Comparing the persuasiveness of role-playing large language models and human experts on polarized U.S. political issues

Large language models (LLMs) can generate persuasive political messages, raising concerns about their potential to influence political attitudes. Here, we investigate how a prompting technique known as “role- playing” — in which the model is instructed to generate text that adopts a particular perspective or persona — can enhance the persuasive power of the current most powerful publicly accessible LLM, GPT-4. Through an experiment conducted on a balanced sample of Americans (N = 5,000), we assess the persuasive potential of content generated by a role-playing LLM across a range of political issues and compare it to that of human experts. Our findings will reveal the extent to which partisan role-playing affects the persuasive power of LLMs and how their persuasiveness compares to a human baseline of political messaging experts. This work has important implications for regulating LLMs with regard to their potential use for influence operations and online deception in political contexts

Modeling Simultaneous Preferences for Age, Gender, Race, and Professional Profiles in Government-Expense Spending: A Conjoint Analysis

Bias can have devastating outcomes on everyday life, and may manifest in subtle preferences for particular attributes (age, gender, ethnicity, profession). Understanding bias is complex, but first requires identifying the variety and interplay of individual preferences. In this study, we deployed a sociotechnical, web-based human-subject experiment to quantify individual preferences in the context of selecting an advisor to successfully pitch a government-expense. We utilized conjoint analysis to rank the preferences of 722 U.S. based subjects, and observed that their ideal advisor was White, middle-aged, and of either a government or STEM-related profession (0.68 AUROC, p < 0.05). The results motivate the simultaneous measurement of preferences as a strategy to offset preferences that may yield negative consequences (e.g. prejudice, disenfranchisement) in contexts where social interests are being represented

Perception of earbuds side effects among teenager and adults in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study

Background: As technology keeps on developing, earbuds have been more popular recently among different age groups. As they are inserted into the external ear canal, they obstruct and isolate its communication with the outer environment. Thus, changing temperature and humidity inside the external ear canal. (EEC), and the extent of those environmental changes is influenced by the duration of using the earbuds, as well as, the attitude of maintaining hygiene of the earpieces. Material and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among the teenager and adult population of AlAhssa, Dammam, AlQatif, and Jubail Industrial cities, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. An online validated voluntary self-administered questionnaire was disseminated. The questionnaire consisted of 19 elements including consent. The net data of 504 participants was analyzed with SPSS version 21. Results: Regular use of earbuds was found among 32.5% of the respondents. The mean knowledge score was 2.49 (SD 0.95) out of 4 points. Good, moderate and poor awareness were found among 49.2%, 35.3% and 15.5% respectively. The most commonly known symptoms of prolonged use of earbuds were itching (28%), otalgia (23%) and excessive ear wax (21.8%). It was found that females (T = −2.569; P = 0.010) and earbuds users for 1–2 h per day (F = 2.901; P = 0.040) have significantly better awareness while students (F = 2.824; P = 0.044) and those using high volume level have significantly poorer level of awareness. Conclusion: There was an adequate awareness toward the side effects of excessive usage of earbuds among teenagers and young adults. Females showed better awareness compared to males and short-term usage of earbuds was a significant predictor of good awareness

Comparing the persuasiveness of role-playing large language models and human experts on polarized U.S. political issues

Advances in large language models (LLMs) could significantly disrupt political communication. In a large-scale pre-registered experiment (n=4,955), we prompted GPT-4 to generate persuasive messages impersonating the language and beliefs of U.S. political parties – a technique we term “partisan role-play” – and directly compared their persuasiveness to that of human persuasion experts. In aggregate, the persuasive impact of role-playing messages generated by GPT-4 was not significantly different from that of non-role-playing messages. However, the persuasive impact of GPT-4 rivaled, and on some issues exceeded, that of the human experts. Taken together, our findings suggest that — contrary to popular concern — instructing current LLMs to role-play as partisans offers limited persuasive advantage, but also that current LLMs can rival and even exceed the persuasiveness of human experts. These results potentially portend widespread adoption of AI tools by persuasion campaigns, with important implications for the role of AI in politics and democracy

