bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is corporate governance a significant factor in corporate social responsibility disclosure? Insights from China
Authors: Pasko Oleh , Kharchenko Tetyana , Kovalenko Oleksandr , Tkachenko Viktoriia , Kuts Oleksandr
Published: January 2024

This comprehensive study delves into the intricate relationship between corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure (CSRD) within the framework of China’s institutional landscape. By analyzing an extensive dataset comprising 35,435 firm-year observations from 3,889 A-share listed companies spanning the years 2006 to 2019, the research scrutinizes various governance mechanisms, including board size, independence, CEO duality, and ownership concentration.The investigation affirms that larger boards and a higher proportion of independent directors exert a positive influence on CSRD. In contrast, a substantial shareholding ratio held by the largest shareholder proves to be a hindrance to the transparent disclosure of CSR initiatives. While the impact of CEO duality on CSRD is noted, the statistical significance of this relationship remains inconclusive.These findings underscore the nuanced dynamics of governance and ownership structures in shaping CSR initiatives. The findings highlight the nuanced impact of governance and ownership structures on CSR initiatives, offering valuable insights for managers and policymakers navigating CSR strategies in China’s business landscape. The insights garnered from this study hold valuable implications for both corporate managers and policymakers navigating the landscape of CSR strategies within the unique contours of China’s business environment.
AcknowledgmentThis paper is co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) within the project “Embracing EU corporate social responsibility: challenges and opportunities of business-society bonds transformation in Ukraine” – 101094100 – EECORE – ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH-UA-IBA / ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCHRSCH https://eecore.snau.edu.ua/Oleh PASKO expresses sincere gratitude for the support received from the Kirkland Research Program, generously provided by the Leaders of Change Foundation established by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation.
The impact of adopting the digital strategy on the competitive advantage: A moderating role of employee satisfaction in the Jordanian banking sector
Authors: AL Afaishat Tayseer , Al-Maadhedee Maan , Yamin Ismail
Published: January 2024

Digital strategy is one of the methods adopted by organizations to use digital technology to achieve business goals, improve performance, and enhance competitive advantage by significantly improving customer experience. Success in achieving competitive advantage requires implementing the digital strategy effectively. The study aims to determine the impact of adopting the digital strategy on the possession of competitive advantage with the moderating role of employee satisfaction in the Jordanian banking sector. Data were collected from 397 employees working in twelve Jordanian banks. The SPSS software was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The results show that adopting digital strategy dimensions explains 55.6% of the variance of competitive advantage dimensions. Data, quality, and flexibility explain 45.8%, 44.8%, and 47.3% of the variance of competitive advantage, respectively. Also, the results show a positive impact of digital strategy dimensions (technologies, data, human resources, and operations) on competitive advantage dimensions (quality, flexibility, and cost). Moreover, the results also show that employee satisfaction moderates and enhances the relationship between adopting the digital strategy and possessing competitive advantages. The study recommended that decision-makers in commercial banks pay attention to applying digital technology because it enhances the speed and quality of providing services to customers.
Improving incomplete mixing modeling for junctions of water distribution networks
Authors: Yousefian Reza , Duchesne Sophie
Published: January 2024

Most of the existing water quality models for water distribution networks assume complete mixing at junctions. Albeit few models offer the possibility to consider incomplete mixing (IM) at junctions, most of them were developed under laboratory conditions and for equal pipe size junctions. In real-world distribution networks, however, cross junctions of 150 × 100 × 150 × 100 mm or 100 × 150 × 150 × 150 mm are common, yet no model has been developed for these configurations. This paper presents a new equation to compute concentrations in cross junction outlets while considering IM for six cross junction configurations, including unequal pipe sizes and 150 mm pipes. For each cross junction configuration, mixing was studied under 25 flow scenarios in the laboratory and 40 simulated flow scenarios using OpenFOAM software. Two new flow rate ratios were selected as independent variables to compute different outlet concentrations. For two specific cross junctions with equal pipe sizes, the root-mean-squared error between the observed and simulated concentrations of the newly developed model was 0.02, while it was 0.05 and 0.07, respectively, for the AZRED IM model and the Shao et al. IM model.
Retracted: Assessment of customer satisfaction with the water supply system in low-income countries: A case of Adama City, Ethiopia
Authors: Beshir Abelkassim Aminu , Reddythota Daniel , Alemayehu Esayas
Published: January 2024

Water Supply issues a formal retraction in relation to the above article by Abelkassim Aminu Beshir, Daniel Reddythota and Esayas Alemayehu. The publisher issues this retraction due to concerns that were raised regarding potential citation manipulation due to inappropriate references. The journal did not receive a satisfactory response to these concerns and as such the Editors-in-Chief no longer have confidence in the integrity of the article.
Territorial self-government in Russia as a national model of public participation in the exercise of public authority
Authors: Gordeeva Irina V.
Published: January 2024

