scholarly journals Does Eating Chicken Feet With Pickled Peppers Cause Avian Influenza? Observational Case Study on Chinese Social Media During the Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Outbreak (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Chen ◽  
Jian Shao ◽  
Kui Liu ◽  
Gaofeng Cai ◽  
Zhenggang Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Sudden Increase ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Avian Origin ◽  
High Level

BACKGROUND A hot topic on the relationship between a popular avian-origin food and avian influenza occurred on social media during the outbreak of the emerging avian influenza A (H7N9). The misinformation generated from this topic had caused great confusion and public concern. OBJECTIVE Our goals were to analyze the trend and contents of the relevant posts during the outbreak. We also aimed to understand the characteristics of the misinformation and to provide suggestions to reduce public misconception on social media during the emerging disease outbreak. METHODS The original microblog posts were collected from China’s Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo using a combination of keywords between April 1, 2013 and June 2, 2013. We analyzed the weekly and daily trend of the relevant posts. Content analyses were applied to categorize the posts into 4 types with unified sorting criteria. The posts’ characteristics and geographic locations were also analyzed in each category. We conducted further analysis on the top 5 most popular misleading posts. RESULTS A total of 1680 original microblog posts on the topic were retrieved and 341 (20.30%) of these posts were categorized as misleading messages. The number of relevant posts had not increased much during the first 2 weeks but rose to a high level in the next 2 weeks after the sudden increase in number of reported cases at the beginning of week 3. The posts under “misleading messages” occurred and increased from the beginning of week 3, but their daily posting number decreased when the daily number of posts under “refuting messages” outnumbered them. The microbloggers of the misleading posts had the lowest mean rank of followers and previous posts, but their posts had a highest mean rank of posts. The proportion of “misleading messages” in places with no reported cases was significantly higher than that in the epidemic areas (23.6% vs 13.8%). The popular misleading posts appeared to be short and consisted of personal narratives, which were easily disseminated on social media. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested the importance of responding to common questions and misconceptions on social media platforms from the beginning of disease outbreaks. Authorities need to release clear and reliable information related to the popular topics early on. The microbloggers posting correct information should be empowered and their posts could be promoted to clarify false information. Equal importance should be attached to clarify misinformation in both the outbreak and nonoutbreak areas.

scholarly journals Evolution and Adaptation of the Avian H7N9 Virus into the Human Host

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 778
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Bisset ◽  
Gerard F. Hoyne
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Viral Polymerase ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Avian Origin

Influenza viruses arise from animal reservoirs, and have the potential to cause pandemics. In 2013, low pathogenic novel avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses emerged in China, resulting from the reassortment of avian-origin viruses. Following evolutionary changes, highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses emerged in late 2016. Changes in pathogenicity and virulence of H7N9 viruses have been linked to potential mutations in the viral glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), as well as the viral polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2). Recognizing that effective viral transmission of the influenza A virus (IAV) between humans requires efficient attachment to the upper respiratory tract and replication through the viral polymerase complex, experimental evidence demonstrates the potential H7N9 has for increased binding affinity and replication, following specific amino acid substitutions in HA and PB2. Additionally, the deletion of extended amino acid sequences in the NA stalk length was shown to produce a significant increase in pathogenicity in mice. Research shows that significant changes in transmissibility, pathogenicity and virulence are possible after one or a few amino acid substitutions. This review aims to summarise key findings from that research. To date, all strains of H7N9 viruses remain restricted to avian reservoirs, with no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, although mutations in specific viral proteins reveal the efficacy with which these viruses could evolve into a highly virulent and infectious, human-to-human transmitted virus.

scholarly journals Determinants of Infodemics During Disease Outbreaks: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Alvarez-Galvez ◽  
Victor Suarez-Lledo ◽  
Antonio Rojas-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Healthy Habits ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Background: The widespread use of social media represents an unprecedented opportunity for health promotion. We have more information and evidence-based health related knowledge, for instance about healthy habits or possible risk behaviors. However, these tools also carry some disadvantages since they also open the door to new social and health risks, in particular during health emergencies. This systematic review aims to study the determinants of infodemics during disease outbreaks, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methods.Methods: We searched research articles in PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Sociological abstracts, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Additional research works were included by searching bibliographies of electronically retrieved review articles.Results: Finally, 42 studies were included in the review. Five determinants of infodemics were identified: (1) information sources; (2) online communities' structure and consensus; (3) communication channels (i.e., mass media, social media, forums, and websites); (4) messages content (i.e., quality of information, sensationalism, etc.,); and (5) context (e.g., social consensus, health emergencies, public opinion, etc.). Studied selected in this systematic review identified different measures to combat misinformation during outbreaks.Conclusion: The clarity of the health promotion messages has been proven essential to prevent the spread of a particular disease and to avoid potential risks, but it is also fundamental to understand the network structure of social media platforms and the emergency context where misinformation might dynamically evolve. Therefore, in order to prevent future infodemics, special attention will need to be paid both to increase the visibility of evidence-based knowledge generated by health organizations and academia, and to detect the possible sources of mis/disinformation.

