Utilitarian Research Articles

From “separation” to “Integration”: Analyzing the functional transformation of the urban greenbelt in Beijing from the perspective of “parkization”

The Urban greenbelt (UGB), vital for curbing urban expansion, experiences shifts in function across diverse development stages. Unfortunately, UGB functional transformation process, especially its social utilization of ecological functions, often receives insufficient attention, impacting urban ecosystem health enhancement and residents' well-being. The UGB park, combining ecology and social benefits, holds significance in studying varied UGB functions and their transformation. Thus, tracking park development trends (“parkization”) aids in analyzing UGB functional evolution. We employed high-precision land use/land cover (LULC) data (less than1m) from Beijing to explore UGB functional transformation law, focusing on UGB park dynamics and their ecological benefits (Park Ecological Land Use/Land Cover (PLULC) percentage (PPELULC), mean patch size (MPS), edge density (ED), area-weighted mean shape index (AWMSI), patch size standard deviation (PSSD)), and social benefits (per capita park area (PCP), per capita PLULC area (PCPELULC), accessible park service scope). Results revealed that as UGB park construction slowed, park ecological space displayed an “increasing and dispersing” trend, signifying weakened UGB park ecological benefits. Simultaneously, park social services collectively exhibited improvement, suggesting the UGB functional transformation from solely ecological protection to holistic environmental and social safeguarding. This transformation was more notable within the first greenbelt (UGB1), predominantly driven by comprehensive and natural amusement parks. The “parkization”-based UGB function evaluation method not only illuminated the functional transformation mechanism but also underscored the integrated needs of ecology and society, which is essential to the subsequent scientific formulation and implementation of ecological management strategies that meet the needs of urban environmental protection

Job satisfaction of mathematics teachers: an empirical investigation to quantify the contributions of teacher self-efficacy and teacher motivation to teach

AbstractThe shortage of mathematics teachers necessitates deliberate efforts to retain high-quality ones in many parts of the world. This puts teacher job satisfaction in the spotlight since satisfied teachers are likely to retain their jobs. Thus, the purpose of this study is twofold. The first is to quantify the influence of teacher self-efficacy and teacher motivation on teacher job satisfaction. The second is to investigate the patterns of changes in teacher job satisfaction across gender, age, and work experience. Using both descriptive and inferential statistics, we analysed the dataset of 1304 Norwegian mathematics teachers to address two research questions. The results showed that both teacher self-efficacy and social utility motivation have a significant influence on teacher job satisfaction with an additional mediating role of teacher self-efficacy. Contrary to our expectations, personal utility motivation has a negative influence on teacher job satisfaction. We found that women had significantly higher teacher job satisfaction than men. Also, we found a high-low–high pattern of changes in teacher job satisfaction in ascending order of teachers’ age and work experience. One practical implication of these findings is exposing an appropriate time (i.e. at a low stage of job satisfaction) for interventions targeted at teacher job satisfaction to be effective. We discussed other implications of these findings concerning which constructs, gender, and age groups of teachers to prioritise for interventions that would reinforce the job satisfaction of mathematics teachers.

Shadowy knowledge infrastructures

ABSTRACT Changes associated with Internet technologies, including mobile devices, ubiquitous computing, and big data, have altered the basic mechanics whereby human knowledge is produced and circulated. This article discusses newfangled data-driven knowledge agents which emerged in the wake of these major transformations and which are termed here ‘Shadowy Knowledge Infrastructural Platforms’ (SKI). SKI, are conceived as data-driven infrastructural platform firms that have attained the scale and social utility that renders them vitally important to millions of individuals and to major institutions that have become dependent on the epistemic products and services they provide. The focus is on two representative examples of such enterprises, Waze and Moovit, both of which have rapidly fledged out into major producers and disseminators of human knowledge in the field of transportation and cartography. The article identifies the distinctive characteristics of these entities, points out to their obscure practices, and reveals the mechanism that governs their meteoric growth. The analysis demonstrates the high stakes involved when Shadowy Knowledge Infrastructural Platforms, having accumulated individual and institutional data for commercial purposes, establish forms of sovereign power over the creation and distribution of knowledge, on which both individuals and institutions become dependent.

