General Literature Research Articles

A review of the role of artificial intelligence in Journalism

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have revolutionized journalism in the digital era. This study is constructed on a general literature review revealing the role of AI in journalism and emphasizes the following key facets: (i) automated reporting, (ii) automated content creation, (iii) automated transcription and translation, (iv) data mining and analysis, (v) fact-checking and verification, and (vi) content personalization. The role of AI is observed in creating news reports like financial digests, sports outcomes, and weather updates, gearing up the automated content creation, transcribing the interviews, providing multilingual support for content translation, data mining and analysis, detecting fake news, personalizing the content in line with audience's preferences. The wide application of AI in journalism automates routine journalistic tasks, thereby improving efficacy and productivity and saving time and effort. Though AI is transforming journalism, there are several challenges facing journalism using AI, including biased algorithms, data availability and quality, data privacy and security, the need for training and education, transparency, and cost concerns. Journalists must be trained to identify and address issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the ethical implications of adopting AI in news reporting. News agencies should also implement strong data protection measures and transparent AI algorithms to overcome these challenges. They must attain a balance between considering user privacy and offering personalized content. It is paramount to have robust regulatory frameworks to oversee the utility of AI in journalism. Also, warranting ethical standards in AI implementation is crucial to preserving journalistic integrity.

Red, blue, and green? The association between CEOs' political ideologies and green new product introductions

AbstractNot all firms exhibit the same level of commitment to green new product introductions (GNPIs), yet our understanding of the factors underlying these disparities remains incomplete. Prior research has primarily focused on firm‐level factors, paying little attention to individual‐level antecedents of GNPIs. This imbalance in the GNPI literature contrasts with the broader innovation and general management literature, which displays an ever‐growing interest in the “human side of innovation,” acknowledging the relevance of Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs') political ideologies for organizational outcomes. Addressing this imbalance, our study examines the relationship between CEOs' political ideologies and their firms' GNPIs, along with the conditions that shape this influence. Grounded in social identity theory, our study first argues that the more liberal CEOs are, the more GNPIs their firms are likely to generate and that this association is amplified by CEO power. It then proposes that the more liberal CEOs are, the more likely they are to respond to adverse situations beyond their control (a Republican presidency or lower levels of consumer green sentiment) by initiating more GNPIs. It finally posits that the more liberal CEOs are, the fewer GNPIs they tend to initiate in response to adverse situations for which they are accountable (involvement in sustainability‐related scandals). We integrate data from seven databases into a longitudinal dataset comprising 89 firms and 192 CEOs over the period 2010–2020 to test our theoretical framework empirically. Time‐lagged panel regression analyses strongly support our theoretical arguments. Our findings contribute to the emergence of an individual‐level, microfoundational perspective on sustainable innovations, our knowledge about the organizational implications and boundary conditions of CEOs' political ideologies, and the treatment of multiple identities within social identity theory, especially the relationship between political and occupational identities. The implications of our findings extend to business practitioners, offering valuable insights for CEOs, boards of directors, and investors.

Improving Collaborative Interactions Between Humans and Artificial Intelligence to Achieve Optimal Patient Outcomes in the Healthcare Industry

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the healthcare industry holds immense promise for improving patient outcomes. However, the interaction between healthcare professionals and AI systems is critical to fully realize the potential benefits. Artificial intelligence (AI) applications have transformed healthcare. This study is based on a general literature review uncovering the role of Al in healthcare and focuses on the following key aspects: medical imaging and diagnostics, virtual patient care, medical research and drug discovery, patient engagement and compliance, rehabilitation and other administrative applications. The impact of AI is observed in detecting clinical conditions in medical imaging and diagnostic services, controlling the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with early diagnosis, providing virtual patient care using Ai-powered tools, managing electronic health records, augmenting patient engagement and compliance with the treatment plan, reducing the administrative workload of healthcare professionals (HCPs), discovering new drugs and vaccines, spotting medical prescription errors, extensive data storage and analysis, and technology-assisted rehabilitation. Nevertheless, this science pitch meets several technical, ethical, and social challenges, including privacy, safety, the right to decide and try, costs, information and consent, access, and efficacy, while integrating AI into healthcare. The governance of AI applications is crucial for patient safety and accountability and for raising HCPs’ belief in enhancing acceptance and boosting significant health precisely address regulatory, ethical, and trust issues while advancing the acceptance and implementation of AI. Since COVID-19 hit the global health system, the concept of AI has created a revolution in healthcare, and such an uprising could be another step forward to meet future healthcare needs.

