Nuclear energy sustainable development and public awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murty, G.S.

2001-01-01

This paper provides the latest information about the importance of energy needs and its growth in the years to come, the role of the nuclear energy and the need for public awareness and acceptability of the programs to achieve sustainable development

Promoting public awareness of randomised clinical trials using the media: the ‘Get Randomised’ campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Mackenzie, Isla S; Wei, Li; Rutherford, Daniel; Findlay, Evelyn A; Saywood, Wendy; Campbell, Marion K; MacDonald, Thomas M

2010-01-01

AIM To increase public awareness and understanding of clinical research in Scotland. METHODS A generic media campaign to raise public awareness of clinical research was launched in 2008. The ‘Get Randomised’ campaign was a Scotland-wide initiative led by the University of Dundee in collaboration with other Scottish universities. Television, radio and newspaper advertising showed leading clinical researchers, general practitioners and patients informing the public about the importance of randomised clinical trials (RCTs). ‘Get Randomised’ was the central message and interested individuals were directed to the http://www.getrandomised.org website for more information. To assess the impact of the campaign, cross-sectional surveys were conducted in representative samples of 1040 adults in Scotland prior to campaign launch and again 6 months later. RESULTS There was an improvement in public awareness of clinical trials following the campaign; 56.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 51.8, 61.6] of the sample recalled seeing or hearing advertising about RCTs following the campaign compared with 14.8% (10.8, 18.9) prior to the campaign launch (difference = 41.4%; 95% CI for difference 35.6, 48.3; P advertising, 49% felt that the main message was that people should take part more in medical research. However, on whether they would personally take part in a clinical trial if asked, there was little difference in response following the campaign [‘yes’ 31.3% (28.4, 34.1) prior; 30.4% (27.6, 33.2) following; difference =−0.9%; 95% CI for difference −4.8, 3.1%; P= 0.92]. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to raise public awareness of clinical research using the media, but further efforts may be required to influence individuals' decisions to take part in clinical research. PMID:20233175

Extending knowledge of the public awareness of aphasia in the Balkans: Serbia and Montenegro.

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Vuković, Mile; Matić, Dušanka; Kovač, Ana; Vuković, Irena; Code, Chris

2017-11-01

Public awareness of aphasia has been surveyed in a number of countries revealing that it is universally low. We report results of surveys in the Balkan countries Serbia and Montenegro and compare results with data from Croatia and Slovenia. Convenience surveys of the general public were conducted in public places like shopping centers/malls and parks in Serbia (N = 400) and Montenegro (N = 500) using an adapted version of the public awareness of aphasia survey questionnaire. Respondents were asked whether they have heard of aphasia and tested with questions about aphasia. Information on gender, age, occupation and education was recorded. Twelve percent (Serbia) and 11% (Montenegro) had heard of aphasia, but just 4% (Serbia) and 3.2% (Montenegro) had a basic knowledge of aphasia. Age, gender and occupation interacted variably with awareness. Between 16% (Slovenia) and 60% (Croatia) said they had heard of aphasia (10.5% overall mean for the four countries) and basic knowledge of aphasia across the four countries ranged between 3.2 and 7%. Levels of awareness of aphasia in the Balkans are low and variably associated with age, gender, socio-economic and educational levels. Respondents with some knowledge of aphasia gained it through personal or professional interaction with aphasia or the media. The data provide a basis for awareness raising in Balkan countries to reduce stigmatization, improve community access and understanding. Implications for rehabilitation Awareness of aphasia is low universally, even among healthcare workers. Low public awareness of a condition, like aphasia, results in under-funded research and service provision. In order to raise public awareness of aphasia we need to know how many members of the general public know about it. Improvements in public awareness could positively affect funding, the quality of services, and the public understanding and acceptance of individuals with aphasia in the community. Improving awareness of aphasia in

Promoting Space Education and Awareness in Pakistan- Initiatives, Achievements, Challenges and Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Jagirani, Aisha

With about 180 million inhabitants, Pakistan is the sixth most populous and the 34th largest country in the world in terms of area. Pakistan's economy, which is pre-dominantly based on agriculture, is the 26th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and 45th largest in terms of nominal GDP. Pakistan is counted among the Next Eleven (N11) countries that have the potential to become the world's largest economies in the 21st century. Despite considerable potential to develop into a stable, moderate and democratic state, major challenges of internal security, poor agricultural productivity, inadequate infrastructure, food insecurity, insufficient health and educational facilities, depletion of natural resources, rapid environmental degradation and recurring natural disasters have burdened the country and have hampered sustainable development of Pakistan. Space technology applications offer a cost-effective means of addressing many of the above mentioned issues and have made impressive advances in the last few years in different countries in the region. Unfortunately, for various reasons, Pakistan has not been able to fully exploit the benefits of space technology and its applications to meet the challenges she faces. One of the reasons is lack of awareness and understanding by planners, decision-makers and users about the potential benefits of space technology in planning and implementation of developmental plans as well as good governance. Similarly, Pakistan's space program enjoys little public support due, primarily, to lack of awareness of the benefits space offers and the ubiquitousness of space applications in modern life. There is thus an acute need to create awareness and educate all segments of the society and stakeholders in Pakistan about the potential benefits of space technology and its applications. In the past ten years, many initiatives have been taken to promote space education and awareness for students as well as decision-makers in

An educational initiative to improve medical student awareness about brain death.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Ariane; Howard, Jonathan; Watsula-Morley, Amanda; Gillespie, Colleen

2018-04-01

Medical student knowledge about brain death determination is limited. We describe an educational initiative to improve medical student awareness about brain death and assess the impact of this initiative. Beginning in July 2016, students at our medical school were required to attend a 90-min brain death didactic and simulation session during their neurology clerkship. Students completed a test immediately before and after participating in the initiative. Of the 145 students who participated in this educational initiative between July 2016 and June 2017, 124 (86%) consented to have their data used for research purposes as part of a medical education registry. Students correctly answered a median of 53% of questions (IQR 47-58%) on the pretest and 86% of questions (IQR 78-89%) on the posttest (p initiative (18% of students were comfortable performing a brain death evaluation before the initiative and 86% were comfortable doing so after the initiative, p initiative and 76% were comfortable doing so after the initiative, p initiative, but awareness and comfort dealing with brain death improved significantly after this initiative. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public awareness of income-related health inequalities in Ontario, Canada

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Shankardass Ketan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Continued action is needed to tackle health inequalities in Canada, as those of lower income continue to be at higher risk for a range of negative health outcomes. There is arguably a lack of political will to implement policy change in this respect. As a result, we investigated public awareness of income-related health inequalities in a generally representative sample of Ontarians in late 2010. Methods Data were collected from 2,006 Ontario adults using a telephone survey. The survey asked participants to agree or disagree with various statements asserting that there are or are not health inequalities in general and by income in Ontario, including questions pertaining to nine specific conditions for which inequalities have been described in Ontario. A multi-stage process using binary logistic regression determined whether awareness of health inequalities differed between participant subgroups. Results Almost 73% of this sample of Ontarians agreed with the general premise that not all people are equally healthy in Ontario, but fewer participants were aware of health inequalities between the rich and the poor (53%–64%, depending on the framing of the question. Awareness of income-related inequalities in specific outcomes was considerably lower, ranging from 18% for accidents to 35% for obesity. Conclusions This is the first province-wide study in Canada, and the first in Ontario, to explore public awareness on health inequalities. Given that political will is shaped by public awareness and opinion, these results suggest that greater awareness may be required to move the health equity agenda forward in Ontario. There is a need for health equity advocates, physicians and researchers to increase the effectiveness of knowledge translation activities for studies that identify and explore health inequalities.

Using Awareness Training to Decrease Nervous Habits during Public Speaking

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Spieler, Claire; Miltenberger, Raymond

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of awareness training for the reduction of three nervous habits that manifest during public speaking: filled pauses, tongue clicks, and inappropriate use of the word "like." Four university students delivered short speeches during baseline and assessment sessions. Awareness training resulted in…

Effective mechanisms for environmental awareness enhancement of the Thai public company

Science.gov (United States)

Tilokwan, P.; Limjirakan, S.

2018-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore effective mechanisms towards environmental awareness enhancement of the Thai public company. The environmental awareness has been strongly mentioned in the international agenda such as Agenda 21 to achieve sustainable development and be implemented at the global communities in all sectors. Thailand’s environmental awareness has been set up as the national policy and continuously promoted in the business sectors. The selected study area is one of Thai industrial public companies mainly utilizing natural resources for its business. Data collection was conducted by using questionnaires with a stratified sampling method comprising of 28 managerial and 134 operational levels. Descriptive statistics were be used for data analysis presented in terms of percentage. The study found that the effective mechanisms towards environmental awareness enhancement include employees’ participation in environmental friendly field trip, environmental knowledge provided by the company, supply chain involvement, law enforcement, and international environmental standard applied by the company. This study would recommend that public participation should be involved in order to make the mechanisms effectively.

Public awareness and perception of clinical trials: Quantitative study in Pune

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veena D Joshi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Studies have reported that clinical research has experienced tremendous growth during past few decades with many multinational pharmaceutical companies recruiting millions of Indians in clinical trials (CTs. However, there is hardly any literature that talks about the participants, their knowledge, and awareness of CTs. It is important that the general public is aware about CTs so that they can take their own informed decision to participate in CTs. Aim: To assess public awareness, perceptions, and attitudes toward CTs and their views on various methods to create awareness about CTs. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional survey was conducted with 200 non trial participants (NTPs and 40 trial participants (TPs. Results: TPs were significantly (P < 0.0001 older than NTPs. More than 80% of both TPs and NTPs mentioned participation in CT helps advance medical science and strongly felt that there is a need to create awareness about CTs. Nearly 70% of TPs could not remember the phase of the trial while 20% did not know which type of trial they had participated . The main reason for participation in the trial was physician′s advice. About 80% of both TPs and NTPs felt that participation in CT will increase with free medications and advice from friends/relatives who had good experience with trial. Conclusion: Results of this pilot study revealed need to create CT awareness among the general public. However, considering ethno-cultural, regional, and literacy-level differences throughout the country, a nationwide study would be appropriate to provide reliable results about awareness of CTs among Indians.

Public awareness and the professional society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, M.J.

1977-01-01

As the American Nuclear Society (ANS) supports scientific and engineering disciplines with a responsibility to communicate with the public they serve, it has been and will continue to be involved in public awareness and public acceptance. Their efforts address two distinct audiences. This was not immediately apparent but time and experience have clarified the two publics concerned. The first of these is the significant audience, an unpolarized, undecided, confused and overwhelmed group which, in the USA, represents 80-90% of the population. This group has been bombarded by technological developments that have evolved at a rate exceeding the educational process and leaving the majority without the tools for understnading. Only the technologists can fill this void. The second public is a very polarized, anti-technology group, that has adopted an anti-nuclear character as one of its costumes. It is a vocal group of limited size, adamantly devoted to its cause. It has attracted the attention of the media and so appears larger than it is. Being strongly polarized, this group cannot be converted but it can be neutralised. It does not seek facts but wants to cultivate a public reaction; here the equally polarized pro-nuclear group must expend its effort. The ANS programmes are responding to these two publics. For the larger public, ANS tries to satisfy their need for information with publications that build on their inherent knowledge and provide information, perspective and assurance in understandable terms and examples. ANS has also organized its members to interface with the public. This interface is very important and the public welcomes it although the professionals have not yet recognized that it is essential. The major single measureable experience of ANS was in California where with Proposition 15 a legal attempt was made to limit nuclear power development. Similar efforts continue elsewhere in the USA but their effects have not been measured. The California

Public Libraries Participation In Hiv/Aids Awareness Campaign In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper examines public libraries involvement in HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in South West Nigeria. These include the materials and services available on HIV/AIDS and challenges to their participation in the war against the epidemic. The study revealed that public libraries in South West Nigeria are not participating ...

34 CFR 303.164 - Public awareness program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Public awareness program. 303.164 Section 303.164 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES State Application for a...

Western public awareness of the Ukrainian famine in the early 1930s

OpenAIRE

Edvīns Šnore

2013-01-01

Doctoral thesis: Western public awareness of the Ukrainian famine in the early 1930s Doctoral thesis “Western public awareness of the Ukrainian famine in the early 1930s” analyses the reaction of the West to the Ukrainian famine in 1932/33. The thesis chronologically reviews 1932/33 Western press publications about the Ukrainian famine, analyses their content and factors, which influenced it such as the work of Western correspondents in Moscow, their motivations, Soviet censors...

Public views on a wait time management initiative: a matter of communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Rebecca A; Laupacis, Andreas; Levinson, Wendy; Martin, Douglas K

2010-08-05

Many countries have tried to reduce waiting times for health care through formal wait time reduction strategies. Our paper describes views of members of the public about a wait time management initiative--the Ontario Wait Time Strategy (OWTS) (Canada). Scholars and governmental reports have advocated for increased public involvement in wait time management. We provide empirically derived recommendations for public engagement in a wait time management initiative. Two qualitative studies: 1) an analysis of all emails sent by the public to the (OWTS) email address; and 2) in-depth interviews with members of the Ontario public. Email correspondents and interview participants supported the intent of the OWTS. However they wanted more information about the Strategy and its actions. Interview participants did not feel they were sufficiently made aware of the Strategy and email correspondents requested additional information beyond what was offered on the Strategy's website. Moreover, the email correspondents believed that some of the information that was provided on the Strategy's website and through the media was inaccurate, misleading, and even dishonest. Interview participants strongly supported public involvement in the OWTS priority setting. Findings suggest the public wanted increased communication from and with the OWTS. Effective communication can facilitate successful public engagement, and in turn fair and legitimate priority setting. Based on the study's findings we developed concrete recommendations for improving public involvement in wait time management.

How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies

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Lingyi Zhou

2017-09-01

Full Text Available 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 policy-related factors—might influence public acceptance of the policy. In this paper, we found both a direct and moderating causal relationship between smog awareness and public acceptance. Based on a sample of 574 valid questionnaires in Beijing and Shanghai in 2016, an ordered logistic regression modeling approach was used to delineate the causality between smog awareness and public acceptance. We found that both smog concerns, such as perceived smog risk, and willingness to pay (WTP were both directly and indirectly positively correlated with public acceptance. These findings imply that policymakers should increase policy fairness with environmental-oriented policy design and should express potential policy effectiveness of the smog controlling policy to citizens to increase their acceptance level.

Factors that influence public awareness of domestic waste characteristics and management in rural areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Zhiyong; Duan, Qingqing; Fei, Yongqiang; Zeng, Dan; Shi, Guozhong; Li, Haimei; Hu, Meilun

2018-05-01

Public awareness of domestic waste characteristics and management (PADWCM) is a prerequisite for a domestic waste management (DWM) plan. In this study, we considered China as a typical example of developing countries to investigate the public perception of environmental pollution (PEP), its PADWCM, and its socioeconomic factors, using questionnaires and statistical methods. The results indicated that the public PEP was mainly due to obvious environmental contamination in local villages, and the PADWCM is still inadequate in rural areas. However, 83.9% of the respondents agreed that DWM is highly necessary. The PADWCM, including the hazard, recyclability, and characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste, was learned mainly from people's direct PEP, experiences, and repurchasing by recyclers. Education period had highly significant positive correlations and regressions with PEP and PADWCM, respectively. Additionally, education directly affected public awareness in different income and age groups. Demonstration projects had a significant positive effect on the awareness of characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste, which was readily perceived. Propaganda had a significant positive influence on the awareness of treatment necessity. Age and gender had no obvious effects on public PEP and PADWCM. Some aspects of PADWCM requiring a deep understanding became stronger as income increased; however, the PADWCM located close to poor people became weaker. Some aspects of PEP could significantly influence the awareness of characteristic pollution caused by domestic waste and awareness of treatment necessity. Therefore, improving environmental education, performing demonstration projects and effective environmental propaganda, increasing people's income, and attracting young people to participate in DWM will be important for enhancing environmental awareness and DWM in rural areas. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:395-406. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

Public views on a wait time management initiative: a matter of communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laupacis Andreas

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many countries have tried to reduce waiting times for health care through formal wait time reduction strategies. Our paper describes views of members of the public about a wait time management initiative - the Ontario Wait Time Strategy (OWTS (Canada. Scholars and governmental reports have advocated for increased public involvement in wait time management. We provide empirically derived recommendations for public engagement in a wait time management initiative. Methods Two qualitative studies: 1 an analysis of all emails sent by the public to the (OWTS email address; and 2 in-depth interviews with members of the Ontario public. Results Email correspondents and interview participants supported the intent of the OWTS. However they wanted more information about the Strategy and its actions. Interview participants did not feel they were sufficiently made aware of the Strategy and email correspondents requested additional information beyond what was offered on the Strategy's website. Moreover, the email correspondents believed that some of the information that was provided on the Strategy's website and through the media was inaccurate, misleading, and even dishonest. Interview participants strongly supported public involvement in the OWTS priority setting. Conclusions Findings suggest the public wanted increased communication from and with the OWTS. Effective communication can facilitate successful public engagement, and in turn fair and legitimate priority setting. Based on the study's findings we developed concrete recommendations for improving public involvement in wait time management.

The effect of public awareness campaigns on suicides: evidence from Nagoya, Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsubayashi, Tetsuya; Ueda, Michiko; Sawada, Yasuyuki

2014-01-01

Public awareness campaigns about depression and suicide have been viewed as highly effective strategies in preventing suicide, yet their effectiveness has not been established in previous studies. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a public-awareness campaign by comparing suicide counts before and after a city-wide campaign in Nagoya, Japan, where the city government distributed promotional materials that were aimed to stimulate public awareness of depression and promote care-seeking behavior during the period of 2010-2012. In each of the sixteen wards of the city of Nagoya, we count the number of times that the promotional materials were distributed per month and then examine the association between the suicide counts and the frequency of distributions in the months following such distributions. We run a Poisson regression model that controls for the effects of ward-specific observed and unobserved heterogeneities and temporal shocks. Our analysis indicates that more frequent distribution of the campaign material is associated with a decrease in the number of suicides in the subsequent months. The campaign was estimated to have been especially effective for the male residents of the city. The underlying mechanism of how the campaign reduced suicides remains to be unclear. Public awareness campaigns can be an effective strategy in preventing suicide. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laughter and collective awareness: The cinema auditorium as public space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hanich, Julian

2014-01-01

This article looks at how the collective experience of laughter in the movie theater is related to the idea of the cinema as a public space. Through the non-verbal expression of laughter the audience ‘constructs’ a public space the viewers may not have been aware of to the same degree prior to the

Public awareness of human papillomavirus as a causative factor for oropharyngeal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Michael U; Carr, Michele M; Goldenberg, David

2015-06-01

To assess the public's awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a causative factor for oropharyngeal cancer. Twenty-three-item survey. Local shopping malls and Maxwell Air Force Base in 2012. Respondents were randomly chosen to participate in 23-item survey at various local shopping malls and at Maxwell Air Force Base in 2012. The χ(2) test was used in statistical analysis. The majority of respondents (n = 319) were civilians; 158 were military officer trainees (MOTs). All MOTs had a bachelor's degree or higher, while 37% of civilian respondents had a bachelor's degree or higher. Most MOTs (82%) were aware of oropharyngeal cancer, and 53% of civilians had not heard of oropharyngeal cancer (P aware of the association between HPV and cervical cancer. Conversely, 75% of civilian population and 49% of MOTs were not aware of the association between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer (P aware that HPV is a causative agent of cervical cancer. However, the majority were not aware of the association between oropharyngeal cancer and HPV. Furthermore, many respondents were not aware that HPV equally affects males and females and that the vaccine is available for both sexes. This underscores the need to educate the public on the availability of HPV vaccine and the association between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Public awareness regarding children vaccination in Jordan

OpenAIRE

Masadeh, Majed M; Alzoubi, Karem H; Al-Azzam, Sayer I; Al-Agedi, Hassan S; Abu Rashid, Baraa E; Mukattash, Tariq L

2014-01-01

Immunization can contribute to a dramatic reduction in number of vaccine-preventable diseases among children. The aim of this study is to investigate mothers? awareness about child vaccines and vaccination in Jordan. This study was a community-based, cross-sectional study that was performed at public places in Irbid City. Data was collected from 506 mothers. After verbal approval, mothers were interviewed to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward vaccination. Results show that...

Knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among undergraduate students of public universities in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyei, Samuel; Tettey, Bernard; Asiedu, Kofi; Awuah, Agnes

2016-10-28

Ocular allergy is a growing public health problem that greatly impacts the day-to-day life of sufferers and their families. Other aspects of their activities of daily living such as schooling, professional, and social life are affected hence an increased awareness and knowledge of ocular allergies, their detection and treatment is paramount. This study was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among undergraduate students of public universities in Ghana. A descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted among 1000 students from three selected public universities in Ghana. Each respondent completed a questionnaire that had questions concerning awareness and knowledge of ocular allergy. Out of the 1000 students, 347 (34.7 %) were aware of ocular allergy. Of these 347 students, the level of knowledge of ocular allergy was generally low. Majority of the students had their source of information about ocular allergy from the media and the internet. There was statistical significant association among awareness of ocular allergy, sources of information and programme of study (p students is generally low. Students' programmes of study influenced their knowledge of ocular allergy. Public health measures are recommended to help educate students on the prevention and control of ocular allergy as well as the complications associated with this condition.

Public awareness hypertension: findings of a kidney day

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, R.M.A.; Saeed, T.; Awan, S.R.; Ahmad, M.

2008-01-01

To determine the frequency of hypertension, its associated life style factors and to explore the level of awareness about hypertension among adult populace attending the kidney day and to formulate the strategies to improve the awareness. A total of one hundred participants were interviewed. The structured questionnaire was filled at the spot to obtain socio demographic information after taking verbal informed consent. Height, weight, pulse, blood pressure were recorded. A total of one hundred participants were interviewed. Overall frequency of hypertension in the study population was twenty five percent (25%). The prevalence of hypertension increased with increasing age and body mass index. Only thirty five percent (35%) could define hypertension and this awareness was significantly associated with educational level. Lack of physical activity, card playing and televisionization was observed in sixty percent of participants while thirty three percent were overweight. Fifty nine percent were using additional salt while seventy percent were having meals and snacks outside. High frequency of hypertension, obesity, lack of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and faulty dietary habits was observed in the study population. Emphasis on health education and use of electronic and print media is recommended to improve the public awareness about the risk factors and consequences of hypertension like stroke, heart attack, kidney failure etc. (author)

Factors predicting health practitioners' awareness of UNHS program in Malaysian non-public hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Abdussalaam Iyanda; Abdul Majid, Abdul Halim; Zakaria, Mohd Normani; Abdullah, Nor Azimah Chew; Hamzah, Sulaiman; Mukari, Siti Zamratol-Mai Sarah

2018-06-01

The current study aims to examine the effects of human resource (measured with the perception of health workers' perception towards UNHS), screening equipment, program layout and screening techniques on healthcare practitioners' awareness (measured with knowledge) of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) in Malaysian non-public hospitals. Via cross sectional approach, the current study collected data using a validated questionnaire to obtain information on the awareness of UNHS program among the health practitioners and to test the formulated hypotheses. 51, representing 81% response rate, out of 63 questionnaires distributed to the health professionals were returned and usable for statistical analysis. The survey instruments involving healthcare practitioners' awareness, human resource, program layout, screening instrument, and screening techniques instruments were adapted and scaled with 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (little) to 7 (many). Partial Least Squares (PLS) algorithm and bootstrapping techniques were employed to test the hypotheses of the study. With the result involving beta values, t-values and p-values (i.e. β=0.478, t=1.904, phealth practitioners. Likewise, program layout, human resource, screening technique and screening instrument explain 71% variance in health practitioners' awareness. Health practitioners' awareness is explained by program layout, human resource, and screening instrument with effect size (f2) of 0.065, 0.621, and 0.211 respectively, indicating that program layout, human resource, and screening instrument have small, large and medium effect size on health practitioners' awareness respectively. However, screening technique has zero effect on health practitioners' awareness, indicating the reason why T-statistics is not significant. Having started the UNHS program in 2003, non-public hospitals have more experienced and well-trained employees dealing with the screening tools and instrument, and the program layout is well

Public Attitudes to and Awareness of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Oei, Tian P. S.; And Others

1986-01-01

Assessed public attitude toward, and awareness of possible problems and risks associated with, the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Results indicated a high awareness of the problem, knowledge of the specific effects to the offspring, and of quantities and frequency of consumption of alcohol which would have teratogenic effects were…

Upaya Peningkatkan Brand Awareness PT. Go-Jek Indonesia Melalui Aktivitas Marketing Public Relations

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Umaimah Wahid

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Online transportation is nowadays popular in Indonesia and becomes a new alternative for people due to its efficiency and effectivity. One of the most famous online transportations is PT.Go-Jek Indonesia. People prefer to choose it to anticipate traffic jam in Jakarta and the surroundings. Besides PT. Go-Jek, there are some similar transportations such as PT.GRAB, UBER, and so on. This condition caused the competition among the online transportations resulting in the necessity to create a strong brand around the people. In accordance to that matter, the role of public relation is quite significant to increase Brand awareness in society. This research focus on the role of public relations to increase the brand awareness of PT Go-Jek using the theory of mixed public relation strategy by Thomas L. Harris that is famous of his concept, ‘P.E.N.C.I.L.S’. The method of this research is case study by interview completed by data as data collection technique. The activity of public relations involves the 7 strategies of public relation to increase brand awareness. The activities were for example publication, holding interesting events, establishing good relationship with society, cooperating with other companies, creating a positive image, providing services and new features for the society. Those are meant to show that PT. GO-JEK gives the best service for customers and society to strengthen the brand awareness of PT. Go-Jek. Those efforts of PT Go-Jek resulted in increasing the brand awareness so that society chooses that online transportation as an alternative of nowadays internet-based transformation. Transportasi online saat ini marak di Indonesia dan menjadi alternatif baru bagi masyarakat karena efisien dan efektif. Salah satu transportasi online yang fenomena adalah PT. Go-Jek Indonesia yang menjadi pilihan masyarakat dalam mengantisipasi kemacetan Jakarta dan sekitarnya. Selain PT. Go-Jek, terdapat beberapa transportasi sejenis lannya yang

The private initiative in public infrastructure and public utilities concessions

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Juan Carlos Expósito Vélez

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Given the renewed and growing importance of the initiative of the private sector in developing public infrastructure and public utilities, especially as a consequence of the incentives created by the law, this study intends to address the various aspects of the new legal framework for the formation of concession contracts as a result of a particular initiative or idea and not as a product of the needs defined by the Administration, with a particular emphasis on the requirements for the formation of public works concessions, but without forgetting how the mechanism of private initiative applies to public utilities when they require a concession contract to be provided.

Newsletter published by Malaysian Nuclear Agency, medium conducive injection of public awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norzehan Ngadiron

2008-01-01

This article discusses the role of the pamphlet issued by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency in promoting public awareness about the use of nuclear technology in the country. In line with the vision of the government to introduce and promote the use of nuclear science and technology in national development, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency has published various brochures in an effort to promote community awareness. In fact, published pamphlets also are symbolic of the important role of the Agency in delivering accurate information to people about nuclear technology. It indirectly nurtures the society to look at nuclear technology to a more positive direction. Brochures are not only targeted towards professionals but it is also distributed to schoolchildren, the public and students of higher education institutions, regardless of race. In conclusion, publish and distribute pamphlets to the community represents the general form of undivided Malaysia Nuclear Agency in the mission to create awareness among Malaysian of nuclear technology and the role of the agency itself. Any information will help readers increase awareness and enhance knowledge related to nuclear science and technology.

Laughter and collective awareness: The cinema auditorium as public space

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Julian Hanich

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article looks at how the collective experience of laughter in the movie theater is related to the idea of the cinema as a public space. Through the nonverbal expression of laughter the audience ‘constructs’ a public space the viewers may not have been aware of to the same degree prior to the collective public expression. Moreover, the public space created through laughter allows for an expedient type of monitoring: inappropriate laughter may be exposed in front of others. With viewers who laugh approvingly about racist violence or misogynist jokes, we can easily lay bare the ethical implications.

Youth's Awareness of and Reactions to The Real Cost National Tobacco Public Education Campaign.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer C Duke

Full Text Available In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA launched its first tobacco-focused public education campaign, The Real Cost, aimed at reducing tobacco use among 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States. This study describes The Real Cost message strategy, implementation, and initial evaluation findings. The campaign was designed to encourage youth who had never smoked but are susceptible to trying cigarettes (susceptible nonsmokers and youth who have previously experimented with smoking (experimenters to reassess what they know about the "costs" of tobacco use to their body and mind. The Real Cost aired on national television, online, radio, and other media channels, resulting in high awareness levels. Overall, 89.0% of U.S. youth were aware of at least one advertisement 6 to 8 months after campaign launch, and high levels of awareness were attained within the campaign's two targeted audiences: susceptible nonsmokers (90.5% and experimenters (94.6%. Most youth consider The Real Cost advertising to be effective, based on assessments of ad perceived effectiveness (mean = 4.0 on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0. High levels of awareness and positive ad reactions are requisite proximal indicators of health behavioral change. Additional research is being conducted to assess whether potential shifts in population-level cognitions and/or behaviors are attributable to this campaign. Current findings demonstrate that The Real Cost has attained high levels of ad awareness which is a critical first step in achieving positive changes in tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors. These data can also be used to inform ongoing message and media strategies for The Real Cost and other U.S. youth tobacco prevention campaigns.

Youth's Awareness of and Reactions to The Real Cost National Tobacco Public Education Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Jennifer C.; Alexander, Tesfa N.; Zhao, Xiaoquan; Delahanty, Janine C.; Allen, Jane A.; MacMonegle, Anna J.; Farrelly, Matthew C.

2015-01-01

In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched its first tobacco-focused public education campaign, The Real Cost, aimed at reducing tobacco use among 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States. This study describes The Real Cost message strategy, implementation, and initial evaluation findings. The campaign was designed to encourage youth who had never smoked but are susceptible to trying cigarettes (susceptible nonsmokers) and youth who have previously experimented with smoking (experimenters) to reassess what they know about the “costs” of tobacco use to their body and mind. The Real Cost aired on national television, online, radio, and other media channels, resulting in high awareness levels. Overall, 89.0% of U.S. youth were aware of at least one advertisement 6 to 8 months after campaign launch, and high levels of awareness were attained within the campaign’s two targeted audiences: susceptible nonsmokers (90.5%) and experimenters (94.6%). Most youth consider The Real Cost advertising to be effective, based on assessments of ad perceived effectiveness (mean = 4.0 on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0). High levels of awareness and positive ad reactions are requisite proximal indicators of health behavioral change. Additional research is being conducted to assess whether potential shifts in population-level cognitions and/or behaviors are attributable to this campaign. Current findings demonstrate that The Real Cost has attained high levels of ad awareness which is a critical first step in achieving positive changes in tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors. These data can also be used to inform ongoing message and media strategies for The Real Cost and other U.S. youth tobacco prevention campaigns. PMID:26679504

Youth's Awareness of and Reactions to The Real Cost National Tobacco Public Education Campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Jennifer C; Alexander, Tesfa N; Zhao, Xiaoquan; Delahanty, Janine C; Allen, Jane A; MacMonegle, Anna J; Farrelly, Matthew C

2015-01-01

In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched its first tobacco-focused public education campaign, The Real Cost, aimed at reducing tobacco use among 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States. This study describes The Real Cost message strategy, implementation, and initial evaluation findings. The campaign was designed to encourage youth who had never smoked but are susceptible to trying cigarettes (susceptible nonsmokers) and youth who have previously experimented with smoking (experimenters) to reassess what they know about the "costs" of tobacco use to their body and mind. The Real Cost aired on national television, online, radio, and other media channels, resulting in high awareness levels. Overall, 89.0% of U.S. youth were aware of at least one advertisement 6 to 8 months after campaign launch, and high levels of awareness were attained within the campaign's two targeted audiences: susceptible nonsmokers (90.5%) and experimenters (94.6%). Most youth consider The Real Cost advertising to be effective, based on assessments of ad perceived effectiveness (mean = 4.0 on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0). High levels of awareness and positive ad reactions are requisite proximal indicators of health behavioral change. Additional research is being conducted to assess whether potential shifts in population-level cognitions and/or behaviors are attributable to this campaign. Current findings demonstrate that The Real Cost has attained high levels of ad awareness which is a critical first step in achieving positive changes in tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors. These data can also be used to inform ongoing message and media strategies for The Real Cost and other U.S. youth tobacco prevention campaigns.

An audit on public awareness of depression symptoms in Jordan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayer Al-Azzam

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Depression is acommon mental health disorder. The aim of this study is to determine the level of public awareness regarding this illness, its symptoms, associated factors, available forms of treatment, and the attitude towards depressed people. Methods: A self administered questionnaire was filled in by approximately 5000 individuals selected from various regions of Jordan. Results: The majority of participants thought that depression is a treatable condition that can affect patient at any age, and may be controlled by the will power. Loss of interest in things and presence of negative feelings were the most commonly recognized symptoms of depression, while, unemployment and poverty were found to be the most recognized risk factors for depression. In addition, most participants considered support from family and friends (93.6% as well as exercise (80.4% to be the best available forms of depression treatment. Respondents found it acceptable to work, make friends with, or marry depressed individuals. The first choice persons for seeking help by most participants were family members and friends (49.8%. Conclusion: Collectively, the level of awareness of depression was acceptable. However, further efforts are necessary to establish public educational programs related to depression in order to raise awareness regarding the disease.

The physician's role in suicide prevention: lessons learned from a public awareness campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Boeke, Melissa; Griffin, Tom; Reidenberg, Daniel J

2011-01-01

The suicide rate in Minnesota has increased every year since 2000, making suicide a serious public health problem. In the spring and summer of 2009, the nonprofit organization Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) launched a public awareness campaign targeting four populations at high risk of suicidal behavior and suicide: adult men, seniors, teens, and American Indians. The goals of the campaign were to increase awareness about suicide in general and to let people know how they could help someone who may be at risk. In their evaluation of the campaign, researchers found a need to provide physicians and other health care professionals with appropriate information about suicide and resources that are available for those who may need help.They also learned the importance of engaging physicians in planning future campaigns.

Female Sex Offenders: Public Awareness and Attributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cain, Calli M; Anderson, Amy L

2016-12-01

Traditional gender roles, sex scripts, and the way female sex offenders are portrayed in the media may lead to misconceptions about who can commit sexual offenses. Sexual crimes by women may go unnoticed or unreported if there is a general lack of awareness that females commit these crimes. Data from the 2012 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey were used to determine whether the public perceives women as capable sex offenders and the perceived causes of female sex offending. The traditional focus on male sex offenders by researchers, media, and politicians, in addition to gender stereotypes, introduces the possibility of group differences (e.g., between men and women) in perceptions of female sex offenders. Consequently, two secondary analyses were conducted that tested for group differences in both the public's perception of whether females can commit sex offenses and the explanations selected for why females sexually offend. The findings suggest that the public does perceive women as capable sex offenders, although there were group differences in the causal attributions for female sex offending.

78 FR 30964 - Pipeline Safety: Workshop on Public Awareness Programs

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-23

... Richardson, Texas. The workshop serves as an opportunity to bring pipeline safety stakeholders together to..., and excavators) will share their perspectives on what is working and what is not working with existing... discuss recent inspection findings; (2) Understand what's working and not working with public awareness...

Improving Financial Education and Awareness on Insurance and Private Pensions

Science.gov (United States)

OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2008

2008-01-01

With public pensions under pressure and private pensions exposed to risk, individuals face an increasing variety of financial risks, particularly those linked to their retirement. This book analyzes the level of risk awareness of consumers and highlights good practices governments might initiate to enhance consumers' awareness and education on…

Public Awareness and Knowledge of Stuttering in Rio De Janeiro

Science.gov (United States)

de Britto Pereira, Monica Medeiros; Rossi, Jamile Perni; Van Borsel, John

2008-01-01

This study reports the results of an investigation of public awareness and knowledge of stuttering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total number of 606 street recruited respondents answered questions on various aspects of stuttering, including prevalence, onset, gender distribution, occurrence in different cultures, cause, treatment, intelligence, and…

Managing radioactive waste safely. Awareness and attitudes of the Scottish public

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodger, N.

2002-01-01

Between January and April 2002, the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs department inducted a consultation exercise in conjunction with DEFRA on 'Managing Radioactive Waste Safely', and commissioned several pieces of supplementary research to gauge levels of awareness of the issues around radioactive waste among the Scottish public. This research was conducted as part of this process. Its main aims were to measure awareness and assess attitudes towards radioactive waste, its sources, its perceived risks and its management. Reflecting a key objective of the main consultation, this research also sought to assess how the public rate a variety of possible actions that could be taken to involve them in this debate and decision-making process. A representative sample of 1,000 Scottish adults (age 18+) was interviewed by telephone using 'Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing' during February 2002

Public awareness and perception toward Adverse Drug Reactions reporting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, Ibrahim; Aljadhey, Hisham; Albogami, Yasser; Mahmoud, Mansour A

2017-09-01

Purpose: To assess the general public awareness and perception about Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) reporting and pharmacovigilance. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted on June 2012 during awareness campaign held in two malls in Riyadh city for two days. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of three parts was distributed to the attendees who accepted to participate in the study. Results: A total of 204 questionnaires were collected with a response rate of 68%. Twenty-three percent could correctly define ADRs. Only 13(15.7%) of responders were familiar with the term "Pharmacovigilance" and only 78.6% were aware about the Saudi Pharmacovigilance Center. Sixty-seventy percent indicated that their physicians or pharmacists don't actively encourage them to report ADRs that may occur when they take their medications. The majority of responders (73.2%) believed that the medical team, rather than consumers, should report ADRs. When asked why patients do not report ADRs, 19.1(48.5%) believed that patients do not know whether the ADR is from the medication or not, 18.1(46.1%) stated that the reason was because patients don't know about the Pharmacovigilance Center, 16(40.7%) think that patients don't know about the importance of ADRs reporting, and 14(36.3%) responded that patients probably don't know how to report ADRs. Conclusion: The general public in Saudi Arabia are not aware about ADRs reporting and the pharmacovigilance system. The Saudi Food and Drug Authorities (FDA) need to put more efforts to increasing public awareness about the importance of ADRs reporting process and the importance of pharmacovigilance system in promoting patient safety.

Public Awareness of Drinking Water Safety and Contamination Accidents: A Case Study in Hainan Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To understand public awareness about drinking water safety and water contamination accidents in rural areas of China, two rural counties of Hainan Province were selected as pilot sites for investigation. We explored the degree of public satisfaction with drinking water quality, public trust of drinking water safety, and public awareness about drinking water problems and solutions. The results showed that 80.3% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of their drinking water. About 78.8% of respondents paid special attention or comparatively high attention to drinking water quality and contamination accidents, especially regarding potential damage to the human body and health, the influence scope, and the causes of accidents. A total 52.4% of respondents solved drinking water problems by themselves; few respondents complained to the health department or called the local telephone hotline. Age and sex did not play significant roles in the degree of public satisfaction with water quality or in the public perception of water pollution accidents; however, residents in rural areas within a drinking water quality monitoring network were more satisfied with their drinking water quality and more aware of drinking water contamination accidents than in areas outside of such a network. Respondents with higher education levels had greater awareness than those with lower education levels with respect to water quality and water pollution accidents.

A European multi-language initiative to make the general population aware of independent clinical research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosconi, Paola; Antes, Gerd; Barbareschi, Giorgio

2016-01-01

2. An animated film about clinical trials, dubbed in the 23 official languages of the European Community, and an interactive tutorial 3. An inventory of resources, available in 23 languages, searchable by topic, author, and media type 4. Two educational games for young people, developed in six......BACKGROUND: The ECRAN (European Communication on Research Awareness Needs) project was initiated in 2012, with support from the European Commission, to improve public knowledge about the importance of independent, multinational, clinical trials in Europe. METHODS: Participants in the ECRAN...... materials and tools, making them freely available under a Creative Commons licence. RESULTS: The principal communication materials developed were: 1. A website ( http://ecranproject.eu ) in six languages, including a Media centre section to help journalists to disseminate information about the ECRAN project...

Public Awareness of the Scientific Consensus on Climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence C. Hamilton

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Questions about climate change elicit some of the widest political divisions of any items on recent U.S. surveys. Severe polarization affects even basic questions about the reality of anthropogenic climate change (ACC, or whether most scientists agree that humans are changing the Earth’s climate. Statements about scientific consensus have been contentious among social scientists, with some arguing for consensus awareness as a “gateway cognition” that leads to greater public acceptance of ACC, but others characterizing consensus messaging (deliberate communication about the level of scientific agreement as a counterproductive tactic that exacerbates polarization. A series of statewide surveys, with nationwide benchmarks, repeated questions about the reality of ACC and scientific consensus many times over 2010 to 2016. These data permit tests for change in beliefs and polarization. ACC and consensus beliefs have similar trends and individual background predictors. Both rose gradually by about 10 points over 2010 to 2016, showing no abrupt shifts that might correspond to events such as scientific reports, leadership statements, or weather. Growing awareness of the scientific consensus, whether from deliberate messaging or the cumulative impact of many studies and publicly engaged scientists, provides the most plausible explanation for this rise in both series. In state-level data, the gap between liberal and conservative views on the reality of ACC did not widen over this period, whereas the liberal–conservative gap regarding existence of a scientific consensus narrowed.

SiteChar. Characterisation of European CO2 storage. Deliverable D8.2. Trust building and raising public awareness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunsting, S.; Pol, M.; Mastop, E.A. [ECN Policy Studies, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kaiser, M.; Zimmer, R. [Unabhaengiges Institut fuer Umweltfragen UfU, Berlin (Germany); Shackley, S.; Mabon, L.; Howell, R. [Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage SCCS, Edinburg, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2012-08-15

At local level, public support has proven crucial to the implementation of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects. Whereas no method exists to guarantee public acceptability of any project, a constructive stakeholder and community engagement process does increase the likelihood thereof. This deliverable is a follow-up to deliverable D8.1 'Social site characterisation'. Social site characterisation can be used as an instrument to explore, plan and evaluate a process of active and constructive local stakeholder and citizen engagement in a prospective CCS project as a parallel activity to technical site characterisation. It serves as an analytical tool to describe the local social circumstances in the area and to design and evaluate stakeholder and community engagement efforts with the aims of building trust and raising public awareness. Using results from the social site characterisation of the area, the present deliverable focuses on the second purpose. It presents results from public engagement activities designed to raise public awareness and inform public opinion of a prospective CCS site in Poland (onshore) and the UK (offshore): focus conferences. Furthermore, by initiating an enhanced cooperation in planning of new storage sites between project developers, authorities and the local public, focus conferences aim to serve as a 'hinge' between social site characterisation as a research effort and application to real-life project settings. The focus conferences are part of a range of public engagement activities including the setup of public information websites on generic and site-specific CCS, information meetings. A second survey eventually shall evaluate the results of the public engagement activities. The aim of the focus conferences was to raise public awareness and assist public opinion forming processes of a prospective CCS site in Poland (onshore) and the UK (offshore). At the same time, it aimed to present and test a

The Space Situational Assessment Report to Improve Public Awareness in China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongbo; Zhang, Qi; Xie, Zebing; Wei, Xiangwang; Wang, Tao

For improvement of public awareness of the impact of space activities in China, a Space Situational Assessment Report 2013 will be issued in March 2014. More than ten Chinese main medium are invited for a special press conference. The Space Situational Assessment Report aims to introduce international space activities to Chinese public, and provide a common, comprehensive knowledge base to support the development of national policies and international security cooperation of outer space. The full report organizes international space activities until 2013 according to three parts those are Foundations, Strategies and Environment, including nine chapters, such as Space laws and policies; Space facility and equipment; Institutions and Human Resource; Military space, Civil space and Commercial space; Natural space environment; Space situational awareness, etc. A kind of Space Situational Assessment Index System is presented as a globally-focused analytic framework that defines, measures, and ranks national space activity. To use for a variety of public themes, different assessment indexes are constituted by scores of individual qualitative and quantitative metrics based on the Index System. Three research organizaitons of space sciences and technologies collaborated on the Space Situational Assessment Report. It is a scholarly and ungovernmental work.

Medical societies, patient education initiatives, public debate and marketing of unproven stem cell interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Daniel J; Turner, Leigh; Levine, Aaron D; Ikonomou, Laertis

2018-02-01

Businesses marketing unproven stem cell interventions proliferate within the U.S. and in the larger global marketplace. There have been global efforts by scientists, patient advocacy groups, bioethicists, and public policy experts to counteract the uncontrolled and premature commercialization of stem cell interventions. In this commentary, we posit that medical societies and associations of health care professionals have a particular responsibility to be an active partner in such efforts. We review the role medical societies can and should play in this area through patient advocacy and awareness initiatives. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GLOBE at Night: Raising Public Awareness and Involvement through Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, C. E.; Pompea, S. M.; Sparks, R. T.

2010-12-01

With half of the world’s population now living in cities, many urban dwellers have never experienced the wonderment of pristinely dark skies and maybe never will. Light pollution is obscuring people’s long-standing natural heritage to view stars. The GLOBE at Night program (www.globeatnight.org) is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations online to a world map. In the last 5 years, GLOBE at Night has been the most productive public light pollution monitoring campaign, collecting over 52,000 observations in a two-week period annually. This year, during the moonless two weeks in March, the campaign set a record high of over 17,800 measurements from people in 86 countries. Foundational resources are available to facilitate the public’s participation in promoting dark skies awareness. The GLOBE at Night website explains clearly the simple-to-participate-in 5 step program and offers background information and interactive games on key concepts. The program has been expanded to include trainings of the general public, but especially educators in schools, museums and science centers, in unique ways. Education kits for dark skies awareness have been distributed at the training workshops. The kit includes material for a light shielding demonstration, a digital Sky Quality Meter and “Dark Skies Rangers” activities. The activities are on how unshielded light wastes energy, how light pollution affects wildlife and how you can participate in a citizen-science star-hunt like GLOBE at Night. In addition, projects are being developed for what to do with the data once it is taken. The GLOBE at Night data from different years can be compared to look for trends over time or with population density maps. The data can also be used to search for dark sky oases or to monitor lighting ordinance compliance. Most

The importance of the selection of the audiences and the organization of media events within public awareness strategies for tissue banks.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales Pedraza, Jorge

2008-12-01

The main purpose of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Public Awareness Strategies for Tissue Banks is to provide guidance on organizing and running awareness campaigns, in order to consolidate tissue banking activities. Within the IAEA Public Awareness Strategies for Tissue Banks, there are two important topics, which need to be singled out due to their importance for a successful public and professional awareness campaign. These are the selection of the audiences and the organization of media events within a Communication Strategy. The experience in the field of tissue banking in several countries has shown that interaction between the public, the professional health care staff, the media and the tissue bank personnel is essential if the activities of the banks are to be successful. It must be emphasized however, that any public and professional awareness strategy will not be successful, unless it is considered as part of an integrated system that is adopted by the concerned Government.

Awareness of evidence-based practices by organizations in a publicly funded smoking cessation network

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Provan, K.; Beagles, J.; Mercken, L.; Leischow, S.J.

2013-01-01

This research examines the awareness of evidence-based practices by the public organizations that fund services in the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC). NAQC is a large, publicly funded, goal-directed “whole network,” spanning both Canada and the United States, working to get people to quit

Turning on the light of public information: the work of the US Committee for Energy Awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finger, H.B.

1983-01-01

The work of the US Committee for Energy Awareness (USCEA) in promoting the public acceptance of nuclear power is described. Details of the public education programme are given and include television and printed messages, advertising, a range of public information programmes and public opinion research polls before and afterwards. (U.K.)

Cyber awareness initiatives in South Africa: a national perspective

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Grobler, M

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Research, the University of Fort Hare, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and the University of Pretoria. Current initiatives cover secondary school pupils, tertiary level students, public and private sector enterprises, and senior citizens...

Zombies—A Pop Culture Resource for Public Health Awareness

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-04-24

Reginald Tucker reads an abridged version of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Another Dimension, Zombies—A Pop Culture Resource for Public Health Awareness.  Created: 4/24/2013 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 4/24/2013.

Situational awareness in public health preparedness settings

Science.gov (United States)

Mirhaji, Parsa; Michea, Yanko F.; Zhang, Jiajie; Casscells, Samuel W.

2005-05-01

September 11 2001 attacks and following Anthrax mailings introduced emergent need for developing technologies that can distinguish between man made and natural incidents in the public health level. With this objective in mind, government agencies started a funding effort to foster the design, development and implementation of such systems on a wide scale. But the outcomes have not met the expectations set by the resources invested. Multiple elements explain this phenomenon: As it has been frequent with technology, introduction of new surveillance systems to the workflow equation has occurred without taking into consideration the need for understanding and inclusion of deeper personal, psychosocial, organizational and methodological concepts. The environment, in which these systems are operating, is complex, highly dynamic, uncertain, risky, and subject to intense time pressures. Such 'difficult' environments are very challenging to the human as a decision maker. In this paper we will challenge these systems from the perspective of human factors design. We will propose employment of systematic situational awareness research for design and implementation of the next generation public health preparedness infrastructures. We believe that systems designed based on results of such analytical definition of the domain enable public health practitioners to effectively collect the most important cues from the environment, process, interpret and understand the information in the context of organizational objectives and immediate tasks at hand, and use that understanding to forecast the short term and long term impact of the events in the safety and well being of the community.

Public Awareness of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests: Findings from the 2013 U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Agurs-Collins, Tanya; Ferrer, Rebecca; Ottenbacher, Allison; Waters, Erika A; O'Connell, Mary E; Hamilton, Jada G

2015-12-01

Although the availability of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has increased in recent years, the general public's awareness of this testing is not well understood. This study examined levels of public awareness of DTC genetic testing, sources of information about testing, and psychosocial factors associated with awareness of testing in the USA. Data were obtained from the nationally representative 2013 U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey. Guided by a social-cognitive conceptual framework, univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with awareness of DTC genetic tests. Of 3185 participants, 35.6% were aware of DTC genetic tests, with the majority learning about these tests through radio, television, and the Internet. In the final adjusted model, participants with annual incomes of $99,999 or less had lower odds of being aware of DTC genetic testing (ORs ranging from 0.46-0.61) than did those participants with incomes of $100,000 or more. The odds of awareness of DTC genetic tests were significantly higher for those who actively seek cancer information (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.36-2.69), use the Internet (OR=1.81, 95% CI=1.05-3.13), and have high numeracy skills (OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.17-2.38). It will be critical for healthcare researchers and practitioners to understand predictors and consequences of the public's awareness of DTC genetic tests, as well as how such awareness may translate into DTC genetic testing uptake, health behavior change, and ultimately disease prevention.

Public Awareness and Practice of Responsible Gambling in Macao.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Kwok-Kit; Hung, Eva P W; Lei, Caren M W; Wu, Anise M S

2018-01-30

Responsible gambling (RG) is a relatively new concept to the Macao gambling industry. Although recent studies reported a heightened public awareness of RG, the prevalence of disordered gambling is still high. This discrepancy may suggest an existing gap between RG awareness and gambling practices, pinpointing aspects that need to be improved by different RG stakeholders. The gap may be attributable to people's limited knowledge toward practices favoring RG. To explore means for enhancing the RG campaign, we studied Macao residents' interpretation and adoption of RG practices. In Study 1, a random community sample was collected to assess the extent to which common RG practices were adopted. Results suggested that there was a fair proportion of gamblers not adhering to them and gambling disorder tendency was related to the adoption of RG practices. It implied a successful promotion of RG practices may reduce gambling problems. In Study 2, focus group discussions were conducted to explore how RG was conceptualized. Twenty-five participants (including 11 casino employees) took part in four focus group interviews. All participants were aware of RG but their knowledge of RG practices was limited. Very few of them were able to identify major practices such as putting constraints on gambling amount and time and the application for self-exclusion. We argue that future RG promotion needs to be more specific and behavior-oriented and it should also address various procedural concerns on how RG practices can be implemented.

