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Whilst the world is witnessing the impact of technology proliferation on human lives and livelihoods, the personal safety of women, though paramount, is still technologically under-addressed. This study empirically investigated the perception of Indian women (N = 210) towards personal safety apps and their intention to accept them to ensure personal safety. This study uniquely blended the Fogg behaviour model, which comprises motives, abilities and triggers, with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which comprises perceived usefulness, ease of use and behavioural intentions. Structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 4 was used to analyse the model. Some exciting outcomes emerged from this study. The motives namely subjective norms, facilitating conditions and perceived trust, significantly impacted women's perceived usefulness of personal safety apps, while the perceived risk was insignificant. The significant impactors of women's perceived ease-of-use of personal safety apps include the abilities of self-efficacy and technology stress, but exclude perceived behavioural control. With regard to the trigger, only response efficacy impacted women's behavioural intentions to use personal safety apps, while the magnitude of noxiousness and exposure expectancy did not. Women's perception of the usefulness and ease of use of personal safety apps significantly impacted their behavioural intentions, ultimately impacting their perception of personal safety. Further, this study presented implications to theory and practice before concluding by stating research limitations and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security is considered a legitimate goal of every society. In recent years of the pandemic and then the war in Ukraine, the issue of the security paradigm has become particularly relevant. It prompts a revision of conceptual approaches to the formation of human personal security competencies and especially the mechanisms and ways of ensuring it in society and the state in the present conditions. Therefore, in theory, national and international security concepts are being developed, and more recently, individual, social, and global security. This indicates, among other things, a significant expansion of new dimensions of security when political independence, territorial integrity, and viability of the country, as well as the survival and development of its inhabitants, are at stake. Security in itself should have the status of a fundamental human right. Many publicly discussed security issues are related to technical solutions. Debates are underway not only about society's attitude to security, but also about what research and for what purpose it is conducting or has conducted in this direction. This also applies to the educational environment. The article defines and substantiates the principles of the formation of personal safety of students, provides an essential characteristic of the pedagogical process of formation of personal safety of students, considers the technology of formation of personal safety of students based on the competence approach, reveals the content of the competences of the individual in the sphere of life safety. The purpose of this article is to study the process of forming the personal safety of students in the system of professional education in higher technical institutions of a technical profile. The methodology on which the research is grounded is based on the methodological principles of systematicity and an interdisciplinary approach and includes the use of a complex of general scientific methods, namely explanation, comparison, classification, generalization, and systematization. Based on them, a model of forming students' competencies in the life safety field was built. Within the framework of our research, the following results were achieved: the views of scientists on the issue of the formation of security competencies among students in the new context of the construction of Ukrainian society in conditions of war were summarized; the principles of forming students' personal safety based on the competence approach are substantiated; tasks for the development of students' competencies in the field of life safety are formulated; a structural model of students' competencies and the process of their formation in the field of life safety was built. The conclusions allow us to state that the problem of security is complex and multifaceted, since conflicts, wars or unstable state structures often have not only local significance, but also global consequences due to a closely interconnected and globalized world. The formation of personal safety competencies in students as future specialists is important as a basis for self-preservation, selfdevelopment and self-improvement. For this purpose, educational professional programs of technical universities should include fundamental educational disciplines that will ensure the development of worldview principles of life safety and determine generally accepted safety needs and generally recognized safety mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of a novel anti-violence device titled "no pAIn" (an acronym for Never Oppressed Protected by Artificial Intelligence Nonviolence system), which harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Primarily designed to combat violence against women, the device offers personal safety benefits for individuals across diverse demographics. Operating autonomously, it necessitates no user interaction post-activation. The AI engine conducts real-time speech recognition and effectively discerns genuine instances of aggression from non-violent disputes or conversations. Facilitated by its Internet connectivity, in the event of detected aggression, the device promptly issues assistance requests with real-time precise geolocation tracking to predetermined recipients for immediate assistance. Its compact size enables discreet concealment within commonplace items like candy wrappers, purpose-built casings, or wearable accessories. The device is battery-operated. The prototype was developed using a microcontroller board (Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect), incorporating an omnidirectional microphone and Wi-Fi module, all at a remarkably low cost. Subsequent functionality testing, performed in debug mode using the Arduino IDE serial monitor, yielded successful results. The AI engine exhibited exceptional accuracy in word recognition, complemented by a robust logic implementation, rendering the device highly reliable in discerning genuine instances of aggression from non-violent scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security is considered a legitimate goal of every society. In recent years of the pandemic and then the war in Ukraine, the issue of the security paradigm has become particularly relevant. It prompts a revision of conceptual approaches to the formation of human personal security competencies and especially the mechanisms and ways of ensuring it in society and the state in the present conditions. Therefore, in theory, national and international security concepts are being developed, and more recently, individual, social, and global security. This indicates, among other things, a significant expansion of new dimensions of security when political independence, territorial integrity, and viability of the country, as well as the survival and development of its inhabitants, are at stake. Security in itself should have the status of a fundamental human right. Many publicly discussed security issues are related to technical solutions. Debates are underway not only about society's attitude to security, but also about what research and for what purpose it is conducting or has conducted in this direction. This also applies to the educational environment. The article defines and substantiates the principles of the formation of personal safety of students, provides an essential characteristic of the pedagogical process of formation of personal safety of students, considers the technology of formation of personal safety of students based on the competence approach, reveals the content of the competences of the individual in the sphere of life safety. The purpose of this article is to study the process of forming the personal safety of students in the system of professional education in higher technical institutions of a technical profile. The methodology on which the research is grounded is based on the methodological principles of systematicity and an interdisciplinary approach and includes the use of a complex of general scientific methods, namely explanation, comparison, classification, generalization, and systematization. Based on them, a model of forming students' competencies in the life safety field was built. Within the framework of our research, the following results were achieved: the views of scientists on the issue of the formation of security competencies among students in the new context of the construction of Ukrainian society in conditions of war were summarized; the principles of forming students' personal safety based on the competence approach are substantiated; tasks for the development of students' competencies in the field of life safety are formulated; a structural model of students' competencies and the process of their formation in the field of life safety was built. The conclusions allow us to state that the problem of security is complex and multifaceted, since conflicts, wars or unstable state structures often have not only local significance, but also global consequences due to a closely interconnected and globalized world. The formation of personal safety competencies in students as future specialists is important as a basis for self-preservation, self-development and self-improvement. For this purpose, educational professional programs of technical universities should include fundamental educational disciplines that will ensure the development of worldview principles of life safety and determine generally accepted safety needs and generally recognized safety mechanisms.

