The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (ie, COVID-19) has given rise to a global pandemic affecting 215 countries and over 40 million people as of October 2020. Meanwhile, we are also experiencing an infodemic ...induced by the overabundance of information, some accurate and some inaccurate, spreading rapidly across social media platforms. Social media has arguably shifted the information acquisition and dissemination of a considerably large population of internet users toward higher interactivities.
This study aimed to investigate COVID-19-related health beliefs on one of the mainstream social media platforms, Twitter, as well as potential impacting factors associated with fluctuations in health beliefs on social media.
We used COVID-19-related posts from the mainstream social media platform Twitter to monitor health beliefs. A total of 92,687,660 tweets corresponding to 8,967,986 unique users from January 6 to June 21, 2020, were retrieved. To quantify health beliefs, we employed the health belief model (HBM) with four core constructs: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers. We utilized natural language processing and machine learning techniques to automate the process of judging the conformity of each tweet with each of the four HBM constructs. A total of 5000 tweets were manually annotated for training the machine learning architectures.
The machine learning classifiers yielded areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves over 0.86 for the classification of all four HBM constructs. Our analyses revealed a basic reproduction number R
of 7.62 for trends in the number of Twitter users posting health belief-related content over the study period. The fluctuations in the number of health belief-related tweets could reflect dynamics in case and death statistics, systematic interventions, and public events. Specifically, we observed that scientific events, such as scientific publications, and nonscientific events, such as politicians' speeches, were comparable in their ability to influence health belief trends on social media through a Kruskal-Wallis test (P=.78 and P=.92 for perceived benefits and perceived barriers, respectively).
As an analogy of the classic epidemiology model where an infection is considered to be spreading in a population with an R
greater than 1, we found that the number of users tweeting about COVID-19 health beliefs was amplifying in an epidemic manner and could partially intensify the infodemic. It is "unhealthy" that both scientific and nonscientific events constitute no disparity in impacting the health belief trends on Twitter, since nonscientific events, such as politicians' speeches, might not be endorsed by substantial evidence and could sometimes be misleading.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that people share their personal experiences with others for various purposes, such as gaining self‐understanding, socializing, and seeking solutions to ...current problems, among others. However, it remains unclear why people share collective experiences with others or whether they do so for reasons similar to those driving the sharing of personal experiences. In this study, we developed a questionnaire to identify and measure the motivations behind sharing collective experiences, including events like military coups, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and more. The study involved 407 participants, spanning different age groups, from Turkey. The results reveal that (a) individuals share collective memories for reasons similar to those driving the sharing of individual memories and (b) the primary functions of collective memories include creating a collective identity, strengthening social bonds, fostering learning and understanding of past history, mitigating collective negative emotions, and guiding communities into the future.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
China’s new residential developments have widely taken the form of privately governed gated communities since the socialist work-unit housing system was terminated towards the end of the 1990s. ...Although many studies have recognised these emerging gated neighbourhoods as having improved physical conditions, there has also been a decline in neighbouring and thus they have profoundly changed the traditional collectivist regime of living in China. However, there is a lack of research into whether gated neighbourhoods cultivate a positive relationship with residents and how such relationships are shaped. Based on a questionnaire survey of 1034 households conducted in a variety of gated neighbourhoods in Wenzhou, China, this paper intends to fill the gap by using neighbourhood attachment as an indicator, and by examining the impacts of private governance. The results of regression modelling suggest that residents have considerably high place attachment in gated neighbourhoods and that private governance enhances neighbourhood attachment by emphasising market provisions. Through knowing their neighbours, being involved in neighbourhood public events, and being provided with a good neighbourhood image as well as privatised services, residents develop an attachment to the neighbourhood socially, symbolically and functionally. More importantly, by comparing market-led, mixed and state-led neighbourhoods, this research identifies the attachment in gated neighbourhoods as underlining the demand for private governance rather than for safety. Such a new form of neighbourhood governance, as illustrated in urban China, is consumption-oriented and results from the privatisation of public goods and services provision at the neighbourhood level.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Health providers frequently probe patients' recall of current and/or remote news events to determine the extent of memory loss. Impaired memory for transient events (ie, in the news for a ...circumscribed time) may provide information regarding the onset of cognitive impairment.