Territorial self-government (TSG) is one of those institutions of Russian law that emerged in the process of transformation of socialist state law into contemporary constitutional and municipal law. However, it was not accepted by the national laws of a significant part of the former USSR states-republics, which used other forms of institutionalization of local communities. The legal nature of TSG is still a subject of controversy in Russian legal science. This article proposes a new approach to the description of legally significant properties of TSG in Russia through their comparison with similar or related institutions of other national legal systems: territorial self-government, public councils in municipalities, other national models of TSG (Republic of Belarus). This helped to distinguish between generic and specific characteristics of TSG and to draw a reasonable conclusion about the national (specific) features of TSG in Russia. The author pays special attention to differentiating the properties of public and citizens’ power, forms of direct democracy and forms of public participation. The author suggests possible ways of TSG development in Russia and the corresponding directions for improving legislation that correlate with the legal nature of TSG and its features, in particular, determining the procedure for TSG participation in the development and implementation of municipal strategic planning documents.
Neuro-protective Effect of Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic Acid in a Rat Model of
Scopolamine-induced Cholinergic Dysfunction
Authors: Assaran Amir Hossein , Hosseini Mahmoud , Shirazinia Matin , Eshaghi Ghalibaf Mohammad Hosein , Beheshti Farimah , Mobasheri Leila , Mirzavi Farshad , Rajabian Arezoo
Published: January 2024

Background::

Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) is a major component of the oleo-gum
resin of B. serrata with multiple pharmacological activities. The objective of this study was to explore the underlying
mechanisms of neuroprotective potential of AKBA against scopolamine-mediated cholinergic dysfunction
and memory deficits in rats.

Methods::

The rats received AKBA (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, oral) for 21 days. In the third week, scopolamine
was administered 30 min before the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests. In order to perform biochemical
assessments, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were extracted from the rats euthanized under
deep anesthesia.

Results::

In the MWM test, treatment with AKBA (5 and 10 mg/kg) decreased the latency and distance to find
the platform. Moreover, in the PA test, AKBA remarkably increased latency to darkness and stayed time in
lightness while decreasing the frequency of entry and time in the darkness. According to the biochemical assessments,
AKBA decreased acetylcholinesterase activity and malondialdehyde levels while increasing antioxidant
enzymes and total thiol content. Furthermore, AKBA administration restored the hippocampal mRNA
and protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-
2 and Bcl-2- associated X genes in brain tissue of scopolamine-injured rats.

Conclusion::

The results suggested the effectiveness of AKBA in preventing learning and memory dysfunction
induced by scopolamine. Accordingly, these protective effects might be produced by modulating BDNF, cholinergic
system function, oxidative stress, and apoptotic markers.
Capsicum annuum Oleoresin Nanoemulgel - Design Characterization and In
vitro Investigation of Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: Eid Ahmad M. , Natsheh Hiba , Issa Linda , Zoabi Majdulin , Amer Monia , Mahamid Effat , Mousa Ahmed
Published: January 2024

Background::

The use of naturally occurring bioactive materials is getting great attention owing to
their safety and environmental properties. Oily compounds, known as oleoresins, are expected to provide an
important source for the natural products industry aiming to develop novel treatments for skin conditions.
In this work, Capsicum annuum oleoresin nanoemulgel formulations have been prepared and investigated for
their antibacterial and anticancer properties.

Methodology::

Several C. annuum oleoresin nanoemulgel formulations were prepared by incorporating a Carbopol
940 gel in a self-nanoemulsifying nanoemulsion consisting of C. annuum, tween 80, and span 80. The
systems were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and rheology. The in
vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the optimum formulation were evaluated.

Results::

The selected formulation is composed of 40% tween, 10% span 80, and 40% C. annuum oleoresin.
This formulation produced a stable nanoemulsion with a narrow PDI value of 0.179 ± 0.08 and a droplet size
of 104.0 ± 2.6 nm. Results of the in vitro antimicrobial studies indicated high potency of the systems against
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (zone of inhibition of 29 ± 1.9 mm), E. coli (33 ± 0.9
mm), K. pneumonia (30 ± 1.4 mm), and C. albicans (21 ± 1.5 mm), as compared to the reference antibiotic,
ampicillin (18 ± 1.4 mm against K. pneumonia), and antifungal agent, fluconazole (12 ± 0.1 mm against C. albicans).
Furthermore, cytotoxicity results, expressed as IC50 values, revealed that the oleoresin and its nanoemulgel
had the best effects against the HepG2 cell line (IC50 value of 79.43 μg/mL for the nanoemulgel) and
MCF7 (IC50 value of 57.54 μg/mL), and the most potent effect was found against 3T3 (IC50 value of 45.7 μg/m-
L). On the other side, the system did not substantially exhibit activity against By-61 and Hela.

Conclusion::

C. annuum oleoresin and its nanoemulgel can be considered valuable sources for the discovery of
new antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer compounds in the pharmaceutical industry, especially due to their
potent activity against various cancer cell lines as well as bacterial and fungal strains.
Characteristics of Honey Powder with Maltodextrin And Gum Arabic Addition Using Vacuum Foam-Drying Method
Authors: Maharani Angelina Risky , Aryandra Naufal Akbar , Jaya Firman , Lastriyanto Anang , Masyithoh Dewi , Radiati Lilik Eka
Published: January 2024

