bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Network Management Based on Funeral Internet of Things and Incremental Services
Authors: Ho Chih-Chun , Zhong Jin-Feng , Ye Xiu-Wen
Published: September 2024

With the rapid development of information technology, the application of Internet of Things (IoT) in the field of funeral services has brought revolutionary changes to traditional funeral management. The article aims to explore how to use the Internet of Things technology, combined with incremental services, to realize the networked management of funeral services, in order to improve the quality and efficiency of services, as well as to meet the needs of modern society for personalized and convenient funeral services. The article analyzes the current situation and existing problems of funeral services, and points out the deficiencies of traditional funeral services in terms of informationization, standardization and personalized services. In terms of incremental services, the article discusses how to provide personalized and customized funeral services through IoT technology, such as remote farewells and Internet mourning, etc. These services not only improve the convenience of the services, but also enrich the family’s way of commemorating the deceased. In addition, the article discusses the importance of technical standards, data security and privacy protection measures required to implement the management of IoT funeral service networks, as well as related training and education for practitioners. It provides new ideas and methods for the modernization of funeral services, and is of great theoretical and practical significance for promoting the technological progress and upgrading the service level of the funeral industry.
A Vehicle Abnormal Behavior Detection Model in Single Intelligent Vehicle Scenarios
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Zhu Qiang , Lee Chia-Wei , Zhang Zhenjiang
Published: September 2024

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) play a vital role in transforming human mobility, tackling road congestion and road safety. However, CAVs rely heavily on the security, accuracy, and stability of sensor readings and network data. When there are anomalies in the data, it is necessary to detect them in a timely manner and handle them. However, under single intelligent vehicle scenarios, existing detection methods often struggle to identify unknown types of anomalies and are difficult to deploy on computationally limited vehicle terminals. To address the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a vehicle anomaly data detection method based on deep learning. First, we modify the discriminator based on the GAN network, so that the network can assign different weights to different sensors, thus improving the generalization performance of the model. Afterwards, we assign weights to each parameter of the model during the training process, and then prune the model according to the weights to improve its computational speed. We verify the reliability of our method on the Safe Pilot Model Deployment (SPMD) data set. It is shown that the proposed model has good detection performance for various anomaly data, especially when facing data that were not encountered during the training process, and the proposed model effectively reduces the computational time of the detection process.
Exploring Techniques for Abnormal Event Detection in Video Surveillance
Authors: Kshirsagar Varsha Anil , Lo Shou-Chih , Lee Guanling
Published: September 2024

This study explores and evaluates the effectiveness of various abnormal event detection techniques in video surveillance, addressing challenges such as intrusions, accidents, and suspicious activities. Through a systematic review of related papers, the study reveals the prevalence of traditional methods like background subtraction and motion detection despite their limitations in complex scenarios. It highlights the increasing use of deep learning techniques, particularly CNNs and RNNs, which show promise but require substantial labeled data. The findings underscore the importance of selecting proper detection techniques based on specific surveillance scenarios and emphasize the need for extensive labeled datasets for deep learning methods. The originality of this study lies in its comprehensive review and comparison of various abnormal event detection techniques, providing valuable insights and practical implications for advancing video surveillance systems.
Facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire chez les employés des banques à Pointe-Noire (Congo) : une étude transversale
Authors:   Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville, Congo, Ebatetou AE ,   Société de médecine légale et de santé au travail du Congo (Somelest), Pointe-Noire, Congo, Yansané A ,   Service national de santé au travail, Guinée,   Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de la Santé, UGANC, Guinée, Kokolo JG ,   Société de médecine légale et de santé au travail du Congo (Somelest), Pointe-Noire, Congo,   Service de consultation externe et médecine du travail, Hôpital Général Adolphe Sicé, Pointe-Noire, Congo, Bakala KJ ,   Société de médecine légale et de santé au travail du Congo (Somelest), Pointe-Noire, Congo,   Service de médecine du travail, Centre-Médico-Social, Eni Congo, Pointe-Noire, Congo
Published: September 2024

