scholarly journals Why flies? Inexpensive public engagement exercises to explain the value of basic biomedical research on Drosophila melanogaster

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan R. Pulver ◽  
Paola Cognigni ◽  
Barry Denholm ◽  
Caroline Fabre ◽  
Wendy X. W. Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Public Outreach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Teaching Modules

Invertebrate model organisms are powerful systems for uncovering conserved principles of animal biology. Despite widespread use in scientific communities, invertebrate research is often severely undervalued by laypeople. Here, we present a set of simple, inexpensive public outreach exercises aimed at explaining to the public why basic research on one particular invertebrate, the insect Drosophila melanogaster , is valuable. First, we designed seven teaching modules that highlight cutting-edge research in Drosophila genetics, metabolism, physiology, and behavior. We then implemented these exercises in a public outreach event that included both children and adults. Quantitative evaluation of participant feedback suggests that these exercises 1) teach principles of animal biology, 2) help laypeople better understand why researchers study fruit flies, and 3) are effective over a wide range of age groups. Overall, this work provides a blueprint for how to use Drosophila as a vehicle for increasing public awareness and appreciation of basic research on genetically tractable insects in particular and invertebrates in general.

Two Case Studies of Collaborations Between Aquariums and Research Institutions in Exploration and Education

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Author(s):  
Marcia McNutt ◽  
Robert D. Ballard
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
First Century ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Monterey Bay ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Public Outreach ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Institutions

Aquariums and "blue water" oceanographic institutions in America have traditionally had completely separate missions, with the former concentrating on public outreach and education and the latter undertaking basic research. Recently, two new institutions, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the Mystic Aquarium/Institute for Exploration (MA/IFE), were founded for the expressed purpose of bridging the gap between basic ocean discovery and public education. In both cases, the ability to bring the excitement of undersea exploration to the public has been enabled by sophisticated undersea vehicles that permit the aquarium audience to participate in the research enterprise via telepresence. The fact that the research is constantly in the public eye provides researchers with frequent opportunities to explain the importance and the relevancy of their work for the benefit of society. Despite the efforts over the past 50 years, over 95 percent of the oceans remain unknown and unexplored. This fact combined with the realization that all citizens of the twenty-first century must be well informed on the consequences of their actions on the health of this ocean planet makes it likely that such partnerships between research and educational institutions will proliferate.

Advantages and risks of crowdfunding as a model of financing startups and community development projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (4) ◽  
pp. 84-98
Author(s):  
Vitalii RYSIN ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
System Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Capital Access

Crowdfunding as a tool for alternative financing has emerged relatively recently and is of limited use in Ukraine today. At the same time, it has significant potential, which can contribute to the implementation of a wide range of projects that for various reasons are not of interest to traditional lenders or investors. The aim of the article is to determine the benefits of crowdfunding for its participants, the peculiarities of the implementation of certain types of crowdfunding and identify risks that may be generated by them, as well as develop practical recommendations for crowdfunding campaigns by entrepreneurs and authors of community development projects. The article identifies the benefits of crowdfunding for project authors (low cost of capital, access to information and potential investors) and investors (clarity, low risks, access to new products, the ability to support creative ideas), substantiates the role of crowdfunding platforms in realizing the benefits of crowdfunding. The advantages and disadvantages of using certain types of crowdfunding are described. Recommendations for planning and implementation of the main stages of crowdfunding campaigns - idea development, target audience determination, research, communication, project budgeting, reward system development, campaign schedule development – are developed. The factors of choosing a crowdfunding platform for hosting the project are determined. The possibility of using crowdfunding for collective financing of socio-cultural projects within the public budgets of the united territorial communities is shown. The risks of using crowdfunding for project authors and potential investors are identified. Those risks are primarily related to realistic expectations and proper preparation for the fundraising campaign by project authors, as well as the lack of guarantees for investors in the event of problems or bankruptcy of the crowdfunding platform. The author highlights that the growth of public awareness about the possibilities of implementing social or business initiatives through crowdfunding platforms will contribute to the development of platforms, improvement of technological equipment, and expansion of their range of services.

scholarly journals Public awareness of malaria at the beginning of a national malaria elimination program in China

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 416-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhai Yin ◽  
Zhigui Xia ◽  
Rubo Wang ◽  
Qingfeng Zhang ◽  
Wen Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Elimination ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Type I ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Elimination Programme ◽  
Survey Responses

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the baseline level of malaria awareness in residents in 20 malaria-endemic provinces from October 2010 to January 2011 at the beginning of the implementation of the China National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP). Methodology: A structured questionnaire about basic malaria knowledge was administrated to residents in rural areas from 20 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Results: A total of 182,085 residents no younger than 15 years of age took part in the cross-sectional investigation; 3,232 were excluded because of incomplete survey responses. Of the respondents, 56.86% were aware of malaria, 18.03% responded correctly to all five questions, and 5.57% answered all the questions incorrectly. Malaria awareness among different age groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001), males had a better understanding of malaria than did females (p < 0.001), and Type I counties had a better understanding than did Type II counties (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The level of malaria awareness was low among residents at the beginning of the NMEP, especially about malaria pathogenicity and preventive methods. Health education campaigns should be developed and implemented to increase the public perceptions about malaria prevention and treatment, and to promote malaria elimination in China.

