Factors that influence the acceptance of integrated community energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, A. S.; Tschanz, J. F.; Mosena, D.; Erley, D.; Gil, E.; Slovak, P.; Lenth, C. S.

1977-01-01

This report is part of a series of studies designed to analyze the commercialization potential of various concepts of community-scale energy systems that have been termed Integrated Community Energy Systems (ICES). The study reported here concerns ways that affected individuals and organizations will respond to proposed ICES development projects. The intent is an initial examination of several institutional sectors that will: (1) anticipate responses that could impede ICES proposals and (2) provide an information base from which strategies to address adverse responses can be formulated.

Intrinsic and extrinsic influences on children's acceptance of new foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Blissett, Jackie; Fogel, Anna

2013-09-10

The foods that tend to be rejected by children include those which may have greatest importance for later health. This paper reviews some of the intrinsic and extrinsic influences on preschool children's eating behavior, with particular reference to their acceptance of new foods into their diet. Factors conceptualized as intrinsic to the child in this review include sensory processing, taste perception, neophobia, and temperament. The important extrinsic determinants of children's food acceptance which are reviewed include parental and peer modeling, the family food environment, infant feeding practices including breastfeeding and age at weaning, concurrent feeding practices including restriction, pressure to eat, prompting and reward, and the taste & energy content of foods. Children's willingness to accept new foods is influenced by a wide range of factors that likely have individual and also interactive effects on children's willingness to taste, and then continue to eat, new foods. The literature lacks longitudinal and experimental studies, which will be particularly important in determining interventions most likely to be effective in facilitating children's acceptance of healthy foods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trust of community health workers influences the acceptance of community-based maternal and child health services

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Merridy Grant

2017-05-01

Conclusion: Understanding the complex contextual challenges faced by CHWs and community members can strengthen community-based interventions. CHWs require training, support and supervision to develop competencies navigating complex relationships within the community and the health system to provide effective care in communities.

Influencing Technology Education Teachers to Accept Teaching Positions

Science.gov (United States)

Steinke, Luke Joseph; Putnam, Alvin Robert

2008-01-01

Technology education is facing a significant teacher shortage. The purpose of this study was to address the technology education teacher shortage by examining the factors that influence technology education teachers to accept teaching positions. The population for the study consisted of technology education teachers and administrators. A survey…

Perceived community environmental influences on eating behaviors: A Photovoice analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Belon, Ana Paula; Nieuwendyk, Laura M; Vallianatos, Helen; Nykiforuk, Candace I J

2016-12-01

People's perceptions of local food environments influence their abilities to eat healthily. PhotoVoice participants from four communities in Alberta, Canada took pictures of barriers and opportunities for healthy eating and shared their stories in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Using a socioecological framework, emergent themes were organized by type and size of environment. Findings show that, while availability and access to food outlets influence healthy eating practices, these factors may be eclipsed by other non-physical environmental considerations, such as food regulations and socio-cultural preferences. This study identifies a set of meta-themes that summarize and illustrate the interrelationships between environmental attributes, people's perceptions, and eating behaviors: a) availability and accessibility are interrelated and only part of the healthy eating equation; b) local food is synonymous with healthy eating; c) local food places for healthy eating help define community identity; d) communal dining (commensality) does not necessarily mean healthy eating; e) rewarding an achievement or celebrating special occasions with highly processed foods is socially accepted; f) food costs seemed to be driving forces in food decisions; g) macro-environmental influences are latent in food decisions. Recognizing the interrelationship among multiple environmental factors may help efforts to design effective community-based interventions and address knowledge gaps on how sociocultural, economic, and political environments intersect with physical worlds. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Social network influences on technology acceptance : A matter of tie strength, centrality and density

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ten Kate, Stephan; Haverkamp, Sophie; Mahmood, Fariha; Feldberg, Frans

2010-01-01

This study examines social network influences on the individual technology acceptance. Since it is believed that individuals' trust, opinions and behavior are influenced by their network, an analysis of that network may help to provide some explanations on technology acceptance. However, since

Influence of color on acceptance and identification of flavor of foods by adults

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Nayane Aparecida Araújo Dias

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The sensory characteristics color and flavor of food play an important role not only in the selection, but also in the determination of consumption, satiation, and ingestion. With the objective to determine and evaluate the influence of color on the acceptance and identification of flavor of foods for adults, sensory analysis was performed on jellies by non-trained tasters of both sexes aged between 18 and 60 years (1750 tests. A hedonic scale and combinations of five colors (red, yellow, green, blue and purple and three flavors (strawberry, pineapple, and limes were used in the acceptance test totaling 15 samples. In the duo-trio discrimination test, together with the reference sample (R, one sample identical to the reference and another of identical color and different flavor were offered, and the judges were requested to identify the sample that was different from the reference sample. The colors used did not influence the acceptance of the samples (P > 0.05, and as there was not significant interaction between color and flavor. However, the limes flavor negatively influenced acceptance when compared to the other flavors. With regard to flavor differentiation, the colors used did not influence flavor identification (P > 0.05; However, differentiated behavior was identified between females and males, and the latter were more error-prone. Therefore, under the experimental conditions tested, color did not influence the acceptance and identification of the flavor of the samples by adults.

User Acceptance of Wrist-Worn Activity Trackers Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Mixed Method Study.

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Puri, Arjun; Kim, Ben; Nguyen, Olivier; Stolee, Paul; Tung, James; Lee, Joon

2017-11-15

Wearable activity trackers are newly emerging technologies with the anticipation for successfully supporting aging-in-place. Consumer-grade wearable activity trackers are increasingly ubiquitous in the market, but the attitudes toward, as well as acceptance and voluntary use of, these trackers in older population are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess acceptance and usage of wearable activity trackers in Canadian community-dwelling older adults, using the potentially influential factors as identified in literature and technology acceptance model. A mixed methods design was used. A total of 20 older adults aged 55 years and older were recruited from Southwestern Ontario. Participants used 2 different wearable activity trackers (Xiaomi Mi Band and Microsoft Band) separately for each segment in the crossover design study for 21 days (ie, 42 days total). A questionnaire was developed to capture acceptance and experience at the end of each segment, representing 2 different devices. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 4 participants, and a content analysis was performed. Participants ranged in age from 55 years to 84 years (mean age: 64 years). The Mi Band gained higher levels of acceptance (16/20, 80%) compared with the Microsoft Band (10/20, 50%). The equipment characteristics dimension scored significantly higher for the Mi Band (Ptechnology acceptance (Paccepting of wearable activity trackers, and they had a clear understanding of its value for their lives. Wearable activity trackers were uniquely considered more personal than other types of technologies, thereby the equipment characteristics including comfort, aesthetics, and price had a significant impact on the acceptance. Results indicated that privacy was less of concern for older adults, but it may have stemmed from a lack of understanding of the privacy risks and implications. These findings add to emerging research that investigates acceptance and factors that may influence

A qualitative assessment of stakeholder perceptions and socio-cultural influences on the acceptability of harm reduction programs in Tijuana, Mexico

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Magis-Rodriguez Carlos

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Mexico-U.S. border region is experiencing rising rates of blood-borne infections among injection drug users (IDUs, emphasizing the need for harm reduction interventions. Methods We assessed the religious and cultural factors affecting the acceptability and feasibility of three harm reduction interventions – Needle exchange programs (NEPs, syringe vending machines, and safer injection facilities (SIFs – in Tijuana, Mexico. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 community stakeholders to explore cultural and societal-related themes. Results Themes that emerged included Tijuana's location as a border city, family values, and culture as a mediator of social stigma and empathy towards IDUs. Perception of low levels of both awareness and socio-cultural readiness for harm reduction interventions was noted. Religious culture emerged as a theme, highlighting the important role religious leaders play in determining community responses to harm reduction and rehabilitation strategies for IDUs. The influence of religious culture on stakeholders' opinions concerning harm reduction interventions was evidenced by discussions of family and social values, stigma, and resulting policies. Conclusion Religion and politics were described as both a perceived benefit and deterrent, highlighting the need to further explore the overall influences of culture on the acceptability and implementation of harm reduction programs for drug users.

How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies

OpenAIRE

Lingyi Zhou; Yixin Dai

2017-01-01

Although various studies have investigated public acceptance of congestion charge policies, most of them have focused on behavioral and policy-related factors, and did not consider the moderating influence that individual concern about smog and perceived smog risk may have on public acceptance. This paper takes the congestion charge policy in China, targeted at smog and traffic control, and checks how smog awareness—including smog concerns and perceived smog risks, besides behavioral and poli...

What influences applicants to accept a job offer?

OpenAIRE

Szabo Hangya, Adrienn; Arevshatian, Lilith

2014-01-01

We develop Roberson et al.’s (2005) model by investigating how recruitment processes influence candidate perceptions leading to job acceptance. Using a qualitative case study design (n=5) and thematic analysis, the data reveals that values, reasons for applying, considerations in applying, views on company and previous experience impact on candidate perceptions. We discussed theoretical implications and propose recommendations for practice.

Future energy communities : How community norms shape individual adoption and acceptability of sustainable energy systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Milovanovic, Marko; Steg, Emmalina; Spears, Russell

2013-01-01

Most research on factors influencing the acceptability and adoption of sustainable energy systems is focused on individual-level factors such as personal norms, values, and attitudes. Some researchers have considered the effects of social factors such as descriptive and injunctive norms, but little

Influence of Sweetness and Ethanol Content on Mead Acceptability

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Gomes Teresa

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Mead is a traditional alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting mead wort; however, its production still remains frequently an empirical exercise. Different meads can be produced, depending on fermentation conditions. Nevertheless, to date few studies have been developed on factors that may influence mead quality. The main objective of this work was to study the influence of sweetness and ethanol content on mead acceptability. Different meads were produced with two sweetness levels (sweet and dry meads and three ethanol contents (18, 20, 22% (v/v, adjusted by brandy addition. Afterwards, meads acceptability was evaluated by sensory analysis through a consumers’ panel (n=108 along with chemical analysis by HPLC-RID of glucose, fructose, ethanol, glycerol and acetic acid. The sweet (75 gglucose+fructose/L and dry (23 gglucose+fructose/L meads presented glycerol contents equal to 5.10±0.54 and 5.96±0.95 g/L, respectively, that were desirable since glycerol improves mead quality. Low concentrations of acetic acid were determined (0.46±0.08 and 0.57±0.09 g/L, avoiding the vinegar off-character. Concerning sensory analysis, the alcohol content of mead had no effect on the sensory attributes studied, namely, aroma, sweetness, flavour, alcohol feeling and general appreciation. Regarding sweetness, the “sweet meads” were the most appreciated by the consumers (score of 5.4±2.56, whereas the “dry meads” (score of 2.7±2.23 showed low acceptability. In conclusion, this work revealed that sweetness is a sensory key attribute for mead acceptance by the consumers, whereas ethanol content (18 to 22% (v/v is not.

How trust and emotions influence policy acceptance: The case of the Irish water charges.

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Rodriguez-Sanchez, Carla; Schuitema, Geertje; Claudy, Marius; Sancho-Esper, Franco

2018-02-01

The introduction of new policies can evoke strong emotional reactions by the public. Yet, social-psychological research has paid little attention to affective determinants of individual-level policy acceptance. Building on recent theoretical and empirical advances around emotions and decision-making, we evaluate how people's trust and integral emotions function as important antecedents of cognitive evaluations, and subsequent acceptance of policies. We test our hypotheses within a sample of Irish citizens (n = 505), who were subject to the introduction of water charges in 2015. In line with our hypotheses, results show that general trust in government shapes emotions regarding water charges, which in turn, directly and via expected costs and benefits, influence policy acceptance. Additionally, we find that negative emotions have a larger direct effect on policy acceptance than positive emotions. Specifically, 'anger' was the main negative emotion that influenced the acceptance of the water charge. We conclude by discussing directions for future research around emotions and policy acceptance. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Perceived naturalness and evoked disgust influence acceptance of cultured meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegrist, Michael; Sütterlin, Bernadette; Hartmann, Christina

2018-05-01

Cultured meat could be a more environment- and animal-friendly alternative to conventional meat. However, in addition to the technological challenges, the lack of consumer acceptance could be a major barrier to the introduction of cultured meat. Therefore, it seems wise to take into account consumer concerns at an early stage of product development. In this regard, we conducted two experiments that examined the impact of perceived naturalness and disgust on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. The results of Experiment 1 suggest the participants' low level of acceptance of cultured meat because it is perceived as unnatural. Moreover, informing participants about the production of cultured meat and its benefits has the paradoxical effect of increasing the acceptance of traditional meat. Experiment 2 shows that how cultured meat is described influences the participants' perception. Thus, it is important to explain cultured meat in a nontechnical way that emphasizes the final product, not the production method, to increase acceptance of this novel food. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Rural End-Users' Acceptance of e-Health in Developing Countries: A study on Portable Health Clinic in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Nazmul; Yokota, Fumihiko; Sultana, Nazneen; Ahmed, Ashir

2018-04-17

Existing studies regarding e-health are mostly focused on information technology design and implementation, system architecture and infrastructure, and its importance in public health with ancillaries and barriers to mass adoption. However, not enough studies have been conducted to assess the end-users' reaction and acceptance behavior toward e-health, especially from the perspective of rural communities in developing countries. The objective of this study is to explore the factors that influence rural end users' acceptance of e-health in Bangladesh. Data were collected between June and July 2016 through a field survey with structured questionnaire form 292 randomly selected rural respondents from Bheramara subdistrict, Bangladesh. Technology Acceptance Model was adopted as the research framework. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the theoretical model. The study found social reference as the most significantly influential variable (Coef. = 2.28, odds ratio [OR] = 9.73, p acceptance behavior. The model explains 54.70% deviance (R 2  = 0.5470) in the response variable with its constructs. The "Hosmer-Lemeshow" goodness-of-fit score (0.539) is also above the standard threshold (0.05), which indicates that the data fit well with the model. The study provides guidelines for the successful adoption of e-health among rural communities in developing countries. This also creates an opportunity for e-health technology developers and service providers to have a better understanding of their end users.

Influence of package and health-related claims on perception and sensory acceptability of snack bars.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Vinícius Rodrigues Arruda; Freitas, Tamara Beatriz de Oliveira; Dantas, Maria Inês de Souza; Della Lucia, Suzana Maria; Melo, Laura Fernandes; Minim, Valéria Paula Rodrigues; Bressan, Josefina

2017-11-01

Concerns for health can lead to healthier food choices, especially if the consumer is well informed. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of package and health-related claims on Brazilian consumers' acceptance of snack bars. In order to evaluate package attributes, in focus groups discussions, 19 consumers chose the most important factors that influence their purchase decisions. Next, 102 consumers evaluated six commercial brands of snack bars in a three-session acceptance test: the first with no information about the product, the second containing the product package and the third with information on health-related claims associated with consumption of the bar. In general, package attributes, price and flavor were the most important factors that influence the purchase of snack bars. Health claims positively influenced consumer acceptance, but information concerning the absence of gluten and lactose did not significantly alter sensory acceptance. The presence of omega-3s, sugars, preservatives, flavorings and colorings have the potential to improve acceptability, because they were able to raise the acceptance of the seed bar, removing it from the rejection region. Protein and nut bars are not well known to the general public and the lower mean acceptance of the seed and protein bars demonstrated the need for sensorial improvement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Needs, Acceptability, and Value of Humanitarian Medical Assistance in Remote Peruvian Amazon Riverine Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Juan F.; Halsey, Eric S.; Bayer, Angela M.; Beltran, Martin; Razuri, Hugo R.; Velasquez, Daniel E.; Cama, Vitaliano A.; Graf, Paul C. F.; Quispe, Antonio M.; Maves, Ryan C.; Montgomery, Joel M.; Sanders, John W.; Lescano, Andres G.

2015-01-01

Much debate exists regarding the need, acceptability, and value of humanitarian medical assistance. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 457 children under 5 years from four remote riverine communities in the Peruvian Amazon and collected anthropometric measures, blood samples (1–4 years), and stool samples. Focus groups and key informant interviews assessed perspectives regarding medical aid delivered by foreigners. The prevalence of stunting, anemia, and intestinal parasites was 20%, 37%, and 62%, respectively. Infection with multiple parasites, usually geohelminths, was detected in 41% of children. The prevalence of intestinal parasites both individual and polyparasitism increased with age. Participants from smaller communities less exposed to foreigners expressed lack of trust and fear of them. However, participants from all communities were positive about foreigners visiting to provide health support. Prevalent health needs such as parasitic infections and anemia may be addressed by short-term medical interventions. There is a perceived openness to and acceptability of medical assistance delivered by foreign personnel. PMID:25846293

The acceptability of community leaders in establishing a nuclear power plant in Thailand: a case study of Chumphon province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aukaravarothai, A.

1998-01-01

Acceptability of community leaders regarding the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Amphoe Pathiu of Chumphon Province in studied. The objectives are to investigate the level of understanding, the attitudes of acceptance and the possible benefits the community expects from the establishment of a nuclear power plant in the province. The study method involved interviewing the selected 118 community leaders and then applying the statistical method to analysis their responses and obtain a general description of the acceptability. The Chi-quire method was used to test the hypothesis at the confidence levels of 95% and 99%. The results revealed that 88.1% of the respondents were male and 11.9% were female, 88.2% have lived there permanently, 39.8% were university graduates and 48.3% are government officials, 48.3% were acceptable about the establishment of the nuclear power plant, 54.2% were not acceptable and 29.7% were ambiguous because they were afraid and uncertain about the safety of the power plant. In the acceptable group there was no correlation between the responses and the general Background of the respondents, i.e. age, occupation, education and field of study. However, in the unacceptable and ambiguous groups, a correlation was found between their responses and general background. This could be due to an information drive in the community prior to this study

Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuestenhagen, Rolf; Wolsink, Maarten; Buerer, Mary Jean

2007-01-01

This paper introduces the special issue on Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation. It is a collection of best papers presented at an international research conference held in Tramelan (Switzerland) in February 2006. While there are ambitious government targets to increase the share of renewable energy in many countries, it is increasingly recognized that social acceptance may be a constraining factor in achieving this target. This is particularly apparent in the case of wind energy, which has become a subject of contested debates in several countries largely due to its visual impact on landscapes. This paper introduces three dimensions of social acceptance, namely socio-political, community and market acceptance. Factors influencing socio-political and community acceptance are increasingly recognized as being important for understanding the apparent contradictions between general public support for renewable energy innovation and the difficult realization of specific projects. The third dimension, market acceptance, has received less attention so far and provides opportunities for further research, particularly from management scholars

Influence of Source Credibility on Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Foods in China

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Mingyang Zhang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the reasoning mechanism behind the consumer acceptance of genetically modified foods (GMFs in China, and investigates influence of source credibility on consumer acceptance of GMFs. Based on the original Persuasion Model—which was developed by Carl Hovland, an American psychologist and pioneer in the study of communication and its effect on attitudes and beliefs—we conducted a survey using multistage sampling from 1167 urban residents, which were proportionally selected from six cities in three economic regions (south, central, and north in the Jiangsu province through face to face interviews. Mixed-process regression that could correct endogeneity and ordered probit model were used to test the impact of source credibility on consumers’ acceptance of GMFs. Our major finding was that consumer acceptance of GMFs is affected by such factors as information source credibility, general attitudes, gender, and education levels. The reliability of biotechnology research institutes, government offices devoted to management of GM organisms (GMOs, and GMO technological experts have expedited urban consumer acceptance of GM soybean oil. However, public acceptance can also decrease as faith in the environmental organization. We also found that ignorance of the endogeneity of above mentioned source significantly undervalued its effect on consumers’ acceptance. Moreover, the remaining three sources (non-GMO experts, food companies, and anonymous information found on the Internet had almost no effect on consumer acceptance. Surprisingly, the more educated people in our survey were more skeptical towards GMFs. Our results contribute to the behavioral literature on consumer attitudes toward GMFs by developing a reasoning mechanism determining consumer acceptance of GMFs. Particularly, this paper quantitatively studied the influence of different source credibility on consumer acceptance of GMFs by using mixed-process regression to

An extended technology acceptance model for detecting influencing factors: An empirical investigation

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Mohamd Hakkak

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The rapid diffusion of the Internet has radically changed the delivery channels applied by the financial services industry. The aim of this study is to identify the influencing factors that encourage customers to adopt online banking in Khorramabad. The research constructs are developed based on the technology acceptance model (TAM and incorporates some extra important control variables. The model is empirically verified to study the factors influencing the online banking adoption behavior of 210 customers of Tejarat Banks in Khorramabad. The findings of the study suggest that the quality of the internet connection, the awareness of online banking and its benefits, the social influence and computer self-efficacy have significant impacts on the perceived usefulness (PU and perceived ease of use (PEOU of online banking acceptance. Trust and resistance to change also have significant impact on the attitude towards the likelihood of adopting online banking.

Measurements of consumer attitudes and their influence on food choice and acceptability (AIR-CAT).

Science.gov (United States)

Risvik, E; Issanchou, S; Shepherd, R; Tuorila, H

2001-08-01

A changing European food market demands insight into consumer attitudes and their influence on food choice and acceptability. This multidisciplinary area needs to bring together scientists from all regions of Europe and with very different scientific backgrounds. The primary objectives of this concerted action have been: to establish a base with state of the art methods for measurements of consumer attitudes; to review and test existing methods in practical applications in collaboration with European food industries; to perform comparative studies between laboratories on food products, where attitudes play different roles for consumer behaviour in the community countries, such as transgenic foods, irradiated foods, foods with different additives, declarations and process technologies, foods with different origin declarations, ecological foods and foods with strong health connotations (such as high-fat foods). The members of the action have published more than 130 publications related to aspects of how consumer attitudes can be measured and how food choice behaviour is related to acceptability, during the last four years. Studies have been conducted in relation to methodological aspects as well as particular studies related to specific food items and regions for food production. The paper will give a brief selection of relevant results from experiments reported through the action. During 2001 a textbook called "Food, People and Society, in a European Perspective", will be published. The book was initiated during the action and is later supported with additional authors. Altogether 29 chapters will cover the whole spectrum of topics from consumer food choice and acceptability to market perspectives and risk analysis.

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043): results from in-depth interviews with a longitudinal cohort of community members.

Science.gov (United States)

Maman, Suzanne; van Rooyen, Heidi; Stankard, Petra; Chingono, Alfred; Muravha, Tshifhiwa; Ntogwisangu, Jacob; Phakathi, Zipho; Srirak, Namtip; F Morin, Stephen

2014-01-01

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043) is a community- randomized trial to test the safety and efficacy of a community-level intervention designed to increase testing and lower HIV incidence in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Thailand. The evaluation design included a longitudinal study with community members to assess attitudinal and behavioral changes in study outcomes including HIV testing norms, HIV-related discussions, and HIV-related stigma. A cohort of 657 individuals across all sites was selected to participate in a qualitative study that involved 4 interviews during the study period. Baseline and 30-month data were summarized according to each outcome, and a qualitative assessment of changes was made at the community level over time. Members from intervention communities described fewer barriers and greater motivation for testing than those from comparison communities. HIV-related discussions in intervention communities were more grounded in personal testing experiences. A change in HIV-related stigma over time was most pronounced in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Participants in the intervention communities from these two sites attributed community-level changes in attitudes to project specific activities. The Project Accept intervention was associated with more favorable social norms regarding HIV testing, more personal content in HIV discussions in all study sites, and qualitative changes in HIV-related stigma in two of five sites.

Influence of label information on dark chocolate acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Moreno, M; Tarrega, A; Torrescasana, E; Blanch, C

2012-04-01

The aim of the present work was to study how the information on product labels influences consumer expectations and their acceptance and purchase intention of dark chocolate. Six samples of dark chocolate, varying in brand (premium and store brand) and in type of product (regular dark chocolate, single cocoa origin dark chocolate and high percentage of cocoa dark chocolate), were evaluated by 109 consumers who scored their liking and purchase intention under three conditions: blind (only tasting the products), expected (observing product label information) and informed (tasting the products together with provision of the label information). In the expected condition, consumer liking was mainly affected by the brand. In the blind condition, differences in liking were due to the type of product; the samples with a high percentage of cocoa were those less preferred by consumers. Under the informed condition, liking of dark chocolates varied depending on both brand and type of product. Premium brand chocolates generated high consumer expectations of chocolate acceptability, which were fulfilled by the sensory characteristics of the products. Store brand chocolates created lower expectations, but when they were tasted they were as acceptable as premium chocolates. Claims of a high percentage of cocoa and single cocoa origin on labels did not generate higher expectations than regular dark chocolates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Leadership Styles on Community Development ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Toshiba

Influence of Leadership Styles on Community. Development Programmes' Implementation in. Rural Communities of Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. Okoji, Olufemi Onweazu - Department of Educational Management,. Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: femiokoji2008@yahoomail.com. Abstract. Community development ...

The long arm of community: the influence of childhood community contexts across the early life course.

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Wickrama, K A S; Noh, Samuel

2010-08-01

This study examines the longitudinal effects of childhood community contexts on young adult outcomes. The study uses a sample of 14,000 adolescents (52% female) derived from the 1990 US Census and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Addhealth). The study examines whether community and family environments exert separate and/or joint long-term influences on young adult achievement and depression. We found both direct and indirect long-term influences of childhood community adversity on young adult educational attainment. The indirect influences of childhood community adversity operated through family and individual-level factors. The long-term influence of childhood community adversity on young adult depression was only indirect. Overall, community influences on young adult achievement outcomes were mediated by family context and by the adolescents' adjustments and transitions, including adolescent depression, school adjustment, and disruptive transitional events. The moderating effect of childhood community adversity suggests that the protective effects of family resources on young adult outcomes dissipate significantly in extremely adverse neighborhoods. The findings demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple theoretical perspectives for longitudinal research to capture pathways of community influence on adolescent developmental and young adulthood outcomes.

Factors Influencing Acceptance of Electronic Health Records in Hospitals

OpenAIRE

Wilkins, Melinda A

2009-01-01

The study's aim was to examine factors that may influence health information managers in the adoption of electronic health records. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as theoretical foundation for this quantitative study. Hospital health information managers in Arkansas were queried as to the constructs of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavior intention. The study population comprised 94 health information managers with a return rate of 74.5 percent. One manager ...

Discovering determinants influencing faith community nursing practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziebarth, Deborah Jean

2014-01-01

Faith community nursing (FCN) is an important healthcare delivery system for individuals, families, and communities. Determinants are factors that might influence FCN care. A literature review isolated eight determinants that influence practice; however, there are no clear causal relationships linking specific determinants to specific practice changes. Research is needed to assess how determinants influence practice and outcomes, and provide evidence-based solutions to isolate and manage determinants. A Conceptual Model of FCN, Theoretical Definitions and a Diagram of Determinants of FCN Practice are provided.

Social acceptance of wind energy development and planning in rural communities of Australia: A consumer analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Souza, Clare; Yiridoe, Emmanuel K.

2014-01-01

Social acceptance is necessary for widespread adoption of new renewable energy technologies. A lack of social acceptance by local community residents is a barrier to increasing the renewable energy mix and targets in Australia. This study empirically evaluated predictor importance of key constructs of social acceptance, using responses from a sample of 226 survey respondents in Australia. Regression analysis suggest that ‘Concerns with wind turbines’ was the predictor most strongly correlated with Social Acceptance, followed by ‘Annoyance with wind turbines’, and then ‘Consultation with stakeholders’. Implications of the study and recommendations for consideration by various interest groups (such as policy makers, and potential entrepreneurs) are discussed. This research contributes to theory building rather than theory testing of social acceptance of wind energy development

How Social Communications Influence Advertising Perception and Response in Online Communities?

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Fue; Tao, Ran; Yang, Yanwu; Xie, Tingting

2017-01-01

This research aims to explore how social communications of online communities affect users' perception and responses toward social media advertising. We developed a conceptual model based on the SBT, encapsulating 9 constructs and 10 hypothesis extracted from the extant social media advertising literature. Our research outcome proves that social communications can effectively boost users' behaviors to be in accordance with an online social community, thus facilitate their acceptance and responses toward social media advertising, with users' group intention as an intervening factor. From an operational standpoint, it's an effective way to build and maintain social bonds between users and the community by boosting social communications, supporting fluent interpersonal communications. In addition, managers of an online community should elaborate on users' group intentions to increase users' advertising acceptance and response.

How Social Communications Influence Advertising Perception and Response in Online Communities?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fue Zeng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This research aims to explore how social communications of online communities affect users’ perception and responses toward social media advertising. We developed a conceptual model based on the SBT, encapsulating 9 constructs and 10 hypothesis extracted from the extant social media advertising literature. Our research outcome proves that social communications can effectively boost users’ behaviors to be in accordance with an online social community, thus facilitate their acceptance and responses toward social media advertising, with users’ group intention as an intervening factor. From an operational standpoint, it’s an effective way to build and maintain social bonds between users and the community by boosting social communications, supporting fluent interpersonal communications. In addition, managers of an online community should elaborate on users’ group intentions to increase users’ advertising acceptance and response.

How Social Communications Influence Advertising Perception and Response in Online Communities?

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Fue; Tao, Ran; Yang, Yanwu; Xie, Tingting

2017-01-01

This research aims to explore how social communications of online communities affect users’ perception and responses toward social media advertising. We developed a conceptual model based on the SBT, encapsulating 9 constructs and 10 hypothesis extracted from the extant social media advertising literature. Our research outcome proves that social communications can effectively boost users’ behaviors to be in accordance with an online social community, thus facilitate their acceptance and responses toward social media advertising, with users’ group intention as an intervening factor. From an operational standpoint, it’s an effective way to build and maintain social bonds between users and the community by boosting social communications, supporting fluent interpersonal communications. In addition, managers of an online community should elaborate on users’ group intentions to increase users’ advertising acceptance and response. PMID:28855879

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043: results from in-depth interviews with a longitudinal cohort of community members.

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Suzanne Maman

Full Text Available NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043 is a community- randomized trial to test the safety and efficacy of a community-level intervention designed to increase testing and lower HIV incidence in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Thailand. The evaluation design included a longitudinal study with community members to assess attitudinal and behavioral changes in study outcomes including HIV testing norms, HIV-related discussions, and HIV-related stigma.A cohort of 657 individuals across all sites was selected to participate in a qualitative study that involved 4 interviews during the study period. Baseline and 30-month data were summarized according to each outcome, and a qualitative assessment of changes was made at the community level over time.Members from intervention communities described fewer barriers and greater motivation for testing than those from comparison communities. HIV-related discussions in intervention communities were more grounded in personal testing experiences. A change in HIV-related stigma over time was most pronounced in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Participants in the intervention communities from these two sites attributed community-level changes in attitudes to project specific activities.The Project Accept intervention was associated with more favorable social norms regarding HIV testing, more personal content in HIV discussions in all study sites, and qualitative changes in HIV-related stigma in two of five sites.

Impact of community engagement on public acceptance towards waste-to-energy incineration projects: Empirical evidence from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yong; Sun, Chenjunyan; Xia, Bo; Cui, Caiyun; Coffey, Vaughan

2018-02-20

As one of the most popular methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration offers effective solutions to deal with the MSW surge and globe energy issues. Nevertheless, the construction of WTE facilities faces considerable and strong opposition from local communities due to the perceived potential risks. The present study aims to understand whether, and how, community engagement improves local residents' public acceptance towards waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities using a questionnaire survey conducted with nearby residents of two selected WTE incineration plants located in Zhejiang province, China. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveal that firstly, a lower level of public acceptance exists among local residents of over the age of 35, of lower education levels, living within 3 km from the WTE Plant and from WTE incineration Plants which are under construction. Secondly, the public trust of local government and other authorities was positively associated with the public acceptance of the WTE incineration project, both directly and indirectly based on perceived risk. Thirdly, community engagement can effectively enhance public trust in local government and other authorities related to the WTE incineration project. The findings contribute to the literature on MSW treatment policy-making and potentially hazardous facility siting, by exploring the determinants of public acceptance towards WTE incineration projects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mining Community-Level Influence in Microblogging Network: A Case Study on Sina Weibo

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Yufei Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Social influence analysis is important for many social network applications, including recommendation and cybersecurity analysis. We observe that the influence of community including multiple users outweighs the individual influence. Existing models focus on the individual influence analysis, but few studies estimate the community influence that is ubiquitous in online social network. A major challenge lies in that researchers need to take into account many factors, such as user influence, social trust, and user relationship, to model community-level influence. In this paper, aiming to assess the community-level influence effectively and accurately, we formulate the problem of modeling community influence and construct a community-level influence analysis model. It first eliminates the zombie fans and then calculates the user influence. Next, it calculates the user final influence by combining the user influence and the willingness of diffusing theme information. Finally, it evaluates the community influence by comprehensively studying the user final influence, social trust, and relationship tightness between intrausers of communities. To handle real-world applications, we propose a community-level influence analysis algorithm called CIAA. Empirical studies on a real-world dataset from Sina Weibo demonstrate the superiority of the proposed model.

Influence of Expectation Measure on the Sensory Acceptance of Petit Suisse Product.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira Lopes, Maria Micheline; Passos Rodrigues, Maria do Carmo; Souza de Araújo, Ana Maria

2018-03-01

The consumer's expectation has an important role in the consumption of food products. It is one of the factors that influence the perception of sensory attributes and interact with the physiological, behavioral and cognitive factors influencing consumer decisions. The present study aimed to analyze the influence of consumer's expectations on the acceptance of Petit Suisse. Products of 4 different brands were used for the sensory analysis, 2 international brands and 2 regional ones. The 9-point regular hedonic scale was employed to carry out affective sensory and expectation measure tests (with and without product information). Concerning the present research, photos of the packaging of each product were printed in color and presented to the participants. These photos displayed the following pieces of information: the product brand, pictures, colors, product name, nutritional information and date of manufacture. International samples obtained higher grades when presented with their packaging, and obtained lower values both in the blind test and in the real expectation test evaluation. It can be concluded that the sensory analysis of the expectation measure showed that the brand influences the acceptance of the product, for the consumer's expectations for international brands had positively confirmed and disconfirmed acceptance. This study generated a significant contribution, especially for companies that aim for a wider market. The application of sensory analysis with a focus on expectation measure, it shows that the brand determines the purchase, based on the results of this study. Therefore, the product's visual identity must be invested in; it must arouse children and adults' attention. That is, it reinforces that the image of the product, the label and what it arouses in the consumers are extremely important for the final choice. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Blog acceptance model: An empirical study on exploring users’ acceptance and continual usage of blogs

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHAO; Yuxiang; ZHU; Qinghua

2009-01-01

Blogs have permeated into our daily lives at a fast speed,and various kinds of blog spaces have attracted our attention.However,little effort has been made on studying the users’motivation to participate in blog activities.This paper aims to construct a theoretical model about the blog adoption based on technology acceptance model(TAM theory),social capital theory and social exchange theory,and put forward 18 related hypotheses.Then the survey method is adopted to analyze the data from 208 questionnaires using the SPSS and LISREL tools,and to examine the theoretical model and hypotheses.Finally,the paper makes a discussion from five aspects due to the results of data analysis,including individual driving factors,group driving factors,community driving factors,technology acceptance factors and moderating variables.The results show that curiosity/enjoyment,user’s experience,social interaction and social identification will greatly affect users’motivation to accept a blog;meanwhile,perceived ease of use,exchange cost and trust will partially influence users’intention to participate in blog activities.The results also suggest that age and education degrees have significant moderating effects on users’acceptance and updating of blogs.

Community Factors Influencing Birth Spacing among Married ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The significance of community-level demographic and fertility norms, gender norms, economic prosperity, and family planning behaviors demonstrate the broad influence of community variables on birth spacing outcomes. This analysis highlights the importance of moving beyond individual and household-level ...

Community ambulation: influences on therapists and clients reasoning and decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Rosemary; McBurney, Helen

2008-01-01

Community ambulation is an important element of a rehabilitation training programme and its achievement is a goal shared by rehabilitation professionals and clients. The factors that influence a physiotherapist's or health professionals decision making around the preparation of a client for community ambulation and the factors that influence a client's decision to return to walking in their community are unclear. To review the available literature about the factors that have influenced the reasoning and decision making of rehabilitation therapists and clients around the topic of ambulation in the community. Three separate searches of the available literature were undertaken using Ovid, Cinahl, ProQuest, Medline and Ebscohost databases. Databases were searched from 1966 to October 2006.The first search explored the literature for factors that influence the clinical reasoning of rehabilitation therapists. The second search explored the literature for factors that influence client's decision to ambulate in the community. A third search was undertaken to explore the literature for the demands of community ambulation in rural communities. Very few studies were found that explored community ambulation in the context of clinical reasoning and decision making, the facilitators and barriers to a clients return to ambulation in their community or the demands of ambulation in a rural community. Consideration of the environment is key to the successful return to walking in the community of clients with mobility problems yet little literature has been found to guide physiotherapist's decision making about preparing a clients to return to walking in the community. An individual's participation in their society is also a result of the interaction between their personal characteristics and his or her environment. The influence of these characteristics may vary from one individual to another yet the factors that influence a person's decision to return to walking in their community

Willingness to accept H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine: A cross-sectional study of Hong Kong community nurses

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Wong Carmen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The 2009 pandemic of influenza A (H1N1 infection has alerted many governments to make preparedness plan to control the spread of influenza A (H1N1 infection. Vaccination for influenza is one of the most important primary preventative measures to reduce the disease burden. Our study aims to assess the willingness of nurses who work for the community nursing service (CNS in Hong Kong on their acceptance of influenza A (H1N1 influenza vaccination. Methods 401 questionnaires were posted from June 24, 2009 to June 30, 2009 to community nurses with 67% response rate. Results of the 267 respondents on their willingness to accept influenza A (H1N1 vaccine were analyzed. Results Twenty-seven percent of respondents were willing to accept influenza vaccination if vaccines were available. Having been vaccinated for seasonable influenza in the previous 12 months were significantly independently associated with their willingness to accept influenza A (H1N1 vaccination (OR = 4.03; 95% CI: 2.03-7.98. Conclusions Similar to previous findings conducted in hospital healthcare workers and nurses, we confirmed that the willingness of community nurses to accept influenza A (H1N1 vaccination is low. Future studies that evaluate interventions to address nurses' specific concerns or interventions that aim to raise the awareness among nurses on the importance of influenza A (H1N1 vaccination to protect vulnerable patient populations is needed.

Online Community Interaction - Revolution or Revulsion?

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Justin Thorne

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Marketing writers' assertion that online communities are the future for organisations may be misguided, although peer-to-peer networks are certainly the future for consumers. Brands have experienced 'consumer revulsion' at their poorly-planned attempts to enter online communities to interact with customers. The Internet has facilitated a revolution amongst consumers, providing a medium for online communities to thrive. Source credibility is paramount and Internet users are being selective with exactly whose message they are willing to accept, absorb and ultimately, allow to influence their buying decisions. The primary objective of this research is to undertake an exploratory investigation into the dynamics of online communities and how membership influences the buying decision for consumers of genre novels. Through the process of online focus groups and the completion of online questionnaires, data on the dynamics of online relationships between consumers and authors, the buying habits of consumers and the acceptance of online word-of-mouth (WOM were extracted and analysed. This research demonstrates that the dynamics of online communities are highly complex and in no way inferior or less fulfilling than real-life relationships and that the influence of online relationships on our buying decisions have no less impact than real-life encounters.

"Like Holding an Umbrella Before It Rains": Acceptability of Future Rectal Microbicides Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in India-A Modified Technology Acceptance Model.

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Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Newman, Peter A; Shunmugam, Murali; Mengle, Shruta; Nelson, Ruban; Rubincam, Clara; Kumar, Pushpesh

2017-07-01

Topical rectal microbicides (RMs) are a new prevention technology in development that aims to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition from anal sex. We examined RM acceptability among men who have sex with men (MSM) in India. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study guided by a modified Technology Acceptance Model, with 10 focus groups ( n = 61) of MSM and 10 key informant interviews. Data were explored using framework analysis. RM acceptability was influenced by technological contexts: perceived usefulness of RMs, perceived ease of use of RM and applicator, and habits around condom and lubricant use; individual and interpersonal contexts: perceived relevance and preferences for product formulation and dosing frequency; and MSM community/social contexts: perceived social approval, RM-related stigma, social support. Implementation of RMs for MSM in India may be supported by multi-level interventions that engage community-based organizations in destigmatizing and distributing RMs, ideally gel-based products that enable on-demand use before sex.

Acceptable risk in reactor safety studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, J.R.; Shinozuka, M.; Shah, H.C.

1975-01-01

Acceptable risk is defined in terms of its five basic parameters: the hazard or problem; the probability of occurrence; the consequence; the possible alternative actions; and the value system of the community or the society. The problem of consistency in design at a site and between differing sites is discussed and solutions are suggested. Techniques for consistent deterministic and probabilistic setting limits and design standards are illustrated using data from AEC Reactor Safety Study, WASH-1400. The influence of level of consequence is discussed and a general methodology for decision analysis in resource allocation problem is briefly introduced and illustrated. The concept of acceptable risk is put in a quantitative format that can be used by engineers and planners. Bayesian statistical methods are introduced to develop the methodologies

The Influence of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM on The Users’ Behavior of Sikesya Application in IAIN Surakarta

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Tri Wahyuni

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to evaluate the student acceptance of SIKESYA  (Sharia Financial System/Sikesya application as the users by using the framework of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM and its development. The constructs being tested in this research are perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, experience, social influence, attitute toward behavior, behavioral intention, facilitating condition, and user behaviors. As much as 80 students has been chosen as sample which were determined using purposive sampling method. The data gathered was then analyzed using partial least square (PLS. The result showed that experience did not influence the perceived ease of use, on the other hand perceived usefulness has a positif influence toward users attitude and behavior in using Sikesya, while the perceived ease of use did not influence the users atttitude and  behavior at all, since the students would still use it as it is an application used as part of university services. The attitude and behavior did not influence the behavioral intention, whereas the social influence has a positif effect on behavioral intention, yet the behavioral intention gave positif impact to user’s behavior. On the other hand, facilitating condition has no effect toward users’ behavior.   Keywords: Sharia Financial System (SIKESYA, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM, IAIN Surakarta

Factors influencing nurses' acceptance of hospital information systems in Iran: application of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.

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Sharifian, Roxana; Askarian, Fatemeh; Nematolahi, Mohtaram; Farhadi, Payam

User acceptance is a precondition for successful implementation of hospital information systems (HISs). Increasing investment in information technology by healthcare organisations internationally has made user acceptance an important issue in technology implementation and management. Despite the increased focus on hospital information systems, there continues to be user resistance. The present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting hospital information systems nurse-user acceptance of HISs, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), in the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences teaching hospitals. A descriptive-analytical research design was employed to study nurses' adoption and use of HISs. Data collection was undertaken using a cross-sectional survey of nurses (n=303). The research model was examined using the LISREL path confirmatory modeling. The results demonstrated that the nurses' behavioural intention (BI) to use hospital information systems was predicted by Performance Expectancy (PE) (β= 2.34, pExpectancy (EE) (β= 2.21, pexpectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions, with performance expectancy having the strongest effect on user intention.

UTAUT2 Based Predictions of Factors Influencing the Technology Acceptance of Phablets by DNP

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Chi-Yo Huang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The smart mobile devices have emerged during the past decade and have become one of the most dominant consumer electronic products. Therefore, exploring and understanding the factors which can influence the acceptance of novel mobile technology have become the essential task for the vendors and distributors of mobile devices. The Phablets, integrated smart devices combining the functionality and characteristics of both tablet PCs and smart phones, have gradually become possible alternatives for smart phones. Therefore, predicting factors which can influence the acceptance of Phablets have become indispensable for designing, manufacturing, and marketing of such mobile devices. However, such predictions are not easy. Meanwhile, very few researches tried to study related issues. Consequently, the authors aim to explore and predict the intentions to use and use behaviors of Phablets. The second generation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2 is introduced as a theoretic basis. The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL based Network Process (DNP will be used to construct the analytic framework. In light of the analytic results, the causal relationships being derived by the DEMATEL demonstrate the direct influence of the habit on other dimensions. Also, based on the influence weights being derived, the use intention, hedonic motivation, and performance expectancy are the most important dimensions. The analytic results can serve as a basis for concept developments, marketing strategy definitions, and new product designs of the future Phablets. The proposed analytic framework can also be used for predicting and analyzing consumers’ preferences toward future mobile devices.

Decentralised water systems: emotional influences on resource decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Mankad, Aditi

2012-09-01

The study of emotion has gathered momentum in the field of environmental science, specifically in the context of community resource decision-making. Of particular interest in this review is the potential influence of emotion, risk and threat perception on individuals' decisions to acceptance and adopt decentralised water systems, such as rainwater tanks and greywater systems. The role of message framing is also considered in detail, as well as the influences that different types of framing can have on decision making. These factors are considered as possible predictors for analysing community acceptance of decentralised water in urban environments. Concepts believed to be influenced by emotion, such as trust and framing, are also discussed as potentially meaningful contributors to an overall model of community acceptance of decentralised water. Recommendations are made for how emotion-based concepts, such as risk and threat, can be targeted to facilitate widespread adoption of decentralised systems and how researchers can explore different types of emotions that influence decision making in distinct ways. This review is an important theoretical step in advancing the psycho-social understanding of acceptance and adoption of on-site water sources. Avenues for future research are recommended, including the need for greater theoretical development to encourage future social science research on decentralised systems. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MEASUREMENT FOR ACCEPTANCE OF SUPPLY CHAIN SIMULATOR APPLICATION USING TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL

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Mulyati E.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research for was to measure the user acceptance of simulator application which was built as a tool for student in learning of supply chain, particularly in bullwhip effect problem. The measurements used for the acceptance of supply chain simulator application in this research was the Technology Acceptance Model from 162 samples which were analyzed with Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling. The result of this research indicated that the user acceptance (shown by customer participation of supply chain simulator was directly influence by perceived usefulness of supply chain simulator application used (positive and significant; the user acceptance of supply chain simulator was indirectly influenced by perceived ease of use in using supply chain simulator application (positive but not significant; the user acceptance of supply chain simulator was indirectly influenced by perceived enjoyment when the supply chain simulator application was used. The research would give a better understanding about a bullwhip effect and better experience for students, which would not be obtained through conventional learning, when the tools were not used.

Estimating and mapping ecological processes influencing microbial community assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Stegen, James C; Lin, Xueju; Fredrickson, Jim K; Konopka, Allan E

2015-01-01

Ecological community assembly is governed by a combination of (i) selection resulting from among-taxa differences in performance; (ii) dispersal resulting from organismal movement; and (iii) ecological drift resulting from stochastic changes in population sizes. The relative importance and nature of these processes can vary across environments. Selection can be homogeneous or variable, and while dispersal is a rate, we conceptualize extreme dispersal rates as two categories; dispersal limitation results from limited exchange of organisms among communities, and homogenizing dispersal results from high levels of organism exchange. To estimate the influence and spatial variation of each process we extend a recently developed statistical framework, use a simulation model to evaluate the accuracy of the extended framework, and use the framework to examine subsurface microbial communities over two geologic formations. For each subsurface community we estimate the degree to which it is influenced by homogeneous selection, variable selection, dispersal limitation, and homogenizing dispersal. Our analyses revealed that the relative influences of these ecological processes vary substantially across communities even within a geologic formation. We further identify environmental and spatial features associated with each ecological process, which allowed mapping of spatial variation in ecological-process-influences. The resulting maps provide a new lens through which ecological systems can be understood; in the subsurface system investigated here they revealed that the influence of variable selection was associated with the rate at which redox conditions change with subsurface depth.

Estimating and Mapping Ecological Processes Influencing Microbial Community Assembly

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James C Stegen

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Ecological community assembly is governed by a combination of (i selection resulting from among-taxa differences in performance; (ii dispersal resulting from organismal movement; and (iii ecological drift resulting from stochastic changes in population sizes. The relative importance and nature of these processes can vary across environments. Selection can be homogeneous or variable, and while dispersal is a rate, we conceptualize extreme dispersal rates as two categories; dispersal limitation results from limited exchange of organisms among communities, and homogenizing dispersal results from high levels of organism exchange. To estimate the influence and spatial variation of each process we extend a recently developed statistical framework, use a simulation model to evaluate the accuracy of the extended framework, and use the framework to examine subsurface microbial communities over two geologic formations. For each subsurface community we estimate the degree to which it is influenced by homogeneous selection, variable selection, dispersal limitation, and homogenizing dispersal. Our analyses revealed that the relative influences of these ecological processes vary substantially across communities even within a geologic formation. We further identify environmental and spatial features associated with each ecological process, which allowed mapping of spatial variation in ecological-process-influences. The resulting maps provide a new lens through which ecological systems can be understood; in the subsurface system investigated here they revealed that the influence of variable selection was associated with the rate at which redox conditions change with subsurface depth.

Influences on parental acceptance of HPV vaccination in demonstration projects in Uganda and Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Galagan, Sean R; Paul, Proma; Menezes, Lysander; LaMontagne, D Scott

2013-06-26

This study investigates the effect of communication strategies on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in HPV vaccine demonstration projects in Uganda and Vietnam. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from surveys of a representative sample of parents and guardians of girls eligible for HPV vaccine, measuring three-dose coverage achieved in demonstration projects in 2008-2010. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis calculated the unadjusted and adjusted odds of receiving at least one dose of HPV vaccine depending on exposure to community influencers; information, education, and communication (IEC) channels; and demographic factors. This study found that exposure to community influencers was associated with HPV vaccine uptake in a multivariate model controlling for other factors. Exposure to non-interactive IEC channels was only marginally associated with HPV vaccine uptake. These results underscore the need of HPV vaccine programs in low- and middle-income countries to involve and utilize key community influencers and stakeholders to maximize HPV vaccine uptake. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Client Risk and The Audit Planning: Influence of Acceptance of Audit Engagement

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Deby Suryani

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study briefly aims to extend the relationship between client risks with the audit planning by proposes the acceptance of audit engagement as a mediate variable to fill a gap research, furthermore to determine the effect of client risk toward the audit planning in Public Accounting Firm in Jakarta, Indonesia. This research is a quantitative causal with primary data obtained by questionnaires. The population of this study is the auditors of Public Accounting Firm registered in the Directory Indonesian Institute of Accountants (Certified 2016 in Jakarta and to obtain the sample used purposive sampling technique and obtained samples of 197 respondents from 45 Public Accounting Firms spread in Jakarta. The analysis of data is using Structural Equation Modeling. The results of this research shows; (1. The Client risks directly may affect the audit planning in a positive but not significantly, (2. The Client risk directly affects the acceptance of audit positively and significantly, (3. The acceptance of audit engagement has positively and significantly influence on audit planning. Therefore the acceptance of audit engagement perfectly can act as mediate variable between client's risks with the audit planning, whereas the acceptance of audit engagement indicated by Time Budget Pressure, Audit Fee. Letter of Auditing and all indicator have a high loading factor.