Honey powder is a solution to overcome the weakness of liquid honey. This study aims to determine the characteristics of the addition of maltodextrin and gum arabic as fillers and their ratio to produce the best honey powder characteristics in terms of water content, water activity (aw), hygroscopicity, reducing sugar content, solubility, and dissolving time. This study consisted of 6 treatment levels, namely Maltodextrin 1 (MD1) with a ratio of honey and filler of 2:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) of 40:20, Maltodextrin 2 (MD2) with a ratio of honey and filler of 1:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) of 40:20. b) and filler (g) 40:40, Maltodextrin 3 (MD3) with a ratio between honey and filler of 1:1 and solid concentration of honey (% d.b) and filler (g) 40:60, followed by Gum Arabic 1 (GA1), Gum Arabic 2 (GA2), and Gum Arabic 3 (GA3) which have the same ratio and concentration as the treatment using maltodextrin. In addition, commercial honey powder data was also included as a control (CHP). This study showed that the best moisture content was in MD3, with a value of 0.591%. Then, MD1 at 0.301% had the best result in water activity. In addition, the use of gum arabic has better hygroscopicity compared to maltodextrin. Meanwhile, the results showed that gum arabic gave high reducing sugar content in honey powder compared to the addition of maltodextrin; the more the addition of gum arabic, the higher the sugar content. The use of maltodextrin as a filler in honey powder provides better solubility compared to gum arabic. In addition, the reported addition of maltodextrin can reduce the dissolving time of food powders.
Studi Potensi Airtanah Untuk Perencanaan Jaringan Irigasi Air Tanah Di Kecamatan Slahung, Kabupaten Ponorogo
Authors: Raflie Fahrezzi Ramadhan  , Sri Wahyuni  , Anggara Wiyono Wit Saputra
Published: January 2024

Desa Duri, Desa Plancungan, dan Desa Kambeng merupakan desa yang terletak pada Kecamatan Slahung, Kabupaten Ponorogo, Mayoritas penduduk di daerah tersebut bermata pencaharian sebagai petani. Karakteristik pada daerah Slahung memiliki tanah berpasir dan curah hujan yang rendah. Ditambah menurut BNPB, ketiga desa tersebut terindikasi mengalami kekeringan tingkat sedang-tinggi. Karena banyaknya kebutuhan air yang ada pada daerah tersebut maka dibutuhkan sumber air yang memadai untuk memenuhi kebutuhan air khususnya dalam sektor irigasi. Dengan membentuk sistem Jaringan Irigasi Air Tanah (JIAT) potensi air yang ada pada daerah Slahung dapat menjawab kebutuhan air yang ada agar sawah yang terdapat pada ketiga desa tersebut memiliki air yang cukup. Penentuan nilai transmisivitas yang paling besar dan jarak radius antara titik yang telah ditentukan dengan luasan sawah, dihasilkan potensi air tanah sebesar Q = 35 liter/detik. Perencanaan jaringan irigasi air tanah menggunakan sistem perpipaan dan rotasi yang terbagi menjadi 5 blok area pengaliran yang dilakukan secara bergantian selama 12 jam. Rencana Anggaran Biaya (RAB) total yang dibutuhkan dalam pembangunan sistem jaringan irigasi air tanah di Desa Duri, Desa Plancungan, dan Desa Kambeng adalah sebesar Rp. 2.815.268.493.00.
Effect of education level on delivery at home evidence from eastern Indonesia
Authors: Rohmah Nikmatur , Laksono Agung Dwi , Dewi Sofia Rhosma
Published: January 2024

Background: Eastern is an area that tends to be lagging in terms of health development in Indonesia, including delivery services.

Objectives: The study aims to analyzes the effect of education level on delivery at home in eastern Indonesia.

Methods: The study employed secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). The samples of this study were women of childbearing age, who labored in the last five years, and there were 2,299 respondents. Apart from education level as an exposure variable, the study used seven control variables, i.e., residence, age, employment, marital, parity, health insurance, and wealth status. In addition, the study employed binary logistic regression in the final stage.

Results: The results inform women with primary education have a 1.520 times higher probability than women with higher education to deliver at home (AOR 1.520; 95% CI 1.520-1.521). Moreover, women with secondary education are 1.206 times more likely than women with higher education to deliver at home (AOR 1.206; 95% CI 1.206-1.207). Thus, the results of this analysis inform the lower the education level, the higher the possibility for delivery at home. Apart from education level, the study also found other control variables significantly related to maternal delivery at home in eastern Indonesia. Seven control variables are proven to be related to home delivery in Eastern Indonesia. The first lives in the countryside, the second is younger, the third does not work, the fourth has a partner, the fifth is multiparous, the sixth has no insurance, and the seventh is very poor.  
Conclusions: The study concluded that education level affects maternal delivery at home in eastern Indonesia.The recommendation from this research is the need for policies that can minimize the limitations of vulnerable groups in utilizing help in hospitals. 
Patient Portal Use Among Family Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia and Cancer: Regression Analysis From the National Study of Caregiving
Authors: Bratches Reed W R , Wall Jaclyn A , Puga Frank , Pilonieta Giovanna , Jablonski Rita , Bakitas Marie , Geldmacher David S , Odom J Nicholas
Published: January 2024

Background

Family caregivers are often inexperienced and require information from clinic visits to effectively provide care for patients. Despite reported deficiencies, 68% of health systems facilitate sharing information with family caregivers through the patient portal. The patient portal is especially critical in the context of serious illnesses, like advanced cancer and dementia, where caregiving is intense and informational needs change over the trajectory of disease progression.

Objective

The objective of our study was to analyze a large, nationally representative sample of family caregivers from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) to determine individual characteristics and demographic factors associated with patient portal use among family caregivers of persons living with dementia and those living with cancer.

Methods

We conducted a secondary data analysis using data from the 2020 NSOC sample of family caregivers linked to National Health and Aging Trends Study. Weighted regression analysis by condition (ie, dementia or cancer) was used to examine associations between family caregiver use of the patient portal and demographic variables, including age, race or ethnicity, gender, employment status, caregiver health, education, and religiosity.

