bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zöldállamkötvények: környezetvédelmi, államadósság finanszírozási vagy diplomáciai eszköz?
Authors: Gyura Gábor
Published: September 2021

Az elmúlt években a nemzetközi tőkepiacokon a zöld kötvények mint új pénzügyi eszközosztály megjelenésének lehettünk tanúi, melybe olyan értékpapírok tartoznak, amelyek környezetvédelemmel kapcsolatos projektek finanszírozására gyűjtenek forrásokat. Amíg e kötvények kibocsátói korábban vállalatok, magántulajdonban lévő vagy multilaterális fejlesztési bankok, önkormányzatok voltak, újabban több kormány is kifejezte szándékát, hogy ilyen célú kötvényt, azaz zöld államkötvényt bocsásson ki. A zöld kötvények piacának rövid bemutatása után a cikk Lengyelország és Franciaország zöld államkötvényeit elemzi ezek általános és pénzügyi jellemzőire fókuszálva, és részletesebben vizsgálja a kibocsátások lehetséges motivációit is. Az analízis következtetése, hogy a zöld államkötvények ténylegesen nem szükségesek a kormányok környezetpolitikai céljainak megvalósításához, és arra sem alkalmasak, hogy az államadósság finanszírozási költségét csökkentsék. Ugyanakkor e kötvények segítségével a kormányzatok javíthatják belföldi és nemzetközi reputációjukat, és kifejezetten a környezetvédelemben és a klímaváltozás elleni harcban elkötelezett imázst közvetíthetnek magukról. Ebben az értelemben a zöld államkötvényeknek inkább kommunikációs funkciója van, és a puha hatalomgyakorlás eszköztára egyik új elemének is tekinthetők, hiszen kibocsátóik (katonai) erő nélkül növelhetik nemzetközi befolyásukat. A cikk emellett arra is rámutat, hogy a zöld állam- és vállalati kötvények a fejlődő országok számára a nemzetközi tőkepiacokhoz való hozzáférést is elősegíthetik annak érdekében, hogy környezetileg előnyös projektekhez finanszírozást biztosítsanak.
Prevalence of fibromyalgia in medical students and its association with lifestyle factors – a cross-sectional study
Authors: Patel Agastya , Al-Saffar Ahmed , Sharma Manvi , Masiak Anna , Zdrojewski Zbigniew
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread pain syndrome, known to be associated with several other symptoms. Chronic stress is suspected to be a contributing factor in the pathogene­sis of FM. It is known that medical students are under a constant state of stress originating from personal and social expectations. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of FM in this population and identify lifestyle parameters influencing FM severity.

Material and methods

An online survey of first- and final-year medical students was conducted using the ACR modified 2016 criteria and FANTASTIC checklist. The survey acquired demographic information such as age, gender, year, and division of studies. A subgroup analysis based on gender, year of studies, and division of studies was performed.

Results

439 medical students (71% females) completed the survey. The overall prevalence of FM in our cohort was 10.48%. The ratio of females to males was 3 : 1. A significant negative correlation between better quality of lifestyle and worse FM severity was observed in all subgroups. The “insight”, “sleep and stress”, “behavior” and “career” domains of lifestyle were found to have a significant nega­tive correlation with FM severity on univariate analysis.

Conclusions

The prevalence of FM in medical students seems to be considerably higher than in the general population. Chronic stress levels, sleep problems, social support, and behavior seem to be the major factors influencing FM severity in this population. Our findings suggest that medical students must be considered a “high-risk” group for FM, and hence must be identified, educated, and managed accordingly. It is, therefore, important for medical universities to implement programs educating students about FM, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and stress coping strategies, while also making systemic changes to curb stressors in medical training.
Elderly-onset adult Still’s disease
Authors: Mzabi Anis , Fakhfakh Rym , Thabet Maissa , Ben Hassine Imen , Anoun Jihed , Karmani Monia , Ben Fredj Fatma , Laouani Chadia
Published: September 2021

Adult-onset Still’s disease is a rare inflammatory disorder usually affecting young adults. Elderly-onset Still’s disease (EOSD) is reported in some cases, commonly in Japan, the USA and Europe. One of the most commonly used criteria for diagnosing EOSD is Yamaguci criteria. In elderly patients more severe course of the disease and more complications may be expected than in the younger group of patients with Still’s disease. The lungs involvement is rather rare manifestation of this disease. In our article we discuss the problem of both the development of Still’s disease in the elderly and interstitial lung changes in the course of the disease, based on available literature and own cases from one centre.
COVID-19 in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: frequency and severity
Authors: Boyarchuk Oksana , Predyk Lilya , Yuryk Iryna
Published: September 2021

The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and the course of COVID-19 infection in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The study involved 51 patients with JIA aged 2 to 18 years. Evidence of COVID-19 was found in 10 (19.6%) patients with JIA. COVID-19 infection occurred more often in patients with systemic arthritis (OR = 6.1667, 95% CI: 1.2053–31.5511, p = 0.0289). The course of COVID-19 infection in patients with JIA was generally similar to the course in the pediatric population, despite immunosuppressive therapy. In 3 out of 10 patients the infection caused an exacerbation of JIA, which required therapy escalation.
Challenges of Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tharwat Samar , Zohdy Mohamed Sherin , Kamal Nassar Mohammed
Published: September 2021

