bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Mexican Clay Soils on Corrosiveness and Stress Corrosion Cracking of Low-Carbon Pipeline Steels: A Case Study
Authors: Contreras A. , Quej L.M. , Liu H.B. , Alamilla J.L. , Sosa E.
Published: July 2020

This work analyzed the physicochemical effect of different types of Mexican clay soils on corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior in contact with X60 and X65 steels. Four soils were obtained from the right of way land in southern Mexico at 1.5 m depth close to pipelines. Two soils were from the state of Oaxaca (SO1 and SO2), and two others from the state of Veracruz (SV1 and SV2). Physicochemical and textural analysis of soils was performed and correlated to SCC susceptibility and corrosion mechanism. It was observed that soil texture might be related to corrosivity. A texture index (ratio between sand and silt + clay), which was seen to have a relationship with the corrosive tendency of soils, was estimated. It showed that soil with a higher index (SV1) has a higher corrosion rate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curves were performed and correlated to the corrosion rate and the SCC susceptibility of steels. Steels exposed to SV1 soil exhibited a higher corrosion rate related to a higher content of chlorides and acid pH than those seen in other soils, which resulted in the pitting of such steels. Two types of corrosion were observed. Soils from SV1 and SV2 generated pitting, and soils from SO1 and SO2 produced general corrosion. Inclusions caused pitting in the gauge section of X60 and X65 steels exposed to SV1 soil by anodic dissolution. Galvanic coupling between inclusions and the base metal and dissolution of the inclusions might have enhanced the nucleation of pits at these sites. SCC susceptibility was evaluated using slow strain rate tests (SSRT). After SSRT, the fracture surfaces were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy. The SCC index obtained from SSRT indicates that X60 and X65 steels exhibited good resistance to SCC. A highly corrosive soil, such as SV1, causes the formation of pits instead of cracks, which is attributed to the dissolution process; however, lower SCC indexes were obtained for this system. The higher corrosion resistance of X60 steel is related to a more homogenous microstructure and a higher content of elements, such as Ni and Cr, than those of X65 steel that decrease the corrosion rate.
How the Liverpool Tidal Institute was established: industry, navy and academia
Authors: Carlsson-Hyslop Anna
Published: July 2020

Abstract. This paper outlines the establishment of the Liverpool Tidal Institute in 1919. There is a particular focus on early patrons and
supporters in the context of both previous tidal research on the accuracy of predictions and debates about the involvement of state actors in science
at the end of the First World War. It discusses how, and to what extent,
various actors – Liverpool University, the British Association for the
Advancement of Science, the UK Hydrographic Office, and the shipping industry – became involved with the institute and what their roles were in its creation. It shows that industrial support was crucial in the establishment
of this academic institute which later became a key contractor to the Navy.
Metaphor as Lexis: Ricoeur on Derrida on Aristotle
Authors: Driscoll Sean Donovan
Published: July 2020

Both Derrida and Ricœur address philosophy’s relation to metaphor, and both take Aristotle as their starting points. However, though Ricœur’s The Rule of Metaphor is largely a response to Derrida’s “White Mythology,” Ricœur seems to pass right over Derrida’s critically important interpretation of Aristotle. In this essay, I dispel concerns that Ricœur may have been intellectually irresponsible in his engagement with Derrida on this point, and I demonstrate how Study 1 makes better sense as a detailed response to Derrida.
‘El caso del balcón’. Fiestas de toros y diplomacia cortesana en las postrimerías del reinado de Felipe IV
Authors: Corredera Nilsson Enrique J.
Published: July 2020

En junio de 1662 varios criados de Cornelius Lerche, embajador de Dinamarca en Madrid, fueron expulsados del balcón que estaban adecentando para que su señor pudiera ver las fiestas de toros en honor a San Juan que iban a celebrarse en la Plaza Mayor. Este incidente, en apariencia irrisorio, derivó rápidamente en un problema diplomático-cortesano que ocupó tiempo de trabajo de Felipe IV y sus consejeros, con el duque de duque de Sanlúcar la Mayor y Medina de las Torres a la cabeza, desde finales de junio hasta mediados de agosto de aquel año. El presente artículo toma el análisis de este incidente como medio para ofrecer algunas respuestas a la pregunta ¿qué cuenta este caso sobre las lógicas y prácticas de funcionamiento e interacción diplomático – cortesanas a mediados del s. XVII?
DRUG MARKETS AND ANONYMIZING TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Tzanetakis Meropi , Décary-Hétu David , Bakken Silje , Munksgaard Rasmus , Katzenbach Christian , Demant Jakob , Paquet-Clouston Masarah , Weissinger Laurin
Published: July 2020

