Neutral Attitude Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Facial Cosmetic Procedure Among Females in Karbala Governorate,2022-2023

Background: The number of female cosmetic procedures performed in Iraq has increased significantly. Both surgical and non-surgical procedures are referred to as cosmetic procedures. For example, rhinoplasty, surgical face-lift, blepharoplasty and others, referred to surgical procedures. In contrast, dermal filler, Botox and other minimal invasive cosmetic procedures refer to as non-surgical procedures. this study aimed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of facial cosmetic procedures among females in Karbala Governorate, 2022-2023. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with 315 participants who were 18 years old and above was done in Karbala city. Two categories were used as sample sources (college students and teachers) using self-administered questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed using (SPSS 23.0 for Windows). Significance level was considered when p-value is less than 0.05. Results: the findings indicate a higher percentage (98.7%) of the study participants have heard about facial cosmetic procedures and the main information source was the social They reported that Filler, Rhinoplasty and Botox were the main three types of facial cosmetic procedures available in Karbala city. Two thirds of the participants agreed that low self-esteem makes people to undergo facial cosmetic procedure. Personal desire was the primary source of motivation to undergone facial cosmetic Conclusions: About (86.6%) of the participants had good knowledge and only (12.4%) of them had negative attitude whereas (76.2%) and (11.4%) had neutral and positive attitude.

Knowledge and attitudes of nurses toward caring of older people in primary health-care centers at South of Jordan

Purpose This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of 420 nurses toward caring for older people in primary health-care centers in the southern region of Jordan. Design/methodology/approach Data collected through an electronic survey was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Findings The findings revealed that 91.0% of nurses had limited knowledge, with only 7.1% demonstrating average knowledge and 1.9% showing good knowledge about older people care. Furthermore, 85.2% of participants held neutral attitudes toward aged care, while 12.4% had positive attitudes and 2.4% exhibited negative attitudes. A significant correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude scores (p-value = 0.000). Gender and marital status were found to influence attitudes, with significant statistical relationships (p-values: gender = 0.000, marital status = 0.004). These results emphasize the importance of improving nursing education in geriatric care and promoting positive attitudes toward caring for older people patients. Practical implications The study highlights the need for ongoing professional development to enhance patient outcomes and the quality of care for the older people population. Further longitudinal research and comparative analyses are recommended to deepen the understanding of knowledge and attitudes across various health-care settings. Originality/value The study revealed a significant correlation between nursing practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes toward geriatric care, with gender and marital status significantly influencing attitudes, while age did not. This underscores the need for further research.

Attitudes of employers towards people with visual impairment: a scoping review.

This scoping review explored literature relating to employer attitudes towards employees and candidates with visual impairment (VI). Systematic searches identified 17 relevant articles published since 2018. Thematic synthesis highlighted findings relating to several themes: explicit and implicit attitudes of employers; employer concerns, including those relating to employee performance, and the experiences of both customers and colleagues; and factors which might impact on employer attitudes, such as gender and prior experience of having hired someone with VI. Findings indicate a tendency for employers to possess negative or, at best, neutral attitudes towards people with VI, and the central role that improved knowledge of VI and the capabilities of people with VI may play in generating positive employer attitudes. The review highlights the need for further exploration of this topic, particularly given the limited geographical spread of recent research, and a lack of consideration of the shared experience of employer and employee.

Between east and west, between past and future: The effects of exclusive historical victimhood on geopolitical attitudes in Hungary and Serbia.

