Neutral Attitude Research Articles

CoreNLP dependency parsing and pattern identification for enhanced opinion mining in aspect-based sentiment analysis

Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) aims to identify the sentiment expressed towards a specific feature or aspect of a given text. Although certain ABSA techniques employ syntactic information to capture the connection between the opinion target and the sentiment word, they often do not incorporate data processing techniques such as dependency parsing, which can be beneficial in accurately capturing the sentiment expressed towards the opinion target. In this paper a method for ABSA that employs both syntax and semantic information and incorporates dependency parsing(Semantic-Syntactic Dependency Parsing (SSDP) Method) with Core Natural Language Processing (CoreNLP) which is a natural language processing library for processing the input text and identifying patterns effectively (according to the CoreNLP relations and part of speech tagging(POS)) to extract the critical relations that accurately reflect the sentiment conveyed regarding the opinion target is proposed. The results show that the proposed pattern captured approximately 75% of the data, and the rest were classified via Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) based on semantic information. We illustrated the efficacy of SSDP, through experiments on the SemEval14,Semval15 and Semval16 datasets, which include two datasets (laptops and restaurants) carefully categorized by a human annotator into categories of positive, negative, or neutral attitudes. The experimental results reveal that SSDP is superior to the other state-of-the-art ABSA approaches, that use syntax information but do not utilize data processing techniques. Additionally, we highlight the limitations of ABSA methods that do not incorporate syntax information and the potential improvements that can be made through the use of data processing.

Awareness, Attitude, and Fertility Desire in Elective Oocyte Cryopreservation of Adults in Four Areas of China.

Controversy exists on whether or not elective oocyte cryopreservation (eOC) can be conducted in public hospitals in China. Policymakers should take into account the benefits and risks in the Chinese population. This study explored basic data concerning the awareness, attitudes of eOC, and fertility desire of eOC in China to offer evidence for policy making. A total of 442 people in four areas of China responded to a survey. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: awareness, attitude, and fertility desire of eOC. Descriptive analysis and multivariable regression analysis were used in the study. Generally, the respondents had a positive or neutral attitude towards eOC. However, about 90% of respondents did not know the cost of eOC. In general, a more positive attitude was found towards eOC among participants who had heard of the procedure compared with those who had not. Most women did not desire to reproduce by eOC. After adjusting for access to information, we found that female, older age groups, and singles were more likely to have increased awareness than their counterparts. The awareness of participants who accessed information from any source had a higher relative probability of having good awareness levels compared to participants who had not accessed the information. Undergraduates exhibited significantly higher levels of cognitive understanding, as indicated by their increased familiarity and comprehension, compared to high school students (relative risk ratio = 1.44, confidence interval = 0.48,4.29). Continued discussion is needed regarding the ethical, legal, and social aspects of performing eOC in public hospitals. Furthermore, policies are needed to regulate eOC to protect the reproductive freedom of healthy women.

Farmers' Risk Perception, Risk Aversion on Manggosteen Production (Case Study in Pauh Thematic Village)

The mangosteen commodity has become a leading product of West Sumatra Province due to its large export market share, which requires farmers to maintain the quantity and quality of the mangosteen they produce. Mangosteen has a high economic value, but its cultivation is still traditional, and the quality produced is not entirely in line with the expectations of the export destination countries. Since 2021, the Mayor of Padang has designated the Pauh District as a thematic mangosteen village, but fluctuations in mangosteen production indicate risks. This research analyzes the relationship between farmer characteristics and their attitude toward mangosteen production risks. The research method involves a survey and the sampling of 40 farmers using purposive sampling. Data was collected from June to July 2023. The level of risk is analyzed using the coefficient of variation method, while farmer risk behavior is assessed using the Moscardi and de Janvry method. Factors influencing farmers are analyzed using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. The research results indicate a production risk for mangosteen with a coefficient of variation value of 0.47 (47%). Most farmers, 38 out of 40 (98%), exhibit a risk-averse behavior, while two farmers (2%) have a neutral risk attitude. The characteristics of farmers that significantly influence their risk behavior are age, farming experience, and farming income.