Results

A total of 462 participants (representing 4,589,844 weighted responses) were included in our analysis. In the fully adjusted regression model for caregivers of persons living with dementia, Hispanic ethnicity was associated with higher odds of patient portal use (OR: 2.81, 95% CI 1.05-7.57; P=.04), whereas qualification lower than a college degree was associated with lower odds of patient portal use by family caregiver (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.18-0.71; P<.001. In the fully adjusted regression model for caregivers of persons living with cancer, no variables were found to be statistically significantly associated with patient portal use at the .05 level.

Conclusions

In our analysis of NSOC survey data, we found differences between how dementia and cancer caregivers access the patient portal. As the patient portal is a common method of connecting caregivers with information from clinic visits, future research should focus on understanding how the portal is used by the groups we have identified, and why.
Performance of ChatGPT on Ophthalmology-Related Questions Across Various Examination Levels: Observational Study
Authors: Haddad Firas , Saade Joanna S
Published: January 2024

Background

ChatGPT and language learning models have gained attention recently for their ability to answer questions on various examinations across various disciplines. The question of whether ChatGPT could be used to aid in medical education is yet to be answered, particularly in the field of ophthalmology.

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the ability of ChatGPT-3.5 (GPT-3.5) and ChatGPT-4.0 (GPT-4.0) to answer ophthalmology-related questions across different levels of ophthalmology training.

Methods

Questions from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps 1 (n=44), 2 (n=60), and 3 (n=28) were extracted from AMBOSS, and 248 questions (64 easy, 122 medium, and 62 difficult questions) were extracted from the book, Ophthalmology Board Review Q&A, for the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program and the Board of Ophthalmology (OB) Written Qualifying Examination (WQE). Questions were prompted identically and inputted to GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0.

Results

GPT-3.5 achieved a total of 55% (n=210) of correct answers, while GPT-4.0 achieved a total of 70% (n=270) of correct answers. GPT-3.5 answered 75% (n=33) of questions correctly in USMLE step 1, 73.33% (n=44) in USMLE step 2, 60.71% (n=17) in USMLE step 3, and 46.77% (n=116) in the OB-WQE. GPT-4.0 answered 70.45% (n=31) of questions correctly in USMLE step 1, 90.32% (n=56) in USMLE step 2, 96.43% (n=27) in USMLE step 3, and 62.90% (n=156) in the OB-WQE. GPT-3.5 performed poorer as examination levels advanced (P<.001), while GPT-4.0 performed better on USMLE steps 2 and 3 and worse on USMLE step 1 and the OB-WQE (P<.001). The coefficient of correlation (r) between ChatGPT answering correctly and human users answering correctly was 0.21 (P=.01) for GPT-3.5 as compared to –0.31 (P<.001) for GPT-4.0. GPT-3.5 performed similarly across difficulty levels, while GPT-4.0 performed more poorly with an increase in the difficulty level. Both GPT models performed significantly better on certain topics than on others.

Conclusions

ChatGPT is far from being considered a part of mainstream medical education. Future models with higher accuracy are needed for the platform to be effective in medical education.
Web-Based Search Volume for HIV Tests and HIV-Testing Preferences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Infodemiology Study
Authors: Kanamori Rie , Umemura Futaba , Uemura Kosuke , Miyagami Taiju , Valenti Simon , Fukui Nobuyuki , Yuda Mayumi , Saita Mizue , Mori Hirotake , Naito Toshio
Published: January 2024

Background

Research has found a COVID-19 pandemic–related impact on HIV medical services, including clinic visits, testing, and antiviral therapy initiation in countries including Japan. However, the change in trend for HIV/AIDS testing during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been explored extensively in the Japanese population.

Objective

This infodemiology study examines the web-based search interest for two types of HIV tests, self-test kits and facility-based tests, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Methods

The monthly search volume of queried search terms was obtained from Yahoo! JAPAN. Search volumes for the following terms were collected from November 2017 to October 2018: “HIV test,” “HIV test kit,” and “HIV test health center.” The search term “Corona PCR” and the number of new COVID-19 cases by month were used as a control for the search trends. The number of new HIV cases in the corresponding study period was obtained from the AIDS Trend Committee Quarterly Report from the AIDS Prevention Foundation.

Results

Compared to the search volume of “corona-PCR,” which roughly fluctuated corresponding to the number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan, the search volume of “HIV test” was relatively stable from 2019 to 2022. When we further stratified by the type of HIV test, the respective web-based search interest in HIV self-testing and facility-based testing showed distinct patterns from 2018 to 2022. While the search volume of “HIV test kit” remained stable, that of “HIV test health center” displayed a decreasing trend starting in 2018 and has remained low since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 66%-71% of the search volume of “HIV test kits” was attributable to searches made by male internet users from 2018 to 2022, and the top three contributing age groups were those aged 30-39 (27%-32%), 20-29 (19%-32%), and 40-49 (19%-25%) years. On the other hand, the search volume of “HIV test health centers” by male users decreased from more than 500 from 2018 to 2019 to fewer than 300 from 2020 to 2022.