Introduction : Les maladies cardiovasculaires constituent un problème majeur de santé publique mondiale. Cette étude vise à estimer la prévalence des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires parmi les employés des banques à Pointe-Noire, une population particulièrement vulnérable en raison de la sédentarité liée à leur profession. Méthodologie : Une étude transversale a été menée d’avril à juin 2023 sur un échantillon de travailleurs de quatre banques à Pointe-Noire. Les données ont été recueillies grâce à une fiche de consultation complétée par la prise de mesures anthropométriques et de la pression artérielle. Résultats : Notre étude a inclus 163 travailleurs, composés de 81 hommes (49,7%) et 82 femmes (50,3%), avec un âge moyen de 42,1 ±6,61 ans. Les fréquences des différents facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire ont été réparties comme suit : HTA (25%), obésité (22,1%) avec un IMC moyen de 27,1±4,64 kg/m2, diabète sucré (4,9%), inactivité physique (95,7%), consommation d’alcool (50,3%) et tabagisme (2,5%). Nous avons constaté des associations significatives entre l’obésité et le diabète sucré (p=0,014), l’obésité et le sexe féminin (p<0,01), l’IMC et le sexe féminin (p=0,016), l’HTA et l’âge (p<0,001), l’HTA et l’IMC (p=0,011) ; et la consommation d’alcool et le sexe masculin (p<0,01). Conclusion : Le surpoids, l’obésité, l’HTA, la consommation d’alcool et l’inactivité physique sont des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire majeurs chez les travailleurs du secteur bancaire à Pointe-Noire. La mise en place en place des mesures de prévention et de sensibilisation adaptées à cette population sont nécessaires. Mots-clés : Facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire, Banque, Pointe-Noire, Congo.
Errance diagnostique de l'infertilité primaire au syndrome de Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser : étude de deux sœurs consanguines à l'hôpital de référence de Maradi
Authors:   Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Hôpital de Référence de Maradi / Service Laboratoire, Hama Aghali N , Boube I ,   Hôpital de Référence de Maradi / Service de Radiologie et d’Imagerie Médicale, Issa Amadou A ,   Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Centre de Santé Mère-Enfant de Maradi, Yaye I ,   Centre Hospitalier Régional de Diffa / Service de Radiologie et d’Imagerie Médicale, Hama Ibrahim A ,   Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Centre de Santé Mère-Enfant de Maradi, Mahamane Moussa Y ,   Centre Hospitalier Régional de Maradi / Service de Radiologie et d’Imagerie Médicale, Pantaleon Ocquet A ,   Centre Hospitalier Régional de Maradi / Service de Radiologie et d’Imagerie Médicale, Hamadou I ,   Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Laboratoire d’Histo-Embryologie et Pathologie Cellulaire « Pr Ag MOUMOUNI Hassane », Issa Oumarou AS ,   Université André Salifou de Zinder / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Hôpital National de Zinder / Service Laboratoire, Hamani I ,   Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey / Faculté des Sciences de la Santé / Laboratoire d’Histo-Embryologie et Pathologie Cellulaire « Pr Ag MOUMOUNI Hassane »
Published: September 2024

Le syndrome de Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser est une cause d’aménorrhée primaire, donc d’infertilité primaire. Elle se définit par une atrésie totale ou partielle des structures dérivées des canaux de Müller chez des sujets génétiquement 46, XX. Le diagnostic est basé essentiellement sur l’échographie et l’IRM ou à défaut le scanner. Nous rapportons deux cas d’errance de diagnostic de syndrome de Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser, chez deux sœurs consanguines. L’ainée âgée de 27 ans, mariée depuis 8 ans présentant une aménorrhée primaire, à l’examen clinique un vagin court sans identification du col et des caractères sexuels secondaires bien individualisés. L’échographie et le scanner objectivent l’agénésie de l’utérus contrastant avec des ovaires normaux, les deux reins fusionnés en position ectopique, dans le pelvis. La deuxième patiente, âgée de 25 ans, mariée depuis 4 ans, présentant une aménorrhée primaire, dont l’examen clinique retrouve un vagin court, sans identification du col utérin et des caractères sexuels secondaires bien développés. L’échographie et le scanner confirment l’agénésie de l’utérus, avec les deux ovaires normaux et les reins en position anatomique normale. Après le diagnostic, les deux patientes ont bénéficié d’un accompagnement psychologique. L’intérêt est d’exposer le cas de deux sœurs consanguines qui ont erré à la recherche d’une grossesse. Mots-clés : Agénésie de l’utérus, aplasie de l’utérus, aménorrhée primaire, Maradi.
IslamOnline.net: Independent, interactive, popular
Authors: Graf Bettina
Published: September 2024

This paper gives an overview of the history and operations of IslamOnline.net, one of the most-visited Arabic/ English Islamic web portals which issue fatwas. The body behind IslamOnline (IOL) is the Al-Balagh Cultural Society in Qatar, which was established in 1997 on the initiative of Qatari IT specialist Maryam Hasan al-Hajari and Dr. Hamid al-Ansari, a scholar at the Sharica Faculty of the University of Qatar. In its early stages the project was supported by the University of Qatar, especially by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the 1926-born, Azhar-educated Egyptian scholar and theorist of the Islamic Awakening movement who still chairs the Al-Balagh Society today. The headquarters and IT development of IOL are based in Doha, while most of the content is produced by more than 150 employees at the IOL offices in Cairo. IOL is mainly financed by donations and by selling its technical know-how to other Islamic institutions around the world. In promotional material for the site, Yusuf al-Qaradawi defined the site’s mission this way: "This project is neither nationalistic nor one aiming at a grouping or a group of people; it is a project for the entire Islamic community. It is the jihad of our era."
Core to Commonplace: The evolution of Egypt’s blogosphere
Authors: Radsch Courtney C.
Published: September 2024