Open science initiatives: challenges for public health promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Holzmeyer, Cheryl

2018-03-07

While academic open access, open data and open science initiatives have proliferated in recent years, facilitating new research resources for health promotion, open initiatives are not one-size-fits-all. Health research particularly illustrates how open initiatives may serve various interests and ends. Open initiatives not only foster new pathways of research access; they also discipline research in new ways, especially when associated with new regimes of research use and peer review, while participating in innovation ecosystems that often perpetuate existing systemic biases toward commercial biomedicine. Currently, many open initiatives are more oriented toward biomedical research paradigms than paradigms associated with public health promotion, such as social determinants of health research. Moreover, open initiatives too often dovetail with, rather than challenge, neoliberal policy paradigms. Such initiatives are unlikely to transform existing health research landscapes and redress health inequities. In this context, attunement to social determinants of health research and community-based local knowledge is vital to orient open initiatives toward public health promotion and health equity. Such an approach calls for discourses, norms and innovation ecosystems that contest neoliberal policy frameworks and foster upstream interventions to promote health, beyond biomedical paradigms. This analysis highlights challenges and possibilities for leveraging open initiatives on behalf of a wider range of health research stakeholders, while emphasizing public health promotion, health equity and social justice as benchmarks of transformation.

The importance of environmental awareness and public participation for sustainable development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metka Špes

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In sustainable development which requires the balance between the economic, social and environmental objectives, it is of key importance that the public also participates in the broadest sense. For the comprehension of ecological and developmental decisions it is necessary to provide information and to raise the general environmental awareness. An individual or groups of people base their reactions to negative phenomena in the environment on their perception of it, which does not always correspond to the objective state but is modified by different factors, also by the access to information and by the participation of the public in taking the decisions.

Survey on Public Awareness On AIDS- Role Of Government And Non Government Agencies In A Rural South Indian Community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balagnesh G

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Research Question: What is the level of Public awareness on AIDS in a rural community and to what extent the government and non-government agencies have played their role in creating the awareness? Objectives: (i To study the public awareness on AIDS in a rural community (ii To Study role of government and non-government agencies in creating the awareness on AIDS. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Rural area under S. V. Medical College Triputi (AP Participants: 100 males (15-45 yrs and 100 females (15-45 yrs. Study variables: Awareness on AIDS, Government and non-government agencies. Statistical Analysis: Percentages Results: Most of the persons interviewed had minimal knowledge on AIDS. Quite a large section of the ‘ study population was ignorant over the safety offered by condoms in preventing AIDS. Doordarshan and Newspaper agencies played much role in creation the awareness on AIDS, while the non-government agencies like Lions’ Club, Rotary Club. Indian Junior Chamber etc. played no role in creating the awareness on AIDS in the study area. Recommendations: Government health sector should take more responsibility in educating the people and creating adequate awareness on AIDS. Non-government agencies should involve themselves in creating awareness on AIDS.

2013 Annual National Digital Rectal Exam Day: impact on prostate health awareness and disease detection

OpenAIRE

Chua, Michael E.; Lapitan, Marie Carmela M.; Morales Jr, Marcelino L.; Roque, Aristotle Bernard Maniego; Domingo, John Kenneth

2014-01-01

Purpose: “Mag-paDRE” is a yearly prostate health public awareness program initiated by the Philippine Urological Association. This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical data of the participants in the 2013 “Mag-paDRE” program and to identify factors that will further improve prostate health public awareness. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study undertaken to collect and assess the demographic data, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and digital rectal examinati...

Hospitalized Patients' Awareness Of Their Rights-A Cross Sectional Survey In A Public And Private Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Punjab, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabassum, Tahirah; Ashraf, Mariam; Thaver, Inayat

2016-01-01

The awareness of patient's rights is negligible in developing countries where no legal framework is present to protect these rights and Pakistan is no exception. Not only is there an absence of legal structure for protection of patients' rights, but the enforcement and implementation for existing law is also questionable. Pakistan has an Islamic Charter of Medical and Health Ethics which includes the medical behaviour and physician's rights and duties towards the patients. Despite all these charters on patients' rights, there is little to no awareness regarding these rights and their practice remains low in healthcare system of Pakistan. This assessment of awareness among patients about their rights will guide in formulating recommendations to improve the existing system of healthcare delivery in the country. This descriptive cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in two hospitals in Lahore, each belonging to public and private sector. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from patients. A total of 220 patients were selected to participate in the study, 110 belonging to each private and public hospital. The findings indicate that most of the patients (64%) were not aware of their rights. The awareness level was better in patients seeking care from private hospital than those from public hospital. Education, monthly income and type of hospital utilized were found to be positively associated with the level of awareness. Most of the patients were not satisfied with the practices of their rights, especially in public hospitals. The lack of awareness regarding the rights of a patient was more common in patients of public/government hospitals compared to private hospitals. A nation-wide healthcare education program is needed to increase awareness and practice of patients' rights in the country.

Patient and public attitudes towards informed consent models and levels of awareness of Electronic Health Records in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Riordan, Fiona; Papoutsi, Chrysanthi; Reed, Julie E.; Marston, Cicely; Bell, Derek; Majeed, Azeem

2015-01-01

Background The development of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) forms an integral part of the information strategy for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, with the aim of facilitating health information exchange for patient care and secondary use, including research and healthcare planning. Implementing EHR systems requires an understanding of patient expectations for consent mechanisms and consideration of public awareness towards information sharing as might be made possible through integrated EHRs across primary and secondary health providers. Objectives To explore levels of public awareness about EHRs and to examine attitudes towards different consent models with respect to sharing identifiable and de-identified records for healthcare provision, research and planning. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered to adult patients and members of the public in primary and secondary care clinics in West London, UK in 2011. In total, 5331 individuals participated in the survey, and 3157 were included in the final analysis. Results The majority (91%) of respondents expected to be explicitly asked for consent for their identifiable records to be accessed for health provision, research or planning. Half the respondents (49%) did not expect to be asked for consent before their de-identified records were accessed. Compared with White British respondents, those from all other ethnic groups were more likely to anticipate their permission would be obtained before their de-identified records were used. Of the study population, 59% reported already being aware of EHRs before the survey. Older respondents and individuals with complex patterns of interaction with healthcare services were more likely to report prior awareness of EHRs. Individuals self-identifying as belonging to ethnic groups other than White British, and those with lower educational qualifications were less likely to report being aware of EHRs than White British respondents and

Oral cancer awareness of the general public in Gorakhpur city, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Mamta; Pandey, Sushma; Jain, Shikha; Maitin, Shipra

2012-01-01

Global cancer statistical data show that India has one of the highest incidence rates of oral cancer worldwide. Early detection is extremely important as it results in lower morbidity and death rates. The present study was undertaken to assess awareness of oral cancer and knowledge of its early signs and risk factors in the general public of the semi-urban Gorakhpur area of Uttar Pradesh (India). It was also intended to educate the same population for early detection by increasing their ability to recognize signs and risk factors. A questionnaire-based household survey was conducted over a period of one month in different parts of Gorakhpur district, a region where tobacco use is apparently very high. A total of 2,093 persons participated in the survey. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software to assess and associate oral cancer awareness with the prevalence, and abstract risk factors, as well as other confounding variables. The general awareness, knowledge of signs and risk factors of oral cancer were found to be proportionate to the literacy level with the highest rate of awareness being among high school and graduates and lowest among illiterates. It was also observed that on most of these dimensions the younger age groups (awareness of oral cancer in the high-risk population of Gorakhpur was not satisfactory, pointing to a need for further dissemination of information on this issue and its associated risks. This is especially important for the youngsters, as this may possibly help them keep away from the deleterious habit of tobacco indulgence in any form. If necessary risk factor cessation counselling should be provided.

Rosalie Wolf Memorial Lecture: A logic model to measure the impacts of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Karen

2016-01-01

This commentary discusses the need to evaluate the impact of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day activities, the elder abuse field's most sustained public awareness initiative. A logic model is proposed with measures for short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes for community-based programs.

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

Public Awareness of and Contact With Physicians Who Receive Industry Payments: A National Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham-Kanter, Genevieve; Mello, Michelle M; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Campbell, Eric G; Carpenter, Daniel

2017-07-01

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, part of the Affordable Care Act, requires pharmaceutical and medical device firms to report payments they make to physicians and, through its Open Payments program, makes this information publicly available. To establish estimates of the exposure of the American patient population to physicians who accept industry payments, to compare these population-based estimates to physician-based estimates of industry contact, and to investigate Americans' awareness of industry payments. Cross-sectional survey conducted in late September and early October 2014, with data linkage of respondents' physicians to Open Payments data. A total of 3542 adults drawn from a large, nationally representative household panel. Respondents' contact with physicians reported in Open Payments to have received industry payments; respondents' awareness that physicians receive payments from industry and that payment information is publicly available; respondents' knowledge of whether their own physician received industry payments. Among the 1987 respondents who could be matched to a specific physician, 65% saw a physician who had received an industry payment during the previous 12 months. This population-based estimate of exposure to industry contact is much higher than physician-based estimates from the same period, which indicate that 41% of physicians received an industry payment. Across the six most frequently visited specialties, patient contact with physicians who had received an industry payment ranged from 60 to 85%; the percentage of physicians with industry contact in these specialties was much lower (35-56%). Only 12% of survey respondents knew that payment information was publicly available, and only 5% knew whether their own doctor had received payments. Patients' contact with physicians who receive industry payments is more prevalent than physician-based measures of industry contact would suggest. Very few Americans know whether their own doctor

Public attitudes toward depression and help-seeking: Impact of the OSPI-Europe depression awareness campaign in four European regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohls, Elisabeth; Coppens, Evelien; Hug, Juliane; Wittevrongel, Eline; Van Audenhove, Chantal; Koburger, Nicole; Arensman, Ella; Székely, András; Gusmão, Ricardo; Hegerl, Ulrich

2017-08-01

Public attitudes toward depression and help-seeking behaviour are important factors influencing depressed people to obtain professional help and adequate treatment. OSPI-Europe is a multi-level suicide prevention programme including a public awareness campaign. It was implemented in four regions of four European countries (Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal). This paper reports the results of the evaluation of the campaign, including its visibility and effects of the campaign on stigma associated with depression and help-seeking behaviour. A representative general population survey (N=4004) including measures on personal stigma, perceived stigma, openness to help, perceived value of help, and socio-demographic variables was conducted in the four intervention and four control regions in a cross-sectional pre-post design. The public awareness campaign was considerably more visible in Germany and Portugal compared to Ireland and Hungary. Visibility was further affected by age and years of schooling. Personal stigma, perceived stigma and openness toward professional help varied significantly across the four countries. Respondents in the intervention regions showed significantly less personal depression stigma than respondents in the control regions after the campaign. Respondents of the intervention region who were aware of the campaign reported more openness toward seeking professional help than respondents who were unaware of it. The OSPI-Europe awareness campaign was visible and produced some positive results. At the same time, it proved to be difficult to show strong, measurable and unambiguous effects, which is in line with previous studies. Public awareness campaigns as conducted within OSPI-Europe can contribute to improved attitudes and knowledge about depression in the general public and produce synergistic effects, in particular when the dissemination of awareness campaign materials is simultaneously reinforced by other intervention levels of a multi

Creating Public Awareness of Renewable Energy by Combining a Photovoltaic System and Nature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knott, Arnold; Lund, Dorthe Hedensted; Andersen, Thomas

2011-01-01

Energy is seemingly permanently and nearly everywhere in the western world available to the end consumer. While a majority of the western civilization is aware of the downsides of fossil energy sources and is favoring renewable energy sources, the energy consumption is still increasing. The situa......Energy is seemingly permanently and nearly everywhere in the western world available to the end consumer. While a majority of the western civilization is aware of the downsides of fossil energy sources and is favoring renewable energy sources, the energy consumption is still increasing....... The situation is quite clear to the experts in the field, but further awareness in the public must be created. Therefore this paper addresses a method of creating this awareness: installations that stimulate conversations of renewable energy. A solar tree was developed and built to serve young people with an AC....... The mechanical requirements and the developed solution is shown, before providing intensive insight into the electrical configuration, consisting of a battery, photovoltaic cells and a DC-AC converter. Furthermore a low complexity charge controller is presented. The resulting solar tree is capable of attracting...

Public awareness and misunderstanding about DrinkWise Australia: a cross-sectional survey of Australian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Emily; Wakefield, Melanie A; Durkin, Sarah J; Jernigan, David H; Dixon, Helen G; Pettigrew, Simone

2017-08-01

DrinkWise Australia is an alcohol industry Social Aspects/Public Relations Organisation (SAPRO). We assessed the Australian public's awareness of DrinkWise, beliefs about its funding source, and associations between funding beliefs and perceptions of DrinkWise. A total of 467 adult weekly drinkers completed an online cross-sectional survey in February 2016. Half the sample had heard of DrinkWise (48.6%); of these, the proportion aware that DrinkWise is industry funded (37.0%) was much smaller than the proportion believing it receives government funding (84.1%). Respondents who incorrectly believed DrinkWise receives government funding were more likely to hold a favourable perception of the organisation's credibility, trustworthiness and respectability than those who did not believe it receives government funding (75.9% vs. 58.3%; p=0.032). The drinking population is vulnerable to believing that alcohol industry public relations organisations such as DrinkWise are government funded, which in turn is associated with more favourable perceptions of the organisation's credibility, trustworthiness, and respectability. Implications for public health: Favourable perceptions of DrinkWise may enhance the industry's ability to delay or dilute potentially effective alcohol control policies. Future research should investigate whether educating the public about DrinkWise's alcohol industry funding alters the public's perception of how credible, trustworthy and respectable the organisation is. © 2017 The Authors.

Improving understanding, promoting social inclusion, and fostering empowerment related to epilepsy: Epilepsy Foundation public awareness campaigns--2001 through 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, P; Kobau, R; Buelow, J; Austin, J; Lowenberg, K

2015-03-01

It is a significant public health concern that epilepsy, the fourth most common neurological disorder in the United States, is generally poorly understood by both the public and those living with the condition. Lack of understanding may magnify the challenges faced by those with epilepsy, including limiting treatment opportunities, effective management of symptoms, and full participation in daily life activities. Insufficient awareness of epilepsy and appropriate seizure first aid among the public and professionals can result in insufficient treatment, inappropriate seizure response, physical restraint, social exclusion, or other negative consequences. To address the need for increased public education and awareness about epilepsy, the national Epilepsy Foundation, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has conducted yearly multifaceted public education and awareness campaigns designed to reach the broad population and targeted segments of the population including youth, young adults, racial/ethnic groups (i.e., African-, Hispanic-, and Asian-Americans), and people with epilepsy and their caregivers. Campaign channels have included traditional media, social media, and community opinion leaders and celebrity spokespersons. The key activities of these campaigns, conducted from 2001 to 2013, are summarized in this report. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Tissue banking: public awareness in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazly Hilmy

1999-01-01

Public awareness and acceptance on the benefit of Tissue Bank (TB) and its products in Indonesia are still very low, however four productive TBs are in operation by using mostly tissues from living donors. Except for medical doctors, nurses and experts who are involved in the establishment of the TB as well as who applied the products, almost nobody else understand what kind of bank this tissue bank is. Ethical in collecting tissues from non- living donors and using of this human tissues for safe medical application has several considerations that should be overcome, such as religious, legal and medical considerations. Legal and medical considerations are not very difficult to be faced. People are reluctant to give up by cutting off the needed tissue of a dead relative to help someone else who is suffering from a life threatening disease. Our duty is to enlighten the public about this bank by means of seminars, exposition, writings and discussions. We can use the electronic mass- media or printed one to explain the necessity of this tissue bank. We also need to involve leaders of religions, government high ranking officials as well as related Government institutions. Otherwise the tissues that are needed can only be obtained from the poor, the homeless whose health condition we do not know and no relatives who can give their permission for the taking of parts of the body. This is a very unethical way. Since January 1998, Batan Research Tissue Bank together with several hospitals in Indonesia have done four seminars, two discussions, two expositions, producing leaflets and carried out training in this matter. But it is not enough. More efforts should be done

Self-initiated expatriates in the private vs. the public sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauring, Jakob; Selmer, Jan

2013-01-01

Although research on private-sector expatriates is abundant, not much is known about their public-sector counterparts, especially self-initiated expatriates, who themselves initiate the move to live and work abroad. Comparing work outcomes and creativity of self-initiated expatriates in the private...... vs. the public sector, the results of a survey including 329 respondents indicated that performance and effectiveness were higher in the private sector. However, only in the public sector was there a positive association between creativity and the two work outcomes. These findings are discussed...

Increasing Public Awareness of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests: Health Care Access, Internet Use, and Population Density Correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Finney Rutten, Lila J; Gollust, Sarah E; Naveed, Sana; Moser, Richard P

2012-01-01

Uncertainty around the value of and appropriate regulatory models for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing underscores the importance of tracking public awareness of these services. We analyzed nationally representative, cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey in 2008 (n = 7, 674) and 2011 (n = 3, 959) to assess population-level changes in awareness of DTC genetic testing in the U.S. and to explore sociodemographic, health care, Internet use, and population density correlates. Overall, awareness increased significantly from 29% in 2008 to 37% in 2011. The observed increase in awareness from 2008 to 2011 remained significant (OR = 1.39) even when adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health care access, Internet use, and population density. Independent of survey year, the odds of awareness of DTC genetic tests were significantly higher for those aged 50-64 (OR = 1.64), and 65-74 (OR = 1.60); college graduates (OR = 2.02); those with a regular source of health care (OR = 1.27); those with a prior cancer diagnosis (OR = 1.24); those who use the Internet (OR = 1.27); and those living in urban areas (OR = 1.25). Surveillance of awareness-along with empirical data on use of and response to genetic risk information-can inform public health and policy efforts to maximize benefits and minimize risks of DTC genetic testing.

Increasing Public Awareness of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests: Health Care Access, Internet Use, and Population Density Correlates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rutten, L. J. F.; Gollust, S. E.; Naveed, S.; Moser, R. P.

2012-01-01

Uncertainty around the value of and appropriate regulatory models for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing underscores the importance of tracking public awareness of these services. We analyzed nationally representative, cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey in 2008 (n=7, 674) and 2011 (n=3, 959) to assess population-level changes in awareness of DTC genetic testing in the U.S. and to explore socio demographic, health care, Internet use, and population density correlates. Overall, awareness increased significantly from 29% in 2008 to 37% in 2011. The observed increase in awareness from 2008 to 2011 remained significant (OR=1.39) even when adjusted for socio demographic variables, health care access, Internet use, and population density. Independent of survey year, the odds of awareness of DTC genetic tests were significantly higher for those aged 50-64 (OR=1.64), and 65-74 (O R=1.60); college graduates (OR=2.02 ); those with a regular source of health care (OR=1.27); those with a prior cancer diagnosis (OR=1.24); those who use the Internet (OR=1.27); and those living in urban areas ( OR=1.25). Surveillance of awareness-along with empirical data on use of and response to genetic risk information-can inform public health and policy efforts to maximize benefits and minimize risks of DTC genetic testing.

Environmental Awareness and The Role of Public Accounting Professional Bodies in Indonesia: A Brief Reflection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ria Sandra Alimbudiono

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to give an insight about environmental awareness from public accountant and the role of Indonesian accounting professional bodies in ensuring professional sustainability. A naturalistic method was  applied to get deep understanding about the perspectives of the boards of professional bodies as a representation from the condition of public accountants in general. Data collection methods used in this study were interviews and focus group discussion. The findings highlight a variety of perspectives on knowledge of environment, interest in environmental accounting and moral responsibility on environmental damage. This variation shows different levels of awareness and it is mainly caused by the lack of law enforcement and no mandatory standards on environmental issues. This condition will threat legitimacy of accounting profession and finally, be able to endangered professional accounting sustainability. Limitations are about the scope and sample,which provide insights of the boards of public accountant professional bodies on environmental accounting issues. Future studies should be done on other accounting fields such as environmental audit, environmental accounting and reporting and environmental costing.

Awareness and Perception About Cancer Among the Public in Chennai, India

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Vidhubala Elangovan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Cancer-related stigma influences the way people perceive cancer, which renders cancer control—beginning with prevention and proceeding to palliation—a challenging task. This study aimed to assess the current levels of awareness and perceptions about cancer among people with various socioeconomic status and diverse backgrounds in the city of Chennai, India. Patients and Methods: The sample population (N = 2,981; 18 to 88 years of age was stratified into four groups: patients (n = 510, caregivers (n = 494 consulting at the Cancer Institute (Women Indian Association, college students (n = 978, and general public (n = 999. Fourteen statements related to cancer stigma or myths were identified and categorized by awareness (10 items or perception (4 items. Responses to those statements were recorded by using a Likert scale (yes, no, and don’t know. The data were described by frequency analysis and χ2 test using SPSS Version 13 (SPSS, Chicago, IL. Results: More than 70% of the study participants were aware that cancer is curable, that cancer is not contagious, and that cancer is not a curse or a death sentence. However, only approximately half believed that surgery or biopsy do not cause cancer to spread to other organs or that radiation therapy does not consist of receiving an electric shock. Higher education, younger age, male sex, personal experience with cancer (either as a patient or caregiver, and high socioeconomic status were the categories of people with increased awareness about cancer. Conclusion: These factors need to be taken into consideration in tailoring information, education, and communication campaigns. Resource allocation for these campaigns is an investment in cancer control.

Awareness and Perception About Cancer Among the Public in Chennai, India

Science.gov (United States)

Rajaraman, Swaminathan; Basumalik, Barsha; Pandian, Dhivya

2017-01-01

Purpose Cancer-related stigma influences the way people perceive cancer, which renders cancer control—beginning with prevention and proceeding to palliation—a challenging task. This study aimed to assess the current levels of awareness and perceptions about cancer among people with various socioeconomic status and diverse backgrounds in the city of Chennai, India. Patients and Methods The sample population (N = 2,981; 18 to 88 years of age) was stratified into four groups: patients (n = 510), caregivers (n = 494) consulting at the Cancer Institute (Women Indian Association), college students (n = 978), and general public (n = 999). Fourteen statements related to cancer stigma or myths were identified and categorized by awareness (10 items) or perception (4 items). Responses to those statements were recorded by using a Likert scale (yes, no, and don’t know). The data were described by frequency analysis and χ2 test using SPSS Version 13 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Results More than 70% of the study participants were aware that cancer is curable, that cancer is not contagious, and that cancer is not a curse or a death sentence. However, only approximately half believed that surgery or biopsy do not cause cancer to spread to other organs or that radiation therapy does not consist of receiving an electric shock. Higher education, younger age, male sex, personal experience with cancer (either as a patient or caregiver), and high socioeconomic status were the categories of people with increased awareness about cancer. Conclusion These factors need to be taken into consideration in tailoring information, education, and communication campaigns. Resource allocation for these campaigns is an investment in cancer control. PMID:29094085

Public awareness of dementia: A study in Botucatu, a medium-sized city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

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Arthur Oscar Schelp

Full Text Available Abstract Dementia is a progressive and debilitating disease affecting an increasing number of people worldwide. Despite its importance, only a few studies have examined public awareness of dementia. We present a study of the public awareness of dementia in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A sample of 73 individuals answered a questionnaire approved by the Medical Ethics Research Committee inquiring about the characteristics of healthy old-aged and demented individuals. Results: Those interviewed believed that dementia is characterized by prevalent memory impairment (41% and behavioral changes (32.9% with onset in the 60's or older (42.5% and upon suspecting dementia, only a few would seek specialized medical help. Discussion: Better understanding of public awareness of dementia provides the clue to more effective health and social policies in order to achieve a higher rate of early diagnosis and thereby possibly decreasing patient, family and caregiver distress.

Stigma, public awareness about intellectual disability and attitudes to inclusion among different ethnic groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Scior, K; Addai-Davis, J; Kenyon, M; Sheridan, J C

2013-11-01

Attitudes to the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have been studied extensively, yet evidence on public awareness about ID and stigma is limited. The relationship between attitudes, knowledge and stigma associated with ID is poorly understood. The present study examined these factors and the relationships between them in the context of a multicultural society. UK residents of working age (n = 1002) were presented with a diagnostically unlabelled vignette of someone with a mild ID. They were asked to label the difficulties presented and to complete measures of social distance and attitudes to the inclusion of people with IDs. While attitudes to the inclusion of people with IDs were relatively positive overall, social contact was viewed with ambivalence. Inclusion attitudes and social distance were only moderately correlated. Across the whole sample 28% recognised typical symptoms of mild ID. Recognition of ID was associated with lower stigma and more positive attitudes than attribution of the difficulties presented to other causes. White Westerners showed increased knowledge, lower stigma and favoured inclusion more than participants from ethnic minorities. Among the latter group, Asians showed lower stigma and attitudes more in line with inclusion policies than participants of Black African/Caribbean backgrounds. Once a host of contextual factors were considered jointly, only contact was consistently associated with the variables measured. Stigma associated with ID is of concern across all ethnic groups, although it appears to be increased among the public from ethnic minorities. Given that contact and awareness are associated with reduced stigma, they should be considered as prime foci for efforts to tackle ID stigma. The current findings serve as baseline for attempts to increase public awareness and tackle stigma. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Public knowledge awareness and attitudes toward epilepsy in Al-Kharj Governorate Saudi Arabia

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Khaled K Al-Dossari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most stigmatizing disorders. Stigmas and negative attitudes associating epilepsy are due to poor public awareness and knowledge. This study evaluated Saudi public Knowledge, awareness, and attitude towards epilepsy. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted during the period from September 16, 2014 to January 1st 2015. A 20-item questionnaire adapted from the literature was validated and distributed to 422 adults living in Al-Kharj governorate, and 22 participants were excluded as they have never heard or read about epilepsy. Results: About 94.79% of participants have heard or read about epilepsy, 63% of them knew someone with epilepsy, and 49.75% have witnessed a seizure attack. Seventy per cent of subjects thought that epilepsy is a neurological disease and 59% believed it is a brain disease. Almost 46.5% selected possession by demons or evil spirits and 51.25% cited envy or evil eye. More than half of subjects selected the medical treatment and follow-up as the most effective treatment of epilepsy. Rather, 41% believed in the faith healing. Most of respondents (81.5% believed that epileptic children could be successful in normal classes. The vast majority agreed with that epileptic woman can get married and have children. Moreover, 65.25% would allow their offspring to play with epileptic persons and surprisingly, 59% would let their offspring marrying a person with epilepsy. As much as 82.75% agreed to work with epileptic persons and 85.5% would easily become a close friend of them. The equal job opportunity for epileptic and normal persons should be practiced to about 53.75% of subjects. The predictors of good knowledge, limited misconception, and positive attitudes were female gender, being a relative of an epileptic person, and having high educational level. Conclusion: The public knowledge, awareness of and attitudes toward epilepsy were acceptable with regard to this study. However

The Canadian public's awareness and perception of the Atomic Energy Control Board. V. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacy, F.J.

1989-01-01

The primary objective of the research is to measure how the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) stands with the Canadian public. The research examines the existing level of awareness and knowledge about the AECB and the image that people have about the Board. Another issue addressed in the research is the level of confusion within the public between the AECB and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. The data in this report can also be used as a benchmark against which improvements can be measured from the AECB's communications programs and activities undertaken in the future

Utilization of Dental Services in Public Health Center: Dental Attendance, Awareness and Felt Needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pewa, Preksha; Garla, Bharath K; Dagli, Rushabh; Bhateja, Geetika Arora; Solanki, Jitendra

2015-10-01

In rural India, dental diseases occur due to many factors, which includes inadequate or improper use of fluoride and a lack of knowledge regarding oral health and oral hygiene, which prevent proper screening and dental care of oral diseases. The objective of the study was to evaluate the dental attendance, awareness and utilization of dental services in public health center. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 251 study subjects who were visiting dental outpatient department (OPD) of public health centre (PHC), Guda Bishnoi, and Jodhpur using a pretested proforma from month of July 2014 to October 2014. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding socioeconomic status and demographic factors affecting the utilization of dental services. Pearson's Chi-square test and step-wise logistic regression were applied for the analysis. Statistically significant results were found in relation to age, educational status, socioeconomic status and gender with dental attendance, dental awareness and felt needs. p-value dental services, thereby increasing the oral health status of the population.

Increasing Public Awareness of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests: Health Care Access, Internet Use, and Population Density Correlates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lila J. Finney Rutten

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Uncertainty around the value of and appropriate regulatory models for direct-to-consumer (DTC genetic testing underscores the importance of tracking public awareness of these services. We analyzed nationally representative, cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey in 2008 (n=7,674 and 2011 (n=3,959 to assess population-level changes in awareness of DTC genetic testing in the U.S. and to explore sociodemographic, health care, Internet use, and population density correlates. Overall, awareness increased significantly from 29% in 2008 to 37% in 2011. The observed increase in awareness from 2008 to 2011 remained significant (OR=1.39 even when adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health care access, Internet use, and population density. Independent of survey year, the odds of awareness of DTC genetic tests were significantly higher for those aged 50–64 (OR=1.64, and 65–74 (OR=1.60; college graduates (OR=2.02; those with a regular source of health care (OR=1.27; those with a prior cancer diagnosis (OR=1.24; those who use the Internet (OR=1.27; and those living in urban areas (OR=1.25. Surveillance of awareness—along with empirical data on use of and response to genetic risk information—can inform public health and policy efforts to maximize benefits and minimize risks of DTC genetic testing.

Factors associated with public awareness of the Crown Health Program in the Al-Jouf Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Memish, Ziad A; Saeedi, Mohammad Y; Al Madani, Ahmed J; Junod, Bernard; Jamo, Abdelgadier; Abid, Omer; Alanazi, Faisal M; Alrewally, Fayez G; Mandil, Ahmed M A

2015-01-01

A community-based intervention, the Crown Health Project (CHP), was developed by the Ministry of Health. It was implemented on a small-scale in Al-Jouf Region in Northern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assess its feasibility and effectiveness so that it can be scaled up. This study primarily aimed at investigating factors associated with the awareness of CHP in order to improve subsequent campaigns for the program in Al-Jouf and other regions. A secondary aim was to assess possible changes of public awareness during intensification of the awareness campaign between October 2011 and May 2012. A pre- and post-questionnaire cross-sectional approach was undertaken, and the intervention was an awareness campaign. Variables collected included demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education, occupation, urban/rural residence) and CHP awareness (its existence, sources of knowledge about CHP, its goals and objectives, its target diseases, location of activities, participation in such activities). Logistic regression was used to analyze the awareness of the program according to participant characteristics, with a time of the survey as a variable. Awareness of the program was found to be 11 times higher among postsurvey respondents than presurvey respondents. Respondents of the second survey were better at correctly identifying "health education" as the main goal of the CHP (odds ratio [OR], 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-5.5), "noncommunicable diseases" as the main diseases targeted (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 3.6-6.4) and "attention to health" as the purpose (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 4.0-8.9). The different activities of the CHP were successful in dramatically increasing awareness of the CHP program in Al-Jouf.

Cause marketing for tissue and organ donation to increase public awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong, M.; Neely, D.; Warnack, K.; Willits, M.; Yriondo, L.

1999-01-01

Today the science of marketing is being applied more and more to increase the rate of tissue and organ donation in the United States. To benefit from the proven tools and techniques of successful marketing in the for-profit world transplantation agencies across the country are turning to integrated marketing communications strategies and strategic partnerships to help achieve their goals.The methods used in cause marketing include: Establishing clear and measurable outcomes and goals; building a marketing plan and timeline to achieve the goals; gathering resources (funding, personnel, organizations, partnerships) to execute the plan, implementation, and measurement of outcomes. This session will review the Tissue and Organ Donation campaign implemented in the Northwest and will touch on the national awareness program developed by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the United States. Segments of the Northwest's integrated campaign will include market segmentation strategies and targeted marketing, campaign development, public service advertising and public education campaigns. Media utilized include print, bus signs and billboards, broadcast (radio and TV), video and the internet. Strategies include public service advertising, paid advertising through sponsorships, direct mail, workshops and public speaking. The success of traditional product marketing can be achieved in cause marketing with a long-term, focused public education campaign. The potential benefit to the international community warrants exploration of similar strategies to overcome cultural resistance to life saving transplantation

An Investigation of the Awareness and Use of Open Access Initiative at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Issa, A.O.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the information environment of lecturers in Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, in relation to their information seeking behavior, extent of use of the polytechnic library, perceptions of the resources and services of the library, level of awareness and extent of use of the open access model of scholarly communications, as well as the challenges of accessing and using information resources. It adopted the survey research method, using a questionnaire for data collection, while the descriptive statistics method was used to analyse the data, using tabular presentation and simple percentages. From a population of 280 lecturers for the study, a purposive sample of 164 was drawn. The findings showed that the lecturers' information needs are focused on online use; they hardly use the polytechnic library due to their perceptions of the resources and services of the library. They are, to a greater extent, aware of open access initiatives, but do not publish in open access outlets, while various challenges affect their access and use of information resources for teaching and research. A recommendation was made, among others, that the polytechnic management should pay more critical attention to the library especially in the areas of adequate, current and comprehensive collections on all the programmes of the institution, as well as the provision of wireless internet services on the campus through a public-private partnership arrangement.

Green Open Space: Awareness for Health or Sustainability?

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, O. C.; Chairunnisa, I.; Hidayat, T.; Anggraini, M.; Napitupulu, A.

2018-03-01

Universitas Indonesia in cooperation with American Red Cross and Indonesian Red Cross have been assisting green open space revitalisation program in 7 locations in Bogor Regency (2016-2017). The program was held under The Urban Disaster Risk Reduction Greater Jakarta Project; an initiative program from American Red Cross Indonesia. This project was not only improving the existing green open space quality, but also creating one adapted from public land. The revitalization project figures what happened on daily basis on the existing land, proposing new programming facilities, community-based construction, monitoring and handing over. This paper discovers the meaning of a green space for the community, whether the community aware of its benefit on human health or environmental sustainability. The research question is does the community aware of green open space benefit for human health or environmental sustainability? Or both? The original data from the community was gathered and grouped based on its relevance with environmental quality and public health.

How aware is the public of carbon capture and storage?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curry, T.; Herzog, H.J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Lab. for Energy and the Environment; Reiner, D.M. [Cambridge Univ., Cambridge, (United States). Judge Inst. of Management; Ansolabehere, S. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Political Science

2005-07-01

This paper presented the results of a survey conducted in the fall of 2003 that examined attitudes toward, and understanding of, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), also known as carbon sequestration. The study was conducted as part of broad range of questions about energy and the environment. The goal of the survey was to determine attitudes toward spending on the environment. In particular, the survey asked 17 questions to determine the level of public understanding of global warming and the carbon cycle and to determine public awareness of CCS. In addition to demographic information, the survey determined the effect of national energy usage information and price data on public preferences. The paper also presented some implications for public acceptance. The survey showed that the environment ranked thirteenth on a list of 22 issues facing the United States at the time of the survey, with the top three being terrorism, health care and the economy. The survey also asked respondents to choose the 2 most important of 10 environmental problems, namely water pollution, destruction of ecosystems, toxic waste, overpopulation, ozone depletion, global warming, urban sprawl, smog, endangered species, and acid rain. Global warming ranked sixth out of the issues in the survey. It was noted that very few people in the United States have heard of CCS, and those who have heard of it were no more likely to know what environmental concern it addressed than those who had not heard of CCS. 13 refs.

How aware is the public of carbon capture and storage?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curry, T.; Herzog, H.J.; Reiner, D.M.; Ansolabehere, S.

2005-01-01

This paper presented the results of a survey conducted in the fall of 2003 that examined attitudes toward, and understanding of, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), also known as carbon sequestration. The study was conducted as part of broad range of questions about energy and the environment. The goal of the survey was to determine attitudes toward spending on the environment. In particular, the survey asked 17 questions to determine the level of public understanding of global warming and the carbon cycle and to determine public awareness of CCS. In addition to demographic information, the survey determined the effect of national energy usage information and price data on public preferences. The paper also presented some implications for public acceptance. The survey showed that the environment ranked thirteenth on a list of 22 issues facing the United States at the time of the survey, with the top three being terrorism, health care and the economy. The survey also asked respondents to choose the 2 most important of 10 environmental problems, namely water pollution, destruction of ecosystems, toxic waste, overpopulation, ozone depletion, global warming, urban sprawl, smog, endangered species, and acid rain. Global warming ranked sixth out of the issues in the survey. It was noted that very few people in the United States have heard of CCS, and those who have heard of it were no more likely to know what environmental concern it addressed than those who had not heard of CCS. 13 refs

Challenges in public awareness: reports of uranium poisoning in Punjab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Virk, Hardev Singh

2012-01-01

Public interest and concern about environmental radiation hazards has increased after the Chernobyl reactor accident on 26 April 1 986 and, more recently, after the Japanese Radiation Disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant when it was hit by Tsunami on March 11, 2011. Reactor accidents and nuclear explosions have created a media-hype and a 'nuclear neurosis' among the general public to veto setting up any nuclear facility in the neighbourhood or even in remote areas. There is lot of public protest in Tamil Nadu against setting up of Kudankulam Atomic Power Project. Public awareness of environmental radiation hazards is an area which is most neglected in India. A typical case study is the uranium poisoning of ground water Bathinda district of Punjab, where contradictory reports have been published in newspapers during last years (2009-11). Uranium poisoning in Punjab first made news in March 2009, when a South African Clinical Metal Toxicologist, Carin Smit (www.carinsmit.co.za), visiting Faridkot city in Punjab found surprisingly high levels of uranium 88% of the blood samples collected from amongst mentally retarded children in the Malwa region of Punjab. The results of this study were published in a peer review Journal: Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics (2010:2 655-661; doi: 10.4137/CMT.S5154). The results revealed that 87% of children below 12 years and 82% beyond that age having uranium levels high enough to cause diseases, and in the case of one child, the levels were more than 60 times the maximum safe limit. The reports of this study when published in local newspapers created a fear psychosis in the minds of public. Many scientists from Universities of Punjab jumped on the band wagon of Carin Smit to support her claim of high uranium content in blood samples by providing results of uranium analysis of soil and groundwater samples collected from some villages of Bathinda district of Punjab. The present author has carried out an exhaustive

Towards improved public awareness for climate related disaster risk reduction in South Africa: A Participatory Development Communication perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tigere Chagutah

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Southern Africa has frequently been struck by damaging climate hazards which increasingly continue to threaten sustainable development efforts. Ominously, climate models predict that the incidence of major ‘wet’ events, such as floods and cyclones will increase in frequency against the background of a changing climate. Unfortunately, local mechanisms for communicating and raising public awareness of the consequent risks and appropriate risk reduction options remain weak. At the core of policy responses to the threat posed by climate related hazards, the South African government has adopted a disaster risk reduction approach to disaster management. This article details how, among many other measures to limit the adverse impacts of natural hazards, South Africa’s National Disaster Management Framework calls for the implementation of effective public awareness activities to increase the knowledge among communities of the risks they face and what risk-minimising actions they can take. Emphasis is laid on the importance of information provision and knowledge building among at-risk communities. Citing established theories and strategies, the author proposes a participatory development communication approach through Development Support Communication strategies for the provision of disaster risk reduction public awareness activities by government and other disaster risk reduction role-players in South Africa. By way of a review of completed studies and literature, the article provides guidance on the planning and execution of successful public communication campaigns and also discusses the constraints of communication campaigns as an intervention for comprehensive disaster risk reduction.

Factors associated with public awareness of the Crown Health Program in the Al-Jouf Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziad A Memish

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: A community-based intervention, the Crown Health Project (CHP, was developed by the Ministry of Health. It was implemented on a small-scale in Al-Jouf Region in Northern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assess its feasibility and effectiveness so that it can be scaled up. This study primarily aimed at investigating factors associated with the awareness of CHP in order to improve subsequent campaigns for the program in Al-Jouf and other regions. A secondary aim was to assess possible changes of public awareness during intensification of the awareness campaign between October 2011 and May 2012. Methods: A pre- and post-questionnaire cross-sectional approach was undertaken, and the intervention was an awareness campaign. Variables collected included demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education, occupation, urban/rural residence and CHP awareness (its existence, sources of knowledge about CHP, its goals and objectives, its target diseases, location of activities, participation in such activities. Logistic regression was used to analyze the awareness of the program according to participant characteristics, with a time of the survey as a variable. Results: Awareness of the program was found to be 11 times higher among postsurvey respondents than presurvey respondents. Respondents of the second survey were better at correctly identifying "health education" as the main goal of the CHP (odds ratio [OR], 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-5.5, "noncommunicable diseases" as the main diseases targeted (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 3.6-6.4 and "attention to health" as the purpose (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 4.0-8.9. Conclusion: The different activities of the CHP were successful in dramatically increasing awareness of the CHP program in Al-Jouf.

Marine environmental contamination: public awareness, concern and perceived effectiveness in five European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Silke; Sioen, Isabelle; De Henauw, Stefaan; Rosseel, Yves; Calis, Tanja; Tediosi, Alice; Nadal, Martí; Marques, António; Verbeke, Wim

2015-11-01

Given the potential of Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (PCE) in shaping pro-environmental behavior, the relationships between PCE, awareness of causes of contaminants in the marine environment, and concern about marine environmental contamination were investigated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). PCE is the belief that an individual has in being able to make a difference when acting alone. A web-based survey was performed in one western European country (Belgium), one northern European country (Ireland) and three southern European countries (Italy, Portugal and Spain), resulting in a total sample size of 2824 participants. The analyses confirm that European citizens are concerned about marine environmental problems. Participants from the southern countries reported the highest concern. In addition, the study participants did not have a strong belief in themselves in being capable of making a difference in tackling marine environmental problems. However, a higher awareness, which was associated with a higher degree of concern, enhanced the belief that an individual can make a difference in tackling marine environmental problems, though only when a concrete action was proposed. Consequently, information campaigns focusing on pro-environmental behavior are recommended to raise public awareness about marine environmental problems and at the same time explicitly refer to concrete possible actions. The findings indicate that when only awareness and concern are raised without mentioning a concrete action, PCE might even decrease and render the communication effort ineffective. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs: Public Awareness and Perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Katelyn E; Robbins, Jesse; von Keyserlingk, Marina A G

2016-01-01

Tail docking and ear cropping are two surgical procedures commonly performed on many dog breeds. These procedures are classified as medically unnecessary surgeries whose purpose is primarily cosmetic. Available attitude research surrounding these controversial practices has been limited to surveys of veterinarians and dog breeders familiar with both practices. The aim of this project was to: 1) assess public awareness of tail docking and ear cropping, 2) determine whether physical alteration of a dog affects how the dog, and 3) owner are perceived. In Experiment 1 awareness was measured using a combination of both explicit and implicit measures. We found that 42% of participants (n = 810) were unable to correctly explain the reason why tail docked and ear cropped dogs had short ears and tails. Similarly, an implicit measure of awareness ('nature vs nurture task'), found that the majority of participants believed short tails and erect ears were a consequence of genetics rather than something the owner or breeder had done. The results obtained in Experiment 2 (n = 392) provide evidence that ear cropped and tail docked dogs are perceived differently than an identical dog in its 'natural' state. Modified dogs were perceived as being more aggressive, more dominant, less playful and less attractive than natural dogs. Experiment 3 (n = 410) is the first evidence that owners of modified dogs are perceived as being more aggressive, more narcissistic, less playful, less talkative and less warm compared to owners of natural dogs. Taken together, these results suggest that although a significant proportion of subjects appear unaware of the practices of tail docking and ear cropping in dogs, these procedures have significant impacts on how modified dogs and their owners are perceived by others.

Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs: Public Awareness and Perceptions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katelyn E Mills

Full Text Available Tail docking and ear cropping are two surgical procedures commonly performed on many dog breeds. These procedures are classified as medically unnecessary surgeries whose purpose is primarily cosmetic. Available attitude research surrounding these controversial practices has been limited to surveys of veterinarians and dog breeders familiar with both practices. The aim of this project was to: 1 assess public awareness of tail docking and ear cropping, 2 determine whether physical alteration of a dog affects how the dog, and 3 owner are perceived. In Experiment 1 awareness was measured using a combination of both explicit and implicit measures. We found that 42% of participants (n = 810 were unable to correctly explain the reason why tail docked and ear cropped dogs had short ears and tails. Similarly, an implicit measure of awareness ('nature vs nurture task', found that the majority of participants believed short tails and erect ears were a consequence of genetics rather than something the owner or breeder had done. The results obtained in Experiment 2 (n = 392 provide evidence that ear cropped and tail docked dogs are perceived differently than an identical dog in its 'natural' state. Modified dogs were perceived as being more aggressive, more dominant, less playful and less attractive than natural dogs. Experiment 3 (n = 410 is the first evidence that owners of modified dogs are perceived as being more aggressive, more narcissistic, less playful, less talkative and less warm compared to owners of natural dogs. Taken together, these results suggest that although a significant proportion of subjects appear unaware of the practices of tail docking and ear cropping in dogs, these procedures have significant impacts on how modified dogs and their owners are perceived by others.

Interfaith Program for Public Awareness of Nuclear Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-11-01

Planning for the Interfaith Progam for Public Awareness of Nuclear Issues (IPPANI) began at the time of the Falkland Islands crisis. At that time representatives of certain of the faith groups in Toronto became concerned about the moral and ethical implications of Canada's export of fuel for a CANDU nuclear generating plant in Argentina. In order to accomplish its goals, the Planning Committee devised a program to provide unbiased input to the faith groups' deliberations on the ethical and moral issues involved in the nuclear debate. The development of a fair set of questions was aided by obtaining advice from the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), and from Energy Probe and others. The work of preparing a suitable agenda was completed early in 1984. Its result was embodied in appendices to the public document promoting the program, which is appended to this report. Invitations were sent to over six hundred individuals and organizations to appear before the panelists as 'presenters'. The resulting invitation list included spokespeople for both 'pro' and 'anti' nuclear positions on each of the three topics, as well as some who were found to be 'in the middle'. The three major topics were domestic nuclear issues, international trade and military uses of nuclear materials and technology. The next task of the Planning Committee is that of embodying the process and its results in an educational program for the supplementary and parochial school systems. The production of this book is the first step in that task

Message design strategies to raise public awareness of social determinants of health and population health disparities.

Science.gov (United States)

Niederdeppe, Jeff; Bu, Q Lisa; Borah, Porismita; Kindig, David A; Robert, Stephanie A

2008-09-01

Raising public awareness of the importance of social determinants of health (SDH) and health disparities presents formidable communication challenges. This article reviews three message strategies that could be used to raise awareness of SDH and health disparities: message framing, narratives, and visual imagery. Although few studies have directly tested message strategies for raising awareness of SDH and health disparities, the accumulated evidence from other domains suggests that population health advocates should frame messages to acknowledge a role for individual decisions about behavior but emphasize SDH. These messages might use narratives to provide examples of individuals facing structural barriers (unsafe working conditions, neighborhood safety concerns, lack of civic opportunities) in efforts to avoid poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, and other social determinants. Evocative visual images that invite generalizations, suggest causal interpretations, highlight contrasts, and create analogies could accompany these narratives. These narratives and images should not distract attention from SDH and population health disparities, activate negative stereotypes, or provoke counterproductive emotional responses directed at the source of the message. The field of communication science offers valuable insights into ways that population health advocates and researchers might develop better messages to shape public opinion and debate about the social conditions that shape the health and well-being of populations. The time has arrived to begin thinking systematically about issues in communicating about SDH and health disparities. This article offers a broad framework for these efforts and concludes with an agenda for future research to refine message strategies to raise awareness of SDH and health disparities.

Awareness and enforcement of guidelines for publishing industry-sponsored medical research among publication professionals: the Global Publication Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Wager, Elizabeth; Woolley, Karen; Adshead, Viv; Cairns, Angela; Fullam, Josh; Gonzalez, John; Grant, Tom; Tortell, Stephanie

2014-04-19

To gather information about current practices and implementation of publication guidelines among publication professionals working in or for the pharmaceutical industry. Web-based survey publicised via email and social media to members of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) and other organisations from November 2012 to February 2013. 469 individuals involved in publishing industry-sponsored research in peer-reviewed journals, mainly working in pharmaceutical or device companies ('industry', n=144), communication agencies ('agency', n=238), contract research organisations (CRO, n=15) or as freelancers (n=34). Most respondents (78%) had worked on medical publications for ≥5 years and 62% had a PhD/MD. Over 90% of industry, agency and CRO respondents routinely refer to Good Publication Practice (GPP2) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' Uniform Requirements. Most respondents (78% industry, 79% agency) received mandatory training on ethical publication practices. Over 90% of respondents' companies had publication guidelines or policies and required medical writing support to be acknowledged in publications (96% industry, 99% agency). Many industry respondents used publication management tools to monitor compliance with company guidelines and about half (46%) stated that their company had formal publication audits. Fewer agencies audited adherence to guidelines but 20% of agency respondents reported audits of employees and 6% audits of freelancers. Of concern, 37% of agency respondents reported requests from authors or sponsors that they believed were unethical, although 93% of these requests were withdrawn after respondents explained the need for compliance with guidelines. Most respondents' departments (63% industry, 58% agency, 60% CRO) had been involved in publishing studies with negative or inconclusive results. Within this sample, most publication professionals working in or for industry were aware of

Public Awareness on Cord Blood Banking in Saudi Arabia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunia Jawdat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. In the last decade, cord blood (CB has proven to be a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation to treat many hematological disorders. Since then, many CB banks have been established worldwide. Our aim was to estimate the level of public awareness of CB banking in Saudi Arabia. Study Design and Methods. A self-administered questionnaire of 22 multiple choices was conveniently distributed, consisting of demographics, awareness measure, attitude toward banking preference, and donation for research data. Results. A total of 1146 participants have completed the questionnaire. The majority were young female 19–25 years old (26%, who are college graduates (57% with middle class socioeconomic status (82%. The subjective assessment of the overall knowledge was inadequate (66%. For the objective assessment, 12 questions were asked about CB source, collection, storage, and usage. Only half of the subjects (52% knew that CB is a source of stem cells. More than half did not know the main use of CB. About half did not know about the method of collection nor the condition of storing. Conclusion. This study shows a high lack of knowledge about CB banking. More than half of the subjects were unaware of CB banking and its uses. However, most subjects are accepting CB storage, which anticipates great impact and efficacy on educational programs. Moreover, the data demonstrated that health professionals were not the source of knowledge. We recommend having comprehensive educational campaigns with clear information about CB banking to facilitate positive perspectives towards donation and scientific research.