Conclusions

Our study found a notable decrease in the search volume of “HIV test health center” during the pandemic, while the search volume for HIV self-testing kits remained stable before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Japan. This suggests that the previously reported COVID-19–related decrease in the number of HIV tests mostly likely referred to facility-based testing. This sheds light on the change in HIV-testing preferences in Japan, calling for a more comprehensive application and regulatory acceptance of HIV self-instructed tests.
Performance of ChatGPT on Ophthalmology-Related Questions Across Various Examination Levels: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Haddad Firas , Saade Joanna S
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

ChatGPT and language learning models have gained attention recently for their ability to answer questions on various examinations across various disciplines. The question of whether ChatGPT could be used to aid in medical education is yet to be answered, particularly in the field of ophthalmology.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess the ability of ChatGPT-3.5 (GPT-3.5) and ChatGPT-4.0 (GPT-4.0) to answer ophthalmology-related questions across different levels of ophthalmology training.

METHODS

Questions from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps 1 (n=44), 2 (n=60), and 3 (n=28) were extracted from AMBOSS, and 248 questions (64 easy, 122 medium, and 62 difficult questions) were extracted from the book, Ophthalmology Board Review Q&A, for the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program and the Board of Ophthalmology (OB) Written Qualifying Examination (WQE). Questions were prompted identically and inputted to GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0.

RESULTS

GPT-3.5 achieved a total of 55% (n=210) of correct answers, while GPT-4.0 achieved a total of 70% (n=270) of correct answers. GPT-3.5 answered 75% (n=33) of questions correctly in USMLE step 1, 73.33% (n=44) in USMLE step 2, 60.71% (n=17) in USMLE step 3, and 46.77% (n=116) in the OB-WQE. GPT-4.0 answered 70.45% (n=31) of questions correctly in USMLE step 1, 90.32% (n=56) in USMLE step 2, 96.43% (n=27) in USMLE step 3, and 62.90% (n=156) in the OB-WQE. GPT-3.5 performed poorer as examination levels advanced (P<.001), while GPT-4.0 performed better on USMLE steps 2 and 3 and worse on USMLE step 1 and the OB-WQE (P<.001). The coefficient of correlation (r) between ChatGPT answering correctly and human users answering correctly was 0.21 (P=.01) for GPT-3.5 as compared to –0.31 (P<.001) for GPT-4.0. GPT-3.5 performed similarly across difficulty levels, while GPT-4.0 performed more poorly with an increase in the difficulty level. Both GPT models performed significantly better on certain topics than on others.

CONCLUSIONS

ChatGPT is far from being considered a part of mainstream medical education. Future models with higher accuracy are needed for the platform to be effective in medical education.
Performance of Large Language Models in Patient Complaint Resolution: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Yong Lorraine Pei Xian , Tung Joshua Yi Min , Lee Zi  Yao , Kuan Win Sen , Chua Mui Teng
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Patient complaints are a perennial challenge faced by health care institutions globally, requiring extensive time and effort from health care workers. Despite these efforts, patient dissatisfaction remains high. Recent studies on the use of large language models (LLMs) such as the GPT models developed by OpenAI in the health care sector have shown great promise, with the ability to provide more detailed and empathetic responses as compared to physicians. LLMs could potentially be used in responding to patient complaints to improve patient satisfaction and complaint response time.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the performance of LLMs in addressing patient complaints received by a tertiary health care institution, with the goal of enhancing patient satisfaction.

METHODS

Anonymized patient complaint emails and associated responses from the patient relations department were obtained. ChatGPT-4.0 (OpenAI, Inc) was provided with the same complaint email and tasked to generate a response. The complaints and the respective responses were uploaded onto a web-based questionnaire. Respondents were asked to rate both responses on a 10-point Likert scale for 4 items: appropriateness, completeness, empathy, and satisfaction. Participants were also asked to choose a preferred response at the end of each scenario.

RESULTS

There was a total of 188 respondents, of which 115 (61.2%) were health care workers. A majority of the respondents, including both health care and non–health care workers, preferred replies from ChatGPT (n=164, 87.2% to n=183, 97.3%). GPT-4.0 responses were rated higher in all 4 assessed items with all median scores of 8 (IQR 7-9) compared to human responses (appropriateness 5, IQR 3-7; empathy 4, IQR 3-6; quality 5, IQR 3-6; satisfaction 5, IQR 3-6; P<.001) and had higher average word counts as compared to human responses (238 vs 76 words). Regression analyses showed that a higher word count was a statistically significant predictor of higher score in all 4 items, with every 1-word increment resulting in an increase in scores of between 0.015 and 0.019 (all P<.001). However, on subgroup analysis by authorship, this only held true for responses written by patient relations department staff and not those generated by ChatGPT which received consistently high scores irrespective of response length.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides significant evidence supporting the effectiveness of LLMs in resolution of patient complaints. ChatGPT demonstrated superiority in terms of response appropriateness, empathy, quality, and overall satisfaction when compared against actual human responses to patient complaints. Future research can be done to measure the degree of improvement that artificial intelligence generated responses can bring in terms of time savings, cost-effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and stress reduction for the health care system.

