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Researchers and film professionals have studied the impact of cinema on society for decades. However, less attention is paid to the changes and trends in the perception of lifestyle reflected in the cinema. This article studies the main themes and trends of non-advertising marketing content in films. Because movies are public and popular media, they can influence a person's values, lifestyles, and attitudes toward certain aspects of life. The relevance and importance of the study of consumer culture are because it forms such cultural phenomena as tastes, desires, values, norms of behavior, and interests. The article's research object was the works of Western cinema of recent years, the largest share of which was produced in the United States of America. The work analyzes cinematographic works and highlights the main themes and trends that have a transformative impact on the way of life and society's perception of the environment: health awareness, addictions (especially to tobacco products, alcohol and drugs), environmental awareness and sustainability, privacy and relationships (due to the representation of men and women at different stages of the life cycle and the perception of sex by young people), as well as the geek subculture. The study results showed that the themes mentioned above, reflected in the films, can influence life values, lifestyle and people's attitudes to perception, possession and use of certain products. Health and environmental awareness are essential not only at the individual level but also at the societal level. According to the results of the content analysis of the films, it was recorded that nowadays, the frequency of the appearance of cigarettes and similar products has significantly decreased, especially in films with limited access for children. The geek subculture has gained much popularity and recognition in recent years. In addition, the paper has practical value for any researcher who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of non-advertising marketing content that manifests its influence through popular films about society and consumer behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theoretically studies the interaction between an informed borrower and an uninformed lender facing possible default of a loan application. The lender is motivated to invest cognitive resources before making a lending decision. If the regulatory fine is weak, it is impossible for a bad-debt borrower to fully disclose his situation in the application. In this case, when the likelihood of a bad debt is low, the borrower always claims that nothing in the application is wrong. Otherwise, the borrower randomizes between full disclosure and information suppression. The transaction cost of the lender's pre-lending cognition increases with the default probability, as the default probability is small and decreases thereafter. Evidence from a peer-to-peer lending platform with 816,274 observations between 2012 and 2015 in the United States is largely consistent with our model implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing students often prioritize learning clinical skills rather than research skills, possibly inhibiting their growth as scholars. Supporting nursing students' learning of information literacy skills has been shown to impact nurses' involvement with research after graduation. This suggests a need for developing innovative information literacy teaching strategies that can enable nursing students to better understand the process of research and how to apply research to practice. Case Presentation: This article describes the implementation of the embedded librarian project at the course level at the University of Memphis. A librarian was integrated into the Advanced Nursing Research course, a semester-long course for graduate nursing students, for the fall 2020 semester. This case shares the embedded librarian project's implementation and evaluation strategies. Conclusions: The embedded librarian project aided students' acquisition of information literacy skills at the University of Memphis. Students reported that the embedded librarian project helped them complete assignments for their research course. Using an embedded librarian service within the graduate nursing curricula model may enhance scholarship among future nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whistleblower laws are becoming important governance tools in both the public and private sectors. To examine the effectiveness of whistleblower laws and their awareness, this study creates a unique internet-based measure of awareness about whistleblower laws and provisions, focusing on the United States. Placing the analysis within the larger corruption literature, our results show that greater whistleblower awareness results in more observed corruption and this holds across specifications. Internet awareness of whistleblower laws appears to be more effective at exposing corruption than the quantity and quality of whistleblower laws themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the level of awareness of prostate cancer (PCa) among the general public and PCa patients in Europe and North America. A survey was undertaken across four European countries (UK, Germany, Italy and Spain), and across the United States and Canada in late 2007. In total, 1008 men with PCa and their partners (the ‘prostate sample’), and 911 men without PCa and their partners (the ‘well sample’) participated in the survey, all aged 50 years. Interviews were conducted through telephone, pen and paper, and online. Many people surveyed (53%) thought that breast cancer is more common than PCa. Moreover, 1 in 10 people from the well sample (10%) thought that PCa affects both men and women. When the prostate sample was asked about their perceived level of risk of PCa before diagnosis, 50% believed that they/their husband or partner were previously at low or very low risk, before they were diagnosed. Awareness of the major risk factors for PCa (age and family history) was generally good, but respondents were less clear about the role of other potential factors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. This international survey, thought to be largest of its type, shows that although patient and public awareness of PCa is generally satisfactory, there is still a considerable lack of clarity about PCa risk factors, and a danger for people to underestimate their own/their partner's perceived risk for PCa. Programmes to responsibly educate and inform men and their partners about risk factors, prevalence and screening tools for PCa are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. drinking water has recently garnered significant attention from the media, federal government, and public health professionals. While concerns for PFAS exposure continue to mount, the general public's awareness