Google Groups Research Articles

Social norms moderating the attitude-intention relationship in adopting sustainable products

Rapid economic growth, global consumption patterns, and prevailing human practices are primary contributors to environmental degradation. This study aims to understand the moderating role played by social norms in shaping consumer attitudes and their intention to buy sustainable personal care products. Psychosocial factors related to the environment, including environmental orientation, environmental knowledge, and perceived environmental responsibility, were taken as independent variables. The research population includes urban educated consumers in the region of Delhi, the capital of India. The survey instrument was shared among 390 participants via e-mail, Google Groups, and other social networking sites. The data from 238 respondents using the convenience sampling technique were collected, and AMOS structural equation modeling (Version 23.0) was used for analysis. The results validate the role of social norms as a moderator in the association between attitude (β = 0.186, p < 0.05) and intentions (β = 0.215 at p < 0.05) to acquire sustainable personal care products. The results also indicated a positive relationship between consumer attitude and purchase intention (β = 0.301, p < 0.01). The findings suggest a positive correlation between an individual’s environmental orientation, knowledge and responsibility, and inclination toward sustainable personal care products. The study shows a significant positive impact of environmental orientation on attitude toward sustainable personal care products (β = 0.332, p < 0.01). Also, a positive association between environmental knowledge and attitude (β = 0.291, p < 0.01) and perceived environmental responsibility (β = 0.227, p < 0.05) was observed.

Improving diagnostic accuracy using a clinical diagnostic support system for medical students during history-taking: a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundA clinical diagnostic support system (CDSS) can support medical students and physicians in providing evidence-based care. In this study, we investigate diagnostic accuracy based on the history of present illness between groups of medical students using a CDSS, Google, and neither (control). Further, the degree of diagnostic accuracy of medical students using a CDSS is compared with that of residents using neither a CDSS nor Google.MethodsThis study is a randomized educational trial. The participants comprised 64 medical students and 13 residents who rotated in the Department of General Medicine at Chiba University Hospital from May to December 2020. The medical students were randomly divided into the CDSS group (n = 22), Google group (n = 22), and control group (n = 20). Participants were asked to provide the three most likely diagnoses for 20 cases, mainly a history of a present illness (10 common and 10 emergent diseases). Each correct diagnosis was awarded 1 point (maximum 20 points). The mean scores of the three medical student groups were compared using a one-way analysis of variance. Furthermore, the mean scores of the CDSS, Google, and residents’ (without CDSS or Google) groups were compared.ResultsThe mean scores of the CDSS (12.0 ± 1.3) and Google (11.9 ± 1.1) groups were significantly higher than those of the control group (9.5 ± 1.7; p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). The residents’ group’s mean score (14.7 ± 1.4) was higher than the mean scores of the CDSS and Google groups (p = 0.01). Regarding common disease cases, the mean scores were 7.4 ± 0.7, 7.1 ± 0.7, and 8.2 ± 0.7 for the CDSS, Google, and residents’ groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean scores (p = 0.1).ConclusionsMedical students who used the CDSS and Google were able to list differential diagnoses more accurately than those using neither. Furthermore, they could make the same level of differential diagnoses as residents in the context of common diseases.Trial registrationThis study was retrospectively registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry on 24/12/2020 (unique trial number: UMIN000042831).

Digital health and human rights of young adults in Ghana, Kenya and Vietnam: a qualitative participatory action research study

IntroductionDigital health offers the potential to strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. However, experts have warned about threats to human rights.MethodsWe used qualitative methods to investigate how young...

