Popular Sites Research Articles

When TCM debate meets Covid-19 discourse

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed medical discourse to the forefront of everyday communication, but limited scholarly attention has been given to its intersection with social-mediated language use in the Chinese context. From a corpus-pragmatic view, we examined textual data collected from Zhihu, the most popular Chinese community question-answering site. Our analysis focused on the linguistic mechanism of evidential expression in social-mediated debates on Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Within the realm of medical scientific discussion, we identified a prevailing epistemic stance of doubt and uncertainty towards the efficacy of TCM, emphasising its socio-political significance. We also demonstrated how the ‘source of knowledge’ value and the ‘speaker commitment’ value of evidentiality interact at the semantic-pragmatic interface. Our findings shed light on a promising research trajectory for sociolinguistic intervention in the formal, descriptive line of evidentiality research, thus, advancing existing corpus pragmatics literature on evidentiality and epistemics in social-mediated communication.

Blurring the lines: the vague boundary between mainstream and deviant internet pornography tags for at-risk viewers

ABSTRACT Illegal material is increasingly appearing on popular mainstream websites. Many commentators worry about the impact of such material on adolescents' psycho-sexual development and the potential for some legal pornography to act as a gateway to child sexual exploitation material for users of any age. In this study, we collected publicly available data from a popular legal pornography website to assess the risk of adolescent exposure to content that may hinder healthy psycho-sexual development. We analysed over 27 million customer searches involving 149 video tags from this site. Five international experts on the effects of pornography rated the tags, categorising them into five overlapping genres: mainstream, incestuous, underage, aggressive and non-consensual. They also assessed the potential risk each genre posed. Our analysis found a significant positive correlation between the harm ratings and the frequency of tags used as search terms. Additionally, eleven of the twelve tags with the highest mean risk scores involved potential underage and/or incestuous content. This study highlights a concerning relationship between the harm ratings of various pornographic genres and their popularity as search terms. While exploratory, these results emphasise the need for regulatory measures to address the presence of harmful material on mainstream websites. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT The study has practical implications for the regulation of potentially harmful pornography by legal pornography sites. The sites should (a) control the use of tags and how new tags are developed in order to prevent content creators from advertising potentially illegal material, (b) vet all content before it is uploaded for public consumption, and (c) implement screening systems to retrospectively find and eradicate all illegal or harmful content already in their collection.

Impact of Ad Blockers on Computer Power Consumption while Web Browsing: A Comparative Analysis

This study explores the impact of various ad blockers on power consumption during web browsing, focusing on different types of online content. By analyzing power use across ten popular websites, the study assesses the performance of five widely utilized ad blockers: AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, uBlock, uBlock Origin, and uBlock Origin Lite. Power consumption was measured under controlled conditions, comparing scenarios with and without ad blockers to gain insight into their efficiency. The findings indicate substantial differences in power savings, with some ad blockers significantly reducing power usage, particularly on media-heavy sites, while others unexpectedly increased consumption under certain conditions. The study underscores the potential of ad blockers to enhance power efficiency in digital environments, highlighting the importance of optimizing ad-blocking techniques to reduce the environmental impact of online activities. Through comprehensive analysis and comparison, this research offers insights into selecting effective ad blockers to minimize power consumption, promoting more sustainable web browsing practices.

The Impact of Mothers’ Smartphone Use, eHealth Literacy, Maternal Role Performance Confidence, and Online Social Support on Health Promotion Behavior for Infants and Toddlers