and knowledge of the contaminant has remained unknown. This exploratory study sought to fill this data gap by administering a nationwide survey in which the awareness of PFAS and community contamination, awareness of PFAS containing products and intentions to change product use, and awareness and concern about PFAS in drinking water were assessed. The results indicated that almost half the respondents had never heard of PFAS and do not know what it is (45.1%). Additionally, 31.6% responded that they had heard of PFAS but do not know what it is. A large portion of respondents (97.4%) also responded that they did not believe their drinking water had been impacted by PFAS. Demographic association did not influence knowledge of PFAS or levels of concern with PFAS in drinking water. The strongest predictor of PFAS awareness was awareness due to known community exposure. The respondents aware of community exposure were more likely to have knowledge of PFAS sources, change their use of items with potential PFAS contamination, and answer that their drinking water sources were also contaminated with PFAS. Based on the received responses, PFAS information and health risks need to be better communicated to the public to help increase awareness. These efforts should also be coordinated between government agencies, utilities, the research community, and other responsible entities to bolster their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Although interest exists among medical educators in using writing that reflects on clinical experience to enhance medical students' communication skills, empathy, and overall professionalism, little empirical research documents the value of this approach. This study explored whether students trained in one type of writing would first demonstrate increased awareness of emotional aspects of a clinical encounter in their writing; and second, be evaluated more positively in an OSCE situation by standardized patients., Method: Ninety-two students were assigned to either a point-of-view writing or a clinical reasoning condition as part of a second year doctoring course. At the end of the year, students were evaluated in an OSCE format on 3 cases, and completed a writing assignment about an ER death from cardiac arrest. Student essays were scored according to presence or absence of various themes. A linguistic analysis of the essays was also performed. Point-of-view and clinical reasoning group scores were compared on both measures, as well as on the standardized patient OSCE ratings., Results: Students trained in point-of-view writing demonstrated significantly more awareness of emotional and spiritual aspects of a paper case in a writing assignment than did students trained in clinical reasoning. By contrast, students in the clinical reasoning group were more likely to distance from the scenario. The two groups did not differ on SP OSCE ratings., Conclusion: Training in point-of-view writing can improve medical students' written skills on certain affective dimensions. It is not clear that these skills can translate into clinical behavior.

United States of America demographic profiles illustrate a nation rich in cultural and racial diversity. Approximately 29% of the population are minorities and demographic projections indicate an increase to 50% by the year 2050. This creates a highly mobile and constantly changing environment, revealing the need for new levels of cultural awareness and sensitivity. These issues are particularly critical in the medical community where medical professionals must understand the impact cultural differences and barriers can have on evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation. During times of stress, such as when injury strikes, problems associated with lack of cultural sensitivity are intensified. Cultural diversity is of particular concern when standard measures for diagnosis and prognosis are derived from established norms for responding, because culture defines norms. This paper details a ten point checklist designed to facilitate cultural awareness and sensitivity in medical settings to ensure maximum successful recovery and outcomes for all patients.

Please cite this paper as: Maurer et al. (2012) Who knew? Awareness of being recommended for influenza vaccination among US adults. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(4), 284-290. Background Starting with the 2010-2011 influenza season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual influenza vaccination to all people aged 6 months and older unless contraindicated. Objectives To measure perceived influenza vaccination recommendation status among US adults ( n = 2122) and its association with socio-demographic characteristics and recommendation status during the 2009-2010 pandemic influenza season. Methods We analyze nationally representative data from longitudinal Internet surveys of US adults conducted in November-December 2009 and September-October 2010. Results During the 2010-2011 vaccination season, 46·2 percent (95%-CI: 43·3-49·1%) of US adults correctly reported to be covered by a government recommendation for influenza vaccination. Awareness of being covered by a government influenza vaccination recommendation was statistically significantly higher among non-working adults and adults who had been recommended for seasonal vaccination or both seasonal and H1N1 vaccination during the 2009-2010 pandemic influenza vaccination season. Conclusion Our results highlight that a majority of US adults do not know that they are recommended for annual influenza vaccination by the government. The fraction of adults who are unaware of their recommendation status is especially large among newly recommended healthy young adults. The universal vaccination recommendations will only be successful if they reach both patients and physicians and lead to changing vaccination practices. The universal nature of the new recommendation simplifies vaccination-related outreach and compliance with government vaccination guidelines considerably, as it does not require any identification of specific recommendation groups based on complex personal or health risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stop signs are the primary form of traffic control in the United States. However, they have a tendency to be much less effective than other forms of traffic control like traffic lights. This is due to their smaller size, lack of lighting, and the fact that they may become visually obscured from the road. In this paper, we offer a solution to this problem in the form of a mobile application implemented in the Android platform: Stop Watcher. It is designed to alert a driver when they are approaching a stop sign using a voice notification system (VNS). A field test was performed in a snowy environment. The test results demonstrate that the application can detect all of the stop signs correctly, even when some of