Relationally competent attitudes and actions: a systematic review of general practice literature

Objective To explore core elements from Teachers’ Relational Competence in general practice literature regarding building relationships in consultations, specifying actions doctors take to create and maintain relationship quality with patients. This systematic literature review aims to map and propose a similar framework for the doctor-patient relationship. Background The doctor-patient relationship, a well-researched yet complex field, often lacks clear descriptions. In recent definitions of patient-centred medicine, the responsibility of this relationship falls on the doctor, though how both relationship and responsibility is enacted needs clarification. Pedagogical literature on the student-teacher relationship provides a framework for relational competence, incorporating the needs and interactions between teacher and student and their alignment with institutional goals. Methods A systematic review of two databases yielded 1256 hits. After screening, 15 studies were included and assessed. A qualitative synthesis was conducted through iterative and thematic deductive analysis. Results Four relationally competent attitudes identified were: Attention to emotion, Devotion, Mentalization, and Time-oriented presence. Four relationally competent actions identitfied were: Being open, Attunement, Offering Support, and Using humor. Additionally, Trust and Continued connectedness were found as components of both attitudes and actions. Conclusion An explanatory framework for professional relational competence for GPs includes concrete actions and specific attitudes before and during consultations. These consist of four key attitudes and four categories of actions with several subgroups of actions. Two additional components to the framework was found.

Using a Phenomenological and Fanon Analytic: A Methodological Framework and Method for Research with Impoverished Black Male Youth

While there is a good amount of general literature on the experiences of Black men in Canada, there is a paucity of empirical data regarding the specific lived experiences of first- and second-generation, Canadian-born, impoverished Black young men (ages 15–29). Black male youth are often impoverished due to anti-Black racism and classism, which together further social and economic barriers. While many methods of data collection and analysis provide a useful snapshot of the experiences of young Black men, many traditional methods are unable to highlight the nuance that lies in complex intersections of identity for Black young men experiencing poverty and un(der)employment. This article demonstrates the success of practices rooted in phenomenology to understand and articulate the unique, heterogeneous lived experiences of first- and second-generation impoverished Black young men who utilize youth employment training programs in three Canadian cities. Further, this article demonstrates how using Frantz Fanon’s scholarly work and applied phenomenology can inform future research on Black and other underserved youth who face complex marginalization.

Growing the peer workforce in rural mental health and social and emotional well-being services: A scoping review of the literature.

Growing the mental health peer workforce holds promise for rural communities, but we currently lack an understanding of the guidance available to support the development, implementation and sustainability of this workforce in rural settings. Study aims are to: (1) determine the extent and nature of the literature that provides guidance for growing the peer workforce in rural mental health services; and (2) identify and explore any guidance relevant to rural peer work services dedicated to First Nations communities, including those promoting social and emotional well-being within this body of literature. A scoping review method was employed to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2013 and 2022 across PsychInfo, Medline, Embase and CINAHL, Scopus and Informit HealthInfoNet databases, as well as targeted organisation websites and Google Advanced Search. A total of 26 unique studies/projects were included from the US, UK, Canada and Australia with public mental health, non-government/for purpose and private sector service settings represented in the literature. Grey literature, such as reports of evaluations and frameworks, formed the majority of included texts. While there is a lesser volume of rurally focused literature relative to the general peer work literature, this is a rich body of knowledge, which includes guidance concerning services dedicated to First Nations communities. Via synthesis critical considerations were identified for the development, implementation and sustainability of peer work in rural mental health services across six domains: 'Working with community members and stakeholders', 'Organisational culture and governance', Working with others and in teams, Professional expertise and experience, Being part of and working in the community and 'Local mental health services capacity'. While there are considerations relevant across a range of settings, the domains of: 'working with community members and stakeholders', 'being part of and working in the community' and 'local mental health services capacity', capture additional, distinct and nuanced challenges and opportunities for growing the peer work in rural services. The literature offers insights valuable for service planning, policy development and the allocation of resources to support rural peer workforce growth.

