bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unveiling emotional experiences: a phenomenological study of emotional labor in expatriate EFL teachers
Authors: Jalilzadeh Kaveh , Attaran Atena , Coombe Christine
Published: March 2024

This phenomenological study aimed to investigate the most common emotions experienced by expatriate EFL instructors and identify the factors that affect their emotional labor in the Turkish educational context. Emotional labor refers to the effort, expression, and management of emotions as part of one’s job responsibilities. In the context of this study, it specifically pertains to the emotional demands and challenges faced by expatriate EFL instructors during their teaching experiences. The study involved eight participants, consisting of five males and three females, working in different state and foundation universities across Türkiye. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data, which were then analyzed using MAXQDA software. The findings of the study revealed a range of both positive and negative emotions experienced by the participants. Negative emotions included stress, boredom, feeling ignored, job dislike, low motivation, and insecurity, while positive emotions entailed happiness, job satisfaction, love of one’s job, feeling appreciated, contentment, and motivation. The obtained results also indicated that the emotional labor of expatriate EFL instructors was influenced by two broad groups of positive and negative factors. The former group consisted of personal, interpersonal work-related relations, as well as institutional, and professional factors, while the latter was composed of personal, interpersonal work-related relations, as well as national, economic, institutional, and pedagogical categories. The findings were further discussed and several pedagogical implications were presented.
Australia’s university Generation Z and its concerns about climate change
Authors: Salguero Rodrigo Bardales , Bogueva Diana , Marinova Dora
Published: March 2024

Despite scientific evidence about the imminent threat of climate change, people and governments around the world are slow in taking sufficient action. Against these bleak outlooks, Generation Z (Gen Z) born 1995–2010 will inherit the consequences of prolonged inaction. This research delves into the climate change concerns of Australia’s university Gen Z. A representative survey of 446 Australian university students conducted between September 2021 and April 2022 revealed that climate change is the top environmental concern for Gen Z with 81% of these young people being significantly concerned and many experiencing serious climate anxiety. Despite this pervasive concern, 65% of Australia’s university Gen Z is not engaged in traditional climate activism; however, these young people are using technology to voice their concerns. As the future decision-makers of the world, it is crucial for Gen Z to accelerate climate action in all of its forms, including engaging with scientific knowledge and other generations to shape policies and safeguard a liveable planet for all.
The controlled SWAP test for entanglement of mixed quantum states
Authors: Zhang Rui-Qi , Qu Yue-Di , Shen Shu-Qian , Li Ming , Wang Jing
Published: March 2024

Quantum entanglement plays a key role in the field of quantum computing and quantum communication. The controlled SWAP test has been used to detect pure state entanglement (Foulds S. et al. Quantum Sci. Technol., 6 (2021) 035002; Beckey J. L. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 127 (2021) 140501). In this paper, we investigate that quantum circuits for controlled SWAP test can be used to detect the entanglement of multipartite mixed state. Based on the measured probability, we propose entanglement criteria for detecting multipartite entanglement and genuine entanglement of pure states. In addition, we give representation of the entanglement measures based on the measured probability of the controlled SWAP tests. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the efficiency of the entanglement criteria.
Far Lateral Approach With C1 Hemilaminotomy for Excision of a Ruptured Fusiform Lateral Spinal Artery Aneurysm: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Papadimitriou Kyriakos , Quach Eric T. , Golub Danielle , Patsalides Athos , Dehdashti Amir R.
Published: March 2024

The lateral spinal artery (LSA) represents the most rostral extent of the posterolateral arterial axis of the spinal cord and supplies both the posterior and lateral aspects of the spinal cord.
1
The LSA originates from either the intradural segment of vertebral artery or the lateral segment of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery.
1,2
It terminates at the level of C5 because it anastomoses with the posterior spinal artery. Although the LSA is in communication with the subarachnoid space, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to an LSA aneurysm is rare.
3-6
Moreover, accurate diagnosis of vascular pathologies involving the LSA is challenging because the LSA is typically too small to be visualized with conventional angiography.
2
Here, we present the case of a 74-year-old woman who presented to our institution with headache, nausea, and confusion due to posterior fossa SAH without any visible vascular malformation on initial diagnostic cerebral angiography. A right frontal external ventricular drain was placed for communicating hydrocephalus. Immediate cerebral angiogram was within normal limits. Two-week follow-up angiogram demonstrated a fusiform right LSA aneurysm. The endovascular treatment was not an option because of the risk of occlusion of proximal perforators of the right posterior spinal artery, resulting in a long segment ischemia. The patient underwent a right far lateral transcondylar approach with C1 hemilaminotomy and excision of the LSA aneurysm. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was neurologically intact. Six-month follow-up angiogram showed no evidence of residual aneurysm. LSA pathologies should be kept in mind with posterior fossa SAH. Surgical excision is an effective treatment option in carefully selected patients.

