Search Results (48)

The assessment of the ovarian reserve is important in patients with fertility intent. The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) serum level is a useful ovarian reserve marker. Endometriosis is a benign disease with three phenotypes: superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SUP), ovarian endometrioma (OMA), and deep endometriosis (DE). Endometriosis is linked with infertility; however, the exact impact of endometriosis and endometriosis surgery on AMH levels is less clear. This narrative review examines how different endometriosis phenotypes and related surgeries affect AMH levels as well as explores whether pre- and post-surgical AMH can predict the reproductive outcomes in women seeking pregnancy. The evidence suggests that OMA is linked to reduced AMH values and a higher AMH decline rate over time. OMA cystectomy causes further a reduction in AMH, which, however, tends to recover postoperatively. Non-excisional surgery for OMA spares the ovarian parenchyma; however, an at least temporary decline in AMH is observed. The effect is likely smaller than that of cystectomy. Non-thermal methods of hemostasis following cystectomy are likely superior in terms of AMH. The AMH levels before OMA cystectomy appear to be positively correlated with the postoperative probability of pregnancy, particularly spontaneous conception, but not livebirth rates. Preoperative AMH levels are also predictive of the risk of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Similarly, postoperative AMH levels and the rate of AMH decline at 1 year after OMA cystectomy appear to be predictive of fertility outcomes. SUP likely has little (if any) impact on AMH levels. DE reduces AMH levels, and a further reduction following surgery is anticipated. However, a reduction in AMH values should not be interpreted as a decline in the patient’s reproductive potential. Further research should focus on the extra-ovarian locations of endometriosis and their impact on AMH values. Full article

This paper analyses the impact of a front brake light (FBL) on road safety from a pedestrian perspective. In addition to the traditional brake lights mounted at the rear of vehicles, an FBL can provide extra information about the driver’s intention to stop, especially to road users looking at the front of the approaching vehicle. This innovative feature aims to improve road safety by providing additional visual cues, where rear brake lights are not visible. Because pedestrians usually have a better line of sight to the front of a vehicle, the front brake light is more effective in alerting them to an impending stop. Therefore, an FBL could help them feel more confident when crossing the road by helping determine if it is safe to do so. A total of 621 questionnaires were collected from pedestrians who participated in the first real field test of FBL. The test period was conducted from November 2022 to September 2023 in two neighbouring regions of Slovakia. Their feedback allowed us to assess how the presence of an FBL influenced their perception of road safety, particularly when crossing roads. As a statistical result, more than 81% of the participants felt safer when crossing the road due to the presence of an FBL. Notably, the older generation evaluated FBLs very positively, while the youngest generation demonstrated more dangerous behaviour. Furthermore, the survey revealed that a significant proportion of respondents maintained a more reserved attitude towards the benefits of FBLs, largely due to a lack of information. Full article

AI-controlled chatbots have been used in travel services for some time and range from simple hotel reservations to personalized travel recommendations. However, the acceptance of chatbots compared to human interlocutors has not yet been extensively studied experimentally in the tourism context. In this experimental, randomized, vignette-based, preregistered 2 (agent: AI chatbot/human counterpart) × 3 (situation: positive/neutral/negative) between-subjects design, we hypothesized that booking intention is reduced in chatbots compared to human agents and in situations where the booking can only be made under more negative than the original conditions. Additionally, we hypothesized an interaction effect between agent and situation, presuming that the decrease in booking intention in negative situations would be less strong for human agents than for chatbots. Structural equation modelling of the data indicates strong support for the Technology Acceptance Model in the booking context. As presumed, the booking intention was lower in the negative situation and borderline lower for the chatbot. The interaction effect was shown descriptively in the data. Chatbots are recognized during the booking process and less accepted to support bookings than their human counterparts. Therefore, managers should design chatbots as human-like as possible to avoid losing sales when outsourcing customer contact activities to AI technologies. Full article