them were obstructed by the snow, which in turn greatly improves the user awareness of stop signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 40 percent and 67 percent of the U. S. population breathes air that is unhealthful. The single largest source of air pollution is tail pipe emissions, accounting for 40 percent of all air pollution. This paper reports on the impact oil a five-year program to reduce carbon monoxide in Denver, Colorado. Awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and intentions were affected positively by the program, but there was limited evidence of behavior change. Mandatory components (woodburning bans and use of oxygenated fuels in cars) produced significant reductions in carbon monoxide, while the voluntary component (reduced driving) produced only marginal change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipalities across the United States have varied available resources to manage urban forests, resulting in substantial differences in urban forestry services and outcomes. This article reviews 32 survey-based studies that characterize U.S. municipal urban forest management program dimensions, including program components; needs and barriers; knowledge of and attitudes toward urban forests; and plans and priorities for future management. Such information is critical for agencies that support local urban forest management efforts but has not previously been systematically gathered and condensed. Based on the limited national, regional, and state-level data published in peer-reviewed journals, we find that the number of municipal urban forestry programs appears to be increasing, many communities have at least one tree ordinance, and larger communities are more likely to have an official program. However, evidence suggests that few municipalities have an urban forest inventory or management plan, and most require additional financial, political, public, or educational support. More research on urban forestry program status, needed support, and local knowledge is needed as knowledge gaps remain regarding the influence of metropolitan areas and resident demographics on the presence and extent of municipal urban forestry programs. Additionally, few studies have investigated future municipal urban forestry-related intentions and priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evidence of the health and environmental harms of red meat is growing, yet little is known about which harms may be most impactful to include in meat reduction messages. This study examined which harms consumers are most aware of and which most discourage them from wanting to eat red meat.Design: Within-subjects randomised experiment. Participants responded to questions about their awareness of, and perceived discouragement in response to, eight health and eight environmental harms of red meat presented in random order. Discouragement was assessed on a 1-to-5 Likert-type scale.Setting: Online survey.Participants: 544 US parents.Results: A minority of participants reported awareness that red meat contributes to health harms (ranging from 8 % awareness for prostate cancer to 28 % for heart disease) or environmental harms (ranging from 13 % for water shortages and deforestation to 22 % for climate change). Among specific harms, heart disease elicited the most discouragement (mean = 2·82 out of 5), followed by early death (mean = 2·79) and plants and animals going extinct (mean = 2·75), though most harms elicited similar discouragement (range of means, 2·60-2·82). In multivariable analyses, participants who were younger, identified as Black, identified as politically liberal, had higher general perceptions that red meat is bad for health and had higher usual red meat consumption reported being more discouraged from wanting to eat red meat in response to health and environmental harms (all P < 0·05).Conclusions: Messages about a variety of health and environmental harms of red meat could inform consumers and motivate reductions in red meat consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage verification tests by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) provided the experience base for the Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects, a best practices manual, published in December 2009. This paper summarizes these outreach best practices; discusses their application in Aquistore, a greenfield CO2 storage project under way in western Canada; and reviews the implications for applying the best practices to new projects during the Development Phase of the DOE’s RCSP Program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, have had an enormous social and economical impact on society in the United State and around the world for many years. With the goal of preventing, diverting, or weakening the destructive forces of tropical cyclones, the preparedness of the public plays a major role in the magnitude of inflicted damage due to these storms. Acknowledging the captivating power of social networking and Web 2.0 over society, we present a prototype system which integrates meteorological data along with user generated content with the aim of improving public response by increasing their situational awareness due to such natural threats. The proposed system aggregates storm track and wind analysis data from the existing H*Wind system along with videos taken from YouTube and presents it to the user in Google Earth. A content-based concept detection mechanism is used to evaluate the relevance of the extracted YouTube videos to the storm of interest. The proposed system demonstrates the potential public benefit resulting from the integration of the areas of multimedia content analysis, Web 2.0, and meteorology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on audience fragmentation typically takes one of two approaches: The micro-level analysis of individuals' selective exposure to partisan news, or the macro-level analysis of audience overlap. To bridge the gap between these levels of analysis, we introduce the concept of attention centrality as a set of macro-to-micro measures that characterize how individual news media selection is situated within networks of public attention. Relying on an online panel survey conducted in the United States (N = 1,493), we examine the relationship between three indicators of respondents' attention centrality (closeness, betweenness, and reach) and the partisan valence of their news selections. The study finds different patterns of results for the three indicators of attention centrality, indicating that partisan news media are not uniformly isolated to the periphery of public attention. Results are discussed in light of conversations about selective exposure and audience overlap in the United States and around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the first direct test of the mutual awareness hypothesis by estimating the implied relationship between the entry likelihoods of individual potential entrants and the total number of potential entrants. The most difficult obstacle in empirically implementing such a test is the general lack of systematic information on the number of potential entrants relevant to different markets. Fortunately, this obstacle is surmountable in the case of the banking industry, where state branching restrictions often have the effect of defining by law who the potential entrants are. In Pennsylvania, for example, banks are limited in their expansion activity to the county in which they are headquartered and the counties contiguous to that county. This allows a systematic count of the number of potential entrants relevant to each of the state's 53 local banking markets.