Public Awareness and Participation in Canal Environmental Protection： Case Studies in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Raising public awareness and participation of the local communities in the environmental protection has become a major objective of sound development programs. In the framework of the canal environmental protection program of Ho Chi Minh City, we had developed 32 public awareness meetings for 14 districts with about 2,726 participants from year 2012 to 2015. The program had been organized in various forms such as training, brochure, leaflet, poster, propaganda gifts, face-to-face discussion, study visits, survey questionnaire. The results of the program can add substantial value to the canal environmental protection program of the city. The information gained through public comments can help identify key issues and solutions for the authorities as district and city levels. It was determined that most important outcomes from the public participation were educating the public, incorporating public values, assumptions and preferences into decision making process.

Implementation of Capacity Development and Public Awareness for CTBT Verification Regime in Myanmar

Myanmar signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT)in 1996 and ratified it in 2016.As a CTBT ratifying state,Myanmar needs to implement the capability development and public awareness concerning with CTBT verification activities.When implementing the CTBT verification regime,Myanmar considered the linkage between CTBT and sustainable development goals(SDGs).A National Data Centre(NDC)is needed in the country for collecting the data from the stations,differentiating the data quality,prioritizing and storage of the data to conduct with International Data Centre(IDC)of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization(CTBTO).The seismic,hydroacoustic,infrasound and radionuclide technologies are important for identifying the signals generated by a nuclear explosion.Various capacity development and public awareness are important for initial step before the ratification process of the state party.Civil society,change school curriculum,participation in process,organizing workshops and seminars are carried out by policy makers’decision.International collaboration and citizen awareness are needed to understand the CTBT verification system for monitoring the nuclear explosions in a global context.The Atomic Energy Division(AED)will collaborate with external funding agents like CTBTO to improve skill of human resource for NDC implementation in Myanmar.Young scientists,science administrators and representative will be achieved from this national development initiative.This is focused on research and development in areas potentially relevant to the Treaty’s verification regime.

Revealing the linguistic and geographical disparities of public awareness to Covid-19 outbreak through social media

The Covid-19 has presented an unprecedented challenge to public health worldwide.However,residents in different countries showed diverse levels of Covid-19 awareness during the outbreak and suffered from uneven health impacts.This study analyzed the global Twitter data from January 1st to June 30th,2020,to answer two research questions.What are the linguistic and geographical disparities of public awareness in the Covid-19 outbreak period reflected on social media?Does significant association exist between the changing Covid-19 awareness and the pandemic outbreak?We established a Twitter data mining framework calculating the Ratio index to quantify and track awareness.The lag correlations between awareness and health impacts were examined at global and country levels.Results show that users presenting the highest Covid-19 awareness were mainly those tweeting in the official languages of India and Bangladesh.Asian countries showed more disparities in awareness than European countries,and awareness in Eastern Europe was higher than in central Europe.Finally,the Ratio index had high correlations with global mortality rate,global case fatality ratio,and country-level mortality rate,with 21-31,35-42,and 13–18 leading days,respectively.This study yields timely insights into social media use in understanding human behaviors for public health research.

Status Quo,Analysis and Suggestions for Public Awareness on Wetland Conservation in China

To understand the status of public awareness on wetland conservation in China,1237 people from 8 provinces or municipality were interviewed by questionnaire.After analysis of the results,88.5%of the interviewees know the word 'wetland'.TV and radio is the main tool for them to get information.More than two thirds of the respondents mainly learn the information on wetland conservation through TV and radio.There are still big gaps among different people in understanding wetland.Only 13.3%of the respondents give a completely right answer on question 'which areas are wetlands'.Most of the respondents cited lakes,marshes and rivers as wetlands,but more than half of them do not regard beaches,reservoirs,paddy fields and fish ponds as wetlands.Most of the people cited wetlands can provide such functions as water conservation,climate regulation,protecting wildlife,removing pollution, but know little about other functions such as flood control,provisioning of aquatic products,and soil retention, and much less about the cultural functions such as recreation,and inherited folk culture.Except for wastewater discharge, nearly half of the general public knows little about other threats of the wetland,while most of the people do not believe that artificial aquaculture will cause threats to the wetland areas.Public awareness on wetland conservation in China needs to be improved.Most of the respondents cited that TV,radio and internet are the most effective ways to publicize information on wetland conservation.More than two thirds of the respondents mainly learn the information on wetland conservation through TV and radio,while 38.0%of the respondents mainly through internet. Specifically,for farmers/fishermen,posters/picture albums can benefit them more than the internet;the undergraduates also expect to learn wetland mainly through posters/picture albums;while for the primary and middle school students, the school education is another valuable source of publicity in addition to TV and radio.Strengthen cooperation with TV stations and broadcasting stations are the best way to raise public awareness of wetland conservation. The authors suggest to strength cooperation with media on wetland conservation,conduct wetland conservation education in middle and primary schools and communities;organize experts and professionals to write books and teaching materials needed for popularizing science,basic education and staff training;develop an internet-based CEPA network system on wetland conservation;conduct public awareness activities in communities,focusing on females in rural areas;build public awareness and education system,improve the public's awareness on wetland conservation,create good social environment for conserving wetlands.