Public Awareness on Cord Blood Banking in Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

AlTwijri, Sulaiman; AlSemari, Hadeel; Saade, Mayssa; Alaskar, Ahmed

2018-01-01

Background In the last decade, cord blood (CB) has proven to be a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation to treat many hematological disorders. Since then, many CB banks have been established worldwide. Our aim was to estimate the level of public awareness of CB banking in Saudi Arabia. Study Design and Methods A self-administered questionnaire of 22 multiple choices was conveniently distributed, consisting of demographics, awareness measure, attitude toward banking preference, and donation for research data. Results A total of 1146 participants have completed the questionnaire. The majority were young female 19–25 years old (26%), who are college graduates (57%) with middle class socioeconomic status (82%). The subjective assessment of the overall knowledge was inadequate (66%). For the objective assessment, 12 questions were asked about CB source, collection, storage, and usage. Only half of the subjects (52%) knew that CB is a source of stem cells. More than half did not know the main use of CB. About half did not know about the method of collection nor the condition of storing. Conclusion This study shows a high lack of knowledge about CB banking. More than half of the subjects were unaware of CB banking and its uses. However, most subjects are accepting CB storage, which anticipates great impact and efficacy on educational programs. Moreover, the data demonstrated that health professionals were not the source of knowledge. We recommend having comprehensive educational campaigns with clear information about CB banking to facilitate positive perspectives towards donation and scientific research. PMID:29765424

Public awareness - calendar with information about emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podhraski Benkovic, S.; Novosel, N.

2009-01-01

State Office for Nuclear Safety in co-operation with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (in Slovenia) and Agency for Education during the years 2002 till now realized the project of preparing the calendar for families living in the circle 25 km from the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (Slovenia) and in the circle of 100 km from Nuclear Power Plant Paks (Hungary). The calendars are containing primary school pupils' paintings about energy, environment, nuclear technology and additional information about preparedness in the Republic of Croatia in the case of nuclear accident and recommendation for acting. Collecting of paintings is carried out each year between pupils from second to eight grades in the schools near Nuclear Power Plant Krsko and Nuclear Power Plant Paks. Expert commission chose twelve best paintings for the following year. This kind of project is only one way of public relations and awareness which helps in expanding knowledge about successful living close to nuclear and other energy technologies. In this poster presentation more about this project will be presented.(author)

Public awareness - calendar with information about emergency preparedness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Podhraski Benkovic, S; Novosel, N [State Office for Nuclear Safety, Zagreb (Croatia)

2009-07-01

State Office for Nuclear Safety in co-operation with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (in Slovenia) and Agency for Education during the years 2002 till now realized the project of preparing the calendar for families living in the circle 25 km from the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (Slovenia) and in the circle of 100 km from Nuclear Power Plant Paks (Hungary). The calendars are containing primary school pupils' paintings about energy, environment, nuclear technology and additional information about preparedness in the Republic of Croatia in the case of nuclear accident and recommendation for acting. Collecting of paintings is carried out each year between pupils from second to eight grades in the schools near Nuclear Power Plant Krsko and Nuclear Power Plant Paks. Expert commission chose twelve best paintings for the following year. This kind of project is only one way of public relations and awareness which helps in expanding knowledge about successful living close to nuclear and other energy technologies. In this poster presentation more about this project will be presented.(author)

Public Awareness - Calendar with Information about Emergency Preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podhraski Benkovic, S.; Novosel, N.

2008-01-01

State Office for Nuclear Safety in co-operation with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (in Slovenia) and Agency for Education during the years 2002 till now realized the project of preparing the calendar for families living in the circle 25 km from the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (Slovenia) and in the circle of 100 km from Nuclear Power Plant Paks (Hungary). The calendars are containing primary school pupils' paintings about energy, environment, nuclear technology and additional information about preparedness in the Republic of Croatia in the case of nuclear accident and recommendation for acting. Collecting of paintings is carried out each year between pupils from second to eight grades in the schools near Nuclear Power Plant Krsko and Nuclear Power Plant Paks. Expert commission chose twelve best paintings for the following year. This kind of project is only one way of public relations and awareness which helps in expanding knowledge about successful living close to nuclear and other energy technologies. In this poster presentation more about this project will be presented.(author)

Awareness in cardiac anesthesia.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Serfontein, Leon

2010-02-01

Cardiac surgery represents a sub-group of patients at significantly increased risk of intraoperative awareness. Relatively few recent publications have targeted the topic of awareness in this group. The aim of this review is to identify areas of awareness research that may equally be extrapolated to cardiac anesthesia in the attempt to increase understanding of the nature and significance of this scenario and how to reduce it.

Cancer symptom awareness and barriers to medical help seeking in Scottish adolescents: a cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Hubbard, Gill; Macmillan, Iona; Canny, Anne; Forbat, Liz; Neal, Richard D; O’Carroll, Ronan E; Haw, Sally; Kyle, Richard G

2014-01-01

Background Initiatives to promote early diagnosis include raising public awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and addressing barriers to seeking medical help about cancer. Awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and emotional barriers, such as, fear, worry, and embarrassment strongly influence help seeking behaviour. Whether anxiety influences seeking medical help about cancer is not known. The purpose of this study about adolescents was to examine: 1) the relationship between contextu...

Communicating on risk and safety in terms of awareness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammar, L.; Andersson, Kjell

1999-01-01

'Safety awareness' is proposed as a possibly constructive concept for the purpose of promoting initiatives in nuclear safety work and gaining improved understanding when communicating on nuclear safety. Safety is thus conceived as resulting essentially from and actually constituting awareness of critical factors in regard of safety. The concept aims specifically at promoting the view of 'safety' as 'awareness of required conditions for being in control of risk'. It aims as well at making clearer sense in calling for constant improvement of safety, according to practice in a safety culture. This proposed view would be expected to lead to applying the usual types of safety criteria but offers the merit of attracting due attention to 'awareness goals' in process oriented safety management which are fundamental to maintaining and improving safety. Applications are discussed in regard of communicating on nuclear safety between decision-makers and the general public, developing and maintaining safety culture, integrating specialist expert contributions in over-all safety assessment, setting safety goals and using safety indicators

Awareness and attitude of the public toward personalized medicine in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Iyn-Hyang; Kang, Hye-Young; Suh, Hae Sun; Lee, Sukhyang; Oh, Eun Sil

2018-01-01

Objectives As personalized medicine (PM) is expected to greatly improve health outcomes, efforts have recently been made for its clinical implementation in Korea. We aimed to evaluate public awareness and attitude regarding PM. Methods We performed a self-administered questionnaire survey to 703 adults, who participated in the survey on a voluntary basis. The primary outcome measures included public knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of PM. We conducted multinomial multivariate logistic analysis for outcome variables with three response categories and performed multivariate logistic regression analyses for dichotomous outcome variables. Results Only 28% of participants had knowledge that genetic factors can contribute to inter-individual variations in drug response and the definition of PM (199 out of 702). Higher family income was correlated with greater knowledge concerning PM (OR = 3.76, p = 0.034). A majority of respondents preferred integrated pharmacogenomic testing over drug-specific testing and agreed to inclusion of pharmacogenomic testing in the national health examination (64% and 77%, respectively), but only 51% were willing to pay for it. Discussion Our results identify the urgent need for public education as well as the potential health disparities in access to PM. This study helps to frame policies for implementing PM in clinical practice. PMID:29451916

My Space- a collaboration between Arts & Science to create a suite of informal interactive public engagement initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Niamh, , Dr.; McSweeney, Clair; Smith, Niall, , Dr.; O'Neill, Stephanie; Foley, Cathy; Crawley, Joanna; Phelan, Ronan; Colley, Dan; Henderson, Clare; Conroy, Lorraine

2015-04-01

A suite of informal interactive public engagement initiatives, entitled 'MySpace' was created, to promote the importance of Earth science and Space exploration, to ignite curiosity and discover new and engaging platforms for science in the Arts & in STEM Education, and to increase awareness of careers in Ireland's Space and Earth Science industries. Site visits to research centres in Ireland & abroad, interviews with scientists, engineers, and former astronauts were conducted over a 6 month period. A suite of performance pieces emerged from this development phase, based on Dr. Shaw's personal documented journey and the dissemination of her research. These included: 1. 'To Space'- A live multimedia theatre performance aimed at the general public & young adult. Initially presented as a 'Work In Progress' event at The Festival of Curiosity, the full theatre show 'To Space' premiered at Science Gallery, Dublin as part of Tiger Dublin Fringe Arts Festival. Response to the piece was very strong, indicated by audience response, box office sales and theatre reviews in national press and online. A national and international tour is in place for 2015. To Space was performed a total of 10 times and was seen by 680 audiences. 2. An adapted piece for 13-17 year old students -'ToSpace for Secondary Schools'- to increase awareness of Ireland's involvement in Space Exploration & to encourage school leavers to dream big. This show toured nationally as part of World Space week and Science week events in conjunction with ESERO Ireland, CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork, Armagh Planetarium & Dunsink Observatory. It was performed 12 times and was seen by 570 students. 3. 'My Place in Space', created for families from the very old (60 +) to the very young (3yrs +), this highly interactive workshop highlighted the appeal of science through the wonders of our planet and its place in Space. Presented at Festival of Curiosity, the Mallow Science Fair and at Science week 2014, this

Pricing initial public offerings in premature capital markets : the case of Hungary

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schindele, I.; Perotti, E.C.

2002-01-01

This paper investigates the determinants of underpricing at initial public offerings in theHungarian Initial Public Offerings (IPO) market in 1990-1998, a period of transition from socialist to market economy and immaturity of the domestic capital market. The evidence suggests that political issues

Public perceptions, knowledge and awareness of cholesterol management in Singapore: a prospective pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aung, Than Htike; Go, Yun Yun; Low, Lip Ping; Chua, Terrance

2013-01-01

Hyperlipidaemia is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Its effective treatment has been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events, both in secondary and primary prevention. An essential component of risk factor management at the community level is public awareness and knowledge of treatment benefits. However, this data is limited in Singapore. A cross-sectional survey questionnaire of public perception and knowledge on cholesterol treatment among adult Singaporeans aged 30-69 years was commissioned by the Singapore Heart Foundation and conducted by a professional market survey company. Regional quota sampling was performed to ensure that the sample was representative of the Singapore population. This was followed by random sampling of households and respondents. Of the 365 respondents, 40.9% were male, 70.3% were Chinese, 18.8% Malay and 10.9% Indian. The mean age was 47.5 years. Although 81.9% of respondents had medical check-ups involving blood tests, only 11.0% knew their actual cholesterol levels. A third of the respondents saw herbal medicine as healthier and safer than Western medication. More than 80% of respondents believed that diet and exercise were equally effective at lowering cholesterol as medication. About half of the respondents associated long-term use of statins with damage to the liver and kidney, while a third associated chronic statin use with the development of cancer. There are gaps in the level of public awareness and understanding of cholesterol treatment in Singapore. Common misconceptions should be addressed, as they could potentially impair effective management or treatment compliance.

78 FR 57409 - U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Public Outreach

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-18

.... Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Public Outreach AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior... Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) candidacy application. By this notice, Interior is providing the...' commitment to participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. EITI is a signature...

Public awareness in Singapore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz Nather

1999-01-01

Public education is vital for the viability and development of any tissue bank. Whilst the Medical Therapy, Education and Research Act 1972 requiring consent from relative or next kin provides for procurement and transplantation of tissues, the public needs to be educated. Whilst much is known about kidney, liver and heart transplantation. NUH Tissue Bank adopts a 4-point strategy for public education:- 1.The Kidney Team headed by National Kidney Foundation has an aggressive, yearly public education drive. Our first strategy has been to join them in the National Kidney Donation Campaigns and slowly use their forum for Tissue Donation Drives. This has proved successful. 2. We took a key role in supporting the formation of the Society of transplantation of Singapore. I was elected Member of the Executive Committee and currently its Treasurer. The Society itself run scientific and public forums and with each one the public became more informed about us. 3.We ourselves actively publicise our workshops - seize every opportunity via TV, Radio, Newspaper, Hospital Bulletins, Campus News, Asian Medical News, etc. We did this once a year conservatively since 1995. 4. NUH Tissue Bank was invited to join a task force headed by Director of Medical Services, Dr Chen Ai Ju for increasing Organ and Tissue Donation in Singapore in January 1997. This has been very productive. Government is providing a one to two million dollars budget per year. March has been designed 'National Donation March'. The first drive will be in March 1999. In all our deliberation, we always take into consideration the cultural values and religious sensitivities of our multiracial population 80% Chinese, 15% Malays, 5% Indians

Study on public awareness of utilizing nuclear power in China. Changes in public awareness after the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Ting; Wakabayashi, Toshio

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to clarify public awareness of utilizing nuclear power in China and to determine the effects of the accident of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants. Web online surveys were carried out before and after the accident of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants. The online survey before the accident of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants had 4,255 adult respondents consisting of 1,851 males and 2,404 females. The online survey after the accident had 721 respondents consisting of 406 males and 315 females. The two online surveys about the attitude toward nuclear power plants consisted of 37 items, such as the necessity of nuclear power plants, the reliability of safety, and government confidence. As a result, respondents of the online surveys in China consider that nuclear energy is more important than the anxiety of accident. On the other hand, women have sensation of fear for the accident of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants and radiation. (author)

A pilot study exploring awareness among general public toward issues related to medication safety in the state of Penang, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Azmi Hassali

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Context: A better understanding of medication safety ensures better health state among healthcare consumers. Aim: The study aims to assess general public awareness toward issues related to medication safety. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among general public selected conveniently in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Materials and methods: A total of 500 respondents were approached and 476 consumers participated in the survey giving a response rate of 95.2%. Statistical analysis: Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 12.0 and descriptive statistics were reported where appropriate. Results: Majority of the respondents (n=292, 61.3% stated that they were well aware of the possible side effects of their current medications. A total of 196 respondents (41.17% believed that all medicines registered in Malaysia are safe to use as these medicines have no side effects. About 40.33% (n=192 of the respondents claimed that they share their unused medicines with family and friends who are having similar illness. Majority of respondents 57.7% (n=275 were satisfied with the drug information provided by the healthcare professionals. This study also found that more than 80% of the respondents (n=409 did report that they read the labels of their medication before using. Conclusions: In this study, it was revealed that there is a moderate level of public knowledge regarding medication safety. It is evident that public underestimates the risk of their medications. There is a general lack of awareness and understanding among the public especially toward side effects.

Awareness and enforcement of guidelines for publishing industry-sponsored medical research among publication professionals: the Global Publication Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Wager, Elizabeth; Woolley, Karen; Adshead, Viv; Cairns, Angela; Fullam, Josh; Gonzalez, John; Grant, Tom; Tortell, Stephanie

2014-01-01

, most publication professionals working in or for industry were aware of, and applying, major publication guidelines. However, the survey also identified specific areas where education and promotion of guidelines are needed to ensure ethical publication practices. PMID:24747794

Awareness of rabies prevention and control measures among public health workers in Northern Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, A K T; Nguyen, H T T; Pham, T N; Hoang, T V; Olowokure, B

2015-12-01

To assess and compare rabies related knowledge and awareness of public health workers at provincial and district levels in the seven provinces with the highest number of deaths from human rabies in northern Vietnam. A cross-sectional study. A survey was administered to a convenience sample of public health workers attending four workshops on rabies disease, control and prevention between 16 October and 21 November, 2012. Total knowledge scores (maximum 38 points) were categorized into: 'high' (>30 points) 'moderate' (21-30) and 'low' (workers attending the workshops: 57% were male; 76% worked at the district level compared with 24% who worked at provincial level; and 45% had worked in rabies control for control for >5 years. Overall knowledge was patchy and ranked as 'moderate'. Important gaps in knowledge were identified particularly in relation to indications for rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin, and routes of exposure to rabies virus. One in ten respondents did not know that rabies virus could be transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. When examining the overall mean knowledge scores, marginally significant differences were identified. The average scores for district level health workers (DLHW) and provincial level health workers (PLHW) were 28 ± 3 and 29 ± 3 points respectively (p = 0.098), which fell within the study definition of 'moderate' knowledge. In contrast, when 'high' knowledge scores were compared, a significantly greater proportion of PLHW achieved >30 points compared to DLHW (44.0% vs 22.5%, p = 0.044). Important gaps in knowledge and awareness of public health workers were identified particularly in relation to routes of exposure to rabies virus and indications for rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin. Overall, comparison of knowledge scores revealed significant differences between district and provincial public health workers. The results obtained suggest that in order for rabies control programmes to succeed public health

The Role of Political Action and Media in Increasing Public Awareness of Water Scarcity: Combined Effects on Water Use Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Quesnel, K.; Roby, N.; Gonzales, P.; Ajami, N.

2016-12-01

In the midst of California's current drought, authorities have enacted widespread initiatives aimed at coping with water scarcity, for example the first mandatory statewide urban water use reductions in 2015. But to what extent have these measures resulted in decreased water consumption? To answer this question, our research examines the impact of political actions on water use by using media as a proxy. News media outlets have heavily covered the progression of the California drought, and this outreach has played an important role in disseminating information and raising public awareness. To our knowledge, the relationship between political action/media coverage and water use has yet to be examined. In this study, we extract the number of articles related to the term "California Drought" from six widely-read national and statewide newspapers from 2005 to 2015. We study the relationship between media and monthly urban water use at the utility level using multivariate panel regression and principal components analysis to examine how media interacts with other modes of influence such as climate, price, and the state of the economy and how populations of different socio-demographics are affected by media outreach. We also use daily household-level water use readings from recently installed Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) in one utility to examine the relationship on a finer spatiotemporal scale. Using a policy timeline, Google search rates, and newspaper article trends confirms the relationship between political actions, public awareness, and media outreach. Preliminary modeling indicates that media plays a significant role in altering water use patterns for residential customers and in utilities with specific local characteristics.

Public Awareness regarding Common Eye Diseases among Saudi Adults in Riyadh City: A Quantitative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waleed A. Al Rashed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The current study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of eye disease and awareness of eye care among the Saudi adults and to explore existing eye-related misconceptions in the community. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh city during May and June 2016. A self-administered anonymous online questionnaire was used to explore the most common misconceptions related to eye diseases and eye care. Results. Out of 1000 individuals, only 711 (71.1% participant responses were received. The participants’ acceptable knowledge (score ≥50% was high about the eye problem in diabetes (88.6%, ocular trauma (81.2%, and other general eye diseases (91.3%, whereas low about refractive errors (63%, pediatric eye problems (51.5%, and glaucoma (14.8%. The variation in knowledge about specific ocular morbidities was significant (p<0.001. The majority of participants reported sources of information about the common eye diseases and eye care encountered from the community, internet-based resources, and social media. Conclusions. The majority of the participants had awareness about the common eye diseases, whereas low percentage of participant’s awareness about specific condition of eye diseases. Public eye health awareness should be more focused on social media and the internet to be able to cover the younger individuals of the community.

The Yekaterinburg headache initiative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lebedeva, Elena R; Olesen, Jes; Osipova, Vera V

2013-01-01

for a demonstrational interventional project in Russia, undertaken within the Global Campaign against Headache. The initiative proposes three actions: 1) raise awareness of need for improvement; 2) design and implement a three-tier model (from primary care to a single highly specialized centre with academic affiliation......) for efficient and equitable delivery of headache-related health care; 3) develop a range of educational initiatives aimed at primary-care physicians, non-specialist neurologists, pharmacists and the general public to support the second action. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We set these proposals in a context...... of a health-care needs assessment, and as a model for all Russia. We present and discuss early progress of the initiative, justify the investment of resources required for implementation and call for the political support that full implementation requires. The more that the Yekaterinburg headache initiative...

Professional and Educational Initiatives, Supports, and Opportunities for Advanced Training in Public Health

OpenAIRE

Truong, Hoai-An; Patterson, Brooke Y.

2010-01-01

The United States is facing a public health workforce shortage and pharmacists have the opportunity and obligation to address this challenge in health care. There have been initiatives and supports from within and beyond the profession for the pharmacist's role in public health. This article identifies existing professional and educational initiatives for the pharmacist's expanded role in public health, as well as postgraduate and other advanced educational opportunities in public health. Rec...

Beacon communities' public health initiatives: a case study analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Massoudi, Barbara L; Marcial, Laura H; Haque, Saira; Bailey, Robert; Chester, Kelley; Cunningham, Shellery; Riley, Amanda; Soper, Paula

2014-01-01

The Beacon Communities for Public Health (BCPH) project was launched in 2011 to gain a better understanding of the range of activities currently being conducted in population- and public health by the Beacon Communities. The project highlighted the successes and challenges of these efforts with the aim of sharing this information broadly among the public health community. The Beacon Community Program, designed to showcase technology-enabled, community-based initiatives to improve outcomes, focused on: building and strengthening health information technology (IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities; translating investments in health IT to measureable improvements in cost, quality, and population health; and, developing innovative approaches to performance measurement, technology, and care delivery. Four multimethod case studies were conducted based on a modified sociotechnical framework to learn more about public health initiative implementation and use in the Beacon Communities. Our methodological approach included using document review and semistructured key informant interviews. NACCHO Model Practice Program criteria were used to select the public health initiatives included in the case studies. Despite differences among the case studies, common barriers and facilitators were found to be present in all areas of the sociotechnical framework application including structure, people, technology, tasks, overarching considerations, and sustainability. Overall, there were many more facilitators (range = 7-14) present for each Beacon compared to barriers (range = 4-6). Four influential promising practices were identified through the work: forging strong and sustainable partnerships; ensuring a good task-technology fit and a flexible and iterative design; fostering technology acceptance; and, providing education and demonstrating value. A common weakness was the lack of a framework or model for the Beacon Communities evaluation work. Sharing a framework or approach

Beacon Communities’ Public Health Initiatives: A Case Study Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Massoudi, Barbara L.; Marcial, Laura H.; Haque, Saira; Bailey, Robert; Chester, Kelley; Cunningham, Shellery; Riley, Amanda; Soper, Paula

2014-01-01

Introduction: The Beacon Communities for Public Health (BCPH) project was launched in 2011 to gain a better understanding of the range of activities currently being conducted in population- and public health by the Beacon Communities. The project highlighted the successes and challenges of these efforts with the aim of sharing this information broadly among the public health community. Background: The Beacon Community Program, designed to showcase technology-enabled, community-based initiatives to improve outcomes, focused on: building and strengthening health information technology (IT) infrastructure and exchange capabilities; translating investments in health IT to measureable improvements in cost, quality, and population health; and, developing innovative approaches to performance measurement, technology, and care delivery. Methods: Four multimethod case studies were conducted based on a modified sociotechnical framework to learn more about public health initiative implementation and use in the Beacon Communities. Our methodological approach included using document review and semistructured key informant interviews. NACCHO Model Practice Program criteria were used to select the public health initiatives included in the case studies. Findings: Despite differences among the case studies, common barriers and facilitators were found to be present in all areas of the sociotechnical framework application including structure, people, technology, tasks, overarching considerations, and sustainability. Overall, there were many more facilitators (range = 7–14) present for each Beacon compared to barriers (range = 4–6). Discussion: Four influential promising practices were identified through the work: forging strong and sustainable partnerships; ensuring a good task-technology fit and a flexible and iterative design; fostering technology acceptance; and, providing education and demonstrating value. Conclusions: A common weakness was the lack of a framework or model for

Leveraging Social Media to Promote Public Health Knowledge: Example of Cancer Awareness via Twitter.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Songhua; Markson, Christopher; Costello, Kaitlin L; Xing, Cathleen Y; Demissie, Kitaw; Llanos, Adana Am

2016-01-01

As social media becomes increasingly popular online venues for engaging in communication about public health issues, it is important to understand how users promote knowledge and awareness about specific topics. The aim of this study is to examine the frequency of discussion and differences by race and ethnicity of cancer-related topics among unique users via Twitter. Tweets were collected from April 1, 2014 through January 21, 2015 using the Twitter public streaming Application Programming Interface (API) to collect 1% of public tweets. Twitter users were classified into racial and ethnic groups using a new text mining approach applied to English-only tweets. Each ethnic group was then analyzed for frequency in cancer-related terms within user timelines, investigated for changes over time and across groups, and measured for statistical significance. Observable usage patterns of the terms "cancer", "breast cancer", "prostate cancer", and "lung cancer" between Caucasian and African American groups were evident across the study period. We observed some variation in the frequency of term usage during months known to be labeled as cancer awareness months, particularly September, October, and November. Interestingly, we found that of the terms studied, "colorectal cancer" received the least Twitter attention. The findings of the study provide evidence that social media can serve as a very powerful and important tool in implementing and disseminating critical prevention, screening, and treatment messages to the community in real-time. The study also introduced and tested a new methodology of identifying race and ethnicity among users of the social media. Study findings highlight the potential benefits of social media as a tool in reducing racial and ethnic disparities.

Public hospital quality report awareness: evidence from National and Californian Internet searches and social media mentions, 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Huesch, Marco D; Currid-Halkett, Elizabeth; Doctor, Jason N

2014-03-11

Publicly available hospital quality reports seek to inform consumers of important healthcare quality and affordability attributes, and may inform consumer decision-making. To understand how much consumers search for such information online on one Internet search engine, whether they mention such information in social media and how positively they view this information. A leading Internet search engine (Google) was the main focus of the study. Google Trends and Google Adwords keyword analyses were performed for national and Californian searches between 1 August 2012 and 31 July 2013 for keywords related to 'top hospital', best hospital', and 'hospital quality', as well as for six specific hospital quality reports. Separately, a proprietary social media monitoring tool was used to investigate blog, forum, social media and traditional media mentions of, and sentiment towards, major public reports of hospital quality in California in 2012. (1) Counts of searches for keywords performed on Google; (2) counts of and (3) sentiment of mentions of public reports on social media. National Google search volume for 75 hospital quality-related terms averaged 610 700 searches per month with strong variation by keyword and by state. A commercial report (Healthgrades) was more commonly searched for nationally on Google than the federal government's Hospital Compare, which otherwise dominated quality-related search terms. Social media references in California to quality reports were generally few, and commercially produced hospital quality reports were more widely mentioned than state (Office of Statewide Healthcare Planning and Development (OSHPD)), or non-profit (CalHospitalCompare) reports. Consumers are somewhat aware of hospital quality based on Internet search activity and social media disclosures. Public stakeholders may be able to broaden their quality dissemination initiatives by advertising on Google or Twitter and using social media interactively with consumers looking

Public hospital quality report awareness: evidence from National and Californian Internet searches and social media mentions, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Huesch, Marco D; Currid-Halkett, Elizabeth; Doctor, Jason N

2014-01-01

Objectives Publicly available hospital quality reports seek to inform consumers of important healthcare quality and affordability attributes, and may inform consumer decision-making. To understand how much consumers search for such information online on one Internet search engine, whether they mention such information in social media and how positively they view this information. Setting and design A leading Internet search engine (Google) was the main focus of the study. Google Trends and Google Adwords keyword analyses were performed for national and Californian searches between 1 August 2012 and 31 July 2013 for keywords related to ‘top hospital’, best hospital’, and ‘hospital quality’, as well as for six specific hospital quality reports. Separately, a proprietary social media monitoring tool was used to investigate blog, forum, social media and traditional media mentions of, and sentiment towards, major public reports of hospital quality in California in 2012. Primary outcome measures (1) Counts of searches for keywords performed on Google; (2) counts of and (3) sentiment of mentions of public reports on social media. Results National Google search volume for 75 hospital quality-related terms averaged 610 700 searches per month with strong variation by keyword and by state. A commercial report (Healthgrades) was more commonly searched for nationally on Google than the federal government's Hospital Compare, which otherwise dominated quality-related search terms. Social media references in California to quality reports were generally few, and commercially produced hospital quality reports were more widely mentioned than state (Office of Statewide Healthcare Planning and Development (OSHPD)), or non-profit (CalHospitalCompare) reports. Conclusions Consumers are somewhat aware of hospital quality based on Internet search activity and social media disclosures. Public stakeholders may be able to broaden their quality dissemination initiatives by

Public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer in England in 2015: a population-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Buykx, Penny; Li, Jessica; Gavens, Lucy; Hooper, Lucie; Lovatt, Melanie; Gomes de Matos, Elena; Meier, Petra; Holmes, John

2016-11-30

Public knowledge of the association between alcohol and cancer is reported to be low. We aimed to provide up-to-date evidence for England regarding awareness of the link between alcohol and different cancers and to determine whether awareness differs by demographic characteristics, alcohol use, and geographic region. A representative sample of 2100 adults completed an online survey in July 2015. Respondents were asked to identify which health outcomes, including specific cancers, may be caused by alcohol consumption. Logistic regressions explored whether demographic, alcohol use, and geographic characteristics predicted correctly identifying alcohol-related cancer risk. Unprompted, 12.9% of respondents identified cancer as a potential health outcome of alcohol consumption. This rose to 47% when prompted (compared to 95% for liver disease and 73% for heart disease). Knowledge of the link between alcohol and specific cancers varied between 18% (breast) and 80% (liver). Respondents identified the following cancers as alcohol-related where no such evidence exists: bladder (54%), brain (32%), ovarian (17%). Significant predictors of awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer were being female, more highly educated, and living in North-East England. There is generally low awareness of the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer, particularly breast cancer. Greater awareness of the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer in North-East England, where a mass media campaign highlighted this relationship, suggests that population awareness can be influenced by social marketing.

Public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer in England in 2015: a population-based survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penny Buykx

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Public knowledge of the association between alcohol and cancer is reported to be low. We aimed to provide up-to-date evidence for England regarding awareness of the link between alcohol and different cancers and to determine whether awareness differs by demographic characteristics, alcohol use, and geographic region. Methods A representative sample of 2100 adults completed an online survey in July 2015. Respondents were asked to identify which health outcomes, including specific cancers, may be caused by alcohol consumption. Logistic regressions explored whether demographic, alcohol use, and geographic characteristics predicted correctly identifying alcohol-related cancer risk. Results Unprompted, 12.9% of respondents identified cancer as a potential health outcome of alcohol consumption. This rose to 47% when prompted (compared to 95% for liver disease and 73% for heart disease. Knowledge of the link between alcohol and specific cancers varied between 18% (breast and 80% (liver. Respondents identified the following cancers as alcohol-related where no such evidence exists: bladder (54%, brain (32%, ovarian (17%. Significant predictors of awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer were being female, more highly educated, and living in North-East England. Conclusion There is generally low awareness of the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer, particularly breast cancer. Greater awareness of the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer in North-East England, where a mass media campaign highlighted this relationship, suggests that population awareness can be influenced by social marketing.

Melanoma early detection and awareness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wainstein, Alberto; Algarra, Salvador Martin; Bastholt, Lars

2014-01-01

to increase public awareness and favor early diagnosis. Awareness campaigns, doctor education, and screening of high-risk subjects have all contributed to improve disease outcome in developed countries. The role of primary care physicians is particularly relevant in this regard. Developing countries...

Developing Cultural Awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İsmail Fırat Altay

2005-04-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at emphasizing the issue of teaching of culture in foreign languageteaching. In this respect, the reasons of teaching culture in foreign language classes arefocused on initially. So, the justifications of teaching culture are considered and explainedand by the help of a dialogue. Right after this, ways of developing cultural awareness is takeninto account. At this step, types of courses to develop cultural awareness are dealt with.Developing cultural awareness in class is another aspect to handle. Besides, ways ofdeveloping cultural awareness outside the class are worked on. Whether there are dangers ofusing culture in foreign language class is explained in dangers and problems part. In theconclusion, ideas of the writer on the subject as final remarks are clarified.

Awareness of BIM adoption in Brunei

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Md Motiar

2017-09-01

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is getting increased attention day-by-day due to its many benefits, including clash detection, collaboration between contract parties, visualization future structure, optimized schedule and project control, waste control, design documentation, and harmonized facilities management. As such, many countries have already adopted BIM, and many other countries are exploring the potential of adopting it. However, it is still relatively new and unknown to some other countries like Brunei. This study was therefore undertaken to generate and/or gauge the awareness of Brunei construction industry participants, targeting adoption of BIM, through a structured questionnaire survey. Responses from 90 industry participants reveal that Brunei Construction industry is not well aware of BIM, lack the required technical knowledge and application in construction, and cost involvement. They are unsure about the potential benefits and barriers to implementing BIM. However, respondents are hopeful that BIM can bring the required changes in construction, willing to adopt BIM, expects cliental support with initial investment for its adoption, and believe that BIM is the future of construction project information management. On the whole, private sector was seen to be more aware on BIM than public sector. The study outcomes are expected to provide the policy makers a first-hand information on the industry awareness on BIM, which in turn help them for further exploration / examination and to design any action plan and guidelines for BIM adoption.

Problematizing Diversity Initiatives: Japanese American Youth Identities and the Politics of Representation with/in School Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Rachel

2014-01-01

This article reports on a case study that investigated how six Japanese American youth interpreted the effectiveness and relevance of extra-curricular diversity initiatives at their Midwestern middle and secondary public schools. These initiatives were intended to raise cultural awareness, but ultimately promoted cultural fetishism and racially…

Dark-Skies Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Constance E.

2009-05-01

The arc of the Milky Way seen from a truly dark location is part of our planet's natural heritage. More than one fifth of the world population, two thirds of the United States population and one half of the European Union population have already lost naked eye visibility of the Milky Way. This loss, caused by light pollution, is a serious and growing issue that impacts astronomical research, the economy, ecology, energy conservation, human health, public safety and our shared ability to see the night sky. For this reason, "Dark Skies” is a cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy. Its goal is to raise public awareness of the impact of artificial lighting on local environments by getting people worldwide involved in a variety of programs that: 1. Teach about dark skies using new technology (e.g., an activity-based planetarium show on DVD, podcasting, social networking on Facebook and MySpace, a Second Life presence) 2. Provide thematic events on light pollution at star parties and observatory open houses (Dark Skies Discovery Sites, Nights in the (National) Parks, Sidewalk Astronomy) 3. Organize events in the arts (e.g., a photography contest) 4. Involve citizen-scientists in naked-eye and digital-meter star hunting programs (e.g., GLOBE at Night, "How Many Stars?", the Great World Wide Star Count and the radio frequency interference equivalent: "Quiet Skies") and 5. Raise awareness about the link between light pollution and public health, economic issues, ecological consequences, energy conservation, safety and security, and astronomy (e.g., The Starlight Initiative, World Night in Defense of Starlight, International Dark Sky Week, International Dark-Sky Communities, Earth Hour, The Great Switch Out, a traveling exhibit, downloadable posters and brochures). The presentation will provide an update, describe how people can become involved and take a look ahead at the program's sustainability. For more information, visit www.darkskiesawareness.org.

Global Awareness in the Classroom: Global Classroom Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Education Canada, 2004

2004-01-01

As countries around the world move toward global integration, knowledge of how Canada interrelates globally is becoming an increasingly useful asset. It is important that young Canadians learn what it means to become responsible global citizens. Awareness about global issues and appreciation of Canada's efforts in international development offer a…

Developing and Implementing Effective Communications Systems: Improving SEA Communication with LEAs, Partners/Vendors, and the Public. Benchmark. No. 2

Science.gov (United States)

Brasiel, S.; Nafziger, D.

2013-01-01

State education agencies (SEAs) are central players in initiating and leading new reform efforts and in supporting and implementing Federal initiatives. Traditional approaches to providing public information are not adequate for producing public awareness and support and in supporting program implementation at the local level. With limited…

A Questionnaire Case Study to Investigate Public Awareness of Smog Pollution in China’s Rural Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Jiang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Smog pollution is one of China’s most pressing public health issues today and has therefore received significant attention worldwide. Not only cities but also villages in China are suffering from smog pollution, especially since 2013. However, there is limited information available about public awareness on smog pollution in China, especially for where it concerns the residents living in villages. Based on a questionnaire survey, this study aims to help fill this gap. The results of the study show that the income of the majority of respondents comes from working in the city, accounting for 31.6% of the total income. The percentages for respondents related to access to smog information from various channels are as follows: TV (28.5%, radio (24.2%, neighbors (13.5%, Internet (9.8%, newspapers (8.3% and others (7.8%. As for attitudes regarding the severity degree and main cause of smog pollution, most respondents (33.7% thought smog pollution in villages was somewhat severe, while 26.3% agreed that the main contributor to smog pollution was industrial emissions, followed by coal burning at power plants (20.9% and vehicle emissions (17.7%. The results also indicate that most of the respondents were satisfied with the government’s performance in terms of smog control. However, 67.9% of respondents indicated they would remain silent and not intervene when confronted by an activity that causes smog pollution. This study can help to improve an understanding of public awareness regarding smog pollution in China’s rural areas and thereby activate positive public participation in smog pollution prevention and management in the search for sustainable development.

Awareness of sunburn in childhood, use of sunbeds and change of moles in Denmark, Northern Ireland, Norway and Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajdarevic, Senada; Hvidberg, Line; Lin, Yulan; Donnelly, Conan; Gavin, Anna; Lagerlund, Magdalena; Pedersen, Anette F; Rasmussen, Birgit H; Runesdotter, Sara; Vedsted, Peter; Tishelman, Carol

2016-02-01

Malignant melanoma (MM) is increasing rapidly in Northern Europe. To reduce incidence and mortality through earlier diagnosis, public awareness of MM is important. Thus, we aim to examine awareness of risk factors and a symptom of MM, and how awareness varies by country and socio-demographic factors in Denmark, Northern Ireland (NI), Norway and Sweden. Population-based telephone interviews using the 'Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer' measure were conducted in 2011 among 8355 adults ≥50 years as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 2. Prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. In these four countries, lowest awareness was found for 'sunburn in childhood' (63%), whereas awareness was high for 'use of sunbeds' (91%) and 'mole change' (97%). Lack of awareness of 'sunburn in childhood' was more prevalent among respondents from Norway [PR = 1.38 (1.28-1.48)] but less prevalent among respondents from Northern Ireland (NI) [PR = 0.78 (0.72-0.85)] and Sweden [PR = 0.86 (0.79-0.93)] compared with respondents from Denmark. Lack of awareness of 'use of sunbeds' was more prevalent among respondents from Norway [PR = 2.99 (2.39-3.74)], Sweden [PR = 1.57 (1.22-2.00)], and NI [PR = 1.65 (1.30-2.10)] compared with respondents form Denmark. Being a man, age ≥70, living alone, and having lower education, were each independently associated with lack of MM-awareness. The results indicate relatively low awareness of 'sunburn in childhood' as a risk factor for MM, and important disparities in MM-awareness across countries and socio-demographic groups. Improved and more directed initiatives to enhance public MM-awareness, particularly about 'sunburn in childhood', are needed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

[A framework for evaluating ethical issues of public health initiatives: practical aspects and theoretical implications].

Science.gov (United States)

Petrini, Carlo

2015-01-01

The "Framework for the Ethical Conduct of Public Health Initiatives", developed by Public Health Ontario, is a practical guide for assessing the ethical implications of evidence-generating public health initiatives, whether research or non-research activities, involving people, their biological materials or their personal information. The Framework is useful not only to those responsible for determining the ethical acceptability of an initiative, but also to investigators planning new public health initiatives. It is informed by a theoretical approach that draws on widely shared bioethical principles. Two considerations emerge from both the theoretical framework and its practical application: the line between practice and research is often blurred; public health ethics and biomedical research ethics are based on the same common heritage of values.

Change of public awareness on nuclear power generation in 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimooka, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

The eighth attitude survey for nuclear power generation was carried out by two methods (the written questionnaire survey and online survey), from 22nd in October to 22nd in November, 2010. The survey population of the first method was 500, 250 of male and 250 female from over twenty years old lived within 30 km from Tokyo station. That of second method was 500 from over twenty years old lived in the Metropolitan area. The questionnaire consisted of four items such as awareness on the general public and life, energy problems, nuclear power generation and others. The written questionnaire survey showed almost same results as the previous surveys. New results showed some subjects (23%) thought the nuclear power generation was useful at that time but not useful in the future. Outline of survey, the main results, the analytical results and comparison between the written questionnaire survey and online survey were reported. (S.Y.)

Environmental Awareness and Public Support for Protecting and Restoring Puget Sound

Science.gov (United States)

Safford, Thomas G.; Norman, Karma C.; Henly, Megan; Mills, Katherine E.; Levin, Phillip S.

2014-04-01

In an effort to garner consensus around environmental programs, practitioners have attempted to increase awareness about environmental threats and demonstrate the need for action. Nonetheless, how beliefs about the scope and severity of different types of environmental concerns shape support for management interventions are less clear. Using data from a telephone survey of residents of the Puget Sound region of Washington, we investigate how perceptions of the severity of different coastal environmental problems, along with other social factors, affect attitudes about policy options. We find that self-assessed environmental understanding and views about the seriousness of pollution, habitat loss, and salmon declines are only weakly related. Among survey respondents, women, young people, and those who believe pollution threatens Puget Sound are more likely to support policy measures such as increased enforcement and spending on restoration. Conversely, self-identified Republicans and individuals who view current regulations as ineffective tend to oppose governmental actions aimed at protecting and restoring Puget Sound. Support for one policy measure—tax credits for environmentally-friendly business practices—is not significantly affected by political party affiliation. These findings demonstrate that environmental awareness can influence public support for environmental policy tools. However, the nature of particular management interventions and other social forces can have important mitigating effects and need to be considered by practitioners attempting to develop environment-related social indicators and generate consensus around the need for action to address environmental problems.

Problems of Public Initiatives Realization in the Russian Federation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guziy A. E.

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The article reads about the institute of public initiatives in the Russian Federation. The comparative law analysis of this form of democracy with the analogous institute in the United States of America has been conducted.

Leadership, Education and Awareness: A Compassionate Care Nursing Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmonds, Anne H

2015-03-01

The Canadian Nurses' Association Code of Ethics (2008) and the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS) Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses (CRNNS 2011) identify the provision of safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care as one of nursing's primary values and ethical responsibilities. While compassion has historically been viewed as the essence of nursing, there is concern that this has become an abstract ideal, rather than a true reflection of nursing practice. This paper describes a compassionate care initiative undertaken by the CRNNS and the initial outcomes of these educational workshops. This work is informed by an exploration of the multiplicity of factors that have brought this issue to the fore for nursing regulators, educators, administrators, the public as well as front-line staff. The two most significant areas of learning reported by workshop participants included understanding the connection between mindfulness, non-judgmental care and compassion/self-compassion and recognizing possibilities for action related to compassionate care, even in the face of personal and environmental constraints. Implications for nursing regulators and leaders include consideration of their roles and responsibilities in supporting nurses to meet professional practice standards, such as provision of compassionate care. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

[Awareness of breast cancer screening among general practitioners in Mohammedia (Morocco)].

Science.gov (United States)

Zine, Karima; Nani, Samira; Lahmadi, Imad Ait; Maaroufi, Abderrahmane

2016-01-01

Breast cancer is a major public health problem in Morocco. It is the most common cancer in women. Our study aims to evaluate the extent of breast cancer awareness among general practitioners (GP) in the prefecture of Mohammedia, Morocco. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, exhaustive study including 97 GP working in primary health care facilities (public and private sector) of the province of Mohammedia. Participation rate was 87%. The average age of GP was 49.6 ± 8.1. Eighty percent (n = 55) of the GP misstated the incidence of breast cancer, 77.6% (n = 85) recognized the existence of a national plan to prevent and control cancer (NPPCC) in Morocco and 67.1% of GP reported the existence of a cancer registry in Morocco. General practice sector was significantly related to the awareness of NPPCC among GP and to the existence of guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001 respectively). A significant relationship was found between seniority and the existence of guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer and a breast cancer registry (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002 respectively). In light of these results GP awareness and practices should be enhanced by promoting initial and continuing training on breast cancer screening.

Public awareness regarding children vaccination in Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Masadeh, Majed M; Alzoubi, Karem H; Al-Azzam, Sayer I; Al-Agedi, Hassan S; Abu Rashid, Baraa E; Mukattash, Tariq L

2014-01-01

Immunization can contribute to a dramatic reduction in number of vaccine-preventable diseases among children. The aim of this study is to investigate mothers' awareness about child vaccines and vaccination in Jordan. This study was a community-based, cross-sectional study that was performed at public places in Irbid City. Data was collected from 506 mothers. After verbal approval, mothers were interviewed to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward vaccination. Results show that majority of mothers had acceptable knowledge and positive attitude toward vaccination. Most of mothers (94.7-86.8%) were able to identify vaccines that are mandatory as per the national vaccination program. Lower knowledge was observed among mothers (71.6%) for HIB vaccination being mandatory. Most mothers (97.2%) had vaccination card for their baby form the national vaccination programs. Vaccination delay was reported by about 36.6% of mothers and was shown to be associated with significantly (P = 0.001) lower vaccination knowledge/attitude score. Additionally, mothers who reported to be regularly offered information about vaccination during visits and those who identified medical staff members as their major information source had significantly higher vaccination knowledge/attitude score (P = 0.002). In conclusion, vaccination coverage rate is high; however, some aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of vaccination need to be improved. Knowledge and attitudes of mothers were directly associated with their practice of vaccination. Medical staff education about vaccination during each visit seems to be the most effective tool that directly reflects on better practice of vaccination such as reducing the possibility for vaccination delay.

Association of public health initiatives with outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at home and in public locations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christopher B., Fordyce; Carolina M., Hansen; Kragholm, Kristian

2017-01-01

Importance  Little is known about the influence of comprehensive public health initiatives according to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) location, particularly at home, where resuscitation efforts and outcomes have historically been poor.Objective  To describe temporal trends in bystander...... cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-responder defibrillation for OHCAs stratified by home vs public location and their association with survival and neurological outcomes.Design, Setting, and Participants  This observational study reviewed 8269 patients with OHCAs (5602 [67.7%] at home and 2667 [32.......3%] in public) for whom resuscitation was attempted using data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014. The setting was 16 counties in North Carolina.Exposures  Patients were stratified by home vs public OHCA. Public health initiatives...

Writing for publication: faculty development initiative using social learning theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, Bonnie K; Carter, Matt; Schuessler, Jenny B

2012-01-01

Demonstrating scholarly competency is an expectation for nurse faculty. However, there is hesitancy among some faculty to fully engage in scholarly activities. To strengthen a school of nursing's culture of scholarship, a faculty development writing initiative based on Social Learning Theory was implemented. The authors discuss this initiative to facilitate writing for publication productivity among faculty and the successful outcomes.

Public environmental awareness of water pollution from urban growth: The case of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers in Rasht, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Noorhosseini, Seyyed Ali; Allahyari, Mohammad Sadegh; Damalas, Christos A; Moghaddam, Sina Siavash

2017-12-01

Rivers in urban areas have been associated with water quality problems because of the practice of discharging untreated domestic and industrial waste into the water bodies. However, to what extent the public can identify specific environmental problems and whether people are ready to cope with potential risks is to a great extent unknown. Public environmental awareness of factors underpinning the pollution of rivers and approaches for reducing it were studied in Rasht City of Guilan Province in northern Iran, with Zarjub and Goharrud rivers as a case study. Data were collected from residents on the banks of the studied rivers using a questionnaire. Industrial areas, hospitals, and poultry farms were perceived as the main factors deteriorating water pollution of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers in Guilan Province. The discharge of urban sewage into the rivers was the second most important polluting factor. Most residents on the banks of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers showed high interest in the conservation of the environment. Overall, 62.7% of the residents had moderate, 20% had high, and 4% had very high environmental awareness. Families and mass media (TV and radio) were perceived of being the most important sources of information of family members concerning environmental awareness. According to the residents, the main approach for alleviating the pollution of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers were creating green spaces, dredging the rivers, establishing a water purifying system, and establishing a waste incinerator with a separation system (based on municipal planning). The public in the study area appeared well prepared to cope with the risks of water pollution, but further improving environmental awareness of the community can be a first step for preventing environmental degradation. The positive attitudes of the residents towards environmental conservation, the use of proper information sources, and practical training in the context of extension services can be effective in

Evaluation of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Public Service Advertisement on the Awareness and Attitude Change among Urban Population in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

OpenAIRE

Wu, Tingting; Hu, Ping; Huang, Hao; Wu, Chengbin; Fu, Zhirong; Du, Lei; Xu, Xianglong; Shi, Zumin; Zhao, Yong

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of public service advertising on the awareness and attitude of Chongqing urban citizens. The theme of the public service advertisement launched in Chongqing was chronic disease prevention and control. A self-designed questionnaire was used in an outdoor intercept survey to collect information about the perception of citizens toward the effect of the advertisement on awareness and attitude situation. Respondents had good knowledge of chronic d...

Knowledge management initiatives benefits for the Slovenian public sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Colnar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper highlights the importance of knowledge management in Slovenian public sector organizations. Knowledge management has received a lot of attention in the past two decades, however in the public sector it is still under-researched. The global financial and economic crisis revealed some important organizational weaknesses in the Republic of Slovenia, some particularly due to the ineffectiveness of the Slovenian public sector, which ranks amongst the worst in the Euro zone. Authors argue that a stronger commitment to knowledge management, which is currently unused in the Slovenian public sector, represents an opportunity to coordinate and exploit public sector organizational knowledge resources. After analysing existing literature, authors have identified examples of good practices from foreign countries that could be partially transferred and adapted into the Slovenian environment. Since the efficient use of knowledge is linked to the performance of public sector organizations, the paper suggests that successful implementation of knowledge management initiatives should result in a more efficient public sector and, indirectly, in improved international public sector competitiveness rankings. This paper is also considered to be important for public sector practitioners and managers, as it proposes implementation of a knowledge management pilot project in Slovenian public sector.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day, 2008 - the first Europe-wide public information campaign on prudent antibiotic use: methods and survey of activities in participating countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Earnshaw, S; Monnet, D L; Duncan, B; O'Toole, J; Ekdahl, K; Goossens, H

2009-07-30

Antibiotic resistance is a major European and global public health problem and is, for a large part, driven by misuse of antibiotics. Hence, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use, particularly for the treatment of certain respiratory tract infections where they are not needed, is a public health priority. The success of national awareness campaigns to educate the public and primary care prescribers about appropriate antibiotic use in Belgium and France stimulated a European initiative coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and named European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD), to take place each year on 18 November. Specific campaign materials, including key messages, logos, slogans and a media toolkit, were developed and made available for use in European countries. The focus of the first EAAD campaign was about not taking antibiotics for viral infections such as colds and flu. A post-campaign survey was conducted in January 2009. Thirty-two European countries participated in the first EAAD, producing information materials and implementing activities to mark EAAD. Media coverage peaked on 18 and 19 November. At EU level, EAAD was launched at a scientific meeting in the European Parliament, Strasbourg. The event received EU political engagement through support from the EU Commissioner for Health, the Slovenian and French EU Presidencies, and Members of the European Parliament. Critical factors that led to the success of the first EAAD were good cooperation and process for building the campaign, strong political and stakeholder support and development of campaign materials based on scientific evidence. Countries indicated wide support for another EAAD in 2009. For this purpose, ECDC is developing several TV spots as well as a second set of EAAD campaign materials targeting primary care prescribers.

Public awareness of testis cancer and the prevalence of testicular self-examination-changing patterns over 20 years.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Casey, Rowan G

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVES: Delay in treatment of testis cancer (TC) has a proven negative impact on disease stage, treatment outcome, and mortality. Poor public awareness of the disease and lack of testis self-examination (TSE) may account for late presentation. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge of TC and performance of TSE in a group of men over 2 time periods 20 years apart. METHODS: In the current study, 677 men from a banking institution were surveyed on their knowledge of TC and their performance of TSE. Comparisons were made from the current data and those from the original study in 1986. RESULTS: This study demonstrates an increase in public awareness and modest concomitant increase in TSE since first studied in this country in 1986. There was no difference in knowledge across age groups in this study. Furthermore, men who demonstrate a superior degree of knowledge were more likely to perform TSE. Limitations included possible selection bias in the 2 studies conducted in a banking institution. CONCLUSIONS: Increased testicular cancer knowledge combined with TSE may have a role in improving detection of significant testicular pathology.