[2] Because of this and because Pennsylvania banking markets have been defined according to economic criteria (rather than the more common criterion of political boundaries), the test is based on the observed entry behavior of Pennsylvania banks.[3]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the knowledge, perceptions, and awareness of contraceptives among college students in Vietnam and the United States (US). Methods: The cross-sectional data were collected using a self-administered survey from January to March of 2019 in Vietnam and the US. There were 546 Vietnamese participants and 538 US participants. Nearly 70% of the participants were female. The average age was 20.37. The measures used included the knowledge, awareness and perceptions of contraceptive health. Results: US participants reported higher levels of knowledge, awareness and positive perceptions than those in Vietnam. The US and Vietnamese college students expressed different perspectives regarding the most effective and the most widely used contraceptive methods (e.g., condom vs IUD). Additionally, the results suggest that having a positive perception on contraceptive use can potentially mediate the relationship between knowledge and awareness. Conclusion: Social and cultural factors play a large role in shaping one's attitude and awareness of contraceptives. Interpersonal relationships between students and their friends and families play a large role in both the amount and accuracy of the information they are given. The gap between knowing about contraceptives and using them, could be attributed to the sensitive nature of the topic. Public campaigns on other modern contraceptive choices and promotion on mass media may be a good solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is estimated that around 70% of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients (T2DM) have Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Awareness and education are amongst the major shortcomings of the public health response to the increasing threat of NAFLD. Characterizing the specific NAFLD-related information needs of particular high-risk metabolic communities, for instance, T2DM patients, might aid in the development of evidence-based health promotion strategies, ultimately promoting NAFLD-awareness, treatment adherence and therapeutic success rates.Methods: Semi-structured interviews with T2DM patients were conducted to gain insight into their awareness of NAFLD, including its relationship with insulin resistance and T2DM.Results: Awareness of NAFLD as a disease entity, as well as its progression to end-stage liver disease or its relationship with other metabolic conditions, including insulin resistance and T2DM was low. Surveillance behaviours were also suboptimal and perceptions on the self-management knowledge and praxis regarding lifestyle intervention components of T2DM treatment seemed detached from those of NAFLD.Conclusions: Our findings could inform the integration of NAFLD-related content in T2DM health promotion strategies. Rising awareness on NAFLD progression and its relationship with T2DM using culturally and community-relevant constructs might facilitate the development of primary and secondary prevention programmes to promote the adherence to lifestyle interventions by influencing NAFLD threat perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To empirically evaluate a cognitive affective model of physical activity. This bidirectional, cyclical model hypotheses that executive control processes directly influence habitual engagement in exercise and also directly subserve the exercise-induced affective response to acute exercise associated with future physical activity. Methods: The present study employed a one-week prospective, multi-site design. Participant recruitment and data collection occurred at two separate University sites (one in the United States and the other in Canada). Participants completed a bout of treadmill exercise, with affect and arousal assessed before, during and after the bout of exercise. Subjective and objective measures of executive function were assessed during this visit. Following this laboratory visit, seven days of accelerometry were employed to measure habitual engagement in physical activity. Results: Within our inactive, young adult sample, we observed some evidence of 1) aspects of executive function were associated with more light-intensity physical activity in the future (1-week later) (r = 0.36, 95% CI = -0.03 to 0.66, P = 0.07), 2) aspects of executive function were associated with post-exercise affect (r = -0.39, 95% CI = -0.67 to -0.03, P = 0.03) and forecasted affect (r = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.11 to 0.72, P = 0.01), and 3) aspects of acute exercise arousal and affect were associated with current mild-intensity physical activity behavior (r = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.68, P = 0.03). Conclusion: We demonstrate partial support of a cognitive-affective model of physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents some findings from an exploratory study dealing with the relationship between certain personality characteristics and the adoption of farm practices. Data were obtained in 1957 by personal interviews with a sample of 23 farm operators residing in a central Iowa rural community. According to the author, a personality characteristic which one might expect to be positively related to adoption is knowledge of new farm practices. A farmer does not adopt a new practice until he (1) receives information about the existence of the new practice and (2) gains knowledge about specific details, such as how much to use and where to obtain needed materials. An awareness knowledge index was developed to measure knowledge of the existence of some very new farm practices. An adoption knowledge index was constructed to measure knowledge of the specific details about practices in the adoption scale. Of the seven personality variables that were studied as they related to adoption, only rigidity, change orientation, innovative proneness and adoption self-ratings were found to be significantly related.