Determinants for participation in independent learning policy and independent campus programs

This paper proposes a framework for participation determinants in lifelong learning through the Independent Learning Policy and Independent Campus or <em>Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka/</em>Independent Learning Independent Campus (MBKM). The framework is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), self-determination theory (SDT), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and institutional theory. This study contributes to the literature by identifying specific factors and indicators to improve along with their impacts on the participation when the organizers of such initiatives wish to increase participation. Indonesia is the biggest country in South-East Asia with a large economy and influence in the world. Conditions, progress, and setbacks in Indonesia will influence other countries. Many job applicants do not meet the requirements for the job they applied for. Therefore, the Indonesian Ministry of Education initiated the MBKM programs to develop human quality, especially the university students to enhance their skills to meet the job requirements. The 740 respondents completed the online survey with 150 questions to represent reflective indicators. The results were analyzed with the partially least square-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) method and found the influential factors driving participation in MBKM are social influence, supporting factors, government decisions, utility, and recognition. further analysis indicated that convenience and financial incentive factors do not affect participation.

Experimenting with Humans and Animals: from Aristotle to Crispr, second edition

Experimenting with Humans and Animals: from Aristotle to Crispr, second edition

Job Satisfaction with Profession among Teachers in Türkiye: Perceptions of Social Utility and Educational Policy Influence

Teachers’ job satisfaction with their profession can vary depending on a variety of factors encompassing both individual and societal realms. This study delves into teachers' job satisfaction with their profession within the context of Türkiye, focusing on societal-level variables. Specifically, it explores the role of social utility, and perceptions of value and educational policy influence on teachers’ job satisfaction with their profession. Teacher level data collected across Türkiye by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) within the scope of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 cycle was utilized in the research. The results of the regression analysis revealed that teacher perceptions of social utility and educational policy influence positively predict teachers’ job satisfaction with their profession. The regression model accounted for about 13% of the total variance in teachers’ job satisfaction with their profession. Overall, teachers who believe that their work is valued and meaningful to society are more satisfied with their profession, as are the professional satisfaction of participants who feel that their opinions on educational policies are heard and acknowledged. Thus, it is critical for teachers’ job satisfaction to value and consider their opinions and feedback in the development of education policies. This research suggests that by acknowledging the importance of teachers’ perspectives and involving them actively in policy making processes, their overall job satisfaction can be enhanced.

Taking the moral high ground: Deontological and absolutist moral dilemma judgments convey self-righteousness

Individuals who reject sacrificial harm to maximize overall outcomes, consistent with deontological (vs. utilitarian) ethics, appear warmer, more moral, and more trustworthy. Yet, deontological judgments may not only convey emotional reactions, but also strict adherence to moral rules. We therefore hypothesized that people view deontologists as more morally absolutist and hence self-righteous—as perceiving themselves as morally superior. In addition, both deontologists and utilitarians who base their decisions on rules (vs. emotions) should appear more self-righteous. Four studies (N = 1254) tested these hypotheses. Participants perceived targets as more self-righteous when they rejected (vs. accepted) sacrificial harm in classic moral dilemmas where harm maximizes outcomes (i.e., deontological vs. utilitarian judgments), but not parallel cases where harm fails to maximize outcomes (Study 1). Preregistered Study 2 replicated the focal effect, additionally indicating mediation via perceptions of moral absolutism. Study 3 found that targets who reported basing their deontological judgments on rules, compared to emotional reactions or when processing information was absent, appeared particularly self-righteous. Preregistered Study 4 included both deontological and utilitarian targets and manipulated whether their judgments were based on rules versus emotion (specifically sadness). Grounding either moral position in rules conveyed self-righteousness, while communicating emotions was a remedy. Furthermore, participants perceived targets as more self-righteous the more targets deviated from their own moral beliefs. Studies 3 and 4 additionally examined participants' self-disclosure intentions. In sum, deontological dilemma judgments may convey an absolutist, rule-focused view of morality, but any judgment stemming from rules (in contrast to sadness) promotes self-righteousness perceptions.