High levels of confusion for cholesterol awareness campaigns.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Danika V

2008-09-15

Earlier this year, two industry-sponsored advertising campaigns for cholesterol awareness that target the general public were launched in Australia. These campaigns aimed to alert the public to the risks associated with having high cholesterol and encouraged cholesterol testing for wider groups than those specified by the National Heart Foundation. General practitioners should be aware of the potential for the two campaigns to confuse the general public as to who should be tested, and where. The campaign sponsors (Unilever Australasia and Pfizer) each have the potential to benefit by increased market share for their products, and increased profits. These disease awareness campaigns are examples of what is increasingly being termed "condition branding" by pharmaceutical marketing experts.

Public awareness of aesthetic and other forest values associated with sustainable forest management: a cross-cultural comparison among the public in four countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sang Seop; Innes, John L; Meitner, Michael

2015-03-01

Korea, China, Japan and Canada are all members of the Montreal Process (MP). However, there has been little comparative research on the public awareness of forest values within the framework of Sustainable Forest Management, not only between Asia and Canada, but also among these three Asian countries. This is true of aesthetic values, especially as the MP framework has no indicator for aesthetic values. We conducted surveys to identify similarities and differences in the perceptions of various forest values, including aesthetic values, between residents of the four countries: university student groups in Korea, China, Japan and Canada, as well as a more detailed assessment of the attitudes of Koreans by including two additional groups, Korean office workers, and Koreans living in Canada. A multivariate analysis of variance test across the four university student groups revealed significant differences in the rating of six forest functions out of 31. However the same test across the three Korean groups indicated no significant differences indicating higher confidence in the generalizability of our university student comparisons. For the forest aesthetic values, an analysis of variance test showed no significant differences across all groups. The forest aesthetic value was rated 6.95 to 7.98 (out of 10.0) depending on the group and rated relatively highly among ten social values across all the groups. Thurstone scale rankings and relative distances of six major forest values indicated that climate change control was ranked as the highest priority and scenic beauty was ranked the lowest by all the groups. Comparison tests of the frequencies of preferred major forest values revealed no significant differences across the groups with the exception of the Japanese group. These results suggest that public awareness of aesthetic and other forest values are not clearly correlated with the cultural backgrounds of the individuals, and the Korean university students' awareness

Poor stroke risk perception despite moderate public stroke awareness: insight from a cross-sectional national survey in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Ntaios, George; Melikoki, Vasiliki; Perifanos, George; Perlepe, Kalliopi; Gioulekas, Fotios; Karagiannaki, Anastasia; Tsantzali, Ioanna; Lazarou, Chrysanthi; Beradze, Nikolaos; Poulianiti, Evdoxia; Poulikakou, Matina; Palantzas, Theofanis; Kaditi, Stavrina; Perlepe, Fay; Sidiropoulos, George; Papageorgiou, Kyriaki; Papavasileiou, Vasileios; Vemmos, Konstantinos; Makaritsis, Konstantinos; Dalekos, George N

2015-04-01

Although stroke is the fourth cause of death in Western societies, public stroke awareness remains suboptimal. The aim of this study was to estimate stroke risk perception and stroke awareness in Greece through a cross-sectional telephone survey. A trained interview team conducted this cross-sectional telephone survey between February and April 2014 using an online structured questionnaire. Participants were selected using random digit dialing of landline and mobile telephone numbers with quota sampling weighted for geographical region based on the most recent General Population Census (2011). Between February and April 2014, 723 individuals (418 women [58%], 47.4 ± 17.8 years) agreed to respond. Among all respondents, 642 (88.8%) were able to provide at least 1 stroke risk factor; 673 respondents (93.08%) were able to provide correctly at least 1 stroke symptom or sign. When asked what would they do in case of acute onset of stroke symptoms, 497 (68.7%) responded that they would either call the ambulance or visit the closest emergency department. Only 35.3%, 18.9%, 17.2%, 20.7%, and 15.0% of respondents with atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and current smoking, respectively, considered themselves as being in high risk for stroke. Stroke risk perception in Greece is low despite moderate public stroke awareness. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in Obesity Awareness, Obesity Identification, and Self-Assessment of Health: Results from a Statewide Public Education Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Adam G.; Boyle, Tracy F.; Hill, James O.; Lindley, Corina; Weiss, Karl

2014-01-01

Background: Due to the high prevalence of obesity, individuals may be desensitized to weight as a personal health concern. Purpose: To evaluate changes in obesity awareness associated with a statewide public education campaign in Colorado. Methods: Cross-sectional random digit dial telephone surveys (n = 1,107 pre, n = 1101 post) were conducted…

Public awareness and disaster risk reduction: just-in-time networks and learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardalan, Ali; Linkov, Faina; Shubnikov, Eugene; LaPorte, Ronald E

2008-01-01

Improving public awareness through education has been recognized widely as a basis for reducing the risk of disasters. Some of the first disaster just-in-time (JIT) education modules were built within 3-6 days after the south Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Bam, Pakistan, and Indonesia earthquakes through a Supercourse. Web monitoring showed that visitors represented a wide spectrum of disciplines and educational levels from 120 developed and developing countries. Building disaster networks using an educational strategy seizes the opportunity of increased public interest to teach and find national and global expertise in hazard and risk information. To be effective, an expert network and a template for the delivery of JIT education must be prepared before an event occurs, focusing on developing core materials that could be customized rapidly, and then be based on the information received from a recent disaster. The recyclable process of the materials would help to improve the quality of the teaching, and decrease the time required for preparation. The core materials can be prepared for disasters resulting from events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and bioterrorism.

Initial Public Offering – Finance Source of Stock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorin Claudiu Radu

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Capital market offers a wide range of options for financing companies, which can be tailored to meet their exact needs. Thus, they have the opportunity of primary security sale (shares and bonds on the stock exchange, which may take place through a tender, in which case the financial instruments issued by a company are underwritten at the date of issue, or through a secondary offer, in which case they are issued and offered for sale by the issuer. If the public sale offer focuses on shares and aims at transforming the issuing company into a public one, then it bears the name of IPO (Initial Public Offering. The present work aims for the evolution of IPO trends on the European market in the aftermath of the global crisis outbreak. The market of IPO carried out by BSE is also analyzed herewith.

Knowledge and Awareness of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Among Women

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Jiyeon; Victor, Marcia; Adler, Stuart P.; Arwady, Abigail; Demmler, Gail; Fowler, Karen; Goldfarb, Johanna; Keyserling, Harry; Massoudi, Mehran; Richards, Kristin; Staras, Stephanie A. S.; Cannon, Michael J.

2006-01-01

Background. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of disabilities in children, yet the general public appears to have little awareness of CMV. Methods. Women were surveyed about newborn infections at 7 different geographic locations. Results. Of the 643 women surveyed, 142 (22%) had heard of congenital CMV. Awareness increased with increasing levels of education (P < .0001). Women who had worked as a healthcare professional had a higher prevalence of awareness of CMV than had other women (56% versus 16%, P < .0001). Women who were aware of CMV were most likely to have heard about it from a healthcare provider (54%), but most could not correctly identify modes of CMV transmission or prevention. Among common causes of birth defects and childhood illnesses, women's awareness of CMV ranked last. Conclusion. Despite its large public health burden, few women had heard of congenital CMV, and even fewer were aware of prevention strategies. PMID:17485810

Knowledge and Awareness of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Among Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiyeon Jeon

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV infection is a leading cause of disabilities in children, yet the general public appears to have little awareness of CMV. Methods. Women were surveyed about newborn infections at 7 different geographic locations. Results. Of the 643 women surveyed, 142 (22% had heard of congenital CMV. Awareness increased with increasing levels of education (P<.0001. Women who had worked as a healthcare professional had a higher prevalence of awareness of CMV than had other women (56% versus 16%, P <.0001. Women who were aware of CMV were most likely to have heard about it from a healthcare provider (54%, but most could not correctly identify modes of CMV transmission or prevention. Among common causes of birth defects and childhood illnesses, women's awareness of CMV ranked last. Conclusion. Despite its large public health burden, few women had heard of congenital CMV, and even fewer were aware of prevention strategies.

Asthma and public awareness in Italy: results from CHAOS (Chronic Airway Obstruction Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Uleri

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Despite last years advances in asthma knowledge and treatment, its management and control remains a critical issue. Many surveys on general practitioners (GPs and patients were conducted but no data, in Italy, are collected about the public awareness.
The population cognition appears critic on decision maker health programs.
This survey, with a face to face questionnaire, explored the perception of social relevance of asthma through the main chronic diseases and tests the disease knowledge in 1161 Italian citizens.
Even if the sensibility of asthmatic (82 and their relatives (243 is superior to general population, some critical issues outcrop regarding beliefs, habits and therapy. 
People not related to asthma have not cognition of social and economic burden.
Asthmatic group is not confident with therapy value and possibility to measure organic damage.
Educational intervention would be addressed first of all to GPs and then to patients and their relatives, while on the other hand it is important to enhance the public and decision maker sensibility to reduce the disease welfare and social cost. 


Integrating Weight Bias Awareness and Mental Health Promotion Into Obesity Prevention Delivery: A Public Health Pilot Study

OpenAIRE

McVey, Gail L.; Walker, Kathryn S.; Beyers, Joanne; Harrison, Heather L.; Simkins, Sari W.; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly

2013-01-01

Introduction Promoting healthy weight is a top priority in Canada. Recent federal guidelines call for sustained, multisectoral partnerships that address childhood obesity on multiple levels. Current healthy weight messaging does not fully acknowledge the influence of social determinants of health on weight. Methods An interactive workshop was developed and implemented by a team of academic researchers and health promoters from the psychology and public health disciplines to raise awareness ab...

Public Place Smoke-Free Regulations, Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Related Beliefs, Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices among Chinese Urban Residents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Wu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the association between smoke-free regulations in public places and secondhand smoke exposure and related beliefs, awareness, attitudes, and behavior among urban residents in China. Methods: We selected one city (Hangzhou as the intervention city and another (Jiaxing as the comparison. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, and implemented at two time points across a 20-month interval. Both unadjusted and adjusted logistic methods were considered in analyses. Multiple regression procedures were performed in examining variation between final and baseline measures. Results: Smoke-free regulations in the intervention city were associated with a significant decline in personal secondhand smoke exposure in government buildings, buses or taxis, and restaurants, but there was no change in such exposure in healthcare facilities and schools. In terms of personal smoking beliefs, awareness, attitudes, and practices, the only significant change was in giving quitting advice to proximal family members. Conclusions: There was a statistically significant association between implementation of smoke-free regulations in a city and inhibition of secondhand tobacco smoking exposure in public places. However, any such impact was limited. Effective tobacco control in China will require a combination of strong public health education and enforcement of regulations.

Oral Cancer: An Evaluation of Knowledge and Awareness in Undergraduate Dental Students and the General Public.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakr, Mahmoud M; Skerman, Emma; Khan, Usman; George, Roy

To evaluate the knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors associated with oral cancer amongst undergraduate dental students and members of the general public. This study was open for a period of six months (Jan-June, 2013) to all undergraduate dental students in the 4th and 5th year of the dental science programme and dental patients attending the School of Dentistry, Griffith University, Australia. The survey evaluated the knowledge and awareness of clinical signs and symptoms and risk factors of oral cancers. A total of 100 undergraduate students and 150 patients provided informed consent and participated in this survey study. Both patients and dental students were aware of the importance of early detection of oral cancer. With the exception of smoking and persistent ulceration, this study indicated that the knowledge about oral cancer, its signs, symptoms and risk factors was limited amongst participants. This study highlights the need to raise awareness and knowledge pertaining to oral cancer, not only in the general community but also amongst those in the dental field. Specific points of concern were the common intraoral sites for oral cancer, erythroplakia as a risk factor, the synergistic action of smoking and alcohol, and HPV (human papilloma virus) as risk factors for oral cancer.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN EARLY AWARENESS AND ALERT ACTIVITIES: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Sue; Cook, Alison; Miles, Kathryn

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to report on the experiences, benefits, and challenges of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) from a publicly funded early awareness and alert (EAA) system in the United Kingdom. Using email, telephone, a Web site portal, Twitter and focus groups, patients and the public were involved and engaged in the recognized stages of an EAA system: identification, filtration, prioritization, early assessment, and dissemination. Approaches for PPIE were successfully integrated into all aspects of the National Institute for Health Research Horizon Scanning Research and Intelligence Centre's EAA system. Input into identification activities was not as beneficial as involvement in prioritization and early assessment. Patients gave useful insight into the Centre's Web site and engaging patients using Twitter has enabled the Centre to disseminate outputs to a wider audience. EAA systems should consider involving and engaging with patients and the public in identification, prioritization, and assessment of emerging health technologies where practicable. Further research is required to examine the value and impact of PPIE in EAA activities and in the early development of health technologies.

Developing public awareness for climate change: Support from international research programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, F.J.; Clements, W.E.

1998-12-31

Developing regional and local public awareness and interest in global climate change has been mandated as an important step for increasing the ability for setting policy and managing the response to climate change. Research programs frequently have resources that could help reach regional or national goals for increasing the capacity for responding to climate change. To obtain these resources and target recipients appropriately, research investigators need clear statements of national and regional strategies or priorities as a guide. One such program, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, has a requirement to develop local or regional education enrichment programs at their observational sites in the central US, the tropical western Pacific (TWP), and on the north slope of alaska. ARM's scientific goals will result in a flow of technical data and as well as technical expertise that can assist with regional needs to increase the technical resources needed to address climate change issues. Details of the ARM education program in the Pacific will be presented.

Awareness of the Public versus Private Accounting Divide, and Its Impact on the Career Path Preference of Accounting Students

Science.gov (United States)

Crossman, H. Anthony

2017-01-01

This research assesses what knowledge upper-level accounting students possess about the distinctions between the public and private branches of accounting, as well as the influence such knowledge might have on their accounting branch choice. Overall, the study concluded that, before they were aware of the pros and cons of each career path,…

Awareness of risk factors for cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lagerlund, Magdalena; Hvidberg, Line; Hajdarevic, Senada

2015-01-01

Background: Sweden and Denmark are neighbouring countries with similarities in culture, healthcare, and economics, yet notable differences in cancer statistics. A crucial component of primary prevention is high awareness of risk factors in the general public. We aimed to determine and compare...... awareness of risk factors for cancer between a Danish and a Swedish population sample, and to examine whether there are differences in awareness across age groups. Methods: Data derive from Module 2 of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. Telephone interviews were conducted with 3000 adults...... in Denmark and 3070 in Sweden using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer measure. Data reported here relate to awareness of 13 prompted risk factors for cancer. Prevalence ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were calculated to examine associations between country, age, and awareness of risk factors...

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION ON SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS: TURKEY CASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sedat Şen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to measure the level of awareness and perception of Turkish public personnel working in public institutions regarding the problem of online child pornography. Participants include 100 public officials positioned in various ministries. Quantitative research method was used in order to obtain information from participants. A questionnaire was submitted to the participants with meetings in person or via the Internet and data were collected. In order to ensure reliability and validity issues, expert opinion was sought as a means to measure validity and reliability. Necessary corrections were made based on the feedback provided. Outputs from the questionnaire were analyzed using the SPSS and the findings were evaluated. The results showed that participants who are rather young with high education levels, well-versed in national regulations, they have the knowledge about digital citizenship; however, it was found that they were not informed about technical issues such as international activities related to child pornography (CP, online child pornography, Darknet, p2p networks and hash databases. The findings showed that the reason behind the lack of awareness on some of these phenomena was the inherent problems in the education system and the insufficiency of the curriculum. Findings clearly show that it is necessary to establish an organic network among several ministries which are responsible for the fight with child pornography. Furthermore, to create a national CP images (Hash database which can detect the IP number and other information of the ones who share such images online using a national analysis software is another solution proposed.

Advances in public health accreditation readiness and quality improvement: evaluation findings from the National Public Health Improvement Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

McLees, Anita W; Thomas, Craig W; Nawaz, Saira; Young, Andrea C; Rider, Nikki; Davis, Mary

2014-01-01

Continuous quality improvement is a central tenet of the Public Health Accreditation Board's (PHAB) national voluntary public health accreditation program. Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the National Public Health Improvement Initiative (NPHII) in 2010 with the goal of advancing accreditation readiness, performance management, and quality improvement (QI). Evaluate the extent to which NPHII awardees have achieved program goals. NPHII awardees responded to an annual assessment and program monitoring data requests. Analysis included simple descriptive statistics. Seventy-four state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies receiving NPHII funds. NPHII performance improvement managers or principal investigators. Development of accreditation prerequisites, completion of an organizational self-assessment against the PHAB Standards and Measures, Version 1.0, establishment of a performance management system, and implementation of QI initiatives to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Of the 73 responding NPHII awardees, 42.5% had a current health assessment, 26% had a current health improvement plan, and 48% had a current strategic plan in place at the end of the second program year. Approximately 26% of awardees had completed an organizational PHAB self-assessment, 72% had established at least 1 of the 4 components of a performance management system, and 90% had conducted QI activities focused on increasing efficiencies and/or effectiveness. NPHII appears to be supporting awardees' initial achievement of program outcomes. As NPHII enters its third year, there will be additional opportunities to advance the work of NPHII, compile and disseminate results, and inform a vision of high-quality public health necessary to improve the health of the population.

A process evaluation of the 'Aware' and 'Supportive Communities' gambling harm-minimisation programmes in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolandai-Matchett, Komathi; Bellringer, Maria; Landon, Jason; Abbott, Max

2018-04-01

The Gambling Act 2003 mandated a public health strategy for preventing and minimising gambling harm in New Zealand. Aware Communities and Supportive Communities are two public health programmes subsequently implemented nationwide. These programmes differed from common health promotion initiatives such as media or education campaigns as they were community-action based (requiring community involvement in programme planning and delivery). We carried out a process evaluation to determine their implementation effectiveness and inform improvement and future programme planning. Our qualitative dominant mixed methods design comprised analysis of over a hundred implementer progress reports (submitted July 2010 - June 2013), a staff survey and a staff focus group interview. The programmes demonstrated capacity to not only achieve expected outcomes (e.g. enhanced community awareness about harmful gambling), but also to enhance social sustainability at the community level (e.g. established trustful relationships) and achieve some programme sustainability (e.g. community ownership over ongoing programme delivery). The evaluation noted the potential for a sustainable gambling harm-minimisation model. Community-action based harm-minimisation programmes offer programme sustainability potential which in turn offers funding cost-effectiveness when there are continual public health outcomes beyond initial funding. Although resource intensive, the community-action based approach enables culturally appropriate public health programmes suitable for societies where specific ethnic groups have higher gambling risk. Recognition of such harm-minimisation programmes' contribution to social sustainability is important considering the potential for broader public health outcomes (e.g. better life quality, lesser social problems) within socially sustainable societies.

Acceptability of mental health stigma-reduction training and initial effects on awareness among military personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado, Suzanne L; Simon-Arndt, Cynthia M; McAnany, Jennifer; Crain, Jenny A

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a mental health stigma reduction toolkit and training, and the acceptability and level of stigma awareness following the stigma-reduction training for military personnel. The overall aims of the training were to provide discussion tools highlighting the experiences of Marines seeking help for stress concerns, improve communication between leaders and their Marines around the issue of help seeking, and familiarize Marines with behavioral health treatment. Senior enlisted leaders and officers (N = 52) from a Marine Corps battalion participated in a pretest, 2-h stigma-reduction training and immediate posttest. Acceptability of the training was measured by querying participants about the usefulness and helpfulness of the training among other factors, and stigma awareness was measured with 10 items about mental health stigma. The stigma-reduction training and materials were well accepted by participants. In addition, there was a significant improvement in four of ten stigma-reduction awareness concepts measured before and immediately after the training, which included an increase in agreement that mental health treatments are usually effective in reducing stress reactions [t(51) = -3.35, p = 0.002], and an increase in disagreement that seeking counseling after a deployment will jeopardize future deployments [t(51) = -3.05, p = 0.004]. Level of agreement with several statements including those regarding perceptions of invincibility, and malingering, among others, did not change significantly after the training. The stigma-reduction training containing educational and contact strategies was highly acceptable to the leaders and may have promise for initially dispelling myths associated with seeking help for stress concerns among military service members; however, results indicate that there is clearly more work to be done in combatting stigma.

Awareness of substance use and its associated factors in young Saudi students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aesha Farheen Siddiqui

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Adolescence is the stage that carries the greatest risk for initiating substance use as it is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development. Studies in younger populations have demonstrated a positive association between awareness about substance abuse and their attitudes toward substances. Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country with strict laws regarding availability and use of addictive substances. Addictive behaviors tend to be concealed by the users in the Saudi community. However, some studies have revealed that drug abuse is more common in the Saudi community than was previously thought, thus it is necessary to have estimates of existing awareness regarding substance abuse, and its predictors among adolescents for future redressal of this emerging public health issue. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of secondary school students regarding substance abuse and find its associated social factors. This was a cross sectional study conducted on 1022 secondary school stu-dents using a self administered questionnaire assessing their social characteristics and awareness on substance abuse. Most of students (82.4% had sufficient awareness ( and #707;60% regarding substance abuse. Age, scholastic year, subject (science and being non and ndash;Saudi had positive association with good awareness. Parental education, family income and parental status of living together had significant association with the awareness level of students. [J Med Allied Sci 2016; 6(2.000: 61-67

75 FR 28622 - FDA Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-21

...] FDA Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of the U...: Notice of availability; request for comments. SUMMARY: As part of the second phase of the Transparency... Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment Regarding Disclosure Policies of the U.S. Food and...

Integrating weight bias awareness and mental health promotion into obesity prevention delivery: a public health pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

McVey, Gail L; Walker, Kathryn S; Beyers, Joanne; Harrison, Heather L; Simkins, Sari W; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly

2013-04-04

Promoting healthy weight is a top priority in Canada. Recent federal guidelines call for sustained, multisectoral partnerships that address childhood obesity on multiple levels. Current healthy weight messaging does not fully acknowledge the influence of social determinants of health on weight. An interactive workshop was developed and implemented by a team of academic researchers and health promoters from the psychology and public health disciplines to raise awareness about 1) weight bias and its negative effect on health, 2) ways to balance healthy weight messaging to prevent the triggering of weight and shape preoccupation, and 3) the incorporation of mental health promotion into healthy weight messaging. We conducted a full-day workshop with 342 Ontario public health promoters and administered a survey at preintervention, postintervention, and follow-up. Participation in the full-day workshop led to significant decreases in antifat attitudes and the internalization of media stereotypes and to significant increases in self-efficacy to address weight bias. Participants reported that the training heightened their awareness of their own personal weight biases and the need to broaden their scope of healthy weight promotion to include mental health promotion. There was consensus that additional sessions are warranted to help translate knowledge into action. Buy-in and resource support at the organizational level was also seen as pivotal. Professional development training in the area of weight bias awareness is associated with decreases in antifat attitudes and the internalization of media stereotypes around thinness. Health promoters' healthy weight messaging was improved by learning to avoid messages that trigger weight and shape preoccupation or unhealthful eating practices among children and youth. Participants also learned ways to integrate mental health promotion and resiliency-building into daily practice.

Librarian-Initiated Publications Discovery: How Do Digital Depository Librarians Discover and Select Web-Based Government Publications for State Digital Depositories?

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chi-Shiou; Eschenfelder, Kristin R.

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a study of librarian initiated publications discovery (LIPD) in U.S. state digital depository programs using the OCLC Digital Archive to preserve web-based government publications for permanent public access. This paper describes a model of LIPD processes based on empirical investigations of four OCLC DA-based digital…

Public awareness of Pharmaceutical care availability in community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Furthermore, the awareness of availability of pharmaceutical care services in community pharmacies was 3% while 75% of the respondents believed a community pharmacy was just a place drugs can be obtained. As the profession and pharmacists endeavour to improve knowledge and skill to deliver pharmaceutical care ...

Increasing awareness of gynaecological cancer symptoms: a GP perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Ruth E C; Morris, Melanie; Sekhon, Mandeep; Buszewicz, Marta; Walter, Fiona M; Waller, Jo; Simon, Alice E

2014-06-01

In the UK there has been an effort, through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI), to increase early stage diagnoses and ultimately cancer survival. Encouraging early symptom presentation through awareness-raising activities in primary care is one method to achieve this goal. Understanding GPs' views about this type of activity, however, is crucial prior to implementation. To describe GPs' attitudes to raising public awareness of gynaecological cancers, and their views about the potential impact on primary care services. An online survey with a convenience sample recruited from 1860 UK general practices. An invitation was emailed to GPs via practice managers and included a weblink to a draft education leaflet and an online survey about the impact of sending a leaflet giving information about symptoms associated with gynaecological cancers to all women on GPs' lists. Participants could offer additional free text comments which were coded using content analysis. A total of 621 GPs participated. Most (77%, 477) felt that raising awareness of cancers was important. Only half (50%, 308), however, indicated that they would distribute such a leaflet from their practice. Barriers to implementation included concerns about financial costs; emotional impact on patients; increased demand for appointments and diagnostic services, such as ultrasound. GPs were generally positive about an intervention to improve patients' awareness of gynaecological cancers, but had concerns about increasing rates of presentation. There is a need for research quantifying the benefits of earlier diagnosis against resource costs such as increased consultations, investigations, and referrals. © British Journal of General Practice 2014.

Provider-Initiated Late Preterm Births in Brazil: Differences between Public and Private Health Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Maria do Carmo; Esteves-Pereira, Ana Paula; Nakamura-Pereira, Marcos; Torres, Jacqueline Alves; Domingues, Rosa Maria Soares Madeira; Dias, Marcos Augusto Bastos; Moreira, Maria Elizabeth; Theme-Filha, Mariza; da Gama, Silvana Granado Nogueira

2016-01-01

A large proportion of the rise in prematurity worldwide is owing to late preterm births, which may be due to the expansion of obstetric interventions, especially pre-labour caesarean section. Late preterm births pose similar risks to overall prematurity, making this trend a concern. In this study, we describe factors associated with provider-initiated late preterm birth and verify differences in provider-initiated late preterm birth rates between public and private health services according to obstetric risk. This is a sub-analysis of a national population-based survey of postpartum women entitled "Birth in Brazil", performed between 2011 and 2012. We included 23,472 singleton live births. We performed non-conditional multiple logistic regressions assessing associated factors and analysing differences between public and private health services. Provider-initiated births accounted for 38% of late preterm births; 32% in public health services and 61% in private health services. They were associated with previous preterm birth(s) and maternal pathologies for women receiving both public and private services and with maternal age ≥35 years for women receiving public services. Women receiving private health services had higher rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth (rate of 4.8%) when compared to the ones receiving public services (rate of 2.4%), regardless of obstetric risk-adjusted OR of 2.3 (CI 1.5-3.6) for women of low obstetric risk and adjusted OR of 1.6 (CI 1.1-2.3) for women of high obstetric risk. The high rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth suggests a considerable potential for reduction, as such prematurity can be avoided, especially in women of low obstetric risk. To promote healthy births, we advise introducing policies with incentives for the adoption of new models of birth care.

Provider-Initiated Late Preterm Births in Brazil: Differences between Public and Private Health Services.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Carmo Leal

Full Text Available A large proportion of the rise in prematurity worldwide is owing to late preterm births, which may be due to the expansion of obstetric interventions, especially pre-labour caesarean section. Late preterm births pose similar risks to overall prematurity, making this trend a concern. In this study, we describe factors associated with provider-initiated late preterm birth and verify differences in provider-initiated late preterm birth rates between public and private health services according to obstetric risk.This is a sub-analysis of a national population-based survey of postpartum women entitled "Birth in Brazil", performed between 2011 and 2012. We included 23,472 singleton live births. We performed non-conditional multiple logistic regressions assessing associated factors and analysing differences between public and private health services.Provider-initiated births accounted for 38% of late preterm births; 32% in public health services and 61% in private health services. They were associated with previous preterm birth(s and maternal pathologies for women receiving both public and private services and with maternal age ≥35 years for women receiving public services. Women receiving private health services had higher rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth (rate of 4.8% when compared to the ones receiving public services (rate of 2.4%, regardless of obstetric risk-adjusted OR of 2.3 (CI 1.5-3.6 for women of low obstetric risk and adjusted OR of 1.6 (CI 1.1-2.3 for women of high obstetric risk.The high rates of provider-initiated late preterm birth suggests a considerable potential for reduction, as such prematurity can be avoided, especially in women of low obstetric risk. To promote healthy births, we advise introducing policies with incentives for the adoption of new models of birth care.

Measuring the Effects of Self-Awareness: Construction of the Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Sutton

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Dispositional self-awareness is conceptualized in several different ways, including insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness, with the latter in particular attracting extensive attention in recent research. While self-awareness is generally associated with positive psychological well-being, these different conceptualizations are also each associated with a range of unique outcomes. This two part, mixed methods study aimed to advance understanding of dispositional self-awareness by developing a questionnaire to measure its outcomes. In Study 1, expert focus groups categorized and extended an initial pool of potential items from previous research. In Study 2, these items were reduced to a 38 item self-report questionnaire with four factors representing three beneficial outcomes (reflective self-development, acceptance and proactivity and one negative outcome (costs. Regression of these outcomes against self-awareness measures revealed that self-reflection and insight predicted beneficial outcomes, rumination predicted reduced benefits and increased costs, and mindfulness predicted both increased proactivity and costs. These studies help to refine the self-awareness concept by identifying the unique outcomes associated with the concepts of self-reflection, insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness. It can be used in future studies to evaluate and develop awareness-raising techniques to maximize self-awareness benefits while minimizing related costs.

Public Awareness and Use of German Physician Ratings Websites: Cross-Sectional Survey of Four North German Cities.

Science.gov (United States)

McLennan, Stuart; Strech, Daniel; Meyer, Andrea; Kahrass, Hannes

2017-11-09

searching for a new physician, respondents significantly more often reported that family, friends and colleagues (259/277, 93.5%), other physicians (219/274, 79.9%), and practice websites (108/266, 40.6%) were important information sources. Whereas awareness of German PRWs appears to have substantially increased, the use of PRWs and contribution of ratings remains relatively low. Further research is needed to examine the reasons why only a few patients are rating physicians. However, given the information inequality between provider and consumer will always be higher for consumers using the services of physicians, it is possible that people will always rely more on interpersonal recommendations than impersonal public information before selecting a physician. ©Stuart McLennan, Daniel Strech, Andrea Meyer, Hannes Kahrass. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 09.11.2017.

A community-based participatory research partnership to reduce vehicle idling near public schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Eghbalnia, Cynthia; Sharkey, Ken; Garland-Porter, Denisha; Alam, Mohammad; Crumpton, Marilyn; Jones, Camille; Ryan, Patrick H

2013-05-01

The authors implemented and assessed the effectiveness of a public health initiative aimed at reducing traffic-related air pollution exposure of the school community at four Cincinnati public schools. A partnership was fostered with academic environmental health researchers and community members. Anti-idling campaign materials were developed and education and training were provided to school bus drivers, students, parents, and school staff. Pledge drives and pre- and posteducation assessments were documented to measure the effectiveness of the program. After completing the educational component of the public health initiative, bus drivers (n = 397), community members (n = 53), and staff (n = 214) demonstrated significantly increased knowledge about the health effects of idling (p public health intervention. A community-driven public health initiative can be effective in both 1) enhancing community awareness about the benefits of reducing idling vehicles and 2) increasing active participation in idling reduction. The partnership initially developed has continued to develop toward a sustainable and growing process.

Public awareness, knowledge and practice relating to epilepsy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Epilepsy associated stigma remains a main hindrance to epilepsy care, especially in developing countries. In Africa, anti-epileptic drugs are available, affordable and effective. As of now, no community survey on epilepsy awareness and attitudes has been reported from this area Cameroon with a reported high ...

Public awareness of warning signs and symptoms of cancer in oman: a community-based survey of adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Azri, Mohammed; Al-Hamedi, Ibtisam; Al-Awisi, Huda; Al-Hinai, Mustafa; Davidson, Robin

2015-01-01

The majority of deaths from cancer occur in low and middle income countries, partly due to poor public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. A community based survey using the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) questionnaire was conducted in three different communities in Oman. Omani adults aged 18 years and above were invited to participate in the study. A total of 345 responded from 450 invited participants (response rate=76.7%). The majority of respondents were unable to identify the common signs and symptoms of cancer identified in the CAM (average awareness was 40.6%). The most emotional barrier to seeking help was worry about what the doctor might find (223, 64.6%); a practical barrier was too busy to make an appointment (259, 75.1%) and a service barrier was difficulty talking to the doctor (159, 46.1%). The majority of respondents (more than 60% for seven out of ten symptoms) would seek medical help in two weeks for most signs or symptoms of cancer. Females were significantly more likely than males to be embarrassed (pawareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in Oman. This might leads to earlier diagnosis, improved prognosis and reduced mortality from cancer.

Impact of Advocacy Initiatives on Nurses' Motivation to Sustain Momentum in Public Policy Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Melissa R S

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to elicit insight from the public policy leaders of 2 regional professional nursing organizations on key qualities of their current advocacy initiatives that motivate nurses to sustain momentum in public policy advocacy beyond a single episode. The goal is to inform quality improvement in the development of future advocacy initiatives to increase sustained engagement of nurses. Social cognitive theory was used as the rationale for this qualitative, descriptive study. A purposive convenience sample of executive leadership and board committee members from 2 regional professional nursing organizations were recruited to complete an initial Web-based electronic survey, followed by separate semistructured interview focus groups. One organization was composed primarily of advanced practice registered nurses, and the other group composed of diverse, multispecialty nursing members with varied educational levels. Nine themes emerged, categorized as facilitators or challenges to the positive impact of advocacy initiatives on nurses' motivation. Highlighting and marketing facilitators to the positive impact of advocacy initiatives on nurses' motivation to sustain momentum in public policy advocacy, while designing and testing new initiatives that address the challenges, may increase the number of nurses who sustain engagement in the policy advocacy process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the impact of a community-based cancer awareness roadshow on awareness, attitudes and behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samuel G; Osborne, Kirstie; Tring, Sophie; George, Helen; Power, Emily

2016-06-01

Improving public awareness of cancer and encouraging health behavior change are important aspects of cancer control. We investigated whether a community-based roadshow was an effective way of communicating with the public about cancer and encouraging behavior change. Data were from 1196 people who completed questionnaires at a Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Roadshow in 2013. Of these, 511 (43%) completed questionnaires immediately before their visit (pre-visit group) and 685 (57%) completed questionnaires immediately after their visit (post-visit group). Among the post-visit sample, 217 (32%) were retained after two months. Self-reported data were available on risk factor and symptom awareness, help-seeking barriers, use of healthcare services and health behaviors. Compared with the pre-visit sample, the post-visit group had greater awareness of cancer risk factors and was more positive about aspects of help-seeking but awareness of potential symptoms was similar. Most effects were maintained over two months. Intentions to eat more fruit and vegetables and to exercise more were comparable between the groups but more people in the post-visit sample intended to quit smoking. At 2-month follow-up, smoking prevalence had significantly reduced but fruit and vegetable consumption decreased and there was no change to physical activity. User of weight loss services and general practitioner visits were high at follow-up and largely attributed to the Roadshow. The Cancer Research UK Roadshow appears to improve risk factor awareness, promote positive attitudes towards help-seeking and increase smoking cessation. This approach could be a useful building block for additional cancer prevention and control strategies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness and knowledge on modern biotechnology | Amin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... to a theory on decision making, people only form attitudes about technologies when they have acquired relevant information. The purpose of this paper is to study the awareness and knowledge level of the Malaysia public in the Klang Valley region and to compare their awareness and knowledge level across stakeholder ...

Initiating Knowledge Management Project in a Regulatory Body in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pakdee, K.; Apichaibukol, A.

2016-01-01

Full text: Thailand is one of countries that have adopted the use of nuclear technology in various applications such as medical, agricultural, industrial and research applications. Recognizing this enormous potential in many applications, the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) as a regulatory body under the Ministry of Science and Technology, carries out a variety of activities to disseminate and promote youth, entrepreneurs and public on the awareness of the atomic energy in Thailand. In recent years, “knowledge management” is one of the key factors that contribute to safe, secure and efficient operation of nuclear activities and facilities but also for the regulatory processes as well. In this regards, the OAP is aware and recognize of the importance of studying and initiating nuclear knowledge and human resource development programme in the regulatory body. Even though, the OAP has been initiating the project on nuclear knowledge and human resources for several years but the present status of the projects still remain in primarily stage of the initiating. This paper describes the initiating of nuclear knowledge in the past and present status for knowledge management project in regulatory body in Thailand. (author

Framing knowledge and awareness of energy efficiency among the Malaysian public

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammed Zin Nordin; Shanthi Balraj; Nor Azilah Ngah; Irfan Naufal Umar; Kamarulazizi Ibrahim

2006-01-01

Energy is a key component in Malaysian economy and contributes to the industrialization of the economy. Energy production in Malaysia, however, is mainly based on burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, all of which emit pollutants. Improving the energy performance of the nation and reducing overall energy consumption will lead to a meaningful environment and economic progress. The first part of the paper looks at the agenda on energy efficiency (EE) while the second part of the paper examines the Malaysian public knowledge on EE based on survey information obtained from 2,444 respondents by way of questionnaires. The study notes that in general most Malaysian have very little knowledge on energy efficiency, as it is a relatively new area to the people of Malaysia. This paper argues that education and training in raising awareness on energy efficiency (EE) is critical to the Malaysian society as we cannot be complacent with the existing sources of energy derived from crude oil and gas. The findings will chart some of the challenges confronting the country in promoting the agenda on energy efficiency

Evaluation of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Public Service Advertisement on the Awareness and Attitude Change among Urban Population in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tingting; Hu, Ping; Huang, Hao; Wu, Chengbin; Fu, Zhirong; Du, Lei; Zhao, Yong

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of public service advertising on the awareness and attitude of Chongqing urban citizens. The theme of the public service advertisement launched in Chongqing was chronic disease prevention and control. A self-designed questionnaire was used in an outdoor intercept survey to collect information about the perception of citizens toward the effect of the advertisement on awareness and attitude situation. Respondents had good knowledge of chronic disease (17.11 ± 3.23, total score: 23), but only 58.4% of participants thought cancer is one type of chronic disease. The awareness of cancer as a chronic disease among the group who had seen this advertisement (63.6%) was higher than that of the group who had not seen the advertisement (56.5%) (p = 0.046). The attitude of respondents was good after watching the advertisement, approximately 77.4% of respondents attempted to remind their family and friends to prevent chronic diseases, roughly. 78.2% tried to persuade their family and friends to change their unhealthy lifestyle habits, and 84.7% of participants reported that the advertising increased the possibility of their own future lifestyle change. There was minimal change of awareness of the participants who saw the advertisement. This study did not show significant differences on chronic disease related knowledge between the participants who have seen the advertisement and who have not seen the advertisement. The public service advertisement may help participants improve the attitude of future behavior change. Further researches combining the sustained intervention and support through clinical and community health programs media campaigns are needed to support public health. PMID:29206192

Evaluation of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Public Service Advertisement on the Awareness and Attitude Change among Urban Population in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingting Wu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of public service advertising on the awareness and attitude of Chongqing urban citizens. The theme of the public service advertisement launched in Chongqing was chronic disease prevention and control. A self-designed questionnaire was used in an outdoor intercept survey to collect information about the perception of citizens toward the effect of the advertisement on awareness and attitude situation. Respondents had good knowledge of chronic disease (17.11 ± 3.23, total score: 23, but only 58.4% of participants thought cancer is one type of chronic disease. The awareness of cancer as a chronic disease among the group who had seen this advertisement (63.6% was higher than that of the group who had not seen the advertisement (56.5% (p = 0.046. The attitude of respondents was good after watching the advertisement, approximately 77.4% of respondents attempted to remind their family and friends to prevent chronic diseases, roughly. 78.2% tried to persuade their family and friends to change their unhealthy lifestyle habits, and 84.7% of participants reported that the advertising increased the possibility of their own future lifestyle change. There was minimal change of awareness of the participants who saw the advertisement. This study did not show significant differences on chronic disease related knowledge between the participants who have seen the advertisement and who have not seen the advertisement. The public service advertisement may help participants improve the attitude of future behavior change. Further researches combining the sustained intervention and support through clinical and community health programs media campaigns are needed to support public health.

Evaluation of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Public Service Advertisement on the Awareness and Attitude Change among Urban Population in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tingting; Hu, Ping; Huang, Hao; Wu, Chengbin; Fu, Zhirong; Du, Lei; Xu, Xianglong; Shi, Zumin; Zhao, Yong

2017-12-05

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of public service advertising on the awareness and attitude of Chongqing urban citizens. The theme of the public service advertisement launched in Chongqing was chronic disease prevention and control. A self-designed questionnaire was used in an outdoor intercept survey to collect information about the perception of citizens toward the effect of the advertisement on awareness and attitude situation. Respondents had good knowledge of chronic disease (17.11 ± 3.23, total score: 23), but only 58.4% of participants thought cancer is one type of chronic disease. The awareness of cancer as a chronic disease among the group who had seen this advertisement (63.6%) was higher than that of the group who had not seen the advertisement (56.5%) ( p = 0.046). The attitude of respondents was good after watching the advertisement, approximately 77.4% of respondents attempted to remind their family and friends to prevent chronic diseases, roughly. 78.2% tried to persuade their family and friends to change their unhealthy lifestyle habits, and 84.7% of participants reported that the advertising increased the possibility of their own future lifestyle change. There was minimal change of awareness of the participants who saw the advertisement. This study did not show significant differences on chronic disease related knowledge between the participants who have seen the advertisement and who have not seen the advertisement. The public service advertisement may help participants improve the attitude of future behavior change. Further researches combining the sustained intervention and support through clinical and community health programs media campaigns are needed to support public health.

Reducing the risk of invasive forest pests and pathogens: Combining legislation, targeted management and public awareness.

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Klapwijk, Maartje J; Hopkins, Anna J M; Eriksson, Louise; Pettersson, Maria; Schroeder, Martin; Lindelöw, Åke; Rönnberg, Jonas; Keskitalo, E Carina H; Kenis, Marc

2016-02-01

Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the EU) with protection against invasive pests and pathogens. Public awareness may mobilise the public for prevention and detection of potential invasions and, simultaneously, increase support for eradication and control measures. We recommend focus on commodities in addition to pathways, an approach within the EU using a centralised response unit and, critically, to engage the general public in the battle against establishment and spread of these harmful pests and pathogens.

Community members’ initiatives in public open spaces: two case studies from Slovenia

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Sabina Jelenc Krašovec

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with public spaces as open, everyday arenas where people share experiences beyond their immediate circle of friends, family and age group. Public space is understood as a forum for social and personal change (Harvey, 2011; Lefebvre, 2013; Arendt, 1996; Habermas, 1989; 2001. Questions are analysed from the point of view of community members, who are strongly attached to the space and who are interested in belonging and in proactive changes in their living environment (Iecovich, 2014; Kohn 2004; Mean and Tims, 2005. The paper is based on the presumptions that public space has an important role in generating ideas and activities of community members and that it is an important venue for community members’ informal learning. Ethnomethodological research in two public spaces (the Tabor community in Ljubljana and a small community in the coastal town of Izola show that there are differences between both public spaces regarding top-down initiatives and bottom-up, self-organized activities. However, although the activity initiators were in one case different associations rooted in the community, and in the other the local people themselves, most of the activities were conducted by people living in the selected communities/public spaces themselves as is typical of grassroots activities. It was confirmed that learning was not often mentioned by members of either community and was mostly a hidden activity, resulting in tacit knowledge.

Community Coalitions' Gender-Aware Policy and Systems Changes to Improve the Health of Women and Girls.

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Kowalczyk, Shelly; Randolph, Suzanne M; Oravecz, Linda

2017-10-17

Addressing environmental barriers and community conditions through policy and systems change provides the foundation for creating sustainable public health change at the population level. In an effort to influence population-level change that is gender aware, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health funded the Coalition for a Healthier Community initiative supporting 10 grantees in the implementation of gender-based, public health systems approaches to improve women and girls' health. A national evaluation assessed the extent to which these gender-aware public health systems approaches result in programs and policies that are sustainable and cost effective in addressing health disparities in women and girls. For this paper, a review of policies reported on in grantees' quarterly progress reports was conducted, and policies were categorized based on each policy's status, level, sector affected, and whether it was gender aware. The review revealed 77 policies at varying stages of development or implementation intended to facilitate systems-level change at the coalition, school, organizational, local, or state level. Fifty-one percent of these policies were identified as being gender aware, because they were intended to reduce barriers to or increase facilitators of gender equity. Community coalitions, like the Coalition for a Healthier Community coalitions, can be valuable channels for promoting policy change, as demonstrated by the many policies developed and/or supported by the Coalition for a Healthier Community grantees in their attempt to meet the needs of women and girls. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

PS-CARA: Context-Aware Resource Allocation Scheme for Mobile Public Safety Networks

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Zeeshan Kaleem

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The fifth-generation (5G communications systems are expecting to support users with diverse quality-of-service (QoS requirements. Beside these requirements, the task with utmost importance is to support the emergency communication services during natural or man-made disasters. Most of the conventional base stations are not properly functional during a disaster situation, so deployment of emergency base stations such as mobile personal cell (mPC is crucial. An mPC having moving capability can move in the disaster area to provide emergency communication services. However, mPC deployment causes severe co-channel interference to the users in its vicinity. The problem in the existing resource allocation schemes is its support for static environment, that does not fit well for mPC. So, a resource allocation scheme for mPC users is desired that can dynamically allocate resources based on users’ location and its connection establishment priority. In this paper, we propose a public safety users priority-based context-aware resource allocation (PS-CARA scheme for users sum-rate maximization in disaster environment. Simulations results demonstrate that the proposed PS-CARA scheme can increase the user average and edge rate around 10.3% and 32.8% , respectively because of context information availability and by prioritizing the public safety users. The simulation results ensure that call blocking probability is also reduced considerably under the PS-CARA scheme.

The perfect storm of information: combining traditional and non-traditional data sources for public health situational awareness during hurricane response.

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Bennett, Kelly J; Olsen, Jennifer M; Harris, Sara; Mekaru, Sumiko; Livinski, Alicia A; Brownstein, John S

2013-12-16

Hurricane Isaac made landfall in southeastern Louisiana in late August 2012, resulting in extensive storm surge and inland flooding. As the lead federal agency responsible for medical and public health response and recovery coordination, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must have situational awareness to prepare for and address state and local requests for assistance following hurricanes. Both traditional and non-traditional data have been used to improve situational awareness in fields like disease surveillance and seismology. This study investigated whether non-traditional data (i.e., tweets and news reports) fill a void in traditional data reporting during hurricane response, as well as whether non-traditional data improve the timeliness for reporting identified HHS Essential Elements of Information (EEI). HHS EEIs provided the information collection guidance, and when the information indicated there was a potential public health threat, an event was identified and categorized within the larger scope of overall Hurricane Issac situational awareness. Tweets, news reports, press releases, and federal situation reports during Hurricane Isaac response were analyzed for information about EEIs. Data that pertained to the same EEI were linked together and given a unique event identification number to enable more detailed analysis of source content. Reports of sixteen unique events were examined for types of data sources reporting on the event and timeliness of the reports. Of these sixteen unique events identified, six were reported by only a single data source, four were reported by two data sources, four were reported by three data sources, and two were reported by four or more data sources. For five of the events where news tweets were one of multiple sources of information about an event, the tweet occurred prior to the news report, press release, local government\\emergency management tweet, and federal situation report. In all circumstances where

Awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors among women in Malaysia: a preliminary study.

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Keng, Soon Lean; Abdul Wahab, Syakirah Bainun; Chiu, Lim Bee; Yusuf, Azlina

2015-01-01

Ovarian cancer is recognized as the fourth leading cancer in Malaysia. However, women do not always seek help in a timely manner and gaps in awareness may influence screening uptake and presentation. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors in female population in Penang, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Penang, Malaysia from January until February 2014. Eighty-seven women were selected by convenient sampling. Awareness of risk factors of ovarian cancer was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square test for the association between socio-demographic data and awareness. A p value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. In all, 74.7% of participants answered correctly for the risk factor of increasing age, although 94.3% were unaware of increased risk of tall women. A majority, 71.3%, had a low level of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors. There was a significant association between age and knowledge (p=0.047). Additionally, there was a significant association between higher education level and level of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors (p=0.039). This study revealed that awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors among Malaysian women is low. The results show a need for improved public understanding about ovarian cancer risks and provision of important information for health professionals about initiatives needed for future awareness, prevention and screening programs.

Fish advisories in the USA and Japan: risk communication and public awareness of a common idea with different backgrounds.

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Ser, Ping Han; Watanabe, Chiho

2012-01-01

Some countries have established fish advisories to manage fish consumption to minimize methylmercury exposure. Our objective was to compare the fish advisories and the resultant consumer behavior in the United States of America (USA) and Japan. Both countries have national consumption guidelines, but American states enjoy greater independence in issuing guidelines for local water bodies and vary in the information that is provided for the public. The proportion of the American public that has heard of state fish advisories is thought to be close to 30%. There is a concern that this low level of awareness extends to pregnant women. In Japan, the current problem is the lack of comprehensive studies on the public awareness of fish advisories. Nonetheless, there is evidence that fish consumption has decreased in both countries. In USA, there is a possibility that the strong emphasis on mercury toxicity drives the general population towards a trend of lower fish consumption. In Japan, the fish advisory encourages seafood consumption for nutritional benefits. Consequently, the decrease may be due to the shift towards a "Western diet". Also, the Japanese fish advisory seems to be less active in advocating the issue of fish consumption and mercury exposure, which may be partly responsible for the possible lesser attention of the consumers. Cultural factors may explain for the baseline difference in consumption and account partly for the change in Japanese consumer behavior. However, the dissimilarities in fish advisories may also be responsible for the variations in consumer behavior.

Political and news media factors shaping public awareness of the HPV vaccine.

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Gollust, Sarah E; Attanasio, Laura; Dempsey, Amanda; Benson, Allison M; Fowler, Erika Franklin

2013-01-01

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV) that prevents the strains of HPV that cause 70% of cervical cancers. Within months, many states introduced legislation requiring the vaccine for girls, prompting controversy and heightened political and media attention to the issue. Previous research has shown differences in HPV vaccine awareness by individual-level characteristics such as race/ethnicity, income, and education levels. We examined how individual political orientation and exposure to media coverage can also shape awareness of the vaccine. Using data from a 2009 Internet survey of 1,216 nationally representative adult respondents linked to data on state-specific news coverage, we assessed how political orientation, media exposure, and state political context predicted HPV vaccine awareness. Younger people, women, and those with more education were significantly more likely to be aware of the vaccine. Even after controlling for these characteristics, we found that exposure to news media was associated with higher HPV vaccine awareness. Whereas liberals and conservatives were both more aware of the vaccine compared with moderates, the data are suggestive that liberals were more sensitive to news coverage. These findings suggest that individual-level political identities and their interaction with the informational environment may be important factors to consider in evaluating the determinants of individuals' attitudes and behaviors related to politically charged women's health issues. Copyright © 2013 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative: community program to promote awareness about mental health and aging issues.

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Zanjani, Faika; Kruger, Tina; Murray, Deborah

2012-04-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative, designed to promote community awareness and knowledge about mental health and aging issues. This study occurred during 2007-2009 in 67 of 120 counties in Kentucky. A rural region (11 counties) received the intervention, consisting of focus groups, Extension Agent training, and television-based social marketing campaign. Partial-intervention counties (29 counties) received only the television-based social marketing campaign. The control counties (27 counties) received no intervention activities. Results indicated that the intervention counties agreed more with being able to assist elder adults with a potential mental illness. Also, the intervention counties understood the risk of consuming alcohol and medications better, but had a poorer recognition of drinking problems in elder adults. These findings need to be considered within study limitations, such as measurement error, degree of intervention exposure, and regional differences across intervention groups. The study demonstrates that community interventions on mental health awareness and knowledge are feasible within majority rural regions, with Extension Agents being gatekeepers, for promoting positive messages about mental health and aging issues.