The article discusses the spiritual crisis faced by contingent employees of university faculty in the U.S. The author discusses her experience of vulnerability as a contingent faculty member and looks at religious scholar Thea Bowman's notion of spirituality pertaining to self-awareness, other-awareness, and God-awareness. Topics include concerns regarding educational institutions ability to provide the educational needs of students, and the need to be aware of contingent faculty members.

The article focuses on the efforts of the press to keep abreast of the new atomic developments in the U.S. It is stated that the press stands as the only representative of the public that can conduct an aggressive campaign to straighten out the confusion underlying the public apathy on the subject of atomic warfare. According to the author, the atomic bomb burst on a completely unprepared public, in which the press, all but forbidden even to mention uranium, had been unable to make the somewhat gradual, preparatory explanation that has eased the path for scientific and technological advance in other fields. Moreover, when the Hiroshima explosion shocked the world, there were few people who even had any idea what an atom might be.

Background: Many older adults living with dementia have not been formally diagnosed. Even when clinicians document the diagnosis, patients and families may be unaware of the diagnosis. Knowledge of how individual characteristics affect detection and awareness of dementia is limited.Objective: To identify characteristics associated with dementia diagnosis and awareness of diagnosis.Design: Cross-sectional observational study.Participants: Five hundred eighty-five adults aged ≥ 65 in the National Health and Aging Trends Study who met assessment-based study criteria for probable dementia in 2011 and had 3 years of continuous, fee-for-service Medicare claims prior to 2011.Main Measures: Using multivariable logistic regression, we compared participants with undiagnosed versus diagnosed dementia (based on Medicare claims) on demographic, social/behavioral, functional, medical, and healthcare utilization characteristics. Among those diagnosed, we compared characteristics of participants unaware versus aware of the diagnosis (based on self or proxy report).Key Results: Among older adults with probable dementia, 58.7% were either undiagnosed (39.5%) or unaware of the diagnosis (19.2%). In adjusted analyses, individuals who were Hispanic (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.19, 5.14), had less than high school education (OR 0.54 for at least high school education, 95% CI 0.32, 0.91), attended medical visits alone (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.11, 3.51), or had fewer functional impairments (OR 0.79 for each impairment, 95% CI 0.69, 0.90) were more likely to be undiagnosed. Similarly, among those diagnosed, having less education (OR 0.42), attending medical visits alone (OR 1.97), and fewer functional impairments (OR 0.72) were associated with unawareness of diagnosis (all ps < 0.05).Conclusions: The majority of older adults with dementia are either undiagnosed or unaware of the diagnosis, suggesting shortcomings in detection and communication of dementia. Individuals who may benefit from targeted screening include racial/ethnic minorities and persons who have lower educational attainment, any functional impairment, or attend medical visits alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents comments of the author on the symposium "Neighborhoods and Citizen Involvement." This symposium originated out of an effort by the National Capital Area Chapter of American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) to have a better understanding of issues and problems associated with citizen involvement and participation. A local conference on citizen participation was held in April 1970 and a chapter-sponsored study/action group on citizen participation evolved from that conference. Contents of this symposium vary deliberately from the normal Public Administration Review symposium structure. It is the opinion of this symposium editor and contributors to this symposium that more attention should be focused on specific issues that concern public administrators. Papers and comments on papers are designed to provoke an awareness of the hard issues surrounding the topic of citizen participation. The policy recommendation section is included in order to encourage an active and enlightened professional debate on citizen participation. This symposium is viewed as the catalyst to that debate and ultimately to an ASPA policy position on the "proper" role of citizen participation in public administration.