scholarly journals Rediscovering Don Swanson:The Past, Present and Future of Literature-based Discovery

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil R. Smalheiser
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Drug Repurposing ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Knowledge Discovery In Databases ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
The Public ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Literature Based Discovery ◽  
American Society

Abstract Purpose The late Don R. Swanson was well appreciated during his lifetime as Dean of the Graduate Library School at University of Chicago, as winner of the American Society for Information Science Award of Merit for 2000, and as author of many seminal articles. In this informal essay, I will give my personal perspective on Don’s contributions to science, and outline some current and future directions in literature-based discovery that are rooted in concepts that he developed. Design/methodology/approach Personal recollections and literature review. Findings The Swanson A-B-C model of literature-based discovery has been successfully used by laboratory investigators analyzing their findings and hypotheses. It continues to be a fertile area of research in a wide range of application areas including text mining, drug repurposing, studies of scientific innovation, knowledge discovery in databases, and bioinformatics. Recently, additional modes of discovery that do not follow the A-B-C model have also been proposed and explored (e.g. so-called storytelling, gaps, analogies, link prediction, negative consensus, outliers, and revival of neglected or discarded research questions). Research limitations This paper reflects the opinions of the author and is not a comprehensive nor technically based review of literature-based discovery. Practical implications The general scientific public is still not aware of the availability of tools for literature-based discovery. Our Arrowsmith project site maintains a suite of discovery tools that are free and open to the public (http://arrowsmith.psych.uic.edu), as does BITOLA which is maintained by Dmitar Hristovski (http://http://ibmi.mf.uni-lj.si/bitola), and Epiphanet which is maintained by Trevor Cohen (http://epiphanet.uth.tmc.edu/). Bringing user-friendly tools to the public should be a high priority, since even more than advancing basic research in informatics, it is vital that we ensure that scientists actually use discovery tools and that these are actually able to help them make experimental discoveries in the lab and in the clinic. Originality/value This paper discusses problems and issues which were inherent in Don’s thoughts during his life, including those which have not yet been fully taken up and studied systematically.

scholarly journals Elhízó Magyarország. A túlsúly és az elhízás trendje és prevalenciája Magyarországon, 2015

2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (31) ◽  
pp. 1248-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imre Rurik ◽  
Tímea Ungvári ◽  
Judit Szidor ◽  
Péter Torzsa ◽  
Csaba Móczár ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Wide Range

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is growing continuously worldwide, even in Hungary. Since 1988, when the first professional wide-range evaluation was performed, only limited data are available. Aim: Authors present the results of the ever largest Hungarian obesity-prevalence surveys, performed by family and occupational physicians. Method: Data from 0.55% of the population above 18 year were registered in all geographical regions of Hungary (43,287 persons; 17,901 males and 25,386 females), close to the proper national representativeness. Age, body mass index, waist circumference, educational level, presence of hypertension and/or diabetes were analyzed statistically and compared with previous data. Results: The overall prevalence rate of overweight and obesity among men was 40% and 32%, respectively, while overweight and obesity occurred in 32% of women. In the different age groups of men, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was: 32.7% and 18.2% in 18–34 years; 40.1% and 34.4% in 35–59 years; 43.5% and 38.8% in over 60 years, respectively. In the same age groups of women, overweight and obesity occurred in 19.6% and 15.7%, 36.8% and 38.7%, and 36.5% and 39.7%, respectively. Body mass index and waist-circumference were presented according to age, by decades and by type of residency as well. The highest ratio of overweight was registered among men with the highest educational level, while highest ratio of obesity among women having the lowest education. Obesity according to Body mass index and abdominal obesity was the highest in the villages, especially among females. Registered metabolic morbidities were strongly correlated with body mass index and both were inversely related to the level of urbanization. Conclusions: Over the previous decades, the ratio of the overweight and even the number of obese persons increased significantly, and it was most prominent among males, mainly in younger generation. Obesity means a serious medical, public health and economic problem, and it requires higher public awareness and political support. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(31), 1248–1255.

scholarly journals Awareness of Toxicological Impact and Risk of using Talcum Powder as a factor for Ovarian Cancer among Women in three Metropolitan Cities of Southwestern States of Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koleayo Oluwafemi Omoyajowo ◽  
Amos Lanreyebi Ogunyebi ◽  
Olapeju Aarinola Adenekan ◽  
Tolulope I. Bakare ◽  
Busayo Omoyajowo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Talcum Powder ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
The Public ◽  
Awareness Level