Characteristics of Patients Accepting and Declining Participation in a Transition of Care Service Provided by a Community Pharmacy

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Julianne M Kowalski, PharmD

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To identify characteristics of patients who accepted or declined an appointment for a transition of care service provided by an independent community pharmacist and identify the most common reasons patients declined the service. Methods: A transition of care service was offered by a community pharmacy to patients discharged to home from the cardiac unit of a local hospital. The community pharmacist approached patients prior to discharge for recruitment into the service. Outcomes included service acceptance rate, LACE score at discharge, readmission risk category, age, gender, geographic home location, and reason for refusing the service. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to compare characteristics between those who accepted or declined the service. Reasons for decline were assessed using content analysis. Results: Of the 87 patients that were included in the analysis, 21 patients received the transitions of care service (24.1%. None of the characteristics were found to be statistically significant between patients who received or declined the service. Patients at a moderate risk for readmission seemed more likely to accept the pharmacist-run appointment than those at high risk (27.9% vs 15.3%; P = 0.29. Of the 66 patients who declined, 51 gave a reason (77.3%. Thirty-nine patients saw no benefit (76.5%, five patients had perceived barriers (10%, and seven patients gave reasons that fell into both categories (13.5%. Conclusions: This evaluation did not find a statistically significant difference in characteristics between those patients who accepted or declined participation in a pharmacist-run transition of care service. Patients may be less likely to accept pharmacist-run transition of care appointments primarily due to no perceived benefits. To increase participation, we need to understand the patient’s health beliefs, educate patients on pharmacy services, and implement changes to recruit potential

Factors that influence consumers' acceptance of future energy systems : the effects of adjustment type, production level, and price

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leijten, Fenna R. M.; Bolderdijk, Jan Willem; Keizer, Kees; Gorsira, Madelijne; van der Werff, Ellen; Steg, Linda

2014-01-01

To promote the successful introduction of sustainable energy systems, more insight is needed into factors influencing consumer's acceptance of future energy systems. A questionnaire study among 139 Dutch citizens (aged 18-85) was conducted. Participants rated the acceptability of energy systems made

A Distributive Model of Treatment Acceptability

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Stacy L.

2008-01-01

A model of treatment acceptability is proposed that distributes overall treatment acceptability into three separate categories of influence. The categories are comprised of societal influences, consultant influences, and influences associated with consumers of treatments. Each of these categories are defined and their inter-relationships within…

Social acceptability and perceived impact of a community-led cash transfer programme in Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Skovdal, Morten; Mushati, Phyllis; Robertson, Laura; Munyati, Shungu; Sherr, Lorraine; Nyamukapa, Constance; Gregson, Simon

2013-04-15

Cash transfer programmes are increasingly recognised as promising and scalable interventions that can promote the health and development of children. However, concerns have been raised about the potential for cash transfers to contribute to social division, jealousy and conflict at a community level. Against this background, and in our interest to promote community participation in cash transfer programmes, we examine local perceptions of a community-led cash transfer programme in Eastern Zimbabwe. We collected and analysed data from 35 individual interviews and three focus group discussions, involving 24 key informants (community committee members and programme implementers), 24 cash transfer beneficiaries, of which four were youth, and 14 non-beneficiaries. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis and coding to generate concepts. Study participants described the programme as participatory, fair and transparent - reducing the likelihood of jealousy. The programme was perceived to have had a substantial impact on children's health and education, primarily through aiding parents and guardians to better cater for their children's needs. Moreover, participants alluded to the potential of the programme to facilitate more transformational change, for example by enabling families to invest money in assets and income generating activities and by promoting a community-wide sense of responsibility for the support of orphaned and vulnerable children. Community participation, combined with the perceived impact of the cash transfer programme, led community members to speak enthusiastically about the programme. We conclude that community-led cash transfer programmes have the potential to open up for possibilities of participation and community agency that enable social acceptability and limit social divisiveness.

Public acceptance and willingness-to-pay for a future dengue vaccine: a community-based survey in Bandung, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadisoemarto, Panji Fortuna; Castro, Marcia C

2013-01-01

All four serotypes of dengue virus are endemic in Indonesia, where the population at risk for infection exceeds 200 million people. Despite continuous control efforts that were initiated more than four decades ago, Indonesia still suffers from multi-annual cycles of dengue outbreak and dengue remains as a major public health problem. Dengue vaccines have been viewed as a promising solution for controlling dengue in Indonesia, but thus far its potential acceptability has not been assessed. We conducted a household survey in the city of Bandung, Indonesia by administering a questionnaire to examine (i) acceptance of a hypothetical pediatric dengue vaccine; (ii) participant's willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the vaccine, had it not been provided for free; and (iii) whether people think vector control would be unnecessary if the vaccine was available. A proportional odds model and an interval regression model were employed to identify determinants of acceptance and WTP, respectively. We demonstrated that out of 500 heads of household being interviewed, 94.2% would agree to vaccinate their children with the vaccine. Of all participants, 94.6% were willing to pay for the vaccine with a median WTP of US$1.94. In addition, 7.2% stated that vector control would not be necessary had there been a dengue vaccination program. Our results suggest that future dengue vaccines can have a very high uptake even when delivered through the private market. This, however, can be influenced by vaccine characteristics and price. In addition, reduction in community vector control efforts may be observed following vaccine introduction but its potential impact in the transmission of dengue and other vector-borne diseases requires further study.

Public acceptance and willingness-to-pay for a future dengue vaccine: a community-based survey in Bandung, Indonesia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panji Fortuna Hadisoemarto

Full Text Available All four serotypes of dengue virus are endemic in Indonesia, where the population at risk for infection exceeds 200 million people. Despite continuous control efforts that were initiated more than four decades ago, Indonesia still suffers from multi-annual cycles of dengue outbreak and dengue remains as a major public health problem. Dengue vaccines have been viewed as a promising solution for controlling dengue in Indonesia, but thus far its potential acceptability has not been assessed.We conducted a household survey in the city of Bandung, Indonesia by administering a questionnaire to examine (i acceptance of a hypothetical pediatric dengue vaccine; (ii participant's willingness-to-pay (WTP for the vaccine, had it not been provided for free; and (iii whether people think vector control would be unnecessary if the vaccine was available. A proportional odds model and an interval regression model were employed to identify determinants of acceptance and WTP, respectively. We demonstrated that out of 500 heads of household being interviewed, 94.2% would agree to vaccinate their children with the vaccine. Of all participants, 94.6% were willing to pay for the vaccine with a median WTP of US$1.94. In addition, 7.2% stated that vector control would not be necessary had there been a dengue vaccination program.Our results suggest that future dengue vaccines can have a very high uptake even when delivered through the private market. This, however, can be influenced by vaccine characteristics and price. In addition, reduction in community vector control efforts may be observed following vaccine introduction but its potential impact in the transmission of dengue and other vector-borne diseases requires further study.

Acceptability of Mental Health Apps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Povey, Josie; Mills, Patj Patj Janama Robert; Dingwall, Kylie Maree; Lowell, Anne; Singer, Judy; Rotumah, Darlene; Bennett-Levy, James; Nagel, Tricia

2016-03-11

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience high rates of mental illness and psychological distress compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. E-mental health tools offer an opportunity for accessible, effective, and acceptable treatment. The AIMhi Stay Strong app and the ibobbly suicide prevention app are treatment tools designed to combat the disproportionately high levels of mental illness and stress experienced within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. This study aimed to explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members' experiences of using two culturally responsive e-mental health apps and identify factors that influence the acceptability of these approaches. Using qualitative methods aligned with a phenomenological approach, we explored the acceptability of two culturally responsive e-mental health apps through a series of three 3-hour focus groups with nine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members. Thematic analysis was conducted and coresearcher and member checking were used to verify findings. Findings suggest strong support for the concept of e-mental health apps and optimism for their potential. Factors that influenced acceptability related to three key themes: personal factors (eg, motivation, severity and awareness of illness, technological competence, and literacy and language differences), environmental factors (eg, community awareness, stigma, and availability of support), and app characteristics (eg, ease of use, content, graphics, access, and security and information sharing). Specific adaptations, such as local production, culturally relevant content and graphics, a purposeful journey, clear navigation, meaningful language, options to assist people with language differences, offline use, and password protection may aid uptake. When designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, e-mental health tools add an important element to public health

Electronic alerts and clinician turnover: the influence of user acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hysong, Sylvia J; Spitzmuller, Christiane; Espadas, Donna; Sittig, Dean F; Singh, Hardeep

2014-11-01

Use of certain components of electronic health records (EHRs), such as EHR-based alerting systems (EASs), might reduce provider satisfaction, a strong precursor to turnover. We examined the impact of factors likely to influence providers' acceptance of an alerting system, designed to facilitate electronic communication in outpatient settings, on provider satisfaction, intentions to quit, and turnover. We conducted a cross-sectional Web-based survey of EAS-related practices from a nationwide sample of primary care providers (PCPs) practicing at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. Of 5001 invited VA PCPs, 2590 completed the survey. We relied on Venkatesh's Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to create survey measures of 4 factors likely to impact user acceptance of EAS: supportive norms, monitoring/ feedback, training, and providers' perceptions of the value (PPOV) of EASs to provider effectiveness. Facility-level PCP turnover was measured via the VA's Service Support Center Human Resources Cube. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. After accounting for intercorrelations among predictors, monitoring/feedback regarding EASs significantly predicted intention to quit (b = 0.30, P < .01), and PPOV of EASs predicted both overall provider satisfaction (b = 0.58, P < .01) and facility-level provider turnover levels (b = -0.19, P < .05), all without relying on any intervening mechanisms. Design, implementation, and use of EASs might impact provider satisfaction and retention. Institutions should consider strategies to help providers perceive greater value in these clinical tools.

The Influence of External User Interdependence of Financial Statements, Possibility of Clients Facing Financial Difficulties, and Auditor Evaluation of Management Integrity To Acceptable Audit Risk.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andini Sih Afsari Utami

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to analyze. Analyses the influence of external users reliance on financial statements, likelihood of financial difficulties and management integrity toward acceptable audit risk were performed with 10 public accountant office who had listed from Direktorat IAPI 2013. The sample used the “Gay” theory. The analyzed method in this research uses multiple linear. The result shown that performing external users reliance on financial statements significantly influences toward acceptable audit risk, likelihood of financial difficulties significantly influences toward acceptable audit risk, and management integrity significantly influences toward acceptable audit risk.

Wind power: basic challenge concerning social acceptance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolsink, M.; Meyers, R.A.

2012-01-01

This reference article gives an overview of social acceptance (acceptance by all relevant actors in society) of all relevant aspects of implementation and diffusion of wind power. In social acceptance three dimensions of acceptance are distinguished (socio-political -; community -; market

Sediment Microbial Communities Influenced by Cool Hydrothermal Fluid Migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura A. Zinke

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Cool hydrothermal systems (CHSs are prevalent across the seafloor and discharge fluid volumes that rival oceanic input from rivers, yet the microbial ecology of these systems are poorly constrained. The Dorado Outcrop on the ridge flank of the Cocos Plate in the northeastern tropical Pacific Ocean is the first confirmed CHS, discharging minimally altered <15°C fluid from the shallow lithosphere through diffuse venting and seepage. In this paper, we characterize the resident sediment microbial communities influenced by cool hydrothermal advection, which is evident from nitrate and oxygen concentrations. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Thaumarchaea, Proteobacteria, and Planctomycetes were the most abundant phyla in all sediments across the system regardless of influence from seepage. Members of the Thaumarchaeota (Marine Group I, Alphaproteobacteria (Rhodospirillales, Nitrospirae, Nitrospina, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes were enriched in the sediments influenced by CHS advection. Of the various geochemical parameters investigated, nitrate concentrations correlated best with microbial community structure, indicating structuring based on seepage of nitrate-rich fluids. A comparison of microbial communities from hydrothermal sediments, seafloor basalts, and local seawater at Dorado Outcrop showed differences that highlight the distinct niche space in CHS. Sediment microbial communities from Dorado Outcrop differ from those at previously characterized, warmer CHS sediment, but are similar to deep-sea sediment habitats with surficial ferromanganese nodules, such as the Clarion Clipperton Zone. We conclude that cool hydrothermal venting at seafloor outcrops can alter the local sedimentary oxidation–reduction pathways, which in turn influences the microbial communities within the fluid discharge affected sediment.

Who accepts a rapid HIV antibody test? The role of race/ethnicity and HIV risk behavior among community adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Swenson, Rebecca R; Hadley, Wendy S; Houck, Christopher D; Dance, S Kwame; Brown, Larry K

2011-05-01

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening in health care settings for all individuals aged 13-64 years; however, overall testing rates among adolescents still continue to remain low. This study examined factors related to the acceptance of HIV testing among an at-risk sample of ethnically/racially diverse community adolescents. Adolescents aged 15-21 (N = 81) years were recruited from community-based youth organizations to complete HIV risk assessment surveys. After the completion of the survey, participants were offered a free OraQuick rapid HIV antibody test. More than half (53.1%) of the participants accepted the test, with the black population being more likely to accept testing as compared to Latinos (75% vs. 39%). After controlling for race/ethnicity, significant predictors of test acceptance included history of sexual intercourse (OR = 5.43), having only one sexual partner in the past 3 months (OR = 4.88), not always using a condom with a serious partner (OR = 3.94), and not using a condom during last sexual encounter (OR = 4.75). Given that many adolescents are willing to know their HIV status, policies that support free or low-cost routine testing may lead to higher rates of case identification among youth. However, approaches must be developed to increase test acceptance among Latino adolescents and teenagers with multiple sexual partners. Copyright © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael Krabbe; Fordyce, James A.

2012-01-01

pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that the definition of the source pool influences interpretations of patterns of community structure. We use...... of communities along climatic gradients. We find that the average phylogenetic relatedness of species in ant communities decreases from tropical to temperate regions, but the strength of this relationship depends on the level of ecological realism in the definition of source pools. We conclude that the evolution...... of climatic niches influences the phylogenetic structure of regional source pools and that the influence of regional source pools on local community structure is strong....

Students perceive healthcare as a valuable learning environment when accepted as a part of the workplace community.

Science.gov (United States)

Hägg-Martinell, Ann; Hult, Håkan; Henriksson, Peter; Kiessling, Anna

2014-01-01

The healthcare system is complex and the education of medical and nursing students is not always a priority within it. However, education offered at the point of care provides students with opportunities to apply knowledge, and to develop the necessary skills and attitudes needed to practice their future profession. The major objective of this study was to identify students' views of generic aspects of the healthcare environment that influences their progress towards professional competence. We collected free text answers of 75 medical students and 23 nursing students who had completed an extensive questionnaire concerning their learning in clinical wards. In order to obtain richer data and a deeper understanding, we also interviewed a purposive sample of students. Qualitative content analysis was conducted. We identified three themes: (1) How management, planning and organising for learning enabled content and learning activities to relate to the syllabus and workplace, and how this management influenced space and resources for supervision and learning; (2) Workplace culture elucidated how hierarchies and communication affected student learning and influenced their professional development and (3) Learning a profession illustrated the importance of supervisors' approaches to students, their enthusiasm and ability to build relationships, and their feedback to students on performance. From a student perspective, a valuable learning environment is characterised as one where management, planning and organising are aligned and support learning. Students experience a professional growth when the community of practice accepts them, and competent and enthusiastic supervisors give them opportunities to interact with patients and to develop their own responsibilities.

How Consumers Persuade Each Other: Rhetorical Strategies of Interpersonal Influence in Online Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daiane Scaraboto

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Persuasive messages are central to interpersonal influence in online communities, where consumers interact mainly through text. We employed a combination of netnography and computer-mediated discourse analysis to investigate how consumers exchange information related to products and brands in an online community. We identified a set of rhetorical strategies used by community members, including setting expectations, claiming expertise, prescribing, and celebrating acquiescence. Consumers employ these rhetorical strategies to influence each other's consumption decisions, report consumption decisions back to the community, and to gauge their influence on each other's choices. We compare this process to traditional types of interpersonal influence and discuss how our findings contribute to advancing the burgeoning literature on interpersonal influence in online contexts.

Factors influencing perceived sustainability of Dutch community health programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeer, A. J. M.; van Assema, P.; Hesdahl, B.; Harting, J.; de Vries, N. K.

2015-01-01

We assessed the perceived sustainability of community health programs organized by local intersectoral coalitions, as well as the factors that collaborating partners think might influence sustainability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 31 collaborating partners of 5 community health

Focus groups to increase the cultural acceptability of a contingency management intervention for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirchak, Katherine A; Leickly, Emily; Herron, Jalene; Shaw, Jennifer; Skalisky, Jordan; Dirks, Lisa G; Avey, Jaedon P; McPherson, Sterling; Nepom, Jenny; Donovan, Dennis; Buchwald, Dedra; McDonell, Michael G

2018-07-01

Many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people seek evidence-based, cost-effective, and culturally acceptable solutions for treating alcohol use disorders. Contingency management (CM) is a feasible, low-cost approach to treating alcohol use disorders that uses "reinforcers" to promote and support alcohol abstinence. CM has not been evaluated among AI/AN communities. This study explored the cultural acceptability of CM and adapted it for use in diverse AI/AN communities. We conducted a total of nine focus groups in three AI/AN communities: a rural reservation, an urban health clinic, and a large Alaska Native healthcare system. Respondents included adults in recovery, adults with current drinking problems, service providers, and other interested community members (n = 61). Focus group questions centered on the cultural appropriateness of "reinforcers" used to incentivize abstinence and the cultural acceptability of the intervention. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded independently by two study team members using both a priori and emergent codes. We then analyzed coded data. Across all three locations, focus group participants described the importance of providing both culturally specific (e.g., bead work and cultural art work supplies), as well as practical (e.g., gas cards and bus passes) reinforcers. Focus group participants underscored the importance of providing reinforcers for the children and family of intervention participants to assist with reengaging with family and rebuilding trust that may have been damaged during alcohol use. Respondents indicated that they believed CM was in alignment with AI/AN cultural values. There was consensus that Elders or a well-respected community member implementing this intervention would enhance participation. Focus group participants emphasized use of the local AI/AN language, in addition to the inclusion of appropriate cultural symbols and imagery in the delivery of the intervention. A CM

Vertebrate herbivores influence soil nematodes by modifying plant communities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veen, G. F. (Ciska); Olff, Han; Duyts, Henk; van der Putten, Wim H.

Abiotic soil properties, plant community composition, and herbivory all have been reported as important factors influencing the composition of soil communities. However, most studies thus far have considered these factors in isolation, whereas they strongly interact in the field. Here, we study how

Social trust, risk perceptions and public acceptance of recycled water: testing a social-psychological model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Victoria L; Fielding, Kelly S; Louis, Winnifred R

2014-05-01

Faced with a severe drought, the residents of the regional city of Toowoomba, in South East Queensland, Australia were asked to consider a potable wastewater reuse scheme to supplement drinking water supplies. As public risk perceptions and trust have been shown to be key factors in acceptance of potable reuse projects, this research developed and tested a social-psychological model of trust, risk perceptions and acceptance. Participants (N = 380) were surveyed a few weeks before a referendum was held in which residents voted against the controversial scheme. Analysis using structural equation modelling showed that the more community members perceived that the water authority used fair procedures (e.g., consulting with the community and providing accurate information), the greater their sense of shared identity with the water authority. Shared social identity in turn influenced trust via increased source credibility, that is, perceptions that the water authority is competent and has the community's interest at heart. The findings also support past research showing that higher levels of trust in the water authority were associated with lower perceptions of risk, which in turn were associated with higher levels of acceptance, and vice versa. The findings have a practical application for improving public acceptance of potable recycled water schemes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Acceptability and Perceived Impacts of a Mandatory ePortfolio Implemented by an Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Vachon, Brigitte; Foucault, Marie-Lyse; Giguère, Charles-Édouard; Rochette, Annie; Thomas, Aliki; Morel, Martine

2018-01-01

The use of ePortfolios has been implemented in several regulatory organizations to encourage clinicians' engagement in continuing professional development (CPD). However, their use has achieved mixed success, and multiple personal and contextual factors can influence their impacts on practice change. The aim of this study was to identify which factors influence the acceptability and perceived impacts of an ePortfolio implemented by an occupational therapy regulatory organization in one Canadian province. A cross-sectional online survey design was used. The survey was sent to registered occupational therapists in Quebec. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing acceptability and outcomes: ease of use, satisfaction, impact on implementation of the CPD plan, and competence improvement. The survey was fully completed by 546 participants. Factors significantly influencing the ePortfolio acceptability and perceived impacts were attitude toward and familiarity with the portfolio, confidence in reflective skills, engagement in the CPD plan, and desire for feedback. Time spent completing the ePortfolio and the fact of completing it in teams were negatively associated with the outcomes. Shaping more favorable user attitudes, helping users recognize and experience the tool's benefits for their practice, and fostering confidence in their reflective skills are important factors that can be addressed to improve ePortfolio acceptability and outcomes. Contextual factors, such as time spent completing the ePortfolio and completing it in teams, seem to reflect greater difficulty with using the tool. Study findings can contribute to improving ePortfolio implementation in the CPD context.

Factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Wynaden, Dianne; Chapman, Rose; Orb, Angelica; McGowan, Sunita; Zeeman, Zenith; Yeak, SiewHo

2005-06-01

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study to identify factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care and how mental health care is delivered to them. Semistructured interviews were completed with Asian community members/leaders and health-care professionals. Content analysis identified major themes. Participants also completed a demographic data sheet. The research aimed to provide health professionals with an increased understanding of the values and beliefs held by people from Asian communities regarding the cause and treatment of mental illness. Data analysis identified six main themes that influenced Asian communities' access to mental health care and how mental health care is delivered to them. They were: shame and stigma; causes of mental illness; family reputation; hiding up; seeking help; and lack of collaboration. The findings highlighted that people from Asian communities are unwilling to access help from mainstream services because of their beliefs, and that stigma and shame are key factors that influence this reluctance. The findings also highlight that the mental health needs of refugee women are significant, and that they comprise a vulnerable group within Australian society.

How anchoring and adjusting influence citizens' acceptance of video-mediated crime reporting : A narrative approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoefnagel, R.J.M.; Oerlemans, L.A.G.; Goedee, J.

2014-01-01

This study aims to deepen our understanding of specific processes influencing technology acceptance. To reach this goal, we developed a process model from 36 narrative interviews taken from citizens who had their first experience with crime reporting through video-mediated communication technology.

A Political Analysis of Community Influence over School Closure

Science.gov (United States)

Finnigan, Kara S.; Lavner, Mark

2012-01-01

This study seeks to understand community member participation in and influence over an urban school district's school closure process. Data from interviews with School Board members, district administrators, and community members, as well as district documents and newspaper articles suggest that district administrators limited participation…

Public acceptance of small reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDougall, D.S.

1997-01-01

The success of any nuclear program requires acceptance by the local public and all levels of government involved in the decision to initiate a reactor program. Public acceptance of a nuclear energy source is a major challenge in successful initiation of a small reactor program. In AECL's experience, public acceptance will not be obtained until the public is convinced that the specific nuclear program is needed, safe and economic and environmental benefit to the community. The title of public acceptance is misleading. The objective of the program is a fully informed public. The program proponent cannot force public acceptance, which is beyond his control. He can, however, ensure that the public is informed. Once information has begun to flow to the public by various means as will be explained later, the proponent is responsible to ensure that the information that is provided by him and by others is accurate. Most importantly, and perhaps most difficult to accomplish, the proponent must develop a consultative process that allows the proponent and the public to agree on actions that are acceptable to the proponent and the community

Understanding contextual influences of community reintegration among injured servicemembers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Brent L; McGuire, Francis A; Linder, Sandra M; Britt, Thomas W

2015-01-01

As part of a larger mixed-methods research project investigating the influence of contextual factors on community reintegration (CR), this qualitative study sought to understand the subjective experiences of injured servicemembers and their perception of how contextual factors influenced their CR. More specifically, this article addresses how the influences of contextual factors differ between injured servicemembers with different levels of CR. Using a phenomenological framework, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine injured, community-dwelling servicemembers with low, moderate, and high levels of CR (three per category). Participants provided in-depth descriptions of the contextual barriers and facilitators of CR. Thematic analysis indicated the importance of social support and personal factors (e.g., self-efficacy, personal motivation) as the primary means for being reintegrated into their homes and communities. Other themes indicated factors that had an indirect but important influence on CR, including adapted sports, recreation, and other social programs; rehabilitation programs and therapists; school, work, and volunteering; and organizations and policies in developing social supports and personal factors. Comparisons between servicemembers indicated participants with low CR described many more contextual barriers and far fewer contextual facilitators to reintegration than those with high CR. Those with moderate CR were unique in that they described many facilitators and barriers to reintegration.

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael K; Fordyce, James A; Rahbek, Carsten; Weiser, Michael D; Dunn, Robert R; Sanders, Nathan J

2012-01-22

There is a long tradition in ecology of evaluating the relative contribution of the regional species pool and local interactions on the structure of local communities. Similarly, a growing number of studies assess the phylogenetic structure of communities, relative to that in the regional species pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that the definition of the source pool influences interpretations of patterns of community structure. We use a continent-wide dataset of local ant communities and implement ecologically explicit source pool definitions to examine the relative importance of regional species pools and local interactions for shaping community structure. Then we assess which factors underlie systematic variation in the structure of communities along climatic gradients. We find that the average phylogenetic relatedness of species in ant communities decreases from tropical to temperate regions, but the strength of this relationship depends on the level of ecological realism in the definition of source pools. We conclude that the evolution of climatic niches influences the phylogenetic structure of regional source pools and that the influence of regional source pools on local community structure is strong.

The rise of community wind power in Japan: Enhanced acceptance through social innovation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maruyama, Yasushi [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Technology (AIST), Energy Technology Research Institute, Namiki 1-2-1, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki (Japan); Nishikido, Makoto [Hosei University, Faculty of Humanity and Environment, Fujimi 2-17-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Iida, Tetsunari [Institute Sustainable Energy Policies, Nakano 4-7-3, Nakano-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

2007-05-15

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the socio-economic dynamics that are brought about by renewable energy technologies. We call this dynamic ''Social Innovation'' as it changes the rules of risk-benefit distribution and the roles of social actors. For this purpose, we take up a typical case in Japan, community wind power in which the initial cost is funded by the investment of citizens. Through this case study, we examine how the citizens' initiative can affect the social acceptance of renewable energy as well as social change. Based on interviews with those involved in these projects, we analyze the interests of the various actors involved in community wind power projects in a framework of ''actor network theory'', which enables us to understand the detail of each actor's position. This study also involved a quantitative survey of investors. The case study clarified that there was a remarkable difference in the interests of the main actors in the community wind power projects, the networks are complex and actors share various interests such as economic interests and a sense of social commitment, participation and contribution. These incentives are also clarified in quantitative data. However, the variety of incentives differs in each project. (author)

The rise of community wind power in Japan: Enhanced acceptance through social innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, Yasushi; Nishikido, Makoto; Iida, Tetsunari

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the socio-economic dynamics that are brought about by renewable energy technologies. We call this dynamic 'Social Innovation' as it changes the rules of risk-benefit distribution and the roles of social actors. For this purpose, we take up a typical case in Japan, community wind power in which the initial cost is funded by the investment of citizens. Through this case study, we examine how the citizens' initiative can affect the social acceptance of renewable energy as well as social change. Based on interviews with those involved in these projects, we analyze the interests of the various actors involved in community wind power projects in a framework of 'actor network theory', which enables us to understand the detail of each actor's position. This study also involved a quantitative survey of investors. The case study clarified that there was a remarkable difference in the interests of the main actors in the community wind power projects, the networks are complex and actors share various interests such as economic interests and a sense of social commitment, participation and contribution. These incentives are also clarified in quantitative data. However, the variety of incentives differs in each project

Influence of technological treatments on bacterial communities in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Influence of technological treatments on bacterial communities in tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) as determined by 16S rDNA fingerprinting using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE)

The Influence On Factors In Attitudes Toward Acceptance Of The Information System Using Technology Acceptance Model TAM Case Study SPAN System In Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donny Maha Putra

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Theoretically and practically Technology Acceptance Model TAM is a model that is considered most appropriate in explaining how the user receives a system. This study aimed to analyze the factors that influence the attitudes towards the acceptance of Sistem Perbendaharaan Anggaran Negara SPAN using TAM approach. The problems raised in this research aims to determine the attitude of the use of the transition process lagecy system to the new system which for many users create conflict in the process of adaptation. On the basis of this proposed theoretical models to test hypotheses using Structural Equation Model SEM and analysis tool using lisrel. This research was conducted in all offices DG of Treasury of Ministry of Finance with 210 respondents were chosen at random to represent each office. The results of this study prove 4 hypothesis is accepted from 8 hypothesis namely a a negative affect with the results demonstrabilty b computer self-efficacy with the output quality c computer self-efficacy with the perceived ease of use d perceived ease of use with the perceived of usefulness. Overall indicates that the application of the SPAN system in the Ministry of Finance of In Indonesia can be accepted by users.

Family Therapy in the Black Community.

Science.gov (United States)

McAdoo, John Lewis

The field of family therapy is a relatively new one, growing and gaining wider acceptance in the areas of social work, psychiatry, psychology, and community mental health. It has influenced the shift from individually oriented theory and techniques to a social systems approach, emphasizing the relationship between family members. While research…

Evaluating the influence of perceived organizational learning capability on user acceptance of information technology among operating room nurse staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chien-Ching; Lin, Shih-Pin; Yang, Shu-Ling; Tsou, Mei-Yung; Chang, Kuang-Yi

2013-03-01

Medical institutions are eager to introduce new information technology to improve patient safety and clinical efficiency. However, the acceptance of new information technology by medical personnel plays a key role in its adoption and application. This study aims to investigate whether perceived organizational learning capability (OLC) is associated with user acceptance of information technology among operating room nurse staff. Nurse anesthetists and operating room nurses were recruited in this questionnaire survey. A pilot study was performed to ensure the reliability and validity of the translated questionnaire, which consisted of 14 items from the four dimensions of OLC, and 16 items from the four constructs of user acceptance of information technology, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and behavioral intention. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied in the main survey to evaluate the construct validity of the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothetical relationships between the four dimensions of user acceptance of information technology and the second-ordered OLC. Goodness of fit of the hypothetic model was also assessed. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence positively influenced behavioral intention of users of the clinical information system (all p < 0.001) and accounted for 75% of its variation. The second-ordered OLC was positively associated with performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence (all p < 0.001). However, the hypothetic relationship between perceived OLC and behavioral intention was not significant (p = 0.87). The fit statistical analysis indicated reasonable model fit to data (root mean square error of approximation = 0.07 and comparative fit index = 0.91). Perceived OLC indirectly affects user behavioral intention through the mediation of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence in the operating room

Diatom community dynamics in a tropical, monsoon-influenced environment: West coast of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

DeCosta, P.M.; Anil, A.C.

Diatom communities are influenced by environmental perturbations, such as the monsoon system that impact the niche opportunities of species. To discern the influence of the monsoon system on diatom community structure, we sampled during two...

Determinants of human papillomavirus vaccine acceptability in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, Jennifer L; Wittet, Scott; Bartolini, Rosario M; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary M; Lazcano-Ponce, Eduardo; Lewis-Bell, Karen; Lewis, Merle J; Penny, Mary E

2008-08-19

Prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines provide promise as a key component of future cervical cancer prevention programs in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The successful introduction and acceptance of these vaccines will depend on a range of factors including awareness of cervical cancer as a problem, affordability of the vaccine, political will, competition with other vaccines, feasibility of vaccine delivery and acceptability of the vaccine among the range of groups who will influence uptake. While existing data about acceptability from Latin America and the Caribbean is scarce, it is clear that health policymakers, providers and the general public lack knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer. Furthermore, they would value more local epidemiologic data related to cervical cancer. Price is currently a major barrier to vaccine acceptability and a priority for advocacy. More research is required in Latin America and the Caribbean to determine what messages and strategies will work in these communities.

Social behavioural epistemology and the scientific community.

Science.gov (United States)

Watve, Milind

2017-07-01

The progress of science is influenced substantially by social behaviour of and social interactions within the scientific community. Similar to innovations in primate groups, the social acceptance of an innovation depends not only upon the relevance of the innovation but also on the social dominance and connectedness of the innovator. There are a number of parallels between many well-known phenomena in behavioural evolution and various behavioural traits observed in the scientific community. It would be useful, therefore, to use principles of behavioural evolution as hypotheses to study the social behaviour of the scientific community. I argue in this paper that a systematic study of social behavioural epistemology is likely to boost the progress of science by addressing several prevalent biases and other problems in scientific communication and by facilitating appropriate acceptance/rejection of novel concepts.

Patients’ Acceptance of Smartphone Health Technology for Chronic Disease Management: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Kaili; Yu, Ping; Liu, Fang; Guan, YingPing; Li, Zhenye; Ji, Yumeng; Du, Ningkai; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

2017-01-01

Background Chronic disease patients often face multiple challenges from difficult comorbidities. Smartphone health technology can be used to help them manage their conditions only if they accept and use the technology. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model to predict and explain the factors influencing patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Methods Multiple theories and factors that may influence patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology have been reviewed. A hybrid theoretical model was built based on the technology acceptance model, dual-factor model, health belief model, and the factors identified from interviews that might influence patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Data were collected from patient questionnaire surveys and computer log records about 157 hypertensive patients’ actual use of a smartphone health app. The partial least square method was used to test the theoretical model. Results The model accounted for .412 of the variance in patients’ intention to adopt the smartphone health technology. Intention to use accounted for .111 of the variance in actual use and had a significant weak relationship with the latter. Perceived ease of use was affected by patients’ smartphone usage experience, relationship with doctor, and self-efficacy. Although without a significant effect on intention to use, perceived ease of use had a significant positive influence on perceived usefulness. Relationship with doctor and perceived health threat had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness, countering the negative influence of resistance to change. Perceived usefulness, perceived health threat, and resistance to change significantly predicted patients’ intentions to use the technology. Age and gender had no significant influence on patients’ acceptance of smartphone technology. The study also

Factors influencing motivation and job satisfaction among supervisors of community health workers in marginalized communities in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Akintola, Olagoke; Chikoko, Gamuchirai

2016-01-01

Background Management and supervision of community health workers are factors that are?critical to the success of community health worker programmes. Yet few studies have explored the perspectives of supervisors in these programmes. This study explored factors influencing motivations of supervisors in community health worker programmes. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with 26 programme staff providing supervision to community health workers in eight community-based organizations i...

Community-based biological control of malaria mosquitoes using Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) in Rwanda: community awareness, acceptance and participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingabire, Chantal Marie; Hakizimana, Emmanuel; Rulisa, Alexis; Kateera, Fredrick; Van Den Borne, Bart; Muvunyi, Claude Mambo; Mutesa, Leon; Van Vugt, Michelle; Koenraadt, Constantianus J M; Takken, Willem; Alaii, Jane

2017-10-03

Targeting the aquatic stages of malaria vectors via larval source management (LSM) in collaboration with local communities could accelerate progress towards malaria elimination when deployed in addition to existing vector control strategies. However, the precise role that communities can assume in implementing such an intervention has not been fully investigated. This study investigated community awareness, acceptance and participation in a study that incorporated the socio-economic and entomological impact of LSM using Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) in eastern Rwanda, and identified challenges and recommendations for future scale-up. The implementation of the community-based LSM intervention took place in Ruhuha, Rwanda, from February to July 2015. The intervention included three arms: control, community-based (CB) and project-supervised (PS). Mixed methods were used to collect baseline and endline socio-economic data in January and October 2015. A high perceived safety and effectiveness of Bti was reported at the start of the intervention. Being aware of malaria symptoms and perceiving Bti as safe on other living organisms increased the likelihood of community participation through investment of labour time for Bti application. On the other hand, the likelihood for community participation was lower if respondents: (1) perceived rice farming as very profitable; (2) provided more money to the cooperative as a capital; and, (3) were already involved in rice farming for more than 6 years. After 6 months of implementation, an increase in knowledge and skills regarding Bti application was reported. The community perceived a reduction in mosquito density and nuisance biting on treated arms. Main operational, seasonal and geographical challenges included manual application of Bti, long working hours, and need for transportation for reaching the fields. Recommendations were made for future scale-up, including addressing above-mentioned concerns and

Increasing contraceptive acceptance through empowerment of female community health volunteers in rural Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Sarala

2002-06-01

The purpose of the study was to enhance contraceptive acceptance among currently-married women of reproductive age (CMWRA) through empowerment training of female community health volunteers (FCHVs). Seventeen FCHVs, who were working in Kakani Village Development Committee in the hills of central Nepal, attended an empowerment training that used participatory action research and reinforcement mechanisms. Following the training, the FCHVs were expected to empower the CMWRA to increase their contraceptive use. The impact of the intervention was assessed in a sample of 241 CMWRA, who were neither pregnant nor using contraceptives at the time of selection, by interviewing them before and six months after the intervention. The implementation of the intervention significantly increased the proportion of CMWRA knowing at least one contraceptive method (chi2(ldr)=71 .7, p=0.001). The use of modern contraceptives among the CMWRA from none before the intervention increased to 52.3% six months following the intervention. Satisfaction of the CMWRA with services provided by the FCHVs also significantly increased. The study concludes that empowerment training of FCHVs using participatory action research and peer reinforcement help increase the acceptance of contraceptives among CMWRA.

The influence of social constructs of hegemonic masculinity and sexual behaviour on acceptability of vaginal microbicides in Zambia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mweemba, Oliver; Dixey, Rachael; Bond, Virginia; White, Alan

2018-07-01

Vaginal microbicides are heralded as a woman's HIV prevention method. This study, conducted in a microbicide clinical trial setting in Zambia, explored how the social construction of masculinity and sexual behaviour influenced the acceptability of vaginal microbicides. The data were generated from 18 In-depth Interviews and 8 Focus Group Discussions. The data were analysed thematically. The study found that hegemonic masculinity influenced the use of vaginal microbicides positively and negatively, in multiple ways including: decision to initiate gel use, autonomous use of the gel, and consistent use of the gel. Men were seen as heads of households and decision-makers who approved their partners' intentions to initiate gel use. Autonomous gel use by women was not supported because it challenged men's dominant position in sexual matters and at a family level. The socially accepted notion that men engaged in multiple sexual relationships also influenced women's decision to use the gel. Sustained gel use depended on the perceived effect of the gel on men's sexual desires, sexual performance, fertility, and sexual behaviour. This study suggests that acceptability of microbicides partially lies within the realm of men, with use constrained and dictated by cultural constructs and practice of masculinity and gender.

Zone of Acceptance Under Performance Measurement: Does Performance Information Affect Employee Acceptance of Management Authority?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Poul Aaes; Jacobsen, Christian Bøtcher

2018-01-01

Public sector employees have traditionally enjoyed substantial influence and bargaining power in organizational decision making, but few studies have investigated the formation of employee acceptance of management authority. Drawing on the ‘romance of leadership’ perspective, we argue that perfor......Public sector employees have traditionally enjoyed substantial influence and bargaining power in organizational decision making, but few studies have investigated the formation of employee acceptance of management authority. Drawing on the ‘romance of leadership’ perspective, we argue...... that performance information shapes employee attributions of leader quality and perceptions of a need for change in ways that affect their acceptance of management authority, conceptualized using Simon’s notion of a ‘zone of acceptance.’ We conducted a survey experiment among 1,740 teachers, randomly assigning...... true performance information about each respondent’s own school. When employees were exposed to signals showing low or high performance, their acceptance of management authority increased, whereas average performance signals reduced employee acceptance of management authority. The findings suggest...

Differentiated influences of risk perceptions on nuclear power acceptance according to acceptance targets: Evidence from Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roh, Seung Kook; Lee, Jin Won

2017-01-01

The determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance have received considerable attention as decisive factors regarding nuclear power policy. However, the contingency of the relative importance of different determinants has been less explored. Building on the literature of psychological distance between the individual and the object, the present study demonstrates that the relative effects of different types of perceived risks regarding nuclear power generation differ across acceptance targets. Using a sample of Korea, our results show that, regarding national acceptance of nuclear power generation, perceived risk from nuclear power plants exerts a stronger negative effect than that from radioactive waste management; however, the latter exerts a stronger negative effect than the former on local acceptance of a nuclear power plant. This finding provides implications for efficient public communication strategy to raise nuclear power acceptance

Sustainability and acceptance - new challenges for nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lensa, W. von

2001-01-01

This paper discusses the concept of sustainability in relation to acceptance of nuclear energy. Acceptance is viewed in terms of public acceptance, industrial acceptance, and internal acceptance/consensus within the nuclear community. It addresses sustainability criteria, the need for innovation, and the different levels of acceptability. The mechanisms of risk perception are discussed along with the technological consequences from risk perception mechanisms leading to specific objections against nuclear energy. (author)

Factors likely to affect community acceptance of a malaria vaccine in two districts of Ghana: a qualitative study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arantza Meñaca

Full Text Available Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Ghana. As part of the effort to inform local and national decision-making in preparation for possible malaria vaccine introduction, this qualitative study explored community-level factors that could affect vaccine acceptance in Ghana and provides recommendations for a health communications strategy. The study was conducted in two purposively selected districts: the Ashanti and Upper East Regions. A total of 25 focus group discussions, 107 in-depth interviews, and 21 semi-structured observations at Child Welfare Clinics were conducted. Malaria was acknowledged to be one of the most common health problems among children. While mosquitoes were linked to the cause and bed nets were considered to be the main preventive method, participants acknowledged that no single measure prevented malaria. The communities highly valued vaccines and cited vaccination as the main motivation for taking children to Child Welfare Clinics. Nevertheless, knowledge of specific vaccines and what they do was limited. While communities accepted the idea of minor vaccine side effects, other side effects perceived to be more serious could deter families from taking children for vaccination, especially during vaccination campaigns. Attendance at Child Welfare Clinics after age nine months was limited. Observations at clinics revealed that while two different opportunities for counseling were offered, little attention was given to addressing mothers' specific concerns and to answering questions related to child immunization. Positive community attitudes toward vaccines and the understanding that malaria prevention requires a comprehensive approach would support the introduction of a malaria vaccine. These attitudes are bolstered by a well-established child welfare program and the availability in Ghana of active, flexible structures for conveying health information to communities. At the same time, it would

Differentiated influences of risk perceptions on nuclear power acceptance according to acceptance targets: Evidence from Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seungkook Roh

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance have received considerable attention as decisive factors regarding nuclear power policy. However, the contingency of the relative importance of different determinants has been less explored. Building on the literature of psychological distance between the individual and the object, the present study demonstrates that the relative effects of different types of perceived risks regarding nuclear power generation differ across acceptance targets. Using a sample of Korea, our results show that, regarding national acceptance of nuclear power generation, perceived risk from nuclear power plants exerts a stronger negative effect than that from radioactive waste management; however, the latter exerts a stronger negative effect than the former on local acceptance of a nuclear power plant. This finding provides implications for efficient public communication strategy to raise nuclear power acceptance.

Differentiated influences of risk perceptions on nuclear power acceptance according to acceptance targets: Evidence from Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roh, Seung Kook [Policy Research Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jin Won [School of Management, Xiamen University, Xiamen (China)

2017-08-15

The determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance have received considerable attention as decisive factors regarding nuclear power policy. However, the contingency of the relative importance of different determinants has been less explored. Building on the literature of psychological distance between the individual and the object, the present study demonstrates that the relative effects of different types of perceived risks regarding nuclear power generation differ across acceptance targets. Using a sample of Korea, our results show that, regarding national acceptance of nuclear power generation, perceived risk from nuclear power plants exerts a stronger negative effect than that from radioactive waste management; however, the latter exerts a stronger negative effect than the former on local acceptance of a nuclear power plant. This finding provides implications for efficient public communication strategy to raise nuclear power acceptance.

Social Media and eBusiness: Cultural Impacts on the Influence Process in Consumer Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yong; Chen, Hong; Xu, Li

2016-08-01

Social media has been used as an important tool by firms to influence consumers’ attitude and behavior. Influence occurs in consumer communities in social media because community members have the control of discovering, producing, sharing, and distributing information and because the spread out of their experiences and opinions in the format of electronic word-of-mouth forms emerging conformance. Prior research has explored how the influence occurring in online social media communities impacts consumers’ attitude and behavior (e.g., product attitude and purchase decision, effectual thinking and behavior, brand trust and brand loyalty). But because social media has the ability of global reach, cross-border factors should not be neglected in studying the influence process. As such, this paper adopts national cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede (1984), individualism/collectivism and power distance particularly, the index of cultural distance, and the social influence theory to explore how culture impacts the influence occurring in consumer communities in social media.

Dark chocolate acceptability: influence of cocoa origin and processing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Moreno, Miriam; Tarrega, Amparo; Costell, Elvira; Blanch, Consol

2012-01-30

Chocolate properties can vary depending on cocoa origin, composition and manufacturing procedure, which affect consumer acceptability. The aim of this work was to study the effect of two cocoa origins (Ghana and Ecuador) and two processing conditions (roasting time and conching time) on dark chocolate acceptability. Overall acceptability and acceptability for different attributes (colour, flavour, odour and texture) were evaluated by 95 consumers. Differences in acceptability among dark chocolates were mainly related to differences in flavour acceptability. The use of a long roasting time lowered chocolate acceptability in Ghanaian samples while it had no effect on acceptability of Ecuadorian chocolates. This response was observed for most consumers (two subgroups with different frequency consumption of dark chocolate). However, for a third group of consumers identified as distinguishers, the most acceptable dark chocolate samples were those produced with specific combinations of roasting time and conching time for each of the cocoa geographical origin considered. To produce dark chocolates from a single origin it is important to know the target market preferences and to select the appropriate roasting and conching conditions. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nuclear safety targets and problems of social acceptability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macgill, S.M.

1989-01-01

The following are among the factors which make the problem of setting acceptable safety targets for societal protection from possible nuclear accidents one of such formidable proportion: The varied and often conflicting positions among and between the many constituencies with a claim to interest in the problem: local, national and international populations; lay, workplace and professional communities; private and public interests; active environmental lobbies and intentionally passive publics; powerful influences and politically unprivileged classes; press and mass media. To seek 'acceptability' of safety targets through common consensus is problematised by the difficulty in overcoming the immense social and historical forces that give rise to the prevailing contrariety among different people's positions. To seek resolution of differences by some appropriate weighting of the different views of different constituencies is problematised by the lack of unique identification of what the constituencies are, by the difficulty in faithfully representing their views, and by the absence of 'laws of social entitlement' vis-a-vis the weight that should be given to each. In sum, the problem of setting socially acceptable safety targets is itself bound up with inherently open ended questions of democracy and representation. (author)

A Data-driven Study of Influences in Twitter Communities

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, Huy; Zheng, Rong

2013-01-01

This paper presents a quantitative study of Twitter, one of the most popular micro-blogging services, from the perspective of user influence. We crawl several datasets from the most active communities on Twitter and obtain 20.5 million user profiles, along with 420.2 million directed relations and 105 million tweets among the users. User influence scores are obtained from influence measurement services, Klout and PeerIndex. Our analysis reveals interesting findings, including non-power-law in...

Collective Emotions Online and Their Influence on Community Life

Science.gov (United States)

Chmiel, Anna; Sienkiewicz, Julian; Thelwall, Mike; Paltoglou, Georgios; Buckley, Kevan; Kappas, Arvid; Hołyst, Janusz A.

2011-01-01

Background E-communities, social groups interacting online, have recently become an object of interdisciplinary research. As with face-to-face meetings, Internet exchanges may not only include factual information but also emotional information – how participants feel about the subject discussed or other group members. Emotions in turn are known to be important in affecting interaction partners in offline communication in many ways. Could emotions in Internet exchanges affect others and systematically influence quantitative and qualitative aspects of the trajectory of e-communities? The development of automatic sentiment analysis has made large scale emotion detection and analysis possible using text messages collected from the web. However, it is not clear if emotions in e-communities primarily derive from individual group members' personalities or if they result from intra-group interactions, and whether they influence group activities. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, for the first time, we show the collective character of affective phenomena on a large scale as observed in four million posts downloaded from Blogs, Digg and BBC forums. To test whether the emotions of a community member may influence the emotions of others, posts were grouped into clusters of messages with similar emotional valences. The frequency of long clusters was much higher than it would be if emotions occurred at random. Distributions for cluster lengths can be explained by preferential processes because conditional probabilities for consecutive messages grow as a power law with cluster length. For BBC forum threads, average discussion lengths were higher for larger values of absolute average emotional valence in the first ten comments and the average amount of emotion in messages fell during discussions. Conclusions/Significance Overall, our results prove that collective emotional states can be created and modulated via Internet communication and that emotional expressiveness is the

Waste management facility acceptance - some findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigmon, B.