Abstract South Africans living in low socioeconomic areas have self-reported unusually long sleep durations (approximately 9–10 h). One hypothesis is that these long durations may be a compensatory response to poor sleep quality as a result of stressful environments. This study aimed to investigate whether fear of not being safe during sleep is associated with markers of sleep quality or duration in men and women. South Africans (n = 411, 25–50 y, 57% women) of African-origin living in an urban township, characterised by high crime and poverty rates, participated in this study. Participants are part of a larger longitudinal cohort study: Modelling the Epidemiologic Transition Study (METS)–Microbiome. Customised questions were used to assess the presence or absence of fears related to feeling safe during sleep, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index were used to assess daytime sleepiness, sleep quality and insomnia symptom severity respectively. Adjusted logistic regression models indicated that participants who reported fears related to safety during sleep were more likely to report poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) compared to participants not reporting such fears and that this relationship was stronger among men than women. This is one of the first studies outside American or European populations to suggest that poor quality sleep is associated with fear of personal safety in low-SES South African adults.

This study examined mental health and recovery needs at substance use disorder (SUD) program entry and at follow-up (n = 2064) among: (1) women with no stalking victimization; (2) women with lifetime stalking victimization experiences; and (3) women with recent stalking victimization experiences (within 12 months of program entry). Stalking can be defined as a repeated pattern of behavior that creates fear or concern for safety or extreme emotional distress in the target. Women who experienced any stalking victimization, and particularly recent stalking victimization at program entry, had more recovery needs and increased mental health symptoms. At follow-up, women with any stalking victimization experiences continued to have more recovery needs with few differences between the lifetime and recent stalking victimization groups. Stalking victimization experiences were significantly associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in the multivariate analysis. Addressing stalking victimization during SUD treatment may be important to facilitate recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of real-time monitoring the hazard information on the electric power construction site, a personal safety monitoring system based on Artificial intelligence internet of things (AIoT) technology is designed. After the system sensing layer collects the gas information of the construction site through the gas sensor, limit current oxygen sensor and DS1820B temperature sensor, the edge computing device of the edge layer directly stores its calculation in the database of the platform layer through the data gateway. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis module of this layer invokes the monitoring data of the power construction site of the database, and uses the personal safety identification method of the power construction site based on artificial intelligence technology, to complete the abnormal identification of monitoring data and realize personal safety monitoring. In addition, the system is also equipped with a power-fail detection module, which can collect the working voltage through the voltage transformer and compare it with the mains power standard to judge whether there is a power-fail risk, so as to prevent the problem of threatening personal safety due to the power-fail of the energized equipment. After testing, the system can monitor the operation status of the construction site in real time to protect personal safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of this article analyze some aspects of delivering training on domestic violence designed mostly for Ukraine's National police first response teams, namely: how to approach potential places of commission domestic violence actions for which can be apply a criminal act or an administrative offense according to article 1261 of a Criminal Code of Ukraine, and article 1732 on an Administrative Offences of Ukraine. The authors of this research paper share their personal experiences, remarks on issues related to the selection of participants for such type of training, the structure of the training, the main moto of this training, adoption of a training module on domestic violence to the needs of practitioners. Also, the authors present in this paper remarks observed during training, especially during the practical part provided by them in Ukraine. It allows to identify main mistakes done by police first response teams during improvised domestic violence scenes with usage of actors, dogs, fake light guns, stiletto knife, and fake grenade toy and take proper measures to improve the readiness of police first response teams to cope with challenges during performance assigned duties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a socio-ecological framework, this qualitative study provides an understanding of the context of child welfare workers' worries and concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is part of a larger mixed-methods research project that included qualitative interviews with child welfare workers to explore approaches to child welfare services and child safety interventions for newcomer families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main question that frames this study is how Ontario workers and managers managed their worries and concerns about the pandemic. The participants we interviewed talked about their personal safety and navigating modified work during the pandemic. The fear of getting sick with COVID-19 when visiting multiple families resulted in stress and anxiety for some workers. For others, work modifications resulting from the pandemic created challenges in terms of childcare, increased isolation due to working remotely, case assignments/planning, and blurred family/work boundaries. Child welfare workers in Ontario felt excluded from the provincial designation "essential service workers" during the pandemic, making them feel that their work was unacknowledged by the government. Despite this lack of a designation, we centralize the issue of essential work in our analysis to underscore the challenges faced by child welfare workers and the potential supports that can be provided in and out of their work settings as the pandemic continues to unfold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Exposure to police violence is a public health concern for Black emerging adults ages 18–29 given its prevalence and association with negative health outcomes. However, research examining the role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions is scant. This study investigated the mediating role of perceived police legitimacy in the relationship between exposure to police use of force and personal safety interventions (reliance on police, self, or others) in a sample of Black emerging adults. Method: We administered computer-assisted surveys to English-speaking Black emerging-adult college students (N = 300) in St. Louis, MO, with a history of exposure to police use of force. Results: Findings from a bivariate analysis showed that exposures to police use of