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Abstract The purpose of this research is to investigate and prioritize factors affecting the success of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies in Mazandaran province. The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of this research includes 15 experts with master's degree or higher, and at least 10 years of work experience in the relevant field and managers, and experts of small and medium companies in Mazandaran. Fuzzy Delphi method was used for review and prioritization. The best-worst method (BWM) was used to prioritize the factors and its components, and Lingo software was used for analysis. Effective factors include the components of 1- infrastructure (access to the Internet network, electronic storage of information, security systems and electronic payments), 2- payment system (payment authorization, various customer payment methods, settlement operations), 3- Knowledge and awareness (customer notification system, customer privacy consideration, company's response to customers' frequent questions), 4- Customer satisfaction (variety of products and advertisements, company's seasonal auctions, timely delivery of goods, building trust). The results show that the prioritization of factors affecting the success of e-commerce, respectively, payment system, infrastructure, customer satisfaction, and knowledge and awareness gained the first to fourth rank of importance. Extended Abstract Introduction The emergence of the Internet has made it easier for newcomers to enter, and as a result, the number of competitors in various markets has increased. Advances in information and communication technology and the rapid expansion of the Internet have undergone many changes and transformations in various areas of human life, as well as in various business fields. Changes in the business environment are the main characteristics of this century (Taghavi fard & Abdoli Masinan, 2020). New technologies have transformed the way of providing customer service in today's organizations (Sanyayan & Sanyaei, 2016). The digitization of businesses has changed many traditional businesses to electronic businesses, and this issue shows the growth of e-commerce transactions in the world, and the new systems that are recently used in e-commerce by governments and private companies are among the most effective factors for success in electronic commerce (Singh et al, 2017). In e-commerce, the conventional meaning of economic benefits largely refers to customer retention on e-commerce platforms, discounts, advertizements, or other preferred activities (Liu et al, 2019). To measure success in e-commerce, it can be seen in customer satisfaction when searching for the desired product and buying online (Abdallah & Jaleel, 2015). Despite its advantages, e-commerce also faces challenges because changing people's habits is not an easy task. For example, researchers in e-commerce have mentioned the skills and techniques of gaining customer trust as an essential factor (Murphy & Tocher, 2011). Small and medium enterprises are a large part of industrial economies. Their growth and development is very important and many researches have been started to determine electronic business in small and medium companies. It is thought that the success of e-commerce in the small and medium sector will make the country more competitive, and this successful adoption and use of e-commerce technology is vital for survival. Therefore, the researcher is trying to answer the question: what is the evaluation and priority of factors affecting the success of e-commerce in small and medium enterprises of Mazandaran province? Theoretical Framework E-commerce success E-commerce is the use of computers in one or more networks to create and transmit commercial information, which is mostly related to buying and selling information, goods and services through the Internet. On the other hand, e-commerce has certain advantages over traditional business; e-commerce changes the way business is conducted and thus transforms traditional markets into new forms and creates significant changes in competitive conditions (Ebrahim Shamirani, 2015). Customer satisfaction Satisfaction is wider than quality, and quality is considered one of the factors of creating satisfaction in customers. Satisfaction means the evaluation of customers about the product or service provided to whether it was able to meet the expectations of customers or not. In fact, customer satisfaction is the result of satisfying customer needs (Ahmadi et al, 2015). Agheshlouei et al, (2023) investigated the presentation of a new business model to help entrepreneurs develop new businesses and e-commerce startups. The results of the research show that, in addition to improving the business model of Strowalder and Pignor, the business model presented in this study leads to a better understanding of the elements of the business model by entrepreneurs, and improves investment negotiations by creating convergence and common understanding of business concepts between entrepreneurs and investors. Using this business model, entrepreneurs focus on the value proposition in addition to the technical details. Atimehr et al, (2022) in an article entitled Development of the antecedent model of e-commerce success using structural equations and (IPMA) method, showed that among the explanatory variables of e-commerce success, the variable of electronic oralization has the most relative importance; while the customer support system variable has the least relative importance. Also, from the point of view of the respondents, it was found that the electronic satisfaction variable has the highest performance coefficient, while the customer support system variable has the lowest performance coefficient. Research methodology The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of this research includes 15 experts with master's degree or higher, with at least 10 years of work experience in the relevant field, and managers and experts of small and medium companies in Mazandaran. Fuzzy Delphi method was used for review and prioritization. Research findings In order to prioritize the factors and its components, the best-worst method (BWM) was used, and Lingo software was used for analysis. Effective factors include 1- infrastructure components (access to the Internet, electronic information storage, security systems and electronic payments), 2- Payment system (payment authorization, various customer payment methods, account settlement operations), 