Pain Points Research Articles

An Efficient Design of 2-BIT Arithmetic Logical Unit in Quantum Dot Cellular Automata

For the past two decades, CMOS technology has reigned supreme in the world of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). But Quantum Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is stepping into the spotlight, offering a fresh solution to the growing challenges of CMOS. This paper delves into the potential of QCA circuits by presenting a 2-bit Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) crafted with this groundbreaking technology, while also benchmarking it against conventional CMOS designs. The proposed QCA-based ALU delivers a trifecta of benefits: streamlined circuit design, exceptional space efficiency, and reduced quantum cost—all while keeping performance sharp in terms of latency and area usage. This 2-bit ALU encompasses a suite of operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, bitwise AND, OR, XOR, and XNOR. QCA technology addresses some of CMOS's major pain points, like slow switching speeds, and doesn't require additional power sources, making it both efficient and environmentally friendly. This is not just an incremental improvement; it's a bold leap into the future of circuit design

UX Design for an E-commerce Application: A Design Thinking Perspective

The development of e-commerce applications has revolutionized the way people conduct business, but challenges still exist in designing applications that align with user needs and expectations. This study aims to document the design-thinking (DT) approach used in the development of a customized e-commerce application based on the user's perspective, with the goal of extracting the user experience of traditional commerce processes to identify its features. In this study, we focused on the first four phases of DT, which include empathize, define, ideate, and prototype, to gather insights and understand the experiences, needs, pain points, and solutions of the local producers. The data gathered from interviews and observations was subjected to content analysis to identify patterns and themes related to desired features. After analysis, the researchers identified key app features, including integrating data analytics for product performance and demand forecasting, introducing a peer-vendor marketplace, a vendor-managed inventory management system, and a product verification system for authenticity. A mockup prototype design was created and presented to users for feedback. The study highlights the importance of user perspectives in e-commerce app design and the value of design thinking in creating a customized user experience that aligns with user needs.

Leveraging Decentralized Clinical Trial Management Systems (dCTMS) to Advance Science: Exploring Challenges Related to the Diffusion of Innovation and Its Execution.

Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) recently gained attention in research necessary for drug development. While the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenging time in this arena, drug development was a critical area of emphasis in the rapid advancement of vaccines. The DCTs were necessary to allow research activities to occur across many locations. The use of DCTs can profoundly impact reshaping healthcare by enabling participants to partake in clinical trials remotely; however, implementation challenges must be considered as technology expands. A working group of participants was assembled during an interactive learning exercise at the Conv2X conference (2023) to explore challenges related to the diffusion of innovation among key stakeholders. Pain points experienced with using and implementing technologies were identified, and an innovative solution using a blockchain-anchored option was presented. Participants were divided into three stakeholder groups: patients, payers, and pharmaceutical sponsors. After a time of discussion, the groups reconvened for review. Several themes that can be supported by blockchain technology emerged. These include enhanced efficiencies, patient experience, and demographic diversity, as well as data integrity, privacy, security, and cost-effectiveness. Future research might focus on strategies to facilitate the adoption of the idea across key stakeholder groups.

Public Opinions on ChatGPT : An Analysis of Reddit Discussions by Using Sentiment Analysis, Topic Modeling, and SWOT Analysis

ABSTRACT The sudden arrival of AI (Artificial Intelligence) into people's daily lives all around the world was marked by the introduction of ChatGPT, which was officially released on November 30, 2022. This AI invasion in our lives drew the attention of not only tech enthusiasts but also scholars from diverse fields, as its capacity extends across various fields. Consequently, numerous articles and journals have been discussing ChatGPT, making it a headline for several topics. However, it does not reflect most public opinion about the product. Therefore, this paper investigated the public's opinions on ChatGPT through topic modelling, Vader-based sentiment analysis and SWOT analysis. To gather data for this study, 202905 comments from the Reddit platform were collected between December 2022 and December 2023. The findings reveal that the Reddit community engaged in discussions related to ChatGPT, covering a range of topics including comparisons with traditional search engines, the impacts on software development, job market, and education industry, exploring ChatGPT's responses on entertainment and politics, the responses from Dan, the alter ego of ChatGPT, the ethical usage of user data as well as queries related to the AI-generated images. The sentiment analysis indicates that most people hold positive views towards this innovative technology across these several aspects. However, concerns also arise regarding the potential negative impacts associated with this product. The SWOT analysis of these results highlights both the strengths and pain points, market opportunities and threats associated with ChatGPT. This analysis also serves as a foundation for providing recommendations aimed at the product development and policy implementation in this paper.

