Analysis of Citizen Participation in Urban Planning of Comala,Colima,Mexico-A Secondary Publication

The objective of this study was to determine the degree of citizen participation in urban planning processes in the municipality of Comala,Colima,Mexico to have a broader vision of the citizens and the environment in which they live.An instrument was designed specifically to perform this study and the instrument was validated by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha.The results showed that citizens were highly involved in issues concerning their urban environment,and the main problems of the public spaces were also identified.

Factors influencing willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials and strategies for effective recruitment

AIM:To explore the factors influencing individuals’willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials.METHODS:A questionnaire survey was conducted from January to April 2021 among patients and their family members at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center,Sun Yat-sen University,in Guangzhou,China.The survey gathered data on respondents’willingness,demographic and socioeconomic profiles,as well as their reasons and concerns regarding engagement in clinical trials.RESULTS:Of the 1078 residents surveyed(mean age 31.2±13.1y;65.8%females)in Guangzhou,749(69.5%)expressed a willingness to participate in future ophthalmic clinical trials.Specific characteristics associated with greater willingness included a younger age,lower annual income,higher education,prior participation experience,previous ophthalmic treatment,and a better understanding of clinical trials.With the exception of age,these characteristics were significantly linked to a higher willingness.The primary barrier to participation,expressed by 64.8%of those willing and 54.4%of those unwilling,was“Uncertain efficacy”.In terms of motivations,the willing group ranked“Better therapeutic benefits”(35.0%),“Professional monitoring”(34.3%),and“Trust in healthcare professionals”(33.1%)as their top three reasons,whereas the unwilling participants indicated“Full comprehension of the protocol”(46.2%)as the key facilitator.CONCLUSION:This study reveals a substantial willingness to participate in ophthalmic clinical trials and demonstrates the predictive role of demographic and socioeconomic factors.Variations in motivators and concerns between willing and unwilling participants highlight the significance of tailored recruitment strategies.Importantly,the need for and trust in healthcare professionals stand out as powerful motivations,underscoring the importance of enhancing physician-patient relationships,adopting patient-centered communication approaches,and addressing individualized needs to improve accrual rates.

Problems and Countermeasures to Improve Clinical Trial Participants’Compensation Rights in China

Objective To discuss the problems existing in the compensation of Chinese clinical trial participants and propose some suggestions for improving their rights.Methods The literature related to the participants’right to compensation at home and abroad was searched to study the inadequacy of the compensation right for clinical trial participants in China from four aspects:insurance system,principle of attribution,legal relationship and compensation regulations.Then,some suggestions to improve the participants’right to compensation were proposed.Results and Conclusion China lacks clear legal norms for participants’right to compensation.There are problems such as unclear insurance rules and compensation rules,unclear contractual relationships between parties to clinical trials,and no laws and regulations to rely on for attribution and compensation.China should issue regulatory guidelines related to the right to compensation of participants in clinical trials,so that all parties in clinical trials can have rules to follow if there is the occurrence of injury,which can better protect the rights and interests of the participants.

An Empirical Study on Hainan Citizens'Participation in Urban Community Governance under the Background of Free Trade Port Construction

Hainan is in the period of high-speed development and transformation of government management.To build a free trade port with Chinese characteristics requires a modern social governance system that confirms to the trend of the times,and community governance is important part of whole social governance system.Citizens'cooperative participation in grass-roots community governance has the functions of creating a good living environment,reducing social conflicts,improving residents'sense of well-being and attracting all kinds of talents.Based on the perspective of multi cooperative social governance,this paper empirically investigates the current situation of Hainan urban resident's participation in community governance,explores the reasons for the lack of citizen participation in community governance,and puts forward suggestions for improving citizen participation in community governance.

Social Networks and Citizen Participation in the Collaborative Community Policing ——A Case Study of S Community in Beijing

It is of great significance to enhance collaborative community policing for crime prevention and better community-police relationships. Understanding the relational structure of collaborative community policing is necessary to pinpoint the pattern of interactions among key actors involved in community policing and improve the effectiveness of network governance. Based on 234 surveys of citizens of S Community in Beijing from April 2017 to May 2017, this paper empirically examines the characteristics of formal network and informal network of citizen participation in the collaborative community policing. Beijing is widely known for its active involvement of neighborhood volunteers in different types of community policing. We focused on four different types of interpersonal work relationships in this study： workflow, problem solving, mentoring and friendship, among resident committees, neighborhood administrative offices, media, police station, business security personnel, neighborhood volunteers, and security activists. The nature of relationships between individuals in networks can be treated as from instrumental ties to expressive ties. Expressive ties cover relationships that involve the exchange of friendship, trust, and socio-emotional support. We extended this intra-organizational insight into a community policing inter-organizational context. The collaborative network showed the trend of the distributed network. The clustering analysis showed that in the workflow network, we should make thll use of the close interaction between the citizens and activists in the community. Meanwhile, in the problem-solving network, mentoring network and friendship network, interactions between citizens and neighborhood committee are weak.