The patient consented to the procedure.
Globalnie i lokalnie ważona kombinacja liniowa jako podejście metodyczne do oceny georóżnorodności geoparków
Authors: Zwoliński Zbigniew , Najwer Alicja , Jankowski Piotr
Published: March 2024

Artykuł przedstawia analizę porównawczą metody przestrzennej analizy wielokryterialnej w dwóch technikach do oceny georóżnorodności wybranych parków narodowych reprezentujących zróżnicowane typy krajobrazu Polski: obszar górski, wyżynny i nizinny. Pierwsza technika dotyczy globalnie ważonej kombinacji liniowej (G-WLC), natomiast druga – lokalnie ważonej kombinacji liniowej (L-WLC). Oceny georóżnorodności zlewni elementarnych wykonano w oparciu o siedem komponentów środowiska geograficznego wybranych parków narodowych. Do analizy porównawczej uzyskanych wyników ocen georóżnorodności obydwoma technikami wykorzystano indykator georóżnorodności. W artykule wykazano, że technika globalnie ważonej kombinacji liniowej (G-WLC) jest bardziej czuła na georóżnorodność obszarów jednorodnych środowiskowo, np. wyżynnych i nizinnych, natomiast technika lokalnie ważonej kombinacji liniowej (L-WLC) powinna być przeznaczona do badania obszarów heterogenicznych, bardzo zróżnicowanych, szczególnie hipsometrycznie, np. do obszarów górskich.
Commodification of women in Sido Muncul advertisement Sido Susu Ginger drink Ariel Tatum version
Authors: Anggit Laksono Galang , Prathisara Gibbran
Published: March 2024

This study aims to determine the indications that refer to the commodification of women contained in YouTube advertisements. Women in the media become indispensable for the capital owners because they can be an exchange value; this cannot be separated from the role of advertisers. This research used qualitative research with the content analysis method. The research was conducted by observing the Sido Susu/Sido Muncul advertisement of the Ariel Tatum version from each shot. The result of this research shows that there is an element of commodification of women in the Sido Susu advertisement of the Ariel Tatum version; the advertisement has shown the beauty of women's bodies, which has been exploited by the capital owners and advertisers. Advertisement in the media cannot be separated from the interests of the company because the company certainly wants to look for profit, but women here have been used as objects that are utilized as if women can become an exchange value.
role of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 brand ambassador: An analysis of Ghanim Al Muftah in promoting inclusive engagement
Authors: Rizana Aulia Holaw , Lisnarini Naurah
Published: March 2024