Securing Access to Applications with IAP and Compute Engine

Cloud Identity- Aware Proxy (IAP) is a security service handed by Google Cloud Platform that allows directors to authenticate and authorize access to web operations and VMs running on Google Cloud. This service provides a fresh subcaste of security to operations and VMs by vindicating the stoner's identity and determining if they've authorization to pierce the resource. Setting up Cloud IAP for Compute Engine involves configuring access programs, OAuth2.0 customer IDs, and firewall rules. Once configured, IAP allows only authorized druggies to pierce the operation, grounded on their Google identity and class in specific Google groups. In this process, directors must produce an access policy, which determines which druggies or groups can pierce the operation. They must also produce an OAuth2.0 customer ID, which is used for authentication with IAP. Eventually, the director must modernize the Compute Engine case firewall rules to allow business from IAP. The benefits of setting up Cloud IAP for Compute Engine include enhanced security for the operation and the capability to manage access to coffers centrally. It also eliminates the need to manage access control within the operation and simplifies the process of granting or repealing access for druggies. While setting up Cloud IAP for Compute Engine can be a complex process, following the recommended way ensures that the operation is secure and only accessible to authorized druggies.

MP33-06 EXPERIENCE OF THE VIRTUAL CANADIAN TESTICULAR CANCER SECOND OPINION GROUP

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP33-06 EXPERIENCE OF THE VIRTUAL CANADIAN TESTICULAR CANCER SECOND OPINION GROUP J Jesus Cendejas-Gomez, Robert James Hamilton, Michel Jewett, Victor Sandoval, and Nicholas Edgar Power J Jesus Cendejas-GomezJ Jesus Cendejas-Gomez More articles by this author , Robert James HamiltonRobert James Hamilton More articles by this author , Michel JewettMichel Jewett More articles by this author , Victor SandovalVictor Sandoval More articles by this author , and Nicholas Edgar PowerNicholas Edgar Power More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003266.06AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent solid neoplasia in male patients between 15-35 years. The cases complexity increases in the metastatic stages and the implementation of evidence into the practice is more difficult. Second-opinion groups have shown their utility in improving the implementation of evidence-based treatments. Our main objective is to analyze the utility of a second opinion group in changing decision-making in patients with TC in Canada. As secondary objectives, we will analyze the number of answers per question, the average waiting time for second opinions, the different types of questions, and the over and undertreatment. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 132 cases from the virtual Canadian testicular cancer second opinion group. The discussion of cases was carried out anonymously on the Google groups platform, in which doctors from 9 different provinces and different centers throughout Canada participate, including oncologists, urologist oncologists, and radiotherapists. Collected data include patients' demographic, histological, and treatment data. From the medical standpoint the number of answers, type of question, measured concordance between first and second opinions, and finally change in treatments after the discussion. The information was analyzed from June 2014 to July 2022. RESULTS: We included 132 cases of patients with testicular tumors and extragonadal primary germ cell tumors (GCT) in Canada.The most common histology was GCT in 94% (124/132), non-seminomas represented 72.7% (96/ 124). The most common clinical stage was metastatic in 94.7%.The mean of second opinions was 4.7, the 81% of seekers got responses from at least 3 different centers, and 56.8% of questions received a response from at least two different specialties. The average waiting time for the total of second opinions was less than 1 day. The questions come from academic centers in 81%, and the most common seeker doctors were the oncologists with 86.4% of the questions. The most frequent kind of question was related to chemotherapy in 49%.Comparing the first and second opinions, we found 24% of overtreatment and 26% of undertreatment, with a surprising 52% of potentially changing decision-making. In the multivariable analysis we did not find statistically significant predictors for changing decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: A virtual second opinion group could be a very valuable and easily accessible tool to improve the treatment of patients with complex testicular cancers, with an important percentage of potential changes in treatment even in academic cancer centers. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e452 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information J Jesus Cendejas-Gomez More articles by this author Robert James Hamilton More articles by this author Michel Jewett More articles by this author Victor Sandoval More articles by this author Nicholas Edgar Power More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

A study on impostor phenomenon, personality, and self-esteem of medical undergraduates and interns.