scholarly journals The Biodiversity Informatics Training Curriculum (BITC): Versions 1 and 2

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Ingenloff ◽  
Erin Saupe ◽  
Andrew Townsend Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Training Curriculum ◽  
Biodiversity Informatics ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Digital Videos ◽  
Informatics Training ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Uk ◽  
High Level

Beginning in 2012, the JRS Biodiversity Foundation funded the University of Kansas to carry out a series of courses covering the breadth of the field of biodiversity informatics in cities across Africa. The Biodiversity Informatics Training Curriculum (BITC) was created from these events that used in-person courses taught by world experts in biodiversity informatics fields. The courses reached 120+ students and young professionals from 23 countries across Africa, and the digital videos of the courses reached thousands of viewers and users worldwide. BITC1 concluded in 2015 and a biodiversity informatics "curriculum" was published in the form of a compendium of BITC course materials (Peterson and Ingenloff 2016)—this curriculum has now been used as the basis for multiple programs of study around the world. BITC2 is now funded, again thanks to the JRS Biodiversity Foundation—this second version involves longer, more thematically oriented courses to be held in three east and southern African countries. The first will be held in Rwanda, in September 2019, and will focus on "Measuring Essential Biodiversity Variables and Ecosystem Services." BITC2 courses will begin with an open symposium, and then will proceed with intensive, hands-on, goal-oriented workshops with a small number of participants. The overall objective of the BITC is a community-oriented and community-run set of training events that can provide avenues to advanced study, international collaboration, and region-wide integration of efforts in biodiversity informatics. BITC2 has four main goals: implement new training dimensions in both an open symposium forum and an intensive, goal-and-product-focused approach that we tested in the later courses of BITC1; expand access to learning resources via subtitling and translation; build collaborative BITC communities via social media platforms; and build within-Africa capacity in biodiversity informatics via high-level involvement of a number of African scientists and educators. implement new training dimensions in both an open symposium forum and an intensive, goal-and-product-focused approach that we tested in the later courses of BITC1; expand access to learning resources via subtitling and translation; build collaborative BITC communities via social media platforms; and build within-Africa capacity in biodiversity informatics via high-level involvement of a number of African scientists and educators. These goals will be achieved via three, once-yearly symposium/course combination events which will be organized and implemented by combined leadership teams from the UK, USA, and African countries, and are intended to provide a combined total of 30-33 days of training to 36-42 trainees. Here we present the format of the BITC1 and BITC2 courses, and the positive and negative outcomes that have resulted, with an eye to optimal design of future such initiatives.

scholarly journals Will the crowd game the algorithm? Using layperson judgments to combat misinformation on social media by downranking distrusted sources

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziv Epstein ◽  
Gordon Pennycook ◽  
David Gertler Rand
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Fake News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Ranking Algorithms ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
High Level ◽  
Survey Responses

How can social media platforms fight the spread of misinformation? One possibility is to use newsfeed algorithms to downrank content from sources that users rate as untrustworthy. But will laypeople unable to identify misinformation sites due to motivated reasoning or lack of expertise? And will they “game” this crowdsourcing mechanism to promote content that aligns with their partisan agendas? We conducted a survey experiment in which N = 984 Americans indicated their trust in numerous news sites. Half of the participants were told that their survey responses would inform social media ranking algorithms - creating a potential incentive to misrepresent their beliefs. Participants trusted mainstream sources much more than hyper-partisan or fake news sources, and their ratings were highly correlated with professional fact-checker judgments. Critically, informing participants that their responses would influence ranking algorithms did not diminish this high level of discernment, despite slightly increasing the political polarization of trust ratings.

Brand balance: the effect of influencer brand encroachment on interactivity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Hamdan ◽  
Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Personal Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
High Level

PurposeAs social media platforms continue to have an increased presence in influencer marketing, researchers and practitioners are seeking ways to optimize the use of these platforms. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of brand encroachment, a level of brand's control over the promotion executed by social media influencers (SMIs), on the importance of interactivity of SMIs.Design/methodology/approachThis study examined the effect of brand encroachment on interactivity whilst examining the mediating effects of both passion and personal power. The study was an online, one-factor between-subjects design comparing high level of brand encroachment vs low level of brand encroachment.FindingsThe results of the experimental study suggest that as brand encroachment decreases, there is an increasing importance of being interactive. In addition, with lower brand encroachment, SMIs portray more personal power and passion toward the product or service being promoted.Originality/valueAs influencers create communities via increased levels of engagement, authenticity and relatability, it is of paramount importance that SMIs build relationships through interactivity in low-brand encroachment settings. Brands should offer more opportunities for SMIs to be interactive with their audience, while intrinsically building their personal power and passion as sources for these interactions.