Investigating LGBTQ affirmative attitudes and needs for better practice among Hungarian healthcare professionals

AbstractIntroduction: LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) people often do not seek health care and do not identify as LGBTQ people because of fear of judgment, stereotyping, and discrimination by health professionals. All of this is a particularly worrying phenomenon, because various mental difficulties, risky behaviors, and certain types of somatic and psychosomatic diseases may appear in a higher proportion among them.Objectives Attitudes related to LGBTQ people were examined in several areas in Hungary. Most of our data comes from psychologists, however, a comprehensive examination of health professionals’ attitudes towards LGBTQ people has not yet been carried out.MethodsIn a cross-sectional online survey, we ask healthcare professionals (medical doctors, nurses, other graduate healthcare professionals and medical university students) to fill out our questionnaire. The participants complete the Modern Homonegativity Scale and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Clinical Skills Development Scale.Results We assume that the majority of Hungarian healthcare professionals have a neutral or positive attitude towards LGBTQ people, but they struggle with a significant lack of affirmative skills. We will present our results in detail in the presentation of the symposium.ConclusionsThere is an urgent need to provide the appropriate affirmative knowledge material to Hungarian healthcare workers.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward weight management among diabetic patients in Qidong City, Jiangsu Province

BackgroundWeight management is an effective prevention and treatment strategy for diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of diabetic patients towards weight management.MethodsDiabetic patients treated at Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, between January 2023 and June 2023 were included in this cross-sectional study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect their demographic characteristics and KAP toward weight management. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the inter-relationships among KAP scores.ResultsAmong a total of 503 valid questionnaires that were collected, 55.07% were filled out by men and 54.67% by those aged < 60 years. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 8.03 ± 3.525 (possible range: 0–13), 31.88 ± 3.524 (possible range: 10–50), and 22.24 ± 3.318 (possible range: 9–45), respectively. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed the knowledge was positively associated with attitude (r = 0.295, P < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.131, P < 0.001), and attitude was positively associated with practice (r = 0.140, P = 0.002). SEM demonstrated positive associations between knowledge and attitude (β = 0.28, P < 0.001), and attitude and practice (β = 0.09, P = 0.019). Moreover, older age was negatively associated with knowledge (β=-0.04, P = 0.001), while higher education (β = 1.220, P < 0.001), increased monthly income (β = 0.779, P < 0.001), diagnosis of fatty liver (β = 1.03, P = 0.002), and screening for excess visceral fat (β = 1.11, P = 0.002) were positively associated with knowledge.ConclusionDiabetic patients showed moderate knowledge, neutral attitudes, and inappropriate practices toward weight management. Knowledge was positively associated with attitude and practice. These findings provided valuable directions for healthcare interventions targeting improved KAP status of weight management among diabetic patients.

Attitudes and perceptions of rural youth towards agribusiness as a profession in a post-conflict context. Evidence from South-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The global demographic dynamics with increasing numbers of young people will have varying socio-economic effects on low-income countries. The extreme poverty of young people, particularly in rural areas, is still much higher compared to the global average. Creating more and better jobs for young people is therefore an urgent priority of the century. Despite the recognized driving role of the agribusiness in economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, there is evidence of a disengagement/disinterest of young people towards agribusiness. This study aimed to analyze the attitudes and perceptions of rural youth towards agribusiness as a profession career in South Kivu province. To deeply understand the complexity and cross-cutting nature of this issue, a systemic approach was used. A Likert-type questionnaire with a 5-points scale was used to conduct the survey among 456 rural youth aged 15 to 35 randomly selected using the Bernoulli Urn technique in Kabare, Walungu and Uvira territories. The study revealed that 53.5% of young people have a negative attitude towards agribusiness, 29.8% display a neutral attitude and only 16.7% of them show a positive attitude. 76.3% confirmed that they can only engage in agriculture when they have no other job. 77.6% declared that agribusiness cannot enable them to meet all their basic needs. After verifying the normality of the data, the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, were used to compare the perception scores of the different groups analyzed. The study revealed a statistically significant difference in personal and societal perceptions scores between different age groups, between men and women, as well as between different education level groups. A statistically significant difference in the economic perceptions scores was observed only between the different survey areas.