A systematic review of literature on Insulin‐like growth factor‐2‐mediated hypoglycaemia in non‐islet cell tumours

Abstract Introduction Insulin‐like growth factor‐2 (IGF‐2)‐mediated hypoglycemia is a rare yet clinically significant entity with considerable morbidity and mortality. Existing literature is limited and fails to offer a comprehensive understanding of its clinical trajectory, management and prognostication. Methods Systematic review of English‐language articles reporting primary patient data on IMH was searched using electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and Embase) from any date up to 21 December 2022. Data were analysed in STATA‐16. Results The systematic review contains 172 studies, including 1 Randomised controlled trial, 1 prospective observational study, 5 retrospective observational studies, 150 case reports, 11 case series and 4 conference abstracts. A total of 233 patients were analysed, averaging 60.6 ± 17.1 years in age, with comparable proportions of males and females. The commonest tumours associated with Insulin‐like Growth Factor‐2‐mediated hypoglycaemia were fibrous tumours (N = 124, 53.2%), followed by non‐fibrous tumours originating from the liver (N = 21, 9%), hemangiopericytomas (N = 20, 8.5%) and mesotheliomas (N = 11, 4.7%). Hypoglycaemia was the presenting feature of NICT in 42% of cases. Predominant clinical features included loss of consciousness (26.7%) and confusion (21%). The mean IGF‐2 and IGF‐1 levels were 882.3 ± 630.6 ng/dL and 41.8 ± 47.8, respectively, with no significant correlation between these levels and patient outcomes. Surgical removal was the most employed treatment modality (47.2%), followed by medication therapy. The recovery rate was 77%, with chronic liver disease (CLD) significantly associated with a poor outcome (OR: 7.23, P: 0.03). Tumours originating from fibrous tissues were significantly associated with recovery (p < .001). In the logistic regression model, CLD remained a significant predictor of poor outcomes. Conclusion This systematic review highlights that most non‐islet‐cell tumour‐hypoglycaemia (NICTH) is due to fibrous tumours. NICTs demonstrate a variable prognosis, which is fair if originating from fibrous tissue. Management such as octreotide, corticosteroids, diazoxide, embolization, radiotherapy and surgical resection have disparate success rates

Gastroesophageal reflux in lockdown

Aim: This study examines the changes in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptom frequency among patients with GERD throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A structured questionnaire was distributed among 198 GERD patients. The questionnaire consisted of a demographic characteristic assessment, the GerdQ questionnaire, and a reflux symptom index (RSI) questionnaire. Result & conclusion: A statistically significant increase in GerdQ score was identified among participants during the COVID-19 pandemic (t = 7.055, df = 209, p < 0.001), who had experienced an increase in the frequency of positive predictors of GERD and a decrease in the frequency of negative predictors of GERD. The COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdown countermeasures may have led to exacerbating and worsening GERD symptoms

Prevalence of Temporomandibular disorders among psychoactive substances abusers: A systematic review and metanalysis

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on substance abuse patterns in recent times. Many people have experienced increased stress, anxiety, and social isolation, which has led to higher rates of substance abuse and addiction. It impacts on the orofacial region, particularly temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This review was undertaken to assess the association between substance abuse and temporomandibular disorders. (TMDs). Materials and methods: The databases of Pubmed, Google scholar, Web of science and Cochrane were searched for articles based of set PECO criteria. A comprehensive search using keywords of "Psychoactive substances", "Illegal substances", "substance abuse", "narcotics", "temporomandibular joint" and "temporomandibular joint disorders" yielded a total of 1405 articles. Modified Newcastle Ottawa scale for observational studies assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Results: A total of 2 studies were reviewed. Samples recruited were either from rehabilitation centres or prisoners and fell in the 2nd to 4th decade. A definite association was noted between psychoactive substance and TMDs. Moderate to low risk of bias was noted in all the studies evaluated. Conclusion: Further research is needed to better understand the nature of this relationship and the underlying mechanisms involved. It is important for healthcare providers to be aware of this potential association and to screen for substance abuse in patients with TMD symptoms

Long-term outcome of pulmonary involvement in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: The role of high-resolution computed tomography and functional status – A prospective single-center observational study