Online drug markets taking advantage of social media and encryption software (e.g. Tor network) and cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Monero) to conceal the identity and physical location of their users are a relatively new area of internet research. Yet, a range of socio-technical innovations have contributed to the proliferation of drug markets on the Internet. Due to the illegality of drugs and drug dealing are anonymizing technologies regarded as important socio-technical practices among its participants allowing to mitigate risks of vendors and customers when exchanging drugs. This panel draws together a number of leading scholars in this emerging area of research to explore questions and issues associated with online platforms enabling illicit transactions. The collection of papers in this panel contribute empirical data and theoretical insight on a range of relevant topics in the study of online drug markets, including methodological challenges, social embeddedness, trust production and governance on cryptomarkets. Various papers in this panel propose new concepts for understanding cryptomarkets as social phenomena where relationships enable economic transactions. It also pluralizes trust building on online platforms and, expanding it from merely institution-based mechanisms to include social relations such as interpreting signs and signals or previous interactions between buyers and sellers. They also expand on reliability of data gathered via anonymous online interviews, drawing attention to participation of marginalized communities. The aim of this panel is to bring together new research to further our understanding of the overall impact of online platform emergence upon global drug markets and to better model their impact on drug dealing, online networks and society in general.
INTIMACIES AND DIGITAL MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURES
Authors: De Ridder Sander , Dhaenens Frederik , Duguay Stefanie , Ferris Lindsay , Paasonen Susanna
Published: July 2020

The breadth of what it means to study intimacies in the context of media has changed significantly in recent years because of current technological, social, and cultural changes. The digital mediation of intimacy - the changing attitudes, experiences, and practices of intimacy performed through digital media - demands that scholars look beyond well-established frameworks for studying intimacy and media, expanding their methodological and theoretical perspectives in order to fully comprehend intimate lifeworlds and the digital. This panel aims to examine the various intimacies - understood here as a range of affects, practices and sociocultural arrangements - that take place through and are reconfigured by digital media infrastructures. In particular, it aims to explore how digital infrastructures and intimate arrangements are intertwined, thereby challenging the assumptions that digital media's reconfigurations of intimacy are associated with either positive or negative outcomes. Through analytical approaches that interrogate the material complexities of digital media in relation to individuals' intimate lifeworlds, this panel's papers uncover the nuances of digitally mediated intimacies. They identify the opportunities that digital media infrastructures facilitate for representation, social connection and sexual excitement while acknowledging infrastructural influences in the reinforcement, commodification, and marginalization of particular expressions of intimacy. Through textual analysis, in-depth interviews, ethnography, and close readings of a range of digital media, from messaging apps to video sharing platforms, these studies generate thick data that exposes the often unseen digital media infrastructures running underneath, through and in the background of intimacies.
LEGITIMATING INTERNET.ORG THROUGH DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE
Authors: Alarcon Andrea
Published: July 2020

This paper examines Mark Zuckerberg’s socio-technical optimistic imaginary of a connectivity of the entire world, focusing on Facebook’s Internet.org initiative. His vision of a connected world can be described as what Jasanoff and Kim (2015) call “sociotechnical imaginary,” which are not limited to nations, or heads of states, but can be conjured by corporations, social movements, and professional societies. The paper examines 50 short promotional videos, first-person narrated by individuals in their target countries. The themes found in the videos map to development discourse: female empowerment, education, entrepreneurship, and natural disaster relief. This paper argues that by merging Internet.org with connectivity, and connectivity with progress, Facebook utilizes the promotional aesthetic and narrative devices usually used by the development sector to position its initiative as a crucial step toward poverty alleviation and economic development.
HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA GATEKEEPING DIFFERENT? A MULTI- PLATFORM COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
Authors: Andringa Peter , Duquette David , Dwyer Deborah , Napoli Philip , Ronald Petra
Published: July 2020

News audiences are increasingly fragmented across different media platforms. Consequently, individual news organizations simultaneously disseminate their content across different media. Each of these media has different user bases, interface characteristics, and distribution systems. Given these substantial differences, the dynamics of the gatekeeping process – and the news values that guide this process – vary across different media technologies/platforms. As audience attention migrates from older to newer platforms (such as social media), it is increasingly important that we understand how the nature of the news that is disseminated – and thus consumed – may be different from the news disseminated through more traditional means. The ramifications of these differences can be profound if the news disseminated on the newer platforms is, for example, more or less substantive, more or less diverse, or more or less plentiful than the news disseminated on older technologies/platforms. This study addresses these issues through a comparative gatekeeping analysis of the New York Times. For this study, a month’s worth of New York Times front page, home page, and Facebook page story output are comparatively analyzed across dimensions such as story quantity, story duplication, hard versus soft news, and content diversity. The primary goal is to determine if or how the nature of the news that is prioritized for news consumers differs between the social media context and older contexts such as the print front page and the web home page.
WHAT CAN “WHY I LEFT BUZZFEED” VLOGS TEACH US ABOUT INVISIBLE LABOUR?
Authors: Bergstrom Kelly
Published: July 2020