Many ways exist to promote and increase awareness of products, one of which is through collaboration with celebrities or well-known figures to become brand ambassadors. Collaboration with brand ambassadors is a form of communication carried out by a brand or event to convey messages and information to the audience regarding the content of the message. This research was conducted with the aim of understanding the role of Ghanim Al Muftah as a brand ambassador in introducing the inclusive FIFA World Cup 2022. The research method used was descriptive qualitative, employing a case study and literature review method. The results obtained in this study show that Ghanim Al Muftah's role as a brand ambassador has garnered a positive response, had a beneficial impact, and effectively conveyed awareness of the inclusivity aspect to the audience.
Truth and Liturgy: A Foundational Key for Liturgical Renewal
Authors: Cardó Daniel
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT: Many debates about liturgical renewal are mainly based on personal experience. Can we speak of a truth that transcends those experiences? The divorce between truth–dogma and liturgical practice can be perceived both in the pastoral and academic levels and is, according to Joseph Ratzinger, "the central problem of the liturgical reform." Therefore, the reflection on the place of truth in the liturgical debates of our time is an important key for authentic liturgical renewal, allowing us to discern what is essential and how to put into practice those truths in different contexts.
'What are they saying to me?': Perceptions of Accommodation and Nonaccommodation of Spanish-speaking Latin American Immigrants in the Canadian Workplace
Authors: Tamayo Jully Paola Merchán , Terrion Jenepher Lennox
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Guided by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT; Giles et al. 1987), this qualitative study documents the perceptions of Spanish-speaking Latin American immigrants regarding the communicative behaviors that native speakers make when interacting with them in the Canadian workplace. The findings of this phenomenological study resulted from a thematic analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews. Participants gave their accounts of those communicative behaviors by native speakers that they considered helpful to facilitate interactions and enhance their relations (accommodation). Participants also shared examples of nonaccommodative instances where they perceived that their native-speaking peers did not adjust or sufficiently adjust their communicative behaviors (underaccommodation) or engaged in a communicative behaviour that went beyond what was necessary for the interaction (overaccommodation). Based on these findings, this study offers insights into those behaviors and practices that could contribute to constructive interactions between nonnative and native speakers in the workplace. Résumé: Guidée par la théorie de l'accommodation de la communication (CAT ; Giles et al. 1987), cette étude qualitative documente les perceptions des immigrants latino-américains hispanophones concernant les comportements de communication que les locuteurs natifs adoptent lorsqu'ils interagissent avec eux sur le lieu de travail canadien. Les résultats de cette étude phénoménologique résultent d'une analyse thématique de 24 entretiens semi-directifs. Les participants ont donné leur avis sur les comportements communicatifs de locuteurs natifs qu'ils considéraient comme utiles pour faciliter les interactions et améliorer leurs relations (accommodation). Les participants ont également partagé des exemples de cas non accommodants où ils ont perçu que leurs pairs de langue maternelle n'avaient pas ajusté ou suffisamment ajusté leurs comportements de communication (sous-accommodation) ou s'étaient engagés dans un comportement de communication qui allait au-delà de ce qui était nécessaire pour l'interaction (sur-accommodation). Sur la base de ces résultats, cette étude offre un aperçu des comportements et des pratiques qui pourraient contribuer à des interactions constructives entre locuteurs non natifs et natifs sur le lieu de travail.
Lingzhi : Mushrooms, Immortality, and Order
Authors: Kohn Ezra
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This article examines references to the lingzhi 靈芝 mushroom in Song encyclopedic compilations ( leishu 類書), specifically the Taiping yulan , as both a reflection and embodiment of greater shifts in the consolidation of state power and religious control during this period. This mushroom forms an ancient and vital component of Daoist medicine and alchemy, and an equally influential symbol in Daoist literature and art. Written references date back to the Han, when it was understood as both a divine medicine of immortality and signifier of political mandate. After providing an analysis of lingzhi 's symbolic significance from the Han until the Tang, this study argues that Song governmental encyclopedic efforts culturally stripped the fungus of its divine significations, which preceded its symbolic commodification in later periods.
A Close Encounter. Iranian Shiʻi Clergy and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Rodziewicz Magdalena
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT: Although, the Iranian Shiʻi clergy have commonly been portrayed as conservative, reactionary and resistant to technological advancements, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic they have demonstrated a remarkable willingness to embrace the latest technological innovations in medicine, communication, or computer sciences with the aim of boosting their own operational effectiveness. The group has adeptly utilised the new social media environment to enhance interaction with the faithful and disseminate religious content. This has impacted not only their relationship with society, but also the overall activity of the group in the light of the Islamic Republic’s challenges. This article examines Iranian Shiʻi clerics’ views on contemporary technology, focusing on the example of so-called artificial intelligence (pers. hūsh-e maṣnūʿī ). The study provides an overview of clerics’ views on artificial intelligence and identifies the principal domains where the greatest gains of AI are perceived to have taken place. It aims to reveal the rationale behind the clergy’s optimistic outlook on AI, by examining initiatives carried out within the Shiʻi religious seminaries in Iran.
Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Gulf of Mexico’s Water Quality: A Review
Authors: Moragoda Nishani , Jones Carly , Stanley Lydia , Liu Yang , Keellings David
Published: March 2024

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a regionally important marine ecosystem with valuable
fisheries that may be detrimentally impacted by anthropogenic climate change. In recent years, our
scientific understanding of climate change impacts on the GOM water quality has advanced
considerably. Such advancements include increased understanding of climate change impacts on the
GOM’s hypoxia and sediment, and subsequent impacts on the region’s marine ecosystem. This paper
reviews these developments and highlights gaps in our understanding of climate change impacts on
marine water quality and its implications in the GOM region. There is broad scientific agreement that
physical changes induced by anthropogenic climate change are determining factors of water quality
and biodiversity in the GOM. However, the scientific community should work toward a greater
understanding of species and ecosystem specific changes through modeling studies exclusive to the
GOM region and this should inform the development of broader multi-disciplinary mitigation
strategies.
Bottled Water Consumption and Perceptions of Household Water Quality: An Intra-Urban Analysis of Greensboro, North Carolina
Authors: Stephens Stephanie , Praskievicz Sarah
Published: March 2024

Perceived household water quality can affect decision-making about bottled water
consumption, an issue of environmental justice. Residents who do not trust the quality of their tap
water may drink bottled water as an alternative, but people also choose to drink bottled water for
other reasons, such as taste or convenience. This study examines patterns of bottled water
consumption and perceptions of tap water quality across neighborhoods of Greensboro, North
Carolina, with differing income levels. Household surveys were used to investigate residents’
consumption of bottled water and tap water and their stated reasons for consuming bottled water.
Results indicate that respondents in low-income neighborhoods report drinking significantly
(p=0.001) more bottled water than respondents in higher-income neighborhoods. Concerns about the
safety of tap water were a significantly (p=0.00005) more important reason for respondents in low-
income neighborhoods to choose bottled water compared to respondents in higher-income
neighborhoods. The results of this study indicate that intra-urban differences in perceptions of
household water quality are a major environmental justice issue in that concerns about safety drive
low-income residents to spend their limited income on bottled water.
Stranger Things: Exploring the Infrastructures of Pollution in Columbia, SC
Authors: Thornton Jill , Kneas David
Published: March 2024