Developing a Bookless Library for Enhanced Literacy in Islamic Boarding Schools

Abstract: The 4.0 industrial revolution compels educational institutions, including Islamic boarding schools, to adopt advanced digital library services for enhanced literacy. General Background: Many libraries, such as that of Al Fattah Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, still depend on physical books and lack accreditation, resulting in outdated collections. Specific Background: There is a significant gap in structured digital library frameworks that provide extensive access to both general and Islamic literature. Aims: This study aims to develop a school development plan for a Bookless Library that enhances digital literacy. Results: Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach, the study outlines a five-year strategic plan for implementing a digital library, utilizing QR codes for quick access to resources. Novelty: It proposes a global access model for the Bookless Library, allowing users beyond the server's immediate area to engage with digital resources. Implications: The expected outcome is a dynamic learning environment that promotes literacy and positions Al Fattah Islamic Boarding School competitively in a technology-driven educational landscape. Highlights: Technological Adaptation: The implementation of digital libraries addresses the evolving needs of students in the 4.0 industrial revolution. Resource Accessibility: QR codes facilitate instant access to a vast array of digital resources, enhancing learning opportunities. Global Reach: The proposed Bookless Library model allows users beyond local boundaries to engage with diverse literature. Keywords: Digital Library, Bookless Library, Islamic Boarding School, Literacy Enhancement, Research and Development

Academic Development of Chinese Social Psychology: A Citation Analysis of Social Psychology Articles Published by Chinese Scholars During 2006 to 2015

Chinese social psychology developed vigorously, and its scientific achievement showed explosive growth from 2000 to 2015. Based on typical Chinese social psychology articles published between 2006 and 2015, the development trend of this discipline was investigated in this article by means of citation analysis. There were 61,284 references in 1,982 typical Chinese social psychology essays, which were retrieved from the database of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science (WoS) and general literature database. The results were as follows: (a) The primary types of journal citation in the discipline of Chinese social psychology were English journals rather than Chinese journals; (b) The research hotspot of social psychology in China, as reflected by the top cited authors, involved both indigenous psychology and social psychology of culture; (c) The literature obsolescence rate of Chinese citations was declining and much lower than before; (d) Collaborations increased in Chinese social psychology articles, but remained significantly lower than collaborations in English articles.

The Contribution of Community Informatics in Rural Communities to Development

Community informatics (CI) is a generic term used to refer to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) deployed in communities to meet community needs, simplify day-to-day tasks, close digital divides, among other benefits. In practice, it is about the use of information and ICTs in community development efforts to enable and empower community processes so as to achieve community social, economic, cultural and political goals. On the other hand, community development is the promotion of participative democracy, sustainable development, human rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice, through the organization, education and empowerment of people within their communities. This paper established the contribution of community informatics to the development of rural communities with reference to Kaliro district as a case study area. Using participative case study design and mixed methods research approach, responses from 173 CI users and 33 district workers engaged through questionnaire survey and interviews respectively were analyzed and results were presented quantitatively in tables and qualitatively under themes for interpretation. The study found out that CI contributed significantly to the district's social, economic, cultural, and political development. Towards social development, the CI promoted social connection and networking, ensured quick information flow, and fostered knowledge sharing. Towards economic development, they promoted trade and business, business and economic awareness, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, reduction in operational costs, job creation, income generation, and fostered new CI developments for businesses. Towards cultural development, they exported culture, promoted cultural awareness, tourism, and reinforced cultural freedom among the people of Kaliro district. In terms of political development, they had promoted government programs, human rights, provided government information, enabled civic education, eased follow-up on political developments, and fostered political stability in the district. Study findings showed that communities leverage CI and its infrastructure to keep up with information about government programs, health, environment, education, personal development, economic living, empowerment, and democracy, among others in a sense that triggers development. However, there is a general literature gap owing to the novelty of CI concept and the dearth in review evidence pointing out the contribution of CI to development of communities. Keywords: Community informatics; Community development; ICT4D; Kaliro district.

