bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Decision-Making and Moderator Effects of Transaction Costs, Service Satisfaction, and the Stability of Agricultural Productive Service Contracts: Evidence from Farmers in Northeast China
Authors: Xue Ying , Liu Hongbin , Chai Zhenzhen , Wang Zimo
Published: May 2024

Agricultural producer service (APS) plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of modern agriculture. Enhancing the stability of contracts between farmers and APS is the key to promoting the high-quality development of the latter. This research aimed to explore the decision-making and moderator effects of transaction costs, service satisfaction, and the stability of APS contracts by constructing a theoretical framework. Based on survey data from 893 farmers in Northeast China’s black soil area, we employed the Mvprobit model to examine the relationship between transaction costs, service satisfaction, and contract stability. The key findings are as follows: Firstly, transaction costs have a dual impact on contract stability in agricultural productive services, acting as both inhibitors and promoters. Higher information and execution costs reduce farmers’ willingness to maintain current cooperative relationships, while higher negotiation costs make farmers more inclined to stick with the status quo. Secondly, farmers’ satisfaction with services positively moderates the influence of transaction costs on contract stability, with highly satisfied farmers being more affected than those with lower satisfaction levels. Lastly, farmers’ personal, family, and social characteristics all shape their preferences during the formation process. To mitigate cooperation risks and bolster cooperation contract stability, this study suggests that the government implement supervision and incentives to reduce transaction costs for farmers when procuring services and enhance the efficiency of farmer–service provider connections.
Research on the Construction and Measurement of Digital Governance Level System of County Rural Areas in China—Empirical Analysis Based on Entropy Weight TOPSIS Model
Authors: Wang Tieli , Wang Dingliang , Zeng Zhiwei
Published: May 2024

Rural digital governance is an inevitable requirement to improve the efficiency of rural governance, and is also an important means to realize the modernization of rural governance. In the context of the digital rural development strategy, the index measurement system of the rural digital governance level is built around the five key governance areas of “digital economy, digital ecology, digital culture, digital people’s livelihood, and digital government affairs”. The entropy weight TOPSIS model is used to measure and evaluate the level of rural digital governance in 31 provinces in China in 2021. The results show that there is a large gap in the level of digital governance in China’s counties and villages, and the level of each region presents a decreasing spatial distribution from “east-middle-west”. In terms of digital economy, the eastern region has a high score and good development, while the central and western regions have poor development. In terms of digital ecology, only the eastern region is higher than the national average; In terms of digital culture, only the central region is higher than the national average; In terms of digital livelihood and digital government, the central and eastern regions are slightly higher than the national average; The top three provinces in overall scores are Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu.
Sustainable Design and Building Information Modeling of Construction Project Management towards a Circular Economy
Authors: Mandičák Tomáš , Spišáková Marcela , Mésároš Peter
Published: May 2024

Sustainable design and building information modeling have introduced challenges and opportunities to improve the efficiency of construction project management. The use of circular economy principles provides an opportunity to improve not only environmental indicators but also economic ones. This study addresses sustainable design and BIM in construction project management through circular economy principles. It aims to analyze the impact of using building information modeling on sustainability indicators measured through costs. For research purposes, the basic parameters of sustainability in the construction industry were defined as recycling rate and reductions in waste and CO2. The research questionnaire sample consisted of 199 respondents from Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia. Data were processed and evaluated through descriptive statistics, and then tests were used for data distribution. Statistical significance was determined through ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used for data processing. The trends in the research results suggest that sustainable design can be achieved using building information modeling. They also pointed to an impact on sustainability through increasing the recycling rate and reducing the amount of waste. Although these results indicated a trend, this was not confirmed by the statistical significance tests.
Gear Up for Development: The Automation Advantage for Sustainability in Manufacturing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alharbi Samar S.
Published: May 2024

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of business process automation on the performance of manufacturing companies in Saudi Arabia through the use of a specially designed questionnaire that covered 301 senior employees of the operations, production, and information technology departments in these companies. This research focused on the use of automation in manufacturing companies and its impact on sustainability, operational performance, and institutional performance, including the impact of automation on profitability. The results reflect the status of automation in the Saudi manufacturing market. We observed a strong trend towards automation and this contributes to enhancing profitability, increasing the market share of companies, raising efficiency and productivity, and achieving sustainability. These results were obtained through regression and correlation analysis. The agreement of the survey participants with the data related to automation reflects the relative importance of automation in the Saudi market, shows the positive relationship between automation and performance development, and opens the door to further studies in other sectors or countries.
Study on the Partial Paste Backfill Mining Method in a Fully Mechanized Top-Coal Caving Face: Case Study from a Coal Mine, China
Authors: Du Zhaowen , Chen Deyou , Li Xuelong , Jian Yong , Zhang Weizhao , Zhang Dingding , Tian Yongfeng
Published: May 2024

