Using the "Media as Mediator" Approach to Understand the Influence of Communication Channel Trust on COVID-19 Protective Behaviors: England, January 2022.

In a secondary analysis, we examine how trust in pro-recommendation versus alternative communication channels mediated effects of demographic, personality, lifestyle, and political variables on COVID-19 protective behavior in England. In so doing, we adapt the media-as-mediator approach to the pandemic context. Respondents reported that family, close friends, primary care medical providers, and mainstream news media were relatively supportive of public health recommendations, and social media friend networks, faith/community groups, alternative news sites, and alternative health practitioners were relatively unsupportive.

Pandemic lifeworlds: A segmentation analysis of public responsiveness to official communication about Covid-19 in England.

Pandemics such as Covid-19 pose tremendous public health communication challenges in promoting protective behaviours, vaccination, and educating the public about risks. Segmenting audiences based on attitudes and behaviours is a means to increase the precision and potential effectiveness of such communication. The present study reports on such an audience segmentation effort for the population of England, sponsored by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and involving a collaboration of market research and academic experts.

Lessons Learned from Developing Tailored Community Communication Campaigns in the HEALing Communities Study.

This paper outlines lessons learned from tailoring communication campaigns to increase demand for, and reduce stigma toward, evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 66 communities participating in the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Communities Study (HCS). We present nine lessons gathered about how to engage local communities in both virtual and in-person opioid messaging and distribution between February 2019 and June 2022. The research team created four communication campaigns and did extensive, tailored marketing and promotion to assist communities in implementing evidence-based clinical activities to reduce opioid overdose mortality.

Simultaneous inhibition of DNA-PK and Polϴ improves integration efficiency and precision of genome editing.

Genome editing, specifically CRISPR/Cas9 technology, has revolutionized biomedical research and offers potential cures for genetic diseases. Despite rapid progress, low efficiency of targeted DNA integration and generation of unintended mutations represent major limitations for genome editing applications caused by the interplay with DNA double-strand break repair pathways. To address this, we conduct a large-scale compound library screen to identify targets for enhancing targeted genome insertions.

A Novel Cell-based Luciferase Reporter Platform for the Development and Characterization of T-Cell Redirecting Therapies and Vaccine Development.

T-cell immunotherapies are promising strategies to generate T-cell responses towards tumor-derived or pathogen-derived antigens. Adoptive transfer of T cells genetically modified to express antigen receptor transgenes has shown promise for the treatment of cancer. However, the development of T-cell redirecting therapies relies on the use of primary immune cells and is hampered by the lack of easy-to-use model systems and sensitive readouts to facilitate candidate screening and development.

Testing the effectiveness of alcohol health warning label formats: An online experimental study with Australian adult drinkers.

Health warning labels (HWLs) on alcohol containers may help reduce population-level alcohol consumption. However, few studies have examined the most effective formats for alcohol HWLs. This study tested the effects of three different types of alcohol HWLs.

Prospective associations between attitudes toward alcohol advertisements and alcohol use behaviors among adolescent boys.

Objectives: Earlier initiation of alcohol use and problematic drinking among adolescents are linked with adverse health outcomes. Exposure to alcohol advertisements is associated with drinking among adolescents, but the association between the attitudes toward alcohol advertisements and drinking behaviors is understudied. We evaluated the association between attitudes towards alcohol advertisements and initiation of alcohol use among adolescent boys.

Correlates of U.S. Young adults' awareness of alcohol use as a behavioral risk factor for cancer.

Although alcohol increases the risk of cancer, awareness of alcohol-related cancer risks is low. Alcohol use is prevalent among young adults, and understanding factors associated with awareness and perceptions of alcohol-related cancer risks in this group is critical for cancer prevention efforts. We examined the demographic, tobacco, and alcohol related correlates of young adults' awareness and perceptions of alcohol as a behavioral risk factor for cancer.

Associations between Cognitive and Affective Responses to Tobacco Advertisements and Tobacco Use Incidence: A Four-Year Prospective Study among Adolescent Boys.

Exposure to tobacco advertisements is associated with initiation of tobacco use among youth. The mechanisms underlying this association are less clear. We estimated longitudinal associations between youths' cognitive and affective responses to advertisements for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco (SLT) and initiation of these products.

Increasing Alcohol Control Policy Support: The Mediating Role of Empathy and Emotions.

Mass media messages have the potential to reduce alcohol-related harm through increasing support for alcohol-control policies. In Study 1, we experimentally examined the incidental effects of alcohol mention in news articles about accidents and crime and found evidence that messages mentioning alcohol as a causal factor in the accident or crime can activate empathic and emotional responses, which in turn increase support for alcohol control policy. In Study 2, anti-drinking and driving public service announcements (PSAs) were edited to either portray consequences of drinking and driving for the driver only or for both the driver and innocent others.

Eudaimonic Testimonial Vs. Didactic Presentation Impact on Willingness to Engage in Conversations about End-of-Life Care: The Moderating Role of Modeling.