Background: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health promotion behaviors for infants and toddler, focusing on the time spent by mothers using smartphone, eHealth literacy, maternal role performance confidence, and online social support.Methods: This study surveyed 136 women who gave birth to a child in 2023. For this study, recruitment announcements were made on popular parenting websites. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the factors affecting health promotion behaviors.Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.8 years, and the mean age of the children was 13.3 months old. Mothers spent 20.2 hours weekly on smartphone to access health information. A total of 86.7% of the respondents indicated that they primarily used the Internet to make health decisions. Factors that influenced health promotion behaviors were role performance confidence (β=0.54, P<0.001), eHealth literacy (β=0.18, P=0.015), online social support (β=0.16, P=0.022), and time spent on smartphone (β=-0.17, P=0.006), with an explanatory power of 51.3% (F=29.43, P<0.001).Conclusions: To improve the health promotion behaviors of mothers for their infants and young children, it is believed that interventions that increase confidence in their roles, online social support, and eHealth literacy are required, and that smartphone screen time should be limited. These baseline data can guide the development of effective intervention programs to improve healthcare for infants and toddlers.

Comparative analysis of the availability of popular social networking sites

In the era of growing number of Internet users and the importance of social media, ensuring the accessibility of these platforms for all audiences has become a crucial aspect of digital inclusion. This article presents a study on the accessibility of Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok using Google Lighthouse and eye tracking. Two hypotheses were analyzed: H1, assuming a relationship between accessibility scores and the time to the first eye fixation on key elements of social networks, and H2, suggesting a relationship between accessibility and performance. Eye tracking research on a sample of 15 people showed that high accessibility does not always translate to ease of use, and no significant correlation between accessibility and platform performance was found.

<em>Recetas de las Américas</em>: A Case Study in Hugo Static Site Generator for Bilingual Web Publishing

This article describes Recetas de las Américas, a static web project for historic newspaper recipes made with the static site generator Hugo. Static sites offer opportunities for robust online publishing without large computational, financial, or technical resources but are not without their own challenges and constraints. This paper presents Recetas de las Américas, discusses the place of static sites in the context of minimal computing, and examines the utility of Hugo for multilingual online publishing, including comparison between Hugo and other static site generators. Static publishing follows minimal computing principles and is a valuable tool for increasing access to digital publishing. Recently, static websites have experienced a renaissance thanks to the development of static site generators such as Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, 11ty, and Next.js among others which automate the tedious process of creating each static webpage. Unlike some other popular static site generators, Hugo’s multilingual capabilities are built-in, decreasing dependencies and complexity. This further lowers barriers to multilingual scholarly publishing, potentially increasing participation by historically marginalized communities as publishers and readers. Recetas de las Américas is a valuable case study in using the static site generator Hugo to publish a bilingual Spanish/English website. By sharing our workflow and lessons learned we hope to help others create their own multilingual static websites.

The Role of English Language Skills in the Tourism Industry in the 4.0 Era in Kuningan District, West Java Province

Through communication media, English plays a significant role in the sustainable tourism sector with the goal of promoting foreign travel, service, effective communication between foreign visitors and tourism actors, and the surrounding community, all of which are ultimately related to the growth of local tourism in the industrial era's sustainable tourism sector. 4.0 Tourist actors need to be fluent in English, especially in the vernacular, which includes basic discussion, linguistic proficiency, and basic conversation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the advantages of English- speaking culture in West Java Province's sustainable tourism sector during the Industrial Era 4.0. Descriptive qualitative analysis is the analytical technique employed. This study demonstrates the necessity of English-speaking culture in Kunuingan District, West Java Province's sustainable tourism industry in the industrial era 4.0 in order to promote the province's local tourist destinations overseas, increase the number of foreign visitors, and facilitate English-language communication. The ability to speak effectively in English is crucial for both those who work in the tourism business and those who live near popular tourist sites.

Locating the minimal in minimal computing pedagogy: minimal computing tools and the classroom management of student composing workflows

ABSTRACT This article considers what ‘minimal’ might mean in the context of using minimal computing tools in the humanities classroom. Specifically, it recounts experiences teaching students to make websites using Jekyll, a popular minimal website generation tool, using different understandings of ‘minimal.’ In one, students were encouraged to use a Web browser to interact with Jekyll, but this introduced complications and did not provide students with detailed conceptual understanding. A later iteration of the course used more complex tooling (the text editor, Visual Studio Code) which proved challenging to humanities students unfamiliar with such digital tools but produced deeper conceptual understanding of the process of writing with code and for the Web. Ultimately, this paper concludes that minimal does not equate to simplistic but, more importantly, that, in the classroom, where and how ‘minimal’ is situated is both up to the instructor to determine and can greatly sway student learning outcomes.