Paste backfill mining is an significant part of green coal mining, which can improve resource utilization and extend the service life of mines. It is important for solving the “three under, one above” mining problem and avoiding industrial wastes such as coal gangue and fly ash that occupy farmland and pollute the environment. To address the difficult filling problem of a fully mechanized top-coal caving face (FMT-CCF), a new method of partial paste backfill mining is herein proposed. First, the partial paste backfill mining method and implementation steps of the FMT-CCF are introduced in detail. Then, the mechanistic model of the roof beam in partial paste backfill mining is established. Then, the filling structural factors on the filling effect of the 42105 FMT-CCF are determined. Dependent on the assay of the migration law of overlying stratum after filling, numerical simulation analysis is used to research the feature effect of the main filling structural factors on the filling effect. Finally, the paste filling rate, filling width, and filling strength suitable for the 42105 FMT-CCF are obtained. When the filling rate reaches 100%, a significant alteration takes place, resulting in the efficient decrease of the overlying rock stress arch shell’s height. As the width of the filling body expands from 10 m at each end to 20 m, the stress arch of the overlying rock experiences maximum reduction, specifically decreasing by approximately 14 m. When the strength of the filling body is greater than 0.4 GPa, the filling effect is better. This study has important guidance and reference significance for the partial paste backfill of FMT-CCF in thick seam mining.
Strange Things in Bottom-to-Strange Decays: The Standard Model Turned Upside Down?
Authors: Andersson Martin , Marshall Alexander Mclean , Petridis Konstantinos A. , Smith Eluned
Published: May 2024

The flavour anomalies are a set of experimental deviations from the Standard Model (SM) predictions in several observables involving decays of bottom quarks. In particular, tensions between theory and experiment in measurements involving a bottom quark decaying into a strange quark and a pair of muons have motivated much theoretical work to explore possible new physics explanations. This review summarises the tumultuous evolution of these tensions, focusing on the most recent experimental results and their implications for physics beyond the SM. We also discuss the prospects for future measurements and tests of the flavour anomalies at the LHC and other facilities.
The Protective Effects of Ganoderma lucidum Active Peptide GLP4 on Lung Injury Induced by Cadmium Poisoning in Mice
Authors: Zhu Shirong , Wang Xiaoling , Liu Gaoqiang
Published: May 2024

Ganoderma triterpenes and spore powder have shown promising results in mitigating cadmium-induced renal and hepatic injuries. Ganoderma lucidum active peptide GLP4 is a natural protein with dual antioxidant activities derived from the mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum. However, its efficacy in alleviating cadmium-induced lung injury remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate the protective effects of GLP4 against cadmium-induced lung injury in mice. Mice were exposed to cadmium chloride via nebulization to induce lung injury. The protective effect of GLP4 was assessed by measuring the total cell count in BALF, levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the expression of NLRP3 in lung tissues a through histopathological examination of lung tissue changes. The results showed that GLP4 significantly mitigated histopathological damage in lung tissues, decreased the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and reduced the expression of NLRP3, which was elevated in cadmium-exposed mice. In vitro studies further revealed that GLP4 inhibited the cadmium-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Notably, acute cadmium exposure by the respiratory tract did not affect the liver and kidneys of the mice. The findings suggest that GLP4 reduces cadmium-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which provides a theoretical foundation for using Ganoderma lucidum as a preventive and therapeutic agent against cadmium poisoning.
Tobacco Use Behaviors and Associated Factors among Newly Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients in Benin and Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouédraogo Abdoul R. , Fiogbé Arnauld A. , Menon Sonia , Esse Marius Atchéni , Saouadogo Tandaogo , Daouda Adam , Combary Adjima , Agodokpessi Gildas , Ouédraogo Georges , Badoum Gisèle , Lin Yan , Koura Kobto G.
Published: May 2024

The objective of this study was to assess tobacco use (TU) behaviors among newly diagnosed pulmonary TB (PTB) patients and identify associated factors in Benin and Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 randomly selected TB clinics. To ensure a representative study cohort, clinics were stratified during the sampling process. PTB patients were consecutively sampled in 20 of the clinics between 1 December 2021 and 30 September 2022. The study population comprised individuals aged 15 years and above who were newly diagnosed with PTB. Among the 1399 registered PTB patients, 564 (40.3%) reported a history of TU, including 392 (28.0%) current tobacco users and 172 ex-tobacco users. Cigarettes emerged as the predominant form of TU (86.2%), followed by smokeless tobacco (6.4%), and chicha smoking (2.6%). Factors independently associated with tobacco use were male gender (p < 0.001), being in Burkina Faso (p < 0.001), and an age of 25–59 years (p = 0.002). Our multicentric study reveals a substantial prevalence of tobacco use among TB patients, with cigarette smoking emerging as the predominant form. These findings underscore the imperative for implementing targeted cessation interventions within TB control programs. Special emphasis is warranted for male patients aged 25–59 years.
Update on Early-Life T Cells: Impact on Oral Rotavirus Vaccines
Authors: Montenegro Catherine , Perdomo-Celis Federico , Franco Manuel A.
Published: May 2024