Patient Acceptable Symptom State Thresholds for IKDC-SKF and KOOS at the 10-Year Follow-up After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Study From the Delaware-Oslo ACL Cohort.

Clinicians need thresholds for the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) and Treatment Failure to interpret group-based patient-reported outcome measures after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Validated thresholds that are crucial for accurately discerning patient symptom state and facilitating effective interpretation have not been determined for long-term follow-up after ACL injury. To calculate and validate thresholds for PASS and Treatment Failure for the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC-SKF) and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales at the 10-year follow-up after ACL injury. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 163 participants with unilateral ACL injury (treated with reconstruction or rehabilitation alone) from the Delaware-Oslo ACL Cohort were included. Thresholds for PASS were calculated for IKDC-SKF and KOOS subscales using anchor-based predictive modeling and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Too few participants had self-reported Treatment Failure to calculate thresholds for that outcome. Nonparametric bootstrapping was used to derive 95% CIs. The criterion validity of the predictive modeling and ROC-derived thresholds were assessed by comparing actual patient-reported PASS outcome with the calculated PASS outcome for each method of calculation and calculating their positive and negative predictive values with respect to the anchor questions. A total of 127 (78%) participants reported satisfactory symptom state. Predictive modeling PASS thresholds (95% CIs) were 76.2 points (72.1-79.4 points) for IKDC-SKF, 85.4 points (80.9-89.2 points) for KOOS Pain, 76.5 points (67.8-84.7 points) for KOOS Symptoms, 93.8 points (90.1-96.9 points) for KOOS activities of daily living, 71.6 points (63.4-77.7 points) for KOOS Sports, and 59.0 points (53.7-63.9 points) for KOOS quality of life (QoL). Predictive modeling thresholds classified 81% to 93% of the participants as having satisfactory symptom state, whereas ROC-derived thresholds classified >50% as unsatisfied. The thresholds for IKDC-SKF, KOOS Sports, and KOOS QoL resulted in the most accurate percentages of PASS among all identified thresholds and therefore demonstrate the highest validity. Predictive modeling provided valid PASS thresholds for IKDC-SKF and KOOS at the 10-year follow-up after ACL injury. The thresholds for IKDC-SKF, KOOS Sports, and KOOS QoL should be used when determining satisfactory outcomes. ROC-derived thresholds result in substantial misclassification rates of the participants who reported satisfactory symptom state.

A STUDY OF MOBILE BANKING SERVICES BY STATE BANK OF INDIA

This report aims to conduct an amazing insight into SBI's mobile services. For this purpose, we will try to comprehensively assess their efficacy, customer satisfaction levels, and areas that need further improvement. Stepped up in the digital banking skyline, with the usage of mobile phones surging as a means of banking transactions, understanding the intricacies of SBI's mobile services is critical in terms of keeping up the competition and for the purpose of customers' benefit. Studies' goals are based on mobile banking adoption factors' research, usage patterns' discovery and customers' perceptions' investigation. The research approach of mixed-method is applied, where quantitative information is collected through surveys administered to SBI's customers, while qualitative data is fully exhausted within the interviews and focus group discussions. This technique offers possibilities to quantitative metrics as qualitative feedback analysis and therefore enables a complete overview of the subject matter. The key findings from the study illuminates the magnitudes and deficits of mobile services provided by SBI, and suggests agent of success as well as areas for improvement. With detailed data analysis the research pinpoints the things influencing customers’ contentment and immersion with SBI’s mobile services, as well as the factors holding back adoption and usage. This information is significant for the later development of reasonable conclusions and relevant prescriptions for SBI's mobile banking strategy. Finally, on the basis of research results, recommendations are forwarded to SBI as the mobile services are to be improved, simple and usable solutions are to be created, and customer pain points are to be eliminated. Realizing the recommendations, SBI would stay in top of digital banking landscape by increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. It would continue to be relevant in the era where customers are becoming more mobile-centric in their banking.