In Eastern Europe, collective victim beliefs have become integral elements of national ideologies, especially amid rising geopolitical polarization. In this study, we investigated how exclusive victimhood was related to geopolitical attitudes in Hungary and Serbia. The study involved Serbian (N = 630) and Hungarian (N = 471) adult national samples stratified by gender, age, political orientation, and place of residence. As expected, exclusive victimhood predicted higher support for a geopolitical shift from the West (i.e., EU and US) to the East (i.e., Russia and China) via Euroscepticism in both samples. In Serbia, the strongest indirect effect was observed among participants with neutral attitudes towards the war in Ukraine. In Hungary, there was no expected moderated mediation while the direct effect of exclusive victimhood on the West-to-East geopolitical shift was largest for pro-Russian participants and non-significant for pro-Ukrainian participants. Different measures of ethnic identity showed no expected moderation effect, but an exploratory analysis revealed that exclusive victimhood partially mediated the relationship between identity measures (superiority and attachment) and support for a pro-Eastern (vs. pro-Western) geopolitical orientation. We discuss how the construals of the past based on exclusive victimhood shape future geopolitical preferences of the public in Hungary and Serbia.

Undergraduate health science students’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers towards research at Kuwait university: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Research is the most reliable strategy to advance scientific understanding and enhance multiple healthcare services1. Integrating undergraduate health science students into research at an early stage is an important step towards improving critical thinking and problem-based solving, which in return enhances patient health outcomes2. Aim The aim of this study was to assess undergraduate health science students’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers towards research at Kuwait University. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate health science students from the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, Allied Health, Dentistry, and Public Health at Kuwait University. A self-administered online questionnaire consisting of five sections was used. The first section included questions to assess the demographic characteristics. The second section aimed to assess the knowledge of undergraduate students regarding basic research (score = low ≤3, moderate 4-5, high >5). The third section assessed attitude toward research by a five-point Likert scale (score = negative 31-75, neutral 76-110, positive 111-155). The fourth section of the questionnaire aimed to assess the perception of the barriers toward research practice (score = low 0-50, moderate 51-75, high 76-100). Finally, a section with eight questions on research practices. The questionnaire was distributed through online educational and social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams. Students from any academic year and who were enrolled as health science students at the time of the study were eligible to participate. The questionnaire was pilot tested prior to distribution. The recommended sample size was calculated using Raosoft (344 students)3. Ethical approval was received from The Health Sciences Ethical Committee, Kuwait University (reference: VDR/EC-393). Results A total of 364 undergraduate medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, allied health and public health students participated in the study. The participants were from different academic stages, ranging from first-year to seventh-year. The results showed that the students possessed moderate knowledge levels, with a median of 3 out of 8 according to the scoring system of the study. Most students had neutral attitudes (N=253; 69.5%) and moderate levels of perceived barriers (N=200; 54.9%). Medical and pharmacy students had significantly higher knowledge levels compared to the others (p<0.001; Kruskal-Wallis). The majority of students agreed that the lack of time is a barrier towards conducting research (N=237; 65.1%). Almost one half of the study participants took part in research projects (N=175; 48.1%) and a promising number of students had publications or poster presentations (N=67; 18.4%). Discussion/Conclusion The results suggest that undergraduate health science students at Kuwait University possess moderate research knowledge and have neutral attitudes towards research. Time constraints were the most frequently reported barrier to participation. While nearly half of the students participated in research projects, implementing mandatory research projects and providing research methodology workshops could significantly enhance student knowledge, attitudes, and future research engagement. A key limitation in this study is that observed relationships may not reflect long-term shifts in knowledge, attitudes, or practices. The study was also conducted in one university (Kuwait University), therefore the findings and results cannot be generalized to other undergraduate students.

Utilization of telemedicine for diagnosis and follow-up within foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery: A narrative review of the literature.