Rotavirus infection continues to be a significant public health problem in developing countries, despite the availability of several vaccines. The efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines in young children may be affected by significant immunological differences between individuals in early life and adults. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of early-life systemic and mucosal immune responses and the factors that affect them is essential to improve the current rotavirus vaccines and develop the next generation of mucosal vaccines. This review focuses on the advances in T-cell development during early life in mice and humans, discussing how immune homeostasis and response to pathogens is established in this period compared to adults. Finally, the review explores how this knowledge of early-life T-cell immunity could be utilized to enhance current and novel rotavirus vaccines.
Comparative Pathogenesis of Two Lineages of Powassan Virus Reveals Distinct Clinical Outcome, Neuropathology, and Inflammation
Authors: Reynolds Erin S. , Hart Charles E. , Nelson Jacob T. , Marzullo Brandon J. , Esterly Allen T. , Paine Dakota N. , Crooker Jessica , Massa Paul T. , Thangamani Saravanan
Published: May 2024

Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFV) can cause severe neuroinvasive disease which may result in death or long-term neurological deficit in over 50% of survivors. Multiple mechanisms for invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) by flaviviruses have been proposed including axonal transport, transcytosis, endothelial infection, and Trojan horse routes. Flaviviruses may utilize different or multiple mechanisms of neuroinvasion depending on the specific virus, infection site, and host variability. In this work we have shown that the infection of BALB/cJ mice with either Powassan virus lineage I (Powassan virus) or lineage II (deer tick virus) results in distinct spatial tropism of infection in the CNS which correlates with unique clinical presentations for each lineage. Comparative transcriptomics of infected brains demonstrates the activation of different immune pathways and downstream host responses. Ultimately, the comparative pathology and transcriptomics are congruent with different clinical signs in a murine model. These results suggest that the different disease presentations occur in clinical cases due to the inherent differences in the two lineages of Powassan virus.
Have Previous COVID-19 Vaccinations Shaped the Potential Enhancing Infection of Variant Strains?
Authors: Xiong Husheng , Meng Xiang , Song Yanqin , Zhong Jiayi , Liu Shuang , Zhu Xun , Ye Xin , Zhong Yonghui , Zhang Dingmei
Published: May 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the infection status of Omicron in the population and the association between COVID-19 vaccination and infection with Omicron. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to openly recruit participants for a survey of SARS-CoV-2 infection by convenience sampling from 1 January to 15 January 2023 after a COVID-19 pandemic swept across China. Additionally, the binary logistic regression model was adopted to evaluate the association between COVID-19 vaccination and the infection outcomes or symptom severity, respectively. Meanwhile, the relations between the vaccination and duration of the symptoms were estimated via ordinal logistic analysis. Results: Of the 2007 participants, the prevalence of infection with Omicron was 82.9%. Compared with unvaccinated individuals, inactivated COVID-19 vaccination could increase the risk of Omicron infection (OR = 1.942, 95% CI: 1.093–3.448), and the receipt of at least one dose of non-inactivated COVID-19 vaccines was a protective factor against infection (OR = 0.428, 95% CI: 0.226–0.812). By contrast, no relations were observed in COVID-19 vaccination with the symptoms of infection and duration of symptoms (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This cross-sectional study concluded that inactivated COVID-19 vaccination might increase the risk of Omicron infection, which should be a concern during COVID-19 vaccination and the treatment of variant infections in the future, and the receipt of at least one dose of non-inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was a protective factor against infection.
Reasons for COVID-19 Non-Vaccination from 2021 to 2023 for Adults, Adolescents, and Children
Authors: Nguyen Kimberly H. , Bao Yingjun , Mortazavi Julie , Corlin Laura , Allen Jennifer D.
Published: May 2024