CLINICALTRIAL
Identifying Factors Affecting the Mathematics Achievement of Students for Better Instructional Design in UK
Authors: BYIRINGIRO Emmanuel
Published: January 2024

Mathematics is said to be logical, reliable and a growing body of concepts which makes use of specific language and skills to model, analyse and interpret the world. It is a human activity which involves creativity, discovery of patterns of shape and number, the modelling of situations, the interpretation of data and the communication of ideas and concepts. This paper attempts to examine factors affecting the mathematics achievement of students for better instructional design in UK. This study used descriptive survey design. Simple random sampling technique was further applied to obtain Mathematics teachers, students and principals targeted. The total population of this study was 142 persons. The study sampled 105 respondents. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis through the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 21. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The results of the findings indicated that the demographic factors were more correlated with students Students’ Mathematic Achievement (r = 0.722; p= 0.000). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that demographic factors contributed to 69.9% of variation on the performance, hence plays a vital role in students’ mathematics achievement in UK.
Effects of Low Supplement Levels of Plant Oil and Type of Antioxidant on Meat Quality Parameters of Feedlot Lambs
Authors: Olivier Alannah M. , Marais Jeannine , Mahachi Leo N. , Mapiye Cletos , Jones M. Hope , Strydom Phillip E.
Published: January 2024

Plant oil supplements have been used in ruminant feedlot diets as alternative high-density energy source.However, feeding ruminants with high levels of oil may adversely affect the rumen microbiome and function, negatively impacting performance and production. Plant oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may also affect animal products quality when PUFA escape or partially escape biohydrogenation. This study investigated the effects of a low inclusion level (1.62%) of a plant oil (commercial sunflower-soybean blend) on the physicochemical attributes, fatty acid profile, and shelf-display stability of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle of lambs fed high-energy starch-based diets. In addition, either a natural or synthetic antioxidant were included in the plant oil containing diets to evaluate their effects on maintenance of shelf-display stability with or without natural or synthetic antioxidants. Forty [n=40; average weight (± standard error of mean) 28 (± 0.836 kg)] were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatment groups [(1) control (Grain); (2) grain plus plant oil only (Oil); (3) grain plus plant oil with synthetic antioxidant (OilCaps); and (4) grain plus plant oil with natural antioxidant (OilNat)]. Feeding lambs with grain-based diets supplemented with plant oil, with or without natural or synthetic antioxidants, had no effects on meat physicochemical attributes (P>0.050) or color stability over 7 d of shelf display (P>0.050). Regardless of antioxidant inclusion, oil supplementation increased conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) composition in lamb longissimus muscle (P=0.028). Overall, results from this study suggest that grain-based feedlot diets supplemented with low inclusion levels of plant oil did not significantly affect shelf stability of lamb meat during display while both oil supplement and antioxidants increased the CLA content of longissimus muscle.
Γ-CONVERGENCE OF DOUBLE SEQUENCES OF FUNCTIONS, AND MINIMIZERS
Authors: Talo Ozer , Sever Yurdal
Published: January 2024

In the present paper, we introduce the concept of Γ-convergence of a double sequence of functions defined from a metric space into real numbers. This convergence is useful as it is a convenient concept of convergence for approximating minimization problems in the field of mathematical optimization. First, we compare this convergence with pointwise and uniform convergence and obtain some properties of Γ-convergence. Later we deal with the problem of minimization. We prove that, under some additional assumptions, the Γ-convergence of a double sequence (f_{kl}) to a function f implies the convergence of the minimum values of f_{kl} to the minimum value of f. Moreover, we prove that each limit point of the double sequence of the minimizers of f_{kl} is a minimizer of f.
A HYBRID DIFFERENTIAL EVOLUTION FOR NON-SMOOTH OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS
Authors: Egorova Lyudmila D. , Kazakovtsev Lev A. , Krutikov Vladimit N. , Tovbis Elena M. , Fedorova Alexandra V.
Published: January 2024

Solving high dimentional, multimodal, non-smooth global optimization problems faces challenges concerning quality of solution, computational costs or even the impossibility of solving the problem. Evolutionary algorithms, in particular, differential evolution algorithm proved itself as good method of global optimization. On the other side, approach based on subgradient methods are good for optimizing non-smooth functions. Combination of these two approaches enables to improve the quality of the algorithm, using the best features of both methods. In this paper, a new hybrid evolutionary approach based on differential evolution and subgradient algorithm as the local search procedure is proposed. Behavior of the proposed SSGDE algorithm was studied in a numerical experiment on three groups of generated tests. Comparison of the new hybrid algorithm with the pure DE approach showed the advantage of the SSGDE. It has been experimentally established that the proposed method finds the global minimum in the best way for all considered dimensions of the problem with respect to the differential evolution method. The SSGDE algorithm showed the best results with a significant increase in the number of functions.
DEPREDACIÓN DE Incilius cristatus (ANURA: BUFONIDAE) POR Leptodeira septentrionalis (KENNICOTT, 1859) (SQUAMATA: COLUBRIDAE) EN SAN ANDRES TZICUILAN, MUNICIPIO DE CUETZALAN DEL PROGRESO, PUEBLA.
Authors: Matías-Vázquez Javier , Guizado-Rodríguez Martha Anahi , García-Vázquez Uri Omar
Published: January 2024

La dieta de los colubridos se basa principalmente en aves, pequeños mamíferos, lagartijas y en algunos casos de huevos e invertebrados. Existe evidencia de que el género Leptodeira, un grupo de serpientes nocturnas arborícolas se alimenta principalmente de anfibios. Sin embargo, pocos aspectos sobre la historia natural de la serpiente Leptodeira septentrionalis se conocen en la actualidad. Con base en una observación registrada en fotografía en la comunidad de San Andrés Tzicuilan, Cuetzalan, Puebla reportamos el primer registro de L. septentrionalis depredando a Incilius cristatus.
Antiinflammatory Lupeol and Antidiabetic Compound Coexist in Ethyl Acetate and n-Hexane Extracts from Stem Bark of Anogeissus leiocarpus (African Birch Tree): The Therapeutic Advantages
Authors: Esievo King Akpofure Nelson , Balogun Emmanuel Oluwadare , Wassagwa John , Esievo Kingsley Oghenerukevwe , Esievo Lauretta Oghenekevwe , Esievo Edith Monica , Sani Dahiru , Uyovbisere Edward Oniovosa
Published: January 2024

Objectives: Anogeissus leiocarpus stem bark is endowed with numerous antidiabetic properties, such as its prognostic value, treatment of organic damages, dyslipidaemia and enhancement of haematopoiesis. In addition to its antioxidant activity on oxidative stress, it accelerated wound healing and has a wide range of safety value. From the purification of its compounds to the points of crystallization it became necessary to analyse the structures for an insight into its mechanisms of actions.