3- Knowledge and awareness (customer notification system, customer privacy consideration, company's response to customers' frequent questions), 4- Customer satisfaction (variety of products and advertisements, Company's seasonal auctions, timely delivery of goods, building trust). The results show that the prioritization of factors affecting the success of e-commerce, respectively, payment system, infrastructure, customer satisfaction, and knowledge and awareness gained the first to fourth rate of importance. Conclusion The current research was conducted with the aim of investigating and prioritizing factors affecting the success of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies in Mazandaran province. The results of this research are in agreement with the results of Agheshlouei et al, (2023), Atimehr et al, (2022), Lobel Trong Thuy (2021), Emami Meibodi (2021), Jalali (2021), Himanshu & Aggarwal (2019), and Choshin & Ghaffari (2017). Agheshlouei et al, (2023) showed that, in addition to improving the business model of Sturwalder and Pignor, the presented business model gives entrepreneurs a better understanding of the elements of the business model and improves investment negotiations by creating convergence and a common understanding of business concepts between entrepreneurs and investors. Using this business model, entrepreneurs focus on the value proposition in addition to the technical details. According to the present research, the following suggestions are presented: Employees should be trained to use internet networks better Creation of documents management and databases for electronic storage and security of information Appropriate pricing according to competitors' prices and establishing cost management Investment and innovation in the use of e-commerce in small and medium enterprises Collecting customer information considering their privacy for their satisfaction Dealing with customer criticisms and analyzing them Evaluating the use of e-commerce

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Purpose: Oral contraceptives are routinely used by women, because they are effective birth control methods, but few women are aware of their adverse ocular side effects. This study was carried out to determine the level of awareness and knowledge of the adverse ocular side effects associated with oral contraceptive use among women in Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over an eight-month period from February 2023 to September 2023, including 402 women (n = 402). The study employed both self-administered online and printed questionnaires. Results: The mean age of the participants was 27.76 ± 7.03. A total of 196 had tertiary education, 131 had secondary education and 75 had no educational background. Two-hundred thirty-seven participants were users of oral contraceptives, while 165 had never used them. Of the participants that were users of oral contraceptives, 44 had previously experienced visual problems as a side. The study results reveal that 289 participants (71.9%) were not aware of the potential adverse effects of oral contraceptives, while only 82 participants (20.4%) were aware. Conclusion: The results of this study show that there is poor awareness of the side effects of oral contraceptives, more specifically, the adverse effects on the eyes. It is recommended that more public health awareness campaigns be initiated, with the goal of accurately educating women about the ocular pathologic risks associated with oral contraceptives. Furthermore, healthcare workers should effectively communicate the risks associated with oral contraceptives to their patients. This can help women looking for contraception options make informed decisions about using oral contraceptives.

Although a significant amount of biomedical research has been conducted to study HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), there has been scant research done to assess the awareness and knowledge of this public health concern among middle-aged and older people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Our qualitative community-based participatory research study sought to address this research gap by examining the awareness and knowledge of HAND among relevant stakeholders in southern Nevada, USA. We conducted 15 semistructured interviews with middle-aged and older PLWH to examine their awareness and knowledge of HAND and access to pertinent resources. After our thematic analysis of our interviews, we identified two overarching themes: (1) limited awareness and knowledge of HAND among PLWH, and (2) southern Nevada social determinants of health. Our findings underscore the importance of raising awareness and knowledge of HAND among PLWH through community-based education programs, and improving access to resources related to social determinants of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis are the most prevalent human diseases. Diabetes worsens the periodontal condition, but periodontitis also hampers glycemic control in diabetic patients. Based on staging and grading, the latest periodontitis classification puts DM as one of the grade modifiers. Periodic periodontal maintenance prevents reinfection and could help people with diabetes maintain effective glycemic control. Dental health education and periodontal disease awareness are crucially needed for diabetic patients, especially during the pandemic. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between levels of awareness and knowledge of periodontitis in diabetic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed to new patients referred to the Periodontology Clinic of the Dental Hospital of Universitas Indonesia. Patients’ data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from January to June 2021. Results: Eighty-four patients participated, of which 34.5 % were diabetic patients with periodontitis. Statistically, significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between levels of awareness and knowledge of periodontitis among diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients (both groups are suffering periodontitis). Awareness and knowledge of periodontitis are inversely correlated with their current clinical periodontal status, therefore patients with less awareness and knowledge have more severe periodontitis. Conclusion: Lack of awareness and knowledge of periodontitis was found among both nondiabetic and diabetic periodontitis patients. Dental health education is required to improve understanding and awareness of the relationship between periodontitis and DM.