Understanding how attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination have changed over time is essential for identifying areas where targeted messaging and interventions can improve vaccination confidence and uptake. Using data from multiple waves of the nationally representative U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected from January 2021 to May 2023, we assessed reasons for the non-vaccination of adults, adolescents, and children using the Health Belief Model as the framework for understanding behavior. Among unvaccinated adults, perceived vulnerability increased from 11.9% to 44.1%, attitudinal factors/mistrust increased from 28.6% to 53.4%, and lack of cue to action increased from 7.5% to 9.7% from January 2021 to May 2022. On the other hand, safety/efficacy concerns decreased from 74.0% to 60.9%, and logistical barriers to vaccination decreased from 9.1% to 3.4% during the same time period. Regarding reasons for non-vaccination of youth, perceived vulnerability increased from 32.8% to 40.0%, safety/efficacy concerns decreased from 73.9% to 60.4%, and lack of cue to action increased from 10.4% to 13.4% between September 2021 and May 2023. While safety/efficacy concerns and logistic barriers have decreased, increases in perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, mistrust, and lack of cues to action suggest that more efforts are needed to address these barriers to vaccination.
Assessment of Hydrological and Meteorological Composite Drought Characteristics Based on Baseflow and Precipitation
Authors: Huang Saihua , Zhang Heshun , Liu Yao , Liu Wenlong , Wei Fusen , Yang Chenggang , Ding Feiyue , Ye Jiandong , Nie Hui , Du Yanlei , Chen Yuting
Published: May 2024

Traditional univariate drought indices may not be sufficient to reflect comprehensive information on drought. Therefore, this paper proposes a new composite drought index that can comprehensively characterize meteorological and hydrological drought. In this study, the new drought index was established by combining the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized baseflow index (SBI) for the Jiaojiang River Basin (JRB) using the copula function. The prediction model was established by training random forests on past data, and the driving force behind the combined drought index was explored through the LIME algorithm. The results show that the established composite drought index combines the advantages of SPI and SBI in drought forecasting. The monthly and annual droughts in the JRB showed an increasing trend from 1991 to 2020, but the temporal characteristics of the changes in each subregion were different. The accuracies of the trained random forest model for heavy drought in Baizhiao (BZA) and Shaduan (SD) stations were 83% and 88%, respectively. Furthermore, the Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) interpretation identified the essential precipitation, baseflow, and evapotranspiration features that affect drought. This study provides reliable and valid multivariate indicators for drought monitoring and can be applied to drought prediction in other regions.
A Systematic Review of the Vertical Green System for Balancing Ecology and Urbanity
Authors: Zhao Jiayu , Rao Qiuyi , Sun Chuanhao , Ikram Rana Muhammad Adnan , Fan Chengliang , Li Jianjun , Wang Mo , Zhang Dongqing
Published: May 2024

Skyrise greenery, including green roofs and vertical gardens, has emerged as an indispensable tool for sustainable urban planning with multiple ecological and economic benefits. A bibliometric analysis was used to provide a systematic review of the functions associated with skyrise greenery in urban landscapes. Key research tools, including the “Bibliometrix” R package and “CiteSpace” 6.2 R4, highlight the depth and breadth of the literature covering skyrise greenery. In 2000–2022, a total of 1474 original journal articles were retrieved. Over this period, there was an exponential increase in the number of publications, reflecting both enhanced knowledge and increasing concerns regarding climate change, the urban heat island, and urbanization. Of the total, ~58% of the articles originated from China, followed by the USA, Italy, Australia, and Canada. The research themes, such as urban heat islands, carbon sequestration, hydrology, and air quality, have been identified as the frontier in this fields. Furthermore, researchers from developed countries contributed the most publications to this domain, while developing countries, such as China, play an increasing role in the design and performance evaluation of vertical greenery. Key benefits identified in vertical green systems (e.g., green roofs and walls) include thermal regulation, sustainable water management, air-quality improvement, noise reduction, and biodiversity enhancement. In addition, several potential future research prospectives are highlighted. This review provides a comprehensive insight into exploring the pivotal role of skyrise greenery in shaping sustainable, resilient urban futures, coupled with sustainable urban planning.
On the Optimized Management of Activated Distributed Storage Systems: A Novel Approach to Flood Mitigation
Authors: Post Riley , Quintero Felipe , Krajewski Witold F.
Published: May 2024

New flood records are being set across the world as precipitation patterns change due to a warming climate. Despite the presence of longstanding water management infrastructure like levees and reservoirs, this rise in flooding has been met with property damage, loss of life, and hundreds of billions in economic impact, suggesting the need for new solutions. In this work, the authors suggest the active management of distributed networks of ponds, wetlands and retention basins that already exist across watersheds for the mitigation of flood damages. As an example of this approach, we investigate optimal control of the gated outlets of 130 such locations within a small watershed using linear programming, genetic algorithms, and particle swarm optimization, with the objective of reducing downstream flow and maximizing basin storage. When compared with passive operation (i.e., no gated outlets) and a uniformly applied active management scheme designed to store water during heavy rainfall, the optimal control techniques (1) reduce the magnitudes of peak flow events by up to 10%, (2) reduce the duration of flood crests for up to several days, and (3) preserve additional storage across the watershed for future rainfall events when compared with active management. Combined, these findings provide both a better understanding of dynamically controlled distributed storage as a flood fighting technique and a springboard for future work aimed at its use for reducing flood impacts.
Study on Ferritin Gene Expression to Evaluate the Health of White Leg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Postlarvae Due to Changes in Water Temperature, Salinity, and pH
Authors: Kim Chul-Won , Lee Ju-Wook , Kang Seung-Won , Kang Han-Seung
Published: May 2024