Comparative analysis of breast and lung cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments among rural and urban patients in Georgia

Objectives:Rural patients have poor cancer outcomes and clinical trial(CT)enrollment compared to urban patients due to attitudinal,awareness,and healthcare access differential.Knowledge of cancer survival disparities and CT enrollment is important for designing interventions and innovative approaches to address the stated barriers.The study explores the potential disparities in cancer survival rates and clinical trial enrollments in rural and urban breast and lung cancer patients.Our hypotheses are that for both cancer types,urban cancer patients will have longer 5-year survival rates and higher enrollment rates in clinical trials than those in rural counties.Methods:We compared breast and lung cancer patients’survival rates and enrollment ratios in clinical trials between rural(RUCC 4-9)and urban counties in Georgia at a Comprehensive Cancer Center(CCC).To assess these differences,we carried out a series of independent samples t-tests and Chi-Square tests.Results:The outcomes indicate comparable 5-year survival rates across rural and urban counties for breast and lung cancer patients,failing to substantiate our hypothesis.While clinical trial enrollment rates demonstrated a significant difference between breast and lung cancer patients at CCC,no significant variation was observed based on rural or urban classification.Conclusion:These findings underscore the need for further research into the representation of rural patients with diverse cancer types at CCC and other cancer centers.Further,the findings have considerable implications for the initiation of positive social change to improve CT participation and reduce cancer survival disparities.

Computer support system for residential environment evaluation for citizen participation

Though the method of citizen participation in urban planning is quite well established, for a specific segment of residential environment, however, existing participation system has not coped adequately with the issue. The specific residential environment has detailed aspects that need positive and high level involvement of the citizens in participating in all stages and every field of the plan. One of the best and systematic methods to obtain a more involved citizen is through a citizen workshop. To get a more “educated” citizen who participates in the workshop, a special session to inform the citizen on what was previously gathered through a survey was revealed to be prerequisite before the workshop. The computer support system is one of the best tools for this purpose. This paper describes the development of the computer support system for residential environment evaluation system, which is an essential tool to give more information to the citizens before their participation in public workshop. The significant contribution of this paper is the educational system framework involved in the workshop on the public participation system through computer support, especially for residential environment. The framework, development and application of the computer support system are described. The application of a workshop on the computer support system was commented on as very valuable and helpful by the audience as it resulted in greater benefit to have wider range of participation, and deeper level of citizen understanding.

Logic of Citizen Participation in Sustainable Development

Sustainable development,a concept which has been built with the sustainability of economic progression as a main thrust,has been a widely preferred model to traditional developmental models.However,the real meaning of what sustainable development is and should include has been an object of debate.On the one hand,differing from traditional economic developmental models,economic progress does not necessitate the practice of ‘sustainable development'.On the other hand,current levels of science and technology are still unable to solve several problems that arise with economic development.Sustainable development has transferred the responsibility of environmental destruction to that of developing countries.Lastly,instead of utilizing the best technology and leadership into formulating excellent environmental-protection policies,it is more important to create widespread awareness to the public on the need to protect the environment and thereby engage their participation in decision-making to actually realize what is truly ‘sustainable development'.

The Analysis of Volunteer Service in Increasing Citizen Participation

Many scholars have gradually realized that volunteer service can not only manifest the social value,but also become an effective way to enlarge citizen participation.Mainly from the aspects of the rationality of the increasing of citizen participation in volunteer service,this paper analyses the significance of volunteer service in the modernization transformation of China and puts forward some suggestions for the development of China' s volunteer service in the future.

Barriers and facilitators to mexican-american participation in clinical trials: physician and patient focus group perspectives

Racial/ethnic minority populations are under- represented in clinical trials and Hispanic participation rates are particularly low. This study assessed barriers and facilitators to clinical trials participation by Medicaid eligible Mexican- Americans and their serving physicians. Qualitative data from two focus groups conducted among Mexican-American Medicaid eligible patients and four physician focus groups were analyzed. Mexican-American patients have a basic understanding of clinical trials. While most are open to participating in clinical research, not speaking English, time, and transportation were identified as barriers. Physicians believe that desperation and financial need are the primary patient motivators for participation. Barriers to physician recruitment and referral include: lack of information about clinical trials, concern that study participation may not be in the patient’s best interest, and lack of staffing and time to conduct trials. Ample opportunities exist to engage providers and patients in future efforts to increase Mexican-American patient recruitment into clinical trials.

