Will an anti-sperm contraceptive vaccine gain public acceptance?

Despite many efforts, the control of reproduction in feral cat populations is still a problem in urban regions around the world. Immunocontraception is a promising approach; thus the present study examined the suitability of the widely used pig zona pellucida proteins (pZP) for contraception in feral domestic cats. Purified zona pellucida proteins obtained from pig and cat ovaries were used to produce highly specific antisera in rabbits. Antibodies against pZP raised in rabbits or lions were not effective inhibitors of either in vitro sperm binding (cat spermatozoa to cat oocytes) or in vitro fertilization in cats, whereas antibodies against feline zona pellucida proteins (fZP) raised in rabbits showed a dose-dependent inhibition of in vitro fertilization. Immunoelectrophoresis, ELISA and immunohistology of ovaries confirmed these results, showing crossreactivity of anti-fZP sera to fZP and to a lesser extent to pZP, but no interaction of anti-pZP sera with fZP. It is concluded that cat and pig zonae pellucidae express a very small number of shared antigenic determinants, making the use of pZP vaccine in cats questionable. A contraceptive vaccine based on feline zona pellucida determinants will be a better choice for the control of reproduction in feral cats if immunogenity can be achieved.

Download Full-text

What Drives Public Acceptance of Reforms? Longitudinal Evidence from the Run-Up of the Increase of the Dutch Retirement Age

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.2712255 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Jante Parlevliet

Keyword(s):

Public Acceptance ◽

Retirement Age ◽

Run Up

Download Full-text

Water Recycling: Review and Background

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1982.0173 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 14 (9-11) ◽

pp. 1385-1392

Author(s):

K D Linstedt

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Resource ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Public Acceptance ◽

Institutional Constraints ◽

Water Recycling ◽

Quality Cost ◽

The World ◽

Resource Situation

A review is provided of the world water resource situation. Water reuse is discussed as a means of augmenting conventional supplies, with types of potential reuse applications identified. Considerations of water quality, cost, public acceptance, and institutional constraints are discussed for their impact on decisions regarding implementation of water reuse.

Download Full-text

School opening during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Public acceptance of wearing fabric masks in class

Public Health in Practice ◽

10.1016/j.puhip.2021.100115 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100115

Author(s):

Cornelia Betsch ◽

Lars Korn ◽

Lisa Felgendreff ◽

Sarah Eitze ◽

Heidrun Thaiss

Keyword(s):

Public Acceptance

Download Full-text

A review of public acceptance of nature-based solutions: The ‘why’, ‘when’, and ‘how’ of success for disaster risk reduction measures

AMBIO ◽

10.1007/s13280-021-01502-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carl C. Anderson ◽

Fabrice G. Renaud

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Disaster Risk Reduction ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Public Acceptance ◽

Societal Challenges ◽

Increasing Trend ◽

Risk Reduction Measures

AbstractNature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as sustainable approaches to address societal challenges. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has benefited by moving away from purely ‘grey’ infrastructure measures towards NbS. However, this shift also furthers an increasing trend of reliance on public acceptance to plan, implement and manage DRR measures. In this review, we examine how unique NbS characteristics relate to public acceptance through a comparison with grey measures, and we identify influential acceptance factors related to individuals, society, and DRR measures. Based on the review, we introduce the PA-NbS model that highlights the role of risk perception, trust, competing societal interests, and ecosystem services. Efforts to increase acceptance should focus on providing and promoting awareness of benefits combined with effective communication and collaboration. Further research is required to understand interconnections among identified factors and how they can be leveraged for the success and further uptake of NbS.

Download Full-text

Digital Contact Tracing Applications during COVID-19: A Scoping Review about Public Acceptance

Informatics ◽

10.3390/informatics8030048 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 48

Author(s):

My Villius Zetterholm ◽

Yanqing Lin ◽

Päivi Jokela

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Technical Skills ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Public Acceptance ◽

National Cultures ◽

Privacy Concerns ◽

Ethical Justification ◽

Performance Expectancy ◽

Socially Disadvantaged

Digital contact tracing applications (CTAs) have been one of the most widely discussed technical methods of controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The effectiveness of this technology and its ethical justification depend highly on public acceptance and adoption. This study aims to describe the current knowledge about public acceptance of CTAs and identify individual perspectives, which are essential to consider concerning CTA acceptance and adoption. In this scoping review, 25 studies from four continents across the globe are compiled, and critical topics are identified and discussed. The results show that public acceptance varies across national cultures and sociodemographic strata. Lower acceptance among people who are mistrusting, socially disadvantaged, or those with low technical skills suggest a risk that CTAs may amplify existing inequities. Regarding determinants of acceptance, eight themes emerged, covering both attitudes and behavioral perspectives that can influence acceptance, including trust, privacy concerns, social responsibility, perceived health threat, experience of and access to technologies, performance expectancy and perceived benefits, and understanding. Furthermore, widespread misconceptions about the CTA function are a topic in need of immediate attention to ensure the safe use of CTAs. The intention-action gap is another topic in need of more research.

Download Full-text

The Level of Public Acceptance to the Development of a Coastal Flooding Early Warning System in Jakarta

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13020566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Nelly Florida Riama ◽

Riri Fitri Sari ◽

Henita Rahmayanti ◽

Widada Sulistya ◽

Mohamad Husein Nurrahmat

Keyword(s):

Path Analysis ◽

Early Warning ◽

Early Warning System ◽

Warning System ◽

Coastal Flooding ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Public Acceptance ◽

Community Attitudes ◽

Early Warning Model ◽

Warning Model

Coastal flooding is a natural disaster that often occurs in coastal areas. Jakarta is an example of a location that is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. Coastal flooding can result in economic and human life losses. Thus, there is a need for a coastal flooding early warning system in vulnerable locations to reduce the threat to the community and strengthen its resilience to coastal flooding disasters. This study aimed to measure the level of public acceptance toward the development of a coastal flooding early warning system of people who live in a coastal region in Jakarta. This knowledge is essential to ensure that the early warning system can be implemented successfully. A survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to people in the coastal areas of Jakarta. The questionnaire results were analyzed using cross-tabulation and path analysis based on the variables of knowledge, perceptions, and community attitudes towards the development of a coastal flooding early warning system. The survey result shows that the level of public acceptance is excellent, as proven by the average score of the respondents’ attitude by 4.15 in agreeing with the establishment of an early warning system to manage coastal flooding. Thus, path analysis shows that knowledge and perception have a weak relationship with community attitudes when responding to the coastal flooding early warning model. The results show that only 23% of the community’s responses toward the coastal flooding early warning model can be explained by the community’s knowledge and perceptions. This research is expected to be useful in implementing a coastal flooding early warning system by considering the level of public acceptance.

Download Full-text