The growth and survival of marine organisms are influenced by environmental factors such as water temperature, salinity, and pH. Unsuitable environmental conditions may negatively impact marine organisms. The white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a euryhaline organism highly adapted to salinity, is a valuable species for aquaculture. This study examined the effects of water temperature, salinity, and pH on the health of postlarvae L. vannamei. Stress levels within the organisms were analyzed through the expression of a biomarker gene. Ferritin was selected as the biomarker gene for analysis. The experimental animal samples used were the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei postlarvae. The analysis was performed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the adaptation of L. vannamei postlarvae to temperature was dependent on salinity. Under low-salinity conditions (5 psu), ferritin expression increased at 25 °C and 30 °C after 48 h of exposure; however, it decreased after 72 h of exposure. Under normal salinity conditions (27 psu), ferritin expression increased from 24 h to 72 h at water temperatures of 25 °C and 30 °C. These results indicate that low-salinity conditions may enable L. vannamei postlarvae to rapidly adapt to high temperatures. In conclusion, L. vannamei postlarvae adapt more efficiently to high temperatures under low-salinity conditions than that under high-salinity conditions. The results of this study could beneficially impact L. vannamei farming.
Summarizing User Comments on Social Media Using Transformers
Authors: Papagiannopoulou Afrodite , Angeli Chrissanthi
Published: May 2024

Social media and smart technology have invaded our daily lives. They are increasingly used to express feelings and opinions, to publish news, to support public debates on various issues and events. User comments under each post are a key factor in making economic, political and business decisions. Managing their sheer volume is an almost impossible task. Therefore, summarization seems crucial. Recent years have shown that abstractive summarization has achieved great results in the field of document summarization by producing more human-like summaries. Unlike formal documents, social media conversations face four challenges: 1) tend to be informal, consisting of slang expressions and special characters, 2) show deviations from the original theme and dependencies on previous opinions, 3) since they are short, they lack lexical richness and, 4) contain redundant and repetitive information, resulting in confusion among readers. We address these challenges by developing a system that generates abstractive summaries from pools of user comments under a specific social media post, using Transformers. Unlike previous works that do not rely on user comment pools and draw data from Reddit, Twitter or “Sina Weibo” platforms only, we use a Facebook dataset. We first reshape the raw dataset in a meaningful way for summary generation and we apply some basic pre-processing.  Then, we define a task that deals with grouping comments according to the post title. A summary is generated for each group (pool) of comments. Our model is evaluated using ROUGE scores between the generated summary and each comment on the thread.
A Comprehensive Bibliometric Study of Product Placement with an Ethical Emphasis
Authors: Truong Phi Hung , Kim Anh Dao , Hoang Duc Sinh , Nguyen Dieu Hue
Published: May 2024

Product placement, also known as brand placement, has become a practice, in forms of media such as movies, music, games, cartoons and even social media. By increasing brand visibility and creating a sense of credibility for consumers it offers an avenue for advertising that doesn't feel like marketing. In this research study we have utilized methodologies to analyze the framework of the research field and the specific issue at hand by employing VoSViewer software. Our analysis focuses on a sample of 409 documents published between 1995 and 2023. The objective is to provide indicators including publication trends, citation patterns, notable authors, influential journals, and significant keywords. Additionally, we explore the reach of product placement research by examining its dispersion. This study contributes to both understanding and practical knowledge about product placements impact on consumer behavior brand management practices and social media platforms. Lastly. Importantly we emphasize the considerations that should be considered when implementing product placement as a marketing strategy, for any company.
Hope on YouTube: Mixed Methodology Bridges Mental Health YouTubers and Viewers’ Perspectives
Authors: Ziavras Stavroula , Diamantaki Katerina
Published: May 2024

