Digital Literacy Training

The new information age technologies influence and shape the social and business life of individuals. Technological changes and their impact on business and society are also seen in cities, countries, and even on a global scale to use resources efficiently and to increase social welfare. As the internet is a fast and convenient communication tool, it is important to make correct decisions by distinguishing functional information while adapting to this change. In the process of digitalization, it is necessary to cooperate with libraries and other memory institutions to interact with digital cultural heritage in obsolete or inaccessible formats. From this point of view, the smart cities are seen as the reflections of digitalization on social life; then the difficulties and opportunities encountered in the process are mentioned in this chapter. In this way, information awareness which can directly affect the level of the ability to use information effectively is expected to increase in the digitalization process.

The effect of brand awareness, brand image, satisfaction, brand loyalty and WOM on purchase intention: An empirical research on social media

The purpose of this study is to propose a model to understand the impact of brand information (awareness and image) on marketing variables (satisfaction, brand loyalty, WOM and purchase intention) for individuals who like or follow brands in social media. In this study, 522 questionnaires were collected, and multi-group structural equation modelling was used. According to the findings, brand awareness had a significant direct effect on brand image and a significant indirect effect on brand loyalty and purchase intention through brand image. Also, the immediate effects of brand image on satisfaction, brand loyalty, and purchase intention were significant, and the indirect effect of brand image on WOM and purchase intent through brand loyalty is substantial. Thus, brand awareness and brand image have become prominent variables in terms of brand loyalty, WOM, and consumers' purchase intentions in social media. It has been determined that brand loyalty is crucial for brands in social media. Although brand loyalty has a low explained variance rate, its impact on WOM and purchase intention is robust. Social media has also been shown to affect WOM and purchase intention substantially. Also, using the theory of gender socialization examines whether the whole model changes according to gender. Finally, managerial and theoretical implications, limitations and recommendations are presented.

ON THE PARTICIPATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Ecological problems of the Republic of Bashkortostan are connected with the oil, petrochemical and chemical refinery plants and unfair fulfilling of the ecological requirements by the owners. Environment protection, preservation and far-sighted use of resources are due to a low level of the population’s ecological world outlook and information awareness. The author notes that social participation in the solution of the environmental problems is the important stage in forming ecological world outlook as a necessary element of strategic management of natural resources. Highlighting the activities of the non-governmental environmental organizations, mass media system development in this aspect especially use of the modern IT-technologies, Internet, mobile applications are required.

Impact and perception of COVID-19 among transgender

Background: Global pandemic of COVID-19 has affected all society sections, including transgender people who face neglect regarding medical care. Here we intended to study the awareness and perception of COVID-19 and its impact among transgender.Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among transgender people and compared with age-matched controls who attended our OPD or consulted telephonically.Results: The study included 40 transgender and 40 controls. Almost half of the transgender group (52.5%) were not graduates, and about 50% worked in a private company. There was no significant difference in the knowledge in terms of information about COVID-19, source of information, awareness of online consultation, treatment of COVID-19, and safe distancing (p=NS). Personal hygiene knowledge was better in controls (p=0.002), and hand washing habit was more in transgender (p=0.014), but transgender people were at par with the control group regarding the type of soap used, protective coverings for face, and availing online consultation (p=NS). However, transgender used hand sanitizers less frequently (p=0.035) and walked barefoot more often (p=0.004). COVID-19 and lockdown had a similar impact in both the groups in terms of healthcare support, source of groceries, and getting stuck away from home (p=NS).Conclusions: Though the education level in transgender was less, the level of awareness, knowledge, practices, and attitude about COVID-19 infections was almost similar to the control group. However, regarding the frequency of handwashing and the use of hand sanitizers, transgender people lagged, which needs to be addressed.

IMPROVEMENT OF INFORMATION SECURITY OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS AT THE ENTERPRISE

The mechanism of communication process and information security at an enterprise is considered. The theoretical aspects of the communications at the enterprise are based on the variety of its form and the relation of organizational and information structures: most activities have underlying links via information processes. Thus information security of communication process has a significant impact on the information security of the enterprise as a whole. In modern conditions and circumstances, the information security of the enterprise is largely reduced to cybersecurity and suffers from most threats of the latter. However, the human factor is responsible for most of the real facts of inflicting harm due to information security breaches. Thus, traditional mechanisms of privacy and confidentiality ensuring need to be adapted to new realities. New opportunities also set new requirements for understanding the very concept of information security: information must not only be protected but also timely and accurate as far as it is possible to be provided with modern telecommunication systems and information technologies: information security is a system of information protection of the enterprise – protection against theft, delayed and inaccurate providing of essential information to the recipient inside the enterprise or outside it. There are proposed and justified four principles necessary but not sufficient to ensure efficient mechanism of information security regarding communication process at small to medium enterprises. These include information awareness of staff even if they are not advanced with information technologies, traditional methods of protection against cyber threats such as passwords and encryption, control over information flows and the infrastructure that provides them, reliable cooperation and protection of remote access. These principles should be followed by managers at all levels.