Abstract Background There is a lack of research relating to awareness associated with dysphagia-specific knowledge of health care practitioners in Egypt. The study aimed at determining the level of awareness and knowledge of dysphagia among health care practitioners in Egypt to detect the pitfalls to be addressed through awareness-raising programs. Methods A questionnaire was distributed online to be filled in by health care practitioners apart from those with the highest knowledge about dysphagia as otolaryngologists, phoniatricians, and gastroenterologists. It consists of 4 sections including sociodemographic data, the participants’ level of awareness and knowledge about dysphagia through questions about dysphagia identification, symptoms and signs, and complications, data about the practice of dysphagia in their hospitals, and their level of awareness and knowledge of the role played by the phoniatricians in dysphagia management in addition to the availability of this specialty in their centers. Results Forty-seven percent of the participants rated themselves as having moderate to high contract with dysphagia cases. Sixty-six percent of the participants did not receive training in dysphagia. Only 18.1% of the participants indicated the presence of a dysphagia clinic in their institute. Forty percent of the participants refer dysphagia cases to GIT followed by 37.8% of the participants refer to ENT then 18.6% of them refer to Phoniatrics. Forty-six percent of the participants do not know the investigations work-up for dysphagia. Conclusion Egyptian health care practitioners in the Greater Cairo area encountered in this study differ in their knowledge and awareness level about dysphagia according to their specialties and their degree of contact with dysphagia cases. Minimal awareness was found in specialties with low contact. Fair awareness was found in specialties with moderate to high contact with dysphagia cases. There was insufficient knowledge about non-overt symptoms and signs of dysphagia, the widely used investigations, and the role of phoniatricians in dealing with dysphagia cases. Neurology was the specialty with a relatively higher awareness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced tremendous socioeconomic upheaval worldwide, affecting people’s purchasing habits and intentions. This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 risk perceptions and intentions to consume energy drinks. Furthermore, it analyzes the role of a healthy lifestyle and sustainable consumption in mediating this relationship. A survey approach was used to obtain the data. An online questionnaire (400 samples) was distributed through social media to Palestinian citizens and residents (students, employees, free professionals, laborers, and others). The study used a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis used descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion). PLS was utilized to investigate the mediation effect, whereas SPSS was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. Risk perception was assessed using seven variables: fear, conduct, awareness and knowledge, trust and confidence, healthy lifestyle, sustainable consumption, and intention to use energy beverages. The findings indicate that COVID-19 risk perception affects the propensity to consume energy beverages (B = 3.692; p ˂ 0.001). In addition, the results show that COVID-19 risk perception has a significant relationship with a healthy lifestyle and sustainable consumption (B = 3.358; p ˂ 0.001; B = 3.571; p ˂ 0.001). The findings also highlighted a partial mediation of healthy lifestyle and sustainable consumption in the association between COVID-19 risk perception and desire to use energy beverages.

This research aims to determine whether individuals intend to verify the validity of information before posting it on social media platforms. The intention to verify news before posting it on social media is the dependent variable. The four independent variables are attitudes, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, and awareness and knowledge. This study used a quantitative approach and a self-administered questionnaire as its research instrument. It was then delivered to the respondents via Google Forms, and the data that was gathered was then analysed using IBM SPSS version 26.0. The total number of respondents is 402. Female participants are 221 (55.0%), while males are 181 (45.0%). The result revealed a significant relationship between all the independent variables (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and awareness and knowledge) and the dependent variable (intention to verify). From the standardised regression coefficients (beta coefficients), it shows that the most significant relative influence of the explanatory variables is Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC =0.358), followed by Attitude (Att =0.334), Awareness And Knowledge (AFN= 0.169) and Subjective Norms (SN= 0.092). This study helps make improvements to these elements to halt the escalation of the spread of fake news on social media among the general population.

