Web-based intervention for developing long-term health literacy of individuals : Possibilities and limitations

Publisher Copyright: © by Aira Aija Krumiņa 2016.Web-based interventions (WBI) are purposefully developed online programs designed for wide range of users (clients, patients, health care specialists, as well as medical practitioners) which allow obtaining and using information on various issues related to health maintenance and improvement. On the basis of the analysis of scientific literature, the article provides an overview of WBI types and components, as well as a structural model of WBI and its user in the context of environment factors. The possibilities of using WBI for developing long-term health literacy of individuals are specified. By summarising the main advantages and limitations of using WBI, the possible suggestions for the WBI use and development are offered.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Prospects of controlling the propagation of high power THz radiation by passive optical elements including 3D printed

Different types of optical elements for controlling high power THz radiation were studied. Controlling was performed utilizing amplitude modulation of the electric field and effective spatial modulation of the complex dielectric susceptibility in the volume of the THz filter. We make a comparison of attenuation efficiency of various options of 3D printed filters when ABS filament is mixed with perovskite microparticles. Another type of filter was obtained by the deposition of magnetic particles in the presence of an external magnetic field in a transparent polymer matrix. Industrial isotropic cut-off filters based on layered meta structures have also been investigated. A comparison is made of the efficiency of attenuation of linearly polarized THz radiation with homemade band-pass polarizers obtained by etching copper from a flexible polyimide substrate and industrial filters. Filters and polarizers created using 3D printing, or by deposition of polymer matrix with magnetic particles under external field, are attractive cost effective elements

Prospects of controlling the propagation of high-power THz radiation by passive optical elements including 3D printed

Optical properties of different commercial plastics for fused deposition modeling 3D printing are defined at room temperature in the spectral range 0.2˗1.2 THz. We compare absorption coefficients and refractive index of ABS, PETG, and SBS printed 1-4 mm plates. Different types of optical elements for controlling high-power THz radiation are studied. A comparison is made of the efficiency of attenuation of linearly polarized THz radiation with homemade band-pass polarizers obtained by etching copper from a flexible polyimide substrate. Filters and polarizers created using 3D printing or by deposition of polymer matrix with magnetic particles under external field are cost-effective and can be easily changed or replaced. Comparison between plastic insets, filters based on magnetic particles, and polyimide film filters are made

About enhanced access control using FIDO2 authentication and attributes

In this paper a joint use of the FIDO2 specifi cation and attribute-based access control with support for reading attributes from electronic documents is proposed. Existing solutions and implementation options are reviewed. This provides an opportunity to improve access control methods to information and resources

Aspects for efficient wide spectral band THz generation via CO2 laser down conversion

Detailed model study of THz generation by CO2 laser down-conversion in pure and solid solution crystals GaSe1-xSx is carried out for the first time. Both forward and backward collinear interactions of common (eo-e, oe-e, oe-o, oo-e, ee-o) and original (ee-e, oo-o) types are considered. Possibility of realization, phase matching angles and figure of merits are estimated for line mixing within 9 μm and 10 μm emission bands, as well between them. Dispersion properties of o- and e-wave refractive indices and absorption coefficients for GaSe, GaS and GaSe1-xSx crystals were preliminary measured by THz-TDS, approximated in the equation form and then used in the study. Estimated results are presented in the form of 3-D figures that are suitable for rapid analyses of DFG parameters. The most efficient type of interaction is eo-o type. Optimally doped (x = 0.09-0.13) GaSe1-xSx crystals are from 4 to 5 times more efficient at limit pump intensity than not doped GaSe crystals

Optical properties and potential of LB4 for THz wave generation

Optical properties of a Li2B4O7 (LB4) crystal are determined in the spectral range 0.2-1.6 THz. Dispersion of the refractive index components for o- and e-wave are approximated in the form of Sellmeier equations. They are subsequently used to determine the possible interaction types and to calculate the phase-matching angles to get THz waves by difference frequency generation. The damage threshold is determined as well as the coherence length for all possible types of three wave interactions under the pump by fs Ti: Sapphire laser pulses at 950 nm. The efficiency of the processes is estimated. Using trains of hundreds of pulses at 950 nm it was found to be 1.32 times of that for β-BBO crystal laser pump

Predictors of changing patterns of adherence to containment measures during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic: an international longitudinal study

BackgroundIdentifying common factors that affect public adherence to COVID-19 containment measures can directly inform the development of official public health communication strategies. The present international longitudinal study aimed to examine whether prosociality, together with other theoretically derived motivating factors (self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, perceived social support) predict the change in adherence to COVID-19 containment strategies.MethodIn wave 1 of data collection, adults from eight geographical regions completed online surveys beginning in April 2020, and wave 2 began in June and ended in September 2020. Hypothesized predictors included prosociality, self-efficacy in following COVID-19 containment measures, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived social support. Baseline covariates included age, sex, history of COVID-19 infection and geographical regions. Participants who reported adhering to specific containment measures, including physical distancing, avoidance of non-essential travel and hand hygiene, were classified as adherence. The dependent variable was the category of adherence, which was constructed based on changes in adherence across the survey period and included four categories: non-adherence, less adherence, greater adherence and sustained adherence (which was designated as the reference category).ResultsIn total, 2189 adult participants (82% female, 57.2% aged 31-59 years) from East Asia (217 [9.7%]), West Asia (246 [11.2%]), North and South America (131 [6.0%]), Northern Europe (600 [27.4%]), Western Europe (322 [14.7%]), Southern Europe (433 [19.8%]), Eastern Europe (148 [6.8%]) and other regions (96 [4.4%]) were analyzed. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that prosociality, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 were significant factors affecting adherence. Participants with greater self-efficacy at wave 1 were less likely to become non-adherence at wave 2 by 26% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.77; P < .001), while those with greater prosociality at wave 1 were less likely to become less adherence at wave 2 by 23% (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.79; P = .04).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that in addition to emphasizing the potential severity of COVID-19 and the potential susceptibility to contact with the virus, fostering self-efficacy in following containment strategies and prosociality appears to be a viable public health education or communication strategy to combat COVID-19