In this paper I explore the growing trend of posting videos to YouTube to explain the reasons for why an individual has quit their job, detailing a collection of 10 vlogs posted by 11 former BuzzFeed employees to explain their reasons for leaving the company. I argue that the vlogs made by ex-employees are a deliberate attempt to expose the invisible labour that is prevalent in the post-Internet media industry. By posting “Why I Left” vlogs, former employees reclaim their authorship of creative productions previously uploaded without individual attributions and instead credited to the faceless corporate monolith of “BuzzFeed”. Furthermore, these vlogs act as a means to subvert notoriety earned by being a (now former) public face of BuzzFeed to attract hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of viewers to announce their personal pivot and rebranding as content producers now working independently from the company that had launched them into Internet fame. While perhaps not intentional, these vlogs ultimately act as a warning about the uneven playing field between employer and employee. Each year BuzzFeed posts record profits, and yet these vlogs illuminate how employees are actively prevented from being able to grow a personal brand beyond BuzzFeed, stifling future career prospects and additional sources of income. Ultimately this leaves BuzzFeed employees with the option to quit or to stagnate in place, or what Gaby Dunn (2015) stated are ultimately the two options for a BuzzFeed viral video star: “Get Rich, or Die Vlogging.’”
SPREADING THE WORD: TRACING THE AFFECTIVE ECOLOGY OF DIGITAL ORAL STORIES
Authors: Brekke Anjuli Joshi
Published: July 2020

This project explores the potential of creating, sharing and listening to oral stories online to open affectively charged spaces for listening across difference. In a world in which we are increasingly able to tailor the technologies that surround us to echo back our own voices and worldviews, we seem less willing to slow down and listen deeply to the voices of those whose presence risk placing our tidy worlds into turmoil. This project explores the affective political potential of both the processes of production and dissemination of the multiplatform oral history project StoryCorps. Drawing together recent work on affect from rhetorical studies, cultural studies and new media studies, this project uses textual analysis to analyze how the various StoryCorps platforms (NPR segments, the podcast, the StoryCorps me app) generate affective archives that invite different forms of interactivity from listeners. This paper explores the affective power of mediated voice to bring minoritized experiences and calls for equity to the ears of broader publics. It is significant because it highlights the boundaries and possibilities of digital storytelling as a way to connect with others across difference. The boundaries remind us of the persistence of structures of marginality that limit the seemingly democratic practices of storytelling in a digital age; the possibilities gesture to the power of minoritized voices to disrupt entrenched narratives. The significance of these stories rests in their claim to be at once particular and generalizable, and the digital format enables their travel in new ways and to new audiences.
RECALIBRATING DAILY LIFE: SYNCHRONIZING, COORDINATING, AND SCHEDULING THROUGH SMARTPHONES
Authors: Hand Martin
Published: July 2020

"This paper examines individual framings and experiences of temporal management via smartphone applications. It asks: to what extent and in what ways do configurations of smartphones and scheduling applications intervene in and restructure the temporality of practices and people’s experiences of time? The paper draws upon in-depth semi-structured interview material with (a) professional urban and suburban householders (N=25), (b) individuals transitioning to retirement (N=20), and (c) university students (N=25) to examine how a range of temporal expectations are being perceived, articulated, and negotiated in practice. Interviews included talking through temporal data of many kinds on personal devices. The analytic questions guiding interviews were: where do identifiable expectations about temporal synchronization, coordination, duration, reciprocity, and productivity come from? What are the relations between institutionally defined temporal expectations and subjective experiences of temporal ordering? Does data produced through daily activities alter the temporal contours of those activities? Are social actors reorienting themselves in-time, in relation to mediatized temporal expectations? In terms of findings, four modes of temporal management are identified and described in relation to demographic information. Following Sharma (2014), these are expressed here as ‘recalibrations’ – managing precariousness; synchronizing (to) the time of others; temporal self-disciplining; filling in future time - stressing the different ways in which temporal demands are perceived and experienced, leading to alternative efforts to coordinate and synchronize different elements of daily life through interconnected smartphone anchored applications."
SECRET KILLERS “AFTER WIKILEAKS”: MAPPING, EVOLUTIONS, AND TAXONOMY OF RADICAL LEAKING
Authors: Heemsbergen Luke
Published: July 2020