Over the past five years there have been three identifiable stages in the development of the Egyptian blogosphere, each shaped by key episodes of contention. These episodes, which pitted political movements against the state, reveal the mechanisms by which virtual media power is transformed into moments of political struggle through activism, newsmaking, and online interaction. [i] The first stage is the Experimentation Phase, in which a few dozen Egyptians discovered and tinkered with a new publishing platform. These early adopters formed the core of the Egyptian blogosphere in its early stages and have become a blogger “elite” by influencing the mainstream media and fellow bloggers. This was followed by an Activist Phase, during which many bloggers became activists and activists became bloggers. Although not every blogger was an activist or vice versa, blogs gained exposure because of their role in political movements like Kifaya and the attention of mainstream media and human rights organizations. By the end of 2006 the blogosphere had grown exponentially, the Muslim Brotherhood built a noticeable presence and Kifaya was loosing its momentum. By this time the blogosphere was entering its third phase, the Diversification and Fragmentation Phase. From late 2006 through the present the Egyptian blogosphere expanded to include thousands of Egyptians and the subaltern was pushed into the public realm. During this phase one can distinguish virtual enclaves or communities of bloggers that tend to engage primarily, though certainly not exclusively, with each other, such as activists, Leftists, Muslim Brotherhood, cultural and poetic bloggers, Copts, Bahai, homosexuals, Salafis, social commentators and personal bloggers.
Emirates Press Law
Authors: El-Baltaji Dana
Published: September 2024

When the UAE’s draft media law was ready for release in January 2009, journalists were genuinely excited. The existing Press and Publications Law of 1980 is archaic at best. It lists 16 punishable offences, among them insulting Islam and the royal family. For years the UAE government exercised a fear campaign against journalists, jailing, fining, detaining and interrogating reporters and editors for breaking ambiguous laws. One month, it would be permissible for journalists to report on the sex-trade in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah; the next they could be summoned for suggesting prostitution is alive and well in the UAE. Ambiguity is, in many ways, a principal characteristic of the UAE’s current media law. It suggests everything and nothing, giving the government the liberty to make statements like “the country’s mass media enjoys substantial freedom” (as stated on the UAE’s official government website), while blocking websites and news content it deems inappropriate, like www.uaetorture.com and Flickr.com. The late American diplomat and President of Yale University, Kingman Brewster, Jr. said “If I take refuge in ambiguity, I assure you that it's quite conscious.” I suspect the former employees of the Ministry of Information and Culture, which was dismantled in 2006 and replaced by the National Media Council (NMC), would agree. Indeed, the country is due a new law.
It’s a cultural thing
Authors: El-Baltaji Dana
Published: September 2024

A few months ago, I conducted a small experiment. I sent out emails and faxes to over ten companies in the GCC, asking the investor relations officers to reply with information on their disclosure policies. I wanted to see how many would send me what is widely regarded as public information. I got exactly one response, and it was the wrong one. The officer sent me his company’s brochure. The experiment was a total failure. But it proved something that I and many business journalists already know: companies in the GCC, especially private and government-owned corporations, are not forthcoming about their company details. This can include anything from earnings statements, to information on layoffs, new hires, or, as I discovered, their guidelines on what data – if any – to make public. As a business journalist, all I need are numbers and the occasional interview to write my story. Without them, I’ll have to rely on rumors, outdated information or one of the press releases that flood my inbox to write on the UAE’s companies. Or if I’m lucky, I can rely on a friend who’s willing to leak information about her company in exchange for a free dinner (seriously). But getting a hold of figures is a problem. And while some say it’s only a transparency issue, I disagree. It’s also a censorship issue, albeit an indirect one: companies’ lack of transparency means they don’t need the government to censor business news, because the necessary information isn’t available in the first place. Journalists, then, rely on rumors. And as one PR executive at Nakheel told me a few years ago, local companies don’t respond to rumors. In fact, local companies respond to very little. They have a culture of keeping quiet about big news, including arrests, layoffs and the cancellation of major property developments. But there's only so much negative news they can hold back from the public, especially now during the financial crisis, when the "Dubai dream" appears to be frying in its own oil.
Revolutions Without Revolutionaries? Network Theory, Facebook, and the Egyptian Blogosphere
Authors: Faris David
Published: September 2024

On the morning of April 6th, 2008, a small group of Egyptian bloggers and activists made their way from one internet cafe to another, updating web sites and Twitter feeds dedicated to the day’s tumultuous events in Cairo and other cities. They generously allowed me to spend the day with them, to see what they were up to and how they were using the tools of Web 2.0 to facilitate political protest and social action in Egypt. [i] The afternoon took me from the overpriced coffee joints of Mohandiseen and Zamalek to the Judges’ Syndicate, where a protest was the focus of several blocks full of plainclothes police, riot police, participants, and gawkers both Egyptian and foreign. The young men and women spent their time in the cafes aggregating reports from other activists about arrests and protests, and while they of course were doing everything they could to avoid being arrested, the general attitude seemed to be one of acceptance of that risk. They were doing all of these things at the same time, often talking on the phone, updating a Web site, and speaking with one another, engaging in what has been dubbed “continuous partial attention.” As one of the organizers and writers told me, “With the Internet you can get online anytime, wherever, so now we are publishing all the same news the same minute. If someone got caught now, arrested now, we can write about it now, rather than the old style.”[ii] By the old style, of course, this young blogger meant the traditional media, which has a built-in time-lag between an event and the delivery of news about that event, a delay that has been obliterated by the tools of new media.
Al Jazeera English election coverage: Another missed opportunity
Authors: Pintak Lawrence
Published: September 2024

