scholarly journals Understanding the Challenges and Uncertainties of Seroprevalence Studies for SARS-CoV-2

Author(s):  
David McConnell ◽  
Conor Hickey ◽  
Norma Bargary ◽  
Lea Trela-Larsen ◽  
Cathal Walsh ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 continues to widely circulate in populations globally. Underdetection is acknowledged and is problematic when attempting to capture the true prevalence. Seroprevalence studies, where blood samples from a population sample are tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that react to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, are a common method for estimating the proportion of people previously infected with the virus in a given population. However, obtaining reliable estimates from seroprevalence studies is challenging for a number of reasons, and the uncertainty in the results is often overlooked by scientists, policy makers and the media. This paper reviews the methodological issues that arise in designing these studies, and the main sources of uncertainty that affect the results. We discuss the choice of study population, recruitment of subjects, uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of antibody tests themselves, and the relationship between antibodies and infection over time. Understanding these issues can help the reader to interpret and critically evaluate the results of seroprevalence studies.

Author(s):  
David McConnell ◽  
Conor Hickey ◽  
Norma Bargary ◽  
Lea Trela-Larsen ◽  
Cathal Walsh ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 continues to widely circulate in populations globally. Underdetection is acknowledged and is problematic when attempting to capture the true prevalence. Seroprevalence studies, where blood samples from a population sample are tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that react to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, are a common method for estimating the proportion of people previously infected with the virus in a given population. However, obtaining reliable estimates from seroprevalence studies is challenging for a number of reasons, and the uncertainty in the results is often overlooked by scientists, policy makers, and the media. This paper reviews the methodological issues that arise in designing these studies, and the main sources of uncertainty that affect the results. We discuss the choice of study population, recruitment of subjects, uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of antibody tests, and the relationship between antibodies and infection over time. Understanding these issues can help the reader to interpret and critically evaluate the results of seroprevalence studies.


Author(s):  
Jessica White

Has suburbia ever truly met the needs of the populations it claims to serve? Since its creation suburbia has been a centre of conflict between the image created by the media and lived realities. The post war images of femininity in the suburbs were ones of domesticity and a heteronormative family. In essence the “sitcom” family was created and reality was made to look like its television counterpart. Yet in real life, did any family look like that of Leave it to Beaver? Have our ideals of the perfect family living in the perfect house truly changed? If they have changed have they had an effect on policy makers and land developers? A brief historical examination of suburbia, its creation, and media images will be contrasted with the developments and policies we find in today’s suburbia. To partially answer my original question the demographic of women in suburbia, more specifically mothers will be discussed. Are today’s media images of suburbia a better depiction of lived realities or are urban political processes still at play to perpetuate an ideal image?


Res Publica ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-63
Author(s):  
Mark Eyskens

Defining a minister's power is not an easy exercise. It bas to be put in a broader framework: a pluralistic democracy, that has respect for human rights and basic freedoms and a market economy that is developping towards a national border crossing competition and cooperation. But there are also some basic rules coming from national but also regional and supranational institutions. There nowadays exists a so called 'Gulliver-effect': the state represented by the governement is like a giant that is threatened by a lot of surrenders whoforce him towards a powerless existence. Although citizens often have the impression politics is capable of doing anything it wants to, policy makers more often have to cope with restrictions that obstruct them in their policy aims.At the beginning of the twenty-first century ministers are heavily counterbalanced by other institions. Trade unions, big lobby groups, administration, the cabinets, the party executive and party president, parliament and the media: they all threaten a minster's power. Also the rising power of regional and supranational decision levels makes the power of a politician decline. In the future, rising information and communication skills will not only change the character of politics but also that of modern society. The internet, the globalisation ofeconomy and other changes will transform politics in a fundamental way. Leadership, power and authority will change strongly and the relationship between the citizens and their authority will never be the same again.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110285
Author(s):  
Katharine Dommett

Digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, are under increased scrutiny as regards their impact on society. Having prompted concerns about their capacity to spread misinformation, contribute to filter bubbles and facilitate hate speech, much attention has been paid to the threat platforms pose to democracy. In contrast to existing interventions considering the threats posed by interactions between platforms and users, in this article, I examine platforms’ impact on the democratic work of other bodies. Considering the relationship between platforms and the media, I reveal how platforms affect journalists’ ability to advance their democratic goals. Using a case study of journalistic coverage of digital campaigning at the 2019 UK general election, I show how platforms have hindered journalistic efforts to inform citizens and provide a watchdog function. These findings are significant for our understanding of platforms’ democratic impact and suggest policy makers may wish to regulate platforms’ inter-institutional impact upon democracy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhavidan Sivalingam ◽  
Murugan Subbaiyan

Today’s youth have unprecedented access to modern technology and use them in expected and unexpected ways. Youth spend many hours a day using the technology, and the vast majority of them have access to Internet, cell phones, smart phone, video games and many more. Recent evidence raises concern about effects on academic performance. This chapter provides an overview of the impact of modern technology on the educational attainment of adolescents. The purpose was to examine the relationship between adolescent usage of computers and academic performance. Within the qualitative research the case study design was adopted. Interviews and focus group discussions were the primary tools used to gather data. The study found out that modern technology impacts learning both positively and negatively. Recommendations were made for parents, educationists, the media, and policy makers among others, for ways to increase the benefits and reduce the harm that technology can have for adolescents.