Leveraging Academic Social Media to Improve Librarian Research Output in Scopus/Web of Science Indexed Outlets

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of academic social media utilization on the volume of research output by librarians working in the southwestern region of Nigeria. This investigation adopted a descriptive survey research design and a sample of 363 librarians employed in university libraries located in the southwestern region of Nigeria. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were utilized to analyze the data collected. The results of the study revealed a low level of research output by librarians in Scopus and Web of Science indexed publications. However, the study also demonstrated that librarians who utilized academic social media platforms such as Figshare, Orcid, and ResearchGate had a higher likelihood of having their research published in outlets indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. In conclusion, this study supports the argument that the utilization of academic social media can enhance the likelihood of publication in Scopus and Web of Science indexed outlets. Based on these findings, it is recommended that efforts be made to increase the utilization of academic social media platforms such as Orcid and ResearchGate among librarians in southwestern Nigeria.

Recommendations in Social Media Applications to Ensure Personification and Safety using Machine Learning

Myriads of social media utilization lead to various issues like personalization hacks, data security problems, and safety. A recommendation is of paramount importance to alleviate this problem when there is a huge amount of data and the number of participants on the platform is increasing exponentially. Unfortunately, modern social media research has enhanced the performance and personalization of recommendations in many fields, yet largely underutilizes the power of artificial intelligence to enable personalized recommendations system for social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc. With advancement inside the global of technology every hour and every day new features are delivered to the list. In a manner, social platforms are merging into our actual existence, and to achieve personification and related safety, users can get any one safety factor from all 6 classes with this approach. This factor provides the basis for personification and the implementation of safety precautions.
 This research proposes recommendations for personification in social media applications. The proposed Modified Inception Resnet V4 Convolutional Neural Network (MInReCNN) outperforms embedded media persona analysis and classification through text, image, and video data. Using these prediction classes better decisions can be made in given social media domain.

Social utility of Bhakti movement

Bhakti movement is known as a major event in India. Bhakti movement is special among various reformist movements. It seems that no other movement has influenced the society as much as this movement. Shankaracharya's name is also included among the best thinkers of this movement. Along with this, the names of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Namdev, Tukaram, Jaydev are also prominent among the saints who gave it momentum. Ramanand centered this movement on the Brahma form of Ram. His time is considered to be the first half of the fifteenth century. His main teaching was that salvation can be attained by meditating and chanting the name of Lord Ram. The main part of his sadhana is love for Ram. Similarly, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu awakened the spirit of Krishna devotion in the sixteenth century.

The Ethics of Utilitarianism in a Circular Economy

In business competition, companies are required to be superior in creating added value for the products and services produced. However, within the limited availability of resources, companies must act wisely in managing business and achieving sustainable business objectives. This paper explains how a businessman can build their business by paying attention to morals. Ethical utilitarianism is an ethical view that emphasizes the goal of maximizing welfare for as many people as possible associated with the circular economy concept. A circular economy is an economic system that focuses on the efficient and responsible use of resources through the recycling, use, and renewal of resources. The study results show that ethical utilitarianism can be applied to circular economy principles and how these principles can bring significant economic and environmental benefits. This article also discusses some of the challenges and potential social injustices associated with implementing a circular economy and how to overcome them through a more inclusive approach.