Impostor phenomenon (IP) is a psychological experience where an individual considers their achievements to be fraudulent. IP in medical professionals is of paramount importance since it affects their self-confidence and communication skills. It has been associated with burnouts, low self-esteem, and neuroticism. This research aimed to study the prevalence of IP, personality traits, and self-esteem and to look at gender differences in medical undergraduate students and interns of an urban medical college along with the correlation of IP with personality traits and self-esteem in them. An online survey via Google Groups was conducted among MBBS students and interns of a medical college after informed consent and ethics approval were received. Four hundred sixteen participants completed the survey questionnaire which included demographic variables along with the the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, the Big Five Inventory, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. IP was found in 236 (56.7%) students and interns. Personality domain mean scores were extraversion (26.4 ± 5.12), agreeableness (33.5 ± 5.4), conscientiousness (29.9 ± 5.7), neuroticism (21.6 ± 5.7), and openness (35.1 ± 4.9). The self-esteem mean score was 18.37 ± 6.14; only 16.11% had high self-esteem. Interns and first-year MBBS students scored higher on IP and low on self-esteem among all groups. Significant gender differences were seen in females on agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism as compared to the males. IP negatively correlated with self-esteem, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and positively with neuroticism. This study throws some light on the IP experiences of medical undergraduates which have not been extensively researched in India.

The value of mediation for task design and implementation in a US-China virtual exchange

The use of Virtual Exchange (VE) to connect Student Teachers (STs) with learners as part of their preparation is an area of growing interest (e.g. Adnan, 2017; Arnold, Ducate, Lomicka, & Lord, 2005; Dooly & Sadler, 2013; Üzüm, Akayoğlu, & Yazan, 2020). There has also been growing interest in issues of task design in VE (Arnold et al., 2005; Dooly & Sadler, 2013; Hampel, 2006, 2010; Hauck, 2010; Kurek & Müller-Hartmann, 2017; O’Dowd & Ware, 2009). This study involved US-based Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) STs designing tasks for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China through the mediation of the classroom teacher in China. We explore the following questions: What is the structure of the mediation that took place during three task stages (design, implementation, and evaluation)? What is mediated by the classroom teacher in the process of task design and implementation in this VE? What factors in the design process influence the successful implementation of tasks? Data were collected from email and Google Groups posts by participants. Data analysis, supported by information from participant observer emails and instructor notes, focused on the development of teams’ tasks and feedback. Results showed three major areas of mediation by the EFL teacher: socio-institutional contexts (implementation schedule, access to technology, cultures-of-use), differences in learning purpose (genre, task selection and elements, student interests), and gaps in language proficiency. Revisions to tasks in these areas helped to localize tasks to better meet curricular demands and student interests. Timely mediation was essential to successful task completion. Implications for further research on task design in VE are discussed.

The influence of social media affordances on drug dealer posting behavior across multiple social networking sites (SNS)

Social media has been documented as widely used for initiating online sales of illicit drugs such as opioids. However, not much is known about how affordances of social networking sites (SNS) influence how dealers advertise their supplies. To explore this topic, social media posts across 5 online platforms (Google Groups, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr) were collected during 2020–2021. Biterm topic modeling (BTM) was used to identify signal posts specifically associated with the illegal online sale of opioids from drug selling social media accounts. Posts were analyzed by conducting a word count for drug names or slang terms associated with 5 categories: Opioids, Non-Opioid Prescription Controlled Drugs (e.g., Xanax, Valium), Other Illicit Drugs (e.g., Meth, Cocaine), Synthetic Opioids (Fentanyl), and Synthetic Marijuana. Number of mentions per post were calculated for each drug category and compared across platforms. Identifiers (e.g., publicly available email address) associated with posts were used to track dealers across different user accounts. Platforms with affordances for longer messages (e.g., Tumblr) had higher concentrations of drug mentions per post and higher variety of drug type mentions compared to SNS platforms Instagram and Twitter. Google Groups had the most drug mentions per post across all 5 categories. Additionally, each identifier was associated with multiple user accounts on a given platform. These results indicate that affordances of anonymity and message length may influence how drug dealers advertise their services on different platforms. Public health implications and strategies to counteract drug dealers and illicit drug diversion via SNS are also discussed.

What do psychiatrists think about renaming schizophrenia in Turkey?

