The Use of Chat GPT in Assessing the Tourism Industry in the Island of Crete, Greece. A PESTEL Analysis

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The tourism industry in Crete, Greece is well developed nowadays hosting an increasing number of visitors every year. However, it is affected from various external factors which might reduce its attractiveness as a popular tourism destination worldwide. PESTEL analysis can facilitate the development of a strategic management plan for the local tourism industry. The PESTEL methodology analyzes the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors which affect the hospitality industry in the island.  Instead of using the opinion of tourism experts and tourism stakeholders the opinion of Chat GPT was used in the current study. The language model responded promptly and rapidly and its answers were further analyzed. Chat GPT identified four to five factors in each PESTEL category affecting the tourism industry in Crete. Its answers were almost similar with the opinion of several stakeholders regarding the external factors influencing the tourism in the island. The results of our study are innovative and useful while they could be used for the development of a strategic management plan for tourism in the island. This is necessary for the promotion of its sustainability and attractiveness as a global tourism destination. Our study could be useful to several stakeholders and policy makers of the tourism industry in the island in order to develop a strategic management plan for the hospitality industry in Crete.

Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance and Its Role in Poverty Reduction: An Empirical Analysis from Indonesia

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The study aims to find out and describe the effectiveness of the Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance program for the poor in Dungaliyo District. The research approach used is a qualitative method with a descriptive research method and a research procedure carried out by observation and interviews with informants. The data analysis technique used is an interactive analysis of the miles and huberman model. The results of the study show that the Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance Program (BLTDD) for the poor in Dungaliyo District, Gorontalo Regency has made a positive contribution in improving the welfare of people in need. The program has generally been running well although there is room for improvement, especially in target accuracy, socialization, and monitoring. A more holistic approach to implementation and evaluation can increase the effectiveness of the program, resulting in a more equitable and sustainable positive impact on the poor. The results of each sub-focus are: (1) the accuracy of the targets of the BLT Village Fund program in Dungaliyo District has been quite good with the efforts to improve recipient data carried out by the village government. While there are still challenges in reaching all poor families equally, the steps taken demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that assistance is received by those who really need it. (2) the socialization of the BLT Village Fund program in Dungaliyo District has been carried out through various information channels, including the village government and related officials. However, the implementation needs to be more intensive so that the public better understands the objectives, benefits, and mechanisms of the program. (3) the main purpose of the BLT Dana Desa program is to help poor families meet their basic needs and support the economic recovery of the village. In Dungaliyo District, this program has been quite effective in reducing the economic burden of the poor. (4) monitoring of the implementation of the Village Fund BLT program in Dungaliyo District has been carried out routinely by the village government and related parties. This effort is quite effective in ensuring that assistance is received by those who are eligible.

Validation of Applied Mathematics Exam Test Using Rasch Model Approach: Case Study in Diploma 3 Study Program of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering Politeknik Negeri Bali

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This study validates the Applied Mathematics exam (AME) test on Diploma 3 (D3) Study Program of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering (RACE), Politeknik Negeri Bali (PNB) to determine the validity, reliability, unidemensional, level of difficulty, and discriminatory power of the test. Validation uses the modern test theory approach of the Rasch model. Data were collected during the online final exam of the even semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. The instrument uses a multiple-choice test form with 5 answer options. The sample involved 73 even semester students of the D3 RACE study program who took applied mathematics courses. The data collected were analyzed using the Rasch Model assisted by the Winsteps application. The results of the analysis show that the AME test has an adequate level of validity, most of the questions meet the fit criteria for the Rasch Model. The level of test reliability is categorized as very good with a person and item reliability value of 0.90. Several questions still show misfits that require improvement. Item difficulty and person ability show a proportional distribution between the level of difficulty of the questions and the students’ abilities. Overall, the test’s discriminatory power is categorized as good, although there is one question that needs to be reviewed further for improvement. The implication is that the use of the Rasch Model in validating online test instruments can help teachers in compiling questions that are more valid, reliable, and in accordance with the level of student ability. The implication is that the application of the Rasch Model in validating test instruments can help lecturers in constructing more valid and reliable tests. The results of this study can be used as an empirical example of the application of the Rasch model theory to produce more valid and reliable measurements. It is recommended that the development of future test tests really needs to pay attention to the balance between the level of difficulty of the items and the abilities of the students, and ensure that the measurements are more valid and reliable, especially in the context of polytechnic education.