Understanding heat-related impacts is important for supporting urban managers, planners, and designers in creating heat-resilient cities. However, existing literature has not revealed city-specific and group-specific public perception, awareness, knowledge, and impacts. This results international, national, and regional heat action plans in only providing general information for building resilience capacity, making them fail to offer accurate and unbiased suggestions for implementation. This study overcomes such knowledge gaps by investigating public perception, awareness, knowledge, and impacts on daily functioning based on 4210 valid questionnaires in nine megacities in China. The analysis verified the disparity between heat severity and adaptation awareness and knowledge in both nationwide and city-specific scenarios. Lack of awareness and knowledge was identified as a major challenge for action, possibly associated with background climates, extreme heat events, and socioeconomic characteristics. The subjects' responses showed heterogeneity across the nine megacities in terms of heat severity, impact knowledge, action awareness, and solution knowledge. Heat-induced impacts on daily functioning were spatially heterogeneous, with Chongqing and Nanchang being the most affected cities. Socioeconomic drivers of public perception, awareness, knowledge, and impact varied among cities. Overall, the results reveal that nationwide findings cannot exactly represent city-wide heat severity and action urgency. When transferring nation-scale action plans formulated on a nationwide dataset to city-scale plans, city-specific perception, awareness, knowledge, and impacts should be considered to avoid biases. Moreover, differences in socioeconomic determinants suggested the variability of susceptible groups, which should be emphasized when formulating city-scale action plans. Overall, this study adds original findings on city-specific heat-related perception, awareness, knowledge, and impacts, and offers implications for accurate and unbiased heat action plan formulation. • 4210 valid questionnaires in nine large China cities. • Heterogeneity of heat-related awareness, knowledge, daily functioning impacts. • A large disparity between heat severity and adaptation awareness and knowledge. • City-specific results were different from nine-city results. • Chongqing and Nanchang were the two most affected cities by extreme heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genetic diseases result from gene mutations that disrupt the function of body systems, and most of them cannot be treated. Genetic diseases are a serious issue responsible for severe economic, emotional, and health impacts on patients and their families. In Saudi Arabia, consanguineous marriage is common, leading to an increased prevalence of genetic diseases. Therefore, Saudi Arabia has endeavored to reduce the frequency of genetic diseases by implementing the premarital screening program, which is mandatory and accessible for people planning to get married, and the genetic counseling program. Methods: In this study, we investigated the awareness and knowledge of genetic diseases among residents of the western region of Saudi Arabia, and we conducted a cross-sectional survey focusing on the level of awareness and knowledge of genetic diseases and available health care. Results: We found that the residents of the western region had good knowledge about genetic diseases, but 96.10% lacked the awareness of health services provided for this type of disease. Furthermore, 91.90% of them had a positive attitude toward genetic testing. Conclusion: The present study found that Saudi society had a good attitude toward genetic testing, such as prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Many of the study participants were not aware, where to access genetic tests for their families, and most considered health services for patients with genetic diseases to be rudimentary, thus pointing out a lack of awareness and knowledge toward health services. [JBCGenetics 2021; 4(2.000): 85-92]

Background and Objectives: Various studies indicating that cannabis is associated with various psychiatric disorders despite which is a controversy existing regarding the legalisation of cannabis by all the promoters and consumers of the substance. Our objective was to find out the knowledge and awareness among the 1st year and final year medical students toward the effects and experiences with the consumption of cannabis. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study done on first and final year medical students between July 2019 and August 2019 in Sri Devaraj Urs higher education and research center, who are assessed using a structured and validated instrument, Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief (MEEQ-B) questionnaire. Results: Both the first-year and final-year medical students in our study had poor awareness and inadequate knowledge about the various adverse effects of cannabis, especially on all the six parameters of the MEEQ questionnaire. Conclusion: Extensive and elaborative teaching regarding substance use, especially of cannabis and its implication must be updated in the curriculum of both UG teaching and PG teaching in other specialities as well.

Tooth avulsion is the most common dental trauma. The prevailing society considers the undergraduate preclinical students as dentists and so it becomes essential to possess knowledge and to be aware of the first aid and emergency management of dental trauma. The aim of the study is to assess and compare the knowledge of emergency management of tooth avulsion among dental students of different years. A descriptive cross sectional study with 160 students as sample size was conducted. The participants were grouped into three as Group A (Preclinical BDS students), Group B (Clinical BDS students) and Group C (Interns). A self structured questionnaire was distributed among the population and the data were collected and analysed with SPSS software. Comparison between the groups was done by Chi square test with the significance p<0.05. The results were mostly statistically significant. The preclinical students showed active participation and had quite knowledge (63.7%) on emergency management of tooth avulsion. Knowledge and awareness on emergency management of tooth avulsion was average among preclinical students, whereas good in clinical students and