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Egypt is part of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that has contributed to substantial deterioration of healthcare systems. The aim of this study was to assess the challenges faced by Egyptian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods

This questionnaire-based study was carried out on 200 patients with SLE from Egypt. The questionnaire provided covered socioeconomic status, lupus disease data, information about COVID-19 infection, and medical and family history of COVID-19 infection.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 30.1 ±8.4 years. 140/200 (70%) of the participants reported difficulty in obtaining medications during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly antimala­rials (60%). The lupus disease condition became worse because of the drug shortage in half of the participants. Wearing protective masks (74%) and using disinfectants of the hands several times per day (67%) were the most reported used measures. Forty patients (20%) had to stop or reduce taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs while 10 patients (5%) had to start taking antimalarials as a prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection. Among those who needed hospitalization, the main cause was lupus activity, and most of them (71%) experienced difficulty in hospital admission. Thirty-two patients (16%) had confirmed COVID-19 infection. About half of them had lupus flare and had to change the medications used for treatment of lupus.

Conclusions

The current COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the healthcare provided to SLE patients in Egypt. Patients with SLE faced a shortage of their medications, especially antimala­rials, and difficulty in hospital admission.
Perfil emprendedor de los estudiantes del Instituto Superior Tecnológico Ismael Pérez Pazmiño
Authors: Torres Dávila Grace Cecilia , Cortez Arboleda Alba Cecilia , Serrano Sarango Luis Manuel , Narváez Encalada María Vanessa
Published: September 2021

Hablar de emprendimiento y sus beneficios es de gran importancia en la actualidad, debido al fuerte impacto que ha provocado en la vida de las personas la presencia del covid-19, las pérdidas de empleo, cierre de empresas y la falta de dinamismo del sector público ocasionan una reducción de las necesidades básicas de las personas. El objetivo de este estudio analítico-descriptivo es determinar el perfil emprendedor de los estudiantes del Instituto Superior Tecnológico Ismael Pérez Pazmiño de manera que la información obtenida permita a las autoridades de esta institución reorientar los perfiles de egreso en aras de una mayor y mejor inserción laboral de sus profesionales. La investigación se sustenta en los métodos de revisión bibliográfica y estadístico, así como en una encuesta que reúne las tres dimensiones que encierran las características institucionales, económicas y sociales de los emprendedores; los resultados develan situaciones complejas en la estabilidad de las emociones, la comunicación, la tolerancia al fracaso, la predisposición para el riesgo, la adaptabilidad y creatividad que, alcanzan puntuación media por debajo del nivel óptimo deseado.
Alteraciones de visión binocular. Estudiantes del Instituto Nacional de Audición y Lenguaje. Quito, 2019.
Authors: Correa Rojas Osmani , Villar Villamarín Daniela Stefanía , Panchi Cando Johann Xavier , Ulloa Oliva Solaimi
Published: September 2021

Los problemas visuales son cada vez más comunes, tres de cada cuatro personas los padecen, sobre todo en adolescentes y en la población mayor de 20 años. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de tipo longitudinal prospectivo con el objetivo de diagnosticar las alteraciones de la visión binocular en estudiantes del Instituto Nacional de Audición y Lenguaje en Quito, Ecuador, 2019. El universo estuvo constituido por los 120 estudiantes del plantel educativo y la muestra por 112 de ellos que, cumplieron los criterios de inclusión.  El test de Titmus, demostró que existen 84 pacientes (75%) con una visión binocular normal correspondiente al mayor porcentaje de la muestra, mientras 28 pacientes (25%) presentan alguna alteración de la visión binocular. Existen 76 pacientes (67,86%) con agudeza visual normal, seguido de 26 pacientes (23,22%) con limitación visual, mientras 10 pacientes (8,92%) presentaron limitación visual severa. Predominó el sexo femenino con 61 pacientes (50,89%). El grupo de edades de mayor incidencia fue entre 14-17 con 52 pacientes (46.43%). Se diagnosticaron 15 pacientes ambliopes (10%) y 5 pacientes con estrabismo (3, 33%). Se indicó corrección óptica a 20 pacientes, oclusiones a 10 pacientes (8.93%), penalización a 5 niños y terapia con prismas a 5 pacientes (4.46%).
La discalculia en alumnos de la educación básica
Authors: Árizaga González Alexandra Graciela , Román Freire John Francisco
Published: September 2021

La enseñanza de las matemáticas constituye un desafío para todo docente, quien debe implementar estrategias para lograr el aprendizaje de los estudiantes discálculos. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la discalculia en los alumnos de la enseñanza básica, para lo cual se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo de tipo revisión bibliográfica con enfoque cualitativo, sistematizado mediante los métodos: revisión documental y bibliográfica, análisis de contenido, hermenéutica y analítico-sintético. Entre los principales hallazgos se encuentran la tipología, características y sintomatología de la discalculia, así como la propuesta de resolución de problemas matemáticos como alternativa estratégica didáctico-metodológica para contribuir a menguar este trastorno y en los casos de la discalculia adquirida por falencias pedagógicas revertir las limitaciones matemáticas de los escolares de la educación básica.
Concurso de acreedores con citación a demandado residente en país extranjero
Authors: Rodríguez Salcedo Eliana del Rocío
Published: September 2021