In 2010, a toxic tar-like material (TLM) was discovered in the riverbed of a popular
Congaree River boat launch site near downtown Columbia, South Carolina. In this article, we examine
the novel infrastructural form that emerged to deal with this waste, a temporary cofferdam that was
built in 2022 as an integral element in the Congaree River Sediment Cleanup project. In doing so, we
consider what we call the short and long histories of the cofferdam’s construction. These histories
provide a way of glimpsing into how post-industrial landscapes and infrastructures are shaped by an
inexhaustible list of potentially impactful factors both within and beyond contaminated spaces. We
argue that the short history of the cofferdam’s size, shape, composition, and age have been shaped by
its long history of factors that include potential unexploded Civil War ordnance, the presence of
threatened and endangered species, and state and non-state actor relationships. This case study
invites us to think more broadly about the presence of coal tar as an index, object, and constituent of
different environment infrastructural forms.
Conceptualizations of Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation: A Case Study of the Daniel Boone National Forest
Authors: Caudill Hannah , Baka Jennifer
Published: March 2024

The Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) contains numerous abandoned mine sites left
over from eastern Kentucky’s history of coal mining, many of which are leaching contaminants into
the environment. The United States Forest Service is acting to reclaim these sites to mitigate negative
impacts. There are several other governmental and non-governmental actors in Appalachia with
different conceptualizations of reclamation’s purpose. This research examines the mine land
reclamation process on a protected area within a region with a history of resource extraction and
builds on previous work to understand different conceptualizations of abandoned mine land
reclamation in Appalachia. Content analysis was conducted on DBNF project documentation,
interviews, and documentation from state and federal agencies, and NGOs. These documents indicate
that government entities tend to conceptualize reclamation and its purpose in a siloed manner. This
research also reveals that non-governmental actors tend to conceptualize reclamation in a holistic
manner but are less able to exert control over an area. The DBNF largely conceptualizes the purpose of
reclamation as achieving ecosystem restoration but may benefit from working more closely with NGOs
and adopting a similarly holistic approach. Opening a dialogue between these actors could help
address the knowledge gap present at the DBNF’s sites
Hurricane Frances in Florida: Past and Future
Authors: Cohen Sabrina , Mullens Esther
Published: March 2024

Tropical cyclones (TC) are common high-impact weather events in the southeastern United States. One of the most intense TCs to hit north-central Florida in recent decades was Hurricane Frances (2004), which resulted in over $10B in damages. Given the growing concern about the relationship between anthropogenic climate change, precipitation, and TCs, we investigated how a Hurricane Frances-like event would affect north-central Florida in the late 21st century under an RCP- 8.5 scenario. Using a ‘pseudo’ global warming dataset based on the high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we explore historical and future simulations of Hurricane Frances’s path, precipitation rates, and wind speeds. We discover that, across north-central Florida sub-daily to daily rainfall totals in the future simulation exceed that of the historical, having return period events in some cases reaching 500-year thresholds. We also find more broadly across the spatial domain of the hurricane that rainfall rates in all temporal categories and total rainfall accumulation increased significantly. Results for wind speeds were mixed, with an evident expansion of tropical storm winds, but a slight contraction of the spatial extent of strongest winds at the surface. We discuss the implications of these findings for decision-makers in Florida.
Recovery and Restoration of Disturbed Sand Bars of the Apalachicola River, Florida
Authors: Mossa Joann , Chen Yin-Hsuen , Amanambu Amobichukwu Chukwudi , Alruzuq Ali
Published: March 2024

abstract: Large, low-lying rivers have a variety of societal uses and show a wide range of disturbances. One such example, the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle, experienced anthropogenic activities that altered its hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecologic condition. The river's sand bars enlarged more than threefold in area because of dredge disposal and localized incision from anthropogenic activities during a navigation project. Once dredging ended, the river experienced passive recovery through the slow regrowth of riparian vegetation, with sand bars reducing in area ~18% from 2005 to 2015. The outcomes of tree-line change analyses from 1999 to 2019 indicate a higher recovery rate in the first decade (1999-2010), migrating fastest in locations where vegetation islands stabilize sediments. To help accelerate vegetation regrowth, during the growing seasons of 2018 and 2019, we planted willow stakes at various positions and microhabitats covering ~3.6 ha of three enlarged sand bars near Blountstown, FL. Our mapping shows some synergies between passive recovery and active restoration as tree-line expansion had the fastest rates between 2019 and 2021. Our study gives insights and guidance into passive recovery and restoration projects involving plantings on large, low-lying rivers.
Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Channel Disturbance Zones in Big River, Southeast Missouri (1937–2018)
Authors: Owen Marc R. , Pavlowsky Robert T. , Martin Derek J.
Published: March 2024