There was something almost forlorn in U.S. election coverage on Al Jazeera English Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. It was a bit like watching a local college TV station attempt to compete with the big boys. No matter how hard they try, it’s just not the real thing. Another missed opportunity for the two-year old channel that has yet to live up to its potential to produce true borderless journalism. Make no mistake: AJE is not supposed to be CNN. Its self-imposed mission is very different from that of the other English-language global news channels: To report events through the prism of the developing world. By that measure, it failed. And what it did produce just wasn’t very good. Where CNN was – quite literally – beaming holographs of their correspondents onto a set worthy of the bridge on the Starship Enterprise, AJE anchors Ghida Fakhry and David Foster sat huddled in their coats on a rooftop overlooking the White House, looking like they wished someone would bring them a hot chocolate.
Arab youth, television and “affluenza”
Authors: Harmon Mark D.
Published: September 2024

Popularized by several books, articles, and even a stage play over the last several years, a hypothesis known as “affluenza” predicts that media consumption will correlate positively with higher levels of materialistic traits. This paper re-analyzes data from a lifestyle survey administered to youth in Egypt and Saudi Arabia with an eye towards testing the affluenza hypothesis in light of the ongoing boom in Arab satellite television. While the survey was not specifically designed to test for affluenza, and therefore not an optimal tool, it did collect data on television viewing and several lifestyle topics which have been linked to affluenza in previous studies. Surprisingly, the data from this survey of Egyptian and Saudi youth did not show a link between increased television viewing and materialistic traits – in stark contrast to surveys conducted in the United States and Europe. Before 1990, when most Arabic television stations were state-controlled monopolies with limited transnational reach, it would not make much sense to consider Arab television in terms of materialism. Programs, delivered by land-based transmitters, generally followed the political line of the state, rarely delivering programming that could be called daring. As Abdallah Schleifer put it, “Arab television, which came into being during the high tide of republican police states, did not even attempt journalism. Its photographers covered only occasions of state, and there were no correspondents, since it was ‘information’ not news that was sought. Anchors could do the job of reading state news agency wire copy describing these ceremonial occasions while unedited footage was transmitted.” Advertising existed, but was restricted heavily, and clustered between programs—not interrupting them.
A Charter of Contradictions
Authors: Price Monroe E.
Published: September 2024

Seen in its best light, the Arab Satellite Charter adopted by the Arab League last month reflects the increasing recognition of the need for regional cooperation in the information field; the importance of clarifying which state has the power over what signals; and the demand for ethical legal principles that would govern transregional communication in the satellite realm. The final document, however, was something of a jumble, a potent mix of over-regulation and unclear direction (Qatar and Lebanon abstained in the vote among Ministers of Information to approve the document). In the Charter, the vocabulary of modernization collides with the rhetoric of tradition; the realities of political change conflict with the desire to preserve the status quo. Human rights discourse is interpreted and reshaped to fit the Middle East environment. The language of authority reflects difficulties with satellite regulation questions elsewhere. Not surprisingly, a charter of contradictions emerges from a society in which such contradictions abound. The document has an Orwellian rhythm of expansive openness coupled with zones of prohibition: it calls for the main actors in the region to “abide by freedom of expression as a cornerstone of Arab media, provided that such freedom is practiced with full conscious and responsibility, in respect to protecting the supreme interests of the Arab countries, the Arab world, the freedoms and rights of others and commitment to media professionalism and ethics.”
Media absent from Yemen’s forgotten war
Authors: al-Deen Maysaa Shuja
Published: September 2024

Restricting access to information can be as serious a threat to journalism as overt censorship or government persecution. The ongoing insurgency in Yemen’s northern governorate of Sa‘ada is one example of how a state’s attempt to enforce an information blackout has helped hide and sustain a conflict that has festered over four years, killing thousands and leaving a city destroyed, and continuing to stoke fears of a return to violence. The Sa‘ada governorate, located in Yemen’s mountainous northern region on the border with Saudi Arabia and home to around 750 thousand people, has witnessed stop and go wars since 2004. Precise numbers of the dead and wounded are unknown because no organization, national or international, has been allowed full access to the area to make an independent account of the violence, although most estimates put the death toll well into the thousands. Yemen is a Muslim country; the majority follow the Shafi‘i branch of Sunni Islam while the remainder are Zaidi Shi‘a concentrated in the country’s mountainous north. Zaidi Imams ruled parts of Yemen for hundreds of years prior to the 1962 revolution, yet nationalist politics and state education efforts had muted their influence to a large extent by the 1990s.
Egypt’s audiovisual translation scene
Authors: Gamal Muhammad Y.
Published: September 2024