better among interns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: World Health Organization, around 4.2 million individuals kick the bucket rashly from the impacts of contaminated, open air each and every year, while a further 3.8 million pass on because of messy indoor air.4,5 Air contamination is a tremendous issue and not only for individuals living in brown haze gagged urban areas: through such things as an unnatural weather change and harm to the ozone layer, it can possibly influence every one of us. So what precisely aims this major natural issue? Air contamination counteraction is a financial weight to an individual and to a country on a worldwide scale.1 Air contamination is a danger to human and condition; along these lines, it is critical to comprehend key sources, causes, wellbeing impacts related with air contamination. This monograph gives a review about air contamination and proposes the appropriate preventive measures to lessen air contamination. 2 Methods: A non-experimental descriptive design with quantitative approach, was adopted to assess the knowledge on air pollution and its prevention and Air Quality index among people residing in urban areas of Pune city. It includes 250 samples from selected areas .Non probability convenience sampling technique was adopted in this study. Result: Based on the objectives of the study which is to assess the knowledge of the people and the association between the demographic variables, the following result has been identified. The knowledge level was identified as; 20.8% of the people have a poor knowledge level on air pollution, its prevention and air quality index; 76% of the people have an average knowledge regarding air pollution, its prevention and air quality index and only 3.2% of the people have good knowledge regarding air pollution, its prevention and air quality index. By using the paired t test formula, the t value is 0.05. The demographic variable of education alone has an association with 0.001 as the closest value to the average. The other demographic variables of gender, age and employment do not have an association with the t value, as they are more than the average with findings of 0.119, 0.643 and 0.481 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Air pollution is the most common cause of global warming, it has become a major contributor in these past few years due to lack of awareness and control of pollution among people.1 Most of the people in India are unaware of what Air Quality Index is either. In urban areas excess use of fuels and wastage of resources has caused massive increase in air pollution which lead to decrease in average life span of human beings.2 Our objective was to assess the level of awareness and knowledge among the people regarding air pollution and its prevention in selected urban areas of Pune. As well to find the level of knowledge on AQI and to find the association between knowledge among the people regarding air pollution and its prevention in selected urban areas of Pune city Methods: A non-experimental descriptive design with quantitative approach, was adopted to assess the knowledge on air pollution and its prevention and Air Quality index among people residing in urban areas of Pune city. It includes 250 samples from selected areas .Non probability convenience sampling technique was adopted in this study. Result: Based on the objectives of the study which is to assess the knowledge of the people and the association between the demographic variables, the following result has been identified. The knowledge level was identified as; 20.8% of the people have a poor knowledge level on air pollution, its prevention and air quality index; 76% of the people have an average knowledge regarding air pollution, its prevention and air quality index and only 3.2% of the people have good knowledge regarding air pollution, its prevention and air quality index. By using the paired t test formula, the t value is 0.05. The demographic variable of education alone has an association with 0.001 as the closest value to the average. The other demographic variables of gender, age and employment do not have an association with the t value, as they are more than the average with findings of 0.119, 0.643 and 0.481 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the predictors of HIV/AIDS awareness and knowledge among older and younger Ghanaian women of reproductive age. Logistic regression was estimated using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. Results indicate that older Ghanaian women are significantly different from their younger counterparts in terms of the selected socio-economic and demographic characteristics that influence awareness and knowledge of the epidemic. In all, the respondents' age, region of residence, wealth status, education, marital status and religious affiliation were found to significantly predict knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS among women. In addition, pregnancy status and place of residence proved to be significant correlates of HIV/AIDS awareness among Ghanaian women. The study suggests that higher social status is critical in determining whether women of reproductive age are aware of and knowledgeable about the epidemic. Thus, there is the need for policies and interventions to target messages taking into account the varied socio-economic and demographic backgrounds of women in Ghana. Further, health education interventions should be sensitive to the changing technological landscape in order to develop messages that can be delivered via mobile phones, whether as reminders or ringtones, and therefore enhance health knowledge and promote behaviour that brings about desirable health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ongoing pandemic due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is becoming a serious global threat. Experts suggest that the infection can be controlled by immediate prevention measures. Sailing is one of the occupational categories more vulnerable to this virus outbreak due to the proximity of the working conditions. Objective: Awareness and knowledge assessments of seafarers towards the current epidemic is mandatory to understand the effectiveness and success of the infection control measures adopted by shipping companies. Methods: In this study, we presented an online questionnaire survey to determine the knowledge levels of COVID-19 among seafarers. The data