abstract: Ozarks watersheds have responded to land clearing and settlement disturbances by transporting large amounts of gravel and sediment to main valleys of medium-large river systems. Historical gravel and sediment accumulate in disturbance zones, which are areas of excessive channel activity that can be detected over time using historical aerial photographs. This project uses a series of aerial photos from 1937–2018 to identify disturbance zones in the Big River of southeast Missouri, which has a history of lead mining and ore processing that has caused widespread contamination of the channel and floodplain deposits. Variations in active areas of the historical meander belt show that disturbance zones account for 24 percent of the channel length at an interval of one per 2.5 km of channel. Megabars and extensions are the most prominent types of disturbance zones, but translations and cutoffs are larger with higher potential for sediment storage. From 1937 to 1976, areas of channel activity have cycled between expansion and contraction. However, after a period of recovery prior to 1976, disturbance zone areas have been expanding over the last 40 years likely in response to an increase in flood magnitude and frequency from more high intensity rainfall events since 1973.
The Southeast Florida Surface Urban Heat Island and Hispanic Ethnic Exposure Inequalities
Authors: Cresswell Kevin
Published: March 2024

abstract: Urban heat islands (UHI) present serious health risks as urban growth continues and thermal conditions warm. However, UHI studies on urban agglomerations are comparatively fewer while presenting notable challenges not encountered when examining individual cities. This analysis exploring the Southeast Florida urban agglomeration surface UHI (SUHI) quantified SUHI intensity (SUHII) using five measurement approaches. Multiple regression illuminated the influence of demographic and socioeconomic variables on respective SUHII indicators. Since prior urban heat analyses considered His-panics broadly and Southeast Florida features a diverse Hispanic population exceeding two million, a Hispanic ethnicity analysis was performed granularly examining exposure differences. Results demonstrated positive statistical correlation yet noteworthy numerical disparities between SUHII indicators, while demographic and socioeconomic variables explained 40-73 percent of observed variation. Collectively, Hispanics were disproportionately exposed to higher intensity with Cubans, Hondurans, Nicaraguans, and Other Central Americans exceedingly at risk. Results underscore a need to advance beyond traditional SUHII measurement approaches when analyzing urban agglomerations and emphasize the importance of distinguishing ethnicities when conducting urban-environmental studies in places with diverse Hispanic populations.
The Foreign-Trade Zone and its Impacts on Neighboring Communities in Mobile, Alabama
Authors: Lane Jesse M.
Published: March 2024

abstract: The foreign-trade zone (FTZ) has become an essential part of national trade policy in the United States and an important aspect of promoting local development. Officially opened in its current form in 1983 under the official title of FTZ No. 82, the foreign-trade zone in Mobile, Alabama has become an integral part of the local economy and an important tool used by local councils for attracting overseas firms. Located primarily along the west banks of the Mobile Bay and Mobile River, with several sites dispersed throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties, the zone has been used as a catalyst for regional economic growth policy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the external costs and benefits to the local community using observational data and interviews with local authorities familiar with the zone. Qualitative findings indicate the zone has been a major source of foreign direct investment for Mobile and contributes to local economic development by attracting major transnational firms to the city. However, observations and interviews suggest the zone has primarily benefited large firms at the expense of smaller firms, provided little spillover into neighboring boroughs, and adversely affected the local environment and public health.
Minimal change disease following COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review
Authors: Kechagias Konstantinos S. , Laleye Joshua D. , Drmota Jan , Geropoulos Georgios , Kyrtsonis Georgios , Zafeiri Marina , Triantafyllidis Konstantinos Katsikas , Stathi Dimitra
Published: March 2024

Background

The newly developed COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and safe. However, a small portion of vaccine recipients experience a wide range of adverse events. Recently, glomerular disease, including the development of Minimal Change Disease (MCD), has been observed after administration of different COVID-19 vaccines, although causality remains a matter of debate.

Aim

The aim of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the available literature and provide an overview of reported cases of MCD following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Results

We identified 46 eligible articles which included 94 cases with MCD following COVID-19 vaccination of which one case was reported twice due to a second relapse. Fifty-five participants were males (59.1%, 55/93) and 38 (40.9%, 38/93) were females with a mean age of 45.02 years (SD:20.95). From the included patients 50 (50/94, 53.1%) were described as new-onset and 44 (46.9%, 44/94) as relapse. On average, symptomatology developed 16.68 days (SD: 22.85) after the administration of the vaccine irrespective of the dose. Data about symptoms was reported in 68 cases with the most common being oedema (80.8%, 55/68), followed by weight gain (26.5%, 18/68) and hypertension (16.1%, 11/68). In terms of outcome, more than half of the patients went into remission (61%, 57/94), while 18 recovered or improved post treatment (19.1%, 18/94). Two people relapsed after treatment (2.1%, 2/94) and two cases (2.1%, 2/94) were reported as not recovered.