Participation and Communication in the Time of Social Media:A Chimera or an Opportunity

Communication and participation immediately present themselves as a combination capable of developing mutual symbiosis and reinforcement.However,it would be superficial to deduce that the ease of communicating through social media has solved the problem of participation.Instead,it is necessary to start from the awareness of the problems of this binomial in order to attempt to follow virtuous paths and avoid blind alleys.The paper presents the research/action carried out in several civic participation experiences,both real and virtual,promoted by NGOs and the local public administrations of several Italian cities(Verona,Messina,Bolzano,and Rome).The results highlight the opportunities and problems of participation through social media.Specifically,those opportunities are:(1)the possibility of involving a larger number of people who could not participate without social media;(2)the sharing not only of the results of the participation but also the processes behind the participation allows for an active protagonism of the people;and(3)the care of the real and virtual places of participation facilitates the active involvement of people.On the other hand,the problems are:(1)the lack of awareness of online media space generates a redundancy in communication;(2)the difficulty of emerging in the online public media space causes disaffection and disinterest;and(3)the scarce capability to be producers of online media content generates a fake participation.

How Do People Understand Urban Air Pollution? Exploring Citizens’ Perception on Air Quality, Its Causes and Impacts in Colombian Cities

Similarly to other Latin American countries, urban air quality is a major concern in Colombia. The purpose of the present study was to explore citizens’ perception on local air pollution, its causes and impacts. A questionnaire was individually applied to a sample of 994 participants. Relationships between demographic features and the perception on air quality were analyzed using a logistic regression, its odds ratio (OR), and a Chi-square test. Eighty percent of the respondents perceive their local air quality as either bad or fair, 65% recognize particulate matter as the main local air pollutant, and 90% recognize negative impacts on people’s health as the main consequence of air pollution. In contrast to other studies where age and economic status are variables highly related with public perception on the level of atmospheric pollution, in this study only the size of the cities has a statistically significant relationship with the perception on local air quality regarding the level of pollution(OR ≥ 1, confidence intervals > 1 and p-values < 0.05). While area sources such as mining and infrastructure construction are identified as the main sources of pollutant emissions in small towns (less than 50,000 inhabitants), in big cities, road traffic is identified as the main source contributor to atmospheric pollution. Opposite to data from official reports, and regardless of the size of the city, households are perceived as the place with greatest contribution to personal air pollution exposure. Results show that citizens are aware of the state of air quality and its health impact is a major concern. Such findings suggest people’s opinions can be used as provisional indicators in cities without data, as well as to monitor the results of local air quality management. As a complementary process, or at the same level of importance given to technical-based policy, citizen participation can contribute to a collective construction of urban air pollution control strategies.

Experiments with a University e-Participation Platform

Currently, the ICT put at our disposal is increasingly more powerful tools that can help increase citizen participation, transparency, and legitimacy in decision-making. We understand that these participation tools can break down into a set of tasks. In this dissertation, we review some of these tasks and how we can integrate them into a series of processes in public higher education institutions. By establishing the tasks, we can set up an online architecture for electronic participation and support for decision-making within the university community. One of the consolidated database architectures we have used for this study is MyUniversity-URJC. This proposal is achievable by utilizing the Universities’ technological infrastructure and, mainly, the digital culture of its users.

Patient Recruitment in Clinical Trials: Areas of Challenges and Success, a Practical Aspect at the Private Research Site

Enrolling in clinical trials could be time-sensitive and time-demanding tasks for the research site, especially if it is a private research organization compared to the research conducted at an academic or medical center. Every study differs in various aspects, such as phases, study indication, eligibility criteria, etc. In terms of meeting the enrollment deadline, typically, the study indication and availability of the patient’s population at the geographical area of the research site would decide if the trial could be time-consuming. Patient recruitment and retention are critical for the success of every clinical trial;however, worldwide, this area is facing tremendous pressure and challenges. Globally 55% of clinical trials terminated due to low recruitment, with an average enrollment success rate of 40% for Phase III and IV trials. Over 80% of clinical trial attempts fail to enroll, extending the study and adding new study sites. In the United States, more than 80% of clinical trials fail to achieve targeted patient enrollment, and 30% of study participants discontinue participation. This article reviewed various factors hindering clinical trial recruitment and retention and suggested strategies to make the research site successful.