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the opinions of psychiatrists in Turkey on whether to change the name of schizophrenia in order to reduce stigma. This cross-sectional survey was conducted with psychiatrists (resident in psychiatry, specialist, and lecturer) in Turkey. An online survey was created via the Google Forms public web address. Online questionnaires were delivered through Google Forms by emailing and messaging on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and Yahoo groups and asking them to pass the questionnaire to other possible participants in their network. The study was performed between June 20, 2021 and July 10, 2021. 460 psychiatrists participated in the study. Forty-five-point 2 % of psychiatrists think that the name of schizophrenia should be renamed to reduce stigma. Forty-two-point 8 % of those who support the name change state that this change should be done as soon as possible. While 64.1 % of psychiatrists stated that naming the disease with another (new) name instead of schizophrenia could increase the hopes of patients and their relatives for recovery, 12.6 % stated that renaming would not cause any positive or negative changes. There is no statistical difference between psychiatrists who have a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychiatrists who do not, in terms of thinking that the name of schizophrenia should be renamed to reduce stigma. In order to remove the stigma on schizophrenia, many interventions are required in social, cultural, economic and political fields. Renaming schizophrenia may be a good start for interventions.

Resource Possibilities of Cloud Technologies in Training the Preschool Education Specialists

The article presents cloud-based learning support systems used in the training of teachers of professional disciplines of preschool education. In particular, it describes on-line services and applications based on Google’s cloud technologies (G-mail, Google Calendar, Google Groups, Google Docs, Google Arts & Culture, Google Sites, Google Video, Google Drive, Google Hangouts, Google Scholar, Google Classroom, Google Translate, YouTube, Google Presentations, Google Spreadsheets). The role and resource possibilities of cloud-oriented learning support systems in the formation of the future teacher of preschool disciplines, the development of his competencies to organize the educational process in a cloud-oriented educational environment are revealed.
 The authors, based on their own experience, propose to use cloud-based learning support systems to organize a single Internet space in higher education institutions, including educational online environment, educational planning, development, design, placement, storage and exchange of educational, scientific, informational -reference material, web-events of educational and scientific nature, corporate communication, individual and group work.

Multicenter randomized comparative trial of Micromedex, Micromedex with Watson, or Google to answer drug information questions.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to compare pharmacy students’ ability to correctly answer drug information questions using Micromedex with Watson, Micromedex without Watson, or Google.Methods:This multicenter randomized trial compared pharmacy student responses to drug information questions using Micromedex with Watson, Micromedex without Watson, or Google from January to March of 2020. First- to fourth-year pharmacy students at two institutions were included. The primary outcome was the number of correct answers. Secondary outcomes were the time taken to answer the questions and differences in number of correct answers by pharmacy student year and institution.Results:The analysis included 162 participants: 52 students in the Micromedex group, 51 students in the Watson group, and 59 students in the Google group. There was a significant difference among groups in the total number of questions answered correctly (p=0.02). Post-hoc analysis revealed that participants in the Micromedex group answered more questions correctly than those in the Google group (p=0.015). There were no significant differences between Micromedex and Watson groups (p=0.52) or between Watson and Google groups (p=0.22). There was also no difference in time to complete the questions among groups (p=0.72).Conclusion:Utilizing Google did not save students time and led to more incorrect answers. These findings suggest that health care educators and health sciences librarians should further reinforce training on the appropriate use of drug information resources.

Analysis of Feasibility and Acceptability of an E-Learning Module in Anatomy.

Recent advance in medical education is in correlation with the advances in information technology and thus computer-based learning is being increasingly employed. The objective of the present study was to design and evaluate an e-learning module in anatomy and assess the perceptions of students and faculty about this e-learning module. The participating students were randomized into three groups by block stratified randomization and Google groups were created for each of the three groups. The e-learning module was implemented in three sessions by rotating the three groups. Validated questionnaires were sent to faculty and participating students via Google forms to obtain feedback. The results of ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference among the groups in terms of marks obtained with conventional (F=2.403, P=0.103), online (F=6.050, P=0.005), and blended (F=5.801, P=0.006). Post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test, about the gain of knowledge, indicated that the results were insignificant when comparing the conventional group with the online group, but were significant when comparing the blended group with the conventional and online group. The qualitative data regarding the perception of students toward e-learning were analyzed using thematic analysis. The introduction of an interactive e-learning module in anatomy was effective and well received by the students and faculty. The study showed that blended learning has a positive impact on the students' learning by improving cognitive gain and receptive perception for e-learning.