地方应用型本科高校大学物理课程教学改革与实践

Aiming at the four major pain points existing in the traditional college physics teaching in local application-oriented universities, this paper puts forward ten teaching strategies, including case visualization and problem originalization, focusing on the development of students and based on the constructivism teaching theory. The research explored the mixed teaching mode of “four dimensions and ten strategies” based on “MOOCs + PAD”. The teaching practice shows that this teaching mode can effectively enhance students’ learning interest and comprehensive ability, and the classroom teaching effect has been significantly improved.

Predictive Validity of Multifactorial Injury Risk Models and Associated Clinical Measures in the U.S. Population.

Background: Popular movement-based injury risk screens were shown to lack predictive precision, leading to interest in multifactorial models. Furthermore, there is a lack of research regarding injury risk assessment for those currently or planning to be recreationally active. This study aims to provide injury risk insights by analyzing multifactorial injury risk models and associated clinical measures in the U.S. population. Methods: Data related to injury, inflammatory markers, physical functioning, body composition, physical activity, and other variables from 21,033 respondents were extracted from NHANES. Odds ratios for self-reported injury were calculated for single predictors and risk models. Case-control and principal component analyses (PCA) were conducted to elucidate confounders and identify risk factor clusters, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to test the precision of a risk factor cluster to identify pain points and functional difficulties. Results: Sociodemographic, individual, and lifestyle factors were strongly associated with higher odds of injury. Increases in fibrinogen and C-reactive protein were significantly associated with all risk groups. Membership to the high-risk group (age over 40, obesity, no muscle-strengthening activities, sedentary lifestyle, and low back pain) predicted at least one functional difficulty with 67.4% sensitivity and 87.2% specificity. In the injury group, bone turnover markers were higher, yet confounded by age, and there was a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported osteoporosis compared to the control. In males, low testosterone was associated with injury, and high estradiol was associated with pain and functional difficulties. In females, high follicle-stimulating hormone was associated with functional difficulties. PCA revealed four high-risk profiles, with markers and activities showing distinct loadings. Conclusions: A comprehensive approach to injury risk assessment should consider the nexus of aging, lifestyle, and chronic disease to enhance tailored injury prevention strategies, fostering safe and effective physical activity participation and reducing the burden of musculoskeletal disorders.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Chronic Postoperative Pain in Same-day Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

The amount of same-day surgery has increased markedly worldwide in recent decades, but there remains limited evidence on chronic postsurgical pain in this setting. This study assessed pain 90 days after ambulatory surgery in an international, multicenter prospective cohort study of patients at least 45 yr old with comorbidities or at least 65 yr old. Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory. Chronic postsurgical pain was defined as a change of more than 1 point in self-rated average pain at the surgical site between baseline and 90 days, and moderate to severe chronic postsurgical pain was defined as a score greater than 4 in self-rated average pain at the surgical site at 90 days. Risk factors for chronic postsurgical pain were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Between November 2021 and January 2023, a total of 2,054 participants were included, and chronic postsurgical pain occurred in 12% of participants, of whom 93.1% had new chronic pain at the surgical site (i.e., participants without pain before surgery). Moderate to severe chronic postsurgical pain occurred in 9% of overall participants. Factors associated with chronic postsurgical pain were active smoking (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.76), orthopedic surgery (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 2.24 to 9.7), plastic surgery (odds ratio, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.97 to 9.2), breast surgery (odds ratio, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.29 to 5.8), vascular surgery (odds ratio, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.09 to 6.7), and ethnicity (i.e., for Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, odds ratio, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.68 to 6.9 and for First Nations/native persons, odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.05 to 15.4). Persistent postsurgical pain after same-day surgery is common, is usually moderate to severe in nature, and occurs mostly in patients without chronic pain before surgery.