The need for accessible therapeutic solutions has been highlighted by the observed youth mental health crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeking solutions involves a varied pathway, blending traditional therapist-client interactions with everyday aspects, like social media, particularly YouTube, which is used for informal counseling and as an entry point to formal mental healthcare. YouTube mental health content viewers value autopathographies (APs) for interest and mental health professional (MHP) content for information validity, both recently increasing. Hope, a non-specific factor fostering therapeutic change and building the therapist-client relationship, is crucial in the complex pathway to change. Unfortunately, this intricate pathway is often overlooked in psychological and media communication research. Additionally, relevant literature lacks guidance on effectively leveraging social media for user mental health. This study explores hope levels for therapeutic change in APs and MHP content viewers, focusing on the content’s role in informal online counseling. Through a mixed methods approach, viewer hope is gauged through direct viewer surveys and indirectly through YouTube content creator interviews. Additionally, the viewer's perception of YouTubers within the informal counselor-client relationship is assessed, influencing counseling effectiveness. Findings indicate that YouTube's APs and MHP content can increase the possibility for therapeutic change for high-hope viewers in formal and informal counseling, underscoring the crucial role of the YouTuber-viewer relationship in informal online counseling. YouTube emerges as a valuable addition to an individual's mental health toolkit.
On Presenters and Commenters in YouTube Climate Change Videos
Authors: Aharonson Vered , Joselowitz Jared
Published: May 2024

Social media videos can promote viewers responsibility to solve social problems such as climate change. Not all aspiring videos, however, are successful in persuading their viewers on the perils involved in climate change and on the need for pro-environmental behaviour. Our study examined attributes that could explain a video’s persuasiveness and focused on the video presenter traits. Videos on climate change were sourced from YouTube conjointly with the comments they elicited. The presenters in these videos addressed the negative effects and dangers of climate change and the role of human activity in resolving them. Two attributes were manually coded for each video: the type of presenter in the videos– scientist, politician or celebrity, and their presentation style: blaming, stating the problem, or suggesting a solution. A measure of persuasiveness was computed from the YouTubers comments using sentiment analysis. This computation provided a polarity label – positive, negative, or neutral, for all comments, for each video. Subsets of 50 comments per video were manually coded to validate the computational analysis. The findings indicated that a predominant number of positive-polarity comments was elicited by video presenters who were scientists. Videos that proposed potential solutions to climate change elicited a majority of positive polarity. Politicians and celebrity presenters, as well as blame-oriented videos elicited a larger number of negative-polarity comments. These initial findings imply a potential of sentiment analysis of comments to elucidate which attributes can increase a video’s persuasiveness on its viewers. This insight can improve future video production and enhance their influence.
An Analysis of Online Bulletin Board Discussions Using Posting Transitions
Authors: Nakayama Minoru , Kikuchi Satoru , Yamamoto Hiroh
Published: May 2024

Online discussion transitions were analysed as a means of furthering the development of critical thinking disposition of students and their attitude toward disaster mitigation. The discussion was organised as an additional learning activity during a fully online course. The participant's posted messages were analysed using a network analysis technique in order to promote discussion and learning performance. The posting chain was represented as an adjacency matrix and posting relationships were analysed. The results suggest that discussant’s activity shows a hierarchical structure, with some participants posting in response to lecturer's instructions. Posting participants were classified into several clusters, and these characteristics were analysed. Though single-posting participants were not active discussants, their characteristics, including their learning performance, could be readily recognised correctly during the analysis.
Effective Elements of Climate Change Videos on the YouTube Platform
Authors: Shahbazi Zeinab , Nowaczyk Slawomir
Published: May 2024

In an era where visual communication is important, understanding the key components that make climate change videos effective is essential for improving awareness and driving meaningful actions. This research presents an overview of YouTube’s educational content on climate change, aiming to identify elements that contribute to the effectiveness of these videos. We used a questionnaire targeting bachelor’s and master’s students to learn about their preferences regarding the available videos and their beliefs concerning the use of YouTube as an educational platform. A curated list of videos was used to explore how students perceive their influence on personal interest and engagement in climate change. Accordingly, each student watched three videos related to climate change and provided information concerning their impressions. By reviewing various attributes of the videos related to climate change, such as the content structure, engagement, and similar, we extracted the essential characteristics that are associated with more positive reactions to these videos as significant educational tools.
Users' Adoption of Social Media Platforms for Government Services: The Role of Perceived Privacy, Perceived Security, Trust, and Social Influence
Authors: Almansoori Lamya , Al-Katheeri Reem , Al-kfairy Mousa
Published: May 2024