Background: Genetic testing for risk of hereditary cancer can help patients to make important decisions about prevention or early detection. US and UK studies show that people from ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive genetic testing. It is important to understand various groups' awareness of genetic testing and its acceptability to avoid further disparities in health care. This review aims to identify and detail awareness, knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards genetic counselling/testing for cancer risk prediction in ethnic minority groups.Methods: A search was carried out in PsycInfo, CINAHL, Embase and MEDLINE. Search terms referred to ethnicity, genetic testing/counselling, cancer, awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Quantitative and qualitative studies, written in English, and published between 2000 and 2015, were included.Results: Forty-one studies were selected for review: 39 from the US, and two from Australia. Results revealed low awareness and knowledge of genetic counselling/testing for cancer susceptibility amongst ethnic minority groups including African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics. Attitudes towards genetic testing were generally positive; perceived benefits included positive implications for personal health and being able to inform family. However, negative attitudes were also evident, particularly the anticipated emotional impact of test results, and concerns about confidentiality, stigma, and discrimination. Chinese Australian groups were less studied, but of interest was a finding from qualitative research indicating that different views of who close family members are could impact on reported family history of cancer, which could in turn impact a risk assessment.Conclusion: Interventions are needed to increase awareness and knowledge of genetic testing for cancer risk and to reduce the perceived stigma and taboo surrounding the topic of cancer in ethnic minority groups. More detailed research is needed in countries other than the US and across a broader spectrum of ethnic minority groups to develop effective culturally sensitive approaches for cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the implementing restorative justice and community justice models in police related shootings in the U.S. Topics discussed include limitations of the criminal legal system related to police shootings; prevention of police violence in marginalized urban communities; and creating awareness among the people related to the same.

In the United States, the status of coordination among pediatric care services is not well understood. Through the use of quality improvement (QI) techniques, coordination gaps were systematically identified in the interagency network of pediatric services in Kalamazoo MI. Gaps were found in transportation resources, follow-up procedures, awareness of services, interagency communication, insurance limitations, population behaviors, and resource utilization. This preliminary study reveals the need for (1) protocols for intra- and inter-agency communication, (2) mechanisms for easy and fast retrieval of pediatric resources, and (3) health information exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increased awareness and concern about children with developmental disabilities wandering away from adult supervision, there is a paucity of research about elopement. This is the first study to examine and report the prevalence and correlates of elopement in a nationally representative sample of school-age children in the United States with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or cognitive impairment. Data were obtained from the CDC's "Pathways" Survey, a follow-up telephone survey of the parents of 4,032 children with a developmental condition. 3,518 children that had ASD, intellectual disability (ID), and/or developmental delay (DD) at the time of survey administration were included for analysis. Children were divided into three condition groups: ASD-only; ID/DD-only; ASD+ID/DD. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare the prevalence of elopement and rates of preventive measure use (barriers and/or electronic devices) across condition groups, and to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of elopement. T-tests were also performed to compare scores on the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ) between wanderers and non-wanderers. Overall, 26.7% of children had reportedly eloped within the previous year, most commonly from public places. Children with ASD-only and ASD+ID/DD were more likely to have eloped than those with ID/DD-only. Across all groups, wanderers scored higher than non-wanderers on five out of six CSBQ subscales; they were more likely not to realize when there is danger, to have difficulty distinguishing between strangers and familiar people, to show sudden mood changes, to over-react to everything/everyone, to get angry quickly, to get lost easily, and to panic in new situations or if change occurs. Even after controlling for elopement history, parents of children in the ASD+ID/DD group were more likely than those in the other condition groups to report using physical or electronic measures to prevent wandering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer causes the highest number of cancer-related deaths in Jamaican men. It is not known whether rural-dwelling men present with worse disease than urban-dwelling men at initial presentation. Since rural and urban-dwelling Jamaicans are predominantly of African descent and generally similar in respect of racial composition, if any significant variation in initial presentation were found, it would suggest that these are likely due to differences in awareness, access to care, and screening patterns. Methods: The medical records of rural and urban-dwelling patients with prostate cancer were compared. Patients' age at presentation, initial prostate-specific antigen level, digital rectal examination findings, biopsy Gleason scores and initial treatment received were compared using bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Results: In unadjusted analyses rural-dwelling men were older compared to urban-dwelling men (72 years versus 68.5 years, p = 0.035), had higher median PSA values (22.9 ng/ml versus 18 ng/ml, p = 0.001), higher local tumour stage (65.2 % versus 34.8 % T3 disease; 73.7 % versus 26.3 % T4 disease; p = 0.005), higher mean Gleason scores (p = 0.048) and more non-curative initial treatments. Local tumour stage was the only statistically significant difference between rural and urban-dwelling men in logistic regression analysis with rural-dwelling men having a 70 % higher risk of locally-advanced disease (OR = 1.70, 95 % CI: 1.03-2.79; p = 0.038). Conclusion: Rural-dwelling men presented with more advanced prostate cancer compared to urban-dwelling men. As both rural and urban-dwelling men are of predominant African descent it is likely that these differences are due to differences in access to care, screening practice and awareness of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic social media content, such as Twitter messages, can be used to examine individuals’ beliefs and perceptions. By analyzing Twitter messages, this study examines how Twitter users exchanged and recognized toponyms (city names) for different cities in the United States. The