Distinct Experiences Research Articles

Designing efficient brain tumor classifier using hybrid EfficientNet-faster R-CNN deep learning model

Purpose. Brain tumors have historically posed a significant risk to individuals, potentially leading to fatality. However, in contemporary times, they have emerged as one of the most dangerous health issues affecting both children and adults. The effects of this phenomenon result in the unregulated proliferation of brain cells. Therefore, early detection and precise classification of brain tumor is very necessary and important for saving lives and avoid future complications. Within the field of biological image processing, the utilisation of deep learning algorithms offers a distinct and unparalleled experience. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a pivotal component in brain tumor categorization applications. However, a notable limitation of CNNs is their extensive execution time, primarily attributed to the substantial number of trainable parameters involved. Also, the automatic detection and classification of brain tumor is still a challenging task due to its variability in shape, size and location. Methods. This study proposes a hybrid model for brain tumor classification that combines faster R-CNN and EfficientNet. The objective is to minimise the time required for classification without compromising accuracy. The data collection from Figshare was employed during the model’s development. Results and Conclusion. The hybrid model proposed in this study demonstrates a notable accuracy of 98.96% during the training phase and 99.2% during the testing phase, surpassing the performance of both the EfficientNet model and the Faster R-CNN model when employed individually. The aforementioned findings were derived through a comparative analysis of the Hybrid model, the EfficientNet model, and the Faster R-CNN model.

Onomastics of Age-Grade Names in the Igbo Community

Onomastics of Igbo age-grade names: a fundamental sub-category of African names is the act of naming a group of people that are born in a particular period of time. It is a cultural practice that has survived civilisation and urbanisation, as the Igbo worldwide now join age-grade activities of their hometown via various social media platforms. No previous study has investigated how age-grade names are acquired and classified. Therefore, this study aims to provide a better understanding of how names given to age grades in Igbo communities are created and classified. Qualitative data elicited through one-on-one interviews with 18 members of different age groups in Anam, an Igbo community, were subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that age-grade names are acquired during the teenage period mainly by boys (for both males and females) and maintained till death. The different categories of names acquired by members of age grades include testimonial, ideational, monumental, war historical, descendant, praise, and lexical matching names. The age-grade names, like Igbo personal names, reflect the distinctive experience of the bearers. They also serve as a collective identity for all members during social interactions and community engagements.

Between luck and stigma: gendered experiences of precarity in higher education in the UK and the US

ABSTRACT Through a phenomenological research design, this study explores experiences of precarity among early-career academics in the UK and the USA higher education sectors. These contexts, while similar, exhibit structural differences as pioneers of neoliberalization in the Global North. Conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 early-career academics in both contexts, the study delves into shared and distinct experiences of precarity, manifesting in unstable working conditions, uncertain futures, and competitive job markets dominated by temporary positions. The findings illuminate the role of emotions and gendered experiences in navigating precarity. Accordingly, informants in both contexts expressed being lucky to have academic positions even when they are temporary ones embedded in gendered hierarchies, while informants in the USA further highlighted being stigmatized. The study argues that the experiences of precarity unsettle meritocratic ideals in both cases, whereby individual success and achievements become irrelevant and excluded, and gendered inequalities are overshadowed.

Is Metaverse Intended for Purchasing? An Empirical Investigation

The metaverse, a digitally accessed immersive virtual environment, has the capacity to transform online retail by providing consumers with distinctive product experiences. This study examines how consumers behave when using metaverse platforms for purchasing. It specifically looks at how trust and perceived enjoyment play a part in influencing their desire to make a purchase. A quantitative methodology was utilized, with a total of 483 undergraduate students taking part in an experiment that entailed engaging with a metaverse retail platform called Decentraland, as well as completing a questionnaire that they administered to themselves. The results of the structural equation modelling analysis showed that the consumer's attitude towards the metaverse platform had a substantial positive effect on trust (β = 0.53) and perceived enjoyment (β = 0.39). These factors, in turn, had a favorable impact on purchase intention (β = 0.42 and β = 0.62, respectively). Furthermore, it was discovered that trust (with an indirect effect of 0.223) and perceived enjoyment (with an indirect effect of 0.241) play a major role in mediating the connection between customer attitude and purchase intention. The results enhance our comprehension of consumer behavior within the metaverse framework, highlighting the significance of cultivating trust and enjoyment to stimulate positive purchase intentions. The paper examines the consequences of the study for both theoretical and managerial perspectives. It emphasizes the importance for creators of metaverse platforms and brands to prioritize methods that build trust and boost the perceived satisfaction of users through immersive, interactive, and engaging virtual experiences. Proposed future study directions aim to overcome restrictions and broaden the scope of investigation as the metaverse continues to develop.