The rapid advancement of battery technology has drawn attention to the effective dispatch of distributed battery storage systems. Batteries offer significant benefits in flexible energy supply and grid support, but maximising their cost-effectiveness remains a challenge. A key issue is balancing conflicts between intentional network services, such as energy arbitrage to reduce the overall electricity costs, and unintentional services, like fault-induced unintentional islanding. This paper presents a novel dispatch methodology that addresses these conflicts by considering both energy arbitrage and unintentional islanding services. First, demand profiles are clustered to reduce uncertainty, and uncertainty sets for photovoltaic (PV) generation and demand are derived. The dispatch strategy is originally formulated as a robust optimal power flow problem, accounting for both economic benefits and risks from unresponsive islanding requests, alongside energy loss reduction to prevent a battery-induced artificial peak. Last, this paper updates the objective function for adapting possible long-run competition changes. The IEEE 33-bus system is utilised to validate the methodology. Case studies show that, by considering the reserve for possible islanding requests, a battery with limited capacity will start to discharge after a demand drop from the peak, leading to the profit dropping from USD 185/day (without reserving capacity) to USD 21/day. It also finds that low-resolution dynamic pricing would be more appropriate for accommodating battery systems. This finding offers valuable guidance for pricing strategies. Full article

This study aims to investigate the demand for ecotourism in marine protected areas by (a) identifying motivations specific to marine protected areas, (b) establishing the relationship between social and demographic variables and motivations, and (c) determining the relationship between social and demographic characteristics, satisfaction, and loyalty variables. The study was conducted in Santa Elena Province at the reserve called “Puntilla”, which is a coastal marine and fauna production reserve in Ecuador, a country renowned for its biodiversity. The sample comprised 369 on-site surveys. Factor analysis and stepwise multiple regression methods were used for data analysis. The results revealed associations between social and demographic variables and tourist motivations. Specifically, lower-income tourists were most motivated by “escape and ego-defensive function motivation” and reported higher satisfaction levels. Conversely, tourists who visited the destination less frequently displayed stronger motivations related to nature and showed high satisfaction. Furthermore, visitors who spent less at the destination demonstrated a greater intention to return and recommend the area to others. These findings hold significant implications for protected areas management and contribute to the scientific literature on ecotourism in similar protected areas. Full article

This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of negative emotions elicited by COVID-19 on the revenge consumption of international travel through both rational and irrational buying intentions. The theory of planned behavior and heuristic cues were used to explain revenge consumption in terms of rational and irrational buying intentions, respectively. A survey was conducted using MTURK from 31 May 2023 to 2 June 2023 among adults who experienced COVID-19. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses, and the Hayes PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation effect. The results revealed that negative emotions due to COVID-19 affected irrational buying intentions, but not rational buying intentions, and that both irrational and rational buying intentions significantly affected revenge consumption intentions for international travel. In addition, irrational buying intentions affected rational buying intentions. These results indicate that when making an international travel decision due to negative emotions caused by COVID-19, an irrational decision process was employed, whereas later, at the travel reservation and planning stage, individuals consumed and planned travel based on rational intentions. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it illuminates the phenomenon of revenge consumption following disasters such as pandemics. Full article

When launching a heavy-duty vehicle, torque and position control during automatic clutch engagement is critical, and the driver’s intention to launch and changes in the vehicle’s launching resistance make clutch control more complex. This paper analyses the automatic engagement process of automated mechanical transmission (AMT) clutches and proposes an optimal control of the clutch torque for launching heavy-duty vehicles. Firstly, a fuzzy neural network (FNN)-based vehicle launching states recognition (LSR) system is designed for distinguishing the driver’s launching intention and the vehicle’s launching equivalent moment of resistance. Secondly, jerk, friction work, and launching reserve power are taken as the performance indexes for clutch torque optimization, the weight coefficients of each performance index are adjusted according to the LSR results, and the optimal clutch torque is solved by using the minimum value principle based on the shooting method. Finally, simulations and tests are conducted to validate the strategy of optimizing clutch torque, and the impact of torque optimization on the position change during the engagement process is analyzed. The results indicate that under different driver’s intentions, vehicle masses, and road gradient conditions, the jerk, friction work, and slipping time of heavy vehicles during the launching process are improved by applying the optimization strategy. Full article