This paper is concerned with mapping the socio-material ecosystems of online leaks projects that followed WikiLeaks. The period of initial popularisation/infamy of WikiLeaks (2006-2015) correlates with an emergence of over 90 less-known radical online disclosure projects designed to ""Kill Secrets"" (Greenberg 2012). We offer the first systematic study of the decentralised and widely disparate ecosystem of leaks projects to build a taxonomy of leaks sites (n:94) from various observable socio-technical vectors. Affordances tied to user and technical practice, vectors such as self-identified thematic focus (issue, region, etc.), and measures of publication efficacy for each site are all open coded to discern patterns and clusters of practice. Analysis then shifts to mapping of visible interrelationships between sites via social network analysis (SNA) for further insight to the ecology of leaks sites. Taxonomy over typology signals observing material practice without predetermined ideal type, and normative links to agonistic democratic theory. At a macro level our findings suggest, an ecology of leaks sites blossomed and died, with only a handful of sites remaining online, or having ever actually functioned. Micro to Meso analysis of practices show how leaks sites' socio-technical materiality helps shape both efficacy and normative goals, from which unique and sometimes agonistic normative governmental functions can be inferred. Discussion of findings then critically assess how digital leaks served (and severed) ties to already problematic equations of 'transparency' and democracy from a frame of agonistic and algorithmic government practices (Heemsbergen, 2016; Ananny and Crawford, 2016) and suggest tentative paths forward.
CONNECTIVE AMBITION AND CREATIVE CAUTION AMONG HOMELESS USERS OF FACEBOOK
Authors: Marler Will
Published: July 2020

This work-in-progress considers how Chicago's homeless navigate privacy on social media. I refer to "connective ambition" to describe the co-mingling of personal goals with a perception of the power derived from accumulating ties on social networking sites. Preliminary interviews and participant observation with unstably housed Chicagoans suggests that with great ambition comes great risk for exposure to unwanted advances and digital crooks. These risks may be magnified for those lacking personal computers and sufficient computer literacy. At stake is our understanding of how activity on social media translates into social capital. The paper promises to inject new concern for those who stand to gain the most from social networking online.
"THIS MEME IS WHAT WE CALL PROGRESS”: HISTORY-AS-MEME, MEME-AS-HISTORY ON 4CHAN
Authors: McEwan Sean Rutherford
Published: July 2020

Memes “act as the locus of memory”, says Gabriella Coleman of the peculiar relationship 4chan has to its own history, made necessary by the ephemeral nature of large amounts of its content (2009). Rather than having an on-site permanent archive as such, its collective history and memory is sublated into and through the circulation and production of memes. Taking this as a prompt, this paper makes the case for the (re)production, circulation, and referencing of memes as embodiment of a particular historical ontology: a mode of being constructed in relationship to, and through, its own past. Memes, in other words, are a new way of thinking about, and experiencing (digital) history: they contribute to, and are part of, new “infra-structures of feeling” (Coleman 2017). With this in mind, I use Benjamin’s reading of Klee’s Angelus Novus as a framing device to start to think about how memes encourage and embody certain modes of being-in-the-world. I do so in specific reference to 4chan and its privileging of a certain subject position along lines raced, classed and gendered, although possibilities for other forms and spaces are considered. On 4chan, the New Man of neofascism remakes the world memetically, in his own image.
THE POLITICAL INFORMATION TO PROTEST: AN ASSESSMENT OF TOPICAL SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE IN CONTENTIOUS POLITICS
Authors: Mercea Dan
Published: July 2020

This article leverages social media and survey data to probe the scope and depth of political knowledge possessed by participants in the Romanian 2017 #rezist protests. For several months, demonstrators gathered in town squares around the country to oppose a project law intended to water down penalties for corruption in high office. Against the backdrop of well-founded scepticism regarding exposure to and engagement with political knowledge on social media, we scrutinize the social media usage of protestors with an interest in the formulation and circulation of political knowledge. We find evidence of applied political knowledge as a prominent component of public activist communication on Facebook. An examination of the network structure further revealed bottlenecks in the circulation and brokerage of knowledge, a result that helps qualify the aforementioned scepticism.
Micro-Financing: A Comparative Study of Bangladesh & Pakistan
Authors: Khan Aroosa , Malik Shaukat
Published: July 2020