1987-01-01

Acceptance of waste management facilities remains a significant problem, despite years of efforts to reassure potential host communities. The tangible economic benefits from jobs, taxes, and expenditures are generally small, while the intangible risks of environmental or other impacts are difficult to evaluate and understand. No magic formula for winning local acceptance has yet been found. Limited case study and survey work does suggest some pitfalls to be avoided and some directions to be pursued. Among the most significant is the importance that communities place on controlling their own destiny. Finding a meaningful role for communities in the planning and operation of waste management facilities is a challenge that would-be developers should approach with the same creativity that characterizes their technical efforts

Insecticide treated curtains and residual insecticide treatment to control Aedes aegypti: An acceptability study in Santiago de Cuba.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Pérez

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Within the context of a field trial conducted by the Cuban vector control program (AaCP, we assessed acceptability of insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs and residual insecticide treatment (RIT with deltamethrin by the community. We also assessed the potential influence of interviewees' risk perceptions for getting dengue and disease severity.We embedded a qualitative study using in-depth interviews in a cluster randomized trial (CRT testing the effectiveness of ITCs and RIT in Santiago de Cuba. In-depth interviews (N = 38 were conducted four and twelve months after deployment of the tools with people who accepted the tools, who stopped using them and who did not accept the tools. Data analysis was deductive. Main reasons for accepting ITCs at the start of the trial were perceived efficacy and not being harmful to health. Constraints linked to manufacturer instructions were the main reason for not using ITCs. People stopped using the ITCs due to perceived allergy, toxicity and low efficacy. Few heads of households refused RIT despite the noting reasons for rejection, such as allergy, health hazard and toxicity. Positive opinions of the vector control program influenced acceptability of both tools. However, frequent insecticide fogging as part of routine AaCP vector control actions diminished perceived efficacy of both tools and, therefore, acceptability. Fifty percent of interviewees did feel at risk for getting dengue and considered dengue a severe disease. However, this did not appear to influence acceptability of ITCs or RIT.Acceptability of ITCs and RIT was linked to acceptability of AaCP routine vector control activities. However, uptake and use were not always an indication of acceptability. Factors leading to acceptability may be best identified using qualitative methods, but more research is needed on the concept of acceptability and its measurement.

Insecticide treated curtains and residual insecticide treatment to control Aedes aegypti: An acceptability study in Santiago de Cuba.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Dennis; Van der Stuyft, Patrick; Toledo, María Eugenia; Ceballos, Enrique; Fabré, Francisco; Lefèvre, Pierre

2018-01-01

Within the context of a field trial conducted by the Cuban vector control program (AaCP), we assessed acceptability of insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs) and residual insecticide treatment (RIT) with deltamethrin by the community. We also assessed the potential influence of interviewees' risk perceptions for getting dengue and disease severity. We embedded a qualitative study using in-depth interviews in a cluster randomized trial (CRT) testing the effectiveness of ITCs and RIT in Santiago de Cuba. In-depth interviews (N = 38) were conducted four and twelve months after deployment of the tools with people who accepted the tools, who stopped using them and who did not accept the tools. Data analysis was deductive. Main reasons for accepting ITCs at the start of the trial were perceived efficacy and not being harmful to health. Constraints linked to manufacturer instructions were the main reason for not using ITCs. People stopped using the ITCs due to perceived allergy, toxicity and low efficacy. Few heads of households refused RIT despite the noting reasons for rejection, such as allergy, health hazard and toxicity. Positive opinions of the vector control program influenced acceptability of both tools. However, frequent insecticide fogging as part of routine AaCP vector control actions diminished perceived efficacy of both tools and, therefore, acceptability. Fifty percent of interviewees did feel at risk for getting dengue and considered dengue a severe disease. However, this did not appear to influence acceptability of ITCs or RIT. Acceptability of ITCs and RIT was linked to acceptability of AaCP routine vector control activities. However, uptake and use were not always an indication of acceptability. Factors leading to acceptability may be best identified using qualitative methods, but more research is needed on the concept of acceptability and its measurement.

Patients' Acceptance of Smartphone Health Technology for Chronic Disease Management: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Kaili; Yu, Ping; Deng, Ning; Liu, Fang; Guan, YingPing; Li, Zhenye; Ji, Yumeng; Du, Ningkai; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

2017-12-06

Chronic disease patients often face multiple challenges from difficult comorbidities. Smartphone health technology can be used to help them manage their conditions only if they accept and use the technology. The aim of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model to predict and explain the factors influencing patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Multiple theories and factors that may influence patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology have been reviewed. A hybrid theoretical model was built based on the technology acceptance model, dual-factor model, health belief model, and the factors identified from interviews that might influence patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Data were collected from patient questionnaire surveys and computer log records about 157 hypertensive patients' actual use of a smartphone health app. The partial least square method was used to test the theoretical model. The model accounted for .412 of the variance in patients' intention to adopt the smartphone health technology. Intention to use accounted for .111 of the variance in actual use and had a significant weak relationship with the latter. Perceived ease of use was affected by patients' smartphone usage experience, relationship with doctor, and self-efficacy. Although without a significant effect on intention to use, perceived ease of use had a significant positive influence on perceived usefulness. Relationship with doctor and perceived health threat had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness, countering the negative influence of resistance to change. Perceived usefulness, perceived health threat, and resistance to change significantly predicted patients' intentions to use the technology. Age and gender had no significant influence on patients' acceptance of smartphone technology. The study also confirmed the positive relationship between intention to use

Acceptability of Sexually Explicit Images in HIV Prevention Messages Targeting Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Iantaffi, Alex; Wilkerson, J Michael; Grey, Jeremy A; Rosser, B R Simon

2015-01-01

Sexually explicit media (SEM) have been used in HIV-prevention advertisements to engage men who have sex with men (MSM) and to communicate content. These advertisements exist within larger discourses, including a dominant heteronormative culture and a growing homonormative culture. Cognizant of these hegemonic cultures, this analysis examined the acceptable level of sexual explicitness in prevention advertisements. Seventy-nine MSM participated in 13 online focus groups, which were part of a larger study of SEM. Three macro themes-audience, location, and community representation-emerged from the analysis, as did the influence of homonormativity on the acceptability of SEM in HIV-prevention messages.

Acceptability of a low and intermediate level radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleznik, N.; Polic, M.

2000-01-01

Siting of a radioactive waste repository, even for the waste of low and intermediate level (LILW) radioactivity, presents a great problem in almost every country that produces such waste. The main problem is not a technical one, but socio-psychological, namely the acceptability of this kind of repository. In general, people are opposed to any such kind of facility in their vicinity (NIMBY). In this study we try to establish the factors that influence people's behavior regarding the construction of a radioactive waste repository in their local community, with the use of Ajzen's model of planned behavior. Two different scenarios about the construction of a radioactive waste repository in their community, together with a set of questions were presented to participants from different schools. Data from the survey were analysed by multivariate methods, and a model of relevant behaviour was proposed. From the results it can be seen that different approaches to local community participation in site selection process slightly influence people's attitudes towards the LILW repository, while significant differences in answers were found in the responses which depend on participants' knowledge. Therefore the RAO Agency will further intensify preparation of the relevant communication plan and start with its implementation to support LILW repository site selection process, which will also include educational programme. (author)

Determinants of acceptance of a community-based program for the prevention of falls and fractures among the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, E R; Mosekilde, L; Foldspang, A

2001-08-01

Low-energy fractures among the elderly may be prevented by measures aimed at reducing the risk of falling or increasing the strength of the skeleton. Acceptance of these interventions in the target population is necessary for their success. The total elderly population in a Danish municipality 7,543 community-dwelling persons aged 66+ years, were offered participation in one of three intervention programs: 2,550 persons were offered a home safety inspection, evaluation of prescribed medicine, and identification of possible health and food problems (Program I); 2,445 persons were offered 1000 mg of elemental calcium and 400 IU (10 microg) of vitamin D(3) per day in combination with evaluation of prescribed medicine (Program II); and 2,548 persons were offered a combination of the two programs (Program III). Acceptance was defined as willingness to receive an introductory visit by a nurse. Acceptance of Program I was 50%; of Program II, 56% (P determinant, however, was the individual social service center that communicated the specific program. Acceptance varied from 39 to 66% between the social centers. Acceptance of a fall and fracture prevention program varies with intervention type; with gender, age, and social status of the target population; and with the motivation and attitude of the health workers involved in the implementation of the program. Copyright 2001 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

What influences acceptability and engagement with a high intensity exercise programme for people with stroke? A qualitative descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Signal, Nada; McPherson, Kathryn; Lewis, Gwyn; Kayes, Nicola; Saywell, Nicola; Mudge, Suzie; Taylor, Denise

2016-10-14

Intensity refers to the amount of effort or rate of work undertaken during exercise. People receiving rehabilitation after stroke frequently do not reach the moderate to high intensity exercise recommended to maximise gains. To explore the factors that influence the acceptability of, and engagement with, a high intensity group-based exercise programme for people with stroke. This qualitative descriptive study included 14 people with stroke who had completed a 12-week, high intensity group-based exercise rehabilitation programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the acceptability of high intensity exercise and the barriers and facilitators to engagement. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The participants found high intensity exercise rehabilitation acceptable despite describing the exercise intensity as hard and reporting post-exercise fatigue. Participants accepted the fatigue as a normal response to exercise, and it did not appear to negatively influence engagement. The ease with which an individual engaged in high intensity exercise rehabilitation appeared to be mediated by inter-related factors, including: seeing progress, sourcing motivation, working hard, the people involved and the fit with the person and their life. Participants directly related the intensity of their effort to the gains that they made. In this study, people with stroke viewed training at higher intensities as a facilitator, not a barrier, to engagement in exercise rehabilitation. The findings may challenge assumptions about the influence of exercise intensity on engagement.

80 From Traditional Institutions to Community Based Influencers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Influencers: The Dynamics of Communicating Development in. Rural Communities ... EJOTMAS: EKPOMA JOURNAL OF THEATRE AND MEDIA ARTS. 81 intervention lie in the ... The emphasis implicitly is on the inclusion of citizens in the process of deciding and turning around the social and material conditions that inhibit ...

Factors that contribute to social media influence within an Internal Medicine Twitter learning community.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Tejas; Patwardhan, Manish; Coore, Hunter

2014-01-01

Medical societies, faculty, and trainees use Twitter to learn from and educate other social media users. These social media communities bring together individuals with various levels of experience. It is not known if experienced individuals are also the most influential members. We hypothesize that participants with the greatest experience would be the most influential members of a Twitter community. We analyzed the 2013 Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Twitter community. We measured the number of tweets authored by each participant and the number of amplified tweets (re-tweets). We developed a multivariate linear regression model to identify any relationship to social media influence, measured by the PageRank. Faculty (from academic institutions) comprised 19% of the 132 participants in the learning community (p influence amongst all participants (mean 1.99, p influence (β = 0.068, p = 0.6). The only factors that predicted influence (higher PageRank) were the number of tweets authored (p influence. Any participant who was able to author the greatest number of tweets or have more of his/her tweets amplified could wield a greater influence on the participants, regardless of his/her authority.

Aboveground and belowground arthropods experience different relative influences of stochastic versus deterministic community assembly processes following disturbance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Ferrenberg

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. Methods Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies abundance, diversity, and composition. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models comparing observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity among samples. Results Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the

Aboveground and belowground arthropods experience different relative influences of stochastic versus deterministic community assembly processes following disturbance

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Alexander S.; Faist, Akasha M.

2016-01-01

Background Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. Methods Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies abundance, diversity, and composition. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models comparing observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples. Results Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod

Democracy, Community, Responsibility, and Influence in Teacher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberlin, C.; Sawada, Daiyo

1987-01-01

This paper examines a large undergraduate teacher education program which had as a major goal allaying students' feelings of depersonalization and alienation. Specifically looked at are: (1) processes leading to a sense of community, responsibility, and influence among students and staff and (2) processes countering such development. (Author/MT)

Student acceptance of e-books: A case study of landmark university ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Student acceptance of e-books was tested using UTAUT model. Performance expectancy Effort expectancy and Facilitating conditions were seen to significantly influence the acceptance of e-books by students in Landmark University, while Social Influence did not influence acceptance of e-books. Key Words: E-books, ...

Young women's decisions to accept chlamydia screening: influences of stigma and doctor-patient interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O'Connell Emer

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An understanding of the factors that encourage young women to accept, and discourage them from accepting, STI (sexually transmitted infection testing is needed to underpin opportunistic screening programs for the STI Chlamydia trachomatis (opportunistic screening involves healthcare professionals offering chlamydia tests to people while they are attending health services for reasons that are usually unrelated to their sexual health. We conducted a qualitative study to identify and explore: how young women would feel about being offered opportunistic tests for chlamydia?; how young women would like to be offered screening, and who they wanted to be offered screening by?; and what factors would influence young women's partner notification preferences for chlamydia (who they would notify in the event of a positive diagnosis of chlamydia, how they would want to do this. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 35 young women between eighteen and twenty nine years of age. The study was conducted in the Dublin and Galway regions of the Republic of Ireland. Young adults were recruited from General Practice (GP practices, Third Level College health services, Family Planning clinics and specialist STI treatment services. Results Respondents were worried that their identities would become stigmatised if they accepted screening. Younger respondents and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds had the greatest stigma-related concerns. Most respondents indicated that they would accept screening if it was offered to them, however; accepting screening was seen as a correct, responsible action to engage in. Respondents wanted to be offered screening by younger female healthcare professionals. Respondents were willing to inform their current partners about positive chlamydia diagnoses, but were more ambivalent about informing their previous partners. Conclusions If an effort is not put into reducing young women's stigma-related concerns the

Online Behavior and Loyalty Program Participation-parameters Influencing the Acceptance of Contactless Payment Devices

OpenAIRE

Martin Fiedler; Ali Öztüren

2014-01-01

This study explores the central perceptions of consumers influencing the decision to use contactless payment instruments. Aim is to define a customer core group narrowed down by several variables and to find a basis for a purposeful communication of advantages of the new payment process, as investment into this technology bears the risk of total loss if the customer group is declining acceptance and the image of a company might be excessively damaged. External variables in context with the us...

Acceptability of, and willingness to pay for, community health insurance in rural India.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Ankit; Swetha, Selva; Johar, Zeena; Raghavan, Ramesh

2014-09-01

To understand the acceptability of, and willingness to pay for, community health insurance coverage among residents of rural India. We conducted a mixed methods study of 33 respondents located in 8 villages in southern India. Interview domains focused on health-seeking behaviors of the family for primary healthcare, household expenditures on primary healthcare, interest in pre-paid health insurance, and willingness to pay for such a product. Most respondents reported that they would seek care only when symptoms were manifest; only 6 respondents recognized the importance of preventative services. None reported impoverishment due to health expenditures. Few viewed health insurance as necessary either because they did not wish to be early adopters, because they had alternate sources of financial support, or because of concerns with the design of insurance coverage or the provider. Those who were interested reported being willing to pay Rs. 1500 ($27) as the modal annual insurance premium. Penetration of community health insurance programs in rural India will require education of the consumer base, careful attention to premium rate setting, and deeper understanding of social networks that may act as financial substitutes for health insurance. Copyright © 2013 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of 13C and 15N stable isotope probing to characterize RDX degrading microbial communities under different electron-accepting conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Kun-Ching; Lee, Do Gyun; Fuller, Mark E.; Hatzinger, Paul B.; Condee, Charles W.; Chu, Kung-Hui

2015-01-01

Highlights: • SIP characterized RDX-degrading communities under different e-accepting conditions. • Dominant RDX degradation pathways differed under different e-accepting conditions. • More complete detoxification of RDX occurred under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions than under manganese(IV) and iron(III)-reducing conditions. - Abstract: This study identified microorganisms capable of using the explosive hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) or its metabolites as carbon and/or nitrogen sources under different electron-accepting conditions using 13 C and 15 N stable isotope probing (SIP). Mesocosms were constructed using groundwater and aquifer solids from an RDX-contaminated aquifer. The mesocosms received succinate as a carbon source and one of four electron acceptors (nitrate, manganese(IV), iron(III), or sulfate) or no additional electron acceptor (to stimulate methanogenesis). When RDX degradation was observed, subsamples from each mesocosm were removed and amended with 13 C 3 - or ring- 15 N 3 -, nitro- 15 N 3 -, or fully-labeled 15 N 6 -RDX, followed by additional incubation and isolation of labeled nucleic acids. A total of fifteen 16S rRNA sequences, clustering in α- and γ-Proteobacteria, Clostridia, and Actinobacteria, were detected in the 13 C-DNA fractions. A total of twenty seven sequences were derived from different 15 N-DNA fractions, with the sequences clustered in α- and γ-Proteobacteria, and Clostridia. Interestingly, sequences identified as Desulfosporosinus sp. (in the Clostridia) were not only observed to incorporate the labeled 13 C or 15 N from labeled RDX, but also were detected under each of the different electron-accepting conditions. The data suggest that 13 C- and 15 N-SIP can be used to characterize microbial communities involved in RDX biodegradation, and that the dominant pathway of RDX biodegradation may differ under different electron-accepting conditions

Measuring the moderating influence of gender on the acceptance of e-book amongst mathematics and statistics students at universities in Libya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asma Mohmead Smeda

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The success of using any types of technology in education depends on a large extent of the acceptance of information technology (IT by students. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing the acceptance of electronic book (e-book is essential for decision-makers and those interested in the e-book industry. Based on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM, this paper examines the impact of some factors on the students’ behavioural intention (BI toward adoption of the e-book in mathematics and statistics. This paper also investigates the effect of gender differences on the relationship between the factors affecting the acceptance of e-book. A self-administered survey was used to collect data from 392 mathematics and statistics undergraduate students. The research model has shown that the factors related to the social factor and users’ characteristics are the critical factors that affect the acceptance of the e-book. The results also indicated that perceived usefulness (PU, perceived ease of use (PEOU and students’ attitude (AU have strongly affected students’ BI. Self-efficacy (SE has a significant impact on PEOU while social influence (SI has a significant influence on students’ AU. Moreover, the results confirmed that most of the TAM constructs were significant in both models (males and females, where there are no differences between males and females; however, only PEOU has been affected by the gender moderator. The results showed that the impact of the factor of SI on females was more than males. On the other hand, female students were more confident in the use of the e-book than males. In general, the female students’ model was more powerful in explaining the variance than males’ model.

How a nuclear power plant accident influences acceptance of nuclear power: results of a longitudinal study before and after the Fukushima disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Visschers, Vivianne H M; Siegrist, Michael

2013-02-01

Major nuclear accidents, such as the recent accident in Fukushima, Japan, have been shown to decrease the public's acceptance of nuclear power. However, little is known about how a serious accident affects people's acceptance of nuclear power and the determinants of acceptance. We conducted a longitudinal study (N= 790) in Switzerland: one survey was done five months before and one directly after the accident in Fukushima. We assessed acceptance, perceived risks, perceived benefits, and trust related to nuclear power stations. In our model, we assumed that both benefit and risk perceptions determine acceptance of nuclear power. We further hypothesized that trust influences benefit and risk perceptions and that trust before a disaster relates to trust after a disaster. Results showed that the acceptance and perceptions of nuclear power as well as its trust were more negative after the accident. In our model, perceived benefits and risks determined the acceptance of nuclear power stations both before and after Fukushima. Trust had strong effects on perceived benefits and risks, at both times. People's trust before Fukushima strongly influenced their trust after the accident. In addition, perceived benefits before Fukushima correlated with perceived benefits after the accident. Thus, the nuclear accident did not seem to have changed the relations between the determinants of acceptance. Even after a severe accident, the public may still consider the benefits as relevant, and trust remains important for determining their risk and benefit perceptions. A discussion of the benefits of nuclear power seems most likely to affect the public's acceptance of nuclear power, even after a nuclear accident. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Community Attitudes towards Culture-Influenced Mental Illness: Scrupulosity vs. Nonreligious OCD among Orthodox Jews

Science.gov (United States)

Pirutinsky, Steven; Rosmarin, David H.; Pargament, Kenneth I.

2009-01-01

Culture may particularly influence community attitudes towards mental illness, when the illness itself is shaped by a cultural context. To explore the influence of culture-specific, religious symptoms on Orthodox Jewish community attitudes, the authors compared the attitudes of 169 Orthodox Jews, who randomly viewed one of two vignettes describing…

Influence of audiovisuals and food samples on consumer acceptance of food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pohlman, A.J.; Wood, O.B.; Mason, A.C.

1994-01-01

The effects of audiovisual presentation on consumers' knowledge and attitudes toward food irradiation were demonstrated. Food irradiation is a method of food preservation that can destroy the microorganisms responsible for many foodborne illnesses and food spoilage. However, the food industry has been slow to adopt this method because it is unsure of consumer acceptance. One hundred and seventy-nine consumers were given a slide-tape presentation on food irradiation. Test subjects were also presented with a sample of irradiated strawberries. It was found that participants knew more about and were more positive toward food irradiation following the educational program. These findings demonstrate the value of educational materials in influencing the food preferences of consumers

A cluster randomized controlled cross-over bed net acceptability and preference trial in Solomon Islands: community participation in shaping policy for malaria elimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Appleyard Bridget

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A key component of the malaria elimination strategy in Solomon Islands (SI is widespread coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs. The success of this strategy is dependent on LLIN acceptability and compliance. There has been unresolved debate among policy makers and donors as to which type of LLIN would be most appropriate for large-scale distribution in SI, and anecdotal reports of a lack of acceptability of certain brands of LLINs. A cluster randomized controlled crossover bed net acceptability and preference trial was therefore carried out from July to September, 2008 to inform policy and to facilitate community engagement and participation in the selection of the most appropriate LLIN for use in SI. Method A three-stage sampling method was used to randomly select the study population from Malaita Province, SI. Three brands of LLINs were assessed in this study: Olyset®, PermaNet® and DuraNet®. Bed net acceptability and preference were evaluated through surveys at three defined time points after short and longer-term trial of each LLIN. Results The acceptability of PermaNet® after short-term use (96.5% was significantly greater than Olyset® (67.3%, p and DuraNet® (69.8%, p . The acceptability of DuraNet® and Olyset® after short-term use was not significantly different at the 5% level. LLINs that were perceived not to prevent mosquito bites were significantly less acceptable than LLINs that were perceived to prevent mosquito bites (OR 0.15; 95%CI 0.03 to 0.6. LLINs that allow a pleasant night's sleep (OR 6.3; 95%CI:3.3-12.3 and have a soft texture (OR 5.7; 95%CI:1.9-20.5 were considered more acceptable than those that did not. Olyset®'s acceptability decreased over time and this was due to net wrinkling/shrinkage after washing resulting in reduced efficiency in preventing mosquito bites. The increase in DuraNet® acceptability was a result of a reduction in minor adverse events following longer-term use

Family Planning: Between Rejection And Acceptance In Islam ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Family Planning: Between Rejection And Acceptance In Islam. ... factor for health workers and policy makers to impact positively on their communities. ... who are likely to work in such communities for effective negotiation and application of ...

Influence of salinity on fungal communities in a submerged fixed bed bioreactor for wastewater treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cortés-Lorenzo, C.; González-Martínez, A.; Smidt, H.; González-López, J.; Rodelas, B.

2016-01-01

Salinity is known to influence the performance of biological wastewater treatment plants. While its impact on bacterial communities has been thoroughly studied, its influence on fungal communities has been largely overlooked. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the effect of saline

EXercising with Computers in Later Life (EXCELL) - pilot and feasibility study of the acceptability of the Nintendo® WiiFit in community-dwelling fallers.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Marie A; Soiza, Roy L; Jenkinson, Alison McE; Stewart, Alison

2010-09-13

Falls management programmes have been instituted to attempt to reduce falls. This pilot study was undertaken to determine whether the Nintendo® WiiFit was a feasible and acceptable intervention in community-dwelling older fallers. Community-dwelling fallers over 70 years were recruited and attended for computer-based exercises (n = 15) or standard care (n = 6). Balance and fear of falling were assessed at weeks 0, 4 and 12. Participants were interviewed on completion of the study to determine whether the intervention was acceptable.Eighty percent of participants attended 75% or more of the exercise sessions. An improvement in Berg Score was seen at four weeks (p = 0.02) and in Wii Age at 12 weeks (p = 0.03) in the intervention group. There was no improvement in balance scores in the standard care group. WiiFit exercise is acceptable in self-referred older people with a history of falls. The WiiFit has the potential to improve balance but further work is required. ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT01082042.

EXercising with Computers in Later Life (EXCELL - pilot and feasibility study of the acceptability of the Nintendo® WiiFit in community-dwelling fallers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Williams Marie A

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Falls management programmes have been instituted to attempt to reduce falls. This pilot study was undertaken to determine whether the Nintendo® WiiFit was a feasible and acceptable intervention in community-dwelling older fallers. Findings Community-dwelling fallers over 70 years were recruited and attended for computer-based exercises (n = 15 or standard care (n = 6. Balance and fear of falling were assessed at weeks 0, 4 and 12. Participants were interviewed on completion of the study to determine whether the intervention was acceptable. Eighty percent of participants attended 75% or more of the exercise sessions. An improvement in Berg Score was seen at four weeks (p = 0.02 and in Wii Age at 12 weeks (p = 0.03 in the intervention group. There was no improvement in balance scores in the standard care group. Conclusion WiiFit exercise is acceptable in self-referred older people with a history of falls. The WiiFit has the potential to improve balance but further work is required. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT01082042

Differentiated influences of benefit and risk perceptions on nuclear power acceptance according to acceptance levels. Evidence from Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roh, Seungkook; Lee Jinwon

2017-01-01

The perceived benefit and risk of nuclear power generation have received considerable attention as determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance. However, the contingency of the relative importance of these benefit and risk has been less explored. Using Korea as an example, this study explores the possibility that the relative importance of perceived benefit and risk on nuclear power acceptance depends on acceptance levels. Our results from latent class analysis and multinomial probit show that, in determining whether an individual shows a moderate level of nuclear power acceptance rather than a low level, perceived risk plays a dominant role compared to perceived benefit; however, regarding whether he/she shows a high level of nuclear power acceptance rather than a moderate level, this relative importance is reversed. These results carry practical implications for risk governance of nuclear power, particularly with regard to communication with the public. (author)

"Grandma, You Should Do It--It's Cool" Older Adults and the Role of Family Members in Their Acceptance of Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Luijkx, Katrien; Peek, Sebastiaan; Wouters, Eveline

2015-12-05

Despite its potential, the acceptance of technology to support the ability to live independently in one's own home, also called aging in place, is not optimal. Family members may play a key role in technology acceptance by older adults; however, it is not well understood why and how they exert influence. Based on open interviews with 53 community-dwelling older adults, this paper describes the influence of family members, including spouses, on the use of various types of consumer electronics by older adults as was reported by themselves. Such a broad focus enables understanding the use of technology as was reported by older adults, instead of its intended use. Our study reveals that the influence of each family member has its own characteristics. The influence of technology acceptance is a natural and coincidental part of the interaction with spouses and grandchildren in which entertainment and pleasure are prominent. This is also partly true for the influence of children, but their influence also is intentional and driven by concerns. Our study indicates the importance of including all family members when implementing technology in the lives of older adults. Besides information for children about the use(fullness) of devices, it is worthwhile to give grandchildren an important role, because older adults easily adopt their enthusiasm and it might eventually lighten the burden on children.

Working With an Aboriginal Community to Understand Drinking Water Perceptions and Acceptance in Rural New South Wales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fidelis Jaravani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study explored the Walhallow Aboriginal community’s experiences with drinking water to gain a shared understanding about community concerns and to develop ways to address these concerns together. There is a strong connection between people and water, as well as a need to appreciate the social factors associated with the unique cultural and socioeconomic factors that the provision of drinking water has for Aboriginal communities. We used a mixed method design within a community-based participatory action Research (PAR framework. Water hardness and parental influence were the key factors associated with participants’ decisions to drink rainwater. This study provides important insights for water supply authorities when assessing health risks and when choosing appropriate mitigation measures for water quality improvement programs in Aboriginal communities.

Factors influencing perceived sustainability of Dutch community health programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeer, A J M; Van Assema, P; Hesdahl, B; Harting, J; De Vries, N K

2015-09-01

We assessed the perceived sustainability of community health programs organized by local intersectoral coalitions, as well as the factors that collaborating partners think might influence sustainability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 31 collaborating partners of 5 community health programs in deprived neighborhoods in the southern part of the Netherlands. The interview guide was based on a conceptual framework that includes factors related to the context, the leading organization, leadership, the coalition, collaborating partners, interventions and outcomes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and content analyzed using NVivo 8.0. Participants in each of the programs varied in their perceptions of the sustainability of the program, but those people collaborating in pre-existing neighborhood structures expressed relatively high faith in their continuation. The participating citizens in particular believed that these structures would continue to address the health of the community in the future. We found factors from all categories of the conceptual framework that were perceived to influence sustainability. The program leaders appeared to be crucial to the programs, as they were frequently mentioned in close interaction with other factors. Program leaders should use a motivating and supportive leadership style and should act as 'program champions'. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Does social climate influence positive eWOM? A study of heavy-users of online communities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Ruiz-Mafe

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a deeper understanding of the role of social influences on positive eWOM behaviour (PeWOM of heavy-users of online communities. Drawing on Social Interaction Utility Framework, Group Marketing and Social Learning Theories, we develop and test a research model integrating the interactions between the social climate of a website and Interpersonal Influences in PeWOM. 262 Spanish heavy-users of online communities were selected and the data analysed using partial least squares equation modelling. Overall, the model explains 59% of the variance of PeWOM on online communities. Findings reveal that interaction with other members of the online community (Social Presence is the main predictor of PeWOM. Social Identity is a mediator between Social Presence and PeWOM. Interpersonal Influence has an important role as a moderator variable; the greater the impact of Interpersonal Influence, the stronger the relationship between Social Presence and PeWOM.

Influence of age on community health worker's knowledge and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Influence of age on community health worker's knowledge and service provision for maternal, newborn, and child health in Morogoro region, Tanzania. ... However there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in marital status, education levels, use of English language, number of dependants, and income from ...

Predicting User Acceptance of Collaborative Technologies: An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model for E-Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Ronnie; Vogel, Doug

2013-01-01

Collaborative technologies support group work in project-based environments. In this study, we enhance the technology acceptance model to explain the factors that influence the acceptance of Google Applications for collaborative learning. The enhanced model was empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 136 students enrolled in a…

Evaluation of the Acceptance Journeys Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Homophobia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Shawnika J; Davis, Catasha R; Hollander, Gary; Gasiorowicz, Mari; Jeffries, William L; Gray, Simone; Bertolli, Jeanne; Mohr, Anneke

2017-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Acceptance Journeys social marketing campaign to reduce homophobia in the Black community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We assessed the campaign's effectiveness using a rolling cross-sectional survey. Data were collected annually online between 2011 and 2015. Each year, a unique sample of Black and White adults, aged 30 years and older, were surveyed in the treatment city (Milwaukee) and in 2 comparison cities that did not have antihomophobia campaigns (St. Louis, MO, and Cleveland, OH; for total sample, n = 3592). Black self-identification and Milwaukee residence were significantly associated with exposure to the campaign, suggesting successful message targeting. The relationship between exposure and acceptance of gay men was significantly mediated through attitudes toward gay men, perceptions of community acceptance, and perceptions of the impact of stigma on gay men, but not through rejection of stereotypes. This model accounted for 39% of variance in acceptance. This evidence suggests that the Acceptance Journeys model of social marketing may be a promising strategy for addressing homophobia in US Black communities.

Religion and suicide acceptability: a cross-national analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stack, Steven; Kposowa, Augustine J

2011-01-01

Four perspectives (moral community thesis, religious integration, religious commitment, and social networks) guide the selection of variables in this study. Data are from the combined World Values/European Values Surveys for 2000 (50,547 individuals nested in 56 nations). The results of a multivariate hierarchical linear model support all four perspectives. Persons residing in nations with relatively high levels of religiosity, who are affiliated with one of four major faiths, are religiously committed, and are engaged with a religious network are found to be lower in suicide acceptability. The religious integration perspective, in particular, is empirically supported; affiliation with Islam is associated with low suicide acceptability. The findings provide strong support for an integrated model and demonstrate the usefulness of the moral community thesis in understanding suicide acceptability.

Localised hydrodynamics influence vulnerability of coral communities to environmental disturbances

Science.gov (United States)

Shedrawi, George; Falter, James L.; Friedman, Kim J.; Lowe, Ryan J.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Simpson, Christopher J.; Speed, Conrad W.; Wilson, Shaun K.; Zhang, Zhenlin

2017-09-01

The movement of water can have a significant influence on the vulnerability of hermatypic corals to environmental disturbances such as cyclone damage, heat stress and anoxia. Here, we explore the relationship between small reef-scale water circulation patterns and measured differences in the abundance, composition and vulnerability of coral assemblages over decades. Changes in coral cover and community structure within Bill's Bay (Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia) over a 22-yr period, during which multiple disturbance events (including mass bleaching, anoxia, and tropical cyclones) have impacted the area, were compared with spatial variation in water residence times (WRT). We found that reef sites associated with longer water residence times (WRT >15 h) experienced higher rates of coral mortality during acute environmental disturbances compared to reef sites with shorter WRT. Shifts in coral community composition from acroporid to faviid-dominated assemblages were also more prominent at sites with long WRT compared to reef sites with shorter WRT, although shifts in community composition were also observed at sites close to shore. Interestingly, these same long-WRT sites also tended to have the fastest recovery rates so that coral cover was returned to original levels of approximately 20% over two decades. This study provides empirical evidence that spatial patterns in water circulation and flushing can influence the resilience of coral communities, thus identifying areas sensitive to emerging threats associated with global climate change.

Perceived barriers and motivating factors influencing student midwives' acceptance of rural postings in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Lori, Jody R; Rominski, Sarah D; Gyakobo, Mawuli; Muriu, Eunice W; Kweku, Nakua E; Agyei-Baffour, Peter

2012-07-24

Research on the mal-distribution of health care workers has focused mainly on physicians and nurses. To meet the Millennium Development Goal Five and the reproductive needs of all women, it is predicted that an additional 334,000 midwives are needed. Despite the on-going efforts to increase this cadre of health workers there are still glaring gaps and inequities in distribution. The objectives of this study are to determine the perceived barriers and motivators influencing final year midwifery students' acceptance of rural postings in Ghana, West Africa. An exploratory qualitative study using focus group interviews as the data collection strategy was conducted in two of the largest midwifery training schools in Ghana. All final year midwifery students from the two training schools were invited to participate in the focus groups. A purposive sample of 49 final year midwifery students participated in 6 focus groups. All students were women. Average age was 23.2 years. Glaser's constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify patterns or themes from the data. Three themes were identified through a broad inductive process: 1) social amenities; 2) professional life; and 3) further education/career advancement. Together they create the overarching theme, quality of life, we use to describe the influences on midwifery students' decision to accept a rural posting following graduation. In countries where there are too few health workers, deployment of midwives to rural postings is a continuing challenge. Until more midwives are attracted to work in rural, remote areas health inequities will exist and the targeted reduction for maternal mortality will remain elusive.

An evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on community structure: the case of Holarctic mammals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodríguez, J.; Hortal, Joaquín; Nieto, M.

2006-01-01

Aim To evaluate the influence of environment and biogeographical region, as a proxy for historical influence, on the ecological structure of Holarctic communities from similar environments. It is assumed that similarities among communities from similar environments in different realms...... to Bailey's ecoregions (used as a surrogate of regional climate), and the positions of the communities in the dimensions of the CA are compared in relation to ecoregion and realm. Partial regression was used to test for the relative influence of ecoregion and realm over each dimension and to evaluate...... the effect of biogeographical realm on the variation in the factor scores of the communities of the same ecoregion. Results In some cases, mammalian communities from areas with similar regional climates exhibit convergence in community structure, irrespective of the biogeographical realm where...

Acceptability and Receipt of Preventive Care for Chronic-Disease Health Risk Behaviors Reported by Clients of Community Mental Health Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlem, Kate; Bowman, Jenny; Freund, Megan; Wye, Paula; Lecathelinais, Christophe; McElwaine, Kathleen; Wolfenden, Luke; Gillham, Karen; Wiggers, John

2015-08-01

Compared with the general population, people with a mental illness have a greater prevalence of behaviors that contribute to higher chronic disease rates. Mental health clinical guidelines recommend preventive care to address such behaviors; however, little information is available about whether clients consider preventive care acceptable or about the prevalence of such care in mental health services. This article describes acceptability and receipt of assessment, advice, and referral for smoking, inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, harmful alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity, as reported by community mental health service clients. The association between preventive care, diagnosis, and number of clinical appointments was examined. A cross-sectional telephone interview was conducted with clients (N=558) of community mental health services in Australia. Although preventive care was highly acceptable to clients (86%-97%), receipt of preventive care was low. Client receipt of risk assessment ranged from 26% (assessment of fruit or vegetable intake) to 76% (assessment of alcohol consumption). The proportion of clients at risk of and assessed for unhealthy behavior who then received brief advice ranged from 69% (fruit or vegetable intake) to 85% (physical activity), whereas only 38% (alcohol consumption) to 49% (smoking) received any referral. A greater number of mental health appointments were associated with higher prevalence of preventive care, as were diagnoses of diabetes or respiratory conditions and not having a schizophrenia diagnosis. Practice change strategies are required to increase the delivery of routine preventive care within mental health services if clients are to benefit from clinical guidelines.

Influence of kidney offer acceptance behavior on metrics of allocation efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Wey, Andrew; Salkowski, Nicholas; Kasiske, Bertram L; Israni, Ajay K; Snyder, Jon J

2017-09-01

We investigated associations of deceased donor kidney offer acceptance with likelihood of the kidney being discarded, cold ischemia time at transplant (CIT), and likelihood of the kidney being exported outside the donation service area (DSA). We used kidney offers from donors in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016, and a stratified logistic regression to estimate odds ratios of acceptance for candidates wait-listed in a DSA. We estimated associations between these ratios and likelihood of discard or export and CIT at transplant. Approximately 0.50 kidneys were discarded per donor; lower DSA-specific offer acceptance ratios were associated with more discards (R=-0.20; P=0.006). For a median donor, the DSA with the highest acceptance ratio would place 0.12 more kidneys per donor than the DSA with the lowest ratio. Low acceptance ratios were associated with higher CIT (R=-0.23; Poffer acceptance would likely reduce discards, CIT, and exports. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Patients' reasons for accepting a free community pharmacy asthma service

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaae, Susanne; Sporrong, Sofia Kälvemark

2015-01-01

few studies have been conducted so far to explore why patients accept or decline offers of cognitive services at the pharmacy counter. Objective To explore patients’ reasons for accepting a particular cognitive service (the Inhaler Technique Assessment Service) a service intended to detect inhalation...... with 24 patients suffering mainly from asthma and COPD. Researchers from Copenhagen University conducted 11 long interviews and pharmacy internship students from Copenhagen University carried out 13 short interviews. The interviews were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Main outcome measure Patients......’ perceived needs of an inhalation counseling service as well as their motivation for accepting the service, including their accounts of how the service was orally offered by staff. Results The majority of participants were used to using inhaler devices. The participants felt, for several reasons, little need...

Perceptions and attitude effects on nanotechnology acceptance: an exploratory framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganesh Pillai, Rajani; Bezbaruah, Achintya N.

2017-01-01

Existing literature in people’s attitude toward nanotechnology and acceptance of nanotechnology applications has generally investigated the impact of factors at the individual or context levels. While this vast body of research is very informative, a comprehensive understanding of how attitude toward nanotechnology are formed and factors influencing the acceptance of nanotechnology are elusive. This paper proposes an exploratory nanotechnology perception-attitude-acceptance framework (Nano-PAAF) to build a systematic understanding of the phenomenon. The framework proposes that perceptions of risks and benefits of nanotechnology are influenced by cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors. The sociodemographic factors of consumers and contextual factors mitigate the influence of cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors on the perception of risks and benefits. The perceived risks and benefits in turn influence people’s attitude toward nanotechnology, which then influences acceptance of nanotechnology products. This framework will need further development over time to incorporate emerging knowledge and is expected to be useful for researchers, decision and policy makers, industry, and business entities.

Perceptions and attitude effects on nanotechnology acceptance: an exploratory framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganesh Pillai, Rajani, E-mail: rajani.pillai@ndsu.edu [North Dakota State University, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business (United States); Bezbaruah, Achintya N., E-mail: a.bezbaruah@ndsu.edu [North Dakota State University, Civil and Environmental Engineering (United States)

2017-02-15

Existing literature in people’s attitude toward nanotechnology and acceptance of nanotechnology applications has generally investigated the impact of factors at the individual or context levels. While this vast body of research is very informative, a comprehensive understanding of how attitude toward nanotechnology are formed and factors influencing the acceptance of nanotechnology are elusive. This paper proposes an exploratory nanotechnology perception-attitude-acceptance framework (Nano-PAAF) to build a systematic understanding of the phenomenon. The framework proposes that perceptions of risks and benefits of nanotechnology are influenced by cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors. The sociodemographic factors of consumers and contextual factors mitigate the influence of cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors on the perception of risks and benefits. The perceived risks and benefits in turn influence people’s attitude toward nanotechnology, which then influences acceptance of nanotechnology products. This framework will need further development over time to incorporate emerging knowledge and is expected to be useful for researchers, decision and policy makers, industry, and business entities.

Using Storytelling to Address Oral Health Knowledge in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Heaton, Brenda; Gebel, Christina; Crawford, Andrew; Barker, Judith C; Henshaw, Michelle; Garcia, Raul I; Riedy, Christine; Wimsatt, Maureen A

2018-05-24

We conducted a qualitative analysis to evaluate the acceptability of using storytelling as a way to communicate oral health messages regarding early childhood caries (ECC) prevention in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population. A traditional story was developed and pilot tested among AIAN mothers residing in 3 tribal locations in northern California. Evaluations of the story content and acceptability followed a multistep process consisting of initial feedback from 4 key informants, a focus group of 7 AIAN mothers, and feedback from the Community Advisory Board. Upon story approval, 9 additional focus group sessions (N = 53 participants) were held with AIAN mothers following an oral telling of the story. Participants reported that the story was culturally appropriate and used relatable characters. Messages about oral health were considered to be valuable. Concerns arose about the oral-only delivery of the story, story content, length, story messages that conflicted with normative community values, and the intent to target audiences. Feedback by focus group participants raised some doubts about the relevance and frequency of storytelling in AIAN communities today. AIAN communities value the need for oral health messaging for community members. However, the acceptability of storytelling as a method for the messaging raises concerns, because the influence of modern technology and digital communications may weaken the acceptability of the oral tradition. Careful attention must be made to the delivery mode, content, and targeting with continual iterative feedback from community members to make these messages engaging, appropriate, relatable, and inclusive.

Plant diversity and plant identity influence Fusarium communities in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Nicholas; Kinkel, Linda; Kistler, H Corby

2017-01-01

Fusarium communities play important functional roles in soil and in plants as pathogens, endophytes, and saprotrophs. This study tests how rhizosphere Fusarium communities may vary with plant species, changes in the diversity of the surrounding plant community, and soil physiochemical characteristics. Fusarium communities in soil associated with the roots of two perennial prairie plant species maintained as monocultures or growing within polyculture plant communities were characterized using targeted metagenomics. Amplicon libraries targeting the RPB2 locus were generated from rhizosphere soil DNAs and sequenced using pyrosequencing. Sequences were clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and assigned a taxonomy using the Evolutionary Placement Algorithm. Fusarium community composition was differentiated between monoculture and polyculture plant communities, and by plant species in monoculture, but not in polyculture. Taxonomic classification of the Fusarium OTUs showed a predominance of F. tricinctum and F. oxysporum as well of the presence of a clade previously only found in the Southern Hemisphere. Total Fusarium richness was not affected by changes in plant community richness or correlated with soil physiochemical characteristics. However, OTU richness within two predominant phylogenetic lineages within the genus was positively or negatively correlated with soil physiochemical characteristics among samples within each lineage. This work shows that plant species, plant community richness, and soil physiochemical characteristics may all influence the composition and richness of Fusarium communities in soil.

Local acceptance of renewable energy-A case study from southeast Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musall, Fabian David; Kuik, Onno

2011-01-01

The European 20-20-20 goals, as well as national targets for the next decade, require a substantial increase in installed renewable capacity in Germany. While public support for such measures is high on an abstract level, the situation in the local context is often very different. Here, the impact of renewable energy might cause resistance. Empirical research shows that a community ownership model can have a positive effect on local acceptance. Our study explores whether such an effect can also be demonstrated in a community co-ownership model. The question is relevant since larger projects exceed the financial possibilities of most communities, leaving them with only co-ownership as an option. The research design is based on a comparative case study, utilizing a questionnaire-based survey. The results of the survey clearly show that a significant difference in local acceptance exists between the two cases. The residents of Zschadrass, where a community co-ownership model exists, are consistently more positive towards local renewable energy and also towards renewable energy in general. The results provide evidence that the co-ownership model is a means to reconcile local acceptance with an increased use of renewable energy in Germany. - Highlights: → We study if community co-ownership affects local acceptance of renewable energy → We interviewed residents from two villages with different ownership models → Residents with co-ownership are consistently more positive towards renewable energy → Local acceptance is higher with co-ownership than with a private ownership model.

Acceptability of the Fetzer/NIA Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality in a sample of community-dwelling Black adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokel, Melissa J; Shellman, Juliette M

2014-01-01

To examine the acceptability of the National Institute on Aging/Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality in a sample of Black, community-dwelling, older adults using focus group inquiry (N =15). Focus group methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Three focus groups (N = 15) were conducted in two different urban settings in the northeastern part of the United States. Key findings were that (a) self-rating on religiousness was uncomfortable for many participants, (b) selfless was a word many participants confused with selfish, and (c) spirituality was an important concept. Overall, the Measure was found to be culturally acceptable and required little modification. Religious health beliefs such as "rebuking" or "not claiming" medical diagnoses are important considerations to bear in mind in seeking to understand the impact of religiousness on health in this population.

The Role of Peer Influence and Perceived Quality of Teaching in Faculty Acceptance of Web-Based Learning Management Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Salajan, Florin D.; Welch, Anita G.; Ray, Chris M.; Peterson, Claudette

2015-01-01

This study's primary investigation is the impact of "peer influence" and "perceived quality of teaching" on faculty members' usage of web-based learning management systems within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. These factors are entered into an extended TAM as external variables impacting on the core constructs…

“Grandma, You Should Do It—It’s Cool” Older Adults and the Role of Family Members in Their Acceptance of Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Luijkx, Katrien; Peek, Sebastiaan; Wouters, Eveline

2015-01-01

Despite its potential, the acceptance of technology to support the ability to live independently in one’s own home, also called aging in place, is not optimal. Family members may play a key role in technology acceptance by older adults; however, it is not well understood why and how they exert influence. Based on open interviews with 53 community-dwelling older adults, this paper describes the influence of family members, including spouses, on the use of various types of consumer electronics by older adults as was reported by themselves. Such a broad focus enables understanding the use of technology as was reported by older adults, instead of its intended use. Our study reveals that the influence of each family member has its own characteristics. The influence of technology acceptance is a natural and coincidental part of the interaction with spouses and grandchildren in which entertainment and pleasure are prominent. This is also partly true for the influence of children, but their influence also is intentional and driven by concerns. Our study indicates the importance of including all family members when implementing technology in the lives of older adults. Besides information for children about the use(fullness) of devices, it is worthwhile to give grandchildren an important role, because older adults easily adopt their enthusiasm and it might eventually lighten the burden on children. PMID:26690188

Influence of long-term repeated prescribed burning on mycelial communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastias, Brigitte A; Xu, Zhihong; Cairney, John W G

2006-01-01

To demonstrate the efficacy of direct DNA extraction from hyphal ingrowth bags for community profiling of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mycelia in soil, we applied the method to investigate the influence of long-term repeated prescribed burning on an ECM fungal community. DNA was extracted from hyphal ingrowth bags buried in forest plots that received different prescribed burning treatments for 30 yr, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of partial fungal rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were compared. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses were also used to compare clone assemblages between the treatments. The majority of sequences derived from the ingrowth bags were apparently those of ECM fungi. DGGE profiles for biennially burned plots were significantly different from those of quadrennially burned and unburned control plots. Analysis of clone assemblages indicated that this reflected altered ECM fungal community composition. The results indicate that hyphal ingrowth bags represent a useful method for investigation of ECM mycelial communities, and that frequent long-term prescribed burning can influence below-ground ECM fungal communities.

Seasonal variations in the fouling diatom community structure from a monsoon influenced tropical estuary

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Mitbavkar, S.; Anil, A.C.

Seasonal variations in the fouling diatom community from a monsoon influenced tropical estuary were investigated. The community composition did not differ significantly between stainless steel and polystyrene substrata due to dominance by Navicula...

Consumer Acceptance of Dry Dog Food Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Donfrancesco, Brizio Di; Koppel, Kadri; Swaney-Stueve, Marianne; Chambers, Edgar

2014-01-01

Simple Summary The objectives of this study were to compare the acceptance of different dry dog food products by consumers, determine consumer clusters for acceptance, and identify the characteristics of dog food that drive consumer acceptance. Pet owners evaluated dry dog food samples available in the US market. The results indicated that appearance of the sample, especially the color, influenced pet owner’s overall liking more than the aroma of the product. Abstract The objectives of this study were to compare the acceptance of different dry dog food products by consumers, determine consumer clusters for acceptance, and identify the characteristics of dog food that drive consumer acceptance. Eight dry dog food samples available in the US market were evaluated by pet owners. In this study, consumers evaluated overall liking, aroma, and appearance liking of the products. Consumers were also asked to predict their purchase intent, their dog’s liking, and cost of the samples. The results indicated that appearance of the sample, especially the color, influenced pet owner’s overall liking more than the aroma of the product. Overall liking clusters were not related to income, age, gender, or education, indicating that general consumer demographics do not appear to play a main role in individual consumer acceptance of dog food products. PMID:26480043

Factors that influence the beta-diversity of spider communities in northwestern Argentinean Grasslands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra M. Rodriguez-Artigas

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Beta-diversity, defined as spatial replacement in species composition, is crucial to the understanding of how local communities assemble. These changes can be driven by environmental or geographic factors (such as geographic distance, or a combination of the two. Spiders have been shown to be good indicators of environmental quality. Accordingly, spiders are used in this work as model taxa to establish whether there is a decrease in community similarity that corresponds to geographic distance in the grasslands of the Campos & Malezales ecoregion (Corrientes. Furthermore, the influence of climactic factors and local vegetation heterogeneity (environmental factors on assemblage composition was evaluated. Finally, this study evaluated whether the differential dispersal capacity of spider families is a factor that influences their community structure at a regional scale. Spiders were collected with a G-Vac from vegetation in six grassland sites in the Campos & Malezales ecoregion that were separated by a minimum of 13 km. With this data, the impact of alpha-diversity and different environmental variables on the beta-diversity of spider communities was analysed. Likewise, the importance of species replacement and nesting on beta-diversity and their contribution to the regional diversity of spider families with different dispersion capacities was evaluated. The regional and site-specific inventories obtained were complete. The similarity between spider communities declined as the geographic distance between sites increased. Environmental variables also influenced community composition; stochastic events and abiotic forces were the principal intervening factors in assembly structure. The differential dispersal capacity of spider groups also influenced community structure at a regional scale. The regional beta-diversity, as well as species replacement, was greater in high and intermediate vagility spiders; while nesting was greater in spiders with low

45 CFR 2544.150 - How will accepted donations be recorded and used?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false How will accepted donations be recorded and used... FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS § 2544.150 How will accepted donations be recorded and used? (a) All accepted donations of money and other property will be...