Unveiling tourist typology: using online reviews and LDA to understand motivations for visiting Kyoto's prominent temples

Purpose This study aims to identify motivations for visiting Kyoto's prominent religious attractions using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) text analysis of online reviews; establish linkages between push motivational factors and pull factors of the religious sites, forming distinct tourist typologies; and suggest strategies for Kyoto's destination marketing based on the findings. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed 37,772 TripAdvisor reviews for Kyoto's top 25 religious sites from the pre-pandemic period (March 2020). LDA topic modeling extracts 18 underlying thematic dimensions from the review texts. Axial coding of these dimensions revealed five distinct tourist motivation typologies. Findings Five motivation typologies emerged: cultural seekers drawn to Japan's unique heritage, nature lovers attracted by scenic landscapes, chrono-seasonal experiencers seeking distinct seasonal views, crowd-avoiders prioritizing less congested visits and city wanderers engaging in local activities. Practical implications The findings offer valuable guidance for destination marketers and managers in Kyoto, enabling the development of targeted strategies to enhance visitor experiences and manage overcrowding at popular religious sites. Originality/value This research provides novel insights into nonreligious tourists' motivations for visiting religious sites in a crowded destination. By identifying distinct motivation-based tourist typologies, the study informs strategies for enhancing visitor experiences tailored to diverse needs, contributing to tourism literature and practical destination management.

A Comparison of Butterfly Diversity Results between iNaturalist and Expert Surveys in Eastern Oklahoma

Ongoing worldwide biodiversity declines and range shifts associated with climate change increase the importance of documenting the current distributions of species to establish baseline data. However, financial and logistical constraints make it impossible for taxonomic experts to conduct thorough surveys in most locations. One popular approach to offset the lack of expert sampling is using community science data collected by the public, curated, and made available for research. These datasets, however, contain different biases than those typically present in data collected through conventional survey practices, often leading to different results. Recent studies have used massive datasets generated over large areas; however, less is known about the results obtained at smaller scales or with more limited sampling intervals. We compared butterfly observations in eastern Oklahoma using a dataset obtained from the popular community science website iNaturalist and one collected during targeted surveys of glade habitats conducted by taxonomic experts. At the county-level scale, the relative abundances of butterfly species correlated well between the glade surveys and the iNaturalist observations, and there was no difference in the relative abundance of different butterfly families between the two survey methods. However, as anticipated, the conventional surveys outperformed the community science data in measuring biodiversity at a smaller geographic scale.

The Impact of Adopting Facebook on Developing Descriptive and Narrative Paragraph Writing Skills of ESL Young Adult Learners

Facebook, as one of the popular social media sites worldwide and in Sri Lanka, has been highlighted as a powerful influencer on language learning. While Sri Lanka is working to modernize its paper-based traditional education system and follow global trends of incorporating technology and social media into teaching methods, Facebook use by students for learning reasons is a rarely explored area. The current study's problem stems from students' poor performance in English writing assessments and decreased interest in paper-based education. The objective of this study was to see how using Facebook assisted tertiary-level ESL students build descriptive and narrative paragraph writing skills. The study used an intervention research approach, with data obtained through pre and post-tests. The study included 60 intermediate-level ESL students from the University of Kelaniya who studied in the first-year "English for Social Sciences" course. Participants were chosen after the pre-test, and the experimental group's 30 students were taught for six weeks through a closed Facebook group, whereas the control group's 30 students were taught using paper-based method in regular classes. The similar lessons on descriptive and narrative paragraph writing were delivered to the students on the Facebook group and for the controlled group employing the conventional paper-based approach. The findings demonstrated statistically significant differences between scores of the controlled group and the experimental group, in favour of the experimental group subjected to Facebook learning, proving that Facebook is a modern arena that should be promoted as an appealing online platform to refine students' language skills.

