The effect of conflicting public health guidance on smokers and vapers’ e-cigarette harm perceptions

Background: E-cigarettes are increasingly being viewed, incorrectly, as more harmful than cigarettes. This may discourage smokers from switching to e-cigarettes. One potential explanation for these increasingly harmful attitudes is conflicting information presented in the media, online and from public health bodies. Methods: In a prospectively registered online study, daily UK smokers who do not vape (n=334) and daily UK vapers (n=368) were randomised to receive either: 1) a consistent harm reduction statement from two different public health bodies (Harm Reduction); 2) a consistent negative statement about e-cigarette harms from two different public health bodies (Negative); 3) a harm reduction statement from one public health body and a negative statement from another (Conflict); 4) a statement of the risks of smoking followed by a harm reduction statement from one public health body and a negative statement from another (Smoking Risk + Conflict). Participants then answered questions regarding their e-cigarette harm perceptions. Results: The Negative condition had the highest e-cigarette harm perceptions, significantly higher than the Smoking Risk + Conflict condition (MD=5.4, SE=1.8, p<.016, d=0.3 [CI 0.73 to 10.04]), which did not differ from the Conflict condition (MD=1.5, SE=1.8, p=.836, d=0.1 [CI -3.14 to 6.17]). The Conflict condition differed from the Harm Reduction condition, where harm perceptions were lowest (MD=5.4, SE=1.8, p=.016, d=0.3 [CI 0.74 to 10.07]). Conclusions: These findings are the first to demonstrate that, compared to harm reduction information, conflicting information increases e-cigarette harm perceptions amongst vapers, and smokers who do not vape.

TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGIC COMPETENCE AT SD NEGERI 168 PEKANBARU

The purpose of this research was to describe the teachers’ pedagogic competence at Sekolah dasar Negeri 168 Pekanbaru. This research was conducted on July 2020. The type of this research was quantitative which provided the description about the current condition on the research object which was the teachers’ pedagogic competence at Sekolah dasar Negeri 168 Pekanbaru. The sampling techniques applied in this research was a saturated sampling. The samples of this research were all teachers of ekolah dasar Negeri 168 Pekanbaru amounted 15 teachers. Data were collected through a 71-items questionnaire via google form with the instrument of a positive and negative statement about teachers’ pedagogic competence with four alternative answers. The research results concluded that the teachers’ pedagogic competence at Sekolah dasar Negeri 168 Pekanbaru reached 87.62% with “Very Good” category. The number of core competency who scored in the interval 85-100 with the category of "Very Good" were 7 core competency, at intervals of 70-84 with the category "Good" were 3 core competency, at intervals of 50-69 with the category "Enough" was 0, and at interval of 0-49 with the category "Less" was also 0.

The Cadets’ Self-Confidence in Delivering Marine Communication on Board Simulation

The ability to effectively communicate at work, home, and in life is probably one of the most important sets of skills a person needs. English as a tool of communication as standardized by International Maritime Organization (IMO), needs to be implemented in order to improve learning needs, cognitive and affective abilities, for self-confidence is considered to be a significant factor which influences the learners’ language performance. The purpose of this study is to find out the cadets’ level of self-confidence category in delivering marine communication on board and the causes of the level of the self-confidence. The research uses descriptive qualitative design. The participants of the research is deck and engine cadets semester IV from Politeknik Ilmu Pelayaran Makassar who were scheduled for practicing on the training ship. The variable of this study is the cadets’ self-confidence in delivering marine communication on board simulation. The data are collected through questionnaire, observational checklist and interview related to self-confidence of the cadets in delivering marine communication on board Training Ship Sultan Hasanuddin. The data from questionnaires were analyzed by scoring the positive and negative statement into Likert’s scale (strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, strongly disagree) and classified the level of sel-confidence by the score scale to determine The High Self-Confidence, Moderate Self-Confidence, and Low Self-Confidence. The results of the study show that there are three levels of cadets’ self-confidence in delivering marine communication on board simulation, they are categorized as high, moderate and low self-confidence. The cadets high self-confidence is caused by the feeling of excited to do simulation. Moderate self-confidence of cadets is caused by high motivation in English, but could not engage the indicators of people with self-confidence. However, Low self-confidence of cadets are caused by mispronunciation and unfamiliarity situation on board.