Safety and Acceptability of Community-Based Distribution of Injectable Contraceptives: A Pilot Project in Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacinto, Ana; Mobaracaly, Mahomed Riaz; Ustáb, Momade Bay; Bique, Cassimo; Blazer, Cassandra; Weidert, Karen; Prata, Ndola

2016-09-28

Mozambique has witnessed a climbing total fertility rate in the last 20 years. Nearly one-third of married women have an unmet need for family planning, but the supply of family planning services is not meeting the demand. This study aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of training 2 cadres of community health workers-traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and agentes polivalentes elementares (APEs) (polyvalent elementary health workers)-to administer the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), and to provide evidence to policy makers on the feasibility of expanding community-based distribution of DMPA in areas where TBAs and APEs are present. A total of 1,432 women enrolled in the study between February 2014 and April 2015. The majority (63% to 66%) of women in the study started using contraception for the first time during the study period, and most women (over 66%) did not report side effects at the 3-month and 6-month follow-up visits. Very few (less than 0.5%) experienced morbidities at the injection site on the arm. Satisfaction with the performance of TBAs and APEs was high and improved over the study period. Overall, the project showed a high continuation rate (81.1%) after 3 injections, with TBA clients having significantly higher continuation rates than APE clients after 3 months and after 6 months. Clients' reported willingness to pay for DMPA (64%) highlights the latent demand for modern contraceptives. Given Mozambique's largely rural population and critical health care workforce shortage, community-based provision of family planning in general and of injectable contraceptives in particular, which has been shown to be safe, effective, and acceptable, is of crucial importance. This study demonstrates that community-based distribution of injectable contraceptives can provide access to family planning to a large group of women that previously had little or no access. © Jacinto et al.

Perceived barriers and motivating factors influencing student midwives’ acceptance of rural postings in Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lori Jody R

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research on the mal-distribution of health care workers has focused mainly on physicians and nurses. To meet the Millennium Development Goal Five and the reproductive needs of all women, it is predicted that an additional 334,000 midwives are needed. Despite the on-going efforts to increase this cadre of health workers there are still glaring gaps and inequities in distribution. The objectives of this study are to determine the perceived barriers and motivators influencing final year midwifery students’ acceptance of rural postings in Ghana, West Africa. Methods An exploratory qualitative study using focus group interviews as the data collection strategy was conducted in two of the largest midwifery training schools in Ghana. All final year midwifery students from the two training schools were invited to participate in the focus groups. A purposive sample of 49 final year midwifery students participated in 6 focus groups. All students were women. Average age was 23.2 years. Glaser’s constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify patterns or themes from the data. Results Three themes were identified through a broad inductive process: 1 social amenities; 2 professional life; and 3 further education/career advancement. Together they create the overarching theme, quality of life, we use to describe the influences on midwifery students’ decision to accept a rural posting following graduation. Conclusions In countries where there are too few health workers, deployment of midwives to rural postings is a continuing challenge. Until more midwives are attracted to work in rural, remote areas health inequities will exist and the targeted reduction for maternal mortality will remain elusive.

Examining extrinsic factors that influence product acceptance: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X E; Jervis, S M; Drake, M A

2015-05-01

Drivers of liking (DOL) studies are useful for product development to formulate acceptable products; however, DOL alone are insufficient for understanding why a product is purchased and repurchased, which is ultimately the indication of a successful product. Ultimately sensory attributes drive product success (that is, repeat and continued purchase). However, ignoring the importance of extrinsic factors may neglect the vital product attributes responsible for the initial purchase, which may in turn, affect repeat purchase. The perception of sensory attributes assessed by DOL is mitigated by external perceptions of quality. If the sensory attributes do not deliver based upon the quality cues, the product will not be acceptable. Four key extrinsic factors that affect DOL are the perceived satiety, brand and labeling, price, and the emotional impact to decision making. In order to more thoroughly understand what the DOL for a product is, these 4 product cues should be considered in conjunction with sensory attribute perception to gain a holistic understanding of product acceptance. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

The influences of psychological sense of brand community on mobile game loyalty: a case study research

OpenAIRE

Duong, Kim

2017-01-01

This thesis contributes to Carlson et al.’s (2008) findings on a brand-based community and its psychological aspects. The research aimed to investigate the influences of psychological sense of brand community (PSBC) on mobile game loyalty. Particularly, it attempted to, first, look at sense of brand community from the social identity viewpoint, and second, explore the influence of PSBC on game loyalty as well as the role PSBC plays in the satisfaction–loyalty relationship. The relevant studie...

The acceptability to Aboriginal Australians of a family-based intervention to reduce alcohol-related harms.

Science.gov (United States)

Calabria, Bianca; Clifford, Anton; Shakeshaft, Anthony; Allan, Julaine; Bliss, Donna; Doran, Christopher

2013-05-01

Cognitive-behavioural interventions that use familial and community reinforcers in an individual's environment are effective for reducing alcohol-related harms. Such interventions have considerable potential to reduce the disproportionately high burden of alcohol-related harm among Aboriginal Australians if they can be successfully tailored to their specific needs and circumstances. The overall aim of this paper is to describe the perceived acceptability of two cognitive-behavioural interventions, the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) and Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), to a sample of Aboriginal people. Descriptive survey was administered to 116 Aboriginal people recruited through an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service and a community-based drug and alcohol treatment agency in rural New South Wales, Australia. Participants perceived CRA and CRAFT to be highly acceptable for delivery in their local Aboriginal community. Women were more likely than men to perceive CRAFT as highly acceptable. Participants expressed a preference for counsellors to be someone they knew and trusted, and who has experience working in their local community. CRA was deemed most acceptable for delivery to individuals after alcohol withdrawal and CRAFT for people who want to help a relative/friend start alcohol treatment. There was a preference for five or more detailed sessions. Findings of this study suggest that CRA and CRAFT are likely to be acceptable for delivery to some rural Aboriginal Australians, and that there is potential to tailor these interventions to specific communities. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Zone of Acceptance Under Performance Measurement: Does Performance Information Affect Employee Acceptance of Management Authority?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Poul Aaes; Jacobsen, Christian Bøtcher

2018-01-01

Public sector employees have traditionally enjoyed substantial influence and bargaining power in organizational decision making, but few studies have investigated the formation of employee acceptance of management authority. Drawing on the “romance of leadership” perspective, the authors argue th...... that performance measurement can alter public sector authority relations and have implications regarding how public managers can use performance information strategically to gain acceptance of management authority and organizational change....

Issues affecting the acceptance of hydrogen fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulte, I.; Hart, D.; Vorst, R. van der

2004-01-01

While the topic of hydrogen as an alternative vehicle fuel is gaining increasing attention internationally, one significant aspect of its introduction has been given less attention than others: the public acceptance of such a new technology and fuel. After reviewing the existing literature on acceptance, risk perception and customer satisfaction, this paper describes the development of a model that illustrates important aspects in influencing a person's attitude towards a new product. 'Values', 'wants' and 'perception' are the three components found to influence acceptance, they themselves are affected by 'social background' and 'experience'. Suggestions are then given on how to use marketing methods, education projects and product exposure in order to maximise the likelihood of a successful introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. (author)

Community Influences on Married Women's Safer Sex Negotiation Attitudes in Bangladesh: A Multilevel Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jesmin, Syeda S; Cready, Cynthia M

2016-02-01

The influence of disadvantaged or deprived community on individuals' health risk-behaviors is increasingly being documented in a growing body of literature. However, little is known about the effects of community characteristics on women's sexual attitudes and behaviors. To examine community effects on married women's safer sex negotiation attitudes, we analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys on a sample of 15,134 married women in 600 communities. We estimated two multilevel logistic regression models. Model 1, which included only individual-level variables, showed that women's autonomy/empowerment, age, and HIV knowledge had significant associations with their safer sex negotiation attitudes. We did not find any socioeconomic status gradient in safer sex negotiation attitudes at the individual level. Adding community-level variables in Model 2 significantly improved the fit of the model. Strikingly, we found that higher community-level poverty was associated with greater positive safer sex negotiation attitudes. Prevailing gender norms and overall women's empowerment in the community also had significant effects. While research on community influences calls for focusing on disadvantaged communities, our research highlights the importance of not underestimating the challenges that married women in economically privileged communities may face in negotiating safer sex. To have sufficient and equitable impact on married women's sexual and reproductive health, sexual and reproductive health promotion policies and programs need to be directed to women in wealthier communities as well.

Energy justice: Participation promotes acceptance

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter, Jamie

2017-08-01

Wind turbines have been a go-to technology for addressing climate change, but they are increasingly a source of frustration for all stakeholders. While community ownership is often lauded as a panacea for maximizing turbine acceptance, a new study suggests that decision-making involvement — procedural fairness — matters most.

What influences community positions towards nearby mining projects : eight cases from Brazil and Chile

OpenAIRE

Maher, Rajiv

2014-01-01

This thesis looks at the influences and dynamics of community positions towards nearby mining projects in Brazil and Chile from an affected communities perspective. This subject is important because even after many initiatives and guidance aimed at helping companies to obtain good community relations, also known as a social license to operate (SLO), conflict in many mining community contexts is still prevalent today. In considering this, the thesis draws from Stakeholder, Resou...

Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities

OpenAIRE

Lessard, Jean-Philippe; Borregaard, Michael K.; Fordyce, James A.; Rahbek, Carsten; Weiser, Michael D.; Dunn, Robert R.; Sanders, Nathan J.

2011-01-01

There is a long tradition in ecology of evaluating the relative contribution of the regional species pool and local interactions on the structure of local communities. Similarly, a growing number of studies assess the phylogenetic structure of communities, relative to that in the regional species pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that...

Probabilistic relationships in acceptable risk studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, J.R.

1977-01-01

Acceptable risk studies involve uncertainties in future events; consequences and associated values, the acceptability levels, and the future decision environment. Probabilistic procedures afford the basic analytical tool to study the influence of each of these parameters on the acceptable risk decision, including their interrelationships, and combinations. A series of examples are presented in the paper in increasing complexity to illustrate the principles involved and to quantify the relationships to the acceptable risk decision. The basic objective of such studies is to broaden the scientific basis of acceptable risk decision making. It is shown that rationality and consistency in decision making is facilitated by such studies and that rather simple relationships exist in many situations of interest. The variation in criteria associated with an increase in the state of knowledge or change in the level of acceptability is also discussed. (Auth.)

Probabilistic relationships in acceptable risk studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, J.R.

1977-01-01

Acceptable risk studies involve uncertainties in future events: consequences and associated values, the acceptability levels, and the future decision environment. Probabilistic procedures afford the basic analytical tool to study the influence of each of these parameters on the acceptable risk decision, including their interrelationships, and combinations. A series of examples are presented in the paper in increasing complexity to illustrate the principles involved and to quantify the relationships to the acceptable risk decision. The basic objective of such studies is to broaden the scientific basis of acceptable risk decision making. It is shown that rationality and consistency in decision making is facilitated by such studies and that rather simple relationships exist in many situations of interest. The variation in criteria associated with an increase in the state of knowledge or change in the level of acceptability is also discussed

Impact of an Acceptance Facilitating Intervention on Patients' Acceptance of Internet-based Pain Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, Harald; Seifferth, Holger; Lin, Jiaxi; Nowoczin, Lisa; Lüking, Marianne; Ebert, David

2015-06-01

Results from clinical trials indicate that Internet-based psychological pain interventions are effective in treating chronic pain. However, little is known about patients' acceptance of these programs and how to positively influence patients' intention to engage in them. Therefore, the present study aimed (1) to assess patients' acceptance of Internet-based interventions, and (2) to examine whether patients' acceptance can be increased by an acceptance facilitating intervention. A total of 104 patients with chronic pain from 2 pain units were randomly allocated to an intervention group (IG) and a no-intervention control group (CG). The IG was shown a short informational video about Internet-based psychological pain interventions before receiving a questionnaire on patients' acceptance of Internet-based psychological pain interventions and predictors of acceptance (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, Internet usage, and Internet anxiety). The CG filled out the questionnaire immediately. Patients' acceptance was measured with a 4-item scale (sum score ranging from 4 to 20). Baseline acceptance of Internet-based interventions was reported as low (sum-score:4-9) by 53.8%, moderate (10 to 15) by 42.3%, and high (16 to 20) by 3.9% of the patients with chronic pain in the CG. The IG showed a significantly higher acceptance (M = 12.17, SD = 4.22) than the CG (M = 8.94, SD = 3.71) with a standardized mean difference of d = 0.81 (95% CI, 0.41, 1.21). All predictor variables were significantly improved in the IG compared with the CG, except for Internet usage. Patients with chronic pain display a relatively low acceptance of Internet-based psychological pain interventions, which can be substantially increased by a short informational video.

Acceptance and marketability of the food irradiation technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivinski, J.S.

1985-01-01

The food irradiation technology has been struggling for forty years for acceptance and utilization. The issue of consumer acceptance is addressed and judged not to be the critical factor in terms of priority and timing. The producing/processing marketing industries must first accept the technology for valid business or social reasons. If they become convinced that they cannot afford to pass up the technology, they will accept the process and offer irradiated products. These industries understand public acceptance and use professionals in market development and advertising to achieve consumption of their products. Consumer acceptance can best be developed by the food industry, while the research and development community, in concert with national and international agencies, can and should provide the industry with every assistance in reaching a consensus on the validity of food irradiation as an appropriate and useful technology

Temporal and spatial influences incur reconfiguration of Arctic heathland soil bacterial community structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Richard; Saetnan, Eli R; Scullion, John; Gwynn-Jones, Dylan; Ostle, Nick; Edwards, Arwyn

2016-06-01

Microbial responses to Arctic climate change could radically alter the stability of major stores of soil carbon. However, the sensitivity of plot-scale experiments simulating climate change effects on Arctic heathland soils to potential confounding effects of spatial and temporal changes in soil microbial communities is unknown. Here, the variation in heathland soil bacterial communities at two survey sites in Sweden between spring and summer 2013 and at scales between 0-1 m and, 1-100 m and between sites (> 100 m) were investigated in parallel using 16S rRNA gene T-RFLP and amplicon sequencing. T-RFLP did not reveal spatial structuring of communities at scales structuring effects may not confound comparison between plot-scale treatments, temporal change is a significant influence. Moreover, the prominence of two temporally exclusive keystone taxa suggests that the stability of Arctic heathland soil bacterial communities could be disproportionally influenced by seasonal perturbations affecting individual taxa. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigating influences on current community pharmacy practice at micro, meso, and macro levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermansyah, Andi; Sainsbury, Erica; Krass, Ines

The nature of Australian community pharmacy is continually evolving, raising the need to explore the current situation in order to understand the potential impact of any changes. Although community pharmacy has the potential to play a greater role in health care, it is currently not meeting this potential. To investigate the nature of the contemporary practice of community pharmacy in Australia and examine the potential missed opportunities for role expansion in health care. In-depth semi-structured interviews with a wide-range of key stakeholders within and beyond community pharmacy circles were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed for emerging themes. Twenty-seven key informants across Eastern half of Australia were interviewed between December 2014 and August 2015. Several key elements of the current situation representing the social, economic and policy context of community pharmacy have been identified. These elements operate interdependently, influence micro, meso and macro levels of community pharmacy operation and are changing in the current climate. Community pharmacy has untapped potential in primary health care, but it has been slow to change to meet opportunities available in the current situation. As the current situation is complex, interrelated and dynamic with often unintended and unpredictable consequences, this paper suggests that policy makers to consider the micro, meso and macro levels of community pharmacy operation when making significant policy changes. The framework proposed in this study can be a helpful tool to analyze the processes operating at these three levels and their influences on practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communication techniques for improved acceptance and adherence with therapeutic footwear.

Science.gov (United States)

van Netten, Jaap J; Francis, Anthony; Morphet, Ashley; Fortington, Lauren V; Postema, Klaas; Williams, Anita

2017-04-01

Clients' acceptance and adherence with orthoses can be influenced by a clinician's communication skills. In this clinical note, we describe two communication techniques, in the context of therapeutic footwear. Person-centred communication involves engaging with and listening to the attitudes of the client towards their condition, as well as discussing acceptance and expectations, in a structured consultation. Building a relationship is crucial and requires clients to feel heard and understood. An important influence on the acceptance and adherence is that a client makes a conscious decision to receive their device. This active receipt can be facilitated through shared decision making, wherein clinicians give clear, relevant and meaningful examples, based on clinical evidence, and ensure this is understood. Two communication techniques for clinicians providing therapeutic footwear are described. These can be adapted for use with provision of other assistive technologies to improve client acceptance and adherence. Clinical relevance Small changes in how clinicians communicate to their clients in daily practice can have a big influence on the subsequent acceptance and adherence with therapeutic footwear and indeed other prescribed assistive technologies.

Socio-cultural determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine in Western Kenya

OpenAIRE

SUNDARAM, N.; SCHAETTI, C.; CHAIGNAT, C.-L.; HUTUBESSY, R.; NYAMBEDHA, E. O.; MBONGA, L. A.; WEISS, M. G.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV) were studied in urban and rural communities of Western Kenya. An explanatory model interview administered to 379 community residents assessed anticipated vaccine acceptance at various prices from no cost to full-cost recovery, socio-cultural features of cholera and social characteristics. Nearly all (99%) residents indicated willingness to accept a no-cost OCV, 95% at a price of US$ 0?8, 73% at US$ 4?2 and 59% at ...

Environmental and Spatial Influences on Biogeography and Community Structure of Benthic Diatoms

Science.gov (United States)

Plante, C.; Hill-Spanik, K.; Lowry, J.

2016-02-01

Several theoretical and practical reasons suggest that benthic microalgae could be useful bioindicators. For instance, an ideal indicator species or community would be associated with a given habitat due to local physical conditions or biotic interactions (i.e., `environmental filtering'), not due to dispersal limitation. Due to their small size, immense abundances, and reliance on passive dispersal, the popular notion about micro-organisms is that `Everything is everywhere, but, the environment selects' (Baas-Becking 1934). Although much recent research concerning planktonic bacteria and dispersal limitation has been conducted, very little in this regard is known about microeukaryotes, especially benthic microbes. The purpose of our study was to identify and compare spatial and environmental influences on benthic diatom community structure and biogeography. In summer 2015, sediment was sampled at various spatial scales from four barrier island beaches in South Carolina, USA, and high-throughput (Ion Torrent) DNA sequencing was used to characterize diatom assemblages. ANOSIM and principal coordinates analysis revealed that communities were statistically distinct on the four islands. Community dissimilarity was compared to both spatial distance and environmental differences to determine potential influences of these variables on community structure. We found that geographic distance had the strongest correlation with community similarity, with and without one anomalous location, while differences in temperature (air, water, and sediment), nutrients, organic matter, and turbidity also had significant but weaker relationships with community structure. Surprisingly, air temperature, which changes on very short time scales, appeared to be the environmental factor most strongly related to diatom species composition, potentially implicating some unmeasured variable (e.g., cloud cover). However, we also found that temperature and geographic distance were strongly

Deans in German Universities: Goal Acceptance and Task Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Scholkmann, Antonia

2011-01-01

This paper presents an empirical study which explored how deans at German universities accept their new role as manager, and which factors influence the acceptance of this role. Within a framework referring to Locke and Latham's goal setting theory, the acceptance of operative goals implemented in the faculties served as an indicator of how well…

LP-LPA: A link influence-based label propagation algorithm for discovering community structures in networks

Science.gov (United States)

Berahmand, Kamal; Bouyer, Asgarali

2018-03-01

Community detection is an essential approach for analyzing the structural and functional properties of complex networks. Although many community detection algorithms have been recently presented, most of them are weak and limited in different ways. Label Propagation Algorithm (LPA) is a well-known and efficient community detection technique which is characterized by the merits of nearly-linear running time and easy implementation. However, LPA has some significant problems such as instability, randomness, and monster community detection. In this paper, an algorithm, namely node’s label influence policy for label propagation algorithm (LP-LPA) was proposed for detecting efficient community structures. LP-LPA measures link strength value for edges and nodes’ label influence value for nodes in a new label propagation strategy with preference on link strength and for initial nodes selection, avoid of random behavior in tiebreak states, and efficient updating order and rule update. These procedures can sort out the randomness issue in an original LPA and stabilize the discovered communities in all runs of the same network. Experiments on synthetic networks and a wide range of real-world social networks indicated that the proposed method achieves significant accuracy and high stability. Indeed, it can obviously solve monster community problem with regard to detecting communities in networks.

Study on Influencing Factor Analysis and Application of Consumer Mobile Commerce Acceptance

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gaoguang; Lv, Tingjie

Mobile commerce (MC) refers to e-commerce activities carried out using a mobile device such as a phone or PDA. With new technology, MC will be rapidly growing in the near future. At the present time, what factors making consumer accept MC and what MC applications are acceptable by consumers are two of hot issues both for MC providers and f or MC researchers. This study presents a proposed MC acceptance model that integrates perceived playfulness, perceived risk and cost into the TAM to study which factors affect consumer MC acceptance. The proposed model includes five variables, namely perceived risk, cost, perceived usefulness, perceived playfulness, perceived ease of use, perceived playfulness. Then, using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate weight of criteria involved in proposed model. Finally, the study utilizes fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate MC applications accepted possibility, and then a MC application is empirically tested using data collected from a survey of MC consumers.

Eutrophication influence on phytoplankton community composition in three bays on the eastern Adriatic coast

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Mia Bužančić

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This study shows the influence of eutrophication pressure on the phytoplankton community structure, abundance and biodiversity in the investigated bays with different hydromorphological features. Šibenik Bay is a highly stratified estuary of the karstic river Krka; Kaštela Bay is a semi-enclosed coastal bay, which is influenced by the relatively small river Jadro; and Mali Ston Bay is located at the Neretva River estuary, the largest river on the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea. All of the areas are affected by urban pressure, which is reflected in the trophic status of the waters. The greatest anthropogenic influence was found in Kaštela Bay while the lowest influence was found in Mali Ston Bay. In this study, the highest biomass concentration and maximum abundance of phytoplankton were recorded at the stations under the strongest anthropogenic influence. Those stations show a dominance of abundance compared to the biomass and a dominance of opportunistic species, which is reflected in the lower biodiversity of phytoplankton community. Diatoms were the most represented group of the phytoplankton community in all three bays, followed by the dinoflagellates. Diatoms that were highlighted as significant for the difference between the bays were Skeletonema marinoi in Šibenik Bay, Leptocylindrus minimus in Kaštela Bay and the genus Chaetoceros spp. in Mali Ston Bay. Dinoflagellates were more abundant at the stations under the strongest anthropogenic influence, and most significant were Prorocentrum triestinum in Kaštela Bay and Gymnodinium spp. in Šibenik Bay and Mali Ston Bay.

Pregnancy planning and acceptance among Danish pregnant women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, V; Knudsen, L B; Wielandt, H

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To study how living conditions influence pregnancy planning and acceptance among Danish women. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire study performed among 3516 pregnant women attending Odense University Hospital, Denmark. The study population consisted of women with spontaneous...... abortion, women with ectopic pregnancies, women attending antenatal care and women with induced abortion. They were divided into four groups: women with planned and accepted pregnancies (accepting planners, n=2137), women who accepted an initially unplanned pregnancy (accepting non-planners, n=1006), women...... who rejected an initially planned pregnancy (rejecting planners, n=31), and women with unplanned and rejected pregnancies (rejecting non-planners, n=342). The association between socio-economic characteristics and pregnancy planning and acceptance was evaluated by comparing accepting non...

DIGITAL MARKETING INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF BRAND COMMUNITIES

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Cristian, Morozan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The digital environment in which the interests of communicating and promoting brands is manifested, in a growing extent, exerts its influence on dynamic economic sectors, changing consumer habits but mainly affects how content is consumed in brand communities. This environment is still not a channel or ad format yet, forming a parallel reality, a complex system which is constantly changing. To enter and to remain here, brand owner organizations must approach communication, both in entertainment as well as in production and sales in a most pleasant and useful way for members of the communities they support. In this context, this paper consists in a qualitative research method; various sources of secondary information such as summaries of some events, analysis, case studies, etc. have been consulted accordingly.

Internal Factors within Entrepreneurs that Influence the Acceptance and Use of Social Commerce among SMEs in Malaysia

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Azilahwati Binti Adam

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Current technological advances, particularly in information and communications technology (ICT and social media have sparked a phenomenon in the business world. The existence of social commerce (s-commerce, which is a combination of e-commerce and social media, has opened up greater opportunities for SMEs in Malaysia. The use of s-commerce as a medium for marketing and buying and selling is capable of helping SMEs to increase the sales and profitability of their businesses. However, according to studies conducted by SME Corp Malaysia, the usage of e-commerce and social media is still low. Attitude and self-efficacy are variables that are often used in studies related to entrepreneurs and their intention to accept a new business innovation or technology. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the internal factors within entrepreneurs, namely attitude and self-efficacy, which influence the acceptance and use of s-commerce among SMEs in Malaysia.

The influence of home and community attachment on firewise behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Gerard T. Kyle; Gene L. Theodori; James D. Absher; Jinhee. Jun

2010-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of residents’ attachment to their homes and community on their willingness to adopt Firewise recommendations. Our sample was drawn from a population residing in the wildland–urban interface where the threat of wildfire is acute. The Firewise recommendations concerned 13 activities affecting home design,...

Migration Decision-Making among Mexican Youth: Individual, Family, and Community Influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Christine M; Torres-Pereda, Pilar; Minnis, Alexandra M; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio A

2013-05-07

We explored migration decisions using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with male and female youth ages 14 to 24 (n=47) from two Mexican communities, one with high and one with low U.S. migration density. Half were return migrants and half were non-migrants with relatives in the U.S. Migrant and non-migrant youth expressed different preferences, especially in terms of education and their ability to wait for financial gain. Reasons for migration were mostly similar across the two communities; however, the perceived risk of the migration journey was higher in the low density migration community while perceived opportunities in Mexico were higher in the high density migration community. Reasons for return were related to youths' initial social and economic motivations for migration. A greater understanding of factors influencing migration decisions may provide insight into the vulnerability of immigrant youth along the journey, their adaptation process in the U.S., and their reintegration in Mexico.

Endophytic bacterial community of grapevine leaves influenced by sampling date and phytoplasma infection process.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulgari, Daniela; Casati, Paola; Quaglino, Fabio; Bianco, Piero A

2014-07-21

Endophytic bacteria benefit host plant directly or indirectly, e.g. by biocontrol of the pathogens. Up to now, their interactions with the host and with other microorganisms are poorly understood. Consequently, a crucial step for improving the knowledge of those relationships is to determine if pathogens or plant growing season influence endophytic bacterial diversity and dynamic. Four healthy, four phytoplasma diseased and four recovered (symptomatic plants that spontaneously regain a healthy condition) grapevine plants were sampled monthly from June to October 2010 in a vineyard in north-western Italy. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from sterilized leaves and the endophytic bacterial community dynamic and diversity were analyzed by taxon specific real-time PCR, Length-Heterogeneity PCR and genus-specific PCR. These analyses revealed that both sampling date and phytoplasma infection influenced the endophytic bacterial composition. Interestingly, in June, when the plants are symptomless and the pathogen is undetectable (i) the endophytic bacterial community associated with diseased grapevines was different from those in the other sampling dates, when the phytoplasmas are detectable inside samples; (ii) the microbial community associated with recovered plants differs from that living inside healthy and diseased plants. Interestingly, LH-PCR database identified bacteria previously reported as biocontrol agents in the examined grapevines. Of these, Burkholderia, Methylobacterium and Pantoea dynamic was influenced by the phytoplasma infection process and seasonality. Results indicated that endophytic bacterial community composition in grapevine is correlated to both phytoplasma infection and sampling date. For the first time, data underlined that, in diseased plants, the pathogen infection process can decrease the impact of seasonality on community dynamic. Moreover, based on experimental evidences, it was reasonable to hypothesize that after recovery the restructured

Perception and acceptability of malaria vaccine among maternal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perception and acceptability of malaria vaccine among maternal and child health clinic ... Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care ... used for data collection from maternal and child health clinic attendees in Calabar, Nigeria.

Usability and acceptability of technology for community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Holthe, Torhild; Halvorsrud, Liv; Karterud, Dag; Hoel, Kari-Anne; Lund, Anne

2018-01-01

The objective of this review was to obtain an overview of the technologies that have been explored with older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia (MCI/D), current knowledge on the usability and acceptability of such technologies, and how people with MCI/D and their family carers (FCs) were involved in these studies. Primary studies published between 2007 and 2017 that explored the use of technologies for community-dwelling people with MCI/D were identified through five databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, AMED, and CINAHL. Twenty-nine out of 359 papers met the criteria for eligibility. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality assessment. A wide range of technologies was presented in the 29 studies, sorted into four domains: 1) safe walking indoors and outdoors; 2) safe living; 3) independent living; and 4) entertainment and social communication. The current state of knowledge regarding usability and acceptability reveals that even if researchers are aware of these concepts and intend to measure usability and acceptability, they seem difficult to assess. Terms such as "user friendliness" and "acceptance" were used frequently. User participation in the 29 studies was high. Persons with MCI/D, FCs, and staff/other older adults were involved in focus groups, workshops, and interviews as part of the preimplementation process. Research regarding technologies to support people with MCI/D seems optimistic, and a wide range of technologies has been evaluated in homes with people with MCI/D and their FCs. A major finding was the importance of including people with MCI/D and their FCs in research, in order to learn about required design features to enhance usability and acceptability. Surprisingly, very few studies reported on the consequences of technology use with regard to quality of life, occupational performance, or human dignity.

Pregnancy planning and acceptance among Danish pregnant women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasch, V; Knudsen, L B; Wielandt, H

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To study how living conditions influence pregnancy planning and acceptance among Danish women. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire study performed among 3516 pregnant women attending Odense University Hospital, Denmark. The study population consisted of women with spontaneous......-planners with accepting planners and by comparing rejecting planners with rejecting non-planners. The variables studied comprise age, number of children, partner relationship, education, occupation, economic situation and contraceptives. RESULTS: The characteristics of accepting non-planners and accepting planners were...... in accordance and in contrast to those of rejecting planners and in particular of rejecting non-planners. The contraceptive prevalence rate among accepting non-planners was 15%. Among rejecting non-planners the same figure was 51%. CONCLUSION: Accepting non-planners seemed to be in a situation which could...

App-Supported Promotion of Child Growth and Development by Community Health Workers in Kenya: Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Heerden, Alastair; Sen, Debjeet; Desmond, Chris; Louw, Julia; Richter, Linda

2017-12-05

Early childhood is a critical phase of development. In low resource settings, monitoring this stage of development and providing appropriate and timely feedback is a challenge. Community-based service providers play a key role in promoting early childhood development in areas where government services are weak. These community-based service providers are also tasked with the collection of monitoring and evaluation data for donors and local government. Usually, collection of these data aims to provide accountability, learning, and correction leading to improvement. However, such data is rarely used beyond the accountability stage. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of the Information for Action (IFA) mobile phone app. The IFA app was designed for use by community health volunteers (CHVs), and repackages routinely collected data about children into useful, offline decision support for caregivers and program managers. The IFA app was tested with a convenience sample of 10 CHVs in West Katweng'a, a sublocation of Rarieda subcounty in western Kenya. CHVs used the IFA app for 5 months as part of their regular home visits to households containing children aged 0 to 5 years, after which a qualitative assessment of the app was conducted. A total of 16 caregivers who received services from the CHVs were randomly selected to participate in 1 of 2 focus group discussions about their experience. The app was reported to help facilitate interactive dialog between CHVs and caregivers, leading to improved quality of home visits. Caregivers described the app as shifting the relationship from feeling harassed by CHVs to experiencing genuine interest from CHVs. CHVs reported feasibility challenges primarily related to infrastructure. The limited battery life of mobile phones combined with the lack of readily available electricity made it difficult to keep the phones charged. CHVs reported initial anxiety as first-time mobile phones users, including

Influence of biochar on heavy metals and microbial community during composting of river sediment with agricultural wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yaoning; Liu, Yao; Li, Yuanping; Wu, Yanxin; Chen, Yanrong; Zeng, Guangming; Zhang, Jiachao; Li, Hui

2017-11-01

Studies were performed to evaluate influence of biochar addition on physico-chemical process, heavy metals transformation and bacterial community diversity during composting of sediment with agricultural wastes. Simultaneously, the relationships between those parameters including heavy metals and bacterial community compositions were evaluated by redundancy analysis (RDA). The results show that the extraction efficiency of DTPA extractable heavy metals decreased in both piles, and reduced more in pile with biochar addition about 0.1-2.96%. Biochar addition dramatically influenced the bacterial community structure during the composting process. Moreover, the bacterial community composition was significantly correlated with C/N ratio, water soluble carbon (WSC), and organic matter (OM) (Pheavy metals contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF LIBRARY APPS AGAINTS LIBRARY EMPOWERMENT

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Achmad Riyadi Alberto

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract. This research is motivated by the development of information and communication technology (ICT in the library world so rapidly that allows libraries in the present to develop its services into digital-based services. This study aims to find out the school community’s perception of library apps developed by Riche Cynthia Johan, Hana Silvana, and Holin Sulistyo and its influence on library empowerment at the library of SD Laboratorium Percontohan UPI Bandung. Library apps in this research belong to the context of m-libraries, which is a library that meets the needs of its users by using mobile platforms such as smartphones,computers, and other mobile devices. Empowerment of library is the utilization of all aspects of the implementation of libraries to the best in order to achieve the expected goals. An analysis of the schoolcommunity’s perception of library apps using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM includes: ease of use, usefulness, usability, usage trends, and real-use conditions. While the empowerment of the library includes aspects: information empowerment, empowerment of learning resources, empowerment of human resources, empowerment of library facilities, and library promotion. The research method used in this research is descriptive method with quantitative approach. Population and sample in this research is school community at SD Laboratorium Percontohan UPI Bandung. Determination of sample criteria by using disproportionate stratified random sampling with the number of samples of 83 respondents. Data analysis using simple linear regression to measure the influence of school community perception about library apps to library empowerment. The result of data analysis shows that there is influence between school community perception about library apps to library empowerment at library of SD Laboratorium Percontohan UPI Bandung which is proved by library acceptance level and library empowerment improvement.

Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Web-Based Training in Malaysia: Applying the Technology Acceptance Model

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Junaidah

2008-01-01

Companies in Malaysia are beginning to use web-based training to reduce the cost of training and to provide employees with greater access to instruction. However, some people are uncomfortable with technology and prefer person-to-person methods of training. This study examines the acceptance of web-based training among a convenience sample of 261…

The assessment of the impact of socio-economic factors in accepting cancer using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS).

Science.gov (United States)

Czerw, Aleksandra I; Bilińska, Magdalena; Deptała, Andrzej

2016-01-01

The paper presents the results of examining the level of acceptance of the illness in cancer patients using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS). The study involved cancer patients treated at the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry the Interior in Warsaw in 2014. The questionnaire comprised basic demographic questions (socio-economic factors) and the AIS test estimating the level of illness acceptance in patients. For the group of patients in the research group, the arithmetic mean amounted to 27.56 points. The period of time that elapsed between the first cancer diagnosis and the start of the study did not influence the score of accepting illness. The acceptance of illness in patients diagnosed with metastases differed from the acceptance of illness by patients diagnosed with metastatic cancer. Females obtained the average of 29.59 in the AIS test, whereas the average in male patients was 26.17. The patients' age did not impact the AIS test. There were no differences in the AIS test results between a group of people with secondary education and a group of people with higher education. There were no differences in the AIS test results between employed individuals versus pensioners. The inhabitants of cities were characterized by the highest degree of acceptance of their health condition. The lowest degree of acceptance of illness was observed in the group with the lowest average incomes. In the group of married individuals the average degree of acceptance of illness amounted to 27.37 points. The average degree of acceptance of illness in patients that declared themselves as single amounted to 25.75. The average degree of acceptance of illness in the study group was 27.56 points, which is a relatively high level of acceptance of cancer. The main socio-economic factor, which influenced the AIS test results was whether metastases were diagnosed or not. There were no differences between patients in groups where the time that elapsed from the first diagnosis of

The assessment of the impact of socio-economic factors in accepting cancer using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra I. Czerw

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study : The paper presents the results of examining the level of acceptance of the illness in cancer patients using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS. Materials and methods: The study involved cancer patients treated at the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry the Interior in Warsaw in 2014. The questionnaire comprised basic demographic questions (socio-economic factors and the AIS test estimating the level of illness acceptance in patients. Results : For the group of patients in the research group, the arithmetic mean amounted to 27.56 points. The period of time that elapsed between the first cancer diagnosis and the start of the study did not influence the score of accepting illness. The acceptance of illness in patients diagnosed with metastases differed from the acceptance of illness by patients diagnosed with metastatic cancer. Females obtained the average of 29.59 in the AIS test, whereas the average in male patients was 26.17. The patients’ age did not impact the AIS test. There were no differences in the AIS test results between a group of people with secondary education and a group of people with higher education. There were no differences in the AIS test results between employed individuals versus pensioners. The inhabitants of cities were characterized by the highest degree of acceptance of their health condition. The lowest degree of acceptance of illness was observed in the group with the lowest average incomes. In the group of married individuals the average degree of acceptance of illness amounted to 27.37 points. The average degree of acceptance of illness in patients that declared themselves as single amounted to 25.75. Conclusions : The average degree of acceptance of illness in the study group was 27.56 points, which is a relatively high level of acceptance of cancer. The main socio-economic factor, which influenced the AIS test results was whether metastases were diagnosed or not. There were no

Building sustainable communities using sense of place indicators in three Hudson River Valley, NY, tourism destinations: An application of the limits of acceptable change process

Science.gov (United States)

Laura E. Sullivan; Rudy M. Schuster; Diane M. Kuehn; Cheryl S. Doble; Duarte. Morais

2010-01-01

This study explores whether measures of residents' sense of place can act as indicators in the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) process to facilitate tourism planning and management. Data on community attributes valued by residents and the associated values and meanings were collected through focus groups with 27 residents in three Hudson River Valley, New York,...

Nuclear Energy and Public Acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daifuku, K.

2002-01-01

The continued use of nuclear power in the European Union and elsewhere requires an adequate level of public and political acceptance. A lack of acceptance is often mistakenly cited as a reason for the slowdown in nuclear power plant construction in Western Europe and as a justification for abandoning nuclear power. In fact, the reasons for the slowdown have more to do with the following two factors: Plentiful supplies of low-priced natural gas, making gas-fired power plants a more attractive investment choice; more than adequate supplies of electricity which have curbed the need for the construction of new plant of any kind. In general, moves towards a withdrawal from nuclear in certain Community countries have been due to party political pressures and have not been a response to public opposition to nuclear. In addition, opinion polls do not show widespread public opposition to the use of nuclear power. Figures consistently indicate that the use of nuclear power does not come high on the list of most people's main worries. Their main concerns focus on other issues such as crime and financial problems. In the main, electricity is taken for granted in the industrialised world. Electric power only becomes an issue when there is a threat of shortages. So if public acceptance is not the main obstacle, what is? Political acceptance is an integral part of the process in which nuclear becomes acceptable or not. The relationship between public and political acceptance and the role of the industry in this context, on how to foster a better trialogue, will be examined. (author)

Individual acceptance of the biogas innovation: A structural equation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmann, Carsten H.; Arens, Ludwig; Theuvsen, Ludwig

2013-01-01

The rapid spread of biogas production in Germany has resulted in an increased public debate over this new business branch. Today the production of biogas is much more controversially debated than several years ago. At the same time it could be proven that even among farmers themselves the acceptance of biogas production in some regions is somewhat dampened due to accompanying “collateral damages”. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to identify relevant influencing factors that determine the acceptance of the innovation “biogas” among farmers by applying a causal analysis. Initial results among the five investigated determinants show that not only an individual attitude toward biogas but also the farmers' personal innovativeness strongly and significantly influences an individual's acceptance of the innovation “biogas”. -- Highlights: •Strong expansion of biogas production based on renewable resources in Germany since 2004. •Low acceptance of biogas production in some regions. •Identification of influencing factors that determine the individual acceptance of the biogas innovation among German farmers. •Compared to existing studies, personal innovativeness was taken into account in the causal model. •Results are important for the further expansion of biogas production in Germany as well as in other countries

Socio-cultural determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine in Western Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundaram, N; Schaetti, C; Chaignat, C-L; Hutubessy, R; Nyambedha, E O; Mbonga, L A; Weiss, M G

2013-03-01

Determinants of anticipated acceptance of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV) were studied in urban and rural communities of Western Kenya. An explanatory model interview administered to 379 community residents assessed anticipated vaccine acceptance at various prices from no cost to full-cost recovery, socio-cultural features of cholera and social characteristics. Nearly all (99%) residents indicated willingness to accept a no-cost OCV, 95% at a price of US$ 0·8, 73% at US$ 4·2 and 59% at US$ 8·4. Logistic regression models analysed socio-cultural determinants of anticipated OCV acceptance. Prominence of non-specific symptoms for cholera was negatively associated with acceptance. A cholera-specific symptom (thirst), self-help referring to prayer, income and education were positively associated. In the high-cost model, education was no longer significant and reliance on herbal treatment was a significant determinant of vaccine non-acceptance. Findings suggest high motivation for OCVs, if affordable. Socio-cultural determinants are better predictors of anticipated acceptance than socio-demographic factors alone.

Assessment of Public Acceptability in LILW Repository Site Selection Process in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeleznik, N.; Kralj, M.; Polic, M.; Kos, D.

2006-01-01

Slovenian national agency for radioactive waste management ARAO has after longer period of preparation activities started with the more direct work on the site selection process for low and intermediate level waste (LILW) repository. In November 2004, the official administrative procedure for the siting of the repository started with the First public conference on spatial planning issues carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning together with ARAO. Just after the conference the Program for the preparation of the Detailed plan of national importance for the LILW repository was accepted by the Ministry. ARAO invited in the beginning of December 2004 all local communities in Slovenia (except 3 of them which have already refused to cooperate) to participate and volunteer a site or area in their local community for further investigation. The invitation for the application of local communities provided clear instructions on how to participate in further determination of potentially suitable sites and under what conditions. By the beginning of April 2005 ARAO finished the bidding process with 8 applications of local communities which decided to participate in the further site selection for LILW repository. Due to the financial and other limitations (human resources, spatial planning procedure, etc.) only in maximum three local communities further characterization could be performed. Therefore prefeasibility study of all volunteer local communities was conducted in which besides technical, environmental and spatial availability also public acceptability should be assessed. For assessment of public acceptability the methodology has been prepared which includes objective parameters of local environment (such as demographic data, economy, infrastructure and social issues in relation to the repository) as well as subjective values (attitudes of individual groups - opinion makers, politicians and all residents - to the sitting and construction of LILW

Evaluation of predictive factors influencing community reintegration in adult patients with stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olajide Ayinla Olawale

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Patients with stroke are faced with gait, balance, and fall difficulties which could impact on their community reintegration. In Nigeria, community reintegration after stroke has been understudied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictors of community reintegration in adult patients with stroke. Materials and Methods: Participants were 91 adult patients with stroke. Gait variables, balance self-efficacy, community balance/mobility, and fall self-efficacy were assessed using Rivermead Mobility Index, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Community Balance and Mobility Scale, and Falls Efficacy Scale-International respectively. Reintegration to Normal Living Index was used to assess satisfaction with community reintegration. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to determine the relationship between community reintegration and gait spatiotemporal variables, balance performance, and risk of fall. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine predictors of community reintegration (P ≤ 0.05. Results: There was significant positive relationship between community reintegration and cadence (r = 0.250, P = 0.017, functional mobility (r = 0.503, P = 0.001, balance self-efficacy (r = 0.608, P = 0.001, community balance/mobility (r = 0.586, P = 0.001, and duration of stroke (r = 0.220, P = 0.036. Stride time (r = −0.282, P = 0.073 and fall self-efficacy (r = 0.566, P = 0.001 were negatively correlated with community reintegration. Duration of stroke, balance self-efficacy, community balance/mobility, and fall self-efficacy (52.7% of the variance were the significant predictors of community reintegration. Conclusion: Community reintegration is influenced by cadence, functional mobility, balance self-efficacy, community balance/mobility, and duration of stroke. Hence, improving balance and mobility during rehabilitation is important in enhancing community reintegration in patients with stroke.

Community Development and Divergent Forces in Philippine State Universities and Colleges: Developing a Protocol in Evaluating Extension Projects Towards Community Empowerment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dexter S. Ontoy

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Divergent paradigms operate in State Universities and Colleges SUCs, which influence the performance of extension projects towards attainment of full empowerment as the ultimate goal implied by the universally-accepted definition of community development. In particular, a livelihood and environment project of Cebu Normal University (CNU implemented in Caputatan Norte, Medillin, Cebu, Philippines was assessed based on five (5 primary parameters and two (2 secondary parameters. A novel protocol using Delphi Method shows was developed and used for this particular study, which could be adapted in evaluating the performance of community extension projects. In this particular case, the performance of CNU livelihood and environment project falls between ―demonstration‖ and ―community organizing‖. The evaluation shows that there is still a need to reinforce activities to the ultimate goal. However, it is also implied that the secondary parameters are more robust indicators in assessing the outcomes of the project implementation towards full community empowerment.

Environmental policies, politics, and community risk perception: case study of community contamination in Casper, Wyoming.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajik, Mansoureh; Gottlieb, Karen; Lowndes, Nita; Stewart, Gloria

2007-01-01

We identify and explain factors that affected a community's perception of risk due to extensive industrial contamination and people's distrust of government agencies regarding the environmental investigations. Intrinsic bounded case study methodology was used to conduct research about extensive environmental contaminations due to activities of an oil refinery in North Casper, Wyoming, and the citizens' response. Data were collected from multiple sources that included public testimonies, observations, public hearings and meetings minutes, newspaper articles, archived records obtained from federal and state environmental and health agencies, as well as industry records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The overarching theme that emerged was lack of trust due to several critical events and factors such as no response or delay in response time to community concerns, lack of transparency, perceived cover up, vague and fragmented communication by government and state officials, perception of pro-industry stance, and perceived unfair treatment. People's perception of environmental risks and their willingness to accept official explanations and outcomes of environmental investigations are strongly affected by their direct experiences with government agencies and the evidence of influence the powerful industries exert over relevant investigations. The government cannot successfully address public and community concerns about environmental health impacts of contaminations and in turn the public perception of risk unless it adopts and implements policies, procedures, and protocols that are clear, timely, transparent, and free from industry influence.

An Analysis of Bitcoin Acceptance in Indonesia

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Fergyanto E. Gunawan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research intended to understand the factors affecting the acceptance of Bitcoin technology in Indonesia. It adopted the model of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT, which took into account four influencing factors. Those were performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. The factors of gender and age were assumed to moderate the relations between those four factors and use and behavioral intention. The empirical data for those factors were collected by questionnaires from 49 respondents. The statistical significance of the relationships was evaluated by multivariate regression analysis. The result is a model that matches the data with R2 = 0,678. It demonstrates a high level of fitness. The analysis suggests that the performance expectancy factor and the social influence factor greatly affect the behavioral intention to use Bitcoin with the values of t-statistic of 3,835 (p-value = 0,000 for the former factor and 1,948 (0,059 for the latter factor. However, the social influence factor has less profound effect on the behavioral intention.

Analisis Sikap Pengguna Paytren Menggunakan Technology Acceptance Model

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Moh Siri

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstrak Semakin pesatnya aplikasi berbasis android mendorong masyarakat beralih dan menggunakan. Melakukan transaksi dan pembayaran ke loket-loket Paymen Point Online Bank (BPOB yang dirasa kurang membantu masyarakat dalam kegiatan transkasi. Oleh karenanya hadir sebuah layanan terknologi dibidang micropayment dengan perangkat lunak bernama PayTren yang dapat digunakan untuk pembayaran transaksi dalam jumlah kecil  (micropayment berbasis android yang merupakan salah satu alternatif tepat dan bermanfaat untuk sarana mempermudah pengguna dalam melakukan transaksi atau pembayaran serta mampu menggeser jenis pembayaran pada loket-loket pembayaran pada umumnya. Tujuan dalam penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis sikap pengguna aplikasi PayTren berbasis android dengan menggunakan metode Technology Acceptance Model (TAM, serta pengujian menggunakan analisis regresi. Manfaat penelitian ini adalah sebagai referensi untuk penelitian selanjutnya dengan menggunakan metode TAM dan ditambahkan variabel yang lain. Hasil dari penelitian ini persepsi kegunaan (perceived usefullness dan persepi kemudahan (perceived easy of use memiliki pengaruh yang dikategorikan kuat dan lemah terhadap (attitude toward using sikap pengguna. Kata Kunci: Aplikasi, Android, PayTren, Technology Acceptance Model.                                                                                                                             Abstract The more rapid the android-based applications are pushing the community move on and use. Transaction and payment to the counter-the counter of Paymen Point Online Bank (BPOB where less help the community in dealings. Therefore present a terknologi service in the field of micropayment with software called PayTren that can be used for payment transactions in small amounts (micropayment android-based which is one of the alternatives is right and beneficial for the means of

Influence of coral cover and structural complexity on the accuracy of visual surveys of coral-reef fish communities

KAUST Repository

Coker, Darren James

2017-04-20

Using manipulated patch reefs with combinations of varying live-coral cover (low, medium and high) and structural complexity (low and high), common community metrics (abundance, diversity, richness and community composition) collected through standard underwater visual census techniques were compared with exhaustive collections using a fish anaesthetic (clove oil). This study showed that reef condition did not influence underwater visual census estimates at a community level, but reef condition can influence the detectability of some small and cryptic species and this may be exacerbated if surveys are conducted on a larger scale.