Racism, not race: Quantitative analysis of the use of race and racism in the addiction literature

RationalePrior research has demonstrated that medical journals rarely mention racism, potentially contributing to an incorrect understanding of and inappropriate interventions for health inequities affecting Black and Brown communities in the US. While this infrequency of mentions of racism has been documented in the general medical literature, it is unknown if this pattern extends to the addiction literature, where some have argued that structural racism has played a specific role in shaping policy and treatment. ObjectiveTo assess how frequently the addiction literature for the last 30 years has mentioned race and racism and if these rates vary with social movements. MethodsWe created an algorithm to download and process over 30,000 published articles published from 1990 to 2022 in five major addiction journals: Addiction, Addictive Behaviors, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Journal of Substance Abuse and Treatment, and International Journal of Drug Policy. Using this data, we reported temporal patterns of mentioning both race and racism across journals and article types. Further, we utilized interrupted time series analysis to identify if the social movements against police violence and the murder of George Floyd in 2020 were associated with significant changes in rates of mentioning racism. ResultsWhile over 30% of the articles in addiction medicine journals included the word race, only 1.5% of articles mentioned racism. Based on an interrupted time series model, after the racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, mentions of racism increased in the addiction literature (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: [2.39, 4.32], P<.001). ConclusionsA large chasm remains between how often authors mention race versus racism in addiction medicine, a field with a unique history intertwined with structural racism. Addressing inequities in addiction outcomes, including burgeoning inequities in overdose deaths, will require acknowledging racism in the scientific literature.

Choosing the Best Sustainable Prefabricated Building Systems Using the Analytical Network Process (ANP) Technique

Attention should be paid to prefabricated construction, as the consumption of raw materials in traditional construction is large and affects the country's resources and economy. Sustainable prefabricated building systems in Iraq suffer from a clear weakness in management due to the use of old methods and a lack of focus on important management criteria. This research addresses this issue by modeling the analytical network process (ANP) technique to select the best types of systems. By reviewing the general literature, 80 indicators were identified within the 12 relevant categories. These indicators formed the basis of a closed questionnaire distributed to 90 experienced respondents. Three prefabricated building systems were identified based on the structural composition (load-bearing wall system, frame system, and box system). The expert questionnaire was analyzed using the ANP technique and the Sustainability Index (SI) for each system was found using the Excel program and it was found that the best sustainable prefabricated building system is the box system. This research helps to improve the management of prefabricated building projects and increase speed, quality, pollution, and reduce the cost of housing in Iraq, which suffers from high costs

763. TEXTBOOK ONCOLOGIC OUTCOME FOLLOWING TRIMODALITY THERAPY FOR ESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA

Abstract Background Although the concept of textbook oncologic outcome (TOO) as an emerging quality benchmark has been validated in the general surgical oncology literature, data regarding the frequency of achieving TOO and its impact on subsequent survival outcomes in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) who undergo trimodality therapy remain undefined. Methods Patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ, Siewert I/II) who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and esophagectomy at a single institution (2000-2022) were retrospectively identified. Patients undergoing salvage resection were excluded. TOO was defined according to a published consensus definition: length of stay (LOS) ≤14 days, R0, ≥20 resected lymph nodes, no anastomotic leak (any grade), no Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade ≥3 complications, no hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) readmission, and no reoperation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify clinicopathologic features associated with TOO. Multivariable Cox regression and landmark analyses were used to quantify the association between TOO and OS. Results Of 1138 patients, TOO was observed in 38.2% (435): 90.9% (1034) R0, 60.9% (693) ≥20 lymph nodes, 89.9% (1023) no anastomotic leak, and 98.4% (1120) no in-hospital mortality. Features independently associated with reduced odds of TOO included: cervical anastomosis (OR 0.50, P=0.001), preoperative delay ≥90 days after neoadjuvant therapy (OR 0.62, P=0.004), induction chemotherapy (OR 0.74, P=0.039), coronary artery disease (OR 0.67, P=0.043). Among patients who underwent esophagectomy &amp;lt;90 days after neoadjuvant therapy and survived ≥30 days, TOO was independently associated with improved OS (HR 0.80, P=0.018). TOO remained associated with improved OS using 90-day (P=0.014) and 120-day (P=0.037) landmarks. Conclusions Although TOO is difficult to achieve following trimodality therapy for EAC, it is strongly associated with improved long-term overall survival. As such, further efforts are warranted to explore the utility of TOO as a quality benchmark in EAC patients and to validate its impact across varying practice settings.