BACKGROUND: Since its first outbreak, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a great deal of published literature highlighting the short-term determinants of morbidity and mortality. Recently, several studies have reported radiological and functional sequelae from 3 months to 1 year among hospitalized COVID-19 survivors; however, long-term (more than 1 year) respiratory consequences in this population remain to be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term radiological and pulmonary function outcomes of patients with COVID-19 2 years after resolution of the initial infection. METHODS: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe disease who survived acute illness were included in this prospective and partially retrospective study. Clinical assessment, laboratory tests, high-resolution computed tomography scans, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed at baseline, followed by radiological and lung function assessments at 6 and 24 months. RESULTS: Among 106 enrolled participants (mean age 62 ± 13.5 years; males: 61), 44 (41.5%) and 27 (25.4%) underwent radiological assessment at 6 and 24 months, respectively. Overall, 22.6% (24) of patients had residual radiological abnormalities. Overt fibrosis was observed in 12.2% of patients. Computed tomography disease severity and extent diminished significantly at 6 (13 ± 6, P < 0.001) and 24 months (11 ± 6, P < 0.001) from baseline. PFTs were performed in 65 (61.3%), 22 (20.7%), and 34 (32%) patients at baseline, 6 and 24 months, respectively. Impaired diffusion capacity (median diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide: 60%, interquartile range [IQR]: 51–80), restrictive lung defect (mean total lung capacity: 73.4% ± 18% predicted), and reduced exercise tolerance (median 6-min walk distance: 360 m, IQR: 210–400) were the predominant features at baseline. With the exception of exercise tolerance, a statistically significant improvement was observed in lung function parameters at the extended follow-up (2 years). CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized COVID-19 survivors are at increased risk of developing long-term pulmonary complications, including lung fibrosis. A protocol-based approach to the management of post-COVID-19 patients is mandatory to improve future outcomes

Evaluation of the effect of chemical disinfection and ultraviolet disinfection on the dimensional stability of polyether impression material: an in-vitro study

Abstract Background Various methods, chemical and physical, disinfect dental impressions. Common chemicals include 1% Sodium Hypochlorite and 2% glutaraldehyde, while UV radiation is a prevalent physical method. Few studies compare their effects on dimensional stability in polyether impressions. This study aims to assess such stability using different disinfection methods. Therefore, this study was planned to evaluate the dimensional stability of polyether impression material using different disinfection methods. Methods This in vitro study compared the effects of chemical disinfectants (1% Sodium Hypochlorite and 2% glutaraldehyde) and UV irradiation on the dimensional stability of polyether impression material. Groups A, B, C, and D, each with ten samples (N = 10), were studied. Group A was untreated (control). Group B was treated with 2% glutaraldehyde for 20 min, Group C with 1% Sodium Hypochlorite for 20 min, and Group D with UV rays for 20 min. A pilot milling machine drill was used to make four parallel holes labeled A, B, C, and D in the anterior and premolar regions from right to left. After sequential drilling, four implant analogs were positioned using a surveyor for accuracy. Ten open-tray polyether impressions were made and treated as described in the groups, followed by pouring the corresponding casts. Distortion values for each disinfection method were measured using a coordinate measuring machine capable of recording on the X- and Y-axes. Results A comprehensive analysis was conducted using the one-way ANOVA test for distinct groups labeled A, B, C, and D, revealing significant differences in the mean distances for X1, X2, X4, X5, and X6 among the groups, with p-values ranging from 0.001 to 0.000. However, no significant differences were observed in X3. Notably, mean distances for the Y variables exhibited substantial differences among the groups, emphasizing parameter variations, with p-values ranging from 0.000 to 0.033. The results compared the four groups using the one-way ANOVA test, revealing statistically significant distance differences for most X and Y variables, except for X3 and Y4. Similarly, post-hoc Tukey’s tests provided specific pairwise comparisons, underlining the distinctions between group C and the others in the mean and deviation distances for various variables on both the X- and Y-axes. Conclusions This study found that disinfection with 1% sodium hypochlorite or UV rays for 20 min maintained dimensional stability in polyether impressions