Influence of coral cover and structural complexity on the accuracy of visual surveys of coral-reef fish communities

KAUST Repository

Coker, Darren James; Nowicki, J. P.; Graham, N. A. J.

2017-01-01

Using manipulated patch reefs with combinations of varying live-coral cover (low, medium and high) and structural complexity (low and high), common community metrics (abundance, diversity, richness and community composition) collected through standard underwater visual census techniques were compared with exhaustive collections using a fish anaesthetic (clove oil). This study showed that reef condition did not influence underwater visual census estimates at a community level, but reef condition can influence the detectability of some small and cryptic species and this may be exacerbated if surveys are conducted on a larger scale.

The social acceptance of artificial photosynthesis: towards a conceptual framework

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Sovacool, Benjamin K.; Gross, Allan

2015-01-01

Advancements in artificial photosynthesis have the potential to radically transform how societies convert and use energy. Their successful development, however, hinges not only on technical breakthroughs, but also acceptance and adoption by energy users. This article introduces a conceptual framework enabling analysts, planners and even investors to determine environments where artificial photosynthesis may thrive, and those where it may struggle. Drawn from work looking at the barriers and acceptance of solar photovoltaic and wind energy systems, the article proposes that social acceptance has multiple dimensions—socio-political, community and market—that must be met holistically in order for investors and users to embrace new technologies. The article argues that any future market acceptance for artificial photosynthesis will depend upon the prevalence of nine factors, which create conducive environments; the lack of the conditions engenders environments where they will likely be rejected. The conditions are (i) strong institutional capacity; (ii) political commitment; (iii) favourable legal and regulatory frameworks; (iv) competitive installation and/or production costs; (v) mechanisms for information and feedback; (vi) access to financing; (vii) prolific community and/or individual ownership and use; (viii) participatory project siting; and (ix) recognition of externalities or positive public image. PMID:26052424

Acceptance and Utilization of Technology (UTAUT) as a Method of Technology Acceptance Model of Mitigation Disaster Website

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Siswanto, T.; Shofiati, R.; Hartini, H.

2018-01-01

www.mitigasi-bencana.com as a knowledge management website created based on survey results in April-July 2014 in East Java and Central Java provinces, indicates a gap between the expectations and reality that exist in the services provided by the regional disaster management agency. Based on condition analysis, the gaps that occur can be reduced if the community has the understanding and knowledge of adequate disaster mitigation. The problem that arises later is whether the chosen technology solution is appropriate and acceptable to the public? The methodology used in this study using the Technology Acceptance Model development is the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Utilization of Technology (UTAUT). Feedback obtained from respondents KarangTaruna youth SelogedongBantul, www.mitigasi-bencana.com can be accepted by the respondents, but from processed data is obtained only UTAUT hypotheses on the relationship dimension eligible for Social Expectancy on the Attitude toward technology, which means the higher the perception of the Social Expectancy, the higher the perception of the Attitude toward technology. Because www.mitigasi-bencana.com is new socialized so that society still need time to explore content information and knowledge contained therein. To be accepted by user, a knowledge management application must prepare various aspects of Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Factors, Facilitating Conditions and Attitude.

Habitat loss and gain: Influence on habitat attractiveness for estuarine fish communities

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Amorim, Eva; Ramos, Sandra; Elliott, Michael; Franco, Anita; Bordalo, Adriano A.

2017-10-01

Habitat structure and complexity influence the structuring and functioning of fish communities. Habitat changes are one of the main pressures affecting estuarine systems worldwide, yet the degree and rate of change and its impact on fish communities is still poorly understood. In order to quantify historical modifications in habitat structure, an ecohydrological classification system using physiotopes, i.e. units with homogenous abiotic characteristics, was developed for the lower Lima estuary (NW Portugal). Field data, aerial imagery, historical maps and interpolation methods were used to map input variables, including bathymetry, substratum (hard/soft), sediment composition, hydrodynamics (current velocity) and vegetation coverage. Physiotopes were then mapped for the years of 1933 and 2013 and the areas lost and gained over the 80 years were quantified. The implications of changes for the benthic and demersal fish communities using the lower estuary were estimated using the attractiveness to those communities of each physiotope, while considering the main estuarine habitat functions for fish, namely spawning, nursery, feeding and refuge areas and migratory routes. The lower estuary was highly affected due to urbanisation and development and, following a port/harbour expansion, its boundary moved seaward causing an increase in total area. Modifications led to the loss of most of its sandy and saltmarsh intertidal physiotopes, which were replaced by deeper subtidal physiotopes. The most attractive physiotopes for fish (defined as the way in which they supported the fish ecological features) decreased in area while less attractive ones increased, producing an overall lower attractiveness of the studied area in 2013 compared to 1933. The implications of habitat alterations for the fish using the estuary include potential changes in the nursery carrying capacity and the functioning of the fish community. The study also highlighted the poor knowledge of the impacts of

Community Forestry as Perceived by Local People Around Cross River National Park, Nigeria

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Ezebilo, Eugene E.

2012-01-01

The prior identification of local people's preferences for conservation-development projects will help gear nature-conservation strategies toward the needs of different groups of local people. This will help policy-makers in designing a more acceptable and effective conservation strategy. This article reports a study of local perceptions of a community forestry project that aims to help improve the design as well as local acceptance of the project. The data originated from personal interviews conducted in communities around Okwangwo Division of the Cross River National Park in southeast Nigeria and were analysed using ordered logit and binary logit models. The results showed that >50% of the respondents were satisfied with the community forestry project. The respondents' perceptions were mainly influenced by education, age, gender, and willingness to contribute money to tourism as well as the contributions of cocoa, banana, and afang ( Gnetum africanum) to the respondents' income. The results from this study have important implications for nature conservation in Nigeria and potentially other conservation contexts across the developing world.

The promise of acceptance as an NGO security management approach.

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Fast, Larissa; Freeman, Faith; O'Neill, Michael; Rowley, Elizabeth

2015-04-01

This paper explores three questions related to acceptance as a security management approach. Acceptance draws upon relationships with community members, authorities, belligerents and other stakeholders to provide consent for the presence and activities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), thereby reducing threats from these actors. Little is documented about how NGOs gain and maintain acceptance, how they assess and monitor the presence and degree of acceptance, or how they determine whether acceptance is effective in a particular context. Based on field research conducted in April 2011 in Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda, we address each of these three issues and argue that acceptance must be actively sought as both a programme and a security management strategy. In the paper we delineate elements common to all three contexts as well as missed opportunities, which identify areas that NGOs can and should address as part of an acceptance approach. © 2015 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2015.

Acceptance of Conditional Suicide and Euthanasia among Adult Americans.

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Johnson, David; And Others

1980-01-01

Analysis indicates that religious intensity, sex, age, and education are important associational variables regarding attitudes toward suicide and euthanasia. Males are more accepting than females. Females are influenced by family life conditions. Males are influenced by health status. (JMF)

User acceptance of mobile commerce: an empirical study in Macau

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Lai, Ivan K. W.; Lai, Donny C. F.

2014-06-01

This study aims to examine the positive and negative factors that can significantly explain user acceptance of mobile commerce (m-commerce) in Macau. A technology acceptance model for m-commerce with five factors is constructed. The proposed model is tested using data collected from 219 respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis is performed to examine the reliability and validity of the model, and structural equation modelling is performed to access the relationship between behaviour intention and each factor. The acceptance of m-commerce is influenced by factors including performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and privacy concern; while effort expectancy is insignificant in this case. The results of the study are useful for m-commerce service providers to adjust their strategies for promoting m-commerce services. This study contributes to the practice by providing a user technology acceptance model for m-commerce that can be used as a foundation for future research.

The influence of recipe modification and nutritional information on restaurant food acceptance and macronutrient intakes.

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Stubenitsky, K; Aaron, J; Catt, S; Mela, D

2000-06-01

To examine the influences of nutritional information and consumer characteristics on meal quality expectations, food selection and subsequent macronutrient intakes of consumers offered a reduced-fat option in a restaurant. A target, full-fat (FF) main restaurant meal option was developed in a version substantially reduced in fat and energy (RF). Restaurant patrons were randomly placed into one of four treatment groups varying in provision of menu information about the target dish, and the actual version of that dish served (if ordered). A full-fat blind (FFB) control group was given no nutritional information in the menu and was served the FF version. The other three groups were all served the modified RF version: (i) reduced-fat blind (RFB), who were given no nutritional information; (ii) reduced-fat informed (RFI), who were given nutritional information; and (iii) reduced-fat informed with details (RFID), who were given the same nutritional information plus recipe modification details. Subjects rated their expected and actual liking, the pleasantness of taste, texture and appearance of the dish, how well the dish matched their expectations, and the likelihood of purchase again. Additional measures included the other dish selections, sociodemographic and attitudinal information. A silver service (training) restaurant. Members of the public (n = 279) consuming meals in the restaurant. The presence of nutritional information on the menu did not significantly increase subsequent intakes of energy and fat from the rest of the meal, and did not significantly influence sensory expectations or post-meal acceptance measures (which also did not differ between the FF and RF versions). Consumer characteristics relating to fat reduction attitudes and behaviours were significantly related to the selection of different dishes. Provision of RF alternatives in a restaurant can have significant positive dietary benefits. Menu nutritional information did not affect measures of meal

Nurses' perceptions, acceptance, and use of a novel in-room pediatric ICU technology: testing an expanded technology acceptance model.

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Richard J; Asan, Onur; Wozniak, Erica M; Flynn, Kathryn E; Scanlon, Matthew C

2016-11-15

The value of health information technology (IT) ultimately depends on end users accepting and appropriately using it for patient care. This study examined pediatric intensive care unit nurses' perceptions, acceptance, and use of a novel health IT, the Large Customizable Interactive Monitor. An expanded technology acceptance model was tested by applying stepwise linear regression to data from a standardized survey of 167 nurses. Nurses reported low-moderate ratings of the novel IT's ease of use and low to very low ratings of usefulness, social influence, and training. Perceived ease of use, usefulness for patient/family involvement, and usefulness for care delivery were associated with system satisfaction (R 2  = 70%). Perceived usefulness for care delivery and patient/family social influence were associated with intention to use the system (R 2  = 65%). Satisfaction and intention were associated with actual system use (R 2  = 51%). The findings have implications for research, design, implementation, and policies for nursing informatics, particularly novel nursing IT. Several changes are recommended to improve the design and implementation of the studied IT.

Family intervention in Indigenous communities: emergent issues in conducting outcome research.

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Turner, Karen; Sanders, Matthew

2007-01-01

Indigenous children and youth are at greater risk of emotional and behavioural problems than non-Indigenous youth, with family life stresses and parenting style identified as common risk factors. There is substantial evidence that parenting programs can improve family relationships and improve child outcomes, however little research has focused on Indigenous communities. Our team is conducting research to evaluate a culturally sensitive adaptation of a mainstream intervention, the Group Triple P---Positive Parenting Program, for Indigenous families. This paper shares some of the insights into research and clinical issues gained as non-Indigenous researchers working with urban, rural and remote Indigenous communities. The experience of the research team and feedback from practitioners and parents have been drawn on for this discussion. Parenting programs need to be sensitive to the political and cultural context in which parenting takes place, flexibly incorporate cultural practices and expectations, and develop an evidence base of outcomes for families in diverse communities. As research is needed to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of these programs, culturally sensitive research practices are also necessary and the value of program evaluation and its benefit to the community must be clear. Community acceptance of the research process and the intervention itself is vital and may be influenced by community perceptions, current priorities, and local issues. If our overall aim is to increase the skilled health and mental health workforce in Indigenous communities and their use of evidence-based interventions, ongoing collaborative relationships between research institutions and service providers will serve to further this aim.

Understanding diversity: the importance of social acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jacqueline M; Hamilton, David L

2015-04-01

Two studies investigated how people define and perceive diversity in the historically majority-group dominated contexts of business and academia. We hypothesized that individuals construe diversity as both the numeric representation of racial minorities and the social acceptance of racial minorities within a group. In Study 1, undergraduates' (especially minorities') perceptions of campus diversity were predicted by perceived social acceptance on a college campus, above and beyond perceived minority representation. Study 2 showed that increases in a company's representation and social acceptance independently led to increases in perceived diversity of the company among Whites. Among non-Whites, representation and social acceptance only increased perceived diversity of the company when both qualities were high. Together these findings demonstrate the importance of both representation and social acceptance to the achievement of diversity in groups and that perceiver race influences the relative importance of these two components of diversity. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Feasibility and acceptability of training community health workers in ear and hearing care in Malawi: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

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Mulwafu, Wakisa; Kuper, Hannah; Viste, Asgaut; Goplen, Frederik K

2017-10-11

To assess the feasibility and acceptability of training community health workers (CHWs) in ear and hearing care, and their ability to identify patients with ear and hearing disorders. Cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). Health centres in Thyolo district, Malawi. Ten health centres participated, 5 intervention (29 CHWs) and 5 control (28 CHWs). Intervention CHWs received 3 days of training in primary ear and hearing care, while among control CHWs, training was delayed for 6 months. Both groups were given a pretest that assessed knowledge about ear and hearing care, only the intervention group was given the posttest on the third day of training. The intervention group was given 1 month to identify patients with ear and hearing disorders in their communities, and these people were screened for hearing disorders by ear, nose and throat clinical specialists. Primary outcome measure was improvement in knowledge of ear and hearing care among CHWs after the training. Secondary outcome measures were number of patients with ear or hearing disorders identified by CHWs and number recorded at health centres during routine activities, and the perceived feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The average overall correct answers increased from 55% to 68% (95% CI 65 to 71) in the intervention group (phearing disorders were identified by CHWs and 860 patients attended the screening camps, of whom 400 had hearing loss (73 patients determined through bilateral fail on otoacoustic emissions, 327 patients through audiometry). Where cause could be determined, the most common cause of ear and hearing disorders was chronic suppurative otitis media followed by impacted wax. The intervention was perceived as feasible and acceptable to implement. Training was effective in improving the knowledge of CHW in ear and hearing care in Malawi and allowing them to identify patients with ear and hearing disorders. This intervention could be scaled up to other CHWs in low-income and

PENGARUH TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL DAN PENGEMBANGANNYA DALAM PERILAKU MENGGUNAKAN CORE BANKING SYSTEM

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Dessanti Putri Sekti Ari

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the antecedents that affected the acceptance of individuals in using theCore Banking System through the constructs Technology Acceptance Model and its development. Constructsused in this study were perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, social influences, behavioral inten-tion, facilitating conditions, and behavior. Data were collected through survey methods. The samples of thisstudy were employees working in commercial banks in Malang Raya. This study used 136 respondents and wasanalyzed by smart PLS. The result of this study was that the construct of perceived usefulness and perceived easeof use in the Technology Acceptance Model affected attitude and behavior. Attitude and behavior in the Technol-ogy Acceptance Model and social influence which was the development of the Technology Acceptance Modelaffected behavioral intention to use the Core Banking System, as well as the construct of behavioral intention inTechnology Acceptance Model affected behavior, whereas construct of facilitating conditions which was thedevelopment of the Technology Acceptance Model did not affect the behavior on using the Core Banking System.

Social integration of Latin-American immigrants in Spain: the influence of the community context.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuente, Asur; Herrero, Juan

2012-11-01

The main goal of this study is to analyze the degree to which several community elements such as insecurity, discrimination and informal community support might have an influence on the social integration of Latin-American immigrants, a group at risk of social exclusion in Spain. Multivariate linear regression analyses results showed that informal community support is positively related to social integration whereas insecurity is negatively related. The statistical relationship between discrimination and social integration disappears once levels of informal community support are taken into account. A better understanding of the factors that either promote or inhibit the social integration progress of immigrant population is important to orientate public policies and intervention programs that contribute to the adaptation of this population to the host society.

Differences in HIV vaccine acceptability between genders

Science.gov (United States)

Kakinami, Lisa; Newman, Peter A.; Lee, Sung-Jae; Duan, Naihua

2010-01-01

The development of safe and efficacious preventive HIV vaccines offers the best long-term hope of controlling the AIDS pandemic. Nevertheless, suboptimal uptake of safe and efficacious vaccines that already exist suggest that HIV vaccine acceptability cannot be assumed, particularly among communities most vulnerable to HIV. The present study aimed to identify barriers and motivators to future HIV vaccine acceptability among low socioeconomic, ethnically diverse men and women in Los Angeles County. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey assessing their attitudes and beliefs regarding future HIV vaccines. Hypothetical HIV vaccine scenarios were administered to determine HIV vaccine acceptability. Two-sided t-tests were performed, stratified by gender, to examine the association between vaccine acceptability and potential barriers and motivators. Barriers to HIV vaccine acceptability differed between men and women. For women, barriers to HIV vaccine acceptability were related to their intimate relationships (p Motivators for women included the ability to conceive a child without worrying about contracting HIV (p Motivators for men included feeling safer with sex partners (p motivator for both men and women (p <0.10). Gender-specific interventions may increase vaccine acceptability among men and women at elevated risk for HIV infection. Among women, interventions need to focus on addressing barriers due to gendered power dynamics in relationships and discrimination in health care. Among men, education that addresses fears and misconceptions about adverse effects of HIV vaccination on health and the importance of vaccination as one component of integrated HIV prevention may increase vaccine acceptability. PMID:18484322

Geochemical Influence on Microbial Communities at CO2-Leakage Analog Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, Baknoon; Choi, Byoung-Young; Chae, Gi-Tak; Kirk, Matthew F; Kwon, Man Jae

2017-01-01

Microorganisms influence the chemical and physical properties of subsurface environments and thus represent an important control on the fate and environmental impact of CO 2 that leaks into aquifers from deep storage reservoirs. How leakage will influence microbial populations over long time scales is largely unknown. This study uses natural analog sites to investigate the long-term impact of CO 2 leakage from underground storage sites on subsurface biogeochemistry. We considered two sites with elevated CO 2 levels (sample groups I and II) and one control site with low CO 2 content (group III). Samples from sites with elevated CO 2 had pH ranging from 6.2 to 4.5 and samples from the low-CO 2 control group had pH ranging from 7.3 to 6.2. Solute concentrations were relatively low for samples from the control group and group I but high for samples from group II, reflecting varying degrees of water-rock interaction. Microbial communities were analyzed through clone library and MiSeq sequencing. Each 16S rRNA analysis identified various bacteria, methane-producing archaea, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Both bacterial and archaeal diversities were low in groundwater with high CO 2 content and community compositions between the groups were also clearly different. In group II samples, sequences classified in groups capable of methanogenesis, metal reduction, and nitrate reduction had higher relative abundance in samples with relative high methane, iron, and manganese concentrations and low nitrate levels. Sequences close to Comamonadaceae were abundant in group I, while the taxa related to methanogens, Nitrospirae , and Anaerolineaceae were predominant in group II. Our findings provide insight into subsurface biogeochemical reactions that influence the carbon budget of the system including carbon fixation, carbon trapping, and CO 2 conversion to methane. The results also suggest that monitoring groundwater microbial community can be a potential tool for tracking CO 2

Geochemical Influence on Microbial Communities at CO2-Leakage Analog Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baknoon Ham

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Microorganisms influence the chemical and physical properties of subsurface environments and thus represent an important control on the fate and environmental impact of CO2 that leaks into aquifers from deep storage reservoirs. How leakage will influence microbial populations over long time scales is largely unknown. This study uses natural analog sites to investigate the long-term impact of CO2 leakage from underground storage sites on subsurface biogeochemistry. We considered two sites with elevated CO2 levels (sample groups I and II and one control site with low CO2 content (group III. Samples from sites with elevated CO2 had pH ranging from 6.2 to 4.5 and samples from the low-CO2 control group had pH ranging from 7.3 to 6.2. Solute concentrations were relatively low for samples from the control group and group I but high for samples from group II, reflecting varying degrees of water-rock interaction. Microbial communities were analyzed through clone library and MiSeq sequencing. Each 16S rRNA analysis identified various bacteria, methane-producing archaea, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Both bacterial and archaeal diversities were low in groundwater with high CO2 content and community compositions between the groups were also clearly different. In group II samples, sequences classified in groups capable of methanogenesis, metal reduction, and nitrate reduction had higher relative abundance in samples with relative high methane, iron, and manganese concentrations and low nitrate levels. Sequences close to Comamonadaceae were abundant in group I, while the taxa related to methanogens, Nitrospirae, and Anaerolineaceae were predominant in group II. Our findings provide insight into subsurface biogeochemical reactions that influence the carbon budget of the system including carbon fixation, carbon trapping, and CO2 conversion to methane. The results also suggest that monitoring groundwater microbial community can be a potential tool for tracking

Determinants of the Acceptance of Sustainable Production Strategies among Dairy Farmers: Development and Testing of a Modified Technology Acceptance Model

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Simona Naspetti

2017-10-01

Full Text Available An extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM was applied by means of Structural Equation Modelling to testing various hypotheses on attitudes and intentions of dairy farmers towards three novel sustainable production strategies, as well as the influence of organic practices and collaborative behaviours, such as information sharing with supply-chain partners. Data on the acceptance of three sustainable production strategies, namely ‘Agro-forestry’, ‘Alternative protein source’, and ‘Prolonged maternal feeding’ were collected by a survey of dairy farmers in six European Union (EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, United Kingdom. We found that perceived usefulness is the key determinant of acceptance, while the intention to adopt a sustainable production strategy may derive from the influence of opinions (and behaviours of relevant others (e.g., leading dairy farmers, family members, advisors showing the role of interactions among farmers and other stakeholders in the adoption of innovations. Finally, the perceived usefulness of all of the investigated strategies is higher for organic farmers, while collaborative patterns reduce the impact of subjective norm on usefulness and overall acceptance. Our findings should encourage policy makers to consider the important role of supply chain management practices, including collaboration, to enhance the sustainability of dairy farming systems.

Societal acceptance of wind farms: Analysis of four common themes across Australian case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, N.; Ashworth, P.; Devine-Wright, P.

2013-01-01

Australia's renewable energy target (RET) seeks to provide 20 per cent of Australia's electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020. As wind power is relatively advanced, it was anticipated that wind power will contribute a major component of the early target. However, high levels of societal resistance to wind farms, combined with new regulatory policies, indicate the RET may not be dominated by wind power. This research involved an examination of seven case studies around wind farm deployment. Qualitative interviews were the primary data for the case studies and analysed using methods informed by grounded theory. Despite the diversity of stakeholder views, the qualitative analysis identified strong community support for wind farms but four common themes emerged that influence this societal acceptance of wind farms in Australia: trust, distributional justice, procedural justice and place attachment. Without addressing these factors through integration into policy development and engagement approaches, wind energy is unlikely to provide the early and majority of new renewable energy. Similar international experiences are incorporated in the discussion of the Australian wind industry's societal acceptance. - Highlights: ► Seven case studies of wind farms in Australia are described. ► Acceptance affects whether wind significantly contributes to the Aust. RE target. ► Four themes were identified regarding societal acceptance of Australian wind farms. ► Four themes are trust, distributional and procedural justice, and place attachment. ► International similarities to the Australian experience are provided

Acceptability of evidence-based neonatal care practices in rural Uganda - implications for programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Waiswa, Peter; Kemigisa, Margaret; Kiguli, Juliet; Naikoba, Sarah; Pariyo, George W; Peterson, Stefan

2008-06-21

Although evidence-based interventions to reach the Millennium Development Goals for Maternal and Neonatal mortality reduction exist, they have not yet been operationalised and scaled up in Sub-Saharan African cultural and health systems. A key concern is whether these internationally recommended practices are acceptable and will be demanded by the target community. We explored the acceptability of these interventions in two rural districts of Uganda. We conducted 10 focus group discussions consisting of mothers, fathers, grand parents and child minders (older children who take care of other children). We also did 10 key informant interviews with health workers and traditional birth attendants. Most maternal and newborn recommended practices are acceptable to both the community and to health service providers. However, health system and community barriers were prevalent and will need to be overcome for better neonatal outcomes. Pregnant women did not comprehend the importance of attending antenatal care early or more than once unless they felt ill. Women prefer to deliver in health facilities but most do not do so because they cannot afford the cost of drugs and supplies which are demanded in a situation of poverty and limited male support. Postnatal care is non-existent. For the newborn, delayed bathing and putting nothing on the umbilical cord were neither acceptable to parents nor to health providers, requiring negotiation of alternative practices. The recommended maternal-newborn practices are generally acceptable to the community and health service providers, but often are not practiced due to health systems and community barriers. Communities associate the need for antenatal care attendance with feeling ill, and postnatal care is non-existent in this region. Health promotion programs to improve newborn care must prioritize postnatal care, and take into account the local socio-cultural situation and health systems barriers including the financial burden. Male

Consumer Acceptance of Dry Dog Food Variations

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Brizio Di Donfrancesco

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to compare the acceptance of different dry dog food products by consumers, determine consumer clusters for acceptance, and identify the characteristics of dog food that drive consumer acceptance. Eight dry dog food samples available in the US market were evaluated by pet owners. In this study, consumers evaluated overall liking, aroma, and appearance liking of the products. Consumers were also asked to predict their purchase intent, their dog’s liking, and cost of the samples. The results indicated that appearance of the sample, especially the color, influenced pet owner’s overall liking more than the aroma of the product. Overall liking clusters were not related to income, age, gender, or education, indicating that general consumer demographics do not appear to play a main role in individual consumer acceptance of dog food products.

Factors influencing motivation and job satisfaction among supervisors of community health workers in marginalized communities in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Akintola, Olagoke; Chikoko, Gamuchirai

2016-09-06

Management and supervision of community health workers are factors that are critical to the success of community health worker programmes. Yet few studies have explored the perspectives of supervisors in these programmes. This study explored factors influencing motivations of supervisors in community health worker programmes. We conducted qualitative interviews with 26 programme staff providing supervision to community health workers in eight community-based organizations in marginalized communities in the greater Durban area of South Africa from July 2010 to September 2011. Findings show that all the supervisors had previous experience working in the health or social services sectors and most started out as unpaid community health workers. Most of the participants were poor women from marginalized communities. Supervisors' activities include the management and supply of material resources, mentoring and training of community health workers, record keeping and report writing. Supervisors were motivated by intrinsic factors like making a difference and community appreciation and non-monetary incentives such as promotion to supervisory positions; acquisition of management skills; participation in capacity building and the development of programmes; and support for educational advancement like salary, bonuses and medical benefits. Hygiene factors that serve to prevent dissatisfaction are salaries and financial, medical and educational benefits attached to the supervisory position. Demotivating factors identified are patients' non-adherence to health advice and alienation from decision-making. Dissatisfiers include working in crime-prevalent communities, remuneration for community health workers (CHWs), problems with material and logistical resources, job insecurity, work-related stressors and navigating the interface between CHWs and management. While participants were dissatisfied with their low remuneration, they were not demotivated but continued to be motivated

Clay minerals and metal oxides strongly influence the structure of alkane-degrading microbial communities during soil maturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinbach, Annelie; Schulz, Stefanie; Giebler, Julia; Schulz, Stephan; Pronk, Geertje J; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid; Harms, Hauke; Wick, Lukas Y; Schloter, Michael

2015-07-01

Clay minerals, charcoal and metal oxides are essential parts of the soil matrix and strongly influence the formation of biogeochemical interfaces in soil. We investigated the role of these parental materials for the development of functional microbial guilds using the example of alkane-degrading bacteria harbouring the alkane monooxygenase gene (alkB) in artificial mixtures composed of different minerals and charcoal, sterile manure and a microbial inoculum extracted from an agricultural soil. We followed changes in abundance and community structure of alkane-degrading microbial communities after 3 and 12 months of soil maturation and in response to a subsequent 2-week plant litter addition. During maturation we observed an overall increasing divergence in community composition. The impact of metal oxides on alkane-degrading community structure increased during soil maturation, whereas the charcoal impact decreased from 3 to 12 months. Among the clay minerals illite influenced the community structure of alkB-harbouring bacteria significantly, but not montmorillonite. The litter application induced strong community shifts in soils, maturated for 12 months, towards functional guilds typical for younger maturation stages pointing to a resilience of the alkane-degradation function potentially fostered by an extant 'seed bank'.

When do plant radiations influence community assembly? The importance of historical contingency in the race for niche space.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanentzap, Andrew J; Brandt, Angela J; Smissen, Rob D; Heenan, Peter B; Fukami, Tadashi; Lee, William G

2015-07-01

Plant radiations are widespread but their influence on community assembly has rarely been investigated. Theory and some evidence suggest that radiations can allow lineages to monopolize niche space when founding species arrive early into new bioclimatic regions and exploit ecological opportunities. These early radiations may subsequently reduce niche availability and dampen diversification of later arrivals. We tested this hypothesis of time-dependent lineage diversification and community dominance using the alpine flora of New Zealand. We estimated ages of 16 genera from published phylogenies and determined their relative occurrence across climatic and physical gradients in the alpine zone. We used these data to reconstruct occupancy of environmental space through time, integrating palaeoclimatic and palaeogeological changes. Our analysis suggested that earlier-colonizing lineages encountered a greater availability of environmental space, which promoted greater species diversity and occupancy of niche space. Genera that occupied broader niches were subsequently more dominant in local communities. An earlier time of arrival also contributed to greater diversity independently of its influence in accessing niche space. We suggest that plant radiations influence community assembly when they arise early in the occupancy of environmental space, allowing them to exclude later-arriving colonists from ecological communities by niche preemption. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Factors affecting acceptance of VCT among different professional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV allows individuals to determine their HIV status and serve as a gateway for both HIV prevention and early access to treatment, care and support. Identifying factors associated with VCT acceptance among different professional and community groups is essential in ...

Applying the Technology Acceptance Model and flow theory to Cyworld user behavior: implication of the Web2.0 user acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Dong-Hee; Kim, Won-Yong; Kim, Won-Young

2008-06-01

This study explores attitudinal and behavioral patterns when using Cyworld by adopting an expanded Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A model for Cyworld acceptance is used to examine how various factors modified from the TAM influence acceptance and its antecedents. This model is examined through an empirical study involving Cyworld users using structural equation modeling techniques. The model shows reasonably good measurement properties and the constructs are validated. The results not only confirm the model but also reveal general factors applicable to Web2.0. A set of constructs in the model can be the Web2.0-specific factors, playing as enhancing factor to attitudes and intention.

Influence of soil zinc concentrations on zinc sensitivity and functional diversity of microbial communities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lock, K.; Janssen, C.R.

2005-01-01

Pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) is based on the phenomenon that toxic effects reduce survival of the most sensitive organisms, thus increasing community tolerance. Community tolerance for a contaminant is thus a strong indicator for the presence of that contaminant at the level of adverse concentrations. Here we assessed PICT in 11 soils contaminated with zinc runoff from galvanised electricity pylons and 11 reference soils sampled at 10 m distance from these pylons. Using PICT, the influence of background concentration and bioavailability of zinc on zinc sensitivity and functional diversity of microbial communities was assessed. Zinc sensitivity of microbial communities decreased significantly with increasing zinc concentrations in pore water and calcium chloride extracted fraction while no significant relationship was found with total zinc concentration in the soil. It was also found that functional diversity of microbial communities decreased with increasing zinc concentrations, indicating that increased tolerance is indeed an undesirable phenomenon when environmental quality is considered. The hypothesis that zinc sensitivity of microbial communities is related to background zinc concentration in pore water could not be confirmed. - Zinc sensitivity of microbial communities and functional diversity decrease with increasing zinc concentration in the pore water

The influence of social capital towards the quality of community tourism services in Lake Toba Parapat North Sumatera

Science.gov (United States)

Revida, Erika; Yanti Siahaan, Asima; Purba, Sukarman

2018-03-01

The objective of the research was to analyze the influence of social capital towards the quality of community tourism service In Lake Toba Parapat North Sumatera. The method used the combination between quantitative and qualitative research. Sample was taken from the Community in the area around Lake Toba Parapat North Sumatera with sample of 150 head of the family. The sampling technique was Simple Random Sampling. Data collection techniques used documentary studies, questionnaires, interview and observations, while the data analysis used were Product Moment and Simple Linear Regression analysis. The results of the research showed that there were positive and significant influence between Social Capital and the Quality of Community Tourism Services in Lake Toba Parapat North Sumatera. This research recommend the need to enhance Social Capital such as trust, norms and network and the quality of community tourism services such as Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy by giving communications, information and education continuously from the families, institutions formal and informal, community leaders, religious figures and all communities in Lake Toba Parapat North Sumatera.

Design simplicity influences patient portal use: the role of aesthetic evaluations for technology acceptance

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Ivan; Mackert, Michael S; Xie, Bo; Stephens, Keri K; Shalev, Heidi

2016-01-01

Objective This study focused on patient portal use and investigated whether aesthetic evaluations of patient portals function are antecedent variables to variables in the Technology Acceptance Model. Methods A cross-sectional survey of current patient portals users (N = 333) was conducted online. Participants completed the Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory, along with items measuring perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and behavioral intentions (BIs) to use the patient portal. Results The hypothesized model accounted for 29% of the variance in BIs to use the portal, 46% of the variance in the PU of the portal, and 29% of the variance in the portal’s PEU. Additionally, one dimension of the aesthetic evaluations functions as a predictor in the model – simplicity evaluations had a significant positive effect on PEU. Conclusion This study provides evidence that aesthetic evaluations – specifically regarding simplicity – function as a significant antecedent variable to patients’ use of patient portals and should influence patient portal design strategies. PMID:26635314

Perceptions That Influence the Maintenance of Scientific Integrity in Community-Based Participatory Research

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer Diaz, Anne E.; Spears Johnson, Chaya R.; Arcury, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Scientific integrity is necessary for strong science; yet many variables can influence scientific integrity. In traditional research, some common threats are the pressure to publish, competition for funds, and career advancement. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides a different context for scientific integrity with additional and…

Limits of acceptable change as tool for tourism development sustainability in Pangandaran West Java

Science.gov (United States)

Komsary, K. C.; Tarigan, W. P.; Wiyana, T.

2018-03-01

Pangandaran since 2006 has become a model of sustainable tourism development. A program aimed to empower local communities to prepare work plans and activities to enrich the various potential development of sustainable tourism. By empowering local community, business competition has led to the undesired development of the tourism sector. This becomes the concern of the negative impact of physical changes in the area. This study aims to identify and measure the acceptable changes (limits of acceptable change-LAC) of tourism development in Pangandaran to remain adaptable as a tourist attraction. This study considers how to determine acceptable levels of impact that occurs in the Pangandaran area. This method involves stakeholders in determining the values, issues, and concerns the acceptable levels of impact for this region. The result of acceptance rate then compared with the effects of the current state. Through review and analysis methods used in this study, the LAC situation in Pangandaran outlined. Results from this study are expected to identify indicators of sustainable development of tourism sector through LAC approach.

Salt Marsh development studies at Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts: Influence of geomorphology on long-term plant community structure

Science.gov (United States)

Orson, Richard A.; Howes, Brian L.

1992-11-01

Stochastic events relating to beach formation and inlet dynamics have been the major factors influencing the development of the Waquoit Bay tidal marshes. This results from the physical structure of the Waquoit Bay system where tidal exchange is limited to one or two small inlets and is in contrast to marsh development in nearby Barnstable Marsh where direct unrestricted exchange with Cape Cod Bay has smoothed the effects of stochastic events on vegetation development. We contend that vegetation development in salt marshes where connections to adjacent waters are restricted will be dominated by abiotic factors (e.g. storms, sedimentation rates, etc.) while those marshes directly linked to open bodies of water and where alterations to hydrodynamic factors are gradual, autecological processes (e.g. interspecific competition) will dominate long-term plant community development. The results from the five marsh systems within the Waquoit Bay complex suggest that once a vegetation change occurs the new community tended to persist for long periods of time (100's-1000's years). Stability of the 'new' community appeared to depend upon the stability of the physical structure of the system and/or time between perturbations necessary to allow the slower autecological processes to have a discernable effect. In order for the plant community to persist as long as observed, the vegetation must also be exerting an influence on the processes of development. Increased production of roots and rhizomes and growth characteristics (density of culms) are some of the factors which help to maintain long-term species dominance. It is clear from this investigation that the structure of the plant community at any one point in time is dependent upon numerous factors including historical developmental influences. To properly assess changes to the present plant community or determine recent rates of accretion, historic developmental trends must be considered. The factors that have influenced the

Plant and Bird Presence Strongly Influences the Microbial Communities in Soils of Admiralty Bay, Maritime Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Lia C. R. S.; Yeargeau, Etienne; Balieiro, Fabiano C.; Piccolo, Marisa C.; Peixoto, Raquel S.; Greer, Charles W.; Rosado, Alexandre S.

2013-01-01

Understanding the environmental factors that shape microbial communities is crucial, especially in extreme environments, like Antarctica. Two main forces were reported to influence Antarctic soil microbes: birds and plants. Both birds and plants are currently undergoing relatively large changes in their distribution and abundance due to global warming. However, we need to clearly understand the relationship between plants, birds and soil microorganisms. We therefore collected rhizosphere and bulk soils from six different sampling sites subjected to different levels of bird influence and colonized by Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic. Microarray and qPCR assays targeting 16S rRNA genes of specific taxa were used to assess microbial community structure, composition and abundance and analyzed with a range of soil physico-chemical parameters. The results indicated significant rhizosphere effects in four out of the six sites, including areas with different levels of bird influence. Acidobacteria were significantly more abundant in soils with little bird influence (low nitrogen) and in bulk soil. In contrast, Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of both plant species. At two of the sampling sites under strong bird influence (penguin colonies), Firmicutes were significantly more abundant in D. antarctica rhizosphere but not in C. quitensis rhizosphere. The Firmicutes were also positively and significantly correlated to the nitrogen concentrations in the soil. We conclude that the microbial communities in Antarctic soils are driven both by bird and plants, and that the effect is taxa-specific. PMID:23840411

Plant and bird presence strongly influences the microbial communities in soils of Admiralty Bay, Maritime Antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Lia C R S; Yeargeau, Etienne; Balieiro, Fabiano C; Piccolo, Marisa C; Peixoto, Raquel S; Greer, Charles W; Rosado, Alexandre S

2013-01-01

Understanding the environmental factors that shape microbial communities is crucial, especially in extreme environments, like Antarctica. Two main forces were reported to influence Antarctic soil microbes: birds and plants. Both birds and plants are currently undergoing relatively large changes in their distribution and abundance due to global warming. However, we need to clearly understand the relationship between plants, birds and soil microorganisms. We therefore collected rhizosphere and bulk soils from six different sampling sites subjected to different levels of bird influence and colonized by Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic. Microarray and qPCR assays targeting 16S rRNA genes of specific taxa were used to assess microbial community structure, composition and abundance and analyzed with a range of soil physico-chemical parameters. The results indicated significant rhizosphere effects in four out of the six sites, including areas with different levels of bird influence. Acidobacteria were significantly more abundant in soils with little bird influence (low nitrogen) and in bulk soil. In contrast, Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of both plant species. At two of the sampling sites under strong bird influence (penguin colonies), Firmicutes were significantly more abundant in D. antarctica rhizosphere but not in C. quitensis rhizosphere. The Firmicutes were also positively and significantly correlated to the nitrogen concentrations in the soil. We conclude that the microbial communities in Antarctic soils are driven both by bird and plants, and that the effect is taxa-specific.

Plant and bird presence strongly influences the microbial communities in soils of Admiralty Bay, Maritime Antarctica.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lia C R S Teixeira

Full Text Available Understanding the environmental factors that shape microbial communities is crucial, especially in extreme environments, like Antarctica. Two main forces were reported to influence Antarctic soil microbes: birds and plants. Both birds and plants are currently undergoing relatively large changes in their distribution and abundance due to global warming. However, we need to clearly understand the relationship between plants, birds and soil microorganisms. We therefore collected rhizosphere and bulk soils from six different sampling sites subjected to different levels of bird influence and colonized by Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic. Microarray and qPCR assays targeting 16S rRNA genes of specific taxa were used to assess microbial community structure, composition and abundance and analyzed with a range of soil physico-chemical parameters. The results indicated significant rhizosphere effects in four out of the six sites, including areas with different levels of bird influence. Acidobacteria were significantly more abundant in soils with little bird influence (low nitrogen and in bulk soil. In contrast, Actinobacteria were significantly more abundant in the rhizosphere of both plant species. At two of the sampling sites under strong bird influence (penguin colonies, Firmicutes were significantly more abundant in D. antarctica rhizosphere but not in C. quitensis rhizosphere. The Firmicutes were also positively and significantly correlated to the nitrogen concentrations in the soil. We conclude that the microbial communities in Antarctic soils are driven both by bird and plants, and that the effect is taxa-specific.

Biotechnological innovation impacts, social and ethical aspects and public acceptability; Sicurezza, implicazioni etico-sociali e percezione pubblica delle biotecnologie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capuano, V [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy). Dipt. Innovazione

1997-11-01

Biotechnology is a highly distinctive area of scientific activity and its applications can strongly influence human life. Biotechnological innovations impact on sanitary, environmental, social, ethical and economic aspects and it is particularly important a greater public understanding of biotechnology issues in the view of increasing its acceptability. Knowledge and acceptance do not go always in the same direction, as the last is influenced by various complex factors, but without a knowledgeable public there can be no effective democratic agreement. So it appears important that scientific community and industry can promote and diffuse more knowledge among citizens and consumers, taking into account also of social and ethical issues raised by public and public interest groups. In this report bio safety of biotechnology applications and social and ethical issues are analyzed. They receive much attention in the discussion in the biotechnology arena (scientists, industry, institutions and the public). In particular health and environmental risks, gene therapy, transgenic animals, patent issues and genetic resources access, consumers rights are considered. Since the media are central to the dissemination of information and views about science, is has been evidenced their role, in addition to a short analysis of public perception and communication strategies.

PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS PARTICIPATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

OpenAIRE

Roha, Abdul Rasid Aida; Fatt, Ong Tah

2017-01-01

 AbstractDesire to be accepted by other people is one of the basic human needs. Social isolation or rejection is very stressful to person with disabilities. Social acceptance by normal people towards physical activity participation for the disabled plays a vital role in motivating them to be more physically active. A review of literature indicated that there are several factors that influence public acceptance towards participation of people with disabilities in physical activity. The pr...

Acceptable care? Illness constructions, healthworlds, and accessible chronic treatment in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Fried, Jana; Harris, Bronwyn; Eyles, John; Moshabela, Mosa

2015-05-01

Achieving equitable access to health care is an important policy goal, with access influenced by affordability, availability, and acceptability of specific services. We explore patient narratives from a 5-year program of research on health care access to examine relationships between social constructions of illness and the acceptability of health services in the context of tuberculosis treatment and antiretroviral therapy in South Africa. Acceptability of services seems particularly important to the meanings patients attach to illness and care, whereas-conversely-these constructions appear to influence what constitutes acceptability and hence affect access to care. We highlight the underestimated role of individually, socially, and politically constructed healthworlds; traditional and biomedical beliefs; and social support networks. Suggested policy implications for improving acceptability and hence overall health care access include abandoning patronizing approaches to care and refocusing from treating "disease" to responding to "illness" by acknowledging and incorporating patients' healthworlds in patient-provider interactions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Community organizing and community health: piloting an innovative approach to community engagement applied to an early intervention project in south London.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolton, Matthew; Moore, Imogen; Ferreira, Ana; Day, Crispin; Bolton, Derek

2016-03-01

The importance of community engagement in health is widely recognized, and key themes in UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendations for enhancing community engagement are co-production and community control. This study reports an innovative approach to community engagement using the community-organizing methodology, applied in an intervention of social support to increase social capital, reduce stress and improve well-being in mothers who were pregnant and/or with infants aged 0-2 years. Professional community organizers in Citizens-UK worked with local member civic institutions in south London to facilitate social support to a group of 15 new mothers. Acceptability of the programme, adherence to principles of co-production and community control, and changes in the outcomes of interest were assessed quantitatively in a quasi-experimental design. The programme was found to be feasible and acceptable to participating mothers, and perceived by them to involve co-production and community control. There were no detected changes in subjective well-being, but there were important reductions in distress on a standard self-report measure (GHQ-12). There were increases in social capital of a circumscribed kind associated with the project. Community organizing provides a promising model and method of facilitating community engagement in health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health.

What reassurances do the community need regarding life extension? Evidence from studies of community attitudes and an analysis of film portrayals.

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Mair

2014-04-01

It is increasingly recognized that community attitudes impact on the research trajectory, entry, and reception of new biotechnologies. Yet biogerontologists have generally been dismissive of public concerns about life extension. There is some evidence that biogerontological research agendas have not been communicated effectively, with studies finding that most community members have little or no knowledge of life extension research. In the absence of knowledge, community members' attitudes may well be shaped by issues raised in popular portrayals of life extension (e.g., in movies). To investigate how popular portrayals of life extension may influence community attitudes, I conducted an analysis of 19 films depicting human life extension across different genres. I focussed on how the pursuit of life extension was depicted, how life extension was achieved, the levels of interest in life extension shown by characters in the films, and the experiences of extended life depicted both at an individual and societal level. This paper compares the results of this analysis with the literature on community attitudes to life extension and makes recommendations about the issues in which the public may require reassurance if they are to support and accept life extension technologies.

Community influences on modern contraceptive use among young women in low and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional multi-country analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutumba, Massy; Wekesa, Eliud; Stephenson, Rob

2018-04-02

Despite investment in family planning programs and education, unmet need for family planning remains high among young women (aged 15-24) in low and middle-income countries, increasing the risk for unwanted pregnancies and adverse social and reproductive health outcomes. There is a dearth of cross-national research that identifies the differential impact of community level factors among youth in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), which is imperative for the design of structural level interventions aimed at increasing family planning use. Grounded in the socio-ecological framework, this paper utilizes Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) from 52 LMICs to examine the influence of community level reproductive, gender, fertility, literacy and economic indicators on modern contraceptive use among female youth. Analyses are conducted using multi-level logistic regressions with random community-level effects. Our findings highlight the positive influence of community level education attainment and negative influence of gender and fertility related norms on young women's contraceptive use. Additionally, increased exposure to mass media did not positively influence young women's uptake of modern contraceptive methods. Taken together, findings indicate that young women's contraceptive decision-making is greatly shaped by their social contexts. The commonalities and regional variations in community level influences provide support for both structural level interventions and tailored regional approaches to family planning interventions.

On the Acceptance of Gain Sharing Methods in Supply Chain Collaboration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grigoriev, Alexander; Jung, Verena; Peeters - Rutten, Marianne; Vredeveld, Tjark

2017-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the acceptance of different gain sharing methods in practice. In addition, the influence of behavioural aspects on the acceptance of these allocation methods is observed. Design/methodology/approach – In order to investigate the research

Influence of pig genetic type on sensory properties and consumer acceptance of Parma, San Daniele and Toscano dry-cured hams.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagliarini, Ella; Laureati, Monica; Dinnella, Caterina; Monteleone, Erminio; Proserpio, Cristina; Piasentier, Edi

2016-02-01

This study investigated the sensory properties and acceptability of different Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) dry-cured hams. For each PDO, two genotypes were selected: IL×LW (reference hybrid) and Goland (commercial hybrid). According to descriptive analysis, genetic variance affected few attributes describing Toscano and San Daniele ham sensory quality. The commercial hybrid Parma ham was distinct from the traditional one, the Goland genotype being significantly higher in red color, saltiness, dryness and hardness and showing a lower intensity of pork-meat odor/flavor and sweetness than the IL×LW genotype. Consumer acceptance was mainly influenced by the PDO technology. A genotype effect on acceptance was only observed in Toscano ham. Principal component regression analysis revealed that Toscano ham was the preferred sample. Considering that the consumers involved were from Tuscany, it is likely that Toscano ham was preferred owing to their higher familiarity with this product. Sensory properties of ham samples were better discriminated according to their PDO than their genotype. Likewise, consumer liking was more affected by the specific PDO technology than by genetic type. Toscano ham was the most preferred and most familiar product among Tuscan consumers, indicating that familiarity with the product was the best driver of dry-cured ham preference. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Feasibility and acceptability of oral cholera vaccine mass ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... acceptable by the community to conduct a largescale mass OCV campaign in Malawi within five weeks. Of 320,000 OCV doses received, Malawi managed to administer at least 294,221 (91.9%) of the doses. OCV could therefore be considered to be introduced as additional measure in cholera hot spot areas in Malawi.

Acceptability of Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural Mozambique

Science.gov (United States)

Audet, Carolyn M.; Matos, Carla Silva; Blevins, Meridith; Cardoso, Aventina; Moon, Troy D.; Sidat, Mohsin

2012-01-01

In Zambezia province, Mozambique, cervical cancer (CC) screening was introduced to rural communities in 2010. Our study sought to determine whether women would accept screening via pelvic examination and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) at two clinical sites near the onset of a new CC screening program. A cross-sectional descriptive study…

Using a modified technology acceptance model in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggelidis, Vassilios P; Chatzoglou, Prodromos D

2009-02-01

The use of information technology in the health care sector and especially in hospitals offers great potential for improving the quality of services provided and the efficiency and effectiveness of the personnel, but also for reducing the organizational expenses. However, the main question that arises according to the literature is whether hospital personnel are willing to use state of the art information technology while performing their tasks. This study attempts to address this issue by developing and testing a modified technology acceptance model taking into consideration other relevant models found in the literature. The original TAM has been extended to include some exogenous variables in order to examine HIS acceptance by Greek hospital personnel. Correlation, explanatory and confirmation factor analysis was performed to test the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The structural equation modeling technique has also been used to evaluate the causal model. The results indicate that perceived usefulness, ease of use, social influence, attitude, facilitating conditions and self-efficacy significantly affect hospital personnel behavioral intention. Training has a strong indirect impact on behavioral intention through the mediators of facilitating condition and ease of use. Furthermore, the existence of significant positive effects between self-efficacy and social influence, perceived usefulness and anxiety, and facilitating conditions and social influence is also supported. The proposed model can explain 87% of the variance of behavioral intention indicating that the core constructs of the technology acceptance models have a strong and statistically significant influence on hospital personnel usage intention.