Conclusion

MCD is possibly a condition clinicians may see in patients receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Although this adverse event is uncommon, considering the limited published data and the absence of confirmed causality, increased clinical awareness is crucial for the early recognition and optimal management of these patients.
Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis Causing Pyloric Stenosis: A Rare Manifestation
Authors: Pan Fei Yang , Smale Matthew , Rennie Michael , Langan Rinky , Rogge Claudia
Published: March 2024

Eosinophilic gastritis is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by eosinophilic infiltration in the gastric wall. We present a rare case of critical pyloric stenosis secondary to eosinophilic gastritis in a 16-year-old adolescent girl who presented with nausea, vomiting, early satiety, and abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography and subsequent esophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed the anatomical diagnosis, but histological confirmation of the eosinophilic etiology was challenging. After an unsuccessful trial of high-dose systemic corticosteroids, a laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy was performed and long-term immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil was commenced.
University Social Responsibilities-Based Green Accounting: Implementation of Green Universities
Authors: Suhartini Dwi , Widoretno Astrini Aning , Azmiyanti Rizdina
Published: March 2024

The research aims to examine the differences in the implementation of green accounting based on University Social Responsibilities (USR) at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) and Brawijaya University (UB). The data analysis method uses a different test approach with a sample size of 150 respondents from the academic community. The data collection method uses a mail survey with Google Forms. The research results prove no difference in implementing environmental awareness, environmental involvement, environmental reporting, environmental audit, and university social responsibility at ITS and UB. UB initiated the green campus concept and ITS with the eco campus concept. However, there are no audit reports related to green accounting at either campus. The contribution of this research will lead to policies for drafting environmental audit report regulations because campuses also produce waste from the impact of their activities. This regulation can strengthen sustainable practices on campus environments in Indonesia and ensure a sustainable environmental legacy for future generations.
The Impact of QRIS Policy on the Development of Micro Businesses in Medan City, Indonesia
Authors: Rahman Arif , Hakim Sukma Hayati , Pratomo Wahyu Ario
Published: March 2024

This study analyzes the impact of the QRIS policy in the early stages of implementation on financial performance and expansion of the market share of micro-businesses in Medan City. Financial performance is observed through changes in turnover and net profit; meanwhile, market share is determined based on changes in the number of new customers before and after the implementation of the QRIS policy. This study employs the Difference in Differences (DiD) method. The type of data used is primary data. Purposive and random sampling was utilized with 50 samples of micro businesses for the treatment group and 50 for the control group. The time difference was found between before and after the implementation of the QRIS policy. The results of this study show that the QRIS policy has a positive and significant effect on the increase in new consumers. On the other hand, the QRIS policy has no significant impact on the net profit and turnover of micro businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly and negatively impacted micro-enterprises, sharply declining revenue and net profit. However, based on the magnitude of the decline, the control group experienced a relatively greater turnover and net profit decline than the treatment group. The implication of this study is the need for efforts to increase micro-entrepreneurs understanding of the importance of faster adaptation to advances in digital technology, one of which is adjustments to a more flexible payment system so that consumers can get a wider choice of payment schemes. In addition, payment system authorities should address various obstacles in using the system and provide more massive socialization of the products offered.
Leader-Member Exchange and Employee Performance: Mediating Roles of Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Jufrizen Jufrizen , Harahap Dita Sayidina , Khair Hazmanan
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study is to investigate and evaluate the direct or indirect effects of leader-member exchange on work engagement and job satisfaction on employee performance. The study encompassed 215 employees who worked at the Office of the Regional Tax and Retribution Management Agency of Medan City, with 140 employees constituting the sample size. Questionnaires and interviews were employed in this study's data collection process. SmartPLS (Partial Least Square) 4.0 software is utilized for structural equation modeling in statistical analysis. The results of this study indicate that direct leader-member exchange, work engagement and job satisfaction have a significant effect on employee performance. Leader-member ex-change has a significant effect on performance through work engagement and employee job satisfaction at the Office of the Regional Tax and Retribution Management Agency of Medan City. This research provides information for the Office of the Regional Tax and Retribution Management Agency of Medan City and related parties to improve employee performance by increasing job satisfaction, and work engagement and improving existing leadership to provide employee comfort.
The Specter of 'Knowledge as Commons'
Authors: Popowich Sam
Published: March 2024