force as a victim, witness, or in the media were all significantly associated with perceptions of police as being less legitimate. In addition, findings from a path analysis revealed an indirect-only mediation effect of perceptions of police as being less legitimate in the relationship between seeing videos of police use of force in media and less reliance on police for personal safety. Conclusions: Attenuating gratuitous police use of force toward Black emerging adults is paramount for improving perceived legitimacy and trust in police to ensure personal safety for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Motivated by disparities in gun violence, sharp increases in gun ownership, and a changing gun policy landscape, we conducted a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (n=2,778) in 2021 to compare safety-related views of white, Black, and Hispanic gun owners and non-owners. Black gun owners were most aware of homicide disparities and least expecting of personal safety improvements from gun ownership or more permissive gun carrying. Non-owner views differed. Health equity and policy opportunities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Interpersonal violence has devastating implications for individuals, families, and communities across the globe, placing a significant burden on health, justice, and social welfare systems. Smartphone technology may provide a platform for violence prevention interventions. However, evidence on the availability and user experience of smartphone applications aimed to prevent violence is underexplored. Methods Systematic searches of available smartphone applications marketed for personal safety and violence prevention on the Apple Store (IOS) and Google Play (Android) in the United Kingdom were run in May 2021. Relevant applications were downloaded, with data on user reviews and ratings extracted. Included applications were categorised according to their features and functions. Online user reviews were rated according to their sentiment (positive, negative, neutral) and thematically analysed. Results Of 503 applications, 86 apps met review criteria. Only 52 (61%) apps offered full functionality free of charge. Over half (52%) of apps were targeted towards the general population, with 16% targeting women and 13% targeting families. App functionality varied with 22% providing an alarm, 71% sending alerts to pre-designated contacts, 34% providing evidence capture and 26% offering educational information. Overall, 71% of applications had a user rating of four or above. For 61 apps a total of 3,820 user reviews were extracted. Over half (52.4%) of reviews were rated as having a positive sentiment, with 8.8% neutral and 38.8% negative. Key themes across user reviews included positive consequences of app use, technical and usage issues including app reliability, dissatisfaction with the financial cost of some app features and personal data and ethical issues. Conclusions Reviews suggest that users find apps for personal safety and violence prevention useful. However, individuals also report them being unreliable, not working as described and having features that others may exploit. Findings have implications for the development of policy on apps to improve personal safety, especially given recent national policy (e.g. UK) discussions about their utility. Without the regulation or accreditation of such technology for quality assurance and reliability, emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring user safety; otherwise vulnerable individuals may continue to place reliance on untested technology in potentially dangerous circumstances.

This report demonstrates the fabrication and development of a tellurium nanowire (TeNW) and MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanohybrid-based pressure sensor. The fabricated sensor was later encapsulated in poly-(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and used as buttons for the communication system to demonstrate a personal safety application using Morse code. The fabricated pressure sensor demonstrated an excellent sensitivity of 9.29241 kPa–1 and stability withstanding over ∼3000 cycles of applied pressure (∼1.729 kPa). Real-time ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) is utilized for realizing the band diagram of the TeNWs/Ti3C2Tx nanohybrid to understand the transport of charge carriers upon external pressure. The transduction mechanism of the fabricated pressure sensor is explained using the improved intrinsic piezoresistive properties of the MXene and TeNWs in TeNWs/Ti3C2Tx, which helps in increasing the tunneling current by a decrease in the effective interlayer resistance/interwire tunneling distance of the nanohybrid. Further, an Android application was created to wirelessly receive data via Bluetooth from the sensors connected to a microcontroller. The application displayed the pattern pressed on the sensors as a Morse dash or dot. This can further be used in a similar fashion to that of a telegraph to send complex messages such as "HELP". Developing a TeNWS/Ti3C2Tx nanohybrid-based flexible sensor opens many possible wireless monitoring and communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The airborne transmission of infectious diseases and bioaerosol-induced cross-contamination pose significant challenges in the food, dairy, and pharma industries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of 279 nm UV-C LED irradiation for decontaminating bioaerosols, specifically containing microorganisms such as Escherichia coli (C3040- Kanamycin resistant), Salmonella Enteritidis (ATCC 4931), and Pseudomonas fragi (ATCC 4973), on food contact surfaces. Borosilicate glass, silicon rubber, and stainless steel (316L) surfaces were selected for experimentation for their usage in the food industry. A 50 µL cell suspension was aerosolized at 25 psi pressure using a 4-jet BLAM Nebulizer within a customized glass chamber and then deposited onto the surface of the coupons. The serial dilution approach was used for the microbial enumeration, followed by duplicate plating. With a low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and high R 2 values, the biphasic kinetic model for UV-C inactivation curves of all three pathogens demonstrated the excellent goodness of fit parameters. At a UV-C dose of 6 mJ cm -2 , glass surfaces showed the maximum microbial inactivation (i.e., 2.80, 3.81, and 3.56 log CFU/mL for E. coli , Salmonella , and P. fragi , respectively). Stainless steel and silicon rubber surfaces showed significant microbial inactivation, but log 10 reductions observed were consistently lower than glass surface. Our research indicates that UV-C LEDs (279 nm) can effectively disinfect bioaerosols on food contact surfaces.IMPORTANCEFood safety is a major public health concern, with contaminated food causing serious illnesses. UV-C light, used for germicidal action, is effective in disinfecting surfaces and is not subject to the same strict legal restrictions as chemical disinfectants, simplifying compliance with food safety regulations. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of UV-C (279 nm) LED systems for inactivation of surface-deposited bioaerosols of kanamycin-resistant Escherichia coli (C3040), Salmonella Enteritidis (ATCC 4931), and Pseudomonas fragi (ATCC 4973). The research outcomes can be used to develop UV-based surface disinfection systems to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses and enhance safety in high-traffic food preparation areas.

