Public Relations, Law, and Environmental Pollution

In public relations, however, the relationship is a complementary one, in which the law acts as the formulator of the rules of society and public relations serves as the interpreter of them to the people. Beyond that, public relations often can support the law by creating an atmosphere in which the law can more effectively perform its function of protecting the people and preserving the health of society. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the area of air and water pollution control

Investigating risk and protective factors to mainstream safety and peace at the University of South Africa

Given the high fatality rates resulting from both unintentional and intentional injuries in South Africa, the identification and prevention of risk factors resulting in injurious incidents as well as the promotion of  protective factors is central to the country’s research agenda. While social science and public health enquiries apply these objectives to various South African contexts, few studies investigate manifest risk and protective factors within South African universities. Accordingly, this study aims to develop the first record of both risk and protective factors at the University of South Africa (Unisa) Muckleneuk Campus as a means to inform future theoretical and practical initiatives in the area. Data was collected with photo-documentaries, unobtrusive field observations, and a peace and safety checklist. The collated data was subjected to a thematic content analysis, allowing for the emergence of four distinct peace and safety promotion themes. These themes include crime, fire injury and electrocution, road and traffic injury, in addition to unintentional injuries. These four themes are discussed, and recommendations are provided, with the intention of informing injury prevention and safety promotion initiatives at the level of both theory and practice in South African tertiary education contexts. This study provides a platform upon which further work in the field can be produced to ensure the safety of students attending tertiary education institutions in South Africa.Keywords: campus safety; crime; traffic; electrocution; injury; South Africa; Unis

The rise of micromobilities at tourism destinations

Purpose This paper aims to identify the need for research that focuses on micromobilities at tourist destinations, charting their recent expansion and exploring development challenges. Design/methodology/approach This discussion draws together recent evidence and studies that are directly and indirectly related to the rise of micromobilities. It identifies and critically analyses the trend going forward, its potential benefits and challenges, and offers several areas of future study. Findings Micromobilities relates to a new umbrella term that includes, but is not limited to, walking, cycling (both existing modes), e-bikes and e-scooters (new modes). The proliferation of new micro-modes in urban zones at destinations can be viewed positively in terms of their potential to increase sustainable urban mobility and therefore destination attractiveness; but also negatively in terms of potential space issues, accessibility and sustainable implementation. Destination developers and stakeholders should therefore consider carefully how to successfully integrate micromobilities into sustainable transport systems. Originality/value This paper addresses a trend that is extremely prominent at many destinations but largely absent from academic study and that is also being described by commentators as key to sustainable futures at destinations

Tailored, iterative, printed dietary feedback is as effective as group education in improving dietary behaviours: results from a randomised control trial in middle-aged adults with cardiovascular risk factors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tailored nutrition interventions have been shown to be more effective than non-tailored materials in changing dietary behaviours, particularly fat intake and fruit and vegetable intake. But further research examining efficacy of tailored nutrition education in comparison to other nutrition education methods and across a wider range of dietary behaviours is needed. The Stages to Healthy Eating Patterns Study (STEPs) was an intervention study, in middle-aged adults with cardiovascular risk factors, to examine the effectiveness of printed, tailored, iterative dietary feedback delivered by mail in improving short-term dietary behaviour in the areas of saturated fat, fruit, vegetable and grain and cereal intake.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>STEPs was a 3-month randomised controlled trial with a pre and post-test design. There were three experimental conditions: 1) tailored, iterative, printed dietary feedback (TF) with three instalments mail-delivered over a 3-month period that were re-tailored to most recent assessment of dietary intake, intention to change and assessment of self-adequacy of dietary intake. Tailoring for dietary intake was performed on data from a validated 63-item combination FFQ designed for the purpose 2) small group nutrition education sessions (GE): consisting of two 90-minute dietitian-led small group nutrition education sessions and 3) and a wait-listed control (C) group who completed the dietary measures and socio-demographic questionnaires at baseline and 3-months later. Dietary outcome measures in the areas of saturated fat intake (g), and the intake of fruit (serves), vegetables (serves), grain and cereals as total and wholegrain (serves) were collected using 7-day estimated dietary records. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests and general linear models adjusted for baseline dietary intake, age and gender were used to examine the effectiveness of different nutrition interventions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The TF group reported a significantly greater increase in fruit intake (0.3 serves/d P = 0.031) in comparison to GE and the C group. All three intervention groups showed a reduction in total saturated fat intake. GE also had a within-group increase in mean vegetable intake after 3 months, but this increase was not different from changes in the other groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this study, printed, tailored, iterative dietary feedback was more effective than small group nutrition education in improving the short-term fruit intake behaviour, and as effective in improving saturated fat intake of middle-aged adults with cardiovascular risk factors. This showed that a low-level dietary intervention could achieve modest dietary behaviour changes that are of public health significance.</p

Bike share in Greater Manchester

Active travel offers cities opportunities to address vital challenges such as health, air quality and congestion. Bike share is increasingly evident in cities across the globe, whether in the more conventional docked form found in, for example, London and Paris or the newer dockless technology facilitated through smartphone apps. Such systems offer people a bike to use without the hassle of ownership or storage and, if they have their own bike, access to a bike to make journeys when they do not have it with them. They therefore promise to make cycling an option for a wider population and for more journeys. They offer to complete the elusive ‘last mile’ that can make public transport difficult and to help to make cycling a visible and attractive option for many. This report provides new evidence of experiences and perceptions of bike share in Greater Manchester. It explores whether, to what extent and in what forms bike share can contribute to an overall increase in the number of people cycling, the number of journeys they make and the health and environmental benefits that follow

Biofilm formation is a risk factor for mortality in patients with Candida albicans bloodstream infection-Scotland, 2012-2013

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377/Z/11/Z. Data collection was supported by a grant from Pfizer. G. Ramage was also supported by a research fellowship grant from Gilead Sciences. We are grateful to microbiology colleagues throughout Scotland for submitting isolates.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

How We Met Our Data Librarian: Designing, Recruiting, and Implementing a New Position

Strategic support for a range of data management needs has emerged as a campus-level priority at UVM, as at many other colleges and universities. In Spring 2017, the UVM Libraries reconfigured the vacant position of “Science Librarian” as “Science and Data Librarian” with new responsibilities for supporting data management. This presentation will describe a case study of how the UVM Libraries aligned these responsibilities with campus needs and initiatives; what we learned about data librarianship from the recruitment process; and the opportunities for an incoming librarian shaping the course of new library services