frequency and variety of city names found in their online conversations were used to identify the unique spatiotemporal patterns of “geographical awareness” for Twitter users. A new analytic method, Knowledge Discovery in Cyberspace for Geographical Awareness (KDCGA), is introduced to help identify the dynamic spatiotemporal patterns of geographic awareness among social media conversations. Twitter data were collected across 50 U.S. cities. Thousands of city names around the world were extracted from a large volume of Twitter messages (over 5 million tweets) by using the Twitter Application Programming Interface (APIs) and Python language computer programs. The percentages of distant city names (cities located in distant states or other countries far away from the locations of Twitter users) were used to estimate the level of global geographical awareness for Twitter users in each U.S. city. A Global awareness index (GAI) was developed to quantify the level of geographical awareness of Twitter users from within the same city. Our findings are that: (1) the level of geographical awareness varies depending on when and where Twitter messages are posted, yet Twitter users from big cities are more aware of the names of international cities or distant US cities than users from mid-size cities; (2) Twitter users have an increased awareness of other city names far away from their home city during holiday seasons; and (3) Twitter users are more aware of nearby city names than distant city names, and more aware of big city names rather than small city names. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restaurant workers are less likely to have paid sick leave (PSL) benefits than other professions, despite the fact that they handle food and interact with the public. In this study, we collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data on PSL awareness among New York City's restaurant workers and the factors that produced these levels of awareness. We found that 62% of surveyed workers were aware of NYC's law, and that successful outreach requires building broad awareness and ensuring trustworthy sources of information with multiple points of contact. Our research also highlights the importance of immigrant populations in PSL outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the report which provides information on tuberculosis (TB) and raise awareness on the different characteristics of people with TB in the U.S from 1993-2010. Topics mentioned include the prompt on actions that will reduce the disparities by race/ethnicity, income, educational attainment, and sociodemographic factors, the part of the second Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR), and the progress of eliminating TB.

The article discusses the findings of the study regarding the important contribution of university supervisors to the successful experiences of student teachers in the U.S. It notes that supervisors have a powerful effect on the identity, self-perception and quality of future teachers. The better understanding university supervisors' complex stances and practices provides a foundation for improving learning opportunities for student teachers. It mentions the importance of encouraging supervisors to become aware of and develop stances that are responsive to student teacher's learning in increasing the quality of supervisory experiences.

Revisionists demonstrate campaigns mobilize, educate, activate predispositions, and change minds. Attention has turned from the 'minimum effects' thesis to questions about the conditions under which campaigns matter and questions about which types of people are susceptible to campaign effects. Focusing on whether campaign effects are mediated by chronic political awareness, I find that current scholarship on this question is mixed. Some find that campaigns affect the politically unaware most, some find bigger effects among more aware citizens, and some find similar effects across the awareness distribution. Noting the possibility that awareness mediates different types of campaign effects differently (e.g. priming, persuasion, or learning), Zaller's Receive-Accept-Sample framework is consulted to develop expectations. I test the RAS generated predictions using the 2004 National Annenberg Election Survey pre/post panel. The results support the theory that awareness mediates different campaign effects differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer technologies that protect data and systems from viruses, unauthorized access, disruptions, spyware and other threats have become increasingly important in the globally networked economy and society. Yet little is known about user attitudes and behaviour towards this category of information technologies. Comparative studies across different cultures in this context are even rarer. In this study, we examine the cross-cultural differences between South Korea and the United States in user behaviour towards protective information technologies. We develop a theoretical model of user behaviour based on the framework of the theory of planned behaviour and national cultural dimensions and indices. We posit that cultural factors moderate the strength of the relationships in the behavioural model in the context of protective information technologies. The model was then empirically tested using structural equation modelling techniques in conjunction with multi-group analysis. Most of the hypothesized moderating effects of national cultural factors were found to be statistically significant. Our findings suggest that cultural factors should be considered in order to design effective information security policies, practices and technologies in global networks where multiple cultures coexist. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public consciousness of sexual harassment, or sekuhara, emerged much later in Japan than in the United States. This article, the first comparative study of sexual harassment in the two nations, explores how consciousness of a new legal category diffuses across nations and begins to take root in younger cohorts. Analyses of the U.S. General Social Survey and the Japanese Survey on Working Women's Consciousness show how age cohorts entering the labor force following major equal opportunity legislation report more sexual harassment than do older cohorts. We first conduct a separate nation-specific analysis and then pool the data sets to test for national differences with cross-product interaction terms. The effects of age, income, and job satisfaction all differ significantly between the United States and Japan. Family and life course factors are also important predictors, particularly in Japan. We interpret these results based on the extant literature on sexual harassment, legal consciousness over the life course, and comparative research on workplace behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the significance of water awareness programs in the U.S. According to the author, the program has called the students to be aware of the issue and be motivated to become involved in making solutions. It reveals that various water-use awareness activities have been done by the students in order for them to know the amount of water they consumed in a bath or shower. Moreover, it is noted that the activity might consider the student to think if the cause of drought is related to current life choices.