Author(s):  
Arwanto Arwanto ◽  
Wike Anggraini

ABSTRACT Understanding policy process involves many distinctive approaches. The most common are institutional, groups or networks, exogenous factors, rational actors, and idea-based approach. This paper discussed the idea-based approach to explain policy process, in this case policy change. It aims to analyse how ideas could assist people to understand policy change. What role do they play and why are they considered as fundamental element? It considers that ideas are belong to every policy actor, whether it is individual or institution. In order to answer these questions, this paper adopts Kingdon’s multi streams approach to analyse academic literatures. Through this approach, the relationship between ideas and policy change can be seen clearer. Ideas only can affect in policy change if it is agreed and accepted by policy makers. Therefore the receptivity of ideas plays significant role and it emerges policy entrepreneurs. They promote ideas (through problem framing, timing, and narrative construction) and manipulate in order to ensure the receptivity of ideas. Although policy entrepreneurs play significant role, political aspects remains the most important element in the policy process. Keywords: policy change, ideas, idea-based approach, Kingdon’s multiple streams, policy entrepreneurs.


Author(s):  
Ani Media Harumi ◽  
Kasiati Kasiati

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of age high risk with the incidence ofbleeding post partum in dr. M. Soewandhie Surabaya hospital. This research is analytic with an approachof a sectional cross. The study population was all post partum mothers in the Dr. M. Soewandhie Surabayahospital in January 2016 to March 2017, which amounts to an average of 1840respondents while theresearch sample number 182. Measuring collection sheet data obtained by systematic random sampling.The Study was conducted Chi-Square test obtained mean count X2 (0,00) is less than á (0.05) thenH0 is rejected and H1 accepted it means that there is a relationship between the age of high risk withbleeding post partum. Conclusion, there is a relationship between the age of high risk with the incidenceof bleeding post partum in the Spaceof the Maternity room Dr. Moch. Soewandhie Surabayahospital.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-136
Author(s):  
Eman I AHMED

Faculty engagement has been proved to be a critical driver of the universities’ efficiency and effectiveness. The first step towards building an engaged workforce is to get a measure of faculty perceptions of their engagement level to their universities. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the faculty members' engagement in the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. It examines the relationship between the faculty professional variablesand their level of engagement to their institutions. William Kahn's (1990) three-component model of employee engagement was partially adapted as a framework to measure the faculty members' engagement. A questionnaire was used to better address the objective of this study. The data were obtained from the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (Dammam University) through an internet-based survey. The validity and the reliability of the questionnaire has been evaluated and reported. Results of the analyses show that cognitive engagement is reported to be higher than both the emotional and physical engagement, with a mean rating of 4.040 and a standard deviation of .487, based on the five-point scale. Given the engagement level of the faculty members in this study, the university administrators should develop policies, and strategies that encourage and support engagement among faculty members at the University in order to maximize their engagement. Policy makers must also take into consideration the needs of the faculty members


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4(13)) ◽  
pp. 31-50
Author(s):  
Shiyu Zhang ◽  

Over the past decade, bilateral relations between China and Russia have attracted the attention of the whole world. As neighbors and rapidly developing countries, China and Russia are becoming increasingly important in the international arena. The strategic partnership and interaction between China and Russia occupy a significant place in the politics of both countries. Cooperation is developing dynamically in various fields, primarily in politics. After 2012, a change of government took place in China and Russia, which brought new changes to international relations. Studying the involvement of the media in this process can clarify their impact on international relations, in particular, their role in the relationship between China and Russia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Abdul Rivai

This study aims to determine and understand the relationship between work motivation and participatory leadership with the work behavior of the Functional Staff of the Education and Culture Office of East Nusa Tenggara Province because the Province of East Nusa Tenggara is one of the provinces whose development and growth is relatively slower compared to other provinces in Indonesia. The study population was the functional staff who did not have a structural position of 94 people. Samples were taken as many as 75 people. Data collection using a questionnaire instrument.Based on hypothesis testing, this study found: (1) there was a relationship between work motivation and work behavior in which work motivation contributed 49.29% to work behavior, (2) there was a positive relationship between participative leadership and work behavior in which participative leadership contributed 51.49% of work behavior, and there is a positive relationship between work motivation and participatory leadership together with work behavior. Where work motivation and participatory leadership together contribute 67.01% to work behavior. From the three findings, the conclusions of this study are stated that: (a) Work behavior provides a good relationship to increase work motivation, (b) Work behavior can be improved by considering participatory leadership, by involving employees in every decision making, respecting opinions and proposals employees, and enhance collaboration.


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