High performance solid state lithium batteries with a continuous homogeneous Li+ transmission channels

Solid state lithium batteries have been encountering a bottle neck of high solid-solid interface resistance of the membrane/electrode assembly, which is one industrial pain point. Herein, the composite solid electrolyte materials were designed and prepared to act as the double functions of solid state electrolyte membrane and the electrode binder for constructing a continuous homogeneous Li+ transmission channels with high compatibility and ionic conductivity. Firstly, dopamine was oxidized and self-polymerized on the surface of polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) to form a polydopamine (PDA) active layer, and the zwitterionic betaine sulfonate (SB) was chemically grafted onto the PDA active layer by Michael addition reaction. Secondly, the composite solid electrolyte materials were prepared by mixing the resultant SB-modified PVDF-HFP was mixed with different contents (0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %) of Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 (LLZTO) and 20 % bis(trifluoromethane) sulphonyl lithium (LiTFSI). Finally, a series of composite solid electrolyte membranes were prepared by scraping method and labeled as 0%LLZTO/SB-PVDF-HFP/LiTFSI, 10%LLZTO/SB-PVDF-HFP/LiTFSI, 20 %LLZTO/SB-PVDF-HFP/LiTFSI, 30%LLZTO/SB-PVDF-HFP/LiTFSI, respectively. As expected, the cell with optimal 20 %LLZTO/SB-PVDF-HFP/LiTFSI as the solid electrolyte membrane and the electrode binder delivered the reversible capacity of 135.2 mAh/g at 1.0C and maintained high capacity retention of 94.8 % for 200 cycles. The construction of the continuous and homogeneous ion transmission channels should be responsible for high Li-storage performances by improving the interface compatibility of the membrane/electrode assembly and promoting the Li+ transmission.

124 Numerical Cut Points for Mild, Moderate and Severe Pain in Adult Burn Survivors

Abstract Introduction The optimal numerical cut points for mild, moderate, and severe burn pain have been established. Investigators at a single center determined that average burn pain can be categorized as mild (0-2), moderate (3-5), and severe (6-10). To address concerns about small sample size and limited diversity, we aimed to identify the most suitable average pain intensity rating scores for mild, moderate, and severe pain in a large, diverse cohort of adult burn survivors using a Patient Reported Outcome Measures Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) short form. Methods Average 11-point pain intensity Visual Analog Scale (VAS) or Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores (0-10) and a customized PROMIS-PI 4-question short form were administered to adults with burn injury treated at 5 centers in the US at hospital discharge (baseline) and 6, 12, 24-months and 5-years post-injury. To identify pain intensity scores that best represent mild, moderate, and severe pain, F value statistics associated with multiple ANOVA comparisons for mean pain interference scores by various pain intensity cut points were computed. Based on previous research, 6 possible cut points (CP) were compared: CP 3,6; 3,7; 4,6; 4,7; 2,5; and 3,5. The optimal cut points were considered those with the highest ANOVA F statistic. Results Data from 1,190 participants (68% male, 80% white, 22% Hispanic, mean age 46 years) and 5 study centers with VAS/NRS pain intensity and PROMIS-PI scores at one or more study timepoints were analyzed. The optimal classification for mild, moderate, and severe pain was CP 2,5 at all timepoints (see table). Conclusions This study confirms that for a diverse cohort of burn-injured adults from multiple centers within the United States, burn intensity ratings of mild (0-2), moderate (3-5), and severe (6-10) is appropriate for up to 5 years post-injury. These findings support previous research findings and continue to advance our understanding of burn pain and pain intensity reporting while providing clinicians and researchers with an objective measure that can be used for screening, treatment, quality improvement, and research. Applicability of Research to Practice Use of this numerical classification for burn pain in the adult burn survivor can be used with greater confidence in diverse populations.

Multimedia healthcare cloud personal archives security system based on compressed sensing and multi-image encryption

Cloud services in the medical process have become commonplace, and the semi-trusted nature of the healthcare cloud makes security in the communication process particularly important. This paper summarizes the four major pain points in the process of collecting, storing in the cloud, and communicating information in the medical process, and proposes a multimedia medical cloud information security system. The pressure of channel transmission is reduced by compressing two-dimensional information images with compressed sensing (CS) technology. The multimedia information type conversion technology can convert multimedia information into 2D images, and the converted 2D images are merged into a multi-image cube, which realizes the “one-person-one-cube” medical information archives management mode. A chaotic multi-image encryption (MIE) based on Identity Mutual Recognition Keys (IMRKs) is designed to encrypt the cube by transmitting it to the edge cloud, which ensures security and solves the problem of unauthorized use of medical information. The 3D Positioning Fifth Generation Message-Digest (3DPMD5) tamper determination algorithm is utilized to generate 32-bit hexadecimal numbers that are transmitted back to the medical terminal to achieve cloud tamper resistance. It is able to be demonstrated from the simulation results that the system has good reconstruction results, relatively safe performance, and high encryption and decryption efficiency.

