General Public Research Articles

How the General Public Appraises Contributory Citizen Science: Factors that Affect Participation

Understanding the factors that affect participation plays a crucial role in the success of any contributory citizen science project. We focus our study on the general public, who most likely have not participated in citizen science before, since they constitute a large part of society and their opinions have not been studied thoroughly. We first describe the survey, which was answered by 209 respondents in Germany who mostly had no prior experience in citizen science, that seeks to addressthe factors of personality traits, properties of citizen science projects, and general motivations. Our study focuses on two different levels of participation: in specific sample projects and in contributory citizen science in general, both of which are embedded in the survey. We use manual text clustering and linear regression models to study the different types of inputs from the respondents. We identify contribution to science, the fun element of the projects, personal interests, and new knowledge acquired from participation as the most significant motivators for the future intention of participating in the sample citizen science projects. On a higher level, the general motivations concerning “values” and “understanding” are the main drivers behind participants’ future intention of participating in contributory citizen science. Meanwhile, no personality traits are found to be influence the intentions of the respondents. Based on these findings, several enhancements to the recruitment and communication strategies of citizen science projects can be made to maximize the participation of potential citizen scientists.

Promor: a comprehensive R package for label-free proteomics data analysis and predictive modeling.

We present promor, a comprehensive, user-friendly R package that streamlines label-free quantification proteomics data analysis and building machine learning-based predictive models with top protein candidates. promor is freely available as an open source R package on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=promor) and distributed under the Lesser General Public License (version 2.1 or later). Development version of promor is maintained on GitHub (https://github.com/caranathunge/promor) and additional documentation and tutorials are provided on the package website (https://caranathunge.github.io/promor/). Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.

MetChem: a new pipeline to explore structural similarity across metabolite modules.

Computational analysis and interpretation of metabolomic profiling data remains a major challenge in translational research. Exploring metabolic biomarkers and dysregulated metabolic pathways associated with a patient phenotype could offer new opportunities for targeted therapeutic intervention. Metabolite clustering based on structural similarity has the potential to uncover common underpinnings of biological processes. To address this need, we have developed the MetChem package. MetChem is a quick and simple tool that allows to classify metabolites in structurally related modules, thus revealing their functional information. MetChem is freely available from the R archive CRAN (http://cran.r-project.org). The software is distributed under the GNU General Public License (version 3 or later).

SMapper: visualizing spatial prevalence data of all types, including sparse and incomplete datasets

Abstract Motivation We introduce SMapper, a novel web and software tool for visualizing spatial prevalence data of all types including those suffering from incomplete geographic coverage and insufficient sample sizes. We demonstrate the benefits of our tool in overcoming interpretational issues with existing tools caused by such data limitations. We exemplify the use of SMapper by applications to human genotype and phenotype data relevant in an epidemiological, anthropological and forensic context. Availability and implementation A web implementation is available at https://rhodos.ccg.uni-koeln.de/smapper/. A stand-alone version, released under the GNU General Public License version 3 as published by the Free Software Foundation, is available from https://rhodos.ccg.uni-koeln.de/smapper/software-download.php as a Singularity container (https://docs.sylabs.io/guides/latest/user-guide/index.html) and a native Linux Python installation.

What Is the Quality of Web-Based Advice for the General Public on Benzodiazepine Misuse and Use Disorder? A Systematic Evaluation of Websites

Introduction Benzodiazepines have therapeutic indications, but their overuse may lead to misuse and dependence. Benzodiazepine dependence can be managed by health professionals, but stigma may result in individuals avoiding face-to-face help and turning to online resources. The internet is a popular, but unregulated resource and website quality are variable. Aim(s) (I) To systematically evaluate the quality of websites on benzodiazepine misuse and dependence using selected validated tools/variables. (II) To identify common themes presented on these websites. Methods Six search terms, “benzodiazepine treatment,” “benzo treatment,” “benzodiazepine addiction,” “benzo addiction,” “benzodiazepine help” and “benzo help,” were entered into two search engines. English-language websites were included if they presented information about benzodiazepine misuse and use disorder. Eligible websites were evaluated for quality of written information, readability, website usability, and other areas of interest such as advertising. Content was assessed by comparing themes covered in websites. Results Fifty-six websites were evaluated. Websites were generally good at providing balanced and unbiased information; however, treatment options were covered poorly. Most websites should be understood by individuals aged 15 years and older. Discussion The quality of websites varied, but common areas that require improvement include information on treatment options, effects on quality of life, and sources of information. Conclusion In general, the quality of websites presenting benzodiazepine information was mediocre based on our assessment. Future research could explore benzodiazepine users’ experiences of these websites as such studies may improve website quality.