En la tramitación de causas por concurso de acreedores, cuando el demandado tiene su domicilio en otro país, previo a la calificación y mediante un auto interlocutorio los jueces de lo civil en el Ecuador declararan su inhibición por competencia territorial. Esto en razón de que el Código Orgánico General de Procesos (2015) establece en su artículo 418 que el juez del domicilio del deudor será el competente para conocer estas causas. No obstante, lo expuesto perjudica al actor del proceso concursal, considerando que previo a iniciar el juicio existe una sentencia ejecutoriada que condena al demandado el pago de sus obligaciones. Bajo este criterio, en el presente artículo se examina el procedimiento concursal que al parecer restringe la adecuada administración de justicia y la tutela efectiva garantizada en la Constitución. El objetivo de esta investigación es plantear algunas reglas que puedan ser aplicadas, a fin de que la normativa expuesta no interrumpa el debido proceso ni la legítima defensa del presunto fallido. En el texto se propone con fundamento legal y doctrinario una reforma al Código Orgánico General de Procesos. El método utilizado es la revisión sistémica, bibliográfica y documental con el soporte y criterio de diferentes de autores.
My journey of awareness : a study in memory, identity and creative development
Authors:   , Pretorius Anna M.
Published: September 2021

I believe that the election in 1994 of the first democratic government in South Africa has presented a challenge to all South Africans in different ways. I believe that one of the principal challenges that the 1994 elections presented to my conservative Calvinistic Afrikaner community was to address its personal, family, community, national and international identity/ies. Arising out of this perspective and perception, I have explored my and my family memory/ies to answer questions about my identity. My study is a journey of awareness: a self-study exploring my identity through critical self-reflection and the development of my art practice. My self-study is multi- disciplinary: it employs interchangeable methodologies allowing for various forms of knowledge generation. My journey of awareness is a “living theory” in which I have developed my “living standards of judgement” and addressed my “living contradictions” (Whitehead 1985; 1989; 2008a; b; c; d). My study illustrates the symbiotic research and creative process of developing an understanding of my identity as a white Afrikaans woman through practicing my art. My art practice assisted in the action/reflection process as well acting as a tool for social action and transformation.
Las investigaciones biomédicas y los reportes de caso realizados en la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social requieren autorización para su publicación científica
Authors: Sáenz Campos Desirée
Published: September 2021

Objetivo: la mayoría de colaboraciones recibidas para su publicación en Acta MédicaCostarricense surgen de las investigaciones realizadas en la Caja Costarricense de SeguroSocial, estas cumplen con las disposiciones que establece la ley sobre investigación biomédicay su reglamento, así como con la diversa normativa que tiene esta institución sanitaria. Enel contexto de la revisión constante y actualización periódica de normas para la publicaciónen esta revista, el objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los requerimientos vigentes en la CajaCostarricense de Seguro Social para la publicación de las investigaciones biomédicas realizadasen sus servicios.
Métodos: se realizó una investigación documental con una búsqueda dirigida sobre talesdisposiciones en la página oficial del Centro de Desarrollo Estratégico e Información en Saludy Seguridad Social; el análisis se amplió con los elementos regulatorios del consentimientoinformado.
Resultados: se encontró que los investigadores deben solicitar una autorización al área deBioética del Centro de Desarrollo Estratégico e Información en Salud y Seguridad Social parapublicar, o comunicar en actividades científicas las investigaciones biomédicas que han sidorealizadas en la institución; así mismo se estipula la gestión para dar a conocer los reportes decasos y la solicitud se tramita con el cumplimiento de una serie de requisitos.
Conclusión: las investigaciones biomédicas realizadas en la Caja Costarricense de SeguroSocial requieren la solicitud de una autorización y el cumplimiento de una serie de requisitospara la publicación en la bibliografía científica o su exposición en una actividad científica, al igual que los reportes de caso. Es por tanto, necesario que el/los investigador/es gestionen oportunamente la autorización institucional.
Especialidades médico forenses de la Universidad de Costa Rica: fortalezas y desafíos
Authors: Flores-Sandí Grettchen
Published: September 2021

El Programa de Posgrado en Especialidades Médico Forenses de la Universidad de Costa Rica,presenta una serie de particularidades propias que le confieren fortalezas, tales como elconvenio interinstitucional con el Poder Judicial, el cual permite la formación de posgradode sus médicos especialistas; el fomento a la educación médica continua, a través del deber derecertificación médica y el sistema de la gestión de calidad en el Poder Judicial, el cual buscamejorar las competencias técnicas de sus funcionarios, el fomento a la investigación biomédicay la relación internacional de médicos residentes y docentes de este programa de posgrado,facilitada por su ubicación estratégica dentro del Poder Judicial. No obstante, en la actualidadpresenta una serie de desafíos, los cuales es necesario que el cuerpo médico contextualice, porser un servicio médico esencial para la sociedad.
COVID-19, Hipoxemia feliz, oximetría de pulso
Authors: Rodríguez-Díaz David , Morillo-Arqueros Aníbal , Montoya-González Jaime
Published: September 2021

