Evaluating the impact of global awareness days on rheumatological search interest before and during the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic

Study abroad participation has increased dramatically over the past two decades, primarily through the growth of short-term study abroad experiences. Given this, it is logical to ask whether short-term experiences are capable of delivering student learning outcomes equivalent to those of long-term experiences. The research presented in this article addresses this question by asking if program duration (i.e., temporal length of the academic program) or depth (i.e., focused and reflective interaction with the destination culture) has a greater impact on changes in students’ global awareness. A longitudinal study across 80 study abroad programs from a single institution, measured global awareness pre- and post-abroad experience. This design controlled for preexisting differences (self-selection) and allowed us to rigorously estimate the relative effects of depth and duration across four dimensions of global awareness. Results show that a longer duration was associated with significant changes in three out of the four global awareness dimensions measured. The only depth measure that positively and significantly impacted global awareness was when the study abroad destination was a non-English speaking country. Even in this instance, the impact non-English speaking destination was increased further for longer durations.

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Natural Weathering of Bio-Based Façade Materials

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11060642 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 642

Author(s):

Percy Alao ◽

Kevin Visnapuu ◽

Heikko Kallakas ◽

Triinu Poltimäe ◽

Jaan Kers

Keyword(s):

Renewable Resources ◽

Colour Change ◽

Natural Weathering ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Renewable Materials ◽

Uv Index ◽

Service Durability ◽

Natural Wood ◽

The Impact ◽

Weathering Resistance

Although there is a global awareness that the exploitation of non-renewable materials is unsustainable, there has been limited interest in fully utilizing natural, renewable resources like wood and its products because of the service durability concerns. One such issue is the aesthetical degradation of wooden facades due to the impact of weathering. This research was carried out as an international cooperation project to ascertain the weathering resistance of bio-based façade materials under the Estonian climate. In total, 120 bio-based façade materials obtained from 31 different companies, universities and research institutions from 17 countries were investigated. The specimens were placed on an exposure rack, inclined at an angle of 45° located at 59°23′50.6″ N 24°39′24.0″ E and then subjected to accelerated natural weathering for 2 years. Parameters such as precipitation, UV index, temperature and relative humidity were measured during the period of the natural weathering. The influence of the weathering on the colour change and cracks on the surface of test specimens was evaluated using Minolta Chroma Meter CR-121 (Konica Minolta INC., Tokyo, Japan) and Avongard Check Width Gauge (Avongard Ltd., Gloucestershire, UK), respectively. The results showed that the untreated natural wood façade materials presented the least resistance to weathering, while 63 of the tested materials developed checks. The outcome of this study is essential to the optimization of software-simulating changes in the appearance of façade materials in outdoor conditions.

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Concentration and Characteristic of Floating Plastic Debris in Jakarta Bay: a Preliminary Study

SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology ◽

10.15578/squalen.v15i3.462 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 109

Author(s):

Dr. Dwiyitno Dwiyitno ◽

Fairdiana Andayani ◽

Umi Anissah ◽

Hedi Indra Januar ◽

Singgih Wibowo

Keyword(s):

Pollution Source ◽

Consumer Products ◽

Marine Debris ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Wet Season ◽

Plastic Debris ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

The Impact ◽

West Monsoon ◽

Wet And Dry Seasons

Marine debris, especially plastic debris, is becoming global awareness, including in Indonesia, due to the possible harmful effects on the environment and humans. The present study is the first assessment of the floating plastic debris in Jakarta Bay based on an at-sea survey. The study aimed to overview the accumulation of plastic debris in different zones (west, middle, and east) of the bay as the impact of wet and dry seasons. The results showed that plastic debris was found in most sampling stations with a maximum concentration of 10,300 and 7,400 items/km2 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Based on the plastic types, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) were the main accumulated plastic debris in Jakarta Bay with a predominant macro size between 2.5 and 20 cm. According to the plastic applications, packaging and consumer products were the majority of plastic debris at concentrations of 257-1,280 items/km2 and 936-983 items/km2 in the dry and wet season respectively. The spatial distribution of plastic litter in the observed surface water was correlated to temporal monsoon seasons rather than to the distribution of pollution source from rivers around the Jakarta Metropolitan Area. Moreover, the higher plastic concentration was found in the rainy west monsoon compared to that of the dry east monsoon.