The rise of Arab satellite broadcasting in the 1990s has helped catapult Arab and Egyptian media production to new heights. Yet the massive increase in the number of satellite channels and the hours of broadcasting has relied, to a large extent, on imported programs and translation was its main vehicle either through subtitling or dubbing. This paper traces the rise of the audiovisual translation (AVT) industry in Egypt and provides an insight into the main issues that characterize work from and into Arabic. Simply put, AVT is concerned with translation on screen. From film subtitling to television broadcasts, mobile phone applications to ATM screens, the number of AVT translation projects is on the rise as technology continues to expand the scope of applications. AVT projects tend to differ from text-based translation in that they are usually the written interpretation of a spoken message; AVT projects are shorter, transient and more constrained in space and time. The literature on AVT has been up till now devoid of reference to Arabic in general and to Egyptian practice in particular. This study contributes to the emerging scholarly literature on AVT, which has yet to fully come to grips with the much greater diversity of programming, from localized advertisements to reality programming, that translators work with made possible by the satellite broadcasting revolution of the 1990s.
BOOK REVIEW | Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation
Authors: Khashan Nesreen
Published: September 2024

Viola Shafik’s Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation is a follow-up to her survey of Arab cinema first released in 1998. Unlike her earlier work, Popular Egyptian Cinema focuses its lens on films between the 1920s and present day. The text is divided into three sections. The first deals with representation of minorities in Egyptian film, namely Jews, Copts, and Nubians. Minorities are discussed in the context of how they have been folded into or excluded from notions of nationhood. The second part deals with several binary themes dominating representation of gender, and especially women, in film. Lastly, part three deals with how audiences from different classes interpret films, and the spaces in which they are presented. The three parts illustrate the shifting nature of nationhood as depicted through Egyptian film. Shafik points out that study of Egyptian cinema is significant to Middle East studies particularly because of the prominence the industry has had throughout the region. Engaging in the study as a means to look specifically at Egyptian society develops an account of a nation that has negotiated its identity in response to the shocks of historical events in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Colonialism, independence, wars, economic reforms and regional conflicts have all left major marks on Egyptians. Shafik shows that cinema has enabled filmmakers and viewers to go through cathartic exercises to express dissatisfaction, grief, imaginary empowerment and solidarity, and argues that this artistic channel is especially important because Egypt lacks an adequate civil society.
Resistance beyond time and space: Hizbullah’s media campaigns
Authors: Ajemian Pete
Published: September 2024

The February 2008 assassination of paramilitary mastermind Imad Mughniyeh and the July War of 2006 presented challenges to Hizbullah’s capacity as a military organization.[i] Yet the group has attempted to use its media capabilities to translate the two events into political capital in Lebanon and the wider Arab World. While the reach of Hizbullah’s media apparatus has grown with its integration into Internet-based platforms, the group has also become adept in the creation and presentation of its political media content. Hizbullah’s media responses to these specific incidents demonstrate how the group has become skilled at framing key episodes of political violence against the backdrop of historical themes that resonate with the group’s domestic and regional constituencies. With a narrative that transcends and conflates time and space, the group’s media aim to cultivate Hizbullah’s image as being the vanguard of resistance against perceived Israeli and Western domination. In commemorative videos produced by Al Manar in response to Mughniyeh’s death, this narrative is largely derived from the group’s own unique political culture of militancy and Shiism, while aspects of the group’s prolific media response to the July War of 2006 also incorporate broader nostalgic themes of pan-Arabism. Thus, the group has sought to utilize these events to further reinforce its image of defiance by tapping into themes of revisionism that have timeless currency with its local Shia and greater Arab audiences.
Lebanon’s media battle
Authors: Cochrane Paul
Published: September 2024

On May 7, what was supposed to be a day of strikes to demand higher wages metamorphosed into eight days of fighting between the Hizbullah-led opposition, “March 8,” and the pro-government, “March 14” forces. At the forefront of Lebanon’s bloodiest infighting since the civil war were the media, relaying the heated words of politicians that stoked the conflict while beaming out propaganda thick and fast. During the conflict Lebanon’s media became further entrenched in their sectarian and political camps, pan-Arab media did the same, and domestic media outlets came under direct attack. The Lebanese public, meanwhile, holed themselves up inside and watched events play out on television. After Ghassan Ghosn, the head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, announced that the strike was cancelled, Hizbullah and its supporters shut down Beirut by blocking roads with piles of rubble, burning tires and overturned rubbish bins. The following day, Hizbullah military units moved into the west of the city and started taking over, engaging in street battles with members of Sunni politician Saad Hariri’s Future movement and affiliated parties.
Reach Out and Touch Somebody: The Ecology of New Media and New Social Movements in Jordan
Authors: Tesdell Ramsey
Published: September 2024

After the attacks on Gaza in December 2008, a group of bloggers and journalists got together to plan a food and clothing donation drive to help alleviate the suffering. Despite using new media tools extensively for our activism and social lives, none of us could have imagined what happened next. How did a small group of bloggers and journalists release the generosity of Jordanians, turning a 48-hour campaign to collect food and clothing into a large-scale operation that lasted for the duration of the Gaza offensive? This paper examines this example, and maps the new media ecology that enabled the campaign. A new media ecology is developing in Jordan, one that’s offering an ever-growing number of people an opportunity to express their opinions, and creating greater space for collective action and social change. On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip. The next day, the staff of 7iber.com met to discuss how we could respond. We had already been working with a number of new media tools and experimenting with ways to engage the growing number of digitized readers, and were looking for a project that could serve as a trial run. Unfortunately, it came in the form of death and destruction.
Repairing American public diplomacy
Authors: Rugh William A.
Published: September 2024