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine impact of micro-financing on poverty alleviation, access to finance and economic growth by comparing Bangladesh and Pakistan.Design/methodology/approach: Panel data of 56 microfinance institutions drawn by simple random sampling from 2002 to 2013 has been collected from financial statements of microfinance institutions and World Bank. Diagnostic tests, variance inflation factor (VIF) and breusch pagan have been applied to check muticollinearity and heteroscedasticity respectively. Data has been analyzed using fixed effect model as indicated by Hausman test.Findings: The analysis evidently authenticates that micro-financing has more significant impact on poverty alleviation and economic growth in Pakistan than Bangladesh. At the same time, access to finance in Bangladesh has more noteworthy impact than that of Pakistan.Originality/value: This study brings to light culmination since beginning of micro-financing on the basis of outcome, experience and comparative regional arrangements helpful for all stakeholders and regulatory authorities in both countries.
Human embryonic stem cell for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: A case report
Authors: Shroff Geeta
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease with inflammatory neurodegeneration. It is caused by the genesis of autoimmune response to self-antigens in a genetically susceptible individual. Currently, no remedy is available for treatment of MS. However, corticosteroids and selective immunomodulators are used. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have been investigated in animal models which showed the potency to mitigate the signs and symptoms of MS. We present a case of patient with MS treated with hESC therapy.
Case Report: A 34-year-old female with MS was referred to our facility. On presentation, the patient was unable to walk properly due to stiffness and paralysis in lower limbs and had significant weight loss in the last two years. The hESC therapy consisted of treatment phases separated by gap phases. After the hESC therapy, there was a remarkable improvement in the muscle bulk, tone and power of the patient. The patient experienced an increased energy level and power of upper limbs. She gained weight during the treatment, but there was no change in her walking status.
Conclusion: We observed a significant improvement in the symptoms of MS with the hESC treatment. There was no adverse event observed during the treatment.
Poisoning with amitraz, an overlooked pesticide, in an adolescent boy in Kenya
Authors: Kajuju Ngugi Serah
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Amitraz is a formamidine chemical compound used worldwide as an ectoparasiticide and an agricultural pesticide. Despite its widespread use, very few cases of human poisoning have been described leading to low awareness among health care providers. Some of its effects on humans may mimic organophosphate poisoning. As a result, cases of amitraz intoxication are not recognized and are therefore incorrectly treated as the much more commonly recognized organophosphate poisoning. There is currently no known antidote for amitraz poisoning and the management is mainly supportive and symptomatic.
Case Report: We report a case of a 12-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with depressed level of consciousness, miosis, bradycardia and hypothermia following deliberate ingestion of a pesticide. Baseline laboratory studies were notable of hyperglycemia and glycosuria but no ketonuria. His past medical history was unremarkable with no history of diabetes mellitus or drug abuse. The poisoning was initially incorrectly diagnosed as organophosphate intoxication but later changed to amitraz poisoning. He was successfully managed supportively with oxygen supplementation, airway management, intravenous fluids as well as close monitoring.
Conclusion: This case report highlights the importance of considering other toxic agents/chemicals other than organophosphate in patients with poisoning. It also highlights the life-threatening presentation in amitraz poisoning, as well as the excellent prognosis with early recognition and supportive management.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia presenting concurrently with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: AL-Kadhimi Munaf , Wah Fernanda , AL-Dawoodi Tamarah , Peguero Julio , T Campos Luis
Published: July 2020

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an acute, life-threatening syndrome typically characterized by thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA). Both genetic and idiopathic TTP are caused by deficient activity of the serine protease ADAMTS-13, allowing its normal substrate, von Willebrand factor, to polymerize and bind platelets under high sheer conditions. Autoimmune TTP is typically treated by plasmapheresis and corticosteroids. Here, we describe a 69-year-old patient presenting with thrombopenia comorbid with "warm" autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAIHA). Treatment with steroids and plasma exchange initiated at the beginning and patient acquired a clinical as well as biological response. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life-threatening condition typically (but not always) associated with autoimmune or genetic inactivation of the protease ADAMTS-13, for which consistently effective therapeutic interventions remain elusive.
Incidental finding of small bowel perforation by a foreign body
Authors: Amin Tanveer , Midhat Ghali , Neil Jayasuriya
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Generally in adults, most foreign body ingestion occurs accidentally, but may be as a result of contributory factors such as psychiatric disorders, mental retardation, alcohol consumption, and an edentulous state. The ingested foreign bodies usually pass uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract within one week. Perforation occurs in less than 1% of all patients. Patients may present with vague abdominal pain with no known history of foreign body ingestion.
Case Series: Herein, we report two cases of bowel perforations by ingesting foreign body who did not recall the ingestion that required surgical intervention.
Conclusion: Clinicians should suspect such condition in the presence of some predisposing factors, and a surgical consultation is necessary.
Epilepsy with hallucinatory phenomena in pediatric age: A case report
Authors: Rodrigues Marlene , Martins Sofia , Antunes Ana , Pontes Teresa , Antunes Henedina , Mare Ricardo
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Hallucinations in children may be part of normal development and not necessarily a symptom of mental illness, but they are subject of great concern to parents and clinicians. They may be a manifestation of a wide spectrum of disorders, such as intoxication, acute febrile illness, endocrinological, neurological or psychiatric disorder. Case Report: Clinical report of a previously healthy nine-year-old boy presented with visual and auditory hallucinations over the last month. During hospitalization it was performed electroencephalogram, audio record of hallucinatory description and child's illustration of the goblins seen in hallucinations. The etiological investigation excludes other causes, and changes in the electroencephalogram confirmed the diagnosis of epilepsy. The child presented with clinical improvement after treatment with sodium valproate, without recurrence of symptoms. Conclusion: This clinical report intended to emphasize the importance of considering epilepsy as a differential diagnosis in children and adolescents with psychic phenomenology, to make a timely diagnosis and treatment.
Acute pacing-induced cardiomyopathy
Authors: Alzahrani Talal , Satya Sripooja , Mercader Marco
Published: July 2020