were collected by self-reported survey, and analysis was done by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The t-test was used to understand the knowledge attitude differences to COVID-19 among different occupational groups of seafarers, and the p-value ≤ of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 1,458 responses received, 92.82% had a college or university degree. The results reported that the mean COVID-19 knowledge score was 5.82 (standard deviation = 0.51, range 0–6), and the overall correct percentage was 97%. There was a statistically significant difference between age groups (F (4, 1453) = 5.44, p < 0.001) and educational groups (F (4, 1453) = 1.52, p < 0.001). The knowledge score was not significantly different across the educational status of the participants (F (2, 1455) = 1.52, p = 0.220). Conclusions: The present study highlighted good knowledge and behaviours among sailors about COVID-19. However, shipping companies need to come up with new campaigns to hold optimistic practices and suitable guidelines on ships, including cruise boats, to keep sea workers always alert and collaborative in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

In the dawn of the twentieth century, the world was facing an economic crisis. India thus initiated to come up with new federal policies with respect to the indirect taxes imposed in the country. The concept of Goods and Service Tax, popularly known as GST, as the most awaited tax reforms, was introduced on 1st July 2017 keeping the notion of One Nation, One Market, One Tax. Taxes are a way to collect the money by the people, from the people, for the people. GST was thought to be a broad base tax levied at every stage of production and distribution. The GST has been proposed to have a 'dual' structure, which means it will have two components - the Central GST and the State GST. With the enactment of GST in India, it has been expected to make a remarkable presence among the global economies. GST will benefit both the sides of the system. On one side, it has been expected to reduce the tax compliance, cost of administration, generating more revenue for the government and, on the other hand, it will ensure transparency in the system, set-off input credit against the liability and also eliminate the possibility of cascading of taxation for the consumer. GST will eliminate various indirect taxes namely; Value Added Tax (VAT), Central Sales Tax (CST), Service Tax, Central excise duties and Additional Excise Duties, CVD and special CVD's, central surcharges and cesses against the one system of GST. The reduced tax burden will foster the level of production by raising the GDP and also the purchasing power of the consumers. With the inception of GST, there are certain other factors which cannot be neglected. The minimum limit to comply the GST registration has been extended from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs, the abolishment of entry charges applicable on inter-state trade and commerce, common eye for both the goods and the services. This paper tries to study the suitability of GST in the context of the Indian economy and its prospects for the state to generate revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral cancer is a life-threatening disease. Lack of public awareness is a potent barrier for the early detection of oral cancer, especially for high-risk populations. Objective: This study aimed to determine the awareness and knowledge of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of oral cancer among a Siamese ethnic group in Tumpat, Kelantan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a guided questionnaire on socio- demography, habits, awareness and knowledge of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of oral cancer. Individuals under 18 years old and who had been diagnosed with oral cancer were excluded from this study. Results: A total of 195 respondents participated, 61.5% were female and the mean age was 46 (1.64). About 41% of the respondents had received secondary education and 35.4% were illiterate. Most respondents were self-employed (21.5%), followed by farmers (19.5%) and housewives (20%). The majority of them had a monthly income that fell below the poverty level of RM 830 (76.9%). Among the respondents, 22.6% had the habit of smoking, 25.6% consumed alcohol, 8.2% were betel quid chewers and 2.6% chewed tobacco. Out of 195 respondents, only 6.7% were aware of oral cancer. About 16.9% of the respondents correctly answered all of the questions regarding the signs and symptoms of oral cancer and only 4.1% knew the risk factors of oral cancer. Conclusion: The awareness and knowledge of oral cancer in this targeted population were unsatisfactory. Future effective health promotion programs and education should be emphasised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver cancer etiological factor, among Chinese young adults (CYA), there is a lack of valid, reliable, ready-to-use survey instruments for assessing awareness and knowledge of NAFLD in this population. The aims of this study were to develop, validate, and assess the reliability of a web-based, self-administered questionnaire evaluating awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA., Methods: Based on review of relevant literature, a draft questionnaire was initially developed. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by an expert panel of seven gastroenterologists. The construct validity was tested through item analysis based on item response theory. Reliability assessment included test-retest for stability and test for internal consistency. Two pilot tests were conducted among 60 randomly selected students at Lanzhou University, China, through WeChat App., Results: The content validity and clarity indexes were both greater than 0.85. Face validity was established by concluding that questions had no issue with feasibility, readability, clarity of wording, clarity of layout, and style. Response rates for two pilot tests were 96.7% (58 out of 60) and 98.3% (59 out of 60), respectively. Results testing the construct validity showed estimated amount of information obtained by the test between -3 and +3 range of ability was 97.57%. The test-retest reliability (Pearson's r) was 0.62. The internal consistency (KR20) was 0.92., Conclusions: This newly developed questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among this sample from CYA.