Telemedicine has seen increasing adoption in healthcare over the past two decades, with proven clinical efficacy in several medical specialties. Orthopedics surgery has shown potential benefits from telemedicine implementation. This review aims to evaluate the impact of telemedicine on clinical outcomes and patient and physician preferences in foot and ankle orthopedics, providing insight into the potential role of telemedicine within this subspecialty. Multiple databases were searched for relevant articles on telemedicine in foot and ankle orthopedics. Inclusion criteria encompassed articles on telemedicine use and foot and ankle orthopedic care. Data included patient demographics, reasons for visits, duration of telemedicine, and outcomes. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, and a narrative approach to describe outcomes. Out of 218 articles, 12 met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 1,535 patients. Telemedicine visits were used for follow-up care, opinion consultations, monitoring, postoperative care, and treatment of various orthopedic conditions. Clinical outcomes demonstrated equivalence to in-person care. Patients expressed satisfaction with telemedicine but preferred in-person visits for future appointments. Physicians held neutral attitudes towards telemedicine, with concerns about the lack of physical examination. This review highlights the benefits of telemedicine in foot and ankle orthopedics. Telemedicine provides an alternative to in-person visits, improving patient access to care and offering cost and time savings. However, patient and physician preferences for in-person visits suggest a need to address concerns related to physical examination limitations. Telemedicine can supplement traditional care, but further research is required to explore its applicability in new patient consultations and optimize physician engagement.

Sustainable sentiment analysis on E-commerce platforms using a weighted parallel hybrid deep learning approach for smart cities applications

Sentiment analysis (SA) of several user evaluations on e-commerce platforms can be used to increase customer happiness. This method automatically extracts and identifies subjective data from product evaluations using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) methods. These statistics may eventually reveal information on the favourable, neutral, or negative attitudes of the consumer base. Due to its capacity to grasp the complex links between words and phrases in reviews as well as the emotions they imply, deep learning (DL) is very useful for SA tasks. A unique approach termed Weighted Parallel Hybrid Deep Learning-based Sentiment Analysis on E-Commerce Product Reviews (WPHDL-SAEPR) is introduced by the proposed system. Accurately distinguishing between distinct sentiments found in online store reviews is the aim of the WPHDL-SAEPR technique. Additional data pre-processing processes are implemented within the WPHDL-SAEPR architecture to guarantee compatibility. Words are embedded into the paper using the word2vec model, while sentiment is classified using the WPHDL model. The Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) models are combined in this model. The results of the WPHDL-SAEPR approach’s simulation were assessed using a consumer review database, with the results being emphasized at each stage.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards arthroscopic shoulder surgery in patients with rotator cuff tear: cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients with rotator cuff tears towards arthroscopic shoulder surgery (ASS), based on the hypothesis that the knowledge...

A Study on the Causes and Effects of the Current State of Extracurricular Tutoring in the Context of the “Double Reduction” Policy--A Qualitative Research Based on Parents of Public Elementary School Students in Shanghai, China

Based on the Ecological System Theory, this study uses semi-structured interviews to present the current situation of extracurricular tutoring that still exists in the context of the “Double Reduction” Policy and analyzes the reasons for it at the micro, meso and macro levels. The results of the interviews show that there are three types of tutoring for children under the “Double Reduction” Policy: maintaining pre-existing extracurricular tutoring arrangements, starting tutoring after the policy, and abstaining from tutoring throughout. In addition, most of the parents had a negative view of the “Double Reduction” Policy, while a few had a positive or neutral attitude. Based on the interviews, the study found that: Parents’ education philosophy, the school’s teaching mode, the “peer effect” of extracurricular tutoring, the educational streaming and examination systems, the anxieties surrounding social mobility among the middle class, and deeply entrenched Chinese traditional beliefs played a major role in the persistence of extracurricular tutoring. Subsequently, this study examines the impact of extracurricular tutoring from a social stratification lens, pointing out its potential to exacerbate the educational gap between different classes and families. Consequently, the study concludes with recommendations for policy enhancements aimed at fostering a more equitable educational ecosystem.

Acquaintance, attitude, and perceived barriers regarding scientific research publications among clinical nurses: a cross-sectional study at tertiary care hospitals in western Rajasthan.