Introduction: Pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) is defined as a 10% reduction in the left ventricular ejection fraction over several months to a year after pacemaker implantation, resulting in an ejection fraction of less than 50%. Nonetheless, other causes of cardiomyopathy should be excluded to diagnose patients with this condition. Case Report: A 59-year-old male presented with a third-degree heart block and underwent pacemaker implantation with right ventricular pacing. Subsequently, he manifested with an acute heart failure exacerbation and a reduced ejection fraction within two months of pacemaker implantation. Consequently, he underwent further workup to exclude causes of dilated cardiomyopathy such as acute coronary syndrome, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and eosinophilic myocarditis. His left heart catheterization showed worsening in his ejection fraction without any significant coronary stenosis. He had an endomyocardial biopsy, which showed fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis with no evidence of any infiltrative cardiomyopathy. This patient was diagnosed with pacing-induced cardiomyopathy because other causes of cardiomyopathy were ruled out. Thus, his cardiac pacemaker device was upgraded to Biventricular pacing device with implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Conclusion: This report describes a patient with a severe acute form of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy and discusses the prevention and therapy of this condition.
An algorithm for glare detection via photometric, colorimetric, and global positioning features
Authors: Andalibi Mehran , Kawai Kousuke , Chandler Damon Michael
Published: July 2020

Biological and automated vision systems which use digital video for navigation depend on the video to be of sufficient quality in order to extract reliable information that can inform the guidance and/or other decision-making processes. Although systems are available for detection and mitigation of digital distortions (e.g., compression, packet loss), detection and mitigation of natural distortions such as glare, rain, and fog have received much less attention. In this paper, we address the issue of glare detection in a single captured frame. We propose an algorithm which uses a combination of simple and efficient photometric, colorimetric, and GPS features to detect the location and spatial extent of glare within captured images. Specifically, feature maps using lightness, saturation, contrast, and color distance are computed, combined, and then, refined based on the sun's predicted location from the GPS information. In addition, we present a new ground-truth database for glare detection, in which the location, extent, and severity of glare was rated by human subjects for a collection of images. Testing on our ground-truth database revealed that the proposed algorithm can reliably detect the locations and spatial extents of glare sources in a variety of images based on subjective ratings and well-known quantitative measures.
Primary care nurses’ knowledge on Zika virus infection during pregnancy
Authors: Costa Paula Mikaelle Barbosa , Batista Jessika Lopes Figueiredo Pereira , França Inacia Sátiro Xavier de , Pereira Mágna Leite , Silva Millena Zaíra Cartaxo da , Ferreira Nathana Inácio , Dantas Graziele Paiva , Oliveira Cecília Danielle Bezerra
Published: July 2020

Cases related to Zika Virus infections in Brazil have become a severe public health problem due to its relation to microcephaly and other neurological and development problems in newborn babies of mothers who were infected by the Zika virus. Nurses are vital professionals in combating this infection, both for prevention and vector control; as well as handling the target public. Therefore, the research aimed to investigate Primary Care nurses’ knowledge on Zika virus infection during pregnancy. It is a descriptive field study with qualitative approach carried out at Family Health Strategy, in the city of Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection, which were submitted to thematic-content analysis. The nurses replied that there is not much information about Zika virus infections, and reported brain impairment as the main consequence for the newborn baby. Nurses also revealed that many women of the community showed negative feelings towards the pregnancy, and they pointed out the importance of health education actions in the community for dissemination of information on Zika virus infection control and prevention. Nurses’ contribution regarding the assistance provided to the community is considered satisfactory. However, there was a need to bring efficient and updated professional training to the reality of each community. Therefore, it is suggested that training be provided through continued health education to professionals.
When Students Can Choose: Online Self-Study or In-College Learning of English for Academic Purposes
Authors: Hellerstein Devora , Waldman Tina , Juel Solomon Hanne , Arnon Michal
Published: July 2020