From cart to door: Unravelling consumer behaviour through attitudinal sustainability profiles

In the evolving landscape of the retail industry, e-commerce has reshaped consumer behaviour, including the last mile delivery. Despite consumers typically having the final say when it comes to delivery requirements, research on last mile deliveries frequently overlooks consumer behaviour. Addressing this gap, this study explores consumer attitudes towards sustainability in last mile deliveries and assesses their impact on behavior and travel patterns. Utilizing an online survey of 2105 e-consumers, four distinct attitudinal profiles are identified —positive, neutral (due to knowledge or interest gaps), and negative attitude, shedding light on parcel weight preferences and travel patterns. The study uncovers a green attitude-behavior gap, emphasizing the need for interventions that bridge intention and action. By unraveling these complexities, this research contributes essential insights for retailers and researchers, guiding the development of targeted strategies to promote sustainable practices in the evolving landscape of e-commerce.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental health professionals toward dental impression disinfection protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia– a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDespite the updated guidelines on dental impression disinfection protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, adherence to such procedures has not been studied among dental health professionals in Saudi Arabia. Understanding DHPs’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 is crucial in assessing a willingness to adhere to the recommendations provided by health authorities in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 via dental impressions impacting patient safety and infection control measures. Hence, this study aimed to assess dental health professionals’ (DHPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward dental impression disinfection protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from 14 December 2022 to 21 March 2023 among practicing dentists, dental assistants (DA), dental laboratory technicians (DT), and dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia. A validated and reliable questionnaire that consisted of 38 items along with demographic variables was prepared to collect the data. Using Google Forms, a questionnaire link was prepared and shared on the social media platforms of DHPs in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive analysis was conducted to report the percentages and frequencies. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were analyzed using an Independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation tests.ResultsA total of 718 DHPs voluntarily participated in the survey. Most of the DHPs exhibited average knowledge 392 (54.6%), neutral attitudes 393(54.7%), and adequate 549 (76.5%) practice towards dental impression disinfection protocol. The mean knowledge score differed significantly across nationality (p = 0.013), type of DHPs (p < 0.001), qualification (p = 0.045), and experience (p = 0.028) of the study participants. Significant differences in attitude towards impression disinfection were observed in different age groups (p = 0.002), qualifications (p = 0.015), and experiences (p = 0.024) of the DHPs. Similarly, practice varied across different age groups (p = 0.010), nationality (p = 0.013), type of DHPs (p = 0.019), qualification (p = 0.044), experience (p = 0.041), and COVID-19 Infection (p = 0.006). Moreover, a significant positive correlation between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.258, p < 0.01), knowledge-practice (r = 0.283, p < 0.01), and attitude-practice (r = 0.196, p < 0.01) was observed.ConclusionDHPs considered in this study demonstrated average knowledge and attitudes toward impression disinfection, requiring improvement through continuous dental education and training. However, they displayed acceptable dental impression disinfection practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is highly recommended that continuing education programs should mainly reinforce the knowledge of sodium hypochlorite, iodophor, and phenolics and their concentrations to be used as an impression disinfectant. Additionally, it should focus on techniques of disinfecting elastomeric, hydrocolloid, zinc oxide and eugenol, and impression compound materials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 based on Saudi ministry of health guidelines.

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD BIOTECHNOLOGY IN STEM EDUCATION AS AN INDICATOR OF SCIENTIFIC LITERACY

Biotechnology has great importance as a socioscientific issue in STEM education. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes of college students toward biotechnology. A total of 236 university students participated in the study. Questionnaires on knowledge and attitudes towards biotechnology were used for data collection. The results revealed that participants had inadequate knowledge about several basic concepts related to genetics and biotechnology, particularly those concerning genetically modified organisms. The results regarding the attitudes revealed more neutral results. The participants had a neutral attitude towards biotechnology, with mean scores ranging from 2.71 to 3.55. They were generally against buying genetically modified products but supported biotechnology for medical purposes and strongly desired to increase their knowledge about genetically modified products. The participants did not have a negative opinion of biotechnology in general but were critical of its purpose and use. The correlation analysis between knowledge and attitudes produced weak correlations. Offering supplementary resources on biotechnology can enhance students' and individual’s understanding and attitudes of this topic. Keywords: biotechnology education, attitudes toward biotechnology, knowledge of biotechnology, socioscientific issue, STEM education

Do People Prefer Home Palliative Care? A Survey Study and Assessment of Associated Factors in China.

