Are Wikipedia statistics useful in evaluating public interest in neurosurgical diseases? (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Szmuda ◽  
Shan Ali ◽  
Paweł Słoniewski

BACKGROUND Wikipedia, a free, semi-editable online encyclopedia, is currently the fifth most popular website worldwide. It is a leading source of medical information for the public. OBJECTIVE To evaluate to what extent Wikipedia page view statistics can assess the public interest in neurosurgical diseases. METHODS The Wikipedia Massviews statistics tool was used to find the top ten and bottom ten pages on Wikipedia under the category “Neurosurgery” from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. The top ten pages were analyzed for page view correlations with time, the languages available, the top five redirects and the respective PubMed data. RESULTS The most popular neurosurgical pages on Wikipedia were: Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Neurosurgery, Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, Intracranial aneurysm and Laminectomy. The bottom pages were: International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial, Dandy's point, Stereotaxic atlas, Traumatic pneumorrhachis and Decerebellate. More popular pages were available in more languages with the most popular being English. Users more often accessed Wikipedia on their phone browser than on desktop; this trend was also seen over Wikipedia English overall. PubMed publications did not correlate to the page views with time. CONCLUSIONS Despite the impact of media clamor, Wikipedia statistics offer valuable insight into public health interests and show how users access this information. Our study demonstrates that the most popular neurosurgical topics on Wikipedia are for aneurysms, stroke, hydrocephalus and spine surgery. These topics align themselves with the most common neurosurgery issues. We encourage physicians clarify any questions for the common well-read patient. This allows for a more efficient physician-patient interaction and can help highlight subjects of confusion for future patients especially since the readability of articles on neurosurgery is low.

Author(s):  
Dirk Voorhoof

The normative perspective of this chapter is how to guarantee respect for the fundamental values of freedom of expression and journalistic reporting on matters of public interest in cases where a (public) person claims protection of his or her right to reputation. First it explains why there is an increasing number and expanding potential of conflicts between the right to freedom of expression and media freedom (Article 10 ECHR), on the one hand, and the right of privacy and the right to protection of reputation (Article 8 ECHR), on the other. In addressing and analysing the European Court’s balancing approach in this domain, the characteristics and the impact of the seminal 2012 Grand Chamber judgment in Axel Springer AG v. Germany (no. 1) are identified and explained. On the basis of the analysis of the Court’s subsequent jurisprudence in defamation cases it evaluates whether this case law preserves the public watchdog-function of media, investigative journalism and NGOs reporting on matters of public interest, but tarnishing the reputation of public figures.


Author(s):  
Thomas A Lewis

Abstract As a discipline, the academic study of religion is strikingly fragmented, with little engagement or shared criteria of excellence across subfields. Although important recent developments have expanded the traditions and peoples studied as well as the methods used, the current extent of fragmentation limits the impact of this diversification and pluralization. At a moment when the global pandemic is catalyzing profound pressures on our universities and disciplines, this fragmentation makes it difficult to articulate to the public, to non-religious studies colleagues, and to students why the study of religion matters. We therefore too often fall back on platitudes. I argue for a revitalized methods and theories conversation that connects us even as it bears our arguments and disagreements about what we do and how. Courses in methods and theories in the study of religion represent the most viable basis we have for bringing the academic study of religion into the common conversation or argument that constitutes a discipline without sacrificing our pluralism.


Author(s):  
Marta Pietras-Eichberger

The study analyzed selected issues related to the scope of human rights and freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland and Russia. The author wanted to compare the regulations issued by a Member State of the European Union and a country outside the European Union, often using undemocratic methods of exercising power. The work focuses on research problems related to the principles of protection, the confrontation of individual interests with the public interest, and the impact of the regimes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights law in both countries. The thesis of the study is that in the event of a threat to public health, analogous restrictions on human rights are introduced both in an undemocratic country and in a country belonging to international structures identifying with democratic values. The state of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, and in some area even contributed to the creation of mechanisms reserved for crisis situations, posing a direct and real threat to public safety and health.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Jagielska-Burduk

LEGAL STATUS OF CULTURAL PROPERTY AND WORKS OF ART IN THE PRL Summary The article deals with the legal status of works of art and cultural property in the Polish legislation during communism period. Classifying those objects as private property was considered as a very difficult task, because of their material value and the public interest in saving them for future generations. The strict limitations of individuals property were perceived as unusual and as a result a new sort of property – the private cultural property was distinguished. Moreover, the concepts of the common heritage and res extra commercium could be observed in the light of the PRL ideas. It should be emphasized that the above mentioned theories for improving cultural heritage regulations are the most popular in the nowadays’ international discussion.