Design: Ethanolic extracts were partitioned with ethyl acetate, onto column chromatography packed with silica gel (70-230 mesh) mixed with 95% n-hexane and 5% ethyl acetate; concentrated fractions were loaded onto silica gel-coated thin layer chromatographic plate. Different compounds were observed under UV-light fluorescence and sprayed with sulfuric acid. Similar fractions were pooled, purified to crystals for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance structural analysis.

Results: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance revealed fraction A is Lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpene anti-inflammatory compound.

Conclusion: Lupeol in the crude ethanolic extract is significant in inflammatory pain of diabetes.

Keywords: Lupeol, Anti-inflammatory, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Purified extract, inflammatory pain, Diabetes mellitus.
Pemanfaatan Tepung Mocaf Sebagai Pengganti Tepung Terigu dalam Pembuatan Fettuccine
Authors: Parasutha I Gede , Sudiarta I Nyoman
Published: January 2024

Singkong adalah umbi akar yang memiliki panjang 50-80 cm tergantung kutivar. Tepung mocaf adalah tepungg berbahan dasar dari singkong. Fettuccine adalah sejenis pasta yang popular dalam masakan Romana dan masakan Toskana dalam seni kuliner Italy. Maka dari itu diupayakan untuk mengganti tepung terigu dengan tepung mocaf, pada umumnya kuliner ini terbuat dari tepung terigu tetapi dalaam penelitian ini menggunakan bahan substitusi antara tepung mocaf karena tepung mocaf memiliki potensi yang sangat menarik jika dikembangkan menjadi olahan pastaa. Penelitiann ini bertujuaan untuk mengetahui perbedaan rasa, warna, aroma dan tekstur. Manfaat penelitian ini untuk mengenalkan inovasi baru terhadap produk fettuccine berbahan pengganti yang lebih sehat dan bisa dikonsumsi oleh segala kalangan, penelitian ini menggunakan data kualitatif karena bersangkutan dengan penelitian dari kualitas fettuccine dengan bahan pengganti tepung mocaf dan kuantitatif karena data yang dihasilkan berupa nilai yang diperoleh dari para panelis. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan kualitas fettuccine dengan bahan pengganti tepung mocaf diujikan kepada 20 panelis dilihat dari segi rasa mendapatkan skor 85, warna dengan skor 87, tektur dengan skor 82, aroma dengan skor 85. Uji daya tahan menunjukkan fettuccine mampu bertahan selama 14 hari. Biaya yang diperlukan adalah sebesar Rp. 12.786,- sedangkan dengan per bungkus berat 50 gram sebesar Rp. 3.000,-
 
Cassava is a root tuber that has a length of 50-80 cm depending on the kutivar. Mocaf flour is a flour based on cassava. Fettuccine is a type of pasta that is popular in Romana cuisine and Tuscan cuisine in Italian culinary arts. Therefore, it is sought to replace wheat flour with mocaf flour, in general this culinary is made from wheat flour but in this study it used substitution ingredients between mocaf flour because mocaf flour has a very interesting potential if it is developed into processed pastaa. This research aims to find out the differences in taste, color, aroma and texture. The benefit of this research is to introduce new innovations to fettuccine products made from substitutes that are healthier and can be consumed by all groups, This research uses qualitative data because it is related to research on the quality of fettuccine with substitutes for mocaf flour and quantitative because the data produced is in the form of values obtained from the panelists. The results of this study showed that the quality of fettuccine with mocaf flour substitutes was tested on 20 panelists in terms of taste, getting a score of 85, color with a score of 87, texture with a score of 82, aroma with a score of 85. Endurance tests showed fettuccine was able to last for 14 days. The cost required is Rp. 12.786,- while with per pack weighing 50 grams of Rp. 3.000,-
Finansowanie dostarczania dóbr publicznych przez rolnictwo w Polsce
Authors: Mikuła Aneta
Published: January 2024

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie koncepcji dóbr publicznych oraz odniesienie jej do rolnictwa w Polsce. Przedstawiono podział środków Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich (PROW) na lata 2007-2013 między działania bezpośrednio i pośrednio służące finansowaniu dostarczania przez rolnictwo środowiskowych dóbr publicznych oraz związanych z żywotnością obszarów wiejskich. Badanie pokazało, że ponad 40% całego budżetu PROW zaplanowano przeznaczyć na działania bezpośrednio służące finansowaniu dostarczania analizowanych dóbr publicznych oraz kolejne 30% na działania częściowo i pośrednio przyczyniające się do tego celu. Należy jednak pamiętać, że efekty wykorzystania tych środków w dostarczaniu dóbr publicznych zależą od wielu czynników. Nie tylko adekwatny podział zasobów budżetowych przyczynia się do wykorzystania potencjału danego środka w dostarczaniu dóbr publicznych, ale również odpowiedni potencjał techniczny i administracyjny, skala usług doradztwa czy poziom szkoleń dla rolników.
Zmiany w konsumpcji owoców i ich przetworów w Polsce w latach 1998-2012
Authors: Jąder Karolina
Published: January 2024