Nested compressed co-representations of multiple sequential experiences during sleep.

Animals encounter and remember multiple experiences daily. During sleep, hippocampal neuronal ensembles replay past experiences and preplay future ones. Although most previous studies investigated p/replay of a single experience, it remains unclear how the hippocampus represents many experiences without major interference during sleep. By monitoring hippocampal neuronal ensembles as rats encountered 15 distinct linear track experiences, we uncovered principles for efficient multi-experience compressed p/replay representation. First, we found a serial position effect whereby the earliest and the most recent experiences had the strongest representations. Second, distinct experiences were co-represented in a multiplexed, flickering manner during nested p/replay events, which greatly enhanced the network's representational capacity. Third, spatially contiguous and disjunct track pairs were bound together into contiguous conjunctive representations during sleep. Finally, sequences spanning day-long multi-track experiences were p/replayed at hyper-compressed ratios during sleep. These coding schemes efficiently parallelize, bind and compress multiple sequential representations with reduced interference and enhanced capacity during sleep.

The development of the Moments of Flourishing Experience Scale: a new scale to measure positive, affect-based flourishing state experiences

ABSTRACT Flourishing has been a focus of positive psychology, with increased attention to its translation into psychotherapy practice. Flourishing is an emergent process manifested in momentary experiential states characterized by positive emotions. A conceptualization of flourishing as an innate potential that psychotherapeutic interventions can help cultivate informs the development of this scale. The current study details the development of the Moments of Flourishing Experience Scale (MFES), a 23-item scale. The data were obtained from four different studies involving a total of 1472 adults (normative sample n = 1312; clinical sample n = 160). A bifactor model with four distinct positive affective experience subscales, yielded by factor analysis and then supported by a confirmatory factor analysis, was as follows: Calm & Self-Acceptance; Vitality; Generosity of Spirit & Gratitude; and Connection & Purpose. Across studies, the MFES showed discriminant validity from psychopathology measures and convergent validity with positive psychological functioning measures. The overall scale, as well as each of four subscales, also demonstrated strong reliability in both general and clinical populations. The MFES has initial psychometric support for the study of flourishing and shows promise as a tool to study flourishing as both outcome and process in psychotherapy.

Asian = machine, Black = animal? The racial asymmetry of dehumanization.

How different racial minorities experience racism differently remains underexplored in existing research. Here, we show that Asian and Black people are often dehumanized differently. Twelve studies spotlight a racial asymmetry in dehumanization using a wide array of methods (experimental, archival, and computational) and data sources (online samples, word embeddings, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data): Whereas Black people are more often subjected to animalistic dehumanization, Asian people are predominantly subjected to mechanistic dehumanization. We demonstrate this asymmetry from the vantage point of victims (Studies 1a and 1b) and perpetrators (Studies 2a-2d). We further document the prevalence of this asymmetry across diverse domains, from everyday language (Study 3) to perceptions in the realms of romantic relationships (Study 4a), crime rates (Study 4b), and business skills (Study 4c). Finally, we demonstrate the asymmetry's real-world consequences in labor market segregation (Studies 5 and 6). Our findings shed light on the distinct experiences of racism encountered by different racial groups and, more critically, introduce a framework that unifies and integrates scattered empirical observations on perceptions of Asian people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting Emotional Experiences through Eye-Tracking: A Study of Tourists' Responses to Traditional Village Landscapes.