This study aimed to better understand what motivations drive students to select a self-study massive open online course (MOOC) or an in-college course with an instructor. The students were enrolled in one of three level courses of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which was an accredited course required for the completion of their Bachelor's Degree, at three teacher education colleges in Israel. The study applied a mainly quantitative data collection method, with a qualitative component. The researchers distributed a survey to 236 students studying in one of the two conditions. They compared survey results between the two groups to examine student background, motivations, and perceptions in relation to choice of preferred learning style. Findings indicated that demographic factors had little effect on the students’ choice. In terms of student motivations, while some differences were found between the two groups in learning preferences, the greatest motivations for selecting a MOOC were extrinsic, with more students driven by financial and time constraints rather than a preference for autonomous learning. The perceptions of students who chose a MOOC indicated low learner readiness to study independently and, as such, a higher risk of not passing the required course. Despite claims that MOOCs represent the democratization of education – providing access to all, regardless of age, gender, financial resources, or other barriers, our findings reveal inequality between students learning English for Academic Purposes in higher education based primarily on financial resources.
Corporate Governance Mechanisms and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Kuwaiti Listed Firms
Authors: Al-Saidi Mejbel
Published: July 2020

Firms must maintain a balance between their performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This study examines the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and the CSR of firms listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) within the framework of agency theory. Using a sample of 86 firms in 2019, this study explored five corporate governance mechanisms (i.e., ownership concentration by large shareholders, ownership concentration by government, board size, board independence, and family directors) and five control variables (i.e., debt, firm size, firm age, profitability, and industry type). The study used the index checklist to measure CSR and found that ownership concentration by large shareholders, ownership concentration by government, and board size affect a firm’s social responsibility while other variables have no impact. This study was the first to examine the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on corporate social responsibility in Kuwait after introducing the new corporate governance rules, and the findings will help Kuwait’s government, firms, and investors evaluate the current rules and improve CSR requirements.
Role of Social Media Application in Promoting Motivation and Listening Skill of Iraqi EFL Learners: A Skype-Based Study
Authors: Dirjal Ali Hasan , Ghapanchi Z. , Ghonsooly Behzad
Published: July 2020

This study seeks to investigate the possible role of the social media applications in promoting and developing both the motivation and listening skill of Iraqi EFL learners at an academic environment. As a case study, seventy-majoring English sophomores at Mustansiriya University in Iraq were randomly divided between two groups, experimental and control groups. The pretest and posttest were conducted to the participants of the study based on a curriculum assigned to them to be taught throughout their academic year. A 25-statement designed questionnaire and an 8-statement designed test were distributed among the respondents of the study on the suitable methods of developing and improving motivation and listening skill respectively. Using the Likert Scale, SPSS and LISERAL programs, the statistical data of the two previously mentioned variables were collected. The final findings of the study revealed that male and female participants were highly motivated after receiving their instruction via Skype device. As a result, a significant difference was noted in the listening skill achievement of the testing group participants who subjected to Skype device as a means of teaching. Grounded on these findings, educators can seriously take social media applications in their account in the process of learning language and in developing more language skills.
‘I Couldn’t Join the Session’: Benefits and Challenges of Blended Learning amid COVID-19 from EFL Students
Authors: Dahmash Nada Bin
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 has changed the process of teaching considerably, as educational institutions around the world moved to adopt blended learning initiatives to ensure continuity, while managing the spread of this infectious disease. All Saudi Arabia’s universities have continued to deliver courses via digital platforms. This study draws on traditional views about blended learning (Sharma, 2010) and examines the pedagogical changes to English courses implemented at King Saud University following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to explore the benefits and challenges of blended learning during the spread of COVID-19 from the perspective of English as a foreign language (EFL) student. Qualitative data were collected from two focus group sessions, and one-to-one interviews with twelve students taking a general intensive English course at King Saud University over a six-week period. The results reveal that blended learning benefited the EFL students by supporting their writing skills and encouraging them to search online, as well as by matching their circumstances and being economical. It also identifies that the challenges EFL students faced included technological problems, flaws in the instructor’s performance, difficulties with online tests, attitudes to online learning and limited resources, and the university council’s decisions. The paper concludes with recommendations to exploit the benefits identified, and overcome the challenges of blended learning when teaching English in an EFL context.
The Truth Behind Voice and Power in My Feudal Lord: A Speech Act Analysis
Authors: Qasim Asifa
Published: July 2020

Female writers use autobiography to express their experiences, deference, and inner-conflicts. They describe their connection to different events and people in domestic or social context to explain their feelings and complexity of their lives. This study analyzes the way Durrani constructs norms of gender and power in her autobiography, My Feudal Lord. The paper imports Searle’s theory of speech act analysis to discover the way the author creates and performs gender in the domain of power through textual interactions. Durrani achieves the effect of patriarchy through frequent use of directives, expressives, and commissives by her husband through employing direct language. The husband openly expresses criticism, blame, complain, and acknowledgement in his interactions which validate his authority over his wife. The striking feature of the wife’s speech is even more frequent use of directives as compared to the husband. However, the major gender distinction was reflected in the use of directives. The husband used more commands and the wife asked more questions. Another major difference was that of commissives which occurred half of the times in the wife’s speech as compared to her husband’s speech. She hardly used any apologies or compliments which shows her diminishing submission to her husband’s authority. Her expressives also reflect her firm attitude and courage to take risk of protesting against her physically and socially more powerful husband.
Rhetorical Analysis of Surah An Naba of the English Translated Version by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
Authors: Hussain Javed , Shahzad Syed Khuram , Sadaf Nadia , Farman Hifza , Sarwat Samina
Published: July 2020