Self-perceived Taste and Flavor Perception: Associations With Quality of Life in Patients With Olfactory Loss

Objective To evaluate associations between self-perceived chemosensory functions of smell, taste, and flavor perception with olfactory-specific quality of life (QoL) in patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) and whether these associations would be influenced by other factors, such as duration or etiology of smell loss. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary care, academic center. Methods Olfactory-specific QoL was measured with the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD). The QOD measures the impact of OD on QoL (QOD-negative statements) and the ability of patients to cope with smell loss (QOD-positive statements). Orthonasal olfactory function, patients’ demographics, self-perceived chemosensory perception, and duration and etiology of OD were retrospectively collected in a cohort of patients with quantitative OD. Correlations and multivariable linear regression models were computed to determine possible associations with the outcome measure of QOD-negative and QOD-positive statement scores. Results A total of 133 patients with OD were included. Analysis revealed a positive correlation between self-perceived taste and flavor perception with QOD-negative statement scores, while self-perceived smell showed no significant correlation. Similarly, longer duration of smell loss and higher age were also correlated with higher QOD-positive statement scores. Multivariable regression models confirmed that self-perceived taste was independently associated with the QOD-negative statement score, while age and duration of OD were independently associated with the QOD-positive statement score. Conclusions These findings suggest that the impact of diminished flavor perception during eating and drinking has a stronger impact on the QoL of patients with OD as compared with decreased orthonasal olfaction.

The Influence of International Pre-Service Teaching Program Towards Students’ Speaking Ability at University of Muhammadiyah Makassar

The objective of the research is to find out the influence of International Pre-service Teaching Program toward students’ speaking English ability at Makassar Muhammadiyah University. The researcher applied descriptive qualitative research. The population of the research was the students who join International Pre-service Teaching Program (P2K International) at Makassar Muhammadiyah University. The researcher used total sampling technique. The population consisted of 15 students who joined in 2014 and 13 students who joined in 2015. The result of the research data showed that there were 25.31% students chose Strongly Agree from 237 items in positive statement and 37.14% Agree, 27.85% Undecided, 5.90% Disagree, and then 3.80% students chose Strongly Agree. While 1.57% students chose Strongly Agree from 254 items in negative statement and 10.24% Agree, 21.26% Undecided, 23.63% Disagree, and then 43.30% students chose Strongly Agree. In self-confidence aspect they feel no worry anymore to speak in public, in grammar they can not deny that their grammar become better, in fluently their English speaking is not slow as beginner, and their vocabulary significantly enriched after the program. All these aspects lead the students to become speaker especially in English. Having analyzed the data, it can be concluded that Pre-service teaching international program has significantly influence and improved the students’ English speaking ability at Makassar Muhammadiyah University.

Domestic Violence Cases In Jambi: Psychological Factors That Affect Victims to Return Back to Their Offenders

Most of the domestic violence cases proofed that woman was always be a victim in their own house. Economy will always be the first reason for offenders (husband) to do violence against their wife. Many cases happen but only a few women who have the brave to go to the court to have justice, others choose to keep silent. From these few women, some of them choose to return back to their husband after they see the judge and have sentence for their husband. This study tried to find out psychological factors that may affect women to have reconciliation with their husband. The author performed qualitative analysis on data from interview to four participants who have been consulted their cases on court and experienced domestic violence from their husband. Violence that they got vary from physical such as hitting, punching, and violence using tools (throwing plate or glass to the victim); psychology such as yelling, negative statement, neglected; economy such as not giving money to support their life. Data gained from interview showed that, some victims economically independent, its mean they have their own income but some are dependent; they still need support from their husband as the offender. Negative statement as they daily consumption have been internalized, it made them see their future helpless without husband; children become the other reason why victim choose to recon ciliate, they don’t think they could support their children economically. Social stigma as a widow make them afraid to be separate from their husband. Victims experiencing domestic violence have low self-concept, low self-esteem and low self-image. Those are become main factors that affect them to return back and have reconciliation with their husband. Having no goal setting and direction in their life become minor factors.