Leveraging finances for public health system improvement: results from the Turning Point initiative.

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Bekemeier, Betty; Riley, Catharine M; Berkowitz, Bobbie

2007-01-01

Reforming the public health infrastructure requires substantial system changes at the state level; state health agencies, however, often lack the resources and support for strategic planning and systemwide improvement. The Turning Point Initiative provided support for states to focus on large-scale system changes that resulted in increased funding for public health capacity and infrastructure development. Turning Point provides a test case for obtaining financial and institutional resources focused on systems change and infrastructure development-areas for which it has been historically difficult to obtain long-term support. The purpose of this exploratory, descriptive survey research was to enumerate the actual resources leveraged toward public health system improvement through the partnerships, planning, and implementation activities funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a part of the Turning Point Initiative.

Building long-term constituencies for space exploration: The challenge of raising public awareness and engagement in the United States and in Europe

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Ehrenfreund, P.; Peter, N.; Billings, L.

2010-08-01

Space exploration is a multifaceted endeavor and will be a "grand challenge" of the 21st century. It has already become an element of the political agenda of a growing number of countries worldwide. However, the public is largely unaware of space exploration activities and in particular does not perceive any personal benefit. In order to achieve highly ambitious space exploration goals to explore robotically and with humans the inner solar system, space agencies must improve and expand their efforts to inform and raise the awareness of the public about what they are doing, and why. Therefore adopting new techniques aiming at informing and engaging the public using participatory ways, new communication techniques to reach, in particular, the younger generation will be a prerequisite for a sustainable long-term exploration program: as they will enable it and carry most of the associated financial burden. This paper presents an environmental analysis of space exploration in the United States and Europe and investigates the current branding stature of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). We discuss how improved market research and new branding methods can increase public space awareness and improve the image of NASA and ESA. We propose a new participatory approach to engage the public as major stakeholder (along governments, the industrial space sector and the science community) that may provide sufficient resources for and sustainability of a long-term space exploration program.

Enhancing the Awareness of the Interaction of the Space Weather and Public: Some Case Studies in Turkey

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Tulunay, Y.; Tulunay, E.; Kocabas, Z.; Altuntas, E.; Yapici, T.; Senalp, E. T.; Hippler, R.

2009-04-01

Space Weather has important effects on many systems and peripherals that human interacts with. However, most of the people are not aware of those interactions. During the FP6 SWEETS, COST 724 and the ‘I love my Sun' activities it was aimed to create basis to bring together academicians from universities, experts from industry, scientific institutes, and the public, especially the school children of age 7-11, in order to enhance the awareness of space weather effects and to discuss appropriate countermeasures by different education and promotion methods including non-technical ones. This work mentions the activities performed in Turkey within the framework. Since 1990, a small group at METU has been developing data driven models in order to forecast some critical system parameters related with the near-Earth space processes. With the background on the subject the group feels responsible to organise activities in Turkey to inform public on enhancing the awareness of space weather effects. In order to inform and educate public on their interaction with the Space Weather, distinct social activities which take quick and strong attention were organised. Those include art shows and workshops, quizes, movies and entertainments, special programs for school children of age 7-11 under the ‘I love my Sun' activities, press releases, audio-visual media including webpages [Tulunay, 2007]. The impact of the activities can be evaluated considering the before and after activity record materials of the participants. For instance, under the ‘I love my Sun' activities, the school children drew pictures related with Sun before and after the informative programs. The performance of reaching the school children on the subject is very promising. Sub-activities conducted under the action are: 1. Space Weather Dance Show "Sonnensturm" 2. Web Quiz all over Europe: In Türkiye 3. Space Weather / Sun / Heliospheric Public Science Festivals in 27 Countries: In Türkiye 4. Space Weather on

Effects of the Ambient Fine Particulate Matter on Public Awareness of Lung Cancer Risk in China: Evidence from the Internet-Based Big Data Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hongxi; Li, Shu; Sun, Li; Zhang, Xinyu; Hou, Jie; Wang, Yaogang

2017-10-03

In October 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the particulate matter from outdoor air pollution as a group 1 carcinogen and declared that particulate matter can cause lung cancer. Fine particular matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution is becoming a serious public health concern in urban areas of China. It is essential to emphasize the importance of the public's awareness and knowledge of modifiable risk factors of lung cancer for prevention. The objective of our study was to explore the public's awareness of the association of PM 2.5 with lung cancer risk in China by analyzing the relationship between the daily PM 2.5 concentration and searches for the term "lung cancer" on an Internet big data platform, Baidu. We collected daily PM 2.5 concentration data and daily Baidu Index data in 31 Chinese capital cities from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016. We used Spearman correlation analysis to explore correlations between the daily Baidu Index for lung cancer searches and the daily average PM 2.5 concentration. Granger causality test was used to analyze the causal relationship between the 2 time-series variables. In 23 of the 31 cities, the pairwise correlation coefficients (Spearman rho) between the daily Baidu Index for lung cancer searches and the daily average PM 2.5 concentration were positive and statistically significant (P<.05). However, the correlation between the daily Baidu Index for lung cancer searches and the daily average PM 2.5 concentration was poor (all r 2 s <.1). Results of Granger causality testing illustrated that there was no unidirectional causality from the daily PM 2.5 concentration to the daily Baidu Index for lung cancer searches, which was statistically significant at the 5% level for each city. The daily average PM 2.5 concentration had a weak positive impact on the daily search interest for lung cancer on the Baidu search engine. Well-designed awareness campaigns are needed to enhance the general public's awareness of

Awareness About Anti-Smoking Related Laws and Legislation Among General Population in Slums of Delhi, India.

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Sharma, Nandini; Anand, Tanu; Grover, Shekhar; Kumar, Arun; Singh, Mongjam M; Ingle, Gopal K

2018-04-02

Almost 40% of Delhi's population lives in slums and is vulnerable to tobacco use. It is therefore important to assess their opinion and ensure compliance to antismoking legislation. The present study was undertaken to assess the awareness of the general public residing in slums in Delhi regarding the smoke-free initiative of 2009, 3 years after intensive implementation. It was a cross-sectional study conducted among participants selected by cluster sampling from the slums in six districts of Delhi using a pretested semistructured questionnaire. A total of 708 slum dwellers were interviewed. Out of the total, only 16.1% (n = 114) of the participants had heard of The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), though, they were aware about some of the provisions of the COTPA. Majority (n = 529; 74.7%) perceived the smoke-free zones as the places where smoking forms of tobacco are banned. Regarding the awareness about the places designated as smoke-free zones, 82.1% (n = 581) of the respondents named educational institutions. About 61% of the people interviewed reported to have seen people smoking at public places on the day of interview while only 21.5% reported to have seen any one getting punished for smoking. Awareness about COTPA was low. The study respondents perceived that no action was being taken against persons acting in violation of the law. Thus, there is a need for stricter implementation of COTPA and increased spreading of awareness among the general public. While awareness about antismoking legislation among general population (particularly slums) has been studied world over, this has not been the case in India. The study depicts opinion of one of the susceptible populations regarding tobacco control legislation, which has hitherto not been studied in the Indian context. This study has an important implication as it highlights the need

Characterizing Awareness of Schizophrenia Among Facebook Users by Leveraging Facebook Advertisement Estimates

OpenAIRE

Saha, Koustuv; Weber, Ingmar; Birnbaum, Michael L; De Choudhury, Munmun

2017-01-01

Background Schizophrenia is a rare but devastating condition, affecting about 1% of the world?s population and resulting in about 2% of the US health care expenditure. Major impediments to appropriate and timely care include misconceptions, high levels of stigma, and lack of public awareness. Facebook offers novel opportunities to understand public awareness and information access related to schizophrenia, and thus can complement survey-based approaches to assessing awareness that are limited...

AWARENESS REGARDING MODES OF TRANSMISSION AND RELATED MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HIV/AIDS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL GOING FEMALES OF PUBLIC AND GOVT SCHOOLS

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Chhabi Mohan

2010-06-01

Full Text Available .Research Question: What is the level of awareness about different modes of transmission and related misconception about HIV/AIDS among secondary school going females of public and Govt. Schools of Kanpur city. Study Area: Public and Govt. Schools of Kanpur city. Participatns: 120 Govt. and 120 Public secondary School females students. Results: 100% Public school female students knew about heterosexual mode of transmission of HI V/AIDS as compared to 80% of Govt. School students. Among Public School students knowledge about transmission of HIV/AIDS by contaminated needle and syringe intravenous drug abuse, blood transfusion and mother to child was known to almost 80% student. Among Govt. School students except for knowledge about transmission by contaminated needle and syringe (60% and mother to child transmission (55% the other modes were poorly known (<50%.

Return on Investment in College Education. The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust

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Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, 2017

2017-01-01

"Return on Investment in College Education" is the second publication in a series of informational briefings developed as part of The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust, an effort to educate and engage trustees as advocates on key issues in higher education. What is the return on investment (ROI) in college education?…

Cyber defense and situational awareness

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Kott, Alexander; Erbacher, Robert F

2015-01-01

This book is the first publication to give a comprehensive, structured treatment to the important topic of situational awareness in cyber defense. It presents the subject in a logical, consistent, continuous discourse, covering key topics such as formation of cyber situational awareness, visualization and human factors, automated learning and inference, use of ontologies and metrics, predicting and assessing impact of cyber attacks, and achieving resilience of cyber and physical mission. Chapters include case studies, recent research results and practical insights described specifically for th

Raising Public Awareness of Clinical Trials: Development of Messages for a National Health Communication Campaign.

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Massett, Holly A; Dilts, David M; Bailey, Robert; Berktold, Jennifer; Ledsky, Rebecca; Atkinson, Nancy L; Mishkin, Grace; Denicoff, Andrea; Padberg, Rose Mary; Allen, Marin P; Silver, Karen; Carrington, Kelli; Johnson, Lenora E

2017-05-01

Clinical trials are essential for developing new and effective treatments and improving patient quality of life; however, many trials cannot answer their primary research questions because they fall short of their recruitment goals. This article reports the results of formative research conducted in two populations, the public and primary care physicians, to identify messages that may raise awareness and increase interest in clinical trials and be used in a national communication campaign. Results suggested that participants were primarily motivated to participate in clinical trials out of a self-interest to help themselves first. Messages illustrated that current treatments were tested via clinical trials, helped normalize trials as routine practices, and reduced concerns over trying something new first. Participants wanted messages that portray trials as state-of-the-art choices that offer some hope, show people like themselves, and are described in a clear, concise manner with actionable steps for them to take. The study revealed some differences in message salience, with healthy audiences exhibiting lower levels of interest. Our results suggest that targeted messages are needed, and that communication with primary health-care providers is an important and necessary component in raising patient awareness of the importance of clinical trials.

Two Alternative Strategies for Raising Public Awareness of Science and Technology

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José Couto Marques

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In today’s knowledge society it is important to keep people informed about emerging technological developments while at the same time providing an accurate scientific and historical framework for such novelties in order to contribute to eradicate existing misconceptions. Dissemination of science and technology is presently essential to convey information within the research communities as well as among the younger generations and the general public. This paper describes two initiatives which pursue this objective by using multimedia tools. One consists in a set of 250 one-minute programs about engineering topics which were broadcast on TV, radio and the multimedia online platform of a daily journal. The other is a collection of videos produced by a research unit in two alternative formats aimed at specialist and general viewers. Both initiatives, based on two very different budgets, may be instrumental for improving the general perception of the role of engineering and for attracting new vocations. The multimedia contents developed are also valuable teaching tools.

Awareness of colorectal cancer among public in Asir region

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Mohammad Nassir Al-Sharif

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC has different forms of colon cancer or rectal cancer. CRCs are often considered together because they possess many similar features. A severe form of the disease with higher mortality rate increases with increase in age. The most common CRC risk factors include smoking, diabetes, and obesity. This study aims to evaluate the awareness of CRC in a random population of Asir region and to identify the subpopulation that can be recipients of awareness and screening programs. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional nonprobable random sampling study using a self-administered questionnaire survey which was employed to include healthy males and females from Asir region. The questionnaire included ten questions in Arabic language and data were categorized according to gender, marital status, age, and level of education to determine whether these demographic groups possess difference in knowledge about CRC. Results: Most of the respondents (51% and 71.6% knew what is colon and rectum. About 33.8% know the correct function of the colon while 22.5% know the correct incidence and 22.1% know the correct time of screening for CRC. Very few respondents know the symptoms, risks, and screening modalities of CRC.Pearson's Chi-square test was employed to evaluate the differences in responses in four demographic categories of the study population. P <0.05 was considered as statistically significant Conclusions: Single less educated males lack knowledge of CRC. In addition, there is very low awareness of CRC symptoms, risk factors, and screening modalities among the entire surveyed population.

Diabetes and hypertension: public awareness and lifestyle-findings of a health mela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafique, G.; Khuwaja, A.K.

2003-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequencies of diabetes, hypertension and their established lifestyle risk factors and to assess the level of awareness about diabetes and hypertension amongst persons attending a health mela at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi. Subjects and methods: A total of 264 participants were administered structured questionnaire to obtain demographic data and perceptions about diabetes and hypertension after taking verbal informed consent. Height, weight, blood pressure and random blood glucose were measured. Results: Overall frequency of type-2 diabetes was 13.5%, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) 8.3% and hypertension 24%. Frequency of diabetes and hypertension in both men and women increased with increasing age (p< .001) and body mass index (p=0.02). Over half the men and women with type 2 diabetes (53% and 57% respectively) and 42% men and 60% women with IGT also had hypertension. Diabetes and hypertension were correctly defined by 52% and 37% subjects respectively and this was significantly associated with educational level (p=.001). Lack of physical exercise was observed in 59% participants, while 53.6% men and 67.5% women were overweight/obese. As compared to women, men used more additional salt (p = 0.03) and had more outside meals (p<0.001) and lack of physical exercise was observed in 59% participants, while 53.6% men and 67% women were overweight/obese. As compared to women, men used more additional salts (p=0.03) and had a more outside meals (p<0.001) and snacks (p=0.01). Conclusion: High frequencies of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, unhealthy nutrition and lack of exercise were observed in the study population. Emphasis on health education is needed to increase public awareness of the warming signs and risk factors of these common conditions. (author)

A rural, community-based suicide awareness and intervention program.

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Jones, Sharon; Walker, Coralanne; Miles, Alison C J; De Silva, Eve; Zimitat, Craig

2015-01-01

Suicide is a prominent public health issue in rural Australia and specifically in Tasmania, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. The Community Response to Eliminating Suicide (CORES) program was developed in rural Tasmania in response to a significant number of suicides over a short period of time. CORES is unique in that it is both a community-based and gatekeeper education model. CORES aims to build and empower communities to take ownership of suicide prevention strategies. It also aims to increase the individual community member's interpersonal skills and awareness of suicide risks, while building peer support and awareness of suicide prevention support services within the community itself. Pre- and post-test surveys after the CORES 1-day suicide awareness and intervention program (SAIP) showed significant increases in levels of comfort and confidence in discussing suicide with those who may be contemplating that action. CORES builds community capital through establishing new connections within communities. Establishment of local executive groups, funding and SAIP are key activities of successful CORES programs in communities around Australia. Over half of the initial leaders are still actively involved after a decade, which reflects positively on the quality and outcomes of the program. This study supports CORES as a beneficial and feasible community-based suicide intervention program for rural communities.

Proactive Crisis Management (PCM) : Perceptions of crisis-awareness and crisis-readiness in organizations in relation with their actual strategic initiatives against industrial crises caused by human errors.

OpenAIRE

Humanson, Richard; Nordeman, Patrik

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose: In a competitive and constituently changing global business environment, it is almost  impossible  for  organizations  to  avoid  crises  of  various  types  and  magnitude.  The objective of this study is to display relationships between perception of crisis awareness, crisis readiness and the organizations` actual crisis management initiatives against major industrial crises. This thesis also aims to clarify if the perception of crisis-awareness and crisis-readiness could ...

Developing and initiating a public engagement process for a nuclear decommissioning and waste management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badke, C.; Johnson, C.; Brooks, S.; MacCafferty, M.

2011-01-01

Public consultation is key to any major nuclear initiative, but how do you engage the public in a complex multi-site nuclear decommissioning and environmental restoration program that will last 70 years? A clear message of sound environmental stewardship throughout the process is critical to building the trust required to attract public interest and support. The Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program (NLLP) manages Canada's nuclear legacy liabilities at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) sites and is funded by the Government of Canada through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The objective of the NLLP is to safely and cost-effectively reduce the federal legacy liabilities and associated risks, based on sound waste management and environmental principles, in the best interest of Canadians. An important area of focus for the NLLP in both the short- and long-term is to inform the public, stakeholders and Aboriginal people about the Program, and to gather input on the long-term strategy for site restoration and waste management. This paper describes progress made to date on developing and initiating a public engagement process for the NLLP in the initial phase of the Program. Furthermore, it examines general best practices for public participation, specific challenges and opportunities which have been identified, as well as the next steps for communications activities related to the Program. (author)

Public awareness and knowledge of stuttering in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Iimura, Daichi; Yada, Yasuto; Imaizumi, Kazuya; Takeuchi, Toshimitsu; Miyawaki, Manami; Van Borsel, John

To determine laypeople's knowledge and awareness of stuttering in Japan. A total of 303 respondents, recruited by street sampling, completed a questionnaire assessing the prevalence, onset, gender distribution, occurrence in different races, cause, treatment, association with intelligence, and hereditariness of stuttering. The questionnaire used was a Japanese version of that devised by Van Borsel, Verniers, and Bouvry (1999) for use in Belgium. Although around half of the respondents had heard or met a stutterer, they tended to misunderstand the stuttering; e.g., respondents estimated the prevalence of stuttering as high. Knowledge also differed according to age, gender, and education level. Specifically, older individuals, females, and individuals with higher levels of education tended to have greater knowledge of stuttering. In comparing the results of the present study with similar studies conducted in Belgium, China, and Brazil, we observed several similarities and differences. Although most respondents were to some extent familiar with stuttering, their overall knowledge of the condition was limited. Certain factors could be involved in having knowledge of stuttering, such as one's life experience, cultural background, and social attitudes toward stuttering. The findings suggest the need for growing knowledge and awareness of stuttering. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Interruptibility-Aware Robot Behavior

OpenAIRE

Banerjee, Siddhartha; Silva, Andrew; Feigh, Karen; Chernova, Sonia

2018-01-01

As robots become increasingly prevalent in human environments, there will inevitably be times when a robot needs to interrupt a human to initiate an interaction. Our work introduces the first interruptibility-aware mobile robot system, and evaluates the effects of interruptibility-awareness on human task performance, robot task performance, and on human interpretation of the robot's social aptitude. Our results show that our robot is effective at predicting interruptibility at high accuracy, ...

DETERMINATION OF CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND CONSCIOUSNESS-RISING SUGGESTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huseyin Kuru

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to measure Turkish government employees’ awareness of cyber security and cyber space elements. Participants were 71 Turkish public employees working for various ministries. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to get the most detailed information from the participants. A survey was administered to cyber security officers in chosen state institutions. For qualitative research, open-ended questions were administered to the participants. Reliability and validity issues were established for both surveys. Results show that employees have enough information about cyber security and cyber warfare. Findings clearly suggests that cyber defense policy should be planned in coordination with other state institutions and experiences should be shared. In order to create feasible and realistic cyber security policy at institutional level, experts at cyber security must be trained, hired and help must be requested from specialized individuals and institutions. This study recommends that rapid reaction teams (RRT should be established to take care of cyber systems, to react against cyber breaches in time, to alert staff for cyber-attacks in order to establish effective recovery.

Breast cancer knowledge and awareness among university students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The high breast cancer mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa has been attributed to a lack of public awareness of the disease which often leads to late diagnosis of the disease. Little is known about the level of knowledge and awareness of breast cancer in Angola. Previous studies have shown that breast cancer ...

Sexual Orientation Identity Disparities in Awareness and Initiation of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among U.S. Women and Girls: A National Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Agénor, Madina; Peitzmeier, Sarah; Gordon, Allegra R; Haneuse, Sebastien; Potter, Jennifer E; Austin, S Bryn

2015-07-21

Lesbians and bisexual women are at risk for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection from female and male sexual partners. To examine the association between sexual orientation identity and HPV vaccination among U.S. women and girls. Cross-sectional, using 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth data. U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. The 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth used stratified cluster sampling to establish a national probability sample of 12,279 U.S. women and girls aged 15 to 44 years. Analyses were restricted to 3253 women and girls aged 15 to 25 years who were asked about HPV vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression was used to obtain prevalence estimates of HPV vaccine awareness and initiation adjusted for sociodemographic and health care factors for each sexual orientation identity group. Among U.S. women and girls aged 15 to 25 years, 84.4% reported having heard of the HPV vaccine; of these, 28.5% had initiated HPV vaccination. The adjusted prevalence of vaccine awareness was similar among heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian respondents. After adjustment for covariates, 8.5% (P = 0.007) of lesbians and 33.2% (P = 0.33) of bisexual women and girls who had heard of the vaccine had initiated vaccination compared with 28.4% of their heterosexual counterparts. Self-reported, cross-sectional data, and findings may not be generalizable to periods after 2006 to 2010 or all U.S. lesbians aged 15 to 25 years (because of the small sample size for this group). Adolescent and young adult lesbians may be less likely to initiate HPV vaccination than their heterosexual counterparts. Programs should facilitate access to HPV vaccination services among young lesbians. National Cancer Institute.

SOFTWARE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: AWARENESS, USE, AND BENEFITS IN CANADIAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS

OpenAIRE

CHEVERS, DELROY

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Since 1982, the software development community has been concerned with the delivery of quality systems. Software process improvement (SPI) is an initiative to avoid the delivery of low quality systems. However, the awareness and adoption of SPI is low. Thus, this study examines the rate of awareness, use, and benefits of SPI initiatives in Canadian software development firms. Using SPSS as the analytical tool, this study found that 59% of Canadian software development firms are aware...

Survey of women's awareness about radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onishi, Keiko; Aomi, Yuki; Asada, Kiyoe; Kamiya, Masami; Mitsuishi, Haruko

2008-01-01

A project in a voluntary group 'Women's Energy Network' conducted two questionnaire surveys on Japanese women's awareness about radiation. The survey was conducted to investigate how women(non-experts) perceive radiation and radioactivity, what is their image about radiation, to what extent they are aware of the use of radiation in their daily life, and whether they find nuclear related information useful or not. The results of those surveys have led WEN to publish a booklet entitled 'Our Life and Radiation' to be used for public communication and to hold public forums in various cities in Japan. The first survey was conducted in 2001 to those living in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka and to those living in the area where the nuclear power plant is installed. The response rate was 72.4% (1,028 out of 1,419). The second one was done in 2005 to those living in Tokyo and other big cities. The response rate was 84.7% (888 our of 983). It was derived from the two surveys that they were not so much aware of various applications of radiation for daily use (awareness rate was low), but they considered those information would be useful when it becomes available for them and they were interested in knowing about it. As for the image of radiation, about 80% have shown fear when they see or hear a word 'radiation'. This report provides the result of questionnaire surveys on women's awareness about radiation conducted by 'Our Daily Life and Radiation' project in Women's Energy Network. (author)

Public safety around dams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourassa, H. [Centre d' expertise hydrique du Quebec, Quebec, PQ (Canada)

2009-07-01

Fourty public dams are managed on a real-time basis by the Centre d'expertise hydrique du Quebec (CEHQ). This presentation described the public dams owned by the CEHQ and discussed the public safety measures at the dams. The dams serve various purposes, including protection against floods; industrial or drinking water supply; resort or recreational activities; hydroelectric development; and wildlife conservation. Trigger events were also discussed, such as the complaint at Rapides-des-Cedres dam and deaths that occurred in 2004 when water from a dam was released without warning. Several photographs were presented to illustrate that people were unaware of the danger. Initiatives aimed at raising awareness and studying public safety issues were discussed. A pilot project was launched and a permanent committee was created to evaluate all aspects of public safety at the dams owned by CEHQ. The first tasks of the committee were to establish requirements for waterway safety barriers, both upstream and downstream, for all public dams; to establish requirements for safety signage for all public dams; and to develop criteria to decide on safety signage at each dam. figs.

Public safety around dams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourassa, H [Centre d' expertise hydrique du Quebec, Quebec, PQ (Canada)

2009-07-01

Fourty public dams are managed on a real-time basis by the Centre d'expertise hydrique du Quebec (CEHQ). This presentation described the public dams owned by the CEHQ and discussed the public safety measures at the dams. The dams serve various purposes, including protection against floods; industrial or drinking water supply; resort or recreational activities; hydroelectric development; and wildlife conservation. Trigger events were also discussed, such as the complaint at Rapides-des-Cedres dam and deaths that occurred in 2004 when water from a dam was released without warning. Several photographs were presented to illustrate that people were unaware of the danger. Initiatives aimed at raising awareness and studying public safety issues were discussed. A pilot project was launched and a permanent committee was created to evaluate all aspects of public safety at the dams owned by CEHQ. The first tasks of the committee were to establish requirements for waterway safety barriers, both upstream and downstream, for all public dams; to establish requirements for safety signage for all public dams; and to develop criteria to decide on safety signage at each dam. figs.

Awareness of Daily Life Activities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Metaxas, G.; Metin, B.; Schneider, J.M.; Markopoulos, P.; de Ruyter, B.; Markopoulos, P.

2009-01-01

The well-publicized aging of Western societies has prompted a growing interest into technologies that support awareness in cross-generational families. The idea of supporting continual and partly automated flow of information between seniors living alone and their social intimates has been gaining

A Model for Pre-Service Teachers' Climate Change Awareness and Willingness to Act for Pro-Climate Change Friendly Behavior: Adaptation of Awareness to Climate Change Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Dal, Burçkin; Alper, Umut; Özdem-Yilmaz, Yasemin; Öztürk, Nilay; Sönmez, Duygu

2015-01-01

Public awareness of the negative effects of climate change is vital since it leads to collective action for prevention and adaptation. However, investigations on to what extent people are aware of the climate change issue are rare in the literature. The present study reported the adaptation process of awareness to climate change questionnaire into…

Awareness of fetal echo in Indian scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warrier, Dhanya; Saraf, Rahul; Maheshwari, Sunita; Suresh, PV; Shah, Sejal

2012-01-01

Fetal echocardiography is a well established sensitive tool to diagnose congenital heart disease (CHD) in utero. One of the determinants of effective utilization of fetal echocardiography is its awareness in the general population. The present hospital based study was undertaken to assess the awareness of the need for fetal echocardiography amongst Indian parents. One thousand one hundred and thirty eight consecutive parents who visited the pediatric cardiology outpatient department of a tertiary care centre over a period of two months were asked to fill up a questionnaire that included their demographic data, educational status, history of CHD in children, awareness of fetal echocardiography and source of information and timing of fetal echocardiogram if performed. The data was categorized and awareness was noted in different groups. The awareness in the study population was 2.2%. Awareness was found to be similar across the study population irrespective of the demographics and high risk status of the parents. The awareness of fetal echocardiography, an important tool in reducing the incidence of complex CHD, thereby impacting public health, is alarmingly low in the population studied. Appropriate action to increase awareness of fetal echocardiography needs to be looked into

The Beagle 2 Effect - public response to the UK Mars lander

Science.gov (United States)

Pillinger, J. M.; Pillinger, C. T.

As a prerequisite for understanding science, the target audience must first be aware of an issue and then continue to maintain interest. We discuss the impact of the Beagle 2 mission to Mars on raising awareness amongst the general public as the first step to increasing understanding of the scientific and technological challenges and solutions such a mission addresses. The massive amount of public interest created is now being ttributed to the so-called "Beagle 2 Effect". We consider the reasons why the public, particularly, but not exclusively, in the UK took Beagle 2 to heart. Initially our strategy, as part of the PR plan for Beagle 2, was to collate media coverage for various stages and discrete campaigns in particular to use press cuttings to determine the level of recognition of Beagle 2 as a brand. At the start of the project this information was to support sponsorship bids, latterly the intrinsic value of media, and hence public, awareness was recognised by the major partners in the project. Much of the subsequent public awareness resulted from the comprehensive coverage in all branches of the media. A second opportunity to evaluate the response to the mission was presented to us as it became increasingly clear that Beagle 2 was able to engage an audience much wider than that typically interested in space, or science in general. We highlighted how far mention of Beagle 2 has spread. Additionally numerous unsolicited letters have been received from the public and these have been collated to indicate the factors which appear to have contributed to the widespread interest in Beagle 2. It is not clear whether the "Beagle 2 Effect" can, or will, be transferred to subsequent space missions.

Assessment of awareness on food borne zoonosis and its relation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The use of inspected animal products is found statistically different (P<0.05) among ... The importance of veterinary public health in the overall public health ... the awareness of the public using the appropriate communication media, and to ...

In an Age of Open Access to Research Policies: Physician and Public Health NGO Staff Research Use and Policy Awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Moorhead, Laura L; Holzmeyer, Cheryl; Maggio, Lauren A; Steinberg, Ryan M; Willinsky, John

2015-01-01

Through funding agency and publisher policies, an increasing proportion of the health sciences literature is being made open access. Such an increase in access raises questions about the awareness and potential utilization of this literature by those working in health fields. A sample of physicians (N=336) and public health non-governmental organization (NGO) staff (N=92) were provided with relatively complete access to the research literature indexed in PubMed, as well as access to the point-of-care service UpToDate, for up to one year, with their usage monitored through the tracking of web-log data. The physicians also participated in a one-month trial of relatively complete or limited access. The study found that participants' research interests were not satisfied by article abstracts alone nor, in the case of the physicians, by a clinical summary service such as UpToDate. On average, a third of the physicians viewed research a little more frequently than once a week, while two-thirds of the public health NGO staff viewed more than three articles a week. Those articles were published since the 2008 adoption of the NIH Public Access Policy, as well as prior to 2008 and during the maximum 12-month embargo period. A portion of the articles in each period was already open access, but complete access encouraged a viewing of more research articles. Those working in health fields will utilize more research in the course of their work as a result of (a) increasing open access to research, (b) improving awareness of and preparation for this access, and (c) adjusting public and open access policies to maximize the extent of potential access, through reduction in embargo periods and access to pre-policy literature.

75 FR 75707 - Request for Public Comment on the Draft National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-06

... Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research AGENCY..., Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council request comments from the public regarding the draft National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology...

76 FR 2428 - Request for Public Comment on the Draft National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-13

... Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research AGENCY..., Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council request comments from the public regarding the draft National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology...

How to Measure Consumer Awareness of Mass-Media Campaigns for Public Health Purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Peetz-Schou, Mette

1997-01-01

The measurement of "consumer awareness" in health promotion campaigns is discussed. Seven effectiveness evaluations are reviewed. Problem areas, including interpretation of differently phrased awareness questions and response bias, are discussed. Recommendations for overcoming common problems are made, and an open discussion based on…

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as keys to the enhancement of public awareness about potential earth impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Usikov, Denis A.

2013-09-01

The 2007 Planetary Defense Conference recommends "to provide or enhance Internet sites to show how threats evolve and to illustrate possible action scenarios". Thereby, establishment of informational and communicational AsteroidAware web-site with the exact, authentic data about the past and the present of Earth's impact events will assist in achievement of positive results and progress in different directions on political, international, social and scientific levels. Expanded ICT's capabilities for popularization of planetary defense can help in resolving the problem of low public interest. The project's primary intent lies in popularizing the concept of planetary defenses and attracting attention to the potential dangers that threaten the Earth from outer space. The result of the efforts falling into the boundaries of this project would be an increased amount of social participation in the process of developing solutions for and increasing awareness of potential collisions between various astral bodies and the Earth. The project is also aimed at creating a foundation for the interaction between scientists and executives from around the world to facilitate international efforts of searching for fitting measures towards lowering threat levels and developing strategies revolving around united actions against potential threats.

How do underwriters value initial public offerings? An empirical analysis of the french IPO market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.G.J. Roosenboom (Peter)

2007-01-01

textabstractThis paper investigates how French underwriters value the stocks of companies they bring public. Underwriters often use several valuation methods to determine their fair value estimate of the initial public offering (IPO) firm's equity. We investigate five of these valuation methods:

Initial assessment of public perception and acceptance of Geothermal Energy applications in Çanakkale, NW Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedat Çetiner, Ziya; Çekiç, Osman; Ertekin, Can; Bakırcı, Mesut

2016-04-01

Growing need of energy in global scale has resulted in increasing number of research and development of renewable energy technologies. Turkey, being very rich in the renewable energy resources, has recently paid special attention to accelerate utilization of these resources to reduce the carbon based energy cost. Among these, Geothermal Energy resources in the country, mainly utilized in district heating and balneological applications, has been shifted toward harvesting electric energy in the shed of recent incentives. While these developments are happening at the policy level, the knowledge and the perception of the public is important to shape the future policies and acceptance of such resources in daily life. In light of these developments, the aim of this study is to identify and analyze the public awareness and acceptance mechanisms for the successful deployment of future and ongoing geothermal investments in Çanakkale region of the Biga Peninsula using geological, social and economic constraints in a well-defined questionnaire. The study employed a mixed method to explore the public perception. Mixed method studies involve qualitative and quantitative techniques and intends to explore an issue in-depth. Thus a sequential explanatory design was used to gather the public's perception. Exploratory design involves a qualitative study followed by a design of a quantitative survey and analysis. The researchers, firs, interviewed 24 college students about their knowledge and perceptions of geothermal resources using a semi-structured interview protocol. The protocol comprised of 8 open ended questions. With the help of the literature and the qualitative survey results, an item database with 51 questions were constructed. The initial survey and the items then were sent to 5 experts. Following the expert review, the survey was given its final form and the item numbers were dropped to 34. Then this survey was applied to a group of 100 college students. The survey also

The effects of affiliations on the initial public offering pricing

OpenAIRE

Geranio, Manuela; Mazzoli, Camilla; Palmucci, Fabrizio

2017-01-01

This paper studies the impact of affiliations between lead managers, venture capitalists, and institutional investors on the Initial Public Offering (IPO) pricing. Using a sample of 1996 US IPOs issued between 1997 and 2010, we find that affiliations strongly and positively affect the offer price by improving the information production process. We also show that the underpricing is affected by affiliations because of conflicts of interest that exist between the players: when an institutional ...

National strategy for suicide prevention in Japan: impact of a national fund on progress of developing systems for suicide prevention and implementing initiatives among local authorities.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakanishi, Miharu; Yamauchi, Takashi; Takeshima, Tadashi

2015-01-01

In Japan, the Cabinet Office released the 'General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy' in 2007 and suggested nine initiatives. In 2009, a national fund was launched to help prefectures (the administrative divisions of Japan) and local authorities implement five categories of suicide-prevention programs. This paper examines the impact of the national fund on the establishment of the systems for suicide prevention and the implementation of these initiatives among local authorities. The present study included 1385 local authorities (79.5%) from all 47 prefectures that responded to the cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Improved suicide-prevention systems and the implementation of nine initiatives in April 2013 were observed among 265 local authorities (19.1%) that implemented 'Training of community service providers' and 'Public awareness campaigns'; 178 local authorities (12.9%) that implemented 'Face-to-face counseling', 'Training of community service providers' and 'Public awareness campaigns'; and 324 local authorities (23.4%) that implemented 'Trauma-informed policies and practices'. There was no significant difference in suicide-prevention systems and the implementation of nine initiatives between 203 local authorities (14.7%) that implemented only 'Public awareness campaigns' and 231 local authorities (16.7%) that did not implement any suicide-prevention programs. The results of our study suggest that the national fund promoted the establishment of community systems for suicide prevention and helped implement initiatives among local authorities. The national suicide-prevention strategy in Japan should explore a standard package of programs to guide community suicide-prevention efforts with a sustained workforce among local authorities. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Impact of a social marketing media campaign on public awareness of hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrella, Robert J; Speechley, Mark; Kleinstiver, Peter W; Ruddy, Terry

2005-02-01

Barriers to high blood pressure (BP) awareness and control are exacerbated by poor knowledge of the consequences and uncertainty regarding how to and who should direct care. We developed a social marketing hypertension awareness program to determine baseline awareness, knowledge, and treatment behavior, and then studied the impact of a targeted, media intervention among randomly surveyed adults at risk in a representative urban community compared to a control community immediately and 6 months after the intervention. The program consisted of three random-digit telephone surveys conducted in two mid-sized Ontario cities to determine high BP awareness, knowledge, and treatment behavior. Using baseline knowledge and attitudes toward high BP in both communities, a social marketing awareness strategy and mass media intervention campaign incorporating television, radio, print, direct to patient, and interactive techniques was developed and implemented in the test city only. Both test and control cities were resurveyed immediately after and at 6 months post-media intervention to detect change and decay. A sample of 6873 men and women more than 35 years old who were aware of their high BP demonstrated a high prevalence of high BP in the general population ( approximately 34% in both communities). At baseline this population had poor knowledge of their own BP numbers and poor understanding of the diseases related to high BP. Although few considered high BP a health concern, they had good understanding of lifestyle interventions for high BP prevention and control. The number of the respondents who claimed to have high BP increased immediately after intervention in the test city (38%; P < .02), whereas the number of respondents who were treated and uncontrolled decreased (P < .05) compared to control. There was a significant increase in patients' knowledge of consequences and in their perception that they were most responsible for high BP control in the test city (P < .005

Maritime Domain Awareness Architecture Management Hub Strategy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2008-01-01

This document provides an initial high level strategy for carrying out the responsibilities of the national Maritime Domain Awareness Architecture Management Hub to deliver a standards based service...

Public cardiopulmonary resuscitation training rates and awareness of hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a cross-sectional survey of Victorians.

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, Janet E; Smith, Karen; Case, Rosalind; Cartledge, Susie; Straney, Lahn; Finn, Judith

2017-04-01

To provide contemporary Australian data on the public's training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and awareness of hands-only CPR. A cross-sectional telephone survey in April 2016 of adult residents of the Australian state of Victoria was conducted. Primary outcomes were rates of CPR training and awareness of hands-only CPR. Of the 404 adults surveyed (mean age 55 ± 17 years, 59% female, 73% metropolitan residents), 274 (68%) had undergone CPR training. Only 50% (n = 201) had heard of hands-only CPR, with most citing first-aid courses (41%) and media (36%) as sources of information. Of those who had undergone training, the majority had received training more than 5 years previously (52%) and only 28% had received training or refreshed training in the past 12 months. Most received training in a formal first-aid class (43%), and received training as a requirement for work (67%). The most common reasons for not having training were: they had never thought about it (59%), did not have time (25%) and did not know where to learn (15%). Compared to standard CPR, a greater proportion of respondents were willing to provide hands-only CPR for strangers (67% vs 86%, P CPR training rates and awareness of hands-only CPR. Further promotion of hands-only CPR and self-instruction (e.g. DVD kits or online) may see further improvements in CPR training and bystander CPR rates. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Awareness of Cancer Susceptibility Genetic Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Phuong L.; Vadaparampil, Susan Thomas; Breen, Nancy; McNeel, Timothy S.; Wideroff, Louise; Graubard, Barry I.

2014-01-01

Background Genetic testing for several cancer susceptibility syndromes is clinically available; however, existing data suggest limited population awareness of such tests. Purpose To examine awareness regarding cancer genetic testing in the U.S. population aged ≥25 years in the 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys. Methods The weighted percentages of respondents aware of cancer genetic tests, and percent changes from 2000–2005 and 2005–2010, overall and by demographic, family history, and healthcare factors were calculated. Interactions were used to evaluate the patterns of change in awareness between 2005 and 2010 among subgroups within each factor. To evaluate associations with awareness in 2005 and 2010, percentages were adjusted for covariates using multiple logistic regression. The analysis was performed in 2012. Results Awareness decreased from 44.4% to 41.5% (pAwareness increased between 2005 and 2010 in most subgroups, particularly among individuals in the South (p-interaction=0.03) or with a usual place of care (p-interaction=0.01). In 2005 and 2010, awareness was positively associated with personal or family cancer history and high perceived cancer risk, and inversely associated with racial/ethnic minorities, age 25–39 or ≥60 years, male gender, lower education and income levels, public or no health insurance, and no provider contact in 12 months. Conclusions Despite improvement from 2005 to 2010, ≤50% of the U.S. adult population was aware of cancer genetic testing in 2010. Notably, disparities persist for racial/ethnic minorities and individuals with limited health care access or income. PMID:24745633

Cultural Awareness Among Nursing Staff at an Academic Medical Center.

Science.gov (United States)

McElroy, Jennifer; Smith-Miller, Cheryl A; Madigan, Catherine K; Li, Yin

2016-03-01

The goal is to identify areas for targeted improvement in regard to cultural awareness and competence among nursing staff and in the work environment. Many facilities have initiated programs to facilitate cultural competence development among nursing staff; however, there has been little examination of the effect of these initiatives, assessment of experienced nurses' cultural awareness, or investigation of nurse leader's role in promoting cultural competence in the literature. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, a cultural awareness survey was modified and electronically distributed to all registered nurses and assistive personnel at an academic medical center. The modified survey instrument showed good reliability and validity among the study population. Most nursing staff exhibited a moderate to high level of cultural awareness and held positive opinions about nursing leadership and the work environment with regard to cultural issues. In increasingly diverse work environments, assessing the cultural awareness of nursing staff enables nurse leaders to evaluate efforts in promoting cultural competence and to identify specific areas in which to target staff development efforts and leadership training.

Climate change: a review of its health impact and perceived awareness by the young citizens.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Muhammad Sabbir; Mohamad, Osman Bin; Zarim, Zainal bin Abu

2014-04-16

In recent time climate change and its impact on human health and awareness constitute a set of complex and serious consequences to be tackled by an individual country. Climate change is not merely an environmental issue, but also it is a threat that goes beyond national borders. The purpose of this study is to identify the awareness and the impact of climate change, perceived by the young citizens in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences. Based on a survey of 200 respondents from different public and private University's students in Malaysia, this research used descriptive statistics and T-test to look into the research objective. The results revealed media can play an important role in the awareness of climate change. Meanwhile the male respondents have shown considerable attention on the physical impact of climate change like heat related stress. On the other hand female respondents have shown considerable attention to the psychological impact by the climate change. From a pragmatic perspective, the findings from this research will assists the policy makers to understand more about the perceived awareness on the climate change issues of the young citizens which ultimately assist them to inaugurate new initiatives to confront the challenges of climate changes. This research is among the pioneer study on the issue of the perceived awareness in regards to climate change in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences.

Climate Change: A Review of Its Health Impact and Percieved Awareness by the Young Citizens

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Muhammad Sabbir; Mohamad, Osman Bin; Zarim, Zainal bin Abu

2014-01-01

In recent time climate change and its impact on human health and awareness constitute a set of complex and serious consequences to be tackled by an individual country. Climate change is not merely an environmental issue, but also it is a threat that goes beyond national borders. The purpose of this study is to identify the awareness and the impact of climate change, perceived by the young citizens in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences. Based on a survey of 200 respondents from different public and private University’s students in Malaysia, this research used descriptive statistics and T-test to look into the research objective. The results revealed media can play an important role in the awareness of climate change. Meanwhile the male respondents have shown considerable attention on the physical impact of climate change like heat related stress. On the other hand female respondents have shown considerable attention to the psychological impact by the climate change. From a pragmatic perspective, the findings from this research will assists the policy makers to understand more about the perceived awareness on the climate change issues of the young citizens which ultimately assist them to inaugurate new initiatives to confront the challenges of climate changes. This research is among the pioneer study on the issue of the perceived awareness in regards to climate change in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences. PMID:24999143

News media coverage and initial public offerings in Germany: Explaining flotation performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Strauß, N.; van der Meer, T.G.L.A.

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships of news media coverage and the performance of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Germany. The aim is to find out how media attention, media sentiment, corporate information, and recency of news are related to the flotation

Process-aware information systems : bridging people and software through process technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dumas, M.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.; Hofstede, ter A.H.M.

2005-01-01

A unifying foundation to design and implement process-aware information systems This publication takes on the formidable task of establishing a unifying foundation and set of common underlying principles to effectively model, design, and implement process-aware information systems. Authored by

An exploration of residents’ low-carbon awareness and behavior in Tianjin, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Yin; Liu, Yong

2013-01-01

This paper explores the empirical evidence of the link between residents’ low-carbon awareness and their behaviors in China. A questionnaire measuring seven dimensions (including low-carbon knowledge, low-carbon value, low-carbon attitude, private low-carbon behavior, public low-carbon behavior, barrier and motivator) was distributed to the residents of Tianjin, yielding 354 valid responses. The results indicated that there was a low-carbon awareness–behavior gap. In particular, the level of behavior was higher than awareness because the motivators were stronger than the barriers. Second, in exploring the affects of motivators versus barriers on the residents’ private and public low-carbon behaviors, we found that motivators promoted both private and public low-carbon behaviors while barriers significantly inhibited public low-carbon behaviors. Third, Chinese social and cultural factors are discussed to inform our exploration of the mechanisms forming the residents’ awareness–behavior gap. - Highlights: • There was a low-carbon awareness–behavior gap. • The level of behavior was higher than awareness. • The motivators promoted both private and public low-carbon behaviors. • The barriers significantly inhibited public low-carbon behaviors

Oscillations in epidemic models with spread of awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Just, Winfried; Saldaña, Joan; Xin, Ying

2018-03-01

We study ODE models of epidemic spreading with a preventive behavioral response that is triggered by awareness of the infection. Previous studies of such models have mostly focused on the impact of the response on the initial growth of an outbreak and the existence and location of endemic equilibria. Here we study the question whether this type of response is sufficient to prevent future flare-ups from low endemic levels if awareness is assumed to decay over time. In the ODE context, such flare-ups would translate into sustained oscillations with significant amplitudes. Our results show that such oscillations are ruled out in Susceptible-Aware-Infectious-Susceptible models with a single compartment of aware hosts, but can occur if we consider two distinct compartments of aware hosts who differ in their willingness to alert other susceptible hosts.

Consensus shaping and safe space public participation processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Kjell [Karita Research AB, Taeaby (Sweden)

2015-07-01

Stakeholder involvement and public participation is recognized as a necessary part of nuclear waste management. It is possible to see three driving forces behind this development: (1) a deliberative movement with its roots in the 1960s leftish movement (a philosophical argument), (2) the need for public acceptance of proposed solutions (a practical argument), and (3) the need for awareness and clarity before crucial decisions are made (a practical and democratic argument). Depending on which driving force dominates an initiative for public participation, the initiator is likely to prefer certain public participation processes before others. The initiator has to select among a large number of processes already having been implemented or design a new one tailored for the specific situation. The process choice is crucial for which stakeholders are able to join and which goals can be reached. Much of the debate about public participation has referred to the ''Arnstein ladder'' (Arnstein, 1969) or its modernized versions, such as the participation ladder used in the IPPA Project (Richardson et.al. 2011) building on work by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP, 2008). The various forms of ladders have in common an increasing level of ambition for participation from low to high. The higher up on the ladder, the better it is often anticipated. However, with this should follow more responsibility and accountability of all participants, which in practice is often lacking. There are also practical problems in using the ladder to map public participation processes. For example the step 'collaboration' is ambiguous as it can mean different things. In the RISCOM Process, participants collaborate to improve clarity and awareness but not for finding common solutions. Therefore, the RISCOM Process (Vojtechova, 2009) does not fit into the ladder structure. To avoid these and other problems it is suggested to use three basic approaches to

Consensus shaping and safe space public participation processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Kjell

2015-01-01

Stakeholder involvement and public participation is recognized as a necessary part of nuclear waste management. It is possible to see three driving forces behind this development: (1) a deliberative movement with its roots in the 1960s leftish movement (a philosophical argument), (2) the need for public acceptance of proposed solutions (a practical argument), and (3) the need for awareness and clarity before crucial decisions are made (a practical and democratic argument). Depending on which driving force dominates an initiative for public participation, the initiator is likely to prefer certain public participation processes before others. The initiator has to select among a large number of processes already having been implemented or design a new one tailored for the specific situation. The process choice is crucial for which stakeholders are able to join and which goals can be reached. Much of the debate about public participation has referred to the ''Arnstein ladder'' (Arnstein, 1969) or its modernized versions, such as the participation ladder used in the IPPA Project (Richardson et.al. 2011) building on work by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP, 2008). The various forms of ladders have in common an increasing level of ambition for participation from low to high. The higher up on the ladder, the better it is often anticipated. However, with this should follow more responsibility and accountability of all participants, which in practice is often lacking. There are also practical problems in using the ladder to map public participation processes. For example the step 'collaboration' is ambiguous as it can mean different things. In the RISCOM Process, participants collaborate to improve clarity and awareness but not for finding common solutions. Therefore, the RISCOM Process (Vojtechova, 2009) does not fit into the ladder structure. To avoid these and other problems it is suggested to use three basic approaches to

The public spending crisis: a case study of Nigeria public sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PhD(AccountingMBA.Mukoro Dick Oluku

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to discuss the differences in the concept and measurement of efficiency between the private and public sectors, stressing that the lessons from the private sector can only be transferred to the public sector if there is a proper awareness of these issues and constrains imposed by considerations of equity. In evaluating policy initiatives, the governments method for all the talk of “rolling back the public sector” and opposition companies of “cuts,” the public expenditure/EDP ration went up steadily during Obasanjo’s first term. However deep the divisions over what ought to be in the public sector, it is of paramount importance to all concerned that the resources are managed effectively. The paper argued that an attempt to instill into the public sector the cost consciousness of the best parts of the private sector is wholly admirable. In conclusion, the severity of the impending budgetary crises will make the search for greater efficiency in the public sector of paramount importance. The paper recommends that the common theme of all these cases in that an appropriate set of relative prices can encourage resources to be minimized. very great care has to be taken when introducing piecemeal charging in order to ensure that this does not have side-effects at odds with programme objectives

Energy awareness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-01-01

The objective of the Symposium for Public Awareness on Energy was to provide an information exchange among the members of the technical community and the public, civic, fraternal, service, and labor organizations on timely energy-related issues. The 1977 symposium was oriented toward state and local governmental officials in the southeastern states. Since it is these officials who have the responsibility for the development and actualization of local energy strategies, the program was directed toward providing information which would be of help to them in considering energy plans. The symposium presentations featured speakers who are recognized in many facets of the energy field. A variety of views were expressed and a number of policy alternatives were suggested. It is hoped that the presentations provided the motivation for the audience to return to their respective communities with a new and expanded perspective regarding energy issues and policies. The private and public organizations represented at the symposium can continue to provide pertinent information to those who are interested. A separate abstract was prepared for each of the 9 presentations.