This study investigates the relationship between eye-tracking metrics and emotional experiences in the context of cultural landscapes and tourism-related visual stimuli. Fifty-three participants were involved in two experiments: forty-three in the data collection phase and ten in the model validation phase. Eye movements were recorded and the data were analyzed to identify correlations between four eye-tracking metrics-average number of saccades (ANS), total dwell fixation (TDF), fixation count (FC), and average pupil dilation (APD)-and 19 distinct emotional experiences, which were subsequently grouped into three categories: positive, neutral, and negative. The study examined the variations in eye-tracking metrics across architectural, historic, economic, and life landscapes, as well as the three primary phases of a tour: entry, core, and departure. Findings revealed that architectural and historic landscapes demanded higher levels of visual and cognitive engagement, especially during the core phase. Stepwise regression analysis identified four key eye-tracking predictors for emotional experiences, enabling the development of a prediction model. This research underscores the effectiveness of eye-tracking technology in capturing and predicting emotional responses to different landscape types, offering valuable insights for optimizing rural tourism environments and enhancing visitors' emotional experiences.

Exploring the impact of 'hostile environment' policies on psychological distress of ethnic groups in the UK: a differences-in-differences analysis.

In 2012, the UK government announced legislation changes and heightened immigration controls designed to create a 'hostile environment for illegal migration.' We measured changes in psychological distress among people from minoritised ethnic groups compared to White British controls before and throughout the implementation of these policies. We used the UK Household Longitudinal Survey to estimate difference-in-difference models for six ethnic groups (Bangladeshi, African, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, and White British) in three eras: pre-policy (2009-2012); (2) transition (2012-2016); and (3) ongoing policy (2016-2020). We calculated the adjusted marginal mean psychological distress score at each era using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). In the pre-policy era, we found higher psychological distress for the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Caribbean groups compared to the White British group. We observed patterns consistent with increasing psychological distress during the transition era for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups, with further increases in the ongoing era for the Bangladeshi group. Levels of psychological distress the Indian and African groups were similar to the White British group in the pre-policy era and decreased over successive eras. A small decrease was observed in the Caribbean group across policy eras, while levels remained stable in the White British group. We found evidence that psychological distress increased among Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals following the introduction of hostile environment policies but did not detect increased distress in other ethnic groups. This finding underscores the importance of disaggregating analyses by ethnic group to capture the distinct experiences.

Assessing the reactions of tourist markets to reinstated travel restrictions in the destination during the post-COVID-19 phase

This study, leveraging search engine data, investigates the dynamics of China's domestic tourism markets in response to the August 2022 epidemic outbreak in Xinjiang. It focuses on understanding the reaction mechanisms of tourist-origin markets during destination crises in the post-pandemic phase. Notably, the research identifies a continuous rise in the potential tourism demand from tourist origin cities, despite the challenges posed by the epidemic. Further analysis uncovers a regional disparity in the growth of tourism demand, primarily influenced by the economic stratification of origin markets. Additionally, the study examines key tourism attractions such as Duku Road, highlighting its resilient competitive system, which consists of distinctive tourism experiences, economically robust tourist origins, diverse tourist markets, and spatial pattern stability driven by economic factors in source cities, illustrating an adaptive response to external challenges such as crises. The findings provide new insights into the dynamics of tourism demand, offering a foundation for developing strategies to bolster destination resilience and competitiveness in times of health crises.

Learning Experiences and Didactic Needs of German Healthcare Professions: A Focus Group Study for the Design of Personalized Interprofessional Further Education in Dementia Healthcare

Considering the multifaceted nature of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and the necessity for interprofessional knowledge, this research extends its scope to encompass professionals with diverse levels of training and experience in dementia care. A need analysis for the project “My INdividual Digital EDucation.RUHR” (MINDED.RUHR) is conducted to develop an automatized recommender system for individual learning content using AI. In this sub-study, the aim was to reveal didactic specialties, knowledge gaps, and structural challenges of further education in dementia care of different health professions and to derive learning preference personae. Eight focus group interviews among nine health professions and up to six participants (N = 34) each took place to survey distinct didactic experiences and learning needs. The results reflect various learning preferences, with a propensity to multimedia, practical, and interactive tasks. Health professions are used to digital education but show aversions against synchronous e-learning formats. The derived learning preference personae constitute profound blueprints for a user-centered digital education design process, aiming to establish personalized and representative further education in dementia care applicable to various individual preferences and structural workplace challenges of healthcare professions.

