att bli president. De båda kandidaterna, Hillary Clinton och Donald Trump, figurerade flitigt i media under respektive valkampanj, inte minst på bild. Och just bilden har fått en allt större betydelse i nyhetsbevakning. I de traditionellt textbaserade medierna blir bilderna fler och större, medan texten krymper. Då mycket av tidigare forskning fokuserat på gestaltning i text, ville vi ta det vidare till bild. Syftet med vår studie var därför att se hur de två kandidaterna i det amerikanska valet gestaltas i bild. Men även hur rubrikerna till bilderna är gestaltade. Metod och material Vi har gjort en kvantitativ innehållsanalys av bilder publicerade på Hillary Clinton och Donald Trump i New York Times och Dagens Nyheter från den 1 november till och med den 8 november 2016. Totalt analyserade vi 67 bilder, 46 där Hillary Clinton förekom och 34 där Donald Trump förekom. Huvudresultat Resultatet av vår studie visar att media gestaltar kandidaterna olika i bild. Skillnaden finns i valet av bildutsnitt, kameravinkel och ansiktsuttryck. Det vanligaste sättet att gestalta Hillary Clinton på är som en lättillgänglig och oproblematisk person, dock med en viss distans. Medan Donald Trump gestaltas som en öppen och tillgänglig person som står nära läsarna, men samtidigt som en makthavare med ett allvarligt uttryck. Gestaltningarna av kandidaterna kan även tolkas som stereotypa för hur kvinnor och män porträtteras i media, där media fortsätter att reproducera könsstereotypa föreställningar om vad som är manligt och kvinnligt. Rubrikerna gestaltades i största utsträckning som spel.

The media conflates and distorts in its coverage on the war on terror- simultaneously misrepresenting and constructing the political and historically complex conflict between the Middle East and the West. Due to the current social-political climate of increasing xenophobia and the normalisation of Islamophobia, this study attempts to expand previous studies conducted on the media in relation to the war on terror. This is a comparative quantitative analysis of media framing between a Western news source and an Arab news source, examining their coverage of the November 2015 Paris attack and the March 20th Sana’a, Yemen attack. The findings revealed a deep complexity and intertwining of the media and its representation on the war on terror: the U.S. news source engaged more so in forms of biased framing of when covering the Paris attack and held a Western gaze of superiority when covering the Yemen attack, while the Arab news source proved to be overall less biased but was found to be susceptible to Westernisation.