All forecasting is fraught with a risk of future embarrassment, but environmental forecasts may be among the diciest of all. In 1982, the Scientific Forecasting and Trends Staff of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development commissioned a quite reputable consulting company to undertake an "environmental foresight study" to help the EPA anticipate future environmental problems and recognize emerging trends. The study report was completed in late 1984 (Coates, Coates and Heinz, 1984). Among other things, it identified the ten highest priority environmental problems in the years to come, as well as a group of problems of"second order importance"-some thought to have been serious at the time, others viewed merely as potential problems. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere-or global climate change, as it is now knowndid not make the top ten list, nor was it identified as a problem of second order importance. Rather, it was identified as a potential second order problem, the effects of which "are unlikely to be important by 2020." The reason for remembering this prediction, of course, is not to single out this particular set of authors. To be fair to the authors of the report, even many of those greatly concerned about global climate change would likely agree that the world has yet to see the adverse effects they believe it will eventually pose. Nonetheless, it strikes a cautionary note about all environmental predictions to remember that this report was published just 13 years before 130 nations met in Kyoto, Japan, to craft a treaty aimed at dealing with greenhouse warming, a danger that many of them had come to view as the gravest manmade environmental threat the world has ever faced. With this cautionary example in mind, I have chosen the approach of choosing a forecasting horizon far enough in the future--a full halt:century--that there is no chance of my being around to be held accountable. I will offer some speculation about the future... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant funding of health programs in low-income countries comes from external sources, mainly private donors and national development agencies of high-income countries. How these external funds are allocated remains a subject of ongoing debate, as studies have revealed that external funding may misalign with the underlying disease burden. One determinant of the priorities set by both private donors and development agencies is the perceptions of populations living in high-income countries about which diseases are legitimate for global health intervention. While research has been conducted on the priorities expressed by recipient communities, relatively less has been done to assess those of the donating country. To investigate people's beliefs about the disease burden in high-income countries, we compared publicly available data from U.S. surveys of people's perceptions of the leading causes of death in developing countries against measures of the actual disease burden from the World Health Organization. We found little correlation between the U.S. public's perception and the actual disease burden, measured as either mortality or disability-adjusted life years. While there is potential for reverse causality, so that donor programs drive public perceptions, these findings suggest that increasing the general population's awareness of the true global disease burden could help better align global health funding with population health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study involving awareness for public health professionals and agencies to engage actions to prevent child abuse in the U.S. The study is designed to build support among these groups for the recommendations of the Surgeon General's workshop on violence and public health. The purpose of the study include increasing public awareness and efforts to prevent child abuse, improving the quality of health services to families, and developing data systems to monitor the incidence and prevalence of child abuse.

Drought is a creeping climatological phenomenon with persistent precipitation deficits. Unlike rapid onset natural hazards such as floods and wildfires, the intangible and gradual characteristics of drought cause a lack of social response during the onset. The level of awareness of a local drought increases rapidly through mass media reports and online information searching activities when the drought reaches its peak severity. This high level of local drought awareness drives concerns for water shortage and support for water policy. However, spatiotemporal patterns of national-scale drought awareness have never been studied due to constraints imposed by time-consuming and costly survey data collection and surveys' limited sample sizes. Here, we present the national-scale study to reveal the spatiotemporal patterns of drought awareness over the contiguous United States (CONUS) using Google Trends data and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results show that the first two PC modes can explain 48% (38% for PC1 and 10% for PC2) of the total variance of state-level drought awareness. We find that the PC1 mode relates to a national pattern of drought awareness across the CONUS. The spatiotemporal patterns further imply that residents in the Northeastern US region are the most aware of the emergence of drought, regardless of the geographic location of the occurrence. The results illustrate how big data, such as search query and social media data, can help develop an effective and efficient plan for drought mitigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]