Public involvement in the priority setting activities of a wait time management initiative: a qualitative case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Rebecca A; Laupacis, Andreas; Levinson, Wendy; Martin, Douglas K

2007-11-16

As no health system can afford to provide all possible services and treatments for the people it serves, each system must set priorities. Priority setting decision makers are increasingly involving the public in policy making. This study focuses on public engagement in a key priority setting context that plagues every health system around the world: wait list management. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting for the Ontario Wait Time Strategy, with special attention to public engagement. This study was conducted at the Ontario Wait Time Strategy in Ontario, Canada which is part of a Federal-Territorial-Provincial initiative to improve access and reduce wait times in five areas: cancer, cardiac, sight restoration, joint replacements, and diagnostic imaging. There were two sources of data: (1) over 25 documents (e.g. strategic planning reports, public updates), and (2) 28 one-on-one interviews with informants (e.g. OWTS participants, MOHLTC representatives, clinicians, patient advocates). Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. The Ontario Wait Time Strategy partially meets the four conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness'. The public was not directly involved in the priority setting activities of the Ontario Wait Time Strategy. Study participants identified both benefits (supporting the initiative, experts of the lived experience, a publicly funded system and sustainability of the healthcare system) and concerns (personal biases, lack of interest to be involved, time constraints, and level of technicality) for public involvement in the Ontario Wait Time Strategy. Additionally, the participants identified concern for the consequences (sustainability, cannibalism, and a class system) resulting from the Ontario Wait Times Strategy. We described and evaluated a wait time management initiative (the Ontario Wait Time Strategy) with special attention to public

Public involvement in the priority setting activities of a wait time management initiative: a qualitative case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laupacis Andreas

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As no health system can afford to provide all possible services and treatments for the people it serves, each system must set priorities. Priority setting decision makers are increasingly involving the public in policy making. This study focuses on public engagement in a key priority setting context that plagues every health system around the world: wait list management. The purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate priority setting for the Ontario Wait Time Strategy, with special attention to public engagement. Methods This study was conducted at the Ontario Wait Time Strategy in Ontario, Canada which is part of a Federal-Territorial-Provincial initiative to improve access and reduce wait times in five areas: cancer, cardiac, sight restoration, joint replacements, and diagnostic imaging. There were two sources of data: (1 over 25 documents (e.g. strategic planning reports, public updates, and (2 28 one-on-one interviews with informants (e.g. OWTS participants, MOHLTC representatives, clinicians, patient advocates. Analysis used a modified thematic technique in three phases: open coding, axial coding, and evaluation. Results The Ontario Wait Time Strategy partially meets the four conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness'. The public was not directly involved in the priority setting activities of the Ontario Wait Time Strategy. Study participants identified both benefits (supporting the initiative, experts of the lived experience, a publicly funded system and sustainability of the healthcare system and concerns (personal biases, lack of interest to be involved, time constraints, and level of technicality for public involvement in the Ontario Wait Time Strategy. Additionally, the participants identified concern for the consequences (sustainability, cannibalism, and a class system resulting from the Ontario Wait Times Strategy. Conclusion We described and evaluated a wait time management initiative (the Ontario

Climate Change Action Fund: public education and outreach. Change: think climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-05-01

This illustrated booklet provides a glimpse of the many creative approaches being adopted by educators, community groups, industry associations and governments at all levels to inform Canadians about the causes and effects of climate change. It also provides suggestions about how each individual person can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through residential energy efficiency, by participating in ride-share programs, by planting trees and a myriad of other community action projects and public awareness campaigns. The booklet describes educational resources and training available to teachers, science presentations, climate change workshops, public awareness initiatives, community action on climate change, and sector-specific actions underway in the field of transportation and in improving energy efficiency in residential and large buildings. Descriptive summaries of the activities of organizations involved in climate change advocacy and promotion, and a list of contacts for individual projects also form part of the volume

American Lung Association's radon public information program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCurdy, L.E.

1992-01-01

The American Lung Association (ALA), the nation's oldest voluntary health organization, is dedicated to the conquest of lung disease and the promotion of lung health. The objective of the ALA Radon Public Information Program is to reduce public exposure to elevated indoor radon levels through implementing grassroots-based radon public awareness campaigns by 22 local ALA groups. The program, which is funded by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was initiated in December 1989; the first phase will continue until May, 1991. Activities of local Lung Associations include distribution of free or reduced-cost radon kits; presenting programs in elementary and secondary schools; presenting information on TV news series and talk shows, and on radio Public Service Announcements and talk shows; presenting articles and feature stories in the print media; holding conferences, workshops, and displays at fairs and other exhibitions; distributing radon fact sheets through libraries and utility company mailings; and distributing videos through video chains and libraries. The local Lung Associations also serve as promoters for the EPA/Advertising Council Radon Public Service Announcement Campaign. We will highlight the activities of the groups in communicating radon health risks to the public; we will describe the results obtained and will attempt to evaluate the merits of the various approaches on the basis of the initial results

Patients′ awareness of antibiotic use in Bahraini health centers and community pharmacies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayed Mahmood Alqallaf

2015-01-01

Conclusion: Bahraini patients are mostly aware of 12 antibiotic aspects despite some misconceptions. The public awareness and their expectations warrant further studies on a large scale to understand their self-medication and demand for antibiotic prescriptions.

Cancer symptom awareness and barriers to medical help seeking in Scottish adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubbard, Gill; Macmillan, Iona; Canny, Anne; Forbat, Liz; Neal, Richard D; O'Carroll, Ronan E; Haw, Sally; Kyle, Richard G

2014-10-29

Initiatives to promote early diagnosis include raising public awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and addressing barriers to seeking medical help about cancer. Awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and emotional barriers, such as fear, worry, and embarrassment, strongly influence help seeking behaviour. Whether anxiety influences seeking medical help about cancer is not known. The purpose of this study about adolescents was to examine: 1) the relationship between contextual factors and awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer and barriers (including emotional barriers) to seeking medical help, and 2) associations between anxiety and endorsed barriers to seeking medical help. Interpretation of data is informed by the common sense model of the self-regulation of health and illness. A cross-sectional study of 2,173 Scottish adolescents (age 12/13 years) using the Cancer Awareness Measure. Socio-demographic questions were also included. Descriptive statistics were calculated and two Poisson regression models were built to determine independent predictors of: 1) the number of cancer warning signs recognized, and; 2) number of barriers to help seeking endorsed. Analysis identified that knowing someone with cancer was a significant independent predictor of recognising more cancer warning signs whereas Black and Minority Ethnic status was a significant independent predictor of recognising fewer cancer warning signs. Emotional barriers were the most commonly endorsed, followed by family, service and practical barriers. Over two thirds of adolescents were 'worried about what the doctor would find' and over half were 'scared'. Higher anxiety scores, knowing more cancer warning signs and female gender were significant independent predictors of barriers to help seeking. Improving cancer awareness and help seeking behaviour during adolescence may contribute to early presentation. Contextual factors (for example, ethnicity, gender, knowing someone with cancer), and

"Help seniors live better, longer: prevent brain injury": an overview of CDC's education initiative to prevent fall-related TBI among older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento, Kelly; Langlois, Jean A; Mitchko, Jane

2008-01-01

Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among older adults aged 75 and older. Despite this burden, many older adults, their caregivers, and professionals are not aware of the importance of TBI as an outcome of falls among older adults. To address this important public health problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the "Help Seniors Live Better, Longer: Prevent Brain Injury" initiative to help raise awareness about methods to prevent, recognize and respond to fall-related TBIs among older adults aged 75 and older. The initiative was launched in March 2008, in collaboration with 26 participating organizations, and included a multipronged outreach strategy to help blanket the country with the messages of the initiative at the national, state, and local levels. Adherence to a logical, comprehensive health-education approach has proven to be highly effective in furthering the initial goals of the project.

Information Security Awareness On-Line Materials Design with Knowledge Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Ruey-Shiang; Keh, Huan-Chao; Huang, Nan-Ching; Huang, Tien-Chuan

2011-01-01

Information Security Awareness, though known as a primary and important issue in the domain of Information Security, CSI computer crime and security survey showed poor security awareness training in public and private sectors. In many studies, the authors have found that the usage of knowledge maps helps the process of learning and conception…

Levels of Phonological Awareness, Working Memory, and Lexical Knowledge in Elementary School Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heloisa Helena Motta Bandini

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Relationships between oral language, phonological awareness, and working memory have been empirically demonstrated, however, phonological awareness encompasses different abilities, assessed at different levels. The present study investigated the possible associations between specific phonological awareness abilities and phonological working memory in first-grade students. In the initial phase ( n = 254, the study evaluated the abilities of phonological awareness and phonological working memory and found a high positive correlation between these abilities, thus confirming the findings of previous studies. The second phase ( n = 12 evaluated the vocabulary of individuals who, in the initial phase, showed low or high working memory and phonological awareness scores. Students with low working memory and low phonological awareness capacities had low scores in expressive language abilities, suggesting that phonological working memory may have direct effects on lexical knowledge. These results contribute to the understanding of the relationships investigated in this study and have important implications for planning teaching strategies.

Public opinion on food-related obesity prevention policy initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Morley, Belinda; Martin, Jane; Niven, Philippa; Wakefield, Melanie

2012-08-01

The study was designed to determine public acceptability of various forms of regulation to support a healthy eating environment. Telephone interviews were undertaken in June-July 2010 with a random sample of adults in Australia who were the main grocery buyer for their household. Data were analysed for 1,511 adults. A clear majority of participants (80% or more) were in favour of traffic light and kilojoule menu labelling, reformulation to reduce the fat, salt and sugar content of processed foods, and regulation of broadcast and non-broadcast avenues used to market unhealthy food and drinks to children. Relatively less support (two-thirds or more), particularly among lower socioeconomic status participants, was shown for taxation policies and controls on food company sponsorship of sports and education programs. Despite the survey's focus on food marketing avenues and methods directed at children, for the most part non-parents were just as likely as parents to support restrictions. Overall, these findings indicate that there is strong public support for the introduction of policy initiatives aimed at creating a healthier food environment.

77 FR 36901 - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-20

... this global public health issue, and we rededicate ourselves to providing our elders the care and... abuse cuts across race, gender, culture, and circumstance, and whether physical, emotional, or financial... signs of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and by raising awareness about this public health issue...

Public Policies and Private Initiatives in Transition: Evidence from the Polish Dairy Sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dries, L.K.E.; Falkowski, J.; Malak-Rawlikowska, A.; Milczarek-Andrzejewska, D.

2011-01-01

The drivers of institutional change in Central and Eastern Europe have changed considerably since 1989. Taking these changes into account, we identify three – partly overlapping – transition stages: public policy changes dominated the start of transition, private initiatives became crucial in a

Initial Public Health Laboratory Response After Hurricane Maria - Puerto Rico, 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Concepción-Acevedo, Jeniffer; Patel, Anita; Luna-Pinto, Carolina; Peña, Rafael González; Cuevas Ruiz, Rosa Ivette; Arbolay, Héctor Rivera; Toro, Mayra; Deseda, Carmen; De Jesus, Victor R; Ribot, Efrain; Gonzalez, Jennifer-Quiñones; Rao, Gouthami; De Leon Salazar, Alfonsina; Ansbro, Marisela; White, Brunilís B; Hardy, Margaret C; Georgi, Joaudimir Castro; Stinnett, Rita; Mercante, Alexandra M; Lowe, David; Martin, Haley; Starks, Angela; Metchock, Beverly; Johnston, Stephanie; Dalton, Tracy; Joglar, Olga; Stafford, Cortney; Youngblood, Monica; Klein, Katherine; Lindstrom, Stephen; Berman, LaShondra; Galloway, Renee; Schafer, Ilana J; Walke, Henry; Stoddard, Robyn; Connelly, Robin; McCaffery, Elaine; Rowlinson, Marie-Claire; Soroka, Stephen; Tranquillo, Darin T; Gaynor, Anne; Mangal, Chris; Wroblewski, Kelly; Muehlenbachs, Atis; Salerno, Reynolds M; Lozier, Matthew; Sunshine, Brittany; Shapiro, Craig; Rose, Dale; Funk, Renee; Pillai, Satish K; O'Neill, Eduardo

2018-03-23

Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, causing major damage to infrastructure and severely limiting access to potable water, electric power, transportation, and communications. Public services that were affected included operations of the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH), which provides critical laboratory testing and surveillance for diseases and other health hazards. PRDOH requested assistance from CDC for the restoration of laboratory infrastructure, surveillance capacity, and diagnostic testing for selected priority diseases, including influenza, rabies, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and tuberculosis. PRDOH, CDC, and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) collaborated to conduct rapid needs assessments and, with assistance from the CDC Foundation, implement a temporary transport system for shipping samples from Puerto Rico to the continental United States for surveillance and diagnostic and confirmatory testing. This report describes the initial laboratory emergency response and engagement efforts among federal, state, and nongovernmental partners to reestablish public health laboratory services severely affected by Hurricane Maria. The implementation of a sample transport system allowed Puerto Rico to reinitiate priority infectious disease surveillance and laboratory testing for patient and public health interventions, while awaiting the rebuilding and reinstatement of PRDOH laboratory services.

Awareness and practice of safety precautions among healthcare workers in the laboratories of two public health facilities in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Fadeyi, A; Fowotade, A; Abiodun, M O; Jimoh, A K; Nwabuisi, C; Desalu, O O

2011-06-01

To determine the level of awareness and practice of SP among laboratory workers at two tertiary public health facilities in Nigeria. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the awareness, attitude and adherence to SP among laboratory workers. Information on the availability of safety equipment was also sought. The laboratory safety practice of respondents was assessed based on self-reported observance of basic principles of universal precautions in clinical settings. Study participants were 130, mean age: 28.2 years (SD±6.6), number of years in hospital employment: 3.7 years (SD±2.4) and the male to female ratio was 1.8:1. Many (41.5%) were unaware and 25.4% do not observe SP. Participants attest to availability of various safety devices and equipment including hand gloves (86.2%), disinfectants (84.6%), HBV immunisation (46.2%) and post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV and HBV (79.6%). Attitude to safety is unsatisfactory as 60.0% eat and drink in the laboratory, 50.8% recap needles and 56.9% use sharps box. Even though 83.1% are willing to take PEP, only 1.5% will present self following laboratory injury. This study shows the deficit in the awareness of SP among laboratory personnel and demonstrates that attitude and practice of safety rules are unsatisfactory. Training and re-training on SP is therefore desired. Counselling to induce a positive attitudinal change on HBV immunisation and PEP is similarly necessary.

A Step towards Sustainable Society: The Awareness of Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Climate Change and Carbon Capture in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Ghazali, Zulkipli; Zahid, Muhammad; Kee, Tan Siok; Ibrahim, M. Yussoff

2016-01-01

Public awareness is crucial to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. The aim of the study is to explore the level of public awareness in five states of Malaysia (Perak, Melaka, Johor, Pahang and Terengganu) regarding CO2 emissions, climate change and carbon capture and storage (CCS). A questionnaire floated for exploring public awareness regarding CO2 emissions, climate change and CCS. Based on the questionnaire data was collected from five states (Perak, Melaka, Johor, Pahang and Ter...

CURRENT SITUATION OF CIVIL AWARENESS OF UNDERGRADUATE AND PROMOTION STRATEGY RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Hong-Mei

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We conducted on a questionnaire survey for the current college students’ civic awareness from four aspects of equality consciousness, national consciousness, freedom consciousness and public consciousness. Survey data was analyzed with the SAS® statistical software, the results shown that some of our country’s College Students with a strong national consciousness, and their patriotic feeling is deep at present. They identity the consciousness of equality, but their awareness of fighting for rights is not strong. They have a sense of freedom, but some students are not clear about the relationship between freedom and law. Their enthusiasm to participate in public affairs is not high. Their awareness of social morality is not comprehensive. The reason is that the influence of traditional culture and the political development can’t keep up with the development of economy and the systematic citizenship education is lacked. Finally, we put forward a method of improve the civic awareness of Contemporary College Students in this paper.

Location-aware mobile media and urban sociability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sutko, Daniel; de Souza e Silva, Adriana Araujo

2011-01-01

Location-aware mobile media allow users to see their locations on a map on their mobile phone screens. These applications either disclose the physical positions of known friends, or represent the locations of groups of unknown people. We call these interfaces eponymous and anonymous, respectively...... location-aware mobile media, namely their ability to increase one’s spatial awareness and to encourage one to meet more people in public spaces, might be fallacious due to pre-existing practices of sociability in the city. We explore these issues in the light of three bodies of theory: Goffman......’s presentation of self in everyday life, Simmel’s ideas on sociability, and Lehtonen and Mäenpää’s concept of street sociability....

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING AND PERFORMANCE OF BRAZILIAN FIRMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Rodriguez Cao

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates changes in long-term operational and financial performance for a sample of Brazilian companies made initial public offerings (IPO's shares, in the period 2002-2008. This period showed a historically high number of IPOs, a heavily discontinued phenomenon with the international financial crisis of 2008. As performance measures were chosen six financial indicators usually adopted in the literature in periods of three years pre-IPO, year of listing and three years post-IPO. The indicators evaluated were size, growth rate, profitability, financial leverage, investment level and investment rate. The results show evidence that, on average, there were statistically significant improvements in size, profitability, investment level and investment rate. But there was no evidence statistically significant changes in the growth rate and financial leverage after the IPO of Brazilian firms.

ParticipACTION after 5 years of relaunch: a quantitative survey of Canadian organizational awareness and capacity regarding physical activity initiatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guy Faulkner

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: ParticipACTION is a Canadian physical activity communications and social marketing organization relaunched in 2007. This study assesses the capacity of Canadian organizations to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity initiatives. The four objectives were to compare findings from baseline (2008 and follow-up (2013 with respect to: (1 awareness of ParticipACTION; (2 organizational capacity to adopt, implement and promote physical activity initiatives; (3 potential differences in capacity based on organizational size, sector, and mandate; and (4 assess perceptions of ParticipACTION five years after relaunch. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, representatives from local, provincial/territorial, and national organizations completed an online survey assessing capacity to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity. Descriptive statistics and one-way analyses of variance were conducted to examine the objectives. Results: Response rate for opening an email survey invitation and consenting to participate was 40.6% (685/1688 and 540 surveys were completed. Awareness of ParticipACTION increased from 54.6% at baseline to 93.9% at follow-up (Objective 1. Findings at both baseline and follow-up reflected good organizational capacity to adopt, implement and promote physical activity (Objective 2 although some varied by organizational sector and mandate (Objective 3. Most respondents reported that ParticipACTION provided positive leadership (65.3%, but there was less agreement regarding ParticipACTION’s facilitation of infrastructure (44.0% or organizational will/motivation (47.1%(Objective 4. Conclusion: Canadian organizations continue to report having good capacity to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity. There was no discernible change in capacity indicators five years after ParticipACTION’s relaunch although its broader contribution to the physical activity sector was endorsed.

ParticipACTION after 5 years of relaunch: a quantitative survey of Canadian organizational awareness and capacity regarding physical activity initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Faulkner, Guy; Ramanathan, Subha; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Berry, Tanya; Deshpande, Sameer; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; Rhodes, Ryan E; Tremblay, Mark S; Spence, John C

2018-04-01

ParticipACTION is a Canadian physical activity communications and social marketing organization relaunched in 2007. This study assesses the capacity of Canadian organizations to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity initiatives. The four objectives were to compare findings from baseline (2008) and follow-up (2013) with respect to: (1) awareness of ParticipACTION; (2) organizational capacity to adopt, implement and promote physical activity initiatives; (3) potential differences in capacity based on organizational size, sector, and mandate; and (4) assess perceptions of ParticipACTION five years after relaunch. In this cross-sectional study, representatives from local, provincial/territorial, and national organizations completed an online survey assessing capacity to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity. Descriptive statistics and one-way analyses of variance were conducted to examine the objectives. Response rate for opening an email survey invitation and consenting to participate was 40.6% (685/1688) and 540 surveys were completed. Awareness of ParticipACTION increased from 54.6% at baseline to 93.9% at follow-up (Objective 1). Findings at both baseline and follow-up reflected good organizational capacity to adopt, implement and promote physical activity (Objective 2) although some varied by organizational sector and mandate (Objective 3). Most respondents reported that ParticipACTION provided positive leadership (65.3%), but there was less agreement regarding ParticipACTION's facilitation of infrastructure (44.0%) or organizational will/motivation (47.1%)(Objective 4). Canadian organizations continue to report having good capacity to adopt, implement, and promote physical activity. There was no discernible change in capacity indicators five years after ParticipACTION's relaunch although its broader contribution to the physical activity sector was endorsed.

Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public-private initiative in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Szabo, Christopher Paul; Fine, Jennifer; Mayers, Pat; Naidoo, Shan; Zabow, Tuviah

2017-01-01

Mental health leadership is a critical component of patient access to care. More specifically, the ability of mental health professionals to articulate the needs of patients, formulate strategies and engage meaningfully at the appropriate level in pursuit of resources. This is not a skill set routinely taught to mental health professionals. A public-private mental health leadership initiative, emanating from a patient access to care programme, was developed with the aim of building leadership capacity within the South African public mental health sector. The express aim was to equip health care professionals with the requisite skills to more effectively advocate for their patients. The initiative involved participants from various sites within South Africa. Inclusion was based on the proposal of an ongoing "project", i.e. a clinician-initiated service development with a multidisciplinary focus. The projects were varied in nature but all involved identification of and a plan for addressing an aspect of the participants' daily professional work which negatively impacted on patient care due to unmet needs. Six such projects were included and involved 15 participants, comprising personnel from psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy and nursing. Each project group was formally mentored as part of the initiative, with mentors being senior professionals with expertise in psychiatry, public health and nursing. The programme design thus provided a unique practical dimension in which skills and learnings were applied to the projects with numerous and diverse outcomes. Benefits were noted by participants but extended beyond the individuals to the health institutions in which they worked and the patients that they served. Participants acquired both the skills and the confidence which enabled them to sustain the changes that they themselves had initiated in their institutions. The initiative gave impetus to the inclusion of public mental health as part of the curriculum

Public Awareness of Uterine Power Morcellation Through US Food and Drug Administration Communications: Analysis of Google Trends Search Term Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Lauren N; Jamnagerwalla, Juzar; Markowitz, Melissa A; Thum, D Joseph; McCarty, Philip; Medendorp, Andrew R; Raz, Shlomo; Kim, Ja-Hong

2018-04-26

Uterine power morcellation, where the uterus is shred into smaller pieces, is a widely used technique for removal of uterine specimens in patients undergoing minimally invasive abdominal hysterectomy or myomectomy. Complications related to power morcellation of uterine specimens led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) communications in 2014 ultimately recommending against the use of power morcellation for women undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy. Subsequently, practitioners drastically decreased the use of morcellation. We aimed to determine the effect of increased patient awareness on the decrease in use of the morcellator. Google Trends is a public tool that provides data on temporal patterns of search terms, and we correlated this data with the timing of the FDA communication. Weekly relative search volume (RSV) was obtained from Google Trends using the term “morcellation.” Higher RSV corresponds to increases in weekly search volume. Search volumes were divided into 3 groups: the 2 years prior to the FDA communication, a 1-year period following, and thereafter, with the distribution of the weekly RSV over the 3 periods tested using 1-way analysis of variance. Additionally, we analyzed the total number of websites containing the term “morcellation” over this time. The mean RSV prior to the FDA communication was 12.0 (SD 15.8), with the RSV being 60.3 (SD 24.7) in the 1-year after and 19.3 (SD 5.2) thereafter (PGoogle search activity about morcellation of uterine specimens increased significantly after the FDA communications. This trend indicates an increased public awareness regarding morcellation and its complications. More extensive preoperative counseling and alteration of surgical technique and clinician practice may be necessary. ©Lauren N Wood, Juzar Jamnagerwalla, Melissa A Markowitz, D Joseph Thum, Philip McCarty, Andrew R Medendorp, Shlomo Raz, Ja-Hong Kim. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http

Determinants of glaucoma awareness in urban punjab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farooq, S.; Jaffar, S.; Kausar, A.

2015-01-01

To assess the awareness about glaucoma and the factors affecting it in urban Punjab population. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted in March-April 2011 in Rawalpindi District Punjab, Pakistan. Material and Methods: Glaucoma awareness study was conducted on urban population of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore and Taxila. Individuals belonging to medical profession (doctors, nurses and paramedics etc) were not included. Demographic details and educational status of all participants were documented. A brief structured close-ended study questionnaire was used to collect information about their awareness of risk factors, treatment aspects and complication of glaucoma. Results: There were 729 participants in the study. Majority were females (60.1%) and adults (76.1%). Literacy level of 40.2% was up to matriculate level. The study indicated that the awareness level about glaucoma was low especially about the recognition of high-risk groups and symptoms. Only one-third of respondents i.e. 32.6% had an idea about the symptoms of the disease and 27.4% participants had awareness of glaucoma as a blinding eye disease. Determinants of glaucoma awareness amongst study participants were gender, age, education level and occupation. Conclusion: Awareness of glaucoma was quite low among the urban population in Punjab. There is need of increased public health education to reduce glaucoma associated blindness and its burden on society. (author)

Indoor radon concentrations and radon doses at three districts of Ankara, Turkey and raising public awareness on the issue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehmet Kildir; Inci Goekmen; Ali Goekmen

2016-01-01

Indoor radon concentrations at METU, CIGDEM and DOSTLAR in Ankara were measured using electrets. The statistical analysis of the data indicated a lognormal distribution of radon concentrations, with no significant difference between CIGDEM and DOSTLAR with geometric means of GM = 87.5 and 54.5 Bq m -3 , respectively. Radon concentrations did not change seasonally at CIGDEM which contain modern buildings, but at the slum district DOSTLAR, with poor insulation of houses a seasonal variation was observed. Annual effective radon doses were estimated (0.4-8.4 mSv). Public awareness about indoor radon was raised. (author)

Evaluation of a Public Awareness Campaign to Prevent High School Dropout.

Science.gov (United States)

Babinski, Leslie M; Corra, Ashley J; Gifford, Elizabeth J

2016-08-01

Many advocacy organizations devote time and resources to increasing community awareness and educating the public in an effort to gain support for their issue. One such effort, the Dropout Prevention Campaign by America's Promise Alliance, aimed to increase the visibility of the high school dropout problem and mobilize the community to take action. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the framing of the Dropout Prevention Campaign in television news media. To evaluate this campaign, television news coverage about high school dropout in 12 U.S. communities (N = 982) was examined. A content analysis of news transcripts was conducted and coded to determine the definition of the problem, the reasons for dropout and the possible solutions. Findings indicated that the high school dropout problem was most often framed (30 % of news segments) in terms of the economic and societal implications for the community. Individual student factors as well as broader societal influences were frequently discussed as possible reasons for dropout. The most commonly mentioned solutions were school-based interventions. News segments that mentioned America's Promise Alliance were more likely to frame the issue as a crisis and to use statistics to illustrate that point. Solutions that were more likely to appear in America's Promise segments promoted community and cross-sector involvement, consistent with the messages promoted by the Dropout Prevention Campaign. The findings suggest that a media content analysis can be an effective framework for analyzing a prevention campaign.

Immigrants' access to health insurance: no equality without awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzúrová, Dagmar; Winkler, Petr; Drbohlav, Dušan

2014-07-14

The Czech government has identified commercial health insurance as one of the major problems for migrants' access to health care. Non-EU immigrants are eligible for public health insurance only if they have employee status or permanent residency. The present study examined migrants' access to the public health insurance system in Czechia. A cross-sectional survey of 909 immigrants from Ukraine and Vietnam was conducted in March and May 2013, and binary logistic regression was applied in data analysis. Among immigrants entitled to Czech public health insurance due to permanent residency/asylum, 30% were out of the public health insurance system, and of those entitled by their employment status, 50% were out of the system. Migrants with a poor knowledge of the Czech language are more likely to remain excluded from the system of public health insurance. Instead, they either remain in the commercial health insurance system or they simultaneously pay for both commercial and public health insurance, which is highly disadvantageous. Since there are no reasonable grounds to stay outside the public health insurance, it is concluded that it is lack of awareness that keeps eligible immigrants from entering the system. It is suggested that no equal access to health care exists without sufficient awareness about health care system.

Immigrants’ Access to Health Insurance: No Equality without Awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dagmar Dzúrová

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The Czech government has identified commercial health insurance as one of the major problems for migrants’ access to health care. Non-EU immigrants are eligible for public health insurance only if they have employee status or permanent residency. The present study examined migrants’ access to the public health insurance system in Czechia. A cross-sectional survey of 909 immigrants from Ukraine and Vietnam was conducted in March and May 2013, and binary logistic regression was applied in data analysis. Among immigrants entitled to Czech public health insurance due to permanent residency/asylum, 30% were out of the public health insurance system, and of those entitled by their employment status, 50% were out of the system. Migrants with a poor knowledge of the Czech language are more likely to remain excluded from the system of public health insurance. Instead, they either remain in the commercial health insurance system or they simultaneously pay for both commercial and public health insurance, which is highly disadvantageous. Since there are no reasonable grounds to stay outside the public health insurance, it is concluded that it is lack of awareness that keeps eligible immigrants from entering the system. It is suggested that no equal access to health care exists without sufficient awareness about health care system.

Evaluation of the awareness and effectiveness of IT security programs in a large publicly funded health care system.

Science.gov (United States)

Hepp, Shelanne L; Tarraf, Rima C; Birney, Arden; Arain, Mubashir Aslam

2017-01-01

Electronic health records are becoming increasingly common in the health care industry. Although information technology (IT) poses many benefits to improving health care and ease of access to information, there are also security and privacy risks. Educating health care providers is necessary to ensure proper use of health information systems and IT and reduce undesirable outcomes. This study evaluated employees' awareness and perceptions of the effectiveness of two IT educational training modules within a large publicly funded health care system in Canada. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups included a variety of professional roles within the organisation. Participants also completed a brief demographic data sheet. With the consent of participants, all interviews and focus groups were audio recorded. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the IT security training modules. Five main themes emerged: (i) awareness of the IT training modules, (ii) the content of modules, (iii) staff perceptions about differences between IT security and privacy issues, (iv) common breaches of IT security and privacy, and (v) challenges and barriers to completing the training program. Overall, nonclinical staff were more likely to be aware of the training modules than were clinical staff. We found e-learning was a feasible way to educate a large number of employees. However, health care providers required a module on IT security and privacy that was relatable and applicable to their specific roles. Strategies to improve staff education and mitigate against IT security and privacy risks are discussed. Future research should focus on integrating health IT competencies into the educational programs for health care professionals.

Public awareness of and support for infrastructure changes designed to increase walking and biking in Los Angeles County.

Science.gov (United States)

Gase, Lauren N; Barragan, Noel C; Simon, Paul A; Jackson, Richard J; Kuo, Tony

2015-03-01

Policies to promote active transportation are emerging as a best practice to increase physical activity, yet relatively little is known about public opinion on utilizing transportation funds for such investments. This study sought to assess public awareness of and support for investments in walking and biking infrastructure in Los Angeles County. In the fall of 2013, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted a telephone survey with a random sample of registered voters in the region. The survey asked respondents to report on the presence and importance of walking and biking infrastructure in their community, travel behaviors and preferences, and demographics. One thousand and five interviews were completed (response rate 20%, cooperation rate 54%). The majority of participants reported walking, biking, and bus/rail transportation investments as being important. In addition, participants reported a high level of support for redirecting transportation funds to active transportation investment - the population average was 3.28 (between 'strongly' and 'somewhat' support) on a 4 point Likert scale. Voters see active transportation infrastructure as being very important and support redirecting funding to improve the infrastructure. These findings can inform policy-decisions and planning efforts in the jurisdiction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness of risk factors for cancer: a comparative study of Sweden and Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagerlund, Magdalena; Hvidberg, Line; Hajdarevic, Senada; Fischer Pedersen, Anette; Runesdotter, Sara; Vedsted, Peter; Tishelman, Carol

2015-11-23

Sweden and Denmark are neighbouring countries with similarities in culture, healthcare, and economics, yet notable differences in cancer statistics. A crucial component of primary prevention is high awareness of risk factors in the general public. We aimed to determine and compare awareness of risk factors for cancer between a Danish and a Swedish population sample, and to examine whether there are differences in awareness across age groups. Data derive from Module 2 of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. Telephone interviews were conducted with 3000 adults in Denmark and 3070 in Sweden using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer measure. Data reported here relate to awareness of 13 prompted risk factors for cancer. Prevalence ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were calculated to examine associations between country, age, and awareness of risk factors. Over 90 % of respondents in both countries recognized smoking, use of sunbeds and ionizing radiation as risk factors for cancer. Lowest awareness (awareness than Danish respondents for ten of the 13 risk factors studied. Respondents from Denmark reported higher awareness only regarding low fruit and vegetable intake and use of sunbeds. Low physical activity was the only risk factor for which there was no difference in awareness between the countries. A decline in awareness was generally seen with increasing age in both countries, but deviating patterns were seen for alcohol intake, red/processed meat, obesity and age 70+. This study supports findings from other European studies that generally demonstrate modest public awareness of many established cancer risk factors. Efforts should be made to improve awareness of the cancer risk factors HPV-infection, low fruit and vegetable intake and alcohol intake, which showed particularly low awareness in both countries. Previous studies indicate that repeated, broad campaigns are successful, and suggest that a multimedia approach is used.

Benefits Awareness: Educating Industry, Finance, and the Public About Space Commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Blake; Nall, Mark; Casas, Joseph C.; Henderson, Robin N. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

For space to be truly commercialized, businesses of all sizes and types must be involved, from foundries to agricultural research initiatives. Achieving this goal, however, requires three separate but integrated educational efforts to support it. The first is to educate industry leaders about the possibilities available through such research, while dispelling some of the myths and misinformation educate the financial community about the economic benefits that result both from the research and the leveraging of private research dollars through the use of space and microgravity research. The third is to educate the public about the tangible benefits that come directly to them from such efforts, the economic benefits to national economies from same, and the other less tangible benefits that will cascade from commercial operations. Together, these steps will educate and provide the framework necessary to help advance space commercialization.

Current awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Compagno, C; Brambilla, L; Capitanio, D; Boschi, F; Ranzi, B M; Porro, D

2001-05-01

In order to keep subscribers up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, this current awareness service is provided by John Wiley & Sons and contains newly-published material on yeasts. Each bibliography is divided into 10 sections. 1 Books, Reviews & Symposia; 2 General; 3 Biochemistry; 4 Biotechnology; 5 Cell Biology; 6 Gene Expression; 7 Genetics; 8 Physiology; 9 Medical Mycology; 10 Recombinant DNA Technology. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author. If, in the preceding period, no publications are located relevant to any one of these headings, that section will be omitted. (4 weeks journals - search completed 7th Mar. 2001)

Geoethics and geoscientists: some ongoing initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Di Capua, Giuseppe; Peppoloni, Silvia

2014-05-01

The awareness and role of the scientific community in the defense from natural hazards and in building geoeducational strategies for the population are key themes of Geoethics. But, what is the awareness among Geoscientists about the importance of an ethical debate within Earth Sciences? Intuitively, this awareness is present in all, but not in an explicit and shared manner. With the goal to increase it, during the 34th International Geological Congress, that was held in Australia in August 2012, the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics was founded (http://www.iapg.geoethics.org). The IAPG aims to join forces of Geoscientists all over the world, by creating an international, multidisciplinary and scientific platform for discussing on ethical problems and dilemmas in Earth Sciences, for promoting Geoethics themes through scientific publications and conferences, for strengthening the research base on Geoethics, for focusing on case-studies to be taken as models for the development of effective and operative strategies. The IAPG network is growing fast and currently it has reached more than 330 members. Every day dozens of people visit its web pages (Website, Blog, Facebook page, Linkedin Group, Twitter page, YouTube channel) from almost all the countries of the world. National sections have been established in Brazil, India, Italy, Congo, Malawi, Ukraine and others are going to be founded. The IAPG has also obtained the status of affiliated organization by the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences and it is among the collaborative organizations of the IUGS - Task Group on Global Geoscience Professionalism (TGGGP). The IAPG objectives require the involvement of the entire international scientific community, and especially of geoscientists from low income countries, where ethical problems related to Earth sciences appear even more evident, where the consequences of wrong choices and the lack of rules and controls in managing geo

Assessment of public awareness of the detrimental effects of ionizing radiation in Kontagora, Niger State, Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temaugee, S.T.; Daniel, T.A.; Oladejo, K.O.; Daniel, S.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the level of public awareness of detrimental effects of ionizing radiation in Nigeria, a case study of Federal College of Education Kontagora Niger State. A total of thirty-five (35) lecturers and seventy-five (75) students were randomly selected from the five schools in the College. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. Data obtained from the questionnaire was analysed using simple percentages. The result of the study revealed that 10 (28.6%) out of 35 lecturers and 32 (42.7%) out of 75 students of the sampled population were totally unaware of ionization radiation and its health detriments. Moreover, the remaining percentage of both lecturers and students had limited knowledge about ionizing radiation and its detrimental effects to humans. The research also shows that a significant percentage of both lecturers and students claimed that the topic 'Ionizing radiations and their health detriments' is not relevant to their field of academic inclination. Based on the findings of the research, it was therefore recommended that the government, Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA), physicists and concerned individuals should enlighten the general public on ionizing radiations, its health detriment and safety measures through seminars and the mass media.

Evaluation of awareness and preparedness of school Principals and teachers on earthquake reduction effects issues - State's actions

Science.gov (United States)

Kourou, Assimina; Ioakeimidou, Anastasia; Mokos, Vasileios; Bakas, Konstantinos

2013-04-01

It is generally accepted that the effects of the disasters can be mainly reduced if people are aware, well informed and motivated towards a culture of disaster prevention and resilience. Particularly, in earthquake prone countries, a continuous update and education of the public, on earthquake risk management issues, is essential. Schools can play a crucial role concerning training and building a disaster prevention culture, among various community groups. Principals and teachers have a key role to play in any school-wide initiative through developing and reviewing awareness policy, developing and revising emergency response plans, holding emergency drills and training the students. During the last decade, the Greek State have done a lot of efforts in order to better educate teachers and students in disaster preparedness and management, such as: a. implementation of the E.P.P.O.'s educational project "Earthquake Protection at Schools" which is addressed mainly to school Principals. The project started right after the 1999 earthquake in Athens. b. publication of educational material for students, teachers and people with disabilities and publication of guidelines concerning the development of emergency plans. c. implementation of projects and elaboration of innovative and mobile experiential educational material connected with school curricula. The aim of the present study is to assess levels of awareness and preparedness concerning earthquake protection issues, as well as risk mitigation behaviours, undertaken by teachers at individual, family and workplace level. Furthermore, the assessment of teachers' current levels of earthquake awareness and preparedness, could lead to conclusions about the effectiveness of State's current Policy. In this framework, specific questionnaires were developed and were addressed to Principals and teachers who were responsible for the preparation of their School Emergency Preparedness Plans. The sample of the survey comprises of

Knowledge and awareness of Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines: a synthesis of existing evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Allana G; Berry, Tanya; Deshpande, Sameer; Duggan, Mary; Faulkner, Guy; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; O'Reilly, Norm; Rhodes, Ryan E; Spence, John C; Tremblay, Mark S

2015-07-01

The aim of this review was to consolidate and synthesize existing evidence regarding current knowledge and awareness of the Canadian Physical Activity (PA) and Sedentary Behaviour (SB) Guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed publications pertaining to the guidelines. Content experts, key organizations (i.e., ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute), journal Web sites, and service organizations (i.e., the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and the Public Health Agency of Canada) were consulted for additional evidence. Scientific publications (n = 6) and research from ParticipACTION and the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute reported that awareness of the guidelines is low, especially with respect to the SB guidelines. Less than 10% of survey respondents from the Canadian population were aware of the PA guidelines, and less than 5% were aware of the SB guidelines. Information on the guidelines was available on 51% of public health unit and CSEP partner Web sites. Online metrics (e.g., downloads, site accessions) from CSEP, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and journal Web sites showed that online accession of the guidelines was high (e.g., all "highly accessed" on journal Web sites). This review showed that awareness of the Canadian PA and SB Guidelines is low among the general population but higher among the scientific and stakeholder communities. Governmental, nongovernmental, and stakeholder organizations should collaborate in creating sustained, long-term, and well-resourced communication plans to reach the Canadian population to raise awareness of PA and SB guidelines and should implement programs to facilitate their uptake.

Social Site Characterisation for CO2 storage operations to inform public engagement in Poland and Scotland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunsting, S.; Pol, M.; Mastop, J. [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Policy Studies, Petten (Netherlands); Kaiser, M.; Zimmer, R. [UfU - Independent Institute for Environmental Issues, Berlin (Germany); Shackley, S.; Mabon, L.; Howell, R. [The University of Edinburgh - School of Geosciences, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom); Hepplewhite, F.; Loveridge, R. [Scottish Government, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom); Mazurowski, M. [PGNiG - Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA, Warszawa (Poland); Rybicki, C. [AGH - University of Science and Technology, Krakow (Poland)

2013-05-01

Public support has proven crucial to the implementation of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects. Whereas no method exists to guarantee local public acceptability of any project, a constructive stakeholder engagement process does increase the likelihood thereof. Social site characterisation can be used as an instrument to plan and evaluate an approach for actively engaging local stakeholders. Social site characterisation is the process of repeatedly investigating local public awareness and opinions of a specific CCS project, changes therein over time, and underlying factors shaping public opinion as a parallel activity to technical site characterization. This paper presents results from the EU FP7 SiteChar project in which social site characterisation (a.o. surveys) and public participation activities (focus conferences) were conducted by a multidisciplinary team at two prospective CCS sites in in Poland (onshore) and Scotland (offshore). Results demonstrate that social site characterization and focus conferences are powerful tools to raise public awareness about complex issues such as CCS and to initiate local discussion and planning processes with the appropriate type of information, through appropriate media, and involving all relevant stakeholders. Application and the duration of effects in real-life project settings will be discussed.

Online Social Media and Political Awareness in Autoritarian Regimes

OpenAIRE

John Reuter; David Szakonyi

2012-01-01

Does online social media undermine authoritarianism? We examine the conditions under which online social networks can increase public awareness of electoral fraud in non-democracies. We argue that a given online social network will only increase political awareness if it is first politicized by elites. Using survey data from the 2011 Russian parliamentary elections, we show that usage of Twitter and Facebook, which were politicized by opposition elites, significantly increased respondents' pe...

ERC initiatives to reduce the burden of cardiac arrest: the European Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiou, Marios; Lockey, Andrew S

2013-09-01

The rate of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Europe remains unacceptably low and could be increased by better bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) rates. The European Resuscitation Council has announced that there will be a European Cardiac Arrest Awareness Day every year on the 16th of October. This is to coincide with the goals of the Written Declaration passed by the European Parliament in June 2012 that emphasised the importance of equal access to CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training. The topic of this year's Awareness Day is 'Children Saving Lives' and it is hoped that all national resuscitation councils will promote awareness of the benefits of training all children in CPR and AED use and lobby for legislative change to ensure that all children receive this training. Children are not just the adults of tomorrow - they are the lifesavers of today and tomorrow. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Penilaian Saham PT Pembangunan Perumahan Properti Dalam Rangka Initial Public Offering

OpenAIRE

Khoirudin, Rifki

2017-01-01

This research aimed to estimate fair value per share of PT Pembangunan Perumahan Properti Tbk. as a comparison value to the offered price, set at the time of Initial Public Offering (IPO). This research also aimed to determine whether the price offered at the time of IPO was undervalued or overvalued. Information used in this research was in the form of secondary data of PT Pembangunan Perumahan Properti, financial report of comparable companies, and stock prices of comparable companies. The ...

PENILAIAN SAHAM PT PEMBANGUNAN PERUMAHAN PROPERTI DALAM RANGKA INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

OpenAIRE

Rifki Khoirudin

2017-01-01

This research aimed to estimate fair value per share of PT Pembangunan Perumahan Properti Tbk. as a comparison value to the offered price, set at the time of Initial Public Offering (IPO). This research also aimed to determine whether the price offered at the time of IPO was undervalued or overvalued. Information used in this research was in the form of secondary data of PT Pembangunan Perumahan Properti, financial report of comparable companies, and stock prices of comparable companies. The ...

EgoSENSE: A Framework for Context-Aware Mobile Applications Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Milic

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a context-aware mobile framework (or middleware, intended to support the implementation of context-aware mobile services. The overview of basic concepts, architecture and components of context-aware mobile framework is given. The mobile framework provide acquisition and management of context, where raw data sensed from physical (hardware sensors and virtual (software sensors are combined, processed and analyzed to provide high-level context and situation of the user to the mobile context-aware applications in near real-time. Using demo mobile health application, its most important components and functions, such as these supposed to detect urgent or alarming health conditions of a mobile user and to initiate appropriate actions demonstrated.

Increasing Geoscience Literacy and Public Support for the Earthscope National Science Initiative Through Informal Education

Science.gov (United States)

Aubele, J. C.

2005-12-01

Geology and geophysics are frequently perceived by the student, teacher, or adult non-geologist as "difficult to understand"; however, most non-geologists of all ages appreciate geological landforms such as mountains, volcanoes and canyons, and are interested in phenomena such as earthquakes and natural resources. Most people are also interested in local connections and newsworthy programs and projects. Therefore, the EarthScope Project is a perfect opportunity to excite and educate the public about solid-Earth geoscience research and to increase the non-geologist's understanding of Earth's dynamic processes. As the EarthScope Project sweeps across the country, the general public must be made aware of the magnitude, scope, excitement, and achievements of this national initiative. However, EarthScope science is difficult for the non-scientist to understand. The project is large-scale and long-term, and its data sets consist of maps, structural graphics, 3D and 4D visualizations, and the integration of many different geophysical instruments, all elements that are difficult for the non-scientist to understand. Targeted programs for students, teachers, and visitors to the National Parks will disseminate EarthScope information; in addition, museums and other informal science education centers can also play an important role in translating scientific research for the general public. Research on learning in museums has shown that museums educate an audience that is self-selected and self-directed (non-captive), includes family/groups, multigenerational, and repeat visitors, and requires presentation of information for a variety of learning styles. Informal science centers have the following advantages in geoscience-related education: (1) graphics/display expertise; (2) flexibility in approach and programming; (3) ability to quickly produce exhibits, educational programming, and curricula themed to specific topics of interest; (4) inclusion of K-12 teachers in the

Disparities in Oral Cancer Awareness: a Population Survey in Tehran, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Azimi, Somayyeh; Ghorbani, Zahra; Ghasemi, Erfan; Tennant, Marc; Kruger, Estie

2018-03-10

Oral cancer is a life-threatening disease with low survival rates, especially when diagnosed in an advanced stage. Lack of awareness about this cancer among the population is proposed as a possible reason for this diagnostic delay. The aim of this study was to evaluate oral cancer awareness, as well as the association of this with sociodemographic status in Tehran. In this cross-sectional population-based survey, 1800 self-administered questionnaires (collecting sociodemographic data, questions regarding oral cancer awareness and the source of information) were distributed through multistage stratified random sampling. Scores for questions ranged from 0 to 4, and totals were summed. The outcome of question responses was also analyzed separately. In total, 1312 questionnaires were available for analysis, from 788 females and 489 males (37.8 ± 9.02 years). Only 30% of the respondents were aware of oral cancer. The average score for awareness was 1.09 ± 1.6 with no significant differences between age groups and genders. Almost 6.5% of participants had complete awareness about oral cancer. A significant difference was found between mean scores in different levels of education and occupation (p = 0.0001). From 585 responses to the "source of information" question, "public media" was the most important source (almost 50%). Only 2% mentioned "dentists" as a source of information. This study indicated an alarming lack of oral cancer awareness and literacy in Tehran, Iran. Dentists should be obliged to practice their pivotal role in informing the public about oral cancer.

Stakeholder Education for Community-Wide Health Initiatives: A Focus on Teen Pregnancy Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Finley, Cara; Suellentrop, Katherine; Griesse, Rebecca; House, Lawrence Duane; Brittain, Anna

2018-01-01

Teen pregnancies and births continue to decline due in part to implementation of evidence-based interventions and clinical strategies. While local stakeholder education is also thought to be critical to this success, little is known about what types of strategies work best to engage stakeholders. With the goal of identifying and describing evidence-based or best practice strategies for stakeholder education in community-based public health initiatives, we conducted a systematic literature review of strategies used for effective stakeholder education. Over 400 articles were initially retrieved; 59 articles met inclusion criteria. Strategies were grouped into four steps that communities can use to support stakeholder education efforts: identify stakeholder needs and resources, develop a plan, develop tailored and compelling messaging, and use implementation strategies. These strategies lay a framework for high-quality stakeholder education. In future research, it is important to prioritize evaluating specific activities taken to raise awareness, educate, and engage a community in community-wide public health efforts.

Public perspective towards marine litter in West Aceh City

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumawati, I.; Setyowati, M.; Riana, E.; Prartono, T.

2018-03-01

Marine litter or marine debris is a man-made solid material discarded, abandoned or lost in coastline or into the sea. To reduce the amount of marine litter in the ocean, raising public awareness is an important way. One of the contributing factors on marine litter is the lack of understanding within the community, but to identify how people notice the problem is required adequate research literature. The purpose of this study is to examine the awareness of West Aceh community on marine litter along western coastal area. The research objectives; 1) to evaluate societal perception towards marine litter; 2) to examine the urgent indicator of public awareness in West Aceh City. This study will employ a survey approach by distributing questionnaires to 383 respondents. It was found that respondents show low awareness on marine litter according to statistical data, but there are some rooms to manage in order to raise the level of public awareness. It concludes that sense of responsibility could be enhanced by involving public in any activities for preventing and eradicating marine litter. Education aspect is also important to increase public understanding about the threats of marine debris on environment, human health and economic income.

Assessment of radiation dose awareness among pediatricians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Karen E.; Parnell-Parmley, June E.; Charkot, Ellen; BenDavid, Guila; Krajewski, Connie; Haidar, Salwa; Moineddin, Rahim

2006-01-01

There is increasing awareness among pediatric radiologists of the potential risks associated with ionizing radiation in medical imaging. However, it is not known whether there has been a corresponding increase in awareness among pediatricians. To establish the level of awareness among pediatricians of the recent publicity on radiation risks in children, knowledge of the relative doses of radiological investigations, current practice regarding parent/patient discussions, and the sources of educational input. Multiple-choice survey. Of 220 respondents, 105 (48%) were aware of the 2001 American Journal of Roentgenology articles on pediatric CT and radiation, though only 6% were correct in their estimate of the quoted lifetime excess cancer risk associated with radiation doses equivalent to pediatric CT. A sustained or transient increase in parent questioning regarding radiation doses had been noticed by 31%. When estimating the effective doses of various pediatric radiological investigations in chest radiograph (CXR) equivalents, 87% of all responses (and 94% of CT estimates) were underestimates. Only 15% of respondents were familiar with the ALARA principle. Only 14% of pediatricians recalled any relevant formal teaching during their specialty training. The survey response rate was 40%. Awareness of radiation protection issues among pediatricians is generally low, with widespread underestimation of relative doses and risks. (orig.)

Awareness and Knowledge of Ergonomics Among Medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: This cross‑sectional descriptive study aimed at assessing the level of awareness and knowledge of the science of ergonomics among Medical Laboratory Scientists in Benin City, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 106 medical laboratory scientists comprising 64 and 42 in public and private laboratories, ...

76 FR 61366 - Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment to...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0247] Food and Drug Administration Transparency Initiative: Draft Proposals for Public Comment to Increase...: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. [[Page 61367

Global human rights awareness, education and democratization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mihr, A.

The 1990s was the era of human rights awareness, democratic transitions, and growing involvement of international organizations and the nongovernmental sector in human rights education (HRE). The UN Decade for HRE from 1995–2004 was not only born out of the initiatives and pressures of

Predictors of beer advertising awareness among eighth graders.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Rebecca L; Schell, Terry; Ellickson, Phyllis L; McCaffrey, Daniel

2003-09-01

To identify correlates of beer advertising awareness among adolescents at an age when most initiate use of alcohol. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of an in-school survey about alcohol advertising. Structural equation modeling was used to test for independent predictors of a latent beer advertising awareness construct, separately among boys and girls. Twenty middle schools in South Dakota, USA participated during their spring semester. A total of 1530 eighth graders. A latent advertisement awareness variable was derived based on recognition of six masked beer advertisements, knowledge of beer brands and knowledge of beer slogans. Tested predictors included measures of exposure to alcohol advertising in various venues, social norms regarding drinking, drinking beliefs and behavior and gender. Adolescents with greater exposure to advertisements in magazines, at sporting and music events and on television were more advertisement aware than those with less exposure, as were teens who watch more TV, pay attention to beer advertisements and know adults who drink. Beer advertisement awareness was dramatically higher among boys, and was associated with drinking only among boys. Each of a variety of advertising venues appears to influence independently the extent to which beer advertising is incorporated into an adolescent's cognitive world. Boys are more likely to be aware of and remember beer marketing, and may be more likely to drink as a result of this awareness than girls.