Desde los primeros reportes de casos de neumonía de etiología desconocida ocurridos en Wuhan (China)1 y el descubrimiento de un nuevo betacoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2),2 la pandemia por COVID-19 ha reportado 33,785,178 casos confirmados, con un acumulado global de 1,010,147 muertes,3 poniendo en reto a los sistemas de salud. Dentro de este contexto, la atención médica del creciente número de pacientes afectados por esta enfermedad hapermitido el reconocimiento de un proceso fisiopatológico denominado “hipoxemia feliz” (HF) o hipoxemia silenciosa.4 La HF consiste en una disonancia entre la saturación de oxígeno (Sat. O2) sanguíneo anormalmente baja y la ausencia de síntomas de dificultad respiratoria en pacientes con COVID-19. 4 El reconocimiento temprano de la hipoxemia y la administración de oxígeno han demostrado reducir la mortalidad.5 Un monitoreo poblacional preventivo de la Sat. O2 permitiría un abordaje precoz de esta entidad patológica, reduciendo la morbimortalidad por COVID-19, sin embargo, en la actualidad, existen distintas posiciones al respecto.
Prognostic Nutrition Index May Predict Cerebral Embolic Events Following Carotid Artery Stenting Procedure
Authors: Güner Ahmet , Çelik Ömer , Yalçın Ahmet Arif , Örten Murat , Kahraman Serkan , Kalçık Macit , Gültekin Güner Ezgi , Topel Çağdaş , Ertürk Mehmet
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Cerebral embolism after carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains a matter of concern in frailty patients. The prognostic nutrition index (PNI), which provides an objective assessment of nutritional status, is a useful prognostic indicator in cardiovascular diseases. We aim to determine the value of pre-procedural PNI in predicting cerebral embolism including stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and silent new ischemic cerebral lesions (SNICLs).

Patients and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 138 patients (mean age= 70.6 ± 6.7 years, male= 99) who underwent CAS. Inclusion criteria were as follows: i) availability of all medical records including albumin value and lymphocyte count, ii) having cranial imaging after CAS, iii) having symptomatic carotid stenosis 50-99% or asymptomatic carotid stenosis ≥60-99%. The study population was divided into two subgroups according to the presence of cerebral embolism as cerebral embolism (+) cerebral embolism (-) groups.

Results: Among the study population, 22 patients (16%) had at least 1 SNICL, seven patients (5.0%) had an ischemic stroke, and five patients (3.6%) had TIA. The cerebral embolism (+) group had a significantly lower PNI, older age, more frequent history of stroke, a higher proportion of type III aortic arch, and longer fluoroscopy time than the cerebral embolism (-) group. Low PNI was identified as one of the independent predictors of cerebral embolism (OR= 0.808; 95% CI= 0.670-0.975; p= 0.026), and PNI lower than 44.7 predicted cerebral embolism with a sensitivity of 70.6% and a specificity of 61.1% (AUC= 0.739; 95% CI= 0.651 to 0.827; p< 0.001).

Conclusion: The current data suggest that PNI is an independent prognostic factor for cerebral embolic complications after CAS procedures.
In-Hospital and Long-Term Outcomes of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Okşen Doğaç , Sarılar Mert , Demirci Gürsu , Haberal İsmail , Abacı Okay
Published: September 2021

Introduction: We evaluated in-hospital and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a tertiary center.

Patients and Methods: We examined 1550 patients (mean age= 58.5 years, 83.1% male) admitted with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent primary PCI and were followed-up prospectively. The primary outcomes were in-hospital death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at follow-up.

Results: The mean duration of ischemia at admission was 2.85 ± 2.49 hours; 10.3% of the patients were Killip class III or IV. The mean door-to-device time was 43 (29-52) minutes. During hospitalization, all-cause mortality occurred in 73 patients (4.7%). Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced age, impaired left ventricular ejection function, high Killip functional class, hemoglobin level at admission, ventricular arrhythmias, and advanced atrioventricular block were independent predictors of poor prognosis (OR= 1.07, 0.93, 15.34, 1.44, 3.79, and 4.26 respectively). Among discharged patients with a median 49.5 (25-73) months follow-up, 12.4% of them died, 12.5% had a recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and 2.3% had a cerebrovascular accident. The strongest independent MACE predictors were impaired left ventricular function, poor glomerular filtration rate, low albumin level, and a history of cerebrovascular disease (HR= 0.97, 0.99, 0.65, and 2.50, respectively). Secondary outcomes were contrast-induced acute kidney injury (16.7%), ventricular arrhythmias (6.1%), advanced atrioventricular block (3.7%), atrial fibrillation (7.6%), and major bleeding (1.6%).