Using the mediated wisdom of experience (MWOE) theoretical framework, this study examines how eudaimonic testimonials versus comparable didactic presentations, and the presence or absence of modeling target behavior, influence death acceptance and intentions to converse about end-of-life care preferences. Effects for testimonials on attitudes and behaviors proved contingent on modeling. When testimonials incorporated modeled behavior, individuals were more likely to intend to carry out conversations about end-of-life conversations.

Understanding the effectiveness of advertisements about the long-term harms of alcohol and low-risk drinking guidelines: A mediation analysis.

Rationale: Many people overestimate the amount of alcohol that increases their risk of harm and so may not perceive any need to change their drinking behaviour. Several countries have developed low-risk drinking guidelines, yet awareness of these guidelines remains low. Furthermore, mass media campaigns about alcohol-related harms may have limited impact if people do not perceive their current consumption as potentially harmful.

Health communication campaigns to drive demand for evidence-based practices and reduce stigma in the HEALing communities study.

Background: The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is testing whether the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention can decrease opioid overdose deaths through the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in highly impacted communities. One of the CTH intervention components is a series of communications campaigns to promote the implementation of EBPs, increase demand for naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and decrease stigma toward people with opioid use disorder and the use of EBPs, especially MOUD. This paper describes the approach to developing and executing these campaigns.

Comparing responses to public health and industry-funded alcohol harm reduction advertisements: an experimental study.

Objectives: Conduct a head-to-head experimental test of responses to alcohol harm reduction advertisements developed by alcohol industry Social Aspects/Public Relations Organisations (SAPROs) versus those developed by public health (PH) agencies. We hypothesised that, on average, SAPRO advertisements would be less effective at generating motivation (H1) and intentions to reduce alcohol consumption (H2) but more effective at generating positive perceptions of people who drink (H3).

Design: Online experiment with random assignment to condition.

Testing a Brief Web-based Intervention to Increase Recognition of Tobacco Constituents.

Objective: We examined website formats to increase smokers' recognition of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in cigarettes.

Methods: Adult, daily smokers (N = 279) were randomized to view a brief, single-page study website showing HPHC names and uses. The intervention site was tailored + interactive, labeled by cigarette brand/subbrand showing color imagery and pop-up boxes; the generic + static website (control) was unbranded in greyscale.

Memorability of Cigarette Advertisements Making "Natural" Claims Among Adolescents.

Objectives: The tobacco industry has a history of making "natural" claims in advertisements. We report how viewing advertisements with such claims affected what adolescents found memorable.

Methods: Adolescent boys (N = 1220; 11-16 years old) were randomly assigned to view a Natural American Spirit (NAS) or other brand cigarette advertisement, and were asked what they remembered about the advertisement.

Adolescent males' responses to blu's fake warnings.

Objective: Blu's 'Something Better' advertising campaign ran in popular print magazines in 2017. The campaign included advertisements with fake warnings conveying positive messages, which mimicked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s warning requirements for electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) advertisements that took effect in 2018. We report adolescent males' recall of these fake warnings and how exposure to fake warnings affected recall of other advertisement components, including the actual warning or health risks, brand and product.

Tobacco and Alcohol on Television: A Content Analysis of Male Adolescents' Favorite Shows.

Introduction: Media tobacco and alcohol portrayals encourage adolescent substance use. Preventing adolescent initiation with these substances is critical, as they contribute to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Television tobacco and alcohol portrayals have not been examined for more than 7 years.

Randomized Trial Evaluating Targeted Photographic Health Communication Messages in Three Stigmatized Populations: Physically-Disabled, Senior, and Overweight/Obese Individuals.

The homophily principle that perceived similarities among people produce positive reactions is a cross-cultural, global phenomenon. The prediction that photographs depicting models similar to the target population improve health communication was tested. Three nationally-representative samples (n = 1,796) of adults who are disabled, seniors, or considered overweight/obese were selected from GfK's Knowledge Panel®.

Rumor Acceptance during Public Health Crises: Testing the Emotional Congruence Hypothesis.

Rumors pose a significant challenge to officials combatting a public health crisis. The flow of unsubstantiated and often inaccurate information can dilute the effects of more accurate messaging. Understanding why rumors thrive in this context is a crucial first step to constraining them.

Warning Size Affects What Adolescents Recall From Tobacco Advertisements.

Objectives: In the U.S., print advertisements for smokeless tobacco (SLT) feature a large black-and-white text warning covering 20% of the advertisement space.

Immediate effects on adult drinkers of exposure to alcohol harm reduction advertisements with and without drinking guideline messages: experimental study.

Aims: To compare the immediate effects on drinkers of television advertisements focusing upon short- versus long-term harms with and without low-risk drinking guidelines.

Design: Between-participants on-line experiment, with random assignment to view: (a) alcohol product advertisements (ALC control); (b) advertisements unrelated to alcohol (NON-ALC control); (c) advertisements featuring short-term harms (STH) of alcohol; (d) advertisements featuring STH plus a STH guideline (STH+G); (e) advertisements featuring long-term harms (LTH); or (f) advertisements featuring LTH plus a LTH guideline (LTH+G).

Setting: Australia, 2016.