Estimasi Nilai Pasar Wajar Ekuitas PT Prima Layanan Nasional Enjiniring Dalam Persiapan Initial Public Offering (IPO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Rizani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available PT Prima Layanan Nasional Enjiniring (PT PLN Enjiniring plans to conduct an initial public offering in 2012 that is intended for business development. Purpose of this research was to estimate the fair market value of equity of PT PLN Enjiniring in the framework of an initial public offering. Fair market value of equity of PT PLN Enjiniring is acquired by using discounted cash flow-free cash flow to equity method. Information used for this research come from two secondary data from financial reports and other information contained in the annual report 2008-2010 PT PLN Enjiniring years audited by public accountants, comperative financial reports, and company’s stock data comparison. The estimated fair market value of equity of PT PLN Enjiniring per December 31st 2011 by using the method of discounted cash flow-free cash flow to equity is obtained indication the fair market value of equity amounting to Rp2.583.155.716.515.

GridOrbit public display

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramos, Juan David Hincapie; Tabard, Aurélien; Bardram, Jakob

2010-01-01

We introduce GridOrbit, a public awareness display that visualizes the activity of a community grid used in a biology laboratory. This community grid executes bioin-formatics algorithms and relies on users to donate CPU cycles to the grid. The goal of GridOrbit is to create a shared awareness about...

Gaps in awareness of peripheral arterial disease in Sri Lanka: a cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janaka Weragoda

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD is an emerging problem in Sri Lanka, particularly with the ageing population. A considerable number of patients are detected at a late stage with severe limb ischemia or chronic non-healing leg ulceration. Public awareness about PAD is important in developing preventive strategies. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted to assess awareness of PAD among adults aged 40–74 years in a district in Sri Lanka. In total, 2912 adults were selected for the study using a multistage probability proportionate to size sampling technique. Data were collected by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Participants who were aware of PAD were asked about common risk factors, possible consequences of untreated PAD, and sources of information. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent predictors of PAD awareness. Results We found that 4.1 % of participants were aware of PAD (95 % confidence interval: 3.4–4.8, which was significantly lower than awareness of other cardiovascular diseases such as cerebrovascular accidents (67.3 % and myocardial infarction (57.6 % (p < 0.001. Being male, an urban resident, and having a higher level of education were independent predictors of high PAD awareness. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a comprehensive PAD awareness program that covers risk factors, consequences, and preventative strategies is needed to enhance public awareness of PAD.

[P.A.R.T.Y. An initiative for more risk awareness among young road users].

Science.gov (United States)

Brockamp, T; Koenen, P; Mutschler, M; Probst, C; Bouillon, B; Schmucker, U

2016-05-01

Accident prevention strategies aim to inform young people about risk-taking behavior and the consequences of trauma. The Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program is an accident prevention program that focuses on the prevention of road traffic accidents among young road users. Initial results of the program were evaluated to find out if the implementation of this prevention program is feasible in Germany. During a 1-day interactive course young road users were introduced to the work carried out in an accident trauma unit and were informed about injury mechanisms and about the consequences of trauma. A systematic evaluation was made by all participants. The results were analyzed to find out whether it is possible to implement the program and the impressions gained by the participants of the program in order to be able to make further adjustments. A total of 219 young road users participated in the P.A.R.T.Y. program between 2011 and 2013. All participants reviewed the structure of the program with the help of school grades. Of the participants 59 % (n = 129) rated the program as "very good" and 41 % gave the rating of "good". Overall, 70 % of all participants advocated that all people of the same age should participate in the program. The structure was described as being well-balanced with respect to the theoretical and practical stations. The P.A.R.T.Y. program is a standardized and well-established concept that can also contribute to accident prevention in Germany. It provides the possibility to implement an accident awareness program throughout Germany. Initial results show that the program can be implemented in German hospitals and that the program appeals to the target group of young road users.

Analysis of the main characteristics of Initial Public Offerings in the Czech Republic and perspectives of their further development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomáš Meluzín

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Funding development of the company through the “Initial Public Offering” has a high representation globally, the Czech Republic unlike, and belongs to traditional methods of raising funds necessary for development of business in the developed capital markets. In the United States of America, Japan and in the Western Europe countries the method of company funding through IPO has been applying for several decades already. The first public stock offerings began to be applied in these markets in higher volumes from the beginning of the 60th of the last century. From that period importance of IPO goes up globally and the initial public stock offerings begin to be applied more and more even in the Central and Eastern European countries. Since 2004, several companies that have opted for this form of financing can be found in the Czech Republic as well. The objective of the paper is to analyze the main characteristics of initial public offerings of shares effected on the Czech capital market between 2004 and 2008 and to outline the perspectives of further development in this area.

Android integrated urea biosensor for public health awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pranali P. Naik

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Integration of a biosensor with a wireless network on the Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean platform has been demonstrated. The present study reports an android integrated user friendly Flow injection analysis-Enzyme thermistor (FIA-ET urea biosensor system. This android-integrated biosensor system will facilitate enhanced consumer health and awareness alongside abridging the gap between the food testing laboratory and the concerned higher authorities. Data received from a flow injection mode urea biosensor has been exploited as an integration point among the analyst, the food consumer and the responsible higher authorities. Using the urea biosensor as an example, an alarm system has also been demonstrated both graphically and through text message on a mobile handset. The presented sensor integrated android system will also facilitate decision making support system in various fields of food quality monitoring and clinical analysis.

Eyes wide open: an essay on developing an engaged awareness in global medicine and public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ventres, William B; Fort, Meredith P

2014-10-28

There is a growing understanding of the role social determinants such as poverty, gender discrimination, racial prejudice, and economic inequality play on health and illness. While these determinants and effects may be challenging to identify in parts of high-income countries, they are patently obvious in many other areas of the world. How we react to these determinants and effects depends on what historical, cultural, ideological, and psychological characteristics we bring to our encounters with inequity, as well as how our feelings and thoughts inform our values and actions. To address these issues, we share a series of questions we have asked ourselves-United States' citizens with experience living and working in Central America-in relation to our encounters with inequity. We offer a conceptual framework for contemplating responses in hopes of promoting among educators and practitioners in medicine and public health an engaged awareness of how our every day work either perpetuates or breaks down barriers of social difference. We review key moments in our own experiences as global health practitioners to provide context for these questions. Introspective reflection can help professionals in global medicine and public health recognize the dynamic roles that they play in the world. Such reflection can bring us closer to appreciating the forces that have worked both for and in opposition to global health, human rights, and well-being. It can help us recognize how place, time, environment, and context form the social determination of health. It is from this holistic perspective of social relations that we can work to effect fair, equitable, and protective environments as they relate to global medicine and public health.

Awareness among tertiary care doctors about Pharmacovigilance Programme of India: Do endocrinologists differ from others?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pramod Kumar Sharma

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs associated with drug use is an important factor in patient safety. Majority of ADRs are preventable through improved prescribing and monitoring. Endocrinologists prescribe drugs with actions on almost all organs and for relatively longer durations. ADR are expected following the use of these drugs. Pharmacovigilance is the study of drug-related adverse effects aimed at protecting patients and public from drug-related harms. The concept of pharmacovigilance is relatively new in India, and this survey is an attempt to explore awareness among doctors of an establishing institution of national importance. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted on faculty and resident doctors by administering a written structured questionnaire in a voluntary manner. The questionnaire contained questions meant to evaluate their awareness, understanding, and misconception about ADR reporting. Identity of the responder was kept confidential. Results: A total of 106 (faculty = 56; residents = 50 participated in survey. The most common cause cited for not reporting an ADR was “do not know how to report” by 64.15%. Majority of them (64% had no information about the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI, and only few (8.5% had actually reported or published an ADR. Interpretation and Conclusions: ADRs are major public health problem that needs to be addressed at all levels of health care. High index of clinical suspicion are crucial for their timely detection and management. Various educational interventions have shown to improve medical professionals' awareness, understanding about ADRs and in their reporting behavior. PvPI is an important initiative toward ensuring patient safety.

Dark Skies Awareness Programs for the International Year of Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Constance E.; US IYA Dark Skies Working Group

2009-05-01

The arc of the Milky Way seen from a truly dark location is part of our planet's cultural and natural heritage. More than 1/5 of the world population, 2/3 of the United States population and 1/2 of the European Union population have already lost naked-eye visibility of the Milky Way. This loss, caused by light pollution, is a serious and growing issue that impacts astronomical research, the economy, ecology, energy conservation, human health, public safety and our shared ability to see the night sky. For this reason, "Dark Skies” is a cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy. Its goal is to raise public awareness of the impact of artificial lighting on local environments by getting people worldwide involved in a variety of programs that: 1) Teach about dark skies using new technology (e.g., an activity-based planetarium show on DVD, podcasting, social networking on Facebook and MySpace, a Second Life presence) 2) Provide thematic events on light pollution at star parties and observatory open houses (Dark Skies Discovery Sites, Nights in the (National) Parks, Sidewalk Astronomy) 3) Organize events in the arts (e.g., a photography contest) 4) Involve citizen-scientists in naked-eye and digital-meter star hunting programs (e.g., GLOBE at Night, "How Many Stars?", the Great World Wide Star Count and the radio frequency interference equivalent: "Quiet Skies") and 5) Raise awareness about the link between light pollution and public health, economic issues, ecological consequences, energy conservation, safety and security, and astronomy (e.g., The Starlight Initiative, World Night in Defense of Starlight, International Dark Sky Week, International Dark-Sky Communities, Earth Hour, The Great Switch Out, a traveling exhibit, downloadable posters and brochures). The poster will provide an update, describe how people can continue to participate, and take a look ahead at the program's sustainability. For more information, visit www.darkskiesawareness.org.

Analysis of university student awareness of radiation exposures from consumer products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seung Hwan [Korean Advance Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Kun Woo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Since the terminology 'radioactive consumer product' is not quite familiar to the public and is often considered as negative and detrimental things, the educational curriculum is essential for establishing reliability of nuclear energy related and for the development of better communication strategy of radiation risk with the public. To provide base data which is valuable for establishing efficient curriculum of education and training about radiation safety, it is necessary to apprehend the different level of awareness of radiation exposures classified by various consumer products. On November 2014, a question investigation about asking awareness level of radiation exposure from various consumer products was done for university students who are highly educated. The object students are studied at a four-year-course universities which is located at Daejeon City. Although the average awareness level is comparatively low, the awareness of senior students, who major in radiation, nuclear related departments and male students are relatively high. On the other hand, the awareness of freshman, sophomore, junior students, who do not major in radiation, nuclear related departments and female students are relatively low. It is necessary to provide various information to avoid unnecessary concerns and misconceptions about radiation exposure. This paper will be an instrument for efficient establishment of curriculum of education and training related with radiation safety.

Analysis of university student awareness of radiation exposures from consumer products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seung Hwan; Cho, Kun Woo

2016-01-01

Since the terminology 'radioactive consumer product' is not quite familiar to the public and is often considered as negative and detrimental things, the educational curriculum is essential for establishing reliability of nuclear energy related and for the development of better communication strategy of radiation risk with the public. To provide base data which is valuable for establishing efficient curriculum of education and training about radiation safety, it is necessary to apprehend the different level of awareness of radiation exposures classified by various consumer products. On November 2014, a question investigation about asking awareness level of radiation exposure from various consumer products was done for university students who are highly educated. The object students are studied at a four-year-course universities which is located at Daejeon City. Although the average awareness level is comparatively low, the awareness of senior students, who major in radiation, nuclear related departments and male students are relatively high. On the other hand, the awareness of freshman, sophomore, junior students, who do not major in radiation, nuclear related departments and female students are relatively low. It is necessary to provide various information to avoid unnecessary concerns and misconceptions about radiation exposure. This paper will be an instrument for efficient establishment of curriculum of education and training related with radiation safety

78 FR 5799 - Public Comment on EPA's National Enforcement Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2014-2016

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-28

... other things, employing advances in emissions monitoring and information technology; expanding transparency by making information publicly available. This availability of information will empower... feeding facilities. For more information on the current initiatives, full descriptions can be found on our...

Academic ethical awareness among undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Ok-Hee; Hwang, Kyung-Hye

2017-01-01

Academic ethical awareness is an important aspect especially for nursing students who will provide ethical nursing care to patients in future or try to tread the path of learning toward professional acknowledgement in nursing scholarship. The purpose of this study was to explore academic ethical awareness and its related characteristics among undergraduate nursing students. This study commenced the survey with cross-sectional, descriptive questions and enrolled convenient samples of 581 undergraduate nursing students from three universities in South Korea. It was investigated with structured questionnaires including general characteristics and academic ethical awareness related. Ethical considerations: This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at National University. Academic ethical awareness was the highest regarding behaviors violating the respect or confidentiality of patients and cheating on exams, while it was the lowest for inappropriate behaviors in class. From the result of general characteristics difference, male students showed higher score than female students in relative; first-year students showed higher score than other year students; the higher score was rated from students who were highly satisfied with their major than the other not satisfied with their major; and students with low academic stress showed higher ethical awareness score than persons with higher stress. Personal behaviors were rated with low ethical awareness in relative, but items related to public rules and actual effects on patients or others were rated with higher score. Nursing satisfaction and academic stress are main factors on ethical awareness. To improve overall ethical awareness level of nursing students, it is required to provide more education about the importance of personal behaviors in class and need to improve the understanding of how it will be connected with future situation and effect.

Breast Cancer awareness among Saudi females in Jeddah.

Science.gov (United States)

Radi, Sahar Mahmoud

2013-01-01

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy of women worldwide. It is the leading cause of female cancer related disability and mortality. In Saudi Arabia breast cancer ranks first among cancerous diseases in females. In the Gulf region, and especially in Saudi Arabia, few studies have been conducted to address breast cancer awareness. The purpose of the current study was therefore to investigate the level of breast cancer awareness among Saudi females in Jeddah, focusing on knowledge of breast cancer warning signs, risk factors, screening programs and breast self-examination (BSE). The design of this study was an exploratory correlational analysis. The sample comprised 200 Saudi females aged 20 and older living in Jeddah. Data were collected using face-to- face interviews. Breast cancer awareness was measured using a modified Arabic version of the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (Breast CAM) version 2. Descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson's Product Moment correlation coefficients and ANOVA test were used to answer study questions. Out of 200 participants, 50.5% were aware of breast lump as a warning sign of breast cancer, 57.5% claimed that family history was risk factor, 20.5% had undergone breast screening, 79% heard about BSE, and 47.5% knew how to perform BSE. Findings indicated that Saudi females level of awareness of breast cancer is very inadequate. Public awareness interventions are needed in order to overcome an ever-increasing burden of this disease among Saudi females.

Evaluating public awareness of new currency design features

Science.gov (United States)

DiNunzio, Lisa; Church, Sara E.

2002-04-01

One of the goals of the 1996 series design was to integrate highly recognizable features that enable the general public to more easily distinguish counterfeit from genuine notes, thereby reducing the chance of counterfeit notes being passed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how knowledgeable the public is concerning the new currency, to identify the channels through which the public learns about new currency design, and to assess the usefulness of the new currency's authentication features. Also, the study will serve as a baseline measurement for future design studies and in comparative analysis with other countries. The results of the qualitative research will be described in the following sections of this paper. The quantitative research is scheduled to begin in February 2002, at the same time as the Netherlands' opinion poll of the Euro and NLG-notes in an effort to compare results.

Awareness of human papillomavirus among women attending a well woman clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, J; McCaffery, K; Forrest, S; Szarewski, A; Cadman, L; Wardle, J

2003-08-01

To assess the level and accuracy of public understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the United Kingdom. Women attending a well woman clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing HPV awareness and specific knowledge about the virus. Questionnaires were completed by 1032 women, of whom 30% had heard of HPV. Older women, non-smokers, and those with a history of candida, genital warts, or an abnormal smear result were more likely to have heard of HPV. Even among those who had heard of HPV, knowledge was generally poor, and fewer than half were aware of the link with cervical cancer. There was also confusion about whether condoms or oral contraceptives could protect against HPV infection. In this relatively well educated sample, awareness and knowledge of HPV were poor. Public education is urgently needed so that women participating in cervical cancer screening are fully informed about the meaning of their results, especially if HPV testing is soon to be introduced.

Intended Use of Proceeds and the Performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPO)

OpenAIRE

Adanan Siti Azrina; Sani A’ieshah Abdullah; Bustamam Khair Syakira; Saidin Amilia

2017-01-01

Other than debt financing, Initial Public Offerings (IPO) become a common method of capital raising among firms for various purposes. Prospectus is issued on the pre-issuance of the IPO disclosing various mandatory and non-mandatory voluntary information to help the potential investors in their decision making process. Other than financial information on previous and forecasted future performance, the intended use of the IPO’s proceeds information is one of the crucial information for the sta...

AAA application in diagnosis exams in a large public hospital, RS, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacelar, A.; Ferret, A.A.; Vanni, S.; Galhardi, M.P.; Lykawka, R.

2013-01-01

Objective: the initiative AAA - Awareness , Appropriateness and Audit , promotes consciousness ( Awareness) , fitness ( Appropriateness ) and Audit ( Audit) . This paper analyzes the application of the concept in the AAA requests and justifications examinations using ionizing radiation within a large public hospital. Materials and methods: we collected and analyzed data between the years 2011 and 2012, concerning the number of exams performed with the use of radiation and their justifications. After, we sought to raise awareness of the clinical team through training on the risks and benefits of the various modalities of the radiology department and the need to justify the use of ionizing radiation on health. After the data were collected again of test requests for verification of the effectiveness of training. Results: the mean requests that need to be appropriate to the AAA in the last quarter of 2011 was 75 % lower than the average demands of the first quarter, matched against the last two months of 2012 increased by up to four times the number requests that require improvements in relation to the excellent results obtained in July 2012. Conclusion: it is shown in this paper the need of implementing this initiative AAA continuously added to the clinical staff awareness about the risk of the use of ionizing radiation, the appropriateness of the requests of these tests , as well as the control of this process in order to optimize use of ionizing radiation on health

Exploring the Integration of Disability Awareness into Tertiary Teaching and Learning Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Leigh; van der Meer, Jacques; Rutherford, Gill; Clay, Lynne; Janssen, Jessie; Powell, Denise

2013-01-01

A desire to have every student attending our University be aware of, and reflect on, disability in their studies and future careers, initiated our project to explore how to enhance disability awareness within all our University's papers. In this project we systematically reviewed pertinent literature and ran an action research workshop for staff.…

Awareness and minimisation of systematic bias in research.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Malone, Helen

2014-03-01

A major goal of nursing and midwifery is the delivery of evidence-based practice. Consequently, it is essential for the quality and safety of patient\\/client care that policy makers, educators and practitioners are aware of the presence of potential systematic bias in research practice and research publications so that only sound evidence translates into practice. The main aim of this paper is to highlight the need for ongoing awareness of the potential presence of systematic bias in research practice, to explore commonly reported types of systematic bias and to report some methods that can be applied to minimise systematic bias in research.

2013 Annual National Digital Rectal Exam Day: impact on prostate health awareness and disease detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Michael E; Lapitan, Marie Carmela M; Morales, Marcelino L; Roque, Aristotle Bernard Maniego; Domingo, John Kenneth

2014-03-01

"Mag-paDRE" is a yearly prostate health public awareness program initiated by the Philippine Urological Association. This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical data of the participants in the 2013 "Mag-paDRE" program and to identify factors that will further improve prostate health public awareness. A descriptive cross-sectional study undertaken to collect and assess the demographic data, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and digital rectal examination findings of the participants in the "Mag-paDRE" conducted in the 10 Philippine Board of Urology (PBU) different accredited training institutions. Descriptive statistics was used to report the proportion of Filipino men aged 40 or older who presented for their first prostate health evaluation. Clinical profile were reviewed and summarized. The study protocol was registered in the Clinicaltrial.gov under Identifier NCT01886547. A total of 925 participants from the 10 PBU accredited training institutions were assessed. Among the 10 training institutions the large tertiary government owned medical center had the highest number of participants and target participants recruited; while the private sectors owned tertiary hospitals have the highest proportion of target participants and cases. According to the predetermined definition of this study, 614 (66%) were considered the target population for the "Mag-paDRE" program. The mean age of the target participants was 58.9±9.9. Only 360 of 614 (59%) were new case, 118 (32.7%) had severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), 223 (62%) had moderate LUTS, 19 (5.3%) were asymptomatic but with hard prostates, palpable prostate nodules or prostate tenderness. The most bothersome symptoms were incomplete bladder emptying (30.2%), and frequency (22.9%). Overall, the 2013 "Mag-paDRE" among the 10 training institutions was effective in promoting prostate health awareness. A need to modify the preactivity information dissemination by these institutions can be

76 FR 18225 - Request for Public Comment on Proposed Funding Opportunity Announcement for Special Initiative...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Request for Public Comment on Proposed Funding Opportunity Announcement for Special Initiative Concerning the Assets... of the AFI program and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). SUMMARY: In FY 2011, the Office of...

Creating a brand image for public health nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Kathleen A; Lyons, Roberta L; Issel, L Michele

2011-01-01

Public health nurses (PHNs) have declined as a proportion of both the nursing and the public health workforces in the past 2 decades. This decline comes as 30 states report public health nursing as the sector most affected in the overall public health shortage. Taken together, these data point to a need for renewed recruitment efforts. However, the current public images of nurses are primarily those of professionals employed in hospital settings. Therefore, this paper describes the development of a marketable image aimed at increasing the visibility and public awareness of PHNs and their work. Such a brand image was seen as a precursor to increasing applications for PHN positions. A multimethod qualitative sequential approach guided the branding endeavor. From the thoughts of public health nursing students, faculty, and practitioners came artists' renditions of four award-winning posters. These posters portray public health nursing-incorporating its image, location of practice, and levels of protection afforded the community. Since their initial unveiling, these posters have been distributed by request throughout the United States and Canada. The overwhelming response serves to underline the previous void of current professional images of public health nursing and the need for brand images to aid with recruitment. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence and awareness of hypertension and associated risk ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Hypertension is largely asymptomatic and common among adult Nigerians, and considered to be of public health importance. Banking work is associated with stress, a risk for hypertension. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence and awareness of hypertension and its associated risk factors among bankers in Owerri.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For... Bono, Google and Glaucoma Awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, C; Ellard, R; McElnea, E; Townley, D

2017-05-10

The effect of celebrity diagnosis on public awareness of health conditions has already been well documented. In October 2014, Bono, the lead singer with U2, revealed publicly for the first time that he has glaucoma. This study aimed to analyze the impact of Bono's announcement on public awareness of glaucoma using Google Search trends as an indicator of public interest in the disease. Google Trends was used to examine Google Search activity for the term 'Glaucoma' between 2009 and 2015 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. Trend analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel Version 14.3.5. Increased Google Search activity for 'Glaucoma' in October 2014 was found in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. A five-fold increase from the mean Google Search activity for this term was found in Ireland and a two-fold increase from the mean Google Search activity for this term was found in the United Kingdom. No such increase in Google Search activity occurred during each country's 2014 Glaucoma Awareness week. Google Trends is useful in medical research as a means of assessing public awareness of, and/or interest in, health related topics. Current approaches to glaucoma related health promotion in both Ireland and the United Kingdom have failed to yield an increase in on-line Google Search activity. While there was an increase in interest in glaucoma it is unclear whether this led to an increase in health seeking behaviour.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For….. Bono, Google and Glaucoma Awareness

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lyons, C

2017-05-01

The effect of celebrity diagnosis on public awareness of health conditions has already been well documented. In October 2014, Bono, the lead singer with U2, revealed publicly for the first time that he has glaucoma. This study aimed to analyze the impact of Bono’s announcement on public awareness of glaucoma using Google Search trends as an indicator of public interest in the disease. Google Trends was used to examine Google Search activity for the term ‘Glaucoma’ between 2009 and 2015 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. Trend analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel Version 14.3.5. Increased Google Search activity for ‘Glaucoma’ in October 2014 was found in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. A five-fold increase from the mean Google Search activity for this term was found in Ireland and a two-fold increase from the mean Google Search activity for this term was found in the United Kingdom. No such increase in Google Search activity occurred during each country’s 2014 Glaucoma Awareness week. Google Trends is useful in medical research as a means of assessing public awareness of, and\\/or interest in, health related topics. Current approaches to glaucoma related health promotion in both Ireland and the United Kingdom have failed to yield an increase in on-line Google Search activity. While there was an increase in interest in glaucoma it is unclear whether this led to an increase in health seeking behaviour.

National awareness campaign to prevent medication-overuse headache in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsen, Louise Ninett; Westergaard, Maria Lurenda; Bisgaard, Mette; Schytz, Julie Brogaard; Jensen, Rigmor Højland

2017-01-01

Background Medication-overuse headache is prevalent, but in principle preventable. Objective To describe the Danish national awareness campaign for medication-overuse headache. Methods The Danish Headache Center, the Association of Danish Pharmacies, and headache patient organizations implemented a four-month medication-overuse headache awareness campaign in 2016. Target groups were the general public, general practitioners, and pharmacists. Key messages were: Overuse of pain-medication can worsen headaches; pain-medication should be used rationally; and medication-overuse headache is treatable. A range of communication technologies was used. A survey on the public's awareness of medication-overuse headache was conducted. Results The Danish adult population is 4.2 million. Online videos were viewed 297,000 times in three weeks. All 400 pharmacies received campaign materials. Over 28,000 leaflets were distributed. Two radio interviews were conducted. A television broadcast about headache reached an audience of 520,000. Forty articles were published in print media. Information was accessible at 32 reputable websites and five online news agencies. Three scientific papers were published. Information was available at an annual conference of general practitioners, including a headache lecture. The survey showed an increase in percentage of the public who knew about medication-overuse headache (from 31% to 38%). Conclusion A concerted campaign to prevent medication-overuse headache can be implemented through involvement of key stakeholders.

Study on Public Flood Risk Cognition and Behavioral Response Based on IEC Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xin; Xu, Xiaofeng; Zhou, Guilin; Pan, Shaolin; Mi, Tengfei

2017-11-01

In order to disseminate knowledge and information on flood risks in flood-prone areas, raise public awareness of flood risks and reduce possible damage to the public, a questionnaire survey was coducted among 260 residents of nine selected communities in Jiaozhou City to learn the public awareness and behavioral response to flood risks at different early warning levels. IEC key information of flood risk awareness was modified and formulated through group discussions, in-depth individual interviews and on-site observation. The awareness of residents in the project area was enhanced through the public participation, environmental management and flood management training, which plays a very important role in reducing flood losses.

Participatory GIS in action, a public health initiative from Kerala, India

Science.gov (United States)

Soman, B.

2014-11-01

Community ownership is essential for sustainable public health initiatives. The advantages of getting active involvement of homebound village women in a public health campaign to establish community health surveillance are being reported in this paper. With the support of the local self government authorities, we had selected 120 village women, and they were given extensive training on various healthcare schemes, home based management of local ailments, leadership skills and survey techniques. Afterwards, they had been asked to share their knowledge with at least 10-15 women in their neighbourhood. This had improved their status in the neighbourhood, as more and more people started getting their advice on healthcare and social services related matters. Subsequently, they had collected the socio-demographic and morbidity details of the entire households, including the geometric coordinates (longitude and latitude) of the households and public offices. In this process, they began to use the geographic position system (GPS) machines, dismissing the myth that women are not that techno savvy, further improving their acceptability in the community. Many among them were seen proudly describing the implications of the thematic maps to the village people and line department staff in the monthly subcentre meetings. Many were offered seats in the local body elections by leading political parties, a few of them did stand in the elections and three of them had won the elections. This experience reinforces our belief that the empowerment of villagers with newer technology could be a public health tool with much wider positive implications.

Assessing Genetic Literacy Awareness and Knowledge Gaps in the US Population: Results from the Health Information National Trends Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Krakow, Melinda; Ratcliff, Chelsea L; Hesse, Bradford W; Greenberg-Worisek, Alexandra J

2018-05-31

Public understanding of the role of genetics in disease risk is key to appropriate disease prevention and detection. This study assessed the current extent of awareness and use of genetic testing in the US population. Additionally, the study identified characteristics of subgroups more likely to be at risk for low genetic literacy. The study used data from the National Cancer Institute's 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey, including measures of genetic testing awareness, genetic testing applications and genetic testing usage. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between sociodemographics, genetic testing awareness, and genetic testing use. Fifty-seven percent of respondents were aware of genetic tests. Testing awareness differed by age, household income, and race/ethnicity. Most participants had heard of using tests to determine personal disease risk (82.58%) or inherited disease risk in children (81.41%), but less were familiar with determining treatment (38.29%) or drug efficacy (40.76%). Among those with genetic testing awareness, actual testing uptake was low. A large portion of the general public lacks genetic testing awareness and may benefit from educational campaigns. As precision medicine expands, increasing public awareness about genetic testing applications for disease prevention and treatment will be important to support population health. This is a work of the US Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply. Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

"In-Awareness" Approach to International Public Relations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaharna, R. S.

2001-01-01

Presents a three-tiered framework intended to expose hidden cultural assumptions and expectations that plague international public relations. Notes the country profile outlines what may be feasible within a particular country; the cultural profile speaks to what may be effective in that country; and the communication profile delineates…

Current status of accurate prognostic awareness in advanced/terminally ill cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chen Hsiu; Kuo, Su Ching; Tang, Siew Tzuh

2017-05-01

No systematic meta-analysis is available on the prevalence of cancer patients' accurate prognostic awareness and differences in accurate prognostic awareness by publication year, region, assessment method, and service received. To examine the prevalence of advanced/terminal cancer patients' accurate prognostic awareness and differences in accurate prognostic awareness by publication year, region, assessment method, and service received. Systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were systematically searched on accurate prognostic awareness in adult patients with advanced/terminal cancer (1990-2014). Pooled prevalences were calculated for accurate prognostic awareness by a random-effects model. Differences in weighted estimates of accurate prognostic awareness were compared by meta-regression. In total, 34 articles were retrieved for systematic review and meta-analysis. At best, only about half of advanced/terminal cancer patients accurately understood their prognosis (49.1%; 95% confidence interval: 42.7%-55.5%; range: 5.4%-85.7%). Accurate prognostic awareness was independent of service received and publication year, but highest in Australia, followed by East Asia, North America, and southern Europe and the United Kingdom (67.7%, 60.7%, 52.8%, and 36.0%, respectively; p = 0.019). Accurate prognostic awareness was higher by clinician assessment than by patient report (63.2% vs 44.5%, p cancer patients accurately understood their prognosis, with significant variations by region and assessment method. Healthcare professionals should thoroughly assess advanced/terminal cancer patients' preferences for prognostic information and engage them in prognostic discussion early in the cancer trajectory, thus facilitating their accurate prognostic awareness and the quality of end-of-life care decision-making.

Public knowledge of head and neck cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, T E

2010-04-01

Studies show 60% of patients with newly diagnosed Head & Neck Squamous Cell Cancer in Ireland, present with advanced disease. A poor level of knowledge and awareness among the public of Head & Neck Cancer, is an important consideration in the often delayed presentation for medical attention in many of these cases. Our study surveyed 200 members of the public to assess their knowledge and awareness of Head & Neck Cancer. One hundred and forty (70%) of respondents had never encountered the term "Head & Neck Cancer". One hundred and forty six (73%) failed to identify excessive alcohol consumption as a risk factor. Less than 100 (50%) would have concern about persisting hoarseness or a prolonged oral ulcer. An urgent need exists to raise awareness of Head & Neck Cancer among the public in Ireland.

Bilingualism and Morphological Awareness: A Study with Children from General Education and Spanish-English Dual Language Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Li-Jen; Ramirez, Gloria; de Marin, Sharon; Kim, Tae-Jin; Unal-Gezer, Melike

2017-01-01

Existing research on the impact of bilingualism on metalinguistic development has concentrated on the development of phonological awareness. The present study extended the scope of existing research by focusing on morphological awareness, an aspect of metalinguistic awareness that becomes increasingly important beyond the initial phase of literacy…

Perception and Awareness of Islamic Accounting: Student Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Siswantoro, Dodik

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perception and awareness of Islamic accounting of undergraduate accounting students at Universitas Indonesia. The Indonesian Institute of Accountants has an Islamic Accounting Certification and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) test, meaning that the course's competency should satisfy both…

Users Behavior in Location-Aware Services: Digital Natives versus Digital Immigrants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Furini

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Location-aware services may expose users to privacy risks as they usually attach user’s location to the generated contents. Different studies have focused on privacy in location-aware services, but the results are often conflicting. Our hypothesis is that users are not fully aware of the features of the location-aware scenario and this lack of knowledge affects the results. Hence, in this paper we present a different approach: the analysis is conducted on two different groups of users (digital natives and digital immigrants and is divided into two steps: (i understanding users’ knowledge of a location-aware scenario and (ii investigating users’ opinion toward location-aware services after showing them an example of an effective location-aware service able to extract personal and sensitive information from contents publicly available in social media platforms. The analysis reveals that there is relation between users’ knowledge and users’ concerns toward privacy in location-aware services and also reveals that digital natives are more interested in the location-aware scenario than digital immigrants. The analysis also discloses that users’ concerns toward these services may be ameliorated if these services ask for users’ authorization and provide benefits to users. Other interesting findings allow us to draw guidelines that might be helpful in developing effective location-aware services.

Quality of Care and Services of a Public Hospital: Awareness and Assessment

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Abdel-ilah Aziane

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In order to give everyone access to quality care, this study attempts to make quality awareness, highlighting the importance of the implementation of the quality management system in health care facilities. The objective of our work is to make a quality awareness, to analyze the current situation and to provide recommendations. The analysis of the existing situation consists of identifying, describing, and analyzing the key processes implemented, listing the dysfunctions, classifying them, deciding on the corresponding actions and putting in place indicators and dashboards, which will help track improvements. The overall situation of the hospital regarding the requirements of ISO 9001 indicated a respect of about 28% of the requirements of the standard. The state of the premises of the establishment does not indicate a clear organization at the hospital. The hospital environment is a prerequisite to the establishment of a system of quality management that enables you to deploy a clear and shared policy to improve the quality of care and services.

Awareness of Breast Cancer among Female Care Givers in Tertiary Cancer Hospital, China

Science.gov (United States)

Dinegde, Negalign Getahun; Xuying, Li

2017-01-01

Objective: Breast cancer is a worldwide public health issue and most common cancer diagnosed among women including China, where advanced stages at diagnosis appears to be increasing and an ever-rising incidence twice as fast as global rates. The study was conducted to describe the awareness of breast cancer and associated factors among care giver women in tertiary Cancer Hospital, China. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 261 women selected by systematic random sampling. Information provided by the participants was converted into awareness scores for analysis using SPSS version 23. Awareness scores were dichotomized in to ‘good awareness and ‘poor awareness’ taking median score=11 as the cut-off point. Data analysis was performed using the binary logistic regression. A p-value of awareness. Breast lump was the most commonly known symptom of cancer by 61.7% of the respondents. Slightly more than half of the study participants acknowledged having a past history of breast cancer, drinking alcohol and having close relative with breast cancer as potential risk factors for breast cancer (63.6%, 58.6%, and 55.6% respectively). Nevertheless, a vast majority of the study participants were unable to appreciate modifiable risk factors of the disease. More than half of the participants had never/rarely checked their breasts and all of the participants wrongly answered breast cancer knowledge age related risk. Awareness level was significantly associated with entertainment preference (OR=3.57; 95%CI=1.71, 7.44) and residence setting areas (OR=2.4; 95%CI=1.04, 5.69). Conclusion: The study indicated suboptimal awareness while entertainment preference and residence setting were significantly associated with awareness level. Public awareness campaigns should be made by dissemination of information about breast cancer through health education and printed Medias with great emphases on women living in rural areas. PMID:28749635

Delivering mental health awareness training to police officers.

Science.gov (United States)

Forni, Carlos; Caswell, Nick; Spicer, Jerina

Police officers regularly come into contact with people with mental health problems but receive relatively little training on the issue. This article outlines an initiative to deliver awareness training to officers, and explores the benefits of such programmes. It also gives details of the evaluation carried out.

The laboratory efficiencies initiative: partnership for building a sustainable national public health laboratory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridderhof, John C; Moulton, Anthony D; Ned, Renée M; Nicholson, Janet K A; Chu, May C; Becker, Scott J; Blank, Eric C; Breckenridge, Karen J; Waddell, Victor; Brokopp, Charles

2013-01-01

Beginning in early 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Public Health Laboratories launched the Laboratory Efficiencies Initiative (LEI) to help public health laboratories (PHLs) and the nation's entire PHL system achieve and maintain sustainability to continue to conduct vital services in the face of unprecedented financial and other pressures. The LEI focuses on stimulating substantial gains in laboratories' operating efficiency and cost efficiency through the adoption of proven and promising management practices. In its first year, the LEI generated a strategic plan and a number of resources that PHL directors can use toward achieving LEI goals. Additionally, the first year saw the formation of a dynamic community of practitioners committed to implementing the LEI strategic plan in coordination with state and local public health executives, program officials, foundations, and other key partners.

Counterterrorism and cybersecurity total information awareness

CERN Document Server

Lee, Newton

2013-01-01

Provides a broad survey of the United States' counterterrorism history, the use of artificial intelligence in data mining, social media and privacy, cyber attacks and prevention, and longstanding issues of war and peace Closely examines how Total Information Awareness, a governmental data mining project focused on scanning public and private data, plays an integral role in cybersecurity Analyzes recent cyberattacks across the globe orchestrated by 'hacktivist' groups, such as Anonymous

Moral and Cultural Awareness in Emerging Adulthood: Preparing for Multi-Faith Workplaces

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Patricia Snell Herzog

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The study evaluates a pilot course designed to respond to findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR and similar findings reporting changes in U.S. life course development and religious participation through an intervention based on sociological theories of morality. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impacts of a business course in a public university designed to prepare emerging adults for culturally and religiously diverse workplaces. The intended outcomes are for students to better identify their personal moral values, while also gaining cultural awareness of the moral values in six different value systems: five major world religions and secular humanism. The study response rate was 97 percent (n = 109. Pre- and post-test survey data analyze changes in the reports of students enrolled in the course (primary group compared to students in similar courses but without an emphasis on morality (controls. Qualitative data include survey short answer questions, personal mission statements, and student essays describing course impacts. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate reported increases in identification of personal moral values and cultural awareness of other moral values, providing initial evidence that the course helps prepare emerging adults for multi-faith workplaces.

My face, my heart: cultural differences in integrated bodily self-awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Maister, Lara; Tsakiris, Manos

2014-01-01

Body-awareness is produced by an integration of both interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily signals. However, previous investigations into cultural differences in bodily self-awareness have only studied these two aspects in isolation. We investigated the interaction between interoceptive and exteroceptive self-processing in East Asian and Western participants. During an interoceptive awareness task, self-face observation improved performance of those with initially low awareness in the Western group, but did not benefit the East Asian participants. These results suggest that the integrated, coherent experience of the body differs between East Asian and Western cultures. For Western participants, viewing one's own face may activate a bodily self-awareness which enhances processing of other bodily information, such as interoceptive signals. Instead, for East Asian individuals, the external appearance of the self may activate higher-level, social aspects of self-identity, reflecting the importance of the sociocultural construct of "face" in East Asian cultures.

Assessing the public health impact of using poison center data for public health surveillance.

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Wang, Alice; Law, Royal; Lyons, Rebecca; Choudhary, Ekta; Wolkin, Amy; Schier, Joshua

2017-12-13

The National Poison Data System (NPDS) is a database and surveillance system for US poison centers (PCs) call data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) use NPDS to identify incidents of potential public health significance. State health departments are notified by CDC of incidents identified by NPDS to be of potential public health significance. Our objective was to describe the public health impact of CDC's notifications and the use of NPDS data for surveillance. We described how NPDS data informed three public health responses: the Deepwater Horizon incident, national exposures to laundry detergent pods, and national exposures to e-cigarettes. Additionally, we extracted survey results of state epidemiologists regarding NPDS incident notification follow-up from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016 to assess current public health application of NPDS data using Epi Info 7.2 and analyzed data using SAS 9.3. We assessed whether state health departments were aware of incidents before notification, what actions were taken, and whether CDC notifications contributed to actions. NPDS data provided evidence for industry changes to improve laundry detergent pod containers safety and highlighted the need to regulate e-cigarette sale and manufacturing. NPDS data were used to improve situational awareness during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Of 59 health departments and PCs who responded to CDC notifications about anomalies (response rate = 49.2%), 27 (46%) reported no previous awareness of the incident, and 20 (34%) said that notifications contributed to public health action. Monitoring NPDS data for anomalies can identify emerging public health threats and provide evidence-based science to support public health action and policy changes.

Knowledge and awareness of Tuberculosis among Students of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem worldwide, as one third of the world population is infected with M. tuberculosis. It is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality and a major public health concern in Sudan. Objectives: to determine the awareness and knowledge of tuberculosis among students.

Extension Agents' Awareness of Climate Change in Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Abegaz, Dagmawi M.; Wims, Padraig

2015-01-01

Purpose: The fact that highly vulnerable countries like Ethiopia face far greater challenges from climate change makes agricultural adaptation a top priority. Even though the public agriculture extension system in Ethiopia plays a central role in facilitating and supporting adaptation, very limited information is available on how aware the actual…

Adult awareness of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship--14 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-25

According to the 2012 Report of the U.S. Surgeon General, exposure to tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) is associated with the initiation and continuation of smoking among young persons. The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires countries to prohibit all forms of TAPS; the United States signed the agreement in 2004, but the action has not yet been ratified. Many countries have adopted partial bans covering direct advertising in traditional media channels; however, few countries have adopted comprehensive bans on all types of direct and indirect marketing. To assess progress toward elimination of TAPS and the level of awareness of TAPS among persons aged ≥15 years, CDC used data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) collected in 14 countries during 2008-2010. Awareness of any TAPS ranged from 12.4% in Turkey to 70.4% in the Philippines. In the four countries where awareness of TAPs was ≤15%, three of the countries had comprehensive bans covering all nine channels assessed by GATS, and the fourth country banned seven of the nine channels. In 12 countries, more persons were aware of advertising in stores than advertising via any other channel. Reducing exposure to TAPS is important to prevent initiation of tobacco use by youths and young adults and to help smokers quit.

Data Placement for Privacy-Aware Applications over Big Data in Hybrid Clouds

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Xiaolong Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, a large number of groups choose to deploy their applications to cloud platforms, especially for the big data era. Currently, the hybrid cloud is one of the most popular computing paradigms for holding the privacy-aware applications driven by the requirements of privacy protection and cost saving. However, it is still a challenge to realize data placement considering both the energy consumption in private cloud and the cost for renting the public cloud services. In view of this challenge, a cost and energy aware data placement method, named CEDP, for privacy-aware applications over big data in hybrid cloud is proposed. Technically, formalized analysis of cost, access time, and energy consumption is conducted in the hybrid cloud environment. Then a corresponding data placement method is designed to accomplish the cost saving for renting the public cloud services and energy savings for task execution within the private cloud platforms. Experimental evaluations validate the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed method.

Characterizing Awareness of Schizophrenia Among Facebook Users by Leveraging Facebook Advertisement Estimates.

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Saha, Koustuv; Weber, Ingmar; Birnbaum, Michael L; De Choudhury, Munmun

2017-05-08

Schizophrenia is a rare but devastating condition, affecting about 1% of the world's population and resulting in about 2% of the US health care expenditure. Major impediments to appropriate and timely care include misconceptions, high levels of stigma, and lack of public awareness. Facebook offers novel opportunities to understand public awareness and information access related to schizophrenia, and thus can complement survey-based approaches to assessing awareness that are limited in scale, robustness, and temporal and demographic granularity. The aims of this study were to (1) construct an index that measured the awareness of different demographic groups around schizophrenia-related information on Facebook; (2) study how this index differed across demographic groups and how it correlated with complementary Web-based (Google Trends) and non-Web-based variables about population well-being (mental health indicators and infrastructure), and (3) examine the relationship of Facebook derived schizophrenia index with other types of online activity as well as offline health and mental health outcomes and indicators. Data from Facebook's advertising platform was programmatically collected to compute the proportion of users in a target demographic group with an interest related to schizophrenia. On consultation with a clinical expert, several topics were combined to obtain a single index measuring schizophrenia awareness. This index was then analyzed for differences across US states, gender, age, ethnic affinity, and education level. A statistical approach was developed to model a group's awareness index based on the group's characteristics. Overall, 1.03% of Facebook users in the United States have a schizophrenia-related interest. The schizophrenia awareness index (SAI) is higher for females than for males (1.06 vs 0.97, PFacebook's advertising platform can be used to construct a plausible index of population-scale schizophrenia awareness. However, only estimates of

Lessons learnt from recent citizen science initiatives to document floods in France, Argentina and New Zealand

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Le Coz Jérôme

2016-01-01

Full Text Available New communication and digital image technologies have enabled the public to produce and share large quantities of flood observations. Valuable hydraulic data such as water levels, flow rates, inundated areas, etc., can be extracted from photos and movies taken by citizens and help improve the analysis and modelling of flood hazard. We introduce recent citizen science initiatives which have been launched independently by research organisations to document floods in some catchments and urban areas of France, Argentina and New Zealand. Key drivers for success appear to be: a clear and simple procedure, suitable tools for data collecting and processing, an efficient communication plan, the support of local stakeholders, and the public awareness of natural hazards.

Patient Awareness and Expectations of Pharmacist Services During Hospital Stay.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Philip K; Martin, Steven J; Betka, Eric M

2017-10-01

There are insufficient data in the United States regarding patient awareness and expectations of hospital pharmacist availability and services. The objective of this research is to assess patient awareness and expectations of hospital pharmacist services and to determine whether a marketing campaign for pharmacist services increases patient awareness and expectations. Eligible inpatients were surveyed before and after implementation of a hospital-wide pharmacist services marketing campaign (12 items; Likert scale of 1 [strongly disagree] to 4 [strongly agree]; maximum total score of 48) regarding awareness of pharmacist services. The primary outcome was the change in median total survey scores from baseline. Other outcomes included the frequency of patient requests for pharmacists. Similar numbers of patients completed the survey before and after the campaign (intervention, n = 140, vs control, n = 147). Awareness of pharmacist availability and services was increased (41 [interquartile ranges, IQRs: 36-46] vs 37 [IQR 31-43]; P marketing campaign implementation. Awareness among inpatients of pharmacist services is low. Marketing pharmacist availability and services to patients in the hospital improves awareness and expectations for pharmacist-provided care and increases the frequency of patient-initiated interaction between pharmacists and patients. This could improve patient outcomes as pharmacists become more integrally involved in direct patient care.

Population trends and public awareness of healthy and pathological ageing in India: A brief overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Loganathan, Santosh; Iyengar, Vijeth; Chowdappa, Suresh Vedalaveni; Varghese, Mathew

2017-10-01

India is poised to experience dramatic shifts in the age and makeup of its population. Specifically, projections havehighlighted an increase in both the percentage of the elderly and those suffering from dementia-related disorders.Previous studies have examined the demographics of aging, its impact on the healthcare infrastructure and recommended policies to better cater to the elderly. This article focuses on a summary of these findings in relation to key stakeholders in the care of the elderly including mental health professionals, family caregivers, and public health officials. We broadly conclude that there exists a general shallow level of understanding of what constitutes pathological aging (i.e. dementia) across all stakeholders, and this creates a cascade of effects including delays in treatment seeking and barriers in conducting and having accurate demographic studies. Moreover, addressing this knowledge gap can help enhance communication between these three stakeholders in the hopes of the following: (a) increased education and awareness, (b) faster seeking of care, and (c) earlier diagnoses leading to better opportunities to collect accurate demographics of those suffering from dementia-related disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cyberbiosecurity: From Naive Trust to Risk Awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Peccoud, Jean; Gallegos, Jenna E; Murch, Randall; Buchholz, Wallace G; Raman, Sanjay

2018-01-01

The cyber-physical nature of biotechnology raises unprecedented security concerns. Computers can be compromised by encoding malware in DNA sequences, and biological threats can be synthesized using publicly available data. Trust within the biotechnology community creates vulnerabilities at the interface between cyberspace and biology. Awareness is a prerequisite to managing these risks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using a concept map as a tool for strategic planning: The Healthy Brain Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lynda A; Day, Kristine L; Vandenberg, Anna E

2011-09-01

Concept mapping is a tool to assist in strategic planning that allows planners to work through a sequence of phases to produce a conceptual framework. Although several studies describe how concept mapping is applied to various public health problems, the flexibility of the methods used in each phase of the process is often overlooked. If practitioners were more aware of the flexibility, more public health endeavors could benefit from using concept mapping as a tool for strategic planning. The objective of this article is to describe how the 6 concept-mapping phases originally outlined by William Trochim guided our strategic planning process and how we adjusted the specific methods in the first 2 phases to meet the specialized needs and requirements to create The Healthy Brain Initiative: A National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health. In the first stage (phases 1 and 2 of concept mapping), we formed a steering committee, convened 4 work groups over a period of 3 months, and generated an initial set of 42 action items grounded in science. In the second stage (phases 3 and 4), we engaged stakeholders in sorting and rating the action items and constructed a series of concept maps. In the third and final stage (phases 5 and 6), we examined and refined the action items and generated a final concept map consisting of 44 action items. We then selected the top 10 action items, and in 2007, we published The Healthy Brain Initiative: A National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health, which represents the strategic plan for The Healthy Brain Initiative.

Metalinguistic awareness and literacy: a study carried out among first elementary grade children / Consciência metalingüística e alfabetização: um estudo com crianças da primeira série do ensino fundamental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvia Domingos Barrera

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to investigate the influence of phonological, lexical and syntactic awareness in written language acquisition. The main hypothesis underlying the research was that metalinguistic abilities could facilitate written language acquisition. Subjects were 65 first-grade students at a public school in São Paulo, Brazil. The materials used to measure levels of metalinguistic awareness were applied at the beginning of the school year. Reading and writing assessment tests were applied both at the beginning and the end of the school year so as to evaluate acquisition levels. Statistical analysis showed positive and significant correlation between initial levels of phonological and syntactic awareness and final performance in reading and writing evaluation. Lexical awareness was significantly correlated solely with final level of reading. These results suggest the importance of performing pedagogical activities in early school life in order to develop metalinguistic awareness.