Burden of neck pain in general population of China, 1990-2019: An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Neck pain has become very common in China and has greatly affected individuals, families, and society in general. In this study, we aimed to report on the rates and trends of the prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) caused by neck pain in the general population of China from 1990 to 2019. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) study to estimate the number and age standardised rates per 100 000 population of neck pain point prevalence, annual incidence, and YLDs in 33 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions of China, stratified by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) from 1990 to 2019. We then compared these estimates with other G20 countries. There were 6.80 × 107 patients with neck pain in 2019, presenting an increase from 3.79 × 107 in 1990. Likewise, the national age-standardised point prevalence increased slightly from 3.53% in 1990 to 3.57% in 2019. The YLDs increased by 78.08%, from 3814 × 103 in 1990 to 6792 × 103 in 2019. The age-standardised YLDs rate increased 1.50% from 352.84 in 1990 to 358.10 in 2019. The point prevalence of neck pain in 2019 was higher in females compared with males. These estimates were all above the global average level and increased more rapidly among G20 countries from 1990 to 2019. We generally observed a positive association between age-standardised YLD rates for neck pain and SDI, suggesting the burden is higher at higher sociodemographic indices. Neck pain is a serious public health problem in the general population in China, especially in its central and western regions, with an overall increasing trend in the last three decades. This is possibly related to changes of people's lifestyles and work patterns due to improvements in societal well-being and technology. Raising awareness of risk factors for neck pain in the general population and establishing effective preventive and treatment strategies could help reduce the future burden of neck disorders.

518 Improving Clinical Trial Activation Timelines through Parallel Processing and Key Stakeholder Involvement

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: A strategic initiative of Mayo Clinic is to decrease clinical trial activation timelines by 25% from 2022 levels. The team’s goal is to streamline activation via parallel processing, improved collaboration with business units, project manager facilitation, and early study coordinator involvement. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The workgroup targeted industry trials, focusing on key financial, regulatory, and operational elements. Current state process workflows and pain points were prepared and opportunities for concurrent activities or automation identified. The scope of the project manager role from the Office of Clinical Trials was extended to guide each activation team, who have varying levels of experience, to maintain timelines until the trial is opened. Coordinators responsible for study conduct engaged in key operational discussions earlier to ensure the trial will be run successfully. A Pilot program is utilizing the identified concurrent activities, project manager support, and earlier coordinator involvement to gauge effectiveness of the proposed solutions. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The goal is for 120 industry clinical trials to join the Pilot program and to open enrollment in less than 30 weeks from being document ready. As of Q3 2023, 109 clinical trials across multiple Mayo sites have enrolled in the pilot. Thirty-five (85 percent) of 41 Pilot trials have opened to enrollment and have met the goal, with a median timeline of 24 weeks. Twenty-one (21) trials opened to enrollment in Q3 2023 with a median timeline of 23 weeks, representing 24% of all industry clinical trials opened that quarter. Opening trials and monitoring is ongoing and PI and study team feedback is positive. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Using a team-based approach, we identified key areas for optimization and parallel processing. The solution reduces trial activation timelines, increases patient access to experimental therapies, and has been positively received by study staff. Future projects will focus on enterprise implementation, optimization, and automation.

How Additive Manufacturing Empowers Commerce through Effective Data Management

Abstract This article summarizes the outcomes from a NIST-sponsored workshop that examined the additive manufacturing (AM) data management pain points experienced by small- and medium-sized enterprises in interacting with larger organizations and government procurement agencies. Three prominent themes emerged: cost of compliance, technology gaps associated with uncertainty and AM process qualification, and a desire for government leadership to address these issues. The article includes lists of specific action items proposed at the workshop to address these challenges.