Background and objective: Key motivations for the study described in this paper were to gain insights into the differences in travel behaviour between males and females, as well as gender-based sexual harassment exposure in public transport in sub-Saharan Africa. The mobility and sexual harassment results, based on data collection in two African cities (Blantyre in Malawi and Lagos in Nigeria), is presented in this paper, to document the true extent of sexual harassment and ways in which sexual harassment practices affected women's mobility on the continent. The analysis aims to illuminate gender-based mobility differences and sexual harassment experiences, as well as provide some guiding principles towards addressing sexual harassment challenges. Method: and Data: This study developed a standardised gender-based travel and sexual harassment perception questionnaire that was applied via pen-and-paper, as well as technology (offline tablets) in the cities of Lagos (Nigeria) and Blantyre (Malawi). Overall, 1478 respondents participated. Approximately 58% of the sample in both cities were women. The data collected was analysed to highlight differences between male and female travel behaviour and differences in relation to exposure to sexual harassment whilst in the transport system. Results: Data revealed that women make more, shorter trips, while they carry a significantly higher sexual harassment burden. All parts of public transport trips are affected, including travelling to/from the system, while waiting for the vehicle and in the vehicle. The need for transfers increases the risk of crime and sexual harassment. This paper concludes that there is a need for improved policy frameworks, educational campaigns, for men and women, as well as the creation of safe reporting structures when sexual harassment does occur. Actions are needed in the two case study cities and beyond.

Airliner accidents are often accompanied by incidental aircraft fires, causing huge casualties and incalculable economic losses. The research on airliner fire and its emergency evacuation is the focus and difficulty of aviation safety research, but it is difficult to carry out the research through experiments, and the use of computer simulation is an effective method. This paper comprehensively studies the dynamic development of the cabin fire and the corresponding cabin evacuation when the wide-body airliner Airbus A350-900 is forced to land in two states: horizontal and forward. The spatial distribution of the remaining evacuation time at each seat is used to analyze and judge the safety evacuation risk of the airliner cabin. Finally, two evacuation optimization design ideas based on partition guidance and seat layout are proposed to improve the spatial distribution of the overall evacuation risk of passengers in the cabin and provide some reference suggestions for strengthening fire prevention in the design, manufacture, and use of airliner. Some targeted countermeasures are put forward for the emergency evacuation of passengers in the cabin in a fire situation.

The teaching of personal safety and abuse prevention skills in schools is a feature of robust child protection systems across the world. In Ireland, the Stay Safe programme is mandatory for all primary schools and aims to equip children with the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce their susceptibility to abuse. The mandatory nature of the programme presents a challenge to schools catering for children with special educational needs and disabilities, due to a lack of clarity for teachers over the extent to which it can be adapted. The aim of this study was to probe how teachers in special schools balance the mandatory requirement to teach the designated safety programme, with the practical reality that many of their children may not be able to process the intended learning, in the way it is prescribed. In a broad sense, the study aimed to showcase how teachers increase the accessibility of the programme for children with various special educational needs and disabilities. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach to data-gathering. Phase 1 consisted of a questionnaire distributed via Qualtrics to every special school principal in Ireland (n = 133). Phase 2 consisted of a three-site embedded case study with three special schools. Data from both phases of research were merged, using a three-part iterative framework, to arrive at a nuanced understanding of how the designated safety programme was enacted in special schools. The results indicated that teachers in special schools enact the designated safety programme with varying degrees of systematicity, despite its mandatory status. Aspects of the programme were frequently skipped, supplementary material was introduced and content was generally changed depending on child need. The greater the learning difficulty, the more modification engaged in by teachers in special schools. This article concludes by proposing that greater flexibility be provided to teachers in special education contexts to modify mandatory child safety education programmes. To support this flexibility and boost teacher expertise in undertaking programme modifications effectively, the article highlights teacher professional learning as a key priority. Prioritising the ongoing development of teacher expertise goes some way towards reducing an over-reliance on past teaching experiences guiding provision, at the expense of expert, evidence-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interpersonal violence has devastating implications for individuals, families, and communities across the globe, placing a significant burden on health, justice, and social welfare systems. Smartphone technology may provide a platform for violence prevention interventions. However, evidence on the availability and user experience of smartphone applications aimed to prevent violence is underexplored.Methods: Systematic searches of available smartphone applications marketed for personal safety and violence prevention on the Apple Store (IOS) and Google Play (Android) in the United Kingdom were run in May 2021. Relevant applications were downloaded, with data on user reviews and ratings extracted. Included applications were categorised according to their features and functions. Online user reviews were rated according to their sentiment (positive, negative, neutral) and thematically analysed.Results: Of 503 applications, 86 apps met review criteria. Only 52 (61%) apps offered full functionality free of charge. Over half (52%) of apps were targeted towards the general population, with 16% targeting women and 13% targeting families. App functionality varied with 22% providing an alarm, 71% sending alerts to pre-designated contacts, 34% providing evidence capture and 26% offering educational information. Overall, 71% of applications had a user rating of four or above. For 61 apps