Author(s):  
Royce Hanson

This book examines the impact of planning politics on the public interest by focusing on the case of Montgomery County and its land use policy. In particular, it considers Montgomery's pioneering approach to inclusionary zoning, the Moderate-Priced Dwelling Unit Ordinance, in terms of its effect on development patterns and the character and cost of housing. Montgomery was among the earliest fast-growing suburbs to stage development concurrently with the provision of public facilities. Its land use policies were efforts by the county's planners and politicians to solve practical problems in the public interest. The book analyzes the chain of strategic decisions that transformed Montgomery County from a rural hinterland of Washington, D.C. into a socially diverse urbanizing county of a million people in Maryland. This introduction provides an overview of the growth of suburbs and its implications for neighborhoods and residents, Montgomery County's suburbanization, and the organization of the book.


Author(s):  
John Baker

This chapter shows how actions on the case were used both to supplant the assize of nuisance and to provide remedies for types of nuisance not within the assize. The King’s Bench allowed case to overlap with the assize, but this was opposed by the Common Pleas until 1601, when the King’s Bench view prevailed. The assize was chiefly concerned with easements and profits. But there were new difficulties over the extent to which neighbours had to put up with disagreeable activities and processes which disturbed their comfort. These were discussed in a case of 1569 concerning ancient lights in London, and in a leading case of 1629 concerning the use of sea-coal by a London brewery. The 1629 case seems to have resulted in judicial deadlock, but the judges agreed on the principle of ‘necessity’, meaning that activities which were desirable in the public interest should be protected.


2015 ◽  
pp. 1638-1652
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kitsos ◽  
Aikaterini Yannoukakou

The events of 9/11 along with the bombarding in Madrid and London forced governments to resort to new structures of privacy safeguarding and electronic surveillance under the common denominator of terrorism and transnational crime fighting. Legislation as US PATRIOT Act and EU Data Retention Directive altered fundamentally the collection, processing and sharing methods of personal data, while it granted increased powers to police and law enforcement authorities concerning their jurisdiction in obtaining and processing personal information to an excessive degree. As an aftermath of the resulted opacity and the public outcry, a shift is recorded during the last years towards a more open governance by the implementation of open data and cloud computing practices in order to enhance transparency and accountability from the side of governments, restore the trust between the State and the citizens, and amplify the citizens' participation to the decision-making procedures. However, privacy and personal data protection are major issues in all occasions and, thus, must be safeguarded without sacrificing national security and public interest on one hand, but without crossing the thin line between protection and infringement on the other. Where this delicate balance stands, is the focal point of this paper trying to demonstrate that it is better to be cautious with open practices than hostage of clandestine practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 985-1003
Author(s):  
Tracey L Adams

Given their positions of public trust, regulated professions are legally required to uphold ethical standards, and ensure that professional practice protects the public. Nonetheless, there is ample evidence that professionals do not always behave ethically. One proposed solution is greater organizational surveillance; however, research from a neo-Weberian perspective encourages scepticism about such arguments. Organizations may not only fail to stop professionals from violating ethical codes, but rationalizing organizations might actively encourage such violations in the name of efficiency. This article explores the impact of organizations and rationalization on professional misconduct through a mixed-methods study of professional engineers in Ontario, Canada. Findings suggest engineers are impacted by rationalization, and that those with less decision-making authority experience pressures discouraging practice in the public interest.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lize Zhang ◽  
Weiyu Zhang

Operating as a commercial business with public functions, Weibo’s pursuit of profits has to be balanced with the demands of citizen users. This article examines how the dynamics between increasing profits and preserving public interest manifests itself in Weibo’s monetization and how the dynamics impacts Weibo’s public functions. Drawn on evidence collected through participant observation and 19 in-depth interviews, this article first provides a description of the major practices of monetization. Next, it describes how the introduction of commercial elements, the cluttered product development, and the embrace with strong domestic capitals reshape Weibo’s public functions. Finally, it concludes with a discussion on the attitude of Weibo toward the dynamics between profits and public interest, and how Weibo’s pursuit of profits under the market influence has to be included when examining Weibo’s impact on the development of Chinese society.


1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Ashcroft ◽  
J H Love

A framework is suggested for the evaluation of the effects of external takeover on regional economic performance, and an approach is offered to identify the impact of takeover on the performance of the acquired firm. The approach is then applied to estimate the effects of external takeover on the performance of Scottish manufacturing companies between 1965 and 1980. The results show that external takeover improved sales performance but lowered rates of return in acquired firms. Employment was, in general, unaffected. Overall, the effects on acquired firms are judged to have been beneficial, but evidence of harmful effects on the wider regional economy suggests that it cannot be assumed that such takeovers will not be against the public interest.


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