Canadian Public Libraries Are Aware of Their Role as Information Literacy Training Providers, but Face Several Challenges. A Review of: Lai, H.-J. (2011. Information literacy training in public libraries: A case from Canada. Educational Technology & Society, 14(2, 81-88.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Newton Miller

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objective– To explore the current state of information literacy (IL training in Canadian public libraries, and to identify strategies used for improving IL training skills for staff and patrons.Design – Mixed-methods approach, including document analysis, observations, and focus group interviews.Setting – Two libraries of a large public library system in Canada: the central library and one branch library.Subjects – Six staff members (manager, administrator, training coordinator, instructor, and computer technician who have been involved in designing and teaching information literacy courses for library patrons and staff.Methods – The researcher analyzed internal and external library documents related to information literacy, including, but not limited to, reports, posters, lesson plans, newsletters, and training scripts. He also observed interactions and behaviours of patrons during IL training sessions. Finally, he conducted a focus group with people involved in IL training, asking questions about facilities and resources, programs, patron reaction, librarian knowledge of IL theory, and impediments and benefits of IL training programs in public libraries.Main Results – Staff were aware of the importance of IL training in the library. Attracting more library patrons (including building partnerships with other organizations, improving staff IL and training skills, employing effective strategies for running training programs, and dealing with financial issues were all concerns about running IL training that were highlighted.Conclusion – Canadian public libraries are well aware of their role as IL training providers, but they still face several challenges in order to improve their effectiveness.

Testing the idea of privileged awareness of self-relevant information.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Timo; Siebold, Alisha; van Zoest, Wieske

2016-03-01

Self-relevant information is prioritized in processing. Some have suggested the mechanism driving this advantage is akin to the automatic prioritization of physically salient stimuli in information processing (Humphreys & Sui, 2015). Here we investigate whether self-relevant information is prioritized for awareness under continuous flash suppression (CFS), as has been found for physical salience. Gabor patches with different orientations were first associated with the labels You or Other. Participants were more accurate in matching the self-relevant association, replicating previous findings of self-prioritization. However, breakthrough into awareness from CFS did not differ between self- and other-associated Gabors. These findings demonstrate that self-relevant information has no privileged access to awareness. Rather than modulating the initial visual processes that precede and lead to awareness, the advantage of self-relevant information may better be characterized as prioritization at later processing stages. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Human Resource and Nuclear Awareness Development: A Common Synergetic Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreimanis, A.

2016-01-01

Full text: The nuclear education problem is treated as societal optimization task of nuclear energy management, with the key parameter of optimization—stakeholder awareness level. As the key principles of optimisation are chosen: a self-organization concept, the principle of the requisite variety, where as a primary source of growth of internal variety is information and knowledge. We have shown: public education, social learning and the use of mass media are efficient self-organization mechanisms, thereby forming a knowledge-creating community. Such a created knowledge could facilitate solution of key issues: a) public acceptance of novel nuclear objects, b) promotion of adequate risk perception, and c) fostering of interest to nuclear energy. Comprehensive knowledge management and informational support firstly is needed in: a) for increasing general nuclear awareness and confidence level to nuclear activities, b) personnel education and training, c) reliable staff renascence, d) public education and involvement of all stakeholder categories in decision making, e) risk management. A common approach to nuclear education should include also comprehensive research activities, thereby joining knowledge acquisition with the generation of novel advanced knowledge. (author

Awareness of HIV / AIDS among the grass-widows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tazreen Mona

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The migrant workers in Bangladesh are at high risk of getting HIV infection due to factors like staying away from family for long periods which leave them vulnerable towards sexual relationship with commercial sex workers (CSW and having sexual relationship with other men (MSM. This paper aimed to explore the level of awareness on HIV/AIDs among the women whose husbands stay apart from them for over a period of 6 months. For this cross sectional study, women attending public and private hospitals in Dhaka city were selected purposively. The participants were interviewed using a partially open-structured questionnaire. A total of 404 subjects were interviewed. Most of the respondents were housewives (85.7%. The higher education group had a high prevalence of awareness (>=HSC vs. SSC: 45.0% vs. 8.5%; p<0.001. The prevalence of awareness was significantly higher among the employed than the housewives (50% vs. 12.4%, p<0.001. Although the wives of the unskilled labor and the skilled employee were equal (25% vs. 25%, the wives of skilled employee had significantly higher awareness than the wives of the unskilled laborer (30.7 vs. 10.9%, p = 0.001. The study concludes that higher awareness level was significantly associated with higher education of the participants and higher education of the husband. Occupationally, housewives were found to have very low level of awareness compared with the employed group of participants. Again the wives of skilled employees had a significantly higher prevalence of awareness compared with the wives of unskilled laborer. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2011; 5(1: 25-28

The role of phonological awareness in reading comprehension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Silvia Cárnio

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: to characterize the performance of 4th grade-Elementary School students with and without signs of reading and writing disorders as for phonological awareness and reading comprehension, and also verify possible correlations between them. Methods: 60 children enrolled in the 4th grade of Elementary School from two public schools, whose parents signed the Informed Consent Form, participated in the present study. They were selected and organized in groups, with and without signs of reading and writing disorders. All students were individually assessed regarding their phonological awareness and reading comprehension of sentences and texts through standardized tests. The data underwent statistical analysis. Results: those with signs of reading and writing disorders showed the lowest performance in the reading comprehension of sentences and texts. A correlation was found between phonological awareness and reading comprehension of sentences and texts in both groups. Conclusion: students with no signs of reading and writing disorders had a higher performance in the skills assessed. The correlation found between phonological awareness and reading comprehension of sentences and texts shows not only the importance of metaphonological skills for a proficient reading, but also for a comprehensive one.

Public acceptance and USCEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

Public opinion plays a critical role in ensuring the future of nuclear energy. After the events at Three Mile Island in 1979, and more recently the Chernobyl accident, worldwide antinuclear movements surged upward. As a result, the global nuclear industry was compelled to institute education programs aimed at allaying public apprehension surrounding nuclear power. The US Council for Energy Awareness strives to disseminate information on nuclear issues in an effort to educate the public and thus create a foundation of support for this important energy option. The US Council for Energy Awareness (USCEA) is the national communications and information organization for the US commercial nuclear power industry. The organization provides a national voice for an industry whose issues are not always well understood by the public or by policy makers. It performs many functions for member companies, and offers information to the public. Included in the primary functions USCEA conducts on behalf of the nuclear industry are advertising, public and media relations, technical programs, and conferences. Worldwide, its membership is approximately 400, and includes utilities, vendors, consultants, universities, and other organizations with an interest in nuclear power

PERCEPTION AND AWARENESS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOOD SAFETY FRAMEWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuele Boselli

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A survey was conducted on a Turkish Educated Group (TG, European Educated Group (EG and a Turkish Public Group (TPG, to reveal possible differences in the perception and awareness of the EU Food Safety policy. The majority was aware which authority is responsible for food safety at national level but did not clearly understand how to make food complains (mostly made to food companies instead of public institutions. The manufacturer name and price were important for the Turks, the food label for EG. “Food safety” was associated to “quality control” and “healthy life” by the TG and EG groups; however, the TPG understood it as “healthy life” and “food terror”.Individuals with higher education showed a high interest in the food package. Halal certification was highly appreciated by TG and TPG.

Public health awareness of autoimmune diseases after the death of a celebrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Watad, Abdulla; Brigo, Francesco; Adawi, Mohammad; Amital, Howard; Shoenfeld, Yehuda

2017-08-01

Autoimmune disorders impose a high burden, in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Vasculitis is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and destruction of blood vessels. Harold Allen Ramis, a famous American actor, director, writer, and comedian, died on the February 24, 2014, of complications of an autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis. To investigate the relation between interests and awareness of an autoimmune disease after a relevant event such as the death of a celebrity, we systematically mined Google Trends, Wikitrends, Google News, YouTube, and Twitter, in any language, from their inception until October 31, 2016. Twenty-eight thousand eight hundred fifty-two tweets; 4,133,615 accesses to Wikipedia; 6780 news; and 11,400 YouTube videos were retrieved, processed, and analyzed. The Harold Ramis death of vasculitis resulted into an increase in vasculitis-related Google searches, Wikipedia page accesses, and tweet production, documenting a peak in February 2014. No trend could be detected concerning uploading YouTube videos. The usage of Big Data is promising in the fields of immunology and rheumatology. Clinical practitioners should be aware of this emerging phenomenon.

Underpricing, underperformance and overreaction in initial public offerings: Evidence from investor attention using online searches

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vakrman, T.; Krištoufek, Ladislav

2015-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 84 (2015) ISSN 2193-1801 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP402/12/G097 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Onlinesearches * Initial public offerings * Puzzles Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.982, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2015/E/kristoufek-0452324.pdf

Evaluating the effectiveness of a smoking warning label on raising patient awareness of smoking and bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, B; Abouassaly, R; Ghiculete, D; Stewart, R J

2013-08-01

We assessed the knowledge of patients with regard to the association between smoking and bladder cancer, and examined the impact of a novel smoking warning label on raising awareness of this issue. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study involving patients who presented to urology and family practice clinics. A questionnaire was used to assess knowledge regarding the association between smoking and various diseases. Participants were also asked to evaluate a novel smoking warning label for bladder cancer. A total of 291 (97%) patients responded to the questionnaire including 143 (95.3%) at urology clinics and 148 (98.7%) at family practice clinics. Overall only 45.2% of respondents were aware of the association between smoking and bladder cancer compared to 97.4% who knew that there was an association between smoking and lung cancer. There were no significant differences in knowledge between those at urology and family practice clinics. After viewing the warning label, 58.1% of respondents stated that it had changed their opinion on smoking and bladder cancer, and 74.8% felt that this label would be an effective tool to raise awareness of the issue. Patients who changed their opinion had statistically significantly less initial knowledge about the association between smoking and bladder cancer (36.7% vs 57.5% for those who did not change their opinion, p Awareness of the link between smoking and bladder cancer remains low. The use of a smoking warning label may help raise awareness of this important public health issue. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness and Perception About Cancer Among the Public in Chennai, India

OpenAIRE

Elangovan, Vidhubala; Rajaraman, Swaminathan; Basumalik, Barsha; Pandian, Dhivya

2016-01-01

Purpose: Cancer-related stigma influences the way people perceive cancer, which renders cancer control—beginning with prevention and proceeding to palliation—a challenging task. This study aimed to assess the current levels of awareness and perceptions about cancer among people with various socioeconomic status and diverse backgrounds in the city of Chennai, India. Patients and Methods: The sample population (N = 2,981; 18 to 88 years of age) was stratified into four groups: patients (n = 510...

Building Cybersecurity Awareness : The need for evidence-based framing strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Bruijn, J.A.; Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.

2017-01-01

Cybersecurity is a global phenomenon representing a complex socio-technical challenge for governments, but requiring the involvement of individuals. Although cybersecurity is one of the most important challenges faced by governments today, the visibility and public awareness remains limited.

Trends in awareness and use of electronic cigarettes among US adults, 2010-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Brian A; Patel, Roshni; Nguyen, Kimberly H; Dube, Shanta R

2015-02-01

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) marketing has increased considerably since the product entered the US market in 2007, thereby warranting additional surveillance to monitor recent trends in population-level awareness and utilization. We assessed the prevalence, characteristics, and trends in e-cigarette awareness and use among nationally representative samples of US adults during 2010-2013. Data came from the 2010-2013 HealthStyles survey, an annual consumer-based web survey of US adults aged ≥ 18 years. Sample sizes ranged from 2,505 (2010) to 4,170 (2012). Descriptive statistics were used to assess e-cigarette awareness, ever use, and current use (use within the past 30 days) overall and by sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, US region, and cigarette smoking status. Trends were assessed using logistic regression. During 2010-2013, increases (p e-cigarette awareness (40.9%-79.7%), ever use (3.3%-8.5%), and current use (1.0%-2.6%). Awareness increased among all socio demographic subpopulations during 2010-2013 (p impact of e-cigarettes, continued surveillance of emerging use patterns is critical for public health planning. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Awareness of the Link between Alcohol Consumption and Cancer across the World: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheideler, Jennifer K; Klein, William M P

2018-04-01

Since 1988, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest level of risk. Growing evidence suggests that alcohol increases the risk of several types of cancer including breast, bowel, prostate, and liver, and accounts for a significant proportion of preventable cancers. Despite ample evidence of this relationship, public awareness is less clear. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we reviewed 32 studies examining lay awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for cancer in 16 countries. Our results show that awareness appears to be low and varies internationally; it is relatively higher in the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Australia. Methodologic differences in assessment obfuscate cross-country and cross-sample comparisons. In general, people are more likely to endorse alcohol as a risk factor when presented with a list of possible risk factors than when asked to list risk factors in an open-ended format. Attempts to increase awareness have been limited and constitute a significant public health need. We provide potential strategies to increase awareness, such as alcohol bottle labeling and fostering patient/physician discussions regarding the link. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(4); 429-37. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Awareness of cervical cancer and its prevention among young ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Cancer of the cervix is a major public health issue in the developing countries. The burden of the disease is considerable with associated morbidity and mortality among women in their productive years. The lack of awareness and adequate information about cervical cancer and its prevention may be ...

Extravehicular Activity Systems Education and Public Outreach in Support of NASA's STEM Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Heather L.

2011-01-01

The exploration activities associated with NASA?s goals to return to the Moon, travel to Mars, or explore Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will involve the need for human-supported space and surface extravehicular activities (EVAs). The technology development and human element associated with these exploration missions provide fantastic content to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). As NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden remarked on December 9, 2009, "We....need to provide the educational and experiential stepping-stones to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and leaders in STEM fields." The EVA Systems Project actively supports this initiative by providing subject matter experts and hands-on, interactive presentations to educate students, educators, and the general public about the design challenges encountered as NASA develops EVA hardware for these missions. This paper summarizes these education and public efforts.

Developing mental health services in Nigeria : the impact of a community-based mental health awareness programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Julian; Agomoh, Ahamefula O

2008-07-01

This grass-roots level mental health awareness programme considerably increased use of community-based mental health services in a part of Nigeria where knowledge about treatability of mental illness was limited. The benefits of the programme were sustained for a significant period after the initial awareness programme. In order for attitude changes to be reinforced, similar awareness programmes must be repeated at regular intervals.

Public awareness of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aykol, F.; Tanker, E.; Oezkan, R.; Atila, B.; Seckin, O.; Guerel, Z.; Aksu, M. L.

2001-01-01

The history of civilization is full of striking examples of nations which were not able to develop their technology either disappeared from the stage of the history or lost their independence and were forced to live under the domination of others. The major cause of the wars that caused the lives of millions of people in 20th century is, to possess the energy sources, which are the basis of social and economic development. Ataturk has shown a personal interest to energy issue saying t o be industrialized is a must for the development . The encouragement of industry act in 1927 stated t he most important priority of Turkey is the energy problem . For economic and social wealth, freeing the country from the dependency on other countries and solving the energy bottleneck, the Turkish media is to know the nuclear technology rather than being scared of it and realize that it is the integral part of the solution of the energy problem. In conclusion Turkey is to realize and do necessities of the nuclear era in order to catch a bright future. Due to these facts, this study aims to furnish the public with bare facts of nuclear energy and technology to eliminate the biased wiew regarding to nuclear technology

The Public's Attitude Toward Public Library Services in Essex County, New Jersey; A Research Study Conducted for the Essex County Library Directors Group Public Relations Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

Market Dynamics, Inc., Princeton, NJ.

In order to structure an effective campaign aimed at increasing the usage of the public libraries in Essex County, New Jersey, this research project was undertaken to determine the consumer attitudes toward various aspects of public library services. These aspects include: extent of public library usage; awareness of library services offered,…

Quantized Visual Awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W Alexander Escobar

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The proposed model holds that, at its most fundamental level, visual awareness is quantized. That is to say that visual awareness arises as individual bits of awareness through the action of neural circuits with hundreds to thousands of neurons in at least the human striate cortex. Circuits with specific topologies will reproducibly result in visual awareness that correspond to basic aspects of vision like color, motion and depth. These quanta of awareness (qualia are produced by the feedforward sweep that occurs through the geniculocortical pathway but are not integrated into a conscious experience until recurrent processing from centers like V4 or V5 select the appropriate qualia being produced in V1 to create a percept. The model proposed here has the potential to shift the focus of the search for visual awareness to the level of microcircuits and these likely exist across the kingdom Animalia. Thus establishing qualia as the fundamental nature of visual awareness will not only provide a deeper understanding of awareness, but also allow for a more quantitative understanding of the evolution of visual awareness throughout the animal kingdom.

Knowledge and awareness of hypertension among patients with systemic hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Familoni, B. Oluranti; Ogun, S. Abayomi; Aina, A. Olutoyin

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, systemic hypertension is the commonest noncommunicable disease, and public awareness about hypertension and its determinants is poor. This study aims to assess the knowledge and level of awareness of the disease among hypertensive patients attending the medical outpatient clinic of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH). METHODOLOGY: Hypertensive patients who attended the medical outpatient clinic during the one-year study period and gave their consent were recruited into the study. Response to a questionnaire on various aspects of hypertension was analyzed using the STATA for Windows software. RESULTS: There were 254 hypertensive patients, of which 111 were males and 143 were females, giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.3. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 51 years +/- 12.2; 52.4% of the participants were aware that hypertension was the commonest noncommunicable disease in Nigeria. About one in 10 patients (11.4%) was aware that "nil symptom" is the commonest symptom of hypertension, while 37% were not aware that hypertension could cause renal failure. Only about one-third (35.4%) of the patients knew that hypertension should ideally be treated for life, while 58.3% believed that antihypertensive drugs should be used only when there are symptoms. The remaining 6.3% believed that the treatment of hypertension should be for periods ranging from two weeks to five years but not for life. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated inadequate knowledge of hypertension in patients with hypertension in our study population. Conscious efforts should be made and time set aside to health educate hypertensive patients. Organization of "hypertensive club or society" could be encouraged. These will reduce dissemination of false or inaccurate information by hypertensive patients to the public and its attendant dangers. PMID:15160976

Awareness and Self-Awareness for Multi-Robot Organisms

OpenAIRE

Kernbach, Serge

2011-01-01

Awareness and self-awareness are two different notions related to knowing the environment and itself. In a general context, the mechanism of self-awareness belongs to a class of co-called "self-issues" (self-* or self-star): self-adaptation, self-repairing, self-replication, self-development or self-recovery. The self-* issues are connected in many ways to adaptability and evolvability, to the emergence of behavior and to the controllability of long-term developmental processes. Self-* are ei...

Awareness of risk factors for cancer among Omani adults--a community based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Azri, Mohammed; Al-Rasbi, Khadija; Al-Hinai, Mustafa; Davidson, Robin; Al-Maniri, Abdullah

2014-01-01

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality around the world. However, the majority of cancers occur as a result of modifiable risk factors; hence public awareness of cancer risk factors is crucial to reduce the incidence. The objective of this study was to identify the level of public awareness of cancer risk factors among the adult Omani population. A community based survey using the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) questionnaire was conducted in three areas of Oman to measure public awareness of cancer risk factors. Omani adults aged 18 years and above were invited to participate in the study. SPPSS (ver.20) was used to analyse the data. A total of 384 participated from 500 invited individuals (response rate =77%). The majority of respondents agreed that smoking cigarettes (320, 83.3%), passive smoking (279, 72.7%) and excessive drinking of alcohol (265, 69%) are risks factors for cancer. However, fewer respondents agreed that eating less fruit and vegetables (83, 21.6%), eating more red or processed meat (116, 30.2%), being overweight (BMI>25) (123, 32%), doing less physical exercise (119, 31%), being over 70 years old (72, 18.8%), having a close relative with cancer (134, 34.9%), infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) (117, 30.5%) and getting frequent sunburn during childhood (149, 38.8%) are risk factors for cancer. A significant association was found between participant responses and their educational level. The higher the educational level, the more likely that respondents identified cancer risk factors including smoking (paware of the common risk factors for cancer. It may be possible to reduce the incidence of cancers in Oman by developing strategies to educate the public about these risk factors.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury: Identifying information sources and risk factor awareness among the general population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuharu Nagano

Full Text Available Raising awareness on a disorder is important for its prevention and for promoting public health. However, for sports injuries like the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL injury no studies have investigated the awareness on risk factors for injury and possible preventative measures in the general population. The sources of information among the population are also unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify these aspects of public awareness about the ACL injury.A questionnaire was randomly distributed among the general population registered with a web based questionnaire supplier, to recruit 900 participants who were aware about the ACL injury. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: Question 1 asked them about their sources of information regarding the ACL injury; Question 2 asked them about the risk factors for ACL injury. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the information sources that provide a good understanding of the risk factors.The leading source of information for ACL injury was television (57.0%. However, the results of logistic regression analysis revealed that television was not an effective medium to create awareness about the risk factors, among the general population. Instead "Lecture by a coach", "Classroom session on Health", and "Newspaper" were significantly more effective in creating a good awareness of the risk factors (p < 0.001.

Mainstream Issues of Education and Public Awareness of Space Activities and Sciences among universities and Scientific Institutes.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Balbir

This paper is an effort to study and analyze several constraints and issues of space technology and education that organizations other than governmental organizations face in awareness program. In recent years, advancements in technologies have made it possible for Volunteer and Technical Communities, non-government organizations, private agencies and academic research institutions to provide increasing support to space education management and emphasis on response efforts. Important cornerstones of this effort and support are the possibility to access and take advantage of satellite imagery as well as the use of other space-based technologies such as telecommunications satellites and global navigation satellite systems included in main curriculum plus the implementation of programs for use of high class sophisticated technologies used by industries to the students and researchers of non-space faring nations. The authors recognize the importance of such new methodologies for education and public Awareness. This paper demonstrates many hurdles universities and scientific institutions face including lack of access in terms of financial and technical resources for better support. A new model for coordinated private sector partnership in response to space sciences and education has been discussed. In depth analysis and techniques need to connect these pioneering communities with the space industry as well as the space governmental agencies, with special emphasis on financial constraints. The paper mandates its role to promote the use of space-based information; its established networks bringing together national institutions responsible for these space based activities, as well as other end users, and space solution experts; and its technical foundation, particularly in the area of information technologies. To help building a tighter cooperation and further understanding among all these communities, paper delivers an intensive report and solutions for future

Breast cancer knowledge and awareness among university students in Angola.

Science.gov (United States)

Sambanje, Martha Nyanungo; Mafuvadze, Benford

2012-01-01

The high breast cancer mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa has been attributed to a lack of public awareness of the disease which often leads to late diagnosis of the disease. Little is known about the level of knowledge and awareness of breast cancer in Angola. Previous studies have shown that breast cancer awareness is higher among well-educated people. The goal of this study was to assess breast cancer knowledge and awareness among university students in Angola. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of university students using a self-administered questionnaire to investigate participants' awareness and knowledge of breast cancer. A total of 595 university students in medical and non-medical programs successfully completed the survey. Our results showed insufficient knowledge of breast cancer among university students in Angola irrespective of whether they were in medical or non-medical programs. The majority of the participants were not aware of some of the early signs of breast cancer such as change in color or shape of the nipple, even though they appreciated the need for monthly breast self-examination. Overall most of the participants indicated the need for increased breast cancer awareness among university students. The study points to the insufficient knowledge of university students in Angola about breast cancer. We expect that our results may provide useful data that may be used by the department of health in Angola and other African countries to formulate health education programs aimed at increasing awareness and promote screening and early detection of breast cancer in the continent.

The recommendations of ICRP Publication 111 in the light of the ICRP dialogue initiative in Fukushima.

Science.gov (United States)

Lochard, J

2016-12-01

Publication 111, published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 2009, provided the first recommendations for dealing with the long-term recovery phase after a nuclear accident. Its focus is on the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident, drawing on the experience of the Belarus population, Cumbrian sheep farmers in the UK, and Sami reindeer herders in Norway affected by the fallout from Chernobyl. The ICRP dialogue initiative in Fukushima confirmed what had been identified after Chernobyl, namely the very strong concern for health, particularly that of children, loss of control over everyday life, apprehension about the future, disintegration of family life and of the social and economic fabric, and the threat to the autonomy and dignity of affected people. Through their testimonies and reflections, the participants of the 12 dialogue meetings shed light on this complex situation. The ICRP dialogue initiative also confirmed that the wellbeing of the affected people is at stake, and radiological protection must focus on rehabilitation of their living conditions. The challenge is to incorporate the important clarifications resulting from the ICRP dialogue initiative into the updated version of Publication 111 that is currently in development. This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

Extravehicular Activity Systems Education and Public Outreach in Support of NASA's STEM Initiatives in Fiscal Year 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Heather; Jennings, Mallory A.; Lamberth, Erika Guillory

2012-01-01

NASA's goals to send humans beyond low Earth orbit will involve the need for a strong engineering workforce. Research indicates that student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas is on the decline. According to the Department of Education, the United States President has mandated that 100,000 educators be trained in STEM over the next decade to reduce this trend. NASA has aligned its Education and Public Outreach (EPO) initiatives to include emphasis in promoting STEM. The Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Systems Project Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center actively supports this NASA initiative by providing subject matter experts and hands-on, interactive presentations to educate students, educators, and the general public about the design challenges encountered as NASA develops EVA hardware for exploration missions. This paper summarizes the EVA Systems EPO efforts and metrics from fiscal year 2011.

Mundane science use in a practice theoretical perspective: Different understandings of the relations between citizen-consumers and public communication initiatives build on scientific claims.

Science.gov (United States)

Halkier, Bente

2015-08-13

Public communication initiatives play a part in placing complicated scientific claims in citizen-consumers' everyday contexts. Lay reactions to scientific claims framed in public communication, and attempts to engage citizens, have been important subjects of discussion in the literatures of public understanding and public engagement with science. Many of the public communication initiatives, however, address lay people as consumers rather than citizens. This creates specific challenges for understanding public engagement with science and scientific citizenship. The article compares five different understandings of the relations between citizen-consumers and public issue communication involving science, where the first four types are widely represented in the Public Understanding of Science discussions. The fifth understanding is a practice theoretical perspective. The article suggests how the public understanding of and engagement in science literature can benefit from including a practice theoretical approach to research about mundane science use and public engagement. © The Author(s) 2015.

Public Energy Education: Issues for Discussion. Draft.

Science.gov (United States)

Public Energy Education Task Force.

This paper was intended to stimulate discussion of energy education issues at a conference on energy issues. The discussion ranges through numerous topics at issue in energy education including public energy awareness, definition of public education, the distinction between public education and public relations, and the presentation of a model…

Current awareness on yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

2002-02-01

In order to keep subscribers up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, this current awareness service is provided by John Wiley & Sons and contains newly-published material on yeasts. Each bibliography is divided into 10 sections. 1 Books, Reviews & Symposia; 2 General; 3 Biochemistry; 4 Biotechnology; 5 Cell Biology; 6 Gene Expression; 7 Genetics; 8 Physiology; 9 Medical Mycology; 10 Recombinant DNA Technology. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author. If, in the preceding period, no publications are located relevant to any one of these headings, that section will be omitted. (3 weeks journals - search completed 5th. Dec. 2001)

Boat-Based Education for Boston Area Public Schools: Encouraging Marine Science and Technology Literacy and Awareness of the Coastal "Backyard"

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, E. M.; Reynolds, R. M.; Wright, A. K.; Deschenes, H. A.

2016-02-01

Half the global population lives within 60 km of the ocean, profoundly influencing environmental quality and services to local communities. Adoption of marine science curricula creates opportunities for educators and scientists to engage and entrain K-12 students as ocean stewards. In particular, boat-based science activities facilitate hands-on inquiry. These activities reinforce key science concepts while creating a tangible connection to our shared coastal "backyard." A collaboration between Zephyr Education Foundation, the New England Aquarium, the University of Massachusetts Boston and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has taken >500 Boston, MA area students from 26 public schools on boat-based education trips in Boston Harbor. Marine science and technology professionals and educators facilitate participatory activities using modern marine technology aboard a research vessel. Trips are funded at no cost to participants by a grant from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation; cost-free outings are essential for participation from underserved public school districts. Participants perceived three important outcomes of their outings: the trips 1) enhanced in-class curricular learning and improved marine science literacy 2) increased personal connections to local marine environments, and 3) increased interest in careers in marine science, including engineering and technical positions. Despite living in close proximity to water, this was the first boat outing for many students; boat-based education trips enhanced student awareness of local environments in a way that curricular study had not. Boston trip results are being evaluated, but 3000 evaluations from similar trips in Woods Hole, MA indicate that 98% of participants gained a better understanding and appreciation of the work conducted by marine scientists, engineers, and other professionals, and 82% said their experience made them more interested in becoming involved in science at school and/or as a job. In summary

Awareness of eye donation in an adult population of southern India. A pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priyadarshini Brinda

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To determine "awareness of eye donation" and corneal transplantation in an adult population of southern India. Methods: 507 participants chosen by systematic random sampling were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Participants were selected among patients attending two community outreach programmes at different sites, and from patients presenting directly to the hospital. Results: 257 participants (50.69% were aware of eye donations. The major source of awareness was publicity campaigns (n=105. Only 22 (4.34% participants were aware that eye donation had to be done within 6 hours of death. Four hundred and three (79.50% participants were not aware of corneal transplantation. Illiteracy and rural residence were more likely predictors of ignorance. Conclusion: Although multiple strategies are currently followed to increase awareness of eye donations and corneal transplants, more innovative strategies have to be developed, especially to target illiterate and rural populations.

Antimicrobial Resistance Control Strategies: A Coordinated Research Initiative Experience in the Asia Pacific Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapierre, Lisette; Asenjo, Gabriela; Vergara, Constanza; Cornejo, Javiera

2017-05-01

The objective was to gather information on the status of antimicrobial surveillance in the Asia Pacific region and suggest control strategies. Twenty-one economies of the Asia Pacific region participated in this initiative. A survey was conducted on antimicrobial use and surveillance throughout the region. A workshop was carried out to create awareness about the issue and discuss the implementation of control strategies. Based on the survey results and workshop conclusions, it can be established that there is better understanding of the implications of antimicrobial resistance in the human medicine area. Only few economies take actions to control antimicrobial resistance on a veterinary/agricultural level. To confront antimicrobial resistance, it is critical to raise awareness; cooperation between all countries is needed to apply international standards, to be able to have harmonized public policies. Countries must align and improve their systems for surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in human, animals, and the environment.

Publication bias in studies of an applied behavior-analytic intervention: an initial analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sham, Elyssa; Smith, Tristram

2014-01-01

Publication bias arises when studies with favorable results are more likely to be reported than are studies with null findings. If this bias occurs in studies with single-subject experimental designs(SSEDs) on applied behavior-analytic (ABA) interventions, it could lead to exaggerated estimates of intervention effects. Therefore, we conducted an initial test of bias by comparing effect sizes, measured by percentage of nonoverlapping data (PND), in published SSED studies (n=21) and unpublished dissertations (n=10) on 1 well-established intervention for children with autism, pivotal response treatment (PRT). Although published and unpublished studies had similar methodologies, the mean PND in published studies was 22% higher than in unpublished studies, 95% confidence interval (4%, 38%). Even when unpublished studies are included, PRT appeared to be effective (PNDM=62%). Nevertheless, the disparity between published and unpublished studies suggests a need for further assessment of publication bias in the ABA literature.

Knowledge and awareness of high blood pressure in Ward F, Ifako ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-07-14

Jul 14, 2012 ... same time, public awareness of hypertension in low- and ... to determine whether or not they had the correct information on their blood pressure readings. .... The participants were both men and women. .... Natl Med J India.

Public Perception of Invasive Plant Species: Assessing the Impact of Workshop Activities to Promote Young Students' Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Schreck Reis, Catarina; Marchante, Helia; Freitas, Helena; Marchante, Elizabete

2013-01-01

Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. Even though they are identified and recognized as such by the Portuguese law, the majority of the population is not yet aware of this problem. Aiming to increase awareness about biological invasions among young students, a workshop on Invasive Plant Species was organized at…

Metacognition in Creativity: Process Awareness Used to Facilitate the Creative Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valgeirsdóttir, Dagný; Onarheim, Balder

2017-01-01

to ensure capture of all instances of process awareness. Through this iterative process it was revealed that process awareness was predominantly observed in creativity related tasks. Moreover three distinct facets to process awareness emerged; planning, monitoring and reflecting, which were employed...... respectively before, during and after initiating a process and/or a workshop. We conclude that process awareness is an important creativity skill, being a crucial mechanism to enhance all stages of the creative process. If a designer becomes able to plan, monitor and reflect on his or her own cognitive...... processes, as well as other team members, he or she will be able to understand what works and what does not for advancing the creative process. In turn, that enables the designer to become more strategic about which actions are appropriate and at what time they are most usefully deployed; making the use...

Roundtable on the Prevention of Eating Disorders: The Catalan public policy initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Carracedo, David; Carretero, Cristina; Conesa, Alfons

2017-04-01

The field of prevention of body image problems and eating disorders has made major advances in recent years, particularly in the development and evaluation of prevention programmes. However, few programmes achieve good long-term results because, among other reasons, the sociocultural influences affecting the development of these problems do not stop. Moreover, accelerating progress in this field is required, transferring their impact onto a larger scale. These reasons justify the need to progress in the development of public policy interventions. This paper describes a recent Catalan initiative in this sphere: the Roundtable on the Prevention of Eating Disorders, made up of different public and private sectors of Catalan society. It specifically details the main actions carried out, such as: media campaigns to reduce weight-related teasing and encouraging self-esteem, encouraging family meals and promoting help-seeking among those affected; the creation of a new informative website about these matters in the Department of Health; the production of a Decalogue of Best Practices for the promotion of self-esteem and positive body image in social media and advertising; and actions to prevent the promotion of eating disorders on the Internet. The Roundtable is the most comprehensive Catalan (and Spanish) public policy activity undertaken until now for the prevention of eating disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oral Cancer: Awareness and Knowledge Among Dental Patients in Riyadh.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Maweri, Sadeq Ali; Al-Soneidar, Walid Ahmed; Dhaifullah, Esam; Halboub, Esam Saleh; Tarakji, Bassel

2017-06-01

More than 50 % of oral cancer cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Public knowledge about oral cancer can help in prevention and early detection of the disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the levels of awareness and knowledge about signs and risk factors of oral cancer among dental patients in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 1410 randomly selected patients attending dental departments within public hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. The significance level was set at P oral cancer. Some 68.2 and 56.5 %, respectively, were able to correctly identify tobacco and alcohol as risk factors. More than two thirds of subjects had no knowledge about any signs of oral cancer. Participants with lower than university education were significantly less aware, and had much less knowledge, of the signs and risk factors of oral cancer. The knowledge regarding oral cancer among Saudi dental patients is alarmingly low. Interventions to improve public knowledge about oral cancer and attitudes towards early diagnosis and treatment are urgently indicated.

Body conscious? Interoceptive awareness, measured by heartbeat perception, is negatively correlated with self-objectification.

Science.gov (United States)

Ainley, Vivien; Tsakiris, Manos

2013-01-01

'Self-objectification' is the tendency to experience one's body principally as an object, to be evaluated for its appearance rather than for its effectiveness. Within objectification theory, it has been proposed that self-objectification accounts for the poorer interoceptive awareness observed in women, as measured by heartbeat perception. Our study is, we believe, the first specifically to test this relationship. Using a well-validated and reliable heartbeat perception task, we measured interoceptive awareness in women and compared this with their scores on the Self-Objectification Questionnaire, the Self-Consciousness Scale and the Body Consciousness Questionnaire. Interoceptive awareness was negatively correlated with self-objectification. Interoceptive awareness, public body consciousness and private body consciousness together explained 31% of the variance in self-objectification. However, private body consciousness was not significantly correlated with interoceptive awareness, which may explain the many nonsignificant results in self-objectification studies that have used private body consciousness as a measure of body awareness. We propose interoceptive awareness, assessed by heartbeat perception, as a measure of body awareness in self-objectification studies. Our findings have implications for those clinical conditions, in women, which are characterised by self-objectification and low interoceptive awareness, such as eating disorders.

Getting to the Right Algebra: The Equity 2000 Initiative in Milwaukee Public Schools. MDRC Working Papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, Sandra; Walker, Erica

This paper describes the Milwaukee Public Schools' involvement in Equity 2000, a standards-based reform initiative to enhance mathematics education and achievement among students of color, thereby increasing their likelihood of college enrollment and completion. The study highlights efforts to support and sustain a key component of Equity 2000:…

Students multicultural awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.I Soekarman

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Multicultural awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. Multicultural awareness becomes central when we have to interact with people from other cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in a different ways. What is considered an appropriate behaviour in one culture is frequently inappropriate in another one. this research use descriptive- quantitative methodology to indentify level of students multicultural awareness specifically will be identified by gender and academic years. This research will identify multicultural awareness based on differences of gender, academic years. This research use random and purposive random sampling of 650 students from university. These studies identify of multicultural awareness 34, 11, 4% in high condition, 84, 1% medium and 4, 5% in low. Further, there is a significant difference in the level of multicultural awareness based on gender and academic year. These findings could not be generalized because of the limited sample and ethnicity; it should need a wider research so that can be generalized and recommended the efforts to development and improvement of multicultural awareness conditions for optimization the services.

Slope Failure Prediction and Early Warning Awareness Education for Reducing Landslides Casualty in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Koay, S. P.; Tay, L. T.; Fukuoka, H.; Koyama, T.; Sakai, N.; Jamaludin, S. B.; Lateh, H.

2015-12-01

Northeast monsoon causes heavy rain in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia from November to March, every year. During this monsoon period, besides the happening of flood along east coast, landslides also causes millions of Malaysian Ringgit economical losses. Hence, it is essential to study the prediction of slope failure to prevent the casualty of landslides happening. In our study, we introduce prediction method of the accumulated rainfall affecting the stability of the slope. If the curve, in the graph, which is presented by rainfall intensity versus accumulated rainfall, crosses over the critical line, the condition of the slope is considered in high risk where the data are calculated and sent from rain gauge in the site via internet. If the possibility of slope failure is going high, the alert message will be sent out to the authorities for decision making on road block or setting the warning light at the road side. Besides road block and warning light, we propose to disseminate short message, to pre-registered mobile phone user, to notify the public for easing the traffic jam and avoiding unnecessary public panic. Prediction is not enough to prevent the casualty. Early warning awareness of the public is very important to reduce the casualty of landslides happening. IT technology does not only play a main role in disseminating information, early warning awareness education, by using IT technology, should be conducted, in schools, to give early warning awareness on natural hazard since childhood. Knowing the pass history on landslides occurrence will gain experience on the landslides happening. Landslides historical events with coordinate information are stored in database. The public can browse these historical events via internet. By referring to such historical landslides events, the public may know where did landslides happen before and the possibility of slope failure occurrence again is considered high. Simulation of rainfall induced slope failure mechanism

Tuning in and catching on? Examining the relationship between pandemic communication and awareness and knowledge of MERS in the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Leesa; McCloud, Rachel F; Bigman, Cabral A; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2017-06-01

Large-scale influenza outbreaks over the last decade, such as SARS and H1N1, have brought to global attention the importance of emergency risk communication and prompted the international community to develop communication responses. Since pandemic outbreaks are relatively infrequent, there is a dearth of evidence addressing the following questions: (i) Have the resources invested in strategic and routine communication for past pandemic outbreaks yielded public health preparedness benefits? (ii) Have past efforts sensitized people to pay attention to new pandemic threats? The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) that was followed closely by major media outlets in the USA provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between exposure to public communication about epidemics and public awareness and knowledge about new risks. In December, 2013, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of 627 American adults and examined the associations between people's awareness to prior pandemics and their awareness of and knowledge about MERS. Awareness of prior pandemics was significantly associated with awareness and knowledge of MERS. The most common sources from which people first heard about MERS were also identified. Communication inequalities were observed between racial/ethnic and socioeconomic positions, suggesting a need for more effective pandemic communication. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Abilities of phonological awareness in the context of cognitive development in preschool age

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Grofčíková Soňa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Phonological awareness is considered a key phenomenon having crucial position among abilities and processes which are important and responsible for the development of reading and writing (initial literacy. The paper deals with the significance and level of development of selected cognitive functions of a child in relation to the abilities of phonological awareness. The child’s current cognitive development is a predictor for certain level of phonological awareness. The paper is focused on a description of speech perception, language, oral vocabulary and phonological memory of children in preschool age. It is an output of the research project VEGA no. 1/0637/16 Development of a Diagnostic Tool to Assess the Level of Phonemic Awareness of Children in Preschool Age.

Eating like there's no tomorrow: Public awareness of the environmental impact of food and reluctance to eat less meat as part of a sustainable diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdiarmid, Jennie I; Douglas, Flora; Campbell, Jonina

2016-01-01

Reducing meat consumption is central to many of the scientific debates on healthy, sustainable diets because of the high environmental impact of meat production. Missing from these debates are the public perspectives about eating less meat and consideration of cultural and social values associated with meat. The aim of this study was to explore public awareness of the environmental impact of food and their willingness to reduce meat consumption. Twelve focus groups and four individual interviews were conducted with adults from a range of socio-economic groups living in both rural and urban settings in Scotland. Public understanding of the link between food, environment and climate change was explored, with a focus on meat and attitudes towards reducing meat consumption. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically. Three dominant themes emerged: a lack of awareness of the association between meat consumption and climate change, perceptions of personal meat consumption playing a minimal role in the global context of climate change, and resistance to the idea of reducing personal meat consumption. People associated eating meat with pleasure, and described social, personal and cultural values around eating meat. Some people felt they did not need to eat less meat because they had already reduced their consumption or that they only ate small quantities. Scepticism of scientific evidence linking meat and climate change was common. Changing non-food related behaviours was viewed as more acceptable and a greater priority for climate change mitigation. The study highlights the role meat plays in the diet for many people, beyond nutritional needs. If healthy, sustainable dietary habits are to be achieved, cultural, social and personal values around eating meat must be integrated into the development of future dietary recommendations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Awareness, knowledge and attitude on cleft lip and palate among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-11-09

Nov 9, 2012 ... negative beliefs and attitudes toward the condition. The objective of this ... Conclusion: There is need for increased public enlightenment/health education to increase awareness and subsequently ... The parent's feelings about their child's cleft defect ..... Gene/environment causes of cleft lip and/or palate.

Demonstrating the process of community innovation: the Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R Dale; Bigelow, Douglas A; LePak, Jessica Hope; Singer, Michelle J

2011-01-01

In 2007 the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Minority Health, collaborating with other federal agencies, sponsored the Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative (ICMI). ICMI was undertaken to create community-driven, culture-based best practices in methamphetamine prevention and treatment which could then be disseminated throughout Indian Country. The ICMI ultimately involved ten tribes and five national organizations. Each tribe established a coalition of community government, nongovernment agencies, and elements of civic society to develop a comprehensive assessment, plan, and then to implement the plan. Each tribal coalition planned a complex array of activities including treatment programs, public education and mobilization, law enforcement strategies, and other intervention strategies, each intervention described within a logic model. These interventions focused on logic modeling; coalitions; capacity development and service system optimization; law enforcement and justice; individual and family treatment; public information, awareness, and education; community mobilization; and a very popular ICMI strategy, cultural renaissance. It was concluded that worthwhile activities were conducted under ICMI sponsorship, but that the specific aim of demonstrating community-driven, culture-based innovations in a manner suitable for dissemination was achieved only to a limited extent. Based on this outcome together with similar experiences, recommendations for future initiatives are suggested.

Sustainability Initiatives and Organizational Performance: An Analysis of Publications in the WEB of SCIENCE DATABASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Luís Hepper

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Brazil is going through a time of reflection about the preservation of natural resources, an issue that is increasingly considered in its agenda. The search for balance between environmental, social and economic aspects has been a challenge for business survival over the years and has led companies to adopt initiatives focused on sustainability. The objective of this article is to analyse how the international scientific production addresses sustainable practices and initiatives and their relationship with organizational performance. Considering this scope, a bibliometric study of the publications located on Web of Science - Social Sciences Citation Index (WoS-SSCI was developed. There were 33 articles identified and selected on the subject. Journals that stand out in quantity of articles and number of citations are the Journal of Cleaner Production and Strategic Management Journal, respectively. Analysing the results, a growing concern about this issue and the increase in publications was noticed after the 2000s. The results found, in general, associate sustainable practices to positive organizational performance, such as increased profit on the product sold, quality improvement, improved reputation, and waste reduction, among others gains identified.

A nurse-led 'stop smoking' initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

McGowan, E; MacAuley, D; Anderson, U

A one-week smoking awareness initiative and subsequent audit in a general practice are described. All patients attending morning surgery during the study period were offered the opportunity to discuss smoking habits at a smoking awareness clinic: 84 smokers attended. They were interviewed by the practice preventive care nurse who took a smoking history, monitored carbon monoxide (CO Hb) levels and offered a follow-up appointment. CO Hb provided immediate feedback on the effect of smoking and patients who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day had an average CO Hb of 16.1 per cent. Fifteen per cent of smokers made a commitment to stop smoking and agreed to attend follow-up clinics. A random sample (50) of attenders at the initial Smoking Awareness Clinic (84) were followed up by questionnaire six months later. There were 29 replies (58 per cent); 19 patients (65 per cent) found the visit to the clinic helpful, 14 (48 per cent) reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked, and 11 (38 per cent) altered some other aspect of their lifestyle, of whom four modified their diet and four increased exercise. Five patients claimed they had given up smoking.

IMPRESS: medical location-aware decision making during emergencies

Science.gov (United States)

Gkotsis, I.; Eftychidis, G.; Leventakis, G.; Mountzouris, M.; Diagourtas, D.; Kostaridis, A.; Hedel, R.; Olunczek, A.; Hahmann, S.

2017-09-01

Emergency situations and mass casualties involve several agencies and public authorities, which need to gather data from the incident scene and exchange geo-referenced information to provide fast and accurate first aid to the people in need. Tracking patients on their way to the hospitals can prove critical in taking lifesaving decisions. Increased and continuous flow of information combined by vital signs and geographic location of emergency victims can greatly reduce the response time of the medical emergency chain and improve the efficiency of disaster medicine activity. Recent advances in mobile positioning systems and telecommunications are providing the technology needed for the development of location-aware medical applications. IMPRESS is an advanced ICT platform based on adequate technologies for developing location-aware medical response during emergencies. The system incorporates mobile and fixed components that collect field data from diverse sources, support medical location and situation-based services and share information on the patient's transport from the field to the hospitals. In IMPRESS platform tracking of victims, ambulances and emergency services vehicles is integrated with medical, traffic and crisis management information into a common operational picture. The Incident Management component of the system manages operational resources together with patient tracking data that contain vital sign values and patient's status evolution. Thus, it can prioritize emergency transport decisions, based on medical and location-aware information. The solution combines positioning and information gathered and owned by various public services involved in MCIs or large-scale disasters. IMPRESS solution, were validated in field and table top exercises in cooperation with emergency services and hospitals.

Investigation of Fire Safety Awareness and Management in Mall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Rahim N.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In spite of having sufficient fire safety system installed in buildings, the incidence of fire hazard becomes the furthermost and supreme threat to health and safety, as well as property to any community. In order to make sure that the safety of the building and its users, the fundamental features depends on the fire precaution system and equipment which should be according to the standard requirements. Nevertheless, the awareness on fire safety could necessarily alleviate the damages or rate of fatality during the event of fire. This paper presents the results on the investigation of fire safety awareness and management, concentrating on shopping mall. The endeavour of this study is to explore the level of fire safety knowledge of the users in the mall, and to study the effectiveness level of fire safety management in a mall. From the study, public awareness is highly related to understanding human behaviour and their personal background. The respondents’ levels of awareness are rather low, which reflects on their poor action when facing emergency situation during fire. The most effective methods identified to improve the awareness and effectiveness of fire safety level is through involvement in related fire safety programmes, distribution of pamphlets or brochures on fire safety and appointing specific personnel for Emergency Response Team in the mall.

Awareness of cord blood banking among pregnant women in semi urban area

OpenAIRE

Poomalar G. K.; Jayasree M.

2016-01-01

Background: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are multipotent stem cells, derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord. These HSC are accepted method of treatment for various disorders. Cord blood can be stored either in private or public bank. Awareness about cord blood banking among semi urban and rural population is less compared to urban population. The aim of our study is to evaluate the awareness of cord blood banking among pregnant women in semi urban area and to evaluat...

The Chinese initial public offering market : underpricing, duration to listing and hot issue cycles

OpenAIRE

Guo, Haifeng

2017-01-01

This thesis conducts three empirical studies on the Chinese A-share initial public offering (IPO) market, specifically, underpricing and short-run underperformance, duration from offering to listing and hot and cold issuing cycles. Before the empirical analysis, the literature is reviewed associated with these three topics. In addition, this thesis presents an overview of the Chinese IPO market which is found to undergo an experiment period from 1984 to 1990, a transition period from 1991 to ...

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care: an Assessment and Analysis of the Awareness and Perceptions of Public Health Workers Implementing a Statewide Community Transformation Grant in Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Akinboro, Oladimeji; Ottenbacher, Allison; Martin, Marcus; Harrison, Roderick; James, Thomas; Martin, Eddilisa; Murdoch, James; Linnear, Kim; Cardarelli, Kathryn

2016-03-01

Little is known about the awareness of public health professionals regarding racial and ethnic disparities in health in the United States of America (USA). Our study objective was to assess the awareness and perceptions of a group of public health workers in Texas regarding racial health disparities and their chief contributing causes. We surveyed public health professionals working on a statewide grant in Texas, who were participants at health disparities' training workshops. Multivariable logistic regression was employed in examining the association between the participants' characteristics and their perceptions of the social determinants of health as principal causes of health disparities. There were 106 respondents, of whom 38 and 35 % worked in health departments and non-profit organizations, respectively. The racial/ethnic groups with the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS and hypertension were correctly identified by 63 and 50 % of respondents, respectively, but only 17, and 32 % were knowledgeable regarding diabetes and cancer, respectively. Seventy-one percent of respondents perceived that health disparities are driven by the major axes of the social determinants of health. Exposure to information about racial/ethnic health disparities within the prior year was associated with a higher odds of perceiving that social determinants of health were causes of health disparities (OR 9.62; 95 % CI 2.77, 33.41). Among public health workers, recent exposure to information regarding health disparities may be associated with their perceptions of health disparities. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of such exposure on their long-term perception of disparities, as well as the equity of services and programs they administer.

Raising the Awareness of Children on Global Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Korczynska, Audrey

2016-08-01

Space Awareness uses the excitement and challenges of space to interest young people into science and technology and develop their sense of European and global citizenship. Latest news and key advancements of the European space initiatives greatly contribute to it, showing the applications that space sciences have in the everyday life and how understanding the Universe can help understanding our own planet.

The Projected Utilization of Initial Public Offer (IPO Proceeds in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bamidele M. Ilo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Most young private firms use the Initial Public Offer (IPO method to raise additional external equity fund to finance their growth and later create a secondary market for stocks. This study analysed the projected utilisation of IPO cash proceeds by Nigerian firms with a view to providing investors with information on the most critical areas that firms intend to channel those funds. The study used the cross-sectional data collected by Ilo (2012 on firms that issued IPOs from 1999 to 2009 on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as, the means and percentage and analysis of variance. The results show that the average of IPO price is N19.09 per share. About 51% of the net proceeds is projected to be expended on business growth/ expansion and facility acquisition while 20 % is reserved for working capital needs to support the expansion. The initial investors are to enjoy a promoters’ cash-out of about 24% of the net cash raised. These projections are laudable investors should interpret the findings with caution since actual deployment of such funds may not necessarily conform with the projections except they are able to ensure adequate monitoring of the managers.

Human Ecology: Acid Rain and Public Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bybee, Rodger W.

1983-01-01

A connection between science and society can be seen in the human and ecological dimensions of one contemporary problem: acid rain. Introduces a human ecological theme and relationships between acid rain and public policy, considering scientific understanding and public awareness, scientific research and public policy, and national politics and…

Assessment of Awareness and Knowledge of Hepatitis B among the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

knowledge and awareness of the subjects among various age groups (p < 0.05), ethnic groups (p <. 0.005) and ... education and frequent vaccination programs on Hepatitis B among the public; especially in Puchong, ... prevention of this disease is essential to improve ..... in Malaysia, sexual transmission of the virus can.