Public Awareness of Stroke Symptoms Can Save Lives

5月16日的Yahoo上刊登了此文,读后我非常兴奋。把它介绍给我的朋友和同事。他们觉得此文传递的信息十分重要,建议我将此文作为注释读物发给贵刊。Stroke,汉语称之为“中风”,在当今之美国,是第三大死因。许多患者本人对中风的病症了解甚少,许多bystanders对中风病人的发病状态和急救方式也知之不多,因此,原本可以得救的病人就白白错过了救治良机。在美国首都的NINDS(全国神经紊乱及中风协会)在今年五月开展了一场运动,运动的名称为:Know Stroke: Know the Signs,Act in Time(是否可译:认识中风:了解症状,及时采取救治行动)。此运动可以让患者掌握更多的治疗处置中风病的知识。同时,又能让bystanders懂得救治的正确方法。NINDS的负责人如此幽默地说:This is a bystander's chance to be a hero,because you really can save a life with the right information. 文章除了提供了加强自我保健,避免罹患中风之外,还告诉我们中风发作之前的症状。这些症状一共有五条。希望读者朋友细读勤记,说不准哪一天,这些从杂志上得来的知识派上了大用场,让你成了a hero!本文的文字不错,尤其值得玩味的一个词是needlessly(见倒数第二行),作为non native-speaker,似乎很难如此使用此副词。

Household Solid Waste Awareness and Practices among Residents of Windhoek, Namibia

This study explores household solid waste management (HSWM) practices and awareness among residents of Windhoek West, a rapidly urbanizing constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Employing a descriptive methodology, the research investigates the interplay between public awareness, regulatory frameworks, and the availability of waste management facilities to assess their impact on waste management behaviors. Our findings indicate significant gaps in both knowledge and infrastructure that hinder effective waste management. The study reveals that while there is a high willingness among residents to engage in recycling and waste reduction, actual practices are limited due to inadequate facilities and lack of stringent enforcement of waste policies. This research identifies key factors that influence waste management practices, including demographic characteristics and access to waste management facilities. It also proposes actionable strategies such as expanding recycling and sorting facilities, enhancing educational campaigns tailored to local needs, and implementing regular enforcement mechanisms. These strategies are aimed at improving compliance with waste management protocols and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. The results of this investigation show the critical role of ongoing education and infrastructural improvement in bridging existing knowledge gaps and facilitating effective waste management practices. This research lays a foundational step toward enhancing sustainable urban development and effective waste management in Windhoek, providing valuable insights for policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders engaged in urban environmental management.

Development of organ transplantation in China and organ donation

This article provides a concise overview of the development of organ transplantation in China.Inspired by international advancements in organ transplantation,China embarked on its own organ transplantation research journey in 1958.The clinical evaluation phase is marked by the first cadaveric kidney transplant in 1960 and the first living-donor kidney transplant in 1972.By 1989,the annual number of successful kidney transplants had surpassed 1000.However,57 liver transplants were performed between 1977 and 1983;limitations in technology and the scarcity of cyclosporine A resulted in unfavorable outcomes for most recipients,with the majority succumbing within 3 months of surgery.These factors led to a near-complete halt in liver,heart,and lung transplants for the following decade.With all 4 conditions met-(1)mature surgical techniques,(2)powerful immunosuppressive agents available for clinical use,(3)new organ preservation solutions that ensure the quality and transportation of donor organs,and(4)reasonable and legal sources of organs-China's organ transplantation field has experienced rapid development.In 2014,there were 9652 organ transplants,and this number grew to 20,225 by 2022.Despite the progress,China's organ donation rate per million remains relatively low,3.86 ranking 48th globally in 2022,underscoring the need for increased public awareness and support for organ donation.