The subject of the Quran is a man, and all its teaching is to give guidance to human beings on the right path. It is impossible to get real guidance without understanding the message of Allah existing in its rich text. The Quran is the richest and authentic book regarding its style, and it is abundant with rhetorical devices and other forms of language and literature. No book can even compete with the Quran with its choice of words and rhetorical devices. This present study attempts to throw light on some of the rhetorical devices employed in Surah An Naba, the 78th Surah of the Quran of the English translated version by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall. This study aims to determine the rhetorical devices used in its English translation, so understand the real and true lessons lying between the texts. For this purpose, the major rhetorical devices as persuasive words. Amplification, hyperbole, simile, metaphor, parallelism, etc. were found. This study is qualitative. A content analysis technique is used to complete the objective of the study. The analysed data and findings are presented in the descriptive form. This study further recommends the researchers to research the other Surah of the Quran as well.
Context of Vignettes and Ethical Sensitivity in Decision-Making Among Undergraduate Business Studies Learners at University of Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Oluoch Prisca Mary , Odundo Paul Amollo , Mwangi John Kamau
Published: July 2020

Vignettes have been applied to train professionals in various fields, which has contributed to significant improvements in learning outcomes, ethical sensitivity and learners’ ethical decision-making. At the University of Nairobi’s Department of Educational Communication and Technology, most instructors have been slow to embrace experiential learning and inconsistent in applying vignettes to deliver business ethics lessons that emphasise ethical sensitivity in decision-making, with far reaching effects on the quality of graduates. This study responded to the information gap about the relationship between the use of vignettes and learners’ ethical sensitivity in decision-making at the University of Nairobi. Cross-sectional survey design guided the research process, and primary data were sourced in 2018 from 116 learners. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques were applied. Key results show that learners who agreed strongly that the context of vignettes influences ethical sensitivity in decision-making were about 3.9 times as likely to make ethically sensitive decisions as colleagues who disagreed strongly. Those who agreed that the context of vignettes influences ethical sensitivity in decision-making had about 2.3 times the odds of making ethically sensitive decisions as colleagues who indicted strong disagreement. This means that the more the learners appreciated that the context of vignettes influences ethical sensitivity in decision-making, the higher the chances of them making ethically sensitive decisions, and vice-versa. This brings to the fore the need for instructors to consistently apply the context of vignettes to deliver business ethics lessons to improve learners’ ethical sensitivity and propensity to make ethical decisions. The study recommends that for practice, vignettes business contexts should be integrated in teacher training business studies ethics lessons.
Synthesis, Microbiological Activity and In Silico Investigation for Some Synthesized Coumarin Derivatives
Authors: Špirtović-Halilović Selma , Osmanović Amar , Završnik Davorka , Selmanagić Aida , Škrbo Selma , Škrijelj Nihada , Trifunović Snežana , Roca Sunčica , Softić Dženita , Šapčanin Aida , Salihović Mirsada , Veljović Elma
Published: July 2020

Four 4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives were synthesized and the structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry. Tested compounds have shown significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and the effect of more halogens on the benzene nucleus, as well as the combination of halogen and alkyl groups, on the antimicrobial activity, was investigated. According to the docking study, these compounds can operate simultaneously on two enzymes, amylase and gyrase (1BAG and 1KZN), which are known to play an important role in bacterial life. Obtained docking study parameters for tested compounds showed an association with the in vitro results of the antimicrobial activity of these compounds. In silico tests of molecular properties of the tested compounds showed that the compounds met Lipinski's rule of five. In this paper, the ADME parameters of tested compounds were also calculated: Caco2 (in vitro Caco2 cell permeability), HIA (human intestinal absorption), MDCK (in vitro Mandin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell permeability), TPSA (topological polar surface area), etc.
Vitomir Šunjić and Krunoslav Kovačević
Authors: Žinić Mladen
Published: July 2020

Editor: Danijel Namjesnik
Published by: Croatian Chemical Society, Zagreb, 2020
ISBN 978-953-8334-00-9 (Hardcover)
ISBN 978-953-8334-01-6 (pdf)
310 pages
Open access: https://prelog.hkd.hr/