In today's era, conducting nursing research is crucial for the advancement of the nursing profession. Scientific publications in clinical research aim to improve patient care outcomes and foster a sense of importance for nurses within the healthcare team. However, clinical nurses often fall behind due to factors such as limited familiarity, attitudes toward research, and encountered barriers. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers regarding scientific research publications among clinical nurses at tertiary care hospitals in western Rajasthan. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the clinical nurses. The participants were assessed for their knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers regarding scientific research publications through a self-administered questionnaire. The study revealed that 92% of the participants lacked sufficient knowledge about scientific research publications and 78.3% experienced moderate perceived barriers. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated a weak positive correlation (r = 0.143, p = 0.007) between knowledge and attitude and a significant negative correlation (r = -0.143, p = 0.012) between knowledge and perceived barriers. However, multiple linear regression analysis showed no significant relationship among the clinical nurses in terms of knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers toward scientific research publications. This study on clinical nurses revealed that the majority had insufficient knowledge about scientific research, while over half had neutral attitudes toward research publications. In addition, a significant portion of the clinical nurses reported experiencing moderate perceived barriers.

The Perspectives of Community Pharmacists Toward the Name-Based Rationing System During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

In Taiwan's public health system, community-based pharmacists are key first-line health care providers due to their high accessibility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacists played a central role in the distribution of these supplies through the Name-Based Rationing System (NBRS), during an acute shortage of masks and testing kits, that helped reduce the spread of the disease. The NBRS, an innovative government-guided strategy developed after the COVID-19 outbreak, provided equitable and convenient access to masks and COVID-19 test kits. This study aimed to investigate (1) Taiwanese pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of COVID-19, with the intention to assess their preparedness for public health emergencies and their capabilities to implement COVID-19-related policies effectively; (2) their perspectives toward the NBRS; and (3) the association between individual's KAP and corresponding perspectives toward the NBRS. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in 2 major cities in Taiwan, from June 18 to September 11, 2022, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To gauge community pharmacists' KAP, a 66-question instrument was developed using guidelines from the Taiwanese Centers for Disease Control, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, and the Taiwanese Pharmacist Association. The instrument's internal consistency reliability was ascertained using Cronbach α (0.819), and its content validity was verified by field experts. Overall, 343 Taiwanese community pharmacists were recruited in the study. Among them, 88% (303/343) scored high on knowledge domain questions related to SARS-CoV-2; 58% (201/343) and 39% (136/343) held positive and neutral attitudes toward COVID-19-related policies, respectively; and 77% (266/343) practiced infectious disease prevention measures in compliance with official guidelines. The results demonstrated a high level of competency in pharmacists in a public health crisis. It revealed that factors including age, pharmacy characteristics, and the number of customers were associated with their perceptions and willingness to continuously participate in the NBRS. Overall, the community pharmacists showed greater support for the COVID-19-testing NBRS compared with the mask NBRS, because of the more favorable influence on the revenue and workforce of the pharmacies and the well-being of the pharmacists. Responses also highlighted concerns about rapid government policy changes and supply dynamics, underscoring the importance of effective communication and considering supply availability in facilitating a successful NBRS. The strong KAP of the community pharmacists justified the government leveraging their expertise in Taiwan's COVID-19 response. While community pharmacies have proven to be essential distribution centers through the NBRS, improving community connections, communication with the government, and supply management are recommended to strengthen the system. These potential approaches aim to ensure successful NBRS implementation and better preparedness for future public health emergencies. Overall, pharmacists have demonstrated their integral role in achieving equitable outcomes and their dedication to public health efforts during crises.

Assessment of Farmer’s Attitude towards Drip and Traditional Irrigation System in Junagadh District, Gujarat

Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) is a leading natural fiber crop that is cultivated for its soft, fluffy staple fiber. Drip irrigation is a method of irrigation wherein water is carried to the plant under low pressure, through small diameter plastic pipes and delivered at the root zone drop by drop through an emitting device. The research was conducted in Junagadh district, utilizing a multistage sampling technique. A total of 160 farmers comprising 80 drip irrigation user and 80 conventional irrigation system users were surveyed. Likert’s scale with three point scale was used to analyse attitude towards the drip and traditional irrigation system by using 10 statements for each respondents. The farmers in the research area having positive attitudes toward the drip irrigationmethods as positive trend with value 66.25% was observed among drip respondents. This positive attitude reflects the behavioural intention towards the acceptance of irrigation systems. The study also revealed that 48.75% of the non-adopter farmers had the positive attitude toward the traditional irrigation methods whereas 51.25% of them had a negative and neutral attitude.