Celem opracowania jest ukazanie zmian w konsumpcji owoców oraz ich przetworów w polskich gospodarstwach domowych w latach 1998-2012 oraz przedstawienie zróżnicowania spożycia owoców w różnych typach gospodarstw domowych, wyodrębnionych ze względu na przynależność do danej grupy społeczno-ekonomicznej. Metodą regresji liniowej określono tendencje w spożyciu owoców świeżych (w tym oddzielnie jabłek, owoców jagodo­wych, owoców południowych oraz pozostałych owoców), przetworów owocowych oraz soków. Określono również strukturę spożycia owoców, przetworów i soków oraz strukturę spożycia owoców świeżych. Stwierdzono spadek spożycia owoców świeżych (w tym głównie jabłek) oraz wzrost konsumpcji przetworów owocowych oraz soków. Zdecydowanie najwięcej owo­ców świeżych spożywali emeryci i renciści, natomiast w konsumpcji przetworów owocowych i soków najwyższy wynik odnotowano w przypadku osób pracujących na własny rachunek.
Zewnętrzne uwarunkowania wzrostu eksportu owoców, warzyw i ich przetworów z Polski
Authors: Nosecka Bożena
Published: January 2024

Celem opracowania jest przedstawienie sytuacji na światowym rynku owoców i warzyw deserowych oraz przetworów owocowych i warzywnych ze szczególnym uwzględ­nieniem sytuacji na rynku produktów o największym udziale w krajowej produkcji i eksporcie produktów sektora ogrodniczego. Określono tendencje kształtowania się zapotrzebowania w podstawowych rejonach zbytu oraz tendencje wzrostu podaży na rynek światowy i poziom cen oferowanych przez głównych konkurentów Polski. Przedstawiono również system obciążeń celnych w imporcie realizowanym przez kraje odbierające polskie produkty. Przeprowadzone analizy pozwoliły na określenie wpływu sytuacji na rynku światowym na rozwój polskiego eks­portu wybranych produktów ogrodniczych. Główne tendencje na rynku światowym określono na podstawie wielkości z lat 2001-2012 zawartych w publikacjach FAO, Comtrade, USDA oraz Centrum Informatyki Handlu Zagranicznego i Centrum Analitycznego Administracji Celnej.
Konwergencja dochodowa ludności wiejskiej i miejskiej w Polsce
Authors: Utzig Monika
Published: January 2024

Konwergencja utożsamiana jest z hipotezą, że gospodarki o niższym dochodzie per capita mają tendencję do szybszego wzrostu niż bogatsze gospodarki. W artykule zbadano konwergencję dochodową ludności wiejskiej i miejskiej w Polsce. Na podstawie danych z Budżetów gospodarstw domowych dotyczących lat 2006-2013 stwierdzono, że dochody ludności na obszarach wiejskich rosły szybciej niż dochody ludności zamieszkałej w miastach, ale nierówności dochodowe nie zmniejszały się w znaczący sposób. Zachodzi konwergencja typu beta pomiędzy dochodami ludności na obszarach wiejskich i miejskich, ale nie ma istotnej konwergencji typu sigma.
Społeczny czy ekonomiczny charakter reform rolnych w Polsce w okresie między- i powojennym
Authors: Ziętara Wojciech
Published: January 2024

W opracowaniu omówiono przesłanki, podstawy prawne i zakres reform rolnych przeprowadzonych w Polsce w okresie międzywojennym i po drugiej wojnie światowej. Głównymi celami reform w pierwszym okresie było rozwiązanie problemów społecznych na wsi przez poprawę struktury obszarowej gospodarstw, dzięki zwiększeniu liczby i udziału gospodarstw rodzinnych kosztem gospodarstw wielkoobszarowych. W okresie powojennym przeprowadzono reformy, przyjmując przesłanki ideologiczne. W latach 1919-1938 łącznie rozparcelowano 2654,8 tys. ha gruntów i utworzono 1051 tys. nowych gospodarstw. W latach 1944-1950 zakres reform był większy. W tym czasie rozparcelowano 6070,1 tys. ha gruntów. W okresie międzywojennym przejmowanie ziemi od właścicieli na cele reformy odbywało się z wypłatą odszkodowań, natomiast w okresie po 1944 r. bez odszkodowania. Skutki reform, zwłaszcza w okresie powojennym, okazały się krótkookresowe. Przeprowadzone reformy rolne nie rozwiązały społecznych problemów wsi.
Zróżnicowanie poziomu rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego obszarów wiejskich województwa wielkopolskiego
Authors: Bartkowiak-Bakun Natalia
Published: January 2024

Celem artykułu jest pomiar rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego obszarów wiejskich Wielkopolski. Dokonano pomiaru składowych rozwoju (renta położenia, infrastruktura społeczna, infrastruktura techniczna, kapitał ludzki i społeczny, finanse lokalne) i poziomu rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego, a także stworzono typologię obszarów wiejskich Wielko­polski. Do pomiaru wykorzystano miarę syntetyczną. Rozpoznanie zależności przestrzennej możliwe było dzięki zbadaniu współczynnika autokorelacji I Morana. Otrzymane wyniki badań dowiodły występowania istotnych zróżnicowań w poziomie rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego obszarów wiejskich Wielkopolski.