Mixed Messages: I. The Consequences of Communicating Negative Statements Within Emotional Support Messages to Cancer Patients

Background: Not all emotional support messages consist purely of positive statements. Some emotional support messages received by cancer patients simultaneously communicate statements of caring but also negative statements, such as criticisms of patients’ actions. Objective: This study tests if a negative statement occurring within an emotional support message affects cancer patients’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the entire emotional support message as well as the perceived competence of the supporter communicating the emotional support message. Methods: Cancer patients watched video recordings of emotional support messages and subsequently provided ratings on message effectiveness and supporter competence. Some emotional support messages included negative statements, whereas other messages did not. Results: Messages that included a negative statement were rated lower on message effectiveness than messages without negative statements. Cancer patients rated supporters communicating messages with a negative statement as having significantly less competence than those who did not communicate a negative statement. Conclusion: A single negative statement occurring within an emotional support message may result in cancer patients viewing the emotional support as less effective and the supporter as less competent.

Negative facts in classical Indian philosophy

Like their European counterparts, the philosophers of classical India were interested in the problem of negative facts. A negative fact may be thought of, at the outset at least, as a state of affairs that corresponds to a negative statement, such as ‘Mr Smith is not in this room.’ The question that perplexed the philosophers of India was: How does someone, say Ms Jones, know that Mr Smith is not in the room? There are essentially four possible metaphysical positions to account for what it is that Ms Jones knows when, after entering a room, she comes to know that her friend is not present there. Each of the positions has been adopted and defended by certain classical Indian philosophers. On the one hand, some take the absence of the friend from the room as a brute, negative fact. Of these, some hold knowledge of this fact to be perceptual, while others hold it to be inferential. On the other hand, some hold that the absence of the friend from the room has no real ontic status at all, and believe that what there really is in the situation is just the sum of all the things present in the office. These latter philosophers hold that knowledge of one’s friend’s absence is just knowledge of what is present, though some believe the knowledge results from perception, while others believe it to result from inference. These four positions were maintained by, respectively, the Nyāya philosopher Jayanta, the Mīmāṃsā philosophers Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and Prabhākara, and the Buddhist Dharmakīrti.

THE GRAMMAR OF INTERPERSONAL EXCHANGES COMMUNICATIVE ACTS USED IN EFL CLASS

The language structures of standard English may change for some local area. Such as, Malaysia, Singapore and it involves Indonesia. We have to dig deeper understanding of the language used, especially for the ungrammatical utterance both spoken or written. It has also been tried by teachers while they are guided the students in class by varying and modifying the learning technique or method used. In fact, the grammatical processes and illocutionary acts are still found during speaking activity. This study aims to analyse the clause used in EFL class in which mood and speaker’s intent do not match while speaking and identify the exact meaning of it. The findings show the declarative, interrogative, or imperative clause of mood has other Illocutionary acts used during speaking that was for directive, providing a threat, exclaiming, giving command, advice and conveying a negative statement. This result is supported by the generalization of mood of clause to the speaker’s act that relate to the local language structure and its meaning which has differences with standard English.Keywords:Functional grammar, Interpersonal exchanges, Communicative acts

Impact of Sarcasm in Sentiment Analysis Methodology

Sentiment of analysis is a study area applied to numerous environments (financial, political, academic, business, and communication) whose purpose is to search for messages posted on social media, and through these to identify and classify people's opinions about particular item as positive or negative. Rating the sentiment expressed in opinionated messages is such an important task that currently companies invest a lot of money in collecting this type of information and the development of methods and techniques to classify the sentiment that they express, so that they can use the results as useful information in preparing marketing and sales strategies efficiently. However, one of the major problems facing the feelings of analysis is the difficulty of methods to properly analyze messages with sarcastic and/or ironic content, as these linguistic phenomena have the characteristic of transforming the polarity or meaning of a positive or negative statement into its opposite.