Transformer-based end-to-end attack on text CAPTCHAs with triplet deep attention

Websites frequently use text-based captcha images to distinguish whether the user is a person or not. Previous research mainly focuses on different training strategies and neglects the characteristics of the text-based captcha images themselves, resulting in low accuracy. For text-based captcha images characterized by rotation, distortion, and non-character elements, we propose an end-to-end attack using a Transformer-based method with triplet deep attention. Firstly, the features of text-based captchas are extracted using ResNet45 with triplet deep attention module and Transformer encoder. The TDA module is capable of learning rotational and distortion features of characters. Subsequently, based on self-attention mechanism, design query, key, and value, and adopt the query enhancement module to enhance the query. The query enhancement module can strengthen character localization and reduce attention drift towards non-character elements. Finally, the feature maps are transformed into probabilities of character for the final text recognition. Experiments are conducted on captcha datasets based on Roman characters from 9 popular websites, achieving average word accuracy of 91.14%. To evaluate the performance of our method on data with small samples, experiments are conducted different scales of training data. Additionally, we use the method on Chinese text-based captcha tasks and achieve average word accuracy of 99.60%. The effectiveness of the method is also explored under conditions of lack of illumination and scene text recognition, where background interference is present.

Measurement invariance of the Facebook intrusion questionnaire across 25 countries.

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites. However, Facebook intrusion or addiction is a growing concern as it involves an excessive attachment to Facebook, which disrupts daily functioning. To date, few studies have examined whether cross-cultural differences in the measurement of Facebook addiction exist. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-cultural validity and measurement invariance of the Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire (FIQ), one of the most widely used measures of Facebook addiction, across 25 countries (N = 12,204, 62.3% female; mean age = 25 years). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) assessed cross-cultural validity as well as invariance. Additionally, individual confirmatory factor analyses evaluated the factorial structure and measurement invariance across genders in each country. The FIQ demonstrated partial metric invariance across countries and metric (13 countries), scalar (11 countries) or residual (10 countries) invariance across genders within individual countries. A one-factor model indicated a good fit in 18 countries. Cronbach's alpha for the entire sample was .85. Our findings suggest that the FIQ may provide an adequate assessment of Facebook addiction that is psychometrically equivalent across cultures. Moreover, the questionnaire seems to be universal and suitable for studying different social media in distinct cultural environments. Consequently, this robust tool can be used to explore behaviours related to specific media that are particularly popular in any given country.

The awe-habitual model: exploring tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors in religious settings

This study proposes a novel comprehensive model integrating contextual, habitual, and psychological processes to address the multi-determination feature of tourists’ pro-environmental behavior (TPEB) intention. The model includes religious ambience as a contextual process, domestic pro-environmental behavior (DPEB) as a habitual process, and awe, along with Norm Activation Theory, as a psychological process. A questionnaire survey was administered at Guandi Temple, a popular religious site in Haizhou, China, collecting 363 valid datasets to test the model using the Structured Equation Modelling method. The results indicate that TPEB intention is directly associated with DPEB and religious ambience. This connection also reveals that when visitors immerse themselves in a strong religious ambience, the stimulated awe will induce a higher level of TPEB intention, with the Norm Activation Theory mediating this relationship. Furthermore, this theory also explains the indirect spillover effect from DPEB to TPEB intention. Conclusively, this study proposes the validated comprehensive Awe-Habitual Model for TPEB intention, particularly applicable in religious destinations, integrating psychological, contextual, and habitual processes. It also verifies the self-transcendence of awe and extends the application of Norm Activation Theory to measure pro-environmental behavior spillovers. Practical suggestions on encouraging TPEB and promoting sustainable tourism are offered.