Web-Based Collaborative Learning: A proposed Learning Platform for the School of ICT, Auchi Polytechnic

Technological advancements in the World Wide Web continue to gain widespread adoption, with various kinds of applications finding their use in education, including those for 'digital collaboration'. The term has become widely known for its extension of our traditional means of distributed learning and workflow. In present-day Nigeria, collaboration between students and educators in most tertiary institutions still involves the most basic use of instant messaging tools provided via online chat forums, google groups, WhatsApp, for knowledge sharing over the internet. However, these tools come with their limitations. Take 'Yahoo' and 'google' groups for example; yahoo groups are meant solely for students possessing yahoo mail accounts, and the same applies for google groups. Overall, the user-access convention on these platforms makes it difficult for students to enjoy any cross-platform privileges in the absence of email ownership on the particular service domain. Owing to this, our research project sought to bridge this identified gap, with a pilot project in the School of ICT, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi. We proposed the development and implementation of this unified platform to meet the salient and underlying collaborative need within our learning community. The system (PolyCollab) is a cross-platform web application, hosted on an online server and designed using MVC model architecture. The framework was developed using PHP, CSS3, HTML5, and MySQL for the database. The system was subjected to evaluation by potential users within the institution, and on the whole met with predefined user-specific requirements. Keywords: W eb-Based Learning, Collaborative Learning, Distributed Learning Environment DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/12-2-05 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Meta-Analysis of Seven Standard Experimental Paradigms Comparing Student to Non-student

This study embarked on the very challenging proposition of systematically organizing and classifying an assortment of experimental economics essays pertinent to seven experiments performed with both non-student and student populations. The experiments were the Dictator game, Stag Hunt – Coordination game, Risk Aversion Measurement (as measured by the players type of lottery choice), Trust game, Guessing game, Prudence Measurement, and the Guessing game. This meta-analysis reviewed 126 published and unpublished papers collected from several journals and papers provided by several authors via the Google Groups "Economic Science Association - Experimental Methods Discussion" group. Ultimately, only 39 studies were utilized due to methodological alignment. While some studies showed statistically significant differences between non-students and students as indicated by their respective 95% confidence intervals, the overall random-effects model of each of the seven games showed not to be statistically significant. This study contributes to the literature in three important ways. First, the study generates a comprehensive inventory and review of experiments comparing student to non-student populations for the last four decades; second, the study points out a possible limitation when combining several studies of the same game, despite following similar protocols, suggesting that compounded contextual complexities might diminish aggregate effects of the individuals’ behavioral responses to the financial incentives, and third, the study indicates that generalizations from one experimental economic study, may not render a solid base for extending statistical extrapolations applicable to the total population since the aggregate effects do not indicate substantial differences.

Introducing e-learning in microbiology: A pilot study

Introduction: E-learning is the use of internet technologies to facilitate self directed learning and enhance knowledge and performance. Therefore e-learning resources can be used to promote active learning among medical students. Aims & Objectives: 1. To introduce e-learning in the department of Microbiology 2. To assess the perception of the students about e-learning Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology of our medical college. First all 150 students of 2nd prof. MBBS were sensitized about the concept of e-learning and their perception was taken in the form of a feedback questionnaire. Then 75 volunteers were selected and a Google group was formed. The study material was given in the form of power point presentations, photo quiz and text questions with help of Google document. At the end of two months feedback was taken from the students in the form of semi-structured pre-validated questionnaire and data obtained was analysed statistically. Questionnaire included both closed ended as well as open ended questions Results: Data obtained from feedback questionnaire showed that the programme was beneficial for them. Almost 100% students said that new teaching learning method increased the understanding of the topics covered under it and also that the topics covered were important for them. Conclusion: There was a positive response shown by the students towards new teaching learning method. Students found it interesting, relevant and beneficial. It increased their understanding of the topics covered under it. It also increased interaction between teacher and students. To conclude e-resources can be a useful supplement to conventional lecture-based teaching in the medical curriculum. Keywords: e-learning, Google groups, Internet technologies.