审判阶段涉案企业合规改革检法衔接协同问题探究

人民法院如何接纳、吸收检察机关已经取得的合规成果,可以从厘清“检察主导”与“以审判为中心”的诉讼法律关系、调试企业合规与认罪认罚从宽的关系以及处理合规运行中的技术情形等三方面探究。“检察主导”与“以审判为中心”在合规启动决定权归属、合规过程掌控权以及合规成果转化等方面存在矛盾。检法的合规控制权冲突可以被调和,检察机关侧重于过程控制,审判机关侧重于实体控制。企业合规可与认罪认罚从宽制度融合构建,且是认罪认罚从宽制度在单位犯罪治理方面的深化,可通过认罪因素对合规的影响、量刑建议在合规中的定位、量刑建议材料优化等角度描述二者的融合表现。企业合规的适用条件应当符合改革目的,需关注审前合规与审判合规的衔接,法院为合规顺利开展提供的诉讼技术支持,以及撤回起诉的程序法与实体法区别等问题。人民法院应以“独立评估”模式参加一审阶段的企业合规,以“法院主导”模式参加二审上诉阶段的企业合规。

城市公共安全治理中公民参与意愿和能力研究——以西安城市居民为例

依据2022年针对西安城市居民的相关调查,采用相关分析和回归分析探讨城市公共安全治理中公民参与意愿与能力的影响因素,将参与认知作为其中的中介变量,并从中探求加强城市公共安全治理中公民参与意愿和能力的路径。结果表明:内部因素和外部因素对城市公共安全治理中公民参与意愿与能力同样具有影响;参与认知在内外部因素影响公民参与意愿与能力的路径中起到部分中介作用。

共建共治共享视域下不同智能程度聊天机器人的效果评估

党的二十大报告强调要建设人人有责、人人尽责、人人享有的社会治理共同体。新一代人工智能迅猛发展使得社会治理智能化受到高度关注。通过智能技术赋能,提升政府公共服务、社会治理的数字化智能化水平的重要场景之一是采用智能聊天机器人为公众拓展参与途径、助力社会治理共同体提供可能。基于此,本文从相关理论基础和实践应用出发,明确智能技术应用所体现出的智能性的内涵,通过调查实验法设计被试间实验,从实证角度出发分析智能性对于公众在线参与的影响,对实践应用场景中如何实施智能技术提供对策建议。

临床研究透明化在针灸临床试验注册中的实践与思考

临床研究透明化是临床研究结果真实可靠的重要保障之一,临床研究透明化通过在临床研究的试验设计、实施、得出结果和数据分析过程进行公开,加强社会监督,保障临床研究结果真实性。通过针灸临床研究注册,针灸临床研究注册数量不断上升,临床研究覆盖范围广泛,许多临床研究过程更加系统化、规范化,数据公开透明,极大程度的保障了临床研究结果的准确性,提高研究质量,促进针灸临床研究高质量发展。

公众科学在天文学领域的历史、应用现状与未来

公众科学在天文学领域拥有深厚的历史底蕴和广泛的群众基础,它为天文学应对新时代的挑战提供了强有力的解决工具,对天文学的发展具有重要意义。本文旨在通过系统综述公众科学在天文学领域的历史演进、应用现状以及挑战与趋势,为公众科学在天文学领域的发展提供有价值的参考,促进天文公众科学的多元化与公众参与度的提升。本文首先通过文献研究梳理了公众科学在天文学领域的历史演进过程。其次,运用统计方法,分析了公众科学在天文学领域的应用现状,包括发展趋势、地区分布、研究主题以及项目模式等。再次,综合公众科学应用现状和文献研究,分析和总结了公众科学面临的挑战与未来趋势,提出了应从政策层面推动公众科学发展,并借助国际合作和开放科学浪潮,进一步发挥公众科学对科学发展与创新的促进作用。

基于公众科学的城市绿地生物多样性研究进展

城市绿地的生物多样性对城市生态环境具有重要价值,利用公众科学进行相关研究具有独特优势,但基于公众科学的城市绿地生物多样性研究尚未得到系统性回顾。文章通过CiteSpace软件对中国知网和Web of Science数据库中2004—2023年的文献进行系统性筛选和分析,结果发现:近20年来公众科学在城市绿地生物多样性研究中呈增长趋势,尤其在近5年关注度急剧上升;现有的公众科学项目以美国居多,如iNaturalist和ebird;论文发表数量在美国、英国、澳大利亚等国家较为集中,而亚洲和非洲地区的国家在发表频次上与欧美国家存在一定差距;研究内容聚焦于物种监测、生境改造、生态教育等;公众科学与技术手段如大数据和人工智能的结合提高了数据分析的科学性、准确性。未来研究应着力提高公众科学素养,深化大数据应用,并强调跨学科合作,推动生物多样性保护和研究的持续发展。