Public perceptions of international genetic information sharing for biomedical research in China: a case study of the social media debate on the article “A Pangenome Reference of 36 Chinese Populations” published in Nature

BackgroundThe international disclosure of Chinese human genetic data continues to be a contentious issue in China, generating public debates in both traditional and social media channels. Concerns have intensified after Chinese scientists’ research on pangenome data was published in the prestigious journal Nature.MethodsThis study scrutinized microblogs posted on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media site, in the two months immediately following the publication (June 14, 2023–August 21, 2023). Content analysis was conducted to assess the nature of public responses, justifications for positive or negative attitudes, and the users’ overall knowledge of how Chinese human genetic information is regulated and managed in China.ResultsWeibo users displayed contrasting attitudes towards the article’s public disclose of pangenome research data, with 18% positive, 64% negative, and 18% neutral. Positive attitudes came primarily from verified government and media accounts, which praised the publication. In contrast, negative attitudes originated from individual users who were concerned about national security and health risks and often believed that the researchers have betrayed China. The benefits of data sharing highlighted in the commentaries included advancements in disease research and scientific progress. Approximately 16% of the microblogs indicated that Weibo users had misunderstood existing regulations and laws governing data sharing and stewardship.ConclusionsBased on the predominantly negative public attitudes toward scientific data sharing established by our study, we recommend enhanced outreach by scientists and scientific institutions to increase the public understanding of developments in genetic research, international data sharing, and associated regulations. Additionally, governmental agencies can alleviate public fears and concerns by being more transparent about their security reviews of international collaborative research involving Chinese human genetic data and its cross-border transfer.

Mind the Gap! An interpretative phenomenological analysis of solidarity among Ibero-American female translators in the Spanish Wikipedia

As one of the most popular websites in the world, Wikipedia’s success has long resided in the fact that anyone can contribute to this repository of human knowledge. However, behind this democratisation and wisdom-of-the-crowd initiative lie some entrenched inequalities and biases. MostWikipedia’s regular contributors are men from the Global North, which has led to much criticism and speculation. Consequently, the user-generated encyclopaedia has often been accused of both portraying women from a male perspective and downplaying their professional achievements. Against this background, this paper explores the narratives of six experienced female Latin and Ibero-American editors that have been actively involved in the translation of women’s biographies in the Spanish Wikipedia. Drawing on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study seeks to ascertain the role of female editors-translators and how they perceive solidarity in the context of their work in the encyclopaedia. Our findings indicate that the participants view solidarity as a transformative activity whereby they collectively unite to promote equality, protect one another against harassment and oppression, and re-narrate women’s biographies. Moreover, although most participants did not identify as translators, translation was widely regarded as a means to increase the number of women’s articles on Wikipedia and help bridge the gender gap.

A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CYBER SOCIALISING INTERACTIONS IN ENGLISH AMONG STUDENTS

The influence of modern technology and engagement in cyber socialising have become a prominent part of modern communication. A new learning pedagogy with proper guidelines is needed to assist users to engage with social networking platforms efficiently. The researcher investigated discourse analysis involving participants to answer questions about both the contextual application of the language, and the functions and results of aspects pertaining to discourse such as diction, cohesion, and metaphors. The researcher employed a quantitative approach in this study. The study randomly sampled 80 students from a University of Technology (UoT) in Gauteng to participate in quantitative discourse analysis of communication using Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter texts. The methods of data elicitation embraced extracts from Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter texts provided by 80 participants. Statistics were used to present the findings of the quantitative data which included mainly frequency of certain aspects pertaining to discourse. Data were collected via email and texts were numbered according to the participants. These texts remain anonymous and the identities of the participants were concealed. The study found that the language used on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter was characterised by the use of emoji, low register words, code-switching few spelling errors and the modern tendency to shorten words by using clipping and number homophones which are not seen as errors but a unique style of writing. Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter remain three popular communication sites and discourse surfaces since it is important for users to communicate meaningfully even when using excessive punctuation to indicate excitement and emoji to communicate emotions.