Acceptability of evidence-based neonatal care practices in rural Uganda – implications for programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiguli Juliet

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although evidence-based interventions to reach the Millennium Development Goals for Maternal and Neonatal mortality reduction exist, they have not yet been operationalised and scaled up in Sub-Saharan African cultural and health systems. A key concern is whether these internationally recommended practices are acceptable and will be demanded by the target community. We explored the acceptability of these interventions in two rural districts of Uganda. Methods We conducted 10 focus group discussions consisting of mothers, fathers, grand parents and child minders (older children who take care of other children. We also did 10 key informant interviews with health workers and traditional birth attendants. Results Most maternal and newborn recommended practices are acceptable to both the community and to health service providers. However, health system and community barriers were prevalent and will need to be overcome for better neonatal outcomes. Pregnant women did not comprehend the importance of attending antenatal care early or more than once unless they felt ill. Women prefer to deliver in health facilities but most do not do so because they cannot afford the cost of drugs and supplies which are demanded in a situation of poverty and limited male support. Postnatal care is non-existent. For the newborn, delayed bathing and putting nothing on the umbilical cord were neither acceptable to parents nor to health providers, requiring negotiation of alternative practices. Conclusion The recommended maternal-newborn practices are generally acceptable to the community and health service providers, but often are not practiced due to health systems and community barriers. Communities associate the need for antenatal care attendance with feeling ill, and postnatal care is non-existent in this region. Health promotion programs to improve newborn care must prioritize postnatal care, and take into account the local socio-cultural situation

The Influence of Age and Gender on Skin-Associated Microbial Communities in Urban and Rural Human Populations

OpenAIRE

Ying, Shi; Zeng, Dan-Ning; Chi, Liang; Tan, Yuan; Galzote, Carlos; Cardona, Cesar; Lax, Simon; Gilbert, Jack; Quan, Zhe-Xue

2015-01-01

Differences in the bacterial community structure associated with 7 skin sites in 71 healthy people over five days showed significant correlations with age, gender, physical skin parameters, and whether participants lived in urban or rural locations in the same city. While body site explained the majority of the variance in bacterial community structure, the composition of the skin-associated bacterial communities were predominantly influenced by whether the participants were living in an urba...

Teaching via Mobile Phone: a Case Study on Malaysian Teachers’ Technology Acceptance and Readiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Issham Ismail

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to identify the level of technology acceptance among school teachers from the components of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design, and supports and facilities. This study also aims to investigate whether teachers’ acceptance of technology could influence their readiness for the pedagogical use of mobile phone technology if it is to be implemented in school. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to thirty eight teachers who teach Information and Technology (IT subject from different primary schools in Penang, Malaysia during a program on Teachers’ Development. Data revealed that the level of technology acceptance among respondents in terms of awareness and motivation, training and courses, training design and supports and facilities was generally high. Despite this positive acceptance of technology, teachers’ readiness for the use of mobile phone in teaching and learning was found to be at a considerably low level. However, the study identified a significant correlation between respondents’ awareness and motivation towards technology with their readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone. It was also found that gender is a possible factor influencing the respondents’ readiness. As implication, this paper probes the influence of technology acceptance on teachers’ readiness for the pedagogical usage of mobile phone and the possible implications this influence affords.

Key acceptability attributes of orodispersible films.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarpa, Mariagiovanna; Paudel, Amrit; Kloprogge, Frank; Hsiao, Wen Kai; Bresciani, Massimo; Gaisford, Simon; Orlu, Mine

2018-04-01

The features rendering orodispersible films (ODFs) patient-centric formulations are widely discussed in the scientific literature. However there is a lack of research studies exploring ODF characteristics with a potential impact on end-user acceptability. The aim of this study was to identify the key ODF characteristics affecting end-user acceptability by developing in vitro test methods for the prediction of ODFs acceptability and correlate these formulation characteristics with the data obtained from a human panel study. Four drug-free single-polymer films were prepared by solvent casting. Solutions of poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVOH) 39 KDa (P1), PVOH 197 KDa (P2), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) 395 KDa (C1), and CMC 725 KDa (C2) were prepared. Texture analysis and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) were used to assess film tack. Petri dish and drop methods were used to assess disintegration time. A human panel of 24 healthy young adults was employed to identify end-user acceptability criteria of the four study film samples. Texture analysis data of ODF tack were not found to be in agreement with the in vivo perceived stickiness in the mouth. However, measurement of the area under the adhesive force curve obtained by DMA correlated with in vivo perceived stickiness data for all samples. The disintegration times obtained by drop method were more comparable to human panel data than the petri dish method. Hence DMA and drop methods proved to be promising methodologies for the prediction of the end-user acceptability. The type and molecular weight of the film-forming polymer had a strong influence on stickiness perception, whereas only polymeric molecular weight influenced perceived disintegration time. The human panel study showed that Participant Reported Outcomes (PROs) for the perceived stickiness in the mouth and disintegration time of test films received significantly different scores between samples, and thus were identified as the key attributes with the

Are sensory attributes and acceptance influenced by nutritional and health claims of low-sodium salami? Preliminary study with Brazilian consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcio Aurélio de Almeida

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The first contact between consumers and the food product is usually the packaging and it’s labelling. Therefore, it is the primary means to generate consumer’s expectations. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of nutritional and health claims on acceptance of salami with reduced sodium content, aimed at finding guidance for the product reformulation. Sixt y consumers evaluated four samples of salami. The overall acceptance was evaluated using a nine - point hedonic scale, and the attributes color, tenderness, characteristic flavor and salt content, were evaluated by 7 – point just - about - right (JAR scale. For the expectation test, overall liking of salami with reduced sodium content was evaluated by consumers under three conditions : (1 blind test (B; (2 expectation generated by nutritional and health claims (E, and (3 consumers re - tasted the salami having the nutrition and health claims available (R. Student’s t - tests performed on data indicated no significant differences (p > 0.05 between the mean acceptance under the blind (B and real (R conditions, although expectation ratings (E were significantly higher than (B (p ≤ 0.05. However, linear regression of (R - B x (E - B ratings revealed a major assimilation effect of expectation, especially under negative disconfirmation (E > B. Contrast effect was also observed, but to a lesser extent . The results showed that saltiness attribute was not decisive in decreased acceptance according to the JAR scale, but it was relevant in the aftertaste generated by adding salt substitutes. Finally, nutritional and health claims had little effect on consumer ac ceptance.

Beliefs influencing community pharmacists' interventions with chronic kidney disease patients: A theory-based qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Quintana-Bárcena, Patricia; Lalonde, Lyne; Lauzier, Sophie

2018-04-06

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Community pharmacists are ideally positioned to manage these DRPs. However, little is known about the factors influencing their interventions with CKD patients. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this qualitative study sought to: (1) explore the behavioral beliefs (perceived advantages and disadvantages), normative beliefs (perceived expectations of significant others) and control beliefs (perceived barriers and facilitators) influencing community pharmacists' interventions related to identifying and managing DRPs in CKD; and (2) compare these beliefs among three DRPs prevalent in CKD patients. Community pharmacists in Quebec, Canada participated in face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews. The topic guide was based on the TPB. Three vignettes were presented to stimulate community pharmacists' thoughts about their interventions regarding: (1) the use of an inappropriate over-the-counter laxative; (2) prescriptions of anti-inflammatory medications; and (3) non-adherence to antihypertensive medication. Integral transcripts of audio recordings were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings on each of the three DRPs were systematically compared. Fifteen community pharmacists participated in the study. All expressed a positive attitude toward DRP management, mentioning advantages such as gaining the patient's loyalty as a client and avoiding CKD complications. Participants mentioned that patients and physicians generally approve their interventions, but the dynamics of these relationships may vary depending on the DRP. Common barriers in the management of the three DRPs were the pharmacists' limited time and heavy workloads. The pharmacists felt that the main disadvantage is that these interventions interrupt the workflow in the pharmacy. Community pharmacists hold positive views of their interventions in CKD. However, enhancing community pharmacists

How perceptions of community environment influence health behaviours: using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework as a mechanism for exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieuwendyk, L M; Belon, A P; Vallianatos, H; Raine, K D; Schopflocher, D; Spence, J C; Plotnikoff, R C; Nykiforuk, C I

2016-09-01

Overweight and obesity are influenced by a complex interplay of individual and environmental factors that affect physical activity and healthy eating. Nevertheless, little has been reported on people's perceptions of those factors. Addressing this critical gap and community partner needs, this study explored how people perceived the influence of micro- and macroenvironmental factors on physical activity and healthy eating. Community partners wanted the study results in a format that would be readily and easily used by local decision makers. We used photovoice to engage 35 community members across four municipalities in Alberta, Canada, and to share their narratives about their physical activity and healthy eating. A combination of inductive and deductive analysis categorized data by environmental level (micro vs. macro) and type (physical, political, economic, and sociocultural), guided by the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework. Participants conceptualized health-influencing factors more broadly than physical activity and healthy eating to include "community social health." Participants spoke most often about the influence of the microenvironment (n = 792 ANGELO Framework coding tallies) on their physical activity, healthy eating and community social health in comparison to the macroenvironment (n = 93). Photovoice results provided a visual narrative to community partners and decision makers about how people's ability to make healthy choices can be limited by macroenvironmental forces beyond their control. Focussing future research on macro- and microenvironmental influences and localized community social health can inform practice by providing strategies on how to implement healthy changes within communities, while ensuring that research and interventions echo diverse people's perceptions.

How perceptions of community environment influence health behaviours: using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework as a mechanism for exploration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. M. Nieuwendyk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Overweight and obesity are influenced by a complex interplay of individual and environmental factors that affect physical activity and healthy eating. Nevertheless, little has been reported on people's perceptions of those factors. Addressing this critical gap and community partner needs, this study explored how people perceived the influence of micro- and macroenvironmental factors on physical activity and healthy eating. Methods: Community partners wanted the study results in a format that would be readily and easily used by local decision makers. We used photovoice to engage 35 community members across four municipalities in Alberta, Canada, and to share their narratives about their physical activity and healthy eating. A combination of inductive and deductive analysis categorized data by environmental level (micro vs. macro and type (physical, political, economic, and sociocultural, guided by the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity Framework. Results: Participants conceptualized health-influencing factors more broadly than physical activity and healthy eating to include "community social health." Participants spoke most often about the influence of the microenvironment (n = 792 ANGELO Framework coding tallies on their physical activity, healthy eating and community social health in comparison to the macroenvironment (n = 93. Photovoice results provided a visual narrative to community partners and decision makers about how people's ability to make healthy choices can be limited by macroenvironmental forces beyond their control. Conclusion: Focussing future research on macro- and microenvironmental influences and localized community social health can inform practice by providing strategies on how to implement healthy changes within communities, while ensuring that research and interventions echo diverse people's perceptions.

Influence of flooding and landform properties on riparian plant communities in an old-growth northern hardwood watershed

Science.gov (United States)

P. Charles Goebel; Kurt S. Pregitzer; Brian J. Palik

2012-01-01

In most forested landscapes, the organization of plant communities across stream valleys is thought to be regulated by a complex set of interactions including flooding, landform properties, and vegetation. However, few studies have directly examined the relative influence of frequent and infrequent flooding, as well as landform properties, on riparian plant community...

Perceptions that influence the maintenance of scientific integrity in community-based participatory research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer Diaz, Anne E; Spears Johnson, Chaya R; Arcury, Thomas A

2015-06-01

Scientific integrity is necessary for strong science; yet many variables can influence scientific integrity. In traditional research, some common threats are the pressure to publish, competition for funds, and career advancement. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides a different context for scientific integrity with additional and unique concerns. Understanding the perceptions that promote or discourage scientific integrity in CBPR as identified by professional and community investigators is essential to promoting the value of CBPR. This analysis explores the perceptions that facilitate scientific integrity in CBPR as well as the barriers among a sample of 74 professional and community CBPR investigators from 25 CBPR projects in nine states in the southeastern United States in 2012. There were variations in perceptions associated with team member identity as professional or community investigators. Perceptions identified to promote and discourage scientific integrity in CBPR by professional and community investigators were external pressures, community participation, funding, quality control and supervision, communication, training, and character and trust. Some perceptions such as communication and training promoted scientific integrity whereas other perceptions, such as a lack of funds and lack of trust could discourage scientific integrity. These results demonstrate that one of the most important perceptions in maintaining scientific integrity in CBPR is active community participation, which enables a co-responsibility by scientists and community members to provide oversight for scientific integrity. Credible CBPR science is crucial to empower the vulnerable communities to be heard by those in positions of power and policy making. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Engaging Community Stakeholders to Evaluate the Design, Usability, and Acceptability of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Social Media Resource Center

Science.gov (United States)

Chaney, Beth; Chaney, Don; Paige, Samantha; Payne-Purvis, Caroline; Tennant, Bethany; Walsh-Childers, Kim; Sriram, PS; Alber, Julia

2015-01-01

Background Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often report inadequate access to comprehensive patient education resources. Objective The purpose of this study was to incorporate community-engagement principles within a mixed-method research design to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a self-tailored social media resource center for medically underserved patients with COPD. Methods A multiphase sequential design (qual → QUANT → quant + QUAL) was incorporated into the current study, whereby a small-scale qualitative (qual) study informed the design of a social media website prototype that was tested with patients during a computer-based usability study (QUANT). To identify usability violations and determine whether or not patients found the website prototype acceptable for use, each patient was asked to complete an 18-item website usability and acceptability questionnaire, as well as a retrospective, in-depth, semistructured interview (quant + QUAL). Results The majority of medically underserved patients with COPD (n=8, mean 56 years, SD 7) found the social media website prototype to be easy to navigate and relevant to their self-management information needs. Mean responses on the 18-item website usability and acceptability questionnaire were very high on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) (mean 4.72, SD 0.33). However, the majority of patients identified several usability violations related to the prototype’s information design, interactive capabilities, and navigational structure. Specifically, 6 out of 8 (75%) patients struggled to create a log-in account to access the prototype, and 7 out of 8 patients (88%) experienced difficulty posting and replying to comments on an interactive discussion forum. Conclusions Patient perceptions of most social media website prototype features (eg, clickable picture-based screenshots of videos, comment tools) were largely positive. Mixed-method stakeholder feedback was

Acceptance and use of health information technology by community-dwelling elders.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Shira H; David, Daniel; Crotty, Bradley H; Dierks, Meghan; Safran, Charles

2014-09-01

With the worldwide population growing in age, information technology may help meet important needs to prepare and support patients and families for aging. We sought to explore the use and acceptance of information technology for health among the elderly by reviewing the existing literature. Review of literature using PubMed and Google Scholar, references from relevant papers, and consultation with experts. Elderly people approach the Internet and health information technology differently than younger people, but have growing rates of adoption. Assistive technology, such as sensors or home monitors, may help 'aging in place', but these have not been thoroughly evaluated. Elders face many barriers in using technology for healthcare decision-making, including issues with familiarity, willingness to ask for help, trust of the technology, privacy, and design challenges. Barriers must be addressed for these tools to be available to this growing population. Design, education, research, and policy all play roles in addressing these barriers to acceptance and use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of Nordic snack bars in children aged 8-11 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmer, Anna; Hausner, Helene; Reinbach, Helene C; Bredie, Wender L P; Wendin, Karin

2012-01-01

A health promoting diet is suggested to be tailored to regional circumstances to preserve the cultural diversity in eating habits, as well as contribute to more environmentally friendly eating. It may influence consumer acceptance, however, if the components of the diet differs considerably from their habitual food. This study aimed to investigate whether snack bars composed of Nordic ingredients were accepted by 8-11 year-old Danish (n=134) and Swedish (n=109) children. A seven-point hedonic scale was used to measure the children's acceptance of five snack bars that varied in their composition of whole grains, berries and nuts. A preference rank ordering of the five bars was also performed. The results showed that samples that were rated highest in liking and were most preferred in both countries were a kamut/pumpkin bar and an oat/cranberry bar. The sample with the lowest rating that was also least preferred was a pumpernickel/sea buckthorn bar. Flavour was the most important determinant of overall liking followed by texture, odour and appearance. Children's acceptances and preferences were highly influenced by the sensory characteristics of the bars, mainly flavour. In agreement with earlier studies, the novel food ingredients seemed to influence children's preferences. The Nordic snack bars may have a potential to be a snack option for Danish and Swedish school children, but repeated exposures to the products are recommended to increase children's acceptance.

Waste transmutation and public acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigford, T.H.

1991-01-01

The concept of transmuting radioactive wastes with reactors or accelerators is appealing. It has the potential of simplifying or eliminating problems of disposing of nuclear waste. The transmutation concept has been renewed vigorously at a time when national projects to dispose of high-level and transuranic waste are seriously delayed. In this period of tightening federal funds and program curtailments, skilled technical staffs are available at US Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories and contractors to work on waste transmutation. If the claims of transmutation can be shown to be realistic, economically feasible, and capable of being implemented within the US institutional infrastructure, public acceptance of nuclear waste disposal may be enhanced. If the claims for transmutation are not substantiated, however, there will result a serious loss of credibility and an unjust exacerbation of public concerns about nuclear waste. The paper discusses the following topics: how public acceptance is achieved; the technical community and waste disposal; transmutation and technical communication; transmutation issues; technical fixes and public perception

Technology Acceptance in Social Work Education: Implications for the Field Practicum

Science.gov (United States)

Colvin, Alex Don; Bullock, Angela N.

2014-01-01

The exponential growth and sophistication of new information and computer technology (ICT) have greatly influenced human interactions and provided new metaphors for understanding the world. The acceptance and integration of ICT into social work field education are examined here using the technological acceptance model. This article also explores…

Influence of tropical leaf litter on nitrogen mineralization and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

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Diallo, MD.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Description of the subject. The present study concerns the relationships among leaf litter decomposition, substrate quality, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB community composition and nitrogen (N availability. Decomposition of organic matter affects the biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C and N. Since the composition of the soil microbial community can alter the physiological capacity of the community, it is timely to study the litter quality effect on N dynamic in ecosystems. Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of leaf litter decomposition on N mineralization. The specific objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of the litter biochemistry of five plants species (Faidherbia albida A.Chev., Azadirachta indica A.Juss., Casuarina equisetifolia L., Andropogon gayanus Kunth and Eragrostis tremula Hochst. ex Steud. on N mineralization in a tropical ferrous soil (Lixisol, nitrification, and genetic diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE of amplified fragments of genes coding for 16S rRNA was used to study the development of bacterial communities during decomposition of leaf litter in soils. Method. Community structure of AOB was determined at two time periods: day 0 and day 140. Ten strains were tested and each of these strains produced a single band. Thus, DGGE DNA band patterns were used to estimate bacterial diversity. Plant secondary compounds such as polyphenols are purported to influence nutrient cycling by affecting organic matter degradation, mineralization rates, N availability and humus formation. In a laboratory study, we investigated the influence of six phenolic acids (ferulic, gallic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric and p-HBA acids commonly found in the plant residues on N mineralization and NH4+ and NO3- production in soils. Results. The results showed that litter type did affect soil nitrification. Faidherbia albida litter was associated with

Market environment and Medicaid acceptance: What influences the access gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Amelia; Pajerowski, William; Polsky, Daniel; Richards, Michael R

2017-12-01

The U.S. health care system is undergoing significant changes. Two prominent shifts include millions added to Medicaid and greater integration and consolidation among firms. We empirically assess if these two industry trends may have implications for each other. Using experimentally derived ("secret shopper") data on primary care physicians' real-world behavior, we observe their willingness to accept new privately insured and Medicaid patients across 10 states. We combine this measure of patient acceptance with detailed information on physician and commercial insurer market structure and show that insurer and provider concentration are each positively associated with relative improvements in appointment availability for Medicaid patients. The former is consistent with a smaller price discrepancy between commercial and Medicaid patients and suggests a beneficial spillover from greater insurer market power. The findings for physician concentration do not align with a simple price bargaining explanation but do appear driven by physician firms that are not vertically integrated with a health system. These same firms also tend to rely more on nonphysician clinical staff. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

When it is unfamiliar to me: Local acceptance of planned nuclear power plants in China in the post-fukushima era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Yue; Ren, Tao

2017-01-01

Many contributions have been made in the studies of the factors that influence public acceptance of nuclear power. However, previous studies seldom focused on nuclear power plants in the planning stage. Actually public perception is usually more sensitive at the preliminary planning stage of a nuclear power station. Mainly utilizing questionnaire survey and focus group methods, we have identified the factors that are correlated with local acceptance of planned nuclear power plants in China. We conducted our survey in two cities, Huludao, Liaoning province in northern China, and Shanwei, Guangdong province in southern China, where the local government was planning to build its first nuclear power plant. We find that people who live closer to the plant sites are less willing to accept nuclear power than those who live farther away. As for “surface psychology” factors, perceived benefits and risks significantly influence local acceptance. As for “deep psychology” factors, emotional identification and social trust can significantly influence local acceptance, while perceived knowledge cannot. When citizens are unfamiliar with nuclear power plants, they are more inclined to evaluate the benefits and risks through emotional identification and social trust, rather than through pure rational deduction based on concrete facts. - Highlights: • We focus on the local acceptance of nuclear power in the planning stages. • People who live closer to plant sites are less willing to accept nuclear power. • Perceived benefits and risks significantly influence local acceptance. • Emotional identification and trust can significantly influence local acceptance. • While perceived knowledge cannot significantly influence local acceptance.

Increasing community health worker productivity and effectiveness: a review of the influence of the work environment

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Jaskiewicz Wanda

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Community health workers (CHWs are increasingly recognized as a critical link in improving access to services and achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Given the financial and human resources constraints in developing countries, CHWs are expected to do more without necessarily receiving the needed support to do their jobs well. How much can be expected of CHWs before work overload and reduced organizational support negatively affect their productivity, the quality of services, and in turn the effectiveness of the community-based programmes that rely on them? This article presents policy-makers and programme managers with key considerations for a model to improve the work environment as an important approach to increase CHW productivity and, ultimately, the effectiveness of community-based strategies. Methods A desk review of selective published and unpublished articles and reports on CHW programs in developing countries was conducted to analyse and organize findings on the elements that influence CHW productivity. The search was not exhaustive but rather was meant to gather information on general themes that run through the various documents to generate perspectives on the issue and provide evidence on which to formulate ideas. After an initial search for key terminology related to CHW productivity, a snowball technique was used where a reference in one article led to the discovery of additional documents and reports. Results CHW productivity is determined in large part by the conditions under which they work. Attention to the provision of an enabling work environment for CHWs is essential for achieving high levels of productivity. We present a model in which the work environment encompasses four essential elements—workload, supportive supervision, supplies and equipment, and respect from the community and the health system—that affect the productivity of CHWs. We propose that when CHWs have a

Consumer acceptance of cultured meat: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Christopher; Barnett, Julie

2018-09-01

Cultured meat grown in-vitro from animal cells is being developed as a way of addressing many of the ethical and environmental concerns associated with conventional meat production. As commercialisation of this technology appears increasingly feasible, there is growing interest in the research on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. We present a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, and synthesize and analyse the findings of 14 empirical studies. We highlight demographic variations in consumer acceptance, factors influencing acceptance, common consumer objections, perceived benefits, and areas of uncertainty. We conclude by evaluating the most important objections and benefits to consumers, as well as highlighting areas for future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparing to Accept Research Data: Creating Guidelines for Librarians

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Laura B. Palumbo

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Rutgers University Libraries have recognized the need to expand their current research data services into a well-documented and well-supported service available to the Rutgers research community. In 2005, Rutgers University Libraries created RUcore, Rutgers University Community Repository, which has served as the University’s formal repository for institutional scholarship, special collections, and Electronic Theses & Dissertations. With the impetus of the 2010 NSF directive for research data sharing and preservation, RUcore development was extended to accept research data content. Ingest of pilot data projects began in 2010 via a librarian-mediated process. In order to provide a better defined workflow and mission for research data services, in July 2014, the Rutgers University Librarian organized a Task Force to investigate the evaluation process for technical, legal, and confidential issues involved in research data acceptance, and to establish an administrative and evaluation framework for the deposit of research data. After a review of 35 repositories using 34 criteria, the Task Force drafted a plan for research data acceptance which proposes wide-spread acceptance of mediated data projects, and prepares for future self-deposit in an online interface. This paper will discuss the issues addressed by the Task Force; acknowledging ownership of data through an institutional data policy, preventing exposure of confidential or sensitive data, establishing a reconfigured data team, requirements for storage capacity and funding, creating a workflow which includes collaboration with research offices, and offering guidance for both researchers and librarians working with research data.

Framing influences willingness to pay but not willingness to accept

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, Y.; Vosgerau, J.; Loewenstein, G.

2013-01-01

The authors show, with real and hypothetical payoffs, that consumers are willing to pay substantially less for a risky prospect when it is called a “lottery ticket,” “raffle,” “coin flip,” or “gamble” than when it is labeled a “gift certificate” or “voucher.” Willingness to accept, in contrast, is

Microbes on a Bottle: Substrate, Season and Geography Influence Community Composition of Microbes Colonizing Marine Plastic Debris.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberbeckmann, Sonja; Osborn, A Mark; Duhaime, Melissa B

2016-01-01

Plastic debris pervades in our oceans and freshwater systems and the potential ecosystem-level impacts of this anthropogenic litter require urgent evaluation. Microbes readily colonize aquatic plastic debris and members of these biofilm communities are speculated to include pathogenic, toxic, invasive or plastic degrading-species. The influence of plastic-colonizing microorganisms on the fate of plastic debris is largely unknown, as is the role of plastic in selecting for unique microbial communities. This work aimed to characterize microbial biofilm communities colonizing single-use poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) drinking bottles, determine their plastic-specificity in contrast with seawater and glass-colonizing communities, and identify seasonal and geographical influences on the communities. A substrate recruitment experiment was established in which PET bottles were deployed for 5-6 weeks at three stations in the North Sea in three different seasons. The structure and composition of the PET-colonizing bacterial/archaeal and eukaryotic communities varied with season and station. Abundant PET-colonizing taxa belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes (e.g. Flavobacteriaceae, Cryomorphaceae, Saprospiraceae-all known to degrade complex carbon substrates) and diatoms (e.g. Coscinodiscophytina, Bacillariophytina). The PET-colonizing microbial communities differed significantly from free-living communities, but from particle-associated (>3 μm) communities or those inhabiting glass substrates. These data suggest that microbial community assembly on plastics is driven by conventional marine biofilm processes, with the plastic surface serving as raft for attachment, rather than selecting for recruitment of plastic-specific microbial colonizers. A small proportion of taxa, notably, members of the Cryomorphaceae and Alcanivoraceae, were significantly discriminant of PET but not glass surfaces, conjuring the possibility that these groups may directly interact with the PET

Microbes on a Bottle: Substrate, Season and Geography Influence Community Composition of Microbes Colonizing Marine Plastic Debris

Science.gov (United States)

Osborn, A. Mark

2016-01-01

Plastic debris pervades in our oceans and freshwater systems and the potential ecosystem-level impacts of this anthropogenic litter require urgent evaluation. Microbes readily colonize aquatic plastic debris and members of these biofilm communities are speculated to include pathogenic, toxic, invasive or plastic degrading-species. The influence of plastic-colonizing microorganisms on the fate of plastic debris is largely unknown, as is the role of plastic in selecting for unique microbial communities. This work aimed to characterize microbial biofilm communities colonizing single-use poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) drinking bottles, determine their plastic-specificity in contrast with seawater and glass-colonizing communities, and identify seasonal and geographical influences on the communities. A substrate recruitment experiment was established in which PET bottles were deployed for 5–6 weeks at three stations in the North Sea in three different seasons. The structure and composition of the PET-colonizing bacterial/archaeal and eukaryotic communities varied with season and station. Abundant PET-colonizing taxa belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes (e.g. Flavobacteriaceae, Cryomorphaceae, Saprospiraceae—all known to degrade complex carbon substrates) and diatoms (e.g. Coscinodiscophytina, Bacillariophytina). The PET-colonizing microbial communities differed significantly from free-living communities, but from particle-associated (>3 μm) communities or those inhabiting glass substrates. These data suggest that microbial community assembly on plastics is driven by conventional marine biofilm processes, with the plastic surface serving as raft for attachment, rather than selecting for recruitment of plastic-specific microbial colonizers. A small proportion of taxa, notably, members of the Cryomorphaceae and Alcanivoraceae, were significantly discriminant of PET but not glass surfaces, conjuring the possibility that these groups may directly interact with the

Microbes on a Bottle: Substrate, Season and Geography Influence Community Composition of Microbes Colonizing Marine Plastic Debris.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Oberbeckmann

Full Text Available Plastic debris pervades in our oceans and freshwater systems and the potential ecosystem-level impacts of this anthropogenic litter require urgent evaluation. Microbes readily colonize aquatic plastic debris and members of these biofilm communities are speculated to include pathogenic, toxic, invasive or plastic degrading-species. The influence of plastic-colonizing microorganisms on the fate of plastic debris is largely unknown, as is the role of plastic in selecting for unique microbial communities. This work aimed to characterize microbial biofilm communities colonizing single-use poly(ethylene terephthalate (PET drinking bottles, determine their plastic-specificity in contrast with seawater and glass-colonizing communities, and identify seasonal and geographical influences on the communities. A substrate recruitment experiment was established in which PET bottles were deployed for 5-6 weeks at three stations in the North Sea in three different seasons. The structure and composition of the PET-colonizing bacterial/archaeal and eukaryotic communities varied with season and station. Abundant PET-colonizing taxa belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes (e.g. Flavobacteriaceae, Cryomorphaceae, Saprospiraceae-all known to degrade complex carbon substrates and diatoms (e.g. Coscinodiscophytina, Bacillariophytina. The PET-colonizing microbial communities differed significantly from free-living communities, but from particle-associated (>3 μm communities or those inhabiting glass substrates. These data suggest that microbial community assembly on plastics is driven by conventional marine biofilm processes, with the plastic surface serving as raft for attachment, rather than selecting for recruitment of plastic-specific microbial colonizers. A small proportion of taxa, notably, members of the Cryomorphaceae and Alcanivoraceae, were significantly discriminant of PET but not glass surfaces, conjuring the possibility that these groups may directly interact

Spanish teenagers´ attitude and acceptance of mobile advertising

OpenAIRE

Martí Parreño, José; Sanz Blas, Silvia; Ruiz Mafé, Carla

2012-01-01

The aim of this research is to test the main message-driven factors influencing consumer attitude and acceptance of mobile advertising. A conceptual model is developed – and empirically tested to examine the influence of four message-driven factors (informativeness, ubiquity, frequency, and personalization) as antecedents of consumer attitude and behavior towards mobile advertising messages. No data (2012) UEV

Psychosocial influences on safety climate: evidence from community pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Phipps, Denham L; Ashcroft, Darren M

2011-12-01

To examine the relationship between psychosocial job characteristics and safety climate. Cross-sectional survey. Community pharmacies in Great Britain. Participants A random sample of community pharmacists registered in Great Britain (n = 860). Survey instruments Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) indicator and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Main outcome measures Pharmacy Safety Climate Questionnaire (PSCQ). The profile of scores from the ERI indicated a relatively high risk of adverse psychological effects. The profile of scores from the JCQ indicated both high demand on pharmacists and a high level of psychological and social resources to meet these demands. Path analysis confirmed a model in which the ERI and JCQ measures, as well as the type of pharmacy and pharmacist role, predicted responses to the PSCQ (χ(2)(36) = 111.38, p demand) accounted for the effect of job characteristics on safety climate ratings; each had differential effects on the PSCQ scales. The safety climate in community pharmacies is influenced by perceptions of job characteristics, such as the level of job demands and the resources available to meet these demands. Hence, any efforts to improve safety should take into consideration the effect of the psychosocial work environment on safety climate. In addition, there is a need to address the presence of work-related stressors, which have the potential to cause direct or indirect harm to staff and service users. The findings of the current study provide a basis for future research to improve the safety climate and well-being, both in the pharmacy profession and in other healthcare settings.

Enabling and sustaining the activities of lay health influencers: lessons from a community-based tobacco cessation intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Castañeda, Heide; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Muramoto, Myra

2010-07-01

The authors present findings from a community-based tobacco cessation project that trained lay health influencers to conduct brief interventions. They outline four major lessons regarding sustainability. First, participants were concerned about the impact that promoting cessation might have on social relationships. "Social risk" must be addressed during training to ensure long-term sustainability. Second, formal training provided participants with an increased sense of self-efficacy, allowed them to embrace a health influencer identity, and aided in further reducing social risk. Third, material resources functioned to mediate social tensions during health intervention conversations. A variety of resources should be made available to health influencers to accommodate type of relationship, timing, and location of the interaction. Finally, project design must be attentive to the creation of a "community of practice" among health influencers as an integral part of project sustainability. These lessons have broad implications for successful health promotion beyond tobacco cessation.

A systematic review of community-based interventions for emerging zoonotic infectious diseases in Southeast Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Halton, Kate; Sarna, Mohinder; Barnett, Adrian; Leonardo, Lydia; Graves, Nicholas

2013-01-01

Fifty-seven studies were included. Vector control interventions using copepods, environmental cleanup and education are effective and sustainable at reducing dengue in rural and urban communities, whilst insecticide spraying is effective in urban outbreak situations. Community-based surveillance interventions can effectively identify avian influenza in backyard flocks, but have not been broadly applied. Outbreak control interventions for Nipah virus and SARS are effective but may not be suitable for ongoing control. Canine vaccination and education is more acceptable than culling, but still fails to reach coverage levels required to effectively control rabies. Contextual factors were identified that influence community engagement with, and ultimately effectiveness of, interventions. Conclusion Despite investment in community-based disease control and surveillance in Southeast Asia, published evidence evaluating interventions is limited in quantity and quality. Nonetheless this review identified a number of effective interventions, and several contextual factors influencing effectiveness. Identification of the best programs will require comparative evidence of effectiveness acceptability, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Implications for practice Interventions are more effective if there are high levels of community ownership and engagement. Linkages between veterinary and public health surveillance systems are essential. Interventions are not well accepted when they fail to acknowledge the importance of animals for economic activity in communities. Implications for research Evidence is needed on functioning and outcomes of current surveillance systems and novel low-cost methods of surveillance. Evaluations of control interventions should control for confounding and report measures of disease, cost and sustainability. Translational research is needed to assess generalisability and evaluate roll-out of effective interventions as regional or national programs.

FFTBM and primary pressure acceptance criterion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosek, A.

2004-01-01

When thermalhydraulic computer codes are used for simulation in the area of nuclear engineering the question is how to conduct an objective comparison between the code calculation and measured data. To answer this the fast Fourier transform based method (FFTBM) was developed. When the FFTBM method was developed the acceptance criteria for primary pressure and total accuracy were set. In the recent study the FFTBM method was used for accuracy quantification of RD-14M large LOCA test B9401 calculations. The blind accuracy analysis indicated good total accuracy while the primary pressure criterion was not fulfilled. The objective of the study was therefore to investigate the reasons for not fulfilling the primary pressure acceptance criterion and the applicability of the criterion to experimental facilities simulating heavy water reactor. The results of the open quantitative analysis showed that sensitivity analysis for influence parameters provide sufficient information to judge in which calculation the accuracy of primary pressure is acceptable. (author)

Factors impacting public acceptance of medical radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Satsuki; Kanda, Reiko

2009-01-01

We undertook a survey to determine the public acceptance of medical radiation exposure throughout Japan, and 1,357 responses (67.9% response rate) were obtained using a two-stage systematic stratified random sampling method. The acceptance of exposure of children was generally similar to that of adults. For each of the attributes, 45-60% of the participants were accepting of exposure for cancer treatment and diagnosis, but only 30% were accepting of exposure for X-ray diagnoses of bone fractures and dental caries. In general, the presence of a child did not markedly affect women's acceptance of exposure. Factor analyses identified 3 factors influencing the acceptance of child exposure: symptomatic diseases to determine treatment, the possibility of high-risk diseases (or major organ diseases), and the association with cancer. Cluster analysis showed 4 clusters: a positive group regarding children's exposure for the diagnosis of bone fractures and dental caries (12.9% of all participants), a positive group for major organ disease and cancer (15.5%), a negative group excluding cancer (55.2%), and a positive group for all cases (16.4%). The cluster distributions revealed that mothers with 10- to 18-year-old firstborn children showed a tendency to accept the medical radiation exposure of their children in all cases. (author)

An Empirical Investigation of Student Acceptance of Synchronous E-Learning in an Online University

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Minseok; Shin, Won sug

2015-01-01

This study proposes an extended technology acceptance model to predict acceptance of synchronous e-learning by examining relationships among variables associated with factors influencing the technology acceptance of synchronous e-learning. Learners at an online university participated through an online survey; there were 251 respondents in all.…

The influence of ecology on chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) cultural behavior: a case study of five Ugandan chimpanzee communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Thibaud; Potts, Kevin B; Krupenye, Christopher; Byrne, Maisie-Rose; Mackworth-Young, Constance; McGrew, William C; Reynolds, Vernon; Zuberbühler, Klaus

2012-11-01

The influence of ecology on the development of behavioral traditions in animals is controversial, particularly for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), for which it is difficult to rule out environmental influences as a cause of widely observed community-specific behavioral differences. Here, we investigated 3 potential scenarios that could explain the natural variation in a key extractive tool behavior, "fluid-dip," among several communities of chimpanzees of the Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii subspecies in Uganda. We compared data from previous behavioral ecological studies, field experiments, and long-term records of chimpanzee tool-using behavior. We focused on the quality of the available food, dietary preferences, and tool sets of 5 different communities, and carried out a standardized field experiment to test systematically for the presence of fluid-dip in 4 of these communities. Our results revealed major differences in habitat, available diet, and tool use behavior between geographically close communities. However, these differences in ecology and feeding behavior failed to explain the differences in tool use across communities. We conclude that ecological variables may lead both to innovation and loss of behavioral traditions, while contributing little to their transmission within the community. Instead, as soon as a behavioral tradition is established, sociocognitive factors likely play a key maintenance role as long as the ecological conditions do not change sufficiently for the tradition to be abandoned.

Risk Perception and the Public Acceptance of Drones.

Science.gov (United States)

Clothier, Reece A; Greer, Dominique A; Greer, Duncan G; Mehta, Amisha M

2015-06-01

Unmanned aircraft, or drones, are a rapidly emerging sector of the aviation industry. There has been limited substantive research, however, into the public perception and acceptance of drones. This article presents the results from two surveys of the Australian public designed to investigate (1) whether the public perceive drones to be riskier than existing manned aviation, (2) whether the terminology used to describe the technology influences public perception, and (3) what the broader concerns are that may influence public acceptance of the technology. We find that the Australian public currently hold a relatively neutral attitude toward drones. Respondents did not consider the technology to be overly unsafe, risky, beneficial, or threatening. Drones are largely viewed as being of comparable risk to that of existing manned aviation. Furthermore, terminology had a minimal effect on the perception of the risks or acceptability of the technology. The neutral response is likely due to a lack of knowledge about the technology, which was also identified as the most prevalent public concern as opposed to the risks associated with its use. Privacy, military use, and misuse (e.g., terrorism) were also significant public concerns. The results suggest that society is yet to form an opinion of drones. As public knowledge increases, the current position is likely to change. Industry communication and media coverage will likely influence the ultimate position adopted by the public, which can be difficult to change once established. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Determinants Of Consumers’ Satisfaction and Acceptance of Direct Selling

OpenAIRE

Alturas, Bráulio; Santos, Maria da Conceição; Pereira, Ivo

2005-01-01

This paper studies the factors that influence the consumers’ satisfaction and acceptance of direct selling. Direct selling has been exhibiting in the last decade substantial growth in sales revenues and number of salespeople involved. Also the acceptance on the part of the consumers has been increasing; in spite of they show more and more demanding and informed. The literature reveals that the relationship between customer satisfaction and direct selling has not been sufficiently studied, yet...

Integrating social networks and human social motives to achieve social influence at scale

Science.gov (United States)

Contractor, Noshir S.; DeChurch, Leslie A.

2014-01-01

The innovations of science often point to ideas and behaviors that must spread and take root in communities to have impact. Ideas, practices, and behaviors need to go from accepted truths on the part of a few scientists to commonplace beliefs and norms in the minds of the many. Moving from scientific discoveries to public good requires social influence. We introduce a structured influence process (SIP) framework to explain how social networks (i.e., the structure of social influence) and human social motives (i.e., the process of social influence wherein one person’s attitudes and behaviors affect another’s) are used collectively to enact social influence within a community. The SIP framework advances the science of scientific communication by positing social influence events that consider both the “who” and the “how” of social influence. This framework synthesizes core ideas from two bodies of research on social influence. The first is network research on social influence structures, which identifies who are the opinion leaders and who among their network of peers shapes their attitudes and behaviors. The second is research on social influence processes in psychology, which explores how human social motives such as the need for accuracy or the need for affiliation stimulate behavior change. We illustrate the practical implications of the SIP framework by applying it to the case of reducing neonatal mortality in India. PMID:25225373

Integrating social networks and human social motives to achieve social influence at scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Contractor, Noshir S; DeChurch, Leslie A

2014-09-16

The innovations of science often point to ideas and behaviors that must spread and take root in communities to have impact. Ideas, practices, and behaviors need to go from accepted truths on the part of a few scientists to commonplace beliefs and norms in the minds of the many. Moving from scientific discoveries to public good requires social influence. We introduce a structured influence process (SIP) framework to explain how social networks (i.e., the structure of social influence) and human social motives (i.e., the process of social influence wherein one person's attitudes and behaviors affect another's) are used collectively to enact social influence within a community. The SIP framework advances the science of scientific communication by positing social influence events that consider both the "who" and the "how" of social influence. This framework synthesizes core ideas from two bodies of research on social influence. The first is network research on social influence structures, which identifies who are the opinion leaders and who among their network of peers shapes their attitudes and behaviors. The second is research on social influence processes in psychology, which explores how human social motives such as the need for accuracy or the need for affiliation stimulate behavior change. We illustrate the practical implications of the SIP framework by applying it to the case of reducing neonatal mortality in India.

Influence of matrix type on tree community assemblages along tropical dry forest edges.

Science.gov (United States)

Benítez-Malvido, Julieta; Gallardo-Vásquez, Julio César; Alvarez-Añorve, Mariana Y; Avila-Cabadilla, Luis Daniel

2014-05-01

• Anthropogenic habitat edges have strong negative consequences for the functioning of tropical ecosystems. However, edge effects on tropical dry forest tree communities have been barely documented.• In Chamela, Mexico, we investigated the phylogenetic composition and structure of tree assemblages (≥5 cm dbh) along edges abutting different matrices: (1) disturbed vegetation with cattle, (2) pastures with cattle and, (3) pastures without cattle. Additionally, we sampled preserved forest interiors.• All edge types exhibited similar tree density, basal area and diversity to interior forests, but differed in species composition. A nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination showed that the presence of cattle influenced species composition more strongly than the vegetation structure of the matrix; tree assemblages abutting matrices with cattle had lower scores in the ordination. The phylogenetic composition of tree assemblages followed the same pattern. The principal plant families and genera were associated according to disturbance regimes as follows: pastures and disturbed vegetation (1) with cattle and (2) without cattle, and (3) pastures without cattle and interior forests. All habitats showed random phylogenetic structures, suggesting that tree communities are assembled mainly by stochastic processes. Long-lived species persisting after edge creation could have important implications in the phylogenetic structure of tree assemblages.• Edge creation exerts a stronger influence on TDF vegetation pathways than previously documented, leading to new ecological communities. Phylogenetic analysis may, however, be needed to detect such changes. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Human papillomavirus vaccine acceptability and decision-making among adolescent boys and parents: A meta-ethnography of qualitative studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacombe-Duncan, Ashley; Newman, Peter A; Baiden, Philip

2018-05-03

Genital warts and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers in men can be substantially reduced through HPV vaccination; yet, globally, HPV vaccine uptake among boys remains low. This meta-ethnography synthesizes qualitative studies to understand, in-depth, HPV vaccine acceptability and decision-making among adolescent boys and/or their parents. A systematic search identified qualitative studies examining HPV vaccines from the perspectives of boys and/or boys' parents. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) 32-item checklist was used to assess quality of reporting. Using meta-ethnographic techniques, we conducted a structured and iterative process of data analysis, coded original studies, and then developed descriptive and analytic themes to synthesize the findings. Review of 15 eligible studies (n = 3362 parents, n = 39 boys) revealed multilevel factors that influence HPV vaccine acceptability and decision-making among adolescent boys and their parents: (1) individual, e.g., low HPV vaccine knowledge/awareness, (2) interpersonal, e.g., key relationships between parents, sons, and healthcare providers (HCP), (3) community/societal, e.g., parental duty to protect, and (4) systemic, e.g., HPV vaccine messaging. Parents generally accepted adolescent boys' sexuality and the need for vaccination, motivated by wanting to protect their sons from HPV and HPV-associated cancers, and valued HCP-initiated discussion and recommendation. Acceptability was mitigated by low awareness/knowledge of HPV vaccines and low perceived benefits for boys, lack of HCP-initiated discussion, out-of-pocket costs, multiple doses, stigma, and mixed messages about HPV. Multilevel factors influence HPV vaccine acceptability and decision-making among parents and their adolescent sons. Providing clear and unambiguous messages about HPV vaccines-for whom (boys and girls), for what (genital warts and cancers in men), and when (before sexual debut

Influence of hexavalent chromium on lactate-enriched Hanford groundwater microbial communities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somenahally, Anil C [ORNL; Mosher, Jennifer J [ORNL; Yuan, Tong [University of Oklahoma; Podar, Mircea [ORNL; Phelps, Tommy Joe [ORNL; Brown, Steven D [ORNL; Yang, Zamin Koo [ORNL; Hazen, Terry C [ORNL; Arkin, Adam [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Palumbo, Anthony Vito [ORNL; Zhou, Jizhong [University of Oklahoma; Elias, Dwayne A [ORNL

2013-01-01

Microbial reduction and immobilization of chromate (Cr(VI)) is a plausible bioremediation strategy. However, higher Cr(VI) concentrations may impose stress on native Cr-reducing communities. We sought to determine if Cr(VI) would influence the lactate enriched native microbial community structure and function in groundwater from the Cr contaminated site at Hanford, WA. Steady state continuous flow bioreactors were amended with lactate and Cr(VI) (0.0, 0.1 and 3.0 mg/L). Microbial growth, metabolites, Cr(VI) concentrations, 16S rRNA gene sequences and GeoChip based functional gene composition in bioreactors were monitored for 15 weeks. Temporal trends and some differences in growth, metabolite profiles, and community composition were observed, largely between Low-Cr and High-Cr bioreactors. In both High-Cr and Low-Cr bioreactors, Cr(VI) was reduced in the bioreactors. With lactate enrichment, the native communities did not significantly differ between Cr concentrations. Native bacterial communities were diverse, whereas after lactate enrichment, Pelosinus spp., and Sporotalea spp., were the most predominant groups in all bioreactors. Similarly, the Archaea diversity significantly decreased from Methanosaeta (35%), Methanosarcina (17%), Halobacteriales (12%), Methanoregula (8%) and others, to mostly Methanosarcina spp. (95%) after lactate enrichment. Composition of several key functional genes was distinct in Low-Cr bioreactors compared to High-Cr. Among the Cr resistant probes (chrA), Burkholderia vietnamiensis, Comamonas testosterone and Ralstonia pickettii proliferated in Cr amended bioreactors. In-situ fermentative conditions facilitated Cr(VI) reduction, and as a result the 3.0 mg/L Cr(VI) did not appear to give chromate reducing strains a competitive advantage for proliferation or for increasing Cr-reduction.

Identifying Ghanaian Pre-Service Teachers' Readiness for Computer Use: A Technology Acceptance Model Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Gyamfi, Stephen Adu

2016-01-01

This study extends the technology acceptance model to identify factors that influence technology acceptance among pre-service teachers in Ghana. Data from 380 usable questionnaires were tested against the research model. Utilising the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) as a research framework, the study found that: pre-service teachers'…

Measuring acceptance of an assistive social robot: a suggested toolkit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heerink, M.; Kröse, B.; Evers, V.; Wielinga, B.

2009-01-01

The human robot interaction community is multidisciplinary by nature and has members from social science to engineering backgrounds. In this paper we aim to provide human robot developers with a straightforward toolkit to evaluate users' acceptance of assistive social robots they are designing or

Influence of oak maturation regimen on composition, sensory properties, quality, and consumer acceptability of cabernet sauvignon wines.

Science.gov (United States)

Crump, Anna M; Johnson, Trent E; Wilkinson, Kerry L; Bastian, Susan E P

2015-02-11

Oak barrels have long been the preferred method for oak maturation of wine, but barrels contribute significantly to production costs, so alternate oak maturation regimens have been introduced, particularly for wines at lower price points. To date, few studies have investigated consumers' acceptance of wines made using non-traditional oak treatments. In this study, two Cabernet Sauvignon wines were aged using traditional (i.e., barrel) and/or alternative (i.e., stainless steel or plastic tanks and vats, with oak wood added) maturation regimens. Chemical and sensory analyses were subsequently performed to determine the influence on wine composition and sensory properties, that is, the presence of key oak-derived volatile compounds and perceptible oak aromas and flavor. The quality of a subset of wines was rated by a panel of 10 wine experts using a 20-point scoring system, with all wines considered technically sound. Consumer acceptance of wines was also determined. Hedonic ratings ranged from 5.7 to 5.9 (on a 9-point scale), indicating there was no significant difference in consumers' overall liking of each wine. However, segmentation based on individual liking scores identified three distinct clusters comprising consumers with considerably different wine preferences. These results justify wine producers' use of alternative oak maturation regimens to achieve wine styles that appeal to different segments of their target market.