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The global village in a local context. Implementing global awareness as a managerial competency within South Africa's multicultural mainstream media newsrooms

Acta Commercii ◽

10.4102/ac.v6i1.101 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E. Steyn ◽

D. De Klerk ◽

T. F.J. Steyn

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Data ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Observational Research ◽

Local Context ◽

Size Analysis ◽

Global Awareness ◽

First Line ◽

Mainstream Media ◽

Managerial Competency ◽

The Impact

Purpose: As part of a national research survey into the importance and implementation of six managerial competencies, this article aims to investigate the importance a national sample of reporters and first-line newsroom managers in South Africa's mainstream media attach to global awareness as a managerial competency. It also aims to establish gaps between the importance attached to and current implementation thereof by the latter. Design/Methodology/Approach: Qualitative and quantitative research designs were combined to obtain the most comprehensive view on the research problem. Quantitative data was compiled through self-administered questionnaires among first-line newsroom managers and reporters employed by the country's mainstream media. Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews and observational research. These sets of data were combined triangularly to improve validity and reliability. Quantitative data was analysed through factor analysis and effect size analysis, while qualitative data was analysed through qualitative content analysis.Findings: It was found that both respondent groups perceive first-line newsroom managers unable to implement the skills associated with the global awareness competency (given the importance they attach to it). While in some cases first-line newsroom managers themselves were more aware of their shortcomings, reporters highlighted other instances where they perceive their superiors unable to perform as expected. Implications: Given the challenges associated with globalisation, media managers need skills to identify and realise the impact of national and international changes on their business activities. South African media managers must also identify and address the challenges associated with the multilingual and multicultural backgrounds of their newsroom staff. Originality/Value: The dimensions of global awareness as a managerial competency are rooted in general management theory. In this article, these dimensions were applied in a media newsroom management context. There search thus investigated ways in which the effective and efficient implementation of these dimensions could contribute towards professional media output by South Africa's mainstream media.

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FEMAN: Fuzzy-Based Energy Management System for Green Houses Using Hybrid Grid Solar Power

Journal of Renewable Energy ◽

10.1155/2013/785636 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Abdellah Chehri ◽

Hussein T. Mouftah

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Energy Management ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Robust Controller ◽

Intelligent Home ◽

Home Energy Management ◽

The Future ◽

Hybrid Grid ◽

The Impact

The United Nations has designated the year 2012 as the international year of sustainable energy. Today, we are seeing a rise in global awareness of energy consumption and environmental problems. Many nations have launched different programs to reduce the energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings to seek lower-carbon energy solutions. We are talking about the future green and smart houses. The subject of smart/green houses is not one of “why,” but rather “how,” specifically: “how making the future house more energy efficient.” The use of the renewable energy, the technology and the services could help us to answer this question. Intelligent home energy management is an approach to build centralized systems that deliver application functionality as services to end-consumer applications. The objective of this work is to develop a smart and robust controller for house energy consumption with maximizing the use of solar energy and reducing the impact on the power grid while satisfying the energy demand of house appliances. We proposed a fuzzy-based energy management controller in order to reduce the consumed energy of the building while respecting a fixed comfort.

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A contingency theory perspective of environmental management: Empirical evidence from entrepreneurial firms

Journal of General Management ◽

10.1177/0306307021991489 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 3-17

Author(s):

Muaz Mahmud ◽

Danny Soetanto ◽

Sarah Jack

Keyword(s):

Environmental Management ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Contingency Theory ◽

External Pressure ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Entrepreneurial Firms ◽

Global Awareness ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact

This article examines the roles of organizational structure of decision-making and external pressure in determining the practice of environmental management. Using contingency theory, this study argues that having a decentralized structure, entrepreneurial firms are able to adapt to external pressure while implementing environmental management. The data were drawn from 106 small and medium-sized firms in the United Kingdom. The study found that a decentralized structure is positively associated with the practice of environmental management while external pressure from global awareness and social relationships has less impact on firms’ environmental management. Interestingly, the impact of decentralized structure on environmental management is strengthened in the context of high level of technological dynamic. Overall, the findings of the study have provided some recommendations to theory and practice of environmental management especially in the context of entrepreneurial firms.