a total of 3,820 user reviews were extracted. Over half (52.4%) of reviews were rated as having a positive sentiment, with 8.8% neutral and 38.8% negative. Key themes across user reviews included positive consequences of app use, technical and usage issues including app reliability, dissatisfaction with the financial cost of some app features and personal data and ethical issues.Conclusions: Reviews suggest that users find apps for personal safety and violence prevention useful. However, individuals also report them being unreliable, not working as described and having features that others may exploit. Findings have implications for the development of policy on apps to improve personal safety, especially given recent national policy (e.g. UK) discussions about their utility. Without the regulation or accreditation of such technology for quality assurance and reliability, emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring user safety; otherwise vulnerable individuals may continue to place reliance on untested technology in potentially dangerous circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we publish the algorithm to create a dual image manifested in the infrared and visible spectrum. To distinguish the information in the two light spectra, twin dyes are introduced for the inkjet plotter and printing realization for garment and canvas items. The graphics, invisible to the naked eye, are designed for the near infrared (NIR) spectrum and are suitable for urban security where surveillance cameras with IR detectors are installed. The duality of dyes is presented in tables, and the analysis is a basis for programming and developing new algorithms for the application of "Infrared Dyeing" on different materials and printing technologies. Through spectroscopy, this innovative solution demonstrates twin colorants by printing in one pass through the plotter such that one image remains visible, while the other one is hidden to the bare eye. The uniform and the school bag cover presented in this paper are kept simple in design because they incorporate information hidden to the naked eye but visible with surveillance cameras and all the other infrared detectors. The article provides mathematical models of duality coloring as a basis for programming the graphic prepress that merges both of the images, the visual one and the infrared one. A topic is the fusion of two images with colors that represent two graphs, with independent contents for the visual and near-infrared spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end of the Cold War brought with it changes in the international security, with an escalation in intra-state conflicts, characterized by violence perpetuated by discernable and not so discrete foes. This challenge broadens dimensions of security to include human, social, economic, political, and environmental aspects which provide referent objects which are securitized. In line with securitization, a response to the asymmetric wars configured in terrorism whose preference is to attack “soft targets” such as people on holiday, revellers, shoppers, worshippers, and of particular concern to this study, university students. Unlike critical infrastructures which are well guarded by armed personnel, universities are core soft targets made of intellectuals and their trainees, who have bare military training and any inkling on how to respond in case of a terrorist attack. This makes such institutions susceptible as they hold tens of thousands of persons at any given time, making them a strategic attraction and target for terrorist aimed at causing maximum damage and fear among civilian populations. Granted the high-risk area that universities are, the study aimed to establish the level of physical security awareness and subsequent preparedness to deal with such issues among students in selected universities in Kenya. Findings showed 89.4% of the respondents considered physical security as a personal responsibility. Only a paltry 7.5 % of respondents had received some form of personal security training yet extant literature suggests that security awareness training is proportional to improved security awareness. The universities surveyed had emergency response instructions in the students’ handbooks detailing how to respond to emergencies such as fire, which is inconsistency with international best practices. Students covered in this survey had practical ideas of what can be done to improve their physical security. We conclude that learning to live with the threat can be enhanced through training and conduct of drills to acquaint students with martial arts and self-defence skills. Students as a corporate body are an agency with the capacity to be tapped by university management in planning and execution of physical security best practices.

Awareness of personal safety for elementary school students in rapid information development is now very important. This study aims to increase student’s awareness by improving their knowledge about personal safety consisting of sexual education and security in using the internet, by giving psychoeducation. The subjects in this study 54 students in a Elementary School in South Jakarta which choosen by purposive sampling method. Data obtained from pre and posttest were processed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test indicated that there was a change in awareness, and it can be seen from the improvement of their knowledge (P

The article was written as part of the development project entitled “Dressing kit for protecting injuries suffered by uniformed services while performing official duties” No. DOB-BIO6/19/98/2014, co-financed by the funds from the National Centre for Research and Development under competition No. 6/2014 for the implementation of projects in the field of scientific research or development work, within the area of state defence and security. The project's result will be the PLEMODS dressing kit, intended for saving the life and health of uniformed service officers who have suffered injuries while performing their duties. The kit was developed in response to the needs of both the police and the Polish army. The project owner is the police, however, in line with the project assumptions, the kit is dedicated to be used as service equipment of other uniformed services as well. The article presents the premises and conditions that the project team followed when developing the concept of the dressing kit and the functionality of its individual elements. The answers obtained from the research conducted to verify the functional properties of the PLEMODS dressing kit, indicated the need to introduce design changes in the developed model. At the same time, the high comfort of using the PLEMODS dressing kit while performing official duties was confirmed, as well as the effectiveness of the applied innovative solutions in the scope of treating bleeding wounds.