Beyond normalization and equalization on Twitter: Politicians’ Twitter use during non-election times and influences of media attention

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Rauchfleisch ◽  
Julia Metag
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
The Core ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Twitter has already become one of the most important social media platforms for political communication. Concerning the use of Twitter in politics, two possible developments have been at the core of the theoretical discussion ‐ equalization and normalization. As normalization seems to be the case in most western countries about politicians’ Twitter use, it is yet unknown to what extent this debate can be applied to non-election times. The aim of our study is threefold. First, we address the debate of normalization on Twitter with a focus on the activity level on Twitter. Second, we classify the politicians based on their activity level in order to investigate to what extent the Twitter use still differs even if a high level of adoption has been reached. Third, we analyse the impact of the traditional media on the Twittersphere during parliamentary and non-parliamentary phases, thus focusing on non-election times. Our results show that even though media attention gives some politicians an advantage online, equalization tendencies are still possible on Twitter if politicians actively use the platform.

Citizen Engagement and Social Media

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-43
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Sandoval-Almazan ◽  
Juan Carlos Montes de Oca Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Campaigns ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
Weekly Basis ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
High Level ◽  
Media Data

Social media has transformed election campaigns around the world. While it is difficult to determine to what extent social media influence voters' decisions, there is no doubt that social media platforms impact on candidate advertising and public debate during elections. This research, the methodological formulation of which is based on a case study, seeks to investigate the use of social media during political campaigns to collect signatures of support. In the elections of 2018, aspiring candidates for presidential election required a certain number of signatures of support in order to register as official candidates. We collected social media data on a weekly basis from the Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts of seven candidates and contrasted this data with the number of signatures validated by the electoral authority. We found no relationship between the level of support received and the use of social media in the case of any of the candidates. However, we observed candidates who did achieve the required number of signatures and who did receive official presidential candidate status as a result of their high level of visibility. This research contributes methodologically to the current literature and provides empirical evidence regarding independent candidates in Mexico.

scholarly journals Systemic infection with highly pathogenic H5N8 of avian origin produces encephalitis and mortality in wild mammals at a UK rehabilitation centre

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Floyd ◽  
Ashley C Banyard ◽  
Fabian ZX Lean ◽  
Alexander MP Byrne ◽  
Edward Fullick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Wild Bird ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Rehabilitation Centre ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Domestic Poultry ◽  
Avian Origin ◽  
The Impact

Europe has experienced extensive outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during the autumn/winter 2020/21 season. These avian influenza A viruses are highly transmissible and have infected over 1000 commercial and backyard poultry premises in Europe in this period causing high mortality. The impact on wild bird populations has also been significant, with over 400 detections in at least 47 different species reported across Europe as being positive with the H5N8 virus. Although different H5Nx combinations within the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b have been detected, the H5N8 subtype has predominated both in wild birds and domestic poultry outbreaks. In the UK there have been 22 outbreaks of H5N8 in domestic poultry and captive birds and more than 300 wild bird detections involving H5N8 over the autumn/winter 2020/21 period to April 2021. Here we detail the series of events surrounding the detection of an H5N8 influenza A virus of avian origin in five swans, a fox and three seals in a wildlife rehabilitation centre.

scholarly journals Does Eating Chicken Feet With Pickled Peppers Cause Avian Influenza? Observational Case Study on Chinese Social Media During the Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Outbreak

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Chen ◽  
Jian Shao ◽  
Kui Liu ◽  
Gaofeng Cai ◽  
Zhenggang Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
H7n9 Outbreak ◽  
Chinese Social Media

Citizen Engagement and Social Media

2022 ◽  
pp. 945-966
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Sandoval-Almazan ◽  
Juan Carlos Montes de Oca Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Political Campaigns ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
High Level ◽  
Media Data

Social media has transformed election campaigns around the world. While it is difficult to determine to what extent social media influence voters' decisions, there is no doubt that social media platforms impact on candidate advertising and public debate during elections. This research, the methodological formulation of which is based on a case study, seeks to investigate the use of social media during political campaigns to collect signatures of support. In the elections of 2018, aspiring candidates for presidential election required a certain number of signatures of support in order to register as official candidates. We collected social media data on a weekly basis from the Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts of seven candidates and contrasted this data with the number of signatures validated by the electoral authority. We found no relationship between the level of support received and the use of social media in the case of any of the candidates. However, we observed candidates who did achieve the required number of signatures and who did receive official presidential candidate status as a result of their high level of visibility. This research contributes methodologically to the current literature and provides empirical evidence regarding independent candidates in Mexico.

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