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JAMAICAN CRIME AND ECONOMY

Journal of Life Economics ◽

10.15637/jlecon.7.024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 323-330

Author(s):

Seda YAZGAN HADZIBULIC

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Organized Crime ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Young Population ◽

Economic Problems ◽

Significant Negative Impact ◽

The Caribbean ◽

Economic Future ◽

The Impact

This research paper examines an overview of literature on the most recent issues that are allied to crime and violence in Jamaica. They have been an issue which has affected the Caribbean as a whole but due to the islands many social and economic problems, it has shown an increase in crime and violence most noticeably in Jamaica. This issue has caused millions of people to live in fear due to the constant and never-ending crime and violence. The horrors of violence and crime has undoubtedly had a more profound and significant negative impact on the young population. My research will focus on the aspects of violence and crime in Jamaica. This paper will also cover the general conditions in Jamaica, the organized crime and the conventional violence, and how the impact of the crime has had an effect on economic growth. My conclusion will focus on the policies which these countries have to change that will significantly reduce crime and violence and as a result will provide a better social and economic future for all of its citizens. The aim of this research is to have a broader understanding about crime and violence in Jamaica and to raise global awareness about their conditions and the humanitarian problems.

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Assessing Global Awareness over Short-Term Study Abroad Sequence: A Factor Analysis

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad ◽

10.36366/frontiers.v23i1.327 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 22-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Mark Kurt ◽

Neal Olitsky ◽

Paul Geis

Keyword(s):

Study Abroad ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Study ◽

The Past ◽

Short Term Study ◽

Preparatory Course ◽

The Impact

Over the past 10 years, U.S. undergraduate participation in study abroad has increased dramatically. The majority of these study abroad experiences have durations of less than eight weeks. Due to the rapid growth in both of these areas, there has been increased interest in assessing student outcomes associated with short-term study abroad (STSA) programs. This paper investigates the impact of an STSA experience on undergraduate students' levels of global awareness over the entire STSA sequence: pre-preparatory course, post-preparatory course, and post-STSA program. We adopt and extend the measures constructed in Chieffo and Griffiths (2004),by implementing a longitudinal study across 23 separate STSA courses. Findings indicate that students’ global awareness does not change significantly after the preparatory course, but that students' levels of global awareness experience statistically significant increases along several dimensions after completing the STSA program. We also find that students who have completed a previous study abroad experience still benefit from an additional STSA course.

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The Impact of the Global and Local Awareness Diffusion on Epidemic Transmission Considering the Heterogeneity of Individual Influences

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1080182/v1 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Haidong Xu ◽

Ye Zhao ◽

Dun Han

Keyword(s):

Mean Field ◽

Global Awareness ◽

Protective Behavior ◽

Epidemic Spreading ◽

Epidemic Threshold ◽

Spreading Model ◽

Information Layer ◽

Local Awareness ◽

Global And Local ◽

The Impact

Abstract In this paper, we propose a coupled awareness - epidemic spreading model considering the heterogeneity of individual influences, which aims to explore the interaction between awareness diffusion and epidemic transmission. The considered heterogeneity of individual influences are threefold: the heterogeneity of individual influences in the information layer, the heterogeneity of individual influences in the epidemic layer and the heterogeneity of individual behavioral responses to epidemics. In addition, the individuals' receptive preference for information and the impacts of individuals' perceived local awareness ratio and individuals' perceived epidemic severity on self-protective behavior are included. The epidemic threshold is theoretically established according to the microscopic Markov chain approach and mean-field approach. Results indicate that the critical local and global awareness ratios have two-stage effects on the epidemic threshold. Besides, either the heterogeneity of individual influences in the information layer or the strength of individuals' responses to epidemics can influence the epidemic threshold with a nonlinear way. However, the heterogeneity of individual influences in the epidemic layer has few effect on the epidemic threshold, but can affects the magnitude of the final infected density.

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Formation of Lunar Craters and Bright Rays as a Result of Meteorite Impacts

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900178404 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 415-418

Author(s):

K. P. Stanyukovich ◽

V. A. Bronshten

Keyword(s):

Explosive Charge ◽

The Moon ◽

Meteorite Impacts ◽

The Earth ◽

Lunar Craters ◽

The Impact

The phenomena accompanying the impact of large meteorites on the surface of the Moon or of the Earth can be examined on the basis of the theory of explosive phenomena if we assume that, instead of an exploding meteorite moving inside the rock, we have an explosive charge (equivalent in energy), situated at a certain distance under the surface.

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