The recent arrest of Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha is a chilling development in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign of repression against free media. The current "moral panic" being mobilized against Purkayashta, Sam Popowich notes, represents Modi's attempt to gain popular legitimacy for his Hindutva program and silence dissent.
Do It Yourself, Brother
Authors: Noakes Christian
Published: March 2024

Christian Noakes tells the story of the struggle to liberate jazz from the exploitative, white-controlled music industry in 1950s and beyond. Recounting the seminal events of the movement and backlash from white civil society, Noakes reveals a legacy of Black cultural autonomy and resistance led by such jazz legends as Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Bill Dixon, and others.
Digital transformation in e-commerce logistics
Authors: Tabim Verônica Maurer , Franco Cíntia Wilke , Hoerde João Pedro
Published: March 2024

Highlights: This article addresses the diagnosis of digital maturity in e-commerce logistics, specifically the final delivery stage, known as the last-mile. The last-mile has greater digitization demand than traditional logistics due to the extreme speed of the virtual world during shopping, where customers transfer these same expectations to delivery services.
Goal: The main objective of this work is to evaluate the digital maturity of the last-mile area of operation of an e-commerce logistics company.
Methodology: This study evaluates the maturity model in a case study with the company E-commerceCo. Interviews were conducted with key employees for data gathering.
Results: The proposed method allows defining and analyzing the digital maturity of the last-mile area of the company in question, understanding strengths, such as a culture open to innovation and digitally mature, and weaknesses, such as technical limitations imposed by the main system used and lack of cybersecurity barriers.
Limitations of the investigation: Since it is a single case study, it does not allow a broad generalization to industries in other branches. Another limitation is that this study is focused on Brazilian logistics operations, which may differ from other countries.
Practical implications: This research is relevant to serve as a reference for other companies in the e-commerce logistics sector to assess their digital maturity from the proposed model and compare common challenges and opportunities. In addition, it will help the studied company to create a successful digital transformation strategy.
Originality / Value: We propose a new approach on how to evaluate the digital maturity of the last-mile area of operation of an e-commerce logistics company.
Permeability Prediction for Carbonate Rocks using a Modified Flow Zone Indicator Method
Authors: Mahmood Ahmed J. , Jubair Mohammed A.
Published: March 2024

Carbonate reservoir rocks are usually heterogeneous, so it is not an easy task to establish a relation between porosity and permeability in these types of reservoir rocks. First, Kozney and Kozney-carmen formulas were used to establish these relations. Later, the flow zone indicator (FZI) method was introduced, which was widely used to find such a relation since it shows better results than the two former methods. In this work, the classical FZI method and a modified form of the FZI method are utilized to identify the hydraulic flow units and rock quality index to predict permeability. In this FZI method, the cementation factor (m) was introduced in calculating the value of FZI. The data collected from core analysis of the cored intervals in the Tanuma and Khasib formations were used as a database for this work. The classical and the modified FZI methods were applied using the database to predict core permeability. The value of the cementation factor was tuned to get a better match between the predicted permeability resulting from applying the modified method and the measured permeability values. Results show that the correlation coefficients resulting from applying the modified FZI method are closer to unity compared with that resulting from the classical FZI method. Cementation factor (m) of m = 3 for Tanuma formation and m = 3 for Khasib formation are the best values used with the modified FZI method. The modified FZI method shows a regression factor of 0.9986 for Tanuma and 0.9942 for Khasib formation.
Bromination of Chalcone
Authors: Kaka Kosrat N. , Omer Rebaz A. , Mamand Dyari M. , Qader Aryan F.
Published: March 2024

In this research work, a new compound, namely 2,6-dibromo-2,6-bis(bromo(phenyl)methyl)cyclohexanone (1), is synthesized and characterized for possible applications in organic electronic devices. The formation of the compound was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H-, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, the spectroscopic and optoelectronic properties of the chemical compound were theoretically investigated using density-functional theory (DFT). Herein, the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level was used to discover the compound electrostatic potentials and frontier molecular orbitals. The theoretical investigations predicted by DFT were compared with the experimentally obtained results from the ultraviolet visible spectra of the compound after being dissolved in various solvents. Results showed that the experimental band-gap energy of the compound is 3.17 eV, whereas its theoretical value was calculated to be 3.33 eV. The outcome of the achieved results suggests the viability of 2,6-dibromo-2,6-bis(bromo(phenyl)methyl)cyclohexanone for possible applications in organic electronic devices
A Low-Distortion Oblique Map Projection of the World’s Landmasses
Authors: Kerkovits Krisztián
Published: March 2024