General Public Awareness Regarding Covid-19 Among Patients Visiting the Dental OPD

Background and Objectives: The Covid-19 pandemic created a worldwide health crisis disrupting our daily lives. With no clearmode of therapy for it, prevention for the outbreak was the best course of action. The objective of the study was to assess generalpublic awareness regarding Covid-19 among patients visiting the dental OPD at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine.Methodology: A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed among patients visiting the dental OPD at Altamash Institute ofDental Medicine between October-November 2020. 277 questionnaires were returned completely filled. Questions were closeended, assessing knowledge of symptoms of covid-19, mode of transmission, prevention, as well as source of information about covid19.Results: The results showed that a majority of people were aware of covid-19 & its symptoms. However, people were not fullyaware of its transmission. Participants were generally well aware of SOPs & protection from covid-19 infections. Television andinternet were the most commonsources of information regarding covid-19.Conclusion: The study showed that most participants exhibited good knowledge of Covid-19. Mass vaccination remains a problem inPakistan and using television and internet to educate the people regarding eventual vaccination will be of great help.

Assessment of Anxiety and Associated Risk Factors among General Public During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Community Based Study

Background: Lockdown represents a remarkably effective strategy of social distancing to break the chain oftransmission of COVID-19. This state of lockdown led to a significant influence on physical and mental wellbeingof people. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety level ofgeneral public and find out the associated factors.Methods: The present web based cross-sectional study was carried out among 450 participants in India in themonth of May 2020. Data collection was done using online Google form. A semi-structured questionnaire wasused. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) Scale was used to assess anxiety symptoms among theparticipants. Descriptive Statistics and Chi-square test were done using SPSS version 21.Results: Age of the participants ranged between 18 to 71 years. Nearly one-third of the participants were health careprofessionals. Symptoms of mild anxiety was reported by 17.1% of participants, while 20.2% reported moderateanxiety. Anxiety was found to be significantly more among female gender, health care professional and among thestudy participants who were going to work daily.Conclusion: Covid-19 pandemic has increased the anxiety level among general public.

Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility among the General Public

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a strategic positioning tool for many corporate companies in India. In this study, we studied the level of awareness of the general public towards CSR and how it is related with the company’s brand image and reputation. It is fund that some people are not aware of CSR initiatives by the companies and many are of the opinion that companies are contributing to the society but do not know the name for that activity is Corporate Social Responsibility. The questionnaire contains the demographic information of the respondents, level of awareness and individual perception towards the CSR activities and it was circulated to the general public. These results of this study are based on the online survey responses from 150 respondents. This research paper tries to highlight the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility towards society.

'No, Your Honour!' Do Judicial Reasoning Styles Influence the Degree of Acceptance of Court Rulings by the General Public?

'No, Your Honour!' Do Judicial Reasoning Styles Influence the Degree of Acceptance of Court Rulings by the General Public?

Media Literacy Web Challenges During Five Digital Parliamentary Campaigns in Bulgaria (2021–2023)

Since 2021 the Bulgarians had to go to the polls for five national parliamentary votes (one regular - April 4, 2021 and four early – July 11 and November 14, 2021, October 2, 2022, and April 2, 2023). Internet platforms, social media and especially social networks became increasingly popular channels for politicians to communicate with voters. The aim of the study focuses on the media literacy web challenges during the digital Parliamentary pre-election communication between politicians and society. The object is the specifics of the one-month campaigns. The subject refers to the digital election messages of political parties’ leaders presented in their Facebook profiles. The study is interdisciplinary and it uses mixed research methods. The results are indicative for those interested in digital political communication. The structured and analyzed information can be utilized into patterns for policy support for decision makers, academia, media, telecommunications, media literacy experts, general publics and private sector.

To What Extent Does Social Media Contribute to the Political Polarization and Spread of Misinformation Among the General Public?

To What Extent Does Social Media Contribute to the Political Polarization and Spread of Misinformation Among the General Public?

Willingness to Know about Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status in Healthcare Personnel and General Public at a Tertiary Healthcare Centre, North Bangalore, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Willingness to Know about Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status in Healthcare Personnel and General Public at a Tertiary Healthcare Centre, North Bangalore, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Central Bank Communication with the General Public

Central Bank Communication with the General Public

Central Bank Communication and Trust: An Experimental Study on the European Central Bank and the General Public

Central Bank Communication and Trust: An Experimental Study on the European Central Bank and the General Public

Awareness of Triage System in Emergency Departments among the General Public in Saudi Arabia