Abstract ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the public awareness level on the toxicological nature of talcum powder and the perceived risk of ovarian cancer among women in order to design effective interventions that will ultimately improve public health among all women in Nigeria. A risk perception survey was developed to capture the public awareness level about talcum powder as an emerging contaminant and risk of ovarian cancer, inquiring whether risk is viewed positively or negatively and the extent of worry or concern. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered and returned, analyzed and interpreted for policy decision making. Each questionnaire contains mostly Likert type questions featuring a set of risks with fixed response alternatives. Basic descriptive statistics was considered for explanatory variables: age, educational attainment and generalized risk sensitivity. Majority of respondents use talcum powder for different purposes. 28% of respondents use talcum powder for genital hygiene, out of which 42.86% use this cosmetic product on a daily basis. Poor level of awareness was generally observed as most respondents do not know whether talcum powder could be considered a potential risk factor for ovarian cancer. Majority (66.43%) were very concerned about the risk of ovarian cancer but perceived less risk for ovarian cancer when asked to compare risk with their respective age groups. Notably, poor level of awareness about the toxicological nature of talc and the relatively high level of perceived risk of developing ovarian cancer due to previous talc exposure was evident among respondents in our study.

scholarly journals Microbiological and epidemiological review of Hantavirus: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardi Marif ◽  
Kwestan Ali
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Hantavirus Infection ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The Public ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Usa

Hantaviruses are rodent viruses that have a world-wide distribution. Rodents and insectivores act as asymptomatic, chronic, persistently infected carrier hosts, whereas humans are dead end hosts and may exhibit symptoms after an incubation period of between one and six weeks. Hantaviruses infect humans and causing either hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). Due to the absence of the treatment and approved vaccine in the USA, European and Asian countries, the public awareness and precautions are the only way of minimizing the risk of Hantavirus infection. This review provides a microbiological and epidemiological summary of the Hantavirus diseases in rodents and human beings. We concluded that the disease is a serious zoonotic disease the affect animals and humans and the mortality rate is really high. A wide range of different diagnostic tests play an important role in the diagnosis of the Hantavirus.

Selected Contribution: Long-lived Drosophila melanogaster lines exhibit normal metabolic rates

2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 2605-2613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne A. Van Voorhies ◽  
Aziz A. Khazaeli ◽  
James W. Curtsinger
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Powerful Method ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Average Adult

The use of model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful method for studying mechanisms of aging. Here we report on a large set of recombinant inbred (RI) D. melanogaster lines that exhibit approximately a fivefold range of average adult longevities. Understanding the factors responsible for the differences in longevity, particularly the characteristics of the longest-lived lines, can provide fundamental insights into the mechanistic correlates of aging. In ectothermic organisms, longevity is often inversely correlated with metabolic rate, suggesting the a priori hypothesis that long-lived lines will have low resting metabolic rates. We conducted ∼6,000 measurements of CO2 production in individual male flies aged 5, 16, 29, and 47 days postemergence and simultaneously measured the weight of individual flies and life spans in populations of each line. Even though there was a wide range of longevities, there was no evidence of an inverse relationship between the variables. The increased longevity of long-lived lines is not mediated through reduction of metabolic activity. In Drosophila, it is possible to both maintain a normal metabolic rate and achieve long life. These results are evaluated in the context of 100 years of research on the relationship between metabolic rate and life span.

scholarly journals Methadone Maintenance Therapy: Malaysian public awareness

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Roz Azinur Che Lamin ◽  
Nursyuhadah Othman ◽  
Mohd Izani Othman
Keyword(s):  
Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Methadone Maintenance ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Methadone Maintenance Therapy ◽  
The Public ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) was first introduced in 2005 by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia as a therapy to enhance drug addicts’ quality of life. This study is to access the public awareness and behavior towards MMT program whereby a self administered questionnaire was distributed to the respondents in a public hospital. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 16. The finding shows that only 23.9% of respondents are aware of this program and majority of the respondents suggested continuous improvement on MMT program. In conclusion, the low awareness level of MMT program amongst public in Malaysia is might be due to limited campaigns and information. 2180-4567 © 2014 The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Keywords: Methadone maintenance therapy; Malaysia; drug addict; awareness.

scholarly journals A Standardized Nomenclature and Atlas of the Male Terminalia of Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin Rice ◽  
Jean david ◽  
Yoshitaka Kamimura ◽  
John Masly ◽  
Alistair Mcgregor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Interdisciplinary Communication ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Anatomical Structures ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Taxonomic Description ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Male Genital

Animal terminalia represent some of the most diverse and rapidly evolving structures in the animal kingdom, and for this reason have been a mainstay in the taxonomic description of species. The terminalia of Drosophila melanogaster, with its wide range of experimental tools, have recently become the focus of increased interest in the fields of development, evolution, and behavior. However, studies from different disciplines have often used discrepant terminologies for the same anatomical structures. Consequently, the terminology of genital parts has become a barrier to integrating results from different fields, rendering it difficult to determine what parts are being referenced. We formed a consortium of researchers studying the genitalia of D. melanogaster to help establish a set of naming conventions. Here, we present a detailed visual anatomy of male genital parts, including a list of synonymous terms, and suggest practices to avoid confusion when referring to anatomical parts in future studies. The goal of this effort is to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and help newcomers orient themselves within the exciting field of Drosophila genitalia.

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