It is widely believed among academics who study the subject, and among former practitioners, that public diplomacy has not achieved its full potential, and we are hopeful that the Obama Administration will now solve some of its problems. This essay focuses on the most important challenges, which in many ways concern broadcasting to the Arab world. Public diplomacy is of course not a panacea. America’s foreign policy decisions such as the Iraq war, or its policies at home such as the Patriot Act and Guantanamo detentions, have been strongly criticized abroad, undermining our international reputation and respect. Public diplomacy by itself cannot eliminate all criticism of our policies. It can only help to mitigate objections by explaining the U.S. government’s reasons for these policies, and by reminding foreign audiences of the aspects of America they still admire, in its society, culture and political system. It is also true that the election of Barack Obama, which has generated a generally positive reaction around the world, will not by itself burnish America’s tarnished image abroad. His new policies may help, but misunderstandings of the United States will continue, out of ignorance or deliberate distortion. Public diplomacy programs can help present an accurate picture of America to foreign audiences, a task more important than ever in this age of 24/7 information proliferation. What are the systemic problems hindering U.S. public diplomacy and how can the Obama Administration fix them?
PENGEMBANGAN MODEL PELATIHAN DAN PENDAMPINGAN BERBASIS ONLINE UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KETERAMPILAN PERTANIAN ORGANIK
Authors: Eko Binti Lestari  , Pitoyo Ngatimin  , Rawuh Yuda Yuwana
Published: September 2024

Pertanian organik semakin mendapatkan perhatian dalam beberapa tahun terakhir karena keberlanjutan lingkungan dan manfaat kesehatannya. Namun, banyak petani organik, terutama yang berada di daerah terpencil, menghadapi tantangan dalam mengakses layanan penyuluhan pertanian dan pelatihan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengatasi tantangan ini dengan mengembangkan model pelatihan dan pendampingan berbasis online untuk pertanian organik. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan eksperimental dengan kelompok kontrol dan kelompok perlakuan. Kelompok perlakuan memiliki akses ke platform pelatihan dan pendampingan online, sementara kelompok kontrol tidak. Data dikumpulkan melalui survei, wawancara, dan observasi lapangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dalam pengetahuan dan keterampilan kelompok perlakuan dalam praktik pertanian organik. Produktivitas mereka meningkat, dan kualitas produk organik mereka membaik. Selain itu, kesejahteraan petani dalam kelompok perlakuan juga meningkat, karena mereka melaporkan pendapatan yang lebih tinggi dari penjualan produk organik yang lebih baik. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi dalam bidang pertanian organik dengan menunjukkan efektivitas pelatihan dan pendampingan berbasis online dalam meningkatkan pengetahuan, keterampilan, dan akhirnya, mata pencaharian petani organik. Penelitian ini juga menyoroti potensi pendekatan digital untuk mengatasi tantangan penyediaan layanan penyuluhan di daerah terpencil. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa pelatihan dan pendampingan online dapat menjadi alat berharga dalam mendukung pertumbuhan pertanian organik dan kesejahteraan petani organik
PENGURANGAN PEMANFAATAN PLASTIK SEKALI PAKAI: KAMPANYE KESADARAN LINGKUNGAN DAN SOLUSI ALTERNATIF DI WILAYAH URBAN
Authors: Maharsi Sri Wigati  , Sugeng Raharja  , Rawuh Yuda Yuwana
Published: September 2024

Penggunaan plastik sekali pakai telah menjadi masalah lingkungan global yang semakin mendesak. Artikel penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki efektivitas kampanye kesadaran lingkungan dan solusi alternatif dalam mengurangi pemanfaatan plastik sekali pakai di wilayah urban. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kabupaten Klaten, dengan melibatkan partisipasi aktif masyarakat setempat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode campuran (mixed methods) yang mencakup survei, wawancara, dan observasi. Hasil survei menunjukkan peningkatan kesadaran lingkungan yang signifikan di kalangan penduduk setempat setelah pelaksanaan kampanye. Selain itu, wawancara mendalam mengungkapkan persepsi positif terhadap solusi alternatif, seperti penggunaan kantong kain dan wadah makanan tahan lama. Kampanye kesadaran lingkungan melibatkan serangkaian kegiatan edukasi di sekolah-sekolah, seminar lingkungan, dan promosi di media sosial. Solusi alternatif termasuk distribusi kantong kain ramah lingkungan dan pengenalan sistem penggantian wadah makanan sekali pakai dengan wadah tahan lama di beberapa toko. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kampanye kesadaran lingkungan dan solusi alternatif secara bersamaan dapat mengurangi penggunaan plastik sekali pakai hingga 40% dalam setahun. Kesadaran lingkungan di kalangan penduduk terus meningkat, dan solusi alternatif semakin diterima dan digunakan secara luas. Artikel ini memberikan kontribusi penting dalam upaya mengurangi dampak negatif penggunaan plastik sekali pakai di wilayah urban dan menunjukkan bahwa kombinasi kampanye kesadaran lingkungan dan solusi alternatif praktis adalah langkah efektif dalam menghadapi masalah lingkungan global ini.
INTENSIVE ENGLISH COURSE KEPADA MAHASISWA TAHUN PERTAMA JURUSAN PENDIDIKAN BAHASA INGGRIS DI MERAUKE
Authors: Sri Ananda Pertiwi  , Novi Indriyani  , Dian Agustina Purwanto Wakerkwa
Published: September 2024