Dialogue processes in online information seeking and sharing: a study of an asynchronous discussion group

Introduction. This study elaborates the picture of dialogical information interaction by examining asynchronous dialogue processes constitutive of information seeking and sharing in online forums. Method. Descriptive quantitative analysis and qualitative content analysis of fifty discussion threads with 1326 messages downloaded from Google Groups uk.d-i-y forum. Analysis. To examine the dialogue processes, eleven categories of dialogue acts were defined. These acts include, for example, initial fact question, initial opinion answer, specifying opinion question, complementary fact answer and disagreement. Based on the temporally sensitive nature of such acts, the dialogue process was approached in two phases: initiation and elaboration. Results. The dialogue process at the initiation phase occurs in two ways: responding the initial question, and clarifying the initial question before answering. The elaboration phase is based on a more complex interplay of specifying questions, complementary answers, as well as answer agreements and disagreements. Due to this characteristic, the degree of dialogicality is higher at the elaboration phase. Conclusions. Dialogue is a fundamental constituent of information interaction. Due to its protean nature, the dynamics of asynchronous dialogue processes are difficult to capture in detail. The empirical research settings may be elaborated further by drawing on the potential of novel methods such as digital conversation analysis.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ЕЛЕКТРОННИХ ЗАСОБІВ НАВЧАННЯ В ПРОФЕСІЙНІЙ ПІДГОТОВЦІ ФАХІВЦІВ ФІЗИЧНОГО ВИХОВАННЯ І СПОРТУ

The article considers the peculiarities of the use of electronic learning tools in the process of training future specialists in physical education and sports. An analysis of the scientific literature on the use of electronic tools in the educational process in higher education is conducted. The experience of using e-learning tools in the process of training specialists in physical education and sports at Zaporizhia National University is generalized. A classification has been formed and four groups of e-learning tools have been substantiated for the training of future specialists in physical education and sports. The first group includes an electronic textbook. It is established that its educational functionality is higher than that of paper. The second group included quasi-professional learning tools using Google Wave, Google Groups, Zoom, FreeConferenceCall, Google Meet, Kahoot and QUIZIZZ, as well as LearningApps tools, which gave students the opportunity to create their own interactive exercises and learning games. The third group included multimedia teaching tools for creating presentations using Prezi, online application for animated video presentations PowToon, video editors Windows Movie Maker and VSDC Free Video Editor, visualization tools using online graphics services Google Developers, Easel.ly, Piktochart, Infogr.am, graphic editors Adobe Photoshop, The GIMP, Paint.net, PhotoInstrument, as well as tools for reproducing educational virtual reality using mobile VR-helmets OCULUS GO, MIRAGE SOLO, GEAR VR. The fourth group of e-learning tools in the training of future specialists in physical culture and sports included e-learning tools and its components, in particular, software and hardware Moodle, which allows you to develop exercises and tests to consolidate theoretical material and generalize knowledge of specialists in physical culture and sports. Scientific and methodological substantiation and recommendations on the use of electronic learning tools in the process of training specialists in physical culture and sports are provided.

SIGCSE mailing lists

For me, one of the best SIGCSE membership benefits is having access to the organization's mailing lists. We first began using an electronic listserv or mailing list in 1994 to be able to communicate with each other more easily and discuss issues and concerns beyond the conversations at conferences. The mailing list allowed us to notify members of upcoming events, deadlines, and other important notices. Did you know that in 2010 we actually had seven active mailing lists? Before the days of Google groups, Dropbox, and cloud computing, all active committees and subgroups had a mailing list for member communication. Slowly those were phased out as those groups wrapped up their work.