Background. The research examines the fears about their future among students-athletes as a special category of students involved in two areas of professional training simultaneously: getting a profession not related to physical education and sports, and developing oneself as an athlete with the possibility of professional sports activity (dual career). The aim of the study. The research studies fears for the future as meaningful ideas of an individual about possible future undesirable influences or events that threaten personal safety and career management. Materials and methods. The research involved 184 students doing sports with different levels of intensity, including candidates for master of sports and masters of sports, performing at high-level competitions, as well as a control group of students who are not involved in sports. The study used authors' methods as a research methodology: a scale technique for assessing the formation of the image of the future, questionnaires for identifying threats to personal safety and preferred life strategies for ensuring personal safety. Results. The results indicate a number of significant features of the image of future and personal safety among students with different involvement in sports. Among the athletes with moderate involvement, the formation of both the image of the future and the system of fears is worse than that of those who do not go in for sports. With an increase in involvement in sports, the formation of the image of the future among students also increases, reaching the level of development among non-athletes, but the average group picture of fears remains blurred. With an increase in the level of involvement in sports activities among students-athletes, the indicators of such characteristics of their ideas about their professional and sports future as subjective clarity of their goals in sports, the idea of the connection between their work in the future with sports and clarity of understanding that they should combine studying at a university and playing sports also increase, which may indirectly indicate the likelihood of their a cause-and-effect relationship. Conclusion. The research concludes that sports activities of students are combined with significant changes in fears for their future and the image of the future in general. The research points out that the most optimal picture from the point of view of the formation of fears for their future and strategies for ensuring personal safety is observed in students with average involvement in sports activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An issue that is essential to contemporary society is the question of state security and personal safety of the citizens. Therefore, the state has to deal with one of the most important threats, i.e. radicalization. The phenomenon of home-grown radicalism is known in Western European countries. The phenomenon of radicalization should not be identified solely with contemporary domestic Islamic terrorism. Radicalism is not limited to one ideology. The question about the process of acquiring extremist beliefs is one of the most important for political scientists, political psychologists, sociologists and criminologists. Wanting to deal with the etiology of the decision about a terrorist attack, the focus should be on the moment when potential terrorists start and undergo the process of radicalization. The article aims to signal the problem of radicalization in Polish penitentiary units. The authors do not provide the knowledge necessary to counteract this phenomenon in penitentiary units. However, they point to the definition problems, the theoretical model of radicalization, the place of radicalization in the European Union's policy. They also present the penitentiary unit as a place susceptible to radicalization. They formulate general remarks on combating radicalization among prisoners. They inform that the Prison Service should not be left alone in counteracting the radicalization of prisoners. It is an element of the state security system. It also cooperates with other entities in the rehabilitation of prisoners. The authors acknowledge that the way to prevent the negative effects of the radicalization process of prisoners is first of all training personnel in this field. It is also the fundamental issue to isolate prisoners who are a source of danger. In this area, the authors suggest that if the radical attitudes of prisoners are intensified, it is worth considering introducing legislative solutions facilitating faster and adequate operation of prison staff in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide studies have reported a drastic increase in child sexual abuse (CSA) involving very young children. In Malaysia, several attempts have been made to combat this problem via educational programs. Teachers have reported a lack of confidence in teaching this topic; hence a less threatening approach is needed. The Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) is an innovation whereby the children bring their teddies while visiting the volunteers assuming healthcare practitioners' role. This execution is effective in reducing the children's anxieties about hospitalization and increasing their health knowledge. Therefore, our objective is to explore healthcare practitioners' (HCP) views for the content of TBH and its approach as a personal safety module toward preventing CSA. Eighteen in-depth-interviews were conducted. Interviews were thematically analyzed. Participants suggest the TBH method as a good approach to teaching prevention of CSA among preschoolers. Four main themes emerged from this study: (1) educating children about personal safety, (2) moral values and faith as a medium to prevent child sexual abuse, (3) addressing social media use in children, and (4) general approach to content delivery. The involvement of parents is crucial. Addressing moral values and faith and usage of social media platforms are also essential factors to look into. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frontline healthcare workers are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection and due to lack of availability of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of knowledge and good practices results in more deaths each year due to occupational accidents and diseases., Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the awareness of personal safety, the association between the level of awareness with selected socio-demographic variables and to identify the correlation between knowledge and practice of personal safety., Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted among 106 Frontline Healthcare workers who have worked in the COVID ward. The study was conducted between 7 August 2022 and June 2023. A convenient sampling technique was used for sample selection. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the awareness of personal safety. Descriptive statistics (mean, SD frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (χ 2 and Spearman's correlation rank) were used for the data analysis., Results: Among the respondents, there were 38 doctors and 68 nurses. The majority of the respondents had a moderate level of knowledge (79.2%) and practice (52.8%) with a mean score of 13.52±2.10 and 14.51± 2.35, respectively. Doctors have slightly higher levels of knowledge (14.01±1.62) and practice (14.57±2.07) as compared to Nurses (13.19±2.27, 14.48±2.5), respectively. Knowledge was found to be associated with the education level and age of the respondents, and practice has a significant association with training/demonstration with a P value of less than 0.05. Knowledge and practice were found to have a partial positive correlation (r value of 0.27)., Conclusion: This study concluded that those having higher levels of education had good levels of knowledge and those who have attended formal or informal training or demonstrations regarding personal safety had good practices regarding personal safety., Competing Interests: The author declared no relevant financial conflict or any other conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The literature commonly considers householders confronted by a bushfire event who ‘wait and see’ before taking protective action as engaging in decisional delay. This paper proposes an alternative way of interpreting householders' delay in taking protective action based on analysis of data from 457 householders who had recently experienced a bushfire. Seven householder archetypes, generated through cluster and discriminant function analysis, with widely differing attitudes toward bushfire threat, and beliefs about the most appropriate ways of responding to it, delayed protective action for differing reasons. This paper proposes that this is because delay in taking protective action does not reflect a failure to come to a decision but is part of a purposive process to determine the most appropriate response to the bushfire event. As such, this delay reflects purposeful scheduling or prioritising of action, according to archetypal attitudes and responses to bushfire, rather than deferring timely action due to indecision.Threat Deniers wait for confirmation of their rationale for the absence of a bushfire threat. Responsibility Deniers and Dependent Evacuators wait for others to take responsibility for them. Interacting with community members requires time for Community Guided to decide on a protective action. Committed Evacuators delay as a result decisional friction and the delay of Experienced Independents reflects their reassessment of threat or circumstances of remaining to defend.By conceiving of the problem of ‘waiting to see’ in this way, householders can be more readily convinced through bushfire safety programs targeted at their different beliefs and needs to take timely protective action.