Problems of the social non-acceptance of mining projects with particular emphasis on the European Union – a literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badera Jarosław

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Problems of the social non-acceptance of the mining industry (particularly development projects is relatively new, so more widely discussed for a relatively short time. In this paper, an extensive review of worldwide literature on this topic has been presented with special regard to the specificity of the European Union countries, where the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard phenomenon is one of the key reasons for local community opposition. The problem is recognized mainly from the perspective of the mineral industry, but also from the point of view of government, NGOs or local communities. There are case studies, publications in the range of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, geo-ethics, proposals for new analytical methods (for example multi-criteria and others or effective solutions. The improvement in social acceptance for the mineral industry may be achieved by further development of technological, organizational and scientific methods which minimizes mining influences on the environment and society developing. Modern approach to social issues associated with mineral activity includes also strategies of bilateral communication, mediation/negotiation, cooperation between stakeholders to a larger extent then in the past. However, it is the continuous need of extensive, in-depth social debate on mineral development projects in the European Union, both in energetic and non-energetic branch.

Acceptance and purchase intent of US consumers for nonwheat rice butter cakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sae-Eaw, A; Chompreeda, P; Prinyawiwatkul, W; Haruthaithanasan, V; Suwonsichon, T; Saidu, J E; Xu, Z

2007-03-01

This study evaluated consumer acceptance and purchase intent of nonwheat butter cake formulations prepared with Thai jasmine rice flour. Three nonwheat rice butter cakes were prepared with varying amounts of powdered emulsifier (propylene glycol ester:diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride, 8:2) at 0% (product A), 7.5% (product B), and 15% (product C) of the margarine content (15%) in the cake formulation. A commercial wheat-based butter cake served as the control. Consumers (n= 400) evaluated acceptability of 9 sensory attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale. Overall acceptance and purchase intent were determined with a binomial (yes/no) scale. At least 81% of consumers accepted products B and C, of which 42.1% and 47%, respectively, would purchase the products if commercially available. Product A was neither liked nor disliked with an overall liking score of 5.39. The butter cake products were differentiated by textural acceptability (overall texture, softness, and moistness) with a canonical correlation of 0.71 to 0.79. Overall liking and taste influenced overall acceptance and purchase intent. Odor influenced purchase intent (P= 0.0014), but not overall acceptance. The odds ratio of overall liking was 3.462 for purchase intent, indicating the probability of the product being purchased is 3.462 times higher (than not being purchased, P flour with Thai jasmine rice flour for production of butter cake products acceptable to American consumers.

Sensory Profile, Drivers of Liking, and Influence of Information on the Acceptance of Low-Calorie Synbiotic and Probiotic Chocolate Ice Cream.

Science.gov (United States)

Peres, Juliana; Esmerino, Erick; da Silva, Alessandra Lins; Racowski, Ilana; Bolini, Helena

2018-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory profile and the influence of the information on the acceptance of the symbiotic chocolate ice cream made with sucrose and different sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, neotame, Stevia with 60%, 85%, 95%, and 97% of rebaudioside A) through analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's test, and partial least of square (PLS) regression. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was carried out by 18 assessors, who evaluated the samples in relation to the raised descriptors. Additionally, two acceptance tests (blind/informed) were performed with 120 consumers. The samples sweetened with sucralose and rebaudioside 97% presented similar profile to the control sample, thus having a better potential to replace sucrose in chocolate ice cream. The acceptance test carried out with information had higher scores for the attributes appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. The correlation between data from the acceptance tests and QDA showed that the descriptors "low-energy" and "natural sweetener" claims interfered negatively in the drivers of liking of chocolate ice cream. Therefore, we can conclude that some characteristics unnoticed by consumers were highlighted after providing the information about the product's characteristics. This research is important and contributes to the manufacture and development of low-calorie chocolate ice cream with functional properties, guiding, through suitable sensory and statistical tools, the application of stevia and other artificial sweeteners in products with reduction or total absence of sucrose and highlighting the impact of the labeling of these products on consumer perception. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

The Acceptance of Mobile Government from a Citizen‘s Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ohme, Jakob

Mobile Government (in short: M-Government) is just at the beginning of its rise as a future trend of E-Government. Considering the technical advancements such as mobile Internet, smart phones and tablet-PCs, M-Government tremendously develops a new potential for organizational communication proce......-Government is significantly influenced by both, factors citizens see as a benefit but also by factors of perceived risks...... processes. There are many examples of failures of early E-Government-projects due to a lack of consideration of users’ requirements. Against this background, the paper tries to contribute to organizational communication processes by addressing the driving factors influencing the acceptance of Mobile...... Government among the citizens. Extending the approaches of the Technology Acceptance Model (TRA) (Davis, Bagozzi & Warshaw, 1989) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) to Mobile Government, a new M-Government-Acceptance-Model was developed. It shows that the intention to use M...

Examining Information Technology Acceptance by Individual Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Licen Indahwati Darsono

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The mixed results of information technology (IT investment have made the investigation of user acceptance of IT increasingly challenging. A growing body of research in user acceptance of IT literature has limited focus on individual professionals as target users. Therefore, this research investigates how external variables, namely individual differences and system characteristics influence lecturers as individual professionals to accept the internet technology. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB are used as the main reference in this research. Findings of this research indicate that individual differences (computer self-efficacy, knowledge of search domain and system characteristics (terminology, screen design, relevance have indirect impact through perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude on lecturers’ intention to use the internet. Specifically, computer self-efficacy and screen design have direct and indirect impact on intention. One issue concerning with the explanatory power of the proposed research model, which is based on TAM and TPB, compared to the rival model, which is called extended TAM, is also analyzed.

Public opinion and its influence on the perspectives of nuclear power development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudneva, E.A.; Rudnev, A.V.; Tarasova, N.P.

2003-01-01

Full text: The absence of the authentic, accessible and clear for various layers of community information about a place of nuclear power in the maintenance of a vital level of the population, and about its influence on an environment and on the person health frequently determines the negative public opinion formation in the questions of the nuclear energy using. In turn, this public opinion can form the basis for the acceptance by government of the erroneous strategic decisions

How do consumer attitudes influence acceptance of a novel wild blueberry-soy product?

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, T; Dougherty, M P; Camire, M E

2007-09-01

Acceptance of healthful foods by consumers is not yet well understood. In this study, 3 formulations of frozen dessert bars were prepared containing both soy and wild blueberries. Soy content was controlled to provide an amount of soy protein that qualified for the health claim for soy and reduced risks for cardiovascular disease. Consumers were asked to complete the Health and Taste Attitude Scales (HTAS) and then evaluate the acceptability of the 3 frozen bar types using a 9-point hedonic scale. One week after the 1st session, the participants returned. Approximately half were given information to read regarding the health benefits of soy protein, the other participants were given no information. The samples were then presented a 2nd time and labeled with their soy protein content. Changes in hedonic scores between sessions were compared and correlated with HTAS ratings. Nutrition information generally did not affect acceptability scores.

Factors influencing the current practice of self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brata, Cecilia; Fisher, Colleen; Marjadi, Brahmaputra; Schneider, Carl R; Clifford, Rhonda M

2016-05-13

Research has shown that the current practice of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in Indonesia is suboptimal. To improve the performance of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in community pharmacies, the factors that influence current practice need to be understood. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence current practice of pharmacy staff when handling self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy owners, and counter attendants. Thematic analysis was used to generate findings. The current practice of pharmacy staff when handling self-medication consultations is directly influenced by the professionalism of pharmacy staff and patient responses to the consultations. These factors are in turn affected by the organisational context of the pharmacy and the external pharmacy environment. The organisational context of the pharmacy includes staffing, staff affordability, and the availability of time and facilities in which to provide consultations. The external pharmacy environment includes the number of trained pharmacy staff in the research setting, the relevance of pharmacy education to the needs of pharmacy practice, the support offered by the Indonesian Pharmacists Association, a competitive business environment, and the policy environment. Complex and inter-related factors influence the current practice of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in community pharmacies in this research setting. Multiple strategies will be required to improve consultation practices.

Sociocultural determinants of anticipated oral cholera vaccine acceptance in three African settings: a meta-analytic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundaram, Neisha; Schaetti, Christian; Merten, Sonja; Schindler, Christian; Ali, Said M; Nyambedha, Erick O; Lapika, Bruno; Chaignat, Claire-Lise; Hutubessy, Raymond; Weiss, Mitchell G

2016-01-14

Controlling cholera remains a significant challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. In areas where access to safe water and sanitation are limited, oral cholera vaccine (OCV) can save lives. Establishment of a global stockpile for OCV reflects increasing priority for use of cholera vaccines in endemic settings. Community acceptance of vaccines, however, is critical and sociocultural features of acceptance require attention for effective implementation. This study identifies and compares sociocultural determinants of anticipated OCV acceptance across populations in Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Kenya and Zanzibar. Cross-sectional studies were conducted using similar but locally-adapted semistructured interviews among 1095 respondents in three African settings. Logistic regression models identified sociocultural determinants of OCV acceptance from these studies in endemic areas of Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (SE-DRC), Western Kenya (W-Kenya) and Zanzibar. Meta-analytic techniques highlighted common and distinctive determinants in the three settings. Anticipated OCV acceptance was high in all settings. More than 93% of community respondents overall indicated interest in a no-cost vaccine. Higher anticipated acceptance was observed in areas with less access to public health facilities. In all settings awareness of cholera prevention methods (safe food consumption and garbage disposal) and relating ingestion to cholera causation were associated with greater acceptance. Higher age, larger households, lack of education, social vulnerability and knowledge of oral rehydration solution for self-treatment were negatively associated with anticipated OCV acceptance. Setting-specific determinants of acceptance included reporting a reliable income (W-Kenya and Zanzibar, not SE-DRC). In SE-DRC, intention to purchase an OCV appeared unrelated to ability to pay. Rural residents were less likely than urban counterparts to accept an OCV in W-Kenya, but more

Acceptance of Nordic snack bars in children aged 8–11 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Holmer

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: A health promoting diet is suggested to be tailored to regional circumstances to preserve the cultural diversity in eating habits, as well as contribute to more environmentally friendly eating. It may influence consumer acceptance, however, if the components of the diet differs considerably from their habitual food. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether snack bars composed of Nordic ingredients were accepted by 8–11 year-old Danish (n=134 and Swedish (n=109 children.Design: A seven-point hedonic scale was used to measure the children's acceptance of five snack bars that varied in their composition of whole grains, berries and nuts. A preference rank ordering of the five bars was also performed. Results: The results showed that samples that were rated highest in liking and were most preferred in both countries were a kamut/pumpkin bar and an oat/cranberry bar. The sample with the lowest rating that was also least preferred was a pumpernickel/sea buckthorn bar. Flavour was the most important determinant of overall liking followed by texture, odour and appearance. Conclusions: Children's acceptances and preferences were highly influenced by the sensory characteristics of the bars, mainly flavour. In agreement with earlier studies, the novel food ingredients seemed to influence children's preferences. The Nordic snack bars may have a potential to be a snack option for Danish and Swedish school children, but repeated exposures to the products are recommended to increase children's acceptance.

Use and acceptance of long lasting insecticidal net screens for dengue prevention in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Catrin H; Benítez-Valladares, David; Guillermo-May, Guillermo; Dzul-Manzanilla, Felipe; Che-Mendoza, Azael; Barrera-Pérez, Mario; Selem-Salas, Celia; Chablé-Santos, Juan; Sommerfeld, Johannes; Kroeger, Axel; O'Dempsey, Timothy; Medina-Barreiro, Anuar; Manrique-Saide, Pablo

2014-08-14

Dengue, recognized by the WHO as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, is a growing problem. Currently, the only effective way of preventing dengue is vector control. Standard methods have shown limited effect, and there have been calls to develop new integrated vector management approaches. One novel tool, protecting houses with long lasting insecticidal screens on doors and windows, is being trialled in a cluster randomised controlled trial by a joint UADY/WHO TDR/IDRC study in various districts of Acapulco, Mexico, with exceptionally high levels of crime and insecurity.This study investigated the community's perspectives of long lasting insecticidal screens on doors and windows in homes and in schools, in order to ascertain their acceptability, to identify challenges to further implementation and opportunities for future improvements. This was a sequential mixed-methods study. The quantitative arm contained a satisfaction survey administered to 288 houses that had received the intervention examining their perspectives of both the intervention and dengue prevention in general. The qualitative arm consisted of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with those who had accepted the intervention and key informant interviews with: schoolteachers to discuss the use of the screens in schools, program staff, and community members who had refused the intervention. Overall satisfaction and acceptance of the screens was very high, with only some operational and technical complaints relating to screen fragility and the installation process. However, the wider social context of urban violence and insecurity was a major barrier to screen acceptance. Lack of information dissemination and community collaboration were identified as project weaknesses. The screens are widely accepted by the population, but the project implementation could be improved by reassuring the community of its legitimacy in the context of insecurity. More community engagement and better

Fair play in energy policy decisions: Procedural fairness, outcome fairness and acceptance of the decision to rebuild nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visschers, Vivianne H.M.; Siegrist, Michael

2012-01-01

To raise public acceptance of new energy policies, promoting the fairness of the outcomes and of the decision-making procedure has been suggested. Very few studies have examined the role of fairness in public acceptance of rebuilding nuclear power plants. Therefore, using a large mail survey, we investigated the public’s acceptance of the decision to rebuild nuclear power plants in Switzerland by 2020. The study examined the influence of procedural fairness and outcome fairness on the acceptance of this decision, as well as other factors such as risk perception and benefit perception. Additionally, we investigated the moderating influence of general attitudes towards nuclear power on the relation between fairness and decision acceptance. Results indicated that outcome fairness strongly increased decision acceptance, along with general attitudes towards nuclear power and perceived economic benefits. Procedural fairness had only a small impact on decision acceptance. The influence of fairness on decision acceptance did not seem to depend on general nuclear attitudes. Our findings imply that, in the case of rebuilding nuclear power plants, perceived benefits and outcome fairness are important determinants of acceptance of the decision, while procedural fairness only has a limited impact. - Highlights: ► We investigated the role of fairness in the acceptance of a nuclear policy decision. ► Outcome fairness strongly influenced decision acceptance regarding nuclear power plants. ► The role of procedural fairness was relatively small in this respect. ► Also, nuclear attitudes and perceived economic benefits affected decision acceptance. ► Outcome fairness seems more relevant for decision acceptance than procedural fairness.

User acceptance of mobile health services from users' perspectives: The role of self-efficacy and response-efficacy in technology acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaofei; Han, Xiaocui; Dang, Yuanyuan; Meng, Fanbo; Guo, Xitong; Lin, Jiayue

2017-03-01

With the swift emergence of electronic medical information, the global popularity of mobile health (mHealth) services continues to increase steadily. This study aims to investigate the efficacy factors that directly or indirectly influence individuals' acceptance of mHealth services. Based on the technology acceptance model, this research incorporates efficacy factors into the acceptance decision process. A research model was proposed involving the direct and indirect effects of self-efficacy and response-efficacy on acceptance intention, along with their moderating effects. The model and hypotheses were validated using data collected from a field survey of 650 potential service users. The results reveal that: (1) self-efficacy and response-efficacy are both positively associated with perceived ease of use; and (2) self-efficacy and response-efficacy moderate the impact of perceived usefulness toward adoption intention. Self-efficacy and response-efficacy both play an important role in individuals' acceptance of mHealth services, which not only affect their perceived ease of use of mHealth services, but also positively moderate the effects of perceived usefulness on adoption intention. Our findings serve to provide recommendations that are specifically customized for mHealth service providers and their marketers.

Radiation in the human environment: health effects, safety and acceptability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, A.J.; Anderer, J.

1990-01-01

This paper reports selectively on three other aspects of radiation (used throughout to mean ionizing radiation) in the human environment: the human health effects of radiation, radiation safety policy and practices, and the acceptability of scientifically justified practices involving radiation exposures. Our argument is that the science of radiation biology, the judgemental techniques of radiation safety, and the social domain of radiation acceptability express different types of expertise that should complement - and not conflict with or substitute for - one another. Unfortunately, communication problems have arisen among these three communities and even between the various disciplines represented within a community. These problems have contributed greatly to the misperceptions many people have about radiation and which are frustrating a constructive dialogue on how radiation can be harnessed to benefit mankind. Our analysis seeks to assist those looking for a strategic perspective from which to reflect on their interaction with practices involving radiation exposures. (author)

Low acceptance of HSV-2 testing among high-risk women.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, A M; Dodge, B M; Van Der Pol, B; Reece, M; Zimet, G D

2011-06-01

We evaluated the acceptability of a community-based herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) screening programme for at-risk women and assessed factors related to uptake of point of care HSV-2 testing. One hundred recently arrested women (median age 34 years) were recruited from a community court handling lower-level misdemeanour cases in Indianapolis, Indiana. Individuals completed a survey assessing factors related to HSV-2 screening intentions and were offered point of care HSV-2 testing. Rates of HSV-2 infection in this population are high; 61.1% of women tested were positive. The majority (81%) accepted a prescription for suppressive therapy. Women in this sample indicated that HSV-2 screening is an important component of health care but were unwilling to pay the US$10 it cost to be tested. To encourage this and other high-risk populations to be screened for HSV-2, public health resources will be needed to help individuals overcome cost-related barriers to care.

The technology acceptance model: predicting nurses' intention to use telemedicine technology (eICU).

Science.gov (United States)

Kowitlawakul, Yanika

2011-07-01

The purposes of this study were to determine factors and predictors that influence nurses' intention to use the eICU technology, to examine the applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model in explaining nurses' intention to use the eICU technology in healthcare settings, and to provide psychometric evidence of the measurement scales used in the study. The study involved 117 participants from two healthcare systems. The Telemedicine Technology Acceptance Model was developed based on the original Technology Acceptance Model that was initially developed by Fred Davis in 1986. The eICU Acceptance Survey was used as an instrument for the study. Content validity was examined, and the reliability of the instrument was tested. The results show that perceived usefulness is the most influential factor that influences nurses' intention to use the eICU technology. The principal factors that influence perceived usefulness are perceived ease of use, support from physicians, and years working in the hospital. The model fit was reasonably adequate and able to explain 58% of the variance (R = 0.58) in intention to use the eICU technology with the nursing sample.

Influence of hydraulic regimes on bacterial community structure and composition in an experimental drinking water distribution system.

Science.gov (United States)

Douterelo, I; Sharpe, R L; Boxall, J B

2013-02-01

Microbial biofilms formed on the inner-pipe surfaces of drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) can alter drinking water quality, particularly if they are mechanically detached from the pipe wall to the bulk water, such as due to changes in hydraulic conditions. Results are presented here from applying 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene to investigate the influence of different hydrological regimes on bacterial community structure and to study the potential mobilisation of material from the pipe walls to the network using a full scale, temperature-controlled experimental pipeline facility accurately representative of live DWDS. Analysis of pyrosequencing and water physico-chemical data showed that habitat type (water vs. biofilm) and hydraulic conditions influenced bacterial community structure and composition in our experimental DWDS. Bacterial community composition clearly differed between biofilms and bulk water samples. Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were the most abundant phyla in biofilms while Alphaproteobacteria was predominant in bulk water samples. This suggests that bacteria inhabiting biofilms, predominantly species belonging to genera Pseudomonas, Zooglea and Janthinobacterium, have an enhanced ability to express extracellular polymeric substances to adhere to surfaces and to favour co-aggregation between cells than those found in the bulk water. Highest species richness and diversity were detected in 28 days old biofilms with this being accentuated at highly varied flow conditions. Flushing altered the pipe-wall bacterial community structure but did not completely remove bacteria from the pipe walls, particularly under highly varied flow conditions, suggesting that under these conditions more compact biofilms were generated. This research brings new knowledge regarding the influence of different hydraulic regimes on the composition and structure of bacterial communities within DWDS and the implication that this

An extension of the extended parallel process model (EPPM) in television health news: the influence of health consciousness on individual message processing and acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Hyehyun

2011-06-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of health consciousness in processing TV news that contains potential health threats and preventive recommendations. Based on the extended parallel process model (Witte, 1992), relationships among health consciousness, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived response efficacy, perceived self-efficacy, and message acceptance/rejection were hypothesized. Responses collected from 175 participants after viewing four TV health news stories were analyzed using the bootstrapping analysis (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). Results confirmed three mediators (i.e., perceived severity, response efficacy, self-efficacy) in the influence of health consciousness on message acceptance. A negative association found between health consciousness and perceived susceptibility is discussed in relation to characteristics of health conscious individuals and optimistic bias of health risks.

Does the edge effect influence plant community structure in a tropical dry forest?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo Gallo Oliveira

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Edge effects are considered a key factor in regulating the structure of plant communities in different ecosystems. However, regardless to few studies, edge influence does not seem to be decisive in semiarid regions such as the Brazilian tropical dry forest known as Caatinga but this issue remains inconclusive. The present study tests the null hypothesis that the plant community of shrubs and trees does not change in its structure due to edge effects. Twenty-four plots (20 x 20 m were set up in a fragment of Caatinga, in which 12 plots were in the forest edges and 12 plots were inside the fragment. Tree richness, abundance and species composition did not differ between edge and interior plots. The results of this study are in agreement with the pattern previously found for semiarid environments and contrasts with previous results obtained in different environments such as Rainforests, Savanna and Forest of Araucaria, which indicate abrupt differences between the border and interior of the plant communities in these ecosystems, and suggest that the community of woody plants of the Caatinga is not ecologically affected by the presence of edges.

45 CFR 2544.125 - Who has the authority to solicit and accept or reject a donation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... reject a donation? 2544.125 Section 2544.125 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS § 2544.125 Who has the authority to solicit and accept or reject a donation? The Chief Executive Officer (CEO...

Consumer trait variation influences tritrophic interactions in salt marsh communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Anne Randall; Hanley, Torrance C; Orozco, Nohelia P; Zerebecki, Robyn A

2015-07-01

The importance of intraspecific variation has emerged as a key question in community ecology, helping to bridge the gap between ecology and evolution. Although much of this work has focused on plant species, recent syntheses have highlighted the prevalence and potential importance of morphological, behavioral, and life history variation within animals for ecological and evolutionary processes. Many small-bodied consumers live on the plant that they consume, often resulting in host plant-associated trait variation within and across consumer species. Given the central position of consumer species within tritrophic food webs, such consumer trait variation may play a particularly important role in mediating trophic dynamics, including trophic cascades. In this study, we used a series of field surveys and laboratory experiments to document intraspecific trait variation in a key consumer species, the marsh periwinkle Littoraria irrorata, based on its host plant species (Spartina alterniflora or Juncus roemerianus) in a mixed species assemblage. We then conducted a 12-week mesocosm experiment to examine the effects of Littoraria trait variation on plant community structure and dynamics in a tritrophic salt marsh food web. Littoraria from different host plant species varied across a suite of morphological and behavioral traits. These consumer trait differences interacted with plant community composition and predator presence to affect overall plant stem height, as well as differentially alter the density and biomass of the two key plant species in this system. Whether due to genetic differences or phenotypic plasticity, trait differences between consumer types had significant ecological consequences for the tritrophic marsh food web over seasonal time scales. By altering the cascading effects of the top predator on plant community structure and dynamics, consumer differences may generate a feedback over longer time scales, which in turn influences the degree of trait

Influence of PAHs among other coastal environmental variables on total and PAH-degrading bacterial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauret, Caroline; Tedetti, Marc; Guigue, Catherine; Dumas, Chloé; Lami, Raphaël; Pujo-Pay, Mireille; Conan, Pascal; Goutx, Madeleine; Ghiglione, Jean-François

2016-03-01

We evaluated the relative impact of anthropogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among biogeochemical variables on total, metabolically active, and PAH bacterial communities in summer and winter in surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface seawaters (SSW) across short transects along the NW Mediterranean coast from three harbors, one wastewater effluent, and one nearshore observatory reference site. At both seasons, significant correlations were found between dissolved total PAH concentrations and PAH-degrading bacteria that formed a gradient from the shore to nearshore waters. Accumulation of PAH degraders was particularly high in the SML, where PAHs accumulated. Harbors and wastewater outfalls influenced drastically and in a different way the total and active bacterial community structure, but they only impacted the communities from the nearshore zone (PAH concentrations on the spatial and temporal dynamic of total and active communities in this area, but this effect was putted in perspective by the importance of other biogeochemical variables.

Perceptions of acceptability and utility of microbicides in Ghana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Amanda E Tanner

2008-03-26

Mar 26, 2008 ... This study explored factors that may influence acceptability and utilisation of vaginal ... Individual interviews were conducted with 10 staff working ... during the interviews and focus groups, including issues related to available ...

Wind energy planning in England, Wales and Denmark: Factors influencing project success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren Loring, Joyce

2007-01-01

Land-use planning poses a significant barrier to the further development of on-shore wind energy in many countries. There has been increasing discussion regarding the use of public participation in the planning process in order to address concerns of local residents and ease conflicts. This research explores the dynamics of the planning process for wind energy in England, Wales and Denmark in order to better understand the factors influencing project success. Through 18 in-depth case studies, it investigates the degree of local community participation in the planning process and the stability of the network of individuals and organisations involved in the project to determine their relationship to the public's acceptance of the project and the planning outcome. The study draws on the frameworks of public participation in planning and actor-network theories in order to develop indicators of the level of community involvement and network formation for each case. The analysis discusses predictions made by the theoretical approaches as to the importance of these variables to the success of new projects. The results indicate that projects with high levels of participatory planning are more likely to be publicly accepted and successful. In addition, stable supporting networks are more likely to form. The presence of a stable network of supporters is not found to be related to project acceptance and success; however, the absence of a stable network of opponents is found to be necessary for project acceptance and success in receiving planning permission

Dissolved Organic Carbon Influences Microbial Community Composition and Diversity in Managed Aquifer Recharge Systems

KAUST Repository

Li, D.; Sharp, J. O.; Saikaly, Pascal; Ali, Shahjahan; Alidina, M.; Alarawi, M. S.; Keller, S.; Hoppe-Jones, C.; Drewes, J. E.

2012-01-01

This study explores microbial community structure in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems across both laboratory and field scales. Two field sites, the Taif River (Taif, Saudi Arabia) and South Platte River (Colorado), were selected as geographically distinct MAR systems. Samples derived from unsaturated riverbed, saturated-shallow-infiltration (depth, 1 to 2 cm), and intermediate-infiltration (depth, 10 to 50 cm) zones were collected. Complementary laboratory-scale sediment columns representing low (0.6 mg/liter) and moderate (5 mg/liter) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were used to further query the influence of DOC and depth on microbial assemblages. Microbial density was positively correlated with the DOC concentration, while diversity was negatively correlated at both the laboratory and field scales. Microbial communities derived from analogous sampling zones in each river were not phylogenetically significantly different on phylum, class, genus, and species levels, as determined by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, suggesting that geography and season exerted less sway than aqueous geochemical properties. When field-scale communities derived from the Taif and South Platte River sediments were grouped together, principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct clusters with regard to the three sample zones (unsaturated, shallow, and intermediate saturated) and, further, with respect to DOC concentration. An analogous trend as a function of depth and corresponding DOC loss was observed in column studies. Canonical correspondence analysis suggests that microbial classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria are positively correlated with DOC concentration. Our combined analyses at both the laboratory and field scales suggest that DOC may exert a strong influence on microbial community composition and diversity in MAR saturated zones.

Dissolved Organic Carbon Influences Microbial Community Composition and Diversity in Managed Aquifer Recharge Systems

KAUST Repository

Li, D.

2012-07-13

This study explores microbial community structure in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems across both laboratory and field scales. Two field sites, the Taif River (Taif, Saudi Arabia) and South Platte River (Colorado), were selected as geographically distinct MAR systems. Samples derived from unsaturated riverbed, saturated-shallow-infiltration (depth, 1 to 2 cm), and intermediate-infiltration (depth, 10 to 50 cm) zones were collected. Complementary laboratory-scale sediment columns representing low (0.6 mg/liter) and moderate (5 mg/liter) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were used to further query the influence of DOC and depth on microbial assemblages. Microbial density was positively correlated with the DOC concentration, while diversity was negatively correlated at both the laboratory and field scales. Microbial communities derived from analogous sampling zones in each river were not phylogenetically significantly different on phylum, class, genus, and species levels, as determined by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, suggesting that geography and season exerted less sway than aqueous geochemical properties. When field-scale communities derived from the Taif and South Platte River sediments were grouped together, principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct clusters with regard to the three sample zones (unsaturated, shallow, and intermediate saturated) and, further, with respect to DOC concentration. An analogous trend as a function of depth and corresponding DOC loss was observed in column studies. Canonical correspondence analysis suggests that microbial classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria are positively correlated with DOC concentration. Our combined analyses at both the laboratory and field scales suggest that DOC may exert a strong influence on microbial community composition and diversity in MAR saturated zones.

Dissolved organic carbon influences microbial community composition and diversity in managed aquifer recharge systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dong; Sharp, Jonathan O; Saikaly, Pascal E; Ali, Shahjahan; Alidina, Mazahirali; Alarawi, Mohammed S; Keller, Stephanie; Hoppe-Jones, Christiane; Drewes, Jörg E

2012-10-01

This study explores microbial community structure in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems across both laboratory and field scales. Two field sites, the Taif River (Taif, Saudi Arabia) and South Platte River (Colorado), were selected as geographically distinct MAR systems. Samples derived from unsaturated riverbed, saturated-shallow-infiltration (depth, 1 to 2 cm), and intermediate-infiltration (depth, 10 to 50 cm) zones were collected. Complementary laboratory-scale sediment columns representing low (0.6 mg/liter) and moderate (5 mg/liter) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were used to further query the influence of DOC and depth on microbial assemblages. Microbial density was positively correlated with the DOC concentration, while diversity was negatively correlated at both the laboratory and field scales. Microbial communities derived from analogous sampling zones in each river were not phylogenetically significantly different on phylum, class, genus, and species levels, as determined by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, suggesting that geography and season exerted less sway than aqueous geochemical properties. When field-scale communities derived from the Taif and South Platte River sediments were grouped together, principal coordinate analysis revealed distinct clusters with regard to the three sample zones (unsaturated, shallow, and intermediate saturated) and, further, with respect to DOC concentration. An analogous trend as a function of depth and corresponding DOC loss was observed in column studies. Canonical correspondence analysis suggests that microbial classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria are positively correlated with DOC concentration. Our combined analyses at both the laboratory and field scales suggest that DOC may exert a strong influence on microbial community composition and diversity in MAR saturated zones.

Impact of an acceptance facilitating intervention on diabetes patients' acceptance of Internet-based interventions for depression: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, H; Nowoczin, L; Lin, J; Seifferth, H; Seufert, J; Laubner, K; Ebert, D D

2014-07-01

To (1) determine diabetes patients' acceptance of Internet-based interventions (IBIs) for depression, to (2) examine the effectiveness of an acceptance facilitating intervention (AFI) and to (3) explore subgroup specific effects. 141 diabetes patients from two inpatient rehabilitation units and one outpatient clinic in Germany were randomly allocated to an intervention (IG) and a no-intervention control group (CG). The IG received an AFI consisting of a personal information session before filling-out a questionnaire on patients' acceptance of IBIs, predictors of acceptance (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and Internet anxiety) as well as sociodemographic, depression-related and diabetes-related variables. The CG filled out the questionnaire immediately. Patients' acceptance of IBIs was measured with a four-item scale (sum-score ranging from 4 to 20). The CG showed a low (50.7%) to medium (40.8%) acceptance with only 8.5% of all diabetes patients reporting a high acceptance of IBIs for depression. The AFI had no significant effect on acceptance (IG: M=10.55, SD=4.69, n=70; KG: M=9.65, SD=4.27, n=71; d=0.20 [95%-CI: -0.13;0.53]) and the predictors of acceptance. Yet, subgroup analyses yielded a trend for depressed, diabetes-related distressed, female and younger (Internet to profit from the AFI. Diabetes patients show a rather low acceptance toward IBIs for depression. Findings indicate that the AFI is likely to be effective in the subgroup of depressed, diabetes-related distressed, female or younger diabetes patients, but not in the whole target population. Hence, AFIs might need to be tailored to the specific needs of subpopulations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Students' Acceptance of Tablet PCs: A Study in Italian High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Cacciamani, Stefano; Villani, Daniela; Bonanomi, Andrea; Carissoli, Claudia; Olivari, Maria Giulia; Morganti, Laura; Riva, Giuseppe; Confalonieri, Emanuela

2018-01-01

To maximize the advantages of the tablet personal computer (TPC) at school, this technology needs to be accepted by students as new tool for learning. With reference to the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the aims of this study were (a) to analyze factors influencing high school students'…

The influence of boundary features on grassland-edge communities of Alta Murgia

OpenAIRE

Cassano, Stefania; Alignier, Audrey; Forte, Luigi; Labadessa, Rocco; Mairota, Paola

2016-01-01

Many studies suggest the importance of boundary features on plant community dynamics. Our aim was to investigate the influence of boundary features on edge plant assemblages in semi-natural dry grasslands. For this purpose we selected 16 grassland edges in the central portion of the Natura 2000 site Murgia Alta, in southeastern Italy. These sites were selected according to a combination of boundary features, i.e. the adjoining land use type (road or cereal crop), slope (grassland tilted towar...

Acceptability of child adoption as management option for infertility in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Infertility remains a global health challenge with devastating psycho-social consequences in many African communities. Adoption that may serve as an alternative strategy for the affected couples is not widely practiced. This study was conceptualized to assess the acceptability of child adoption as a management option by ...

The influence of tinnitus acceptance on the quality of life and psychological distress in patients with chronic tinnitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Riedl

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recent findings show the importance of acceptance in the treatment of chronic tinnitus. So far, very limited research investigating the different levels of tinnitus acceptance has been conducted. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QoL and psychological distress in patients with chronic tinnitus who reported different levels of tinnitus acceptance. The sample consisted of outpatients taking part in a tinnitus coping group (n = 97. Correlations between tinnitus acceptance, psychological distress, and QoL were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were used to calculate a cutoff score for the German "Tinnitus Acceptance Questionnaire" (CTAQ-G and to evaluate the screening abilities of the CTAQ-G. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare QoL and psychological distress in patients with low tinnitus acceptance and high tinnitus acceptance. A cutoff point for CTAQ-G of 62.5 was defined, differentiating between patients with "low-to-mild tinnitus acceptance" and "moderate-to-high tinnitus acceptance." Patients with higher levels of tinnitus acceptance reported a significantly higher QoL and lower psychological distress. Tinnitus acceptance plays an important role for patients with chronic tinnitus. Increased levels of acceptance are related to better QoL and less psychological distress.

581 influence of community development programmes

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Osondu

The study examined the socio-economic empowerment of rural women as a correlate of community development ... corporations did not follow the principle of community development in the intervention programmes because ..... In the third stage, quota sampling technique was .... Research Papers, Issue 07/07, European.

Experiences of Gender-Based Violence at a South African University: Prevalence and Effect on Rape Myth Acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Finchilescu, Gillian; Dugard, Jackie

2018-04-01

Instances of gender-based violence (GBV) on university campuses are rarely reported to the authorities. This makes it difficult to gauge the prevalence of this problem, which in turn affects efforts for prevention. This article describes a university-wide online survey aimed at assessing, first, the prevalence of GBV experienced by the three sectors in the community-students, academic and research staff, and professional/administrative staff. Many of the findings concurred with research elsewhere-students were the predominant victims of GBV; men were the main perpetrators; and instances of rape occurred mainly when the victim/survivor was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In contrast to some of the more well-known U.S. surveys (e.g., Georgetown University), we found relatively few instances of students being exploited by staff members. Occurrences of contrapower harassment were also reported in our survey. The second aim investigated whether rape myth acceptance was related to experiences of GBV. We found that women who had these experiences were more rejecting of rape myths than women who had not had such experiences. The opposite was found for White men. White men who had experienced GBV were more accepting of the rape myths than those who had not had such experiences. It was suggested that this reflected a need for these male victims to establish their hegemonic masculine identity. In general, the level of rape myth acceptance was relatively low. This suggested that widespread victim-blame, and self-blame does not account for the low levels of GBV reports to officials. A limitation of the study was the relatively low response rate (1,350 respondents), which was likely caused by the student protests over university fees that were ongoing at the time of the survey. These protests caused considerable disturbance for all sectors of the university community.

Design simplicity influences patient portal use: the role of aesthetic evaluations for technology acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazard, Allison J; Watkins, Ivan; Mackert, Michael S; Xie, Bo; Stephens, Keri K; Shalev, Heidi

2016-04-01

This study focused on patient portal use and investigated whether aesthetic evaluations of patient portals function are antecedent variables to variables in the Technology Acceptance Model. A cross-sectional survey of current patient portals users (N = 333) was conducted online. Participants completed the Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory, along with items measuring perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and behavioral intentions (BIs) to use the patient portal. The hypothesized model accounted for 29% of the variance in BIs to use the portal, 46% of the variance in the PU of the portal, and 29% of the variance in the portal's PEU. Additionally, one dimension of the aesthetic evaluations functions as a predictor in the model - simplicity evaluations had a significant positive effect on PEU. This study provides evidence that aesthetic evaluations - specifically regarding simplicity - function as a significant antecedent variable to patients' use of patient portals and should influence patient portal design strategies. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Time will tell: community acceptability of HIV vaccine research before and after the “Step Study” vaccine discontinuation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula M Frew

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Paula M Frew1,2,3,4, Mark J Mulligan1,2,3, Su-I Hou5, Kayshin Chan3, Carlos del Rio1,2,3,61Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 2Emory Center for AIDS Research, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 3The Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA; 4Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 5Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; 6Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USAObjective: This study examines whether men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM and transgender (TG persons’ attitudes, beliefs, and risk perceptions toward human immunodeficiency virus (HIV vaccine research have been altered as a result of the negative findings from a phase 2B HIV vaccine study.Design: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among MSM and TG persons (N = 176 recruited from community settings in Atlanta from 2007 to 2008. The first group was recruited during an active phase 2B HIV vaccine trial in which a candidate vaccine was being evaluated (the “Step Study”, and the second group was recruited after product futility was widely reported in the media.Methods: Descriptive statistics, t tests, and chi-square tests were conducted to ascertain differences between the groups, and ordinal logistic regressions examined the influences of the above-mentioned factors on a critical outcome, future HIV vaccine study participation. The ordinal regression outcomes evaluated the influences on disinclination, neutrality, and inclination to study participation.Results: Behavioral outcomes such as future recruitment, event attendance, study promotion, and community mobilization did not reveal any differences in participants’ intentions between the groups. However, we observed

Influence of a trout farm on macrozoobenthos communities of the Trešnjica river, Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Živić Ivana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Trout farming poses an increasing threat to quality of the water of clean highland streams. Research of this problem has focused primarily on changes in physico-chemical composition of the water and structure of the river bottom, and less on the effects on living organisms. In the present work, we investigated influence of the farm with the highest trout production in Serbia, the 'Riboteks' Trout Farm on the Trešnjica River, on its macrozoobenthos communities. Our investigations showed that the 'Riboteks' Trout Farm wastewaters caused a clear and statistically significant change of moderate intensity in all measured parameters describing the composition and structure of macrozoobenthos communities. These changes were most pronounced in the part of the watercourse closest to the influx of waste water (locality III but remained statistically significant even 500 m downstream (locality IV and were lost only about 3.5 km away from the influx of the farm's wastewater (locality V. The most pronounced were changes in the participation in total abundance of the Baetidae, Chironomidae, and Plecoptera. Additionally, results of the present work confirmed that the mass of fish on the trout farm is a parameter that adequately defines the strength of its action, above all the intensity of its influence on structure of the macrozoobenthos community.

Influence of plankton community structure on the sinking velocity of marine aggregates

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, L. T.; Boxhammer, T.; Larsen, A.; Hildebrandt, N.; Schulz, K. G.; Riebesell, U.

2016-08-01

About 50 Gt of carbon is fixed photosynthetically by surface ocean phytoplankton communities every year. Part of this organic matter is reprocessed within the plankton community to form aggregates which eventually sink and export carbon into the deep ocean. The fraction of organic matter leaving the surface ocean is partly dependent on aggregate sinking velocity which accelerates with increasing aggregate size and density, where the latter is controlled by ballast load and aggregate porosity. In May 2011, we moored nine 25 m deep mesocosms in a Norwegian fjord to assess on a daily basis how plankton community structure affects material properties and sinking velocities of aggregates (Ø 80-400 µm) collected in the mesocosms' sediment traps. We noted that sinking velocity was not necessarily accelerated by opal ballast during diatom blooms, which could be due to relatively high porosity of these rather fresh aggregates. Furthermore, estimated aggregate porosity (Pestimated) decreased as the picoautotroph (0.2-2 µm) fraction of the phytoplankton biomass increased. Thus, picoautotroph-dominated communities may be indicative for food webs promoting a high degree of aggregate repackaging with potential for accelerated sinking. Blooms of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi revealed that cell concentrations of 1500 cells/mL accelerate sinking by about 35-40%, which we estimate (by one-dimensional modeling) to elevate organic matter transfer efficiency through the mesopelagic from 14 to 24%. Our results indicate that sinking velocities are influenced by the complex interplay between the availability of ballast minerals and aggregate packaging; both of which are controlled by plankton community structure.

Structural analysis of factors that influence professional learning communities in Korean elementary schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoung-Oh Song

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Professional Learning Communities(PLCs arean important strategy for innovation in schools, and they arereceiving considerable attention from scholars and educators alike. The present study aimed to examine the effect of PLCson schools’ effectiveness and to investigate the social, organizational, and structural factors that can promote these learning communities. The survey for this study was completed by 375 teachers from 40 elementary schools in the Seoul Metropolitan Area of South Korea, and their responses were analyzed to test the hypothesized model. The results of the structural equationmodeling indicated that PLCswere strongly and directly related to elementary schools’ effectivenessand that principals’ leadership and supportive relationshipsamong teachers were the important factors that influenced PLCs. Based on the results of this study, several implications are discussed.

The Modified Technology Acceptance Model for Private Clinical Physicians: A Case Study in Malaysia, Penang

OpenAIRE

Annie Ng Cheng San; Choy Johnn Yee

2013-01-01

Malaysia’s private clinic is wealth creator. To enhance its sustainable future, healthcare Information Technology (IT) change is inevitable. However, its’ IT acceptance is limited. The past literatures showed physicians have different technology acceptance decision as compare to common users. Hence, understanding the physicians’ technology acceptance is critical for technology management success. This study aims to gauge the factors influence technology acceptance decision among the physician...

User acceptance of mobile notifications

CERN Document Server

Westermann, Tilo

2017-01-01

This book presents an alternative approach to studying smartphone-app user notifications. It starts with insights into user acceptance of mobile notifications in order to provide tools to support users in managing these. It extends previous research by investigating factors that influence users’ perception of notifications and proposes tools addressing the shortcomings of current systems. It presents a technical framework and testbed as an approach for evaluating the usage of mobile applications and notifications, and then discusses a series of studies based on this framework that investigate factors influencing users’ perceptions of mobile notifications. Lastly, a set of design guidelines for the usage of mobile notifications is derived that can be employed to support users in handling notifications on smartphones.

attitudes and acceptance of nigerians towards vasectomy

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-03-01

Mar 1, 2013 ... factor influencing the acceptance of vasectomy (p= 0.013) with stronger correlation among men than ... is the most populated nation in Africa, accounting for over two thirds of ... was reported as the contraceptive of choice in one third of all ... reported to be a major contraceptive method in more developed ...

Intention to Accept Pertussis Vaccination for Cocooning: A Qualitative Study of the Determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Olga; Hautvast, Jeannine L A; van der Velden, Koos; Hulscher, Marlies E J L

2016-01-01

Several countries have reported a resurgence of pertussis in the last decades. This puts infants (especially organisational barriers were all factors that influenced the intention to accept pertussis vaccination for cocooning. This study has identified nine perceived determinants that influence the intention to accept pertussis cocooning vaccination. We add the following determinants to the literature: perceived cost-effectiveness (as a concept of outcome expectations), justice (as a concept of moral norms), anticipated regret, and decisional uncertainty. We recommend considering these determinants in vaccination programmes for pertussis cocooning vaccination. Experience, information and trust emerged as predominant themes within these determinants. These themes require particular attention in future research on vaccination acceptance, especially with regard to their role in use and implementation in policy and practice.

Community- and family-level factors influence care-giver choice to screen blood lead levels of children in a mining community.

Science.gov (United States)

Moodie, S M; Tsui, E K; Silbergeld, E K

2010-07-01

Bunker Hill, in Kellogg, Idaho, formerly a lead mine (1884-1981) and smelter (1917-1981), is now a Superfund site listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priorities List. Lead contamination from the site is widespread due to past smelter discharges to land, water, and air, placing children at risk for both exposure to lead and resultant health effects of lead. Since 1983, the EPA has used child blood lead levels to inform the clean-up standards for the Bunker Hill Superfund site. This study was undertaken to examine factors that have contributed to the significant fall-off in the rates and numbers of children being screened for blood lead in Kellogg (number screened decreased from 195 to 8 from 2002 to 2007). The goal of this research project was to define community- and family-level factors which influence care-giver choice to screen blood lead levels of their children in this environment. This formative research study used mixed methods and was comprised of three research components: (1) preliminary interviews using community-based participatory research methods to define key research questions of relevance to community members, government and NGOs working in relation to the Bunker Hill clean-up; (2) a quantitative analysis of a cross-sectional household survey conducted with adult care-givers about child blood lead screening in Kellogg; and (3) ethnographic community rapid assessment methods formed the in-depth interview process and qualitative analysis. The survey showed the likelihood of blood lead screening that for children under the age of 18 years increases 34% with each one-year increase in current age of the child (95% CI, 1.08-1.67, p-value=0.009), and decreases 45% with annual household income greater than $10,000 (95% CI, 0.35-0.88, p-value=0.013). Sibling birth order increased the likelihood of blood lead screening by 61% (95% CI, 1.04-2.48, p-value=0.032) for each successive child. Female children were rated by their care

Harz/Vesper: Acceptance Research with Logical Relations and Pragma-Dialectics

Science.gov (United States)

Harz, M.

2012-04-01

We use two different theories for our research on the acceptance of carbon capture and storage (CCS), geothermal energy and shale gas: logical relations and pragma-dialectics. With the theory of logical relations we can describe the structure of the terminus "acceptance" as a three-place or more relationship. We use the Newtonian binominal coefficients order to reflect on the complexity of the concept of acceptance. We are exploring relations between citizens, politicians, scientists, businesses and technologies. The technological-philosophical reflection on the topic "Determinants for acceptance of new technologies" concerns the issues of "Trust", "Security" as well as "Interest and Use" as the essential constituents of acceptance. Trust: Politicians, scientists and entrepreneurs need to understand themselves as advocates of acceptance. Acceptance is not automatic but requires a great effort and continuous personal commitment, as you want to secure acceptance not only for the short-term but for the long-term. The confidence curve follows a hysteresis loop as known from the magnetization of materials: It requires a significant effort. If the existing trust is lost due to erroneous communication or incorrect political action, the restoration effort is significantly greater. Citizens need to understand themselves as being asked for acceptance and as actively influencing the shapes of their life. They may not feel as victims or sufferers from technological developments but should have a realistic feeling of being able to influence - in fact - anything. "Openness creates openness." (H.-J. Bullinger) Security: The advocate promoting acceptance must take into account the security needs of the citizens with regard to the technologies which are supposed to be accepted. Even irrational fears are actual fears that can prevent acceptance. Interests and Goals of Usage: The advocate promoting acceptance must - sincerely and publicly - express his interest in the use and goals

An Extended Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Social Gaming Service Popularity Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The games industry has been growing prosperously with the development of information technology. Recently, with further advances in social networks and mobile services, playing mobile social gaming has gradually changed our daily life in terms of social connection and leisure time spending. What are the determinant factors which affect users intention to play such games? Therefore in this research we present an empirical study on WeChat, China’s most popular mobile social network, and apply a technology acceptance model (TAM to study the reasons beneath the popularity of games in mobile social networks. Furthermore, factors from social and mobile perspective are incorporated into the conventional TAM and their influence and relationships are studied. Experimental study on accumulated online survey data reveals several interesting findings and it is believed that this research offers the researchers in the community further insight in analysing the current popularity and future potential of mobile social games.

Influence of environmental variation on the bacterioplankton community and its loss to viral lysis in the Curonian Lagoon

Science.gov (United States)

Šulčius, Sigitas; Reunamo, Anna; Paškauskas, Ričardas; Leskinen, Piia

2018-05-01

Coastal lagoons are continuously exposed to strong environmental gradients that determine the distribution and trophic interactions of microbial communities. Therefore, in this study we assessed whether and how environmental changes influence the bacterial community and its vulnerability to viral infection and lysis along the major environmental gradient in the Curonian Lagoon. We found significant differences in bacterial community profiles, their richness and evenness between the riverine, freshwater southern part and the Baltic Sea water intrusion-influenced northern part of the lagoon, suggesting strong environmental control of the structure of bacterial communities. Viruses were found to be play an important role in bacterial mortality in the Curonian Lagoon, being responsible for the removal of 20-50% of the bacterial standing stock. We observed differences in virioplankton decay rates and virus burst sizes between the northern and southern parts of the lagoon. However, no relationships were found between viral activity and bacterial communities within the lagoon ecosystem. The frequency of infected cells and virus-mediated bacterial mortality (VMBM) remained constant among the sampling sites irrespective of differences in bacteria community assemblages and environmental conditions. The results indicate that factors determining changes in bacterial diversity are different from the factors limiting their vulnerability to viral infection and lysis. This study also suggests that under changing environmental conditions, virus-bacteria interactions are more stable than the interacting viral and bacterial communities themselves. These findings are important for understanding the functioning of the coastal ecosystems under the rapidly changing local (spatial and temporal) and global (e.g. eutrophication, climate change) conditions.