To use the Transient News Events Test (TNET) to explore how memory changes over time in both older adults with cognitive impairment (CI) and noncognitively impaired (NCI) older adults. We also investigated the role of episodic and semantic memory on TNET performance.
Sixty-seven older adults completed the TNET as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Analyses included t tests to evaluate group differences for TNET score and correlations between TNET and neuropsychological measures, including episodic and semantic memory tests.
NCI adults demonstrated better memory for TNET items than adults with CI. The NCI and CI groups did not differ regarding memory for remote events; however, the CI group exhibited worse memory for recent events. There was a significant association between TNET score and the capacity for episodic and semantic memory in the CI group. In the NCI group, TNET score was significantly associated with episodic memory.
Findings support the use of transient news events to assess remote memories in older adults. Novel remote memory measures broaden the scope of memory assessment far beyond what is feasible with traditional neuropsychological assessment and may provide insight into the onset of memory changes.
Reminiscence bump refers to the increased recall of events from adolescence and early adulthood. It is a robust phenomenon for personal events, while the evidence for the bump has been inconsistent ...for public events. The present study addressed lifespan distributions of public events in a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1200) in Turkey. We demonstrated a robust recency effect in the temporal distribution of public event memories. When we examined the bump in the most frequently reported events, the recency effect persisted. The only exception was the bump for the military coup in 1980, a relatively more distant event among the most frequent events. Findings suggested that high-impact events in Turkey’s recent past may overshadow the past events. Inline, we discuss the role of the context and age distribution of the sample to explain the inconsistency in the evidence for the reminiscence bump in public events.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, all European countries were hit, but mortality rates were heterogenous. The aim of the current paper was to identify factors responsible for ...this heterogeneity.
Data concerning 40 countries were gathered, concerning demographics, vulnerability factors and characteristics of the national response. These variables were tested against the rate of deaths per million in each country. The statistical analysis included Person correlation coefficient and Forward Stepwise Linear Regression Analysis (FSLRA).
The FSLRA results suggested that 'days since first national death for the implementation of ban of all public events' was the only variable significantly contributing to the final model, explaining 44% of observed variability.
The current study suggests that the crucial factor for the different death rates because of COVID-19 outbreak was the fast implementation of public events ban. This does not necessarily mean that the other measures were useless, especially since most countries implemented all of them as a 'package'. However, it does imply that this is a possibility and focused research is needed to clarify it, and is in accord with a model of spreading where only a few superspreaders infect large numbers through prolonged exposure.
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NUK, OILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The issue of spreading scientific knowledge is relevant at the present stage of development of society. The library, as the most accessible cultural institution, is able to ensure the dissemination ...of this knowledge in all social strata of the population. The purpose of the article is to study the intensity and forms of events of scientific, popular science and educational content of federal, republican, regional and regional Russian libraries, reflected on official websites. The article deals with information about the popular scientific activities of the leading Russian libraries. The ongoing projects and mass events of scientific, popular science and educational content are described. Content analysis has become the main method of collecting information. The study was performed at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. The site analysis showed that libraries, as cultural institutions, hold a sufficient number of various mass events in the form of lectures, master classes, intellectual games, quizzes, but the scientific or popular science content of these events is not always confirmed. Basing on two stages of the study the following conclusions were made: science promotion activities were present in an average of 33 % of the libraries surveyed. The most popular form of such events was a lecture with the participation of a guest lecturer. Most of the activities were aimed at young people.
•We evaluated three interventions to reduce waste contamination.•The interventions used volunteer staff assistance, 2D and 3D visual signage.•A randomized control trial was conducted at the Apple ...Festival.•Volunteer staff significantly reduced contamination in all waste streams.•Implications and recommendation for waste management at events are suggested.