The rapid integration of social media platforms in government service delivery marks a transformative trend in the digital era. This study investigates the critical factors influencing user adoption of social media for accessing government services, focusing on perceived privacy, perceived security, trust, and social influence. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Trust-Privacy-Identity (TPI) framework, the research offers a comprehensive understanding of how users perceive and interact with government services on social media platforms. The study emphasises the importance of users' confidence in privacy and security measures, examining how these perceptions shape their willingness to engage with government services online. A key finding of this research is the significant role of Perceived Security and Privacy (PSP) in influencing users’ trusting intentions. At the same time, Social Influence (SI) predominantly affects their intention to use these platforms. Additionally, Trusting Intention (TI) is found to be a crucial determinant of users’ Intention to Use (IU). Contrary to expectations, the study reveals that Social Influence (SI) does not significantly impact users’ trusting intention, and gender does not appear to play a significant role in determining the intention to use or trust intention. The study has important implications for both research and practice. For policymakers and government agencies, understanding that trust and perceived security are central to user adoption. This knowledge is vital for enhancing the effectiveness of government service delivery via social media, ensuring that these platforms are not only accessible but also trusted by the public.
Municipalities and Their Use of Social Media as Communication Tools: An Overview of Some Current Practices in the Aveiro Region In Portugal
Authors: Raposo Rui , Morais Nídia , Gouveia Teresa , Silva Ana
Published: May 2024

Social media has gradually evolved into a phenomenon that transcends its purely technical nature and has become an almost ubiquitous part of the communication activities of our modern society, playing an essential role in numerous sectors, such as public administration, where its potential as a communication tool has helped local authorities to develop agile and easily accessible communication channels with their communities. Traditional communication strategies using leaflets, local television, newspaper and radio advertising, and even the authorities' institutional website are being replaced by more engaging communication strategies based on social media. The research presented in this paper took up the challenge of mapping and analysing during a short period the online presence of the 11 municipalities of the Intermunicipal Community of the Region of Aveiro (CIRA) in Portugal in terms of their use of social media as tools for communicating with their constituents and others living in the region. The information collected focused on the municipalities' activities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Particular attention was paid to consistency and coherence of communication, engagement, and shared content. An empirical study was conducted based on quantitative information collected over 30 days through a web-based web analytics tool, with further review of some of the data collected by the researchers directly from each municipality's social media profile. The results show that municipalities are engaged in developing communication strategies and activities on social media, providing audiovisual content is becoming more critical, and followers are more engaged with audiovisual content and issues less related to political and administrative matters. The information gathered shows that followers are more engaged with content about cultural and sports-related news and that there is still room for improving the use of YouTube for sharing information about each municipality. The results also suggest municipalities can improve their current practices by developing their communication team's new communication design skills. These conclusions have already been shared with decision-makers to help them improve current practices and design future communication strategies based on concepts linked to new media and transmedia experiences.
Revealing Hybrid Threats: Vulnerability Exploitation in Romania's Social Media Landscape
Authors: Lupulescu Georgiana Daniela
Published: May 2024

Taking a deep look into hybrid operations characteristics, an important and omnipresent one is targeting vulnerabilities mode of action. As the global landscape evolves and challenges national security like never before, understanding the mechanisms state and non-state entities use to exploit vulnerabilities becomes paramount. By examining the contemporary geopolitical contexts, this article sheds light on the multifaceted strategies deployed by various actors through social media platforms to undermine the resilience of the Romanian state. Due to its geographical location, Romania is not only a major pillar for regional security but also has an important strategic role in maintaining security in both NATO and UE. Exploiting Romania’s security weaknesses may be the way hybrid actors pursue their geopolitical interests, ideological aims, and regional power struggles. At the beginning of the study, a short framework will be presented for the concept of vulnerabilities within a state, focusing on the security weaknesses that emerge from several domains, such as economic, political, technological, and in particular social susceptibilities, and how they manifest in social media. Following, the article will include methods and tactics used in social media, by various types of actors, considering the use of cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, covert influence, or economic coercion for a clearer image of the target-attack binomial. Furthermore, a short analysis of Romania’s exposure to hybrid threats will be provided. Starting from the research hypothesis that Romania’s geopolitical and geographical location is the key factor in establishing its vulnerability degree to hybrid threats manifestation, the main question that emerges is how to minimize its vulnerabilities. The methodology that will be used in conducting this research includes a short literature review of the concept of vulnerabilities within a state, as well as weaknesses exploitation through social media, followed by the case study analysis where we will be focusing on some of Romania’s vulnerabilities within social media. Through this comprehensive examination, this article underscores the significance of recognizing and addressing vulnerabilities within a state, particularly in the context of evolving global challenges and threats to national security. It emphasizes the strategic importance of Romania in maintaining regional and international security. The article serves as a wake-up call to the potential dangers posed by hybrid actors who exploit these vulnerabilities using social media platforms, urging Romania and its allies to take proactive measures to bolster their defense and resilience against these multifaceted threats.
Online Learning in 280 Characters: Analysing Public Sentiment on Online Learning During COVID-19
Authors: Alsuhaibani Anas , Almotrafi Mohammed , Alossaimi Faisal , Alhassan Ahmad , Alaklabi Mohammed
Published: May 2024