Objectives: This study examined people's preference for the location to receive palliative care services and determined the associated factors. Methods: A questionnaire with reference to the Chinese version of the Hospice Attitude Scale and the Death Correspondence Scale was designed, piloted, revised, and distributed online and in person to collect data (N = 762). Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the effects of relevant factors. Results: The average age of the participants was 38.1, with a relatively even gender distribution. Over 90% of the participants were either single/never married (44.9%) or married with children (46.0%). 58.1% of the respondents (N = 428) indicated that they would like to receive palliative care at home, compared to 41.9% who preferred receiving such care in institutions or other places (N = 309). Each time people's attitudes toward death became one point more positive, they were 10.2% more likely to choose to receive palliative care services at home. People with a neutral attitude toward palliative care, single/never married or divorced with children, and having/had an occupation in health and social work had higher odds of preferring receiving palliative care at home. Those who had poor self-rated health or with an educational background of primary school or lower or some college had lower odds of preferring receiving palliative care at home. Conclusions: The research showed that attitudes toward death and other factors were associated with people's preferences for palliative care locations. More accessible and affordable community-based and home-based palliative care services should be further explored and provided.

Sentiment Analysis of Islamic Fintech: Uncovering the Pulse of Twitter Post-Covid-19

Twitter user attitude towards sharia fintech research provides an intriguing glimpse into perceptions and responses to sharia-based financial innovation. According to an analysis of 2,131 tweets, the bulk of attitudes were neutral (80.8%), followed by positive sentiments (16.2%), and the least were negative sentiments (3%). These findings paint an intriguing picture of how users react to sharia-compliant fintech concepts. The predominance of neutral attitude may indicate that the majority of Twitter users are not yet completely engaged with or have a neutral opinion of sharia fintech. This could be due to a lack of knowledge about the concept or a lack of direct connection with Islamic financial channels. The presence of strong positive sentiment, on the other hand, suggests interest in and support for this endeavour. There may be a view that sharia fintech can give a more ethical and in line with Islamic financial principles alternative. The unfavourable mood that has evolved, however, cannot be disregarded. Opinions opposing sharia fintech can stem from a variety of sources, including questions about its compatibility with authentic sharia principles or concerns about the hazards and security of its use. It is critical to understand the causes of unfavourable attitude and to improve education and transparency about sharia fintech. Overcoming questions and fears may necessitate an all-inclusive strategy to regulation, outreach, and risk management. In this approach, it can increase user trust and knowledge of the existence and benefits of sharia fintech in the current financial environment.

Assessment and evaluation of online education and virtual simulation technology in dental education: a cross-sectional survey.

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led medical universities in China to conduct online teaching. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a blended learning approach that combines online teaching and virtual reality technology in dental education and to evaluate the acceptance of the blended learning approach among dental teachers and students. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was followed in this study. A total of 157 students' perspectives on online and virtual reality technology education and 54 teachers' opinions on online teaching were collected via questionnaires. Additionally, 101 students in the 2015-year group received the traditional teaching method (TT group), while 97 students in the 2017-year group received blended learning combining online teaching and virtual reality technology (BL group). The graduation examination results of students in the two groups were compared. The questionnaire results showed that most students were satisfied with the online course and the virtual simulation platform teaching, while teachers held conservative and neutral attitudes toward online teaching. Although the theoretical score of the BL group on the final exam was greater than that of the TT group, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.805). The skill operation score of the BL group on the final exam was significantly lower than that of the TT group (P = 0.004). The overall score of the BL group was lower than that of the TT group (P = 0.018), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). The blended learning approach combining online teaching and virtual reality technology plays a positive role in students' learning and is useful and effective in dental education.

Breaking barriers to adoption: A multi-stakeholder platform approach to promoting improved common bean varieties among farmers in Malawi

Farmers’ low adoption rate of improved common bean varieties is the root cause of other challenges that stakeholders in Malawi's common bean value chain face in marketing, seed production, processing, and consumption. As a result, it is ideal to address the issue of low uptake by encouraging farmers to adopt improved varieties to make more significant contributions to the common bean value chain. The study's main objective was to assess the impact of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) and farmers’ attitudes on the uptake of improved common bean varieties. According to the findings of the KAP survey, there is a correlation between farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and uptake of improved common bean varieties. Using a probit model, the paper discovered that farmers in the project area's intervention site had a 25% higher probability of uptake than farmers in the counterfactual site. Farmer households that were members of MSPs were more likely to participate than farmer households that were not members of any MSP. Meanwhile, farmers who were negative or neutral about the accessibility and affordability of improved common bean varieties were less likely to uptake them than those who were positive. According to the findings, farmers with a neutral attitude toward the yield potential of the improved common bean varieties had a lower probability of uptake than farmers with a positive attitude. Therefore, the study recommends MSP-based initiatives as one way to promote the uptake of improved common bean varieties.