Performance enhancement of deep learning based solutions for pharyngeal airway space segmentation on MRI scans

The automatic segmentation of the pharyngeal airway space has many potential medical use, one of which is to help facilitate the creation of the Tubingen Palatal Plate. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand which methods are suitable for this task. Here, neural network based solutions available in the literature are compared to find the best methods. Neural network models were chosen to encompass a diverse landscape. Some models were taken from the general semantic segmentation literature, while others were taken from the medical or pharyngeal airway space segmentation literature. Some models are convolutional neural networks, while others are transformer-based model or a mix of both convolutional and transformer-based model. These models include 2d/3d U-Net, Deeplabv3, YOLOv8, Swinv2 UNETR, SegFormer, and 3D MRU-Net. Furthermore, additional strategies to enhance performance were also considered. These strategies consisted of training two separate networks in multiple stages as well leveraging unlabeled data to pretrain the neural networks before fine-tuning them on the labeled data. It was found that out of all the models considered here, the 2d U-Net performed the best achieving an average dice score of 0.9180 ± 0.0111. Out of all the strategies to enhance performance, only two strategies improve the actual results but only by a small margin. Therefore, these strategies can be consider if a small increase in performance is desired from the 2d U-Net at the expense of computational resource.

Supply chain visibility and integration in the age of the Internet of Things: a retail perspective

Purpose This study aims to assess the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in retail stores to improve supply chain visibility and integration.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a qualitative methodology with data collected using semi-structured interviews from a sample selected using purposive sampling. The population consists of 48 employees, of which 6 were selected for the sample as they worked directly with IoT and supply chain issues. Participants were from a SPAR franchise store (Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regalmatig).Findings Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data from the interviews. The themes identified include supply chain visibility, supply chain integration and IoT. The findings indicate that the main IoT used is an organisational-wide system, the SIGMA (SPAR Integrated Goods Management Application) system. Other technologies that aid supply chain visibility and integration are geotags, the internet, WhatsApp social media applications, emails and scanners.Practical implications From the findings, this study recommends that IoT systems should be frequently updated to reflect current trends and that IoT systems should enable the integration of small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) suppliers.Originality/value The Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in new technologies that revolutionise business operations. Among these technologies is the IoT, which has ushered in a new connectivity area. However, there is little research on the use of IoT for supply chain visibility and integration in the South African retail sector. It provides sector-specific insights and recommendations for retailers, which might not be covered in general supply chain management literature.

Navigating through digitalization challenges in strategic communication: introducing the VUCA radar

PurposeIn recent years, the acronym VUCA has gained traction in strategic communication (SC) as an umbrella term that summarizes the recurrent challenges (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) of digital communication environments. However, an integrated reflection on how the VUCA dimensions facilitate a deeper understanding of specific digitalization challenges and how to navigate through these challenges is lacking. This article aims to explore and substantiate the descriptive (how) and prescriptive (how to) potential of VUCA for SC under digitalization conditions.Design/methodology/approachWe first provide a systematic discussion of the four VUCA dimensions based on the general strategy literature. While their descriptive value is undisputed, prescriptive advice on how to respond to these challenges is contradictory. We substantiate this observation in a second empirical step based on problem-centered interviews with strategic communicators at the agency and corporate levels.FindingsOur findings reveal that VUCA facilitates a systematic mapping of digitalization challenges consistently identified by professionals. The proposed strategic responses, however, remain contradictory at the theoretical and empirical levels. Hence, we propose the VUCA radar as a comprehensive descriptive and prescriptive framework.Originality/valueThe radar provides (a) a systematic overview of recurrent digitalization challenges to SC at the industry and practice levels and (b) prescriptive advice on how to navigate through these challenges by balancing contradictory strategic responses at the levels of vision, understanding, clarity and agility.

What and how? Or why and for whom? A content analysis of middle school general music literature

The purpose of this content analysis is to analyze available peer-reviewed middle school general music literature to determine the ways in which middle school general music has been conceived of in extant literature in the United States. The researchers performed a content analysis of peer-reviewed empirical and practitioner articles relating to middle school general music ( N = 45), creating a coding scheme of categorical clusters that related to the Association of Middle Level Education’s position paper: This We Believe. Content coding revealed curricular content (78%) and pedagogical practice (42%) as the most common topics. Several topics were underrepresented in the literature including student opinion/voice (11%), inclusive practice (18%), adolescent development (20%), cultural awareness (18%), classroom culture (20%), and teacher preparation and development (16%). These findings may have important implications for preservice music teacher educators preparing teachers for the context of middle school general music, as well as for researchers within this domain.