The association of cancer-related fatigue on the social, vocational and healthcare-related dimensions of cancer survivorship.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is well documented in cancer survivors, but little is known about the personal and societal impact of CRF. This study aimed to examine the impact of CRF in relation to social and vocational functioning and health care utilization in a large sample of post-treatment cancer survivors. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of early stage breast and colorectal cancer survivors (n = 454) who were within 5 years from treatment completion. Social difficulties (SDI-21), work status, absenteeism and presenteeism (WHO-HPQ) and healthcare utilization (HSUQ) were compared in those with (CFR +) and without (CRF -) clinically significant fatigue (FACT-F ≤ 34). A total of 32% met the cut-off criteria for CRF (≤ 34). Participants with CRF + had significantly higher scores on the SDI-21 across all domains and 55% of CRF + vs. 11% in CRF - was above the SDI cut-off (> 10) for significant social difficulties. Participants with CRF + were 2.74 times more likely to be unemployed or on leave (95% CI 1.62, 4.61, p < 0.001). In the subgroup of participants who were currently working (n = 249), those with CRF + reported working on average 27.4 fewer hours in the previous 4 weeks compared to CRF - (p = 0.05), and absolute presenteeism was on average 13% lower in the CRF + group (95% CI 8.0, 18.2, p < 0.001). Finally, individuals with CRF + reported significantly more physician (p < 0.001), other health care professional (p = 0.03) and psychosocial visits (p = 0.002) in the past month. CRF is associated with substantial disruption in social and work role functioning in the early transitional phase of cancer survivorship. Better management of persistent CRF and funding for the implementation of existing guidelines and recommended evidence-based interventions are urgently needed.

Social and Health Care Utilization Factors Associated With Ophthalmic Visit Nonadherence in Glaucoma: An All of Us Study.

In a diverse nationwide cohort, lower education and income levels, cost saving on medications, fewer past-year medical/specialist visits, and concerns regarding dissimilarity with health care providers were risk factors for ophthalmic visit nonadherence among glaucoma patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize social and health care utilization factors associated with nonadherence with ophthalmic visits among patients with glaucoma. Glaucoma patients in the All of Us database who completed the Healthcare Access and Utilization Survey were included and categorized into "visit" and "nonvisit" groups based on visit adherence, defined by self-reported past-year encounters with eyecare providers (yes/no). Data regarding potential factors affecting ophthalmic visit adherence, including past-year medical visits, inabilities to afford health care, and self-reported reasons for delayed care, were extracted. χ 2 tests and logistic regression were used to compare the 2 groups. Odds ratios (ORs) of visit adherence were analyzed for potential risk factors. Of 5739 glaucoma patients, 861 (15%) were in the nonvisit group. More participants in the visit group reported past-year general doctor/specialist visits (94%/65%; vs. nonvisit group: 89%/49.3%; P <0.05). The nonvisit group reported greater difficulty in affording medical care and learning about medical conditions, and higher rates of delayed/missed health care access for various concerns ( P <0.05). Older age (OR=1.02, 1.01-1.03), higher education (OR=1.25, 1.13-1.40), and income level (OR=1.06, 1.01-1.11), not employed for wages (OR=1.28, 1.08-1.53), and higher health care utilization in general medical/specialist visits (ORs range:1.08-1.90) were associated with visit adherence ( P <0.05). Visit nonadherence was associated with cost saving on medication (OR=0.62, 0.40-0.97) and delaying/avoiding seeing health care providers because of dissimilarity (OR=0.84, 0.71-0.99) ( P <0.05). This study builds on prior literature by identifying potentially modifiable factors associated with visit nonadherence and underutilization of eyecare in glaucoma. These may inform strategies to improve real-world ophthalmic visit adherence and identify patients who might benefit from additional support.

To download or not to download the Covid-19 Track and Trace App? What is more influential in users’ minds?