The Digital Revolution in Education: The Role of AI from the Perspective of Future Teachers

We are currently witnessing rapid technological advancement and modernisation of society, with digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), increasingly asserting its dominance. This study focuses on understanding the attitudes and expectations of future teachers towards AI, which has an impact on all areas of society, especially on the education and preparation of future teachers. Through a questionnaire survey, the study seeks to gain a more detailed insight into how future educators perceive AI and their attitudes towards it. The questionnaire, which was specifically designed for this research, focuses on different aspects of perceptions of AI in education. Respondents from both primary and secondary school teacher education programmes expressed their views on the use of AI in the pedagogical process, its impact on teacher-student interaction and indicated possible implications for the future of education. The main objectives of the research were to determine the views of prospective teachers on the use of AI in teaching, to identify positive, negative or neutral attitudes towards the integration of AI into the educational process, to identify the future role of AI in education, to determine how prospective teachers envision the use of AI in the pedagogical environment in the long term, to identify areas where teaching with AI could be most effectively integrated, and to identify areas where AI could be most appropriately used to improve educational outcomes and processes. The data presented through this paper is part of the "Perceptions of AI by current and future teachers" project. The results of this study could provide valuable information for educational institutions, policy makers of educational strategies and frameworks, and AI developers to better understand the needs and expectations of future teachers in the context of the increasing digitalisation of education. Our intention is to fill the knowledge gap on the perception of AI in educational contexts and thus provide important information for the future development of pedagogical strategies and technologies in education.

How do medical students perceive the role of artificial intelligence in management of gastroesophageal reflux disease?

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of various medical and surgical conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD). AI has the potential to enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities, contributing to overall advancements in healthcare. The current study aimed to investigate the medical students’ views regarding the use of AI in GORD management. Methods An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate medical students of various grades within different national medical institutions. The questionnaire comprised three sections, addressing sociodemographic data, knowledge, and attitudes. Knowledge and attitudes were assessed through 5- and 7-item questionnaires, respectively. The knowledge scores constituted a scale of 0–5. This reflected varying levels of understanding. Categories include poor knowledge (two or less), moderate knowledge (three), and good knowledge (4 and 5). Attitudes were classified as negative, neutral, or positive based on 50% and 75% cutoff points, with scores below 50% indicating negative attitudes, 50–75% considered neutral, and scores above 75% reflecting positive attitudes. Results A total of 506 medical students participated, including 273 females and 233 males, with a ratio of 1.2–1. The majority fell within the age range of 20–26 years. Additionally, 388 participants (76.7%) reported grade point averages (GPAs) higher than 4. Regarding knowledge, 9% demonstrated a poor score of knowledge, while 33% had a moderate knowledge score. However, 65% of the participating students held a neutral attitude toward the role of AI in GORD management, with 6.9% expressing a negative stance on the matter. Conclusion Although AI is highly involved in GORD management, the study revealed that medical students and interns possess a limited perception of this emerging technology. This may highlight the necessity for active involvement in AI education within the medical curricula.

Oral Diabetes Medication Videos on Douyin: Analysis of Information Quality and User Comment Attitudes.