Experts and Expertise in Organizations: An Integrative Review on Individual Expertise

Experts and expertise contribute to consequential organizational decisions from recruitment to CEO succession, but these constructs are inconsistently operationalized and poorly understood. To better explicate how experts and expertise function in organizations, we first conduct an integrative review of the general literature to describe what is known about these phenomena in cognitive science, psychology, and the clinical and technical professions. This review of the general literature indicates that expertise represents domain-specific hierarchical knowledge structures developed by an individual over time. The quality of the individual's domain-related education, training, and opportunities for practice and learning affect the level of expertise acquired. We then review what is known about experts and expertise in organizations. Many organizational studies on expertise focus on an individual's years of experience rather than the nature of that experience or its contribution to expertise. Conflating expertise with years of experience generally leads to less consistent effects on performance than operationalizing expertise in terms of individual cognitive processes, knowledge, and capabilities. Findings from organizational studies that do assess expertise are in line with the general literature, indicating that the quality of practice and learning experiences are particularly important to developing expertise. We then offer ways for scholars to better study how expertise functions in organizations and conclude by developing implications for practice.

Communist Parties and Threat to Democracy in Nepal: A Historical Analysis, 1949–2023

Communist parties are major actors in Nepali politics. This study is an attempt to explore if they pose a threat to democracy in Nepal given that communist parties are formed to operate a dictatorship of the proletariat. Findings suggest that democracy in Nepal is not under threat from communist parties for three reasons. First, communist parties in Nepal have contributed more to the arrival of democracy than its departure. Second, communist parties dominant in current Nepali politics have accepted democracy as an ideology. Third, communist parties and leaders have strongly stood up against the authoritarian tendency crept into the communist movement of Nepal. Since this study is the first exclusive research on the relationship between democracy and communist parties in Nepal, this work makes an original contribution to the Nepali political literature. This study also makes an original contribution to the general democratization literature by refuting the assumption that democracy can never coexist with communist parties. Furthermore, this study invites more research on the relationship between democracy and communist parties from other democratic countries that have communist parties. The method used in this study is historical analysis.

Variations Observed in the Muscle Scars of Left Valve of Pododesmus patelliformis (Linnaeus, 1761) [Bivalvia: Anomiidae

This study investigates the unusual muscle scars observed in some specimens of Pododesmus patelliformis (Linnaeus, 1761). Materials were collected between 1964 and 1977 from 18 stations across the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea. In only 49 out of the 85 specimens examined (57,7%), the muscle scars were distinctly separated from each other as described in the general literature. Thirty-six specimens (42,3%) exhibited muscle scars that differed from the known pattern. These atypical muscle scar types were categorized into five types, explained, photographed, and illustrated in this study.

The arsenic eaters of Styria, the toxicophagi

Introduction From at least the fifteenth to late nineteenth centuries, peasants in the Austrian province of Styria ate up to several hundred milligrams of arsenic trioxide or sulfide daily or weekly for periods up to a number of years. Taking these doses of arsenic was believed to increase muscular power and enhance the beauty and sexual attractiveness of peasant girls. There do not appear to be contemporaneous records of the known consequences of chronic arsenic exposure. The historical records of arsenic eating there are reviewed and appear to be valid. The benefits are subjective judgements by arsenic eaters. The lack of objective reports of the anticipated external and internal clinical and pathological effects of arsenic poisoning depends on a smaller number of clinical accounts and autopsy reports and the general medical literature of those times, so it is weaker, but it is consistent. Can the claimed benefits of arsenic eating and the apparent absence of harmful toxic effects be true? Why the arsenic eaters did not show the well-known consequences of prolonged exposure to high doses of arsenic is not known. Possible explanations include increases in detoxifying metabolism in the consumers due to induced genomic changes and selection in people and in the gut microbiome, as shown in other populations. Whether these effects would suffice to protect people against their high doses of arsenic has not been explored. Conclusion Although the nature and mechanisms of arsenic toxicity have been extensively described, much still remains to be discovered.