Conclusion: AMI still has a poor long-term prognosis. These results emphasize the advantages of rapid, non-delayed revascularization. Patients should be followed-up closely after discharge in both the short- and long-term.
History of the Human Rights: Gender Perspectives
Authors:   Department of Political Science, Lakshmibai College, University of Delhi, Sahare Geeta
Published: September 2021

Every human being has certain rights to live with dignity and peace and should not be discriminated. However, history of human civilization tells us there have been discrimination on many counts. Otherwise, there won’t have been words like slavery, untouchability, exploitation, patriarchy existing. Women are no exception to discrimination and exploitation. Human rights of women have been violated, they have been deprived of their respect, economic, social and political status and the basic principle of equality (equality with her counterpart, i.e., men). The question of human rights becomes very pertinent when it comes to gender and gender justice. This has given birth to feminist movements. The author here wishes to testify the march of the human rights of women, the journey and the progress made after struggle by all the feminist movements and more importantly the economic and social status of women in the present era. The author has tried to show how the matriarchy in early development of civilization was demolished and how there was a downfall of women after advancement of patriarchy through the personification of power by men inside and outside of the family. In fact, the notions of property and inheritance put an end to the foundations of matriarchy and consequently they were converted to objects belonging to the father, the husband and the family. The author could also find several other reasons, old customs in the patriarchal society for their exploitation and violation of their human rights. Further the role of U.N. and its organs was very vital and important as the problems of women were considered in their social aspect from time to time. Today we find women in all fields of national life: engineers, doctors, pilot, professors, diplomats, artists who have won gold medals in sports, etc. But it took a very long time to finally see women acceding to highest posts in the Parliament. March of human rights of women is progressing constantly as efforts have been made but a lot needs to be done as discriminations, inequalities, injustice and harassment of all kinds will not disappear overnight.
Machine-Learning blends of geomorphic descriptors: value and limitations for flood hazard assessment across large floodplains
Authors: Magnini Andrea , Lombardi Michele , Persiano Simone , Tirri Antonio , Lo Conti Francesco , Castellarin Attilio
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Recent literature shows several examples of simplified approaches that perform flood hazard (FH) assessment and mapping across large geographical areas on the basis of fast-computing geomorphic descriptors. These approaches may consider a single index (univariate) or use a set of indices simultaneously (multivariate). What is the potential and accuracy of multivariate approaches relative to univariate ones? Can we effectively use these methods for extrapolation purposes, i.e. FH assessment outside the region used for setting up the model? Our study addresses these open problems by considering two separate issues: (1) mapping flood-prone areas, and (2) predicting the expected water depth for a given inundation scenario. We blend seven geomorphic descriptors through Decision Tree models trained on target FH maps, referring to a large study area (≈105 km2). We discuss the potential of multivariate approaches relative to the performance of a selected univariate model and on the basis of multiple extrapolation experiments, where models are tested outside their training region. Our results show that multivariate approaches may (a) significantly enhance flood-prone area delineation (overall accuracy: 93 %) relative to univariate ones (overall accuracy: 84 %), (b) provide accurate predictions of expected inundation depths (determination coefficient ≈0.7), and (c) produce encouraging results in extrapolation.
Seasonal forecasts of the Saharan heat low characteristics: a multi-model assessment
Authors: Ngoungue Langue Cedric G. , Lavaysse Christophe , Vrac Mathieu , Peyrillé Philippe , Flamant Cyrille
Published: September 2021

Abstract. The Saharan heat low (SHL) is a key component of the West African Monsoon system at the synoptic scale and a driver of summertime precipitation over the Sahel region. Therefore, accurate seasonal precipitation forecasts rely in part on a proper representation of the SHL characteristics in seasonal forecast models. This is investigated using the latest versions of two seasonal forecast systems namely the SEAS5 and MF7 systems from the European Center of Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and Météo-France respectively. The SHL characteristics in the seasonal forecast models are assessed based on a comparison with the fifth ECMWF Reanalysis (ERA5) for the period 1993–2016. The analysis of the modes of variability shows that the seasonal forecast models have issues with the timing and the intensity of the SHL pulsations when compared to ERA5. SEAS5 and MF7 show a cool bias centered on the Sahara and a warm bias located in the eastern part of the Sahara respectively. Both models tend to underestimate the interannual variability in the SHL. Large discrepancies are found in the representation of extremes SHL events in the seasonal forecast models. These results are not linked to our choice of ERA5 as a reference, for we show robust coherence and high correlation between ERA5 and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). The use of statistical bias correction methods significantly reduces the bias in the seasonal forecast models and improves the yearly distribution of the SHL and the forecast scores. The results highlight the capacity of the models to represent the intraseasonal pulsations (the so-called east–west phases) of the SHL. We notice an overestimation of the occurrence of the SHL east phases in the models (SEAS5, MF7), while the SHL west phases are much better represented in MF7. In spite of an improvement in prediction score, the SHL-related forecast skills of the seasonal forecast models remain weak for specific variations for lead times beyond 1 month, requiring some adaptations. Moreover, the models show predictive skills at an intraseasonal timescale for shorter lead times.
THE DEEP TIME OF BITCOIN: EXCAVATING THE "WORK" IN PROOF-OF-WORK CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEMS
Authors: Cooper Zane Griffin Talley
Published: September 2021