Oral diabetes medications are important for glucose management in people with diabetes. Although there are many health-related videos on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), the quality of information and the effects on user comment attitudes are unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the quality of information and user comment attitudes related to oral diabetes medication videos on Douyin. The key phrase "oral diabetes medications" was used to search Douyin on July 24, 2023, and the final samples included 138 videos. The basic information in the videos and the content of user comments were captured using Python. Each video was assigned a sentiment category based on the predominant positive, neutral, or negative attitude, as analyzed using the Weiciyun website. Two independent raters assessed the video content and information quality using the DISCERN (a tool for assessing health information quality) and PEMAT-A/V (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials) instruments. Doctors were the main source of the videos (136/138, 98.6%). The overall information quality of the videos was acceptable (median 3, IQR 1). Videos on Douyin showed relatively high understandability (median 75%, IQR 16.6%) but poor actionability (median 66.7%, IQR 48%). Most content on oral diabetes medications on Douyin related to the mechanism of action (75/138, 54.3%), precautions (70/138, 50.7%), and advantages (68/138, 49.3%), with limited content on indications (19/138, 13.8%) and contraindications (14/138, 10.1%). It was found that 10.1% (14/138) of the videos contained misinformation, of which 50% (7/14) were about the method of administration. Regarding user comment attitudes, the majority of videos garnered positive comments (81/138, 58.7%), followed by neutral comments (46/138, 33.3%) and negative comments (11/138, 8%). Multinomial logistic regression revealed 2 factors influencing a positive attitude: user comment count (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.00, 95% CI 1.00-1.00; P=.02) and information quality of treatment choices (adjusted OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.09-2.04; P=.01). Despite most videos on Douyin being posted by doctors, with generally acceptable information quality and positive user comment attitudes, some content inaccuracies and poor actionability remain. Users show more positive attitudes toward videos with high-quality information about treatment choices. This study suggests that health care providers should ensure the accuracy and actionability of video content, enhance the information quality of treatment choices of oral diabetes medications to foster positive user attitudes, help users access accurate health information, and promote medication adherence.

Addressing a community need: assessing the confidence and attitude of senior medical students in responding to in-flight emergencies

Traveling physicians will likely be called for medical assistance on board. In-flight medical emergencies (IMEs) are common and occur in a complex environment with limited medical resources. This study evaluated senior medical students’ willingness, understanding, confidence, and attitudes toward IMEs and their willingness to respond to them. This cross-sectional study was conducted among senior medical students in the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These medical students were sent a self-administered online questionnaire, which consisted of basic demographic data, a survey to evaluate IME experiences, and a 10-item questionnaire to assess the attitude of students. Among 302 medical students, 52.3% were males, while 66.9% were over 22 years old. The prevalence of students who attended life support training was 62.6%, which was highly significant among the 5th-year level (p = 0.001). Neutral attitudes were found in most students (87.7%); 4.6% had positive attitudes, while 7.6% had negative ones. Being at the 5th-year level and having previous participation in life support training were associated with an increased attitude toward in-flight medical emergencies. The attitude of senior medical students toward IMEs was less than desired. However, the attitude was better among 5th-year medical students who attended training courses on managing IMEs. Thus, participation in training courses influenced the willingness to manage such cases. Subsequently, longitudinal studies are needed to extract more data on the knowledge and confidence of medical students toward IMEs.

Study of Attitude Toward Homosexuality Among the Health Professionals

Background: Despite the level of awareness of homosexuality is in the increasing trend, health professionals lack a positive attitude toward homosexuality. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of attitudes toward homosexuality among health professionals. Subject and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 600 health professionals. The attitude toward homosexuality questionnaire was used to assess the attitude of health professionals toward homosexuality. A descriptive analysis, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal Wallis test were used to analyze the data. Observations: The mean score for attitude toward homosexuality questionnaire was 73.04 + 23.39 among the participants. The males had lesser degree of positive attitude compared to higher degree of positive attitude of females toward homosexuality. Participants from rural areas had neutral attitudes, and participants from the urban areas had positive attitudes toward homosexuality. Participants living in nuclear families had positive attitudes toward homosexuality, and participants living in joint families had negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Participants with heterosexual orientation had negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Conclusion: Overall, health professionals had a lesser degree of positive attitude toward homosexuality; they require sensitization to upgrade their positive attitude toward homosexuality for better doctor–patient relationship.

