ABSTRACT
Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to achieve effective governance of online rumors through the proposed rumor propagation model and immunization strategy.Design/methodology/approach>The paper leverages the agent-based modeling (ABM) method to model individuals from two aspects, behavior and attitude. Based on the analysis and research of online data, we propose a rumor propagation model, namely the Untouched view transmit removed-Susceptible hesitate agree disagree (Unite-Shad), and devise an immunization strategy, namely the Gravity Immunization Strategy (GIS). A graph-based framework, namely Pregel, is used to carry out the rumor propagation simulation experiments. Through the experiments, the rationality of the Unite-Shad and the effectiveness of the GIS are verified.Findings>The study discovers that the inconsistency between human behaviors and attitudes in rumor propagation can be explained by the Unite-shad model. Besides, the GIS, which shows better performance in small-world networks than in scale-free networks, can effectively suppress rumor propagation in the early stage.Research limitations/implications>This paper provides an effective immunization strategy for rumor governance. Specifically, the Unite-Shad model reveals the mechanism of rumor propagation, and the GIS provides an effective governance method for selecting immune nodes.Originality/value>The inconsistency of human behaviors and attitudes in real scenes is modeled in the Unite-Shad model. Combined with the model, the definition of diffusion domain is proposed and a novel immunization strategy, namely GIS, is designed, which is significant for the social governance of rumor propagation.
ABSTRACT
A high quality of life (QoL), an individual's subjective assessment of overall life condition, has been shown to have a protective effect against negative behaviors. However, whether QoL protects people from the harmful impact of health rumors is still unknown. In this study, a national survey in China (n = 3633) was conducted to explore the relationship between health rumor belief (HRB) and QoL, which includes physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. The results show that people with a poor perception of their physical health are more likely to believe health rumors. Additionally, those who had better self-reported satisfaction in social relationships were more susceptible to health rumors. Furthermore, women and older adults showed a greater belief in health rumors. This study expands upon our understanding of how people with different QoL levels interact with false health-related information. Based on health-rumor-susceptible groups, several essential online and offline strategies to govern health rumors are also proposed.
Subject(s)
Personal Satisfaction , Quality of Life , Aged , China , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Protective Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously threatened the public health all over the world. A colloidal gold immunochromatography assay for IgM/IgG antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) S1 protein was established to assess its rapid diagnostic value. We first designed and manufactured all contents of the test cassette of SARS-CoV-2 rapid test kit: the colloidal gold-labeled mouse-antihuman lgM/lgG antibody, the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 antigen, the nitrocellulose membrane control line, and specimen diluents. Furthermore, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, colloidal gold immunochromatography assay, serological validation of cross reaction with other common viruses, and clinical validation were performed. The kit was finally evaluated by 75 serum/plasma samples of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases and 139 healthy samples as control, with the result of that the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for IgM were 90.67%, 97.84%, and 95.33%, whereas for IgG were 69.33%, 99.28%, and 88.79%, respectively; the combination of IgM and IgG could improve the value: 92.00%, 97.12%, and 95.33%, respectively. Therefore, the rapid detection kit has high sensitivity and specificity, especially for IgM&IgG, showing a critical value in clinical application and epidemic control of COVID-19.