Estimates place Bitcoin’s current energy consumption at 141.83 terawatt-hours/year, an amount comparable to Ukraine. While Bitcoin’s energy problem has become increasingly visible in both academic and popular discourse (see Lally et al. 2019), the computational mechanisms through which the Bitcoin network generates coins, proof-of-work, has gone under-examined. This paper interrogates the “work” in proof-of-work systems. What is this work? How can we access its material history? I trace this history through a media archaeology of computational heat, in an attempt to better situate the intimate relationship between information and energy in proof-of-work systems. I argue the “work” in these systems is principally heat-work, and trace its ideological constructions back to nineteenth-century thermodynamic science, and the reframing of doing work as something exhaustible, directional, and irreversible (Prigogine & Stengers 2017; Daggett 2019). I then follow thermodynamic discourse through Cybernetics debates in the 1940s, illustrating how, early in the formation of Information Theory, the heat-work undergirding the functioning of a “bit” was obscured and compartmentalized, allowing information to be productively abstracted apart from its energetic infrastructures (Hayles 1999; Kline 2015). I conclude with a discussion of the heat-work within the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Bitcoin’s principal mining tool, arguing that proof-of-work mining is not a radical exception to the computing status quo, but rather a lens through which to think more broadly about computing’s complex relationship to energy, and ultimately, how this relationship can be different.
TIKTOK’S PEER PEDAGOGIES - LEARNING ABOUT BOOKS THROUGH #BOOKTOK VIDEOS
Authors: Dezuanni Michael Luigi
Published: September 2021

This paper eschews normative constructions of formalized ‘online learning’ to argue that learning with ‘the internet’ is mostly vernacular, ordinary, messy and constant. It uses the example of #booktok short videos to argue that individuals frequently learn from and with peers in online spaces, where ‘peerness’ is defined broadly. The paper draws on traditions within education, media and communications research such as theories of media pedagogies that refuse to see learning as pedagogically isolated within formal learning arrangements. I build on these foundations to conceptualize how TikTok viewers learn about books and reading via ‘peer pedagogies’. ‘Peer Pedagogies’ recognizes that in digital contexts individuals often learn from other individuals, regardless of if the ‘teacher’ in the relationship is directly known to the learner, and regardless of if ‘teaching’ is intended or purposeful. For instance, peer pedagogies and learning are frequently central characteristics of the relationships that form between ‘micro-celebrities’ and their fans. The paper discusses findings from an ongoing nationally funded Australian study which is mapping the digital ecology of teen reading in Australia. The project argues that one avenue for teens to find out about books is on digital platforms via peer pedagogies. That is, teenagers may purposefully or casually learn about books and reading from everyday users and micro-celebrities on digital platforms. The TikTok #booktok hashtag is therefore being investigated to identify examples of how young people learn about books and reading via TikTok videos and associated communities.
IT'S THERE FOR YOU, BUT IS IT #FYP?: A METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTION OF
RESEARCHING CONTENT VS. COMMUNITY ON TIKTOK
Authors: Messina Nicole
Published: September 2021

With each new online platform comes a new set of methodological
challenges when studying its content and the people who reside in that digital space. This
paper presents a methodological reflection of studying the exchange of health information
and building of community and safe space amongst queer youth on the video sharing and social
networking app TikTok. Upon encountering challenges in research related to affordances
within the app, further questions are posed about how we go might about studying the nature
of content that users, especially those of a specific and historically marginalized group,
will come across in their day-to-day engagement with the app, and in so doing exchange
information and support with one-another. Existing affordances in the app beg the question
of whether content on this platform can truly be studied or understood, even in terms of a
simple content analysis, without the direct involvement of users. Replication of the user's
experience, and natural encounter with content of a specific nature, becomes challenging and
has its risks.
KNOW YOUR MEME AND THE HOMOGENIZATION OF WEB HISTORY
Authors: Pettis Ben
Published: September 2021

Know Your Meme (KYM) is a website devoted to compiling histories,
definitions, and examples of internet memes. In the last decade, KYM has become popular
among researchers, educators, and day-to-day Web users to understand memes and their
meanings. As a result, it has become instrumental in establishing dominant histories of
memes on the Web. This paper uses a discursive interface analysis of the KYM website along
with the examples of Pepe the Frog, OK Boomer, and niche Facebook meme groups to demonstrate
how the website constructs itself as a cultural authority to define and classify memes, and
that an overreliance on KYM can have significant stakes. It may overlook entire uses of the
meme, potentially downplay harmful ideologies, and generally imply the possibility for a
meme to have a single primary meaning. I argue that an overreliance on KYM without
acknowledging its limitations tends to overlook the essential plurality of the Web and
instead implies a singular history of memes as an element of internet culture. However, KYM
can still be a useful resource and to that end, ultimately, I conclude that we should move
toward defining KYM as, “a curated collection of user-submitted meme instances and partially
crowdsourced definitions.” While KYM is undeniably a useful resource, it is important that
those of us who study the histories of the Web are mindful about how we lean upon this
particular website and situate it within our work.
BODIES AND DATA: THE DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY OF THE INDIAN STATE
Authors: Prasad Revati
Published: September 2021