Sentiment analysis of internet posts on vaccination using ChatGPT and comparison with actual vaccination rates in South Korea

Background This study used ChatGPT for sentiment analysis to investigate the possible links between online sentiments and COVID-19 vaccination rates. It also examines Internet posts to understand the attitudes and reasons associated with vaccine-related opinions. Methods We collected 500,558 posts over 60 weeks from the Blind platform, mainly used by working individuals, and 854 relevant posts were analyzed. After excluding duplicates and irrelevant content, attitudes toward and reasons for vaccine opinions were studied through sentiment analysis. The study further correlated these categorized attitudes with the actual vaccination data. Results The proportions of posts expressing positive, negative, and neutral attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines were 5%, 83%, and 12%, respectively. The total post count showed a positive correlation with the vaccination rate, indicating a high correlation between the number of negative posts about the vaccine and the vaccination rate. Negative attitudes were predominantly associated with societal distrust and perceived oppression. Conclusions This study demonstrates the interplay between public perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines as expressed through social media and vaccination behavior. These correlations can serve as useful clues for devising effective vaccination strategies.

Evaluating speech-in-speech perception via a humanoid robot.

Underlying mechanisms of speech perception masked by background speakers, a common daily listening condition, are often investigated using various and lengthy psychophysical tests. The presence of a social agent, such as an interactive humanoid NAO robot, may help maintain engagement and attention. However, such robots potentially have limited sound quality or processing speed. As a first step toward the use of NAO in psychophysical testing of speech- in-speech perception, we compared normal-hearing young adults' performance when using the standard computer interface to that when using a NAO robot to introduce the test and present all corresponding stimuli. Target sentences were presented with colour and number keywords in the presence of competing masker speech at varying target-to-masker ratios. Sentences were produced by the same speaker, but voice differences between the target and masker were introduced using speech synthesis methods. To assess test performance, speech intelligibility and data collection duration were compared between the computer and NAO setups. Human-robot interaction was assessed using the Negative Attitude Toward Robot Scale (NARS) and quantification of behavioural cues (backchannels). Speech intelligibility results showed functional similarity between the computer and NAO setups. Data collection durations were longer when using NAO. NARS results showed participants had a relatively positive attitude toward "situations of interactions" with robots prior to the experiment, but otherwise showed neutral attitudes toward the "social influence" of and "emotions in interaction" with robots. The presence of more positive backchannels when using NAO suggest higher engagement with the robot in comparison to the computer. Overall, the study presents the potential of the NAO for presenting speech materials and collecting psychophysical measurements for speech-in-speech perception.

Knowledge and Attitude of the General Public Toward Palliative Care in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Palliative care is directed to relieve the symptoms of serious and life-threatening illnesses. Unfortunately, it's usually provided lately in the disease course in developing countries due to a lack of awareness about its concept, which deprives many patients of its benefits. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitude of the Jordanian general public toward palliative care. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnaire via social media platforms. Knowledge about palliative care was measured using the "Palliative Care Knowledge Scale" (PaCKS), whereas the attitude was measured using an edited version of the "Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying -B(FATCOD-B)" tool. The inclusion criteria were adults older than 18 years old who live in Jordan. Any subject who was younger than 18 years old, refused to give informed consent, and working or studying in a healthcare-related profession was excluded. 329 respondents filled out the survey (females = 214 (65%), mean age = 32.7 ± (13.63) years). Only 67 respondents (20.4%) heard about palliative care previously. The average knowledge score (out of 13) was 6.8 (±4.2). The average attitude score (out of 5) was 3.0 (±.4). Higher knowledge self-evaluation, older age, and higher income were factors associated with a higher level of knowledge and favorable attitude toward palliative care. Our study showed a moderate knowledge and neutral attitude toward palliative care. Further awareness campaigns should be conducted to raise the awareness of the Jordanian society regarding the objectives of palliative care.