This study presents the development of a world map projection intended to minimize distortion of all continents. I begin by reviewing a very similar map projection developed by Canters (2002), and address its shortcomings by carefully fine-tuning the initial constraints and the method of optimization, while retaining the most useful ideas of this earlier map. Most notably, the method described in this paper puts a great emphasis on the outline of the map, so that its aesthetics make it more suitable for atlases; the method also exclusively uses reproducible, deterministic methods. Finally, I compare the resulting world map to the original one of Canters in terms of map distortions and practical usefulness. The method presented here should work without changes if a low-distortion map of any other global-scale area is needed.
Experimental investigation of the effect of horizontal construction joints on the behavior of deep beams
Authors: Kadhum Saba Basim , Al-Zuhairi Alaa Hussein , Al-Zaidee Salah R.
Published: March 2024

Construction joints serve as interruption points in the concrete placement process, which is necessary because it is often not feasible to pour concrete continuously in many structures. The quantity of concrete that can be poured at a single instance depends on the batching and mixing capacity, as well as the strength of the formwork. An effective construction joint must ensure sufficient flexural and shear continuity across the junction. Many studies investigated the construction joints in the reinforced concrete (RC) normal beams, but there are no studies investigating the effect of construction joints on the behavior of the RC deep beams. This study was prepared to show the behavior of deep beams having horizontal construction joints (HCJs) extended through their entire length. The parameter studied in this research was the location of the HCJ within the beam height. Four simply supported RC deep beams were tested under a two-point static load up to failure. One of these beams was without a construction joint and was considered a reference beam. Each one of the other beams has only one horizontal construction. The location of these joints was below, at, or above the beam mid-height. The crack patterns, the strain distributions, the mode of failure, deflection, and failure load are discussed. It was found that the existence of construction joints below, at, or above the beam mid-height results in a decrease in load failure load by 9, 11, and 1% compared with the reference beam. It can be concluded that the best location of the HCJ in the RC deep beam is in the upper part of the beam.
Microstructure and residual stress distribution of electron beam-welded joints of a 50 mm-thick TA15 titanium alloy plate
Authors: Zhao Xilong , He Feng , Wang Kun , Lu Xinhong
Published: March 2024

Vacuum electron beam welding was applied to a 50 mm-thick TA15 titanium alloy plate. Microstructure observation and microhardness testing were performed. Meanwhile, the residual stress on the surface at different distances from the weld centre was measured via the hole drilling method. A finite element model for electron beam welding of the TA15 titanium alloy plate was constructed on commercial finite element software. Experimental results showed that the microstructure of the weld zone consisted of a basket martensitic phase. The highest microhardness in the weld zone was 409 HV, and the microhardness of the base metal was the lowest. The maximum gradient change area was located at the HAZ near the base metal. The peak value of longitudinal residual stress from the simulation was 880 MPa, which was in the weld metal. The sharp change area of longitudinal residual stress gradient was located in the base metal near HAZ.
F. A. von Hayek’o knyga „Laisvės konstitucija“: jos gimimo aplinkybės ir aktualumas šiandienai
Authors: Čiegis Remigijus , Drabavičius Žilvinas
Published: March 2024

Straipsnyje pateikiamas F. A. von Hayek’o knygos „Laisvės konstitucija“ gimimo aplinkybių ir jos realaus aktualumo šiandienai
teorinis tyrimas, grindžiamas nuostata, kad siekiant suprasti šiuolaikinę visuomenę reikia atsižvelgti į idėjų ir visuomenių istoriją. Atliekant
tyrimą siekiama atskleisti minėtos F. A. von Hayek’o knygos gimimo aplinkybes, svarbiausius jos turinio momentus bei parodyti
knygos poveikį tuometiniams ir šiandieniams politiniams-ekonominiams procesams, atsižvelgiant į bendrai priimtas socialines
normas. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidžia, kad šia knyga F. A. von Hayek’as metė iššūkį netikėjimui, kad kiekviena ekonominė-socialinė
plėtra yra žmonių veiklos, o ne jų sumanymų rezultatas.
The Role of the Leader‘S Communication in the Organisation
Authors: Dobržinskienė Rasa
Published: March 2024

Nowadays it is not enough to be a good manager, because that model of managing creates a distance between the administration
and the employees in an organisation. Leadership is a new category of managing an organization, and it creates a closer relationship
between the staff. The leader must have certain qualities, one of which is good communication. It makes for a reliable communicative
network connecting the management, colleagues and employees. Communication is an important factor in an organisation’s activity
and in the relationships between the staff. The concept of leadership is a complex concept, as it is constantly changing, depending on
global changes relating to the management of organisations. Modernity requires a different attitude and behaviour from leaders: they
become guides, mobilisers of the team with which they pursue common goals. In order to achieve common goals together, a leader
must communicate properly. The ability to gather teams and gain their trust is important for effective communication by a leader, so
that communication goes smoothly, and this allows for achieving the common goals of the organisation.