Survey of Knowledge and Attitude of Female Hairdressers in Rafsanjan Regarding the Prevention of Blood-Borne Diseases and Its Relationship with Demographic Characteristics

Background: Failure to observe hygienic principles and making minor cuts with scissors and razors while applying makeup may lead to the transmission of diseases of blood origin. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude of female hairdressers in Rafsanjan regarding the prevention of Blood-borne diseases and its relationship with demographic characteristics in 2019-2020. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in all hairdressing salons in Rafsanjan that had official activities, by census (201 hairdressers). The tool for measuring knowledge and attitude was a researcher-made questionnaire that was completed as a self-report. The questionnaires were anonymous and coded and included demographic information, awareness and attitude. Data were entered into SPSS software version 18 and reported by indices of Dispersion indices, frequency distribution and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The average knowledge and attitude of hairdressers about Blood-borne diseases were 57.95 ± 5.11 and 57.95 ± 11.35, respectively. There was a statistically significant relationship between the mean score of knowledge and attitude of the research samples with the level of literacy (p value = 0.001). Most of the research samples mentioned that there is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis C disease and it was believed that covering the needle head after use has no effect on Blood-borne diseases. Conclusion: Considering the average level of knowledge of hairdressers, it is suggested that more effective training courses to increase the knowledge of hairdressers using different training methods in order to make more effectiveness of health programs.

The Science Library’s providing information support of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The role and place of science libraries during the transfer to digital science information and online user services is examined. The authors argue that in these circumstances of transfer to digital communication and Internet-based services and facilities, the peer-reviewed journals still maintain their role as a key publication format and promptly deliver research findings to researchers and experts. Open access has not been widely adopted in fundamental sciences: the scholarly information awareness system has to be financed by the government. The network of academic and research libraries make the part of this system. Based on the experience of the centralized library network (CLN) of the Russian Academy of Sciences Library for Natural Sciences (RAS LNS), the possibilities of the vast academic library network are explored. The structure of full-text collection of CLN RAS LNS is analyzed. This collection core is made primarily of the National Electronic Subscription materials comprising the world most established academic journals. With the Internet, these resources can be delivered directly to researcher’s workplace via the two channels under the National Electronic Subscription program, i. e. via his/her organizational subscription or via the library providing services to his/her organization. Both channels should be integrated in the system where the core resources are provided directly to the organization, and individual components demanded by individual researcher – via the library network. This system of science information provision has been for several years efficiently functioning at CLN RAS LNS. The need for similar system for the outside of National Electronic Subscription program is substantiated.

Investigation and analysis of digital poverty among adolescents in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the status quo of digital poverty among adolescents in China, analyze the characteristics and the causes, then propose countermeasures to provide reference for alleviating digital poverty among adolescents.Design/methodology/approachThe study developed an initial scale of digital poverty among adolescents and used survey data to revise the scale, on this basis, formed a questionnaire, which was distributed to nationwide adolescents. The study developed its findings from the 837 valid questionnaire respondents.FindingsThe digital poverty among adolescents is mainly shown in the poverty of digital ability, digital psychology and digital environment and presents the following characteristics, that is, insufficient information seeking ability and information selection ability needing to be improved; equipped with basic information awareness but lack of information evaluation ability; lack of patience in obtaining information and inclined to the principle of least effort; imperfect knowledge structure and immature psychological emotions and vulnerable to external interference; having a certain relationship with the information environment, but not significantly affected by regional economic differences. Finally, the study puts forward countermeasures to alleviate digital poverty among adolescents.Practical implicationsUnderstanding of the digital poverty among adolescents will likely demand rethinking into a number of issues ignored by information poverty studies.Originality/valueFew studies focus on digital poverty among adolescents. This study developed an initial scale of digital poverty among adolescents and revised it by survey data, then conducted an empirical study through questionnaire, which could expand the understanding of information poverty in the field of library and information science.