Public festivals and events generate a tremendous amount of waste, especially when they involve food and drink. To reduce contamination across waste streams, we evaluated three types of interventions at a public event. In a randomized control trial, we examined the impact of volunteer staff assistance, bin tops, and sample 3D items with bin tops, on the amount of contamination and the weight of the organics, recyclable containers, paper, and garbage bins at a public event. The event was the annual Apple Festival held at the University of British Columbia, which was attended by around 10,000 visitors. We found that contamination was the lowest in the volunteer staff condition among all conditions. Specifically, volunteer staff reduced contamination by 96.1% on average in the organics bin, 96.9% in the recyclable containers bin, 97.0% in the paper bin, and 84.9% in the garbage bin. Our interventions did not influence the weight of the materials in the bins. This finding highlights the impact of volunteers on reducing contamination in waste streams at events, and provides suggestions and implications for waste management for event organizers to minimize contamination in all waste streams to achieve zero waste goals.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Although most of us consume news reports about public events day by day, little is known about how memories of public events are remembered in everyday life. Across three studies, we examined ...voluntary (deliberately retrieved) and involuntary (spontaneously arising) public event memories by directly comparing them with voluntary and involuntary personal event memories. In particular, we examined the relative frequency of public event memories, correlations with individual differences measures, the emotional tone of remembered public events, phenomenological characteristics associated with remembering, and functions of public event memories. Against a background of replications of well-established findings from the autobiographical memory literature, several novel findings on public event memories emerged: Public event memories arose both deliberately and spontaneously in daily life, but they were less frequent and less positive than memories of personal events. Similar to personal memories, frequency estimates for involuntary public event memories correlated significantly with individual differences measures of daydreaming as well as depressive and PTSD symptoms. The phenomenological characteristics of public event memories showed large differences to personal event memories. For example, they were judged to be more emotionally negative, less specific, less vivid and to come with a lower sense of reliving. Moreover, public event memories seemed to predominantly serve a social function. The results suggest that deliberate and involuntary memory retrieval of public events in daily life may support the formation and maintenance of collective memories.
•Memories of public events occur in daily life and can be reliably measured.•Like personal events, public events are recalled both deliberately and spontaneously.•Public events are less positive and remembered less frequently than personal events.•Characteristics of remembering differ across public and personal events.•Recall of public events in daily life may aid the formation of collective memories.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In the United States, cancer is common, with high morbidity and mortality; cancer incidence varies between states. Online searches reflect public awareness, which could be driven by the underlying ...regional cancer epidemiology.
The objective of our study was to characterize the relationship between cancer incidence and online Google search volumes in the United States for 6 common cancers. A secondary objective was to evaluate the association of search activity with cancer-related public events and celebrity news coverage.
We performed a population-based, retrospective study of state-level cancer incidence from 2004 through 2013 reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for breast, prostate, colon, lung, and uterine cancers and leukemia compared to Google Trends (GT) relative search volume (RSV), a metric designed by Google to allow interest in search topics to be compared between regions. Participants included persons in the United States who searched for cancer terms on Google. The primary measures were the correlation between annual state-level cancer incidence and RSV as determined by Spearman correlation and linear regression with RSV and year as independent variables and cancer incidence as the dependent variable. Temporal associations between search activity and events raising public awareness such as cancer awareness months and cancer-related celebrity news were described.
At the state level, RSV was significantly correlated to incidence for breast (r=.18, P=.001), prostate (r=-.27, P<.001), lung (r=.33, P<.001), and uterine cancers (r=.39, P<.001) and leukemia (r=.13, P=.003) but not colon cancer (r=-.02, P=.66). After adjusting for time, state-level RSV was positively correlated to cancer incidence for all cancers: breast (P<.001, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.19), prostate (P=.38, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.22), lung (P<.001, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.46), colon (P<.001, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.17), and uterine cancers (P<.001, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.12) and leukemia (P<.001, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.03). Temporal associations in GT were noted with breast cancer awareness month but not with other cancer awareness months and celebrity events.
Cancer incidence is correlated with online search volume at the state level. Search patterns were temporally associated with cancer awareness months and celebrity announcements. Online searches reflect public awareness. Advancing understanding of online search patterns could augment traditional epidemiologic surveillance, provide opportunities for targeted patient engagement, and allow public information campaigns to be evaluated in ways previously unable to be measured.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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