Quantification of Logging Residue from Harvesting of Rasamala Wood (Altingia excelsa)

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Logging residue is defined as the above-ground biomass left behind after log harvesting with a chainsaw, including branches, tops, and small trees that fall to the ground during the felling process. We investigated the logging residue from rasamala wood (Altingia excelsa) harvested in the Takokak Forest of Sukabumi Regency, Indonesia. The objectives of the study were to determine the percentage of logging residue volume, the locations where logging residue occurred, the percentage of barber chairs, and the relationship between tree diameter and height to the volume of logging residue. The results showed that the percentage of logging residue was 26.36%, with the residue primarily occurring at the felling site. Barber chair damage occurred in 58.8% of the total trees harvested. The larger the tree’s diameter, the greater the volume of logging residue.

Linguistic Landscape of Tourism Destinations in Gianyar, Bali

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This research entitled “Linguistic Landscape of Tourism Destinations in Gianyar, Bali”. This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing landscape dynamics in tourism destinations in Bali, specifically in Gianyar regency. It focuses to map or categorize  LL dynamic and also analyzing the pattern construction of Linguistic Landscape (LL) found in those destinations. The method applied for this research is a non-participatory observation method, using image capture technique, note-taking technique and literature study. The theory applied in this research is Linguistic Landscape (LL) from Landry and Bourhis (1997)

The research found 404 outdoor signs of Linguistic Landscape in tourism destinations of Gianyar Bali. The findings included into five categorizations, they are (1) nature, (2) culture, (3) village, (4) museum, (5) manmade attraction. The pattern construction of Linguistic Landscape found in those tourism destinations are topdown and bottom-up. The top-down pattern can be found in three categories, they are village, culture and museum. In the other hand, the bottom-up pattern can be found in all categories of LL of tourism destination in Gianyar Bali. Nature and man-made category share equal number of bottom-up pattern and the least is village category. The top-down pattern shows that village category reached the highest percentage number of outdoor signs found among the three categories, and the least showed by culture category.

 

Influence of Teachers’ Academic Qualifications on the Implementation of History and Government Curriculum in Kenya: A study across Secondary Schools in Emuhaya Sub County

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Teachers undertake teacher education in their professional training and development for purposes of implementing school curriculum in their subject areas of specialization. The subject areas of specialization may be Science, humanities and language at secondary school level of education. The teacher’s competence is measured in terms of academic qualification specifically, the class of degrees earned such as First Class honours; Second Class honours (Upper Division); Second Class honours (Lower Division) and Pass. Besides years of teaching and seminars attended also have value addition to their academic qualifications. In the implementation  of History and  Government curriculum  as a subject of study at secondary school level, the  teachers academic qualification helps the teacher to comprehend  the objectives of the curriculum, adapting History and Government content, delivery, assessment of learning among learners and  providing feedback to curriculum developers for improvement. All these activities and engagements are reflected in learners’ performance. Therefore learners’ performance in summative evaluation – Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations is used conventionally to measure the extent to which teachers’ academic qualification influences the implementation of curriculum.  The objective of the study was to determine the influence of teachers’ academic qualifications on the implementation of History and Government curriculum in Secondary schools. A conceptual framework postulating the influence of the independent variables on the implementation of History and Government Curriculum was used to focus on the objective of the study. The findings revealed that academic qualification of a teacher accounted for 2.8% of the variation in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations of History and Government mean score. However the influence was not statistically significant because the p-value was 0.115 greater than the set p-value of 0.05. The findings of this study are significant to the practicing History and Government teachers and principals of secondary schools in developing strategies and methods of effective implementation of History and Government curriculum.