There are various reactions, arguments and opinions among the society as a result of the government's plan in implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 1 st Aprilthis year. Some of themgave positive responds andsome others gave negative feedbacks astheimplementationhas resulted in higher prices for goods and services and thus this tax may causeburden to people. It may showthatpeople are stillblurredanddid not understandwhatGST is. Therefore, this study was carried out to identify student's awareness and knowledge on the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to identify the level of student's awareness on the implementation of GST and to identifythe level of student's knowledge on issues ofGST. The sample comprised of 250 students ranging from different years of study. The sample selection was made randomly. The method used in this study was quantitatively using questionnaires as the main instrument. A set of questionnaire which consists of four partswas designed to gain primary data from the respondents about the student's awareness and knowledge on the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in Malaysia. The datawere collected andsubsequentlyanalyzed descriptively toobtain the frequencyandpercentageusing thesoftwareStatisticalPackageforSocialScience (SPSS)version21.0 forwindows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Awareness and knowledge of heat impact reduction were lower than perceived severity. • Heat-induced psychological impacts were more common than physiological impacts. • Men were more vulnerable in physiological impacts and daily functioning disruption. • Economic condition was not a critical factor affecting heat-related responses. • Younger generation had not well prepared for urban heat challenges. Urban heat, the combined effect of heatwaves and urban heat islands (UHIs), is a severe challenge for many cities around the world. While there have been numerous studies on urban heat, society's understanding of it is still insufficient, hindering its mitigation and adaptation. This paper aims to investigate people's vulnerability to, and perception, awareness and knowledge of, urban heat. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 562 respondents in the hot and humid city of Chongqing, China in the summer of 2020. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and logistic regression. Results indicated that urban heat is generally understood as having a moderate severity, while there is limited knowledge of heat-related risks. The perceived heat-related psychological impacts are more severe than physiological impacts. There is limited awareness and knowledge of heat-impact reduction methods. Nevertheless, people's awareness, perception and knowledge of urban heat increase once they suffer heat-induced impacts, indicating exposure/experience-driven awareness and knowledge. Moreover, climate injustice among different groups (e.g. gender, age, education, income, health) of people related to heat challenges was identified. People's perception, vulnerability, awareness and knowledge increased with age, but interestingly decreased with increasing education level and improved health conditions. Economic factor was not critical to heat-related responses. Men could be more vulnerable to physiological symptoms and daily functioning than women. The results of this study provide an understanding of urban heat perception and adaptive knowledge, enabling practitioners and policy makers to formulate effective urban heat mitigation and adaptation policies and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the Mental Healthiness Aging Initiative, designed to promote community awareness and knowledge about mental health and aging issues. This study occurred during 2007-2009 in 67 of 120 counties in Kentucky. A rural region (11 counties) received the intervention, consisting of focus groups, Extension Agent training, and television-based social marketing campaign. Partial-intervention counties (29 counties) received only the television-based social marketing campaign. The control counties (27 counties) received no intervention activities. Results indicated that the intervention counties agreed more with being able to assist elder adults with a potential mental illness. Also, the intervention counties understood the risk of consuming alcohol and medications better, but had a poorer recognition of drinking problems in elder adults. These findings need to be considered within study limitations, such as measurement error, degree of intervention exposure, and regional differences across intervention groups. The study demonstrates that community interventions on mental health awareness and knowledge are feasible within majority rural regions, with Extension Agents being gatekeepers, for promoting positive messages about mental health and aging issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will discuss how Web 2.0 technologies were used in one of the foundation units for the Bachelor Degree of Commerce at Curtin Business School. The research targets undergraduate students, lecturers, and tutors of the Business Information Systems (BIS100) at the School of Information Systems in Curtin University. The research sample size is 122 students for surveys, ten students and seven instructors for interviews. Only 88 students responded to the post-survey. Most universities have already planned, or are currently planning, to change from instructor-delivered teaching to studentfacilitated learning with the help of Web 2.0. Because interest has been expressed in the application of Web 2.0 technology in education in some schools, it was deemed worthwhile to carry out further research on the subject. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of Web 2.0 technologies on teaching and learning performance at Curtin University, Australia. This research will provide additional information about why Web 2.0 should be adopted in education and will provide several strategies to formulate the adoption of Web 2.0 successfully. The Critical Realism paradigm, which consists of both positivism and interpretive, were applied in the study to explore and understand the relationship between the use of Web 2.0 and the teaching and learning performance. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to collect data from surveys and interviews. The results from the post-survey were compared with pre-survey results, to determine any changes in the levels of both awareness and knowledge since the pre-survey. On top of that, face-to-face and email interviews were conducted with students and email interviews with tutors. Significant findings show that the levels of awareness and knowledge of students using Web 2.0 were low at the beginning of the semester, with a slight increase in the levels of awareness and knowledge as the students were exposed to several Web 2.0 tools. In addition, it was noticed that males have more knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies than do females, and are more interested in technology than are females. It was also found that the percentage of students using Web 2.0 to organise group meetings, to communicate with other classmates, and to communicate with their tutors has increased by 6.62%, 7.7%, and 1.82% respectively. Some students found Web 2.0 technologies easy to use and very flexible because they can be easily customised according to users' requirements, such as Blackboard, the Learning Management System at Curtin University. Web 2.0 tools facilitate easy networking. They help students to more easily collaborate and communicate. Moreover, students do not have to rush to complete, print, and submit assignments to the tutor or lecturer. In regards to teaching, adopting Web 2.0 technology will increase student engagement and it will make classes more interesting and interactive, which may lead to an increase in, creativity, usability, and participation. This technology may encourage better interaction amongst students, and between students and the tutor. However, the Internet is always a necessary part of any work with the Web 2.0 tools. If Web 2.0 tools are used in classes, students may find it difficult to focus and be distracted by other activities such as browsing, chatting, or playing games online. The use of Web 2.0 technology in classes may discourage social interaction, although this depends on how the teacher uses the tools. Further research should be carried out to tackle any disadvantages and challenges of adopting web 2.0 in teaching and learning in Australia and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ongoing pandemic due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is becoming a serious global threat. Experts suggest that the infection can be controlled by immediate prevention measures. Sailing is one of the occupational categories more vulnerable to this virus outbreak due to the proximity of the working conditions. Objective: Awareness and knowledge assessments of seafarers towards the current epidemic is mandatory to understand the effectiveness and success of the infection control measures adopted by shipping companies. Methods: In this study, we presented an online questionnaire survey to determine the knowledge levels of COVID-19 among seafarers. The data were collected by self-reported survey, and analysis was done by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The t-test was used to understand the knowledge attitude differences to COVID-19 among different occupational groups of seafarers, and the p-value ≤ of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 1,458 responses received, 92.82% had a college or university degree. The results reported that the mean COVID-19 knowledge score was 5.82 (standard deviation = 0.51, range 0–6), and the overall correct percentage was 97%. There was a statistically significant difference between age groups (F (4, 1453) = 5.44, p < 0.001) and educational groups (F (4, 1453) = 1.52, p < 0.001). The knowledge score was not significantly different across the educational status of the participants (F (2, 1455) = 1.52, p = 0.220). Conclusions: The present study highlighted good knowledge and behaviours among sailors about COVID-19. However, shipping companies need to come up with new campaigns to hold optimistic practices and suitable guidelines on ships, including cruise boats, to keep sea workers always alert and collaborative in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. CC is mainly caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), which can be prevented by vaccination. We conducted a cross-sectional study in secondary occupational health school (SOHS) through a questionnaire aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge regarding HPV infection of students. A total of 2248 students participated in the survey, 45.3% of them had heard about CC, while only 21.9% of them had heard about HPV; and 74.2% had no idea of the causal link between HPV infection and CC. Most participants displayed poor awareness and knowledge about HPV infection. The results suggested that age, grade, major, academic performance, etc. were correlated with higher awareness of CC, HPV and HPV infection ( p < 0.05). In multivariable logistic analysis, third-grade students had the most increased awareness of CC (OR = 17.13, 95%CI: [8.11, 36.15]), HPV (OR = 6.59, 95%CI: [4.16, 10.43]) and HPV vaccine (OR = 2.78, 95%CI: [1.78, 4.32]) when compared to first-grade. Awareness and knowledge regarding HPV infection were insufficient among students in SOHS. As the future healthcare providers, these results highlight the need to supplement targeted education to improve their awareness and knowledge of HPV and vaccination.

Background: IDF estimates that 16.2% of women giving live births in 2015 had some form of hyperglycemia during pregnancy. In Saudi, a study estimated that the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is 39.4%., Aim: We aimed to assess Saudi women's GDM knowledge and awareness., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and December 2016 in Saudi Arabia using a validated questionnaire that included 12 questions focused on awareness and knowledge about GDM. Their responses were scored, and participants were divided poor knowledge (≤ 4/12) fair/good knowledge (≥ 5/12)., Results: A total of 9002 adult female participated. Mean age was 27.8 ± 7.9, and they were mainly married urban residents with bachelor's degrees or higher. The mean overall score was 5.5 ± 2.5 with most of them in the fair GDM knowledge category. Participants were mostly aware of the GDM risk factors (54%) while they were least aware of the GDM diagnosis (15.9%). Multigravida and a prior history of GDM were the two risk factors about which participants were most aware (67.7%). Compared to those with poor knowledge, those with fair/good knowledge were more likely to live in urban areas, live in the central region of Saudi Arabia, work in medical fields, and be married, educated, and have personal and/or family histories of chronic diseases (all P values < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our study showed a high prevalence of poor awareness and knowledge, mainly in those areas relating to GDM diagnosis.