Similarities Across Difference: Consequences of Intersectional Sexual Stereotypes for Black and Latinx Women and Men in the United States

Complexity in the structure of power relations is a fruitful site of analysis that an intersectional framework brings to bear in articulating radical Black feminisms. The psychological literature utilizing an intersectional approach to study stereotyping has illuminated the importance of moving beyond a single-identity or single-axis lens. For instance, there is burgeoning literature showing that there are unique social categorizations and perceptions that vary by combinations of multiple group memberships (e.g., race and gender together). Further, an intersectional approach also draws attention to similarities and connections across different groups with unique relationships to systems of power and oppression. Focusing on these areas of similarities across difference provides insight into contexts that reinforce social inequality and are powerful avenues for building collective power through coalitions to address inequity. Therefore, the current investigation sought to address how Black and Latinx people in New York City discuss these sites of similarities and differences in power and privilege as they relate to their understanding of sexual stereotypes and their consequences in their everyday lives. We conducted 11 focus groups with 75 participants. Using thematic analysis, we identified four major themes highlighting shared and distinct stereotype-based experiences, including microaggressions and discrimination, double standards, interpersonal relationships, and emotional and behavioral responses. Beyond illuminating harmful consequences of sexual stereotypes, findings underscore the radical potential for achieving collective liberation by amplifying oppressed groups’ commonalities and differences simultaneously.

EMBELLISHED, MARGINALIZED, AND MISUNDERSTOOD: WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES IN UKRAINIAN WOMEN’S PROSE ABOUT THE STRUGGLE OF UIA

The paper examines the role of literature in creating a social framework for the memory of women combatants. The aim is to outline the problematic issues of forming a collective memory of women in the UIA ranks, based on the analysis of the literary representation of their experiences in prose. The objects of the study are the novels “Lemkivshchyna in Fire” by Mariia Ostromyra, “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” by Oksana Zabuzhko, and “Because It Hurts” by Yevheniia Senik. To achieve this goal, the paper considers aspects of women’s experiences in the UIA as presented by historians and then compares the real experiences with those depicted in the analyzed texts, identifying and interpreting problematic issues. Historians describe women’s experiences by combining: 1) the functions that women performed in the army (scouts, typists, couriers, nurses, suppliers, and, rarely, riflemen); 2) changes in the concept of femininity, including the rejection of motherhood, loss of children, separation from family or beloved men, and forced relationships; 3) the instrumentalization of fear initiated by the Soviet secret services. The analyzed women’s novels have different strategies for representing women’s experiences. “Lemkivshchyna in Fire” emphasizes the contribution of women to the struggle but avoids depicting a specifically female experience. “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” highlights the distinctive experience of war caused by biological (but not social) factors and doesn’t account for women’s participation in the struggle. “Because It Hurts” captures a wide range of women’s experiences but avoids interpreting and evaluating them. Thus, these novels make women’s experiences during armed conflicts visible but do not convey their fullness and complexity. At the same time, all three works aim to deny the Soviet narrative of the ‘betrayal’ of women from the underground movement: the portrayed characters are steadfastly committed to the goals of the struggle and refuse to cooperate with the enemy. Therefore, these novels are significant in the context of the decolonization process.

TOURISTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS DESTINATION FOOD IMAGE DETERMINANTS

The aim of this research article is to analyze the various dimensions which impact the destination food image in the state of Odisha, India. The framework of the study espoused five independent variables – attitude, social media, local food experience, food culture and advertisement and the dependent variable – destination food image, which studied the associations between them. A sample of 270 respondents were obtained via convenient sampling method. The study applied descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis to run the data by using SPSS 23.0 and to examine the relationships between the constructs. It was found that all the dimensions had a positive and significant impact on destination food image. Practical implications in food tourism, destination image & food image are discussed. Recognising the value of regional delicacies and their market would help the hospitality and tourism sector. The study's conclusions are thought to be helpful to marketers who see that travellers are becoming pickier and more demanding in their quest for distinctive experiences provided by travel locations.

How does algorithm-based HR predict employees’ sentiment? Developing an employee experience model through sentiment analysis

Purpose This study aims to develop a conceptual model of positive employee experience using sentiment analysis within algorithm-based human resource (HR) strategies. Its goal is to enhance HR professionals’ understanding of employee experiences and enable data-driven decision-making to create a positive work environment, thereby contributing to the originality of HR research. Design/methodology/approach The study conducts sentiment analysis – a text mining technique – to assess employee reviews and extract distinct positive experience factors. The employed data-driven methodology serves to fortify the reliability and objectivity of the analysis, ultimately resulting in a more refined depiction of the conveyed sentiment. Findings Utilizing sentiment analysis, the authors identified 135 keywords that signify positive employee experiences. These keywords were then categorized into four clusters aligned with factors influencing employee experience: work, relationships, organizational system and organizational culture, employing an inductive approach. The framework outlines the process of nurturing positive employee experiences throughout the employee life cycle, incorporating insights from the affective events theory and cognitive appraisal theory. Practical implications Data-driven insights empower HR professionals to enhance employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity. HR managers implementing AI-assisted HR ecosystems need digital and data science skills. Additionally, these insights can offer practical support in accentuating diversity and ethical considerations within the organizational culture. Candid employee data can enhance leadership and support diversity in organizational culture. Managers play a crucial communication role, ensuring flexible access to personalized HR solutions. Originality/value Applying sentiment analysis through opinion mining allows for the collection of unstructured data, reflecting authentic employee perceptions. This innovative approach expedites issue identification and targeted actions, enhancing employee satisfaction. Textual reviews, integral to employee feedback, offer comprehensive insights. Additionally, considering subjectivity and review length in online employee reviews adds value to understanding experiences (Zhao et al., 2019). This study surpasses prior research by directly identifying key factors of employee experience through the analysis of actual employee review texts, addressing a gap in understanding beyond previous attempts.

“Mapping Out” Sustainable Social Farming Paths in Italian Municipalities

Social farming in Italy has not developed homogeneously. In view of this, this article adopts a multivariate analysis approach to analyse the heterogeneity and the similarities in the development paths of social farming in Italian municipalities. The article takes into account the information from a representative sample of 410 interviews. The results suggest that the offer of social farming activities is highly correlated with the distinct nature of the enterprises and with the interest of local actors, who in many cases finance these activities. Regarding the characteristics of social farms, the results of principal component analysis show that the consolidated experience of offering social services and the continuation of activities are the most important organisational elements. Concerning the territorial distribution, the findings of a hierarchical cluster analysis show that Italian municipalities have distinct experiences according to the level of maturity of the social farms in each cluster, with differences in location, the agricultural system, the organisational culture and the social services provided. Assessing enterprise characteristics and recent development paths for social services in Italy can have far-reaching implications for policy. The latter should provide information and training to farmers and users to increase understanding of the social value of social farming and foster a collaborative and sustainable approach to social farming practice.

Differences in trajectories of quality of life according to type of dementia: 6-year longitudinal findings from the IDEAL programme