Visual Analysis of Social Media Data on Experiences at a World Heritage Tourist Destination: Historic Centre of Macau

The burgeoning field of sustainable tourism in historically significant urban districts has derived increasing attention in tandem with broader urban economic development. The perceived image of a tourist destination significantly affects tourist consumption behaviors and destination choices, while negative evaluations provide destination managers with insights for targeted improvements to tourist amenities, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of these historically significant districts. This study leveraged Python 3.12.3 software to collect online textual data from popular tourism websites, specifically Ctrip 8.71.4 and Mafengwo 11.1.7. Then, ROST CM6.0 software facilitated high-frequency word analysis, network semantic analysis, and sentiment analysis to outline the perceived image and characteristics of the Macau Historic District, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from the perspective of tourists. The findings are as follows: (1) The image of the Historic Centre of Macao as a tourist destination comprises four primary dimensions: cultural (16.02%), landscape (30.85%), emotional (16.97%), and local (36.16%). (2) Tourists perceive the Historic Centre of Macao as a blend of dynamism and tranquility, tradition, and modernity. (3) Emotional evaluations of the Historic Centre of Macao as a tourist destination are primarily positive (85.45%), whereas negative sentiments constitute 5.76%, with recurring themes pertaining to overcrowding, high prices, a lack of interactive experiences at attractions, excessive commercialization, and insufficient public rest facilities. These findings offer valuable directives for the future planning and development of tourism in Macau, a city recognized for its World Heritage status. (4) In summary, the thematic image of the Historic Centre of Macao can be considered authentic, romantic, and commercialized.

Does generative artificial intelligence pose a risk to performance validity test security?

Objective We examined the performance validity test (PVT) security risk presented by artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots asking questions about neuropsychological evaluation and PVTs on two popular generative AI sites. Method In 2023 and 2024, multiple questions were posed to ChatGPT-3 and Bard (now Gemini). One set started generally and refined follow-up questions based on AI responses. A second set asked how to feign, fake, or cheat. Responses were aggregated and independently rated for inaccuracy and threat. Responses not identified as inaccurate were assigned a four-level threat rating (no, mild, moderate, or high threat). Combined inaccuracy and threat ratings were examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results Combined inaccuracy rating percentages were 35 to 42% in 2023 and 16 to 28% in 2024. Combined moderate/high threat ratings were observed in 24 to 41% of responses in 2023 and in 17 to 31% of responses in 2024. More ChatGPT-3 responses were rated moderate or high threat compared to Bard/Gemini responses. Over time, ChatGPT-3 responses became more accurate with a similar threat level, but Bard/Gemini responses did not change in accuracy or threat. Responses to how to feign queries demonstrated ethical opposition to feigning. Responses to similar queries in 2024 showed even stronger ethical opposition. Conclusions AI chatbots are a threat to PVT test security. A proportion of responses were rated as moderate or high threat. Although ethical opposition to feigning guidance increased over time, the natural language interface and the volume of AI chatbot responses represent a potentially greater threat than traditional search engines.

The role of YouTube videos on creating child violence behavior from the perspective of mothers

The entry of modern technology into our society, particularly the emergence of the Internet with various sites that are easy to search, is one of youtube most important and popular sites, creating a new generation of children addicted to their use despite the large number of YouTube has become a real danger in the light of excessive use by children, however, it is ifficult to control the prevention of children from being exposed to the Internet in general and to YouTube videos in particular, many children in the developing stage of the disease. Psychological and neurological as a result of the content presented to them via video. The aim of this research is the role of YouTube videos on children's belligerent behavior at the age of 2-6 for this 200 forms on mothers in the city border Rania was divided into 100 male and 100 female children, for example. It was later revealed that children are most likely to be YouTube users at a high rate and that mothers don't monitor their children at the time you've seen YouTube and the degree of aggressive behavior that has changed according to gender, which is more likely to be male than female.