In February 2019, the Government of India released a draft e-commerce
policy that boldly proclaimed, “India and its citizens have a sovereign right to their
data,” (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, 2019) a right that could
not extend to non-Indians. The draft policy was one of many in recent years that have
mandated data localization, protectionism or other measures of greater national control over
the digital economy in India. These actions are widely read as a nation-state asserting its
sovereignty in the digital realm against the power of US-based global tech firms. They are
sold in geopolitical terms, a digital sovereignty that challenges digital colonialism. I
argue that the Indian state’s project of digital sovereignty must also be understood as
biopolitical. I connect the Indian state’s regulation of the digital economy, exemplified by
the 2019 draft of the e-commerce policy to its regulation and control of bodies,
specifically through the biometric ID, Aadhaar, and its proliferating uses. I read these
state actions collectively as a process through which the Indian state is engaged in
altering what it is to be sovereign and its subject. When “digital” appends sovereignty, it
is not merely a new terrain upon which to exert power, nor is it an unbridled force that the
state must contend with, it is the means through which the Indian state enacts its
project(s) of domination.
TECHNOLIBERAL PARTICIPATION: BLACK LIVES MATTER AND INSTAGRAM
SLIDESHOWS
Authors: Salzano Matthew
Published: September 2021

After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Black Lives Matter
protests surged around the globe. Amid COVID-19, activism on social media flourished. On
Instagram, use of the ten-image carousel as an informative slideshow akin to a PowerPoint
presentation gained significant attention: The New York Times highlighted their “effort to
democratize access to information." In this paper, I rhetorically analyze case studies to
illustrate how Instagram slideshows facilitated deliberation about participation. I argue
that these posts reveal a tension in platformed digital activism: as digital templates
broaden access to participation, technoliberal ideology constrains activist
judgment.
“THIS ISN'T A PICASSO, IT'S A FERRARI”: PRESENTISM, PRECARITY AND
DEPENDENCE IN NEW MEDIA ART PRACTICES
Authors: Vasudevan Roopa
Published: September 2021

New media artists—and, more broadly, those who consider themselves to
be “creative” technologists—increasingly find themselves questioning whether or not to use
tools that are owned or administered by companies that engage in activity that they consider
to be problematic, such as surveillance, cooperation with discriminatory law enforcement
practices, or toxic work cultures. However, it is difficult to conceive of a tech-based art
practice that functions without utilizing $2 of the dominant technologies that we find
ourselves surrounded by on a regular basis. As a result, artists who work with technology
are inevitably thrust into perpetually shifting situations or environments, controlled by
the tech industry, which then directly impact the creation of their work; its longevity;
and, often, their own perceptions of it. This paper represents the beginnings of an
investigation into the relationships between new media artists, the tools they use for their
work (including data sources and APIs, hardware and software, operating systems, and project
storage), and those who control these technologies. I seek to portray this creative
community as one that exists in a state of constant uncertainty, and that finds itself in
this position at the behest of the interests of the tech industry—which both uses artists’
work as a way of positioning itself as cutting-edge and original, and as a means of locating
potential sites of intentional misuse and subversion. Artists are thus forced to constantly
adapt their processes to the demands of those who control the technology, ultimately
reinforcing the authority of these dominant systems.
FROM DIGITAL INFLUENCERS TO INFLUENCER-LABORATORIES. A CASE STUDY OF LIL MIQUELA
Authors: Bitencourt Elias Cunha , Castelhano Grégori da Costa , Lopes Catarina
Published: September 2021

This research focuses on an emerging influencer category called CGI influencers. CGI influencers are fictional characters created with computer modeling techniques that have profiles on social networks and sociomaterial trajectories built with the aid of digital marketing, business intelligence and media companies. As an empirical object, we chose Lil Miquela - "the robot influencer", one of the most successful examples of this genre of micro celebrity on Instagram. Our main goal was to map the ways in which Miquela acts on Instagram and to find traces that allow us to explore better the interrelationship between the strategies adopted by Miquela's creators team and her appropriations of Instagram affordances that shapes the ways in which she acts both as a fictional character and as a digital influencer. We extracted 1089 posts available in Miquela’s feed up to June 2021and used content analysis and mixed digital methods techniques to explore the data. We observed three ways of acting (practices) that are characteristic of Miquela and operate interdependently: (a) The Fictional Character, (b) The Experiment and (c) The Influencer. These findings could suggest that the three versions of Miquela act as an experimental model of what we here call “influencer-laboratories”: a type of digital influencer for which the influencer itself acts as a controlled experiment used to investigate which sociomaterial arrangements create conditions that favor the production of online influence on digital platforms.
COORNET: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO SURFACE PROBLEMATIC CONTENT,
MALICIOUS ACTORS, AND COORDINATED NETWORKS
Authors: Giglietto Fabio , Righetti Nicola , Rossi Luca , Marino Giada
Published: September 2021