In recent years, the tourism industry has undergone substantial transformations, integrating new technology to lead to a new era termed Tourism 4.0. These innovations enhance the customer’s travel experience. An emerging trend in travel technology is the application of virtual and augmented reality, facilitating virtual tours that allow tourists to explore destinations without physically being there. We present the experience of developing 360${}^{\circ }$ virtual tours for reserves and natural parks across the four provinces of the Maule Region in Chile including information, 360${}^{\circ }$ images and videos, as well as several other interactions. A descriptive and correlational analysis was carried out with a total of 147 participants that evaluated the virtual tour, showing a positive correlation between the perceived attractiveness of the 360${}^{\circ }$ experience and behavioral intention. Participants had an overall positive perception of the virtual experience; they found it involving and attractive, felt immersed in the environment, and were able to make decisions and interact with static and dynamic objects. The contributions of the present work are as follows: the process and what has been learned and can be recommended based on the experience for developing 360${}^{\circ }$ virtual tours, combining dynamic and stationary elements in 360${}^{\circ }$ in a virtual experience, and the results of an exploratory study that present the interaction with and user perceptions of the virtual environment. Full article

The urban fringe is the transitional area from rural form to urban form, and it is also the urban space reserve land in the Territorial Spatial Plan. However, few researchers predict its overall evolution and guide the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan. This study attempts to explore the dynamic evolution law of urban fringe, analyze its driving factors, predict its future development, and put forward management suggestions for the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan. In this paper, the land use data of Wuhan in 2000, 2010 and 2020 are applied to delimit the urban fringe area of Wuhan by means of a sliding t-test. Fifteen driving factors are selected from three dimensions, natural factors, socio-economic factors and traffic accessibility, and brought into the Logistic model to explore the driving factors of its spatial evolution. The CA–Markov model is used to predict the fringe area of Wuhan in 2035. The results show that the transformation of rural hinterland into urban fringe is obviously affected by the distance from railway stations, highways, commercial centers and urban main roads. It is predicted that the outer boundary of Wuhan’s fringe area in 2035 will be basically the same as the planned urban development boundary. In order to realize the intention of land space planning, the development and construction of the northwest of the Huangpi District, the East Lake Scenic Area, and the west side of the Jiangxia District should be restricted. From the perspective of the evolution of the fringe area, this paper puts forward some management suggestions for the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan and makes a beneficial attempt in theory and method to understand the development characteristics of the fringe area and promote the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan. Full article

In this paper, I reflect on human imagination, the intention of technology, and the future of humanity in the era of the Anthropocene. I begin by presenting the environmental crisis and declare a need to protect and safeguard nature. In the first part, I offer an explanation of a dream of an airliner and link it to the Bachelardian theory of aerial imagination and oneiric flight. I show how, today, technology has entered our lives profoundly and how it has become closely intertwined with us human beings. Based on this, the second part is dedicated to Martin Heidegger and his question concerning technology. By analyzing Heidegger’s seminal essay on technology, I argue for an alternative possibility of thinking about human artefacts (such as various tools or even an airliner) beyond them being merely a standing-reserve and thus rather as a mode of unconcealement. The third and last part of this essay is dedicated to Ilia Delio’s Teilhardian cosmic vision of the future of technological progress. Technology, for Delio, is a part of this cosmic narrative and human beings represent the thinking portion of the universe. I conclude with a thought on a new elemental consciousness and imagination, in which nature, its life force, and the most advanced technology, including AI, would become a part of a new panentheistic whole. Full article

In light of the development of online travel agencies (OTAs), the rules of the entire tourism industry have changed. Due to the ease of finding information and comparing products, consumers can choose a hotel not only by room type, but also by rate, according to their preferences. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of price discrimination on the fairness perception toward reservation intentions. The interaction effects of the brand familiarity and the type of consumers on the fairness perception were also examined. The study used an experimental design, with 2 price discriminations × 2 brand familiarities × 2 regulatory focuses, on a total of 320 valid subjects. The results showed that advantaged-price discriminations had higher fairness perceptions than equal-price discriminations, and that higher fairness perceptions had higher reservation intentions. The interaction effect of brand familiarity showed no significant impact on the fairness perceptions, while the regulatory focus had a mitigating effect on the price discrimination and on the fairness perceptions. This study provides insights into the relationship between online price discrimination and tourism, and it contributes to the literature on hospitality. It also provides the managerial implications for online hotels in developing pricing strategies. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the public’s experience of online reservation of residual COVID-19 vaccines in an additional vaccination program. Online reservation was used to predict the vaccination rate. A sample of 620 participants completed the online survey between July and August 2021. About 38% of the participants made the online reservation. About 91% had a vaccination intention. Online reservations showed significant differences in their distribution according to age group, educational level, past flu shot experience, and COVID-19 vaccination intention. A negative experience was the most common response, which was mostly attributed to the difficulty in making an online reservation due to reservations being full. Positive experiences included updated information and notifications on the residual vaccines available, being able to choose a vaccination clinic, and the ease of making, changing, and canceling a reservation. About 72% reported the positive effect of residual vaccine usage on herd immunity. The results of this study suggest that when developing another online reservation program for vaccination, it is necessary to consider and address the negative experiences of the public with online reservations. The additional vaccinations may have resulted in an increased vaccination rate. Vaccination reservations can be used as an indicator to predict the actual vaccination rate and as a measure of a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination. Full article

Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis sets the scene for several pathologies of both the intrahepatic and the extrahepatic biliary tree. Surgical treatment, when needed, is almost unanimously summarized in the creation of a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, a procedure with a relatively high associated failure rate. Presentation of case: A 70-year-old male, diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, was submitted to a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy due to a dominant stricture of the extrahepatic biliary tree. Recurrent episodes of acute cholangitis dictated a workup in the direction of a possible stenosis at the level of the anastomosis. The imaging studies were inconclusive while both the endoscopic and the transhepatic approach failed to assess the status of the anastomosis. A laparotomy, with the intent to revise a high suspicion for stenosis hepaticojejunostomy, was decided. Intraoperatively, a decision to assess the hepaticojejunostomy prior to the scheduled surgical revision, via endoscopy, was made. In this direction, an enterotomy was made on the short jejunal blind loop in order to gain luminal access and an endoscope was propelled through the enterotomy towards the biliary enteric anastomosis. Results: The inspection of the anastomosis under direct endoscopic vision showed no evidences of stenosis and averted an unnecessary, under these circumstances, revision of the anastomosis. Conclusions: The surgical revision of a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is a highly demanding operation with an increased associated morbidity, and it should be reserved as the final resort in the treatment algorithm. An approach of utilizing surgery to facilitate the endoscopic assessment prior to proceeding to the surgical revision of the anastomosis appears justified. Full article

The global community has recently increased its efforts for sustainability and environmental protection. “Green Building” and “Green Construction” are the two methods of incorporating these environmental concerns into the construction and maintenance of mega infrastructures and highways with the intention of reducing any environmental impact that the infrastructures may have on the local ecosystems and ecology. This paper delves into one such study based on the Qinghai–Jiaxi Highway, which is currently under construction in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. A water treatment method for construction-related mud and sludge is presented as a solution to prevent environmental contamination in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Several tests are performed on samples collected from the Qinghai–Jiaxi Highway to check the feasibility of this method. Several tests, such as X-ray diffraction, a chemical composition analysis, pH tests, mud density, and quality assessments, are performed for this purpose. Following these tests, mud sample mixtures are strengthened with concrete, and their suitability as a filler for road bases is evaluated using compression tests, in accordance with the GB50107 standard. The test results show that the concrete blocks have a compression strength of 35 MPA, which is well within the required standards. The proposed method helps to reduce the harmful discharges from construction sites into the local ecosystems and can potentially reduce the effluent matter in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and Ecological Reserve. Full article

The aim of this study was to analyze the role of the state in managing the Polish market of agricultural property through the introduced legal regulations. The analysis was based on declarations of intent to exercise pre-emptive rights to agricultural property that were issued in the province of Warmia and Mazury between 2016 and 31 December 2021. Legal regulations aiming to restrict the purchase of the agricultural property of the State Treasury Reserve (STR) in particular by foreign buyers came into force in 2016. At present, the main task of the National Support Center for Agriculture (Polish acronym: KOWR) is to purchase and repurchase agricultural property from private owners (pre-emptive right and the right of purchase). KOWR exercises its pre-emptive right to agricultural property before it is offered to other buyers, and it is entitled to purchase that property on the conditions specified by the parties to the agreement and for the agreed price. The research results justify the conclusion that the Polish state’s interventionism in the sale of agricultural land has an impact on the shape of the agricultural system in Poland. Full article