Efektivitas pembelajaran dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor diantaranya kesiapan belajar di awal pembelajaran. Tujuan pengabdian masyarakat ini adalah sebagai bentuk upaya meningkatkan efektivitas pembelajaran mahasiswa jurusan pendidikan Bahasa Inggris di Merauke dalam hal pemahaman dasar-dasar Bahasa Inggris, selain itu untuk melihat faktor penyebab minimnya pemahaman Bahasa Inggris sebagian besar mahasiswa Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris di Merauke. Kegiatan ini melibatkan 3 dosen berlatar belakang pendidikan Bahasa Inggris dan 40 mahasiswa tahun pertama jurusan pendidikan Bahasa Inggris pada salah satu Universitas di Merauke. Tahapan dalam kegiatan ini adalah tes diagnosa terkait pemaham Bahasa Inggris, pelatihan digital, pengajaran Bahasa Inggris intensif, post-test, dan wawancara. Dari hasil ditemukan bahwa terdapat terdapat peningkatan pemahaman Bahasa Inggris dan beberapa penyebab minimnya pemamahan Bahasa Inggris mahasiswa diantaranya tingkat kehadiran guru dan siswa, metodde pengajaran,  faktor motivasi dan lingkungan belajar.
Pendidikan Kimia Inklusif: Menciptakan Ruang Belajar yang Ramah untuk Semua Siswa
Authors: Irfai Rizal Adhitya , Yuwana Rawuh Yuda
Published: September 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan mewujudkan pendidikan kimia inklusif dengan fokus pada penciptaan ruang belajar yang ramah bagi semua siswa. Melalui identifikasi kebutuhan, pengembangan strategi inklusif, dan melibatkan berbagai pihak, penelitian ini menjelajahi dampak implementasi strategi inklusif dalam pembelajaran kimia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan partisipasi dan keterlibatan siswa, terutama yang memiliki kebutuhan khusus, serta perubahan positif dalam persepsi siswa terhadap pembelajaran kimia. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat meningkatkan kesadaran guru dan orang tua terkait urgensi pendidikan kimia inklusif, sementara diseminasi hasil penelitian memberikan kontribusi pada pertukaran pengalaman dan penyebaran praktik baik dalam pendidikan kimia inklusif. Implikasi penelitian ini mencakup pengembangan panduan praktis bagi guru, penguatan kerja sama dengan orang tua, dan integrasi strategi inklusif dalam kebijakan kurikulum nasional. Penelitian masa depan dapat lebih melibatkan institusi pendidikan yang lebih luas untuk mengeksplorasi dampak jangka panjang dan dapat memperluas cakupan strategi inklusif. Kesimpulannya, penelitian ini memberikan sumbangan positif terhadap pengembangan pendidikan kimia inklusif dan mengajak semua pihak terkait untuk berkolaborasi guna meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran kimia menuju inklusivitas yang lebih besar.
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-CONCEPT AND COLLAGE STUDENTS' SPEAKING SKILL
Authors: Pertiwi Sri Ananda
Published: September 2024

This study investigates the correlation between students' self-concept and their English-speaking skills. This study is correlational research. Thirty-two students majoring in the English education department at a university were involved as the samples in this study. Spoken tests were used to collect data on students' speaking skills, and questionnaires to collect data on students' self-concept. Spearman rank analysis is used to test the data. Based on the results of the correlation analysis between students' self-concept and students' English-speaking skills. The data shows that the sig. (2tailed) 0.012 < 0.05, which means there is a correlation between students' self-concept and their English-speaking abilities. A correlation coefficient score shows 0.440, which is classified as a "moderate correlation" between the range of 0.400 - 0.599. The result of this study is expected to move educators at all levels of education to raise awareness of students' positive self-concept by providing constructive feedback, providing support, and creating a supportive environment, especially to optimize students' English-speaking skills.
CONSTRUCTION OF LANGUAGE HUMOR TOWARDS INDONESIAN LANGUAGE CULTURE
Authors: Yuwana Rawuh Yuda , Angelianawati Desca , Tuwar Aldianus , Manik Cintya Putri
Published: September 2024