Educational System Innovations for Shaping an Outstanding Indonesian Generation

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Education serves as a cornerstone in developing high-quality human resources, especially in Indonesia. Beyond its function as a platform for knowledge dissemination, education is pivotal in shaping the character and ethical values of the younger generation. To overcome challenges such as Indonesia’s relatively low student performance on global assessments like PISA, educational innovation is imperative. The BATIK school system (Character, Active, Creative, and Competitive) has been introduced as a strategic solution to enhance the quality of education. This system emphasizes character formation, active student participation, creativity, and competitiveness on both national and global scales. By incorporating technology-driven learning and strengthening teacher competencies, the BATIK approach aims to produce a generation that excels academically and upholds strong moral and ethical standards. Achieving this vision requires the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to foster a robust and supportive educational environment. Thus, educational innovation emerges as a vital investment in securing the nation’s future.

Designing a Web-based Information System for Coworking Space BIKINBIKIN Creative Hub using Personal Extreme Programming Method: Kalla Hospitality Case Study

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This research aims to develop a web-based information system for BIKINBIKIN Creative Hub in Nipah Park, Makassar, related to information access and service management through digital transformation. The designed system provides relevant information and facilitates the reservation process for visitors. The method used is Personal Extreme Programming (PXP), which supports flexible and adaptive development. The results show that the system is equipped with interactive features that present information informatively about services and facilities. Testing was conducted through two stages: first, backbox testing that assesses internal quality resulting in 100% of features functioning according to specifications; second, ISO 25010 testing that assesses external quality, with results of 90% functional suitability, 90.3% usability, optimal performance efficiency, and good portability in various browsers. From these results it can be concluded that the information system developed has met the expected criteria. However, the management of BIKINBIKIN Creative Hub needs to improve operational service management through informative content strategies and the presence of friendly receptionists to increase visitor engagement and satisfaction.

Multiple Meningiomas in a 32-Year Old Male with 20 Intracranial Masses: Case Report and Literature Review

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Introduction: Multiple meningiomas are not unknown but are generally rare. It is a condition where more than one meningioma is located in several intracranial sites in the same individual and without signs of neurofibromatosis.

Objectives: To present a case report of multiple meningiomas in a 32-year old male with up to 20 meningiomas at different sites in the brain.

Materials and Methods: We present a 32-year-old male who presented to our outpatient department with history of recurrent seizures of 10 months duration, with associated recurrent headaches and progressive loss of sensorimotor function in the lower limbs about 1 year prior to presentation for which he was diagnosed of a spine tumour and had a spine surgery about 9 months prior to presentation.

Results: Neurological examination revealed a conscious young man on a wheel chair, with paraparesis of the lower limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple homogeneous contrast enhancing intracranial masses of varying sizes and location in the supratentorial and infratentorial compartment, which on careful assessment were up to 20 separate masses. Management decision was quite challenging. After detailed counseling, a right convexity frontal mass was excised for histological diagnosis which revealed a chordoid meningioma, WHO grade II. He was further counseled and referred to the Oncologist. He has had radiotherapy and has remained in stable condition since discharge.

Conclusion: This single and first experience of multiple meningiomas in our environment with tumour located mostly in the cranial convexity may corroborate a subarachnoid tumor–seeding hypothesis to account for the origin of these tumors. Treatment should be individualized based on the presenting symptoms, number of tumours, tumour location and histological subtype.

Coordination studies of Ritodrine Hydrochloride with selected transition Metal ions

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The stability constants of binary complexes of metal ions   Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cr³⁺ and Zn2+ with Ritodrine Hydrochloride ligand were studied in aqueous media at 280 C temperature. The Protonation constant and metal ligand stability constants were determined by Calvin Bjerrum titrations in combination with Microsoft excel software programme. 1 N NaNO3 used to maintain ionic strength. Metal ligand ratio kept was 1: 1. The Protonation constant and metal ligand stability constants calculated by half integral and pointwise method found to be in agreement. Protonation constant obtained were 9.42 and 9.72. The decreasing order of stability of the complexes found to be Zn (II) < Cu(II) <  Co(II)  < Ni(II) < Cr(III) which is accordance to Irving-Williams order. Application of inexpensively available HNO3, NaNO3 and natural media are the salient features of the work. The results provide new insights into the complexation of ritodrine and its biological significance.