Objectivesto investigate the role of values in technology acceptance in general and in the context of the UK Covid Track and Trace App. MethodsA survey and interview study was conducted to elicit users’ perceptions of values in general, values in relation to choice of IT products and values which were influenced the decision to download (or not) the NHS Covid-19 Track and Trace App. Other non-value issues such as utility, price and recommendations were considered. ResultsUsers’ value in life differ slightly from those considered important for selecting IT products. For general IT product decisions, functionality, trust and price with values equality, security and sustainability were important. For the Covid-19 App decision two values, helpfulness and equality, with recommendations/trust and operating system compatibility, were the main influences. Interview data indicated that downloader users were motivated by social responsibility and utility – being able to access workplaces and leisure venues – while non-downloaders had little perceived need for the App, combined with mistrust of the App's provenance (NHS and the Government) linked to security and privacy concerns. The implications for values in technology acceptance decisions are discussed.

The Influence of Social Media Use Intensity on Social Comparison in College Students

Social media have been growing rapidly with the advanced development of IT, people are spending an increasing amount of time in cyberspace and perceive psychologically intangible objects (e.g., video reels, avatars, online movie streaming services), which they come to regard as “projection”. However, it remains unclear whether social media makes people more emotionally positive healthy or less. This study aims to explore the intensity effect of social media utilization on social comparison. With a general basis of the two-stage model of interactive media use for motivation and positive content, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey study (N = 450) in the context of students in Pekanbaru, Indonesia and empirically tested a mediation pathway linking to social anxiety. The results indicated that use did not directly increase social anxiety. Instead, social comparison, a proximal outcome, and self-esteem, an intermediate outcome played mediating roles, supporting the complete mediation effects. Statistically, the intensity of social media utilization have influenced more in a positive direction. This finding provides important theoretical and practical implications for the design of communication mental health campaigns and education in this digital era to enhance the positive effect of social media.

How has social media been affecting problem-solving in organizations undergoing Lean Production implementation? A multi-case study

This paper investigates the impact of social media utilization on problem-solving routines in organizations undergoing Lean Production (LP) implementation. A multi-case study was conducted in three firms from different sectors with distinct maturity levels of LP implementation. Empirical evidence was collected through complementary ways, such as semi-structured interviews, secondary data, and in loco non-participant observation. Data were then analyzed and triangulated, leading to propositions on the effects of social media on problem-solving activities in lean organizations. This research was grounded on the concepts of Information Manipulation Theory. Our findings suggest that, while social media may contribute to the amount of information that is shared for solving problems, the relevance and the level of details of such information may be shallow, overburdening the help chain mechanisms and generating wastes like overprocessing. The identification of the impact of social media on problem-solving activities enables a better comprehension of how new information and communication technologies can promote (or impair) the intra- and inter-organizational links. It also helps identify improvement opportunities in integrating social media into problem-solving routines, resulting in more responsive and competitive organizations.

European Economy and Institutional Liberalism: Post-War Reconstruction of Ukraine

Institutional liberalism, despite the strong criticisms it has received, has emerged as an important hermeneutic theory, especially in the periods of Post-War Reconstruction. The intense activity of the World Bank, the IMF, the EBRD, the UNDP, the European Investment Bank, the BSIC, but also of individual states, Britain, Italy, Poland, and others, in direct cooperation and coordination with international and European organizations for the reconstruction of Ukraine, confirms the explanatory value of institutional liberalism, since the policies of international and European organizations strengthen future expectations, build partnerships and useful connections between actors, and create incentives for further actions. Against the realist version of international relations, where states behave arbitrarily, the logic of post-war reconstruction comes to affirm the social utility of institutional liberalism, with hope for a society of reconciliation and cooperation. European economic integration, a historical product of a long process of cooperation and development, offers, once again, the model of post-war reconstruction.