The global COVID-19 pandemic forced a seismic shift towards online learning, replacing conventional in-person education in response to the inherent health risks. This transformation showcased the resilience of educational systems and the transformative potential of technology in breaking geographical barriers and delivering accessible learning opportunities. Despite the pandemic's challenges, it expedited online education developments, heralding a more adaptable, inclusive educational paradigm poised to outlast the pandemic's immediate effects. This study investigates public sentiment and perspectives concerning online learning in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic, using Twitter as a primary data source. By scrutinising tweets and interactions, this study aims to unearth insights into the challenges, advantages, and overall perceptions of online learning amid the pandemic. The analysis of the collected dataset revealed a prevalent negativity at 37.19%, contrasting with 29.37% positive sentiments and 33.43% neutral viewpoints. The primary cause for negative perceptions lies in the difficulties encountered during the shift to online learning, leading to strain on platforms. Nevertheless, positive feedback highlights the efficacy of the online learning system, viewing it as an opportunity for educational development. Neutral tweets often mention platform names, reflecting the nature of the data collected. Key themes in online learning discourse during the pandemic included technological challenges, student engagement, equity, teacher support, and assessment. The study emphasises the potential of Twitter data in identifying obstacles, gauging sentiment, and improving online learning strategies by sharing best practices and tailoring interventions.
Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle Age (SMIDGE)
Authors: Lee Jason , Wilford Sara , Hamzaoui Raouf , Bhalla Nitika
Published: May 2024

This paper examines the ongoing work of a three-year Horizon Europe project titled ‘Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle Age’ (SMIDGE). The project will cover aspects of the following areas: ethical dimensions, review of the literature (including conspiracy theories, misinformation and extremism online), co-designing of quantitative surveys, stakeholder engagement through qualitative focus groups, national nuances, changing technological issues, platform use and regulations. We take this analysis as a case study template that we believe will be useful to researchers in this field and potentially policy makers, especially from a multidisciplinary and transnational perspective. The project is split into four phases; Phase 1 - Understanding the landscape, profiling content and users, Phase 2 - Understanding the ‘attractiveness’ of the narrative, Phase 3 - Creating counter narratives and Phase 4 - Guidelines and policy briefs: spreading the word.
We will unpack the challenges and opportunities of this approach for social media analysis and its real-world impact on democracy. Once the initial phase is completed in year one, we will start to construct counter-narratives to combat extremism in this context. This will take the form of creating counter videos and a documentary, as well as producing a series of podcasts and webinars. Furthermore, the outputs of the empirical research will inform and feed into the development of educational and training materials, guidelines and recommendations, as well as policy briefs that can be useful to policy makers, researchers, security professionals, journalists and beyond. The outputs from the SMIDGE project will provide evidence-based content, tools and resources that will directly help to counter extremist narratives from multiple perspectives. This will enable a greater understanding of the specificities and characteristics of those in the middle-age category, specifically those aged 45-65 years, and their vulnerability to extremism online.
Exploratory Study: Social Media Impact on Mental Health Perception in Colombian Gen Z
Authors: Manrique Molina Luisa Fernanda , Ramírez Rojas Camilo Andrés
Published: May 2024

This exploratory study aimed to discern and comprehend the social media usage patterns and their perceived impact on mental health among Generation Z students at a Colombian university. Employing a mixed methods approach, data were collected from 361 Colombian Gen Z individuals. A focus group guide and a self-reported questionnaire, informed by focus group results, were utilized to evaluate diverse constructs. Qualitative data underwent iterative categorization (IC), while quantitative data underwent statistical analysis using SPSS software. Participants predominantly utilized social media for communication and entertainment, with indications of a link between social media use and anxiety. However, participants did not perceive social media as significantly influential in their decision-making processes or relationships. Notably, female participants reported higher anxiety levels. This study of Colombian Gen Z freshmen unveiled social media's notable influence on body image, mental health, and social rewards. It underscores the necessity for tailored interventions to foster positive online experiences, address gender-specific challenges, and reassess brand engagement strategies within this demographic. Additionally, it highlights the need for further research within the Colombian university context. Though the employed instrument exhibited acceptable validity and reliability levels, future research could benefit from enhancements. This paper represents the initial endeavor to analyze social media consumption among Generation Z in Colombia through a mixed methods approach. Examining social media consumption patterns and their impact on mental health contributes to academic discourse on this relationship, informing the design of appropriate pedagogic strategies while considering reported gender differences. This study contributes valuable insights into the intricate interplay between social media use and mental health among Colombian Gen Z students. Addressing these dynamics is pivotal in formulating targeted interventions and strategies to support the mental well-being of this demographic within university settings. Future investigations should focus on refining measurement tools and delving deeper into nuanced aspects of social media's influence on mental health within educational environments.