In this paper, we publish the algorithm to create a dual image manifested in the infrared and visible spectrum. To distinguish the information in the two light spectra, twin dyes are introduced for the inkjet plotter and printing realization for garment and canvas items. The graphics, invisible to the naked eye, are designed for the near infrared (NIR) spectrum and are suitable for urban security where surveillance cameras with IR detectors are installed. The duality of dyes is presented in tables, and the analysis is a basis for programming and developing new algorithms for the application of “Infrared Dyeing” on different materials and printing technologies. Through spectroscopy, this innovative solution demonstrates twin colorants by printing in one pass through the plotter such that one image remains visible, while the other one is hidden to the bare eye. The uniform and the school bag cover presented in this paper are kept simple in design because they incorporate information hidden to the naked eye but visible with surveillance cameras and all the other infrared detectors. The article provides mathematical models of duality coloring as a basis for programming the graphic prepress that merges both of the images, the visual one and the infrared one. A topic is the fusion of two images with colors that represent two graphs, with independent contents for the visual and near-infrared spectrum.

Purpose: Formulating a definition of safety in terms of humanistic psychology and sociology.Introduction: Humanistic sociology and psychology are the trends standing in opposition to the positivism in science, arguing that human sciences are fundamentally different from natural sciences and require different research methods. They place a particular human being at the centre of research, not as an object but as an entity aware of its actions and social interactions. The main postulates of humanistic sociology are: antinaturalism, inter-actionism, subjectivity of social interaction, as well as search for and understanding of reasons for action of the research object. Similarly, humanistic psychology treats a human being as an entity investigating the reality, observing, providing and planning, requesting and using his knowledge to create reality and adapt to it. The lexical safety analysis, description and justification adopting the medical approach was made in the article. On this basis the definition of safety was formulated. On this basis, the article highlights the problems of subjectivity shaped by a sense of safety analysis of reaching the knowing subject information based on their own experience, belief and researching skills. Thus formed sense of safety is very susceptible to media manipulation. Followed by the deductive considerations, conclusions have been formulated as to the conditions which shape the safety of a broadly defined organisation (a community, a state, an enterprise). The method to assess the level of safety in the personal and organisational dimensions has been formulated in the last part of the article. Methodology: The definition of safety and its implications, in the context of shaping personal and organisational safety, was derived from deductive consid-erations. In the research, the theoretical-methodological attitude was adopted, originating from the humanistic mainstream of sociology and psychology.Conclusions: Apersonal sense of safety depends on life experience, beliefs and the research ability of a human being – the ability of critical thinking, as postulated by Immanuel Kant. Organisational safety can be defined in three contexts, so when using this concept, the context of its definition shoul be specified.

The end of the Cold War brought with it changes in the international security, with an escalation in intra-state conflicts, characterized with violence perpetuated by discernable and not so discrete foes. This challenge broadens dimensions of security to include human, social, economic, political, and environmental aspects which provide referent objects which are securitized. In line with securitization, a response to the asymmetric wars configured in terrorism whose preference is to attack "soft targets" such as people on holiday, revelers, shoppers, worshippers, and of particular concern to this study, university students. Unlike critical infrastructures which are well guarded by armed personnel, universities are core soft targets made of intellectuals and their trainees, who have bare military training and any inkling on how to respond in case of a terrorist attack. This makes such institutions susceptible as they hold tens of thousands of persons at any given time, making them a strategic attraction and target for terrorist aimed at causing maximum damage and fear among civilian populations. Granted the high risk area that universities are, the study aimed to establish the level of physical security awareness and subsequent preparedness to deal with such issues among students in selected universities in Kenya. Findings showed 89.4% of the respondents considered physical security as a personal responsibility. Only a paltry 7.5% of respondents had received some form of personal security training yet extant literature suggests that security awareness training is proportional to improved security awareness. The universities surveyed had emergency response instructions in the students' handbooks detailing how to respond to emergencies such as fi re, which is in consistency with international best practices. Students covered in this survey had practical ideas of what can be done to improve their physical security. We conclude that learning to live with the threat can be enhanced through training and conduct of drills to acquaint students with martial arts and self-defense skills. Students as a corporate body are an agency with capacity to be tapped by university management in planning and execution of physical security best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By fulfilling their tasks, employees of isolation institutions contribute to the subjective sense of security of citizens. At the same time, the staff of these institutions and their dependents become a security entity which, due to the dynamically changing sense of danger on the part of prisoners, requires active prevention of factors threatening the correct execution of the penalty of imprisonment (aggression against officers, violence against inmates, self-aggression, suicidal behaviors, etc.). In fact, by undertaking a number of preventive measures, staff undoubtedly manages security in penitentiary facilities. It is also important to use appropriate protective infrastructure depending on the type and type of prison. It is worth paying attention to the situation of Polish prisons. Political changes in Poland after 1989 also caused transformations in the prison system. A characteristic feature of these changes is the normalization of relations between prison staff and prisoners. Amendments to criminal legislation, including penitentiary, have adapted the legal situation in prisons to international standards. In theory and practice, attention is paid to a more subjective treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and greater protection of their rights and freedoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian cities are experiencing rapid population growth and expansion of urban poor. Many of these people live in informal settlements which are areas of high density, poor quality housing-the ‘poverty pockets’ with inadequate provision of basic water and sanitation services. Sanitation in slums poses the dual risk of increased disease incidence, on one hand, and it raises the issue of personal safety, security, and dignity of women and girls on the other hand. A community toilets (CT) facility is a shared facility provided for a defined group of residents or an entire settlement/community. Women, despite having a high demand for safe toilet facilities, continue to practice unsafe sanitation. In response to the shame and fear associated with open defecations, women restrict their mobility. To ensure safe, accessible and long-term usability of community toilets, it is critical to select the most appropriate location and community toilet design.