Organizational access points and substance use disorder treatment utilization among Black women: a longitudinal cohort study

IntroductionHealth and social service organizations, including the emergency department (ED) and public assistance programs, constitute a social safety net that may serve as an “access point” for substance use treatment utilization. Racialization of substance use disorder (SUD) and gender disparities in access to treatment contribute to differences in health and social service utilization, including substance use treatment for Black women. We therefore explored the role of various access points in facilitating the use of substance use treatment among Black women with substance use and involvement in the criminal justice system.MethodsWe used data from the Black Women in the Study of Epidemics (B-WISE) project (2008–2011), which recruited Black women who use drugs from community, probation, and prison recruitment settings in Kentucky. B-WISE is a three-wave panel survey collected on a six-month interval. We estimated dynamic panel models to understand whether time-varying use of services influenced women’s substance use treatment utilization over 18-months, adjusting for time-invariant characteristics. We stratified the analysis based on where women were recruited (i.e., community, prison, and probation).ResultsThe sample included 310 persons and 930 person-waves. For the community and prison samples, the use of an ED in the 6 months prior decreased women’s likelihood of subsequent substance use treatment use (Coef: -0.21 (95% CI: -0.40, -0.01); -0.33 (95% CI: -0.60, -0.06), respectively). For the probation sample, receiving support from public assistance (i.e., food stamps, housing, cash assistance) increased the likelihood of subsequent substance use treatment use (0.27 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.46)).ConclusionInteractions with health and social service organizations predicted Black women’s use of substance use treatment services and varied based on their involvement in the criminal justice system. Public assistance venues for Black women on probation may be a point of intervention to increase their access to and use of substance use treatment.

Social media skills and utilization for academic purposes by polytechnic students in Kogi State, Nigeria

This research investigated the social media skills and utilization for academic purposes by polytechnic students in Kogi State, Nigeria. The youth population which is majorly students seems to be the highest subscribers of the social media. The social media can be both an asset and a liability depending on the usage. The degree to which their inherent academic values are exploited and harnessed among polytechnic students in Kogi State is the crux of this research. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population comprises 4682 Higher National Diploma II students of the Federal Polytechnic, Idah, and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. The stratified random sampling technique was used to draw 468 of the population. The questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, the mean and standard deviation. Results of the study show that social media platforms available for students studied were of the media sharing and social networking categories. The same categories of media were also applied for academic purposes among respondents. It was recommended that students should be guided to use the social media applications that can improve their education, and be trained in that regard.

Neighborhood social deprivation and healthcare utilization, disability, and comorbidities among young adults with congenital heart defects: Congenital heart survey to recognize outcomes, needs, and well-being 2016-2019.

Research on the association between neighborhood social deprivation and health among adults with congenital heart defects (CHD) is sparse. We evaluated the associations between neighborhood social deprivation and health care utilization, disability, and comorbidities using the population-based 2016-2019 Congenital Heart Survey To RecognizeOutcomes, Needs, and well-beinG (CH STRONG) of young adults. Participants were identified from active birth defect surveillance systems in three U.S. sites and born with CHD between 1980 and 1997. We linked census tract-level 2017 American Community Survey information on median household income, percent of ≥25-year-old with greater than a high school degree, percent of ≥16-year-olds who are unemployed, and percent of families with children <18 years old living in poverty to survey data and used these variables to calculate a summary neighborhood social deprivation z-score, divided into tertiles. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) derived from a log-linear regression model with a Poisson distribution estimated the association between tertile of neighborhood social deprivation and healthcare utilization in previous year (no encounters, 1 and ≥2 emergency room [ER] visits, and hospital admission), ≥1 disability, and ≥1 comorbidities. We accounted for age, place of birth, sex at birth, presence of chromosomal anomalies, and CHD severity in all models, and, additionally educational attainment and work status in all models except disability. Of the 1435 adults with CHD, 43.8% were 19-24 years old, 54.4% were female, 69.8% were non-Hispanic White, and 33.7% had a severe CHD. Compared to the least deprived tertile, respondents in the most deprived tertile were more likely to have no healthcare visit (aPR: 1.5 [95% CI: 1.1, 2.1]), ≥2 ER visits (1.6 [1.1, 2.3]), or hospitalization (1.6 [1.1, 2.3]) in the previous 12 months, a disability (1.2 [1.0, 1.5]), and ≥1 cardiac comorbidities (1.8 [1.2, 2.7]). Neighborhood social deprivation may be a useful metric to identify patients needing additional resources and referrals.