Attitude of Rural Youth towards Agriculture as a Source of Livelihood in Rajasthan, India

The research paper spotlights the attitude of rural youth towards agriculture as a source of livelihood. Agriculture forms the crux of the socio-economic development of the country and source of livelihood to majority of the rural life. The youth are the ideal catalyst to change the status of persons involved in farming, especially in the rural communities given their greater possibility to adapt new ideas, concept and technology which are important to change the way farming is practiced and perceived. Despite this, migration of rural youth to other sectors in search of other lucrative jobs has resulted in decreasing participation of rural youth in agriculture. This has several implications for the future of Indian agriculture and India’s food security. It is imperative to find out the reasons for growing disinterest of youth to be involved in agriculture. The present study was carried out in 300 rural youth respondents in Jaipur and Alwar districts of Rajasthan using purposive sampling mehod.. The data were collected by using a well-structured interview schedule. Results revealed that majority of rural youth had neutral attitude (66.67%) followed by 17.67 per cent had highly unfavourable attitude and 15.67 per cent had highly favourable attitude towards agriculture. This, in turn, to attract and retain young people in rural areas, positive attitude toward agriculture among rural youth needs to be developed.

Attitudes of women towards screening, prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in Namibia.

Cervical cancer is among the top causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally. The aim of the study was to assess the attitudes of women of reproductive age towards cervical cancer services in the Otjozondjupa region, Namibia. The setting of this study was the Otjozondjupa region, one of the 14 regions of Namibia. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was used. The data were collected with a questionnaire from a stratified sample of 381 out of the 37066 study population of women of reproductive age across four districts of the region. Descriptive data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25. The findings revealed that most respondents (83.1%) had an overall neutral attitude towards the screening, prevention, and treatment of cervical cancer; they were not concerned about the risk of cervical cancer and would not practice health-seeking behaviours regarding cervical cancer services. The respondents were indifferent with regard to prevention, screening, and management services for cervical cancer, implying that they would not use available cervical cancer services. Attitudes of women of reproductive age towards cervical cancer services were highlighted. Subsequently, an educational programme for nurses to enhance the utilisation of cervical cancer services among women of reproductive age in the Otjozondjupa region, Namibia, was developed. Guidelines were developed to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of the educational programme activities to enhance the utilisation of cervical cancer screening services among women of reproductive age.

Attitude-Based Intuitionistic Fuzzy Graph Model for Conflict Resolution With Soft Consensus: Application to Dam Construction Projects

Construction of dam projects built on international rivers usually faces many conflicts due to different interests, values, and preferences of social entities. The graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) is a powerful and flexible tool to model and analyze strategic conflicts. In this study, we introduce a GMCR model to address construction conflicts among different social entities. To process uncertain and vague information in preferences, this study allows decision-makers to use intuitionistic fuzzy information to express their preference information. First, we define necessary definitions, including the intuitionistic relative certainty of preference (IRCP), intuitionistic satisficing threshold (IST), and intuitionistic unilateral improvement (IUI). When using a graph model to represent real-world disputes, a decision-maker (DM) may have different attitudes toward other DMs. To analyze the influence of attitudes, we originally introduced the concept of soft consensus in GMCR. Then, three kinds of attitudes, i.e., positive attitude, neutral attitude, and negative attitude, are identified. Next, we propose four intuitionistic stability definitions considering the attitudes of DMs. Finally, an illustrative example regarding the Xayaburi Dam dispute that occurred in Indochina Peninsula is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model.

Gen Z consumers’ expectations for smart convenience stores in the USA, South Korea, and Japan

PurposeGeneration Z will be the leading consumer group in the future. Using convenience stores, the study provides an in-depth analysis on Gen Z’s current experience and future expectations from retail stores. The study further highlights the differences between Gen Z’s perception of convenience stores across three different regions – the USA, South Korea and Japan.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 Gen Z participants from the USA (12), South Korea (11) and Japan (13). All interviews were first coded based on a preselected list of themes and were further coded with new themes that emerged from exploratory coding.FindingsEach regional cohort varied in terms of how they experienced and what they expected from convenience stores. US participants showed negative or utilitarian attitudes toward convenience stores, whereas South Korean participants had a positive, personal attachment to them. In comparison, Japanese participants had a relatively neutral attitude. However, all three groups showed a common preference for smart technology and health concerns surrounding convenience store foods.Practical implicationsConvenience store chains should consider the cultural nuances when designing future services. The chains should further strive to remove the health concerns about the foods provided at the stores and design smart technologies that enhance user experience.Originality/valueThe present study broadens the knowledge in this budding consumer segment where current research is limited. It further sheds light on the variance among Gen Zers across different cultural contexts.