BackgroundPeople with different types of dementia may have distinct symptoms and experiences that affect their quality of life. This study investigated whether quality of life varied across types of dementia and over time.MethodsThe participants were 1555 people with mild-to-moderate dementia and 1327 carers from the IDEAL longitudinal cohort study, recruited from clinical services. As many as possible were followed for up to 6 years. Diagnoses included were Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, mixed Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia. Self- and informant-rated versions of the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease scale were used. A joint model, incorporating a mixed effects model with random effects and a survival model to account for dropout, was used to examine whether quality of life varied by dementia type at the time of diagnosis and how trajectories changed over time.ResultsThe strongest associations between dementia type and quality of life were seen around the time of diagnosis. For both self-ratings and informant ratings, people with Parkinson’s disease dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies had lower quality of life scores. Over time there was little change in self-rated scores across all dementia types (− 0.15 points per year). Informant-rated scores declined over time (− 1.63 points per year), with the greatest decline seen in ratings by informants for people with dementia with Lewy bodies (− 2.18 points per year).ConclusionsSelf-rated quality of life scores were relatively stable over time whilst informant ratings showed a steeper decline. People with Parkinson’s disease dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies report particularly low levels of quality of life, indicating the importance of greater attention to the needs of these groups.

Understanding the use of metaphors by parents of children with cancer in blogs: a qualitative analysis

Parents of children with cancer, who face significant financial and psychological burdens, often employ metaphors to convey their distinctive experiences and inner realms. However, these metaphors have received scant attention in prior research. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the utilization of metaphors in blogs authored by parents of children with cancer, aiming to shed light on this understudied area. This study collected data from blogs authored by 33 parents of children with cancer spanning the period from 2019 to 2022, yielding a total of 181 metaphors. Drawing upon Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the method of qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze how parents of children with cancer utilize metaphors. This study found that “Game”, “War”, “Journey” and “Plant” metaphors were the most commonly used by parents of children with cancer. Game and war metaphors occupy a dominant position, followed by journey and plant metaphors. Additionally, these parents frequently employ mixed metaphors. The use of metaphorical language enables these parents to effectively articulate their distinct experiences and emotions. The use of metaphors may serve as a means for parents to articulate their feelings and motivate their children to actively fight cancer. By recognizing the metaphors embraced by these parents, we can gain a deeper understanding of their internal world and potentially offer support through both online and offline channels to mitigate their stress levels.

The Experiences of Family Members of Patients Discharged from Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.

Improving the understanding of the post-discharge experiences of family members after their loved ones leave the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is essential for developing effective follow-up strategies. These strategies are crucial for mitigating potential negative outcomes for both patients and their families. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of family members after the discharge of their loved ones from the ICU. In September 2023, we conducted a systematic search of qualitative studies across the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was used to guide this review. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. Four themes were identified following evidence synthesis: (1) grappling with a weighty burden; (2) recognizing and confronting adversities along the way; (3) seeking support beyond one's own resources; and (4) addressing comprehensive care requirements. Family members face significant psychological and physical challenges while caring for their loved ones recovering from an ICU stay. Adequate formal and informal help is imperative to provide support both during hospitalization and after discharge. A refined understanding of the distinct requirements and experiences of family members can serve as a strategic framework for informing educational interventions and follow-up programs during the transition from hospital settings to community-based care. This study was not registered.

Institutional arrangements and sustainable maintenance management of community-based mini-grids in Tanzania

This article presents empirical research on the maintenance management model for containerised solar community-based mini-grids and corresponding institutional arrangements. It employs Agrawal's (2001) “institutional arrangements” subset of enabling conditions and examines its applicability in explaining the sustainability of maintenance management of community mini-grids. The paper analyses and synthesises distinctive sustainability experiences from two solar community mini-grids in Tanzania. Using data from 18 semi-structured interviews with village energy committee members, electricity users, technicians and local leaders, the paper explicates a maintenance management model practised in the two mini-grids. The paper further presents institutional arrangements assessment for the maintenance management of the two mini-grids and analyses how rules, sanctions and accountability for community mini-grids maintenance affect the corresponding maintenance sustainability outcomes. The study found reactive maintenance to be a dominant maintenance strategy and is complemented by insufficient balances in the mini-grids' maintenance funds. Proper enforcement of maintenance rules, implementation of arranged graduated sanctions, and presence of low-cost adjudication coupled with the accountability of mini-grid leaders can potentially enhance the maintenance sustainability of community mini-grids. The paper concludes that, institutional arrangements for communally owned mini-grids need a collective interactive approach among local users for sustainable mini-grids maintenance.