The value of trophic interactions for ecosystem function: dung beetle communities influence seed burial and seedling recruitment in tropical forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Hannah M; Bardgett, Richard D; Louzada, Julio; Barlow, Jos

2016-12-14

Anthropogenic activities are causing species extinctions, raising concerns about the consequences of changing biological communities for ecosystem functioning. To address this, we investigated how dung beetle communities influence seed burial and seedling recruitment in the Brazilian Amazon. First, we conducted a burial and retrieval experiment using seed mimics. We found that dung beetle biomass had a stronger positive effect on the burial of large than small beads, suggesting that anthropogenic reductions in large-bodied beetles will have the greatest effect on the secondary dispersal of large-seeded plant species. Second, we established mesocosm experiments in which dung beetle communities buried Myrciaria dubia seeds to examine plant emergence and survival. Contrary to expectations, we found that beetle diversity and biomass negatively influenced seedling emergence, but positively affected the survival of seedlings that emerged. Finally, we conducted germination trials to establish the optimum burial depth of experimental seeds, revealing a negative relationship between burial depth and seedling emergence success. Our results provide novel evidence that seed burial by dung beetles may be detrimental for the emergence of some seed species. However, we also detected positive impacts of beetle activity on seedling recruitment, which are probably because of their influence on soil properties. Overall, this study provides new evidence that anthropogenic impacts on dung beetle communities could influence the structure of tropical forests; in particular, their capacity to regenerate and continue to provide valuable functions and services. © 2016 The Author(s).

Could FDA approval of pre-exposure prophylaxis make a difference? A qualitative study of PrEP acceptability and FDA perceptions among men who have sex with men.

Science.gov (United States)

Underhill, Kristen; Morrow, Kathleen M; Operario, Don; Mayer, Kenneth H

2014-02-01

The FDA has approved tenofovir-emtricitabine for use as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, but it is unknown how approval may affect PrEP acceptability among US men who have sex with men. We conducted 8 focus groups among 38 Rhode Island MSM, including 3 groups among 16 male sex workers and 5 groups among 22 men in the general MSM community. Participants reported wide-ranging beliefs regarding consequences and meanings of FDA approval. Some participants would not use PrEP without approval, while others perceived approval as irrelevant or less significant than other sources of information. Our results suggest that FDA approval sends a signal that directly shapes PrEP acceptability among some MSM, while indirect influences of approval may affect uptake by others. Efforts to educate MSM about PrEP can increase acceptability by incorporating information about FDA approval, and outreach strategies should consider how this information may factor into personal decisions about PrEP use.

Radioactive Waste Repositories and Incentives to Local Communities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, A.; Medakovic, S.

2008-01-01

Public acceptance of radioactive waste (RW) repository depends on various and often community-specific factors. Although radiological risk from a properly constructed low and intermediate level waste (LILW) repository is practically negligible, routine safety considerations will favor low populated areas and therefore probably underdeveloped communities. Repository acceptance in such communities is more likely to be facilitated by prospective benefits to local economy, such as infrastructure development and increased employment, as well as by dedicated financial incentives to the community. Direct financial compensation to the local community for acceptance of the repository has been considered in some documents in countries experienced in RW management, but it has not become a widely accepted practice. In Croatia, a possibility for such compensation is mentioned in the land use plan in conjunction with the prospective RW repository site. In Slovenia, the government has already specified the annual amount of 2.33 million euro as a compensation for 'limited land use' to be shared by local communities in the vicinity of the planned LILW repository during its operation. Applicability of the Slovenian compensations to the prospective joint Slovenian-Croatian repository is not yet clear, at least in the aspect of joint funding. The joint Slovenian-Croatian Decommissioning and LILW and SF management program for NPP Krsko from 2004 did conservatively include the compensations into the repository cost estimates, but that might not be retained in subsequent revisions of the Program. According to the agreement between governments of Slovenia and Croatia on the Nuclear power plant Krsko, Croatian side has no obligations to participate in 'public expenditures' introduced after the agreement, as would be the case of community compensations for LILW repository in Slovenia. Before further decisions on joint NPP Krsko waste management are made, including the issue of LILW

Community impact management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baril, R.G.

1983-01-01

Industrial expansion, whether for resource extraction, refining, production or distribution and particularly the construction of energy facilities, usually has many effects on communities. In the early 1970s, as more experience was gained with large projects and as communities became more sensitive to their needs and rights, the negative effects of projects gained some prominence. Communities questioned whether it was in their best interest to accept changes that large corporations would impose on them. It is in this context that Ontario Hydro, in 1977, set up the first of four community impact agreements for the construction of generating stations. This paper discusses these community impact agreements and how they have become the framework for the management of community impacts. Also, the paper discusses a model for compensating social impacts

Developing and Field Testing a Community Based Youth Initiative to Increase Tuberculosis Awareness in Remote Arctic Inuit Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Gonzalo G; Van Dyk, Deborah D; Colquhoun, Heather; Moreau, Katherine A; Mulpuru, Sunita; Graham, Ian D

2016-01-01

Inuit in Canada have the highest reported tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in Canada, even higher than other Canadian Indigenous groups. The aim of this study was to increase TB awareness among Inuit youth and their communities by equipping those who can best reach this population with a community based, youth focused, education initiative built on interventions adapted from a previous TB awareness study. The Taima TB Youth Education Initiative was a field test case study of a knowledge translation (KT) strategy aimed at community members who provide health education in these communities. In the first stage of this study, interventions from a larger TB awareness campaign were adapted to focus on youth living in remote Inuit communities. During the second stage of the study, investigators field tested the initiative in two isolated Inuit communities. It was then applied by local implementation teams in two other communities. Evaluation criteria included feasibility, acceptability, knowledge uptake and health behavior change. Implementation of the adapted KT interventions resulted in participation of a total of 41 youth (19 females, 22 males) with an average age of 16 years (range 12-21 years) in four different communities in Nunavut. Community celebration events were attended by 271 community members where TB messaging were presented and discussed. All of the health care workers and community members surveyed reported that the adapted interventions were acceptable and a useful way of learning to some extent. Knowledge uptake measures indicated an average TB knowledge score of 64 out of 100. Local partners in all four communities indicated that they would use the Taima TB Youth Education Initiative again to raise awareness about TB among youth in their communities. The TB awareness interventions adapted for the Taima TB Youth Education Initiative were acceptable to the Inuit communities involved in the study. They resulted in uptake of knowledge among participants

THE INFLUENCE OF PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER PT. HOLCIM INDONESIA TBK. CILACAP-PLANT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF POSDAYA COMMUNITIES IN SUB-DISTRIC OF NORTH CILACAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riyas Anggun Putri Cahyani

2016-09-01

form empowerment of local communities, that is Posdaya (Family Empowerment Program. This study aims to examine and analyze the influence of participative leadership style of the Community Relations Officer (CRO PT. Holcim Indonesia Tbk Cilacap - Plant toward Posdaya (Family Empowerment Centre in North Cilacap. This study uses quantitative methods and the data collected by the distribution of questionnaires which consist as 96 samples. It was measured by using slovin formulate with a degree of error is 5 % for 126 communities. The research was used proportional sampling as a sampling technique and analyzed by SPSS for windows 16.00, include validity and reliability tests to examine the questionnaires. t-test, F-test and coefficient of determination (R2 were the part of a simple regression analysis to prove the hypothesis of the research. Based on the data analysis, the simple linear regression equation is Y = 11.370 + 0,423X, its means that there was a linearly and positively influence of participative leadership style on the performance of Posdaya communities. The conclusion is if participative leadership style of the CRO is increased, the performance of Posdaya will also increase.

Consumer Acceptance of Functional Foods and Their Ingredients: Positioning Options for Innovations at the Borderline Between Foods and Drugs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bornkessel, S.; Bröring, S.; Omta, S.W.F.

2011-01-01

Consumer acceptance is pivotal for the market success of new functional food products. Thereby, the acceptance is mainly influenced by three factors: consumer characteristics, purchasing situation and products characteristics. The study at hand analyses these influence factors using the example of

Characteristics of microbial community involved in early biofilms formation under the influence of wastewater treatment plant effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yuke; Li, Jie; Lu, Junling; Xiao, Lin; Yang, Liuyan

2018-04-01

Effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) containing microorganisms and residual nutrients can influence the biofilm formation. Although the process and mechanism of bacterial biofilm formation have been well characterized, little is known about the characteristics and interaction of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes in the early colonization, especially under the influence of WWTP effluent. The aim of this study was to characterize the important bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic species in the early stage of biofilm formation downstream of the WWTP outlet. Water and biofilm samples were collected 24 and 48hr after the deposition of bio-cords in the stream. Illumina Miseq sequencing of the 16S and 18S rDNA showed that, among the three domains, the bacterial biofilm community had the largest alpha and beta diversity. The early bacterial colonizers appeared to be "biofilm-specific", with only a few dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared between the biofilm and the ambient water environment. Alpha-proteobacteria and Ciliophora tended to dominate the bacterial and eukaryotic communities, respectively, of the early biofilm already at 24hr, whereas archaea played only a minor role during the early stage of colonization. The network analysis showed that the three domains of microbial community connected highly during the early colonization and it might be a characteristic of the microbial communities in the biofilm formation process where co-occurrence relationships could drive coexistence and diversity maintenance within the microbial communities. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Personal and other factors affecting acceptance of smartphone technology by older Chinese adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Qi; Chan, Alan H S; Chen, Ke

2016-05-01

It has been well documented that in the 21st century, there will be relatively more older people around the world than in the past. Also, it seems that technology will expand in this era at an unprecedented rate. Therefore, it is of critical importance to understand the factors that influence the acceptance of technology by older people. The positive impact that the use of mobile applications can have for older people was confirmed by a previous study (Plaza et al., 2011). The study reported here aimed to explore and confirm, for older adults in China, the key influential factors of smartphone acceptance, and to describe the personal circumstances of Chinese older adults who use smartphone. A structured questionnaire and face to face individual interviews were used with 120 Chinese older adults (over 55). Structural Equation Modeling was used to confirm a proposed smartphone acceptance model based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The results showed that those who were younger, with higher education, non-widowed, with better economic condition related to salary or family support were more likely to use smartphone. Also, cost was found to be a critical factor influencing behavior intention. Self-satisfaction and facilitating conditions were proved to be important factors influencing perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of disease and the quality of life in patients with enteric stoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Szpilewska, Katarzyna; Juzwiszyn, Jan; Bolanowska, Zofia; Bolanowska, Zofia; Milan, Magdalena; Chabowski, Mariusz; Janczak, Dariusz

2018-02-28

The main reason of the emergence of enteric stoma is colorectal cancer. Enteric stoma is a serious health, as well as life problem. In Poland, there are about 6,000 stoma surgeries yearly. It changes the functioning of patients, restricts their daily activity and influences their quality of life significantly. Therefore, in the modern treatment process, all spheres of human life and its surroundings are considered. The evaluation of the quality of life and the level of acceptance of the disease enables us to identify the regions in which patients require attention and help, as well as places to which health promotion among patients with a stoma should be directed. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the acceptance of the disease and the quality of life in patients with colostomy. The study conducted between February 2015 and February 2016 included101 patients with enteric stoma of the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Wrocław at Kamieńskiego St. in the departments of General Surgery with the Subdivision of Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery, Subdivision of Metabolic Surgery, Subdivision of Endocrine Surgery and Oncological Surgery . Two anonymous questionnaires, i.e., health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and acceptance of illness scale (AIS), were used. 60% (61 people) were women, and 40% (40 people) were men. The mean age was 48; the youngest respondent was 20 years old, and the oldest was 79 years old. 17% of the respondents had primary education, 25% - vocational, 33% - secondary and 26% - university-level. The most common reason for the emergence of a stoma among the respondents was colon cancer (44%), followed by: mechanical bowel onstruction (26%), intestinal damage following injuries (25%), inflammatory bowel disease (6%). The quality of life of patients with colostomy was evaluated in view of their health condition, postoperative recovery, everyday limitations, and self-evaluation. The majority of participants pointed to the deterioration of

Functional food acceptance in the food chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krutulyte, Rasa

This thesis analyses consumer acceptance of functional foods and food manufacturers' decision to develop functional foods. The thesis sets up four key research questions: (1) How consumers accept functional foods enriched with omega-3? (2) How the intention of purchasing carrier ingredient...... another central issue of the paper. Results revealed that the general attitudes towards functional foods are related to the purchase intention with regard to functional foods described by their carrier/ingredient combinations. Consumers' attitudes towards specific carrier ingredient combinations define...... influence food manufacturers' decision making with regards to production of functional foods. Internal factors such as organisational characteristics, innovation characteristics, and external factors such as functional food ingredient suppliers' marketing efforts, collaboration between suppliers and food...

Soil mineral assemblage influences on microbial communities and carbon cycling under fresh organic matter input

Science.gov (United States)

Finley, B. K.; Schwartz, E.; Koch, B.; Dijkstra, P.; Hungate, B. A.

2017-12-01

The interactions between soil mineral assemblages and microbial communities are important drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling and storage, although the mechanisms driving these interactions remain unclear. There is increasing evidence supporting the importance of associations with poorly crystalline, short-range order (SRO) minerals in protection of SOC from microbial utilization. However, how the microbial processing of SRO-associated SOC may be influenced by fresh organic matter inputs (priming) remains poorly understood. The influence on SRO minerals on soil microbial community dynamics is uncertain as well. Therefore, we conducted a priming incubation by adding either a simulated root exudate mixture or conifer needle litter to three soils from a mixed-conifer ecosystem. The parent material of the soils were andesite, basalt, and granite and decreased in SRO mineral content, respectively. We also conducted a parallel quantitative stable isotope probing incubation by adding 18O-labelled water to the soils to isotopically label microbial DNA in situ. This allowed us to characterize and identify the active bacterial and archaeal community and taxon-specific growth under fresh organic matter input. While the granite soil (lowest SRO content), had the largest total mineralization, the least priming occurred. The andesite and basalt soils (greater SRO content) had lower total respiration, but greater priming. Across all treatments, the granite soil, while having the lowest species richness of the entire community (249 taxa, both active and inactive), had a larger active community (90%) in response to new SOC input. The andesite and basalt soils, while having greater total species richness of the entire community at 333 and 325 taxa, respectively, had fewer active taxa in response to new C compared to the granite soil (30% and 49% taxa, respectively). These findings suggest that the soil mineral assemblage is an important driver on SOC cycling under fresh

Physician Acceptance of Gateway to Care at Irwin Army Community Hospital

Science.gov (United States)

1992-07-27

frontier cavalry post once commanded by General George Armstrong Custer. Today it is the home of almost 20,000 soldiers of the Big Red One, First Infantry...especially important for the future. Physicians, as key "players" in healthcare organizations, are also key to the success of Gateway to Care. Kotler and...research (3rd ed.). New York: Holt. Physician Acceptance 32 Kotler , P., & Clarke, R. (1987). Marketing for health care organizations. Englewood Cliffs

Mass media influence spreading in social networks with community structure

Science.gov (United States)

Candia, Julián; Mazzitello, Karina I.

2008-07-01

We study an extension of Axelrod's model for social influence, in which cultural drift is represented as random perturbations, while mass media are introduced by means of an external field. In this scenario, we investigate how the modular structure of social networks affects the propagation of mass media messages across a society. The community structure of social networks is represented by coupled random networks, in which two random graphs are connected by intercommunity links. Considering inhomogeneous mass media fields, we study the conditions for successful message spreading and find a novel phase diagram in the multidimensional parameter space. These findings show that social modularity effects are of paramount importance for designing successful, cost-effective advertising campaigns.

How does context influence performance of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries? Evidence from the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Maryse C; Kane, Sumit S; Tulloch, Olivia; Ormel, Hermen; Theobald, Sally; Dieleman, Marjolein; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; de Koning, Korrie A M

2015-03-07

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as an integral component of the health workforce needed to achieve public health goals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many factors intersect to influence CHW performance. A systematic review with a narrative analysis was conducted to identify contextual factors influencing performance of CHWs. We searched six databases for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies that included CHWs working in promotional, preventive or curative primary health care services in LMICs. We differentiated CHW performance outcome measures at two levels: CHW level and end-user level. Ninety-four studies met the inclusion criteria and were double read to extract data relevant to the context of CHW programmes. Thematic coding was conducted and evidence on five main categories of contextual factors influencing CHW performance was synthesized. Few studies had the influence of contextual factors on CHW performance as their primary research focus. Contextual factors related to community (most prominently), economy, environment, and health system policy and practice were found to influence CHW performance. Socio-cultural factors (including gender norms and values and disease related stigma), safety and security and education and knowledge level of the target group were community factors that influenced CHW performance. Existence of a CHW policy, human resource policy legislation related to CHWs and political commitment were found to be influencing factors within the health system policy context. Health system practice factors included health service functionality, human resources provisions, level of decision-making, costs of health services, and the governance and coordination structure. All contextual factors can interact to shape CHW performance and affect the performance of CHW interventions or programmes. Research on CHW programmes often does not capture or explicitly discuss the context in which CHW

Effective communications bring greater public acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clawson, C.

1992-01-01

In 1986, GPU Nuclear Corporation announced a plan to evaporate into the atmosphere 2.3 million gal of water remaining from the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident. The water would be processed to remove most of the radioactivity, but still remaining were >1,000 Ci of tritium to be released to the atmosphere during the evaporation process. It was expected that, following regulatory approvals, it would take >2 yr to complete the process. Fed by well-established antinuclear groups, public concern about evaporating the TMI-2-accident-generated water ran high among residents living near the plant. In the years since the TMI-2 accident, GPU Nuclear had developed a highly effective communications program in the communities surrounding TMI. This ongoing program provided a solid foundation on which to create and implement a risk communications approach to community understanding and acceptance of the evaporation process

Improving Acceptance, Integration, and Health Among LGBT Service Members

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

Military, LGBT, health disparities, minority stress , social networks 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a...physical and mental health needs of this community. This project includes LGBT service members from all four services, Army, Air Force, Navy and...acceptance and integration of sexual minorities into traditional heterosexual work environments. Further, the findings will address possible health

Bridging the Gap between Social Acceptance and Ethical Acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Taebi, Behnam

2017-10-01

New technology brings great benefits, but it can also create new and significant risks. When evaluating those risks in policymaking, there is a tendency to focus on social acceptance. By solely focusing on social acceptance, we could, however, overlook important ethical aspects of technological risk, particularly when we evaluate technologies with transnational and intergenerational risks. I argue that good governance of risky technology requires analyzing both social acceptance and ethical acceptability. Conceptually, these two notions are mostly complementary. Social acceptance studies are not capable of sufficiently capturing all the morally relevant features of risky technologies; ethical analyses do not typically include stakeholders' opinions, and they therefore lack the relevant empirical input for a thorough ethical evaluation. Only when carried out in conjunction are these two types of analysis relevant to national and international governance of risky technology. I discuss the Rawlsian wide reflective equilibrium as a method for marrying social acceptance and ethical acceptability. Although the rationale of my argument is broadly applicable, I will examine the case of multinational nuclear waste repositories in particular. This example will show how ethical issues may be overlooked if we focus only on social acceptance, and will provide a test case for demonstrating how the wide reflective equilibrium can help to bridge the proverbial acceptance-acceptability gap. © 2016 The Authors Risk Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Risk Analysis.

Exploring Consumer Acceptance of Entomophagy: A Survey and Experiment in Australia and the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensvelt, E.J.S.; Steenbekkers, L.P.A.

2014-01-01

Insects are nutritious and suitable for human consumption. In this article an overview of research on consumer acceptance of entomophagy is given. This study furthermore provides insight into which factors are effective to influence consumer acceptance of entomophagy among Dutch and Australian

Potential Impact of Risk and Loss Aversion on the Process of Accepting Kidneys for Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Heilman, Raymond L; Green, Ellen P; Reddy, Kunam S; Moss, Adyr; Kaplan, Bruce

2017-07-01

Behavioral economic theory suggests that people make decisions based on maximizing perceived value; however, this may be influenced more by the risk of loss rather than of potential gain. Additionally, individuals may seek certainty over uncertainty. These are termed loss aversion and risk aversion, respectively. Loss aversion is particularly sensitive to how the decision is "framed." Thus, labeling a kidney as high Kidney Donor Profile Index results in higher discard rates because this creates a nonlinearity in perceived risk. There is also evidence that the perceived loss due to regulatory sanction results in increased organ discard rates. This may be due to the overuse of terminology that stresses regulatory sanctions and thus perpetuates fear of loss through a form of nudging. Our goal is to point out how these concepts of behavioral economics may negatively influence the decision process to accept these suboptimal organs. We hope to make the community more aware of these powerful psychological influences and thus potentially increase the utilization of these suboptimal organs. Further, we would urge regulatory bodies to avoid utilizing strategies that frame outcomes in terms of loss due to flagging and build models that are less prone to uncertain expected versus observed outcomes.

Acceptability of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) among hospital healthcare personnel based on a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

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Ahmadi, Maryam; Mehrabi, Nahid; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas; Sadeghi, Mojtaba

2017-09-01

The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a healthcare system technology which manages medical images and integrates equipment through a network. There are some theories about the use and acceptance of technology by people to describe the behavior and attitudes of end users towards information technologies. We investigated the influential factors on users' acceptance of PACS in the military hospitals of Tehran. In this applied analytical and cross-sectional study, 151 healthcare employees of military hospitals who had experience in using the PACS system were investigated. Participants were selected by census. The following variables were considered: performance expectancy, efforts expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioral intention. Data were gathered using a questionnaire. Its validity and reliability were approved by a panel of experts and was piloted with 30 hospital healthcare staff (Cronbach's alpha =0.91). Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used in analyzing the data. Expected performance, efforts expectancy, social impact and facilitating conditions had a significant relationship with behavioral intention. The multiple regression analysis indicated that only performance expectancy can predict the user's behavioral intentions to use PACS technology. Performance and effort expectancies are quite influential in accepting the use of PACS in hospitals. All healthcare personnel should become aware that using such technology is necessary in a hospital. Knowing the influencing factors that affect the acceptance of using new technology can help in improving its use, especially in a healthcare system. This can improve the offered healthcare services' quality.

Strategies for the deployment of micro-generation: Implications for social acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauter, Raphael; Watson, Jim

2007-01-01

Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation has often been discussed in the context of large renewable technology projects, acceptance having been seen as rather passive consent by the public. The potential importance of micro-generation technologies in the future energy supply mix and policymakers' increasing attention to these technologies requires a different approach to the social acceptance of renewable energy innovation and energy infrastructure technologies. Instead of mere consent to an infrastructure project, domestic micro-generation requires active acceptance by homeowners, whereby individual households become part of the electricity supply infrastructure. Acceptance may therefore be expressed in various forms: attitudes, behaviour and-most importantly-investments. This paper argues that different deployment models with varying degrees of company and consumer involvement will have a significant influence on the social acceptance of domestic micro-generation and therefore the market uptake of these technologies. Three deployment models are elaborated and briefly situated in the current UK energy policy context

Preservice Teachers' Acceptance of ICT Integration in the Classroom: Applying the UTAUT Model

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Birch, A.; Irvine, V.

2009-01-01

In this study, the researchers explore the factors that influence preservice teachers' acceptance of information and communication technology (ICT) integration in the classroom. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was developed by Venkatesh et al. ["MIS Quarterly, 27"(3), 425-478] in 2003 and shown to…

Community-Level Exposure to the Rural Mining Industry: The Potential Influence on Early Adolescent Alcohol and Tobacco Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Gay, Christopher; Clements-Nolle, Kristen; Packham, John; Ackerman, Gerald; Lensch, Taylor; Yang, Wei

2018-01-31

Rural youth have higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use compared to their urban counterparts. However, the economic dependence of rural communities may differentially influence risk behaviors. While research has shown that adults working in mining have elevated rates of alcohol and tobacco use, the influence of living in a mining community on early adolescent substance use is unknown. Using data from a representative sample of 4,535 middle school students in a state with heavy reliance on mining, we conducted weighted logistic regression to investigate whether community-level mining economic dependence influences rural-urban differences in adolescent alcohol and tobacco use. All models adjusted for sociodemographics, military family involvement, parental monitoring, and length of residence. Over one quarter of the sampled students lived in rural counties and approximately half of these counties met the USDA mining economic typology. After stratifying rural counties by mining and nonmining economic dependence, students in rural mining counties had significantly higher odds of all measures of alcohol use (AORs ranged from 1.83 to 3.99) and tobacco use (AORs ranged from 1.61 to 5.05) compared to students in urban counties. Only use of smokeless tobacco was higher among students in rural nonmining counties. Our findings demonstrate rural-urban disparities in adolescent substance use that are particularly pronounced among youth living in counties with economic dependence on mining. Future research on this subject should include a wider range of community-level factors that may have specific relevance in rural settings to inform the development of population-level interventions. © 2018 National Rural Health Association.

Psychological factors influencing sustainable energy technology acceptance : A review-based comprehensive framework

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huijts, N. M. A.; Molin, E. J. E.; Steg, L.

Environmental and societal problems related to energy use have spurred the development of sustainable energy technologies, such as wind mills, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen vehicles. Public acceptance of these technologies is crucial for their successful introduction into society.

Studying RFID Consumer Acceptance Using TAM: the Case of IUST Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahad Zare Ravasan

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Radio frequency identification (RFID technology is used in numerous applications and offers a plethora of interesting potential new applications. However, this potential raises issues that require addressing to achieve its widespread acceptance by consumers. This paper investigated the factors that affect consumer acceptance of RFID technology using the technology acceptance model (TAM. To this end, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed among Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST students and gathered data were analyzed using multivariable linear regression method. The results proposed that convenience, culture, and regulation were the principal factors influencing the consumers’ acceptance of RFID. The results of the paper can provide insight to organizations in providing RFID enabled products to their customers and also facilitated its development in the society.

Factors that influence acceptance of web-based e-learning systems for the in-service education of junior high school teachers in Taiwan.

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Chen, Hong-Ren; Tseng, Hsiao-Fen

2012-08-01

Web-based e-learning is not restricted by time or place and can provide teachers with a learning environment that is flexible and convenient, enabling them to efficiently learn, quickly develop their professional expertise, and advance professionally. Many research reports on web-based e-learning have neglected the role of the teacher's perspective in the acceptance of using web-based e-learning systems for in-service education. We distributed questionnaires to 402 junior high school teachers in central Taiwan. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as our theoretical foundation and employed the Structure Equation Model (SEM) to examine factors that influenced intentions to use in-service training conducted through web-based e-learning. The results showed that motivation to use and Internet self-efficacy were significantly positively associated with behavioral intentions regarding the use of web-based e-learning for in-service training through the factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The factor of computer anxiety had a significantly negative effect on behavioral intentions toward web-based e-learning in-service training through the factor of perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness and motivation to use were the primary reasons for the acceptance by junior high school teachers of web-based e-learning systems for in-service training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An extension of technology acceptance model to determine factors that influence the intention to use electronic collection system in Nigerian federal hospitals

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Kabir, Muhammad Auwal; Saidin, Siti Zabedah; Ahmi, Aidi

2017-10-01

The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that would be used in determining the factors that influence the behavioral intention to use electronic collection system in federal government owned hospitals in Nigeria. The framework is supported by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the underlying theory of the study. Past literature on individual user intention were thoroughly reviewed and found that TAM is fit appropriate in explaining the phenomenon under study. Based on the reviewed literature, it is expected that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will influence the intention of users (employees) to use e-collection system in the performance of their job tasks in Nigerian federal hospitals. In other words, users with higher perception on the system's usefulness and its ease of use are more likely to express their interest and willingness to use the system. In addition, the study has extended TAM with facilitating conditions construct and the research is expected to discover the level of its influence on behavioral intention to use e-collection system.

Acceptance of premarital health counseling in riyadh city, 1417h.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Kahtani, N H

2000-05-01

Health counseling before marriage can be a most worthwhile and satisfying aspect of preventive medicine. It is important in genetic diagnosis and the prevention of hereditary, sexually transmitted and other infectious diseases. To determine the acceptance of the concept of Premarital Health Counseling (PMHC), and to identify some factors, which may efect this acceptance among Saudis who attend Primary Health Care Center in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), 1417H. The present study is a cross-sectional one with a selected sample of Saudis who attended the Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh during the year 1417H. A multistage sampling and equal allocation stratified sampling within was used to select 484 persons comprising an equal number of males and females, married and single above the age of 18 years. A pre-designed pre-tested questionnaire sheet was used to collect the required data, which were then tabulated and statistically analyzed. The study indicated that 364 (75.2%) of the study population accepted the concept of Premarital Health Counseling. PMHC was positively affected by the advancing age, experience of marriage, educational level and well-understood Islamic-health related issues. Out f those who accepted the concept, 273 (75%) agreed on the exchange of PMHC certificates between couples to be married and 152 (42%) agreed on the implementation of legislation on PMHC. Also, 298 (82%) of them wanted PMHC to be confidential and 168 (46%) agreed to the concept despite its cost. As regards the location of PMHC, most of participants who agreed to PMHC would prefer it to be given at governmental establishments. The study recommended the implementation of PMHC in Saudi Arabia, since it was accepted by the study population. However, further studies should be carried out to determine the details to be incorporated in the PMHC, their implementation and legislation on demographic basis of the Saudi community. Also, a community health education program for

Microbially influenced corrosion communities associated with fuel-grade ethanol environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Charles H D; Jain, Luke A; Mishra, Brajendra; Olson, David L; Spear, John R

2015-08-01

Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is a costly problem that impacts hydrocarbon production and processing equipment, water distribution systems, ships, railcars, and other types of metallic infrastructure. In particular, MIC is known to cause considerable damage to hydrocarbon fuel infrastructure including production, transportation, and storage systems, often times with catastrophic environmental contamination results. As the production and use of alternative fuels such as fuel-grade ethanol (FGE) increase, it is important to consider MIC of engineered materials exposed to these "newer fuels" as they enter existing infrastructure. Reports of suspected MIC in systems handling FGE and water prompted an investigation of the microbial diversity associated with these environments. Small subunit ribosomal RNA gene pyrosequencing surveys indicate that acetic-acid-producing bacteria (Acetobacter spp. and Gluconacetobacter spp.) are prevalent in environments exposed to FGE and water. Other microbes previously implicated in corrosion, such as sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens, were also identified. In addition, acetic-acid-producing microbes and sulfate-reducing microbes were cultivated from sampled environments containing FGE and water. Results indicate that complex microbial communities form in these FGE environments and could cause significant MIC-related damage that may be difficult to control. How to better manage these microbial communities will be a defining aspect of improving mitigation of global infrastructure corrosion.

Preliminary waste acceptance requirements - Konrad repository project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennecke, P.W.; Warnecke, E.H.

1991-01-01

In Germany, the planned Konrad repository is proposed for the disposal of all types of radioactive wastes whose thermal influence upon the host rock is negligible. The Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz has established Preliminary Waste Acceptance Requirements (as of April 1990) for this facility. The respective requirements were developed on the basis of the results of site-specific safety assessments. They include general requirements on the waste packages to be disposed of as well as more specific requirements on the waste forms, the packaging and the radionuclide inventory per waste package. In addition, the delivery of waste packages was regulated. An outline of the structure and the elements of the Preliminary Waste Acceptance Requirements of April 1990 is given including comments on their legal status. (Author)

The Lasting Influences of Early Food-Related Variety Experience: A Longitudinal Study of Vegetable Acceptance from 5 Months to 6 Years in Two Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Maier-Nöth, Andrea; Schaal, Benoist; Leathwood, Peter; Issanchou, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Children’s vegetable consumption falls below current recommendations, highlighting the need to identify strategies that can successfully promote better acceptance of vegetables. Recently, experimental studies have reported promising interventions that increase acceptance of vegetables. The first, offering infants a high variety of vegetables at weaning, increased acceptance of new foods, including vegetables. The second, offering an initially disliked vegetable at 8 subsequent meals markedly increased acceptance for that vegetable. So far, these effects have been shown to persist for at least several weeks. We now present follow-up data at 15 months, 3 and 6 years obtained through questionnaire (15 mo, 3y) and experimental (6y) approaches. At 15 months, participants who had been breast-fed were reported as eating and liking more vegetables than those who had been formula-fed. The initially disliked vegetable that became accepted after repeated exposure was still liked and eaten by 79% of the children. At 3 years, the initially disliked vegetable was still liked and eaten by 73% of the children. At 6 years, observations in an experimental setting showed that children who had been breast-fed and children who had experienced high vegetable variety at the start of weaning ate more of new vegetables and liked them more. They were also more willing to taste vegetables than formula-fed children or the no or low variety groups. The initially disliked vegetable was still liked by 57% of children. This follow-up study suggests that experience with chemosensory variety in the context of breastfeeding or at the onset of complementary feeding can influence chemosensory preferences for vegetables into childhood. PMID:26968029

Acceptance of nuclear power: The Fukushima effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegrist, Michael; Visschers, Vivianne H.M.

2013-01-01

Utilizing a longitudinal study design, the impact of the 2011 accident in Fukushima on acceptance of nuclear power and the evaluation of several scenarios with different percentages of nuclear power were examined. Mail surveys were conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The first survey took place before the accident in Fukushima (Autumn 2010), the second survey immediately after the accident (March 2011), and the third survey half a year after the accident (October 2011). A sample of 463 persons participated in all three surveys. The accident had a negative impact on the acceptance of nuclear power. The mean change was moderate, and high correlations between the measurement points were observed. Overall, participants thus showed rather stable attitudes towards nuclear power across the three measurement waves. Results of the present study demonstrate the importance of prior beliefs and attitudes for the interpretation of an accident. The evaluation of the various scenarios was strongly influenced by participants’ pre-Fukushima attitudes towards nuclear power. - Highlights: ► Longitudinal studies are important for risk perception research. ► The accident in Fukushima had only a moderate impact on acceptance. ► Acceptance of nuclear power before and after Fukushima was highly correlated. ► People have stable attitudes towards nuclear power

User acceptance of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS in a Saudi Arabian hospital radiology department

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldosari Bakheet

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Compared with the increasingly widespread use of picture archiving and communication systems (PACSs, knowledge concerning users’ acceptance of such systems is limited. Knowledge of acceptance is needed given the large (and growing financial investment associated with the implementation of PACSs, and because the level of user acceptance influences the degree to which the benefits of the systems for healthcare can be realized. Methods A Technology Acceptance Model (TAM was used to assess the level of acceptance of the host PACS by staff in the radiology department at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire survey of 89 PACS users was employed to obtain data regarding user characteristics, perceived usefulness (PU (6 items, perceived ease of use (PEU (4 items, a change construct (4 items, and a behavior (acceptance construct (9 items. Respondents graded each item in each construct using five-point likert scales. Results Surveyed users reported high levels of PU (4.33/5, PEU (4.15/5, change (4.26/5, and acceptance (3.86/5. The three constructs of PU, PEU, and change explained 41 % of the variation in PACS user acceptance. PU was the most important predictor, explaining 38 % of the variation on its own. The most important single item in the explanatory constructs was that users found PACS to have improved the quality of their work in providing better patient care. Technologists had lower acceptance ratings than did clinicians/radiologists, but no influence on acceptance level was found due to gender, age, or length of experience using the PACS. Although not directly measured, there appeared to be no cultural influence on either the level of acceptance or its determinants. Conclusions User acceptance must be considered when an organization implements a PACS, in order to enhance its successful adoption. Health organizations should adopt a PACS that offers all required functions and which is

Do Mothers Accept Grandmothers' Advice When Disciplining Their Children?

Science.gov (United States)

Passman, Richard H.; Tomlin, Angela M.

Research has not investigated ways in which grandparents indirectly influence grandchildren through interactions with the parents. This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting mothers' willingness to accept suggestions from their own mothers about disciplining their child. The study also examined whether mothers' disciplinary actions…

Examining Acceptance of an Integrated Personal Health Record (PHR)

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Alicia A.

2011-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this project was to examine the practice question, "What are the factors influencing acceptance of integrated PHRs for self-care management among the Howard University Hospital (HUH) Diabetes Treatment Clinic (DTC) patients?" These factors include a) demographic characteristics, b) computer…

Assessing the Determinants of Renewable Electricity Acceptance Integrating Meta-Analysis Regression and a Local Comprehensive Survey

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Simona Bigerna

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In dealing with renewable electricity (RE, individuals are involved both as end-consumers on the demand side and as stakeholders (citizens in the local production process on the supply side. Empirical evidence shows that in many countries, consumers are willing to pay a significant amount to facilitate adoption of RE. By contrast, environmental externalities are often the cause of strong opposition to RE adoption if local communities are involved as stakeholders in wind, solar or biomass investment projects. Looking at the literature on willingness to pay and on willingness to accept, we have investigated RE acceptance mechanisms. First, we have used the meta-analysis to assess the major determinants of RE acceptance on both demand and supply sides. Meta-analysis has provided some insights useful for managing field research on an onshore wind farm enlargement project located in the Umbria region. Meta-analysis and survey results confirm that the local community plays a central role in local RE acceptance. Furthermore, people who have previous experience with windmills require less compensation, or are willing to pay more, for RE development. Results suggest that these attributes should be included in future research to improve understanding of determinants of RE acceptance.

Community perceptions on domestic violence against pregnant women in Nepal: a qualitative study

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Kunta Devi Pun

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Globally, knowledge of health sector options to respond to domestic violence during pregnancy is increasing, but this topic is under-investigated in Nepal. This gap affects the provision of adequate antenatal care services and understanding of factors that influence women’s willingness and ability to use available services. It is critical to know more about the social norms in a community that promote and prevent women experiencing domestic violence from seeking antenatal care. Objective: To explore community perceptions of domestic violence against pregnant women. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Dhulikhel municipality, involving 41 men and 76 women in 12 focus group discussions in different gender and family role separated groups. The interviews were recorded, transcribed in verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. A socio-ecological model was used as a theoretical framework to illustrate linkages between individual, relationship, community, and societal influences on perceptions of domestic violence during pregnancy. Results: The community recognized different forms of violence during pregnancy threatening women’s physical and psychological health and presenting obstacles to seeking antenatal care. Some types of culturally specific violence were considered particularly harmful, such as pressure to give birth to sons, denial of food, and forcing pregnant women to do hard physical work during pregnancy, which may leave daughters-in-law vulnerable to domestic violence in extended families. A culture where violence is normalized and endurance and family reconciliation are promoted above individual health was perceived to cause women to tolerate and accept the situation. Participants suggested actions and strategies to address continuing violence, which indicated a societal transition toward increased awareness and changing attitudes and practices. Conclusions: Domestic violence during pregnancy needs to be

Acceptability of a personally controlled health record in a community-based setting: implications for policy and design.

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Weitzman, Elissa R; Kaci, Liljana; Mandl, Kenneth D

2009-04-29

Consumer-centered health information systems that address problems related to fragmented health records and disengaged and disempowered patients are needed, as are information systems that support public health monitoring and research. Personally controlled health records (PCHRs) represent one response to these needs. PCHRs are a special class of personal health records (PHRs) distinguished by the extent to which users control record access and contents. Recently launched PCHR platforms include Google Health, Microsoft's HealthVault, and the Dossia platform, based on Indivo. To understand the acceptability, early impacts, policy, and design requirements of PCHRs in a community-based setting. Observational and narrative data relating to acceptability, adoption, and use of a personally controlled health record were collected and analyzed within a formative evaluation of a PCHR demonstration. Subjects were affiliates of a managed care organization run by an urban university in the northeastern United States. Data were collected using focus groups, semi-structured individual interviews, and content review of email communications. Subjects included: n = 20 administrators, clinicians, and institutional stakeholders who participated in pre-deployment group or individual interviews; n = 52 community members who participated in usability testing and/or pre-deployment piloting; and n = 250 subjects who participated in the full demonstration of which n = 81 initiated email communications to troubleshoot problems or provide feedback. All data were formatted as narrative text and coded thematically by two independent analysts using a shared rubric of a priori defined major codes. Sub-themes were identified by analysts using an iterative inductive process. Themes were reviewed within and across research activities (ie, focus group, usability testing, email content review) and triangulated to identify patterns. Low levels of familiarity with PCHRs were found as were high

Investigation on the acceptance level of radiation exposure. Comparison of Chinese and Japanese

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jin; Katoh, Kazuaki

1999-01-01

Safety standards must be determined with the contract between a society and the person concerned, i.e. the agreement in a social community. Individual understandings on the (ionizing) radiation should be proper and uniform as far as possible, just in the case. The individual acceptable radiation dose level of a constituent of a community is one of the key roles for radiation managements and also coping with radiofobia (persons who have hatred and/or allergic syndromes for the radiation). The authors have obtained information by means of questionnaires on the acceptable dose levels of the radiation for 2 groups in a community, the one is a medical science group and the other is a science-technology group in both countries, China and Japan. The annual natural radiation dose etc. are described with inquiries to preclude meaningless responses. The levels of the acceptable radiation dose are different in individuals and show wide distributions. The gap between the two acceptable dose levels for a person is narrow, i.e. the one is the minimum radiation dose that a person rejects with dread and the other is the maximum dose that a person does not have any anxiety. The Japanese science-technology group shows the significant higher dose than that of the Chinese science-technology group. The Chinese medical science group shows the significant higher dose than that of the Chinese science-technology group. The Japanese medical science group does not show the statistically significant difference from the Japanese science-technology group. A perception for the radiation exposure and safety is unexpectedly scattered from person to person even though among the high-level intellectual groups mentioned above. There is no difference on this scattering between the Japan and China. (Y. Tanaka)

Advertising value of mobile marketing through acceptance among youth in Karachi

OpenAIRE

Syed Akbar, Suleman; Azam, Rehan; Muhammad, Danish

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key influencing factors towards mobile marketing acceptance among youth in Karachi. It further analyzes the impact of mobile marketing acceptance on its advertising value. To achieve the objective of this study a convenient sample of 247 respondents from University students, Government officials and business organizations in Karachi is taken over a two-week period during the spring of 2012. After validating the instrument, correlation analysis i...

Part-time work and adolescent heavy episodic drinking: the influence of family and community context.

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Breslin, F Curtis; Adlaf, Edward M

2005-11-01

Previous studies on part-time work and alcohol use suggest that teenagers who work longer hours drink more heavily. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether family- and community-level factors moderate the relationship between part-time work hours and heavy episodic drinking. Data were drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of Canadians. The survey included 8,080 respondents 15-19 years of age who reported work hours and frequency of heavy episodic drinking over the past 12 months. These respondents were located in 136 counties or municipalities across Canada. On average, work hours were positively associated with the frequency of heavy drinking by teenagers in the past 12 months. At the community level, the proportion of teenagers in each community drinking any alcohol was independently and positively associated with respondents' frequency of heavy drinking. In terms of moderating effects, we found that the work hours-drinking association was weaker among youth from low socioeconomic status families. Examination of community-level factors indicated that longer work hours were more strongly associated with heavy episodic drinking in communities with high rates of teen alcohol abstinence. Although the cross-sectional data prohibit any firm conclusions on how family and community factors influence the work-alcohol use relationship, these data suggest that interventions to reduce heavy episodic drinking among teens should address the broader environmental as well as the individual determinants.

Behavioral Treatments and Pharmacotherapy: Acceptability Ratings by Elderly Individuals in Residential Settings.

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Burgio, Louis D.; Sinnott, Jan

1990-01-01

Presented residents of life care community and nursing homes with scenarios of older woman. Client varied by cognitive capacity and behavior problem (aggression, verbal abuse, noncompliance). Participants rated three treatments: differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI), time-out, and haloperidol. All treatments were acceptable;…

Box-ticking and Olympic high jumping - Physicians' perceptions and acceptance of national physician validation systems.

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Sehlbach, Carolin; Govaerts, Marjan J B; Mitchell, Sharon; Rohde, Gernot G U; Smeenk, Frank W J M; Driessen, Erik W

2018-05-24

National physician validation systems aim to ensure lifelong learning through periodic appraisals of physicians' competence. Their effectiveness is determined by physicians' acceptance of and commitment to the system. This study, therefore, sought to explore physicians' perceptions and self-reported acceptance of validation across three different physician validation systems in Europe. Using a constructivist grounded-theory approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 32 respiratory specialists from three countries with markedly different validation systems: Germany, which has a mandatory, credit-based system oriented to continuing professional development; Denmark, with mandatory annual dialogs and ensuing, non-compulsory activities; and the UK, with a mandatory, portfolio-based revalidation system. We analyzed interview data with a view to identifying factors influencing physicians' perceptions and acceptance. Factors that influenced acceptance were the assessment's authenticity and alignment of its requirements with clinical practice, physicians' beliefs about learning, perceived autonomy, and organizational support. Users' acceptance levels determine any system's effectiveness. To support lifelong learning effectively, national physician validation systems must be carefully designed and integrated into daily practice. Involving physicians in their design may render systems more authentic and improve alignment between individual ambitions and the systems' goals, thereby promoting acceptance.

An Investigation of Employees' Use of E-Learning Systems: Applying the Technology Acceptance Model

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Lee, Yi-Hsuan; Hsieh, Yi-Chuan; Chen, Yen-Hsun

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to apply the technology acceptance model to examine the employees' attitudes and acceptance of electronic learning (e-learning) systems in organisations. This study examines four factors (organisational support, computer self-efficacy, prior experience and task equivocality) that are believed to influence employees'…

Influence of intramuscular fat content on the quality of pig meat - 2. Consumer acceptability of m. longissimus lumborum.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, X; Monin, G; Talmant, A; Mourot, J; Lebret, B

1999-09-01

The present study is part of a project which aimed to examine the influence of intramuscular fat (IMF) content on sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of pork. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate consumer acceptability of pork chops with varying IMF level in muscle Longissimus lumborum (LL). Each experiment used 32 castrated male pigs selected after slaughter either from 125 Duroc × Landrace (Experiment 1) or 102 Tia Meslan × Landrace (Experiment 2) crossbred animals, and showing large variability in LL IMF content: from 3.5% in Experiment 1 and from 1.25 to 3.25% in Experiment 2. A group of 56 consumers evaluated various items on rib-eye (LL muscle trimmed of backfat) (Experiment 1) and on entire chops trimmed of backfat (Experiment 2). Data from Experiment 1 indicate that an increase in IMF level is associated with an increase in visual perception of fat and a corresponding decrease in the willingness to eat and purchase the meat, when expressed before tasting. The latter effect disappeared after the consumers had tasted the meat, probably due to a positive effect of increase IMF, up to 3.5%, on the perception of texture and taste. In Experiment 2, where entire chops were evaluated, the perception of visible fat was not affected by IMF level, probably due to the lack of variation in the level of intermuscular fat between the four IMF groups. The willingness to eat and purchase the meat were unaffected by IMF level, whereas the perception of texture and taste was enhanced with increased IMF levels up to 3.25%. The present data suggest that the acceptability of pork may be improved by increasing IMF level but: (1) this effect disappeared for IMF levels higher than 3.5%, which are associated with a high risk of meat rejection due to visible fat and (2) the positive effect of increased IMF probably holds true as long as it is not associated with an increase in the level of intermuscular fat.

Acceptance of enterprise resource planning systems by small manufacturing enterprises

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Adam, R

2011-06-01

Full Text Available systems by small enterprises. This paper addresses this gap by considering the strategic, business, technical and human factors that influence the acceptance of ERP systems in small manufacturing enterprises in South Africa. The consultative list...

Collation of Scientific Evidence on Consumer Acceptance of New Food Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, A. R. H; van Trijp, H. C. M.; Hofenk,, D.

The current report investigates consumer acceptance of new food technologies by reviewing the scientific literature. The review is organised along three routes to consumer acceptance of new technologies: The consumer benefit road: the central road of technology features influencing experienced...... be made how the different roads contribute to consumer acceptance or rejection of a novel food technology dependent on technology characteristics. A checklist for the introduction of novel food technologies taking account of all the roads and the technology is presented at the end of this report.......; and Novel packaging and storage technologies is reviewed along these roads. The results show that research remains fragmented in approach and usually adopts the point of view of a single road to consumer acceptance of a novel technology. Nevertheless by combining the available evidence recommendation can...

An assessment of open source promotion in addressing ICT acceptance challenges in Tanzania

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kinyondo, J

2012-05-01

Full Text Available challenges. This study is an assessment of such OS promotion efforts in addressing ICT acceptance challenges in Tanzania specifically. The research design includes case studies done on four OS communities using document analysis, a questionnaire, interviews...

The potential influence of short-term environmental variability on the composition of testate amoeba communities in Sphagnum peatlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Maura E; Booth, Robert K

2011-07-01

Testate amoebae are a group of moisture-sensitive, shell-producing protozoa that have been widely used as indicators of changes in mean water-table depth within oligotrophic peatlands. However, short-term environmental variability (i.e., sub-annual) also probably influences community composition. The objective of this study was to assess the potential influence of short-term environmental variability on the composition of testate amoeba communities in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands. Testate amoebae and environmental conditions, including hourly measurements of relative humidity within the upper centimeter of the peatland surface, were examined throughout the 2008 growing season at 72 microsites within 11 peatlands of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, USA. Relationships among testate amoeba communities, vegetation, depth to water table, pH, and an index of short-term environmental variability (EVI), were examined using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and correlation analysis. Results suggest that EVI influences testate amoeba communities, with some taxa more abundant under highly variable conditions (e.g., Arcella discoides, Difflugia pulex, and Hyalosphenia subflava) and others more abundant when environmental conditions at the peatland surface were relatively stable (e.g., Archerella flavum and Bullinularia indica). The magnitude of environmental variability experienced at the peatland surface appears to be primarily controlled by vegetation composition and density. In particular, sites with dense Sphagnum cover had lower EVI values than sites with loose-growing Sphagnum or vegetation dominated by vascular plants and/or non-Sphagnum bryophytes. Our results suggest that more environmental information may be inferred from testate amoebae than previously recognized. Knowledge of relationships between testate amoebae and short-term environmental variability should lead to more detailed and refined environmental inferences.

Acceptability and perception of Kisumu city college students on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: This study was designed to determine factors influencing acceptability and perception of college students on induced abortion and its legalization. Method: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey where both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used. The survey was carried out in ...