Considerable Progress in Russian GBIF Community

Russia is a huge gap on the open access global biodiversity map of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). National biodiversity data are stored in various sources including museums, herbaria, scientific literature and reports as well as in the private collections and local databases. The best known and largest of the Russian herbarium collections are the collections stored in Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Science (>6 M sheets) and Moscow University (>1 M sheets). The largest zoological collection is located in Zoological institute of the Russian Academy of Science, with >60 M specimens. But most of the national biodiversity data is not yet digitized. The national biodiversity portal as well as the list of Russian biodiversity data sources are still absent. Despite this, projects and other activities are implemented to mobilize a national data using international biodiversity data standards. Currently Russia is not a GBIF member, but in the last 5 years, more than 1.6 M occurrences were published by Russian publishers through GBIF.org (69 datasets at the end of March 2019). The largest GBIF data provider in Russia is the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The Digital Moscow University Herbarium includes 971,732 specimens collected from Russia and many other countries. The Russian GBIF community is steadily expanding (Fig. 1); this is reflected in an increase in the number of publishers and published datasets. The current GBIF network infrastructure in Russia includes 5 IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) installations in Saint Petersburg (two), Pushchino (Moscow region), Moscow, and Syktyvkar (Komi Republic). Russian-language biodiversity informatics materials are collected and presented from an informal web site http://gbif.ru/ with three main sections: data publishing through GBIF, Russian GBIF activities, and Russian biodiversity data sources. data publishing through GBIF, Russian GBIF activities, and Russian biodiversity data sources. Additional sections are dedicated to iNaturalist citizen science system and Russian Specify Software Project community. We provide technical helpdesk support not only for Russian publishers, but also for Russian speakers from the former USSR. The national mailing-list (via google groups) aims to provide a platform for news sharing. Now it includes >240 subscribers. Since the end of 2014, regular biodiversity informatics events are being held in Russia. Last year, two data training courses, funded by GBIF (project ID Russia-02 - "GBIF.ru data mobilization activities") and ForBIO (Research school in biosystematics), were organized in Moscow and Irkutsk region with the participation of 29 Russian researchers. National biodiversity informatics conferences were held in Apatity (2017) and Irkutsk (2018). We believe Russia already has a well established community that can become the basis for further development when Russia becomes a GBIF member.

Understanding Placentophagy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period related to placentophagy. DesignMixed methods study (cross-sectional survey and online discussions). SettingWe used social media to advertise the study to mother/parenting groups. Online discussion groups were conducted through Google Groups. ParticipantsWomen during pregnancy and in the postpartum period and placenta encapsulation specialists with Internet access. MethodsWe summarized descriptive data and analyzed subgroups with the use of chi-square tests. We conducted a binary logistic regression to compare placentophagy with demographic variables and used constant comparative analysis to analyze online discussion group themes. ResultsOverall, 271 of 1,088 (24.9%) respondents consumed their placentas. Canadian respondents and those who experienced pregnancy/birth-related complications were significantly (p < .05) less likely to consume their placentas than respondents from the United States (odds ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval [0.28, 0.82]) and those who had no complications (odds ratio = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [0.37, 0.85]). Increased iron stores (521/1,030, 50.6%), prevention of postpartum depression (519/1,030, 50.4%), and increased energy/decreased fatigue (460/1,030, 44.7%) were the most commonly listed perceived benefits. Infection and improper handling/preparation of the placenta were important concerns, and hospital policy was noted as a barrier to placentophagy. ConclusionRespondents who engaged in placentophagy were primarily motivated by unproven benefits, such as the prevention of postpartum depression and anemia, for which there are other management alternatives. Although placentophagy is gaining popularity, it remains unregulated, and safety and efficacy data are limited. A safe, standardized preparation process is needed to minimize potential harm before further efficacy studies can be done. Targeted educational material surrounding placentophagy is needed to improve woman-centered care.