Background/Objectives: This study describes a method of developing a personal safety education program for nursing college students using a hybrid application. The purpose of this study is to ensure that nursing college students receive appropriate education, protect themselves from the elements, and make the best use of their nursing ability before conducting clinical training. Method/Statistical Analysis: This study uses Orem's theory of self-nursing as the basis of the theory, and the program was developed according to the ADDIE model. In the literature review, we selected themes with high demands through interviews with experts and research subjects, and developed a personal safety education hybrid application. Findings: The contents of the developed educational program were conducted in four chassis. When practicing at a hospital, when visiting a practicum in a local community, management of musculoskeletal diseases and stress management during clinical practice. The satisfaction level of education through the developed application was very high with 4.84±.33 points out of 5 points. Improvements/Applications: Using the application developed through this research, pre-clinical education for health centers in hospitals and communities at nursing colleges could reduce safety accidents in the field. In the future, it will be necessary to verify the effectiveness of various nursing universities and grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 2017 final report of the Australia's Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, recommendations noted the importance of school-based prevention efforts to create child-safe communities. In this study, we report on a national evaluation of the nature and availability of child sexual abuse prevention programs delivered in Australian primary schools. A survey instrument, anchored in empirical evidence, was distributed to all providers of child sexual abuse prevention programs in Australian primary schools serving children aged 4 to 13 years. Respondents were program coordinators or facilitators who provided data on 35 school-based child sexual abuse prevention programs that reached 631,720 children (approximately 26% of the Australian primary school student population) in 1 year. On average, each program reached 18,049 children in a calendar year (ranging from 200 to 80,000 children). Median child age for program exposure was 8 years. However, program duration was poorly reported so it was difficult to establish what program dosage was received. Most programs (80%-94%) covered specific item content, "always or often," for 13 important areas of content, including five of seven items that had the strongest evidence of effectiveness, derived from a recent Cochrane Review (e.g., distinguishing appropriate and inappropriate touching). Programs less frequently addressed such content as safety in using technology and perpetrator strategies (e.g., grooming). The findings provide important information about the scope and nature of child sexual abuse prevention programs, and baseline data against which future program advancements can be tracked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Strategic Review / Przeglad Strategiczny is the property of Faculty of Political Science & Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Historically, companies have tended to rely on injury/incident frequency measures to gauge their safety performance. There are several standardised ways to calculate lost time or total recordable injury rates. However, there are limitations to using incident frequency as a measure of safety performance, for example due to incomplete incident records and classification errors, or frequency of accidents being statistically unreliable. This paper introduces Operating Discipline (OD) and trust towards management as potential leading indicators and explores the relationship between OD and a range of safety outputs including personal safety, process safety and plant reliability. The study was conducted in one of the world's leading integrated oil and gas companies in the “Upstream operations” part of the business which is responsible for oil and gas production and processing. The OD data was collected through a survey administered to the workforce throughout September to November 2015 and safety/reliability data was taken from the company’s internal databases. The results demonstrate that OD predicted process safety performance and plant availability but not personal safety. Trust towards management predicted both personal and process safety performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian householders respond to bushfire in diverse and complex ways according to their circumstances and characteristics. They tend not to simply make a binary decision to evacuate from or remain at their property, or simply to ‘wait and see’ what happens before they decide. Seven self-evacuation archetypes displaying universally recognisable, fundamentally human characteristics were identified through cluster and discriminant function analysis of data from 457 householders who had recently experienced a bushfire. These seven archetypes characterise the diverse attitudes and behaviour of typical groupings of householders faced with making a protective decision during a bushfire. The archetypes comprise those who deny a threat exists (Threat Denier), who do not believe that they are responsible for themselves (Responsibility Denier) or are unable to take responsibility for their safe evacuation (Dependent Evacuator). They include those who are determined to safely evacuate (Considered Evacuator), those who look to advice and guidance from their community (Community Guided) and those who make considerable efforts to remain but are concerned they lack the experience to do so successfully (Worried Waverers). Some, who are experienced with bushfire, self-reliant and well prepared are committed to remaining (Experienced Independents) but in unfavourable circumstances may evacuate. Bushfire safety policy and programs should not treat these householders as simply stereotypical ‘evacuators’ or ‘remainers’ but accommodate the diversity of these archetypes to effectively meet their educational and engagement needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Safety & Fire Technology / Bezpieczeństwo i Technika Pożarnicza is the property of Centrum Naukowo-Badawcze Ochrony Przeciwpozarowej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates ride-share related personal safety of young adults in Cape Town in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a response to gender-based violence, the focus is on the different perceptions of females and males. Additionally, this paper considers how having access to a private vehicle affects an individual's perception of their safety. Data was collected amongst university students in Cape Town, as they have previously been identified as likely ride-share users. Uncertainty in using ride-share services is explored in the scenarios of 'before', 'during' and 'after' Covid-19 to see possible impacts of the pandemic. This study shows that access to a private vehicle is a significant factor when considering ride-share trips 'before', 'during' and 'after' the Covid-19 pandemic. Being female, especially with access to a private vehicle, has a negative correlation to making ride-share trips 'at night', 'alone' or 'alone at night'. By understanding the Covid-19 pandemic influences on individuals' perceptions, strategies and policies can be better informed. This ensures that the negative impacts of similar future disruptive events are mitigated. Supporting the progress of the case city, Cape Town, into having a more inclusive, multi-modal transport culture, this study proposes the implementation of several policies and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]