This research explores the intricate interplay of humour, psycholinguistics, morphology, themes, rheme, and language intelligence within the Indonesian language context. Through thorough analysis, the study breaks down humorous linguistic constructs, emphasizing the significance of abrupt contextual shifts and linguistic disruptions as the essence of Indonesian humour. By examining themes and rheme, the research reveals how humour arises from unexpected linguistic contrasts, challenging reader expectations. From a psycholinguistic perspective, the study dissects the cognitive processes that underlie humour comprehension, shedding light on the crucial role of language intelligence in recognizing and appreciating linguistic nuances. The research methodology involved extensive text analysis, delving into various linguistic elements and their impact on humour. The study concludes that language structure, psycholinguistics, and the manipulation of themes and rheme are fundamental aspects of Indonesian humour, underscoring the linguistic complexity inherent in comedic expression.
TEACHING WRITING THROUGH THE WRITING PROCESS APPROACH
Authors: Novi Indriyani
Published: September 2024

This research aims to further explore the impact of the writing process approach on students' writing skills and critical thinking abilities within the realm of English education. Qualitative data will be collected through surveys and assessments conducted among students who have been exposed to the written process approach in English education, and qualitative data will also be gathered through in-depth interviews with educators who have implemented this approach in their teaching practices. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers. The integration of both quantitative and qualitative results will allow for a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of implementing this approach on the field of language instruction. The results from this research highlight the value of student-centered pedagogies and iterative writing processes in cultivating a generation of adept communicators and analytical thinkers in an increasingly interconnected world.
Coriorretinopatía central serosa
Authors: Balparda Ignacio , Colombero Daniel
Published: September 2024

La coriorretinopatía central serosa es una patología ocular que afecta la mácula, se caracteriza por la acumulación de líquido subretinal y puede afectar la visión central y, de este modo, también modificar la calidad de vida de los pacientes. Se da por una descompensación en el epitelio pigmentario de la retina y cambios vasculares coroideos. Es una causa frecuente de pérdida de visión central que afecta principalmente a hombres de 20 a 60 años.
Hasta la fecha, no se ha llegado a un consenso sobre su clasificación y se ha propuesto una amplia variedad de intervenciones, lo que refleja la controversia asociada al tratamiento de esta enfermedad. La reciente publicación de ensayos controlados aleatorizados con un poder estadístico adecuado, así como grandes estudios retrospectivos no aleatorizados sobre su tratamiento, sugieren la viabilidad de un enfoque basado en la evidencia a la hora de considerar las opciones terapéuticas.
Se ha reportado la eficacia de muchas estrategias de tratamiento, como la terapia fotodinámica con verteporfina, los antagonistas de mineralocorticoides orales y el tratamiento con láser de micropulsos. Sin embargo, las pruebas disponibles actualmente sugieren que la terapia con láser de micropulsos y la terapia fotodinámica deberían ser el tratamiento de elección en la coriorretinopatía crónica, mientras que la conducta expectante puede ser el enfoque preferido en su manifestación aguda. No obstante, pueden considerarse excepciones en función de las características específicas de cada paciente.
Resultados visuales, refractivos y estructurales a largo plazo en bebés prematuros tratados por retinopatía del prematuro
Authors: Viotto Priscila M. , Knoll Erna G. , Esposito Evangelina , Gonzalez-Castellanos Alejandro , Ibañez Agustina , Urrets-Zavalia Julio A.
Published: September 2024

Objetivo: Analizar la agudeza visual mejor corregida, el estado refractivo y los resultados anatómicos a largo plazo en bebés prematuros tratados consecutivamente por ROP mediante fotocoagulación con láser y/o inyecciones intravítreas de agentes antiangiogénicos. Métodos: Estudio analítico retrospectivo. Se incluyeron aquellos niños tratados por ROP desde 1998 mediante fotocoagulación con láser, inyecciones intravítreas de agentes antiangiogénicos, o ambos, y que tuvieron un seguimiento oftalmológico mínimo de tres años postratamiento. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva y de frecuencia, y para asociación estadística se utilizó la prueba de Chi-cuadrado y la prueba de correlación de Spearman.Resultados: Se estudiaron 123 ojos de 62 pacientes. La edad en el último control fue en promedio 9,66 ± 5,61 años. 116 ojos (94%) fueron tratados mediante fotocoagulación con láser, 5 (4%) ojos requirieron tratamiento combinado y 2 (2%) ojos con inyección intravítrea de antiangiogénicos. El equivalente esférico medio fue de -2,68±4,87 dioptrías, siendo significativamente más negativo en aquellos con tratamiento combinado (-11,54±2,36 D) y retratamiento (-12,46±3,26 D) y en aquellos con enfermedad de la zona posterior (-7,50±5,49 frente a +0,52±0,54 D) (p<0,01).  Dieciséis (15%) ojos eran emétropes, 32 (29%) ojos eran hipermétropes y 62 (57%) ojos eran miopes. 82 (74%) ojos tenían astigmatismo y 20 (37%) pacientes tenían anisometropía. Sesenta (60%) ojos tenían buena agudeza visual, 26 (25%) ojos tenían agudeza visual regular y 16 (15%) tenían agudeza visual mala. En 97 (80%) ojos el fondo de ojo no presentó secuelas de la enfermedad ni de otras patologías.Conclusiones: La mayoría de los niños tratados conservan una buena agudeza visual, a pesar de importantes errores refractivos, principalmente miopía. Cuanto más posterior es la enfermedad, mayor es la prevalencia de miopía alta.