Trends and topics: Characterizing echo chambers’ topological stability and in-group attitudes

Nowadays, online debates focusing on a wide spectrum of topics are often characterized by clashes of polarized communities, each fiercely supporting a specific stance. Such debates are sometimes fueled by the presence of echo chambers, insulated systems whose users’ opinions are exacerbated due to the effect of repetition and by the active exclusion of opposite views. This paper offers a framework to explore how echo chambers evolve through time, considering their users’ interaction patterns and the content/attitude they convey while addressing specific controversial issues. The framework is then tested on three Reddit case studies focused on sociopolitical issues (gun control, American politics, and minority discrimination) during the first two years and a half of Donald Trump’s presidency and on an X/Twitter dataset involving BLM discussion tied to the EURO 2020 football championship. Analytical results unveil that polarized users will likely keep their affiliation to echo chambers in time. Moreover, we observed that the attitudes conveyed by Reddit users who joined risky epistemic enclaves are characterized by a slight inclination toward a more negative or neutral attitude when discussing particularly sensitive issues (e.g., fascism, school shootings, or police violence) while X/Twitter ones often tend to express more positive feelings w.r.t. those involved into less polarized communities.

Investigating the Implicit and Explicit Attitudes of Primary School Educators in Scotland Towards Autistic Children

ABSTRACT Autistic children are frequently taught in mainstream schools, and in Scotland, policy aims for inclusion. This study investigated Scottish educators’ implicit and explicit attitudes towards autistic children and aimed to understand the relationships between attitudes, knowledge and experience. Seventy primary school educators working in Scotland took part. Participants completed a Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) to assess implicit attitudes. They also completed two explicit attitude measures (openness to autism and cognitive attitudes), and measures of knowledge and level of contact. Overall, participants held positive attitudes in explicit attitude measures. Around half had positive implicit attitudes, but a quarter had either neutral or negative implicit attitudes. There were correlations between explicit attitudes, age and years of experience, with older, more experienced staff having more negative attitudes. Young educators with less experience may have more positive attitudes, perhaps reflecting societal changes in perceptions of autism. In regression analyses, greater autism knowledge predicted more positive cognitive attitudes towards autistic children, suggesting that targeting knowledge may improve attitudes. Scotland’s policies may have the potential to support the effective inclusion of autistic pupils in schools.

Consumer perspectives towards aquaponics: Products and native fish cultivation

Abstract Aquaponics is a farming system that integrates hydroponics and aquaculture. Many questions and concerns about the feasibility of aquaponics to sustain food productivity and its potential market remain unknown. One of them is the consumer’s perception and willingness to pay for aquaponic products. This study presents findings and analysis regarding consumer perception, knowledge and acceptance of aquaponic products in Malaysia, particularly native fish species cultivated within aquaponic system. A total of 385 respondents participated in this study from all regions (northern region, central region, east coast, southern region, Sabah, and Sarawak) in Malaysia. Overall, a significant proportion of consumers (84%) had not practised aquaponics, and 63% had not made purchases of any aquaponic products before. Consumers’ decisions to purchase aquaponic products is primarily influenced by price (79.2%) and food safety (67.8%). Other significant factors include food nutrition (52.7%), cultivation methods used in production (39.7%), taste and texture of aquaponic products (33%), accessibility to these products (0.5%) and concerns related to zoonotic diseases in aquaponic products (0.3%). Overall, consumers had a positive outlook on the benefits of aquaponics and its products. However, they had a neutral attitude towards purchasing and were willing to spend more on aquaponic products compared to products produced using conventional farming. Consumers also had a positive attitude towards culturing native fish species in aquaponics systems and had a neutral attitude when asked to buy native fish species cultivated in aquaponics systems. The study’s findings show a potential market for aquaponic products in Malaysia. However, more efforts are needed to increase awareness and promote aquaponics systems in Malaysia.