Background: The emergency department (ED) is a healthcare environment where patients are treated for various conditions. The Triage system is a tool used to prioritize patients based on the urgency associated with their cases. A recognition of the triage system increases satisfaction, whereas long time waiting is associated with poor patient outcomes. There needs to be more literature regarding public awareness outside of the COVID era; thus, we aim to provide data on general population awareness of the triage system used in ED in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia from July 2022 to January 2023. The selection of sampling was made by convenience sampling, and data were obtained from an online questionnaire. Results: The study included 650 participants. 60% of them were females, and 40% were males. 54.6% of participants know that there is a medical triage system in emergency departments, which is considered a low percentage, as 45.4% did not know about the triage system in emergency departments, which would negatively affect patient satisfaction. In addition, 63.4% of study participants did not know that there are urgent care centers that provide treatment outside of emergency departments, and 47.4% did not know that health centers or urgent care centers can treat most emergency cases. Conclusion: The general Saudi population is unaware of emergency department triage systems. There should be an effort to spread awareness of the triage system. In addition, developing further training and education in emergency department triage to address knowledge deficits and incorrect triage beliefs is critical.

Knowledge of One Health Approach Policy and Antimicrobial Resistance Among the General Public: KAP Survey

Knowledge of One Health Approach Policy and Antimicrobial Resistance Among the General Public: KAP Survey

The General Public Awareness of Emergency Conditions and the Services Provided by Emergency Medical Services.

Considering the growing use of emergency medical services (EMS), we evaluated the level of public awareness of emergency situations in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2021 to January 2023 on Iranian residents in Tehran, who were older than 18 years old. The participants were directed to a URL for an online survey link and asked to select their preferred options for the predetermined scenarios. We divided the participants into three groups: abuse, misuse, and non-use. At least 12 correct answers were required to qualify as acceptable knowledge and practice responses (KP score). Then, the relationship between participants' baseline characteristics and their level of awareness was investigated. Totally, 3864 people participated in the study, of whom 50.5% were men. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 90 years old, with a mean age of 40.01±11.30 years. In general, the rate of abuse, misuse, and not-use in at least one scenario was 74.5%, 64%, and 70.4%, respectively. The results of the multivariable regression analysis indicated that female sex (OR=1.29), a higher education level (OR=3.36), a higher income level (OR=1.64), and Turkish ethnicity (OR=1.20) were significantly associated with the correct KP score. The degree of inappropriate utilization of EMS services in Iran was significant. We found that the proper knowledge regarding the appropriate use of EMS was significantly associated with the participant's level of education, academic field, job, and income.

PopScience: Teaching Students to Communicate Scientific Findings to the General Public

Scientific communication has become more important than ever before, yet most scientists are not trained in how to communicate their research findings to the general public. The PopScience assignment is a semester-long writing and oral communication project that focuses on how to communicate primary scientific literature to the general public. The overall goals of the PopScience project are to teach students how to: 1) critically evaluate neuroscience primary literature, and 2) translate and convey primary literature findings to a lay audience. Students completed a pre- and post- assignment perceptive assessment to evaluate the skills they obtained (e.g., reading comprehension and critical thinking), and the effectiveness of the assignment in improving these skills. Students reported that overall, the assignment improved their ability to read primary literature articles and explain them to a lay audience. Self-evaluation and professor assessments suggest the PopScience assignment also improved student’s ability to integrate and summarize results from multiple sources, as well as identify and explain neuroscience terminology that often leads to confusion for lay audiences. In conclusion, this assignment teaches students how to communicate basic neuroscience to the general public, a skill that continues to be critical in successful scientific careers.

Hindsight2020: Characterizing Uncertainty in the COVID-19 Scientific Literature.

Following emerging, re-emerging, and endemic pathogen outbreaks, the rush to publish and the risk of data misrepresentation, misinterpretation, and even misinformation puts an even greater onus on methodological rigor, which includes revisiting initial assumptions as new evidence becomes available. This study sought to understand how and when early evidence emerges and evolves when addressing different types of recurring pathogen-related questions. By applying claim-matching by means of deep learning Natural Language Processing (NLP) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) scientific literature against a set of expert-curated evidence, patterns in timing across different COVID-19 questions-and-answers were identified, to build a framework for characterizing uncertainty in emerging infectious disease (EID) research over time. COVID-19 was chosen as a use case for this framework given the large and accessible datasets curated for scientists during the beginning of the pandemic. Timing patterns in reliably answering broad COVID-19 questions often do not align with general publication patterns, but early expert-curated evidence was generally stable. Because instability in answers often occurred within the first 2 to 6 mo for specific COVID-19 topics, public health officials could apply more conservative policies at the start of future pandemics, to be revised as evidence stabilizes.

Germany ∙ Interim Awards of Public Contracts: The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication and Services of General Public Interest

Germany ∙ Interim Awards of Public Contracts: The Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication and Services of General Public Interest