Fatal cases in pediatric patients after post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies:A report of two cases

Rationale:Rabies is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality,primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mammals,particularly dogs and cats.Despite being a well-known disease since ancient times,it continues to cause a significant number of human deaths worldwide,with approximately 65000 fatalities reported annually.Patient concerns:We present two fatal cases of rabies in a 12-year-old immigrant boy and a 7-year-old boy.The first case was subject to a 24-hour delay in receiving appropriate medical attention and rabies preventive measures due to the lack of awareness among emergency hospital staff,leading to the administration of wound dressing only.The second case received timely rabies immunoglobulin administration;however,there was a 4-day delay in administering the fourth dose of the rabies vaccine,despite presenting evident symptoms of rabies.Diagnosis:Postmortem examination of brain samples from both patients confirmed the presence of rabies virus.Interventions:Post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies.Outcomes:Both patients were admitted to the hospital after the manifestation of rabies-related symptoms,with the 12-year-old child seeking medical care 47 days after the animal bite and the 7-year-old child seeking medical care 58 days after the exposure.Finally,the first patient died after 27 days and the second patient died after 40 days of hospitalization.Lessons:There is an urgent need for heightened awareness and education among both healthcare professionals and the public regarding the urgency of seeking immediate medical attention after potential rabies exposure.Timely recognition and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis are pivotal in preventing the progression of the disease.Strengthening surveillance and reporting systems,coupled with continuous training for healthcare professionals,can contribute to early detection and management of rabies cases.

Co-management: transformation of community affair model in Chinese nature reserves

This article analyzes the application of co-management in establishing and zoning nature reserves, explains two types of participatory models, explains the main content and steps required to implement a co-management program, and suggests future direction of co-management. In China, great progress has been achieved since 1956 when the first nature reserve was established. However, conflicts between nature reserve officials and community members, and differences be-tween conservation and utilization of natural resources suggest that the traditional community affair model is unfit to some de-gree. A more workable and economically sustainable model is recommended. Co-management appears to be the preferred management model. International conservation organizations have carried out projects in Chinese nature reserves in recent years, and co-management is thought to be an effective approach to resolve conflicts coming from community and to improve nature reserves management.

Impact of Urban Water Pricing on Future Water Demand： A ＇Socioeconomic＇ Study in Greece

The main aim of this study is to assess various aspects of the current water policy, investigate the perspectives of water saving, evaluate water price elasticity and explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water sector, through a questionnaire survey that has been performed in the city of Volos, Greece, concerning the residential sector. The appropriate design of water management measures presupposes the investigation of the influence of some selected variables to consumers＇ behavior. The price of water, the size of the dwelling, the indoor and outdoor uses, the educational level, the income of consumers as well as rainfall and temperature levels are examined, the residential water demand curve is estimated and projections of future water demand under different pricing policies are performed.

Mathematical modeling of COVID-19 epidemic with effect of awareness programs

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-COV-2)is a novel virus that emerged in China in late 2019 and caused a pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).The epidemic has largely been controlled in China since March 2020,but continues to inflict severe public health and socioeconomic burden in other parts of the world.One of the major reasons for China’s success for the fight against the epidemic is the effectiveness of its health care system and enlightenment(awareness)programs which play a vital role in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic.Nigeria is currently witnessing a rapid increase of the epidemic likely due to its unsatisfactory health care system and inadequate awareness programs.In this paper,we propose a mathematical model to study the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in Nigeria.Our model incorporates awareness programs and different hospitalization strategies for mild and severe cases,to assess the effect of public awareness on the dynamics of COVID-19 infection.We fit the model to the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria from 29 March to 12 June 2020.We find that the epidemic could increase if awareness programs are not properly adopted.We presumed that the effect of awareness programs could be estimated.Further,our results suggest that the awareness programs and timely hospitalization of active cases are essential tools for effective control and mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and beyond.Finally,we perform sensitive analysis to point out the key parameters that should be considered to effectively control the epidemic.