Analysis of transient interaction of electromagnetic pulse with an air layer in a dielectric medium using wavelet-based implicit TDIE formulation

The interaction of transient electromagnetic pulse with an air layer in a dielectric medium is formulated in terms of a time-domain integral equation and solved numerically via the method of moments. Previous related works pointed to the inherent inadequacy of the marching-on-in-time method in this case, but suggested no remedy. This paper explains why an implicit modeling scheme would work effectively in this case. It is also noted that the use of an implicit scheme would normally involve a solution of a very large and dense matrix equation. To alleviate this drawback of the implicit scheme, the use of a wavelet-based impedance-matrix-compression technique, which has facilitated in the very recent past solutions of time-domain problems with greater efficiency, is described.     

Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker

This paper re‐examines the concept of “meme” in the context of digital culture. Defined as cultural units that spread from person to person, memes were debated long before the digital era. Yet the Internet turned the spread of memes into a highly visible practice, and the term has become an integral part of the netizen vernacular. After evaluating the promises and pitfalls of memes for understanding digital culture, I address the problem of defining memes by charting a communication‐oriented typology of 3 memetic dimensions: content, form, and stance. To illustrate the utility of the typology, I apply it to analyze the video meme “Leave Britney Alone.” Finally, I chart possible paths for further meme‐oriented analysis of digital content.     

Evasive Targets: Deciphering Polysemy in Mediated Humor

While polysemy has been discussed in communication studies for decades, a fundamental question has evaded systematic analysis: Which textual features make mediated texts open to multiple interpretations? Focusing on humor, we addressed this question by using a somewhat unusual point of departure–a failed intercoder reliability test. We analyzed 130 humorous forwards, of which 55 elicited disagreement between coders regarding the target of mockery and 75 were uncontroversial. Our comparative analysis yielded six textual attributes that augment polysemy in mediated humor: narrative‐valence discrepancies, unstereotypical stereotyping, debatable personality traits, self‐deprecating humor, intertextuality, and centrifugal multimodality. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed typology by analyzing public controversies stirred by humorous communication, and discuss its applicability to the study of audiences and nonhumorous genres.     

Compliance of the lung-thorax system in pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia

Compliance of the lungs and thorax was studied in 65 pregnant women during cesarean section. The measurements were carried out in a group of healthy controls and in patients with preeclampsia. The detected changes indicated increased rigidity of the lungs even in normal pregnancy. Comparison of the results indicates an appreciable increase of rigidity of the lungs in patients with preeclampsia, this permitting us to regard it as a status involving interstitial pulmonary hyperhydration.     

Families and Networks of Internet Memes: The Relationship Between Cohesiveness,Uniqueness, and Quiddity Concreteness

This study employs a large‐scale quantitative analysis to reveal structural patterns of internet memes, focusing on 2 forces that bind them together: the quiddities of each meme family and the generic attributes of the broader memetic sphere. Using content and network analysis of 1013 meme instances (including videos, images, and text), we explore memes' prevalent quiddity types and generic features, and the ways in which they relate to each other. Our findings show that (a) higher cohesiveness of meme families is associated with a greater uniqueness of their generic attributes; and (b) the concreteness of meme quiddities is associated with cohesiveness and uniqueness. We discuss the implications of these findings to the understanding of internet memes and participatory culture.