As much as the field of mis/disinformation studies flourished during
the last few years, the efforts to measure its prevalence and effects are often hindered or
significantly limited by the fuzziness of the phenomenon under study. Differently from
approaches based on sole content or actors detection, the authors implement an integrated
approach to understand the interplay between manipulative actors, deceptive behavior, and
harmful content. To do so, the authors present a study on patterns of coordinated activity
on Facebook (named “Coordinated Link Sharing Behavior”) during the first and second waves of
the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Coordinated Link Sharing Behavior” (CLSB) refers to the
coordinated shares of the same news article in a very short timeframe by networks of pages,
groups, and verified public profiles. CLSB is a strategy used to boost the reach of content
by gaming algorithms that govern the distribution of posts. Additionally, this coordinated
activity has been proven to be consistently associated with the spread of problematic
information before the 2018 and 2019 Italian elections. In this paper, the authors devote
specific attention to discuss the methodology and tool employed in the context of existing
literature on mis/disinformation as well as to present the results of the case
study.
MAPPING DISCORD’S DARKSIDE: DISTRIBUTED HATE NETWORKS ON DISBOARD
Authors: Heslep Daniel Grant , Berge PS
Published: September 2021

Scholars and journalists have noted that Discord, a social application oriented around voice/video chat communities and popular amongst gamers, has a history of harboring white supremacist and toxic groups. Discord has recently undertaken a public rebranding to distance itself from white supremacist, alt-right, and hateful content through a commitment to proactive moderation (Brown, 2020). However, Discord relies extensively on third-party services (like bots and server bulletins), and current scholarship has not adequately accounted for the role of such third-party actors in facilitating hateful and white supremacist networks on private platforms like Discord. This study notes how Discord’s model for curating only popular servers offloads the ethical burden of searchability to server bulletin sites like Disboard, to deleterious effect. This study involves two parts: 1) we use critical technoculture discourse analysis to examine Discord’s blogs, moderation policies, and API (Brock, 2018) and 2) we present data scraped from publicly-available descriptions and tags of 3,600 Discord servers listed on Disboard. Our study finds that thousands of servers on Disboard use overtly white supremacist and hateful tags, often advertising their ‘edgy’ communities as racist, raiding-oriented, and deliberately toxic. These servers exploit Discord’s moderation tools and Disboard’s networked affordances to proliferate within Discord’s distributed ecology. Ultimately, we argue that Discord’s response to hate, as a platform, does not address its reliance on unmoderated third-party services or the networked practices of its toxic communities.
SOCIAL MEDIA USE, TRUST AND TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CO-CREATED BROWSER PLUGIN IN MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Authors: Kyza Eleni , Varda Christiana , Konstantinou Loukas , Karapanos Evangelos , Perfumi Serena Coppolino , Svahn Mattias , Georgiou Yiannis
Published: September 2021

Social media have become online spaces where misinformation abounds and spreads virally in the absence of professional gatekeeping. This information landscape requires everyday citizens, who rely on these technologies to access information, to cede control of information. This work sought to examine whether the control of information can be regained by humans with the support of a co-created browser plugin, which integrated credibility labels and nudges, and was informed by artificial intelligence models and rule engines. Given the literature on the complexity of information evaluation on social media, we investigated the role of technological, situational and individual characteristics in “liking” or “sharing” misinformation. We adopted a mixed-methods research design with 80 participants from four European sites, who viewed a curated timeline of credible and non-credible posts on Twitter, with (n=40) or without (n=40) the presence of the plugin. The role of the technological intervention was important: the absence of the plugin strongly correlated with misinformation endorsement (via “liking”). Trust in the technology and technology acceptance were correlated and emerged as important situational characteristics, with participants with higher trust profiles being less likely to share misinformation. Findings on individual characteristics indicated that only social media use was a significant predictor for trusting the plugin. This work extends ongoing research on deterring the spread of misinformation by situating the findings in an authentic social media environment using a co-created technological intervention. It holds implications for how to support a misinformation-resilient citizenry with the use of artificial intelligence-driven tools.
LIKES, SARCASM AND POLITICS: YOUTH RESPONSES TO A PLATFORM-INITIATED MEDIA LITERACY CAMPAIGN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Authors: Literat Ioana , Abdelbagi Abubakr , Law Nicola YL , Cheung Marcus Y-Y , Tang Rongwei
Published: September 2021

When it comes to youth and media literacy, the focus of both research and practice has been on the integration of media literacy instruction into young people’s various educational experiences, rather than studying, implementing and evaluating such initiatives in situ, on social media—which is known to be youths’ central news source. Furthermore, existing studies focus on older platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and we lack a nuanced understanding of these dynamics on the platforms most popular with youth today. The present study aims to fill this gap, by analyzing how users responded to a media literacy education campaign on the popular youth-oriented social media app TikTok, with a focus on the lessons that we might draw in terms of targeted media literacy education initiatives for youth. Our large-scale qualitative content analysis—which included 11,449 public comments posted on 5 educational TikTok videos about media literacy—facilitated a naturalistic study of young people’s attitudes towards such initiatives. We found that reactions to the campaign were mixed, and highly political in nature. While many users appreciated the media literacy campaign and TikTok’s role in implementing it, there was also resistance to the campaign, due to factors related to video content, dissemination approach, and the very identity of TikTok as a platform. Across the board, comments were highly political, illustrating the politicized nature of media literacy education today. These reactions serve as rich feedback that can usefully inform future media literacy campaigns on social media, and especially those targeting youth audiences.