Study of the active anti-icing properties of modified biological antifreeze protein micro-surfacing

The accumulation of snow and ice on the surface of roadways can threaten driving safety, which is a major pain point in winter. To address the issue of pavement icing, this paper researched the biological antifreeze protein (AFP) filler, which was then mixed with a portion of mineral powder to create a blend. This blend was further combined with emulsified asphalt modified by a combination of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and waterborne epoxy resin (WER) to produce a micro-surfacing mixture with active anti-icing capabilities. The road performance tests were conducted to assess whether the anti-icing micro-surfacing mixture’s road performance was affected. Subsequently, improved and innovative anti-icing tests were conducted to evaluate the anti-icing performance of the anti-icing micro-surfacing. The anti-icing tests encompassed freezing tests, ice-melting and snow-melting tests, active de-icing simulation tests, and ice adhesion force tests. The road performance tests indicate that the incorporation of antifreeze filler enhances the resistance of the micro-surfacing mixture against water erosion during freeze-thaw cycles, with a minimal impact on rutting resistance and abrasion resistance. The freezing test demonstrates the excellent active antifreeze function of the anti-icing micro-surfacing. Furthermore, the ice-melting and snow-melting test reveals that the anti-icing micro-surfacing effectively speeds up the melting process of snow and ice on the surface of roadways. The active de-icing simulation test and adhesion test confirm that the anti-icing micro-surfacing significantly accelerates the rate of active de-icing. Overall, the anti-icing micro-surfacing demonstrates a significant active anti-icing effect while maintaining its road performance capabilities.

중국 유학생의 사용성 향상을 위한 부동산 UI/UX 디자인 연구

According to the data, the choice of Chinese students to study in South Korea has shown a continuous growth trend in recent years. Housing is the primary problem to solve, and searching for suitable housing through mobile phones has become an important way to find housing. However, for Chinese overseas students, the user experience satisfaction of this group is relatively low due to the lack of targeted functions and language barrier. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to solve the pain points of using Korean real estate application software for international students and improve the usability of Chinese international students. The scope of the study selected Zigbang and Dabang, real estate applications with a high proportion of young people using real estate applications published by Mobile Application Data Analysis Network, as the analysis object. Research methods Through literature analysis and questionnaire survey, the existing problems of real estate application software in South Korea were obtained from the results of the questionnaire survey, and effective improvement ideas were put forward. Based on the original design of Zigbang, the author improved the design from the three aspects of function composition, content composition and interface composition, thus solving the pain points existing in the use of Chinese students, and further improving the user experience of South Korea real estate app.

Experimental Study on Heterogeneous data storage and exchange abstract storage middleware

Some Internet companies on the market do not have rich experience in database development, and there are certain problems in the face of sudden, urgent and high concurrent requirements like epidemic health code. Hope that through the interface provided by this middleware, the data can be automatically split according to certain rules. Using the advantages of different architecture databases, the data were stored in different architecture databases to achieve data heterogeneity. And it can extract, combine and return data from different databases, abstract the process of database access and access. The decoupling of database and business code is realized to solve the pain point of high-performance product development difficulty.

Application status and development of expansion soil slope protection and management technology

In the context of the Belt and Road, the protection and management of expansive soil slopes has been a hot issue that has attracted much attention. This paper mainly focuses on the current situation and development of expansive soil slopes, aiming to summarize the current research results and progress in this field, status and management technology of expansive soil slopes, points out the problems of slope management in this pain points. This study provides guidance and reference for the actual engineering of expansive soil slopes and further promotes the research progress of slope management.

Perception of Gen Z Customers towards Chatbots as Service Agents

Rapid advancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the dynamics of interaction between organizations and consumers. The rapid emergence and adoption of AI chatbots have ushered in a new era of convenient and efficient customer service. This paper addresses the gap of how Gen Z perceives chatbots as an alternative for service interaction, considering that this sample of the population is relatively more tech savvy and understands technology better. Utilizing semi-structured interviews for in-depth interaction, a thematic analysis reveals six key themes: trust and reliability, nature of interaction, perceived usefulness/ease of use, advantages, disadvantages, and areas of improvement. Gen Z generally views chatbots as limited in handling complex queries, highlighting the importance of human intervention and database expansion. The identified themes provide valuable insights for organizations to highlight strengths and address weaknesses in AI chatbots’ interactions with customers. The findings assist managers responsible for technology implementation in understanding customer pain points, fostering enhanced value for both users and organizations leveraging chatbots. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of user experiences to illuminate the advantages and shortcomings of chatbots as service agents.